which I haue said a little before in these words which are not heere laied downe in the former Booke This said people saith he hath not any beleefe of God that may be esteemed for they beleeue in one whom they call Cudoüagni and say that he often speaketh to them and telleth them what weather shall fall out They say that when he is angry with them hee casteth dust in their eies They beleeue also that when they die they goe vp into the starres and afterwards they goe into faire greenefields full of faire trees flowers and rare fruits After they had made vs to vnderstand these things wee shewed them their error and that their Cudoüagni is an euill Spirit that deceiueth them and that there is but one God which is in Heauen who doth giue vnto vs all and is Creator of all things and that in him we must onely beleeue and that they must be baptised or goe into hell And many other things of our faith were shewed them which they easily beleeued and called their Cudoüagni Agoiuda So that many times they requested our Captaine to cause them to be baptized and the said Lord that is to say Donnacona Taiguragni Domagaia with all the people of their towne came thither for that purpose but because we knew not their intent and desire and that there was no body to instruct them in the faith wee excused our selues to them for that time and bad Taiguragni and Domagaia to make them vnderstand that we would returne another voyage and would bring Priests with vs and Chréme telling them for an excuse that one cannot be baptized without the said Chréme which they did beleeue And they were very glad of the promise which the Captaine made them to returne and thanked them for it Monsieur Champlein hauing of late made the same voyage which the Captaine Iames Quartier had made did discourse with Sauages that be yet liuing and reporteth the speeches that were betweene him and certaine of their Sagamos concerning their beleefe in spirituall and heauenly things which I haue thought good being incident to this matter to insert heere his words are these The most part of them be people without law according as I could see and informe my selfe by the said great Sagamos who told mee that they verily beleeue there is one God who hath created all things And then I asked him seeing that they beleeue in one onely God by what meanes did hee place them in this world and from whence they were come He answered mee that after God had made all things he tooke a number of arrowes and did sticke them into the ground from whence men and women sprung vp which haue multiplied in the world vntill now and that mankinde grew by that meanes I answered him that what he said was false But that indeed there was one onely God who had created all things both in Heauen and Earth Seeing all these things so perfect and being no body that did gouerne in this world he tooke slime out of the Earth and created thereof our first father Adam And while he did sleepe God tooke one of his ribes and formed Euah thereof whom hee gaue to him for company and that this was the truth that both they and we were made by this meanes and not of arrowes as they did beleeue He said nothing more to me but that he allowed better of my speech than of his owne I asked him also if he beleeued not that there were any other but one onely God He said vnto me that their beleefe was There was one onely God one Sonne one Mother and the Sunne which were foure Notwithstanding that God was ouer and aboue all but that the Sonne was good and the Sunne by reason of the good which they receiued of them As for the Mother shee was naught and did eat them and that the Father was not very good I shewed him his error according to our faith whereunto he gaue some credit I demanded of him if they neuer saw nor heard their ancestors say that God was come into the world He told me hee had not seene him but that anciently there were fiue men who trauelling towards the setting of the Sunne met with God who demanded of them Whither go yee They answered We goe to seeke for our liuing God answered them You shall finde it heere But they passed further not making any account of that which God had said vnto them who tooke a stone and therewith touched two of them who were turned into stones And he said againe to the three others Whither goe yee and they answered as at the first time and God said vnto them a gaine Passe no further you shall finde it heere and seeing that they found no food they passed further And God tooke two staues and touched therewith the two formost who were transformed into staues But the fift man staied and would passe no further And God asked him againe Whither goest thou Who made answer I go to seeke for my liuing and God told him Tarry and thou shalt finde it and he staied without passing any further And God gaue him meat and he did eat of it and after he had made good cheare he returned among the other Sauages and told them all that you haue heard He also told me that at another time there was a man who had store of Tabacco which is an hearbe the smoke whereof they take and that