Part 8

Such are the things achieved at home; let us now consider what has been done elsewhere. I have explored with Sieur Biencourt a large part of this whole region--all that portion, namely, which the old geographers called Norumbega, including the principal rivers. The result is that not only have we come to know the country, but also to be known ourselves, and the savages, who had never before seen a Priest or the rites of our Religion, have begun to learn something concerning it. Wherever and whenever we could do so, we offered the priceless host to the Omnipotent GOD, so that the altar might be as a seat dedicated to the savior of men, whence he should begin to extend his dominion among this people, while their own hobgoblin tyrants are stricken with terror and driven [33] from their usurpation. The Savages have often been present, always profoundly silent and reverent. Afterwards I would visit their huts to pray and to lay hands on the sick; I gave them little crosses of brass, or images, which I hung about their necks, and as far as possible I infused some religious notions into their minds. They received all these things very gladly, they made the sign of the Cross under my guidance, and nearly all the boys followed me a long distance in order to repeat it oftener. Once it happened that a savage whom I had visited a couple of days before, finding him sick and almost given up by his friends, as I heard, met me rejoicing and well, and glorying in his cross, manifesting his gratitude toward me with hands and countenance, so that I strongly suspected that he had not only experienced the help of the cross but even recognized it. Whenever we fell in with French vessels--and this often happened--salutary counsels were given to the men, in accordance with time and place; sometimes, too, the passengers made their confession. Sometimes calamities that threatened the welfare and fortune of many were averted through the grace of GOD; sometimes, too, [34] certain destruction and the slaughter of no small number. We have also succeeded in reclaiming a certain Young Man[13] of great courage and hope who, through fear of Sieur de Potrincourt, has roamed about for a whole year with the Savages, adopting their ways and dress--not without suspicion, too, of something worse. The LORD brought about a meeting between us. I spoke with him, and at last he confided himself to me. I brought him to Sieur de Potrincourt; he did not repent of having placed faith in me; peace was made, to the great joy of all, and next day the young man, before receiving the holy Eucharist, of his own free will begged the pardon of those who surrounded him, for his evil conduct. But as it would be superfluous to speak of the many perils so miraculously escaped by our vessels, so would it be to speak of the many sufferings of those who sojourn here. We make no complaint of having to drink water; as for bread, in less than six weeks the supply ran so short that now no more is allowed for a week than formerly for a single day. We are awaiting a ship that is to bring supplies. In the meantime, as Bakers and Artisans, a great and ancient quality withal, [35] we continue living here, but we have each fallen seriously ill; however, the Lord sustained us with his hand. For this did not last long, and whenever one of us was sick the other was well. We feel, indeed, how great a burden it is to attend to all these household duties, in going for wood and water, in cooking, in washing and mending our clothes, in repairing our cabin, and in giving the necessary time and attention to other material cares. Thus our days and nights wretchedly slip away; but the hope consoles and sustains us that GOD, who raises up those who are cast down, will some time in his mercy not despise our unworthiness. Though, certainly, when we consider our lack of resources, the trying nature of the country, and the manners of the natives, the difficulties incident to our undertaking and those incident to the establishing of a colony, the thousand perils and impediments interposed by the sea or by our fellow men, our enterprise seems but a dream and a Platonic idea. I might set forth all these things one by one, if this were not to imitate the Hebrew explorers, and rather with regard to our human strength than to God's help, and no less through the [36] faintness of our own hearts than in accordance with the truth of things, to say: "This land devours its inhabitants; we are locusts, while there are here monsters of the race of Giants." But yet, however great these Giants be, that David with the sling and stone shall prevail against them, even he who tramples the earth under foot in his anger, and in his rage strikes terror into the senses of men; that JESUS, the Savior of mankind, who blesses the world and leads it toward perfection in spite of all its shortcomings; he, even he, as we hope, will deem it a thing worthy of his love and his power that, as Isaiah prophesied, _The solitude should exult and blossom like a lily_; even as he deemed it good in his wisdom and his power that, as we see, the most civilized empires in the height of power and glory should receive the yoke of his cross and his humility. Amen, so be it. And may all heaven with its prayers further this, our hope, and above all the glorious Queen of heaven; and my own prayers be aided, too, by the universal Church and especially by that portion of the Church over which, in accordance with God's will, your Reverence has so long presided--the Society; and I also pray and beseech [37] your Reverence to further it with all possible aid, and to be pleased to bestow on us toward this end in all charity your benediction. From port Royal, in new France, the last day of January, 1611.

_The son and unworthy servant of Your Reverence_

PIERRE BIARD.

