tout auprés de nostre maison: Il fit vne petite Cabane de bois, se
renferma là dedans. Sur la nuict, chantant, criant, hurlant: les autres
estoient à l'entour de luy: ie priay vn François de tirer vn coup
d'arquebuse pour les espouuanter par le bruit, mais ie ne sçay s'ils
l'entendirent, tant ils se demenoient. Le Manitou luy dit qu'il allast
à la chasse d'vn certain costé, qu'il y trouueroit des Orignaux, &
point d'Hiroquois; le Manitou fut trouué menteur, car il reuint bien
affamé, n'ayant quasi rien trouué. [81] Pour les Hiroquois, il n'en
pouuoit rencontrer, car il s'écartoit bien loin d'eux: ie croy que la
pluspart de ces consulteurs de Manitou ne sont que des trompeurs &
charlatans; neantmoins quand ils recommandent quelque chose, cela est
executé de point en point. S'il disoit aux Sauuages que le Manitou veut
qu'on se couche nud dans la neige, qu'on se brusle en quelque endroict,
il seroit obey & au bout du conte ce Manitou ou Diable ne leur parle
non plus qu'à moy.
The Son-in-law of our Savage, wishing to go hunting, took counsel
with him [the Manitou] near our house. He made a little wooden
Cabin, shutting himself inside toward nightfall, singing, crying,
and howling. The others were around him. I begged a Frenchman to
fire a shot of the arquebus, to frighten them with the noise; but
I am not sure that they heard it, so great was the uproar. The
Manitou told him to go hunting in a certain direction, that he
would find Moose there, and no Hiroquois. The Manitou was proved
a liar; for the hunter returned almost starved, having found very
little. [81] As to the Hiroquois, he could not have run against
any, because he kept at a great distance from them. I believe that
the greater number of these consulters of the Manitou are only
deceivers and charlatans. Notwithstanding this, when they advise
anything it is carried out exactly. If one of them should tell the
Savages that the Manitou wanted them to lie down naked in the snow,
or to burn themselves in a certain place, he would be obeyed. And,
after all, this Manitou, or Devil, does not talk to them any more
than he does to me.
Ie me doute neantmoins qu'il y en a quelquesvns qui ont vrayemẽt
communication auec le Diable, s'il est vray ce qu'en disent les
Sauuages, car on les voit marcher sur leurs cabanes sans les rompre:
ils deuiẽnent furieux & comme possedez, dõnent des coups capables
d'assommer vn bœuf, & neantmoins la douleur passe [82] en peu de temps:
sans grand outrage on les void tout en sang, puis gueris en vn moment.
Ils racontent quantité d'autres choses semblables, mais quãd ie les
presse, ils m'aduouẽt franchement qu'ils n'ont point veu cela, ains
seulement qu'ils l'ont ouy dire. Il ne faut pas leur faire grandes
obiections sur leurs fables, pour les arrester, & leur faire perdre
terre.
Nevertheless, I am inclined to think that there are some among them
who really have communication with the Devil, if what the Savages
say is true; because some are seen to walk upon their huts, without
breaking them down. They become furious and act as if possessed,
striking blows hard enough to fell an ox, and yet the pain
passes [82] away very soon. Without any great injury, they cover
themselves with blood, and are healed in a moment. They relate
many other similar things; but, when I question them closely, they
frankly admit that they have not seen them, but have only heard of
them. One does not need to offer any very serious objections to
their stories, to interrupt and confuse them.
Le 15. du mesme nostre Sauuage nous vint trouuer, & nous dit qu'vn
de ses gendres auoit songé que nous luy donnassions aussi long que
la main de petum, ou tabac; Ie luy refusay, disant que ie ne donnois
rien pour les songes, & que ce n'estoit que folie, que ie leur
expliquerois comme ils se forment quand ie scaurois leur lãgue. Il me
repart que toutes les nations auoient quelque chose de particulier,
que si nos songes n'estoient pas vrays, si bien les leurs: [83] &
qu'ils mourroient s'ils ne les mettoient en execution. A ce conte nos
vies dépendẽt des songes d'vn Sauuage, car s'ils resuoiẽt qu'il nous
faut tuer, infailliblement ils nous tueroient, s'ils pouuoient. On m'a
dit qu'autrefois l'vn d'eux ayant songé que pour estre guery d'vne
maladie qui le trauailloit, il luy falloit tuer vn certain François,
il l'enuoye appeller. Entré qu'il fut en sa cabane, il luy disoit,
approche mon frere, ie te veux parler: sa femme qui scauoit le dessein
de son mary, dit au François qu'il se donnast bien garde d'approcher:
& de fait ce malade auoit mis vne hache à son costé pour l'assommer.
