Having not wherewithal
to defend myselfe, farewell; I have my sack of corne ready. Take all my
castors. I shall live without you." & then departed that company.
They weare amazed of our proceeding; they stayed long before they spoake
one to another. Att last sent us some considerable persons who bid us
cheare up. "We see that you are in the right; the voyage is not broaken.
The yong people tooke very ill that you have beaten them with the skin. All
avowed to die like men & undertake the journey. You shall heare what the
councell will ordaine the morrow. They are to meet privatly & you shall be
called to it. Cheare up & speake as you have done; that is my councell to
you. For this you will remember me when you will see me in your country;
ffor I will venter meselfe with you." Now we are more satisfied then the
day before. We weare to use all rhetorique to persuade them to goe downe,
ffor we saw the country languish very much, ffor they could not subsist, &
moreover they weare afraid of us. The councell is called, but we had no
need to make a speech, finding them disposed to make the voyage & to
submitt. "Yee women gett your husbands' bundles ready. They goe to gett
wherwithall to defend themselves & you alive."
Our equipage was ready in 6 dayes. We embarked ourselves. We weare in
number about 500, all stout men. We had with us a great store of castors'
skins. We came to the South. We now goe back to the north, because to
overtake a band of men that went before to give notice to others. We passed
the lake without dangers. We wanted nothing, having good store of corne &
netts to catch fish, which is plentyfull in the rivers. We came to a place
where 8 Iroquoits wintered. That was the company that made a slaughter
before our departure from home. Our men repented now they did not goe
sooner, ffor it might be they should have surprised them.
Att last we are out of those lakes. One hides a caske of meale, the other
his campiron, & all that could be cumbersome. After many paines & labours
wee arrived to the Sault of Columest, so called because of the Stones that
are there very convenient to make tobacco pipes. We are now within 100
leagues of the french habitation, & hitherto no bad encounter. We still
found tracks of men which made us still to have the more care and guard of
ourselves. Some 30 leagues from this place we killed wild cowes & then gott
ourselves into cottages, where we heard some guns goe off, which made us
putt out our fires & imbark ourselves with all speed. We navigated all that
night. About the breake of day we made a stay, that not to goe through the
violent streames for feare the Ennemy should be there to dispute the
passage.
