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OF VOL. V

PREFACE TO VOLUME V 1

DOCUMENTS:--

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL DATA: VOLUME V 269

NOTES 275

PREFACE TO VOL. V

Following is a synopsis of the documents contained in the present volume:

The narrator tells how his Montagnais interpreter, Pierre, who had been educated in France, fell into disgrace with the commandant, and was received by the missionaries, that he might instruct them in his language. The narrator describes his own difficulties in that pursuit, and in compiling a native dictionary and grammar.

Le Jeune describes the climate as very cold in winter, and hot in summer, but healthful; and tells how he learned to use raquettes, or snowshoes. He has two little boys given him by the savages, and undertakes to educate them. In his school, are over twenty Indian children, whose attainments in scholarship are described; and this leads the way to a strong appeal to the ladies of France to establish in New France a seminary for girls. He recounts the legends of the natives about Messou, Manitou, and other deities; also their superstitions about dreams. In speaking of Father de Nou?'s visit to some of the neighboring tribes, Le Jeune enumerates the hardships endured by the missionaries in attempting to dwell in the savage camps; nevertheless, he speaks hopefully of the prospect for mission labors, especially among stationary tribes, like the Hurons.

A description is given of Champlain's return as governor of the colony; and of a conference held by the latter with the Ottawas, on their annual trading visit to Quebec. The eloquence and shrewdness displayed by the savages are dwelt upon.

The Iroquois attack a party of French, wounding and killing several. The settlement is visited by natives from various tribes from the upper country; a Frenchman is slain by one of the tribesmen; much drunkenness occurs among the Indians; who craftily excuse themselves from responsibility for any crime committed while in that condition, by telling the Frenchmen it was caused by liquors supplied by them. The Fathers baptize some savage children, and in caring for the sick encounter the enmity of the medicine men.

R. G. T.

MADISON, WIS., February, 1897.

LE JEUNE'S BRIEVE RELATION

Kebec, Aoust 28, 1632

PARIS: S?BASTIEN CRAMOISY, 1632

SOURCE: Title-page and text reprinted from original in Lenox Library.

A PARIS, Chez SEBASTIEN CRAMOISY, ru? S. Iacques, aux Cicognes.

BRIEF RELATION OF THE JOURNEY TO NEW FRANCE,

Made in the month of April last by Father Paul le Jeune, of the Society of JESUS.

PARIS, SEBASTIEN CRAMOISY, ru? St. Jacques, at the sign of the Storks.

Brieve Relation dv Voyage de la Novvelle France.

MON R. PERE, Estant aduerti de vostre part, le dernier iour de Mars, qu'il falloit au plustost m'embarquer au Haure de grace, pour tirer droit ? la Nouuelle France: l'aise & le contentement que i'en resenti en mon ame fut si grand, que de vingt ans ie ne pense pas en auoir eu vn pareil, ny qu'aucune lettre m'ait est? tant agreable. Ie sorti de Dieppe le lendemain, & passant ? Ro?en, nous nous ioignimes de compagnie le Pere de Nou?, nostre Frere Gilbert & moy. Estans au Haure nous allasmes salu?r monsieur du Pont, neueu de Monseigneur le Cardinal, lequel nous donna vn escrit sign? de sa main, par lequel il t?moignoit que c'estoit la volont? de mondit Seigneur que nous passassions en la Nouuelle France. Nous auons vne singuliere obligation ? la charit? de de monsieur le Cur? du Haure, & des Meres Vrsulines; Car comme nous n'auions point preueu nostre depart, si le Pere Charles Lallemant ? Ro?en, & ces honnestes personnes au Haure ne nous eussent assistez dans l'empressement, o? nous nous trouuions, sans doute nous estions mal. Du Haure nous tirames ? Honfleur, & le iour de Quasimodo 18. d'Auril nous fimes voile.

Brief Relation of the Journey to New France.

MY REVEREND FATHER: Having been notified by you on the last day of March that I should embark as early as possible at Havre de grace, to sail directly for New France, the joy and happiness that I felt in my soul was so great that I believe I have experienced nothing like it for twenty years, nor has any letter been so welcome to me. I left Dieppe the next day, and, going to Ro?en, Father de Nou?, our Brother Gilbert, and I united in one company. Being in Havre, we went to pay our respects to monsieur du Pont, nephew of Monseigneur the Cardinal, who gave us a passport signed by his own hand, in which he said that it was the wish of the Cardinal that we should go to New France. We are under peculiar obligations to the benevolence of monsieur the Cur? of Havre, and of the Ursuline Mothers: for, as we had not foreseen our departure, if Father Charles Lallemant, of Ro?en, and these good people in Havre, had not assisted us in the hasty preparations we were obliged to make, we should, without doubt, have been very badly off. From Havre we went to Honfleur, and on Low Sunday, April 18th, we set sail.

