Transcriber's Note.

A [list] of the changes made can be found at the end of the book. In the text, the corrections are underlined by a red dotted line "like this". Hover the cursor over the underlined text and an explanation of the error should appear.

THE JESUIT RELATIONS
AND
ALLIED DOCUMENTS
Vol. V

frontispiece

Paul Le Jeune, S.J.

The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents

Travels and Explorations
of the Jesuit Missionaries
in New France

1610-1791

THE ORIGINAL FRENCH, LATIN, AND ITALIAN TEXTS, WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES; ILLUSTRATED BY PORTRAITS, MAPS, AND FACSIMILES

EDITED BY

REUBEN GOLD THWAITES

Secretary of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin

Vol. V

Quebec: 1632-1633

CLEVELAND: The Burrows Brothers
Company, PUBLISHERS, MDCCCXCVII

Copyright, 1897
by
The Burrows Brothers Co

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The Imperial Press, Cleveland

EDITORIAL STAFF

CONTENTS OF VOL. V

ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOL. V

PREFACE TO VOL. V

Following is a synopsis of the documents contained in the present volume:

XX. This document (dated Quebec, August 28, 1632) is Le Jeune's famous Relation of 1632, the first of the Cramoisy series, which were thereafter annually issued until 1672. In this document, Le Jeune, the new superior of the Canada mission, relates to the French provincial of his order, in Paris, the particulars of the stormy passage recently made by the two missionaries to the New World, in De Caen's ship. Le Jeune gives his impressions of the country, and of the natives. He describes the tortures inflicted by some of them, upon three Iroquois captives. Schools should be established for the youth, if the adults are to be properly influenced. Mosquitoes greatly torment the missionaries. The circumstances are related of the landing of De Caen's party at Quebec, which is found in ruins; mass is celebrated in the house of Mme. Hébert, and the condition of that pioneer family is described. Quebec being surrendered to De Caen by the English garrison, the Jesuits return to their old habitation on the St. Charles, only the walls of which have withstood the shock of war. Le Jeune then reverts, in his story, to the condition of the savages, telling of their simplicity and their entire confidence in the missionaries. The Jesuits baptize an Iroquois lad, and a native child has been left in their charge. The successful garden of the mission is described, and the relator tells how he almost lost his life by drowning.

XXI. Le Jeune's Relation for 1633 is addressed from Quebec to the French provincial of the order, Barthelemy Jacquinot, in Paris. In the first installment of the document, given in the present volume, Le Jeune, as superior of his order in Canada, mentions the kindness shown the mission by the Company of New France, and the good behavior of the French at Quebec, during the preceding winter. A description is given of a visit he made to the savages in the vicinity of that settlement, and his attempts to learn their language; he tells how the Montagnais sought shelter near the fort, from the Iroquois; mentions an eclipse of the moon (October 27); records, as they happened, whatever events of interest occurred in the colony, giving, in this connection, considerable information about the traits, customs, and religious ideas of the Indians.

The narrator tells how his Montagnais interpreter, Pierre, who had been educated in France, fell into disgrace with the commandant, and was received by the missionaries, that he might instruct them in his language. The narrator describes his own difficulties in that pursuit, and in compiling a native dictionary and grammar.

Le Jeune describes the climate as very cold in winter, and hot in summer, but healthful; and tells how he learned to use raquettes, or snowshoes. He has two little boys given him by the savages, and undertakes to educate them. In his school, are over twenty Indian children, whose attainments in scholarship are described; and this leads the way to a strong appeal to the ladies of France to establish in New France a seminary for girls. He recounts the legends of the natives about Messou, Manitou, and other deities; also their superstitions about dreams. In speaking of Father de Nouë's visit to some of the neighboring tribes, Le Jeune enumerates the hardships endured by the missionaries in attempting to dwell in the savage camps; nevertheless, he speaks hopefully of the prospect for mission labors, especially among stationary tribes, like the Hurons.

A description is given of Champlain's return as governor of the colony; and of a conference held by the latter (May 24) with the Ottawas, on their annual trading visit to Quebec. The eloquence and shrewdness displayed by the savages are dwelt upon.

The Iroquois attack a party of French, wounding and killing several. The settlement is visited by natives from various tribes from the upper country; a Frenchman is slain by one of the tribesmen; much drunkenness occurs among the Indians; who craftily excuse themselves from responsibility for any crime committed while in that condition, by telling the Frenchmen it was caused by liquors supplied by them. The Fathers baptize some savage children, and in caring for the sick encounter the enmity of the medicine men.

The conclusion of this document will be presented in Vol. VI. of our series.

R. G. T.

Madison, Wis., February, 1897.

XX

Le Jeune's Brieve Relation

Kebec, Aoust 28, 1632

Paris: SÉBASTIEN CRAMOISY, 1632

Source: Title-page and text reprinted from original in Lenox Library.

facsimilea

BRIEVE
RELATION
DV VOYAGE
DE LA
NOVVELLE FRANCE,

Fait au mois d'Auril dernier par le
P. Paul le Ieune de la Compagnie
de Iesvs.

Enuoyée au R.P. Barthelemy Iacquinot
Prouincial de la mesme Compagnie
en la Prouince de France.

A PARIS, Chez Sebastien Cramoisy,
ruë S. Iacques, aux Cicognes.

M. DC. XXXII.

Auec Priuilege du Roy.

BRIEF
RELATION
OF THE JOURNEY
TO
NEW FRANCE,

Made in the month of April last by Father
Paul le Jeune, of the Society
of Jesus.

Sent to Reverend Father Barthelemy Jacquinot,
Provincial of the same Society,
in the Province of France.

PARIS, Sebastien Cramoisy, ruë St. Jacques,
at the sign of the Storks.

M. DC. XXXII.

By Royal License.

[3] Brieve Relation dv Voyage de la Novvelle France.

[10]

Mon R. Pere, Estant aduerti de vostre part, le dernier iour de Mars, qu'il falloit au plustost m'embarquer au Haure de grace, pour tirer droit à la Nouuelle France: l'aise & le contentement que i'en resenti en mon ame fut si grand, que de vingt ans ie ne pense pas en auoir eu vn pareil, ny qu'aucune lettre m'ait esté tant agreable. Ie sorti de Dieppe le lendemain, & passant à Roüen, nous [4] nous ioignimes de compagnie le Pere de Nouë, nostre Frere Gilbert & moy. Estans au Haure nous allasmes saluër monsieur du Pont, neueu de Monseigneur le Cardinal, lequel nous donna vn escrit signé de sa main, par lequel il témoignoit que c'estoit la volonté de mondit Seigneur que nous passassions en la Nouuelle France. Nous auons vne singuliere obligation à la charité de de monsieur le Curé du Haure, & des Meres Vrsulines; Car comme nous n'auions point preueu nostre depart, si le Pere Charles Lallemant à Roüen, & ces honnestes personnes au Haure ne nous eussent assistez dans l'empressement, où nous nous trouuions, sans doute nous estions mal. Du Haure nous tirames à Honfleur, & le iour de Quasimodo 18. d'Auril nous fimes voile.

[3] Brief Relation of the Journey to New France.[1]

My Reverend Father: Having been notified by you on the last day of March that I should embark as early as possible at Havre de grace, to sail directly for New France, the joy and happiness that I felt in my soul was so great that I believe I have experienced nothing like it for twenty years, nor has any letter been so welcome to me. I left Dieppe the next day, and, going to Roüen, [4] Father de Nouë, our Brother Gilbert, and I united in one company. Being in Havre, we went to pay our respects to monsieur du Pont, nephew of Monseigneur the Cardinal, who gave us a passport[2] signed by his own hand, in which he said that it was the wish of the Cardinal that we should go to New France. We are under peculiar obligations to the benevolence of monsieur the Curé of Havre, and of the Ursuline Mothers:[3] for, as we had not foreseen our departure, if Father Charles Lallemant, of Roüen, and these good people in Havre, had not assisted us in the hasty preparations we were obliged to make, we should, without doubt, have been very badly off. From Havre we went to Honfleur, and on Low Sunday,[4] April 18th, we set sail.

Nous eumes au commencement [5] vn tres-beau temps, & en dix iours nous fimes enuiron six cens lieuës, mais à peine en peumes nous faire deux cens les trente trois iours suiuans. Ces bons iours passez [12] nous n'eumes quasi que tempestes, ou vent contraire, hormis quelques bonnes heures qui nous venoient de temps en temps. I'auois quelquefois veu la mer en cholere des fenestres de nostre petite maison de Dieppe: mais c'est bien autre chose de sentir dessous soy la furie de l'Ocean, que de la contempler du riuage; nous estions des trois & quatre iours à la cappe, comme parlent les mariniers, nostre gouuernail attaché, on laissoit aller le vaisseau au gré des vagues & des ondes, qui le portoient par fois sur des montagnes d'eau, puis tout à coup dans des abysmes; vous eussiez dit que les vents estoient déchainez contre nous; à tous coups [6] nous craignions qu'ils ne brisassent nos mats, ou que le vaisseau ne s'ouurit: & de fait il se fit vne voye d'eau laquelle nous auroit coulé à fond, si elle fût arriuée plus bas, ainsi que i'entendois dire. C'est autre chose de mediter de la mort dans sa cellule deuant l'image du Crucifix, autre chose d'y penser dans vne tempeste, & deuant la mort mesme. Ie vous diray neantmoins ingenuëment, qu'encor que la nature desire sa conseruation, que neantmoins au fond de l'ame ie sentois autant ou plus d'inclination à la mort qu'à la vie; ie me mettois deuant les yeux que celuy qui m'auoit conduit dessus la mer, auoit de tres-bons desseins; & qu'il le falloit laisser faire; ie n'osois luy rien demander pour moy, sinon de luy presenter ma vie pour tout l'equipage. Quand ie me figurois que peut-estre dans peu d'heures, ie me verrois au milieu des [7] vagues, & par aduanture dans l'épaisseur d'vne nuict tres-obscure, i'auois quelque consolation en cette pensée, m'imaginant que là où il y auroit moins de la creature, qu'il y auroit plus du Createur, & que ce seroit là proprement mourir de sa main: mais ma foiblesse [14] me fait craindre, que peut-estre si cela fust arriué i'eusse bien changé de pensée & d'affection.

We had fine weather at first, [5] and made about six hundred leagues in ten days; but we could hardly cover two hundred on the following thirty-three days. After this fine weather we had little but storms and contrary winds, except a few pleasant hours which were vouchsafed us from time to time. I had sometimes seen the angry sea from the windows of our little house at Dieppe; but watching the fury of the Ocean from the shore is quite different from tossing upon its waves. During three or four days we were close-reefed, as sailors say, our helm fastened down. The vessel was left to the will of the billows and the waves, which bore it at times upon mountains of water, then suddenly down into the depths of the sea. You would have said that the winds were unchained against us. Every moment [6] we feared lest they should snap our masts, or that the ship would spring a leak; and, in fact, there was a leak, which would, as I heard reported, have sunk us if it had been lower down. It is one thing to reflect upon death in one's cell, before the image on the Crucifix; but quite another to think of it in the midst of a tempest and in the presence of death itself. But I say to you honestly, that, although nature longs for its preservation, nevertheless, in the depths of my soul, I felt quite as much inclination to death as to life; I kept constantly before my eyes, that he who had brought me upon the sea had some good purpose, and that he must be allowed to do as he pleases. I dared not ask of him anything for myself, unless it were to offer up my life for all on the ship. When I realized that in a few hours I might see myself in the midst of the [7] waves, and perhaps in the depths of the blackest night, I found some consolation in the thought that there, where there would be less of the creature, there would be more of the Creator, and that it would be really dying by his hand. But my weakness makes me fear that perhaps, if that had really happened, my thoughts and inclinations might have been greatly changed.

Au reste nous auons trouué l'hyuer dans l'esté, c'est à dire dans le mois de May & vne partie de Iuin, les vents, & la bruine nous glaçoient, le Pere de Nouë a eu les pieds & les mains gelées, adioustez vne douleur de teste ou de cœur qui ne me quitta quasi iamais le premier mois; vne grande soif, pour ce que nous ne mangions que choses salées, & il n'y auoit point de fontaine d'eau douce dans nostre vaisseau. Nos cabanes estoient [8] si grãdes, que nous n'y pouuions estre ny debout, ny à genoux, ny assis, & qui pis est, l'eau pendant la pluie me tomboit par fois sur la face. Toutes ces incõmoditez estoient communes aux autres, les pauures mattelots enduroient bien dauantage. Tout cela est passé, Dieu mercy, ie n'eusse pas voulu estre en France. Tous ces petits trauaux ne nous ont point encor, comme ie croy, donné la moindre tristesse de nostre depart. Dieu ne se laisse iamais vaincre; si on luy donne des oboles, il donne des mines d'or, encor me semble-il que ie me suis mieux porté que le Pere de Nouë, lequel a esté fort longtemps sans quasi pouuoir manger; pour nostre Frere, il est comme ces animaux Amphibies, il se porte aussi bien sur la mer que sur la terre.

But, to speak of other things, we found winter in summer; that is to say, in the month of May and a part of June, the winds and the fogs chilled us; Father de Nouë's feet and hands were frozen; and, besides this, I had pains in my head or heart, which scarcely left me at all during the first month; and a keen thirst, because we ate nothing but salted food, and there was no fresh water upon our vessel. The size of our cabins was [8] such that we could not stand upright, kneel, or sit down; and, what is worse, during the rain, the water fell at times upon my face. All these discomforts were shared by the others; but the poor sailors suffered many more. All that is past; thank God, I would not have wished to be in France. All these little afflictions have not as yet, I believe, caused us the least sadness over our departure. God never suffers himself to be vanquished; if you give him mites, he gives mines of gold. Still, it seems to me that I get along better than Father de Nouë, who, for a long time, was hardly able to eat; as to our Brother, he is like the Amphibious animals; he is just as much at home on the sea as on the land.

Le iour de la Pentecoste, comme i'estois prest de prescher, ce que ie faisois [9] ordinairement les Dimanches, & bonnes Festes, vn de nos mattelots se mit à crier moluë, moluë, il auoit ietté sa ligne, & en tiroit vne grande. Il y auoit desia quelques iours que nous estions sur le banc, mais on n'auoit quasi rien pris. Ce iour là on en prit tant qu'on voulut. C'estoit vn plaisir de voir vne si grande tuerie, & tant de ce sang répãdu sur le tillac de nostre nauire. [16] Ce rafraichissement nous vint fort à propos, apres de si longues bourrasques.

On Pentecost day, just as I was ready to preach, as I usually [9] did on Sundays and great Fête days, one of our sailors began to cry out, "codfish! codfish!" He had thrown in his line and had brought out a large one. We had already been on the banks several days, but had caught very little. On that day we drew in as many as we liked. It was a pleasure to see so great a slaughter, and so much of this blood shed upon the deck of our ship. These fresh supplies were very welcome to us after such continuous storms.

Le Mardy d'apres, premier iour de Iuin, nous vimes les terres, elles estoient encor toutes couuertes de neiges, l'hyuer tousiours grand en ces païs, & l'a esté extremément cette année. Quelques iours auparauant, sçauoir est le 15. & 18. de May, estans encor éloignez des terres enuiron deux cens lieuës, nous auions rencontré deux glaces d'vne enorme grandeur [10] flottantes dans la mer, elles estoient plus longues que nostre vaisseau, & plus hautes que nos masts, le Soleil donnant dessus vous eussiez dit estre des Eglises, ou plustost des montagnes de crystal: à peine auroy-ie creu cela si ie ne l'auois veu. Quand on en rencontre quantité, & qu'vn nauire se trouue embarrassé là dedans, il est bien tost mis en pieces.

On the following Tuesday, the first day of June, we saw land. It was still covered with snow, for the winter, always severe in this country, was extremely so this year. Some days before, to wit, the 15th and 18th of May, being still distant from land about two hundred leagues, we had encountered two icebergs of enormous size, [10] floating upon the sea. They were longer than our ship and higher than our masts, and as the sunlight fell upon them you would have said they were Churches, or rather, mountains of crystal. I would hardly have believed it if I had not seen it. When a great number of them are encountered, and the ship finds itself caught among them, it is very soon broken into pieces.

Le Ieudy 3. de Iuin nous entrames dans le païs par l'vn des plus beaux fleuues du monde, la grand Isle de terre neuue le ferme en son emboucheure, luy laissant deux endroits, par où il se dégorge dans la mer, l'vn au Nord, & l'autre au Sud: nos entrames par celuy-cy qui est large enuiron de 13. ou 14. lieuës. Si tost que vous estes entrez, vous découurez vn golfe de 15O. lieuës de largeur; en montant plus haut au lieu où cette grande riuiere commence à s'estressir, elle a [11] bien encor de largeur 37. lieuës: où nous sommes à Quebec, esloignez plus de 200. lieuës de l'emboucheure, elle a bien encor demie lieuë.

On Thursday, June 3rd, we passed into the country through one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. The great Island of newfoundland intercepts it at its mouth, leaving two openings whereby it can empty into the sea, one to the North and the other to the South. We sailed in through the latter, which is about 13 or 14 leagues wide. Upon entering, you discover a gulf 150 leagues wide; going farther up, where this grand river begins to narrow, it is [11] even there 37 leagues wide. Where we are, in Quebec, distant over 200 leagues from its mouth, it is still half a league wide.

A l'entrée de ce golfe nous vimes deux rochers, l'vn paroissoit rond, l'autre quarré; vous diriez que Dieu les a planté au milieu des eaux comme deux colombiers pour seruir de lieu de retraitte aux oyseaux, qui s'y retirent en si grande quantité, qu'on [18] marche dessus eux: & si on ne se tient bien ferme, ils s'éleuent en si grand nombre, qu'ils renuersent les personnes: on en rapporte des chalouppes ou petits bateaux tous pleins quand le temps permet qu'on les aborde: les François les ont nommez les Isles aux oyseaux. On vient dans ce Golfe pour pescher des baleines, nous y en auons veu quantité, pour pescher aussi des moluës. I'y ay veu grand nombre de loups marins, nos gens [12] en tuerent quelques-vns. Il se trouue dans cette grande riuiere nommée de S. Laurens, des marsoins blancs & non ailleurs; les Anglois les appellent des baleines blanches, pource qu'elles sont fort grandes à comparaison de marsoins; ils montent iusques à Quebec.

At the entrance of this gulf we saw two rocks, one appearing to be round, the other square. You would say that God had thrown them into the midst of the waters, like two dovecotes, as a retreat for the birds that withdraw there in such multitudes that you would almost tread upon them; and if you do not obtain a good foothold, they rise up in such numbers that they may knock you over. Boats, or little skiffs, full of them are brought back to the ships, when the weather permits approach to these islands, which the French have named the Isles of birds.[5] Ships come into this Gulf on whaling expeditions. We have seen a great many fishing also for cod. I saw here a number of seals, and our people [12] killed some of them. In this great river, which, is called the St. Lawrence, white porpoises are found, and nowhere else. The English call them white whales, because they are very large compared with the other porpoises; they go up as far as Quebec.[6]

Le iour de la Saincte Trinité nous fumes contraints de relascher à Gaspay; c'est vne grande baie d'eau qui entre dans ce païs; c'est icy où nous mimes pied à terre pour la premiere fois depuis nostre depart. Iamais homme apres vn long voyage n'est rentré dans son païs auec plus de contentement que nous entrions au nostre; c'est ainsi que nous appellions ces miserables contrées. Nous y trouuames deux vaisseaux, l'vn de Honfleur, l'autre de Biscaye, qui estoient venus pour la pesche des moluës. Nous priames ceux de Honfleur de [13] nous dresser vn autel pour dire la Saincte Messe dans leur cabane. Ce fut à qui y mettroit la main, tant ils estoiẽt aises: aussi leur disoy-ie en riant, qu'en bastissant leur cabane ils ne pensoiẽt pas bastir vne Chapelle. Comme ie vins à l'Euangile qui se lit ce iour-là à la Messe, & qui estoit le premier que ie prononçois en ces terres, ie fus bien estonné entendant ces paroles du Fils de Dieu à ses Disciples, Data est mihi omnis potestas in cælo & in terra, euntes ergo docete omnes gentes baptisantes [20] eos in nomine Patris, &c. Ecce ego vobiscum &c. Ie pris bon augure de ces paroles, quoy que ie visse bien qu'elle ne s'addressoient pas à vne personne si miserable que moy; aussi m'est-il aduis que ie viens icy comme les pionniers, qui marchent les premiers pour faire les tranchées, & par apres les braues soldats viennent assieger, & prendre la place.

On the day of Holy Trinity, we were compelled to stop at Gaspay,[7] a large body of water extending into this country. It was here that we trod land for the first time since our departure. Never did man, after a long voyage, return to his country with more joy than we entered ours; it is thus we call these wretched lands. We found here two ships, one from Honfleur and the other from Biscaye, which had come to fish for cod. We begged the people from Honfleur to [13] raise an altar for us, that we might celebrate the Holy Mass in their cabin; and there was a strife among them as to who should work upon it, so greatly were they pleased. So I said to them, laughingly, that in building their cabin they did not think they were building a Chapel. When I came to the Gospel appointed for that day in the Mass, and which was the first that I had read in these lands, I was very much astonished in hearing these words of the Son of God to his Disciples, Data est mihi omnis potestas in cælo & in terra, euntes ergo docete omnes gentes baptisantes eos in nomine Patris, etc. Ecce ego vobiscum, etc. I took these words as a good omen, although I clearly saw that they were not addressed to so poor a person as I. But it is my opinion that I come here like the pioneers, who go ahead to dig the trenches; after them come brave soldiers, who besiege and take the place.

[14] Apres la Messe nous entrames dans les bois, il y auoit encor quantité de neige, si ferme qu'elle nous portoit. Le matin il gela assez fort, comme i'allois lauer mes mains à vn torrent d'eau qui decouloit des montagnes, ie trouuay les bords tous glacez. Nos gens tuerent icy quelques perdrix fort grises, & aussi grosses que nos poulles de France. Ils tuerent aussi quelques lieures plus pattus que les nostres, & encor vn peu blancs, car les lieures en ce païs cy sont tous blancs, pendant les neiges, & pendant l'esté ils reprennent leur couleur semblable à celle des lieures de l'Europe.

[14] After Mass we went into the woods; the snow was still very deep, and so strong that it bore our weight. In the morning there was a hard frost; and, when I went to wash my hands in the torrent of water which flowed down from the mountains, I found the edges of it completely frozen. Here our people killed a number of large gray partridges, as large as our chickens in France. They also killed some hares, larger-footed than ours, and still a little white; for in this country the hares are all white, while the snow lasts, and during the summer they resume their color like that of the European hares.

