Volume 5 — [3] Relation of what occurred in New France in the year 1633. (continued 2)

On the 21st of December, God sent us two little pensioners, Manitougache having presented to us a little one whose life he had saved, and whom we accepted; and, as we were afraid that he would be lonesome, we thought to try and find another to keep him company. At the same time, a woman came bringing her little son, about seven years old. When we saw him, we said to each other, "This is just what we wanted." I at once asked [59] the mother, if she would not like to give us her child, saying that we would care for it as best we possibly could. "Ah," said she, "I came here to beg Manitougache to give him to you and to beg you to take him." God knows how happy we were! Oh, how admirable is his providence!

Le plus âgé que nous a donné Manitougache n'a ny pere ny mere, celuy-là nous est bien asseuré, nous luy auons donné nom Fortuné, en attendant qu'il soit capable d'estre baptisé. ô qu'il a rencontré vne bõne fortune! Estant à Tadoussac, cõme il estoit delaissé de tout le monde, vn Sauuage presenta vne harquebuse à nostre Pierre, luy disant, tuë ce miserable enfant, aussi bien n'aiãt point de parents, il sera toute sa vie abandonné d'vn chacun: Nostre [60] Sauuage entendant cela en eut compassion, il le retira, & l'a nourry iusques à present qu'il nous l'a donné. Nous auons appelle le plus ieune Bienuenu, celuy-cy a de l'esprit, il est d'vn naturel complaisant, & flatteur: Nous ne sommes pas si asseurez qu'il nous demeure, car les Sauuages sont extrémement changeãs & volages. Vn sien parent entendant qu'il nous estoit donné, s'y voulut opposer, disant que leur Capitaine auoit defendu qu'on ne donnast aucun enfant aux François: la mère de l'enfant suruient là dessus, & dit que le Capitaine n'a point nourry son fils, & par conseqẽt ce n'est pas à luy d'en disposer, si bien à elle qui en estoit la mère, & qui l'auoit tousiours éleué dés sa ieunesse. Le pere de l'enfant ayant sceu que son ancienne femme qu'il a quittée nous l'auoit donné, en a esté bien aise, disant qu'il seroit [61] très-bien auec nous. Celuy qu'on nous auoit promis l'an passé voudroit bien estre maintenant auec les deux autres: mais il n'est pas encore temps de s'ẽ charger, il ne faut point embrasser par dessus ses forces. C'est vn plaisir de voir ces deux enfans, ce sont mes petits escoliers, ils commẽcent à lire, ils sçauent prier Dieu en Latin, & en leur langue. Ils nous fõt quelquefois rire par leurs petits discours: deuant qu'ils mangent nous leur saisons dire le Benedicite. Voila pourquoy quand ils veulent mãger; ils s'en viennent nous dire, Mon Père, Benedicite: c'est à dire, donnez moy à disner. Comme ils voyoient donner à manger à vn petit chien, ils nous disoient qu'il n'auoit pas dit son Benedicite. Ie m'en vay, dit l'vn d'eux, le dire pour luy; comme nous rions, son compagnõ luy dit, nama irinisionakhi attimoukhi, les chiens n'ont point [62] d'esprit, ils ne disent pas leur Benedicite, c'est à faire aux hommes seulement; vous les entendriez allans & venans ruminer le Pater noster, en prononcer tantost vne partie, tantost l'autre; en quoy il arriua vn iour vn rencontre agreable. Le sieur Emery de Caën disnant en nostre maison, comme on seruoit sur table le peu que nous auions, l'vn de ces enfans regardant ce qu'on presentoit, & voyant bien que ce n'estoit pas pour luy, commence à dire par rencontre; & ne nos inducas in tentationem, cela fit rire toute la compagnie.

The oldest, the one given to us by Manitougache, has neither father nor mother, and hence we are sure of keeping him. We have named him Fortuné, until he can be baptized. Oh, what good fortune he has met with! Being at Tadoussac, forsaken by every one, a Savage gave an arquebus to our Pierre, telling him to kill this miserable child, because, having no parents, he would be abandoned by every one during his lifetime. Our [60] Savage, on hearing that, had pity on the little one, took him, and fed him up to the time when he gave him to us. We have called the younger one Bienvenu. He seems intelligent, and of a pleasant and endearing nature. We are not so sure that he will remain with us, because the Savages are extremely fickle and capricious. One of his relatives, hearing that he had been given to us, objected, saying that their Captain had forbidden them to give any of their children to the French. Thereupon the mother of the child interposed, declaring that the Captain had not taken care of her child; and that, consequently, it did not belong to him to dispose of it, but to her who was the mother, and who had reared him since his infancy. The father of the child, having learned that his former wife, who had left him, had given the child to us, was greatly pleased, saying that it would fare [61] very well with us. The one who was promised to us last year would like very much now to be with these two others. But we cannot charge ourselves with him now, we must not undertake more than we can perform. It is a pleasure to see these two children; they are my little pupils. They are beginning to read, and know how to pray to God, in Latin and in their own language. Sometimes they make us laugh by their childish prattle. Before eating we make them say the Benedicite. Hence, when they want to eat, they come to us and say, "My Father, Benedicite;" that is to say, "Give me something to eat." When they saw a little dog given something to eat, they told us that it had not said its Benedicite. "I am going," said one of them, "to say it for him." As we laughed at this, his companion said to him: nama irinisionakhi attimoukhi; that is, "The dogs have no [62] mind, they do not say their Benedicite, it is only for men to say that." You can hear them, going and coming, humming the Pater noster, pronouncing first one part and then another, in the course of which there happened the other day a very amusing incident. Sieur Emery de Caën was dining at our house. As we served upon the table the little that we had, one of the children, looking at what was set forth and seeing very well that it was not for him, began to say as it happened to occur to him: Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, causing the whole company to laugh.

Le second iour de Ianuier, ie vey quelques Sauuages qui s'efforçoient de passer dans leurs canots la grande riuiere de S. Laurens: ce fleuue ordinairement ne gele point au milieu: il charie ou porte d'horribles glaces, selon le cours & mouuement de la marée. Ces pauures gens abordoient [63] de grandes glaces flottantes, les sondoient auec leurs auirons montoiēt dessus, tiroient leurs canots aprés eux pour s'en aller prendre l'eau à l'autre costé de ces glaces; quoy qu'ils soient tres-habiles, il ne laisse pas de s'en noyer quelques-vns.

On the second day of January, I saw a number of Savages trying to cross the great river St. Lawrence in their canoes. Usually this river does not freeze in the middle; it drifts or floats immense pieces of ice, according to the course and movement of the current. These poor fellows approached [63] large pieces of the floating ice, sounded them with their paddles, then mounted them, and drew their canoes up after them, crossing over to reach the water on the other side of the ice. Nimble as they are, not infrequently some of them are drowned.

Voyant vn Sauuage qui traisnoit sa mere apres soy sur la neige. Les chariots & carrosses de ce pays-cy font des traisnes faictes d'escorce ou de bois, les cheuaux sont les hommes qui les tirent apres eux: voyant donc ceste pauure vieille liée sur vne d'icelles, son fils ne la pouuant commodement faire descendre par le sentier ordinaire d'vne montagne qui borde la riuiere où il alloit, la laissa rouler à bas par l'endroict le plus roide, & s'en alla la requerir par vn autre chemin. Ne pouuant supporter cette impieté, ie le dy à quelques Sauuages qui estoient auprés de [64] moy: ils me respondirent, Que veux-tu qu'il en fasse, aussi bien s'en va elle mourir, prens la & la tuë, puis que tu en as compassion, tu luy feras du biẽ, car elle ne souffrira pas tãt, peutestre que son fils la laissera au milieu des bois, ne la pouuãt ny guerir ny traisner apres soy, s'il ne trouue point dequoy manger. Voila comme ils soulagent les malades qu'ils croyent deuoir mourir, ils leur aduancent la mort par quelque coup de baston ou de hache, quand ils ont beaucoup de chemin à faire, & cela par compassion.

I saw a Savage dragging his mother behind him over the snow. The coaches and wagons of this country are sledges made of bark or wood, the horses are the men who draw them. Now this poor old woman was tied upon one of these sleighs; and her son, being unable, conveniently, to take her down by the common path of a mountain which borders the river along which he was going, let her roll down the steepest place to the bottom, and then went by another route to find her. As I could not bear this act of impiety, I said so to some of the Savages who were near [64] me. They answered: "What wouldst thou have him do with her? She is going to die any way; take her and kill her, since thou hast pity for her; thou wilt do her a service, because she will not suffer so much; perhaps her son will leave her in the midst of the woods, as he is unable either to cure her or to drag her after him, if he does not find something to eat." This is the way they take care of the sick that they think are going to die. They hasten death by a blow from a club or an axe, when they have a long journey to make, and do this through compassion.

Le troisiesme du mesme mois, la femme de nostre Sauuage estant malade, il me vint demander mon canif pour la saigner. Les Sauuages se tirent du sang de la teste. Estant vn iour en vne cabane, vne Sauuage regardant vne escritoire que ie tenois, prit dextrement le canif sans qui ie [65] m'en apperceusse, & s'en fit quelques ouuertures au hault du frond, puis elle me le rendit: ie fus estonné la voyant saigner; elle me dit qu'elle auoit mal à la teste, & qu'elle se vouloit guerir. Or comme ils ont veu nostre façon de saigner, & qu'ils la trouuent bonne, La Nasse me vint prier d'aider en cela sa femme. Ie luy respondis que ie n'y entendois rien: & comme il vouloit prendre mon canif, ie luy dis qu'il attendist au iour suiuant, & que ie prierois le Chirurgien de la venir voir; ce qu'il fit. Ce pendant ie l'allay visiter en sa cabane: il faisoit vn grãd froid, elle estoit teste nue à leur accoustumee, mordant dans vn peloton de nege; c'estoit seulement pour guerir vn gros rhume qui l'estouffoit. Voila les delicatesses du païs. Le lendemain estãt saignee elle ne tarda gueres à aller querir du bois à son ordinaire. Voiez [66] si ceux qui font profession de souffrir quelque chose pour Dieu, ne doiuent pas estre confus voyans de tels exemples.

