On the first of July, Father Brebœuf and Father Daniel left in a bark to go to three Rivers, there to wait for the Hurons. This bark was destined to begin a new settlement in that quarter. Father Davost, who had come down from Tadoussac for the assistance of our French, followed our Fathers three days later in company with Monsieur the General, who wanted to meet these people at the trading post.[11] They waited there some time for the Hurons, who did not come down in so great numbers this year as usual; because the Hiroquois, having been informed that five hundred men of this nation were moving toward their country to make war upon them, themselves went on ahead to the number of fifteen hundred, it is said; and, having surprised those who were to surprise them, they killed about two hundred of them, and took more than one hundred prisoners, Louys Amantacha[12] being one of the number. They said his father was put to death, but the report is now that he escaped the hands of the enemy. We were told that these triumphant [327] Hiroquois sent some Captains to the Hurons to treat for peace, retaining the most prominent ones in their possession after having cruelly massacred the others.
Cette perte a esté cause que les Hurons sont venus en petites trouppes, au commencement ils ne sont descendus que sept Canots: Le Pere Brebœuf en ayant eu nouuelle, les aborde, & fait tout ce qu'il peut pour les engager à le receuoir, & ses compagnons, & les porter en leur pays, ils s'y accordent volontiers. Là dessus [328] vn Capitaine Algonquain, nommé la Perdrix, qui demeure en ville, fit vne harangue, par laquelle il recommandoit qu'on n'embarquast aucun François: Voila les Hurons qui doiuent passer par le pays de ce Capitaine, à leur retour entierement refroidis: sur ces entrefaites arriue Monsieur du Plessis, tout cecy se passoit en vn lieu nommé les trois Riuieres, trente lieuës plus haut que Kebec; comme il desiroit ardemment que nos Peres penetrassent dans ces nations, il fit assembler les Algonquains en Conseil, notamment ce Capitaine, pour luy faire rendre raison de sa deffence; il en apporte plusieurs, on luy satisfaict sur le chãp, il insistoit, comme ie le conjecture, des lettres du Pere Brebœuf, sur le [216] desordre qui arriueroit, au cas que quelque François mourut aux Hurons; on luy repart que les Peres n'estans point en son pays, la paix entre les François, & ses Compatriotes, ne seroit point rompue, quoy qu'ils mourussent d'vne mort naturelle ou violente. Voila les Algonquains contents: mais les Hurons commencerent à s'excuser sur leur [329] petit nombre, qui ne sçauroit passer tant de François sur la petitesse de leurs Canots, & sur leurs maladies; en vn mot ils eussent bien voulu embarquer quelques François bien armez, mais non pas de ces longues robbes, qui ne portent point d'arquebuses. Monsieur du Plessis presse tant qu'il peut, prent nostre cause en main, on trouue place pour quelques vns; vn certain Sauuage s'adresse au Pere, & luy dit, fais moy traiter mon petun pour de la porcelaine, & mon Canot estant deschargé; ie prendray vn François, le Pere n'en auoit point, mais Monsieur du Plessis sçachãt cela, & Monsieur de l'Espinay acheterent ce petun; voila donc place pour six personnes, quand se vint à s'embarquer, les Sauuages qui estoient malades en effect, disent qu'ils n'en sçauroient porter que trois, deux ieunes hommes Frãçois, & vn Pere; les Peres promettẽt qu'ils rameront, ils font des presents, Monsieur du Plessis en fait aussi, insiste tant qu'il peut, ils n'en veulent point receuoir dauantage.
This loss caused the Hurons to come in small bands, only seven Canoes coming down at first. When Father Brebœuf heard of their arrival, he went to them, and did all he could to make them promise to receive him and his companions, and take them to their country; this they willingly granted. Thereupon [328] an Algonquain Captain, called the Partridge, who lives in the town, made a speech recommending them not to take any Frenchmen on board. Now these Hurons, who had to pass through the country of this Captain on their return, became very cold, and at this point Monsieur du Plessis arrived. All this had occurred at a place called the three Rivers, thirty leagues farther up the river than Kebec. As he was very anxious to have our Fathers penetrate into these nations, he had the Algonquains assembled in Council, especially this Captain, to have him explain the reason of his opposition. He brought forth several arguments, which they answered for him at once; he dwelt, as I judge from Father Brebœuf's letters, upon the trouble that would occur in case some Frenchman should die among the Hurons. He was told that, as the Fathers would not be in his country, the peace between the French and his Compatriots would not be disturbed, whether their death were a natural or a violent one. So now the Algonquains were satisfied; but the Hurons began to excuse themselves on account of the [329] small number of their men, who could not carry so many Frenchmen; also on account of their small Canoes and the presence of sickness among them. In a word, they would have been very willing to take on board some Frenchmen who were well armed; but they did not want these long robes, who carried no guns. Monsieur du Plessis became urgent, pressing our cause with all the power he had; they find a place for a few. A certain Savage, addressing the Father, said, "Arrange for me to trade my tobacco for porcelain; and, my Canoe being unloaded, I will take one Frenchman." The Father had none of this; but, when Monsieur du Plessis and Monsieur de l'Espinay[5] heard of it, they bought his tobacco, and this made a place for six persons. When they came to embark, the Savages, who were, in fact, sick, said they could not carry more than three,—two young Frenchmen, and one Father. The Fathers promised that they would paddle; they made presents, and Monsieur du Plessis made some also and urged them as strongly as he could; they would not receive any more.