Le iour suiuant nous nous remimes sous voile, & le 18. de Iuin nous moüillames à Tadoussac; c'est vne autre baie d'eau, ou vne anse fort petite, aupres de laquelle se trouue vn fleuue nommé Sagué qui se iette dans la grande riuiere de S. Laurens, ce fleuue [15] est aussi beau que la Seine, quasi aussi rapide que le Rosne, & plus profond que plusieurs endroits de la mer, car on dit qu'il a bien 80. brasses de profondeur aux endroits où il est le moins profond. Comme nous allions dire la Saincte Messe à terre, l'vn de nos soldats tua vn grand aigle aupres de son aire, il auoit la teste & le col tout blanc, le bec & les pieds iaunes, le reste du corps noiratre, il estoit gros comme vn coq d'Inde. Nous auons icy seiourné depuis le 14. Iuïn, iusques au 3. de Iulliet, c'est à dire 19. iours. [22] Il faisoit encor grand froid quand nous y arriuames, mais auant que d'en partir nous y auons ressenty de grandes chaleurs; & ce pendant ce n'estoit que le printemps, puisque les arbres estoient seulement fleuris. En fort peu de temps les feüilles, les boutons, les fleurs & les fruits paroissent icy, & meurissent, i'entends les fruicts [16] sauuages, car il n'y en a point d'autres. Or c'est icy que i'ay veu des Sauuages pour la premiere fois. Si tost qu'ils apperceurent nostre vaisseau ils firent des feux, & deux d'entr'eux nous vindrent aborder dans vn petit cauot fait d'escorce fort proprement. Le lendemain vn Sagamo auec dix ou douze Sauuages nous vint voir; il me sembloit, les voyant entrer dans la chambre de nostre Capitaine, où i'estois pour lors, que ie voyois ces masques qui courent en France à Caresme-prenant. Il y en auoit qui auoient le nez peint en bleu, les yeux, les sourcils, les iouës peintes en noir, & le reste du visage en rouge; & ces couleurs sont viues & luisantes comme celle de nos masques: d'autres auoient des rayes noires, rouges & bleuës, tirées des oreilles à la bouche: d'autres estoient tous noirs hormis le haut du front, & les parties voisines [17] des oreilles & le bout du menton, si bien qu'on eut vrayement dit qu'ils estoient masquez. Il y en auoit qui n'auoient qu'vne raye noire, large d'vn ruban, tirée d'vne oreille à l'autre, au trauers des yeux, & trois petites rayes sur les iouës. Leur couleur naturelle est cõme celle de ces gueux de France qui sont demy rostis au Soleil, & ie ne doute point que les Sauuages ne fussent tres-blãcs s'ils estoiẽt bien couuerts. De dire comme ils sont vestus, il est bien difficile; les hommes quand il fait vn peu chaud vont tous nuds, hormis vne piece de peau qu'ils mettent [24] au dessous du nombril iusques aux cuisses. Quand il fait froid, ou bien à l'imitation des Europeans, ils se couurent de peaux de Castor, d'Ours, de Renard, & d'autres tels animaux, mais si maussadement, que cela n'empesche pas qu'on ne voye la pluspart de leurs corps. [18] I'en ay veu de vestus de peau d'Ours, iustement comme on peint S. Iean Baptiste. Cette peau veluë au dehors, leur alloit sous vn bras & sur l'autre, & leur battoit iusques aux genoux, ils estoient ceints au trauers du corps d'vne corde de boyau. Il y en a de vestus entierement, ils ressemblent tous à ce Philosophe de la Grece, qui ne portoit rien sur soy qu'il n'eut fait. Il ne faut pas employer beaucoup d'années pour apprendre tous leurs mestiers. Ils vont tous teste nuë hommes & femmes; ils portent les cheueux longs; ils les ont tous noirs, graissez, & luisans; ils les lient par derriere, sinon quand ils portent le dueil. Les femmes sont honnestement couuertes; elles ont des peaux iointes sur les espaules auec des cordes, & ces peaux leurs battent depuis le col iusques aux genoüils; elles se ceignent aussi d'vne corde, le reste du corps la teste, les [19] bras & les iambes sont descouuertes: il y en a neantmoins qui portent des manches, des chausses, & des souliers, mais sans autre façon que celle que la necessité leur a appris. Maintenant qu'ils traittent des capots, des couuertures, des draps, des chemises auec les François, il y en a plusieurs qui s'en couurent, mais leurs chemises sont aussi blanches & aussi grasses que des torchons de cuisine, ils ne les blanchissent iamais. Au reste ils sont de bonne taille, le corps bien fait, les membres tres-bien proportionnez, & ne sont point si massifs que ie les croyois; ils ont vn assez bon sens; ils ne parlent point [26] tous ensemble, ains les vns apres les autres, s'écoutans patiemment. Vn Sagamo ou Capitaine disnãt vn iour en la chambre du nostre, voulant dire quelque chose, & ne trouuant point le loisir pource qu'on parloit tousiours, [20] en fin pria la compagnie qu'on luy donnast vn peu de temps pour parler à son tour, & tout seul, comme il fit.

The next day we again set sail, and on the 18th of June we cast anchor at Tadoussac. This is another bay or very small cove, near which there is a river named Sagué [Saguenay], which empties into the great river St. Lawrence. This river [15] is as beautiful as the Seine, about as rapid as the Rosne [Rhone], and deeper than many places in the sea, for it is said to be 80 fathoms deep in its shallowest places. As we were on our way to say the Holy Mass on the shore, one of our soldiers killed a great eagle near its eyrie. Its head and neck were entirely white, the beak and feet yellow, the rest of the body blackish; it was as large as a Turkey-cock. We sojourned here from the 14th of June to the 3rd of July; that is to say, 19 days. It was still very cold when we arrived, but before leaving we felt excessive heat; and yet it was only the spring, since the trees had only just begun to put forth their foliage. In a very short time the leaves, the buds, the flowers, and the fruit appear here and ripen; I mean the wild [16] fruit, as there is no other. It was here that I saw Savages for the first time. As soon as they saw our vessel, they lighted fires, and two of them came on board in a little canoe very neatly made of bark. The next day a Sagamore, with ten or twelve Savages, came to see us. When I saw them enter our Captain's room, where I happened to be, it seemed to me that I was looking at those maskers who run about in France in Carnival time. There were some whose noses were painted blue, the eyes, eyebrows, and cheeks painted black, and the rest of the face red; and these colors are bright and shining like those of our masks; others had black, red, and blue stripes drawn from the ears to the mouth. Still others were entirely black, except the upper part of the brow and around [17] the ears, and the end of the chin; so that it might have been truly said of them that they were masquerading. There were some who had only one black stripe, like a wide ribbon, drawn from one ear to the other, across the eyes, and three little stripes on the cheeks. Their natural color is like that of those French beggars who are half-roasted in the Sun, and I have no doubt that the Savages would be very white if they were well covered. To describe how they were dressed would be difficult indeed. All the men, when it is a little warm, go naked, with the exception of a piece of skin which falls from just below the navel to the thighs. When it is cold, or probably in imitation of the Europeans, they cover themselves with furs of the Beaver, Bear, Fox, and other animals of the same kind, but so awkwardly, that it does not prevent the greater part of their bodies from being seen. [18] I have seen some of them dressed in Bear skin, just as St. John the Baptist is painted. This fur, with the hair outside, was worn under one arm and over the other, hanging down to the knees. They were girdled around the body with a cord made of a dried intestine. Some are entirely dressed. They are like the Grecian Philosopher who would wear nothing that he had not made. It would not take a great many years to learn all their crafts. All go bareheaded, men and women; their hair, which is uniformly black, is long, greasy, and shiny, and is tied behind, except when they wear mourning. The women are decently covered; they wear skins fastened together on their shoulders with cords, these hang from the neck to the knees. They girdle themselves also with a cord, the rest of the body, the head, the [19] arms and the legs being uncovered. Yet there are some who wear sleeves, stockings, and shoes, but in no other fashion than that which necessity has taught them. Now that they trade with the French for capes, blankets, cloths, and shirts, there are many who use them; but their shirts are as white and as greasy as dishcloths, for they never wash them. Furthermore, they have good figures, their bodies are well made, their limbs very well proportioned, and they are not so clumsy as I supposed them to be. They are fairly intelligent. They do not all talk at once, but one after the other, listening patiently. A Sagamore, or Captain, dining in our room one day, wished to say something; and, not finding an opportunity, because they were all talking at the same time, [20] at last prayed the company to give him a little time to talk in his turn, and all alone, as he did.

Or comme dans les grandes estenduës de ces païs cy, il y a quantité de nations toutes barbares, aussi se font-elles la guerre les vnes les autres fort souuent. A nostre arriuée à Tadoussac les Sauuages reuenoient de la guerre contre les Hiroquois, & en auoient pris neuf, ceux de Quebec en tenoient six, & ceux de Tadoussac trois. Monsieur Emery de Caën les fut voir, il desiroit sauuer la vie au plus ieune, ie plaiday fort pour tous trois, mais on me dit qu'il falloit de grands presens, & ie n'en auois point. Arriuez donc que nous fumes aux cabanes des Sauuages, qui sont faites de perches, & couuertes d'écorces assez grossierement, le faiste n'est point couuert pour receuoir le iour par là, & donner [21] yssuë à la fumée. Nous entrames dans celle du Capitaine de guerre qui estoit longuette; il y auoit trois feux au milieu, les vns éloignez des autres de cinq ou six pieds. Estans entrez nous nous assimes de part & d'autre à plate terre, couuerte de petite branches de sapin; ils n'ont point d'autres sieges. Cela fait, on fit venir les prisonniers qui s'assirent les vns aupres des autres; le plus âgé auoit plus de 60. ans, le second enuiron 30. le troisiesme estoit vn ieune garçon de 15. à 16. ans. Ils se mirent tous à chanter, pour montrer qu'ils ne craignoiẽt point la mort, quoy que tres-cruelle; leur chant me semble fort desagreable, la cadence finissoit tousiours par ces aspirations reïterées oh! oh! oh! [28] ah! ah! ah! hem! hem! hem! &c. Apres qu'ils eurent bien chanté, on les fit dancer les vns apres les autres, le plus âgé se leue le premier, & commance [22] à marcher du long de la cabane tout nud, hors mis, comme i'ay dit, vn morceau de peau qui luy couuroit ce que la nature a caché. Il frappoit des pieds la terre en marchant, & chantoit incessamment. Voyla toute sa dance, pendant laquelle tous les autres Sauuages qui estoient dans la cabane frappoient des mains ou se battoient la cuisse, tirans cette aspiration du fond de l'estomach a—ah, a—ah, a—ah, & puis quand le prisonnier s'arrestoit, ils crioient o—oh! o—oh! o—oh! & l'vn se rasseant, l'autre se mettoit à dancer. Monsieur de Caën demanda quand on les feroit mourir, ils respondirent le lendemain. Ie les fut voir encor, & ie trouuay trois pieux de bois dressez, où on les deuoit executer: mais il vint nouuelle de Quebec qu'on traittoit de paix auec les Hiroquois, & qu'il faudroit peut-estre rendre les prisonniers, ainsi [23] leur mort fut retardée. Il n'y a cruauté semblable à celle qu'ils exercent contre leurs ennemis. Si tost qu'ils les ont pris ils leurs arrachent les ongles à belles dents; ie vis les doigts de ces pauures miserables qui me faisoient pitié, & vne playe assez grande au bras de l'vn d'eux, on me dit que c'estoit vne morsure de celuy qui l'auoit pris, l'autre auoit vne partie du doigt emporté, & ie luy demanday si le feu luy auoit fait cela, ie croyois que ce fust vne bruslure, il me fit signe qu'on luy auoit emporté la piece auec les dents. Ie remarquay la cruauté mesme des filles & des femmes, pendant que ces pauures prisonniers dançoiẽt: car comme ils passoient deuant le feu, elles soufloient & poussoient la flamme dessus eux pour les brusler. Quand ils les font mourir [30] ils les attachent à vn poteau, puis les filles aussi bien que les hommes leur appliquent [24] des tisons ardents & flambans aux parties les plus sensibles du corps, aux costez, aux cuisses, à la poitrine, & en plusieurs autres endroits: ils leurs leuent la peau de la teste, puis iettent sur le crane ou le test découuert, du sablon tout bruslant; ils leurs percent les bras au poignet auec des bastons pointus, & leurs arrachent les nerfs par ces trous. Bref ils les font souffrir tout ce que la cruauté & le Diable leur met en l'esprit. En fin pour derniere catastrophe ils les mangent & les deuorent quasi tout crus. Si nous estions pris des Hiroquois, peut-estre nous en faudroit-il passer par là, pour autant que nous demeurons auec les Montagnards leurs ennemis. Ils sont si enragez contre tout ce qui leur fait du mal, qu'ils mangent les poux & toute autre vermine qu'ils trouuẽt sur eux, non pour aucun goust qu'ils y ayent; mais seulement, [25] disent-ils, pour se vanger & pour manger ceux qui les mangent.

Now, as in the wide stretches of territory in this country there are a great many wholly barbarous tribes, so they very often make war upon each other. When we arrived at Tadoussac the Savages were coming back from a war against the Hiroquois, and had taken nine of them: those of Quebec took six, and those of Tadoussac three. Monsieur Emery de Caën went to see the captives, hoping to save the life of the youngest one. I pleaded very earnestly for all three, but was told that great presents were necessary, and I had none. Having arrived at the cabins of the Savages, which are made of poles, clumsily covered with bark, the top left uncovered for the purpose of letting in light and of leaving [21] an opening for the smoke to go out, we entered that of the war Captain, which was long and narrow. There were three fires in the middle, distant from each other five or six feet. Having entered, we sat down here and there on the ground, which was covered with little branches of fir, for they have no other seats. This done, they brought in the prisoners, who sat down beside each other. The eldest was over 60, the second about 30, and the third was a young boy from 15 to 16 years old. They all began to sing, in order to show that they were not at all afraid of death, however cruel it might be. Their singing seemed to me very disagreeable; the cadence always ended with reiterated aspirations, "oh! oh! oh! ah! ah! ah! hem! hem! hem!" etc. After singing for some time, they were made to dance, one after the other. The eldest one rose first, and began [22] to walk through the room, entirely naked, except, as I have said, for a piece of fur which covered what nature has hidden. He stamped his feet upon the ground while marching, and sang continuously. This was all the dance; and while it was going on all the other Savages in the hut clapped their hands, or beat their thighs, drawing this aspiration from the depths of their stomachs, "a—ah, a—ah, a—ah;" and then when the prisoner stopped they cried, "o—oh, o—oh, o—oh;" and, when the one reseated himself, the other took up the dance. Monsieur de Caën asked when they would be killed. "To-morrow," they answered. I went to see them again, and I found three wooden stakes erected where they were to be executed; but news came from Quebec that a treaty of peace was being negotiated with the Hiroquois, and it would perhaps be necessary to surrender the prisoners, and thus [23] their death was delayed. There is no cruelty comparable to that which they practice on their enemies. As soon as the captives are taken, they brutally tear off their nails with their teeth; I saw the fingers of these poor creatures, and was filled with pity, also I saw a large hole in the arm of one of them; I was told that it was a bite of the Savage who had captured him; the other had a part of a finger torn off, and I asked him if the fire had done that, as I thought it was a burn. He made a sign to show me that it had been taken off by the teeth. I noticed the same cruelty among the girls and women, when these poor prisoners were dancing; for, as they passed before the fire, the women blew and drove the flame over in their direction to burn them. When the hour comes to kill their captives, they are fastened to a stake; then the girls, as well as the men, apply [24] hot and flaming brands to those portions of the body which are the most sensitive, to the ribs, thighs, chest, and several other places. They raise the scalp from the head, and then throw burning sand upon the skull, or uncovered place. They pierce the arms at the wrists with sharp sticks, and pull the nerves out through these holes. In short, they make them suffer all that cruelty and the Devil can suggest. At last, as a final horror, they eat and devour them almost raw. If we were captured by the Hiroquois, perhaps we would be obliged to suffer this ordeal, inasmuch as we live with the Montagnards, their enemies. So enraged are they against every one who does them an injury that they eat the lice and other vermin that they find upon themselves,—not because they like them, but only, [25] they say, to avenge themselves and to eat those that eat them.

Pendant que ces pauures captifs chantoient & dançoient, il y en auoit de nostre equipage qui se rioient voyans cette barbarie: mais ô mon Dieu quel triste subiet de rire! c'est la verité que le cœur me fendoit. Ie ne pensois nullement venir en Canada quand on m'y a enuoyé; ie ne sentois aucune affection particuliere pour les Sauuages, si bien à faire l'obeïssance, quand on m'eust deu enuoyer encor plus loin mille fois: mais ie puis dire que quand i'aurois eu de l'auersion de ce païs, voyant ce que i'ay desia veu ie serois touché, eussé-ie le cœur de bronze. Pleut à Dieu que ceux qui peuuent assister ces pauures ames, & contribuer quelque chose à leur salut, fussent icy seulement pour trois iours; ie ne croy pas que l'affection [32] de les secourir ne saisit puissamment [26] leur ame. Qu'on ne s'estonne point de ces barbaries, auant que la foy fut receuë en Allemagne, en Espagne, en Angleterre, ces peuples n'estoient pas plus polis. L'esprit ne manque pas aux Sauuages de Canada, si bien l'education & l'instruction. Ils sont dé-ja las de leurs miseres, & nous tendent les bras pour estre assistez. Il me semble que les nations qui ont vne demeure stable se conuertiroient aisement, ie puis dire des Hurons tout ce que nous en a escrit il y a quelque temps le Pere d'vn ieune-homme des Paraquais, sçauoir est, qu'il y a grandement à souffrir parmy eux, mais qu'il s'y peut faire de grands fruicts, & que si les consolations de la terre y manquent, celles du Paradis s'y goustent desia, il ne faut que sçauoir la langue, & si le Pere Brebeuf n'eût point esté contraint par les Anglois de s'en retourner [27] d'icy, lesquels s'estoient emparez du fort des François, il auroit desia bien aduancé la gloire de Dieu en ce pays là. Pour les nations étranges & vagabondes, comme sont celles où nous sommes demeurans à Kebec, il y aura plus de difficulté; Le moyen à mon aduis de les ayder, c'est de dresser des seminaires, & prẽdre leurs enfans qui sont bien éueillez & fort gentils: on instruira les peres par le moyen des enfans, voire-mesme, il y en a desia quelques vns d'entr'eux qui commencent à cultiuer la terre, & semer du bled d'Inde, leur vie facheuse & tres-miserable leur ennuye: mais en vn mot, la promesse du Pere Eternel à son Fils s'effectuera tost ou tard. Dabo tibi gentes hæreditatem tuam, & possessionem tuam terminos terræ. On a fait de grands fruicts dans les Indes Orientales, & dans l'Amerique meridionale, [34] quoy [28] qu'on ait trouué en ces païs là non seulemẽt des vices à combattre, mais encor des superstitions estranges, ausquelles ces peuples estoient plus attachez qu'à leur propre vie. En la nouuelle France il n'y a que les pechez à destruire, & encor en petit nombre: car ces pauures gens si éloignez de toutes delices, ne sont pas adonnez à beaucoup d'offenses. De superstition ou faulse religion, s'il y en a quelques endroits, c'est bien peu. Les Canadiens ne pensent qu'à viure & à se venger de leurs ennemis; ils ne sont attachez au culte d'aucune Diuinité. Ils peuuent prẽdre plusieurs femmes, cependant ils n'en ont qu'vne; i'ay ouy parler d'vn seul qui en a deux, encor luy en fait-on reproche. Il est vray que celuy qui sçauroit leur langue les manieroit comme il voudroit, c'est à quoy ie me vais appliquer, mais i'aduanceray [29] fort peu cette année, pour les raisons que i'écriray en particulier à vostre Reuerence. Mais retournons à la suite de nostre voyage.

While these poor captives were dancing and singing, there were some men of our crew who laughed when they saw this exhibition of barbarism. But oh, my God, what a sad subject for laughter! it made my heart ache. I thought nothing of coming to Canada when I was sent here; I felt no particular affection for the Savages, but the duty of obedience was binding, even if I had been sent a thousand times further away; but I may say that even if I had had an aversion to this country, seeing what I have already seen, I should be touched, had I a heart of bronze. Would to God that those who can aid these poor souls and contribute something to their salvation could be here, if only for three days. I believe that a longing to help them would seize powerfully upon [26] their souls. But let no one be astonished at these acts of barbarism. Before the faith was received in Germany, Spain, or England, those nations were not more civilized. Mind is not lacking among the Savages of Canada, but education and instruction. They are already tired of their miseries, and stretch out their hands to us for help. It seems to me that the tribes which have stationary homes could be easily converted. I can say of the Hurons all that was written to us a while ago by the Father of a young Paraguayan: to wit, that much suffering must be endured among them, but that great results may be expected; and that, if the consolations of the earth are lacking there, those of Paradise may already be enjoyed. It is only necessary to know the language; and, if Father Brebeuf had not been compelled by the English to leave [27] here, they having taken possession of the French fort, he would already have advanced the glory of God in that country. As to the strange and wandering tribes like those near Kebec, where we live, there will be more difficulty. The means of assisting them, in my opinion, is to build seminaries, and to take their children, who are very bright and amiable. The fathers will be taught through the children. Even now there are some among them who have begun to cultivate the soil and sow Indian corn, having become weary of their difficult and miserable way of living. But, in a word, the promise of the Eternal Father to his Son will remedy this sooner or later: Dabo tibi gentes hæreditatem tuam, & possessionem tuam terminos terræ. Great fruits have been obtained in the East Indies and in south America, although [28] there have been found in those countries not only vices to combat, but also strange superstitions, to which the people were more attached than to their lives. In new France there are only sins to destroy, and those in a small number; for these poor people, so far removed from all luxury, are not given to many offenses. If there are any superstitions or false religions in some places, they are few. The Canadians think only of how to live and to revenge themselves upon their enemies. They are not attached to the worship of any particular Divinity. They are permitted to take a number of wives, but they do not take more than one. I have heard of one man only who had two, and he was censured for it.[8] In truth, any one who knew their language could manage them as he pleased. Therefore I will apply myself, but I shall make [29] very little progress this year, for reasons which I shall write in detail to your Reverence. But let us come back to the continuation of our voyage.

Quelque temps auparauant que nous leuassions les ancres de Tadoussac, il s'éleua vn grain, comme parlent les mattelots, ou vne tempeste si furieuse, qu'elle nous ietta bien auãt dans le peril, quoy que nous fussions en la maison d'asseurance: c'est ainsi que i'appelle la baie de Tadoussac. Les tonnerres grondoient horriblemẽt, les vents furieux firent tellemẽt plier nostre vaisseau, que si ce grain eût continué, il l'eust renuersé sans dessus dessous; mais cette furie ne dura pas, & ainsi nous échapasmes ce danger.

Some time before we weighed anchor in Tadoussac there rose a squall, as the sailors say, or a storm so furious that it threw us into great peril, although we were in the house of safety; it is thus that I call the bay of Tadoussac. The thunder grumbled terribly, furious winds made our vessel roll so that, if this squall had continued, it would have turned us upside down; but the fury of the storm abated, and thus we escaped this danger.

Le 3. iour de Iuillet nous sortimes de Tadoussac, & nous allames moüiller à l'échaffaut aux Basques, c'est vn lieu ainsi appelé, à cause que les Basques [30] viennent iusques là pour prendre des baleines. Comme il estoit grand calme, & que nous attendions [36] la marée, ie mis pied à terre: ie pensay estre mangé des maringoins, ce sont petites mouches importunes au possible; les grands bois qui sont icy en engendrent de plusieurs especes; il y a des mouches communes, des mousquilles, des mouches luisantes, des maringoins, & des grosses mouches, & quantité d'autres: les grosses mouches piquent furieusement, & la douleur qui prouient de cette piqueure, & qui est fort cuisante, dure assez long temps, il y a peu de ces grosses mouches; les mousquilles sont extremement petites, à peine les peut-on voir, mais on les sent bien; les mouches luisantes ne font point de mal, vous diriez la nuict que ce sont des estincelles de feu; elles iettent plus de lumiere que les vers luisants [31] que i'ay veus en France: tenant vne de ces mouches & l'appliquant aupres d'vn liure ie lirois fort bien. Pour les maringoins c'est l'importunité mesme, on ne sçauroit trauailler notamment à l'air pendant leur regne, si on n'a de la fumée auprés soy pour les chasser: il y a des personnes qui sont contraintes de se mettre au lit venans des bois, tant ils sont offensez. I'en ay veu qui auoient le col, les ioües, tout le visage si enflé, qu'on ne leur voyoit plus les yeux; ils mettent vn homme tout en sang quand ils l'abordent; ils font la guerre aux vns plus qu'aux autres; Ils m'ont traité iusques icy assez doucement, ie n'enfle point quand ils me piquent, ce qui n'arriue qu'à fort peu de personnes si on y est accoustumé: si le païs estoit essarté & habité, ces bestioles ne s'y trouueroient point; car desia il s'en trouue fort [32] peu au fort de Kebec, à cause qu'on couppe les bois voisins.

