some men of our crew who laughed when they saw this exhibition of
barbarism. But oh, my God, what a sad subject for laughter! it
made my heart ache. I thought nothing of coming to Canada when I
was sent here; I felt no particular affection for the Savages,
but the duty of obedience was binding, even if I had been sent a
thousand times further away; but I may say that even if I had had
an aversion to this country, seeing what I have already seen, I
should be touched, had I a heart of bronze. Would to God that those
who can aid these poor souls and contribute something to their
salvation could be here, if only for three days. I believe that a
longing to help them would seize powerfully upon [26] their souls.
But let no one be astonished at these acts of barbarism. Before
the faith was received in Germany, Spain, or England, those nations
were not more civilized. Mind is not lacking among the Savages of
Canada, but education and instruction. They are already tired of
their miseries, and stretch out their hands to us for help. It
seems to me that the tribes which have stationary homes could be
easily converted. I can say of the Hurons all that was written to
us a while ago by the Father of a young Paraguayan: to wit, that
much suffering must be endured among them, but that great results
may be expected; and that, if the consolations of the earth are
lacking there, those of Paradise may already be enjoyed. It is
only necessary to know the language; and, if Father Brebeuf had
not been compelled by the English to leave [27] here, they having
taken possession of the French fort, he would already have advanced
the glory of God in that country. As to the strange and wandering
tribes like those near Kebec, where we live, there will be more
difficulty. The means of assisting them, in my opinion, is to build
seminaries, and to take their children, who are very bright and
amiable. The fathers will be taught through the children. Even
now there are some among them who have begun to cultivate the
soil and sow Indian corn, having become weary of their difficult
and miserable way of living. But, in a word, the promise of the
Eternal Father to his Son will remedy this sooner or later: _Dabo
tibi gentes hæreditatem tuam, & possessionem tuam terminos terræ._
Great fruits have been obtained in the East Indies and in south
America, although [28] there have been found in those countries not
only vices to combat, but also strange superstitions, to which the
people were more attached than to their lives. In new France there
are only sins to destroy, and those in a small number; for these
poor people, so far removed from all luxury, are not given to many
offenses. If there are any superstitions or false religions in some
places, they are few. The Canadians think only of how to live and
to revenge themselves upon their enemies. They are not attached
to the worship of any particular Divinity. They are permitted to
take a number of wives, but they do not take more than one. I have
heard of one man only who had two, and he was censured for it.[8]
In truth, any one who knew their language could manage them as
he pleased. Therefore I will apply myself, but I shall make [29]
very little progress this year, for reasons which I shall write in
detail to your Reverence. But let us come back to the continuation
of our voyage.
Quelque temps auparauant que nous leuassions les ancres de Tadoussac,
il s'éleua vn grain, comme parlent les mattelots, ou vne tempeste si
furieuse, qu'elle nous ietta bien auãt dans le peril, quoy que nous
fussions en la maison d'asseurance: c'est ainsi que i'appelle la baie
de Tadoussac. Les tonnerres grondoient horriblemẽt, les vents furieux
firent tellemẽt plier nostre vaisseau, que si ce grain eût continué, il
l'eust renuersé sans dessus dessous; mais cette furie ne dura pas, &
ainsi nous échapasmes ce danger.
Some time before we weighed anchor in Tadoussac there rose a
squall, as the sailors say, or a storm so furious that it threw
us into great peril, although we were in the house of safety; it
is thus that I call the bay of Tadoussac. The thunder grumbled
terribly, furious winds made our vessel roll so that, if this
squall had continued, it would have turned us upside down; but the
fury of the storm abated, and thus we escaped this danger.
