The Apostate, seeing how I was inclined, discussed my plan with his brothers. There were three of them; one named Carigonan, and surnamed by the French the Married Man, because he made a great deal of the fact that he was married. He was the most famous sorcerer, or manitousiou, (thus they call these jugglers) of all the country; it is he of whom I have spoken above. The other was called Mestigoït, a young man about thirty-five or forty years of age, a brave Hunter, and endowed with a good disposition. The third was called Sasousinat, who is the happiest of all, for he is now in Heaven, having died a good Christian, as I stated in the second Chapter. The sorcerer, having learned from the Renegade that I wished to pass the winter with the Savages, came to see me toward the end of my sickness, and invited me to share his cabin,—giving me as his reason that he loved good men, because he himself was good, and had [212] always been so from his early youth. He asked me if Jesus had not spoken to me about the disease which tormented him. "Come," said he, "with me, and thou wilt make me live now, for I am in danger of dying." But as I knew him for a very impudent fellow, I refused him as gently as I could; and, taking the Apostate aside, who also wished to have me, as he had shown to Father de Noüe that he had some desire to return to God, I told him that I would be glad to winter with him and with his brother Mestigoït, on condition that we should not go across the great river, that the sorcerer should not be of our party, and that he, who understood the French language well, would teach me. They both agreed to these three conditions, but they did not fulfill one of them.
Le iour du départ estant pris, ie leur donnay pour mon viure vne barrique de galette, que nous empruntasmes au magazin de ces Messieurs, vn sac de farine, & des espics de bled d'Inde, quelques pruneaux, & quelques naueaux, [213] ils me presserent fort de porter vn peu de vin, mais ie n'y voulois point entendre, craignant qu'ils ne s'enyurassent: toutesfois m'ayans promis qu'ils n'y toucheroient point sans ma permission, & les ayant asseuré qu'au cas qu'ils le fissent, que ie le ietterois dans la mer, ie suiuy l'inclination de ceux qui me conseillerent d'en porter vn petit barillet; ie promis en outre à Mestigoït que ie le prenois pour mon hoste: car l'Apostat n'est pas Chasseur, & n'a aucune conduite, que ie luy ferois quelque present au retour, comme i'ay fait: c'est l'attente de ces viures qui leur fait desirer d'auoir vn François auec eux.
On the day of our departure I gave them, for my support, a barrel of sea biscuit, which we borrowed from the storehouse of those Gentlemen, a sack of flour, some ears of Indian corn, some prunes, and some parsnips. [213] They urged me very strongly to take a little wine, but I did not wish to yield to them, fearing they would get drunk. However, having promised me they would not touch it without my permission, and having assured them that, if they did, I would throw it into the sea, I followed the advice of those who counseled me to carry a little barrel of it. Also I promised Mestigoït that I would take him for my host, for the Apostate is not a Hunter, and has no management; but I promised to make him a present upon our return, which I did. It was the expectation of this food which made them wish to have a Frenchman with them.
Ie m'embarquay donc en leur chalouppe, iustement le 18. d'Octobre, faisant profession de petit écolier à mesme iour que i'auois autrefois fait profession de maistre de nos écoles, estãt allé prendre congé de [72] Monsieur nostre Gouuerneur, il me recommãda tres-particulieremẽt aux Sauuages, mon hoste luy repartit, si le Pere meurt ie mourray auec luy, & iamais plus on ne me reuerra en ce pays icy, nos Frãçois me tesmoignoient [214] tout plein de regret de mon depart, veu les dangers esquels on s'engage en la fuitte de ces Barbares. Les Adieu faits de part & d'autre, nous fismes voile enuiron les dix heures du matin, i'estois seul de François auec vingt Sauuages, comptant les hommes, les femmes, & les enfans, le vent & la marée nous fauorisans, nous allasmes descendre au delà de l'Isle d'Orleans dans vne autre Isle nommée des Sauuages Ca ouahascoumagakhe, ie ne sçay si la beauté du iour se respandoit dessus ceste Isle, mais ie la trouuay fort agreable.
