CHAPITRE V.

On the twenty-fourth of November, the Sorcerer assembled the Savages, and entrenched himself withsome robes and blankets in one quarter of the Cabin, so that neither he nor his companions could be seen. There was a woman with them, who marked on a triangular stick, half a spear in length, all the songs they recited. I [83] begged a woman to tell me what they were doing in this enclosure, and she answered me that they were praying; but I believe she made this response because, when I prayed and they asked me what I was doing, I told them,Nataïamihiau missi ca Khichitât, "I am praying to him who made all things;" and so when they sang, when they howled, and beat their drums and their sticks, they told me that they were making prayers, without being able to explain to me to whom they were addressed. The renegade told me that this superstitious rite, which lasted more than five hours, was performed for a dead person; but, as he lies oftener than he tells the truth, I give it for what it is worth. They call this superstitionOuechibouan. After these long orisons, the Sorcerer gave the pattern of a little sack, cut in the form of a leg, to a woman, to make one of leather. This she filled, I thought, with Beaver hair, for I felt the leg and it seemed to me light and full of soft hair. I asked often what it was, [84] and why they made this little crooked sack, but they never told me. I only know that they call itManitoukathi; meaning, leg of the Manitou, or of the Devil; for a long time it was hung in the Cabin, at the place where the Sorcerer was seated; afterward, it was given to a young man to wear hung from his neck. It was one of the accompaniments of these long prayers, which I have just described; but I have not been able to find out for what purpose it was used.

Ils gardent par fois encore vn ieusne fort rigoureux, non pas tous, mais quelques vns qui ont enuie de viure long temps; mon hoste voyant que ie ne mangeois qu'vne fois pendant le Caresme, me dit que quelques vns d'entre eux ieusnoient pour auoir vne longue vie; mais m'adjousta qu'ils se retiroient tous seuls dans vne petite Cabane à part, & que là ils ne beuuoient ny mãgeoient quelquefois huict iours, quelquefois dix iours durant: d'autres m'ont dit qu'ils sortent comme des squelets de cette Cabane, & que208par [85] fois on en rapporte à demy-morts, ie n'ay point veu de ces grands ieusneurs, si bien de grãds disneurs: vray est que ie n'ay point de peine à croire cét excez, car toutes les fausses religions sont pleines de puerilitez, ou d'excés, ou de saletez.

Now and then they observe a very rigorous fast,—not all of them, but certain ones who desire to live a long time. My host, seeing that I ate only once a day during Lent, told me that some of their people fasted in order to have a long life; but he added that they withdrew alone into a little Cabin apart from the others, and while there they neither drank nor ate, sometimes for eight and at other times for ten days; others have told me that they emerge from this Cabin like skeletons, and that sometimes [85] they are brought out half dead. I have not seen any of these great fasters, but I have seen great diners. In truth I have no difficulty in believing in these excesses, for all false religions are full of nonsense, of excesses, or of uncleanness.

I'ay veu faire vne autre deuotion au Sorcier, laquelle, comme ie crois, n'appartient qu'à ceux de sa profession; on luy dresse vne petite Cabane esloignée d'vn jet de pierre ou de deux des autres, il se retire là dedans pour y demeurer seul huict iours, dix iours, ou plus ou moins: Or vous l'entendez iour & nuict crier, hurler, & battre son tambour; mais il n'est pas tellement solitaire, que d'autres ne luy aillent aider à chanter, & que les femmes ne le visitent, c'est là où il se commet de grandes saletez.

I have seen another devotion performed by the Sorcerer, which, I believe, belongs only to those of his profession. They erect for him a little Cabin distant from the others a stone's throw or two, into which he retires to remain there alone eight or ten days, more or less. Now day and night he can be heard crying, howling and beating his drum; but he is not so solitary that others do not go to help him sing, and that the women do not visit him, and it is here that great licentiousness is carried on.

Les Sauuages sont encore fort Religieux enuers leurs morts; mon hoste, & le vieillard dont i'ay souuent faict mention, m'ont confirmé ce que i'ay des-ja escrit vne autrefois, que le corps mort du deffunct ne sort point par la [86] porte ordinaire de la Cabane, ains on leue l'escorce de l'endroict où l'hom[me] est mort, pour faire passer son cadaure.

The Savages are also very Religious in regard to their dead. My host, and the old man of whom I have spoken, confirmed what I have already written before, that the body of the deceased does not go out through the [86] common door of the Cabin, but the bark is raised at the place where the dead man is, in order to make a passageway for the corpse.

De plus, disent ils, l'ame sort par la cheminée, ou par l'ouuerture qu'ils font au haut de leurs todis, ils frappent à coups de baston sur leurs Cabanes, afin que cette ame ne tarde point, & qu'elle ne s'accoste de quelque enfant, car elle le fairoit mourir: ils enterrent les robbes, les chaudieres, & autres meubles auec le trespassé, pource qu'ils l'ayment, & afin aussi qu'il se serue de l'ame de toutes ces choses en l'autre vie. Ils iettent comme i'ay des-ja dit, la meilleure viande qu'ils ayent au feu, pour en donner à manger à l'ame dit deffunct, qui mange l'ame de ces viandes:210ils n'estendent point les corps de leur long comme nous faisons les enseuellissants, mais ils les accroupissent & accourcissent comme vne personne qui est assise sur les talons: ils couppent vn petit touffet de cheueux du deffunct, pour presenter à son plus proche parent. Je n'en sçay [87] pas la raison. Mais faisons vne autre liste de leurs superstitions & de leur ignorance, celles que ie viens de rapporter, concernent en quelque façon leur religion ridicule; les suiuantes le peuuent proprement appeller superstitions.

