Part 16

[234 i.e., 134] Tu dis que nous prenions garde à ce que nous ferons, tu nous pinse au bras, & nous fremissons: tu nous pinse puis apres au cœur, et tout le corps nous tremble. Nous ne voulõs point aller aux Anglois, leur Capitaine a voulu faire alliance auec moy, & me tenir pour son frere & ie n'ay pas voulu, ie me suis retiré disant, qu'il estoit trop grand Capitaine. Ie me souuenois bien d'vne parole que tu nous auois dit, que tu retournerois: ie t'attendois tousiours, tu as esté veritable, tu le seras encore en nous venant voir en nostre pays: ie n'ay qu'vne crainte, c'est qu'en ce commerce des François auec nos gens, il n'y ait quelqu'vn de tué, & alors nous seriõs perdus: mais tu scais que tout le monde n'est pas sage, les plus aduisez se tiendront tousiours dans leur deuoir.

[234 i.e., 134] "Thou sayest that we must be careful what we do; grasp us by the arm, and we shudder; grasp us afterward by the heart, and the whole body trembles. We do not want to go to the English; their Captain wanted to make an alliance with me and take me for his brother, and I did not desire it; I withdrew, saying that he was too great a Captain. I bethought myself well of a word that thou hadst said to us, that thou wouldst return; therefore I always awaited thee. Thou hast been truthful, thou wilt still be so in coming to see us in our country. I have but one fear; it is that in the association of the French with our people, some one may be killed, then we would be lost; thou knowest all are not prudent, but that the wiser ones will always do their duty.

[235 i.e., 135] Voila à peu pres la response de ce Sauuage qui estonna nos François, lesquels m'ont tesmoigné qu'il releuoit sa voix selon les suiets qu'il traitoit, puis la rabbaissoit auec tant d'humilité, & vne posture ou action si soubmise, qu'il gagnoit l'affection de tous ceux qui le regardoient sans l'entendre.

[235 i.e., 135] This is about the answer of this Savage, who astonished our French people. They told me how he raised his voice according to the subjects he treated, then lowered it with so much humility, and with such an attitude of submission, that he won the hearts of all who looked at him, though they did not understand him.

La conclusion fut que le sieur de Champlain leur dit, quãd cette grãde maison sera faite, alors nos garçõs se marieront à vos filles, & nous ne serons plus qu'vn peuple: ils se mirẽt à rire; repartans: Tu nous dis tousiours quelque chose de gaillard pour nous resiouyr, si cela arriuoit nous serions bien-heureux. Ceux qui croient que les Sauuages ont vn esprit de plomb & de terre, cognoistront par ce discours qu'ils ne sont pas si massifs qu'on les pourroit depeindre.

The conclusion was that sieur de Champlain said to them: "When that great house shall be built, then our young men will marry your daughters, and we shall be one people." They began to laugh, answering: "Thou always sayest something cheering to rejoice us. If that should happen, we would be very happy." Those who think that the Savages have dull and heavy intellects will recognize by this speech that they are not so stupid as they may have been painted.

[236 i.e., 136] Ce Capitaine nous vint voir quelques iours apres en nostre maison, mais ie n'eus pas le loisir de l'entretenir cõmme ie desirois.

[236 i.e., 136] This Captain came to see us a few days later in our house, but I did not have leisure to entertain him as I desired.

Le 29. le sieur de Champlain vint entendre la Messe en nostre petite chapelle, nous le retinsmes à disner: de bonne fortune nostre Sauuage nous auoit apporté vn petit morceau d'Ours, nous luy en presentasmes; en ayant gousté il se mit à rire, & me dit si on sçauoit en Frãce que nous mãgeons des Ours, on detourneroit la face de nostre haleine, & cependant vous voyez combien la chair en est bonne et delicate.

On the 29th, sieur de Champlain came to hear Mass in our little chapel and we kept him for dinner. As good luck had it, our Savage had brought us a small piece of Bear, which we presented to him. Having tasted it, he began to laugh, and said to me: "If they knew in France that we were eating Bears, they would turn their faces away from our breath, and yet you see how good and delicate the meat is."

