The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 5: Quebec, 1632-1633

by Unknown

[3] Brieve Relation dv Voyage de la Novvelle France.

[10]

Mon R. Pere, Estant aduerti de vostre part, le dernier iour de Mars, qu'il falloit au plustost m'embarquer au Haure de grace, pour tirer droit à la Nouuelle France: l'aise & le contentement que i'en resenti en mon ame fut si grand, que de vingt ans ie ne pense pas en auoir eu vn pareil, ny qu'aucune lettre m'ait esté tant agreable. Ie sorti de Dieppe le lendemain, & passant à Roüen, nous [4] nous ioignimes de compagnie le Pere de Nouë, nostre Frere Gilbert & moy. Estans au Haure nous allasmes saluër monsieur du Pont, neueu de Monseigneur le Cardinal, lequel nous donna vn escrit signé de sa main, par lequel il témoignoit que c'estoit la volonté de mondit Seigneur que nous passassions en la Nouuelle France. Nous auons vne singuliere obligation à la charité de de monsieur le Curé du Haure, & des Meres Vrsulines; Car comme nous n'auions point preueu nostre depart, si le Pere Charles Lallemant à Roüen, & ces honnestes personnes au Haure ne nous eussent assistez dans l'empressement, où nous nous trouuions, sans doute nous estions mal. Du Haure nous tirames à Honfleur, & le iour de Quasimodo 18. d'Auril nous fimes voile.

[3] Brief Relation of the Journey to New France.[1]

My Reverend Father: Having been notified by you on the last day of March that I should embark as early as possible at Havre de grace, to sail directly for New France, the joy and happiness that I felt in my soul was so great that I believe I have experienced nothing like it for twenty years, nor has any letter been so welcome to me. I left Dieppe the next day, and, going to Roüen, [4] Father de Nouë, our Brother Gilbert, and I united in one company. Being in Havre, we went to pay our respects to monsieur du Pont, nephew of Monseigneur the Cardinal, who gave us a passport[2] signed by his own hand, in which he said that it was the wish of the Cardinal that we should go to New France. We are under peculiar obligations to the benevolence of monsieur the Curé of Havre, and of the Ursuline Mothers:[3] for, as we had not foreseen our departure, if Father Charles Lallemant, of Roüen, and these good people in Havre, had not assisted us in the hasty preparations we were obliged to make, we should, without doubt, have been very badly off. From Havre we went to Honfleur, and on Low Sunday,[4] April 18th, we set sail.

Nous eumes au commencement [5] vn tres-beau temps, & en dix iours nous fimes enuiron six cens lieuës, mais à peine en peumes nous faire deux cens les trente trois iours suiuans. Ces bons iours passez [12] nous n'eumes quasi que tempestes, ou vent contraire, hormis quelques bonnes heures qui nous venoient de temps en temps. I'auois quelquefois veu la mer en cholere des fenestres de nostre petite maison de Dieppe: mais c'est bien autre chose de sentir dessous soy la furie de l'Ocean, que de la contempler du riuage; nous estions des trois & quatre iours à la cappe, comme parlent les mariniers, nostre gouuernail attaché, on laissoit aller le vaisseau au gré des vagues & des ondes, qui le portoient par fois sur des montagnes d'eau, puis tout à coup dans des abysmes; vous eussiez dit que les vents estoient déchainez contre nous; à tous coups [6] nous craignions qu'ils ne brisassent nos mats, ou que le vaisseau ne s'ouurit: & de fait il se fit vne voye d'eau laquelle nous auroit coulé à fond, si elle fût arriuée plus bas, ainsi que i'entendois dire. C'est autre chose de mediter de la mort dans sa cellule deuant l'image du Crucifix, autre chose d'y penser dans vne tempeste, & deuant la mort mesme. Ie vous diray neantmoins ingenuëment, qu'encor que la nature desire sa conseruation, que neantmoins au fond de l'ame ie sentois autant ou plus d'inclination à la mort qu'à la vie; ie me mettois deuant les yeux que celuy qui m'auoit conduit dessus la mer, auoit de tres-bons desseins; & qu'il le falloit laisser faire; ie n'osois luy rien demander pour moy, sinon de luy presenter ma vie pour tout l'equipage. Quand ie me figurois que peut-estre dans peu d'heures, ie me verrois au milieu des [7] vagues, & par aduanture dans l'épaisseur d'vne nuict tres-obscure, i'auois quelque consolation en cette pensée, m'imaginant que là où il y auroit moins de la creature, qu'il y auroit plus du Createur, & que ce seroit là proprement mourir de sa main: mais ma foiblesse [14] me fait craindre, que peut-estre si cela fust arriué i'eusse bien changé de pensée & d'affection.

We had fine weather at first, [5] and made about six hundred leagues in ten days; but we could hardly cover two hundred on the following thirty-three days. After this fine weather we had little but storms and contrary winds, except a few pleasant hours which were vouchsafed us from time to time. I had sometimes seen the angry sea from the windows of our little house at Dieppe; but watching the fury of the Ocean from the shore is quite different from tossing upon its waves. During three or four days we were close-reefed, as sailors say, our helm fastened down. The vessel was left to the will of the billows and the waves, which bore it at times upon mountains of water, then suddenly down into the depths of the sea. You would have said that the winds were unchained against us. Every moment [6] we feared lest they should snap our masts, or that the ship would spring a leak; and, in fact, there was a leak, which would, as I heard reported, have sunk us if it had been lower down. It is one thing to reflect upon death in one's cell, before the image on the Crucifix; but quite another to think of it in the midst of a tempest and in the presence of death itself. But I say to you honestly, that, although nature longs for its preservation, nevertheless, in the depths of my soul, I felt quite as much inclination to death as to life; I kept constantly before my eyes, that he who had brought me upon the sea had some good purpose, and that he must be allowed to do as he pleases. I dared not ask of him anything for myself, unless it were to offer up my life for all on the ship. When I realized that in a few hours I might see myself in the midst of the [7] waves, and perhaps in the depths of the blackest night, I found some consolation in the thought that there, where there would be less of the creature, there would be more of the Creator, and that it would be really dying by his hand. But my weakness makes me fear that perhaps, if that had really happened, my thoughts and inclinations might have been greatly changed.

Au reste nous auons trouué l'hyuer dans l'esté, c'est à dire dans le mois de May & vne partie de Iuin, les vents, & la bruine nous glaçoient, le Pere de Nouë a eu les pieds & les mains gelées, adioustez vne douleur de teste ou de cœur qui ne me quitta quasi iamais le premier mois; vne grande soif, pour ce que nous ne mangions que choses salées, & il n'y auoit point de fontaine d'eau douce dans nostre vaisseau. Nos cabanes estoient [8] si grãdes, que nous n'y pouuions estre ny debout, ny à genoux, ny assis, & qui pis est, l'eau pendant la pluie me tomboit par fois sur la face. Toutes ces incõmoditez estoient communes aux autres, les pauures mattelots enduroient bien dauantage. Tout cela est passé, Dieu mercy, ie n'eusse pas voulu estre en France. Tous ces petits trauaux ne nous ont point encor, comme ie croy, donné la moindre tristesse de nostre depart. Dieu ne se laisse iamais vaincre; si on luy donne des oboles, il donne des mines d'or, encor me semble-il que ie me suis mieux porté que le Pere de Nouë, lequel a esté fort longtemps sans quasi pouuoir manger; pour nostre Frere, il est comme ces animaux Amphibies, il se porte aussi bien sur la mer que sur la terre.

But, to speak of other things, we found winter in summer; that is to say, in the month of May and a part of June, the winds and the fogs chilled us; Father de Nouë's feet and hands were frozen; and, besides this, I had pains in my head or heart, which scarcely left me at all during the first month; and a keen thirst, because we ate nothing but salted food, and there was no fresh water upon our vessel. The size of our cabins was [8] such that we could not stand upright, kneel, or sit down; and, what is worse, during the rain, the water fell at times upon my face. All these discomforts were shared by the others; but the poor sailors suffered many more. All that is past; thank God, I would not have wished to be in France. All these little afflictions have not as yet, I believe, caused us the least sadness over our departure. God never suffers himself to be vanquished; if you give him mites, he gives mines of gold. Still, it seems to me that I get along better than Father de Nouë, who, for a long time, was hardly able to eat; as to our Brother, he is like the Amphibious animals; he is just as much at home on the sea as on the land.

Le iour de la Pentecoste, comme i'estois prest de prescher, ce que ie faisois [9] ordinairement les Dimanches, & bonnes Festes, vn de nos mattelots se mit à crier moluë, moluë, il auoit ietté sa ligne, & en tiroit vne grande. Il y auoit desia quelques iours que nous estions sur le banc, mais on n'auoit quasi rien pris. Ce iour là on en prit tant qu'on voulut. C'estoit vn plaisir de voir vne si grande tuerie, & tant de ce sang répãdu sur le tillac de nostre nauire. [16] Ce rafraichissement nous vint fort à propos, apres de si longues bourrasques.

On Pentecost day, just as I was ready to preach, as I usually [9] did on Sundays and great Fête days, one of our sailors began to cry out, "codfish! codfish!" He had thrown in his line and had brought out a large one. We had already been on the banks several days, but had caught very little. On that day we drew in as many as we liked. It was a pleasure to see so great a slaughter, and so much of this blood shed upon the deck of our ship. These fresh supplies were very welcome to us after such continuous storms.

Le Mardy d'apres, premier iour de Iuin, nous vimes les terres, elles estoient encor toutes couuertes de neiges, l'hyuer tousiours grand en ces païs, & l'a esté extremément cette année. Quelques iours auparauant, sçauoir est le 15. & 18. de May, estans encor éloignez des terres enuiron deux cens lieuës, nous auions rencontré deux glaces d'vne enorme grandeur [10] flottantes dans la mer, elles estoient plus longues que nostre vaisseau, & plus hautes que nos masts, le Soleil donnant dessus vous eussiez dit estre des Eglises, ou plustost des montagnes de crystal: à peine auroy-ie creu cela si ie ne l'auois veu. Quand on en rencontre quantité, & qu'vn nauire se trouue embarrassé là dedans, il est bien tost mis en pieces.

On the following Tuesday, the first day of June, we saw land. It was still covered with snow, for the winter, always severe in this country, was extremely so this year. Some days before, to wit, the 15th and 18th of May, being still distant from land about two hundred leagues, we had encountered two icebergs of enormous size, [10] floating upon the sea. They were longer than our ship and higher than our masts, and as the sunlight fell upon them you would have said they were Churches, or rather, mountains of crystal. I would hardly have believed it if I had not seen it. When a great number of them are encountered, and the ship finds itself caught among them, it is very soon broken into pieces.

Le Ieudy 3. de Iuin nous entrames dans le païs par l'vn des plus beaux fleuues du monde, la grand Isle de terre neuue le ferme en son emboucheure, luy laissant deux endroits, par où il se dégorge dans la mer, l'vn au Nord, & l'autre au Sud: nos entrames par celuy-cy qui est large enuiron de 13. ou 14. lieuës. Si tost que vous estes entrez, vous découurez vn golfe de 15O. lieuës de largeur; en montant plus haut au lieu où cette grande riuiere commence à s'estressir, elle a [11] bien encor de largeur 37. lieuës: où nous sommes à Quebec, esloignez plus de 200. lieuës de l'emboucheure, elle a bien encor demie lieuë.

On Thursday, June 3rd, we passed into the country through one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. The great Island of newfoundland intercepts it at its mouth, leaving two openings whereby it can empty into the sea, one to the North and the other to the South. We sailed in through the latter, which is about 13 or 14 leagues wide. Upon entering, you discover a gulf 150 leagues wide; going farther up, where this grand river begins to narrow, it is [11] even there 37 leagues wide. Where we are, in Quebec, distant over 200 leagues from its mouth, it is still half a league wide.

A l'entrée de ce golfe nous vimes deux rochers, l'vn paroissoit rond, l'autre quarré; vous diriez que Dieu les a planté au milieu des eaux comme deux colombiers pour seruir de lieu de retraitte aux oyseaux, qui s'y retirent en si grande quantité, qu'on [18] marche dessus eux: & si on ne se tient bien ferme, ils s'éleuent en si grand nombre, qu'ils renuersent les personnes: on en rapporte des chalouppes ou petits bateaux tous pleins quand le temps permet qu'on les aborde: les François les ont nommez les Isles aux oyseaux. On vient dans ce Golfe pour pescher des baleines, nous y en auons veu quantité, pour pescher aussi des moluës. I'y ay veu grand nombre de loups marins, nos gens [12] en tuerent quelques-vns. Il se trouue dans cette grande riuiere nommée de S. Laurens, des marsoins blancs & non ailleurs; les Anglois les appellent des baleines blanches, pource qu'elles sont fort grandes à comparaison de marsoins; ils montent iusques à Quebec.