Furthermore, they say that the soul goes out through the chimney, or at the opening which theymake at the top of their huts. They strike heavy blows with a stick upon the Cabins, that this soul may not delay, and that it may not come near a child, for it would kill it. They bury with the dead man his robes, his kettles, and other belongings, because they love him, and also in order that he may make use of the soul of all these things in the other life. They throw, as I have already said, the best meat they have into the fire, to give something to eat to the soul of the deceased, which eats the soul of this food. They do not stretch out the bodies of their dead lengthwise, as we do those of our dead, but they place them in a crouching position like a person who is seated upon his heels. They cut a little tuft of hair from the dead man to present to his nearest relative. I do not know [87] why they do this. But let us make another list of their superstitions and of their ignorance, as what I have just reported concerns in some manner their ridiculous religion: the following may properly be called superstitions.

Les Sauuages ne iettent point aux chiens les os des Castors, Porcs épics femmelles, du moins certains os determinez; bref ils p[r]ennent garde tres-soigneusement que les chiens ne mangent aucun os des oyseaux & des autres animaux qui se prennent au lacs, autrement ils n'en prendront plus qu'auec des difficultez incomparables: encore y a-il là dedans mille obseruations, car il n'importe que les vertebres ou le croupion de ces animaux soient données aux chiens, pour le reste il faut le jetter au feu; toutefois pour le Castor pris à la rets, c'est le meilleur de ietter ses os dans vn fleuue, c'est chose estrange qu'ils recueillent & ramassent ces os, & les conseruent auec tant de soin, que vous diriez que leur chasse seroit perduë s'ils auoient [88] contreuenu à leurs superstitions: comme ie me mocquois d'eux, & que ie leurs disois que les Castors ne sçauoient pas ce que l'on faisoit de leurs os; ils me respondirent, tu ne sçais pas prendre les Castors, & tu en veux parler: deuant que le Castor soit mort tout à faict, me dirent-ils, son ame vient faire vn tour par la Cabane de celuy qui le tuë, & remarque fort bien ce qu'on fait de ses os; que si on les212donnoit aux chiens, les autres Castors en seroient aduertis: c'est pourquoy ils se rendroient difficiles à prendre, mais ils sont bien aises qu'on iette leurs os au feu, ou dans vn fleuue, la rets notamment qui les a pris en est bien contente. Ie leur dis que les Hiroquois au rapport de celuy qui estoit auec nous, iettoient les os de Castor aux chiens, & cependant qu'ils en prenoient fort souuent, & que nos François prenoient du gibier plus qu'eux (sans comparaison) & que neantmoins nos chiens en mangeoient les os, tu n'as point d'esprit, me firent-ils, ne vois tu pas que vous & les Hiroquois cultiuez la terre [89] & en recueillez les fruicts, & non pas nous, & partant que ce n'est pas la mesme chose: ie me mis à rire entendant cette response impertinente; le mal est que ie ne fais que beguayer, que ie prends vn mot pour l'autre, que ie prononce mal, & ainsi tout s'en va le plus souuent en risee; Que c'est vne grande peine de parler à vn peuple sans l'entendre. De plus, en leurs festins à manger tout, il faut bien prendre garde que les chiens n'en goustent tant soit peu, mais de cecy en vn autre chapitre.

The Savages do not throw to the dogs the bones of female Beavers and Porcupines,—at least, certain specified bones; in short, they are very careful that the dogs do not eat any bones of birds and of other animals which are taken in the net, otherwise they will take no more except with incomparable difficulties. Yet they make a thousand exceptions to this rule, for it does not matter if the vertebræ or rump of these animals be given to the dogs, but the rest must be thrown into the fire. Yet, as to the Beaver which has been taken in a trap, it is best to throw its bones into a river. It is remarkable how they gather and collect these bones, and preserve them with so much care, that you would say their gamewould be lost if they [88] violated their superstitions. As I was laughing at them, and telling them that Beavers do not know what is done with their bones, they answered me, "Thou dost not know how to take Beavers, and thou wishest to talk about it." Before the Beaver was entirely dead, they told me, its soul comes to make the round of the Cabin of him who has killed it, and looks very carefully to see what is done with its bones; if they are given to the dogs, the other Beavers would be apprised of it and therefore they would make themselves hard to capture. But they are very glad to have their bones thrown into the fire, or into a river; especially the trap which has caught them is very glad of this. I told them that the Hiroquois, according to the reports of the one who was with us, threw the bones of the Beaver to the dogs, and yet they took them very often; and that our Frenchmen captured more game than they did (without comparison), and yet our dogs ate these bones. "Thou hast no sense," they replied, "dost thou not see that you and the Hiroquois cultivate the soil [89] and gather its fruits, and not we, and that therefore it is not the same thing?" I began to laugh when I heard this irrelevant answer. The trouble is, I only stutter, I take one word for another, I pronounce badly; and so everything usually passes off in laughter. What great difficulty there is in talking with people without being able to understand them. Furthermore, in their eat-all feasts they must be very careful that the dogs do not taste even the least of it; but of this in another chapter.

