The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents 30

The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents 30

On the first of July, Father Brebœuf and Father Daniel left in a

bark to go to three Rivers, there to wait for the Hurons. This

bark was destined to begin a new settlement in that quarter.

Father Davost, who had come down from Tadoussac for the assistance

of our French, followed our Fathers three days later in company

with Monsieur the General, who wanted to meet these people at the

trading post.[11] They waited there some time for the Hurons, who

did not come down in so great numbers this year as usual; because

the Hiroquois, having been informed that five hundred men of this

nation were moving toward their country to make war upon them,

themselves went on ahead to the number of fifteen hundred, it is

said; and, having surprised those who were to surprise them, they

killed about two hundred of them, and took more than one hundred

prisoners, Louys Amantacha[12] being one of the number. They said

his father was put to death, but the report is now that he escaped

the hands of the enemy. We were told that these triumphant [327]

Hiroquois sent some Captains to the Hurons to treat for peace,

retaining the most prominent ones in their possession after having

cruelly massacred the others.

 

Cette perte a esté cause que les Hurons sont venus en petites trouppes,

au commencement ils ne sont descendus que sept Canots: Le Pere Brebœuf

en ayant eu nouuelle, les aborde, & fait tout ce qu'il peut pour les

engager à le receuoir, & ses compagnons, & les porter en leur pays,

ils s'y accordent volontiers. Là dessus [328] vn Capitaine Algonquain,

nommé la Perdrix, qui demeure en ville, fit vne harangue, par laquelle

il recommandoit qu'on n'embarquast aucun François: Voila les Hurons qui

doiuent passer par le pays de ce Capitaine, à leur retour entierement

refroidis: sur ces entrefaites arriue Monsieur du Plessis, tout cecy se

passoit en vn lieu nommé les trois Riuieres, trente lieuës plus haut

que Kebec; comme il desiroit ardemment que nos Peres penetrassent dans

ces nations, il fit assembler les Algonquains en Conseil, notamment

ce Capitaine, pour luy faire rendre raison de sa deffence; il en

apporte plusieurs, on luy satisfaict sur le chãp, il insistoit, comme

ie le conjecture, des lettres du Pere Brebœuf, sur le desordre qui

arriueroit, au cas que quelque François mourut aux Hurons; on luy

repart que les Peres n'estans point en son pays, la paix entre les

François, & ses Compatriotes, ne seroit point rompue, quoy qu'ils

mourussent d'vne mort naturelle ou violente. Voila les Algonquains

contents: mais les Hurons commencerent à s'excuser sur leur [329] petit

nombre, qui ne sçauroit passer tant de François sur la petitesse de

leurs Canots, & sur leurs maladies; en vn mot ils eussent bien voulu

embarquer quelques François bien armez, mais non pas de ces longues

robbes, qui ne portent point d'arquebuses. Monsieur du Plessis presse

tant qu'il peut, prent nostre cause en main, on trouue place pour

quelques vns; vn certain Sauuage s'adresse au Pere, & luy dit, fais moy

traiter mon petun pour de la porcelaine, & mon Canot estant deschargé;

ie prendray vn François, le Pere n'en auoit point, mais Monsieur du

Plessis sçachãt cela, & Monsieur de l'Espinay acheterent ce petun;

voila donc place pour six personnes, quand se vint à s'embarquer, les

Sauuages qui estoient malades en effect, disent qu'ils n'en sçauroient

porter que trois, deux ieunes hommes Frãçois, & vn Pere; les Peres

promettẽt qu'ils rameront, ils font des presents, Monsieur du Plessis

en fait aussi, insiste tant qu'il peut, ils n'en veulent point receuoir

dauantage.

