As sieur de Poutrincourt sailed along the coast, while accompanying his son upon his return, he found some Savages whom he knew, encamped upon an island and engaged in fishing; |a Act of piety.| they were overjoyed at his arrival, and after some talk about Membertou and others, and about what had taken place at their baptism,a he asked them if they did not wish to be like him, to believe in God and be baptized: this they [14] agreed to do after they had been instructed. And thereupon he sent them to Port Royal, where more time could be given to confirm them in the Faith and doctrines of the Gospel; they went there and were baptized. Meanwhile the Sieur continued on his way, always following the coast, until he came to Cape de la Héve, near which place he consigned his son, sieur de sainct Just, to the care of God; and, veering around the cape, he sailed toward the river of la Héve, which forms a port more than two leagues wide and six leagues long, expecting to find there a Chief, whom the French had for a long time called Martin. But he had gone away, on account of the deaths which had occurred there from some form of dysentery. Afterwards, this Martin, having heard that the Sieur had done him the honor of coming to visit him, followed him up with thirty-five or forty men, and near Cape Sable overtook him and thanked him for this visit. The Sieur, who is a pleasant and agreeable gentleman, received him kindly; although some time before, in the year 1607, he had been somewhat angry at him, because when he, (the Sieur), with only a few men, was passing this same la Héve, seeing himself surrounded by three canoes full of Savages, he made them all get in line upon one side. Thereupon, Martin having remarked that the Sieur was afraid of them, the former was, in fact, in danger of seeing that his conclusion was wrong. At this last meeting, Martin was treated with great kindness, and |b Act of piety.| invited to become a Christian like Membertou andb several others, and [15] to go to Port Royal to be more fully instructed. He promised to do this and to bring all his company. And, as the Savages never go to visit their friends empty-handed, he went hunting, that he might get some venison for this occasion; |c Peril.| meanwhile the Sieur went on ahead, in order to meet them there (i.e. at Port Royal). But near Cape Fourchu,c behold him carried by a land breeze straight out to sea, and so far, that he was six days without food (except some birds caught upon an island, which he still had), and without other fresh water than what he could sometimes catch in the sails; in short, seeing nothing but sky and water; and if he had not had a small compass, he would have been in danger of being carried to the coast of Florida by the violence of the winds, the tempests, and the waves. At last, owing to his good judgment and energy, he was able to land near the island of sainte Croix, where Oagimont, Captain of the place, brought him some sea-biscuits, for which he had traded with the French people. And thence, being familiar with the place, he crossed French bay, about twenty leagues wide here, and reached Port Royal, five weeks after his departure. Here he found his people wondering greatly at his long absence, and already meditating a change, which could not have been otherwise than disastrous. It is thus, at the peril of his life, and with incredible hardships and sufferings, he goes out to seek the lost sheep, to lead them back into the fold of Jesus Christ, and to add to the heavenly Kingdom. And if these people are not converted by the thousand, it must be remembered [16] that no Prince or Lord has, up to the present, given any assistance to sieur de Poutrincourt; the avaricious are even stealing from him the wealth of his province, and he permits this in his goodness, in order to do nothing that will exasperate the nobles over here; although, as the King has given him the land, he would be justified in refusing to others the fruits thereof, as well as entry into his ports, and the cutting down of his forests. When he has more ample means, he can send men into the more populous districts, where they must go in strength, and reap a great harvest for the extension of the Church. But we must first establish the State, without which the Church cannot exist. And for this reason the first help should be given to this State, and not to what has the pretext of piety. For, when the State is founded, it will be its duty to provide for that which is spiritual. Let us return to Port Royal. When the Sieur arrived there he found Martin and his friends, baptized, and all strongly imbued with zeal for the Christian Religion, listening very devoutly to divine service, which was usually sung to Music composed by the Sieur.
Ce zele s'est reconu non seulement aux neophytes Chrétiens, comme nous particulariserons cy-apres; mais aussi en ceux qui n'estoient point encore initiés aux sacrez mysteres de nôtre Religion. Car lors que ledit Martin fut baptizé, il y en eut vn tout décharné, n'ayant plus que les os, lequel n'ayant esté en la compagnie des autres, se porta, à toute peine, en trois cabannes [17] cherchant ledit Fleuches Patriarche pour estre instruit & baptizé.
