1700.] NEGOTIATIONS. 441 



of peace, and banish every thought of vengeance. 

 Callieres proved, as they had hoped, less inexorable 

 than Frontenac. He accepted their promises, and 

 consented to send for the prisoners in their hands, 

 on condition that within thirty-six clays a full 

 deputation of their principal men should come to 

 Montreal. The Jesuit Bruyas, the Canadian Mari- 

 court, and a French officer named Joncaire went 

 back with them to receive the prisoners. 



The history of Joncaire was a noteworthy one. 

 The Senecas had captured him some time before, 

 tortured his companions to death, and doomed him 

 to the same fate. As a preliminary torment, an 

 old chief tried to burn a finger of the captive in 

 the bowl of his pipe, on which Joncaire knocked 

 him clown. If he had begged for mercy, their 

 hearts would have been flint ; but the warrior crowd 

 were so pleased with this proof of courage that 

 they adopted him as one of their tribe, and gave 

 him an Iroquois wife. He lived among them for 

 many years, and gained a commanding influence, 

 which proved very useful to the French. When 

 he, with Bruyas and Maricourt, approached Onon- 

 daga, which had long before risen from its ashes, 

 they were greeted with a fusillade of joy, and re- 

 galed with the sweet stalks of young maize, fol- 

 lowed by the more substantial refreshment of 

 venison and corn beaten together into a pulp and 

 boiled. The chiefs and elders seemed well inclined 

 to peace ; and, though an envoy came from Albany 

 to prevent it, he behaved with such arrogance 

 that, far from dissuading his auditors, he confirmed 