FOOTNOTES:

[III.] _Sic._ for Kinibequi.--[O'Callaghan.]

Index rerum ac nominum nunc primùm huic Epistolæ adjunctus

ACADIA, _duo Societatis Sacerdotes illuc missi sunt_ iii _et ibi preveniunt_ 26

_Algonquini gerunt bella perpetua cum Irocosiis_ 9 _tribus Novæ Franciæ_ 11 _et Montagnesii iuncti, multo plus mille capitum numerare non possunt_ 13 _Anthropophagi, Excominqui et Armonchiqui perhibentur esse_ 9, 14

_Aquitaniâ euocatus, Sacerdos ad Novam Franciam proficiscitur_ 20

_Armonchiqui terram possident â fluvio Kinibequi vsque ad quadragesimum gradum_ 11 _Anthropophagi perhibentur_ 14

_Automoinos, vel veneficos, Barbari consulunt_ 14

_Baia Fundij._ vide, _Sinus Francicus_.

_Baptismum velut signum confœderationis cum Gallis Barbari accipiunt_ 24

_Barbari lege ac magistratu carent_ [40] 13

_Barbari quomodo vivunt_ 13 _bella populatim gerunt_ 14 _nec templa nec ædes sacras habent_ 15 _cum corpore memoriam ac nomen mortuorum sepeliunt_ 16 _Cacodæmonem colunt_ 16 _tenuem cognitionem Dei habent_ 16 _nonnulli in Galliam deuehuntur et ibi baptizantur_ 23 _centum in Novâ Franciâ baptizati sunt_ 24 _velut signum confœderationis cum Gallis baptismum accipiunt_ 24 _Gallos Nortmannos appellant_ 25 _canes immolant cum mors cuivis suorum appropinquet_ 28

_Barbarorum Novæ Franciæ tribuum nomina_ 9 _Novæ Franciæ numeri ac nomina_ 11, 13 _pelles unicus thesaurus_ 12 _vultus color et mores_ 13 _in quo constat religio_ 14 _in conviviis consuetudo_ 17 _infantes baptizantur_ 27 _P. Biardus invisit casulas_ 23

_Bella Barbari populatim gerunt_ 14

_Biardus, P. Petrus, in Acadiâ mittitur_ iii _casulas Barbarorum invisit_ 33 _magnam Norumbegæ partum lustrat_ 32 _quemdam iuvenem D. Potrincurtio reconciliat_ 34

_Biencurtius, Ioannes, colonos pro Novâ Franciâ deposcit_ 20 (vide _Potrincurtius_).

_Biencurtius D. Potrincurtij filius, interpretis vices gerit_ 31 _magnam Norembegæ partem cum P. Biardo lustrat_ [41] 32

_Cacodæmonem Barbari colunt_ 19

_Canadæ, Irocosii degunt ad capita magni fluminis_ 9 _S. Ioannis flumen orsum suum habet propemodum ora fluminis_ 10

_Canes, Barbari imminente morte assueti sunt immolare_ 28 _Patres Societatis hunc morem increpant_ 29

_Canoæ e cortice compinguntur_ 17

_Chorographiam Novæ Franciæ P. Biardus proponit mittere_ 18

_Choucaoët brachium est terræ quod sinum Francicum excipit_ 11

_Color Barbarorum_ 13

_Conviviorum apud Barbaros consuetudo_ 17

_Cotonus P. veniam obtinet ut Societas Iesv in Novâ Franciâ laboret_ 19

_Dei, Barbari habent tenuem cognitionem_ 16

_Dieppam, duo Iesuitæ eunt ad conscendendum_ 20 _et solvunt ab hac portu_ 22

_Etheminquenses inter S. Ioannis et Kinibequi fluvios habitant_ 10 _tribus Novæ Franciæ_ 11 _mille capita numerare non possunt_ 13

_Excominqui fera gens est et Anthropophaga_ 9

_Excommunicati, nomen vulgus Excominquorum_ 9 _tribus Novæ Franciæ_ 9, 11 _Anthropophagi perhibentur_ 14

_Expositio seu capita hujusce Epistolæ_ 6

_Flumina Novæ Franciæ_ 9, 10

_Fœmina apud Barbaros_ 16 _locum mancipii tenet_ 17

_Francici sinûs positio_ [42] 10

_Galli, quæ regio ab illis Nova Francia usurpatur_ 8 _Novæ Franciæ regionem non incolant_ 19