The 3rd of July we left Tadoussac and went to cast anchor at the Basque scaffold,[9] a place so called because the Basques [30] go there to catch whales. As it was very calm and we were awaiting the tide, I went ashore. I thought I would be eaten up by the mosquitoes, which are little flies, troublesome in the extreme. The great forests here engender several species of them; there are common flies, gnats, fireflies, mosquitoes, large flies, and a number of others; the large flies sting furiously, and the pain from their sting, which is very piercing, lasts for a long time; there are but few of these large flies. The gnats are very small, hardly visible, but very perceptibly felt; the fireflies do no harm; at night they look like sparks of fire, casting a greater light than the glowworms [31] that I have seen in France; taking one of these flies and holding it near a book, I could read very easily. As to the mosquitoes, they are disagreeable beyond description. No one could work, especially in the open air, during their reign, unless there were smoke near by to drive them away. Some people are compelled to go to bed after coming from the woods, they are so badly stung. I have seen men whose neck, cheeks, and whole face were so swollen that you could not see their eyes. They cover a man completely with blood when they attack him; they war upon some people more than others. Thus far they have treated me kindly enough; I do not swell when they sting me, which is the case with very few people unless they are accustomed to them. If the country were cleared and inhabited, these little beasts would not be found here, for already there are but [32] few of them at the fort of Kebec, on account of the cutting down of the neighboring woods.

Le 4. de Iuillet nous leuames l'ancre pour aborder à quatre lieuës de Kebec: mais le vent estoit si furieux que nous pensames faire naufrage dans le port. [38] Auant que d'arriuer à Kebec on rencontre au milieu de cette grande riuiere vne Isle nommée de sainct Laurens, qui a bien sept lieuës de long: elle n'est esloignée du bout plus occidental que d'vne lieuë de la demeure des François. Enuiron le milieu de cette Isle on ietta l'ancre pour s'arrester: mais les vents & la marée poussoient nostre nauire auec vne telle impetuosité, que le cable se rompit comme vn filet, & l'ancre demeura dans l'eau. A vn quart de lieuë de là on en iette vne autre, le cable se rompt tout de mesme que le premier. Dedans ce trouble, comme les vents redoubloient, le cable qui [33] tenoit nostre batteau attaché derriere nostre nauire, se rompit aussi, & en vn instant nostre batteau disparut. A trois iours de là quelques Sauuages nous vindrent apporter nouuelle du lieu où il s'estoit allé échoüer; s'il eût rencontré des roches aussi bien qu'il rencontra de la vase, il se fût brisé en cent pieces. Si cette bourasque nous eût pris vne heure plustost, en vn endroit fort dangereux, nos Pilotes disoient que c'estoit fait de nous. En fin quand nous fumes enuiron trois quarts de lieuës du bout de nostre pellerinage, on ietta le troisiesme ancre qui nous arresta: vne barque Françoise que nous auions rencontré à Tadoussac, & qui venoit auec nous, perdit deux ancres aussi bien que nous.

The 4th of July we weighed anchor to land at a place four leagues from Kebec; but the wind was so furious that we thought we would be wrecked in the port. Before reaching Kebec we came to an Island called saint Lawrence,[10] in the middle of this great river, which is fully seven leagues in length; the western end of it is only about one league distant from the French settlement. We cast anchor near the middle of this Island, intending to land; but the wind and tide struck our ship with so much force that the cable broke like a thread, leaving the anchor in the water. At a quarter of a league distant another anchor was cast, and the cable broke just as the first one did. In the midst of this struggle, as the violence of the winds redoubled, the cable [33] fastening the boat to the stern of our ship also broke, and in an instant our boat disappeared. Three days later some Savages came and told us where it had grounded. If it had been driven upon the rocks, as it was upon the mud, it would have been broken into a hundred pieces. If this hurricane had fallen upon us an hour earlier, in a very dangerous place, our Pilots say it would have been all over with us. At length, when we were about three-quarters of a league from the end of our pilgrimage, the third anchor was cast, and it stopped us. A French barque that we had met at Tadoussac, and which came with us, lost two anchors as we did.

En fin le 5. de Iuillet qui estoit vn Lundy, deux mois & 18. iours depuis le 18. d'Auril que nous partimes, [34] nous arriuames au port tant desiré. Nous moüillames l'ancre deuant le fort que tenoient les Anglois; nous vimes au bas du fort la pauure habitation de Kebec toute bruslée. Les Anglois qui estoient venus en ce païs cy pour piller, & non pour edifier, ont bruslé, non seulement la plus grande partie d'vn [40] corps de logis, que le Pere Charles Lallement auoit fait dresser, mais encor toute cette pauure habitation, en laquelle on ne voit plusque des murailles de pierres toutes bouleuersées; cela incommode fort les François, qui ne sçauent où se loger. Le lendemain on enuoya sommer le Capitaine Thomas Ker, François de nation, né à Dieppe, qui s'est retiré en Angleterre, & qui auec Dauid & Louys Ker ses freres, & vn nommé Iacques Michel aussi Dieppois, tous huguenots, s'estoient venus ietter sur ces pauure païs, où ils ont fait de grãds [35] degasts, & empesché de tres-grands biẽs. Ce pauure Iacques Michel plein de melancholie, ne se voyant point recompensé des Anglois, ou plustost des François reniez & anglisez, comme il pretendoit, pressé en outre d'vn remors de conscience d'auoir assisté ces nouueaux Anglois contre ceux de sa patrie, mourut subitement quelque temps apres la prise de ce païs cy. Il fut enterré à Tadoussac. I'ay appris icy que les Sauuages le deterrerent, & firent toute sorte d'ignominie à son corps, le mirent en pieces, le donnerent à leurs chiens: voyla le salaire des perfides, ie prie Dieu qu'il ouure les yeux aux autres. Monsieur Emery de Caën auoit desia enuoyé de Tadoussac vne chalouppe, auec vn extraict des Commissions & Lettres Patentes des Roys de France & d'Angleterre, par lesquelles il estoit commandé au Capitaine Anglois de [36] rẽdre le fort dans huict iours. Les Lettres veuës, il fit réponse qu'il obeïroit quand il auroit veu l'original. On luy porta donc le lendemain de nostre arriuee, cependant nous allames celebrer la saincte Messe en la maison la plus ancienne de ce païs cy, c'est la maison de madame Hebert, qui s'est habituée aupres du fort, du viuant de son mary; elle a vne belle famille, sa fille est icy [42] mariée à vn honneste Frãçois, Dieu les benit tous les iours, il leur a donné de tres-beaux enfans, leur bestial est en tres-bon point, leurs terres leurs rapportent de bon grain; c'est l'vnique famille de François habituée en Canada. Ils cherchoient les moyens de retourner en France, mais ayans appris que les François retournoient à Kebec, ils commencerent à reuiure. Quand ils virent arriuer ces pauillons blancs sur les mats de nos vaisseaux, ils ne sçauoient [37] à qui dire leur contentement: mais quand ils nous virent en leur maison pour y dire la saincte Messe, qu'ils n'auoient point entẽduë depuis trois ans, bon Dieu, quelle ioye! les larmes tomboient des yeux quasi à tous, de l'extreme cõtentement qu'ils auoiẽt. O que nous chãtames de bon cœur le Te Deum laudamus, c'estoit iustement le iour de l'octaue de sainct Pierre & S. Paul. Le Te Deum chanté i'offris à Dieu le premier Sacrifice à Kebec. L'Anglois ayant veu les Patentes signées de la main de son Roy, promit qu'il sortiroit dans la huictaine, & de fait il commença à s'y disposer, quoy qu'auec regret: mais ses gens estoient tous bien aises du retour des François, on ne leur donnoit que six liures de pain au poids de France, pour toute leur semaine. Ils nous disoient que les Sauuages les auoient aidé à viure la pluspart du tẽps. [38] Le Mardy suiuant 13. de Iuillet, ils remirent le fort entre les mains de monsieur Emery de Caën, & de monsieur du Plessis Bochart son Lieutenant. Et le mesme iour firent voile dans deux nauires qu'ils auoient à l'ancre. Dieu sçait si nos François furent ioyeux, voyans déloger ces François Anglisez, qui ont fait tant de maux en ces miserables contrées, & qui sont cause que plusieurs Sauuages ne sont pas baptisez, notamment aux Hurons où la Foy [44] produiroit maintenant des fruicts dignes de la table de Dieu, si ces ennemis de la verité, de la vraye vertu, & de leur patrie, ne se fussent point iettez à la trauerse. Dieu soit beny de tout; c'est à nos François de penser à leur conseruation, & à mettre en peu de temps ce païs cy en tel estat, qu'ils ayent fort peu affaire des viures de France, ce qui leur sera bien aisé s'ils veullent trauailler. Les Anglois [39] délogeans nous sommes rentrez dans nostre petite maison. Nous y auons trouué pour tous meubles deux tables de bois telles quelles, les portes, fenestres, chassis, tous brisez & enleuez, tout s'en va en ruine, c'est encor pis en la maison des Peres Recolets; nous auons trouué nos terres défrichées couuertes de pois, nos Peres les auoient laissées à l'Anglois couuertes de fourment, d'orge, & de bled d'Inde, & cependant ce Capitaine Thomas Ker a vendu la recolte de ces pois, refusant de nous les donner pour les fruicts qu'il auoit trouué sur nos terres; nostre Seigneur soit honoré pour iamais; quand on est en vn mauuais passage il s'en faut tirer comme on peut; c'est beaucoup qu'vn tel hoste soit sorty de nostre maison, & de tout le païs; nous auons maintenant prou dequoy exercer la patience, ie me trompe, c'est [40] Dieu mesme qui porte la Croix qu'il nous donne: car en verité elle nous semble petite, quoy qu'il y ait dequoy souffrir. Retournons aux Sauuages, & en disons encor deux petits mots.

At length, on the 5th of July, which was Monday,—two months and 18 days since the 18th of April, when we sailed,—[34] we reached the much desired port. We cast anchor in front of the fort which the English held; we saw at the foot of this fort the poor settlement of Kebec all in ashes. The English, who came to this country to plunder and not to build up, not only burned a greater part of the detached buildings which Father Charles Lallement had had erected, but also all of that poor settlement of which nothing now is to be seen but the ruins of its stone walls. This greatly inconveniences the French, who do not know where to lodge. The next day Captain Thomas Ker was summoned, a man of French nationality, born at Dieppe, who had gone over to England, and who, with David and Louys Ker, his brothers,[11] and one Jacques Michel, also born at Dieppe, all huguenots, had thrown themselves upon this poor country, where they have done great [35] damage and have prevented the doing of much good. This poor Jacques Michel, full of sadness at not having been rewarded as he desired, by the English,—or rather by the renegade and anglicized French,—also a prey to conscience at having assisted these new Englishmen against his own countrymen, died suddenly, some time after the surrender of this country. He was buried at Tadoussac. I have learned here that the Savages exhumed his body, and showed it every imaginable indignity, tore it to pieces and gave it to their dogs; but such are the wages of traitors. I pray God that he may open the eyes of the others. Monsieur Emery de Caën had already sent a boat from Tadoussac with an extract from the Commissions and Letters Patent of the Kings of France and of England,[12] by which the English Captain was commanded [36] to surrender the fort in eight days. Having seen the Letter, he answered that he would obey when he had seen the original. It was therefore brought to him the day after our arrival; and in the meantime we celebrated the holy Mass in the oldest house in this country, the home of madame Hebert,[13] who had settled near the fort during the lifetime of her husband. She has a fine family, and her daughter is married here to an honest Frenchman. God is blessing them every day; he has given them very beautiful children, their cattle are in fine condition, and their land produces good grain. This is the only French family settled in Canada. They were seeking some way of returning to France; but, having learned that the French were coming back to Kebec, they began to regain courage. When they saw our ships coming in with the white flags upon the masts, they knew not [37] how to express their joy. But when they saw us in their home, to celebrate the holy Mass, which they had not heard for three years, good God! what joy! Tears fell from the eyes of nearly all, so great was their happiness. Oh, with what fullness of heart we sang the Te Deum laudamus; it happened to be, very appropriately, the day of the octave of saint Peter and St. Paul. After singing the Te Deum, I offered to God the first Sacrifice in Kebec. The Englishman, having seen the Patents signed by the hand of his King, promised that he would go away within a week, and in fact, he began preparations for going, although with regret; but his people were all very glad of the return of the French, for they had been given only six pounds of bread, French weight, for an entire week. They told us that the Savages had helped them to live during the greater part of the time. [38] On the following Tuesday, the 13th of July, they restored the fort to the hands of monsieur Emery de Caën, and monsieur du Plessis Bochart, his Lieutenant; and on the same day set sail in the two ships that they had anchored here. God knows if our French People were happy, seeing the dislodgment of these Anglicized Frenchmen, who have done so much injury to these poor countries, and who have prevented many Savages from being baptized, especially among the Hurons, where the Faith would now produce fruits worthy of the table of God, if these enemies of the truth, of real virtue and of their country, had not thrown themselves in the way. God be blessed for all; it is the duty of our French people to think of their preservation, and to put this country, in a short time, in such a condition that they will not have to depend upon supplies from France, which will be easy enough to do if they will only work. The English [39] dislodged, we again entered our little home. The only furniture we found there was two wooden tables, such as they were; the doors, windows, sashes, all broken and carried away, and everything going to ruin. It is still worse in the house of the Recolet Fathers. We found our cleared lands covered with peas; our Fathers had left them to the English covered with wheat, barley, and Indian corn; and meantime this Captain Thomas Ker has sold the full crop of peas, refusing to give them to us for the harvest he had found upon our lands. Our Lord be forever honored; when a person is in dire distress, he must deliver himself as best he can. It is a great deal that such a guest has left our house and the entire country. We have now enough to try our patience, but I am mistaken, it is [40] God himself who carries the Cross which he gives us; for, in truth, it seems very little to us, although there may be something to suffer. Let us go back to the Savages, and say a few words more about them.

La veille de nostre depart de Tadoussac, vindrent nouuelles que les prisonniers Hiroquois auoient esté mis à mort à Kebec, & que ceux de Tadoussac deuoient le lendemain passer le pas: ie me remets à [46]plaider leur cause, & promets de donner ce qu'il faudroit pour les nourrir passant en France, voire de trouuer personnes qui les receuroiẽt si tost qu'ils y seroient arriuez; ie me confiois en la charité de plusieurs honnestes personnes qui n'auroient pas refusé vne aumosne pour racheter les corps de ces miserables des supplices qu'ils ont enduré, & leur ame de la damnation eternelle. I'aborde donc monsieur [41] du Plessis nostre Lieutenant, ie luy fay apprehender l'affaire. On fait des aumosnes en France pour retirer des emprisonnez pour des debtes, & pourquoy ne trauaillera-on point pour ces pauures esclaues de Satan? Ie luy fay mes offres, que nous donnerions tout ce que nous pourrions: il embrasse l'affaire, & la propose le soir entre ceux qui mangeoient en la table de nostre Capitaine: on repart qu'il faudroit de grands presens pour leur sauuer la vie, monsieur du Plessis dit qu'on donneroit ce qu'on pourroit, & qu'au reste il ne faudroit pas grande chose, qu'on pourroit demander ces trois prisonniers Hiroquois comme en eschange d'vn François qu'ils ont tué il y a quelques années, ou à tout le moins en demander deux, & qu'asseurément on les auroit: le truchement qui leur auoir parlé m'auoit asseuré que la chose estoit [42] facile: là dessus on forme mille difficultez, & l'vn de la compagnie s'écria qu'il falloit qu'ils mourussent, qu'il les estrangleroit plustost, que c'estoient des coquins, & que parlãt à vn Sauuage de Kebec il luy auoit dõné aduis de les faire mourir. Si la mort de ces miserables apportoit quelque profit à la traicte des peaux, qu'on vient faire en ce païs cy, ce zele de mort auroit quelque couleur; mais leur vie & leur mort ne fait rien pour la traicte. O qu'il importe beaucoup de bien choisir les personnes qu'on [48] enuoye en ce païs cy! Il est vray que monsieur Emery de Caën n'approuua point cette cruauté. Quoy que ç'en soit le vent nous estant fauorable le iour suiuant nous fimes voile, & laissames-là ces trois pauures abandonnez entre les mains de leurs ennemis, qui en traitterent deux d'vn horible façon, car ils n'ont point tué [43] le plus ieune à ce qu'on nous a dit.

On the eve of our departure from Tadoussac, news came that the Hiroquois prisoners had been put to death at Kebec, and that those at Tadoussac must share the same fate the next day. I undertook to plead their cause, and promised to give what would be necessary to feed them during their passage to France, even to find some one to receive them as soon as they would reach there. I trusted to the charity of many good people who would not withhold alms to rescue the bodies of these poor creatures from the sufferings they endured, and their souls from eternal damnation. So I approached monsieur [41] du Plessis, our Lieutenant, and explained the situation to him. Alms are given in France to restore men to liberty who are imprisoned for debt, and why should not something be done for these poor slaves of Satan? I promised him that we would give all that we could. He took up the subject, and in the evening presented it to those who ate at our Captain's table. They answered that it would require large gifts to save their lives. Monsieur du Plessis said that they [the French] would give what they could, and that, besides, large gifts were unnecessary, as the three Hiroquois prisoners could be demanded in exchange for one Frenchman who had been killed a few years ago, or at least two could be demanded, and they would be surely given up. The interpreter who had talked to them assured me that it was an easy [42] matter. Thereupon a thousand objections were urged, and one of the company cried out that the captives ought to die; that he would rather strangle them, that they were rascals, and that in talking to a Savage in Kebec, he [the Savage] had advised him to have them killed. If the death of these poor wretches brought profits to the fur trade which people come here to carry on, there would be some reason for this eagerness for their death; but neither their life nor their death could affect it. Oh, how important it is that those sent to this country should be carefully chosen! It is true that monsieur Emery de Caën did not approve of this cruelty. However, the wind being favorable to us on the following day, we spread our sails, and left these poor abandoned creatures there in the hands of their enemies, who disposed of two of them in a horrible manner, for, as we were told, [43] they did not kill the youngest.

Arriuez que nous fumes à Kebec on nous raconta la mort de six prisonniers que les Sauuages tenoient, laquelle est arriuée pour l'yurongnerie que les Europeans ont icy apporté. Le Ministre Anglois, qui au reste n'estoit point de la mesme Religion que ses oüailles, car il estoit Protestãt ou Lutherien, les Kers sont Caluinistes, ou de quelque autre Religion plus libertine, aussi ont-ils tenu six mois en prison ce pauure Ministre dedans nostre maison: lequel m'a raconté que les Montagnards vouloient traitter la paix auec les Hiroquois, & que celuy qui tenoit les prisonniers luy auoit promis qu'on ne les feroit point mourir: neantmoins ce miserable estant yure d'eau de vie, qu'il auoit traitté auec les Anglois pour des Castors, appella son frere, & luy commanda d'aller donner vn [44] coup de cousteau à l'vn des Hiroquois & le tuer, ce qu'il fit. Voyla les pensées de la paix euanoüies; on parle de la mort des autres. Le Ministre entendant cela dit à ce Sauuage qu'il n'auoit point tenu sa parole faisant mourir ce prisonnier. C'est toy, répond le Sauuage, & les tiens qui l'ont tué, car si tu ne nous donnois point d'eau de vie, ny de vin, nous ne ferions point cela. Et de fait depuis que ie suis icy ie n'ay veu que des Sauuages yures, on les entend crier & tempester iour & nuict, ils se battent & [50] se blessent les vns les autres, ils tuent le bestial de madame Hebert: & quand ils sont retournez à leur bon sens, ils vous disent, Ce n'est pas nous qui auons fait cela, mais toy qui nous donne cette boisson: ont ils cuué leur vin, ils sont entr'eux aussi grands amis qu'auparauant, se disans l'vn l'autre tu es mon frere, ie t'ayme, ce n'est pas [45] moy qui t'ay blessé, mais la boisson qui s'est seruy de mon bras. I'en ay veu de tous meurtris par la face; les femmes mesmes s'enyurent, & crient comme des enragées? ie m'attend bien qu'ils tueront l'vn de ces iours quelques François, ce qu'ils ont déja pensé faire, & passé huict heures du matin il ne fait pas bon les aller voir sans armes, quand ils ont du vin. Quelques vns de nos gens y estant allez apres le disner, vn Sauuage les voulut assommer à coups de haches: mais d'autres Sauuages qui n'estoient pas yures vindrent au secours. Quand l'vn d'eux est bien yure, les autres le lient par les pieds & par les bras, s'ils le peuuent attraper. Quelques-vns de leurs Capitaines sont venus prier les François de ne plus traitter d'eau de vie, ny de vin, disans qu'ils seroient cause de la mort de leurs gens. C'est bien le pis quand ils en voyent deuant [46] eux d'autres autant yures qu'ils sçauroient estre. Mais finissons le discours de ces Hiroquois; on fit parler au Capitaine Anglois s'il en vouloit quelquesvns, comme il entendit qu'il falloit faire quelque present, il répondit que non, & qu'ils en fissent ce qu'ils voudroient. Voicy donc comme ils les traitterent.

