ON THEIR FEASTS.
ONLY actual hunters, and those who have been hunters, are usually
invited to their feasts, to which widows go also, especially if it
is not an eat-all feast. The girls, married women, and children,
are nearly always excluded. I say nearly always, for occasionally
they are invited. I have known them to have _Acoumagouchanai_, that
is to say, feasts where nothing is to be left, to which every one
was invited, [137] men, women, and little children. When they have
a great abundance of food, sometimes the women have a feast of
their own, where the men are not found.
Leur façon d'inuiter est sans fard & sans ceremonie, quand tout est
cuit & prest à manger (car on n'inuite personne auparauant) quelqu'vn
s'en va par les Cabanes où sont ceux qui doiuent estre conuiez,
ou bien mesme on leur criera ce mot du lieu où se faict le festin
k_hinatonmigaouinaouau_, vous estes inuitez au banquet, les hommes
ausquels ce mot s'adresse, respondent _ho ho_, & prenant sur l'heure
mesme leur plat d'escorce & leur cueiller de bois, s'en viennent en
la Cabane de celuy qui les traitte. Quand tous les hommes ne sont pas
inuitez, on nomme ceux qu'on veut conuier; le deffaut de ceremonies
faict épargner beaucoup de paroles à ces bõnes gens. Il me semble qu'au
siecle d'or on faisoit comme cela, sinon que la netteté y estoit en
plus grande recommandation que parmy ces peuples.
Their way of inviting is straightforward and without ceremony. When
all is cooked and ready to eat (for no one is invited before),
some one goes through the Cabins of those who are to be invited;
or else they will cry out to them this word, from the place where
the feast is given, _khinatonmigaouinaouau_, "You are invited to
the banquet." The men to whom this word is addressed, answer, _ho
ho_, and straightway taking their own bark dish and wooden spoon,
come to the Cabin of the one who is to entertain them. When all the
men are not invited, those who are desired are named. The absence
of ceremony spares these simple people many words. It seems to me
in the golden age they must have done like this, except that then
cleanliness was in higher favor than among these people.
Dans tous les festins, comme aussi dans leurs repas ordinaires, on
donne à vn chacun sa part, d'où vient qu'il n'y en a [138] que deux
ou trois qui ayẽt les meilleurs morceaux, car ils ne les diuisent
point: ils donneront par exemple la langue d'vn Orignac, & toutes ses
appartenances à vne seule personne, la queuë & la teste d'vn Castor à
vn autre; voila les meilleures pieces, qu'ils appellent _Mascanou_, la
part du Capitaine. Pour les boyaux gras de l'Orignac, qui sont leurs
grands delices, ils les font ordinairement rostir & en font gouster à
tous, comme aussi d'vn autre mets, dont ils font grand estat, c'est le
gros boyau de la beste remply de gresse, & rosty auec vne corde qui
pend & tourne deuant le feu.
In all the feasts, as well as in their ordinary repasts, each
one is given his part, from which it happens that [138] only two
or three have the best pieces, for they do not divide them. For
example, they will give the tongue of a Moose and all the giblets
to a single person, the tail and head of a Beaver to another; these
are the best pieces, which they call _Mascanou_, "the Captain's
part." As to the fat intestines of the Moose, which are their great
delicacies, they usually roast them and let every one taste them,
as they do another dish, which they hold in high esteem,--namely,
the large intestine of the beast filled with grease, and roasted,
fastened to a cord, hanging and turning before the fire.
Au reste ils sont magnifiques en ces festins, car ils ne presentent
que les bonnes viandes les separants exprés, & donnant à chacun tres
abondamment, quand ils en ont.
Also they are very magnificent in these feasts, for they only offer
the good meat, separating it expressly, and giving to each one very
abundantly, when they have it.
