[27] Our people, besides the farm and garden work, passed their time in hunting, fishing, and in making fortifications. Work was not wanting also in repairing and roofing the buildings and the mill, abandoned since our return in 1607. And, as the spring was some little distance from there, they dug a well in the Fort, and found the water very good. So that (wonderful to relate) they had no sickness, although there was sufficient cause for it in the privations they suffered. For Sieur de Sainct Just, son of Sieur de Poutrincourt, having been ordered to return in four months (as we have said above), was expected the last of November, with fresh supplies; yet he did not come until the day of Pentecost, the 22nd of the following May. For this reason they were obliged to diminish their rations, of which they had rather a small quantity. To always eat fish (unless it is good and firm) or shellfish alone, without bread, is dangerous, and causes dysentery, as we have observed above in regard to certain Savages who died of it. We can prove this also by Sieur de Monts' men, who died, to the number of twenty, the first year they wintered at Kebec, both on account of their change of dwelling, and because they ate too many eels and other fish. Furthermore, game is not always to be found in abundance in a place where people are obliged to live on it, and where there is a permanent settlement. This is what makes [28] nomads of the Savages, and prevents them from remaining long in one place. When they have been six weeks in a place, they are obliged to leave their habitation. This winter, in the neighborhood of Port Royal they took six Grignaces[34] or Elks, and brought a quarter or half of them to our people. But that did not go far with so many men. On Palm Sunday, Louis, the eldest son of Membertou, was on the trail of one which had reached Port Royal and was just crossing the river, when his wife caused an alarm by crying out several times, Ech'pada, Ech'pada, that is, "To arms, to arms." They thought it might be an enemy, but it was a welcome one. Sieur de Poutrincourt got into a boat to go and head it off, and, with the help of a big dog, made it turn back whence it came. There was some sport in chasing it so near its death. As soon as it approached the land, Louis pierced it through with an arrow, Sieur de Jouy discharged his arquebuse at its head, but Actaudinech', or Paul, the younger son of Membertou, dexterously cut a vein in its neck, which completely finished it. This gave our people some game, and consolation to their stomachs. But it did not last always, and they had to come back to ordinary fare. You must bear in mind that, in this cutting down of supplies, of which we have spoken, there were great responsibilities for the commandant; for mutinies and conspiracies arose; and on the one hand the cook stole a part of what belonged to the others, while a certain one cried "hunger" who had plenty of bread and meat in his [29] cell, as has been proven. Those who carried wheat to the mill, from fifteen bushels brought back only twelve of flour, instead of eighteen. They also took advantage of the necessity of others, in miserly traffic in Beaver skins with the Savages. Nevertheless (through too much kindness), all these faults were pardoned after they had been looked into. Poor fools, who take good counsel so lightly, and do not see what will become of them afterwards, and that their lives can only be assured by a perpetual exile from their country, and from all they hold dearest in the world.
En cette disette on eut avis de quelques racines que les Sauvages mangent au besoin, lesquelles sont bonnes comme Truffes. Cela fut cause que quelques paresseux se mirẽt avec les diligens a fouiller la terre, & firent si bien par leurs iournées qu'ils en defricherent environ quatre arpens, là où on a semé des segles & legumes. C'est ainsi que Dieu sçait tirer du mal vn bien; il chastie les siens, & neantmoins les soutient de sa main.
During this scarcity they heard of some roots which the Savages eat in their time of need, and which are as good as Truffles.[35] To seek for these, some of the lazy ones, as well as the more industrious, began to dig; and did so well that, by working daily, they cleared about four acres, in which rye and vegetables were planted. It is thus that God can draw good from evil; he chastises his people, and yet sustains them with his hand.
Quand l'hiver fut passé, & que la douceur du temps allecha le poisson à rechercher les eaux douces, on dépecha [170] des gens le 14. Avril pour faire la quéte de cela. Il y a nombre infini de ruisseaux au Port Royal, entre lesquels sont trois ou quatre où vient à foison le poisson au renouveau. L'vn apporte l'Eplan en Avril en quantité infinie. L'autre le Haren, l'autre l'Eturgeon & Saumõ, &c. Ainsi furent lors deputez quelques vns pour aller voir à la riviere qui [30] est au profond du Port Royal, si l'Eplan estoit venu. Ils y allerent, & leur fit Membertou (qui estoit cabanné là) bonne chere, de chair & de poisson. Delà ils allerent au ruisseau nommé Liesse par le Sieur des Noyers Advocat en Parlement, là où ils trouverent tant de poisson, qu'il fallut envoyer querir du sel pour en faire bonne prouision. Ce poisson est fort savoureux & delicat, & ne fait point de mal comme pourroient faire les coquillages: & vient enuiron l'espace de six semaines en ce ruisseau: lequel temps passé il y a vn autre ruisseau audit Port Royal, où vient le Haren, item vn autre où vient la Sardine en méme abondance. Mais quant à la riuiere dudit Port, qui est la riviere de l'Equille, depuis nommée la riviere du Dauphin, au temps susdit elle fournit d'Eturgeons & Saumons à qui veut prendre la peine d'en faire la chasse. Quand le Haren fut venu, les Sauvages (selon leur bon naturel) firent des feuz & fumees en leur quartier, pour en dõner avis à noz François. Ce qui ne fut negligé. Et est cette chasse beaucoup plus certaine que celle des bois.