God came to this man and asked him where his pipe was The man tooke his Tabacco pipe and gaue it to God who dranke very much Tabacco After he had taken well of it God brake the said Tabacco-pipe into many peeces and the man asked him Why hast thou broken my Tabacco-pipe and thou seest well that I haue none other And God tooke one which he had and gaue it him saying vnto him Lo heere is one which I giue to thee carry it to thy great Sagamo let him keepe it and if he keepe it wel he shall not want any thing nor any of his companions The said man tooke the Tabacco-pipe which he gaue to his great Sagamo who whilest he had it the Sauages wanted for nothing in the world But that since the said Sagamo had lost this Tabacco-pipe which is the cause of the great famine which sometimes they haue among them I demanded of him whether he did beleeue all that he told me yes that it was true Now I beleeue that that is the cause why they say that God is not very good But I replied and said vnto him that God was all good and that without doubt it was the Diuell that had shewed himselfe to those men and that if they did beleeue in God as we doe they should want nothing that should be needfull for them That the Sunne which they saw the Moone and the Starres were created by the same great God who hath made both Heauen and Earth
fogges be not so frequent nor so long in the French seas as in New-found-land because that the Sunne passing from his rising aboue the grounds this sea at the comming thereof receiueth almost but earthly vapours and by a long space retaineth this vertue to dissolue very soone the exhalations it draweth to it selfe But when it commeth to the middest of the Ocean and to the said new found land hauing eleuated and assumed in so long a course a great abundance of vapours from this moist wide Ocean it doth not so easily dissolue them as well because those vapours be colde of themselues and of their nature as because the Element which is neerest vnder them doth simpathize with them and preserueth them the Sunne beames being not holpen in the dissoluing of them as they are vpon the earth Which is euen seene in the land of that countrie which although it hath but small heat by reason of the abundance of woods notwithstanding it helpeth to disperse the mistes and fogges which be ordinarily there in the morning during summer but not as at Sea for about eight aclocke in the morning they begin to vanish away and serue as a dew to the ground I hope the reader will not dislike these small digressions seeing they serue to our purpose The 28. day of Iune we found our selues vpon a little small bancke other then the great Bancke whereof we haue spoken at forty fadams and the day following one of our Sailers fell by night into the sea which had beene lost if he had not met with a cable hanging in the water From that time forward we began to descrie land markes it was New-found-land by hearbes mosses flowers and peeces of wood that we alwaies met abounding the more by so much we drew neere to it The 4. day of Iuly our saylers which were appointed for the last quarter watch descried in the morning very early euery one being yet a-bed the Iles of Saint Peter And the Friday the seuenth of the said Moneth we discouered on the Lar-boord a Coast of land high raised vp appearing vnto vs as long as ones sight could stretch out which gaue vs greater cause of Ioy then yet we had had wherein God did greatly shew his mercifull fauour vnto vs making this discouery in faire calme weather Being yet farre from it the bouldest of the company went vp to the maine top to the end to see it better so much were all of vs desirous to see this land true and most delightfull habitation of Man Monsieur De Poutrincourt went vp thither and my selfe also which we had not yet done Euen our dogges did thrust their noses out of the ship better to draw and smell the sweet aire of the land not being able to containe themselues from witnessing by their gestures the ioy they had of it We drew within a league neere vnto it and the sailes being let downe we fell a fishing of Codde the fishing of the Bancke beginning to faile They which had before vs made voyages in those parts did iudge vs to be at Cap-Breton The night drawing on we stood off to the sea-ward the next day following being the eight of the said moneth of Iulj as we drew neere to the Bay of Campseau came about the euening mists which did continue eight whole daies during the which we kept vs at sea hulling still not being able to goe forward being resisted by West and South-West windes During these eight daies which were from one Saturday to another God who hath alwaies guided these voyages in the which not one man hath beene lost by sea shewed vs his speciall fauour in sending vnto vs among the thicke fogs a clearing of the Sunne which continued but halfe an houre And then had we sight of the firme land and knew that we were ready to be cast away vpon the rockes if we had not speedily stood off to sea-ward A man doth sometimes seeke the land as one doth his beloued which sometimes