Part 12

The Messou, very much astonished, gave up all thoughts of his lynxes, to meditate on creating the world anew. He sent a raven to find a small piece of the earth, with which to build up another world. The raven was unable to find any, everything being covered with water. He made an otter dive down, but the depth of the water prevented it from going to the bottom. At last a muskrat descended, and brought back some earth. With this bit of earth, he [Messou] restored everything to its condition. He remade the trunks of the trees, and shot arrows against them, which were changed into branches. It would be a long story to recount [79] how he reëstablished everything; how he took vengeance on the monsters that had taken his hunters, transforming himself into a thousand kinds of animals to circumvent them. In short, this great Restorer, having married a little muskrat, had children who repeopled the world.

On voit par ces contes que les Sauuages ont quelque idée d'vn Dieu: Ie dis bien dauantage, qu'ils ont quelque espece de sacrifice. Le Pere Brebeuf m'a asseuré qu'hyuernant auec eux, il leur vit mettre vn petit Eslan ou Orignac souz la cendre, & le brusler. Il cogneut depuis qu'à mesme temps on en auoit brûlé vn en la mesme façon en vne autre cabane, & demandant la raison de cela, ils luy dirent que c'estoit pour la santé d'vn malade.

You see by these stories that the Savages have some idea of a God: I say even more, they have some form of sacrifice. Father Brebeuf assured me that, when passing the winter with them, he saw them put a little Elk or Moose under the ashes and burn it. He has learned since then that another was burned at the same time and in the same manner, in another cabin; and, asking the reason for it, they answered that it was for the recovery of a sick man.

Il y a des hommes parmy eux qui font profession de consulter leur [80] Manitou; il me semble que par ce mot de Manitou ils entendent, comme entre nous, vn Ange, ou quelque nature puissante. Ie croy qu'ils pensent qu'il y en a de bons & de mauuais, i'en parleray plus asseurément quelque iour.

There are some men among them who make a profession of consulting their [80] Manitou. It seems to me that by this word "Manitou" they understand, as among us, an Angel or some powerful being.[41] I believe they think that there are good and bad Manitous; I will speak of this with greater certainty some day.

Le Gendre de nostre Sauuage voulant aller à la chasse, le consulta tout auprés de nostre maison: Il fit vne petite Cabane de bois, se renferma là dedans. Sur la nuict, chantant, criant, hurlant: les autres estoient à l'entour de luy: ie priay vn François de tirer vn coup d'arquebuse pour les espouuanter par le bruit, mais ie ne sçay s'ils l'entendirent, tant ils se demenoient. Le Manitou luy dit qu'il allast à la chasse d'vn certain costé, qu'il y trouueroit des Orignaux, & point d'Hiroquois; le Manitou fut trouué menteur, car il reuint bien affamé, n'ayant quasi rien trouué. [81] Pour les Hiroquois, il n'en pouuoit rencontrer, car il s'écartoit bien loin d'eux: ie croy que la pluspart de ces consulteurs de Manitou ne sont que des trompeurs & charlatans; neantmoins quand ils recommandent quelque chose, cela est executé de point en point. S'il disoit aux Sauuages que le Manitou veut qu'on se couche nud dans la neige, qu'on se brusle en quelque endroict, il seroit obey & au bout du conte ce Manitou ou Diable ne leur parle non plus qu'à moy.

The Son-in-law of our Savage, wishing to go hunting, took counsel with him [the Manitou] near our house. He made a little wooden Cabin, shutting himself inside toward nightfall, singing, crying, and howling. The others were around him. I begged a Frenchman to fire a shot of the arquebus, to frighten them with the noise; but I am not sure that they heard it, so great was the uproar. The Manitou told him to go hunting in a certain direction, that he would find Moose there, and no Hiroquois. The Manitou was proved a liar; for the hunter returned almost starved, having found very little. [81] As to the Hiroquois, he could not have run against any, because he kept at a great distance from them. I believe that the greater number of these consulters of the Manitou are only deceivers and charlatans. Notwithstanding this, when they advise anything it is carried out exactly. If one of them should tell the Savages that the Manitou wanted them to lie down naked in the snow, or to burn themselves in a certain place, he would be obeyed. And, after all, this Manitou, or Devil, does not talk to them any more than he does to me.

