In the following year, Daniel returned to this fort, and settled certain disorders that had arisen during his absence. It is not definitely known how long the garrison was kept here; but, when De Caen took possession of Canada (1632), the Jesuits Davost and Antoine Daniel also came to Cape Breton (probably with Charles, the latter's brother), and carried on the mission begun by Vimont. Denys, a few years later, had an important settlement at St. Anne's.
47(p.243).—Vimont remained at Cape Breton but a year, and did not return to Canada until 1639. A sketch of his life will appear hereafter.
48(p.247).—Gabriel Sagard Theodat, a lay brother, was one of the Récollet missionaries to Canada, where he arrived June 24, 1623, in company with Father Nicholas Viel. He states, in hisCanada, p. 11, that he desired to go on this mission in 1615, at which time he was in a Récollet convent in Paris; but his superiors would not then consent. Sagard's missionary labors were among the Hurons, with whom he remained nearly one year; returning then to France, he wrote and published two books,—Grand voyage du pays des Hurons(Paris, 1632), andHistoire du Canada(Paris, 1636). In these works he minutely describes the customs, social condition, religion, etc., of the Indian tribes; and gives a history of the missionary labors of the Récollets, up to their expulsion in 1629. To theGrand Voyagehe appends a dictionary of the Huron language. He died in 1650.
There is some confusion among historians in regard to the dates of Sagard's sojourn in New France, which apparently arises from his own inaccuracy of statement, or possibly from a typographical error. In hisHistoire(Tross ed., 1866), p. 115, he says that he left France in 1623; but, in theGrand Voyage(Tross ed., 1865), p. 5, he gives the year as "vingt-quatre;" while, in the former work, p. 759, he gives in full the letter of his provincial recalling him to France, dated March 9, 1625. Champlain, however, says that Sagard arrived at Quebec in June, 1623, and returned from the Huron country in July, 1624.
Sagard's works are rare, and command high prices. Brunet says (in Michaud'sBiog. Univ.) that five and even eight guineas were paid for a copy at public sales in London; and that, in France, one was valued in 1851 at 210 francs. Chevalier says, in his edition of theHistoire(Paris, 1866), p. iii.,note, that 1,200 francs had in vain been offered for a copy of that work. Gagnon (Bibliog. Canad.) states that a copy brought $38 at the Fraser sale in Quebec, 1860; and that one had been offered by a Paris bookseller, in 1890, for 1,200 francs.
49(p.247).—Father Felix Martin was born Oct. 4, 1804, at Auray, in Bretagne, France; in September, 1823, he became a novice in the Jesuit order, entering the convent of Montrouge, at Paris. During nearly twenty years, he was employed in various colleges and missions throughout Western Europe; and, early in 1842, was sent to Canada. There he labored, especially in Montreal, until August, 1851, when he became the first rector of St. Mary's College in that city; he was its founder, and the designer of its building. In this position he remained until 1857, when he became superior of the residence at Quebec. Four years later, he returned to France, where he was, successively, rector of St. Francis Xavier's college atVannes, and superior at Poitiers and Rouen. He died at Paris, Nov. 25, 1892.
Father Martin published (Montreal, 1852) a French translation of Bressani'sBreve Relatione(1653), accompanied by explanatory notes and a biographical sketch of Bressani. Later, he wrote the lives of Jogues, Brébeuf, and other early missionaries; and, in 1886, a biography of his sister, Mother St. Stanislas, a French nun. He was also noted as an antiquarian and collector, especially in regard to the JesuitRelationsand the history of Canada. Carayon'sPremière Mission des Jésuites au Canada(Paris, 1864), described in Bibliographical Data for Doc. xiii. in vol. iii., p. 285, a valuable collection of documents, all of which are embodied in our series, consists of manuscripts collected by Father Martin, chiefly in 1858, while on a visit to Europe.
Transcriber's Note.Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained. Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently repaired.Corrections.The first line indicates the original, the second the correction.p.58:il ne luy peut iamais defracineril ne luy peut iamaisdesracinerp.138:Femmes Candoises peu fecondes à cause de leurs trauaux continuels.FemmesCanadoisespeu fecondes à cause de leurs trauaux continuels.p.268:from a nomadic to a sendentary lifefrom a nomadic to asedentarylifeErrata.The first line indicates the original, the second how it should read.p.8:nostre Capitaine de tous tous costés,nostre Capitaine detouscostés,p.22:la chaloupe se trouua conpetemmentla chaloupe se trouuacompletemmentp.42:qu'il estoit estoit indigne que les Angloisqu'ilestoitindigne que les Angloisp.126:Canadois ont honne memoire des choses sensibles.Canadois ontbonnememoire des choses sensibles.p.162:cause de de la perte de S. Sauueur.causedela perte de S. Sauueur.
Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained. Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently repaired.
The first line indicates the original, the second the correction.
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The first line indicates the original, the second how it should read.
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