Ils croyent que la gresle a de l'esprit & de la connoissance, comme mon hoste faisoit festin pendant cet Hiuer, il dit à vn ieune homme, va t'en aduertir les Sauuages de l'autre Cabane qu'ils viennent quand ils voudront que tout est prest, mais ne porte point de flambeau, il estoit nuict & il gresloit fort & ferme: i'entends aussi les Sauuages sortans de leurs Cabanes, s'écrier à leurs gens, ne nous éclairez point, car il gresle. Ie demanday par apres la raison de cela, on me respõdit que la grêle auoit de l'esprit,214& qu'elle haïssoit [90] la lumiere, ne venant ordinairement que sur la nuict: que si on portoit des flambeaux dehors, elle cesseroit, dont ils seroient bien marris, car elle sert à prendre l'Originac. Voila des gens biẽ entendus aux meteores, ie leur dis que la gresle n'estoit autre chose que l'eau de la pluye, qui se congeloit par la froidure, laquelle s'augmentât sur la nuict par l'eloignement du Soleil, il gresloit plustost qu'en plein midy: ils me repartirent à l'ordinaire, tu es vn ignorant, ne vois tu pas qu'il a faict froid tout le iour, & que la gresle a attendu la nuict pour venir; Ie voulus repartir que la nuée n'estoit pas encore disposée, mais on me diteca titou eca titou namaKhitirinisin, tais toi, tais toi, tu n'as pas d'esprit: voila la monnoye dont ils me payent, & dont ils payent bien souuent les autres sans s'alterer. Mon hoste coupoit par superstition le bout de la queuë de tous les Castors qu'il prenoit, & les enfiloit ensemble. Ie demanday pourquoy, le vieillard me dit, c'est vne resolution ou vne promesse qu'il a faict, afin de prendre beaucoup de Castors de sçauoir à qui il fait ce vœu [91] ny luy, ny moy ne le sçaurions dire.

They believe that the hail has understanding and knowledge. When my host was giving a feast, thatWinter, he said to a young man, "Go tell the Savages of the other Cabin that they may come when they wish, that everything is ready; but do not carry a torch." It was night, and there was a very heavy hailstorm. So I heard the Savages going out from their Cabins, crying to their people, "Do not make any light for us, because it hails." I afterward asked the reason for this, and they answered me that the hail possessed intelligence, and that it hated [90] the light, usually coming only at night-time; that, if torches were carried out of doors, it would stop, and they would be very sorry for this, for it helped them to capture the Moose. See how intelligent these people are about atmospheric phenomena. I told them that the hail was nothing but the water of the rain, congealed by the cold, which was greater at night on account of the absence of the Sun, and so it hailed then oftener than in the middle of the day. They answered me in their usual way, "Thou art an ignoramus; dost thou not see that it has been cold all day long, and that the hail has waited until night to come?" I tried to tell them that the clouds had not yet gathered, but they said,eca titou eca titou nama Khitirinisin, "keep still, keep still, thou hast no sense." This is the money with which they pay me, and with which they very often pay the others without any variation. Through superstition, my host cuts off the end of the tail from all the Beavers he takes, and strings them together. I asked why; and the old man told me that it was a resolution or promise that he had made in order to take many Beavers. As to whom he made this vow, [91] neither he nor I would be able to tell.

Ils mettent au feu vn certain os plat de Porc épic, puis ils regardent à sa couleur s'ils feront bonne chasse de ces animaux.

They put upon the fire a certain flat bone of the Porcupine; then look at its color attentively, to see if they will hunt these animals with success.

Quand quelqu'vn de leurs gens s'est egaré dans les bois, voyans qu'il ne retourne point en la Cabane, ils pendent vn fusil à vne perche pour le redresser; & cela fait, me disoient ils, qu'il voye du feu, & qu'il reconnosse son chemin: quand vn esprit s'est vne fois egaré du chemin de la verité, il donne bien auant dans l'erreur.

When some one of their men is lost in the woods, seeing that he does not return to his Cabin, they hang a fuse to a pole to direct him, and, that done, they tell me that he sees the fire and finds his way back. When the mind has once strayed from the path of truth, it advances far into error.

Mais à propos de leur fusil, ie diray cy qu'il n'est216pas faict comme les nostres; ils ont pour meche la peau d'vne cuisse d'vn aigle, auec le duuet qui prẽd feu aisement, ils battent deux pierres de mine ensemble, comme nous faisons vne pierre à fusil, auec vn morceau de fer ou d'acier: au lieu d'allumettes, ils se seruẽt d'vn petit morceau de tondre, c'est vn bois pourry & bien seché, qui brusle aisement & incessammẽt iusques à ce qu'il soit consommé: ayant pris feu ils le mettent dans l'escorce de Cedre puluerisée, & soufflant [92] doucement cette écorce s'enflamme. Voila comme ils font du feu. I'auois porté vn fusil françois auec moy, & cinq ou six allumettes, ils s'estonnoient de la promptitude auec laquelle i'allumois du feu, le mal fut que mes allumettes furent bien tost vsées, ayant manqué d'en porter vn peu dauãtage.