At the entrance of this gulf we saw two rocks, one appearing to be round, the other square. You would say that God had thrown them into the midst of the waters, like two dovecotes, as a retreat for the birds that withdraw there in such multitudes that you would almost tread upon them; and if you do not obtain a good foothold, they rise up in such numbers that they may knock you over. Boats, or little skiffs, full of them are brought back to the ships, when the weather permits approach to these islands, which the French have named the Isles of birds.[5] Ships come into this Gulf on whaling expeditions. We have seen a great many fishing also for cod. I saw here a number of seals, and our people [12] killed some of them. In this great river, which, is called the St. Lawrence, white porpoises are found, and nowhere else. The English call them white whales, because they are very large compared with the other porpoises; they go up as far as Quebec.[6]

Le iour de la Saincte Trinité nous fumes contraints de relascher à Gaspay; c'est vne grande baie d'eau qui entre dans ce païs; c'est icy où nous mimes pied à terre pour la premiere fois depuis nostre depart. Iamais homme apres vn long voyage n'est rentré dans son païs auec plus de contentement que nous entrions au nostre; c'est ainsi que nous appellions ces miserables contrées. Nous y trouuames deux vaisseaux, l'vn de Honfleur, l'autre de Biscaye, qui estoient venus pour la pesche des moluës. Nous priames ceux de Honfleur de [13] nous dresser vn autel pour dire la Saincte Messe dans leur cabane. Ce fut à qui y mettroit la main, tant ils estoiẽt aises: aussi leur disoy-ie en riant, qu'en bastissant leur cabane ils ne pensoiẽt pas bastir vne Chapelle. Comme ie vins à l'Euangile qui se lit ce iour-là à la Messe, & qui estoit le premier que ie prononçois en ces terres, ie fus bien estonné entendant ces paroles du Fils de Dieu à ses Disciples, Data est mihi omnis potestas in cælo & in terra, euntes ergo docete omnes gentes baptisantes [20] eos in nomine Patris, &c. Ecce ego vobiscum &c. Ie pris bon augure de ces paroles, quoy que ie visse bien qu'elle ne s'addressoient pas à vne personne si miserable que moy; aussi m'est-il aduis que ie viens icy comme les pionniers, qui marchent les premiers pour faire les tranchées, & par apres les braues soldats viennent assieger, & prendre la place.

On the day of Holy Trinity, we were compelled to stop at Gaspay,[7] a large body of water extending into this country. It was here that we trod land for the first time since our departure. Never did man, after a long voyage, return to his country with more joy than we entered ours; it is thus we call these wretched lands. We found here two ships, one from Honfleur and the other from Biscaye, which had come to fish for cod. We begged the people from Honfleur to [13] raise an altar for us, that we might celebrate the Holy Mass in their cabin; and there was a strife among them as to who should work upon it, so greatly were they pleased. So I said to them, laughingly, that in building their cabin they did not think they were building a Chapel. When I came to the Gospel appointed for that day in the Mass, and which was the first that I had read in these lands, I was very much astonished in hearing these words of the Son of God to his Disciples, Data est mihi omnis potestas in cælo & in terra, euntes ergo docete omnes gentes baptisantes eos in nomine Patris, etc. Ecce ego vobiscum, etc. I took these words as a good omen, although I clearly saw that they were not addressed to so poor a person as I. But it is my opinion that I come here like the pioneers, who go ahead to dig the trenches; after them come brave soldiers, who besiege and take the place.

[14] Apres la Messe nous entrames dans les bois, il y auoit encor quantité de neige, si ferme qu'elle nous portoit. Le matin il gela assez fort, comme i'allois lauer mes mains à vn torrent d'eau qui decouloit des montagnes, ie trouuay les bords tous glacez. Nos gens tuerent icy quelques perdrix fort grises, & aussi grosses que nos poulles de France. Ils tuerent aussi quelques lieures plus pattus que les nostres, & encor vn peu blancs, car les lieures en ce païs cy sont tous blancs, pendant les neiges, & pendant l'esté ils reprennent leur couleur semblable à celle des lieures de l'Europe.

[14] After Mass we went into the woods; the snow was still very deep, and so strong that it bore our weight. In the morning there was a hard frost; and, when I went to wash my hands in the torrent of water which flowed down from the mountains, I found the edges of it completely frozen. Here our people killed a number of large gray partridges, as large as our chickens in France. They also killed some hares, larger-footed than ours, and still a little white; for in this country the hares are all white, while the snow lasts, and during the summer they resume their color like that of the European hares.

Le iour suiuant nous nous remimes sous voile, & le 18. de Iuin nous moüillames à Tadoussac; c'est vne autre baie d'eau, ou vne anse fort petite, aupres de laquelle se trouue vn fleuue nommé Sagué qui se iette dans la grande riuiere de S. Laurens, ce fleuue [15] est aussi beau que la Seine, quasi aussi rapide que le Rosne, & plus profond que plusieurs endroits de la mer, car on dit qu'il a bien 80. brasses de profondeur aux endroits où il est le moins profond. Comme nous allions dire la Saincte Messe à terre, l'vn de nos soldats tua vn grand aigle aupres de son aire, il auoit la teste & le col tout blanc, le bec & les pieds iaunes, le reste du corps noiratre, il estoit gros comme vn coq d'Inde. Nous auons icy seiourné depuis le 14. Iuïn, iusques au 3. de Iulliet, c'est à dire 19. iours. [22] Il faisoit encor grand froid quand nous y arriuames, mais auant que d'en partir nous y auons ressenty de grandes chaleurs; & ce pendant ce n'estoit que le printemps, puisque les arbres estoient seulement fleuris. En fort peu de temps les feüilles, les boutons, les fleurs & les fruits paroissent icy, & meurissent, i'entends les fruicts [16] sauuages, car il n'y en a point d'autres. Or c'est icy que i'ay veu des Sauuages pour la premiere fois. Si tost qu'ils apperceurent nostre vaisseau ils firent des feux, & deux d'entr'eux nous vindrent aborder dans vn petit cauot fait d'escorce fort proprement. Le lendemain vn Sagamo auec dix ou douze Sauuages nous vint voir; il me sembloit, les voyant entrer dans la chambre de nostre Capitaine, où i'estois pour lors, que ie voyois ces masques qui courent en France à Caresme-prenant. Il y en auoit qui auoient le nez peint en bleu, les yeux, les sourcils, les iouës peintes en noir, & le reste du visage en rouge; & ces couleurs sont viues & luisantes comme celle de nos masques: d'autres auoient des rayes noires, rouges & bleuës, tirées des oreilles à la bouche: d'autres estoient tous noirs hormis le haut du front, & les parties voisines [17] des oreilles & le bout du menton, si bien qu'on eut vrayement dit qu'ils estoient masquez. Il y en auoit qui n'auoient qu'vne raye noire, large d'vn ruban, tirée d'vne oreille à l'autre, au trauers des yeux, & trois petites rayes sur les iouës. Leur couleur naturelle est cõme celle de ces gueux de France qui sont demy rostis au Soleil, & ie ne doute point que les Sauuages ne fussent tres-blãcs s'ils estoiẽt bien couuerts. De dire comme ils sont vestus, il est bien difficile; les hommes quand il fait vn peu chaud vont tous nuds, hormis vne piece de peau qu'ils mettent [24] au dessous du nombril iusques aux cuisses. Quand il fait froid, ou bien à l'imitation des Europeans, ils se couurent de peaux de Castor, d'Ours, de Renard, & d'autres tels animaux, mais si maussadement, que cela n'empesche pas qu'on ne voye la pluspart de leurs corps. [18] I'en ay veu de vestus de peau d'Ours, iustement comme on peint S. Iean Baptiste. Cette peau veluë au dehors, leur alloit sous vn bras & sur l'autre, & leur battoit iusques aux genoux, ils estoient ceints au trauers du corps d'vne corde de boyau. Il y en a de vestus entierement, ils ressemblent tous à ce Philosophe de la Grece, qui ne portoit rien sur soy qu'il n'eut fait. Il ne faut pas employer beaucoup d'années pour apprendre tous leurs mestiers. Ils vont tous teste nuë hommes & femmes; ils portent les cheueux longs; ils les ont tous noirs, graissez, & luisans; ils les lient par derriere, sinon quand ils portent le dueil. Les femmes sont honnestement couuertes; elles ont des peaux iointes sur les espaules auec des cordes, & ces peaux leurs battent depuis le col iusques aux genoüils; elles se ceignent aussi d'vne corde, le reste du corps la teste, les [19] bras & les iambes sont descouuertes: il y en a neantmoins qui portent des manches, des chausses, & des souliers, mais sans autre façon que celle que la necessité leur a appris. Maintenant qu'ils traittent des capots, des couuertures, des draps, des chemises auec les François, il y en a plusieurs qui s'en couurent, mais leurs chemises sont aussi blanches & aussi grasses que des torchons de cuisine, ils ne les blanchissent iamais. Au reste ils sont de bonne taille, le corps bien fait, les membres tres-bien proportionnez, & ne sont point si massifs que ie les croyois; ils ont vn assez bon sens; ils ne parlent point [26] tous ensemble, ains les vns apres les autres, s'écoutans patiemment. Vn Sagamo ou Capitaine disnãt vn iour en la chambre du nostre, voulant dire quelque chose, & ne trouuant point le loisir pource qu'on parloit tousiours, [20] en fin pria la compagnie qu'on luy donnast vn peu de temps pour parler à son tour, & tout seul, comme il fit.

The next day we again set sail, and on the 18th of June we cast anchor at Tadoussac. This is another bay or very small cove, near which there is a river named Sagué [Saguenay], which empties into the great river St. Lawrence. This river [15] is as beautiful as the Seine, about as rapid as the Rosne [Rhone], and deeper than many places in the sea, for it is said to be 80 fathoms deep in its shallowest places. As we were on our way to say the Holy Mass on the shore, one of our soldiers killed a great eagle near its eyrie. Its head and neck were entirely white, the beak and feet yellow, the rest of the body blackish; it was as large as a Turkey-cock. We sojourned here from the 14th of June to the 3rd of July; that is to say, 19 days. It was still very cold when we arrived, but before leaving we felt excessive heat; and yet it was only the spring, since the trees had only just begun to put forth their foliage. In a very short time the leaves, the buds, the flowers, and the fruit appear here and ripen; I mean the wild [16] fruit, as there is no other. It was here that I saw Savages for the first time. As soon as they saw our vessel, they lighted fires, and two of them came on board in a little canoe very neatly made of bark. The next day a Sagamore, with ten or twelve Savages, came to see us. When I saw them enter our Captain's room, where I happened to be, it seemed to me that I was looking at those maskers who run about in France in Carnival time. There were some whose noses were painted blue, the eyes, eyebrows, and cheeks painted black, and the rest of the face red; and these colors are bright and shining like those of our masks; others had black, red, and blue stripes drawn from the ears to the mouth. Still others were entirely black, except the upper part of the brow and around [17] the ears, and the end of the chin; so that it might have been truly said of them that they were masquerading. There were some who had only one black stripe, like a wide ribbon, drawn from one ear to the other, across the eyes, and three little stripes on the cheeks. Their natural color is like that of those French beggars who are half-roasted in the Sun, and I have no doubt that the Savages would be very white if they were well covered. To describe how they were dressed would be difficult indeed. All the men, when it is a little warm, go naked, with the exception of a piece of skin which falls from just below the navel to the thighs. When it is cold, or probably in imitation of the Europeans, they cover themselves with furs of the Beaver, Bear, Fox, and other animals of the same kind, but so awkwardly, that it does not prevent the greater part of their bodies from being seen. [18] I have seen some of them dressed in Bear skin, just as St. John the Baptist is painted. This fur, with the hair outside, was worn under one arm and over the other, hanging down to the knees. They were girdled around the body with a cord made of a dried intestine. Some are entirely dressed. They are like the Grecian Philosopher who would wear nothing that he had not made. It would not take a great many years to learn all their crafts. All go bareheaded, men and women; their hair, which is uniformly black, is long, greasy, and shiny, and is tied behind, except when they wear mourning. The women are decently covered; they wear skins fastened together on their shoulders with cords, these hang from the neck to the knees. They girdle themselves also with a cord, the rest of the body, the head, the [19] arms and the legs being uncovered. Yet there are some who wear sleeves, stockings, and shoes, but in no other fashion than that which necessity has taught them. Now that they trade with the French for capes, blankets, cloths, and shirts, there are many who use them; but their shirts are as white and as greasy as dishcloths, for they never wash them. Furthermore, they have good figures, their bodies are well made, their limbs very well proportioned, and they are not so clumsy as I supposed them to be. They are fairly intelligent. They do not all talk at once, but one after the other, listening patiently. A Sagamore, or Captain, dining in our room one day, wished to say something; and, not finding an opportunity, because they were all talking at the same time, [20] at last prayed the company to give him a little time to talk in his turn, and all alone, as he did.