Voila l'vne des risques de nostre vie; cela ne m'estonne point, on peut
mourir pour Dieu en mourant par vn songe.
On the 15th of the same [month], our Savage came to see us, and
said that one of his sons-in-law had dreamed that we would give
him a piece of petun, or tobacco, as long as his hand. I refused
him, saying that I did not give anything on account of dreams;
that they were only folly, and that, when I knew his language, I
would explain to him how they originated. He replied to me that
all nations had something especially their own; that, if our
dreams were not true, theirs were; [83] and that they would die
if they did not execute them. According to this idea, our lives
depend upon the dreams of a Savage; because, if they dream that
they have to kill us, they will surely do it if they can. I am
told that, at another time, one of them had a dream that to be
cured of a disease, from which he was suffering, he must kill a
certain Frenchman; so he sent for him. When the Frenchman entered
his cabin, he said to him: "Come nearer, my brother, I want to talk
with you." His wife, who knew the designs of her husband, told the
Frenchman to be on his guard in going near him; and, in fact, the
sick man had placed an axe at hand, with which to kill him. This
shows one of the great risks that we run here; it does not frighten
me; we may die for God in dying because of a dream.
Pour reuenir à nostre Sauuage, ie luy demanday s'il faudroit executer
[84] mon songe, au cas que i'eusse songé que ie le deurois tuer? il
repart que le songe de son gendre n'estoit point mauuais: & tout ainsi
qu'il nous croyoit quãd nous luy disions quelque chose, ou que nous
luy monstrions quelque image: de mesme que nous luy deuions croire
quand il nous disoit quelque chose propre de sa nation: qu'au reste il
s'estõnoit que nous autres qui n'vsions point de tabac, l'aimions tant.
En fin il luy en fallut bailler, en luy faisant bien entendre que ce
n'estoit point en consideratiõ de son songe, & qu'on luy refuseroit
tout ce qu'il demanderoit sous ce pretexte. Il nous dit qu'il ne
croiroit plus à ces fantaisies, mais que son gendre estoit libre:
ceste superstition est trop enracinée dans son esprit pour la quitter
si aisément.
But to return to our Savage; I asked him if it would be necessary
to execute [84] my dream, in case I had dreamed that I should kill
him. He replied that his son-in-law's dream was not bad; and just
as he believed us when we told him something, or when we showed
him a picture, so likewise we ought to believe him when he told
us something that was accepted by his people. More than that, he
was astonished that we, who did not use tobacco, liked it so much.
Finally, we found it necessary to give him some, taking good care
to make him understand that it was not in consideration of his
dream, and that we would refuse him whatever he asked under that
pretext. He said he would no longer believe in such fancies, but
that his son-in-law could do as he liked. This superstition is too
deeply implanted in his mind for him to give it up so easily.
Le 21. du mesme, ie baptisay vn [85] petit Sauuage agé d'enuiron 3
ans, frappé d'vne maladie mortelle: & voyant qu'il estoit en danger de
mourir dans les bois, sa grand'mere le traisnant auec soy de part &
d'autre, nous luy demandasmes au cas qu'il guerit, si elle ne voudroit
pas bien nous le donner pour le nourrir & l'instruire: Elle respondit
que s'il n'estoit si malade, qu'elle nous le dõneroit dés lors. Ses
parents y consentirent: ce qui nous fit resoudre à le baptiser. Nostre
Pierre luy donna son nom: ce pauure enfant pourra traisner quelques
années, mais il n'y a gueres d'esperance qu'il puisse iamais recouurer
sa santé.
