[20] Le vingt-septiesme du mesme mois de Septembre vn Elan parut de l'autre bord de ceste grande riuiere, nos François en donnerent aduis à quelques Sauuages cabanez proche de l'Habitation, quelques-vns d'eux s'en vont attaquer ce grand animal, qui se rafraichissoit dedans l'eau, l'allant prendre du costé des terres, pour le pousser plus auant dans le fleuue, ils voloient apres dans leurs petits Canots d'écorce, ils l'approcherent à la portée d'vn iauelot, & l'vn d'eux luy lança vne espée qui le fit bondir, & chercher le chemin de la terre pour se sauuer; ce qu'il eust fait aisément, s'il eust peu aborder; mais voyant ses ennemis de ce costé là, il [65] se iette à l'eau, où il fut bien-tost lardé de coups d'espées. Comme il tiroit à la mort, ils le repousserent vers le bord du fleuue, & là le mirent en vn momẽt en pieces, pour le pouuoir apporter en leur cabane. Nous voyons ceste chasse de nostre Habitation esleuée sur vne platte forme naturelle, qui a veuë sur la grande Riuiere. Ie consideray particulierement la teste de cest animal, il auoit poussé vn bois de la longueur seulement des cornes d'vn bœuf; car il estoit encore tout ieune ce bois estoit tout velu, assez mince, & d'vne grosseur quasi égale partout.
On the twenty-seventh of the same month of September, an Elk appeared on the other bank of this great river; our Frenchmen gave notice of it to some Savages who were encamped near the Settlement, and some of them went to attack this great animal, which was standing in the water drinking. Approaching it from the land side, to drive it farther into the water, they flew after it in their little bark Canoes; and, approaching it within range, one of them launched a javelin at it, which made it give a bound and start for the shore to save itself; it might easily have done this if it had been able to touch the shore; but seeing its enemies there, it [65] rushed into the water where it was soon run through with javelins. When it was near its death, they drove it to the shore, and there in a moment they had cut it in pieces, to be able to carry it to their cabin. We saw this chase from our Settlement, which is on a natural elevation and commands a view of the great River. I carefully examined the head of this animal; its antlers had grown only as long as the horns of an ox, for it was still young; these antlers were covered with hair which was quite fine and almost equally thick throughout.
Le vingt-huictiesme le Pere Buteux & moy trouuasmes vne troupe de Sauuages, qui faisoient festin auprés des fosses de leurs parens trespassez; ils leur donnerent la meilleure part du banquet qu'ils ietterent [66] au feu, & s'en voulans aller vne femme rompit des branches, & des rameaux d'arbres, dont elle couurit ces fosses; ie luy en demanday la raison, elle repartit qu'elle abrioit l'ame de ses amis trespassez, contre l'ardeur du Soleil, qui a esté fort grande cet [22] Automne. Ils philosophent des ames des hommes & de leurs necessitez, comme des corps, conformément à leur doctrine, se figurans que nos ames ont les mesmes besoins que nos corps; nous luy dismes assez que les ames des creatures raisonnables descendoiẽt aux enfers, ou montoient au Ciel; elle ne laissa pas, sans nous rien respondre, de garder la vieille coustume de ses ayeux. Ceux qui ne resentent pas les obligations qu'ils ont à Dieu, d'auoir pris naissance en vn lieu où il est cogneu & adoré, peuuent icy veoir à l'œil quel preciput [67] ils ont par dessus vn monde de barbares.
On the twenty-eighth, Father Buteux and I found a band of Savages who were having a feast near the graves of their deceased relatives; they gave them the best part of the banquet, which they threw [66] into the fire; and, when they were about to go away, a woman broke some twigs and branches from the trees, with which she covered these graves. I asked her why she did this, and she answered that she was sheltering the souls of her dead friends from the heat of the Sun, which has been very great this Autumn. They reason about the souls of men and their necessities as they do about the body; according to their doctrine, they suppose that our souls have the same needs as our bodies. We told her repeatedly that the souls of reasonable beings descended into hell or went up into Heaven; but, without giving us any answer, she continued to follow the old custom of her ancestors. Those who do not appreciate the obligations they are under to God, for having been born in a place where he is known and worshiped, can see here at a glance what an advantage [67] they have over a world of barbarians.
