Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 7.djvu/645

 HURON

579

HURON

other tribes of Hurons. An independent band of

Petuns had wintered, in 1652-53, at Teapntofai; while the Neutrals, numbering eight hundred, had passed the winter at Skenfehiog, in the direction of Te96hanon- tian. They were forming a league with all the Upper Algonquins. Their combined forces were already one thousand strong, and all were to foregather in the autumn of 1653, at Aotonatendi^, situated in a south- erly direction three days' journey beyond the Sault SkiaiS (i. e. Sault-Ste-Marie) (Journ., 183-84; Clev. ed., XXXVIII, 181). As the Relations elsewhere state that a day's journey was between eight and ten leagues (Rel. 1641: Queb. ed., 71, 2; Clev. ed., XXI, 189) the position of Aotonatendi^ might be determined pretty accurately, were it not for the expressions " be- yond the Sault Skiao " and " in a southerly direction ", which are at variance. If "beyond the Sault", the direction must be west, and consequently on the shores of Lake Superior. If we take beyond as meaning at a greater distance, and towards the south, the spot in- dicated should be located on the western shore of Lake Michigan.

1657. — Among the Onondagas there were three sodalities, one for the Hurons proper, one for the Neutrals, and one for the Iroquois (Rel. 1657: Queb. ed., 48-49; Clev. ed., XLIV, 41).

1660. — In an estimate of the strength of the Five Nations at this date, the Mohawks are credited with not more than five hundred warriors, the Oneidas with less than one hundred, the Cayugas and Onon- dagas with three hundred each, and the Senecas with not more than one thousand, while the greater part of their fighting men were a medley of many tribes, Hurons, Petuns, Neutrals, Eries, etc. (Rel. 1660: Queb. ed., 6-7; Clev. ed., XLV, 207).

1669. — Father Fri5min mentions the presence of Neutral Indians among the Senecas, and informs us that the village of Gandongara6 had no inhabitants other than Neutrals, Onnontiogas, and Hurons proper (Rel. 1670: Queb. ed., 69, 2; Clev. ed., LIV, 81).

1671. — In the village of Iroquois Christians, then called St-Xavier des Pr^s, which stood at that time about three miles below the Lachine rapids, on the south bank of the St. Lawrence, there were, besides Iroquois, Hurons, and Andastes, a number of Neu- trals (Rel. 1671: Queb. ed., 12-13; Clev. ed., LV, 33-.35). This seems to be the latest mention in the old records of the .\ttiwandaronk, once the most numerous of the three great Huron tribes, and occupy- ing the most extensive and fertile territory. Their name was obliterated, but their blood still courses in the veins of many a reputed Iroquois or Huron.

2. Migration to Quebec. — The writers of the Re- lations have left us more than one retrospect of the wanderings of the Hurons. These may be found, in order of time, in Relation 1656: Quebec edition, 41, 2; Cleveland edition, XLII, 235;— 1660: Quebec, 2, 2; 14, 1; Cleveland, XLV, 187, 243;— 1672: Quebec 35-36; Cleveland, LVI, 115;— Girault's Memoir of 1762, Cleveland, LXX, 205. The most helpful in the matter of research are the two last mentioned, the retrospect of 1672, for the migrations in the West, and that of Father Girault for the Hurons of Lorette.

1640. — About ten years before the great dispersion a good number of Hurons proper had, with Indians of other tribes, taken up their abode at Sillery near Quebec, which mission was established permanently in 1637 (Girault, Clev. ed., LXX, 207).

1649-51. — Years of the great dispersion.

