On the 9th I went to see these newcomers; and while in their cabin I heard two men singing, but I could not tell where they were. I looked all around in the cabin, but did not see them, and yet they were there in the very middle of it, shut up as in an oven, where they had placed themselves to have a sweat. They make a little low tent of bark, and cover it with their fur robes; then they heat five or six stones and put them into this oven, which they enter entirely naked. [26] They sing all the time while in there, gently striking the sides of these stoves. I saw them come out all wet with perspiration; this is the best of their medicines.[31]
Le 12. de Nouembre, l'hyuer fit ses approches, commençant à nous assieger de ses glaces. Ayant esté fort long temps ce iour là dans vne grande cabane de Sauuages, où il y auoit plusieurs hommes, femmes, enfans de toutes façons, ie remarquay leur admirable patience, s'il y auoit tant de familles ensemble en nostre France, ce ne seroiẽt que disputes, que querelles, & qu'iniures; les meres ne s'impatientent point apres leurs enfans, ils ne sçauent que c'est que de iurer, tout leur serment consiste en ce mot taponé, en verité, point de ialousie les vns enuers les autres, ils s'entr'aident & secourent grandement, pource qu'ils esperent le reciproque, [27] cet espoir manquant, ils ne tiennent compte de qui que ce soit.
On the 12th of November, winter made its first appearance, beginning to besiege us with its ice. Having spent a long time on that day in one of the large cabins of the Savages, where there were a number of men, women, and children of all kinds, I noticed their wonderful patience. If so many families were together in our France, there would be nothing but disputes, quarrels, and revilings. The mothers do not get impatient with their children, they do not know what it is to swear, their only oath consisting of this one word taponé, "in truth;"[32] there is no jealousy among them; they aid and relieve each other very generously, because they expect a return of the favor. [27] If this expectation fail, they respect the person no longer, whoever he may be.
Tout ainsi qu'vn homme en Europe se compose & s'habille honnestement quand il veut aller en quelque honneste maison; de mesme les Sauuages se font peindre la face quãd ils font quelques visites. Le fils de Manitougache voulant aller à l'habitation, ie vy sa mere qui le graissoit & le peignoit de rouge, elle en fit autant à son mary: ils trouuent cela si agreable, que les petits enfans ne pensent pas estre beaux, s'ils ne sont barboüillez: i'en voiois vn qui frottoit ses doigts sur vne hache roüillée, puis se faisoit des rayes au visage auec cette roüillure, ie fis vne [106] petite croix auec vn peu d'encre sur le front d'vn petit garçon, il se tenoit bien braue, & les autres trouvoient cela fort beau. Ou que le iugement des hommes est foible! les vns logẽt la beauté [28] où les autres ne voient que la laideur. Les dents les plus belles en France sont les plus blanches, aux Isles des Maldiues la blancheur des dents est vne difformité, ils se les rougissent pour estre belles: & dans la Cochinchine, si i'ay bonne memoire, ils les teignent en noir. Voyez qui a raison.
Just as a man in Europe arranges his toilet with care when he is going to pay a visit to some respectable family, so these Savages have their faces painted when they make visits. The son of Manitougache wishing to go to our settlement, I saw his mother grease him and paint him red; she did the same to her husband. They find this so agreeable that the little children do not think they are beautiful unless their faces are smeared over with something. I saw one rubbing his fingers upon a rusty axe, and then making streaks upon his face with the rust. I made a small cross with some ink upon the brow of a little boy; he acted very proud, and the others considered him quite beautiful. Oh, how weak are the judgments of men! Some place beauty [28] where others see nothing but ugliness. The most beautiful teeth in France are the whitest; in the Maldive Islands whiteness of teeth is considered a deformity, they paint them red to be beautiful; and in Cochin China, if my memory serves me, they paint them black. Which is right?
Le 13. Manitougache nostre hoste & voisin nous vint dire qu'on auoit veu quantité d'Hiroquois qui auoiẽt paru iusques auprés de Kebec. Tous les Montagnaits trembloient de peur. Celuy-cy nous demanda si sa femme & ses enfans ne pourroient pas bien venir coucher chez nous, nous luy respondismes que luy & ses fils seroient les tres-bien venus, mais que les filles & femmes ne couchoient point dans nos maisons, voire mesme qu'elles n'y entroient point en France, & qu'aussi-tost que nous serions fermez, que la porte ne leur seroit [29] plus ouuerte. Il enuoya donc tout son train, tous les ieunes gens aux cabanes voisines de Kebec, où l'on disoit que l'on enuoyeroit quelques harquebusiers pour les garder. Pour luy estant inuité du Capitaine des Sauuages de prendre sa cabane iusques à ce que l'effroy fust passé, il fit response que s'il deuoit mourir, qu'il vouloit mourir aupres de nous, & ainsi ayant mis ses gens en asseurance, il nous reuint trouuer.
On the 13th, Manitougache, our guest and neighbor, came to tell us that a great many Hiroquois had been seen near Kebec. All the Montagnaits trembled with fear. He asked if his wife and children could not come and lodge with us. We answered him that he and his sons would be very welcome, but that girls and women were not permitted to sleep in our houses, indeed, they never entered them in France; and that, just as soon as we could close our doors, they would not again be [29] opened to them. He then sent his whole party, all the young people, to cabins in the neighborhood of Kebec, where they were told that some arquebusiers would be sent to protect them. As to himself, having been invited by the Captain of the Savages to accept his cabin until the fright should have passed away, he answered that, if he had to die, he wanted to die near us; and, having thus placed his people in security, he returned to us.
