Part 9

Ie diray en passant que cette langue est fort pauure, & fort riche. Elle est pauure, pour autant que n'ayãs point de cognoissance de mille & [37] mille choses qui sont en l'Europe, ils n'ont point de noms pour les signifier. Elle est riche, pource qu'és choses dont ils ont cognoissance elle est fœconde, & grandement nombreuse, il me semble qu'ils ne la prononcent pas bien. Les Algonquains qui ne different des Montagnaits que cõme les Prouençaux des Normands, ont vne prononciation tout à fait gaye & gentille.

I shall say, in passing, that this language is very poor and very rich. It is poor; because, having no knowledge of thousands and [37] thousands of things which are in Europe, they have no names to indicate them. It is rich, because in the things of which they have a knowledge, it is fertile and plentiful; it seems to me that they do not pronounce it well. The Algonquains, who differ from the Montagnaits only as the Provençals from the Normans, have a pronunciation that is altogether charming and agreeable.

Ie ne croy pas auoir ouy parler d'aucune langue qui procedast de mesme façon que celle-cy. Le Pere Brebeuf m'asseure que celle des Hurons est d'vne mesme œconomie. Qu'on les appelle Barbares tant qu'on voudra, leur langue est fort reglée, ie n'y suis pas encore grand maistre, i'en parleray quelque iour auec plus d'asseurance. Si ie n'auois peur d'estre trop long, ie mettrois icy vne grande & tout à fait estrange [38] difference entre les langues d'Europe & celles-cy.

I do not think that I have ever heard any language spoken which is formed in the same manner as this. Father Brebeuf assures me that the language of the Hurons is of the same construction. People may call them Barbarians as much as they please, but their language is very regular.[38] I am not yet a perfect master of it; I shall speak of it some day with more assurance. If I were not afraid of being tedious, I should note here a striking and radically strange [38] difference between the languages of Europe and those of this country.

Le 14. de Nouembre, le Sauuage la Nasse estant chez nous, ie luy fis parler de la Creation du monde, de l'Incarnation, & de la Passion du Fils de Dieu, nous passasmes bien auant dans la nuict, tout le monde s'endormoit horsmis luy. Estant de retour en sa cabane, il dit à Pierre, qu'il entendoit volontiers parler de cela.

On the 14th of November, the Savage la Nasse being with us, I instructed him about the Creation of the world, the Incarnation, and the Passion of the Son of God. We talked well into the night, everyone being asleep except him. Returning to his cabin, he said to Pierre that he was much pleased to listen to such talk.

Nous voiant vn iour prier Dieu apres le disner, il tira vn profond souspir, disant: O que ie suis malheureux de ce que ie ne sçay pas prier Dieu comme vous!

Seeing us praying to God one day after dinner, he sighed deeply, saying: "Oh, how unhappy I am that I am not able to pray to God as you do!"

Il a souuent dit à Pierre, enseigne vistement cét homme là, parlant de moy, afin que nous puissions entendre ce qu'il dit. Il vient le soir aux Litanies en nostre Chappelle quand il couche chez nous, & comme il respondoit auec nous _ora pro nobis_, [39] Pierre se riant de cela, luy demanda s'il entendoit bien ce qu'il auoit dit; Non, dit-il, mais ie croy que cela est bon, puis que ces Peres le disent en priant Dieu. Il nous a tesmoigné qu'il vouloit mourir auec nous, & qu'il ne s'en iroit point que nous ne la chassassions; s'il n'estoit chargé d'vne si grande famille, ie souhaitterois biẽ qu'il fut nostre domestique. Il est quasi assez instruict pour estre baptisé s'il tomboit en danger de mort; mais nous ne nous hasterons point, que nous ne sçachions bien parler. Comme i'instruisois son petit fils, il me dit, Instruis moy, ie retiendray plustost que luy, & ioignãt les mains, il disoit la benediction de table.

He has often said to Pierre: "Teach that man as soon as you can," speaking of me, "in order that we may be able to understand what he says." In the evening when he sleeps with us, he attends the Litanies in our Chapel; and as he was answering with us, _ora pro nobis_, [39] Pierre, laughing at this, asked him if he had thoroughly understood what he had said: "No," said he, "but I believe it is good, since those Fathers say it in praying to God." He has often given proof that he would be willing to die with us, and says he will not go away from us unless we drive him. If he were not burdened with so large a family, I would like very well to have him for our domestic. He is sufficiently instructed to be baptized, should he be in danger of death; but we shall not make haste until we know how to speak the language well. As I was instructing his grandson, he said to me: "Teach me; I shall retain it better than he," and, joining his hands, he pronounced the blessing at the table.

