_Relation of the Voyage of Peter Esprit Radisson, Anno_ 1684.
_(Translated from the French.)_
* * * * *
I have treated at length the narrative of my voyage in the years 1682 and
1683, in Hudson's Bay, to the North of Canada. Up to my arrival in the city
of Paris, all things were prepared for the fitting out of the ships with
which I should make my return to the North of Canada, pending the
negotiations at Court for the return to me of every fourth beaver skin that
the very Christian King took for the customs duty, which had been promissed
to me in consideration of my discoveries, voyages, and Services; by which I
hoped to profit over & above my share during the first years of that
establishment. It was also at the same time that my Lord Viscount Preston,
Minister Extraordinary from the King at the Court of France, continued to
pursue me concerning the things of which I was accused by the account
against me of the gentlemen of the Royal Hudson's Bay Company; my enemies
having taken due care to publish the enormous crimes of which I was
charged, & my friends taking the pains to support me under it, & to give me
advice of all that passed. Although at last no longer able to suffer any
one to tax my conduct, I considered myself obliged to undeceive each one. I
resolved at length within myself to speak, to the effect of making it
appear as if my dissatisfaction had passed away. For that effect I made
choice of persons who did me the honor of loving me, and this was done in
the conversations that I had with them upon the subject. That my heart,
little given to dissimulation, had avowed to them, on different occasions,
the sorrow that I had felt at being obliged to abandon the service of
England because of the bad treatment that I had received from them, & that
I should not be sorry of returning to it, being more in a condition than I
had been for it, of rendering service to the king and the nation, if they
were disposed to render me justice and to remember my services. I spoke
also several times to the English Government. I had left my nephew, son of
Sieur des Groseilliers, my brother-in-law, with other Frenchmen, near Port
Nelson, who were there the sole masters of the beaver trade, which ought to
be considerable at that port, and that it depended upon me to make it
profitable for the English. All these things having been reported by one of
my particular friends to the persons who are in the interest of the
Government, they judged correctly that a man who spoke freely in that
manner, & who made no difficulty in letting his sentiments be known, & who
shewed by them that it was possible to be easily led back, by rendering
justice to him, to a party that he had only abandoned through
dissatisfaction, I was requested to have some conferences with these same
persons. I took in this matter the first step without repugnance, & upon
the report that was made to my Lord Preston of things that we had treated
upon in the interviews, & of that of which I claimed to be capable of
doing, I was exhorted from his side of re-entering into my first
engagements with the English; assuring me that if I could execute that
which I had proposed, I should receive from His majesty in England, & from
His Royal Highness of the Hudson's Bay Company, & from the Government, all
kinds of good treatment & an entire satisfaction; that, moreover, I need
not make myself uneasy of that which regarded my interests, this minister
being willing himself to be charged with the care of me, to preserve them,
& of procuring me other advantages after that I should be put in a position
of rendering service to the King his master. They represented to me again
that His Royal Highness honoring the Hudson's Bay Company with his
protection, it would pass even on to me if I would employ upon it my
credit, my attentions, & the experience that I had in the country of the
North, for the utility & the benefit of the affairs of that Company, in
which His Royal Highness took great interest.
At the same time I received some letters at Paris from the Sieur Ecuyer
Young, one of those interested in the Hudson's Bay Company, in which he
solicited me on his part, & in the name of the Company, to return into
England, giving me some assurances of a good reception, & that I should
have reason to be satisfied on my part in regard to my particular
interests, as well as for some advantages that they would make me. These
letters, joined to those in which my Lord Preston continued his urgencies
against me to the very Christian King, decided me to determine, by the
counsel of one of my friends, to yield myself at last to all their
solicitations of passing over to England for good, & of engaging myself so
strongly to the service of His Majesty, & to the interests of the Nation,
that any other consideration was never able to detach me from it. There was
only my Lord Preston, some of his household, & the friend who had
counselled me to come into England, who knew of my design. I took care to
save appearances from suspicion by the danger in which I exposed myself, &
up to the evening of my departure I had some conferences with the ministers
of the Court of France, & the persons who there have the departments of the
marine & commerce, upon some propositions of armament, & the Equipment of
the Ships destined for my 2nd voyage. They wished to bind me to make them
upon the same footing as the proceeding, which has made since then the talk
of the two nations.
The day of my departure was fixed for the 24th of April, 1684; but at last,
that those with whom I was obliged to confer daily by order of the
Ministers of France never doubted in the least of my discontinuing to see
them, I told them that I was obliged to make a little journey into the
country for some family business, & I could be useful to them during that
time by going to London, where I arrived the 10th of May.
At the moment of my arrival I had the honor of going to see the gentlemen,
Ecuyer Young and the Chevalier Hayes, both of whom were interested in the
Hudson's Bay Company, who gave me a good reception in showing me the joy
that they felt at my return, & in giving me such assurances that I should
receive on their part & on that of their company all manner of
satisfaction. I then explained fully to them the nature of the service that
I expected to render to His Majesty, to the Company, & to the Nation, in
establishing the Beaver trade in Canada & making those to profit by it who
were interested, to the extent of 15 or 20,000 Beaver skins that I hoped to
find already in the hands of the French that I had left there, that would
cost to them only the Interest that I had in the thing, & the just
satisfaction that was owing to the French who had made the trade for them.
These gentlemen having received in an agreeable manner my proposition, &
wishing to give me some marks of their satisfaction, did me the honour of
presenting me to His Majesty & to His Royal Highness, to whom I made my
submission, the offer of my very humble services, a sincere protestation
that I would do my duty, that even to the peril of my life I would employ
all my care & attention for the advantage of the affairs of the Company, &
that I would seek all occasions of giving proof of my zeal & inviolable
fidelity for the service of the King, of all which His Majesty & His Royal
Highness appeared satisfied, & did me the favour of honouring me with some
evidences of their satisfaction upon my return, & of giving me some marks
of their protection.
After that I had several conferences in the assembled body, & in particular
with the gentlemen interested in the Hudson's Bay Company, in which I made
them acquainted in what manner it was necessary for them to proceed there
for establishing to the best advantage the Beaver trade in the Northern
country, the means of properly sustaining it, & of ruining in a short time
the trade with foreigners, & to that end I would commence by becoming
master of both the fort & the settlement of the French, as well as of all
the furs that they had traded for since my departure, on the condition that
my influence would serve to convert them, & that my nephew whom I had left
commandant in that fort & the other French would be paid what would be to
them their legitimate due. These gentlemen, satisfied with what I had said
to them, believed with justice that they would be able to have entire
confidence in me. As for that, having resolved to entrust me with their
orders for going with their shipps, equipped & furnished with everything to
found that establishment in putting into execution my projects, they gave
the power of settling in my own mind & conscience the claims of my nephew &
the other French, assuring me that they would be satisfied with the account
that I would present to them. I accepted that commission with the greatest
pleasure in the world, and I hurried with so much diligence the necessary
things for my departure, that in less than eight days I was in a condition
to embark myself. This was done even without any precaution on my part for
my own interests, for I did not wish to make any composition with these
gentlemen. I said to them that since they had confidence in me, I wished
also on my part to make use of it generously with them and remit everything
to the success of my voyage, and on my return, in the hope that I had that
they would satisfy my honesty of purpose, and that after having given to
them some marks of my sincerity in executing the things to perform which I
had engaged myself for their service, they would render me all the justice
that I had cause for hoping from gentlemen of honour and probity. The ships
destined for Hudson's Bay and the execution of my design were ready to make
sail, & myself being all prepared for embarking, I took leave of the
gentlemen of the Company in giving them fresh assurances of the good
success of my voyage if God did me the favour of preserving me from the
dangers to which I went to expose myself; of which they appeared so well
satisfied that the Chevalier Hayes dared not flatter himself of the
advantage that I promissed to him, that they should get from 15 to 20,000
Beavers that I hoped to find in the hands of the French, said, in embracing
me, that the company would be satisfied if I had only 5,000 of them there.
