CHAPITRE VII.

Ie suis tantost las de parler de leurs desordres, disons quelque chose de leur saleté, & puis finissons ce chapitre.

I am rather tired of talking about their irregularities; let us speak of their uncleanness, and then end this chapter.

Ils sont sales en leurs habits, en leurs postures1, en leurs demeures, & en leur manger, & cependant il n'y a aucune inciuilité parmy eux; car tout ce qui donne du contentement aux sens, passe pour honeste.

They are dirty in their habits, in their postures, in their homes, and in their eating; yet there is no lack of propriety among them, for everything that gives satisfaction to the senses, passes as propriety.

I'ay dit qu'ils sont sales en leurs demeures, l'aduenuë de leurs Cabanes est vne grange à pourceaux. Iamais ils ne balient leur maison, ils la tapissent au cõmencement de branches de pin, mais au troisiesme iour ces brãches sont pleines de poil, de plumes, de cheueux, de coupeaux, de raclure de bois, & cependant ils n'ont point d'autres sieges, ny d'autres licts pour se coucher, dõt l'on peut voir de quelle saleté peuuent estre chargez leurs habits: vray est que ces ordures [124] & saletez ne paroissent pas, tant dessus leurs robes, que dessus les nostres.

I have said that they are dirty in their homes; the entrance to their Cabins is like a pig-pen. They never sweep their houses, they carpet them at first with branches of pine, but on the third day these branches are full of fur, feathers, hair, shavings, or whittlings of wood. Yet they have no other seats, nor beds upon which to sleep. From this it may be seen how full of dirt their clothes must be; it is true that this dirt [124] and filth does not show as much upon their clothes as upon ours.

Le Sorcier quittant nostre Cabane pour vn temps, me demanda mon manteau, pource qu'il faisoit froid, disoit-il; comme si i'euffe esté plus dispensé des loix de l'Hiuer que non pas luy: ie luy prestay, s'en estant seruy plus d'un mois, en fin il me le rẽdit si vilain, & si sale, que i'en estois honteux, car les flegmes & autres immondices qui le couuroient, luy donnoient vn autre teinture. Le voyant en cét estat, ie le dépliay exprez deuant luy, afin qu'il le vit; connoissant bien ce que ie voulois dire, il me dit fort à262propos, tu dis que tu veux estre Mõtagnais & Sauuage comme nous, si cela est, ne sois pas marry d'en porter l'habit; car voila comme sont faites nos robes.

The Sorcerer leaving our Cabin for a while, asked me for my cloak, because it was cold, he said, as if I more than he were exempt from the rigors of Winter. I lent it to him, and, after having used it more than a month, he returned it to me at last so nasty and dirty, that I was ashamed of it, for it was covered with phlegm and other filth which gave it a different color. Seeing it in this condition, I purposely unfolded it before him, that he might see it. Knowing very well what I meant, he quite aptly remarked to me, "Thou sayest that thou wouldst like to be a Montagnais and Savage, like us; if that is so, do not be troubled about wearing the cloak, for that is just the way our clothes look."

Quand est de leur posture, elle suit la douceur de leur commodité, & non les regles de la bien seance: les Sauuages ne preferent iamais ce qui est honneste à ce qui est delectable. I'ay veu souuent le pretendu magicien couché tout nud, hormis vn mechant brayer plus sale qu'vn torchon de cuisine, plus noir qu'vn écouillõ de four, retirer vne de ses [125] iambes contre la cuisse, & mettre l'autre sur son genoüil releué, haraguant ses gens en cette posture, son auditoire n'auoit pas plus de grace.

As to their postures, they follow their own sweetwills, and not the rules of good breeding. The Savages never prefer what is decent to what is agreeable. I have often seen the pretended magician lie down entirely naked,—except a miserable strip of cloth dirtier than a dish-cloth, and blacker than an oven-mop,—draw up one of his [125] legs against his thigh, place the other upon his raised knee, and harangue his people in this position, his audience being scarcely more graceful.

Pour leur manger, il est tant soit peu plus net que la mangeaille que l'on donne aux animaux, & non pas encore tousiours, ie ne dis rien par exaggeration, i'en ay gousté & vescu quasi six mois durant. Nous auiõs trois écroüélés en nostre Cabane, le fils du Sorcier qui les auoit à l'oreille d'vne façon fort sale, & pleine d'horreur; son neueu qui les auoit au col, vne fille qui les auoit sous vn bras; ie ne sçay si ce sont vrayes escroüelles, quoy qu'il en soit, ce mal est plein de pus, couuert d'vne croute fort horrible à voir: ils en sont quasi tous frappez en leur ieunesse, tant pour leur saleté, que pource qu'on ne fait point de difficulté de boire & de mãger auec des malades. Ie les ay veu cent fois patroüiller dans la chaudiere où estoit nostre boisson cõmune, y lauer leurs mains, y boire à pleine teste comme les bestes, reietter leurs restes là dedans; car c'est la coustume des Sauuages, y fourrer des bastons demy brulés, & pleins de cendre, y plonger de [126] leur vaisselle d'escorce pleine de graisses, de poil d'Orignaux, de cheueux, y puiser de264l'eau auec des chaudrons noirs com[me] la cheminée: & aprés tout cela, nous beuuions tous de ce broüet, noir comme de l'ambroisie. Ce n'est pas tout, ils reiettẽt là dedãs les os qu'ils ont rongé, puis vous mettent de l'eau ou de la neige dans la chaudiere, la fõt boüillir, & voila de l'hipocras. Vn certain iour des souliers venant d'estre quittés, tomberent dãs nostre boisson, ils se lauerent à leur aise, on les retira sans autre ceremonie puis on beut apres eux comme si rien ne fut arriué. Ie ne suis pas bien delicat, si est-ce que ie n'eus point de soif tant que cette maluoisie dura.

