This shows you how unsafe our lives are among these Barbarians; but we find therein exceeding consolation, which relieves us from all fear; it is that dying at the hands of these Barbarians, whose salvation we come to seek, is in some degree following the example of our good Master, who was put to death by those to whom he came to bring life.
Le 3. du mesme mois, le Pere Dauost arriua de Tadoussac, il fut contrainct de se faire apporter dans vn canot par des Sauuages, voyant que le vaisseau auquel il estoit ne pouuoit monter faute de vent, craignãt d'ailleurs que les Hurons ne descendissent, & ne s'en retournassent sans luy en leur pays. Dieu soit glorifié [250 i.e., 150] pour iamais, qui nous a rassemblez tous en nostre petite maisonette, auec vne grande ioye & vn grãd desir de luy offrir nos vies pour son seruice.
On the 3rd of the same month Father Davost arrived from Tadoussac. He was forced to have himself brought down in a canoe by some Savages, as his vessel could not come up the river, because there was no wind; he also feared that the Hurons might come down, and return to their country without him. May God be forever [250 i.e., 150] praised, who has brought us together in our own little cottage, in great joy, and with a strong desire to give our lives to his service.
Le 4. Louys Amantacha Hurõ qui a esté baptisé en France, & instruit par nos Peres, & qui auroit fait merueille en son pays s'il n'eut esté pris des Anglois, se vint confesser & communier en nostre petite Chapelle. Il y auoit deux iours qu'il estoit descendu à Kebec, nous venant visiter dés le commencement de [226]son arriuée, ie l'inuitay à penser vn petit à sa conscience, il me promit qu'il le feroit, aussi n'y a-il pas manqué.
On the 4th, Louys Amantacha,[21] a Huron who was baptized in France, and taught by our Fathers, and who would have done wonders in his country if he had not been captured by the English, came to confession and communion at our little Chapel. Two days before, he had arrived at Kebec, coming to see us immediately. I asked him to think about his conscience a little; he promised me that he would, and he has kept his word.
Le 5. trois Capitaines de diuerses nations nous vindrent voir, nous leur mõstrasmes quelques tableaux, taschant de leur faire entendre ce qu'ils representoient, nous les fismes manger, puis ie leur fis present à [251 i.e., 151] chacun d'vn chappelet de rassade, ils estoient les plus contens du monde; ie leurs fis le meilleur accueil qui me fut possible scachant que nos Peres qui vont aux Hurons, deuoient passer par leur pays.
On the 5th, three Captains of different tribes came to see us. We showed them several pictures, trying to make them understand what they represented. We gave them something to eat and then I made each one [251 i.e., 151] a present of a rosary of glass beads. They were the happiest men in the world. I gave them as warm a reception as I could, knowing that our Fathers who were going to the Hurons would pass through their country.
Le 10. on nous donna aduis sur le soir qu'vn petit Sauuage estoit malade à la mort, il y auoit vne bonne demie lieuë de chemin à faire depuis nostre maison iusques à sa cabane. La nuict approchoit, la mort du dernier François a ietté quelque défiance dans l'esprit des autres, si bien qu'on se tient vn peu sur ses gardes: nonobstant cela, ie ne pouuois permettre que ce pauure petit fut abandonné: i'auois desir de l'aller baptiser moy-mesme, mais ayant esté indisposé, & ressenty quelques accés de fiéure depuis quelque tẽps: nos Peres trouuerent plus à propos que le Pere Brebeuf y allast. Il part [252 i.e., 152] donc auec le Pere de Nouë dans vn canot, ils rencontrerent vn François aupres des Cabanes, qui leur dit que ces Sauuages ne vouloient point monstrer leur enfant aux François, cela ne les arreste point, ils entrent dans la Cabane, & le Pere Brebeuf qui iargonne aussi bien que moy en Sauuage, leur fit entendre le mieux qu'il pût la cause de sa venuë: le Pere de Nouë courut incontinent vers le Truchement, pour le supplier de venir faire vn tour vers ce malade. Cõme il est fort honneste homme & bien vertueux, il quitte son soupper, & [228]s'en vient trouuer les Peres, qui le supplient de declarer aux Sauuage pourquoy ils venoiẽt si tard: scauoir est qu'ils aimoient ce petit enfant, & que s'il mouroit sans baptesme, qu'il n'iroit point au Ciel: au contraire si on le baptisoit, qu'il seroit tousiours bien-heureux. Ils demandent en [253 i.e., 153] outre si ses parens ne seroient pas biẽ contens qu'on le baptisast: la mere respond que pour elle qu'elle en estoit tres-contente, que son mary estoit yure, & qu'il dormoit dans vne autre Cabane. Le Pere passe outre, & demande si au cas qu'il mourut, ils ne voudroiẽt pas bien l'apporter en nostre maison, pour l'enterrer en nostre Cimetiere: & s'il retournoit en santé, si elle ne voudroit pas bien nous le dõner pour l'instruire: elle respond que son fils estoit mort, & que s'il rechappoit, qu'aussi-tost qu'il pourroit marcher (car il n'a enuiron que six mois) qu'elle nous l'ameneroit. Vn Sauuage entẽdāt cela, courut voir le pere de l'enfant; & l'éueilla; luy ayant rapporté tout ce qu'auoient dit les Peres, il respōdit; encore que ie sois yure, i'entend biẽ tout ce que tu dis: va