avage blood
revealed itself in the neophytes in sudden insurrections, we must admit
that the majority of the converts devoted themselves to the practice of
virtues with an energy which often rose to heroism, and that already
there began to appear among them that holy fraternity which the gospel
everywhere brings to birth. The memoirs of the Jesuits furnish numerous
evidences of this. We shall cite only the following: "A band of Hurons
had come down to the Mission of St. Joseph. The Christians, suffering a
great dearth of provisions, asked each other, 'Can we feed all those
people?' As they said this, behold, a number of the Indians,
disembarking from their little boats, go straight to the chapel, fall
upon their knees and say their prayers. An Algonquin who had gone to
salute the Holy Sacrament, having perceived them, came to apprise his
captain that these Hurons were praying to God. 'Is it true?' said he.
'Come! come! we must no longer debate whether we shall give them food or
not; they are our brothers, since they believe as well as we.'"

The conversion which caused the most joy to Mgr. de Laval was that of
Garakontie, the noted chief of the Iroquois confederation. Accordingly
he wished to baptize him himself in the cathedral of Quebec, and the
governor, M. de Courcelles, consented to serve as godfather to the new
follower of Christ. Up to this time the missions to the Five Nations had
been ephemeral; by the first one Father Jogues had only been able to
fertilize with his blood this barbarous soil; the second, established at
Gannentaha, escaped the general massacre in 1658 only by a genuine
miracle. This mission was commanded by Captain Dupuis, and comprised
fifty-five Frenchmen. Five Jesuit Fathers were of the number, among them
Fathers Chaumonot and Dablon. Everything up to that time had gone
wonderfully well in the new establishment; the missionaries knew the
Iroquois language so well, and so well applied the rules of savage
eloquence, that they impressed all the surrounding tribes; accordingly
they were full of trust and dreamed of a rapid extension of the Catholic
faith in these territories. An Iroquois chief dispelled their illusion
by revealing to them the plans of their enemies; they were already
watched, and preparations were on foot to cut off their retreat. In this
peril the colonists took counsel, and hastily constructed in the
granaries of their quarters a few boats, some canoes and a large barge,
destin