wards to repent of, for we were during three hours exposed to a heavy fall of snow.

On the 11th, we reached our camp, where everything was in readiness for the seige. They had made through the woods an excellent road on which to transport their cannon, the mortars and bombs. On the 12th, they fixed their mortars, and on the 13th, as they were ready to open on the fort, they sent to summon the enemy to capitulate, offering them favorable terms if they would surrender immediately. They asked until 8 o'clock the next morning to give their answer, and requested that we would not disturb them during the night, about the fort. This was accordingly granted them. The next morning at the hour appointed, they brought forward their conditions, which were at once assented to, for they did not even demand to retain their arms or tents. Their minister had given the terms of capitulation in latin, and I acted as interpreter on our side. The English had been seized with fear on our first arrival, and from that time had kept themselves entirely shut up, without even daring to go out at night, to procure water from the river which flowed at the base of the fort.

The same day M. d'Iberville sent his Lieutenant, M. du Tas to take possession. He went thither himself on the morrow, the Festival of Saint Therese, and named it Fort Bourbon. The same day I celebrated the Mass there and chanted the Te Deum. The fort was only of wood, both smaller and weaker than we had supposed, and the booty we had gained was also much less than we had hoped for. The English were 53 in number, all large men and well made, but those who commanded them were much more skillful in commerce than in the profession of arms, in which they had never been exercised. It was for this reason that they surrendered so easily. In all these things we could not but admire the wonderful arrangement of divine Providence. On entering the river of St. Therese, we had with confidence invoked the protection of the holy Saint whose name the river bore, and God arranged every thing in such a manner, that on the very day of the Festival of the same Saint we should obtain possession of the fort, which renders us masters of the navigation and all the commerce of this great river.

The same day I thought it well to return on a visit to M. de Tilly, whom I had left very ill. I set out therefore after dinner, and

reached the banks of the river Bourbon, but found the crossing absolutely impracticable. We therefore erected our hut, and spent the whole night there. The next day, the river being no better, we made on the banks fires which sent up high columns of smoke, this being the signal agreed on to announce the capture of the fort. They replied by similar signals, and we returned to the fort. Three days afterwards, that is to say, on the 18th of October, I joined M. de Caumont, a brother of M. de Tilly, and two other persons their relatives, together with a Canadian, in an attempt to pass over together to the Poli. We again found the river in a very bad state, and the next day it was no better. Nevertheless, we determined to risk the passage, which was not accomplished without great danger, but at last we arrived safely. I did not again leave the sick man until the 28th, which was the day of his death. After the funeral services were over, I wished to return to the fort to celebrate the Festival of All-saints, but was unable to pass that river until All-soul's Day.* We lost our way that night in the woods, and after wandering for a long time found ourselves in the place from which we set out. There we passed the night, and reached the fort on the 3d of November. I have since often made these little journeyings; for disease, and particularly the scurvy, having spread among our crew, I was constantly obliged to go from the fort to the Poli, and from the Poli to the fort, to assist the sick. I had myself some slight attacks of the scurvy, but the exercise I was obliged to take, in aiding here and there those who were in some danger, dissipated, what I believe to have been the commencement of the malady.

At the commencement of October, the river St. Therese was entirely closed by ice three or four leagues above the fort, where there are some islands which render the channel very narrow; but we did not begin passing over on it opposite to the fort, until the 13th of November. The river Bourbon was not entirely closed until the night of Jan. 23d. 1695. After this we were able to pass over to the Poli on the ice, which very much shortened our journey. The ice commenced breaking up in the river St. Therese on the 30th of May, but in the river Bourbon, not until the 11th of June. On the 30th of July, we embarked to go with one or

* In the Roman Calendar, All-saints' day is Nov. 1st., and All-souls' day, the day after, Nov. 2d.-K.

two ships to the roadstead at the mouth of the river St. Therese, to await the arrival of the English ships, which are accustomed to come there at that season. However, we waited for them in vain, for none ever appeared.

I had undertaken on my arrival to learn the language of the Indians, and for this purpose wished to avail myself of the services of two of them who had remained during the winter in a hut near the fort. But my frequent excursions from one river to the other were a great hindrance, besides which, the man was a slave from another nation and only imperfectly knew their language, while his wife, who had a deep hatred of the French, never spoke to me except in waywardness, and often purposely deceived me. Nevertheless, the visits which I made them had one good effect. I had gained the confidence of this poor man and begun to instruct him as far as was in my power, when he fell sick. He then wished for baptism, which I had the satisfaction of administering to him before his death.