Nous eumes au commencement vn tres-beau temps, & en dix iours nous fimes enuiron six cens lieu?s, mais ? peine en peumes nous faire deux cens les trente trois iours suiuans. Ces bons iours passez nous n'eumes quasi que tempestes, ou vent contraire, hormis quelques bonnes heures qui nous venoient de temps en temps. I'auois quelquefois veu la mer en cholere des fenestres de nostre petite maison de Dieppe: mais c'est bien autre chose de sentir dessous soy la furie de l'Ocean, que de la contempler du riuage; nous estions des trois & quatre iours ? la cappe, comme parlent les mariniers, nostre gouuernail attach?, on laissoit aller le vaisseau au gr? des vagues & des ondes, qui le portoient par fois sur des montagnes d'eau, puis tout ? coup dans des abysmes; vous eussiez dit que les vents estoient d?chainez contre nous; ? tous coups nous craignions qu'ils ne brisassent nos mats, ou que le vaisseau ne s'ouurit: & De fait il se fit vne voye d'eau laquelle nous auroit coul? ? fond, si elle f?t arriu?e plus bas, ainsi que i'entendois dire. C'est autre chose de mediter de la mort dans sa cellule deuant l'image du Crucifix, autre chose d'y penser dans vne tempeste, & deuant la mort mesme. Ie vous diray neantmoins ingenu?ment, qu'encor que la nature desire sa conseruation, que neantmoins au fond de l'ame ie sentois autant ou plus d'inclination ? la mort qu'? la vie; ie me mettois deuant les yeux que celuy qui m'auoit conduit dessus la mer, auoit de tres-bons desseins; & qu'il le falloit laisser faire; ie n'osois luy rien demander pour moy, sinon de luy presenter ma vie pour tout l'equipage. Quand ie me figurois que peut-estre dans peu d'heures, ie me verrois au milieu des vagues, & par aduanture dans l'?paisseur d'vne nuict tres-obscure, i'auois quelque consolation en cette pens?e, m'imaginant que l? o? il y auroit moins de la creature, qu'il y auroit plus du Createur, & que ce seroit l? proprement mourir de sa main: mais ma foiblesse me fait craindre, que peut-estre si cela fust arriu? i'eusse bien chang? de pens?e & d'affection.

We had fine weather at first, and made about six hundred leagues in ten days; but we could hardly cover two hundred on the following thirty-three days. After this fine weather we had little but storms and contrary winds, except a few pleasant hours which were vouchsafed us from time to time. I had sometimes seen the angry sea from the windows of our little house at Dieppe; but watching the fury of the Ocean from the shore is quite different from tossing upon its waves. During three or four days we were close-reefed, as sailors say, our helm fastened down. The vessel was left to the will of the billows and the waves, which bore it at times upon mountains of water, then suddenly down into the depths of the sea. You would have said that the winds were unchained against us. Every moment we feared lest they should snap our masts, or that the ship would spring a leak; and, in fact, there was a leak, which would, as I heard reported, have sunk us if it had been lower down. It is one thing to reflect upon death in one's cell, before the image on the Crucifix; but quite another to think of it in the midst of a tempest and in the presence of death itself. But I say to you honestly, that, although nature longs for its preservation, nevertheless, in the depths of my soul, I felt quite as much inclination to death as to life; I kept constantly before my eyes, that he who had brought me upon the sea had some good purpose, and that he must be allowed to do as he pleases. I dared not ask of him anything for myself, unless it were to offer up my life for all on the ship. When I realized that in a few hours I might see myself in the midst of the waves, and perhaps in the depths of the blackest night, I found some consolation in the thought that there, where there would be less of the creature, there would be more of the Creator, and that it would be really dying by his hand. But my weakness makes me fear that perhaps, if that had really happened, my thoughts and inclinations might have been greatly changed.

Au reste nous auons trouu? l'hyuer dans l'est?, c'est ? dire dans le mois de May & vne partie de Iuin, les vents, & la bruine nous gla?oient, le Pere de Nou? a eu les pieds & les mains gel?es, adioustez vne douleur de teste ou de coeur qui ne me quitta quasi iamais le premier mois; vne grande soif, pour ce que nous ne mangions que choses sal?es, & il n'y auoit point de fontaine d'eau douce dans nostre vaisseau. Nos cabanes estoient si gr?des, que nous n'y pouuions estre ny debout, ny ? genoux, ny assis, & qui pis est, l'eau pendant la pluie me tomboit par fois sur la face. Toutes ces inc?moditez estoient communes aux autres, les pauures mattelots enduroient bien dauantage. Tout cela est pass?, Dieu mercy, ie n'eusse pas voulu estre en France. Tous ces petits trauaux ne nous ont point encor, comme ie croy, donn? la moindre tristesse de nostre depart. Dieu ne se laisse iamais vaincre; si on luy donne des oboles, il donne des mines d'or, encor me semble-il que ie me suis mieux port? que le Pere de Nou?, lequel a est? fort longtemps sans quasi pouuoir manger; pour nostre Frere, il est comme ces animaux Amphibies, il se porte aussi bien sur la mer que sur la terre.

