The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents 9

The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents 9

In the fourth place, wishing to have sport at my expense, he

sometimes made me write vulgar things in his language, assuring

me there was nothing bad in them, then made me pronounce these

shameful words, which I did not understand, in the presence of the

Savages. Some women having warned me of this trick, I told him I

would no longer soil my paper nor my [204] lips with these vile

words. He insisted, however, that I should read before all those

of the cabin, and some Savages who had come thither, something he

had dictated to me. I answered him that, if the Apostate would

interpret them to me, I would read them. That Renegade refusing to

do this, I refused to read. The Sorcerer commanded me imperiously,

that is, with high words, and I at first begged him gently to

excuse me; but as he did not wish to be thwarted before the

Savages, he persisted in urging me, and had my host, who pretended

to be vexed, urge me also. At last, aware that my excuses were of

no avail, I spoke to him peremptorily, and, after reproaching him

for his lewdness, I addressed him in these words: "Thou hast me in

thy power, thou canst murder me, but thou canst not force me to

repeat indecent words." "They are not such," he said. "Why then,"

said I, "will they not interpret them to me?" He emerged from this

conflict very much exasperated.

 

En cinquiesme lieu, voyant que mon [205] hoste m'aymoit, il eut peur

que cet amour ne le priuast de quelque friand morceau, ie taschay de

luy oster ceste apprehension, témoignant publiquement que ie ne viuois

pas pour manger, mais que ie mangeois pour viure, & qu'il importoit

peu quoy qu'on me donnast, pourueu que i'en eusse assez pour ne point

mourir: il me repartit nettement, qu'il n'estoit pas de mon aduis, mais

qu'il faisoit profession d'estre friand, d'aymer les bons morceaux, &

qu'on l'obligeoit fort quand on luy en presentoit: or iaçoit que mon

hoste ne luy donnast aucun sujet de craindre en cet endroit, si est ce

qu'il m'attaquoit quasi en tous les repas, comme s'il eut eu peur de

perdre la preseance, ceste apprehension augmentoit sa haine.

 

In the fifth place, seeing that my [205] host was greatly attached

to me, he was afraid that this friendliness might deprive him of

some choice morsel. I tried to relieve him of this apprehension

by stating publicly that I did not live to eat, but that I ate to

live; and that it mattered little what they gave me, provided it

was enough to keep me alive. He retorted sharply that he was not of

my opinion, but that he made a profession of being dainty; that he

was fond of the good pieces, and was very much obliged when people

gave them to him. Now although my host gave him no cause for fear

in this direction, yet he attacked me at almost every meal as if he

were afraid of losing his precedence. This apprehension increased

his hatred.

 

En sixiesme lieu, comme il voyoit que les Sauuages des autres cabanes

me portoient quelque respect, cognoissant d'ailleurs que i'estois grand

ennemy de ses impostures, & que si i'entrois dans l'esprit de ses

oüailles, que ie le perdrois de fond en comble, il faisoit son possible

pour me détruire, & pour me rendre ridicule en la creance de son peuple.

 

In the sixth place, when he saw that the Savages of the other

cabins showed me some respect, knowing besides that I was a great

enemy of his impostures, and that, if I gained influence among his

flock, I would ruin him completely, he did all he could to destroy

me and to make me appear ridiculous in the eyes of his people.

 

[206] En septiesme lieu, adioustez à tout cecy l'auersion que luy &

tous les Sauuages de Tadoussac ont eu iusques icy des François depuis

le commerce des Anglois, & coniecturez quel traictement ie peux auoir

receu de ces Barbares, qui adorent ce miserable Sorcier, contre lequel

le plus souuent i'auois guerre declarée. I'ay creu cent fois que ie ne

sortirois iamais de ceste meslée que par les portes de la mort. Il m'a

traité fort indignement, il est vray, mais ie m'estonne qu'il n'a pis

fait, veu qu'il est idolatre de ces superstitiõs, que ie combattois

de toutes mes forces. De raconter par le menu toutes ses attaques,

ses risées, ses gausseries, ses mépris, ie ferois vn Liure pour vn

Chapitre, suffit de dire qu'il s'attaquoit mesme par fois à Dieu pour

me déplaire, & qu'il s'efforçoit de me rendre la risée des petits &

des grands, me décriant dans les autres cabanes aussi bien que dans la

nostre, il n'eut neantmoins iamais le credit d'animer contre moy les

Sauuages nos voisins, ils baissoient la teste quand ils entendoient

les benedictiõs qu'il me donnoit. Pour les domestiques incitez par

[207] son exemple, & appuyez de son authorité, ils me chargeoient

incessamment de mille brocards, & de mille injures, ie me suis veu en

tel estat, que pour ne les aigrir, ou ne leur donner occasion de se

fascher, ie passois les iours entiers sans ouurir la bouche. Croyez

moy si ie n'ay rapporté autre fruict des Sauuages, i'ay pour le moins

appris beaucoup d'injures en leur langue, ils me disoient à tout

bout de champ _eca titou, eca titou nama_ k_hitirinisin_, tais toy,

tais toy, tu n'as point d'esprit. _Achineou_, il est orgueilleux,

_Moucachtechiou_, il fait du compagnon, _sasegau_ il est superbe,

_cou attimou_ il ressemble à vn Chien, _cou mascoua_ il ressemble à

vn Ours, _cou ouabouchou ouichtoui_ il est barbu comme vn Lieure,

_attimonai ou_k_himau_ il est Capitaine des Chiens, _cou oucousimas

ouchtigonan_ il a la teste faite comme vn citroüille, _matchiriniou_

il est difforme, il est laid, k_hichcouebeon_ il est yure; voila les

couleurs dont ils me peignoient, & de quantité d'autres que i'obmets:

