ON THEIR VICES AND THEIR IMPERFECTIONS.
THE Savages, being filled with errors, are also haughty and
proud. Humility is born of truth, vanity of error and falsehood.
They are void of the knowledge of truth, and are in consequence,
mainly occupied with thought of themselves. They imagine that they
ought by right of birth, to enjoy the liberty of Wild ass colts,
rendering no homage to any one whomsoever, except when they like.
They have reproached me a hundred times because we [110] fear our
Captains, while they laugh at and make sport of theirs. All the
authority of their chief is in his tongue's end; for he is powerful
in so far as he is eloquent; and, even if he kills himself talking
and haranguing, he will not be obeyed unless he pleases the Savages.
Ie ne crois pas qu'il y aye de nation sous le ciel plus mocqueuse
& plus gausseuse que la nation des Montagnais, leur vie se passe
à manger, à rire, & à railler les vns des autres, & de tous les
peuples qu'ils cognoissent; ils n'ont rien de serieux, sinon par fois
l'exterieur faisans parmy nous les graues & les retenus: mais entr'eux
sont de vrais badins, de vrais enfans qui ne demandent qu'à rire. Ie
les [c]achois quelquefois vn petit, notamment le Sorcier, les appellant
des enfans, leurs tesmoignãs que ie ne pouuois asseoir aucun jugement
asseuré sur toutes leurs responses; car si ie leur demandois d'vn, ils
me disoient d'autre, pour trouuer suiet de rire & de gausser: & par
consequent ie ne pouuois connoistre quand ils parloient serieusement,
ou quand ils se mocquoient. La conclusion ordinaire de leurs discours &
de leurs entretiens, est en verité nous nous sommes [111] bien mocquez
d'vn tel.
I do not believe that there is a nation under heaven more given to
sneering and bantering than that of the Montagnais. Their life is
passed in eating, laughing, and making sport of each other, and
of all the people they know. There is nothing serious about them,
except occasionally, when they make a pretense among us of being
grave and dignified; but among themselves they are real buffoons
and genuine children, who ask only to laugh. Sometimes I annoyed
them a little, especially the Sorcerer, by calling them children,
and showing them that I never could place any reliance upon all
their answers; because, if I questioned them about one thing,
they told me about something else, only to get something to laugh
and jest about; and consequently I could not know when they were
speaking seriously, or when they were jesting. The usual conclusion
of their discourses and conversations is: "Really, we did make
[111] a great deal of sport of such and such a one."
I'ay fait voir dans mes lettres precedentes combien les Sauuages sont
vindicatifs enuers leurs ennemis, auec quelle rage & quelle cruauté
ils les traittent, les mageants apres leur auoir fait souffrir tout ce
qu'vn demon incarné pourroit inuenter, cette fureur est commune aux
femmes, aussi bien qu'aux hommes; voire mesme elles les surpassent en
ce poinct. I'ay dit qu'ils mangent les poux qu'ils trouuent sur eux,
non pour aucun goust qu'ils y trouuẽt, mais pource qu'ils veulent
mordre ceux qui les mordent.
I have shown in my former letters how vindictive the Savages are
toward their enemies, with what fury and cruelty they treat them,
eating them after they have made them suffer all that an incarnate
fiend could invent. This fury is common to the women as well as to
the men, and they even surpass the latter in this respect. I have
said that they eat the lice they find upon themselves, not that
they like the taste of them, but because they want to bite those
that bite them.
Ce peuple est fort peu touché de compassion, quand quelqu'vn est malade
dans leurs Cabanes, ils ne laissent pas pour l'ordinaire de crier, de
tempester, & de faire autant de bruit, cõme si tout le monde estoit en
santé; ils ne sçauent que c'est de prendre soin d'vn pauure malade, &
de luy donner des viandes qui luy sont bonnes: s'il demande à boire, on
luy en donne, s'il demande à manger, on luy en presente, sinon on le
laisse là: de l'inuiter auec amour & charité, c'est vn langage qu'ils
n'entendent pas; tant qu'vn malade pourra manger, ils le porteront
[112] ou le traisneront auec eux; cesse-il de manger, ils croient que
c'est fait de sa vie, ils le mettent à mort, tant pour le deliurer
du mal qu'il endure, que pour se soulager de la peine qu'ils ont de
le porter quand ils vont en quelqu'autre endroit. I'ay admiré auec
cõpassion la patiẽce des malades que j'ay veu parmi eux.
These people are very little moved by compassion. When any one
is sick in their Cabins, they ordinarily do not cease to cry and
storm, and make as much noise as if everybody were in good health.
They do not know what it is to take care of a poor invalid, and to
give him the food which is good for him; if he asks for something
to drink, it is given to him, if he asks for something to eat, it
is given to him, but otherwise he is neglected; to coax him with
love and gentleness, is a language which they do not understand. As
long as a patient can eat, they will carry [112] or drag him with
them; if he stops eating, they believe that it is all over with
him and kill him, as much to free him from the sufferings that he
is enduring, as to relieve themselves of the trouble of taking him
with them when they go to some other place. I have both admired
and pitied the patience of the invalids whom I have seen among them.
Les Sauuages sont mesdisants au de là de ce qu'on en peut penser; ie
dis mesme les vns des autres, ils n'espargnent pas leurs plus proches:
ils sont auec cela fort dissimulez; car si l'vn médit d'vn autre, il
s'en mocquent à gorge desploiée: si l'autre paroist là dessus, il luy
tesmoignera autant d'affection, & le traittera auec autant d'amour,
comme s'il l'auoit mis iusques au troisiesme ciel à force de le loüer.