But, to speak of other things, we found winter in summer; that is to say, in the month of May and a part of June, the winds and the fogs chilled us; Father de Nou?'s feet and hands were frozen; and, besides this, I had pains in my head or heart, which scarcely left me at all during the first month; and a keen thirst, because we ate nothing but salted food, and there was no fresh water upon our vessel. The size of our cabins was such that we could not stand upright, kneel, or sit down; and, what is worse, during the rain, the water fell at times upon my face. All these discomforts were shared by the others; but the poor sailors suffered many more. All that is past; thank God, I would not have wished to be in France. All these little afflictions have not as yet, I believe, caused us the least sadness over our departure. God never suffers himself to be vanquished; if you give him mites, he gives mines of gold. Still, it seems to me that I get along better than Father de Nou?, who, for a long time, was hardly able to eat; as to our Brother, he is like the Amphibious animals; he is just as much at home on the sea as on the land.

Le iour de la Pentecoste, comme i'estois prest de prescher, ce que ie faisois ordinairement les Dimanches, & bonnes Festes, vn de nos mattelots se mit ? crier molu?, molu?, il auoit iett? sa ligne, & en tiroit vne grande. Il y auoit desia quelques iours que nous estions sur le banc, mais on n'auoit quasi rien pris. Ce iour l? on en prit tant qu'on voulut. C'estoit vn plaisir de voir vne si grande tuerie, & tant de ce sang r?p?du sur le tillac de nostre nauire. Ce rafraichissement nous vint fort ? propos, apres de si longues bourrasques.

On Pentecost day, just as I was ready to preach, as I usually did on Sundays and great F?te days, one of our sailors began to cry out, "codfish! codfish!" He had thrown in his line and had brought out a large one. We had already been on the banks several days, but had caught very little. On that day we drew in as many as we liked. It was a pleasure to see so great a slaughter, and so much of this blood shed upon the deck of our ship. These fresh supplies were very welcome to us after such continuous storms.

Le Mardy d'apres, premier iour de Iuin, nous vimes les terres, elles estoient encor toutes couuertes de neiges, l'hyuer tousiours grand en ces pa?s, & l'a est? extrem?ment cette ann?e. Quelques iours auparauant, s?auoir est le 15. & 18. de May, estans encor ?loignez des terres enuiron deux cens lieu?s, nous auions rencontr? deux glaces d'vne enorme grandeur flottantes dans la mer, elles estoient plus longues que nostre vaisseau, & plus hautes que nos masts, le Soleil donnant dessus vous eussiez dit estre des Eglises, ou plustost des montagnes de crystal: ? peine auroy-ie creu cela si ie ne l'auois veu. Quand on en rencontre quantit?, & qu'vn nauire se trouue embarrass? l? dedans, il est bien tost mis en pieces.

On the following Tuesday, the first day of June, we saw land. It was still covered with snow, for the winter, always severe in this country, was extremely so this year. Some days before, to wit, the 15th and 18th of May, being still distant from land about two hundred leagues, we had encountered two icebergs of enormous size, floating upon the sea. They were longer than our ship and higher than our masts, and as the sunlight fell upon them you would have said they were Churches, or rather, mountains of crystal. I would hardly have believed it if I had not seen it. When a great number of them are encountered, and the ship finds itself caught among them, it is very soon broken into pieces.

Le Ieudy 3. de Iuin nous entrames dans le pa?s par l'vn des plus beaux fleuues du monde, la grand Isle de terre neuue le ferme en son emboucheure, luy laissant deux endroits, par o? il se d?gorge dans la mer, l'vn au Nord, & l'autre au Sud: nos entrames par celuy-cy qui est large enuiron de 13. ou 14. lieu?s. Si tost que vous estes entrez, vous d?couurez vn golfe de 15O. lieu?s de largeur; en montant plus haut au lieu o? cette grande riuiere commence ? s'estressir, elle a bien encor de largeur 37. lieu?s: o? nous sommes ? Quebec, esloignez plus de 200. lieu?s de l'emboucheure, elle a bien encor demie lieu?.

On Thursday, June 3rd, we passed into the country through one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. The great Island of newfoundland intercepts it at its mouth, leaving two openings whereby it can empty into the sea, one to the North and the other to the South. We sailed in through the latter, which is about 13 or 14 leagues wide. Upon entering, you discover a gulf 150 leagues wide; going farther up, where this grand river begins to narrow, it is even there 37 leagues wide. Where we are, in Quebec, distant over 200 leagues from its mouth, it is still half a league wide.

A l'entr?e de ce golfe nous vimes deux rochers, l'vn paroissoit rond, l'autre quarr?; vous diriez que Dieu les a plant? au milieu des eaux comme deux colombiers pour seruir de lieu de retraitte aux oyseaux, qui s'y retirent en si grande quantit?, qu'on marche dessus eux: & si on ne se tient bien ferme, ils s'?leuent en si grand nombre, qu'ils renuersent les personnes: on en rapporte des chalouppes ou petits bateaux tous pleins quand le temps permet qu'on les aborde: les Fran?ois les ont nommez les Isles aux oyseaux. On vient dans ce Golfe pour pescher des baleines, nous y en auons veu quantit?, pour pescher aussi des molu?s. I'y ay veu grand nombre de loups marins, nos gens en tuerent quelques-vns. Il se trouue dans cette grande riuiere nomm?e de S. Laurens, des marsoins blancs & non ailleurs; les Anglois les appellent des baleines blanches, pource qu'elles sont fort grandes ? comparaison de marsoins; ils montent iusques ? Quebec.