Le vingt-troisiesme iour d'Octobre, quinze ou vingt Sauuages reuindrent de la guerre, amenans vn prisonnier. Si tost qu'il peurent découurir nostre Habitation & leurs cabanes, ils rassemblerent leurs canots, & s'en vindrent doucement par le milieu du grand fleuue, poussant de leur estomach des chants tout remplis d'allegresse; si tost qu'on les apperceut, il se fit vn grand cry dans les cabanes; chacun sortit au deuant pour veoir ces gueriers, qui firent leuer tout debout le pauure prisonnier, & le firent danser à leur mode au milieu d'vn canot; il chãtoit & eux frappoient de leurs auirons à la cadence; il estoit lié d'vne corde qui luy passoit de bras en bras derriere le dos, & d'vne autre aux pieds, & encore d'vne autre [68] assez longue par le trauers du corps; ils luy auoient arraché les ongles des doigts, afin qu'il ne se peust délier. Admirez ie vous prie la cruauté de ces peuples, vne Sauuage nous ayant apperceu le Pere Buteux & moy dans la meslée auec les autres, nous vint dire toute remplie de ioye & de contentement, Tapoue kouetakiou nigamouau; en vérité ie mangeray [24] de l'Hiroquois. En fin ce pauure homme sorty du canot fut conduit dans vne cabane, à l'entrée les enfans, les filles & les femmes le frappoient, qui d'vn baston, qui d'vne pierre: vous eussiez dit qu'il estoit insensible, passant chemin, & receuant ces coups, sans destourner la veuë: si tost qu'il fust entré, on le fit dancer à la cadence de leurs hurlemens. Apres auoir fait quelques tours, frappant la terre, & s'agitant le corps, en quoy consiste toute [69] leur dance, on le fit asseoir, & quelques Sauuages nous apostrophans, nous dirent que cet Hiroquois estoit l'vn de ceux qui l'année precedente auoient surpris & massacré trois de nos François, c'estoit pour estouffer en nous la compassion que nous en pouuiõs auoir, ils oserent bien demander à quelques-vns de nos François, s'ils n'en mangeroient pas bien leur part, puis qu'ils auoient tué de nos Compatriotes. On leur repartit que ces cruautez nous déplaisoient, & que nous n'estions point des antropophages. Il ne mourut point neantmoins; car ces Barbares ennuyez de la guerre, parlerent à ce ieune prisonnier, qui est homme fort, & d'vne riche & haute taille, de faire la paix; ils ont esté long-tẽps à la traiter, mais en fin ils l'ont concluë. Ie croy bien qu'elle ne durera gueres, [70] car le premier vertige qui prendra à quelque estourdy, sur le souuenir que l'vn de ses parens aura esté tué par les Hiroquois, en ira surprendre quelqu'vn, & le massacrera en trahison: & ainsi recommencera la guerre. Il ne faut pas attendre de fidelité des peuples qui n'ont point la vraye Foy.
On the twenty-third day of October, fifteen or twenty Savages returned from the war, bringing a prisoner. As soon as they could descry our Settlement and their cabins, they collected their canoes and sailed slowly down the middle of the great river, uttering from their chests songs full of gladness; as soon as they were seen, there was a great outcry among the cabins, each one coming out to see these warriors, who made the poor prisoner stand up and dance in their fashion in the middle of a canoe. He sang, and they kept time with their paddles; he was bound with a cord which tied his arms behind his back, another was around his feet, and still another, [68] a long one, around his body; they had torn out his finger-nails, so that he could not untie himself. Marvel, I pray you, at the cruelty of these people. A Savage, having perceived Father Buteux and me mingling with the others, came up to us and said, full of joy and satisfaction, Tapoue kouetakiou nigamouau; "I shall really eat some Hiroquois." Finally this poor man came out of the canoe, and was taken into a cabin, the children, girls, and women striking him, some with sticks, others with stones, as he entered; you would have said he was insensible, as he passed along and received these blows without looking around; as soon as he entered, they made him dance to the music of their howls. After having made a few turns, striking the ground and agitating his body, which is all there is of [69] their dancing, they made him sit down; and some of the Savages, addressing us, told us that this Hiroquois was one of those who the year before had surprised and killed three of our Frenchmen; this was done to stifle in us the pity that we might have for him, and they even dared to ask some of our French if they did not want to eat their share of him, since they had killed our Countrymen. We replied that these cruelties displeased us, and that we were not cannibals. He did not die, however; for these Barbarians, weary of the war, spoke with this young prisoner, who was a strong man, tall and finely formed, about making peace; they have been treating about it for a long time, but at last it is concluded. In truth, I believe it will not last long; [70] for the first impulse that seizes some hot-headed fellow, at the remembrance that one of his relations was killed by the Hiroquois, will make him go and surprise one of them, and treacherously assassinate him; and thus the war will begin again. Fidelity cannot be expected from people who have not the true Faith.