Or comme dans les grandes estenduës de ces païs cy, il y a quantité de nations toutes barbares, aussi se font-elles la guerre les vnes les autres fort souuent. A nostre arriuée à Tadoussac les Sauuages reuenoient de la guerre contre les Hiroquois, & en auoient pris neuf, ceux de Quebec en tenoient six, & ceux de Tadoussac trois. Monsieur Emery de Caën les fut voir, il desiroit sauuer la vie au plus ieune, ie plaiday fort pour tous trois, mais on me dit qu'il falloit de grands presens, & ie n'en auois point. Arriuez donc que nous fumes aux cabanes des Sauuages, qui sont faites de perches, & couuertes d'écorces assez grossierement, le faiste n'est point couuert pour receuoir le iour par là, & donner [21] yssuë à la fumée. Nous entrames dans celle du Capitaine de guerre qui estoit longuette; il y auoit trois feux au milieu, les vns éloignez des autres de cinq ou six pieds. Estans entrez nous nous assimes de part & d'autre à plate terre, couuerte de petite branches de sapin; ils n'ont point d'autres sieges. Cela fait, on fit venir les prisonniers qui s'assirent les vns aupres des autres; le plus âgé auoit plus de 60. ans, le second enuiron 30. le troisiesme estoit vn ieune garçon de 15. à 16. ans. Ils se mirent tous à chanter, pour montrer qu'ils ne craignoiẽt point la mort, quoy que tres-cruelle; leur chant me semble fort desagreable, la cadence finissoit tousiours par ces aspirations reïterées oh! oh! oh! [28] ah! ah! ah! hem! hem! hem! &c. Apres qu'ils eurent bien chanté, on les fit dancer les vns apres les autres, le plus âgé se leue le premier, & commance [22] à marcher du long de la cabane tout nud, hors mis, comme i'ay dit, vn morceau de peau qui luy couuroit ce que la nature a caché. Il frappoit des pieds la terre en marchant, & chantoit incessamment. Voyla toute sa dance, pendant laquelle tous les autres Sauuages qui estoient dans la cabane frappoient des mains ou se battoient la cuisse, tirans cette aspiration du fond de l'estomach a—ah, a—ah, a—ah, & puis quand le prisonnier s'arrestoit, ils crioient o—oh! o—oh! o—oh! & l'vn se rasseant, l'autre se mettoit à dancer. Monsieur de Caën demanda quand on les feroit mourir, ils respondirent le lendemain. Ie les fut voir encor, & ie trouuay trois pieux de bois dressez, où on les deuoit executer: mais il vint nouuelle de Quebec qu'on traittoit de paix auec les Hiroquois, & qu'il faudroit peut-estre rendre les prisonniers, ainsi [23] leur mort fut retardée. Il n'y a cruauté semblable à celle qu'ils exercent contre leurs ennemis. Si tost qu'ils les ont pris ils leurs arrachent les ongles à belles dents; ie vis les doigts de ces pauures miserables qui me faisoient pitié, & vne playe assez grande au bras de l'vn d'eux, on me dit que c'estoit vne morsure de celuy qui l'auoit pris, l'autre auoit vne partie du doigt emporté, & ie luy demanday si le feu luy auoit fait cela, ie croyois que ce fust vne bruslure, il me fit signe qu'on luy auoit emporté la piece auec les dents. Ie remarquay la cruauté mesme des filles & des femmes, pendant que ces pauures prisonniers dançoiẽt: car comme ils passoient deuant le feu, elles soufloient & poussoient la flamme dessus eux pour les brusler. Quand ils les font mourir [30] ils les attachent à vn poteau, puis les filles aussi bien que les hommes leur appliquent [24] des tisons ardents & flambans aux parties les plus sensibles du corps, aux costez, aux cuisses, à la poitrine, & en plusieurs autres endroits: ils leurs leuent la peau de la teste, puis iettent sur le crane ou le test découuert, du sablon tout bruslant; ils leurs percent les bras au poignet auec des bastons pointus, & leurs arrachent les nerfs par ces trous. Bref ils les font souffrir tout ce que la cruauté & le Diable leur met en l'esprit. En fin pour derniere catastrophe ils les mangent & les deuorent quasi tout crus. Si nous estions pris des Hiroquois, peut-estre nous en faudroit-il passer par là, pour autant que nous demeurons auec les Montagnards leurs ennemis. Ils sont si enragez contre tout ce qui leur fait du mal, qu'ils mangent les poux & toute autre vermine qu'ils trouuẽt sur eux, non pour aucun goust qu'ils y ayent; mais seulement, [25] disent-ils, pour se vanger & pour manger ceux qui les mangent.

Now, as in the wide stretches of territory in this country there are a great many wholly barbarous tribes, so they very often make war upon each other. When we arrived at Tadoussac the Savages were coming back from a war against the Hiroquois, and had taken nine of them: those of Quebec took six, and those of Tadoussac three. Monsieur Emery de Caën went to see the captives, hoping to save the life of the youngest one. I pleaded very earnestly for all three, but was told that great presents were necessary, and I had none. Having arrived at the cabins of the Savages, which are made of poles, clumsily covered with bark, the top left uncovered for the purpose of letting in light and of leaving [21] an opening for the smoke to go out, we entered that of the war Captain, which was long and narrow. There were three fires in the middle, distant from each other five or six feet. Having entered, we sat down here and there on the ground, which was covered with little branches of fir, for they have no other seats. This done, they brought in the prisoners, who sat down beside each other. The eldest was over 60, the second about 30, and the third was a young boy from 15 to 16 years old. They all began to sing, in order to show that they were not at all afraid of death, however cruel it might be. Their singing seemed to me very disagreeable; the cadence always ended with reiterated aspirations, "oh! oh! oh! ah! ah! ah! hem! hem! hem!" etc. After singing for some time, they were made to dance, one after the other. The eldest one rose first, and began [22] to walk through the room, entirely naked, except, as I have said, for a piece of fur which covered what nature has hidden. He stamped his feet upon the ground while marching, and sang continuously. This was all the dance; and while it was going on all the other Savages in the hut clapped their hands, or beat their thighs, drawing this aspiration from the depths of their stomachs, "a—ah, a—ah, a—ah;" and then when the prisoner stopped they cried, "o—oh, o—oh, o—oh;" and, when the one reseated himself, the other took up the dance. Monsieur de Caën asked when they would be killed. "To-morrow," they answered. I went to see them again, and I found three wooden stakes erected where they were to be executed; but news came from Quebec that a treaty of peace was being negotiated with the Hiroquois, and it would perhaps be necessary to surrender the prisoners, and thus [23] their death was delayed. There is no cruelty comparable to that which they practice on their enemies. As soon as the captives are taken, they brutally tear off their nails with their teeth; I saw the fingers of these poor creatures, and was filled with pity, also I saw a large hole in the arm of one of them; I was told that it was a bite of the Savage who had captured him; the other had a part of a finger torn off, and I asked him if the fire had done that, as I thought it was a burn. He made a sign to show me that it had been taken off by the teeth. I noticed the same cruelty among the girls and women, when these poor prisoners were dancing; for, as they passed before the fire, the women blew and drove the flame over in their direction to burn them. When the hour comes to kill their captives, they are fastened to a stake; then the girls, as well as the men, apply [24] hot and flaming brands to those portions of the body which are the most sensitive, to the ribs, thighs, chest, and several other places. They raise the scalp from the head, and then throw burning sand upon the skull, or uncovered place. They pierce the arms at the wrists with sharp sticks, and pull the nerves out through these holes. In short, they make them suffer all that cruelty and the Devil can suggest. At last, as a final horror, they eat and devour them almost raw. If we were captured by the Hiroquois, perhaps we would be obliged to suffer this ordeal, inasmuch as we live with the Montagnards, their enemies. So enraged are they against every one who does them an injury that they eat the lice and other vermin that they find upon themselves,—not because they like them, but only, [25] they say, to avenge themselves and to eat those that eat them.

Pendant que ces pauures captifs chantoient & dançoient, il y en auoit de nostre equipage qui se rioient voyans cette barbarie: mais ô mon Dieu quel triste subiet de rire! c'est la verité que le cœur me fendoit. Ie ne pensois nullement venir en Canada quand on m'y a enuoyé; ie ne sentois aucune affection particuliere pour les Sauuages, si bien à faire l'obeïssance, quand on m'eust deu enuoyer encor plus loin mille fois: mais ie puis dire que quand i'aurois eu de l'auersion de ce païs, voyant ce que i'ay desia veu ie serois touché, eussé-ie le cœur de bronze. Pleut à Dieu que ceux qui peuuent assister ces pauures ames, & contribuer quelque chose à leur salut, fussent icy seulement pour trois iours; ie ne croy pas que l'affection [32] de les secourir ne saisit puissamment [26] leur ame. Qu'on ne s'estonne point de ces barbaries, auant que la foy fut receuë en Allemagne, en Espagne, en Angleterre, ces peuples n'estoient pas plus polis. L'esprit ne manque pas aux Sauuages de Canada, si bien l'education & l'instruction. Ils sont dé-ja las de leurs miseres, & nous tendent les bras pour estre assistez. Il me semble que les nations qui ont vne demeure stable se conuertiroient aisement, ie puis dire des Hurons tout ce que nous en a escrit il y a quelque temps le Pere d'vn ieune-homme des Paraquais, sçauoir est, qu'il y a grandement à souffrir parmy eux, mais qu'il s'y peut faire de grands fruicts, & que si les consolations de la terre y manquent, celles du Paradis s'y goustent desia, il ne faut que sçauoir la langue, & si le Pere Brebeuf n'eût point esté contraint par les Anglois de s'en retourner [27] d'icy, lesquels s'estoient emparez du fort des François, il auroit desia bien aduancé la gloire de Dieu en ce pays là. Pour les nations étranges & vagabondes, comme sont celles où nous sommes demeurans à Kebec, il y aura plus de difficulté; Le moyen à mon aduis de les ayder, c'est de dresser des seminaires, & prẽdre leurs enfans qui sont bien éueillez & fort gentils: on instruira les peres par le moyen des enfans, voire-mesme, il y en a desia quelques vns d'entr'eux qui commencent à cultiuer la terre, & semer du bled d'Inde, leur vie facheuse & tres-miserable leur ennuye: mais en vn mot, la promesse du Pere Eternel à son Fils s'effectuera tost ou tard. Dabo tibi gentes hæreditatem tuam, & possessionem tuam terminos terræ. On a fait de grands fruicts dans les Indes Orientales, & dans l'Amerique meridionale, [34] quoy [28] qu'on ait trouué en ces païs là non seulemẽt des vices à combattre, mais encor des superstitions estranges, ausquelles ces peuples estoient plus attachez qu'à leur propre vie. En la nouuelle France il n'y a que les pechez à destruire, & encor en petit nombre: car ces pauures gens si éloignez de toutes delices, ne sont pas adonnez à beaucoup d'offenses. De superstition ou faulse religion, s'il y en a quelques endroits, c'est bien peu. Les Canadiens ne pensent qu'à viure & à se venger de leurs ennemis; ils ne sont attachez au culte d'aucune Diuinité. Ils peuuent prẽdre plusieurs femmes, cependant ils n'en ont qu'vne; i'ay ouy parler d'vn seul qui en a deux, encor luy en fait-on reproche. Il est vray que celuy qui sçauroit leur langue les manieroit comme il voudroit, c'est à quoy ie me vais appliquer, mais i'aduanceray [29] fort peu cette année, pour les raisons que i'écriray en particulier à vostre Reuerence. Mais retournons à la suite de nostre voyage.

