who thwart us so long a time, because they have never been efficiently attacked.

OF THE IROQUOIS COUNTRY AND THE ROUTES LEADING THITHER. It must be premised that the Iroquois are composed of five Nations, of which the nearest to the

Dutch, is that of the Mohawk consisting of two or three villages containing about three to four hundred men capable of bearing arms. These have always been at war with us, though they sometimes pretended to sue for peace.

For the Map above referred to, see the Vol. of Relations in the State Library.

FRENCH EXPEDITIONS AGAINST THE MOHAWKS.

Proceeding towards the West, at a distance of forty -five leagues, is found the second Nation, called Oneida, which has no more, at most, than one hundred and forty warriors, and has never wished to on the contrary it has always embarrassed affairs when they

listen to any negotiations for peace ;

appeared about to be arranged. Fifteen leagues towards sunset is Onnontague, which has full three hundred men.

We have been

formerly received there as friends and treated as enemies, which obliged us to abandon that post,

where we remained two years, as if in the centre of all the Iroquois Nations, whence we proclaimed the gospel to all those poor people, assisted by a garrison of Frenchmen sent by Monsieur de Lauzon,

then Governor of New France, to take possession of those countries in his Majesty's name.

At twenty or thirty leagues from there still towards the West is the village of Cayuga, of three hundred warriors, where in the year 1657, we had a mission which formed a little church filled with piety in the midst of these Barbarians.