Ils ont deux sortes de festins, les vns à manger tout, les autres à
mãger ce qu'on voudra, remportant le reste pour en faire part à leur
famille. Cette derniere façon me semble loüable, car il n'y a point
d'excez, chacun prend autant qu'il luy plaist de la portion qui luy
est donnée; [139] voire i'oserois dire que c'est vne belle inuention
pour conseruer l'amitié entr'eux, & pour se nourrir les vns les autres:
car ordinairement les peres de famille ne mangent qu'vne partie de
leurs mets, portans le reste à leurs femmes & à leurs enfans, le mal
est qu'ils font trop souuent des festins dans la famine que nous
auons enduré: si mõ hoste prenoit deux, trois, & quatre Castors, tout
aussi tost fut-il iour, fut-il nuict on en faisoit festin à tous les
Sauuages voisins; & si eux auoient pris quelque chose, ils en faisoient
de mesme à mesme temps: si que sortant d'vn festin vous allez à vn
autre, & par fois encore à vn troisiesme, & vn quatriesme. Ie leur
disois qu'ils ne faisoient pas bien, & qu'il valoit mieux reseruer ces
festins aux iours suiuans, & que ce faisant nous ne serions pas tant
pressez de la faim; ils se mocquoient de moy, demain (disoient-ils)
nous ferons encore festin de ce que nous prendrons; oüy mais le plus
souuent ils ne prenoient que du froid & du vent.
They have two kinds of feasts,--one at which everything is eaten;
the other at which the guests eat what they please, carrying away
the rest to divide with their families. This last feast seems to me
praiseworthy, for there is no excess, each one taking as much as he
likes of the portion given to him; [139] indeed, I would venture
to say that it is a happy invention to preserve friendship among
them, and for each to help feed the others. For usually the heads
of families only eat a part of their share, carrying the rest to
their wives and children. The trouble is that their feasts come
too often. In the famine through which we passed, if my host took
two, three, or four Beavers, immediately, whether it was day or
night, they had a feast for all the neighboring Savages. And if
those people had captured something, they had one also at the same
time; so that, on emerging from one feast, you went to another,
and sometimes even to a third and a fourth. I told them that they
did not manage well, and that it would be better to reserve these
feasts for future days, and in doing this they would not be so
pressed with hunger. They laughed at me. "To-morrow" (they said)
"we shall make another feast with what we shall capture." Yes, but
more often they captured only cold and wind.
Pour leurs festins à ne rien laisser, ils sont tres blamables, & c'est
neantmoins l'vne de leurs grandes deuotions, car ils [140] font ces
festins pour auoir bonne chasse, il se faut bien donner de garde que
les chiens n'en goustent tant soit peu, tout seroit perdu, leur chasse
ne vaudroit rien; Et remarquez que plus ils mangent plus ce festin
est efficace; de là vient qu'ils dõneront à vn seul homme, ce que ie
ne voudrois pas entreprendre de manger, auec trois bons disneurs, ils
creueroient plustost, pour ainsi dire, que de rien laisser. Vray qu'ils
se peuuent ayder les vns les autres; quand quelqu'vn n'en peut plus, il
prie son compagnon de l'assister, où bien l'on fait passer son reste
pardeuant les autres qui en prennent chacun vne partie, & apres tout
cela s'il en reste on le iette au feu; celuy qui mange le plus est le
plus estimé, vous les entendez raconter leurs proüesses de gueule,
specifiants la quantité & les parties de la beste qu'ils ont mãgé; Dieu
sçait quelle musique apres le banquet, car ces Barbares donnent toute
liberté à leur estomach & à leur ventre, de tenir le langage qui leur
plaist pour se soulager; quand aux odeurs qu'on sent pour lors dans
leurs Cabanes, elles sont plus fortes que l'odeur des roses, mais elles
ne sont pas si douces, vous les voyez haleter [141] & souffler comme
des gens remplis iusques au gosier; & de faict comme ils sont nuds,
ie les voyois enflez iusques à la gorge, encore ont ils du courage
là dedans, leur cœur retient ce qu'on luy donne, ie n'ay veu que
l'estomach du Sorcier mécontent de ce qu'on luy auoit donné, quantité
d'autres en approchoient de bien prés, mais ils tenoient bon. I'en ay
veu par fois de malades apres ces excez.
As to their "leave-nothing" feasts, they are very blamable; and
yet this is one of their great devotions, because they [140] make
these feasts in order to have a successful chase. They must be
very careful that the dogs taste nothing of this, or all will be
lost, and their hunting will be worthless. And notice that, the
more they eat, the more efficacious is this feast. Hence it happens
that they will give, to one man, what I would not undertake to
eat with three good diners. They would rather burst, so to speak,
than to leave anything. True, they can help each other; when one
can eat no more, he begs his companions to assist him; or else he
may pass the remains of his part along to the others, who each
one take some of it, and after all this, if anything remain, it
is thrown into the fire. The one who eats the most is the most
admired. You will hear them describing the prowess of their jaws,
naming the quantity and the parts of the beast which they have
eaten. God knows what kind of music follows this banquet, for these
Barbarians give full liberty to their stomachs and bellies, to
utter whatever sounds they please, in order to relieve themselves.