_Galliam, Barbari devehuntur et baptizantur_ 23

_Gallis, Irocosii et Armonchiqui non multum noti sunt_ 11

_Gallorum numerus in Acadiâ_ 25

_Geographi antiqui erroribus pleni_ 7

_Guerchevilia, Marchionisa, pro Patribus Societatis navem emit_ 21

_Gurges S. Laurentii_ 9

_Hæretici in navem Iesuitas recipere nolunt_ 20

_Henricus Rex, veniam dat Societati in Novâ Franciâ laborandi_ 19 _mortuus est_ 20

_Infantes Barbarorum baptizati_ 27

_Insula Præsentis, Terra Nova Barbaris appellatur_ 9

_Insulæ in Nova Francia frequentes sunt_ 12

_Irocosii ad capita magni fluminis Canadæ iacent_ 9 _perpetua bella cum Montagnesiis et Algonquiniis gerunt_ 9 _tribus Novæ Franciæ_ 11

_Isthmum, gurges S. Laurentii et sinus Francicus efficiunt_ 10

_Kinibequi flumen._ vide _Rimbequi_.

_Latitudo Novæ Franciæ_ 8

_Leucas quingentas Isthmus continet_ 10

_Linguæ indigenarum Patres Societatis ignari_ 27

_Massæus, P. Enemundus, in Acadiam mittitur_ iii

_Medicæa Maria, regina regens, Societati Iesv patrocinatur_ 20 _mandat ut Patres in navem recepti sint_ [43] 21

_Membertou, Henricus, Sagamus Soricorum, cum familia ejus, baptizatur_ 24 _filius ejus ægrotus deportatus est in ædes D. Potrincurtii_ 28, 29 _Sagamus, moritur_ 30 _magnâ pompâ sepulitur_ 32

_Moluarum, Terra nova celeberrima piscatu_ 9

_Montagnesii, ubi habitant_ 9 _tribus Novæ Franciæ_ 11

_Montes Novæ Franciæ nivosi et perpetuò rigentes sunt_ 12

_Mores Barbarorum_ 13, 16

_Mortuorum memoriam ac nomen Barbari cum corpore sepeliunt_ 16

_Nomina Barbarorum Novæ Franciæ_ 9

_Nortmannos, Barbari Gallos appellant_ 25

_Norumbega nihil est quam umbra et vox_ 8

_Norumbegæ P. Biardus magnam partem lustrat_ 32

_Nova Francia, quæ sit regio_ 8 _numeri ac nomina tribuum Barbarorum in_ 11 _quare regio perfrigida est et valdè aquosa_ 12 _Societas Iesv permissionem obtinet laborare in_ 19

_Novæ Franciæ chorographia à P. Biardo facienda_ 18

_Novam Franciam Patres Societatis appellunt ad_ 24

_Numerus Gallorum in Acadiâ_ 25

_Panis in Portu-regali cœpit deficere_ 34

_Patres Societatis Iesv in Portu-regali degunt_ 10 _necessitates ac onera eorum_ 35

_Pedunculos Barbari in deliciis habent_ 18

_Pelles unicus thesaurus Barbarorum_ 12

_Pontia, Antonia._ vide _Guerchevilia_

_Pōtugoët fluvius_ [44] 10

_Portus-regalis latitudo ac situs_ 10 _Patres Societatis ibi perveniunt_ 26

_Potrincurtius, D. Ioannes, colonos pro Novâ Franciâ poscit_ 20 _in Novam Franciam pervenit_ 24 _familia ejus unica est in Acadiâ_ 25 _Patrûm sedulitatem collaudat_ 27 _filius ægrotus Membertou deportatus est in ædes ejus_ 29

_Potrincurtio D. quidam iuvenis reconciliatus est_ 34

_Præsentis insula_ 9

_Promontorium Sabulorum_ 11

_Puella baptizatur_ 27 _moritur in Sacerdotum tuguriolo_ 28

_Religio Barbarorum_ 14

_Rimbequi (seu potius Kinibequi) flumen_ 10

_Sacerdos secularis centum ferè Barbaros in Novâ Franciâ baptizat_ 24 _in Galliam remigrat_ 26

_Sagami sunt bellorum ductores sed imperium eorum precarium est_ 13

_S. Ioannis flumen sese in Francicum gurgitem exonerat_ 10

_S. Laurentii gurges_ 9

_Sinus Francicus_ 10

_Societas Iesv, quanam viâ missionem in hanc provinciam obtinet_ 18 _permittitur in Novâ Franciâ laborare_ 19 _evocat duos Sacerdotes ut ibi proficiscantur_ 20 _impedimenta quæ eis afferuntur_ 21 _patres in Portum-regalem perveniunt_ 24, 26 (vide _Patres_).