When the winter was over and the mildness of the weather allured the fish to seek fresh water, upon the 14th of April, men were sent out fishing. There are a great many streams at Port Royal, and among them three or four where the fish swarm in the spawning season. One contains vast numbers of Smelts[36] in April. Another, Herring, another, Sturgeon and Salmon, etc. So some were then sent to the river at the [30] back of Port Royal, to see if the Smelts had come. When they reached the place, Membertou (who was encamped there), received them hospitably, regaling them with meat and fish. Thence they went to the stream called Liesse[37] by Sieur des Noyers, an Advocate in Parliament, where they found so many fish that they had to send and get some salt, to lay in a store of them. These fish are very tempting and delicate, and are not so injurious as shellfish are apt to be. They remain about six weeks in this stream; after that there is another small river near Port Royal, where Herring is found, also another to which Sardines come in great abundance. But as to the river of the Port, which is the river Equille, since named the Dauphin,[38] at the time of which we speak it furnished Sturgeon and Salmon to any one who would take the trouble to fish for them. When the Herrings came, the Savages (with their usual good-nature) let the French know it by signaling from their quarters with fires and smoke. The hint was not neglected, for this kind of hunting is much more sure than that of the woods.
RETOVR EN LA NOVVELLE-FRANCE.
Il estoit le 10. de May quand la derniere cuisson du pain faite, on tint conseil de retourner en France, si dãs le mois n'arriuoit secours. Ce qui fut prest [172] d'estre executé. Mais le iour de la Pentecoste [31] Dieu envoya son esprit consolateur à cette compagnie ja languissante, qui lui suruint bien à propos, par l'arrivée du Sieur de Sainct Iust, duquel il nous faut dire quelque chose: car ci-devant nous l'avons laissé au port de Dieppe, sans avoir veu ce qu'il a fait depuis. S'estant presenté à la Royne; elle fut merveilleusement rejouïe d'entendre la conversion de plusieurs Sauvages qui avoient esté baptizés avant le depart dudit sieur de Sainct Iust, dont ie fis vn recit public que ie presentay à sa Majesté. La dessus les Iesuites se presẽtẽt pour aller au secours. La Royne le trouve bon. Elle les recõmande. I'eusse desiré qu'avant partir quelqu'vn eust remontré à sa Majesté chose qu'elle n'eust fait que trop volontiers: C'est d'envoyer quelque present de vivres & d'habits à ces Neophytes & nouveaux Chrétiens qui portẽt les noms du feu Roy, de la Royne Regente, & de Messeigneurs & Dames les enfans de France. Mais chacun regarde à son profit particulier. Ledit sieur de Sainct Iust apres son rapport fait, pretendoit obtenir quelques defenses pour le cõmerce des Castors, cuidant que la cõsideration de la religion lui pourroit faire aisément accorder cela. Ce qu'il ne peut toutefois obtenir. Et voyant que cette affaire tiroit en longueur, & qu'il falloit aller secourir son pere, ayant mandement de faire en forte d'estre de retour dans quatre mois, il print cõgé de la Royne, laquelle luy bailla de compagnie deux Iesuites pour la conversion des peuples Sauvages de delà. Mais puis que le sieur de Poutrincourt avoit pris vn [32] homme capable à son partement, il me semble que ceux-ci (qui peuvent estre plus vtiles pardeça) se hasterẽt trop pour le profit dudit Sieur: Car [174] le retardement écheu à leur occasion lui a prejudicié de beaucoup, & causé la rupture de son association. Et faut en telles affaires fonder la Republique premierement, sans laquelle l'Eglise ne peut estre, ainsi que i'ay des-ja écrit ci-dessus. I'en avoy dit mon avis audit sieur de Sainct Iust, & qu'il falloit asseurer la vie avant toutes choses, faire vne cuillette de bledz, avoir des bestiaux, & des volatiles domestics, devant que pouvoir assembler ces peuples. Or ceste precipitation pensa, outre la perte susdite, reduire la troupe qui estoit pardela à vne miserable necessité, n'y ayant plus que la cuisson de pain ja faite & distribuée.
RETURN TO NEW FRANCE.
