The second ordinary difficulty, is in regard to provisions. Frequently one has to fast, if he misses the caches that were made when descending; and, even if they are found, one does not fail to have a good appetite after indulging in them; for the ordinary food is only a little Indian corn [124] coarsely broken between two stones, and sometimes taken whole in pure water; it is no great treat. Occasionally one has fish, but it is only a chance, unless one is passing some Tribe where they can be bought. Add to these difficulties that one must sleep on the bare earth, or on a hard rock, for lack of a space ten or twelve feet square on which to place a wretched hut; that one must endure continually the stench of tired-out Savages; and must walk in water, in mud, in the obscurity and entanglement of the forest, where the stings of an infinite number of mosquitoes and gnats are a serious annoyance.
Ie laisse à part vn long & ennuyeux silence où l'on est reduit. I'entends pour les nouueaux qui n'ont par fois en leur compagnie personne de leur langue, & ne sçauent [125] celle des Sauuages. Or ces difficultez comme elles sont ordinaires, aussi nous ont elles esté communes auec tous ceux qui viennent en ces Pays. Mais en nostre voyage nous en auons eu tous d'extraordinaires. La premiere a esté qu'il nous a fallu continuellement ramer, ny plus ny moins que les Sauuages: de sorte que ie n'auois le loisir de reciter mon Breuiaire sinon à la couchée, lors que i'eusse eu plus de besoin de repos que de trauail. L'autre a esté qu'il nous falloit porter nos pacquets, és portages, ce qui nous estoit aussi dur que nouueau, & encore plus aux autres qu'à moy, qui sçait desia vn peu ce que c'est que de fatigue. A chaque portage il me falloit faire au moins quatre voyages, les autres n'en [80] faisoiẽt gueres moins. I'estois desia venu aux Hurõs vne autre fois, mais ie n'auois point manié [126] l'auiron, ny porté de fardeaux non plus que les autres Religieux, qui auoient aussi fait le mesme chemin. Mais en ce voyage il nous a fallu tous commencer par ces experiences à porter la Croix que Nostre Seigneur nous presente pour son honneur, & pour le salut de ces pauures Barbares. Certes ie me suis trouué quelquesfois si las, que le corps n'en pouuoit plus. Mais d'ailleurs mon ame ressentoit de tres-grands contentemens, considerant que ie souffrois pour Dieu: nul ne le sçait, s'il ne l'experimente. Tous n'en ont pas esté quittes à si bon marché.
I say nothing of the long and wearisome silence to which one is reduced, I mean in the case of newcomers, who have, for the time, no person in their company who speaks their own tongue, and who do not understand [125] that of the Savages. Now these difficulties, since they are the usual ones, were common to us as to all those who come into this Country. But on our journey we all had to encounter difficulties which were unusual. The first was that we were compelled to paddle continually, just as much as the Savages; so that I had not the leisure to recite my Breviary except when I lay down to sleep, when I had more need of rest than of work. The other was that we had to carry our packages at the portages, which was as laborious for us as it was new, and still more for others than it was for me, who already knew a little what it is to be fatigued. At every portage I had to make at least four trips, the others had scarcely fewer. I had once before made the journey to the Hurons, but I did not then ply [126] the paddles, nor carry burdens; nor did the other Religious who made the same journey. But, in this journey, we all had to begin by these experiences to bear the Cross that Our Lord presents to us for his honor, and for the salvation of these poor Barbarians. In truth, I was sometimes so weary that the body could do no more, but at the same time my soul experienced very deep peace, considering that I was suffering for God; no one knows it if he has not experienced it. All did not get off so cheaply.
Le Pere Dauost, entre autres, a esté tres-mal mené; on luy a dérobé beaucoup de son petit equipage; on l'a contraint de ietter vn petit moulin d'acier, & quasi tous nos liures, quelques linges, & vne bonne partie [127] du papier que nous portions, dont nous auons grand besoin. On l'abandonna à l'Isle parmy les Algonquains, où il a eu dequoy souffrir à bonnes enseignes. Quand il arriua aux Hurons, il estoit si défait & abbatu, que de long-temps il ne pût se remettre.
Father Davost, among others, was very badly treated. They stole from him much of his little outfit. They compelled him to throw away a little steel mill, and almost all our books, some linen, and a good part [127] of the paper that we were taking, and of which we have great need. They deserted him at the Island, among the Algonquains, where he suffered in good earnest. When he reached the Hurons, he was so worn-out and dejected that for a long time he could not get over it.
