held at intervals of ten or twelve years,
and the object of which was to gather into one great burying-place all
the dead of the tribe, these being removed from their temporary
resting-places on scaffolds and in graves. It was believed that the
souls of the dead remained with their bodies until the great common
burial, then they would depart to the spirit-world.[1]

This practice, of a great common burial, explains the occurrence, in
various parts of the country once occupied by the Hurons, of pits {155}
containing the remains of many hundreds of persons all mixed together
promiscuously, together with belts of wampum, copper ornaments, glass
beads, and other articles. One of these deposits is said to have
contained the remains of several thousand persons.[2]

The story of Isaac Jogues is a good example both of the Jesuit
missionaries' sufferings and of their fortitude. He had gone to Quebec
for supplies and was returning to the Huron country with two young
Frenchmen, Goupil and Couture, and a number of Hurons. Suddenly the
war-whoop rang in their ears, and a fleet of Iroquois canoes bore down
upon them from adjacent islands, with a terrific discharge of musketry.
The Hurons for the greater part leaped ashore and fled. Jogues sprang
into the bulrushes and could have got away. When he saw some of the
converted Indians in the hands of their enemies, he determined to share
their fate, came out from his hiding-place, and gave himself up. Goupil
{156} was taken prisoner. Couture had got away, but the thought of the
fate that probably awaited Jogues decided him to go back and cast in his
lot with him. In the affray, however, he had killed an Iroquois. In
revenge, the others fell upon him furiously, stripped off all his
clothing, tore away his finger-nails with their teeth, gnawed his
fingers, and thrust a sword through one of his hands. Jogues broke from
his guards, ran to his friend, and threw his arms about his neck. This
so incensed the Iroquois that they turned upon him, beat him with their
fists and war-clubs till he was senseless, and gnawed his fingers as they
had done Couture's. Goupil next received the same ferocious treatment.

The victorious Iroquois now started off with their captives for their
country. Their route lay up the river Richelieu, through the length of
Lake Champlain, and through the greater part of Lake George to a point
where they were wont to leave it and cross over to the Hudson. The