3

dered the whole Family, and carried their Scalps in- Cha P.)
to his lurking Place. The next day the People of I.
the Village fearched for the Murderer in vain. The
following Night he murdered all he found in another
Cabin. The Inhabitants next Day fearched like-
wife in vain for the Murderer; but the third Night
a Watch was kept in every House. Pifkaret in the
Night bundled up the Scalps he had taken the two
former Nights, to carry, as the Proof of his Victory,
and then ftole privately from House to Houfe, till
at laft he found an Indian nodding, who was upon
the Watch in one of the Houfes; he knockt this
Man on the Head; but as this alarmed the rest, he
was forced immediately to fly. He was however
under no great Concern from the Pursuit, being
more swift of Foot than any Indian then living. He let
his Purfuers come near him from Time to Time, and
then would dart from them. This he did with De-.
fign to tire them out with the Hopes of overtaking
Him. As it began to grow dark, he hid himself,
and his Purfuers ftop'd to reft. They not being appre-
henfive of any Danger from a fingle Man, foon fell
afleep, and the bold Pifkaret obferving this, knock'd
them all on the Head, and carried away their Scalps
with the reft. Such Stories as these are told among
the Indians, as extraordinary Inftances of the Cou-
rage and Conduct of their Captains. The Indians
will often travel thus three or four Hundred Miles
fingly, or two or three in Company, and lurk about
their Enemy's Borders for feveral Weeks, in Hopes
to revenge the Death of a near Relation or dear
Friend. Indeed they give themfelves fo very much
up to Revenge, that this Paffion feems to gnaw
their Souls, and gives them no Reft till they fatisfy
it. It is this Delight in Revenge, that makes all
barbarous Nations cruel; and the curbing fuch
Paffions is one of the happy Effects of being ci-
vilized.

The

1.

CHAP. The Five Nations are fo much delighted with Stratagems in War, that no Superiority of their Forces ever make them neglect them. They amused the Adirondacks and their Allies the Quatogbies (called by the French Hurons) by fending to the French, and defiring Peace. The French defired them to receive fome Priefts among them, in Hopes that those prudent Fathers would, by fome Art, reconcile them to their Intereft, and engage their Affections. The Five Nations readily accepted the Offer, and fome Jefuits went along with them: But after they had the Jefuits in their Power, they used them only as Hoftages, and thereby obliged the French to ftand neuter, while they prepared to attack the Adirondacks and Quatoghies, and they defeated the Quatogbies in a dreadful Battle fought within two Leagues of Quebeck.

The French own, That if the Five Nations had known their Weakness at that Time, they might have eafily deftroyed the whole Colony.

This Defeat, in Sight of the French Settlements, ftruck Terror into all their Allies, who were at that Time very numerous, because of the Trade with the French, which furnished them with many the most ufeful Conveniencies; for before that Time the Indians had no Iron Tool among them.

The Nipeceriniens, who then lived on the Banks of St. Laurence River, fled upon this to the Northward, believing that the extreme Coldness of the Climate, and a barren Soil, would be the fecureft Defence against the Ambition of the Five Nations. The Remainder of the Quatoghies fled with the Utawawas Southweftward; and for the greater Security, fettled in an Ifland, which being further than the Name of the Five Nations had then reached, they trufted to the Distance of the Place, and the Advantage of its Situation.

Their laft Expedition having fucceeded fo well, the Five Nations gave out, that they intended next

I.

Winter to vifit Yonnendio, (the Name they give to CHA P. the Governor of Canada;) thefe Vifits are always made with much Shew. Under this Pretence they gathered together 1000 or 1200 Men. Their out Scouts met with Piskaret near Niccolet River, and ftill pretending a friendly Vifit to the Governor of Canada, as their only Defign, he told them, that the Adirondacks were divided into two Bodies, one of which hunted on the North Side of St. Laurence River at Wabmake, three Leagues above Trois Rivieres, and the other at Nicolet. As foon as they had gained this Information, they killed him, and returned with his Head to the Army. The Five Nations divided likewise into two Bodies; they furprized the Adirondacks in both Places, and in both cut them in pieces.

