Arendt Van Curie 



all the Indians, kept the advancing prosperity of the colony of Rens- 

 selaerwyck in the safe path. It was in the midst of danger of infec- 



near Caughnawaga, now Fonda. Like tigers with their prey, the 

 •savages intended to enjoy the torture of their victims before burning 



Protestant of Orange dye, but he was more — a Christian and a man. 

 "Why risk life among the bloodthirsty savages, and intermeddle to 



Curler, without argument or reservation, quickly collected ransom to 

 the value of 600 guilders equal to $250 then, or perhaps $500 now. 

 He rode up the valley, in September, 1642. It was then dressed in 

 the gorgeous livery of autumn, and brighi with many an acre of ripen- 

 ing maize. He called it "the fairest land that the eyes of man ever 

 rested upon/' but the moral beauty of his own act exceeded even that 

 of nature. He did not succeed in ransoming or rescuing the priest, 

 Father Jogues; but he secured a promise from the savages not to kill 

 or further torture him. Afterwards, Van Curler assisted Jogues to 

 escape from Albany to France, where at the imperial court at Ver- 

 sailles the scars of his fingers which the savages, like wild beasts, had 

 chewed and from which they had torn out his nails, were kissed by 

 proud lords and lovely ladies as of those of a saint. Again this devoted 



satiate Mohawks. This first Roman Catholic missionary on the soil 

 of our state, and the discoverer of the Lake of the Holy Sacrament, now 

 ignobly named George, finallv suffered martyrdom at Ossuerenon, near 

 Auriesville. On the hills overlooking the station of the West Shore 

 railway, he yielded up his life. In his honor, a shrine to the Virgin, 

 " Our Lady of Martyrs," is now erected. Yet with nearly equal pro- 

 priety, is the name of Van Curler the exemplar of noble humanity 

 linked to the spot. 



This was but one of the many visits which Van Curler made to the 

 Indians at their homes and council-fires. Having mastered their ver- 

 nacular, he was able to hear from their own lips, their side of every 



