CHAPTER III.
[26] ON THE SOIL, TRIBES AND VEGETATION.
THE soil, it seems to me, principally in Norambegue, is as good as that of France; you know this by its black color, by the high trees, strong and straight, which it nourishes, by the plants and grasses, often as high as a man, and similar things. At St. Sauveur, in the middle of June, we planted some grain, fruit seeds, peas, beans, and all kinds of garden plants. Three months afterwards, i.e., in the middle of September, we returned to see the results of our husbandry; the wheat had not come up (it was not sown in season) the barley was tufted, but not ripe, the peas and phasels perfectly good, but still green, the beans [27] were only in blossom; all the rest had come up admirably, even the onions and scallions; the fruit seeds had shot up, some a whole foot, the lowest ones a half a foot high.
Ie vous ay dit cy deuant, que tout le pays n'est qu'vne perpetuelle forest: car il n'a rien d'ouuert sinon les marges de la mer, les lacs & riuieres & où le flux de la mer, & des riuieres se desbordants causent des prairies, il y a quelques tels endroits bien beaux, & vastes en herbage, & pasturages, comme est la Baye de Chinictou, & la riuiere de Port Royal, & autres. Mais icy faut esuiter vne illusion, de laquelle plusieurs [64] par mesgarde sont abusez. Car oyants parler ceux qui viennent de pays loingtains, & qui en racõtent les biens, & fertilité prou souuent auec amplification, (car [28] ainsi pensent-ils deuoir faire pour estre plus attentiuemẽt escoutez.) Ils estimẽt que ce qu'on leur magnifie de ces pays, se trouue tout par tout abondamment. Comme par exẽple, qui parlant de la Frãce diroit, Qu'il y a veu les bois & forests n'estre to9 que chastagniers, orẽgiers & oliuiers, que poiriers & pommiers, tous si charges qu'ils en rõpoiẽt: certes celui-là diroit vray, car il est ainsi. L'estrangier neantmoins escoutãt y seroit trõpé: parce qu'il s'imagineroit qu'ẽ tous les quartiers de la Frãce, ou en la pluspart, tout cela se trouue: Et ne cõsidereroit pas, que les chastagniers sont en Perigord, à cent lieuës des orangiers, qui sont en Prouence: & les pommiers sont au pays de Caux en Normãdie, à cent lieuës des chastagniers, & à deux cents des oliuiers. Or quand le pays est bien peuplé, & habité ainsi qu'est la France, ceste recommandation [29] monstre grand heur, parce qu'au moyen du charroy & commerce, on se communique toutes ces opulences; mais en vn pays inculte & non ciuilisé, comme est Canada, il n'y a guiere plus de difference, que s'il n'y auoit qu'vne chose en vn lieu. Ie dy cecy parce que ceste prudence importe de beaucoup à ceux qui vont defricher nouuelles contrées, ainsi que nous autres François y allons volontiers à yeux clos, & teste baissée: croyants par exẽple, qu'estants en Canada, & ayants faim nous ne ferons qu'aller en vn' Isle, & là escrimãts d'vn gros baston à dextre, & à senestre, autant de coups, autant arresterons nous d'oiseaux, desquels chacun vaudra bien vn canart. Voila qui est bien dit, & ainsi l'ont fait nos gens plus [66] que d'vne fois, & plus qu'en vn lieu. Cela va fort bien, si vous [30] n'auiés iamais faim sinon au tẽps que ces oiseaux se trouuent en ces Isles, & si lors mesme vous estiez proches d'eux. Car si vous en estes à cinquante, ou soixante lieuës, que ferez-vous?
I have said before that the whole country is simply an interminable forest; for there are no open places except upon the margins of the sea, lakes, and rivers, and where meadows have been made by the overflows of the sea and rivers; there are many such places which are very beautiful, immense fields of grass and pasture, like those near Chinictou Bay, and the river of Port Royal, and others. But here we must avoid an illusion by which many have been inadvertently imposed upon. For hearing those who come from foreign countries tell about their wealth and fertility, very often with exaggeration (for [28] thus they think they will get a better hearing), they suppose that the things boasted about in these countries are found everywhere in abundance. As, for example, if some one were speaking of France, he might say that he had seen groves and forests of nothing but chestnut, orange, olive, pear, and apple trees, so loaded that they were breaking down; indeed, he could say this truthfully, for it is so. But the stranger hearing this would be deceived by it; for he would suppose that in all parts of France, or in nearly all, he would find this condition of things; not taking into consideration the fact that the chestnuts are in Perigord, a hundred leagues away from the oranges, which are in Provence; and the apples are in the region of Caux in Normandy, a hundred leagues from the chestnuts and two hundred from the olives. Now when the country is well peopled and settled, as France is, this favorable representation [29] may show great good fortune, for, by means of transportation and trade, all these riches can be interchanged; but in an uncultivated and uncivilized country, like Canada, it makes no more difference than if they only had one thing in a place. I say this because prudence is of great importance to those who go to clear new lands, as we Frenchmen are so willing to go there with our eyes shut and our heads down; believing, for example, that in Canada, when we are hungry, all we will have to do is to go to an Island, and there by the skillful use of a club, right and left, we can bring down birds each as big as a duck, with every blow. This is well said, as our people have done this more than once and in more than one place. It is all very well, if you [30] are never hungry except when these birds are on the Islands, and if even then you happen to be near them. But if you are fifty or sixty leagues away, what are you going to do?