Ie me doute neantmoins qu'il y en a quelquesvns qui ont vrayemẽt communication auec le Diable, s'il est vray ce qu'en disent les Sauuages, car on les voit marcher sur leurs cabanes sans les rompre: ils deuiẽnent furieux & comme possedez, dõnent des coups capables d'assommer vn bœuf, & neantmoins la douleur passe [82] en peu de temps: sans grand outrage on les void tout en sang, puis gueris en vn moment. Ils racontent quantité d'autres choses semblables, mais quãd ie les presse, ils m'aduouẽt franchement qu'ils n'ont point veu cela, ains seulement qu'ils l'ont ouy dire. Il ne faut pas leur faire grandes obiections sur leurs fables, pour les arrester, & leur faire perdre terre.

Nevertheless, I am inclined to think that there are some among them who really have communication with the Devil, if what the Savages say is true; because some are seen to walk upon their huts, without breaking them down. They become furious and act as if possessed, striking blows hard enough to fell an ox, and yet the pain passes [82] away very soon. Without any great injury, they cover themselves with blood, and are healed in a moment. They relate many other similar things; but, when I question them closely, they frankly admit that they have not seen them, but have only heard of them. One does not need to offer any very serious objections to their stories, to interrupt and confuse them.

Le 15. du mesme nostre Sauuage nous vint trouuer, & nous dit qu'vn de ses gendres auoit songé que nous luy donnassions aussi long que la main de petum, ou tabac; Ie luy refusay, disant que ie ne donnois rien pour les songes, & que ce n'estoit que folie, que ie leur expliquerois comme ils se forment quand ie scaurois leur lãgue. Il me repart que toutes les nations auoient quelque chose de particulier, que si nos songes n'estoient pas vrays, si bien les leurs: [83] & qu'ils mourroient s'ils ne les mettoient en execution. A ce conte nos vies dépendẽt des songes d'vn Sauuage, car s'ils resuoiẽt qu'il nous faut tuer, infailliblement ils nous tueroient, s'ils pouuoient. On m'a dit qu'autrefois l'vn d'eux ayant songé que pour estre guery d'vne maladie qui le trauailloit, il luy falloit tuer vn certain François, il l'enuoye appeller. Entré qu'il fut en sa cabane, il luy disoit, approche mon frere, ie te veux parler: sa femme qui scauoit le dessein de son mary, dit au François qu'il se donnast bien garde d'approcher: & de fait ce malade auoit mis vne hache à son costé pour l'assommer. Voila l'vne des risques de nostre vie; cela ne m'estonne point, on peut mourir pour Dieu en mourant par vn songe.

On the 15th of the same [month], our Savage came to see us, and said that one of his sons-in-law had dreamed that we would give him a piece of petun, or tobacco, as long as his hand. I refused him, saying that I did not give anything on account of dreams; that they were only folly, and that, when I knew his language, I would explain to him how they originated. He replied to me that all nations had something especially their own; that, if our dreams were not true, theirs were; [83] and that they would die if they did not execute them. According to this idea, our lives depend upon the dreams of a Savage; because, if they dream that they have to kill us, they will surely do it if they can. I am told that, at another time, one of them had a dream that to be cured of a disease, from which he was suffering, he must kill a certain Frenchman; so he sent for him. When the Frenchman entered his cabin, he said to him: "Come nearer, my brother, I want to talk with you." His wife, who knew the designs of her husband, told the Frenchman to be on his guard in going near him; and, in fact, the sick man had placed an axe at hand, with which to kill him. This shows one of the great risks that we run here; it does not frighten me; we may die for God in dying because of a dream.

Pour reuenir à nostre Sauuage, ie luy demanday s'il faudroit executer [84] mon songe, au cas que i'eusse songé que ie le deurois tuer? il repart que le songe de son gendre n'estoit point mauuais: & tout ainsi qu'il nous croyoit quãd nous luy disions quelque chose, ou que nous luy monstrions quelque image: de mesme que nous luy deuions croire quand il nous disoit quelque chose propre de sa nation: qu'au reste il s'estõnoit que nous autres qui n'vsions point de tabac, l'aimions tant. En fin il luy en fallut bailler, en luy faisant bien entendre que ce n'estoit point en consideratiõ de son songe, & qu'on luy refuseroit tout ce qu'il demanderoit sous ce pretexte. Il nous dit qu'il ne croiroit plus à ces fantaisies, mais que son gendre estoit libre: ceste superstition est trop enracinée dans son esprit pour la quitter si aisément.

