Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-04-17
Extraordinary Fortitude.

' u"y NAO A1uIols, having the advantage IN
a sklrmlsh, made an Iroquois chief captive, and
he was brought to one of the Huron villages.
where the fathers assembled. No sooner was
he arrived, than it was decreed in an assembly
OF the ancient savages, that he should be pre-
Sented to one of their old chiefs, to replace his
nephew, (who had been killed in war; or to be
disposed of as he should think proper Brebeuf,
one OF the Jesuits, Immediately resolved to con-
vert him to Christianity. The captive was cloth
ed In new beaver habit, with curious neck
lace, and his temples were encircled with kind
OF dadem /: he was surrounded by troop of
triumphant warriors, and seemed tn be quite un-
concerned as 10 his fate.
When Brebeuf approached him, he perceived
that, before his fate was determined, he had
been tortured. One of his hands had been
crushed between two fnts, and he bad lost a
finger. His other hand had lost two, which had
been cut off by Ratchet. The joints Of his
arms had been burnt, and great cash appeared
upon one of them. All this had been inflicted
upon the poor wretch, before he entered the
Huron village; for he had no sooner arrived
there, than he was treated with the greatest en-
dearments, and young woman was assigned
him for his wife, Such was this barbarian's sit
uation when he was converted by Brebeuf; and
he was esteemed to be the first adult convert
that ever was made by the Iroquos nation be-
ing baptized by the name of Joseph.
All this while the captive was loaded witt
caresses, and Brebeuf was suffered to take hin
to his tent every night; but his sores now be-
came putrid and full of worms To increase
his misery, he was carried IN triumph from vii
Iage to village, and wherever he came he wal
obliged to sing. so that sometimes his voice en-
tirely failed him, Nor had he the least respite
but when he was alone with Brebeuf, or some O
his missionaries At last he was conveyed
the village where the chief lived, that was to b
the dsposer of his fate. The captive presente
himself with an air perfectly unconcerned, t
his supposed uncle, who, after surveying hin
talked to him in the following strain;-
"Nephew, you cannot imagine the joy cor
ceived, when understood that you were to SUI
ply the place of him whom | have lost. | ha
already prepared mat for you in my cabin, an
it was with the utmost satisfaction that resol'
ed to pass the rest of my days with you in peace
but the condition see you in, forces me to a
ter my resolution
" 1t is plain that the tortures you suffer, mu
render your life insupportqblo to yourself, al
you must think that do you service in abrid
ing its course. They who have mangled yc
in this manner have caused your death. Tai
courage, therefore, my dear nephew !-Prepal
this evening to show yourself man, and tht
you are superior to the force of torments.
The captive heard this discourse with tn
greatest Indifference and only answered, with
resolute voice, that it was very we'll, The 81:
ter of the deceased then served him with hi
victuals, and caressed him in the most affection
ate manner, while the old cheftain put his ow
pipe in his mouth, and wiped the sweat from hi
brow, with the most tender demonstrations {
paternal love.
Towards noon, the captive, at the expense {
his supposed uncle, made his farewell feast, an
while the inhabitants Of the village were all as
sembled around him, he harangued them as 70
lows -
Brethren, | am about to die. Divert youl
selves boldly around me- be convinced that
am man, and that neither fear death nor a
the torments you can nhict"
He then began a song, in which he was joir
ed by the warriors who we're present, He wa
then presented with victuals, and when the feas
was ended he was carried to the place of execr
tioh, which is called the cabin of blood, L
heads cut off, and always belongs to the hea
of village. About eight o'clock in the even
ing, all the savages of the village beng Assem-
bled, the executioners of the tragedy, formin
the first row round the prisoner, were eXhore
by one of their internal elders, to behave wei
meaning thereby to put him to the most exert
ciatlng tortures. The prisoner was then seate
on a mat, where his hands were tied, and the
rising he danced round the cabin, singing h
death song all the time, and then replaced hin
self upon the mat
Father Brebeuf favored the world with a cor
of his death-song, which has been so much aC
mired as to have made its way through Europ
having been translated into all the modern la
guages;-
The sets at night, and the staIs shun the day,
But glory remains when the lights fade away;
Begin you ormentors, your threats are in vain,
For the son of Alknomook shall never complain,
Remember the arrows he shot from his bow
Remember your chiefs by his hatchet laid low
Why so slow do you wait till shrink from The pain
No-the son of Alknomook shall never complain.
Remember the wood-where in ambush we lay,
And the scaps which bore from your nation ava,
Now the flame fast you eKult in my pain;
But the son of Alknomook shall never complain.
go to the land where my father has gone
HIS ghost shall rejoice in the fame of his son
Death comes like friend it relieves me from pain
And the son of Alknomook has scorned to complain.
One of the elders then took from him his rob
which he said was destined for such chic
naming him. of such village, who was to c
off his head which, with an arm, was given
another village, to feast upon it. According
the French writers, the good father Brebeuf e
-, couraged him to suffer with the sentiments
Christianity which he did with the most anna
ing irmness, without dropping the least I
. proachable word,
He even talked of the affairs of his natl
with as much Indifference as if he had been
home with his family. Eleven fires had be
e lighted to torment him; and the elders SAID
: was of consequence that he should be alive
l. sun rising, for which reason his tortures We