very fresh fruits; they are received with joy, are regarded with
pleasure, and are relished as fruits of the terrestrial Paradise.
It had been a year since Your Reverence had spoken to us, and the
few words which you were pleased to place upon paper seemed to
us [4] like words from the other world. Thus they are for me; I
receive them as messages from heaven. Enough has been said to show
the sentiments which were awakened in my soul at the sight of your
letters. And in order that joy should take complete possession of
our hearts, no other messengers were needed to bring them than
those who came. We were in doubt whether Monsieur de Champlain,
or some one else in behalf of the Gentlemen of the Company of New
France, or whether sieur Guillaume de Caen was to come, as he had
last year announced in our ship as we were leaving France. Each one
defended his side, and presented his probable reasons respectfully
and modestly; when all at once Monsieur de Champlain arrived with
the orders of Monseigneur the Cardinal, and ended the dispute in
favor of the [5] Company of New France.[23] That day was one of
the good days of the year; we have been filled with strong hopes
that at last, after so many storms, God would look upon our poor
Savages with a merciful and kindly eye, as he has given courage
to those Gentlemen to carry out their purpose in spite of the
opposition that demons, envy, and the avarice of men, have aroused
against them. I know not how it happens, but I do know well that
since they interest themselves in the glory of God, in the spread
of the Gospel, in the conversion of souls, we feel an inexplicable
and affectionate interest in their affairs; so much so that, if
things would go according to our wishes, they would gain more in
one month than they have lost in all the years that their plans
have been thwarted. They are also our Fathers, since they provide
here [6] for a part of us, and bestow their affection abundantly
upon us. I hope that in a few years they will see the fruits of
Heaven and of earth growing from the seeds which they have planted
with so much trouble. This is the inference that may be drawn from
the few observations which I am about briefly to record.
Et afin d'éuiter la confusion, ie suiuray l'ordre du temps: Mais
au prealable il faut que ie die que nous auons pris vn singulier
plaisir dans les deportemẽs de nos François hyuerans. Il n'en faut
point mentir, i'eus quelque apprehension dans la trauerse que le
libertinage ne passast la mer auec nous: mais le bon exemple des chefs
qui commandoyẽt icy, l'éloignement des débauches, le petit trauail que
nous auons pris dans les predications, & administration des sacrements,
les ont retenus tellement [7] dans le debuoir, qu'encor bien que nous
eussions des personnes de deux partis bien differents, neantmoins il
sembloit que l'amour & le respect commandoit pour l'ordinaire & aux
vns & aux autres. Plusieurs se sont confessez generalement de toute
leur vie. Ceux qui n'auoyent quasi iamais parlé du ieusne que par
risée, l'ont estroittement gardé, se rendans obeïssans à leur mere
l'Eglise Chrestienne & Catholique.
And, in order to avoid all confusion, I shall follow the order
of time. But, as a prefatory remark, I must say that we have
felt a peculiar pleasure in the behavior of the French who are
wintering here. I confess had some fear during our voyage that
libertinage might cross the sea with, us; but the good example of
the chiefs who were in command at this place, the distance from all
debauchery, the little work which has been done in preaching, and
in the administration of the sacraments, have held all strictly
[7] in the line of duty; and, although we had among us persons
of two quite different parties, nevertheless it seemed that love
and respect generally ruled both sides. A number made a general
confession of their whole lives. Those who hardly ever spoke
of fasting, except in jest, have observed it strictly, becoming
obedient to their mother, the Christian and Catholic Church.
Mais venons au depart des vaisseaux de l'an passé, pour suiure les mois
qui se sont escoulez depuis ce tẽps là que nous auisames le Pere de
Nouë & moy, qu'il falloit chercher les moyens de s'addonner à l'estude
de la langue, sans la cognoissance de laquelle on ne peut secourir les
Sauuages. Ie quittay donc tout autre soing, & commençay à fueilleter vn
petit Dictionnaire escrit à la main, [8] qu'on m'auoit dõné en France;
mais tout remply de fautes.
