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THE  JESUIT  RELATIONS 


AND 


ALLIED  DOCUMENTS 


VOL.  LVIII 


The  edition  consists  of  sev- 
en hundred  and  fifty  sets 
all  numbered 


No. 


The  Jesuit  Relations  and  x\llied  Documents 


Travels  and  Explorations 

OF  THE  Jesuit  Missionaries 

IN  New  France 

1610-1791 

THE  ORIGINAL  FRENCH,  LATIN,  AND  ITAL- 
IAN TEXTS,  WITH  ENGLISH  TRANSLA- 
TIONS AND  NOTES  ;  ILLUSTRATED  BY 
PORTRAITS,  MAPS,  AND  FACSIMILES 

EDITED  BY 

REUBEN  GOLD  THWAITES 
Secretary  of  the  State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin 


Vol.  LVIII 

Ottawas,  lower  Canada,  Iroquois 

1672- 1674 


CLEVELAND:    ttbe  3SuttOW0  JStOtbetg 

Companis,  publishers,  mdcccxcix 


Copyright,   1899 

BY 

The  Burrows  Brothers  Co 


ALL   RIGHTS   RESERVED 


The  Imperial  Press,  Cleveland 


EDITORIAL  STAFF 


Editor 


Translators 


Assistant  Editor 
Bibliograpliical  Adviser 


Reuben  Gold  Thwaites 
FiNLOw  Alexander 
Percy  Favor  Bicknell 
Crawford  Lindsay 
William  Price 
Emma  Helen  Blair 
Victor  Hugo  Paltsits 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  LVIII 


Preface  to  Volume  LVIII        .  .  .9 

Documents: — 

CXXX.  Relation  dece  qui  s'est  passe  .... 
en  la  Nouuelle  France,  Les  ann^es 
1672.611673.  Jeande  Lamberville, 
Claude  Dablon,  and  others.  [Final 
installment.]  .  .  •      ^9 

CXXXI.  Relation  de  la  descouverte  de  plu- 
sieurs  pays  situez  au  midi  de  la 
Nouvelle  France,  faite  en  1673. 
\Claude  Dablon;  Quebec,  August  i, 
1674]  .... 

CXXXII.  Voyage  autour  de  I'lsle  Jesus. 
Antoine  Dabnas;  [La  Prairie,  Oc- 
tober, 1674] 

CXXXIII.  Relation  de  ce  qui  s'est  pass6  .... 
en  la  Nouvelle- France  pendant 
les  annees  1673  et  1674.  [Letters 
from  the  following  missionaries, 
edited  or  synopsized  by  Claude 
Dablon:]  Claude  Jean  Allouez, 
Louis  Andr^,  Pierre  Millet,  Jean  de 
Lamberville,  Julien  Gamier,  Pierre 
Raffeix,  Francois  de  Cr^pieul,  and 
Louis  Nicolas;  n.p.,  n.d.  [First 
installment.]  .  .  .127 

Bibliographical  Data:  Volume  LVIII  .  291 

Notes        .  .  .  .  •  .293 


92 


no 


PREFACE  TO  VOL.  LVIll 


Following  is  a  synopsis  of  the  documents  con- 
tained in  this  volume : 

CXXX.  The  greater  part  of  the  Relation  of 
1672-73  appeared  in  Vol.  LVII. ;  the  remainder  of 
the  document  is  herewith  presented. 

Allouez's  work  among  the  Wisconsin  tribes  is 
described  in  his  report  to  his  superior.  In  May, 
1672,  he  goes  to  the  Mascouten  village  on  the  upper 
Fox  River.  Here  he  finds  nearly  two  hundred 
cabins  of  savages,  representing  five  tribes.  A  cabin 
is  erected,  for  his  chapel ;  but,  when  he  undertakes  to 
say  mass,  so  great  a  crowd  assembles,  and  so  great 
is  their  curiosity  "  to  see  the  black  gown,"  that  for 
some  time  he  cannot  even  make  himself  heard  by 
them.  He  succeeds  at  last  in  explaining  the  cere- 
mony to  them,  when  they  show  profound  respect, 
and  even  refrain  from  smoking  and  talking  while 
Allouez  is  using  the  chapel.  Crowds  attend  his 
instructions  every  day,  and  he  says,  "  I  had  barely 
time  to  take  my  food."  He  erects  a  great  cross; 
and  his  parishioners  hang  upon  it  "clusters  of  Indian 
corn,  girdles,  and  red  garters,"  to  show  their  venera- 
tion. Two  of  the  tribes  begin  to  quarrel  over  it, 
each  desiring  to  have  it  when  the  Father  shall 
depart;  "  this  holy  contention  gave  me  joy."  He 
settles   it   by   erecting    another   cross   in    the   rival 


10  PREFACE  TO   VOL.  LVIII 

encampment,  Allouez  remains  among  these  people 
until  September  6,  when  he  sets  out  on  his  return  to 
De  Pere.  His  canoe  is  wrecked  in  the  Appleton 
rapids ;  all  his  baggage  is  soaked  with  water,  but 
fortunately  is  not  lost.  With  one  of  his  boatmen, 
who  is  ill,  he  remains  eight  days  on  "  an  Islet  ten 
feet  Long,"  until  his  men  can  procure  another  canoe. 
They  then  return  safely  to  the  mission-house  at  De 
Pere. 

In  the  mission  of  St.  Fran9ois  Xavier,  which 
includes  the  Pottawattomie  village  on  the  east  shore 
of  Green  Bay,  Allouez  baptizes  thirty-four  persons 
during  the  year  —  all  children,  except  one  sick  man. 
After  September,  he  dwells  in  his  house  alone  —  the 
savages  all  departing,  "  because  this  year  there  are 
neither  acorns  nor  Ducks."  Many  parties  of  Indians 
pass  that  way,  however,  going  to  or  returning  from 
their  hunting;  these  he  instructs  as  he  has  oppor- 
tunity. 

At  St.  Mark's,  among  the  Foxes,  he  has  baptized 
forty-eight.  In  November,  he  goes  there  to  visit 
some  sick  converts,  of  whose  religious  experiences 
he  gives  some  account.  In  February,  1673,  he  again 
visits  them,  but  finds  that  they  have  been  prejudiced 
against  the  faith  by  the  Iroquois.  Moreover,  not- 
withstanding their  prayers  to  God,  they  have  lost 
many  warriors  at  the  hands  of  the  Sioux.  He  says 
mass  every  day,  and  preaches  boldly  against  their 
superstitions  and  their  licentious  customs;  yet  no 
one  interferes  with  him.  "  This  is  a  special  grace 
for  this  village,  where  the  people  are  self-willed 
beyond  anything  that  can  be  imagined."  Allouez 
relates  the  course  of  events  during  his  stay  there. 
They  listen  to  him  readily,  but  are  easily  diverted 


PREFACE  TO  VOL.  LVIII  11 

from  belief  in  the  new  faith,  especially  when  it  does 
not  protect  them  from  their  enemies. 

The  Father  departs,  April  30,  for  the  Mascouten 
village,  where  he  is  welcomed  by  a  friendly  but  noisy 
crowd,  so  anxious  to  get  inside  his  chapel  that,  as 
before,  they  tear  off  the  rush  mats  of  which  it  is 
made.  Of  the  Miami  Indians,  who  also  dwell  here, 
some  profess  the  faith ;  but  others  do  not  approve  of 
the  Father's  preaching.  He  observes,  however,  that 
all  those  who  believe  have  not  suffered  from  hunger 
during  the  winter,  while  the  pagans  have  experienced 
such  famine  that  some  of  them  died.  The  Miamis 
have  given  up  invocations  to  their  manitous,  and 
invoke  "  him  who  has  made  Heaven  and  earth." 

Marquette  has  departed  on  his  voyage  toward  the 
South  Sea,  and  Albanel  has  again  set  out  for  Hudson 
Bay. 

At  La  Prairie,  near  Montreal,  have  gathered  many 
Iroquois  Christians,  with  other  converts  from  the 
captives  who  have  been  brought  home  by  Iroquois 
war-parties.  In  this  one  mission  are  representatives 
of  twenty-two  tribes,  and  of  several  different  lan- 
guages. The  inhabitants  of  this  colony  will  not 
suffer  vice  and  superstition  in  their  village ;  they 
will  not  even  admit  therein  any  one  who  does  not 
promise  to  live  as  they  do.  A  full  account  is  given 
of  the  hospitality,  devotion,  zeal,  and  other  virtues 
displayed  by  these  savages.  "  Brandy  has  ruined 
the  Algonquin  mission" — a  calamity  due  to  "the 
insatiable  avarice  of  the  French,"  who  cheat  the 
savages  out  of  their  furs  by  making  them  intoxicated. 
The  little  mission  at  La  Prairie,  however,  is  free 
from  this  curse,  through  "  a  miracle  of  Providence," 
and  the  care  of  the  guardian  angels.     Several  infidels 


12  PREFACE  TO  VOL.  LVJII 

attempt  to  observe  their  superstitions,  but  they  are 
promptly  frowned  down,  and,  if  contumacious,  are 
expelled  from  the  village.  One  of  them  is  punished 
by  Divine  justice,  for  within  three  months  he  loses 
all  his  children  by  death.  The  most  important 
agency  for  retaining  these  savages  in  both  devotion 
and  morals  is  the  "confraternity  of  the  Holy 
Family  ' '  established  among  them. 

CXXXI.  Dablon  writes  a  letter  (August  i,  1674) 
to  his  superior  in  France,  giving  an  account  of  the 
recent  discovery  of  the  Mississippi  by  Joliet  and 
Marquette,  obtained  from  reports  made  by  the  former. 
He  describes  the  extent  and  course  of  the  great 
river,  and  mentions  the  tribes  dwelling  upon  its 
shores.  The  savages  of  that  region  appear  gentle 
and  friendly.  At  the  first  village  that  they  enter,  a 
magnificent  calumet  —  the  pipe  of  peace  —  is  pre- 
sented to  the  Frenchmen.  The  beauty  and  fertility 
of  that  country,  the  abundance  of  game,  and  the  mild- 
ness of  the  climate,  delight  the  travelers.  They 
proceed  until,  as  the  Indians  inform  them,  they  are 
but  fifty  leagues  distant  from  the  sea.  At  this  point, 
fearing  that  they  may  be  detained  as  prisoners  by 
the  Spaniards,  they  conclude  to  go  back  to  Quebec, 
to  inform  the  governor,  as  soon  as  possible,  of  their 
discoveries.  They  return  to  Mackinac  (this  time,  by 
the  Illinois  river  route),  and  Joliet  proceeds  to 
Quebec ;  but  he  has  the  misfortune  to  wreck  his  canoe 
above  Montreal,  losing  all  his  papers,  and  barely 
escaping  with  his  life. 

Dablon 's  first  comment  on  this  important  voyage 
is,  that  it  opens  the  way  for  missions  to  new  tribes, 
among  whom  there  is  a  bright  prospect  for  success. 
He  also  observes  that  it  is  now  tolerably  certain  that 


PREFACE  TO  VOL.  LVIII  13 

the  Mississippi  discharges  into  the  Florida  sea.  This 
disappoints  the  hope  of  explorers  that  the  river  would 
offer  a  passage  to  the  China  sea ;  but  they  think  that, 
by  ascending  the  Missouri,  some  other  river  which 
flows  westward  may  be  reached.  The  writer  —  or, 
more  probably,  Joliet  —  suggests  that  a  ship-canal 
might  be  built  across  the  Chicago  portage,  to  con- 
nect the  Illinois  River  with  Lake  Michigan,  thus 
affording  a  short  and  inland  route  from  Canada  to 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Joliet  recommends  the  Illinois 
prairies  as  suitable  for  French  colonies. 

CXXXII.  This  is  a  report  to  the  superior,  Dablon, 
of  an  expedition  of  observation  around  Isle  Jesus, 
near  Montreal,  made  by  Father  Antoine  Dalmas,  in 
September,  1674.  He  has  been  sent  to  inspect  the 
island,  to  ascertain  if  there  is  any  place  suitable  for 
the  establishment  of  an  Indian  colony.  He  finds 
little  to  encourage  this  scheme,  for  such  good  loca- 
tions as  remain  are  subject  to  various  disadvantages, 
the  worst  of  which  is  the  danger  that  traders  will  go 
thither,  to  sell  brandy  to  the  Indians.  A  hasty 
survey  leads  him  to  suggest  that  a  better  place  might 
be  found  above  the  mouth  of  the  Ottawa;  "  all  the 
nearer  country  is  either  taken,  or  is  poor,  and  a  prey 
to  the  traders."  After  this  general  report,  Dalmas 
gives  a  journal  of  his  voyage,  which  covers  six  days. 

CXXXIII.  The  Relation  oi  1673-74  was  sent,  as 
usual,  to  the  French  provincial  by  Dablon ;  we  present 
in  this  volume  all  of  the  document  except  the  report 
on  the  Montagnais  mission,  which  will  appear  in 
Vol.  LIX. 

The  Huron  colony  near  Quebec  is  rapidly  increas- 
ing in  population.  As  these  savages  need  more  land 
and  wood,  the  Jesuits  have  removed  them  to  a  new 


14  PREFACE  TO  VOL.  LVIH 

settlement,  called  Lorette.  A  general  survey  of  this 
Huron  mission  is  first  given.  The  Hurons,  poor  as 
they  are,  have  welcomed  the  Iroquois  converts  who 
flock  to  their  village,  and  show  the  utmost  Christian 
charity  to  these,  their  former  enemies  and  tormentors. 
The  good  Hurons  also  bestow  a  large  amount  of 
corn  as  alms  to  the  poor  among  the  French  people, 
besides  sharing  their  possessions  most  generously 
among  their  own  tribesmen  who  may  be  in  need. 
They  also  show  such  fervor  and  devotion  in  their 
prayers  that  they  put  the  French  to  shame.  Shortly 
before  his  death,  one  man  offers  his  only  daughter 
to  the  Lord ;  and,  although  she  is  but  five  years  old, 
arrangements  are  made  to  place  her  with  the  Ursu- 
lines,  that  she  may  be  trained  for  a  nun's  vocation. 

The  Hurons  remove  to  Lorette  on  December  27, 
1673;  their  chapel  is  completed  and  blessed  on 
November  4,  1674.  A  description  is  given  of  this 
edifice,  which  is  modeled  after  the  house  of  the 
Virgin  at  Loreto,  Italy.  It  is  a  notable  stimulus  to 
the  fervor  of  the  savages ;  and  many  Frenchmen  also 
come  as  pilgrims  to  this  shrine.  The  Indian  boys 
are  delighted  to  serve  at  mass  therein.  Many 
incidents  are  related  of  the  faith,  resignation,  and 
love,  exhibited  by  these  Huron  Christians. 

The  various  missions  among  the  Iroquois  tribes 
furnish  reports  of  the  year's  work.  Bruyas,  who  is 
in  charge  of  the  Mohawks,  is  obliged  by  the  press  of 
his  duties  to  ask  for  assistance.  Many  of  this  tribe 
have  migrated  to  the  French  settlements,  but  many 
of  those  who  remain  are  also  receiving  the  gospel, 
and  ask  for  baptism.  The  number  of  these  has 
been  greatly  increased  by  the  conversion  of  a  promi- 
nent chief  named  Assendase.     This  man   has    "  so 


PREFACE  TO  VOL.  LVIII  15 

faithfully  kept  his  promises,  and  practiced  all  the 
Christian  exercises,  that  he  is  the  model  for  all  the 
Christians. ' '  The  prospect  is  bright  for  the  triumph 
of  the  faith  at  Agnie. 

Milet  reports  from  Oneida  forty-five  baptisms^ 
"  much  more  than  I  had  hoped  for,  in  view  of  the 
efforts  of  the  Dutch  against  us."  Here,  as  at  Agnie, 
a  notable  chief  has  been  gained  to  the  side  of  the 
Faith  —  in  both  instances,  strongly  impelled  thereto 
by  the  favorable  impressions  given  them  by  Fronte- 
nac,  at  his  conference  with  the  Iroquois  chiefs  in 
July,  1673,  The  missionary  finds  in  a  lunar  eclipse 
(January  21,  1674)  an  excellent  opportunity  to  expose 
the  falsity  of  the  claims  to  supernatural  powers  made 
by  the  medicine-men.  Various  embassies  are  sent  to 
Oneida  by  the  other  Iroquois  tribes,  to  settle  affairs 
of  mutual  concern.  Milet  describes  the  ceremonies 
and  procedures  connected  with  the  appointment, 
reception,  and  speeches  of  these  ambassadors.  He 
then  proceeds  to  narrate  the  details  of  various 
baptisms  in  his  mission ;  and  of  the  pious  actions  of 
some  of  the  leading  Christians  there.  Among  these 
is  Louis  Taondechoren,  a  Huron  evangelist  who 
devotes  himself  to  spreading  the  gospel  among  the 
pagan  Iroquois.  In  general,  the  leading  men  of 
Oneida  are  well  disposed  toward  the  faith,  and  many 
have  embraced  it.  Divorces  are  much  less  frequent 
than  formerly;  and  many  are  becoming  emancipated 
from  bondage  to  their  superstitions.  ' '  Drunkenness 
is  probably  the  sole  obstacle  that  now  hinders  their 
conversion." 

Many  of  Lamberville's  converts  at  Onondaga  have 
gone  to  La  Prairie ;  his  main  success  now  is  among 
the  dying.     Garakonti^  is  still  the  devoted  friend  of 


16  PREFACE  TO  VOL.  LVIII 

the  mission,  and  a  shining  example  of  piety  and 
virtue.  Lamberville  relates  the  particulars  of  various 
baptisms  and  deaths  among  his  people.  He  men- 
tions the  great  trials  that  a  missionary  must  endure 
in  his  efforts  to  secure  the  conversion  of  old  people 
during  protracted  illness.  * '  Great  patience  is  needed 
to  endure  their  ill  humor  and  their  savage  whims,  if 
one  desires,  in  spite  of  rebuffs,  to  procure  their  salva- 
tion." Most  of  his  baptisms,  however,  are  of  chil- 
dren in  danger  of  death.  "  This  is  the  most  certain 
fruit  that  we  gather  in  this  country,  where  it  is 
desirable  that  the  children  should  die  before  obtaining 
the  use  of  their  reason." 

At  Cayuga  there  have  been  comparatively  few 
baptisms ;  but  the  savages  are  more  kindly  disposed 
to  the  faith  than  heretofore.  Their  contempt,  and 
even  hatred,  are  being  succeeded  by  esteem,  and  a 
desire  to  be  instructed. 

Among  the  Senecas,  the  missionaries  do  not  have 
to  combat  intemperance,  for  that  tribe  has  had  but 
little  intercourse  with  the  white  men;  but  their 
superstition  and  licentiousness  render  the  gospel 
distasteful  to  them,  although  in  one  of  the  villages 
Garnier  finds  the  people  desirous  of  baptism, —  not 
willing,  however,  to  give  up  for  it  their  superstitious 
dances.  The  circumstances  attending  the  few  con- 
versions here  secured  are  related  at  length.  Raffeix 
gives  a  similar  report  from  his  village,  emphasizing 
his  work  in  securing  through  baptism  the  salvation 
of  dying  children. 

With  the  Iroquois  missions  is  classed  that  at  La 
Prairie,  because  the  resident  savages  are  mainly 
Iroquois.  These  are  "  no  longer  arrogant  and 
barbarian,  but  men  perfectly  submissive  to  the  laws, 


PREFACE  TO  VOL.  LVIII  17 

full  of  gentleness  and  love  for  the  Gospel."  This 
colony  is  steadily  increasing  in  numbers,  many  being 
attracted  thither  by  friends  already  settled  there. 
Their  abstinence  from  brandy  is  steadfast,  even  in 
the  presence  of  strong  temptations.  On  one  occa- 
sion, three  of  them  become  intoxicated;  but,  when 
they  return  to  La  Prairie,  they  are  fined  by  the 
elders,  "  and  would  have  been  expelled,  had  they  not 
been  married  to  three  of  the  best  Christian  women 
in  the  village." 

The  Ottawa  missions  are  next  considered.  At 
Sault  Ste.  Marie,  the  chapel  first  built,  which  was 
consumed  by  fire  in  167 1,  has  been  replaced  by  a 
new  and  finer  one.  This,  too,  was  in  danger  of  the 
same  fate,  in  the  spring  of  1674, —  the  residence  of 
the  Fathers,  which  stood  near  it,  being  burned  to 
the  ground.  This  fire  results  from  a  treacherous 
attack  made  upon  some  Sioux  ambassadors  who  had 
come  to  treat  for  peace,  and  had  been  placed,  for 
their  safety,  in  the  mission-house.  Nevertheless, 
the  ambassadors  are  attacked  even  there,  by  certain 
Cree  Indians  who  are  implacably  hostile  to  the  Sioux. 
The  ambassadors  are  all  slain,  after  having  killed 
many  of  the  Crees  and  Ottawas.  During  the  fight, 
the  mission-house  is  burned,  with  all  its  contents; 
and,  worst  of  all,  the  Fathers  see  the  door  shut  by 
which  they  had  hoped  to  make  the  gospel  enter  the 
Sioux  tribes.  The  Algonkins  at  the  Sault,  fearing 
reprisals  from  the  Sioux  for  this  treacherous  murder, 
take  flight ;  and  the  missionaries  are  thus  left  alone 
to  face  the  expected  enemy. 

Allouez  gives  an  account  of  his  work  at  Green  Bay. 
"  In  the  conviction  that  the  house  of  God  will  protect 
them,"  the  Illinois  tribes  are  flocking  to  that  region, 


18  PR  El- ACE  TO  VOL.  LVIII 

as  well  as  many  from  the  upper  Mississippi.  "  If 
they  do  not  all  pray  as  yet,  they  at  least  esteem 
Prayer."  When  they  pass  the  church,  they  throw 
tobacco  all  around  it,  as  a  token  of  respect  "  to  the 
greatest  divinity  of  whom  they  have  ever  heard." 

Andr6  is  laboring  among  the  Menomonees  and 
other  tribes  along  the  shore  of  Green  Bay.  He  finds 
the  former  invoking  the  sun  to  send  them  success  in 
fishing  for  sturgeon;  he  persuades  them  to  replace 
the  image  of  the  sun  by  his  crucifix.  On  the  next 
day,  they  catch  abundance  of  fish ;  this  renders  them 
surprisingly  attentive  to  his  instructions.  He  bap- 
tizes many  children,  and  two  sick  men.  At  another 
of  these  outlying  stations,  the  young  men  are  taught 
the  folly  of  invoking  the  devil,  by  the  failure  of  an 
expedition  on  which  they  set  out  against  the  Sioux ; 
they  then  are  willing  to  have  recourse  to  the  true 
God.  Andre's  efforts  are  also  aided  by  the  cure  of 
a  sick  man  through  baptism.  His  people  go  in 
November  to  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  but  he  is 
unable  to  follow  them.  He  falls  ill,  and  is  obliged 
to  remain  alone  at  the  Menominee  River  during  six 
weeks,  suffering  from  the  cold  and  his  sickness,  and 
exposed  to  possible  attack  from  enemies;  but  his 
confidence  in  God,  and  his  expectation  of  the  coming 
of  some  Illinois  bands  in  January,  sustain  him  amid 
these  hardships. 

R.  G.  T. 

Madison,  Wis.,  November,  1899. 


CXXX   (concluded) 

Relation  of  1672-73 


The  greater  part  of  this  document  was  given  in  Volume 
LVll.;  the  remainder  is  herewith  presented. 


20  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Vol.58 

ARTICLE     4".        DE     LA     MISSION     DES     MASKOUTENCH, 

ILINOIS   &C. 

LES  Choses  que  Le  P.  Claude  allouez  a  fait  parmy 
ces  peuples  sont  tout  a  fait  apostoliques.  II  a 
pr^ch6  L  euangile  auec  de  grandes  fatigues  a  vn 
grand  nombre  de  sauuages  infideles  de  diuerses 
nations,  et  de  Langues  differentes  [et]  auec  vn  suc- 
cez  considerable,  en  sorte  que  par  son  moyen  La 
connoissance  d'vn  seul  Dieu  s'est  beaucoup  6tendue 
dans  ces  extremitez  de  La  terre  iusqu'ou  elle  n'etoit 
pas  encore  arriu^e.  La  croix  de  Jesus  Christ  a  €t€ 
respect^e  et  plant^e  ou  jamais  elle  n'auoit  €t€  veue, 
et  plusieurs  ames  [ont  este]  regener^es  au  saint  bap- 
teme  qui  [Lesquelles]  a  cause  de  Leur  eloignement,  de 
Leurs  mceurs  barbares  des  fatigues  qu'il  falloit  entre- 
prendre  pour  Les  aller  Clierclier,  de  La  diuersit^  des 
Langues  qu'il  falloit  apprendre  pour  Leur  pouuoir 
precher,  des  tenebres  grossieres  de  L'idolatrie,  iointe 
a  vn  attachement  Strange  a  Leurs  superstitions  qu'il 
falloit  dissiper  pour  Les  conuertir,  sembloient  ^tre 
hors  d'esperance  d'etre  jamais  enfans  de  Dieu.  mais 
il  vaut  mieux  se  seruir  du  journal  du  m^me  Pere  pour 
donner  vne  Connoissance  particuliere  de  toutes  ces 
Choses. 

MON  R°.  Pere 
Peu  de  jours  apres  Le  depart  du  P.  Junri  nouuel 
ie  [Je]  m'embarquay  pour  La  mission  saint  Jacques 
des  MachKoutench  qui  fut  Le  9^.  Aoust  de  L  annee 
1672  [et]  i'y  arriuay  Le  13*. 
En  cette  mission  nous  auons  baptise  depuis  vn  an 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672  -  7s  2 1 


ARTICLE    4TH.       OF    THE     MISSION     TO     THE    MASKOU- 
TENCH,  ILINOIS,  AND    OTHER   TRIBES. 

THAT  which  Father  Claude  allonez  has  accom- 
plished among  these  tribes  is  truly  apostolic. 
He  has  preached  The  gospel  with  much  toil  to  a  great 
many  pagan  savages,  of  various  nations  and  of  differ- 
ent Languages,  [and  that]  with  considerable  success ; 
so  that  through  his  instrumentality  The  knowledge 
of  one  God  is  widely  spread  in  these  remote  parts  of 
The  earth,  which  it  had  as  yet  never  reached.  The 
cross  of  Jesus  Christ  has  been  respected,  and  planted 
where  it  had  never  been  seen ;  and  many  souls  [have 
been]  regenerated  in  holy  baptism  Who  —  owing  to 
Their  remoteness  and  Their  barbarous  customs ;  the 
fatigues  that  must  be  undergone  in  going  to  Seek 
Them,  and  The  diversity  of  Languages  that  had  to  be 
learned,  in  order  to  be  able  to  preach  to  Them ;  and 
the  thick  darkness  of  idolatry,  added  to  a  singular 
attachment  to  Their  superstitions,  which  had  to  be 
dispelled  in  order  to  convert  Them  —  seemed  to  be 
beyond  hope  of  ever  becoming  children  of  God.  But 
it  is  better  to  make  use  of  the  journal  of  the  same 
Father,  to  convey  detailed  Knowledge  of  all  these 
Matters. 

MY  Reverend  Father,  , 
A  few  days  after  Father  henri  nouveVs  departure, 
I  embarked  for  The  mission  of  saint  Jacques,  among 
the  Machkoutench, — that  was  on  The  9th  of  August 
of  The  year  1672,  [and]  I  arrived  there  on  The  13th. 
In  this  mission  we  have,  during  the  past  year, 
baptized  114  persons,  of  whom  three  adults  and  five 
children  died  shortly  after  baptism. 


22  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES         [Vol.58 

114.    personnes  dont  trois  adultes   [et  cinq  enfans] 
sont  morts  peu  apres  Le  bapt^me,  et  Cinq  enfants 

Je  commencay  a  me  Loger  a  part,  afin  que  toutes 
Les  nations  pussent  Librement  venir  6couter  Les 
paroles  de  vie  Car  iy  comptay  vingi;  Cabannes  d'ili- 
nou^s,  trente  grandes  cabanes  de  KiKabou  Cinquante 
de  MachKoutench  Plus  de  quatre  vingt  dix  des 
miamiaK ;  [et]  trois  ouaouiatanouKaK  J  ay  mis  notre 
Chapelle  proche  du  bourg  au  milieu  de  Leurs 
C[li]amps  Chez  Les  machKoutench  elle  fut  preste 
pour  Le  iour  de  L'assomption  auquel  Jour  ie  [y]  dis 
La  sainte  messe. 

Peu  de  temps  apres  il  y  eut  vn  si  grand  abord  et 
[vne  telle]  foule  de  toutes  nations  qu'il  n'etoit  pas 
possible  de  me  faire  ecouter  ils  briserent  La  Cabane 
qui  6toit  a  leur  fa9on  faites  de  nates  de  ionc,  pour 
nous  voir  a  Leur  aise ;  ne  pouuant  me  faire  ecouter 
[entendre  a  cette  populace]  ie  fis  sortir  vn  vieiliard 
pour  Leur  parler,  ils  Lui  repondoient  quits  vouloient  voir 
La  robe  noire,  [remedier  a  Ces  desordres  mais  il  ne 
pent  auoir  d' autre  reponse  de  tout  ce  peuple,  sinon 
qu'ils  vouloient  voir  la  robe  noire.] 

Vne  partie  du  jour  s'etant  ainsy  passee  ie  sors  de 
la  Chapelle,  et  metant  mis  en  vn  lieu  vn  peu  emi- 
nent; il  est  important  dis-ie  de  m'ecouter,  et  non 
pas  de  me  voir,  ecoutez  moy  done,  Dieu  me  fit  La 
grace  de  Parler  La  Langue  de  miami  Car  La  plus 
grande  partie  etoit  de  cette  nation,  il  se  fit  vn  grand 
silence  pendant  vne  Longue  instruction,  apres 
Laquelle  ils  se  mirent  a  genoux,  firent  Le  signe  de 
La  croix,  hommes  et  femmes  et  enfans  et  prierent 
dieu  auec  moy  en  Leur  Langue. 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1672-73  23 


I  began  by  procuring  a  separate  Lodging  for  my- 
self, so  that  all  The  tribes  might  Freely  come  and 
listen  to  The  words  of  life ;  For  I  counted  there 
twenty  Cabins  of  ilinou6s,  thirty  large  cabins  of 
Kikabou,  Fifty  of  Machkoutench,  Over  ninety  of 
miamiak,  [and]  three  ouaouiatanoukak.^  I  placed  our 
Chapel  near  the  village,  in  the  midst  of  Their  Fields, 
Among  The  machkoutench.  It  was  ready  for  The 
feast  of  The  assumption,  on  which  day  I  said  holy 
mass  [in  it]. 

Shortly  afterward,  there  was  such  a  concourse  and 
[such  a]  crowd  of  all  those  tribes  that  it  was  impos- 
sible for  me  to  make  myself  heard.  They  broke 
through  The  Cabin, —  which  was  made,  according  to 
their  fashion,  of  rush  matting, —  to  see  us  at  Their 
ease.  As  I  could  not  make  myself  heard  [listened  to 
by  this  mob],  I  sent  out  an  old  man  to  speak  to  Them. 
They  replied  to  Him  that  they  wished  to  see  The  black 
gown,  [put  a  stop  to  The  disorder;  but  he  could 
obtain  no  other  answer  from  all  the  people  than  that 
they  wished  to  see  the  black  gown.] 

A  portion  of  the  day  had  passed  in  that  manner 
when  I  issued  from  the  Chapel,  and,  placing  myself 
on  a  slightly  elevated  spot,  I  said :  "  It  is  important 
that  you  should  listen  to  me,  and  not  that  you  should 
see  me.  Listen  to  me  therefore."  God  granted  me 
The  grace  of  Speaking  The  miami  Language,  For  The 
majority  belonged  to  that  tribe.  Profound  silence 
was  observed  during  a  Long  instruction ;  after  Which 
they  knelt  down,  made  The  sign  of  The  cross  —  men, 
women,  and  children  —  and  prayed  to  God  with  me 
in  Their  own  Language. 

The  great  number  of  persons  did  not  prevent  my 
saying   holy  mass   every  day.      I   had   hung   up   a 


24  LES  RELATIONS  DBS  J^SUITES  [Vol.58 

La  foule  ne  m'emp^choit  pas  de  dire  La  sainte 
messe  tous  Les  iours.  J'auois  mis  vne  Couuerte  au 
milieu  pour  mettre  L'autel  hors  La  veue  de  La  mul- 
titude ils  se  tenoient  alors  dans  le  respect  apres 
Leur  auoir  expliqu^  Le  mystere  de  La  foy,  [et]  il  y  en 
auoit  qui  ouurant  vn  peu  La  Tapisserie  disoient 
tout  bas,  ah  mon  pere  voila  qui  est  diuin,  et  faisoit 
ensuite  faire  vn  grand  silence  a  ceux  qui  entroient 
de  nouueau. 

Pour  Leur  donner  Le  respect  qu'il  faut  rendre  aux 
Eglises,  J'obtins  que  personne  n'y  petunast,  ny  ne 
sentreparlast  du  moins  pendant  que  i'y  etois. 

Notre  Chapelle  ^toit  trop  petite  pour  contenir  ce  peuple 
des  que  iauois  dis  [aclieu6]  La  messe  iinstruisois  et 
faisois  prier  Dieu  ceux  que  La  Chapelle  pouuoit 
contenir,  apres  quoy  ceux  la  se  retirants,  Les  autres 
qui  leur  succedoient  receuoient  vne  pareille  instruc- 
tion, Chacun  d'eux  en  sa  Langue,  nous  Chantions 
pareillement  Les  prieres  en  Leur  Langue  a  La  fin 
de  L'instruction,  Les  petits  gargons  et  petites  fiUes 
prioient  aussy  Dieu  a  part  et  ainsy  se  passoit  La 
iourn^e  en  ces  saintes  occupations,  Lorsqu'il  y  auoit 
trop  de  foule  Je  sortois  dehors  soit  pour  me  faire 
entendre  de  tous,  soit  pour  conseruer  notre  Chapelle 
qui  eut  €\.€  entierement  rompue  a  peine  trouuois  ie 
du  temps  vuide  pour  prendre  ma  nouriture. 

Le  1 8^.  voyant  L  affection  et  Le  respect  que  tout 
ce  peuple  temoignoit  pour  nostre  sainte  foy,  ie  plan- 
tay  a  La  porte  de  notre  Chapelle  vne  croix  haute  de 
22.  pieds,  ils  6couterent  auec  silence  L'instruction 
que  ie  Leur  fis  sur  ce  suiet,  se  mirent  a  genoux 
adorerent  La  croix  et  prierent  Dieu.  Les  miamy 
qui  y  assisterent  me  dirent  voila  qui  est  beau,  nous 


1672  - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672-73  25 


Blanket  in  the  middle,  to  conceal  The  altar  from  The 
gaze  of  The  multitude.  They  then  stood  aloof 
respectfully,  after  I  had  explained  The  mystery  of  The 
faith  to  Them;  [and]  there  were  some  who  pushed 
back  The  Hangings  a  little,  and  said  in  a  low  voice: 
"  Ah,  my  father,  this  is  divine,"  and  afterward 
caused  the  new-comers  to  observe  profound  silence. 

To  inspire  Them  with  The  respect  that  they 
should  pay  to  Churches,  I  obtained  that  no  one  should 
smoke,  and  that  they  should  not  converse  together 
in  it,  at  least  while  I  was  there. 

Our  Chapel  was  too  small  to  contain  the  people.  As 
soon  as  I  had  said  [finished]  mass,  I  gave  instruction, 
and  made  all  those  whom  The  Chapel  could  contain 
say  their  prayers,  after  which  they  withdrew. 
Others,  who  succeeded  these,  received  the  same 
instruction,  Each  in  his  own  Language.  We  also 
Chanted  The  prayers  in  Their  Tongue,  at  The  end 
of  The  instruction.  The  little  boys  and  girls  also 
prayed  to  God  apart,  and  thus  The  day  passed  in 
these  holy  occupations.  When  the  crowd  was  too 
great,  I  went  outside,  either  to  make  myself  heard 
by  all,  or  to  save  our  Chapel,  which  would  have  been 
completely  broken.  I  had  barely  time  to  take  my 
food. 

On  the  1 8th,  seeing  The  affection  and  respect  that 
all  these  people  manifested  for  our  holy  faith,  1 
planted  at  The  door  of  our  Chapel  a  cross  22  feet 
high.  They  listened  in  silence  to  The  instruction 
that  I  gave  Them  on  the  subject.  They  knelt,  they 
adored  The  cross,  and  prayed  to  God.  The  miamy 
who  were  present  said  to  me :  ' '  This  is  excellent ; 
we  thank  thee  for  it.     Say  the  same  to  all  The  Captains 


•26  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUJTES         [Vol.68 

t'en  remercions,  dis  le  a  tons  Les  Capitaines  en  conseil, 
[mais  il  est  bon  que  tu  explique  cela  en  plein  Conseil 
a  tous  Les  Capitaines] 

Le  iQc.  Jallay  chez  les  miamy  i'assemblay  Les 
anciens  Je  Leur  expliquay  Les  poincts  principaux  de 
La  foy,  [et]  Le  mistere  de  La  croix  ils  m'ecouterent 
auec  approbation  Le  soir  [ce  qu  ils  firent  bien  paroitre 
des  Le  soir]  ie  vis  des  tresses  de  bled  d  inde,  des 
ceintures  et  des  iartieres  rouges  qu'ils  auoient 
pendues  a  La  croix.  [ce  qui  ne  se  fait  parmy  eux 
que  pour  marque  de  veneration.] 

Le  2oe.  deux  des  principaux  miami  me  vindrent 
trouuer  et  me  prierent  que  quand  ie  m'en  irois  ie 
Leur  donnasse  Le  dicte  [cette]  croix  pour  La  trans- 
porter a  leur  bourgade;  elle  n'est  pas  bien  chez  Les 
machKoutench,  me  disoient  ils,  ils  ne  t'obeissent 
pas :  ie  ne  Leur  r6pondis  pas  Clairement.  neanmois 
ils  firent  Courrir  le  bruit  que  ie  La  Leur  auois  don- 
n6e:  Les  machKoutench,  ayant  ouj  cela  sen  [appris] 
viennent  [s'en]  plaindre  et  me  diretit  [a  moy  me 
disants]  qu'ils  ne  souffriroient  pas  quelle  ftit  enleuee 
du  Lieu  ou  elle  etoit,  cette  sainte  contestation  me 
donnoit  de  La  ioye,  pour  contenter  Leur  deuotion  ie 
Leur  promis  qu'elle  ne  seroit  point  enleuee  du  Lieu  ou 
elle  etoit,  et  pour  satisfaire  au  souhait  des  miami  ien  fis 
faire  vne  autre  semblable  que  ie  plantay  a  [transport^e 
ailleurs  mais  que  pour  satisfaire  Les  miami  J 'en 
ferois  faire  vne  autre  toute  semblable,  de  fait  J'en 
plantay  vne  en]  leur  bourgade  Comme  i' auois  fait 
La  premiere  ches  Les  machKoutench. 

Le  soir  6tant  alle  en  vne  Cabane  pour  y  voir  vne 
malade  qui  ^toit  veniie  prier  Dieu  Le  matin  [en  tres 
manuals  estat]  ie  fus  surpris  de  La  voir  guerie,  ie  ne 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  J672-73  27 

in  council. ' '     [But  it  is  well  that  thou  shouldst  explain 
this  in  open  Council  to  all  The  Captains."] 

The  19th.  I  went  to  the  miamy.  I  gathered  The 
elders  together  and  explained  to  Them  The  prin- 
cipal points  of  The  faith,  [and]  The  mystery  of  The 
cross;  they  listened  to  me  with  approval.  At  night 
[This  they  plainly  manifested,  for  at  night]  I  saw 
that  they  had  hung  on  The  cross  clusters  of  Indian 
corn,  girdles,  and  red  garters.  [This  is  done  among 
them  only  as  a  mark  of  veneration.] 

On  the  20th,  two  of  the  principal  miami  came  to 
me,  and  begged  that,  when  I  should  go  away,  I  would 
give  Them  that  cross,  that  they  might  take  It  to 
their  village.  "  It  is  not  in  its  right  place  with  The 
machkoutench, "  they  said  to  me;  "they  obey  thee 
not."  I  gave  Them  no  Positive  answer;  neverthe- 
less, they  Spread  the  report  that  I  had  given  It  to 
Them.  The  machkoutench  on  hearing  [learning] 
this,  came  to  complain  [of  it],  and  told  me  [to  me,  say- 
ing] that  they  would  not  allow  it  to  be  removed  from 
the  Spot  where  it  was.  This  holy  contention  gave 
me  joy.  To  satisfy  Their  devotion,  I  promised 
Them  that  it  should  not  be  removed  from  the  Place 
where  it  zvas;  and,  to  gratify  the  desire  of  the  miami,  I 
caused  another  similar  one  to  be  made,  which  I  erected  in 
[transported  elsewhere ;  but  that,  in  order  to  satisfy 
The  miami,  I  would  have  another  similar  one  made. 
In  fact,  I  erected  one  in]  their  village,  As  I  had 
planted  The  first  among  The  machkoutench. 

At  night,  I  went  to  a  Cabin  to  see  a  sick  woman, 
who  had  come  to  pray  to  God  in  The  morning  [in  a 
very  bad  state  of  health] ;  I  was  surprised  to  find  Her 
cured.  I  did  not  recognize  Her,  for  she  was  work- 
ing like  The  other  women.     She  told  me  that,  after 


28  LES  RELATIOXS  DES  J^SUITES         [Vol.58 

La  connoissois  plus  car  elle  trauailloit  comme  Les 
autres  femmes,  elle  me  dit  qu'apres  etre  sortie  de  La 
Chapelle,  6tant  arriu^e  Chez  elle  son  abc6s  auoit 
creu6  et  s'etoit  dissip^  si  heureusement  qu'elle  n'y 
sentoit  plus  aucun  mal.  on  nous  auoit  emnien6  cette 
pauure  femme  pesle  mesle  auec  Les  hommes,  ie  ne 
La  connoissois  pas  Car  elle  auoit  La  t^te  enuelop^e, 
iusquk  ce  qu'apres  auoir  aclieu6  L' instruction  La 
voulent  faire  sortir  auec  Les  autres,  elle  se  tint  a 
genoux  et  me  dit,  mon  Pere  ayez  piti6  de  moy,  a 
peine  pouuoit  elle  parler,  alors  ie  Luy  vis  Le  Col  et 
Le  visage  etrangement  enfle  heureusement:  ie  Lafis 
eticore  [L'inuitay]  prier  Dieu  derechef,  ce  qu'elle  fit 
auec  ferueur.  elle  fit  Le  signe  de  La  croix,  et  tint 
Les  mains  iointes  comme  si  elle  y  eut  est6  ^leuee 
des  son  has  aage,  cet  exterieur  ^toit  anime,  d'vne  foy 
viue  en  veiie  de  Laquelle  il  plut  a  Dieu  Luy  rendre 
La  sant^. 

Le  21.  elle  ne  manqua  pas  de  bon  matin  de 
porter  a  La  Chapelle  vn  petit  present  de  bled  d'inde 
en  actions  de  graces,  i'en  remercie  Dieu  auec  elle 

Le  22^.  Je  remarquay  L'eclipse  du  soleil  qui  arri- 
ua  sur  Les  vnze  heures  Je  ne  pus  pas  bien  obseruer 
ses  qualitez,  Les  sauuages  qui  m'occupoient  ne 
s'en  mirent  pas  en  peine  da^is  Leau  mise  dans  vne 
CJiaudiere. 

Le  23^  passant  par  Les  Cabanes  de  machKoutench 
ainsy  que  ie  fais  souuent  sans  entrer  partout  pour 
decouurir  Les  malades  Car  ils  ne  manquent  pas  de 
m'apeller  quand  il  y  en  a  passant  done  on  m'apelle, 
viens  voir  vn  Corps  mort,  me  dit  vn  homme,  etant 
entre  ie  vis  [J'entre  et  Je  vois]  vn  homme  sur  son 
scant   accompagne    de    ses   amis,   qui   me    dit  qu'il 


1 672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672  -  73  29 

she  had  left  The  Chapel  and  had  reached  her  Dwell- 
ing, her  abscess  had  broken,  and  had  disappeared 
so  happily  that  she  no  longer  felt  any  pain.  This 
poor  woman  had  been  brought  to  us,  crowded  in 
with  The  men.  I  did  not  know  Her,  Because  Her 
head  was  bandaged,  until,  after  I  had  finished  The 
instruction,  when  I  wished  to  make  Her  go  out  with 
The  others,  she  remained  on  her  knees  and  said  to  me : 
"  My  Father,  have  pity  on  me."  She  could  hardly 
speak.  Then  I  noticed  that  Her  Neck  and  face  were 
very  much  inflamed.  Fortunately  I  made  Her  [urged 
Her  to]  pray  to  God  once  more.  She  did  so  with 
fervor;  she  made  The  sign  of  The  cross,  and  kept  her 
hands  clasped,  as  if  she  had  been  brought  up  to  it 
from  her  infancy.  Her  countenance  was  animated 
by  a  lively  faith,  in  consequence  of  Which  God  was 
pleased  to  restore  Her  health. 

On  the  2ist,  she  did  not  fail  to  come  at  an  early 
hour  to  The  Chapel,  to  bring  a  small  present  of  Indian 
corn  in  thanksgiving.     I  thanked  God  with  her. 

The  22nd.  I  noticed  The  eclipse  of  the  sun, 
which  occurred  about  eleven  o'clock;  I  could  not 
well  observe  its  notable  features.  The  savages,  who 
kept  me  occupied,  did  not  trouble  themselves  about 
it.      in  water  poured  into  a  Kettle. 

The  23rd.  I  was  passing  by  The  machkoutench 
Cabins,  as  I  frequently  do,  without  entering  every- 
where to  see  whether  there  are  An}'-  sick, —  For  they 
never  fail  to  call  me,  when  there  are  any.  Accord- 
ingly, while  I  was  passing,  they  called  out  to  me, 
"  Come  and  see  a  dead  Body,"  a  man  said  to  me. 
Having  entered,  I  satv  [I  entered,  and  saw]  a  man  in 
a  sitting  posture,  surrounded  by  his  friends.  He 
told  me  that  he  had  not  eaten   [any  food]  for  Five 


so  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES         [Vol.68 

n'auoit  [point]  mang6  depuis  Cinq  iours,  mats  [mais 
qu'il  auoit]  seulement  [vn  pen]  petun6,  parcequ'il 
ne  se  Comptoit  plus  au  nombre  des  viuans  il  se  croy- 
oit  mort.  Luy  ay  ant  tast^  Le  poux  Je  Luy  trouuay 
vn  pen  de  fieure,  et  Luy  dis  qu'il  netoit  pas  encore 
mort.  [vivoit  encore]  Mais  qu  il  pourroit  bien  mourir 
et  pris  occasion  de  L'instruire.  Ce  pauure  homme 
apprenoist  qu'il  n'etoit  pas  encore  mort,  demanda  a 
manger,  et  fit  bien  voir  qu'il  ne  L'^toit  pas,  [estoit 
viuant]  on  ne  peut  moderer  Les  sauuages  quand  ils 
sont  malades  ny  Leur  faire  garder  aucun  regime  de 
vie.  Dieu  Luy  auoit  donn6  ce  semble,  quelque 
presentiment  de  sa  mort,  pour  Le  disposer  a  La  grace 
du  bapteme  /e  Uy  disposay  de  ma  part  [Je  m'y  appli- 
quay]  tous  Les  iours  Jusques  au  troisiesme  du  mois 
suiuant  auquel  iour  ie  Luy  conferay  Le  bapteme  Le 
voyant  en  danger,  tres  bien  dispose,  il  demanda  plu- 
sieurs  fois  Le  baptime.  Lor s  que  ie  Linstruisois  pour  s' y 
disposer;  pourquoy  ne  me  baptise  tu  pas?  disoit  il,  tu  ne 
mayme  pas  si  tu  ne  me  baptise,  [et  me  L'ayant  Deman- 
der  bien  des  fois  auec  des  grandes  Instances]  La 
veille  de  mon  depart  qui  fut  trois  iours  apres  son  bap- 
teme [L'auoir  baptise]  ie  Luy  recommanday  de  faire 
diuers  actes  de  foy,  d'esperance  et  de  Charite  Le 
Lendemain  au  matin  Luy  ayant  demande  sil  sen 
etoit  souuenu,  il  me  demanda  [pria  de  Luy  baillerj 
mon  Crucifix,  il  Le  prit  et  Le  frottant  doucement 
auec  La  main,  qui  est  Comme  parmi  Les  Europeans 
Le  baiser,  homme  Dieu  Jesus  ie  vous  ayme  dit  il,  et 
si  vous  me  rend6s  La  vie,  ie  vous  aymeray  autant 
que  ie  viuray  sur  terre  et  si  ie  meurs  ie  vous  ayme- 
ray a  iamais  dans  Le  Ciel,  ayez  piti6  de  moy.  voila 
me  dit  il  ce  que  i'ay  dit  toute  La  nuict,  car  ie  n'ay 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672  -  73  31 


days,  but  had  only  smoked  [a  little],  because  lie  no 
longer  Considered  himself  among  the  number  of  the 
living ;  he  thought  that  he  was  dead.  After  feeling 
His  pulse,  I  found  Him  a  little  feverish,  and  told  Him 
that  he  was  not  yet  dead  [still  lived],  But  that  indeed 
he  might  die ;  and  I  seized  the  opportunity  to  instruct 
Him.  When  this  man  learned  that  he  was  not  yet 
dead,  he  asked  for  food,  and  showed  very  plainly 
that  he  was  not  [alive].  One  cannot  moderate  sav- 
ages when  they  are  sick,  or  make  Them  follow  any 
regimen.  It  seems  as  if  God  had  sent  Him  some 
presentiment  of  his  death,  to  prepare  Him  for  The 
grace  of  baptism.  On  my  part,  I  prepared  Him  [I 
applied  myself  to  this]  every  day.  Until  the  third  of 
the  following  month, — on  which  day  I  administered 
baptism  to  Him,  when  I  saw  Him  in  danger  and 
very  well  instructed,  He  asked  for  baptism  several  times. 
While  I  was  instructing  Him,  in  order  to  prepare  him  for 
it,  he  would  say  to  me:  ' '  IVhy  dost  thou  not  baptize  me? 
Thou  lovest  me  not,  if  thou  baptize  me  not.''  [and  when 
he  had  Asked  me  for  It  many  times,  with  much 
Earnestness.]  The  evening  before  my  departure, 
which  was  three  days  after  his  baptism  [I  had  baptized 
Him],  I  recommended  that  He  should  make  various 
acts  of  faith,  hope,  and  Charity.  On  the  Following 
morning,  when  I  asked  Him  if  he  had  remembered 
to  do  so,  he  asked  me  for  [begged  me  to  lend  Him]  my 
Crucifix.  He  took  It,  and,  stroking  It  gently  with 
His  hand, —  which  is  the  same  As  A  kiss  among 
Europeans, —  he  said:  "  Jesus,  God-man,  I  love  you; 
if  you  restore  me  to  life,  I  shall  love  you  as  long  as  I 
shall  live  on  earth ;  and  if  I  die  I  shall  love  you  for- 
ever in  Heaven.  Have  pity  on  me."  "  That,"  said 
he,  '*  is  what  I  said  all  night  long,  for  I  have  not  slept 


82  LES  RELATIONS  DESjASUITES  [Vol.68 

point  du  tout  dormy.  II  disoit  tout  cela  La  Larme 
a  Loeil  et  auec  affection  il  Le  redit  encore  plusieurs 
fois,  adioutant  des  actes  desperance  et  de  foy  il  [et] 
mourut  quelques  semaines  apres  mon  Depart,  dans 
Les  memes  sentimens  Comme  ie  croy.  [Jay  tout  sujet 
de  Le  Croire] 

Le  29.  6tant  all6  apeller  vn  ieune  Chretien  Mach- 
Koutencli  pour  prier  Dieu,  ie  rencontray  vne  troupe 
d'ilinoiies  qui  me  suiuirent.  ces  pauures  peuples 
sont  si  aises  de  voir  vne  robe  noire  que  nous  ne  pou- 
uons  aller  nuUe  part  sans  estre  bien  accompagne  en 
sorte  que  nous  ne  pouuons  parler  a  personne  en  particulier 
ny  chez  eux  ny  dans  La  Chape  He.  lis  admiroient  que 
ieusse  pris  La  peine  d'aller  trouuer  vn  [ce]  ieune 
garfon  ie  Leur  en  appris  L' importance  et  pris  de  la 
occasion  de  Les  instruire.  Dieu  me  fit  La  grace  de 
me  faire  entendre,  apres  m'auoir  remercie  de  Les 
auoir  instruicts,  ils  me  firent  plusieurs  questions  aus- 
quelles  nous  tachdmes  [Je  tache]  de  satisfaire;  enfin 
ils  me  demanderent  ce  que  i'aymois  en  ce  pais  car  ils 
ne  scauoient  quest  ce  qiiils  ^ne  deuoient  presenter  qui 
m  agreast,  [ne  scachant  que  me  presenter]  tu  refuses 
Le  Castor,  disoient  ils,  tu  ne  viens  pas  a  nos  festins 
Lors  que  nous  t'y  appellons;  ils  disent  vray,  Car  ils 
ont  L' esprit  si  foible  qu'ils  se  figurent  que  nous 
venons  en  ce  pais  pour  cela  et  que  ce  que  nous  Leur 
prechons  de  L'enfer  et  du  Paradis  n'est  que  par  ma- 
niere  d'entretien,  tout  ainsy  qu'eux  venants  de  loin 
racontent  des  nouuelles  du  Lieu  d'ou  ils  viennent  et 
ainsy  La  parole  de  Dieu  perd  sa  force.  Je  satisfis  a 
tout  cela  Leur  expliquant  Les  biens  eternels  que 
Dieu  a  promettoit  [promet  a]  ceux  qui  Luy  obeissent, 
et  Leur  montrant  La  difference  de  ceux  La  d'auec 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672-  73  33 

at  all."  He  said  all  this  with  Tears  in  His  eyes,  and 
with  affection.  He  repeated  It  again  several  times, 
adding  acts  of  hope  and  faith ;  [and,]  some  weeks  after 
my  Departure,  he  died  in  The  same  sentiments.  As 
/  believe  [I  have  every  reason  to  Believe]. 

The  29th.  While  proceeding  to  call  a  young  Chris- 
tian Machkoutench  to  pray  to  God,  I  met  a  band  of 
ilinou^s,  who  followed  me.  These  poor  people  are 
so  pleased  to  see  a  black  gown  that  we  cannot  go 
anywhere  without  having  a  goodly  company, — so 
that  we  cannot  speak  to  any  one  privately,  either  in  their 
homes  or  in  The  Chapel.  They  were  astonished  to  see 
that  I  took  The  trouble  to  go  to  a  [that]  young  man. 
I  showed  Them  how  important  it  was,  and  seized 
the  opportunity  to  instruct  Them.  God  granted  me 
The  grace  of  making  myself  understood.  After 
thanking  me  for  having  instructed  Them,  they  put  to 
me  several  questions,  to  which  we  [I]  endeavored  to 
reply.  Finally,  they  asked  me  what  I  liked  in  that 
country,  for  they  knew  not  what  they  might  present  to 
me  that  would  please  me  [not  knowing  what  to  present 
to  me].  "  Thou  refusest  Beaver-skins,"  they  said; 
"  thou  comest  not  to  our  feasts  When  we  invite 
thee."  They  speak  truly.  For  Their  minds  are  so 
weak  that  they  imagine  that  we  come  to  this  country 
for  that  object,  and  that  what  we  preach  to  Them 
about  hell  and  Paradise  is  merely  by  way  of  conver- 
sation,—  just  as  those  who  come  from  afar  relate 
news  of  the  Place  whence  they  come ;  and  thus  The 
word  of  God  loses  its  force.  I  satisfied  them  on  all 
those  points,  by  explaining  to  Them  The  eternal 
blessings  that  God  has  promised  [promises  to]  those 
who  obey  Him,  and  by  showing  Them  The  difference 
between  those  blessings  and  The  earthly  goods  for 


84  LES  RELATIONS  DES  j£SUITES         [Vol.58 

Les  biens  de  ce  monde  pour  Lesquels  ils  prennent 
beaucoup  de  peine,  Comme  sont  Les  haches,  Les  Chan- 
dler es  &c.  ils  m'ecoutoient  auec  grande  attention  et 
se  redisoient  en  leur  Lang-ue  ce  que  j'auois  dit  en 
Langue  des  miami  qui  est  quasi  La  m^me. 

Le  dernier  jour  du  mois,  i'eus  vne  petite  indisposi- 
tion de  Rhume  qui  m'empecha  de  parler,  notre 
Chapelle  etant  ouuerte  en  plusieurs  endroits  pour 
auoir  ete  rompue  bien  souuent  etoit  exposee  a  tous 
vents  ce  qui  fut  Cause  que  ie  m'en  rhumay.  bien 
que  ie  ne  pusse  pas  Les  instruire  a  mon  ordinaire, 
ils  venoient  pourtant  pour  voir  disoient  ils  La  robe 
noire,  qui  auoit  La  voix  morte,  et  Le  gozier  malade, 
ie  ne  pouuois  me  faire  entendre  qu'a  mon  voisin  pour 
Leur  dire  que  La  robe  noire  etoit  vn  homme  comme 
eux  qui  6toit  malade,  et  qui  mouroit  comme  eux, 
qu'il  n'y  auoit  qu'vn  seul  esprit  souuerain  et 
Immortel  &c. 

Le  6^.  de  septembre  etant  apelle  ailleurs  outre  que 
la  voix  me  manquoit  ie  partis  pour  aller  chez  nous, 
i'eus  La  consolation  quelques  iours  auparauant  de 
voir  mourir  vn  enfant  Miami  de  nation,  qui  d'abord 
apres  Le  bapt^me  sen  vola  au  Ciel  d'entre  mes  bras, 
et  d 'auoir  trouue  vn  pauure  vieillard  MacliKoutench 
de  nation  malade  qui  auoit  Le  nez  Les  Leures,  et 
Les  yeux  mangez  d'vn  Chancre,  qui  par  consequent 
etoit  aueugle,  a  peine  parle-t  il  et  a  peine  entend-il, 
il  est  hydeux  et  puant  Comme  vn  Cadaure  c  est  pour 
cela  qu  ils  U apellent  vn  tchipai,  mais  il  est  deuenu 
beau  interieurement  en  son  ame,  car  ayant  ete  suffi- 
samment  dispose  veu  Le  danger  ou  il  est  il  a  6t6 
regenere  aux  saincts  fonds  de  bapteme,  et  nous 
L'auons  apelle  Lazare. 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672  -  73  35 

Which  they  take  much  trouble,  Such  as  hatchets, 
Kettles,  etc.  They  listened  to  me  very  attentively, 
and  repeated  in  their  own  Tongue  what  I  had  said 
in  the  Language  of  the  miami,  which  is  almost  The 
same. 

On  the  last  day  of  the  month,  I  had  a  slight  Cold, 
which  prevented  me  from  speaking.  Our  Chapel 
being  open  in  many  places,  for  it  had  been  broken 
very  frequently,  was  exposed  to  every  wind;  and 
this  was  the  Cause  of  my  catching  cold.  Although 
I  could  not  teach  Them  as  usual,  they  nevertheless 
came,  as  they  said,  to  see  The  black  gown,  whose 
voice  was  dead  and  whose  throat  was  sick.  I  could 
not  make  myself  heard  further  than  my  nearest 
neighbor,  to  tell  Them  that  The  black  gown  was  a 
man  like  them,  who  was  ill  and  who  would  die  as 
they  would ;  that  there  was  but  one  spirit  sovereign 
and  Immortal,  etc. 

On  the  6th  of  September,  being  called  elsewhere, 
and  my  voice  still  failing  me,  I  started  to  go  home. 
I  had  The  consolation,  some  days  previously,  of 
witnessing  the  death  of  a  child  of  the  Miami  tribe, 
who,  immediately  after  Its  baptism,  soared  away  to 
Heaven  from  my  arms ;  and  of  finding  a  poor  old 
man,  of  the  Machkoutench  tribe,  who  was  ill,  and 
whose  nose,  Lips,  and  eyes  are  eaten  by  a  Cancer. 
Consequently  he  is  blind;  he  can  hardly  speak  or 
hear;  he  is  as  hideous,  and  as  offensive  to  the  smell, 
As  is  a  Corpse.  That  is  why  He  is  called  a  ^^  tchipai 
[i.e.,  corpse\' '  But  he  has  become  beautiful  inwardly, 
in  his  soul;  for,  after  he  had  been  sufficiently  pre- 
pared, he  was,  in  view  of  The  danger  in  which  he 
lies,  regenerated  in  the  holy  waters  of  baptism,  and 
we  named  Him  Lazare. 


S6  LES  RELATIONS  DES  Jl^SUITES         [Vol.68 

Le  9*.  descendant  Les  rapides  nos  maielots  creuerent 
noire  Canot,  iauois  pris  de  deuant  par  terre,  et  J'  etois 
deja  arriue  au  Lieu  nomine  Le  KaKaling  a  vne  Lieue  de 
la  a  nuict  Close  vn  de  nos  matelots  men  vint  aduertir: 
nous  rcbroussames  sur  nos  pas  etant  arriuez,  nous  ne 
piimes  Labordcr  pour  auoir  quelque  peu  de  nos  viures  pour 
noire  souper. 

Le  Lendemain  nous  alldvies  retirer  de  U eau  noire 
bagage  ioui  mouill(-  mhne  ma  Chapelle  et  mes  escrits  apres 
auoir  mis  Le  ioui  au  sec,  t  enuoy^  par  ierre  deux  matelots 
pour  aller  acheter  vn  Canot,  et  demeuray  auec  vn  autre 
qui  ^ioii  malade  degrade  dans  vn  Islet  de  dix  pieds  de 
Long;  iusquau  seizieme  que  nous  en  partimes  et  arriudmes 
a  noire  Chapelle  remcrcier  Dieu  de  nous  auoir  affiige  et  de 
nous  en  auoir  retire. 

Le  ly'.  J' allay  au  fort  des  pouteouatami  pour  y  /aire 
nos  prouisions  de  bled,  i  y  fis  a  mhne  temps  vne  petite 
Mission  ou  ie  receus  plus  de  satisfaction  que  ie  n  en  auois 
receu  d'eux  par  Le  passL  [nostre  canot  s'estant  creu6 
fut  mis  hors  de  seruice,  et  moy  Je  fus  degrade  sur 
vn  islet  de  Dix  pieds  de  long  ou  Je  passe  8  jours 
auec  vn  de  mes  hommes  malades  pendant  qu'on 
estoit  alle  chercher  vn  autre  canot,  nous  partimes 
done  dessus  cet  Islet  Le  sixiesme  et  nous  arriuames 
enfin  en  nostre  Chapelle  de  s^  Xauier  pour  y 
remercier  Dieu  de  nous  auoir  afliges,  et  de  nous  auoir 
retires  Du  Danger] 

{article     5^.       DE     LA     MISSION     DES     POUTEOUATAMI 
ET   AUTRES    PEUPLES    DANS  LA  BAYE   DES    PUANS.] 

DANS  cette  mission  de  s^  Frangois  Xauier  soit  icy  a 
nostre  maison,  soit  au  fort  des  pouteouatami 
depuis  vn  an  J 'ay  baptise  trente  quatre  [personnes] 


1 672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672  -  73  37 

The  9th.  While  descending  The  rapids,  our 
mariners  broke  our  Canoe.  I  had  gone  on  ahead  by  land, 
and  had  reached  a  Place  called  The  Kakaling,  a  League 
farther,  at  Nightfall.  One  of  the  boatmen  came  to  tell 
m,e  of  it.  We  retraced  our  steps;  but  when  we  arrived, 
we  could  not  reach  the  canoe,  to  get  sojne  of  our  provisions 
for  supper. 

On  the  following  Day,  we  recovered  from  The  water  our 
baggage,  which  was  soaked  through,  even  my  Chapel  and 
-my  writings.  After  drying  Everything,  I  sent  two  boat- 
^nen  by  land  to  buy  a  Canoe;  and  remained  with  another, 
who  was  ill,  stranded  on  an  Islet  ten  feet  Long,  until  the 
sixteenth;  we  then  departed,  and  arrived  in  our  Chapel  to 
thank  God  for  having  afflicted  us,  and  for  having  extricated 
us  from,  trouble. 

On  the  lyth,  I  went  to  the  fort  of  the  pouteouatami,  to 
procure  a  supply  of  corn.  At  the  same  time,  I  gave  a 
short  Mission,  at  which  I  obtained  more  satisfaction  than 
I  had  derived  from  them  in  The  past,  [our  canoe  was 
staved  in,  and  became  unserviceable;  and  I  was 
stranded  on  an  islet  Ten  feet  long,  where  I  passed  8 
days  with  one  of  my  men,  who  was  ill,  while  the 
others  went  to  seek  for  another  canoe.  We  left 
the  Islet  on  The  sixteenth,  and  finally  arrived  in 
our  Chapel  of  st.  Xavier  to  thank  God  for  having 
afflicted  us  and  extricated  us  From  Danger.] 

[article    5TH.       OF  THE  MISSION   TO    THE    POUTEOUA- 
TAMI AND  OTHER  TRIBES  IN  THE  BAY  DES  PUANS.] 

IN  this  mission  of  st.  Frangois  Xavier  —  either  here 
at  our  house,  or  at  the  fort  of  the  pouteouatami  — 
I  have,  during  the  past  year,  baptized  thirty-four 
[persons],  among  Whom  was  an  adult  man  who  was 
ill,  and  who  died  shortly  afterward;  The  remainder 


38  LES  RELATIONS  DES  JJ^SUITES         [Vol.68 

entre  Lesquelles  II  y  a  vn  homme  adulte  malade  qui 
mourut  peu  apres,  Le  reste  sont  des  enfans  sans 
compter  ceux  que  Le  R.  P.  Andr6  y  a  baptist. 

C'etoit  auec  Consolation  que  ie  voyois  m^me  Les 
vieillards  venir  a  La  Chapelle  se  mettre  a  genoux, 
Joindre  Les  mains  serieusement,  et  faire  Le  signe 
de  La  croix  et  prier  Dieu  auec  respect,  i'y  ay  dit  La 
messe  paisiblement  tous  Les  iours. 

Le  27.  ie  plantay  vne  grande  croix  sur  vn  platon 
au  bord  du  Lac  entre  Le  village  des  pouteouatami 
et  celuy  des  puants  au  bout  de  notre  Chapelle  de 
quoy  Les  anciens  temoignerent  vne  grande  ioye, 
exborterent  tout  Le  monde  par  vn  cry  public  qu'ils 
firent  Le  meme  soir  [eussent]  a  porter  tout  Le  monde  du 
[vn  grand]  respect  a  La  sainte  croix  plant^e  dans 
leur  pays  pour  marque  du  Christianisme  qu'ils 
vouloient   embrasser. 

Apres  auoir  baptist  quelques  enfans,  et  vn  homme 
dangereusement  malade  ie  suis  oblige  de  me  retirer 
Chez  nous  Quelque  temps  apres  ie  U allay  visiter  ie  fus 
obligi  d' aller  par  terre  La  moitie  du  Chemin  par  vn 
mauuais pais  Le  vent  nous  emp^chant  de  trauerser  L'ance 
Laissant  mon  matelot  a  L' entree  de  La  riuiere  pour  gar der 
Le  Canot  Je  reqeus  consolation  voyant  [Et  comme 
Je  retournois  pour  Le  voir,  par  vn  tres  meschant 
pais  et  D'vn  fort  mauuais  temps,  J'ay  La  Consolation 
de  voir]  de  loin  La  croix  que  nous  anions  plantee, 
et  ce  me  fut  vne  nouuelle  ioye  d'aprendre  que 
les  enfans  y  alloient  prier  Dieu  ainsy  que  ie  Leur 
auois  recommande  en  effect  Les  femmes  et  Les 
enfans  et  meme  quelques  hommes  m'y  suiuerent 
volontiers  Lorsque  ie  Les  y  inuitay,  ils  se  mirent 
tous   a   genoux    a    Lentour,    ou   apres   vne   Courte 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1672-73  39 

are  children.     I  do  not  count  those  whom  Reverend 
Father  Andre  baptized  there. 

It  was  a  Comfort  to  me  to  see  even  The  old  people 
come  to  The  Chapel,  kneel  down,  Clasp  Their  hands 
gravely,  make  The  sign  of  The  cross,  and  pray  to 
God  respectfully.  I  said  mass  there  in  peace,  every 
day. 

On  the  27th,  I  planted  a  great  cross  on  a  plateau 
on  the  shore  of  the  Lake,  between  The  village  of 
the  pouteouatami  and  that  of  the  puants  at  the  end 
of  our  Chapel.  The  elders  manifested  much  joy  at 
this;  they  notified  all  by  public  proclamation,  which 
they  made  The  same  night,  that  they  must  all  pay  [great] 
respect  to  The  holy  cross,  planted  in  their  country 
as  a  symbol  of  the  Christianity  which  they  desired 
to  embrace. 

After  having  baptized  some  children,  and  a  man  who 
was  dangerously  ill,  I  was  compelled  to  withdraw 
to  our  House.  Some  time  afterward,  I  went  to  visit  Him,. 
I  was  obliged  to  go  by  land,  One-half  the  Journey  being 
through  a  difficult  country.  The  wind  prevented  us  from 
crossing  The  bay;  so  I  Left  my  boatman  at  The  mouth  of 
The  river  to  watch  The  Canoe.  I  was  consoled  when  I  saw 
[And,  when  I  returned  to  see  Him,  over  a  very  diffi- 
cult country  and  In  very  bad  weather,  I  had  The 
Consolation  of  seeing]  from  afar  The  cross  that  we 
had  planted;  and  it  gave  me  renewed  joy  to  learn 
that  the  children  went  there  to  pray  to  God  as  I  had 
recommended  Them  to  do.  In  fact,  The  women  and 
children,  and  even  some  of  the  men,  followed  me 
willingly  When  I  invited  Them  there.  They  all 
knelt  Around  it,  and,  after  a  Short  instruction,  we 
recited  The  usual  prayers.  After  having  comforted, 
instructed,  and  prepared  our  sick  man  for  death,  and 


40  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES         [Vol.68 

instruction    nous    recitames   Les    prieres  ordinaires. 

apres  auoir  console,   instruit,   et  dispose  a  La  mort 

notre  malade,  visits  plusieurs  Cabanes  soit  de  Chrestiens 

soit  d'autres  et  baptist  quelques  enfans,  ie  me  retiray 

Le    soir    par    Le     meme    Chemin    benissant    nostre 

seigneur  qui  nous  fait  vn  peu  de  part  des  peines  qu'il 

a  pris  pour  Le  salut  des  ames,     ie  n  eus  pas  neanmoins 

La  consolation  de  le  voir  mourir,  La  der?iiere  fois  que  ie 

Le  vis  m  ay  ant  dit  quil  decabaneroit  Le  Lendeniain  et 

quil  passeroit  a  ndtre  Chapelle  pour  y  prier  Dieu  ie  ne 

U  allay  pas  voir  d  auantage,  Dieu  permit  quil  ne  vint  pas 

ce  jour  La  et  quil  inourUt  Le  Lendemaiji,  il  ^toit  ce  semble 

bien  dispose,  et  i"  espere  que  Dieu  Luy  aura  fait  tnisericorde. 

Benedictus    Deus    et    Pater    Domini    nostri    Jesu 

Cbristi.     dans  Les  forests  ou  nous  viuons  parmi  Les 

sauuages  Dieu  nous  donne  cette  consolation  de  voir 

L'etendart  de  La  sainte  Croix  plantee  et  honnoree 

de  toutes  Les  quatre  bourgades  ou  nous  sommes  en 

toutes  Lesquelles  ce  saint  arbre  a  produit  des  fruits 

pour  Le  Ciel,  et  La  mission  de  saint  franjois  de  La 

baye  des  puants  ou  sont  Les  pouteouatami  Les  saKi, 

Les  ouenibigouc,  Les  OumalouminiK,    Les  outaous- 

sinagouc  &c,   Chacun  sa  Langue  particuliere :    plus 

auant  de  [dans]   Les  bois  vers  L' Occident  a  [est]  La 

mission  de  s^  marc  des  outagami  ou  sont  Les  ouagous- 

saK,   MaKoua,  maKoucoue    MiKissioua:    encore   plus 

auant  vers  L  Occident  dans  Les  bois  sont  Les  atcha- 

teraKangouen  Les  MacliKoutencli  Marameg,  KiKaboua, 

Kitchigamich :   Le   bourg   des   miami   ou   sont    Les 

atchatchaKangouen  et  ou  viennent  Les  Ilinoue  Les 

KaKachKioueK    Peoualen,    ouaouiatanouK   memilou- 

nioue,  pepiKouKia,  KilitiKa,   mengaKonKia,  Les  vns 

pour  peu  de  temps  Les  autres  pour  plus  long  temps, 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  j6j2-73  41 

after  having  visited  several  Cabins,  both  of  Christians 
atid  others,  and  baptized  some  children,  I  returned  at 
night  by  The  same  Road, —  praising  our  lord,  who 
gives  us  a  little  share  in  the  pains  that  he  took  for 
The  salvation  of  souls.  Nevertheless,  I  had  not  The 
consolation  of  seeing  him  die.  The  last  time  w he 7i  I  saw 
Him,  he  told  me  that  he  would  remove  his  cabin  on  The 
following  Day,  and  would  pass  by  our  Chapel  to  pray  to 
God.  I  did  not  go  to  see  Him  again.  God  willed  that  he 
should  not  come  on  that  day  and  that  he  should  die  on  The 
Morroiv.  He  seemed  to  be  well  prepared,  and  I  trust  that 
God  has  had  mercy  on  Him. 

"  Benedictus  Deus  et  Pater  Domini  nostri  Jesu 
Christi."  In  The  forests  where  we  live  among  The 
savages,  God  grants  us  the  consolation  of  seeing  The 
standard  of  The  holy  Cross  planted  and  honored  in 
The  four  villages  where  we  are,  in  all  of  Which  that 
holy  tree  has  brought  forth  fruits  for  Heaven ;  and 
of  beholding  The  mission  of  saint  frangois  at  The 
bay  des  puants,  where  are  The  pouteouatami.  The 
saki,  The  ouenibigouc.  The  Oumalouminik,  The 
outaoussinagouc,  and  others.  Each  tribe  has  its 
special  Dialect.  Deeper  in  The  woods,  toward  The 
west,  is  The  mission  of  st.  marc  to  the  outagami, 
where  are  The  ouagoussak,  Makoua,  makoucoue, 
Mikissioua.  Still  farther  to  The  westward,  in  The 
woods,  are  The  atchaterakangouen,  The  Machkoutench, 
Marameg,  Kikaboua,  and  Kitchigamich ;  The  village 
of  the  miami,  where  The  atchatchakangouen  are,  and 
whither  come  The  Ilinoue,  The  Kakachkiouek, 
Peoualen,  ouaouiatanouk,  memilounioue,  pepikoukia, 
Kilitika,  mengakonkia, —  Some  for  a  short  time, 
Others  for  a  longer  time.     These  tribes  dwell  on  The 


42  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J&SUITES  [Vol.58 

peuples  demeurants   Le   Long  de   Missisipi,    et  qui 
parlent  tons  meme  Langue. 

M'cta?tt  retire  a  ndtre  maison,  nous  employdmes  Le  inois 
d" octobre  a  instruire  ct  /aire  prier  Dieu  Les  passants  qui 
alloicnt  a  Leur  Chassc  d' autoinne  et  d' hyuer,  et  a  baptiser 
ceux  que  Les  parents  nous  presefitoietit  aticun  sauuage  ne 
s' arret e  icy  a  cause  qtiil  7i  y  a  pas  de  gla?ids  cette  ann^e 
71  y  de  Canards. 

[article     6=     DE]    LA    MISSION    [DE]    SAINT  MARC    DES 

OUTAGAMI 

J? AY  baptise  depuis  vn  an  c  est  a  dire  depuis  Juin  de 
i6j2  iusqtia  iuifi  de  iSyj,  i'y  a  baptist  [en  cette 
Mission]  48 :  personnes  desquels  vn  enfant  et  deux 
adultes  sont  morts  peu  apres  Le  bapt^me. 

Ayant  appris  que  quelques  Cabanes  des  outagami  ^toient 
demcuries  a  Leur  bourg  a  Cause  des  malades  qui  ne pouuoient 
Marcher  c  etoietit  ceux  que  fauois  baptist  Le  print emps 
passe  ie  Les  allay  voir  ce  fut  [Estant  en  Chemin  pour 
aller  aux  Outagami]  Le  4^.  nouembre  que  ie  partis 
pour  y  aller  par  terre,  sur  Le  midi  nous  trouuames 
vn  peu  a  L'ecart  du  Chetnin  [et  vis  a  vis  dvn  petit 
rapide]  vne  grande  roche  taill6e  grossierement  en 
statue  d'homme,  dont  Le  visage  auoit  et6  peint  de 
rouge,  elle  etoit  vis  a  vis  d'vn  petit  rapide  a  deux  lieiies 
en  dega  du  grand  rapide  qu'on  nomme  Le  KaKalinK. 
c'est  vn  Idole  que  Les  passants  inuoquent  pour 
L'heureux  succez  de  Leur  voyage,  nous  La  rolames 
dans  L'eau. 

