The true northerner., 1874-11-20
A Lake Superior Sketch.

The present year must not be allowed
to pass without one OF our periodicals
Offering to the friends of domestic his.
'ory the details of an event which, Just
700 wears ago, caused considerable emo.
ton among the savage inhabitants of
Upper Michigan, and proved turning
point in their progress toward civlliza
| tion.
Under the heading, Massacre of 10
| Nadouessi Ambassadors and 20 other
Indians at the house of Ste. Marie du
Sault," Father Dablon, then Superior Of
the Jesuit missions in "New France"
relates as follows (the words between
crotches being our own):
The Nadouessi (Nodowessi, Dacoto or
Sioux, an extremely numerous and en-
inently warlike tribe, were the common
enemies of all those Indians comprised
under the name of Outaouacs (Ottawas)
or Upper Algonquins. They carried
their arms even far to the North, and
waging war against the Kilistinons
(Kinoshtino or Cree Indians) who inhab-
tied those parts, made themselves every
where formidable by their boldness, their
numbers, and their skill in combat, in
which, beside their weapons, they made
use of stone knives. They always carry
two of them, one sticking in the belt,
the other suspended from their hairs.
However, war party from Ste Marie
du Sault having surprised them in their
own country, and captured 50 of them,
obliged them to sue for peace. Conse-
quently they sent 10 of their bravest
men to the Sault to negotiate. They
were received with joy as soon as the
object of their visit became known.
Only the KilistinoDs, who had lately
arrived, and others called Missisoquis
(from the north shore of Lake Huron,
Lear the mouth of the Missisaguing)
not only showed dissatisfaction, but also
resolved to prevent the conclusion of the
peace, and even to murder those 10 en-
voys. This necessitated their being ad.
mitted to the French house built for the
use of the missionaries.
Father Gabriel Druillettes profted of
this opportunity to instruct them in the
mysteries of our faith. They listened
with so much docility that, at the end
of the instruction, they went on their
knees, and, folding their hands, called
upon Jesus, the Master of life, just now
made known to them.
In the meantime the Indians focked
to the French house, one party to make
peace with the Nadouessi, the other to
hinder it's conclusion. Every possible
precaution was taken to prevent those
that entered from bringing along arms,
but, as the crowd was extremely large,
five or six slipped in without being de.
prived of their knives. 1t was one OF
the latter, Kilistinon, who gave rise to
the ensuing broil; for approaching a
Nadouessi, knife in hand, he said, "Thou
art afraid and threatened to strike
him. The Nadouessi, without being
startled, replied, in naughty tone and
with undaunted mein, "If thou believest
that tremble, strike straight at the
heart y and feeling himself stricked
cried out to those of his nation. "Breth.
ren, they kill u.s." At these words those
men, fired with the desire of revenge
and withal very vigorous and tall, rose
up and struck with their knives at every
Indian present, without discriminating
between Kilistinons and Sauteux (Ojib.
was), in the belief that they had ali
equally conspired to murder them. II
was not very difficult for them to make,
in short time, great carnage, consid
ering that they found the crowd, who
expected nothing less than such an at.
tack, unprovided with arms
The Kilistinon who had begun the
quarrel was one of the first that was
pierced, and, with several others, thrown
dead on the place (beforc the house).
Then the Nadouessi placed themselves
at the door to guard it, and to stab those
that would fly; but as they remarked
that several had already escaped and
gone in search of arms, they shut the
+ door on them, determined to uefend
themselves until the last breath. In
fact, they posted themselves at the win
dows. and having by chance found some
guns and ammunition, they used them tc
keep at bay their enemies. who attempt
ed to burn them by burning the house
in which they were locked up. They
killed some who went too near; but, il
spite of all their efforts, some others
approached the house, and having piled
! up against it straw and birch bark ca
noes, set fire to them, and thus soor
placed the Nadouessi in danger of being
consumed by the flames. This obliged
them to give last proof of their cour.
! age for all 10 of them came forth with
, the arms in their hands, and, with in
, credible promptness, threw themselves
into neighboring palisade hut, from
which they kept up the defense, and
continued to kill as long as their anu
milton lasted but this failing, they
were overwhelmed by the great number,
of Indians, who fired at them, and al
were killed on the spot, together with
two women who had accompanied them
A third one was spared, having beer