La raison de cecy prouient à mon aduis de ce que leurs detractions
& mocqueries, ne sortent point d'vn cœur enfielé, ny d'vne bouche
empestée, mais d'vne ame qui dit ce qu'elle pense pour se donner
carriere: & qui veut tirer du contentement de tout, voire mesme des
mesdisances, & des gausseries: c'est pourquoy ils ne se troublent
point; quoy qu'on leur die que d'autres se sont mocqués [113] d'eux, ou
qu'ils ont blessé leur renõmée: tout ce qu'ils repartent ordinairement
à ces discours, c'est _mama irinisiou_, il n'a point d'esprit, il
ne sçait ce qu'il dit: & à la premiere occasion ils payeront leur
detracteur en mesme monnoye, luy rendants le reciproque.
The Savages are slanderous beyond all belief; I say, also among
themselves, for they do not even spare their nearest relations,
and with it all they are deceitful. For, if one speaks ill of
another, they all jeer with loud laughter; if the other appears
upon the scene, the first one will show him as much affection and
treat him with as much love, as if he had elevated him to the third
heaven by his praise. The reason of this is, it seems to me, that
their slanders and derision do not come from malicious hearts or
from infected mouths, but from a mind which says what it thinks
in order to give itself free scope, and which seeks gratification
from everything, even from slander and mockery. Hence they are
not troubled even if they are told that others are making sport
of [113] them, or have injured their reputation. All they usually
answer to such talk is, _mama irinisiou_, "He has no sense, he does
not know what he is talking about;" and at the first opportunity
they will pay their slanderer in the same coin, returning him the
like.
La menterie est aussi naturelle aux Sauuages que la parole, non pas
entr'eux, mais enuers les estrangers: en suitte dequoy l'on peut
dire, que la crainte & l'espoir, en vn mot, que l'interest est la
mesure de leur fidelité, ie ne me voudrois cõfier en eux qu'autãt
qu'ils craindroient d'estre punis s'ils manquoient à leur deuoir, ou
qu'ils espereroient d'estre recompensés s'ils estoient fideles. Ils ne
sçauent que c'est d'estre secrets, de tenir leur parole, & d'aimer auec
constance; notamment ceux qui ne sont pas de leur nation, car ils sont
de bon accord parmy eux, & leurs mesdisances & railleries, n'alterent
point leur paix, & leur bonne intelligence.
Lying is as natural to Savages as talking, not among themselves,
but to strangers. Hence it can be said that fear and hope, in one
word, interest, is the measure of their fidelity. I would not be
willing to trust them, except as they would fear to be punished if
they failed in their duty, or hoped to be rewarded if they were
faithful to it. They do not know what it is to keep a secret, to
keep their word, and to love with constancy,--especially those who
are not of their nation, for they are harmonious among themselves,
and their slanders and raillery do not disturb their peace and
friendly intercourse.
Ie diray en passant que les Sauuages Montagnais ne sont point larrons,
l'entrée leur est libre dans les demeures des François, parce qu'ils
ont la main seure: [114] mais pour les Hurons, si on auoit autant
d'yeux qu'ils ont de doigts aux mains, encore ne les empescheroit-on
pas de dérober, car ils dérobent auec les pieds: ils font profession de
ce mestier, & en suitte d'estre battus si on les descouure. Car cõme
i'ay desia remarqué, ils porteront les coups que vous leur donnerez
patiemment; non pas en reconnoissance de leur peché, mais en punition
de leur stupidité, s'estans laissez surprendre en leur larcin. Ie
laisseray à parler d'eux aux Peres qui les sont allez voir, dont
i'enuierois la condition, n'estoit que celuy qui nous assigne nos
departemẽs est toujours aimable, & toujours adorable, quelque part ou
portiõ qu'il nous dõne.
I will say in passing that the Montagnais Savages are not thieves.
The doors of the French are open to them, because their hands can
be trusted; [114] but, as to the Hurons, if a person had as many
eyes as they have fingers on their hands, he could not prevent
them from stealing, for they steal with their feet. They make
a profession of this art, and expect to be beaten if they are
discovered. For, as I have already remarked, they will endure the
blows which you give them, patiently, not as an acknowledgment of
their fault, but as a punishment for their stupidity in allowing
themselves to be detected in their theft. I will leave the
description of them to our Fathers who are going there, whose lot I
would envy, were it not that he who assigns us our departments is
always worthy of love and always adorable, whatever part or portion
he may give us.
Il est du manger parmy les Sauuages, comme du boire parmy les yurognes
d'Europe: ces ames seiches & toujours alterées, expireroient volõtiers
dãs vne cuue de maluoisie, & les Sauuages dans vne marmite pleine de
viande; ceux-là ne parlent que de boire, & ceux cy que de manger.