While these poor captives were dancing and singing, there were some men of our crew who laughed when they saw this exhibition of barbarism. But oh, my God, what a sad subject for laughter! it made my heart ache. I thought nothing of coming to Canada when I was sent here; I felt no particular affection for the Savages, but the duty of obedience was binding, even if I had been sent a thousand times further away; but I may say that even if I had had an aversion to this country, seeing what I have already seen, I should be touched, had I a heart of bronze. Would to God that those who can aid these poor souls and contribute something to their salvation could be here, if only for three days. I believe that a longing to help them would seize powerfully upon [26] their souls. But let no one be astonished at these acts of barbarism. Before the faith was received in Germany, Spain, or England, those nations were not more civilized. Mind is not lacking among the Savages of Canada, but education and instruction. They are already tired of their miseries, and stretch out their hands to us for help. It seems to me that the tribes which have stationary homes could be easily converted. I can say of the Hurons all that was written to us a while ago by the Father of a young Paraguayan: to wit, that much suffering must be endured among them, but that great results may be expected; and that, if the consolations of the earth are lacking there, those of Paradise may already be enjoyed. It is only necessary to know the language; and, if Father Brebeuf had not been compelled by the English to leave [27] here, they having taken possession of the French fort, he would already have advanced the glory of God in that country. As to the strange and wandering tribes like those near Kebec, where we live, there will be more difficulty. The means of assisting them, in my opinion, is to build seminaries, and to take their children, who are very bright and amiable. The fathers will be taught through the children. Even now there are some among them who have begun to cultivate the soil and sow Indian corn, having become weary of their difficult and miserable way of living. But, in a word, the promise of the Eternal Father to his Son will remedy this sooner or later: Dabo tibi gentes hæreditatem tuam, & possessionem tuam terminos terræ. Great fruits have been obtained in the East Indies and in south America, although [28] there have been found in those countries not only vices to combat, but also strange superstitions, to which the people were more attached than to their lives. In new France there are only sins to destroy, and those in a small number; for these poor people, so far removed from all luxury, are not given to many offenses. If there are any superstitions or false religions in some places, they are few. The Canadians think only of how to live and to revenge themselves upon their enemies. They are not attached to the worship of any particular Divinity. They are permitted to take a number of wives, but they do not take more than one. I have heard of one man only who had two, and he was censured for it.[8] In truth, any one who knew their language could manage them as he pleased. Therefore I will apply myself, but I shall make [29] very little progress this year, for reasons which I shall write in detail to your Reverence. But let us come back to the continuation of our voyage.

Quelque temps auparauant que nous leuassions les ancres de Tadoussac, il s'éleua vn grain, comme parlent les mattelots, ou vne tempeste si furieuse, qu'elle nous ietta bien auãt dans le peril, quoy que nous fussions en la maison d'asseurance: c'est ainsi que i'appelle la baie de Tadoussac. Les tonnerres grondoient horriblemẽt, les vents furieux firent tellemẽt plier nostre vaisseau, que si ce grain eût continué, il l'eust renuersé sans dessus dessous; mais cette furie ne dura pas, & ainsi nous échapasmes ce danger.

Some time before we weighed anchor in Tadoussac there rose a squall, as the sailors say, or a storm so furious that it threw us into great peril, although we were in the house of safety; it is thus that I call the bay of Tadoussac. The thunder grumbled terribly, furious winds made our vessel roll so that, if this squall had continued, it would have turned us upside down; but the fury of the storm abated, and thus we escaped this danger.

Le 3. iour de Iuillet nous sortimes de Tadoussac, & nous allames moüiller à l'échaffaut aux Basques, c'est vn lieu ainsi appelé, à cause que les Basques [30] viennent iusques là pour prendre des baleines. Comme il estoit grand calme, & que nous attendions [36] la marée, ie mis pied à terre: ie pensay estre mangé des maringoins, ce sont petites mouches importunes au possible; les grands bois qui sont icy en engendrent de plusieurs especes; il y a des mouches communes, des mousquilles, des mouches luisantes, des maringoins, & des grosses mouches, & quantité d'autres: les grosses mouches piquent furieusement, & la douleur qui prouient de cette piqueure, & qui est fort cuisante, dure assez long temps, il y a peu de ces grosses mouches; les mousquilles sont extremement petites, à peine les peut-on voir, mais on les sent bien; les mouches luisantes ne font point de mal, vous diriez la nuict que ce sont des estincelles de feu; elles iettent plus de lumiere que les vers luisants [31] que i'ay veus en France: tenant vne de ces mouches & l'appliquant aupres d'vn liure ie lirois fort bien. Pour les maringoins c'est l'importunité mesme, on ne sçauroit trauailler notamment à l'air pendant leur regne, si on n'a de la fumée auprés soy pour les chasser: il y a des personnes qui sont contraintes de se mettre au lit venans des bois, tant ils sont offensez. I'en ay veu qui auoient le col, les ioües, tout le visage si enflé, qu'on ne leur voyoit plus les yeux; ils mettent vn homme tout en sang quand ils l'abordent; ils font la guerre aux vns plus qu'aux autres; Ils m'ont traité iusques icy assez doucement, ie n'enfle point quand ils me piquent, ce qui n'arriue qu'à fort peu de personnes si on y est accoustumé: si le païs estoit essarté & habité, ces bestioles ne s'y trouueroient point; car desia il s'en trouue fort [32] peu au fort de Kebec, à cause qu'on couppe les bois voisins.

The 3rd of July we left Tadoussac and went to cast anchor at the Basque scaffold,[9] a place so called because the Basques [30] go there to catch whales. As it was very calm and we were awaiting the tide, I went ashore. I thought I would be eaten up by the mosquitoes, which are little flies, troublesome in the extreme. The great forests here engender several species of them; there are common flies, gnats, fireflies, mosquitoes, large flies, and a number of others; the large flies sting furiously, and the pain from their sting, which is very piercing, lasts for a long time; there are but few of these large flies. The gnats are very small, hardly visible, but very perceptibly felt; the fireflies do no harm; at night they look like sparks of fire, casting a greater light than the glowworms [31] that I have seen in France; taking one of these flies and holding it near a book, I could read very easily. As to the mosquitoes, they are disagreeable beyond description. No one could work, especially in the open air, during their reign, unless there were smoke near by to drive them away. Some people are compelled to go to bed after coming from the woods, they are so badly stung. I have seen men whose neck, cheeks, and whole face were so swollen that you could not see their eyes. They cover a man completely with blood when they attack him; they war upon some people more than others. Thus far they have treated me kindly enough; I do not swell when they sting me, which is the case with very few people unless they are accustomed to them. If the country were cleared and inhabited, these little beasts would not be found here, for already there are but [32] few of them at the fort of Kebec, on account of the cutting down of the neighboring woods.

Le 4. de Iuillet nous leuames l'ancre pour aborder à quatre lieuës de Kebec: mais le vent estoit si furieux que nous pensames faire naufrage dans le port. [38] Auant que d'arriuer à Kebec on rencontre au milieu de cette grande riuiere vne Isle nommée de sainct Laurens, qui a bien sept lieuës de long: elle n'est esloignée du bout plus occidental que d'vne lieuë de la demeure des François. Enuiron le milieu de cette Isle on ietta l'ancre pour s'arrester: mais les vents & la marée poussoient nostre nauire auec vne telle impetuosité, que le cable se rompit comme vn filet, & l'ancre demeura dans l'eau. A vn quart de lieuë de là on en iette vne autre, le cable se rompt tout de mesme que le premier. Dedans ce trouble, comme les vents redoubloient, le cable qui [33] tenoit nostre batteau attaché derriere nostre nauire, se rompit aussi, & en vn instant nostre batteau disparut. A trois iours de là quelques Sauuages nous vindrent apporter nouuelle du lieu où il s'estoit allé échoüer; s'il eût rencontré des roches aussi bien qu'il rencontra de la vase, il se fût brisé en cent pieces. Si cette bourasque nous eût pris vne heure plustost, en vn endroit fort dangereux, nos Pilotes disoient que c'estoit fait de nous. En fin quand nous fumes enuiron trois quarts de lieuës du bout de nostre pellerinage, on ietta le troisiesme ancre qui nous arresta: vne barque Françoise que nous auions rencontré à Tadoussac, & qui venoit auec nous, perdit deux ancres aussi bien que nous.

The 4th of July we weighed anchor to land at a place four leagues from Kebec; but the wind was so furious that we thought we would be wrecked in the port. Before reaching Kebec we came to an Island called saint Lawrence,[10] in the middle of this great river, which is fully seven leagues in length; the western end of it is only about one league distant from the French settlement. We cast anchor near the middle of this Island, intending to land; but the wind and tide struck our ship with so much force that the cable broke like a thread, leaving the anchor in the water. At a quarter of a league distant another anchor was cast, and the cable broke just as the first one did. In the midst of this struggle, as the violence of the winds redoubled, the cable [33] fastening the boat to the stern of our ship also broke, and in an instant our boat disappeared. Three days later some Savages came and told us where it had grounded. If it had been driven upon the rocks, as it was upon the mud, it would have been broken into a hundred pieces. If this hurricane had fallen upon us an hour earlier, in a very dangerous place, our Pilots say it would have been all over with us. At length, when we were about three-quarters of a league from the end of our pilgrimage, the third anchor was cast, and it stopped us. A French barque that we had met at Tadoussac, and which came with us, lost two anchors as we did.

En fin le 5. de Iuillet qui estoit vn Lundy, deux mois & 18. iours depuis le 18. d'Auril que nous partimes, [34] nous arriuames au port tant desiré. Nous moüillames l'ancre deuant le fort que tenoient les Anglois; nous vimes au bas du fort la pauure habitation de Kebec toute bruslée. Les Anglois qui estoient venus en ce païs cy pour piller, & non pour edifier, ont bruslé, non seulement la plus grande partie d'vn [40] corps de logis, que le Pere Charles Lallement auoit fait dresser, mais encor toute cette pauure habitation, en laquelle on ne voit plusque des murailles de pierres toutes bouleuersées; cela incommode fort les François, qui ne sçauent où se loger. Le lendemain on enuoya sommer le Capitaine Thomas Ker, François de nation, né à Dieppe, qui s'est retiré en Angleterre, & qui auec Dauid & Louys Ker ses freres, & vn nommé Iacques Michel aussi Dieppois, tous huguenots, s'estoient venus ietter sur ces pauure païs, où ils ont fait de grãds [35] degasts, & empesché de tres-grands biẽs. Ce pauure Iacques Michel plein de melancholie, ne se voyant point recompensé des Anglois, ou plustost des François reniez & anglisez, comme il pretendoit, pressé en outre d'vn remors de conscience d'auoir assisté ces nouueaux Anglois contre ceux de sa patrie, mourut subitement quelque temps apres la prise de ce païs cy. Il fut enterré à Tadoussac. I'ay appris icy que les Sauuages le deterrerent, & firent toute sorte d'ignominie à son corps, le mirent en pieces, le donnerent à leurs chiens: voyla le salaire des perfides, ie prie Dieu qu'il ouure les yeux aux autres. Monsieur Emery de Caën auoit desia enuoyé de Tadoussac vne chalouppe, auec vn extraict des Commissions & Lettres Patentes des Roys de France & d'Angleterre, par lesquelles il estoit commandé au Capitaine Anglois de [36] rẽdre le fort dans huict iours. Les Lettres veuës, il fit réponse qu'il obeïroit quand il auroit veu l'original. On luy porta donc le lendemain de nostre arriuee, cependant nous allames celebrer la saincte Messe en la maison la plus ancienne de ce païs cy, c'est la maison de madame Hebert, qui s'est habituée aupres du fort, du viuant de son mary; elle a vne belle famille, sa fille est icy [42] mariée à vn honneste Frãçois, Dieu les benit tous les iours, il leur a donné de tres-beaux enfans, leur bestial est en tres-bon point, leurs terres leurs rapportent de bon grain; c'est l'vnique famille de François habituée en Canada. Ils cherchoient les moyens de retourner en France, mais ayans appris que les François retournoient à Kebec, ils commencerent à reuiure. Quand ils virent arriuer ces pauillons blancs sur les mats de nos vaisseaux, ils ne sçauoient [37] à qui dire leur contentement: mais quand ils nous virent en leur maison pour y dire la saincte Messe, qu'ils n'auoient point entẽduë depuis trois ans, bon Dieu, quelle ioye! les larmes tomboient des yeux quasi à tous, de l'extreme cõtentement qu'ils auoiẽt. O que nous chãtames de bon cœur le Te Deum laudamus, c'estoit iustement le iour de l'octaue de sainct Pierre & S. Paul. Le Te Deum chanté i'offris à Dieu le premier Sacrifice à Kebec. L'Anglois ayant veu les Patentes signées de la main de son Roy, promit qu'il sortiroit dans la huictaine, & de fait il commença à s'y disposer, quoy qu'auec regret: mais ses gens estoient tous bien aises du retour des François, on ne leur donnoit que six liures de pain au poids de France, pour toute leur semaine. Ils nous disoient que les Sauuages les auoient aidé à viure la pluspart du tẽps. [38] Le Mardy suiuant 13. de Iuillet, ils remirent le fort entre les mains de monsieur Emery de Caën, & de monsieur du Plessis Bochart son Lieutenant. Et le mesme iour firent voile dans deux nauires qu'ils auoient à l'ancre. Dieu sçait si nos François furent ioyeux, voyans déloger ces François Anglisez, qui ont fait tant de maux en ces miserables contrées, & qui sont cause que plusieurs Sauuages ne sont pas baptisez, notamment aux Hurons où la Foy [44] produiroit maintenant des fruicts dignes de la table de Dieu, si ces ennemis de la verité, de la vraye vertu, & de leur patrie, ne se fussent point iettez à la trauerse. Dieu soit beny de tout; c'est à nos François de penser à leur conseruation, & à mettre en peu de temps ce païs cy en tel estat, qu'ils ayent fort peu affaire des viures de France, ce qui leur sera bien aisé s'ils veullent trauailler. Les Anglois [39] délogeans nous sommes rentrez dans nostre petite maison. Nous y auons trouué pour tous meubles deux tables de bois telles quelles, les portes, fenestres, chassis, tous brisez & enleuez, tout s'en va en ruine, c'est encor pis en la maison des Peres Recolets; nous auons trouué nos terres défrichées couuertes de pois, nos Peres les auoient laissées à l'Anglois couuertes de fourment, d'orge, & de bled d'Inde, & cependant ce Capitaine Thomas Ker a vendu la recolte de ces pois, refusant de nous les donner pour les fruicts qu'il auoit trouué sur nos terres; nostre Seigneur soit honoré pour iamais; quand on est en vn mauuais passage il s'en faut tirer comme on peut; c'est beaucoup qu'vn tel hoste soit sorty de nostre maison, & de tout le païs; nous auons maintenant prou dequoy exercer la patience, ie me trompe, c'est [40] Dieu mesme qui porte la Croix qu'il nous donne: car en verité elle nous semble petite, quoy qu'il y ait dequoy souffrir. Retournons aux Sauuages, & en disons encor deux petits mots.