The event has justified that which I predicted, and these gentlemen have
not been deceived in the hopes that I have given to them. I departed from
the port of Gravesend the 17th of the same month of May, in the ship called
"The Happy Return," in the company of 2 others that these gentlemen sent
also to Port Nelson for the same reason. The winds having been favourable
for us, we arrived in a few days upon the western side of Buttons Bay
without anything happening to us worth mentioning, but the winds and the
currents. We having been made to drift to the South of Port Nelson about 40
leagues, and the ice having separated the ship in which I was from the 2
others in Hudson's Straits, I began to doubt of succeeding in my enterprise
by the apprehension that I had that the 2 ships having arrived sooner than
ours the men who were inside would not hazard themselves to take any step
which could at all do them any damage. Under this anxiety, knowing the
necessity that there was that I should arrive the first, I resolved to
embark myself in a shallop that we had brought to be employed in any
service that might be necessary. I ordered the captain to equip it, and
although but little more than 20 leagues from Port Nelson, I put myself on
board with 7 men, and after 48 hours of fatigue, without having been able
to take any rest because of the danger that there was to us, we found by
the breadth of Hayes river, which having recognized, at last we touched
land at a point north of the river, where we landed with an Englishman who
spoke good french, whom I wished to make accompany me in order that he
might be the witness of all that I did.
After having come to land I recognized by certain marks that my nephew,
having heard the noise of the cannon of the English ships, had come to the
place where we landed to know if his father or myself were arrived, and
that he had himself returned after having recognized that they were English
shipps. These same marks gave me also to know that he had left me further
away from those that I had given him since I had established him for
Governor in my absence. The which should inform me of his condition and the
place where he was with his men; but I did not find it to the purpose of
going as far as that place, that I had not learned truly the condition of
the English who had arrived in the country since I had departed from it. I
resolved then to embark myself afresh in the shallop to go and learn some
news. I encouraged for that purpose the 7 men who were with me, who were so
diligent that in spite of a contrary wind and tide we arrived in a very
little time at the mouth of that great and frightful river of Port Nelson,
where I had wished to see myself with such impatience that I had not
dreamed a moment of the danger to which we had exposed ourselves. That
pleasure was soon followed by another; for I saw at anchor in this same
place 2 ships, of which one had the glorious flag of His Majesty hoisted
upon his main mast, that I recognized to be the one that was commanded by
Captain Outlaw when the one in which I was passed had been separated from
the 2 others. At the same time I made the shallop approach & I perceived
the new Governor with all his men under arms upon the deck, who demanded of
us where our shallop came from, and who we were. Upon that I made myself
known, & I went on board the ship, where I learned that the one which was
alongside was an English frigate that had wintered in the Port of Nelson
with the Governor, which port they had abandoned to retire themselves for
fear of being insulted by the French & the savages; but that having been
met with by Capt Outlaw going out of the bay, he had returned, having
learned that I had thrown myself into the service of England, and that I
came into the country to re-establish there everything to the advantage of
the nation.
My first care after that was of making myself informed of what had passed
between the English & the French since my departure & their arrival. By
what the English told me I judged that it was proper to risque everything
to try to join my nephew as soon as possible, & the men that I had left
with him; in fine, of endeavouring to reach them by kindness, or to
intercept them by cunning, before they received the shock upon what design
I came, for that was of extreme consequence. Thus without waiting for the
arrival of the ship in which I had come, I resolved to embark myself upon
the same shallop, which was named "The Little Adventure;" which I did not,
nevertheless, on the same day, because the Governor found it proper to
delay the party until the following day, & of giving me other men in the
place of those that I had brought, who sound themselves fatigued. I
embarked myself on the morrow, early in the morning, with Captain Gazer;
but the wind being found contrary, I had myself landed on the coast, with
Captain Gazer & the Englishman who spoke French, & after having sent back
the shallop with the other men, I resolved to go by land as far as the
place where I should find the marks of my nephew, which should make me
recognise the place where he was & his condition. We marched, all three,
until the morrow morning; but being arrived at the place where I had told
my nephew to leave me some marks, which having taken up, I learned that he
& his men had left our old houses & that they had built themselves another
of them upon an island above the rapids of the river Hayes. After that we
continued our route until opposite to the houses which had been abandoned,
where I hoped that we should discover something, or at least that we should
make ourselves seen or heard by firing some reports of the gun & making of
smoke; in which my attempt was not altogether vain, for after having rested
some time in that place we perceived 10 canoes of savages, who descended
the river. I believed at first that it would be probable they had there
some French with them; that my nephew would be able to send to discover who
were the people newly arrived, which obliged me to tell Captain Gazer that
I should go down to the bank of the river to speak to them; that I prayed
him to await me upon the heights without any apprehension, & that in a
little while he would be able to render evidence of my fidelity for the
service of the Company. I was at the same moment met by the savages, & from
the bank of the river I made them the accustomed signal, to the end of
obliging them to come towards me; but having perceived that they did not
put themselves to the trouble of doing it, I spoke to them in their
language, for to make myself known; which done, they approached the bank, &
not recognising me, they demanded of me to see the marks that I had; which
having shown them, they gave evidence, by their cries & postures of
diversion, the pleasure that they had of my arrival. I learned then from
them that my nephew & the other Frenchmen were above the rapids of the
river, distant about 4 leagues from the place where I was, & that they had
told them that my brother-in-law, des Groisille, should also come with me;
which obliged me telling them that he was arrived, & that they would see
him in a few days. Then I told them that we had always loved them as our
brothers, & that I would give them some marks of my amity, for which they
thanked me in begging me to not be angry for that which, by counsel, they
had been trading with the English, nor of that when I found them going to
meet their captain, who had gone across some woods, with 20 men, to the
English ships, to procure some powder & guns, which they did; that their
laying over for a month, in awaiting for me, had compelled them, but that
since I had arrived they would not go on farther, & that their chief, whom
they went to inform of my arrival, would speak more of it to me. As I had
occasion for some one among them to inform my nephew that I was in the
country, I asked of all of them if they loved the son of des Groisille, &
if he had not some relation among them; upon which there was one of them
who said to me, "He is my Son; I am ready to do that which thou wishest;" &
at that moment, he having landed, I made him throw his Beaver skin on the
ground, & after having called Captain Gazer, I spoke in these terms to this
savage in the presence of all the others: "I have made peace with the
English for love of you. They & I from henceforth shall be but one. Embrace
this captain & myself in token of peace. He is thy new brother, & this one
thy son. Go at once to him to carry this news, with the token of peace, &
tell him to come to see me in this place here, whilst the savages of the
Company go to attend me to the mouth of the river."