Le  6^.  apres  auoir  adore  [nous  estant  rendus  proche 
du  bourg  nous  adorames]  La  croix  que  nous  anions 
plant^e  a  Leur  bourg  L'hyuer  passe  7ious  allanies  dire 
La  sainte  messe  dans  V7ie  des  Caba7ies  de  grosse  ecorce  qui 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1672-73  43 

Banks   of   the    Missisipi,    and   all    speak    the    same 
Language.^ 

After  I  had  withdrawn  to  our  house,  we  spent  The 
month  of  October  in  instructing  Those  who  passed  us  on 
their  way  to  Their  autumn  and  winter  Hunting,  in  makiyig 
them  pray  to  God,  and  in  baptizing  the  children  who  were 
brought  to  us  by  Their  parents.  No  savages  remain  here, 
because  this  year  there  are  neither  acorns  nor  Ducks. 

[article   6th.     of]   the   mission   of  saint   marc 

to  the  outagami. 

I  HAVE  baptized  during  the  past  year, —  that  is,  from 
June,  i6y2,  to  jutie,  i6yj, —  /  have  baptized  there 
[in  that  Mission,]  48  persons,  of  whom  a  child  and 
two  adults  died  shortly  after  baptism. 

Having  learned  that  some  Cabins  of  outagami  had 
remained  in  Their  village  on  Account  of  the  sick,  who 
could  not  Walk, —  they  were  those  whom  I  had  baptized 
The  previous  spring, —  /  wefit  to  see  Them.  It  was 
[While  on  the  Road  to  the  Outagami, —  ]  The  4th 
of  november,  when  I  left  to  go  there  by  land, — 
about  noon  we  found,  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
Road,  [opposite  a  small  rapid,]  a  great  rock,  roughly 
carved  into  the  figure  of  a  man.  The  face  of  which 
had  been  painted  red.  It  was  opposite  a  small  rapid, 
two  leagues  on  this  side  of  a  great  rapid  called  The 
Kakalink.  It  is  an  Idol  which  passers-by  invoke  for 
The  fortunate  result  of  Their  journey.  We  rolled 
It  into  The  water. '^ 

O71  the  6th,  after  adoring  [When  we  came  near  the 
village,  we  adored]  The  cross  that  we  had  planted  in 
Their  village  The  previous  winter,  we  went  to  say  holy 
mass  in  one  of  the  Cabins,  made  of  large  pieces  of  bark,  in 
The  fort;  after  that,  we  Sotight  The  savages,  whom  we 


44  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Vol.58 

sont  dans  Le  fort  apres  qiwy  nous  Clierchdntes  Les  saiiuages 
que  nous  decouurimes  de  Loin  a  La  faiieur  de  La  fumde  qui 
paroissoit  dans  Le  bois  nous  y  trouudmes  nos  deux  CJird- 
tiens  malades  et  Leur  parent e  en  dix  Cabanes,  tous  [tout 
Le  monde,  a  mon  arriu6]  mais  surtout  Les  malades 
me  firent  beaucoup  de  Caresses  apprenant  que  le 
suiet  de  mon  arriuee  [voyage]  n'etoit  [que]  pour 
Les  consoler  et  Les  voir  et  non  pour  autre  chose  car 
mdme  ie  ne  soufris  pas  que  Les  franqois  qui  etoient  auec 
moy  achevasse  ny  bled  ny  autre  Chose  [pour  Les  In- 
struire] . 

De  plusieurs  Malades  Adultes  que  J'auois  baptist 
U hyuer  pass^  trots  etoient  morts  [Lan  passe]  il  n'en 
restoitque  deux,  a  qui  il  restat  [qui  auoient  encore]  vn 
peu  de  vie,  ie  Les  allay  voir  deux  fois  Le  tour  [comme 
Je  Les  visitois]  pour  Les  disposer  a  la  mort,  ie  m'ap- 
perceus  qu'vn  de  ceux  la  nomm^  Joseph  qui  est 
Capitaine  des  outagami  et  qui  gouuerne  [manie]  Les 
affaires,  faisant  sa  priere  demandoit  touiours  La  vie 
[presente]  et  comme  ie  luy  parlois  de  La  vie  du  Ciel, 
[celle  Du  Paradis]  il  me  dit  qu'il  ne  songeoit  pas  a  la 
mort,  qu'il  n'etoit  pas  encore  bien  vieux,  et  quil 
demandoit  a  Dieu  La  vie  du  Corps  [en  vn  mot  qu'il 
priroit  Dieu  quil  Luy  donnast  la  vie  du  Corps.]  ie 
demeur^  bien  deux  beures  iusqua  ce  quil  se  niii  [pour 
mettre  son  esprit]  dans  L  indif erence  Chr6tienne  a 
la  [et  Le  resigner  a  la]  volonte  du  souuerain  maistre, 
rien  ne  Le  toucha  a  L'egal  de  L'exemple  de  Nostre 
seigneur  dont  ie  Luy  racontay  L'agonie  et  La  Priere 
[quil  fit]  au  jardin  des  oliues,  il  se  rendit  alors,  et 
malgr6  Le  Chagrin  d'vne  Longue  maladie  ie  vis  vn 
Changement  notable  que  fit  La  grace  dans  son  esprit : 
II  prit    Le    Crucifix    et    fit    Luy   meme    sa    priere 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672  -  73  45 

discovered  fro7n  Afar  by  means  of  The  smoke  that  appeared 
in  The  woods.  We  found  there  our  tzvo  sick  Christians 
and  Their  kindred,  in  ten  cabins.  All  [The  people,  upon 
my  arrival],  but  especially  The  sick,  received  me 
very  Heartily,  wlien  they  learned  that  the  object  of 
my  arrival  [journey]  was  solely  to  comfort  and  see 
Them,  ajid  nothing  else;  for  I  would  not  allow  The  french 
with  me  to  buy  cor?i  or  Anything  else  [Instruct  Them]. 

Of  several  Sick  Adults  whom  I  had  baptized  dur- 
ing The  past  winter,  three  had  died  and  [year,]  there 
remained  but  two  in  whom  lingered  [who  still  retained] 
a  little  life.  /  went  to  see  Them  twice  A  day,  [When 
I  visited  Them,]  to  prepare  Them  for  death,  I 
observed  that  one  of  them,  named  Joseph,  who  is  a 
Captain  of  the  outagami  and  who  governs  [manages] 
Their  affairs,  always  asked  for  The  [present]  life 
when  he  prayed.  And  when  I  spoke  to  him  of  Tlie 
life  of  Heaven  [that  Of  Paradise],  he  told  me  that  he 
thought  not  of  death,  that  he  was  not  yet  very  old, 
and  that  he  asked  God  for  The  life  of  the  Body  [ — in  a 
word,  that  he  would  entreat  God  to  grant  Him  the 
life  of  the  Body].  I  spent  fully  two  hours  before  he 
could  be  brought  [to  reduce  his  mind]  to  A  Christian 
indifference  [and  resignation]  to  the  will  of  the 
sovereign  master.  Nothing  touched  Him  so  much 
as  The  example  of  Our  lord,  when  I  told  Him  of 
His  agony  and  of  The  Prayer  [that  he  offered]  in 
the  garden  of  olives.  He  yielded  then,  and,  in  spite 
of  The  Suffering  of  a  Long  illness,  I  saw  a  marked 
Change  effected  by  grace  in  his  soul.  He  took  The 
Crucifix,  and  Himself  said  his  prayer,  like  that  of  our 
lord,  with  [a]  perfect  submission  and  [a]  Christian 
indifference  to  life  and  to  death. 

The  other  is  a  good  woman  named  Marie.     When, 


46  LES  RELATIONS  DES  j£SU/TES  [Vol.58 

conforme  a  celle  de  nostre  seigneur  auec  [vne]  sou- 
mission  parfaite  et  [vne]  indifference  Chr^tienne  pour 
La  vie  et  pour  La  mort. 

L'autre  est  vne  bonne  femme  nomm^e  Marie  Luy 
ayant  demand^  pour  La  disposer  a  La  confession,  si 
elle  ne  se  fachoit  pas  quel  que  fois  helas  dit  elle,  et 
comment  me  pourrois  ie  facher  moy  qui  ne  me 
Compte  plus  au  nombre  des  viuants  Je  ne  suis  autre 
Chose  qu'vn  corps  mort. 

J'employois  Le  reste  du  jour  a  instruire  Les  autres 
sauuages  qui  venoient  continuellement  a  La  Cabane 
ou  ie  m'etois  retir6  pour  prier  Dieu  ils  nous  y  appor- 
terent  quelques  enfans  pour  6tre  baptisez. 

Jy  trouuay  vn  autre  malade  c'etoit  vn  ieune 
homme  qui  ^tant  en  guerre  auoit  ete  y  bless6  a  La 
Cuisse  d'vn  Coup  de  fleche  La  pierre  de  La  fleche 
^toit  demeuree  dans  La  Chair  ce  qui  Luy  auoit  Cause 
vn  vlcere  qui  fluoit  continuellement  et  L'auoit  reduit 
en  tel  6tat  qu'il  sembloit  vne  squelette,  ie  Le  dispo- 
say  au  bapt^me  qu'il  recent  auec  ioye  et  [auec  de 
grands]  remerciements,  et  Le  nonini^  Marc. 

Les  onziesme  ie  partis  pour  /aire  tratiailler  a  Notre 
Eglise 

Le  20'.  du  m^me  mois  ie  partis  de  rechef  pour  aller  voir 
ces  malades  qui  i  auois  Laissd  a  Lextremit^  ie  n  y  se- 
journ^  quvn  iour  parcequil  decabanoient  pour  aller  a  La 
Chasse  du  Castor  pendant  cette  journee  ils  ioindrent  tous 
meme  Les  plus  vieux  pour  nous  ^couter  et  pour  prier  Dieu. 
deux  de  ces  malades  queie  trouuay  a  L extremite  ie  Leur 
donne  [en  mesme  temps  2  femmes  Chrestiennes  estant 
reduites  a  L'extremite  Je  Leur  Donne]  Le  dernier 
sacrement  de  L'extreme  onction  apres  Les  y  [en] 
auoir  instruits  et  disposes  qui  se  fit  auec  grand  respect 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672  -  73  47 

in  order  to  incline  Her  to  confession,  I  asked  Her 
whether  she  did  not  sometimes  get  angry,  she  replied ; 
"Ah,  how  could  I  get  angry?  —  I,  who  am  no 
longer  Counted  among  the  living!  I  am  Nothing 
but  a  dead  body. ' ' 

I  passed  The  remainder  of  the  day  in  teaching 
The  other  savages,  who  came  continually  to  The 
Cabin  whither  I  had  withdrawn  to  pray  to  God.. 
They  brought  us  some  children  to  be  baptized. 

I  found  there  another  sick  person.  This  was  a 
young  man,  who  had  been  wounded  in  battle  by  an 
arrow- Shot  in  The  Thigh ;  the  stone  arrow-head  had 
remained  in  The  Flesh,  and  had  Produced  an  ulcer, 
which  ran  continually;  this  had  reduced  Him  to 
such  a  state  that  he  seemed  a  skeleton.  I  prepared 
Him  for  baptism,  which  he  received  with  joy  and 
[much]  thankfulness,  and  I  named  Him  Marc. 

On  the  eleventh  I  departed,  in  order  to  have  some  work 
done  on  Our  Church. 

On  the  20th  of  the  same  month,  I  started  once  more  to 
go  and  see  those  sick  people,  whom  I  had  Left  in  A  dying 
condition.  I  remained  there  ojily  one  day,  because  they- 
were  breaking  up  camp  to  go  and  Hunt  Beaver.  During- 
the  day,  they  all  came,  even  The  oldest  people,  to  liste^i  to 
us  and  pray  to  God.  To  two  of  the  sick,  whom  I  found  at 
The  last  extremity,  I  gave  [At  the  same  time,  2  Christian 
women  being  reduced  to  The  last  extremity,  I  Gave 
Them]  The  last  sacrament  of  extreme  unction,  after 
having  instructed  Them  and  prepared  them  for  it., 
This  was  effected  with  great  respect, — not  only  on 
Their  part,  but  even  on  that  of  the  others  who 
were  present,  and  who  looked  upon  the  Ceremony 
with  admiration. 


48  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES  [Vol.58 

non  seulement  de  Leur  part  mais  meme  des  autres 
qui  ^toient  presents  et  qui  admiroient  cette  Cere- 
monie. 

Le  2^.  ie  m  en  retourni  et  adore  La  saint e  croix  que 
nous  trouudvies  en  nostre  Chemin  apres  Hre  sorty  du  bois. 

Le  y.  feburier  i6yj.  ay  ant  apris  que  Les  outagami 
Hoient  de  rctour  de  leur  Chasse  plustot  que  Les  autres 
anji^es,  a  cause  d'vn  saKi  tud par  vn  outagami  a  La  Chasse, 
ic  partis  de  rechef  pour  /aire  vne  mission  V7i  peu  plus 
longue,  Le  Chemin  ^toit  malais^,  nous  arriudmes  a  Leur 
bourg  Le  6^. 

Le  malin  esprit  a  fait  des  efforts  Contre  ce  pauure 
pC2iple,  Les  outagami  venus  d' Ambassade  des  Iroquois 
depuis  quinze  iours  auoient  receu  de  m,auuaises  impressions 
du  Christianisme  et  Les  ont  Comtnuniqu^  a  Leurs  compa- 
triottes:  depuis  Le  printemps  Les  Nadouessi  Leur  ont  pris 
ou  tu^  trente  perso7incs  dont  La  plus  part  auoient  pri^  Dieu 
auant  allant  e7i  guerre,  a  peine  trouuay  ie  dequoy  in.e 
Cabaner  ie  fus  oblige  de  me  retirer  en  vne  vieille  Cabane 
ouuerte  de  tous  Cotez  que  nous  racommoddmes  vn  peu 
neanmoifis. 

Le  8'.  estant  Caban^  a  part  a  fin  que  tous  pussent  auec 
Libert^  venir  ecouter  La  parole  de  Dieu,  i  y  dressay  vne 
petite  Chape  lie  ou  i'  ay  fait  paisiblement  toutes  nos  fonc- 
iions,  dit  tous  Les  iours  La  sainte  messe  baptist  auec  Les 
ceremonies  de  U Eglise:  inuectiv^  Clairement  contre  Leurs 
super stitiojis  et  License  extraordinaire  d' auoir  quantity  de 
femmes,  contre  Leur  nudity  et  Les  insolences  des  iemies 
gens,  sans  que  jamais  personne  n  aye  contredit,  non  pas 
m^me  dans  Leurs  Cabanes  et  assemblies;  ce  qui  est  vne 
grace  particuliere  pour  cette  bourgade,  ou  Le  peuple  est 
Tnutin  au  dela  de  ce  qiion  se  pourroit  figurer.  au 
Contraire  ce  Capitaine  qui  est  Le  phis  infame  pour  La 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1672-73  49 

The  2^th.  I  returned,  and  adored  The  holy  cross  that 
we  found  on  our  Road,  on  issuing  from  the  tvood. 

February  jrd,  i6yj.  Having  learned  that  The  outagami 
had  returned  from  their  Hunt  earlier  than  in  other 
years,  on  account  of  a  saki  having  been  killed  by  an  outa- 
gami during  The  Hunt,  I  started  once  more  to  give  a 
somewhat  longer  mission.  The  Road  was  difficult.  We 
reached  Their  village  07i  The  6th. 

The  evil  spirit  has  directed  his  efforts  Against  these 
poor  people.  The  outagami  who  had  come  from  an 
Embassy  to  the  Iroquois  a  fortnight  before,  had  received 
bad  impressions  of  Christianity,  and  had  Communicated 
These  to  Their  countrymen.  Since  The  spring,  The 
Nadoiiessi  have  taken  or  killed  thirty  persons,  most  of 
whom  had  prayed  to  God  before  going  to  war.  I  could 
barely  find  what  I  needed  to  make  a  Cabin  for  myself,  and 
was  obliged  to  seek  shelter  in  an  old  Cabin  that  was  open 
on  all  Sides;  but  %ve  repaired  it,  to  some  extent. 

The  8th.  As  I  had  my  Cabin  apart  from  the  others, 
in  order  that  all  might  Freely  come  and  listen  to  The  word 
of  God,  I  erected  a  small  Chapel  therein.  I  performed  all 
our  duties  in  peace:  I  said  holy  mass  every  day,  and  I 
baptized  with  The  rites  of  The  Church.  I  inveighed 
Loudly  against  Their  ^  superstitions,  against  their  extraor- 
dinary License  in  having  many  wives,  against  Their 
exposing  themselves  naked,  and  against  The  insolence  of 
the  young  men, —  without  any  one  ever  contradicting  me, 
even  in  Their  Cabins  and  assemblies.  This  is  a  special 
grace  for  this  village,  where  The  people  are  self-willed 
beyond  anything  that  can  be  imagitied.  On  the  Contrary, 
the  Captain  —  who  is  The  most  infamous,  as  regards  The 
Multitude  of  his  wives;  and  who,  last  winter,  would  not 
listen  to  me  When  I  spoke  to  Him  of  his  salvation  —  came 
after  all  those  upbraidings,  with  his  youngest  wife  and 


50  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J J^SUITES  [Vol.58 

Multitude  des  femnies  qml  a,  et  qui  U hyuer  pass^  ne 
m'ecouta  pas,  Lorsque  ie  Luy  parlois  de  son  salut  est  venu 
apres  toutes  ces  ijiuectiues,  aucc  sa  plus  jeune  femme  et  son 
Jils  pour  prier  Dieu,  et  ma  escout^  volontiers  Lorsque  ie 
V ay  exhorti  a  sarr ester  a  cell[e]  La  et  nen  Chercher  plus 
dautres. 

Est  ant  alU  voir  nos  malades  qui  itoient  e?t  meilleur  ^tat, 
surtout  ceux  a  qui  f  auois  donne  U extreme  onction,  ie 
Leur  fis  recojinoitre  Leffcct  de  ce  sacrement  qui  est  de 
rendre  La  safitd  aux  malades,  et  en  remercier  Dieu. 

Le  g".  des  que  V on  sqeut  que  lestois  Cahand  separevient 
de  mon  hote  plusieurs  femmes  apportent  Leurs  enfans 
malades  pour  receuoir  Le  baptdme  et  La  santd,  nous  con- 
feriofis  ce  sacrement,  et  il  a  plil  a  Dieu  en  veue  de  La  foy 
des  parents  Leur  rendre  La  satiti,  Car  aucun  de  ceux  La 
n^ est  mort. 

Le  10'.  vne  troupe  de  ieunes  gens  qui  ont  noircy  Leur 
visage  entre  en  notre  Cabane  sur  Le  soir,  et  dise?it  qii'ils 
viennent  dormir  dans  La  CJiapelle,  afin  que  Dieu  Leur 
apparoisse,  et  Leur  parle  pendant  Le  sommeil,  et  Leur 
promette  de  Leur  Liurer  Leurs  ennemys.  c' est  conforme- 
ntent  L'erreur  quils  ont  que  Leurs  genie  s  Leur  par  lent  en 
dormant,  ie  Les  desabusay  Les  fis  prier  Dieu  et  \ils'\  se 
retirerent  Chez  eux  doucement. 

Le  II".  Lis  mapellent  an  conseil  ou  Les  ambassadeurs 
venus  de  Chez  Les  Lroquois  me  rendirent  Les  Lcttrcs  du 
R.  P.  Gar?iier,  apres  que  ie  Les  eus  Leu'es  ils  m,e  demati- 
derent  si  Les  affaires  dtoient  bonnes,  ie  rdpondis  qiiouy 
Pourueu  que  Les  Lroquois  tinsent  parole,  quil  y  e7i  auoit 
pourtant  vne  mauuaise  a  scauoir  quils  auoient  trop  parU 
etant  Chds  Les  Lroquois,  quils  auoient  dit  auoir  Chassd  de 
Leur  pays  La  robe  noire,  et  qu'ils  ne  vouloietit  plus  auoir 
de  Conwierce  auec  Les  francois.     Lis  furent  si  surpris 


1672 - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672 -73  51 

his  son,  to  pray  to  God;  and  he  listened  to  me  willingly 
When  I  exhorted  Him  to  be  satisfied  with  that  one,  and 
not  to  Seek  others. 

I  went  to  see  our  sick,  who  were  in  better  condition, 
especially  those  to  whom  I  had  administered  extreme 
unction.  I  made  Them  acknowledge  The  effect  of  that 
sacrament  —  which  is  to  restore  health  to  the  sick  —  and 
thank  God  for  it. 

The  gth.  As  soon  as  It  was  known  that  I  occupied  a 
Cabin  apart  from,  my  host,  several  wome?i  brought  Their 
sick  children  to  receive  baptism  and  health.  We  adminis- 
tered the  sacrament ,  and  God  ivas  pleased,  on  account  of 
The  faith  of  their  parents,  to  restore  Their  health;  for 
not  one  of  them  died. 

The  loth.  A  band  of  young  meti  who  have  blackened 
Their  faces  enter  our  Cabin  in  The  evening,  and  say  that 
they  come  to  sleep  in  The  Chapel  so  that  God  may  appear 
and  speak  to  Them  in  Their  slumber,  and  promise  to 
Deliver  Their  enemies  to  Them..  This  is  in  accordance 
with  Their  erroneous  belief  that  Their  genii  speak  to  Them 
in  their  sleep.  I  undeceived  Them,  and  made  Them  pray 
to  God,  and  they  went  Home  quietly. 

The  nth.  They  sum.moned  m.e  to  the  council,  where 
The  ambassadors  who  came  From  The  Iroquois  handed  me 
Reverend  Father  Gamier  s  Letters.  When  I  had  Read 
Them,  they  asked  me  whether  matters  were  right.  I 
replied  that  they  were,  provided  The  Iroquois  kept  their 
word;  that  there  was,  however,  one  thing  wrong,  and 
this  was  that  they  had  talked  too  much  while  With  The 
Iroquois, —  that  they  had  said  that  they  had  Driven  The 
black  gown  away  from.  Their  country,  and  zvould  no  longer 
have  any  Relations  with  The  french.  They  were  so 
surprised  at  such  a  deception  that  they  remained  for  a 
Long  time  without  uttering  a  word.     Finally  they  cried 


62  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  jASUITES  [Vol.  58 

d'vne  telle  impost  tire,  quils  detneurerent  Long  temps  sans 
rien  dire,  enfiti  ils  s^crierent  ce  sent  Les  Iroquois  qui  ont 
forgd  cela,  ils  tt'ayment  pas  Les  fran(^ois,  mais  nous 
aymons  La  robe  noire,  nous  tc  prions  de  Continuer  d'auoir 
soin  de  nous,  d' itistruire  nos  enfans,  et  de  nous  aymer. 

Le  12'.  Les  homnies  marids  Commencent  a  venir  auec 
Leurs  fenimes  et  enfajis  pour  prier  Dieu.  et  Les  j'eunes 
garqofis  venus  au  Catechisme  m  assurent  que  tout  Le  monde 
agrde  nos  instructions  et  que  Leurs  parens  Les  exhortent  a 
nous  venir  ^couter,  cela  a  Continue 

Nous  voyo7is  sur  Le  visage  de  quelques  vns  Le  goust  quils 
prennent  ou  La  probation  quils  dofinent  aux  veritez  que 
nozis  Leur  pr^chons  notis  en  voyons  d' autre s  qui  baillent  et 
baissent  La  t^te  sans  pour  cela  nous  oser  Cofitredire:  ils 
in  ont  demands  seulement  si  Le  Chemin  que  Leurs  ames 
suiuoient  apres  Leur  inort  Hoit  Le  mime  que  celuy  des 
notres  surquoy  nous  Les  auons  eclarcis  et  ils  ont  acquiesce. 

Le  20^.  deux  Cent  guerriers  passent  deuant  nStre 
Capelle  sans  qu  aucun  entre,  quunde  ceux  La  que  fauois 
baptist  quelques  iours  auparauant.  ie  in  informay  de  ceux 
qui  etoient  a  prier  Dieu,  pourquoy  ils  n  entroient  pas,  ils 
me  repondirent  que  La  priere  Les  auoit  fait  mourir  L eti 
passe.  Dieu  veut  ipreuuer  cette  Eglise  par  Les  tribula- 
tions; L" hyuer  passd  vne  bande  de  j'eunes  Outagami 
defirent  onze  Canots  de  Nadouessi,  et  attribuerent  a  La 
priere  Leur  victoire.  Car  ils  etoient  tons  venus  prier  Dieu 
deuant  que  partir,  Le  raport  qu  ils  fire nt  du  secours  que 
Dieji  Leur  auoit  donni  affectionna  Les  autre s  a  prier  Dieu, 
ils  Le  firent  L eti  passi  et  firent  vne  Croix  sur  Leurs 
bouclicrs,  et  de  jp.  quils  etoient  il  y  en  eut  26.  [so  in  orig. 
MS.;  Shea  makes  it  "16" — Ed.'\  de  pris  ou  tuez,  et 
d'vne  autre  bande  \de'\  ij.  il  y  en  eut  trois  de  pris  ou 
tuez,  cela  n  empiche  pas  qu  aujourdliuy  et  desormais  il  n  y 
ait  toujours  eu  du  monde  qui  vient  pour  sefaire  instruire. 


1672-74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672  -  73  53 

out:  * '  //  is  The  Iroquois  who  have  invented  that;  they 
love  not  The  french.  But  we  love  The  black  gown.  We 
beg  thee  to  Continue  to  take  care  of  us,  to  instruct  our 
children,  and  to  love  us. 

The  I2th.  The  married  men  are  Begitining  to  co7ne, 
with  Their  wives  and  children,  to  pray  to  God;  and  The 
young  boys  who  come  to  Catechism  assure  vie  that  every 
one  is  pleased  with  our  instructions,  and  that  Their  parents 
exhort  Them  to  come  and  listen  to  us.      This  has  Continued. 

We  observe  on  The  countenances  of  some  of  them  how 
much  they  relish  and  how  well  they  approve  the  truths  that 
we  preach  to  Them.  We  see  others  who  yawn,  and  Jiang 
Their  heads, —  without,  however,  venturing  to  Contradict 
us.  They  merely  asked  me  whether  The  Road  that  Their 
souls  would  follow  after  death  would  be  The  same  as  that 
follozved  by  ours.  We  enlightened  TJiem  on  that  point, 
and  they  acquiesced. 

The  20th.  Two  Hundred  warriors  passed  before  our 
Chapel,  but  none  entered  it,  except  one  of  those  zvliom  I 
had  baptized  some  days  before.  I  asked  those  who  favored 
prayer  to  God  why  they  did  not  enter,  and  they  replied 
that  prayer  had  caused  Them  to  die  during  The  previous 
summer.  God  wills  that  this  Church  be  tried  by  tribu- 
lations. Last  winter,  a  band  of  young  Outagami  defeated 
eleveji  Canoes  of  Nadouessi;  and  they  attributed  Their 
victory  to  prayer,  For  they  had  all  come  to  pray  to  God 
before  starting.  Their  account  of  the  aid  that  God  had 
given  Them  induced  The  others  to  pray  to  Him.  They  did 
So  last  summer,  and  marked  a  Cross  on  Their  bucklers; 
but  out  of  the  ip  that  they  numbered,  26  were  captured  or 
killed;  while  out  of  another  band  of  ij,  three  were 
captured  or  killed.  This  does  not  now,  nor  will  it  ever 
in  future,  prevent  some  of  the  people  from  coming  to  be 
instructed. 


64  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Vol.58 

Le  21.  Lcs  anciens  eiitrent  en  notre  Cabane,  Us  ont  des 
iddcs  qui  donnent  de  la  Compassion,  Le  temps  et  La  grace 
du  s'.  Esprit  appriuoisera  ces  esprits  vrayement  sauuages, 
II  est  besoin  d'vne  gratide  douceur  et  des  motifs  de  douceur 
Comme  ceux  de  la  misericorde  de  Dieu  et  des  recompenses 
du  paradis  et  pour  Changer  ces  esprits,  Car  quelques  vns 
m'ont  paru  bar  bares  an  dernier  point,  et  Comme  enrag^es 
resolus  d'estre  bruslez  et  mafigez  de  leiirs  ennemis,  ou  de  Les 
brusler  \et'\  manger,  Leurs  ennemis  apres  Les  auoir  brusU 
Les  decouperit  Comme  on  fait  vne  beste  ou  vn  poisso7i,  pour 
Les  fair e  Cuire.  il  n  y  a  que  La  loy  d" amour  qui  puisse 
adoucir  cette  barbaric:  cc  seroit  vne  grande  Charity  de 
vioderer  cette  Cruaut^,  Us  souhaitteroient  que  ie  my 
employ asse  Comme  autre  fois  a  La  point  du  sainct  Esprit. 

Le  22'.  quelques  saKi  venus  de  la  baye  des  puants  apor- 
tent  du  rafroidissement  a  nos  neophytes,  Us  Leurs  disent 
qu  il  ny  a  que  Les  enfatis  qui  prieyit  Dieu,  quelques  autres 
disent,  comment  prierons  nous  Dieu,  il  ne  nous  ayme  pas, 
il  n  ayme  que  7ios  ennemis,  puisqiiil  nous  Liure  toujour s 
entre  Leurs  maitis,  et  ne  nous  en  Liure  quasi  jamais  aucun. 

Le  2^.  Les  vieillards  a  L' occasion  de  quelque  petite 
bande  qui  va  de  rechef  en  guerre  entrent  en  notre  Cabane 
et  vie  font  plusieurs  demandes,  a  toutes  Lesquelles  Dieu  me 
fit  La  grace  de  Leur  r^pondre,  en  sorte  qii  Us  aduouerent 
atioir  ///  abusez  iusques  a  present  et  que  ie  disois  vray. 
Cest  quils  semblent  reconnoitre  Le  des  tin  pour  La  guerre 
Us  n  attribuent  pas  La  victoire  a  La  force,  ny  au  Courage 
de  Leurs  soldats  ny  a  La  bonne  Cojiduite  de  leurs  Capitaines, 
mais  au  destin  ou  manitou,  qui  donne  a  nia7iger  d'vne 
nation  a  vne  autre  qtiand  il  Luy  plait  C est  pour  cela 
qitils  ieunent  esperant  que  ce  manitou  Leur  parlera  et  se 
fera  voir  a  eux  La  7iuit  et  Letir  dira  ie  te  donne  a  inanger 
de  tes  ennemys,  vas  Les  Chercher.     c  est  pour  cela  quils 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672  -  73  55 

The  2ist.  The  elders  ettter  our  Cabin;  they  have  ideas 
that  excite  Compassion.  Time,  atid  The  grace  of  the  holy 
Ghost,  will  tame  these  truly  savage  minds.  Great  gentle- 
ness and  gentle  arguments.  Such  as  God's  mercy  and  the 
rewards  of  paradise,  are  needed  to  Change  these  spirits; 
for  some  of  them  seemed  to  me  to  be  barbarous  to  the  last 
degree, — As  if  they  were  possessed  by  rage,  a7id  resolved 
to  be  burned  and  eaten  by  their  enemies,  or  to  burn  and 
eat  Them.  Their  enemies,  after  burning  Them,  cut  Them 
into  pieces.  As  we  do  an  animal  or  a  fish,  to  Cook  Them. 
The  law  of  love  alone  can  soften  such  barbarism.  It  would 
be  a  great  Charity  to  abate  such  Cruelty.  They  would 
like  me  to  devote  myself  to  it.  As  formerly,  at  The  point  of 
saint  Esprit. 

The  22nd.  Some  saki,  who  have  come  from  the  bay  des 
puants,  cause  a  certain  coldness  among  our  neophytes. 
They  tell  Them  that  only  children  pray  to  God.  Others 
say:  ^^ How  can  we  pray  to  God?  He  docs  not  love  us;  he 
loves  only  our  enemies,  for  he  always  Delivers  us  into  Their 
hands,  and  hardly  ever  Delivers  any  of  them  into  ours.'' 

The  2^th.  As  a  small  party  was  going  again  to  war, 
the  old  'men  came  into  our  Cabin,  and  put  to  me  several 
questions;  to  These  God  gave  me  The  grace  of  being  able 
to  reply,  and  they  admitted  that  they  had  hitherto  been 
deceived,  and  that  I  spoke  the  truth.  They  seem  to 
acknowledge  that  war  is  governed  by  fate;  they  do  not 
attribute  The  victory  either  to  The  strength  or  Bravery  of 
Their  soldiers,  or  to  The  Strategy  of  their  Captains, —  but 
to  fate,  or  to  the  manitou,  who  gives  07ie  tribe  to  be  eaten 
by  another  when  it  pleases  Him.  That  is  why  they  fast, 
for  they  hope  that  the  manitou  will  speak  and  shotu  himself 
to  them  at  night,  and  will  say  to  Them:  ' '  /  give  thee 
some  of  thy  enemies  to  eat;  go  and  Seek  Them."  That  is 
why,  they  said,  The  Captain  of  one  of  those  bands  would 


66  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES  [Vol.  oS 

disoient  que  Le  Capitaine  d'vne  de  ces  bandes  tuera  in- 
failliblement  des  enucifiis  parce  que  disent  ils,  Le  manitou 
Luy  parle,  Je  Lcnr  cxpliqiiay  qu'il  tueroit  des  enneniys 
parcequil  estoit  vaillant  Coiirageux  et  de  bonne  Conduit e  &c. 

Le  7.  Mars,  in  etant  apperqeu  de  quelque  refroidisse- 
ment  nouueau  ie  in  apperceus  que  La  Cause  prouenoit  de  ce 
que  Le  tnalin  esprit  auoit  renouuelU  toutes  Les  anciennes 
menteries  soit  Centre  Le  Christianisme  soit  Centre  nous 
Capables  d'alietier  V esprit  des  sauuages  qii  il  auoit  in- 
uent^  et  sem^  a  La  pointe  du  sainct  Esprit:  mais  auec  La 
grace  de  Dieu  Les  fourbes  du  malin  esprit  sent  decouuertes, 
et  Le  peuple  est  dcsabus^  et  viejit  a  son  ordinaire  ?ious 
^couter  et  fait  a  V exterieur  tout  ce  qui  est  du  deuoir  du 
Chretien, 

Le  Ji^.  ayant  baptist  Le  matin  vne  fetnme  grieuement 
vialade,  i  appris  sur  Le  soir  quelle  se  moicroit,  ty  allay 
elle  etoit  en  effect  en  L" agonie,  Les  femnies  selon  Leur 
Coiltume  La  pleuroient,  Cestoient  quatre  de  scs  tantes 
assises  deux  a  ses  pieds  et  deux  a  sa  tete  qui  toutes  epleur^es 
Chantoient  Ltigubrement  La  niort  de  Leur  fille  ainsy  qiiils 
L apelloictit,  ie  m  approche  de  La  niourante  et  L.eur  dis  que 
ie  voulois  parler,  elles  se  teurent  et  eurent  Le  Loisir 
d'essuyer  Leurs  yeux  pendant  que  ie  Luy  fis  /aire  Les 
actes  de  foy  et  autres  pour  La  disposer  a  La  jnort,  et  dis 
Les  prieres  de  La  recommendation  de  L'ame,  puis  elles 
recommencerent  Leurs  pleurs  cependant  ie  priois  Dieu  assez 
Long  temps;  Les  ayant  fait  taire  ie  fis  Le  mevie  que 
j auois  fait  et  La  voyant  auoir  perdu  Le  iugement  La  nuit 
approchant  ie  me  retiray  elle  mourut  La  nuit  pe7i  apres, 
J' espere  que  Dieu  Luy  aura  fait  misericorde. 

Quelques  iours  apres  Je  baptisay  quelques  ieunes  files 
que  f  auois  dispos^es  Leur  apprenant  Le  Catechisme  et  Les 
prieres;  il y  en  auoit  beaucoup  qui  etoit  a  demy  dispose  e 


1 672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672  -  73  57 

infallibly  kill  some  foes, — because,  they  said,  The  manitou 
speaks  to  Him.  I  explained  to  Them  that  he  would  kill 
some  enemies  because  he  was  valiant,  Brave,  a  good 
Leader,  etc. 

March  jth.  Having  observed  some  further  coldness,  I 
found  that  it  was  Due  to  the  fact  that  The  evil  spirit  had 
repeated  all  The  old  falsehoods, — either  Against  Chris- 
tianity, or  Against  us, —  of  a  Nature  to  alienate  The 
minds  of  the  savages,  which  he  had  invented  and  spread 
at  The  point  of  saint  Esprit.  But,  with  The  grace  of 
God,  The  deceptions  of  the  evil  spirit  are  discovered;  The 
people  are  disabused,  and  come  as  usual  to  listen  to  us,  and 
outwardly  perform  everything  connected  with  a  Christian  s 
duty. 

The  nth.  After  baptizing  in  The  morning  a  woman 
who  was  grievously  ill,  I  heard  in  The  evening  that  she 
was  dying.  I  proceeded  thither,  and  she  was,  in  fact,  in 
The  death-agony.  The  zvomen  wept  for  Her,  according 
to  Their  Custom.  They  were  four  of  Jier  aunts,  who  sat 
two  at  her  feet  and  two  at  her  head, —  and  who,  bathed  in 
tears.  Sang  Liigtibriously  of  The  death  of  Their  daughter, 
for  so  they  called  Her.  I  drew  near  The  dying  woman, 
and  told  Them  that  I  wished  to  speak.  They  became 
silent,  and  had  Leisure  to  dry  Their  eyes  while  I  made 
Her  say  acts  of  faith  and  other  acts  to  prepare  Her  for 
death,  and  while  I  said  The  prayers  of  The  recommendation- 
of  The  soul.  They  then  renewed  Their  weeping,  while  T 
prayed  to  God  for  Some  time.  I  bade  them  be  silent,  and' 
did  The  same  as  I  had  already  done.  When  I  saw  that 
She  had  lost  consciousness,  and  that  night  was  approaching^ 
I  withdrew.  She  died  That  night,  shortly  afterzvard.  I 
trust  that  God  has  had  mercy  on  Her. 

Some   days  afterward,    I  baptized  some  young  girls, 
whomi  had  prepared  by  teaching   Them    The  Catechism 


58  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES         [Vol.  08 

mats  Lors  qu  Us  tHoient  dans  La  plus  grande  ferueur  et 
qu  Us  commen^oient  a  s^auoir  quclque  Chose,  vne  forte 
geUe  surucnant  apres  vne  pliiye  fit  vne  Croute  de  glace  sur 
La  nege  ce  qui  est  rare  en  ce  pays  rendU  La  Chasse  du 
CheurueU  et  du  Cerf  fort  ais^e,  en  sorte  que  c  estoit  Les 
ieu7ies  gar^ons  qui  Les  tuoient  et  Les  filles  qui  preparoient 
ou  portoicnt  aux  Cabanes  Les  testes  tu^es,  en  sorte  que  ie 
ne  pouuois  Les  auoir  a  La  Chapelle  qu' en  passant  et  rare- 
ntent;  il  ny  en  a  eu  que  quatre  que  t  aye  baptist,  qui 
scauent  Le  Pater  L'aue  Le  Credo,  et  Le  Catechisme;  niais 
I  ay  cette  Consolation  que  La  pluspart  de  La  bourgade  est 
instruite  du  Catechisme  et  des  ■)nysteres  de  nostre  sainte  foy 
et  des  prieres  de  U  Eglise,  aussy  des  Le  matin  Jusques  au 
soir  ie  ne  m' occupe  a  autre  Chose  tout  Le  iour  qua  cela;  et 
t  ay  mon  esprit  satisfait  sur  ce  poifit  qu  Us  sont  persuades 
que  ie  ne  Les  vay  pas  voir  pour  autre  Chose  que  pour  Leur 
aprendre  Le  Chemin  du  Ciel. 

Le  dernier  d'Atiril  ie  partis  pour  La  mission  de  sainct 
Jacques  des  machKoutench,  nous  y  arriudmes  Le  quatriesme 
may.  et  Le  Lendemain  en  passant  auec  tous  Les  franqois 
qui  etoient  auec  moy,  nous  adordmes  La  croix  que  nous  y 
anions  plant  ^e  Uetd  pass^,  et  men  allay  droict  selon  La 
Coutume  de  ces  peuples  a  La  Cabane,  de  L" ancient  Capitaine 
des  fnacJL\Jz\outench  mort  depuis  pen  pour  Luy  faire  vn 
petit  present  et  consoler  ainsy  toute  La  famille  Le  Lende- 
main. 

Le  5' .  Je  me  Cabanay  a  La  croix  comme  U ann^e 
pass^e.  il  n  est  pas  besoin  d'  ape  Her  Les  sauuages  a  venir 
prier  Dieu,  Us  y  vie?inent  ass/s  d'eux  m^me,  ce  qui  a  con- 
tinue tout  Le  temps  que  t  y  ay  ^te',  en  sorte  que  nos  nates 
de  Jong  qui  font  7iostre  Chapelle  ont  esti  bientot  rompues, 
quelques  autres  seulement  perches,  bien  que  ie  Les  fisse  prier 
Dieu  dehors  Lorsqu'ils  ne pouuoient  pas  tenir  dedans    nous 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  J672-7S  59 


and  The  prayers.  There  ivere  many  who  were  half- 
prepared;  but,  When  they  were  most  fervent  and  were 
beginning  to  know  Something,  a  heavy  frost  coming  after 
rain  caused  an  icy  Crust  to  form,  upon  The  snow,  which  is 
a  rare  thing  in  this  country.  This  made  it  very  easy  to 
Hunt  Deer  and  Elk,  so  that  The  young  men  killed  Them, 
while  The  girls  dressed  The  slaughtered  animals,  or 
carried  them  to  the  Cabins.  Thus  I  cojild  get  Them  to 
come  to  The  Chapel  only  in  passing,  and  but  seldom.  I 
baptized  only  four,  who  knew  The  Pater,  The  ave,  The 
Credo,  and  The  Catechism;  but  I  have  this  Consolation, 
that  the  majority  of  The  village  have  been  instructed  in 
the  Catechism,  and  in  the  mysteries  of  our  holy  faith  and 
the  prayers  of  The  Church.  In  fact,  from  morning  To 
night  I  do  Nothing  else  all  day  long;  and  my  mind  is 
satisfied  on  this  point,  that  they  are  convinced  that  I  go  to 
see  Them  for  no  other  Purpose  than  to  teach  The^n  The 
Road  to  Heaven. 

On  the  last  day  of  April,  I  left  for  The  mission  of  saint 
Jacques,  among  the  machkoutench.  We  arrived  there  on 
The  fourth  of  may;  and  on  The  following  Day,  while 
passing  by,  with  all  The  french  who  accompanied  me,  we 
adored  The  cross  that  we  had  planted  there  The  previous 
summer.  In  accordance  with  The  Custom  of  these  nations, 
I  went  on  The  following  Day  straight  to  The  Cabin  of 
The  former  Captain  of  the  machkoutench,  who  had  died 
a  short  time  previously,  to  give  for  Him  a  little  present, 
and  thus  console  The  whole  family. 

The  5th.  I  erected  my  Cabin  at  The  cross,  as  I  did  last 
year.  It  was  not  necessary  to  call  The  savages  to  come 
to  pray  to  God;  They  came  quite  readily,  of  their  own 
accord.  This  continued  during  The  whole  time  while  1 
was  there,  so  that  our  rush  mats,  of  which  our  Chapel  is 
built,   were  soon   broken,  while  some  others  were  merely 


60  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Vol.58 

}'  auons  continue  toutes  nos  fonctions  paisiblement  comme 
L' et^  pass^  dit  La  saincte  incsse  tons  Les  tours  instruit 
contuiuellement  vne  bandc  a  La  Chapellc  pleinc  et  puis 
L' autre,  enseigtie  Lc  CatecJiinic  et  Lcs  prieres  a  tout  Le 
tnonde  mats  sur  tout  aux  petits  garqons  et  petites  filles  en 
sorte  qu'ils  Les  scauent  a  demy,  baptist  Les  enfans  que  Les 
parens  nous y  apportoient  pour  cela,  Le  plus  souuent  malades 
voyant  par  experience  que  Lcs  enfans  baptiscz  guerissoieni 
pour  La  pluspart. 

Nous  y  auons  visite  Leurs  malades,  vne  femme  dcs 
inachKoutench  grieuement  malade  que  ie  visitois  pour  La 
disposer  au  baptdme  apres  L  auoir  faict  pricr  Dieu  chez 
elle,  se  trouua  guerie  Le  Lendemain. 

Vne  autre  de  rtiime  nation  mere  d'vn  de  Jios  Chretiens 
emmen^e  a  La  Chapelle  par  son  fils  pour  prier  Dieu  ne 
pouuant  plus  venir,  ie  L' allay  voir,  L instruire  et  disposer 
au  bapthne,  elle  neut  pas  de  peine,  car  apres  m,' auoir 
e scouts,  elle  fne  dit  baptise  moy  done  a  fin  que  f  aille  au 
del,  ce  que  ie  fis,  et  mourut  peu  apres  pour  viure  au  Ciel 
comme  ie  croy 

vne  autre  personne  de  La  nation  des  miami  a  receu  La 
grace  du  bapt^me  mayant  parue  tres  bien  dispos^e  en  vn 
danger  prochaine  ou  ie  La  trouuay  de  mourir,  et  il  a  plU 
a  Dieu  Luy  rendre  La  sante  Le  soir  mdme  que  ie  retournay 
La  voir  apres  son  bapteine,  du  moins  quand  ie  partis  elle 
se  portoit  bien.  ie  n  eus  pas  de  peine  a  La  disposer  au 
bapt^me  et  a  La  mort,  Car  d'abord  elle  Concent  Le  desir 
qiiilfaut  de  La  vie  eternelle,  Communement  Les  malades 
sauuages  ne  so?igent  ny  ne  demandent  que  La  vie  du  Corps. 

Comtne  cette  nation  des  miami  est  fort  nombreuse  il  y  en 
a  vne  par  tie  qui  n  aprotiue  pas  ce  que  nous  Leur  pr^chons; 
U autre  partie  fait  profession  de  croire  et  d'obeir  a  La 
robe  noire  et  dit  mhne  dans  Leurs  assembUes  que  ceux  qui 


1 672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672  -  7j  61 

pierced  through, —  although  I  made  Them  pray  outside, 
When  they  could  not  all  get  inside.  We  continued  to 
perform  our  duties  in  peace  as  last  year:  we  said  holy 
mass  every  day;  we  instructed,  without  cessation,  bands 
that  successively  filled  The  Chapel;  we  taught  The 
Catechism  and  prayers  to  all,  but  especially  the  little  boys 
and  girls,  so  that  they  half  knew  Them.  We  baptized  The 
children  whom  The  parents  brought  to  us  for  that  purpose, 
and  who  in  Most  instances  were  ill, — for  they  found  by 
experience  that  most  of  The  children  who  were  baptized 
recovered. 

We  visited  Their  sick.  A  woman  of  the  machkoutench, 
who  was  grievously  ill,  and  whom  I  visited  to  prepare  Her 
for  baptism,,  after  I  had  made  Her  pray  to  God  in  her 
own  house,  was  cured  on  The  following  Day. 

Another  woman  of  the  same  tribe,  the  mother  of  one  of 
our  Christians,  was  brought  to  The  Chapel  by  her  son  to 
pray  to  God,  because  she  could  no  longer  come  by  herself. 
I  went  to  see  Her,  to  itistruct  Her  and  prepare  Her  for 
baptism.  She  had  no  trouble;  for,  after  listening  to  me, 
she  said:  "  Baptize  me,  so  that  I  may  go  to  Heaven."  I 
did  so,  and  she  died  shortly  afterward, —  to  live  in  Heaven, 
as  I  believe. 

Another  person,  of  The  miami  tribe,  received  The  grace 
of  baptism, — for  she  seemed  to  me  to  be  very  well  disposed 
when  I  found  Her  in  immediate  danger  of  death;  and  God 
was  pleased  to  restore  Her  to  health  The  very  evening 
when  I  went  back  to  see  Her  after  her  baptism.  At  least, 
she  was  well  when  I  left.  I  had  no  trouble  in  preparing 
Her  for  baptism  and  for  death.  For,  at  the  very  first,  she 
Conceived  The  proper  desire  for  eternal  life.  As  a  rule. 
The  sick  savages  do  not  think  of  it,  and  ask  only  for  The 
life  of  the  Body. 


62  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Vol.58 

7ie  Luy  obeissent  pas  sont  malheureux.  Dieii  par  vne 
prouidence  particuliere  sur  cette  Eglise  naissatite  Luy  a 
donn^  sa  benediction:  Car  tous  ceux  qui  ayment  Le 
Christ ianisvie  nont  point  souffert  La  faim  de  tout  cet 
hyuer,  au  Lieu  que  Les  autres  out  soufert  vne  si  grande 
famine  qji'il y  en  a  qui  en  so?it  morts,  tous  generalement 
ont  ma?ig/  L.eurs  Chiens  et  Les  peaux  des  bestes  quils 
auoient  tudes  L'automne,  et  ont  ///  obliges  de  se  retirer  a 
Leur  bourg  de  bonne  heure  et  auec  bien  de  La  peine,  cette 
nation  ne  sqait  point  marcher  en  raquette  c  est  pour  cela 
qu'elle  a  beaucoup  souffert  en  ces  quar tiers  ou  il  y  a  cu 
quantity  de  neige  extraordinairetnent .  inais  Dieu  par  vne 
protection  particuliere  a  fourny  toujours  dequoy  viure  a 
ceux  qui  Luy  veulent  obeir. 

Les  monies  miami  ont  quitte  Les  ma?iitous  quils  inuo- 
quoient  pour  Leur  guerre  Chasse  &c.  ils  n' inuoquent  que 
celuy,  qui  a  fait  Le  Ciel  et  La  terrc,  en  effect  ces  iours 
passez  allants  en  guerre  ils  ont  pendu  a  La  croix  qui  est 
a  Leur  bourg  vne  peau  blanche  pour  inuoquer  ainsy  quils 
inont  dit,  Le  Dieu  des  armies  qui  a  fait  Les  homvtes  et  Le 
Ciel  et  La  terre. 

J' ay  visits  vne  bonne  partie  des  miami,  ils  ont  de 
grandcs  Cabafies  de  grosses  escorce,  ou  ie  Les  ay  fait  prier 
Dieu,  tout  Le  monde  a  getioux  iusques  a  ce  que  ie  m'en- 
rhumay  soit  La,  soil  dans  nostre  Chapelle  toute  entrouuerte 
si  bien  que  ie  ne  pouuois  presque  plus  parler,  ie  m'en  allay 
Le  22^ . 

Je  passay  par  Les  out agami  pour  y  voir  nos  malades  qui 
continuent  dans  L  exercice  de  la  patience  Chrdtienne,  ils 
admirent  Comme  ils  ne  meurent  pas  et  reconnoissent  que 
c  est  La  priere  qui  Les  fait  viure  ay  ant  demands  a  Uvn 
de  ceux  La  ou  etoit  Le  Chapelet  que  ie  Luy  auois  tnis  au 
Col  apres  so?i  bapte'me,  il  me  rdpondit  que  ie  Luy  auois  mis 


1672 - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672 -yj  63 

As  this  tribe  of  the  mianii  is  very  numerous,  a  portion 
of  them  do  not  approve  what  we  preach  to  Them;  The 
other  portion  profess  to  believe  and  to  obey  The  black  gown, 
and  they  even  say  ifi  Their  assemblies  that  they  who  obey 
Him  not  are  unhappy.  God  has,  through  a  special  provi- 
dence over  this  nascent  ChiircJi,  given  It  his  blessing;  For  all 
those  who  love  Christianity  have  not  suffered  frotn  hunger 
throughout  the  winter,  While  The  others  have  endured  such 
famine  that  sotne  have  died.  As  a  rule,  all  of  them  ate 
Their  Dogs,  and  The  skins  of  the  animals  that  they  had 
killed  in  The  autumn;  and  were  compelled  to  return  to 
Their  village  early,  and  with  great  difficulty.  This  tribe 
do  not  know  how  to  walk  on  snow  shoes;  for  that  reason, 
they  have  greatly  suffered  in  this  quarter,  where  there  was 
an  extraordinary  quantity  of  snow.  But  God,  by  a  special 
protection,  has  always  provided  food  for  those  who  choose 
to  obey  Him. 

The  same  miami  have  given  up  The  manitous  whom,  they 
ifivoked  for  Their  war,  their  Hunting,  etc.;  they  invoke 
him  alone  who  has  made  Heaven  and  earth.  In  fact,  quite 
recently,  when  they  went  to  war,  they  hung  up  a  white 
skin  on  The  cross  in  Their  village, — to  invoke,  as  they  told 
me.  The  God  of  armies,  who  has  made  men  and  Heaven 
and  earth. 

I  visited  a  considerable  portion  of  the  miami.  They 
have  large  Cabins,  made  of  great  pieces  of  bark,  wherein 
I  made  Them  pray  to  God,  all  on  their  knees,  until  I  caught 
such  a  cold — either  There  or  in  our  Chapel,  which  was 
quite  open  —  that  I  could  hardly  speak.  I  went  away  on 
The  22nd. 

I  passed  throiigJi  The  outagami,  to  see  our  sick  people 
there,  who  continue  to  practice  Christian  patience.  They 
wonder  That  they  die  not,  and  achwwledge  that  prayer 
makes  Them  live.     I  asked  one  of  them  where  The  Rosary 


64  LES  RELATIONS  DESJ^SUITES  [Vol.68 

son  fils  Lauoit  encore,  qu  il  auoit  et^  nialade  ces  tours 
passez  et  quil  Luy  donna  son  Chapelet  pour  Le  guerir,  et 
que  d" abord  qu  il  Le  Luy  eut  attache  au  Col,  il  fut  gueri. 

Cest  Tout  ce  que  Le  Pere  Claude  allouez  mande  de  sa 
mission  qui  n  a  de  homes  que  celles  que  son  Zele  y  veut 
mettre;  dccouurant  et  instruisant  toujours  de  nouuelles 
tiations;  petidant  que  d'vn  c6t^  Le  P.  Marquette  en  est  alU 
decouurir  de  plus  eloigndcs  iusqucl  La  mer  du  sud,  et  que 
d'vn  autre  Le  P.  Charles  Albanel  est  parti  vne  seconde  fois 
pour  aller  Chercher  celles  qu  il  auoit  dej'a  decouuertes  a  La 
mer  du  Nord;  ainsy  Le  midy  et  Le  septentrion  cntendront 
parler  de  Leur  Createur,  et  U euangile  va  s' etendre  aux 
deux  extremitiz  de  cette  A  meriqiie  ou  La  grande  nuiltitude 
des  peuples  ne  manquera  d' instruction  que  faute  de 
personnes  qui  passent  Les  mer s  pour  Les  venir  instruire. 

[Apres  auoir  suflBsamment  Instruit  toute  Cette 
Bourgade,  Je  fus  contraint  de  la  laisser,  estant  apele 
pour  d'autres  qui  m'attendoient  en  partie  dans  la 
baye  Des  puans,  et  en  partie  a  la  Nation  du  feu ;  Je 
n'y  pus  done  retoumer  que  trois  mois  apres  et  a  naon 
arriuee,  Je  trouuay  que  Le  malin  esprit  auoit  fait  tons 
ses  efforts  pour  miner  ce  que  J'auois  heureusem^ 
Commence  pour  Le  salut  de  ce  pauure  peuple. 

II  s'estoit  seruy  de  la  victoire  que  Les  Nadouessi 
Leurs  ennemis  auoient  remportee  sur  eux,  en  ayant 
pris  ou  tu6  vne  trentaine,  qui  pour  la  plus  part 
auoient  pri6  Dieu  auant  que  de  se  mettre  en 
Campagne. 

II  est  bien  vray  que  L'annee  precedente  vne  bande 
De  Jeunes  Outagami  deffirent  onze  Canots  ennemis 
et  attribuerent  cet  heureux  succes  a  la  priere  qu'ils 
auoient  faite  dans  la  Chapel  le,  auant  que  De  partir 


1672 - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672-  73  65 

was  that  I  had  placed  around  His  Neck  after  his  baptism. 
He  replied  that  I  had  placed  it  on  Him,  and  that  his  son 
had  It  still;  that  the  latter  had  been  ill  for  the  past  few 
days;  that  he  had  give 7i  Him  his  Rosary  to  cure  Him;  and 
that,  as  soon  as  he  had  fastened  It  aro7ind  His  Neck,  he  had 
recovered. 

This  is  All  that  Father  Claude  allouez  zvrites  of  his 
mission.  It  has  no  other  bounds  than  those  assigned  to  it 
by  his  Zeal,  which  is  ever  discovering  and  teaching  new 
nations.  Meanwhile,  on  the  one  hand.  Father  Marquette 
has  gone  to  discover  other  more  remote  tribes,  as  far  as 
The  south  sea;  and,  on  the  other.  Father  Charles  Albanel 
has  departed  a  second  time  to  Seek  those  whom  he  had 
already  discovered  at  the  North  sea.  Thus  The  south  and 
The  north  will  hear  of  Their  Creator,  and  The  gospel 
will  spread  to  the  two  extremities  of  this  America, — 
where  The  great  multitude  of  stations  will  lack  instruction 
solely  through  dearth  of  persons  who  cross  The  seas  to 
come  to  teach  Them. 

[After  having  sufficiently  Instructed  the  whole  of 
This  Village,  I  was  compelled  to  leave  it;  for  I  was 
called  away  to  others  who  awaited  me, — partly  in 
the  bay  Des  puans,  and  partly  in  the  Nation  of  fire. 
I  was  therefore  unable  to  return  there  for  three 
months;  and,  on  my  arrival,  I  found  that  The  evil 
spirit  had  made  every  effort  to  ruin  what  I  had 
happily  Commenced  for  The  salvation  of  these  poor 
people. 

He  had  made  use  of  the  victory  won  over  them  by 
The  Nadouessi,  Their  enemies,  who  had  captured 
or  killed  about  thirty  of  them,  most  of  whom  had 
prayed  to  God  before  taking  the  Field. 

It  is  quite  true  that,  during  The  previous  year,  a 


66  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  j£SUITES         [Vol.  58 

pour  Cette  expedition,  Mais  vne  autre  bande  qui 
auoit  aussy  prie  Dieu  a  L'exemple  de  la  premiere  et 
qui  mesme  auoit  peint  la  Croix  sur  Leurs  boucliers 
ayant  est^  defaite,  Cela  donna  sujet  aux  bruits  qui 
Coururent  parmy  Le  peuple,  qui  disoit  partout  que 
Dieu  n'ayme  pas  Ceux  qui  prient,  mais  bien  Ceux 
qui  ne  prient  pas,  auxquels  II  donne  de  si  grands 
aduantages 

Adjout^s  a  Cela,  que  la  barbarie  est  encor  Icy  en 
son  regne,  et  que  nos  Outagami  sont  bien  resolus  de 
ne  pas  traitter  plus  humainement  Les  Nadoiiessi, 
qui  en  sont  traittes ;  Leur  Cruaut6  est  telle,  qu'apr^s 
auoir  brusle  Leur  Captifs  selon  la  Coustume  generale 
du  pais,  lis  Les  decouppent  comme  on  fait  vn 
orignal  ou  vn  esturgeon,  et  Les  mettent  Cuire  par 
morceaux  Dans  la  Chaudiere,  pour  Les  manger, 
Comme  ils  Mangeroient  vne  autre  viande. 

Le  malin  esprit  s'est  Done  seruy  des  victoires  que 
L  Ennemy  a  remport^s  pour  detruire  la  priere,  et  en 
mesme  temps  a  renouuel6  Les  vieilles  querelles  et 
toutes  les  Impostures  qui  ont  autrefois  est6  debit6es 
Contre  la  foy,  et  Contre  nous. 

Toutes  Ces  Choses  auoient  tellement  altere  Les 
esprits  que  J'eus  de  la  peine  a  trouuer  ou  me  loger, 
et  Je  fus  oblige  de  me  retirer  en  vne  vieille  Cabanne 
ouuert  a  tous  Les  vents;  J'y  dressay  vne  petite  Cha- 
pelle,  pour  y  attendre  auec  patience  Les  desseins  que 
Dieu  a  sur  Cette  nouuelle  Eglise,  qu'il  veut  sans 
Doubte  esprouuer  par  les  tribulations,  et  qui  ne  me 
Donne  pas  peu  d'esperance  De  La  voir  vn  Jour  bien 
florissante. 

Comme  de  fait,  Je  fus  bientost  Console  par  L'afflu- 
ence  de  Ceux  qui  venoient  Incessamm^  pour  m'es- 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1672-73  67 


band  Of  Young  Ontagami  defeated  eleven  of  the 
enemy's  Canoes,  and  attributed  this  happy  result  to 
the  prayer  that  they  had  said  in  the  Chapel  before 
starting  on  That  expedition.  But  another  band,  who 
had  likewise  prayed  to  God  after  The  example  of  the 
former,  and  who  had  even  painted  the  Cross  on 
Their  bucklers,  were  defeated.  This  gave  rise  to 
rumors  which  Spread  among  The  people  —  who  said 
everywhere  that  God  loves  not  Those  who  pray,  but 
Those  who  pray  not,  and  that  to  the  latter  He  gives 
such  great  advantages. 

Add  to  This  that  barbarism  still  reigns  Here,  and 
that  our  Outagami  are  fully  resolved  not  to  treat  The 
Nadouessi  more  humanely  than  they  are  treated  by 
them.  Their  Cruelty  is  such  that,  after  burning 
Their  Captives,  according  to  the  general  Custom  of 
the  country,  They  cut  Them  up,  as  one  does  a  moose 
or  a  sturgeon,  and  put  the  pieces  In  a  Kettle  to 
Cook,  that  they  may  eat  Them  As  one  would  Eat  any 
other  meat. 

The  evil  spirit,  Therefore,  made  use  of  the  vic- 
tories obtained  by  The  Enemy  to  ruin  prayer ;  and, 
at  the  same  time,  he  renewed  The  old  quarrels,  and 
all  the  Impostures  that  were  formerly  alleged  Against 
the  faith  and  Against  us. 

All  These  Things  had  so  changed  Their  minds 
that  I  had  great  difficulty  in  finding  a  place  wherein 
I  might  lodge ;  and  I  was  compelled  to  take  refuge 
in  an  old  Cabin,  open  to  all  The  winds,  I  erected  a 
small  Chapel  there,  to  await  with  patience  The 
designs  that  God  has  for  This  new  Church,  which  he 
Doubtless  wishes  to  try  by  tribulations,  but  which 
Gives  me  no  slight  hope  That  I  will  some  Day  see 
It  very  flourishing. 


68  LES  RELATIONS  DES  JASUITES         [Vol.58 


couter.  Nonobstant  toutes  Ces  broiiilleries  que  Le 
Demon  auoit  suscitees,  Je  n'inuectiuay  Jamais  plus 
fortement  Contre  Les  superstitions,  et  Contre  Les 
autres  desordres  Du  pais,  Jusqu'a  ce  qu'enfin  tous 
Ces  nuages,  estant  dissip^s,  Le  Cours  de  L'Euangile 
reprit  son  train  ordinaire,  faisant  Dans  ma  petite 
Chapelle  toutes  nos  fonctions  auec  bien  de  la  paix, 
et  y  baptisant  auec  Les  Ceremonies  de  L'Eglise  Ceux 
qui  Le  meritoient. 

J'allois  aussy  auec  La  mesme  Libert^  dans  Les 
Cabannes  pour  y  expliquer  nos  Mysteres,  Dans  vne 
des  quelles  ayant  baptise  vne  femme  bien  malade, 
J'appris  sur  Le  soir  de  ce  mesme  Jour,  qu'elle  s'en 
alloit  mourir,  J'y  retournay  promptement,  et  Je  trou- 
uay  qu'en  effet  elle  estoit  a  L'agonie.  Les  femmes 
selon  La  Coustume  Du  pais,  la  pleuroient.  Voicy 
qu'elle  est  Cette  Coustume:  quatre  femmes  des  plus 
proches  parentes  estoit  assises  Deux  aux  pieds,  de  la 
Malade,  et  deux  a  la  teste,  et  toutes  decheuell6es 
qu'elles  estoient,  et  baignees  de  Larmes,  Chantoient 
Lugubrem^,  et  Deploroient  la  mort  de  Leur  fiUe, 
ainsy  L'appelloient-elles,  ces  Larmes,  et  Ces  Cries 
Durent  Jusqu'a  ce  que  La  malade  ait  rendu  L'ame. 
Je  m'approchay  Done,  et  Leur  dis  que  Je  voulois 
parler,  elles  firent  silence,  et  se  mirent  a  essuyer 
Leurs  yeux  pendant  que  Je  fis  faire  a  la  moribonde 
Les  actes  necessaires  pour  se  bien  Disposer  a  la  Mort, 
Je  Dis  tout  a  loisir  Les  prieres  et  la  recommandation 
de  L'ame,  apres  Les  quelles  elles  recommencerent 
Leurs  pleurs,  que  Je  fis  encor  Cesser  pour  assister  ma 
malade,  et  Luy  faire  renouueler  Les  actes  qu'elle 
auoit  faits  Jusqu'a  ce  que  voyant  qu'elle  auoit  perdu 
le   Jugem*.   et  La  nuit  me  pressant,  Je  me  retiray 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  j672 -73  69 

In  fact,  I  was  soon  Comforted  by  The  throng  of 
People  who  came  Continually  to  listen  to  me.  Not- 
withstanding all  These  troubles,  which  The  Devil 
had  stirred  up,  Never  did  I  inveigh  more  strenuously 
Against  The  superstitions  and  other  disorders  Of  the 
country, —  Until  at  last  These  clouds  were  dispelled; 
The  Spread  of  The  Gospel  resumed  its  usual  course, 
and  In  my  little  Chapel  we  performed  all  our  duties 
in  great  peace,  and  administered  baptism  with  The 
Rites  of  The  Church  to  Those  who  deserved  It. 

I  also  went  with  The  same  Freedom  into  The 
Cabins,  to  explain  our  Mysteries.  In  one  of  them, 
I  baptized  a  woman  who  was  very  ill,  I  heard  in 
The  evening  of  the  same  Day  that  she  was  about  to 
die;  I  returned  promptly,  and  found  her,  in  fact,  in 
The  death-agony.  The  women  wept  for  her,  accord- 
ing to  The  Custom  Of  the  country.  This  Custom  is 
as  follows :  four  women  from  among  her  nearest  rela- 
tives sat  Two  at  the  feet  of  the  Sick  woman  and  two 
at  her  head,  all  dishevelled  and  bathed  in  Tears ;  they 
Sang  Lugubriously,  and  Deplored  the  death  of  Their 
daughter,  for  so  they  called  Her.  These  Tears  and 
Cries  Last  Until  The  sick  person  expires.  I  There- 
fore approached,  and  told  Them  that  I  wished  to 
speak.  They  became  silent,  and  dried  Their  eyes, 
while  I  made  the  dying  woman  say  The  necessary 
acts  to  Prepare  herself  properly  for  Death.  I  slowly 
Said  The  prayers,  as  well  as  the  recommendation  of 
The  soul,  after  Which  they  recommenced  Their 
weeping.  But  I  once  more  made  them  Cease  it,  in 
order  to  assist  our  sick  woman,  and  to  make  Her 
renew  The  acts  that  she  had  made.  Finally,  seeing 
that  she  had  lost  Consciousness,  and  that  night  was 
overtaking  me,  I  withdrew,  that  I  might  Continue 


70  LES  RELATIONS  DES  JASUITES         [Vol.58 

pour  Continiier  a  prier  Dieu  pour  elle  plus  paisiblem*. 
elle  mourut  cette  mesme  nuit,  et  Jay  suiet  de  Croire 
que  Dieu  Luy  a  fait  misericorde. 

Les  autres  malades  Continiient  dans  L'exercice  De 
la  patience  Chrestienne;  plusieurs  s'estonnent  De  ce 
qu'ils  ne  meurent  pas,  et  reconnoissent  que  C'est 
La  priere  que  Les  fait  viure. 

Comme  Je  demanday  a  vn  D'eux  ou  estoit  Le 
Chapelet  que  Je  Luy  auois  mis  au  Col  apres  son 
baptesme,  II  me  respondit  que  son  fils  L'auoit  encor, 
qu'il  auoit  este  malade  Ces  Jours  passes,  et  que  pour 
Le  guerir  II  Luy  donna  son  Chapelet,  etde  fait,  qu'il 
ne  Luy  eust  pas  plustost  attache  au  Col,  que  la  sant^ 
Luy  fut  rendiie. 

Auant  que  de  quitter  Cette  bourgade,  pour  aller 
faire  mes  Courses  aux  autres,  Je  baptisay  quelques 
Jeunes  filles,  que  J 'auois  disposees,  et  a  qui  J 'auois 
appris  Le  Catechisme  et  Les  prieres. 

Et  Jay  Cette  Consolation  que  tout  ce  bourg  est 
Instruit  de  nos  Mysteres,  Du  Catechisme  et  des 
prieres,  aussy  Des  le  Matin  Jusqu'au  soir,  Je  ne 
m'occupe  a  autre  Chose  pendant  tout  Le  Jour,  qu'a 
Cela,  et  J 'ay  mon  esprit  satisfait  sur  ce  point,  qu'ils 
sont  persuades,  que  Je  ne  Les  vay  pas  voir  pour 
autre  Chose  q^*  pour  Leur  apprendre  Le  Chemin  Du 
Ciel. 

Voila  vne  partie  de  Ce  que  Le  P.  Claude  AUoiies 
Mande  de  sa  Mission,  qui  n'a  de  bornes  que  Celles 
que  son  Zele  y  veut  mettre,  decouurant  et  Instruisant 
tousiours  de  nouuelles  Nations,  pendant  que  D'vn 
Cost6  Le  P.  Marquette  en  est  all^  decouurir  de  plus 
eloignees,  Jusqu'a  la  Mer  Du  Sud,  et  que  D'vn  autre 


1 672 - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672 -73  71 

to  pray  to  God  for  her  in  greater  quiet.  She  died 
the  same  night,  and  I  have  reason  to  Believe  that 
God  had  mercy  upon  Her, 

The  other  sick  persons  Continue  to  practice  Chris- 
tian patience.  Many  are  astonished  That  they  die 
not.  and  acknowledge  that  It  is  prayer  that  makes 
Them  live. 

When  I  asked  one  Of  them  where  The  Rosary  was 
that  I  had  placed  around  His  Neck  after  his  baptism, 
He  replied  that  his  son  had  It  still ;  that  the  latter  had 
been  ill  during  The  past  few  Days;  and,  to  cure 
Him,  He  had  given  Him  his  Rosary;  and  that,  in 
fact,  he  had  no  sooner  tied  it  round  His  Neck  than 
His  health  was  restored. 

Before  leaving  This  village,  to  make  my  Visits  to 
the  others,  I  baptized  some  Young  girls  whom  I  had 
prepared,  and  to  whom  I  had  taught  The  Catechism 
and  The  prayers. 

And  I  have  This  Consolation,  that  the  whole  of 
this  village  has  been  Instructed  in  our  Mysteries,  in 
The  Catechism,  and  in  the  prayers.  In  fact,  From 
Morning  Until  night  I  do  Nothing  else  all  Day  long 
but  That;  and  my  mind  is  satisfied  on  this  point, 
that  they  are  convinced  that  I  go  to  see  Them  for 
no  other  Purpose  than  to  show  Them  The  Road  To 
Heaven. 

This  is  a  portion  of  What  Father  Claude  AUoues 
Writes  of  his  Mission.  It  has  no  other  bounds  than 
Those  assigned  to  it  by  his  Zeal,  which  is  ever  discov- 
ering and  Teaching  new  Nations ;  while,  on  The  one 
Hand,  Father  Marquette  has  gone  to  discover  other 
more  remote  tribes  as  Far  as  the  South  Sea,  and.  On 
the  other,  Father  Albanel  has  departed  a  second  time 


72  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J&SUITES         [Vol.58 

Le  P.  Albanel  est  party  vne  seconde  fois  pour  aller 
Chercher  Celles  qu'il  auoit  desia  decouuertes  a  la 
Mer  du  Nord.  Ainsy  Le  Midy  et  le  septentrion 
entendront  parler  De  Leur  Createur,  et  L'Euangile 
va  s'estendre  aux  Deux  extremit6s  de  Cette  Ame- 
rique,  Ou  la  grande  multitude  des  peuples  ne  man- 
quera  d' instruction  q5>  faute  de  personnes  qui  passent 
Les  mers  pour  Les  venir  Instruire.] 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672  -  73  73 

to  Seek  Those  whom  he  had  already  discovered  at 
the  North  Sea.  Thus  The  South  and  the  north  will 
hear  Of  Their  Creator,  and  The  Gospel  will  spread 
to  the  Two  extremities  of  This  America, —  Where 
the  great  multitude  of  nations  will  lack  instruction 
solely  through  dearth  of  persons  who  cross  The  seas 
to  come  to  Instruct  Them.] 


74  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  j£SUITES  [Vol.  68 


Mission  de  Saint-Frangois-Xavier  des  Pres  pres 
de  Montreal  pendant  les  annees  1672  et  1673. 

DIEU  semble  avoir  permis,  pour  6tendre  en  ce 
nouveau  monde  le  royaume  de  son  ^fivangile, 
que  les  Iroquois  portassent  la  guerre  dans  des 
pays  qu'on  croyait  inaccessibles  aux  hummes,  et  ^ 
des  nations  qui  n'etaient  pas  connues  des  Europ6ens. 
lis  en  ont  ramene  une  multitude  de  captifs;  et  ce 
sont  ces  captifs,  et  les  Iroquois,  leurs  vainqueurs, 
qui  viennent  eux-memes  habiter  ici  avec  leur  proie, 
afin  de  devenir  tous  ensemble  de  fervents  Chretiens : 
Habitabit  lupus  cum  agno. 

En  voyant  ces  nouveaux  fideles  rassembl^s,  des 
I'automne  pass6,  dans  le  bercail  de  J^sus-Christ, 
c'^tait  chose  bien  agreable  pour  nous  de  compter, 
dans  une  seule  Mission  naissante,  jusqu'^  vingt-deux 
nations,  dont  plusieurs  ont  des  langues  entierement 
differentes,  et  les  autres  different  seulement  par  leurs 
idiomes.  On  y  trouvait  meles  ensemble  des  Outoua- 
gannha,  des  Gentagega,  des  Algonquins  Montagnais, 
des  Nipissiriniens,  des  Hurons,  des  Iroquois,  des 
Loups,  Mahingans  ou  Socokis,  et  autres  nations  non 
moins  oppos^es  entre  elles  par  de  longues  inimiti^s 
que  par  la  diversite  du  langage. 

Cette  Mission  a  commence,  il  y  a  environ  quatre 
ans,  par  la  reunion  en  ce  lieu  de  quelques  families 
Iroquoises.  Ces  Sauvages,  ayant  entendu  parler  de 
ri^vangile  par  ceux  de  nos  Pferes  qui  sont  en  leurs 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1672-73  75 


Mission  of  Saint  Francois  Xavier  des  Pres,  near 
Montreal,  during  the  years  1672  and  1673. 

GOD  seems  to  have  permitted,  for  the  spread  of 
the  kingdom  of  his  Gospel  in  this  new  world, 
that  the  Iroquois  should  carry  war  into  coun- 
tries that  were  deemed  inaccessible  to  men,  and 
among  nations  unknown  to  Europeans.  They 
brought  back  thence  a  multitude  of  captives;  and 
now  these  captives  and  the  Iroquois,  their  conquer- 
ors,—  who  themselves  come  to  dwell  here  with  their 
victims, — unite,  that  they  may  all  together  become 
fervent  Christians.^     Habitabit  lupus  cum  agno. 

On  seeing  these  new  believers  gathered  last  au- 
tumn in  the  fold  of  Jesus  Christ,  it  was  very  pleasant 
for  us  to  count  in  a  single  nascent  Mission  as  many 
as  twenty-two  nations,  several  of  whom  speak  entirely 
different  tongues,  while  the  others  differ  only  in 
their  idioms.  These  were  seen,  mingled  together; 
Outouagannha,  Gentagega,  Montagnais  Algonquins, 
Nipissiriniens,  Hurons,  Iroquois,  Loups,  Mahingans 
or  Socokis,  and  other  nations,  no  less  opposed  to  one 
another  through  ancient  feuds  than  through  diversity 
of  language. 

