HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS 211 



Late in the winter of 1660 a band of 40 chosen Hiirons left 

 Quebec on a war party with 18 Frenchmen. Some Algonquins 

 joined them at Three Rivers and they took post below the Sault 

 de Chaudiere on the Ottawa, to wait for Iroquois hunters, who 

 usually passed there in single file. Some of these saw them and 

 gathered the rest, who were soon arrayed as warriors. Solemnly 

 and openly 200 Onondagas came down the sault in their canoes, 

 ready for the fight. Their astonished foes took refuge in an old 

 fort, making a vigorous defense. Then the Mohawks came and 

 aided in the siege, which lasted for 10 days. Water could be had 

 only at the peril of life, and part of the Indians deserted to their 

 foes. The French fired on a flag of truce, and the Iroquois were 

 infuriated. Guarded by wooden shields, they rushed at the pali- 

 sades to cut them down. The French grenades were exhausted, 

 and they used disabled gun barrels. At last they tried to throw 

 a barrel of powder over the wall, hoping it might explode in the 

 midst of their foes. Unfortunately it caught in a bough, fell back, 

 exploded within, and the fight was soon over. Not so the cruel- 

 ties of the conquerors. This disaster was deeply felt by both 

 Hurons and French, who also heard that all the Iroquois would 

 make war on them the coming year. Quebec was blockaded by 

 700 Iroquois, victors in this fight. In this gloom the only ray of 

 light was that a Cayuga party came to Montreal and said they 

 wished to be neutral. 



In 1660 the Mohawks invited the Indians living near New 

 Amsterdam to live with them and made a southern journey to 

 reconcile the Minquas and Senecas. They were present at the 

 treaty with the Esopus Indians and gave bail for their good 

 behavior. The Senecas also came to Fort Orange, and the Dutch 

 hoped they would be at peace with the Minquas, here called 

 Maquas by clerical error. It was at the conference at Esopus 

 that a Minqua chief sharply reproved the Indians there : " Ye 

 cause us and the Mohawks great losses. This is not your land. 

 It is our land. Therefore repeat not this but throw down the 

 hatchet." 



The next year the Iroquois waged a worse war in Canada, 



