They Went All Away, And We Onely Stayed In The Place.
We Followed Them To Reassure Them Of Their Faintings.
We visited them in
their appartments, where they received [us] all trembling for feare,
believing realy by that same meanes that we weare the Devils of the earth.
There was nothing but feasting for 8 dayes.
The time now was nigh that we must goe to the rendezvous; this was betwixt
a small lake and a medow. Being arrived, most of ours weare allready in
their cottages. In 3 dayes' time there arrived eighten severall nations,
and came privatly, to have done the sooner. As we became to the number of
500, we held a councell. Then the shouts and cryes and the encouragments
weare proclaimed, that a fort should be builded. They went about the worke
and made a large fort. It was about 603 score paces in lenght and 600 in
breadth, so that it was a square. There we had a brooke that came from the
lake and emptied itselfe in those medows, which had more then foure leagues
in lenght. Our fort might be seene afar off, and on that side most
delightfull, for the great many stagges that took the boldnesse to be
carried by quarters where att other times they made good cheare.
In two dayes this was finished. Soone 30 yong men of the nation of the
beefe arrived there, having nothing but bows and arrows, with very short
garments, to be the nimbler in chasing the stagges. The Iron of their
arrows weare made of staggs' pointed horens very neatly. They weare all
proper men, and dressed with paint. They weare the discoverers and the
foreguard. We kept a round place in the midle of our Cabban and covered it
with long poles with skins over them, that we might have a shelter to keepe
us from the snow. The cottages weare all in good order; in each 10, twelve
companies or families. That company was brought to that place where there
was wood layd for the fires. The snow was taken away, and the earth covered
with deale tree bows. Severall kettles weare brought there full of meate.
They rested and eat above 5 houres without speaking one to another. The
considerablest of our companyes went and made speeches to them. After one
takes his bow and shoots an arrow, and then cryes aloud, there speaks some
few words, saying that they weare to lett them know the Elders of their
village weare to come the morrow to renew the friendship and to make it
with the ffrench, and that a great many of their yong people came and
brought them some part of their wayes to take their advice, ffor they had a
minde to goe against the Christinos, who weare ready for them, and they in
like manner to save their wives & children. They weare scattered in many
Cabbans that night, expecting those that weare to come. To that purpose
there was a vast large place prepared some hundred paces from the fort,
where everything was ready for the receiving of those persons. They weare
to sett their tents, that they bring uppon their backs. The pearches weare
putt out and planted as we received the news; the snow putt aside, and the
boughs of trees covered the ground.
The day following they arrived with an incredible pomp. This made me thinke
of the Intrance that the Polanders did in Paris, saving that they had not
so many Jewells, but instead of them they had so many feathers. The ffirst
weare yong people with their bows and arrows and Buckler on their
shoulders, uppon which weare represented all manner of figures, according
to their knowledge, as of the sun and moone, of terrestriall beasts, about
its feathers very artificialy painted. Most of the men their faces weare
all over dabbed with severall collours. Their hair turned up like a Crowne,
and weare cutt very even, but rather so burned, for the fire is their
cicers. They leave a tuff of haire upon their Crowne of their heads, tye
it, and putt att the end of it some small pearles or some Turkey stones, to
bind their heads. They have a role commonly made of a snake's skin, where
they tye severall bears' paws, or give a forme to some bitts of buff's
horns, and put it about the said role. They grease themselves with very
thick grease, & mingle it in reddish earth, which they bourne, as we our
breeks. With this stuffe they gett their haire to stand up. They cutt some
downe of Swan or other fowle that hath a white feather, and cover with it
the crowne of their heads. Their ears are pierced in 5 places; the holes
are so bigg that your little finger might passe through. They have yallow
waire that they make with copper, made like a starr or a half moone, &
there hang it. Many have Turkeys. They are cloathed with Oriniack & staggs'
skins, but very light. Every one had the skin of a crow hanging att their
guirdles. Their stokens all inbrodered with pearles and with their own
porke-pick worke. They have very handsome shoose laced very thick all over
with a peece sowen att the side of the heele, which was of a haire of Buff,
which trailed above halfe a foot upon the earth, or rather on the snow.
They had swords and knives of a foot and a halfe long, and hattchetts very
ingeniously done, and clubbs of wood made like backswords; some made of a
round head that I admired it. When they kille their ennemy they cutt off
the tuffe of haire and tye it about their armes. After all, they have a
white robe made of Castors' skins painted. Those having passed through the
midle of ours, that weare ranged att every side of the way. The Elders came
with great gravitie and modestie, covered with buff coats which hung downe
to the grounde.
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