Being Persuaded In The Morning By Two Of My Comrades To Go And Recreat
Ourselves In Fowling, I Disposed Myselfe
To keepe them Company; wherfor I
cloathed myselfe the lightest way I could possible, that I might be the
nimbler
And not stay behinde, as much for the prey that I hoped for, as for
to escape the danger into which wee have ventered ourselves of an enemy the
cruelest that ever was uppon the face of the Earth. It is to bee observed
that the french had warre with a wild nation called Iroquoites, who for
that time weare soe strong and so to be feared that scarce any body durst
stirre out either Cottage or house without being taken or kill'd,
[Footnote: In 1641-1645 Father Vimont writes: "I had as lief be beset by
goblins as by the Iroquois. The one are about as invisible as the other.
Our people on the Richelieu and at Montreal are kept in a closer
confinement than ever were monks or nuns in our smallest convents in
France."] saving that he had nimble limbs to escape their fury; being
departed, all three well armed, and unanimiously rather die then abandon
one another, notwithstanding these resolutions weare but young mens
deboasting; being then in a very litle assurance and lesse security.
At an offspring of a village of three Rivers we consult together that two
should go the watter side, the other in a wood hardby to warne us, for to
advertise us if he accidentaly should light [upon] or suspect any Barbars
in ambush, we also retreat ourselves to him if we should discover any thing
uppon the River. Having comed to the first river, which was a mile distant
from our dwellings, wee mett a man who mett a man who kept cattell, and
asked him if he had knowne any appearance of Ennemy, and likewise demanded
which way he would advise us to gett better fortune, and what part he spied
more danger; he guiding us the best way he could, prohibiting us by no
means not to render ourselves att the skirts of the mountains; ffor, said
he, I discovered oftentimes a multitude of people which rose up as it weare
of a sudaine from of the Earth, and that doubtless there weare some enemys
that way; which sayings made us looke to ourselves and charge two of our
fowling peeces with great shot the one, and the other with small. Priming
our pistols, we went where our fancy first lead us, being impossible for us
to avoid the destinies of the heavens; no sooner tourned our backs, but my
nose fell ableeding without any provocation in the least. Certainly it was
a warning for me of a beginning of a yeare and a half of hazards and of
miseryes that weare to befall mee. We did shoot sometime and killed some
Duks, which made one of my fellow travellers go no further. I seeing him
taking such a resolution, I proferred some words that did not like him,
giving him the character of a timourous, childish humor; so this did
nothing prevaile with him, to the Contrary that had with him quite another
isue then what I hoped for; ffor offending him with my words he prevailed
so much with the others that he persuaded them to doe the same. I lett them
goe, laughing them to scorne, beseeching them to helpe me to my fowles, and
that I would tell them the discovery of my designes, hoping to kill meat to
make us meate att my retourne.
I went my way along the wood some times by the side of the river, where I
finde something to shute att, though no considerable quantitie, which made
me goe a league off and more, so I could not go in all further then
St. Peeter's, which is nine mile from the plantation by reason of the river
Ovamasis, which hindered me the pasage. I begun'd to think att my retourne
how I might transport my fowle. I hide one part in a hollow tree to keep
them from the Eagles and other devouring fowles, so as I came backe the
same way where before had no bad incounter. Arrived within one halfe a mile
where my comrades had left me, I rested awhile by reason that I was
looden'd with three geese, tenn ducks, and one crane, with some teales.
After having layd downe my burden uppon the grasse, I thought to have heard
a noise in the wood by me, which made me to overlook my armes; I found one
of my girdle pistols wette. I shott it off and charged it againe, went up
to the wood the soffliest I might, to discover and defend myselfe the
better against any surprise. After I had gone from tree to tree some 30
paces off I espied nothing; as I came back from out of the wood to an
adjacent brooke, I perceived a great number of Ducks; my discovery
imbouldened me, and for that there was a litle way to the fort, I
determined to shute once more; coming nigh preparing meselfe for to shute,
I found another worke, the two young men that I left some tenne houres
before heere weare killed. Whether they came after mee, or weare brought
thither by the Barbars, I know not. However [they] weare murthered. Looking
over them, knew them albeit quite naked, and their hair standing up, the
one being shott through with three boulletts and two blowes of an hatchett
on the head, and the other runne thorough in severall places with a sword
and smitten with an hatchett. Att the same instance my nose begun'd to
bleed, which made me afraid of my life; but withdrawing myselfe to the
watter side to see if any body followed mee, I espied twenty or thirty
heads in a long grasse. Mightily surprized att the view, I must needs passe
through the midst of them or tourne backe into the woode.
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