So I embarked in their shallop on the 18th of October precisely, making profession as a little pupil on the same day that I had previously begun the profession of master of our schools. When I went to take leave of Monsieur our Governor, he recommended me very particularly to the Savages; and my host answered him, "If the Father dies, I will die with him, and you will never see me in this country again." Our French people showed [214] the most profound regret at my departure, knowing the dangers that one encounters in following these Barbarians. When all our Farewells were said, we set sail about ten o'clock in the morning. I was the only Frenchman, with twenty Savages, counting the men, women and children. The wind and tide were favorable, and we turned to go down past the Island of Orleans to another Island called by the Savages Ca ouahascoumagakhe; I know not whether it was the beauty of the day which spread over this Island, but I found it very pleasant.
Si tost que nous eusmes mis pied à terre, mon hoste prend vne harquebuse qu'il a acheté des Anglois, & s'en va chercher nostre souper: cependant les femmes se mettent à bastir la maison où nous deuions loger. Or l'Apostat s'estãt pris garde que tout le monde estoit occupé, s'en retourna à la chalouppe qui estoit à l'anchre, prit le petit barillet de vin & en beut auec tel excez, que s'estãt enyuré comme vne souppe, il tomba dedans l'eau, & se pensa noyer: enfin il en sortit apres auoir bien barbotté, il s'en vint vers le lieu où on dressoit la cabane, [215] criant & hurlant comme vn demoniaque, il arrache les perches, frappe sur les écorces de la cabane, pour tout briser: les femmes le voyant dans ces fougues s'enfuyent dans le bois, qui deçà qui delà, mon Sauuage que ie nomme ordinairemẽt mon hoste, faisoit boüillir dans vn chauderon quelques oyseaux qu'il auoit tuez: cet yurogne suruenãt rompt la cramaillere, & renuerse [74] tout dans les cendres: à tout cela pas vn ne fait mine d'estre fasché, aussi est ce folie de se battre contre vn fol, mon hoste ramasse ses petits oyseaux, les va luy-mesme lauer à la riuiere, puise de l'eau, & remet la chaudiere sur le feu, les femmes voyant que cét homme enragé couroit ça & là sur le bord de l'Isle, écumant comme vn possedé, viennent viste prendre leurs écorces, & les emportent en vn lieu écarté, de peur qu'il ne les mette en pieces comme il auoit commencé: à peine eurent-elles le loysir de les rouler qu'il parut aupres d'elles tout forcené, & ne sçachant sur qui descharger sa fureur: car elles disparurent incontinent à la faueur de la nuict qui commençoit à nous cacher, il s'en vint [216] par le feu qui se descouuroit par sa clarté, & voulant mettre la main sur la chaudiere pour la renuerser vne autre fois, mon hoste son frere, plus habile que luy, la prit & luy ietta au nez toute boüillante comme elle estoit, ie vous laisse à penser quelle contenance tenoit ce pauure homme, se voyant pris à la chaude, iamais il ne fut si bien laué, il changea de peau en la face, & en tout l'estomach, pleust à Dieu que son ame eust changé aussi bien que son corps: il redouble ses hurlemens, arrache le reste des perches, qui estoient encor debout: mon hoste m'a dit depuis qu'il demandoit vne hache pour me tuer, ie ne sçay s'il la demanda en effect, car ie n'entendois pas son langage, mais ie sçay bien que me presentant à luy pour l'arrester il me dit, parlant François, Retirez-vous, ce n'est pas à vous à qui i'en veux, laissez-moy faire, puis me tirant par la sotane, Allons, disoit-il, embarquons-nous dans un canot, retournons en vostre maison, vous ne cognoissez pas ces gens cy, ce qu'ils en font, c'est [76] pour le ventre, ils ne se soucient pas de vous, mais de vos viures, [217] à cela ie répondois tout bas à part moy, in vino veritas.