repulseth her sweet heart very rudely Finally vpon Saturday the 15. of Iulj about two aclocke in the after noone the sky began to salute vs as it were with Cannon shots shedding teares as being sory to haue kept vs so long in paine So that faire weather being come again we saw comming straight to vs we being fower leagues off from the land two Shaloupes with open sailes in a sea yet wrathed This thing gave vs much content But whilst we followed on our course there came from the land odors vncomparable for sweetnesse brought with a warm wind so abundantly that all the Orient parts could not procure greater abundance We did stretch out our hands at it were to take them so palpable were they which I haue admired a thousand times since Then the two shaloups did approach the one manned with Sauages who had a Stagge painted at their sailes the other with Frenchmen of Saint Maloes which made their fishing at the Port of Camseau but the Sauages were more diligent for they ariued first Hauing neuer seene any before I did admire at the first sight their faire shape and forme of visage One of them did excuse himselfe for that he had not brought his faire beuer gowne because the weather had beene foule He had but one red peece of frize vpon his backe and Matachiaz about his necke at his wristes aboue the elbow and at his girdle We made them to eat and drinke During that time they tolde vs all that had passed a yeere before at Port Royall whither we were bound In the meane while them of Saint Maloe came and tolde vs as much as the Sauages had Adding that the wensday when that we did shunne the rockes they had seene vs and would haue corne to vs with the said Sauages but that they left off by reason we put to the sea and moreouer that it had beene alwaies faire weather on the land which made vs much to maruell but the cause thereof hath beene shewed before Of this discommodity may be drawne heereafter a great good that these mists will serue as a rampier to the country and one shall know with speed what is passed at sea They tolde vs also that they had beene aduertised some daies before by other Sauages that a ship was seene at Cap Breton These French men of S. Maloe were men that did deale for the associates of Monsieur De Monts and did complaine that the Baskes or men of Saint Iohn De Lus against the King his Inhibitions had trucked with the Sauages and caried away aboue six thousand Beauers skinnes They gaue vs sundrie sorts of their fishes as Bars Marlus and great Fletans As for the Sauages before to depart they asked bread of vs to carry to their wiues which was granted and giuen them for they deserued it well being come so willingly to shew vs in what part wee were For since that time
Indeed I doe not wonder if a people poore and naked bee theeuish but when the heart is malicious it is vnexcusable This people is such that they must be handled with terrour for if through loue and gentlenesse one giue them too free accesse they will practise some surprise as it hath beene knowen in diuers occasions heeretofore and will yet heereafter beseene And without deferring any longer the second day after our comming thither as they saw our people busie awishing linnen they came some fifty one following another with bowes arrowes and quiuers intending to play some bad part as it was coniectured vpon their maner of proceeding but they were preuented some of our men going to meet them with their muskets and matches at the cocke which made some of them run away and the others being compassed in hauing put downe their weapons came to a Peninsule or small head of an Iland where our men were and making a friendly shew demanded to trucke the Tabacco they had for our merchandises The next day the Captaine of the said place and Port came into Monsieur De Poutrincourts barke to see him we did maruell to see him accompanied with Olmechin seeing the way was maruellous long to come thither by land and much shorter by sea That gaue cause of bad suspition albeit he had promised his loue to the Frenchmen Notwithstanding they were gently receiued And Monsieur De Poutrincourt gaue to the said Olmechin a complet garment wherewith being clothed he viewed himselfe in a glasse and did laugh to see himselfe in that order But a little while after feeling that the same hindred him although it was in October when he was returned vnto his Cabins he distributed it to sundry of his men to the end that one alone should not be ouerpestered with it This ought to be a sufficient lesson to so many finnical both men and women of these parts who cause their garments and brest-plates to be made as hard and stiffe as wood wherein their bodies are so miserably tormented that they are in their clothes vnable to all good actions And if the weather be too hot they suffer in their great bummes with a thousand folds vnsupportable heats that are more vntolerable than the torments which felons and criminall men are sometimes made to feele Now during the time that the said Monsieur De Poutrincourt was there being in doubt whether Monsieur De Monts would