i6o An Hiftorîcal Journal of 



LETTER XV. 



^he Jîrfi Reception of the Pr If oners. The Triumph of the Warriors. 

 The Difiribution of the Captives : Honv they decide their Fate, and 

 *u>hat follows after. With nvhat Inhumanity they treat thofe uuho 

 are condemned to die : The Courage they Jheiv, The Négociations of 

 the Savages* 



M A D A M> At the Entrance of Lake Erie, May 27. 



Departed this Morning from the Fall of Niagara, I had 

 about feven Leagues to go to the Lake Erie, and I did it 

 without any Trouble. We reckoned that we (hould not lay here 

 this Night ; but whilft my People rowed with all their Strength 

 I have pretty well forwarded another Letter, and while they 

 take a little Reft I will finifh it to give it to fome Canadians 

 whom we met here, and who are going to Montreal. I take up 

 îîiy Recital where I left ofFlaft. 



All the Prifoners that are deftined to Death, and thofe whofe 

 n f: n V ^ ^^^^ decided, are as I have already 



£on of th FriK ^^^^ ^^"^^ Madam, abandoned to the Fury of 

 ion 0/ e ujO" Women, who go to meet the Warriors ; 



and it is furprifmg that they refill all the 

 Evils they make them fufFer. If any one, efpecially, has loft ei- 

 ther her Son or her Flufoand, or any other Perfon that was dear 

 to her, tho' this Lofs had happened thirty Years before, ftie is a 

 Fury. She attacks the firft wjio falls under her Hand ; and one 

 can fcarcely imagine how far ftie is tranfported with Rage : She has 

 no Regard either to Humanity or Decency, and every Wound fhe 

 çives him, one would expect him to fall dead at her Feet, if we 

 did not know how ingenious thefe Barbarians are in prolonging 

 the moft unheard of Punilhment : All the Night palTes in this 

 Manner in the Camp of the V/arriors. 

 The next Day is the Day of the Triumph of the Warriors. The 

 cr/ cr • 1 jc^ Ircquois, and fome others, alFeft a great Modef- 

 Ihe^ Triumph of ^ ^.^^ Difintereftednefs on thefe 



amors. Occafions. The Chiefs enter alone into the 



Village, without any Mark of Vi6lory, keeping a profound Silence, 

 and retire to their Cabins, without ihevving that they have the 

 îeaft Pre tenfion to the Prifoners. Among other Nations the fame 

 Cuftom is not obferved : The Chief marches at the Head of 

 iiis Troop with the Air of a Conqueror : His Lieutenant comes 

 after him, and a Crier goes before, who is ordered to renm 



Q the 