But to return to our Savage; I asked him if it would be necessary to execute [84] my dream, in case I had dreamed that I should kill him. He replied that his son-in-law's dream was not bad; and just as he believed us when we told him something, or when we showed him a picture, so likewise we ought to believe him when he told us something that was accepted by his people. More than that, he was astonished that we, who did not use tobacco, liked it so much. Finally, we found it necessary to give him some, taking good care to make him understand that it was not in consideration of his dream, and that we would refuse him whatever he asked under that pretext. He said he would no longer believe in such fancies, but that his son-in-law could do as he liked. This superstition is too deeply implanted in his mind for him to give it up so easily.

Le 21. du mesme, ie baptisay vn [85] petit Sauuage agé d'enuiron 3 ans, frappé d'vne maladie mortelle: & voyant qu'il estoit en danger de mourir dans les bois, sa grand'mere le traisnant auec soy de part & d'autre, nous luy demandasmes au cas qu'il guerit, si elle ne voudroit pas bien nous le donner pour le nourrir & l'instruire: Elle respondit que s'il n'estoit si malade, qu'elle nous le dõneroit dés lors. Ses parents y consentirent: ce qui nous fit resoudre à le baptiser. Nostre Pierre luy donna son nom: ce pauure enfant pourra traisner quelques années, mais il n'y a gueres d'esperance qu'il puisse iamais recouurer sa santé.

On the 21st of the same [month], I baptized a [85] little Savage about three years old, stricken with a fatal disease; and, seeing that he was in danger of dying in the woods, his grandmother had dragged him about with her from one place to another; we asked her, if he should recover, if she would not like to give him to us, to care for and teach. She answered that, if he were not so sick, she would give him to us at once. His parents consented, so we resolved to baptize him. Our Pierre gave him his name. This poor child may drag on a few years, but there is hardly a hope that he will ever recover his health.

Sur la fin de Ianuier, le fils & les gendres de nostre Sauuage estans vers le Cap de Tourmẽte, manderẽt à leur pere, qui estoit cabané aupres de nous, qu'il y auoit bonne chasse en ce quartier là: Il s'y en alla auec [86] le reste de sa famille: puis nous retournant voir, il nous dit que si nous l'aimions nous l'allassions visiter en sa cabane, qu'il nous donneroit de la chair d'Eslan: Vous m'auez, disoit-il, donné de vos biens quand i'auois faim: mes gens croiront que vous estes faschez cōtre moy si vous ne nous venez pas voir. Il nous donna nouuelle que le Sauuage Brehaut estoit mort, & qu'il auoit laissé deux enfans, vn garçon & vne petite fille. Or comme nous disirerions bien d'en enuoyer quelques-vns en France pour les faire instruire, afin qu'ils peussent par apres secourir leur nation, le Pere de Nouë prit resolution de suiure ce bon Sauuage, ce ne fut pas sans peine, voicy les particularitez de son voyage. Les hostelleries qu'on trouue en chemin sont les bois mesmes: à l'entrée de la nuict on s'arreste pour cabaner; chacun [87] desfait ses raquettes, desquelles on se sert comme de pesle pour vuider la neige de la place où on veut coucher. La place nette, & faite en rond ordinairement, on fait du feu tout au bien milieu, & tous les hostes s'assient à l'entour, estans abriez par le dos d'vne muraille de neige, ayans le Ciel pour couuerture de la maison. Le vin de ceste hostellerie c'est l'eau de neige fonduë dans vne petite chaudiere qu'on porte auec soy, si on ne veut manger la neige pour boisson: Les meilleurs mets sont vn peu d'anguille boucanée. Comme il faut porter sa couuerture auec soy pour se couurir la nuict, on ne se charge que le moins qu'õ peut d'autres choses.