Le 3. iour de Iuillet nous sortimes de Tadoussac, & nous allames
moüiller à l'échaffaut aux Basques, c'est vn lieu ainsi appelé, à
cause que les Basques [30] viennent iusques là pour prendre des
baleines. Comme il estoit grand calme, & que nous attendions la
marée, ie mis pied à terre: ie pensay estre mangé des maringoins, ce
sont petites mouches importunes au possible; les grands bois qui sont
icy en engendrent de plusieurs especes; il y a des mouches communes,
des mousquilles, des mouches luisantes, des maringoins, & des grosses
mouches, & quantité d'autres: les grosses mouches piquent furieusement,
& la douleur qui prouient de cette piqueure, & qui est fort cuisante,
dure assez long temps, il y a peu de ces grosses mouches; les
mousquilles sont extremement petites, à peine les peut-on voir, mais
on les sent bien; les mouches luisantes ne font point de mal, vous
diriez la nuict que ce sont des estincelles de feu; elles iettent plus
de lumiere que les vers luisants [31] que i'ay veus en France: tenant
vne de ces mouches & l'appliquant aupres d'vn liure ie lirois fort
bien. Pour les maringoins c'est l'importunité mesme, on ne sçauroit
trauailler notamment à l'air pendant leur regne, si on n'a de la fumée
auprés soy pour les chasser: il y a des personnes qui sont contraintes
de se mettre au lit venans des bois, tant ils sont offensez. I'en ay
veu qui auoient le col, les ioües, tout le visage si enflé, qu'on ne
leur voyoit plus les yeux; ils mettent vn homme tout en sang quand
ils l'abordent; ils font la guerre aux vns plus qu'aux autres; Ils
m'ont traité iusques icy assez doucement, ie n'enfle point quand ils
me piquent, ce qui n'arriue qu'à fort peu de personnes si on y est
accoustumé: si le païs estoit essarté & habité, ces bestioles ne s'y
trouueroient point; car desia il s'en trouue fort [32] peu au fort de
Kebec, à cause qu'on couppe les bois voisins.
The 3rd of July we left Tadoussac and went to cast anchor at the
Basque scaffold,[9] a place so called because the Basques [30] go
there to catch whales. As it was very calm and we were awaiting
the tide, I went ashore. I thought I would be eaten up by the
mosquitoes, which are little flies, troublesome in the extreme.
The great forests here engender several species of them; there
are common flies, gnats, fireflies, mosquitoes, large flies,
and a number of others; the large flies sting furiously, and the
pain from their sting, which is very piercing, lasts for a long
time; there are but few of these large flies. The gnats are very
small, hardly visible, but very perceptibly felt; the fireflies
do no harm; at night they look like sparks of fire, casting a
greater light than the glowworms [31] that I have seen in France;
taking one of these flies and holding it near a book, I could read
very easily. As to the mosquitoes, they are disagreeable beyond
description. No one could work, especially in the open air, during
their reign, unless there were smoke near by to drive them away.
Some people are compelled to go to bed after coming from the woods,
they are so badly stung. I have seen men whose neck, cheeks, and
whole face were so swollen that you could not see their eyes. They
cover a man completely with blood when they attack him; they war
upon some people more than others. Thus far they have treated me
kindly enough; I do not swell when they sting me, which is the case
with very few people unless they are accustomed to them. If the
country were cleared and inhabited, these little beasts would not
be found here, for already there are but [32] few of them at the
fort of Kebec, on account of the cutting down of the neighboring
woods.
Le 4. de Iuillet nous leuames l'ancre pour aborder à quatre lieuës de
Kebec: mais le vent estoit si furieux que nous pensames faire naufrage
dans le port. Auant que d'arriuer à Kebec on rencontre au milieu de
cette grande riuiere vne Isle nommée de sainct Laurens, qui a bien sept
lieuës de long: elle n'est esloignée du bout plus occidental que d'vne
lieuë de la demeure des François. Enuiron le milieu de cette Isle on
ietta l'ancre pour s'arrester: mais les vents & la marée poussoient
nostre nauire auec vne telle impetuosité, que le cable se rompit comme
vn filet, & l'ancre demeura dans l'eau. A vn quart de lieuë de là on
en iette vne autre, le cable se romp[i]t tout de mesme que le premier.
Dedans ce trouble, comme les vents redoubloient, le cable qui [33]
tenoit nostre batteau attaché derriere nostre nauire, se rompit aussi,
& en vn instant nostre batteau disparut. A trois iours de là quelques
Sauuages nous vindrent apporter nouuelle du lieu où il s'estoit allé
échoüer; s'il eût rencontré des roches aussi bien qu'il rencontra de la
vase, il se fût brisé en cent pieces. Si cette bourasque nous eût pris
vne heure plustost, en vn endroit fort dangereux, nos Pilotes disoient
que c'estoit fait de nous. En fin quand nous fumes enuiron trois quarts
de lieuës du bout de nostre pellerinage, on ietta le troisiesme ancre
qui nous arresta: vne barque Françoise que nous auions rencontré à
Tadoussac, & qui venoit auec nous, perdit deux ancres aussi bien que
nous.
