Let us return to our discourse upon the weather and seasons. I noticed once, that two February days, the 26th and 27th, were as beautiful, mild, and spring-like as are those in France about that time; nevertheless, the third day [18] after, it snowed a little and the cold returned. Sometimes in summer the heat is as intolerable, or more so than it is in France; but it does not last long, and soon the sky begins to be overcast. The foliage appears upon the trees later than it usually does in France, yet it has not done so this year, 1614, for when I arrived in Picardie towards the end of April, I did not find the season any more advanced there. Indeed it seemed to me that in Canada everything sprouted sooner. And, speaking in general, the weather and season over there are just like what we have experienced here this year in Paris and Picardie, except for the drizzling rains and fogs, which are more common in that country. At Port Royal we had scarcely any during the Summer, except near the coast. But among the Etechemins and at Pentegoet, these [19] fogs often continue for three and four days, a very discouraging thing, and we were afraid they would keep our crops from ripening; nevertheless, we have too many arguments to the contrary. For at Port Royal, which is colder, and more changeable, they ripened, and I had a three years' experience there. Also, Champlain asserts that at Ste. Croix, which is upon this same coast (in a very chilly and cloudy location) their wheat and other crops always ripened.
Voire, mais quelle peut estre la cause de ces frimas, & de ce plus grand froid, que nous ne sentons d'ordinaire en France? Car il y a bien à considerer, veu mesmes que la Norembegue, où estoit nostre habitation de S. Sauueur, est autant Australe, que nos Prouinces, [20] qui le sont le plus, la Guiẽne, Languedoc, & Dauphiné. Si n'en faut-il point assigner la cause aux montagnes. Car nous n'en voyons point là de fort hautes, telles que sont nos Seuenes, Mesain, la Chartreuse, & vne grande partie d'Auuergne, Velay, Dauphiné & Prouence, & seroit hors de toute apparence que ce peu de haut pays, qu'on remarque en la Norembegue, peust causer si grandes alterations en si vaste estẽduë de Prouince; mesmes que le grand froid de ce pays là ne vient pas du costé où plus y a de haut pays, qui est le Nordest, (ainsi que vous pouués apperceuoir en la charte) ains du Noroüest, qui est tout plat.
But in truth what can be the cause of these hoar-frosts and cold, so much greater than we usually have in France? For, it is well to consider it, since even Norembegue, where our settlement of St. Sauveur was located, is as far South, as our most Southern Provinces, [20] Guienne, Languedoc, and Dauphiné. But we cannot assign the cause to the mountains, for we have not seen any very high ones there, such as our Sevenes, Mesain, Chartreuse, and a large part of Auvergne, Velay, Dauphiné and Provence; and it would be out of all question that so slight an elevation as is to be seen in Norembegue, could cause so great a variation in such a vast extent of country; also the great cold of that country does not come from the coast, where the greatest elevations are to be found, which is the Northeast (as you can see from the chart), but from the Northwest, which is entirely flat.
Les defenseurs des influences tiennent icy bon dans leur Casematte, & auancent leurs armes defensiues estre tout, sçauoir est, [21] leurs causes incogneuës; disants qu'il y a ie ne sçay quoy au ciel, qui cause cest effect en ces terres: & semblablement le Drach, passant par la mer Occidentale de ces regions, à l'endroit de la nouuelle Albion, au dessous du destroict d'Auian, à 40. 42. & 44. d'eleuation Septentrionale, il y trouua si grand froid, qu'il fust contrainct de rebrousser chemin. De mesmes qu'au pays de Counibas, qui est en mesme latitude au dedans des [58] terres, les Espagnols y ont trouué de grandes mõtagnes, & si grand froid, qu'ils n'y ont peu durer. Que ces pays là sont à nostre Oüest, d'où les plus horribles froidures procedent, & que ceste pourroit bien estre la cause de ces gelées, & gry-temps par vne continuation d'air. Mais pourquoy, & en la nouuelle Albion, & au pays de Connibas y glace-il si fort? On [22] n'en peut pas bien sçauoir la cause, disent-ils, & faut croire qu'il y a certaines influences, que nous ne descouurons pas. C'est bien certes bailler de fortes aisles au froid, le nous faire venir de quatre, ou cinq cens lieuës. Car ie croy qu'il y en a bien autant, voire plus, iusques à la nouuelle Albion: cependant nous voyõs que souuent vne seule lieuë de pays & encores moins, donne changement notable de chaud, & de froid, de clair & d'obscur, de sec & d'humide, & toutes autres telles variations ainsi qu'il est notoire. De plus cela est ridicule, apres auoir fait cinq cents lieuës pour trouuer le froid en son giste, & cauerne originaire, ne rencontrer sinon ie ne sçay quelles influẽces, qu'on ne peut nommer, & certaines impressions occultes. N'eussiez vous pas plustost fait desloger [23] ces aspects, impressions, & causes anonymes, & absconses que vous dites sur Canada mesme, ou dessous elle, ou dedans, que de les aller chercher si loing en vn pays où vous ne fustes iamais?
