THE HURONS. — THE IROQUOIS CONFEDERATION. 183 



to retrace their steps to Michillimakinac about the year 

 1670, where the remnant now dwells. The fourth and 

 most ill-fated of the Huron bands sought refuge among 

 the Eries, who occupied the country on the north shores 

 of Lake Erie. They spoke the same language as the 

 Hurons and Iroquois, and lived in permanent villages. 

 The presence of the Hurons among them soon excited the 

 jealousy of the Iroquois, so that after a very short period 

 had elapsed, both the Eries and the greater part of their 

 Huron allies were cut off by the savage, envious, and 

 relentless Iroquois. 



The fifth band retired to the new French colony in the 

 lower St. Lawrence, where they were joined by the first 

 band as already stated. 



According to the narrative of Sagard, the first historian 

 of the Hurons, they occupied a distinguished position 

 among savage nations. The Hurons represented the 

 nobility of the country, some of the Algonquin nations 

 represented the citizens, and the Montagnais, an Algonquin 

 nation, the poor.* 



The Iroquois Confederation consisted originally of a 

 union of five nations, named respectively the Mohaivks f , 

 the Oneidas, the Onondagas, the Cayugas and the 

 Senecas. 



They invaded the country of the Hurons about 1650, 

 and were in turn driven back by the Algonquins, into 

 whose hunting-grounds north and north-east of Lake 

 Huron, they appear to have penetrated. After their 

 retreat the Ojibways, and particularly the Missassaguas, 

 the "eagle" tribe of the Ojibways, following them, occu- 



* Relation Abregees, &c. &c. 



t The Mohawks, Onondagas, and Cayugas are the oldest members of the 

 Confederacy. Their union precedes tradition. 



n 4 