Le Pere Brebœuf a recours à Dieu, [330] voicy comme il parle en sa lettre: Iamais ie ne veys embarquement tant balotté & plus trauersé par les menées, comme ie croy de l'ennemy commun du salut des hommes, c'est vn coup du Ciel que nous soyons passé outre, & en effect du pouuoir du Glorieux sainct Ioseph, auquel Dieu m'inspira dans le desespoir de [218] toutes choses, de promettre 20. sacrifices en son honneur; ce veu fait, le Sauuage qui auoit embarqué Petit Pré, l'vn de nos François, le quitta pour me prendre, veu mesme que Monsieur du Plessis insistoit fort que cela se fist. Et ainsi le Pere Brebœuf, le Pere Daniel, & vn ieune homme nommé le Baron, furent acceptez de ces Barbares qui les portent en leur pays dans des Canots d'escorce. Restoient le Pere Dauost, & cinq de nos François, ne demandez pas si le Pere estoit triste: voyant partir ses compagnons sans luy, & sans quasi rien porter des choses necessaires pour leur vie, & pour leurs habits: De verité ils ont monstré qu'ils auoient vn grand cœur! car le desir d'entrer dans le pays de la Croix, leur fit quitter leur petit bagage, pour ne point chercher [331] leurs Sauuages qui se trouuoient mal, se contentants des ornements de l'Autel, & se confiant du reste en la prouidence de nostre Seigneur, leur depart de trois Riuieres fut si precipité, qu'ils ne peurent pas nous rescrire: mais estant arriuez au lõg Sault, à quelque quatre vingts lieuës de Kebec, & rencontrant des Hurons qui descendoient, ils nous enuoyerent quelques lettres, dans l'vne desquelles le Pere Brebœuf ayant raconté les difficultez de son embarquement, parle ainsi: Ie prie V. R. de remercier, mais de bonne façon Monsieur du Plessis, auquel apres Dieu nous deuons grandement en nostre embarquement: car outre les presents qu'il a fait aux Sauuages, tant publics que particuliers, & la Porcelaine qu'il a traittée, il a tenu autant de conseils que nous auons desiré, il nous a fourny de viures au depart, & nous a honorez de plusieurs coups de Canon; & le tout auec vn grand soing & vn tesmoignage d'vne tres-particuliere affection.
Father Brebœuf has recourse to God; [330] this is the way he speaks of it in his letter: "Never did I see an embarkation about which there was so much quibbling and opposition, through the tactics, as I believe, of the common enemy of man's salvation. It was by a Providential chance that we were taken, and through the power of the Glorious saint Joseph, to whom God inspired me to offer, in my despair of all things, the promise of 20 masses in his honor. After this vow was made, the Savage who had taken on board Petit Pré, one of our Frenchmen, gave him up to receive me, especially as Monsieur du Plessis insisted strongly that this should be done." And thus Father Brebœuf, Father Daniel, and a young man named le Baron were accepted by these Barbarians, who carried them into their country in bark Canoes. There remained Father Davost and five of our Frenchmen. Do not ask if the Father was sad at thus seeing his companions depart without him, almost without taking the necessaries of life, or their clothing. In truth, they have shown that they possess a generous heart! For the desire to go into the country of the Cross made them leave their little baggage, in order not to irritate [331] their Savages, who were ill, contenting themselves merely with the Altar ornaments, and trusting the rest to the providence of our Lord. Their departure from three Rivers was so hurried that they could not write to us; but when they reached the long Sault, some twenty-four leagues from Kebec, they encountered some Hurons who were coming down the river, and sent us letters, in one of which Father Brebœuf, having recounted the difficulties of his embarkation, speaks thus: "I beg Your Reverence to express our warmest thanks to Monsieur du Plessis, to whom, after God, we are greatly indebted for our embarkation. For—besides the presents he made to the Savages, publicly and privately, and the Porcelain he traded—he held as many councils as we desired, furnished us with provisions at our departure, and honored us with several Cannon salutes; and all with great care, and an appearance of very special interest in us."