come to make an habitation on that coast as he wished it he made there a peece of ground to be tilled for to sow corne and to plant vines which they did with the helpe of our Apothecary Master Lewes Hebert a man who besides his experience in his art taketh great delight in the tilling of the ground And the said Monsieur De Poutrincourt may be heere compared to good father Noah who after he had made the tillage most necessarie for the sowing of corne he began to plant the vine whose effects he felt afterwards As they were a deliberating to passe farther Olmechin came to the Barke to see Monsieur De Poutrincourt where hauing taried certaine houres either in talking or eating he said that the next day 100. boates should come containing euery one six men but the comming of such a number of men being but troublesome Monsieur De Poutrincourt would not tarry for them but went away the same day to Malebarre not without much difficultie by reason of the great streames and sholds that are there So that the Barke hauing touched at three foot of water onely we thought to be cast away and we began to vnlade her and put the victuals into the Shaloup which was behinde for to saue vs on land but being no full sea the barke came aflote within an houre All this Sea is a land ouerflowed as that of Mount Saint Michels a sandy ground in which all that resteth is a plaine flat country as far as the Mountaines which are seene 15. leagues off from that place And I am of opinion that as far as Virginia it is all alike Moreouer there is heere great quantity of grapes as before and a country very full of people Monsieur De Monts being come to Malebarre in an other season of the yeare gathered onely greene grapes which he made to be preserued and brought some to the King But it was our good hap to come thither in October for to see the maturity thereof I haue heere before shewed the difficulty that is found in entering into Malebarre This is the cause why Monsieur De Poutrincourt came not in with his Barke but went thither with a shaloup onely which thirty or forty Sauages did helpe to draw in and when it was full tide but the tide doth not mount heere but two fadames high which is seldome seene he went out and retired himselfe into his said barke to passe further in the morning as soone as hee should ordaine it CHAP. XV. Dangers vnknowen languages the making of a forge and of an ouen Crosses set vp plenty a conspiracy disobedience murther the flight of three hundred against tenne the agility of the Armouchiquois bad company dangerous the accident of a Musket that did burst the insolency of the Sauages their timorosity impiety and flight the fortunate Port a bad sea reuenge the counsell and resolution for the returne new perils Gods fauours the arriuall of Monsieur De Poutrincourt at Port Royall and how he was receiued THe night beginning to giue place to the dawning of the day the sailes are hoised vp but it was but a very perilous nauigation For with this small vessell they were forced to coast the land where they found no depth going backe to sea it was yet woorse in such wise that they did strike twice or thrice being raised vp againe onely by the waues and the rudder was broken which was a dreadfull thing In this extremity they were constrained to cast anker in the sea at two fadams deepe and three leagues off from the land Which being done Daniel Hay a man which taketh pleasure in shewing foorth his vertue in the perils of the sea was sent towards the Coast to view it and see if there were any Port. And as he was neere land he saw a Sauage which did daunce singing yo yo yo he called him to come neerer and by signes asked him if there were any place to retire ships in and where any fresh water was The Sauage hauing made signe there was he tooke him into his shaloup and brought him to the Barke wherein was Chkoudun Captaine of the riuer of Oigoudi otherwise Saint Iohns riuer who being brought before this Sauage he vnderstood him no more than did our owne people true it is that by signes he comprehended better than they what he would say This Sauage shewed the places where no depth was and where was any and did so well indenting and winding heere
As our greatest care and labour is and hath alwaies beene since our comming to this crowne to maintaine and conserue it in the ancient dignitie greatnesse and splendor thereof to extend and amplifie as much as lawfully may be done the bounds and limits of the same We being of a long time informed of the situation and condition of the lands and territories of La Cadia mooued aboue all things with a singular zeale and deuout and constant resolution which we haue taken with the helpe and assistance of God author distributor and protector of all kingdomes and estates to cause the people which doe inhabite the Countrie men at this present time barbarous Atheists without faith or religion to be conuerted to Christianitie and to the beleefe and profession of our faith and religion and to draw them from the ignorance and vnbeleefe wherein they are Hauing also of a long time