CHAPTER XVIII. [i.e., xvii.]
[164] THE VOYAGE TO THE ST. JOHN RIVER: AND THE QUARREL WHICH OCCURRED THERE.
I SAID above that sieur de Biencourt took a barque away from Port aux Coquilles, that he might make a journey therewith to the Armouchiquois.[39] This is the name of the people who live below the forty-third parallel, toward the Southwest. They begin at Chouacoët, and are said to be very numerous. Lack of provisions urged sieur de Biencourt to make this voyage, because, as these people till the soil and put away stores of grain, he hoped, by means of trade or in some other way, to get help from them to provide against the famine [165] which awaited us in the course of the Winter. His barque was equipped too late for such a long journey, for we were not ready until the third of October, and he still wanted to go to the Saint John river before making this voyage.
La riuiere de sainct Iean est au Noroüest de Port Royal, y ayant entre-deux la Baye Françoise, large de 14. lieuës. L'entrée de ceste riuiere est fort estroicte, & tres-dangereuse: car il faut passer au milieu de deux roches, desquelles l'vne iette sur l'autre le courant de la marée, estãt entre deux aussi viste qu'vn traict. Apres les roches suit vn affreux, & horrible precipice, lequel si vous ne passez à propos, & quand il est comblé doucemẽt, de cent mille barques [210] vn poil n'eschapperoit pas, que corps & biens tout ne perist.
The river saint John is to the Northwest of Port Royal, the intermediate space being occupied by French Bay, 14 leagues wide. The entrance to this river is very narrow and very dangerous: for the ship has to pass between two rocks where the current of the tide is tossed from one to the other, flashing between them as swift as an arrow. Beyond these rocks lies a frightful and horrible precipice, and if you do not pass over it at the proper moment, and when the water is smoothly heaped up, of a hundred thousand barques not an atom would escape, but men and goods would all perish.
Le ieune du Pont & le Capitaine [166] Merueille s'estoyent allé loger à quelques six lieuës auant dedans ceste riuiere S. Iean, n'estants en tout que sept ou huict, tous Maloüins. Le sieur de Biencourt vouloit exiger d'eux le Quint de toutes leurs marchandises, pource qu'ils residoyent dans le pays, cõme il a esté dict, à ceste cause il auoit entreprins ce voyage. Nous estions en tout seize François & deux Sauuages, qui nous conduisoyent.
Young du Pont and Captain [166] Merveille had gone to stay some six leagues up this river St. John, with a company of not more than seven or eight, all Maloüins. Sieur de Biencourt wished to exact from them the Fifth of all their merchandise, because they were residents of the country, as has been said; it was for this purpose he undertook this voyage. We were in all sixteen Frenchmen, and two Savages, who conducted us.
Or comme nous nauigions cõtremont, estants ja presque à vne lieuë & demy de l'habitation des Maloüins sur le commencement de la nuict; vn signacle nous apparut, qui nous espouuanta. Car le ciel rougist extraordinairement à costé de l'habitation desdits Maloüins, & puis la rougeur se decoupant en longs fuseaux, & lances s'en alla fondre droit dessus ceste [167] maison. Cela se fit par deux fois. Nos Sauuages voyants ce prodige crierẽt en leur langage. Gara gara: Maredo. Nous aurons guerre, il y aura du sang. Les Frãçois faisoyẽt aussi des Almanachs là dessus chacun selon son sens. Nous arriuasmes au deuant de leur habitation ja la nuict toute close, & ny eust autre chose pour lors, sinon que nous les saluames d'vn coup de fauconneau, & ils nous respondirent d'vn coup de pierrier.
Now as we were sailing up the river, being already about a league and a half from the Maloüin settlement, towards nightfall a phenomenon appeared to us, which filled us with terror. For the heavens became wonderfully red over the Maloüin habitation, and then the glow, separating into long rays and flashes of light, moved on and melted away over this [167] settlement. This appeared twice. Our Savages, when they saw this wonder, cried out in their language: Gara gara: Maredo. "We shall have war, there will be blood." The French also made some Prophecies thereupon, each according to his own idea. We arrived opposite their settlement when the night had already closed in, and there was nothing we could do then, except to fire a salute from the falconet, which they answered with one from the swivel gun.
Le matin venu, & les prieres accoustumées faictes, deux Maloüins se presenterent à la riue, & nous signifierent, qu'on pouuoit aborder pacifiquement; ce qu'on fit. On sceut d'eux que leurs Capitaines n'y estoyent point, ains s'en estoyent allez bien haut contre la riuiere, despuis trois iours, & qu'on ne sçauoit [212] quand ils reuiendroyent. Cependant le P. Biard [168] s'en alla preparer son Autel, & celebra la saincte Messe.