As to their food, it is very little, if any, cleaner than the swill given to animals, and not always even as clean. I say nothing in exaggeration, as I have tasted it and lived upon it for almost six months. We had three persons in our Cabin afflicted with scrofula,—the son of the Sorcerer, whose ear was very disgusting and horrid from this disease; his nephew, who had it in his neck; and a daughter, who had it under one arm. I do not know whether this is the real scrofula; whatever it is, this sore is full of pus, and covered with a horrible-looking crust. They are nearly all attacked by this disease, when young, both on account of their filthy habits, and because they eat and drink indiscriminately with the sick. I have seen them a hundred times paddle about in the kettle containing our common drink; wash their hands in it; drink from it, thrusting in their heads, like the animals; and throw into it their leavings; for this is the custom of the Savages, to thrust sticks into it that are half-burned and covered with ashes; to dip therein [126] their bark plates covered with grease, the fur of the Moose, and hair; and to dip water therefrom with kettles as black as the chimney; and after that, we all drank from this black broth, as if it were ambrosia. This is not all; theythrow therein the bones that they have gnawed, then put water or snow in the kettle, let it boil, and behold their hippocras. One day some shoes, which had just been taken off, fell into our drink; they soaked there as long as they pleased, and were withdrawn without exciting any special attention, and then the water was drunk as if nothing whatever had happened. I am not very fastidious, but I was not very thirsty as long as this malmsey lasted.

Iamais ils ne lauent leurs mains exprés pour manger, encore moins leur chaudiere, & point du tout la viande qu'ils fõt cuire, quoy que le plus souuent (ie le dis comme ie l'ay veu cent & cent fois) elle soit toute couuerte de poil de bestes, & de cheueux de leurs testes: Ie n'ay iamais beu aucun boüillon parmy eux, qu'il ne m'aye fallu jetter quãtité de ces poils & de ces cheueux, & bien d'autres ordures; comme des charbons, des petits [127] morceaux de bois, & mesme du baston dont ils attisent le feu, & remuent bien souuent ce qui est dans la chaudiere: ie les ay veu par fois prẽdre vn tison ardẽt, le mettre dãs la cendre pour l'esteindre: puis quasi sans le secoüer, le tremper dãs la chaudiere ou trempoit nostre disner.

They never wash their hands expressly before eating, still less their kettles, and the meat they cook, not at all,—although it is usually (I say this because I have seen it hundreds of times) all covered with the animal's hairs, and with those from their own heads. I have never drunk any broth among them, from which I did not have to throw out many of these hairs, and a variety of other rubbish, such as cinders, little [127] pieces of wood, and even sticks with which they have stirred the fire and frequently stirred up the contents of the kettle. I have occasionally seen them take a blazing brand and put it in the ashes to extinguish it, then, almost without shaking it, dip it into the kettle where our dinner was simmering.

Quand ils font secherie de la chair, ils vous ietteront par terre tout vn costé d'Orignac, ils le battent auec des pierres; ils marchent dessus, le foulent auec leurs pieds tout sales, les poils d'hõmes & de bestes, les plumes d'oiseaux s'ils en ont tué, la terre & la cendre; tout cela s'incorpore auec la viande, qu'ils font quasi durcir comme du bois à la fumée; puis266quand ils viennent à manger de ce boucan, tout s'en va de compagnie dans l'estomach, car ils n'ont point d'eau de despart: en vn mot ils croient que nous n'auons point d'esprit de lauer nostre viande, car vne partie de la graisse s'en va tousiours auec l'eau.

When they are engaged in drying meat, they will throw down upon the ground a whole side of the Moose, beat it with stones, walk over it, trample upon it with their dirty feet; the hairs of men and of animals, the feathers of birds, if they have killed any, dirt and ashes,—all these are ground into the meat, which they make almost as hard as wood with the smoke. Then when they come to eat this dried meat, all goes together into the stomach, for they have not washed it. In fact, they think that we arevery foolish to wash our meat, for some of the grease goes away with the water.

Quand la chaudiere commence a boüillir, ils recueillent l'écume fort soigneusement, & la mangent auec delices: ils m'en presentoient auec faueur, ie la trouuois bonne durant nostre famine, mais depuis [128] venant par fois a les remercier de ce present, ils m'appelloient superbe & orgueilleux: ils chassent au rats & aux souris par plaisir, comme aux lieures, & les trouuent également bons.