On the third of the same month, the wife of our Savage being sick, he came to ask me for my knife with which to bleed her. The Savages draw blood from the head. One day when I was in a cabin, a Savage Woman, looking at a writing case, I was holding, adroitly took my penknife, without my [65] perceiving it, and made several openings in the upper part of her forehead, then returned it to me. I was astonished when I saw her bleeding. She told me she had a headache, and wanted to cure it. Now that they have seen our way of bleeding, and believe it to be good, La Nasse came and begged me to aid his wife in the same way. I told him that I knew nothing about it; and, as he wanted to take my knife, I told him to wait until the next day, when I would beg the Surgeon to go and see her, which he did. In the meantime I went to see her in her cabin; it was very cold; she was bareheaded, according to their custom, biting a lump of snow, trying to cure a bad cold which almost choked her! Such are the delicate usages of the country. The next day, after having been bled, she went out to gather wood as usual. Think [66] if those who make a profession of suffering something in the cause of God ought not to feel ashamed, when they see such examples.

Nous n'auons point esté solitaires tout l'hiuer, nombre de Sauuages nous sont venus voir, ils sont passez à grosses bandes deuant nostre maison s'en allans à la chasse de l'Orignac.

We have not been lonely all winter, as a number of Savages have been to see us. They pass by our house in large crowds, going Moose hunting.

Le Prince, & sa mere la Princesse, c'est ainsi que les François appellent vn Sauuage de bonne façon: Vous diriez que ceste famille a ie ne sçay quoy de noble; & s'ils estoient couuerts à la Françoise, ils ne cederoient point en bonne mine à nos gentils-hommes François.

[Among them were] the Prince and his mother, the Princess. It is thus that the French call a fine looking Savage. You would say that this family has something inexpressibly noble about it; and, if they were dressed in the French style, they would not yield in good appearance to our French gentlemen.

Ce ieune homme nous estant venu visiter, ie luy demanday s'il auoit vn fils, & s'il ne seroit pas bien content de nous le donner pour l'instruire, il me dit que ouy; sa mere [67] conduisant vne petite fille, moy croyant que ce fut vn garçon, ie l'appelle, disant à sa grand'mere qu'elle nous le donnast, elle se mit à rire: me doutant que c'estoit vne fille, ie luy dis que nous ne les prenions point, mais qu'il y viendroit quelque iour d'honnestes filles de Frãce pour enseigner leurs filles: alors, me dit-elle, ie donneray celle-cy.

When this young man came to see us, I asked him if he had a son, and if he would not like to give him to us to teach. He answered me "yes." His mother [67] had a little girl with her; and I, thinking that it was a boy, called her, asking her grandmother to give him to us. She began to laugh. Thinking that it might be a girl, I said that we did not take them, but that some day some worthy women would come from France, who would teach their daughters. "Then," said she, "I shall give her to them."

Ie preuois qu'il est tout à fait necessaire d'instruire les filles aussi bien que les garçons, & que nous ne ferons rien ou fort peu, si quelque bõne famille n'a soin de ce sexe; car les garçons que nous aurons éleuez en la cognoissance de Dieu venans à se marier à des filles ou femmes Sauuages accoustumées à courre dans les bois, leurs maris seront obligez de les suiure, & ainsi retomber dans la barbarie, ou bien de les quitter, qui seroit vn autre mal fort dangereux.

I see that it is absolutely necessary to teach the girls as well as the boys, and that we shall do nothing or very little, unless some good household has the care of this sex; for the boys that we shall have reared in the knowledge of God, when they marry Savage girls or women accustomed to wandering in the woods, will, as their husbands, be compelled to follow them and thus fall back into barbarism, or to leave them, another evil full of danger.

[68] N'y a-il point quelque Dame en France, qui ait assez de cœur pour fonder icy vn Seminaire de filles, dõt la conduitte seroit premierement donnée à quelque bõne veufue courageuse, accompagnée de deux braues filles, qui demeureroient en vne maison qu'on pourroit dresser proche de ceste honneste famille qui est icy? Il y a des Dames dans Paris qui emploient tous les ans plus de dix mille francs en leurs menus plaisirs: si elles en appliquoient vne partie pour recueillir les gouttes du sang du Fils de Dieu respandu pour tant d'ames qui se vont perdans tous les iours faute de secours, elles ne rougiroient pas de honte au iour qu'elles paroistront deuant Dieu, pour rendre compte des biens dont il les a faits œconomes: cela est bien plus aisé à dire, qu'à exécuter.

[68] Is there not some Lady in France who has enough courage to found here a Seminary for girls, to be under the care of some good courageous widow, assisted by two brave young women, who would live in a house which might be built near the home of that estimable family that is here? There are Ladies in Paris who yearly spend over ten thousand francs in pocket-money; if they would apply a part of this to gather in the drops of blood that the son of God shed for so many souls that are going astray daily for want of help, then they would not be put to shame when they appear before God, and must give an account of the goods of which he has made them stewards. That is a great deal easier to say than to do.

Le 10. de Ianuier le froid estoit [66 i.e., 69] fort violẽt, Ie ne voy le iour la plus part de l'hyuer qu'au trauers des glaces: il se fait vne crouste de glace sur les chassis de ma cellule ou chambrette, laquelle tombe comme vne losange ou carreau de verre quand le froid se vient à relascher: C'est au travers de ce crystal que le Soleil nous communique sa lumiere. I'ay souuent trouué de gros glaçons attachez le matin à ma couuerture, formez du souffle de l'haleine; & m'oubliant de les oster le matin, ie les trouuois encore le soir: I'en ay quelquefois veu en France, mais peu souuent & bien petits, à comparaison de ceux-cy.

On the 10th of January the cold was [66 i.e., 69] very severe. I see daylight a great part of the winter only through ice. The crusts of ice gather upon the windows of my cell or little room, and fall like a lozenge, or a piece of glass, when the cold relaxes. It is through this crystal that the Sun sends us his light. Several times I have found large pieces of ice, formed by my breath, attached to my blanket in the morning; and, forgetting to shake them off, I found them there still in the evening. I have sometimes seen them in France, but rarely, and they were very small compared with these.

Comme nous n'auons ny fontaine, ny puy, il nous faut aller tous les iours puiser de l'eau à la riuiere, de laquelle nous sommes esloignez enuiron 200 pas: mais pour en auoir, il faut fendre la glace à grands coups [70] de hache, & encor faut-il attendre que la mer monte, car le marée estãt basse, on ne peut auoir d'eau pour l'espaisseur des glaces. Nous iettons ceste eau dans vn poinçon qui n'est pas loing d'vn bon feu; & cependãt il faut auoir vn grand soin tous les matins de rompre la crouste de glace qui se forme dans ce vaisseau, autrement en deux nuicts tout ne seroit qu'vn glaçon, le poinçon fut-il plein.

As we have neither a spring nor a well, we are obliged to go for water every day to the river, from which we are distant about 200 steps. But to get it, we must first break the ice with heavy blows [70] from an axe; and after that we must wait until the sea comes up, for when the tide is low you cannot get water because of the thickness of the ice. We throw this water into a barrel, which is not far from a good fire; and yet we must be careful to break the layer of ice every morning, otherwise, in two nights, it would be one mass of ice, even if the barrel were full.

Vn de nos François ayant soif dãs les bois, & voulant lescher vn peu de neige qui estoit sur vne hache qu'il tenoit, venãt à toucher le fer, sa langue se cola & gela si promptement & si fortement, que venant à retirer soudainement la hache pour le froid qu'il sentoit, il enleua quant & quãt toute la peau de sa langue.

One of our countrymen was thirsty, when in the woods, and so thought to lap a little snow from the axe which he held; when he touched the iron his tongue stuck fast, and froze so quickly and so solidly, that in suddenly withdrawing the axe, on account of the cold that he felt, he at the same time tore almost all the skin from his tongue.

Tout cecy m'auroit quasi fait croire en France que ce pays est insupportable: [71] i'aduouë qu'il y a quelques iours bien serrans & pressans, mais ils sont peu en nombre, le reste est plus que tolerable. On se roule icy sur la neige, comme en France sur l'herbe de nos prairies, pour ainsi dire, ce n'est pas qu'elle ne soit aussi froide comme elle est blanche, mais les iours sont beaux, le Soleil plus chaud qu'en plusieurs endroicts de France; nous sommes, dit-on dans le mesme parallelle que la Rochelle; la moindre action qu'on fait la pluspart du temps bannit la rigueur du froid.

All of this would have almost made me believe in France that this country is unbearable. [71] I admit that some days are very cold and penetrating, but they are few, and the rest are more than tolerable. Here they roll on the snow as they do in France upon the grass of our meadows, so to speak; I do not mean to say that it is less cold than it is white, but the days are fine, and the Sun is warmer than in many parts of France. We are, they say, on the same parallel with la Rochelle. The least exercise we take generally dispels the rigor of the cold.

Combien de fois trouuant quelque colline ou montagne à descendre, me suis-je laissé rouler à bas sur la neige, sans en receuoir autre incommodité, sinon de changer pour vn peu de temps mon habit noir en vn habit blanc, & encore cela se fait-il en riant; car si on ne se soustient bien assis sur ses raquettes, on se blãchit [72] aussi bien la teste, que les pieds.

How often, when coming to a hill or a mountain which I must descend, I have rolled down to the bottom on the snow, experiencing no other discomfort than to change for a little while my black habit for a white one, and all this is done with much laughter. For if you do not stand firmly upon your raquettes, you will whiten [72] your head as well as your feet.

Combien de fois ay-ie fait le mesme sur des glaces fort hautes, qui bordoient la riuiere sur laquelle ie voulois aller? Ce fut vn Sauuage qui m'apprit ce secret cognu de tout le monde: il passoit deuant moy, & voyant que sa teste estoit en danger d'arriuer à la riuiere plustost que ses pieds, il se laissa rouler tout du long des glaces, & moy apres luy: le bon est qu'il ne faut que faire cela vne seule fois, pour sçauoir le mestier. I'auois peur au commencement, car la marée montant, & sousleuant ces grands corps de glaces, les ouure en plusieurs endroits: & quelques boüillons rejallissans sur les bords de la riuiere, font vne glace assez mince sur la plus épaisse: quand vous venez à marcher sur cette premiere glace, elle rompt sous vous: si bien qu'au commencement ie pẽsois que [73] tout alloit fondre, mais ie ne croy pas que des canons fissent bransler la plus grosse glace. Quand on vient sur le printemps, c'est alors qu'il y a du danger de rencontrer quelque ouuerture qui vous fasse couler là dessous.