knowen by the relation of the sea Captaines Pilots Marchants and others who of long time haue haunted frequented and trafficked with the people that are found in the said places how fruitfull commodious and profitable may bee vnto vs to our estates and subiects the dwelling possession and habitation of those countries for the great and apparent profit which may be drawen by the greater frequentation habitude which may be had with the people that are found there the trafficke and commerce which may be by that means safely treated and negotiated Wee then for these causes fully trusting on your great wisedome and in the knowledge and experience that you haue of the qualitie condition and situation of the said countrie of La Cadia for the diuers and sundry nauigations voiages and frequentations that you haue made into those parts and others neere and bordering vpon it Assuring our selues that this our resolution and intention being committed vnto you you will attentiuely diligently and no lesse couragiously and valourously execute and bring to such perfection as we desire Haue expresly appointed and established you and by these Presents signed with our owne hands doe commit ordaine make constitute and establish you our Lieutenant generall for to represent our person in the countries territories coasts and confines of La Cadia To begin from the 40 degree vnto the 46. And in the same distance or part of it as farre as may be done to establish extend and make to be knowne our name might and authoritie And vnder the same to subiect submit and bring to obedience all the people of the said land and the borderers thereof And by the meanes thereof and all lawfull waies to call make instruct prouoke and incite them to the knowledge of God and to the light of the faith and Christian Religion to establish it there And in the exercise and profession of the same keepe and conserue the said people and all other inhabitants in the said places and there to command in peace rest and tranquillitie as well by sea as by land to ordaine decide and cause to be executed all that which you shall iudge fit and necessarie to be done for to maintaine keepe and conserue the said places vnder our power and authoritie by the formes waies and meanes prescribed by our lawes And for to haue there a care of the same with you to appoint establish and constitute all officers as well in the affaires of warre as for Iustice and policie for the first time and from thence forward to name and present them vnto vs for to be disposed by vs and to giue letters titles and such prouisoes as shall be necessarie And according to the occurrences of affaires yourselfe with the aduice of wise and capable men to prescribe vnder our good pleasure lawes statutes and ordinances conformable as much as may be possible vnto ours specially in things and matters that are not prouided by them To treat and contract to the same effect peace alliance and confederacy good amitie correspondencie and cōmunication with the said people their Princes or others hauing power or command ouer them To entertaine keepe and carefully to obserue the treatises and alliances wherein you shall couenant with them vpon condition that they themselues performe the same of their part And for want thereof to make open warres against them to constraine and bring them to such reason as you shall thinke needfull for the honour obedience and seruice of God and the establishment maintenance and conseruation of our said authoritie amongst them at least to haunt and frequent by you and all our subiects with them in all assurance libertie frequentation and communication there to negociate and trafficke louingly and peaceably To giue and grant vnto them fauors and priuiledges charges and honors Which intire power abouesaid we will likewise and ordaine that you haue ouerall our said subiects that will goe in that voiage with you and inhabite there trafficke negociate and remaine in the said places to retaine take reserue and appropriate vnto you what you will and shall see to be most commodious for you and proper to your charge qualitie and vse of the said lands to distribute such parts and portions thereof to giue and attribute vnto them such titles honors rights powers and faculties as you shall see necessarie according to the qualities conditions and merits of the persons of the same countrie or others Chiefely to populate to manure and to make the said lands to be inhabited as speedily carefully skilfully as time places commodities may permit To make thereof or cause to be made to that end discouerie and view along the maritime coastes and other countries of the maine land which you shall order prescribe in the foresaid space of the 40 degree to the 46 degree or otherwise as much and as farre as may be along the said coast and in the firme land To make carefully to be sought and marked all sorts of mines of gold and of siluer copper and other mettals and minerals to make them to be digged drawne from the earth purified and refined for to be conuerted into vse to dispose according as