through the lips of saint Matthew that _This Gospel of the kingdom,
shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations,
and then shall the consummation come_. History shows that the voice
of the Apostles has resounded for several centuries past throughout
all the old world, although to-day the Christian kingdoms form the
smallest part of it. But as to the new world, discovered some hundred
and twenty years ago, we have no proof that the word of God has ever
[8] been proclaimed there prior to these later times; unless we are to
believe the story of Jean de Lery,[5] who says that one day as he was
telling the Brazilians about the great miracles of God in the creation
of the world, and the mysteries of our redemption, an old man told
him that he had heard his grandfather say that, many years before, a
bearded man (Brazilians have no beards) had come among them and had
related something similar; but that they would not listen to him, and
since then had been killing and eating each other. As to the other
countries beyond the sea, some of them have indeed a certain vague
knowledge of the deluge, and of the immortality of the soul, together
with the future reward of those who live aright; but they might have
handed this obscure doctrine down, from generation to generation, since
the universal deluge which happened in the time of Noah. It remains
now to deplore the wretched condition of these people who occupy a
country so large that the old world bears no comparison with it, if we
include the land which lies beyond the straits of Magellan, called [9]
_Terra del fugo_, extending as far toward China and Japan as toward
New Guinea; and also the country beyond the great river of Canada,[6]
which stretches out to the East and is washed by the great Western
ocean. Dense ignorance prevails in all these countries, where there is
no evidence that they have ever felt the breath of the Gospel, except
in this last century when the Spaniard carried thither some light of
the Christian religion, together with his cruelty and avarice.[7] But
this was so little that it should not receive much consideration, since
by the very confession of those who have written their histories, they
have killed almost all the natives of the country, who, only seventy
years ago, according to a certain historian,[8] numbered more than
twenty millions. For more than twenty-five years, the English have
retained a foothold in a country called, in honor of the deceased
Queen of England, Virginia, which lies between Florida and the land
of the Armouchiquois.[9] But that country carries on its affairs with
so much secrecy, that very few persons know [10] anything definite
about it. Soon after I published my History of New France,[10] there
was an embarkation of eight hundred men to be sent there. It is not
reported that they bathed their hands in the blood of those people, for
which they are neither to be praised nor blamed: for there is no law
nor pretext which permits us to kill anyone, whosoever he may be, and
especially the persons whose property we have seized. But they are
to be commended if they show to these poor ignorant people the way of
salvation by the true and unvarnished doctrine of the Gospel. As to our
French people, I have complained enough in my History of the cowardice
of these later times, and of our lack of zeal either in reclaiming
these poor erring ones, or in making known, exalted, and glorified,
the name of God in the lands beyond the seas, where it never has been
proclaimed. And yet we wish that country to bear the name of France,
a name so august and venerable that we cannot, without a feeling of
shame, glory in an un-Christianized France. I know that there are any
number of people who are willing to go there. But why is it that [11]
the Church, which has so much wealth; why is it that the Nobility, who
expend so much needlessly, do not establish some fund for the execution
of so holy a work? Two courageous Gentlemen, Sieurs de Monts and de
Poutrincourt, have in these later times shown such great zeal in this
work, that they have weakened their resources by their outlays, and
have done more than their strength justified them in doing. Both have
continued their voyages up to the present time. But one of them has
been frustrated twice, and has had heavy losses through too great
confidence in the words of certain persons. Now, inasmuch as the latest
news of our New France comes from Sieur de Poutrincourt, we shall speak
here of what he has accomplished, and we have good reason to praise his
courage; for (not being able to live among the crowd of idle men, of
whom we have only too many, and seeing our France seeming to languish
in a monotonous calm that was wearisome to men of action), after having
given a thousand proofs of his valor, during the last twenty-four
years, he sought to crown [12] his truly Herculean labors in the cause
of God, for which he employs his means and strength, and endangers his
life, by increasing the number of celestial citizens, and leading to
the fold of Jesus Christ, our sovereign Shepherd, the wandering sheep,
whom it would be becoming to the Prelates of the Church to go out and
gather in (at least to contribute to this end) since they have the
means of doing so. But with what difficulty has he labored in this
cause up to the present time? Thrice has he crossed the great Ocean
to carry on his enterprises. The first year was passed with sieur de
Monts in seeking a suitable dwelling and a safe port for the withdrawal
of the ships and their crews. In this, they did not meet with much
success. The second year passed in the same way, and then he returned
to France. During the third year, we experimented with the soil, which
yielded abundantly to our cultivation. This present year, discovering
through an unfortunate experience that men are not always to be
trusted, he made up his mind to depend upon no one but himself, and put
to sea on the twenty-sixth of February; the [13] weather being very
unfavorable, he made the longest voyage of which I have ever heard;
certainly our own, three years ago, was tedious enough, when we drifted
about upon the sea for the space of two months and a half before
reaching Port Royal. But this one lasted three whole months, so that
one reckless man was about to mutiny, going so far as to form wicked
conspiracies; but Sieur de Poutrincourt's kindness, and respect for the
place where he lived in Paris, served as a shield to protect his life.