But, in regard to their fuse, I will say here that it is not made like ours. For wick they use the skin of an eagle's thigh, covered with down, which takes fire very easily. They strike together two metallic stones, just as we do with a piece of flint and iron or steel; in place of matches, they use a little piece of tinder, a dry and rotten wood which burns easily and continually until it is consumed. When they have lighted it, they put it into pulverized Cedar bark; and, by gently [92] blowing, this bark takes fire. That is how they light their fires. I brought a french fuse with me, and five or six matches. They were astonished at the ease with which I could light a fire; the trouble was that my matches were soon exhausted, as I had failed to bring enough.

Ils ont encore vne autre espece de fusil, ils tournent vn petit baston de Cedre, de ce mouuement sort du feu qui allume du tondre: mais comme ie n'ay point veu l'vsage de ce fusil plus familier aux Hurons qu'aux Montagnais, ie n'en diray pas dauantage.

They have still another kind of fuse. They twist a little Cedar stick, and this friction causes fire, which lights some tinder; but, as I have never seen them use this fuse, which is more familiar to the Hurons than to the Montagnais, I will say no more about it.

Quand quelqu'vn d'eux a pris vn Ours, il y a bien des ceremonies deuant qu'il soit mangé, vn de nos gens en prit vn. Voicy ce qu'on obserua.

When some one of them has taken a Bear, there are extensive ceremonies before it is eaten. One of our people took one, and this is what they did:

Premierement l'Ours estant tué, celuy qui l'a mis à mort ne l'apporte point, mais il s'en reuient à la Cabane en donner la nouuelle, afin que quelqu'vn aille voir la prise comme chose precieuse; car les Sauuages preferent la chair d'Ours à toutes leurs autres viandes: il me semble que le ieune Castor ne luy cede en rien, mais l'Ours a [93] plus de graisse. Voila pourquoy il est plus aimé des Sauuages.

First, the Bear having been killed, the man who killed it did not bring it back, but he returned to the Cabin to impart the news, so that some one might go and see the prize, as something very precious; for the Savages prefer the meat of the Bear to all otherkinds of food; it seems to me that the young Beaver is in no way inferior to it, but the Bear has [93] more fat, and therefore the Savages like it better.

Secondement l'Ours a[p]porté toutes les filles nubiles, & les ieunes femmes mariées qui n'ont point218encore eu d'ẽfans, tant celles de la Cabane où l'Ours doit estre mangé, que des autres voisines, s'en vont dehors, & ne rentrent point tant qu'il y reste aucun morceau de cet animal, dont elles ne goustent point: Il negeoit & faisoit vn temps fort fascheux, il estoit quasi nuict quãd cét Ours fut apporté en nostre Cabane: tout à l'heure les femmes & les filles sortirent, & s'en allerent Cabaner ailleurs le mieux quelles peurent non sans patir beaucoup, car ils n'ont pas tousiours des écorces à leur commandemẽt pour dresser leur maison, qu'ils couurẽt en tel cas de brãches de Sapin.

Second, the Bear being brought, all the marriageable girls and young married women who have not had children, as well as those of the Cabin where the Bear is to be eaten, and of the neighboring cabins, go outside, and do not return as long as there remains a piece of this animal, which they do not taste. It snowed, and the weather was very severe. It was almost night when this Bear was brought to our Cabin; immediately the women and girls went out and sought Shelter elsewhere, the best they could find. They do this not without much suffering; for they do not always have bark at hand with which to make their house, which in such cases they cover with branches of the Fir tree.

En troisiesme lieu, il faut bien éloigner les chiens, de peur qu'ils ne lechent le sang, ou ne mangent les os, voire les excremens de cette beste, tãt elle est cherie. On enterre ceux-cy sous le foyer, & on iette ceux-là au feu; voila ce que i'obseruay en cette superstitiõ. On fit deux banquets de cét Ours, [94] l'ayant fait cuire en deux chaudieres, quoy qu'en mesme temps. On inuita les hõmes & les femmes âgées au premier festin, lequel acheué, les femmes sortirent, puis on depẽdit l'autre chaudiere, dont on fit festin à manger tout entre les hommes seulement. Cela se fit le soir de la prise; le lendemain sur la nuict, ou le second iour, ie ne m'en souuiens pas bien, l'Ours estant entierement mangé, les ieunes femmes, & les filles retournerent.

In the third place, the dogs must be sent away, lest they lick the blood, or eat the bones, or even the offal of this beast, so greatly is it prized. The latter are buried under the fireplace, and the former are thrown into the fire. The preceding are the observations which I made during the performance of this superstition. Two banquets are made of this Bear, [94] as it is cooked in two kettles, although all at the same time. The men and older women are invited to the first feast, and, when it is finished, the women go out; then the other kettle is taken down, and of this an eat-all feast is made for the men only. This is done on the evening of the capture; the next day toward nightfall, or the second day, I do not exactly remember, the Bear having been all eaten, the young women and girls return.