C'est faire vne espece d'affront à vn Sauuage, de refuser les morceaux
qu'il presente. Vn certain voyant que i'auois remercié mon hoste, qui
me [115] presentoit à manger, me dit, tu ne l'aime pas, puis que tu
l'esconduits: Ie luy dis que nostre coustume n'estoit pas de mãger
à toutes heures, que neantmoins ie prendrois ce qu'il me donneroit,
pourueu qu'il ne m'en donnast guieres souuent. Ils se mirẽt tous à
rire, & vne vieille me dit, que si ie voulois estre aimé de leur
nation, il falloit que ie mangeasse beaucoup. Quand vous les traittez
biẽ, ils témoignent le contentement qu'ils prennent en vostre festin
par ces paroles _tapoué nimitison_, en verité ie mange: comme si
leur souuerain contentement estoit en cette action: & à la fin du
banquet, ils diront pour action de graces, _tapoué_ _ni_k_hispoun_,
veritablemẽt ie suis saoul; c'est à dire, tu m'as bien traitté, i'en ay
iusques à creuer; i'ay desia me semble remarqué cecy. Ils croyent que
c'est bestise & stupidité de refuser: le plus grãd cõtentement qu'ils
puissent auoir en leur Paradis, qui est le ventre. Ie m'écrierois
volõtiers, ô iuste iugement de Dieu, que ce peuple qui met sa derniere
fin à mãger soit tousiours affamé, & ne soit point repeu que comme les
chiens, car leurs festins les plus splendides ne sont pour [116] ainsi
dire, que les os & les reliefs des tables d'Europe; La premiere action
qu'ils font le matin à leur resueil, c'est d'estendre le bras à leur
escuelle d'escorce garnie de chair, & puis de manger. Au commencemẽt
que ie fus auec eux, ie voulus introduire la coustume de prier Dieu
deuant que de manger & de fait ie donnois la benedictiõ quand ils le
vouloiẽt faire: mais l'Apostat me dit, si vous voulez prier autant
de fois qu'on mangera dans la Cabane, preparés vous à dire vostre
_Benedicite_ plus de vingt fois auant la nuict. Ils finissent le iour
comme ils le commencent, ils ont encore le morceau à la bouche, ou le
calumet pour petuner, quand ils mettent la teste sur le cheuet pour
reposer.
Eating among the Savages is like drinking among the drunkards
of Europe. Those dry and ever-thirsty souls would willingly end
their lives in a tub of malmsey, and the Savages in a pot full of
meat; those over there, talk only of drinking, and these here only
of eating. It is giving a sort of insult to a Savage to refuse
the pieces which he offers you. A certain one, seeing that I had
declined what my host [115] offered me to eat, said to me, "Thou
dost not love him, since thou refusest him." I told him that it
was not our custom to eat at all hours; but, nevertheless, I would
take what he would give me, if he did not give it to me quite so
often. They all began to laugh; and an old woman said to me that,
if I wished to be loved by their tribe, I must eat a great deal.
When you treat them well, they show their satisfaction with your
feast in these words, _tapoué nimitison_, "I am really eating,"
as if their highest content were in this action; and at the
end of the banquet, they will say as an act of thanks, _tapoué
nikhispoun_, "I am really full;" meaning, "Thou hast treated me
well; I am full to bursting." It seems to me that I have spoken of
this before. They believe that it is foolish and stupid to refuse;
the greatest satisfaction that they can have in their Paradise
is in the stomach. I do not hesitate to exclaim: Oh, how just is
the judgment of God, that these people, who place their ultimate
happiness in eating, are always hungry, and are only fed like dogs;
for their most splendid feastings are, [116] so to speak, only the
bones and the leavings of the tables of Europe! Their first act,
upon awakening in the morning, is to stretch out their arms toward
their bark dish full of meat, and then to eat. When I first began
to stay with them, I tried to introduce the custom of praying to
God before eating, and in fact I pronounced a blessing when they
wanted it done. But the Apostate said to me, "If you want to pray
as many times as they will eat in your Cabin, prepare to say your
_Benedicite_ more than twenty times before night." They end the day
as they begin it, always with a morsel in their mouths, or with
their pipes to smoke when they lay their heads on the pillow to
rest.
Les Sauuages ont tousiours esté gourmands, mais depuis la venuë des
Europeans, ils sont deuenus tellement yurognes, qu'encore qu'ils
voyent bien que ces nouuelles boissons de vin & d'eau de vie, qu'on
leur apporte depeuplẽt leurs pays, & qu'eux mesmes s'en plaignent;
ils ne sçauroient s'abstenir de boire, faisants gloire de s'enyurer,
& d'enyurer les autres. Il est vray qu'ils meurẽt en grand [117]
nombre, mais ie m'estonne encore comme ils peuuent si long temps
resister, car donnez à deux Sauuages deux & trois bouteilles d'eau
de vie, ils s'asseoiront, & sans manger boirõt l'vn apres l'autre,
iusques à ce qu'ils les ayent vuidées. La compagnie de ces Messieurs
est merueilleusement loüable, de defendre la traitte de ces boissons.
Monsieur de Champlain fait tres sagement de tenir la main que ces
deffences soient gardées. I'ay appris que Mõsieur le General du Plessis
les a fait obseruer à Tadoussac. On m'auoit dit que les Sauuages
estoient assez chastes, ie ne parleray pas de tous, ne les ayãt pas
tous frequentez, mais ceux que i'ay conuersez sont fort lubriques, &
hõmes & femmes. Dieu quel aueuglemẽt? quel bõ-heur du peuple Chrestien?
que le chastiement de ces Barbares! au lieu que par admiratiõ nous
disons assés souuent, IESVS qu'est cela! mon Dieu qui a fait cela? ces
vilains & ces infames prononcent les parties des-honnestes de l'homme
& de la femme. Ils ont incessamment la bouche puante de ces ordures, &
mesmes iusques aux petits enfãts, aussi leur disois-je par fois, que
si les [118] pourceaux & les chiens sçauoient parler, ils tiendroient
leur langage. Il est vray que si l'impudique Sorcier ne fust pas venu
dãs la Cabane où i'estois, i'auois gaigné cela sur mes gens, qu'aucun
n'osoit parler des choses des-honnestes en ma presence, mais cét
impudent authorisoit les autres. Les femmes vn peu âgées se chauffent
presque toutes nuës, les filles & les ieunes femmes, sont à l'exterieur
tres-honnestement couuertes, mais entre elles leur disscours sont
puants, comme des cloaques. Il faut neãtmoins aduouër que si la liberté
de se gorger de ces immondices estoit parmy quelques Chrestiens, cõme
elle est parmy ces peuples, on verroit bien d'autres monstres d'excez
qu'on ne voit pas icy; veu mesme que nonobstant les loix Diuines &
humaines, la dissolution y marche plus à descouuert que non pas icy.