The 4th of July we weighed anchor to land at a place four leagues
from Kebec; but the wind was so furious that we thought we would
be wrecked in the port. Before reaching Kebec we came to an Island
called saint Lawrence,[10] in the middle of this great river,
which is fully seven leagues in length; the western end of it
is only about one league distant from the French settlement. We
cast anchor near the middle of this Island, intending to land;
but the wind and tide struck our ship with so much force that the
cable broke like a thread, leaving the anchor in the water. At a
quarter of a league distant another anchor was cast, and the cable
broke just as the first one did. In the midst of this struggle,
as the violence of the winds redoubled, the cable [33] fastening
the boat to the stern of our ship also broke, and in an instant
our boat disappeared. Three days later some Savages came and told
us where it had grounded. If it had been driven upon the rocks,
as it was upon the mud, it would have been broken into a hundred
pieces. If this hurricane had fallen upon us an hour earlier, in a
very dangerous place, our Pilots say it would have been all over
with us. At length, when we were about three-quarters of a league
from the end of our pilgrimage, the third anchor was cast, and it
stopped us. A French barque that we had met at Tadoussac, and which
came with us, lost two anchors as we did.
En fin le 5. de Iuillet qui estoit vn Lundy, deux mois & 18. iours
depuis le 18. d'Auril que nous partimes, [34] nous arriuames au port
tant desiré. Nous moüillames l'ancre deuant le fort que tenoient les
Anglois; nous vimes au bas du fort la pauure habitation de Kebec toute
bruslée. Les Anglois qui estoient venus en ce païs cy pour piller, &
non pour edifier, ont bruslé, non seulement la plus grande partie d'vn
corps de logis, que le Pere Charles Lallement auoit fait dresser, mais
encor toute cette pauure habitation, en laquelle on ne voit plusque
des murailles de pierres toutes bouleuersées; cela incommode fort les
François, qui ne sçauent où se loger. Le lendemain on enuoya sommer le
Capitaine Thomas Ker, François de nation, né à Dieppe, qui s'est retiré
en Angleterre, & qui auec Dauid & Louys Ker ses freres, & vn nommé
Iacques Michel aussi Dieppois, tous huguenots, s'estoient venus ietter
sur ces pauure païs, où ils ont fait de grãds [35] degasts, & empesché
de tres-grands biẽs. Ce pauure Iacques Michel plein de melancholie,
ne se voyant point recompensé des Anglois, ou plustost des François
reniez & anglisez, comme il pretendoit, pressé en outre d'vn remors
de conscience d'auoir assisté ces nouueaux Anglois contre ceux de sa
patrie, mourut subitement quelque temps apres la prise de ce païs
cy. Il fut enterré à Tadoussac. I'ay appris icy que les Sauuages le
deterrerent, & firent toute sorte d'ignominie à son corps, le mirent
en pieces, le donnerent à leurs chiens: voyla le salaire des perfides,
ie prie Dieu qu'il ouure les yeux aux autres. Monsieur Emery de Caën
auoit desia enuoyé de Tadoussac vne chalouppe, auec vn extraict des
Commissions & Lettres Patentes des Roys de France & d'Angleterre, par
lesquelles il estoit commandé au Capitaine Anglois de [36] rẽdre le
fort dans huict iours. Les Lettres veuës, il fit réponse qu'il obeïroit
quand il auroit veu l'original. On luy porta donc le lendemain de
nostre arriuee, cependant nous allames celebrer la saincte Messe en
la maison la plus ancienne de ce païs cy, c'est la maison de madame
Hebert, qui s'est habituée aupres du fort, du viuant de son mary; elle
a vne belle famille, sa fille est icy mariée à vn honneste Frãçois,
Dieu les benit tous les iours, il leur a donné de tres-beaux enfans,
