52 THE HURON MISSION. [1634. 



missionaries to their country ; coupling the refusal 

 with many regrets and many protestations of love, 

 partly, no doubt, sincere, — for the Jesuits had 

 contrived to gain no little favor in their eyes. The 

 council broke up, the Hurons embarked, and the 

 priests returned to theh convent. 



Here, under the guidance of Brebeuf, they 

 employed themselves, amid their other avocations, 

 in studymg the Huron tongue. A year passed, and 

 again the Indian traders descended from their 

 villages. In the meanwhile, grievous calamities 

 had befallen the nation. They had suffered deplo- 

 rable reverses at the hands of the Iroquois ; while 

 a pestilence, similar to that which a few years 

 before had swept off the native populations of 

 New England, had begun its ravages among them. 

 They appeared at Three Rivers — this year the 

 place of trade — in small numbers, and in a mis- 

 erable state of dejection and alarm. Du Plessis 

 Bochart, commander of th^ French fleet, called 

 them to a council, harangued them, feasted them, 

 and made them presents ; but they refused to take 

 the Jesuits. In private, however, some of them 

 were gained over ; then again refused ; then, at 

 the eleventh hour, a second time consented. On 

 the eve of embarkation, they once more wavered. 

 All was confusion, doubt, and uncertainty, when 

 Brebeuf bethought him of a vow to St. Joseph. 

 The vow was made. At once, he says, the Indi- 

 ans became tractable ; the Fathers embarked, and, 

 amid salvos of cannon from the ships, set forth for 

 the wild scene of their apostleship. 