But let us begin with the departure of our vessels last year,
and follow the months which have glided away since then, when
we, Father de Nouë and I, concluded that we must find some means
of devoting ourselves to the study of the language, without a
knowledge of which we cannot help the Savages. I then threw all
other cares aside, and began to turn over the leaves of a little
manuscript Dictionary [8] that had been given to me in France; but
it was full of errors.[24]
Le 12 d'Octobre voyant que i'auançois fort peu, apprenant auec beaucoup
de peine des mots décousus, ie m'en allay visiter les cabanes des
Sauuages à desseing d'y aller souuent, & me faire l'oreille à leur
langue. Ils estoient cabanez à plus d'vne grande lieuë loing de nostre
maison, & de peur de m'égarer dans les bois ie pris vn long destour sur
le bord du grand fleuue de Sainct Laurens. O que de peine à trencher
les roches de la pointe aux diamans! C'est vn lieu ainsi appellê de
nos François, pource qu'on y trouue quantité de petits diamants assez
beaux. Ces chemins sont affreux: i'allois des pieds & des mains, auec
belle peur de me laisser tõber. Ie passay par des endroits si estroits,
que la marée montant, & m'empeschant de poursuiure mon [9] chemin, ie
ne pouuois retourner en arriere, tant le passage me sembloit dangereux.
Ie grimpay au dessus des rochers, & m'agraffant à vne branche qui
arrestoit vn arbre abattu, cet arbre s'en vint rouler vers moy auec vne
telle impetuosité, que si ie n'eusse esquiué son coup, il m'eut tout
brisé, & ietté dans la riuiere.
On the 12th of October, seeing that I made very little progress,
learning a few stray words with a great deal of trouble, I went
to visit the cabins of the Savages, with the intention of going
there often, and accustoming my ear to their tongue. They were
encamped at a distance of more than a full league from our house,
and through fear of getting lost in the woods, I made a long detour
on the shores of the great Saint Lawrence river. Oh what a trial it
was to climb the rocks on diamond point! The place is thus named
by the French, because a quantity of very pretty little diamonds
are found there.[25] These roads are frightful; I went on my hands
and knees, with great fear of falling. I passed through places so
narrow, that when the tide arose and prevented me from continuing
on my [9] way, I could not turn back, the passage seemed to me so
dangerous. I climbed upon the rocks and, seizing a branch which
had arrested the fall of an uprooted tree, this tree came rolling
toward me with so much force, that if I had not escaped the blow,
it would have crushed and thrown me into the river.
Arriué que ie fus aux cabanes des Sauuages, ie vey leur secherie
d'anguilles. Ce sont les femmes qui exercent ce mestier. Elles vuidẽt
ce poisson, le lauent fort bien, l'ouurant nõ par le ventre, mais
par le dos, puis le pendent à la fumée, l'ayant faict au prealable
esgoutter sur des perches hors de leurs cabanes. Elles le tailladent
en plusieurs endroits, afin que la fumée le desseche plus aisement. La
quantité d'anguilles qu'ils prennent en ce temps là est incroyable: ie
ne voyois autre chose dedans & [10] dehors leurs cabanes. Les François
& eux en mangẽt incessamment pendant ce temps-là, & en gardent quãtité
pour le iours qu'on ne mange point de chair, ientens les François; car
les Sauuages n'ont point d'autres mets pour l'ordinaire que celuy-là,
iusques à ce que les neges soient grãdes pour la chasse de l'Orignac.
Cõme i'allois de cabane en cabane, vn petit garçon aagé d'enuiron
douze ans s'en vint droict à moy. Ie l'auois caressé l'ayant trouué
quelques iours au parauant en quelque endroit, me semblãt fort posé
& modeste. M'ayant recogneu, il me dict _Ania achtam achtam_: Mon
frere, viens, viens. Il me mene en la cabane de ses parens: i'y trouuay
vne vieille femme qui estoit sa grãd'mere, il luy dit deux ou trois
mots que ie n'entendis pas; & cette bonne vieille me presenta quatre
anguilles boucanées. Ie n'osay les refuser, [11] de peur de la facher.