When the kettle begins to boil, they gather the scum very carefully and eat it as a delicacy. They gave some to me as a favor, and during our famine I found it good; but since [128] then, when I sometimes happened to decline this present, they called me fastidious and proud. They take delight in hunting rats and mice, the same as rabbits, and find them just as good.

Les Sauuages ne mangent pas comme nos François dãs vn plat, ou autre vaisselle commune à tous ceux qui sont à table; l'vn d'entr'eux descend la chaudiere de dessus le feu, & fait les parts à vn chacun, presentant par fois la viande au bout d'vn baston, mais le plus souuent sãs prendre ceste peine, il vous iettera vne piece de chair toute brulante, & pleine de graisse, cõme on ietteroit vn os a vn chiẽ; disantNaKhimitchimi, tiens, voila ta part, voila ta nourriture; si vous estes habile-homme, vous la retenés auec les mains, sinon garde que la robe ne s'en sente, où que les cendres ne seruent de sel, puisque les Sauuages n'en ont point d'autre.

The Savages do not eat as we French do, from a dish or other vessel, common to all those at the table; but one of them takes down the kettle from the fire and distributes to each one his share; sometimes presenting the meat at the end of a stick, but oftener without taking this trouble, he will throw you a piece of meat boiling hot, and full of grease, as we would throw a bone to a dog; saying,Nakhimitchimi, "Take it! this is thy share, here is thy food." If you are quick, you catch it in your hands; otherwise, look out that your gown does not catch it, or that the ashes do not serve as salt, for the Savages have no other.

Ie me suis veu bien empesché au commencement, car n'osant couper la chair qu'ils me donnoient dãs mon plat d'écorce de peur de le blesser, ie ne sçauois comment en venir à bout, n'ayant point d'assiette. En fin il se fallut faire tout à tout, deuenir Sauuages auec les Sauuages: Ie [129] iettay les yeux sur mon compagnon, puis ie taschay d'estre aussi braue homme268que luy. Il prend sa chair à pleine main, & vous la couppe morceaux apres morceaux, comme on feroit vne piece de pain, que si la chair est vn peu dure, ou qu'elle cede au cousteau pour estre trop molasse; ils vous la tiennent d'vn bout par les dents, & de l'autre auec la main gauche, puis la main droitte iouë là dessus du violon, se seruãt de cousteau pour archet; & cecy est si commun parmy les Sauuages, qu'ils ont vn mot propre pour exprimer cette actiõ, que nous ne pouuons expliquer qu'en plusieurs paroles & par circumloqution. Si vous esgarez vostre cousteau, comme il n'y a point de couteliers dans ces grãds bois, vous estes condamnez à prendre vostre portion à deux belles mains, & mordre dans la chair & dans la graisse aussi brauement, mais non pas si honnestement que vous feriez dans vn quartier de põme; Dieu sçait si les mains, si la bouche, & vne partie de la face reluisent par apres? le mal est que ie ne sçauois à quoy m'essuyer; de porter du linge, il faudroit vn mulet, ou bien faire tous les jours la [130] lessiue: car en moins de riẽ tout se change en torchon de cuisine dans leurs Cabanes. Pour eux ils torchẽt leurs mains à leurs cheueux, qu'ils nourrissent fort longs, d'autrefois à leurs chiens: ie veis vne femme qui m'apprit vn secret, elle nettoya ses mains à ses souliers, ie fis le mesme; ie me seruois aussi de poil d'Orignac, & de branches de pin, & notamment de bois pourry puluerisé, ce sont les essuyemains des Sauuages; on ne s'en sert pas si doucement comme d'vne toile d'Hollande, mais peut-estre plus gayement & plus ioyeusement. C'est assez parlé de ces ordures.

I found myself very much embarrassed, in the beginning; for not daring to cut the meat they gave me in my bark dish, for fear of spoiling the dish, I did not know how to manage it, not having any plate. Finally I had to become all to all, and a Savage with the Savages. I [129] cast my eyes upon my companion, then I tried to be as brave a man as he was. He took his meat in his open hand, and cut from it morsel after morsel, as you would do with a piece of bread. But if the meat is a little tough, or if it slips away from the knife from beingtoo soft, they hold one end of it with their teeth, and the other with the left hand, then the right hand plays upon it in violin fashion, the knife serving as a bow. And this is so common among the Savages, that they have a word to express this action, which we could only explain with several words and by circumlocution. If you were to lose your knife, as there are no cutlers in these great forests, you are compelled to take your share in your two hands, and to bite into the flesh and into the fat, as bravely but not so politely, as you would bite into a quarter of an apple. God knows how the hands, the mouth, and a part of the face shine after this operation. The trouble was, I did not know upon what to wipe them. To carry linen with you would require a mule, or a daily [130] washing; for, in less than no time, everything is converted into dish-cloths in their Cabins. As to them, they wipe their hands upon their hair, which they allow to grow very long, or else, upon their dogs. I saw a woman who taught me a secret; she wiped her hands upon her shoes, and I did the same. I also used Moose fur, pine branches, and, especially, powdered rotten wood. These are the hand-towels of the Savages. One does not use them as pleasantly as a piece of Holland linen, but perhaps more gaily and joyously. Enough has been said of their filth.