This  Mission  began,  about  four  years  ago,  by  the 
gathering  in  this  place  of  some  Iroquois  families. 
These  Savages  had  heard  of  the  Gospel  from  those 
of  our  Fathers  who  are  in  their  country,  and  at 
once  resolved  to  embrace  it.     But,  seeing  that  the 


76  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  /^SUITES  [Vol.  58 

pays,  prirent  aussitot  resolution  de  I'embrasser. 
Mais,  voyant  trop  de  difficult^  k  ex^cuter  leur  des- 
sein,  s'ils  restaient  dans  leur  patrie,  ou  I'idolatrie  et 
le  vice  r^gnent  avec  un  empire  abwSolu,  ils  se  d6ter~ 
minferent  ^  la  quitter  pour  venir  demeurer  avec  ceux 
qui  les  assuraient  d'une  6ternit6  bienheureuse,  s'ils 
voulaient  vivre  en  bons  chretiens. 

Ils  ne  furent  pas  plus  tot  arrives  qu'ils  firent  bien 
voir  que  Dieu  a  des  ^lus  par  toute  la  terre  habitable, 
puisque  d^s  lors  on  put  les  comparer  aux  chretiens 
de  la  primitive  ^glise.  Quelque  temps  apres,  d'autres 
Iroquois,  venus  pour  les  visiter,  furent  si  touches  de 
leurs  bons  exemples,  qu'ils  resolurent  de  rester  avec 
eux,  et  de  les  imiter  en  tout. 

Bientot,  le  bruit  s'etant  r^pandu  par  toutes  les 
nations  iroquoises  qu'un  nouveau  bourg  de  leurs 
compatriotes  se  formait  k  la  prairie  de  la  Magdeleine, 
et  que  tous  ceux  qui  s'y  retiraient  n'avaient  d'autre 
dessein  que  de  se  faire  chr6tiens,  plusieurs  de  ces 
Sauvages  touches  de  la  grace  de  Dieu,  y  vinrent  aussi 
afin  d'y  mener  le  meme  genre  de  vie. 

La  multitude  augmentant  chaque  jour,  on  fut  bien- 
tot oblige  de  proc^der  h.  la  creation  de  capitaines 
pour  le  gouvernement  du  bourg,  et  particulierement 
pour  la  conservation  de  la  Foi.  Les  nouveaux  capi- 
taines assemblerent  aussitot  tout  leur  monde  pour  de- 
clarer publiquement  qu'on  n'admettrait  dans  le  bourg 
personne  qui  ne  fut  dans  la  resolution  de  s'abstenir 
de  trois  choses  qui  sont:  I'idolatrie  du  songe,  le 
changement  de  femme  et  I'ivrognerie.  II  fut  done 
arret6  que  personne  ne  demeurerait  parmi  eux  qu'il 
n'eiit  fait  auparavant  protestation  publique  de  renon- 
cer  k  ces  abominations,  et  que  si  quelqu'un  venait  k 
y  retomber,  il  serait  chass6  honteusement. 


1672  -  74]  J^ELA  TION  OF  1672  -73  77 

execution  of  their  design  would  be  too  difficult  if  they 
remained  in  their  own  country,  where  idolatry  and 
vice  reign  with  absolute  sway,  they  determined  to 
abandon  it,  and  come  to  dwell  with  those  who  assured 
them  of  eternal  happiness  if  they  chose  to  live  as 
good  Christians. 

No  sooner  had  they  arrived  than  they  clearly 
showed  that  God  has  his  chosen  ones  throughout  the 
habitable  earth ;  for,  at  the  very  outset,  they  might 
have  been  compared  to  the  Christians  of  the  primitive 
church.  Some  time  afterward,  other  Iroquois  who 
came  to  visit  them  were  so  moved  by  their  good 
example  that  they  resolved  to  remain  with  them, 
and  to  imitate  them  in  everything. 

Soon  the  rumor  spread  through  all  the  Iroquois 
nations  that  a  new  village  of  their  countrymen  was 
being  formed  at  la  prairie  de  la  Magdeleine,  and 
that  all  who  retired  thither  had  no  other  intention 
than  that  of  becoming  Christians ;  and  many  of  those 
Savages,  touched  by  God's  grace,  came  here  also,  in 
order  to  lead  the  same  kind  of  life. 

As  their  numbers  increased  daily,  it  was  soon 
found  necessary  to  appoint  captains  to  govern  the 
village,  and  especially  for  the  preservation  of  the 
Faith.  The  new  captains  at  once  assembled  all  their 
people,  to  declare  publicly  that  no  one  would  be 
admitted  into  the  village  who  was  not  resolved  to 
abstain  from  three  things,  namely:  the  idolatry  of 
dreams,  the  changing  of  wives,  and  drunkenness.  It 
was  therefore  enacted  that  no  one  should  dwell 
among  them,  unless  he  first  publicly  declared  that 
he  renounced  those  abominations;  and  that,  if  any 
one  relapsed  into  them,  he  should  be  shamefully 
expelled. 


78  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Vol.58 

Tout  ceci  s'dtant  fait  publiqusment,  fut  bientot  su 
de  toutes  les  nations  qui  abordent  de  tous  c6t6s  vers 
ces  quartiers,  tellement  qu'aucun  Sauvage  ne  vient 
demeurer  ici,  pas  meme  en  passant  pour  deux  ou 
trois  mois,  qu'il  ne  s'oblige  h.  suivre  les  lois  qui 
regissent  la  nouvelle  bourgade, 

Ce  fondement  solide  ainsi  6tabli,  on  n'a  pas  eu 
beaucoup  de  peine  h.  introduire  parmi  les  nouveaux 
venus  la  pratique  des  vertus  et  la  devotion  fervente 
qui  sont  I'apanage  ordinaire  de  toutes  les  Eglises 
naissantes.  C'est  une  chose  fort  rare  qu'un  Sauvage 
de  cette  Mission  n'assiste  pas  k  la  messe  tous  les 
jours  ouvriers,  et  ^  la  priere  publique  le  soir.  Plu- 
sieurs  meme  entendent  les  deux  messes  qui  s'y 
disent,  et  si  quelqu'un,  pour  quelque  empechement 
raisonnable,  n'a  pu  y  assister,  aussitot  que  cet  em- 
pechement cesse,  il  vient  faire  ses  prieres  devant  le 
Saint-Sacrement ;  et,  s'il  y  manquait,  il  s'en  confes- 
serait  comme  d'une  grande  faute  des  le  dimanche 
suivant;  car  la  coutume  des  plus  fervents  est  de  se 
confesser  tous  les  dimanches;  pour  les  moins  fer- 
vents, ils  le  font  tous  les  mois.  Les  communions 
sont  r^glees  par  le  missionnaire  selon  la  piet6  de 
chacun.  Le  dimanche,  outre  la  messe  ordinaire,  ils 
assistent  tous  k  la  grand' messe  des  Fran9ais  et  au 
salut  du  Saint-Sacrement,  qui  se  dit  apres  vepres, 
auquel  ils  ont  tant  de  devotion,  que  tres-peu  passent 
devant  la  chapelle  sans  y  entrer  pour  1' adorer  et  y 
faire  quelques  prieres.  Enfin  les  dimanches  et  jours 
ouvriers  se  terminent,  avant  que  de  se  coucher,  par 
une  priere  publique  qui  se  fait  tout  haut  dans  chaque 
cabane.  On  y  ajoute  ordinairement,  aussi  bien  que 
dans  la  chapelle,  quelques  cantiques  spirituels,  avec 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672 -  -js  70 

As  all  this  was  done  publicly,  it  soon  became 
known  to  all  the  nations  who  resort  from  all  direc- 
tions to  this  quarter, —  to  such  an  extent  that  no 
Savage  comes  to  live  here,  even  temporarily  for  two 
or  three  months,  without  binding  himself  to  observe 
the  laws  governing  the  new  village. 

This  solid  foundation  being  thus  laid,  but  little 
trouble  was  experienced  in  introducing  among  the 
new-comers  the  practice  of  virtue  and  fervent  devo- 
tion, which  are  the  usual  appanage  of  all  nascent 
Churches.  It  is  a  very  rare  thing  for  a  Savage  of 
this  Mission  not  to  assist  at  mass  on  all  the  working- 
days,  and  at  the  public  prayers  in  the  evening. 
Many  even  hear  the  two  masses  that  are  said  in  it ; 
and,  if  any  one  is  prevented  by  any  reasonable 
obstacle  from  assisting  at  them,  he  comes,  as  soon 
as  the  obstacle  is  removed,  to  say  his  prayers 
before  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  Moreover,  should 
he  fail  to  do  so,  he  confesses  it  as  a  great  sin,  on  the 
very  next  Sunday;  for  the  most  fervent  are  in  the 
habit  of  going  to  confession  every  Sunday,  while  the 
less  fervent  do  so  every  month.  Communions  are 
regulated  by  the  missionary,  according  to  each  one's 
piety.  On  Sunday,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  mass, 
they  all  assist  at  the  high  mass  said  for  the  French, 
and  at  the  benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
which  occurs  after  vespers.  Such  is  their  devotion 
for  the  Sacrament  that  very  few  pass  the  chapel  with- 
out entering  to  adore  it  and  recite  some  prayers. 
Finally,  both  Sundays  and  working-days  are  con- 
cluded, before  the  Savages  retire  to  bed,  with  public 
prayers,  which  are  said  aloud  in  each  cabin.  As  a  rule 
some  hymns  are  also  sung  there,  as  well  as  in  the 
chapel,  with  such  agreeable  harmony  that  the  French 


80  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  j£SUITES  [Vol.  58 

tine  harmonie  si  agr6able,  que  les  Fran^ais  qui  les 
entendent,  disent  qu'ils  n'ont  rien  entendu  de  sem- 
blable  en  Europe. 

L'hospitalit6  est  une  vertu  morale,  qui  est  fort 
commune  parmi  les  Sauvages  infideles  de  ces  contr^es ; 
mais,  quand  cette  vertu  est  accompagnee  de  la  grace, 
elle  produit  des  effets  admirables.  Les  Sauvages  de 
la  Prairie  avaient  des  provisions  de  ble  pour  deux 
ans ;  mais  plus  de  huit  cents  de  leurs  compagnons, 
ayant  aborde  et  s€journ6  en  divers  temps  chez  eux, 
tout  a  €t€  consomme  pour  les  bien  recevoir.  Pre- 
nant  de  Ik  1' occasion  de  les  instruire  des  v^rit^s  de 
notre  Foi,  ils  ont  touchy  les  coeurs  de  plusieurs,  qui 
se  sont  fix6s  ici  pour  toujours;  d'autres  ont  dit,  en 
s'en  allant,  qu'ils  reviendraient  I'an  prochain  pour 
partager  leur  habitation  et  leur  repos.  lis  ont  meme 
ajout6,  que  si  Ton  faisait  quelque  present  aux  anciens 
d'Agni^,  il  6tait  vraisemblable  que  toute  la  nation 
viendrait  se  ranger  ici  sous  les  lois  de  I'Evangile. 

C'est  une  chose  fort  rare  chez  les  Sauvages  de 
contredire  ceux  qui  leur  parlent;  et,  quand  on  les 
instmit,  ils  approuvent  tout.  Cela  donne  beaucoup 
de  peine  aux  missionnaires  pour  distinguer  ceux  qui 
veulent  croire  sincerement.  Les  naturels  de  ce 
pays  ont  ordinairement  beaucoup  de  respect  humain, 
et  n'oseraient  faire  profession  publique  de  la  reli- 
gion quand  ils  sont  avec  les  infideles.  Mais  les 
Sauvages  de  la  Prairie  ont  surmonte  cet  obstacle  des 
les  commencements.  lis  font  gloire  d'etre  Chretiens, 
et  en  font  profession  si  publique,  que  personne  n'ose 
venir  demeurer  parmi  eux  s'il  n'est  r^solu  tout  de 
bon  k  embrasser  la  Foi,  persuade  qu'on  Ten  chas- 
serait  bientot  s'il  n'etait  tout  k  fait  dispose  k  vivre 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1672-73  81 

who  hear  them  say  that  they  have  never  heard 
anything  like  it  in  Europe. 

Hospitality  is  a  moral  virtue  very  common  among 
the  infidel  Savages  of  this  country ;  but  when  this 
virtue  is  accompanied  by  grace,  it  produces  admirable 
results.  The  Savages  of  la  Prairie  had  a  provision 
of  corn  for  two  years;  but,  as  over  eight  hundred  of 
their  countrymen  have  come  at  various  times  to 
sojourn  among  them,  all  has  been  consumed  in  giving 
the  strangers  a  warm  reception.  Seizing  the  oppor- 
tunity thereby  afforded  for  instructing  them  in  the 
truths  of  our  Faith,  they  touched  the  hearts  of  many, 
who  have  settled  here  permanently.  Others  said,  on 
going  away,  that  they  would  return  the  following 
year  to  share  their  abode  and  their  peace.  They 
even  added  that,  if  a  present  were  given  to  the 
elders  of  Agni6,  it  was  quite  probable  that  the  whole 
nation  would  come  here  to  range  itself  under  the 
laws  of  the  Gospel. 

The  Savages  very  seldom  contradict  those  who 
speak  to  them;  and,  when  they  are  taught,  they 
approve  everything.  This  gives  the  missionaries 
much  trouble  in  distinguishing  those  who  sincerely 
believe.  The  natives  of  this  country  usually  have 
much  human  respect,  and  would  not  dare  to  profess 
religion  publicly  when  with  infidels.  But  the  Sav- 
ages of  la  Prairie  overcame  this  obstacle  at  the  very 
outset.  They  glory  in  being  Christians,  and  make 
so  public  a  profession  of  it  that  no  one  ventures  to 
come  and  dwell  among  them  unless  he  is  fully 
resolved  to  embrace  the  Faith ;  for  he  is  convinced 
that  he  would  soon  be  driven  away  if  he  were  not 
fully  inclined  to  live  as  a  good  Christian.  This 
causes  the  unchaste  and  the  drunkards  to  say:  **  I 


82  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Voi.  58 

en  bon  chr^tien.  Ce  qui  fait  dire  aux  impudiques  et 
aux  ivrognes:  «  Je  ne  vais  pas  k  la  Prairie,  puisqu'il 
n'y  a  ni  femmes  ni  boissons.» 

L'eau-de-vie  a  mine  les  missionvS  algonquines. 
Elle  empeche  encore  maintenant  que  beaucoup  de 
Sauvages  ne  se  convertissent.  L' avarice  insatiable 
des  Frangais  en  est  la  cause.  lis  vont  jusqu'k  deux 
cents  et  trois  cents  lieues  chercher  les  Sauvages  dans 
les  bois,  pour  avoir  leurs  pelleteries  en  les  enivrant. 
Cependant,  quoique  cette  petite  mission  soit  au  mi- 
lieu des  Franfais,  qui  font  ce  detestable  commerce, 
pas  un,  par  la  grace  de  Dieu,  n'a  encore  eu  la  pensee 
d'en  apporter  ici,  ni  les  Sauvages  d'en  aller  chercher, 
bien  que  ceux-ci  aient  ^te  presque  tous  adonnes  k 
I'ivrognerie  avant  leur  bapteme.  Je  regarde  cette 
conduite  des  uns  et  des  autres  comme  un  miracle  de 
la  Providence.  Je  crois  qu'il  y  a  un  ange  tutelaire 
de  ce  bourg  qui  ecarte  toutes  ces  occasions,  et  que 
s'il  venait  k  le  quitter  et  la  boisson  k  y  entrer,  il  n'y 
aurait  plus  de  Christianisme. 

L'hiver  passe  tous  allerent  k  la  chasse  en  cinq  ou 
six  bandes.  Chacune  avait  son  dogique ;  et,  pendant 
ce  voyage  de  trois  ou  quatre  mois,  ils  firent  regle- 
ment  de  toutes  leurs  devotions  accoutumees,  sans  y 
manquer  un  seul  jour,  comme  s'ils  eussent  ^te  dans 
le  bourg,  assist^^de  leur  pasteur ;  et  ils  vecurent  avec 
tant  d' innocence,  qu'on  avait  peine  k  y  trouver  ma- 
ti^re  de  confession  k  leur  retour.  Ces  Sauvages,  en 
verity,  se  leveront  contre  nous  au  jour  du  jugement. 

Un  seul  catechumene,  avec  sa  femme  tres-bonne 
chretienne,  fit  sa  chasse  a  quartier.  II  rencontra 
deux  des  plus  considerables  de  la  nation  d'Agnie,  et 
se  joignirent  ensemble  pour  faire  leur  chasse.     Le 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1672-73  8a 

go  not  to  la  Prairie,  for  there  are  neither  women  nor 
liquor  there." 

Brandy  has  ruined  the  Algonquin  missions;  and  it 
still  prevents  many  Savages  from  being  converted. 
The  insatiable  avarice  of  the  French  is  the  cause  of 
it.  They  go  as  far  as  two  and  three  hundred  leagues 
to  seek  the  Savages  in  the  woods,  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  their  furs  by  making  them  intoxicated. 
Nevertheless,  although  this  little  mission  is  in  the 
midst  of  the  French  who  carry  on  that  detestable 
traffic,  not  one,  through  God's  grace,  has  as  yet 
thought  of  bringing  any  here ;  nor  have  the  Savages 
thought  of  going  for  any,  although  the  latter  were 
nearly  all  addicted  to  drunkenness  before  their 
baptism.  I  consider  this  conduct  on  the  part  of  both 
as  a  miracle  of  Providence.  I  believe  that  there  is  a 
guardian  angel  of  this  village,  who  wards  off  all  such 
occasions  for  sin ;  and  that,  if  he  were  to  leave  it,  and 
liquor  were  to  come  in,  there  would  be  no  more 
Christianity  in  it. 

Last  winter,  all  went  out,  in  five  or  six  bands,  to 
hunt.  Each  band  had  its  leader,  and  during  that 
journey  of  three  or  four  months  they  regularly  per- 
formed all  their  usual  devotions,  without  missing  a 
single  day,  as  if  they  had  been  in  the  village  and 
assisted  by  their  pastor.  They  lived  in  such  inno- 
cence that  it  was  difficult  to  find  in  them,  on  their 
return,  matter  for  confession.  In  truth,  these  Sav- 
ages will  rise  up  against  us  on  the  day  of  judgment. 

A  catechumen  was  engaged  in  hunting  alone  with 
his  wife,  a  very  good  Christian.  He  met  two  of  the 
principal  men  of  the  Agnie  nation,  and  they  joined 
together  for  the  hunt.  The  catechumen  informs 
them  of  all  that  goes  on  at  la  Prairie.     They  listen, 


84  LES  RELATIONS  DES  JASUITES  [Vol.58 

cat6chum^ne  les  instruit  de  tout  ce  qui  se  passe  ^  la 
Prairie.  lis  6coutent,  et  priant  Dieu  tous  les  jours 
ensemble,  il  leur  apprend  parfaitement  les  prieres. 
Le  printemps  venu,  ils  se  rendent  ici,  afin,  disent  ils, 
d'y  demeurer  avec  nous  et  d'y  vivre  en  chr6tiens. 
Avant  de  s'6tablir  pour  toujours,  ils  allerent  en  leur 
pays  pour  y  chercher  leurs  femmes,  et  ils  publiferent 
hautement  leur  dessein.  Quarante-deux  personnes, 
touch^es  de  Dieu,  se  joignirent  k  eux.  Arrives  tous 
ici,  ils  offrent  un  present  pour  declarer  qu'ils  ont 
quitt^  parents,  amis,  cabanes,  champs,  pour  avoir 
plus  de  facilite  "k  se  faire  bons  Chretiens;  en  verity, 
on  n'a  jamais  vu  d'ames  mieux  disposees. 

Le  nom  de  Sauvage  fait  naitre  une  idee  si  d^savan- 
tageuse  de  ceux  qui  le  portent,  que  bien  des  gens 
en  Europe  ont  jug^  qu'il  ^tait  impossible  d'en  faire 
de  v^ritables  Chretiens.  Mais  ceux-la  n'ont  pas  fait 
reflexion  que  Dieu  est  mort  pour  le  barbare  aussi 
bien  que  pour  le  juif,  et  que  son  esprit  souffle  ou  il 
veut.  Les  bons  arbres  portent  les  bons  fruits,  et 
Ton  juge  dans  I'occasion  de  la  vertu  d'un  homme. 
Ce  qui  a  ete  dit  et  ce  qu'on  va  dire  suffit  pour  montrer 
que  non-seulement  il  y  a  de  vrais  Chretiens  parmi  ces 
peuples  sauvages,  mais  meme  qu'il  y  en  a  un  plus 
grand  nombre  "k  proportion  que  dans  notre  Europe 
civilis^e.  Un  vieillard  ayant  demand^,  I'automne 
passe,  de  demeurer  ici  avec  sa  famille  assez  nom- 
breuse,  cette  grace  lui  fut  accord^e.  Peu  de  temps 
apres,  il  fait  un  festin  oti  les  habitants  du  bourg  se 
trouvant  r^unis,  il  declare  qu'il  est  malade,  et  que, 
pour  guerir,  il  lui  faut  accomplir  un  songe.  Le 
dogique  de  nos  Chretiens  se  leve  aussitot,  et  dit  tout 
haut  au  nom  de  I'assemblee:    «  Non,  cela  ne  se  fera, 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1672-73  85 

and,  as  they  pray  to  God  together  every  day,  he 
teaches  them  the  prayers  thoroughly.  When  spring 
returns,  they  come  here  in  order,  they  say,  to  remain 
with  us  and  to  live  as  Christians.  Before  settling 
permanently,  they  went  to  their  own  country  for  their 
wives,  and  loudly  proclaimed  their  design.  Forty- 
two  persons,  all  influenced  by  God,  joined  them. 
When  all  arrived  here,  they  gave  a  present  to  declare 
that  they  abandoned  their  relatives,  friends,  cabins, 
and  fields,  to  enjoy  greater  facilities  for  becoming 
good  Christians.  In  truth,  we  have  never  seen  souls 
better  disposed. 

The  name  "  Savage  "  gives  rise  to  so  very  dispar- 
aging an  idea  of  those  who  bear  it,  that  many  people 
in  Europe  have  thought  that  it  is  impossible  to  make 
true  Christians  of  them.  But  such  persons  do  not 
reflect  that  God  died  for  the  barbarian  as  well  as  for 
the  Jew,  and  that  his  spirit  breathes  where  it  wills. 
Good  trees  bear  good  fruits,  and  a  man's  virtue  is 
judged  when  occasion  offers.  What  has  been  and 
what  will  be  said  suffices  to  show  that  not  only  are 
there  true  Christians  among  these  savage  peoples, 
but  also  that  there  are  many  more  in  proportion 
than  in  our  civilized  Europe.  Last  autumn,  an  old 
man  asked  to  be  allowed  to  live  here  with  his  rather 
numerous  family,  and  this  favor  was  granted  him. 
Shortly  afterward,  he  gives  a  feast;  and,  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  village  being  present  thereat,  he  declares 
that  he  is  ill,  and  that  he  must  fulfill  a  dream  in  order 
to  be  cured.  The  leader  of  our  Christians  rises  at 
once,  and  says  aloud,  in  the  name  of  the  assembly: 
"  No,  that  shall  not  be  done,  for  it  would  be  a  sin. 
We  will  eat  what  thou  hast  prepared  for  us  but  only 
after  having  prayed  to  God. ' '     This  was  done.     Then 


86  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES  [Vol.58 

puisqu'il  y  a  p6ch^;  nous  mangerons  ce  que  tu  nous 
as  pr^par(S,  mais  apr^s  avoir  pri^  Dieu. »  Ce  qui  se  fit 
ainsi.  Puis  on  lui  ajouta:  «  N'y  retourne  plus,  car 
on  te  chasserait. »  On  fut  oblig6,  au  bout  de  deux 
mois,  d'en  venir  Ik,  parce  qu'on  ne  put  bien  con- 
naitre  s'il  ^tait  chretien  ou  non. 

Un  autre  infidele,  qui  venait  nous  visiter,  ne  fut  pas 
plutot  arriv^  qu'il  commen9a  un  festin  par  rimmola- 
tion  de  viandes  au  d^mon.  Tout  le  monde  en  est 
indigne.  Le  missionnaire  se  transporte  "k  la  cabane, 
met  bas  la  chaudiere,  et  les  Chretiens  jettent  la 
viande  aux  chiens.  L'infidele  fut  piqu^,  dit  que  le 
songe  6tait  son  dieu,  et  qu'il  n'appr^hendait  pas  de 
mourir,  ni  lui  ni  les  siens,  en  choquant  le  Dieu  du 
ciel.  Le  missionnaire  lui  r^pliqua  que,  peut-etre 
dans  peu  de  temps,  il  6prouverait  les  effets  de  la 
juste  colere  de  ce  Dieu  tout-puissant.  Ces  menaces 
ne  tarderent  pas  k  s'accomplir,  car  au  bout  de  trois 
mois,  les  trois  enfants  de  ce  Sauvage,  qui  se  por- 
taient  tres-bien  pour  lors,  lui  furent  tous  enlev^s  par 
la  mort.  Cet  exemple  de  la  justice  Divine  a  puis- 
samment  confirm^  nos  Chretiens  dans  la  Foi,  et 
inspire  de  la  terreur  aux  infidMes. 

II  est  rare  de  voir  un  homme  v6ritablement  d^vot 
sans  etre  vrai  serviteur  de  Notre-Dame.  Voilk  pour- 
quoi  on  a  ^tabli  dans  cette  Mission  une  association 
de  la  Sainte-Famille  et  de  I'Esclavage  de  la  Sainte- 
Vierge .  C '  est  une  reunion  com  pos6e  de  nos  cbr^tiens 
les  plus  f  ervents.  lis  s'assemblent  tous  les  dimanches, 
pour  examiner  si  Ton  garde  toutes  les  regies,  pour 
voir  le  bien  qu'on  pent  faire  et  le  mal  qu'on  pent 
emp^cher.  Je  serais  trop  long  si  je  voulais  decrire 
en  detail  toutes  les  devotions  de  cette  sainte  confr^rie. 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672  -  73  87 

they  added:  "  Do  it  no  more,  or  we  will  drive  thee 
away."  They  were  obliged  to  resort  to  that  pro- 
ceeding, at  the  end  of  two  months,  because  it  could 
not  be  really  ascertained  whether  he  were  a  Christian 
or  not. 

Another  infidel  who  came  to  visit  us  had  no  sooner 
arrived  than  he  began  a  feast  by  sacrificing  meats  to 
the  demon.  All  the  people  were  indignant.  The 
missionary  proceeded  to  the  cabin,  and  took  down 
the  kettle,  and  the  Christians  threw  the  meat  to  the 
dogs.  The  infidel  was  displeased;  he  said  that 
dreams  were  his  god,  and  he  feared  death  neither 
for  himself  nor  for  his  family  through  offending  the 
God  of  heaven.  The  missionary  retorted  that  per- 
haps he  would  soon  feel  the  effects  of  the  just  anger 
of  that  all-powerful  God.  These  threats  were  accom- 
plished before  long;  for,  at  the  end  of  three  months, 
that  Savage's  three  children,  who  were  then  in  very 
good  health,  were  all  taken  from  him  by  death. 
This  example  of  Divine  justice  has  strongly  con- 
firmed our  Christians  in  the  Faith,  and  has  inspired 
the  infidels  with  terror. 

It  is  rare  to  see  a  really  devout  man  who  is  not  a 
true  servant  of  Our  Lady.  For  that  reason,  a  confra- 
ternity of  the  Holy  Family  and  of  the  Servitude  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin  has  been  established  in  this  Mis- 
sion. It  is  an  assembly  composed  of  our  most  fervent 
Christians.  They  meet  together  every  Sunday  to 
ascertain  whether  all  the  rules  are  observed,  and  to 
learn  what  good  can  be  done  and  what  evil  pre- 
vented. It  would  take  too  long  to  describe  in  detail 
all  the  devotions  of  this  holy  confraternity,  and  to  re- 
late their  tender  devotion  to  Our  Lady,  their  charity 
toward  their  neighbors,  their  zeal  for  the  salvation 


88  LES  RELATIONS  DES  JJ^lSUriES  [Voi,.  58 

montrer  leur  tendre  devotion  envers  Notre- Dame, 
leur  charite  pour  le  prochain,  leur  zele  pour  le  salut 
de  leurs  compatriotes ;  je  me  contenterai  de  dire  que 
tout  le  bien  qui  est  dans  cette  Mission  vient  de  cette 
source  abondante  en  toute  sorte  de  biens.  Ce  sont, 
en  effet,  les  membres  de  cette  association  qui  attirent 
ici  les  Iroquois,  qui  les  instruisent,  qui  les  pr^parent 
au  bapteme.  Ce  sont  eux  encore  qui  les  conservent 
et  maintiennent  dans  la  ferveur,  et  qui  les  disposent 
ainsi  k  regner  un  jour  dans  le  ciel. 

Une  femme  de  cette  confr^rie,  voyant  son  fils 
unique  "k  I'agonie,  le  porta  "k  la  chapelle,  et,  le  met- 
tant  aux  pieds  de  Notre-Dame,  lui  dit:  «  Ma  chere 
Maitresse,  mon  Tout  apres  Dieu,  voil^  mon  fils,  ou 
plutot  le  votre,  qui  est  agonisant;  si  vous  le  voulez 
prendre,  il  est  k  vous;  si  vous  voulez  me  le  rendre, 
je  vous  serai  reconnaissante  toute  ma  vie.  J'ai 
employe  inutilement  jusqu'ici  present,  toutes  sortes 
de  rem^des  pour  I'arraclier  k  la  mort.  Je  ne  veux 
plus  y  avoir  recours;  il  faut  que  toute  la  gloire, 
apres  Dieu,  vous  en  revienne,  et  que  vous  le  gu^ris- 
siez  vous-meme!)) 

Cette  courte  priere  achevee  en  presence  du  mis- 
sionnaire,  elle  retourne  en  sa  cabane  avec  son  enfant. 
Le  lendemain,  oil  Ton  croyait  le  trouver  sans  vie,  on 
I'a  trouve  beaucoup  mieux.  Deux  jours  apr^s,  il 
6tait  hors  de  danger,  et  il  a  recouvr6  une  sant6 
parfaite. 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1672  -  73  89 

of  their  countrymen.  I  shall  content  myself  with 
saying  that  all  the  good  in  this  Mission  comes  from 
this  abundant  source  of  all  kinds  of  blessings.  In 
fact,  it  is  the  members  of  this  association  who  attract 
the  Iroquois  hither,  who  instruct  them,  who  prepare 
them  for  baptism.  It  is  they  also  who  preserve  and 
maintain  the  fervor  of  the  new  Christians,  and  who 
thus  prepare  them  to  reign  one  day  in  heaven. 

A  woman  who  is  a  member  of  this  association, 
seeing  her  only  son  about  to  expire,  bore  him  to  the 
chapel,  and,  laying  him  at  Our  Lady's  feet,  said  to 
her :  ' '  My  dear  Mistress,  my  All  after  God,  here  is  my 
son,  or  rather  yours,  who  is  dying.  If  you  choose  to 
take  him,  he  is  yours;  if  you  choose  to  restore  him 
to  me,  I  will  be  grateful  to  you  all  my  life.  Until 
now  I  have  tried  all  remedies  to  snatch  him  from 
death,  but  in  vain.  I  will  no  longer  have  recourse 
to  them.  All  the  glory  must,  after  God,  be  yours, 
and  you  yourself  must  cure  him." 

This  short  prayer  ended,  in  the  presence  of  the 
missionary,  she  returned  to  her  cabin  with  her  child. 
On  the  following  day,  when  they  expected  to  find  him 
lifeless,  they  saw  that  he  was  much  better.  Two 
days  afterward,  he  was  out  of  danger,  and  his  health 
is  thoroughly  restored. 


CXXXI  — CXXXII 

Miscellaneous  Documents,  1674 

CXXXL — Relation  de  la  descouverte  de  plusieurs  pays 
situez  au  midi  de  la  Nouvelle-France,  faite  en 
1673;  Claude  Dablon,  [Quebec  le  i^""  Aout, 
1674] 

CXXXH. —  Voyage  autour  de  I'lsle  Jesus,  par  le  P,  Antoine 
Dalmas;  [La  Prairie,  Octobre,  1674] 


SOURCES:  Doc.  CXXXI.  we  obtain  from  Margry's 
D^couvertes,  t.  i.,  pp.  262-270.  The  original  MS.  of 
Doc.  CXXXIL  rests  in  the  archives  of  St.  Mary's  College, 
Montreal,  and  the  present  is  its  first  publication. 


92  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Vol.58 


Relation   de   la  descouverte  de  plusieurs  pays 

situez    au    midi    de    la    Nouvelle- 

France,  faite  en  167^. 

[Quebec  le   i^""  Aout  1674.] 

NOUS  ne  pouvons  pas  donner  cette  ann6e  toute 
rinstniction  qu'on  pourroit  esp6rer  d'une 
descouverte  si  considerable,  puisque  le  sieur 
Jolliet  qui  nous  en  apportoit  la  relation  avec  une 
carte  tres-exacte  de  ces  nouveaux  pays  I'a  perdue  par 
le  naufrage  qu'il  a  fait  au-dessous  du  sault  Saint- 
Louis,  proche  de  Montreal,  aprfes  en  avoir  franchy 
plus  de  quarante ;  a  peine  a-t-il  pu  sauver  sa  vie  qu'il 
a  disputee  dans  les  eaux  pendant  quatre  beures  de 
temps. 

Voicy  n6antmoins  ce  que  nous  avons  pu  ramasser 
apres  I'avoir  oiiy,  en  attendant  la  relation  dont  le 
pere  Marquette  garde  une  copie.  II  y  a  deux  ans 
que  M.  le  comte  de  Frontenac,  nostre  gouvemeur,  et 
M.  Talon,  alors  nostre  intendant,  jugerent  qu'il  estoit 
important  de  s'appliquer  a  la  descouverte  du  Midy, 
apres  celle  qui  a  est6  faite  de  la  Mer  du  Nort,  et 
surtout  de  s5avoir  dans  quelle  mer  s'alloit  descharger 
la  grande  riviere  dont  les  Sauvages  font  tant  de  recit 
et  qui  est  k  500  lieues  d'eux  au  delk  des  Outaouacs. 

Pour  ce  dessein  ils  ne  purent  faire  choix  de  per- 
sonne  qui  eust  de  plus  belles  qualitez  que  du  sieur 
Jolliet,  qui  a  beaucoup  fr6quent6  de  ce  coste-lk  et 
qui  s'en  est  acquitte  avec  toute  la  conduitte  qu'on 
pouvoit  souhaitter. 


1 672  -  74]  DISCO  VER  Y  OF  MISSISSIPPI  93 


Relation   of   the  discovery   of   many  countries 

situated  to  the   south   of   New 

France,  made  in  1673. 

[Quebec,  August  i,  1674.] 

WE  cannot  this  year  give  all  the  information 
that  might  be  expected  regarding  so  impor- 
tant a  discovery,  since  sieur  Jolliet,  who  was 
bringing  to  us  the  account  of  it,  with  a  very  exact 
chart  of  these  new  countries,  lost  his  papers  in  the 
wreck  which  befell  him.  This  occurred  below  the 
sault  Saint  Louis,  near  Montreal,  after  he  had  safely 
passed  more  than  forty  rapids ;  he  could  hardly  save 
his  own  life,  for  which  he  struggled  in  the  waters 
during  four  hours. ^ 

However,  you  will  find  herein  what  we  have  been 
able  to  put  together  after  hearing  him  converse, 
while  waiting  for  the  relation,  of  which  father  Mar- 
quette is  keeping  a  copy.  Two  years  ago.  Monsieur 
the  count  de  Frontenac,  our  governor,  and  Monsieur 
Talon,  then  our  intendant,  decided  that  it  was  impor- 
tant to  undertake  the  discovery  of  the  Southern  Sea, 
after  having  accomplished  that  of  the  Northern; 
and,  above  all,  to  ascertain  into  what  sea  falls  the 
great  river,  about  which  the  Savages  relate  so  much, 
and  which  is  500  leagues  from  them,  beyond  the 
Outaouacs. 

For  this  purpose,  they  could  not  have  selected  a 
person  endowed  with  better  qualities  than  is  sieur 
Jolliet,  who  has  traveled  much  in  that  region,  and 


94  LES  RELATIONS  DES  j£:SUITES  [Vol.58 

Estant  arriv6  aux  Outaouacs,  il  se  joignit  avec  le 
pfere  Marquette  qui  attendoit  pour  cela  et  qui,  depuis 
longtemps  pr6m6ditoit  cette  entreprise,  I'ayant  bien 
des  fois  concert^e  ensemble ;  ils  se  mirent  done  en 
chemin  avec  cinq  autres  Fran9ois  vers  le  commence- 
ment de  juin  1673  pour  entrer  dans  des  pays  ou 
jamais  Europ6en  n'avoit  mis  les  pieds. 

Leur  journal  portoit  que,  partant  de  la  Baye  des 
Puans^  par  les  43  degrez  40  minutes  d' elevation, 
vers  le  commencement  ils  avoient  navigu6  sur  une 
petite  riviere  fort  douce  et  fort  agr^able  pres  de  60 
lieues,  tirant  vers  I'ouest  surouest.  lis  cherclioient 
un  portage  qui  les  devoit  faire  "k  une  demy-lieue 
passer  de  cette  riviere  dans  une  autre  qui  venoit  de 
norouest,  sur  laquelle  estant  embarquez  et  ayant 
fait  40  lieues  vers  le  surouest.  Enfin  le  1 5  de  juin  se 
trouvant  k  42  degrez  et  demy,  ils  entrerent  heureuse- 
ment  dans  cette  fameuse  riviere  que  les  Sauvages 
appellent  Mississipi,  comme  qui  diroit  la  Grande- 
Riviere,  parce  que  de  faict  elle  est  la  plus  considerable 
de  celles  qui  sont  en  ce  payz.  Elle  vient  de  fort 
loin  du  cost6  du  nort  au  rapport  des  sauvages.  Elle 
est  belle  et  a  pour  1' ordinaire  un  quart  de  lieue  de 
large.  Elle  en  a  bien  plus  aux  endroits  ou  elle  est 
coup6e  d'isles  qui  sont  neantmoins  assez  rares.  Elle 
a  jusques  dix  brasses  d'eau,  et  elle  coule  fort  douce- 
ment  jusques  ^  ce  qu'elle  re5oive  la  descharge  d'une 
autre  grosse  riviere  qui  vient  de  I'ouest  et  norouest, 
vers  les  38  degrez  de  hauteur,  car  estant  enfl6e  de 
ses  eaux,  elle  devient  si  rapide  et  a  un  courant  si 
rude  [roide  —  Doun.\  qu'en  remontant  on  ne  pent 
faire  que  quatre  ou  cinq  lieues  par  jour,  nageant 
depuis  le  matin  jusques  au  soir. 


1672  -  74]  DISCO  VER  V  OF  MISSISSIPPI  95 

has  acquitted  himself  in  this  task  with  all  the  ability 
that  could  be  desired. 

On  arriving  in  the  Outaouac  country,  he  joined 
father  Marquette,  who  awaited  him  for  that  voyage, 
and  who  had  long  premeditated  that  undertaking, 
for  they  had  frequently  agreed  upon  it  together. 
They  set  out,  accordingly,  with  five  other  French- 
men, about  the  beginning  of  June,  1673,  to  enter 
countries  wherein  no  European  had  ever  set  foot. 

Their  journal  stated  that  —  leaving  the  Bay  des 
Puans,  at  the  latitude  of  43  degrees  and  40  minutes  — 
at  first  they  voyaged  for  nearly  60  leagues  upon  a 
small  river,  very  smooth  and  pleasant,  running  in  a 
west-southwesterly  direction.  They  found  a  portage 
which  would  enable  them,  by  going  half  a  league,  to 
pass  from  that  river  to  another,  which  flowed  from 
the  northwest.  Upon  that  stream  they  embarked, 
and,  after  going  40  leagues  to  the  southwest,  they 
found  themselves,  on  the  15th  of  June,  at  42  and  one- 
half  degrees  of  latitude,  and  successfully  entered 
that  famous  river  called  by  the  Savages  Mississipi,"^  — 
as  one  might  say,  "  the  Great  River,"  because  it  is, 
in  fact,  the  most  important  of  all  the  rivers  in  this 
country.  It  comes  from  a  great  distance  northward, 
according  to  the  savages.  It  is  a  noble  stream,  and 
is  usually  a  quarter  of  a  league  wide.  Its  width  is 
still  greater  at  the  places  where  it  is  interrupted  by 
islands  —  which,  however,  are  very  few.  Its  depth 
is  as  much  as  ten  brasses  of  water ;  and  it  flows  very 
gently,  until  it  receives  the  discharge  of  another 
great  river,  which  comes  from  the  west  and  north- 
west, at  about  the  38th  degree  of  latitude.  Then, 
swollen  with  that  volume  of  water,  it  becomes  very 
rapid;  and  its  current  has  so  much   force  that,   in 


96  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J  ^SUITES  [Vol.58 

II  y  a  des  bois  des  deux  costez  jusques  k  la  mer. 
Les  plus  puissans  des  arbres  qu'on  y  voit  sont  una 
esp^ce  de  cotonniers  qui  sont  extraordinairement 
gros  et  hauts.  Aussy  les  sauvages  s'en  servent-ils 
pour  faire  des  canots  tout  d'une  piece  de  cinquante 
pieds  de  long  et  trois  de  large,  dans  lesquels  trente 
hommes  avec  tout  leur  Equipage  peuvent  s'embar- 
quer.  lis  le  travaillent  avec  plus  de  politesse 
[petitesse  —  Doun.']  que  nous  ne  faisons  les  nostres. 
lis  en  ont  un  si  grand  nombre  qu'en  seule  bourgade, 
on  en  vit  jusques  b.  280  [cent-quatre-vingts — Doun.~\ 
ensemble. 

Les  nations  sont  plac6es  proche  la  Grande- Riviere, 
ou  plus  loin  vers  les  terres.  Nos  voyageurs  comp- 
terent  plus  de  40  bourgades  dont  la  plus  part  sont 
compos^es  de  60  ou  80  cabanes,  quelques-unes  de 
300,  comme  celle  des  Ilinois  qui  a  plus  de  8,000 
ames.  Tous  les  Sauvages  qui  la  composent  parois- 
sent  d'un  bon  naturel.  lis  sont  affables  et  obligeants. 
Nos  Franfois  ressentirent  les  effects  de  cette  civilit6 
de  la  premiere  bourgade  oil  ils  entrerent,  car  c'est 
Ik  qu'on  leur  fit  present  d'un  baston  k  p^tuner  long 
de  trois  pieds  environ,  fa^onne  de  divers  plumages, 
ce  qui  est  un  grand  myst^re  parmy  ces  peuples,  parce 
qu'il  est  comme  un  passeport  et  une  sauvegarde  pour 
aller  en  assurance  parmy  toutes  les  nations,  sans 
qu'on  ose  en  aucune  maniere  offenser  ceux  qui 
portent  ce  caduc6e.  On  n'a  qu'k.  le  montrer,  et  on  est 
assure  de  la  vie  mesme  dans  le  plus  fort  du  combat. 
Comme  il  y  a  un  baston  de  paix,  il  y  en  a  aussy  un 
autre  de  guerre,  qui  ne  sont  diff^rents  n6antmoins 
que  par  la  couleur  des  plumes  dont  ils  sont  converts, 
les  rouges    estant  marque  de  guerre,  et  les  autres 


1672 -  74]  DISCO  VER  Y  OF  MISSISSIPPI  97 

ascending  it,  only  four  or  five  leagues  a  day  can  be 
accomplished,  by  paddling  from  morning  to  night. 

There  are  forests  on  both  sides,  as  far  as  the  sea. 
The  most  vigorous  trees  that  one  sees  there  are  a 
species  of  cotton-tree,  of  extraordinary  girth  and 
height.  The  savages  therefore  use  these  trees  for 
making  canoes, — all  of  one  piece,  fifty  feet  in  length 
and  three  in  width,  in  which  thirty  men  with  all 
their  baggage  can  embark.  They  make  them  of 
much  more  graceful  shape  than  we  do  ours.  They 
have  so  great  a  number  of  them  that  in  a  single 
village  one  sees  as  many  as  280  together. 

The  nations  are  located  near  the  Great  River,  or 
farther  inland.  Our  travelers  counted  more  than 
40  villages,  most  of  which  consisted  of  60  to  80 
cabins.  Some  villages  even  contained  300  cabins, 
such  as  that  of  the  Ilinois,  which  contains  over  8,000 
souls.  All  of  the  Savages  who  compose  it  seem  to 
have  a  gentle  nature ;  they  are  affable  and  obliging. 
Our  Frenchmen  experienced  the  effects  of  this  civil- 
ity at  the  first  village  that  they  entered,  for  there  a 
present  was  made  them  —  a  pipe-stem  for  smoking, 
about  three  feet  long,  adorned  with  feathers  of 
various  kinds.  This  gift  has  almost  a  religious 
meaning  among  these  peoples ;  because  the  calumet 
is,  as  it  were,  a  passport  and  safeguard  to  enable  one 
to  go  in  safety  everywhere,  no  one  daring  to  injure 
in  any  manner  those  who  bear  this  caduceus.  It  has 
only  to  be  displayed,  and  life  is  secure,  even  in  the 
thickest  of  the  fight.  As  there  is  a  peace-pipe,  so 
also  is  there  a  war-pipe ;  these  differ,  however,  solely 
in  the  color  of  the  feathers  that  cover  them, — red 
being   the   token   of  war,  while  the   other  colors  are 


98  LES  RELATIONS  DBS  jASUITES  [Vol.58 

couleurs  signe  de  paix.  II  y  auroit  bien  des  choses 
^  dire  de  ce  baston  aussy  bien  que  des  moeurs  et  des 
fa9ons  de  faire  de  ces  peuples.  En  attendant  que 
nous  en  recevions  le  r^cit,  nous  dirons  seulement 
que  les  femmes  y  sont  fort  retenues.  Aussy  leur 
coupe-t-on  le  nez  quand  elles  font  mal.  Ce  sont 
elles  qui,  avec  les  vieillards,  ont  soin  de  la  culture 
de  la  terre,  et  quand  les  semences  sont  faites,  touts 
partent  ensemble  pour  aller  aux  environs  k  la  chasse 
des  boeufs  sauvages  dont  ils  se  nourissent  et  se  font 
des  habits  de  leurs  peaux,  qu'ils  passent  avec  une 
certaine  terre  qui  leur  sert  de  peinture. 

Ce  sol  est  si  fertile  qu'il  porte  trois  fois  I'annee  du 
bled.  II  produit  naturellement  des  fruits  qui  nous 
sont  inconnus  et  qui  sont  excellens.  Les  raisins, 
les  prunes,  les  pommes,  les  meures,  les  marrons,  les 
grenades  et  quantite  d'autres  se  cueillent  partout  et 
presque  en  tout  temps.  Aussy  ne  connoist-on  I'hyver 
que  par  les  pluyes. 

Les  prairies  et  les  forests  partagent  egalement  ce 
pays  qui  fournit  des  beaux  pasturages  k  un  grand 
nombre  de  bestes  dont  il  est  remply.  Les  boeufs 
sauvages  ne  fuyent  jamais.  Le  Pere  en  a  compt6 
jusques  ^  400  en  une  seule  bande.  Les  cerfs,  les 
biches,  les  chevreuils  sont  presque  partout.  Les  coqs 
d'Inde  se  promenent  de  tous  costez.  Les  perroquets 
y  volent  par  bandes  de  10  a  12,  et  les  cailles  se 
levent  dans  les  prairies  ^  tout  moment. 

C'est  au  milieu  de  ce  beau  pays  que  nos  voyageurs 
passoient,  avangans  sur  la  Grande- Riviere  jusques 
au  33^  degre  d' elevation  et  allant  presque  tou jours 
vers  le  midy.  Ils  rencontroient  de  temps  en  temps 
des  Sauvages  dont  ils  estoient  bien  receus  a  la  faveur 


1672  -  74]  DISCO  I  'ER  V  OF  MISSISSIPPI  99 

signs  of  peace.  Alany  things  might  indeed  be  said 
about  this  pipe-stem,  as  well  as  of  the  manners  and 
customs  of  those  peoples.  Until  such  time  as  we 
receive  the  relation  thereof,  we  shall  merely  say  that 
the  women  are  very  modest;  also,  that,  when  they 
do  wrong,  their  noses  are  cut  off.  It  is  they  who, 
with  the  old  men,  have  the  care  of  tilling  the  soil; 
and,  when  the  seed  is  sown,  all  go  together  to  hunt 
the  wild  cattle,  which  supply  them  with  food.  From 
the  hides  of  these,  they  make  their  garments,  dress- 
ing the  skin  with  a  certain  kind  of  earth,  which  also 
serves  them  as  a  dye. 

The  soil  is  so  fertile  that  it  yields  corn  three  times 
a  year.  It  produces,  naturally,  fruits  which  are 
unknown  to  us  and  are  excellent.  Grapes,  plums, 
apples,  mulberries,  chestnuts,  pomegranates,  and 
many  others  are  gathered  everywhere,  and  almost 
at  all  times,  for  winter  is  only  known  there  by  the 
rains. 

The  country  is  equally  divided  into  prairies  and 
forests,  and  provides  fine  pastures  for  the  great  num- 
ber of  animals  with  which  it  abounds.  The  wild 
cattle  never  flee.  The  Father  counted  as  many  as 
400  of  them  in  a  single  herd.  Stags,  does,  and  deer 
are  almost  everywhere.  Turkeys  strut  about,  on  all 
sides.  Parroquets  fly  in  flocks  of  10  to  12;  and  quail 
rise  on  the  prairies  at  every  moment. 

Through  the  midst  of  this  fine  country  our  travel- 
ers passed,  advancing  upon  the  Great  River  to  the 
33rd  degree  of  latitude,  and  going  almost  always 
toward  the  south.  From  time  to  time,  they  met 
Savages,  by  whom  they  were  very  well  received, 
through  favor  of  their  caduceus  or  calumet-stem. 
Toward  the  end,  they  learned  from  the  Savages  that 


100  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J  ^SUITES  [Vol.  58 

de  leur  caduc6e  ou  baston  de  calumet,  et  sur  la  fin 
ils  apprirent  d'eux  qu'ilsapprochoient  des  habitations 
des  Europeans  et  qu'ils  n'en  estoient  esloignez  que 
de  trois  journ6es,  puis  de  deux  seulement  qu'ils 
avoient  [allassent  —  Doun.;  sc.  etoient — Ed.']  k  la 
main  gauche  et  qu'ils  n'avoient  plus  que  50  lieues 
pour  se  rendre  k  la  mer.  Ce  fut  alors  que  le  P^re  et 
le  sieur  JoUiet  d^lib^rerent  sur  ce  qu'ils  avoient  k 
faire,  s9avoir  s'il  estoit  expedient  de  passer  outre,  ne 
doutant  point  qu'ils  n' allassent  se  jeter  dans  les 
mains  des  Espagnols  de  la  Floride  s'ils  avangoient 
davantage,  qu'ils  exposeroient  les  Frangois  qui  les 
accompagnoient  h.  un  danger  Evident  de  laisser 
la  vie,  qu'ils  perdroient  le  fruit  de  leur  voyage,  et 
qu'ils  n'en  pourroient  pas  donner  connoissance  s'ils 
estoient  arrestez  prisonniers,  comme  probablement 
ils  le  seroient,  s'ils  tomboient  entre  les  mains  des 
Europeans, 

Ces  raisons  leur  firent  prendre  resolution  de  retour- 
ner  sur  leurs  pas,  apres  s'estre  bien  informez  de  tout 
ce  qu'on  pent  souhaiter  dans  une  pareille  rencontre, 
lis  ne  reprirent  pas  entierement  le  mesme  chemin, 
s'estant  rendus  sur  la  fin  de  novembre  k  la  baye  des 
Puans  par  des  routes  diff6rentes,  sans  autre  guide 
que  leurs  boussoles. 

En  attendant  le  journal  de  ce  voyage,  nous 
pouvons  faire  les  remarques  suivantes  touchant 
I'utilit^  de  cette  descouverte. 

La  premiere  est  qu'elle  nous  ouvre  un  grand  champ 
pour  la  publication  de  la  Foy,  et  nous  donne  entree  k 
des  peuples  tres-nombreux,  tres-dociles  et  bien  portez 
^  le  recevoir,  ayant  fait  paroistre  un  grand  d6sir 
de  recevoir  au  plustost  le  Pere  et  ayant  receu  avec 


1672  -  74]  DISCO  VER  Y  OF  MISSISSIPPI  101 

they  were  approaching  European  settlements;  that 
they  were  only  three  days,  and  finally  only  two  days 
distant  from  these;  that  the  Europeans  were  on  the 
left  hand;  and  that  they  had  to  proceed  but  50 
leagues  farther,  to  reach  the  sea.  Then  the  Father 
and  sieur  Jolliet  deliberated  as  to  what  they  should 
do, — that  is,  if  it  were  advisable  to  go  on.  They 
felt  certain  that,  if  they  advanced  farther,  they 
would  fling  themselves  into  the  hands  of  the  Span- 
iards of  Florida,  and  would  expose  the  French  who 
accompanied  them  to  the  manifest  danger  of  losing 
their  lives.  Moreover,  they  would  lose  the  results 
of  their  voyage,  and  could  not  give  any  information 
regarding  it,  if  they  were  detained  as  prisoners  —  as 
they  probably  would  be,  if  they  fell  into  the  hands 
of  Europeans. 

These  reasons  made  them  resolve  to  retrace  their 
steps,  after  having  obtained  full  information  about 
everything  that  could  be  desired  on  such  an  occasion. 
They  did  not  return  by  exactly  the  same  route ;  at 
the  end  of  November,  they  reached  the  bay  des 
Puans,  by  different  routes  from  the  former  one,  and 
with  no  other  guide  than  their  compasses. 

While  waiting  for  the  journal  of  that  voyage,  we 
may  make  the  following  remarks  regarding  the  utility 
of  this  discovery. 

The  first  is,  that  it  opens  up  to  us  a  great  field 
for  the  preaching  of  the  Faith,  and  gives  us  entrance 
to  very  numerous  peoples,  who  are  very  docile,  and 
well  disposed  to  receive  it;  for  they  manifested  a 
great  desire  to  obtain  the  Father  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  received  with  much  respect  the  first  words  of 
life  which  he  announced  to  them.  The  altogether 
diverse  languages  of  these  tribes  do  not  frighten  our 


102  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J&SUITES  [Vol.58 

beaucoup  de  respect  les  premieres  paroles  de  vie  qu'il 
leur  a  annonc^es.  Les  langues  toutes  differentes  de 
ces  nations  ne  font  pas  peur  ^  nos  missionnaires. 
Quelques-uns  d'entre  eux  entendent  desjk  et  se  font 
entendre  des  Islinois,  qui  sont  les  premiers  qu'on 
rencontre,  et  c'est  chez  eux  que  le  pere  Marquette  va 
commencer  ^  establir  le  royaume  de  Jesus-Christ. 

La  seconde  remarque  est  touchant  le  terme  de 
ceste  descouverte.  Le  P^re  et  le  sieur  Jolliet  ne 
doutent  point  que  ce  ne  soit  vers  le  golphe  de 
Mexique,  qui  est  la  Floride,  parceque  du  cost6  du 
levant  ce  ne  peut  pas  estre  la  Virginie,  dont  le  bord 
de  la  mer  est  k  plus  de  34  degrez  d' elevation,  et  eux 
ont  niarcli6  jusques  au  33,  et  cependant  n'ont  appro- 
cli6  de  la  mer  que  de  cinquante  lieues  du  coste  du 
couchant.  Ce  ne  peut  pas  estre  aussy  la  mer  Ver- 
meille,  parceque  leur  route,  ayant  presque  toujours 
est^  vers  le  sud,  les  en  destournoit ;  il  reste  done  que 
ce  soit  la  Floride,  qui  est  au  milieu  de  I'une  et  de 
I'autre,  et  bien  plus  probablement  la  riviere  que  les 
g^ographes  marquent  et  appellent  du  Saint- Esprit 
est  Mississipi,  sur  laquelle  nos  Fran9ois  ont  navigue. 

La  troisiesme  remarque  est  que,  comme  il  eust  ete 
tres  souhaitable  que  le  terme  de  ceste  descouverte 
eust  est6  la  mer  Vermeille,  qui  eust  donn6  en  mesme 
temps  entree  dans  la  mer  du  Japon  et  de  la  Chine, 
aussy  ne  doit-on  pas  d^sesperer  de  venir  k  bout  de 
cette  autre  descouverte  de  la  mer  du  couchant  par  le 
moyen  du  Mississipi,  parceque  remontant  au  norouest 
par  la  riviere  qui  s'y  descharge  par  le  38'"*  degre, 
comme  nous  avons  dit,  peut-estre  arrivera-t-on  ^  quel- 
que  lac  qui  aura  sa  descharge  par  le  couchant,  qui  est 
ce  que  Ton  cherche,  et  qui  est  d'autant  plus  k  desirer 


1672  -  74]  DISCO  VER  V  OF  MISSISSIPPI  103 

missionaries;  some  of  them  already  know  and  make 
themselves  understood  in  that  of  the  Islinois,  the  first 
savages  who  are  encountered  [upon  the  river].  It  is 
among  them  that  father  Marquette  will  begin  to 
establish  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  second  remark  concerns  the  terminus  of  this 
discovery.  The  Father  and  sieur  JoUiet  have  no 
doubt  that  it  is  toward  the  gulf  of  Mexico  —  that  is, 
Florida.  For  eastward  there  can  only  be  Virginia, 
the  sea-coast  of  which  is,  at  most,  at  34  degrees  of 
latitude;  while  they  went  as  low  as  33,  and  still  had 
not  come  within  fifty  leagues  of  the  sea,  to  the  west. 
Likewise,  it  cannot  be  the  Vermilion  sea;  because 
their  route,  which  was  nearly  always  toward  the 
south,  took  them  away  from  that  sea.  There  remains 
therefore  only  Florida,  which  is  midway  between 
both ;  and  it  is  certainly  most  probable  that  the  river, 
which  geographers  trace,  and  call  Saint  Esprit,  is  the 
Mississipi,  on  which  our  French  navigated. 

The  third  remark  is  that,  as  it  would  have  been 
highly  desirable  that  the  terminus  of  that  discovery 
should  prove  to  be  the  Vermilion  sea, —  which  would 
have  given  at  the  same  time  access  to  the  sea  of 
Japan  and  of  China, — so,  also,  we  must  not  despair 
of  succeeding  in  that  other  discovery  of  the  western 
sea,  by  means  of  the  Mississipi.  For,  ascending  to 
the  northwest  by  the  river  which  empties  into  it  at 
the  38th  degree,  as  we  have  said,  perhaps  one  would 
reach  some  lake,  which  will  discharge  its  waters 
toward  the  west.  It  is  this  that  we  seek,  and  it  is 
all  the  more  to  be  desired,  because  all  these  countries 
abound  in  lakes  and  are  intersected  by  rivers,  which 
offer  wonderful  communications  between  these  coun- 
tries, as  the  reader  may  judge. ^ 


104  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  /^SUITES  [Vol.  58 

que  toutes  ces  terres  sont  remplies  de  bois  et  couples 
de  rivieres  qui  donnent  de  merveilleuses  communica- 
tions ^  ces  pays  des  uns  aux  autres,  comma  on  peut 
juger. 

La  quatriesme  remarque  regarde  un  advantage 
bien  grand  et  considerable,  et  qu'on  aura  peut-estre 
de  la  peine  k  croire:  c' est  que  nous  pourrions  aise- 
ment  aller  jusques  ^  la  Floride  en  barque  et  par  une 
fort  belle  navigation.  Iln'y  auroit  qu'une  saign^e  ^ 
faire,  coupant  demy  lieue  de  prairie  seulement  pour 
entrer  du  fond  du  lac  des  Illinois  dans  la  riviere 
Saint-Louis.  Voicy  la  route  qu'on  tiendroit.  La 
barque  se  devroit  faire  dans  le  lac  Erie,  qui  est 
proche  de  1' Ontario.  Elle  iroit  aisement  du  lac  Erie 
dans  le  lac  Huron,  d'ou  elle  entreroit  dans  le  lac 
Illinois,  au  fond  duquel  se  feroit  la  trancli6e  ou  le 
canal  dont  j'ay  parle  pour  avoir  passage  dans  la 
riviere  de  Saint-Louis,  qui  se  descharge  dans  Missis- 
sipi,  y  estant  la  barque  navigable  \sc.  navigueroit] 
facilement  jusqu'au  golphe  de  Mexique.  Le  fort  de 
Catarokouy,  que  M.  de  Frontenac  a  fait  construire 
sur  rOntario,  favoriseroit  beaucoup  cette  entreprise, 
parce  qu'il  faciliteroit  la  communication  de  Quebec 
au  lac  Erie,  d'oii  ce  fort  n'est  pas  bien  esloign^,  et, 
sans  une  cheute  d'eau  qui  s6pare  le  lac  Erie  d'avec 
celuy  de  1' Ontario,  la  barque  qui  se  bastiroit  h  Cata- 
rokouy pourroit  aller  jusques  ^  la  Floride  par  les 
routes  que  je  viens  de  remarquer. 

La  cinquiesme  remarque  est  touchant  les  grands 
avantages  qu'il  y  a  d'establir  de  nouvelles  colonies 
dans  de  si  beaux  pays  et  sur  des  terres  si  fertiles. 
Voicy  ce  qu'en  dit  le  sieur  Jollyet,  car  c'est  Ik  sa 
pensee. 


1672 -  74]  DISCO  VER  V  OF  MISSISSIPPI  105- 

The  fourth  remark  concerns  a  very  great  and 
important  advantage,  which  perhaps  will  hardly  be 
believed.  It  is  that  we  could  go  with  facility  to 
Florida  in  a  bark,  and  by  very  easy  navigation.  It 
would  only  be  necessary  to  make  a  canal,  by  cutting 
through  but  half  a  league  of  prairie,  to  pass  from, 
the  foot  of  the  lake  of  the  Illinois  to  the  river  Saint 
Louis. ^  Here  is  the  route  that  would  be  followed: 
the  bark  would  be  built  on  lake  Erie,  which  is  near 
lake  Ontario ;  it  would  easily  pass  from  lake  Erie  to 
lake  Huron,  whence  it  would  enter  lake  Illinois.  At 
the  end  of  that  lake  the  canal  or  excavation  of  which 
I  have  spoken  would  be  made,  to  gain  a  passage  into 
the  river  Saint  Louis,  which  falls  into  the  Mississipi. 
The  bark,  w^hen  there,  would  easily  sail  to  the  gulf 
of  Mexico.  Fort  Catarokouy,  which  Monsieur  de 
Frontenac  has  had  built  on  lake  Ontario,  ^*^  would 
greatly  promote  that  undertaking ;  for  it  would  facili- 
tate communication  between  Quebec  and  lake  Erie, 
from  which  that  fort  is  not  very  distant.  And  even, 
were  it  not  for  a  waterfall  separating  lake  Erie  from 
lake  Ontario,  a  bark  built  at  Catarokouy  could  go  to 
Florida  by  the  routes  that  I  have  just  mentioned. 

The  fifth  remark  refers  to  the  great  advantages 
that  would  accrue  from  the  establishment  of  new 
colonies,  in  countries  so  beautiful  and  upon  lands  so 
fertile.  Let  us  see  what  the  sieur  JoUyet  says  of 
them,  for  this  is  his  project. 

"  At  first,  when  we  were  told  of  these  treeless  lands,. 
I  imagined  that  it  was  a  country  ravaged  by  fire,  where 
the  soil  was  so  poor  that  it  could  produce  nothing. 
But  we  have  certainly  observed  the  contrary ;  and  no 
better  soil  can  be  found,  either  for  corn,  for  vines,, 
or  for  any  other  fruit  whatever. 


106  LES  RELATIONS  DES  jtSUITES  [Vol.58 

"  Dans  le  commencement,  lorsqu'on  me  parloit  de 
ces  terres  sans  arbres,  je  m'imaginois  un  pays  brusl6 
ou  bien  que  la  terre  y  estoit  si  ch6tive  qu'elle  n'y 
pourroit  rien  produire,  mais  nous  avons  bien  remar- 
qu6  le  contraire,  et  il  ne  s'en  peut  trouver  de 
meilleure,  ny  pour  les  bleds,  ny  pour  les  vignes,  ny 
pour  quelques  autres  fruits  que  ce  soit. 

"  La  riviere  que  nous  avons  nomm6e  de  Saint- 
Louis,  et  qui  vient  de  proche  du  fond  du  lac  des 
Illinois  m'a  paru  la  plus  belle  et  la  plus  facile  pour 
estre  habitee.  L'endroit  par  lequel  nons  sommes 
entrez  dans  ce  lac  est  un  havre  fort  commode  pour 
Tecevoir  les  vaisseaux  et  les  mettre  k  I'abry  du  vent ; 
cette  riviere  est  large  et  profonde,  remplie  de  bar- 
bues  et  d'esturgeons.  Le  gibier  y  est  en  abondance; 
les  boeufs,  les  vaches,  les  cerfs,  les  biches,  les  coqs 
d'Inde,  y  paroissent  beaucoup  plus  qu'ailleurs; 
pendant  I'espace  de  quatre-vingts  lieues,  je  n'aypas 
est6  un  quart  d'heure  sans  en  voir. 

"II  y  a  des  prairies  de  trois,  de  six,  de  dix  et  de 
vingt  lieues  de  long  et  trois  lieues  de  large,  environ- 
nees  de  forests  de  mesme  estendue,  au  del^  des- 
quelles  les  prairies  recommencent,  en  sorte  qu'il  y  a 
autant  de  I'un  que  de  I'autre,  [On  rencontre  quelque- 
fois  les  herbes  fort  basses, — Doun.']  et  d'autres  fois 
on  les  voit  hautes  de  cinq  ^  six  piedz ;  le  chanvre  qui 
y  croist  naturellement  monte  jusques  h.  huit  piedz. 

"  Un  habitant  n'employeroit  pas  Yk  des  dix  ans  k 
abattre  le  bois  et  h.  le  brusler.  Des  le  mesme  jour 
qu'il  y  entreroit,  il  mettroit  la  charrue  en  terre,  et 
s'il  n'avoit  pas  des  boeufs  de  France,  il  se  serviroit 
de  ceux  du  pays,  ou  bien  de  ces  animaux  qu'ont  les 
Sauvages  de  1' Quest,  sur  lesquels  ils  font  porter 
comme  nous  sur  les  chevaux. 


1672  -  74]  DISCO  VER  V  OF  MISSISSIPPI  107 

"  The  river  which  we  named  for  Saint  Louis,  which 
rises  near  the  lower  end  of  the  lake  of  the  Illinois, 
seemed  to  me  the  most  beautiful,  and  most  suitable 
for  settlement.  The  place  at  which  we  entered  the 
lake  is  a  harbor,  very  convenient  for  receiving  vessels 
and  sheltering  them  from  the  wind."  The  river  is 
wide  and  deep,  abounding  in  catfish  and  sturgeon. 
Game  is  abundant  there;  oxen,  cows,  stags,  does, 
and  Turkeys  are  found  there  in  greater  numbers  than 
elsewhere.  For  a  distance  of  eighty  leagues,  I  did 
not  pass  a  quarter  of  an  hour  without  seeing  some. 

"There  are  prairies  three,  six,  ten,  and  twenty 
leagues  in  length,  and  three  in  width,  surrounded  by 
forests  of  the  same  extent;  beyond  these,  the  prai- 
ries begin  again,  so  that  there  is  as  much  of  one  sort 
of  land  as  of  the  other.  Sometimes  we  saw  the  grass 
very  short,  and,  at  other  times,  five  or  six  feet  high ; 
hemp,  which  grows  naturally  there,  reaches  a  height 
of  eight  feet. 

"A  settler  would  not  there  spend  ten  years  in  cut- 
ting down  and  burning  the  trees ;  on  the  very  day  of 
his  arrival,  he  could  put  his  plow  into  the  ground. 
And,  if  he  had  no  oxen  from  France,  he  could  use 
those  of  this  country,  or  even  the  animals  possessed 
by  the  Western  Savages,  on  which  they  ride,  as  we 
do  on  horses. 

"  After  sowing  grain  of  all  kinds,  he  might  devote 
himself  especially  to  planting  the  vine,  and  grafting 
fruit-trees ;  to  dressing  ox-hides,  wherewith  to  make 
shoes;  and  with  the  wool  of  these  oxen  he  could 
make  cloth,  much  finer  than  most  of  that  which  we 
bring  from  France.  Thus  he  would  easily  find  in 
the  country  his  food  and  clothing,  and  nothing  would 
be    wanting    except    salt;    but,    as   he   could    make 


108  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Vol.58 

"  Aprfes  le  semence  de  toutes  sortes  de  grains,  il 
s'appliqueroit  surtout  k  planter  de  la  vigne,  h.  enter 
des  arbres  fruitiers ;  des  peaux  de  boeufs  il  se  feroit 
des  souliers  et  de  leurs  laines  des  estoffes  qui  seront 
plus  fines  que  plusieurs  de  celles  qu'on  nous  apporte 
de  France ;  et  ainsy  il  trouveroit  ais^ment  sur  le 
pays  de  quoy  se  nourrir  et  se  couvrir.  Rien  n'y 
manqueroit  que  le  sel,  mais  il  ne  seroit  pas  bien  diffi- 
cile de  remedier  k  cet  inconvenient  par  les  precau- 
tions qu'on  peut  prendre." 

Voyl^  un  petit  precis  de  ce  que  le  journal  qui  a 
este  perdu  disoit  amplement.  Si  nous  pouvons  en 
recouvrer  la  copie,  on  y  verra  bien  des  choses 
capables  de  contenter  les  curieux  et  satisfaire  les 
geographes,  touchant  les  difficultez  qu'ils  peuvent 
avoir  sur  les  descriptions  qu'ils  font  de  ces  quartiers 
de  rAm^rique  septentrionale. 


1672  -  74]  DISCO  VER  V  OF  MISSISSIPPI  109 

provision  for  it,   it   would   not  be   very  difficult    to 
remedy  that  inconvenience," 

The  above  is  a  brief  abstract  of  matters  which  are 
fully  related  in  the  journal  that  was  lost.  If  we  can 
secure  the  copy  of  it,  we  shall  observe  therein  many 
things  which  will  please  the  curious,  and  satisfy 
geographers  regarding  the  difficulties  that  they  may 
encounter  in  preparing  descriptions  of  that  part  of 
north  America. 


110  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES  H^ol.  58 


Voyage  autour  de  I'lsle  Jesus. 

MON  Reuerend  Pere 
Pax  Christi 
Apres  auoir  grofsierement  crocqu6  fuiuant 
ce  qui  m'est  reste  dans  1' Imagination  ce  leger  crayon 
de  la  coste  de  I'lfle  Jesus  qui  est  arrons^e  de  la 
riuiere  des  prayries  ie  me  fers  de  1  occalion  de  nos 
deux  habitans  Jean  Du  Val  et  Thomas  pour  montrer 
a  V'"'.  R"^*.  ce  quil  y  a  de  bon  dans  cette  route  fur 
quoy  1  on  puifse  fonder  quelque  Defsein.  Vniuer- 
sellement  la  coste  est  Ingratte  et  de  difficile  accez, 
Ingratte  dautant  qu'il  y  a  plus  de  mauuaife  terre 
que  de  bonne;  de  difficile  accez  dautant  que  les 
aueniies  en  font  bord^es  par  des  rapides  qui  font  au 
nombre  de  cinq,  vn  a  vne  lieue  ou  enuiron  de  1  entree 
par  le  bout  den  bas  deux  autres  vers  le  tiers  du 
Chemin  en  montant  du  bout  d  en  bas  qui  font  a  vne 
lieue  prez  1  vn  de  1  autre,  deux  autres  vers  le  bout 
den  bault  aufsy  efloignez  I'vn  de  1  autre  d enuiron 
vne  lieue  et  demie  Ces  rapides  font  la  pluspart  tres 
difficiles  en  ce  temps  cy  ou  il  ny  a  pas  d'eau  au  prin- 
temps  non,  mais  les  Canots  auroint  bien  de  la  peine 
a  tenir  les  bords  de  la  Riuiere  a  caufe  des  arbres  fort 
bas  et  des  troncs  de  ceux  qui  font  couches  outre  les 
pointes  de  Roches  fort  frequentes  car  le  lict  de  la 
riuiere  [en]  est  dans  la  plus  grande  part  pane  et  le 
riuage  ne  montre  presque  autre  chose,     le  courant 


1672-74]  AUTOUR  DE  VISLE  J&SUS  111 


Voyage  around  Isle  Jesus. 

MY  Reverend  Father, 
Pax  Christi. 
After  having  roughly  drawn,  according  to 
what  remained  in  my  Imagination,  this  light  sketch 
of  the  shores  of  Isle  Jesus,  which  is  washed  by  the 
river  des  prayries,  I  will  avail  myself  of  the  oppor- 
tunity afforded  by  our  two  habitans,  Jean  Du  Val 
and  Thomas,  to  point  out  to  Your  Reverence  what 
good  there  is  in  this  route,  upon  which  some  Project 
may  be  founded.  The  shore  is  everywhere  Sterile, 
and  difficult  of  access  —  Sterile,  inasmuch  as  there  is 
more  bad  land  than  good;  difficult  of  access,  because 
the  approaches  to  it  are  bordered  by  rapids,  five  in 
number  —  one  at  one  league,  or  thereabout,  from  the 
entrance  at  the  lower  end ;  two  others,  about  a  third 
of  the  Way  going  up  from  the  lower  end,  which  are 
one  league  distant  from  each  other ;  and  two  others, 
toward  the  upper  end,  also  separated  from  each  other 
by  about  one  league  and  a  half.  Most  of  these  rapids 
are  very  difficult  at  this  season,  when  there  is  no 
water.  Not  so  in  the  spring;  the  Canoes,  however, 
would  have  considerable  trouble  in  keeping  close  to 
the  banks  of  the  River,  on  account  of  the  very  low 
trees,  and  the  trunks  of  those  which  have  fallen 
beyond  the  points  of  the  Rocks;  these  are  very 
numerous,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  river-bed  is 
paved  with  them,  and  the  bank  shows  almost  nothing 
else.      The  current  is  very  Rapid;  in   some  places 


112  LES  RELATJONS  DES  jASUITES  [Vol.58 

est  tres  Impetueux  en  quelques  vns  il  fault  bien  de 
1  addrefse  pour  ne  pas  y  ceder 

cependant  la  pointe  d  en  bas  ou  demeure  M'.  frison 
est  bonne  terre  et  il  fen  trouu6  quelques  autres  anfes 
assez  bonne 

fi  abfolument  il  en  falloit  choilir  la  meilleure 
apres  la  pointe  den  bas  est  vne  anfe  qu'est  a  deux 
ou  trois  lieues  audefsus  de  la  pointe  d  em  bas,  mais 
parcequ'elle  na  pas  vne  lieue  de  bon  Jl  y  a  audefsus 
du  troisiesme  rapide  vn  Pays  afsez  beau  depuis  qu'on 
a  pafs6  vn  quartier  afsez  fombre  et  trifte  Jl  y  a 
enfuitte  deux  beaux  bafsins  et  chanaux  accompagnez 
d  afsez  bonne  terre  et  qui  font  f epares  d  vne  belle 
Jsle  qui'  a  enuiron  dix  ou  12  arpens  de  long  et  deux 
de  large  cette  eftendue  eft  bien  de  deux  lieues  ou 
plus  et  commence  vers  la  moitie  de  1  Isle  tirans  vers 
le  hault  de  1  Jsle,  1  on  croit  que  ceft  le  plus  large  de 
1  Isle  que  1  on  tient  estre  d  enuiron  trois  lieues  par  le 
milieu.  Entre  les  Incommoditez  de  cet  Endroit  outre 
les  rapides  Jl  fault  nombrer  i .  la  proximity  de  Mont 
Royal  qui  fera  bientost  frequente  de  traitteurs  vers 
ces  quartiers  f  ils  y  fentent  des  fauuages  2^^.  la 
contrainte  de  pafser  par  vne  des  deux  Extremitez 
de  rjsle  qvi  n'eftans  point  a  vous  font  pour  eftre 
faisies  de  ces  mesmes  traitteurs.  3  la  Concurrence 
de  ceux  que  Ton  dit  pretendre  fur  ces  Endroits  car 
M*".  frison  ma  dit  que  Mr.  Dupuy  en  auoit  obtenu  il 
y  a  long  temps  vne  lieue  vers  le  milieu  et  les  autres 
m'ont  dit  a  fon  Choix  mesmes  un  de  nos  habitans 
m'a  dit  qu'il  auoit  efte  follicit6  par  le  dit  M""  Dupuy 
et  depuis  qu'il  eftoit  chez  les  feurspar  les  dites  feurs 
a  y  prendre  habitation;  dailleurs  Ton  m'a  adioufte 


1672-74]  AUTOUR  DE  IJISLE  JASUS  113 

much  skill  is  needed  to  avoid  being  carried  away 
by  it. 

However,  the  lower  point,  where  Monsieur  frison  ^- 
lives,  is  good  land ;  and  there  are  some  other  very 
good  coves. 

