444 CONCLUSION. [1701. 



In the morning they descended the rapids to Mont- 

 real, and in due time the distant roar of the 

 saluting cannon told of their arrival. 



They had scarcely left the village, when the river 

 was covered with the canoes of the western and 

 northern allies. There was another fusillade of 

 welcome as the heterogeneous company landed, 

 and marched to the great council-house. The 

 calumet was produced, and twelve of the assembled 

 chiefs sang a song, each rattling at the same time 

 a dried gourd half full of peas. Six large kettles 

 were next brought in, containing several dogs 

 and a bear suitably chopped to pieces, which being 

 ladled out to the guests were despatched in an in- 

 stant, and a solemn dance and a supper of boiled 

 corn closed the festivity. 



The strangers embarked again on the next day, 

 and the cannon of Montreal greeted them as they 

 landed before the town. A great quantity of ever- 

 green boughs had been gathered for their use, and 

 of these they made their wigwams outside the 

 palisades. Before the opening of the grand coun- 

 cil, a multitude of questions must be settled, jeal- 

 ousies soothed, and complaints answered. Callieres 

 had no peace. He was busied for a week in giving 

 audience to the deputies. There was one ques- 

 tion which agitated them all, and threatened to 

 rekindle the war. Kondiaronk, the Eat, the 

 foremost man among all the allied tribes, gave 

 utterance to the general feeling : " My father, you 

 told us last autumn to bring you all the Iroquois 

 prisoners in our hands. We have obeyed, and 