[_Terrir, meaning to discover the land._] The first coast which Sieur
de Poutrincourt discovered was port Mouton; there, among the fogs
which are very common in this sea during the Summer, he encountered
serious dangers, principally in the neighborhood of Cape Sable,
where his ship came near foundering. [_History of New France, book
2, chap. 37, p. 527._] Thence, in trying to reach Port Royal, he was
carried by violent winds forty leagues beyond, namely to the Norombega
river,[11] so celebrated and so fabulously described by Geographers and
Historians, as I have shown in my said History, where this voyage may
be seen in the geographical Chart [14] which I have inserted therein.
Thence he came to the river saint John, which is opposite Port Royal
beyond French Bay,[12] where he found a ship from St. Malo trading with
the Savages of the country. Here complaint was made to him by a Captain
of the Savages, that one of the crew of the said ship had stolen
away his wife and was abusing her: the Sieur informed himself about
the matter and then made a prisoner of the malefactor and seized the
ship.[13] But he released the ship and the sailors, contenting himself
by retaining the guilty one, who escaped, however, in a shallop, and
went off with the Savages, prejudicing them against the French, as we
shall relate hereafter. Arrived at last at Port Royal, it is impossible
to describe the joy with which these poor people received the Sieur and
his company. And, in truth, there was still greater reason for this
joy, since they had lost all hope of ever again seeing the French live
among them. They had had some experience of our kind treatment while we
were there, and, seeing themselves deprived of it, they wept bitterly
when we left them three years ago.
This Port Royal, the home [15] of sieur de Poutrincourt, is the most
beautiful earthly habitation that God has ever made. It is fortified
upon the North by a range of 12 or 15 leagues of mountains, upon
which the Sun beats all day, and by hills on the Southern or Meridian
shore, which forms a port that can securely harbor twenty thousand
ships, being twenty fathoms deep at its entrance, a league and a half
in width, and four leagues long, extending to an island which is a
French league in circumference: here I have sometimes seen swimming
at ease a medium-sized Whale, which came in with the tide at eight
o'clock every morning. Furthermore, there can be caught in this
port, in their season, great quantities of herring, smelt, sardines,
barbels, codfish, seals and other fish; and as to shell-fish, there
is an abundance of lobsters, crabs, palourdes,[14] cockles, mussels,
snails, and porpoises. But whoever is disposed to go beyond the tides
of the sea will find in the river quantities of sturgeon and salmon,
and will have plenty of sport in landing them. Now, to return to our
story; When Sieur de Poutrincourt arrived [6 i.e. 16] there, he found
his buildings entire, the Savages (as these people have been called up
to the present) not having touched them in any way, even the furniture
remaining as we had left it. Anxious about their old friends, they
asked how they were all getting along, calling each individual by his
name, and asking why such and such a one had not come back. This shows
the great amiability of these people, who, having seen in us only the
most humane qualities, never flee from us, as they do from the Spaniard
in this whole new world. And consequently by a certain gentleness and
courtesy, which are as well known to them as to us, it is easy to make
them pliant to all our wishes, and especially so in regard to Religion,
of which we left them some good impressions when we were there; and
they seemed to wish for nothing better than to enroll themselves under
the banner of Jesus Christ, where they would have been received at
once if we had had a firm foothold in the country. But just as we were
hoping to continue [17] the work, it happened that sieur de Monts,
being unable longer to meet the expenses, and not receiving any help
from the King, was obliged to recall all those who were over there, who
had not taken with them the means necessary to a longer sojourn. So it
would have been rash and unwise to administer baptism to people whom
it was necessary afterwards to abandon, and give them an opportunity
to return to their corruption. But now that the work is being carried
on in earnest, and as sieur de Poutrincourt has actually settled
there, it is lawful to impress upon their minds and souls the stamp of