On the 21st of the same [month], I baptized a [85] little Savage
about three years old, stricken with a fatal disease; and, seeing
that he was in danger of dying in the woods, his grandmother had
dragged him about with her from one place to another; we asked her,
if he should recover, if she would not like to give him to us, to
care for and teach. She answered that, if he were not so sick, she
would give him to us at once. His parents consented, so we resolved
to baptize him. Our Pierre gave him his name. This poor child may
drag on a few years, but there is hardly a hope that he will ever
recover his health.
Sur la fin de Ianuier, le fils & les gendres de nostre Sauuage estans
vers le Cap de Tourmẽte, manderẽt à leur pere, qui estoit cabané aupres
de nous, qu'il y auoit bonne chasse en ce quartier là: Il s'y en alla
auec [86] le reste de sa famille: puis nous retournant voir, il nous
dit que si nous l'aimions nous l'allassions visiter en sa cabane,
qu'il nous donneroit de la chair d'Eslan: Vous m'auez, disoit-il,
donné de vos biens quand i'auois faim: mes gens croiront que vous
estes faschez cōtre moy si vous ne nous venez pas voir. Il nous donna
nouuelle que le Sauuage Brehaut estoit mort, & qu'il auoit laissé deux
enfans, vn garçon & vne petite fille. Or comme nous disirerions bien
d'en enuoyer quelques-vns en France pour les faire instruire, afin
qu'ils peussent par apres secourir leur nation, le Pere de Nouë prit
resolution de suiure ce bon Sauuage, ce ne fut pas sans peine, voicy
les particularitez de son voyage. Les hostelleries qu'on trouue en
chemin sont les bois mesmes: à l'entrée de la nuict on s'arreste pour
cabaner; chacun [87] desfait ses raquettes, desquelles on se sert
comme de pesle pour vuider la neige de la place où on veut coucher.
La place nette, & faite en rond ordinairement, on fait du feu tout au
bien milieu, & tous les hostes s'assient à l'entour, estans abriez par
le dos d'vne muraille de neige, ayans le Ciel pour couuerture de la
maison. Le vin de ceste hostellerie c'est l'eau de neige fonduë dans
vne petite chaudiere qu'on porte auec soy, si on ne veut manger la
neige pour boisson: Les meilleurs mets sont vn peu d'anguille boucanée.
Comme il faut porter sa couuerture auec soy pour se couurir la nuict,
on ne se charge que le moins qu'õ peut d'autres choses.
Toward the end of January the son and the sons-in-law of our
Savage, being near Cape de Tourmente, told their father, who was
settled near us, that there was good hunting in that quarter. He
went there with [86] the rest of his family. Then, coming back to
see us, he said that if we loved him, we would go to visit him in
his cabin, and he would give us some Venison. "You have given me,"
said he, "of your store when I was hungry; my people will think you
are very angry with me, if you do not come to see us." He brought
us news that the Savage, Brehault, was dead; and that he had left
two children, a boy and a little girl. Now as we desired very much
to send some children to France to have them educated, that they
might afterward help their people, Father de Nouë made up his mind
to follow this good Savage, a journey not without difficulties.
Here are the particulars thereof: The inns found on the way are the
woods themselves, where at nightfall they stop to camp; each [87]
one unfastens his snowshoes, which are used as shovels in cleaning
the snow from the place where they are going to sleep. The place
cleaned is usually made in the form of a circle; a fire is made in
the very middle of it, and all the guests seat themselves around
it, having a wall of snow behind them, and the Sky for a roof. The
wine of this inn is snow, melted in a little kettle which they
carry with them, provided they do not wish to eat snow in lieu of
drink. Their best dish is smoked eel. As they must carry their
blankets with them for cover at night, they load themselves with as
few other things as possible.
