CHAPTER XVIII. [i.e., xvii.]
[164] THE VOYAGE TO THE ST. JOHN RIVER: AND THE QUARREL WHICH OCCURRED THERE.
I SAID above that sieur de Biencourt took a barque away from Port aux Coquilles, that he might make a journey therewith to the Armouchiquois.[39] This is the name of the people who live below the forty-third parallel, toward the Southwest. They begin at Chouacoët, and are said to be very numerous. Lack of provisions urged sieur de Biencourt to make this voyage, because, as these people till the soil and put away stores of grain, he hoped, by means of trade or in some other way, to get help from them to provide against the famine [165] which awaited us in the course of the Winter. His barque was equipped too late for such a long journey, for we were not ready until the third of October, and he still wanted to go to the Saint John river before making this voyage.
La riuiere de sainct Iean est au Noroüest de Port Royal, y ayant entre-deux la Baye Françoise, large de 14. lieuës. L'entrée de ceste riuiere est fort estroicte, & tres-dangereuse: car il faut passer au milieu de deux roches, desquelles l'vne iette sur l'autre le courant de la marée, estãt entre deux aussi viste qu'vn traict. Apres les roches suit vn affreux, & horrible precipice, lequel si vous ne passez à propos, & quand il est comblé doucemẽt, de cent mille barques [210] vn poil n'eschapperoit pas, que corps & biens tout ne perist.
The river saint John is to the Northwest of Port Royal, the intermediate space being occupied by French Bay, 14 leagues wide. The entrance to this river is very narrow and very dangerous: for the ship has to pass between two rocks where the current of the tide is tossed from one to the other, flashing between them as swift as an arrow. Beyond these rocks lies a frightful and horrible precipice, and if you do not pass over it at the proper moment, and when the water is smoothly heaped up, of a hundred thousand barques not an atom would escape, but men and goods would all perish.
Le ieune du Pont & le Capitaine [166] Merueille s'estoyent allé loger à quelques six lieuës auant dedans ceste riuiere S. Iean, n'estants en tout que sept ou huict, tous Maloüins. Le sieur de Biencourt vouloit exiger d'eux le Quint de toutes leurs marchandises, pource qu'ils residoyent dans le pays, cõme il a esté dict, à ceste cause il auoit entreprins ce voyage. Nous estions en tout seize François & deux Sauuages, qui nous conduisoyent.
Young du Pont and Captain [166] Merveille had gone to stay some six leagues up this river St. John, with a company of not more than seven or eight, all Maloüins. Sieur de Biencourt wished to exact from them the Fifth of all their merchandise, because they were residents of the country, as has been said; it was for this purpose he undertook this voyage. We were in all sixteen Frenchmen, and two Savages, who conducted us.
Or comme nous nauigions cõtremont, estants ja presque à vne lieuë & demy de l'habitation des Maloüins sur le commencement de la nuict; vn signacle nous apparut, qui nous espouuanta. Car le ciel rougist extraordinairement à costé de l'habitation desdits Maloüins, & puis la rougeur se decoupant en longs fuseaux, & lances s'en alla fondre droit dessus ceste [167] maison. Cela se fit par deux fois. Nos Sauuages voyants ce prodige crierẽt en leur langage. Gara gara: Maredo. Nous aurons guerre, il y aura du sang. Les Frãçois faisoyẽt aussi des Almanachs là dessus chacun selon son sens. Nous arriuasmes au deuant de leur habitation ja la nuict toute close, & ny eust autre chose pour lors, sinon que nous les saluames d'vn coup de fauconneau, & ils nous respondirent d'vn coup de pierrier.
Now as we were sailing up the river, being already about a league and a half from the Maloüin settlement, towards nightfall a phenomenon appeared to us, which filled us with terror. For the heavens became wonderfully red over the Maloüin habitation, and then the glow, separating into long rays and flashes of light, moved on and melted away over this [167] settlement. This appeared twice. Our Savages, when they saw this wonder, cried out in their language: Gara gara: Maredo. "We shall have war, there will be blood." The French also made some Prophecies thereupon, each according to his own idea. We arrived opposite their settlement when the night had already closed in, and there was nothing we could do then, except to fire a salute from the falconet, which they answered with one from the swivel gun.
Le matin venu, & les prieres accoustumées faictes, deux Maloüins se presenterent à la riue, & nous signifierent, qu'on pouuoit aborder pacifiquement; ce qu'on fit. On sceut d'eux que leurs Capitaines n'y estoyent point, ains s'en estoyent allez bien haut contre la riuiere, despuis trois iours, & qu'on ne sçauoit [212] quand ils reuiendroyent. Cependant le P. Biard [168] s'en alla preparer son Autel, & celebra la saincte Messe.