270CHAPITRE VII.DES VIANDES & AUTRES METS DONT MANGENT LES SAUUAGES, DE LEUR ASSAISONNEMENT, & DE LEURS BOISSONS.ENTRE les animaux terrestres ils ont des Elans, qu'on appelle ordinairement icy des Origenaux, des Castors, que les Anglois nomment des Bieures, des Caribõs, qualifiez par quelques vns asnes Sauuages: ils ont encore des Ours, [131] des Blereaux, des Porcs épics, des Renards, des Lieures, des Siffleurs ou Rossignols, c'est vn animal plus gros qu'vn Lieure; ils mangent en outre des Marthes, & des Ecurieux de trois especes.

270

DES VIANDES & AUTRES METS DONT MANGENT LES SAUUAGES, DE LEUR ASSAISONNEMENT, & DE LEURS BOISSONS.

ENTRE les animaux terrestres ils ont des Elans, qu'on appelle ordinairement icy des Origenaux, des Castors, que les Anglois nomment des Bieures, des Caribõs, qualifiez par quelques vns asnes Sauuages: ils ont encore des Ours, [131] des Blereaux, des Porcs épics, des Renards, des Lieures, des Siffleurs ou Rossignols, c'est vn animal plus gros qu'vn Lieure; ils mangent en outre des Marthes, & des Ecurieux de trois especes.

CHAPTER VII.ON THE MEATS AND OTHER DISHES WHICH THE SAVAGES EAT, THEIR SEASONING, AND THEIR DRINKS.AMONG their terrestrial animals they have the Elk, which is here generally called the Moose; Castors, which the English call Beavers; Caribou,21by some called the Wild ass; they also have Bears, [131] Badgers, Porcupines, Foxes, Hares, Whistler or Nightingale,—this is an animal larger than a Hare;22they eat also Martens, and three kinds of Squirrels.

ON THE MEATS AND OTHER DISHES WHICH THE SAVAGES EAT, THEIR SEASONING, AND THEIR DRINKS.

AMONG their terrestrial animals they have the Elk, which is here generally called the Moose; Castors, which the English call Beavers; Caribou,21by some called the Wild ass; they also have Bears, [131] Badgers, Porcupines, Foxes, Hares, Whistler or Nightingale,—this is an animal larger than a Hare;22they eat also Martens, and three kinds of Squirrels.

Pour les oiseaux, ils ont des Outardes, des Oyes blãches & grises, des Canards de plusieurs especes, des Sarcelles, des Bernaches, des Plongeurs de plusieurs sortes; ce sont tous oiseaux de riuiere. Ils prennent encore des Perdrix ou de Gelinottes grises, des Beccasses & Becassines de quantité d'especes, des Tourterelles, &c.

As to birds, they have Bustards, white and gray Geese, several species of Ducks, Teals, Ospreys and several kinds of Divers. These are all river birds. They also catch Partridges or gray Hazel-hens, Wood-cocks and Snipe of many kinds, Turtle doves, etc.

Quand au Poisson, ils prennent en vn temps des Saulmons de diuerses sortes, des Loups marins, des Brochets, des Carpes, & Esturgeons de diuerses especes, des Poissons blancs, des Poissons dorez, des Barbuës, des Anguilles, des Lamproyes, de L'esplanc, des Tortues & autres.

As to Fish, they catch, in the season, different kinds of Salmon, Seals, Pike, Carp, and Sturgeon of various sorts; Whitefish, Goldfish, Barbels, Eels, Lampreys, Smelt, Turtles, and others.

Ils mangent en outre quelques petits fruicts de la terre, des framboises, des bleuës, des fraises, des noix272qui n'ont quasi point de chair, des noisettes, des pommes sauuages plus douces que celles de France, mais beaucoup plus petites; [332 i.e., 132] des cerises, dont la chair & le noyau ensemble ne sont pas plus grosses que les noyaux des Bigarreaux de France. Ils ont encore d'autres petits fruicts Sauuages de diuerses sortes, des Lambruches en quelques endroicts: bref tout ce qu'ils ont de fruict (ostez les fraises & les framboises qu'ils ont en quantité) ne vaut pas vne seule espece des moindres fruicts de l'Europe.

They eat, besides some small ground fruits, such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, nuts which have very little meat, hazelnuts, wild apples sweeter than those of France, but much smaller; [332 i.e., 132] cherries, of which the flesh and pit together are not larger than the pit of the Bigarreau cherry in France. They have also other small Wild fruits of different kinds, in some places Wild Grapes; in short,all the fruits they have (except strawberries and raspberries, which they have in abundance) are not worth one single species of the most ordinary fruits of Europe.

Ils mangent en outre des racines comme des oignons de martagons rouges, vne racine, qui a goust de reglisse, vne autre que nos François appellent des chapelets, pource qu'elle est distinguée par nœuds en forme de grains, & quelques autres en petit nombre.