Thus the most warlike and polite Nation of all the Indians in North America, was almoft intirely deftroyed by a People they at firft despised, and by a War which their Pride and Injustice brought upon them; and we here fee, that all the Advantages of Numbers, Courage and Weapons, is not equal to good difcipline in an Army.

A very few Adirondacks only now remain in some Villages near Quebeck, who ftill waste away and decay, by their drinking ftrong Waters, tho' when the French first fettled at Quebeck, 1500 fighting Men of them lived between that Place and Sillerie, which are only a League diftant, befides those that lived at Saquenay, Trois Rivieres, and fome other Places. And fince this decifive Battle, the Adirondacks have never been confidered as of any Confequence, either in Peace or War.

The Quatogbies and Atawawas now foon began to be in Want of the European Commodities, which had made them confiderable among their new Friends. In order therefore to fupply themfelves anew, they returned to Trade at Quebeck; and by this Means the Place of their Retreat was discovered to the five Nations; and they not having their Re

CHAP. venge fatiated, while the Quatogbies had a Being, I. foon convinced them, that no Extent of Country could fet bounds to that Paffion, when it rages in the Hearts of the Five Nations, for they foon after attack'd them in their new Settlement. The Quatogbies had the good Fortune to difcover the Five Nations Time enough to make their Efcape, and fled to the Putewatemies, who lived a Day's Journey further, where they, and all the Neighbouring Nations, fecured themselves in a large Fort. The Five Nations followed, but, being in Want of Provifion, they could not attempt a Siege, and therefore propofed a Treaty with the Putewatemies, which was accepted. The Putewatemies acknowledged the Five Nations as Mafters of all the Nations round them, applauded their Valour, and promised them their Friendship, and to fupply them with Provifions; they would not however truft themfelves out of their Fort, but fent out a Supply; and even this they did, only withDefign to do that by Treachery, which they durft not attempt by Force; for the Provifions were poisoned. The Treachery was difcovered however to the Five Nations, by an old Quategbie, who had a Son Prifoner among them; his Affection for his Son overcoming even his Hatred to his Country's Enemies. This Treachery highly enraged the Five Nations against the Putewatemies, and the neighbouring People; but Famine obliging them to retire at this Time, they divided their Armies into Parties, the better to provide for their Subfiftence, by Hunting; one of thefe Parties in their Chace fell in with a Village of the Chicktaghicks (called by the French Hincis) and furprized the old Men, Women and Children, when the young Men were abroad hunting; but the young Men, upon their Return, gathering together all the reft of the Villages, purfued this Party of the Five Nations, and recovered the Prifoners.

This

I.

This was the firft Time that the Five Nations had CHA P. been feen in those Parts, but their Name was become fo terrible, that the Chigtaghcicks, notwithstanding this Advantage, left their Country, and fled to the Nations that lived weftward, till the General Peace was fettled by the French, and not till on that Occafion returned to their own Country.

CHA P. II.

The Wars and Treaties of Peace of the Indians
the Five Nations with the French, from 1665 to
1683, and their Affairs with New-York in that
Time.

'N Jane 1665 Monfieur De Trafi appointed ViceRoy of America by the French King, arrived at Quebeck, after he had vifited the French Islands in the Weft Indies, and brought with him four Companies of Foot; and in September of the fame Year, Mr. Courfel arrived Governor General of Canada; he brought with him a Regiment and feveral Families, with all Things neceffary for eftablishing of a Colony. Their Force being now thus confiderably augmented, the French Governor refolved to chaftife the Infolence of the Five Nations; and for that Purpose, in the Winter, fent out a Party against the Mohawks, but these by the Cold, and their not knowing the Ufe of Snow Shoes, fuffered very much, without doing any Thing against the Enemy.

This Party however fell in with * Skenectady, a fmall Town which Corlear (a confiderable Man among the Dutch) had then newly fettled. When they appeared near Shenedlady, they were almoft dead with Cold and Hunger; and the Indians, who were

The French call this Town Corlear, from the Perfons Name who firft fettled there. It is fituate on the Mohawks River ixteen Miles from Albany.