l80 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



At this time Brebeuf estiniatccl the Hurons at 20 villages and 

 30,000 people. His means of jndging- were good. Champlain 

 reported 18 villages and 10,000 adults, about the same population, 

 though they had suffered greatly by war. 



Meanwhile the Iroquois were making their power felt, buying 

 guns and becoming excellent marksmen. A little later the Mo- 

 hawks had 400 men carrying guns, which few of their enemies 

 could procure. The cry that Mohawks were near always created 

 a panic among New England Indians, and they were equally 

 dreaded by others. Colden said, much later : 



I have been told by Old Men in New England, who remem- 

 bred the Time when the Mohawks made War on their Indians, 

 that as soon as a single Mohawk was discovered in the Country, 

 their Indians raised a Cry from Hill to Hill, A Mohawk ! A 

 Mohawk ! upon which they all fled like Sheep before Wolves 

 without attempting to make the least Resistance, whatever the 

 Odds were on their Side. 



Wlien the Pequot chief Sassacus fled in 1637, he sought refuge 

 in their country, but w^as surprised and slain by one of their bands. 

 One of the charges against Miantonimo, in 1643, was that he had 

 hired the Mohawks to fight against the New England colonists, 

 and that they were w^ithin a day's journey, awaiting his people. 

 This was unfounded. They often fought against the Indians of 

 New England, but seldom molested the colonists. They also made 

 inroads on the wampum-makers, as some Indians of the sea- 

 shore were often called, and these became tributary. It should 

 be remembered that all this was after the coming of the Avhites. 

 Their great power was within historic times. 



The Iroquois canoes were of elm bark, and of clumsier con- 

 struction than the Canadian birch canoes, being easily known at 

 a distance. When abandoned they were sometimes useful to 

 others, and thus a young Indian gave the French a great alarm 

 in 1637. It is noticeable how generally successful the Canadian 

 Indians were in canoe fights, perhaps a result of better boats and 

 greater nautical skill. In this year, in such a contest between 

 the Iroquois and the nation of Iroquet, 13 of the former were cap- 

 tured. On the other hand 500 Iroquois held Lake St Peter and 



