( 377 ) 



capable of infpiring, of which the following, atteft- 

 ed by perfons of credit who were eye-witneiTes, i$ 

 ( one very remarkable. 



An Iroquois captain of the canton called Onneyouth^ 

 rather chole to expofe himfelf to the word that could 

 happen, than to difhonour himfelf by flying, which 

 he reckoned of dangerous confequence from the ill 

 example it would give to the youth under his com- 

 mand. He fought a long time like a man refolved 

 to die with his arms in his hands, but the Hurons 

 his enemies were refolved on taking him if poffible 

 alive. Luckily for him and thofe who were taken 

 prifoners with him, they were conducted to a vil- 

 lage where there happened to be fome miflionaries, 

 who were allowed the full liberty of converfing with 

 them. Thefe fathers found them of an admirable 

 docility, which they looked upon as a beginning of 

 the grace of their converfion ; accordingly they in- 

 ftru&ed and baptized them •, they were all burnt in 

 a few days afterwards, and teftified to their laft mo- 

 ments a fort of conftancy, which the Indians were 

 not till then acquainted with, and which, infidels as 

 they were, they attributed to the virtue of the fa- 

 crament of baptifm. 



The Iroquois captain, notwithstanding, believed 

 he might lawfu ly do his enemies all the mif- 

 chief in his power, and delay his death as long as 

 poffible. They had made him afcend a fort of ftage 

 or theatre, where they began by burning his body 

 all over, without the leaft mercy, to which he ap- 

 peared as infenfible as if he had felt no pain ; but 

 on perceiving one of his companions whom they 

 were tormenting juft by him, betray fome figns of 

 weaknefs, he teftified a great deal of uneafinefs, and 

 emitted nothing in his power to encourage him to 



, bear 