Le Pere estant arriué dans la cabane, on ne scauoit quelle chere luy
faire: Il n'y a point icy de complimens, on ne dit ny bon iour, ny
[88] bon soir. Tout leur tesmoignage de resioüyssance ou action de
graces consiste en ceste aspiration, Ho! ho! ho! ho! &c. On saluë icy
le monde par effects. Aussi-tost chacun se met en deuoir, l'vn met de
l'eau dans la chaudiere, ou plustost de la neige; l'autre la met sur
le feu; l'autre iette dedans de grandes pieces de chair d'Eslan, sans
la lauer de peur de perdre la graisse; cela estant cuit à demy, on
le retire pour en remettre d'autre. Comme on estoit en cet exercice,
voicy l'vn des gendres de la Nasse qui reuient de la chasse, apportant
deux Castors: aussi-tost en tesmoignage de resioüyssance de la venuë
du Pere, il les met en pieces, & les iette dans la chaudiere. Vn autre
luy fait present d'vn ieune Castor fort delicat, mais auec prieres
qu'on se donnast bien garde de donner les os aux chiens, autrement ils
croient [89] qu'ils n'en prendroient plus: ils bruslent ces os fort
soigneusement, si les chiens les mangeoient, la chasse ne vaudroit
plus rien. Le Pere me dit qu'il s'estonnoit du degast de viande qu'ils
faisoient. Voila vn grand mal pour ce miserable peuple, quand il a
dequoy, ce ne sont que festins; & la pluspart du temps il meurt de faim
le lendemain. On alla à trois lieuës de là chercher vn Orignac qu'ils
auoient tué, pour en donner la chair au Pere, auec mille excuses, en
deux mots, que peutestre ne le trouueriõs nous pas bon. Ils pressoient
le Pere de demeurer quelques iours auec eux, disans qu'ils auoient veu
du bois rongé, & qu'infailliblement ils trouueroient d'autres Elans.
When the Father reached the cabin, they did not know what welcome
to give him. There are no greetings here; they say neither "good
day" nor [88] "good evening." Their manifestations of rejoicing,
or expressions of thanks, consist of this aspiration: "Ho! ho!
ho! ho!" etc. They greet people here by actions. Immediately each
begins his work; one puts water, or rather snow, in a kettle;
another places it on the fire; another throws in large pieces of
Venison, not washing them for fear of losing the grease. This being
half cooked, it is withdrawn in order to put in some more. While so
engaged, one of the sons-in-law of la Nasse returns from the hunt,
bringing two Beavers; he tears them to pieces at once, and throws
them into the kettle, in proof of his joy at seeing the Father.
Another gives him a young and very tender Beaver, with the request
that he should be most careful not to give the bones to the dogs,
otherwise they believe [89] they will take no more Beavers. They
burn these bones very carefully. If a dog should eat them, there
would be no more good hunting. The Father told me that he was
astonished at their waste of meat. This is a great misfortune for
these miserable people, for they have nothing but feasts when they
have plenty, and are generally dying of hunger the next day. They
went a distance of three leagues from there to get a Moose they
had killed, to give the meat of it to the Father, with a thousand
excuses, saying, in short, that perhaps we might not find it good.
They pressed the Father to remain with them a few days, saying that
they had seen wood which had been gnawed, an infallible sign that
they would find more Elk.
Le Pere voulant partir, lon fait trois traisnes qu'on charge de chair;
l'vne pour luy, l'autre pour nostre Pierre qui estoit allé là; la
troisiesme [90] pour vn François qui accompagnoit le Pere. A peine
auoient-ils fait deux cens pas apres leurs adieux, que le Pere demeure
tout court, il ne voyoit goutte, & n'entendoit rien: la fumée de la
cabane, les neiges de dehors, le défaut de nourriture; car il n'auoit
mangé qu'vn peu de ceste chair à demy cruë, le trauail du chemin
l'affoiblirent si fort, qu'il fut contraint de retourner d'où il
venoit. Il auoit bien porté vn peu de pain & de pois, mais les Sauuages
s'en saisirent incontinent, tant ils en sont auides, luy disant qu'il
en mangeroit tant qu'il voudrait estant de retour en nostre maison.
