68 The Ottawa Naturalist. [July 



Bataille and proceeded stealthily southward, in their canoes, 

 along the eastern rim of Sand Bay. crossed the outlet of Constance 

 Creek and landing on the western shore of the bay advanced 

 towards Big Sand Point through the pine forest that clothed, 

 as it does to-day, the intervening sand hills. This long detour, 

 of about two miles, was no doubt a necessity, as, on still nights, 

 the most trifling sounds, especially such as might have been 

 produced by paddles accidently touching the sides of canoes, 

 are echoed to considerable distances in this locality. 



The advance of the expedition was the development of 

 Indian strategy, for, by getting behind the enemy, it enabled 

 the French and their allies to rush his barricades and strike him 

 in the back, while his sentinels and outliers were guarding 

 against any danger that might approach from the river front. 



The attack was entirely successful, for it descended upon 

 and enveloped the sleeping camp like a hideous nightmare. 

 Many of the Iroquois died in their sleep, while the rest of the 

 party perished to a man, in the wild confu,sion of a midnight 

 massacre. 



Such is the popular tradition of the great fight at the 

 Wendigo Mound at Big Sand Point, and the bones that are 

 found in the drifting sands at that place, are said to be the re- 

 mains of friend and foe who fell in that isolated and unrecorded 

 struggle. 



Let us now descend the river, as far as the Chaudiere, and 

 we find ourselves once again in the moccasin prints of the Iroquois ; 

 for those tireless scalp himters were quite at home on the Ottawa, 

 as well as on its northern tributaries. War expeditions of the 

 Confederates frequently combined business with recrea,tion. 

 Thev would leave their homes on the Mohawk or adjacent lakes 

 and strike the trail to Canada by way of the Rideau Valley, 

 hunt along that route until the spring thaws set in, and manage 

 to reach the Ottawa in time for the opening of navigation. Then 

 they loitered about the passes of the Chaudiere and waited, like 

 Wilkins Macawber, for something to turn up. 



While waiting thus for their prey to break cover, from up 

 or down the river, they devoted their spare time to various 

 occupations. To the oki, whose thunderous voice was heard in 

 the roar of the fahs, they made sacrifices of tobacco; while the 

 Mohawks and Onondagas each gave a name to that cauldron 

 of seething water which is known to us as The Big Kettle. The 

 Mohawks called it Tsitkanajoh, or the Floating Kettle, while 

 the Onondagas named it Katsidagweh niyoh or Chief Council 

 Fire. It is possible that our Big Kettle may be a modified or 

 corrupted translation of the Mohawk term. 



(To be continued) . 



