For their village was enclosed with strong quadruple palisades of large timber, thirty feet high, interlocked the one with the other, with an interval of not more tlian half a foot between them ; with galleries in tlie form of parapets, defended with double pieces of tbnber, proof against our Arquebuses, and on one side they liad a pond with a never failing supply of water, from wliich proceeded a number of gutters which they liad laid along the intermediate space, throwing the water witliout, and rendered it effectual inside, for the purpose of extinguisliing fire.

Such was their mode of fortification and defence, which was mucli stronger than the villages of the Attigouatans [Hurons] and others.

Tf

INTO NORTHERN AND WESTERN NEW-YORK. 15

^^ We advanced, then, to attac^ the villaa;e, causino; our tower

It

a

ir f d

h

14 champlain's expeditions

tower {cavalier) of timber to overlook their pickets, whereupon I should post four or five of our Arquebusseers, who would lire over the palisades and galleries, which were well supplied with stones, and by this means, the enemy who annoyed us from their galleries would be dislodged ; and in the mean time we should give orders for some boards to form a species of parapet to cover and protect our men from the arrows and stones. These things, namely, the tower and parapets could be moved by main force ; and one was made in such a way that water could not extinguish the fire to be applied to the front of the fort ; and those on the tower would do their duty with some Arquebusseers posted there, and thus acting, we should so defend oiu*- selves that they could not .approach to extinguish the fire, that we should apply to their pickets. Approving tliis, they began next morning, to construct and prepare said tower and parapets ; and made sucli progress that these were finished in less than four hours.