CHAPITRE V.
DES CHOSES BONNES QUI SE TROUUENT DANS LES SAUUAGES.
SI nous commençons par les biens du corps, ie diray qu'ils les possedẽt auec auantage: ils sont grands, droicts, forts, bien proportionnez, agiles, rien d'effeminé ne paroist en eux. Ces petits Damoiseaux qu'õ voit ailleurs, ne sont que des hõmes en peinture, à comparaison de nos Sauuages. I'ay quasi creu autrefois que les Images des Empereurs Romains representoient plustost l'idée des peintres, que des hommes qui eussent iamais esté, tant leurs testes sont grosses & puissãtes, mais ie voy icy sur les épaules de ce peuple les testes de Iules Cesar, de Pompée, d'Auguste, d'Othon, & des autres que i'ay veu en France, tirées sur [101] le papier, ou releuées en des medailles.
CHAPTER V.
ON THE GOOD THINGS WHICH ARE FOUND AMONG THE SAVAGES.
IF we begin with physical advantages, I will say that they possess these in abundance. They are tall, erect, strong, well proportioned, agile; and there is nothing effeminate in their appearance. Those little Fops that are seen elsewhere are only caricatures of men, compared with our Savages. I almost believed, heretofore, that the Pictures of the Roman Emperors represented the ideal of the painters rather than men who had ever existed, so strong and powerful are their heads; but I see here upon the shoulders of these people the heads of Julius Cæsar, of Pompey, of Augustus, of Otho, and of others, that I have seen in France, drawn upon [101] paper, or in relief on medallions.
Pour l'esprit des Sauuages, il est de bõne trempe, ie croy que les ames sont toutes de mesme estoc, & qu'elles ne different point substantiellemẽt; c'est pourquoy ces barbares ayans vn corps bien fait, & les organes bien rangez & bien disposez, leur esprit doit operer auec facilité: la seule education & instruction leur mãque, leur ame est vn sol tres bon de sa nature, mais chargé de toutes les malices qu'vne terre delaissée depuis la naissance du mõde peut porter. Ie compare volõtiers nos Sauuages auec quelques [230]villageois, pource que les vns & les autres sont ordinairement sans instruction; encore nos Paysans sont-ils precipuez en ce point: & neantmoins ie n'ay veu personne iusques icy de ceux qui sont venus en ces contrées, qui ne confesse & qui n'aduoüe franchement que les Sauuages ont plus d'esprit que nos paysans ordinaires.
As to the mind of the Savage, it is of good quality. I believe that souls are all made from the same stock, and that they do not materially differ; hence, these barbarians having well formed bodies, and organs well regulated and well arranged, their minds ought to work with ease. Education and instruction alone are lacking. Their soul is a soil which is naturally good, but loaded down with all the evils that a land abandoned since the birth of the world can produce. I naturally compare our Savages with certain villagers, because both are usually without education, though our Peasants are superior in this regard; and yet I have not seen any one thus far, of those who have come to this country, who does not confess and frankly admit that the Savages are more intelligent than our ordinary peasants.
De plus, si c'est vn grand bien d'estre deliuré d'vn grand mal, nos Sauuages sont heureux, car les deux tyrans qui donnent la gehenne & la torture à vn grand nombre de nos Europeans, ne regnent [102] point dans leurs grands bois, i'entends l'ambition & l'auarice; Comme ils n'ont ny police, ny charges, ny dignitez, ny commandement aucun, car ils n'obeyssent que par bien-veillance à leur Capitaine; aussi ne se tuẽt ils point pour entrer dãs les honneurs, d'ailleurs comme ils se contentent seulement de la vie, pas un d'eux ne se donne au Diable pour acquerir des richesses.
