En troisesme lieu, voyant qu'il faisoit du Prophete, amusant ce peuple par mille sottises qu'il inuente à mon aduis tous les iours, ie ne laissois perdre aucune occasion de le conuaincre de niaiserie & puerilité, mettant au iour l'impertinence de ses superstitions: or c'estoit luy arracher l'ame du corps par violence: car comme il ne sçauroit plus chasser, il fait plus que iamais du Prophete & du Magicien pour conseruer son credit, & pour auoir les bons morceaux, si bien qu'esbranlant son authorité qui se va perdant tous les iours, ie le touchois à la prunelle de l'œil, & luy rauissois les delices de son Paradis, qui sont les plaisirs de la gueule.
In the third place, seeing that he acted the Prophet, amusing these people by a thousand absurdities, which he invented, in my opinion, every day, I did not lose any opportunity of convincing him of their nonsense and childishness, exposing the senselessness of his superstitions. Now this was like tearing his soul out of his body; for, as he could no longer hunt, he acted the Prophet and Magician more than ever before, in order to preserve his credit, and to get the dainty pieces. So that in shaking his authority, which was diminishing daily, I was touching the apple of his eye and wresting from him the delights of his Paradise, which are the pleasures of his jaws.
En quatriesme lieu, se voulant recrer à mes dépens, il me faisoit par fois escrire en sa langue des choses sales, m'assurant qu'il n'y auoit rien de mauuais, puis il me faisoit prononcer ces impudences, que ie n'entendois pas deuant les Sauuages: quelques femmes m'ayans aduerty de ceste malice, ie luy dis que ie ne salirois plus mon papier ny ma [204] bouche, de ces vilaines paroles, il ne laissa pas de me commander de lire en la presence de toute la cabane, & de quelques [58] Sauuages qui estoient suruenus, quelque chose qu'il m'auoit dicté, ie luy répondis que l'Apostat m'en donnat l'interpretation, & puis que ie lirois, ce Renegat refusant de le faire, ie refusay aussi de lire, le Sorcier me le commande auec empire, c'est à dire auec de grosses paroles, ie le prie au commencement auec grande douceur de m'en dispenser: mais comme il ne vouloit pas estre éconduit deuant les Sauuages, il me presse fort & me fait presser par mon hoste qui fit du fasché: enfin recognoissant que mes excuses n'auoiẽt plus de lieu, ie luy parle d'vn accent fort haut, & apres luy auoir reproché ses lubricitez, ie luy addresse ces paroles: Me voicy en ton pouuoir, tu me peux massacrer, mais tu ne sçaurois me contraindre de proferer des paroles impudiques: elles ne sont pas telles, me dit-il, Pourquoy donc, luy dis-je, ne m'en veut-on pas donner l'interpretation? il sortit de ceste meslée fort vlceré.
In the fourth place, wishing to have sport at my expense, he sometimes made me write vulgar things in his language, assuring me there was nothing bad in them, then made me pronounce these shameful words, which I did not understand, in the presence of the Savages. Some women having warned me of this trick, I told him I would no longer soil my paper nor my [204] lips with these vile words. He insisted, however, that I should read before all those of the cabin, and some Savages who had come thither, something he had dictated to me. I answered him that, if the Apostate would interpret them to me, I would read them. That Renegade refusing to do this, I refused to read. The Sorcerer commanded me imperiously, that is, with high words, and I at first begged him gently to excuse me; but as he did not wish to be thwarted before the Savages, he persisted in urging me, and had my host, who pretended to be vexed, urge me also. At last, aware that my excuses were of no avail, I spoke to him peremptorily, and, after reproaching him for his lewdness, I addressed him in these words: "Thou hast me in thy power, thou canst murder me, but thou canst not force me to repeat indecent words." "They are not such," he said. "Why then," said I, "will they not interpret them to me?" He emerged from this conflict very much exasperated.
