1650.] ifiTIENNE ANNAOTAHA. 427 



autumn a small Iroquois war-party had the auda- 

 city to cross over to the island, and build a fort of 

 felled trees in the woods. The Hurons attacked 

 them ; but the invaders made so fierce a defence, 

 that they kept their assailants at bay, and at length 

 retreated with little or no loss. Soon after, a much 

 larger band of Onondaga Iroquois, approaching 

 undiscovered, built a fort on the main-land, oppo- 

 site the island, but concealed from sight in the 

 forest. Here they waited to waylay any party of 

 Hurons who might venture ashore. A Huron war- 

 chief, named Etienne Annaotaha, whose life is de- 

 scribed as a succession of conflicts and adventures, 

 and who is said to have been always in luck, 

 landed with a few companions, and fell into an 

 ambuscade of the Iroquois. He prepared to de- 

 fend himself, when they called out to him, that they 

 came not as enemies, but as friends, and that they 

 brought wamj)um-belts and presents to persuade 

 the Hurons to forget the past, go back with them 

 to their country, become their adopted countrymen, 

 and live with them as one nation. Etienne sus- 

 pected treachery, but concealed his distrust, and 

 advanced towards the Iroquois with an air of the 

 utmost confidence. They received him with open 

 arms, and pressed him to accept theu' invitation; but 

 he replied, that there were older and wiser men 

 among the Hurons, whose counsels all the people 

 followed, and that they ought to lay the proposal 

 before them. He proceeded to advise them to 

 keep him as a hostage, and send over his compan- 

 ions, with some of their chiefs, to open the nego- 



