HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS 185 



tribute on the Indians along the lower Hudson. The Mahicans 

 had left Albany before this and all the circumstances show a 

 mistake in the name. The Indians left their homes for fear of 

 these Mohawks, for such they clearly were, sought refuge with 

 the Dutch and were massacred by them. The Mohawks were 

 not responsible for this. Ruttenber thought these visitors 

 were Mahicans, all agreeing in the name, but the Dutch 

 did not see them, and the mere name was liable to be mis- 

 taken. 



One account by Jogues is of the Mohawk sacrifice to 

 Aireskoi, where a woman was burned, or rather roasted and 

 eaten. In his amiable desire to exalt the Iroquois character, 

 Mr Hale said that '' the Iroquois never burnt women at the 

 stake," but sex made no difference in this, as many incidents 

 show. 



Several early writers describe this particular Mohawk offering, 

 almost in the words of Jogues, but without reference to him. 

 Mourning their remissness in not eating some captives in honor 

 of Aireskoi, they had substituted bears at their feast, promising 

 to do better in the future, and women were their next prisoners. 

 One was selected as a victim : 



When this woman was tortured, at every burn, which they 

 caused by applying lighted torches to her body, an old man, in 

 a loud voice, exclaimed, '' Demon Aireskoi ! we offer thee this 

 victim, whom we burn for thee, that thou mayest be filled with 

 her flesh, and render us ever anew victorious over our enemies." 

 Her body was cut up, sent to the various villages and de- 

 voured. 



The Relation of 1643 divides the Iroquois into Senecas and 

 Mohawks, and says they were once inferior to the Hurons, but 

 now surpassed them in numbers and strength, the Mohawks 

 alone having 300 guns, well used by them. The Iroquois cap- 

 tured 23 Hurons and 13 canoes that year near Montreal and 

 attacked the French. Eight Algonquins were taken near Three 

 Rivers and a war party was defeated with much loss. In this 

 party was Pieskaret, a brave and high-minded Algonquin chief, 

 of whom many stories are told, 



