We arrived at St. Regis before the first Mass in the morning. The box
was then taken into the chapel, where they took me out and carried me
into the church. I was seated at the foot of the altar, with my hands
and feet fast bound, the gag still in my mouth, and no clothing on, but
my night-dress. Two men stood beside me, and I remained here until the
priest had said mass and the people retired from the church. He then
came down from the altar, and said to the men beside me, "Well, you have
got her." "Yes Sir," they replied, "what shall we do with her?" "Put her
on the five o'clock boat," said he, "and let the other men go with her
to Montreal. I want you to stay here, and be ready to go the other way
tonight" This priest was an Indian, but he spoke the English language
correctly and fluently. He seemed to feel some pity for my forlorn
condition, and as they were about to carry me away he brought a large
shawl, and wrapped it around me, for which I was truly grateful.
At the appointed time, I was taken on board the boat, watched very
closely by the two men who had me in charge. There was need enough of
this, for I would very gladly have thrown myself into the water, had I
not been prevented. Once and again I attempted it, but the men held me
back. For this, I am now thankful, but at that time my life appeared of
so little importance, and the punishments I knew were in reserve for me
seemed so fearful, I voluntarily chose "strangling and death rather than
life." The captain and sailors were all Romanists, and seemed to vie
with each other in making me as unhappy as possible They made sport of
my "new fashioned clothing," and asked if I "did not wish to run away
again?" When they found I did not notice them they used the most abusive
and scurrilous language, mingled with vulgar and profane expressions,
which may not be repeated. The men who had charge of me, and who should
have protected me from such abuse, so far from doing it, joined in the
laugh, and appeared to think it a pleasant amusement to ridicule and vex
a poor helpless fugitive. May God forgive them for their cruelty, and
in the hour of their greatest need, may they meet with the kindness they
refused to me.
At Lachine we changed boats and took another to Montreal. When we
arrived there, three priests were waiting for us. Their names I
perfectly remember, but I am not sure that I can spell them correctly.
Having never learned while in the nunnery, to read, or spell anything
except a simple prayer, it is not strange if I do make mistakes, when
attempting to give names from memory. I can only give them as they were
pronounced. They were called Father Kelly, Dow, and Conroy. All the
priests were called father, of whatever age they might be.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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