CHAPTER IV.
ON THE CHARACTER, DRESS, DWELLINGS, AND FOOD OF THE SAVAGES.
THE nature of our Savages is in itself generous and not malicious. They have rather a happy disposition, and a fair capacity for judging and valuing material and common things; deducing their reasons with great nicety, and always seasoning them with some pretty comparison. They have a very good memory for material things, such as having seen you before, of the peculiarities of a place where they may have been, [37] of what took place in their presence twenty or thirty years before, etc.; but to learn anything by heart—there's the rock; there is no way of getting a consecutive arrangement of words into their pates. They have no beards, the men no more than the women, except some of the more robust and virile. They have often told me that at first we seemed to them very ugly with hair both upon our mouths and head; but gradually they have become accustomed to it, and now we are beginning to look less deformed. You could not distinguish the young men from the girls, except in their way of wearing their belts. For the women are girdled both above and below the stomach, and are less nude than the men; also they are usually more ornamented with matachias, that is, with [38] chains, gewgaws, and such finery after their fashion; by which you may know that such is the nature of the sex everywhere, fond of adornment. Generally speaking, they are of lighter build than we are; but handsome and well-shaped, just as we would be if we continued in the same condition in which we were at the age of twenty-five. You do not encounter a big-bellied, hunchbacked, or deformed person among them: those who are leprous, gouty, affected with gravel, or insane, are unknown to them. Any of our people who have some defect, such as the one-eyed, squint-eyed, and flat-nosed, are immediately noticed by them and greatly derided, especially behind our backs and when they are by themselves. For they are droll fellows, and have a word and a nickname very readily at command, if they think they have any occasion to [39] look down upon us. And certainly (judging from what I see) this habit of self-aggrandizement is a contagion from which no one is exempt, except through the grace of God. You will see these poor barbarians, notwithstanding their great lack of government, power, letters, art and riches, yet holding their heads so high that they greatly underrate us, regarding themselves as our superiors.
Leurs habits sont chamarrés de peaux, que les femmes passent, & conroyent du costé, qui n'est pas velu: elles conroyent souuent les peaux d'elan de tous les deux costés, comme nostre buffetin, puis le barricolent de peinture en forme de passements bien ioliment, & en font des robes: de ces mesmes peaux elles leur font des souliers, & des greues. Les masles ne portent point de hauts [40] de chausses, parce que (disent-ils) cela les entraue trop, & met comme aux ceps, ils portent seulemẽt vn linge an deuãt de leur nature, l'Esté ils vsent fort de nos capots, & l'Hyuer [76] de nos couuertes de licts, lesquelles ils s'accommodent en chamarre les redoublants: ils s'aident aussi fort volontiers de nos chapeaux, souliers, bonnets de laine, chemises, & du linge, pour nettoyer leurs enfants de maillot, car on leur trocque toutes ces denrees contre leurs peaux.
Their clothes are trimmed with leather lace, which the women dress and curry on the side which is not hairy. They often curry both sides of elk skin, like our buff skin, then variegate it very prettily with paint put on in a lace-like pattern, and make gowns of it; from the same leather they make their shoes and strings. The men do not wear [40] trousers, because (they say) they hinder them too much, and place them as it were, in chains; they wear only a piece of cloth over their middle; in Summer they often wear our capes, and in Winter our bed-blankets, which they improve with trimming and wear double. They are also quite willing to make use of our hats, shoes, caps, woolens and shirts, and of our linen to clean their infants, for we trade them all these commodities for their furs.
