HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS 187 



fifth band of 80 warriors lay hidden on the island of Montreal 

 for three days, and this was attacked by the French. The latter 

 were repulsed with the loss of five men, two of whom were tor- 

 tured and burned. The sixth band of 40 men went toward the 

 River of the Prairies, capturing a party of Algonquins, most of 

 whom were burned in the Iroquois villages. The seventh took 

 Father Bressani and some Hurons. In this band were some 

 naturalized Hurons and Algonquins. The eighth met this one 

 as it returned. The ninth party was on the River of the Iroquois, 

 and the tenth went against the Hurons. Other small parties 

 were out and the ground was well covered. 



Bressani's captors sailed two days homeward, when they met 

 a party who maltreated the prisoners. They sailed two days 

 more, traversed the woods for six days, embarked on Lake Cham- 

 plain and followed it for eight days in a leisurely way. Four 

 days later they came to a fishery on the Hudson, where 400 Iro- 

 quois were encamped. They stopped there nearly a month, and 

 there Bressani ran the gauntlet and was placed on the usual high 

 scaffold, where he had to dance and was frequently burned. This 

 scaffold torture may have been peculiar to the Iroquois, for on 

 this platform they used a slow fire, torches, hot irons, and various 

 means of torture, prolonging the pain as much as they could. 

 He afterward suffered much in two Mohawk villages, but his life 

 was spared and he was given to a woman whose grandfather the 

 Hurons had killed. She thought him of little use, and sent him 

 to the Dutch to see what they would give for him. The good 

 Father did not tell how low was his price, but the Dutch gave 

 more than had been expected and clothed him well. 



It has been mentioned that three Iroquois prisoners were taken 

 in 1644. The Algonquins readily gave tlf^irs to the French, but 

 the Hurons determined to take their two home, promising not 

 to burn them, as there were hopes of peace. That summer the 

 Iroquois destroyed a party of 100 Algonquins. 



Pieskaret made one of his successful expeditions in 1645. With 

 six Algonquins he killed ii Iroquois, brought in two prisoners 

 and returned in triumph. At the end of his speech he said: " 1 