Upon our arrival in Kebec, we heard of the death of six prisoners held by the Savages, the result of the drunkenness which has been introduced here by the Europeans. The English Clergyman, who was not of the same Faith as his people,—for he was a Protestant or Lutheran, and the Kers are Calvinists or of some other more libertine Religion (they held this poor Minister a prisoner in our house for six months),—told me that the Montagnards wanted to negotiate a peace with the Hiroquois, and that the one who was in charge of the prisoners had promised him that they would not be killed. Nevertheless, this wretch being drunk with brandy, which he had procured from the English in exchange for Beavers, called his brother and commanded him to go and strike [44] one of the Hiroquois with a knife and kill him, which he did. Thus all thoughts of peace vanished. They were talking about killing the others. The Minister, hearing this, said to the Savage that in killing this prisoner he had not kept his word. "It is thou," answered the Savage, "and thine, who killed him; for, if thou hadst not given us brandy or wine, we would not have done it." And, in fact, since I have been here, I have seen only drunken Savages; they are heard shouting and raving day and night, they fight and wound each other, they kill the cattle of madame Hebert; and, when they have returned to their senses, they say to you, "It is not we who did that, but thou who gavest us this drink." When they have slept off their drunkenness, they are as good friends with each other as ever, saying to each other: "Thou art my brother, I love thee; it is not [45] I who wounded thee, but the drink which used my arm." I have seen some of them with very badly bruised faces; even the women get drunk, and shriek like furies. I expect that they will kill some of us French People one of these days, as they have already thought of doing; and after eight o'clock in the morning it is not safe to go to see them without arms, if they have any wine. Some of our men going to see them after dinner, a Savage tried to kill them with his hatchet, but other Savages who were not drunk came to their assistance. When one of them is very drunk, the others tie him by his feet and arms, if they can catch him. Some of their Captains have come to plead with the French not to sell them brandy or wine, saying that they would be the cause of the death of their people. It is by far the worst when they see before [46] them others as drunk as they can be. But let us end the talk about these Hiroquois. The English Captain was asked if he wanted some of them. As he supposed he would have to make them a present, he answered, "no," and said that they might do with them what they pleased. Now this is the way they were treated:

Ils leurs auoient arraché les ongles auec les dents si tost qu'ils furent pris: Ils leurs couperent les doigts le iour de leur supplice, puis leurs lierent les deux bras ensemble par le poignet de la main auec vn cordeau, & deux hommes de part & d'autre, le tiroient [52] tant qu'ils pouuoient, ce cordeau entroit dans la chair & brisoit les os de ces pauures miserables, qui crioient horriblement. Ayans les mains ainsi accommodées on les attacha à des potteaux, & les filles & les femmes donnoient des presents aux hommes [47] à fin qu'ils les laissassent tourmenter à leur gré ces pauures victimes. Ie n'assistay point à ce supplice, ie n'aurois peu supporter cette cruauté diabolique; mais ceux qui estoient presens me dirent, si tost que nous fumes arriuez, qu'ils n'auoient iamais veu rien de semblable. Vous eussiez veu ces femmes enragées, crians, hurlans, leur appliquer des feux aux parties les plus sensibles, & les plus vergogneuses, les picquer auec des aleines, les mordre à belle dents, comme des furies, leurs fendre la chair auec des cousteaux; bref exercer tout ce que la rage peut suggerer à vne femme. Elles iettoient sur eux du feu, des cendres bruslantes, du sable tout ardent, & quand les suppliciez iettoiẽt quelques cris, tous les autres crioient encor plus fort, à fin qu'on n'entendit point leurs gemissemens, & qu'on ne fut touché de compassion. On leur [48] couppa le haut du front auec vn cousteau, puis on enleua la peau de leur teste, & ietta-on du sable ardent sur le test découuert. Maintenant il y a des Sauuages qui portent ces peaux couuertes de leurs cheueux & moustaches par brauade; on voit encor plus de deux cent coups d'aleines dans ces peaux: bref ils exercerent sur eux toutes les cruautez que i'ay dit cy dessus parlant de ce que i'auois veu à Tadoussac, & plusieurs autres, dont ie ne me souuiens pas maintenant. Quand on leur represente que ces cruautez sont horribles & indignes d'vn homme, ils répondent, Tu n'as point de courage de laisser viure tes ennemis, quand les Hiroquois nous [54] prennent, ils nous en font encor pis, voyla pourquoy nous les traittons le plus mal qu'il nous est possible. Ils firent mourir vn Sagamo Hiroquois, homme puissant & courageux, il chantoit [49] dans ses tourmens. Quand on luy vint dire qu'il falloit mourir: il dit, comme tout ioyeux, Allons i'en suis content, i'ay pris quantité de Montagnards, mes amis en prendront encor, & vengeront bien ma mort. Là dessus il se mit à raconter ses proüesses, & dire adieu à ses parents, ses amis, & aux alliez de sa nation, au Capitaine Flamand qui va traicter des peaux au païs des Hiroquois par la merd du Nord. Apres qu'on luy eut coupé les doits, brisé les os des bras, arraché la peau de la teste, qu'on l'eut rosty & bruslé de tous costez, on le détacha, & ce pauure miserable s'en courut droit à la riuiere, qui n'estoit pas loin de là, pour se rafraischir: ils le reprirent, luy firent encor endurer le feu vne autrefois, il estoit tout noir, tout grillé, la graisse fondoit & sortoit de son corps, & auec tout cela il s'enfuit encor pour la seconde fois, & [50] l'ayans repris, ils le bruslerent pour la troisiesme; en fin il mourut dans ces tourmens: comme ils le voyoient tomber, ils luy ouurirent la poitrine, luy arrachant le cœur, & le donnant à manger à leurs petits enfans, le reste estoit pour eux. Voyla vne estrange barbarie. Maintenant ces pauures miserables sont en crainte, car les Hiroquois sont tous les iours aux aguets pour surprendre les Montagnards, & leur en faire autant. C'est pourquoy nostre Capitaine voulant enuoyer quelqu'vn aux Hurõs, n'a iamais peu trouuer aucun Sauuage qui y voulût aller. C'est assez parlé de leur cruauté; disons deux mots de leur simplicité. Vn Sauuage venant voir cét hyuer le Capitaine Anglois, & voyant que tout estoit couuert [56] de neige, eut compassion de son frere qui est enterré aupres de l'habitation des Frãçois; voyla pourquoy [51] il luy dit, Monsieur vous n'auez point pitié de mon pauure frere, l'air est si beau, & le Soleil si chaud, & neantmoins vous ne faites point oster la neige de dessus sa fosse pour le réchauffer vn petit. On eut beau luy dire que les corps morts n'auoient aucun sentiment, il fallut découurir cette fosse pour le contenter.

They had pulled out their nails with their teeth as soon as they were taken. They cut their fingers off on the day of their torture; then they tied their two arms together at the wrist with a cord, and two men pulled it as hard as they, could at both ends, the cord entering into the flesh and breaking the bones of these poor, wretches, who cried out in a horrible manner. Thus having their hands tied, they were bound to posts, and the girls and women gave presents to the men [47] to be allowed to torment the poor victims to their heart's content. I did not remain during this torture, I could not have endured such diabolical cruelty; but those who were present told me, as soon as we arrived, that they had never seen anything like it. "You should have seen those furious women," they said, "howling, yelling, applying the fire to the most sensitive and private parts of the body, pricking them with awls, biting them with savage glee, laying open their flesh with knives; in short, doing everything that madness can suggest to a woman. They threw fire upon them, burning coals, hot sand; and, when the sufferers cried out, all the others cried still louder, in order that the groans should not be heard, and that no one might be touched with pity. The upper [48] part of their forehead was cut with a knife, then the scalp was raised, and hot sand thrown upon the exposed part." Now there are some Savages who wear, through bravado, these scalps covered with hair and moustaches.[14] One can still see over two hundred dents made by the awls in these scalps. In short, they practiced upon them all the cruelties that I have above related in speaking of what I had seen at Tadoussac, and many others, which do not occur to me at present. When they are told that these cruelties are horrible and unworthy of a man, they answer you: "Thou hast no courage in allowing thine enemies to live; when the Hiroquois capture us, they do still worse; this is why we treat them as cruelly as we can." They killed an Hiroquois Sagamore, a powerful and courageous man who sang [49] while being tortured. When he was told that he must die, he said, as if overjoyed, "Good, I am very much pleased; I have taken a great many of the Montagnards, my friends will take still more of them, and they will avenge my death." Thereupon he began to tell about his prowess, and to say farewell to his relatives, to his friends and to the allies of his tribe, to the Flemish Captain who goes to trade for furs in the country of the Hiroquois by the Northern sea. After they had cut off his fingers, broken the bones of his arms, torn the scalp from his head, and had roasted and burned him on all sides, he was untied and the poor creature ran straight to the river, which was not far from there, to refresh himself. They captured him again, and made him endure the fire still another time; he was blackened, completely scorched, and the grease melted and oozed out of his body, yet with all this he ran away again for a second time, but, [50] having captured him again, they burned him a third time; at last he died during these tortures. When they saw him fall, they opened his chest, pulled out his heart and gave it to the little children to eat; the rest was for them. This is a very strange species of barbarism. Now these poor wretches live in fear because the Hiroquois are always on the watch for the Montagnards to do as much for them. That is why our Captain, wishing to send some one to the Hurons, could never find any Savage who would go. This is enough about their cruelty; let us say a few words about their simplicity. A Savage coming to see the English Captain this winter, and seeing that everything was covered with snow, felt compassion for his brother who was buried near the French settlement. Hence [51] he said to the Captain: "Monsieur, you have no pity for my poor brother; the air is so beautiful and the Sun so warm, but nevertheless you do not have the snow taken off his grave to warm him a little." It was in vain that he was told that dead bodies have no feeling; it was necessary to clear away the snow from the grave to satisfy him.

Vn autre assistant aux Litanies que disoient quelques François, & entendant qu'on disoit souuent ces paroles, ora pro nobis, comme il ne les entendoit pas bien prononcer, il croyoit qu'on disoit, carocana ouabis, c'est à dire du pain blanc, il s'estonnoit que si souuent on reïterast ces paroles, carocana ouabis, du pain blãc, du pain blanc, &c. Ils croyent que le tonnerre est vn oyseau, & vn Sauuage demandoit vn iour à vn François si on n'en prenoit point en France, luy ayant dit qu'ouy il le supplia de [52] luy en apporter vn, mais fort petit; il craignoit qu'il ne l'espouuantast s'il eust esté grand.

Another who was present at the Litanies repeated by some Frenchmen, hearing the frequent use of the words ora pro nobis, and not hearing the pronunciation distinctly, thought they said carocana ouabis, that is to say, "white bread;" he was astonished that they should so often repeat the words carocana ouabis, "white bread, white bread," etc. They believe that the thunder is a bird, and a Savage one day asked a Frenchman if they did not capture them in France; having told him yes, he begged him to [52] bring him one, but a very little one; he feared that it would frighten him if it were large.

Voicy vne chose qui m'a consolé, vn certain Sauuage nommé la Nasse, qui demeuroit auprés de nos Peres, & cultiuoit la terre; voyant que les Anglois le molestoient, s'estoit retiré dans des Isles où il auoit continué à cultiuer la terre; entendant que nous estions de retour, nous est venu voir, & nous a promis qu'il reuiendra à se cabaner aupres de nous, qu'il nous donnera son petit fils; ce sera nostre premier pensionnaire, nous luy apprendrons à lire, & à escrire; ce bon homme dit que les Sauuages ne font pas bien, qu'il veut estre nostre frere, & viure comme nous; madame Hebert nous a dit qu'il y a long temps qu'il souhaittoit nostre retour.

Here is something that has consoled me: A certain Savage named la Nasse, who lived near our Fathers and cultivated the land, seeing that the English molested him, withdrew to the Islands, where he continued to cultivate the land; hearing that we had returned, he came to see us and has promised that he will come back and build his cabin near us, and that he will give us his little boy. This will be our first pupil; we shall teach him to read and write. This good man told us that the Savages do not act right; that he wished to be our brother, and live as we do. Madame Hebert told us that he has wished for our return for a long time.

[58] Plusieurs Sauuages nous demandent des nouuelles du R. Pere Lallemant, [53] du Pere Masse, & du Pere Brebeuf, qu'ils appellent fort bien par leur nom, & s'enquestent s'ils ne retourneront point l'année qui vient: ces bonnes gens ont confiance en nous, en voicy vn exemple.

Several Savages ask us news of the Reverend Father Lallemant, [53] of Father Masse, and of Father Brebeuf, whom they very readily call by their names, and inquire if they will not return next year. These simple creatures have confidence in us; here is an example of it.

Le 6. d'Aoust monsieur Emery de Caën nous estant venu voir en nostre petite maison, éloignée du fort vne bonne demie lieuë, il demeura à disner auec nous. Pendant que nous estions en table, voyla deux familles de Sauuages qui entrent iusqu'au lieu où nous estions, hommes, femmes, & petits enfans. La premiere porte de nostre maison estant ouuerte tout est ouuert, les Anglois ont brisé les autres: voyla pourquoy ces bonnes gens furent plustost dans la chambre où nous estions, qu'on ne s'en fut pris garde. Ils me vouloient prier de leur garder quelque bagage, ie remarquay [l]eur patience, car quoy qu'ils fussent [54] en chemin d'vn long voyage qu'ils alloient faire, iamais neantmoins ils ne nous interrompirent pendant le disner, ny apres tandis qu'ils me virent auec nostre Capitaine. Ils s'assirent de part & d'autre, & ie leur fis donner à chacun vn morceau de pain, ce qu'ils ayment fort: en fin monsieur de Caën estant party, l'vn d'eux m'aborde, & me dit, Ania Kir Capitana? mon frere es tu Capitaine? Ils demandoient le superieur de la maison. Ils appellent leur Capitaine Sagamo, mais par la frequentation des Europeans, ils se seruent du mot de Capitana. Nostre Frere leur répondit, eoco, c'est à dire oüy. Là dessus il me fait vne harangue, me disant qu'ils s'en alloient à la chasse, ou à la pesche des Castors, & que ie leur gardasse leur equipage, qu'ils reuiendroient quand les fueilles tomberoiẽt des arbres. Ils me demanderent [60] fort [55] souuent s'il n'y venoit point de larrons en nostre maison, & regardoiẽt fort bien les endroits où leur bagage seroit plus à couuert. Ie leur répondy que tout estoit chez nous en asseurance, & leur ayant monstré vne chambrette qui fermoit à clef, ils furent fort contents, mettant là dedans trois ou quatre paquets couuerts d'écorces d'arbres fort proprement, disans qu'il y auoit là dedans de grandes richesses. Ie ne sçay ce qu'il y a, mais au bout du conte toutes leurs richesses ne sont que pauureté, leur or & argent, leurs perles & diamans sont de petits grains blancs de porcelaine qui ne paroissent pas grãde chose. Ayant serré leur bagage ils me demanderent vn cousteau, ie leur en donnay vn, puis ils me demanderent vn peu de ficelle pour attacher apres vn fer de fleche, ou vn dard, qui a des dents comme vne cramaillere. Ils lancent ces [56] dards contre le Castor, & tiennent tousiours le bout de la ficelle, la laissant filer iusques au font de l'eau, où se retire le Castor blessé: lequel ayant perdu son sang s'affoiblit, & ils le retirent par cette ficelle, qu'ils ne quittent iamais qu'ils n'ayent leur proye. Leur ayant donc fait present d'vn morceau de ficelle, ils me dirent Ania Capitana ouias amiscou, mon frere le Capitaine, nous t'apporterons la chair d'vn Castor, & me firent bien entendre qu'elle ne seroit point bouquanée, ils sçauẽt bien que les François n'ayment point leur bouquan, c'est de la chair seichée à la fumée, ils n'ont point d'autre sel que la fumée pour conseruer leur viande.

The 6th of August, monsieur Emery de Caën coming to see us in our little house, distant a good half-league from the fort, remained to dine with us. While we were at the table, two families of Savages, men, women, and little children, approached the spot where we were. The outside door of our house being open, all is open, the English having broken the others; that is why these simple people were in the room, where we were, before we were aware of it. They wanted to ask me to keep some of their baggage for them. I noticed their patience, for, although they had [54] started on a long journey which they were going to make, nevertheless they did not interrupt us once during the dinner, nor afterwards while they saw me with our Captain. They sat down in one place or another, and I had a piece of bread, of which they are very fond, given to each of them. At last, monsieur de Caën having departed, one of them approached me and said: Ania Kir Capitana? "My brother, art thou Captain?" They were asking for the superior of the house. They call their Captain "Sagamore," but by associating with the Europeans they have come to use the word Capitana. Our Brother answered them, eoco; that is to say, "yes." Thereupon he made a speech to me, saying that they were going hunting or fishing for Beavers, and that I should keep their baggage; that they would return when the leaves fell from the trees. They asked me very [55] often if thieves ever came into our house, and very carefully scrutinized the places where their baggage might be best concealed. I answered that everything was safe in our house, and having shown them a little room which could be locked, they seemed very happy, placing therein three or four packages covered very neatly with the bark of trees, telling me that they contained great riches. I do not know what is there; but, at the best, all their riches are only poverty. Their gold and silver, their diamonds and pearls, are little white grains of porcelain which do not seem to amount to much. Having piled up their baggage, they asked me for a knife, and I gave them one; then they asked me for some string to tie to an iron arrow-point or dart, with barbed teeth. They throw these [56] darts against the Beavers, and hold the end of the string, letting it go to the bottom of the water where the wounded Beaver dives; and, when it has lost blood and become weak; they draw it back by this string, of which they never let go until they have their prey. Having then made them a present of the piece of string, they said to me: Ania Capitana ouias amiscou: "My brother, the Captain, we will bring thee the meat of a Beaver," and they gave me very clearly to understand that it would not be smoked. They know very well that the French people do not like their dried food: that is, their meat dried in smoke, for they have no other salt than smoke to preserve their meats.

Vn autre Sauuage, estant encor à Tadoussac, m'apporta deux bouteilles de vin pour luy garder dans ma cabane. Comme il tardoit long temps à les venir requerir, i'aduerty le Pere [57] de Nouë, & nostre Frere, que s'il s'addressoit à eux qu'ils me l'enuoyassent, [62] ie craignois qu'il ne les prist pour moy: mais il ne se trompa point. Le soir comme ie disois mon breuiaire, il se vint asseoir aupres de moy, & attendit que i'eusse acheué, alors il me tira & me dit, Ania Cabana, mon frere allons à ta cabane, ie l'entendy bien, & luy rendy ses bouteilles qui luy auoient cousté de bonnes peaux. Ces exemples font voir la confiance qu'ils ont en nous: en verité qui sçauroit parfaittement leur langue, seroit puissant parmy eux.

Another Savage, while we were at Tadoussac, brought me two bottles of wine to keep in my cabin. As he was very long in coming back after them, I notified Father [57] de Nouë and our Brother that, if he applied to them, they should send him to me. I feared that he would take one of them for me; but he made no mistake. In the evening, as I was saying my breviary, he came and sat down beside me, and waited until I had finished. Then he pulled me and said: Ania Cabana, "My brother, let us go to thy cabin." I understood him very well, and restored him his bottles, which had cost him some good furs. These examples show what confidence they have in us. In fact, any one who knew their language perfectly would be powerful among them.

Ie suis deuenu regent en Canada, i'auois l'autre iour vn petit Sauuage d'vn costé, & vn petit Negre ou Maure de l'autre, ausquels i'apprenois à cognoistre les lettres. Apres tant d'années de regence, me voyla enfin retourné à l'A, B, C. mais auec vn contentement & vne satisfaction si grande, [58] que ie n'eusse pas voulu changer mes deux escoliers pour le plus bel auditoire de France: ce petit Sauuage est celuy qu'on nous laissera bien tost tout à fait, ce petit Neigre a esté laissé par les Anglois à cette famille Frãçoise qui est icy, nous l'auions pris pour l'instruire & le baptiser, mais il n'entend pas encor bien la langue, voyla pourquoy nous attendrons encor quelque temps. Quand on luy parla du baptesme il nous fit rire, sa maistresse luy demandant s'il vouloit estre Chrestien, s'il vouloit estre baptisé, & qu'il seroit comme nous, il dit qu'oüy: mais il demanda si on ne l'escorcheroit point en le baptisant, ie croy qu'il auoit belle peur: car il auoit veu escorcher ces pauures Sauuages. Comme il vit qu'on se rioit de sa demande, il repartit en son patois, comme il peut, Vous dites que par le baptesme ie seray comme vous, ie [59] suis noir & vous estes blancs, il faudra donc m'oster la peau pour deuenir comme vous: là dessus on se mit encor plus à rire, & luy voyant bien qu'il s'estoit trompé, se mit [64] à rire comme les autres. Quand ie luy dy qu'il prit sa couuerture, & qu'il s'en retournast chez son maistre iusques à ce qu'il entendit mieux la langue, il se mit à pleurer, & ne voulut iamais reprendre sa couuerture, ie luy dy qu'il s'en allast au fort auec le Pere de Nouë qui s'y en alloit, il obeït, mais on le rendit en passant à son maistre qui ne s'en peut pas long temps passer, autrement nous l'aurions retenu auec nous. Sa maistresse luy demandant pourquoy il n'auoit point rapporté sa couuerture, il répondit, Moy point baptisé, point couuerture: ils disoient viens baptise toy, & moy point baptisé, moy point baptisé, point retourné, point couuerture. Il [60] vouloit dire, que nous luy auions promis le baptesme, & qu'il ne vouloit point retourner qu'il ne l'eût receu, ce sera dans quelque temps, s'il plaist à Dieu.

I have become teacher in Canada: the other day I had a little Savage on one side of me, and a little Negro or Moor on the other, to whom I taught their letters. After so many years of teaching, behold me at last returned to the A, B, C., with so great content and satisfaction [58] that I would not exchange my two pupils for the finest audience in France. This little Savage is the one who will soon be left entirely with us. The little Negro was left by the English with this French family which is here. We have taken him to teach and baptize, but he does not yet understand the language well; therefore we shall wait some time yet. When we talked to him about baptism, he made us laugh. His mistress asking him if he wanted to be a Christian, if he wanted to be baptized and be like us, he said "yes;" but he asked if he would not be skinned in being baptized. I think he was very much frightened, for he had seen those poor Savages skinned. As he saw that they laughed at his questions, he replied in his patois, as best he could: "You say that by baptism I shall be like you: I [59] am black and you are white, I must have my skin taken off then in order to be like you." Thereupon all began to laugh more than ever, and, seeing that he was mistaken, he joined in and laughed with the others. When I told him to take his blanket and return to his master until he should understand our language better, he began to cry, and refused to take his blanket again. I told him to go away to the fort with Father de Nouë, who was going there. He obeyed, but he was restored on the way to his master, who cannot do long without him; otherwise we would have retained him with us. His mistress, asking him why he had not brought back the blanket with him, he answered: "Me not baptized, no blanket. They said: 'Come, baptize thee,' and me not baptized; and me not baptized, no return, no blanket." He [60] meant that we had promised him the baptism, and that he did not wish to return until he had received it; that will be in a short time, if it please God.

Ie supputois l'autre iour combien le Soleil se leue plustost sur vostre horison, que sur le nostre, & ie trouuois que vous auiez le iour six heures & vn peu dauantage plutost que nous. Nos Mariniers content ordinairement 17. lieuës & demie pour vn degré de l'equinoctial & tout autre grand cercle, & d'ailleurs font estat qu'il y a d'icy iusques à vous 1000. lieuës & dauantage, qui feront par consequent 57. degrez & 12. minutes d'vn grand cercle, sur lequel se doit conter le droit chemin qu'il y a d'icy à vous. Supposant donc nostre latitude de 46. degrez & deux tiers, & celle de Dieppe de 49. & deux tiers, la supputation faite exactement par la resolution [61] d'vn triangle qui se fait sur la terre entre nos deux lieux, & le pole, nous donnera 91. degrez & 38. minutes pour l'angle qui se fait au pole par nos deux meridiens, & par consequent pour la piece de l'equinoctial, qui est [66]la mesure dudit angle, laquelle est iustement la difference de nos longitudes. Or ce nombre de degrez estant reduit en temps, contant vne heure pour chaque 15. degrez, nous aurons six heures & six minutes pour le temps que le Soleil se leue plustost chez vous que chez nous: si bien que quand vn Dimanche vous contez trois heures du matin, nous ne sommes encor qu'à neuf heures du Samedy au soir. I'escry cecy enuiron les huict heures du matin, & vous auez deux heures apres midy. Que si auec les Geographes pour vn degré d'vn grand cercle on contoit 25. lieuës, comme on fait ordinairement des [62] lieuës Françoises de moyenne grandeur, alors nos 1000. lieuës ne feroient que 40. degrez de droit chemin d'icy à vous, & par consequent la supputation faite comme dessus ne donneroit pour la difference de nos longitudes que 61. degrez & 34. minutes, c'est à dire 4. heures & 6. minutes de temps.

I calculated the other day how much earlier the Sun rises on your horizon than it does on ours, and I found that you have daylight a little over six hours earlier than we do. Our Sailors usually count 17 leagues and a half for a degree of the equinoctial and all other great circles, and otherwise reach the conclusion that there are from here to you 1000 leagues and over, which will consequently make 57 degrees 12 minutes of a great circle upon which we ought to calculate a direct route from here to you. Suppose then our latitude to be 46 and two-thirds degrees and that of Dieppe 49 and two-thirds; the computation made exactly by the solution [61] of a triangle which might be made upon the earth, between our two places and the pole, will give us 91 degrees and 38 minutes for the angle which is made at the pole by our two meridians, and consequently for the part of the equinoctial which is the measure of the said angle, and this is just the difference in our longitudes. Now, this number of degrees being reduced to time, counting one hour for every 15 degrees, we shall have six hours and six minutes earlier, for the time that the Sun rises with you than it does here; so that on Sunday when you count three o'clock in the morning, it is here still only nine o'clock on Saturday night. I am writing this about eight in the morning, and it is two in the afternoon where you are. So if, with the Geographers, for one degree of a great circle, we counted 25 leagues, as is generally done with the [62] French leagues of medium size, then our 1000 leagues would only be forty degrees in a straight line from here to you; and consequently the computation, made as above, would give for the difference of our longitude only 61 degrees and 34 minutes,—that is to say, 4 hours and 6 minutes of time.