Car les yeux n'y sont point offensez. Le seul Sorcier a fait en ma
presence quelque action brutale, les autres battoient seulement mes
oreilles, mais s'apperceuants que ie les entendois, ils en estoient
honteux.
The Savages have always been gluttons, but since the coming of the
Europeans they have become such drunkards, that,--although they
see clearly that these new drinks, the wine and brandy, which are
brought to them, are depopulating their country, of which they
themselves complain,--they cannot abstain from drinking, taking
pride in getting drunk and in making others drunk. It is true that
they die in great [117] numbers; but I am astonished that they
can resist it as long as they do. For, give two Savages two or
three bottles of brandy, they will sit down and, without eating,
will drink, one after the other, until they have emptied them. The
company of these Gentlemen is remarkably praiseworthy in forbidding
the traffic in these liquors. Monsieur de Champlain very wisely
takes care that these restrictions are observed, and I have heard
that Monsieur the General du Plessis has had them enforced at
Tadoussac.[19] I have been told that the Savages are tolerably
chaste. I shall not speak of all, not having been among them all;
but those whom I have met are very lewd, both men and women. God!
what blindness! How great is the happiness of Christian people! How
great the chastisement of these Barbarians! In place of saying, as
we do very often, through wonder, "JESUS! what is that? My God! who
has done that?" these vile and infamous people pronounce the names
of the private parts of man and woman. Their lips are constantly
foul with these obscenities; and it is the same with the little
children. So I said to them, at one time, that if [118] hogs and
dogs knew how to talk, they would adopt their language. Indeed, if
the shameless Sorcerer had not come into the Cabin where I was,
I should have gained thus much from my people, that not one of
them would dare to speak of impure things in my presence; but this
impertinent fellow ruled the others. The older women go almost
naked, the girls and young women are very modestly clad; but,
among themselves, their language has the foul odor of the sewers.
It must be admitted, however, that if liberty to gorge oneself in
such filth existed among some Christians, as it does among these
people, one would see very different exhibitions of excess from
what are seen here; for, even despite the laws, both Divine and
human, dissoluteness strides more openly there than here. For here
the eyes are not offended. The Sorcerer alone has been guilty of
any brutal action in my presence; the others only offended my ears,
but, perceiving that I heard them, they were ashamed.
Or comme ces peuples connoissent bien cette corruption, ils prennent
plustost [119] les enfans de leurs sœurs pour heritiers, que leurs
propres enfans, ou de leurs freres, reuoquans en doute la fidelité
de leurs femmes, & ne pouuãts douter que ces nepueux ne soient tirez
de leur sang, aussi parmy les Hurons, qui sont plus sales que nos
Montagnais; pource qu'ils sont mieux nourris, l'enfant d'vn Capitaine
ne succede pas à son pere, mais le fils de sa sœur.
Now, as these people are well aware of this corruption, they prefer
to take [119] the children of their sisters as heirs, rather than
their own, or than those of their brothers, calling in question
the fidelity of their wives, and being unable to doubt that these
nephews come from their own blood. Also among the Hurons,--who
are more licentious than our Montagnais, because they are better
fed,--it is not the child of a Captain but his sister's son, who
succeeds the father.
Le Sorcier me disant vn iour que les femmes l'aimoient, car au dire des
Sauuages, c'est son genie que de se faire aimer de ce sexe. Ie luy dis
que cela n'estoit pas beau qu'vne femme aimast vn autre que son mary;
& que ce mal estãt parmy eux, luy mesme n'estoit pas asseuré, que son
fils qui estoit là present, fut son fils. Il me repartit, tu n'as point
d'esprit: vous autres François vous n'aimez que vos propres enfans,
mais nous, nous cherissons vniuersellement tous les enfans de nostre
nation, ie me mis à rire, voyant qu'il philosophoit en cheual & en
mulet.
The Sorcerer told me one day that the women were fond of him, for,
as the Savages say, it is his demon that makes the sex love him.
I told him that it was not honorable for a woman to love any one
else except her husband; and that, this evil being among them, he
himself was not sure that his son, who was there present, was his
son. He replied, "Thou hast no sense. You French people love only
your own children; but we all love all the children of our tribe."
I began to laugh, seeing that he philosophized in horse and mule
fashion.
Apres toutes ces belles qualitez, les Sauuages en ont encore vne
autre plus onereuse que celles dont nous auons parlé, mais non pas
si meschante; c'est [120] leur importunité enuers les estrangers.
I'ay coustume d'appeller ces cõtrées lá, le pays d'importunité enuers
les estrangers, pource que les mouches, qui en sont le symbole, & le
hierogliphique, ne vous laissent reposer ny iour ny nuict: pendant
quelques mois de l'Esté, elles nous assaillent auec telle furie, &
si continuellement, qu'il n'y a peau qui soit à l'espreuue de leur
aiguillõ: tout le monde leur paye de son sang pour tribut. I'ay veu
des personnes si enflées apres leurs picqueures, qu'on croyoit qu'ils
perdroient les yeux, qui ne paroissoient quasi plus: or tout cela n'est
rien, car enfin cette importunité se chasse auec de la fumée, que les
mouches ne sçauroient supporter, mais ce remede attire les Sauuages:
s'ils sçauent l'heure de vostre disner, ils viẽnent tout exprez pour
auoir à manger, ils demandẽt incessamment, mais auec des presses si
reïterées, que vous diriez qu'ils vous tiennent tousiours à la gorge:
faites leur voir quoy que ce soit, s'il est tant soit peu à leur vsage:
ils vous diront l'aime tu? donne le moy.