Quelque part qu'ils soyent arriués; la premiere chose c'est de faire du feu, & se cabaner, ce qu'ils ont faict dans vn heure, ou deux: souuent en demy heure. Les femmes vont au bois, & en apportent des perches, lesquelles on dispose par en bas en rond à lentour du feu; & par en haut on les enfourche entr'elles pyramidalement, [41] de maniere qu'elles se reposent l'vne contre l'autre droit au dessus du feu; car là est la cheminée. Sur les perches on iette des peaux, ou bien des nattes, ou des escorces. Au pied des perches dessous les peaux se mettent les sacs. Toute la place à l'entour du feu est ionchée de fueilles de pin, à fin de ne sentir l'humidité de la terre: dessus les fueilles de sapin ils iettẽt souuẽt des nattes ou des peaux de loup marin aussi delicates que le velours; là dessus ils s'estendent à l'entour du feu ayant la teste sur leurs sacs. Et ce qu'on ne croiroit pas, ils sont tres-chaudement leans dedans à petit feu, voire aux plus grandes rigueurs de l'Hiuer. Ils ne se cabanẽt point, qu'aupres de quelque bonne eau, & en lieu de plaisant aspect. En Esté leurs logis changent de figure: car ils les font larges & longs, [42] à fin d'auoir plus d'air; aussi les couurent-ils lors quasi d'escorces, ou de nattes, faictes de roseaux tendres, & sont beaucoup plus minces & delicates que les nostres de paille, si artistement tissuës, que quand elles pendẽt, l'eau coule tout au long, sans point les percer.
Arrived at a certain place, the first thing they do is to build a fire and arrange their camp, which they have finished in an hour or two; often in half an hour. The women go to the woods and bring back some poles which are stuck into the ground in a circle around the fire, and at the top are interlaced, in the form of a pyramid, [41] so that they come together directly over the fire, for there is the chimney. Upon the poles they throw some skins, matting or bark. At the foot of the poles, under the skins, they put their baggage. All the space around the fire is strewn with leaves of the fir tree, so they will not feel the dampness of the ground; over these leaves are often thrown some mats, or sealskins as soft as velvet; upon this they stretch themselves around the fire with their heads resting upon their baggage; And, what no one would believe, they are very warm in there around that little fire, even in the greatest rigors of the Winter. They do not camp except near some good water, and in an attractive location. In Summer the shape of their houses is changed; for then they are broad and long, [42] that they may have more air; then they nearly always cover them with bark, or mats made of tender reeds, finer and more delicate than ours made of straw, and so skillfully woven, that when they are hung up the water runs along their surface without penetrating them.
[78] Leur viure est ce que la chasse, & la pesche leur donnent: car ils ne labourent point: mais la prouidence paternelle de nostre bon Dieu, laquelle n'abandonne pas les passereaux mesmes, n'a point laissé ces pauures creatures, capables de luy, sans prouisiõ cõuenable, qui leur est comme par estape, assignee à chasque lune, car ils cõtent par Lunes, & en mettẽt treze en l'an: Par exemple donc, en Ianuier ils ont la chasse des loups marins: car cest animal, quoy qu'il soit aquatique, fraye neantmoins [43] sur certaines Isles enuiron ce temps. La chair en est aussi bõne q̃ du veau; & de plus ils font de sa graisse vn'huyle, qui leur sert de sausse toute l'annee, ils en rẽplissent plusieurs vessies d'orignac, qui sont deux ou trois fois plus amples & fortes que les nostres de porc; & voila leurs tonneaux de reserue. En ce mesme mois de Feurier, & iusques à la my-Mars, est la grande chasse des Castors, loutres, orignacs, ours (qui sont fort bons) & des caribous, animal moitié asne, moitié cerf. Si le tẽps leur dit, ils viuent lors en grand' abondance, & sont aussi fiers que Princes & Roys; mais s'il leur est contraire, c'est grãde pitié d'eux, & souuent meurent de miserable faim. Le temps leur est contraire, quand il pleut beaucoup, & ne gele pas; parce que lors ils ne peuuent chasser ny aux eslans, ny aux [44] castors. Item: quand il nege beaucoup, & ne gele pas là dessus, car ils ne peuuent pas mener leurs chiens à la chasse, pource qu'ils enfoncẽt dedans, ce qu'ils ne font pas eux, parce qu'ils s'attachent des raquettes aux pieds à l'aide desquelles ils demeurent dessus: si ne peuuent-ils tant courir qu'il faudroit, la nege estãt trop molle. Autres tels miserables accidents leur arriuent, qui seroyent longs à raconter.