_Somniis Barbari fidem habent_ [45] 15

_Soricorum Sagamus Henricus Membertou_ 28

_Soriqui ubi habitant_ 10 _tribus Novæ Franciæ_ 11 _duo millia non conficiunt_ 13

_Tabagia, convivium apud Barbaros vocatur_ 17

_Tabagiam, apud Barbaros mos est moribundis facere_ 28

_Templa nulla Barbari habent_ 15

_Terra nova, nomen suum apud Barbaros_ 9

_Tuguriola fœminæ ædificant_ 17 _quomodo ædificantur_ 18

_Venefici apud Barbaros_ 14 _potestas eorum_ 15

_Vultus Barbarorum_ 13

An index of matters, persons and places now for the first time added to this Letter

[_Figures refer to original pagination.--Ed._]

ACADIA, _two priests of the Society are sent thither_ iii _and arrive there_ 26

_Algonquins wage perpetual war with the Irocois_ 9 _a tribe of New France_ 11 _and the Montagnais together cannot much exceed a thousand in number_ 13

_Cannibals, the Excomminiqui and Armouchiquois are said to be_ 9, 14

_Aquitaine, a Priest departs for New France, summoned from_ 20

_Armouchiquois occupy the region from the Kinibequi river to the fortieth parallel_ 11 _are said to be Cannibals_ 14

_Autmoins, or medicine-men, the Savages consult_ 14

_Bay of Fundy_, vide _French Bay_.

_Baptism is accepted by the Savages as a sign of confederation with the French_ 24

_Savages, they have neither laws nor magistrates_ [40] 13

_Savages, how they live_ 13 _wage war as a whole people_ 14 _have neither temples nor sacred edifices_ 15 _bury the name and memory of the dead with their bodies_ 16 _worship the Evil Spirit_ 16 _have a slight notion of God_ 16 _some brought to France and baptised there_ 23 _a hundred are baptized in New France_ 24 _receive baptism as a sign of confederation with the French_ 24 _call the French Normans_ 25 _sacrifice dogs when one of their people is about to die_ 28

_Savages of New France, names of the tribes_ 9 _of New France, their numbers and names_ 11, 13 _hides their only treasure_ 12 _their faces, color, and manners_ 13 _in what their religion consists_ 14 _their custom at their feasts_ 17 _infants baptized_ 27 _Father Biard visits their huts_ 33

_Wars, the Indians wage war as a people_ 14

_Biard, Father Pierre, is sent to Acadia_ iii _visits the huts of the Savages_ 33 _explores a large part of Norumbega_ 32 _reconciles a certain young man with Monsieur de Potrincourt_ 34

_Biencourt, Jean de, asks for colonists for New France_ 20 vide _Potrincourt_.

_Biencourt, son of Potrincourt, serves as interpreter_ 31 _explores with Father Biard a large part of Norumbega_ [41] 32

_Evil Spirit, the Savages worship the_ 19

_Canada, the Irocois live at the head-waters of the great river of_ 9 _the St. John river takes its rise near the river of_ 10

_Dogs, the Savages at the approach of death are accustomed to sacrifice_ 28 _the Fathers of the Society blame this custom_ 29

_Canoes constructed out of bark_ 17

_Chart of New France, Father Biard proposes to send_ 18

_Chouacoët is a promontory jutting into French bay_ 11

_Color of the Savages_ 13

_Feasts, customs of, among the Savages_ 17

_Coton, Father, obtains permission for the Society of Jesus to labor in New France_ 19

_God, the Savages have a slight knowledge of_ 16

_Dieppe, two Jesuits go there to embark_ 20 _and sail from this port_ 22

_Etheminqui, live between St. John and Kinibequi rivers_ 10 _a tribe of New France_ 11 _cannot number a thousand_ 13

_Excominqui, a fierce tribe, and Cannibals_ 9

_Excommunicated, the, common appellation of the Excominqui_ 9 _a tribe of New France_ 9, 11 _are said to be Cannibals_ 14

_Explanation, or heads of this Letter_ 6

_Rivers of New France_ 9, 10

_Women among the Savages_ 16 _fill the place of slaves_ 17

_French bay, its position,_ [42] 10

_French, what country is called by them New France_ 8 _do not settle in the country of New France_ 19

_France, Savages brought there and baptised_ 23

_French, the Irocois and Armouchiquois little known to_ 11

_French, their number in Acadia_ 25

_Geographers, old, full of errors_ 7

_Guercheville, Marchioness de, buys a ship for the Fathers of the Society_ 21

_Gulf of St. Lawrence_ 9

_Heretics refuse to receive the Jesuits into their ship_ 20