They eat, besides, roots, such as bulbs of the red lily; a root which has a taste of liquorice; another that our French People call "rosary," because it is distinguished by tubers in the form of beads; and some others, not very numerous.23

Quand la grande famine les presse, ils mangent des racleures ou des escorces d'vn certain arbre, qu'ils nommentMichtan, lesquels ils fendent au Printẽps pour en tirer vn suc doux comme du miel, ou cõme du sucre: à ce que m'ont dit quelques vns, mais à peine s'amusent ils à cela tant il en coule peu.

When they are pressed by famine, they eat the shavings or bark of a certain tree, which they callMichtan, which they split in the Spring to get from it a juice, sweet as honey or as sugar;24I have been told of this by several, but they do not enjoy much of it, so scanty is the flow.

Voila les viandes & autres mets, dont se repaissent les Sauuages des contrées où nous sommes; I'obmets sans doute [133] plusieurs autres especes d'animaux, mais ils ne me reuiennent pas maintenant en la memoire.

These, then, are the meats and other articles of food upon which the Savages, of these countries where we are, subsist. I omit, without doubt, [133] several other species of animals, but I do not recall them at present.

Outre ces viures que ce peuple tire de son pays sans cultiuer la terre, ils ont encore des farines & des bleds d'Inde; qu'ils troquent pour des peaux d'Orignac auec les Hurons, qui descendent iusques à Kebec, ou iusques aux trois riuieres. Ils acheptẽt encore du Petun de cette nation, qui quasi tous les ans en a porté en grande quantité.

Besides these foods, which this people find in their own country without cultivating the soil, they have also cereals and Indian corn, which they trade for Moose skins with the Hurons, who come down as far as Kebec or the three rivers. They also buy Tobacco from that nation, who bring large quantities of it with them every year.25

274De plus, ils ont de nos François de la galette, du biscuit, du pain, des pruneaux, des pois, des racines, des figues, & choses semblables. Voila dequoy se nourrit ce pauure peuple.

Besides, they get from our French People galette, or sea biscuit, bread, prunes, peas, roots, figs, and the like. You have here the food of these poor people.

Quand à leurs boissons, ils n'en font aucune ny de racines ny de fruicts, se contentans d'eau pure, il est vray que le boüillon dans lequel ils ont cuit la viãde, & vn autre boüillon qu'ils font d'os d'Elan concassez & brisez, seruent aussi de boisson. Vn certain villageois disoit en France, que s'il eust esté Roy il n'eut beu que de la gresse, les Sauuages en boiuent assez souuent, voire mesme ils la mangent & mordent dedans, quand [134] elle est figée, comme nous morderions dans vne pomme. Quand ils ont faict cuire vn Ours bien gras ou deux ou trois Castors dans vne chaudiere, vous les verriez ramasser & recueillir la gresse sur le boüillõ, auec vne large cuillier de bois, & gouster cette liqueur comme le plus doux Parochimel qu'ils ayent: quelquesfois ils en remplissent vn grand plat d'escorce, qui faict la ronde à l'entour des conuiez au festin, & chacun en boit auec plaisir. D'autres ayant ramassé cette gresse toute pure, ils iettent dedans quantité de neige; ce qu'ils font encore dans le boüillon gras, quand ils veulent boire vn peu froid, vous verriez de gros morceaux de gresse figée sur ce breuuage, & neantmoins ils le boiuent & l'auallent comme de l'Hipocras. Voila à mon aduis toutes les sortes de boissons qui se retreuuent parmy nos Sauuages, & dont ils m'ont faict gouster en Hiuer. Il a esté vn temps qu'ils auoient horreur de nos boissons d'Europe, mais ils se vendroient maintenant pour en auoir tant ils les ayment. Ie me suis quasi oublié de dire qu'ordinairement ils boiuent chaud ou276tiede; ils me tançoient [135] par fois, me voyant boire de l'eau froide, me disants que ie serois maigre, & que cela me refroidiroit iusques dans les os.

As to their drinks, they make none, either from roots or fruits, being satisfied with pure water. It is true that the broth in which they have cooked the meat, and another broth which they make of theground and broken bones of the Elk, serve as beverages. A certain peasant said in France that, if he were King, he would drink nothing but grease; the Savages do drink it very often, and even eat and bite into it, when [134] it is hard, as we would bite into an apple. When they have cooked a very fat Bear, or two or three Beavers, in a kettle, you will see them skim off the grease from the broth with a large wooden spoon, and taste this liquor as if what they had were the sweetest Parochimel. Sometimes they fill with it a large bark dish, and it goes the rounds of the guests at the feast, each one drinking with pleasure. At other times, having gathered this clear grease, they throw into it a quantity of snow; this they do also in their greasy soup, when they wish to drink it somewhat cool. You will see great lumps of grease floating on the top of this drink, and yet they swallow it like Hippocras.26These are, I believe, all the kinds of beverages to be found among the Savages, and which they had me taste during the Winter. There was a time when they had a horror of our European drinks; but they have now become so fond of these, that they would sell themselves to get them. I almost have forgotten to say that they generally drink everything warm or tepid, and sometimes blame me [135] when they see me drink cold water, telling me that I will become thin, and that it will chill me even to the bone.

De plus, ils n'entremeslent point le manger & le boire comme nous, mais on distribue premierement la chair ou les autres mets, puis ayant mangé ce qu'ils veulent, on partage le boüillon, où on le met en certain endroict, & chacun y va boire qui veut.