Pour reuenir à mon propos, il n'y a point de difficulté de rencõtrer vn bon endroit en vne chose. Vn bon & bel haure: des belles prairies, vn sol bien fecond; vne colline de bel aspect, vne agreable riuiere, ou ruisseau, &c. Mais lotir vne place, où toutes les qualitez desirables vniment se r'assemblent, ce n'est pas la bonne fortune d'vn homme prattiquant, dit tres bien Aristote; ains le project & idee d'vn sagement enquerãt: car en fin en la practique, le bõ sort & perfection d'vne place, cõme d'vn homme, ce n'est pas que rien ne manque, ains que rien d'essentiel, & principal ne manque. [31] C'est ce qui m'a fait dire, que le tout consideré, le prenant tant pour tant, i'estime que les terres de là, vaudroyent celles d'icy, quand elles seroyent bien cultiuees: mais nous voudrions, que là tout fust en vn petit destroit: ce que mesmes nous ne trouuons pas icy en vn bien ample Royaume, apres si long temps de cultiuage.
To return to my theme. There is no difficulty in finding a place that is good for one thing—a good and beautiful harbor; fine meadows and a very fertile soil; a picturesque hill, a pleasant river, or brook, etc. But to choose a place where all desirable qualities are united, is not the good fortune of an ordinary man, as Aristotle truthfully says, but the purpose and idea of a wise investigator: for, after all, the uses, success, and perfection of a place, as of a man, is not really that it be complete, but that there be no lack of what is essential and important. [31] That is why I say that all things considered, and taking it upon the whole, I believe that the country over there will be worth as much as this one, after it is well cultivated; but we should prefer that there everything be in a small space, which we ourselves do not find here in our extensive Kingdom, after so long a period of cultivation.
En plusieurs endroits nous auons trouué de la vigne, & des lambruches meures en leur tẽps. Ce n'estoit point le meilleur terroir où nous les trouuiõs: c'estoit quasi sable, & grauier, sẽblable à celuy de Bourdeaux. Il y en a beaucoup à la riuiere S. Iean à 46. d'eleuation, là void on aussi plusieurs noyers & coudriers, & si le fõds de terre n'y est guiere bõ. On ne trouue point autre sorte d'arbres fruictiers en tout ce païs, ouy biẽ toute espece de sauuageons, & forestiers, comme [32] chesnes, hestres, charmes, peupliers, &c. [68]Et des cedres, au moins que les François appellẽt cedres.
In several places we found the grape, and wild vines which ripened in their season. It was not the best ground where we found them, being full of sand and gravel, like that of Bourdeaux. There are a great many of these vines at St. John river, in 46° of latitude, where are to be seen also many walnut and hazel trees, and yet the under layer of soil is not good there. No other kinds of fruit trees are found in all this country; but there is every species of wild shrub and forest trees, such as [32] the oak, beech, elm, poplar, etc., and some cedars, at least what the French call cedars.[14]
Si le pays estoit habité, il pourroit approfiter ses mines: car il y en a vne d'argent en la Baye S. Marie, au rapport du sieur Chãplain: & deux de beau, & franc cuiure, l'vne à l'entrée de Port Royal, & l'autre à la Baye des mines: vne de fer à la riuiere S. Iean, & d'autres autre part. Le gré, l'ardoise, la taille, le charbon de terre, & toutes sortes de pierres n'y manquent pas.