Ie luy dis vne fois que Dieu defendoit de trauailler certains iours, pource qu'il trauailloit vn Dimanche. Il me dit, Aduertis moy de ces [40] iours, & ie les garderay. Lisant les Commandemens de Dieu en sa cabane, quand ie vins à celuy qui recõmande aux enfans d'obeïr à leurs pere & mere, il se tourna vers les siens, & leur fit signe qu'ils escoutassent; Ayant entendu cet autre Commandement, Tu ne tueras point, il me dit qu'on l'auoit voulu inciter à tuer quelqu'vn; mais que voyant que c'étoit mal fait, qu'il ne l'auoit pas voulu faire. Voicy vn autre discours.

Once, while he was working on Sunday, I told him that God forbade work upon certain days; he said: "Teach me those days, [40] and I shall keep them." Reading the Commandments of God in his cabin, when I came to that one which commands children to obey their father and mother, he turned toward his, and signed to them to listen. Having heard that other Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," he told me some one had tried to incite him to murder; but, seeing that it was an evil deed, he did not wish to do it. That was another conversation.

Pierre Pastedechouan nous a rapporté que sa grand'mere prenoit plaisir à raconter l'estonnement qu'eurent les Sauuages voyans arriuer le vaisseau des François qui aborda le premier en ces pays cy, ils pensoient que ce fust vne Isle mouuante, ils ne sçauoient que dire des grãdes voiles qui la faisoiẽt marcher, leur estonnement redoubla voyans quãtité d'hommes sur le tillac. Les femmes [41] commencerent à leur dresser des cabanes, ce qu'elles font ordinairement quand de nouueaux hostes arriuent, & quatre canots de Sauuages se hazarderent d'abborder ces vaisseaux, ils inuitent les François à venir dans les cabanes qu'on leur preparoit, mais ils ne s'entendoient pas les vns les autres. On leur donna vne barique de pain ou biscuit, l'ayant emporté & reuisité, n'y trouuant point de goust, ils la ietterent en l'eau: en vn mot ils estoient dans le mesme estonnement qui fut iadis le Roy de Calecut à l'abbord du premier nauire European qu'il veit prés de ses terres; car ayant enuoyé quelques personnes pour recognoistre quels gens amenoit ceste grande maison de bois, les messagers rapporterent à leur maistre que c'estoiẽt des hommes prodigieux & espouuentables; qu'ils s'habilloient de [42] fer, mangeoient des os, & beuuoiẽt du sang; ils les auoient veu couuerts de leurs cuirasses, manger du biscuit & boire du vin. Nos Saunages disoient que les François beuuoient du sang, & mangeoient du bois, appellant ainsi le vin, & le biscuit.

Pierre Pastedechouan has told us that his grandmother used to take pleasure in relating to him the astonishment of the Natives, when they saw for the first time a French ship arrive upon their shores. They thought it was a moving Island; they did not know what to say of the great sails which made it go; their astonishment was redoubled in seeing a number of men on deck. The women [41] at once began to prepare houses for them, as is their custom when new guests arrive, and four canoes of Savages ventured to board these vessels. They invited the Frenchmen to come into the houses which had been made ready for them, but neither side understood the other. They were given a barrel of bread or biscuit. Having brought it on shore they examined it; and, finding no taste in it, threw it into the water. In a word, they were as much astonished as was the King of Calecut, in olden times, when he saw the first European ship nearing his shores; for, having sent some one to investigate the character and appearance of the men brought by that great house of wood, the messengers reported to their master that these men were prodigious and horrible; that they were dressed in [42] iron, ate bones, and drank blood. They had seen them covered with their cuirasses, eating biscuits, and drinking wine. Our Savages said the Frenchmen drank blood and ate wood, thus naming the wine and the biscuits.

Or comme ils ne pouuoient entendre de quelle nation estoient nos gens, ils leurs donnerent vn nom, qui est tousiours demeuré depuis aux François _ouemich-tigouchiou_, c'est à dire vn homme qui trauaille en bois, ou qui est en vn canot ou vaisseau de bois: ils voyoient nostre nauire fait de bois, leurs petits canots n'estans bastis que d'escorce.