t'en, & dis à ces Peres qu'ils baptisent mõ fils? ie scay [254 i.e., 154] bien qu'ils ne luy feront point de mal; s'il meurt, c'est qu'il est mortel; s'il réchappe, ie leur donneray pour l'instruire. Le Messager rapporta la nouuelle, & le Pere Brebeuf enuoye querir de l'eau à la riuiere, cependant le Pere de Nouë & le Truchement se mettent à genoux, recitent l'Hymne Veni Creator; & le Pere Brebeuf baptise ce pauure petit, luy donnant le nom de François, en l'honeur de S. François Xauier: disant aux parens que d'oresnauant il le falloit nommer François, & que s'il mourroit, qu'il iroit tout droit au Ciel, où il seroit à iamais bien-heureux. Ces pauures gens témoignerent vn tres-grand contentement, reïterans [230] souuent ce nom François, François: & faisans voir qu'ils auoiẽt pris vn singulier plaisir en cette action. L'vn des Sauuages de la Cabane se mit à dire que si le Sauuage qui a tué le [255 i.e., 155] François dernier mort estoit de leur nation qu'il auroyent prié le Capitaine des François de le faire mourir voulãt dõner vne preuue de l'amour qu'il portoit à tous les Frãçois. Enfin les Peres retournerent à dix heures du soir bien ioyeux, & comme ie demandois au Pere Brebeuf s'il n'estoit pas bien content d'auoir si bien conclud la iournée: helas! dit-il, ie viendrois tout exprés de France, & trauerserois tout l'Ocean pour gagner vne petite ame à N. Seigneur.
On the 10th, toward evening, we received news that a little Savage was sick unto death. It was a good half league from our house to his cabin. Night was approaching; the death of the last Frenchman had caused some fear in the minds of the others, so much so that we were on our guard. Notwithstanding that, I could not suffer this poor little one to be abandoned. I wished to go and baptize it myself; but, being indisposed, and having felt for some time a slight attack of fever, our Fathers thought it best that Father Brebeuf should go. So he started [252 i.e., 152] off with Father de Nouë in a canoe. They encountered a Frenchman near the Cabins, who said that these Savages did not want to show their child to the French. That did not stop them. They entered the Cabin, and Father Brebeuf, who can jargon as well as I can in Savage, made them understand as best he could the cause of his visit. Father de Nouë ran hurriedly to the Interpreter, to beg him to come and do a service for the sick. As he was a very honest and worthy man, he left his supper and joined the Fathers, who besought him to inform the Savages why they had come so late; that it was because they loved that little child, and that if it died without baptism it would not go to Heaven; on the contrary, if it were baptized it would be forever happy. They asked [253 i.e., 153] also if its parents would not be very glad to have it baptized. The mother answered that for her part she would be very well pleased, but that her husband was drunk, and asleep in another Cabin. The Father continued, and asked, if the child should die, if they would not bring it to our house and bury it in our Cemetery; and, if it were restored to health, if they would not give it to us to be educated. She answered that her son was dead; but that if he revived, as soon as he should be able to walk (for he was only about six months old) she would bring him to us. A Savage, who heard this, ran to the father of the child and aroused him; having reported to him all that the Fathers had said, he answered: "Though I am drunk, I understand very well all that thou sayest; go and bid those Fathers baptize my son; I know [254 i.e., 154] very well that they will do him no harm; if he dies, it is because he is mortal; if he recovers, I shall give him to them to be educated." The Messenger brought the news, and Father Brebeuf sent to the river for water, while Father de Nouë and the Interpreter knelt down, reciting the hymn Veni Creator; and Father Brebeuf baptized this poor little one, giving him the name of François, in honor of St. François Xavier, telling the parents that they must hereafter call him François, and that if he died he would go straight to Heaven, where he would be forever blest. These poor people gave evidence of their great happiness, often repeating the name "François, François," and showing that they had taken a great deal of pleasure in what we had done. One of the Savages in the Cabin said that if the Savage who had recently killed [255 i.e., 155] the Frenchman belonged to his tribe, he would have prayed the Captain of the French to kill him, wishing to give a proof of the love that they bore to all Frenchmen. In short, the Fathers returned home at ten o'clock at night very happy; and when I asked Father Brebeuf if he were not glad to have ended the day so well: "Ah!" said he, "I would come expressly from France, and cross the great Ocean, to reclaim one little soul for Our Lord."
Il m'adiousta que le Pere de l'enfant s'appelloit la Grenouille, alors ie le cognus fort bien, c'est vn Capitaine des Algonquains; il nous est venu voir, ie luy ay quelquefois parlé de Dieu, i'en fais mentiõ cy-dessus: c'est luy qui me demandoit combien ie voulois d'enfans, & qui s'estonna quand ie luy repartis que nous en voulions vingt, & bien dauantage [256 i.e., 156] quand nous les pourrions nourrir.