When morning came, and the usual prayers were said, two Maloüins presented themselves upon the bank, and signified to us that we could disembark without being molested, which we did. It was learned from them that their Captains were not there, but had gone away up the river three days before, and no one knew when they would return. Meanwhile Father Biard [168] went away to prepare his Altar, and celebrated holy Mass.
Apres la Messe le sieur de Biẽcourt posa vn corps de garde à la porte de l'habitation, & des sentinelles tout à l'entour. Les Maloüins furent bien estonnés de ceste façon de faire. Les plus timides s'estimoyent estre perdus, les plus courageux en escumoyent & despitoyent.
After Mass sieur de Biencourt placed a bodyguard at the door of the habitation, and sentinels all around it. The Maloüins were very much astonished at this way of doing things. The more timid considered themselves lost, the more courageous stormed, and fumed, and defied them.
La nuict venuë, & ja close, le Capitaine Merueille s'en reuint à son logis, ne sçachant rien de ses hostes. La sentinelle l'oyant approcher cria son qui voila? Le Maloüin, qui pẽsoit que ce fust quelqu'vn des siens, respondit se mocquant, mais qui voila timesme? Et tousiours poursuiuoit auançant. La sentinelle tout de bon luy delascha son mousquet contre. Et bien merueille fut que Merueille ne fut ny tué ny blessé. Mais il fut [169] bien estonné, & plus encores voyant aussi tost des gensd'armes sur soy l'espée nuë, qui le saisirent & emmenerẽt dans la maison, comme vous pouuez penser en tel accident, que font gens de pouldre & de corde; leurs crys, leurs menaces, & leurs faicts. Le pauure homme ne se trouuoit point bien de sa personne ja dés plusieurs iours, & lors il estoit tout harassé du chemin. Plusieurs inconueniẽs de perte, & de maladie luy estoiẽt arriuez ceste année là, comme pour l'accabler; Partant se voyant ainsi tombé comme dans vn abysme subitement, il ne sçauoit où il estoit. Il se coucha aupres du feu tout de son long, se lamentãt: les gardes estoient tout à l'entour de luy. Le P. Biard voyant la confusion en laquelle estoit toute la maison, & n'y pouuant donner ordre se mit à prier Dieu au pied [170] d'vn banc, qui [214] estoit contre vu des licts assez loin du feu. Merueille, ayant eu quelque respit pour sentir ses miseres, & se recognoistre, & ayant apperceu le P. Biard qui prioit, se leuant subitement en sursaut, tout troublé, & à coup s'alla ietter à genoux aupres dudit Pere, à qui neantmoins il n'auoit iamais parlé auparauant, & luy dit: Mon Pere, ie vous prie confessez-moy, ie suis mort. Le P. Biard se leua pour le consoler, s'apperceuant bien, qu'il estoit troublé; Tout le corps-de-garde tourna les yeux de mesme sur eux, & chacun aduisoit autour de soy s'il y auoit rien à craindre. De fortune, ou à dessein, comme que ce soit, ie n'en sçay rien, vn certain eceruelé va trouuer à deux bons pas de Merueille vn poictrinal tout chargé, amorcé, le chien abatu, & s'escria: O le traistre! il auoit enuie [171] de se saisir de ce poytrinal, & faire quelque coup. Le Malouïn respondit, que cela ne pouuoit estre, parce que dés sa venuë il auoit tousiours esté en leurs mains; & partant il estoit impossible, qu'il eust preparé, ny mesmes veu ce poytrinal, & que quand mesmes il l'eust veu, qu'il en estoit trop loin pour s'en saisir sans estre preuenu. Mais nonobstant tout son dire, il fut garrotté, luy, & trois de ses gens, qui sembloyent estre les plus mauuais.
When night came on and it was already quite dark, Captain Merveille returned to his lodgings, knowing nothing of his guests. The sentinel, hearing him approach, uttered his, "Who goes there?" The Maloüin, thinking this was one of his own people, answered mockingly, "But who goes there thyself?" and continued upon his way. The sentinel fired off his musket at him in earnest, and it was a great wonder [Fr. merveille] that Merveille was not killed or wounded. But he was [169] very much astonished, and still more so when he saw some soldiers upon him with naked swords, who seized him and took him into the house; you may imagine how men of powder and of rope act at such times, with their cries, their threats, and their gesticulations. The poor man had not been well for several days, and just then was very much wearied from his journey. He had had several discouraging losses and sicknesses that year, enough to break him down. So, seeing himself thus, as it were, suddenly fallen into an abyss, he knew not where he was. He lay down at full length before the fire, and began to lament: the guards were all around him. Father Biard, seeing the confusion of the whole house, and not being able to restore order, began to pray to God, kneeling at the foot [170] of a bench which was against one of the beds, some distance from the fire. Merveille, having had some chance to realize his unfortunate condition and to collect himself, and, having perceived Father Biard praying, started up in great agitation, and ran, and threw himself on his knees before the said Father; and, although he had never before spoken to him, said: "My Father, I pray you to confess me, I am a dead man." Father Biard got up to console him, seeing clearly that he was troubled; the whole bodyguard likewise turned their eyes upon them, and each one looked about him to see if there was anything to fear. By chance or design, whichever it was, I know not, a certain madcap stepped forward and picked up, at two good paces from Merveille, a carbine, all loaded and primed, with the trigger down; and cried: "Oh, the traitor! He wanted [171] to get hold of this carbine and have a few shots from it." The Malouïn answered that that could not be, because since his arrival he had always been in their hands; and so it was impossible for him to have prepared or even seen this carbine; and, if he had seen it, he was too far away to get hold of it without being prevented. But in spite of all he said, he, and three others of his men, who seemed to be the worst, were bound.