Now as they were unable to understand to what nation our people belonged, they gave them the name which has since always clung to the French, _ouemich-tigouchiou_; that is to say, a man who works in wood, or who is in a canoe or vessel of wood. They saw our ships, which were made of wood, their little canoes being made only of bark.

Le 20. de Nouembre nostre Sauuage, c'est ainsi que i'appelleray ce bon Manitougache, surnommé la Nasse, se mit à faire vne cabane de bois dans le bastiment que nous ont bruslé les Anglois tout auprés [43] de nostre petite maison, il fit luy-mesme de la planche auec vne hache, couppant certains arbres aisez à refendre: il alla brusler vne vieille challouppe qu'il auoit veu échoüée & abandonnée dans vne Isle, & du clou qu'il en retira, il se fit auec ses planches vne petite maisonnette ou cabane assez passable; les autres Sauuages la venoient voir, & nos François aussi, loüans son inuention. Ie luy donnay vn nom de Iesus en papier pour le mettre dedãs en quelque endroit, il l'attacha au plꝰ beau lieu.

On the 20th of November, our Savage,--it is thus that I shall designate this good Manitougache,--surnamed la Nasse, began building a wooden cabin near our little house, on the site of the one which the [43] English had burned down. He himself made boards with a hatchet, cutting certain kinds of wood that are easily split. He burned an old boat, that he had seen stranded and abandoned upon an Island; and, with the nails which he obtained, he made a very fair little house or cabin with his boards. The other Savages came to see it, and we Frenchmen also, praising his ingenuity. I gave him the name of Jesus on a paper, to put inside of it somewhere, and he hung it up in the best place.

Il arriua vne chose plaisante à vn Sauuage qui le venoit voir: ce bon homme regardoit cette maisonnette de bois, & ne sçauoit par où entrer, ne pouuant trouuer la porte, il tourne & retourne à l'entour de cette cabane, & croyant qu'il n'y auoit point d'entrée, il s'en alla comme il estoit venu, on dira qu'il deuoit [44] frapper, ce n'est point la coustume des Sauuages, ils entrent par tout sans dire mot, ny sans vous salüer: leurs cabanes ne fermẽt point, y entre qui veut, ils n'ont qu'vne vieille peau qui leur sert de porte; on n'entend point neantmoins parler de larrons parmy eux, cela est fort rare i'entend des Montagnaits: car les Hurons font mestier de dérober, aussi font ils de meilleures cabanes, estans sedentaires, & non vagabons & errans comme ceux de ce pays-cy. I'apprend que ces Hurons tiennent vn homme pour auoir de l'esprit qui esquiue la main du larron, ou qui sçait dérober sans estre recognu: que s'il est surpris, battez-le tãt que vous voudrez, il ne vous dira rien: il souffre patiemment ce chastiment, non en punition du larcin, mais de sa lourdise, s'estant laissé surprendre.

Something very amusing happened to a Savage who came to see it. This simple man examined the little wooden house, and not knowing where to enter, being unable to find the door, he went round and round it, and, thinking there was no entrance, went away as he came. One would say that he ought [44] to have knocked; but this is not the custom of the Savages. They enter everywhere without saying a word, or without any greeting. Their houses are not closed; all can enter who will, as they have only an old skin which serves as a door. Nevertheless, we never hear of thieves among them, or very seldom.--I mean among the Montagnaits; but the Hurons make a business of thieving. They also make better houses, being sedentary, and not leading a vagabond and wandering life like those of this country. I learn that the Hurons consider a man very clever who can escape the hand of a thief, or who knows how to steal without being caught. But, if he be discovered, you may whip him as much as you like and he will say nothing. He suffers his punishment patiently, not as a penalty for his crime, but for his awkwardness in being caught.

Le 27. du mesme mois de Nouembre, [45] l'hyuer qui auoit desia paru comme de loin, de temps en temps, nous assiegea tout à fait. Car ce iour & les autres suiuans, il tomba tant de neige, qu'elle nous déroba la veuë de la terre pour cinq mois.

On the 27th of the same month of November, [45] the winter, which had already appeared in the distance from time to time, completely besieged us, for on that and the following days the snow fell so heavily that it deprived us of the sight of the earth for five months.

Voicy les qualitez de l'hyuer, il a esté beau & bon, & bien long. Il a esté beau, car il a esté blanc comme neige, sans crottes & sans pluye. ie ne sçay s'il a pleu trois fois en quatre ou cinq mois, mais il a souuent neigé.