Christianity, after having instructed them in the principal articles of
our Faith. [_Hebrews 11, vers. 6._] Sieur de Poutrincourt is careful
to do this, remembering what the Apostle said, _He that cometh to God,
must believe that he is_; and after believing this, one comes gradually
to ideas which are farther removed from mere sensual apprehension, such
as the belief that out of nothing God created all things, that he made
himself man, that he was born of a Virgin, that he consented to die for
man, etc. And inasmuch as the Ecclesiastics who have been taken over
there, are not [18] familiar with the language of these people, the
Sieur has taken the trouble to teach them and to have them taught by
his eldest son, a young Gentleman who understands and speaks the native
language very well, and who seems to have been destined to open up to
the Savages the way to heaven. The people who are at Port Royal, and
in the adjacent countries extending toward Newfoundland, are called
Souriquois[15] and have a language of their own. But beyond French Bay,
which extends into the land about forty leagues, and is ten or twelve
leagues wide, the people on the other side are called Etechemins; and
still farther away are the Armouchiquois, whose language is different
from that of the Etechemins, and who are fortunate in having an
abundance of vines and large grapes, if they only knew how to make use
of this fruit, which they believe (as did our ancient Gauls) to be
poisonous. [_Ammianus Marcellinus._] They also have excellent hemp,
which grows wild, and in quality and appearance is much superior to
ours. Besides this they have Sassafras, and a great abundance of oak,
walnut, plum and chestnut trees, and other fruits which are unknown to
us. As to Port Royal, I must confess that there is not [19] much fruit
there; and yet the land is productive enough to make us hope from it
all that Gallic France yields to us. All these tribes are governed by
Captains called Sagamores, a word used with the same signification in
the East Indies, as I have read in the History by Maffeus,[16] and
which I believe comes from the Hebrew word _Sagan_, which, according
to Rabbi David, means Great Prince, and sometimes means the one who
holds the second place after the sovereign Pontiff. [_Isaiah 41, vers.
25, Jerem. 51, vers. 23, Santes Pagnin, 9._] In the usual version of
the Bible it is defined "Magistrate," and yet even there the Hebrew
interpreters translate it by the word "Prince." And in fact we read
in Berosus[17] that Noah was called Saga, as much because he was a
great Prince as because he had taught Theology and the ceremonies
of divine service, and also many of the secrets of nature, to the
Armenian Scythians, whom the ancient Cosmographers called "Sages,"
after Noah. And perhaps for this very same reason our Tectosages,
who are the Tolosains,[18] are so called. For this good father, who
restored the world, came into Italy and sent [20] a new population
into Gaul after the Deluge, giving his name, Gauls (for Xenophon says
that he was also called by this name), to those whom he sent there,
because he had escaped from the waters. And it is not improbable that
he himself imposed this name upon the Tectosages. Let us return to
our word Sagamore, which is the title of honor given to the Captains
in these new Lands, of which we are speaking. At Port Royal, the name
of the Captain or Sagamore of the place is Membertou.[19] He is at
least a hundred years old, and may in the course of nature live more
than fifty years longer. He has under him a number of families whom he
rules, not with so much authority as does our King over his subjects,
but with sufficient power to harangue, advise, and lead them to war,
to render justice to one who has a grievance, and like matters. He
does not impose taxes upon the people, but if there are any profits
from the chase he has a share of them, without being obliged to take
part in it. It is true that they sometimes make him presents of Beaver
skins and other things, when he is occupied in curing the sick; or in
questioning [21] his demon (whom he calls _Aoutem_) to have news of
some future event or of the absent: for, as each village, or company
of Savages, has an _Aoutmoin_, or Prophet, who performs this office,
Membertou is the one who, from time immemorial, has practiced this art
among his followers. He has done it so well that his reputation is
far above that of all the other Sagamores of the country, he having