At length, on the 5th of July, which was Monday,—two months and 18 days since the 18th of April, when we sailed,—[34] we reached the much desired port. We cast anchor in front of the fort which the English held; we saw at the foot of this fort the poor settlement of Kebec all in ashes. The English, who came to this country to plunder and not to build up, not only burned a greater part of the detached buildings which Father Charles Lallement had had erected, but also all of that poor settlement of which nothing now is to be seen but the ruins of its stone walls. This greatly inconveniences the French, who do not know where to lodge. The next day Captain Thomas Ker was summoned, a man of French nationality, born at Dieppe, who had gone over to England, and who, with David and Louys Ker, his brothers,[11] and one Jacques Michel, also born at Dieppe, all huguenots, had thrown themselves upon this poor country, where they have done great [35] damage and have prevented the doing of much good. This poor Jacques Michel, full of sadness at not having been rewarded as he desired, by the English,—or rather by the renegade and anglicized French,—also a prey to conscience at having assisted these new Englishmen against his own countrymen, died suddenly, some time after the surrender of this country. He was buried at Tadoussac. I have learned here that the Savages exhumed his body, and showed it every imaginable indignity, tore it to pieces and gave it to their dogs; but such are the wages of traitors. I pray God that he may open the eyes of the others. Monsieur Emery de Caën had already sent a boat from Tadoussac with an extract from the Commissions and Letters Patent of the Kings of France and of England,[12] by which the English Captain was commanded [36] to surrender the fort in eight days. Having seen the Letter, he answered that he would obey when he had seen the original. It was therefore brought to him the day after our arrival; and in the meantime we celebrated the holy Mass in the oldest house in this country, the home of madame Hebert,[13] who had settled near the fort during the lifetime of her husband. She has a fine family, and her daughter is married here to an honest Frenchman. God is blessing them every day; he has given them very beautiful children, their cattle are in fine condition, and their land produces good grain. This is the only French family settled in Canada. They were seeking some way of returning to France; but, having learned that the French were coming back to Kebec, they began to regain courage. When they saw our ships coming in with the white flags upon the masts, they knew not [37] how to express their joy. But when they saw us in their home, to celebrate the holy Mass, which they had not heard for three years, good God! what joy! Tears fell from the eyes of nearly all, so great was their happiness. Oh, with what fullness of heart we sang the Te Deum laudamus; it happened to be, very appropriately, the day of the octave of saint Peter and St. Paul. After singing the Te Deum, I offered to God the first Sacrifice in Kebec. The Englishman, having seen the Patents signed by the hand of his King, promised that he would go away within a week, and in fact, he began preparations for going, although with regret; but his people were all very glad of the return of the French, for they had been given only six pounds of bread, French weight, for an entire week. They told us that the Savages had helped them to live during the greater part of the time. [38] On the following Tuesday, the 13th of July, they restored the fort to the hands of monsieur Emery de Caën, and monsieur du Plessis Bochart, his Lieutenant; and on the same day set sail in the two ships that they had anchored here. God knows if our French People were happy, seeing the dislodgment of these Anglicized Frenchmen, who have done so much injury to these poor countries, and who have prevented many Savages from being baptized, especially among the Hurons, where the Faith would now produce fruits worthy of the table of God, if these enemies of the truth, of real virtue and of their country, had not thrown themselves in the way. God be blessed for all; it is the duty of our French people to think of their preservation, and to put this country, in a short time, in such a condition that they will not have to depend upon supplies from France, which will be easy enough to do if they will only work. The English [39] dislodged, we again entered our little home. The only furniture we found there was two wooden tables, such as they were; the doors, windows, sashes, all broken and carried away, and everything going to ruin. It is still worse in the house of the Recolet Fathers. We found our cleared lands covered with peas; our Fathers had left them to the English covered with wheat, barley, and Indian corn; and meantime this Captain Thomas Ker has sold the full crop of peas, refusing to give them to us for the harvest he had found upon our lands. Our Lord be forever honored; when a person is in dire distress, he must deliver himself as best he can. It is a great deal that such a guest has left our house and the entire country. We have now enough to try our patience, but I am mistaken, it is [40] God himself who carries the Cross which he gives us; for, in truth, it seems very little to us, although there may be something to suffer. Let us go back to the Savages, and say a few words more about them.

La veille de nostre depart de Tadoussac, vindrent nouuelles que les prisonniers Hiroquois auoient esté mis à mort à Kebec, & que ceux de Tadoussac deuoient le lendemain passer le pas: ie me remets à [46]plaider leur cause, & promets de donner ce qu'il faudroit pour les nourrir passant en France, voire de trouuer personnes qui les receuroiẽt si tost qu'ils y seroient arriuez; ie me confiois en la charité de plusieurs honnestes personnes qui n'auroient pas refusé vne aumosne pour racheter les corps de ces miserables des supplices qu'ils ont enduré, & leur ame de la damnation eternelle. I'aborde donc monsieur [41] du Plessis nostre Lieutenant, ie luy fay apprehender l'affaire. On fait des aumosnes en France pour retirer des emprisonnez pour des debtes, & pourquoy ne trauaillera-on point pour ces pauures esclaues de Satan? Ie luy fay mes offres, que nous donnerions tout ce que nous pourrions: il embrasse l'affaire, & la propose le soir entre ceux qui mangeoient en la table de nostre Capitaine: on repart qu'il faudroit de grands presens pour leur sauuer la vie, monsieur du Plessis dit qu'on donneroit ce qu'on pourroit, & qu'au reste il ne faudroit pas grande chose, qu'on pourroit demander ces trois prisonniers Hiroquois comme en eschange d'vn François qu'ils ont tué il y a quelques années, ou à tout le moins en demander deux, & qu'asseurément on les auroit: le truchement qui leur auoir parlé m'auoit asseuré que la chose estoit [42] facile: là dessus on forme mille difficultez, & l'vn de la compagnie s'écria qu'il falloit qu'ils mourussent, qu'il les estrangleroit plustost, que c'estoient des coquins, & que parlãt à vn Sauuage de Kebec il luy auoit dõné aduis de les faire mourir. Si la mort de ces miserables apportoit quelque profit à la traicte des peaux, qu'on vient faire en ce païs cy, ce zele de mort auroit quelque couleur; mais leur vie & leur mort ne fait rien pour la traicte. O qu'il importe beaucoup de bien choisir les personnes qu'on [48] enuoye en ce païs cy! Il est vray que monsieur Emery de Caën n'approuua point cette cruauté. Quoy que ç'en soit le vent nous estant fauorable le iour suiuant nous fimes voile, & laissames-là ces trois pauures abandonnez entre les mains de leurs ennemis, qui en traitterent deux d'vn horible façon, car ils n'ont point tué [43] le plus ieune à ce qu'on nous a dit.

On the eve of our departure from Tadoussac, news came that the Hiroquois prisoners had been put to death at Kebec, and that those at Tadoussac must share the same fate the next day. I undertook to plead their cause, and promised to give what would be necessary to feed them during their passage to France, even to find some one to receive them as soon as they would reach there. I trusted to the charity of many good people who would not withhold alms to rescue the bodies of these poor creatures from the sufferings they endured, and their souls from eternal damnation. So I approached monsieur [41] du Plessis, our Lieutenant, and explained the situation to him. Alms are given in France to restore men to liberty who are imprisoned for debt, and why should not something be done for these poor slaves of Satan? I promised him that we would give all that we could. He took up the subject, and in the evening presented it to those who ate at our Captain's table. They answered that it would require large gifts to save their lives. Monsieur du Plessis said that they [the French] would give what they could, and that, besides, large gifts were unnecessary, as the three Hiroquois prisoners could be demanded in exchange for one Frenchman who had been killed a few years ago, or at least two could be demanded, and they would be surely given up. The interpreter who had talked to them assured me that it was an easy [42] matter. Thereupon a thousand objections were urged, and one of the company cried out that the captives ought to die; that he would rather strangle them, that they were rascals, and that in talking to a Savage in Kebec, he [the Savage] had advised him to have them killed. If the death of these poor wretches brought profits to the fur trade which people come here to carry on, there would be some reason for this eagerness for their death; but neither their life nor their death could affect it. Oh, how important it is that those sent to this country should be carefully chosen! It is true that monsieur Emery de Caën did not approve of this cruelty. However, the wind being favorable to us on the following day, we spread our sails, and left these poor abandoned creatures there in the hands of their enemies, who disposed of two of them in a horrible manner, for, as we were told, [43] they did not kill the youngest.

Arriuez que nous fumes à Kebec on nous raconta la mort de six prisonniers que les Sauuages tenoient, laquelle est arriuée pour l'yurongnerie que les Europeans ont icy apporté. Le Ministre Anglois, qui au reste n'estoit point de la mesme Religion que ses oüailles, car il estoit Protestãt ou Lutherien, les Kers sont Caluinistes, ou de quelque autre Religion plus libertine, aussi ont-ils tenu six mois en prison ce pauure Ministre dedans nostre maison: lequel m'a raconté que les Montagnards vouloient traitter la paix auec les Hiroquois, & que celuy qui tenoit les prisonniers luy auoit promis qu'on ne les feroit point mourir: neantmoins ce miserable estant yure d'eau de vie, qu'il auoit traitté auec les Anglois pour des Castors, appella son frere, & luy commanda d'aller donner vn [44] coup de cousteau à l'vn des Hiroquois & le tuer, ce qu'il fit. Voyla les pensées de la paix euanoüies; on parle de la mort des autres. Le Ministre entendant cela dit à ce Sauuage qu'il n'auoit point tenu sa parole faisant mourir ce prisonnier. C'est toy, répond le Sauuage, & les tiens qui l'ont tué, car si tu ne nous donnois point d'eau de vie, ny de vin, nous ne ferions point cela. Et de fait depuis que ie suis icy ie n'ay veu que des Sauuages yures, on les entend crier & tempester iour & nuict, ils se battent & [50] se blessent les vns les autres, ils tuent le bestial de madame Hebert: & quand ils sont retournez à leur bon sens, ils vous disent, Ce n'est pas nous qui auons fait cela, mais toy qui nous donne cette boisson: ont ils cuué leur vin, ils sont entr'eux aussi grands amis qu'auparauant, se disans l'vn l'autre tu es mon frere, ie t'ayme, ce n'est pas [45] moy qui t'ay blessé, mais la boisson qui s'est seruy de mon bras. I'en ay veu de tous meurtris par la face; les femmes mesmes s'enyurent, & crient comme des enragées? ie m'attend bien qu'ils tueront l'vn de ces iours quelques François, ce qu'ils ont déja pensé faire, & passé huict heures du matin il ne fait pas bon les aller voir sans armes, quand ils ont du vin. Quelques vns de nos gens y estant allez apres le disner, vn Sauuage les voulut assommer à coups de haches: mais d'autres Sauuages qui n'estoient pas yures vindrent au secours. Quand l'vn d'eux est bien yure, les autres le lient par les pieds & par les bras, s'ils le peuuent attraper. Quelques-vns de leurs Capitaines sont venus prier les François de ne plus traitter d'eau de vie, ny de vin, disans qu'ils seroient cause de la mort de leurs gens. C'est bien le pis quand ils en voyent deuant [46] eux d'autres autant yures qu'ils sçauroient estre. Mais finissons le discours de ces Hiroquois; on fit parler au Capitaine Anglois s'il en vouloit quelquesvns, comme il entendit qu'il falloit faire quelque present, il répondit que non, & qu'ils en fissent ce qu'ils voudroient. Voicy donc comme ils les traitterent.

