Travels in Norih America. ' 



Waters : Others attributed it to the great Number of Mulk Rats 

 that arc found in it, the Scent of which the Savages cannot bear ; 

 but here is a third Reafon, which they v/ho have made the greateft 

 Refearches into the antient Hiilory of the Country fay, is the 

 true one. 



Some Algonquins were at War with the Onmnt char opinons ^ better 

 known by the Name of the Iroquet Nation, which antiently 

 dwelt in the Illand of Montreal. The Name it bears proves, that 

 it was of the Huron Language ^ but they fay it v/as thefe Hurons 

 who drove them from their antient Habitation, and who have 

 in Part deitroyed them : However that may be, this Nation was 

 at the Time I fpeak of, at War with the Algo?iquins, who, to 

 make an End at once of the War, which they began to be 

 weary of, contrived a Stratagem, which fucceeded. They fet 

 themfelves in Ambufh on the two Sides of a little River, which 

 is now called Beckancourt. Then they detached fome Canoes, 

 which made a Shew of Fifning in the Great River. They knew 

 that their Enemies were not far off, and they made no Doubt 

 that they would foon fall upon thefe pretended Fiiliermen ; And 

 in Fad, they foon faw a Fleet of Canoes coming in Halle to 

 attack them ; they feemed to be afrighted, fied, and got up the 

 River. They were followed very clofe by the Enemy, who 

 thought to make a very eafy Conquell of this Handful of Men ; 

 and to draw them on, they affefted to be greatly terrified. This 

 Feint fucceeded, the Purfuers ftill kept advancing, and making 

 moll hideous Cries, according to the CuHom of thefe Bar- 

 barians, they thought they were inilantly going to feize their 

 Prey. • 



Then a Shower of Arrows from behind the BuOies which bor- 

 dered the River threw them into Confufion, which they gave 

 them no Time to recover. A fécond Difcharge which followed 

 clofe j^ipon the firil, entirely routed them. They ilrove to fly in 

 their Turn, but they could no longer ufe their Canoes, which 

 were every where pierced with Arrows : They leaped into the 

 Water, hoping to fave thentfelves by fwimming, but bciides 

 that the greateft Part were wounded, they met at landing the 

 Death they fled from, and not one efcaped the Algonquins^ V4\iO 

 no Quarter, and did not even amufe themfelves with ma- 

 ing of Prifoners ; The Iroquet Nation never recovered this fa- 

 tal Blow, an4 though fome of thefe Savages have been feen 

 fmce the Arrival of the French in Canada, at prefent there -arc 

 none remaining. In the mean Time the Number of dead Bodies 

 which remained in the Water and upon the Sides of the River 

 infeded it in fuch a Manner, that it ftill retain%the Name of 

 Ri'vierc Puante, ( the Stinking Ri^'er.J 



Hz The 