Apres le disner, i'allay salüer le Capitaine de Nesle dãs son vaisseau, quantité de petits Sauuages me suiuoient. I'en pris seulement six ou sept auec moy, ie les fis chanter leur _Pater_ en Sauuage dans le Nauire: nos François y prenoient grand plaisir. [237 i.e., 137] Le bon pour eux fut que le Capitaine de Nesle leur fit donner du Cascaracona, & du toutouch pimi; c'est ainsi qu'ils appellent le biscuit & le formage. Au depart comme le Capitaine eut fait tirer vn coup de canon par honneur, ces enfans regardoient auec estonnement, & se monstroient si constans, que si on leur vouloit payer leur chanson en mesme monnoye, ils voudroient gagner leur vie en chantant.

After dinner, I went to greet Captain de Nesle in his ship, a number of little Savages following me. I took but six or seven with me, and had them sing their _Pater_ in the Savage Tongue aboard the Ship. Our Frenchmen enjoyed it greatly. [237 i.e., 137] The best of all for them [the little savages] was that Captain de Nesle gave them some "Cascaracona," and some "toutouch pimi;" it is thus they call biscuits and cheese. Upon our departure, as the Captain had the cannon fired in our honor, the children looked on with amazement, and showed themselves so happy that, if one would pay for their songs in that way, they would like to gain their livelihood by singing.

Le dernier iour de May, la Nasse nostre Sauuage nous vint dire qu'vn de leurs gens auoit songé qu'il y auroit des François tuez. Or soit que le Diable leur ait donné ce sentimẽt, soit que de plusieurs songes il s'en rencontre quelqu'vn de veritable par cas fortuit. Quoy que c'en soit, le 2 iour de Iuin les Hiroquois tuerent deux de nos Frãçois, & en blesserent quatre autres, dont l'vn mourut [238 i.e., 138] bien-tost apres: voicy comme arriua ce malheur. Vne barque & vne chalouppe montoient dans le grand fleuue de S. Laurens, la chalouppe passa deuant; & pour aller plus viste, quelques mattelots mirent pied à terre pour la tirer, auec des amares ou des cordes: comme ils vindrent à doubler vne pointe de terre, trente ou 40. Hiroquois qui estoiẽt en embuscade viennent fondre dessus eux, auec des cris espouuẽtables: ils tuënt d'abbord les deux premiers qu'ils ont à la rencõtre à coups de haches: ils decochent vne gresle de fleches auec vne telle vistesse & promptitude, que nos François ne sçauoient de quel costé se tourner, n'ayans pas preueu ce coup là. Ils eurent bien la hardiesse de vouloir aborder la chalouppe auec leur canots, & n'eust esté qu'vn François les coucha en iouë auec son harquebuse, & que la [239 i.e., 139] barque qui n'estoit pas loin, équippa viste vne chalouppe pour venir au secours, ayãt entẽdu les cris du combat, il est croyable que pas vn n'en fut échappé. Les Hiroquois voyant cette harquebuse, & ceste autre chalouppe qui venoit au secours, s'enfuirent, écorchant au preallable les testes de ceux qu'ils auoient tuez, & remportans ces peaux par brauade.

On the last day of May, la Nasse, our Savage, came to tell us that one of their men had dreamed that some Frenchmen would be killed. Now, either because the Devil had given them this sentiment, or that among all their dreams there is now and then one that happens perchance to be true, however that may be, on the 2nd day of June the Hiroquois killed two of our Frenchmen and wounded four others, one of whom died [238 i.e., 138] shortly afterward. This catastrophe happened in this way: A bark and shallop were ascending the great river St. Lawrence; the latter went ahead, and, to hasten its speed, sailors went ashore to tow it with lines or cords. As they came to double a point of land, thirty or 40 Hiroquois, who were in ambush, fell upon them with horrible cries; they killed the two men first encountered, with blows from their hatchets, then discharged a storm of arrows so suddenly and unexpectedly that our Frenchmen did not know which way to turn, not having foreseen the attack. They even dared to try to board the shallop in their canoes; and, had it not been that a Frenchman took aim at them with his arquebus, and that the [239 i.e., 139] bark, which was not far away, speedily equipped a boat to come to the rescue, having heard the cries of the combat, it is probable that not one of them would have escaped. The Hiroquois, seeing the arquebus, and the other boat coming to their help, fled, first skinning the heads of those whom they had killed and bearing away the scalps by way of bravado.