leur bestial est en tres-bon point, leurs terres leurs rapportent de
bon grain; c'est l'vnique famille de François habituée en Canada. Ils
cherchoient les moyens de retourner en France, mais ayans appris que
les François retournoient à Kebec, ils commencerent à reuiure. Quand
ils virent arriuer ces pauillons blancs sur les mats de nos vaisseaux,
ils ne sçauoient [37] à qui dire leur contentement: mais quand ils nous
virent en leur maison pour y dire la saincte Messe, qu'ils n'auoient
point entẽduë depuis trois ans, bon Dieu, quelle ioye! les larmes
tomboient des yeux quasi à tous, de l'extreme cõtentement qu'ils
auoiẽt. O que nous chãtames de bon cœur le _Te Deum laudamus_, c'estoit
iustement le iour de l'octaue de sainct Pierre & S. Paul. Le _Te Deum_
chanté i'offris à Dieu le premier Sacrifice à Kebec. L'Anglois ayant
veu les Patentes signées de la main de son Roy, promit qu'il sortiroit
dans la huictaine, & de fait il commença à s'y disposer, quoy qu'auec
regret: mais ses gens estoient tous bien aises du retour des François,
on ne leur donnoit que six liures de pain au poids de France, pour
toute leur semaine. Ils nous disoient que les Sauuages les auoient aidé
à viure la pluspart du tẽps. [38] Le Mardy suiuant 13. de Iuillet,
ils remirent le fort entre les mains de monsieur Emery de Caën, & de
monsieur du Plessis Bochart son Lieutenant. Et le mesme iour firent
voile dans deux nauires qu'ils auoient à l'ancre. Dieu sçait si nos
François furent ioyeux, voyans déloger ces François Anglisez, qui ont
fait tant de maux en ces miserables contrées, & qui sont cause que
plusieurs Sauuages ne sont pas baptisez, notamment aux Hurons où la
Foy produiroit maintenant des fruicts dignes de la table de Dieu, si
ces ennemis de la verité, de la vraye vertu, & de leur patrie, ne se
fussent point iettez à la trauerse. Dieu soit beny de tout; c'est à
nos François de penser à leur conseruation, & à mettre en peu de temps
ce païs cy en tel estat, qu'ils ayent fort peu affaire des viures de
France, ce qui leur sera bien aisé s'ils veullent trauailler. Les
Anglois [39] délogeans nous sommes rentrez dans nostre petite maison.
Nous y auons trouué pour tous meubles deux tables de bois telles
quelles, les portes, fenestres, chassis, tous brisez & enleuez, tout
s'en va en ruine, c'est encor pis en la maison des Peres Recolets; nous
auons trouué nos terres défrichées couuertes de pois, nos Peres les
auoient laissées à l'Anglois couuertes de fourment, d'orge, & de bled
d'Inde, & cependant ce Capitaine Thomas Ker a vendu la recolte de ces
pois, refusant de nous les donner pour les fruicts qu'il auoit trouué
sur nos terres; nostre Seigneur soit honoré pour iamais; quand on est
en vn mauuais passage il s'en faut tirer comme on peut; c'est beaucoup
qu'vn tel hoste soit sorty de nostre maison, & de tout le païs; nous
auons maintenant prou dequoy exercer la patience, ie me trompe, c'est
[40] Dieu mesme qui porte la Croix qu'il nous donne: car en verité elle
nous semble petite, quoy qu'il y ait dequoy souffrir. Retournons aux
Sauuages, & en disons encor deux petits mots.
At length, on the 5th of July, which was Monday,--two months
and 18 days since the 18th of April, when we sailed,--[34] we
reached the much desired port. We cast anchor in front of the fort
which the English held; we saw at the foot of this fort the poor
settlement of Kebec all in ashes. The English, who came to this
country to plunder and not to build up, not only burned a greater
part of the detached buildings which Father Charles Lallement
had had erected, but also all of that poor settlement of which
nothing now is to be seen but the ruins of its stone walls. This
greatly inconveniences the French, who do not know where to lodge.