How many times have I done this also upon the icy heights of the river banks along which I was going. It was a Savage who taught me this trick, known to everybody here; he went ahead of me, and, seeing that his head was in danger of reaching the river before his feet, he let himself roll the whole length of the ice, and I after him. The best of it is that you have only to do it once, in order to understand the trick. I was afraid, at first; for the rising tide, lifting up those great blocks of ice, cracks them in many places, and the water, splashing up on the banks of the river, makes a thin layer of ice over the thicker one. When you try walking upon the thin ice, it breaks under you. The first time I tried it, I thought it [73] was all going to sink under me. But I do not believe that a cannon could crack the thickest ice. When you walk upon it in the spring, it is then that there is danger of stepping into a hole and going under.

Le 12. du mesme mois, vn Sauuage me vint dire que le Pere de Nouë estoit cause d'vn vent qui souffloit: ie luy en demanday la raison; il me dit qu'encore bien que le ciel fut fort rouge au matin, le Pere n'auoit point laissé d'aller trauailler au bois de bõne heure, & que cela estoit cause du vent: Que les Montagnaits voyans le ciel enflammé, se tiennent en repos dans leurs cabanes, & par ce moyen arrestent le vent. I'aduertiray, dit-il, vne autrefois le Pere de Nouë qu'il ne parte point si matin quand le temps sera rouge, & il verra par experience qu'il ne ventera [74] point. Ie me mis à rire, & tachay le mieux que ie peu d'effacer de sa pensée ceste superstition: en fin il s'en mocqua aussi bien que moy; ce n'est pas pourtant qu'il la quitte si aisément, car les Sauuages vous accordent facilement ce que vous leur dites, mais ils ne laissent pas d'agir tousiours à leur façon.

On the 12th of the same month, a Savage came to me, and said that Father de Nouë was the cause of a heavy wind which was blowing; I asked him why. He told me that, although the sky had been very red in the morning, the Father had not failed to go and work in the woods at an early hour, and that that was the cause of the wind; that, when the Montaignaits saw a flaming sky, they remained at rest in their cabins, and so arrested the wind. "I shall warn Father de Nouë," said he, "that another time he should not leave his cabin when the sky is so red; and he will see, by trying it, that the wind will not [74] blow." I began to laugh, and tried by every means in my power to drive this superstition from his mind, and at last he laughed at it just as much as I did. It was not so easy for him to give it up; for the Savages agree very readily with what you say, but they do not, for all that, cease to act upon their own ideas.

Passans de discours en discours, ie luy parlay de Dieu qui a tout fait; car c'est là où ie vise de leur dõner quelque cognoissance de celuy qui leur a donné la vie, afin qu'ils s'en entretiennent les vns les autres, & que les enfans en oyent parler dés leur ieunesse. Luy discourant donc en mon barragoin,& plus souuent par gestes & par signes qu'autrement (car ie parle plus de la main que de la langue) ie luy fis conceuoir quelque chose de la puissance de Dieu: alors il me dit que le Dieu de France estoit [75] bien plus puissant & plus grand Capitaine ou Seigneur que le Dieu de son pays: Car, dit-il, vostre Dieu est grand, & le nostre, ou bien ses enfans viennent d'vn rat d'eau que les Frãçois appellent rat musqué.

Passing on from one subject to another, I talked to him of God, who has made everything; because it is thus I aim to give them some knowledge of him who gave them life, in order that they may talk with each other thereupon, and that the children may hear it spoken of from their youth. Talking to him thus in my jargon, and more frequently by signs and gestures than otherwise (for I talk more with my hands than with my tongue), I made him comprehend something of the power of God. Then he told me that the God of France was [75] a great deal more powerful and a greater Captain or Lord than the God of his country. "For," said he, "your God is great; and ours, or his children at least, come from a water rat which the French call the muskrat."

Mais à propos de musc, les Sauuages n'en peuuent supporter l'odeur: Quelqu'vn m'a dit qu'aiant sur soy quelque chose semblable, ils luy disoient qu'il sentoit mal; aussi tiennent ils cét animal puant, & quelque vieux morceau de graisse leur semblera de bonne odeur. Or iugez maintenant s'il y a des obiects plus conformes à l'odorat les vns que les autres, & si nos fantaisies auec l'accoustumance n'ont pas vn grand pouuoir sur nous.

But, speaking of musk, the Savages cannot bear the odor of it. Some one said to me that once, when he had something about him like musk, they told him he smelled bad. So they hold that this animal has a bad smell, while an old piece of fat would seem to them to have a pleasant odor. Now you may judge if certain things are not more acceptable to the smell of some people than others, and whether our fancies and customs have not great power over us.

Puis que ce Sauuage m'a donné occasion de parler de leur Dieu, ie diray que c'est vn grand erreur de croire que les Sauuages n'ont cognoissance [76] d'aucune diuinité: ie m'étonnois de cela en France, voyant que la nature auoit donné ce sentiment à toutes les autres nations de la terre. Ie confesse que les Sauuages n'ont point de prieres publiques & communes, ny aucun culte qu'ils rendent ordinairemẽt à celuy qu'ils tiennent pour Dieu, & que leur cognoissance n'est que tenebres: mais on ne peut nier qu'ils ne recognoissent quelque nature superieure à la nature de l'homme: comme ils n'ont ny loix, ny police, aussi n'ont-ils aucune ordonnance qui concerne le seruice de ceste nature superieure, chacun fait comme il l'entend: ie ne sçay pas leurs secrets, mais de ce peu que ie vay dire, on verra qu'ils cognoissent quelque diuinité.

As this Savage gave me an occasion to speak of their God, let me say that it is a great mistake to think they have no knowledge [76] of any divinity. When in France I was astonished at that, knowing that Nature has given this sentiment to all other nations of the earth. I confess that the Savages have no public or common prayer, nor any form of worship usually rendered to one whom they hold as God, and their knowledge is only as darkness. But it cannot be denied that they recognize some nature superior to the nature of man. As they have neither laws nor government, therefore there is no ordinance which concerns the service of this superior nature; each one acts according to his own understanding. I do not know their secrets; but, from the little that I am about to say, it will be seen that they recognize some divinity.

Ils disent qu'il y a vn certain qu'ils nomment Atahocan, qui a tout fait: parlant vn iour de Dieu dans vne cabane, [77] ils me demanderent que c'étoit que Dieu, ie leur dis que c'estoit celuy qui pouuoit tout, & qui auoit fait le Ciel & la terre: ils commencerent à se dire les vns aux autres Atahocan, Atahocan, c'est Atahocan.

They say that there is a certain one whom they call Atahocan, who made all things. Talking one day of God, in a cabin, [77] they asked me what this God was. I told them that it was he who could do everything, and who had made the Sky and earth. They began to say one to the other, "Atahocan, Atahocan, it is Atahocan."

Ils disent qu'vn nommé Messou repara le monde perdu dãs les eaux; Vous voyez qu'ils ont quelque tradition du deluge, quoy que meslée de fables, car voicy comme le monde se perdit, à ce qu'ils disent.

They say there is one named Messou, who restored the world when it was lost in the waters. You see that they have some traditions of the deluge, although mingled with fables. This is the way, as they say, that the world was lost.

Ce Messou allant à la chasse auec des loups ceruiers, au lieu de chiens, on l'aduertit qu'il faisoit dangereux pour ses loups (qu'il appelloit ses freres) dans vn certain lac aupres duquel il estoit. Vn iour qu'il poursuiuoit un eslan, ses loups luy donnerẽt la chasse iusques dedans ce lac; arriuez qu'ils furent au milieu, ils furẽt abysmez en vn instant. Luy suruenãt là dessus, & cherchant ses freres de [78] tous costez, vn oiseau luy dit qu'il les voyoit au fond du lac, & que certaines bestes ou monstres les tenoient là dedans: il entre dans l'eau pour les secourir, mais aussi-tost ce lac se desborde, & s'aggrandit si furieusemẽt, qu'il inonda & noya toute la terre.

This Messou, going hunting with lynxes, instead of dogs, was warned that it would be dangerous for his lynxes (which he called his brothers) in a certain lake near the place where he was. One day as he was hunting an elk, his lynxes gave it chase even into the lake; and, when they reached the middle of it, they were submerged in an instant. When he arrived there and sought his brothers [78] everywhere, a bird told him that it had seen them at the bottom of the lake, and that certain animals or monsters held them there. He leaped into the water to rescue them; but immediately the lake overflowed, and increased so prodigiously that it inundated and drowned the whole earth.

Le Messou bien estonné, quitte la pensée de ses loups, pour songer à restablir le monde. Il enuoye vn corbeau chercher vn peu de terre, pour auec ce morceau en restablir vn autre. Le corbeau n'en peut trouuer, tout estant couuert d'eau. Il fait plonger vne loutre, mais la profondeur des eaux l'empescha de venir iusques à terre. En fin vn rat musqué descendit, & en rapporta: Auec ce morceau de terre il remit tout en estat: il refit des troncs d'arbres, & tirant des fléches à l'encontre, elles se changeoient en branches. Ce seroit vne longue fable de raconter [79] comme il repara tout: comme il se vangea des mõstres qui auoient pris ses chasseurs, se transformant en mille sortes d'animaux pour les surprendre: bref ce beau Reparateur estant marié à vne soury musquée, eut des enfans qui ont repeuplé le monde.

The Messou, very much astonished, gave up all thoughts of his lynxes, to meditate on creating the world anew. He sent a raven to find a small piece of the earth, with which to build up another world. The raven was unable to find any, everything being covered with water. He made an otter dive down, but the depth of the water prevented it from going to the bottom. At last a muskrat descended, and brought back some earth. With this bit of earth, he [Messou] restored everything to its condition. He remade the trunks of the trees, and shot arrows against them, which were changed into branches. It would be a long story to recount [79] how he reëstablished everything; how he took vengeance on the monsters that had taken his hunters, transforming himself into a thousand kinds of animals to circumvent them. In short, this great Restorer, having married a little muskrat, had children who repeopled the world.

