But so soon as the Captains and Chiefs became masters of their enemies, having crushed all the Nations who had attacked them so soon as they believed that nothing could resist their arms, the recollection of the wrongs they pretended to have formerly experienced from the Hurons the glory of triumphing over Europeans as well as Americans, caused them to take the resolution to revenge themselves on the one and destroy the other so that at the very moment they saw the dreaded Cat Nation subjugated by their arms and by the power of the Senecas, their allies, they would have massacred all the French at Onnontague, were it not that they pretended to make use of them as a decoy to attract some Hurons and to massacre them as they had already done. And if the influence try to serve as a retreat for them, or at least for their wives

pressed too close on them.

;

;

;

;

;

of some of their tribe, then resident at Quebec, had not staid them, the path to Onnontague had become the tomb to Frenchmen as well as to Hurons, as will be seen hereafter.

From that time forth

our people, having discovered their conspiracy, and perceived that their death was concluded on, bethought them on their retreat, which shall be described in the following letter.

FATHER PAUL RAGUENEAU TO THE REV. FATHER JACQUES RENAULT, PROVINCIAL OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS IN THE PROVINCE OF FRANCE.

Pax Christi.

My R. Father, The present is to inform Y. R. of our return from the Iroquois mission, loaded with some spoils We bear in our hands more than five hundred children and a number of adults,