As to the odors that are then exhaled in their Cabins, they are
stronger than the perfume of roses, but not so sweet. You see them
pant [141] and blow, like people full up to their throats; and, in
fact, as they are naked, I saw that they were swollen as high as
their necks. Still, with it all, they have mettle there inside, for
their stomachs retain what is given them. I have known only the
Sorcerer's stomach to be dissatisfied with what it received; many
others came very near it, but they held their own. Occasionally, I
have seen some of them sick after these excesses.
Mais venons à l'ordre qu'ils gardent en ces banquets; Ceux qu'on doit
traitter estans conuiez à la façon que i'ay dit, ils s'en viennent auec
leur _ouragan_, ou escuelle leur cuillier, ils entrent dans la Cabane
sans ceremonie, chacun prenant sa place comme il vient, ils s'asseoient
en rond à l'entour de la chaudiere qui est sur le feu, renuersant leur
plat deuant eux, leurs sieges, c'est la terre couuerte de branches de
pin, il n'y a point de preseance, toutes les parties d'vn cercle sont
aussi courbées, & aussi nobles les vnes que les autres, quelquesfois
l'vn d'eux dira à celuy qui entre _Outaiappitou_, viens icy, sieds toy
là.
But let us notice the order which they observe in these banquets.
Those who are to be entertained having been invited in the way I
have stated, they come each with his _ouragan_, or dish, and his
spoon, and enter the Cabin without ceremony, each one taking his
place as he comes. They seat themselves around the kettle which is
over the fire, turning their plates upside down before them. Their
chairs are the ground, covered with pine branches; and no order of
precedence is observed. All the members of the circle are alike
bent forward; and one is as noble as the other. Sometimes one will
say to another who enters, _Outaiappitou_, "Come here, sit thou
there."
Chacun ayant pris sa place & s'estant assis en forme de Guenon,
retirant ses [142] jambes contre ses cuisses, si c'est vn festin à
manger tout, on ne dit mot, on chante seulement, & s'il y a quelque
Sorcier ou _Manitousiou_, il bat son tambour; vray qu'ils ne sont pas
tousiours si religieux qu'ils ne tiennent quelque petit discours. Si le
festin n'est pas à ne rien laisser, ils s'entretiennent vn peu de temps
de leurs chasses, ou d'autres choses semblables, le plus souuent de
gausseries.
Each one, having taken his place, sits in the posture of a
monkey, drawing up his [142] legs against his thighs. If it is an
eat-all feast, not a word is said, they only sing; and if there
is a Sorcerer or _Manitousiou_ present, he beats his drum; true,
they are not always so strict that they do not hold some little
conversation. If it is not a leave-nothing feast, they have a
little conversation about their hunting, or the like, but most
frequently about their pranks.
Apres quelques discours, le distributeur du festin, qui est
ordinairement celuy qui le fait, descend la chaudiere de dessus le feu,
ou les chaudieres s'il y en a plusieurs, les mettãt deuant soy, & lors
il fait quelque harãgue ou semet à chãter, & tous les assistans auec
luy; quelquefois il ne faict ny l'vn ny l'autre, mais seulement il dit
les mots de l'entrée du festin qui ne s'obmettent iamais, c'est à dire
qu'il declare dequoy il est composé: par exemple il dira, hommes qui
estes icy assemblez, c'est vn tel qui faict le festin, ils respondent
tous du fond de l'estomac _hô-ô-ô_, le festin est composé de chair de
Castor, ils poussent de rechef leur aspiration _hô-ô-ô_, il y a aussi
de la farine [143] de bled d'Inde _hô-ô-ô_, respondent ils, à chaque
diuersité de mets.
After some talk, the server of the feast, who is usually the one
who gives it, takes down the kettle from the fire,--or the kettles,
if there are several,--and, placing them before him, he makes a
speech or begins a song, and all the others join in. Sometimes
he does neither, but simply says the words at the opening of the
feast, which are never omitted,--namely, he declares of what it is
composed; for example, he will say, "Men who are assembled here,
it is such and such a one who gives this feast." They all answer
in deep chest tones, _hô-ô-ô_. "The feast is composed of the flesh
of Beavers." They again utter this aspiration, _hô-ô-ô_. "There is
also some [143] Cornmeal." _Hô-ô-ô_, they respond, to each of the
different dishes.
