1646.] RAGE OF THE MOHAWKS. 303 



others as they had infected with their frenzy, set 

 forth, in two bands, on the war-path. 



The warriors of one of these bands were making: 

 their way through the forests between the Mohawk 

 and Lake George, when they met Jogues and La- 

 lande. They seized them, stripped them, and led 

 them in triumph to then* town. Here a savage 

 crowd surrounded them, beating them with sticks 

 and with their lists. One of them cut thin strips 

 of flesh from the back and arms of Jogues, saying, 

 as he did so, " Let us see if this white flesh is the 

 flesh of an old." — "I am a man like yourselves," 

 replied Jogues ; " but I do not fear death or tor- 

 ture. I do not know why you would kill me. I 

 come here to confkm the peace and show you the 

 way to heaven, and you treat me like a dog." ^ — 

 "You shall die to-morrow," cried the rabble. " Take 

 courage, we shall not bura you. We shall strike 

 you both with a hatchet, and place your heads on 

 the palisade, that your brothers may see you when 

 we take them prisoners." ^ The clans of the Wolf 

 and the Tortoise still raised their voices in behalf 

 of the captive Frenchmen ; but the fury of the 

 minority swept all before it. 



In the evening, — it was the eighteenth of Oc- 

 tober, — Jogues, smarting with his wounds and 

 bruises, was sitting in one of the lodges, when an 

 Indian entered, and asked him to a feast. To refuse 

 would have been an offence. He arose and followed 



1 Lettre du P. De Quen au R. P. Lallemant ; no date. MS. 



2 Lettre de J. Labatie a M. La Montagne, Fort d' Orange, 30 Oct., 1646. 

 MS 



