CHAPTER XXIV. [i.e., xxii.]
WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE WINTER AND SPRING FOLLOWING, OF THE YEAR 1613.
Sieur de Biencourt fully expected to receive help from France before Winter, especially as it had been said that there were three or four ships on the way, and already we were looking about to see where we could store so many things as were coming in this fleet. Trusting in this, sieur de Biencourt had traded almost everything. He was therefore very much astonished, when on All Saints' day, he found himself without hope of any relief that year.
[209] Or les Iesuites, qui n'auoyent point mis cuire (comme l'on dit) sur ces imaginatiues attentes, auoyent reserué dans leur magasin cinq grands poinçons de bled; quatre de pur froment, & vn d'orge qu'on leur auoit enuoyé de France pour leur particulier. Tout cela faisoit quatorze barils de bon grain. Eux donc voyants la necessité du sieur de Biencourt, l'allerent trouuer, & luy offrirent leurs moyens de bonne volonté, & qu'il prinst tout leur bled, hors seulement deux barrils de froment, & vn d'orge, qu'ils se desiroyent reseruer pour diuers accidents de necessitez, & maladies tant d'eux, que des autres. Quant au reste, qu'on n'innoueroit rien, ains à leur accoustumée ils receuroyent la distribution quotidienne à l'egal des autres. Le sieur de Biencourt accepta l'offre, & les [210] conditiõs, & selon icelles on commença de viure.
[209] Now the Jesuits, who had not built much (as the saying is) upon these visionary expectations, had reserved in their storeroom five large puncheons of grain, four of pure wheat and one of barley, which had been sent from France for their own use. It made in all fourteen barrels of good grain. Now, when they saw sieur de Biencourt's necessity, they went to him and cheerfully offered him their means, saying that he should take all their grain with the sole exception of two barrels of wheat and one of barley, which they wished to reserve for various emergencies of want and sickness, both for themselves and the others. As to the remainder, they would not touch it, except to receive as usual their daily portion like the others. Sieur de Biencourt accepted the offer, and its [210] conditions, and according to these we began to live.
Ce pendant les Iesuites ayants Dieu pour appuy, ne [256] perdoyent point courage, ains selon la lumiere, & l'engin, que leur estoit donné, pouruoyoyent à l'aduenir. Partant ils s'auiserent de bastir vne chaloupe, tandis que les autres demeuroyent au pres du feu à leur aise sans trauailler. Car ils preuoyoyent, que sans bateau, il leur conuiendroit mourir de faim apres deux mois que leur pourroit durer leur orge, parce qu'ils ne pourroyent aller sans bateau ny au gland, ny aux coques, ny aux racines, ny à la pesche, ny autre part, où seroit quelque esperance de queste. Parce que les chemins de ce païs là sont les riuieres, & la mer.
Meanwhile the Jesuits, with God as their support, did not lose heart, but, according to the light and ingenuity given them, provided for the future. Thus they decided to construct a boat while the others were sitting around the fire doing nothing. For they foresaw that, without this, they would surely die of hunger after the two months in which their barley would last; and, having no boat, they could not go for acorns, shells, roots, or fish, nor to any place where there would be hope of finding something. For the roads in that country are the rivers and the sea.
Au commencements de ceste leur entreprinse de bastir vne [211] chaloupe, on se mocquoit deux: car le cõducteur de l'œuure estoit leur garçon, qui n'en sçauoit pas plus qu'vn apprentif: ses aides estoyent deux Prestres, qui iamais n'auoyent faict tel mestier. Neãtmoins (disoit-on) le P. Enemond sçait tout faire, & au besoin il se trouuera bon Scieur d'ais, bon calfeutreur, & bõ Architecte. Mais le P. Biard dequoy seruira-il à cela? Ne sçais-tu pas, (disoit l'autre,) que quand la chaloupe sera faicte, il luy donnera la benediction. Ainsi causoyent-ils, & en auoyent beau loisir, aupres du feu. Mais les Iesuites ne perdoyent point de temps à scier planches, à raboter ais, rechercher courbes, à faire estoupes des bouts de cordages qu'ils recouuroyent, à courir les bois pour amasser de la resine. Que voulez-vous? A la my-Mars leur gaillarde chaloupe fut [212] dans l'eau equippée, parée, accommodée brauement auec l'admiration de ceux qui s'en estoyent moquez: & tout au contraire, le sieur de Biencourt, qui au commencement de l'Hyuer auoit eu trois bonnes chaloupes, à la fin ne s'en trouua du tout point, & fut contraint du bris d'icelles [258] faire rauauder vn malotru bateau pour trois personnes au plus, qui n'eust sceu faire trois lieües continuellement en mer, qu'il ne fust pery, tant il faisoit d'eau.