Le 8. de Iuin, le Pere Masse arriua de Tadoussac, il réueilla nostre ioye, voyant qu'apres auoir esté si long temps malade sur la mer il se portoit bien. Il nous dit que Pierre Pastedechouan estoit plus meschant que iamais. Que les Anglois qui estoient à Tadoussac l'auoient perdu par l'yurognerie: O que celuy-là sera coupable deuant Dieu, qui a introduict l'heresie en ces contrées! Si ce Sauuage auoit de l'esprit, estant comme il est corrompu par ces miserables [240 i.e., 140] heretiques, il seroit vn puissant obstacle à la publication de la foy, encore n'y apportera-il que trop d'empeschement, si Dieu ne luy touche le cœur. Il fait paroistre par ses deportemens qu'il nous estoit donné pour tirer de luy les principes de sa lãgue, & non pas pour le bien de son ame, puis qu'il se bande contre son Dieu & contre la verité.

On the 8th of June, Father Masse arrived from Tadoussac, and caused us great joy, as he had been so long sick upon the sea, and is now well. He told us that Pierre Pastedechouan[33] was more wicked than ever; that the English who were at Tadoussac had ruined him by drunkenness. Oh, how guilty before God will he be who has introduced heresy into this country! If this Savage were intelligent, corrupted as he is by these miserable [240 i.e., 140] heretics, he would be a powerful obstacle to the spread of the faith; even now, he will cause only too much injury to it, if God does not touch his heart. To judge from his conduct, it would seem that he was given to us to draw from him the principles of his language, and not for the welfare of his soul, as he now leagues against his God and against the truth.

Il fait icy des chaleurs si violentes en ce mois de Iuin, & vne si grãde seicheresse, que ie n'ay rien veu ny senty de semblable en France, tout brusle sur la terre, rien n'aduance par ce temps-là; & neantmoins il a gelé à glace en vn matin en la maison des Peres Recolets. La nuict fortifiant la fraicheur des bois, cause de ces gelées du matin; nous sommes voisins de cette maison, & cependant cela n'est point arriué chez nous, pource que nous auons vn plus grand air.

I have never experienced in France anything like the heat and the drought which we have had here during this month of June. Everything on the earth burns, and nothing prospers in such weather; and yet it froze one morning in the house of the Recolet Fathers. The night so intensifies the coolness of the woods as to cause these morning frosts. We are near that house, and yet it did not happen with us, because we are more exposed to the air.

[241 i.e., 141] Le 16 du mesme mois de Iuin, nous auons rendu l'vn de nos petits enfans à sa mere, vostre Reuerence nous ayant mandé qu'il n'y auoit pas encore dequoy establir vn seminaire: & par consequent n'ayant enuoyé ceux qu'elle destine pour auoir soin d'instruire les enfans que nous aurions peu auoir, craignant d'ailleurs que ceste femme ne retirast son fils en cachette, & s'enfuit dans les bois de peur qu'on ne fist passer en France: i'ay mieux aimé luy rendre franchement, afin de luy donner à cognoistre que si nous tenons des enfans, ce n'est point pour les dérober à leurs parẽts, ains pour leur propre bien: afin aussi qu'elle dise aux autres Sauuages qu'ils sont bien nourris auec nous, pour les induire à nous donner les leurs quand on aura moyen de les nourrir. Cette pauure femme me demanda pourquoy ie [242 i.e., 142] luy rendois son fils? & quand elle le rameneroit? Ie luy respondis que depuis la venuë des vaisseaux, ie l'auois tousiours veu en crainte qu'on ne l'enuoyast en France, nonobstāt les asseurances que ie luy auois baillé qu'il n'iroit point: & pour luy monstrer que nous estions veritables, cōme aussi pour luy oster toute crainte que nous luy remettions entre les mains: qu'aussi-tost que ie sçaurois la langue, & que nous seriōs bastis, que nous le reprendrions auec plusieurs autres. Au bout du compte la principale raison qui m'a induit à luy rendre, est que i'apprehendois qu'elle ne l'emmenast à nostre desceu: car alors elle eut forgé mille menteries parmy les Sauuages pour se couurir: & comme ie ne scay pas bien la langue, ie n'eusse peu nous iustifier: ce qui auroit induit les Sauuages à nous refuser leurs enfans quand il sera temps [243 i.e., 143] de les demander: ô que c'est vn grãd mal de ne pouuoir produire ses raisons! de ne parler qu'en begayant, & par signes!