On voit par ces contes que les Sauuages ont quelque idée d'vn Dieu: Ie dis bien dauantage, qu'ils ont quelque espece de sacrifice. Le Pere Brebeuf m'a asseuré qu'hyuernant auec eux, il leur vit mettre vn petit Eslan ou Orignac souz la cendre, & le brusler. Il cogneut depuis qu'à mesme temps on en auoit brûlé vn en la mesme façon en vne autre cabane, & demandant la raison de cela, ils luy dirent que c'estoit pour la santé d'vn malade.

You see by these stories that the Savages have some idea of a God: I say even more, they have some form of sacrifice. Father Brebeuf assured me that, when passing the winter with them, he saw them put a little Elk or Moose under the ashes and burn it. He has learned since then that another was burned at the same time and in the same manner, in another cabin; and, asking the reason for it, they answered that it was for the recovery of a sick man.

Il y a des hommes parmy eux qui font profession de consulter leur [80] Manitou; il me semble que par ce mot de Manitou ils entendent, comme entre nous, vn Ange, ou quelque nature puissante. Ie croy qu'ils pensent qu'il y en a de bons & de mauuais, i'en parleray plus asseurément quelque iour.

There are some men among them who make a profession of consulting their [80] Manitou. It seems to me that by this word "Manitou" they understand, as among us, an Angel or some powerful being.41 I believe they think that there are good and bad Manitous; I will speak of this with greater certainty some day.

Le Gendre de nostre Sauuage voulant aller à la chasse, le consulta tout auprés de nostre maison: Il fit vne petite Cabane de bois, se renferma là dedans. Sur la nuict, chantant, criant, hurlant: les autres estoient à l'entour de luy: ie priay vn François de tirer vn coup d'arquebuse pour les espouuanter par le bruit, mais ie ne sçay s'ils l'entendirent, tant ils se demenoient. Le Manitou luy dit qu'il allast à la chasse d'vn certain costé, qu'il y trouueroit des Orignaux, & point d'Hiroquois; le Manitou fut trouué menteur, car il reuint bien affamé, n'ayant quasi rien trouué. [81] Pour les Hiroquois, il n'en pouuoit rencontrer, car il s'écartoit bien loin d'eux: ie croy que la pluspart de ces consulteurs de Manitou ne sont que des trompeurs & charlatans; neantmoins quand ils recommandent quelque chose, cela est executé de point en point. S'il disoit aux Sauuages que le Manitou veut qu'on se couche nud dans la neige, qu'on se brusle en quelque endroict, il seroit obey & au bout du conte ce Manitou ou Diable ne leur parle non plus qu'à moy.

The Son-in-law of our Savage, wishing to go hunting, took counsel with him [the Manitou] near our house. He made a little wooden Cabin, shutting himself inside toward nightfall, singing, crying, and howling. The others were around him. I begged a Frenchman to fire a shot of the arquebus, to frighten them with the noise; but I am not sure that they heard it, so great was the uproar. The Manitou told him to go hunting in a certain direction, that he would find Moose there, and no Hiroquois. The Manitou was proved a liar; for the hunter returned almost starved, having found very little. [81] As to the Hiroquois, he could not have run against any, because he kept at a great distance from them. I believe that the greater number of these consulters of the Manitou are only deceivers and charlatans. Notwithstanding this, when they advise anything it is carried out exactly. If one of them should tell the Savages that the Manitou wanted them to lie down naked in the snow, or to burn themselves in a certain place, he would be obeyed. And, after all, this Manitou, or Devil, does not talk to them any more than he does to me.

Ie me doute neantmoins qu'il y en a quelquesvns qui ont vrayemẽt communication auec le Diable, s'il est vray ce qu'en disent les Sauuages, car on les voit marcher sur leurs cabanes sans les rompre: ils deuiẽnent furieux & comme possedez, dõnent des coups capables d'assommer vn bœuf, & neantmoins la douleur passe [82] en peu de temps: sans grand outrage on les void tout en sang, puis gueris en vn moment. Ils racontent quantité d'autres choses semblables, mais quãd ie les presse, ils m'aduouẽt franchement qu'ils n'ont point veu cela, ains seulement qu'ils l'ont ouy dire. Il ne faut pas leur faire grandes obiections sur leurs fables, pour les arrester, & leur faire perdre terre.

Nevertheless, I am inclined to think that there are some among them who really have communication with the Devil, if what the Savages say is true; because some are seen to walk upon their huts, without breaking them down. They become furious and act as if possessed, striking blows hard enough to fell an ox, and yet the pain passes [82] away very soon. Without any great injury, they cover themselves with blood, and are healed in a moment. They relate many other similar things; but, when I question them closely, they frankly admit that they have not seen them, but have only heard of them. One does not need to offer any very serious objections to their stories, to interrupt and confuse them.

Le 15. du mesme nostre Sauuage nous vint trouuer, & nous dit qu'vn de ses gendres auoit songé que nous luy donnassions aussi long que la main de petum, ou tabac; Ie luy refusay, disant que ie ne donnois rien pour les songes, & que ce n'estoit que folie, que ie leur expliquerois comme ils se forment quand ie scaurois leur lãgue. Il me repart que toutes les nations auoient quelque chose de particulier, que si nos songes n'estoient pas vrays, si bien les leurs: [83] & qu'ils mourroient s'ils ne les mettoient en execution. A ce conte nos vies dépendẽt des songes d'vn Sauuage, car s'ils resuoiẽt qu'il nous faut tuer, infailliblement ils nous tueroient, s'ils pouuoient. On m'a dit qu'autrefois l'vn d'eux ayant songé que pour estre guery d'vne maladie qui le trauailloit, il luy falloit tuer vn certain François, il l'enuoye appeller. Entré qu'il fut en sa cabane, il luy disoit, approche mon frere, ie te veux parler: sa femme qui scauoit le dessein de son mary, dit au François qu'il se donnast bien garde d'approcher: & de fait ce malade auoit mis vne hache à son costé pour l'assommer. Voila l'vne des risques de nostre vie; cela ne m'estonne point, on peut mourir pour Dieu en mourant par vn songe.

On the 15th of the same [month], our Savage came to see us, and said that one of his sons-in-law had dreamed that we would give him a piece of petun, or tobacco, as long as his hand. I refused him, saying that I did not give anything on account of dreams; that they were only folly, and that, when I knew his language, I would explain to him how they originated. He replied to me that all nations had something especially their own; that, if our dreams were not true, theirs were; [83] and that they would die if they did not execute them. According to this idea, our lives depend upon the dreams of a Savage; because, if they dream that they have to kill us, they will surely do it if they can. I am told that, at another time, one of them had a dream that to be cured of a disease, from which he was suffering, he must kill a certain Frenchman; so he sent for him. When the Frenchman entered his cabin, he said to him: "Come nearer, my brother, I want to talk with you." His wife, who knew the designs of her husband, told the Frenchman to be on his guard in going near him; and, in fact, the sick man had placed an axe at hand, with which to kill him. This shows one of the great risks that we run here; it does not frighten me; we may die for God in dying because of a dream.

Pour reuenir à nostre Sauuage, ie luy demanday s'il faudroit executer [84] mon songe, au cas que i'eusse songé que ie le deurois tuer? il repart que le songe de son gendre n'estoit point mauuais: & tout ainsi qu'il nous croyoit quãd nous luy disions quelque chose, ou que nous luy monstrions quelque image: de mesme que nous luy deuions croire quand il nous disoit quelque chose propre de sa nation: qu'au reste il s'estõnoit que nous autres qui n'vsions point de tabac, l'aimions tant. En fin il luy en fallut bailler, en luy faisant bien entendre que ce n'estoit point en consideratiõ de son songe, & qu'on luy refuseroit tout ce qu'il demanderoit sous ce pretexte. Il nous dit qu'il ne croiroit plus à ces fantaisies, mais que son gendre estoit libre: ceste superstition est trop enracinée dans son esprit pour la quitter si aisément.

But to return to our Savage; I asked him if it would be necessary to execute [84] my dream, in case I had dreamed that I should kill him. He replied that his son-in-law's dream was not bad; and just as he believed us when we told him something, or when we showed him a picture, so likewise we ought to believe him when he told us something that was accepted by his people. More than that, he was astonished that we, who did not use tobacco, liked it so much. Finally, we found it necessary to give him some, taking good care to make him understand that it was not in consideration of his dream, and that we would refuse him whatever he asked under that pretext. He said he would no longer believe in such fancies, but that his son-in-law could do as he liked. This superstition is too deeply implanted in his mind for him to give it up so easily.

Le 21. du mesme, ie baptisay vn [85] petit Sauuage agé d'enuiron 3 ans, frappé d'vne maladie mortelle: & voyant qu'il estoit en danger de mourir dans les bois, sa grand'mere le traisnant auec soy de part & d'autre, nous luy demandasmes au cas qu'il guerit, si elle ne voudroit pas bien nous le donner pour le nourrir & l'instruire: Elle respondit que s'il n'estoit si malade, qu'elle nous le dõneroit dés lors. Ses parents y consentirent: ce qui nous fit resoudre à le baptiser. Nostre Pierre luy donna son nom: ce pauure enfant pourra traisner quelques années, mais il n'y a gueres d'esperance qu'il puisse iamais recouurer sa santé.

On the 21st of the same [month], I baptized a [85] little Savage about three years old, stricken with a fatal disease; and, seeing that he was in danger of dying in the woods, his grandmother had dragged him about with her from one place to another; we asked her, if he should recover, if she would not like to give him to us, to care for and teach. She answered that, if he were not so sick, she would give him to us at once. His parents consented, so we resolved to baptize him. Our Pierre gave him his name. This poor child may drag on a few years, but there is hardly a hope that he will ever recover his health.