Their food is whatever they can get from the chase and from fishing; for they do not till the soil at all; but the paternal providence of our good God, which does not forsake even the sparrow, has not left these poor creatures, worthy of his care, without proper provision, which is to them like fixed rations assigned to every moon; for they count by Moons, and put thirteen of them in a year. Now, for example, in January they have the seal hunting: for this animal, although it is aquatic, nevertheless spawns [43] upon certain Islands about this time. Its flesh is as good as veal; and furthermore they make of its fat an oil, which serves them as sauce throughout the year; they fill several moose-bladders with it, which are two or three times as large and strong as our pig-bladders; and in these you see their reserve casks. Likewise in the month of February and until the middle of March, is the great hunt for Beavers, otters, moose, bears (which are very good), and for the caribou,[17] an animal half ass and half deer. If the weather then is favorable, they live in great abundance, and are as haughty as Princes and Kings; but if it is against them, they are greatly to be pitied, and often die of starvation. The weather is against them if it rains a great deal, and does not freeze; for then they can hunt neither deer nor [44] beavers. Also, when it snows a great deal, and does not freeze over, for then they cannot put their dogs upon the chase, because they sink down; the savages themselves do not do this, for they wear snowshoes on their feet which help them to stay on top: yet they cannot run as fast as would be necessary, the snow being too soft. They have other misfortunes of this kind which it would be tedious to relate.
[80] Sur la my Mars le poisson commence à frayer, & monter de la mer en haut contre certains ruisseaux, souuent en si grand' abondance, que tout en formille. A peine le croiroit, qui ne l'auroit veu. On ne sçauroit mettre la main dans l'eau, qu'on ne rencõtre proye. Entre ces poissons l'eplan est le premier: cest eplan est deux & trois fois plus grand que [45] n'est le nostre de riuiere: apres l'eplan suit le harenc à la fin d'Auril, & au mesme temps les outardes arriuent du Midy, qui sont grosses cannes au double des nostres, & font volontiers leurs nids aux Isles. Deux œufs d'outarde en valent richement cinq de poule. A mesme termoyement vient l'estourgeon, & le saumon, & la grande queste des œufs par les Isletes, car les oiseaux pescherets, qui sont là en treſ grande foison, pondent lors, & souuent couurẽt de leurs nids ces Islettes. Dés le mois de May iusques à la my-Septembre, ils sont hors de tout esmoy pour leur viure: car les mouluës sont à la coste, toute sorte de poisson & coquillage; & les nauires François auec lesquels ils trocquent; & sçauez vous s'ils entendent bien à se faire courtiser. Ils tranchent des freres auecques [46] le Roy, & ne leur faut rien rabattre de toute la piece. Il faut leur faire des presents, & les bien harãguer auant qu'ils accordent la traicte; & icelle faicte, faut encores les Tabagier, c'est à dire, les banqueter. Alors ils danseront, harangueront & chanteront Adesquidex, Adesquidex, Sçauoir est, qu'ils sont les bons amys, alliés, associés, confederés, & comperes du Roy, & des François.
In the middle of March, fish begin to spawn, and to come up from the sea into certain streams, often so abundantly that everything swarms with them. Any one who has not seen it could scarcely believe it. You cannot put your hand into the water, without encountering them. Among these fish the smelt is the first; this smelt is two and three times as large as [45] that in our rivers; after the smelt comes the herring at the end of April; and at the same time bustards, which are large ducks, double the size of ours, come from the South and eagerly make their nests upon the Islands. Two bustard eggs are fully equal to five hen's eggs. At the same time come the sturgeon, and salmon, and the great search through the Islets for eggs, as the waterfowl, which are there in great numbers, lay their eggs then, and often cover the Islets with their nests. From the month of May up to the middle of September, they are free from all anxiety about their food; for the cod are upon the coast, and all kinds of fish and shellfish; and the French ships with which they traffic, and you may be sure they understand how to make themselves courted. They set themselves up for brothers of [46] the King, and it is not expected that they will withdraw in the least from the whole farce. Gifts must be presented and speeches made to them, before they condescend to trade; this done, they must have the Tabagie, i.e. the banquet. Then they will dance, make speeches and sing Adesquidex, Adesquidex, That is, that they are good friends, allies, associates, confederates, and comrades of the King and of the French.
Le gibier d'eau y abonde; celuy de terre non, sinon à certain temps les oiseaux passagiers comme outardes [82]& oyes grises & blãches. On y trouue des perdrix grises, qui ont vne fort belle queuë, & sont deux fois plus grosses que les nostres; on y voit force tourtes, qui viennent manger les frãboises au mois de Iuillet. Plusieurs oiseaux de proye & quelques lapins & leuraux.
