The war between the French and Five Nations was carried on more or less vigorously according to the means and opportunities of the aged Frontenac. The most revolting feature connected with this protracted contest was the savage and detestable barbarity practised on both sides. We give an example drawn from La Potherie's History of North America. "The prisoner being first made fast to a stake, so as to have room to move round it, a Frenchman began the horrid tragedy, by broiling the flesh of the prisoner's legs, from his toes to his knees, with the red-hot barrel of a gun. His example was followed by an Utawawa, who, being desirous to outdo the French in their refined cruelty, split a furrow from the prisoner's shoulder to his garter, and filling it with gunpowder, set fire to it. This gave him exquisite pain, and raised excessive laughter in his tormentors. When they found his throat so much parched that he was no longer able to gratify their ears with his howling, they gave him water, to enable him to continue their pleasure longer. But at last his strength failing, an Utawawa flayed off his scalp, and threw burning hot coals on his scull. They then untied him, and bid him run for his life. He began to run, tumbling like a drunken man. They shut up the way to the east, and made him run westward, the country, as they think, of departed miserable souls. He had still force left to throw stones, till they put an end to his misery by knocking him on the head. After this every one cut a slice from his body, to conclude the tragedy with a feast." Such disgusting outrages as these were, for a time at least, put an end to, by the peace of Ryswick, in 1697.
The next year, 1698, Lord Bellamont, who had been appointed governor of New York in 1695, arrived in the colony: he was charged with the duty of investigating Fletcher's conduct, enforcing the acts of trade, suppressing piracy, etc. Bellamont took the opposite side to that which Fletcher had favored, and it was in a measure through him that Leisler's son obtained from the Assembly a vote of £1,000, to be paid to him for damages resulting from the proceedings against his father. The attainder was reversed by act of parliament, and Leisler and Milbourne were reburied in the Dutch Church.[1] Bellamont also originated a Court of Chancery, which afterwards was looked on with a jealous eye. The governor's speech to the Assembly, convened in May, is well worth quoting from: "I cannot but observe to you, what a legacy my predecessor has left me, and what difficulties to struggle with; a divided people, an empty purse, a few miserable, naked, half-starved soldiers, not half the number the king allowed pay for; the fortifications, and even the governor's house, very much out of
- ↑ This year (1700,) no fewer than a thousand Scottish fugitives from the unfortunate and ill-used Scottish colony of Darien arrived at New York in various ships, during the absence of Lord Bellamont at Boston. Nanfan, the lieutenant governor, in conformity with instructions from England, refused even the slightest relief or assistance to these unhappy adventurers. Two years before, the royal governors of New York and New England had issued proclamations, forbidding all correspondence with, or assistance to, the Scottish colony." Oldmixon and Holmes, quoted by Grahame, vol. i., p. 453.
