HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS I9I 



called to supper, and, as he entered the lodge of the Bears, a man 

 behind the door killed him with an ax. Thus died Ondessonk, 

 whose virtues and sufferings have called forth the admiration of 

 all. His head was cut off and placed on the wall, and his com- 

 panion shared the same fate next morning, their bodies being 

 cast into the river. A fine shrine, near Auriesville, now marks 

 the supposed site of the death of the founder of the Mission of 

 the Martyrs. Following this came a more determined war 

 against the French. 



Simon Pieskaret was one of the first victims, being treacher- 

 ously slain in the spring of 1647, before he knew that peace was 

 at an end. He was the noblest and most renowned Algonquin 

 warrior of that day. Colden called him an Adirondack, and told 

 some stories of his deeds. He went with four others, in one 

 canoe, against the Iroquois. Each man had three muskets, loaded 

 with two bullets connected by a small chain. In Sorel river they 

 met five Iroquois canoes, each with 10 men. The Adirondacks 

 pretended despair till they were quite near, when they all fired 

 repeatedly on the Iroquois canoes, sinking every one, knocking 

 the swimming Iroquois on the head or taking them prisoners. 

 This seems an exaggeration of his exploit of 1645. At another 

 time he went to an Iroquois village, killing some one three nights 

 following. When pursued, he kept just ahead of his foes, turning 

 and scalping them all while asleep at night. 



While returning in 1646 from a foray 17 Oneidas encountered 

 a canoe with 30 Huron warriors, and all disembarked. The 

 sticks were placed as usual to mark each man's post and the war 

 whoop was given. Both parties thought the other superior in 

 force and both took flight, the sticks remaining when the war- 

 riors were gone. An escaping prisoner told the Hurons of their 

 mistake and some pursued the Oneidas, taking one prisoner. 



Fort Richelieu was burned this year, and there were many 

 hostile acts in 1647. Some French shallops were attacked, and 

 the Iroquois were everywhere, but the Mohawks again talked of 

 peace. This hardly interrupted hostilities, and an encounter took 

 place between the Hurons and Iroquois, near Three Rivers, in 



