The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents 31

The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents 31

Ceux qui attendoient quelque autre occasion pour s'embarquer, furent

consolez [333] par la venuë de trois Canots, dans lesquels Monsieur du

Plessis fit embarquer le Pere Dauost, & deux de nos François, auec vne

vigilance incomparable, comme m'escrit le Pere. A quelque temps de là

vindrent encore d'autres Hurons, il plaça dans leurs Canots & hommes &

bagage; en vn mot tout ce qui restoit, si bien que trois de nos Peres,

& six de nos François, sont montez aux Hurons.

 

Those who were awaiting some other occasion to embark were consoled

[333] by the coming of three Canoes, in which Monsieur du Plëssis

had Father Davost and two of our Frenchmen embark, looking out for

their interests with wonderful care, as the Father writes me. A

short time after this, other Hurons came; and he placed in their

Canoes both men and baggage, in a word, all that remained. So that

three of our Fathers and six of our Frenchmen have gone up to the

Hurons.

 

Ils ont trois cents lieuës à faire dans des chemins qui font horreur

à en ouyr parler les Hurons, auec lesquels ils vous cachent de deux

iours en deux iours de leur farine pour manger au retour, il n'y a

point d'autres hostelleries que ces cachettes, s'ils manquent à les

retrouuer, ou si quelqu'vn les desrobe, car ils sont larrons au dernier

point, il se faut passer de manger, s'ils les retrouuent; ils ne font

pas pour cela grande chere, le matin ils detrempent vn peu de cette

farine auec de l'eau, & chacun en mange enuiron vne ecuellée; là dessus

ils ioüent de leur auiron tout le iour & sur la nuit: ils mangent

comme [334] au point du iour, c'est la vie que doiuent mener nos Peres

iusques à ce qu'ils soient arriués au païs de ces barbares, où estants,

ils se feront bastir vne maison d'escorce, dans laquelle ils viuront du

bled & de farine d'inde, de poisson en certain temps: pour la chair,

comme il n'y a point de chasse ou ils sont, ils n'en mangent pas six

fois l'an, s'ils ne veulent manger leurs chiens, comme fait le peuple

qui en nourrit, comme on fait des moutons en Frãce; leur boisson c'est

de l'eau. Voila les delices du païs, pour les sains & pour les malades,

le pain, le vin, les diuerses sortes de viandes, les fruits, & mille

raffraichissements qui sõt en France, ne sont point encore entrés dans

ces contrées.

 

They have three hundred leagues to make over a route full of

horrors, as it is described by the Hurons; on their way down,

they hide meal every two days, to eat on their return, and these

hiding-places are the only hotels they have. If they fail to find

them, or if some one robs them, for they are the worst kind of

thieves, they must get along without eating. If they do find their

provisions, they cannot feast very sumptuously upon them. In the

morning they mix a little of this meal with water, and each one

eats about a bowlful of it; upon this they ply their paddles all

day, and at nightfall they eat as [334] they did at break of day.

This is the kind of life that our Fathers must lead until they

reach the country of these barbarians. When they arrive, they will

build themselves a bark house, and there they will live on wheat,

and cornmeal, and, in certain seasons, on fish. As for meat, there

being no hunting where they are, they will not eat it six times a

year, unless they eat their dogs, as the people do, who raise these

animals as they do sheep in France; their drink will be water.

So these are the delicacies of the country for well people and

sick,--bread, wine, different kinds of meat, fruit, and a thousand

refreshing viands found in France not yet having been introduced

into these countries.

 

La mõnoye dõt ils acheteront leurs viures, leur bois, leur maisõ

d'écorce, & autres necessités, sont des petits canons ou tuiaux de

verre, des couteaux, des alesnes, des castelognes, des chaudieres, des

haches: & choses semblables, c'est l'argent qu'il faut porter auec soy:

si la paix se fait entre les Hurons, & les Hiroquois, ie preuoy vne

grande porte ouuerte à l'Euangile, [33 i.e., 335] nous disons alors

auec ioye & auec tristesse _messis, quidem multa operarij vero pauci_:

car on ver[r]a la disette de personnes qui entendent les langues.