If  it  were  absolutely  necessary  to  decide,  the  best, 
after  the  lower  point,  is  a  cove  which  is  two  or  three 
leagues  above  the  lower  point ;  but,  as  it  has  not  a 
league  of  good  land.  There  is  above  the  third  rapid 
very  fine  Country,  after  one  has  passed  a  rather 
somber  and  gloomy  region.  There  are,  beyond,  two 
fine  basins  and  channels  surrounded  by  fairly  good 
land,  which  are  separated  by  a  beautiful  Island  about 
ten  or  12  arpents  long  and  two  wide.  This  tract 
covers  fully  two  leagues,  or  more ;  it  begins  toward 
the  middle  of  the  Island,  and  extends  toward  its 
upper  part.  This  is  believed  to  be  the  greater  part 
of  the  Island,  which  is  estimated  to  be  about  three 
leagues  through  the  middle.  Among  the  Incon- 
veniences of  this  Place,  besides  the  rapids,  must  be 
numbered:  i.  The  proximity  of  Mont  Royal,  which 
will  soon  be  frequented  by  traders  to  these  regions 
if  they  scent  any  savages  there.  2.  The  narrowness 
of  the  passage  around  one  of  the  two  Extremities  of 
the  Island,  which,  not  being  yours,  are  likely  to  be 
seized  by  these  same  traders.  3.  The  Opposition  of 
those  who  are  said  to  lay  claim  to  these  Places.  For 
Monsieur  frison  told  me  that  Monsieur  Dupuy  ^^  had 
obtained,  a  long  time  ago,  a  league  of  it  toward  the 
middle, —  and,  as  others  have  told  me,  at  his  own 
Option.  Even  one  of  our  habitans  told  me  that  he 
had  been  solicited  by  the  said  Monsieur  Dupuy  —  and, 
since  he  was  with  the  sisters,  by  those  sisters  — 
to  take  up  his  residence  there.     I  have  been  told, 


114  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J&SUITES  [Vol.58 

que  M^  Daillibour  en  auoit  retenu  vne  demi  lieiie  ie 
ne  fcay  pas  fi  ceft  du  dit  Mr.  Dupuy  4.  Enfin  Ton 
ne  peut  meiner  des  prouifions  en  ce  lieu  la  que  le 
printemps;  II  faudroit  done  fcauoir  de  mefsieurs 
Dupuy  et  Daillibourg  leur  pretenfions,  et  eftre 
afseur6  des  feigneurs  du  pays  et  des  voisins  quils 
n'y  placeront  perfonne  fans  1  obligation  de  ne  point 
traitter  de  Boifson,  ou  plustost  que  la  defenfe  obte- 
niie  de  M"".  le  Comte  pour  la  prairie  fuft  vniverselle 
pour  tous  les  poftes  ou  les  fauuages  f  habitueroint 
parmi  nous  ie  croy  que  fuppof6  cette  defenfe  obteniie 
pour  icy  Ton  pouroit  aifement  la  faire  eftendre  par 
le  Roy  en  france  fur  toutes  nos  mifsions  fe  feruans 
de  celle  cy  pour  preuue  que  cela  entre  dans  1  Esprit 
de  ceux  qvi  gouuernent  1  on  dit  que  M*".  le  Moyne  a 
quatre  lieues  audefsus  du  fault  ft  Louis  et  qu'il  fait 
abbatis  a  1  embouchure  de  la  riuiere  du  loup  qu'est  a 
deux  lieues  du  fault  Jl  est  done  probable  que  cest 
le  milieu  de  fa  Concefsion  et  qu'vne  des  Extremitez 
va  Jufques  a  la  noftre  proche  ledit  fault  et  par  fuitte 
qu'en  bas  il  y  aura  quelqu'vn  qui  fe  cantonnera  la 
pour  y  debiter  les  boiffons  et  fianquer  le  fault.  Ton 
dit  que  le  defsus  des  Ifles  de  la  paix  et  le  cofte  du 
fud  vers  le  lac  des  Deux  montagnes  eft  bonne  terre 
et  bel  air  dailleurs  cest  en  chemin  pour  monter  la 
hault ;  Jl  y  auroit  peut  eftre  la  plus  d  auentage  pour 
vn  eftabliflemt  de  fauuages  le  pays  eftant  grand  le 
lac  long  et  large  et  bon  pour  la  pefche  et  le  pafsage 
afses  frequent^  des  Irocqvois  et  autres,  dailleurs 
tous  les  pays  plus  proches  estans  ou  f  aifis  ou  manuals 
et  en  proye  aux  traitteurs  au  defsus  desquels  Ton 
feroit. 


1672 -  74]  A  UTO  UR  DE  LISLE  J&SUS  1 15 

besides,  that  Monsieur  Daillibour  [D'Ailleboust]  has 
retained  half  a  league  of  it ;  I  do  not  know  whether 
this  is  from  the  said  Monsieur  Dupuy.  4.  Finally, 
provisions  cannot  be  taken  to  that  place  except  in 
the  spring.  It  would  be  necessary,  therefore,  to 
ascertain  from  messieurs  Dupuy  and  Daillibourg 
their  claims,  and  to  be  assured  by  the  seigniors  of 
the  country,  and  by  their  neighbors,  that  they  will 
not  place  any  one  there  without  binding  him  not  to 
trade  in  Liquor, — or,  rather,  that  the  prohibition 
obtained  from  Monsieur  the  Count  for  la  prairie  be 
universal  for  all  the  posts  where  the  savages  may 
dwell  among  us.  I  believe  that,  in  case  this  pro- 
hibition be  obtained  for  this  place,  it  could  be  easily 
extended  by  the  King,  in  france,  over  all  our  mis- 
sions,—  availing  themselves  of  this  one  as  a  proof 
that  such  is  the  Intention  of  those  who  rule.  It  is 
said  that  Monsieur  le  Moyne  has  four  leagues  above 
the  sault  st.  Louis,  and  that  he  is  making  clearings 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river  du  loup,  which  is  two 
leagues  from  the  sault.  It  is,  therefore,  probable 
that  the  river  is  the  middle  of  his  Grant,  and  that 
one  of  its  Extremities  reaches  To  ours,  near  the  said 
sault;  and,  consequently,  that  lower  down  there  will 
be  some  one  who  will  take  up  his  quarters  there,  to 
retail  liquors  and  to  secure  the  sault.  It  is  said  that 
the  upper  part  of  the  Isles  de  la  paix,  and  the  south- 
ern shore  toward  the  lake  of  the  Two  mountains,  is 
good  land,  and  that  the  air  is  fine ;  besides,  it  is  on 
the  way,  in  ascending  the  river.  There  would  be, 
perhaps,  more  advantages  there  for  a  settlement  of 
savages,  the  country  being  extensive,  the  lake  long 
and  wide,  and  good  for  fishing,  and  the  route  much 
frequented  by  the  Irocquois  and  others.      Besides, 


116  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  /^SUITES  [Vol.  58 

Pur  dire  vn  mot  de  mon  Voyage  en  forme  de  Jour- 
nal Je  partis  d  icy  lundy  24*  feptembre  auec  M""  le 
moyne  et  Piere  gagnie  les  meilleurs  Canoteurs  de 
cette  Coste  J  arriue  fur  le  midy  a  mont  Royal  le 
foir  chez  M*"  de  la  Chesnaye  le  mardy  matin  J'y  dis 
la  mefse  ou  M*"  frison  se  trouua  enfuitte  nous  1  al- 
lasmes  vifiter  il  me  dit  qu'il  fouhaitteroit  fortement 
que  nous  fufsions  la  et  que  1  on  le  laifsast  feulement 
le  reste  de  fes  Jours  a  cultiuer  fon  Jardin  dont  il 
nous  donna  de  diuerfes  graines  fur  les  9  ou  dix 
heures  nous  montafmes  la  Riuiere  des  prayries  et 
Cabannafmes  au  defsus  du  troifiefme  rapide  Auant 
que  d'auancer  il  fault  remarquer  1°  que  1  Jsle  Jefus  a 
fa  longueur  au  fud  fud[ou]est  et  la  pointe  d  en  bas 
regard  le  nord  nordest,  2°.  que  nous  laifsafmes  1  Ifle 
aux  Vaches,  que  nous  montafmes  le  i""  rapide  qui 
est  a  enuiron  vne  lieiie  de  la  pointe  d  en  bas  du  coste 
de  Montroyal  et  puis  nous  costoyasmes  1  Jsle  Jefus, 
3°.  que  nous  n'auons  point  visit6  la  Coste  del  Jsle 
Jefus  ouest  nordwest  d  autant  qu'il  y  a  vn  rapide  de 
trois  lieues  et  peu  d'eau  et  que  d  ailleurs  nous  auons 
visite  le  bout  d  en  hault  d'ou  descendant  par  la  riuiere 
Jefus  Ton  ne  trouue  que  manuals  pays  tout  inonde 
parsem6  des  mil  Isles.  4°  au  milieu  du  premier 
rapide  Jl  y  a  vne  longue  roche  ronde  a  fleur  d  eau 
furtout  quand  les  eaux  font  plus  haute  afsez  dange- 
reuse.  5°  depuis  ce  premier  rapide  la  terre  est  mau- 
uaife  Jufqu'a  plus  d  vne  lieue,  6°  du  Cofte  de  mont 
Royal  depuis  la  pointe  Jufques  la  ou  eft  le  i*'.  rapide 
Jl  y  a  diuerfes  habitations,  6°  [i.e.,  7°]  vne  lieue  ou 
enuiron  au  defsus  de  ce  premier  rapide  fe  defcouure 
vne  grande  anfe  qui  femble  auoir  prez  de  3  quarts  de 


1 672 - 74]  A  UTO  UR  DE  V ISLE  jASUS  1 17 

all  the  nearer  country  is  either  taken,  or  is  poor; 
and  it  is  a  prey  to  the  traders,  above  whom  we 
would  be. 

To  say  a  word  of  my  Voyage,  in  the  form  of  a 
Journal.  I  departed  from  here  monday,  the  24th  of 
September,  with  Monsieur  le  moyne  and  Piere 
gagnie,  the  best  Canoemen  in  this  Quarter.^*  I 
reached  mont  Royal  about  noon,  and  in  the  evening 
the  house  of  Monsieur  de  la  Chesnaye.^^  Tuesday 
morning,  I  said  mass  there,  at  which  Monsieur  frison 
was  present.  Then  we  went  to  visit  him ;  He  told 
me  that  he  greatly  desired  that  we  should  live  there ; 
and  that  he  wished  only  to  be  left  the  rest  of  his 
Days  to  cultivate  his  Garden,  from  which  he  gave  us 
various  seeds.  About  9  or  ten  o'clock,  we  went  up 
the  River  des  prayries,  and  Encamped  above  the 
third  rapid.     Before  going  on,  it  must  be  observed: 

1.  That  Isle  Jesus  has  its  length  to  the  south-south- 
west, and  the  lower  point  faces  the  north-northeast. 

2.  That  we  left  Isle  aux  Vaches,  ascended  the  ist 
rapid,  which  is  about  a  league  from  the  lower  point 
of  the  shore  of  Montroyal,  and  then  coasted  along 
Isle  Jesus.  3.  That  we  did  not  visit  the  west- north- 
west Shore  of  Isle  Jesus,  inasmuch  as  there  is  a 
rapid  there  of  three  leagues,  and  very  little  water ; 
and  that,  besides,  we  visited  the  upper  end,  whence, 
descending  by  the  river  Jesus,  one  finds  only  bad 
country,  all  flooded,  and  dotted  with  a  thousand 
Islands.  4.  In  the  midst  of  the  first  rapid  There  is 
a  long  round  rock,  level  with  the  water,  and  very 
dangerous,  especially  when  the  waters  are  highest. 
5.  From  this  first  rapid,  the  land  is  poor  For  more 
than  a  league.  6.  On  the  Side  of  mont  Royal,  from 
the  point  To  the  place  where  the  ist  rapid  is,  There 


118  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  j£SUITES  [Vol.  58 

lieiie  et  auoir  bonne  terre  elle  est  terminer  par  vn 
Colteau  qui  commence  par  vne  pointe  toute  de  grande 
et  grofses  Pierres  fort  belles  Jufques  dans  I'eau  ce 
Coll;eau  porte  vne  belle  piniere  qui  paroift  de  loing 
et  les  Cedres  font  fort  gros  et  frequens  tout  du  long 
de  ces  cofles.  le  Costeau  a  plufieurs  anfes  Bordees 
de  Caillous  et  de  pierres  qui  pauent  mefmes  le  Che- 
nail  ou  fe  voyent  force  Longues  pierres  plattes  nous 
auons  pafs6  le  deuxiesme  rapide  proche  L  Isle  Jefus 
et  le  troisiesme  proche  d  vne  petite  Jfloye  ou  est  la 
force  du  courant  qui  donne  bien  de  la  peine  a  ceux 
qui  traifnent  quoiquils  fe  tiennent  a  cette  Jfloye  le 
3*.  rapide  est  au  defsus  du  2*.  vne  lieiie  ou  enuiron, 
de  la  le  pays  est  afsez  ferre  fombre  trifle  et  ferre 
Jufqu'a  vne  lieiie  et  demie  ou  plus  Jl  y  a  quelques 
petites  anfes  de  bonne  Terre  puis  Ton  defcouure  vne 
grande  anfe  qvi  auec  la  Cofte  de  mont  Royal  repre- 
fente  comme  vn  trefle  ou  pate  d'oye  le  bas  est  bon 
et  beau  et  la  terre  belle,  elle  est  termin6e  par  vne 
Jsle  qui  paroist  de  lo  arpens  ou  plus  et  large  d  en- 
uiron vn  ou  deux  afses  bonne  terre  qui  estant  proche 
1  Jsle  Jesus  hors  du  grand  chenail  doit  appartenir  a 
1  Jsle  Jesus  nous  la  Costoyafmes  proche  1  Jsle  Jesus 
il  y  auoit  vne  espece  de  petit  rapide  que  1  on  eull 
aisement  pafse  a  pied  pour  aller  a  cette  Jsle  enfuitte 
le  Chenail  de  la  riuiere  eft  spatieux  lair  beau  et 
paroift  vne  belle  Jsle  du  coste  mont  Royal  dela  1  on 
entre  dans  vne  autre  grande  anfe  ou  nous  trouuafmes 
des  Algonquins  Cabannez  qui  nous  firent  part  de  leur 
chafse  ce  qui  nous  feruit  le  reste  de  n".  Voyage,  y 
ayant  du  Caftor  pour  le  vendredy  ce  grand  chenail 
eft  termine  par  vn  destroit  qui  cache  vn  autre  grand 


1672  -  74]  A  UTO  UR  DE  L' ISLE  /£S US  119 

are  many  settlements.  6.  [i.e.,  7.]  One  league,  or 
thereabout  above  this  first  rapid  is  found  a  large  bay, 
which  seems  to  be  nearly  3-fourths  of  a  league  in 
extent,  and  to  have  good  land.  It  is  terminated  by 
a  Slope,  which  begins  at  a  point  that  is  a  mass  of 
immense  and  very  beautiful  Rocks,  Extending  into 
the  water.  This  Slope  bears  a  beautiful  pine  forest, 
which  appears  afar  off ;  and  the  Cedars  are  very  large 
and  numerous,  all  along  these  shores.  The  Slope 
has  many  coves,  Bordered  by  Pebbles  and  stones, — 
which  even  pave  the  Channel,  where  are  seen  many 
Long,  flat  stones.  We  passed  the  second  rapid,  near 
Isle  Jesus;  and  the  third  near  a  little  Islet,  where 
the  force  of  the  current  is,  which  gives  considerable 
trouble  to  those  who  are  dragging  canoes,  although 
they  cling  to  this  Islet.  The  3rd  rapid  is  one  league, 
or  thereabout,  above  the  2nd.  Beyond  this,  there 
is  a  region  of  rather  gloomy,  poor,  and  stony  land. 
Extending  a  league  and  a  half,  or  more.  There 
are  a  few  little  coves,  surrounded  by  good  Land; 
then  one  finds  a  large  bay  which,  with  the  Shore  of 
mont  Royal,  represents,  as  it  were,  a  trefoil  or  a 
goose's  foot.  The  lower  part  is  good  and  beautiful, 
and  the  land  excellent.  It  is  terminated  by  an  Island 
which  appears  to  be  10  arpents  or  more  long,  and 
one  or  two  wide,  of  tolerably  good  soil;  this,  being 
near  Isle  Jesus,  outside  of  the  great  channel,  ought  to 
belong  to  Isle  Jesus.  We  Coasted  along  it,  near 
Isle  Jesus;  there  was  a  sort  of  little  rapid,  which 
one  could  easily  cross  on  foot  in  order  to  go  to  this 
Island.  Afterward,  the  Channel  of  the  river  is 
spacious,  the  air  fine,  and  a  beautiful  Island  appears 
off  the  shore  of  mont  Royal.  Beyond,  one  enters 
another  large  bay,  where  we  found  some  Algonquins 


120  LES  RELATIONS  DES  jf:SUITES  [Vol.58 

chenail,  ou  anfe  qui  a  vne  defcharge  dvn  pays  afsez 
hault  nous  auons  vifit^  le  pays  la  terre  a  bien  des 
pierres  force  noyers  estres  trambles  arables  plennes 
qui  font  frequentes  par  toutes  ces  Coftes.  fuit  vn 
grand  chenail  plus  de  demi  lieiie  puis  vn  grand 
rapide  dans  vn  grand  espace  de  riuiere  qui  fait  la  vn 
vafle  bafsin  que  font  les  anfes  des  deux  Coites  et 
fenble  fem6  de  loing  par  des  Isles,  au  hault  du  bafsin 
la  Cofte  de  mont  Royal  fait  vn  grand  coude  par  ou 
fe  destourne  le  chenail  de  la  riuiere  tirant  vers  Test, 
nous  pafsafmes  le  rapide  proche  Mont  Royal  ou  ie 
defcendis  et  pafs6  ce  rapide  enfuitte  voyant  le  bafsin 
termine  par  vne  grande  Ifle  nous  trauerfafmes  le 
Chenail  et  ce  bafsin  pour  ne  pas  quitter  la  Cofte  de 
1  Isle  Jesus  et  voir  f  il  y  auoit  pafsage  entre  cette  Isle 
et  la  Cofte  le  peu  d'efpace  nous  fit  Juger  que  cette 
Ifle  eftoit  encor  a  1  Jsle  de  Jesus  le  chenail  eftant 
plus  derrierre  eft  encor  diuife  en  d  autres  Jsles  apres 
ces  Jsles  les  deux  chenaux  fe  rencontrans  font  vne 
autre  efpece  de  bafsin  vers  la  fin  de  1  Isle  Jesus  ce 
4*  rapide  ne  femble  pas  Efloigne  du  cinquiefme  qui 
eft  presque  a  1  extremite  du  chenail  de  la  riuiere  des 
prairies  de  plus  d'vne  lieiie  et  demie,  nous  pafsasme 
le  5^.  rapide  proche  1  Isle  Jefus  enfuitte  nous  montaf- 
mes  1  embouchure  du  lac  des  deux  Montagnes  que  Ton 
voit  de  loing  terminer  le  chenail  de  n""^  Riuiere  mais 
qui  en  font  Eloignez  de  plus  de  8  lieiies  de  trauerfe, 
cela  nous  fit  Juger  que  nous  eftions  au  bout  de  1  Jsle 
Jesus  qui  de  fon  extremity  regarde  le  lac  des  deux 
Montagnes  qui  fort  la  et  fenble  paral[le]le  au  Coing 
de  Mont  Royal  qui  commence  vis  a  vis  de  1  embou- 
[c]hure  de  la  riuiere  des  Prairies  vne  autre  Coste  qvi 


1672-74]  AUTOUR  DE  L'ISLE  /£SUS  121 

Encamped,  who  shared  with  us  their  game ;  this  served 
us  during  the  rest  of  our  Journey,  furnishing  us  with 
Beaver  for  friday.     This  great  channel  is  terminated 
by  a  strait,  which  conceals  another  great  channel,  or 
bay;  the   latter  receives  the  waters  from  a  country 
quite  far  up.     We  visited  the  country;  the  land  is 
very    stony,    but    has    many   walnut-trees,   beeches, 
aspens,  and  red  maples,  which  are  numerous  along 
all  these  Shores.     Then  follows  a  wide  channel  for 
more  than  half  a  league,  then  a  great  rapid  in  a  broad 
space  in  the  river,  which  there  forms  a  vast  basin, 
made  by  the  bays  in  the  two  Shores;  and  this  seems 
to  be   sprinkled   with    Islands    in   the   far    distance. 
Above  the  basin,  the  Shore  of  mont  Royal  forms  a 
great  bend,    where   the   channel   of  the   river  turns 
toward    the    east.     We  passed  the  rapids  near  Mont 
Royal,  where  I  disembarked  and  passed  those  rapids. 
Then,   seeing  the  basin  end  in  a  large   Island,    we 
crossed  the   Channel  and  this  basin,  in  order  not  to 
leave  the  Shore  of  Isle  Jesus,  and  to  see  if  there  was 
any  passage  between  this  Island  and  the  Shore.     The 
narrow  space  made  us  Think  that  this  Island  was 
still  a  part  of  Isle  de  Jesus,  the  channel  being  farther 
back,    and    still    interspersed    with     other    Islands. 
After  these   Islands,  the  two  channels  meeting  form 
another  sort  of  basin,  toward  the  end  of  Isle  Jesus. 
The  4th  rapid  does  not  seem  far  Distant  from  the 
fifth,  which    is   almost  at    the    end    of   the    channel 
of  the  river  des  prairies,  being  more  than  a  league 
and  a  half.     We    passed    the    5th    rapid    near    Isle 
Jesus.     Then  we  went  up  into  the  entrance  to  the 
lake  of  the  two   Mountains;  these  heights  are  seen 
at  a  distance,  ending  the  channel  of  our  River,  but 
they  are  Separated  from  it  by  a  space  of  more  than 


122  LES  RELATIONS  DES  JASUITES  [Vol.58 

va  ail  fud  fudouest  et  regarde  la  largeur  du  lac  des 
deux  Montagnes,  nous  Cabannafmes  a  la  pointe  de 
1  Jsle  Jefus  dans  vn  Cabannage  Algonquin  que  nous 
trouuafmes  fait,  nous  auions  difn6  au  lieu  ou  nous 
vifitafmes  la  terre  dans  vn  coing  de  cette  anfe  ou 
J  ay  dit  qu'il  paroifsoit  vne  defcharge  nous  cou- 
chafmes  a  la  pointe  del' Jsle  Jefus  ceftoit  le  mercre- 
di  26^  auquel  je  dis  la  fte  Mefse  au  Cabannage  fur 
le  3*  rapide  et  fur  le  dos  de  nre  Canot  dans  le  bois, 
le  Jeudy  27*  matin  ie  la  dis  au  pied  d'vn  grand  Cedre 
fur  des  perches  nous  auions  eu  la  pluye  fort  meniie 
toute  la  nuict  elle  continua  presque  tout  le  Jour  ce 
qui  nous  arresta  mais  ayant  veu  vne  petite  Jntermif- 
sion  fur  les  deux  heures  apres  midy  je  fis  diligence 
pour  vifiter  1  autre  Cofte  de  la  pointe  de  1  Jsle  Jesus 
nous  pafsasmes  vn  violent  rapide  qui  [eft]  entre  des 
Jsles  et  1  Jsle  Jesus  du  Cofte  de  Loueft  nous  trou- 
uasmes  des  terres  fort  pierreuses  et  plus  bas  terres 
fort  noyees  et  meilees  d  Isles  que  Ton  appelle  les  mil 
Jsles  la  nuict  et  la  pluye  nous  obligerent  a  retour- 
ner  et  cabanner  d  ou  nous  venions  le  vendredy  de 
grand  matin  nous  passafmes  le  lac  des  2.  montagnes 
entrafmes  le  lac  ft.  Louis,  ie  dis  la  messe  proche  la 
pointe  de  I'anfe  de  I'lfle  Perrot  ou  est  Baftie  fa  mai- 
fon  cette  pointe  eft  dans  le  lac  ft  Louis  vis  a  vis 
des  Jlloyes  dont  vne  f  appelle  I'Jfle  aux  Cheures  a 
caufe  des  cheures  que  Ton  y  a  mifes  que  nous  y 
vismes  broufter,  Je  dis  la  mefse  fur  le  marbre  blanc 
naturel  dans  cette  pointe  et  y  fifmes  bonne  chaudier6 
enfuitte  defcendismes  et  pafsasmes  le  fault  ft  Louis 
le  foleil  couche  et  d'vn  temps  fort  obfcur  afin  de 
pouuoir   estre    icy    pour    Samedy    Jour    ft    Michel, 


1672 - 741  A  UTO  UR  DE  L' ISLE  /£SUS  123 

8  leagues.  ^^  That  made  us  Judge  that  we  were  at 
the  end  of  Isle  Jesus,  the  extremity  of  which  faces 
the  lake  of  the  two  Mountains,  which  opens  there 
and  seems  parallel  with  the  Comer  of  Mont  Royal; 
this  begins,  opposite  the  entrance  to  the  river  des 
Prairies,  another  Shore  which  extends  to  the  south- 
southwest  and  faces  the  width  of  the  lake  of  the  two 
Mountains.  We  Encamped  at  the  point  of  Isle 
Jesus,  in  an  Algonquin  Camp  that  we  found  there. 
We  had  dined  in  the  place  where  we  visited  the  land, 
in  a  corner  of  that  bay  where,  as  I  have  said,  there 
seemed  to  be  a  discharge  of  water.  We  slept  at  the 
extremity  of  Isle  Jesus.  It  was  Wednesday,  the  26th, 
when  I  said  holy  Mass  in  our  Camp  at  the  3rd  rapid, 
upon  the  bottom  of  our  Canoe,  in  the  woods.  On 
the  morning  of  Thursday,  the  27th,  I  said  it  at  the 
foot  of  a  great  Cedar,  upon  some  poles.  A  driz- 
zling rain  fell  all  night  and  continued  nearly  all  Day, 
which  delayed  us.  But  having  a  little  Intermission, 
about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  I  hastened  to 
visit  the  other  Side  of  the  point  of  Isle  Jesus.  We 
passed  a  violent  rapid  which  flows  between  some 
Islands  and  The  western  Shore  of  Isle  Jesus.  We 
found  very  rocky  soil;  and,  farther  down,  the  land 
was  inundated,  and  mingled  with  Islands,  which 
are  called  "the  thousand  Islands."  Night  and 
the  rain  compelled  us  to  return,  and  to  encamp 
at  the  place  whence  we  had  come.  Early  friday 
morning  we  passed  the  lake  of  the  2  mountains  and 
entered  lake  st.  Louis.  I  said  mass  near  the  point 
of  the  bay  of  Isle  Perrot,  where  Monsieur  Perrot's 
house  is  Built. ^^  This  point  is  in  the  lake  st.  Louis, 
opposite  some  Islets,  one  of  which  is  called  Isle  aux 
Chevres,   on  account  of  the  goats  which  have  been 


124  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  /^SUITES  [Vol.  58 

quand  on  veut  faire  ces  visites  plus  Exactement  et 
entieres  Jl  fault  plus  de  temps  et  ne  pas  tant  fe  hafler 
li  v'"'^.  R'^'=.  en  defir6  d  autres  Je  macquitteray  de  tout 
le  mieux  quil  me  fera  poffible  qu[o]iqu*au  refus  des 
autres  et  mefmes  que  n*"^.  frere  tefmoignaft  a  nos 
canotteurs  que  c  estoit  luy  qvi  m'enuoyoit  Je  me 
recommande  a  S*  SS.  de  V*^*  R*^  tout  obeifsant 

Dalmas  S.J. 


1672-74]  AUTOUR  DE  VISLE  J^SUS  125 

put  there,  and  which  we  saw  browsing.  I  said  mass 
upon  the  natural  white  marble  of  this  point,  and 
there  we  had  a  good  meal.  Then  we  descended  the 
river,  and  passed  sault  st.  Louis  after  sunset,  and  in 
great  darkness,  in  order  that  we  might  be  here  for 
Saturday,  st.  Michael's  Day.  If  it  be  desired  to 
make  these  visits  more  Accurate  and  complete,  more 
time  is  needed,  and  not  so  much  haste.  If  your 
Reverence  desire  others  to  be  made,  I  will  perform 
the  task  as  well  as  I  possibly  can, —  even  if  others 
should  refuse,  and  even  if  our  brother  should  assert 
to  our  canoemen  that  it  was  he  who  sent  me.  I 
commend  myself  to  Your  Reverence's  Holy  Sacri- 
fices.    Very  obediently, 

Dalmas,  S.J.^^ 


CXXXIII 

Relation  of  1673-74 


SOURCE:  We  obtain  this  document  mainly  from  Dou- 
niol's  Relations  incites,  t.  i.,  pp.  219-283,  295-318. 

The  greater  part  of  the  Relation  is  given  in  the  present 
volume,  the  remainder  being  reserved  for  Volume  LIX. 


RELATION 

DE     CE   QUI    S'EST   PASSE 

DE     PLUS     REMARQUABLE 

aux    missions    des    Peres 

de  la  Compagnie  de  Jesus, 

EN   LA 

NOUVELLE-FRANCE 

PENDANT  LES  ANNEES  1673  et  1674. 

Envoyee  par  le   R.  P.  Claude  Dablon, 

Superieur     general      de 

ces  missions, 

Au    R.    P.   Etienne   de   Champs,    Provincial 

de    la    meme    Compagnie    en    la 

province  de  France. 


RELATION 

OF     WHAT    OCCURRED 

MOST       REMARKABLE 

in  the  missions  of  the  Fathers 

of  the  Society  of  Jesus, 

IN 

NEW    FRANCE, 

DURING  THE  YEARS  1673  and  1674; 

Sent  by  the  Reverend  Father  Claude 

Dablon,  Superior-general  of 

those    missions, 

To  the  Reverend  Father  EtieNNE  DE  ChamPS, 

Provincial  of  the  same  Society  in  the 

province    of  France. 


130  LES  RELATIONS  DES  JASUITES  [Vol.58 


De  La  Mission  Huronne  de  nostre  Damede  Foy 

appellee    a   present   La  mission   de 

notre  dame  de  Laurette. 

CETTE  mission  s'augmentant  tous  les  jours, 
soit  par  les  recrues  qui  nous  viennent  du  pays 
des  Iroquois,  soit  par  la  benediction  que  Dieu 
donne  aux  families  huronnes  pour  les  repeupler, 
nous  avons  €t€  obliges  de  retirer  nos  Sauvages  de 
Notre- Dame  de  Foye,  ou  ils  manquaient  de  terre  et 
de  bois,  pour  les  placer  une  lieue  et  demie  plus  loin 
de  Quebec.  Nous  avons  donn6  le  nom  de  Lorette  k 
leur  nouveau  bourg,  k  cause  de  la  chapelle  que  nous 
y  avons  fait  batir  sur  le  module  et  sous  le  nom  de 
la  Sainte-Maison  de  Lorette. 

Ce  nouvel  6tablissement  ayant  commence  sur  la  fin 
de  I'annee  1673,  nous  considererons  cette  Mission 
depuis  ce  temps-Ik  jusqu'au  commencement  de  Tan- 
nic 1675.  Nous  dirons  d'abord  ce  qui  s'est  egale- 
ment  passe  dans  I'un  et  I'autre  de  ces  deux  bourgs; 
nous  rapporterons  ensuite  ce  qui  est  arriv6  de  plus 
considerable  h.  Notre- Dame  de  Foye,  ou  nos  Sauvages 
ont  encore  ete  obliges  de  venir  pour  ensemencer  leurs 
champs  et  faire  leur  r^colte.  Enfin  nous  marquerons 
bri^vement  ce  qui  s'est  fait  &,  notre  nouvelle  Lorette. 

I.       DE     LA     MISSION      DES     HURONS     CONSIDEREE     EN 

GENERAL   SOIT   A   N.-D.   DE    FOYE,   SOIT 

A     N.-D.    DE     LORETTE. 

CETTE  Mission  renfermait  dejk  plus  de  deux  cent 
dix  Chretiens  lorsque  le  P.  Chaumonot  et  le  P. 
Bouvart,  qui  en  ^taient  charges,  ont  eu,  dans  I'espace 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  131 


Of  The  Huron  Mission  of  nostre  Dame  de  Foy, 

now  called  The  mission  of  notre 

dame  de  Laurette. 

AS  this  mission  increases  daily, —  either  through 
the  recruits  that  come  to  us  from  the  Iroquois 
country,  or  through  God's  blessing  upon  the 
Huron  families  in  multiplying  them  anew, —  we  have 
been  obliged  to  remove  our  Savages  from  Notre 
Dame  de  Foye,  where  they  were  in  need  of  land  and 
wood,  to  place  them  a  league  and  a  half  farther  from 
Quebec.  We  have  given  the  name  of  Lorette  to  their 
new  village,  because  of  the  chapel  we  have  built 
there  on  the  model  and  under  the  name  of  the  Holy 
House  of  Loretto.^^ 

As  this  new  establishment  was  begun  about  the 
end  of  the  year  1673,  we  will  consider  this  Mission 
from  that  time  to  the  beginning  of  the  year  1675. 
We  will  first  mention  what  happened  at  the  same 
time  in  both  these  villages;  and  afterward  relate 
the  most  important  events  that  occurred  at  Notre 
Dame  de  Foye,  where  our  Savages  were  still  com- 
pelled to  go,  to  sow  their  fields  and  gather  their 
crops.  Finally,  we  shall  briefly  indicate  what  has 
happened  at  our  new  Lorette. 

I.       OF  THE  HURON  MISSION  CONSIDERED   IN  GENERAL, 

EITHER   AT   NOTRE   DAME    DE   FOYE    OR   AT 

NOTRE    DAME   DE    LORETTE. 

THIS  Mission  already  contained  over  two  hundred 
and  ten  Christians  when  Father  Chaumonot  and 
Father  Bouvart,~°  who  had  charge  of  it,  had  in  the 


132  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  J  ^SUITES  [Vol.  58 

de  quinze  mois,  la  consolation  d'y  baptiser  cinquante- 
deux  personnes,  savoir :  vingt-sept  enfants  et  vingt- 
cinq  adultes,  qui,  except^  deux  ou  trois,  font  tous 
paraitre  une  ferveur  comparable  ^  celle  des  fideles 
de  la  primitive  Eglise. 

Comme  ces  n^ophites  sont  Iroquois  pour  la  plu- 
part,  la  charity  que  nos  Hurons,  tout  pauvres  qu'ils 
sont  eux-memes,  ont  montre  k  les  vetir,  k  les  loger,  k 
les  nourrir,  et  meme  ^  les  adopter,  est  d'autant  plus 
pure  et  plus  h^roique,  qu'ils  ont  re9U  plus  de  mau- 
vais  traitements  de  cette  nation.  Ceux  qui  portent 
encore  sur  leur  corps  les  marques  des  coups  de  ces 
anciens  ennemis,  ont  6t6  les  plus  charitables  en 
leur  endroit.  Temoin  Pierre  Andahiacon  qui,  ayant 
plusieurs  de  ses  doigts  manges  par  les  Iroquois,  n'a 
pas  laiss6  d'en  adopter  un,  sa  femme  et  deux  enfants, 
qu'il  a  log6s  et  nourris  pendant  cinq  ou  six  mois,  et 
auxquels  il  a  donne,  entre  autres  chovses,  une  grande 
peau  d'orignal  et  une  belle  robe  de  castor. 

De  meme,  une  nommee  Marie-Th^rese  Oiiaronha 
a  donn6  jusqu'^  sa  propre  couverture  ^  une  femme 
iroquoise,  qui  fut  baptis6e  cet  ete.  II  y  a  des  femmes 
devotes  qui  ont  soin  de  nous  cacher  les  liberalites 
qu'elles  leur  font,  afin  d'en  avoir  de  Dieu  la  recom- 
pense tout  entiere. 

Marie  Oiiendraka,  entre  autres,  leur  a  ainsi  donn6 
plusieurs  minots  de  ble  d'Inde. 

La  charite  de  nos  Hurons  n'a  pas  ^te  moins  lib6- 
rale  envers  les  Frangais  de  ce  pays.  Comme  il  y  a 
eu  ici  cet  6t6  une  grande  cherte  de  bl6,  ils  en  ont 
donn6  plus  de  cent  minots  aux  pauvres  Fran9ais, 
qu'ils  conduisaient  eux-memes  par  les  cabanes  pour 
leur   faire    obtenir   une   bonne    aumone.       Fran9ois 


1672 - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673 -74  133 

Space  of  fifteen  months  the  consolation  of  baptizing 
fifty-two  persons  there,  namely:  twenty-seven  chil- 
dren, and  twenty-five  adults,  who,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  two  or  three,  all  manifest  a  fervor  comparable 
to  that  of  the  faithful  of  the  primitive  Church. 

As  these  neophytes  are  mostly  Iroquois,  the  char- 
ity displayed  by  our  Hurons,  poor  as  they  are,  in 
clothing,  lodging,  feeding,  and  even  adopting  them, 
is  all  the  purer  and  all  the  more  heroic  that  they 
have  been  most  cruelly  treated  by  that  nation. 
Those  who  still  bear  on  their  bodies  the  marks  of 
the  blows  given  by  their  former  enemies  have  been 
the  most  charitable  toward  these.  Witness  Pierre 
Andahiacon,  who,  although  he  had  several  of  his 
fingers  eaten  by  the  Iroquois,  nevertheless  adopted 
one  of  that  nation,  with  his  wife  and  two  children; 
all  these  he  lodged  and  fed  for  five  or  six  months 
and  gave  to  them,  among  other  things,  a  large 
moose-skin  and  a  fine  robe  of  beaver-skins. 

In  the  same  way,  one  named  Marie  Therese  Oua- 
ronha  gave  her  own  blanket  to  an  Iroquois  woman 
who  was  baptized  this  summer.  There  are  devout 
women  who  are  careful  to  conceal  their  liberality 
from  us,  in  order  that  God  may  reward  it  in  full. 

Thus  Marie  Ouendraka,  among  others,  gave  them 
several  minots  of  Indian  corn. 

The  charity  of  our  Hurons  has  been  no  less  liberal 
toward  the  French  of  this  country.  As  corn  was 
very  dear  this  year,  they  have  given  over  a  hundred 
minots  of  it  to  the  poor  French,  whom  they  them- 
selves led  through  the  cabins  to  enable  them  to 
obtain  generous  alms.  Frangois  Hotachetak  dis- 
tinguished himself  in  this  work  of  mercy;  and 
Hel^ne  Andotrahan  even  surpassed  him,  by  giving 


134  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J&SUITES  [Vol.58 

Hotachetak  s'est  signal*^  dans  cet  exercice  de  mis6ri- 
corde,  et  H615ne  Andotrahan  I'a  encore  surpass^  en 
leur  donnant  jusqu'k  la  dernifere  caisse  de  son  bid. 
La  charity  qu'ils  exercent  continuellement  entre 
eux  approche  de  la  charity  des  premiers  Chretiens, 
puisque  s'ils  possMent  les  choses  en  propre,  ils 
agissent  comme  s'ils  n'avaient  rien  qu'en  commun. 
Car,  sans  parler  des  presents  et  des  festins,  qu'ils  se 
font  annuellement  apr^s  leur  chasse  ou  leur  peche, 
lorsqu'il  a  fallu,  ou  transporter  leurs  grains  et  leurs 
meubles  de  Notre- Dame  de  Foye  ^  Notre- Dame  de 
Lorette,  ou  cultiver  les  champs  qu'ils  ont  dans  ces 
deux  endroits,  ils  se  sont  tous  entr'aidds  en  travail- 
lant  pour  une  famille  et  puis  pourl'autre;  et  parce 
que  c'est  de  Dieu  particulierement  qu'ils  attendent 
la  recompense  de  leur  charite,  ils  I'ont  etendue  aussi 
bien  sur  les  malades,  les  faibles  et  les  absents,  que  sur 
ceux  qui  etaient  presents  et  qui  se  portaient  bien. 

Leur  piet6  ne  cede  en  rien  a  leur  charite,  et  ce 
n'est  pas  seulement  dans  I'eglise  qu'elle  parait,  mais 
aussi  dans  leurs  travaux  et  dans  leurs  voyages.  lis 
commencent,  ils  finissent  et  ils  interrompent  meme 
de  temps  en  temps  leur  travail  par  diverses  priferes 
qu'ils  font  k  genoux  devant  une  grande  croix,  ou 
tournes  vers  leur  chapelle.  Ces  prieres  finies,  Louis 
Thaondechoren,  leur  bon  dogique,  pour  entretenir 
leur  ferveur  pendant  qu'ils  travaillent,  leur  suggere 
tout  haut  quelques  bonnes  pensees,  et  leur  fait  faire 
divers  actes  de  vertu. 

Dans  leurs  voyages,  on  ne  les  rencontre  presque 
jamais  qu'ils  ne  soient  occupds  k  prier  Dieu.  Un 
des  principaux  du  pays,  qui  les  rencontre  souvent  en 
allant  k  sa  terre,  disait  dernierement  dans  une  bonne 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  135 


them  her  last  chest  of  corn.  The  charity  that  they 
continually  practice  among  themselves  resembles 
the  charity  of  the  early  Christians;  for,  if  they 
possess  anything  of  their  own,  they  act  as  if  they 
had  nothing  that  is  not  in  common.  Thus, —  to  say 
nothing  of  the  presents  and  feasts  that  they  give  one 
another  annually,  after  their  hunting  or  fishing, — 
when  it  was  necessary  to  convey  their  grain  and 
their  effects  from  Notre  Dame  de  Foye  to  Notre 
Dame  de  Lorette,  or  to  cultivate  the  fields  that  they 
have  in  both  those  places,  they  assisted  one  another, 
by  working  first  for  one  family  and  then  for  another. 
And  because  they  expect  the  reward  of  their  charity 
from  God  especially,  they  also  extended  it  to  the 
sick,  the  feeble,  and  the  absent,  as  well  as  to  those 
who  were  present  and  in  good  health. 

Their  piety  is  in  no  respect  behind  their  charity, 
and  manifests  itself  not  only  in  the  church,  but  also 
in  their  labors  and  on  their  journeys.  They  begin, 
they  conclude,  and  they  even  interrupt  their  work, 
from  time  to  time,  with  various  prayers,  which  they 
recite  on  their  knees  before  a  large  cross,  or  turned 
toward  their  chapel.  When  these  prayers  are  ended, 
Louis  Thaondechoren,  their  good  dogique,  in  order 
to  maintain  their  fervor  while  they  work,  suggests 
aloud  some  pious  thoughts  to  them,  and  causes  them 
to  make  some  acts  of  virtue. 

On  their  journeys,  one  hardly  meets  them  with- 
out finding  them  engaged  in  praying  to  God.  One 
of  the  principal  men  of  the  country  who  comes  upon 
them  often,  on  his  way  to  his  farm,  lately  said  in  a 
large  company,  that  the  Savages  shamed  the  French. 
"  In  fact,"  he  added,  "  where  can  we  find  among 
ourselves  persons  who  perform  journeys  with  rosary 


136  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES  [Vol.58 

compagnie  que  les  Sauvages  faisaient  honte  aux 
Franjais.  «  En  effet,  ajoutait-il,  ou  trouver  parmi 
nous  des  personnes  qui  fassent  leur  voyage  le  chape- 
let  ^  la  main,  pour  le  dire  continuellement,  et  qui 
n'interrompent  leurs  prieres  que  pour  faire  prier  et 
pour  instruire  les  enfants  qu'ils  portent  sur  leur 
dos?  C'est  ce  que  je  vois  presque  tous  les  jours  de 
mes  propres  yeux,  et  ce  qui  me  donne  de  1' admira- 
tion de  leur  Foi,  et  de  la  confusion  de  notre  lachete. » 
Mais  disons  plus  en  particulier  ce  qui  s'est  passe 
de  remarquable  an  bourg  de  Notre- Dame  de  Foye, 
avant  que  nos  Sauvages  aient  pu  le  quitter,  et  ensuite 
nous  marquerons  brievement  ce  qui  est  arrive  en 
celui  de  notre  nouvelle  Lorette. 

II.       DE   LA    MISSION    HURONNE    A    N.-D.   DE    FOYE. 

ON  a  parle  suffisamment,  dans  les  relations  pr6ce- 
dentes,  du  bon  ordre  et  de  la  ferveur  qui 
regnent  en  cette  Mission;  nous  nous  contenterons 
ici  de  citer  deux  ou  trois  traits  de  vertu  de  nos  bons 
Sauvages. 

Vers  la  fete  de  la  Toussaint  de  I'annee  1673,  les 
chemins  etant  tres-mauvais,  et  les  Peres  charges  de 
cette  Mission,  demeurant  pour  lors  a  Sillery,  qui  est 
k  une  demi-lieue  de  Notre-Dame  de  Foye,  avaient 
bien  de  la  peine  a  s'y  rendre,  comme  ils  y  etaient 
souvent  obliges  plusieurs  fois  par  jour.  Pierre 
Andahiacon,  un  de  nos  braves  capitaines,  et  Jeanne 
Asenragehaon,  sa  femme,  la  premiere  de  toutes  nos 
chretiennes  en  esprit,  en  ferveur  et  en  Constance, 
ayant  fait  reflexion  sur  la  difficulte  des  chemins, 
allerent  secretement  et  d'eux-memes  les  raccom- 
moder  ou  ils  6taient  en  plus  mauvais  6tat. 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  137 

in  hand,  saying  it  continually;  and  who  only  inter- 
rupt their  prayers  to  make  the  children  pray  whom 
they  carry  on  their  backs,  and  to  instruct  them? 
This  is  what  I  see  nearly  every  day  with  my  own 
eyes;  and  it  inspires  me  with  admiration  for  their 
Faith,  and  with  shame  for  our  faint-heartedness." 

But  let  us  relate  in  greater  detail  the  most  remark- 
able events  that  occurred  in  the  village  of  Notre 
Dame  de  Foye  before  our  Savages  were  able  to  leave 
it;  and  afterward  we  shall  briefly  describe  what 
happened  in  that  of  our  new  Loretto. 

II.      OF  THE  HURON  MISSION  AT  NOTRE  DAME  DE  FOYE. 

ENOUGH  has  been  said  in  previous  relations  of  the 
good  order  and  fervor  that  prevail  in  this 
Mission ;  we  shall  content  ourselves  with  mentioning 
here  two  or  three  instances  of  the  virtue  of  our  good 
Savages. 

About  All  Saints'  day  in  the  year  1673,  the  roads 
were  very  bad,  and  the  Fathers  in  charge  of  this 
Mission  —  who  then  resided  at  Sillery,  half  a  league 
from  Notre  Dame  de  Foye  —  experienced  much  diiffi- 
culty  in  going  thither,  as  they  were  frequently 
obliged  to  do  several  times  a  day.  Pierre  Andahia- 
con,  one  of  our  worthy  captains,  and  Jeanne  Asen- 
rag^haon,  his  wife, — the  chief  of  all  our  Christian 
women  in  intelligence,  fervor,  and  constancy, 
reflected  upon  the  difficulty  of  the  roads,  and  went 
secretly,  and  of  their  own  accord,  to  mend  them  at 
the  worst  spots. 

The  missionaries  met  them,  and  asked  them  what 
had  led  them  to  undertake  this  work.  They  replied : 
"  We  thought  that,   if  our   Fathers   take   so  much 


138  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES         [Vol.58 

Les  missionnaires,  les  ayant  rencontres,  leur 
demand^rent  qui  les  avait  port^s  k  ce  travail.  lis 
r^pondirent:  «  Nous  avons  pens6  que,  si  nos  Pferes 
prennent  tous  les  jours  tant  de  peine  pour  nous  venir 
preparer  le  chemin  du  ciel,  c'est  bien  la  moindre 
chose  que  nous  allions  leur  preparer  le  chemin  de 
notre  bourg.» 

Le  second  exemple  que  nous  rapporterons  est  pris 
d'une  famille  de  benediction.  Les  chefs  en  sont 
Hotachetak,  dont  nous  avons  d^j^  parl6  plus  haut, 
et  Catherine  T^ouach^gnien  sa  femme,  qu'on  pent 
justement  surnommer  I'aumoniere,  ^  cause  de  sa 
liberality  envers  les  pauvres.  Entre  autres  enfants, 
lis  ont  une  fille,  ag6e  de  vingt-trois  ans  environ,  tres- 
bien  faite  pour  une  Sauvagesse,  et  si  chaste,  qu'il  y 
a  quelque  temps,  un  jeune  homme,  ayant  prononc6 
devant  elle  plusieurs  mauvaises  paroles,  elle  alia  tout 
eplor^e  trouver  le  missionnaire  pour  s'en  plaindre; 
elle  ne  pensait  pas  avoir  jamais  donn^  lieu,  par  sa 
<ionduite,  a  etre  trait^e  de  la  sorte.  Le  Pfere,  I'ayant 
rassur^e,  la  renvoya  toute  consol6e.  Cette  jeune 
Sauvage,  appelee  Marguerite  Egandarekoiii,  s'est 
marine  k  un  homme  de  sa  nation,  nomm6  Jacques 
Ontagannahoche,  qui  lui  a  laiss6  trois  enfants,  un 
gar^on  et  deux  filles,  dont  la  plus  jeune  est  n6e  aprfes 
la  mort  de  son  pere.  II  y  eut  un  an,  ^  la  presenta- 
tion de  Notre-Dame,  que  Ontagannahoch^,  6tant 
d6ja  attaqu6  de  la  maladie  qui  I'a  conduit  au  tombeau, 
sa  femme  lui  rapporta  ce  que  le  P.  Chaumonot  avait 
dit,  dans  son  sermon,  du  sacrifice  que  saint  Joachim 
et  sainte  Anne  avaient  fait  de  leur  fille  unique,  la 
bienheureuse  Vierge  Marie.  Cet  exemple  le  toucha, 
•et,  de  concert  avec  sa  femme,  il  prit  la  resolution  de 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  139 

trouble  every  day  to  come  and  prepare  the  road  to 
heaven  for  us,  the  least  that  we  can  do  is  to  prepare 
the  road  to  our  village  for  them." 

The  second  example  which  we  shall  relate  is 
taken  from  a  family  remarkable  for  its  blessings. 
Its  heads  are  Hotachetak  of  whom  we  have  already 
spoken,  and  Catherine  Teouach^gnien,  his  wife, — 
who  may  rightly  be  surnamed  "  the  almoner,"  on 
account  of  her  liberality  to  the  poor.  They  have, 
among  other  children,  a  daughter,  about  twenty- 
three  years  of  age, — very  well  trained  for  a  Savage, 
and  so  chaste  that,  some  time  ago,  when  a  young 
man  uttered  some  wicked  words  in  her  presence,  she 
went  in  tears  to  the  missionary  to  complain  of  him. 
She  thought  that  she  had  never  deserved  by  her 
conduct  to  be  treated  in  such  a  manner.  The  Father 
reassured  her,  and  sent  her  away  quite  consoled. 
This  young  Savage,  whose  name  is  Marguerite 
Egandarekoui,  was  married  to  a  man  of  her  own 
nation,  named  Jacques  Ontagannahoch^,  who  left 
her  three  children,  a  boy  and  two  girls, — the  younger 
of  whom  was  born  after  her  father's  death.  A  year 
ago,  on  the  feast  of  the  presentation  of  Our  Lady, 
while  Ontagannahoche  was  already  suffering  from 
the  disease  that  carried  him  to  his  grave,  his  wife 
told  him  what  Father  Chaumonot  had  said  in  his 
sermon  about  the  sacrifice  that  saint  Joachim  and 
saint  Anne  had  made  of  their  only  daughter,  the 
blessed  Virgin  Mary.  This  example  touched  him, 
and,  in  concert  with  his  wife,  he  resolved  to  offer  to 
God  in  the  same  manner  their  daughter,  Marie  Anne 
Garihonnentha.  They  informed  her  of  their  design, 
and  the  child,  who  was  then  only  four  and  a  half 


140  LES  RELATIONS  DES  jtSUITES         [Vol.58 

presenter  de  meme  k  Dieu  leur  fille  Marie-Anne 
Garihonnentha.  lis  lui  d^clarent  leur  dessein,  et 
cette  enfant,  ag6e  pour  lors  de  quatre  ans  et  demi 
seulement,  y  consentit  avec  autant  de  joie  et  de 
ferveur  qu'eiit  put  le  faire  une  grande  personne  qui 
aurait  une  vocation  bien  d^cid^e  ^  la  vie  religieuse. 
Le  P.  Chaumonot  est  ensuite  appel6,  et  on  lui  met 
I'enfant  entre  les  mains,  en  le  priant  de  la  conduire 
chez  les  Ursulines,  afin  qu'apres  y  avoir  €l€  61evee 
en  quality  de  pensionnaire,  elle  y  soit  re9ue  reli- 
gieuse, si  Notre-Seigneur  lui  en  conserve  la  volont6. 
Pour  eux,  ajoutaient-ils,  ils  faisaient  ^  Dieu  un  entier 
sacrifice  de  cette  fille,  leur  ain^e  et  leur  unique, 
qu'ils  aimaient  plus  qu'eux-memes. 

Le  missionnaire,  qui  voulait  les  eprouver,  leur 
r^pondit  d'abord  qu'il  penserait  k  cette  affaire.  Mais 
le  pere  de  I'enfant  ne  se  contenta  pas  de  cette 
r^ponse;  et,  avant  de  mourir,  il  Ten  chargea  encore 
tr^s-particulierement,  en  protestant  que  ce  serait  le 
missionnaire  qui  en  r^pondrait,  si  sa  fille,  lui  ayant 
6t6  confine,  n'6tait  pas  entierement  devou6e  ^  Dieu, 
^  qui  sa  femme  et  lui  I'avaient  presentee  et  la 
pr^sentaient  encore. 

Ce  pieux  malade  re9ut  ensuite  les  derniers  sacre- 
ments  avec  beaucoup  de  devotion,  et  mourut  tres- 
chr^tiennement,  le  25  d^cembre  de  I'an  1673;  de 
sorte  que  nous  avons  sujet  de  croire  que  Dieu  lui  a 
fait  la  grace  de  naitre  au  ciel  le  meme  jour  qu'il  est 
n6  sur  la  terre  pour  notre  amour.  Sa  veuve  n'oublia 
rien  de  tout  ce  qu'elle  devait  k  son  mari,  et,  ne  se 
contentant  pas  de  ses  propres  prieres,  elle  fit  des 
aumones  de  bl6  et  de  porcelaine,  afin  que  Ton  priat 
Dieu  pour  le  repos  de   son  ame.      II  n'y   eut   pas 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  141 

years  old,  consented  to  it, —  with  as  much  joy  and 
fervor  as  an  adult  person  could  have  done  who  had 
a  decided  vocation  for  a  religious  life.  Father  Chau- 
monot  was  afterward  summoned  and  the  child  was 
placed  in  his  hands,  with  a  request  that  he  would 
take  her  to  the  Ursulines,  in  order  that,  after  being 
brought  up  as  a  boarder,  she  might  be  admitted  as 
a  nun,  if  Our  Lord  maintained  her  in  that  inten- 
tion. For  their  part,  they  added,  they  offered  as  a 
complete  sacrifice  to  God  this  their  eldest  child 
and  only  daughter,  whom  they  loved  better  than 
themselves. 

The  missionary,  who  wished  to  try  them,  replied 
at  first  that  he  would  think  the  matter  over;  but 
the  child's  father  was  not  satisfied  with  this  answer, 
and,  before  dying,  he  again  particularly  charged  him 
to  execute  his  will,— protesting  that  the  missionary 
would  be  responsible  if  his  daughter,  who  was  con- 
fided to  him,  was  not  wholly  devoted  to  God,  to 
whom  his  wife  and  he  had  offered  and  still  offered 
her. 

The  pious  sick  man  afterward  received  the  last 
sacraments  with  great  devotion,  and  died  in  a  very 
Christian  manner  on  the  25th  of  December  of  the 
year  1673.  We  have,  accordingly,  reason  to  believe 
that  God  granted  him  the  grace  of  being  bom  anew 
in  heaven  on  the  same  day  when  he  himself  was 
born  on  earth  through  love  of  us.  His  widow 
omitted  nothing  that  she  owed  to  her  husband's 
memory;  and,  not  content  with  her  own  prayers, 
she  gave  alms  of  corn  and  porcelain  beads  to  obtain 
prayers  to  God,  for  the  repose  of  his  soul.  Even 
little  Marie  Anne,  on  being  informed  of  her  father's 
death,   asked  for  a  rosary,  and  went  to  recite  the 


142  LES  RELATIONS  DES  jASUITES         [Vol.58 

jusqu'^  la  petite  Marie- Anne,  qui,  ^tant  avertie  de  la 
mort  de  son  p^re,  demanda  un  chapelet,  et  alia  le 
dire  tout  entier  dans  la  chapelle  de  Notre-Dame  de 
Foye.  Depuis  ce  temps-Ik,  elle  et  sa  mfere  nous 
pressent  presque  continuellement  de  la  faire  recevoir 
au  s^minaire  des  R^v^rendes  Mferes  Ursulines;  et 
parce  que  M.  le  comte  de  Frontenac,  notre  gouver- 
neur,  y  nourrit  depuis  quelque  temps  de  petites 
Sauvagesses,  elles  se  pr^senterent  toutes  deux  k  lui, 
lorsque,  dernierement,  il  vint  faire  ses  devotions  "k 
Notre-Dame  de  Lorette.  Elles  lui  demanderent  une 
place  chez  les  religieuses.  Ayant  repondu  qu'k  I'ar- 
riv^e  des  vaisseaux  il  verrait  ce  qu'il  pourrait  faire 
en  leur  faveur,  elles  ne  furent  pas  encore  tout  k  fait 
contentes.  Ainsi  un  des  P^res  de  leur  Mission  etant 
all6  k  Quebec,  elles  vinrent  I'y  trouver  par  un  tres- 
mauvais  temps,  et  le  prierent  de  les  mener  aux 
Ursulines. 

La  R6v6rende  Mere  de  Saint-Athanase,  sup6rieure, 
qui  €tait  malade,  envoya  d'abord  au  parloir  plusieurs 
de  ses  religieuses ;  mais  celles-ci  lui  ayant  rendu  un 
compte  tres-avantageux  de  notre  petite  Huron  ne, 
elle  vint  elle-meme  recevoir  I'enfant  qu'on  lui  pr^- 
sentait.  L'ayant  vue,  elle  fut  ravie  de  sa  modestie, 
de  ses  r6ponses,  comme  aussi  de  la  beaut6  de  la  voix 
et  de  toute  la  conduite  de  la  petite  Marie-Anne,  qui 
n'avait  que  cinq  ans  et  demi.  Elle  I'eut  dfes  lors 
retenue,  si  M.  le  gouverneur  n'eut  promis  de  la 
mettre,  I'^t^  prochain,  dans  leur  s6minaire.  Elle 
ajouta  meme  que,  s'il  6tait  empech6  de  garder  sa 
parole,  elle  la  recevait  dejk  pour  ce  temps-Ik.  Pour 
gage  de  sa  promesse,  elle  lui  fit  quelques  presents  et 
I'adopta  pour  sa  fille,  k  la  maniere  des  Sauvages. 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -74  14» 

whole  of  it  in  the  chapel  of  Notre  Dame  de  Foye. 
Since  that  time,  she  and  her  mother  continually  urge 
us  to  have  her  admitted  into  the  seminary  of  the 
Reverend  Ursuline  Mothers;  and,  because  Monsieur 
the  count  de  Frontenac,  our  governor,  has  for  some 
time  kept  little  Savage  girls  there,  they  both  pre- 
sented themselves  before  him  when  he  came,  quit& 
recently,  to  perform  his  devotions  at  Notre  Dame  de 
Lorette.  They  asked  him  for  a  place  with  the  nuns. 
When  he  replied  that  on  the  arrival  of  the  ships  he 
would  see  what  he  could  do  on  their  behalf,  they 
were  not  yet  quite  satisfied.  Therefore,  when  one 
of  the  Fathers  of  their  Mission  went  to  Quebec,  they 
came  to  him  during  very  bad  weather,  and  begged 
him  to  take  them  to  the  Ursulines'. 

The  Reverend  Mother  de  Saint  Athanase,  the 
superioress,  who  was  ill,  sent  several  of  her  nuns  to 
the  parlor,  at  first ;  but  as  the  latter  gave  her  a  very 
favorable  account  of  our  little  Huron  girl,  she  her- 
self came  to  receive  the  child  that  was  presented  to 
her.  On  seeing  her,  she  was  delighted  with  her 
modesty  and  her  answers,  as  well  as  with  the  beau- 
tiful voice  and  the  entire  conduct  of  little  Marie 
Anne,  whose  age  was  only  five  years  and  a  half.  She 
would  have  kept  her  from  that  time,  had  not  Mon- 
sieur the  governor  promised  to  place  the  child  in 
their  seminary  the  following  summer.  She  even 
added  that,  if  he  were  unable  to  keep  his  word,  she 
would  admit  her  at  that  time.  As  a  pledge  of  her 
promise  she  gave  her  some  presents,  and  adopted 
her  as  her  daughter,  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
Savages.  The  mother  and  child,  well  pleased  at 
the  evidences  of  affection  given  them  by  the  nuns, 
await  the  time  for  her  admission.     The  grandfather,. 


144  LES  RELATIONS  DES  jASUITES         [Vol.58 

La  m^re  et  1 'enfant,  bien  contentes  des  marques 
d'affection  que  leur  ont  donn6es  les  religieuses, 
attendent  le  temps  de  la  reception.  Le  grand-pere, 
la  grand'm^re  et  les  autres  parents  de  la  petite  Marie- 
Anne,  sont  dans  les  memes  sentiments  pour  le  sacri- 
fice qu'ils  en  veulent  faire.  Toutes  ces  circonstances 
nous  donnent  sujet  de  croire  qu'il  y  a  quelque  chose 
de  surnaturel  dans  cette  vocation,  vu  la  tendresse 
-extreme  qu'ont  naturellement  les  Sauvages  pour 
leurs  enfants. 

Au  printemps  de  I'annee  1674,  il  mourut  ^  Notre- 
Dame  de  Foye  un  jeune  homme  nomm^  Zacharie 
Aoiienion,  qui,  pendant  un  an  entier  qu'a  dur6  sa 
maladie,  a  montr6  une  patience  et  une  resignation 
parfaites.  II  s'est  approche  des  sacrements,  qu'il 
venait  recevoir  k  I'^glise,  aussi  souvent  que  son  mal 
a  pu  le  lui  permettre.  Deux  jours  avant  sa  mort, 
son  confesseur  I'etant  alle  visiter,  il  lui  temoigna 
qu'il  avait  dessein  de  faire  une  confession  g^n^rale 
•de  toute  sa  vie.  Le  P^re  approuva  ce  pieux  d^sir 
avec  d'autant  plus  de  joie  que  cette  pratique  a  et^ 
jusqu'ici  plus  rare  parmi  les  Sauvages.  Le  malade 
se  confessa  done  avec  beaucoup  d' exactitude  et  de 
contrition,  et  voulut,  apres  avoir  imit6  la  Madeleine 
dans  sa  penitence,  imiter  I'humilite  du  Centenier 
dans  sa  communion;  car,  ne  s'estimant  pas  digne 
•que  Notre-Seigneur  vint  chez  lui,  il  se  fit  porter  ^ 
I'eglise  pour  y  recevoir  le  saint  viatique.  II  re9ut 
ensuite  I'extreme-onction  avec  la  meme  devotion 
•qu'il  avait  fait  paraitre  en  communiant. 

Les  anciens  et  les  plus  fervents  ^tant  venus  le  soir 
pour  le  veiller,  selon  leur  coutume,  ils  lui  sugg6- 
jrerent  d'abord  plusieurs  actes  de  diverses  vertus,  et  ils 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  145 

grandmother,  and  other  relatives  of  little  Marie 
Anne  are  of  the  same  opinion  with  reference  to  the 
sacrifice  that  they  wish  to  make.  All  these  circum- 
stances give  us  reason  to  believe  that  there  is  some- 
thing supernatural  in  this  vocation,  considering  the 
exceedingly  great  fondness  that  the  Savages  naturally 
have  for  their  children. 

In  the  spring  of  the  year  1674  there  died  at  Notre 
Dame  de  Foye  a  young  man  named  Zacharie  Aoue- 
nion,  who,  during  the  whole  year  while  his  illness 
lasted,  displayed  perfect  patience  and  resignation. 
He  received  the  sacraments  in  the  church,  whither  he 
came  for  the  purpose,  as  often  as  his  sickness 
permitted.  Two  days  before  his  death,  when  his 
confessor  went  to  visit  him,  he  informed  him  that  he 
wished  to  make  a  general  confession  of  his  whole 
life.  The  Father  approved  this  pious  desire, — -with 
all  the  more  joy,  since  this  practice  has  hitherto  been 
all  the  rarer  among  the  Savages.  The  sick  man 
therefore  confessed  himself  with  great  accuracy  and 
contrition,  and  chose,  after  imitating  the  Magdalen 
in  her  penance,  to  imitate  the  humility  of  the  Cen- 
turion in  his  communion ;  for,  not  deeming  himself 
worthy  that  Our  Lord  should  enter  his  dwelling,  he 
caused  himself  to  be  conveyed  to  the  church,  to 
receive  the  holy  viaticum  there.  He  afterward 
received  extreme  unction,  with  the  same  devotion 
that  he  had  displayed  in  receiving  communion. 

The  elders  and  the  more  fervent  Christians  came 
at  night  to  sit  up  with  him,  according  to  their  cus- 
tom ;  they  suggested  to  him  many  acts  of  the  various 
virtues,  and  conversed  with  him  at  some  length  on 
spiritual    matters.      They    asked    him   whether   he 


146  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J&SUITES         [Vol.58 

Tentretinrent  assez  longtemps  de  choses  spirituelles. 
Puis,  ils  lui  demand^rent  s'il  n'agr66rait  pas  qu'ils 
parlassent  de  qnelque  autre  sujet  indifferent,  afin  de 
ne  le  pas  trop  fatiguer.  «  Non,  leur  dit-il;  conti- 
nuez,  je  vous  prie,  de  raconter  des  histoires  saintes  et 
de  parler  de  Dieu ;  je  prends  plaisir  ^  vous  entendre. » 
Enfin,  se  sentant  plus  faible,  il  baisa  d6votement  le 
crucifix,  et,  pronon9ant  les  noms  de  J6sus,  de  Marie 
et  de  Joseph,  il  expira  doucement. 

III.        DE     LA     MISSION     HURONNE     A     N.-D.     DE     LO- 

RETTE. 

NOS  Sauvages  ^tant,  comme  nous  avons  dit,  dans  la 
necessity  de  changer  de  bourg,  ils  n'ont  point 
trouv6  de  lieu  plus  propre  sur  toutes  nos  terres  qu'k 
une  lieue  et  demie  de  Notre- Dame  de  Foye  et  ^  trois 
de  Quebec.  La  puret6  de  I'air,  I'egalite  du  terrain, 
la  bont6  et  la  commodity  des  eaux,  en  rendent  le 
sejour  un  des  plus  agreables  de  ce  pays.  Des  I'ete 
de  I'annee  1673,  pendant  qu'^  neuf  ou  dix  lieues  de 
1^  nous  faisions  faire  de  la  brique  pour  batir  la 
cbapelle,  nos  Sauvages  dresserent  k  la  hate  douze  ou 
treize  cabanes  pour  y  passer  I'hiver.  Mais  avant  de 
quitter  Notre- Dame  de  Foye,  ils  sont  tous  alles  en 
pelerinage  k  Sillery,  y  faire  une  communion  g6n6rale 
et  un  vceu  public  en  I'honneur  de  saint  Michel, 
patron  de  ce  lieu.  lis  ont  presente  k  ce  glorieux 
archange  un  collier  de  porcelaine  pour  obtenir  par 
son  intercession  leur  heureux  ^tablissement  dans  le 
nouveau  bourg  de  Lorette.  A  peine  y  ont-ils  6t6  loges 
qu'ils  ont  fait  un  autre  voeu  et  une  autre  communion 
^  I'honneur  de  sainte  Anne,  a  qui  ils  offrirent  aussi  un 
collier  de  porcelaine  pour  lui  demander  la  grace  de 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  147 


would  not  consent  to  their  speaking  of  some  other 
indifferent  subject,  so  as  not  to  fatigue  him  too 
much.  "No,"  he  said,  "continue,  I  beg,  to  relate 
holy  stories  and  to  speak  of  God ;  I  take  pleasure  in 
hearing  you."  At  last,  feeling  that  he  was  growing 
weaker,  he  devoutly  kissed  the  crucifix,  and  gently 
expired  while  pronouncing  the  names  of  Jesus, 
Mary,  and  Joseph. 

III.      OF    THE    HURON     MISSION    AT    NOTRE    DAME   DE 

LORETTE. 

OUR  Savages,  being  under  the  necessity,  as  we 
have  seen,  of  moving  their  village,  found 
no  other  place  more  suitable  on  all  our  lands  than  at 
a  league  and  a  half  from  Notre  Dame  de  Foye,  and 
three  from  Quebec.  The  purity  of  the  air,  the  level 
surface  of  the  land,  and  the  goodness  and  convenience 
of  the  water-supply,  render  it  one  of  the  most  agree- 
able dwelling-places  in  this  country.  As  early  as 
the  summer  of  1673,  while  we  were  having  made, 
nine  or  ten  leagues  from  there,  the  bricks  wherewith 
the  chapel  was  to  be  built,  our  Savages  hastily 
erected  twelve  or  thirteen  cabins,  in  which  to  pass  the 
winter  at  that  place.  But,  before  leaving  Notre  Dame 
de  Foye,  they  all  went  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Sillery 
for  a  general  communion,  and  to  make  a  public  vow 
in  honor  of  saint  Michael,  the  patron  of  that  place. 
They  presented  a  collar  of  porcelain  beads  to  that 
glorious  archangel,  to  obtain  through  his  intercession 
a  successful  establishment  in  the  new  village  of 
Lorette.  They  were  hardly  lodged  there  when  they 
made  another  vow  and  another  communion  in  honor 
of  saint  Anne.     To  her  they  likewise  offered  a  collar 


148  LES  RELATIONS  DES  jflSUITES         [Vol.58 

voir  bientot  au  milieu  de  leur  bourg  la  maison  de  la 
Sainte  Vierge,  sa  fille,  batie  sur  le  modMe  et  sous  le 
nom  de  celle  qu'elle  lui  avail  laiss6e  ^  Nazareth,  et 
que  les  anges  out  transportde  ^  Lorette  en  Italie. 

Comme  nos  Hurons  n'avaient  pas  encore  de  cha- 
pelle  ^  leur  nouveau  bourg,  ou  lis  s'^taient  transpor- 
tes  le  27  d^cembre  de  I'annee  1673,  le  P.  Chaumonot 
demanda  publiquement  si  quelqu'un  pouvait  preter 
la  moiti6  de  sa  cabane  pour  en  faire  un  oratoire  et  y 
dresser  un  autel.  Tout  aussitot  Fran9ois  Athori- 
cher,  qui  s'est  montr6  un  des  plus  fervents  pour  leur 
•etablissement  k  Lorette,  et  sa  soeur,  la  bonne  Marie 
Oiiendraka,  vinrent  nous  presser  de  prendre  leur 
cabane  tout  enti^re,  en  disant  que  Dieu  m^ritait  bien 
d' avoir  un  logis  entier  ^  lui  seul.  Leur  off  re  accep- 
t^e,  pendant  dix  mois  et  plus,  nous  y  avons  dit  la 
sainte  messe,  et  exerce  assez  commod^ment  toutes 
nos  autres  f  onctions. 

Pour  eux,  ils  arrangerent  tout  pres  de  Ik  quelques 
mechantes  6corces,  sous  lesquelles  toute  leur  famille 
se  logea  avec  beaucoup  d'incommodit^s  et  du  froid 
et  de  la  fum^e. 

Ouelque  temps  apres,  le  plan  de  la  chapelle  et  des 
cabanes  qui  devaient  se  batir  I'^t^  suivant  ^tant 
dress^,  on  demanda  dans  une  conference  spirituelle, 
comment  il  pourrait  se  faire  que  le  nouveau  bourg 
de  Lorette  fut  v6ritablement  le  bourg  de  la  Sainte 
Vierge.  Notre  dogique,  Louis  Thaond^choren  fit 
un  discours  plein  d' esprit  et  de  solidity ;  en  rappor- 
tant  entre  autres  choses  ce  qu'il  avait  entendu  de  la 
N.-D.  de  Lorette  d' Italie,  il  dit  qu'il  lui  semblait 
que  toutes  leurs  cabanes,  qu'il  voyait  dispos6es  autour 
de  la  chapelle  lui  repr^sentaient  le  grand  temple  qui 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  149- 

of  porcelain  beads,  to  ask  from  her  the  grace  of 
seeing  before  long,  in  the  middle  of  their  village, 
the  house  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  her  daughter, — 
built  on  the  model  and  under  the  name  of  that  which 
she  had  left  to  her  at  Nazareth,  and  which  the  angels 
transported  to  Loretto  in  Italy. 

As  our  Hurons  had  not  yet  any  chapel  in  their  new 
village,  whither  they  had  removed  on  the  27th  of 
December  of  the  year  1673,  Father  Chaumonot  pub- 
licly asked  whether  some  one  would  not  lend  half  his 
cabin  for  an  oratory,  in  which  an  altar  might  be 
erected.  Immediately  Francois  Athoricher  —  who 
has  shown  himself  to  be  one  of  the  most  eager  for 
their  establishment  at  Lorette  —  and  his  sister,  the 
good  Marie  Ouendraka,  came  to  urge  us  to  take  the 
whole  of  their  cabin,  saying  that  God  certainly 
deserved  to  have  an  entire  lodging  for  himself. 
Their  offer  was  accepted,  and  for  ten  months,  and 
more,  we  said  holy  mass  in  their  cabin,  and  per- 
formed all  our  duties  in  comfort  there. 

For  themselves  they  erected,  in  close  proximity, 
a  wretched  bark  hut,  in  which  the  whole  of  their 
family  lodged,   suffering  great  inconvenience   from 
cold  and  from  smoke. 

Some  time  afterward,  the  plan  of  the  chapel,  and 
of  the  cabins  that  were  to  be  erected  the  following 
summer,  was  drawn  up ;  ^^  and  in  a  spiritual  confer- 
ence it  was  asked  how  the  new  village  of  Lorette 
could  really  be  made  the  village  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin.  Our  dogique,  Louis  Thaond^choren,  deliv- 
ered a  very  sensible  and  solid  discourse.  While 
relating,  among  other  things,  what  he  had  heard  of 
Our  Lady  of  Loretto  in  Italy,  he  said  that  it  seemed 


160  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES         [Vol.58 

renferme  la  sacr^e  maison  de  Lorette,  qu'ainsi  ils 
devaient  consid6rer  tout  leur  village  comme  une 
grande  6glise  dont  chaque  cabane  faisait  autant  de 
diff^rentes  parties.  D'ou  il  conclut  que  les  pferes  et 
les  meres  de  famille  devaient  se  regarder  dans  leur 
maison  comme  dans  autant  de  postes  et  de  places 
que  Marie  a  confines  ^  leur  fidelite  pour  les  d^fendre 
contre  les  ennemis,  qui  sont  les  p6ch6s,  nomm6ment 
ceux  de  I'ivrognerie  et  de  I'impuret^.  «Ainsi,  dit-il 
en  finissant,  notre  bourg  sera  v^ritablement  le  bourg 
de  Marie  pendant  qu'aucun  vice  ne  lui  en  disputera 
la  possession  et  la  souverainete. » 

Qu'il  serait  h.  souhaiter  pour  le  bon  r^glement  des 
families  chr^tiennes  qu'on  entrat  dans  la  pens^e  de 
ce  fervent  Sauvage,  qui  tout  infirme  et  tout  malade 
qu'il  est  depuis  un  an  et  demi,  vit  dans  un  contente- 
ment  d'esprit  et  dans  un  detachement  de  la  vie  qui 
sont  admirables ! 

Sa  resignation  me  fait  souvenir  d'une  certaine 
veuve  qui  se  nomme  Jeanne  Atsigoiiendia.  Un  jour 
que  sa  petite  fille  6tait  alMe  au  bois  avec  une  de  ses 
cousines,  on  lui  vint  dire  que  celle-ci  avait  tu6  1' autre 
d'un  coup  de  hache  qu'elle  lui  avait  donn6  par  me- 
garde.  A  cette  nouvelle,  cette  genereuse  et  devote 
grand'mere  s'adressa  ^  la  Sainte  Vierge  et  lui  fit 
cette  pri^re:  «Vous  ne  m'eutes  pas  plus  tot  donn^ 
cette  enfant  que  je  vous  I'ofifris.  Voilk  que  vous  me 
I'otez  aujourd'hui.  Quoique  sa  perte  me  soit  tres- 
sensible,  que  votre  volont6  soit  faite!  Je  vous 
remercie  du  temps  que  vous  me  I'avez  laiss^e.w 

Quoique  cette  nouvelle  se  soit  trouv^e  fausse,  et 
que  la  petite  en  eut  €t€  quitte  pour  la  perte  d'un  de 
ses  doigts,  la  vertu  de  son  ai'eule  n'en  est  pas  moins 
digne  d'61oges. 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  151 

to  him  that  all  their  cabins,  which  he  saw  ranged 
around  the  chapel,  represented  in  his  eyes  the  great 
temple  enclosing  the  sacred  house  of  Loretto;  that 
thus  they  were  to  consider  the  whole  of  their  village 
as  a  great  church,  of  which  all  the  cabins  constituted 
so  many  different  parts.  Hence  he  concluded  that 
the  fathers  and  mothers  of  families  should  regard 
themselves  in  their  households  as  so  many  posts  and 
places  confided  by  Mary  to  their  fidelity, — to  be 
defended  against  the  enemies,  which  are  sins,  espe- 
cially those  of  drunkenness  and  impurity.  "  Thus," 
he  said  in  concluding,  ' '  our  village  will  truly  be 
Mary's  village,  while  no  vice  disputes  with  her  its 
possession  and  sovereignty." 