I shall tell you what sort of winter we have had here. It has been beautiful, and good, and very long. It was beautiful because it was as white as snow, without mud and without rain. I do not know that it has rained three times in four or five months, but it has often snowed.

II a esté bon, car le froid y a esté rigeoureux; on le tient pour l'vn des plus fascheux qui ait esté depuis lõg temps. Il y auoit par tout quatre ou cinq pieds de neige, en quelques endroicts plus de dix, deuant nostre maison vne montagne: Les vents la rassemblans, & nous d'autre costé la releuans, pour faire vn petit chemin deuant nostre porte, elle faisoit cõme vne muraille toute blanche, plus [46] haute d'vn ou deux pieds que le toict de la maison. Le froid estoit par fois si violent, que nous entendions les arbres se fendre dans le bois, & en se fendans faire vn bruit comme des armes à feu. Il m'est arriué qu'en escriuant fort prés d'vn grand feu, mon encre se geloit, & par necessité il falloit mettre vn réchaut plein de charbons ardens proche de moin escritoire, autrement i'eusse trouué de la glace noire, au lieu d'encre.

It was good, because the cold has been severe; it is considered one of the most rigorous winters that they have had for a long time. There was everywhere four or five feet of snow, in some places, over ten, before our house, a mountain: the wind drifting it, and we, on the other hand, shovelling it away to make a little path before our door. It rose like a wall, all white, higher [46] by one or two feet than the roof of our house. The cold was at times so violent that we heard the trees split in the woods, and in breaking make a noise like that of firearms. It happened to me that while writing very near a big fire, my ink froze; and I had to place a little pan full of hot coals near my inkstand, otherwise I should have found black ice instead of ink.

Cette rigueur demesurée n'a duré que dix iours ou enuiron, non pas continuels, mais à diuerses reprises, le reste du temps, quoy que le froid surpasse de beaucoup les gelées de France, il n'y a rien d'intolerable, & ie puis dire qu'on peut icy plus aisément trauailler dans les bois, qu'on ne fait en France, où les pluyes de l'hyuer sont fort importunes. Mais il se faut armer de bonnes mitaines, [47] si on ne veut auoir les mains gelées: Nos Sauuages neantmoins s'en venoient quelquefois chez nous à demy nuds, sans se plaindre du froid: ce qui m'apprend que si la nature s'habituë à cela, la nature & la grace pourront bien nous donner assez de cœur & de force pour le supporter ioieusement; s'il y a du froid, il y a du bois.

This extreme cold lasted only ten days or thereabout, not continuously, but at different times. The rest of the time, although the cold greatly exceeds that of France, it is not at all intolerable; and I can say that it is easier to work here in the woods than it is in France, where the winter rains are so penetrating. But one must be provided with good mittens, [47] unless he wants to have his hands frozen; and yet our Savages visited us sometimes half-naked, without complaining of the cold. This teaches me that, if nature can accustom itself to this cold, nature and grace can very well give us the heart and strength to support it cheerfully. If there is cold, there is wood.

I'ay dit que l'hyuer a esté long; depuis le 27. de Nouembre iusques à la fin d'Auril la terre a tousiours esté blanche de neige: & depuis le 29. du mesme mois de Nouemb. iusques au 23. d'Auril, nostre petite riuiere a tousiours esté glacée; mais en telle sorte, que cent carosses auroient passé dessus sans l'ébranler: les glaces sont de telle espaisseur, que quand on vint à les rompre, proche de Kebec, pour mettre vne barque à l'eau, le sieur du Plessis me dit qu'estant à terre, c'estoit [48] tout ce qu'il pouuoit faire d'atteindre au haut d'vne glace auec la fourchette d'vn mousquet qu'il tenoit en sa main. Tout cela ne doit espouuanter personne. Chacun dit icy, qu'il a plus enduré de froid en France, qu'en Canada: le Scorpion porte son contrepoison: dans les païs plus subiects aux maladies, il se trouue plus de remedes: si le mal est present, la medecine n'est pas loing.

