books from which to learn it; and, although I do not hold them
to be so correct, yet now, at the time when I am writing, when I
compose anything I make myself understood very well by the Savages.
It all [35] lies in composing often, in learning a great many
words, in acquiring their accent; and my occupations do not permit
it. I was thinking of going with them next winter into the woods,
but I foresee that it will be impossible, tied as I am. If my
teacher had not left me, I should have made considerable progress
in a few months.
I'ay remarqué dans l'estude de leur langue qu'il y a vn certain
barragoin entre les François & les Sauuages, qui n'est ny François,
ny Sauuage, & cependant quand les François s'en seruent, ils pensent
parler Sauuage, & les Sauuages en l'vsurpant croyent parler bon
François. I'en escriuy quelques mots l'an passé, que ie qualifiois de
mots de Sauuages le pesant ainsi. Par exẽple le mot d'_Ania_, dont
i'ay encore fait mention cy-dessus, est vn mot barbare, les Sauuages
s'en seruent à tout bout [36] de champ parlant aux François, & les
François parlant aux Sauuages, & tous s'en seruent pour dire mon frere,
mais en vray Sauuage de Montagnaits, _Nichtais_, c'est à dire mõ frere
aisné, _Nichim_, mon cadet: le mot de _Sagamo_ ne s'vsurpe icy que
par quelques-vns, pour dire Capitaine, le vray mot c'est _Oukhimau_,
ie croy que ce mot de _Sagamo_ vient de l'Acadie, il y en a quantité
d'autres semblables. Au commencement qu'on entre en vn pays, on escrit
plusieurs choses, les pensant vrayes sur le rapport d'autruy, le temps
découure la verité.
I have noticed in the study of their language that there is a
certain jargon between the French and the Savages, which is neither
French nor Savage; and yet when the French use it, they think they
are speaking the Savage Tongue, and the Savages, in using it,
think they are speaking good French. I wrote a few words of it last
year that I characterized as Savage words, believing them to be so.
For example, the word, _Ania_, which I have mentioned above, is an
alien word,[36] the Savages making use of it on every [36] occasion
in speaking to the French, and the French in speaking to the
Savages, and all use it to say "my brother;" but in the real Savage
Tongue of the Montagnaits, _Nichtais_ means "my eldest brother,"
_Nichim_ "my youngest;" the word _Sagamo_ is used by only a few
here to say "Captain." The correct word is _Oukhimau_; I believe
this word, _Sagamo_, comes from Acadia;[37] there are many others
like it. When a person first visits a country, he writes a great
many things upon the word of others, believing them to be true;
time reveals the truth.
On m'a discouru de plusieurs façons de faire de ces nations, nous
aurons assez de temps pour voir ce qui en est.
I have been told many different things about the customs of these
tribes; we shall have time enough to learn how true they are.
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.