As soon as we had set foot on land, my host took an arquebus he had bought from the English, and went in search of our supper. Meanwhile the women began to build the house where we were to lodge. Now the Apostate, having observed that every one was busy, returned to the boat that was lying at anchor, took the keg of wine, and drank from it with such excess, that, being drunk as a lord, he fell into the water and was nearly drowned. Finally he got out, after considerable scrambling, and started for the place where they were putting up the cabin. [215] Screaming and howling like a demon, he snatched away the poles and beat upon the bark of the cabin, to break everything to pieces. The women, seeing him in this frenzy, fled to the woods, some here, some there. My Savage, whom I usually call my host, was boiling in a kettle some birds he had killed, when this drunken fellow, coming upon the scene, broke the crane and upset everything into the ashes. No one seemed to get angry at all this, but then it is foolish to fight with a madman. My host gathered up his little birds and went to wash them in the river, drew some water and placed the kettle over the fire again. The women, seeing that this madman was running hither and thither on the shores of the Island, foaming like one possessed, ran quickly to get their bark and take it to a place of security, lest he should tear it to pieces, as he had begun to do. They had scarcely had time to roll it up, when he appeared near them completely infuriated, and not knowing upon what to vent his fury, for they had suddenly disappeared, thanks to the darkness which had begun to conceal us. He approached [216] the fire, which could be seen on account of its bright light, and was about to take hold of the kettle to overturn it again; when my host, his brother, quicker than he, seized it and threw the water into his face, boiling as it was. I leave you to imagine how this poor man looked, finding himself thus deluged with hot water. He was never so well washed. The skin of his face and whole chest changed. Would to God that his soul had changed as well as his body. He redoubled his howls, and began to pull up the poles which were still standing. My host has told me since that he asked for an ax, with which to kill me; I do not know whether he really asked for one, as I did not understand his language; but I know very well that, when I went up to him and tried to stop him, he said to me in French, "Go away, it is not you I am after; let me alone;" then pulling my gown, "Come," said he, "let us embark in a canoe, let us return to your house; you do not know these people here; all they do is for the belly, they do not care for you, but for your food." [217] To this I answered in an undertone and to myself, in vino veritas.
La nuict s'auançant bien fort ie me retiray dedans le bois pour fuir l'importunité de cet yurongne, & pour prendre quelque repos; comme ie faisois mes prieres aupres d'vn arbre, la femme qui faisoit le ménage de mon hoste me vint trouuer, & ramassant quelques feüilles d'arbres tombées, me dit; couche toy là, & ne fais point de bruit, puis m'ayant ietté vne écorce pour me couurir, elle se retira: voila donc mon premier giste à l'enseigne de la Lune qui me découuroit de tous costez, me voila passé Cheualier dés le premier iour de mon entrée en ceste Academie, la pluye suruenant vn peu auant minuict, me donna quelque apprehension d'estre moüillé, mais elle ne dura pas long temps: le lendemain matin ie trouuay que mon lict, quoy qu'on ne l'eut point remué depuis la creation du monde, n'estoit point si dure qu'il m'empeschat de dormir.
As the night was coming on rapidly, I retired into the woods, to escape being annoyed by this drunkard, and to get a little rest. While I was saying my prayers near a tree, the woman who managed the household of my host came to see me; and, gathering together some leaves of fallen trees, said to me, "Lie down there and make no noise," then, having thrown me a piece of bark as a cover, she went away. So this was my first resting place at the sign of the Moon, which shone upon me from all sides. Behold me an accomplished Chevalier, after the first day of my entrance into this Academy. The rain coming on, a little before midnight, made me fear that I might get wet, but it did not last long. The next morning I found that my bed, although it had not been made up since the creation of the world, was not so hard as to keep me from sleeping.
Le iour suiuant ie voulu ietter le barillet & le reste du vin dans la riuiere, comme ie leurs auois dit que ie ferois, [218] au cas qu'on en abusast, mon hoste me saisissant par le milieu du corps, s'écria eca toute, eca toute, ne fais pas cela, ne fais pas cela, ne vois tu pas que Petrichtich (c'est ainsi qu'ils nomment le Renegat par derision) n'a point d'esprit, que c'est vn chien, ie te promets qu'on ne touchera plus au barillet que tu ne sois present: ie m'arrestay auec resolution d'en faire largesse, afin de me deliurer de la crainte qu'vn peu de vin ne nous fit boire beaucoup d'eau: car s'ils se fussent enyurez pendant que nous faisions voile, c'estoit pour nous perdre.