I'apprend qu'en 25 ou 30 lieuës de pays qu'occupent les Hurons,

d'autres en mettent bien moins; il se trouue plus de trente mille

ames, la nation neutre est bien plus peuplée, les Hiroquois le sont

grandement, les Algonquains ont vn pays de fort grande estenduë. Ie

ne souhaitterois maintenant que cinq ou six de nos Peres en chaqu'vne

de ces nations, & cependant ie n'oserois les demander quoy que pour

vn qu'on desire, il s'en presente dix toute prests de mourir dans ces

trois: mais i'apprend que tout ce que nous auons en France pour cette

mission est peu: comme donc prendrons nous les enfans, notamment de

ces nations peuplées, pour les nourrir & les instruire, las! faut il

que les biens de la terre, empeschent les biens du Ciel! que n'auons

nous tant seulement les mies de pain qui tombent de la table des riches

du monde, pour donner à ces petits enfans! Ie ne me plains [336]

point, ie ne demande rien à qui que ce soit: mais ie ne puis tenir mes

sentiments, quand ie voy que la fange (que sont autres choses les biens

d'icy bas) empesche que Dieu ne soit conneu & adoré de ces peuples. Et

si quelqu'vn trouue estrange que ie parle en cette sorte, qu'il vienne,

qu'il ouure les yeux, qu'ils voyent ces peuples crier apres le pain de

la parole de Dieu, & s'il n'est touché de compassion, & s'il ne crie

plus haut que moy, ie me condam[ne]ray à vn perpetuel silence.

 

The money with which they will buy their food, wood, bark house,

and other necessaries, is little beads or tubes of glass, knives,

awls, blankets, kettles, hatchets, and similar things; this is the

money they must carry with them. If peace is negotiated between the

Hurons and Hiroquois, I foresee a splendid opening for the Gospel.

[33 i.e., 335] We can say then with joy and with sadness, _messis,

quidem multa operarii vero pauci_, for we shall see few persons

who understand these languages. I learn that in the 25 or 30

leagues of country which the Hurons occupy,--others estimate it at

much less,--there are more than thirty thousand souls. The neutral

nation is much more populous, the Hiroquois largely so, and the

Algonquains have a country of very great extent. I would like to

have now only five or six of our Fathers in each of these nations;

and yet I would not dare to ask for them, although for one that we

desire ten would volunteer, all ready to die in these countries.

But I learn that all we have in France for this mission is little;

how then shall we take the children, especially those of these

populous nations, to maintain and instruct them? Alas, must it be

that the goods of this world are a barrier to the blessings of

Heaven? Oh, that we had only the crumbs of bread that fall from the

tables of the rich of the world, to give to these little children!

I do not [336] complain, I ask nothing from any one whomsoever; but

I cannot restrain my emotion when I see that dirt (for what else is

wealth here below?) prevents these people from knowing and adoring

God. And if any one thinks it strange that I speak in this way, let

him come, let him open his eyes, let him see these people crying

for the bread of the word of God; and, if he is not touched with

compassion, and if he does not cry louder than I do, I will condemn

myself to perpetual silence.

 

