Once, while he was working on Sunday, I told him that God forbade work upon certain days; he said: "Teach me those days, [40] and I shall keep them." Reading the Commandments of God in his cabin, when I came to that one which commands children to obey their father and mother, he turned toward his, and signed to them to listen. Having heard that other Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," he told me some one had tried to incite him to murder; but, seeing that it was an evil deed, he did not wish to do it. That was another conversation.
Pierre Pastedechouan nous a rapporté que sa grand'mere prenoit plaisir à raconter l'estonnement qu'eurent les Sauuages voyans arriuer le vaisseau des François qui aborda le premier en ces pays cy, ils pensoient que ce fust vne Isle mouuante, ils ne sçauoient que dire des grãdes voiles qui la faisoiẽt marcher, leur estonnement redoubla voyans quãtité d'hommes sur le tillac. Les femmes [41] commencerent à leur dresser des cabanes, ce qu'elles font ordinairement quand de nouueaux hostes arriuent, & quatre canots de Sauuages se hazarderent d'abborder ces vaisseaux, ils inuitent les François à venir dans les cabanes qu'on leur preparoit, mais ils ne s'entendoient pas les vns les autres. On leur donna vne barique de pain ou biscuit, l'ayant emporté & reuisité, n'y trouuant point de goust, ils la ietterent en l'eau: en vn mot ils estoient dans le mesme estonnement qui fut iadis le Roy de Calecut à l'abbord du premier nauire European qu'il veit prés de ses terres; car ayant enuoyé quelques personnes pour recognoistre quels gens [120] amenoit ceste grande maison de bois, les messagers rapporterent à leur maistre que c'estoiẽt des hommes prodigieux & espouuentables; qu'ils s'habilloient de [42] fer, mangeoient des os, & beuuoiẽt du sang; ils les auoient veu couuerts de leurs cuirasses, manger du biscuit & boire du vin. Nos Saunages disoient que les François beuuoient du sang, & mangeoient du bois, appellant ainsi le vin, & le biscuit.
Pierre Pastedechouan has told us that his grandmother used to take pleasure in relating to him the astonishment of the Natives, when they saw for the first time a French ship arrive upon their shores. They thought it was a moving Island; they did not know what to say of the great sails which made it go; their astonishment was redoubled in seeing a number of men on deck. The women [41] at once began to prepare houses for them, as is their custom when new guests arrive, and four canoes of Savages ventured to board these vessels. They invited the Frenchmen to come into the houses which had been made ready for them, but neither side understood the other. They were given a barrel of bread or biscuit. Having brought it on shore they examined it; and, finding no taste in it, threw it into the water. In a word, they were as much astonished as was the King of Calecut, in olden times, when he saw the first European ship nearing his shores; for, having sent some one to investigate the character and appearance of the men brought by that great house of wood, the messengers reported to their master that these men were prodigious and horrible; that they were dressed in [42] iron, ate bones, and drank blood. They had seen them covered with their cuirasses, eating biscuits, and drinking wine. Our Savages said the Frenchmen drank blood and ate wood, thus naming the wine and the biscuits.
Or comme ils ne pouuoient entendre de quelle nation estoient nos gens, ils leurs donnerent vn nom, qui est tousiours demeuré depuis aux François ouemich-tigouchiou, c'est à dire vn homme qui trauaille en bois, ou qui est en vn canot ou vaisseau de bois: ils voyoient nostre nauire fait de bois, leurs petits canots n'estans bastis que d'escorce.
Now as they were unable to understand to what nation our people belonged, they gave them the name which has since always clung to the French, ouemich-tigouchiou; that is to say, a man who works in wood, or who is in a canoe or vessel of wood. They saw our ships, which were made of wood, their little canoes being made only of bark.
Le 20. de Nouembre nostre Sauuage, c'est ainsi que i'appelleray ce bon Manitougache, surnommé la Nasse, se mit à faire vne cabane de bois dans le bastiment que nous ont bruslé les Anglois tout auprés [43] de nostre petite maison, il fit luy-mesme de la planche auec vne hache, couppant certains arbres aisez à refendre: il alla brusler vne vieille challouppe qu'il auoit veu échoüée & abandonnée dans vne Isle, & du clou qu'il en retira, il se fit auec ses planches vne petite maisonnette ou cabane assez passable; les autres Sauuages la venoient voir, & nos François aussi, loüans son inuention. Ie luy donnay vn nom de Iesus en papier pour le mettre dedãs en quelque endroit, il l'attacha au plꝰ beau lieu.
On the 20th of November, our Savage,—it is thus that I shall designate this good Manitougache,—surnamed la Nasse, began building a wooden cabin near our little house, on the site of the one which the [43] English had burned down. He himself made boards with a hatchet, cutting certain kinds of wood that are easily split. He burned an old boat, that he had seen stranded and abandoned upon an Island; and, with the nails which he obtained, he made a very fair little house or cabin with his boards. The other Savages came to see it, and we Frenchmen also, praising his ingenuity. I gave him the name of Jesus on a paper, to put inside of it somewhere, and he hung it up in the best place.
Il arriua vne chose plaisante à vn Sauuage qui le venoit voir: ce bon homme regardoit cette maisonnette de bois, & ne sçauoit par où entrer, ne pouuant trouuer la porte, il tourne & retourne à l'entour de [122] cette cabane, & croyant qu'il n'y auoit point d'entrée, il s'en alla comme il estoit venu, on dira qu'il deuoit [44] frapper, ce n'est point la coustume des Sauuages, ils entrent par tout sans dire mot, ny sans vous salüer: leurs cabanes ne fermẽt point, y entre qui veut, ils n'ont qu'vne vieille peau qui leur sert de porte; on n'entend point neantmoins parler de larrons parmy eux, cela est fort rare i'entend des Montagnaits: car les Hurons font mestier de dérober, aussi font ils de meilleures cabanes, estans sedentaires, & non vagabons & errans comme ceux de ce pays-cy. I'apprend que ces Hurons tiennent vn homme pour auoir de l'esprit qui esquiue la main du larron, ou qui sçait dérober sans estre recognu: que s'il est surpris, battez-le tãt que vous voudrez, il ne vous dira rien: il souffre patiemment ce chastiment, non en punition du larcin, mais de sa lourdise, s'estant laissé surprendre.
Something very amusing happened to a Savage who came to see it. This simple man examined the little wooden house, and not knowing where to enter, being unable to find the door, he went round and round it, and, thinking there was no entrance, went away as he came. One would say that he ought [44] to have knocked; but this is not the custom of the Savages. They enter everywhere without saying a word, or without any greeting. Their houses are not closed; all can enter who will, as they have only an old skin which serves as a door. Nevertheless, we never hear of thieves among them, or very seldom.—I mean among the Montagnaits; but the Hurons make a business of thieving. They also make better houses, being sedentary, and not leading a vagabond and wandering life like those of this country. I learn that the Hurons consider a man very clever who can escape the hand of a thief, or who knows how to steal without being caught. But, if he be discovered, you may whip him as much as you like and he will say nothing. He suffers his punishment patiently, not as a penalty for his crime, but for his awkwardness in being caught.
Le 27. du mesme mois de Nouembre, [45] l'hyuer qui auoit desia paru comme de loin, de temps en temps, nous assiegea tout à fait. Car ce iour & les autres suiuans, il tomba tant de neige, qu'elle nous déroba la veuë de la terre pour cinq mois.