En cinquiesme lieu, voyant que mon [205] hoste m'aymoit, il eut peur que cet amour ne le priuast de quelque friand morceau, ie taschay de luy oster ceste apprehension, témoignant publiquement que ie ne viuois pas pour manger, mais que ie mangeois pour viure, & qu'il importoit peu quoy qu'on me donnast, pourueu que i'en eusse assez pour ne point mourir: il me repartit nettement, qu'il n'estoit pas de mon aduis, mais qu'il faisoit profession d'estre friand, d'aymer les bons morceaux, & qu'on l'obligeoit fort quand on luy en presentoit: or iaçoit que mon hoste ne luy donnast aucun sujet de craindre en cet endroit, si est ce qu'il m'attaquoit quasi en tous les repas, comme s'il eut eu peur de perdre la preseance, ceste apprehension augmentoit sa haine.
In the fifth place, seeing that my [205] host was greatly attached to me, he was afraid that this friendliness might deprive him of some choice morsel. I tried to relieve him of this apprehension by stating publicly that I did not live to eat, but that I ate to live; and that it mattered little what they gave me, provided it was enough to keep me alive. He retorted sharply that he was not of my opinion, but that he made a profession of being dainty; that he was fond of the good pieces, and was very much obliged when people gave them to him. Now although my host gave him no cause for fear in this direction, yet he attacked me at almost every meal as if he were afraid of losing his precedence. This apprehension increased his hatred.
En sixiesme lieu, comme il voyoit que les Sauuages [60] des autres cabanes me portoient quelque respect, cognoissant d'ailleurs que i'estois grand ennemy de ses impostures, & que si i'entrois dans l'esprit de ses oüailles, que ie le perdrois de fond en comble, il faisoit son possible pour me détruire, & pour me rendre ridicule en la creance de son peuple.
In the sixth place, when he saw that the Savages of the other cabins showed me some respect, knowing besides that I was a great enemy of his impostures, and that, if I gained influence among his flock, I would ruin him completely, he did all he could to destroy me and to make me appear ridiculous in the eyes of his people.
[206] En septiesme lieu, adioustez à tout cecy l'auersion que luy & tous les Sauuages de Tadoussac ont eu iusques icy des François depuis le commerce des Anglois, & coniecturez quel traictement ie peux auoir receu de ces Barbares, qui adorent ce miserable Sorcier, contre lequel le plus souuent i'auois guerre declarée. I'ay creu cent fois que ie ne sortirois iamais de ceste meslée que par les portes de la mort. Il m'a traité fort indignement, il est vray, mais ie m'estonne qu'il n'a pis fait, veu qu'il est idolatre de ces superstitiõs, que ie combattois de toutes mes forces. De raconter par le menu toutes ses attaques, ses risées, ses gausseries, ses mépris, ie ferois vn Liure pour vn Chapitre, suffit de dire qu'il s'attaquoit mesme par fois à Dieu pour me déplaire, & qu'il s'efforçoit de me rendre la risée des petits & des grands, me décriant dans les autres cabanes aussi bien que dans la nostre, il n'eut neantmoins iamais le credit d'animer contre moy les Sauuages nos voisins, ils baissoient la teste quand ils entendoient les benedictiõs qu'il me donnoit. Pour les domestiques incitez par [207] son exemple, & appuyez de son authorité, ils me chargeoient incessamment de mille brocards, & de mille injures, ie me suis veu en tel estat, que pour ne les aigrir, ou ne leur donner occasion de se fascher, ie passois les iours entiers sans ouurir la bouche. Croyez moy si ie n'ay rapporté autre fruict des Sauuages, i'ay pour le moins appris beaucoup d'injures en leur [62] langue, ils me disoient à tout bout de champ eca titou, eca titou nama khitirinisin, tais toy, tais toy, tu n'as point d'esprit. Achineou, il est orgueilleux, Moucachtechiou, il fait du compagnon, sasegau il est superbe, cou attimou il ressemble à vn Chien, cou mascoua il ressemble à vn Ours, cou ouabouchou ouichtoui il est barbu comme vn Lieure, attimonai oukhimau il est Capitaine des Chiens, cou oucousimas ouchtigonan il a la teste faite comme vn citroüille, matchiriniou il est difforme, il est laid, khichcouebeon il est yure; voila les couleurs dont ils me peignoient, & de quantité d'autres que i'obmets: le bon est qu'ils ne pensoient pas quelquesfois que ie les entendisse, & me voyans sous-rire ils demeuroient confus, du moins ceux qui ne chantoiẽt [208] ces airs que pour complaire au Sorcier: les enfans m'estoient fort importuns me faisans mille niches, m'imposans silence quand ie voulois parler. Quand mon hoste estoit au logis i'auois quelque