[241 i.e., 141] On the 16th of the same month of June, we restored one of our little children to its mother, your Reverence having informed us that you did not yet have the means to establish a seminary here, and consequently had not sent those who had been appointed to look after the instruction of these children. Apprehending, moreover, that this woman might take away her child secretly, and fly with it to the woods, for fear that we might send it to France, I preferred to restore it to her freely, that she might understand that, if we kept children, it was not to hold them by force from their parents, but for their own good; also that she might say to the other Savages that the children were well fed with us, and so lead them to let us have theirs, when we have the means to care for them. This poor woman asked me why I [242 i.e., 142] gave up her child, and when she should bring it back. I answered that, since the arrival of the ships, I had always noticed that she was afraid we would send it to France, notwithstanding the assurances I had given her to the contrary. [We did this] to prove to her that we were true to our word, and also in order to relieve her of all apprehension that we might not restore it to her hands; that, as soon as I knew their language, and after we had built, we would take it again with many others. But, in fact, the principal reason which induced me to restore it to her is that I feared she might take it unknown to us; and then she would have forged a thousand lies among the Savages to excuse herself, and, as I do not know their language well, I should not have been able to justify ourselves! This would have caused the Savages to refuse their children to us when the time comes [243 i.e., 143] to ask them. Oh, what a great misfortune it is not to be able to give one's reasons, to speak only stammeringly and by signs.

Le 23. du mesme mois, le sieur du Plessis nous enuoya dire que douze ou quatorze canots de la nation des sorciers estoient descendus iusques à Saincte Croix, quinze lieuës ou enuiron au dessus de Kebec, quelques iours auparavant nous en auions veu descendre vne douzaine d'vne autre nation nommée la nation d'Iroquet, du nom de leur Capitaine; Dieu soit beny, puis que la crainte des Hiroquois ne les a point empesché de venir. Ces sorciers, c'est ainsi que les François appellent ceste natiõ, pource qu'elle fait vne particuliere profession de consulter leur Manitou, ou parler au diable. Ces sorciers, dis-ie, sont venus iusques à Kebec; l'vn deux regardant fort attentiuement [244 i.e., 144] vn petit François qui battoit vn tambour, & s'approchant fort prés pour le mieux considerer, ce petit garçon luy donna vn coup de l'vn de ses bastõs, & le fit saigner par la teste à bon escient; aussi-tost tous ceux de sa nation qui regardoient ce tambour, voyant ce coup, s'offencerent: ils s'en vont trouuer le truchement François, & luy disent: voila l'vn de tes gens qui a blessé l'vn des nostres, tu scais bien nostre coustume, fais nous des presens pour cette blessure. Cõme il n'y a point de police parmy les Sauuages, si l'vn d'eux en tuë ou blesse vn autre, s'il peut euader, il en est quitte pour quelques presẽs qu'il fait aux amis du defunct, ou de l'offensé. Nostre truchement luy repartit; toy-mesme tu sçais bien nos façons de faire, quãd quelqu'vn de nous fait mal, on le chastie: Cét enfant a blessé l'vn de vos gens, il sera [245 i.e., 145] tout maintenant foüetté en ta presence. On fait venir le petit garçon; quand les Sauuages veirent que c'estoit tout de bon qu'on despoüilloit ce petit batteur de Sauuages & de tambour, & que les verges estoient toutes prestes, ils commencerẽt à prier qu'on luy pardonnast, alleguans que c'estoit vn enfant, qu'il n'auoit point d'esprit, qu'il ne scauoit pas encor ce qu'il faisoit; mais comme on le vouloit chastier à toute force, l'vn d'eux se met tout nud, iette sa robe sur l'enfant, s'écriant à celuy qui le vouloit frapper; touche sur moy, si tu veux, mais tu ne le frapperas point: voila comme le pauure petit euada. Toutes les nations Sauuages de ces quartiers, & du Brasil, à ce qu'on nous témoigne, ne scauroient chastier ny voir chastier vn enfant: que cela nous donnera de peine dans le dessein que nous [246 i.e., 146] auons d'instruire la ieunesse!