Le bon Sauuage La Nasse voyant la debilité du Pere, luy demande s'il
veut demeurer; Non, dit-il, mais ie ne puis traisner ce fardeau que
tu m'as donné. Allons, respond le Sauuage, ie le traisneray pour toy,
& ie prendray [91] ceste grande peau de loup marin pour t'enuelopper
dedans, & te traisner en ta maison: si tu es malade, prends courage,
ie ne t'abandonneray point. Ils s'en reuindrent à la maison le mieux
qu'ils peurent: nostre Pierre courrut deuant apporter les nouuelles:
Nous enuoyasmes viste vn garçon auec vne bouteille de cidre, & du pain,
pour leur donner courage. Le vent leur donnoit si violemment en face,
qu'ils furent contraints de laisser leurs traisnes à trois lieuës de
Kebec, on les renuoya querir le iour suiuant. Les Pere qui n'estoit
malade que de foiblesse & de trauail, ayant trouué le repos, se remit
incontinent.
When the Father wished to depart, they made three sledges which
they loaded with meat; one for him, another for our man Pierre,
who was there, and the third [90] for a Frenchman who accompanied
the Father. They had moved scarcely two hundred steps, after their
farewells, when the Father suddenly stopped short; he could see
nothing and could hear nothing. The smoke of the cabin, the snow
outside, the lack of nourishment, for he had eaten only a very
little of that half-cooked meat, and the difficulties of the way
had weakened him so that he was compelled to return whence he came.
He had carried with him a little bread and a few peas; but the
Savages had taken possession of them at once, so fond are they of
them, telling him that he could eat as much as he wanted of these
things on his return to our house. The good Savage La Nasse, seeing
the Father's weakness, asked him if he wished to remain. "No," said
he, "but I cannot drag this load which you have given me." "Very
well," answered the Savage, "I will drag it for thee, and I will
take [91] this great sealskin to wrap thee up in, and draw thee
to thy house. If thou art sick, take courage, I will not abandon
thee." They returned to the house as best they could, our Pierre
running before them to bring the news. We hurriedly sent a boy with
a bottle of cider and some bread to renew their strength. The
wind blew so violently in their faces that they were compelled to
leave their sledges three leagues from Kebec, and send for them on
the following day. The Father, who was sick only from weakness and
overwork, having rested, immediately recovered.
Voila, mon Reuerend Pere, vn eschantillon de ce qu'il faut souffrir
courant apres les Sauuages, ce qu'il faut faire necessairement si on
les [92] veut ayder à se sauuer: Et partant que, V.R. voye s'il luy
plaist qui seront ceux qu'elle destinera pour ceste mission. On ne
souffre point ces incommoditez demeurant dans la maison, tout ce qu'on
y endure est tolerable: mais quand il faut deuenir Sauuage auec les
Sauuages, il faut prendre sa vie, & tout ce qu'on a, & le ietter à
l'abandon, pour ainsi dire, se contentant d'vne croix bien grosse &
bien pesante pour tout richesse. Il est bien vray que Dieu ne se laisse
point vaincre, & que plus on quitte, plus on trouve: plus on perd, plus
on gaigne: mais Dieu se cache par fois, & alors le Calice est bien amer.
In this narrative, my Reverend Father, you have an illustration
of what we have to suffer in accompanying the Savages in their
wanderings, and what must necessarily be done if we wish [92] to
aid in saving them. And from this Your Reverence may see, if you
please, what kind of men should be chosen for this mission. We do
not suffer these discomforts while remaining in the house. All that
we have to bear here is endurable. But, when it is necessary to
become a Savage with the Savages, one must take his life and all
that he has, and throw it away, so to speak, contenting himself
with a very large and very heavy cross for all riches. It is true
that God does not allow himself to be conquered, and that the more
one gives, the more one gains; the more one loses, the more one
finds; but God sometimes hides himself, and then the Cup is very
bitter.