At the entrance of this gulf we saw two rocks, one appearing to be round, the other square. You would say that God had thrown them into the midst of the waters, like two dovecotes, as a retreat for the birds that withdraw there in such multitudes that you would almost tread upon them; and if you do not obtain a good foothold, they rise up in such numbers that they may knock you over. Boats, or little skiffs, full of them are brought back to the ships, when the weather permits approach to these islands, which the French have named the Isles of birds. Ships come into this Gulf on whaling expeditions. We have seen a great many fishing also for cod. I saw here a number of seals, and our people killed some of them. In this great river, which, is called the St. Lawrence, white porpoises are found, and nowhere else. The English call them white whales, because they are very large compared with the other porpoises; they go up as far as Quebec.

Apres la Messe nous entrames dans les bois, il y auoit encor quantit? de neige, si ferme qu'elle nous portoit. Le matin il gela assez fort, comme i'allois lauer mes mains ? vn torrent d'eau qui decouloit des montagnes, ie trouuay les bords tous glacez. Nos gens tuerent icy quelques perdrix fort grises, & aussi grosses que nos poulles de France. Ils tuerent aussi quelques lieures plus pattus que les nostres, & encor vn peu blancs, car les lieures en ce pa?s cy sont tous blancs, pendant les neiges, & pendant l'est? ils reprennent leur couleur semblable ? celle des lieures de l'Europe.

After Mass we went into the woods; the snow was still very deep, and so strong that it bore our weight. In the morning there was a hard frost; and, when I went to wash my hands in the torrent of water which flowed down from the mountains, I found the edges of it completely frozen. Here our people killed a number of large gray partridges, as large as our chickens in France. They also killed some hares, larger-footed than ours, and still a little white; for in this country the hares are all white, while the snow lasts, and during the summer they resume their color like that of the European hares.

Le iour suiuant nous nous remimes sous voile, & le 18. de Iuin nous mo?illames ? Tadoussac; c'est vne autre baie d'eau, ou vne anse fort petite, aupres de laquelle se trouue vn fleuue nomm? Sagu? qui se iette dans la grande riuiere de S. Laurens, ce fleuue est aussi beau que la Seine, quasi aussi rapide que le Rosne, & plus profond que plusieurs endroits de la mer, car on dit qu'il a bien 80. brasses de profondeur aux endroits o? il est le moins profond. Comme nous allions dire la Saincte Messe ? terre, l'vn de nos soldats tua vn grand aigle aupres de son aire, il auoit la teste & le col tout blanc, le bec & les pieds iaunes, le reste du corps noiratre, il estoit gros comme vn coq d'Inde. Nous auons icy seiourn? depuis le 14. Iu?n, iusques au 3. de Iulliet, c'est ? dire 19. iours. Il faisoit encor grand froid quand nous y arriuames, mais auant que d'en partir nous y auons ressenty de grandes chaleurs; & ce pendant ce n'estoit que le printemps, puisque les arbres estoient seulement fleuris. En fort peu de temps les fe?illes, les boutons, les fleurs & les fruits paroissent icy, & meurissent, i'entends les fruicts sauuages, car il n'y en a point d'autres. Or c'est icy que i'ay veu des Sauuages pour la premiere fois. Si tost qu'ils apperceurent nostre vaisseau ils firent des feux, & deux d'entr'eux nous vindrent aborder dans vn petit cauot fait d'escorce fort proprement. Le lendemain vn Sagamo auec dix ou douze Sauuages nous vint voir; il me sembloit, les voyant entrer dans la chambre de nostre Capitaine, o? i'estois pour lors, que ie voyois ces masques qui courent en France ? Caresme-prenant. Il y en auoit qui auoient le nez peint en bleu, les yeux, les sourcils, les iou?s peintes en noir, & le reste du visage en rouge; & ces couleurs sont viues & luisantes comme celle de nos masques: d'autres auoient des rayes noires, rouges & bleu?s, tir?es des oreilles ? la bouche: d'autres estoient tous noirs hormis le haut du front, & les parties voisines des oreilles & le bout du menton, si bien qu'on eut vrayement dit qu'ils estoient masquez. Il y en auoit qui n'auoient qu'vne raye noire, large d'vn ruban, tir?e d'vne oreille ? l'autre, au trauers des yeux, & trois petites rayes sur les iou?s. Leur couleur naturelle est c?me celle de ces gueux de France qui sont demy rostis au Soleil, & ie ne doute point que les Sauuages ne fussent tres-bl?cs s'ils estoi?t bien couuerts. De dire comme ils sont vestus, il est bien difficile; les hommes quand il fait vn peu chaud vont tous nuds, hormis vne piece de peau qu'ils mettent au dessous du nombril iusques aux cuisses. Quand il fait froid, ou bien ? l'imitation des Europeans, ils se couurent de peaux de Castor, d'Ours, de Renard, & d'autres tels animaux, mais si maussadement, que cela n'empesche pas qu'on ne voye la pluspart de leurs corps. I'en ay veu de vestus de peau d'Ours, iustement comme on peint S. Iean Baptiste. Cette peau velu? au dehors, leur alloit sous vn bras & sur l'autre, & leur battoit iusques aux genoux, ils estoient ceints au trauers du corps d'vne corde de boyau. Il y en a de vestus entierement, ils ressemblent tous ? ce Philosophe de la Grece, qui ne portoit rien sur soy qu'il n'eut fait. Il ne faut pas employer beaucoup d'ann?es pour apprendre tous leurs mestiers. Ils vont tous teste nu? hommes & femmes; ils portent les cheueux longs; ils les ont tous noirs, graissez, & luisans; ils les lient par derriere, sinon quand ils portent le dueil. Les femmes sont honnestement couuertes; elles ont des peaux iointes sur les espaules auec des cordes, & ces peaux leurs battent depuis le col iusques aux geno?ils; elles se ceignent aussi d'vne corde, le reste du corps la teste, les bras & les iambes sont descouuertes: il y en a neantmoins qui portent des manches, des chausses, & des souliers, mais sans autre fa?on que celle que la necessit? leur a appris. Maintenant qu'ils traittent des capots, des couuertures, des draps, des chemises auec les Fran?ois, il y en a plusieurs qui s'en couurent, mais leurs chemises sont aussi blanches & aussi grasses que des torchons de cuisine, ils ne les blanchissent iamais. Au reste ils sont de bonne taille, le corps bien fait, les membres tres-bien proportionnez, & ne sont point si massifs que ie les croyois; ils ont vn assez bon sens; ils ne parlent point tous ensemble, ains les vns apres les autres, s'?coutans patiemment. Vn Sagamo ou Capitaine disn?t vn iour en la chambre du nostre, voulant dire quelque chose, & ne trouuant point le loisir pource qu'on parloit tousiours, en fin pria la compagnie qu'on luy donnast vn peu de temps pour parler ? son tour, & tout seul, comme il fit.