we haue prescribed by Edicts and orders which we haue made in this realme of the profit and benefit of them by you or them whom you shall establish to that effect reseruing vnto vs onely the tenth penie of that which shall issue from them of gold siluer and copper leauing vnto you that which we might take of the other said mettals and minerals for to aide and ease you in the great expenses that the foresaid charge may bring vnto you Willing in the meane while that as well for your securitie and commoditie as for the securitie and commoditie of all our subiects who will goe inhabite and trafficke in the said lands as generally of all others that will accommodate themselues there vnder our power and authoritie you may cause to bee built and frame one or many forts places Townes and all other houses dwellings and habitations Ports Hauens retiring places
becommeth dampish and rotten the fishes that are giuen them alike and the waters stincking they which carie sweet meates be it flesh or fruits and that vse good bread good wine and good brothes do easily auoide those sicknesses and I durst in some sort be answerable vnto them for their healthes vnlesse they be very vnhealthfull by nature And when I consider that this disease is as well taken in Holland Frizeland in Spaine and in Guinie as in Canada I am brought to beleeue that the chiefe cause thereof is in that which I haue said and not peculiar nor particular to New France After all these causes and considerations it is good in euery place to haue a wel disposed body for to be in health and liue long For those which naturally gather colde and grosse humors and haue the masse of their bodie pory Item they that be subiect to the oppilations of the spleene and they that vse not a sturring life but sitting and without frequent motion are more apt and subiect to these sicknesses Therefore a Physitian might say that a student is not fit for that Countrie that is to say he shall not liue there in health nor those which ouertoile in labors nor melancholy people men which haue drowsie dreaming spirits nor those that be often visited with agues and such other sort of people Which I might easily beleeue because that these things doe heape much melancholy cold and superfluous humors Notwithstanding I haue tried the contrarie both by my selfe and by others against the opinion of some of ours yea of Sagamos Membertou himselfe which plaieth the Soothsaier among the Sauages who arriuing in that countrie said that I should neuer returne into France nor Monsieur Boullet sometimes captaine of Monsieur De Poutrincourt his regiment who for the most part of the time hath had agues there but he did farewel And they themselues did aduise our labourers to take but small labour in their worke which counsell they could very well obserue For I may say and that truely that I neuer made so much bodily worke for the pleasure that I did take in dressing and tilling my gardens to inclose and hedge them against the gluttony of the hogges to make knots to draw out allies to build arbours to sowe wheat rie barly oates beanes pease garden hearbs and to water them so much desire had I to know the goodnesse of the ground by my owne experience So that Summers daies were vnto mee too short and very often did I worke by Moonelight Concerning the labour of the minde I tooke a reasonable part of it for at night euery one being retired among the pratings noises and hurliburlies I was shut vp in my studie reading or writing of something Yea I will not be ashamed to speake that being requested by Monsieur De Poutrincourt our Commander to bestow some houres of my industrie in giuing Christian instructions to our small company for not to liue like beasts and for to giue to the Sauages an example of our maner of life I haue done it according to the necessitie and being thereof requested euery Sunday and sometimes extraordinarilie almost during all the time we haue beene there And well was it for me that I had brought my Bible and some bookes vnawares for otherwise it had beene very difficult for me and had beene cause to excuse me of that worke It hath not beene without fruit many witnessing vnto me that they had neuer heard so much good talke of God not knowing before any principle of that which belongeth to Christian doctrine And such is the state wherin liue the most part of Christendome And if there were any edifying of one part there was backbiting on the other by reason that vsing a French liberty I willingly spake the truth Whereupon I remember the saying of the Prophet Amos They haue hated saith he him that reproued them in the gate and haue had in abomination him that spake in integrity But in the end we became all good friends And amongst these things God gaue me alwaies a sound and a perfect health alwaies a good taste alwaies mery and nimble sauing that hauing once laien in the woods neere to a brooke in snowey weather I was touched with a Crampe or Sciatika in my thigh a fortnights space not loosing my appetite nor stomacke for the same for indeed I tooke delight in that which