( 3°5 ) 



pretend to vouch for this hiftorical piece, tha* I hard 

 it from pretty good hands. 



The Algonquins, as I have already obfsrved, oc- 

 cupied all that tract of country lying between Que- 

 bec, and poffibly from TadoulTac to the Lake Ni- 

 pifling, running along the north fhore of the river 

 St. Lawrence, and tracing upwards the great river* 

 which difcharges itfelf into the former above the 

 ifland of Montreal. This would incline us to judge 

 that this people was then pretty numerous, and it is 

 certain it has long made a very great figure in this 

 part of America, where the Hurons only were able 

 to difpute the fuperiority with them overall the reft. 

 With refpect to (kill in hunting, they had no equal, 

 and ftood alfo foremoft in the lifts of fame for pro- 

 wefs in war. The few remaining of them at this 

 day, have not degenerated from the ancient renown 

 of their fathers, nor have their misfortunes in the 

 leaft tarnifhed their reputation. 



The Iroquois had concluded a kind of treaty of 

 alliance with them, which was equally and greatly 

 advantageous to either party, but which too, in the 

 eftimation of Indians, (with whom a great huntf- 

 man and great warrior are in equal veneration) gave 

 the Algonquins a real fuperiority over the Iroquois* 

 The latter almoft wholly taken up with the culti* 

 vating their fields, had ftipulated to pay a certain 

 proportion of their harveffe- to the Algonkins, who 

 were on their part obliged to fhare with them the 

 fruits of their huntings, and to defend them againft 

 all invaders. Thefe two nations lived in harmony 

 for a confiderable while, but an unreafonabl* piece 

 of pride in the one, and a certain, fudden, and un- 

 expected difguft on the other, broke all bounds of 



Vol. &] U con- 