Sur la fin de Ianuier, le fils & les gendres de nostre Sauuage estans vers le Cap de Tourmẽte, manderẽt à leur pere, qui estoit cabané aupres de nous, qu'il y auoit bonne chasse en ce quartier là: Il s'y en alla auec [86] le reste de sa famille: puis nous retournant voir, il nous dit que si nous l'aimions nous l'allassions visiter en sa cabane, qu'il nous donneroit de la chair d'Eslan: Vous m'auez, disoit-il, donné de vos biens quand i'auois faim: mes gens croiront que vous estes faschez cōtre moy si vous ne nous venez pas voir. Il nous donna nouuelle que le Sauuage Brehaut estoit mort, & qu'il auoit laissé deux enfans, vn garçon & vne petite fille. Or comme nous disirerions bien d'en enuoyer quelques-vns en France pour les faire instruire, afin qu'ils peussent par apres secourir leur nation, le Pere de Nouë prit resolution de suiure ce bon Sauuage, ce ne fut pas sans peine, voicy les particularitez de son voyage. Les hostelleries qu'on trouue en chemin sont les bois mesmes: à l'entrée de la nuict on s'arreste pour cabaner; chacun [87] desfait ses raquettes, desquelles on se sert comme de pesle pour vuider la neige de la place où on veut coucher. La place nette, & faite en rond ordinairement, on fait du feu tout au bien milieu, & tous les hostes s'assient à l'entour, estans abriez par le dos d'vne muraille de neige, ayans le Ciel pour couuerture de la maison. Le vin de ceste hostellerie c'est l'eau de neige fonduë dans vne petite chaudiere qu'on porte auec soy, si on ne veut manger la neige pour boisson: Les meilleurs mets sont vn peu d'anguille boucanée. Comme il faut porter sa couuerture auec soy pour se couurir la nuict, on ne se charge que le moins qu'õ peut d'autres choses.

Toward the end of January the son and the sons-in-law of our Savage, being near Cape de Tourmente, told their father, who was settled near us, that there was good hunting in that quarter. He went there with [86] the rest of his family. Then, coming back to see us, he said that if we loved him, we would go to visit him in his cabin, and he would give us some Venison. "You have given me," said he, "of your store when I was hungry; my people will think you are very angry with me, if you do not come to see us." He brought us news that the Savage, Brehault, was dead; and that he had left two children, a boy and a little girl. Now as we desired very much to send some children to France to have them educated, that they might afterward help their people, Father de Nouë made up his mind to follow this good Savage, a journey not without difficulties. Here are the particulars thereof: The inns found on the way are the woods themselves, where at nightfall they stop to camp; each [87] one unfastens his snowshoes, which are used as shovels in cleaning the snow from the place where they are going to sleep. The place cleaned is usually made in the form of a circle; a fire is made in the very middle of it, and all the guests seat themselves around it, having a wall of snow behind them, and the Sky for a roof. The wine of this inn is snow, melted in a little kettle which they carry with them, provided they do not wish to eat snow in lieu of drink. Their best dish is smoked eel. As they must carry their blankets with them for cover at night, they load themselves with as few other things as possible.

Le Pere estant arriué dans la cabane, on ne scauoit quelle chere luy faire: Il n'y a point icy de complimens, on ne dit ny bon iour, ny [88] bon soir. Tout leur tesmoignage de resioüyssance ou action de graces consiste en ceste aspiration, Ho! ho! ho! ho! &c. On saluë icy le monde par effects. Aussi-tost chacun se met en deuoir, l'vn met de l'eau dans la chaudiere, ou plustost de la neige; l'autre la met sur le feu; l'autre iette dedans de grandes pieces de chair d'Eslan, sans la lauer de peur de perdre la graisse; cela estant cuit à demy, on le retire pour en remettre d'autre. Comme on estoit en cet exercice, voicy l'vn des gendres de la Nasse qui reuient de la chasse, apportant deux Castors: aussi-tost en tesmoignage de resioüyssance de la venuë du Pere, il les met en pieces, & les iette dans la chaudiere. Vn autre luy fait present d'vn ieune Castor fort delicat, mais auec prieres qu'on se donnast bien garde de donner les os aux chiens, autrement ils croient [89] qu'ils n'en prendroient plus: ils bruslent ces os fort soigneusement, si les chiens les mangeoient, la chasse ne vaudroit plus rien. Le Pere me dit qu'il s'estonnoit du degast de viande qu'ils faisoient. Voila vn grand mal pour ce miserable peuple, quand il a dequoy, ce ne sont que festins; & la pluspart du temps il meurt de faim le lendemain. On alla à trois lieuës de là chercher vn Orignac qu'ils auoient tué, pour en donner la chair au Pere, auec mille excuses, en deux mots, que peutestre ne le trouueriõs nous pas bon. Ils pressoient le Pere de demeurer quelques iours auec eux, disans qu'ils auoient veu du bois rongé, & qu'infailliblement ils trouueroient d'autres Elans.

When the Father reached the cabin, they did not know what welcome to give him. There are no greetings here; they say neither "good day" nor [88] "good evening." Their manifestations of rejoicing, or expressions of thanks, consist of this aspiration: "Ho! ho! ho! ho!" etc. They greet people here by actions. Immediately each begins his work; one puts water, or rather snow, in a kettle; another places it on the fire; another throws in large pieces of Venison, not washing them for fear of losing the grease. This being half cooked, it is withdrawn in order to put in some more. While so engaged, one of the sons-in-law of la Nasse returns from the hunt, bringing two Beavers; he tears them to pieces at once, and throws them into the kettle, in proof of his joy at seeing the Father. Another gives him a young and very tender Beaver, with the request that he should be most careful not to give the bones to the dogs, otherwise they believe [89] they will take no more Beavers. They burn these bones very carefully. If a dog should eat them, there would be no more good hunting. The Father told me that he was astonished at their waste of meat. This is a great misfortune for these miserable people, for they have nothing but feasts when they have plenty, and are generally dying of hunger the next day. They went a distance of three leagues from there to get a Moose they had killed, to give the meat of it to the Father, with a thousand excuses, saying, in short, that perhaps we might not find it good. They pressed the Father to remain with them a few days, saying that they had seen wood which had been gnawed, an infallible sign that they would find more Elk.

Le Pere voulant partir, lon fait trois traisnes qu'on charge de chair; l'vne pour luy, l'autre pour nostre Pierre qui estoit allé là; la troisiesme [90] pour vn François qui accompagnoit le Pere. A peine auoient-ils fait deux cens pas apres leurs adieux, que le Pere demeure tout court, il ne voyoit goutte, & n'entendoit rien: la fumée de la cabane, les neiges de dehors, le défaut de nourriture; car il n'auoit mangé qu'vn peu de ceste chair à demy cruë, le trauail du chemin l'affoiblirent si fort, qu'il fut contraint de retourner d'où il venoit. Il auoit bien porté vn peu de pain & de pois, mais les Sauuages s'en saisirent incontinent, tant ils en sont auides, luy disant qu'il en mangeroit tant qu'il voudrait estant de retour en nostre maison. Le bon Sauuage La Nasse voyant la debilité du Pere, luy demande s'il veut demeurer; Non, dit-il, mais ie ne puis traisner ce fardeau que tu m'as donné. Allons, respond le Sauuage, ie le traisneray pour toy, & ie prendray [91] ceste grande peau de loup marin pour t'enuelopper dedans, & te traisner en ta maison: si tu es malade, prends courage, ie ne t'abandonneray point. Ils s'en reuindrent à la maison le mieux qu'ils peurent: nostre Pierre courrut deuant apporter les nouuelles: Nous enuoyasmes viste vn garçon auec vne bouteille de cidre, & du pain, pour leur donner courage. Le vent leur donnoit si violemment en face, qu'ils furent contraints de laisser leurs traisnes à trois lieuës de Kebec, on les renuoya querir le iour suiuant. Les Pere qui n'estoit malade que de foiblesse & de trauail, ayant trouué le repos, se remit incontinent.

When the Father wished to depart, they made three sledges which they loaded with meat; one for him, another for our man Pierre, who was there, and the third [90] for a Frenchman who accompanied the Father. They had moved scarcely two hundred steps, after their farewells, when the Father suddenly stopped short; he could see nothing and could hear nothing. The smoke of the cabin, the snow outside, the lack of nourishment, for he had eaten only a very little of that half-cooked meat, and the difficulties of the way had weakened him so that he was compelled to return whence he came. He had carried with him a little bread and a few peas; but the Savages had taken possession of them at once, so fond are they of them, telling him that he could eat as much as he wanted of these things on his return to our house. The good Savage La Nasse, seeing the Father's weakness, asked him if he wished to remain. "No," said he, "but I cannot drag this load which you have given me." "Very well," answered the Savage, "I will drag it for thee, and I will take [91] this great sealskin to wrap thee up in, and draw thee to thy house. If thou art sick, take courage, I will not abandon thee." They returned to the house as best they could, our Pierre running before them to bring the news. We hurriedly sent a boy with a bottle of cider and some bread to renew their strength. The wind blew so violently in their faces that they were compelled to leave their sledges three leagues from Kebec, and send for them on the following day. The Father, who was sick only from weakness and overwork, having rested, immediately recovered.

Voila, mon Reuerend Pere, vn eschantillon de ce qu'il faut souffrir courant apres les Sauuages, ce qu'il faut faire necessairement si on les [92] veut ayder à se sauuer: Et partant que, V.R. voye s'il luy plaist qui seront ceux qu'elle destinera pour ceste mission. On ne souffre point ces incommoditez demeurant dans la maison, tout ce qu'on y endure est tolerable: mais quand il faut deuenir Sauuage auec les Sauuages, il faut prendre sa vie, & tout ce qu'on a, & le ietter à l'abandon, pour ainsi dire, se contentant d'vne croix bien grosse & bien pesante pour tout richesse. Il est bien vray que Dieu ne se laisse point vaincre, & que plus on quitte, plus on trouve: plus on perd, plus on gaigne: mais Dieu se cache par fois, & alors le Calice est bien amer.

In this narrative, my Reverend Father, you have an illustration of what we have to suffer in accompanying the Savages in their wanderings, and what must necessarily be done if we wish [92] to aid in saving them. And from this Your Reverence may see, if you please, what kind of men should be chosen for this mission. We do not suffer these discomforts while remaining in the house. All that we have to bear here is endurable. But, when it is necessary to become a Savage with the Savages, one must take his life and all that he has, and throw it away, so to speak, contenting himself with a very large and very heavy cross for all riches. It is true that God does not allow himself to be conquered, and that the more one gives, the more one gains; the more one loses, the more one finds; but God sometimes hides himself, and then the Cup is very bitter.