Au reste ce païs cy est tres-bon, si tost que nous sommes rentrez en nostre petite maison enuiron le 13. de Iuillet nous auons foüy & besché la terre, semé du pourpier, des naueaux, planté des faisoles, tout n'a point tardé à leuer, nous auons bien tost apres recueilly de la salade, le mal estoit que nos graines estoient gastées, ie dy d'vne partie, sçauoir est qu'on a enuoyé à monsieur du Plessis: car celles que nostre Frere a apporté, ont tres-bien reüssi, vous seriez estonné de voir quelque nombre d'espics de [63] seigle qui se sont trouuez parmy nos pois, elles sont plus longues & mieux grenées que les plus belles que i'aye iamais veu en France.

All considered, this country here is very fine. As soon as we had entered into our little home, the 13th of July, we began to work and dig the earth, to sow purslane and turnips, and to plant lentils, and everything grew very well; a very short time afterwards we gathered our salad. But the misfortune was that our seeds were spoiled, I mean a part of them; namely, those sent to monsieur du Plessis: for those our Brother brought us grew very well. You would be astonished to see the great number of ears of [63] rye which were found among our peas; they are longer and more grainy than the most beautiful I have ever seen in France.

Vendredy dernier 20. d'Aoust, iour de sainct Bernard, estant allé voir vn malade à nostre bord, c'est à dire à nostre vaisseau, pour aller de là saluër monsieur [68]de la Rade, & le Capitaine Morieult nouuellement arriuez, ie pensay estre noyé auec deux François qui estoient auec moy dans vn petit cauot de Sauuage, dont nous nous seruons. La marée estoit violente, celuy qui estoit derriere dans ce cauot le voulant détascher du nauire la marée le fit tourner, & le cauot & nous aussi, nous voyla tous trois emportez par la furie de l'eau, au milieu de cette grande riuiere de sainct Laurens. Ceux du nauire crie sauue, sauue, au secours, mais il n'y auoit point là de chalouppe, nous attrapons le [64] cauot, comme ie vy qu'il tournoit si fort que l'eau me passoit de beaucoup par dessus la teste, & que i'estouffois, ie quittay ce cauot pour me mettre à nager, ie n'ay iamais bien sceu ce mestier, & il y auoit plus de 24. ans que ie ne l'auois exercé: à peine auoy-ie auancé de trois brasses, que ma sotane, m'enueloppant la teste & les bras, ie m'en allois à fond, i'auois desia donné ma vie à nostre Seigneur, sans luy demander qu'il me retirast de ce danger, croyant qu'il valloit mieux le laisser faire, i'acceptois la mort de bon cœur; bref i'estois desia à demy estouffé, quand vne chalouppe qui estoit sur le bord de la riuiere, & deux Sauuages accoururent dans leur cauot, il ne paroissoit plus qu'vn petit bout de ma sotane, on me retira par là, & si on eût encor tardé vn Pater, i'estois mort, i'auois perdu tout sentiment, pour ce que l'eau m'estouffoit, [65] ce n'estoit point d'apprehension, ie m'estois resolu à mourir dans les eaux, dés le premier iour que ie mis le pied dans le vaisseau, & i'auois prou exercé cette resignation dans les tempestes que nous auons passé sur mer, le iugement me dura tant que i'eu des forces, & me semble que ie me voyois mourir, ie croiois qu'il y eut plus de mal à estre noyé qu'il n'y en a: bref nous [70] fumes tous trois sauuez, i'en suis resté indisposé de l'estomach, i'espere que ce ne sera rien, la volonté de Dieu soit faite, cela ne m'estonne point. Deux Anglois s'estant noyez dans ces cauots faits d'écorces, qui sont extrememẽt volages, le Capitaine Ker fit faire vne petit bateau de bois pour passer de nostre maison au fort, car il y a vne riuiere entre deux; ie croiois que ce bateau nous demeureroit, celuy qui s'en est saisi l'auoit promis au Pere de Nouë, [66] mais depuis il s'est rauisé, s'il nous l'eut donné cela ne seroit pas arriué; patience, il importe peu où on meure, mais si bien comment.

Last Friday, August 20th, the day of saint Bernard, having gone to see a sick person on board, that is to say, on our vessel, and going thence to greet monsieur de la Rade[15] and Captain Morieult, newly I arrived, I thought I would be drowned, with two Frenchmen who were with me in a little Native canoe which we use. The tide was very violent; the person who was behind in this canoe wishing to detach it from the ship, the tide gave him a turn, also the canoe and ourselves, and behold us all three carried away by the fury of the waves to the middle of the great saint Lawrence river. Those in the ship cried, "Save them, save them, help!" but there was no shallop there. We caught hold of the [64] canoe; as I felt that it was whirling about so rapidly that the water came a great way over my head, and that I was suffocating, I let go of the canoe to swim. I never knew this exercise very well, and it was over 24 years since I had tried it. I had made scarcely sixteen feet[16] when, my cassock winding around my head and my arms, I felt that I was going to the bottom. I had already given my life to our Lord, without asking him to rescue me from this danger; believing it better to let his will be done, I accepted death cheerfully; in short, I was already half drowned, when a boat that was on the shore of the river, and two Savages in their canoe, hastened towards us. Nothing was seen of me but a little end of my cassock; they dragged me out by that, and if they had been one Pater later I would have been dead. I was so choked by the water that I had lost all feeling; [65] it was not fear, for I was resigned to die in the water from the first day I had put my foot on the vessel, and I had strengthened this resignation a great deal in the tempests which we had upon the ocean. My faculties remained as long as I had any strength left, and it seemed to me that I saw myself dying; I thought there was more pain in drowning than there is. To be brief, we were all three saved. I still feel some indisposition in my stomach, which is not to be wondered at, but I hope that it will be nothing; may the will of God be done. Two Englishmen having been drowned in those bark canoes, which are very frail, Captain Ker had a little wooden boat made for passing from our house to the fort, because there is a river between the two; I thought this boat would remain with us. The person who took possession of it promised it to Father de Nouë, [66] but he has since changed his mind; if he had given it to us, this would not have happened. Patience; it matters but little where we die, but a great deal, how.

Demain 25. d'Aoust ie dois baptiser vn petit enfant Hiroquois qu'on doit porter en France pour ne retourner iamais plus en ces païs cy, on l'a donné à vn François qui en a fait present à monsieur de la Rade. C'est assez, nous sommes si empressez que ie n'ay gardé aucun ordre en ce narré, V.R. m'excusera s'il luy plaist, ie la supplie de secourir ces pauures peuples qui sont en bon nombre, les Canadiens, Montagnards, Hurons, Algonquains, la Nation des Ours, la Nation du Petun, la Nation des Sorciers, & quantité d'autres: Ie vy arriuer les Hurons, ils estoient plus de 50. cauots, il faisoit fort beau voir cela sur la riuiere, ce sont de grands hommes bien faits, & tres-dignes de [67] compassion, pour ne cognoistre pas l'Autheur de vie dont ils ioüissent, & pour n'auoir iamais oüy parler de celuy qui a donné sa vie, & répandu son sang pour eux.

To-morrow, on the 25th of August, I am to baptize a little Hiroquois child who is to be taken to France, never to return to this country; he was given to a Frenchman, who made a present of him to monsieur de la Rade. Enough of this, we are in such a hurry that I have not observed any order in this narrative; Your Reverence will excuse me, if you please. I beseech you to give succor to these poor people who are in goodly numbers, the Canadians, Montagnards, Hurons and Algonquains, the Nation of the Bear,[17] the Tobacco Nation,[18] The Nation of the Sorcerers,[19] and many others. I saw the Hurons arrive; in their 50 canoes and more, they made a very fine sight upon the river. They are large, well-made men, and are to be [67] pitied because they do not know the Author of the life they enjoy, and have never heard of him who gave his life and shed his blood for them.

Ie pensois conclure ce petit narré le 24. d'Aoust: mais ce ne sera qu'apres le baptesme de ce petit enfant. Ie viens donc de le baptiser, monsieur Emery de [72]Caën est son Parrain, madame Coullart fille de madame Hebert est sa Marraine, il a nom Louys, aussi a-il esté baptisé le iour de sainct Louys. Ce pauure petit qui n'a enuiron que quatre ans pleuroit incessamment deuant le baptesme, & s'enfuioit de nous, ie ne le pouuois tenir: si tost que i'eu commencé les ceremonies, il ne dit pas vn mot, il me regardoit attentiuement, & faisoit tout ce que ie luy faisois faire. Ie croiois qu'il fut Hiroquois, mais i'ay appris qu'il est de la Nation de feu [68] son Pere & sa Mere, & luy ont esté pris en guerre par les Algonquains, qui ont bruslé les parents, & donné l'enfant à nos François.

I expected to end this little narrative on the 24th of August, but it will not be until after the baptism of this little child. I have just baptized him. Monsieur Emery de Caën is his Godfather; Madame Coullart, daughter of Madame Hebert, his Godmother. His name is Louys and he was baptized on saint Louys's day. This poor little one, who is only about four years old, cried all the time before his baptism, and ran away from us; I could not hold him. As soon as I began the ceremony, he did not say a word; he looked at me attentively and did everything that I would have him do. I believed that he was an Hiroquois, but I have learned that he belongs to the fire Nation;[20] [68] his Father and his Mother and he were taken in war by the Algonquains, who burned the parents and gave the child to the French.

Louys iadis Amantacha nous est venu voir, & nous a promis qu'il viendroit l'année suiuante, pour s'en retourner auec le Pere Brebeuf en son païs; il a de l'esprit, & m'a témoigné qu'il auoit de bons sentimens de Dieu; cette Nation est rusée, ie ne sçaurois qu'en dire: mille recommandations aux saincts sacrifices de vostre R. & aux prieres de toute sa Prouince.

De V.R.

Tres-humble & obeïssant seruiteur

selon Dieu, Pavl le Ievne.

Du milieu d'vn bois de plus de 800. lieuës d'estenduë, à Kebec ce 28. d'Aoust 1632.

Louys, formerly Amantacha,[21] came to see us and promised that he would come back next year, to return with Father Brebeuf to his country; he is rather intelligent and showed me that he had a correct conception of God. I could not tell you how cunning this Nation is. I recommend myself a thousand times to the holy sacrifices of your Reverence and to the prayers of your whole Province.

Of Your Reverence,

The very humble and obedient servant,

in God, Paul le Jeune.

From the midst of a forest more than 800 leagues in extent, at Kebec, this 28th of August, 1632.

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[74] [69] Privilege dv Roy.

NOVS Barthelemy Iacquinot, Prouincial de la Compagnie de Iesvs, en la Prouince de France, suiuant le Priuilege qui nous a esté octroyé par les Roys tres-Chrestiens, Henry III. le 10. May 1583. Henry IV. le 20. Decembre 1606. & Louys XIII. à present regnant le 14. Feurier 1612. pae lequel il est defendu à tous Imprimeurs, ou Libraires, de n'imprimer ou faire imprimer aucun liure de ceux qui sont composez par quelqu'vn de nostredite Compagnie, sans permission des Superieurs d'icelle. Permettons à Sebastien Cramoisy Libraire Iuré Bourgeois de Paris, de pouuoir imprimer pour six ans, Brieue Relation du voyage de la Nouuelle France, &c. En foy de quoy nous auons signé la presente le 15. Nouembre 1632.

B. Iacqvinot.

[69] Royal License.

WE, Barthelemy Jacquinot, Provincial of the Society of Jesus, in the Province of France, in accordance with the License which has been granted us by the most Christian Kings, Henry III. the l0th of May 1583, Henry IV. the 20th of December 1606; and Louys XIII. now reigning, the 14th of February 1612, by which it is prohibited to all Printers or Booksellers to print or cause to be printed any book of those which are composed by any of our said Society, without the permission of the Superiors of the same: We permit Sebastien Cramoisy,[22] Bookseller under Oath, Citizen of Paris, to print for six years, Brieve Relation du voyage de la Nouvelle France, etc. In attestation of which we have signed the present the 15th of November 1632.

B. Jacquinot.

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XXI

Le Jeune's Relation, 1633

Paris: SEBASTIEN CRAMOISY, 1634

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Source: Title-page and text reprinted from original of "H. 55" edition, in John Carter Brown Library, Providence, R. I.

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facsimileb

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RELATION
DE CE QVI S'EST PASSE EN
LA NOVVELLE FRANCE
EN L'ANNEE 1633

Enuoyée
AV R. P. BARTH. IACQVINOT
Prouincial de la Compagnie de
Iesvs en la prouince de
France.

Par le P. Paul le Ieune de la mesme Compagnie,
Superieur de la residence de Kebec.

A PARIS,
Chez Sebastien Cramoisy,
ruë S. Iacques, aux Cicognes.

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M. DC. XXXIV.
AVEC PRIVILEGE DV ROY.

RELATION
OF WHAT OCCURRED IN
NEW FRANCE
IN THE YEAR 1633.

Sent to the
REV. FATHER BARTH. JACQUINOT
Provincial of the Society of Jesus,
in the province of
France.

By Father Paul le Jeune of the same Society,
Superior of the Residence of Kebec.

PARIS,
Sebastien Cramoisy, rue St. Jacques,
At the Sign of the Storks.

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M. DC XXXIV.
BY ROYAL LICENSE.

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[82]

[3] Relation de ce qvi s'est passé en la Novvelle France en l'annee 1633.

Mon R. Pere,

Les lettres qu'on enuoie en ces païs cy, font comme des fruicts bien rares & bien nouueaux: on les reçoit auec contentement, on les regarde auec plaisir: on les sauoure comme des fruicts du Paradis terrestre. Il y auoit vn an que V.R. ne nous auoit parlé; ce peu de mots qu'il luy a pleu nous coucher sur le papier, nous semblent [4] des paroles de l'autre monde, aussi sont elles pour moy, ie les prẽds cõme des paroles du ciel. C'est assez dict pour tesmoigner les sentimens qu'a eu mon ame à la veuë de ses lettres. Et afin que la ioye possedast entieremẽt nostre cœur, il ne falloit point d'autres messagers pour les apporter, que ceux qui sont venus. On estoit icy en doubte si Monsieur de Champlain, ou quelque autre de la part de Messieurs de la Compagnie de la Nouuelle France, ou bien si le sieur Guillaume de Caen deuoit venir, comme il en auoit l'an passé dõné parole publiquement dans nostre vaisseau au sortir de France. Chacun defendoit son party, & produisoit ses raisons probables auec respect & modestie, quand tout d' vn coup Mõsieur de Champlain, auec les ordres de Monseigneur le Cardinal est venu terminer le differend en faueur de la [5] Compagnie de la Nouuelle France, ce iour nous a esté l'vn des bõs iours de l'anneé, nous sommes entrez dãs de fortes esperances qu'en fin apres [84] tãt de bourrasques Dieu vouloit regarder nos pauures Sauuages de l'œil de sa bonté & de sa misericorde; puis qu'il donnoit cœur à ces Messieurs de poursuiure leur pointe malgré les contrastes que les demons, l'enuie, & l'auarice des hommes leur ont suscitez. Ie ne sçay comme cela se fait, mais ie sçay bien que puis qu'ils s'interessent en la gloire de Dieu, en la publication de l'Euangile, en la conuersion des ames, nous ressentons ie ne sçay quel interest d'affection dãs leurs affaires, en telle sorte que si nos souhaits auoyent lieu, ils recueilleroyent plus en vn mois, qu'ils n'ont perdu en tant d'années que leurs desseins ont esté trauersez. Aussi sont ils nos Peres, puis qu'ils nourrissent icy [6] vne partie de nous autres; & nous departent à tous leur affection abõdamment. I'espere que dans quelques années ils verront des fruicts du Ciel, & de la terre sortir du grain qu'ils ont semé auec tant de peine. C'est la coniecture qu'on pourra tirer des petites remarques que ie vay briéuement tracer.

[3] Relation of what occurred in New France in the year 1633.

My Reverend Father:

The letters that are sent to this country are like very rare and very fresh fruits; they are received with joy, are regarded with pleasure, and are relished as fruits of the terrestrial Paradise. It had been a year since Your Reverence had spoken to us, and the few words which you were pleased to place upon paper seemed to us [4] like words from the other world. Thus they are for me; I receive them as messages from heaven. Enough has been said to show the sentiments which were awakened in my soul at the sight of your letters. And in order that joy should take complete possession of our hearts, no other messengers were needed to bring them than those who came. We were in doubt whether Monsieur de Champlain, or some one else in behalf of the Gentlemen of the Company of New France, or whether sieur Guillaume de Caen was to come, as he had last year announced in our ship as we were leaving France. Each one defended his side, and presented his probable reasons respectfully and modestly; when all at once Monsieur de Champlain arrived with the orders of Monseigneur the Cardinal, and ended the dispute in favor of the [5] Company of New France.[23] That day was one of the good days of the year; we have been filled with strong hopes that at last, after so many storms, God would look upon our poor Savages with a merciful and kindly eye, as he has given courage to those Gentlemen to carry out their purpose in spite of the opposition that demons, envy, and the avarice of men, have aroused against them. I know not how it happens, but I do know well that since they interest themselves in the glory of God, in the spread of the Gospel, in the conversion of souls, we feel an inexplicable and affectionate interest in their affairs; so much so that, if things would go according to our wishes, they would gain more in one month than they have lost in all the years that their plans have been thwarted. They are also our Fathers, since they provide here [6] for a part of us, and bestow their affection abundantly upon us. I hope that in a few years they will see the fruits of Heaven and of earth growing from the seeds which they have planted with so much trouble. This is the inference that may be drawn from the few observations which I am about briefly to record.

Et afin d'éuiter la confusion, ie suiuray l'ordre du temps: Mais au prealable il faut que ie die que nous auons pris vn singulier plaisir dans les deportemẽs de nos François hyuerans. Il n'en faut point mentir, i'eus quelque apprehension dans la trauerse que le libertinage ne passast la mer auec nous: mais le bon exemple des chefs qui commandoyẽt icy, l'éloignement des débauches, le petit trauail que nous auons pris dans les predications, & administration des sacrements, les ont retenus tellement [7] dans le debuoir, qu'encor bien que nous eussions des personnes de deux partis bien differents, neantmoins il sembloit que l'amour & le respect commandoit pour l'ordinaire [86] & aux vns & aux autres. Plusieurs se sont confessez generalement de toute leur vie. Ceux qui n'auoyent quasi iamais parlé du ieusne que par risée, l'ont estroittement gardé, se rendans obeïssans à leur mere l'Eglise Chrestienne & Catholique.

And, in order to avoid all confusion, I shall follow the order of time. But, as a prefatory remark, I must say that we have felt a peculiar pleasure in the behavior of the French who are wintering here. I confess had some fear during our voyage that libertinage might cross the sea with, us; but the good example of the chiefs who were in command at this place, the distance from all debauchery, the little work which has been done in preaching, and in the administration of the sacraments, have held all strictly [7] in the line of duty; and, although we had among us persons of two quite different parties, nevertheless it seemed that love and respect generally ruled both sides. A number made a general confession of their whole lives. Those who hardly ever spoke of fasting, except in jest, have observed it strictly, becoming obedient to their mother, the Christian and Catholic Church.

Mais venons au depart des vaisseaux de l'an passé, pour suiure les mois qui se sont escoulez depuis ce tẽps là que nous auisames le Pere de Nouë & moy, qu'il falloit chercher les moyens de s'addonner à l'estude de la langue, sans la cognoissance de laquelle on ne peut secourir les Sauuages. Ie quittay donc tout autre soing, & commençay à fueilleter vn petit Dictionnaire escrit à la main, [8] qu'on m'auoit dõné en France; mais tout remply de fautes.

But let us begin with the departure of our vessels last year, and follow the months which have glided away since then, when we, Father de Nouë and I, concluded that we must find some means of devoting ourselves to the study of the language, without a knowledge of which we cannot help the Savages. I then threw all other cares aside, and began to turn over the leaves of a little manuscript Dictionary [8] that had been given to me in France; but it was full of errors.[24]

Le 12 d'Octobre voyant que i'auançois fort peu, apprenant auec beaucoup de peine des mots décousus, ie m'en allay visiter les cabanes des Sauuages à desseing d'y aller souuent, & me faire l'oreille à leur langue. Ils estoient cabanez à plus d'vne grande lieuë loing de nostre maison, & de peur de m'égarer dans les bois ie pris vn long destour sur le bord du grand fleuue de Sainct Laurens. O que de peine à trencher les roches de la pointe aux diamans! C'est vn lieu ainsi appellê de nos François, pource qu'on y trouue quantité de petits diamants assez beaux. Ces chemins sont affreux: i'allois des pieds & des mains, auec belle peur de me laisser tõber. Ie passay par des endroits si estroits, que la marée montant, & m'empeschant de poursuiure mon [9] chemin, ie ne pouuois retourner en arriere, tant le passage me sembloit dangereux. Ie grimpay au dessus des rochers, & m'agraffant à vne branche qui arrestoit vn arbre abattu, [88]cet arbre s'en vint rouler vers moy auec vne telle impetuosité, que si ie n'eusse esquiué son coup, il m'eut tout brisé, & ietté dans la riuiere.

On the 12th of October, seeing that I made very little progress, learning a few stray words with a great deal of trouble, I went to visit the cabins of the Savages, with the intention of going there often, and accustoming my ear to their tongue. They were encamped at a distance of more than a full league from our house, and through fear of getting lost in the woods, I made a long detour on the shores of the great Saint Lawrence river. Oh what a trial it was to climb the rocks on diamond point! The place is thus named by the French, because a quantity of very pretty little diamonds are found there.[25] These roads are frightful; I went on my hands and knees, with great fear of falling. I passed through places so narrow, that when the tide arose and prevented me from continuing on my [9] way, I could not turn back, the passage seemed to me so dangerous. I climbed upon the rocks and, seizing a branch which had arrested the fall of an uprooted tree, this tree came rolling toward me with so much force, that if I had not escaped the blow, it would have crushed and thrown me into the river.

Arriué que ie fus aux cabanes des Sauuages, ie vey leur secherie d'anguilles. Ce sont les femmes qui exercent ce mestier. Elles vuidẽt ce poisson, le lauent fort bien, l'ouurant nõ par le ventre, mais par le dos, puis le pendent à la fumée, l'ayant faict au prealable esgoutter sur des perches hors de leurs cabanes. Elles le tailladent en plusieurs endroits, afin que la fumée le desseche plus aisement. La quantité d'anguilles qu'ils prennent en ce temps là est incroyable: ie ne voyois autre chose dedans & [10] dehors leurs cabanes. Les François & eux en mangẽt incessamment pendant ce temps-là, & en gardent quãtité pour le iours qu'on ne mange point de chair, ientens les François; car les Sauuages n'ont point d'autres mets pour l'ordinaire que celuy-là, iusques à ce que les neges soient grãdes pour la chasse de l'Orignac. Cõme i'allois de cabane en cabane, vn petit garçon aagé d'enuiron douze ans s'en vint droict à moy. Ie l'auois caressé l'ayant trouué quelques iours au parauant en quelque endroit, me semblãt fort posé & modeste. M'ayant recogneu, il me dict Ania achtam achtam: Mon frere, viens, viens. Il me mene en la cabane de ses parens: i'y trouuay vne vieille femme qui estoit sa grãd'mere, il luy dit deux ou trois mots que ie n'entendis pas; & cette bonne vieille me presenta quatre anguilles boucanées. Ie n'osay les refuser, [11] de peur de la facher. Ie m'assis à platte terre aupres de son petit fils: ie tiray vn morceau de pain que i'auois porté auec moy pour mon disner, i'en donnay à ce petit garçon, à sa grand'mere, & à sa mere qui suruint. Ils me firent [90] rostir vne anguille auec vne petite broche de bois qu'ils picquent en terre aupres du feu, puis ils me la presenterent sur vn petit morceau d'escorce: ie la mangeay auec cet enfant, auquel ie demanday de l'eau: il m'en alla querir dans vne escuelle ou plat fait d'escorce. Si tost que i'eus beu, tous ceux qui estoient dans la cabane beurent apres moy. Pour seruiette ce petit garçon ayant manié cette anguille cuite qui estoit fort grasse, il se seruoit de ses cheueux, les autres frottent leurs mains à leurs chiens: cette bonne vieille voiant que ie cherchois où essuier les miennes, me donna de la poudre de [12] bois sec & pourry, c'est dequoy les meres nettoient leurs petits enfans, ils n'ont point d'autre linge. Apres que i'eu disné, cette bonne femme me fit vne harangue, me donna encore de l'anguille: elle me sembloit recõmander son fils, mais ie ne l'entendois pas. Ie tiray mon papier, & luy dis le mieux que ie pû que son fils me vint voir, & qu'il m'apportât les anguilles qu'elles m'auoyent dõné, ne les pouuãt apporter auec moy pour la difficulté du chemin, luy promettant quelque chose pour sa peine. Ie ne sçay s'ils entendirent mon baragoin, mais ie ne l'ay point veu depuis. Estant de retour au logis, & racontant au Pere de Nouë la difficulté du chemin, il me dist pour me consoler, qu'allant aux Hurons on rencontroit quarante endroits plus difficiles que celuy dont ie luy parlois. Dieu soit beny de tout. Si nos [13] Peres qui iront en ces pais là, ont de la peine, Dieu les sçaura fort bien recompenser. Voyant donc que ie perdois beaucoup de temps en ces allées & venues aux cabanes, ie cherchay vn autre moyẽ de tirer quelque chose de la langue, dont ie parleray tantost.