How  desirable  it  would  be  for  the  proper  govern- 
ment of  Christian  families  that  all  should  share  the 
thought  of  this  fervent  Savage  —  who,  infirm  and 
sick  as  he  has  been  for  a  year  and  a  half,  lives  with  a 
contented  mind,  and  in  a  state  of  indifference  to  life, 
that  are  truly  admirable. 

His  resignation  reminds  me  of  a  certain  widow, 
named  Jeanne  Atsigouendia.  One  day,  when  her 
granddaughter  had  gone  to  the  woods  with  one  of 
her  cousins,  they  came  to  tell  her  that  the  latter  had 
killed  the  other  with  a  hatchet-stroke,  which  she 
had  dealt  her  by  accident.  On  hearing  this  news, 
the  noble  and  devout  grandmother  addressed  herself 
to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  prayed  to  her  as  follows: 
"  No  sooner  had  you  given  me  this  child  than  I 
offered  her  to  you.  Now  you  take  her  from  me. 
Although  I  feel  my  loss  very  deeply,  your  will  be 
done!  I  thank  you  for  the  time  in  which  you  left 
her  with  me." 


152  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J&SUITES         [Vol.58 

Vers  le  meme  temps  une  autre  veuve,  nommee 
H^l^ne  Andotrahon,  n'a  pas  moins  signal^  sa  vertu 
pendant  la  maladie  de  son  frere  et  de  son  petit-fils. 
Celui-ci,  enfant  de  cinq  ans,  ^tait  attaqu^  d'une 
grave  fi^vre  et  tourment^  par  une  prodigieuse  multi- 
tude de  vers.  Quelque  soin  qu'eut  la  grand'mere  du 
corps  de  son  petit-fils,  elle  en  avait  encore  plus  de 
son  ame,  lui  faisant  faire  presque  continuellement 
divers  actes  de  vertu  qu'elle  pronon^ait  d'abord,  et 
qu'il  r^petait  avec  une  docilite  et  une  douceur  admi- 
rables  dans  un  age  si  tendre.  Pour  le  frere  de  notre 
H^l^ne,  ^tant  tomb^  malade  au  moment  oil  tous  nos 
Sauvages  retournaient  "k  Notre- Dame  de  Foye  pour 
y  ensemencer  leurs  champs,  elle  demeura  seule  k 
Lorette  pour  le  soigner.  Le  P.  Bouvart,  ^tant  alle 
les  visiter,  demanda  \  cette  fidele  soeur  si  elle  ne 
s'ennuyait  pas  d'etre  seule.  «Non,  r^pondit-elle, 
parce  que  j'ai  ici  tout  proche  la  cabane  de  Jesus  et 
de  Marie,  ou  je  vais  m'acquitter  de  ce  que  je  leur  dois 
apres  que  j'ai  satisfait  k  ce  que  je  dois  k  mon  fr^re.» 

Le  meme  Pere,  visitant  un  autre  malade,  il  lui 
demanda  comment  il  passait  le  jour  et  la  nuit,  couch^, 
comme  il  6tait,  si  peu  commodement  sur  sa  natte  et 
sur  son  6corce.  II  r^pondit :  «  Je  dis  continuellement 
mon  chapelet,  et  je  ne  m'ennuie  point.))  C'est  ^  la 
v€r\X.€  un  homme  qui  vit  dans  une  grande  union  avec 
Dieu;  et  qui,  pour  ne  point  partager  le  soin  qu'il  a 
de  le  servir  avec  le  soin  qu'il  lui  faudrait  prendre 
d'une  femme,  a  refuse  encore  dernierement  de  se 
marier.  II  r6pondait  ^  sa  soeur,  qui  lui  proposait 
un  parti  assez  avantageux,  qu'elle  I'obligerait  de  le 
laisser  comme  il  6tait,  puisqu'il  s'en  trouvait  tres- 
bien.  Ce  chaste  et  devot  Sauvage  s'appelle  Jacques 
Onoiiandousandik. 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673 -74  1 53 

Although  this  news  turned  out  to  be  untrue,  and 
the  little  one  had  escaped  with  the  loss  of  one  of  her 
fingers,  her  grandmother's  virtue  is  no  less  praise- 
worthy. 

About  the  same  time,  another  widow,  named 
Helene  Andotrahon,  displayed  her  virtue  to  no  less 
a  degree  during  the  illness  of  her  brother  and  grand- 
son. The  latter,  a  child  five  years  old,  was  attacked 
by  a  violent  fever,  and  tormented  by  a  great 
multitude  of  worms.  Careful  as  the  grandmother 
was  of  her  grandson's  body,  she  was  still  more  so 
of  his  soul ;  and  she  caused  him  almost  continually 
to  make  various  acts  of  virtue,  which  she  first 
pronounced,  and  which  he  repeated  with  admirable 
docility  and  gentleness  in  one  so  young.  When  our 
Helene's  brother  fell  ill, — just  as  our  Savages  were 
about  to  return  to  Notre  Dame  de  Foye,  to  sow  their 
fields, —  she  remained  at  Lorette  to  attend  him. 
Father  Bouvart  went  to  visit  them,  and  asked  this 
faithful  sister  whether  she  did  not  find  it  tedious  to 
be  alone.  She  replied:  "  No,  because  I  have  quite 
near  me  the  cabin  of  Jesus  and  Mary,  where  I  go  to 
pay  my  debt  to  them  after  I  have  satisfied  what  I 
owe  to  my  brother." 

The  same  Father,  while  visiting  another  sick  per- 
son, asked  him  how  he  passed  the  day  and  night, — 
lying,  as  he  did,  so  uncomfortably  upon  his  mat  and 
bed  of  bark.  He  replied :  "  I  repeat  my  rosary  con- 
tinually, and  I  am  not  lonely."  He  is,  in  truth,  a 
man  who  lives  in  close  union  with  God;  and  who,  in 
order  not  to  have  to  divide  the  attention  he  displays 
in  serving  him  with  the  care  that  he  would  have  to 
take  of  a  wife,  refused  quite  recently  to  marry.  He 
replied  to  his  sister,  who  proposed  a  very  good  match 


154  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  /^SUITES  (Vol.  58 

Le  1 6  jiiillet  de  I'ann^e  1674,  le  R.  P.  Claude  Da- 
blon,  sup6rieur  g^n^ral  des  Missions  de  la  Compagnie 
de  J^sus  en  la  Nouvelle-France,  et  recteur  du  College 
de  Quebec,  vint  poser  la  premiere  pierre  de  la  nou- 
velle  maison  de  Lorette  avec  les  c^r^monies  ordinaires 
et  non  sans  une  joie  extraordinaire  de  nos  Sauvages. 
Depuis  ce  jour-l^'jusqti'au  jour  de  la  benediction  et 
de  I'ouverture  de  la  chapelle,  qui  a  eu  lieu  le  4 
novembre  suivant,  ils  ont  eti  d'eux-memes  la  devo- 
tion d'aller  tous  les  matins  prier  Dieu  au  pied  de  la 
croix  que  Ton  a  plac6e,  selon  la  coutume,  i  I'endroit 
oil  devait  etre  I'autel. 

Dans  le  desir  qu'ils  avaient  de  voir  bientot  leur 
6glise  achev^e,  ils  ont  volontiers  contribue  de  leur  tra- 
vail lorsqu'on  a  souhait6  qu'ils  aidassent]^les  ouvriers. 
Et  malgr6  leur  pauvret6  ils  ont,  au  retour  de  leur 
chasse,  fait  present  ^  la  Sainte  Vierge  de  dix-huit 
peaux  d'orignal ;  mais  nous  avons  mieux  aime  les 
^changer  pour  des  vetements  que  nous  leur  avons 
procures  pour  aider  k  les  couvrir.  Nous  avons  agi  de 
meme  par  rapport  k  deux  autres  peaux  qu'ils  avaient 
donn^es  pour  t^moigner  leur  joie  de  ce  que  nous 
apprenons  k  leurs  enfants  h.  servir  k  la  messe,  et  pour 
leur  acheter  des  robes  et  des  surplis;  nous  avons 
pr^fer^  fournir  du  notre  h.  cette  depense. 

La  chapelle  etant  acbev6e,  elle  fut  benie  le  4 
novembre,  et  la  benediction  faite,  on  alia  en  proces- 
sion "k  un  reposoir  dress6  dans  le  bois  sur  le  chemin 
de  Quebec,  k  un  quart  de  lieue  du  bourg.  Les  Fran- 
§ais  et  les  Sauvages  y  chantaient  h.  deux  choeurs  des 
bymnes,  des  motets  et  les  litanies  de  Notre-Dame, 
dont  on  allait  recevoir  I'image  qui  nous  a  €t6  envoyee 
d' Italic.     Comme  elle  est  faite  sur  le  modele  de  la 


1672 - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673 -74  155 


to  him,  that  she  would  oblige  him  by  leaving  him 
as  he  was,  since  he  was  well  off.  The  name  of  this 
chaste  and  devout  Savage  is  Jacques  Onouandou- 
sandik. 

On  the  1 6th  of  July  of  the  year  1674,  Reverend 
Father  Claude  Dablon,  superior-general  of  the  Mis- 
sions of  the  Society  of  Jesus  in  New  France,  and 
rector  of  the  Quebec  College,  came  to  lay  the  founda- 
tion-stone of  the  new  house  of  Lorette, — with  the 
usual  ceremonies,  and  not  without  extraordinary  joy 
on  the  part  of  our  Savages.  From  that  day  to  the 
day  when  the  chapel  was  blessed  and  opened,  the 
4th  of  November  following,  they  of  their  own  accord 
practiced  the  devotion  of  going  every  morning  to 
pray  to  God  at  the  foot  of  the  cross  which  was 
placed,  as  is  customary,  at  the  spot  where  the  altar 
was  to  be.  '■  '     ' 

Being  desirous  of  soon  seeing  their  church  com- 
pleted, they  willingly  contributed  their  labor  when 
asked  to  help  the  workmen;  and,  notwithstanding 
their  poverty,  on  their  return  from  hunting  they 
gave  a  present  of  eighteen  moose-skins  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin.  But  we  preferred  to  exchange  these  for 
garments,  which  we  procured  for  them,  to  help  to 
clothe  them.  We  did  the  same  in  regard  to  two  other 
skins,  which  they  had  given  to  manifest  their  joy 
because  we  taught  their  children  to  serve  at  mass, 
and  to  purchase  for  them  gowns  and  surplices ;  we 
preferred  to  contribute  to  this  expense  from  our  own 
pockets. 

The  chapel  being  finished,  it  was  blessed  on  the 
4th  of  November;  and,  when  the  blessing  was  given, 
we  went  in  procession  to  a  repository  erected  in  the 
woods,  on  the  road  to  Quebec,  a  quarter  of  a  league 


156  LES  RELATIONS  DES  jtSUITES  [Vol.58 

miraculeuse  image  de  Lorette,  et  qu'elle  y  a  touch6, 
elle  est  ici  dans  une  grande  estime  et  dans  une  juste 
v^n^ration. 

Apres  qu'on  I'eut  plac6e  sur  le  manteau  de  la  che- 
min^e,  comme  est  aussi  plac^e  la  madone  de  Lorette 
en  Italie,  on  chanta  la  messe  en  musique.  Notre  R. 
P.  Sup^rieur,  qui  officiait,  y  pronon9a  un  d6vot  et 
solide  sermon,  ou  il  fit  un  beau  parallele  des  deux 
Lorette  de  Canada  et  d'Europe;  et  de  fait,  tons  ceux 
qui  les  ont  vues  toutes  deux  jugent  qu'elles  sont 
parfaitement  semblables. 

En  effet,  notre  nouvelle  Lorette,  aussi  bien  que  la 
premiere,  est  longue  de  quarante  pieds  sur  vingt  de 
largeur,  et  haute  de  vingt-cinq.  Elle  est  perc^e  de 
trois  portes,  d'une  chemin^e  et  de  deux  fenetres. 
Audessus  de  la  porte  du  pignon  d'en  bas,  qu'on  croit 
avoir  6t6  celle  par  ou  entra  I'ange,  on  a  elev6  un 
clocher,  et  dans  la  muraille,  au  c6t€  droit  de  I'autel, 
on  a  plac6  une  armoire,  et  parce  que  nous  ne  posse- 
dons  aucune  des  veritables  pieces  de  vaisselle  qui  ont 
servi  "k  J^sus,  k  Marie  et  ^  Joseph,  au  moins  y  avons- 
nous  suppl66  en  en  faisant  faire  une  toute  semblable. 
Elle  a  6t6  appliqu^e  et  mise  dans  les  saintes  ^cuelles 
qui  furent  trouvdes,  le  siecle  passe,  dans  le  plafond 
de  la  sacree  maison  de  Lorette,  et  que  Ton  ota  de 
peur  que  le  feu  ne  s'y  prit,  k  cause  du  grand  nombre 
de  lampes  qui  brulent  continuellement  dans  la  sainte 
chapelle. 

Comme  dans  la  pauvret^  ou  nous  sommes  nous 
n'avons  pas  sujet  de  craindre  un  semblable  accident 
pour  notre  nouvelle  Lorette,  nous  I'avons  hardiment 
plafonn^e  en  bois,  comme  etait  anciennement  la 
veritable  Lorette.     Pour  le  petit  retranchement  qui 


1672-  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  157 

from  the  village.  The  French  and  Savages  alter- 
nately chanted  hymns,  motets,  and  the  litanies  of 
Our  Lady, — whose  image,  sent  us  from  Italy,  we 
were  about  to  receive.  As  it  was  made  on  the 
model  of  the  miraculous  image  of  Loretto,  and  has 
touched  it,  it  is  greatly  esteemed  and  justly  vene- 
rated here. 

After  we  had  placed  it  on  the  mantelpiece  of  the 
chimney,  as  the  madonna  of  Loretto  in  Italy  is  also 
placed,  a  mass  was  chanted  with  instrumental  music. 
Our  Reverend  Father  »Superior,  who  officiated,  deliv- 
ered a  devout  and  solid  sermon,  in  which  he  drew  a 
beautiful  parallel  between  the  Loretto  of  Canada  and 
the  Loretto  of  Europe,  and,  in  fact,  all  who  have 
seen  both  consider  that  they  are  exactly  similar. 

In  fact,  our  new  Loretto,  as  well  as  the  old  one,  is 
forty  feet  long  by  twenty  wide,  and  twenty-five  feet 
high.  The  walls  are  broken  by  three  doors,  a  chim- 
ney, and  two  windows.  Above  the  door  in  the  lower 
gable,  which  is  believed  to  be  that  by  which  the 
angel  entered,  a  steeple  has  been  built,  and  in  the 
wall  on  the  right  side  of  the  altar  a  cupboard  has 
been  placed;  and  because  we  possess  none  of  the 
real  pieces  of  earthenware  that  were  used  by  Jesus, 
Mary,  and  Joseph,  we  have  at  least  supplied  their 
place,  by  making  others  exactly  like  them.  They 
have  been  touched  to  and  placed  in  the  "holy  bowls  " 
that  were  found,  during  the  past  century,  in  the 
ceiling  of  the  sacred  house  of  Loretto, — which  was 
removed,  lest  it  might  catch  fire  through  the  great 
number  of  lamps  that  continually  burn  in  the  holy 
chapel. 

As,  owing  to  our  poverty,  there  is  no  reason  to 
fear  a  similar  accident  for  our  new  Loretto,  we  have 


168  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  j£SUITES  [Vol.  58 

est  derrifere  I'autel,  les  grilles  et  les  autres  choses, 
nous  avons  tacli6  de  les  repr6senter  aussi  le  mieux 
qu'il  nous  a  €\.6  possible. 

Depuis  I'ouverture  de  la  chapelle,  la  ferveur  de 
nos  Sauvages  a  redouble;  il  n'y  a  pas  eu  jusqu'k  un 
vieillard  age  au  moins  de  cent  ans,  nomm6  Jacques 
Andaron,  qui  n'en  ait  donn^  des  preuves;  il  s'etait 
d'abord  montr6  assez  contraire  k  I'^tablissement  de 
Lorette,  mais  il  n'eut  pas  plus  tot  vu  la  chapelle 
achevee,  que,  changeant  de  sentiments,  il  temoigna 
sa  joie  par  une  harangue  ou  il  felicitait  toute  sa 
nation  d 'avoir  au  milieu  d'eux  la  maison  de  Marie. 
II  invitait  tous  les  Sauvages  les  plus  eloignes  k  venir 
reconnaitre  leur  Dieu  dans  un  sanctuaire  tout  sem- 
blable  k  celui  qu'il  a  habite  apres  s'etre  fait  homme; 
et  il  assurait  qu'il  mourrait  d^sormais  content,  puis- 
qu'il  voyait  ses  neveux  6tablis  dans  un  bourg  si  beau 
et  si  devot. 

,  ^  Lorsque  des  religieux,  des  eccl6siastiques  ou  quel- 
que  autre  personne  un  peu  considerable  y  viennent 
en  pelerinage,  comme  il  en  vient  en  assez  bon 
nombre,  il  va  les  saluer,  et  ensuite  crier  au  milieu 
du  village,  et  haranguer  pour  temoigner  combien  il 
est  rejoui  de  I'honneur  qu'on  y  rend  ^  Notre-Dame. 

Les  enfants  meme  ont  t^moigne  une  ferveur  qui 
surpasse  leur  age ;  leur  grande  devotion  est  de  servir 
la  messe  dans  ce  saint  lieu,  en  robes  et  en  surplis; 
ainsi  nos  petits  Sauvages,  au  grand  contentement  de 
leurs  parents,  paraissent  k  present  k  I'^glise  en  habits 
de  clercs  ou  d'enfants  de  choeur,  et  en  font  tres-bien 
tous  les  offices.  Pour  marquer  combien,  tous  jeunes 
qu'ils  sont,  ils  estiment  de  servir  h.  la  messe,  le  petit 
Jean  Atheiaska,  qui  n'a  que  sept  k  huit  ans,  fit  voeu 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -74  1 59 

boldly  made  a  wooden  ceiling,  like  the  former  one 
of  the  true  Loretto.  As  for  the  small  recess  behind 
the  altar,  the  gratings,  and  other  things,  we  have 
also  endeavored  to  represent  them  as  well  as  we 
could. 

The  fervor  of  our  Savages  has  redoubled  since  the 
opening  of  the  chapel ;  even  an  old  man,  at  least  a 
hundred  years  old,  named  Jacques  Andaron,  has 
given  proof  of  it.  He  had,  at  first,  shown  some 
opposition  to  the  establishment  of  Lorette ;  but  no 
sooner  did  he  see  the  chapel  finished  than  he  changed 
his  mind,  and  manifested  his  joy  by  a  harangue,  in 
which  he  congratulated  his  whole  nation  on  having 
Mary's  house  in  their  midst.  He  invited  all  the 
most  distant  Savages  to  come  and  acknowledge  their 
God  in  a  shrine  similar  to  that  which  he  had  inhab- 
ited when  he  was  made  man ;  and  he  declared  that 
he  would  die  happy,  since  he  saw  his  nephews  settled 
in  so  fine  and  so  devout  a  village. 

When  any  religious,  ecclesiastics,  or  other  persons 
of  note  come  here  on  a  pilgrimage,  as  a  goodly  num- 
ber do,  he  goes  to  greet  them;  and  afterward  he 
calls  out  in  the  village,  and  harangues,  to  show  how 
pleased  he  is  with  the  honor  paid  to  Our  Lady. 

Even  the  children  have  displayed  a  fervor  beyond 
their  years ;  their  great  devotion  consists  in  serving 
at  mass  in  that  holy  place,  in  robes  and  surplices. 
Thus  our  little  Savages,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of 
their  parents,  now  appear  in  church  habited  as  clerks 
or  choristers,  and  perform  all  the  offices  very  well. 
To  show  to  what  an  extent,  young  as  they  are,  they 
esteem  serving  at  mass,  little  Jean  Atheiaska,  who 
is  only  seven  or  eight  years  old,  made  a  vow  to  serve 
twenty  masses    to    obtain    the    cure    of    his  mother, 


160  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES  [Vol.  58 

de  servir  vingt  messes  pour  obtenir  la  gu^rison  de 
sa  mere,  Marie  Oiiendraka,  qui  6tait  dangereuse- 
ment  malade  d'une  pleur^sie.  La  gu6rison  de  la 
mere  est  probablement  une  preuve  que  Notre-Sei- 
gneur  a  agr66  non-seulement  la  pi6te  de  I'enfant, 
mais  encore  sa  fidelity  k  s'acquitter  de  sa  promesse; 
en  effet,  toutes  les  messes  qu'il  a  servi  depiiis  jus- 
qu'au  nombre  de  vingt,  il  avait  eu  soin  de  les 
marquer  lui-meme  sur  un  ais  de  sa  cabane,  en  y 
tirant  k  chaque  fois  une  ligne  avec  du  charbon. 

Mais  Dieu  a  inspire  un  sentiment  encore  plus 
spirituel  "k  une  Iroquoise  de  qualite.  Cette  femme, 
apres  avoir  soutenu  g^n^reusement  de  grandes  per- 
secutions en  son  pays,  ou  en  haine  de  la  Foi  on  1' avait 
priv^e  de  son  rang  dans  les  conseils  et  dans  les 
assemblies,  6tait  venue  se  fixer  ici  pour  y  faire  plus 
librement  tous  les  exercices  de  notre  religion.  Quel- 
ques  jours  apr^s  la  benediction  de  la  chapelle,  elle 
alia  trouver  son  directeur,  et  en  lui  ouvrant  toute  son 
ame  a  I'ordinaire:  «Mon  pere,  lui  dit-elle,  dites-moi 
si  je  prie  bien;  voilk  la  priere  que  Notre-Seigneur 
m'a  inspir6e  et  qui  me  remplit  d'une  grande  consola- 
tion. Je  lui  dis:  « Seigneur,  maitre  de  nos  vies; 
jusqu'ici  je  ne  vous  ai  point  remerci6  de  m'avoir 
donne  un  corps  et  une  ame  capables  de  vous  con- 
naitre,  de  vous  aimer  et  de  vous  servir;  mais  ^ 
present  que  mes  pieds  me  portent  dans  une  chapelle 
toute  semblable  k  votre  maison,  que  mes  yeux  en 
voient  toutes  les  dimensions,  que  mes  oreilles  en 
entendent  les  excellences  dans  les  discours  que  Ton 
nous  en  fait,  que  mon  esprit  s'occupe  "k  y  penser,  et 
que  toute  moi-meme  je  suis  si  souvent  dans  ce  sanc- 
tuaire;  c'est,  mon   Dieu,  avec  joie  et  avec  sujet  que 


1672 - 741  RELA  TION  OF  1673 -74  161 

Marie  Ouendraka,  who  was  dangerously  ill  with 
pleurisy.  The  mother's  cure  is  probably  a  proof  that 
Our  Lord  was  pleased  not  only  with  the  child's  piety, 
but  also  with  his  faithfulness  in  fulfilling  his  promise. 
In  fact,  he  was  careful  to  mark  all  the  masses  at 
which  he  served,  up  to  twenty,  on  a  board  of  his 
cabin,  by  drawing  a  line  for  every  one  with  a  piece 
of  charcoal. 

But  God  inspired  an  Iroquois  woman  of  rank  with 
a  still  more  spiritual  sentiment.  This  woman  —  after 
having  bravely  endured  great  persecutions  in  her 
own  country, —  where,  in  hatred  of  the  Faith,  she 
had  been  deprived  of  her  rank  in  the  councils  and 
assemblies  —  had  come  to  settle  here,  that  she  might 
in  greater  freedom  perform  all  the  exercises  of  our 
religion.  Some  days  after  the  blessing  of  the 
chapel,  she  went  to  her  director,  and  baring  her 
whole  soul  to  him  as  usual,  she  said:  "  My  father, 
tell  me  whether  I  pray  aright.  Here  is  the  prayer 
that  Our  Lord  has  inspired  me  to  say,  and  it  fills  me 
with  great  consolation.  I  say  to  him :  '  Lord,  mas- 
ter of  our  lives,  hitherto  I  have  not  thanked  you  for 
having  given  me  a  body,  and  a  soul  capable  of  know- 
ing, loving,  and  serving  you.  But, —  now  that  my 
feet  bear  me  to  a  chapel  similar  in  all  respects  to 
your  house;  that  my  eyes  see  its  dimensions,  and 
that  my  ears  hear  of  its  excellences,  in  the  discourses 
that  are  spoken  to  us  about  it ;  that  my  mind  is  occu- 
pied in  thinking  of  it,  and  that  I  myself  am  so  often 
in  this  shrine, —  now,  my  God,  I  render  thanks  to 
you,  joyfully  and  with  reason,  for  having  created  me, 
for  having  preserved  me,  and  for  having  given  me 
the  senses  and  powers  that  I  have  received  from 
you."* 


162  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  jASUITES  [Vol.  58 

je  vous  rends  grace  de  m' avoir  cr66e,  de  m' avoir  con- 
serv^e  et  de  m' avoir  donn6  les  sens  et  les  puissances 
que  j'ai  rejus  de  vous.w 

Puisque  j'ai  commence  de  parler  de  cette  chr6- 
tienne,  si  avanc6e  dans  la  vie  spirituelle  qu'il  y  en  a 
peu  qui  la  puissent  ^galer  en  esprit  et  en  devotion, 
j'ajouterai  encore  quelques  mots  k  sa  louange.  Le 
jour  de  la  Toussaint,  elle  a  passe  toute  la  nuit  "k  prier 
pour  les  ames  du  purgatoire,  et  a  dit  jusqu'^  treize 
chapelets,  qui  sont  presque  une  fois  aussi  longs  en 
sa  langue  qu'en  la  notre. 

En  second  lieu,  sa  petite  fille,  ag6e  de  huit  ^  neuf 
mois,  6tant  malade  a  Textremite,  elle  est  allee  ^  la 
chapelle  I'offrir  S,  Dieu,  afin  qu'il  en  disposat  pour 
sa  plus  grande  gloire.  Au  milieu  de  la  priere  et  de 
son  sacrifice,  se  sentant  attendrie  par  la  force  de 
I'amour  qu'elle  porte  k  son  enfant,  elle  accourt  aussi- 
tot  au  pied  de  son  directeur  pour  lui  demander  si 
elle  fait  bien  de  pleurer,  et  si  ce  ne  sera  point  man- 
quer  de  conformite  k  la  volonte  de  Dieu  que  de  lui 
offrir  sa  fille  avec  des  larmes,  qui  sont  une  marque 
qu'on  fait  les  choses  k  regret.  Le  Pere  lui  repondit 
que  si  Notre- Seigneur  avait  pleure  sur  son  ami 
Lazare,  elle  pouvait  pleurer  sur  son  enfant;  et  que 
n'etant  pas  toujours  en  notre  pouvoir  de  repandre 
ou  de  retenir  nos  larmes,  il  sufiisait  que  le  coeur  fut 
soumis  aux  ordres  de  Dieu.  II  lui  ordonna  ensuite 
de  faire  une  neuvaine  &,  la  Sainte  Vierge  pour  la  sante 
de  sa  fille,  qui  commen9a  de  se  mieux  porter  aussitot 
qu'elle  I'eut  commencee.  Elle  avoua  apres  k  son 
confesseur  qu'elle  n'a  encore  rien  demande  k  Marie  sa 
bonne  patronne  qu'elle  ne  I'ait  obtenu  par  son  moyen. 
Aussi    sait-elle    reconnaitre    les    faveurs  qu'elle  en 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  163 

Since  I  have  begun  to  speak  of  this  Christian 
woman, —  so  advanced  in  spiritual  life  that  but  few 
can  equal  her  in  understanding  and  devotion, —  I  will 
add  some  further  words  in  her  praise.  On  the  feast 
of  All  Saints,  she  spent  the  whole  night  in  praying 
for  the  souls  in  purgatory,  and  recited  the  rosary  as 
many  as  thirteen  times, — and  it  is  nearly  as  long 
again  in  their  language  as  in  ours. 

In  the  second  place,  when  her  little  daughter, 
aged  eight  or  nine  months,  was  sick  unto  death,  she 
went  to  the  chapel  to  offer  her  to  God,  in  order  that  he 
might  dispose  of  her  for  his  greater  glory.  In  the 
middle  of  the  prayer  and  of  her  sacrifice,  being 
moved  to  tears  by  the  strength  of  love  which  she 
felt  for  her  child,  she  ran  and  threw  herself  at  her 
director's  feet,  to  ask  him  whether  she  did  right 
in  weeping,  and  whether  she  failed  to  conform  to 
God's  will  in  offering  her  daughter  to  him  with  tears, 
which  are  a  sign  that  one  does  things  with  regret. 
The  Father  replied  that,  as  Our  Lord  had  wept  for 
his  friend  Lazarus,  she  might  weep  for  her  child ; 
and  that  as  it  is  not  always  within  our  power  to  shed 
or  to  restrain  our  tears,  it  sufficed  that  the  heart 
should  be  submissive  to  God's  commands.  He  after- 
ward ordered  her  to  offer  a  novena  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin  for  her  daughter's  health,  and  the  latter 
began  to  recover  as  soon  as  she  had  begun  it.  She 
afterward  admitted  to  her  confessor  that  she  had 
never  yet  asked  Mary,  her  good  patroness,  for  any- 
thing without  obtaining  it  through  her  intercession. 
Thus  she  knows  how  to  acknowledge  the  favors  that 
she  receives  from  her,  and  to  profit  by  them.  In 
fact,  to  thank  Our  Lady  for  her  daughter's  health, 
she  endeavored  that  the  first  word  pronounced  by 


164  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J&SUITES  [Vol.68 

re9oit  et  en  bien  profiter.  En  effet,  pour  remercier 
Notre-Dame  de  la  sant6  de  sa  fiUe,  elle  a  tach6  que 
le  premier  mot  que  cet  enfant  prononcerait  fut  le 
saint  nom  de  J6sus.  Elle  lui  a  done  tant  repete  de 
fois  ce  nom  adorable  que  la  premiere  parole  qu'k  dite 
cette  enfant  a  6t6  J^sus;  et  elle  a  continuellement  ce 
beau  nom  ^  la  bouche,  ce  qui  cause  une  extreme  joie 
^  sa  mfere. 

La  troisi^me  chose  que  nous  dirons  de  cette  ver- 
tueuse  Iroquoise,  appel6e  Marie  Tsaoiiente,  c'est  que 
comme  elle  a  fort  bon  esprit,  et  qu'elle  sait  parfaite- 
ment  nos  mysteres,  lorsqu'il  y  a  des  catechum^nes 
iroquois,  elle  nous  aide  beaucoup  k  les  instruire. 
De  plus,  comme  dans  la  cabane  oil  elle  demeure  il  y 
a  un  grand  nombre  de  chretiens,  puisqu'il  s'y  trouve 
quatre  menages,  elle  les  assemble  tous  les  soirs 
autour  d'elle  pour  leur  repeter  les  histoires  saintes 
qu'ont  racontees  les  Peres  et  les  discours  qu'ils  ont 
prononces.  Ensuite  elle  leur  fait  faire  les  prieres 
tout  haut  et  chanter  quelque  cantique  spirituel  avant 
qu'ils  se  retirent  pour  prendre  leur  repos. 

Nous  avons  sujet  de  croire  que  Jacques  Onnhate- 
taionk,  premier  capitaine  de  nos  Sauvages,  qui  I'a 
re9ue  en  sa  cabane,  a  profite  de  ses  pieux  discours  et  de 
ses  bons  exemples,  puisqu'il  montre  depuis  ce  temps- 
Ik  une  ferveur  tout  extraordinaire.  Ce  bon  vieillard, 
lorsqu'il  a  neige,  se  l^ve  secretement  des  les  deux 
heures  apres  minuit  pour  oter  la  neige  autour  de  la 
chapelle  et  pour  en  preparer  les  chemins.  Le  jour 
de  I'lmmaculee-Conception  de  Notre-Dame,  le  P. 
Chaumonot  ayant  dit  que  c'etait  une  belle  devotion 
de  reciter  autant  ^' Ave  Maria  que  la  Sainte  Vierge 
avait  et6  de  jours  dans  le  sein  de  sa  mere,  ce  qui 


1672 -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673 -74  16& 

the  child  should  be  the  holy  name  of  Jesus.  She 
therefore  repeated  that  adorable  name  to  her  so 
often  that  the  first  word  spoken  by  the  child  was 
' '  Jesus ;  ' '  and  she  continually  has  that  beautiful 
name  in  her  mouth,  thereby  causing  intense  joy  to 
her  mother. 

The  third  fact  that  we  shall  relate  about  this 
virtuous  Iroquois  woman,  named  Marie  Tsaouent6, 
is  that  —  as  she  is  very  intelligent,  and  thoroughly 
knows  our  mysteries  —  she  greatly  assists  us  in 
instructing  the  Iroquois  catechumens,  when  there 
are  any.  Moreover,  as  there  are  a  great  many  Chris- 
tians in  the  cabin  in  which  she  resides, —  for  it  con- 
tains four  households, — she  gathers  them  around  her 
every  evening,  to  repeat  to  them  the  sacred  stories 
that  the  Fathers  have  related,  and  the  discourses 
that  they  have  delivered.  Then  she  makes  them 
recite  their  prayers  aloud,  and  sing  a  hymn,  before 
they  retire  to  rest. 

We  have  reason  to  believe  that  Jacques  Onnhate- 
taionk,  the  leading  captain  of  our  Savages,  who 
received  her  into  his  cabin,  profited  by  her  pious 
discourses  and  good  examples;  for  he  has,  since 
then,  manifested  a  very  extraordinary  fervor. 
Whenever  snow  falls,  this  good  old  man  rises  secret- 
ly, as  early  as  two  hours  after  midnight,  to  remove 
the  snow  from  around  the  chapel  and  to  clear  the 
roads.  On  the  feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception 
of  Our  Lady,  Father  Chaumonot  told  him  that  it 
was  a  beautiful  devotion  to  recite  the  Ave  Maria  as 
many  times  as  the  Blessed  Virgin  had  passed  days 
in  her  mother's  womb,  making  in  all  four  and  a  half 
rosaries.  He  at  once  took  his  rosary,  and  said  five 
whole  ones. 


166  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J&SUITES         [Vol.58 

faisait  en  tout  quatre  chapelets  et  demi,  il  prit  aussi- 
tot  son  chapelet  et  en  dit  cinq  tout  entiers. 

Nous  choisirons  encore  deux  marques  de  la  ferveur 
de  nos  Sauvages;  la  premiere  est  leur  devotion  de 
venir  ^  la  chapelle  des  quatre  heures  du  matin,  soit 
pour  y  faire  oraison  mentale,  comme  le  pratiquent 
les  plus  spirituels  d'entre  eux,  soit  pour  y  reciter  des 
chapelets  et  d'autres  prieres  vocales,  comme  le  font 
les  autres.  II  y  en  a  qui  y  demeurent  des  deux  et 
des  trois  heures ;  et  parce  qu'ils  venaient  meme  avant 
quatre  heures  du  matin,  et  qu'ils  etaient  obliger  de 
prier  dehors,  exposes  au  froid,  la  chapelle  ne  s'ou- 
vrant  qu'k  cette  heure-lk,  il  a  fallu  leur  defendre  de 
venir  jusqu'^  ce  qu'ils  vissent  de  la  lumiere  dans 
r^glise;  notre  pauvret6  ne  nous  permettant  pas  d'y 
entretenir  une  lampe  tou jours  allumee,  comme  nous 
le  souhaiterions. 

La  seconde  marque  de  leur  devotion  est  que,  comme 
en  Italic,  on  a  justement  une  grande  veneration  pour 
le  petit  retranchement  qui  est  derriere  I'autel  de 
Lorette,  que  Ton  nomme  il  camino  santo,  nos  Sau- 
vages, pour  honorer  un  si  saint  lieu  dans  sa  repre- 
sentation, n'entrent  qu'apres  avoir  communie  dans 
le  retranchement  que  nous  avons  aussi  pratiqu6 
derriere  notre  autel.  lis  le  nomment  en  leur  langue 
Marie  etiondata,  V appartement  de  Marie,  parce  que 
c'etait  1^  ou,  a  ce  que  I'on  croit,  la  Sainte  Vierge 
avait  son  lit,  et  ou  il  est  assure  qu'elle  a  sou  vent 
habill6  et  chauffe  son  divin  enfant. 

Comme  aux  jours  de  fete,  nos  Sauvages  ne  pour- 
raient  pas  etre  commodement  introduits  dans  ce 
petit  sanctuaire,  k  cause  des  Francais  qui  viennent  en 
grand  nombre  faire  leurs  devotions,  et  qui  n'entrent 


1 672 - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1&73 -74  167 

We  will  select  two  more  evidences  of  the  fervor 
of  our  Savages :  the  first  is  their  devotion  in  coming 
to  the  chapel  as  early  as  four  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
either  to  offer  mental  prayers, —  a  practice  followed 
by  the  more  spiritual  among  them, —  or  to  recite  the 
rosary  and  other  oral  prayers,  as  the  others  do. 
Some  remain  there  two  and  three  hours ;  and,  because 
they  came  even  before  four  in  the  morning  and  were 
obliged  to  pray  outside  exposed  to  the  cold,  as  the 
chapel  was  not  open  until  that  hour,  it  was  necessary 
to  forbid  their  coming  until  they  should  see  a  light 
in  the  church, —  because  our  poverty  did  not  allow  of 
our  keeping  a  lamp  burning  all  the  time,  as  we 
would  have  desired. 

The  second  proof  of  their  devotion  is  that  here,  as 
in  Italy,  a  great  veneration  is  justly  felt  for  the  small 
recess  behind  the  altar  of  Loretto,  which  is  called  il 
camino  santo;  and  our  Savages,  to  honor  so  holy  a 
place  in  its  representation,  never  enter  the  recess 
which  we  also  have  made  behind  our  altar,  unless 
they  have  received  communion.  They  call  it  in 
their  language  Marie  etiondata,  "Mary's  apartment," — 
because  it  is  believed  that  there  the  Blessed  Virgin's 
bed  was  placed ;  and  there,  it  is  asserted,  she  often 
dressed  and  warmed  her  divine  child. 

As  on  festival  days  our  Savages  could  not  conven- 
iently be  introduced  into  this  little  sanctuary,  on 
account  of  the  French, — who  come  in  great  numbers 
to  perform  their  devotions,  and  who  never  enter  this 
holy  place  until  after  they  have  received  commun- 
ion,—  they  have  taken  the  working-days  for  them- 
selves. Thus,  every  day  there  is  a  family  that  con- 
fesses and  receives  communion  through  that  motive. 
And,  when  all  the  cabins  have  performed  this  duty 


1«8  LES  RELATIONS  DES  j£SUITES  [Vol.58 

aussi  dans  ce  saint  lieu  qu'aprfes  leur  communion,  ils 
ont  pris  pour  eux  les  jours  ouvriers;  ainsi  il  y  a  tous 
les  jours  une  famille  qui  se  confesse  et  qui  communie 
pour  ce  sujet;  et  lorsque  le  tour  des  cabanes  est 
achev6,  ils  recommencent  avec  autant  et  plus  de  fer- 
veur  qu'k  la  premiere  fois.  Leurs  principales  prieres 
ont  pour  objet  de  demander  le  bon  r^glement  des 
families  sur  celle  de  J6sus,  de  Marie  et  de  Joseph,  la 
conversion  des  infideles,  nomm6ment  des  Sauvages, 
et  un  heureux  succes  pour  la  France,  dans  toutes  ses 
affaires  et  toutes  ses  entreprises. 


1672 -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673-74  169 

in  turn,  they  begin  again, — with  even  more  fervor 
than  at  the  first  time.  The  object  of  their  principal 
prayers  is  to  obtain  that  their  families  may  be  properly 
governed,  like  that  of  Jesus,  Mary,  and  Joseph;  the 
conversion  of  infidels,  especially  of  the  Savages ;  and 
success  for  France  in  all  its  affairs  and  undertakings. 


170  LES  RELATIONS  DES  jiSUITES  [Vol.58 


Relation  de   ce   qui    s'est   passe   aux  Missions 
iroquoises  pendant  les  annees  1673  et  1674. 

CHAPITRE  I. 

DE    LA    MISSION   D'AGNlfi. 

LES  Agni^ronnons,  qui,  entre  tous  les  Iroquois, 
avaient  fait  une  guerre  plus  cruelle  aux  Fran- 
gais,  ont  6t6  aussi,  parmi  ces  nations  sauvages, 
ceux  qui  ont  embrass^  le  Christianisme  en  plus  grand 
nombre  et  avec  le  plus  de  ferveur.  Outre  que  leurs 
bourgades  ont  singulierement  diminu6,  par  le  depart 
des  leurs  qui  se  sont  rendus  k  la  Prairie  de  la  Mag- 
deleine  ou  "k  Notre- Dame  de  Foye  pour  y  vivre  en 
v^ritables  Chretiens ;  plusieurs  de  ceux  qui  sont  rest6s 
en  leur  pays  ou  se  pr^parent  au  bapteme,  ou,  I'ayant 
d6jk  refu,  en  remplissent  parfaitement  toutes  les 
obligations.  Le  P.  Bruyas,  qui  a  soin  de  cette  Mis- 
sion, a  6t6  oblig6  de  demander  du  secours :  car,  nous 
6crit-il,  si  les  choses  continuent  d'aller  comme  elles 
vont  depuis  quelque  temps,  il  ne  pourra  plus  suffire 
lui  seul  "k  confirmer  les  nouveaux  chretiens,  k  per- 
fectionner  les  anciens,  k  instruire  les  catechumenes, 
et  ^  faire  les  autres  fonctions  du  missionnaire. 

La  conversion  et  le  bapteme  d'un  des  anciens  et 
des  plus  considerables  de  cette  nation,  nomme  Assen- 
das6,  a  beaucoup  contribue  k  lui  donner  ces  occupa- 
tions. Get  bomme,  ag6  d'environ  soixante-cinq  ans, 
a  6t6  toujours  fort  estim6  dans  son  pays,  k  cause  de 


1 672 - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673 -74  171 


Relation  of  what  occurred  in  the  Iroquois  Mis- 
sions during  the  years  1673  and  1674. 

CHAPTER  I. 

OF   THE   AGNI6    MISSION. 

THE  Agnieronnons,  who,  among  all  the  Iroquois, 
have  most  cruelly  waged  war  against  the 
French,  have  also  been  those  who,  among 
these  savage  nations,  have  embraced  the  Christian 
religion  in  greatest  numbers,  and  with  the  most 
fervor.  Besides  the  fact  that  their  villages  have 
dwindled  away  to  an  extraordinary  degree  through 
the  departure  of  their  people, —  who  have  gone  to  la 
Prairie  de  la  Magdeleine  or  to  Notre  Dame  de  Foye, 
to  live  there  as  true  Christians, — many  of  those  who 
have  remained  in  their  own  country  are  either  pre- 
paring for  baptism,  or,  having  already  received  it, 
thoroughly  fulfill  all  the  obligations  that  it  entails. 
Father  Bruyas,  who  has  charge  of  this  Mission,  has 
been  compelled  to  ask  for  assistance;  for  he  writes 
us  that,  if  things  continue  as  they  have  for  some 
time,  he  alone  will  not  suffice  for  confirming  these 
new  Christians  in  the  faith,  for  perfecting  the  older 
ones,  for  instructing  the  catechumens,  and  for 
performing  the  other  duties  that  devolve  upon  a 
missionary. 

The  conversion  and  baptism  of  one  of  the  elders, 
one  of  the  most  notable  men  of  that  nation,  named 
Assendase,  has  greatly  contributed  to  furnish  him 


172  LES  RELATIONS  DES  jfi^SUITES         [Vol.58 

son  esprit  et  de  son  experience  dans  les  affaires. 
Outre  qu'il  est  le  chef  d'une  des  principales  families, 
sa  fiert6  et  son  esprit  fourbe  et  dissimul^  rendaient 
sa  conversion  tr^s-difficile.  L'int6ret  le  retenait 
dans  rinfid61it6,  aussi  bien  que  le  respect  humain, 
parce  qu'il  retirait  un  profit  considerable  de  I'exer- 
cice  des  superstitions,  et  que,  d'un  autre  cote,  s'il 
venait  k  y  renoncer  dans  un  age  si  avance,  il  ne  pou- 
vait  eviter  les  railleries  qui  sont  insupportables  aux 
Sauvages.  Combattu  par  tons  ces  motifs,  il  r^sistait 
depuis  deux  ans  ^  la  grace,  qui  le  pressait  incessam- 
ment  de  demander  le  bapteme.  Mais  enfin  le 
discours  que  M.  le  comte  de  Frontenac  adressa  k 
Montreal  aux  deputes  des  cinq  nations  iroquoises, 
pour  les  exhorter  ^  embrasser  la  Foi,  le  toucha  si 
puissamment,  qu'il  se  r^solut,  pour  obeir  k  1' inspira- 
tion divine,  de  passer  par-dessus  toutes  les  considera- 
tions humaines.  En  effet,  aussitot  qu'il  fut  de  retour 
en  son  pays,  il  demanda  instamment  au  P.  Bruyas 
d'etre  instruit  et  baptist;  il  montra  tant  de  ferveur 
et  renonga  si  genereusement  et  d'une  maniere  si 
publique  ^  toutes  les  superstitions  du  pays,  que, 
quoique  le  meme  Pere  eut  r^solu  de  I'^prouver  assez 
longtemps,  il  fut  comme  oblige  d'abr^ger  le  temps 
de  I'epreuve  et  de  lui  accorder  assez  promptement 
sa  demande.  Le  lendemain  de  son  bapteme,  Assen- 
dase  fit  un  festin  public,  oti  il  d^clara  "k  tous  les  con- 
vies  qu'il  avait  renonce  aux  songes  et  aux  autres 
coutumes  superstitieuses ;  il  protesta  qu'il  ne  se 
trouverait  plus  aux  assembiees  oil  il  avait  coutume 
de  presider  lorsqu'il  s'agissait  des  songes.  II  a 
accompli  cette  promesse  avec  tant  d'exactitude,  aussi 
bien  que  tous  les  exercices  du  Christianisme,  qu'il 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673 -  74  173 

all  these  occupations.  This  man,  aged  about  sixty- 
five  years,  has  always  been  greatly  esteemed  in  his 
country,  on  account  of  his  intelligence  and  his  experi- 
ence in  affairs.  In  addition  to  the  fact  that  he  is 
the  head  of  one  of  the  leading  families,  his  arrogance 
and  his  treacherous  and  dissembling  character 
rendered  his  conversion  very  difficult.  Interest  as 
well  as  human  respect  retained  him  in  infidelity, 
because  he  derived  considerable  profit  from  the  prac- 
tice of  superstitions ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  if  he 
renounced  them  at  so  advanced  an  age,  he  could  not 
avoid  raillery,  which  Savages  cannot  bear.  Assailed 
by  all  these  motives,  he  resisted  for  two  years  the 
influence  of  grace,  which  constantly  impelled  him  to 
ask  for  baptism.  But,  in  the  end,  the  discourse 
addressed  by  Monsieur  the  count  de  Frontenac  at 
Montreal  to  the  deputies  of  the  five  Iroquois  nations, 
to  induce  them  to  embrace  the  Faith,  had  so  power- 
ful an  effect  upon  him  that  he  resolved  to  overcome 
all  human  considerations  in  order  to  obey  divine 
inspiration.  In  fact,  as  soon  as  he  returned  to  his 
country,  he  earnestly  requested  Father  Bruyas  to 
instruct  and  baptize  him ;  he  manifested  such  fervor, 
and  renounced  all  the  superstitions  of  the  country  in 
so  noble  and  so  public  a  manner  that,  although  the 
same  Father  had  resolved  to  subject  him  to  a  rather 
prolonged  trial,  he  was  compelled  to  shorten  the  time 
of  his  probation,  and  to  grant  his  request  in  a  com- 
paratively short  time.  On  the  day  following  his 
baptism,  Assendase  gave  a  public  feast,  at  which  he 
declared  to  all  the  guests  that  he  had  renounced 
dreams  and  the  other  superstitious  customs ;  and  he 
asserted  that  he  would  never  again  be  present  at  the 
meetings  over  which  he  was  accustomed  to  preside 


174  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Vol.68 

est  Texemple  de  tous  les  chr^tiens.  Anim6  d'une 
sainte  jalousie,  il  s'est  propose  d'^galer  et  meme  de 
surpasser  Garakontie  en  fid61it6,  et  d'accrediter,  par 
son  exemple,  la  Priere  "k  Agnie,  comme  cet  excellent 
Chretien  I'a  fait  b.  Onnontague.  Dans  la  ferveur  de 
sa  conversion,  il  emploie  les  paroles  energiques  pour 
exprimer  son  attachement  inviolable  "k  la  Foi.  «J'ai 
fait,  dit-il,  une  6ternelle  fraternite  avec  celui  qui  m'a 
baptise ;  si  les  Fran9ais  recommencent  la  guerre  et 
viennent  pour  nous  tuer,  je  ne  quitterai  point  pour 
cela  r affection  que  j'ai  pour  lui,  et  je  saurai  tou jours 
bien  distinguer  celui  qui  nous  otera  la  vie  du  corps 
d'avec  celui  qui  m'a  rendu  celle  de  I'ame,  et  qui 
continuera  toujours  de  me  la  conserver  tant  que  je 
lui  ob6irai.»  Le  P.  Bruyas  assure  que,  de  tous  les 
chr6tiens,  il  n'en  a  point  de  plus  obeissant  et  de  plus 
docile  qu'Assendas6,  et  qu'il  est  oblig6  d'admirer 
tous  les  jours  de  plus  en  plus  la  force  et  I'efficacite 
de  la  grace  dans  ce  Sauvage. 

La  conversion  de  cet  ancien  a  eu  un  grand  6clat  et 
a  fait  beaucoup  d' impression  sur  I'esprit  des  autres, 
en  sorte  que  le  P.  Bruyas  se  voit  sollicit6  tous  les 
jours  de  baptiser  des  enfants  et  meme  des  adultes ; 
mais  il  a  cru  ne  devoir  accorder  cette  grace  qu'&,  un 
tres-petit  nombre.  II  y  a  sujet  d'esp6rer  que  cette 
bonne  volonte  s'^tendra  "k  tous,  du  moins  k  la  plupart 
des  Sauvages  d'Agni6,  et  que,  comme  le  demon  se 
servait  particulierement  des  anciens  pour  maintenir 
les  superstitions,  Dieu  se  servira  de  ceux-lk  memes 
pour  les  renverser  et  pour  etablir  la  religion.  Ce  qui 
donnerait  encore  plus  de  fondement  k  cette  esp6rance, 
c'est  la  crainte  que  le  demon  lui-meme  semble  en 
concevoir,  et  qu'il  temoigne  assez  par  les  nouveaux 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  175 

when  dreams  were  discussed.  He  has  so  faithfully 
kept  this  promise,  and  practiced  all  the  Christian 
exercises,  that  he  is  the  model  for  all  the  Christians. 
Animated  by  holy  emulation,  he  proposes  to  equal, 
if  not  surpass,  Garakontie  in  fidelity;  and  by  his 
example  to  bring  Prayer  into  credit  at  Agnie,  as  that 
excellent  Christian  has  done  at  Onnontagu6.  In  the 
fervor  of  his  conversion,  he  makes  use  of  energetic 
words  to  express  his  inviolable  attachment  to  the 
Faith.  "  I  have,"  he  says,  "  entered  into  an  ever- 
lasting brotherhood  with  him  who  has  baptized  me. 
If  the  French  declare  war  once  more,  and  come  to 
kill  us,  I  will  not,  on  that  account,  relinquish  the 
affection  I  feel  for  him;  and  I  shall  always  know 
how  to  distinguish  him  who  shall  deprive  us  of  the 
life  of  our  bodies  from  him  who  has  given  me  that 
of  the  soul,  and  who  will  always  continue  to  preserve 
it  for  me  so  long  as  I  obey  him."  Father  Bruyas 
asserts  that,  among  all  the  Christians,  he  has  none 
more  obedient  or  more  docile  than  Assendase;  and 
that  he  is  every  day  compelled  more  and  more  to 
admire  the  power  and  efficacy  of  grace  in  this 
Savage, 

The  conversion  of  this  elder  has  caused  a  great 
stir,  and  has  produced  a  deep  impression  on  the 
minds  of  the  others,  so  that  Father  Bruyas  finds 
himself  solicited  daily  to  baptize  children  and  even 
adults;  but  he  has  deemed  advisable  to  grant  this 
favor  to  a  very  small  number  only.  There  is  reason 
to  hope  that  this  willingness  will  extend  to  all,  at 
least  to  the  majority  of  the  Savages  of  Agnie ;  and 
that,  as  the  devil  formerly  made  use  of  the  elders  in 
maintaining  superstitions,  God  will  also  make  use  of 
them  in  overturning  the  same,  and  in  establishing 


176  LES  RELATIONS  DES  JASUITES  [Vol.68 

efforts  qu'il  fait  incessamment  pour  arreter  les 
progr^s  de  la  Foi.  Le  P^re,  depuis  quelque  temps, 
rejoit  tous  les  jours  de  nouvelles  insultes  de  ceux 
qui  ne  veulent  pas  se  convertir,  et  un  ancien  lui  a 
reprocti^  publiquement  qu'il  ruinait  leur  pays,  parce 
qu'il  y  ruinait  les  songes  et  les  superstitions,  et  il  I'a 
menace  en  meme  temps  que,  s'il  ne  sortait  du  bourg 
oil  il  6tait  alors,  il  le  ferait  chasser  de  tout  le  pays. 
Mais  un  missionnaire  ne  se  met  guere  en  peine  de 
ces  sortes  de  menaces;  au  contraire,  elles  sont  sa 
consolation,  parce  qu* elles  rendent  ses  travaux  plus 
semblables  ^  ceux  de  J^sus-Christ,  qui  furent  toujours 
accompagn^s  de  semblables  contradictions. 


1672-74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  - 74  177 

religion.  A  still  better  reason  for  this  hope  lies  in 
the  fear  that  the  devil  himself  seems  to  have  of  such 
a  result, — a  fear  which  he  sufficiently  manifests  by 
the  fresh  efforts  that  he  constantly  makes  to  stay 
the  progress  of  the  Faith.  For  some  time,  the 
Father  has  daily  received  new  insults  from  those  who 
will  not  be  converted,  and  an  elder  reproached  him 
publicly  with  destroying  their  country,  because  he 
destroyed  dreams  and  superstitions ;  and,  at  the  same 
time,  he  threatened  that,  if  the  Father  did  not  leave 
the  village  where  he  then  was,  he  would  have  him 
expelled  from  the  entire  country.  But  a  missionary 
pays  little  heed  to  threats  of  this  kind ;  on  the  con- 
trary, they  are  his  consolation,  because  they  make 
his  labors  resemble  still  more  those  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  were  ever  accompanied  by  similar  oppositions. 


178  LES  RELATIONS  DES  jiiSUITES  [Vol.68 


CHAPITRE  II. 

DE    LA    MISSION    D'ONNEIOUT. 

LETTRE   DU    P.    MILLET   AU    R.    P. 
DABLON. 

MON  Reverend  P^re, 
Depuis  I'epoque  oii,  I'ann^e  pass6e,  j'^crivis 
k  Votre  Reverence,  j'ai  baptise  quarante-cinq 
personnes,  entre  autres  seize  adultes  et  autant  d'en- 
fants,  avec  les  ceremonies   de  I'Eglise;    les  autres, 
enfants  ou  adultes,  I'ont  6te  dans  I'^tat  de  maladie. 

C'est  beaucoup  plus  que  je  n'esp6rais,  vu  les  efforts 
qu'ont  fait  centre  nous  les  Hollandais  depuis  qu'ils 
ont  repris  Manathe  et  Orange  et  qu'ils  en  ont  cbasse 
les  Anglais. 

J'ai  dejk  ecrit  ^  Votre  Reverence  comme  le  plus 
considerable  capitaine  de  ce  bourg,  qui  avait  ete 
depute  ^  Catarokoui,  a  parle  tres-bien  ^  son  retour, 
et  comme  il  a  raconte  aussi  agr^ablement  qu'avan- 
tageusement  pour  les  Franfais  tout  ce  qui  s'etait 
passe  entre  les  Iroquois  et  M.  le  Gouverneur.  II  a 
fait,  en  outre,  une  profession  ouverte  de  vouloir 
dorenavant  favoriser  le  Christianisme  et  porter  les 
Onneiouts  ^  la  Foi  autant  qu'il  pourrait.  Je  lui  ai 
procure  r occasion  d'executer  sa  promesse;  car  je  I'ai 
engage,  au  commencement  de  I'Avent,  lui  et  un 
autre  ancien  qui  est  baptise,  k  rassembler  les  gens 
du  bourg  pour  1' instruction  publique  que  je  faisais 
les  dimanches.     lis  venaient  done  tous  deux  prendre 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  179 


CHAPTER  II. 

OF   THE   ONNEIOUT   MISSION. 

LETTER   FROM    FATHER    MILLET  TO  REVEREND  FATHER 

DABLON. 

MY  Reverend  Father, 
Since  the  time  when  I  wrote  to  Your  Rever- 
ence   last    year,    I    have   baptized   forty-five 
persons, — among  others,  sixteen  adults,  and  as  many 
children,    with   the  rites  of  the   Church;  while  the 
others,  children  or  adults,  were  baptized  while  ill. 

This  is  much  more  than  I  had  hoped  for,  in  view 
of  the  efforts  of  the  Dutch  against  us ;  since  they 
have  recaptured  Manathe  and  Orange,  and  driven 
out  thence  the  English. 

I  have  already  written  to  Your  Reverence  how  the 
most  notable  captain  of  this  village,  who  had  been 
deputed  to  Catarokoui,  spoke  very  well  on  his  return ; 
and  how  he  related,  as  agreeably  as  advantageously 
to  the  French,  all  that  had  passed  between  the  Iro- 
quois and  Monsieur  the  Governor.  Moreover,  he 
stated  publicly  that  he  would  favor  Christianity  in 
future,  and  would  induce  the  Onneiouts,  as  far  as  lay 
in  his  power,  to  embrace  the  Faith.  I  gave  him  an 
opportunity  of  fulfilling  his  promise;  for,  at  the 
beginning  of  Advent,  I  persuaded  him,  and  another 
elder  who  is  baptized,  to  gather  the  people  of  the 
village  together  for  the  instruction  that  I  give  in 
public  every  Sunday.  Thus  they  both  came  to 
ascertain  the  hour  when  I  should  be  in  the  chapel ; 


180  I.ES  RELATIONS  DBS  J^SUITES  [Vol.58 


mon  heure  k  la  chapelle  et  allaient  ensuite  faire  le 
tour  du  fort,  criant  chacun  de  son  c6t6:  ((Rendez- 
vous, mes  neveux,  rendez-vous  promptement  chez  la 
Robe  noire.))  Apres  mon  instruction,  un  de  ces 
anciens  ajoutait  ordinairement  une  courte  exhortation 
pour  appuyer  ce  que  j'avais  dit  et  en  faciliter  la  pra- 
tique. Une  declaration  aussi  publique  des  deux  plus 
considerables  a  beaucoup  favoris6  le  Christianisme ; 
Votre  R6v6rence  en  verra  la  preuve  dans  ce  qui  s'est 
pass^  ici  par  rapport  k  1' Eclipse  de  lune  du  21  Janvier 
dernier,  et  &,  propos  de  plusieurs  ambassades  venues 
des  autres  bourgades  des  Iroquois  k  Onneiout,  et  qui 
ont  quelque  chose  d'assez  curieux. 

I.        DE     L'^CLIPSE     de     lune     DU     21     JANVIER 

1674. 

DEPUIS  longtemps  j'avais  parl6  de  cette  Eclipse  k 
nos  Onneiouts,  et,  dfes  le  commencement  de  la 
nouvelle  lune,  j'avais  port6  un  d6fi  aux  anciens,  et 
en  particulier  "k  certains  jongleurs  qui  se  melent  de 
deviner,  de  dire  dans  combien  de  jours  elle  arrive- 
rait.  lis  baissaient  tons  la  tete  et  6taient  obliges 
d'avouer  leur  ignorance.  ((Mais  quoi,  leur  disais-je, 
ces  gens  qui  se  disent  venus  du  ciel  ne  savent  pas  ce 
qui  se  passe  de  ce  c6t6-lk?  Ces  devins  de  profession 
ne  sauraient-ils  pas  meme  pr^dire  une  chose  qui  se 
sait  naturellement  ?  Ces  savants  en  histoires  fabu- 
leuses,  qui  racontent  des  choses  si  extraordinaires 
du  soleil  et  de  la  lune,  qui  les  prennent  pour  des 
divinites  et  qui  leur  off  rent  du  p6tun  pour  avoir 
un  heureux  succfes  de  leur  guerre  et  de  leur  chasse, 
ignorent-ils  quand  I'un  ou  1' autre  se  doit  6clipser?  » 
Plus  je  les  pressais,  plus^ils  demeuraient  interdits. 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  181 

and  then  they  went  around  the  fort,  calling  out,  each 
on  his  own  side:  "Go,  my  nephews,  go  at  once  to 
the  black  Gown's."  After  my  instruction,  one  of 
these  elders  usually  added  a  short  exhortation  to 
support  what  I  had  said,  and  to  facilitate  the  practice 
of  it.  So  public  a  declaration,  from  two  of  the  most 
notable  men,  has  been  a  great  aid  to  Christianity. 
Your  Reverence  will  find  the  proof  of  it  in  what  has 
happened  here,  in  connection  with  the  eclipse  of  the 
moon  on  the  21st  of  January  last,  and  with  several 
embassies  from  the  other  Iroquois  villages  to  Onnei- 
out ;  regarding  these,  there  are  some  curious  things 
to  relate. 

I.       OF   THE    ECLIPSE   OF   THE    MOON    ON    THE   2 1  ST   OF 

JANUARY,    1674. 

FOR  a  long  time  previously,  I  had  talked  to  our 
Onneiouts  about  this  eclipse ;  and,  at  the  very 
beginning  of  the  new  moon,  I  had  challenged  the 
elders  and,  in  particular,  some  jugglers  who  claim 
to  foretell  events,  to  say  in  how  many  days  it  would 
occur.  They  all  hung  their  heads,  and  were  com- 
pelled to  confess  their  ignorance.  "  But,"  I  said, 
"  are  these  persons,  who  say  that  they  come  from 
the  sky,  ignorant  of  what  happens  up  there  ?  Cannot 
these  professional  diviners  even  predict  a  thing  that 
is  revealed  in  nature  ?  Are  these  men  —  who  know 
fabulous  stories  so  well,  who  relate  such  extraor- 
dinary things  about  the  sun  and  the  moon,  who  take 
these  objects  for  divinities,  and  offer  them  tobacco  to 
obtain  success  in  war  and  in  hunting  —  not  aware 
when  one  or  the  other  is  to  be  eclipsed  ? ' '  The  more 
I  pressed  them,  the  more  they  were  abashed.     "  Is  it 


182  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES         [Vol.58 

«Est-ce  cette  lune  qui  commence,  me  demanderent- 
ils,  qui  se  doit  6clipser?  Oui,  r^pondais-je,  c'est 
cette  lune;  il  n'est  plus  question  que  de  savoir  quel 
jour  arrivera  1' eclipse.  Prenez  courage,  consultez 
entre  vous,  et  faites-nous  un  peu  voir  la  verity  de 
votre  art  k  pr^dire  les  choses  futures. »  Les  pauvres 
gens  m'avouaient  que  cela  les  passait,  et  ils  me 
priaient  de  les  aller  avertir  au  temps  de  1 'eclipse. 
Apres  cet  aveu,  plusieurs  fois  r^itere,  de  leur  igno- 
rance, le  dimanche,  apres  la  messe,  je  dis  publique- 
ment  que  1' Eclipse  serait  la  nuit  suivante;  qu'ils  se 
souvinssent  de  regarder,  s'ils  se  reveillaient.  Par 
bonheur,  le  ciel  6tait  fort  serein;  et,  des  que  j'eus 
remarque  le  commencement  de  I'eclipse,  je  m'en 
allai  trouver  I'orateur  du  pays  et  quelques  autres  des 
plus  considerables,  qui  se  leverent,  et  qui,  etant 
sortis  promptement  de  leurs  cabanes,  virent  I'eclipse 
d^jk  fort  sensible.  Sur-le-champ,  ils  en  firent  le  cri 
au  milieu  et  autour  du  fort.  Je  les  avertis  qu'elle  ne 
demeurerait  pas  oil  elle  en  etait,  qu'elle  croitrait  bien 
davantage,  et  qu'k  peine  resterait-il  la  douzieme 
partie  de  la  lune.  Ils  me  demanderent  si  celle-ci  ne 
paraitrait  plus ;  ces  bonnes  gens  la  croyaient  presque 
perdue.  «Elle  reparaitra  tout  entiere,  leur  dis-je, 
quand  elle  sera  en  tel  endroit  du  ciel,  car  elle  avance 
toujours;  et,  comme  vous  la  voyez  maintenant  d6- 
croitre  peu  h.  peu,  vous  la  verrez  aussi  recroitre  ^ 
proportion.))  Tout  etant  arrive  comme  je  I'avais 
annonc6,  ils  ont  ete  contraints  d'avouer  que  nous 
savions  mieux  les  choses  qu'eux.  De  mon  cot^,  j'en 
ai  tire  bien  de  I'avantage  pour  les  instruire  et  pour 
les  desabuser  de  leurs  fables  et  de  leurs  superstitions. 
Ces  choses  sensibles  sont  beaucoup  plus  efficaces  sur 


1672 -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673-74  183 

the  moon  that  is  just  beginning  that  is  to  be 
eclipsed?  "  they  asked  me.  "  Yes,"  I  replied,  "  it  is 
this  moon ;  the  only  question  is  to  know  when  the 
eclipse  will  occur.  Take  courage,  consult  among 
yourselves,  and  let  us  see  for  a  moment  how  accurate 
your  art  is  in  predicting  future  events."  The  poor 
people  admitted  to  me  that  it  was  beyond  their 
knowledge,  and  begged  me  to  go  and  notify  them  at 
the  time  of  the  eclipse.  After  this  avowal  of  their 
ignorance  had  been  several  times  reiterated,  I 
publicly  announced  on  Sunday,  after  mass,  that  the 
eclipse  would  take  place  on  the  following  night ;  and 
that,  if  they  awoke,  they  must  remember  to  look. 
Fortunately,  the  sky  was  very  clear ;  and,  as  soon  as  I 
noticed  that  the  eclipse  was  beginning,  I  went  to  the 
orator  of  the  country,  and  to  some  others  among  the 
most  notable  men;  they  arose  and,  coming  quickly 
out  of  their  cabins,  saw  that  the  eclipse  was 
already  very  perceptible.  Immediately,  they  an- 
nounced the  event,  within  and  without  the  fort.  I 
warned  them  that  it  would  not  remain  as  it  was; 
that  it  would  increase  a  great  deal  more,  and  that 
barely  one-twelfth  of  the  moon  would  remain  visible. 
They  asked  me  whether  it  would  not  reappear  again, 
for  these  simple  people  thought  that  it  was  almost 
lost.  "  It  will  reappear  entirely, "  I  said,  "  and  then 
it  will  be  at  such  a  spot  in  the  sky  for  it  continues  to 
advance ;  and,  just  as  you  now  see  it  gradually  grow- 
ing smaller,  so  will  you  see  it  grow  larger  in  the 
same  proportion."  Everything  happened  as  I  had 
announced,  and  they  were  compelled  to  admit  that 
we  knew  things  better  than  they.  For  my  part,  I 
derived  great  benefit  from  this,  in  instructing  them 


184  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Vol.58 

leur  esprit  grossier  que  tons  les  raisonnements  qu'on 
leur  pourrait  apporter. 

II.       DE     PLUSIEURS     AMBASSADES     DES     AUTRES     IRO- 
QUOIS   A    ONNEIOUT. 

LES  nations  iroquoises,  pour  entretenir  la  paix  et 
I'union  entre  elles,  et  pour  r^parer  les  fautes 
que  les  particuliers  pourraient  faire,  ont  institu6  de 
certaines  ambassades  qu'elles  s'envoient  reoiproque- 
ment  les  unes  aux  autres.  C'est  Ik  ou  ils  exposent 
avec  le  plus  de  magnificence  qu'ils  peuvent  leurs 
beaux  colliers  de  porcelaine,  et  oil  leurs  capitaines 
s'etudient  k  faire  paraitre  leur  Eloquence,  tant  k 
raconter  leurs  fables,  leurs  genealogies  et  leurs  his- 
toires  qu'k  exhorter  &.  propos  les  anciens  et  les 
guerriers  selon  I'exigence  des  affaires  pr6sentes. 

Dans  chaque  famille  il  y  a  un  certain  nombre 
d'hommes  et  de  femmes  considerables  qui  repr6- 
sentent  comme  les  nobles  du  pays;  on  les  appelle 
Agoiand^res;  ce  sont  eux  qui  fournissent  la  porce- 
laine et  les  colliers.  Lorsqu'on  a  dessein  d'envoyer 
une  ambassade  chez  les  autres  nations,  les  families 
s'assemblent  d'abord,  chacune  en  particulier,  et 
ramassent  tout  ce  qu'elles  ont  k  donner  de  porcelaine ; 
ensuite  chaque  famille  fait  voir  aux  autres  ce  que  les 
plus  riches  d'entre  eux  ont  fourni.  Le  plus  ancien 
ou  le  plus  Eloquent  de  cette  famille  fait  ensuite  une 
harangue,  soit  en  se  tenant  debout,  soit  le  plus  sou- 
vent,  en  se  promenant.  II  parle  tantot  sur  un  ton 
lugubre  et  en  trainant  sur  les  mots,  tantot  avec  un 
accent  vif  propre  k  ^mouvoir ;  quelquefois  d'une  voix 
gaie  et  entremel6e  de  chansons  que  les  autres  anciens 
r6petent  harmonieusement.     A  la  fin  il  montre  tous 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  1 85 

and  undeceiving  them  about  their  myths  and  super- 
stitions. Such  perceptible  things  have  a  much 
greater  effect  on  their  rude  minds  than  would  all 
the  reasoning  that  could  be  brought  to  bear  upon 
them. 

II.       OF   SEVERAL   EMBASSIES    FROM     THE     OTHER    IRO- 
QUOIS  TO    ONNEIOUT. 

IN  order  to  maintain  peace  among  themselves,  and 
make  amends  for  faults  committed  by  individu- 
als, the  Iroquois  nations  have  instituted  certain 
embassies  which  they  reciprocally  send  one  another. 
In  these  they  exhibit  their  fine  porcelain  collars, 
with  the  utmost  magnificence  in  their  power ;  and 
their  captains  endeavor  to  display  their  eloquence, — 
both  in  relating  their  fables,  their  genealogies,  and 
their  stories;  and  in  suitably  exhorting  the  elders 
and  warriors,  according  to  the  requirements  of  cur- 
rent affairs. 

In  each  family  there  are  a  certain  number  of  men 
and  women  of  note,  who  represent,  as  it  were,  the 
nobles  of  the  country.  They  are  called  Agoiandlres, 
and  they  provide  the  porcelain  beads  and  the  collars. -'^ 
When  it  is  intended  to  send  an  embassy  to  other 
nations,  the  families  first  meet,  each  in  private,  and 
collect  all  the  porcelain  beads  that  they  can  give; 
then  each  family  displays  to  the  others  what  its 
richest  members  have  supplied.  Then  the  oldest  or 
the  most  eloquent  person  of  the  family  delivers  a 
harangue, — either  standing  erect,  or,  more  fre- 
quently, walking  about.  At  times,  he  speaks  in 
lugubrious  tones,  drawling  out  his  words;  at  others, 
in  a  sharp  tone  calculated  to  produce  emotion  ;  some- 
times in    a  joyful  voice,   intermingled  with  songs, 


186  LES  RELATIONS  DES  j£SUITES  [Vol.58 

ces  colliers  comme  autant  de  defunts,  autrefois  consi- 
derables, qui  reviennent  "k  la  vie  pour  animer  tous  ceux 
qui  sont  Ik  presents  k  conserver  le  pays  pour  lequel 
ils  ont  autrefois  donne  leur  vie  et  repandu  leur  sang. 
Tout  se  termine  par  un  festin,  et  par  I'offrande  de 
plusieurs  presents  qu'ils  se  font  les  uns  aux  autres. 
Les  anciens  des  autres  families  remercient  celui  qui 
a  parle,  et  le  lendemain  ils  font  la  meme  chose  que 
lui,  chacun  a  leur  tour.  Apres  que  chaque  famille  a 
ainsi  expose  ses  colliers  et  acheve  sa  harangue,  elles 
se  rassemblent  toutes  k  un  jour  determine,  et,  pen- 
dant tous  leurs  colliers  par  ordre,  chacune  de  son 
cote,  elles  s'entredisent  qui  sont  ceux  qui  ont  donne 
ces  colliers.  «Un  tel,  disent-ils,  a  donne  celui-lk  de 
tant  de  milliers  de  grains ;  un  tel  a  donne  ces  deux- 
Ik,  ces  trois ;  un  autre  ces  quatre  colliers. »  Enfin  ils 
joignent  ensemble  tous  les  colliers  et  les  mettent 
entre  les  mains  des  anciens  qui  en  demeurent  les 
maitres.  Le  conseil  se  tient  ensuite  pour  examiner 
combien  on  en  portera  k  chaque  nation  vers  laquelle 
on  doit  aller  en  ambassade,  et  quelles  affaires  on  y 
traitera.  Quelques  jours  avant  le  depart  des  ambas- 
sadeurs,  ils  envoient  un  present  de  porcelaine  pour 
demander  qu'on  leur  prepare  une  natte  pour  s'asseoir 
et  se  coucher,  et  pour  avertir  du  jour  de  leur  depart 
ou  de  leur  arrivee. 

Sitot  que  cette  nouvelle  parvient  dans  une  bour- 
gade,  les  vieillards  s'y  rassemblent;  de  leur  cote  les 
jeunes  gens  vont  k  la  chasse,  et  tout  le  monde 
contribue  de  ce  qu'il  a  de  meilleur  pour  regaler  les 
ambassadeurs. 

Quand  ils  sont  arrives  environ  k  une  portee  de 
mousquet  de  la  palissade,  on  allume  un  feu  en  signe 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  187 

which  the  other  elders  repeat  in  harmony.  At  the 
conclusion,  he  shows  all  these  collars  as  so  many- 
deceased  persons,  formerly  people  of  note,  who  come 
back  to  life  to  urge  all  present  to  preserve  the  coun- 
try for  which  they,  of  old,  gave  up  their  lives  and 
shed  their  blood.  The  whole  concludes  with  a  feast 
and  the  mutual  interchange  of  presents.  The  elders 
of  the  other  families  thank  him  who  has  spoken; 
and,  on  the  following  day,  they  do  the  same  as  he 
has  done,  each  in  turn.  After  each  family  has  thus 
displayed  its  collars  and  delivered  its  harangue,  they 
all  assemble  on  a  specified  day;  and,  hanging  up 
their  collars  in  order,  each  family  on  its  own  side, 
they  tell  one  another  who  have  given  these  collars. 
"  Such  a  person,"  they  say,  "has  given  this  one, 
made  of  so  many  thousand  beads;  another  has  given 
these  two,  these  three;  still  another,  these  four 
collars. ' '  Finally,  they  put  all  these  collars  together, 
and  hand  them  over  to  the  elders,  who  remain  the 
masters  thereof.  The  council  is  then  held,  to  con- 
sider how  many  shall  be  carried  to  each  nation  to 
which  an  embassy  is  to  be  sent,  and  what  affairs  shall 
be  negotiated  by  the  deputies.  Some  days  before 
the  departure  of  the  ambassadors,  they  send  a  present 
of  porcelain  beads,  to  ask  that  a  mat  be  prepared  on 
which  they  may  sit  and  lie,  and  to  give  notice  of  the 
date  of  their  departure  or  arrival. 

As  soon  as  the  news  reaches  a  village,  the  old 
people  assemble ;  the  young  men,  for  their  part,  go  to 
hunt;  and  every  one  contributes  the  best  that  he 
has  for  regaling  the  ambassadors. 