With all these fine qualities, the Savages have another, more
annoying than those of which we have spoken, but not so wicked;
it is [120] their importunity toward strangers. I have a habit
of calling these countries, "the land of importunity toward
strangers," because the flies, which are the symbol and visible
representation of it, do not let you rest day or night. During
certain Summer months, they attack us with such fury, and so
continually, that no skin is proof against their sting, and every
one pays his blood as tribute. I have seen persons so swollen after
being stung by them, that one would think they would lose their
eyes, which can scarcely be seen; now all that is nothing, for
this annoyance can be dispelled by means of smoke, which the flies
cannot stand, but this remedy attracts the Savages,--if they know
our dinner hour, they come purposely to get something to eat. They
ask continually, and with such incessant urgency, that you would
say that they are always holding you by the throat. If you show
them anything whatever, however little it may be adapted to their
use, they will say, "Dost thou love it? Give it to me."
Vn certain me disoit vn iour, qu'en son [121] pays on ne sçauoit
point conjuguer le verbe _do_, au present, encore moins au preterit:
les Sauuages ignorent tellemẽt cette coniugaison, qu'ils ne vous
donneroient point la valeur d'vne obole, s'ils ne croient, pour ainsi
dire, retirer vne pistole; ils sont ingrats au dernier point.
A certain man said to me one day, that in his [121] country they
did not know how to conjugate the verb _do_, in the present,
and still less in the past. The Savages are so ignorant of
this conjugation, that they would not give you the value of an
obole,[20] if they did not expect, so to speak, to get back a
pistole; for they are ungrateful in the highest degree.
Nous auons icy tenu & nourry fort long temps nostre Sauuage malade, qui
se vint ietter entre nos bras pour mourir Chrestien, cõme i'ay remarqué
cy-dessus: tous ces cõpatriottes estoient estõnez du bon traittement
que nous luy faisions, ses enfants en sa consideration, apporterent vn
peu de chair d'Elan; on leur demanda ce qu'ils vouloient en eschange,
car les presents des Sauuages sont des marchez: ils demanderent du vin
& de la poudre à Canon, on leur repart qu'on ne leur en pouuoit donner;
que s'ils vouloient autre chose que nous eussions, on leur donneroit
tres volontiers, on leur donna fort bien à manger, & pour conclusion
ils remporterẽt leurs viandes, puisqu'on ne leur donnoit ce qu'ils
demandoient, menaçant qu'ils viendroient requerir leur pere, ce qu'ils
firent; mais le bon hõme ne voulut pas [122] nous quitter; de cét
échantillon, iugez de la piece.
We have kept here and fed for a long time our sick Savage, who came
and threw himself into our arms in order to die a Christian, as I
have stated above. All his fellow-savages were astonished at the
good treatment we gave him; on his account, his children brought a
little Elk meat, and they were asked what they wished in exchange,
for the presents of the Savages are always bargains. They asked
some wine and Gunpowder, and were told that we could not give them
these things; but that, if they wished something else that we had,
we would give it to them very gladly. A good meal was given them,
and finally they carried back their meat, since we did not give
them what they asked for, threatening that they would come after
their father, which they did; but the good man did not wish [122]
to leave us. From this sample, judge of the whole piece.
Or ne pensez pas qu'ils se comportent ainsi entr'eux, au contraire, ils
sont tres reconnoissants, tres liberaux, & nullement importuns enuers
ceux de leur nation. S'ils se cõportent ainsi enuers nos François, &
enuers les autres estrangers, c'est à mon aduis que nous ne voulons
pas nous allier auec eux comme freres, ce qu'ils souhaitteroient
grandement; mais ce seroit nous perdre en trois iours: cars ils
voudroient que nous allassions auec eux manger de leurs viures tant
qu'ils en auroient, & ils viendroiẽt aussi manger les nostres tãt
qu'ils dureroiẽt: & quand il n'y en auroit plus, nous nous metterions
tous à en chercher d'autres. Voila leur vie qu'ils passent en festins
pendãt qu'ils ont dequoy; mais comme nous n'entendons rien à leur
chasse, & que ce procedé n'est pas loüable, on ne veut pas leur prester
l'oreille. C'est pourquoy ne nous tenants point comme de leur nation,
ils nous traittent à la façon que i'ay dit. Si vn estrãger quel qu'il
soit se iette de leur party, ils le traitteront comme eux. Vn ieune
Hiroquois, auquel [123] ils auoient donné la vie, estoit comme enfant
de la maison; que si vous faites vostre mesnage à part mesprisants
leurs loix, ou leurs coustumes ils vous succeront s'ils peuuent iusques
au sang. Il n'y a mouche, ny guespe, ny taon, si importun qu'vn Sauuage.
Now do not think that they act thus among themselves; on the
contrary, they are very grateful, very liberal, and not in the
least importunate toward those of their own nation. If they conduct
themselves thus toward our French, and toward other foreigners, it
is because, it seems to me, that we do not wish to ally ourselves
with them as brothers, which they would very much desire. But this
would ruin us in three days; for they would want us to go with
them, and eat their food as long as they had any, and then they
would come and eat ours as long as it lasted; and, when there was
none left, we would all set to work to find more. For that is the
kind of life they live, feasting as long as they have something;
but, as we know nothing about their mode of hunting, and as this
way of doing is not praiseworthy, we do not heed them. Hence, as we
do not regard ourselves as belonging to their nation, they treat us
in the way I have described. If any stranger, whoever he may be,
unites with their party, they will treat him as one of their own
nation. A young Hiroquois whose [123] life they had spared, was
like a child of their own family. But if you carry on your affairs
apart from them, despising their laws or their customs, they will
drain from you, if they can, even your blood. There is not an
insect, nor wasp, nor gadfly, so annoying as a Savage.