This savage did not fail to go & inform his son, my nephew, of my arrival,
& of carrying to him the news of peace between the French & the English,
during which we awaited with impatience his descent towards the place where
we were; whom, nevertheless, did not arrive until the morrow, about 9
o'clock in the morning. I saw at first appear my nephew, in a canoe with 3
other Frenchmen, accompanied by another canoe of the savages that I had
sent, & which came in advance to inform me of the arrival of my nephew. I
promised to this savage & his comrade each one a watch-coat, & returned to
them their Beaver skins, with the order of going to join those of their
nation, & to wait for me at the mouth of the river. After that, Captain
Gazer, the Englishman who spoke French, & myself waded into the water
half-leg deep to land upon a little island where my nephew, with his men,
would come on shore. He had arrived there before us, & he came to meet us,
saluting me, greatly surprised at the union that I had made with the
English. We then proceeded all together in his canoe as far as our old
houses, where I had the English and French to enter, & whilst they
entertained each other with the recital of their mutual hardships, I spoke
privately to my nephew in these terms:--
"It is within your recollection, without doubt, of having heard your father
relate how many pains & fatigues we have had in serving France during
several years. You have also been informed by him that the recompense we
had reason to hope for from her was a black ingratitude on the part of the
Court as well as on the part of the company of Canada; & that they having
reduced us to the necessity of seeking to serve elsewhere, the English
received us with evidences of pleasure & of satisfaction. You know also the
motives that have obliged your father & myself, after 13 years of service,
to leave the English. The necessity of subsisting, the refusal that showed
the bad intention of the Hudson's Bay Company to satisfy us, have given
occasion to our separation, & to the establishment that we have made, & for
which I left you in possession in parting for France. But you ignore,
without doubt, that the Prince who reigns in England had disavowed the
proceedings of the Company in regard to us, & that he had caused us to be
recalled to his service, to receive the benefits of his Royal protection, &
a complete satisfying of our own discontents. I have left your father in
England, happier than we in this, that he is assured of his subsistance,
and that he commences to taste some repose; whilst I come to inform you
that we are now Englishmen, & that we have preferred the goodness &
kindness of a clement & easy king, in following our inclinations, which are
to serve people of heart & honour in preference to the offers that the King
of France caused to be made to us by his ministers, to oblige us to work
indirectly for his glory. I received an order, before leaving London, of
taking care of you, & of obliging you to serve the English nation. You are
young, & in a condition to work profitably for your fortune. If you are
resolved to follow my sentiments I never will abandon you. You will receive
the same treatment as myself. I will participate even at the expense of my
interests for your satisfaction. I will have a care also of those who
remain under my control in this place with you, & I shall leave nothing
undone that will be able to contribute to your advancement. I love you; you
are of my blood. I know that you have courage & resolution; decide for
yourself promptly, & make me see by your response, that I wait for, that
you are worthy of the goodness of the clement prince that I serve; but do
not forget, above all things, the injuries that the French have inflicted
upon one who has given his life to you, & that you are in my power."
When my nephew had heard all that I had to say to him, he protested to me
that he had no other sentiments but mine, & that he would do all that I
would wish of him, but that he begged me to have care of his mother; to
which I answered that I had not forgotten that she was my sister, & that
the confidence that he gave me evidence of had on that occasion imposed
upon me a double engagement, which obliged me of having care of her & of
him; with which, having been satisfied, he remitted to me the power of
commandant that I had left to him, & having embraced him, I said to him
that he should appear in the assembly of the English & French as satisfied
as he should be, & leave the rest to my management. After which we
re-entered into the house, & I commanded one of the Frenchmen to go out
immediately & inform his comrades that all would go well if they should
have an entire confidence in me & obey all my orders, which doing, they
should want nothing. I ordered also this same Frenchman to inform the
savages to come to me & work immediately with their comrades to bring back
into the house newly built the Beaver skins buried in the wood; & to that
end, to be able to work with more diligence, I told them I would double
their rations. Then I told my nephew to cross the river with the Frenchman
who served him as interpreter, & go by land to the north side at the
rendezvous that I had given to the savages the preceding day, whilst I
would make my way by water to the same meeting-place with Captain Gazer & 2
other men who remained with me; the which having embarked in my nephew's
canoe, I descended the river as far as the mouth, where I found the
savages, who awaited me with impatience, they having been joined the
following day by 30 other canoes of savages that I had had warned to
descend, by their captain who had come towards me. We were all together in
the canoes of the savages & boarded some ships which were stranded upon
Nelson's River.
This was in that strait that the chief of the savages spoke to me of many
things, & who after having received from my hands one of the presents
designed for the chief of these nations, he told me that he & his people
would speak of my name to all the nations, to invite them to come to me to
smoke the pipe of peace; but he blamed strongly the English Governor for
telling him that my brother had been made to die, that I was a prisoner, &
that he had come to destroy the rest of the French. The chief of the
savages added to the blame his complaint also. He said haughtily that the
Governor was unworthy of his friendship & of those of their old brothers
who commenced to establish it amongst them, in telling them such
falsehoods. Grumbling & passion had a share in his indignation. He offered
several times to inflict injuries upon the governor, who endeavoured to
justify himself for these things that he had said to them through
imprudence against the truth. But the chief savage would not hear anything
in his defense, neither of those of the other Englishmen there; all of them
were become under suspicion. Nevertheless I appeased this difference by the
authority that I have upon the spirit of these nations; & after having made
the governor & the chief embrace, & having myself embraced both of them,
giving the savage to understand that it was a sign of peace, I said to him
also that I wished to make a feast for this same peace, & that I had given
orders what they should have to eat.
On such similar occasions the savages have the custom of making a speech
precede the feast, which consists in recognising for their brothers those
with whom they make peace, & praise their strength. After having informed
the chief of the savages of the experience, strength, valour of the English
nation, he acquitted himself with much judgment in that action, for which
he was applauded by our and his own people. I said afterwards in presence
of his people that the French were not good seamen, that they were afraid
of the icebergs which they would have to pass across to bring any
merchandise, besides that their ships were weak & incapable of resistance
in the northern seas; but as to those of the English, they were strong,
hardy, & enterprising, that they had the knowledge of all seas, & an
infinite number of large & strong ships which carried for them merchandises
in all weathers & without stoppage. Of which this chief, having full
evidence, was satisfied.
He came to dine with us whilst his people were eating together of that
which I had ordered to be given them. The repast being finished, it was a
question with me whether I should commence to open a trade; & as I had
formed the design of abolishing the custom which the English had introduced
since I had left their service, which was of giving some presents to the
savages to draw them to our side, which was opposed to that that I had
practised, for in place of giving some presents I had myself made, I said
then to the chief of the savages in the presence of those of his nation,
"that he should make me presents that I ordinarily received on similar
occasions." Upon that they spoke between themselves, & at length they
presented me with 60 skins of Beaver, in asking me to accept them as a sign
of our ancient friendship, & of considering that they were poor & far
removed from their country; that they had fasted several days in coming, &
that they were obliged to fast also in returning; that the French of Canada
made them presents to oblige them to open their parcels; & that the English
at the bottom of the bay gave to all the nations 3 hatchets for a Beaver
skin. They added to that, that the Beaver was very difficult to kill, &
that their misery was worthy of pity.
