386 THE SENECA NATION 



tribnted and eaten. In the evening every one assembled "in 

 the square" each with a stick with which they beat the bark 

 cabins with a great clatter to drive away the dead man's spirit 

 which might have been lurking about with evil intent. 



Soon after, La Salle, hopeless of obtaining help from the 

 Senecas embarked his party at Irondequoit and sailed away to 

 the western end of the lake. His meeting there with Joliet, just 

 returned from his journey with Marquette to the Mississippi, the 

 division of the party, how Galinee with a part of the expedition 

 kept on towards the west, and how La Salle returned, have 

 nothing to do with the Senecas. There seems little basis for the 

 statement of Parkman that later, possibly in the same year, he 

 actually did obtain a guide, presumably from the Senecas, and 

 discovered and explored the Ohio River. 



La Salle's party had barely gone when Father Fremin and 

 Father Gamier returned from their Onondaga conference. On 

 the way to Gandachiragon they stopped at "Gandogare" where 

 a drunken Seneca seized Father Gamier and attempted to stab 

 him. A woman interposed and saved his life. He was assigned 

 to Gandachioragou, there to stay until he learned the language, 

 and Father Fremin took charge of the three other villages. 



The priests found that in their absence many of the Senecas 

 had left their villages. Some had gone to the south to fight the 

 Touaganhas. Others had taken their families to the desolate 

 wilderness north of Lake Ontario, there to hunt beaver. Many 

 of these expected to be absent for nine months and had prepared 

 themselves for their prolonged absence by drinking to madness. 



Father Fremin while in Gandougarae lodged in the cabin of 

 one of the most influential men of the pagan party. His chapel 

 was opened on the first of November, and was crowded with 

 worshippers. He stayed here but a few more months, for some 

 time during 1670 he left the Seneca mission, and his place was 

 taken by Father Garnier. (*1) 



At some time during 1670 the village of Gandougarae was 

 entirely destroyed by fire, nothing being saved. The inhabi- 

 tants promised that as soon as they had rebuilt their cabins and 

 palisades they would build a chapel, but Father Garnier was 

 bound to admit that they were very adverse to espousing the 

 Faith. 



*i Jesuit Relations, Burrows ed. , LV, 75. 



