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MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 - 5
His instincts were those of the genuine savage. In small or large parties they invaded the country of the Hurons, scalping squaws in the cornfields, surprising the villages at midnight, tomahawking the sleeping inhabitants and burning the wigwams. They were untiring in the purpose to annihilate their opponents. They did not hesitate to accomplish by treachery any end not to be attained otherwise.
The Jesuit, Lallemant, relates an incident which shows the characteristics of these savages. In 1638 a war party of a hundred Iroquois met three times their number of Hurons and Ottawas in the forest. They might have retreated, but instead gave battle. They were overpowered and those not slaughtered were taken prisoners. These were distributed among the Huron villages to be tortured for the edification of their captors.
The ceremonies were performed at night and the victim was usually placed on a scaffold to be burned alive. It was thought to be unlucky if no cry of pain escaped from the sufferer. An Iroquois warrior being thus tortured showed such fortitude as to amaze the spectators. When they thought him nearly exhausted his tormenters scalped him. Thereupon he leaped up and snatching the blazing brands he drove the crowd from the scaffold, when by accident he fell to the ground below. They seized him and threw him into the fire. Again he leaped out and rushed upon his adversaries with a blazing brand in each hand. He was tripped and as he fell the crowd jumped upon him, cut off his hands and feet and again threw him into the fire. He rolled himself out and crawled forward on his elbows and knees as if to assault them again, whereupon they cut off his head. Incidents of torture of this character were not rare. Women and children were among the spectators on such occasions. Women were sometimes the victims.
MICHIGAN
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