 

This loss caused the Hurons to come in small bands, only seven

Canoes coming down at first. When Father Brebœuf heard of their

arrival, he went to them, and did all he could to make them

promise to receive him and his companions, and take them to their

country; this they willingly granted. Thereupon [328] an Algonquain

Captain, called the Partridge, who lives in the town, made a

speech recommending them not to take any Frenchmen on board. Now

these Hurons, who had to pass through the country of this Captain

on their return, became very cold, and at this point Monsieur du

Plessis arrived. All this had occurred at a place called the three

Rivers, thirty leagues farther up the river than Kebec. As he was

very anxious to have our Fathers penetrate into these nations, he

had the Algonquains assembled in Council, especially this Captain,

to have him explain the reason of his opposition. He brought forth

several arguments, which they answered for him at once; he dwelt,

as I judge from Father Brebœuf's letters, upon the trouble that

would occur in case some Frenchman should die among the Hurons.

He was told that, as the Fathers would not be in his country,

the peace between the French and his Compatriots would not be

disturbed, whether their death were a natural or a violent one. So

now the Algonquains were satisfied; but the Hurons began to excuse

themselves on account of the [329] small number of their men, who

could not carry so many Frenchmen; also on account of their small

Canoes and the presence of sickness among them. In a word, they

would have been very willing to take on board some Frenchmen who

were well armed; but they did not want these long robes, who carried

no guns. Monsieur du Plessis became urgent, pressing our cause

with all the power he had; they find a place for a few. A certain

Savage, addressing the Father, said, "Arrange for me to trade my

tobacco for porcelain; and, my Canoe being unloaded, I will take

one Frenchman." The Father had none of this; but, when Monsieur du

Plessis and Monsieur de l'Espinay[5] heard of it, they bought his

tobacco, and this made a place for six persons. When they came to

embark, the Savages, who were, in fact, sick, said they could not

carry more than three,--two young Frenchmen, and one Father. The

Fathers promised that they would paddle; they made presents, and

Monsieur du Plessis made some also and urged them as strongly as he

could; they would not receive any more.

 

Le Pere Brebœuf a recours à Dieu, [330] voicy comme il parle en sa

lettre: Iamais ie ne veys embarquement tant balotté & plus trauersé

par les menées, comme ie croy de l'ennemy commun du salut des hommes,

c'est vn coup du Ciel que nous soyons passé outre, & en effect du

pouuoir du Glorieux sainct Ioseph, auquel Dieu m'inspira dans le

desespoir de toutes choses, de promettre 20. sacrifices en son

honneur; ce veu fait, le Sauuage qui auoit embarqué Petit Pré, l'vn

de nos François, le quitta pour me prendre, veu mesme que Monsieur du

Plessis insistoit fort que cela se fist. Et ainsi le Pere Brebœuf,

le Pere Daniel, & vn ieune homme nommé le Baron, furent acceptez de

ces Barbares qui les portent en leur pays dans des Canots d'escorce.

Restoient le Pere Dauost, & cinq de nos François, ne demandez pas si

le Pere estoit triste: voyant partir ses compagnons sans luy, & sans

quasi rien porter des choses necessaires pour leur vie, & pour leurs

habits: De verité ils ont monstré qu'ils auoient vn grand cœur! car le

desir d'entrer dans le pays de la Croix, leur fit quitter leur petit

bagage, pour ne point chercher [331] leurs Sauuages qui se trouuoient

mal, se contentants des ornements de l'Autel, & se confiant du reste

en la prouidence de nostre Seigneur, leur depart de trois Riuieres fut

si precipité, qu'ils ne peurent pas nous rescrire: mais estant arriuez

au lõg Sault, à quelque quatre vingts lieuës de Kebec, & rencontrant

des Hurons qui descendoient, ils nous enuoyerent quelques lettres, dans

l'vne desquelles le Pere Brebœuf ayant raconté les difficultez de son

embarquement, parle ainsi: Ie prie V. R. de remercier, mais de bonne

façon Monsieur du Plessis, auquel apres Dieu nous deuons grandement en

nostre embarquement: car outre les presents qu'il a fait aux Sauuages,

tant publics que particuliers, & la Porcelaine qu'il a traittée, il

a tenu autant de conseils que nous auons desiré, il nous a fourny de

viures au depart, & nous a honorez de plusieurs coups de Canon; & le

tout auec vn grand soing & vn tesmoignage d'vne tres-particuliere

affection.