Vne chose me semble plus qu'intolerable, c'est qu'on est pesle-mesle, fille, femme, homme, garçõs tous ensemble dans vn trou enfumé; & plus on s'auance en la cognoissance [93] de la langue, plus on entend de salatés. Dieu veuille que les yeux n'en soient point offensez, on me dit que non. Ie ne pensois pas que les Sauuages eussent la bouche si puante comme ie le vay remarquant tous les iours. Coucher sur la terre couuerte d'vn peu de branches de pin, n'auoir qu'vne écorce entre la neige & vostre teste, traisner vostre bagage sur des montagnes, se laisser rouler dans des vallons espouuãtables, ne manger qu'vne fois en deux ou trois iours quand il n'y a point de chasse, c'est la vie qu'il faut mener en suiuant les Sauuages. Il est vray que si la chasse est bonne, la chair ne vous est point épargnée: sinon il faut estre en danger de mourir de faim, ou de bien souffrir. Vn de nos François qui a demeuré auec eux cét hyuer passé, nous a dit qu'il n'auoit mangé en deux iours qu'vn petit bout de [94] chandelle qu'il auoit porté par mesgarde dans sa pochette. Voila peutestre mon traittement pour l'hyuer prochain, car si ie veux sçauoir la langue, il faut de necessité suiure les Sauuages. Ie crains neantmoins que nostre famille accreuë ne me retienne cette année, mais il y faut aller tost ou tard, i'y voudrais desia estre, tant i'ay de mal au cœur de voir ces pauures ames errãtes sans aucun secours faute de les entendre. On ne peut mourir qu'vne fois, le plustost n'est pas tousiours le pire. Changeons de propos: Il faut que ie remarque icy vne iniure que les Sauuages donnent aux François, c'est qu'ils aiment ce qu'ils ont: quand vous refusez quelque chose à vn Sauuage, aussi-tost il vous dit Khisakhitan: tu aime cela, sakhita, sakhita, aime le, aime le, comme s'ils vouloient dire qu'on est attaché à ce qu'on aime, & qu'on [95] le prefere à leur amitié.

One thing seems to me more than intolerable. It is their living together promiscuously, girls, women, men, and boys in a smoky hole. And the more progress one makes in the knowledge [93] of the language, the more vile things one hears. May it please God that one's eyes be not offended; I am told that they are not. I did not think that the mouth of the Savage was so foul as I notice it is everyday. To sleep on the earth, covered with a few branches of pine, nothing but the bark between the snow and your head; to drag your baggage over the mountains, to let yourself roll down into frightful valleys; to eat only once in two or three days, when there is no hunting,—that is the life you must lead in following the Savages. It is true that, if the hunting is good, there is no lack of meat; if not, one must be in danger of dying from starvation, or of enduring great suffering. One of our Frenchmen, who lived with them last winter, told us that during two days he ate nothing but a small piece of [94] candle, that he had accidentally carried in his pocket. This is the treatment that I shall perhaps have next winter; because, if I wish to learn the language, I must necessarily follow the Savages. I fear, however, that our growing family may keep me here this year; but sooner or later I must go. I would like to be there already, I am so sick at heart to see these poor straying souls, without any help because of our inability to understand them. We can die but once; the soonest is not always the worst. Let us change the subject; I must speak here of the charge which the Savages make against the French. It is that they love what is theirs; when you refuse anything to a Savage, he immediately says Khisakhitan, "Thou lovest that," sakhita, sakhita, "Love it, love it;" as if they would say that we are attached to what we love, and that we [95] prefer it to their friendship.

Nostre Sauuage voudroit bien viure auec nous comme frere, en vn mot il voudroit entrer en communauté de tout. Ie te donneray, dit-il, de tout ce que i'ay, & tu me donneras de tout ce que tu as: Ce seroit le moyen de manger en vn mois toutes les prouisions d'vne année, car ils ne cessent de manger tant qu'ils ont dequoy, n'en ayant plus, ils en cherchent, & en demandent auec importunité. Il est vray que ce bon homme voit bien que ceste procedure n'est pas bonne: & quand ie luy represente qu'il ne fait pas bien, prodiguant ses viures en peu de temps: ce n'est pas moy, dit-il, qui fait cela, c'est ma femme. Il s'estonne quand nous luy faisons manger d'vn morceau d'Ours ou d'Orignac six sepmaines apres qu'il nous l'a donné; car en ce temps-là on mangera deux & trois [96] & quatre ours en sa cabane, si on en prend autant.

Our Savage would like to live with us as a brother; in a word, he would like to have us divide with him all that we have. "I will give thee," said he, "of all that I possess, and thou shalt give me of all that belongs to thee." In this way, we should eat in a month all the provisions for a year, for they never stop eating as long as they have anything. Having nothing more, they go in search of something, and beg for it persistently. It is true that this simple fellow realizes that this is not a good way, and, when I show him that it is not well to use up his food so quickly, he says: "It is not I who do that, it is my wife." He is astonished when we give him a piece of Bear or Moose six weeks after he has given it to us, for in that time they eat two, three, [96] and four bears in his cabin, if they capture that many.

Le 13. de Feurier Dieu nous fit vne faueur fort signalée: Mon maistre nommé en sa langue comme i'ay desia souuent dit, Pierre Pastedechouan, s'en alla sans nous rien dire. Depuis qu'il estoit auec nous, il s'estoit vn peu remis: il se confessoit de tẽps en tẽps sãs se vouloir cõmunier quoy qu'on luy dit. Sa raison estoit que iamais il ne s'estoit cõmunié en son pays, si biẽ en France: mais i'estois là mieux disposé qu'icy, disoit-il. Comme il sentit approcher le Caresme, il nous fit plusieurs interrogations sans que nous prissiõs garde où elles buttoient: scauoir mõ à quel âge on estoit obligé de ieusner, si dans tout le Caresme on ne mangeroit point de chair, & choses semblables. La peur qu'il eut du ieusne, & la croyance qu'il auoit que [97] les gens de La Nasse auroient bõne chasse, fit qu'il s'en alla les trouuer sans nous en parler. Voyant mon secours perdu pour la langue, nous demandasmes derechef à Dieu qu'il luy pleust nous donner pour la seconde fois celuy qu'il nous auoit dõné pour la premiere. La Theologie de ce bon aueugle né n'est pas bonne, qui dit que Dieu n'exauce point les pecheurs, si fait bien quand il luy plaist. La Nasse ayant mangé toute sa chasse, & n'en trouuant plus dans les bois, la faim le pressa si fort, qu'il ne sçauoit de quel coste se tourner. Nostre Pierre se voyant dans le ieusne deuant que d'estre en Caresme, ayant pense perdre la vie sur vne glace qui coula dessous luy, & passé quatre iours sans quasi rien manger, nous reuient voir tout defait apres 15 iours d'absẽce, il ne nous dit point que la famine le ramenoit, aussi attribuay-ie [98] son retour à celuy qui nous le donnoit pour la seconde fois: Il demeura donc auec nous iusques à Pasques, m'aydant à conclurre ce que i'auois enuie d'acheuer de nostre Dictionnaire.

On the 13th of February God did us a very signal favor. My teacher, named in his language, as I have often said already, Pierre Pastedechouan, went off without giving us notice. Since he had been with us, he had somewhat improved; he had been to confession from time to time, but would not take communion, whatever might be said to him. His reason was that he had never taken communion in his country, though he had in France; "But I was," he said, "more disposed to it there than here." As he felt that Lent was approaching, he asked us a number of questions, the full tendency of which we did not comprehend; namely, at what age it was necessary to fast; if one should not eat meat at all during Lent, and similar things. The fear he had of fasting, and his belief that [97] the people of La Nasse would be lucky in their hunt, led him to go to them without telling me. Seeing that I had lost my help in learning the language, we again asked God to give us, if it pleased him, for a second time, the one he had given us at first. The Theology of that worthy man, blind from birth, who says that God does not hearken to sinners except when it is agreeable to him, is not good. La Nasse having eaten all his game, and finding no more in the woods, was so pressed with hunger that he knew not on which side to turn. Our Pierre found himself fasting before the beginning of Lent; having nearly lost his life upon the ice, which slipped from under him, he passed four days with scarcely anything to eat and returned to us completely exhausted, after 15 days of absence. He did not tell us that hunger brought him back, therefore I attributed [98] his return to him who gave him to us for a second time. He remained with us until Easter, helping me to finish what I was very anxious to complete, our Dictionary.

Le Vendredy Sainct, il s'en voulut aller à la chasse auec nostre Sauuage qui estoit du retour, mais ie luy dis qu'il n'iroit point qu'il ne se fust acquitté du deuoir que doiuent rendre à Dieu tous les Chrestiens en ce tẽps-là; i'aduerty nostre Sauvage de ne le point receuoir en sa cõpagnie; ce qu'il fit. Il se confessa donc & se communia le iour de Pasques. Le lendemain nostre Sauvage retournant pour vendre au sieur de Caën vn ieune Eslan qu'il auoit pris tout vif (lequel mourut depuis) nostre homme l'accosta, & luy dit que nous ne l'auions retenu sinon pour prier Dieu le iour precedẽt, & que l'ayant [99] fait nous estions contens qu'il le suiuit: Il est vray que pour le contenter nous luy auions dit que s'estant acquitté de ses deuotiõs, il pourroit s'en aller à la chasse à la premiere occasion, ce qu'il a fait auec promesse de retourner, mais nous ne l'auõs point veu depuis. Dieu soit beny de tout: ie ne m'osois promettre tout ce que i'ay tiré de luy, i'en ay assez pour me rendre capable d'aller hyuerner parmy les Sauuages, auec profit.

