ike wolves, and soon exterminated.

The terror of the Iroquois name now spread rapidly along the shores of
the great lakes and rivers of the north. The fertile banks of the
Ottawa, once the dwelling-place of numerous and powerful tribes, became
suddenly deserted, and no one could tell whither the inhabitants had
fled.

About this time was introduced among the Montagnez, and the other tribes
of the Saguenay country, an evil more destructive than even the tomahawk
of the Iroquois--the "accursed fire-water;" despite the most earnest
efforts of the governor, the fur traders at Tadoussac supplied the
Indians with this fatal luxury. In a short time, intoxication and its
dreadful consequences became so frequent, that the native chiefs prayed
the governor to imprison all drunkards. At Three Rivers, however, the
wise precautions of the authorities preserved the infant settlement from
this monstrous calamity.

In the year 1650 M. d'Ailleboust was worthily succeeded by M. de Lauson,
one of the principals of the Associated Company. The new governor found
affairs in a very discouraging condition, the colony rapidly declining,
and the Iroquois, flushed by their sanguinary triumphs, more audacious
than ever. These fierce savages intruded fearlessly among the French
settlements, despising forts and intrenchments, and insulting the
inhabitants with impunity. The island of Montreal suffered so much from
their incursions, that M. de Maisonneuve, the governor, was obliged to
repair to France to seek succors, for which he had vainly applied by
letter. He returned in the year 1653 with a timely re-enforcement of 100
men.

Although the Iroquois had now overcome or destroyed all their native
enemies, and proved their strength even against the Europeans, some of
their tribes were more than ever disposed to a union with the white men.
The Onnontagues dispatched an embassy to Quebec to request that the
governor would send a colony of Frenchmen among them. He readily acceded
to the proposition, and fifty men were chosen for the establishment,
with the Sieur Dupuys for their commander. Four missionaries were
appointed to found the first Iroquois church; and to supply temporal
wants, provisions for a year, and sufficient seed to sow the lands about
to be appropriated, were sent with the expedition. This design excited
the jealousy of the other Iroquois tribes; the Agniers even tried to
intercept the colonists with a force of 400 warriors; they,