Merueille estoit garrotté les mains derriere le dos, & si estroictement que ne pouuant prendre aucun repos, il se lamentoit fort pitoyablement. Le P. Biard en ayant compassion pria le sieur de Biencourt de faire deslier cest affligé, lequel il plegeoit corps pour corps, alleguant que si on se craignoit dudit Merueille, qu'on l'enserrast [172] dans vn des licts faicts à la Chartreuse, & qu'il se tiendroit à la porte, à fin de luy empescher la sortie: Que si on entendoit [216] du remuemẽt, qu'on frappast sur luy aussi tost que sur l'autre. Le sieur de Biencourt accorda au P. Biard sa demande, & Merueille fut deslié & confiné dans vn des licts, le P. Biard estant à la porte.
Merveille had his hands bound behind his back so tightly, that he could not rest, and he began to complain very pitifully. Father Biard taking pity on him, begged sieur de Biencourt to have the sufferer untied, whom he pledged man for man, alleging that, if they had any fears about the said Merveille, they might enclose him [172] in one of the Carthusian beds,[40] and that he would stay at the door to prevent his going out: that if any noise were heard the punishment therefor should fall upon him as well as upon the other. Sieur de Biencourt granted Father Biard's request, and Merveille was untied and confined in one of these beds, Father Biard being at the door.
Or quelle fut ceste nuict, ie ne vous le sçaurois expliquer: car elle passa toute en alarmes, en escopeterie & impetuositez de quelques vns, telles, qu'à bon droict pouuoit-on craindre que les prognostiques veus au ciel la nuict precedente n'eussent lors leurs effects sanguinaires en terre. Le P. Biard fit promesse de ramenteuoir ce benefice toute sa vie, s'il plaisoit à Dieu de brider ces esprits mutins, & meurtriers, qui sembloiẽt d'estre estachés & voler par [173] dessus la maison attendans leur curée. Dieu par sa bonté l'exauça, & les feruentes prieres du Capitaine Merueille, car certes il mõstra vn cœur vrayement Chrestiẽ dés qu'il fut à part deslié, ne cessant quasi toute la nuict de louër, & benir son Createur, nonobstant toutes les algarades, qui luy furẽt faictes. Et le matin venu il se confessa, & fit son bon-jour luy & trois de ses gents auec vne grande tranquillité d'esprit. De vray c'est vn exemple bien rare, & bien excellẽt à qui sçait estimer la vertu.
Now I could not describe to you what a night this was: for it passed in continual alarms, gunshots and rash acts on the part of some of the men; so that it was feared with good reason that the prognostications seen in the heavens the night before would have their bloody fulfillment upon earth. Father Biard promised to keep this favor in mind as long as he lived, if it pleased God to restrain these mutinous and murderous spirits which seemed to be in ecstasy and to fly [173] over the house waiting for their prey. God in his goodness hearkened to him, and to the sincere prayers of Captain Merveille, for he certainly showed a truly Christian spirit, as soon as he was partially released, never ceasing, nearly all night, to praise and bless his Creator, notwithstanding all the insults that had been heaped upon him. And when morning came he confessed, and, together with three of his men, received the sacrament, in great tranquillity of mind. In truth it was a very rare and very excellent example to those who know how to esteem virtue.
L'aprés-disnee le P. Biard demanda congé d'aller trouuer du Pont, sous promesse du sieur de Biencourt, que tout bon traictement luy seroit faict. Mais comme ledit Pere fut à vn quart de lieüe; de soy-mesme ledit du Pont arriua, & toutes esmotions furent accoisées. Le sieur de Biencourt emprunta [174] la barque de Merueille, & l'emmena auec soy, & vn des Maloüins, qui despuis mourut de maladie à Port Royal.
In the afternoon Father Biard asked leave to go and find du Pont, with sieur de Biencourt's promise that he would receive nothing but good treatment. But when the said Father had gone a quarter of a league, the said du Pont came up of his own accord, and all disturbances were quieted. Sieur de Biencourt borrowed [174] Merveille's barque, and took it away with him, together with one of the Maloüins, who afterwards died at Port Royal.