288 THE SCOURGE OF CANADA. [1691. 



in the night. Vauclreuil and his men were in ca- 

 noes. They lay quiet till one o'clock, then landed, 

 and noiselessly approached the spot. Some of the 

 Iroquois were in the house, the rest lay asleep on 

 the ground before it. The French crept towards 

 them, and by one close volley killed them all. 

 Their comrades within sprang up in dismay. Three 

 rushed out, and were shot : the others stood on their 

 defence, fired from windows and loopholes, and 

 killed six or seven of the French, who presently 

 succeeded in setting fire to the house, which was 

 thatched with straw. Young Francois cle Bienville, 

 one of the sons of Charles Le Moyne, rushed up to 

 a window, shouted his name like an Indian warrior, 

 fired on the savages within, and was instantly shot 

 dead. The flames rose till surrounding objects 

 were bright as clay. The Iroquois, driven to des- 

 peration, burst out like tigers, and tried to break 

 through their assailants. Only one succeeded. Of 

 his companions, some were shot, five were knocked 

 down and captured, and the rest driven back into 

 the house, where they perished in the fire. Three 

 of the prisoners were given to the inhabitants of 

 Repentigny, Point aux Trembles, and Boucherville, 

 who, in their fury, burned them alive. 1 



For weeks, the upper parts of the colony were 

 infested by wolfish bands howling around the forts, 

 which they rarely ventured to attack. At length, 

 help came. A squadron from France, strong enough 



1 Relation de Benac, 1691 ; Relation de ce qui s'est passe' de plus conside- 

 rableen Canada, 1690, 1691; La Potherie, III. 134; Relation de 1682-1712; 

 Champigny au Minis! re, 12 Mai/, 1691. The name of Bienville was taken, 

 after his death, by one of his brothers, the founder of New 'Orleans. 