Moreover, if it is a great blessing to be free from a great evil, our Savages are happy; for the two tyrants who provide hell and torture for many of our Europeans, do not reign [102] in their great forests,—I mean ambition and avarice. As they have neither political organization, nor offices, nor dignities, nor any authority, for they only obey their Chief through good will toward him, therefore they never kill each other to acquire these honors. Also, as they are contented with a mere living, not one of them gives himself to the Devil to acquire wealth.
Ils font profession de ne se point fascher, non pour la beauté de la vertu, dõt ils n'ont pas seulemẽt le nom mais pour leur contentement & plaisir, ie veux dire, pours s'affranchir des amertumes que cause la fascherie. Le Sorcier me disoit vn iour, parlant d'vn de nos François, il n'a point d'esprit, il se fasche, pour moy rien n'est capable de m'alterer; que la famine nous presse, que mes plus proches passent en l'autre vie, que les Hiroquois nos ennemis massacrent nos gens, ie ne me fasche iamais, ce qu'il dit n'est pas article de foy; car comme il est plus superbe qu'aucun Sauuage, aussi l'ay ie veu plus souuent alteré que pas vn d'eux; vray est que bien souuent il se retenoit, & se commãdoit auec violence, notamment [103] quand ie mettois au iour ses niaseries. Ie n'ay [232] iamais veu qu'vn Sauuage prononcer cette parole, Ninichcatihin, ie suis fasché encore; ne la profera il qu'vne fois: mais i'aduertis qu'on prit garde à luy, car quand ces Barbares se faschent, ils sont dangereux & n'ont point de retenuë.
They make a pretence of never getting angry, not because of the beauty of this virtue, for which they have not even a name, but for their own contentment and happiness, I mean, to avoid the bitterness caused by anger. The Sorcerer said to me one day, speaking of one of our Frenchmen, "He has no sense, he gets angry; as for me, nothing can disturb me; let hunger oppress me, let my nearest relation pass to the other life, let the Hiroquois, our enemies, massacre our people, I never get angry." What he says is not an article of faith; for, as he is more haughty than any other Savage, so I have seen him oftener out of humor than any of them; it is true also that he often restrains and governs himself by force, especially [103] when I expose his foolishness. I have only heard one Savage pronounce this word, Ninichcatihin, "I am angry," and he only said it once. But I noticed that they kept their eyes on him, for when these Barbarians are angry, they are dangerous and unrestrained.
Qui fait profession de ne se point fascher, doit faire profession de patience; les Sauuages nous passent tellemẽt en ce poinct, que nous en deurions estre confus: ie les voyois dans leurs peines, dans leurs trauaux souffrir auec allegresse. Mon hoste admirant la multitude du peuple que ie luy disois estre en France, me demandoit si les hommes estoient bons, s'ils ne se faschoient point, s'ils estoiẽt patients. Ie n'ay rien veu de si patient qu'vn Sauuage malade; qu'on crie, qu'on tempeste, qu'õ saute, qu'on dãse, il ne se plaint quasi iamais. Ie me suis trouué auec eux en des dangers de grandement souffrir; ils me disoient nous serõs quelquefois deux iours, quelque fois trois sans manger, faute de viure, prends courage, Chihiné, aye l'ame dure resiste à la peine & au trauail, garde toy de la tristessé, autrement tu seras malade; regarde que nous ne laissons pas de rire, [104] quoy que nous mangions peu, vne chose presque seule les abbat, c'est quand ils voyent qu'il y a de la mort; car ils la craignẽt outre mesure; ostez cette apprehension aux Sauuages, ils supporteront toute sortes de mespris & d'incommoditez, & toutes sortes de trauaux & d'injures fort patiemmẽt: Ie produiray plusieurs exemples de tout cecy dans la suitte du temps, que ie reserue à la fin de ces chapitres.
