Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
PRE- AND EARLY COLONIAL LITERATURE
and from there to enter another lake, three or four leagues long; and that when we
had reached the end of that it would be necessary to follow a trail for four leagues,
and to pass over a river which empties on the coast of the Almouchiquois, near
the coast of Norumbegue; and that it was only two days journey by their canoes,
as I have [also] learned since from some prisoners that we took, who described to
me very much in detail all that they had found out themselves about the matter
through some Algonquin interpreters who knew the Iroquois language.
Now, as we began to approach within two or three days’ journey of the home
of their enemies, we did not advance more, except at night, and by day we rested.
Nevertheless, they did not omit, at any time, the practice of their customary
superstitions, to nd out how much of their undertakings would succeed, and
they often came to me to ask if I had dreamed, and if I had seen their enemies.
I answered them “no,” and told them to be of good courage and to keep up hope.
When night came we pursued our journey until daylight, when we withdrew into
the thickest part of the woods and passed the rest of the day there. About ten or
eleven o’clock, after having taken a little walk around our encampment, I went
to rest; and I dreamed that I saw the Iroquois, our enemies, in the lake, near a
mountain, drowning within our sight; and when I wished to help them our savage
allies told me that we must let them all die, and that they were worthless. When I
woke up they did not fail to ask me, as is their custom, if I had dreamed anything. I
told them the substance of what I had dreamed. This gave them so much faith that
they no longer doubted that good was to befall them.
When evening came we embarked in our canoes to continue on our way; and,
as we were going along very quietly, and without making any noise, on the twentyninth
of the month, we met the Iroquois at ten o’clock at night at the end of a cape
that projects into the lake on the west side, and they were coming to war. We both
began to make loud cries, each getting his arms ready. We withdrew toward the
water and the Iroquois went ashore and arranged their canoes in line, and began
to cut down trees with poor axes, which they get in war sometimes, and also with
others of stone; and they barricaded themselves very well.
Our men also passed the whole night with their canoes drawn up close together,
fastened to poles, so that they might not get scattered, and might ght all together,
if there were need of it; we were on the water within arrow range of the side where
their barricades were.
When they were armed and in array, they sent two canoes set apart from the
others to learn from their enemies if they wanted to ght. They replied that they
desired nothing else; but that, at the moment, there was not much light and that
they must wait for the daylight to recognize each other, and that as soon as the
sun rose they would open the battle. This was accepted by our men; and while we
waited, the whole night was passed in dances and songs, as much on one side as on
the other, with endless insults, and other talk, such as the little courage they had,
their feebleness and inability to make resistance against their arms, and that when
day came they should feel it to their ruin. Our men also were not lacking in retort,
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