relache, & quand le Sorcier s'absentoit i'estois dans la bonace maniant les grands & les petits quasi comme ie voulois. Voila vne bonne partie des choses qu'on doit souffrir parmy ces peuples: cecy ne doit épouuenter personne, les bons soldats s'animent à la veuë de leur sang & de leurs playes, Dieu est plus grand que nostre cœur, on ne tombe pas tousiours dans la famine, on ne rencontre pas tousiours des Sorciers, ou des iongleurs de l'humeur de celuy-cy: en vn mot si nous pouuions sçauoir la langue & la reduire en preceptes il ne seroit plus de besoin de suiure ces Barbares. Pour les nations stables, d'où nous attendons le plus grand fruict, nous pouuons auoir nostre cabane à part, & par consequent nous deliurer d'vne partie de ces grandes incommoditez: mais finissons ce Chapitre, autrement ie me voy en danger d'estre [64] aussi importun que cet imposteur [209] que ie recommande aux prieres de tous ceux qui liront cecy, ie coucheray au Chapitre suiuant quelques entretiens que i'ay eu auec luy, lors que nous estions dans quelque tréue.
[206] In the seventh place, add to all these things the aversion which he and all the Savages of Tadoussac had, up to the present time, against the French, since their intercourse with the English; and judge what treatment I might have received from these Barbarians, who adore this miserable Sorcerer, against whom I was generally in a state of open warfare. I thought a hundred times that I should only emerge from this conflict through the gates of death. He treated me shamefully, it is true; but I am astonished that he did not act worse, seeing that he is an idolater of those superstitions which I was fighting with all my might. To relate in detail all his attacks, gibes, sneers, and contempt, I would write a Book instead of a Chapter. Suffice it to say, that he sometimes even attacked God to displease me; and that he tried to make me the laughingstock of small and great, abusing me in the other cabins as well as in ours. He never had, however, the satisfaction of inciting our neighboring Savages against me; they merely hung their heads when they heard the blessings he showered upon me. As to the servants, instigated by [207] his example, and supported by his authority, they continually heaped upon me a thousand taunts and a thousand insults; and I was reduced to such a state, that, in order not to irritate them or give them any occasion to get angry, I passed whole days without opening my mouth. Believe me, if I have brought back no other fruits from the Savages, I have at least learned many of the insulting words of their language. They were saying to me at every turn, eca titou, eca titou nama khitirinisin, "Shut up, shut up, thou hast no sense." Achineou, "He is proud;" Moucachtechiou, "He plays the parasite;" sasegau, "He is haughty;" cou attimou, "He looks like a Dog;" cou mascoua, "He looks like a Bear;" cou ouabouchou ouichtoui, "He is bearded like a Hare;" attimonai oukhimau, "He is Captain of the Dogs;" cou oucousimas ouchtigonan, "He has a head like a pumpkin;" matchiriniou, "He is deformed, he is ugly;" khichcouebeon, "He is drunk." So these are the colors in which they paint me, and a multitude of others, which I omit. The best part of it was that they did not think sometimes that I understood them; and, seeing me smile, they became embarrassed,—at least, those who sang [208] these songs only to please the Sorcerer. The children were very troublesome, playing numberless tricks upon me, and imposing silence when I wanted to talk. When my host was at home, I had some rest; and, when the Sorcerer was absent, I was in smooth water, managing both great and small just as I wished. So these are some of the things that have to be endured among these people. This must not frighten any one; good soldiers are animated with courage at the sight of their blood and their wounds, and God is greater than our hearts. One does not always encounter a famine; one does not always meet Sorcerers or jugglers with so bad a temper as that one had; in a word, if we could understand the language, and reduce it to rules, there would be no more need of following these Barbarians. As to the stationary tribes, from which we expect the greatest fruit, we can have our cabins apart, and consequently be freed from many of these great inconveniences. But let us finish this Chapter; otherwise I see myself in danger of becoming as troublesome as that impostor, [209] whom I commend to the prayers of all those who will read this. I shall set down in the following Chapter some conversations I had with him when we were enjoying a truce.