Whoever professes not to get angry, ought also to make a profession of patience; the Savages surpass us to such an extent, in this respect, that we ought to be ashamed. I saw them, in their hardships and in their labors, suffer with cheerfulness. My host, wondering at the great number of people who I told him were in France, asked me if the men were good, if they did not become angry, if they were patient. I have never seen such patience as is shown by a sick Savage. You may yell, storm, jump, dance, and he will scarcely ever complain. I found myself, with them, threatened with great suffering; they said to me, "We shall be sometimes two days, sometimes three, without eating, for lack of food; take courage, Chihiné, let thy soul be strong to endure suffering and hardship; keep thyself from being sad, otherwise thou wilt be sick; see how we do not cease to laugh, [104] although we have little to eat." One thing alone casts them down,—it is when they see death, for they fear this beyond measure; take away this apprehension from the Savages, and they will endure all kinds of degradation and discomfort, and all kinds of trials and suffering very patiently. Later, I shall give several examples of this, which I am reserving for the end of these chapters.
Ils s'entraiment les vns les autres, & s'accordent admirablement bien; vous ne voyez point de disputes, de querelles, d'inimitiez, de reproches parmy eux, les [234] hõmes laissent la disposition du mesnage aux femmes sans les inquieter; elles coupent, elles tranchent, elles donnent comme il leur plaist, sans que le mary s'en fasche. Ie n'ay iamais veu mon hoste demãder à vne ieune femme estourdie qu'il tenoit auec soy, que deuenoiẽt les viures, quoy qu'ils diminuassẽt assez viste. Ie n'ay iamais oüy les femmes se plaindre de ce que l'on ne les inuitoit aux festins, que les hommes mangeoient les bons morceaux, qu'elles trauailloient incessamment, allans querir le bois pour le chauffage: faisants les Cabanes, passans les peaux, & s'occupans en [105] d'autres œuures assez penibles, chacun fait son petit affaire doucement, & paisiblement sans dispute. Il est vray neantmoins qu'ils n'ont point de douceur ny de courtoisie en leurs paroles, & qu'vn François ne sçauroit prendre l'accent, le ton & l'aspreté de leur voix à moins que de se mettre en cholere, eux cependant ne s'y mettrent pas.
They are very much attached to each other, and agree admirably. You do not see any disputes, quarrels, enmities, or reproaches among them. Men leave the arrangement of the household to the women, without interfering with them; they cut, and decide, and give away as they please, without making the husband angry. I have never seen my host ask a giddy young woman that he had with him what became of the provisions, although they were disappearing very fast. I have never heard the women complain because they were not invited to the feasts, because the men ate the good pieces, or because they had to work continually,—going in search of the wood for the fire, making the Houses, dressing the skins, and busying themselves in [105] other very laborious work. Each one does her own little tasks, gently and peacefully, without any disputes. It is true, however, that they have neither gentleness nor courtesy in their utterance; and a Frenchman could not assume the accent, the tone, and the sharpness of their voices without becoming angry, yet they do not.