Upon our arrival in Kebec, we heard of the death of six prisoners held by the Savages, the result of the drunkenness which has been introduced here by the Europeans. The English Clergyman, who was not of the same Faith as his people,—for he was a Protestant or Lutheran, and the Kers are Calvinists or of some other more libertine Religion (they held this poor Minister a prisoner in our house for six months),—told me that the Montagnards wanted to negotiate a peace with the Hiroquois, and that the one who was in charge of the prisoners had promised him that they would not be killed. Nevertheless, this wretch being drunk with brandy, which he had procured from the English in exchange for Beavers, called his brother and commanded him to go and strike [44] one of the Hiroquois with a knife and kill him, which he did. Thus all thoughts of peace vanished. They were talking about killing the others. The Minister, hearing this, said to the Savage that in killing this prisoner he had not kept his word. "It is thou," answered the Savage, "and thine, who killed him; for, if thou hadst not given us brandy or wine, we would not have done it." And, in fact, since I have been here, I have seen only drunken Savages; they are heard shouting and raving day and night, they fight and wound each other, they kill the cattle of madame Hebert; and, when they have returned to their senses, they say to you, "It is not we who did that, but thou who gavest us this drink." When they have slept off their drunkenness, they are as good friends with each other as ever, saying to each other: "Thou art my brother, I love thee; it is not [45] I who wounded thee, but the drink which used my arm." I have seen some of them with very badly bruised faces; even the women get drunk, and shriek like furies. I expect that they will kill some of us French People one of these days, as they have already thought of doing; and after eight o'clock in the morning it is not safe to go to see them without arms, if they have any wine. Some of our men going to see them after dinner, a Savage tried to kill them with his hatchet, but other Savages who were not drunk came to their assistance. When one of them is very drunk, the others tie him by his feet and arms, if they can catch him. Some of their Captains have come to plead with the French not to sell them brandy or wine, saying that they would be the cause of the death of their people. It is by far the worst when they see before [46] them others as drunk as they can be. But let us end the talk about these Hiroquois. The English Captain was asked if he wanted some of them. As he supposed he would have to make them a present, he answered, "no," and said that they might do with them what they pleased. Now this is the way they were treated:

Ils leurs auoient arraché les ongles auec les dents si tost qu'ils furent pris: Ils leurs couperent les doigts le iour de leur supplice, puis leurs lierent les deux bras ensemble par le poignet de la main auec vn cordeau, & deux hommes de part & d'autre, le tiroient [52] tant qu'ils pouuoient, ce cordeau entroit dans la chair & brisoit les os de ces pauures miserables, qui crioient horriblement. Ayans les mains ainsi accommodées on les attacha à des potteaux, & les filles & les femmes donnoient des presents aux hommes [47] à fin qu'ils les laissassent tourmenter à leur gré ces pauures victimes. Ie n'assistay point à ce supplice, ie n'aurois peu supporter cette cruauté diabolique; mais ceux qui estoient presens me dirent, si tost que nous fumes arriuez, qu'ils n'auoient iamais veu rien de semblable. Vous eussiez veu ces femmes enragées, crians, hurlans, leur appliquer des feux aux parties les plus sensibles, & les plus vergogneuses, les picquer auec des aleines, les mordre à belle dents, comme des furies, leurs fendre la chair auec des cousteaux; bref exercer tout ce que la rage peut suggerer à vne femme. Elles iettoient sur eux du feu, des cendres bruslantes, du sable tout ardent, & quand les suppliciez iettoiẽt quelques cris, tous les autres crioient encor plus fort, à fin qu'on n'entendit point leurs gemissemens, & qu'on ne fut touché de compassion. On leur [48] couppa le haut du front auec vn cousteau, puis on enleua la peau de leur teste, & ietta-on du sable ardent sur le test découuert. Maintenant il y a des Sauuages qui portent ces peaux couuertes de leurs cheueux & moustaches par brauade; on voit encor plus de deux cent coups d'aleines dans ces peaux: bref ils exercerent sur eux toutes les cruautez que i'ay dit cy dessus parlant de ce que i'auois veu à Tadoussac, & plusieurs autres, dont ie ne me souuiens pas maintenant. Quand on leur represente que ces cruautez sont horribles & indignes d'vn homme, ils répondent, Tu n'as point de courage de laisser viure tes ennemis, quand les Hiroquois nous [54] prennent, ils nous en font encor pis, voyla pourquoy nous les traittons le plus mal qu'il nous est possible. Ils firent mourir vn Sagamo Hiroquois, homme puissant & courageux, il chantoit [49] dans ses tourmens. Quand on luy vint dire qu'il falloit mourir: il dit, comme tout ioyeux, Allons i'en suis content, i'ay pris quantité de Montagnards, mes amis en prendront encor, & vengeront bien ma mort. Là dessus il se mit à raconter ses proüesses, & dire adieu à ses parents, ses amis, & aux alliez de sa nation, au Capitaine Flamand qui va traicter des peaux au païs des Hiroquois par la merd du Nord. Apres qu'on luy eut coupé les doits, brisé les os des bras, arraché la peau de la teste, qu'on l'eut rosty & bruslé de tous costez, on le détacha, & ce pauure miserable s'en courut droit à la riuiere, qui n'estoit pas loin de là, pour se rafraischir: ils le reprirent, luy firent encor endurer le feu vne autrefois, il estoit tout noir, tout grillé, la graisse fondoit & sortoit de son corps, & auec tout cela il s'enfuit encor pour la seconde fois, & [50] l'ayans repris, ils le bruslerent pour la troisiesme; en fin il mourut dans ces tourmens: comme ils le voyoient tomber, ils luy ouurirent la poitrine, luy arrachant le cœur, & le donnant à manger à leurs petits enfans, le reste estoit pour eux. Voyla vne estrange barbarie. Maintenant ces pauures miserables sont en crainte, car les Hiroquois sont tous les iours aux aguets pour surprendre les Montagnards, & leur en faire autant. C'est pourquoy nostre Capitaine voulant enuoyer quelqu'vn aux Hurõs, n'a iamais peu trouuer aucun Sauuage qui y voulût aller. C'est assez parlé de leur cruauté; disons deux mots de leur simplicité. Vn Sauuage venant voir cét hyuer le Capitaine Anglois, & voyant que tout estoit couuert [56] de neige, eut compassion de son frere qui est enterré aupres de l'habitation des Frãçois; voyla pourquoy [51] il luy dit, Monsieur vous n'auez point pitié de mon pauure frere, l'air est si beau, & le Soleil si chaud, & neantmoins vous ne faites point oster la neige de dessus sa fosse pour le réchauffer vn petit. On eut beau luy dire que les corps morts n'auoient aucun sentiment, il fallut découurir cette fosse pour le contenter.

They had pulled out their nails with their teeth as soon as they were taken. They cut their fingers off on the day of their torture; then they tied their two arms together at the wrist with a cord, and two men pulled it as hard as they, could at both ends, the cord entering into the flesh and breaking the bones of these poor, wretches, who cried out in a horrible manner. Thus having their hands tied, they were bound to posts, and the girls and women gave presents to the men [47] to be allowed to torment the poor victims to their heart's content. I did not remain during this torture, I could not have endured such diabolical cruelty; but those who were present told me, as soon as we arrived, that they had never seen anything like it. "You should have seen those furious women," they said, "howling, yelling, applying the fire to the most sensitive and private parts of the body, pricking them with awls, biting them with savage glee, laying open their flesh with knives; in short, doing everything that madness can suggest to a woman. They threw fire upon them, burning coals, hot sand; and, when the sufferers cried out, all the others cried still louder, in order that the groans should not be heard, and that no one might be touched with pity. The upper [48] part of their forehead was cut with a knife, then the scalp was raised, and hot sand thrown upon the exposed part." Now there are some Savages who wear, through bravado, these scalps covered with hair and moustaches.[14] One can still see over two hundred dents made by the awls in these scalps. In short, they practiced upon them all the cruelties that I have above related in speaking of what I had seen at Tadoussac, and many others, which do not occur to me at present. When they are told that these cruelties are horrible and unworthy of a man, they answer you: "Thou hast no courage in allowing thine enemies to live; when the Hiroquois capture us, they do still worse; this is why we treat them as cruelly as we can." They killed an Hiroquois Sagamore, a powerful and courageous man who sang [49] while being tortured. When he was told that he must die, he said, as if overjoyed, "Good, I am very much pleased; I have taken a great many of the Montagnards, my friends will take still more of them, and they will avenge my death." Thereupon he began to tell about his prowess, and to say farewell to his relatives, to his friends and to the allies of his tribe, to the Flemish Captain who goes to trade for furs in the country of the Hiroquois by the Northern sea. After they had cut off his fingers, broken the bones of his arms, torn the scalp from his head, and had roasted and burned him on all sides, he was untied and the poor creature ran straight to the river, which was not far from there, to refresh himself. They captured him again, and made him endure the fire still another time; he was blackened, completely scorched, and the grease melted and oozed out of his body, yet with all this he ran away again for a second time, but, [50] having captured him again, they burned him a third time; at last he died during these tortures. When they saw him fall, they opened his chest, pulled out his heart and gave it to the little children to eat; the rest was for them. This is a very strange species of barbarism. Now these poor wretches live in fear because the Hiroquois are always on the watch for the Montagnards to do as much for them. That is why our Captain, wishing to send some one to the Hurons, could never find any Savage who would go. This is enough about their cruelty; let us say a few words about their simplicity. A Savage coming to see the English Captain this winter, and seeing that everything was covered with snow, felt compassion for his brother who was buried near the French settlement. Hence [51] he said to the Captain: "Monsieur, you have no pity for my poor brother; the air is so beautiful and the Sun so warm, but nevertheless you do not have the snow taken off his grave to warm him a little." It was in vain that he was told that dead bodies have no feeling; it was necessary to clear away the snow from the grave to satisfy him.

Vn autre assistant aux Litanies que disoient quelques François, & entendant qu'on disoit souuent ces paroles, ora pro nobis, comme il ne les entendoit pas bien prononcer, il croyoit qu'on disoit, carocana ouabis, c'est à dire du pain blanc, il s'estonnoit que si souuent on reïterast ces paroles, carocana ouabis, du pain blãc, du pain blanc, &c. Ils croyent que le tonnerre est vn oyseau, & vn Sauuage demandoit vn iour à vn François si on n'en prenoit point en France, luy ayant dit qu'ouy il le supplia de [52] luy en apporter vn, mais fort petit; il craignoit qu'il ne l'espouuantast s'il eust esté grand.

Another who was present at the Litanies repeated by some Frenchmen, hearing the frequent use of the words ora pro nobis, and not hearing the pronunciation distinctly, thought they said carocana ouabis, that is to say, "white bread;" he was astonished that they should so often repeat the words carocana ouabis, "white bread, white bread," etc. They believe that the thunder is a bird, and a Savage one day asked a Frenchman if they did not capture them in France; having told him yes, he begged him to [52] bring him one, but a very little one; he feared that it would frighten him if it were large.

Voicy vne chose qui m'a consolé, vn certain Sauuage nommé la Nasse, qui demeuroit auprés de nos Peres, & cultiuoit la terre; voyant que les Anglois le molestoient, s'estoit retiré dans des Isles où il auoit continué à cultiuer la terre; entendant que nous estions de retour, nous est venu voir, & nous a promis qu'il reuiendra à se cabaner aupres de nous, qu'il nous donnera son petit fils; ce sera nostre premier pensionnaire, nous luy apprendrons à lire, & à escrire; ce bon homme dit que les Sauuages ne font pas bien, qu'il veut estre nostre frere, & viure comme nous; madame Hebert nous a dit qu'il y a long temps qu'il souhaittoit nostre retour.

Here is something that has consoled me: A certain Savage named la Nasse, who lived near our Fathers and cultivated the land, seeing that the English molested him, withdrew to the Islands, where he continued to cultivate the land; hearing that we had returned, he came to see us and has promised that he will come back and build his cabin near us, and that he will give us his little boy. This will be our first pupil; we shall teach him to read and write. This good man told us that the Savages do not act right; that he wished to be our brother, and live as we do. Madame Hebert told us that he has wished for our return for a long time.

[58] Plusieurs Sauuages nous demandent des nouuelles du R. Pere Lallemant, [53] du Pere Masse, & du Pere Brebeuf, qu'ils appellent fort bien par leur nom, & s'enquestent s'ils ne retourneront point l'année qui vient: ces bonnes gens ont confiance en nous, en voicy vn exemple.

Several Savages ask us news of the Reverend Father Lallemant, [53] of Father Masse, and of Father Brebeuf, whom they very readily call by their names, and inquire if they will not return next year. These simple creatures have confidence in us; here is an example of it.