Si l'oiseau qu'ils nommentOuichcatchan, qui est quasi de la grosseur d'vne pie, & qui luy ressemble, (car il est gris aux endroicts que la pie est noire, & blanc ou elle est blanche) se presente pour entrer dans leur Cabane, ils le chassent fort soigneusement, pource disent ils, qu'ils auroient mal à la teste: ils n'ẽ dõnent point de raison ils l'ont, si on les croit,220experimenté, ie les ay veu prendre le gesier de cét animal, le fendans & regardans dedans fort attentiuement; mon hoste me dit, si ie trouue dedans vn petit os d'Originac (car cét oyseau mange de tout) ie tueray vn Orignac, si ie trouue vn os d'Ours, ie [95] tueray vn Ours, & ainsi des autres animaux.

If the bird which they callOuichcatchan, which isnearly the size of the magpie, and which resembles it (for it is gray in the places where the magpie is black, and white where it is white), tries to get into their Cabins, they drive it away very carefully, because, they say, they would have a headache; they do not give any reason for this, but have, if they are to be believed, learned it by experience. I have seen them take the throat of this animal, split it open, and look into it very attentively. My host tells me, "If I find inside a little bone of the Moose (for this bird eats everything) I shall kill a Moose; if I find a bone of the Bear, I [95] shall kill a Bear;" and so on with other animals.

Dans la famine que nous auons enduré, nos Sauuages ne voulurent point manger leurs chiens, pource que si on tuoit vn chiẽ pour le manger, vn hõme seroit tué à coups de hache, disoiẽt-ils.

In the famine which we endured, our Savages would not eat their dogs, because they said that, if the dog was killed to be eaten, a man would be killed by blows from an axe.

Mon hoste iettant quelques branches de pin dans le feu, il prestoit l'oreille au bruit qu'elles feroient en se bruslant, prononçant quelques paroles; ie luy demanday pourquoy il faisoit cette ceremonie, pour prendre des Porcs épics, me respond il, de dire quel rapport il y a de ces branches bruslées auec leur chasse, c'est ce qu'ils ne sçauent pas, & ne sçauroient sçauoir.

My host, throwing some pine branches into the fire, listened attentively to the noise which they made in burning, and pronounced some words. I asked him why he went through this ceremony; "To capture Porcupines," he answered me. What connection there is between these burning branches and their hunting, they neither do nor can explain.

Ils ne mangent point la moëlle des vertebres ou de l'espine du dos de quelque animal que ce soit, car ils auroient mal au dos, & s'ils fourroient vn baston dans ces vertebres, ils sentiroiẽt vne douleur, comme si on le fichoit dans les leur. Ie le faisois expres deuant eux pour les desabuser, mais vn mal d'esprit si grand, comme est vne superstition inueterée depuis tant de siecles, & succée auec le laict de la nourrice [96] ne se guerit pas en vn moment.

They do not eat the marrow of the vertebræ or backbone of any animal whatever, for they would have a backache; and, if they were to thrust a stick into these vertebræ, they would feel the pain the same as if some one had driven it into theirs. I did it purposely, in their presence, to disabuse them; but a disease of the mind so great as is a superstition firmly established for so many centuries, and drunk in with the nurse's milk, [96] is not eradicated in a moment.

Ils ne mangent point les petits embrions d'Orignac, qu'ils tirent du ventre de leurs meres, sinon à la fin de la chasse de cét animal, la raison est que leurs meres les aiment, & qu'elles s'en rendroient fascheuses & difficiles à prendre, si on mangeoit leur fruict si ieune.

They do not eat the little embryos of Moose, which they take from the wombs of the mothers, except at the end of the chase for this animal. The reason is that their mothers love them, and they would become angry and difficult to capture, if their offspring were eaten so young.

222Ils ne reconnoissent que dix Lunes en l'année, i'entends la pluspart des Sauuages, car i'ay fait auouër au Sorcier qu'il y en auoit douze.

They recognize only ten Moons in the year,—I mean the greater part of the Savages, for I made the Sorcerer admit that there are twelve.

Ils croyent que la Lune de Feurier est plus lõgue de plusieurs iours que les autres, aussi la nomment ils la grande Lune; Ie leur ay demanday d'où venoit l'Eclypse de Lune & de Soleil; ils m'ont respondu que la Lune s'éclypsoit ou paroissoit noire, à cause qu'elle tenoit son fils entre ses bras, qui empeschoit que l'on ne vist sa clarté. Si la Lune a vn fils, elle est mariée, ou l'a été, leur dis-je, oüy dea, me dirent ils, le Soleil est son mary qui marche tout le iour, & elle toute la nuict; & s'il s'eclypse, ou s'il s'obscurcit, c'est qu'il prend aussi par fois le fils qu'il a eu de [97] la Lune entre ses bras: oüy, mais ny la Lune ny le Soleil n'ont point de bras, leur disois-je, tu n'as point d'esprit: ils tiẽnent tousiours leur arcs bandés deuant eux, voila pourquoy leurs bras ne paroissent point; & sur qui veulent ils tirer? hé qu'en sçauons nous. Ie leur demanday que vouloient dire ces taches qui se font voir en la Lune; tu ne sçay riẽ du tout, me disoient ils; c'est vn bonet qui luy couure la teste, & non pas des taches. Ie m'enquis pourquoy le fils du Soleil & de la Lune n'estoit pas luisant comme ses parents, ains noir & obscur; nous n'en sçauons rien, me firent ils, si nous auions esté au Ciel nous te respondrions. Au reste ils croyent qu'ils viẽt quelquefois en terre, & quand il se pourmene en leur pays, ils meurent en grand nõbre. Ie leur ay demandé s'ils n'auoiẽt point veu de Cometes, ces Estoilles à longue queuë, & ce que c'estoit; nous en auons veu, me dirent ils, c'est vn animal qui a vne grande queuë, 4. pieds, & une teste, nous voyons tous cela, disoiẽt-ils.