The next day we again set sail, and on the 18th of June we cast anchor at Tadoussac. This is another bay or very small cove, near which there is a river named Sagu? , which empties into the great river St. Lawrence. This river is as beautiful as the Seine, about as rapid as the Rosne , and deeper than many places in the sea, for it is said to be 80 fathoms deep in its shallowest places. As we were on our way to say the Holy Mass on the shore, one of our soldiers killed a great eagle near its eyrie. Its head and neck were entirely white, the beak and feet yellow, the rest of the body blackish; it was as large as a Turkey-cock. We sojourned here from the 14th of June to the 3rd of July; that is to say, 19 days. It was still very cold when we arrived, but before leaving we felt excessive heat; and yet it was only the spring, since the trees had only just begun to put forth their foliage. In a very short time the leaves, the buds, the flowers, and the fruit appear here and ripen; I mean the wild fruit, as there is no other. It was here that I saw Savages for the first time. As soon as they saw our vessel, they lighted fires, and two of them came on board in a little canoe very neatly made of bark. The next day a Sagamore, with ten or twelve Savages, came to see us. When I saw them enter our Captain's room, where I happened to be, it seemed to me that I was looking at those maskers who run about in France in Carnival time. There were some whose noses were painted blue, the eyes, eyebrows, and cheeks painted black, and the rest of the face red; and these colors are bright and shining like those of our masks; others had black, red, and blue stripes drawn from the ears to the mouth. Still others were entirely black, except the upper part of the brow and around the ears, and the end of the chin; so that it might have been truly said of them that they were masquerading. There were some who had only one black stripe, like a wide ribbon, drawn from one ear to the other, across the eyes, and three little stripes on the cheeks. Their natural color is like that of those French beggars who are half-roasted in the Sun, and I have no doubt that the Savages would be very white if they were well covered. To describe how they were dressed would be difficult indeed. All the men, when it is a little warm, go naked, with the exception of a piece of skin which falls from just below the navel to the thighs. When it is cold, or probably in imitation of the Europeans, they cover themselves with furs of the Beaver, Bear, Fox, and other animals of the same kind, but so awkwardly, that it does not prevent the greater part of their bodies from being seen. I have seen some of them dressed in Bear skin, just as St. John the Baptist is painted. This fur, with the hair outside, was worn under one arm and over the other, hanging down to the knees. They were girdled around the body with a cord made of a dried intestine. Some are entirely dressed. They are like the Grecian Philosopher who would wear nothing that he had not made. It would not take a great many years to learn all their crafts. All go bareheaded, men and women; their hair, which is uniformly black, is long, greasy, and shiny, and is tied behind, except when they wear mourning. The women are decently covered; they wear skins fastened together on their shoulders with cords, these hang from the neck to the knees. They girdle themselves also with a cord, the rest of the body, the head, the arms and the legs being uncovered. Yet there are some who wear sleeves, stockings, and shoes, but in no other fashion than that which necessity has taught them. Now that they trade with the French for capes, blankets, cloths, and shirts, there are many who use them; but their shirts are as white and as greasy as dishcloths, for they never wash them. Furthermore, they have good figures, their bodies are well made, their limbs very well proportioned, and they are not so clumsy as I supposed them to be. They are fairly intelligent. They do not all talk at once, but one after the other, listening patiently. A Sagamore, or Captain, dining in our room one day, wished to say something; and, not finding an opportunity, because they were all talking at the same time, at last prayed the company to give him a little time to talk in his turn, and all alone, as he did.

