Connecticut western news., 1875-02-26

VI Soclcty the sterS OI Inc First MisstOn-
 nry to AmericU. AUS
 Two hundred and thirty three years ago the Catholic clergyman, a Jesuit priest, who first administeredt the saera- ments of the church in New York city, was rescued from suffering and death at the hands of the Indians through the kindness of the Dutch of New Amsterl dam and Rensselaerwick (Albany) while on his first mission in New York State, A Jesuit priest, the Rev. Father P J. JDealy, read an historical paper at the. meeting of the New York Historical Society, at the invitation of the menu bers, the majority of whom are hneal descendants of the rescuers of the early missionary. The subject of the paper was the missionary career of this priest, who found friends in New Amsterdam when there were only two Catholics in the city. Father Dealy was introduced by MT. De Peyster, the president, and in coming forward was warmly greeted. He at once, without any preliminary flourish, began to read his paper.
 After speaking of the spirit of self sacrifice of the early Jesuit nissionaries stoE the Indians in this country, and of the trials and suferings they endured, he said that prominent among them all was Isaac Joques, the first Iroquois martyr, who was put to death at @ place about fifty miles from the present city5o Albany. This celebrated man was born in Orleans, France, in 1907, and in tho twenty-ninth year of his age set sail from his native country to- become; q missionary among the wild tribes that Inhabited New York State. He described othe difficulties that lay in the missiont ary's path; how to reach the Hurons from Quebec he had to pass through a country where the Iroqi1ois swarmed, $ sworn foe to the Hurons and French alike; and he told how finally, after q voyage of nineteen days in frail canoe, snecornpanied by few Hurons, he safely sreached village on Lake Huron, whers he met five other missionaries. +ti 'so' E 3 At the time when Joques started out from Quebec the second time, on the 2d Qf,Angust, 1642, the Eoquois had detert mined to make an utter end of theif enemies, ,sT Having met with so many stccesses they, had become terror to their foes, and 50 Joques' attempt to Sfeaeh, the Huron country was ., most perilous one. Several Hurons who were anxious to return to their tribes and two Frenchmen, prompted by religious mot syAVSSp C4O F41Ao COA4 Hdl44OA1oe- OA O4c1 second day after they had started they fell into an am buscade and were captured by the Mohawks. During the fight J0ques baptized the pilot of his, canoeJ and some of the Hurons, who were seized and tortured cruelty hecause of the resistance they had made. He could have escaped himself in the underbrush, but bethinking himself thatthe prisoners were notal1 Christians he went forward and surrendered himself to his astonish1 edstWctors.3 aEustace, the chief of tho Huron party, who had managed to cut through the enemy's lines, on finding the priest taken, returned to share 0ms captivity. : To revenge themselves for ,theideath of one of their chiefs, who was killed in the fight, the Mohawks tore Joques' finger nails out with their teeth, pulled the clothes off his body and treat ed him in the most brutal manner 8sHe quoted from one of Joques' letters, writ ten to his Superior in Paris, concerning tue Starturesahe had to endure. Eight days. after. the capture 200 Mohawks came m sight, and the new corners, form ing two lines, compelled iJoques to run the gauntlet, when he was beaten, with clubs as he ran. Half dead from his many wounds, with one finger bitten of, another hayed by the teeth of one of his torturers, he was dragged from village to village and made to run the gauntlet in each. ssIn. one village captive Algon- quin woman, by order of her master, hacked of the thumb of his left hand, an oyster shell being used for the pur- pose. At night time the Indians amused themselves by placing hot coals on his flesh.
 Eustace, the Huron. endured all kinds of sufferings, and finally died reciting the prayers he had been taught by Joques instead of the death song of his ancestors. When the third village was reached by the captives four Huron cap tives were brought in whom Joques con verted to Christianity; ill one case, no water being available, he used the dew drops he saw glistening on sheaf oi corn. At one time heiwas hung up be. tween two posts for quarter of an hour, his sufferings being 30 intense that he implOred his tormentors to loosen his bonds. He, with 8 Huron captive named Couture, when they had arrived at theil journey's end, were given as slaves to 6 chief, and were made-Joques especially ito do the work of beasts of burden. Joques, refusing to eat meat that had
 
 skoi, was blamed for their bad luck ir the chase and their loss in several en
 counters with their foes, and his tor
 ttres were therefore increased. Mean
 while efforts were being made for'his re lease by the French and the Queen Re gent of Holland, who had instructions sent to her officers here Joques, as prisoner finally reached RensselaerwicE (now Albany, where the Governor Afendt Van Curler, endeavored to pro cure his release. He was finally in
 duced to take refuge in vessel that laJ in tks Hudson. His captors were so en
 raged at his escape that the captain anc the sailors were threatened, and Joques
 for their sake, took refuge in shanty or the shore; where he lay concealed many days. The, Governor of New Amsterdam got him saway on boat for Manhattan.
 During the voyage of six days Johr Megapo1ensis, Calvinist minister. O. Rensselaerwick, was very kind to hin and named an island in the Hudson aftel him. At Manhattan Governor Genera Kieft gave him Q warm reception. Dur ing his stay in New York he found ther, were: two Catholics, a Portuguese woman and an -Irishman, upon whom he con ferred the consolation of religion--thii Delng the nrst time that the sacramento
 were ever administered in the city Q New York by a Roman Catholic clergy man. In one of his letters Joques gave description of the city, in which speakine of the prevalent religion, zht said, !" Religious liberty is not known
 and toleration is not the fashionof tn { day.ni Even then, according to him New York was cosmopolitan city, as il community of 400 to 500 men eightee1 kinds of languages were spoken, and il one of the letters he speaks of deer hunt