Ie m'assis à platte terre aupres de son petit fils: ie tiray vn morceau
de pain que i'auois porté auec moy pour mon disner, i'en donnay à ce
petit garçon, à sa grand'mere, & à sa mere qui suruint. Ils me firent
rostir vne anguille auec vne petite broche de bois qu'ils picquent en
terre aupres du feu, puis ils me la presenterent sur vn petit morceau
d'escorce: ie la mangeay auec cet enfant, auquel ie demanday de l'eau:
il m'en alla querir dans vne escuelle ou plat fait d'escorce. Si tost
que i'eus beu, tous ceux qui estoient dans la cabane beurent apres moy.
Pour seruiette ce petit garçon ayant manié cette anguille cuite qui
estoit fort grasse, il se seruoit de ses cheueux, les autres frottent
leurs mains à leurs chiens: cette bonne vieille voiant que ie cherchois
où essuier les miennes, me donna de la poudre de [12] bois sec &
pourry, c'est dequoy les meres nettoient leurs petits enfans, ils n'ont
point d'autre linge. Apres que i'eu disné, cette bonne femme me fit vne
harangue, me donna encore de l'anguille: elle me sembloit recõmander
son fils, mais ie ne l'entendois pas. Ie tiray mon papier, & luy dis
le mieux que ie pû que son fils me vint voir, & qu'il m'apportât les
anguilles qu'elles m'auoyent dõné, ne les pouuãt apporter auec moy
pour la difficulté du chemin, luy promettant quelque chose pour sa
peine. Ie ne sçay s'ils entendirent mon baragoin, mais ie ne l'ay point
veu depuis. Estant de retour au logis, & racontant au Pere de Nouë
la difficulté du chemin, il me dist pour me consoler, qu'allant aux
Hurons on rencontroit quarante endroits plus difficiles que celuy dont
ie luy parlois. Dieu soit beny de tout. Si nos [13] Peres qui iront en
ces pais là, ont de la peine, Dieu les sçaura fort bien recompenser.
Voyant donc que ie perdois beaucoup de temps en ces allées & venues aux
cabanes, ie cherchay vn autre moyẽ de tirer quelque chose de la langue,
dont ie parleray tantost.
When I reached the cabins of the Savages, I saw their place for
drying eels. This work is done entirely by the women, who empty
the fish, and wash them very carefully, opening them, not up the
belly but up the back; then they hang them in the smoke, first
having suspended them upon poles outside their huts to drain. They
gash them in a number of places, in order that the smoke may dry
them more easily. The quantity of eels which they catch in the
season is incredible. I saw nothing else inside and [10] outside
of their cabins. They and the French eat them continually during
this season, and keep a large quantity of them for the time when
meat is not eaten; I mean the French, for the Savages usually have
no other meat than this until the snow is deep enough for Moose
hunting. As I went about from hut to hut, a little boy about twelve
years old came straight up to me. A few days before, meeting him
somewhere, I had given him a caress, as he seemed to me quite
bright and modest. Having recognized me he said; _Ania achtam
achtam_; "My brother, come, come." He conducted me to the hut of
his parents, where I found an old woman who was his grandmother;
he said two or three words to her which I did not understand, and
this good old woman presented me with four smoked eels. I dared
not refuse them [11] for fear of making her angry. I sat down upon
the ground near her grandson, and took out a piece of bread that I
had brought with me for my dinner; I gave some to the little boy,
to his grandmother, and to his mother, who came in. They roasted
an eel for me upon a little wooden spit, which they thrust into
the ground near the fire. They then presented it to me upon a small
piece of bark. I ate it with the child, of whom I asked some water;
he brought me some in a dipper or dish made of bark. As soon as I
had drunk, all those in the cabin drank after me. The little boy,
having handled the roasted eel, which was very greasy, used his
hair as a napkin, and the others rubbed their hands on the dogs.
The good old woman, seeing that I was looking for something upon
which to wipe my hands, gave me some powder made of [12] dry and
rotten wood. It is with this that the mothers clean their little
children, for they have no other towels. After having dined, this
simple woman made me a speech, and gave me some more eel: it seemed
that she was commending her son to me, but I did not understand.
I took out my paper, and told her as well as I could that her son
should come to see me and bring the eels they had given me, as I
could not carry them back with me on account of the difficulties of
the road, promising her something for her trouble. I do not know
whether they understood my jargon, but I have not seen them since.