Quelque temps auparauant que nous leuassions les ancres de Tadoussac, il s'?leua vn grain, comme parlent les mattelots, ou vne tempeste si furieuse, qu'elle nous ietta bien au?t dans le peril, quoy que nous fussions en la maison d'asseurance: c'est ainsi que i'appelle la baie de Tadoussac. Les tonnerres grondoient horriblem?t, les vents furieux firent tellem?t plier nostre vaisseau, que si ce grain e?t continu?, il l'eust renuers? sans dessus dessous; mais cette furie ne dura pas, & ainsi nous ?chapasmes ce danger.

Some time before we weighed anchor in Tadoussac there rose a squall, as the sailors say, or a storm so furious that it threw us into great peril, although we were in the house of safety; it is thus that I call the bay of Tadoussac. The thunder grumbled terribly, furious winds made our vessel roll so that, if this squall had continued, it would have turned us upside down; but the fury of the storm abated, and thus we escaped this danger.

Le 3. iour de Iuillet nous sortimes de Tadoussac, & nous allames mo?iller ? l'?chaffaut aux Basques, c'est vn lieu ainsi appel?, ? cause que les Basques viennent iusques l? pour prendre des baleines. Comme il estoit grand calme, & que nous attendions la mar?e, ie mis pied ? terre: ie pensay estre mang? des maringoins, ce sont petites mouches importunes au possible; les grands bois qui sont icy en engendrent de plusieurs especes; il y a des mouches communes, des mousquilles, des mouches luisantes, des maringoins, & des grosses mouches, & quantit? d'autres: les grosses mouches piquent furieusement, & la douleur qui prouient de cette piqueure, & qui est fort cuisante, dure assez long temps, il y a peu de ces grosses mouches; les mousquilles sont extremement petites, ? peine les peut-on voir, mais on les sent bien; les mouches luisantes ne font point de mal, vous diriez la nuict que ce sont des estincelles de feu; elles iettent plus de lumiere que les vers luisants que i'ay veus en France: tenant vne de ces mouches & l'appliquant aupres d'vn liure ie lirois fort bien. Pour les maringoins c'est l'importunit? mesme, on ne s?auroit trauailler notamment ? l'air pendant leur regne, si on n'a de la fum?e aupr?s soy pour les chasser: il y a des personnes qui sont contraintes de se mettre au lit venans des bois, tant ils sont offensez. I'en ay veu qui auoient le col, les io?es, tout le visage si enfl?, qu'on ne leur voyoit plus les yeux; ils mettent vn homme tout en sang quand ils l'abordent; ils font la guerre aux vns plus qu'aux autres; Ils m'ont trait? iusques icy assez doucement, ie n'enfle point quand ils me piquent, ce qui n'arriue qu'? fort peu de personnes si on y est accoustum?: si le pa?s estoit essart? & habit?, ces bestioles ne s'y trouueroient point; car desia il s'en trouue fort peu au fort de Kebec, ? cause qu'on couppe les bois voisins.

The 3rd of July we left Tadoussac and went to cast anchor at the Basque scaffold, a place so called because the Basques go there to catch whales. As it was very calm and we were awaiting the tide, I went ashore. I thought I would be eaten up by the mosquitoes, which are little flies, troublesome in the extreme. The great forests here engender several species of them; there are common flies, gnats, fireflies, mosquitoes, large flies, and a number of others; the large flies sting furiously, and the pain from their sting, which is very piercing, lasts for a long time; there are but few of these large flies. The gnats are very small, hardly visible, but very perceptibly felt; the fireflies do no harm; at night they look like sparks of fire, casting a greater light than the glowworms that I have seen in France; taking one of these flies and holding it near a book, I could read very easily. As to the mosquitoes, they are disagreeable beyond description. No one could work, especially in the open air, during their reign, unless there were smoke near by to drive them away. Some people are compelled to go to bed after coming from the woods, they are so badly stung. I have seen men whose neck, cheeks, and whole face were so swollen that you could not see their eyes. They cover a man completely with blood when they attack him; they war upon some people more than others. Thus far they have treated me kindly enough; I do not swell when they sting me, which is the case with very few people unless they are accustomed to them. If the country were cleared and inhabited, these little beasts would not be found here, for already there are but few of them at the fort of Kebec, on account of the cutting down of the neighboring woods.