Here the defenders of silent forces hold themselves well intrenched in their Fortress and simply advance their defensive weapons, i.e., [21] their unknown causes, saying that there is an inexplicable something in the sky which causes this effect upon these lands: and also Drake, traversing the sea West of this country, in the region of New Albion, below the strait of Auian, at 40°, 42°, and 44° North latitude, encountered such severe cold that he was forced to turn back.[12] Likewise that in the Counibas[13] country, which is in the same latitude in the interior of the continent, the Spaniards found high mountains, and such severe cold, that they could not remain there; that those countries, from which comes the most severe cold, are West of us, and that this might well be the cause of these frosts and fogs, through a continuous current of air. But why, both in new Albion and in the Connibas country, does it become so cold? We [22] cannot know the cause thereof, they say, and must believe that there are certain influences, which we do not discover. They must give the cold rather strong wings to make it come to us from four or five hundred leagues. For I believe there are as many and more than that, up to new Albion; however, we often notice that a single league and even less makes a noticeable difference in the heat and cold, light and darkness, dryness and humidity, and all such other variations, so much so that it is remarkable. Moreover, it is ridiculous, after having gone five hundred leagues to find the cold in its native lair, not to encounter anything except inexplicable influences, which cannot be named, and certain mysterious agencies. Would you not rather seek out [23] these aspects, agencies, and unknown and hidden causes which you talk about, in Canada itself, either below or within it, rather than to look for them so far away in a country where you have never been?
Quant à nous, apres auoir prou disputé, nous n'auons trouué que deux causes de la disproportion qu'il y a entre ce pays là, & cestui-cy, quant au temps & saisons: l'vne est, que Canada est plus Aquatique: & l'autre quell'est inculte. Car premierement si vous regardez mesmes la charte Geographique, vous verrez ceste region estre fort entrecoupée de seins & bayes de mer, & ses terres eschancrées d'eau, ell'est outre [60] plus fort arrousée de riuieres, & occupée de plusieurs estangs, & lacs, ce qui seroit vn grand ornement, & commodité du pays s'il estoit habité, mais aussi tout cela cause du [24] froid, & des bruisnes, mesmement aux bords de la mer, & riuieres. Or nous n'auons iamais demeuré autre part. Car nous ne sommes point entrés dedans les terres, sinon par les moyen de la mer & des riuieres. L'Acadie autrement ditte les Souriquoys, où est Port Royal, est quasi peninsule: aussi est elle plus frilleuse, & plus inegale, que n'est la Norambegue, laquelle sans doute est meilleure, & en toutes façons plus habitable, & plantureuse.
As to us, after having sufficiently discussed the matter, we found only two causes for the difference between the two countries, as to weather and seasons; one is that Canada has more Water, and the other that it is uncultivated. For, in the first place, if you merely look at the chart, you will see that this region is very much indented with gulfs and bays, and that its lands, hollowed out by the waters, are much more intersected by rivers, and occupied by a number of ponds and lakes, which would be a great ornament and convenience to the country if it were inhabited; but all this also causes the [24] cold and fogs, as well upon the borders of the sea and rivers. Now we have never lived anywhere else, for we have not penetrated into the country except through the sea and rivers. Acadie, otherwise called the Souriquoys, where Port Royal is, is almost a peninsula; also it is more chilly and more variable than Norambegue, which without doubt is better and in every way more habitable and fertile.
La seconde cause du froid est toute semblable, sçauoir est la sauuagine & friche du pays: car ce n'est tout qu'vne forest infinie: Partant le sol ne peut estre de lõg temps eschauffé par le soleil, soit pource qu'il a la crouste dure, n'estant iamais labouré, soit à cause des arbres, qui l'ombragent perpetuellement, soit parce que la nege, [25] & les eaux y croupissent long temps, sans pouuoir estre consumées. Par ainsi de ces terres ne se peuuent esleuer, que des vapeurs froides, mornes & relentes: & ce sont les bruines lors que le vent cesse, ce sont aussi nos gelées cuisantes, lors que l'agitation & le souffle les met en cholere. Là où si la terre estoit habitée, & cultiuée, outre que d'elle, & des logis des habitans monteroyent des exhalations, c'est à dire, des fumées chaudes, & seches: le soleil de plus la trouueroit disposée à sentir ses rayons, & dissipper le froid, & broüillars: ce qui nous estoit fort oculaire, & sensible. Car en ce peu que nous auions labouré, tousiours la nege s'y fondoit plustost qu'autre part, & de là d'ordinaire les broüees commençoyent à se dissiper, & peu à peu s'esuanouïr.
The second cause of the cold is very similar; namely, the wild and primitive condition of the land; for this is only a boundless forest, and so the soil cannot be readily warmed by the sun, either because it has a hard crust, never having been ploughed, or on account of the trees, which cast upon it a perpetual shade, or because the snow [25] and water stagnate there for a long time with no possibility of being consumed. Thus, from these lands nothing can arise except cold, gloomy, and mouldy vapors; and these are the fogs when the wind ceases, and our piercing cold when they are put in motion and blown into a fury. Whereas, if the land were inhabited and cultivated, from it and from the dwellings of the inhabitants would arise exhalations, that is, warm and dry fumes; furthermore, the sun would find it prepared to feel its rays, and to scatter the cold and fogs; this was very evident to us from actual observation. For upon the small part which we ploughed, the snow always melted sooner than upon the other parts, and from there, the fogs usually began to scatter, and little by little to disappear.