Every
One Laughs, Saying He Himself Is Afraid & Tells Us That Story.
We call him
a dogg, a woman, and a henne.
We will make you know that we weare men, &
for his paines we should burne him when we come to our country. Here you
shall see the brutishnesse of those people that think themselves valliant
to the last point. No comparison is to be made with them for vallour, but
quite contrary. They passe away the rest of that day with great
exclamations of joy, but it will not last long.
That night wee layd in our boats and made not the ketle boyle, because we
had meat ready dressed. Every boat is tyed up in the rushes, whether out of
feare for what the prisoner told them, or that the prisoner should escape,
I know not. They went to sleepe without any watch. The ffrench began to
wish & moane for that place from whence they came from. What will it be if
wee heare yeatt cryes & sorrows after all? Past the breake of day every one
takes his oare to row; the formost oares have great advantage. We heard the
torrent rumble, but could not come to the land that day, although not farr
from us. Some twelve boats gott afore us. These weare saluted with guns &
outcrys. In the meane while one boat runs one way, one another; some men
lands and runs away. We are all put to it; non knowes where he is, they are
put to such a confusion. All those beasts gathers together againe frighted.
Seeing no way to escape, gott themselves all in a heape like unto ducks
that sees the eagle come to them.
That first feare being over a litle, they resolved to land & to make a fort
with all speed, which was done in lesse then two houres. The most stupidest
drowsy are the nimblest for the hattchett & cutting of trees. The fort
being finished, every one maketh himselfe in a readiness to sustaine the
assult if any had tempted. The prisoner was brought, who soone was
despatched, burned & roasted & eaten. The Iroquoits had so served them, as
many as they have taken. We mist 20 of our company, but some came safe to
us, & lost 13 that weare killed & taken in that defeat. The Iroquoite
finding himselfe weake would not venture, & was obliged to leave us least
he should be discovered & served as the other. Neverthelesse they shewed
good countenances, went & builded a fort as we have done, where they
fortified themselves & feed on human flesh which they gott in the warres.
They weare afraid as much as we, but far from that; ffor the night being
come, every one imbarks himselfe, to the sound of a low trumpet, by the
help of the darknesse. We went to the other side, leaving our marchandises
for our ransome to the ennemy that used us so unkindly. We made some
cariages that night with a world of paines. We mist 4 of our boats, so that
we must alter our equipages. The wildmen complained much that the ffrench
could not swime, for that they might be together. The ffrench seeing that
they weare not able to undergo such a voyage, they consult together & for
conclusion resolved to give an end to such labours & dangers; moreover,
found themselves incapable to follow the wildmen who went with all the
speed possible night & day for the feare that they weare in. The ffathers,
seeing our weaknesse, desired the wildmen that they might have one or two
to direct them, which by no means was granted, but bid us doe as the rest.
We kept still our resolution, & knowing more tricks then they, would not
goe back, which should be but disdainful & prejudiciall. We told them so
plainly that we would finish that voyage or die by the way. Besides that
the wildmen did not complaine of us att all, but incouraged us. After a
long arguing, every one had the liberty to goe backwards or forwards, if
any had courage to venter himselfe with us. Seeing the great difficulties,
all with one consent went back againe, and we went on.
The wildmen weare not sorry for their departure, because of their ignorance
in the affaire of such navigation. It's a great alteration to see one and
30 reduced to 2. We encouraged one another, both willing to live & die with
one another; & that [is] the least we could doe, being brothers. Before we
[went] to the lake of the hurrons we had crosses enough, but no encounter.
We travelled onely in the night in these dangerous places, which could not
be done without many vexations & labours. The vanity was somewhat cooler
for the example we have seene the day before. The hungar was that tormented
us most; for him we could not goe seeke for some wild beasts. Our chiefest
food was onely some few fishes which the wildmen caught by a line, may be
two dozens a whole day, no bigger then my hand.
Being come to the place of repose, some did goe along the water side on the
rocks & there exposed ourselves to the rigour of the weather. Upon these
rocks we find some shells, blackish without and the inner part whitish by
reason of the heat of the sun & of the humidity. They are in a maner glued
to the rock; so we must gett another stone to gett them off by scraping
them hard. When we thought to have enough [we] went back again to the
Cottages, where the rest weare getting the litle fishes ready with trips,
[Footnote: Trips, - meaning "tripe des boiled resolves itself into a black
glue, roche, a species of lichen, which being nauseous but not without
nourishment." Discovery of the Great West, by Parkman.] gutts and all.
The kittle was full with the scraping of the rocks, which soone after it
boyled became like starch, black and clammie & easily to be swallowed.
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