The next day Captain Thomas Ker was summoned, a man of French
nationality, born at Dieppe, who had gone over to England, and
who, with David and Louys Ker, his brothers,[11] and one Jacques
Michel, also born at Dieppe, all huguenots, had thrown themselves
upon this poor country, where they have done great [35] damage and
have prevented the doing of much good. This poor Jacques Michel,
full of sadness at not having been rewarded as he desired, by the
English,--or rather by the renegade and anglicized French,--also a
prey to conscience at having assisted these new Englishmen against
his own countrymen, died suddenly, some time after the surrender
of this country. He was buried at Tadoussac. I have learned here
that the Savages exhumed his body, and showed it every imaginable
indignity, tore it to pieces and gave it to their dogs; but such
are the wages of traitors. I pray God that he may open the eyes of
the others. Monsieur Emery de Caën had already sent a boat from
Tadoussac with an extract from the Commissions and Letters Patent
of the Kings of France and of England,[12] by which the English
Captain was commanded [36] to surrender the fort in eight days.
Having seen the Letter, he answered that he would obey when he had
seen the original. It was therefore brought to him the day after
our arrival; and in the meantime we celebrated the holy Mass in the
oldest house in this country, the home of madame Hebert,[13] who
had settled near the fort during the lifetime of her husband. She
has a fine family, and her daughter is married here to an honest
Frenchman. God is blessing them every day; he has given them very
beautiful children, their cattle are in fine condition, and their
land produces good grain. This is the only French family settled
in Canada. They were seeking some way of returning to France;
but, having learned that the French were coming back to Kebec, they
began to regain courage. When they saw our ships coming in with
the white flags upon the masts, they knew not [37] how to express
their joy. But when they saw us in their home, to celebrate the
holy Mass, which they had not heard for three years, good God! what
joy! Tears fell from the eyes of nearly all, so great was their
happiness. Oh, with what fullness of heart we sang the _Te Deum
laudamus_; it happened to be, very appropriately, the day of the
octave of saint Peter and St. Paul. After singing the _Te Deum_, I
offered to God the first Sacrifice in Kebec. The Englishman, having
seen the Patents signed by the hand of his King, promised that he
would go away within a week, and in fact, he began preparations
for going, although with regret; but his people were all very glad
of the return of the French, for they had been given only six
pounds of bread, French weight, for an entire week. They told us
that the Savages had helped them to live during the greater part
of the time. [38] On the following Tuesday, the 13th of July, they
restored the fort to the hands of monsieur Emery de Caën, and
monsieur du Plessis Bochart, his Lieutenant; and on the same day
set sail in the two ships that they had anchored here. God knows
if our French People were happy, seeing the dislodgment of these
Anglicized Frenchmen, who have done so much injury to these poor
countries, and who have prevented many Savages from being baptized,
especially among the Hurons, where the Faith would now produce
fruits worthy of the table of God, if these enemies of the truth,
of real virtue and of their country, had not thrown themselves
in the way. God be blessed for all; it is the duty of our French
people to think of their preservation, and to put this country,
in a short time, in such a condition that they will not have to
depend upon supplies from France, which will be easy enough to
do if they will only work. The English [39] dislodged, we again
entered our little home. The only furniture we found there was two
wooden tables, such as they were; the doors, windows, sashes, all
broken and carried away, and everything going to ruin. It is still
worse in the house of the Recolet Fathers. We found our cleared
lands covered with peas; our Fathers had left them to the English
covered with wheat, barley, and Indian corn; and meantime this
Captain Thomas Ker has sold the full crop of peas, refusing to give
them to us for the harvest he had found upon our lands. Our Lord be
forever honored; when a person is in dire distress, he must deliver
himself as best he can. It is a great deal that such a guest has
left our house and the entire country. We have now enough to try
our patience, but I am mistaken, it is [40] God himself who carries
the Cross which he gives us; for, in truth, it seems very little to
us, although there may be something to suffer. Let us go back to
the Savages, and say a few words more about them.