Having returned to our lodgings, and recounted to Father de Nouë
the difficulties of the road, he told me, by way of consolation,
that in going to the Hurons one would encounter forty places much
more difficult then the one of which I spoke. God be blessed for
all things. If our [13] Fathers who are going to those countries
have trials, God will know very well how to compensate them. Seeing
that a great deal of time was lost in going to and from the cabins,
I sought another means of finding out something about the language,
of which I shall soon speak.
Le 13. du mesme mois d'Octobre le Sauuage nõmé Manitougache, surnommé
des François La Nasse, nous vint voir auec quantité d'autres, qui nous
firent depositaires & gardiens de leurs sacs & richesses. Ie demanday à
l'vn d'eux son nom, il baissa la teste sans rien dire: vn François le
demanda à vn autre, luy disant _Khiga ichenicasson?_ comment t'appelles
tu? Il respondit, _namanikisteriten_, ie n'en scay rien. I'ay depuis
appris qu'ils ne veulent point dire leur nom deuant les autres, ie ne
scay pourquoy. Si neãtmoins vous demandez à quelqu'vn [14] comme vn
autre s'appelle, il vous le dira librement, mais il ne dira pas son
nom. Il est vray que ie l'ay faict dire à quelques enfans, lesquels me
demandans le mien, & voyans que ie le difois librement, ils me disoyent
aussi le leur.
On the 13th of the same month of October the Savage named
Manitougache, surnamed by the French La Nasse,[26] came to see
us with a number of others, making us the trustees and guardians
of their sacks and possessions. I asked one of them his name; he
bowed his head, without saying a word. A Frenchman asked it of
another, saying to him: _Khiga ichenicasson?_--"What is thy name?"
He answered, "_namanikisteriten_,--I know nothing about it." I have
since learned that they do not like to tell their names before
others, I know not why. If, however, you ask some one [14] what
another's name is, he will tell you very freely though he will not
tell his own. It is true that I have had a number of children tell
me, who asked me my name, and, seeing that I told them freely, they
told me theirs also.
Le 24e estant allé dire la Messe à l'habitation de nos François, vn
Capitaine des Sauuages vint voir le sieur Emery de Caen, & luy dict
que les Algonquains estãs allez à la guerre contre les Hiroquois vn de
leurs hommes auoit esté tué, & l'autre pris prisonnier. Ce qui auoit
tellement espouuanté les Montagnaits, qu'ils s'en reuenoyent tous de la
chasse du castor, & de l'ours, pour se cabaner pres du fort, crainte
d'estre surpris de leurs ennemis. Ils se vouloyent r'assembler pour
estre plus forts: mais ils craignoient la faim en quittant leur chasse.
Ils demanderent donc [15] si on ne les secoureroit pas de viures au
cas qu'ils demeurassent ensemble. La response fut qu'on ne vouloit riẽ
donner à credit cette année là; ce à quoy ils s'attendoyent. On me
racõta vne generosité de ce capitaine, estant enuoié pour espion vers
les Hiroquois, il rencontra l'espion des ennemis: se voians teste à
teste, l'Hiroquois se croiant plus fort que le mõtagnaits, lui dit, Ne
faisõs point tuer nos gens; mais luitons ensemble, & voions qui pourra
emporter son cõpagnon. La proposition acceptée, ce capitaine qui pour
lors estoit espiõ des Montagnaits, fatigua si fort son homme, que
l'ayant terrassé, il le lia, le chargea sur son dos comme vn fagot, &
l'emporta vers ses gens. Voila ce qu'on me dict de luy.
On the 24th, having gone to say Mass at the French settlement, a
Captain of the Savages came to see sieur Emery de Caen, and told
him that, the Algonquains having gone to war against the Hiroquois,
one of their men had been killed and the other taken prisoner.