Vne chose me semble plus qu'intolerable, c'est qu'on est pesle-mesle,
fille, femme, homme, garçõs tous ensemble dans vn trou enfumé; & plus
on s'auance en la cognoissance [93] de la langue, plus on entend de
salatés. Dieu veuille que les yeux n'en soient point offensez, on me
dit que non. Ie ne pensois pas que les Sauuages eussent la bouche si
puante comme ie le vay remarquant tous les iours. Coucher sur la terre
couuerte d'vn peu de branches de pin, n'auoir qu'vne écorce entre la
neige & vostre teste, traisner vostre bagage sur des montagnes, se
laisser rouler dans des vallons espouuãtables, ne manger qu'vne fois
en deux ou trois iours quand il n'y a point de chasse, c'est la vie
qu'il faut mener en suiuant les Sauuages. Il est vray que si la chasse
est bonne, la chair ne vous est point épargnée: sinon il faut estre en
danger de mourir de faim, ou de bien souffrir. Vn de nos François qui
a demeuré auec eux cét hyuer passé, nous a dit qu'il n'auoit mangé en
deux iours qu'vn petit bout de [94] chandelle qu'il auoit porté par
mesgarde dans sa pochette. Voila peutestre mon traittement pour l'hyuer
prochain, car si ie veux sçauoir la langue, il faut de necessité suiure
les Sauuages. Ie crains neantmoins que nostre famille accreuë ne me
retienne cette année, mais il y faut aller tost ou tard, i'y voudrais
desia estre, tant i'ay de mal au cœur de voir ces pauures ames errãtes
sans aucun secours faute de les entendre. On ne peut mourir qu'vne
fois, le plustost n'est pas tousiours le pire. Changeons de propos:
Il faut que ie remarque icy vne iniure que les Sauuages donnent aux
François, c'est qu'ils aiment ce qu'ils ont: quand vous refusez quelque
chose à vn Sauuage, aussi-tost il vous dit _Khisakhitan_: tu aime cela,
_sakhita, sakhita_, aime le, aime le, comme s'ils vouloient dire qu'on
est attaché à ce qu'on aime, & qu'on [95] le prefere à leur amitié.
One thing seems to me more than intolerable. It is their living
together promiscuously, girls, women, men, and boys in a smoky
hole. And the more progress one makes in the knowledge [93] of
the language, the more vile things one hears. May it please God
that one's eyes be not offended; I am told that they are not.
I did not think that the mouth of the Savage was so foul as I
notice it is everyday. To sleep on the earth, covered with a few
branches of pine, nothing but the bark between the snow and your
head; to drag your baggage over the mountains, to let yourself
roll down into frightful valleys; to eat only once in two or
three days, when there is no hunting,--that is the life you must
lead in following the Savages. It is true that, if the hunting is
good, there is no lack of meat; if not, one must be in danger of
dying from starvation, or of enduring great suffering. One of our
Frenchmen, who lived with them last winter, told us that during
two days he ate nothing but a small piece of [94] candle, that he
had accidentally carried in his pocket. This is the treatment that
I shall perhaps have next winter; because, if I wish to learn the
language, I must necessarily follow the Savages. I fear, however,
that our growing family may keep me here this year; but sooner or
later I must go. I would like to be there already, I am so sick at
heart to see these poor straying souls, without any help because of
our inability to understand them. We can die but once; the soonest
is not always the worst. Let us change the subject; I must speak
here of the charge which the Savages make against the French. It
is that they love what is theirs; when you refuse anything to a
Savage, he immediately says _Khisakhitan_, "Thou lovest that,"
_sakhita, sakhita_, "Love it, love it;" as if they would say that
we are attached to what we love, and that we [95] prefer it to
their friendship.
Nostre Sauuage voudroit bien viure auec nous comme frere, en vn mot
il voudroit entrer en communauté de tout. Ie te donneray, dit-il, de
tout ce que i'ay, & tu me donneras de tout ce que tu as: Ce seroit
le moyen de manger en vn mois toutes les prouisions d'vne année, car
ils ne cessent de manger tant qu'ils ont dequoy, n'en ayant plus, ils
en cherchent, & en demandent auec importunité. Il est vray que ce
bon homme voit bien que ceste procedure n'est pas bonne: & quand ie
luy represente qu'il ne fait pas bien, prodiguant ses viures en peu
de temps: ce n'est pas moy, dit-il, qui fait cela, c'est ma femme.
Il s'estonne quand nous luy faisons manger d'vn morceau d'Ours ou
d'Orignac six sepmaines apres qu'il nous l'a donné; car en ce temps-là
on mangera deux & trois [96] & quatre ours en sa cabane, si on en prend
autant.