A Terrible Episode.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1627, 5 February 1886, Page 2

A Terrible Episode.

The year 1689 saw New Franpg, under the', rule of the reckless Marquis de Denonville, engaged m an "Indian war along : her whole line of settlements. The Iroquois had received gieat provocation. The Governor, by means of the Jesuit missionaries, whom he made his unconscious accomplices, had induced a number of IroquoU chiefs to meet him m peaceful conference. These he had seized* and sent to France, that their toil as 'galley slaves misrht amuse the Royal vanity. The Iroquois had scorned to revenge this perfidy on the missionaries, who were sent m safety to their camp. But a terrible retribution was at hand. Nearly two centuries ago, on the night of August 5, 1689, as the inhabitants of Laohine lay sleeping, amid a ; storm of hail upon the lake which effectually disguised the noise of their landing, a force of many hundred warriors, armed, and besmeared with war-paint, made a de-s-cantupon Lachine. Through the night they noiselessly surrounded every building m the village. With dawn the fearful war-whoop awoke men, women, and children to their doom of torture and death. The village was fired; by its light! inn the early morn the,horrorstricken/ inhabitants of Montreal could see from their fortifications 'the nameless cruelties,-; Which preceded the , massacre. It is said the Iroquois inddjed so freely m the fire-water j>f the Laohihe merchants, that had the defenders of !Villernaric been prompt to seize the favoVah.le. moment,- .the drunken wretches^migh.t havt; been slaughtered like swine." Paralysed by the horrors they, had' witnessed, the French let the occasion slip ; at nightfall r thft savages withdresjr 1 to the mainland; njpt, however, ♦without signifying by yells, repeated to the number of ninety, how many {.prisoners' they carried jaway. Fronithe ramparts of Villemarie, and amid the blackened ruins of Lachine, the, garrison watched t\e. fires on the opposite shore, kindied for /what purposes of nameless cruelty they knew too iwell. The fate of Lachine marks the lowest point m the fortunes of New France ; by what deeds of heroism they were retrieved,- is not the least glorious page m Canadian history.— Picturesq ue Canada.