When  they  have  arrived  within  a  musket-shot 
from  the  palisade,  a  fire  is  lighted,  as  a  sign  of  peace, 
at  the  spot  where  the  elders  of  the  village  are  going 


188  LES  RELA  TJONS  DES  /^SUITES  [Vol.  58 

de  paix  dans  I'endroit  oil  les  anciens  de  la  bourgade 
vont  les  attendre;  et,  apr^s  avoir  p^tune  quelque 
temps  et  regu  les  compliments  sanvages  qu'ils  se 
font  les  uns  aux  autres,  on  les  mene  h.  la  cabane  qui 
leur  est  assignee.  lis  marchent  tons  gravement  et 
file  k  file.  Un  des  plus  considerables  marche  en 
tete,  et  il  prononce  une  grande  suite  de  mots  qu'ils 
ont  regus  par  tradition  et  qu'on  r^pfete  apres  lui. 
Celui  des  ambassadeurs  qui  doit  parler,  marche  le 
dernier  en  chantant  d'un  air  assez  agreable,  et  con- 
tinue sa  chanson  jusque  dans  sa  cabane,  oil  il  fait 
meme  cinq  ou  six  tours  en  chantant,  puis  il  s'assied 
le  dernier  de  tous.  lA  on  renouvelle  les  temoignages 
d'amitie,  on  se  fait  des  presents  pour  oter  la  lassi- 
tude, pour  essuyer  les  larmes,  pour  dessiller  les  yeux 
afin  qu'on  s'entre-regarde  plus  facilement,  enfin  pour 
ouvrir  le  gosier  afin  de  donner  un  passage  plus  libre 
^  la  voix.  Ces  presents  sont  suivis  de  mets  que  Ton 
sert  aux  ambassadeurs  par  forme  de  rafraichissement. 
Ensuite  on  leur  demande  des  nouvelles  de  leur 
nation,  et  ils  repondent  par  des  recits  qui  durent 
quelquefois  presque  toute  la  nuit.  Le  lendemain  ils 
se  reposent,  et,  le  troisieme  jour,  ils  font  leur 
harangue,  ils  exposent  les  colliers  et  le  sujet  de  leur 
ambassade.  On  leur  repond  le  jour  suivant,  apres 
une  danse  publique  qui  se  fait  autour  des  colliers ;  le 
tout  se  termine  par  un  festin  et  par  les  remerciements 
qu'ils  se  font  mutuellement. 

III.       DE    QUELQUES    BAPTEMES. 

POUR   venir    maintenant   k   ce   qui    regarde   plus 
directement  la  Mission,  la  plupart  des  baptemes 
que  j'ai  faits,  ont  ete,  ou  de  parents  dont  les  enfants 


1672 - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673 -74  1 89 

to  wait  for  them ;  and,  after  smoking  for  some  time 
and  receiving  the  savage  compliments  that  they  pay- 
one  another,  they  are  led  to  the  cabin  set  apart  for 
them.  They  all  march  gravely  and  in  file.  One 
of  the  most  notable  men  walks  at  the  head,  and 
pronounces  a  long  string  of  words  which  have  been 
handed  down  to  them  by  tradition,  and_  which  are 
repeated  by  the  others  after  him.  The  ambassador 
who  is  to  be  the  spokesman  comes  last  of  all,  sing- 
ing in  a  rather  agreeable  tone;  he  continues  his 
song  until  he  has  entered  his  cabin,  around  which 
he  also  walks  five  or  six  times,  still  singing;  then 
he  sits  down,  last  of  all.  There  the  pledges  of 
friendship  are  renewed,  and  presents  are  given  to 
dispel  fatigue ;  to  wipe  away  tears ;  to  remove  scales 
from  their  eyes,  so  that  they  may  more  easily  see 
one  another;  and,  finally,  to  open  their  throats  and 
give  freer  passage  to  their  voices.  These  presents 
are  followed  by  food  served  to  the  ambassadors,  by 
way  of  refreshment.  Then  they  are  asked  for  news 
<:oncerning  their  nation,  and  they  reply  by  recitals 
that  sometimes  last  nearly  all  night.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day  they  rest,  and  on  the  third  they  deliver 
their  harangue,  display  the  collars,  and  make  known 
the  object  of  the  embassy.  A  reply  is  given  to 
them  on  the  following  day,  after  a  public  dance 
around  the  collars.  The  whole  concludes  with  a 
feast  and  with  mutual  thanks. 

III.       OF   SOME    BAPTISMS. 

To  come  now  to  what  more  directly  affects  the 
Mission,  most  of  the  people  whom  I  have  bap- 
tized have  been  either  parents  whose  children  had 
already  received  baptism,  or  children  whose  parents 


190  LES  RELATIONS  DES  jASUITES  [Vol.58 

etaient  baptises,  ou  d'enfants  dont  les  parents  etaient 
Chretiens,  ou  d'autres  Sauvages  de  diverses  cabanes 
oti  la  Foi  n'^tait  pas  encore  entree.  J'espere  que 
Dieu  se  servira  d'eux  pour  en  attirer  d'autres  'k  son 
service.  Une  ville  est  ^  demi  prise  quand  on  pent 
avoir  des  intelligences  dans  la  place ;  et  je  remarque 
qu'on  a  bien  plus  d'entree  pour  instruire  les  Sauvages 
quand  il  y  a  quelqu'un  de  la  maison  ou  de  la  parente 
qui  fait  profession  publique  du  Christianisme.  J'ai 
baptise  six  personnes  dans  une  meme  cabane,  comme 
par  engagement,  les  uns  apres  les  autres ;  de  ces  six, 
il  y  en  a  dej^  un  qui  est  alle  prendre  sa  place  dans  le 
ciel.  C'etait  un  jeune  enfant  dont  j'avais  baptise  la 
mere,  I'automne  pass6.  Apres  la  mort  de  ce  fils 
unique,  elle  fit  un  festin  aux  plus  fervents  Chretiens, 
pour  les  inviter  k  assister  aux  prieres  que  Ton  recite- 
rait  sur  le  corps  du  defunt,  qu'elle  avait  fait  trans- 
porter dans  la  chapelle.  C'est  la  premiere,  parmi 
nos  femmes  Sauvages,  qui  ait  eu  ce  courage;  car, 
ici,  les  meres  ne  songent  ordinairement  qu'^  pleurer 
la  mort  de  leurs  enfants.  Et  nous  n'osions  guere, 
en  ce  moment-Ik,  leur  rappeler  que  leurs  enfants 
morts  avaient  ete  baptises,  de  peur  de  confirmer  dans 
leur  esprit  la  persuasion  qu'ils  ont  generalement  que 
la  Foi  et  le  bapteme  avancent  la  mort.  J'espere 
qu'elle  ne  sera  pas  la  derniere,  et  que  nous  introdui- 
rons  avec  le  temps  les  sepultures  chretiennes,  comme 
nous  avons  introduit  cette  annee  beaucoup  d'autres 
ceremonies, 

Un  des  autres  adultes  que  j'ai  baptises,  et  qui  a  le 
plus  donne  d'edification  "k  cette  eglise,  a  ete  une 
femme  d' environ  trente-cinq  ans,  d'un  tres-bon 
naturel  et  d'une  vie  irreprochable. 


1672 -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673-74  191 

were  Christians,  or  other  Savages,  from  various 
cabins  into  which  the  Faith  had  not  yet  entered.  I 
trust  that  God  will  make  use  of  them  to  attract 
others  to  his  service.  A  town  is  half  taken  when 
correspondence  can  be  opened  with  some  one  within 
its  walls ;  and  I  observe  that  there  is  a  much  better 
chance  for  instructing  the  Savages  when  some  mem- 
ber of  the  household,  or  one  of  the  relatives,  publicly 
professes  Christianity.  I  baptized  six  persons  in  the 
same  cabin,  as  if  by  agreement,  one  after  the  other. 
One  of  these  six  has  already  gone  to  take  his  place 
in  heaven.  This  was  a  young  child,  whose  mother 
I  had  baptized  last  autumn.  After  the  death  of  this, 
her  only  child,  she  gave  a  feast  to  the  most  fervent 
Christians,  to  request  them  to  be  present  at  the 
prayers  that  were  to  be  recited  over  the  body  of  the 
deceased,  which  she  had  caused  to  be  conveyed  to  the 
chapel.  She  is  the  first  among  our  Savage  women 
who  has  had  the  courage  to  do  so;  for,  as  a  rule,  the 
mothers  here  think  only  of  weeping  at  the  death  of 
their  children.  At  such  a  time,  too,  we  hardly  ven- 
ture to  remind  them  that  their  dead  children  have 
been  baptized,  for  fear  of  confirming  them  in  the 
idea  which  they  generally  entertain,  that  the  Faith 
and  baptism  hasten  death.  I  hope  that  she  will  not 
be  the  last;  and  that,  in  time,  we  shall  introduce 
Christian  burial,  just  as  we  have  introduced  many 
other  ceremonies  this  year. 

Another  of  the  adults  whom  I  have  baptized,  and 
who  has  given  the  greatest  edification  to  this  church, 
is  a  woman  about  thirty-five  years  of  age,  of  excel- 
lent character  and  irreproachable  life. 

Father  Bruyas,  who  had  charge  of  this  Mission 
before  me,   had  prepared  her  mother  for  a  happy 


192  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Vol.58 

Le  P.  Bruyas,  qui  avait  soin  de  cette  Mission 
avant  moi,  avait  pr6paree  sa  mfere  ^  bien  mourir,  ou 
plutot,  dans  I'opinion  de  cette  bonne  femme,  k  naitre 
k  une  autre  vie  eternellement  glorieuse.  La  persua- 
sion qu'elle  avait  que  sa  mere  etait  bienheureuse 
dans  le  Ciel  lui  servait  d'un  grand  attrait  pour  se 
faire  baptiser;  et,  d'un  autre  cote,  sa  vie  fort  con- 
forme  aux  lois  du  Christianisme,  la  faisait  presque 
nommer  chretienne  avant  qu'elle  le  fut. 

Apres  tout,  je  ne  sais  k  quoi  cela  tenait,  elle  avait 
peine  h  s'assujettir  au  dimanche  et  aux  antres  pra- 
tiques des  Chretiens.  Elle  alia  jusqu'^  me  dire  un 
jour  que  je  ne  la  baptiserais  pas.  Cependant  elle 
avait  de  si  bonnes  dispositions  au  bapteme,  que  je  ne 
pouvais  croire  que  Dieu  la  voulut  priver  de  cette 
grace,  surtout  apres  qu'elle  m'eut  assure  qu'elle 
n'avait  point  encore  bu  d' eau-de-vie,  qui  fait  ici  de 
grands  ravages,  meme  parmi  les  femmes,  et  qu'elle 
voulait  avoir  la  consolation  de  mourir  sans  en  avoir 
bu.  Comme  je  la  sollicitais  doucement  d'achever  ce 
que  Dieu  avait  commence  en  elle,  et  de  se  faire  veri- 
tablement  chretienne  comme  elle  en  avait  dej^  les 
apparences,  elle  se  resolut  enfin  de  se  disposer  au 
bapteme ;  et,  apres  une  epreuve  de  quelques  mois, 
je  la  baptisai  et  je  suppleai  en  meme  temps  les  cere- 
monies k  un  de  ses  enfants  qui  avait  6t€  baptise  en 
maladie.  Je  conferai  aussi  le  bapteme  k  sa  petite  fille 
de  trois  ans.  lis  sont  tons  maintenant  tres-assidus  k 
la  priere  et  aux  instructions. 

Une  jeune  femme  me  vint  chercher  pour  aller  bap- 
tiser sa  mere  que  les  medecins  du  pays  avaient  con- 
damn6e ;  c'etait  une  bonne  femme  ,que  ses  parents 
avaient  autrefois  fort  maltraitee  pour  I'empecher  de 


1 672 - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673 -74  193 

death  —  or,  rather,  in  the  opinion  of  that  good 
woman,  for  being  born  again  to  a  life  of  everlasting 
glory.  The  conviction  that  her  mother  was  happy 
in  Heaven  was  a  powerful  reason  for  inducing  her  to 
be  baptized;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  her  life,  which 
was  most  conformable  to  the  laws  of  Christianity, 
almost  gave  her  the  name  of  Christian  before  she 
really  was  one. 

After  all,  I  know  not  why  it  was,  she  found  it  diffi- 
cult to  submit  to  Sundays  and  to  the  other  Christian 
practices.  She  even  went  so  far  as  to  tell  me,  one 
day,  that  I  should  not  baptize  her.  Nevertheless, 
she  had  so  excellent  qualifications  for  baptism  that  I 
could  not  believe  that  God  would  deprive  her  of  that 
grace, — especially  after  she  had  assured  me  that  she 
had  not  yet  drunk  any  brandy,  which  causes  great 
ravages  here  even  among  the  women ;  and  that  she 
wished  to  have  the  consolation  of  dying  without 
having  drunk  any.  When  I  gently  solicited  her  to 
complete  what  God  had  begun  in  her,  and  to  become  a 
true  Christian,  as  she  had  all  the  appearances  of  one, 
she  at  last  resolved  to  prepare  herself  for  baptism ; 
and,  after  a  trial  of  some  months,  I  baptized  her,  and 
at  the  same  time  completed  the  rites  for  one  of  her 
children,  who  had  been  baptized  while  ill.  I  also 
administered  baptism  to  her  little  daughter,  three 
years  old.  They  are  now  all  most  assiduous  in 
attending  prayers  and  instructions. 

A  young  woman  came  to  get  me  to  baptize  her 
mother  whose  recovery  was  despaired  of  by  the 
physicians  of  the  country.  She  was  a  good  woman, 
who  had  formerly  been  ill-treated  by  her  relatives, 
to  prevent  her  from  coming  to  Prayers.  I  did  not 
consider  her  as  dangerously  ill  as  she  was  said  to 


194  LES  RELATIONS  DES  jASUITES  [Vol.58 

venir  ^  la  Priere.  Je  ne  la  jugeai  pas  si  fort  en 
danger  que  Ton  disait,  et  afin  de  pouvoir  la  disposer 
plus  ^  loisir,  je  differai  de  lui  conferer  le  bapteme. 
La  fiUe  s'impatienta  centre  moi  et  me  demandait  si 
je  voulais  attendre  que  sa  mere  fut  morte  pour  la 
baptiser.  Mais  I'^venement  a  prouve  que  j'avais 
raison;  la  malade  commen9a  des  lors  k  se  mieux 
porter,  et  apr^s  avoir  recouvre  entierement  la  sante, 
elle  est  venue  k  la  chapelle.  J'ai  done  pu  la  disposer 
comme  je  souhaitais,  et  je  I'ai  baptisee  avec  les  cere- 
monies de  I'Eglise.  Depuis,  elle  a  dit  a  ses  parents 
qui  I'avaient  maltraitee  pour  I'empecher  d'embrasser 
la  Foi:  «Battez-moi,  maintenant,  et  tuez-moi,  si  vous 
voulez,  car  je  vous  declare  que  non-seulement  je 
retourne  k  la  Priere,  mais  que  je  suis  baptisee  et 
chretienne. »  On  la  laissa  faire  en  repos  ses  exercices 
de  devotion,  et  elle  est  une  des  plus  ferventes  de  notre 
Eglise. 

Parmi  celles  que  j'ai  baptisees  en  maladie,  je  n'en 
citerai  qu'une.  C'etait  une  femme  d'environ  qua- 
rante  ans  qui,  avant  de  tomber  malade,  avait  pris  la 
resolution  de  se  faire  chretienne.  Dans  ce  dessein, 
elle  m'avait  ouvert  son  coeur  et  avait  fait  une  action 
g6n6reuse  bien  au-dessus  de  la  port^e  ordinaire  des 
Sauvages;  elle  avait  meprise  toute  sorte  d'int^rets 
temporels  pour  celui  de  sa  conscience  et  de  son  salut ; 
elle  avait  dejk  commence  a  venir  ^  notre  chapelle, 
mais  elle  n'y  vint  qu'une  fois,  car  des  le  lendemain 
elle  tomba  malade.  Je  craignais  qu'on  ne  dit  ou 
qu'elle  ne  s'imaginat  que  c'etait  la  Priere  qui  avait 
cause  sa  maladie;  mais  Dieu  lui  donna  d'autres  pen- 
s6es.  Elle  me  temoigna  au  contraire  qu'un  de  ses 
regrets  €tait  d'avoir  si    peu  prie   Dieu.     «Mais  au 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  198 

be ;  and,  in  order  that  I  might  be  able  to  prepare  her 
more  at  leisure,  I  deferred  administering  baptism  to 
her.  Her  daughter  became  impatient  with  me,  and 
asked  me  whether  I  intended  to  wait  until  her  mother 
was  dead,  to  baptize  her.  But  events  proved  that  I 
was  right,  for  the  sick  woman  began  at  once  to 
mend ;  and,  when  she  had  completely  recovered  her 
health,  she  came  to  the  chapel.  I  was  therefore  able 
to  prepare  her  as  I  wished,  and  I  baptized  her  with 
the  rites  of  the  Church.  After  that,  she  said  to  her 
relatives  who  had  ill-treated  her  to  prevent  her  from 
embracing  the  Faith:  "  Beat  me  now  and  kill  me, 
if  you  will ;  for  I  declare  to  you  that  not  only  do 
I  return  to  Prayer,  but  that  I  am  baptized  and  a 
Christian."  She  was  allowed  to  perform  her  devo- 
tions in  peace,  and  is  one  of  the  most  fervent  of  our 
Church. 

I  shall  mention  only  one  of  those  whom  I  baptized 
during  their  illness.  This  was  a  woman  about  forty 
years  old,  who,  before  falling  sick,  had  resolved  to 
become  a  Christian.  With  that  object,  she  had 
opened  her  heart  to  me,  and  had  performed  a  noble 
action  which  was  far  beyond  the  usual  capacity  of 
Savages ;  she  had  scorned  all  sorts  of  temporal  inter- 
ests for  the  sake  of  her  conscience  and  her  salvation. 
She  had  already  begun  to  come  to  our  chapel ;  but 
she  came  only  once,  for  she  fell  ill  on  the  following 
day.  I  feared  that  it  might  be  said,  or  that  she 
might  think,  that  Prayer  had  caused  her  illness;  but 
God  inspired  her  with  other  thoughts.  On  the  con- 
trary, she  told  me  that  one  of  her  regrets  was  that 
she  had  prayed  to  God  so  little.  "  But,  at  least,"  she 
said,  "  pray  for  me  until  I  die ;  and  if  any  one  should 
seek  to  prevent  you,  do  not  allow  him  to  do  so." 


196  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Vol.58 

moins,  me  disait-elle,  priez  pour  moi  jusqu'k  la  mort, 
et  si  quelqu'un  voulait  vous  en  empecher,  ne  laissez 
pas  de  le  faire. »  Elle  a  laiss6  deux  filles  d6jk  grandes 
h.  qui  elle  a  recommand^  au  lit  de  la  mort  d'embras- 
ser  le  Christianisme. 

IV.       DE    QUELQUES   ANCIENS   CHRETIENS. 

JE  ne  saurais  taire  ici  I'^dification  que  nous  a 
donn^e  un  capitaine  huron,  nomm6  Louis  Thaon- 
d^choren,  qui  avait  accompagn6  M.  le  gouverneur  k 
Catarokoui;  de  \k  il  6tait  venu  ici  avec  quelques 
autres  capitaines  visiter  ceux  de  sa  nation  qui  sont 
naturalises  dans  le  pays  des  Iroquois.  Le  peu  de 
temps  qu'il  a  pass6  en  cette  bourgade,  11  s'y  est  con- 
duit avec  tant  de  sagesse,  qu'il  nous  a  laiss^  ^  tous 
un  tres-doux  souvenir  de  sa  vertu.  II  portait  tou- 
jours  au  cou  son  chapelet  et  son  crucifix  qui  lui 
servaient  de  sauvegarde  contre  les  invitations  de 
festins  et  contre  les  autres  occasions  de  pecber  qui 
ne  sont  ici  que  trop  fr^quentes.  II  me  pria  de  le 
conf esser  et  de  le  communier,  afin  que  Dieu  lui  forti- 
fiat  r esprit  dans  ce  pays  de  Tinfid^lite  et  lui  inspirat 
des  paroles  de  vie  et  de  salut  quand  il  parlerait  aux 
autres  Sauvages.  Le  dimancbe  il  fit  une  instruction 
aux  Chretiens  pendant  la  messe,  et,  aux  exhortations 
particulieres  qu'il  faisait  dans  les  cabanes,  il  ajouta 
divers  presents,  tant  pour  retirer  quelques-uns  du 
desordre  que  pour  les  affermir  dans  le  bien.  Je  n'ai 
su  ces  particularites  qu'apres  son  depart.  Depuis, 
etant  all^  k  Agnie,  je  le  rencontrai  encore  dans  les 
memes  exercices  de  pi6t6  et  de  charity,  et  j'eus  la 
consolation  de  I'entretenir  plus  particulierement  dans 
quelques  courses  que  je  fis  avec  lui  en  visitant  la 


1672 - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673 -74  197 

She  left  two  daughters,  already  grown  up,  whom  she 
advised  on  her  death-bed  to  embrace  Christianity. 

IV.      OF   SOME    OF   THE    OLDER    CHRISTIANS. 

I  CANNOT  pass  over  in  silence  the  edification  given  us 
by  a  Huron  captain,  Louis  Thaond^choren,  who 
had  accompanied  Monsieur  the  governor  to  Cataro- 
koui ;  thence  he  had  come  here  with  some  other  cap- 
tains, to  visit  those  of  his  nation  who  are  naturalized 
in  the  Iroquois  country.  During  his  short  stay  in  this 
village,  his  conduct  was  so  discreet  as  to  leave  us  a 
very  pleasant  recollection  of  his  virtue.  He  always 
wore  his  rosary  and  crucifix  around  his  neck,  and  they 
served  him  as  a  safeguard  against  all  invitations  to 
feasts  and  other  occasions  for  sin,  which  are  only  too 
frequent  here.  He  begged  me  to  confess  him  and 
give  him  communion,  in  order  that  God  might  for- 
tify his  mind  in  this  country  of  infidelity,  and  inspire 
him  with  the  words  of  life  and  of  salvation  when  he 
should  speak  to  the  other  Savages.  On  Sunday,  he 
gave  an  instruction  to  the  Christians  during  mass; 
and  to  his  private  exhortations  in  the  cabins  he  added 
gifts, —  both  to  withdraw  some  from  evil  ways,  and 
to  strengthen  the  others  in  doing  good.  I  learned 
these  particulars  only  after  his  departure.  Subse- 
quently I  went  to  Agni^,  and  found  him  still  per- 
forming the  same  pious  and  charitable  actions ;  and  I 
had  the  consolation  of  conversing  with  him  more 
privately  in  the  course  of  some  walks  that  I  took 
with  him,  while  visiting  the  Agnie  Mission.  His 
discourses  were  solely  about  God,  and  he  took  an 
exceedingly  great  pleasure  in  singing  Church  chants 
along  the  way  —  as  a  reparation,  he  said,  for  the  sins 
that  he  had  formerly  committed  by  singing  profane 


198  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES  [Vol.58 

Mission  d'Agni6.  Ses  discours  n'^taient  que  de 
Dieu,  et  il  se  plaisait  extremement  k  chanter  par  le 
chemin  des  airs  de  I'Eglise,  pour  r^parer,  disait-il, 
les  fautes  qu'il  avait  faites  autrefois  en  chantant  des 
chansons  profanes.  La  charity  I'avait  d6pouill6  de 
tout,  et  autant  je  I'avais  vu  "k  Onnei'out  pourvu  de 
bien  des  choses  utiles  ou  commodes,  autant  je  le 
trouvai  k  Agni6  d^nue  de  tout,  except^  de  sa  vertu, 
qui  me  paraissait  d'autant  plus  charmante  qu'elle 
I'avait  r^duit  k  une  plus  grande  pauvret^. 

Nous  avons  ici  deux  chr6tiennes  qui  me  sont  d'un 
grand  secours  pour  instruction  des  fideles  et  pour 
I'avancement  de  cette  Eglise.  La  premiere,  et  la 
plus  ancienne,  se  nomme  F61icite;  elle  avait  puis^ 
"k  Quebec,  chez  les  Ursulines,  ou  elle  a  demeur^ 
quelques  ann^es,  une  teinture  si  solide  et  de  si  bons 
principes  de  piete,  qu'elle  a  su  prendre,  par  sa  vertu, 
et  conserver  tou jours  un  certain  ascendant  sur  tous 
les  autres  Chretiens.  Elle  sait  parfaitement  toutes 
les  prieres,  les  chants  de  I'Eglise  et  les  mysteres  de 
notre  Foi,  et  elle  en  donne  I'explication  avec  tant  de 
nettet^,  que  les  hommes  eux-memes  I'dcoutent  volon- 
tiers  comme  leur  maitresse.  Elle  est  secondde  par 
une  autre  jeune  femme  baptis^e,  qui,  entre  autres 
actes  de  zMe,  s'est  signal^e  par  I'adresse  qu'elle  a 
fait  paraitre  en  ramenant  dans  le  bon  chemin  une  de 
ses  amies  qui  s'en  ecartait.  Cette  Sauvage  etait 
tombee  en  quelque  faute  de  superstition,  "k  1' instance 
de  ses  parents,  pendant  une  grave  maladie  qui  avait 
mis  ses  jours  en  danger.  Elle  avait  bien,  k  la  verity, 
r^pare  en  quelque  fa9on  sa  faute,  en  renon5ant  k  ses 
superstitions  et  refusant  d'^couter  davantage  ses 
parents;  n^anmoins,  la  honte  d'avoir  succomb6  k  leurs 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  199 

songs.  Charity  had  despoiled  him  of  everything; 
and,  while  I  found  him  at  Onneiout  provided  with 
many  useful  and  convenient  articles,  I  found  him  at 
Agm€  deprived  of  everything  except  his  virtue, — 
which  seemed  to  me  all  the  more  charming,  since  it 
had  reduced  him  to  a  greater  poverty. 

We  have  here  two  Christian  women  who  are  of 
great  use  to  me  in  instructing  the  faithful,  and  for 
the  advancement  of  this  Church.  The  first,  and  the 
older  one,  is  called  Felicite;  she  had  obtained  in 
Quebec  from  the  Ursulines,  with  whom  she  lived 
some  years,  so  sound  a  knowledge  and  so  excellent 
principles  of  piety,  that,  through  her  virtue,  she  was 
able  to  assume  and  ever  to  maintain  a  certain  ascen- 
dancy over  all  the  other  Christians.  She  thoroughly 
knows  all  the  prayers,  the  chants  of  the  Church,  and 
the  mysteries  of  our  Faith ;  and  she  explains  them  so 
clearly  that  the  men  themselves  willingly  listen  to 
her  as  their  teacher.  She  is  seconded  by  another 
baptized  young  woman,  who,  among  other  acts  of 
zeal,  has  distinguished  herself  by  the  skill  that  she 
displayed  in  bringing  back  to  the  right  path  one  of 
her  friends,  who  was  straying  from  it.  This  Savage 
had  committed  a  sin  of  superstition,  at  the  instiga- 
tion of  her  parents,  during  a  serious  illness  that 
endangered  her  life.  It  is  true  that  she  had  atoned 
for  her  fault,  to  some  extent,  by  renouncing  her 
superstitions,  and  refusing  to  listen  any  longer  to 
her  parents;  nevertheless,  the  shame  of  having 
yielded  to  their  first  solicitations,  or  some  other  per- 
sonal consideration,  prevented  her  from  returning  to 
the  chapel  after  being  cured.  In  vain  did  I  request 
her  two  or  three  times  to  come  to  it;  she  hardly 
came  to  mass  on  Sunday.     I  applied  to  our  young 


200  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J£SUJTES  [Vol.58 

premieres  sollicitations,  ou  quelque  autre  respect 
humain,  Tempechait,  aprfes  sa  gu^rison,  de  revenir 
^  la  chapelle.  Je  I'y  avals  invitee  deux  ou  trois 
fois  sans  effet ;  k  peine  venait-elle  le  dimanche  ^  la 
messe.  Je  m'adressai  k  notre  jeune  chr^tienne,  qui 
incontinent  alia  lui  parler,  et  par  ses  sages  exhorta- 
tions la  ramena  ^  la  chapelle.  Elle  avait  encore  de  la 
peine  h.  se  conf esser,  mais  la  meme  chr^tienne  retourna 
la  voir,  I'instruisit  elle-meme  de  la  manifere  de  le 
faire,  en  la  confirmant  par  son  propre  exemple,  ne  la 
quitta  point  qu'elle  ne  I'eut  amende  au  confessionnal, 
et  qu'elle  ne  I'eut  vue  s'adresser  au  confesseur. 

V.       DE     QUELQUES     CAPITAINES     EN     PARTICULIER    ET 
DE    L'^TAT    GENERAL   DE    CETTE    MISSION. 

J?AI  dejk  parl6  du  zele  que  le  plus  considerable 
capitaine  du  bourg  d'Onneiout  avait  fait  paraitre 
pour  la  Foi  k  son  retour  de  Catarokoui,  et  comme  il 
avait  exhorts  ses  compatriotes,  en  public  et  en  parti- 
culier,  'k  frequenter  la  priere  et  a  6couter  nos  instruc- 
tions. II  a  continue  depuis  d'en  agir  ainsi  dans 
toutes  les  occasions.  Un  jour  il  fit  un  festin  solen- 
nel,  oil,  haranguant  selon  sa  coutume  k  I'entree  du 
festin,  il  commenca  ainsi:  «Comme  nous  reconnais- 
sons  J^sus  qui  regne  au  ciel  pour  le  maitre  de  nos 
vies  et  la  regie  de  nos  actions,  nous  n'avons  point 
invoque  d'autre  genie  en  ce  festin ;  ce  sera  la  Robe 
noire  qui  fera  la  priere. »  Ensuite  il  exhorta  les 
anciens,  les  guerriers,  les  femmes  et  les  enfants  a 
estimer  la  Priere,  comme  M.  le  gouverneur  le  leur 
avait  recommande  k  Catarokoui. 

II  avait  une  autre  fois  invite  a  un  festin  les  plus 
considerables  du  bourg,  et  il  voulut  que  j'y  fisse  la 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  idyj  -74  201 


Christian  woman,  who  at  once  went  to  speak  to  her, 
and  by  her  wise  exhortations  brought  her  back  to 
the  chapel.  She  still  found  a  difficulty  in  coming  to 
confession,  but  the  same  Christian  went  to  her  once 
more,  and  instructed  her  as  to  the  manner  of  con- 
fessing ;  she  fortified  her  by  her  own  example,  and 
never  left  her  until  she  brought  her  to  the  con- 
fessional,  and  saw  her  speak  to  the  confessor. 

V.       OF    SOME     CAPTAINS     IN     ESPECIAL,    AND     OF    THE 
GENERAL   STATE    OF   THIS    MISSION. 

I  HAVE  already  mentioned  the  zeal  displayed  by  the 
most  noted  captain  of  this  village  of  Onneiout 
for  the  Faith,  on  his  return  from  Catarokoui,  and 
how  he  had  exhorted  his  countrymen  in  public  and 
in  private  to  attend  prayers  and  listen  to  our  instruc- 
tions. He  has  since  continued  to  act  in  the  same 
manner  on  all  occasions.  One  day,  he  gave  a  solemn 
feast,  at  which  he  delivered  a  harangue,  according 
to  his  usual  custom,  at  the  commencement  of  the 
feast ;  he  began  with  these  words :  ' '  As  we  acknowl- 
edge Jesus,  who  reigns  in  heaven,  as  the  master  of  our 
lives  and  the  guide  of  our  actions,  we  have  invoked 
no  other  spirit  at  this  feast ;  the  black  Gown  will  say 
prayers."  Then  he  exhorted  the  elders,  the  war- 
riors, and  the  women  and  children  to  hold  Prayer  in 
esteem,  as  Monsieur  the  governor  had  recommended 
them  to  do  at  Catarokoui. 

He  had  invited  the  most  notable  persons  of  the 
village  to  a  feast,  on  another  occasion ;  and  he  desired 
that  I  should  say  prayers  at  it.  Many  questions 
were  put  to  me  with  reference  to  the  eclipse  that 
had  occurred  some  days  previously,  and  we  soon 
came  to  matters    connected  with   Religion  and  the 


a02  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J  ^SUITES  [Vol.  68 

pri^re.  On  m'y  proposa  beaucoup  de  questions  sur 
l'6clipse  qui  ^tait  arriv6e  quelques  jours  auparavant, 
et  nous  en  vinmes  bientot  aux  matieres  de  la  Reli- 
gion et  de  la  Foi.  Apr^s  que  j'eusse  parle  quelque 
temps  de  nos  myst^res,  un  vieillard  v6n6rable,  extre- 
mement  ag6  et  de  bon  naturel,  s'^cria:  «Oui,  je  crois 
que  c'est  ^  Celui  qui  regne  au  del  et  non  pas  au 
songe  ^  qui  je  suis  redevable  de  tant  d'annees  que 
j'ai  v6cu.»  Depuis,  il  vint  assez  r^gulierement  k  la 
priere,  avec  un  autre  vieillard  encore  plus  ag6  que 
lui. 

Le  maitre  du  festin,  k  son  tour,  dit  tout  haut:  «Je 
vois  bien  que  nos  anciennes  coutumes  s'en  vont  se 
perdre,  et  que  la  Foi  prend  le  dessus.  Voici  ce 
qu'elle  nous  enseigne,  voici  ce  qu'elle  nous  defend, » 
et  il  continua  ainsi,  par  forme  d'entretien,  ^  instruire 
les  convi^s.  Je  puis  dire  qu'il  le  fit,  en  cette  circon- 
stance  et  en  beaucoup  d'autres,  aussi  bien  et  plus 
efficacement  que  je  n'aurais  pu  le  faire. 

Un  autre  capitaine  est  souvent  venu  me  trouver 
pour  se  faire  instruire,  et  m'a  aussi  envoye  sa  femme 
en  notre  cbapelle  pour  le  meme  sujet.  II  m'a  assure 
qu'k  son  retour  de  la  guerre,  ou  il  est  oblig^  d'aller, 
ils  se  feraient  baptiser  tous  deux;  et  qu'alors  il 
declarerait  publiquement,  en  presence  des  chefs  des 
guerriers  et  des  anciens  de  la  nation,  qu'il  renon5ait 
aux  superstitions  du  pays  et  qu'il  voulait  professer 
le  Christianisme.  II  est  eloquent  et  hardi,  j'espere 
beaucoup  de  lui  si  Dieu  lui  fait  la  grace  d'etre 
Chretien. 

Un  autre  capitaine,  non  moins  considerable,  et 
dont  la  femme  et  les  enfants  sont  d6jk  Chretiens, 
m'est  aussi  venu  prier  de  I'instruire  quelques   jours 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  203 

Faith.  After  I  had  spoken  for  some  time  of  our 
mysteries,  a  venerable  old  man,  of  very  great  age 
and  gentle  character,  exclaimed:  "Yes!  I  believe 
that  I  am  indebted,  for  the  many  years  during  which 
I  have  lived,  to  Him  who  reigns  in  the  sky,  and  not 
to  dreams. ' '  Since  then  he  comes  very  regularly  to 
prayers,  with  another  old  man,  still  more  aged  than 
he. 

The  giver  of  the  feast  said  aloud  in  his  turn :  "  I 
see  very  well  that  our  ancient  customs  are  disappear- 
ing, and  that  the  Faith  is  getting  the  upper  hand. 
Now  see  what  it  teaches  and  what  it  forbids  us ;  "  and 
he  continued  thus,  by  familiar  discourse,  to  instruct 
the  guests.  I  may  say  that  he  did  so  on  this  occa- 
sion, and  on  many  others,  as  well  and  with  better 
effect  than  I  could  have  done. 

Another  captain  frequently  came  to  me  to  be 
instructed,  and  he  also  sent  his  wife  to  me  in  our 
chapel,  for  the  same  purpose.  He  assured  me  that 
on  his  return  from  war,  whither  he  was  compelled  to 
go,  they  would  both  be  baptized ;  and  that  thereupon 
he  would  declare  publicly  —  in  presence  of  the  chiefs, 
the  warriors,  and  the  elders  of  the  nation  —  that  he 
renounced  the  superstitions  of  the  country,  and  that 
he  intended  to  profess  Christianity.  He  is  eloquent 
and  bold;  I  have  great  hopes  for  him,  if  God  grant 
him  the  grace  of  becoming  a  Christian. 

Another  captain  of  no  less  note,  whose  wife  and 
children  are  already  Christians,  also  came  to  beg  me 
to  instruct  him,  some  days  before  his  departure  for 
the  war.  A  third  made  me  baptize  his  only  daughter, 
in  advance;  and,  as  a  mark  of  honor,  he  marched 
past  our  chapel  with  all  the  young  men,  when  they 
left  to  join  the  army. 


204  LES  RELATIUAS  DES  j£:SUITES  [Vol.68 


avant  son  depart  pour  la  guerre.  Un  troisi^me  m'a 
fait  baptiser  par  avance  sa  fiUe  unique ;  et,  en  signe 
d'honneur,  il  a  voulu  passer  avec  la  jeunesse  aupres 
de  notre  chapelle,  au  moment  ou  ils  partaient  pour 
I'armee. 

Tous  ces  chefs,  reunis  avec  les  anciens,  m'envoy- 
ferent  querir  un  jour  pour  leur  enseigner  diverses 
choses  de  la  Foi,  sur  lesquelles  ils  me  firent  plusieurs 
questions.  Je  repondis  k  leurs  questions ;  et  depuis 
ils  ont  avou^  publiquement  qu'ils  croyaient  vrai  ce 
que  je  leur  avals  dit. 

Les  mariages  qui,  parmi  les  Sauvages,  se  rompent 
pour  le  moindre  mecontentement  du  mari  ou  de  la 
femme,  deviennent  maintenant  plus  solides,  meme 
entre  les  infidfeles,  'k  I'exemple  des  Chretiens.  Le 
culte  de  leur  divinite,  qu'ils  nomment  Agriskoue,  s'est 
beaucoup  diminue ;  plusieurs  ne  sont  plus  aussi  atta- 
ches k  leurs  songes  qu'ils  I'etaient,  et  se  d^clarent 
bien  plus  hardiment  pour  la  Foi  qu'ils  n'auraient  fait 
par  le  passe.  Ces  bonnes  dispositions  me  font  espe- 
rer  devoir  dans  peu  d'annees  les  Iroquois  d'Onnei'out, 
pour  la  plupart,  embrasser  le  Christianisme.  L'i- 
vTognerie,  pour  laquelle  tous  ces  pauvres  Sauvages 
ont  un  tr^s-grand  faible,  et  peut-etre  1' unique  obstacle 
qui  s' oppose  maintenant  'k  leur  conversion.  Je  les 
recommande  aux  S.  S.  Sacrifices  de  Votre  Reve- 
rence, et  moi  particulierement. 

Pierre  Millet,  S.J. 


1 672-  74]  RELA  TION  OF  i&js  -  7^  205 

All  these  chiefs,  assembled  with  the  elders,  sent 
for  me  one  day  to  teach  them  various  matters  per- 
taining to  the  Faith,  respecting  which  they  put  me 
many  questions.  I  answered  their  questions,  and 
since  then  they  have  publicly  admitted  that  they 
believed  that  what  I  had  told  them  was  true. 

Marriages  —  which,  among  Savages,  are  dissolved 
on  the  slightest  disagreement  between  husband  and 
wife — are  now  becoming  more  stable,  even  among 
the  infidels,  who  follow  the  Christians'  example. 
The  worship  of  their  divinity,  whom  they  call  Agris- 
kou^,  has  greatly  diminished;  many  are  no  longer 
so  attached  to  their  dreams  as  they  were ;  and  they 
declare  themselves  much  more  boldly  in  favor  of  the 
Faith  than  they  would  have  done  in  the  past.  These 
favorable  tendencies  lead  me  to  hope  that,  in  a  few 
years,  the  majority  of  the  Iroquois  of  Onneiout  will 
have  embraced  Christianity.  Drunkenness,  for 
which  all  these  poor  Savages  have  a  great  weakness, 
is  probably  the  sole  obstacle  that  now  hinders  their 
conversion.  I  commend  them,  and  myself  in  partic- 
ular, to  Your  Reverence's  Holy  Sacrifices. 

Pierre  Millet,  S.J. 


20«  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^.SUITES  [Vol.58 


CHAPITRE  III. 

DE     LA     MISSION     DE     SAINT-JEAN-BAPTISTE    A    ONNON- 

TAGUE. 

L7EGLISE  d'Onnontague  s'est  diminuee  heureu- 
sement  cette  annee  par  la  mort  de  quelques 
Chretiens  qui  sont  alles  augmenter  le  nombre 
des  bienheureux,  et  par  le  depart  de  plusieurs  autres 
qui  ont  quitt6  leur  pays,  c'est-k-dire  le  siege  de 
I'ivrognerie,  des  superstitions  et  des  debauches,  pour 
aller  demeurer  k  la  Prairie  de  la  Magdeleine,  et  aug- 
menter le  nombre  de  ceux  qui  y  vivent  en  v6ritables 
Chretiens.  Le  P.  Jean  de  Lamberville  n'a  pas  cru 
perdre  ni  les  uns  ni  les  autres;  mais  au  contraire,  il 
en  6crit  en  des  termes  qui  marquent  assez  la  joie  de 
son  coeur,  de  voir  le  fruit  de  ses  travaux  en  lieu 
d'assurance,  et  de  ce  que  ceux  qu'il  a  cultives  avec 
tant  de  peine  ont  change  la  compagnie  des  ivrognes, 
des  debauches  et  des  infideles  avec  celle,  ou  des 
saints  dans  le  ciel,  ou  de  ceux  qui  suivent  les 
exemples  des  saints  sur  la  terre.  II  mande  aussi 
diverses  choses  de  la  mort  des  premiers  et  du  depart 
des  derniers,  qui  sont  assez  interessantes  pour  qu'on 
les  rapporte  ici  telles  qu'il  les  a  ecrites. 

I.       DU  DEPART  DE  QUELQUES  CHRETIENS  D'ONNONTA- 
GU6  POUR  ALLER  A  LA  PRAIRIE  DE  LA  MAGDELEINE. 

UNE   Iroquoise,    parente    de    Garakontie,   baptisee 
avec  les  ceremonies  ordinaires,  aussi  bien  que 
ses  trois  fiUes,  dont  deux  sont  adultes,  ^  fait  ces  jours 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  -74  ISSl 


CHAPTER  III. 

OF  THE  MISSION   OF  SAINT   JEAN    BAPTISTE  AT   ONNON- 

TAGUE. 

THE  Church  of  Onnontague  has  been  blessedly 
diminished  this  year  by  the  death  of  some 
Christians,  who  have  gone  to  increase  the 
number  of  the  blessed;  and  by  the  departure  of 
many  others,  who  have  left  their  own  country  —  that 
is  to  say  the  abode  of  drunkenness,  of  superstition, 
and  of  debauchery  —  to  go  and  dwell  at  la  Prairie  de 
la  Magdeleine,  and  swell  the  number  of  those  who 
live  there  as  true  Christians.  Father  Jean  de  Lam- 
berville  does  not  consider  that  he  has  lost  either  the 
one  or  the  other;  but,  on  the  contrary,  he  writes  of 
them  in  terms  that  sufficiently  express  the  joy  of  his 
heart  at  seeing  the  fruits  of  his  labors  in  a  place  of 
safety;  he  rejoices  because  those  whom  he  has  cared 
for  with  so  much  labor  have  exchanged  the  company 
of  drunkards,  of  profligates,  and  of  infidels  for  that 
of  either  the  saints  in  heaven,  or  those  who  follow 
the  example  of  the  saints  on  earth.  He  also  writes 
various  things  regarding  the  death  of  the  former  and 
the  departure  of  the  latter  which  are  sufficiently  in- 
teresting to  be  repeated  here  just  as  they  are  written. 

I.     OF  THE  DEPARTURE  OF  SOME  CHRISTIANS  OF  ONNON- 
TAGUE FOR  LA  PRAIRIE  DE  LA  MAGDELEINE. 

AN  Iroquois  woman,  a  relative  of  Garakonti^,  who 
was   baptized    with    the    usual    rites,    together 
with  her  three  daughters,  two  of  whom  are  adults, 


a08  LES  RELATIONS  DES  JESUITES  (Vul.  68 

passes  ses  adieux  k  notre  bourgade,  apr^s  avoir 
partag6  entre  ses  parents  et  ses  amis  le  peu  de 
biens  qu'elle  avait,  emportant  seulement  une  natte  de 
jonc;  puis  charg^e  de  quelques  vivres  et  pr<5c6d6e 
de  ses  enfants,  elle  a  quitt6  heureusement  cette  Baby- 
lone  pour  aller  demeurer  k  la  Prairie  de  la  Magde- 
leine.  Elle  y  avait  ^t6  attir^e  par  son  fils  ain^,  qui 
n'est  encore  que  cat^chumene,  et  qui  ayant  6t6  par 
hasard  chasser  vers  ce  lieu,  y  visita  quelques-uns  de 
ses  parents.  II  y  fut  si  charme  de  I'heureux  6tat  et 
de  la  vie  exemplaire  de  ses  compatriotes  k  la  Mission 
de  Saint-Xavier  des  Pr^s,  qu'il  r^solut  de  s'y  etablir 
avec  eux.  II  invita  sa  mere  et  ses  soeurs  k  faire 
de  meme;  une  de  ses  tantes  et  son  oncle  I'ont  aussi 
suivi  dans  ce  dessein.  Leur  exemple  6tait  ici  fort 
utile,  car  ils  professaient  tous  franchement  la  Foi; 
mais  Dieu,  nous  ayant  ote  ces  chr^tiens,  nous  en  a 
substitue  d'autres  qui  promettent  beaucoup. 

Cependant  le  fruit  principal  que  j'ai  recueilli  a  6te 
aupres  des  moribonds. 

D'un  autre  cote,  Garakontie  soutient  toujours  le 
Christianisme  par  ses  paroles  et  par  ses  exemples,  et 
ne  se  dement  point  de  cette  gen^rosit^  avec  laquelle 
il  s'est  toujours  declare  pour  la  Foi.  II  en  a  donn6  de 
nouvelles  preuves  cette  ann^e.  Pendant  que  Ton 
solennisait  ici  la  fete  des  songes,  il  a  refuse  constam- 
ment  de  donner  son  sac  a  p6tun,  assez  bien  travaille, 
k  un  songeur  qui,  ainsi,  a  eu  la  honte  d'etre  refus^,  ce 
qui  se  fait  rarement;  car  Ton  a  tant  de  d^f^rence  pour 
les  songes  que  Ton  accorde  ordinairement  tout  ce 
que  demande  celui  qui  a  song6.  Cette  action  est  une 
suite  de  la  premiere  declaration  publique  qu'il  a  faite 
il  y  a  quatre  ans,  d'avoir  renonc6  toutes  les  supersti- 
tions du  pays  en  se  faisant  chr6tien. 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  209 

bade  adieu  to  our  village  some  da3^s  ago,  after  divid- 
ing the  little  she  owned  among  her  relatives  and 
friends,  taking  only  a  rush  mat.  Then,  loaded  with 
some  provisions  and  preceded  by  her  children,  she 
happily  abandoned  this  Babylon  to  go  and  dwell  at  la 
Prairie  de  la  Magdeleine.  She  was  attracted  thither 
by  her  eldest  son,  who  is  as  yet  only  a  catechumen; 
this  man,  while  hunting,  by  accident,  in  that  vicinity, 
went  to  visit  some  of  his  relatives  there.  He  was  so 
charmed  with  the  happy  condition  and  the  exemplary 
life  of  his  countrymen  in  the  Mission  of  Saint  Xavier 
des  Pr^s  that  he  resolved  to  settle  among  them ;  and 
he  urged  his  mother  and  sisters  to  do  likewise.  One 
of  his  aunts  and  his  uncle  also  followed  him  with  the 
same  intention.  Their  example  was  very  service- 
able here,  for  they  all  openly  professed  the  Faith. 
But  God,  who  has  taken  these  Christians  from  us, 
has  replaced  them  by  others,  who  are  very  promising. 

Nevertheless,  the  chief  fruit  that  I  have  gathered 
has  been  among  the  dying. 

On  the  other  hand,  Garakonti6  continues  to  sup- 
port Christianity  by  his  words  and  example  and  he 
does  not  deviate  from  that  noble  spirit  with  which 
he  has  always  declared  himself  in  favor  of  the  Faith. 
He  has  given  fresh  proofs  of  it  this  year.  While  the 
festival  of  dreams  was  being  celebrated  here,  he  per- 
sistently refused  to  give  his  tobacco-pouch,  which  is 
quite  handsomely  embroidered,  to  a  dreamer,  who 
thereby  had  to  endure  the  shame  of  being  refused. 
That  seldom  happens;  for  such  is  the  deference  paid 
to  dreams  that,  as  a  rule,  everything  asked  for  by 
the  dreamer  is  given  to  him.  This  action  is  a  sequel 
of  the  first  public  declaration  made  by  him,  four 
years  ago,  that  he  had  renounced  all  the  superstitions 
of  the  country  on  becoming  a  Christian. 


210  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  JESUITES  [Vol.  58 

Mais  voici  une  autre  d6claration  de  sa  foi  non  moins 
solennelle,  que  Garakonti6  a  faite  en  presence  de  tous 
les  Iroquois.  L'hiver  pass6  il  fut  d6put6,  avec  les 
plus  considerables  du  bourg,  comme  ambassadeur 
des  Onnontagu6s,  pour  porter  leurs  presents  chez 
les  quatre  autres  nations  iroquoises.  Lorsqu'il  vint 
k  raconter  le  gen^alogie  et  I'origine  des  Iroquois, 
dont  le  narr^  n'est  qu'une  longue  fable,  il  protesta 
toujours  que  ce  qu'il  allait  dire  6tait  uniquement  une 
forme  que  Ton  a  coutume  de  garder  en  cette  circon- 
stance,  mais  que  ce  n'etait  pas  une  v^rite;  enfin  que 
tout  ce  qu'il  raconterait  de  la  creation  du  monde  6tait 
un  pur  divertissement,  et  que  J6sus  6tait  le  seul  Maitre 
de  nos  vies.  II  ne  se  contente  pas  d'enseigner  ces 
verit6s  de  bouche,  il  les  apprend  aux  autres  encore 
mieux  par  ses  exemples,  car  il  est  extremement  exact 
k  remplir  en  quelque  lieu  qu'il  soit,  tous  les  devoirs 
et  exercices  du  chr^tien. 

II.       DU    BAPTEME    ET    DE    LA    MORT    DE    QUELQUES 

ADULTES. 

JJai  baptise  depuis  un  an  avec  les  ceremonies  de 
I'eglise  six  adultes  seulement.  Je  mets  dans 
ce  nombre  un  jeune  gargon  de  15  ^  i6  ans,  k  qui  je 
ne  pense  jamais  sans  une  extreme  consolation.  Un 
jour  que  j'etais  all6  dans  sa  cabane,  je  lui  trouvai  le 
visage  tout  d^fait,  et  lui  ayant  demand^  quel  6tait 
son  mal,  j'appris  qu'un  ulcere  qui  lui  avait  rong6  la 
moiti6  de  I'estomac,  le  faisait  mourir  peu  k  pen,  sans 
qu'il  eut  pu  trouver  ni  de  remade  "k  son  mal,  ni  me- 
decin  qui  se  chargeat  de  le  gu6rir.  Je  m'offris  ^  lui 
dans  la  pens^e  que  Dieu  benirait  peut-etre  le  service 
que  je  rendrais  k  ce  moribond,  et  que  son  ame  serait 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  211 

But  here  is  another  and  no  less  solemn  declaration 
of  his  faith,  made  by  Garakontie  in  the  presence  of  all 
the  Iroquois.  Last  winter,  he  was  deputed  with  the 
most  notable  men  of  the  village  as  an  ambassador  of 
the  Onnontagues,  to  bear  their  gifts  to  the  four  other 
Iroquois  nations.  When  he  came  to  relate  the 
genealogy  and  origin  of  the  Iroquois,  the  descrip- 
tion of  which  is  nothing  but  a  long  fable,  he  always 
protested  that  what  he  was  about  to  say  was  merely 
a  formula  which  is  usually  followed  on  such  occa- 
sions, but  that  it  was  not  true;  in  fine,  that  all  he 
would  relate  about  the  creation  of  the  world  was 
simply  a  story,  and  that  Jesus  was  the  sole  Master  of 
our  lives.  He  is  not  content  with  teaching  these 
truths  by  word  of  mouth ;  he  teaches  them  to  the 
others  still  better  by  his  example,  for  he  is  exceed- 
ingly careful  in  performing  all  the  duties  and  exer- 
cises of  a  Christian,  wherever  he  may  be. 

II.       OF     THE     BAPTISM      AND      DEATH      OF      SOME 

ADULTS. 

DURING  the  past  year  I  have  baptized  only  six 
adults  with  the  rites  of  the  church.  Among 
this  number  I  include  a  young  boy  of  15  or  16,  of 
whom  I  never  think  without  very  great  consolation. 
One  day,  when  I  went  to  his  cabin,  I  found  him  with 
his  face  quite  emaciated.  Upon  asking  what  was  the 
matter  with  him,  I  learned  that  an  ulcer,  which  had 
eaten  away  half  of  his  stomach,  was  killing  him 
gradually ;  and  that  he  could  find  neither  a  remedy 
for  his  disease,  nor  a  doctor  who  would  undertake  to 
cure  him.  I  offered  him  my  aid,  thinking  that  God 
would  perhaps  bless  the  service  that  I  should  render 
to  this  dying  lad,  and  that  his  soul  would  be  my 


212  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  /^SUITES  [Vol..  58 

ma  recompense  si  je  donnais  quelques  soulagements 
^  son  corps.  On  m'avait  envoy6  de  I'onguent  souve- 
rain  pour  les  ulceres;  le  premier  emplatre  que  j'en 
fis,  nettoya  si  bien  la  plaie  de  ce  jeune  homme,  que 
les  vers  cesserent  de  s'y  former.  Je  le  pansai  tous 
les  jours  pendant  un  mois  et  demi  que  mon  remMe 
dura.  Cet  ulcere,  qui  ^tait  auparavant  de  plus  d'un 
demi-pied  et  trois  doigts  avait  ^te  tellement  r^duit, 
que  tous  ceux  qui  I'avaient  vu  auparavant  ne  pou- 
vaient  assez  louer  Tefficacit^  de  mon  remade.  Mais 
helas !  il  me  manqua  alors  qu'il  6tait  le  plus  n^ces- 
saire  pour  achever  cette  cure.  Aussi  au  bout  de  peu 
de  temps  le  mal  se  renouvela. 

L'assiduite  que  j'avais  apportee  a  le  panser  gagna 
le  coeur  de  ce  jeune  gargon  et  de  ses  parents,  qui-ne 
pouvaient  assez  me  temoigner  leur  reconnaissance. 
Pour  lui,  il  crut  ne  pouvoir  m'obliger  davantage  que 
de  venir  quelquefois  prier  ^  notre  chapelle.  Je  lui 
r^it^rai  plusieurs  fois  1' assurance  de  ma  bonne  volon- 
t6,  et  je  lui  temoignai  mon  d^plaisir  de  ne  pouvoir 
plus  panser  son  mal,  qui,  faute  de  remade  allait 
empirer.  En  effet,  I'ulcere  augmenta  si  fort  qu'en 
peu  de  temps  il  lui  gagna  les  entrailles.  Alors  je 
I'avertis  que  la  mort  approchait,  et  que  puisqu'il  se 
voyait  contraint  d'abandonner  son  corps  a  la  pourri- 
ture,  il  procurat  du  moins  k  son  ame  un  bonheur 
eternel.  II  me  r^pondit  qu'il  en  etait  content,  et  des 
que  je  I'eus  instruit  il  me  pressa  de  le  baptiser :  je 
lui  accordai  sa  demande  apres  1' avoir  4prouv6  autant 
que  son  ^tat  me  le  permit.  II  avait  d^sir^  qu'on  le 
baptisat  dans  la  chapelle,  ou,  k  raison  de  son  extreme 
faiblesse,  il  eut  beaucoup  de  peine  a  demeurer  pen- 
dant les  c6r6monies  du  bapteme,   et  encore   plus  ^ 


1672-74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673 -74  213 

reward  if  I  procured  some  relief  for  his  body.  Some 
ointment  had  been  sent  me,  which  was  a  sovereign 
remedy  for  ulcers ;  the  first  plaster  that  I  made  of  it 
so  thoroughly  cleansed  the  young  man's  sore  that 
maggots  ceased  to  form  in  it.  I  dressed  it  every 
day  for  a  month  and  a  half,  as  long  as  my  medicine 
lasted.  The  ulcer,  which  at  first  was  more  than  half 
a  foot  and  three  fingers  long,  was  so  reduced  in  size 
that  all  who  had  previously  seen  it  could  not  sufii- 
ciently  praise  the  efiicacy  of  my  remedy.  But, 
alas!  it  failed  me  when  it  was  most  needed  to  com- 
plete the  cure;  and  after  a  short  time  the  disease 
resumed  its  course. 

The  assiduity  with  which  I  had  attended  the  young 
lad  won  his  heart,  and  those  of  his  relations,  who 
could  not  sufiiciently  express  their  gratitude  to 
me.  For  his  part,  he  thought  that  he  could  not 
better  oblige  me  than  by  coming  sometimes  to  pray 
in  our  chapel.  I  repeatedly,  on  various  occasions, 
assured  him  of  my  willingness,  and  expressed  my 
regret  at  being  unable  any  longer  to  dress  his  sore, 
which,  through  lack  of  medecine,  would  grow  worse. 
In  fact,  the  ulcer  increased  to  such  an  extent  that, 
in  a  short  time,  it  attacked  his  entrails.  Then  I 
warned  him  that  death  was  drawing  near ;  and  that, 
since  he  was  compelled  to  abandon  his  body  to  cor- 
ruption, he  should  at  least  procure  eternal  happiness 
for  his  soul.  He  replied  that  he  was  willing  to  do 
so;  and,  as  soon  as  I  had  instructed  him,  he  urged 
me  to  baptize  him.  I  granted  his  request,  after  test- 
ing him  as  thoroughly  as  his  condition  allowed.  He 
wished  to  be  baptized  in  the  chapel,  where,  owing  to 
his  extreme  weakness,  he  had  great  difficulty  in 
remaining  during  the   ceremonies  of  baptism,   and 


214  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J  ^SUITES  [Vol.68 

retourner  dans  sa  cabane,  apres  qu'elles  furent  ache- 
v6es.  Je  I'assistais  de  petits  rafraichissements  que 
j 'avals  apport^s,  et  I'ayant  exhorte  k  vsouffrir  patiem- 
ment  son  mal,  dans  I'esp^rance  d'une  meilleure  vie, 
je  m'absentai  du  bourg  durant  six  jours;  pendant  ce 
temps,  il  fit  selon  la  coutume  son  festin  funebre,  ou 
il  n'invoqua  point  d'autre  divinite  que  Jesus,  le 
maitre  de  la  vie,  ainsi  que  je  I'appris  de  ceux  qui  y 
avaient  assist^.  Cependant  la  tendresse  de  sa  con- 
science lui  fit  craindre  d 'avoir  offens^  Dieu  en  cela,  et 
I'obligea  de  me  demander  a  mon  retour  I'absolution 
du  p^che  qu'il  croyait  avoir  commis.  Je  lui  dis  qu'il 
n'avait  pas  offens^  Dieu,  et  je  I'encourageai  a  pers6- 
verer  dans  ses  bons  sentiments.  II  me  demanda 
cependant  "k  prier  Dieu,  et  il  voulut  recevoir  le  sacre- 
ment  de  penitence  pour  effacer,  disait-il,  ses  p^ch^s 
d'impatience.  Apres  avoir  fait  avec  moi  des  actes 
de  contrition  et  les  autres  actes  d'un  chretien  agoni- 
sant,  il  me  dit  qu'il  allait  trouver  son  pere  qui  6tait 
mort  Chretien.  II  y  a  lieu  de  croire  qu'il  en  est 
arrive  ainsi,  car  il  est  d^c6de  avec  toutes  les  marques 
d'un  predestine.  Voil^  ma  chirurgie  bien  recom- 
pensee. 

Outre  ces  adultes  baptises  avec  c^r^monie,  j'ai 
confer^  aussi  le  bapteme  k  huit  personnes  agees  qui, 
k  la  reserve  d'une  seule,  sont  toutes  passees  ^  une 
vie  meilleure.  Ces  sortes  de  gens  exercent  bien  un 
missionnaire,  quand  leur  maladie  est  un  peu  de 
dur^e.  II  faut  beaucoup  de  patience  pour  souffrir 
leur  mauvaise  humeur  et  leur  bizarrerie  sauvage,  si 
I'on  veut,  malgre  les  rebuts  que  I'on  a,  procurer  leur 
salut,  et  rendre  leur  foi  pers6v6rante.  J'ajoute  ^ 
ces  huit  personnes  quatre  vieilles  femmes  ^loign^es 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-14  215 

Still  more  in  returning  to  his  cabin  when  they  were 
ended.  I  sustained  him  with  some  refreshing  bever- 
age that  I  had  brought  with  me;  and,  after  exhorting 
him  to  endure  his  illness  patiently  in  the  hope  of  a 
better  life,  I  absented  myself  from  the  village  for 
six  days.  During  that  time  he  gave  his  funeral 
feast,  as  was  customary;  and  at  it  he  invoked  no 
other  divinity  than  Jesus,  the  master  of  life,  as  I 
learned  from  those  who  had  been  present  at  it. 
Nevertheless,  the  tenderness  of  his  conscience  led 
him  to  fear  that  he  had  offended  God  in  this,  and 
compelled  him  to  ask  me  on  my  return  to  give  him 
absolution  for  the  sin  that  he  thought  he  had  com- 
mitted. I  told  him  that  he  had  not  offended  God, 
and  I  encouraged  him  to  persevere  in  these  good 
inclinations.  He  asked  me,  however,  to  pray  to 
God;  and  he  wished  to  receive  the  sacrament  of 
penance  —  to  efface  his  sins  of  impatience,  as  he 
said.  After  repeating  with  me  acts  of  contrition, 
and  the  other  acts  of  a  dying  Christian,  he  told  me 
that  he  was  going  to  join  his  father,  who  had  died 
a  Christian.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  this 
has  happened,  for  he  died  with  all  the  evidences  of 
predestination.     My  surgery  is  well  rewarded. 

In  addition  to  these  adults  whom  I  baptized  with 
the  rites,  I  also  administered  baptism  to  eight  aged 
persons  who,  with  the  exception  of  a  single  one, 
have  all  gone  to  a  better  life.  People  of  this  sort 
are  a  great  trial  to  a  missionary,  when  their  illness 
is  somewhat  protracted.  Great  patience  is  needed 
to  endure  their  ill  humor  and  their  savage  whims,  if 
one  desires,  in  spite  of  rebuffs,  to  procure  their 
salvation  and  render  their  faith  persevering.  To 
these  eight  persons  I  must  add  four  old  women,  at  a 


216  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J  ^SUITES  [Vol.58 

environ  de  neuf  lieues  d'ici,  et  distantes  de  trois  k 
quatre  lieues  les  unes  des  autres.  La  neige  qui  com- 
men9ait  ^  tomber  avait  fait  retirer  dans  le  bourg  la 
plupart  des  Sauvages  qui  vivaient  de  peche  dans 
I'endroit  ou  residaient  ces  vieilles  femmes.  L'une 
6tait  sourde,  I'autre  sourde  et  aveugle,  la  troisifeme 
infirme  et  la  quatrieme  k  I'extremite.  J'allai  tout 
expres  les  trouver  dans  un  temps  ou  je  savais  que  les 
deux  premieres  n'avaient  chacune  qu'une  autre 
vieille  Sauvage  pour  compagnie,  et  qu'ainsi  je  pour- 
rais  crier  aussi  haut  que  je  voudrais  sans  leur  faire 
honte,  ce  qui  reussit  grace  a  Dieu.  Je  les  instruisis 
et  les  baptisai  pendant  la  nuit,  apres  m'etre  heureuse- 
ment  tir6  d'un  trajet  dans  la  riviere  oil  je  fus  con- 
traint  de  me  jeter  pour  n'etre  pas  entraine  par  les 
eaux  avec  le  mediant  canot  oil  je  m'etais  embarque, 
Les  deux  autres  moururent  fort  peu  apres  leur  bap- 
teme.  Une  d'elles  etait  par  malheur  environn6e  des 
jongleurs  du  pays  et  de  quelques  chasseurs  qui  lui 
apportaient  un  chevreuil  pour  faire  son  dernier  festin. 
Ce  fut  bien  Ik  qu'il  me  fallut  user  de  1' importunity 
que  conseille  saint  Paul  et  ^q  V  impudence  de  la  foi, 
dont  parle  Tertullien ;  et,  malgr6  les  murmures  des 
uns  et  r  impatience  des  autres,  qui  interrompaient  'k 
chaque  instant  les  instructions  que  j'adressais  \  la 
moribonde,  la  faire,  pour  ainsi  dire,  entrer  par  force 
dans  le  royaume  des  cieux. 

III.       DU    BAPTEME    DE    QUELQUES    ENFANTS. 

SI  I'exp^rience  ne  nous  convainquait  qu'il  est  dan- 
gereux  de  conferer  le  bapteme  aux  petits  enfants 
qui  ne  sont  pas  malades,  on  en  baptiserait  un  assez 
grand  nombre   avec  le    consentement   des   parents; 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  J673-74  217 

distance  of  about  nine  leagues  from  here,  and  three 
or  four  leagues  from  one  another.  The  snow  which 
was  beginning  to  fall  had  caused  most  of  the  Savages 
who  lived  by  fishing  at  the  place  where  these  old 
women  resided,  to  withdraw  into  the  village.  One 
was  deaf,  another  deaf  and  blind,  the  third  was  a 
cripple,  and  the  fourth  was  dying.  I  went  expressly 
to  see  them,  at  a  time  when  I  knew  that  the  two 
former  had  each  only  an  old  Savage  woman  as  a 
companion,  and  that  thus  I  might  call  out  as  loud  as 
I  liked,  without  bringing  shame  on  them.  Thanks 
to  God,  I  was  successful.  I  instructed  and  baptized 
them  during  the  night,  after  safely  making  my  way 
across  the  river, — into  which  I  was  obliged  to  jump, 
to  avoid  being  carried  away  by  the  waters  with  the 
wretched  canoe  in  which  I  had  embarked.  The  two 
others  died  very  soon  after  their  baptism.  One  of 
them  was  unfortunately  surrounded  by  the  jugglers 
of  the  country,  and  by  some  hunters  who  brought 
her  a  deer  for  her  last  feast.  Then  I  was  obliged  to 
make  use  of  the  importunity  recommended  by  saint 
Paul,  and  of  the  audacity  of  the  faith  of  which  Tertul- 
lian  speaks;  and, — in  spite  of  the  grumblings  of  the 
one  and  the  impatience  of  the  others,  who,  at  every 
moment,  interrupted  me  while  instructing  the  dying 
woman, —  to  make  her,  as  it  were,  enter  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  by  force. 

III.       OF   THE    BAPTISM    OF   SOME    CHILDREN. 

WERE  we  not  convinced  by  experience  that  it 
is  dangerous  to  administer  baptism  to  little 
children  who  are  not  sick,  we  would  baptize  a  very 
large  number  of  them,  with  their  parents'  consent; 
but  we  do   not   venture  to    risk   administering   the 


218  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  J  ^SUITES  [Vol.  68 


mais  on  n'ose  hasarder  le  sacrement  de  peur  que  plus 
tard  ilvS  ne  le  profanent  par  I'infid^lit^  dans  laquelle 
ils  vivent  ordinairement,  quand  ils  sont  plus  avanc^s 
en  age.  On  ne  baptise  done  que  les  enfants  des  Chre- 
tiens et  des  cat^chumenes,  et  tous  ceux  qui  sont  en 
danger  de  mort.  J 'en  compte  vingt-sept  baptises 
cette  ann^e,  dont  six  ont  re9u  le  bapteme  avec  les 
ceremonies  accoutum6es,  les  autres  sans  c^r^monies, 
et  tous  sont  morts  "k  la  reserve  de  trois.  C'est  le 
fruit  le  plus  assure  que  Ton  cueille  en  ce  pays  ou  il 
est  k  souhaiter  que  les  enfants  meurent  avant  I'usage 
de  raivSon.  Sans  remedes  il  est  difficile  de  les  bap- 
tiser ;  ils  servent  "k  tromper  saintement  les  peres,  les 
meres  et  autres  parents  dont  plusieurs  ont  encore  de 
r aversion  du  bapteme  comme  s'il  avan^ait  les  jours 
de  celui  qui  le  regoit.  Ay  ant  ete  appel6  pour  pro- 
curer quelque  soulagement  a  un  enfant  que  tous  les 
jongleurs  et  les  medecins  du  bourg  s'^taient  mel6s 
de  guerir,  un  seul  de  mes  remedes  eut  plus  d'effet 
que  toutes  les  jongleries  et  m^decines  des  Sauvages 
n'en  avaient  eu  en  six  mois. 

Cela  me  donna  facile  acces  dans  la  cabane  du  ma- 
lade;  les  jongleurs  feignaient  de  faire  sortir  du  corps 
de  I'enfant  des  dents  d'ours  et  de  chien,  de  pore  et 
de  cerf,  des  cheveux  d'homme  et  cboses  semblables 
qu'ils  appellent  des  otkis,  c'est-^-dire  des  sorts  ou 
petits  demons,  abusant  ainsi  de  la  credulite  des 
simples.  Mon  remede  fut  plus  efficace,  il  fit  sortir 
quantity  de  vers  qui  ^talent  bien  d'autres  demons 
que  les  leurs,  ce  qui  soulagea  fort  le  petit  malade, 
qui  devait  guerir,  disait-on,  pourvu  que  la  Robe  noire 
ne  le  baptisat  pas.  C'etait  la  conviction  de  ces  Sau- 
vages, et  elle  etait  fondee  sur  ce  que  tous  les  enfants 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  J673-74  219 

sacrament,  lest  they  might,  later  on,  profane  it  by 
the  infidelity  in  which  they  usually  live  when  they 
grow  older.  Therefore  we  baptize  only  the  children 
of  Christians  and  of  catechumens,  and  all  who  are 
in  danger  of  death.  I  count  twenty-seven  who  were 
baptized  this  year, —  six  of  whom  received  baptism 
with  the  usual  rites,  the  others  without  the  rites ;  and 
they  all  died,  with  the  exception  of  three.  This  is 
the  most  certain  fruit  that  we  gather  in  this  country, 
where  it  is  desirable  that  the  children  should  die 
before  obtaining  the  use  of  their  reason.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  baptize  them  without  medicines.  These 
serve  to  deceive  piously  the  fathers,  mothers,  and 
other  relatives, —  many  of  whom  still  have  an  aver- 
sion to  baptism,  as  if  it  hastened  the  death  of  those 
who  receive  it.  Having  been  called  upon  to  give 
some  relief  to  a  child,  whom  all  the  jugglers  and 
physicians  of  the  village  had  undertaken  to  cure,  a 
single  one  of  my  medicines  had  more  effect  than  all 
the  juggleries  and  remedies  of  the  Savages  had 
produced  in  six  months. 

This  gave  me  easy  access  to  the  cabin  of  the  sick 
child.  The  jugglers  pretended  that  they  brought  out 
of  the  child's  body  the  teeth  of  bears  and  dogs,  of 
pigs  and  deer,  human  hairs,  and  similar  things  which 
they  call  otkis, — that  is  to  say,  spells  or  little  de- 
mons,—  thus  abusing  the  credulity  of  the  simple- 
minded.  My  remedy  was  more  efficacious;  it 
brought  out  a  great  many  worms,  which  were  cer- 
tainly demons  very  different  from  theirs.  This 
relieved  the  little  patient,  who  would  be  cured,  they 
said,  because  the  black  Gown  did  not  baptize  him. 
Such  was  the  Savages'  conviction,  and  it  was  based 
on  the  fact  that  all  the  children  borne  by  the  mother 


220  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  jASUITES         [Vol.  5a 

qu'avait  eus  la  mfere  du  malade  et  qu'on  avait  bap- 
tises etaient  morts  apr^s  le  bapteme.  De  Ik  vient 
qu'on  m'epiait  de  fort  pres  lorsque  j'allais  visiter  le 
malade,  et  qu'on  ne  me  permettait  plus  de  m'asseoir 
auprtbs  de  lui  comme  auparavant.  On  poussa  la 
defiance  jusqu'k  me  faire  asseoir  dans  la  cabane  de 
I'autre  cote  du  feu,  en  sorte  que  je  n'y  allai  plus 
qu'aux  approches  de  la  nuit,  afin  de  baptiser,  si  je 
pouvais,  le  moribond  k  I'insu  de  ses  parents,  qui 
m'observaient  trop  exactement  pendant  le  jour;  mais 
toutes  mes  tentatives  furent  longtemps  inutiles. 
Enfin,  ayant  appris  que  I'enfant  etait  fort  mal,  je 
cachai  dans  ma  main  une  petite  eponge,  et  j 'allai  de 
nuit  le  visiter  pour  la  dernifere  fois.  On  ne  manqua 
pas  de  me  raconter  le  mauvais  etat  oii  il  6tait.  Je 
me  levai  incontinent  disant:  «Je  puis  savoir  tout  k 
I'heure  s'il  va  bientot  mourir  en  lui  touchant  les 
tempes.))  Et,  sans  attendre  qu'on  me  repondit,  je 
passai  la  main  sous  la  couverture  ou  on  avait  cache 
le  petit  malade,  et  je  le  baptisai. 

Apr^s  deux  ou  trois  mots  d'entretien,  je  me  retirai 
dans  la  resolution  de  faire  le  difiicile  et  de  me  faire 
bien  prier  en  cas  qu'on  me  rappelat.  Ce  qui  est 
arrive:  car  I'enfant  etant  pres  d'expirer,  le  p^re  et 
la  mere  s'imaginerent  que  si  je  le  baptisais,  peut- 
6tre  ne  mourrait-il  pas  comme  les  autres,  et  que  le 
Maitre  de  la  vie  lui  rendrait  la  sante ;  mais  il  mourut 
avant  que  Ton  m'eut  rencontre.  Les  parents  en 
furent  si  touches,  qu'ils  m'apportferent  k  la  chapelle 
un  petit  enfant  d'un  an  qui  leur  restait  pour  qu'il  fut 
baptise,  de  crainte  qu'il  ne  mourut  comme  I'aine, 
et  aussi  pour  qu'il  fut  preserve  des  sortileges  et  des 
otkis. 


1672 - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673-74  22 1 

of  the  patient,  and  who  had  been  baptized,  had  died 
after  baptism.  Consequently,  I  was  watched  very 
narrowly  when  I  went  to  visit  the  sick  child,  and  I 
was  not  allowed  to  sit  close  beside  him,  as  I  previ- 
ously did.  Such  was  their  distrust  that  I  was  made 
to  sit  on  the  other  side  of  the  fire  in  the  cabin,  so 
that  I  only  went  there  at  nightfall, —  in  order  to 
baptize  the  dying  child,  if  I  could,  without  the 
knowledge  of  his  parents,  who  watched  me  too 
closely  during  the  day.  But  all  my  efforts  were  for 
a  long  time  in  vain.  Finally,  on  learning  that  the 
child  was  very  ill,  I  concealed  a  small  sponge  in  my 
hand,  and  went  at  night  to  visit  him  for  the  last  time. 
They  did  not  fail  to  tell  me  of  his  dangerous  condi- 
tion. I  at  once  arose  and  said :  "  I  can  tell  at  once, 
by  touching  his  temples,  whether  he  will  die  soon." 
And,  without  waiting  for  an  answer,  I  passed  my 
hand  under  the  blanket  that  hid  the  little  patient, 
and  baptized  him. 

After  a  few  words  of  conversation,  I  withdrew, — 
resolved  to  keep  aloof,  and  to  require  many  solicita- 
tions, in  case  I  was  sent  for  again.  This  did  hap- 
pen, for,  as  the  child  was  about  to  expire,  the  father 
and  mother  imagined  that,  if  I  baptized  him,  he 
would  perhaps  not  die  like  the  others,  and  that  the 
Master  of  life  would  restore  him  to  health.  But  he 
died  before  I  could  be  found.  The  parents  were  so 
affected  that  they  brought  to  me  in  the  chapel  a  little 
child  a  year  old,  the  only  one  left  them,  that  it  might 
be  baptized, — lest  it  might  die,  like  the  older  one; 
and  also  that  it  might  be  preserved  from  sorceries 
and  from  otkis. 