I replied to them that I had compassion for their condition, & that I would
do all that was in my power to relieve them; but that it was much more
reasonable that they made me some presents rather than I to them, because
that I came from a country very far more removed than they to carry to them
excellent merchandise; that I spared them the trouble of going to Quebec; &
as to the difference in the trade of the English at the bottom of the Bay
with ours, I told them that each was the master of that which belonged to
him, & at liberty to dispose of it according to his pleasure; that it
mattered very little of trading with them, since I had for my friends all
the other nations; that those there were the masters of my merchandises who
yielded themselves to my generosity for it; that there were 30 years that I
had been their brother, & that I would be in the future their father if
they continued to love me, but that if they were of other sentiments, I was
very easy about the future; that I would cause all the nations around to be
called, to carry to them my merchandises; that the gain that they would
receive by the succour rendered them powerful & placed them in a condition
to dispute the passage to all the savages who dwelt in the lands; that by
this means they would reduce themselves to lead a languishing life, & to
see their wives & children die by war or by famine, of which their allies,
although powerful, could not guarantee them of it, because I was informed
that they had neither knives nor guns.
This discourse obliged these savages to submit themselves to all that I
wished; so that seeing them disposed to trade, I said to them that as they
had an extreme need of knives & guns, I would give them 10 knives for one
Beaver, although the master of the earth, the King, my sovereign, had given
me orders to not give but 5 of them, & that as for the guns, I would give
them one of them for 12 Beavers; which they went to accept, when the
Governor, through fear or imprudence, told them that we demanded of them
but 7 & up to 10 Beavers for each gun, which was the reason that it was
made necessary to give them to the savages at that price. The trade was
then made with all manner of tranquillity & good friendship. After which
these people took their leave of us very well satisfied according to all
appearances, as much in general as in particular of our proceeding, & the
chief as well as the other savages promissed us to return in token of their
satisfaction. But at the moment that they went to leave, my nephew having
learned from a chief of a neighbouring nation who was with them that they
would not return, he drew aside the savage chief & told him that he had
been informed that he did not love us, & that he would return no more. At
which this chief seemed very much surprised in demanding who had told him
that. My nephew said to him, "It is the savage called Bear's Grease;" which
having heard, he made at the same time all his people range themselves in
arms, speaking to one & to the other; in fine, obligeing the one who was
accused to declare himself with the firmness of a man of courage, without
which they could do nothing with him, but Bear's Grease could say nothing
in reply. Jealousy, which prevails as much also among these nations as
among Christians, had given place to this report, in which my nephew had
placed belief because he knew that the conduct of the Governor towards them
had given to them as much of discontent against us all as he had caused
loss to the Company; the genius of these people being that one should never
demand whatever is just, that is to say, that which one wishes to have for
each thing that one trades for, & that when one retracts, he is not a man.
That makes it clear that there are, properly, only the people who have
knowledge of the manners & customs of these nations who are capable of
trading with them, to whom firmness & resolution are also extremely
necessary. I myself again attended on this occasion, to the end of
appeasing this little difference between the savages, & I effected their
reconciliation, which was the reason that their chief protested to me
afresh in calling me "Porcupine's Head,", which is the name that they have
given me among them, that he would always come to me to trade, & that
whereas I had seen him but with a hundred of his young men, he would bring
with him 13 different nations, & that he wanted nothing in his country,
neither men nor beaver skins, for my service; after which they left us, &
we dispersed ourselves to go and take possession of the house of my nephew
in the manner that I had arranged with him for it.
With this in view I parted with the Governor, Captain Gazer, & our people
to go by land as far as the place where we had left one of our canoes upon
the river Hayes, whilst the other party went by sea with the shallop, "the
Adventure," to round the point. We had the pleasure of contemplating at our
ease the beauty of the country & of its shores, with which the Governor was
charmed by the difference that there was in the places that he had seen
upon Nelson's river.
We embarked ourselves then in the canoe just at the place where the French
had built their new house, where we found those who were left much advanced
in the work that I had ordered them to do, but, however, very inquiet on
account of having no news from my nephew, their commandant, nor of me. They
had carried all the beaver skins from the wood into the house & punctually
executed all my other orders.
Having then seen myself master of all things without having been obliged to
come to any extremity for it, the French being in the disposition of
continueing their allegiance to me, I made them take an Inventory of all
that was in the house, where I found 239 packages of beaver skins, to the
number of 12,000 skins, and some merchandise for trading yet for 7 or 8,000
more, which gave me much satisfaction. Then I told my nephew to give a
command in my name to these same Frenchmen to bring down the beaver skins
as far as the place where they should be embarked to transport them to the
ships, which was executed with so much diligence that in 6 days eight or
ten men did (in spite of difficulties which hindered them that we could go
in that place but by canoes because of the rapidity & want of water that
they had in the river) what others would have had trouble in doing in 6
months, without any exaggeration.
My nephew had in my absence chosen this place where he built the new house
that was, so to speak, inaccessible, to the end of guaranteeing himself
from the attacks that they would be able to make against him; & it was that
same thing which restrained the liberty of going & coming there freely &
easily. The savages with whom we had made the trading, not having made so
much diligence on their route as we, for returning themselves into their
country, having found out that I was in our house, came to me there to
demand some tobacco, because that I had not given them any of that which
was in the ships, because that it was not good, making as an excuse that it
was at the bottom of the cellar. I made them a present of some that my
nephew had to spare, of which they were satisfied; but I was surprised on
seeing upon the sands, in my walk around the house with the governor,
rejected quantities of an other tobacco, which had been, according to
appearances, thus thrown away through indignation. I turned over in my mind
what could have possibly given occasion for this, when the great chief &
captain of the savages came to tell me that some young men of the band,
irritated by the recollection of that which the English had said to them,
that my brother, des Groseilliers, was dead, that I was a prisoner, & that
they were come to make all the other Frenchmen perish, as well as some
reports of cannon that they had fired with ball in the wood the day that I
was arrived, had thus thrown away this tobacco which had come from the
English by mistake, not wishing to smoke any of it. He assured me also that
the young men had wicked designs upon the English; that he had diverted
them from it by hindering them from going out of the house. The Governor,
who had difficulty in believing that this tobacco thrown upon the sands was
the omen of some grievous enterprise, was nevertheless convinced of it by
the discourse of the savage. I begged him to come with me into the house, &
to go out from it no more, with the other English, for some time; assuring
them, nevertheless, that they had nothing to fear, & that all the French &
myself would perish rather than suffer that one of them should be in the
least insulted. After which I ordered my nephew to make all those savages
imbark immediately, so as to continue their journey as far as their own
country, which was done. Thus we were delivered from all kinds of
apprehension, & free to work at our business.
In the mean while I could not admire enough the constancy of my nephew & of
his men in that in which they themselves laboured to dispossess themselves
of any but good in favour of the English, their old enemies, for whom they
had just pretensions, without having any other assurances of their
satisfaction but the confidence that they had in my promises. Besides, I
could not prevent myself from showing the pleasure that I experienced in
having succeeded in my enterprise, & of seeing that in commencing to give
some proofs of my zeal for the service of the English Company I made it
profit them by an advantage very considerable; which gave them for the
future assurances of my fidelity, & obliged them to have care of my
interests in giving me that which belonged to me legitimately, & acquitting
me towards my nephew & the other French of that which I had promissed them,
& that a long & laborious work had gained for them. After that, that is to
say, during the 3 days that we rested in that house, I wished to inform
myself exactly, from my nephew, in the presence of the Englishmen, of all
that which had passed between them since that I had departed from the
country, & know in what manner he had killed two Englishmen there; upon
which my nephew began to speak in these words:--
"Some days after your departure, in the year 1683, the 27th of July, the
number of reports of cannon-shots that we heard fired on the side of the
great river made us believe that they came from some English ship that had
arrived. In fact, having sent 3 of my men to know, & endeavour to
understand their design, I learned from them on their return that it was 2
English ships, & that they had encountered 3 men of that nation a league
from these vessels, but that they had not spoken to them, having contented
themselves with saluting both. As my principal design was to discover the
English ones, & that my men had done nothing in it, I sent back 3 others of
them to inform themselves of all that passed. These 3 last, having arrived
at the point which is between the 2 Rivers of Nelson & Hayes, they met 14
or 15 savages loaded with merchandise, to whom, having demanded from whence
they were & from whence they had come, they had replied that their nation
lived along the river called Nenosavern, which was at the South of that of
Hayes, & that they came to trade with their brothers, who were established
at the bottom of the Bay; after which my men told them who they were and
where they lived, in begging them to come smoke with them some tobacco the
most esteemed in the country; to which they freely consented, in making it
appear to them that they were much chagrined in not having known sooner
that we were established near them, giving evidence that they would have
been well pleased to have made their trade with us.
