was rather heavy and a poor sailer.

The same day there was some trading in peltry, but the other barques
carried off the better part of the booty. It was doing them a great favor
to search out a strange people for them, that they might afterwards carry
off the profit without any risk or danger.

That day, I asked the savages for an Iroquois prisoner which they had, and
they gave him to me. What I did for him was not a little; for I saved him
from many tortures which he must have suffered in company with his
fellow-prisoners, whole nails they tore out, also cutting off their
fingers, and burning them in several places. They put to death on the same
day two or three, and, in order to increase their torture, treated them in
the following manner.

They took the prisoners to the border of the water, and fastened them
perfectly upright to a stake. Then each came with a torch of birch bark,
and burned them, now in this place, now in that. The poor wretches, feeling
the fire, raised so loud a cry that it was something frightful to hear; and
frightful indeed are the cruelties which these barbarians practise towards
each other. After making them suffer greatly in this manner and burning
them with the above-mentioned bark, taking some water, they threw it on
their bodies to increase their suffering. Then they applied the fire anew,
so that the skin fell from their bodies, they continuing to utter loud
cries and exclamations, and dancing until the poor wretches fell dead on
the spot.

As soon as a body fell to the ground dead, they struck it violent blows
with sticks, when they cut off the arms, legs, and other parts; and he was
not regarded by them as manly, who did not cut off a piece of the flesh,