Also, they do not mix their eating and drinking as we do; but they first distribute the meat or other dishes; then, having eaten what they want, they divide the broth, or it is put in a certain place, and each one goes and drinks as he likes.

Disons pour conclusion de ce poinct, que les Sauuages auec tant d'animaux, tant d'oiseaux & de poissons, sont quasi tousiours affamez; la raison est, que les oiseaux & les poissons sont passagers, s'en allant & retournãt à certain temps, & auec cela ils ne sont pas trop grands gybboyeurs, & encore moins bons ménagers, car ce qu'ils tuent en vn iour ne void pas l'autre, excepté l'Elan & l'Anguille, dont ils font secherie quand ils en ont en grande abondance, si bien que pendant le mois de Septembre & octobre, ils viuent pour la plus part d'anguilles fresches en Nouembre, Decembre, & souuent en Ianuier, ils mangent leurs anguilles boucanées, & quelques Porcs epics [136] qu'ils prennent pendant les petites neiges, cõme aussi quelques Castors s'ils en trouuent. Quand les grandes neiges sont venuës ils mangent l'Orignac frais, ils le font seicher pour se nourrir le reste du temps iusques en Septembre, auec quelques oiseaux, quelques Ours & Castors qu'ils prennent au Printemps & pendant l'Esté: Or si toutes ces chasses ne donnent point (ce qui n'ariue que trop souuent pour eux) ils souffrent grandement.

Let us say, in concluding this subject, that withall their animals, birds and fish, the Savages are almost always hungry; the reason for this is, that the birds and fish are migratory, going and returning at certain times. Besides, they are not very great hunters, and are still poorer managers; for what they kill in one day is not seen the next, except the Elk and Eels, which they dry when they have them in great abundance. So that, during the months of September and October, they live for the most part upon fresh eels; in November, December and often in January, they eat their smoked eels, some Porcupines, [136] which they take during the lighter snowfalls, as also a few Beavers, if they find them. When the heavy snows come, they eat fresh Moose meat; they dry it, to live upon the rest of the time until September; and with this they have a few birds, Bears, and Beavers, which they take in the Spring and during the Summer. Now, if the hunt for all these animals does not succeed (which with them occurs only too often) they suffer greatly.

278CHAPITRE VIII.DE LEURS FESTINS.IL n'y a que les chasseurs effectiuemẽt & ceux qui l'ont esté, qui soient ordinairement conuiez aux festins, les femmes vefues y vont aussi: notamment si ce n'est pas vn festin à manger tout, les filles, les femmes mariées, & les enfans en sont quasi tousiours exclus. Ie dis quasi tousiours, car par fois on les inuite, ie leur ay veu faire desAcoumagouchanai, c'est à dire des festins à ne rien laisser, ausquels tout le monde se trouuoit, les [137] hõmes, fẽmes, & petits enfans: quand ils ont grãde abondance de viures, les femmes font quelquefois des festins par entr'elles, où les hõmes ne se trouuẽt point.

278

DE LEURS FESTINS.

IL n'y a que les chasseurs effectiuemẽt & ceux qui l'ont esté, qui soient ordinairement conuiez aux festins, les femmes vefues y vont aussi: notamment si ce n'est pas vn festin à manger tout, les filles, les femmes mariées, & les enfans en sont quasi tousiours exclus. Ie dis quasi tousiours, car par fois on les inuite, ie leur ay veu faire desAcoumagouchanai, c'est à dire des festins à ne rien laisser, ausquels tout le monde se trouuoit, les [137] hõmes, fẽmes, & petits enfans: quand ils ont grãde abondance de viures, les femmes font quelquefois des festins par entr'elles, où les hõmes ne se trouuẽt point.

CHAPTER VIII.ON THEIR FEASTS.ONLY actual hunters, and those who have been hunters, are usually invited to their feasts, to which widows go also, especially if it is not an eat-all feast. The girls, married women, and children, are nearly always excluded. I say nearly always, for occasionally they are invited. I have known them to haveAcoumagouchanai, that is to say, feasts where nothing is to be left, to which every one was invited, [137] men, women, and little children. When they have a great abundance of food, sometimes the women have a feast of their own, where the men are not found.

ON THEIR FEASTS.

ONLY actual hunters, and those who have been hunters, are usually invited to their feasts, to which widows go also, especially if it is not an eat-all feast. The girls, married women, and children, are nearly always excluded. I say nearly always, for occasionally they are invited. I have known them to haveAcoumagouchanai, that is to say, feasts where nothing is to be left, to which every one was invited, [137] men, women, and little children. When they have a great abundance of food, sometimes the women have a feast of their own, where the men are not found.

