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  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  southern 
  parts 
  of 
  Cattaraugus 
  and 
  Chautauqua 
  counties. 
  To 
  

   their 
  towns 
  we 
  may 
  assign 
  the 
  Massawomekes, 
  so 
  much 
  dreaded 
  

   in 
  early 
  days 
  in 
  Virginia. 
  In 
  speaking 
  of 
  Lake 
  Erie 
  the 
  Relation 
  

   adds: 
  

  

  This 
  lake, 
  named 
  Erie', 
  was 
  formerly 
  inhabited 
  on 
  its 
  southern 
  

   coasts 
  by 
  certain 
  peoples 
  whom 
  we 
  call 
  the 
  nation 
  of 
  the 
  Cat; 
  

   who 
  have 
  been 
  obliged 
  to 
  withdraw 
  inland, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  get 
  away 
  

   from 
  their 
  enemies, 
  who 
  are 
  more 
  toward 
  the 
  west. 
  These 
  

   people 
  of 
  the 
  Cat 
  have 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  fixed 
  villages, 
  for 
  they 
  culti- 
  

   vate 
  the 
  ground, 
  and 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  language 
  as 
  our 
  Hurons. 
  

  

  The 
  Andastes 
  went 
  to 
  Onondaga 
  to 
  plead 
  for 
  the 
  Hurons 
  ; 
  but 
  

   all 
  negotiations 
  failed, 
  and 
  their 
  downfall 
  came 
  rapidly 
  on, 
  all 
  

   the 
  Iroquois 
  suddenly 
  turning 
  against 
  them 
  and 
  no 
  one 
  taking 
  

   their 
  part. 
  In 
  July 
  1648, 
  Teanaustaye', 
  or 
  St 
  Joseph, 
  was 
  attacked 
  

   and 
  taken, 
  with 
  another 
  frontier 
  village 
  included 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  

   mission. 
  The 
  principal 
  town 
  had 
  400 
  families, 
  but 
  the 
  men 
  were 
  

   mostly 
  away 
  at 
  the 
  time. 
  There 
  were 
  many 
  Christians 
  there, 
  

   and, 
  while 
  these 
  were 
  assembled 
  for 
  worship, 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  sudden 
  

   alarm 
  and 
  universal 
  terror. 
  Some 
  ran 
  to 
  fight 
  and 
  others 
  to 
  fly. 
  

   Father 
  Antoine 
  Daniel 
  stood 
  where 
  the 
  peril 
  was 
  greatest, 
  encour- 
  

   aging 
  the 
  Hurons 
  and 
  baptizing 
  many. 
  The 
  assault 
  became 
  

   more 
  furious 
  and 
  resistance 
  was 
  vain. 
  He 
  went 
  to 
  his 
  church 
  

   with 
  his 
  flock, 
  going 
  forth 
  alone 
  to 
  meet 
  the 
  enemy 
  when 
  they 
  

   came 
  on 
  with 
  savage 
  yells. 
  His 
  boldness 
  checked 
  them 
  but 
  for 
  

   a 
  moment. 
  He 
  was 
  quickly 
  slain 
  and 
  the 
  place 
  destroyed, 
  700 
  

   being 
  killed 
  or 
  captured, 
  mostly 
  women 
  and 
  children. 
  A 
  larger 
  

   number 
  were 
  saved 
  by 
  flying 
  to 
  the 
  strong 
  house 
  of 
  the 
  Jesuits. 
  

  

  A 
  terrible 
  blow 
  came 
  the 
  following 
  spring. 
  Unknown 
  to 
  the 
  

   Hurons, 
  about 
  1000 
  Iroquois 
  had 
  left 
  home 
  in 
  the 
  autumn 
  of 
  

   1648, 
  leisurely 
  hunting 
  through 
  the 
  winter 
  as 
  they 
  approached 
  

   the 
  Huron 
  towns. 
  All 
  the 
  nations 
  were 
  represented 
  in 
  this 
  

   army 
  and 
  most 
  had 
  firearms. 
  The 
  night 
  before 
  Mar. 
  16 
  they 
  

   came 
  quietly 
  to 
  the 
  walls 
  of 
  Taenhatentaron, 
  or 
  St 
  Ignace, 
  where 
  

   they 
  found 
  a 
  strong 
  stockade 
  and 
  a 
  deep 
  ditch. 
  A 
  careful 
  recon- 
  

   naissance 
  showed 
  one 
  place 
  weaker 
  than 
  the 
  rest, 
  and 
  they 
  broke 
  

   through 
  this 
  so 
  secretly 
  and 
  quickly 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  masters 
  of 
  

  

  