 

Father Brebœuf has recourse to God; [330] this is the way he speaks

of it in his letter: "Never did I see an embarkation about which

there was so much quibbling and opposition, through the tactics,

as I believe, of the common enemy of man's salvation. It was by a

Providential chance that we were taken, and through the power of

the Glorious saint Joseph, to whom God inspired me to offer, in

my despair of all things, the promise of 20 masses in his honor.

After this vow was made, the Savage who had taken on board Petit

Pré, one of our Frenchmen, gave him up to receive me, especially as

Monsieur du Plessis insisted strongly that this should be done."

And thus Father Brebœuf, Father Daniel, and a young man named le

Baron were accepted by these Barbarians, who carried them into

their country in bark Canoes. There remained Father Davost and

five of our Frenchmen. Do not ask if the Father was sad at thus

seeing his companions depart without him, almost without taking

the necessaries of life, or their clothing. In truth, they have

shown that they possess a generous heart! For the desire to go into

the country of the Cross made them leave their little baggage, in

order not to irritate [331] their Savages, who were ill, contenting

themselves merely with the Altar ornaments, and trusting the

rest to the providence of our Lord. Their departure from three

Rivers was so hurried that they could not write to us; but when

they reached the long Sault, some twenty-four leagues from Kebec,

they encountered some Hurons who were coming down the river, and

sent us letters, in one of which Father Brebœuf, having recounted

the difficulties of his embarkation, speaks thus: "I beg Your

Reverence to express our warmest thanks to Monsieur du Plessis,

to whom, after God, we are greatly indebted for our embarkation.

For--besides the presents he made to the Savages, publicly and

privately, and the Porcelain he traded--he held as many councils

as we desired, furnished us with provisions at our departure, and

honored us with several Cannon salutes; and all with great care,

and an appearance of very special interest in us."

 

Nous nous en allons à petites iournées bien sains, quand à nous, mais

nos Sauuages sont tous malades, nous ramons [332] continuellement, &

ce d'autant plus que nos gens sont malades pour Dieu & pour les ames

racheptés du sang du Fils de Dieu, que ne faut-il faire! tous nos

Sauuages sõt tres-cõtents de nous, & ne voudroiẽt pas en auoir embarqué

d'autres; ils disent tant de biẽ de nous à ceux qu'ils rẽcõtrent,

qu'ils leurs persuadent de n'en embarquer point d'autres, Dieu soit

beny. V. R. excuse à l'escriture & l'ordre, & le tout: nous partons si

matin, gistons si tard, & ramons si continuellement, que nous n'auons

quasi pas le loisir de satisfaire à nos prieres; de sorte qu'il m'a

fallu acheuer la presente à la lueur du feu, ce sont les propres

paroles du Pere, qui adjouste en vn autre endroit, que les peuples par

où ils passent sont quasi tous malades, & meurent en grand nombre. Il y

a eu quelque espece d'Epidimie cette année, qui s'est mesme communiquée

aux François, mais Dieu mercy personne n'en est mort, c'estoit vne

façon de rougeolle, & vne oppression d'estomach; reuenons aux trois

Riuieres.

 

"We are going on by short stages, quite well, as far as we are

concerned; but our Savages are all sick. We paddle [332] all the

time, and do this the more because our people are sick. What ought

not to be done for God, and for souls redeemed by the blood of

the son of God! All our Savages are very much pleased with us,

and would not have cared to take others on board; they speak well

of us to those whom they meet, persuading them not to embark any

others. God be praised! Your Reverence will excuse this writing,

order and all; we start so early in the morning, and lie down so

late, and paddle so continually, that we hardly have time enough

to devote to our prayers; indeed, I have been obliged to finish

this by the light of the fire." These are the exact words of the

Father, who adds in another place that the people of the countries

through which they pass are nearly all sick, and are dying in

great numbers. There has been a sort of Epidemic this year, which

has even been communicated to the French; but, thank God, no one

has died of it; it is a sort of measles, and an oppression of the

stomach. Let us return to three Rivers.