Ils ne sont point vindicatifs entr'eux, si bien enuers leurs ennemis. Ie coucheray icy vn exẽple capable de confondre plusieurs Chrestiens. Dans les pressures de nostre famine, vn ieune Sauuage d'vn autre quartier nous vint voir, il estoit aussi affamé que nous; le iour qu'il vint fut vn iour de ieusne pour luy & pour nous, car il ny auoit dequoy manger: le lendemain nos chasseurs ayãs pris quelques Castors, on fit festin auquel il fut très biẽ traitté, on luy dit en outre qu'õ auoit veu les pistes d'vn Orignac, & qu'on l'iroit chasser le lendemain; on l'inuita à demeurer, & qu'il en auroit sa part, luy respõdit qu'il ne pouuoit estre dauantage; s'estant doncques enquis du lieu où étoit la beste, il s'ẽ retourna: Nos Chasseurs ayans trouué & tué le lendemain [106] cest Elan, l'enseuelirent [236] dãs la neige, selon leur coustume, pour l'enuoyer querir au iour suiuãt. Or pendãt la nuict mon ieune Sauuage cherche si biẽ, qu'il trouue la beste morte, & en enleue vne bõne partie sans dire mot, le larcin connu par nos gens, ils n'entrerent point en des furies, ne donnerent aucune malediction au voleur; toute leur cholere fut de se gausser de luy, & cependãt c'estoit presque nous oster la vie, que de nous dérober nos viures, car nous n'en pouuions recouurer. A quelque temps de là, ce voleur nous vint voir, ie luy voulus representer la laideur de son crime, mon hoste m'imposa silence, & ce pauure hõme rejettant son larcin sur les chiens, nõ seulement fut excusé, mais encore receu pour demeurer auec nous dans vne mesme Cabane. Il s'en alla donc querir sa femme, qu'il apporta sur son dos, car elle a les iambes sans mouuement; & vne ieune parente qui demeure auec luy apporta son petit fils, & tous quatre prirent place en nostre petit todis, sans que iamais on leur aye reproché ce larcin, ains au contraire on leur a tesmoigné tres-bõ visage, & les a-on traittez comme [107] ceux de la maison. Dites à vn Sauuage, qu'vn autre Sauuage a dit pis que pendre de luy, il baissera la teste, & ne dira mot: s'ils se rencõtrent par apres tous, ils ne feront nõ plus de semblant de cela, comme si riẽ n'auoit esté dit, ils se traitteront comme freres, ils n'ont point de fiel enuers leur nation.
They are not vindictive among themselves, although they are toward their enemies. I will here give an example that ought to confound many Christians. In the stress of our famine, a young Savage from another quarter came to see us, who was as hungry as we were. The day on which he came was a day of fasting for him and for us, for there was nothing to eat. The next day, our hunters having taken a few Beavers, a feast was made, at which he was well treated; he was told besides that the trail of a Moose had been seen, and that they were going to hunt for it the next day; he was invited to remain and to have his share of it; he answered that he could stay no longer, and, having inquired about the place where the animal was, he went away. Our Hunters, having found and killed this Elk the [106] next day, buried it in the snow, according to their custom, to send for it on the following day. Now, during the night, my young Savage searched so well, that he found the dead beast, and took away a good part of it without saying a word. When the theft became known to our people, they did not get into a rage and utter maledictions against the thief,—all their anger consisted in sneering at him; and yet this was almost taking away our life, this stealing our food when we were unable to obtain any more. Some time afterward, this thief came to see us; I wanted to represent to him the seriousness of his offence, but my host imposed silence; and when this poor man attributed his theft to the dogs, he was not only excused, but even received to live with us in the same Cabin. Then he went for his wife, whom he carried upon his back, for her legs are paralyzed; a young female relative who lives with him brought his little son; and all four took their places in our little hut, without ever being reproached for this theft; on the contrary they were received very kindly, and were treated as if [107] belonging to the family. Tell a Savage that another Savage has slandered him, and he will bow the head and not say a word; if they meet each other afterward, they will pretend not to know anything about it, acting as if nothing had been said. They treat each other as brothers; they harbor no spite against those of their own nation.
Ils sont fort liberaux entr'eux, voire ils font estat de ne riẽ aimer, de ne point s'attacher aux biẽs de la terre, afin de ne se point attrister s'ils les perdẽt. Vn chiẽ dechira n'a pas longtemps vne belle robe de Castor à vn Sauuage, il estoit le premier à s'en rire; l'vne de leurs grãdes injures parmy eux, c'est de dire cét [238] homme aime tout, il est auare: si vous leur refusez quelque chose, voicy leur reproche, comme ie remarquay l'an passé, Khisakhitan SaKhita, tu aime cela, aime le tant que tu voudras: ils n'ouurent point la main à demy quand ils donnent, ie dis entr'eux, car ils sont ingrats au possible enuers les estrangers. Vous leur verrez nourrir leurs parents, les enfans de leurs amis, des femmes vefues, des orphelins, des vieillards, sans iamais leur rien reprocher, leur donnans abondamment [108] quelquefois des Originaux tous entiers; c'est veritablement vne marque d'vn bon cœur, & d'vne ame genereuse.