On Good Friday, he wanted to go hunting with our Savage, who had returned; but I told him that he should not go until he had rendered to God the devotion that all Christians owed to him at that time. I charged our Savage not to receive him in his company, and he did not. Then he confessed and received his Easter communion. The next day, our Savage returning to sell to sieur de Caën a young Elk that he had taken alive (which died afterward), our man accosted him, and said that we had only detained him that he might pray to God on the preceding day; and that, having done [99] so, we were willing that he should go with him. It is true that, in order to please him, we told him that, if he performed his devotions, he might go hunting upon the first opportunity; which he did with the promise to return, but we have not seen him since. But God be praised for all; I dared not promise myself all that I have drawn from him; I have enough to fit me for going to pass the winter among the Savages with profit.

La Nasse reuenant de la chasse nous dit que ce pauure ieune homme auoit trauersé les bois pour aller trouuer ses frères à Tadoussac: pour moy i'estime qu'il a la foy, i'en ay de tres-grands indices: mais comme c'est vne foy de crainte & de seruitude, & que d'ailleurs il est enchaisné par vne infinité de mauuaises habitudes, il a de la peine de quitter la liberté blasmable des Sauuages, [100] pour s'arrester sous le ioug de la loy de Dieu.

When La Nasse returned from hunting, he told us that this poor young man had gone through the woods to find his brothers at Tadoussac. For my part I think he has faith; I have seen strong indications of it; but as it is a faith born of fear and slavishness, and as, moreover, he is enchained by a multitude of bad habits, he has great difficulty in abandoning the wicked liberty of the Savages [100] and submitting to the yoke of the law of God.

Le 21. de Mars, vn Sauuage mangeant chez nous à terre, selon leur coustume, s'arresta tout court, disant qu'il ne mangeroit pas dauantage, autrement qu'il mourroit: Ie luy demanday pourquoy, il me dit qu'il auoit veu vne lumiere brillãte tourner tout à l'entour du plat: ie voulus mettre la main sur le plat, il s'escria, Khiga nipin, Khiga nipin, tu mourras, tu mourras: Or comme ie commence à cognoistre leurs fantaisies, pour luy faire voir sa simplicité: ie prends vne cuillerée ou deux de ce qu'il mãgeoit, & en mangeay moy-mesme, il commence à me regarder comme tout estonné, & voyant que ie n'auois point de mal; i'en mãgeray aussi, fit-il, puis que tu en as mangé.

On the 21st of March, a Savage who was eating at our house, upon the ground, according to their custom, stopped suddenly, saying that he would eat no more,—if he did, he would die. I asked him why, and he told me that he has seen a bright light revolve around his plate. I was about to put my hand upon the plate, and he cried out, Khiga nipin, Khiga nipin, "Thou wilt die, thou wilt die." Now as I am becoming familiar with their fancies, to make him understand his simplicity, I took a spoonful or two of what he was eating, and ate it myself. He looked at me with astonishment, and, seeing that I was not sick, "I will eat also," said he, "since thou hast eaten of it."

On dit que quelques Basques ou Anglois leurs ont baillé l'apprehension [101] que les François les vouloient empoisonner. C'est pourquoy plusieurs vous inuitent de gouster le premier de ce que vous leur presentez. En quoy il arriua vne chose agreable à vn Sauuage fort adonné a boire: le sieur du Plessis luy ayãt fait presenter vn verre de vin, ou de sidre; il se tourne, & le donne à vn François pour en taster: ce François le tasta si bien, qu'il n'y laissa rien. Le Sauuage qui le voyoit faire, crioit prou egouspé, egouspé, c'est assez, c'est assez: mais l'autre tira iusques au bout, puis presenta le verre tout vuide au Sauuage, pour l'apprendre vne autre fois à quitter ces deffiances.

It is said that some Basques or Englishmen have communicated to them the fear [101] that the French were seeking to poison them. That is why many of the Savages invite you to first taste whatever you give them. Apropos of this, a very amusing thing happened to a Savage who was much addicted to drink. Sieur du Plessis having presented him with a glass of wine, or of cider, he turned about, and gave it to a Frenchman to taste; this Frenchman tasted it so well, that there was none of it left. The Savage, who saw what he was doing, cried out, egouspé, egouspé, "It is enough, it is enough." But the other drank the last drop, giving the empty glass to the Savage, as a lesson that, another time, he must be less suspicious.

Le 22. nostre Pierre ayant pris vn Castor, vne Sauuage l'ayant écorché, nostre frere le prit & le laua: ceste femme voyant qu'il faisoit tomber à terre le sang de cét animal, s'écria, en verité cét homme n'a point [102] d'esprit, & se tournant vers Pierre, luy dit, tu ne prendras plus de Castors, on a respandu le sang du tien: c'est vne de leurs superstitions, qu'il ne faut point respandre à terre le sang pur du Castor, si on veut auoir bonne chasse, du moins Pierre nous le dit ainsi.

On the 22nd, our Pierre having caught a Beaver, a Savage skinned and our brother washed it. This woman, seeing that he let some of the blood of the animal fall to the ground, cried out: "In truth, this man has no [102] sense;" and turning to Pierre she said: "Thou wilt take no more Beavers, for the blood of thine has been spilled." It is one of their superstitions that you must not spill the pure blood of the Beaver upon the ground, if you wish to have good hunting, at least Pierre has told us so.

Le premier iour d'Auril le Capitaine des Algonquains nous vint voir, & nous apporta de la chair d'Elan, ses gens en auoient tué dix, quoy qu'vn Sauuage vous donne pour vn grand mercy, (c'est vn mot qu'ils ont appris des François) il leur faut rendre quelqu'autre chose pour vn autre grand'mercy, autrement vous serez tenu pour vn ingrat. Ils reçoiuent assez volontiers sans donner: mais ils ne sçauent que c'est de donner sans receuoir. Il est vray que si vous les voulez suiure dãs les bois, ils vous nourriront sans vous riẽ demander, [103] s'ils croient que vous n'ayez riē: Mais s'ils s'apperçoiuẽt que vous ayez quelque chose, & qu'ils en ayẽt enuie, ils ne cesseront de vous presser que vous ne leur ayez donné.

On the first day of April, the Captain of the Algonquains came to see us, and brought us some Elk meat, his people having killed ten of these animals. Although the Savages will give you something for a "thank you," (this is a word they have learned from the French), you must make them some return for another "thank you," otherwise you will be looked upon as ungrateful. They are willing enough to receive without giving; but they do not know what it is to give without receiving. It is true that, if you will follow them into the woods, they will feed you without asking anything of you, [103] if they think that you have nothing. But if they see that you have something, and they want it, they will not stop asking you for it until you have given it.

Pour retourner à ce Capitaine, ie luy demanday s'il auoit vn fils, & s'il ne vouloit point nous le dōner pour l'instruire; il me demanda combien ie voulois d'enfans, & que i'en auois desia deux: ie luy dis qu'auec le tẽps peutestre i'en nourrirois vingt, il s'étonna: Habilleras-tu bien, me dit-il, tant de mõde? Ie respondis que nous ne les prendrions pas que nous n'eussions le moyen de les habiller, il repart qu'il seroit bien content de nous donner le sien, mais que sa fẽme ne le voudroit pas. Les femmes ont icy vn grand pouuoir: qu'vn hõme vous promette quelque chose, s'il ne tient pas sa promesse, il pense s'estre bien excusé, quand il vous a [104] dit que sa femme ne l'a pas voulu: ie luy dis donc qu'il estoit le maistre, & qu'en France les femmes ne commandoient point à leurs maris: cela est bien, dit-il, mais pour mon fils ie suis assez sçauant pour l'instruire, ie luy apprẽdray à haranguer: instruits premierement les Montagnaits, si cela reüssit bien, nous te donnerons nos enfans.

To return to this Captain; I asked him if he had a son, and if he would not give him to us to be educated. He asked me how many children I wanted, and [said] that I already had two. I told him that in time I should perhaps feed twenty. He was astonished. "Wilt thou clothe so many as well?" asked he. I answered him that we would not take them until we had the means to clothe them. He replied that he would be very glad to give us his son, but that his wife did not wish to do so. The women have great power here. A man may promise you something, and, if he does not keep his promise, he thinks he is sufficiently excused when he tells you [104] that his wife did not wish to do it. I told him then that he was the master, and that in France women do not rule their husbands. "That is very well," said he, "but I know enough to instruct my son; I shall teach him to make speeches. Instruct the Montagnaits first; if thou succeedest well, then we will give thee our children."

Ie luy parlay de Dieu, il m'escoutoit fort attentiuement: Ie luy enseignay quelque petite priere en langage Montagnaits qu'il entend fort bien; il les prononçoit en sa langue, & me promit qu'il les diroit souuẽt. Or cõme le tẽps me pressoit d'aller reciter mon office, ie luy dis que i'allois prier Dieu: il me suiuit, entra dãs ma chambrette, & s'y tint iusques à ce que i'eusse acheué, me faisãt aprés plusieurs interrogations; bref il ne s'en retourna qu'à la nuict.

I talked to him about God, and he listened very attentively. I taught him a little prayer in the Montagnaits language which he understands very well. He repeated it in his tongue, and promised me that he would say it often. Then, as the time had come for me to go and recite my office, I told him that I was going to pray to God. He followed me, entered my little room, and remained there until I had finished, asking me a number of questions afterward. In short, he did not go away until night.

[105] Le 18. & le 20. d'Auril, il tonna fort & ferme auec de grands éclairs, & cependant la riuiere estoit encor glacée, & la terre couuerte de neige; ce qui fait voir qu'il y a de la chaleur en l'air, & que ces neiges & froids sont accidentels, & contre la nature du climat: noꝰ sommes parallelles à la Rochelle, cõme i'ay desia dit. Tous les François pourront tesmoigner qu'ils n'ont point veu dans le cœur de la France mois de May si chaud, que celuy qu'ils ont esprouué à Kebec.

[105] On the 18th and 20th of April, it thundered loudly and violently, with sharp flashes of lightning, and yet the river was still frozen, and the ground white with snow; this showed us that there was heat in the air, and these snows and this cold were accidental and contrary to the nature of the climate. We are on a parallel with la Rochelle, as I have already said. All the Frenchmen can testify that they have never seen in the heart of France so warm a month of May as they have experienced in Kebec.

