Ce fut lors que nos gens se penserent estre veritablement prins, et jà tout n'estoit que clameur et tumulte. Monsieur de Biancourt a souvent dit et redit, qu'il eut maintes fois le bras levé et la bouche ouverte pour en frappant le premier crier, "Tue, tue;" mais que cette seule consideration, ne sçay comment, le retinst, que j'estois dehors, et par consequent que si l'on en venoit aux mains, j'estois perdu. Dieu se servit de cette sienne bonne volonté, non seulement pour ma sauveté, mais autant pour celle de tout l'esquipage. Car, comme tous recognoissent bien à cette heure, si la folie eust esté faicte, jamais aucun n'en fust eschappé, et les Françoys eussent esté descriés pour jamays en toute la coste.
Then our people were sure they were captured, and there was nothing but cries and confusion. Monsieur de Biancourt has often said and said again, that several times he had raised his arm and opened his mouth to strike the first blow and to cry out, "Kill, kill;" but that somehow the one consideration that restrained him was that I was outside, and if they came to blows I was lost. God rewarded him for his good-will by saving not only me but also the whole crew. For, as all readily acknowledge at this hour, if any foolish act had been committed none of them would ever have escaped, and the French would have been condemned forever all along the coast.
[44] Dieu voulut que Meteourmite et quelques autres capitaines apprehenderent le danger, et ainsy firent retirer leurs gens. Le soir venu, et jà tous estans retirés, Meteourmite manda aucuns des siens pour excuser l'insolence du matin, protestant que tout le desordre estoit venu non de soy, ains des Armouchiquois; que mesmes ils nous avoyent desrobé une hasche et une gamelle (c'est une grande escuelle de bois), lequel meuble il nous renvoyoit; que ce larcin lui avoit tant despleu qu'aussitost aprés l'avoir descouvert, il avoit congedié les Armouchiquois; que pour luy, il avoit bon cœur, et sçavoit bien que [70] nous ne tuions ni ne battions point les Sauvages de par deçà, ains les recevions à nostre table, leur faisions souvent tabagie, et leur apportions plusieurs bonnes choses de France, pour lesquelles vertus ils nous aymoient. Ces gens, croy-je, sont les plus grands harangueurs de toute la terre; ils ne font rien sans cela.
God willed that Meteourmite and some other captains should apprehend the danger, and so cause their people to withdraw. When evening came and all had retired, Meteourmite sent some of his men to excuse the misconduct of the morning, protesting that all the disorder had originated not with him, but with the Armouchiquois; that they had even stolen a hatchet and a platter (a great wooden dish), which articles he herewith returned; that this theft had so displeased him that immediately after discovering it he had sent the Armouchiquois away from him; that, for his part, he was friendly towards us and knew very well that [70] we neither killed nor beat the Savages of those parts, but received them at our table and often made tabagie for them, and brought them a great many nice things from France, for which courtesies they loved us. These people are, I believe, the greatest speech-makers in the world; nothing can be done without speeches.
Mais, d'autant que j'ay faict icy mention des Anglois, quelqu'un peut estre desirera de sçavoir leur adventure, laquelle nous apprismes en ce lieu. Il est doncques ainsy, que l'an 1608 les Anglois commencerent à s'habituer en l'une des embouschures de ce fleuve Kinibéqui, ainsy que nous avons dict cy devant. Ils avoyent lors un conducteur fort honneste homme, et se comportoit fort bien avec les naturels du païs. On dit neantmoins que les Armouchiquois se craignirent de tels voysins, et à cette cause firent mourir ce capitaine que j'ay dit. Ces gens ont ce mestier en usage, de tuer par magie. Or la seconde année 1609 les Anglois, soubs un autre capitaine, changerent de façon. Ils repoussoient les Sauvages sans aucun [46] honneur; ils les battoyent, excedoyent et mastinoyent sans beaucoup de retenue: partant ces pauvres malmenés, impatiens du present, et augurants encores pis l'advenir, prindrent resolution, comme l'on dict, de tuer le louveteau avant qu'il eust des dents et griffes plus fortes. La commodité leur en fust un jour, que [71] trois chaloupes s'en estoyent allées à l'escart en pescherie. Mes conjurez les suyvoient à la piste, et s'approchans avec beau semblant d'amitié (car ainsy font ils le plus de caresses où plus y a de trahison), ils entrent dedans, et au signal donné, chacun choysit son homme et le tua à coups de cousteau. Ainsy furent despeschez onze Angloys. Les autres intimidés abandonnerent leur entreprise cette mesme année, et ne l'ont point poursuyvie depuis, se contentans de venir l'esté en pescherie en cette isle d'Emetenic, que nous avons dit estre à 8 lieuës de leur fort encommencé.
But as I have spoken here of the English, some one perhaps will wish to hear about their adventure, which was related to us in this place. So here it is: In 1608 the English began to settle at one of the mouths of this Kinibéqui river, as we have said before. They had then as leader a very honest man, who got along remarkably well with the natives of the country. They say, however, that the Armouchiquois were afraid of such neighbors, and so put the captain to death, as I have said. These people make a practice of killing by magic. But the second year, 1609, the English, under another captain, changed their tactics. They drove the Savages away without ceremony; they beat, maltreated and misused them outrageously and without restraint; consequently these poor, abused people, anxious about the present, and dreading still greater evils in the future, determined, as the saying is, to kill the whelp ere its teeth and claws became stronger.[5] The opportunity came one day when [71] three boat-loads of them went away off to the fisheries. My conspirators followed in their boat, and approaching with a great show of friendliness (for they always make the greatest show of affection when they are the most treacherous), they go among them, and at a given signal each one seizes his man and stabs him to death. Thus were eleven Englishmen dispatched. The others were intimidated and abandoned their enterprise the same year; they have not resumed it since, being satisfied to come in the summer to fish, at this island of Emetenic, which we have said was eight leagues from the fort they had begun building.
A cette cause doncques, l'excès commis en la personne du capitaine Platrier par lesdicts Angloys ayant esté perpetré en cette isle d'Emetenic, Monsieur de Biancourt se delibera de l'aller recognoistre, et y laisser quelque monument de revindication. Ce qu'il fit dressant sur le havre une fort belle croix, avec les armes de France. Aucuns de ses gens luy conseilloyent qu'il bruslast les chaloupes qu'il y trouva; mais, comme il est doux et humain, il ne le voulut point, voyant que c'estoyent vaisseaux non de soldats, ains de pescheurs.
So, for this reason, the outrage to which captain Platrier was subjected by these English having been committed upon this island of Emetenic, Monsieur de Biancourt decided to go and reconnoitre it, and to leave there some memento in assertion of his rights. This he did, erecting at the harbor a beautiful cross bearing the arms of France. Some of his crew advised him to burn the boats which he found there; but as he is kind and humane he would not do it, seeing they were fishermen's boats and not men-of-war.
De là, d'autant que la saison nous pressoit, estant jà le 6 novembre, nous tournasmes nos voiles pour retourner à Port-Royal, passant à Pentegoët, ainsy que nous avons promis aux Sauvages.
Thence, as the season was advancing, it being already the 6th of November, we turned our ships towards Port Royal, stopping at Pentegoët, as we had promised the Savages.