Water game abounds there, but not forest game, except at certain times birds of passage, like bustards and gray and white geese. There are to be found there gray partridges, which have beautiful long tails and are twice as large as ours; there are a great many wild pigeons, which come to eat raspberries in the month of July, also several birds of prey and some rabbits and hares.
[47] Or nos sauuages sur la my-Septembre se retirent de la mer, hors la portée du flux, aux petites riuieres, où les anguilles frayent & en font prouision, elles sont bõnes & grasses. En Octobre & Nouembre est la seconde chasse des castors & des eslans: & puis en Decembre (admirable prouidence de Dieu) vient vn poisson appellé d'eux ponamo, qui fraye sous la glace; Item lors les tortues font leurs petits, &c. Tels donc mais en bien plus grand nombre sont les reuenus, & censiues de nos Sauuages, telle leur table & entretiẽ, le tout cotté & assigné chasque chose en son endroit & quartier. Iamais Salomon n'eust son hostel mieux ordonné & policé en viuandiers, que le sont ces pensions & les voicturiers d'icelles. Aussi vn plus grand que Salomon les a constitués. A luy soit gloire à tout'eternité.
[47] Now our savages in the middle of September withdraw from the sea, beyond the reach of the tide, to the little rivers, where the eels spawn, of which they lay in a supply; they are good and fat. In October and November comes the second hunt for elks and beavers; and then in December (wonderful providence of God) comes a fish called by them ponamo,[18] which spawns under the ice. Also then the turtles bear little ones, etc. These then, but in a still greater number, are the revenues and incomes of our Savages; such, their table and living, all prepared and assigned, everything to its proper place and quarter. Never had Solomon his mansion better regulated and provided with food, than are these homes and their landlords. But then a greater one than Solomon has made them; to him be the glory through all eternity.
[48] Pour bien iouyr de ce leur appanage; nos syluicoles s'en vont sur les lieux d'iceluy auec le plaisir de peregrinatiõ & de proumenade, à quoy facilement faire ils ont l'engin, & la grande commodité des cauots qui sont petits esquifs faicts d'escorce de bouleau, estroits & resserrés par les deux bouts, comme la creste d'vn morion; le corps est en façon de berceau large, & ventru; Ils sont lõgs, de huict, ou dix pieds; au reste si capables, que dans vn seul logera tout vn mesnage de cinq, ou six personnes auec tous leurs chiens, sacs, peaux, chauderons & autre bagage bien pesant. Et le bon est qu'il prennent terre, où[84] leur plaist, ce que nous ne pouuõs faire auec nos chaloupes ou bateaux mariniers; parce que le cauot le plus chargé ne sçauroit cueillir demy pied d'eau, & deschargé il est si [49] leger, que vous le souspeseriés facilement, & transporteriez de la main gauche; si viste à l'auiron qu'à vostre bel-aise de bon temps vous ferés en vn iour les trente, & quarente lieuës: neantmoins on ne voit guieres ces Sauuages postilonner ainsi: car leurs iournees ne sont tout que beau passetemps. Ils n'ont iamais haste. Bien diuers de nous, qui ne sçaurions iamais rien faire sans presse & oppresse; oppresse di je, parce que nostre desir nous tyrannise & bannit la paix de nos actions.
[48] In order to thoroughly enjoy this, their lot, our foresters start off to their different places with as much pleasure as if they were going on a stroll or an excursion; they do this easily through the skillful use and great convenience of canoes, which are little skiffs made of birch-bark, narrow and closed at both ends, like the crest of a morion; the body is like a large hollow cradle; they are eight or ten feet long; moreover so capacious that a single one of them will hold an entire household of five or six persons, with all their dogs, sacks, skins, kettles, and other heavy baggage. And the best part of it is that they can land wherever they like, which we cannot do with our shallops or sailing boats; for the most heavily-loaded canoe can draw only half a foot of water, and unloaded it is so [49] light that you can easily pick it up and carry it away with your left hand; so rapidly sculled that, without any effort, in good weather you can make thirty or forty leagues a day; nevertheless we scarcely see these Savages posting along at this rate, for their days are all nothing but pastime. They are never in a hurry. Quite different from us, who can never do anything without hurry and worry; worry, I say, because our desire tyrannizes over us and banishes peace from our actions.