When I reached the cabins of the Savages, I saw their place for drying eels. This work is done entirely by the women, who empty the fish, and wash them very carefully, opening them, not up the belly but up the back; then they hang them in the smoke, first having suspended them upon poles outside their huts to drain. They gash them in a number of places, in order that the smoke may dry them more easily. The quantity of eels which they catch in the season is incredible. I saw nothing else inside and [10] outside of their cabins. They and the French eat them continually during this season, and keep a large quantity of them for the time when meat is not eaten; I mean the French, for the Savages usually have no other meat than this until the snow is deep enough for Moose hunting. As I went about from hut to hut, a little boy about twelve years old came straight up to me. A few days before, meeting him somewhere, I had given him a caress, as he seemed to me quite bright and modest. Having recognized me he said; Ania achtam achtam; "My brother, come, come." He conducted me to the hut of his parents, where I found an old woman who was his grandmother; he said two or three words to her which I did not understand, and this good old woman presented me with four smoked eels. I dared not refuse them [11] for fear of making her angry. I sat down upon the ground near her grandson, and took out a piece of bread that I had brought with me for my dinner; I gave some to the little boy, to his grandmother, and to his mother, who came in. They roasted an eel for me upon a little wooden spit, which they thrust into the ground near the fire. They then presented it to me upon a small piece of bark. I ate it with the child, of whom I asked some water; he brought me some in a dipper or dish made of bark. As soon as I had drunk, all those in the cabin drank after me. The little boy, having handled the roasted eel, which was very greasy, used his hair as a napkin, and the others rubbed their hands on the dogs. The good old woman, seeing that I was looking for something upon which to wipe my hands, gave me some powder made of [12] dry and rotten wood. It is with this that the mothers clean their little children, for they have no other towels. After having dined, this simple woman made me a speech, and gave me some more eel: it seemed that she was commending her son to me, but I did not understand. I took out my paper, and told her as well as I could that her son should come to see me and bring the eels they had given me, as I could not carry them back with me on account of the difficulties of the road, promising her something for her trouble. I do not know whether they understood my jargon, but I have not seen them since. Having returned to our lodgings, and recounted to Father de Nouë the difficulties of the road, he told me, by way of consolation, that in going to the Hurons one would encounter forty places much more difficult then the one of which I spoke. God be blessed for all things. If our [13] Fathers who are going to those countries have trials, God will know very well how to compensate them. Seeing that a great deal of time was lost in going to and from the cabins, I sought another means of finding out something about the language, of which I shall soon speak.

[92] Le 13. du mesme mois d'Octobre le Sauuage nõmé Manitougache, surnommé des François La Nasse, nous vint voir auec quantité d'autres, qui nous firent depositaires & gardiens de leurs sacs & richesses. Ie demanday à l'vn d'eux son nom, il baissa la teste sans rien dire: vn François le demanda à vn autre, luy disant Khiga ichenicasson? comment t'appelles tu? Il respondit, namanikisteriten, ie n'en scay rien. I'ay depuis appris qu'ils ne veulent point dire leur nom deuant les autres, ie ne scay pourquoy. Si neãtmoins vous demandez à quelqu'vn [14] comme vn autre s'appelle, il vous le dira librement, mais il ne dira pas son nom. Il est vray que ie l'ay faict dire à quelques enfans, lesquels me demandans le mien, & voyans que ie le difois librement, ils me disoyent aussi le leur.

On the 13th of the same month of October the Savage named Manitougache, surnamed by the French La Nasse,[26] came to see us with a number of others, making us the trustees and guardians of their sacks and possessions. I asked one of them his name; he bowed his head, without saying a word. A Frenchman asked it of another, saying to him: Khiga ichenicasson?—"What is thy name?" He answered, "namanikisteriten,—I know nothing about it." I have since learned that they do not like to tell their names before others, I know not why. If, however, you ask some one [14] what another's name is, he will tell you very freely though he will not tell his own. It is true that I have had a number of children tell me, who asked me my name, and, seeing that I told them freely, they told me theirs also.

Le 24^e estant allé dire la Messe à l'habitation de nos François, vn Capitaine des Sauuages vint voir le sieur Emery de Caen, & luy dict que les Algonquains estãs allez à la guerre contre les Hiroquois vn de leurs hommes auoit esté tué, & l'autre pris prisonnier. Ce qui auoit tellement espouuanté les Montagnaits, qu'ils s'en reuenoyent tous de la chasse du castor, & de l'ours, pour se cabaner pres du fort, crainte d'estre surpris de leurs ennemis. Ils se vouloyent r'assembler pour estre plus forts: mais ils craignoient la faim en quittant leur chasse. Ils demanderent donc [15] si on ne les secoureroit pas de viures au cas qu'ils demeurassent ensemble. La response fut qu'on ne vouloit riẽ donner à credit cette année là; ce à quoy ils s'attendoyent. On me racõta vne generosité de ce capitaine, estant enuoié pour espion vers les Hiroquois, il rencontra l'espion des ennemis: se voians teste à [94] teste, l'Hiroquois se croiant plus fort que le mõtagnaits, lui dit, Ne faisõs point tuer nos gens; mais luitons ensemble, & voions qui pourra emporter son cõpagnon. La proposition acceptée, ce capitaine qui pour lors estoit espiõ des Montagnaits, fatigua si fort son homme, que l'ayant terrassé, il le lia, le chargea sur son dos comme vn fagot, & l'emporta vers ses gens. Voila ce qu'on me dict de luy.

On the 24th, having gone to say Mass at the French settlement, a Captain of the Savages came to see sieur Emery de Caen, and told him that, the Algonquains having gone to war against the Hiroquois, one of their men had been killed and the other taken prisoner. This had so frightened the Montagnaits, that they all returned from the hunt for beavers and bears, to camp near our fort, for fear of being surprised by their enemies. They wanted to unite, that they might be stronger; but they feared famine in abandoning the chase. They asked us therefore [15] if we would supply them with food, in the event of their remaining together. The answer was that we would not give anything on credit that year; this was what they were relying upon. I was told about an act of generosity on the part of this captain. Having been sent as a spy upon the Hiroquois, he encountered the spy of the enemy, and seeing each other face to face, the Hiroquois, believing himself stronger than the montagnaits savage, said to him: "Do not let us have our people killed, but let us wrestle and see which can carry his companion away." The proposal being accepted, this captain, who at that time was the spy of the Montagnaits, so tired out his man that, having thrown him down, he bound him, loaded him upon his back like a piece of wood, and carried him away to his people. This was what they told me about him.[27]

Le mesme iour le Sauuage Manitougache, autrement La Nasse (c'est celuy dont i'escriuis à V.R. l'an passé, [16] qu'il se vouloit venir cabaner aupres de nous, comme il a fait depuis) retournant de la chasse aux ours, s'en vint souper & coucher chez nous. Ayant bien mangé, il commence en riant à frapper doucement son ventre tout nud, disant, taponé nikïspoun, en vérité ie suis saoul. voila comme ils remercient leurs hostes de la bonne chere qu'on leur a faict: quand ils disent nikispoun, ie suis saoul, c'est à dire qu'on les a bien traittez. Il portoit auec soy vn fort grand bouclier fort lõg & fort large: il me couuroit tout le corps aisemẽt, & m'alloit depuis les pies iusques à la poictrine: ils le releuẽt & s'en couurent entieremẽt, il estoit fait d'vne seule piece de bois de cedre fort leger: ie ne scay comme ils peuuent doler vne si grande & si large planche auec leurs couteaux: il estoit vn petit plié ou courbé pour mieux couurir le corps, & afin que [17] les coups de fleches ou de masses venans à le fendre, n'emportassent la piece, il l'auoit cousu hault & bas auec de la corde faite de peau: ils ne portent point ces boucliers au bras, ils passent la corde qui les soustient sur l'espaule droicte, abriant le costé gauche: & quand ils ont tiré leur coup, ils ne font que retirer le costé droict pour se mettre à couuert.

The same day the Savage Manitougache, otherwise La Nasse, (it is he of whom I wrote to Your Reverence last year, [16] that he wanted to come and settle near us, as he has since done), returning from the bear hunt, came to sup and sleep with us. Having eaten well, he began to laugh and gently strike his naked belly, saying, taponé nikïspoun, "in truth, I am full." This is the way they thank their hosts for the good treatment they have received. When they say nikispoun, "I am full," that is to say that they have been handsomely entertained. He carried with him a great shield, very long and very wide. It easily covered my whole body, and reached from my feet to my chest. They raise it up and entirely cover themselves with it. It is made of one single piece of very light cedar. I do not know how they can plane so large and so wide a plank with their knives; it was a little bent or curved, the better to cover the body; and, in order that [17] if an arrow or blow should split it, it might still hold together, it was sewed at the top and bottom with a leather string. They do not carry these shields upon their arms; they pass the cord which holds them over the right shoulder, protecting the left side, and when they have cast their missile they have only to withdraw the right side to put themselves under cover.

[96] Ie diray icy que les Sauuageais aimẽt fort la sagaimité, le mot de Sagamiteou en leur langue signifie proprement de l'eau, ou du brouët chaud: maintenant ils estendent sa signification à toute sorte de potage, de bouillie, & choses semblables. La sagamité qu'ils aiment beaucoup, est faite de farine de bled d'Inde: au defaut de cette farine nous leur en auõs quelquefois donné de la nostre de France, laquelle estant bouillie auec de l'eau, ne fait que de la colle. Ils ne [18] laissent pas de la manger auec appetit, notamment si on y met vn peu de pimi, c'est à dire de l'huile, c'est leur sucre, ils en mettent dans les fraises & framboises quand ils en mangent, à ce qu'on m'a dict: & leurs plus grãds festins sont de graisse ou d'huile. Ils mordent par fois dans vn morceau de graisse blãche figée comme nous mordrions dans vne pomme: voila leur bonne chere. On m'a dict encor qu'autant qu'on leur apportât des chaudieres de France, ils faisoyent cuire leur chair dans des plats d'escorce, qu'ils appellent ouragana. Ie m'estonnois comme ils pouuoyent faire cela, car il n'y a rien si aisé à bruler que cette escorce. On me respõdit qu'ils mettoyent leur chair & de l'eau dans ces plats, puis qu'ils mettoyẽt cinq ou six pierres dans le feu, & quand l'vne estoit toute bruslante, ils la iettoyent dans ce beau potage, [19] & en la retirant pour la remettre au feu, ils en mettoyẽt vne autre toute rouge en sa place, & ainsi continuoyent ils iusques à ce que leur viãde fût cuite. Pierre le Sauuage, dont ie parleray cy apres, m'a asseuré que quelques-vns ayant perdu ou rompu leur chaudiere, se seruoyent encor de cette ancienne coustume, & que la chair n'estoit point si long temps à cuire qu'on s'imagineroit bien.

I shall say here that the Savages are very fond of sagamité.[28] The word "Sagamiteou" in their language really means water, or warm gruel. Now they have extended its meaning to signify all sorts of soups, broths, and similar things. This "sagamité," of which they are very fond, is made of cornmeal; if they are short of that, we sometimes give them some of our French flour, which, being boiled with water, makes simple paste. They do [18] not fail to eat it with appetite, especially when we place in it a little "pimi;" that is to say, oil, for that is their sugar. They use it with their strawberries and raspberries when they eat them, as I am told, and their greatest feasts are of fat or of oil. They sometimes bite into a piece of solid white grease as we would bite into an apple; this is their high living. I have been told that, before kettles were brought to them from France, they cooked their meat in bark dishes which they called ouragana. I wondered how they could do that, for there is nothing easier to burn than this bark. I was answered that they put their meat and water into these dishes, then they place five or six stones in the fire; and, when one is burning hot, they throw it into this fine soup, [19] and, withdrawing it to place it in the fire again, they put another one which is red-hot in its place, and thus continue until their meat is cooked. Pierre, the Savage, of whom I shall speak hereafter, assured me that some of them, having lost or broken their kettles, still resorted to this old custom, and that it did not take so long to cook the meat as one would imagine.

[98] Le 27. d'Octobre veille de sainct Simon & sainct Iude nous vismes vne eclipse de lune, qui me confirma dans la remarque que ie fis l'an passé que vous auiez en France le iour six heures & vn peu dauantage, plustost que noꝰ: car l'Almanach disoit que cette eclipse deuoit arriuer en France sur la minuict, & nous la vîmes sur les six heures du soir; dont ie conclus que la difference du commencement de nos iours & de nos nuicts [20] est de six heures: si bien que maintenant vous estes dans la profondeur de la nuict au temps que i'escris cecy sur les six heures du soir.

On the 27th of October, the eve of saint Simon and saint Jude, we saw an eclipse of the moon, which confirmed the observations which I made last year, that in France it is daylight a little over six hours sooner than it is here. For the Almanac had announced that the eclipse would commence at midnight in France, and we saw it about six o'clock in the evening. Therefore I concluded that the difference in the beginning of our days and our nights [20] is six hours; so that now you are in the middle of night, while I am writing this about six o'clock in the evening.

Le 28^e quelques chasseurs François retournans des isles qui sont dãs le grand fleuue S. Laurens nous dirẽt qu'il y auoit du gibier à foison, des outardes, des oyes, des canards, des sarcelles, & autres oyseaux. Ils nous asseurerent encore qu'il y auoit des pommes dans ces isles, fort douces, mais fort petites, & qu'ils auoyent mangé des prunes qui ne cederoient point à nos abricots de France si ces arbres estoient cultiuez. Les Sauuages gastent tout, car rencontrans vn arbre fruictier, ils l'abbattent pour auoir le fruict.

On the 28th, some French hunters, returning from the islands which are in the great St. Lawrence river, told us that game swarmed there; bustards, geese, ducks, teal, and other birds. They assured us also that there were apples in those islands, very sweet but very small; and that they had eaten plums which would not be in any way inferior to our apricots in France if the tree were cultivated. The Savages spoil everything, for, when they come to a fruit tree, they cut it down to get the fruit.

Le 31. vn Sauuage surnommé Brehault, pource qu'il parloit fort haut, reuenant de la chasse demãda le couuert chez nous pour vne nuict, & à [21] souper par consequent. On luy donna des pois, & à ses deux enfans qui l'accompagnoyent: il mangeoit auec si grand appetit, que pour exploitter dauãtage il quitta vne cueiller d'estain qu'on luy auoit presentée, & prit la grande cueiller du pot, s'en seruant pour manger: Et pource que le plat n'estoit pas assez profond il puisoit dans la marmite, de laquelle il se seruoit pour écuelle, sans garder autre ciuilité que celle que son [100]grand appetit luy fournissoit. Ie le laissay faire quelque temps. Apres qu'il eut bien mangé, il s'en va prendre de l'eau auec la mesme cueiller du pot, beuuant cela auec plaisir, & reiettant son reste dans le seau. voila toute l'honnestete qu'ils sçauent.

On the 31st, a Savage, surnamed Brehault on account of his loud voice, in coming back from the hunt asked us for a night's lodging and consequently for his supper. We gave peas both to him and to his two children who were with him. He ate so ravenously, that to make the best of the occasion, he threw aside the pewter spoon that had been given to him, and took the great pot-ladle to eat with; and, as his dish was not big enough, he dipped into the saucepan, and even used it as a ladle, observing no other law of politeness than what his great appetite suggested to him. I let him go on for some time. After he had eaten well, he dipped some water out with the same pot-ladle, drinking it with great relish and throwing back into the pail what was left. This is all the manners they have.

I'en ay veu quantité d'autres cherchans quelque chose pour puiser de l'eau, prendre vn petit poeslon, dont le dessous est comme celuy d'vne [22] marmite, & boire brauement auec cela, & auec autant de contentement qu'on boiroit en Frãce d'vn vin fort excellent dans vn verre de crystal: les vaisseaux les plus gras leur sõt les plus agreables, pource qu'il n'y a rien qu'ils aiment tant que la graisse, ils boiuent chaud ordinairement, & mangent à terre: ceux qui maintenant nous cognoissent ne font plus ces grosses inciulitez deuant nous.

I have seen many others, looking for something with which to dip water, take a little kettle, the bottom of which is like that of a [22] saucepan, and drink cheerfully from it and with as much satisfaction as you would in France drink excellent wine from a crystal glass. The most greasy vessels are the most agreeable to them, for there is nothing they relish so much as grease; they usually drink liquids hot and they eat from the ground. Those who know us do not now indulge in such gross incivilities in our presence.

Le premier iour de Nouembre feste de tous les Saints, aiant appris qu'vn pauure miserable Sauuage mãgé d'vn chancre ou des écroüelles, estoit dãs vne meschante cabane delà le grand fleuue de S. Laurens, abandonné de tout le monde, horsmis de la fẽme qui l'assistoit le mieux qu'elle pouuoit, nous fismes ce que nous peûmes pour le faire apporter prés de nostre maison, afin de le pouuoir secourir selon le corps & selon l'ame: [23] le Pere de Nouë & nostre Frere le furent voir, ils en eurent grande compassion. Ie priay nostre truchement frãcois d'induire les Sauuages à nous l'apporter: car nous ne pouuions l'aller querir; il en parla a l'vn d'eux en ma presence, qui demanda ce qu'on luy donneroit, on luy dit qu'on luy donneroit à manger, ie luy fis dire qu'il estoit grandement ingrat, que cet homme estoit de sa nation, & que nous qui n'en estions pas, le vouliõs secourir, & cependant qu'il luy refusoit ce peu d'assistance. A cela point d'autre response, sinon qu'il s'en alloit [102] bien-tost à la chasse, & qu'il n'auoit pas le loisir de mener la son canot.

On the first day of November, all Saints' day, having learned that a poor miserable Savage, eaten by a malignant ulcer or scrofulous affection, was in a wretched hut beyond the great St. Lawrence, abandoned by everybody except his wife, who was caring for him the best she could, we did all in our power to have him brought near our house, in order that we might help him both in regard to his body and his soul. [23] Father de Nouë and our Brother went to see him, and they were filled with compassion for him. I begged our french interpreter to persuade the Savages to bring him to us, for we could not go and fetch him. He spoke to one of them in my presence, who asked what he would be given for it. He was told that he would be given something to eat. I had them tell him that he was very ungrateful; that the sick man was of his tribe, and that we who were not of it wished to help him, and still he refused him that little assistance. For this he made no other excuse than that he was going very soon to the hunt, and that he had no time to take his canoe there.

I'ay remarqué que les Sauuages font tres-peu d'estat d'vn homme de la santé duquel ils desesperent, voire mesme ils les tuënt par fois, où les laissent dãs les bois pour s'en deffaire, [24] ou pour ne les voir languir.

I have observed that the Savages care but little for men whose condition is so low that life is despaired of; indeed they sometimes kill them, or leave them in the woods to get rid of them, [24] or to avoid seeing them gradually fail.

Le 5. du mesme mois de Nouembre, vn grand ieune Sauuage s'en vint chez nous retournant de la chasse aux castors, criant qu'il mouroit de faim, il apportoit quantité de racines, entr'autres force oignons de martagons rouges, dont il y a icy tres-grand nõbre, nous luy donnasmes quelque chose, & goustasmes de ces oignons, ils sont tres-bons à manger, il n'y fit point d'autre saulce que de les faire boüillir dans l'eau sans sel, car les Sauuages n'en mangent point, quoy que maintenant ils s'y accoustument fort bien.

On the 5th of the same month of November, a tall young Savage, returning from beaver hunting, called upon us, crying out that he was dying of hunger. He brought a number of roots, among them several bulbs of the red lily variety, of which there are a great many here. We gave him something, and tasted these bulbs, which are very good to eat;[29] he made no other sauce than to boil them in a little water without salt, which the Savages do not use, although they are now accustoming themselves to it very well.

Le huictiesme Manitougache surnommé la Nasse, & toute sa famille composée de deux ou trois ménages, se vindrent cabaner auprés de nostre maison, ils nous dirent que deux ou trois cabanes de Sauuages auoient esté deuorées par de grands animaux incognus, [25] qu'ils croioient que c'étoient des Diables, & que les Montagnaits ayant peur, ne vouloient point aller à la chasse du costé du Cap de Tourmente, & de Tadoussac, ces mõstres ayans paru de ce costé là. On soupçonna par apres que les Sauuages auoient fait courir ce bruit, pour tirer de l'autre costé de la riuiere.

On the eighth, Manitougache, surnamed la Nasse, and all his family, consisting of two or three households, came and encamped near our house. They told us that two or three families of Savages had been devoured by large unknown animals, [25] which they believed were Devils; and that the Montagnaits, fearing them, did not wish to go hunting in the neighborhood of Cape de Tourmente and Tadoussac, these monsters having appeared in that neighborhood.[30] It was afterward suspected that the Savages had spread this report, to draw them from the other side of the river.

Le 9. ie m'en allay voir ces nouueaux hostes; comme i'estois dans leur cabane, i'entendois chanter deux hommes sans sçauoir où ils estoient, ie regarde dans toute la cabane, ie ne les voy point & cependãt [104] ils estoient tout au milieu, renfermés comme dans vn four, où ils se mettent pour se faire suer. Ils dressent vn petit tabernacle fort bas, entouré d'ecorces, & tout couuert de leurs robbes de peaux: ils font chauffer cinq ou six cailloux qu'ils mettent dans ce four où ils entrent tous nuds, [26] ils chantent là dedans incessamment, frappans doucement les costez de ces estuues. Ie les veis sortir tous moüillez de leur sueur: voila la meilleure de leurs medecines.

On the 9th I went to see these newcomers; and while in their cabin I heard two men singing, but I could not tell where they were. I looked all around in the cabin, but did not see them, and yet they were there in the very middle of it, shut up as in an oven, where they had placed themselves to have a sweat. They make a little low tent of bark, and cover it with their fur robes; then they heat five or six stones and put them into this oven, which they enter entirely naked. [26] They sing all the time while in there, gently striking the sides of these stoves. I saw them come out all wet with perspiration; this is the best of their medicines.[31]

Le 12. de Nouembre, l'hyuer fit ses approches, commençant à nous assieger de ses glaces. Ayant esté fort long temps ce iour là dans vne grande cabane de Sauuages, où il y auoit plusieurs hommes, femmes, enfans de toutes façons, ie remarquay leur admirable patience, s'il y auoit tant de familles ensemble en nostre France, ce ne seroiẽt que disputes, que querelles, & qu'iniures; les meres ne s'impatientent point apres leurs enfans, ils ne sçauent que c'est que de iurer, tout leur serment consiste en ce mot taponé, en verité, point de ialousie les vns enuers les autres, ils s'entr'aident & secourent grandement, pource qu'ils esperent le reciproque, [27] cet espoir manquant, ils ne tiennent compte de qui que ce soit.