Ie suis tantost las de parler de leurs desordres, disons quelque chose
de leur saleté, & puis finissons ce chapitre.
I am rather tired of talking about their irregularities; let us
speak of their uncleanness, and then end this chapter.
Ils sont sales en leurs habits, en leurs postures[1], en leurs
demeures, & en leur manger, & cependant il n'y a aucune inciuilité
parmy eux; car tout ce qui donne du contentement aux sens, passe pour
honeste.
They are dirty in their habits, in their postures, in their homes,
and in their eating; yet there is no lack of propriety among them,
for everything that gives satisfaction to the senses, passes as
propriety.
I'ay dit qu'ils sont sales en leurs demeures, l'aduenuë de leurs
Cabanes est vne grange à pourceaux. Iamais ils ne balient leur maison,
ils la tapissent au cõmencement de branches de pin, mais au troisiesme
iour ces brãches sont pleines de poil, de plumes, de cheueux, de
coupeaux, de raclure de bois, & cependant ils n'ont point d'autres
sieges, ny d'autres licts pour se coucher, dõt l'on peut voir de quelle
saleté peuuent estre chargez leurs habits: vray est que ces ordures
[124] & saletez ne paroissent pas, tant dessus leurs robes, que dessus
les nostres.
I have said that they are dirty in their homes; the entrance to
their Cabins is like a pig-pen. They never sweep their houses,
they carpet them at first with branches of pine, but on the third
day these branches are full of fur, feathers, hair, shavings, or
whittlings of wood. Yet they have no other seats, nor beds upon
which to sleep. From this it may be seen how full of dirt their
clothes must be; it is true that this dirt [124] and filth does not
show as much upon their clothes as upon ours.
Le Sorcier quittant nostre Cabane pour vn temps, me demanda mon
manteau, pource qu'il faisoit froid, disoit-il; comme si i'euffe esté
plus dispensé des loix de l'Hiuer que non pas luy: ie luy prestay, s'en
estant seruy plus d'un mois, en fin il me le rẽdit si vilain, & si
sale, que i'en estois honteux, car les flegmes & autres immondices qui
le couuroient, luy donnoient vn autre teinture. Le voyant en cét estat,
ie le dépliay exprez deuant luy, afin qu'il le vit; connoissant bien ce
que ie voulois dire, il me dit fort à propos, tu dis que tu veux estre
Mõtagnais & Sauuage comme nous, si cela est, ne sois pas marry d'en
porter l'habit; car voila comme sont faites nos robes.
The Sorcerer leaving our Cabin for a while, asked me for my cloak,
because it was cold, he said, as if I more than he were exempt from
the rigors of Winter. I lent it to him, and, after having used it
more than a month, he returned it to me at last so nasty and dirty,
that I was ashamed of it, for it was covered with phlegm and other
filth which gave it a different color. Seeing it in this condition,
I purposely unfolded it before him, that he might see it. Knowing
very well what I meant, he quite aptly remarked to me, "Thou sayest
that thou wouldst like to be a Montagnais and Savage, like us; if
that is so, do not be troubled about wearing the cloak, for that is
just the way our clothes look."
Quand est de leur posture, elle suit la douceur de leur commodité, &
non les regles de la bien seance: les Sauuages ne preferent iamais ce
qui est honneste à ce qui est delectable. I'ay veu souuent le pretendu
magicien couché tout nud, hormis vn mechant brayer plus sale qu'vn
torchon de cuisine, plus noir qu'vn écouillõ de four, retirer vne de
ses [125] iambes contre la cuisse, & mettre l'autre sur son genoüil
releué, haraguant ses gens en cette posture, son auditoire n'auoit pas
plus de grace.
As to their postures, they follow their own sweet wills, and not
the rules of good breeding. The Savages never prefer what is decent
to what is agreeable. I have often seen the pretended magician lie
down entirely naked,--except a miserable strip of cloth dirtier
than a dish-cloth, and blacker than an oven-mop,--draw up one of
his [125] legs against his thigh, place the other upon his raised
knee, and harangue his people in this position, his audience being
scarcely more graceful.
Pour leur manger, il est tant soit peu plus net que la mangeaille que
l'on donne aux animaux, & non pas encore tousiours, ie ne dis rien par
exaggeration, i'en ay gousté & vescu quasi six mois durant. Nous auiõs
trois écroüélés en nostre Cabane, le fils du Sorcier qui les auoit à
l'oreille d'vne façon fort sale, & pleine d'horreur; son neueu qui
les auoit au col, vne fille qui les auoit sous vn bras; ie ne sçay si
ce sont vrayes escroüelles, quoy qu'il en soit, ce mal est plein de
pus, couuert d'vne croute fort horrible à voir: ils en sont quasi tous
frappez en leur ieunesse, tant pour leur saleté, que pource qu'on ne
fait point de difficulté de boire & de mãger auec des malades. Ie les
ay veu cent fois patroüiller dans la chaudiere où estoit nostre boisson
cõmune, y lauer leurs mains, y boire à pleine teste comme les bestes,
reietter leurs restes là dedans; car c'est la coustume des Sauuages,
y fourrer des bastons demy brulés, & pleins de cendre, y plonger de
[126] leur vaisselle d'escorce pleine de graisses, de poil d'Orignaux,
de cheueux, y puiser de l'eau auec des chaudrons noirs com[me] la
cheminée: & aprés tout cela, nous beuuions tous de ce broüet, noir
comme de l'ambroisie. Ce n'est pas tout, ils reiettẽt là dedãs les os
qu'ils ont rongé, puis vous mettent de l'eau ou de la neige dans la
chaudiere, la fõt boüillir, & voila de l'hipocras. Vn certain iour des
souliers venant d'estre quittés, tomberent dãs nostre boisson, ils se
lauerent à leur aise, on les retira sans autre ceremonie puis on beut
apres eux comme si rien ne fut arriué. Ie ne suis pas bien delicat, si
est-ce que ie n'eus point de soif tant que cette maluoisie dura.
