1645.1 MUSTER OF SAVAGES. 293 



their thoughts are good. Be friends with them, 

 and do as they do. You shall hear from us soon." 



The Indians whooped and fh'ed their guns ; there 

 was a cannon-shot from the fort ; and the sail-boat 

 that bore the distinguished visitors moved on its 

 way towards the Richelieu. 



But the work was not done. There must be 

 more councils, speeches, wampum-belts, and gifts 

 of all kinds, — more feasts, dances, songs, and up- 

 roar. The Indians gathered at Three Rivers were 

 not sufficient in numbers or in influence to repre- 

 sent their several tribes ; and more were on their 

 way. The principal men of the Hurons were to 

 come down this year, with Algonquins of many 

 tribes, from the North and the Northwest; and 

 Kiotsaton had promised that Iroquois ambassadors, 

 duly empowered, should meet them at Three Rivers, 

 and make a solemn peace with them all, under the 

 eye of Onontio. But what hope was there that 

 this swarm of fickle and wayward savages could be 

 gathered together at one time and at one place, — 

 or that, being there, they could be restrained from 

 cutting each other's throats 1 Yet so it was ; and 

 in this happy event the Jesuits saw the interposi- 

 tion of God, wrought upon by the prayers of those 

 pious souls in France who daily and nightly be- 

 sieged Heaven with supplications for the welfare 

 of the Canadian missions.^ 



First came a band of Montagnais ; next followed 

 Nipissings, Atticamegues, and Algonquins of the 

 Ottawa, theii canoes deep-laden with furs. Then, 



1 Vimont, Relation, 1645, 29. 

 25* 