Leur façon d'inuiter est sans fard & sans ceremonie, quand tout est cuit & prest à manger (car on n'inuite personne auparauant) quelqu'vn s'en va par les Cabanes où sont ceux qui doiuent estre conuiez, ou bien mesme on leur criera ce mot du lieu où se faict le festin khinatonmigaouinaouau, vous estes inuitez au banquet, les hommes ausquels ce mot s'adresse, respondentho ho, & prenant sur l'heure mesme leur plat d'escorce & leur cueiller de bois, s'en viennent en la Cabane de celuy qui les traitte. Quand tous les hommes ne sont pas inuitez, on nomme ceux qu'on veut conuier; le deffaut de ceremonies faict épargner beaucoup de paroles à ces bõnes gens. Il me semble qu'au siecle d'or on faisoit comme cela, sinon que la280netteté y estoit en plus grande recommandation que parmy ces peuples.

Their way of inviting is straightforward and without ceremony. When all is cooked and ready to eat (for no one is invited before), some one goes through the Cabins of those who are to be invited; or else they will cry out to them this word, from the place where the feast is given,khinatonmigaouinaouau, "You are invited to the banquet." The men to whom this word is addressed, answer,ho ho, and straightway taking their own bark dish and wooden spoon, come to the Cabin of the one who is to entertain them. When all the men are not invited, those who are desired are named. The absence of ceremony spares these simple people many words. It seems to me in the golden age they must have done like this, except that then cleanliness was in higher favor than among these people.

Dans tous les festins, comme aussi dans leurs repas ordinaires, on donne à vn chacun sa part, d'où vient qu'il n'y en a [138] que deux ou trois qui ayẽt les meilleurs morceaux, car ils ne les diuisent point: ils donneront par exemple la langue d'vn Orignac, & toutes ses appartenances à vne seule personne, la queuë & la teste d'vn Castor à vn autre; voila les meilleures pieces, qu'ils appellentMascanou, la part du Capitaine. Pour les boyaux gras de l'Orignac, qui sont leurs grands delices, ils les font ordinairement rostir & en font gouster à tous, comme aussi d'vn autre mets, dont ils font grand estat, c'est le gros boyau de la beste remply de gresse, & rosty auec vne corde qui pend & tourne deuant le feu.

In all the feasts, as well as in their ordinary repasts, each one is given his part, from which it happens that [138] only two or three have the best pieces, for they do not divide them. For example, they will give the tongue of a Moose and all the giblets to a single person, the tail and head of a Beaver to another; these are the best pieces, which they callMascanou, "the Captain's part." As to the fat intestines of the Moose, which are their great delicacies, they usually roast them and let every one taste them, as they do another dish, which they hold in high esteem,—namely, the large intestine of the beast filled with grease, and roasted, fastened to a cord, hanging and turning before the fire.

Au reste ils sont magnifiques en ces festins, car ils ne presentent que les bonnes viandes les separants exprés, & donnant à chacun tres abondamment, quand ils en ont.

Also they are very magnificent in these feasts, for they only offer the good meat, separating it expressly, and giving to each one very abundantly, when they have it.

Ils ont deux sortes de festins, les vns à manger tout, les autres à mãger ce qu'on voudra, remportant le reste pour en faire part à leur famille. Cette derniere façon me semble loüable, car il n'y a point d'excez, chacun prend autant qu'il luy plaist de la portion qui luy est donnée; [139] voire i'oserois dire que c'est vne belle inuention pour conseruer l'amitié entr'eux, & pour se nourrir les vns les autres: car ordinairement les peres de famille ne mangent qu'vne partie de leurs mets, portans le reste à leurs femmes & à leurs enfans, le mal est qu'ils font trop souuent des festins dans la famine que nous auons enduré: si mõ hoste prenoit deux, trois, & quatre Castors, tout aussi tost282fut-il iour, fut-il nuict on en faisoit festin à tous les Sauuages voisins; & si eux auoient pris quelque chose, ils en faisoient de mesme à mesme temps: si que sortant d'vn festin vous allez à vn autre, & par fois encore à vn troisiesme, & vn quatriesme. Ie leur disois qu'ils ne faisoient pas bien, & qu'il valoit mieux reseruer ces festins aux iours suiuans, & que ce faisant nous ne serions pas tant pressez de la faim; ils se mocquoient de moy, demain (disoient-ils) nous ferons encore festin de ce que nous prendrons; oüy mais le plus souuent ils ne prenoient que du froid & du vent.

They have two kinds of feasts,—one at which everything is eaten; the other at which the guests eat what they please, carrying away the rest to divide with their families. This last feast seems to me praiseworthy, for there is no excess, each one taking as much as he likes of the portion given to him; [139] indeed, I would venture to say that it is a happy invention to preserve friendship among them, and for each to help feed the others. For usually the heads of families only eat a part of their share, carrying the rest to their wives and children. The trouble is that their feasts come too often. In the famine through which we passed, if my host took two, three, or four Beavers, immediately, whether it was day or night, they had a feast for all the neighboring Savages. And if those people had capturedsomething, they had one also at the same time; so that, on emerging from one feast, you went to another, and sometimes even to a third and a fourth. I told them that they did not manage well, and that it would be better to reserve these feasts for future days, and in doing this they would not be so pressed with hunger. They laughed at me. "To-morrow" (they said) "we shall make another feast with what we shall capture." Yes, but more often they captured only cold and wind.

