difficulty if I could keepe the highway, which is greatly beatten with the
great concours of that people that comes & goes to trade with the flemings;
but to avoid all encounters I must prolong a farre off. Soe being assisted
by the best hope of the world, I made all diligence in the meene while that
my mother nor kindred should mistrust me in the least.

I made my departure att 8 of the clock in the morning the 29th 8bre, 1663
[1653]. I marched all that journey without eating, but being as accustomed
to that, without staying I continued my cours att night. Before the
breaking of the day I found myselfe uncapable because of my feeblenesse and
faintnesse for want of food and repose after such constraint. But the feare
of death makes vertu of necessity. The morning commanded me to goe, for
it's faire and could ayre, which [was] somewhat advantageous to keepe [me]
more cheerfull. Finally the resolution reterning my courage, att 4 of the
clocke att evening, the next daye I arrived in a place full of trees cutt,
which made mee looke to myselfe, fearing to approach the habitation, though
my designe was such. It is a strange thing that to save this life they
abhorre what they wish, & desire which they apprehend. Approaching nigher
and nigher untill I perceived an opening that was made by cutting of wood
where was one man cutting still wood, I went nearer and called him. [He]
incontinently leaves his work & comes to me, thinking I was Iroquoise. I
said nothing to him to the contrary. I kept him in that thought, promissing
him to treat with him all my castors att his house, if he should promise me
there should be non of my brother Iroquoise there, by reson we must be
liberall to one another. He assured me there was non then there. I tould
him that my castors were hidden and that I should goe for them to-morrow.
So satisfied [he] leads me to his cabban & setts before me what good cheare
he had, not desiring to loose time because the affaire concerned me much. I
tould him I was savage, but that I lived awhile among the ffrench, & that I
had something valuable to communicate to the governor. That he would give