Le Pere Daniel fut delaissé & contraint de changer de canot, comme aussi pareillemẽt Pierre l'vn de nos hommes; le petit Martin fut bien rudement traitté, & en fin abandonné aux Bissiriniens, où il demeura si long-temps, qu'il fut quelques deux mois en chemin, & n'arriua aux Hurons que le dix-neufiéme de Septembre. Baron fut volé par les siens la mesme iournée qu'il arriua en ces contrées, & eust encore bien plus perdu, s'il ne les eust contraints par la peur de ses armes luy en rendre quelque partie. Bref [128] tous les François y ont souffert de grandes peines, [82] fait de grosses dépenses, eu égard à leurs petites commoditez, & couru de notables dangers. Et quiconque montera icy haut, se doit resoudre à tout cela, & à quelque chose de plus; mesme à la mort, dont on voit à chaque moment l'Image deuant les yeux. Pour moy qui ne sçais point nager ie m'en suis veu vne fois fort proche: car au partir des Bissiriniens en descendant vn saut, nous-nous en allions tomber dedans vn precipice, si mes Sauuages n'eussent promptement & habilement sauté en l'eau, pour destourner le canot que le courant emportoit. Il est croyable que les autres en pourroient bien dire autant & plus, veu le nombre qu'il y a de semblables rencontres. Trois autres difficultez m'ont donné de la peine en mon particulier. La premiere, [129] l'importunité que mes gens me firent du commencement, pour cacher en quelque part vne quaisse qu'vn de nos François auoit mise dãs nostre canot. La seconde, le soing de ceux de nos gens, que nous auions laissé derriere. La troisiesme, que les Algonquains par où nous passions taschoient de nous intimider, disans que les Hurons nous tueroiẽt, comme ils auoient fait en la personne de Brulé, desirans de nous retenir chez eux, auec beaucoup de demonstration de bienueillance. Depuis nostre arriuée, i'ay appris que le Maistre de mon canot auoit ietté en auant de me degrader en quelque part, auec mon petit bagage; mais que sa proposition auoit esté aussi-tost rebuttée; aussi ne m'en fit-on iamais aucun semblant. Tout cela, Dieu mercy, ne me tourmenta pas beaucoup. Car leur ayant declaré [130] que ie porterois moy-mesme la quaisse dont il estoit question, quoy qu'ils en eussent receu le port; ie me resigné, quant au reste, à la volonté de Dieu, prest à [84] mourir pour l'honneur de son Fils nostre bon Seigneur, & pour le salut de ces pauures Peuples.
Father Daniel was abandoned, and compelled to seek another canoe, as also was Pierre, one of our men. Little Martin was very roughly treated, and at last was left behind with the Bissiriniens, where he remained so long that he was about two months on the road, and only arrived among the Hurons on the nineteenth of September. Baron[26] was robbed by his savages on the very day he arrived in these regions; and he would have lost much more if he had not compelled them, through fear of his arms, to give him back a part of what they had taken. In short, [128] all the Frenchmen suffered great hardships, incurred great expense, considering the few goods they had, and ran remarkable risks. And whosoever will come up here must make up his mind to all this, and to something more, even to death itself, whose Image we see every moment before our eyes. For myself, not knowing how to swim, I once had a very narrow escape from drowning. As we were leaving the Bissiriniens, while descending a rapid we would have gone over a precipice, had not my Savages promptly and skillfully leaped into the water, to turn aside the canoe which the current was sweeping on. It is probable that the others might say as much, and more, considering the number of such incidents there are. Three other difficulties gave trouble to me in particular. The first [129] was the importunity of my men, at the start, to hide somewhere a box that one of our Frenchmen had put into our canoe. The second was anxiety for those of our men we had left behind. The third, that the Algonquains, through whose territory we were passing, tried to intimidate us, saying that the Hurons would kill us as they had Brulé, and desiring to keep us among them, with abundant demonstrations of good will. Since our arrival, I have learned that the Master of my canoe had proposed to land me somewhere with my little baggage, but that his proposal had been at once repelled, and so I saw no sign of anything of the kind. All that, thank God, did not trouble me much; for having declared to them [130] that I would myself carry the box about which the trouble arose, although they had received pay to carry it, I resigned myself as far, as everything else was concerned, to the will of God, ready to die for the honor of his Son, our good Lord, and for the salvation of these poor Peoples.
Ie ne sçay pas quand on parla de me quitter; mais mes Saunages me témoignoient tãt d'affection, & disoiẽt tãt de bien de nous aux autres, qu'ils faisoiẽt enuie à tous les Hurõs que nous rencõtrions, d'embarquer quelqu'vn des nostres. Cela me fait douter, si ce qu'on m'a dit du Maistre de mon canot est vray. Car ceux qui auoiẽt embarqué le Pere Daniel & Baron, voulurent les quitter à l'Isle; mais le Maistre du canot où estoit le Pere Daniel, le voyant mescontent de cela, le fit aussi-tost embarquer, & le porta iusques à ce qu'ils eussent rencontré [131] le Capitaine de la Rochelle, lequel estant de la cognoissance du Pere, pour l'auoir voulu conduire l'an passé, le mit volontiers dans son canot, auec ses deux pacquets. Il luy fit plaisir, & aux Sauuages aussi; car le Pere eust eu encore bien de la peine dans vn canot fort chetif, qui n'auoit que trois hommes languissans, & dont la demeure estoit à douze lieuës loing de la nostre: là où ce Capitaine demeuroit au village, où nous auiõs quelque dessein de nous habituer, & assez proche du lieu où nous sommes; & d'ailleurs son canot estoit fort, & equippé de six puissans Sauuages tous sains & gaillards. Ce bon eschange luy arriua la veille de sainct Ignace au matin, ayant fait le iour precedent naufrage par deux fois. Pour Baron, n'eust esté le Capitaine de l'Isle qui fit remettre ses pacquets dans les canots, [132] il y fust demeuré. Encore ses gens ne luy furent pas si barbares, comme furent autresfois à vn de nos François, ceux qui le ramenoient des Hurons à Kebec. Ce ieune homme surnommé la Marche fust mort dans les bois, si nous n'eussions eu le soin [86] & le credit de le renuoyer chercher plus d'vne lieuë loing du lieu où nous-nous en apperceusmes.