Pour les festins moins solemnels, celuy qui le faict s'addressant à
quelqu'vn de ses amis, ou de ses parents, il luy dira, mon cousin, ou
mon oncle, voila le Castor que i'ay pris, nous le mangerons maintenant,
& alors tout le monde dit son _hô-ô-ô_, & voila le festin ouuert,
duquel on ne sort point, que les mots par lesquels on le conclud ne
soient dicts. Cela fait, le distributeur ramasse quelquefois la gresse
de dessus la chaudiere & la boit luy tout seul, d'autres fois il en
fait part à ses amis, quelquefois il en remplit vn grand & profond plat
qui se presente à tous les conuiez comme i'ay dit, & chacun en boit
sa part; si le festin est de pois, de farine, de bled d'Inde, ou de
choses semblables demy liquides, il prend les _Ouragans_, ou escuelles
d'vn chacun, & distribue la chaudiere, le plus esgalement qu'il luy
est possible, leurs rendant leurs plats bien garnis, sans regarder par
quel bout il commence; il n'y a ny honneur ny blasme d'estre party le
premier ou le dernier. Si le festin est de viande, il la tire auec vn
baston pointu, [144] la met dans des plats d'escorce deuant soy, puis
ayant ietté les yeux sur le nombre des conuiez, il la distribue comme
il luy plaist, donnant à chacun abondamment, non pas egalement. Car il
donnera les friants morceaux à ses confidents, voire mesme quand il a
donné à tous vne bonne piece, commençant par ceux qui ne sont pas de sa
Cabane, il rechargera iusques à deux & trois fois & non pas pour les
autres, personne ne s'offence de ce procedé, car c'est la coustume.
As to their less solemn feasts, the one who gives them addresses
each one of his friends, or relatives, and says to him, "My cousin,
or my uncle, here is a Beaver that I have taken, we will now eat
it;" and then every one utters his _hô-ô-ô_; and lo, the feast
has begun, from which they do not emerge until the words with
which they are to terminate it are uttered. When this is done,
the distributor sometimes collects the grease from the kettle and
drinks it all by himself; at other times, he shares it with his
friends; then again, he fills a large, deep dish which is offered
to all the guests, as I have said, and each one drinks his share.
If the feast is of peas, flour, Cornmeal, or such half-liquid
things, he takes the _Ouragans_, or dishes, of each one and divides
what is in the kettle, as equally as he can, returning their plates
to them well filled, without noticing at what end he began. There
is neither honor nor disgrace in being served first or last. If the
feast is of meat, he draws it out with a pointed stick, [144] puts
it into some bark dishes before him; then, having cast his eyes
over the number of guests, he distributes it as he pleases, giving
to each one abundantly, but not equally. For he will give the
dainty morsels to his intimate friends; and, even when he has given
to each of them a good piece, beginning with those who are not of
his Cabin, he will serve them again, even two or three times, and
not the others. No one is offended at this proceeding, for it is
the custom.
Il presente ordinairement la chair au bout d'vn baston, nommant la
piece ou la partie de l'animal qu'il donne, en cette façon; si c'est
la teste d'vn Castor, ou d'Asne sauuage, ou d'autre animal, il dira
_Nichta_ K_oustigouanime_; Mon cousin, voila ta teste, si c'est vn
espaule, il dira voila ton espaule, si ce sont des boyaux, il en dira
de mesme; d'autresfois ils disent simplemẽt, _Khimitchimi_, voila
ton mets: mais prenez garde qu'ils n'ont point l'equiuoque en leur
langue que nous auons en la nostre. On raconte d'vn certain, lequel
rencontrant son amy, luy dit par courtoisie, si i'auois quelque chose
digne de vous, ie vous inuiterois à des-jeusner en [145] nostre maison,
mais ie n'ay rien du tout, son valet l'entendant luy repartit à la
bõne foy, excusez-moy Monsieur, vous auez vne teste de veau, cela dit
en lãgage Montagnais n'a rien de ridicule, pource qu'ils n'õt point
d'equiuoque en ces termes, les mots qui signifient ma teste propre & la
teste d'animal qui m'est donnée estants differents.