On the 12th of November, winter made its first appearance, beginning to besiege us with its ice. Having spent a long time on that day in one of the large cabins of the Savages, where there were a number of men, women, and children of all kinds, I noticed their wonderful patience. If so many families were together in our France, there would be nothing but disputes, quarrels, and revilings. The mothers do not get impatient with their children, they do not know what it is to swear, their only oath consisting of this one word taponé, "in truth;"[32] there is no jealousy among them; they aid and relieve each other very generously, because they expect a return of the favor. [27] If this expectation fail, they respect the person no longer, whoever he may be.

Tout ainsi qu'vn homme en Europe se compose & s'habille honnestement quand il veut aller en quelque honneste maison; de mesme les Sauuages se font peindre la face quãd ils font quelques visites. Le fils de Manitougache voulant aller à l'habitation, ie vy sa mere qui le graissoit & le peignoit de rouge, elle en fit autant à son mary: ils trouuent cela si agreable, que les petits enfans ne pensent pas estre beaux, s'ils ne sont barboüillez: i'en voiois vn qui frottoit ses doigts sur vne hache roüillée, puis se faisoit des rayes au visage auec cette roüillure, ie fis vne [106] petite croix auec vn peu d'encre sur le front d'vn petit garçon, il se tenoit bien braue, & les autres trouvoient cela fort beau. Ou que le iugement des hommes est foible! les vns logẽt la beauté [28] où les autres ne voient que la laideur. Les dents les plus belles en France sont les plus blanches, aux Isles des Maldiues la blancheur des dents est vne difformité, ils se les rougissent pour estre belles: & dans la Cochinchine, si i'ay bonne memoire, ils les teignent en noir. Voyez qui a raison.

Just as a man in Europe arranges his toilet with care when he is going to pay a visit to some respectable family, so these Savages have their faces painted when they make visits. The son of Manitougache wishing to go to our settlement, I saw his mother grease him and paint him red; she did the same to her husband. They find this so agreeable that the little children do not think they are beautiful unless their faces are smeared over with something. I saw one rubbing his fingers upon a rusty axe, and then making streaks upon his face with the rust. I made a small cross with some ink upon the brow of a little boy; he acted very proud, and the others considered him quite beautiful. Oh, how weak are the judgments of men! Some place beauty [28] where others see nothing but ugliness. The most beautiful teeth in France are the whitest; in the Maldive Islands whiteness of teeth is considered a deformity, they paint them red to be beautiful; and in Cochin China, if my memory serves me, they paint them black. Which is right?

Le 13. Manitougache nostre hoste & voisin nous vint dire qu'on auoit veu quantité d'Hiroquois qui auoiẽt paru iusques auprés de Kebec. Tous les Montagnaits trembloient de peur. Celuy-cy nous demanda si sa femme & ses enfans ne pourroient pas bien venir coucher chez nous, nous luy respondismes que luy & ses fils seroient les tres-bien venus, mais que les filles & femmes ne couchoient point dans nos maisons, voire mesme qu'elles n'y entroient point en France, & qu'aussi-tost que nous serions fermez, que la porte ne leur seroit [29] plus ouuerte. Il enuoya donc tout son train, tous les ieunes gens aux cabanes voisines de Kebec, où l'on disoit que l'on enuoyeroit quelques harquebusiers pour les garder. Pour luy estant inuité du Capitaine des Sauuages de prendre sa cabane iusques à ce que l'effroy fust passé, il fit response que s'il deuoit mourir, qu'il vouloit mourir aupres de nous, & ainsi ayant mis ses gens en asseurance, il nous reuint trouuer.

On the 13th, Manitougache, our guest and neighbor, came to tell us that a great many Hiroquois had been seen near Kebec. All the Montagnaits trembled with fear. He asked if his wife and children could not come and lodge with us. We answered him that he and his sons would be very welcome, but that girls and women were not permitted to sleep in our houses, indeed, they never entered them in France; and that, just as soon as we could close our doors, they would not again be [29] opened to them. He then sent his whole party, all the young people, to cabins in the neighborhood of Kebec, where they were told that some arquebusiers would be sent to protect them. As to himself, having been invited by the Captain of the Savages to accept his cabin until the fright should have passed away, he answered that, if he had to die, he wanted to die near us; and, having thus placed his people in security, he returned to us.

Ce mesme iour Pierre Pastedechouan nous vint voir pour demeurer auec nous. Ie ne puis obmettre icy vn trait fort particulier de l'admirable bonté & prouidence de Dieu en nostre endroit. Ce ieune [108] homme a esté conduit en Frãce en son bas âge par les RR. Peres Recolets, il a esté baptisé à Angers Monsieur le Prince de Guimenée estoit sõ parrain, il parle fort biẽ Francois, & fort bon Sauuage, [30] ayant esté ramené en son pays on le remit entre les mains de ses freres pour reprendre les idées de sa langue qu'il auoit presque oubliées: ce pauure miserable est deuenu barbare comme les autres, & a tousiours continué dans ses barbaries pendant que les Anglois ont icy seiourné. Sçachant le retour de François, il vient voir le sieur Emery de Caën à Tadoussac, qui l'inuita de monter à Kebec, ce qu'il fit. Il le vouloit prendre pour son truchement, le faisant manger à sa table, luy témoignant vn fort bon visage. Moy cependant comme ie desirois grandement d'entrer dans la cognoissance de la langue, & voyant que ie n'auançois riẽ faute de maistre, ie deliberay de m'addresser à Dieu, esperant que nous aurions ce ieune homme pour quelque temps: nous nous mismes tous a solliciter cette affaire auprés de nostre Seigneur, ie sentois [31] vn si grand desir, ioinct auec vne si grande confiãce, qu'il me sembloit que nous l'auions desia contre toutes les apparences humaines: car comme on se vouloit seruir de luy au fort, on le traittoit fauorablement, veu d'ailleurs que ne respirant que la liberté, il abhorrait plustost nostre maison, qu'il ne l'aimoit. Dieu est plus fort que tous les hommes, il n'appartient qu'à luy de tirer le biẽ du mal. Ce pauure ieune homme estant trop à son aise ne s'y peut tenir, il mescontente le sieur de Caën vne & deux fois il est disgracié, & remis en faueur, cependant ie sollicite le sieur de Caën de nous l'enuoyer au cas qu'il ne se pût accommoder au fort, qu'il nous [110] obligeroit, & feroit du bien à ce pauure abandonné: luy qui nous faisoit l'hõneur que de nous aimer, s'y accorde aisément. Or ce pauure garçon se voiant decheu de l'amitié du sieur de [32] Caën se iette du costé du sieur du Plessis, c'estoit tomber pour luy de fiéure en chaud mal: car le sieur du Plessis cognoissant ses fripponneries, & desirant qu'il demeurast auec nous, le rebuta, luy promettant son amitié au cas qu'il voulust passer quelques mois en nostre maison pour se remettre dans les deuoirs d'vn bon Chrestien. Monsieur de Caën luy témoignoit le mesme: le voila donc exclus du fort. Il ne falloit plus qu'estre abãdonné en quelque façon des Sauuages. Il auoit espousé la fille de Manitougache, elle ayant receu quelque mescontentement de luy, le quitta là, ce sont les mariages des Sauuages, qui ne se lient que par vn lacs courant, il faut peu de chose pour les separer, si ce n'est qu'ils ayent des enfans, car alors ils ne se quittent pas si aisement.

On this same day, Pierre Pastedechouan came[33] to make his home with us. I cannot omit here an incident especially exhibiting the admirable kindness and providence of God in our behalf. This young man had been taken to France in his childhood by the Reverend Recolet Fathers. He had been baptized at Angers, Monsieur the Prince of Guimenée being his godfather. He speaks French and the Savage Tongue very well. [30] Having been brought back to his country, he was again placed in the hands of his brothers, to recover the use of his own language, which he had almost forgotten. This poor wretch has become a barbarian like the others, and persistently followed barbaric customs while the English were here. Hearing of the return of the French, he visited sieur Emery de Caën, at Tadoussac, who invited him to go to Kebec, which he did. He intended to take him for his interpreter, having him eat at his table, and treating him kindly. Meanwhile, I desired to obtain a greater knowledge of the language; and seeing that I made no progress, for want of a teacher, I had been thinking for some time of asking God, hoping that we should have this young man with us for a while. We all began to pray for this favor at the throne of our Lord; I felt [31] so strong a desire, combined with so great confidence, that it seemed to me we had him already, all human appearances to the contrary notwithstanding; for, as they wanted to make use of him at the fort, he was treated very kindly. Besides, while breathing only liberty, he rather abhorred our house than loved it. God is stronger than all men; it belongs only to him to draw good out of evil. This poor young man, being in too easy a position, could not stand his prosperity. He displeased sieur de Caën; once and twice, he was disgraced, and restored to favor. In the meantime, I solicited sieur de Caën to send him to us, in the event that it was not agreeable to him to keep him at the fort; that he would oblige us, and do a service to this poor abandoned creature. He, who honored us with his affection, granted our request readily; now this poor boy, seeing that he has lost the friendship of sieur de [32] Caën, goes over to sieur du Plessis.[34] This was but going from bad to worse. For sieur du Plessis, knowing his knavish tricks, and desiring that he should live with us, rejected him, promising him his friendship provided that he would spend some months in our house, where he might resume the duties of a good Christian. Monsieur de Caën treated him in the same way; behold him thus excluded from the fort. Nothing was lacking but that he should in some way be abandoned by the Savages also. He had married the daughter of Manitougache; she, having become somewhat dissatisfied with him, left him. Such are the nuptial ties of the Savages, who bind themselves by only a loose knot; but little is necessary to separate them, unless they have children, for then they do not leave each other so easily.

Estant donc ainsi rebuté, il se vint ietter entre nos bras qui n'estoient [33] que trop ouuerts pour luy, nous luy procurasmes vn habit de Frãçois, que le valet de chambre du sieur du Plessis luy donna, bref nous luy fismes tout l'accueil qui nous fut possible, rendans mille graces au bon Dieu de ce qu'il luy auoit pleu exaucer nos prieres.

Being thus repulsed, he came and threw himself into our arms, which were only [33] too widely opened for him. We provided him with a suit of French clothes, that a valet de chambre of sieur du Plessis gave him. In short, we gave him as warm a welcome as was possible, returning a thousand thanks to the good God for having answered our prayers.

Ayant donc ceste commodité, ie me mets à trauailler sans cesse, ie fay des coniugaisons, declinaisons, quelque petite syntaxe, vn dictionnaire, auec vne peine incroyable, car il me falloit quelquefois demander vingt questions pour auoir la cognoissance d'vn mot, tant mon maistre peu duit à enseigner varioit. O que ie suis obligé à ceux qui m'enuoierent l'an [112] passé du Petum. Les Sauuages l'aiment déreglement. A toutes les difficultez que ie rencõtrois, i'en donnois vn bout à mõ maistre pour le rendre plus attentif. Ie [34] ne sçaurois assez rendre graces à Nostre Seigneur de cet heureux rencontre. En tant d'années qu'on a esté en ces païs, on n'a iamais rien pû tirer de l'interprete ou truchement nommé Marsolet, qui pour excusé disoit qu'il auoit iuré qu'il ne donneroit rien du lãgage des Sauuages à qui que ce fût. Le Pere Charles Lallemant le gagna, ie pense auoir ce qu'il luy bailla, mais cela ne m'eut de rien seruy, l'œconomie de la langue toute differente de celles d'Europe n'est point declarée là dedans. Que Dieu soit beny pour vn iamais, sa prouidence est adorable, & sa bonté n'a point de limites.

Now, having gained this advantage, I begin to work incessantly. I make conjugations, declensions and some little syntax, and a dictionary,[24] with incredible trouble, for I was compelled sometimes to ask twenty questions to understand one word, so changeable was my master's way of teaching. Oh, how grateful I am to those who sent me some Tobacco last year. The Savages love it to madness. Whenever we came to a difficulty, I gave my master a piece of tobacco, to make him more attentive. I [34] never can thank our Lord enough for this fortunate circumstance. In all the years that we have been in this country no one has ever been able to learn anything from the interpreter named Marsolet,[35] who, for excuse, said he had sworn that he would never teach the Savage tongue to any one whomsoever. Father Charles Lallemant won him, and I think I have acquired what he learned from him, but I could not make use of it at all; the construction of the language, entirely different from that of the European languages, is not declared therein. May God be praised forever; his providence is adorable, and his goodness unbounded.

Il m'a fallu auant que de sçauoir vne langue faire des liures pour l'apprendre, & quoy que ie ne les tienne pas si corrects, si est-ce que maintenant de l'heure que ie parle, quand ie compose quelque chose, ie me fay bien entendre aux Sauuages; le tout [35] gist à composer souuent, à apprendre quantité de mots, à me faire à leur accent, & mes occupations ne me le permettent pas: ie pensois m'en aller cét hyuer prochain auec eux dans les bois, mais ie preuoy qu'il me sera impossible, lié comme ie suis: si mon maistre ne m'eust point quitté, dans peu de mois i'aurois bien auancé.

Before knowing a language, it was necessary for me to make the books from which to learn it; and, although I do not hold them to be so correct, yet now, at the time when I am writing, when I compose anything I make myself understood very well by the Savages. It all [35] lies in composing often, in learning a great many words, in acquiring their accent; and my occupations do not permit it. I was thinking of going with them next winter into the woods, but I foresee that it will be impossible, tied as I am. If my teacher had not left me, I should have made considerable progress in a few months.

I'ay remarqué dans l'estude de leur langue qu'il y a vn certain barragoin entre les François & les Sauuages, qui n'est ny François, ny Sauuage, & cependant quand les François s'en seruent, ils pensent parler Sauuage, & les Sauuages en l'vsurpant croyent [114] parler bon François. I'en escriuy quelques mots l'an passé, que ie qualifiois de mots de Sauuages le pesant ainsi. Par exẽple le mot d'Ania, dont i'ay encore fait mention cy-dessus, est vn mot barbare, les Sauuages s'en seruent à tout bout [36] de champ parlant aux François, & les François parlant aux Sauuages, & tous s'en seruent pour dire mon frere, mais en vray Sauuage de Montagnaits, Nichtais, c'est à dire mõ frere aisné, Nichim, mon cadet: le mot de Sagamo ne s'vsurpe icy que par quelques-vns, pour dire Capitaine, le vray mot c'est Oukhimau, ie croy que ce mot de Sagamo vient de l'Acadie, il y en a quantité d'autres semblables. Au commencement qu'on entre en vn pays, on escrit plusieurs choses, les pensant vrayes sur le rapport d'autruy, le temps découure la verité.

I have noticed in the study of their language that there is a certain jargon between the French and the Savages, which is neither French nor Savage; and yet when the French use it, they think they are speaking the Savage Tongue, and the Savages, in using it, think they are speaking good French. I wrote a few words of it last year that I characterized as Savage words, believing them to be so. For example, the word, Ania, which I have mentioned above, is an alien word,[36] the Savages making use of it on every [36] occasion in speaking to the French, and the French in speaking to the Savages, and all use it to say "my brother;" but in the real Savage Tongue of the Montagnaits, Nichtais means "my eldest brother," Nichim "my youngest;" the word Sagamo is used by only a few here to say "Captain." The correct word is Oukhimau; I believe this word, Sagamo, comes from Acadia;[37] there are many others like it. When a person first visits a country, he writes a great many things upon the word of others, believing them to be true; time reveals the truth.

On m'a discouru de plusieurs façons de faire de ces nations, nous aurons assez de temps pour voir ce qui en est.

I have been told many different things about the customs of these tribes; we shall have time enough to learn how true they are.

Ie diray en passant que cette langue est fort pauure, & fort riche. Elle est pauure, pour autant que n'ayãs point de cognoissance de mille & [37] mille choses qui sont en l'Europe, ils n'ont point de noms pour les signifier. Elle est riche, pource qu'és choses dont ils ont cognoissance elle est fœconde, & grandement nombreuse, il me semble qu'ils ne la prononcent pas bien. Les Algonquains qui ne different des Montagnaits que cõme les Prouençaux des Normands, ont vne prononciation tout à fait gaye & gentille.

I shall say, in passing, that this language is very poor and very rich. It is poor; because, having no knowledge of thousands and [37] thousands of things which are in Europe, they have no names to indicate them. It is rich, because in the things of which they have a knowledge, it is fertile and plentiful; it seems to me that they do not pronounce it well. The Algonquains, who differ from the Montagnaits only as the Provençals from the Normans, have a pronunciation that is altogether charming and agreeable.

Ie ne croy pas auoir ouy parler d'aucune langue qui procedast de mesme façon que celle-cy. Le Pere Brebeuf m'asseure que celle des Hurons est d'vne mesme œconomie. Qu'on les appelle Barbares tant qu'on [116] voudra, leur langue est fort reglée, ie n'y suis pas encore grand maistre, i'en parleray quelque iour auec plus d'asseurance. Si ie n'auois peur d'estre trop long, ie mettrois icy vne grande & tout à fait estrange [38] difference entre les langues d'Europe & celles-cy.

I do not think that I have ever heard any language spoken which is formed in the same manner as this. Father Brebeuf assures me that the language of the Hurons is of the same construction. People may call them Barbarians as much as they please, but their language is very regular.[38] I am not yet a perfect master of it; I shall speak of it some day with more assurance. If I were not afraid of being tedious, I should note here a striking and radically strange [38] difference between the languages of Europe and those of this country.

Le 14. de Nouembre, le Sauuage la Nasse estant chez nous, ie luy fis parler de la Creation du monde, de l'Incarnation, & de la Passion du Fils de Dieu, nous passasmes bien auant dans la nuict, tout le monde s'endormoit horsmis luy. Estant de retour en sa cabane, il dit à Pierre, qu'il entendoit volontiers parler de cela.

On the 14th of November, the Savage la Nasse being with us, I instructed him about the Creation of the world, the Incarnation, and the Passion of the Son of God. We talked well into the night, everyone being asleep except him. Returning to his cabin, he said to Pierre that he was much pleased to listen to such talk.

Nous voiant vn iour prier Dieu apres le disner, il tira vn profond souspir, disant: O que ie suis malheureux de ce que ie ne sçay pas prier Dieu comme vous!

Seeing us praying to God one day after dinner, he sighed deeply, saying: "Oh, how unhappy I am that I am not able to pray to God as you do!"

Il a souuent dit à Pierre, enseigne vistement cét homme là, parlant de moy, afin que nous puissions entendre ce qu'il dit. Il vient le soir aux Litanies en nostre Chappelle quand il couche chez nous, & comme il respondoit auec nous ora pro nobis, [39] Pierre se riant de cela, luy demanda s'il entendoit bien ce qu'il auoit dit; Non, dit-il, mais ie croy que cela est bon, puis que ces Peres le disent en priant Dieu. Il nous a tesmoigné qu'il vouloit mourir auec nous, & qu'il ne s'en iroit point que nous ne la chassassions; s'il n'estoit chargé d'vne si grande famille, ie souhaitterois biẽ qu'il fut nostre domestique. Il est quasi assez instruict pour estre baptisé s'il tomboit en danger de mort; mais nous ne nous hasterons point, que nous ne sçachions bien parler. Comme i'instruisois [118]son petit fils, il me dit, Instruis moy, ie retiendray plustost que luy, & ioignãt les mains, il disoit la benediction de table.

He has often said to Pierre: "Teach that man as soon as you can," speaking of me, "in order that we may be able to understand what he says." In the evening when he sleeps with us, he attends the Litanies in our Chapel; and as he was answering with us, ora pro nobis, [39] Pierre, laughing at this, asked him if he had thoroughly understood what he had said: "No," said he, "but I believe it is good, since those Fathers say it in praying to God." He has often given proof that he would be willing to die with us, and says he will not go away from us unless we drive him. If he were not burdened with so large a family, I would like very well to have him for our domestic. He is sufficiently instructed to be baptized, should he be in danger of death; but we shall not make haste until we know how to speak the language well. As I was instructing his grandson, he said to me: "Teach me; I shall retain it better than he," and, joining his hands, he pronounced the blessing at the table.

Ie luy dis vne fois que Dieu defendoit de trauailler certains iours, pource qu'il trauailloit vn Dimanche. Il me dit, Aduertis moy de ces [40] iours, & ie les garderay. Lisant les Commandemens de Dieu en sa cabane, quand ie vins à celuy qui recõmande aux enfans d'obeïr à leurs pere & mere, il se tourna vers les siens, & leur fit signe qu'ils escoutassent; Ayant entendu cet autre Commandement, Tu ne tueras point, il me dit qu'on l'auoit voulu inciter à tuer quelqu'vn; mais que voyant que c'étoit mal fait, qu'il ne l'auoit pas voulu faire. Voicy vn autre discours.

Once, while he was working on Sunday, I told him that God forbade work upon certain days; he said: "Teach me those days, [40] and I shall keep them." Reading the Commandments of God in his cabin, when I came to that one which commands children to obey their father and mother, he turned toward his, and signed to them to listen. Having heard that other Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," he told me some one had tried to incite him to murder; but, seeing that it was an evil deed, he did not wish to do it. That was another conversation.

Pierre Pastedechouan nous a rapporté que sa grand'mere prenoit plaisir à raconter l'estonnement qu'eurent les Sauuages voyans arriuer le vaisseau des François qui aborda le premier en ces pays cy, ils pensoient que ce fust vne Isle mouuante, ils ne sçauoient que dire des grãdes voiles qui la faisoiẽt marcher, leur estonnement redoubla voyans quãtité d'hommes sur le tillac. Les femmes [41] commencerent à leur dresser des cabanes, ce qu'elles font ordinairement quand de nouueaux hostes arriuent, & quatre canots de Sauuages se hazarderent d'abborder ces vaisseaux, ils inuitent les François à venir dans les cabanes qu'on leur preparoit, mais ils ne s'entendoient pas les vns les autres. On leur donna vne barique de pain ou biscuit, l'ayant emporté & reuisité, n'y trouuant point de goust, ils la ietterent en l'eau: en vn mot ils estoient dans le mesme estonnement qui fut iadis le Roy de Calecut à l'abbord du premier nauire European qu'il veit prés de ses terres; car ayant enuoyé quelques personnes pour recognoistre quels gens [120] amenoit ceste grande maison de bois, les messagers rapporterent à leur maistre que c'estoiẽt des hommes prodigieux & espouuentables; qu'ils s'habilloient de [42] fer, mangeoient des os, & beuuoiẽt du sang; ils les auoient veu couuerts de leurs cuirasses, manger du biscuit & boire du vin. Nos Saunages disoient que les François beuuoient du sang, & mangeoient du bois, appellant ainsi le vin, & le biscuit.

Pierre Pastedechouan has told us that his grandmother used to take pleasure in relating to him the astonishment of the Natives, when they saw for the first time a French ship arrive upon their shores. They thought it was a moving Island; they did not know what to say of the great sails which made it go; their astonishment was redoubled in seeing a number of men on deck. The women [41] at once began to prepare houses for them, as is their custom when new guests arrive, and four canoes of Savages ventured to board these vessels. They invited the Frenchmen to come into the houses which had been made ready for them, but neither side understood the other. They were given a barrel of bread or biscuit. Having brought it on shore they examined it; and, finding no taste in it, threw it into the water. In a word, they were as much astonished as was the King of Calecut, in olden times, when he saw the first European ship nearing his shores; for, having sent some one to investigate the character and appearance of the men brought by that great house of wood, the messengers reported to their master that these men were prodigious and horrible; that they were dressed in [42] iron, ate bones, and drank blood. They had seen them covered with their cuirasses, eating biscuits, and drinking wine. Our Savages said the Frenchmen drank blood and ate wood, thus naming the wine and the biscuits.