le bon est qu'ils ne pensoient pas quelquesfois que ie les entendisse,

& me voyans sous-rire ils demeuroient confus, du moins ceux qui ne

chantoiẽt [208] ces airs que pour complaire au Sorcier: les enfans

m'estoient fort importuns me faisans mille niches, m'imposans silence

quand ie voulois parler. Quand mon hoste estoit au logis i'auois

quelque relache, & quand le Sorcier s'absentoit i'estois dans la bonace

maniant les grands & les petits quasi comme ie voulois. Voila vne bonne

partie des choses qu'on doit souffrir parmy ces peuples: cecy ne doit

épouuenter personne, les bons soldats s'animent à la veuë de leur sang

& de leurs playes, Dieu est plus grand que nostre cœur, on ne tombe pas

tousiours dans la famine, on ne rencontre pas tousiours des Sorciers,

ou des iongleurs de l'humeur de celuy-cy: en vn mot si nous pouuions

sçauoir la langue & la reduire en preceptes il ne seroit plus de besoin

de suiure ces Barbares. Pour les nations stables, d'où nous attendons

le plus grand fruict, nous pouuons auoir nostre cabane à part, & par

consequent nous deliurer d'vne partie de ces grandes incommoditez: mais

finissons ce Chapitre, autrement ie me voy en danger d'estre aussi

importun que cet imposteur [209] que ie recommande aux prieres de

tous ceux qui liront cecy, ie coucheray au Chapitre suiuant quelques

entretiens que i'ay eu auec luy, lors que nous estions dans quelque

tréue.

 

[206] In the seventh place, add to all these things the aversion

which he and all the Savages of Tadoussac had, up to the present

time, against the French, since their intercourse with the

English; and judge what treatment I might have received from these

Barbarians, who adore this miserable Sorcerer, against whom I was

generally in a state of open warfare. I thought a hundred times

that I should only emerge from this conflict through the gates of

death. He treated me shamefully, it is true; but I am astonished

that he did not act worse, seeing that he is an idolater of those

superstitions which I was fighting with all my might. To relate

in detail all his attacks, gibes, sneers, and contempt, I would

write a Book instead of a Chapter. Suffice it to say, that he

sometimes even attacked God to displease me; and that he tried

to make me the laughingstock of small and great, abusing me in

the other cabins as well as in ours. He never had, however, the

satisfaction of inciting our neighboring Savages against me; they

merely hung their heads when they heard the blessings he showered

upon me. As to the servants, instigated by [207] his example,

and supported by his authority, they continually heaped upon me

a thousand taunts and a thousand insults; and I was reduced to

such a state, that, in order not to irritate them or give them

any occasion to get angry, I passed whole days without opening my

mouth. Believe me, if I have brought back no other fruits from the

Savages, I have at least learned many of the insulting words of

their language. They were saying to me at every turn, _eca titou,

eca titou nama khitirinisin_, "Shut up, shut up, thou hast no

sense." _Achineou_, "He is proud;" _Moucachtechiou_, "He plays the

parasite;" _sasegau_, "He is haughty;" _cou attimou_, "He looks

like a Dog;" _cou mascoua_, "He looks like a Bear;" _cou ouabouchou

ouichtoui_, "He is bearded like a Hare;" _attimonai oukhimau_, "He

is Captain of the Dogs;" _cou oucousimas ouchtigonan_, "He has a

head like a pumpkin;" _matchiriniou_, "He is deformed, he is ugly;"

_khichcouebeon_, "He is drunk." So these are the colors in which

they paint me, and a multitude of others, which I omit. The best

part of it was that they did not think sometimes that I understood

them; and, seeing me smile, they became embarrassed,--at least,

those who sang [208] these songs only to please the Sorcerer. The

children were very troublesome, playing numberless tricks upon me,

and imposing silence when I wanted to talk. When my host was at

home, I had some rest; and, when the Sorcerer was absent, I was in

smooth water, managing both great and small just as I wished. So

these are some of the things that have to be endured among these

people. This must not frighten any one; good soldiers are animated

with courage at the sight of their blood and their wounds, and God

is greater than our hearts. One does not always encounter a famine;

one does not always meet Sorcerers or jugglers with so bad a temper

as that one had; in a word, if we could understand the language,

and reduce it to rules, there would be no more need of following

these Barbarians. As to the stationary tribes, from which we expect

the greatest fruit, we can have our cabins apart, and consequently

be freed from many of these great inconveniences. But let us finish

this Chapter; otherwise I see myself in danger of becoming as

troublesome as that impostor, [209] whom I commend to the prayers

of all those who will read this. I shall set down in the following

Chapter some conversations I had with him when we were enjoying a

truce.

 

 

 

 

CHAPITRE XIII.

 

CONTENANT VN IOURNAL DES CHOSES QUI N'ONT PEU ESTRE COUCHÉES SOUS LES

CHAPITRES PRECEDENS.

 

 

SI ce Chapitre estoit le premier dans ceste relation, il donneroit

quelque lumiere à tous les suiuans: mais ie luy ay donné le dernier

rang, pource qu'il se grossira tous les iours iusques au depart des

vaisseaux, par le rencontre des choses plus remarquables qui pourront

arriuer, n'estant qu'vn memoire en forme de Iournal, de tout ce qui n'a

peu estre logé dans les Chapitres precedens.

 

CHAPTER XIII.

 

CONTAINING A JOURNAL OF THINGS WHICH COULD NOT BE SET FORTH IN THE

PRECEDING CHAPTERS.

 

 

IF this Chapter were the first in this relation, it would throw

some light upon all the following ones; but I have given it

the last place, because it will continue to increase every day

until the departure of the ships, through the occurrence of more

noteworthy events which may happen. It is only a memoir, in the

form of a Journal, of all the things that could not be given in the

preceding Chapters.