He usually offers the meat on the end of the stick, naming the
piece or part of the animal which he is giving in this way; if it
is the head of a Beaver or of a wild Ass, or some other animal, he
will say, _Nichta Koustigouanime_, "My cousin, here is thy head;"
if it is the shoulder, he will say, "Here is thy shoulder;" and if
it is the intestines, he will name it in the same way; at other
times they simply say, _Khimitchimi_, "Here is thy meat." But bear
in mind that they have not the ambiguity in their language that we
have in ours. They tell a story about a certain one, who, meeting
his friend, said to him through courtesy, "If I had something
worthy of you I would invite you to breakfast at [145] our house,
but I have nothing at all." His servant hearing him, answered in
good faith, "Excuse me, Sir, you have a calf's head." If this were
said in the Montagnais language, there would be nothing ridiculous
in it, for they have nothing ambiguous in such terms,--the words
which mean "my own head" and "the head of an animal which is given
me," being altogether different.
Celuy qui fait le festin & qui le distribue ne fait iamais sa part, il
se contente de voir manger les autres sans se rien retenir pour soy;
neantmoins quand il y a peu de viures, si tost qu'il a tiré la viande
de la chaudiere, son voisin ou son amy choisit les meilleurs morceaux
par courtoisie, & les met à part; puis quand tout est distribué, il les
presente au distributeur mesme, luy disant vn tel, voila ton mets, il
respond comme tous les autres, _hô-ô-ô_.
The one who gives the feast and who serves it never takes part
therein, but is satisfied in watching the others, without keeping
anything for himself. However, when there is a scarcity of food,
as soon as the meat is taken from the kettle, his neighbor or
friend chooses the best pieces for politeness and puts them aside;
then when all is distributed, he presents them to the distributor
himself, saying to him, "Here is thy meat," and he answers like all
the others, _hô-ô-ô_.
Ils ont quelques ceremonies, que ie n'entẽds pas bien faisant festin
d'vn Ours, celuy qui l'auoit tué, fit rostir ses entrailles sur des
branches de pin, prononçant quelques paroles que ie n'entendis pas, il
y a quelque grand mystere là dedans: de plus on luy dõna l'os du cœur
de l'animal, qu'il porte dans une petite bource matachiée, penduë à son
col; faisans festin d'Orignac, [146] celuy qui luy auoit donné le coup
mortel, & qui faisoit le festin, apres auoir distribué la chair, ietta
de la gresse dans le feu, disant: _papeoue_k_ou_, _papeoue_k_ou_, i'ay
desia expliqué ce que cela veut dire.
They have some ceremonies which I do not well understand, when
they have a Bear feast; the one who has killed it has the entrails
roasted over some pine branches, pronouncing some words which I
do not comprehend. There is some great mystery in this; also they
give him the heart-bone of the animal, which he carries in a little
embroidered purse hung around his neck. When they have a Moose
feast, [146] the one who has given it its deathblow, and who gives
the feast, after having distributed the flesh, throws some grease
into the fire, saying, _papeouekou, papeouekou_, of which I have
already explained the meaning.
Le festin distribué, si c'est à manger tout, chacun mange en silence,
quoy que quelqu'vns ne laissent pas de dire vn petit mot en passant:
aux autres festins, encore qu'il soit permis de parler ordinairement,
ils parlent fort peu, s'estonnans des François qui causent autant &
plus en table qu'en autre temps: aussi nous appellent-ils des Oyes
babillardes. Leurs bouches sont quasi grosses comme des œufs, & c'est
le plaisir qu'ils prennent à gouster & à sauourer ce qu'ils mangent,
qui leur ferme la bouche, & non l'honnesteté: Vous prendriez trop de
plaisir à leur voir assaillir dãs leurs grandes escuelles d'escorce, vn
Castor boüilly, ou rosty, notamment quand ils viennent de la chasse,
ou de leur voir étudier vn os: ie les ay veus tenir vn pied d'Orignac
à deux mains par vn bout la bouche, & les dents faisants leur deuoir
de l'autre: en sorte qu'ils me sembloient vouloir iouër de ces longues
flutes d'Allemagne, sinon qu'ils alloient vn peu trop fort, pour auoir
long temps bonne haleine: [147] quand ce qu'ils mangent leur agrée,
vous leur entendez dire de fois à autre, ainsi que i'ay desia remarqué,
_tapoué nimitison_, en verité ie mange, cõme si on en doutoit. Voila le
grand tesmoignage qu'ils rendent du plaisir qu'ils prennent à vostre
festin; au reste ayant succé, rongé, brisé les os qui leurs escheent
pour en tirer la gresse & la mouëlle, ils les rejettent dans la
chaudiere pleine de boüillõ qu'ils doiuent boire par apres, il est vray
qu'aux bãquets à tout manger, ils sont deliurez de cette inciuilité,
car il n'y a point d'os.
