I know well there are persons of [40] good judgment who believe that, although the Savages are nomadic, the good seed of the Gospel will not fail to take root and bring forth fruit in their souls, although more slowly, as they can only be instructed at intervals. They imagine also that, if a few families come over here, as they are already beginning to do, the Savages will follow the example of our French and will settle down to cultivate the land. I myself was impressed with these ideas, when we first came over here; but the intercourse which I have had with these people, and the difficulty that men accustomed to a life of idleness have in embracing one of hard work, such as cultivating the soil, cause me to believe now that if they are not helped they will lose heart, especially the Savages at Tadoussac. As to those of the three rivers, where our French People are going to plant a new colony this year, they have promised that they will settle down there and plant Indian corn; this seems to me not altogether assured, but probable, inasmuch as their predecessors once had [41] a good village in that place, which they abandoned on account of the invasions of their enemies, the Hiroquois.[15]
Le Capitaine de ce quartier là, m'a dit que la terre y estoit fort bonne, & qu'ils l'aimoient fort s'ils deuiennent sedentaires, comme ils en ont maintenant la volonté, nous preuoyons lá vne moisson plus feconde des biens du Ciel, que des fruicts de la terre.
The Captain of that region told me that the land there was quite good, and they liked it very much. If they become sedentary, as they are now minded to do, we foresee there a harvest more abundant in the blessings of Heaven than in the fruits of the earth.
Le troisiesme moyen d'estre bienvoulu de ces peuples, seroit de dresser icy vn seminaire de petits garçons, & auec le temps vn de filles, soubs la conduitte de quelque braue maistresse, que le zele de la [152] gloire de Dieu & l'affectiõ au salut de ces peuples, fera passer icy, auec quelques Compagnes animées de pareil courage. Plaise à sa diuine Majesté d'en inspirer quelques vnes, pour vne si noble entreprise, & leur fasse perdre l'apprehension que la foiblesse de leur sexe leur pourroit causer, pour auoir à trauerser tant de mers, & viure parmy des Barbares.
The third means of making ourselves welcome to these people, would be to erect here a seminary for little boys, and in time one for girls, under the direction of some brave mistress, whom zeal for the glory of God, and a desire for the salvation of these people, will bring over here, with a few Companions animated by the same courage. May it please his divine Majesty to inspire some to so noble an enterprise, and to divest them of any fear that the weakness of their sex might induce in them at the thought of crossing so many seas and of living among Barbarians.
A ce dernier voyage des femmes enceintes sont venuës, & ont aisemẽt surmonté ces difficultez, comme auoient [42] faict d'autres auparauant. Il y a aussi du plaisir d'appriuoiser des ames Sauuages, & les cultiuer pour receuoir la semence du Christianisme. Et puis l'experience nous rend certains, que Dieu qui est bon & puissant enuers tous, au respect neantmoins de ceux qui s'exposent genereusemẽt & souffrent volontiers pour son seruice, il a des caresses assaisonnées de tant de suauitez, & les secoure parmy leurs dangers d'vne si prompte & paternelle assistance, que souuent ils ne sentent point leurs trauaux, ains leurs peines leur tournent à plaisir, & leurs perils à consolation singuliere: Mais ie voudrois tenir icy où nous sommes les enfans des Hurons. Le Pere Brebœuf nous faict esperer que nous en pourrons auoir, s'il entre auec nos Peres dans ces pays bien peuplez, & si on trouue dequoy fonder ce seminaire. La raison pourquoy ie ne voudrois pas prẽdre les enfans du pays dans le pays mesme, mais en vn autre endroict, c'est pour autant que ces Barbares ne peuuent supporter qu'on chastie leurs enfants, non pas mesme de paroles, ne pouuans rien refuser à vn [43] enfant qui pleure, si bien qu'à la moindre fantaisie ils nous les enleueroient deuant qu'ils fussent instruicts; mais si on tient icy les petits Hurõs, ou les enfans des peuples plus esloignez, [154] il en arriuera plusieurs biens: car nous ne serõs pas importunés ny destournés des peres en l'instruction des enfants; cela obligera ces peuples à bien traitter, ou du moins à ne faire aucun tort aux François qui seront en leur pays. Et en dernier lieu nous obtiendrons, auec la grace de Dieu nostre Seigneur, la fin pour laquelle nous venons en ce pays si esloigné, sçauoir est la conuersion de ces peuples.
In the last voyage there came some women who were pregnant, and they easily surmounted these difficulties, as others had [42] done before them. There is also some pleasure in taming the souls of the Savages, and preparing them to receive the seed of Christianity. And then experience makes us feel certain that God, who shows his goodness and power to all, has, nevertheless, for those who expose themselves freely and suffer willingly in his service, favors seasoned with so much sweetness, and succors them in the midst of their dangers with so prompt and paternal assistance, that often they do not feel their trials, but their pain is turned to pleasure and their perils to a peculiar consolation. But I would like to keep here, where we are, the children of the Hurons. Father Brebœuf leads us to hope that we shall have some, if he goes with our Fathers into those well-peopled countries, and if there is anything with which to found a seminary. The reason why I would not like to take the children of one locality [and teach them] in that locality itself, but rather in some other place, is because these Barbarians cannot bear to have their children punished, nor even scolded, not being able to refuse anything to a [43] crying child. They carry this to such an extent that upon the slightest pretext they would take them away from us, before they were educated. But if the little Hurons, or the children of more distant tribes, are kept here, a great many advantages will result, for we would not be annoyed and distracted by the fathers while instructing the children; it will also compel these people to show good treatment to the French who are in their country, or at least not to do them any injury. And, lastly, we shall obtain, by the grace of God our Lord, the object for which we came into this distant country; namely, the conversion of these nations.