They believe that the February Moon is longer by several days than the others, and therefore they call it the great Moon. I asked them whence came the Eclipse of the Moon and of the Sun. They answered that the Moon was eclipsed, or appeared to be dark, because she held her son in her arms, which prevented her brightness from being seen. "If the Moon has a son, she is married, or has been," I told them. "Oh, yes," they replied, "the Sun is her husband, who walks all day, and she all night; and if he be eclipsed, or darkened, it is because he also sometimes takes the son which he has had by [97] the Moon, into his arms." "Yes, but neither the Moon nor the Sun has any arms," I answered them. "Thou hast no sense; they always hold their drawn bows before them, and that is why their arms do not appear." "And whom do they wish to shoot?" "Ah, how do we know?" I asked them what those spots meant that appear on the Moon. "Thou knowest nothing at all," they said; "it is a cap which covers her head, and not spots." I inquired why the son of the Sun and of the Moon was not bright like parents, but black and gloomy. "We do not know," said they; "if we had been in the Sky, we might answer thee." Furthermore, they think thathe comes now and then upon earth; and, when he walks about in their country, many people die. I asked them if they had never seen Comets, those Stars with long tails, and what they were. "We have seen them," they answered; "it is an animal that has a long tail, 4 feet, and a head; we can see all that," they said.

224Ie les interrogeay sur le tonnerre, ils me dirent qu'ils ne sçauoient pas quel animal c'estoit, qu'il mangeoit les serpents [98] & quelquefois les arbres, que les Hurons croyẽt que c'est vn oiseau fort grãd induit à cette creãce, par vn bruit sourd que fait vne espece d'hirondelle qui paroist icy l'Esté: Ie n'ay point veu de ces oiseaux en France, i'en ay tenu icy, il a le bec, & la teste, & la figure du corps, cõme vne hirondelle, sinõ qu'il est vn peu plus gros; il se pourmene le soir en l'air, faisant vn bruit pesãt par reprises. Les Hurons disent qu'il fait ce bruit du derriere, cõme aussi l'oiseau qu'ils pẽsent estre le tõnerre, & qu'il n'y a qu'vn seul hõme qui voye cét oiseau, & encore vne fois en sa vie; c'est ce que m'ẽ dit mõ vieillard.

I asked them about the thunder; they said that they did not know what animal it was; that it ate snakes, [98] and sometimes trees; that the Hurons believed it to be a very large bird. They were led to this belief by a hollow sound made by a kind of swallow which appears here in the Summer. I have not seen any of these birds in France, but have examined some of them here. They have a beak, a head, and a form like the swallow, except that they are a little larger; they fly about in the evening, repeatedly making a dull noise. The Hurons say that they make this noise from behind, as does also the bird which they think is the thunder; and that there is only one man who has seen this bird, and he only once in his lifetime. This is what my old man told me.

Voila vne partie de leurs superstitiõs; que de poussiere dedans leurs yeux, & qu'il y aura de peine à la faire sortir, pour leur faire voir le beau iour de la verité. Ie croy neãtmoins, que qui sçauroit parfaittement leur langue, pour les payer promptement de bonnes raisons, qu'ils se mocqueroient eux mesmes de leurs sottises: car par fois ie les rendois honteux & cõfus, quoy que ie ne parle quasi que par les mains, ie veux dire par signes.

These are some of their superstitions. How much dust there is in their eyes, and how much trouble there will be to remove it that they may see the beautiful light of truth! I believe, nevertheless, that any one who knew their language perfectly, in order to give them good reasons promptly, would soon make them laugh at their own stupidity; for sometimes I have made them ashamed and confused, although I speak almost entirely by my hands, I mean by signs.

Ie veux conclurre ce chapitre par vn estõnement; on se plaint en France d'vne [99] Messe, si elle passe vne demie heure; le Sermon limité d'vne heure semble par fois trop long, à peine exerce l'on ces actes de Religion vne fois la semaine, & ces pauures ignorants crient & hurlent à toute heure.

I am going to conclude this chapter with a surprise;they complain in France of a [99] Mass, if it lasts more than half an hour; a Sermon limited to an hour seems too long; those Religious services are performed hardly once a week; and yet those poor ignorant people cry and howl all the time.