I have said that the winter has been long; from the 27th of November up to the end of April, the ground was all the time white with snow; and from the 29th of the same month of November up to the 23rd of April, our little river was frozen, but in such a way that a hundred wagons could have passed over it without shaking it. The ice is of such thickness that, when they were breaking it near Kebec, to launch a bark, sieur du Plessis told me that, being on land, it was [48] all he could do to reach the top of a piece of ice with the rest of a musket that he held in his hand. All this should not astonish any one. All who are here say that they have suffered more from cold in France than in Canada. The Scorpion carries its own antidote: in the countries most subject to sickness, more remedies are found: if disease is there, medicine is not far away.

Le 3. de Decembre nous commençasmes à changer de chaussure, & nous seruir de raquettes: quand ie vins à mettre ces grands patins tout plats à mes pieds, ie m'imaginois qu'à tous coups ie donnerois du nez dans la neige: mais l'experience m'a fait voir que Dieu pouruoit commodement toutes les nations des choses qui leur sont necessaires: ie marche fort librement auec ces raquettes; Pour les Sauuages, cela ne les empesche [49] ny de sauter comme des daims, ny de courir cõme des cerfs.

On the 3rd of December we began to change our footgear, and to use raquettes;[39] when I first put these great flat skates on my feet, I thought that I should fall with my nose in the snow, at every step I took. But experience has taught me that God provides for the convenience of all nations according to their needs. I walk very freely now on these raquettes. As to the Savages, they do not hinder them [49] from jumping like bucks or running like deer.

Ils font des souliers de peaux d'El'an pour s'ẽ seruir sur ces raquettes. Ils n'ont pas l'inuention de durcir ou tanner le cuir, aussi n'en ont ils que faire. L'esté ils vont pieds nuds, l'hyuer il faut que leurs souliers soyent d'vne peau maniable, autrement ils gasteroyent leurs raquettes: ils les font larges, & fort amples, pour les garnir de nippes ou de vieux haillons contre le froid; si nous auions quelques peaux de France un peu plus douces que les grosses ampaignes de vache, cela nous feroit vn bien incomparable, notamment sur le renouueau, quand les neges viennent à se fondre sur le midy; car les souliers des Sauuages boiuent l'eau comme vne esponge, & ces peaux venues de France tiendroyẽt le pied sec.

They make shoes of Elk skins, which they use with their raquettes. They have not ingenuity enough to harden or tan leather; therefore they use none. In the summer, they go barefooted; in the winter, their shoes must be of a pliable skin, otherwise they would spoil their raquettes. They make them broad and very ample, in order to line them inside with a layer of old rags against the cold. If we had some French leather here a little softer than the hard, untanned cowhide, it would be of incomparable service to us, especially in the spring, when the snow begins to melt toward the south. For the shoes of the Savages take water like a sponge, and those leathers from France would keep the feet dry.

[50] Le 5e de Decembre il fit de grands vents, ce qui est arriué par plusieurs fois. Le Nordest est icy violẽt, il emporta certain iour vne partie de la couuerture d'vn bastiment du fort. Le Pere de Nouë reuenant ce iour là d'y celebrer la saincte Messe, nous dit qu'ils estoient contraints luy & vn ieune garcõ qui l'accompagnoit, de se tenir l'vn l'autre de peur que le vent ne les enleuast.

[50] On the 5th of December there was a very strong wind, which has happened several times. The Northeastern is violent here; one day it tore away a part of the roof of a house at the fort. Father de Nouë, returning that day from celebrating holy Mass, said that he and the young man accompanying him were compelled to hold on to each other, for fear that the wind would carry them away.

Passant vers ce mesme temps dans le bois où estoient cabanez quantité de Sauuages, ie trouuay vn corps mort, enseueli par les Sauuages: il estoit esleué fort haut sur des fourches de bois, accompagné de ses robes & autres richesses, couuert d'vne escorce (c'est leur drap mortuaire.) Ie demanday quand on l'enterreroit, ils me respondirent, quand il ne neigeroit plus; la neige tomboit pour lors en abondance.

About this time, in going into the woods where there were a number of Savages encamped, I found a dead body which the Savages had enshrouded; it was raised high upon wooden scaffolds, and near it were its clothes and other belongings, covered with bark (that is their mourning cloth). I asked when they would bury it. They answered me: "When it stops snowing." The snow was then falling very fast.

[51] A l'occasion de ce rencontre quelqu'vn me dit qu'vn Sauuage estant mort, les autres frappent sur la cabane crians oué, oué, oué, &c. & comme i'en demãdois la raison à vn Sauuage, il me dict que c'estoit pour faire sortir l'esprit de la cabane.