Pour leurs festins à ne rien laisser, ils sont tres blamables, & c'est neantmoins l'vne de leurs grandes deuotions, car ils [140] font ces festins pour auoir bonne chasse, il se faut bien donner de garde que les chiens n'en goustent tant soit peu, tout seroit perdu, leur chasse ne vaudroit rien; Et remarquez que plus ils mangent plus ce festin est efficace; de là vient qu'ils dõneront à vn seul homme, ce que ie ne voudrois pas entreprendre de manger, auec trois bons disneurs, ils creueroient plustost, pour ainsi dire, que de rien laisser. Vray qu'ils se peuuent ayder les vns les autres; quand quelqu'vn n'en peut plus, il prie son compagnon de l'assister, où bien l'on fait passer son reste pardeuant les autres qui en prennent chacun vne partie, & apres tout cela s'il en reste on le iette au feu; celuy qui mange le plus est le plus estimé, vous les entendez raconter leurs proüesses de gueule, specifiants la quantité & les parties de la beste qu'ils ont mãgé; Dieu sçait quelle musique apres le banquet, car ces Barbares donnent toute liberté à leur estomach & à leur ventre, de tenir le langage qui284leur plaist pour se soulager; quand aux odeurs qu'on sent pour lors dans leurs Cabanes, elles sont plus fortes que l'odeur des roses, mais elles ne sont pas si douces, vous les voyez haleter [141] & souffler comme des gens remplis iusques au gosier; & de faict comme ils sont nuds, ie les voyois enflez iusques à la gorge, encore ont ils du courage là dedans, leur cœur retient ce qu'on luy donne, ie n'ay veu que l'estomach du Sorcier mécontent de ce qu'on luy auoit donné, quantité d'autres en approchoient de bien prés, mais ils tenoient bon. I'en ay veu par fois de malades apres ces excez.

As to their "leave-nothing" feasts, they are very blamable; and yet this is one of their great devotions, because they [140] make these feasts in order to have a successful chase. They must be very careful that the dogs taste nothing of this, or all will be lost, and their hunting will be worthless. And notice that, the more they eat, the more efficacious is this feast. Hence it happens that they will give, to one man, what I would not undertake to eat with three good diners. They would rather burst, so to speak, than to leave anything. True, they can help each other; when one can eat no more, he begs his companions to assist him; or else he may pass the remains of his part along to the others, who each one take some of it, and after all this, if anything remain, it is thrown into the fire. The one who eats the most is the most admired. You will hear them describing the prowess of their jaws, naming the quantity and the parts of the beast which they have eaten. God knows what kind of music follows this banquet, for these Barbarians give full liberty to their stomachs and bellies, to utter whatever sounds they please, in order to relieve themselves. As to the odors that are then exhaled in their Cabins, they arestronger than the perfume of roses, but not so sweet. You see them pant [141] and blow, like people full up to their throats; and, in fact, as they are naked, I saw that they were swollen as high as their necks. Still, with it all, they have mettle there inside, for their stomachs retain what is given them. I have known only the Sorcerer's stomach to be dissatisfied with what it received; many others came very near it, but they held their own. Occasionally, I have seen some of them sick after these excesses.

Mais venons à l'ordre qu'ils gardent en ces banquets; Ceux qu'on doit traitter estans conuiez à la façon que i'ay dit, ils s'en viennent auec leurouragan, ou escuelle leur cuillier, ils entrent dans la Cabane sans ceremonie, chacun prenant sa place comme il vient, ils s'asseoient en rond à l'entour de la chaudiere qui est sur le feu, renuersant leur plat deuant eux, leurs sieges, c'est la terre couuerte de branches de pin, il n'y a point de preseance, toutes les parties d'vn cercle sont aussi courbées, & aussi nobles les vnes que les autres, quelquesfois l'vn d'eux dira à celuy qui entreOutaiappitou, viens icy, sieds toy là.

But let us notice the order which they observe in these banquets. Those who are to be entertained having been invited in the way I have stated, they come each with hisouragan, or dish, and his spoon, and enter the Cabin without ceremony, each one taking his place as he comes. They seat themselves around the kettle which is over the fire, turning their plates upside down before them. Their chairs are the ground, covered with pine branches; and no order of precedence is observed. All the members of the circle are alike bent forward; and one is as noble as the other. Sometimes one will say to another who enters,Outaiappitou, "Come here, sit thou there."

Chacun ayant pris sa place & s'estant assis en forme de Guenon, retirant ses [142] jambes contre ses cuisses, si c'est vn festin à manger tout, on ne dit mot, on chante seulement, & s'il y a quelque Sorcier ouManitousiou, il bat son tambour; vray qu'ils ne sont pas tousiours si religieux qu'ils ne tiennent quelque petit discours. Si le festin n'est pas à ne rien laisser, ils s'entretiennent vn peu de temps de leurs chasses, ou d'autres choses semblables, le plus souuent de gausseries.

Each one, having taken his place, sits in the posture of a monkey, drawing up his [142] legs against his thighs. If it is an eat-all feast, not a word is said, they only sing; and if there is a Sorcerer orManitousioupresent, he beats his drum; true, they are not always so strict that they do not hold some little conversation. If it is not a leave-nothing feast, they have a little conversation about their hunting, or the like, but most frequently about their pranks.

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