Toward the end of January the son and the sons-in-law of our Savage, being near Cape de Tourmente, told their father, who was settled near us, that there was good hunting in that quarter. He went there with [86] the rest of his family. Then, coming back to see us, he said that if we loved him, we would go to visit him in his cabin, and he would give us some Venison. "You have given me," said he, "of your store when I was hungry; my people will think you are very angry with me, if you do not come to see us." He brought us news that the Savage, Brehault, was dead; and that he had left two children, a boy and a little girl. Now as we desired very much to send some children to France to have them educated, that they might afterward help their people, Father de Nouë made up his mind to follow this good Savage, a journey not without difficulties. Here are the particulars thereof: The inns found on the way are the woods themselves, where at nightfall they stop to camp; each [87] one unfastens his snowshoes, which are used as shovels in cleaning the snow from the place where they are going to sleep. The place cleaned is usually made in the form of a circle; a fire is made in the very middle of it, and all the guests seat themselves around it, having a wall of snow behind them, and the Sky for a roof. The wine of this inn is snow, melted in a little kettle which they carry with them, provided they do not wish to eat snow in lieu of drink. Their best dish is smoked eel. As they must carry their blankets with them for cover at night, they load themselves with as few other things as possible.

Le Pere estant arriué dans la cabane, on ne scauoit quelle chere luy faire: Il n'y a point icy de complimens, on ne dit ny bon iour, ny [88] bon soir. Tout leur tesmoignage de resioüyssance ou action de graces consiste en ceste aspiration, Ho! ho! ho! ho! &c. On saluë icy le monde par effects. Aussi-tost chacun se met en deuoir, l'vn met de l'eau dans la chaudiere, ou plustost de la neige; l'autre la met sur le feu; l'autre iette dedans de grandes pieces de chair d'Eslan, sans la lauer de peur de perdre la graisse; cela estant cuit à demy, on le retire pour en remettre d'autre. Comme on estoit en cet exercice, voicy l'vn des gendres de la Nasse qui reuient de la chasse, apportant deux Castors: aussi-tost en tesmoignage de resioüyssance de la venuë du Pere, il les met en pieces, & les iette dans la chaudiere. Vn autre luy fait present d'vn ieune Castor fort delicat, mais auec prieres qu'on se donnast bien garde de donner les os aux chiens, autrement ils croient [89] qu'ils n'en prendroient plus: ils bruslent ces os fort soigneusement, si les chiens les mangeoient, la chasse ne vaudroit plus rien. Le Pere me dit qu'il s'estonnoit du degast de viande qu'ils faisoient. Voila vn grand mal pour ce miserable peuple, quand il a dequoy, ce ne sont que festins; & la pluspart du temps il meurt de faim le lendemain. On alla à trois lieuës de là chercher vn Orignac qu'ils auoient tué, pour en donner la chair au Pere, auec mille excuses, en deux mots, que peutestre ne le trouueriõs nous pas bon. Ils pressoient le Pere de demeurer quelques iours auec eux, disans qu'ils auoient veu du bois rongé, & qu'infailliblement ils trouueroient d'autres Elans.

When the Father reached the cabin, they did not know what welcome to give him. There are no greetings here; they say neither "good day" nor [88] "good evening." Their manifestations of rejoicing, or expressions of thanks, consist of this aspiration: "Ho! ho! ho! ho!" etc. They greet people here by actions. Immediately each begins his work; one puts water, or rather snow, in a kettle; another places it on the fire; another throws in large pieces of Venison, not washing them for fear of losing the grease. This being half cooked, it is withdrawn in order to put in some more. While so engaged, one of the sons-in-law of la Nasse returns from the hunt, bringing two Beavers; he tears them to pieces at once, and throws them into the kettle, in proof of his joy at seeing the Father. Another gives him a young and very tender Beaver, with the request that he should be most careful not to give the bones to the dogs, otherwise they believe [89] they will take no more Beavers. They burn these bones very carefully. If a dog should eat them, there would be no more good hunting. The Father told me that he was astonished at their waste of meat. This is a great misfortune for these miserable people, for they have nothing but feasts when they have plenty, and are generally dying of hunger the next day. They went a distance of three leagues from there to get a Moose they had killed, to give the meat of it to the Father, with a thousand excuses, saying, in short, that perhaps we might not find it good. They pressed the Father to remain with them a few days, saying that they had seen wood which had been gnawed, an infallible sign that they would find more Elk.