"In continueing to converse upon several things touching trade, they
arrived together in our house, reserving each time that but one of them
should enter at once; which under a pretext of having forgotten something,
one had returned upon his steps, saying to his comrades that they had leave
to wait for him at the house of the French, where he arrived 2 days after,
to be the witness of the good reception that I made to his brothers, whom I
made also participants in giving to him some tobacco; but I discovered that
this savage had had quite another design than of going to seek that which
he had lost, having learned that he had been heard telling the other
savages that he had been to find the English, & that he was charged by them
of making some enterprise against us. In fact, this villain, having seen me
alone & without any defence, must set himself to execute his wicked design.
He seized me by the hand, & in telling me that I was of no value since I
loved not the English, & that I had not paid him by a present for the
possession of the country that I lived in to him who was the chief of all
the nations, & the friend of the English at the bottom of the Bay, he let
fall the robe which covered him, & standing all naked he struck me a blow
with his poniard, which I luckily parried with the hand, where I received a
light wound, which did not hinder me from seizing him by a necklace that he
had around his neck, & of throwing him to the ground; which having given me
the leisure of taking my sword & looking about, I perceived that the other
savages had also poniards in their hands, with the exception of one, who
cried out, 'Do not kill the French; for their death will be avenged, by all
the nations from above, upon all our families.'
"The movement that I had made to take my sword did not prevent me from
holding my foot upon the throat of my enemy, & knew that that posture on my
sword had frightened the other conspirators. There was none of them there
who dared approach; on the contrary, they all went out of the house armed
with their poniards. But some Frenchmen who were near to us, having
perceived things thus, they ran in a fury right to the house, where having
entered, the savages threw their poniards upon the ground in saying to us
that the English had promissed to their chief a barrel of powder & other
merchandise to kill all the French; but that their chief being dead, for
they believed in fact that he was so, we had nothing more to fear, because
that they were men of courage, abhorring wicked actions. My people, having
seen that I was wounded, put themselves into a state to lay violent hands
on the savages; but I prevented any disturbance, wishing by that
generousity, & in sparing his life to the chief, to give some proofs of my
courage, & that I did not fear neither the English there nor themselves.
After which they left us, & we resolved to put ourselves better upon our
guard in the future, & of making come to our relief the savages our allies.
"Some days after, these savages, by the smoke of our fires, which were our
ordinary signals, arrived at our house. According to their custom, they
having been apprised of my adventure, without saying anything to us,
marched upon the track of the other savages, & having overtaken them, they
invited them to a feast, in order to know from them the truth of the
things; of which having been informed, the one among them who was my
adopted brother-in-law spoke to the chief who had wished to assassinate me
thus, as has been reported to me by him: 'Thou art not a man, because that,
having about thee 15 of thy people thou hast tried to accomplish the end of
killing a single man.' To which the other replied haughtily, & with
impudence, 'It is true; but if I have missed him this autumn with the
fifteen men, he shall not escape in the Spring by my own hand alone.' 'It
is necessary,' then replied my adopted brother-in-law, 'that thou makest me
die first; for without that I shall hinder thy wicked design.' Upon which,
having come within reach, the chief whose life I had spared received a blow
of a bayonet in the stomach, & another of a hatchet upon the head, upon
which he fell dead upon the spot. In respect to the others, they did not
retaliate with any kind of bad treatment, & they allowed them to retire
with all liberty, in saying to them that if they were in the design of
revenging the death of their chief, they had only to speak, & they would
declare war upon them.
"After that expedition these same savages our allies divided into two
parties, & without telling us their design descended to the place where the
English made their establishment; they attacked them & killed some of them,
of which they then came to inform me, in telling me that they had killed a
great number of my enemies to avenge me of the conspiracy that they had
done me & my brother, and that they were ready to sacrifice their lives for
my service; in recognition of which I thanked them & made them a feast,
begging them not to kill any more of them, & to await the return of my
father & my uncle, who would revenge upon the English the insult which they
had made me, without their tarnishing the glory that they had merited in
chastising the English & the savages, their friends, of their perfidy. We
were nevertheless always upon the defensive, & we apprehended being
surprised at the place where we were as much on the part of the English, as
of those of the savages, their friends; that is why we resolved of coming
to establish ourselves in the place where we are at present, & which is, as
you see, difficult enough of access for all those who have not been
enslaved as we are amongst the savages. We built there this house in a few
days with the assistance of the savages, & for still greater security we
obliged several among them to pass the winter with us on the condition of
our feeding them, which was the reason that our young men parted in the
summer, having almost consumed all our provisions. During the winter
nothing worthy of mention passed, except that some savages made several
juggles to know from our Manitou, who is their familiar spirit among them,
if my father and my uncle would return in the spring; who answered them
that they would not be missing there, and that they would bring with them
all kinds of merchandise and of that which would avenge them on their
enemies.
"At the beginning of April, 1684, some savages from the South coast arrived
at our new house to trade for guns; but as we had none of them they went to
the English, who had, as I afterwards learned, made them Some presents &
promissed them many other things if they would undertake to kill me with
the one of my men whom you saw still wounded, who spoke plainly the
language of the country. These savages, encouraged by the hope of gain,
accepted the proposition and promissed to execute it. For that means they
found an opportunity of gaining over one of the savages who was among us,
who served them as a spy, and informed them of all that we did.
Nevertheless they dared not attack us with open force, because they feared
us, & that was the reason why they proceeded otherwise in it; and this is
how it was to be done.
"The Frenchman that you saw wounded, having gone by my orders with one of
his comrades to the place where these savages, our friends, made some
smoked stag meat that they had killed, to tell them to bring me some of it,
fell, in chasing a stag, upon the barrel of his gun, and bent it in such a
manner that he could not kill anything with it without before having
straightened it; which having done, after having arrived at the place where
the savages were, he wished to make a test of it, firing blank at some
distance from their cabin; but whilst he disposed himself to that, one of
the savages who had promissed to the English his death & mine, who was
unknown to several of his comrades amongst the others, fired a shot at him
with his gun, which pierced his shoulder with a ball. He cried out directly
that they had killed him, & that it was for the men who loved the French to
avenge his death; which the Savages who were our friends having heard, went
out of their cabins & followed the culprit without his adherents daring to
declare themselves. But the pursuit was useless, for he saved himself in
the wood after having thrown away his gun & taken in its place his bow &
his quiver. This behaviour surprised our allies, the savages, exceedingly,
& obliged them to swear, in their manner, vengeance for it, as much against
that savage nation as against the English; but not having enough guns for
that enterprise, they resolved to wait until my father and uncle had
arrived. In the mean time they sent to entreat all the nations who had
sworn friendship to my father & my uncle to come to make war upon the
English & the savages on the southern coast, representing to them that they
were obliged to take our side because that they had at other times accepted
our presents in token of peace & of goodwill; that as to the rest, we were
always men of courage, & their brothers.
