VI.—The Festivities at Hochelaga.
So soon as we were come near the town, a great number of the inhabitants thereof came to present themselves before us, after their fashion, making very much of us. We were by our guides brought into the midst of the town. They have in the middlemost part of their houses a large square place, being from side to side a good stone’s-cast, whither we were brought, and there with signs were commanded to stay. Then suddenly all the women and maidens of the town gathered themselves together, part of which had their arms full of young children; and as many as could came to rub our faces, our arms, and what part of the body soever they could touch, weeping for very joy that they saw us, showing us the best countenance that possibly they could, desiring us with their signs that it would please us to touch their children. That done, the men caused the women to withdraw themselves back; then they every one sat down on the ground round about us, as ifthey would have shown and rehearsed some comedy or other show; then presently came the women again, every one bringing a large square mat, in manner of carpets; and, spreading abroad on the ground in that place, they caused us to sit upon them.
That done, the lord and king of the country was brought upon nine or ten men’s shoulders,—whom in their tongue they call Agouhanna,—sitting upon a great stag’s skin; and they laid him down upon the foresaid mats, near to the captain, every one beckoning unto us that he was their lord and king. This Agouhanna was a man about fifty years old: he was no whit better apparelled than any of the rest, only except he had a certain thing made of the skins of hedgehogs, like a red wreath; and that was instead of his crown. He was full of the palsy; and his members shrunk together.After he had with certain signs saluted our captain and all his company, and by manifest tokens bid all welcome, he showed his legs and arms to our captain, and with signs desired him to touch them; and so he did, rubbing them with his own hands. Then did Agouhanna take the wreath or crown he had about his head, and gave it unto our captain; that done, they brought before him divers diseased men,—some blind, some cripple, some lame and impotent, and some so old that the hair of their eyelids came down, and covered their cheeks,—and laid them all along before our captain, to the end they might of him be touched; for it seemed unto them that God was descended and come down from heaven to heal them.
Our captain, seeing the misery and devotion of this poor people, recited the Gospel of St. John, that is tosay, “In the beginning was the Word,” touching every one that were diseased, praying to God that it would please him to open the hearts of this poor people, and to make them know his holy word, and that they might receive baptism and Christendom. That done, he took a service-book in his hand,and with a loud voice read all the passion[120] of Christ, word by word, that all the standers-by might hear him; all which while this poor people kept silence, and were marvellously attentive; looking up to heaven, and imitating us in gestures. Then he caused the men all orderly to be set on one side, the women on another, and likewise the children on another; and to the chiefest of them he gave hatchets; to the other, knives; and to the women, beads, and such other small trifles. Then, where the children were, he cast rings, counters, and brooches made of tin, whereat they seemed to be very glad. That done, our captain commanded trumpets and other musical instruments to be sounded, which when they heard, they were very merry.
Then we took our leave, and went to our boat. The women, seeing that, put themselves before, to stay us, and brought us out of their meats that they had made ready for us, as fish, pottage, beans, and such other things, thinking to make us eat and dine in that place. But, because the meats had no savor at all of salt, we liked them not, but thanked them, and with signs gave them to understand that we had no need to eat. When we were out of the town, divers of the men and women followed us, and brought us to the top of the foresaid mountain, which we named Mount Royal: it is about aleague from the town. When as we were on the top of it, we might discern and plainly see thirty leagues about. On the north side of it there are many hills to be seen, running west and east, and as many more on the south, amongst and between the which the country is as fair and as pleasant as possibly can be seen; being level, smooth, and very plain, fit to be husbanded and tilled. And in the midst of these fields we saw the river, farther up, a great way, than where we had left our boats, where was the greatest and the swiftest fall of water that anywhere hath been seen, and as great, wide, and large as our sight might discern, going south-west along three fair and round mountains that we saw, as we judged, about fifteen leagues from us.
Those which brought us thither told and showed us, that, in the said river, there were three such falls of water more, as that was where we had left our boats; but, because we could not understand their language, we could not know how far they were one from another. Moreover, they showed us with signs, that, the said three falls being past, a man might sail the space of three months more alongst that river; and that along the hills that are on the north side there is a great river, which—even as the other—cometh from the west: we thought it to be the river that runneth through the country of Saguenay.
[Cartier afterwards returned to the harbor of the Holy Cross, where he and his men passed the winter of 1535–36 with much suffering. They were the first Europeans to pass the winter in the northern part of North America. The French claim to the possession of this continent was founded on Cartier’s discoveries. The expedition reached St. Malo, on its return, July 16, 1536.]