Le troisiesme d'Aoust Monsieur de Champlain retournant des trois

Riuieres où il estoit allé apres le depart de nos Peres, nous dit

qu'vn truchement François pour la nation Algonquine venant d'auec

les Hurons, auoit rapporté nouuelle que le Pere Brebeuf souffroit

grãdement, que ses Sauuages estoient malades, qu'il ramoit incessamment

pour les soulager: que le Pere Daniel estoit mort de faim, où en grand

danger d'en mourir, à raison que les Sauuages qui l'ont embarqué

quittans le chemin ordinaire où ils auoient faict les chaches [337] de

leurs viures, auoient tiré dans les bois, esperant trouuer vne certaine

nation qui leur dõneroit à manger, mais n'ayant point trouué ce peuple

errant qui s'estoit transporté ailleurs, on conjecture qu'ils sont

tous, Sauuages & François en danger de mort; veu mesmement qu'il n'y a

point de chasse en ce quartier là, & que la pluspart de ces Barbares

sont malades, Dieu soit beny de tout. Ceux qui meurent allants au

martyre, ne laissent pas d'estre martyrs. Quand au Pere Dauost, il se

porte bien; mais les Sauuages qui le menent luy ont desrobé vne partie

de son bagage; i'ay desia dit qu'estre Huron & Larron, ce n'est qu'vne

mesme chose; voila ce qu'a rapporté ce truchement. Les Peres nous

escrirons l'an qui vient, s'il plaist à Dieu, toutes les particularitez

de leur voyage, nous ne sçaurions pas auoir de leurs nouuelles deuant

ce temps-là: si leur petit equipage est perdu ou volé, ils sont pour

beaucoup endurer en ces contrée[s], si esloignées de tout secours.

 

On the third of August, Monsieur de Champlain, having returned from

three Rivers, where he had gone after the departure of our Fathers,

told us that a French interpreter for the Algonquin nation had come

from the Hurons and brought the tidings that Father Brebeuf was

suffering greatly; that his Savages were sick, and that he had to

paddle continually, to relieve them; that Father Daniel had died

of starvation, or was in great danger of dying, because the Savages

who had taken him on board had left the usual route, where they

had hidden [337] their food, and had turned off into the woods,

hoping to find a certain tribe who would give them something to

eat; but, not having found these wandering people, who had gone to

some other place, they supposed that they all, Savages and French,

were in danger of death, especially as there is no game in that

quarter, and as the greater part of these Barbarians are sick.

God be praised for all. Those who die on the way to martyrdom are

surely martyrs. As to Father Davost, he is getting along very well,

but the Savages who are taking him have stolen part of his baggage;

I have already said that to be a Huron, and to be a Thief, is one

and the same thing. So much for what this interpreter reported. The

Fathers will write us next year, please God, all the particulars of

their journey; but we cannot have news from them before that time.

If their little outfit is lost or stolen, they will have to endure

a great deal in those countries, so far from all help.

 

Le quatrième, Monsieur du Plessis descendit des trois Riuieres comme

ie [338] l'allay saluër, il me dit qu'il nous amenoit vn petit Sauuage

orphelin, nous en faisant present, pour luy seruir de pere; si tost

qu'on aura moyen de recueillir ces pauures enfans, on en pourra auoir

quelque nombre, qui seruiront par apres à la conuersion de leurs

Compatriottes. Il nous dit encore qu'on trauailloit fort & ferme au

lieu nommé les trois Riuieres, si bien que nos François ont maintenant

trois habitations sur le grand fleuue de sainct Laurens, vne à Kebec

fortifiée de nouueau, l'autre à quinze lieuës plus haut dans l'Isle

de saincte Croix, où Monsieur de Champlain a faict bastir le fort de

Richelieu. La troisiéme demeure se bastit aux trois Riuieres, quinze

autres lieuës plus haut, c'est à dire a trente lieuës de Kebec.

Incontinent apres le depart des vaisseaux, le Pere Iacques Buteux & moy

irons là demeurer pour assister nos François, les nouuelles habitations

estant ordinairement dangereuses, ie n'ay pas veu qu'il fut à propos

d'y exposer le Pere Charles Lallemant, ny autres, le Pere Buteux y

vient auec moy [339] pour estudier à la langue.

 

On the fourth, Monsieur du Plessis came down from three Rivers.

As I [338] went to greet him, he told me that he had brought us

a little orphan Savage, making a present of him to us, to take

the place of his father. As soon as we shall have the means for

gathering in these poor children, we shall have a number of them

who will afterwards serve in the conversion of their Compatriots.

He also told us that they were working with might and main in the

place called the three Rivers; so, indeed, our French now have

three settlements upon the great river saint Lawrence,--one at

Kebec, newly fortified; another fifteen leagues farther up the

river, on the Island of sainte Croix, where Monsieur de Champlain

has had fort Richelieu built;[13] the third colony is being

established at three Rivers, fifteen leagues still higher up the

river, that is to say thirty leagues from Kebec. Immediately after

the departure of the vessels, Father Jacques Buteux and I will go

there to live, to assist our French. As new settlements are usually

dangerous, it has not seemed to me proper to expose Father Charles

Lallemant or others there. Father Buteux goes there with me [339] to study the language.