[220] Nous nous en allons à petites iournées bien sains, quand à nous, mais nos Sauuages sont tous malades, nous ramons [332] continuellement, & ce d'autant plus que nos gens sont malades pour Dieu & pour les ames racheptés du sang du Fils de Dieu, que ne faut-il faire! tous nos Sauuages sõt tres-cõtents de nous, & ne voudroiẽt pas en auoir embarqué d'autres; ils disent tant de biẽ de nous à ceux qu'ils rẽcõtrent, qu'ils leurs persuadent de n'en embarquer point d'autres, Dieu soit beny. V. R. excuse à l'escriture & l'ordre, & le tout: nous partons si matin, gistons si tard, & ramons si continuellement, que nous n'auons quasi pas le loisir de satisfaire à nos prieres; de sorte qu'il m'a fallu acheuer la presente à la lueur du feu, ce sont les propres paroles du Pere, qui adjouste en vn autre endroit, que les peuples par où ils passent sont quasi tous malades, & meurent en grand nombre. Il y a eu quelque espece d'Epidimie cette année, qui s'est mesme communiquée aux François, mais Dieu mercy personne n'en est mort, c'estoit vne façon de rougeolle, & vne oppression d'estomach; reuenons aux trois Riuieres.
"We are going on by short stages, quite well, as far as we are concerned; but our Savages are all sick. We paddle [332] all the time, and do this the more because our people are sick. What ought not to be done for God, and for souls redeemed by the blood of the son of God! All our Savages are very much pleased with us, and would not have cared to take others on board; they speak well of us to those whom they meet, persuading them not to embark any others. God be praised! Your Reverence will excuse this writing, order and all; we start so early in the morning, and lie down so late, and paddle so continually, that we hardly have time enough to devote to our prayers; indeed, I have been obliged to finish this by the light of the fire." These are the exact words of the Father, who adds in another place that the people of the countries through which they pass are nearly all sick, and are dying in great numbers. There has been a sort of Epidemic this year, which has even been communicated to the French; but, thank God, no one has died of it; it is a sort of measles, and an oppression of the stomach. Let us return to three Rivers.
Ceux qui attendoient quelque autre occasion pour s'embarquer, furent consolez [333] par la venuë de trois Canots, dans lesquels Monsieur du Plessis fit embarquer le Pere Dauost, & deux de nos François, auec vne vigilance incomparable, comme m'escrit le Pere. A quelque temps de là vindrent encore d'autres Hurons, il plaça dans leurs Canots & hommes & bagage; en vn mot tout ce qui restoit, si bien que trois de nos Peres, & six de nos François, sont montez aux Hurons.
Those who were awaiting some other occasion to embark were consoled [333] by the coming of three Canoes, in which Monsieur du Plëssis had Father Davost and two of our Frenchmen embark, looking out for their interests with wonderful care, as the Father writes me. A short time after this, other Hurons came; and he placed in their Canoes both men and baggage, in a word, all that remained. So that three of our Fathers and six of our Frenchmen have gone up to the Hurons.
Ils ont trois cents lieuës à faire dans des chemins [222] qui font horreur à en ouyr parler les Hurons, auec lesquels ils vous cachent de deux iours en deux iours de leur farine pour manger au retour, il n'y a point d'autres hostelleries que ces cachettes, s'ils manquent à les retrouuer, ou si quelqu'vn les desrobe, car ils sont larrons au dernier point, il se faut passer de manger, s'ils les retrouuent; ils ne font pas pour cela grande chere, le matin ils detrempent vn peu de cette farine auec de l'eau, & chacun en mange enuiron vne ecuellée; là dessus ils ioüent de leur auiron tout le iour & sur la nuit: ils mangent comme [334] au point du iour, c'est la vie que doiuent mener nos Peres iusques à ce qu'ils soient arriués au païs de ces barbares, où estants, ils se feront bastir vne maison d'escorce, dans laquelle ils viuront du bled & de farine d'inde, de poisson en certain temps: pour la chair, comme il n'y a point de chasse ou ils sont, ils n'en mangent pas six fois l'an, s'ils ne veulent manger leurs chiens, comme fait le peuple qui en nourrit, comme on fait des moutons en Frãce; leur boisson c'est de l'eau. Voila les delices du païs, pour les sains & pour les malades, le pain, le vin, les diuerses sortes de viandes, les fruits, & mille raffraichissements qui sõt en France, ne sont point encore entrés dans ces contrées.