Le 4. de Iuillet nous leuames l'ancre pour aborder ? quatre lieu?s de Kebec: mais le vent estoit si furieux que nous pensames faire naufrage dans le port. Auant que d'arriuer ? Kebec on rencontre au milieu de cette grande riuiere vne Isle nomm?e de sainct Laurens, qui a bien sept lieu?s de long: elle n'est esloign?e du bout plus occidental que d'vne lieu? de la demeure des Fran?ois. Enuiron le milieu de cette Isle on ietta l'ancre pour s'arrester: mais les vents & la mar?e poussoient nostre nauire auec vne telle impetuosit?, que le cable se rompit comme vn filet, & l'ancre demeura dans l'eau. A vn quart de lieu? de l? on en iette vne autre, le cable se rompt tout de mesme que le premier. Dedans ce trouble, comme les vents redoubloient, le cable qui tenoit nostre batteau attach? derriere nostre nauire, se rompit aussi, & en vn instant nostre batteau disparut. A trois iours de l? quelques Sauuages nous vindrent apporter nouuelle du lieu o? il s'estoit all? ?cho?er; s'il e?t rencontr? des roches aussi bien qu'il rencontra de la vase, il se f?t bris? en cent pieces. Si cette bourasque nous e?t pris vne heure plustost, en vn endroit fort dangereux, nos Pilotes disoient que c'estoit fait de nous. En fin quand nous fumes enuiron trois quarts de lieu?s du bout de nostre pellerinage, on ietta le troisiesme ancre qui nous arresta: vne barque Fran?oise que nous auions rencontr? ? Tadoussac, & qui venoit auec nous, perdit deux ancres aussi bien que nous.

The 4th of July we weighed anchor to land at a place four leagues from Kebec; but the wind was so furious that we thought we would be wrecked in the port. Before reaching Kebec we came to an Island called saint Lawrence, in the middle of this great river, which is fully seven leagues in length; the western end of it is only about one league distant from the French settlement. We cast anchor near the middle of this Island, intending to land; but the wind and tide struck our ship with so much force that the cable broke like a thread, leaving the anchor in the water. At a quarter of a league distant another anchor was cast, and the cable broke just as the first one did. In the midst of this struggle, as the violence of the winds redoubled, the cable fastening the boat to the stern of our ship also broke, and in an instant our boat disappeared. Three days later some Savages came and told us where it had grounded. If it had been driven upon the rocks, as it was upon the mud, it would have been broken into a hundred pieces. If this hurricane had fallen upon us an hour earlier, in a very dangerous place, our Pilots say it would have been all over with us. At length, when we were about three-quarters of a league from the end of our pilgrimage, the third anchor was cast, and it stopped us. A French barque that we had met at Tadoussac, and which came with us, lost two anchors as we did.

La veille de nostre depart de Tadoussac, vindrent nouuelles que les prisonniers Hiroquois auoient est? mis ? mort ? Kebec, & que ceux de Tadoussac deuoient le lendemain passer le pas: ie me remets ? plaider leur cause, & promets de donner ce qu'il faudroit pour les nourrir passant en France, voire de trouuer personnes qui les receuroi?t si tost qu'ils y seroient arriuez; ie me confiois en la charit? de plusieurs honnestes personnes qui n'auroient pas refus? vne aumosne pour racheter les corps de ces miserables des supplices qu'ils ont endur?, & leur ame de la damnation eternelle. I'aborde donc monsieur du Plessis nostre Lieutenant, ie luy fay apprehender l'affaire. On fait des aumosnes en France pour retirer des emprisonnez pour des debtes, & pourquoy ne trauaillera-on point pour ces pauures esclaues de Satan? Ie luy fay mes offres, que nous donnerions tout ce que nous pourrions: il embrasse l'affaire, & la propose le soir entre ceux qui mangeoient en la table de nostre Capitaine: on repart qu'il faudroit de grands presens pour leur sauuer la vie, monsieur du Plessis dit qu'on donneroit ce qu'on pourroit, & qu'au reste il ne faudroit pas grande chose, qu'on pourroit demander ces trois prisonniers Hiroquois comme en eschange d'vn Fran?ois qu'ils ont tu? il y a quelques ann?es, ou ? tout le moins en demander deux, & qu'asseur?ment on les auroit: le truchement qui leur auoir parl? m'auoit asseur? que la chose estoit facile: l? dessus on forme mille difficultez, & l'vn de la compagnie s'?cria qu'il falloit qu'ils mourussent, qu'il les estrangleroit plustost, que c'estoient des coquins, & que parl?t ? vn Sauuage de Kebec il luy auoit d?n? aduis de les faire mourir. Si la mort de ces miserables apportoit quelque profit ? la traicte des peaux, qu'on vient faire en ce pa?s cy, ce zele de mort auroit quelque couleur; mais leur vie & leur mort ne fait rien pour la traicte. O qu'il importe beaucoup de bien choisir les personnes qu'on enuoye en ce pa?s cy! Il est vray que monsieur Emery de Ca?n n'approuua point cette cruaut?. Quoy que ?'en soit le vent nous estant fauorable le iour suiuant nous fimes voile, & laissames-l? ces trois pauures abandonnez entre les mains de leurs ennemis, qui en traitterent deux d'vn horible fa?on, car ils n'ont point tu? le plus ieune ? ce qu'on nous a dit.

