284 PEACE. [1645. 



" Thus I throw down my anger! thus I cast away 

 the weapons of blood! Farewell, war! Now I 

 am your friend forever ! " ^ 



The two prisoners were allowed to roam at will 

 about the settlement, withheld from escaping by 

 an Indian point of honor. Montmagny soon after 

 sent them to Three Eivers, where the Iroquois 

 taken during the last summer had remained all 

 winter. Champfleur, the commandant, now received 

 orders to clothe, equip, and send him home, with 

 a message to his nation that Onontio made them a 

 present of his life, and that he had still two pris- 

 oners in his hands, whom he would also give them, 

 if they saw fit to embrace this opportunity of mak- 

 ing peace with the French and their Indian allies. 



This was at the end of May. On the fifth of 

 July following, the liberated Iroquois reappeared 

 at Three Rivers, bringing with him two men of 

 renown, ambassadors of the Mohawk nation. There 

 was a fourth man of the party, and, as they ap- 

 proached, the Frenchmen on the shore recognized, 

 to theu' great delight, Guillaume Coutm-e, the 

 young man captured three years before with Father 

 Jogues, and long smce given up as dead. In dress 

 and appearance he was an Iroquois. He had 

 gained a great influence over his captors, and this 

 embassy of peace was due in good measure to his 

 persuasions.^ 



The chief of the Iroquois, Kiotsaton, a tall sav- 



1 Vimont, Relation, 1645, 22, 23. He adds, that, "if these people are 

 barbarous in deed, they have thoughts worthy of Greeks and Romans " 



2 Marie de I'lncarnation, Lettre, 14 SejJt., 1645. 