Le Sorcier les assemble souuent en plein minuict, à deux heures, à trois heures du matin, dãs vn froid qui gele tout; iour & nuict il les tient en haleine,226employans non vne ou deux heures, mais trois & quatre de suitte, à faire leurs deuotions ridicules. On fait sortir les pauures femmes de leurs Cabanes, se leuãts en pleine nuict, emportants leurs petits enfans parmy les neiges chez leurs voisins. Les hommes harassez du trauail du iour, ayant peu mangé & couru fort lõg temps, au moindre cry qu'on leur faict quittent leur sommeil, & s'en viennent promptement au lieu où se fait le Sabbat, & ce qui semblera au delà de toute creance. Ie n'ay iamais veu former aucune plainte parmy eux, ny aux femmes ny aux hommes, ny mesme aux enfans, chacun se montrant prompt & allaigre à la voix du Sorcier ou du jongleur, hélas! mon Dieu, les ames qui vous aiment seront [100] elles sans sentiment, voyants plus de passion pour des folies, que pour la verité? Belial est-il plus aimable queIesvs? pourquoy dõc est-il plus ardãment aimé, obey plus promptement, & plus deuotement adoré? mais passons outre.

The Sorcerer often brings them together at midnight, or at two or three o'clock in the morning, in a cold which freezes everything. Day and night he holds them with bated breath, during not one nor two hours, but three or four in succession, to perform their ridiculous devotions. They make the poor women go out from their Cabins, rising at midnight and carrying their little children over the snow to their neighbors. Men, harassed by the work of the day, who have eaten but little and hunted a long time, at the first cry waken and promptly betake themselves to this Witches' Sabbath; and, what will seem beyond all belief, I have never known a single complaint to arise among them, neither among the women nor the men, nor even the children, each one showing himself prompt and glad to obey the voice of the Sorcerer or juggler. Alas, my God, will the souls that love you be [100] without feeling, when they see more zeal shown for folly than for truth? Is Belial more lovely thanJesus? Why then is he more ardently loved, more promptly obeyed, and more devotedly adored? But let us pass on.

228CHAPITRE V.DES CHOSES BONNES QUI SE TROUUENT DANS LES SAUUAGES.SI nous commençons par les biens du corps, ie diray qu'ils les possedẽt auec auantage: ils sont grands, droicts, forts, bien proportionnez, agiles, rien d'effeminé ne paroist en eux. Ces petits Damoiseaux qu'õ voit ailleurs, ne sont que des hõmes en peinture, à comparaison de nos Sauuages. I'ay quasi creu autrefois que les Images des Empereurs Romains representoient plustost l'idée des peintres, que des hommes qui eussent iamais esté, tant leurs testes sont grosses & puissãtes, mais ie voy icy sur les épaules de ce peuple les testes de Iules Cesar, de Pompée, d'Auguste, d'Othon, & des autres que i'ay veu en France, tirées sur [101] le papier, ou releuées en des medailles.

228

DES CHOSES BONNES QUI SE TROUUENT DANS LES SAUUAGES.

SI nous commençons par les biens du corps, ie diray qu'ils les possedẽt auec auantage: ils sont grands, droicts, forts, bien proportionnez, agiles, rien d'effeminé ne paroist en eux. Ces petits Damoiseaux qu'õ voit ailleurs, ne sont que des hõmes en peinture, à comparaison de nos Sauuages. I'ay quasi creu autrefois que les Images des Empereurs Romains representoient plustost l'idée des peintres, que des hommes qui eussent iamais esté, tant leurs testes sont grosses & puissãtes, mais ie voy icy sur les épaules de ce peuple les testes de Iules Cesar, de Pompée, d'Auguste, d'Othon, & des autres que i'ay veu en France, tirées sur [101] le papier, ou releuées en des medailles.

CHAPTER V.ON THE GOOD THINGS WHICH ARE FOUND AMONG THE SAVAGES.IF we begin with physical advantages, I will say that they possess these in abundance. They are tall, erect, strong, well proportioned, agile; and there is nothing effeminate in their appearance. Those little Fops that are seen elsewhere are only caricatures of men, compared with our Savages. I almost believed, heretofore, that the Pictures of the Roman Emperors represented the ideal of the painters rather than men who had ever existed, so strong and powerful are their heads; but I see here upon the shoulders of these people the heads of Julius Cæsar, of Pompey, of Augustus, of Otho, and of others, that I have seen in France, drawn upon [101] paper, or in relief on medallions.

ON THE GOOD THINGS WHICH ARE FOUND AMONG THE SAVAGES.

IF we begin with physical advantages, I will say that they possess these in abundance. They are tall, erect, strong, well proportioned, agile; and there is nothing effeminate in their appearance. Those little Fops that are seen elsewhere are only caricatures of men, compared with our Savages. I almost believed, heretofore, that the Pictures of the Roman Emperors represented the ideal of the painters rather than men who had ever existed, so strong and powerful are their heads; but I see here upon the shoulders of these people the heads of Julius Cæsar, of Pompey, of Augustus, of Otho, and of others, that I have seen in France, drawn upon [101] paper, or in relief on medallions.

Pour l'esprit des Sauuages, il est de bõne trempe, ie croy que les ames sont toutes de mesme estoc, & qu'elles ne different point substantiellemẽt; c'est pourquoy ces barbares ayans vn corps bien fait, & les organes bien rangez & bien disposez, leur esprit doit operer auec facilité: la seule education & instruction leur mãque, leur ame est vn sol tres bon de sa nature, mais chargé de toutes les malices qu'vne terre delaissée depuis la naissance du mõde peut porter. Ie compare volõtiers nos Sauuages auec quelques230villageois, pource que les vns & les autres sont ordinairement sans instruction; encore nos Paysans sont-ils precipuez en ce point: & neantmoins ie n'ay veu personne iusques icy de ceux qui sont venus en ces contrées, qui ne confesse & qui n'aduoüe franchement que les Sauuages ont plus d'esprit que nos paysans ordinaires.