"As soon as these other nations had received intelligence of the condition
in which we were, they resolved to assist us with all their forces, & in
waiting the return of my father or my uncle to send hostages for it to give
a token of their courage, in the persons of two of their young men. One of
the most considerable chiefs among these nations was deputed to conduct
them. I received them as I ought. This chief was the adopted father of my
uncle, & one of the best friends of the French, whom I found adapted to
serve me to procure an interview with the English, to the end of knowing
what could possibly be their resolution. For that purpose I deputed this
chief savage towards the English, to persuade them to allow that I should
visit them & take their word that they would not make me any insult,
neither whilst with them nor along the route there, for which this chief
stood security. The English accepted the proposition. I made them a visit
with one of the French who carried the present that I had seat to make
them, in the manner of the savages, & who received it on their part for me
according to custom. We traded nothing in that interview regarding our
business, because I remembered that the English attributed directly that
which had been done against them to the savages. All the advantage that I
received in that step was of making a trade for the savages, my friends, of
guns which I wanted; although they cost me dear by the gratuity which I was
obliged to make to those who I employed there; but it was important that I
had in fact hindered the savages from it who came down from the country to
trade, of passing on as far as the English. The end of that invitation and
that visit, was that I promissed to the solicitation of the Governor of the
English of visiting there once again with my chief; after which we retired
to our house, where I was informed by some discontented savages not to go
any more to see the English, because that they had resolved either to
arrest me prisoner or of killing me. Which my chief having also learned, he
told me that he wished no more to be security with his word with a nation
who had none of it; which obliged us to remain at home, keeping up a very
strict guard. At the same time the river Hayes having become free, several
detachments of the nations who were our allies arrived to assist us. The
Asenipoetes [Footnote: _Asenipoetes, Assinipoueles, Assenipoulacs,_ and,
according to Dr. O'Callaghan, _Assiniboins_, or "Sioux of the Rocks."]
alone made more than 400 men. They were the descendants of the great
Christionaux of the old acquaintance of my uncle, & all ready to make war
with the English; but I did not find it desirable to interest them in it
directly nor indirectly, because I did not wish to be held on the defensive
in awaiting the return of my father or of my uncle, & that besides I knew
that several other nations who loved the French, more particularly those
who would come to our relief at the least signal. In the mean time the
chief of the Asenipoetes did not wish us to leave his camp around our
house, resolved to await up to the last moment the return of my uncle, of
whom he always spoke, making himself break forth with the joy that he would
have in seeing him by a thousand postures; & he often repeated that he
wished to make it appear that he had been worthy of the presents that the
Governor of Canada had made to him formerly in giving tokens of his zeal to
serve the French.
"The necessity for stores which should arrive in their camp partly hindered
the effects of that praiseworthy resolution, & obliged the chief of the
Asenipoetes to send back into his country 40 canoes in which he embarked
200 men of the most feeble & of the least resolute. He kept with him a like
number of them more robust, & those who were able to endure fatigue &
hunger, and determined having them to content themselves with certain small
fruits, which commenced to ripen, for their subsistence, in order to await
the new moon, in which the spirit of the other savages had predicted the
arrival of my uncle, which they believed infallible, because their
superstitious custom is of giving faith to all which their Manitou
predicts. They remained in that state until the end of the first quarter of
the moon, during which their oracles had assured them that my uncle would
arrive; but the time having expired, they believed their Manitou had
deceived them, & it was determined between them to join themselves with us
& of separating in 2 bodys, so as to go attack the English & the savages at
the south; resolved in case that the enterprise had the success that they
expected, of passing the winter with us, to burn the English ships in order
to remove the means of defending themselves in the Spring & of effecting
their return. That which contributed much to that deliberation was some
information which was given to them that the English had formed a design of
coming to seek the French to attack them, which they wished to prevent.
"These menaces on the part of the English were capable of producing bad
effects, the genius of the savages being of never awaiting their enemies,
but on the contrary of going to seek them. In this design the chief of the
Asenipoetes disposed himself to march against the English with a party of
his people; when 10 or 12 persons were seen on the northern side of the
Hayes river seeking for these same fruits on which the savages had lived
for some time, he believed that they were the advance guard of the English
& of the savages from the South, whom he supposed united, who came to
attack us; which obliged him to make all his men take their bows and
arrows, after which he ranged them in order of battle & made this address
in our presence: 'My design is to pass the river with 2 of the most
courageous among you to go attack the enemy, & of disposing of you in a
manner that you may be in a condition of relieving me or of receiving me,
whilst the French will form the corps of reserve; that our women will load
in our canoes all our effects, which they are to throw over in case
necessity requires it But before undertaking this expedition I wish that
you make choice of a chief to command you in my absence or in case of my
death.' Which having been done at the moment, this brave chief addressing
us said: 'We camp ourselves upon the edge of the wood with our guns, so as
to hinder the approach of the enemy; & then it would be necessary to march
the men upon the edge of the water, to the end that they should be in a
condition to pass to support or to receive him, according to the
necessity.'
"After that he passes the river with 2 men of the most hardihood of his
troops, who had greased themselves, like himself, from the feet up to the
head. Having each only 2 poniards for arms, their design was to go right to
the chief of the English, present to him a pipe of tobacco as a mark of
union, & then, if he refused it, endeavour to kill him & make for
themselves a passage through his people with their poniards as far as the
place where they would be able to pass the river to be supported by their
men. But after having marched as far as the place where the persons were
who they had seen, they recognized that it was some women; to whom having
spoken, they returned upon their steps, & said to us that there was nothing
to fear, & that it was a false alarm. This general proceeding on their part
gave us proofs of their courage & of their amity in a manner that the
confidence that we had placed in their help had put us in a condition of
fearing nothing on the part of the English nor of those there of the
savages of the South; and we were in that state when God, who is the author
of all things, & who disposes of them according to his good pleasure, gave
me the grace of my uncle's arrival in this country to arrest the course of
the disorders, who could come & work for our reconciliation. That work so
much desired on both sides is accomplished. It depends not upon me that it
may not be permanent. Live henceforth like brothers in good union & without
jealousy. As to myself, I am resolved, if the time should arrive, of
sacrificing my life for the glory of the King of Great Britain, for the
interest of the nation & the advantage of the Hudson's Bay Company, & of
obeying in all thirds my uncle."
I found this with regard to repeating the recital that my nephew made us
concerning what had passed between him & the English & the savages, their
allies, that although he had apprised me of the true state in which the 2
parties were at the time of my arrival, yet I also saw plainly the need
that the English had of being succoured, & the necessity that the French
had for provisions, of merchandise, and especially of guns, which could not
come to them but by my means.
But it is time to resume the care of our affairs, & to continue to render
an account of our conduct. Our people worked always with great application
to transport the beaver skins a half league across the wood, for it was the
road that it was necessary to make from the house as far as the place where
the shallops were, & they carried them to the little frigate, which
discharged them upon the ships. I was always present at the work, for the
purpose of animating all our men, who gave themselves in this work no rest
until it was done, & that against the experience of the Captains of our
ships, whom some had made believe that the business would drag at length;
but having gone to them I assured them that if they were ready to do so
they could raise the anchor to-morrow.