The feast distributed, if it is an eat-all, each one eats in
silence, although some do not fail to say a word or two from time
to time. In the other feasts, although they are usually permitted
to speak, they speak very little, and are astonished at the French
who talk as much and more at the table than at any other time, so
they call us cackling Geese. Their mouths are almost as large as
eggs, and it is the delight they have in tasting and relishing what
they eat that closes their mouths, and not politeness. You would
take genuine pleasure in seeing them attack, in their great bark
dishes, a boiled or roasted Beaver, especially when they have just
come from the chase, or in seeing them tackle a bone. I have seen
them hold the foot of a Moose in their two hands by one end, the
mouth and the teeth doing duty at the other, so that they seem to
me to be playing on those long German flutes, except that they go
at it with a little too much force to hold their wind long. [147]
When they are eating something that they are very fond of, you
will hear them say from time to time, as I have already remarked,
_tapoué nimitison_, "I am really eating," as if any one doubted
it. This is the great proof that they offer of the pleasure they
experience at your feast. Now having sucked, gnawed, and broken the
bones which fall to them, to get out the grease and marrow, they
throw them back into the kettle of broth which they are to drink
afterward. It is true that at the eat-all banquets this unmannerly
trick is not practiced, for there are no bones.
Ayans mangé les mets qu'on a presenté, on distribue le boüillon de
la chaudiere, dont chacun boit selon sa soif, si c'est vn banquet
de deuotion, c'est à dire, à ne rien laisser, quelquefois il faut
aussi boire tout le boüillon; d'autrefois il suffit qu'on mãge toute
la viande, estant libre de boire ce qu'on voudra du boüillon. Quand
le Maistre du festin void qu'on cesse de mãger, il dit les paroles
qui terminent le banquet, qui sont celles-cy, ou autres semblables,
_Egou_ K_hé_ _Khiouiecou_; or vous vous en irez, supplé, quand il vous
plairra: le festin conclud, quelques vns demeurent vn peu de temps pour
discourir, d'autres s'en vont aussi tost délogeans sans trompette;
c'est à [148] dire, qu'ils sortent sans dire mot, par fois ils disent,
_Ni_k_hiouan_, ie m'en vay, on leur respond _Niagouté_, allez à la
bonne-heure, voila le grand excez de leurs compliments.
Having eaten the meats that have been offered, the broth is served
from the kettle, each one drinking of this according to his thirst.
If it is a banquet of devotion, that is to say, a leave-nothing
feast, sometimes they are also obliged to drink all the broth. At
other times, it is enough if they eat all the meat, being free to
drink what they want of the broth. When the Master of the feast
sees them stop eating, he pronounces the words which terminate the
banquet, which are the following, or others like them: _Egou Khé
Khiouiecou_, "Now you will go away; return this feast when you
please." The feast concluded, some remain a little while to talk,
and others leave immediately, going out without trumpets; that
[148] is, they go out without saying a word; sometimes they say,
_Nikhiouan_, "I am going;" the answer is, _Niagouté_, "Go then."
See the profuseness of their compliments.
CHAPITRE IX.
DE LEUR CHASSE & DE LEUR PESCHERIE.
COMMENÇONS par l'Elan, quand il y a peu de neiges, ils le tuent a coups
de fleches, le premier que nous mangeasmes fut ainsi mis à mort, mais
c'est vn grand hazard quand ils peuuent approcher de ces animaux à la
portée de leurs arcs, car ils sentent les Sauuages de fort loing, &
courent aussi viste que les Cerfs. Quand les neiges sont profondes, ils
poursuiuent l'Elan à la course, & le tuent à coups d'espées, qu'ils
emmanchent à de longs bastons pour cét effect: ils dardent ces espées
quand ils n'osent ou ne peuuent aborder la beste, ils poursuiuent par
fois deux & trois iours vn de ces animaux, les neiges n'estant, ny
assez dures ny assez profondes d'autrefois vn enfant les tueroit quasi,
car la neige venant à se glacer apres quelque petit dégel, ou quelque
pluye, elle blesse ces pauures Orignaux, qui ne vont pas loing sans
estre massacrez.