This had so frightened the Montagnaits, that they all returned
from the hunt for beavers and bears, to camp near our fort, for
fear of being surprised by their enemies. They wanted to unite,
that they might be stronger; but they feared famine in abandoning
the chase. They asked us therefore [15] if we would supply them
with food, in the event of their remaining together. The answer
was that we would not give anything on credit that year; this was
what they were relying upon. I was told about an act of generosity
on the part of this captain. Having been sent as a spy upon the
Hiroquois, he encountered the spy of the enemy, and seeing each
other face to face, the Hiroquois, believing himself stronger than
the montagnaits savage, said to him: "Do not let us have our people
killed, but let us wrestle and see which can carry his companion
away." The proposal being accepted, this captain, who at that time
was the spy of the Montagnaits, so tired out his man that, having
thrown him down, he bound him, loaded him upon his back like a
piece of wood, and carried him away to his people. This was what
they told me about him.[27]
Le mesme iour le Sauuage Manitougache, autrement La Nasse (c'est celuy
dont i'escriuis à V.R. l'an passé, [16] qu'il se vouloit venir cabaner
aupres de nous, comme il a fait depuis) retournant de la chasse aux
ours, s'en vint souper & coucher chez nous. Ayant bien mangé, il
commence en riant à frapper doucement son ventre tout nud, disant,
_taponé nikïspoun_, en vérité ie suis saoul. voila comme ils remercient
leurs hostes de la bonne chere qu'on leur a faict: quand ils disent
_nikispoun_, ie suis saoul, c'est à dire qu'on les a bien traittez.
Il portoit auec soy vn fort grand bouclier fort lõg & fort large: il
me couuroit tout le corps aisemẽt, & m'alloit depuis les pies iusques
à la poictrine: ils le releuẽt & s'en couurent entieremẽt, il estoit
fait d'vne seule piece de bois de cedre fort leger: ie ne scay comme
ils peuuent doler vne si grande & si large planche auec leurs couteaux:
il estoit vn petit plié ou courbé pour mieux couurir le corps, &
afin que [17] les coups de fleches ou de masses venans à le fendre,
n'emportassent la piece, il l'auoit cousu hault & bas auec de la corde
faite de peau: ils ne portent point ces boucliers au bras, ils passent
la corde qui les soustient sur l'espaule droicte, abriant le costé
gauche: & quand ils ont tiré leur coup, ils ne font que retirer le
costé droict pour se mettre à couuert.
The same day the Savage Manitougache, otherwise La Nasse, (it
is he of whom I wrote to Your Reverence last year, [16] that he
wanted to come and settle near us, as he has since done), returning
from the bear hunt, came to sup and sleep with us. Having eaten
well, he began to laugh and gently strike his naked belly, saying,
_taponé nikïspoun_, "in truth, I am full." This is the way they
thank their hosts for the good treatment they have received. When
they say _nikispoun_, "I am full," that is to say that they have
been handsomely entertained. He carried with him a great shield,
very long and very wide. It easily covered my whole body, and
reached from my feet to my chest. They raise it up and entirely
cover themselves with it. It is made of one single piece of very
light cedar. I do not know how they can plane so large and so wide
a plank with their knives; it was a little bent or curved, the
better to cover the body; and, in order that [17] if an arrow or
blow should split it, it might still hold together, it was sewed at
the top and bottom with a leather string. They do not carry these
shields upon their arms; they pass the cord which holds them over
the right shoulder, protecting the left side, and when they have
cast their missile they have only to withdraw the right side to put
themselves under cover.
