Pour entendre la première cause, faut sçavoir que peu auparavant, le capitaine Platrier de Honfleur, cy devant nommé, voulant aller à Kinibéqui, il fut saisy prisonnier par deux navires angloys qui estoient en une isle appelée Emmetenic, à 8 lieües dudit Kinibéqui. Son relaschement fut moyennant quelques presents [32] (ainsy parle-t-on pour parler doucement) et la promesse qu'il fit d'obtemperer aux prohibitions à luy faictes, de point negotier en toute [62] cette coste. Car les Angloys s'en veulent dire maistres, et sur ce ils produysoyent des lettres de leur Roy, mais à ce que nous croyons fausses.

To understand the first cause you must know that, a little while before, captain Platrier, of Honfleur, already mentioned, wishing to go to Kinibéqui, was taken prisoner by two English ships which were at an island called Emmetenic,[85] eight leagues from Kinibéqui. His release was effected by means of presents (this expresses it mildly), and by his promise to comply with the interdictions laid upon him not to trade anywhere upon all [62] this coast. For the English want to be considered masters of it, and they produced letters from their King to this effect, but these we believe to be false.

Or Monsieur de Biancourt ayant ouy tout cecy de la bouche mesme du capitaine Platrier, il remontra serieusement à ces gens combien il importoit à luy, officier de la Couronne et Lieutenant de son pere, combien aussy à tout bon Françoys, d'aller au rencontre de cette usurpation des Anglois tant contrariante aux droits et possessions de sa Majesté. "Car, disoit-il, il est à tous notoire (pour ne reprendre l'affaire de plus hault) que le grand Henry, que Dieu absolve, suyvant les droicts acquis par ses prédecesseurs et luy, donna à Monsieur des Monts, l'an 1604, toute cette région depuis le 40e degré d'élévation jusques au 46. Depuis laquelle donation ledit Seigneur des Monts, par soy mesme et par Monsieur de Potrincourt, mon très-honoré pere, son lieutenant, et par autres, a prins souvent reelle possession de toute la contrée, et trois et quatre ans avant que jamais les Angloys ayent habitué, ou que jamais on aye rien entendu de cette leur vindication." Ceci et plusieurs autres choses discouroit ledit Sieur de Biancourt encourageant ses gens.

Now, Monsieur de Biancourt, having heard all this from the mouth of captain Platrier himself, remonstrated earnestly with these people, showing how important it was to him, an officer of the Crown and his father's Lieutenant, and also how important to all good Frenchmen, to oppose this usurpation of the English, so contrary to the rights and possessions of his Majesty. "For," said he, "it is well known to all (not to go back any farther in the case) that the great Henry, may God give him absolution, in accordance with the rights, acquired by his predecessors and by himself, gave to Monsieur des Monts, in the year 1604, all this region from the 40th to the 46th parallel of latitude. Since this donation, the said Seigneur des Monts, himself and through Monsieur de Potrincourt, my very honored father, his lieutenant, and through others, has frequently taken actual possession of all the country; and this, three or four years before the English had ever frequented it, or before anything had ever been heard of these claims of theirs." This and several other things were said by Sieur de Biancourt to encourage his people.

Moy, j'avois deux autres causes qui me poussoyent au mesme voyage: l'une, pour accompagner [63] d'ayde spirituel ledict Sieur de Biancourt et ses gens; l'autre, pour cognoistre et voir la disposition de ces nations à recevoir le saint evangile. Telles doncques estoyent les causes de nostre voyage.

As for me, I had two other reasons which impelled me to take this journey: One, to give [63] spiritual aid to Sieur de Biancourt and his people; the other, to observe and to study the disposition of these nations to receive the holy gospel. Such, then, were the causes of our journey.

Nous arrivasmes à Kinibequi, 80 lieuës de Port-Royal, [34] le 28 d'octobre, jour de S. Simon et S. Jude, de la mesme année 1611. Aussy tost nos gens mirent pied à terre, desireux de veoir le fort des Angloys; car nous avions appris par les chemins, qu'il n'y avoit personne. Or, comme de nouveau tout est beau, ce fust à louër et vanter cette entreprise des Angloys, et raconter les commodités du lieu; chacun en disoit ce que plus il prisoit. Mais de là à quelques jours, on changea bien d'advis; car on vid y avoir beau moyen de faire un contrefort qui les eust emprisonnés et privés de la mer et de la riviere; item que quand bien on les eust laissez là, si n'eussent-ils point jouy pourtant des commodités de la riviere, puisqu'elle a plusieurs autres et belles emboucheures bien distantes de là. Davantage, ce qu'est le pis, nous ne croyons pas que de là à six lieuës à l'entour il y ayt un seul arpent de terre bien labourable, le sol n'estant tout de pierre et roche. Or, d'autant que le vent nous contrarioit à passer outre, le troisiesme jour venu, Monsieur de Biancourt [64] tourna l'incident en conseil et se delibera de recevoir l'ayde du vent, à refouler contremont la riviere, pour la bien recognoistre.

We arrived at Kinibéqui, eighty leagues from Port Royal, the 28th of October, the day of St. Simon and St. Jude, of the same year, 1611. Our people at once disembarked, wishing to see the English fort, for we had learned, on the way, that there was no one there. Now as everything is beautiful at first, this undertaking of the English had to be praised and extolled, and the conveniences of the place enumerated, each one pointing out what he valued the most. But a few days afterward they changed their views; for they saw that there was a fine opportunity for making a counter-fort there, which might have imprisoned them and cut them off from the sea and river; moreover, even if they had been left unmolested they would not have enjoyed the advantages of the river, since it has several other mouths, and good ones, some distance from there. Furthermore, what is worse, we do not believe that, in six leagues of the surrounding country, there is a single acre of good tillable land, the soil being nothing but stones and rocks. Now, inasmuch as the wind forced us to go on, when the third day came, Monsieur de Biancourt [64] considered the subject in council and decided to take advantage of the wind and go on up the river, in order to thoroughly explore it.

Nous avions advancé jà bien trois lieuës, et le flot nous manquant nous estions mis à l'anchre au milieu de la riviere; quand voicy que nous descouvrons six canots Armouchiquois venir à nous. Ils estoyent 24 personnes dedans, tous gens de combat. Ils firent mille tentatives et ceremonies avant que nous aborder. Vous les eussiez parfaictement comparez à une troupe d'oyseaux, laquelle desire d'entrer en une cheneviere, mais elle craind l'espouvantail. Cela nous plaisoit fort, car aussy nos gens avoyent besoin [36] de temps pour s'armer et pavier. Enfin ils vindrent et revindrent, ils recogneurent, considererent finement nostre nombre, nos pieces, nos armes, tout; et la nuict venuë, ils se logerent à l'autre bord du fleuve, sinon hors la portée, du moins hors la mire de nos canons.

We had already advanced three good leagues, and had dropped anchor in the middle of the river waiting for the tide, when we suddenly discovered six Armouchiquois canoes coming towards us. There were twenty-four persons therein, all warriors. They went through a thousand maneuvers and ceremonies before accosting us, and might have been compared to a flock of birds which wanted to go into a hemp-field but feared the scarecrow. We were very much pleased at this, for our people also needed to arm themselves and arrange the pavesade. In short, they continued to come and go; they reconnoitred; they carefully noted our numbers, our cannon, our arms, everything; and when night came they camped upon the other bank of the river, if not out of reach, at least beyond the aim of our cannon.