I made a vertue of necessity & did sleep, butt was early cast into a
boat to go on towards ye Enemy's countrie, tho we had raw meat given us,
with blows on ye mouth to make us ye more quickly devour itt. An
Iriquoit who was the Captayne in our boat, bade me to be of a good
courage, as they would not hurt me. Ye fmall knowledge I had of their
speech made a better hope, butt one who could have understood them would
have been certainly in a great terror.
Thus we journied 8 days on ye Lake Champlaine, where ye wind and waves
did sore beset our endeavors att times. As for meate we wanted none, as
we had a store of staggs along ye watter-side. We killed some every day,
more for sport than for need. We finding them on Isles, made them go
into ye watter, & after we killed above a score, we clipped ye ears of
ye rest & hung bells on them, and then lett them loose. What a sport to
see ye rest flye from them that had ye bells!
There came out of ye vast forest a multitude of bears, 300 at least
together, making a horrid noise, breaking ye small trees. We shott att
them, butt they stirred not a step. We weare much frightened that they
stirred nott att our shooting. Ye great ffrench dogg would fain
encounter them notwithftanding he was tyed. He made ye watter-side to
ring with his heavy voise & from his eyes came flames of fyre & clouds
from out his mouth. The bears did straightway fly which much cheered ye
Iri-quoits.
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