1643.1 THE DUTCH BEFRIEND HIM. 231 



A Dutchman gave him a piece of paper ; and he 

 wrote a letter, in a jargon of Latin, French, and 

 Huron, warning his countrymen to be on their 

 guard, as war-parties were constantly going out, 

 and they could hope for no respite from attack until 

 late in the autumn.^ When the Iroquois reached 

 the mouth of the E-iver Richelieu, where a small 

 fort had been built by the French the preceding 

 summer, the messenger asked for a parley, and 

 gave Jogues's letter to the commander of the post, 

 who, after reading it, turned his cannon on the 

 savages. They fled in dismay, leaving behind 

 them theu' baggage and some of their guns; and, 

 returning home in a fury, charged Jogues with hav- 

 ing caused their discomfiture. Jogues had expect- 

 ed this result, and was prepared to meet it ; but 

 several of the principal Dutch settlers, and among 

 them Van Curler, who had made the previous at- 

 tempt to rescue him, urged that his death was cer- 

 tain, if he returned to the Indian town, and advised 

 him to make his escape. In the Hudson, opposite 

 the settlement, lay a small Dutch vessel nearly ready 

 to sail. Van Curler ofi'ered him a passage in her to 

 Bordeaux or Eochelle, — representing that the op- 

 portunity was too good to be lost, and making light 

 of the prisoner's objection, that a connivance in his 

 escape on the part of the Dutch would excite the 

 resentment of the Indians against them. Jogues 

 thanked him warmly ; but, to his amazement, asked 

 for a night to consider the matter, and take counsel 

 of God in prayer. 



1 See a French rendering of the letter in Vimont, Rdation, 1643, p. 75. 