1650. — On 10 June upwards of three hundred Hurons proper abandoned their country and, in com- pany with sixty Frenchmen, including the mission- aries, set out for Quebec (Rel. 1650: Queb. ed., 1, 2; 26, 1; Clev. ed., XXXV, 75, 197-9; Ragueneau to the general, Queb., 17 Aug., 16.50, MS. p. 35). The French party was made up of thirteen priests, four

lay brothers, twenty-two donnes, eleven hired men, four boys, and six soldiers (Carayon, "Prem. Miss.", Clev. ed., XXXV, 9-10). The entire party, save a certain number of Hurons who remamed over at Three Rivers (Rel. 1652: Queb. ed., 10, 2; Clev. ed., XXXVII, 180), reached Quebec 28 July, 1650 (Rel. 1650: Queb. ed., 28, 1; Clev. ed., XXXV, 207; Journ. des J&., 142; Clev. ed.. Id., 50). Four hundred Hurons camped under cover of the French fort (Rel. 1650: Queb. ed., 2, 1; Clev. ed.. Id., 77), in the imme- diate vicinity of the Hotel-Dieu hospital (Rel. cit.: Queb. ed., 51, 1; Clev. ed., XXXVI, 59).

1651. — On 29 March the Hurons moved from the town to the Islanil of Orleans, in sight of Quebec. The deed of the land to be occupied by them was signed by El^onore de Grandmaison, the widow of Francois de Chavigny, on 19 March, and Father Chaumonot, their missionary, took formal possession of it on the 25th (Journ. des Jes., 149; Clev. ed.,

XXXVI, 117; cf. Rel. 1652: Queb. ed., 8; Clev. ed.,

XXXVII, 16S;Rcl.l654,20sqq.; Clev. ed.,XLI, 1.37). Thereupon all the Hurons who had previously settled at Sillery joined tho.se of Quebec and, on 29 March, moved to the island. Their sojourn there lasted until 4 June, 1656 (Girault's Mem., Clev. ed., LXX, 207). Five or six himdred is the rough esti- mate given in a subsequent Relation (1660: Queb. ed., 14, 1-2; Clev. ed., XLV, 243) of their number at that time. On 26 September news reached Quebec that thirty-six canoes of Hurons were on their way from the west to join the new settlement (Journ. des Jes., 162; Clev. ed., XXXVI, 143), and their safe arrival is recorded in Relation 1651, where they are de- scribed as Christian Indians coming from Ekaentoton, now Manitoulin Island, and manning about forty canoes (Queb. ed., 7, 1; Clev. ed., XXXVI, 189).

1654. — On 26 April the greater part of the Hurons who had at different times settled at Three Rivers joined those at the Island of Orleans (Girault, Clev. ed., LXX, 205-07).

1656. — On Saturday, 20 May, forty canoes of Mohawks landed stealthily on the island and sur- prised the Hurons who were at work in their fields. There were seventy-one either killed outright or taken prisoners, and among the latter many young women (Rel. 1657: Queb. ed., 5, 6; Clev. ed., XLIII, 117). On 4 July the Hurons abandon the Island of Orleans and again seek shelter at Quebec. Their sojourn on the island had lasted from 29 March, 1651 (Girault, Clev. ed., LXX, 207). After this fresh mis- fortune the Hurons sue for peace, which is promised by the Mohawks, provided they consent to settle in the Mohawk country the following spring, there to live together as one people (Rel. 1657: Queb. ed., 19, 2; Clev. ed., XLIII, 187).

1657. — One hundred Mohawk warriors set out from their country in the spring of 1657 to carry out the agreement, thirty of whom enter the town of Quebec, and in presence of the French Governor summon the Hurons to follow them. A day and the following night were passed in deliberation. The Clan of the Cord, former inhabitants of the mission of Teanaos- taia^, or St-Joseph II, in old Huronia, positively refused to leave Quebec and thus separate themselves from their French allies. The Rock Clan, or Arend- arrhonons, the former mission of St-Jean Baptiste, reluctantly chose the Onondaga country for their future home, while the Bear Clan half-heartedly resolved to throw in their lot with the Mohawks (Rel. 1657: Queb. ed., 20; Clev. ed., XLIII, 187, 191), and Father Simon Le Moyne, the "Ondesonk" of the Indians, volunteered to accompany them. On 2 June fourteen Huron women and many little children embarked in the canoes of the Mohawks, and set out with them for their newly adopted country (Journ. des J^s., 215; Clev. ed., XLIII, 49). About fifty Huron Christians of the Rock Clan left Quebec on 16