Ce mesme iour Pierre Pastedechouan nous vint voir pour demeurer auec nous. Ie ne puis obmettre icy vn trait fort particulier de l'admirable bonté & prouidence de Dieu en nostre endroit. Ce ieune [108] homme a esté conduit en Frãce en son bas âge par les RR. Peres Recolets, il a esté baptisé à Angers Monsieur le Prince de Guimenée estoit sõ parrain, il parle fort biẽ Francois, & fort bon Sauuage, [30] ayant esté ramené en son pays on le remit entre les mains de ses freres pour reprendre les idées de sa langue qu'il auoit presque oubliées: ce pauure miserable est deuenu barbare comme les autres, & a tousiours continué dans ses barbaries pendant que les Anglois ont icy seiourné. Sçachant le retour de François, il vient voir le sieur Emery de Caën à Tadoussac, qui l'inuita de monter à Kebec, ce qu'il fit. Il le vouloit prendre pour son truchement, le faisant manger à sa table, luy témoignant vn fort bon visage. Moy cependant comme ie desirois grandement d'entrer dans la cognoissance de la langue, & voyant que ie n'auançois riẽ faute de maistre, ie deliberay de m'addresser à Dieu, esperant que nous aurions ce ieune homme pour quelque temps: nous nous mismes tous a solliciter cette affaire auprés de nostre Seigneur, ie sentois [31] vn si grand desir, ioinct auec vne si grande confiãce, qu'il me sembloit que nous l'auions desia contre toutes les apparences humaines: car comme on se vouloit seruir de luy au fort, on le traittoit fauorablement, veu d'ailleurs que ne respirant que la liberté, il abhorrait plustost nostre maison, qu'il ne l'aimoit. Dieu est plus fort que tous les hommes, il n'appartient qu'à luy de tirer le biẽ du mal. Ce pauure ieune homme estant trop à son aise ne s'y peut tenir, il mescontente le sieur de Caën vne & deux fois il est disgracié, & remis en faueur, cependant ie sollicite le sieur de Caën de nous l'enuoyer au cas qu'il ne se pût accommoder au fort, qu'il nous [110] obligeroit, & feroit du bien à ce pauure abandonné: luy qui nous faisoit l'hõneur que de nous aimer, s'y accorde aisément. Or ce pauure garçon se voiant decheu de l'amitié du sieur de [32] Caën se iette du costé du sieur du Plessis, c'estoit tomber pour luy de fiéure en chaud mal: car le sieur du Plessis cognoissant ses fripponneries, & desirant qu'il demeurast auec nous, le rebuta, luy promettant son amitié au cas qu'il voulust passer quelques mois en nostre maison pour se remettre dans les deuoirs d'vn bon Chrestien. Monsieur de Caën luy témoignoit le mesme: le voila donc exclus du fort. Il ne falloit plus qu'estre abãdonné en quelque façon des Sauuages. Il auoit espousé la fille de Manitougache, elle ayant receu quelque mescontentement de luy, le quitta là, ce sont les mariages des Sauuages, qui ne se lient que par vn lacs courant, il faut peu de chose pour les separer, si ce n'est qu'ils ayent des enfans, car alors ils ne se quittent pas si aisement.
On this same day, Pierre Pastedechouan came[33] to make his home with us. I cannot omit here an incident especially exhibiting the admirable kindness and providence of God in our behalf. This young man had been taken to France in his childhood by the Reverend Recolet Fathers. He had been baptized at Angers, Monsieur the Prince of Guimenée being his godfather. He speaks French and the Savage Tongue very well. [30] Having been brought back to his country, he was again placed in the hands of his brothers, to recover the use of his own language, which he had almost forgotten. This poor wretch has become a barbarian like the others, and persistently followed barbaric customs while the English were here. Hearing of the return of the French, he visited sieur Emery de Caën, at Tadoussac, who invited him to go to Kebec, which he did. He intended to take him for his interpreter, having him eat at his table, and treating him kindly. Meanwhile, I desired to obtain a greater knowledge of the language; and seeing that I made no progress, for want of a teacher, I had been thinking for some time of asking God, hoping that we should have this young man with us for a while. We all began to pray for this favor at the throne of our Lord; I felt [31] so strong a desire, combined with so great confidence, that it seemed to me we had him already, all human appearances to the contrary notwithstanding; for, as they wanted to make use of him at the fort, he was treated very kindly. Besides, while breathing only liberty, he rather abhorred our house than loved it. God is stronger than all men; it belongs only to him to draw good out of evil. This poor young man, being in too easy a position, could not stand his prosperity. He displeased sieur de Caën; once and twice, he was disgraced, and restored to favor. In the meantime, I solicited sieur de Caën to send him to us, in the event that it was not agreeable to him to keep him at the fort; that he would oblige us, and do a service to this poor abandoned creature. He, who honored us with his affection, granted our request readily; now this poor boy, seeing that he has lost the friendship of sieur de [32] Caën, goes over to sieur du Plessis.[34] This was but going from bad to worse. For sieur du Plessis, knowing his knavish tricks, and desiring that he should live with us, rejected him, promising him his friendship provided that he would spend some months in our house, where he might resume the duties of a good Christian. Monsieur de Caën treated him in the same way; behold him thus excluded from the fort. Nothing was lacking but that he should in some way be abandoned by the Savages also. He had married the daughter of Manitougache; she, having become somewhat dissatisfied with him, left him. Such are the nuptial ties of the Savages, who bind themselves by only a loose knot; but little is necessary to separate them, unless they have children, for then they do not leave each other so easily.
Estant donc ainsi rebuté, il se vint ietter entre nos bras qui n'estoient [33] que trop ouuerts pour luy, nous luy procurasmes vn habit de Frãçois, que le valet de chambre du sieur du Plessis luy donna, bref nous luy fismes tout l'accueil qui nous fut possible, rendans mille graces au bon Dieu de ce qu'il luy auoit pleu exaucer nos prieres.