Page:History of the Ojibway Nation.djvu/157

Rh From this time, now upwards of five generations ago, the route from Lake Superior to the French settlement on the St. Lawrence became comparatively free and open, though the trading parties were often waylaid by the ambushed warriors of the Iroquois on the Ottaway River.

The warlike, confederated tribes whom the French early designated with the name of Iroquois, gave not up their long contest with the allied Algics, without a severe and protracted struggle. They often collected their forces, and marching westward, their hardy warriors became familiar with the shores of Lake Huron, the banks of the Ste. Marie, and often even procured scalps on the shores of Lake Superior. At one time the Ottaways were forced to retire from the Straits of Mackinaw, and the islands of Lake Huron, through fear of these redoubtable eastern warriors. The last important battle between the Ojibways and the Iroquois, took place about one hundred years ago at a point on Lake Superior, a short distance above its outlet, which has to this day retained the name of Point Iroquois. The Sault Ste. Marie Ojibways are probably better acquainted with the details of this occurrence than those from whom I have obtained the account which is here given, as they are locally interested in the tradition.

Ke-che-wash-keenh or Great Buffalo, chief of La Pointe, briefly gives the following version of the affair:—

"The Ojibways, one time collected a war party on the shores of the Great Lake, which proceeded eastward against their old enemies the Naud-o-ways. On their road to the country of these people, they one evening encamped on a point of the lake shore a short distance above Bow-e-ting (Ste. Marie). They had lighted their fires for the night and commenced cooking their suppers, when the sounds of distant yelling and laughter came indistinctly to their ever-listening ears. The noise appeared to come from the other side of the point, immediately opposite the