[
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me affections of the Indians, returned to
Boston,
while ‘the friar remained, the incendiary of mischief.’
Several chiefs had, by stratagem, been seized by
1721 Mass Hist Coll.
XVIII.
Lett. Ed. IV. July. |
the
New England government, and were detained as hostages.
For their liberty a stipulated ransom had been paid; and still they were not free.
The
Abenakis then demanded that their territory should be evacuated, and the imprisoned warriors delivered up, or reprisals would follow.
Instead of negotiating, the
English seized the young baron
de St. Castin, who, being a half-breed, at once held a French commission and was an Indian war-chief; and, after vainly soliciting the savages to surrender Rasles, in midwinter Westbrooke led a strong force to
Norridgewock to take him by sur-
prise.
The warriors were absent in the chase, yet the
Jesuit had sufficient warning to escape, with the old men and the infirm, into the forest; and the invaders gained nothing but his papers.
These were important; for the correspondence with
Vaudreuil proved a latent hope of establishing the power of
France on the
Atlantic.
There was found, moreover, a vocabulary of the Abenaki language, which the missionary had compiled, and which has been preserved to this day.
These insults induced the Indians to hope for no
peace but by inspiring terror.
On returning from the chase, after planting their grounds, they resolved to destroy the
English settlements on the
Kennebec.
They sent deputies to carry the hatchet and chant the war-song among the Hurons of
Quebec, and in every village of the Abenakis.
The war-chiefs met at
Norridgewock, and the work of destruction began by the burning of
Brunswick.
The clear judgment of Rasles perceived the issue.
The forts of the
English could not be taken by the