They are very generous among themselves and even make a show of not loving anything, of not being attached to the riches of the earth, so that they may not grieve if they lose them. Not long ago a dog tore a beautiful Beaver robe belonging to one of the Savages, and he was the first one to laugh about it. One of the greatest insults that can be offered to them, is to say, "That man likes everything, he is stingy." If you refuse them anything, here is their reproach, as I remarked last year: Khisakhitan Sakhita, "Thou lovest that, love it as much as thou wilt." They do not open the hand half-way when they give,—I mean among themselves, for they are as ungrateful as possible toward strangers. You will see them take care of their kindred, the children of their friends, widows, orphans, and old men, never reproaching them in the least, giving them abundantly, [108] sometimes whole Moose. This is truly the sign of a good heart and of a generous soul.
Comme il y a plusieurs orphelins parmy ce peuple; car depuis qu'ils se sont adonnez aux boissons de vin & d'eau de vie, ils meurent en grand nõbre; ces pauures enfans sont dispersez dans les Cabanes de leurs oncles, de leurs tantes, ou autres parents, ne pensez pas qu'on les rabrouë, qu'on leur reproche qu'ils mãgent les viures de la maison, rien de tout cela, on les traitte comme les enfans du pere de famille, ou du moins peu s'en faut, on les habille le mieux qu'on peut.
As there are many orphans among these people,—for they die in great numbers since they are addicted to drinking wine and brandy,—these poor children are scattered among the Cabins of their uncles, aunts, or other relatives. Do not suppose that they are snubbed and reproached because they eat the food of the household. Nothing of the kind, they are treated the same as the children of the father of the family, or at least almost the same, and are dressed as well as possible.
Ils ne sont point delicats en leurs viures, en leur coucher, & en leurs habits, mais ils ne sont pas nets; Iamais ils ne se plaignent de ce qu'on leur donne, qu'il soit froid, qu'il soit chaud, il n'importe, quand la chaudiere est cuitte, on la partage sans attẽdre personne, non pas mesme le maistre de la maison, on luy garde sa part qu'on luy presente toute froide. Ie n'ay point oüy plaindre mon hoste de ce que l'on ne l'attendoit pas, n'estant qu'à deux pas de la Cabane. Ils couchẽt sur la terre bien souuent; à l'enseigne des [109] estoiles. Ils passerõt vn iour, deux & trois [240] iours sans manger, ne laissans pas de ramer, chasser, & se peiner tant qu'ils peuuent. L'on verra dans la suite de cette relation, que tout ce que i'ay dit en ce chapitre est tres-veritable, & neãtmoins ie n'oserois asseurer que i'aye veu exercer aucun acte de vraye vertu morale à vn Sauuage: Ils n'ont que leur seul plaisir & contentement en veuë, adjoustez la crainte de quelque blasme, & la gloire de paroistre bons chasseurs; voila tout ce qui les meut dans leurs operations.
They are not fastidious in their food, beds, and clothes, but are very slovenly. They never complain of what is given them; if it be cold, if it be warm, it does not matter. When the food is cooked, it is divided without waiting for any one, not even the master of the house; a share is reserved for him, which is given to him cold. I have never heard my host complain because they did not wait for him, if he were only a few steps from the Cabin. They often sleep upon the ground, at the sign of the [109] stars. They will pass one, two, and three days without eating, not ceasing to row, hunt, and fatigue themselves as much as they can. It will be seen in the course of this relation, that all I have said in this chapter is very true; and yet I would not dare to assert that I have seen one act of real moral virtue in a Savage. They have nothing but their own pleasure and satisfaction in view. Add to this the fear of being blamed, and the glory of seeming to be good hunters, and you have all that actuates them in their transactions.