Le 6. d'Aoust monsieur Emery de Caën nous estant venu voir en nostre petite maison, éloignée du fort vne bonne demie lieuë, il demeura à disner auec nous. Pendant que nous estions en table, voyla deux familles de Sauuages qui entrent iusqu'au lieu où nous estions, hommes, femmes, & petits enfans. La premiere porte de nostre maison estant ouuerte tout est ouuert, les Anglois ont brisé les autres: voyla pourquoy ces bonnes gens furent plustost dans la chambre où nous estions, qu'on ne s'en fut pris garde. Ils me vouloient prier de leur garder quelque bagage, ie remarquay [l]eur patience, car quoy qu'ils fussent [54] en chemin d'vn long voyage qu'ils alloient faire, iamais neantmoins ils ne nous interrompirent pendant le disner, ny apres tandis qu'ils me virent auec nostre Capitaine. Ils s'assirent de part & d'autre, & ie leur fis donner à chacun vn morceau de pain, ce qu'ils ayment fort: en fin monsieur de Caën estant party, l'vn d'eux m'aborde, & me dit, Ania Kir Capitana? mon frere es tu Capitaine? Ils demandoient le superieur de la maison. Ils appellent leur Capitaine Sagamo, mais par la frequentation des Europeans, ils se seruent du mot de Capitana. Nostre Frere leur répondit, eoco, c'est à dire oüy. Là dessus il me fait vne harangue, me disant qu'ils s'en alloient à la chasse, ou à la pesche des Castors, & que ie leur gardasse leur equipage, qu'ils reuiendroient quand les fueilles tomberoiẽt des arbres. Ils me demanderent [60] fort [55] souuent s'il n'y venoit point de larrons en nostre maison, & regardoiẽt fort bien les endroits où leur bagage seroit plus à couuert. Ie leur répondy que tout estoit chez nous en asseurance, & leur ayant monstré vne chambrette qui fermoit à clef, ils furent fort contents, mettant là dedans trois ou quatre paquets couuerts d'écorces d'arbres fort proprement, disans qu'il y auoit là dedans de grandes richesses. Ie ne sçay ce qu'il y a, mais au bout du conte toutes leurs richesses ne sont que pauureté, leur or & argent, leurs perles & diamans sont de petits grains blancs de porcelaine qui ne paroissent pas grãde chose. Ayant serré leur bagage ils me demanderent vn cousteau, ie leur en donnay vn, puis ils me demanderent vn peu de ficelle pour attacher apres vn fer de fleche, ou vn dard, qui a des dents comme vne cramaillere. Ils lancent ces [56] dards contre le Castor, & tiennent tousiours le bout de la ficelle, la laissant filer iusques au font de l'eau, où se retire le Castor blessé: lequel ayant perdu son sang s'affoiblit, & ils le retirent par cette ficelle, qu'ils ne quittent iamais qu'ils n'ayent leur proye. Leur ayant donc fait present d'vn morceau de ficelle, ils me dirent Ania Capitana ouias amiscou, mon frere le Capitaine, nous t'apporterons la chair d'vn Castor, & me firent bien entendre qu'elle ne seroit point bouquanée, ils sçauẽt bien que les François n'ayment point leur bouquan, c'est de la chair seichée à la fumée, ils n'ont point d'autre sel que la fumée pour conseruer leur viande.

The 6th of August, monsieur Emery de Caën coming to see us in our little house, distant a good half-league from the fort, remained to dine with us. While we were at the table, two families of Savages, men, women, and little children, approached the spot where we were. The outside door of our house being open, all is open, the English having broken the others; that is why these simple people were in the room, where we were, before we were aware of it. They wanted to ask me to keep some of their baggage for them. I noticed their patience, for, although they had [54] started on a long journey which they were going to make, nevertheless they did not interrupt us once during the dinner, nor afterwards while they saw me with our Captain. They sat down in one place or another, and I had a piece of bread, of which they are very fond, given to each of them. At last, monsieur de Caën having departed, one of them approached me and said: Ania Kir Capitana? "My brother, art thou Captain?" They were asking for the superior of the house. They call their Captain "Sagamore," but by associating with the Europeans they have come to use the word Capitana. Our Brother answered them, eoco; that is to say, "yes." Thereupon he made a speech to me, saying that they were going hunting or fishing for Beavers, and that I should keep their baggage; that they would return when the leaves fell from the trees. They asked me very [55] often if thieves ever came into our house, and very carefully scrutinized the places where their baggage might be best concealed. I answered that everything was safe in our house, and having shown them a little room which could be locked, they seemed very happy, placing therein three or four packages covered very neatly with the bark of trees, telling me that they contained great riches. I do not know what is there; but, at the best, all their riches are only poverty. Their gold and silver, their diamonds and pearls, are little white grains of porcelain which do not seem to amount to much. Having piled up their baggage, they asked me for a knife, and I gave them one; then they asked me for some string to tie to an iron arrow-point or dart, with barbed teeth. They throw these [56] darts against the Beavers, and hold the end of the string, letting it go to the bottom of the water where the wounded Beaver dives; and, when it has lost blood and become weak; they draw it back by this string, of which they never let go until they have their prey. Having then made them a present of the piece of string, they said to me: Ania Capitana ouias amiscou: "My brother, the Captain, we will bring thee the meat of a Beaver," and they gave me very clearly to understand that it would not be smoked. They know very well that the French people do not like their dried food: that is, their meat dried in smoke, for they have no other salt than smoke to preserve their meats.

Vn autre Sauuage, estant encor à Tadoussac, m'apporta deux bouteilles de vin pour luy garder dans ma cabane. Comme il tardoit long temps à les venir requerir, i'aduerty le Pere [57] de Nouë, & nostre Frere, que s'il s'addressoit à eux qu'ils me l'enuoyassent, [62] ie craignois qu'il ne les prist pour moy: mais il ne se trompa point. Le soir comme ie disois mon breuiaire, il se vint asseoir aupres de moy, & attendit que i'eusse acheué, alors il me tira & me dit, Ania Cabana, mon frere allons à ta cabane, ie l'entendy bien, & luy rendy ses bouteilles qui luy auoient cousté de bonnes peaux. Ces exemples font voir la confiance qu'ils ont en nous: en verité qui sçauroit parfaittement leur langue, seroit puissant parmy eux.

Another Savage, while we were at Tadoussac, brought me two bottles of wine to keep in my cabin. As he was very long in coming back after them, I notified Father [57] de Nouë and our Brother that, if he applied to them, they should send him to me. I feared that he would take one of them for me; but he made no mistake. In the evening, as I was saying my breviary, he came and sat down beside me, and waited until I had finished. Then he pulled me and said: Ania Cabana, "My brother, let us go to thy cabin." I understood him very well, and restored him his bottles, which had cost him some good furs. These examples show what confidence they have in us. In fact, any one who knew their language perfectly would be powerful among them.

Ie suis deuenu regent en Canada, i'auois l'autre iour vn petit Sauuage d'vn costé, & vn petit Negre ou Maure de l'autre, ausquels i'apprenois à cognoistre les lettres. Apres tant d'années de regence, me voyla enfin retourné à l'A, B, C. mais auec vn contentement & vne satisfaction si grande, [58] que ie n'eusse pas voulu changer mes deux escoliers pour le plus bel auditoire de France: ce petit Sauuage est celuy qu'on nous laissera bien tost tout à fait, ce petit Neigre a esté laissé par les Anglois à cette famille Frãçoise qui est icy, nous l'auions pris pour l'instruire & le baptiser, mais il n'entend pas encor bien la langue, voyla pourquoy nous attendrons encor quelque temps. Quand on luy parla du baptesme il nous fit rire, sa maistresse luy demandant s'il vouloit estre Chrestien, s'il vouloit estre baptisé, & qu'il seroit comme nous, il dit qu'oüy: mais il demanda si on ne l'escorcheroit point en le baptisant, ie croy qu'il auoit belle peur: car il auoit veu escorcher ces pauures Sauuages. Comme il vit qu'on se rioit de sa demande, il repartit en son patois, comme il peut, Vous dites que par le baptesme ie seray comme vous, ie [59] suis noir & vous estes blancs, il faudra donc m'oster la peau pour deuenir comme vous: là dessus on se mit encor plus à rire, & luy voyant bien qu'il s'estoit trompé, se mit [64] à rire comme les autres. Quand ie luy dy qu'il prit sa couuerture, & qu'il s'en retournast chez son maistre iusques à ce qu'il entendit mieux la langue, il se mit à pleurer, & ne voulut iamais reprendre sa couuerture, ie luy dy qu'il s'en allast au fort auec le Pere de Nouë qui s'y en alloit, il obeït, mais on le rendit en passant à son maistre qui ne s'en peut pas long temps passer, autrement nous l'aurions retenu auec nous. Sa maistresse luy demandant pourquoy il n'auoit point rapporté sa couuerture, il répondit, Moy point baptisé, point couuerture: ils disoient viens baptise toy, & moy point baptisé, moy point baptisé, point retourné, point couuerture. Il [60] vouloit dire, que nous luy auions promis le baptesme, & qu'il ne vouloit point retourner qu'il ne l'eût receu, ce sera dans quelque temps, s'il plaist à Dieu.

I have become teacher in Canada: the other day I had a little Savage on one side of me, and a little Negro or Moor on the other, to whom I taught their letters. After so many years of teaching, behold me at last returned to the A, B, C., with so great content and satisfaction [58] that I would not exchange my two pupils for the finest audience in France. This little Savage is the one who will soon be left entirely with us. The little Negro was left by the English with this French family which is here. We have taken him to teach and baptize, but he does not yet understand the language well; therefore we shall wait some time yet. When we talked to him about baptism, he made us laugh. His mistress asking him if he wanted to be a Christian, if he wanted to be baptized and be like us, he said "yes;" but he asked if he would not be skinned in being baptized. I think he was very much frightened, for he had seen those poor Savages skinned. As he saw that they laughed at his questions, he replied in his patois, as best he could: "You say that by baptism I shall be like you: I [59] am black and you are white, I must have my skin taken off then in order to be like you." Thereupon all began to laugh more than ever, and, seeing that he was mistaken, he joined in and laughed with the others. When I told him to take his blanket and return to his master until he should understand our language better, he began to cry, and refused to take his blanket again. I told him to go away to the fort with Father de Nouë, who was going there. He obeyed, but he was restored on the way to his master, who cannot do long without him; otherwise we would have retained him with us. His mistress, asking him why he had not brought back the blanket with him, he answered: "Me not baptized, no blanket. They said: 'Come, baptize thee,' and me not baptized; and me not baptized, no return, no blanket." He [60] meant that we had promised him the baptism, and that he did not wish to return until he had received it; that will be in a short time, if it please God.

Ie supputois l'autre iour combien le Soleil se leue plustost sur vostre horison, que sur le nostre, & ie trouuois que vous auiez le iour six heures & vn peu dauantage plutost que nous. Nos Mariniers content ordinairement 17. lieuës & demie pour vn degré de l'equinoctial & tout autre grand cercle, & d'ailleurs font estat qu'il y a d'icy iusques à vous 1000. lieuës & dauantage, qui feront par consequent 57. degrez & 12. minutes d'vn grand cercle, sur lequel se doit conter le droit chemin qu'il y a d'icy à vous. Supposant donc nostre latitude de 46. degrez & deux tiers, & celle de Dieppe de 49. & deux tiers, la supputation faite exactement par la resolution [61] d'vn triangle qui se fait sur la terre entre nos deux lieux, & le pole, nous donnera 91. degrez & 38. minutes pour l'angle qui se fait au pole par nos deux meridiens, & par consequent pour la piece de l'equinoctial, qui est [66]la mesure dudit angle, laquelle est iustement la difference de nos longitudes. Or ce nombre de degrez estant reduit en temps, contant vne heure pour chaque 15. degrez, nous aurons six heures & six minutes pour le temps que le Soleil se leue plustost chez vous que chez nous: si bien que quand vn Dimanche vous contez trois heures du matin, nous ne sommes encor qu'à neuf heures du Samedy au soir. I'escry cecy enuiron les huict heures du matin, & vous auez deux heures apres midy. Que si auec les Geographes pour vn degré d'vn grand cercle on contoit 25. lieuës, comme on fait ordinairement des [62] lieuës Françoises de moyenne grandeur, alors nos 1000. lieuës ne feroient que 40. degrez de droit chemin d'icy à vous, & par consequent la supputation faite comme dessus ne donneroit pour la difference de nos longitudes que 61. degrez & 34. minutes, c'est à dire 4. heures & 6. minutes de temps.