A  Huron  married  to  an  Iroquois  woman  did 
not  raise  so  many  difficulties  in  allowing  his  little 


222  LES  RELATIONS  DBS /^SUITES  f  Vol.  58 


Un  Huron  mari6  ^  une  Iroquoise  ne  fit  pas  tant  de 
difficult^  pour  laisser  baptiser  sa  petite  fille  qui  se 
mourait;  lui  et  sa  femme  me  pri^rent  d'interceder 
pour  elle  aupr^s  du  Maitre  de  la  vie  pour  qu'elle  fut 
bienheureuse  au  ciel  apres  sa  mort. 

C'est  la  coutume  des  Sauvages  d'exposer  leurs 
morts  la  face  decouverte  et  de  les  parer  de  ce  qu'ils 
ont  de  plus  precieux.  Je  lui  mis  au  cou  un  petit 
crucifix  attach^  h.  un  ruban,  et  priai  sur  le  corps  pour 
le  salut  du  p^re  et  de  la  mere,  ce  qu'ils  me  firent 
reit6rer  lorsqu'on  I'alla  porter  en  terre.  Je  priai 
tout  haut;  et  ils  en  eurent  tant  de  contentement,  que 
la  m^re  se  fit  baptiser  peu  aprfes,  et  que  le  pere  m'a 
fait  baptiser  ses  deux  autres  fiUes.  II  m'a  presse 
aussi  d'accorder  la  meme  grace  k  son  fils,  mais  je  le 
remis  ^  un  autre  temps,  ne  le  trouvant  pas  encore 
assez  bien  prepare  pour  recevoir  le  bapteme. 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  167s  -  74  223 

daughter,  who  was  dying,  to  be  baptized.  He  and 
his  wife  begged  me  to  intercede  for  her  with  the 
Master  of  life,  that  she  might  be  happy  in  heaven 
after  her  death. 

It  is  the  custom  of  the  Savages  to  expose  their 
dead  with  their  faces  bare,  and  to  adorn  them  with 
their  most  precious  ornaments.  I  placed  upon  her 
neck  a  small  crucifix  tied  with  a  ribbon,  and  prayed 
over  the  body  for  the  salvation  of  the  father  and 
mother.  They  made  me  repeat  this  when  she  was 
about  to  be  buried.  I  prayed  aloud,  and  they  were 
so  pleased  that  the  mother  caused  herself  to  be 
baptized  shortly  afterward,  and  the  father  made  me 
baptize  his  two  other  daughters.  He  also  urged  me 
to  grant  the  same  favor  to  his  son ;  but  I  put  him  off 
to  a  future  time,  as  I  did  not  find  him  sufficiently 
prepared  for  baptism. 


224  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES  (Vol.68 


CHAPITRE  IV. 

DE    LA    MISSION    DE    SAINT-JOSEPH    A    GOIOGOUIN. 

QUOIQUE  le  nombre  des  baptemes  ait  ^t€,  pen- 
dant cette  ann^e,  moindre  dans  cette  Mission 
que  les  ann^es  prec6dentes,  la  Foi  n'a  pas 
laiss^  d'y  faire  des  progres  plus  solides  que  par  le 
pass6.  Car,  tandis  qu'elle  n'^tait  que  I'objet  du 
m^pris  et  meme  de  la  haine  des  Sauvages,  elle  a  com- 
mence d'etre  estimee  et  recherchee  du  plus  grand 
nombre.  II  n'y  a  eu,  k  la  v6rite,  que  vingt-deux 
enfants  de  baptises ;  mais  tous,  a  la  reserve  de  trois 
ou  quatre,  I'ont  et6  k  la  demande  de  leurs  parents. 
Cette  circonstance  paraitra  considerable,  si  Ton  fait 
reflexion  ^  ce  que  Ton  a  dit  plusieurs  fois,  de  rap- 
prehension  que  tous  les  Sauvages,  qui  n'ont  point 
embrass6  la  Foi,  ont  que  leurs  enfants  ne  soient 
baptises,  dans  la  pens^e  que  le  bapteme  leur  donnera 
la  mort.  Mais  elle  le  paraitrait  bien  davantage  si 
Ton  connaissait  le  g^nie  de  ces  peuples  barbares,  que 
leur  pen  de  lumiere  rend  plus  susceptibles  de  sem- 
blables  craintes  et  moins  capables  de  s'en  d^faire. 
Outre  que  1' experience  semble  les  devoir  confirmer 
dans  cette  opinion,  parce  que  dans  ce  pays  d'infi- 
deiite  on  ne  donne  ce  sacrement  de  la  Foi  qu'^  ceux 
d'entre  les  enfants  qu'on  voit  "k  rextr6mite,  et  qu'en 
effet  presque  tous  ceux  k  qui  on  le  donne  meurent 
incontinent  aprfes.  De  Ik  vient  que  I'afifection  qu'ils 
ont  pour  leurs  enfants,  qui  va  jusqu'k  une  esp^ce  de 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  225 


CHAPTER   IV. 

OF    THE    MISSION     OF    SAINT    JOSEPH     AT    GOIOGOUIN. 

ALTHOUGH  there  have  been  fewer  baptisms  in 
this  Mission  this  year  than  in  previous  ones, 
the  Faith  has  nevertheless  not  failed  to  make 
more  substantial  progress  than  in  the  past.  For, 
whereas  it  was  formerly  but  the  object  of  the  con- 
tempt and  even  of  the  hatred  of  the  Savages,  it  has 
begun  to  be  esteemed  and  sought  by  the  majority  of 
them.  In  truth,  only  twenty-two  children  have  been 
baptized;  but  all,  with  the  exception  of  three  or 
four,  were  baptized  at  their  parents'  request.  This 
circumstance  will  seem  important  when  one  remem- 
bers what  has  been  often  said  respecting  the  dread 
felt  by  all  the  Savages  who  have  not  embraced  the 
Faith,  of  having  their  children  baptized,  for  they 
think  that  baptism  will  cause  their  death.  But  it 
would  seem  of  still  greater  importance  if  one  knew 
the  spirit  of  these  barbarous  people,  whose  ignorance 
renders  them  liable  to  similar  fears,  and  less  capable 
of  casting  them  off.  Moreover,  experience  seems  to 
confirm  them  in  this  opinion,  because  in  this  pagan 
country  this  sacrament  of  the  Faith  is  administered 
only  to  children  at  the  point  of  death ;  and,  in  fact, 
nearly  all  who  are  baptized  die  immediately  after- 
ward. Hence  their  affection  for  their  children,  which 
verges  on  folly,  has  always  led  them  to  devote  all 
their  efiforts  to  preventing  them  from  receiving  that 
grace.     As  to  the  adults,  the  five  who  were  baptized 


226  LES  RELATIONS  DES  j£SUITES  [Vol.58 

folie,  les  a  toujours  portes  k  faire  tous  leurs  efforts 
pour  empecher  qu'ils  ne  regussent  cette  grace. 
Pour  les  adultes,  les  cinq  qui  ont  ete  baptises  sont 
tous  morts  apres  le  bapteme.  Trois  etaient  des  An- 
dastes  pris  h  la  guerre ;  le  P.  de  Carheil  a  eu  le  temps 
de  les  instruire  avant  qu'on  les  brulat.  Plusieurs  du 
meme  pays,  qui  s'etaient  sauves  apres  quelques  mois 
de  captivite,  leur  avaient  appris  la  charite  que  les 
Robes  noires  avaient  pour  eux  aussi  bien  que  pour 
les  Iroquois.  lis  avaient  raconte  les  caresses  que  les 
P^res  leur  faisaient  et  la  peine  qu'ils  prenaient  de  les 
assister  de  toutes  les  manieres  imaginables.  Ce  rap- 
port les  avait  dispos6s  ^  une  docilite  beaucoup  plus 
grande  que  Ton  n'en  avait  trouve  jusqu'^  present 
dans  les  autres  captifs.  II  y  en  eut  meme  un  qui 
remercia  le  Pere  dans  la  chanson  funebre  des  secours 
qu'il  lui  rendait,  disant  qu'il  savait  bien  qu'il  les 
aimait  et  que  la  nation  frangaise  n'^tait  pas  du  nombre 
de  leurs  ennemis. 


1672  -  74]  R  EL  A  TfON  OF  1673  -  74  227 

all  died  after  baptism.  Three  were  Andastes  cap- 
tured in  war;  Father  de  Carheil  had  time  to  instruct 
them  before  they  were  burned.  Several  from  the 
same  country,  who  had  escaped  after  a  captivity  of 
some  months,  had  told  them  of  the  charity  that  the 
black  Gowns  had  for  them  as  well  as  for  the  Iroquois. 
They  had  related  the  kindness  shown  them  by  the 
Fathers,  and  the  trouble  taken  by  the  latter  to  assist 
them  in  every  imaginable  way.  This  report  had 
disposed  them  to  greater  docility  than  had  yet  been 
met  with  in  the  other  captives.  One  of  them  even 
thanked  the  Father  in  his  death-song  for  the  succor 
given  him,  saying  that  he  well  knew  that  he  loved 
them,  and  that  the  French  nation  was  not  among 
the  number  of  their  enemies. 


228  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  j£SUITES  [Vol.  58 


CHAPITRE  V. 

DES  MISSIONS  DE  SAINT-MICHEL  ET  DE    SAINT-JACQUES 
CHEZ   LES    TSONNONTOUANS. 

SI  les  Sauvages  du  bourg  de  Saint-Michel  s'6taient 
aussi  bien  ddtach^s  des  superstitions  du  pays 
qu'ils  se  sont  preserves  jusqu'^  present  du  vice 
de  I'ivrognerie,  on  n'aurait  pas  de  peine  ^  en  faire 
de  v6ritables  Chretiens.     La  plupart  demandent  le 
bapt^me  au  P.  Gamier  qui  est  oblige  de  le  leur  refu- 
ser parce  qu'ils  ne  veulent  pas  renoncer  k  quelques 
danses  et  autres  c6r6monies    superstitieuses    qu'ils 
emploient    comme    rem^des   dans    leurs    maladies. 
Deux  choses  rendent  leur  attachement  k  ces  sortes 
de  f olies  plus  difl&cile  k  rompre ;  la  premiere  est  la 
fausse  esp6rance  de  recouvrer  la  sante  par  ces  moy- 
ens,  la  seconde  est  le  profit  qu'en  retirent  plusieurs 
d'entre  eux.     Cela  n'a  pas  empeche  deux  families 
les  plus  pauvres  de  la  bourgade  de  donner  un  exemple 
de  g^n^rosit^   et  de   fid^lite   k   Dieu,   d*autant  plus 
admirable,   qu'en    abandonnant    la   pratique    de    ces 
superstitions,  elles  se  privaient  de  I'unique  secours 
qui  leur  restat  pour  soulager  leur  pauvret^  et  leur 
extreme    indigence.       On    voit    souvent    dans    ces 
pauvres  barbares  de  semblables  efifets  d'une  grace 
puissante,  t^moignage  Evident  d'une  vertue  h^roique. 
Une  Huronne  depuis  longtemps  chretienne,  aprfes 
avoir  v^cu  dans  une  grande  innocence  jointe  ^  beau- 
coup  de  d61icatesse  de  conscience,  se  sentant  attaqu^e 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  229 


CHAPTER  V. 

OF     THE      MISSIONS      OF      SAINT     MICHEL     AND     SAINT 
JACQUES     AMONG   THE   TSONNONTOUANS. 

IF  the  Savages  of  the  village  of  Saint  Michel  had 
detached  themselves  from  the  superstitions  of 
the  country  as  thoroughly  as  they  have  hitherto 
preserved  themselves  from  the  vice  of  drunkenness, 
we  would  have  no  trouble  in  making  true  Christians 
of  them.  Most  of  them  ask  Father  Garnier  for  bap- 
tism, and  he  is  obliged  to  refuse  them,  because  they 
will  not  renounce  some  dances  and  other  supersti- 
tious ceremonies  which  they  use  as  remedies  in  their 
illnesses.  Two  things  render  follies  of  this  kind 
more  difficult  to  cast  off :  the  first  is  the  false  hope  of 
recovering  health  by  this  means;  the  second  is  the 
profit  that  many  of  them  derive  from  it.  This  has 
not  prevented  two  of  the  poorest  families  of  the 
village  from  giving  an  example  of  generosity  and 
fidelity  to  God, —  all  the  more  admirable  since,  in 
abandoning  the  practice  of  these  superstitions,  they 
deprived  themselves  of  the  sole  resource  that 
remained  to  them  for  relieving  their  poverty  and 
extreme  indigence.  One  often  sees  in  these  poor 
barbarians  similar  effects  of  a  powerful  grace,  which 
are  an  evident  proof  of  heroic  virtue. 

A  Huron  woman  who  had  long  been  a  Christian, 
after  living  in  great  innocence  added  to  great  deli- 
cacy of  conscience,  was  attacked  by  a  serious  illness, 
and  at  once  sent  for  the  Father  to  assure  him,  in  the 


280  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  J  ^SUITES         [Vol.  68 


d'une  maladie  grave,  fit  incontinent  appeler  le  P^re 
pour  I'assurer,  en  la  presence  de  tons  ses  parents, 
qu'elle  voulait  mourir  comme  elle  avait  vecu,  dans 
r^loignement  de  tout  ce  qui  6tait  contraire  ^  la  pro- 
fession du  Christianisme.  Comme  elle  se  vit  bientot 
assi^g^e  des  m^decins  et  des  devins  du  pays  qui  la 
pressaient  de  souffrir  au  moins  qu'on  lui  apprit  la 
cause  de  sa  mort,  elle  quitta  sa  cabane  pour  se  de- 
faire  de  leur  importunity ;  et  toute  mourante  qu'elle 
etait,  elle  se  fit  transporter  au  milieu  de  la  cam- 
pagne,  d'ou  elle  envoya  chercher  le  Pere  pour  venir 
lui  sugg6rer  quelques  pieuses  prieres.  Cet  acte  si 
genereux  merita  d'avoir  pour  recompense  en  cette 
vie  la  conversion  de  son  mari.  Pendant  qu'elle 
vivait,  il  n' avait  jamais  voulu  entendre  parler  de  se 
faire  baptiser ;  mais  sitot  qu'elle  fut  morte,  il  a  ete 
le  premier  ^  demander  cette  grace  avec  beaucoup 
d'empressement.  C'est  ainsi  que  Dieu  fait  paraitre, 
dans  ces  pays  eloign^s  aussi  bien  qu'ailleurs,  qu'il 
est  le  Maitre  des  coeurs,  pour  les  toucher  et  les  attirer 
efficacement  dans  le  temps  et  de  la  maniere  qu'il  lui 
plait. 

II  semble  attendre  les  uns  k  I'heure  de  la  mort,  et 
se  servir  de  la  maladie  du  corps  pour  rendre  la  sante 
k  Tame,  ainsi  qu'il  en  usa  "k  I'egard  d'une  jeune  fille 
que  r  infection  qui  s'exbalait  de  son  corps  avait  fait 
d6ja  chasser  de  plusieurs  cabanes,  quoique  les 
Sauvages  soit  fort  peu  delicats  en  cette  matiere.  Le 
missionnaire  le  fut  encore  moins  qu'eux,  et  cette  odeur 
infecte  ne  I'empecha  point  de  se  rendre  fort  assidu  ^ 
la  visiter  et  k  I'instruire.  II  la  trouva  tres-bien 
dispos6e  par  de  vives  apprehensions  des  peines  de 
I'autre   vie   et   par   des   regrets  sensibles  de   s'etre 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -74  231 

presence  of  all  her  relatives,  that  she  wished  to  die 
as  she  had  lived,  averse  to  everything  that  was 
opposed  to  the  profession  of  Christianity.  As  she 
soon  found  herself  assailed  by  the  physicians  and 
diviners  of  the  country,  who  urged  her  at  least  to 
allow  them  to  learn  the  cause  of  her  death,  she  left 
her  cabin  to  get  rid  of  their  importunities ;  and,  dying 
though  she  was,  she  caused  herself  to  be  transported 
far  out  into  the  country,  whence  she  sent  for  the 
Father  to  come  and  suggest  some  pious  prayers  to 
her.  So  noble  an  action  obtained  for  her,  as  a  reward 
in  this  life,  her  husband's  conversion.  While  she 
lived,  he  would  never  hear  of  being  baptized ;  but, 
as  soon  as  she  was  dead,  he  was  the  first  to  ask  for 
this  favor  with  much  earnestness.  Thus  God  mani- 
fested in  these  remote  countries,  as  well  as  elsewhere, 
that  he  is  the  Master  of  hearts,  and  touches  and 
attracts  them  effectively,  at  such  time  and  in  such 
manner  as  he  pleases. 

He  seems  to  await  some  at  the  hour  of  death  and 
to  use  illness  of  the  body  to  restore  health  to  the 
soul.  This  he  did  in  the  case  of  a  young  girl,  whom 
the  infection  exhaled  from  her  body  had  caused  to 
be  driven  away  from  several  cabins,  although  the 
Savages  are  not  over-sensitive  in  such  matters.  The 
missionary  was  still  less  so  than  they,  and  the  infec- 
tious odor  did  not  prevent  him  from  being  very 
assiduous  in  visiting  and  instructing  her.  He  found 
her  very  well  prepared  for  this,  by  vivid  apprehen- 
sions of  the  sufferings  of  the  other  world,  and  by 
deep  regret  for  having  abandoned  herself  to  a  crimi- 
nal life.  The  Father  deemed  it  advisable  to  grant 
her  the  grace  of  baptism,  and  he  had  reason  to 
hasten,  for  the  sacrament  was  immediately  followed 


232  LES  RELATIONS  DES y£SL/TES  [Vol.  58 


laiss6e  aller  k  une    vie  criminelle.     Le  P^re  jugea 
qu'il  6tait  expedient  de  lui  accorder  la  grace  du  bap- 
teme ;  et  il  eut  raison  de  se  hater,  car  le  sacrement  fut 
incontinent  suivi   de   mort.     II  en  est  d'autres  que 
Dieu  convertit  par  I'entremise  et  par  les  exhortations 
de  ceux  qui  ne  veulent  pas  se  convertir  eux-memes. 
Un  Sauvage  du  bourg  de  la  Conception  a  dejk  pro- 
cure  le   salut  k  plusieurs   de  ses  parents  et  n'a  pas 
encore  voulu  travailler  ^  son  propre  salut.     C'est  un 
homme  de  fort  bon  sens  qui  a  toujours  pris  plaisir 
aux    instructions    des    missionnaires.      Comme    il    a 
beaucoup  d'esprit,  il  est  fort  instruit  dans  les  mys- 
t^res  de  notre  religion;  il  se  dit  chretien  d 'inclina- 
tion,   quoique    sa    vie    I'ait    rendu   jusqu'k    present 
indigne  du  bapteme.     Lorsqu'il  salt  que  I'un  de  ses 
parents  ou  de  ses  amis  est  dangereusement  malade, 
il  le  va  trouver  pour  I'instruire ;  et  afin  d'etre  cru  plus 
facilement    de    lui,    il   I'assure    qu'il    a   longtemps 
examine  ce  que  disent  les  Robes  noires,  et  qu'apres 
cet  examen  il  n'y  a  rien  trouve  que  de  conforme  k  la 
verite;  qu'au  reste,  il  ne  tache  de  lui  persuader  que 
ce  qu'il  a  dessein  de  faire  lui-meme,  et  qu'il  pr6tend 
bien  demander  le  bapteme  lorsqu'il  se  verra  pres  de 
mourir.     II  dit  ces  choses  si  k  propos  et  avec  tant 
d'adresse,  qu'il  n'en  est  presque  point  qu'il  ne  con- 
vainque  et  qu'il  ne  dispose  parfaitement  k  recevoir 
ce  sacrement,     II  I'a  fait  depuis  pen  si  heureusement  k 
regard  d'un  de  ses  neveux,  age  d'environ  trente  ans, 
que  le  P.  Gamier  fut  ravi  de  la  ferveur  avec  laquelle 
ce  jeune  homme  demanda  le  bapteme,  et  des  rares 
dispositions  qu'il  apporta  pour  le  recevoir. 

Mais  de  tons  les  moyens  dont  Dieu  se  sert  le  plus 
dans   ces   trois   bourgs   de    Saint-Michel,   de   Saint- 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  i67?-74  233 

by  death.  There  are  others  whom  God  converts 
through  the  agency  and  exhortations  of  those  who 
will  not  themselves  become  converted,  A  Savage 
belonging  to  the  village  of  la  Conception  has  already 
procured  salvation  for  several  of  his  relatives,  and 
has  not  yet  been  willing  to  work  for  his  own.  He 
is  a  man  of  great  common  sense,  who  has  always 
taken  pleasure  in  the  missionaries'  instructions.  As 
he  possesses  much  intelligence,  he  is  very  well 
instructed  in  the  mysteries  of  our  religion ;  he  says 
that  he  is  a  Christian  by  inclination,  although  his 
life  has  hitherto  rendered  him  unworthy  of  baptism. 
When  he  knows  that  one  of  his  relatives  or  friends 
is  dangerously  ill,  he  goes  to  him  to  instruct  him ; 
and,  in  order  to  be  more  readily  believed  by  the 
other,  he  assures  him  that  he  has  long  examined 
what  the  black  Gowns  say;  and  that,  after  such 
examination,  he  has  found  nothing  that  is  not  con- 
formable to  truth;  he  tells  him  that,  moreover,  he 
seeks  to  urge  him  only  to  what  he  himself  purposes 
to  do,  and  that  he  fully  intends  to  ask  for  baptism 
when  he  finds  his  death  approaching.  He  says  these 
things  so  appositely  and  cleverly  that  there  are  few 
whom  he  does  not  convince,  and  does  not  thoroughly 
prepare  for  receiving  that  sacrament.  He  has 
recently  done  this  so  satisfactorily  with  regard  to 
one  of  his  nephews,  about  thirty  years  of  age,  that 
Father  Garnier  was  delighted  with  the  fervor  with 
which  that  young  man  asked  for  baptism,  and  the 
rare  dispositions  that  he  manifested  for  receiving  it. 
But  of  all  the  means  that  God  most  employes  in 
these  three  villages  of  Saint  Michel,  Saint  Jacques, 
and  la  Conception,  which  belong  to  the  nation  of  the 
Tsonnontouans,  that  which  most  effectively  converts 


•284  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  J  ^SUITES  [Vol.  58 

Jacques  et  de  la  Conception  qui  appartienncnt  a  la 
nation  des  Tsonnontouans,  celui  qui  convertit  plus 
efficacement  les  Sauvages,  c'est  la  mis^re  et  1 'aban- 
don des  creatures.  II  n'en  est  pas  de  mieux  disposes 
^  6couter  les  instructions  et  de  plus  faciles  ^  obeir 
aux  mouvements  de  la  grace,  que  de  pauvres  esclaves 
ou  d'autres  personnes  destitutes  de  tout  secours  et 
abandonn6es  de  tout  le  monde.  Ce  sont  eux  qui 
donnent  le  plus  de  consolation  au  Pere,  et  qui,  au 
milieu  de  leurs  miseres  temporelles,  recoivent  le  plus 
volontiers  la  bonne  nouvelle  de  leur  bonhenr  eternel. 
Le  P^re  en  a  baptise,  cette  annee,  quelques-uns  de 
cette  classe,  et  ils  vivent  tous  en  veritables  Chretiens. 
II  aurait  pu  esperer  le  meme  succfes  aupres  de  beau- 
coup  d'autres,  s'il  avait  eu  assez  de  loisir  pour 
continuer  a  les  instruire,  et  pour  assister  en  meme 
temps  les  malades  qui  ont  ete  en  grand  nombre  et 
dont  plusieurs  sont  morts  apres  le  bapteme. 


1672 - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673-74  235 

the  Savages  is  the  misery  and  abandonment  of 
creatures.  None  are  better  disposed  to  listen  to  the 
instructions,  and  readier  to  obey  the  movements  of 
grace  than  poor  slaves,  or  other  persons  deprived  of 
all  succor  and  abandoned  by  every  one.  It  is  they 
who  give  most  consolation  to  the  Father,  and  who, 
amid  their  temporal  miseries,  most  willingly  receive 
the  good  news  of  their  eternal  happiness.  This  year 
the  Father  baptized  some  of  this  class,  and  they  all 
live  as  true  Christians.  He  might  have  hoped  for 
the  same  success  with  many  others,  had  he  had 
enough  leisure  to  continue  instructing  them,  and  at 
the  same  time  to  assist  the  sick;  these  were  very 
numerous,  and  several  of  them  died  after  baptism. 


236  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  /^SUITES  [Vol.  5g 


CHAPITRE  VI. 

DE     LA     MISSION     DE     LA     CONCEPTION     A     TSONNON- 

TOUAN. 

LE  P.  Raffeix,  qui  a  soin  de  cette  mission,  en  ecrit 
ce  qui  suit : 

Le  grand  nombre  de  superstitions  qui  se 
sont  ramassees  ici  avec  les  peuples  qui  sont  venus 
s'y  r^fugier  apres  la  destruction  de  leur  pays,  apporte 
un  empechement  bien  notable  k  la  propagation  de 
I'Evangile.  L'eloignement  des  Fran§ais,  chez  les- 
quels  les  Tsonnontouans  ne  vont  presque  point,  leur 
fait  trouver  etranges  les  enseignements  de  notre  Foi, 
parce  qu'ils  n'ont  presque  jamais  vu  personne  les 
croire  et  les  pratiquer.  D'ailleurs  le  libertinage  et 
la  corruption  des  mceurs,  qui  font  souvent  approuver 
et  louer  publiquement  tous  les  vices,  contribuent 
beaucoup  ^  leur  faire  mener  la  vie  des  betes  et  k  les 
rendre  insensibles  k  tout  ce  qui  regarde  le  salut.  Ce 
n'est  pas  qu'en  plusieurs  d'entre  eux  on  ne  voie  un 
tres-bon  naturel,  et  que  la  plupart  ne  soient  beaucoup 
moins  sujets  k  leurs  passions  que  les  Europeens. 
Mais  dans  le  regne  de  la  nature  corrompue  on  se 
laisse  aller  au  mauvais  exemple,  et  ces  riches  natu- 
rels,  qui  feront  un  jour  des  merveilles  quand  la  vertu 
les  possedera,  sont  encore  trop  faibles  pour  resister 
au  respect  humain.  II  mourrait  bien  peu  d'adultes 
sans  recevoir  le  bapteme,  si  on  pouvait  les  trouver 
seuls  pour  les  instruire ;  mais  la  honte  de  passer  pour 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  J67S-74  237 


CHAPTER  VI. 

OF   THE     MISSION     OF    LA     CONCEPTION    AT    TSONNON- 

TOUAN. 

FATHER  Raffeix,  who  has  charge  of  this  mission, 
writes  of  it  as  follows : 

"  The  great  number  of  superstitions  that 
have  gathered  here  with  the  tribes  who  have  come 
hither  for  refuge,  after  the  destruction  of  their 
own  country,  is  a  considerable  impediment  to  the 
propagation  of  the  Gospel.  The  remoteness  of  the 
French,  among  whom  the  Tsonnontouans  seldom 
go,  makes  the  teachings  of  our  Faith  seem  strange 
to  them,  because  they  have  hardly  ever  seen  any  one 
who  believed  and  practiced  these  teachings.  More- 
over, profligacy  and  the  corruption  of  morals,  which 
frequently  cause  all  the  vices  to  be  publicly  upheld 
and  praised,  greatly  contribute  to  make  them  lead 
the  life  of  beasts,  and  render  them  insensible  to 
everything  regarding  salvation.  Not  that  many  of 
them  do  not  possess  a  very  good  character,  or  that 
the  majority  of  them  are  not  much  less  subject  to 
their  passions  than  are  Europeans.  But,  in  the  reign 
of  corrupt  nature,  they  allow  themselves  to  be 
swayed  by  evil  example;  and  these  rich  natures 
which  will  one  day  do  wonders  when  virtue  shall 
possess  them,  are  still  too  feeble  to  resist  considera- 
tions of  human  respect.  But  few  adults  would  die 
without  baptism,  could  one  find  them  alone  to  instruct 
them ;  the  shame,  however,  of  passing  for  believers 


238  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES  [Vol.58 


fiddles  devant  les  autres  qui  ne  le  sont  point,  est  un 
grand  obstacle  ^  leur   conversion.      Et,  pour   cette 
raison,    je   n'ai   pu,    cette    ann^e,    baptiser    que    dix 
adultes,  qui  sont  tons  morts  apres  avoir  re9u  cette 
grace.      Plusieurs,   qui  prient   Dieu   quand  ils  sont 
seuls  dans  la  chapelle,    auraient  honte   de   le  faire 
devant  ceux  qui  ne  prient  pas.     Une  jeune  femme 
s'^tait  empoisonnee  k  la  suite  de  graves  desagrements 
qu'elle   avaient  eprouves.     J'allai   la  voir  plusieurs 
fois  dans  sa  cabane  pour  lui  parler  de  son  salut ;  le 
respect     humain    I'empeclia    de    repondre.       Je  lui 
portai   de  temps  en  temps  des  remedes  et  quelques 
douceurs  afin  qu'elle  agreat  plus  facilement  ce  que 
je  lui   disais  de   Dieu,  du  malheur  ou   du  bonheur 
eternel  de  son  ame.     Tant  qu'elle  eut  aupres  d'elle 
son  mari  et  sa  mere,  elle  ne  parla  point  du  tout;  je 
vis  bien  qu'il  la  fallait  trouver  seule  et  au  plus  tot, 
car  elle  etait  a   I'extremite.     Je   m'y  rendais   quel- 
quefois  si  matin  ou  si  tard  que  je  me  perdais  dans  les 
champs  en  m'en  retournant.     Enfin,  un  jour  que  son 
mari  etait  absent  et  pendant  que  sa  mere  etait  allee 
chercher  de  I'eau,   elle  m'ouvrit  son   coeur,   priant 
Dieu  avec  beaucoup  de  ferveur  qu'il  lui  pardonnat 
ses    fautes.       Elle    ecouta    ensuite,    tres-volontiers, 
rinstruction  que  je  lui  fis  et  se  disposa  a  recevoir  le 
bapteme.     Tons,  il  est  vrai,  ne  sont  pas  k  ce  point 
esclaves    du    respect    humain.     Un    des   anciens    du 
bourg  me   fit  appeler  et  me  parla  ainsi:  «Voici  ma 
niece  et  ma  petite-fiUe  qui  n'en  peuvent  plus ;  il  y  a 
longtemps  qu'elles  trainent.     Dis-leur  bien  tout  ce 
qui  regarde  la  Priere,  afin  de  les  disposer  le  mieux 
que  tu  pourras  ^  se  faire  chretiennes. » 

Je  serais  bien  marri  que  ce  vieillard  qui  n'est  pas 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TJON  OF  1673  -  74  239 

before  those  who  are  not,  is  a  great  obstacle  to  their 
conversion.  For  this  reason,  I  was  able,  this  year, 
to  baptize  only  ten  adults,  who  all  died  after  receiv- 
ing that  grace.  Many  who  pray  to  God  when  alone 
in  the  chapel,  would  be  ashamed  to  do  so  before 
those  who  pray  not.  A  young  woman  had  poisoned 
herself,  in  consequence  of  serious  annoyances  that 
she  had  experienced.  I  went  several  times  to  see 
her  in  her  cabin,  to  speak  to  her  of  her  salvation ; 
but  human  respect  prevented  her  from  answering. 
From  time  to  time  I  took  medicines  and  some  com- 
forts to  her,  in  order  to  induce  her  to  consent  more 
readily  that  I  might  speak  to  her  of  God,  and  of  the 
eternal  unhappiness  or  blessedness  of  her  soul.  So 
long  as  her  husband  or  her  mother  was  near  her,  she 
would  not  speak  at  all ;  I  saw  very  well  that  I  must 
see  her  alone,  and  as  soon  as  possible,  for  she  was 
at  death's  door.  I  went  there  sometimes  so  early  in 
the  morning,  or  so  late,  that  I  lost  my  way  in  the 
fields  on  my  way  back.  At  last,  one  day  while  her 
husband  was  away,  and  her  mother  had  gone  for 
water,  she  opened  her  heart  to  me,  entreating  God 
very  fervently  to  pardon  her  sins.  She  afterward 
listened  very  willingly  to  the  instruction  that  I  gave 
her  and  prepared  herself  for  baptism.  It  is  true, 
not  all  are  slaves  of  human  respect  to  the  same 
degree.  One  of  the  old  men  of  the  village  sent  for 
me,  and  spoke  to  me  as  follows:  '  Here  are  my  niece 
and  my  granddaughter,  who  are  at  the  end  of  their 
strength;  they  have  been  languishing  for  a  long 
time.  Tell  them  fully  all  about  Prayer,  so  that  thou 
mayst  prepare  them  to  become  Christians  as  soon  as 
possible.' 

"  I  would  be  very  sorry  if  this  old  man,  who  is 


ii40  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES  [Vol.  58 

encore  baptise  perdit  pour  lui-meme  la  grace  que 
deux  de  ses  filles,  sa  niece  et  sa  petite-niece  ont  re5ue 
cette  annee;  et  qu'elles  ont,  il  y  a  lieu  de  le  croire, 
portee  intacte  dans  le  Ciel,  car  elles  sont  mortes  peu 
de  temps  apres  le  bapteme. 

Faisant  un  jour  voyage  avec  un  homme  qui  reve- 
nait  de  la  guerre,  comme  je  m'entretenais  avec  lui 
de  la  religion  et  des  mysteres  de  la  Foi,  il  me  raconta 
qu'un  des  chefs  de  leur  arm6e,  tenant  conseil  pres 
du  pays  ennemi,  avait  dit  qu'il  fallait  aller  sans 
crainte  au  combat.  «Pour  moi,  continua-t-il,  je  suis 
loin  de  rien  craindre ;  car  je  sais  que  rien  ne  nous 
arrive  que  par  la  permission  de  Celui  qui  est  au  Ciel, 
que  j' adore  et  que  j'invoque  depuis  que  j'ai  embrasse 
le  Christianisme.))  Qu'il  serait  k  souhaiter  que  tons 
eussent  le  meme  courage,  et  qu'ils  pussent  s'61ever 
au-dessus  du  respect  humain ! 

Je  ne  saurais  exprimer  le  plaisir  que  je  prenais  ^ 
entendre  un  vieillard,  qui  est  chretien  depuis  quelque 
temps,  et  qui  n'est  pas  de  ce  pays.  «Ah!  disait- 
il,  quand  est-ce  que  le  bonheur  m'arrivera  de  me 
retirer  dans  le  pays  de  la  Foi,  chez  les  Frangais,  et 
de  ne  plus  vivre  ici  oil  Dieu  n'est  pas  encore  connu 
et  ou  il  est  si  souvent  ofEense !  Que  je  vivrais  et 
mourrais  content  parmi  mes  freres  les  Chretiens  de 
Quebec  ou  de  la  Prairie  de  la  Magdeleine !  Si  moi 
et  ma  famille  ne  sortons  au  plus  tot  de  ce  pays,  mon 
fils,  ma  petite  fiUe  et  ma  femme  y  seront  exposes  k 
perdre  la  Foi  au  milieu  de  I'infidelite  et  du  liberti- 
nage,  au  lieu  que  s'ils  vivaient  avec  les  fideles  ils  se 
sauveraient  en  suivant  leurs  bons  exemples. »  II 
pretend  done,  a  quelque  prix  que  ce  soit,  se  mettre 
en    chemin    dans    un    mois   pour    aller   demeurer    k 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  241 

not  yet  baptized  were  himself  to  lose  the  grace  that 
two  of  his  daughters,  his  niece,  and  his  grandniece 
received  this  year  and  which  there  is  every  reason 
to  believe  they  carried  intact  to  Heaven,  for  they 
died  shortly  after  their  baptism. 

"  While  traveling  one  day  with  a  man  who  was 
returning  from  the  war,  and  while  I  was  conversing 
with  him  about  religion  and  the  myvSteries  of  the 
Faith,  he  related  to  me  that  one  of  the  chiefs  of  their 
army  held  a  council  near  the  enemy's  country,  at 
which  he  said  that  they  must  go  into  battle  without 
fear.  '  For  my  part,'  he  continued,  '  I  am  far  from 
feeling  any  fear,  for  I  know  that  nothing  can  happen 
to  us  without  the  permission  of  Him  who  is  in 
Heaven,  whom  I  adore  and  invoke  ever  since  I  have 
embraced  Christianity.'  How  desirable  it  would  be 
that  all  should  have  the  same  courage,  and  that  they 
should  rise  above  human  respect ! 

"  I  cannot  express  the  pleasure  that  I  felt  in  hear- 
ing an  old  man  who  has  been  a  Christian  for  some 
time,  and  who  is  not  of  this  country.  '  Ah,'  he  said, 
*  when  shall  I  have  the  happiness  of  withdrawing  to 
the  land  of  the  Faith,  among  the  French,  and  to  live 
no  longer  here,  where  God  is  yet  unknown,  and 
where  he  is  so  often  offended?  How  contentedly  I 
would  live  and  die  among  my  brothers,  the  Chris- 
tians of  Quebec  or  of  la  Prairie  de  la  Magdeleine! 
If  I  and  my  family  do  not  soon  leave  this  country, 
my  son,  my  little  daughter,  and  my  wife  will  be 
in  danger  of  losing  our  Faith  in  the  midst  of  infidelity 
and  profligacy;  while,  if  they  lived  with  the  faith- 
ful, they  would  be  saved  by  following  their  good 
examples.'  He  therefore  intends,  at  any  cost,  to  set 
out  within  a  month  to  go  and  dwell  at  Quebec ;  but 


242 


LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  /^SUITES  [Vol.  58 


Quebec ;  ce  ne  sera  pas  sans  beaucoup  de  difficult6s  et 
de  travaux.  Dieu  a  ses  predestines  partout;  mais  ce 
bon  grain  est  encore  assez  rare  dans  ce  pays ;  ce  sera 
^  des  fervents  et  zeles  missionnaires,  qui  viendront 
cultiver  cette  terre  ingrate  et  st6rile,  k  faire  multi- 
plier la  semence  au  centuple. 

Du  nombre  de  ces  predestines  sont  particulierement 
les  petits  enfants  que  nous  tachons  de  ne  point  laisser 
mourir  sans  le  bapteme.  Je  I'ai  confere  k  un  assez 
grand  nombre  cette  annee.  Quatorze  d'entre  eux 
sont  morts  apres  I'avoir  regu.  Comme  ils  sont  notre 
gain  le  plus  assure,  ils  sont  aussi  notre  plus  grande 
consolation,  et  nous  veillons  sur  eux  avec  un  soin 
tout  particulier.  Mais  aussi,  il  faut  I'avouer,  c'est 
surtout  k  I'egard  de  ces  petits  innocents  que  Dieu 
decouvre  les  traits  de  sa  providence  speciale.  Plu- 
sieurs  fois  des  meres  qui  n'avaient  aucune  inclination 
pour  la  Foi,  me  sont  venues  chercher  pour  rendre 
la  sante  "k  leurs  enfants  malades;  j'en  ai  profite  pour 
les  baptiser,  et  plusieurs  se  sont  envoles  au  Ciel, 
apres  avoir  re9U,  par  le  bapteme,  au  lieu  de  la  sante 
du  corps  celle  de  I'ame.  Depuis  six  mois  j'avais  epie 
un  petit  enfant  tout  languissant.  Le  demon,  envieux 
de  la  gloire  que  cet  enfant  rendra  k  Dieu  pendant 
toute  une  eternite  dans  le  Ciel  fit  qu'on  me  le  cacha. 
On  I'emporta  dans  une  cabane  bien  eloignee  du 
bourg  et  bien  avant  dans  le  bois.  J'appris  le  matin 
qu'il  etait  k  I'extremite.  Apres  ma  messe,  je  me 
mets  en  route.  L'ange  gardien  de  cet  enfant  me 
faisait  trouver  du  monde  k  tous  les  endroits  ou  il  y 
avait  deux  chemins.  Mais  je  ne  serais  jamais  arrive 
si  trois  jeunes  gar9ons,  qui  venait  du  lieu  o^  j'allais 
et  qui  s'en  retournaient  chez  eux  n'eussent  change 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  243 

lie  cannot  do  so  without  much  difficulty  and  labor. 
God  has  his  chosen  ones  everywhere,  but  this  good 
grain  is  still  very  rare  in  this  country ;  it  will  be  for 
fervent  and  zealous  missionaries  who  shall  come 
here  to  cultivate  this  ungrateful  and  sterile  soil,  to 
cause  this  seed  to  multiply  a  hundredfold. 

"  Of  the  number  of  these  predestined  ones  are, 
above  all,  the  little  children,  whom  we  endeavor  not 
to  let  die  without  baptism.  I  have  administered  it 
to  a  fairly  large  number  this  year ;  fourteen  among 
them  died  after  receiving  it.  As  they  are  our  most 
certain  gain,  they  are  likewise  our  greatest  consola- 
tion; and  we  watch  over  them  with  most  special 
care.  But  it  must  be  admitted  also  that  it  is  espe- 
cially with  regard  to  those  little  innocents  that  God 
displays  the  marks  of  his  special  providence.  On 
several  occasions,  mothers  who  had  no  inclination 
for  the  Faith  came  to  get  me  to  restore  their  sick 
children  to  health.  I  took  advantage  of  the  oppor- 
tunity to  baptize  them,  and  several  soared  away  to 
Heaven  after  having  received,  through  baptism, 
health  of  the  soul  instead  of  that  of  the  body.  For 
six  months  I  had  watched  a  little  child  who  was 
very  delicate.  The  devil,  envious  of  the  glory  that 
this  child  would  render  unto  God  throughout  all 
eternity  in  Heaven,  caused  him  to  be  concealed 
from  me.  He  was  taken  to  a  cabin  very  far  from  the 
village,  and  deep  in  the  woods.  I  learned  in  the 
morning  that  he  was  dying.  I  set  out  after  my 
mass.  The  child's  guardian  angel  made  me  find 
people  at  every  place  where  two  roads  met.  But  I 
would  never  have  reached  my  destination  had  not 
three  young  boys,  coming  from  the  place  whither  I 
was    going,    and    on    their    return   home,   changed 


244  LES  RELA  TJONS  DES  /^SUITES  [Vol.  58 

de  resolution.  lis  reviennent  done  avec  moi,  mais 
ils  se  mettent  si  fort  k  courir  dans  le  bois,  que  je  les 
perdis  de  vue  bien  des  fois ;  je  les  rejoignis  enfin  et 
j'arrivai  ^  cette  cabane,  oil  je  ne  trouvai  ni  la  m^re 
ni  I'enfant  moribond.  J'envoyai  appeler  la  m^re 
dans  un  champ  voisin  ou  elle  avait  coutume  d'aller, 
j'y  allai  moi-meme  trois  fois,  et,  la  derniere,  comme 
je  revenais,  elle  arrivait  k  la  cabane  par  un  autre 
chemin  avec  son  enfant;  et  je  restai  seul  avec  le 
petit  malade,  pendant  qu'elle  alia  querir  de  I'eau 
dont  je  me  servis  pour  baptiser  I'enfant  qui  expira 
peu  apr^s. 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  245 

their  minds.  They  therefore  came  back  with  me, 
but  ran  so  fast  in  the  woods  that  I  repeatedly  lost 
sight  of  them.  At  last  I  rejoined  them  and  reached 
the  cabin,  where  I  found  neither  the  mother  nor  the 
dying  child.  I  made  them  seek  the  mother  in  an 
adjacent  field,  whither  she  was  in  the  habit  of  going ; 
and  I  went  there  myself  three  times.  On  the  last  of 
these  occasions,  as  I  was  coming  away,  she  reached 
the  cabin  by  another  road,  with  her  child;  and  I 
remained  alone  with  the  little  patient  while  she  went 
for  the  water  that  I  used  to  baptize  the  child,  who 
died  shortly  afterward." 


246  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  /^SUITES         [Vol.  68 


Mission  des   Iroquois   de  S.-Frangois-Xavier   a 

la  Prairie  de  la  Magdeleine  pendant 

les  annees  167^  et  1674. 

ON  met  cette  Mission  an  nombre  des  Missions 
iroquoises,  quoiqn'elle  ne  soit  pas  etablie 
dans  le  pays  des  Iroquois,  mais  parce  que  ce 
sont  eux  en  grande  partie  qui  I'ont  composee.  Elle 
n'est  differente  des  autres  Missions  que  parce  que 
celles-ci  sont  melees  de  Chretiens  et  d'infideles,  au 
lieu  qu'elle  ne  regoit  et  ne  conserve  en  son  sein  que 
des  Chretiens  ou  que  ceux  qui  ont  un  veritable  des- 
sein  de  le  devenir.  Ceux  en  effet  qui  sortent  de  leur 
pays  pour  venir  s'etablir  en  ce  lieu  ne  font  ce  change- 
ment  que  pour  quitter  I'infidelit^;  et  si  Ton  aperce- 
vait  qu'ils  n'eussent  pas  cette  volonte,  on  ne  les  y 
souffrirait  pas. 

Cette  relation  fera  voir  que  les  habitants  de  la 
Prairie  de  la  Magdeleine  travaillent  si  heureusement 
^  ce  dessein,  qu'on  ne  les  doit  plus  considerer  comme 
des  Sauvages  pleins  de  fierte  et  de  barbaric,  mais 
comme  des  hommes  parfaitement  soumis  aux  lois, 
pleins  de  douceur  et  d'amour  de  I'Evangile.  Trois 
choses,  depuis  la  derniere  relation,  nous  ont  semble 
dignes  d'etre  rapportees :  la  premiere  regarde  ceux 
qui  sont  venus  augmenter  le  nombre  des  Chretiens 
de  la  Prairie;  la  seconde,  la  ferveur  de  ceux  qui  y 
6taient  d6jk  etablis;  la  troisieme  est  la  mort  de 
Catherine  Gandiakteiia,  qui  a  donne  les  premiers 
commencements  ^  cette  Mission. 


1 672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  247 


Mission  to  the  Iroquois  of  St.  Francois  Xavier, 

at  la  Prairie  de  la  Magdeleine,  during 

the  years    1673  and  1674. 

THIS  Mission  is  placed  among  the  number  of  the 
Iroquois  Missions,  although  it  is  not  estab- 
lished in  the  Iroquois  country,  but  because 
they  who  compose  it  are  mainly  savages  therefrom. 
It  differs  from  the  other  Missions  only  because  in 
the  latter  Christians  and  infidels  are  intermingled 
together ;  while  it  receives  and  retains  in  its  bosom 
only  Christians,  or  those  who  really  intend  to  become 
such.  In  fact,  they  who  leave  their  own  country  to 
come  and  settle  in  this  spot  effect  this  change  only 
in  order  to  abandon  infidelity;  and,  if  it  were  found 
that  such  was  not  their  intention,  they  would  not  be 
suffered  to  remain  there. 

This  relation  will  show  that  the  inhabitants  of  la 
Prairie  de  la  Magdeleine  work  so  happily  to  this 
end  that  they  should  not  any  longer  be  looked  upon 
as  arrogant  and  barbarian  Savages,  but  as  men  per- 
fectly submissive  to  the  laws,  full  of  gentleness  and 
love  for  the  Gospel.  Three  matters,  since  the  last 
relation,  have  seemed  to  us  worthy  of  being  told: 
the  first  refers  to  those  who  have  come  to  increase 
the  number  of  the  Christians  of  la  Prairie;  the 
second,  to  the  fervor  of  those  who  were  already 
settled  there;  the  third  is  the  death  of  Catherine 
Gandiakteua,  which  was  the  beginning  of  this 
Mission. 


248  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  /^SUITES  [Vol.  58 

I.        DE      CEUX      QUI      SONT     VENUS      S'ETABLIR     A      LA 
PRAIRIE    UE    LA    MAGDELEINE. 

LE  nombre  seul  des  heureux  habitants  de  cette  Mis- 
sion est  une  marque  de  la  benediction  que  Dieu 
lui  donne.  En  effet,  depuis  le  peu  d'annees  qu'elle  a 
commence,  ce  nombre  s'est  singulierement  augment6 
et  s'augmente  encore  tous  les  jours.  Mais  ce  qui  est 
plus  remarquable  encore,  ce  sont  les  moyens  dont 
Dieu  se  sert  k  I'egard  de  ces  pauvres  Sauvages  pour 
les  retirer  du  pays  de  I'infidelite  et  du  vice,  et  pour 
les  attirer  en  ce  lieu  ou  la  Foi  et  la  vertu  sont 
uniquement  estimes. 

Voici  quelques  traits  de  cette  conduite  misericor- 
dieuse  de  la  Providence.  Un  catechumene  de  la 
Prairie  allant  a  la  chasse  rencontre  deux  ou  trois  de 
ses  compatriotes  infideles;  il  leur  fait  un  simple 
narre  des  exercices  de  piete  qu'y  pratiquent  les  Chre- 
tiens Iroquois.  Ce  discours  les  touche  tellement, 
que  non-seulement  ils  veulent  imiter  de  si  beaux 
exemples,  mais  qu'ils  veulent  encore  attirer  leurs 
parents  au  meme  dessein.  lis  retournent  en  leur 
pays,  ils  leur  parlent  et  les  persuadent  de  venir  h.  la 
Prairie,  et  ils  les  emraenent  en  bon  nombre  pour  y 
vivre  en  veritables  disciples  de  I'Evangile.  D'autres 
Chretiens  de  cette  Mission  etant  alles  vers  le  nord 
ou  etait  le  lieu  de  leur  chasse,  ont  ramene  avec  eux 
plus  de  six  families  de  ces  pays  lointains.  Mais  sur- 
tout  comme  la  Prairie  de  la  Magdeleine  est  un  lieu 
de  grand  passage,  il  ne  s'y  arrete  guere  de  bande  de 
Sauvages  que  quelques-uns  ne  se  laissent  engager  k  y 
rester  par  I'exemple  et  par  le  zele  de  ceux  qui  y  sont 
dejk  etablis.  Aussi,  depuis  quinze  mois,  on  compte 
plus    de     cent    quatre-vingts    nouveaux     Sauuages 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673 -  74  24» 

I.       OF    THOSE    WHO     HAVE     COME    TO     SETTLE    AT    LA 
PRAIRIE   DE    LA    MAGDELEINE. 

THE  number  of  the  fortunate  residents  of  this  Mis- 
sion is  alone  a  proof  of  the  blessings  that  God 
pours  upon  it.  In  fact,  during  the  few  years  that 
have  elapsed  since  it  was  begun,  this  number  has 
increased  considerably,  and  still  increases  every  day. 
But  what  is  yet  more  remarkable  is  the  means  that 
God  uses  with  respect  to  these  poor  Savages,  to  with- 
draw them  from  the  land  of  infidelity  and  vice,  and 
to  attract  them  to  this  place,  where  Faith  and  virtue 
are  alone  esteemed. 

Here  are  some  instances  of  this  merciful  guidance 
of  Providence.  A  catechumen  of  la  Prairie,  while 
going  to  hunt,  met  two  or  three  of  his  pagan  coun- 
trymen ;  and  he  gave  them  a  simple  account  of  the 
pious  exercises  practiced  there  by  the  Christian  Iro- 
quois. This  discourse  so  touches  them  that  not 
only  do  they  desire  to  imitate  examples  so  noble, 
but  they  wish  also  to  attract  their  relatives  thither, 
for  the  same  purpose.  They  return  to  their  own 
country;  they  talk  to  them  and  persuade  them  to 
come  to  la  Prairie ;  and  they  bring  them  in  goodly 
numbers,  to  live  there  as  true  disciples  of  the  Gospel. 
Other  Christians  of  this  Mission,  who  had  gone 
toward  the  north,  where  their  hunting-grounds 
were,  brought  back  with  them  more  than  six  fami- 
lies from  those  distant  regions.  But,  above  all,  as 
la  Prairie  de  la  Magdeleine  is  a  place  where  a  great 
many  people  pass,  hardly  a  band  of  Savages  stops  at 
it  without  some  of  their  number  being  induced  to 
remain,  through  the  example  and  zeal  of  those 
who  are  already  settled  there.  Thus,  during  fifteen 
months,  over  one  hundred  and  eighty  new  Savages. 


260  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J&SUITES  [Vol.58 

qui  s'y  sont  fix6s  et  qui  y  m^nent  une  vie  exem- 
plaire.  Les  missionnaires  qui  travaillent  dans  le 
pays  des  Iroquois  ecrivent  que  beaucoup  d'infidMes 
de  ces  bourgades,  touches  de  la  meme  grace,  se  dis- 
posent  aussi  "k  y  venir  demeurer.  On  peut  done  dire 
en  toute  verite  que  cette  Mission  de  Saint- Franjois- 
Xavier  des  Pr^s  est  comme  le  produit  de  celles  qui 
se  font  au  milieu  de  ces  nations  barbares,  et  le  fruit 
des  travaux  des  missionnaires  qui  s'y  trouvent 
actuellement,  et  du  sang  de  ceux  qui  dans  le  passe 
y  ont  ete  cruellement  massacres. 

II.       DE    LA   FERVEUR   DES    CHRETIENS    DE    LA    PRAIRIE 

DE    LA    MAGDELEINE. 

SANS  repeter  ce  qu'on  a  dit  dans  les  autres  relations 
de  la  ferveur  des  Chretiens  de  la  Prairie  de  la 
Magdeleine,  il  suffit  d'ajouter  qu'ils  se  perfectionnent 
toujours  de  plus  en  plus,  et  que  leur  vertu  est  d'au- 
tant  plus  solide  qu'elle  leur  donne  plus  d'eloigne- 
ment  des  vices  auxquels  les  Sauvages  sont  plus 
sujets. 

L'ivrognerie,  qui  a  tant  fait  de  tort  aux  autres  Mis- 
sions, n'y  a  point  encore  trouve  I'entree,  et  ceux  qui 
y  etaient  extremement  adonnes  dans  leur  pays  en 
con9oivent  tant  d'aversion  des  le  moment  meme  oil 
ils  ont  embrasse  la  Foi,  qu'ils  resistent  avec  une 
Constance  incroyable  k  1' inclination  prodigieuse  qui 
y  porte  tous  les  Sauvages.  Ce  fut  un  miracle  sur- 
prenant  de  la  grace  de  voir  plus  de  cent  Iroquois 
qui,  peu  d'annees  auparavant  s'adonnaient  k  la  bois- 
son  jusqu'k  des  exces  etranges,  se  trouvant  I'hiver 
dernier  environnes  d'ivrognes,  et  des  Fran§ais  qui, 
pour   les   engager   plus  puissamment  k  boire,   leur 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  251 

have  settled  there  and  lead  an  exemplary  life.  The 
missionaries  who  labor  in  the  country  of  the  Iroquois 
write  that  many  of  the  injEidels  of  those  villages, 
touched  by  the  same  grace,  are  also  preparing  to  come 
and  live  at  la  Prairie.  It  may  therefore  be  said,  in 
all  truth,  that  this  Mission  of  Saint  Fran9ois  Xavier 
des  Pres  is,  as  it  were,  the  product  of  those  that  exist 
among  those  barbarous  nations,  and  the  fruit  of 
the  labors  of  the  missionaries  now  there,  and  of 
the  blood  of  those  who  were  formerly  so  cruelly 
massacred  in  that  country. 

11.       OF     THE     FERVOR     OF     THE     CHRISTIANS     OF     LA 
PRAIRIE    DE    LA    MAGDELEINE. 

WITHOUT  repeating  what  has  been  said  in  other 
relations  of  the  fervor  of  the  Christians  of  la 
Prairie  de  la  Magdeleine,  it  suffices  to  add  that 
they  continue  to  improve  more  and  more ;  and  that 
their  virtue  is  all  the  more  solid,  since  it  removes 
them  farther  from  the  vices  to  which  the  Savages 
are  most  addicted. 

Drunkenness,  which  has  wrought  such  havoc  in 
the  other  Missions,  has  not  yet  found  entrance  here ; 
and  those  who  were^  greatly  addicted  to  it  in  their 
own  country  conceive  such  an  aversion  to  it  from 
the  very  moment  when  they  embrace  the  Faith,  that 
they  resist  with  incredible  constancy  the  prodigious 
inclination  that  impels  all  Savages  to  it.  It  was  a 
surprising  miracle  of  grace  to  see  over  a  hundred 
Iroquois  —  who,  a  few  years  previously,  were  addicted 
to  liquor  to  the  extent  of  committing  great  excesses ; 
and  who  found  themselves  last  winter  surrounded 
by  drunkards,  and  by  the  French,  who,  in  order 
more  readily  to  induce  them  to  drink,  offered  them 


262  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Vol.68 

offraient  de  I'eau-de-vie  en  ^change  de  leurs  pellete- 
ries,  demeurer  cependant  fermeF"  et  inflexibles  a 
toutes  ces  attaques  pendant  quatre  ou  cinq  mois,  bien 
qu'ils  fussent  61oign6s  pour  lors  des  missionnaires, 
Trois  seulement  se  laiss^rent  vaincre  aux  importu- 
nit6s  des  Fran9ais;  mais  ^  leur  retour,  les  anciens 
tachferent  de  leur  faire  r^parer  cette  faute  en  letir 
conseillant  d'offrir  un  present  ^  I'^glise.  On  n'en 
serait  pas  demeur6  Ik,  mais  on  les  aurait  chasses  s'ils 
n'eussent  €t€  mari^s  k  trois  des  meilleures  chre- 
tiennes  de  la  bourgade. 

L'impuret^  est  aussi  en  grande  horreur  parmi 
eux.  Une  femme  avait  donn6  rendez-vous  k  un 
homme  qui,  comme  elle,  etait  nouvellement  arrive 
et  infidele;  le  P.  Fr6min  qui  dirige  cette  Mission  en 
etant  averti,  empecha  que  I'entrevue  eut  lieu;  mais 
les  bons  Chretiens  du  bourg,  et  en  particulier  les 
parents  de  cette  femme,  ne  s'en  tinrent  pas  Ik;  ils 
lui  sig^ififerent  qu'elle  s'en  retournat  d'oh  elle  ^tait 
venue,  ce  qui  fut  ex^cut^  des  le  lendemain.  Une 
clir^tienne  bien  diff^rente  de  cette  infidele  avait  refu 
un  vetement  de  la  part  d'un  homme  sans  penser 
qu'il  songeat  k  rien  de  mal;  mais  des  qu'elle  put 
s'apercevoir  de  son  mauvais  dessein,  elle  apporte 
aussitot  le  vetement  au  P.  Fr^min  et  le  prie  de  le 
donner  k  un  pauvre :  « Je  n'ai  garde,  dit-elle,  de  le 
porter,  puisque  je  ne  peux  le  regarder  sans  horreur. 
A  Dieu  ne  plaise  que  je  veuille  jamais  l'offenser!)> 


1672 - 74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673 -74  253 

brandy  in  exchange  for  their  furs  —  remain,  never- 
theless, firm  and  inflexible  against  all  these  attacks 
for  four  or  five  months,  although  they  were  then  far 
from  their  missionaries.  Three  only  allowed  them- 
selves to  be  overcome  by  the  importunities  of  the 
French ;  but,  on  their  return,  the  elders  endeavored 
to  make  them  atone  for  this  sin  by  advising  them  to 
make  a  present  to  the  Church.  Matters  would  not 
have  remained  there,  and  they  would  have  been 
expelled,  had  they  not  been  married  to  three  of  the 
best  Christian  women  of  the  village. 

They  also  have  a  great  horror  of  impurity.  A 
woman  had  made  a  clandestine  appointment  with  a 
man  who,  like  her,  was  a  recent  arrival  and  a  pagan. 
Father  Fremin,  the  director  of  this  Mission,  heard 
of  it,  and  prevented  the  interview  from  taking  place ; 
but  the  good  Christians  of  the  village,  and  especially 
the  relatives  of  the  woman,  were  not  content  with 
this ;  they  notified  her  that  she  was  to  return  whence 
she  had  come,  and  this  was  carried  out  on  the  very 
next  day.  A  Christian  woman,  very  different  from 
that  pagan  one,  had  received  a  garment  from  a  man, 
without  imagining  that  his  intentions  were  evil; 
but,  as  soon  as  she  perceived  his  iniquitous  design, 
she  at  once  brought  the  garment  to  Father  Fremin, 
and  begged  him  to  give  it  to  some  poor  person.  "  I 
shall  certainly  not  wear  it,"  she  said,  "for  I  cannot 
look  at  it  without  horror.  God  forbid  that  I  should 
ever  willingly  offend  him." 


264  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES  [Vol.58 


Relation  des  Missions  au  pays  des  Outaouacs. 

CHAPITRE  I. 

DE   LA    MISSION   DE   S".  MARIE    DU    SAULT 

ON   scait   ass^s   par    les    Relations    precedentes, 
qu'elle  est  cette  mission,   et  Combien   grand 
est  I'abort  des  nations  qui  y  vienent  en  este 
pour  la  pesche  du  poisson    blanc  laquelle  est  fort 
abondante   dans  les   bouillons   du   sault   par   ou   se 
descharge  le  lac  superieur. 

C'est  ce  grand  Concours  de  peuples  qui  nous  a 
obliges  de  nous  establir  dans  ce  lieu  la  po'.  les 
Instruire  plus  commodement,  et  d'y  bastir  vne  2e. 
Chapelle,  plus  belle  encore  que  la  premiere  qui  fut 
brusl^e  en  167 1 :  peu  s'en  est  fallu  qu'elle  n'ayt  este 
aussi  Consomm6e  par  vn  second  incendie.  bien  plus 
funest6  o^ .  le  premier,  parce  qu'il  a  est^  la  suite  d'une 
action  des  plus  tragiques  qu'on  ait  Jamais  veu  en  ce 
pays,  cet  accident  a  eii  des  suites  bien  deplorables ; 
Car  il  fut  precede  d'une  trahison  qui  rompit  vne  paix 
quasi  Concliie,  laquelle  ouuroit  la  porte  a  I'euangile 
vers  la  grande  nation  des  nadoissi ;  et  en  outre  mis 
I'efroy  dans  tout  ce  pays  par  le  massacre  de  plus 
de  2  30  perssonnes  et  par  la  Crainte  d'une  guerre 
sanglante,  qui  doit  suiure  vne  si  funeste  trage- 
die.  Voicy  coe  elle  se  passa  au  printemps  de  I'annee 
1674. 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  255 


Relation  of  Missions  to  the  Outaouac  country. 

CHAPTER  I. 

OF   THE    MISSION    OF   STE.    MARIE   DU    SAULT. 

WE  are  sufficiently  informed  by  the  preceding^ 
Relations  as  to  what  mission  this  is,  and 
How    general    is    the    resort  to   it  of   the 
nations,  who  come  in  summer-time  to  take  the  white- 
fish  which  abound  in  the  rapids  of  the  sault,  where 
lake  superior  discharges  its  waters.*^  ^_ 

It  is  this  great  Concourse  of  peoples  that  has  com- 
pelled us  to  establish  ourselves  in  this  place,  that  we 
may  the  more  conveniently  Instruct  them;  and  to 
build  thereat  a  2nd  Chapel,  yet  more  beautiful  than 
the  first,  which  was  burned  down  in  1671.  Little 
was  wanting  that  this  one  also  had  been  Consumed 
by  a  second  fire, — much  worse,  by  far,  than  the 
first,  inasmuch  as  it  resulted  from  one  of  the  most 
tragic  occurrences  that  had  Ever  been  witnessed  in 
this  country.  This  accident  had  most  deplorable 
results,  For  it  was  preceded  by  an  act  of  treachery 
that  broke  up  a  peace,  almost  Concluded,  which  was 
about  to  open  the  door  of  the  gospel  to  the  great 
nation  of  the  nadoissi ;  and,  besides,  it  spread  terror 
throughout  that  country  by  the  massacre  of  more 
than  2  30  persons,  and  by  the  Fear  of  a  bloody  war, 
which  needs  must  follow  so  dire  a  tragedy.  It 
occurred  in  the  following  manner,  in  the  spring  of 
the  year  1674. 


♦256  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J&SUITES  [Vol.58 

MASSACRE    DE5    DIX    AMBASSADEURS    DES    NADOUESSI 

ET    DE   VINGT    AUTRES    SAUUAGES    FAICT    DANS 

LA    MAISON    DE    S".    MARIE    DU    SAULT 

LE5  nadouessi  nation  extremement  nombreuse,  et 
belliqueuse  au  possible  estoient  les  ennemis 
communs  de  tons  les  sauuages  qui  sont  Comprits 
sous  le  nom  d'outaouac  ou  algonquines  superieurs. 
lis  poussoient  mesme  leurs  armes  fort  auant  vers 
le  nord  et  faisant  la  guerre  aux  Kilistinons  qui  y 
habitent  par  tout  ils  se  rendoient  terribles  par  leur 
hardiesse,  par  leur  nombre,  et  par  leur  adresse  dans 
le  Combat,  ou  entre  autres  armes  ils  se  seruent  de 
Couteaux  de  pierre,  ils  en  portent  tousjours  deux  I'un 
atach6  a  leur  cinture,  I'autre  pendeu  a  leurs  cheueux. 
Cependant  vne  bande  de  guerriers  de  s**.  Marie  du 
sault  les  ayant  surpris  dans  leur  pais,  et  ayant  faict 
quatre-vingt  prisonniers  sur  eux  les  obligerent  a 
demander  la  paix.  Pour  cet  effet  ils  enuoyerent  au 
sault  dix  d' entre  eux  des  plus  hardis  pour  la  nego- 
cier;  lis  furent  receus  auec  Joye  aussi  tost  qu'on 
€ut  apris  le  sub  jet  de  leur  venue.  II  ny  eut  que  les 
Kilistinons  arriu^s  depuis  peu,  et  d'autres  nomes 
missisaquis  qui  non  seulement  en  tesmoignerent  du 
mescontentement,  mais  encore  prirent  resolu°°.  d'em- 
pecher  que  la  paix  ne  fut  Conclue,  et  mesme  de 
massacrer  ces  dix  embassadeurs.  ce  qui  obligea  po^. 
les  mettre  en  seuret6  de  les  faire  entrer  dans  la  mai- 
son  francoise  que  Ton  a  batie  pour  la  Comodit^  des 
missionnaires.  Le  p.  gabriel  dr^uilletes  se  seruit  de 
cette  ocasion  pos>.  les  instruire  de  nos  misteres  Ils 
I'escouterent  auec  tant  de  docility  qu'apres  I'instruc- 
tion  ils  se  mirent  tous  a  genoux,  et  Joignant  leurs 
mains  lis  inuoquerent  Jesus  le  maistre  de  la  vie  dont 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  t&j3  -  74  257 

MASSACRE    OF    THE    TEN    AMBASSADORS     OF    THE     NA- 
DOUESSI,    AND    TWENTY     OTHER      SAVAGES,     PERPE- 
TRATED IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  STE.   MARIE   DU  SAULT. 

THE  nadouessi,  a  nation  exceedingly  numerous  and 
warlike,  were  the  common  enemies  of  all  the 
savages  Included  under  the  name  of  outaouac,  or 
upper  algonquines.  They  even  pushed  forward 
their  arms  vigorously  toward  the  north ;  and,  mak- 
ing war  on  the  Kilistinons  who  dwell  there,  rendered 
themselves  everywhere  terrible  by  their  daring,  their 
numbers,  and  their  skill  in  Battle, — in  which  they 
use,  among  other  weapons,  Knives  of  stone.  Of  these, 
they  always  carry  two,  one  attached  to  the  girdle, 
the  other  suspended  by  the  hair.  However,  a  band 
of  warriors  from  ste.  Marie  du  sault,  having  surprised 
them  in  their  own  country  and  taken  eighty  of 
them  prisoners,  compelled  them  to  sue  for  peace. 
For  this  purpose,  they  sent  to  the  sault  ten  of  the 
most  daring  among  them,  to  negotiate  it.  They 
were  received  with  Joy,  as  soon  as  the  object  of  their 
coming  was  understood.  It  was  the  Kilistinons 
alone,  who  had  lately  arrived, — save  some  others 
named  missisaquis, —  who  not  only  expressed  their 
dissatisfaction  in  the  matter,  but  resolved  moreover  to 
prevent  the  peace  from  being  Concluded.  They 
even  determined  to  massacre  the  ten  ambassadors  — 
a  proceeding  which  made  it  necessary  that  the  latter, 
in  order  to  ensure  their  safety,  should  be  placed  in 
the  french  house,  which  had  been  erected  for  the 
Convenience  of  the  missionaries.  Father  gabriel 
dr^uilletes  took  advantage  of  that  opportunity  to 
instruct  them  in  our  mysteries.  They  listened  with 
so  much  docility  that,  when  the  instruction  was 
over,  they  all  knelt  down,  and.  Joining  their  hands. 


268  LES  RELATIONS  DES  JASUJTES  [Vol.  58 

on  venoit  de  leur  parler.  Cependant  les  sauuages 
s'assemblent  a  la  maison  francoise  les  vns  pour 
Conclure  la  paix  auec  le  nadoessi,  et  les  autres 
pour  empecher  qu'elle  ne  fut  Conclue.  on  fit  tout 
1 'imaginable  pour  empecher  que  ceux  qui  entreroient 
ne  portassent  des  armes,  mais  coe  la  fouUe  estoit 
extremement  grande,  5  ou  6  se  Coulerent  sans  qu'on 
leur  ostat  leurs  Cousteaux.  Ce  fut  vn  de  Ceux-la, 
Kilistinon  de  nation  qui  donna  Commencement  a 
tout  le  desordre  qui  s'ensuiure:  Car  s'aprochant  d'un 
nadoessi  le  couteau  a  la  main,  tu  Grains,  luy  dit  il, 
le  menassant  de  le  fraper.  Le  nadoessi  sans  s'es- 
tonner  luy  dit  d'un  ton  fier  et  d'une  mine  asseuree, 
si  tu  Crois  que  ie  tremble,  frape  droit  au  Coeur;  et 
se  sentant  frap6,  il  s'escria  parlant  a  Ceux  de  sa 
nation,  on  nous  tue  mes  freres.  a  les  paroUes  ces 
ho**,  animes  a  la  vengence,  et  d'ailleurs  fort  vigou- 
reux,  et  d'une  taille  aduantageuse  se  leuent  et  frapent 
auec  leurs  Couteaux  sur  tons  les  sauuages  assembles 
sans  faire  distinction  aucune  des  Kilistinons  et  des 
sauteurs  dans  la  penssee  qu'ils  auoient  tous  egalement 
Conspir^  dans  le  dessein  de  les  assasiner.  II  ne  leur 
fut  pas  fort  dificille  de  faire  vn  grand  Carnage  en 
peu  de  temps  veu  qu'ils  trouuerent  cette  multitude 
desarmee  qui  ne  s'atendoit  a  rien  moins  qu'a  vne 
semblable  attaque.  Le  Kilistinon  qui  auoit  com- 
manc6  la  querelle  fut  perce  des  premiers  et  iette 
mort  sur  la  place  auec  plusieurs  autres.  ensuite  les 
nadoessi  se  mirent  a  la  porte  de  la  maison  pour 
la  garder  et  po^".  poignarder  ceux  qui  voudroient 
s'enfuir;  mais  voyant  que  plusieurs  s'estoient  desia 
eschap6s,  et  estoient  alles  querir  des  armes,  ils 
fermerent  la  porte  sur  eux  resolus  de  se  defendre 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  259 


invoked  Jesus,  the  lord  of  life,  of  whom  we  had  just 
been  speaking  to  them.  Meanwhile,  the  savages 
assembled  at  the  french  house  —  part  of  them  to 
Conclude  the  peace  with  the  nadoessi,  others  to 
obstruct  its  Conclusion.  Everything  imaginable  was 
done  to  prevent  those  who  went  in  from  carrying 
arms;  but,  as  the  crowd  was  very  great,  5  or  6 
Slipped  in  without  having  their  Knives  taken  from 
them.  It  was  one  of  These  latter,  a  Kilistinon  by 
nation,  who  Began  all  the  disturbance  that  ensued. 
Approaching  a  nadoessi,  knife  in  hand,  he  said  to 
him,  "  Thou  art  Afraid," — threatening  at  the  same 
time  to  strike  him.  The  nadoessi,  undismayed, 
replied  to  him  in  a  haughty  tone,  and  with  a  confi- 
dent air,  "  If  thou  Thinkest  that  I  tremble,  strike 
straight  at  the  Heart."  Then,  feeling  himself 
struck,  he  cried  out  to  Those  of  his  nation,  "  They 
are  killing  us,  my  brothers."  At  these  words,  the 
men,  stirred  up  to  vengeance, —  and,  moreover,  very 
powerful  and  of  commanding  stature, —  arose,  and 
struck  with  their  Knives  at  all  the  assembled  sav- 
ages, without  making  any  distinction  between  Kilis- 
tinons  and  sauteurs,  believing  that  they  had  all 
equally  Conspired  in  the  design  to  assassinate  them. 
It  was  not  very  difficult  for  them  to  accomplish  a 
great  Carnage  in  a  short  time,  when  we  consider 
that  they  found  that  multitude  unarmed,  and  expect- 
ing anything  but  an  attack  of  that  kind.  The  Kilis- 
tinon who  had  begun  the  quarrel  was  among  the 
first  to  be  stabbed;  and,  he,  with  several  others,  fell 
dead  on  the  spot.  Afterward,  the  nadoessi  posted 
themselves  at  the  door  of  the  house,  to  guard  it,  and 
to  stab  those  who  would  have  taken  to  flight;  but, 
seeing  that  many  had  already  escaped  and  gone  in 


260  LES  RELATIONS  DES  j£SUITES  [Vol.58 

jusques  au  dernier  souspir.  En  effet  ils  se  mirent 
aux  fenestres  et  coe  par  hasar  ils  auoient  trouu6 
quelques  fusils  de  la  poudre  et  du  plomb  ils  s'en 
seruirent  po*.  escarter  leurs  ennemis  qui  vouloient 
les  brusler  en  bruslant  le  lieu  ou  ils  estoient  r'enfer- 
mes,  Ils  en  tuerent  ainssi  quelques  vns  qui  s'estoient 
trop  auanc^s ;  mais  malgr6  tous  leurs  eff ors  quelques 
autres  s'aprocherent  de  la  maison,  et  y  ayant  apliqu6 
de  la  paille  et  quelques  Canots  d'escorce  de  bouleau  y 
mirent  le  feu  qui  les  mis  [for  mist]  bien  tost  en  danger 
d  estre  Consommes  dans  les  flames.  C  est  ce  qui  les 
obligea  de  donner  vne  derniere  preuve  de  leur  Cou- 
rage. Car  ils  sortirent  tous  dix  les  armes  a  la  main 
et  auec  vne  promptitude  incroyable  ils  se  iettent  dans 
vne  Cabanne  faicte  de  pieux  qui  estoit  proche  d'ou 
ils  se  defendirent,  et  ne  cesserent  de  tuer  tant  que  la 
poudre  et  le  plomb  leur  dura  qui  venant  a  leur 
manque  ils  furent  acabl^s  par  le  grand  nombre  de 
sauuages  qui  tiroient  sur  eux,  et  ils  furent  tous  tues 
sur  la  place  auec  deux  femmes  qui  les  auoient 
acorn pagn^s :  vne  troisieme  fut  conseru6e  parce  qu'on 
reconneut  qu'elle  n'estoit  que  leur  esclaue,  et  qu'elle 
estoit  algonquine  de  nation.  pendant  tous  ce 
desordre,  et  tous  ce  massacre  le  feu  que  les  sauuages 
auoient  mis  a  la  maison  des  missionnaires,  s'augmen- 
toit  de  plus  en  plus,  et  malg^6  tous  ce  que  Ton  put 
faire  il  Consomma  bien  tost  tout  cet  edifice,  qui 
n'estoit  que  de  bois,  et  mis  la  nouuelle  Chapelle  qui 
n'en  estoit  pas  loing,  en  grand  danger  d' estre  aussi 
brusl^e.  on  fit  si  bien  pourtant  qu'on  la  sauua 
c' estoit  vn  spectacle  horrible  de  voir  tant  de  morts, 
et  tant  de  sang  Couler  en  vn  si  petit  espace,  et  d'y 
entendre  les  Cris  de  ceux  qui  s'animoient  au  Combat, 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  261 

search  of  arms,  they  closed  the  door  against  these, 
resolved  to  defend  themselves  to  the  last  breath.  In 
fact,  they  stationed  themselves  at  the  windows ;  and 
as,  by  chance,  they  had  found  some  gtms,  with  pow- 
der and  ball,  they  used  these  to  disperse  their 
enemies,  whose  desire  it  was  to  burn  them  by  setting 
fire  to  the  place  where  they  were  confined.  They 
killed,  in  this  way,  some  of  those  who  ventured  too 
close ;  but  in  spite  of  their  efforts,  some  others  came 
close  to  the  house.  These  men,  having  piled  up 
against  it  some  straw  and  some  birch-bark  Canoes, 
set  fire  to  them,  which  at  once  placed  them  in  danger 
of  being  Consumed  in  the  flames.  It  was  this  that 
drove  them  to  give  a  last  proof  of  their  Courage. 
All  ten  sallied  forth,  their  arms  in  their  hands,  and 
with  an  incredible  quickness  threw  themselves  into 
a  Cabin  made  of  stakes,  which  was  hard  by ;  in  this 
they  defended  themselves,  and  ceased  not  to  slay 
while  powder  and  ball  lasted  them.  When  at  last 
these  failed  them,  they  were  laid  low  by  the  great 
number  of  ^savages  who  were  firing  upon  them ;  and 
they,  with  two  women  who  had  accompanied  them, 
were  all  slain  on  the  spot.  A  third  woman  was 
spared,  because  they  perceived  that  she  was  only 
their  slave,  and  was  an  algonquin  by  nation.  All 
the  time  while  this  tumult  and  massacre  were  going 
on,  the  fire  which  the  savages  had  kindled  at  the 
missionaries'  house  was  steadily  increasing;  and,  in 
spite  of  all  that  could  be  done,  it  soon  Consumed  the 
whole  edifice,  which  was  only  wooden,  and  placed 
the  new  Chapel,  not  far  away,  in  great  jeopardy  of 
being  also  burned.  Our  people  did  so  well,  how- 
ever, that  they  saved  it.^  It  was  a  horrible  spec- 
tacle to  see  so  many  dead,  and  so  much  blood  Shed, 


262  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  J&SUITES  [Vol.  58 

et  les  gemissements  des  blesses  dans  la  Confusion 
d'line  populace  irrit^e  et  qui  nescoutoit  [ne]  scauoir[t] 
presque  ce  quelle  faisoit.  Nos  sauuages  pleurerent 
quarante  des  leurs  morts  ou  blesses  entre  lesquels  il 
y  en  auoit  quelques  vns  des  principeaux  et  des  plus 
considerables,  et  les  mission''",  de  leur  Cost6  auoient 
vn  grand  subjet  d' affliction  de  perdre  si  tost  I'espe- 
rance  d'aller  precher  I'euangille  aux  nadoessis  q^*. 
leur  auoient  faict  naistre  la  paix  que  Ton  estoit  prest 
de  conclure  auec  eux.  lis  se  virent  outre  cela  aban- 
donnes  des  sauuages  du  pais,  qui  dans  la  Crainte  que 
les  nadoessis,  voyant  tarder  leurs  gens  ne  se  doub- 
tassent  de  ce  qui  leur  estoit  arriue  et  ne  vouleassent 
tirer  vengence  de  leurs  morts,  s'escarterent  tous  et 
les  laisserent  exposes  a  la  fureur  de  leur  ennemy. 
ainssi  outre  le  danger  d'estre  massacres  dans  lequel 
ils  sont  tous  les  jours,  non  seulement  au  sault  mais 
encore  dans  tous  les  autres  lieux,  ou  ils  font  leur 
mission.  Le  progres  que  I'euangille  commen9oit  de 
faire  par  leur  moyen  a  este  beaucoup  arrest^  po^. 
quelque  temps.  Dieu  n'a  pas  laisse  de  tirer  sa  gloire 
de  ces  malheurs  et  de  s'en  seruir  tout  ensemble,  pour 
procurer  le  salut  de  quelques  ames  et  po^'.  faire 
paroistre  les  efets  extraordifiaires  de  sa  toute  puis- 
sance, Car  plusieurs  de  Ceux  qui  auoient  este  blesses 
tres  dangereusement  demanderent  le  baptesme,  et 
I'ayant  receu  furent  gueris  de  leurs  blesseures. 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  263 

in  so  small  a  space ;  and  horrible  to  hear  the  Cries  of 
those  who  warmed  to  the  Battle,  and  the  groans  of 
the  wounded,  amid  the  Tumult  of  an  exasperated 
rabble  that  scarcely  heeded  [knew]  what  it  did.  Our 
savages  bewailed  forty  of  their  number,  dead  or 
wounded,  among  whom  were  some  of  the  leading 
and  most  notable  men;  while  the  missionaries,  on 
their  Side,  had  great  cause  for  affliction  in  losing  so 
soon  the  hope  of  going  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the 
nadoessis,  which  the  peace,  about  to  be  concluded 
with  them,  had  inspired.  In  addition,  they  saw 
themselves  abandoned  by  the  savages  of  the  country, 
who  —  in  the  Fear  that  the  nadoessis,  seeing  the 
delay  of  their  people,  would  suspect  what  had  hap- 
pened to  them  and  be  prompted  to  take  vengeance 
for  their  deaths  —  all  withdrew,  and  left  them  ex- 
posed to  the  fury  of  the  enemy.  Thus,  besides  the 
danger  of  being  massacred  in  which  they  are  every 
day, —  not  only  at  the  sault,  but  in  every  other  place 
as  well  where  they  set  up  their  mission, —  The 
progress  which  the  gospel  was  beginning  to  make 
by  their  means  has  been  seriously  arrested  for  some 
time.  God  has  not  failed  to  derive  his  glory  from 
these  misfortunes,  and  to  make  use  of  them,  both 
for  procuring  the  salvation  of  some  souls,  and  in 
making  manifest  the  extraordinary  effects  of  his 
almighty  power ;  For  several  of  Those  who  had  been 
dangerously  wounded  solicited  baptism,  and,  having 
received  it,  were  healed  of  their  wounds. 