La chaleur est icy grande & brûlante; & cependant i'ay remarqué depuis que ie suis icy qu'il a gelé tous les mois de l'année. Ie ne m'estonne point de ces gelées: nous auons du costé du Nord vne chaisne de montagnes peut-estre de cent ou deux cens lieues d'estendue. Nous ne sommes pas éloignez de six lieuës de ces [106] monts prodigieux, & peutestre tousiours couuerts de neiges: Ie vous laisse à penser si les vents qui passent par là nous peuuent apporter beaucoup de chaleur. De plus nous sommes dans les bois de 800 ou mille lieuës. Nous habitons les bords de deux fleuues, dont l'vn engloutiroit les quatre beaux fleuues de France sans regorger. Voila les vrayes causes & alimens du froid. Si le pays estoit découuert iusques à ces montagnes; nous aurions peutestre l'vne des plus fœcondes vallées qui soient en l'vniuers: L'expérience nous fait voir que les bois engendrent les frimas & les gelées. Les terres de ceste famille qui est icy estant plus découuertes que les nostres, sont plustost déchargées de neiges, & moins sujettes à ces froids du matin. Les nostres aussi ne sentent point ces rigueurs si souuent, que celles de la [107] maison des RR. Peres Recolets qui sont plus referrez dans les bois.

The heat here is intense and burning, and yet I have observed since I have been here that there has been frost every month of the year. I am not surprised at these frosts. We have on the North of us a chain of mountains, probably one or two hundred leagues in extent. We are not distant six leagues from these [106] stupendous mountains, probably always covered with snow.42 I leave you to decide whether the wind coming from that direction can bring much heat. Besides, we are in a forest covering from 800 to a thousand leagues. We live upon the banks of two rivers, one of which would swallow up the four great rivers of France without overflowing. Behold herein the real cause and source of the cold. If the country were cleared as far as the mountains, we should probably have one of the most fruitful valleys in the universe. Experience teaches us that the woods engender cold and frosts. The lands owned by the family living here, having been cleared more than ours, are sooner freed from snow, and less subject to cold in the morning. Neither do we feel these rigors so often as do those who live in the [107] house of the Reverend Recolet Fathers, who are farther in the woods.

Il y a quantitè de iours en hyuer dont l'ardeur du Soleil se fait bien plus fortement ressentir qu'en France. Le premier iour que ie vey nostre riuiere prise, ie m'estonnay, car le temps estoit fort doux; & cherchant la raison de cela, celle-cy me vint en pensée. La riuiere se glace tousiours sur les bords, & quand la marée viẽt à monter, elle dètache ces glaces, & les ameine en haut. Or est-il que nõ pas loin de nous il y a vn fault, ou des rochers qui empeschent les glaces a la marée de passer plus outre. Ces glaces estant donc ramassées & pressées sur cette riuiere, qui est au milieu d'vn si grand bois, où le froid & la neige se conseruent aisément: elles se lient ensemble, & ainsi de mille & mille glaces il s'en fait vne qui se va grossissant tous les iours, & [108] qui fait vn grand pont sur toute la riuiere. La Lombardie n'est pas loin des Alpes dont le sommet est tousiours blanc de neige, & neantmoins ie ne sçay si l'Europe a quelque vallée plus agréable & plus fertile que cette contrée: i'en dy le mesme du lieu que nous habitons s'il estoit deserté & cultiue. Voila ma pensée touchant le pays: si ie me trompe ce n'est pas merueille, cela m'arriue assez souuent, tout gist à le deserter: mais ô mõ Dieu, que de peine à purger vne forest embarassee d'arbres tombez! ie dirois volontiers depuis le deluge.

There are many days in the winter when the heat of the Sun makes itself felt a great deal more than it does in France. The first day that I saw our river frozen, I was astonished, because it was very mild weather; and, in seeking a reason for it, this came to my mind. A river always freezes first along its banks; and, when the tide rises, it loosens this ice and carries it higher up. Now, not far from us there is a waterfall or some rocks, which prevent the tidal ice from passing beyond them. This ice being thus massed and pressed together in the river, which is in the midst of so great a wood that the snow and cold are easily preserved, it becomes consolidated; and thousands and thousands of blocks of ice are frozen into one mass which goes on increasing every day, [108] making a great bridge over the whole river. Lombardy is not far from the Alps, the summits of which are always white with snow, and yet I do not know that Europe has a more agreeable and more fertile valley than that country. I would say the same of the place in which we live, if it were cleared and cultivated. This is my opinion touching this country; if I am mistaken, it is not strange, as that happens to me often; everything depends upon clearing the land. But oh, my God! What labor there will be in clearing a forest encumbered with fallen trees, I might well say, since the deluge.

Le 23. du mesme mois d'Auril, nous veismes partir les glaces, cela est effroyable: on m'a dit qu'on en auoit veu passer devãt le fort lõgues d'vne demie lieuë; ce sont des ances d'eau glacée que la marée de la grãde riuiere va détachant. Sur nostre [109] petite riuiere les glaces n'y sõt pas si affreuses, & neantmoins ie leur ay veu emporter de gros morceaux de terre, arracher des souches, briser quelques arbres qu'elles entouroiẽt. On en voit marcher de tous droits dessus ces glaces au beau milieu de la riuiere, qui en vne seule marée paroist aussi belle & aussi claire, comme si elle n'auoit point esté glacée.

On the 23rd of the same month of April we saw the ice float away; it is a frightful spectacle. I was told that pieces half a league long were seen passing before the fort. These are the banks of frozen water which the current of the great river goes on loosening. Upon our [109] little river the ice is not so alarming; nevertheless I have seen it carry away large pieces of earth, tear up stumps, and crush the trees which it had enclosed. You can see them [the trees] moving erect on these pieces of ice, in the very middle of the river, which in a single tide appears as beautiful and as clear as if it had never been frozen.

Le 7. de May, vn Sauuage estant venu voir la Nasse nostre voisin: cõme ie vey qu'il se portoit mal, ie l'aborday, & luy parlay de Dieu, l'exhortant à auoir recours à luy: il me respondit, Toy, tu cognois Iesus, prie le pour moy, car moy ie ne le cognois point, ie ne cognois que nostre Manitou. Ie luy dis qu'il prononçast souuẽt de cœur ces paroles, O Iesus qui estes bon, ayez pitié de moy, il mourut quelque temps apres.

On the 7th of May a Savage called to see la Nasse, our neighbor; as I saw that he was not well, I addressed him, speaking to him of God and exhorting him to have recourse to him. He answered me: "Thou knowest Jesus, pray to him for me, for I do not know him; I know only our Manitou." I told him to say these words often from his heart: "Oh Jesus, who art good, have pity on me." He died a short time afterward.

Les Montagnaits le tenoient pour [110] l'vn de leurs grands sorciers, ou consulteurs de Manitou: ie sçauray quelque iour si vrayement il y a de la diablerie en leur fait: pour le present ie ne puis dire autre chose que les vns disent que ouy, les autres que non: c'est à dire qu'il n'y a rien d'asseuré.

The Montagnaits held him as [110] one of their great sorcerers or consulters of Manitou.43 I shall know for certain, some day, whether there is any jugglery in their doings or not. At present, I can only say that some of them say "yes" and others "no." That is to say that there is nothing sure.

I'estois l'an passé maistre de deux escoliers, ie suis deuenu riche, i'en ay maintenant plus de vingt. Aprés le depart de mon maistre, i'ay recueilly & mis en ordre vne partie de ce qu'il m'auoit enseigné, & que i'auois escrit çà & là, m'accommodant à son humeur, qui souuent ne me dictoit que ce qui luy venoit en fantaisie. Ayant donc rallié la pluspart de mes richesses, ie me suis mis à composer quelque chose sur le Catechisme, ou sur les principes de la foy; & prenant mon papier en main, i'ay commencé à appeller quelques enfans auec vne petite clochette. La premiere [111] fois i'en auois six, puis douze, puis quinze, puis vingt; & dauantage ie leur fais dire le Pater, Aue, & Credo, en leur langue: ie leur explique grossierement le mystere de la Sainte Trinité, & de l'Incarnation; & à tous bouts de champ ie leur demande si ie dis bien, s'ils entendent bien, ils me respondent tous, eoco, eoco, ninisitoutenan: ouy, ouy, nous entendons. Ie les interroge par apres s'il y a plusieurs Dieu, & laquelle des trois personnes s'est fait homme: ie forge des mots approchans de leur lãgue, que ie leur fais entendre. Nous commẽçons le Catechisme par ceste priere, apres auoir fait le signe de la Croix; Noukhimami Iesus, ïagoua Khistinohimaonitou Khik hitouina caié Khiteritamouïn. Ca cataouachichien Maria ouccaonia Iesu, cacataouachichien Ioseph aïamihitouinan. Mõ Seigneur ou Capitaine Iesus; enseignez moy vos paroles & vostre volonté! [112] ô bonne Marie Mere de Dieu! ô bon Ioseph priez pour nous.

Last year I was master of two pupils; I have become rich, for I now have more than twenty. After the departure of my teacher, I gathered up and arranged in order a part of what he taught me, and what I had written here and there, accommodating myself to his humor, he often dictating only what happened to suit his fancy. Having thus brought together the greater part of my riches, I began to compose something in the way of a Catechism, or on the principles of the faith. Taking my paper in hand, I began to call a few children by ringing a little bell. At first [111] I had six, then twelve, then fifteen, then twenty, and more. I have them say the Pater, the Ave, and the Credo, in their language. I explain to them, very crudely, the mysteries of the Holy Trinity and of the Incarnation, and at every few words I ask them if I speak well, if they can understand perfectly; they all answer me: eoco, eoco, ninisitoutenan, "yes, yes, we understand." Afterwards I ask them whether there are several Gods, and which of the three persons became man. I coin words approximating to their language, which I make them understand. We begin the Catechism by this prayer, after having made the sign of the Cross: Noukhimami Jesus, ïagoua Khistinohimaonitou Khik hitouina caié Khiteritamouïn. Ca cataouachichien Maria ouccaonia Jesu, cacataouachichien Joseph aïamihitouinan. "My Lord, or Captain, Jesus, teach me your words and your will! [112] Oh, good Mary, Mother of God! Oh, good Joseph, pray for us!"