There things thus disposed of, it only disturbed me yet more to execute a
secret order that the company had given me, leaving it, however, to my
prudence and discretion. It was of retaining in its service my nephew and
some other Frenchmen, & above all the one who spoke the savage dialect, who
was the wounded one, to remain in the country in my absence, which I dared
not promise myself. In the meantime I resolved to make the proposition to
my nephew, believing that after gaining him I should be able easily to add
the others also. I caused to assemble for that end 5 or 6 of the savages of
the most consideration in the country with the Governor, & in their
presence I said to him, that for the glory of the King & for the advantage
of the company it was necessary that he should remain in the country. To
which he was averse at first; but the Governor having assured him that he
would trust him as his own nephew, & that he would divide the authority
that he had with him, & myself on my part having reproached him that he was
not loyal to the oath of allegiance that he had sworn to me, these reasons
obliged him to determine, & he assured me that he was ready to do all that
I wished of him. What contributed much was the discourse that the savages
made to him, telling him that I left him amongst them to receive in my
absence the marks of amity that they had sworn to me, & that they regarded
him as the nephew of the one who had brought peace to the nations & made
the union of the English & French in making by the same means the brothers
of both.
This last success in my affairs was proof to me of the authority that I had
over the French & the savages; for my nephew had no sooner declared that he
submitted himself to do what I wished, than all the other Frenchmen offered
themselves to risk the ennui of remaining in the country, although my
design was only to leave but two of them; & the savages on their part burst
out in cries of joy in such a manner that I no more considered after that
but to put an end to all things.
All our beaver skins having been embarked, I resolved, after having put
everything into tranquil & assured state for my return into England, where
my presence was absolutely necessary, to make known to the Company in what
manner it was necessary to act to profit advantageously the solid
establishment that I came to do & the things which were of indispensible
necessity in the country to facilitate the trade with the savages &
hindering them from making any of it with foreigners, that is to say, with
the French of Canada.
I was then for the last time with my nephew at the house of our Frenchmen,
to the end of leaving there some Englishmen. I found there a number of
savages arrived to visit me, who called my nephew & myself into one of
their cabins, where a venerable old man spoke to me in these terms:
"Porcupine's head, thy heart is good & thou hast great courage, having made
peace with the English for the love of us. Behold, we have come towards
thee, old & young, wives & daughters & little children, to thank thee for
it, & to recognise thee for our father. We wish to be the children & adopt
for our son thy nephew that thou lovest so much, & in fine to give thee an
eternal mark of the obligation that we have to thee. We weep no more
henceforth except for the memory of those of whom thou bearest the name."
After which, having told one of the young people to speak, he fell like as
if in a swoon, & the other spoke after that same manner: "Men & women,
young men & children, even those who are at the breast, remember this one
here for your father. He is better than the sun who warms you. You will
find always in him a protector who will help you in your needs & console
you in your afflictions. Men, remember that he gave you guns during the
course of the year for you to defend yourselves against your Enemies, & to
kill the beasts who nourish you & your families. Wives, consider that he
gave you hatchets & knives with which you banish hunger from your country;
daughters & children, fear nothing more, since the one who is your father
loves you always, & that he gave you from time to time all that is
necessary for you to have your subsistance. We all together weep no more,
on the contrary give evidence by cries of our mirth that we have beheld the
man of courage;" & at the same time they set themselves to cry with all
their might, weeping bitterly for the last time, in saying, "We have lost
our father; [Footnote: "But here is one that you adopt for your father."
_Note by Radisson,_] we have lost our children." [Footnote: "Here is the
nephew of your father, who will be your son; he remains with you & he will
have care of his mothers." _Note by Radisson,_]
After that piteful music they all came to be acknowledged. To be
acknowledged by our adoption with some presents, & covering us with robes
of white beaver skins, giving us quantities of beavers' tails, Some
bladders of stag's marrow, several tongues of the same animal smoked, that
which is the most exquisite to eat among them. They also presented us two
great copper boilers full of smoked & boiled flesh, of which we ate all
together, they, the English, & ourselves, & it is what is called a feast
among these nations. After that I said adieu to them, & having given charge
in the house what should be embarked in the ship, I went down to the mouth
of the River, where Captain Gazer worked to build a fort in the same place
where the preceding year Sieur Bridger had made to be constructed his
shallop. It was the most advantageous situation that he had been able to
find, & I advised that he should make all the diligence possible; but he
had some men who by their delicacy were incapable of responding to his
vigilence. I made this observation because I hold it for a maxim that one
should only employ men robust, skilful, & capable of serving, & that those
who are of a complexion feeble, or who flatter themselves of having
protection & favour, ought to be dismissed.
Then we passed to the place where the ships were, because my design was to
oblige by my presence the captains to return to their ships ready to make
sail; but I was no sooner arrived there than a savage came to inform me
that my adopted father, whom I had not seen because that he was at the
wars, waited for me at the place where Captain Gazer was building the Fort
of which I came to speak. That is why I resolved to go there, & I expressed
the same hope to the savage whom I sent back to give information to my
father that the Governor would come with me to make some friendship to him
& protect him in my absence. It was with the consent of the Governor & upon
his parole that I had told him that; nevertheless he did not wish to come,
& I was for the first time found a liar among the savages, which is of a
dangerous consequence, for these nations have in abomination this vice. He
came to me, however, in no wise angry in that interview, & I received not
even a reproach from him.
When I was at the rendezvous they told me that my adopted father was gone
away from it because I had annoyed a savage, for he had been informed that
I had arrived to see him. This savage having remembered the obligation to
return, although very sad on account of some news that he had learned upon
the road, which was that the chief of the nation who inhabited the height
above the river Neosaverne, named "the bearded," & one of his sons, who
were his relations, had been killed in going to insult those among the
savages who were set to the duty of taking care of the Frenchman who had
been wounded by a savage gained over by the English, after that he had
embraced me, & that he had informed me of the circumstance of that affaire,
& the number of people he had as followers, I wrote to the Governor to come
to me in the place where we were, to make him know in effect that he must
after my departure prevent the continuation of these disorders in virtue of
the treaty of peace & of union that I had made in presence of the savages
between the French & the English.
The Governor having arrived, I presented to him my adopted father, & said
to him that as it was the chief who commanded the nation that inhabited in
the place where they built the fort, I had made him some little presents by
Captain Gazer, & that it was also desirable that he make some to him,
because I had promissed some the preceeding year that I had not given;
which the Governor found very bad, & he became irritated even against this
chief without any cause for it; except that it might be because he was my
adopted father, & I have learned since that he was angry that when I had
arrived I had not given any present to a simple savage who served as a spy,
who was the son of that chief called "the bearded." That was a horrible
extravagence; for this Governor was inferior to me, & I was not under any
obligation to recognize his favor; besides, I had never made any presents
but to the chiefs of the nations. Moreover, it was not for our Governor to
censure my conduct. I had received some independent orders, which had been
given me on account of the outrage that he had committed; but acting for
the service of my King and for those of the Company, I passed it over in
silence. I saw that it would be imprudent if I should speak my sentiments
openly to a man who after my departure should command all those who
remained in the country.[Footnote: "That would have perhaps drawn upon him
some contempt." _Note by Radisson._ ] I contented myself then with letting
him know the inconveniences which would happen from the indifference that
he affected to have for the chief of the savage nations, & I exhorted him
also to change at once his policy in regard to my adopted father; not by
that consideration, but because that he was, as I said to him, the chief of
the nations which inhabited the place where they built the fort, which he
promissed me of undoing. After that I went on board our ship.