It was the 10th of May, when the last bread was baked, that they took counsel about returning to France, if help did not come within a month. This they were ready to do. But on the day of Pentecost [May 22nd] [31] God sent his consoling spirit to this company, already so disheartened, and it came to them very opportunely in the arrival of Sieur de Sainct Just, of whom we must say a few words; for awhile ago we left him at the port of Dieppe, and have not seen what he has been doing since. When he was presented to the Queen, she was wonderfully pleased to hear about the conversion of several Savages, who had been baptized before the departure of sieur de Sainct Just, an account of which I published and presented to her Majesty. Thereupon the Jesuits offered themselves to aid in the work. The Queen favored the plan, and recommended them. I should have been glad, if, before their departure, some one had suggested to her Majesty a thing which she would willingly have done; namely, to send some presents of food and clothes to these Neophytes and new Christians, who bear the names of the deceased King, of the Queen Regent, and of my Lords and Ladies, the children of France.[39] But every one looks out for his own interests. Sieur de Sainct Just, after his report had been made, meant to obtain protection for the Beaver trade, believing that considerations of a religious nature would easily secure this for him. However, he could not obtain it. And seeing that the affair was dragging on, and that he must go and relieve his father, having been ordered to so arrange affairs as to be back in four months, he took leave of the Queen, who sent with him two Jesuits for the conversion of the Savage tribes over there. But as sieur de Poutrincourt had taken an [32] able man at his departure, it seems to me that these men (who can be more useful here) were in too much of a hurry for the best interests of the Sieur; because the delay, which took place on their account, was very detrimental to him, and caused a dissolution of his partnership. In such undertakings the State must first be founded, without which the Church cannot exist, as I have said before. I expressed my opinion on this subject to sieur de Sainct Just, to the effect that it was necessary to guarantee a living before anything else, to obtain a crop of wheat, to have cattle and domestic fowls, before they could bring these people together. Now this blind haste came very near, besides the above-mentioned losses, reducing the company that was over there to misery and want, as they had nothing left but the one baking of bread, already made and distributed.
Ledit Sieur de Poutrincourt s'estoit associé de deux marchans de Dieppe, lesquels voyans les susdits Iesuites, sçavoir le Pere Biar homme fort sçavant Gascon de nation duquel Monsieur le premier President de Bordeaux m'a fait bon recit; & le Pere Nemon prest à s'embarquer, s'opposerent à cela, & ne voulurent permettre qu'ils fussent du voyage, disant qu'ils nourriroient volontiers toute autre forte d'hommes, Capucins, Minimes, Cordeliers, Recollets, &c. mais quant à ceux-ci qu'ils n'en vouloient point, & ne pouvoient tenir leur bien-asseuré en leur compagnie. Que si la Royne vouloit qu'ils y allassent, on leur rendist leur argent, & qu'ils fissent ce que bon leur sembleroit. Là dessus voila vn retardemẽt. [33] Il faut écrire en Cour, remontrer à sa Majesté l'occasion de cela, demander de l'argent pour rembourser lesdits Marchans, faire des allées & venuës: cependant la saison se passe. La Royne leur ordonna deux mille escus, outre lesquels ils firent des collectes par les maisons des Princes, Seigneurs, & personnes devotes, d'où ilz tirent aussi de bon argent. Bref ilz remboursent lesditz Marchãs de chacũ deux milles livres, [176] & se mettent en fin à la voile le 26. de Ianvier 1611. Le temps estoit difficile, la plus rude saison de l'hiver. Ils furent quelque temps en mer pensans combattre le vent, mais ils furent contraints de relacher en Angleterre, là où ils furent iusques au 16. de Février. Et le 19. Avril ils furent sur le grand Banc des Moruës, où il trouverent des Navires de Dieppe & de Sainct Malo. Et le 29. estans entre ledit Banc & l'ile de Sable, ils cinglerent l'espace de douze lieuës parmi des glaces hautes comme montagnes, sur lesquelles ils descendirent pour faire de l'eau douce avec icelles, laquelle se trouva bonne. Au sortir desdites glaces, fut rencontré vn Navire du Sieur de Monts, auquel commandoit le Capitaine Champlein, duquel nous attendons le retour, pour entendre quelque nouuelle découverte. Depuis lesdites glaces, ils en rencontrerent d'autres continuellemẽt l'espace de cinquante lieuës, lesquelles ils eurent beaucoup de peines à doubler. Et le cinquiéme de May, ils decouvrirent la terre & port de Campseau, duquel on peut voir l'assiette dant la grande Table geographique de mõ Histoire. [34] Là ledit Pere Biar chanta la Messe. Et depuis ils allerent cotoyans la terre, en forte que le 21. de May ils mouïllerẽt l'ancre à l'entrée du passage du Port Royal.