As to their food, it is very little, if any, cleaner than the swill
given to animals, and not always even as clean. I say nothing in
exaggeration, as I have tasted it and lived upon it for almost
six months. We had three persons in our Cabin afflicted with
scrofula,--the son of the Sorcerer, whose ear was very disgusting
and horrid from this disease; his nephew, who had it in his neck;
and a daughter, who had it under one arm. I do not know whether
this is the real scrofula; whatever it is, this sore is full of
pus, and covered with a horrible-looking crust. They are nearly
all attacked by this disease, when young, both on account of their
filthy habits, and because they eat and drink indiscriminately with
the sick. I have seen them a hundred times paddle about in the
kettle containing our common drink; wash their hands in it; drink
from it, thrusting in their heads, like the animals; and throw into
it their leavings; for this is the custom of the Savages, to thrust
sticks into it that are half-burned and covered with ashes; to dip
therein [126] their bark plates covered with grease, the fur of the
Moose, and hair; and to dip water therefrom with kettles as black
as the chimney; and after that, we all drank from this black broth,
as if it were ambrosia. This is not all; they throw therein the
bones that they have gnawed, then put water or snow in the kettle,
let it boil, and behold their hippocras. One day some shoes, which
had just been taken off, fell into our drink; they soaked there
as long as they pleased, and were withdrawn without exciting any
special attention, and then the water was drunk as if nothing
whatever had happened. I am not very fastidious, but I was not very
thirsty as long as this malmsey lasted.
Iamais ils ne lauent leurs mains exprés pour manger, encore moins leur
chaudiere, & point du tout la viande qu'ils fõt cuire, quoy que le
plus souuent (ie le dis comme ie l'ay veu cent & cent fois) elle soit
toute couuerte de poil de bestes, & de cheueux de leurs testes: Ie
n'ay iamais beu aucun boüillon parmy eux, qu'il ne m'aye fallu jetter
quãtité de ces poils & de ces cheueux, & bien d'autres ordures; comme
des charbons, des petits [127] morceaux de bois, & mesme du baston
dont ils attisent le feu, & remuent bien souuent ce qui est dans la
chaudiere: ie les ay veu par fois prẽdre vn tison ardẽt, le mettre dãs
la cendre pour l'esteindre: puis quasi sans le secoüer, le tremper dãs
la chaudiere ou trempoit nostre disner.
They never wash their hands expressly before eating, still less
their kettles, and the meat they cook, not at all,--although it
is usually (I say this because I have seen it hundreds of times)
all covered with the animal's hairs, and with those from their own
heads. I have never drunk any broth among them, from which I did
not have to throw out many of these hairs, and a variety of other
rubbish, such as cinders, little [127] pieces of wood, and even
sticks with which they have stirred the fire and frequently stirred
up the contents of the kettle. I have occasionally seen them take
a blazing brand and put it in the ashes to extinguish it, then,
almost without shaking it, dip it into the kettle where our dinner
was simmering.
Quand ils font secherie de la chair, ils vous ietteront par terre tout
vn costé d'Orignac, ils le battent auec des pierres; ils marchent
dessus, le foulent auec leurs pieds tout sales, les poils d'hõmes & de
bestes, les plumes d'oiseaux s'ils en ont tué, la terre & la cendre;
tout cela s'incorpore auec la viande, qu'ils font quasi durcir comme
du bois à la fumée; puis quand ils viennent à manger de ce boucan,
tout s'en va de compagnie dans l'estomach, car ils n'ont point d'eau de
despart: en vn mot ils croient que nous n'auons point d'esprit de lauer
nostre viande, car vne partie de la graisse s'en va tousiours auec
l'eau.
When they are engaged in drying meat, they will throw down upon the
ground a whole side of the Moose, beat it with stones, walk over
it, trample upon it with their dirty feet; the hairs of men and of
animals, the feathers of birds, if they have killed any, dirt and
ashes,--all these are ground into the meat, which they make almost
as hard as wood with the smoke. Then when they come to eat this
dried meat, all goes together into the stomach, for they have not
washed it. In fact, they think that we are very foolish to wash
our meat, for some of the grease goes away with the water.
Quand la chaudiere commence a boüillir, ils recueillent l'écume fort
soigneusement, & la mangent auec delices: ils m'en presentoient auec
faueur, ie la trouuois bonne durant nostre famine, mais depuis [128]
venant par fois a les remercier de ce present, ils m'appelloient
superbe & orgueilleux: ils chassent au rats & aux souris par plaisir,
comme aux lieures, & les trouuent également bons.
When the kettle begins to boil, they gather the scum very carefully
and eat it as a delicacy. They gave some to me as a favor, and
during our famine I found it good; but since [128] then, when
I sometimes happened to decline this present, they called me
fastidious and proud. They take delight in hunting rats and mice,
the same as rabbits, and find them just as good.