On the eve of our departure from Tadoussac, news came that the Hiroquois prisoners had been put to death at Kebec, and that those at Tadoussac must share the same fate the next day. I undertook to plead their cause, and promised to give what would be necessary to feed them during their passage to France, even to find some one to receive them as soon as they would reach there. I trusted to the charity of many good people who would not withhold alms to rescue the bodies of these poor creatures from the sufferings they endured, and their souls from eternal damnation. So I approached monsieur du Plessis, our Lieutenant, and explained the situation to him. Alms are given in France to restore men to liberty who are imprisoned for debt, and why should not something be done for these poor slaves of Satan? I promised him that we would give all that we could. He took up the subject, and in the evening presented it to those who ate at our Captain's table. They answered that it would require large gifts to save their lives. Monsieur du Plessis said that they would give what they could, and that, besides, large gifts were unnecessary, as the three Hiroquois prisoners could be demanded in exchange for one Frenchman who had been killed a few years ago, or at least two could be demanded, and they would be surely given up. The interpreter who had talked to them assured me that it was an easy matter. Thereupon a thousand objections were urged, and one of the company cried out that the captives ought to die; that he would rather strangle them, that they were rascals, and that in talking to a Savage in Kebec, he had advised him to have them killed. If the death of these poor wretches brought profits to the fur trade which people come here to carry on, there would be some reason for this eagerness for their death; but neither their life nor their death could affect it. Oh, how important it is that those sent to this country should be carefully chosen! It is true that monsieur Emery de Ca?n did not approve of this cruelty. However, the wind being favorable to us on the following day, we spread our sails, and left these poor abandoned creatures there in the hands of their enemies, who disposed of two of them in a horrible manner, for, as we were told, they did not kill the youngest.

Arriuez que nous fumes ? Kebec on nous raconta la mort de six prisonniers que les Sauuages tenoient, laquelle est arriu?e pour l'yurongnerie que les Europeans ont icy apport?. Le Ministre Anglois, qui au reste n'estoit point de la mesme Religion que ses o?ailles, car il estoit Protest?t ou Lutherien, les Kers sont Caluinistes, ou de quelque autre Religion plus libertine, aussi ont-ils tenu six mois en prison ce pauure Ministre dedans nostre maison: lequel m'a racont? que les Montagnards vouloient traitter la paix auec les Hiroquois, & que celuy qui tenoit les prisonniers luy auoit promis qu'on ne les feroit point mourir: neantmoins ce miserable estant yure d'eau de vie, qu'il auoit traitt? auec les Anglois pour des Castors, appella son frere, & luy commanda d'aller donner vn coup de cousteau ? l'vn des Hiroquois & le tuer, ce qu'il fit. Voyla les pens?es de la paix euano?ies; on parle de la mort des autres. Le Ministre entendant cela dit ? ce Sauuage qu'il n'auoit point tenu sa parole faisant mourir ce prisonnier. C'est toy, r?pond le Sauuage, & les tiens qui l'ont tu?, car si tu ne nous donnois point d'eau de vie, ny de vin, nous ne ferions point cela. Et de fait depuis que ie suis icy ie n'ay veu que des Sauuages yures, on les entend crier & tempester iour & nuict, ils se battent & se blessent les vns les autres, ils tuent le bestial de madame Hebert: & quand ils sont retournez ? leur bon sens, ils vous disent, Ce n'est pas nous qui auons fait cela, mais toy qui nous donne cette boisson: ont ils cuu? leur vin, ils sont entr'eux aussi grands amis qu'auparauant, se disans l'vn l'autre tu es mon frere, ie t'ayme, ce n'est pas moy qui t'ay bless?, mais la boisson qui s'est seruy de mon bras. I'en ay veu de tous meurtris par la face; les femmes mesmes s'enyurent, & crient comme des enrag?es? ie m'attend bien qu'ils tueront l'vn de ces iours quelques Fran?ois, ce qu'ils ont d?ja pens? faire, & pass? huict heures du matin il ne fait pas bon les aller voir sans armes, quand ils ont du vin. Quelques vns de nos gens y estant allez apres le disner, vn Sauuage les voulut assommer ? coups de haches: mais d'autres Sauuages qui n'estoient pas yures vindrent au secours. Quand l'vn d'eux est bien yure, les autres le lient par les pieds & par les bras, s'ils le peuuent attraper. Quelques-vns de leurs Capitaines sont venus prier les Fran?ois de ne plus traitter d'eau de vie, ny de vin, disans qu'ils seroient cause de la mort de leurs gens. C'est bien le pis quand ils en voyent deuant eux d'autres autant yures qu'ils s?auroient estre. Mais finissons le discours de ces Hiroquois; on fit parler au Capitaine Anglois s'il en vouloit quelquesvns, comme il entendit qu'il falloit faire quelque present, il r?pondit que non, & qu'ils en fissent ce qu'ils voudroient. Voicy donc comme ils les traitterent.

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