My nephew, who remained in the fort with the Governor, having learned that
the ships were ready to leave, kept himself near me with the French whom I
had resolved to leave in Canada, to say adieu to me, & it was in the
company of this Governor that they made the journey, during which, as I
have since learned from my nephew, he showed to them more good will than he
had yet done, assuring them that they should never want anything, & in
consideration of me they would receive the same treatment as himself. The
behaviour that my nephew & the other Frenchmen had shown gave no reason for
doubting the sincerity of their protestations. They no longer believed that
any one could have any mistrust of them. My nephew & his interpreter had
been solicited to remain in the country to serve the company, & they had
consented to it without a murmur because I had charged myself with the care
of their interests in England. All that passed in the presence and by the
persuasions of the Governor. Nevertheless, behold a surprising change which
came to pass by the inconstancy, the caprice, & the wicked behaviour of
this same Governor.
I disposed myself to part with the other Frenchmen, when the Governor,
having come aboard of the little frigate, caused a signal to be made to
hold a council of war. Upon this the Captains of the ships & myself
rendered ourselves on board, where my nephew followed us, remaining upon
the poop, whilst the officers & myself were in the room where this Governor
demanded of us, at first, if we had any valid reasons why he should not
send back in the ships all the Frenchmen who were in the country; to all
which the others having said nothing, I was obliged to speak in these
terms: "At my departure from England I received a verbal order from the
company, in particular from Sir James Hayes, to leave in the country where
we are as many of the Frenchmen as I should find desirable for the good &
advantage of the company. I have upon that resolved to engage my nephew &
his interpreter to remain in it, & I have come for that end, by my
attendance, for the consent of the Governor, who demands to-day that they
may be sent back as people who apparently are known to him as suspected. I
have always believed, & I believe it still, that their presence is useful
in this Country and also necessary to the Company, and it was difficult to
be able to overlook two, because they are known to all the nations. It is
also upon them that I have relied for the Security of the merchandises
which are left behind at the houses of the French, because without their
assistance or their presence they would be exposed to pillage. Nevertheless
I do not pretend to oppose my self to the design that the Governor has put
in execution & the proposition that he proposes making. He is free to undo
what he pleases, but he cannot make me subscribe to his resolutions,
because I see that they are directly opposed to those of the Company, to my
instructions, and to my experience. On the contrary, I will protest before
God and before men against all that he does, because, after what he has
said to you, he is incapable of doing what is advantageous for his masters.
It is in vain that one should give him good councels, for he has not the
spirit to understand them, that he may again deal a blow to which he would
wish I opposed nothing."
This declaration had without doubt made some impression upon a spirit not
anticipated in an imaginary capacity of governor; but this one here, on the
contrary, fortified himself in his resolution, & begged me to tell the
French to embark themselves, without considering that my nephew had not
time enough to go seek his clothes, nor several bonds that were due to him
in Canada, which remained in the house of the French, and that I had
abandoned to him, to yield whatever I was in a condition of giving
satisfaction to him, & that in the hope that the Company would set up for
him the way exclusively.
The Council after that broke up; but the Governor, apprehending that the
Frenchmen would not obey, wished to give an order to the Captains to seize
upon them and put them on board. He had even the insolence of putting me
first on the lists, as if I was suspected or guilty of something, for which
Captain Bond having perceived, said to him that he should not make a charge
of that kind, as I must be excepted from it, because he remembered nothing
in me but much of attachment for the service of his masters, & that they
should take care of the establishment that we had made, & of the advantages
that would accrue to the Company. They obliged the Governor to make another
list, and thus finished a council of war held against the interests of
those who had given power to assemble them. The persons who had any
knowledge of these savages of the north would be able to judge of the
prejudice which the conduct of this imprudent Governor would without
contradiction have caused the Company. Many would attribute his proceeding
to his little experience, or to some particular hatred that he had
conceived against the French. Be it as it may, I was not of his way of
thinking; and I believed that his timidity & want of courage had prompted
him to do all that he had done, by the apprehension that he had of the
French undertaking something against him; & what confirmed me in that
thought was the precaution that he had taken for preventing the French from
speaking to any person since the day of council, for he put them away from
the moment that we went away from them. I made out also that he had wanted
but the occasion of putting to the sword my nephew if he had had the least
pretext; but knowing his wicked designs, I made him understand, as well as
the other Frenchmen, that we were to go to England, & that he must not
leave the ship, because we were at any moment ready to depart.
Although this change surprised my nephew & his interpreter, nevertheless
they appeared not discontented with it, especially when I had assured them,
as well as the other Frenchmen, that they would receive all kinds of good
treatment in England, and that it would do them no harm in their persons
nor in their pretensions. I left them then in the ship, and having embarked
myself in the frigate, we were put ashore two leagues from the place where
they were at anchor, to take on board some goods that remained on the
shore, with more diligence than we had been able to make with the ships;
which having succeeded in happily doing, we went to rejoin the ships at the
place where they were at anchor, in one of which my nephew and the other
Frenchmen were staying during this time without having taken the least
step, although they were in a condition for any enterprise, because they
could easily render themselves masters of the two ships and burn them,
having there for both but two men and one boy in each; after which they
could also, without danger, go on shore on the south side with the canoes
of the savages, who were from the north, and then make themselves masters
of their houses and their merchandise, which were guarded but by two men;
but to go there to them, he made doubts of all that I had told him, and
that it would be ill intentioned to the service of the company, as it was
to the Governor. That is why they were not capable, neither those nor the
others, after having submitted themselves & having taken the oath of
fidelity as they had done.
At length, after having suffered in my honour and in my probity many things
on the part of the Governor, [Footnote: "Before Radisson's arrival, Capt.
John Abraham had been to Port Nelson with supplies of stores, & finding Mr
Bridgar was gone, he staid himself, & was continued Governor by the Company
in 1684." _Oldmixon_.] and much fatigue and indisposition of trouble and of
care in my person, to come to the end of my design, having happily
succeeded, and all that was to be embarked in the ships being on board, we
made sail the 4th day of September, 1684, and we arrived at the Downs,
without anything passing worth mentioning, the 23rd of October of the same
year.
The impatience that I had of informing the Gentlemen of the Hudson's Bay
Company of the happy success of my voyage, and our return, and that I had
acquitted myself for the service of the King and their own interest in all
the engagements into which I had entered, obliged me to mount a horse the
same day, to present myself in London, where I arrived at midnight. All
which did not hinder me, so the Sieur Ecuyer Young was informed, who was
one of those interested, who having come to me on the morrow morning to
take me, did me the honour to present me to His Majesty and to His Royal
Highness, to whom I rendered an account of all which had been done; and I
had the consolation of receiving some marks of the satisfaction of these
great princes, who in token gave order to the Sieur Ecuyer Young to tell
the company to have care of my interests, & to remember my services.
Some days after, I went before the Committee of the Hudson's Bay Company,
to render to it an account of my conduct, hoping to receive their
approbation of my proceeding as the first fruits of the just satisfaction &
recompence which was my due; but in place of that I found the members of
the Committee for the most part offended because I had had the honour of
making my reverence to the King and to his Royal Highness, & these same
persons continued even their bad intention to injure me, and, under pretext
of refusing me the justice which is due to me, they oppose themselves also
to the solid and useful resolutions that are necessary for the glory of his
Majesty and the advantage of the Nation and their own Interest.