414 THE HURON MISSION ABANDONED. [1650. 



their height, two of the principal Huron chiefs 

 came to the fort, and asked an interview with 

 Ragueneau and his companions. They told them 

 that the Indians had held a council the night 

 before, and resolved to abandon the island. Some 

 would disperse in the most remote and inaccessi- 

 ble forests ; others would take refuge in a distant 

 spot, apparently the Grand Manitoulin Island ; 

 others w^ould try to reach the Andastes ; and others 

 would seek safety in adoption and incorporation 

 with the Iroquois themselves. 



" Take courage, brother," continued one of the 

 chiefs, addressing Ragueneau. '' You can save us, 

 if you will but resolve on a bold step. Choose a 

 place where you can gather us together, and pre- 

 vent this dispersion of our people. Turn your 

 eyes towards Quebec, and transport thither what is 

 left of this ruined country. Do not wait till war 

 and famine have destroyed us to the last man. 

 We are in your hands. Death has taken from 

 you more than ten thousand of us. If you wait 

 longer, not one will remain alive ; and then you 

 will be sorry that you did not save those whom 

 you might have snatched from danger, and who 

 showed you the means of doing so. If you do as 

 we wish, we will form a church under the protec- 

 tion of the fort at .Quebec. Our faith will not be 

 extinguished. The examples of the French and 

 the Algonquins will encom-age us in our duty, 

 and their charity will relieve some of our misery. 

 At least, we shall sometimes find a morsel of 

 bread for our children, who so long have had 