Les Sauuages ne mangent pas comme nos François dãs vn plat, ou autre
vaisselle commune à tous ceux qui sont à table; l'vn d'entr'eux descend
la chaudiere de dessus le feu, & fait les parts à vn chacun, presentant
par fois la viande au bout d'vn baston, mais le plus souuent sãs
prendre ceste peine, il vous iettera vne piece de chair toute brulante,
& pleine de graisse, cõme on ietteroit vn os a vn chiẽ; disant
_Na_K_himitchimi_, tiens, voila ta part, voila ta nourriture; si vous
estes habile-homme, vous la retenés auec les mains, sinon garde que la
robe ne s'en sente, où que les cendres ne seruent de sel, puisque les
Sauuages n'en ont point d'autre.
The Savages do not eat as we French do, from a dish or other
vessel, common to all those at the table; but one of them takes
down the kettle from the fire and distributes to each one his
share; sometimes presenting the meat at the end of a stick, but
oftener without taking this trouble, he will throw you a piece of
meat boiling hot, and full of grease, as we would throw a bone to a
dog; saying, _Nakhimitchimi_, "Take it! this is thy share, here is
thy food." If you are quick, you catch it in your hands; otherwise,
look out that your gown does not catch it, or that the ashes do not
serve as salt, for the Savages have no other.
Ie me suis veu bien empesché au commencement, car n'osant couper la
chair qu'ils me donnoient dãs mon plat d'écorce de peur de le blesser,
ie ne sçauois comment en venir à bout, n'ayant point d'assiette. En fin
il se fallut faire tout à tout, deuenir Sauuages auec les Sauuages: Ie
[129] iettay les yeux sur mon compagnon, puis ie taschay d'estre aussi
braue homme que luy. Il prend sa chair à pleine main, & vous la couppe
morceaux apres morceaux, comme on feroit vne piece de pain, que si la
chair est vn peu dure, ou qu'elle cede au cousteau pour estre trop
molasse; ils vous la tiennent d'vn bout par les dents, & de l'autre
auec la main gauche, puis la main droitte iouë là dessus du violon,
se seruãt de cousteau pour archet; & cecy est si commun parmy les
Sauuages, qu'ils ont vn mot propre pour exprimer cette actiõ, que nous
ne pouuons expliquer qu'en plusieurs paroles & par circumloqution. Si
vous esgarez vostre cousteau, comme il n'y a point de couteliers dans
ces grãds bois, vous estes condamnez à prendre vostre portion à deux
belles mains, & mordre dans la chair & dans la graisse aussi brauement,
mais non pas si honnestement que vous feriez dans vn quartier de
põme; Dieu sçait si les mains, si la bouche, & vne partie de la face
reluisent par apres? le mal est que ie ne sçauois à quoy m'essuyer; de
porter du linge, il faudroit vn mulet, ou bien faire tous les jours la
[130] lessiue: car en moins de riẽ tout se change en torchon de cuisine
dans leurs Cabanes. Pour eux ils torchẽt leurs mains à leurs cheueux,
qu'ils nourrissent fort longs, d'autrefois à leurs chiens: ie veis vne
femme qui m'apprit vn secret, elle nettoya ses mains à ses souliers,
ie fis le mesme; ie me seruois aussi de poil d'Orignac, & de branches
de pin, & notamment de bois pourry puluerisé, ce sont les essuyemains
des Sauuages; on ne s'en sert pas si doucement comme d'vne toile
d'Hollande, mais peut-estre plus gayement & plus ioyeusement. C'est
assez parlé de ces ordures.
I found myself very much embarrassed, in the beginning; for not
daring to cut the meat they gave me in my bark dish, for fear of
spoiling the dish, I did not know how to manage it, not having any
plate. Finally I had to become all to all, and a Savage with the
Savages. I [129] cast my eyes upon my companion, then I tried to
be as brave a man as he was. He took his meat in his open hand,
and cut from it morsel after morsel, as you would do with a piece
of bread. But if the meat is a little tough, or if it slips away
from the knife from being too soft, they hold one end of it with
their teeth, and the other with the left hand, then the right
hand plays upon it in violin fashion, the knife serving as a bow.
And this is so common among the Savages, that they have a word to
express this action, which we could only explain with several words
and by circumlocution. If you were to lose your knife, as there
are no cutlers in these great forests, you are compelled to take
your share in your two hands, and to bite into the flesh and into
the fat, as bravely but not so politely, as you would bite into
a quarter of an apple. God knows how the hands, the mouth, and a
part of the face shine after this operation. The trouble was, I
did not know upon what to wipe them. To carry linen with you would
require a mule, or a daily [130] washing; for, in less than no
time, everything is converted into dish-cloths in their Cabins. As
to them, they wipe their hands upon their hair, which they allow
to grow very long, or else, upon their dogs. I saw a woman who
taught me a secret; she wiped her hands upon her shoes, and I did
the same. I also used Moose fur, pine branches, and, especially,
powdered rotten wood. These are the hand-towels of the Savages.
One does not use them as pleasantly as a piece of Holland linen,
but perhaps more gaily and joyously. Enough has been said of their
filth.
CHAPITRE VII.
DES VIANDES & AUTRES METS DONT MANGENT LES SAUUAGES, DE LEUR
ASSAISONNEMENT, & DE LEURS BOISSONS.
ENTRE les animaux terrestres ils ont des Elans, qu'on appelle
ordinairement icy des Origenaux, des Castors, que les Anglois nomment
des Bieures, des Caribõs, qualifiez par quelques vns asnes Sauuages:
ils ont encore des Ours, [131] des Blereaux, des Porcs épics, des
Renards, des Lieures, des Siffleurs ou Rossignols, c'est vn animal plus
gros qu'vn Lieure; ils mangent en outre des Marthes, & des Ecurieux de
trois especes.