On the 23rd of the same month, sieur du Plessis sent word to us that twelve or fourteen canoes of the tribe of sorcerers had gone down as far as Sainte Croix, fifteen leagues or thereabouts above Kebec.[51] A few days before, we had seen a dozen belonging to another tribe called Iroquet, from the name of their Captain,[52] also going down. God be blessed, since the fear of the Hiroquois did not prevent their coming. These sorcerers,--it is thus that the French call that tribe, because they make a special profession of consulting their Manitou, or talking to the devil,[43]--these sorcerers, I say, came as far as Kebec. One of them was looking very attentively [244 i.e., 144] at a little French boy who was beating a drum; and, going near to him so as to see him better, the little boy struck him a blow with one of his drumsticks, and made his head bleed badly. Immediately all the people of his tribe who were looking at the drummer, seeing this blow given, took offense at it. They went and found the French interpreter, and said to him: "Behold, one of thy people has wounded one of ours; thou knowest our custom well; give us presents for this wound." As there is no government among the Savages, if one among them kills or wounds another, he is, providing he can escape, released from all punishment by making a few presents to the friends of the deceased or the wounded one. Our interpreter said: "Thou knowest our custom; when any of our number does wrong we punish him. This child has wounded one of your people; he shall be [245 i.e., 145] whipped at once in thy presence." The little boy was brought in; and when they saw that we were really in earnest, that we were stripping this little pounder of Savages and drums, and that the switches were all ready, they immediately began to pray for his pardon, alleging that it was only a child, that he had no mind, that he did not know what he was doing; but, as our people were nevertheless going to punish him, one of the Savages stripped himself entirely, threw his blanket over the child, and cried out to him who was going to do the whipping: "Strike me, if thou wilt, but thou shalt not strike him;" and thus the little one escaped. All the Savage tribes of these quarters, and of Brazil, as we are assured, cannot chastise a child, nor see one chastised. How much trouble this will give us in carrying out our plans [246 i.e., 146] of teaching the young!

Le 24. du mesme mois, le Pere Daniel arriuant, nous apporta nouuelle de la venuë du Capitaine Morieult, dans le vaisseau duquel il auoit laissé le Pere Dauost à Tadoussac: ayant pris le deuant par le moyen d'vne barque qui montoit a Kebec.

On the 24th of the same month, Father Daniel,[53] arriving, brought us news of the coming of Captain Morieult in the ship in which he had left Father Davost[54] at Tadoussac; he having come up ahead, by means of a bark which was going on to Kebec.

Le dernier iour de Iuin, le Truchement François qui a demeuré long-temps parmy ces sorciers, & qui en est reuenu nouuellemẽt, nous vint voir auec trois Sauuages ses hostes, nous leur donnasmes à mãger: Ils recognurent fort bien le Pere Brebeuf, ayant hyuerné auec luy aux Hurons: Nous les menasmes en nostre petite Chappelle, qui a commẽcé ceste année à s'embellir. L'an passé pour tableau de l'Autel c'estoit vn meschãt linceul, & deux petites images de carton: en vn mot il n'y auoit purement que ce qu'il falloit pour [247 i.e., 147] celebrer la Saincte Messe. Or comme on nous a enuoyé ceste année quelques petits ornemens, nous l'auons embellie le mieux que nous auons peu: ils regardoient tous fort attentiuement: iettans les yeux sur le ciel de l'Autel, ils veirẽt vn S. Esprit figuré par vne colombe, entourée de rayons: ils demanderent si cét oiseau n'estoit point le tonnerre, car ils croyent, comme ie remarquay l'an passé, que le tonnerre est vn oiseau; & quand ils voyent quelque beau panache ils demandent si ce ne sont point des plumes du tonnerre.

On the last day of June, the French Interpreter, who had been a long time among these sorcerers, and who but recently came from them, came to see us with three Savages who were his guests; we gave them something to eat; they recognized Father Brebeuf at once, having passed the winter with him among the Hurons.[55] We took them into our little Chapel, which we have this year begun to decorate. Last year, for Altar-piece, we had nothing but an old sheet with two little card pictures upon it. In a word we had only what was absolutely necessary for the [247 i.e., 147] celebration of the Holy Mass. Now, as they have sent us this year a few little ornaments, we have decorated it as best we could. The Savages gazed at it with fixed attention; raising their eyes to the Altar ceiling, and seeing the Holy Spirit pictured as a dove, surrounded by rays of light, they asked if that bird was not the thunder; for they believe, as I wrote last year, that the thunder is a bird; and, when they see beautiful plumes, they ask if they are not the feathers of the thunder.

Ie leur fis demander s'ils seroient bien contens qu'on les allast instruire en leur pays, & qu'on leur donneroit l'explication des images que nous leur faisions voir; ils témoignerent qu'ils en seroient bien contens.

I asked if they would be glad to have some one go and teach them in their country, and give them an explanation of the pictures that we showed them. They said that they would be very glad.