Furthermore, they believe that there are certain Genii of light, or Genii of the air, which they call Khichikouai from the word Khichikou, which means "light" or "the air." The Genii, or Khichikouai, are acquainted with future events, they see very far ahead; this is why the Savages consult them, not all [the savages] but certain jugglers, who know better than the others how to impose upon and amuse these people. I have chanced to be present when they consulted these fine Oracles, and here is what I have observed.
Sur l'entrée de la nuict, deux ou trois jeunes hommes dresserent vn tabernacle au milieu de nostre Cabane, ils plãterent en rond six pieux fort auãt dans terre, & pour les tenir en estat, ils attacherent au haut de ces pieux vn grand cercle, qui les enuironnoit tous; cela fait ils entourerent cet Edifice de Castelognes, laissant le haut du tabernacle [49] ouuuert, c'est tout ce que pourroit faire vn grand homme, d'atteindre de la main au plus haut de cette tour ronde, capable de tenir 5 ou 6 hommes debout. Cette maisõ estãt faite, on esteint entierement les feux de la cabane, iettant dehors les tisons, de peur que la flãme ne donne de l'espouuãte à ces Geniés ou Khichikouai, qui doiuent entrer en ce tabernacle, dans lequel vn ieune iongleur se glissa par le bas, retroussant à cét effect la couuerture qui l'enuirõnoit, puis la rabbattãt quand il fut entré, car il se faut bien donner de garde qu'il n'y ait aucune ouuerture en ce beau palais, sinon par le haut. Le jongleur entré, commença doucement à fremir, comme en se plaignãt, il esbranloit ce tabernacle sans violence au cõmencement, puis s'animant petit à petit, il se mit à siffler d'vne façon sourde, & comme de loin: puis à [164] parler comme dans vne bouteille, à crier comme vn chat-huant de ce pays-cy, qui me semble auoir la voix plus forte que ceux de France, puis à hurler, chanter, variant de tõ à tous coup, finissant par ces syllabes, ho ho, hi hi, gui gui nioué, & autres [50] semblables cõtrefaisant sa voix en sorte qu'il me sembloit oüir ces marionnettes que quelques bateleurs fõt voir en France: Il parloit tãtost Mõtagnais, tantost Algonquain, retenãt tousiours l'accent Algonquain, qui est gay, cõme le Prouençal. Au commencement, cõme i'ay dit, il agitoit doucement cét edifice, mais cõme il s'alloit tousiours animant, il entra dans vn si furieux enthousiasme, que ie croyois qu'il deust tout briser, esbranlant si fortement, & auec de telles violences sa maison, que ie m'estonnois qu'vn homme eust tant de force: car, comme il eut vne fois cõmencé à l'agiter, il ne cessa point que la consulte ne fust faite, qui dura enuiron trois heures: Comme il changeoit de voix, les Sauuages s'escrioient au commencemẽt moa, moa, escoute, escoute: puis inuitãs ces Geniés, ils leurs disoiẽt, Pitoukhecou, PitouKhecou, entrez, entrez. D'autrefois cõme s'ils eussent respondu aux hurlements du jongleur, ils tiroient ceste aspiration du fond de la poitrine, ho, ho. I'estois assis comme les autres regardant ce beau mystere auec defence de parler: mais cõme ie ne leur [51] auois point voüé d'obeïssance, ie ne laissois pas de dire vn petit mot à la trauerse: tantost ie les priois d'auoir pitié de ce pauure jongleur, qui se tuoit dans ce tabernacle: d'autrefois ie leur disois qu'ils criassent plus haut & que leurs Geniés estoient endormis.
Towards nightfall, two or three young men erected a tent in the middle of our Cabin; they stuck six poles deep into the ground in the form of a circle, and to hold them in place they fastened to the tops of these poles a large ring, which completely encircled them; this done, they enclosed this Edifice with Castelognes,[18] leaving the top of the tent [49] open; it is all that a tall man can do to reach to the top of this round tower, capable of holding 5 or 6 men standing upright. This house made, the fires of the cabin are entirely extinguished, and the brands thrown outside, lest the flame frighten away the Genii or Khichikouai, who are to enter this tent; a young juggler slipped in from below, turning back, for this purpose, the covering which enveloped it, then replaced it when he had entered, for they must be very careful that there be no opening in this fine palace except from above. The juggler, having entered, began to moan softly, as if complaining; he shook the tent at first without violence; then becoming animated little by little, he commenced to whistle, in a hollow tone, and as if it came from afar; then to talk as if in a bottle; to cry like the owls of these countries, which it seems to me have stronger voices than those of France; then to howl and sing, constantly varying the tones; ending by these syllables, ho ho, hi hi, gui gui, nioué, and other [50] similar sounds, disguising his voice so that it seemed to me I heard those puppets which showmen exhibit in France. Sometimes he spoke Montagnais, sometimes Algonquain, retaining always the Algonquain intonation, which, like the Provençal, is vivacious. At first, as I have said, he shook this edifice gently; but, as he continued to become more animated, he fell into so violent an ecstasy, that I thought he would break everything to pieces, shaking his house with so much force and violence, that I was astonished at a man having so much strength; for, after he had once begun to shake it, he did not stop until the consultation was over, which lasted about three hours. Whenever he would change his voice, the Savages would at first cry out, moa, moa, "listen, listen;" then, as an invitation to these Genii, they said to them, Pitoukhecou, Pitoukhecou, "enter, enter." At other times, as if they were replying to the howls of the juggler, they drew this aspiration from the depths of their chests, ho, ho. I was seated like the others, looking on at this wonderful mystery, forbidden to speak; but as I [51] had not vowed obedience to them, I did not fail to intrude a little word into the proceedings. Sometimes I begged them to have pity on this poor juggler, who was killing himself in this tent; at other times I told them they should cry louder, for the Genii had gone to sleep.