been since his youth a great Captain, and also having exercised the
offices of Soothsayer and Medicine-man, which are the three things
most efficacious to the well-being of man, and necessary to this human
life. Now this Membertou to-day, by the grace of God, is a Christian,
together with all his family, having been baptized, and twenty others
with him, on last saint John's day, the 24th of June. I have letters
from Sieur de Poutrincourt about it, dated the eleventh day of July
following. He said Membertou was named after our late good King HENRI
IV., and his eldest son after Monseigneur the Dauphin, to-day our King
LOUIS XIII., whom may God bless. And so, as a natural consequence, the
wife of Membertou [22] was named MARIE after the Queen Regent, and her
daughter received the name of the Queen, MARGUERITE. The second son of
Membertou, called Actaudin, was named PAUL after our holy Father, the
Pope of Rome. The daughter of the aforesaid Louis was named CHRISTINE
in honor of Madame, the eldest sister of the King. And thus to each
one was given the name of some illustrious or notable personage here
in France. A number of other Savages were about to camp elsewhere (as
it is their custom to scatter in bands when summer comes) at the time
of these ceremonies of Christian regeneration, whom we believe to be
to-day enrolled in the family of God by the same cleansing water of
holy baptism.[20] But the devil, who never sleeps, has shown the
jealousy which he felt at the salvation of these people, and at seeing
that the name of God was glorified in this land, by inciting a wicked
Frenchman, not a Frenchman but a Turk, not a Turk but an Atheist, to
divert from the path of righteousness several Savages who had been
Christians in their hearts and [23] souls for three years; and among
others a Sagamore named Chkoudun, a man of great influence, of whom
I have made honorable mention in my History of New France, because I
saw that he, more than all the others, loved the French, and that he
admired our civilization more than their ignorance: to such an extent,
that being present sometimes at the Christian admonitions, which were
given every Sunday to our French people, he listened attentively,
although he did not understand a word; and moreover wore the sign of
the Cross upon his bosom, which he also had his servants wear; and he
had in imitation of us, a great Cross erected in the public place of
his village, called _Oigoudi_, at the port of the river saint John,
ten leagues from Port Royal. Now this man, with others, was turned
away from Christianity, by the cursed avarice of this wicked Frenchman
to whom I have referred above, and whom I do not wish to name now on
account of the love and reverence I bear his father, but I protest that
I will immortalize him if he does not mend his ways. He, I say, in
order to defraud this Sagamore [24], Chkoudun, of a few Beavers, went
last June to bribe him, after having escaped from the hands of Sieur de
Poutrincourt, saying that all this Poutrincourt told them about God was
nonsense, that they need not believe it, that he was an impostor, that
he would kill them and get their Beavers. I omit a great many wicked
stories that he may have added to this. If he were of the religious
belief of those who call themselves Reformed, I might somewhat excuse
him. But he plainly shows that he is neither of the one nor the
other. But I will say, however, that he has reason to thank God for
his escape from imminent peril on our voyage. This Sagamore, being
a Christian, by his good example might have caused a great number of
others to become Christians. But I am willing to hope, or rather firmly
believe, that he will not remain much longer in this error, and that
the Sieur will have found some means of attracting him with many others
to himself, to impress upon him the vital truths with which he had
formerly, in my presence, touched his soul. For the spirit of God has
power to drop upon this field fresh dew, which will bring forth a new
germination where all has been laid waste and beaten down by the hail.
May God, by his grace, guide all in such a way that it will redound
to his glory and to the edification of this people, for whom all
Christians ought to make continual supplication to his divine goodness,
to the end that he may consent to confirm and advance the work, which
he has been pleased to begin at this time for the exaltation of his
name and for the salvation of his creatures.[21]
END.