264  LES  RELATIONS  DES  jilSUJTES  [Vol.68 


CHAPITRE  IV. 

DE   LA    MISSION    DE    SAINT-FRANgOIS-XAVIER. 

L^^GLISEque  nous  avons  en  cette  Mission  ap- 
pelle  de  bien  loin  les  Sauvages  qui  sont  au 
del^  du  Mississipi  pour  venir  demeurer  chez 
les  Machkoutens ;  elle  appelle  encore  de  bien  plus 
loin  les  Illinois,  pour  venir  s'^tablir  en  leur  ancien 
pays,  vers  le  lac  qui  porte  leur  nom,  k  six  journ6es 
des  Machkoutens. 

Ceux  qu'on  nomme  Caskakias  y  sont  d6jk  depuis 
un  ou  deux  ans,  ainsi  qu'ils  I'avaient  promis  au  P. 
Dablon,  lorsque  je  Taccompagnai  dans  la  Mission  des 
Miamis. 

Les  autres  Illinois,  appel6s  Peoualeas,  viennent 
peu  k  peu  se  fixer  en  ce  lieu,  dans  la  persuasion  que 
la  maison  de  Dieu  les  prot^gera  et  les  mettra  plus  en 
surety  qu'ils  n'y  6taient  autrefois.  En  sorte  que 
toutes  les  belles  missions  qui  sont  d6jk  commencees 
en  ces  pays  barbares,  ne  sont  pas  moins  considerables 
par  I'esperance  des  fruits  qu'elles  promettent,  qu'elles 
le  sont  par  la  multitude  des  peuples  ^  qui  Ton  y 
preche  I'Evangile. 

J'ai  d^jk  visits  les  Caskakias  et  j'ai  baptist  plu- 
sieurs  de  leurs  enfants;  j'ai  port6  les  premieres 
paroles  de  la  Foi  aux  Peoualeas  qui  habitent  chez  les 
Miamis,  et  ils  m'ont  ecout6  avec  beaucoup  de  doci- 
lity,    lis  ont  meme  commence  k  prier,  et  ils  m'ont 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  265 


CHAPTER  IV. 

OF   THE    MISSION   OF   SAINT  FRANCOIS   XAVIER. 

4  4  'TnHE  church  that  we  have  in  this  Mission  sum- 
\  mons  from  a  very  great  distance  the  Savages 
who  dwell  beyond  the  Mississipi,  to  come 
and  live  among  the  Machkoutens ;  it  calls  the  Illinois 
from  a  still  greater  distance  to  come  and  settle  in 
their  former  country,  near  the  lake  that  bears  their 
name,  six  days'  journey  from  the  Machkoutens.^^ 

"  Those  who  are  called  Caskakias  [Kaskaskias] 
have  already  been  here  for  a  year  or  two,  as  they 
had  promised  Father  Dablon  when  I  was  his 
companion  in  the  Mission  to  the  Miamis. 

"  The  other  Illinois,  called  Peoualeas  [Peorias],  are 
gradually  coming  here  to  settle,  in  the  conviction 
that  the  house  of  God  will  protect  them,i^and  keep 
them  safer  than  they  formerly  were.  Accordingly, 
all  the  fine  missions  already  begun  in  these  barba- 
rous countries  are  no  less  important  through  the 
hope  of  the  fruits  they  promise,  than  through  the 
multitude  of  tribes  to  whom  the  Gospel  is  preached 
there. 

"  Ihave  already  visited  the  Caskakias,  and  have 
baptized  many  of  their  children ;  I  have  borne  the 
first  words  of  the  Faith  to  the  Peoualeas,  who  dwell 
among  the  Miamis,  and  they  have  listened  to  me 
with  much  docility.  They  have  even  begun  to 
pray,  and   have   promised    me   to   come   and   dwell 


266  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J^SUITES  [Vol.58 

promis  de  venir  demeurer  plus  pr^s  de   nous  afin 
d'avoir  la  commodity  d'etre  instruits  k  loisir. 

Les  Sauvages  de  ce  pays  montrent  assez,  par  les 
honneurs  qu'ils  rendent  "k  leur  mode  ^  notre  sainte 
Iri^glise,  que  s'ils  ne  prient  pas  encore  tons,  du  raoins 
ils  font  estime  de  la  Priere.  lis  sont  bien  loin 
d'en  avoir  de  I'aversion,  ou  de  la  craindre  comme 
chose  dangereuse,  ainsi  qu'ont  fait  tous  les  autres 
Sauvages  de  cette  Nouvelle-France,  lorsqu'on  a 
commence  de  leur  precher  I'Evangile.  Quelquefois 
meme,  dans  leurs  conseils,  ils  addressent  la  parole  k 
cette  maison  de  Dieu,  et  ils  lui  parlent  comme  a  une 
chose  animee.  Lorsqu'ils  passent  par  ici,  ils  jettent 
du  petun  tout  autour  de  I'eglise,  ce  qui  est  une 
esp^ce  de  culte  qu'ils  rendent  a  leur  divinit6;  et, 
lorsqu'ils  y  entrent,  ils  ne  croient  jamais  en  faire 
assez  pour  contenter  leur  inclination  d'honorer  le 
vrai  Dieu  comme  la  plus  grande  divinite  dont  ils 
aient  jamais  entendu  parler.  Ils  y  viennent  aussi 
quelquefois  faire  leurs  presents  afin  d'obtenir  de 
Dieu  qu'il  ait  pitie  de  leurs  parents  morts.  Les 
Pouteouatamis  y  sont  venus  apporter  les  leurs,  et 
demander  pardon  k  Dieu  de  ce  qu'une  croix,  que 
nous  avions  plant^e  pres  de  leur  bourg  6tant  tomb6e, 
a  6te  brulee  par  I'un  d'entre  eux  qui  n'en  connais- 
sait  pas  la  valeur. 

Dieu  m'a  appris,  cette  ann6e,  par  ma  propre  expe- 
rience, qu'il  fait  misericorde  k  qui  il  lui  plait,  et 
non  pas  "k  ceux  k  qui  souvent  les  hommes  voudraient 
qu'il  I'a  fit.  II  a  permis  souvent  que  mes  travaux 
fussent  utiles  k  ceux  k  qui  je  ne  songeais  pas,  et 
qu'ils  fussent  inutiles  k  ceux  pour  le  salut  desquels 
je  les  entreprenais.     Au  mois  de  Janvier,  en  passant 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1&J3-74  267 

nearer  to  us  to  have  the  advantage  of  being  instructed 
at  leisure. 

"  The  Savages  of  this  country  show  sufficiently,  by 
the  honors  that  they  pay  to  our  holy  Church,  after 
their  fashion,  that,  if  they  do  not  all  pray  as  yet, 
they  at  least  esteem  Prayer.  They  are  far  from 
having  an  aversion  to  it,  or  from  dreading  it  as  a 
dangerous  thing,  as  all  the  other  Savages  of  this 
New  France  did  when  we  began  preaching  the 
Gospel  to  them.  Sometimes,  even,  in  their  councils 
they  address  their  speeches  to  this  house  of  God, 
and  speak  to  it  as  to  an  animate  being.  When  they 
pass  by  here  they  throw  tobacco  all  around  the 
church,  which  is  a  kind  of  devotion  to  their  divinity; 
and,  when  they  enter  it,  they  think  that  they  never 
can  do  enough  to  satisfy  their  inclination  to  honor 
the  true  God  as  the  greatest  divinity  of  whom  they 
have  ever  heard.  They  also  come  sometimes  and 
offer  presents,  to  beg  God  to  have  pity  upon  their 
deceased  relatives.  The  Pouteouatamis  came  here 
bringing  theirs,  to  ask  pardon  from  God  because, 
when  a  cross  that  we  had  planted  near  their  village 
had  fallen  down,  it  was  burned  by  one  among  them 
who  knew  not  its  value. 

"  God  has  taught  me,  this  year,  by  my  own 
experience,  that  he  shows  mercy  to  whomsoever  he 
pleases,  and  not  to  those  to  whom  men  would  often 
desire  him  to  show  it.  He  has  frequently  permitted 
that  my  labors  should  be  of  use  to  those  of  whom  I 
was  not  thinking,  and  to  be  useless  to  those  for  whose 
salvation  I  worked.  In  the  month  of  January,  while 
passing  near  little  lake  Saint  Frangois,  ten  leagues 
from  here,^  I  came  upon  a  Christian  Savage  who  was 
dying,  and  I  prepared  him  for  death.     I  intended  to 


268  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES         [Vol.58 

aupr^s  du  petit  lac  de  Saint-Frangois,  \  dix  lieues 
d'ici,  j'y  trouvai  un  Sauvage  chr6tien  qui  6tait  k 
I'agonie,  et  je  le  disposai  k  la  mort.  J'avais  dessein 
d'aller  jusqu'k  un  endroit  ou  j'ai  appris  depuis  qu'un 
jeune  fran9ais  est  mort  sans  confession  dans  une 
cabane  de  Sauvages.  Quatre  mois  auparavant,  ce 
jeune  homme  avait  pass6  devant  notre  6glise,  et, 
comme  je  le  pressais  de  se  confesser,  il  n 'avait  pas 
voulu  me  croire;  Dieu  ensuite  n'a  pas  voulu  lui  faire 
retrouver  1' occasion  qu'il  avait  negligee. 

Etant  arriv6  aux  Outagamis,  on  me  conduisit  chez 
un  pauvre  Sauvage  qui  languissait  depuis  longtemps. 
Je  le  preparai  k  bien  mourir  en  lui  donnant  le  bap- 
teme.  Dans  le  meme  endroit,  quoique  je  visitasse 
les  cabanes  tous  les  jours,  un  enfant  qui  n' avait  pas 
regu  le  bapteme  mourut  subitement  une  heure  apres 
que  je  fus  sortis  de  la  cabane  oil  il  etait. 

Ce  sont  les  plus  grandes  croix  dont  Dieu  afflige 
un  missionnaire ;  mais  il  le  console  quand  il  lui  plait. 
Peu  de  temps  apres  cet  accident,  des  Sauvages  arri- 
verent  en  ce  lieu;  je  baptisai  un  de  leurs  enfants  qui 
ne  faisait  que  de  naitre,  et  qui  mourut  un  jour  apres. 
Avant  que  je  quittasse  les  Outagamis,  le  Saint-Esprit 
me  fit  apporter  "k  notre  chapelle  deux  enfants  fort 
malades ;  je  leur  administrai  le  saint  bapteme,  et  ils 
s'envolerent  au  ciel  peu  d'instants  apr^s  mon  depart. 

Quand  j'eus  acheve  la  mission  chez  les  Outagamis, 
j 'appris  que  le  capitaine  miami,  qui  avait  ete  mon 
hote,  etait  k  I'extr^mit^.  Je  lui  avals  differ^  le 
bapteme,  quoiqu'il  m'eut  paru  assez  dispos6;  mais  il 
pouvait  difficilement,  en  qualit6  de  capitaine,  se 
dispenser  par  bienseance  de  certaines  superstitions 
en   usage   parmi   leurs   gpierriers.     J'allai  chez  lui,. 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  269 

go  to  a  place  where,  as  I  have  since  learned,  a  young 
Frenchman  died  without  confession,  in  a  Savage 
cabin.  Four  months  before,  this  young  man  had  gone 
past  our  church ;  and,  when  I  urged  him  to  come  to 
confession,  he  would  not  listen  to  me.  Afterward, 
God  would  not  allow  him  to  find  again  the  opportunity 
that  he  had  neglected. 

"  When  I  arrived  among  the  Outagamis,  I  was 
taken  to  a  poor  Savage  who  had  been  languishing 
for  a  long  time.  I  prepared  him  for  a  happy  death 
by  administering  baptism  to  him.  At  the  same 
place,  although  I  visited  the  cabins  daily,  a  child 
who  had  not  been  baptized  died  suddenly,  an  hour 
after  I  had  left  the  cabin  in  which  it  was. 

"  These  are  the  greatest  crosses  with  which  God 
afflicts  a  missionary ;  but  he  consoles  him  when  he 
pleases.  Shortly  after  this  accident,  some  Savages 
arrived  at  this  spot.  I  baptized  one  of  their  chil- 
dren, who  was  just  born,  and  who  died  a  day  after- 
ward. Before  I  left  the  Outagamis,  the  Holy  Ghost 
caused  two  very  sick  children  to  be  brought  to  our 
chapel.  I  administered  holy  baptism  to  them,  and 
their  souls  soared  to  heaven  a  few  moments  after  my 
departure. 

"  When  my  mission  among  the  Outagamis  was 
ended,  I  learned  that  the  Miami  captain  who  had 
been  my  host  was  dying.  I  had  deferred  his  bap- 
tism, although  he  seemed  to  be  very  well  disposed ; 
but  it  was  difficult  for  him  in  his  capacity  of  captain 
to  dispense,  through  politeness,  with  certain  super- 
stitions in  vogue  among  their  warriors.  I  went  to 
his  cabin,  but  he  was  not  there;  and  while  he  was 
coming  to  me  to  be  baptized,  he  died  on  the  way, 
without  baptism.     God  refused  me  the  salvation  of 


270  LES  RELATIONS  DES  j£SUITES  [Vol.68 

mais  il  n'y  6tait  pas;  et  lorsqu'il  venait  pour  me 
trouver  et  pour  etre  baptist,  il  est  mort  en  chemin 
et  sans  bapteme.  Dieu  me  refusa  le  salut  de  cette 
ame,  pour  laquelle  j'avais  entrepris  ce  voyage;  mais 
ma  course  ne  fut  pas  inutile ;  car,  h.  la  place  de  ce 
capitaine,  il  m'accorda  deux  autres  Sauvages  que  j'ai 
admis  dans  le  sein  de  I'Eglise  peu  de  temps  avant 
leur  mort. 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  J&73-74  271 

this  soul,  for  which  I  had  undertaken  this  journey; 
but  my  expedition  was  not  fruitless,  for,  instead  of 
this  captain,  he  granted  me  two  other  Savages, 
whom  I  admitted  to  the  bosom  of  the  Church  shortly 
before  their  death." 


272  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  j£SUITES  [Vol.   58 


CHAPITRE  V. 

DE   LA    MISSION     DE     LA    FOLLE-AVOINE     PRfeS    DE    LA 

BAIE   DES    PUANTS. 

LETTRE    DU    P.   LOUIS    ANDR6. 

DEPUIS  les  m^moires  que  j'envoyai  la  dernifere 
fois  de  plusieurs  missions  faites  en  divers 
endroits,  j'ai  baptist  environ  cent  personnes, 
partie  enfants,  partie  adultes.  Je  commencerai  par 
ceux  de  la  Folle-Avoine,  parce  que,  parmi  les  Sau- 
vages  de  ces  contrees,  ce  sont  eux  qui  ont  t^moign^ 
le  plus  d'affection  au  Christianisme,  surtout  depuis 
une  b6n6diction  inesper^e  que  Dieu  a  donn^e  ^  leur 
peche,  pour  fortifier  le  commencement  de  leur  Foi. 
Etant  arriv6  chez  eux  sur  la  fin  d'avril  1673,  j'assem- 
blai  les  plus  considerables  pour  leur  dire  h.  quel 
dessein  j'^tais  venu.  Je  leur  demandai  aussi  ce  que 
signifiait  une  image  du  soleil  que  I'un  d'eux  avait 
peinte  sur  un  bout  de  planche.  Cette  image  6tait 
attach^e  au  haut  d'une  perche,  aussi  peinte  des  plus 
vives  couleurs;  et  k  cette  perche  on  voyait,  h.  la  hau- 
teur d'un  homme,  pendre  un  faisceau  de  petits  bois 
de  cfedre,  coup6s  comme  pour  servir  k  mettre  aux 
filets  qu'on  emploie  h.  la  peche  de  I'esturgeon,  de 
meme  qu'en  France  on  met  du  li^ge  k  toutes  sortes 
de  filets.  Je  m 'informal  done  h.  quel  dessein  ils 
avaient  dress6  cet  espece  d'anatheme.  Ils  me  r6pon- 
dirent  que  c'^tait  un  sacrifice,  ou  plutot,  selon 
I'expression  propre  de  leur  langue,  une  exhortation 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  i&jj  -  74  273 


CHAPTER  V. 

OF   THE    MISSION    OF    THE    FOLLE   AVOINE,  NEAR   THE 

BAY    DES    PUANTS. 

LETTER    FROM    FATHER    LOUIS   ANDRE. 

SINCE  the  last  memoirs  which  I  sent  regarding 
several  missions  conducted  in  various  places,  I 
have  baptized  about  one  hundred  persons, 
partly  children  and  partly  adults.  I  shall  begin 
with  those  of  the  Folle  Avoine,^  because  among  the 
Savages  of  these  countries  they  have  manifested  the 
most  affection  for  Christianity,  especially  after  an 
unexpected  blessing  that  God  granted  them  in 
connection  with  their  fishing,  in  order  to  strengthen 
their  Faith  at  the  outset.  When  I  arrived  among 
them  at  the  end  of  April,  1673,  I  gathered  all  the 
most  notable  persons,  to  inform  them  of  my  inten- 
tion in  visiting  them.  I  also  asked  them  what  was 
meant  by  a  picture  of  the  sun  that  one  of  them  had 
painted  upon  a  piece  of  board.  This  picture  was 
tied  to  the  end  of  a  pole,  which  was  also  painted  in 
the  brightest  colors;  and  on  this  pole,  at  the  height 
of  a  man,  was  suspended  a  sheaf  of  small  cedar 
sticks,  cut  so  as  to  serve  as  floats  for  the  nets  that 
are  used  in  catching  sturgeon,  like  the  pieces  of  cork 
that  are  fastened  to  all  kinds  of  nets  in  France.  I 
therefore  asked  for  what  purpose  they  had  set  up 
this  sort  of  votive  offering.  They  replied  that  it 
was  a  sacrifice  —  or  rather,  to  use  the  proper  expres- 
sion in  their  language,    "an   exhortation" — which 


274  LES  RELATIONS  DES /^SUITES  [Vm,.  58 

qu'ils  faisaient  au  soleil  pour  le  prier  d'avoir  piti6 
d'eux.  Comme  ils  croyaient  que  le  soleil  6tait  le 
maitre  de  la  vie  et  de  la  peche,  le  dispensateur  de 
toutes  choses,  ils  le  conjuraient  de  faire  entrer  I'es- 
turgeon  dans  leur  riviere  et  de  favoriser  leur  peche. 
Ils  m'ajoutaient  qu'il  y  avait  longtemps  qu'ils  atten- 
daient  I'esturgeon  dans  leur  riviere,  et  qu'ils  appre- 
hendaient  qu'il  n'y  vint  pas.  En  effet,  ils  avaient 
sujet  de  le  craindre,  puisque  I'esturgeon  etait  d^ja 
entre  dans  la  riviere  de  la  Pechetik  et  dans  celle 
d'Oukatoum,  qui  sont  plus  eloignees  du  lac  que  la 
riviere  des  Maloumines.  Apres  les  avoir  desabuses 
sur  I'idee  qu'ils  avaient  du  soleil,  et  leur  avoir  expli- 
que  en  peu  de  mots  les  points  principaux  de  notre 
Foi,  je  leur  demandai  s'ils  seraient  bien  aises  que 
j'otasse  r image  du  soleil,  et  que  je  misse  en  sa  place 
r image  de  Jesus  crucifie.  lis  me  dirent  tous,  et  a 
plusieurs  reprises  qu'ils  le  voulaient  bien,  et  qu'ils 
croyaient  que  Dieu  etait  le  maitre  de  toutes  choses. 
II  etait  dejk  tard  quand  ils  me  donnerent  cette  assu- 
rance de  leur  bonne  volonte ;  cela  n'empecha  pas  que, 
pour  profiter  de  ces  favorables  dispositions,  je  ne 
misse  mon  crucifix  k  la  place  de  1' image  du  soleil. 
Le  lendemain  matin  I'esturgeon  entra  dans  leur 
riviere  en  si  grande  abondance,  que  ces  pauvres  gens 
en  6taient  ravis,  et  me  disaient  tous:  «Nous  voyons 
bien  maintenant  que  le  G6nie  qui  a  tout  fait  est  celui 
qui  nous  nourrit.  Prends  courage,  enseigne-nous  k 
prier,  afin  que  nous  n'ayons  jamais  faim.))  Ensuite, 
la  confiance  qu'ils  avaient  en  la  Priere,  et  le  desir 
qu'ils  avaient  de  I'apprendre,  me  les  rendaient  si 
dociles  et  si  attentifs  que  j'en  etais  surpris;  et  quoi- 
que,  pour  I'ordinaire,  je  n'appelasse  aupres  de  moi 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673 - 74  275 

they  had  made  to  the  sun,  to  entreat  it  to  have  pity 
upon  them.  As  they  believed  that  the  sun  was  the 
master  of  life  and  of  fishing,  the  dispenser  of  all 
thing's,  they  begged  it  to  send  the  sturgeon  into 
their  river,  and  to  make  their  fishing  prosperous. 
They  added  that  they  had  long  been  expecting  the 
sturgeon  in  their  river  and  feared  that  they  would 
not  come  to  it.  In  fact,  they  had  reason  to  appre- 
hend this,  for  the  sturgeon  had  already  entered  the 
Pechetik  river  and  that  of  Oukatoum,  which  are 
farther  from  the  lake  than  is  the  river  of  the  Malou- 
mines.'^  After  disabusing  them  of  the  idea  which 
they  had  of  the  sun,  and  explaining  to  them  in  a 
few  words  the  principal  points  of  our  Faith,  I  asked 
them  whether  they  would  consent  to  my  removing 
the  picture  of  the  sun,  and  replacing  it  by  the  image 
of  Jesus  crucified.  They  replied,  all  together  and 
repeatedly,  that  they  consented;  and  that  they 
believed  that  God  was  the  master  of  all  things.  It 
was  already  late  when  they  gave  me  this  assurance 
of  their  good  will;  this  did  not  prevent  me  from 
taking  advantage  of  their  favorable  state  of  mind, 
and  I  put  my  crucifix  in  the  place  of  the  picture  of 
the  sun.  On  the  following  morning,  sturgeon  en- 
tered the  river,  in  such  great  abundance  that  these 
poor  people  were  delighted,  and  all  said  to  me: 
"  Now  we  see  very  well  that  the  Spirit  who  has 
made  all  is  the  one  who  feeds  us.  Take  courage; 
teach  us  to  pray,  so  that  we  may  never  feel  hunger." 
After  that,  their  confidence  in  Prayer  and  their  desire 
to  learn  it  made  them  so  docile  and  so  attentive  to 
me  that  I  was  astonished;  and  although,  as  a  rule, 
I  called  only  the  children  to  me  to  pray,  the  adults 
themselves    listened    to    us    very    attentively,    and 


276  LES  RELATIONS  DES  JPlSUITES  [Vol.58 

que  les  enfants  pour  prier,  les  adultes  eux-memes 
nous  ^coutaient  fort  attentivement  et  r^petaient  tout 
bas  ce  que  nous  disions  k  haute  voix,  soit  en  priant, 
soit  en  chantant.  Mais  c'^tait  principalement  vers 
le  soir,  lorsque  la  peche  n'occupait  plus  les  hommes 
ni  les  femmes,  qu'on  se  rassemblait  en  plus  grand 
nombre  pour  prier  Dieu  dans  la  chapelle.  Les 
anciens  y  venaient  tous,  trois  seulement  except^s. 
Plusieurs  femmes  y  ^talent  fort  assidues,  ce  que  je 
n' avals  pas  encore  vu.  Les  Fran9ais  qui  ^taient 
avec  moi  ne  pouvaient  assez  admirer  cette  ferveur  en 
de  nouveaux  cat^chumenes,  d'autant  plus  qu'elle 
nous  semblait  venir  de  I'esprit  de  Dieu.  J'en  avals 
une  marque  assur^e  dans  I'ob^issance  qu'ils  me  ren- 
daient,  et  dans  leur  docilite  ^  se  denoircir  le  visage 
et  "k  rompre  leur  jeune  superstitieux.  Les  guerriers 
memes  m'ob^irent  en  cela;  et  il  y  en  eut  tres-peu 
qui  se  noircissent  et  qui  jeunassent  pour  rever  le 
Nadouessi  leur  ennemi.  Ceux-memes  qui  I'avaient 
fait  se  d^noircirent  le  visage  aussitot  que  je  leur  eus 
d^clar^  que  Dieu  6tait  ennemi  de  leurs  songes  super- 
stitieux; et,  avant  de  partir  pour  la  guerre,  ils 
n'offrirent  pas  de  festin  au  diable  et  ne  firent  aucun 
reve  selon  leur  ancien  usage.  Mais  ils  s'adressaient 
k  Dieu  en  disant:  «Nous  t'obeissons,  nous  aimons  la 
Priere,  donne-nous  la  vie.w  Je  fus  surpris  moi- 
meme  de  cette  ob^issance  si  universelle,  et  de  la 
promptitude  avec  laquelle  ils  parvinrent  k  se  d^faire 
de  ces  sortes  de  superstitions;  car  je  sais  par  expe- 
rience combien  tous  ces  peuples  y  ont  un  attachement 
prodigieux.  J'avais  auparavant  employ^  tous  les 
moyens  imaginables  pour  les  leur  faire  quitter ;  tous 
mes  efforts  avaient  6te  jusque-lk  k  peu  pres  inutiles; 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  277 

repeated  in  a  low  tone  what  we  said  aloud,  while 
either  praying  or  singing.  But  it  was  chiefly  in  the 
evening,  when  neither  the  men  nor  the  women  were 
any  longer  engaged  in  fishing,  that  we  gathered 
greater  numbers  together  to  pray  to  God  in  the 
chapel.  All  the  elders,  except  three,  came  there. 
Several  women  were  very  assiduous  in  their  attend- 
ance, a  thing  that  I  had  not  yet  observed.  The 
French  who  were  with  me  could  not  sufficiently 
admire  such  fervor  in  new  catechumens,  all  the  more 
since  it  seemed  to  be  inspired  by  the  spirit  of  God. 
I  had  ample  evidence  of  it  in  the  obedience  which 
they  showed  me,  and  in  their  docility  in  removing 
the  black  from  their  faces  and  in  breaking  their 
superstitious  fast.  Even  the  warriors  obeyed  me  in 
this,  and  only  very  few  of  them  blackened  them- 
selves and  fasted  in  order  to  dream  of  the  Nadouessi, 
their  enemy.  Even  those  who  had  done  so  removed 
the  black  from  their  faces,  when  I  declared  to  them 
that  God  was  opposed  to  their  superstitious  dreams ; 
and,  before  setting  out  for  war,  they  offered  no  feast 
to  the  devil,  nor  did  they  dream  any  dreams,  accord- 
ing to  their  ancient  custom.  But  they  addressed 
themselves  to  God,  saying:  "  We  obey  thee;  we 
love  Prayer ;  grant  us  life. ' '  I  myself  was  astonished 
at  such  universal  obedience,  and  at  the  promptness 
with  which  they  succeeded  in  divesting  themselves 
of  these  superstitions ;  for  I  know  by  experience  how 
singularly  these  people  are  attached  to  them.  I 
had  previously  employed  every  means  imaginable  to 
induce  them  to  abandon  them ;  all  my  efforts  had 
until  then  been  almost  fruitless.  But  when ,  God 
wills   to   bring   about   the   conversion  of   the   most 


278  LES  RELATIONS  DES  j£SUITES         [Vol.68 

mais  lorsque  Dieu  veut  mettre  la  main  ^  la  conver- 
sion des  plus  endiircis,  il  fait  bien  voir  qu'il  est  le 
maitre  des  coeurs,  ainsi  qu'il  le  fit  paraitre  h.  regard 
de  cette  nation,  chez  laquelle  le  plus  grand  jongleur 
du  pays  t^moigna  prendre  plaisir  k  mes  instructions. 
Cet  homme  avait  une  extreme  confiance  au  tonnerre 
comme  ^  une  puissante  divinity,  et,  loin  de  se  cacher 
quand  il  I'entendait  gronder,  il  faisait  tout  ce  qu'il 
pouvait  pour  le  rencontrer.  Un  jour  qu'il  pleuvait, 
j'eus  occasion  d'etre  temoin  de  sa  folic;  il  courait 
tout  nu  dans  le  bois,  criant  ^  pleine  tete,  et  invoquant 
le  tonnerre  par  ses  chants.  A  le  voir,  on  Teiit  pris 
pour  un  demoniaque,  tant  les  mouvements  de  son 
corps  etaient  etranges.  II  est  vrai  qu'il  agissait  ainsi 
afin  qu'on  le  crut  saisi  d'un  enthousiasme  extraordi- 
naire dont  le  dieu-tonnerre  aurait  ete  I'auteur.  II 
voulait  aussi  faire  croire  qu'il  avait  un  demon  familier 
qui  lui  communiquait  un  grand  pouvoir  pour  gu6rir 
les  malades.  Je  le  repris  de  ses  extravagances,  et, 
usant  d'une  comparaison  familiere,  je  lui  dis  qu'il 
avait  sujet  de  craindre  que  Dieu,  qui  se  sert  du  ton- 
nerre comme  un  chasseur  se  sert  de  son  fusil,  ne  le 
dechargeat  sur  lui  et  ne  le  fit  mourir  sur  I'heure.  II 
me  promit  de  ne  plus  invoquer  le  tonnerre;  et,  en 
effet,  quelques  jours  apres,  quoiqu'il  plut  et  qu'il 
tonnat,  je  ne  I'entendis  pas  crier,  ni  chanter  a  son 
ordinaire. 

J'aurais  baptist  la  plupart  des  gens  de  cette  nation 
si  je  n'eusse  pens^  qu'il  6tait  plus  k  propos  de  les 
eprouver  et  de  les  diff6rer  ^  un  autre  temps.  Je  me 
contentai  done  de  baptiser  vingt-deux  petits  enfants, 
et  deux  adultes  qui  moururent  peu  de  temps  aprfes, 
mais   avec   des    marques    bien    differentes   de   leur 


1672  -  74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  279 

hardened,  he  clearly  shows  that  he  is  the  master 
of  hearts,  as  he  manifested  in  the  case  of  this  nation, 
the  chief  juggler  of  which  showed  that  he  took 
pleasure  in  my  instructions.  This  man  had  an  ex- 
ceedingly great  confidence  in  thunder  as  a  powerful 
divinity;  and,  far  from  hiding  when  he  heard  it 
rumble,  he  did  all  that  he  could  to  meet  it.  One 
day,  when  it  rained,  I  had  an  opportunity  of  witness- 
ing his  madness ;  he  ran  about  in  the  woods,  entirely 
naked,  crying  aloud  and  invoking  the  thunder  by  his 
songs.  On  seeing  him,  one  would  have  taken  him 
for  a  demoniac,  so  strange  were  the  movements  of 
his  body.  It  is  true,  he  acted  thus  in  order  to  lead 
to  the  belief  that  he  was  seized  with  an  extraordinary 
enthusiasm,  of  which  the  thunder-god  was  the 
author.  He  also  wished  it  to  be  believed  that  he 
had  a  familiar  demon,  who  imparted  to  him  a 
great  power  for  curing  the  sick.  I  reproved  him 
for  his  folly,  and,  making  use  of  a  homely  compari- 
son, I  told  him  that  he  had  reason  to  fear  lest  God, 
who  uses  lightning  as  a  hunter  does  his  gun,  should 
discharge  it  at  him,  and  make  him  die  instantly. 
He  promised  me  that  he  would  no  longer  invoke  the 
thunder ;  and  in  fact,  a  few  days  afterward,  although 
it  rained  and  thundered,  I  did  not  hear  him  cry  out 
or  sing  as  he  was  wont  to  do. 

I  would  have  baptized  most  of  the  people  belong- 
ing to  this  nation,  had  I  not  thought  it  was  more 
advisable  to  test  them,  and  to  put  them  off  to  another 
time.  I  therefore  contented  myself  with  baptizing 
twenty-two  little  children,  and  two  adults;  these 
latter  died  shortly  afterward,  but  with  very  different 
evidences  of  their  eternal  happiness  or  unhappiness. 


280  LES  RELATIONS  DES  j£SU/TES  [Vol.58 

bonheurou  de  leurmalheur^ternel.  L'und'eux,  qui 
^tait  Stranger  et  malade  depuis  deux  ans,  s'endormit 
bientot  du  sommeil  des  predestines;  I'autre,  qui 
n'6tait  malade  que  depuis  peu  de  jours,  fit  venir  des 
jongleurs  apr^s  son  bapteme,  quoiqu'il  m'eut  protest^ 
qu'il  d^testait  toute  espfece  de  superstition ;  aussi  sa 
mort  nous  a  singuli^rement  afflig^s. 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1673-74  281 

One  of  them,  a  stranger  who  had  been  ill  for  two 
years,  soon  slept  the  sleep  of  the  predestined;  the 
other,  who  was  ill  for  a  few  days  only,  sent  for  the 
jugglers  after  his  baptism,  although  he  had  assured 
me  that  he  detested  superstitions  of  all  kinds ;  con- 
sequently, his  death  deeply  afflicted  us. 


282  LES  RELATIONS  DBS  j£SUITES  [Vol.  58 


CHAPITRE  VI. 

DE    LA    MISSION    D'OUASSATINOUN. 
LE    P.  ANDRE    CONTINUE    SON    REGIT. 

J?AI  €i€  trois  fois  dans  cette  Mission,  et  j'y  ai 
baptist  environ  quarante  personnes.  J'ai 
trouv6  de  grandes  dispositions  k  la  Foi  parmi 
ces  peuples,  qui  portent  le  nom  d'Ouassatinoun ;  mais 
ces  dispositions  ont  port6  plus  particulierement  leur 
fruit  apres  le  depart  de  la  jeunesse  pour  la  guerre. 
Car  alors  la  plupart  de  ceux  qui  restaient  dans  le 
bourg  sont  venus  tres-assidument  h.  la  chapelle  pour 
prier  et  pour  etre  instruits.  Je  n' avals  nul  besoin, 
comme  par  le  passe,  de  les  aller  cbercher  dans  leurs 
cabanes,  ils  venaient  d'eux-memes  me  trouver;  en 
sorte  que  plusieurs  Fran9ais,  qui  les  avaient  vus 
auparavant  dans  un  grand  ^loignement  des  instruc- 
tions et  de  la  Pri^re,  etaient  tout  surpris  d'un  si 
merveilleux  cbangeraent.  Je  dois  dire  qu'entre  tous 
les  autres,  il  n'y  en  avait  point  de  plus  soigneux  et 
de  plus  diligents  k  se  rendre  aupres  de  moi  que  les 
jeunes  gargons  et  les  jeunes  filles,  ce  qui  m'a  donne 
une  grande  esp6rance  de  voir  dans  la  suite  du  temps 
toute  cette  nation  convertie  au  Christianisme.  En 
effet,  si  d^s  leur  bas  age  ils  se  portent  avec  tant 
d'ardeur  k  ^couter  et  k  pratiquer  ce  que  je  leur  dis 
pour  leur  salut,  il  est  k  croire  qu'ils  ne  I'oublieront 
pas  entierement  quand  ils  seront  arrives  a  I'age  mur, 
et  que  ces  premieres  impressions,  que  leur  avidite  k 


1672-74]  RELA  TION  OF  1673-74  283 


CHAPTER  VI. 

OF   THE    MISSION    OF   OUASSATINOUN. 
FATHER   ANDRE    CONTINUES    HIS    RECITAL. 

I    HAVE  been  three  times  at  this  Mission,  and  have 
baptized    about    forty    persons   in   it.      I    found 
strong    inclinations  to  the   Faith   among   these 
peoples,  who  bear  the  name  of  Ouassatinoun ;  ^  but 
these  sentiments  bore  fruit  more  especially  after  the 
departure  of  the  young  men  for  war.     For  then  the 
majority  of  those  who  remained  in  the  village  came 
most    assiduously    to    the    chapel,    to    pray   and   be 
instructed.     It  was  not  necessary  for  me,  as  in  the 
past,  to  go  and  seek  them  in  their  cabins ;  they  came 
to  me   of  their   own  accord ;  so  that  several  of  the 
French,  who  had  formerly  seen  these  Savages  keep- 
ing aloof    from    the    instructions    and    from    Prayer, 
were  quite  astonished  at  so  wonderful  a  change.     I 
must  say  that,  among  all  the  others,  none  were  more 
attentive    or  more    diligent    in    coming    to   me  than 
were  the  young  boys  and  girls ;  this  has  given  me 
great  hope   of  seeing  the  whole  of  this  nation  con- 
verted to  Christianity  in  the  course  of  time.     In  fact, 
if  in  early  youth  they  are  so  ardently  inclined  to  hear 
and  practice   what   I  tell   them   for  their  salvation, 
there  is  reason  to  believe  that  they  will  not  forget 
it  entirely  when  they  attain  mature  age;  and  that 
these  first   impressions,    which   become   deeper  and 
more   lasting    through   their    eagerness   to    receive 
them,  will  not  be  very  easily  effaced.     This  end  will 


284  LES  RELATIONS  DES  J&SUITES         [Vol.58 

les  recevoir  rend  plus  fortes  et  plus  profondes,  ne 
s'effaceront  pas  si  facilement.  On  I'obtiendra  encore 
plus  surement  si  Ton  continue,  par  de  fr^quentes 
Missions,  a  les  faire  ressouvenir  des  v^rites  auxquelles 
ils  prennent  maintenant  tant  de  plaisir,  Je  trouve 
dans  ces  pens^es  un  adoucissement  ^  la  peine  que  me 
cause  I'endurcissement  des  personnes  plus  ag6es. 
Ces  pauvres  gens  ont  du  moins  cela  de  bon,  qu'ils 
n'empechent  pas  leurs  enfants  de  profiter  des  instruc- 
tions dont  ils  ne  veulent  pas  profiter  eux-memes. 
Quelques-uns,  cependant,  ne  sont  pas  si  rebelles  ^  la 
grace;  deux  vieillards  malades  se  sont  signal^s,  Fun 
pour  avoir  cess6  de  recourir  aux  superstitions  du  pays 
pour  sa  guerison,  aussitot  que  je  I'eusse  averti  qu'il 
faisait  mal,  et  I'autre  pour  n'y  avoir  jamais  eu 
recours,  depuis  qu'il  avait  entendu  dire  au  Sault- 
Sainte-Marie  qu'elles  etaient  criminelles. 

Lorsque  les  jeunes  gens  furent  revenus  de  la 
guerre,  je  les  trouvai  plus  dociles  qu'ils  n'etaient 
auparavant.  Leur  impiete,  aussi  bien  que  leur 
lachete,  contribua  beaucoup  a  ce  changement.  Avant 
que  de  partir  pour  la  guerre,  ils  avaient  fait  plusieurs 
festins  au  diable  et  ils  s'6taient  servis  du  bois  de  la 
croix  pour  allumer  leur  feu;  mais  ces  impies,  qui 
etaient  au  nombre  de  deux  cent  quarante,  n'eurent 
pas  seulement  le  coeur  d'attaquer  les  ennemis  qu'ils 
etaient  alles  chercber,  et  ils  s'en  revinrent,  comme 
des  fuyards,  sans  avoir  os6  en  regarder  un  seul.  A 
lenr  retour,  je  leur  fis  un  compliment  qui  ne  leur 
etait  guere  agr^able.  «C'en  est  fait,  leur  dis-je,  il 
n'y  a  plus  de  Nadouessis;  vous  les  avez  tous  tu6s, 
tant  le  diable  vous  a  donn6  de  courage,  en  recom- 
pense des  festins  que  vous  lui  avez  faits  et  du  bois 


1672-74]  RELATION  OF  1&J3-74  285 

be  more  surely  attained  if  we  continue,  by  frequent 
Missions,  to  remind  them  of  the  truths  in  which 
they  now  take  such  pleasure.  I  find  in  these 
thoughts  an  alleviation  of  the  sorrow  caused  me  by 
the  hard-heartedness  of  the  older  persons.  There  is 
at  least  thus  much  good  about  these  people,  that 
they  do  not  prevent  their  children  from  profiting  by 
the  instructions  by  which  they  themselves  do  not 
choose  to  benefit.  Some,  however,  are  not  so  rebel- 
lious to  grace.  Two  sick  old  men  have  distinguished 
themselves :  one  by  ceasing  to  have  recourse  to  the 
superstitions  of  the  country  for  his  cure,  as  soon  as 
I  warned  him  that  he  was  wrong  in  doing  so ;  the 
other,  by  never  having  had  recourse  to  them  since 
he  heard  at  Sault  Sainte  Marie  that  they  were 
criminal. 

When  the  young  men  returned  from  war,  I  found 
them  more  docile  than  they  had  previously  been. 
Their  impiety  as  well  as  their  cowardice  had  greatly 
contributed  to  this  change.  Before  going  to  war 
they  had  held  several  feasts  in  honor  of  the  devil, 
and  had  used  the  wood  of  the  cross  to  kindle  their 
fires.  But  these  impious  men,  to  the  number  of  two 
hundred  and  forty,  had  not  even  enough  courage  to 
attack  the  enemies  whom  they  had  gone  to  seek; 
and  they  came  back  as  fugitives,  without  daring  to 
look  at  a  single  one.  On  their  return,  I  paid  them  a 
compliment  that  was  not  very  agreeable  to  them. 
"It  is  all  over,"  I  said;  "there  are  no  more 
Nadouessis;  you  have  killed  them  all,  so  great  was 
the  courage  with  which  the  devil  inspired  you,  as  a 
reward  for  your  feasts  and  for  the  wood  of  the  cross 
that  you  burned."  As  I  continued  to  insult  them, 
one  of  them  said  to  me:  "  Be  silent,  thou  dost  anger 


286  LES  RELATIONS  DES  j£S(/ITES  [Vol.  58 

de  la  croix  que  vous  avez  brul6. »  Comme  je  conti- 
nuai  de  les  insulter,  un  d'entre  eux  me  dit:  «Tais-toi, 
tu  faches  les  guerriers.))  Je  parus  plus  fier  que  lui, 
et  je  lui  r^pondis  d'un  ton  plus  ferme  que  n'avait  ^te 
le  sien:  «Taisez-vous,  vous  autres  qui  haissez  la 
Priere  et  qui  craignez  la  mort.  Je  ne  vous  crains 
point  du  tout,  je  ne  crains  que  Celui  qui  a  tout  fait ; 
c'est  lui  qui  me  donne  du  coeur  et  qui  fait  que  je  vous 
m^prise.  Tuez-moi  si  vous  voulez,  j'en  serai  bien 
aise,  car  j'irai  au  ciel. » 

Ensuite  je  leur  parlai  des  victoires  du  roi  sur  les 
ennemis  de  la  croix.  lis  me  prierent  de  les  laisser 
entrer  dans  notre  eglise  neuve.  Mais  je  leur  refusai 
cette  grace,  et  je  leur  repondis  que  quand  I'experience 
m'aurait  fait  voir  qu'ils  avaient  renonc6  au  diable  et 
aux  songes,  je  les  ferais  prier  Dieu.  Les  plus  diffi- 
ciles  et  les  plus  obstines  d'entre  eux  me  sont  venus 
trouver  avant  que  de  partir  pour  leur  hivernement, 
et  m'ont  demande  si  instamment  que  je  les  fisse  prier 
que  je  n'ai  pas  pu  m'en  defendre,  et  que  j'ai  cru  utile 
de  c^der  a  leurs  instances. 

Une  chose  qui  a  donne  beaucoup  d'autorit^  au 
bapteme,  a  ete  la  guerison  d'un  jeune  homme  malade 
h.  qui  je  I'avais  confere.  On  avait  voulu  lui  persua- 
der de  recourir  aux  superstitions  des  jongleurs ;  mais 
il  ne  voulut  pas  y  consentir  et  il  m'envoya  querir 
par  son  frere.  Dfes  qu'il  m'aperfut,  il  me  dit  que  je 
savais  bien  qu'il  avait  toujours  prie,  et  qu'ainsi  je 
ne  lui  refusasse  pas  la  grace  du  bapteme.  Je  le  bap- 
tisai  en  effet,  et  il  regut  la  sante  du  corps  peu  apres 
avoir  re9u  celle  de  I'ame.  La  guerison  de  ce  jeune 
homme,  jointe  h  la  mort  d'un  enfant  pour  la  sant6 
duquel  les  jongleurs  les  plus  celebres  n 'avaient  rien 


1672-7  4]  RELA  TION  OF  1673  -  74  28T 

the  warriors. ' '  I  showed  myself  to  be  prouder  than 
he,  and  I  replied  to  him  in  a  firmer  tone  than  his : 
"  Be  silent  yourselves,  ye  who  hate  Prayer  and  who 
fear  death.  I  fear  you  not  at  all;  I  fear  but  Him 
who  has  made  all;  he  it  is  who  gives  me  courage 
and  makes  me  despise  you.  Kill  me,  if  you  will;  I 
will  be  very  glad,  for  I  shall  go  to  heaven." 

Then  I  spoke  to  them  of  the  king's  victories  over 
the  enemies  of  the  cross.  They  begged  me  to  let 
them  enter  our  new  church ;  but  I  refused  them  this 
favor,  and  replied  to  them  that  I  would  make  them 
pray  to  God  when  experience  should  have  shown  me 
that  they  had  renounced  the  devil  and  dreams. 
Those  among  them  who  were  the  hardest  to  influ- 
ence, and  the  most  obstinate,  came  to  me  before 
leaving  for  their  winter  quarters,  and  begged  me  so 
earnestly  to  make  them  pray  that  I  could  not  resist; 
and  I  thought  proper  to  accede  to  their  request. 

One  thing  that  gave  great  authority  to  baptism 
was  the  cure  of  a  sick  young  man,  to  whom  I  had 
administered  it.  Attempts  were  made  to  induce 
him  to  have  recourse  to  the  jugglers'  superstitions, 
but  he  would  not  agree  to  it,  and  sent  his  brother  for 
me.  As  soon  as  he  perceived  me,  he  said  to  me  that 
I  knew  well  that  he  had  always  prayed,  and  that 
therefore  I  should  not  refuse  him  the  grace  of 
baptism.  I  did,  in  fact,  baptize  him,  and  he  was 
restored  to  bodily  health,  shortly  after  he  had 
obtained  that  of  his  soul.  The  cure  of  this  young 
man,  added  to  the  death  of  a  child,  for  the  recovery 
of  whose  health  the  most  celebrated  jugglers  had 
spared  no  pains,  gave  me  an  opportunity  which  I 
did  not  miss,  for  casting  discredit  upon  the  enemies 
of  Prayer. 


288  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  j£SUITES  [Vol.   68 

^pargn^,  me  fournit  une  occasion,  que  je  ne  manquai 
pas,  de  discr6diter  les  ennemis  de  la  Priere. 

Les    Sauvages   d'Ouassatinoun   6tant    tous    partis 
pour  aller  jusqu'k  I'extremit^  du  cap  Illinois,  je  finis 
ma  derniere  Mission  en  cet  endroit.     Si  j'avais  eu 
quelqu'un  qui  se  fut  charg^  de  me  conduire,  je  les 
aurais  suivis,  et  ainsi  j'aurais  eu  le  moyen  d'instruire 
en  meme  temps  les  Illinois,  les  Potiteouatamis,  les 
Oussakis,    les    Nessouakoutoun,    et    une    partie    des 
Outaouasinagous.      D'autres  Sauvages,   appeles  Ma- 
loumines,  m'avaient  promis  d'hiverner  au  bord  du 
lac  Illinois,  si  je  voulais  les  assurer  que  j'irais  aussi ; 
mais  comme  je  n'avais  pas  pu  leur  en  donner  I'assu- 
rance,    ils   6taient    tous    disperses   lorsque   j'y   suis 
arrive.     Je  fus  un  mois  et  demi  sans  Sauvages,  enfer- 
m6  et  comme  assieg6  par  les  glaces;  car,  des  le   i6 
novembre,  la  riviere  de  la  Folle-Avoine  fut  entiere- 
ment  gel6e  pour  tout  le  reste  de  I'hiver.     Je  serais 
cependant  parti  pour  aller  ailleurs,  si  je  n'etais  tombe 
malade.     J'ai  done  6te  oblige  de  demeurer  au  meme 
endroit,  et  j'y  ai  eu  grand  besoin,  en  meme  temps, 
et  de  patience  pour  souffrir  le  froid  et  la  maladie,  et 
de  confiance  en    Dieu    pour   me    fortifier    contre   la 
crainte    des   Nadouessis.     Mais,   au   milieu    de   mes 
peines,  je  n'ai  pas  laisse  de  me  consoler  par  I'attente 
de  plusieurs  Sauvages  qui  doivent  se  rendre  au  bord 
du  lac  Illinois  sur  la  fin  de  Janvier. 


lt)72-74J  RELATION  OF  i&^j -74  289 

As  the  Savages  of  Ouassatinoun  had  all  left  to  f^o 
to  the  extreme  end  of  cape  Illinois,'^"  I  finished  my 
last  Mission  at  this  place.  If  I  had  had  any  one 
who  would  have  undertaken  to  guide  me,  I  would 
have  followed  them,  and  thus  have  had  an  oppor- 
tunity to  instruct  at  the  same  time  the  Illinois,  the 
Pouteouatamis,  the  Oussakis,  the  Nessouakoutoun, 
and  a  part  of  the  Outaouasinagous.  Some  other 
Savages,  called  Maloumines,  had  promised  me  to 
winter  on  the  shore  of  lake  Illinois,  if  I  would  assure 
them  that  I  would  go  there  also ;  but,  as  I  was  unable 
to  give  them  this  assurance,  they  had  all  dispersed 
when  I  arrived  there.  I  was  without  any  Savages 
for  a  month  and  a  half,  shut  in  and,  as  it  were, 
besieged  by  the  ice;  for,  as  early  as  the  i6th  of 
November,  the  river  of  the  Folle  Avoine  was  com- 
pletely frozen  over  for  the  remainder  of  the  winter. 
I  would,  however,  have  started  to  go  elsewhere,  had 
I  not  fallen  ill.  I  was  therefore  compelled  to  remain 
at  the  same  spot;  and  I  was  in  great  need,  at  the 
same  time,  of  patience  to  enable  me  to  endure  the 
cold  and  illness,  and  of  confidence  in  God  to  fortify 
me  against  dread  of  the  Nadouessis.  But,  in  the 
midst  of  my  troubles,  I  have  not  failed  to  console 
myself  by  the  expectation  that  many  Savages  will 
arrive,  who  are  to  come  to  the  shore  of  lake  Illinois 
about  the  end  of  January. 


BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  DATA:  VOL  LVIII 

CXXX 

For  bibliographical  particulars  of  the  Relation  of 
1672-73,  see  Vol.  LVIL  The  report,  presumably 
by  Dablon,  upon  the  "  Mission  de  Saint- Fran5ois- 
Xavier  des  Pres,"  for  1672-73,  appended  to  this 
Relation,  we  obtain  from  Douniol's  Relations  incites, 
t.  i.,  pp.  179-189. 

CXXXI 

Of  Dablon' s  Relation  de  la  Decouverte  de  la  Mer  du 
Sud,  dated  August  i,  1674,  there  are  two  published 
versions:  (i)  In  Douniol,  t.  i.,  pp.  193-204;  Roche- 
monteix  (//suites,  t.  iii.,  p.  23,  note  i)  says  that  this 
document  is  "  not  exactly  reproduced  "  there.  (2) 
In  Margry's  De'couvertes  et  /tablissements  des  Fran^ais, 
t.  i.,  pp.  262-270  —  which,  Rochemonteix  says, 
"  gives  its  text  very  nearly  as  we  read  it  in  the 
Roman  MS."  We  accordingly  reprint  the  document 
from  Margry's  version. 

CXXXII 

The  original  MS.  of  Dalmas's  Voyage  Autour  de 
V Isle  Jesus  rests  in  the  archives  of  St.  Mary's  College, 
Montreal.     It  has  not  before  been  published. 

CXXXIII 

In  publishing  the  Relation  of  1673-74,  we  have 
had  recourse  for  the  greater  part  thereof  to  Douniol, 


292  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  /^SUITES 


t.  i.  We  have,  however,  changed  the  sequence  as 
there  given,  preferring  a  rearrangement  of  the  mate- 
rial to  suit  the  usual  order  of  publication  in  Dablon's 
various  Relations.  The  account  of  the  "  Mission 
Huronne  de  no.stre  Dame  de  Foy  "  is  from  pp.  295- 
318;  the  "  Relation  ....  aux  Missions  iroquoises, " 
is  from  pp.  235-278;  the  "  Mission  des  Iroquois  de 
S.-Fran9ois-Xavier  a  la  Prairie  de  la  Magdeleine," 
is  from  pp.  279-293.  Of  the  "  Relation  des  Missions 
au  pays  des  Outaouacs,"  we  obtain  Chaps,  iv.-vi. 
from  pp.  219-233  of  Douniol,  as  above;  but  for 
Chap.  i.  of  Douniol  (pp.  205  -210),  we  substitute  Chap, 
i.  of  Dablon's  MS.  Relation  of  1673-79,  the  original 
of  which  is  in  the  archives  of  St.  Mary's  College, 
Montreal;  while  Chaps,  ii.  and  iii.  of  the  Douniol 
text  (pp.  211 -219)  we  omit  from  the  present  volume 
for  reasons  assigned  in  note  23  (p.  297,  post). 


NOTES  TO  VOL  LVIII 

(Figures  in  parentheses , following  number  of  note,  refer  to  pages 

of  English  text.) 

1  (p.  23). — Cf.  this  enumeration  with  Dablon's  statement  regard- 
ing the  same  village,  when  he  visited  it  in  the  autumn  of  1670  (vol. 
Iv.,  pp.  199,  201);  with  the  Mascoutens  he  then  found  the  Oumami 
(Miamis),  "  who  form  one  of  the  Nations  of  the  Ilinois," — the  two 
ti-ibes  numbering  more  than  3,000  souls.  AUouez  now  counts,  two 
years  later,  nearly  two  hundred  cabins  of  savages,  more  than  double 
the  above  population.  To  the  two  tribes  above  named  have  been 
added  the  Kickapoos,  who  in  1670  were  sojourning  at  a  place  four 
leagues  distant  from  the  Mascouten  village ;  a  large  reinforcement 
of  Miamis,  and  twenty  cabins  of  other  Illinois  savages ;  and  a  few 
Ouiatanons  (called  Weas  by  the  English)  a  tribe  allied  to  the  Miamis, 
who  in  1694  were  residing  at  Chicago,  and  later  on  the  Wabash  river. 

2  (p.  43). — The  Outagami  village  had  also  become,  dvudng  the 
two  years  since  Dablon's  visit,  a  refuge  for  other  Algonkin  tribes. 
Ouagoussak,  here  mentioned,  means  simply  "  the  Fox  people."  The 
Makoua  were  probably  the  Bear  clan  of  the  Ojibwas ;  the  Mikissioua, 
the  Eagle  clan ;  the  Atchatchakangouen,  the  Crane  clan.  See  the 
list  of  Ojibwa  clans  and  their  totems,  g^ven  by  Warren,  in  Minn. 
Hist.  Colls.,  vol.  v.,  pp.  44,  45.  The  Makoucou6  are,  by  Butterfield 
{Disc,  of  N.  W.,  p.  56,  note  3),  identified  with  the  Mantou6  of  Rela- 
tion of  1640,  and  the  Nantoueof  Relation  of  1671 ;  cf.  vol.  xliv.,  note 
21.  The  Kaskaskias  (Kakachkiouek),  Peorias  (Peoualen),  and 
Moingonas  (Mengakonkia)  were  all  Illinois  tribes  or  clans ;  the  others 
here  named  cannot  be  satisfactorily  identified. 

3  (P-  43)- — Dablon  relates  a  similar  incident  (vol.  Iv.,  p.  193)  in 
his  voyage  up  the  Fox  River  in  1670.  He  found  at  La  Croche  rapid, 
above  Wrightstown,  a  rock  to  which  the  savages  paid  idolatrous 
honors  as  they  passed  it ;  the  Fatlier  had  his  men  throw  this  rock 
into  the  river. 

4  (p.  49). —  In  the  origpinal  MS.,  the  page  ends  here;  and  there 
are  pasted  into  the  "cahier,"  at  this  point,  fovu- pages  in  Dablon's 
handwriting,  which  replace  those  deleted  by  him  in  Lamberville's 
MS. 


294  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  jfi.SUITES 

5  (P-  75)- — The  name  of  St.  Fran9ois  Xavier  des  Pres  was  now 
given  by  the  Jesuits  to  the  mission  begun  in  1669  by  Raffeix  (vol. 
xlvii.,  note  28;  vol.  xlviii.,  note  i)  and  continued  by  Fremin. 

6  (p.  93). — See  sketch  of  Joliet's  life  in  vol.  1.,  note  19. 

7  (p.  95). — This  route  was  that  of  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers; 
the  well-known  portage  between  them  has  given  name  to  the  Wiscon- 
sin city  of  Portage.  See  the  interesting  map  of  the  Great  Lakes  and 
the  portages  connecting  them  with  the  Mississippi  river-system, 
g^ven  by  Winsor  from  a  Paris  map  of  Joliet's  time,  in  Mississippi 
Basin,  pp.  28,  29.  The  Wisconsin  River  is  nearly  600  miles  long, 
and  flows  S.  and  W.  into  the  Mississippi.  It  is  navigable  for  steam- 
boats as  far  as  Portage  (145  miles),  where  a  government  ship-canal, 
cut  along  the  old  portage  trail,  unites  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers. 

8  (p.  103). — At  this  point  are  added,  in  the  Douniol  edition  (p. 
201),  the  words  par  ce  qtie  nous  7)oyons  .  .  .  ;  and  Martin  .states,  in 
a  footnote,  that  '  some  words  are  here  lacking  in  the  manuscript." 
This,  and  various  important  differences  in  the  text,  show  that  Margry 
and  Martin  used  different  copies  of  this  document;  the  former 
states  that  it  "is  found  only  in  the  Roman  collection,"  the  latter 
does  not  indicate  the  source  of  his  publication.  Margry's  version  is, 
however,  much  more  satisfactory  to  the  historical  student,  for  it 
bears  reasonable  marks  of  authenticity;  while  that  in  Douniol  has 
been  so  ' '  edited ' '  that  the  reader  hardly  knows  whether  or  not  to 
rely  upon  it. 

The  additional  phrase  and  the  hiatus  above  mentioned  may  be  a 
reference  to  the  map  dravsm  by  Joliet. 

9  (p.  105). — The  river  named  St.  Louis  by  our  explorers  is  that 
since  known  as  the  Illinois,  from  the  savage  tribes  dwelling  upon  its 
banks.  It  is  about  350  miles  long,  and  flows  W.  and  S.  W.  into  the 
Mississippi ;  it  is  navigable  for  its  entire  length. 

10  (p.  105). —  Regarding  the  fort  here  mentioned,  see  vol.  Ivii., 
note  3.  Catarakoui  (Katarokoui,  etc. ;  A'^.  Y.  Colon.  Docs,  show 
52  variations  of  this  name)  was  at  that  time  probably  the  most  im- 
portant point  above  Montreal,  commercially  and  strategically,  and 
was  a  center  for  military  operations  in  the  long  conflict  between  the 
French  and  English;  in  175S  it  was  destroyed  by  Bradstreet's  expe- 
dition. After  the  conquest  of  Canada,  the  place  was  settled  by 
English  colonists,  and  called  Kingston ;  it  became  incorporated  as  a 
city  in  1838.  Its  strategic  importance  has  occasioned  the  city  to  be 
heavily  fortified ;  it  is,  ' '  after  Quebec  and  Halifax,  the  strongest 
fort  in  the  Dominion"  (Lovell's  Gazetteer). 

11  (p.  107). — Reference  is  here  made  to  Chicago  harbor. 

i2^(p.  113). —  Fran9ois  Frison  (Frigon  or  Frizon,  in  Suite),   born 


NOTES  TO  VOL.  LVIII  29r 


in  1650,  married  Marie  Chamboy,  by  whom  he  had  seven  children; 
he  died  in  May,  1724.  The  census  of  1681  shows  that  this  family 
were  then  living  at  Batiscan. 

13  (p.  113). —  Probably  Zacharie  Dupuis  (vol.  xliii.,  note  17).  In 
1672,  he  had  obtained  the  grant  of  Isle  aux  Herons  and  adjacent 
islets,  below  Lachine  rapids;  and,  in  1671,  the  fief  of  Verdun,  from 
St.  Sulpice. 

14  (p.  117). — This  MS.  is  undated,  as  to  year;  but  the  date  here 
given,  "Monday,  Sept.  24,"  and  the  fact  that  Dalmas  was  at  La 
Prairie  only  in  1674  during  the  years  when  that  day  of  the  month 
could  come  on  Monday,  fix  the  date  of  the  MS.  in  1674. 

15  (p.  117).  —  For  notice  of  La  Chesnaye,  see  vol.  xlviii.,  note  12. 

16  (p.  123). — The  Lake  of  Two  Mountains  is  an  expansion  of  the 
Ottawa  River,  near  its  mouth ;  it  is  24  miles  long,  its  width  varying 
from  one  to  six  miles.  The  seigniory  of  the  same  name,  lying  upon 
its  shores,  was  granted  to  the  Seminary  of  St.  Sulpice  in  171 7  (with 
augmentations  in  1733  and  1735),  and  still  remains  in  its  possession. 
The  Sulpitians  still  maintain  upon  its  lands  their  early-begun  mission 
for  the  Indians,  who  long  composed  two  villages,  one  Algonkin  and 
one  Iroquois ;  these  are  now  practically  one,  called  Oka. 

17  (p.  123). —  Frangois  Marie  Perrot  came  to  Canada  with  Talon, 
in  1670,  as  governor  of  Montreal.  In  the  same  year  he  married  a 
niece  of  Talon,  Marguerite  la  Guide,  by  whom  he  had  six  children. 
In  1672,  he  obtained  the  grant  of  Isle  Perrot  and  neighboring  islets ; 
upon  the  former  he  established  a  trading  post,  where  he  carried  on 
an  extensive  traffic  with  the  savages,  especially  in  intoxicating 
liquors.  Moreover,  he  encouraged  and  protected  the  com-eurs  de 
bois  in  their  illicit  trade ;  and  finally  arrogated  to  himself  the  admin- 
istration of  justice,  which  was  the  prerogative  of  the  Sulpitians,  as 
seigniors  of  the  island.  His  conduct  became  so  tyrannical  that 
Frontenac  arrested  him,  and  sent  him  to  France  (November,  1674). 
The  king  imprisoned  him  in  the  Bastile  for  a  short  time,  and  then 
restored  him  to  his  governorship,  which  he  held  until  1684,  when  he 
was  appointed  governor  of  Acadia.  Having  lost  this  position  in  the 
spring  of  1687,  he  remained  in  the  country  as  a  trader.  In  i6go  he 
was  captured  by  the  English,  then  in  possession  of  Port  Royal ;  but 
escaped  soon  afterward.  PeiTot  was  still  in  Acadia  in  1691 ;  the 
date  of  his  death  is  not  recorded.  He  was  a  selfish,  unscrupulous, 
and  avaricious  man,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  violate  the  laws  of  the 
country  when  he  could  thus  add  to  his  own  gains. 

18  (p.  125). — Antoine  Dalmas  was  bom  at  Tours  Aug.  4,  1636,  and 
became  a  Jesuit  novice  Oct.  8,  1652.  His  studies  were  pursued  at 
La  Fleche,  Bourges,  and  Paris ;  and  he  was  an  instructor  at  Tours, 


296  LES  RELA  TJONS  DES  J^SUITES 


La  Flecht,  Hesdin,  and  Blois  successively.  Coming  to  Canada  in 
1670  (according  to  Father  Jones;  Rochemonteix  says  1671),  he  spent 
two  years  at  the  college  of  Quebec,  in  preparation  for  his  labors 
among  the  savages.  During  1673-74,  he  was  stationed  at  La 
Prairie;  in  1675,  at  Cap  de  la  Madeleine;  during  1676-80,  at  Sillery, 
where  he  spent  much  time  in  studying  the  Indian  tongues;  and  the 
next  ten  years  wei'e  spent  in  the  Tadoussac  mission,  except  that, 
during  1683,  he  was  teacher  in  the  college  of  Quebec.  In  1691,  he 
went  to  Hudson  Bay  to  aid  Silvy ;  and  there  was  assassinated  by  a 
Frenchman,  March  3,  1693.  An  account  of  his  death  (without  dates) 
is  given  by  Marest  in  a  letter  written  about  1695 ;  it  is  published  in 
Lettres  Ad/fiantes  (Toulouse,  iSio),  t.  vi.,  pp.  3-7.  In  this  account 
of  Dalmas's  labors,  we  have  mainly  followed  data  furnished  by 
Father  Jones,  from  Martin's  copy  of  the  Jesuit  Catalogues;  Roche- 
monteix's  a-ccount' {/estates,  t.  iii.,  pp.  273-276)  differs  in  some 
particulars.  An  additional  (and  somewhat  conflicting)  item  of  infor- 
mation is  furnished  by  the  Montagnais  MS.  at  Quebec  (vol.  xlvi.,  note 
II ;  and  vol.  Ivi.,  note  3),  in  which  Cr6pieul  says,  under  the  head  of 
"Precious  Deaths:"  "In  the  year  1693,  the  Reverend  Father 
Antoine  Dalmas,  having  been  withdrawn  from  the  curacy  of  Notre- 
Dame  de  Foy,  came  with  me  as  far  as  chegoutimy,  where,  and  at  the 
Lake  [St.  John]  he  had  wintered  for  several  years.  Thence  he  was 
sent  to  the  Bay  of  Hutson,  where  on  March  3,  he  was  slain  by  a 
wretched  Frenchman ;  the  surgeon  also  was  killed,  a  little  while 
before,  by  the  same  man." 

19  (p.  131). — The  Huron  village  was  removed  at  this  time  (De- 
cember, 1673)  to  a  site  on  a  branch  of  St.  Charles  River,  within  the 
limits  of  St.  Gabriel  seigniory,  the  property  of  the  Jesuits  (vol. 
vi.,  note  8).  A  village  still  exists  there,  known  as  Ancienne  Lorette; 
but  the  remnant  of  the  Hvu"on  Indians  reside  at  Jeune  Lorette  (com- 
monly known  also  as  "Indian  Lorette"),  eight  miles  from  Quebec, 
whither  they  were  removed  in  1697. —  See  Bouchette's  account  of 
these  Indians,  in  his  Topog.  Diet,  of  Lower  Canada,  under  article 
"Indian  Lands  and  Indians."  Cf.  Rochemonteix's  y/.y»//^j,  t.  ii., 
pp.  124-127.  Bouchette  says  that  in  1821,  the  population  of  Jeune 
Lorette  was  137;  Tailhan  states  {Perrot,  p.  311)  that  in  1861  it 
counted  261  Hvu-ons. 

Martin  Bouvart,  one  of  the  Fathers  in  charge  of  these  Hurons, 
wrote  a  historical  and  descriptive  account  of  Lorette,  which  will 
appear  in  vol.  Ix.  of  this  series.  An  interesting  historical  sketch  of 
Lorette  wi'itten  by  Rev.  L.  St.-G.  Lindsay,  with  valuable  annota- 
tions, is  now  (November,  1899)  appearing  serially  in  Revue  Cana- 
dienne. 


NOTES  TO  VOL.  LVIII  297 

20  (p.  131). — Samuel  (or  Martin)  Bouvart  was  bom  at  Chartres, 
Aug.  15,  1637,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  became  a  Jesuit  novice 
at  Paris.  His  studies  were  pursued  at  La  Fleche  and  Rouen,  and 
his  term  as  instructor  at  Amiens  and  Eu.  Coming  to  Canada  in 
1673,  he  spent  three  years  at  Sillery  and  Lorette;  then  became  a 
professor  in  the  college  at  Quebec,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his 
life.  In  August,  169S,  he  became  superior  of  the  Canadian  missions, 
in  which  position  he  remained  six  years.  He  died  at  Quebec,  Aug. 
10,  1705.  Rochemonteix  says  of  him  {Jisuitcs,  t.  iii.,  p.  373):  "The 
Jesuits  appreciated  the  urbanity  of  his  character,  knowing,  how- 
ever, that  he  was  wholly  incapable  of  maintaining  their  rights  in  case 
of  a  conflict  with  either  religious  or  civil  authority." 

21  (p.  149). — We  read  on  the  margin  of  the  manuscript:  "The 
plan  of  the  village  is  to  be  placed  here."  This  plan,  however,  has 
not  come  down  to  us. — Martin's  note  on  the  text,  Douniol's  Relatiojis 
inidites,  t.  i.,  p.  307. 

22  (p.  185). — By  "family"  is  here  meant  "clan"  (vol.  xxix., 
note  6).     Regarding  Agoiander  (oy under),  see  vol.  liv.,  tiote  15. 

23  (p.  255). — This  chapter  begins  Dablon's  MS.  Relation  of 
1G73-79,  part  of  which,  with  accompanying  bibliographical  informa- 
tion, will  appear  in  vol.  lix.  of  this  series.  That  text  is  here  substituted 
for  Douniol's,  as  being  for  various  reasons  more  satisfactor}-.  The 
next  two  chapters  (ii.  and  iii.)  given  in  Douniol  are  omitted  here, 
because  they  more  properly  belong  to  the  £ltat presoit  of  1674-75, 
in  which  they  will  appear  (vol.  lix.)  —  but  taken  from  the  text  of  the 
above-named  MS.  In  Chap.  i.  as  here  presented,  letters  or  words 
deleted  by  Dablon  are  printed  in  italics ;  his  emendations,  in  roman 
within  brackets. 

24  (p.  261). —  The  Douniol  text  states  that  part  of  the  reports  writ- 
ten by  the  missionaries  were  lost  in  the  fire.  Apparently,  only  those 
of  Andre  and  Allouez  escaped  destruction. 

25  (p.  265). —  This  chapter  is  written  by  Allouez. 

26  (p.  267). — This  allusion  to  "little  Lake  St.  Francois,"  and  its 
distance  from  St.  Frangois  Xavier,  would  seem  to  identify  it  as  Little 
Lake  Butte  des  Morts,  the  expansion  of  the  Fox  River,  Ij-ing  in 
the  towmship  of  Menasha,  at  the  north  end  of  Lake  Winnebago. 
The  U.  S.  government  survey'  gives  the  distance  from  De  Pere  to 
Winnebago  Rapids  as  30  miles.      Cf.  Lawson's  claim,  vol.  Iv..  tiote  10. 

27  (p.  273). —  Folle-Avoine:  name  of  the  Menominee  River,  and  of 
the  tribe  dwelling  on  its  banks  (vol.  xliv.,  tiotc  21 ;  vol.  liv.,  ttotc  14). 
See  Hoffman's  admirable  monograph  upon  this  tribe,  in  U.  S.  Bur. 
Et/inol.  Rep.,  1892-93,  pp.  11-338. 


298  LES  RELA  TIONS  DES  jASUITES 

28  (p.  275). —  Reference  is  here  made,  probably,  to  the  Peshtigo 
and  Oconto  rivers. 

29  (p.  283).  —  Ouassatinoun  was  mentioned  in  Andrd's  report  for 
the  preceding  year  (vol.  Ivii.,  p.  295),  as  a  place  where  the  Potta- 
watomie band  whom  he  had  instructed  at  Suamico (vol.  Ivii.,  note  13) 
were  to  assemble  later,  apparently  in  the  summer  or  early  autumn 
months.  Andre  evidently  spent  with  them  the  autumn  of  1673.  The 
place  cannot  well  be  identified,  although  the  etymology  of  its  name 
leads  to  the  inference  that  it  was  a  localitj'  abounding  in  the  aspen 
or  poplar  {asati,  aspen).  We  may  add  here  that  Chouskouabika, 
mentioned  in  the  above-cited  note,  is  by  Verwyst  identified  {M/ss. 
Labors,  p.  234)  with  the  present  town  of  Pensaukee. 

30  (p.  289). —  Ca/>e  Illinois:  the  long,  narrow  peninsula  which  lies 
between  Green  Bay  and  Lake  Michigan ;  called  Longue  Pointe  on 
D'Anville's  map  of  1754.  It  is  included  within  the  Wisconsin 
counties  of  Kewaunee  and  Door.     Cf.  vol.  Ivi.,  note  c;. 


„'*."»  ••--.TiTSRS.S 


a^jg^^