1 88 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



saw, I killed, I took captive, I brought home ; behold them pres- 

 ent. I enter into your thoughts; they are good." Such a sen- 

 tentious speech would have been famous in Greece or Rome. 

 He gave the prisoners to the governor, and the Iroquois were 

 surprised at being delivered from death. 



These were retained at Three Rivers, and Tokhrahenehiaron, 

 who had been held as a prisoner through the winter, was sent to 

 the Mohawks to see if they wished peace. July 5, 1645, three 

 Mohawk chiefs came to Three Rivers with William Couture, 

 who had been captured with Jogues and who now served as inter- 

 preter. The principal chief was Kiotsaeton, who brought 17 

 wampum belts. A peace council was held July 12, and this has 

 been minutely described. Peace was agreed on, and the deputies 

 went home. Other deputies were sent to Canada with 18 belts, 

 and another council was held, Sep. 17 to 20. Peace was con- 

 cluded, the Iroquois saying that the dead should not be now 

 avenged, for " a living man is worth much more than many dead." 



In this lively account one speech in the first council may be 

 noted. Kiotsaeton wished the French to eat with the Mohawks 

 in their own land, telling of its many good things and adding, 

 " Leave these stinking pigs which run around your habitations, 

 which eat nothing but what is filthy, and come and eat of good 

 victuals with us." 



In the second council there was a curious reference to the 

 Oneidas, who were bitter enemies of the Hurons : 



A village named Ononjote', incensed to the last degree against 

 the Hurons, because these people in a combat killed almost all 

 the men of this village, which was constrained to send to ask 

 the Iroquois, named Agnerronons, with whom they had made 

 peace, for some men to be married to the girls and women who 

 had remained without husbands, in order that the nation should 

 not perish. This is why the Iroquois name this village their child. 



A striking scene ended this important council : 



This discourse finished, the Iroquois set himself to sing and 

 dance, he took a Frenchman on one side, an Algonquin and 

 Huron on the other, and holding them embraced with his arms, 

 they danced in cadence, and sang with a strong voice a song of 

 peace. 



