On the 23rd of the same month, sieur du Plessis sent word to us that twelve or fourteen canoes of the tribe of sorcerers had gone down as far as Sainte Croix, fifteen leagues or thereabouts above Kebec.[51] A few days before, we had seen a dozen belonging to another tribe called Iroquet, from the name of their Captain,[52] also going down. God be blessed, since the fear of the Hiroquois did not prevent their coming. These sorcerers,—it is thus that the French call that tribe, because they make a special profession of consulting their Manitou, or talking to the devil,[43]—these sorcerers, I say, came as far as Kebec. One of them was looking very attentively [244 i.e., 144] at a little French boy who was beating a drum; and, going near to him so as to see him better, the little boy struck him a blow with one of his drumsticks, and made his head bleed badly. Immediately all the people of his tribe who were looking at the drummer, seeing this blow given, took offense at it. They went and found the French interpreter, and said to him: "Behold, one of thy people has wounded one of ours; thou knowest our custom well; give us presents for this wound." As there is no government among the Savages, if one among them kills or wounds another, he is, providing he can escape, released from all punishment by making a few presents to the friends of the deceased or the wounded one. Our interpreter said: "Thou knowest our custom; when any of our number does wrong we punish him. This child has wounded one of your people; he shall be [245 i.e., 145] whipped at once in thy presence." The little boy was brought in; and when they saw that we were really in earnest, that we were stripping this little pounder of Savages and drums, and that the switches were all ready, they immediately began to pray for his pardon, alleging that it was only a child, that he had no mind, that he did not know what he was doing; but, as our people were nevertheless going to punish him, one of the Savages stripped himself entirely, threw his blanket over the child, and cried out to him who was going to do the whipping: "Strike me, if thou wilt, but thou shalt not strike him;" and thus the little one escaped. All the Savage tribes of these quarters, and of Brazil, as we are assured, cannot chastise a child, nor see one chastised. How much trouble this will give us in carrying out our plans [246 i.e., 146] of teaching the young!
Le 24. du mesme mois, le Pere Daniel arriuant, nous apporta nouuelle de la venuë du Capitaine Morieult, dans le vaisseau duquel il auoit laissé le Pere Dauost à Tadoussac: ayant pris le deuant par le moyen d'vne barque qui montoit a Kebec.
On the 24th of the same month, Father Daniel,[53] arriving, brought us news of the coming of Captain Morieult in the ship in which he had left Father Davost[54] at Tadoussac; he having come up ahead, by means of a bark which was going on to Kebec.
Le dernier iour de Iuin, le Truchement François [222] qui a demeuré long-temps parmy ces sorciers, & qui en est reuenu nouuellemẽt, nous vint voir auec trois Sauuages ses hostes, nous leur donnasmes à mãger: Ils recognurent fort bien le Pere Brebeuf, ayant hyuerné auec luy aux Hurons: Nous les menasmes en nostre petite Chappelle, qui a commẽcé ceste année à s'embellir. L'an passé pour tableau de l'Autel c'estoit vn meschãt linceul, & deux petites images de carton: en vn mot il n'y auoit purement que ce qu'il falloit pour [247 i.e., 147] celebrer la Saincte Messe. Or comme on nous a enuoyé ceste année quelques petits ornemens, nous l'auons embellie le mieux que nous auons peu: ils regardoient tous fort attentiuement: iettans les yeux sur le ciel de l'Autel, ils veirẽt vn S. Esprit figuré par vne colombe, entourée de rayons: ils demanderent si cét oiseau n'estoit point le tonnerre, car ils croyent, comme ie remarquay l'an passé, que le tonnerre est vn oiseau; & quand ils voyent quelque beau panache ils demandent si ce ne sont point des plumes du tonnerre.
On the last day of June, the French Interpreter, who had been a long time among these sorcerers, and who but recently came from them, came to see us with three Savages who were his guests; we gave them something to eat; they recognized Father Brebeuf at once, having passed the winter with him among the Hurons.[55] We took them into our little Chapel, which we have this year begun to decorate. Last year, for Altar-piece, we had nothing but an old sheet with two little card pictures upon it. In a word we had only what was absolutely necessary for the [247 i.e., 147] celebration of the Holy Mass. Now, as they have sent us this year a few little ornaments, we have decorated it as best we could. The Savages gazed at it with fixed attention; raising their eyes to the Altar ceiling, and seeing the Holy Spirit pictured as a dove, surrounded by rays of light, they asked if that bird was not the thunder; for they believe, as I wrote last year, that the thunder is a bird; and, when they see beautiful plumes, they ask if they are not the feathers of the thunder.
Ie leur fis demander s'ils seroient bien contens qu'on les allast instruire en leur pays, & qu'on leur donneroit l'explication des images que nous leur faisions voir; ils témoignerent qu'ils en seroient bien contens.
I asked if they would be glad to have some one go and teach them in their country, and give them an explanation of the pictures that we showed them. They said that they would be very glad.
Le second iour de Iuillet, vn de nos François fut assommé lauant la lessiue [248 i.e., 148] en vn ruisseau voisin du fort, on creut que c'estoit quelque Hiroquois; on court, on cherche, on ne trouue rien. Le Pere Brebeuf & le Pere de Nouë estoient proche de l'habitation, dans vne cabane de Hurons: ils accoururent au bruit, ils vont voir le pauure blessé, qui n'a point parlé, & n'a suruescu que deux iours depuis les coups [224]receus: En fin deux Sauuages Montagnaits ont donné aduis aux François du meurtrier, qui a esté pris & cõduit au fort; où il a confessé qu'il auoit fait ce meurtre: c'est vn Sauuage de la petite nation. Voicy le suiect qui l'a porté à cette cruauté; Vn sien parent s'en allant à la guerre, luy recommanda de tuer vn certain Sauuage qu'il luy nommoit: ce miserable auoit souuẽt tasché de le surprẽdre, & de le massacrer: mais voyant qu'il n'en pouuoit venir à bout, l'autre se tenant tousiours [249 i.e., 149] sur ses gardes: il a deschargé sa cholere sur le premier François qu'il a trouué à l'escart.
On the second of July, one of our Frenchmen was struck down while washing some clothes [248 i.e., 148] in a brook near the fort. It was believed to have been the act of some Hiroquois; there was a great deal of running and searching, but nothing was found. Father Brebeuf and Father de Nouë were near the settlement in a cabin of the Hurons. On hearing the noise, they ran out and went to see the poor man who had been wounded; he was speechless and survived only two days after receiving the blows. Finally two Savages, Montagnaits, informed the French who the murderer was. He was seized and taken to the fort, where he confessed that he had committed the crime. He is a Savage of the petite nation.[56] This is what led him to the act of cruelty: One of his relatives, upon going to war, recommended him to kill a certain Savage whom he named. This wretch had often tried to surprise and kill him; but, seeing that he had not accomplished it, the other being always [249 i.e., 149] on the lookout, he vented his wrath upon the first Frenchman whom he found alone.
Voila comme nos vies sont peu asseurées parmy ces Barbares: mais nous trouuons là dedans vne puissante consolation, qui nous met hors de toute crainte, c'est que mourans de la main des Barbares en venant procurer leur salut, c'est imiter en quelque façon nostre bon Maistre, à qui ceux-là mesme donnerent la mort, ausquels il venoit apporter la vie.