Le Pere voulant partir, lon fait trois traisnes qu'on charge de chair; l'vne pour luy, l'autre pour nostre Pierre qui estoit allé là; la troisiesme [90] pour vn François qui accompagnoit le Pere. A peine auoient-ils fait deux cens pas apres leurs adieux, que le Pere demeure tout court, il ne voyoit goutte, & n'entendoit rien: la fumée de la cabane, les neiges de dehors, le défaut de nourriture; car il n'auoit mangé qu'vn peu de ceste chair à demy cruë, le trauail du chemin l'affoiblirent si fort, qu'il fut contraint de retourner d'où il venoit. Il auoit bien porté vn peu de pain & de pois, mais les Sauuages s'en saisirent incontinent, tant ils en sont auides, luy disant qu'il en mangeroit tant qu'il voudrait estant de retour en nostre maison. Le bon Sauuage La Nasse voyant la debilité du Pere, luy demande s'il veut demeurer; Non, dit-il, mais ie ne puis traisner ce fardeau que tu m'as donné. Allons, respond le Sauuage, ie le traisneray pour toy, & ie prendray [91] ceste grande peau de loup marin pour t'enuelopper dedans, & te traisner en ta maison: si tu es malade, prends courage, ie ne t'abandonneray point. Ils s'en reuindrent à la maison le mieux qu'ils peurent: nostre Pierre courrut deuant apporter les nouuelles: Nous enuoyasmes viste vn garçon auec vne bouteille de cidre, & du pain, pour leur donner courage. Le vent leur donnoit si violemment en face, qu'ils furent contraints de laisser leurs traisnes à trois lieuës de Kebec, on les renuoya querir le iour suiuant. Les Pere qui n'estoit malade que de foiblesse & de trauail, ayant trouué le repos, se remit incontinent.

When the Father wished to depart, they made three sledges which they loaded with meat; one for him, another for our man Pierre, who was there, and the third [90] for a Frenchman who accompanied the Father. They had moved scarcely two hundred steps, after their farewells, when the Father suddenly stopped short; he could see nothing and could hear nothing. The smoke of the cabin, the snow outside, the lack of nourishment, for he had eaten only a very little of that half-cooked meat, and the difficulties of the way had weakened him so that he was compelled to return whence he came. He had carried with him a little bread and a few peas; but the Savages had taken possession of them at once, so fond are they of them, telling him that he could eat as much as he wanted of these things on his return to our house. The good Savage La Nasse, seeing the Father's weakness, asked him if he wished to remain. "No," said he, "but I cannot drag this load which you have given me." "Very well," answered the Savage, "I will drag it for thee, and I will take [91] this great sealskin to wrap thee up in, and draw thee to thy house. If thou art sick, take courage, I will not abandon thee." They returned to the house as best they could, our Pierre running before them to bring the news. We hurriedly sent a boy with a bottle of cider and some bread to renew their strength. The wind blew so violently in their faces that they were compelled to leave their sledges three leagues from Kebec, and send for them on the following day. The Father, who was sick only from weakness and overwork, having rested, immediately recovered.

Voila, mon Reuerend Pere, vn eschantillon de ce qu'il faut souffrir courant apres les Sauuages, ce qu'il faut faire necessairement si on les [92] veut ayder à se sauuer: Et partant que, V.R. voye s'il luy plaist qui seront ceux qu'elle destinera pour ceste mission. On ne souffre point ces incommoditez demeurant dans la maison, tout ce qu'on y endure est tolerable: mais quand il faut deuenir Sauuage auec les Sauuages, il faut prendre sa vie, & tout ce qu'on a, & le ietter à l'abandon, pour ainsi dire, se contentant d'vne croix bien grosse & bien pesante pour tout richesse. Il est bien vray que Dieu ne se laisse point vaincre, & que plus on quitte, plus on trouve: plus on perd, plus on gaigne: mais Dieu se cache par fois, & alors le Calice est bien amer.

In this narrative, my Reverend Father, you have an illustration of what we have to suffer in accompanying the Savages in their wanderings, and what must necessarily be done if we wish [92] to aid in saving them. And from this Your Reverence may see, if you please, what kind of men should be chosen for this mission. We do not suffer these discomforts while remaining in the house. All that we have to bear here is endurable. But, when it is necessary to become a Savage with the Savages, one must take his life and all that he has, and throw it away, so to speak, contenting himself with a very large and very heavy cross for all riches. It is true that God does not allow himself to be conquered, and that the more one gives, the more one gains; the more one loses, the more one finds; but God sometimes hides himself, and then the Cup is very bitter.