They Found A More Rude And Cruell Enemy; For
Some After Being Taken Gott Their Lives, But The Hunger And Their Treachery
Made Them Kill One Another, Be It For Booty Or Whatsoever Other.
None
escaped, saving some hundred came to Quebecq to recover their first
liberty, but contrary they found their end.
So the ffathers left walls,
wildernesse, and all open wide to the ennemy and came to Quebecq with the
rest of the poore fugitives. They were placed in the wildernesse neere the
habitation of Quebecq; but being not a convenient place, they weare putt to
the Isle of Orleans, 3 leagues below Quebecq, in a fort that they made with
the succour of the ffrench, where they lived some years planting & sowing
Indian corne for their nourishment, and greased robes of Castors, of which
grease the profit came to the ffathers, the summe of 10,000 livres tournois
yearly.
In this place they weare catched when they least thought of it, not without
subject of conivance. God knoweth there weare escaped that time about 150
women and some 20 men. The rest are all killed, taken and brought away, of
which for the most part weare sett at liberty in the country of their
ennemy, where they found a great number of their kindred and relations who
lived with all sorte of liberty, and went along with the Iroquois to warre
as if they weare natives, in them was no trust to be given, ffor they weare
more cruell then the Iroquois even to their proper country, in soe much
that the rest resolved to surrender themselves then undergoe the hazard to
be taken by force. The peace was made by the instancy of the ffather
Jesuits. As before, some weare going there to live, as they have already
begun. They seeing our departure & transporting of our goods to Mount
Royall for to runne yea the hazard, they also must come. To lett you know
[if] our fortune or theirs be better or worse, it should be a hard thing
for me to declare; you may judge yourselfe.
Lett us come to our purpose and follow our voyage. Being arrived att the
last french habitation, where we must stay above 15 dayes, ffor to pass
that place without guide was a thing impossible, but after the time
expired, our guides arrived. It was a band of Iroquois that was appointed
to fetch us, and conduct us into their country. One day att 10 of the clock
in the morning, when we least thought of any, saw severall boats coming
from the point of St Louis, directly att the foot of a hill so called some
3 miles from mont Royall. Then rejoycing all to see coming those that they
never thought to have seene againe, ffor they promissed to come att the
beginning of Spring and should arrive 15 dayes before us, but seeing them,
every one speakes but of his imbarcation.
The Hurrons that weare present began to make speeches to encourage their
wives to make ready with all their stuffe and to feare nothing, being that
the heavans would have it so disposed, & that it was better to die in
Iroquois Country and peace with their brethren, then stay in the knott of
their nativity, that is their country, to be murthered, & better in the
Iroquois Country in warre for to be burned.
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