Those Wildmen, Thinking To Be Lost, Obeyed Us In Every Thing,
Telling Us Every Foot, "Be Chearfull, And Dispose Of
Us as you will, for we
are men lost." We killed our foure prisoners because they embarassed us.
They sent,
As soone as we weare together, some fourty, that perpetually
went to and againe to find out our pollicy and weaknesse.
In the meane time we told the people that they weare men, & if they must,
die altogether, and for us to make a fort in the lande was to destroy
ourselves, because we should put ourselves in prison; to take courage, if
in case we should be forced to take a retreat the Isle was a fort for us,
from whence we might well escape in the night. That we weare strangers and
they, if I must say so, in their countrey, & shooting ourselves in a fort
all passages would be open uppon us for to save ourselves through the
woods, was a miserable comfort. In the mean time the Iroquoits worked
lustily, think att every step we weare to give them an assault, but farr
deceived, ffor if ever blind wished the Light, we wished them the obscurity
of the night, which no sooner approached but we embarqued ourselves without
any noise, and went along. It's strang to me that the ennemy did not
encounter us. Without question he had store of prisoners and booty. We left
the Iroquoits in his fort and the feare in our breeches, for without
apprehension we rowed from friday to tuesday without intermission. We had
scarce to eat a bitt of sault meat. It was pitty to see our feete & leggs
in blood by drawing our boats through the swift streames, where the rocks
have such sharp points that there is nothing but death could make men doe
what we did. On the third day the paines & labour we tooke forced us to an
intermission, ffor we weare quite spent. After this we went on without any
encounter whatsoever, having escaped very narrowly. We passed a sault that
falls from a vast height. Some of our wildmen went underneath it, which I
have seene, & I myselfe had the curiosity, but that quiver makes a man the
surer. The watter runs over the heads with such impetuosity & violence that
it's incredible. Wee went under this torrent a quarter of a mille, that
falls from the toppe above fourty foot downwards.
Having come to the lake of the Castors, we went about the lake of the
castors for some victuals, being in great want, and suffered much hunger.
So every one constituts himselfe; some went a hunting, some a fishing. This
done, we went downe the river of the sorcerers, which brought us to the
first great lake. What joy had we to see ourselves out of that river so
dangerous, after we wrought two and twenty dayes and as many nights, having
not slept one houre on land all that while. Now being out of danger, as
safe from our enemy, perhaps we must enter into another, which perhaps may
give practice & trouble consequently. Our equipage and we weare ready to
wander uppon that sweet sea; but most of that coast is void of wild beasts,
so there was great famine amongst us for want. Yett the coast afforded us
some small fruits. There I found the kindnesse & charity of the wildmen,
ffor when they found any place of any quantity of it they called me and my
brother to eat & replenish our bellys, shewing themselves far gratfuller
then many Christians even to their owne relations.
I cannot forgett here the subtilty of one of these wildmen that was in the
same boat with me. We see a castor along the watter side, that puts his
head out of the watter. That wildman no sooner saw him but throwes himself
out into the watter and downe to the bottom, without so much time as to
give notice to any, and before many knewed of anything, he brings up the
castor in his armes as a child, without fearing to be bitten. By this we
see that hunger can doe much.
Afterwardes we entered into a straight which had 10 leagues in length, full
of islands, where we wanted not fish. We came after to a rapid that makes
the separation of the lake of the hurrons, that we calle Superior, or
upper, for that the wildmen hold it to be longer & broader, besids a great
many islands, which maks appeare in a bigger extent. This rapid was
formerly the dwelling of those with whome wee weare, and consequently we
must not aske them if they knew where they have layed. Wee made cottages
att our advantages, and found the truth of what those men had often [said],
that if once we could come to that place we should make good cheare of a
fish that they call Assickmack, which signifieth a white fish. The beare,
the castors, and the Oriniack shewed themselves often, but to their cost;
indeed it was to us like a terrestriall paradise. After so long fastning,
after so great paines that we had taken, finde ourselves so well by
chossing our dyet, and resting when we had a minde to it, 'tis here that we
must tast with pleasur a sweet bitt. We doe not aske for a good sauce; it's
better to have it naturally; it is the way to distinguish the sweet from
the bitter.
But the season was far spent, and use diligence and leave that place so
wished, which wee shall bewaile, to the coursed Iroquoits. What hath that
poore nation done to thee, and being so far from thy country? Yett if they
had the same liberty that in former dayes they have had, we poore ffrench
should not goe further with our heads except we had a strong army. Those
great lakes had not so soone comed to our knowledge if it had not ben for
those brutish people; two men had not found out the truth of these seas so
cheape; the interest and the glorie could not doe what terror doth att the
end.
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