Or comme ils ne pouuoient entendre de quelle nation estoient nos gens, ils leurs donnerent vn nom, qui est tousiours demeuré depuis aux François ouemich-tigouchiou, c'est à dire vn homme qui trauaille en bois, ou qui est en vn canot ou vaisseau de bois: ils voyoient nostre nauire fait de bois, leurs petits canots n'estans bastis que d'escorce.

Now as they were unable to understand to what nation our people belonged, they gave them the name which has since always clung to the French, ouemich-tigouchiou; that is to say, a man who works in wood, or who is in a canoe or vessel of wood. They saw our ships, which were made of wood, their little canoes being made only of bark.

Le 20. de Nouembre nostre Sauuage, c'est ainsi que i'appelleray ce bon Manitougache, surnommé la Nasse, se mit à faire vne cabane de bois dans le bastiment que nous ont bruslé les Anglois tout auprés [43] de nostre petite maison, il fit luy-mesme de la planche auec vne hache, couppant certains arbres aisez à refendre: il alla brusler vne vieille challouppe qu'il auoit veu échoüée & abandonnée dans vne Isle, & du clou qu'il en retira, il se fit auec ses planches vne petite maisonnette ou cabane assez passable; les autres Sauuages la venoient voir, & nos François aussi, loüans son inuention. Ie luy donnay vn nom de Iesus en papier pour le mettre dedãs en quelque endroit, il l'attacha au plꝰ beau lieu.

On the 20th of November, our Savage,—it is thus that I shall designate this good Manitougache,—surnamed la Nasse, began building a wooden cabin near our little house, on the site of the one which the [43] English had burned down. He himself made boards with a hatchet, cutting certain kinds of wood that are easily split. He burned an old boat, that he had seen stranded and abandoned upon an Island; and, with the nails which he obtained, he made a very fair little house or cabin with his boards. The other Savages came to see it, and we Frenchmen also, praising his ingenuity. I gave him the name of Jesus on a paper, to put inside of it somewhere, and he hung it up in the best place.

Il arriua vne chose plaisante à vn Sauuage qui le venoit voir: ce bon homme regardoit cette maisonnette de bois, & ne sçauoit par où entrer, ne pouuant trouuer la porte, il tourne & retourne à l'entour de [122] cette cabane, & croyant qu'il n'y auoit point d'entrée, il s'en alla comme il estoit venu, on dira qu'il deuoit [44] frapper, ce n'est point la coustume des Sauuages, ils entrent par tout sans dire mot, ny sans vous salüer: leurs cabanes ne fermẽt point, y entre qui veut, ils n'ont qu'vne vieille peau qui leur sert de porte; on n'entend point neantmoins parler de larrons parmy eux, cela est fort rare i'entend des Montagnaits: car les Hurons font mestier de dérober, aussi font ils de meilleures cabanes, estans sedentaires, & non vagabons & errans comme ceux de ce pays-cy. I'apprend que ces Hurons tiennent vn homme pour auoir de l'esprit qui esquiue la main du larron, ou qui sçait dérober sans estre recognu: que s'il est surpris, battez-le tãt que vous voudrez, il ne vous dira rien: il souffre patiemment ce chastiment, non en punition du larcin, mais de sa lourdise, s'estant laissé surprendre.

Something very amusing happened to a Savage who came to see it. This simple man examined the little wooden house, and not knowing where to enter, being unable to find the door, he went round and round it, and, thinking there was no entrance, went away as he came. One would say that he ought [44] to have knocked; but this is not the custom of the Savages. They enter everywhere without saying a word, or without any greeting. Their houses are not closed; all can enter who will, as they have only an old skin which serves as a door. Nevertheless, we never hear of thieves among them, or very seldom.—I mean among the Montagnaits; but the Hurons make a business of thieving. They also make better houses, being sedentary, and not leading a vagabond and wandering life like those of this country. I learn that the Hurons consider a man very clever who can escape the hand of a thief, or who knows how to steal without being caught. But, if he be discovered, you may whip him as much as you like and he will say nothing. He suffers his punishment patiently, not as a penalty for his crime, but for his awkwardness in being caught.

Le 27. du mesme mois de Nouembre, [45] l'hyuer qui auoit desia paru comme de loin, de temps en temps, nous assiegea tout à fait. Car ce iour & les autres suiuans, il tomba tant de neige, qu'elle nous déroba la veuë de la terre pour cinq mois.

On the 27th of the same month of November, [45] the winter, which had already appeared in the distance from time to time, completely besieged us, for on that and the following days the snow fell so heavily that it deprived us of the sight of the earth for five months.

Voicy les qualitez de l'hyuer, il a esté beau & bon, & bien long. Il a esté beau, car il a esté blanc comme neige, sans crottes & sans pluye. ie ne sçay s'il a pleu trois fois en quatre ou cinq mois, mais il a souuent neigé.

I shall tell you what sort of winter we have had here. It has been beautiful, and good, and very long. It was beautiful because it was as white as snow, without mud and without rain. I do not know that it has rained three times in four or five months, but it has often snowed.

II a esté bon, car le froid y a esté rigeoureux; on le tient pour l'vn des plus fascheux qui ait esté depuis lõg temps. Il y auoit par tout quatre ou cinq pieds de neige, en quelques endroicts plus de dix, deuant [124]nostre maison vne montagne: Les vents la rassemblans, & nous d'autre costé la releuans, pour faire vn petit chemin deuant nostre porte, elle faisoit cõme vne muraille toute blanche, plus [46] haute d'vn ou deux pieds que le toict de la maison. Le froid estoit par fois si violent, que nous entendions les arbres se fendre dans le bois, & en se fendans faire vn bruit comme des armes à feu. Il m'est arriué qu'en escriuant fort prés d'vn grand feu, mon encre se geloit, & par necessité il falloit mettre vn réchaut plein de charbons ardens proche de moin escritoire, autrement i'eusse trouué de la glace noire, au lieu d'encre.

It was good, because the cold has been severe; it is considered one of the most rigorous winters that they have had for a long time. There was everywhere four or five feet of snow, in some places, over ten, before our house, a mountain: the wind drifting it, and we, on the other hand, shovelling it away to make a little path before our door. It rose like a wall, all white, higher [46] by one or two feet than the roof of our house. The cold was at times so violent that we heard the trees split in the woods, and in breaking make a noise like that of firearms. It happened to me that while writing very near a big fire, my ink froze; and I had to place a little pan full of hot coals near my inkstand, otherwise I should have found black ice instead of ink.

Cette rigueur demesurée n'a duré que dix iours ou enuiron, non pas continuels, mais à diuerses reprises, le reste du temps, quoy que le froid surpasse de beaucoup les gelées de France, il n'y a rien d'intolerable, & ie puis dire qu'on peut icy plus aisément trauailler dans les bois, qu'on ne fait en France, où les pluyes de l'hyuer sont fort importunes. Mais il se faut armer de bonnes mitaines, [47] si on ne veut auoir les mains gelées: Nos Sauuages neantmoins s'en venoient quelquefois chez nous à demy nuds, sans se plaindre du froid: ce qui m'apprend que si la nature s'habituë à cela, la nature & la grace pourront bien nous donner assez de cœur & de force pour le supporter ioieusement; s'il y a du froid, il y a du bois.

This extreme cold lasted only ten days or thereabout, not continuously, but at different times. The rest of the time, although the cold greatly exceeds that of France, it is not at all intolerable; and I can say that it is easier to work here in the woods than it is in France, where the winter rains are so penetrating. But one must be provided with good mittens, [47] unless he wants to have his hands frozen; and yet our Savages visited us sometimes half-naked, without complaining of the cold. This teaches me that, if nature can accustom itself to this cold, nature and grace can very well give us the heart and strength to support it cheerfully. If there is cold, there is wood.

I'ay dit que l'hyuer a esté long; depuis le 27. de Nouembre iusques à la fin d'Auril la terre a tousiours esté blanche de neige: & depuis le 29. du mesme mois de Nouemb. iusques au 23. d'Auril, nostre petite riuiere a tousiours esté glacée; mais en telle sorte, que cent carosses auroient passé dessus sans l'ébranler: les glaces sont de telle espaisseur, que quand on vint à les rompre, proche de Kebec, pour mettre [126] vne barque à l'eau, le sieur du Plessis me dit qu'estant à terre, c'estoit [48] tout ce qu'il pouuoit faire d'atteindre au haut d'vne glace auec la fourchette d'vn mousquet qu'il tenoit en sa main. Tout cela ne doit espouuanter personne. Chacun dit icy, qu'il a plus enduré de froid en France, qu'en Canada: le Scorpion porte son contrepoison: dans les païs plus subiects aux maladies, il se trouue plus de remedes: si le mal est present, la medecine n'est pas loing.

I have said that the winter has been long; from the 27th of November up to the end of April, the ground was all the time white with snow; and from the 29th of the same month of November up to the 23rd of April, our little river was frozen, but in such a way that a hundred wagons could have passed over it without shaking it. The ice is of such thickness that, when they were breaking it near Kebec, to launch a bark, sieur du Plessis told me that, being on land, it was [48] all he could do to reach the top of a piece of ice with the rest of a musket that he held in his hand. All this should not astonish any one. All who are here say that they have suffered more from cold in France than in Canada. The Scorpion carries its own antidote: in the countries most subject to sickness, more remedies are found: if disease is there, medicine is not far away.

Le 3. de Decembre nous commençasmes à changer de chaussure, & nous seruir de raquettes: quand ie vins à mettre ces grands patins tout plats à mes pieds, ie m'imaginois qu'à tous coups ie donnerois du nez dans la neige: mais l'experience m'a fait voir que Dieu pouruoit commodement toutes les nations des choses qui leur sont necessaires: ie marche fort librement auec ces raquettes; Pour les Sauuages, cela ne les empesche [49] ny de sauter comme des daims, ny de courir cõme des cerfs.

On the 3rd of December we began to change our footgear, and to use raquettes;[39] when I first put these great flat skates on my feet, I thought that I should fall with my nose in the snow, at every step I took. But experience has taught me that God provides for the convenience of all nations according to their needs. I walk very freely now on these raquettes. As to the Savages, they do not hinder them [49] from jumping like bucks or running like deer.

Ils font des souliers de peaux d'El'an pour s'ẽ seruir sur ces raquettes. Ils n'ont pas l'inuention de durcir ou tanner le cuir, aussi n'en ont ils que faire. L'esté ils vont pieds nuds, l'hyuer il faut que leurs souliers soyent d'vne peau maniable, autrement ils gasteroyent leurs raquettes: ils les font larges, & fort amples, pour les garnir de nippes ou de vieux haillons contre le froid; si nous auions quelques peaux de France un peu plus douces que les grosses ampaignes de vache, cela nous feroit vn bien incomparable, notamment sur le renouueau, quand les neges viennent à se fondre sur le midy; car les souliers des Sauuages boiuent l'eau comme vne esponge, & ces peaux venues de France tiendroyẽt le pied sec.

They make shoes of Elk skins, which they use with their raquettes. They have not ingenuity enough to harden or tan leather; therefore they use none. In the summer, they go barefooted; in the winter, their shoes must be of a pliable skin, otherwise they would spoil their raquettes. They make them broad and very ample, in order to line them inside with a layer of old rags against the cold. If we had some French leather here a little softer than the hard, untanned cowhide, it would be of incomparable service to us, especially in the spring, when the snow begins to melt toward the south. For the shoes of the Savages take water like a sponge, and those leathers from France would keep the feet dry.

[128] [50] Le 5^e de Decembre il fit de grands vents, ce qui est arriué par plusieurs fois. Le Nordest est icy violẽt, il emporta certain iour vne partie de la couuerture d'vn bastiment du fort. Le Pere de Nouë reuenant ce iour là d'y celebrer la saincte Messe, nous dit qu'ils estoient contraints luy & vn ieune garcõ qui l'accompagnoit, de se tenir l'vn l'autre de peur que le vent ne les enleuast.

[50] On the 5th of December there was a very strong wind, which has happened several times. The Northeastern is violent here; one day it tore away a part of the roof of a house at the fort. Father de Nouë, returning that day from celebrating holy Mass, said that he and the young man accompanying him were compelled to hold on to each other, for fear that the wind would carry them away.

Passant vers ce mesme temps dans le bois où estoient cabanez quantité de Sauuages, ie trouuay vn corps mort, enseueli par les Sauuages: il estoit esleué fort haut sur des fourches de bois, accompagné de ses robes & autres richesses, couuert d'vne escorce (c'est leur drap mortuaire.) Ie demanday quand on l'enterreroit, ils me respondirent, quand il ne neigeroit plus; la neige tomboit pour lors en abondance.

About this time, in going into the woods where there were a number of Savages encamped, I found a dead body which the Savages had enshrouded; it was raised high upon wooden scaffolds, and near it were its clothes and other belongings, covered with bark (that is their mourning cloth). I asked when they would bury it. They answered me: "When it stops snowing." The snow was then falling very fast.

[51] A l'occasion de ce rencontre quelqu'vn me dit qu'vn Sauuage estant mort, les autres frappent sur la cabane crians oué, oué, oué, &c. & comme i'en demãdois la raison à vn Sauuage, il me dict que c'estoit pour faire sortir l'esprit de la cabane.

[51] At the time of this occurrence some one told me that, when a Savage dies, the others strike on his cabin, crying: "oué, oué, oué," etc. And when I asked a Savage the reason for this, he told me that it was to make the spirit come out of the cabin.

Le corps du mort ne sort point par la porte ordinaire de la cabane, ils leuent l'escorce voisine du lieu où il est mort, & le tirent par là. Ie demanday pourquoy: ce Sauuage me repartit que la porte ordinaire estoit la porte des viuãs, & non des morts: & par consequent que les morts n'y deuoient point passer. Or comme il croioit m'auoir bien satisfait, & qu'il se mocquoit, ie luy demanday, si quãd il auoit tué vn Castor, il le faisoit entrer & sortir par la porte cõmune? ouy, dit-il: elle est donc, luy dis-ie, la porte des morts aussi bien que des viuans: il repart qu'vn Castor estoit [52] vne beste: alors ie repliquay en riant, vostre [130] porte est donc la porte des bestes, aussi bien que vous l'appellez la porte des viuans; il s'écria, asseurément cela est vray, & se mit a rire.

The body of the dead man is not taken out of the common door of the cabin. They raise the bark from the spot where he died, and take it out through that. I asked why; the Savage answered me that the common door was the door of the living, and not of the dead, and consequently the dead ought not to pass there. Now, as he believed that he had perfectly satisfied me, and as he was laughing at me, I asked him if, when he had killed a Beaver, he made it enter and go out by the common door. "Yes," said he. "It is then," said I, "the door for the dead as well as for the living." He replied that a Beaver is [52] an animal. Then I answered him, laughing, "Your door then is a door for animals, and you call it a door for the living." He cried out, "Certainly, that is true," and began to laugh.

Ie luy demanday encor pourquoy ils enterroient les robes des morts auec eux: Elles leur appartiennent, respondit-il, pourquoy leur osteroit-on?

I asked him also why they buried the clothes of the dead with them. "They belong to them," said he, "why should we take them away from them?"

Si vous les pressez, ils ne s'opiniastrent point, ils suiuent vne certaine routine dans leurs superstitions, dõt ils ne peuuent rendre aucune raison. Voila pourquoy ils sõt les premiers à s'en mocquer, quand vous leur faites voir qu'elles sont ridicules. Il est vray que i'en ay veu quelques-vns extrémement attachez à leurs songes.

If you press them, they are not very obstinate. They follow a certain routine in their superstitions, for which they can give no reason. This is why they are the first to laugh when you make them understand that their customs are ridiculous. True, I have seen some who are very much attached to their dreams.

Ils font diuerses sortes de festins: i'en sçay quelques particularitez, mais i'attendray vne autre année [53] pour en parler auec plus d'asseurance. Aux festins des morts ils iettent le reste dans le feu: aux autres festins, c'est à manger tout, & faut creuer plustost que de rien laisser.

They have different kinds of feasts. I know some special features of them, but shall wait until another year, [53] that I may speak of them with more certainty. At the feasts for the dead, they always throw what is left into the fire. At other feasts the rule is to eat all, and it is better to burst than to leave anything.

Quasi tous les Sauuages ont vn petit Castipitagan, ou sac à petum; les vns sont faits d'vne peau de rat musqué, en telle sorte que l'animal semble tout entier: il n'a qu'vne petite ouuerture par la teste par où ils l'ont écorché: les autres sont faits d'autres animaux; il y en a qui ont vne partie du bras & la main de quelque Hiroquois qu'ils ont tué: cela est si biens vuidé que les ongles restẽt toutes entieres: vous diriez vraiemẽt vne main solide, quand ils l'ont remply de petum, ou autre chose ie n'en ay point veu, mais on m'a asseuré que cela estoit ainsi.

Nearly all the Savages have a little Castipitagan or tobacco pouch. Some are made from the skin of the muskrat, in such a way that the animal seems quite entire, there being only a little opening at the head made in skinning it. Others are made of other animals. Some of them carry a part of an arm or a hand of a Hiroquois whom they have slain, which is so skillfully prepared that the nails remain entire. You would really think it was a solid hand, when they fill it with tobacco or something else. I have not seen any of these, but I have been assured that it is so.

Quelquefois pour monstrer qu'ils [54] ont du courage, vn Sauuage se liera le bras nud auec vn autre, puis mettant entre leurs deux bras sur la chair vn [132] morceau de tondre allumé, ils le laissent consommer iusques au bout, se bruslans iusques aux os: celuy qui retire le bras, & secouë le feu, est tenu pour moins courageux: ie n'ay point veu cette barbarie; on m'a dit qu'vn François estant aux Hurons pensa perdre le bras, voulant ioüer à ce beau ieu contre vn Sauuage.

Sometimes, in order to show that they [54] have courage, a Savage will bind his bare arm to that of another; then putting between the two arms, upon the flesh, a piece of lighted tinder, they leave it until it is entirely consumed, burning themselves to the bone. The man who withdraws his arm and shakes off the fire is considered lacking in courage. I have not seen this act of barbarism. I am told that a Frenchman who was among the Hurons, came very near losing his arm in trying to play at this fine game with a Savage.

Il est vray que les Sauuages sont fort patiens, mais l'ordre qu'ils gardent en leurs exercices les ayde à cõseruer la paix dans leurs mesnages: les femmes sçauent ce qu'elles doiuent faire, & les hommes aussi: & iamais l'vn ne se mesle du mestier de l'autre: les hommes font le corps de leurs canots, les femmes cousent l'écorce auec de l'osier, ou vn petit bois semblable: Les hommes font le [55] bois des raquettes, les femmes la tissure: Les hommes vont à la chasse & tuënt les animaux, les femmes les võt querir, les écorchent & passent les peaux: ce sont elles qui vont querir le bois qu'ils bruslẽt, bref ils se mocqueroient d'vn homme qui hors d'vne grande necessité feroit quelque chose qui deust estre fait par vne femme. Nostre Sauuage voyant le Pere de Nouë apporter du bois, se mit à rire, disant, En vérité c'est vne femme; voulant donner à entendre qu'il faisoit l'office d'vne femme: mais quelque temps après la sienne tombant malade, & n'ayant personne en sa cabane qui le pût soulager, il fût contraint d'en aller querir luy mesme, vray est qu'il n'y alla que sur la nuict pour n'estre veu.

It is true that the Savages are very patient, but the order which they maintain in their occupations aids them in preserving peace in their households. The women know what they are to do, and the men also; and one never meddles with the work of the other. The men make the frames of their canoes, and the women sew the bark with willow withes or similar small wood. The men shape the [55] wood of the raquettes, and the women do the sewing on them. Men go hunting, and kill the animals; and the women go after them, skin them, and clean the hides. It is they who go in search of the wood that is burned. In fact, they would make fun of a man who, except in some great necessity, would do anything that should be done by a woman. Our Savage, seeing Father de Nouë carrying wood, began to laugh, saying: "He's really a woman;" meaning that he was doing a woman's work. But a short time afterward, his wife falling sick, and having no one in his cabin who could assist him, he was compelled to go out himself in search of supplies; but in truth he went only at night, when no one could see him.[40]

Vn vieillard auoit songé, ou plustost veu, à ce qu'il disoit, vne quantité d'Hiroquois, qui se dispersans çà [56] & là cherchoient les Montagnaits: les autres Sauuages [134]consultent là dessus ce qu'il falloit faire, quelques-vns dirent qu'il falloit prendre aduis de ces gens qui parlẽt à Dieu, entendant parler de nous autres. Ce songe s'en alla en fumée.

An old man had dreamed, or rather seen, as he said, a large number of Hiroquois who were dispersing here [56] and there, and searching for the Montagnaits. The other Savages consulted thereupon as to what they should do, some saying that it would be well to take the advice of those people who spoke to God, meaning us. This dream passed away in smoke.

Comme ie demandois à Pierre Pastedechouan comment on disoit en sa langue où sont tes freres, vne femme Sauuage suruenant là dessus, il ne me vouloit pas respondre, me donnant pour raison qu'il attristeroit ceste femme, & qu'il la feroit pleurer, à cause que ses freres estoient morts; On ne parle plus des morts parmy nous, me dit-il, voire mesme les parents du defunct ne se seruent iamais des choses dont le mort se seruoit pendant sa vie.

When I asked Pierre Pastedechouan how to say in his language: "Where are thy brothers?" as a woman Savage was passing by, he was loath to answer; giving me as a reason that it would make her sad, and make her cry because her brothers were dead. "We do not speak any more of the dead among us," said he, "indeed, the relatives of the dead never use anything that was used by the dead man during his lifetime."

Le 15. du mesme mois de Decembre, quantité d'Alguonquains nous estans venus voir, l'vn d'eux me [57] voyãt escrire, print vne plume, & voulu faire le mesme: mais voyant qu'il ne faisoit rien qui vaille, & que ie sousriois, il se mit a souffler sur ce qu'il auoit escrit, pensant le faire en aller comme de la poudre. Ie leur fis dire à tous que nous estiõs venus pour les instruire, ils respondirent que ie faisois bien d'apprendre la langue, & quand ie la sçaurois, q̃ tout seroit facile de part & d'autre.

On the 15th of the same month of December, a large number of Alguonquains having come to see us, one of them seeing [57] me writing, took a pen and wanted to do the same; but seeing that he did not accomplish much, and that I was smiling, he began to blow upon what he had written, thinking that he could blow it away like powder. I had them all told, that we came to teach them. They answered that I was doing well to learn their language; and that, when I should know it, everything would be easy on both sides.

Le 19. la neige estant desia fort haute, les Sauuages prirent huict élans, ou orignaux. Vers ce temps-là l'vn d'eux nommé Nassitamirineou, & surnommé des François Brehault, leur dit qu'il auoit songé qu'il falloit manger tous ces Orignaux, & qu'il sçauoit bien prier Dieu, & qu'il luy auoit parlé, que telle estoit sa volonté, qu'on mangeast tout, & qu'on n'en donnast rien, si on en vouloit prendre d'autres: les Sauuages le creurent, & n'en donnerent pas vn [58] morceau aux François. On me raconta cecy en la presence [136] du songeur, il n'aduoüoit pas tout, neantmoins la chose semble bien probable, car ayãt cabané auprés de nous, & nous ayant ouy parler de Dieu, il estoit homme pour en parler par aprés, & faire de l'entendu parmy ses gens.