Quelques vns de ces Barbares s'imaginẽt que ce jongleur n'est point là dedans, qu'ils est transporté [166] sans sçauoir ny ou, ny cõment. D'autres disent que son corps est couché par terre, que son ame est au haut de ce tabernacle, où elle parle au commencement, appellant ces Geniés, & iettant par fois des estincelles de feu. Or pour retourner à nostre consultation, les Sauuages, ayant ouy certaine voix que contrefit le jongleur, pousserẽt vn cris d'allegresse, disants qu'vn de ces Geniés estoit entré: Puis s'addressants à luy, s'escrioient, Tepouachi, tepouachi, appelle, appelle; sçauoir est tes compagnõs; là dessus le jongleur faisant du Geniés, changeant de ton & de voix les appelloit: cependant nostre sorcier qui estoit presẽt prit son tambour, & chantant auec le iongleur qui estoit dans le tabernacle, les autres [52] respondoient: On fit dancer quelques ieunes gens, entr'autres l'Apostat qui n'y vouloit point entendre, mais le sorcier le fit bien obeïr.
Some of these Barbarians imagined that this juggler was not inside, that he had been carried away, without knowing where or how. Others said that his body was lying on the ground, and that his soul was up above the tent, where it spoke at first, calling these Genii, and throwing from time to time sparks of fire. Now to return to our consultation. The Savages having heard a certain voice that the juggler counterfeited, uttered a cry of joy, saying that one of these Genii had entered; then addressing themselves to him, they cried out, Tepouachi, tepouachi, "call, call;" that is, "call thy companions." Thereupon the juggler, pretending to be one of the Genii and changing his tone and his voice, called them. In the meantime our sorcerer, who was present, took his drum, and began to sing with the juggler who was in the tent, and the others [52] answered. Some of the young men were made to dance, among others the Apostate,[12] who did not wish to hear of it, but the sorcerer made him obey.
En fin apres mille cris & hurlements, apres mille chants, aprés auoir dancé & bien esbranlé ce bel edifice, les Sauuages croyãs que les Geniés ou Kichikouai estoient entrez, le sorcier les consulta: il leur demanda de sa santé (car il est malade) de celle de sa fẽme qui l'estoit aussi. Ces Geniés, ou plustost le jongleur qui les contrefaisoit, respondit que pour sa fẽme elle estoit desia morte que c'en estoit fait, i'en eusse bien dit autant que luy, car il ne falloit estre ny prophete, ny sorcier pour deuiner cela; d'autãt que la pauure creature auoit la mort entre les dents: pour le sorcier, ils dirẽt qu'il verroit le Printemps. Or cognoissãt sa maladie, qui est vne douleur de reins, ou pour mieux dire, vn appanage de ses lubricitez & paillardises, car il est sale au dernier poinct, ie luy dis voyant qu'il estoit sain d'ailleurs, & qu'il [168] beuuoit & mangeoit fort biẽ, que non seulement il verroit le printemps, mais encore l'Esté, si quelque autre accident [53] ne luy suruenoit, ie ne me suis pas trompé.
At last, after a thousand cries and howls, after a thousand songs, after having danced and thoroughly shaken this fine edifice, the Savages believing that the Genii or Kichikouai had entered, the sorcerer consulted them. He asked them about his health, (for he is sick), and about that of his wife, who was also sick. These Genii, or rather the juggler who counterfeited them, answered that, as to his wife, she was already dead, that it was all over with her. I could have said as much myself, for one needed not to be a prophet or a sorcerer to guess that, inasmuch as the poor creature was already struck with death; in regard to the sorcerer, they said that he would see the Spring. Now, knowing his disease,—which was a pain in the loins, or rather an infirmity resulting from his licentiousness and excesses, for he is vile to the last degree,—I said to him, seeing that he was otherwise healthy, and that he drank and ate very heartily, that he would not only see the spring but also the Summer, if some other accident [53] did not overtake him, and I was not mistaken.
Apres ces interogations, on demanda à ces beaux oracles s'il y auroit bien tost de la neige, s'il y en auroit beaucoup, s'il y auroit des Eslans ou Orignaux, & en quel endroict ils estoient, ils repartirent ou plutost le iongleur, contrefaisant tousiours sa voix, qu'ils voyoient peu de neige & des orignaux fort loing, sans determiner le lieu, ayãt bien cette prudence de ne se point engager.
After these interrogations, these fine oracles were asked if there would soon be snow, if there would be much of it, if there would be Elks or Moose, and where they could be found. They answered, or rather the juggler, always disguising his voice, that they saw a little snow and some moose far away, without indicating the place, having the prudence not to commit themselves.
Voila comme se passa cette consulte, apres laquelle se voulut arrester le iongleur: mais comme il estoit nuict, il sortit de son tabernacle, & de nostre cabane si vistement, qu'il fust dehors auant quasi que ie m'en apperçeusse. Luy & tous les autres Sauuages qui estoient venus des autres Cabanes à ces beaux mysteres, estans partis, ie demanday à l'Apostat, s'il estoit si simple de croire que ces Geniés entrassent & parlassent dans ce tabernacle, il se mit à iurer sa foy, qu'il a perduë & reniée, que ce n'estoit point le iongleur qu'il parloit, ains ces Khichikouai ou Genies [54] du iour, & mon hoste me dit, entre toy mesme dans le tabernacle, & tu verras que ton corps demeurera en bas, & ton ame montera en hault: I'y voulu entrer, mais comme i'estois seul de mõ party, ie preueu qu'ils m'auroient faict quelque affront, & comme il n'y auoit point de tesmoins, ils se seroient vantez, que i'aurais recogneu & admiré la verité de leurs mysteres.