If the country were inhabited there might be some profit made from its mines; for there is a silver one at the Baye Ste. Marie, according to sieur Champlain; and two of beautiful and pure copper, one at the entrance to Port Royal, and the other at the Bay of the mines; one of iron at the river St. John, and others elsewhere. Sandstone, slate, mica, coal, and all kinds of stone are not lacking.[15]
Toute ceste nouuelle France est diuisée en diuers peuples, chasque peuple a sa langue, & sa contrée à part. Ils s'assemblent l'Esté pour trocquer auec nous, principalement en la grande riuiere. Là aussi viennent de bien loing plusieurs autres peuples. Ils trocquẽt leurs peaux de castors, de loutres, [33] d'eslants, de martres, de loups marins, &c. contre du pain, pois, febues, pruneaux, petun, &c. chauderons, haches, fers de fleche, aleines, poinçons, capots, couuertes, & toutes autres telles commoditez, que les Frãçois leur apportent. Aucuns peuples ont maintenant implacable guerre contre nous. Comme les Excomminquois, qui sont ceux qui habitent au costé Boreal du grand Golfe S. Laurens, & nous font de grands maux. Ceste guerre a cõmencé (comme lon dit) à l'occasion de certains Basques, qui voulurent faire vn meschant rapt: mais ils payerẽt biẽ leur maudite incontinence, & non seulement eux, ains à leur occasion & ceux de S. Malo, & beaucoup d'autres ont paty, & patissent beaucoup tous les ans. Car ces Sauuages sõt furieux, & s'abandonnent desesperémẽt [34] à la mort, pourueu qu'ils ayent esperance de tuer, ou mesfaire. Il n'y a que trois peuples qui nous soyẽt [70] familiers, & bõs amis. Les Montaguets, les Souriquois, & les Eteminquois. Pour les Etechemins, & Souriquois i'en suis tesmoin, car i'ay demeuré parmy eux, pour les Montaguets i'en ay ouy parler. Quant aux autres peuples, il n'y a point de fiance. Aussi les François ne les hantent, que pour descouurir leurs riuages, & encores s'en sont-ils mal trouués, horsmis Champlain en ses dernieres descouuertes contremont la grãde riuiere, qui ne s'en plaint point.
All this new France is divided into different tribes, each one having its own separate language and country. They assemble in the Summer to trade with us, principally at the great river. To this place come also several other tribes from afar off. They barter their skins of beaver, otter, [33] deer, marten, seal, etc., for bread, peas, beans, prunes, tobacco, etc.; kettles, hatchets, iron arrow-points, awls, puncheons, cloaks, blankets, and all other such commodities as the French bring them. Certain tribes are now our implacable enemies, such as the Excomminquois, who inhabit the Northern coast of the great Gulf of St. Lawrence and do us a great deal of harm. This warfare was begun (as they say) when certain Basques tried to commit a wicked outrage. However, they paid well for their cursed incontinence, but not only they, for on their account both the St. Malo people and many others suffered, and still suffer a great deal every year. For these Savages are passionate, and give themselves up [34] to death with desperation, if they are in hopes of killing, or doing any one an injury. There are only three tribes which are on good terms of friendship with us, the Montaguets, the Souriquois, and the Eteminquois. I myself can witness to the friendship of the Etechemins and Souriquois, for I have lived among them, and for the Montaguets I have heard others speak. As to other tribes, no confidence can be placed in them. The French have nothing to do with them except to explore their coasts, and even then they are badly treated, although Champlain does not complain of these savages at all, in his latest explorations up the great river.
Cest'amitié & fidelité desdits peuples enuers les François a paru remarquablement apres nostre desroute faicte par les Anglois, ainsi qu'ouyrez. Car eux l'ayants sceu s'en vindrẽt à nous, de nuict, [35] & nous cõsoloyẽt au mieux qu'ils pouuoyent, nous presentãts leurs cauots, & leur peine pour nous conduire où nous voudrions. Ils nous offroyent encores, que s'il nous plaisoit de demeurer auec eux, ils estoyent trois Capitaines Betsabes, Aguigueou & Asticou: desquels vn chacun prẽdroit pour sa part dix de nostre troupe, (puis que nous restions trente,) & nous nourriroit iusques à l'an suiuant, quand les nauires Françoises arriueroyent à la coste, & qu'en ceste façon nous pourrions repasser en nostre pays sans tõber aux mains de meschãts Ingrés. Car ainsi appellẽt-ils pour dire les Anglois. Ce n'estoyent point mines, ou pieges à nous surprendre: car vous entendrés cy apres le bon traictement qu'ils firent au P. Enemond, & à sa troupe, & à Port Royal durant trois hyuers, qu'on a eu bon [36] besoin d'eux, on les a experimenté fideles & secourables. Que si leur dessein eust esté de nous mesfaire, les belles & opportunes occasions ne leur ont pas manqué.
This friendship and fidelity of the said tribes was especially noticeable after our rout by the English, as you will hear. For, as soon as they heard about it, they came to us at night, [35] and consoled us as best they could, offering us their canoes and their help to take us anywhere we wished to go. They also made the proposition, that if we wanted to live with them, there were three Captains—Betsabes, Aguigueou and Asticou,[16] each one of whom, for his share, would take ten of our band (since there were thirty of us left), and would take care of us until the following year, when the French ships would arrive upon the coast; and that in this way we should be able to go back to our own country without falling into the hands of the wicked Ingrés, as they call the English. These were not false pretenses nor snares to entrap us, for you will hear farther on of the good treatment received from them by Father Enemond and his band; and at Port Royal during three winters, when we had great [36] need of them, how faithful and reliable we found them,—although, if they had intended to do us any harm, excellent and convenient opportunities for doing so were not wanting.