La veille de nostre depart de Tadoussac, vindrent nouuelles que les
prisonniers Hiroquois auoient esté mis à mort à Kebec, & que ceux de
Tadoussac deuoient le lendemain passer le pas: ie me remets à plaider
leur cause, & promets de donner ce qu'il faudroit pour les nourrir
passant en France, voire de trouuer personnes qui les receuroiẽt
si tost qu'ils y seroient arriuez; ie me confiois en la charité de
plusieurs honnestes personnes qui n'auroient pas refusé vne aumosne
pour racheter les corps de ces miserables des supplices qu'ils ont
enduré, & leur ame de la damnation eternelle. I'aborde donc monsieur
[41] du Plessis nostre Lieutenant, ie luy fay apprehender l'affaire.
On fait des aumosnes en France pour retirer des emprisonnez pour des
debtes, & pourquoy ne trauaillera-on point pour ces pauures esclaues
de Satan? Ie luy fay mes offres, que nous donnerions tout ce que nous
pourrions: il embrasse l'affaire, & la propose le soir entre ceux qui
mangeoient en la table de nostre Capitaine: on repart qu'il faudroit
de grands presens pour leur sauuer la vie, monsieur du Plessis dit
qu'on donneroit ce qu'on pourroit, & qu'au reste il ne faudroit pas
grande chose, qu'on pourroit demander ces trois prisonniers Hiroquois
comme en eschange d'vn François qu'ils ont tué il y a quelques années,
ou à tout le moins en demander deux, & qu'asseurément on les auroit:
le truchement qui leur auoir parlé m'auoit asseuré que la chose
estoit [42] facile: là dessus on forme mille difficultez, & l'vn
de la compagnie s'écria qu'il falloit qu'ils mourussent, qu'il les
estrangleroit plustost, que c'estoient des coquins, & que parlãt à
vn Sauuage de Kebec il luy auoit dõné aduis de les faire mourir. Si
la mort de ces miserables apportoit quelque profit à la traicte des
peaux, qu'on vient faire en ce païs cy, ce zele de mort auroit quelque
couleur; mais leur vie & leur mort ne fait rien pour la traicte. O
qu'il importe beaucoup de bien choisir les personnes qu'on enuoye en
ce païs cy! Il est vray que monsieur Emery de Caën n'approuua point
cette cruauté. Quoy que ç'en soit le vent nous estant fauorable le iour
suiuant nous fimes voile, & laissames-là ces trois pauures abandonnez
entre les mains de leurs ennemis, qui en traitterent deux d'vn horible
façon, car ils n'ont point tué [43] le plus ieune à ce qu'on nous a dit.
On the eve of our departure from Tadoussac, news came that the
Hiroquois prisoners had been put to death at Kebec, and that those
at Tadoussac must share the same fate the next day. I undertook to
plead their cause, and promised to give what would be necessary to
feed them during their passage to France, even to find some one
to receive them as soon as they would reach there. I trusted
to the charity of many good people who would not withhold alms
to rescue the bodies of these poor creatures from the sufferings
they endured, and their souls from eternal damnation. So I
approached monsieur [41] du Plessis, our Lieutenant, and explained
the situation to him. Alms are given in France to restore men to
liberty who are imprisoned for debt, and why should not something
be done for these poor slaves of Satan? I promised him that we
would give all that we could. He took up the subject, and in the
evening presented it to those who ate at our Captain's table. They
answered that it would require large gifts to save their lives.
Monsieur du Plessis said that they [the French] would give what
they could, and that, besides, large gifts were unnecessary, as
the three Hiroquois prisoners could be demanded in exchange for
one Frenchman who had been killed a few years ago, or at least
two could be demanded, and they would be surely given up. The
interpreter who had talked to them assured me that it was an easy
[42] matter. Thereupon a thousand objections were urged, and one of
the company cried out that the captives ought to die; that he would
rather strangle them, that they were rascals, and that in talking
to a Savage in Kebec, he [the Savage] had advised him to have them
killed. If the death of these poor wretches brought profits to the
fur trade which people come here to carry on, there would be some
reason for this eagerness for their death; but neither their life
nor their death could affect it. Oh, how important it is that those
sent to this country should be carefully chosen! It is true that
monsieur Emery de Caën did not approve of this cruelty. However,
the wind being favorable to us on the following day, we spread our
sails, and left these poor abandoned creatures there in the hands
of their enemies, who disposed of two of them in a horrible manner,
for, as we were told, [43] they did not kill the youngest.