Ie diray icy que les Sauuageais aimẽt fort la sagaimité, le mot de
Sagamiteou en leur langue signifie proprement de l'eau, ou du brouët
chaud: maintenant ils estendent sa signification à toute sorte de
potage, de bouillie, & choses semblables. La sagamité qu'ils aiment
beaucoup, est faite de farine de bled d'Inde: au defaut de cette farine
nous leur en auõs quelquefois donné de la nostre de France, laquelle
estant bouillie auec de l'eau, ne fait que de la colle. Ils ne [18]
laissent pas de la manger auec appetit, notamment si on y met vn peu de
pimi, c'est à dire de l'huile, c'est leur sucre, ils en mettent dans
les fraises & framboises quand ils en mangent, à ce qu'on m'a dict: &
leurs plus grãds festins sont de graisse ou d'huile. Ils mordent par
fois dans vn morceau de graisse blãche figée comme nous mordrions dans
vne pomme: voila leur bonne chere. On m'a dict encor qu'autant qu'on
leur apportât des chaudieres de France, ils faisoyent cuire leur chair
dans des plats d'escorce, qu'ils appellent _ouragana_. Ie m'estonnois
comme ils pouuoyent faire cela, car il n'y a rien si aisé à bruler
que cette escorce. On me respõdit qu'ils mettoyent leur chair & de
l'eau dans ces plats, puis qu'ils mettoyẽt cinq ou six pierres dans
le feu, & quand l'vne estoit toute bruslante, ils la iettoyent dans
ce beau potage, [19] & en la retirant pour la remettre au feu, ils
en mettoyẽt vne autre toute rouge en sa place, & ainsi continuoyent
ils iusques à ce que leur viãde fût cuite. Pierre le Sauuage, dont ie
parleray cy apres, m'a asseuré que quelques-vns ayant perdu ou rompu
leur chaudiere, se seruoyent encor de cette ancienne coustume, & que la
chair n'estoit point si long temps à cuire qu'on s'imagineroit bien.
I shall say here that the Savages are very fond of sagamité.[28]
The word "Sagamiteou" in their language really means water, or warm
gruel. Now they have extended its meaning to signify all sorts of
soups, broths, and similar things. This "sagamité," of which they
are very fond, is made of cornmeal; if they are short of that, we
sometimes give them some of our French flour, which, being boiled
with water, makes simple paste. They do [18] not fail to eat it
with appetite, especially when we place in it a little "pimi;" that
is to say, oil, for that is their sugar. They use it with their
strawberries and raspberries when they eat them, as I am told, and
their greatest feasts are of fat or of oil. They sometimes bite
into a piece of solid white grease as we would bite into an apple;
this is their high living. I have been told that, before kettles
were brought to them from France, they cooked their meat in bark
dishes which they called _ouragana_. I wondered how they could do
that, for there is nothing easier to burn than this bark. I was
answered that they put their meat and water into these dishes, then
they place five or six stones in the fire; and, when one is burning
hot, they throw it into this fine soup, [19] and, withdrawing it to
place it in the fire again, they put another one which is red-hot
in its place, and thus continue until their meat is cooked. Pierre,
the Savage, of whom I shall speak hereafter, assured me that some
of them, having lost or broken their kettles, still resorted to
this old custom, and that it did not take so long to cook the meat
as one would imagine.
Le 27. d'Octobre veille de sainct Simon & sainct Iude nous vismes vne
eclipse de lune, qui me confirma dans la remarque que ie fis l'an
passé que vous auiez en France le iour six heures & vn peu dauantage,
plustost que noꝰ: car l'Almanach disoit que cette eclipse deuoit
arriuer en France sur la minuict, & nous la vîmes sur les six heures du
soir; dont ie conclus que la difference du commencement de nos iours &
de nos nuicts [20] est de six heures: si bien que maintenant vous estes
dans la profondeur de la nuict au temps que i'escris cecy sur les six
heures du soir.
On the 27th of October, the eve of saint Simon and saint Jude, we
saw an eclipse of the moon, which confirmed the observations which
I made last year, that in France it is daylight a little over six
hours sooner than it is here. For the Almanac had announced that
the eclipse would commence at midnight in France, and we saw it
about six o'clock in the evening. Therefore I concluded that the
difference in the beginning of our days and our nights [20] is
six hours; so that now you are in the middle of night, while I am
writing this about six o'clock in the evening.
Le 28e quelques chasseurs François retournans des isles qui sont
dãs le grand fleuue S. Laurens nous dirẽt qu'il y auoit du gibier à
foison, des outardes, des oyes, des canards, des sarcelles, & autres
oyseaux. Ils nous asseurerent encore qu'il y auoit des pommes dans
ces isles, fort douces, mais fort petites, & qu'ils auoyent mangé des
prunes qui ne cederoient point à nos abricots de France si ces arbres
estoient cultiuez. Les Sauuages gastent tout, car rencontrans vn arbre
fruictier, ils l'abbattent pour auoir le fruict.