Le vingt-quatriesme du mesme mois grand nombre d'Algonquains estans arriuez, ie m'en allay chercher [26] par leur cabanes, vne petite fillette que i'auois baptisée, & nommée Marguerite l'ã passé: sa mere me recogneut bien, & me dit qu'elle estoit morte, c'est autant de gaigné pour le Ciel, ie ne l'auois pas fait Chrestienne qu'à fin qu'elle y allast. Cõme ie vins à demãder des nouuelles du pere de cét enfant que i'auois cõmencé d'instruire, vn Sauuage me respondit qu'il estoit mort; à ceste [71] parole vne sienne fille aagée de dix-huict à vingt ans, fit vn grand cry toute éplorée; on me fit signe que ie ne parlasse point de la mort, dont le seul nom leur semble insupportable.
On the twenty-fourth of the same month, a great many Algonquains having arrived, I went through their cabins, looking for a little girl I had baptized and named Marguerite, the year before. Her mother readily recognized me, and told me that she was dead; that was so much gained for Heaven; I had only made her a Christian that she might go there. When I came to ask news of the father of the child whom I had begun to instruct, a Savage told me that he was dead; at this [71] answer, one of his daughters, about eighteen or twenty years old, uttered a loud cry and burst into tears; they made me a sign that I should not speak of death, its very name seeming to them unbearable.
Le vingt-neufiesme il arriua vne chose assez facetieuse, que ie coucheray icy, pour faire veoir la simplicité d'vn esprit qui ne cognoist point Dieu. Deux Sauuages estans entrez en nostre Habitation, pendant le Diuin Seruice, que nous faisions à la Chapelle, se disoient l'vn à l'autre, Ils prient celuy qui a tout fait, leur donnera-il ce qu'ils demandent? Or comme nous tardions trop à leur gré, Asseurément, disoient-ils, il ne leur veut pas donner: voyla ils crient tous tant qu'ils peuuent (nous chantions Vespres pour lors). Or vn ieune truchement venant à sortir, ils l'aborderent, & [72] luy dirent, Hé bien! celuy qui a tout fait, vous a-il accordé ce que vous demandiez? Ouy, respond-il, nous l'aurons. Asseurémẽt, repartent-ils, il ne s'en est gueres fallu qu'il ne vous ait éconduit; car vous auez bien crié & bien chanté pour l'auoir: nous disions à tous coups, que vous n'auriez rien; mais encore que vous a-il promis? Ce ieune homme soufriant, leur respondit, conformément à leur grande attente, Il nous a promis que nous n'aurions point faim: c'est la grande beatitude des Sauuages d'auoir dequoy contenter leur ventre.
On the twenty-ninth, a rather amusing thing happened, which I shall relate here to show the simplicity of a mind that does not know God. Two Savages having entered our Settlement during Divine Service, which we were holding in the Chapel, said to each other, "They are praying to him who made all things; will he give them what they ask?" Now as we were going rather slowly, according to their ideas, "Certainly," they said, "he does not want to give it to them, see how they are all shouting as loud as they can," (we were singing Vespers at the time). Now, as a young interpreter was going away, they approached him and [72] said "Well, now, he who made all things, has he granted what you ask?" "Yes," he answered, "we shall get it." "Certainly," they replied, "he must have very nearly refused you, for you have cried and sung so hard to get it; we were saying all the time that you would not get anything; but tell us now, what did he promise you?" This young man, smiling, answered them according to their expectations, "He promised us that we should not be hungry." It is the highest state of happiness for the Savages to have something with which to satisfy their stomachs.