1643.] FORT ORANGE. 229 



Indians to a fishing-place on the Hudson, about 

 twenty miles below Fort Orange. While here, 

 he learned that another war-party had lately 

 returned with prisoners, two of whom had been 

 burned to death at Osseruenon. On this, his con- 

 science smote him that he had not remained in 

 the town to give the sufferers absolution or bap- 

 tism ; and he begged leave of the old woman who 

 had him in charge to return at the fhst opportu- 

 nity. A canoe soon after went up the river with 

 some of the Iroquois, and he was allowed to go 

 in it. When they reached Rensselaerswyck, the 

 Indians landed to trade with the Dutch, and took 

 Jogues with them. 



The centre of this rude little settlement was 

 Fort Orange, a miserable structure of logs, stand- 

 ing on a spot now within the limits of the city of 

 Albany.^ It contained several houses and other 

 buildings ; and behind it was a small church, 

 recently erected, and serving as the abode of the 

 pastor. Dominie Megapolensis, known in our day 

 as the writer of an interesting, though short, 

 account of the Mohawks. Some twenty-five or 

 thirty houses, roughly built of boards and roofed 

 with thatch, were scattered at intervals on or near 

 the borders of the Hudson, above and below the 

 fort. Their inhabitants, about a hundi'ed in num- 

 ber, were for the most part rude Dutch farmers, 

 tenants of Van Rensselaer, the patroon, or lord of 

 the manor. They raised wheat, of which they 



1 The site of the Phcenix Hotel. — Note by Mr. Shea to Jogues' s Novuih 

 Bdghim. 



20 



