I shall finish this Chapter with an account of the very remarkable punishment of a Canadian Woman, who, having closed her ear to God during her sickness, seems to have been rejected at her death. When Father Brebœuf went to see her, to speak to her about receiving the faith, she laughed at him and scorned his words. Having been prostrated by sickness, and the Savages wishing to break camp, they carried her to this worthy family who have lived here for quite a long time; but, as they had no place to keep her, these Barbarians dragged her to the fort; if we had not been so far away, they would no doubt have brought her to us, for I am inclined to think that they presented her to our Frenchmen because we had received with so much kindness the two deceased Christian Savages. [34] Monsieur de Champlain, as it was already late, gave her shelter for one night. Those who were in the room where she was placed, had to leave, as they could not bear the odor from this woman.
Le iour venu Monsieur de Champlain fist appeller quelques Sauuages, & leur ayant reproché leur cruauté d'abandonner cette creature qui estoit de leur nation, ils la reprirent & la trainerent vers leurs Cabanes, la rebutans comme vn chien, sans luy donner le couuert. Cette miserable se voyant delaissée des siens, exposée à la rigueur du froid, demãda qu'on nous fist appeller; mais cõme il n'y auoit point là de nos François, les Sauuages ne voulurent pas prendre la peine de venir iusques en nostre maison, esloignée d'vne bonne lieuë de leurs Cabanes, si bien que la faim, le froid, la maladie, & les enfans des Sauuages, à ce qu'on dit, la tuerent; nous ne fusmes aduertis de cette histoire tragique que quelques iours apres sa mort: s'il y auoit icy vn Hospital il y auroit tous les malades du [35] pays, & tous les vieillards, pour les hommes nous les secourerons, selon nos forces, mais pour les femmes il ne nous est pas bien seant de les receuoir en nos maisons.
In the morning, Monsieur de Champlain caused a number of the Savages to be called; and, being reproached by him for their cruelty in abandoning this creature, who was of their tribe, they took her and dragged her toward their Cabins, repulsing her as they would a dog, and giving her no covering. This wretched woman, finding herself abandoned by her own people and exposed to the severity of the cold, asked that we should be called. But, as there were no Frenchmen there, the Savages did not care to take the trouble to come all the way to our house, a good league from their Cabins; so that hunger, cold, disease, and the children of the Savages, as it is reported, killed her. We did not hear of this tragedy until some days after her death. If we had a Hospital here, all the sick people of the [35] country, and all the old people, would be there. As to the men, we will take care of them according to our means; but, in regard to the women, it is not becoming for us to receive them into our houses.
CHAPITRE III.
DES MOYENS DE CONUERTIR LES SAUUAGES.
LE grand pouuoir que firent paroistre les Portugais au commencement dedans les Indes Orientales & Occidentales, ietta l'admiration bien auant dedans l'esprit des Indiens, si bien que ces peuples embrasserent quasi sans contreditte la creance de ceux qu'ils admiroient. Or voicy à mon aduis les moyens d'acquerir cet ascendant, pardessus nos Sauuages.
CHAPTER III.
ON THE MEANS OF CONVERTING THE SAVAGES.