I calculated the other day how much earlier the Sun rises on your horizon than it does on ours, and I found that you have daylight a little over six hours earlier than we do. Our Sailors usually count 17 leagues and a half for a degree of the equinoctial and all other great circles, and otherwise reach the conclusion that there are from here to you 1000 leagues and over, which will consequently make 57 degrees 12 minutes of a great circle upon which we ought to calculate a direct route from here to you. Suppose then our latitude to be 46 and two-thirds degrees and that of Dieppe 49 and two-thirds; the computation made exactly by the solution [61] of a triangle which might be made upon the earth, between our two places and the pole, will give us 91 degrees and 38 minutes for the angle which is made at the pole by our two meridians, and consequently for the part of the equinoctial which is the measure of the said angle, and this is just the difference in our longitudes. Now, this number of degrees being reduced to time, counting one hour for every 15 degrees, we shall have six hours and six minutes earlier, for the time that the Sun rises with you than it does here; so that on Sunday when you count three o'clock in the morning, it is here still only nine o'clock on Saturday night. I am writing this about eight in the morning, and it is two in the afternoon where you are. So if, with the Geographers, for one degree of a great circle, we counted 25 leagues, as is generally done with the [62] French leagues of medium size, then our 1000 leagues would only be forty degrees in a straight line from here to you; and consequently the computation, made as above, would give for the difference of our longitude only 61 degrees and 34 minutes,—that is to say, 4 hours and 6 minutes of time.

Au reste ce païs cy est tres-bon, si tost que nous sommes rentrez en nostre petite maison enuiron le 13. de Iuillet nous auons foüy & besché la terre, semé du pourpier, des naueaux, planté des faisoles, tout n'a point tardé à leuer, nous auons bien tost apres recueilly de la salade, le mal estoit que nos graines estoient gastées, ie dy d'vne partie, sçauoir est qu'on a enuoyé à monsieur du Plessis: car celles que nostre Frere a apporté, ont tres-bien reüssi, vous seriez estonné de voir quelque nombre d'espics de [63] seigle qui se sont trouuez parmy nos pois, elles sont plus longues & mieux grenées que les plus belles que i'aye iamais veu en France.

All considered, this country here is very fine. As soon as we had entered into our little home, the 13th of July, we began to work and dig the earth, to sow purslane and turnips, and to plant lentils, and everything grew very well; a very short time afterwards we gathered our salad. But the misfortune was that our seeds were spoiled, I mean a part of them; namely, those sent to monsieur du Plessis: for those our Brother brought us grew very well. You would be astonished to see the great number of ears of [63] rye which were found among our peas; they are longer and more grainy than the most beautiful I have ever seen in France.

Vendredy dernier 20. d'Aoust, iour de sainct Bernard, estant allé voir vn malade à nostre bord, c'est à dire à nostre vaisseau, pour aller de là saluër monsieur [68]de la Rade, & le Capitaine Morieult nouuellement arriuez, ie pensay estre noyé auec deux François qui estoient auec moy dans vn petit cauot de Sauuage, dont nous nous seruons. La marée estoit violente, celuy qui estoit derriere dans ce cauot le voulant détascher du nauire la marée le fit tourner, & le cauot & nous aussi, nous voyla tous trois emportez par la furie de l'eau, au milieu de cette grande riuiere de sainct Laurens. Ceux du nauire crie sauue, sauue, au secours, mais il n'y auoit point là de chalouppe, nous attrapons le [64] cauot, comme ie vy qu'il tournoit si fort que l'eau me passoit de beaucoup par dessus la teste, & que i'estouffois, ie quittay ce cauot pour me mettre à nager, ie n'ay iamais bien sceu ce mestier, & il y auoit plus de 24. ans que ie ne l'auois exercé: à peine auoy-ie auancé de trois brasses, que ma sotane, m'enueloppant la teste & les bras, ie m'en allois à fond, i'auois desia donné ma vie à nostre Seigneur, sans luy demander qu'il me retirast de ce danger, croyant qu'il valloit mieux le laisser faire, i'acceptois la mort de bon cœur; bref i'estois desia à demy estouffé, quand vne chalouppe qui estoit sur le bord de la riuiere, & deux Sauuages accoururent dans leur cauot, il ne paroissoit plus qu'vn petit bout de ma sotane, on me retira par là, & si on eût encor tardé vn Pater, i'estois mort, i'auois perdu tout sentiment, pour ce que l'eau m'estouffoit, [65] ce n'estoit point d'apprehension, ie m'estois resolu à mourir dans les eaux, dés le premier iour que ie mis le pied dans le vaisseau, & i'auois prou exercé cette resignation dans les tempestes que nous auons passé sur mer, le iugement me dura tant que i'eu des forces, & me semble que ie me voyois mourir, ie croiois qu'il y eut plus de mal à estre noyé qu'il n'y en a: bref nous [70] fumes tous trois sauuez, i'en suis resté indisposé de l'estomach, i'espere que ce ne sera rien, la volonté de Dieu soit faite, cela ne m'estonne point. Deux Anglois s'estant noyez dans ces cauots faits d'écorces, qui sont extrememẽt volages, le Capitaine Ker fit faire vne petit bateau de bois pour passer de nostre maison au fort, car il y a vne riuiere entre deux; ie croiois que ce bateau nous demeureroit, celuy qui s'en est saisi l'auoit promis au Pere de Nouë, [66] mais depuis il s'est rauisé, s'il nous l'eut donné cela ne seroit pas arriué; patience, il importe peu où on meure, mais si bien comment.

Last Friday, August 20th, the day of saint Bernard, having gone to see a sick person on board, that is to say, on our vessel, and going thence to greet monsieur de la Rade[15] and Captain Morieult, newly I arrived, I thought I would be drowned, with two Frenchmen who were with me in a little Native canoe which we use. The tide was very violent; the person who was behind in this canoe wishing to detach it from the ship, the tide gave him a turn, also the canoe and ourselves, and behold us all three carried away by the fury of the waves to the middle of the great saint Lawrence river. Those in the ship cried, "Save them, save them, help!" but there was no shallop there. We caught hold of the [64] canoe; as I felt that it was whirling about so rapidly that the water came a great way over my head, and that I was suffocating, I let go of the canoe to swim. I never knew this exercise very well, and it was over 24 years since I had tried it. I had made scarcely sixteen feet[16] when, my cassock winding around my head and my arms, I felt that I was going to the bottom. I had already given my life to our Lord, without asking him to rescue me from this danger; believing it better to let his will be done, I accepted death cheerfully; in short, I was already half drowned, when a boat that was on the shore of the river, and two Savages in their canoe, hastened towards us. Nothing was seen of me but a little end of my cassock; they dragged me out by that, and if they had been one Pater later I would have been dead. I was so choked by the water that I had lost all feeling; [65] it was not fear, for I was resigned to die in the water from the first day I had put my foot on the vessel, and I had strengthened this resignation a great deal in the tempests which we had upon the ocean. My faculties remained as long as I had any strength left, and it seemed to me that I saw myself dying; I thought there was more pain in drowning than there is. To be brief, we were all three saved. I still feel some indisposition in my stomach, which is not to be wondered at, but I hope that it will be nothing; may the will of God be done. Two Englishmen having been drowned in those bark canoes, which are very frail, Captain Ker had a little wooden boat made for passing from our house to the fort, because there is a river between the two; I thought this boat would remain with us. The person who took possession of it promised it to Father de Nouë, [66] but he has since changed his mind; if he had given it to us, this would not have happened. Patience; it matters but little where we die, but a great deal, how.

Demain 25. d'Aoust ie dois baptiser vn petit enfant Hiroquois qu'on doit porter en France pour ne retourner iamais plus en ces païs cy, on l'a donné à vn François qui en a fait present à monsieur de la Rade. C'est assez, nous sommes si empressez que ie n'ay gardé aucun ordre en ce narré, V.R. m'excusera s'il luy plaist, ie la supplie de secourir ces pauures peuples qui sont en bon nombre, les Canadiens, Montagnards, Hurons, Algonquains, la Nation des Ours, la Nation du Petun, la Nation des Sorciers, & quantité d'autres: Ie vy arriuer les Hurons, ils estoient plus de 50. cauots, il faisoit fort beau voir cela sur la riuiere, ce sont de grands hommes bien faits, & tres-dignes de [67] compassion, pour ne cognoistre pas l'Autheur de vie dont ils ioüissent, & pour n'auoir iamais oüy parler de celuy qui a donné sa vie, & répandu son sang pour eux.

To-morrow, on the 25th of August, I am to baptize a little Hiroquois child who is to be taken to France, never to return to this country; he was given to a Frenchman, who made a present of him to monsieur de la Rade. Enough of this, we are in such a hurry that I have not observed any order in this narrative; Your Reverence will excuse me, if you please. I beseech you to give succor to these poor people who are in goodly numbers, the Canadians, Montagnards, Hurons and Algonquains, the Nation of the Bear,[17] the Tobacco Nation,[18] The Nation of the Sorcerers,[19] and many others. I saw the Hurons arrive; in their 50 canoes and more, they made a very fine sight upon the river. They are large, well-made men, and are to be [67] pitied because they do not know the Author of the life they enjoy, and have never heard of him who gave his life and shed his blood for them.

Ie pensois conclure ce petit narré le 24. d'Aoust: mais ce ne sera qu'apres le baptesme de ce petit enfant. Ie viens donc de le baptiser, monsieur Emery de [72]Caën est son Parrain, madame Coullart fille de madame Hebert est sa Marraine, il a nom Louys, aussi a-il esté baptisé le iour de sainct Louys. Ce pauure petit qui n'a enuiron que quatre ans pleuroit incessamment deuant le baptesme, & s'enfuioit de nous, ie ne le pouuois tenir: si tost que i'eu commencé les ceremonies, il ne dit pas vn mot, il me regardoit attentiuement, & faisoit tout ce que ie luy faisois faire. Ie croiois qu'il fut Hiroquois, mais i'ay appris qu'il est de la Nation de feu [68] son Pere & sa Mere, & luy ont esté pris en guerre par les Algonquains, qui ont bruslé les parents, & donné l'enfant à nos François.

I expected to end this little narrative on the 24th of August, but it will not be until after the baptism of this little child. I have just baptized him. Monsieur Emery de Caën is his Godfather; Madame Coullart, daughter of Madame Hebert, his Godmother. His name is Louys and he was baptized on saint Louys's day. This poor little one, who is only about four years old, cried all the time before his baptism, and ran away from us; I could not hold him. As soon as I began the ceremony, he did not say a word; he looked at me attentively and did everything that I would have him do. I believed that he was an Hiroquois, but I have learned that he belongs to the fire Nation;[20] [68] his Father and his Mother and he were taken in war by the Algonquains, who burned the parents and gave the child to the French.

Louys iadis Amantacha nous est venu voir, & nous a promis qu'il viendroit l'année suiuante, pour s'en retourner auec le Pere Brebeuf en son païs; il a de l'esprit, & m'a témoigné qu'il auoit de bons sentimens de Dieu; cette Nation est rusée, ie ne sçaurois qu'en dire: mille recommandations aux saincts sacrifices de vostre R. & aux prieres de toute sa Prouince.

De V.R.

Tres-humble & obeïssant seruiteur

selon Dieu, Pavl le Ievne.

Du milieu d'vn bois de plus de 800. lieuës d'estenduë, à Kebec ce 28. d'Aoust 1632.

Louys, formerly Amantacha,[21] came to see us and promised that he would come back next year, to return with Father Brebeuf to his country; he is rather intelligent and showed me that he had a correct conception of God. I could not tell you how cunning this Nation is. I recommend myself a thousand times to the holy sacrifices of your Reverence and to the prayers of your whole Province.

Of Your Reverence,

The very humble and obedient servant,

in God, Paul le Jeune.

From the midst of a forest more than 800 leagues in extent, at Kebec, this 28th of August, 1632.

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[74] [69] Privilege dv Roy.

NOVS Barthelemy Iacquinot, Prouincial de la Compagnie de Iesvs, en la Prouince de France, suiuant le Priuilege qui nous a esté octroyé par les Roys tres-Chrestiens, Henry III. le 10. May 1583. Henry IV. le 20. Decembre 1606. & Louys XIII. à present regnant le 14. Feurier 1612. pae lequel il est defendu à tous Imprimeurs, ou Libraires, de n'imprimer ou faire imprimer aucun liure de ceux qui sont composez par quelqu'vn de nostredite Compagnie, sans permission des Superieurs d'icelle. Permettons à Sebastien Cramoisy Libraire Iuré Bourgeois de Paris, de pouuoir imprimer pour six ans, Brieue Relation du voyage de la Nouuelle France, &c. En foy de quoy nous auons signé la presente le 15. Nouembre 1632.

B. Iacqvinot.

[69] Royal License.

WE, Barthelemy Jacquinot, Provincial of the Society of Jesus, in the Province of France, in accordance with the License which has been granted us by the most Christian Kings, Henry III. the l0th of May 1583, Henry IV. the 20th of December 1606; and Louys XIII. now reigning, the 14th of February 1612, by which it is prohibited to all Printers or Booksellers to print or cause to be printed any book of those which are composed by any of our said Society, without the permission of the Superiors of the same: We permit Sebastien Cramoisy,[22] Bookseller under Oath, Citizen of Paris, to print for six years, Brieve Relation du voyage de la Nouvelle France, etc. In attestation of which we have signed the present the 15th of November 1632.

B. Jacquinot.

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