I do not know when they spoke of leaving me; but my Savages exhibited so much affection for me, and said so much that is kind about us to others, that they excited the desire in all the Hurons we met to embark some one of our people. This makes me doubt the truth of what has been said about the Master of my canoe. For those who had embarked Father Daniel and Baron wished to leave them at the Island; but the Master of the canoe in which Father Daniel was, seeing him dissatisfied at that, caused him to embark at once, and carried him until they met [131] the Captain of la Rochelle,[27] who, knowing the Father from having wished to take him last year, willingly received him with his two packages into his canoe. It pleased him, and the Savages also; for the Father would have still had much trouble in a wretched canoe which had only three sick men in it, whose home was twelve leagues distant from ours; this Captain lived at a village where we had some intention of settling, and quite near the place where we are. Besides, his canoe was strong, and manned by six powerful Savages, quite healthy and good-natured. This happy exchange happened to him the morning of the day before the festival of saint Ignace, he having been shipwrecked twice the previous day. As to Baron, had it not been for the Captain of the Island, who caused his baggage to be put back into the canoes, [132] he would have remained there. Still, his people were not so barbarous as formerly were those who brought back one of our Frenchmen from the Hurons to Kebec. This young man, surnamed la Marche, would have died in the woods, if we had not had the care and the interest to send back in search of him more than a league from the place where we missed him.
Il ne faut quelquefois qu'vn mot, quelquefois qu'vn songe, quelque fantaisie, ou la moindre pensée d'incommodité, pour faire dégrader ou mettre à terre, i'ose dire, pour faire massacrer vn hõme, ainsi qu'il arriua l'an passé à vn pauure Algõquain, qui fut abandonné en vn saut par son propre neueu: & il n'y a pas vn mois qu'vn pauure ieune homme aussi Algonquain, estant tombé dans le feu, fut tué auprés de nostre village par ceux de sa Nation, de peur qu'ils auoient [133] d'en estre incommodez dans le canot. Ce qui me persuade qu'ils l'assommerent, c'est la coustume qu'ils en ont; que les Hurons le disoient; & que le soir auparauant il mangeoit bien, & en bonne quantité de ce que nous luy donnions; outre que deux Algonquains nous asseurerent, qu'on estoit dans la pensée de le trépaner d'vn coup ou deux de hache. Vostre Reuerence a veu ou sceu de semblables cas en son hyuernement auec les Sauuages. En vn mot, il faut se resoudre à beaucoup de dangers euidens, & de grandes fatigues, qui veut venir icy. I'attribue neantmoins toutes ces difficultez extraordinaires à la maladie de nos Sauuages. Car nous sçauons assez combien les maladies alterent les humeurs, & les complexions mesmes des plus sociables. Ie ne sçay pas à quel prix nos François, & les Montagnais [134] en aurõt esté quittes. Biẽ sçay je que la pluspart des Mõtagnais qui estoient aux trois Riuieres quand nous-nous embarquasmes, estoient malades, & que plusieurs en mouroient; comme aussi, qu'il n'est quasi point reuenu de canot de la traitte, qui n'aye esté affligé de ceste contagiõ. Elle a esté si vniuerselle [88] parmy les Sauuages de nostre cognoissance, que ie ne sçay si aucun en a euité les atteintes. Tous ces pauures gents en ont esté fort incommodez, notamment pendant l'Automne, tant en leurs pesches qu'en leurs moissons. Plusieurs bleds sont demeurez sous les neiges, grand nombre de personnes sont mortes; il y en a encore à present qui ne sont pas gueris. Cette maladie commençoit par des ardeurs violentes, qui estoient suiuies d'vne espece de rougeolle, ou petite verolle, differente [135] toutesfois de celle de Frãce, accompagnée en plusieurs d'aueuglement pour quelques iours, ou obscurcissement de veuë, & en fin se terminoit en vn flux de ventre, qui en a conduit plusieurs, & en conduit encore quelques-vns au tombeau.