I will now relate what I have been able to learn about the In

dians of this country. There are seven or eight different nations which trade at the fort, and this year 1695, more have arrived than usual. The number of canoes amounted to more than 300. The farthest distant, the most numerous, and the most powerful, are the Assiniboëls and the Krigs, or otherwise the Kiristinnons ;* and it is only necessary to learn the languages of these two nations. The language of Krigs, which is Algonqiune, and that of the Indians nearest the fort, is the same except in some few words, and a very little variation of accent. But the language of the Assiniboëls is very different from this, being the same as that of the Sciour to whom my brother has made two journeys. They even assert that the Assiniboëls are a tribe of the Scioux, who separated from them a long time ago, and have since been engaged in constant wars with them. The Krigs, and the Assiniboëls, are allies, who have the same enemies and engage in the same wars. Many of the Assiniboëls, speak the Krigs' language, and many of the Krigs that of the Assiniboëls.

The Krigs are numerous, and the country very great, for they extend even to Lake Superior, where many of them go to trade.

* In all cases, the orthography of these Indian names has been preserved unchanged from the manner in which it was written by the Jesuits.-K.

I have seen those among them who had been to Sault de Sainte Marie and Michilimakinak. The river Bourbon extends even to the Lake of the Krigs. To go there takes from 20 to 25 days; while it requires 30 or 40 days to reach the country of the Assiniboels.

These Indians are well made in body, large, robust, active, and nnured to cold or fatigue. The Assiniboéls are accustomed to make large drawings on their bodies, representing serpents, birds, and figures of various other kinds. They impress them by pricking the skin with little pointed bones, and then filling the holes. with the dust of powdered charcoal. They are sedate in disposition, and may even be said to be phlegmatic. The Krigs are more lively, always in motion, always dancing or singing. They are both brave and fond of war. We might compare the Assiniboels to the Flemings, and the Krigs to the Gascons, their dispositions being in effect similar to those of these two nations. These Indians have no villages, nor any fixed abode. They are always roving and wandering, living by the chase and fishing. In the summer, however, they collect by the lakes, where they remain two or three months, and afterwards go to gather the material of their provisions.

The Indians who are nearest this place, live only by the chase. They are continually ranging the woods, without settling down in any particular place, either in summer or winter, unless where they find themselves particularly successful in hunting. Then they build their wigwams there, and remain until there is nothing left to eat. They are often obliged to pass three or four days without taking any nourishment on account of their own improvidence. Like the others they are inured to cold and accustomed to fatigue; but in other respects, they are slothful, timid, lazy stupid, and every way vicious.

With regard to the religion they profess, it is, I believe, the same as that of other Indians, but I am not as yet sufficiently acquainted with it, to speak definitely of the nature of their idolatry. I know that they have some kind of sacrifices, they have grand Jugglers, aud like the other Indians, a custom of the pipe, which they call calumet. They are accustomed to smoke with reference to the sun, and absent persons, and sometimes with reference to our fort and our ship. Nevertheless, I am able to say

nothing certain with regard to their ideas of the Divinity, not having been able to comprehend them. I can only add, that they are extremely superstitious, very depraved, that they live in the practice of polygamy, and in an estrangement as great as possible from any thing like Christianity.

Thus we perceive, my Reverend Father, that it will be very difficult to establish our faith among this people. I think that if we wish to make any progress, it will be necessary to commence with the Krigs and the Assiniboéls. Besides other considerations these Indians are very numerous-they seem to me not so far removed as the rest from all ideas of religion-they have more spirit —and are settled during at least three or four months of the year. It would therefore be more easy to form a mission in their country. I am indeed truly sensible of the difficulties in the way of its establishment. In truth, I doubt whether our first fathers in their earliest missions in Canada, encountered as many as seem here to threaten. But we must not be deterred by these things. God will take care of us, and I trust that the more of pain and toil these missions seem to promise, so much the more will missionaries be found, who will offer themselves to God to be there his messengers.

It only remains for me, my reverend Father, to speak of the climate and the temperature of this country. The fort, as I have before said, is in the 57° of north latitude, situated at the mouth of two fine rivers, but the soil there is very sterile. It is a country entirely marshy, except where it is interspersed with savannas. We find but little wood, and even that very small. For the distance of more than three or four leagues from the fort, there is not in any direction an open forest. This undoubtedly happens from the violent winds which ordinarily blow from the sea-the intense cold, and the snows, which are constantly found here. The cold commences in the month of September, and is soon sufficiently severe to fill the rivers with ice, and sometimes even to freeze them entirely. The ice does not depart before the month of June, but even then we are not freed from the cold.

It is true, there are during this time some warm days, (for there is scarcely any interval between the oppressive heat and the severe cold,) but they last only for a short period. The north winds which are frequent, soon dissipate this early heat, and often, after