As to the mind of the Savage, it is of good quality. I believe that souls are all made from the same stock, and that they do not materially differ; hence, these barbarians having well formed bodies, and organs well regulated and well arranged, their minds ought to work with ease. Education and instruction alone are lacking. Their soul is a soil which is naturally good, but loaded down with all the evils that a land abandoned since the birth of the world can produce. I naturally compare our Savages with certain villagers, because both are usually without education, though our Peasants are superior in this regard;and yet I have not seen any one thus far, of those who have come to this country, who does not confess and frankly admit that the Savages are more intelligent than our ordinary peasants.

De plus, si c'est vn grand bien d'estre deliuré d'vn grand mal, nos Sauuages sont heureux, car les deux tyrans qui donnent la gehenne & la torture à vn grand nombre de nos Europeans, ne regnent [102] point dans leurs grands bois, i'entends l'ambition & l'auarice; Comme ils n'ont ny police, ny charges, ny dignitez, ny commandement aucun, car ils n'obeyssent que par bien-veillance à leur Capitaine; aussi ne se tuẽt ils point pour entrer dãs les honneurs, d'ailleurs comme ils se contentent seulement de la vie, pas un d'eux ne se donne au Diable pour acquerir des richesses.

Moreover, if it is a great blessing to be free from a great evil, our Savages are happy; for the two tyrants who provide hell and torture for many of our Europeans, do not reign [102] in their great forests,—I mean ambition and avarice. As they have neither political organization, nor offices, nor dignities, nor any authority, for they only obey their Chief through good will toward him, therefore they never kill each other to acquire these honors. Also, as they are contented with a mere living, not one of them gives himself to the Devil to acquire wealth.

Ils font profession de ne se point fascher, non pour la beauté de la vertu, dõt ils n'ont pas seulemẽt le nom mais pour leur contentement & plaisir, ie veux dire, pours s'affranchir des amertumes que cause la fascherie. Le Sorcier me disoit vn iour, parlant d'vn de nos François, il n'a point d'esprit, il se fasche, pour moy rien n'est capable de m'alterer; que la famine nous presse, que mes plus proches passent en l'autre vie, que les Hiroquois nos ennemis massacrent nos gens, ie ne me fasche iamais, ce qu'il dit n'est pas article de foy; car comme il est plus superbe qu'aucun Sauuage, aussi l'ay ie veu plus souuent alteré que pas vn d'eux; vray est que bien souuent il se retenoit, & se commãdoit auec violence, notamment [103] quand ie mettois au iour ses niaseries. Ie n'ay232iamais veu qu'vn Sauuage prononcer cette parole,Ninichcatihin, ie suis fasché encore; ne la profera il qu'vne fois: mais i'aduertis qu'on prit garde à luy, car quand ces Barbares se faschent, ils sont dangereux & n'ont point de retenuë.

They make a pretence of never getting angry, not because of the beauty of this virtue, for which they have not even a name, but for their own contentment and happiness, I mean, to avoid the bitterness caused by anger. The Sorcerer said to me one day, speaking of one of our Frenchmen, "He has no sense, he gets angry; as for me, nothing can disturb me; let hunger oppress me, let my nearest relation pass to the other life, let the Hiroquois, our enemies, massacre our people, I never get angry." What he says is not an article of faith; for, as he is more haughty than any other Savage, so I have seen him oftener out of humor than any of them; it is true also that he often restrains and governs himself by force, especially [103] when I expose his foolishness. I have only heard one Savage pronounce this word,Ninichcatihin, "I am angry," and he only said it once. But I noticed that they kept their eyes on him, for when these Barbarians are angry, they are dangerous and unrestrained.

Qui fait profession de ne se point fascher, doit faire profession de patience; les Sauuages nous passent tellemẽt en ce poinct, que nous en deurions estre confus: ie les voyois dans leurs peines, dans leurs trauaux souffrir auec allegresse. Mon hoste admirant la multitude du peuple que ie luy disois estre en France, me demandoit si les hommes estoient bons, s'ils ne se faschoient point, s'ils estoiẽt patients. Ie n'ay rien veu de si patient qu'vn Sauuage malade; qu'on crie, qu'on tempeste, qu'õ saute, qu'on dãse, il ne se plaint quasi iamais. Ie me suis trouué auec eux en des dangers de grandement souffrir; ils me disoient nous serõs quelquefois deux iours, quelque fois trois sans manger, faute de viure, prends courage,Chihiné, aye l'ame dure resiste à la peine & au trauail, garde toy de la tristessé, autrement tu seras malade; regarde que nous ne laissons pas de rire, [104] quoy que nous mangions peu, vne chose presque seule les abbat, c'est quand ils voyent qu'il y a de la mort; car ils la craignẽt outre mesure; ostez cette apprehension aux Sauuages, ils supporteront toute sortes de mespris & d'incommoditez, & toutes sortes de trauaux & d'injures fort patiemmẽt: Ie produiray plusieurs exemples de tout cecy dans la suitte du temps, que ie reserue à la fin de ces chapitres.

Back to Index Next