This zeal is noticeable, not only in the Christian neophytes, as we shall state more in detail hereafter; but also in those who are not yet initiated into the sacred mysteries of Religion. For, as soon as Martin was baptized, there was one who was absolutely fleshless, having nothing left but bones, who, not having been with the others, dragged himself, with great suffering, through three cabins, [17] seeking the Patriarch Fleuches, to be instructed and baptized.
Vn autre demeurant en la baye saincte Marie à plus de douze lieuës du Port Royal, se trouvant malade, envoya en diligence faire sçavoir audit Patriarche qu'il estoit detenu de maladie, & craignant de mourir, qu'il desiroit estre baptizé. Ledit Patriarche y alla, & avec vn truchement fit envers lui ce qui estoit de l'office d'un bon Pasteur.
Another living at the bay saincte Marie,[22] more than a dozen leagues from Port Royal, being sick, sent posthaste to the Patriarch, to let him know he was detained by sickness, and fearing that he might die, desired to be baptized. The Patriarch went to him, and, with the help of an interpreter, did for him what pertained to his office as a good Pastor.
Quant aux Chrétiens, vn desdits Sauvages neophytes [148] ci-devant nommé Acoüanis, & maintenant Loth, se trouvant malade, enuoya son fils en diligence de plus de vingt lieues loin se recommander aux prieres de l'Eglise: & dire que s'il mouroit il vouloit estre enterré au cimetiere des Chrétiens.
As to the Christians, one of these Savage neophytes, previously named Acoüanis, and now Loth, becoming ill, sent his son with all speed more than twenty leagues distant, to request the prayers of the Church, and to say that, if he died, he wished to be buried in the Christian cemetery.
Vn iour le sieur de Poutrincourt estant allé à la dépouïlle d'un Cerf tué par Louïs fils ainé de Henri Membertou, comme au retour chacun s'estoit embarqué en sa chaloupe & voguoit sur le large espace de la riviere du Port Royal, avint que la femme dudit Louïs accoucha, & voyans que l'enfant estoit de petite vie, ils crierent hautement à noz gens Tagaria, Tagaria, c'est à dire Venez ça, Venez ça, si bien que l'enfant fut sur l'heure baptizé par le Pasteur susdit.
One day sieur de Poutrincourt went to see the dismemberment of a Deer which had been killed by Louis, eldest son of Henry Membertou; and, when they had all embarked for their return and were riding upon the waves of the broad river of Port Royal, it happened that the wife of Louis was delivered of a child; and, seeing that it was short-lived, they cried loudly to our people, Tagaria, Tagaria, that is, "Come here, Come here." So the child was immediately baptized by the aforenamed Pastor.
Cette année il a couru par dela plusieurs maladies de dysenteries, qui ont esté mortelles à ceux qui en estoient attaints. Est avenu que ledit Martin huit iours apres son baptéme a esté frappé de ce mal, dont il est mort. Mais [18] c'est chose digne de memoire que cet homme mourant avoit touiours le sacré nom de Iesvs en la bouche. Et requit en ces extremités d'estre enterré apres sa mort avec les Chrétiens. Sur quoy il y eut de la difficulté. Car les Sauvages ayans encore de la reverence aux sepultures de leurs peres & amis, le vouloient porter au Cap de Sable à 40. lieuës dudit Port. Ledit Sieur d'autre part le vouloit faire enterrer selon qu'il l'avoit demandé. Là dessus vn debat se prepare. Car lesditz Sauvages prenans en main leurs arcs & fleches, vouloient emporter le corps. Mais ledit Sieur fit armer vne douzaine d'arquebuziers, qui l'enleverent sans resistance, apres leur avoir remonstré quelle avoit esté l'intention du decedé, & qu'estant Chrétien il falloit qu'il fust enterré [150] avec ses semblables, comme en fin il fut, avec les prieres accoutumées en l'Eglise. Cela fait on leur bailla à tous du pain, & s'en allerent contens.