When they began to carry out this plan of constructing a [211] boat they were both laughed at; for the master of the work was their servant, who knew nothing more about it than an apprentice; his assistants were two Priests, who had never followed this trade. "Nevertheless" (some one said) "Father Enemond can do anything; and in case of need he will be found to be a good Sawyer of planks, a good caulker, and a good Architect. But of what use will Father Biard be in such work?" "Dost thou not know" (answered the other) "that when the boat is done he will give it his blessing?" Thus they chattered, and talked it over leisurely around the fire. But the Jesuits lost no time in sawing planks, planing boards, seeking bent wood, making oakum out of bits of rope which they found, and tramping over the woods in search of resin. What came of it? In the middle of March their jolly-boat was [212] upon the water equipped, adorned and fitted up bravely, to the admiration of those who had sneered at it: and on the other hand, sieur de Biencourt, who in the beginning of Winter had had three good shallops, at the end did not have any at all; and he was obliged, out of the wrecks of these, to patch up a clumsy boat large enough for three people at the most, which leaked so badly that it could not go three continuous leagues upon the sea, without sinking.
Or la chaloupe estant preste, & appareillée, le P. Biard s'en alla premierement en haut contre la riuiere auec leur seruiteur, & vn tiers qui se ioignist à eux, appellé Iean Baptiste Charpẽtier. Ils allerent à la queste du gland, & des racines. Ces racines sont appellées en Sauuageois Chiquebi, & s'engendrent volontiers aupres [213] des chesnes. Elles sont comme des truffes, mais meilleures, & croissent sous terre enfilées l'vne à l'autre en forme de chapelet. Il y en a beaucoup en certains endroits. Vray est qu'il est bien difficile d'aller aucune part où les Sauuages n'ayent de ja foüillé, par ainsi on n'en trouue guieres que des bien petites. Et encores faut-il bien trauailler pour en viure vn iour.
Now the boat being ready and under sail, Father Biard, with the servant and another who had joined them, named Jean Baptiste Charpentier, first made a trip up the river. They went in search of acorns and roots. These roots in the Savage language are called Chiquebi,[46] and grow readily near [213] oak trees. They are like truffles, but better, and grow under the ground strung to each other like a rosary. There are many of them in certain places, yet it is very difficult to find any place where the Savages have not already been digging, and thus only very small ones are to be found. Also we must work hard to get enough of them for a day's food.
Apres auoir couru en haut contre la riuiere pour les glands, & racines, il s'en alla à l'Eplan. Eplan ou Epelã est vn petit poisson cõme les sardines de Roüẽ, qui venãt de la mer, fraye contre certains ruisseaux sur le commencement d'Auril. Il y en a vn à quatre lieües de l'habitation de Port Royal, qui aucunesfois en fourmille tout en ce temps là. Pour ceste cause les Sauuages aussi s'y vont cabaner, & en viuent.
After having gone to the upper part of the river for acorns and roots, he went to get some Smelts. The Eplan or Epelan is a little fish like the sardine of Roüen, which, coming from the sea, spawns in certain brooks toward the beginning of April. There is one of these brooks four leagues from Port Royal, which sometimes completely swarms with them at that season. For this reason the Savages also go there to camp and live.
[214] Apres l'Eplan succedent les Harencs, qui frayent de mesme en vn autre riuiere. Le P. Enemond Massé entreprit ceste pesche des harencs, & apres celle-cy celle de molües, ja le mois de May estant venu. En ceste façon nous boutames le temps (comme l'on dit) auec les espaules; ou plus tost auec les pieds & bras, trainants nostre miserable vie iusques à ce que le nauire arriua. Le voyage, & route duquel il nous faut reprendre de plus haut.
[214] After the Smelts come the Herrings, which in like manner spawn in another river. Father Enemond Massé engaged in this fishing for herring, and later for cod, until the coming of the month of May. And thus we were butting against time (as the saying is) with our shoulders, or rather with our hands and feet, dragging on our miserable lives until the arrival of the ship, whose voyage and route we must take up from farther back.