I did desiring to confine there my life if it would please God to blesse the voyages I should be ouer tedious if I would set downe heere the disposition of all persons and to speake concerning children that they are more subiect to this sicknesse then others for that they haue very often vlcers in the mouth and gummes because of the thin substance that abound in their bodies and also that they gather many crude humours by their disorder of liuing and by the quantity of fruits they eate being neuer filled with it by which m eans they gather great quantity of waterish bloud and the spleene being stopped cannot soake vp those moisturs And as for old folkes that haue their heat weakened and cannot resist the sicknes being filled with crudities and with a cold and moist temperature which is the qualitie proper to stirre vp and nourish it I will not take the Physitians office in hand fearing the censuring rod and notwithstanding with their leaue not touching with their orders and receits of Agaric aloes rubarbe and other ingrediens I will write heere that which I thinke more ready at hand for the poore people which haue not the abilitie and meanes to send to Alexandria as well for the preseruation of their health as for the remedie of this sicknesse It is a certaine axiome that a contrary must be healed by his contrarie This sicknesse proceeding from an indigestion of rude grosse cold and melancholie meates which offend the stomacke I thinke it good submitting my selfe to better Iudgement and aduice to accompany them with good sawces be it of butter oyle or fat all well spiced to correct as well the quality of the meate as of the bodie inwardly waxen colde Let this be said for rude and grosse meates as beanes pease and fish for he that shall eat good capons 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—â—idges good duckes and good rabets he may be â—â—sured of his health or else his body is of a very bad constitution We haue had some sicke that haue as it were raised vp from death to life for hauing eaten twice or thrice of a coolice made of a cocke good wine taken according to the necessity of nature is a soueraigne preseruatiue for all sicknesses and particularily for this Master Macquin and Master Georges worshipfull Marchants of Rochel as associates to Monsieur De Monts did furnish vs with 45. toones of wine which did vs very much good And our sicke folkes themselues hauing their mouthes spoiled and not being able to eat haue neuer lost
We are taught I beleeue it so that though there were but one man to be saued our Lord Iesus Christ had not disdained to come as well for him as he hath done for all the world In like maner one must not make so smal account of the saluation of these poore people though they swarme not in number as within Paris or Constantinople Seeing it auailed me nothing in demanding for a Church-man to administer the Sacrament vnto vs be it during our nauigation or vpon the land The ancient custome of the Christians came into my minde which going in voyage did carry with them the holy bread of the Eucharist and this did they because they found not in all places Priests to administer this Sacrament vnto them the world being then yet full either of Heathens or Heretickes So that it was not vnproperly called Viatic which they carried with them trauelling on the way yet notwithstanding I am of opinion that it hath a spirituall meaning And considering that we might be brought to that necessity not hauing in New France but one Priest onely of whose death wee heard when we came thither I demanded if they would doe vnto vs as to the ancient Christians who were as wise as we I was answered that the same was done in that time for considerations which are not now at this daie I replied that Satirus Saint Ambroses brother going on a voyage vpon the sea serued himselfe with this spirituall Physicke as we read in his funerall oration made by his said brother Saint Ambrose which he did carry in Orario which I take to be a lynnen cloth or taffita and well did it happen vnto him by it For hauing made ship-wracke he saued himselfe vpon a bord left of his vessels wracke But I was as well refused in this as of the rest Which gaue mee cause of wondring seeming to me a very rigorous thing to be in worse condition then the first Christians For the Eucharist is no other thing at this day then it was then And if they held it precious we doe not demand it to make lesser account thereof Let vs returne to our Ionas Now shee was laden and brought out of the towne into the roade there resteth nothing more than fit weather tide which was the hardest of the matter For in places where is no great depth as in Rochell one must tarry for the high tydes of the full and new Moones and then paraduenture the winde will not be fit and so one must deferre till a fortnights time In the meane while the season goeth away as it was almost with vs. For we saw the houre that after so many labours and charges we were indanger to tary for lacke of winde because the Moone was in the waine and consequently the tyde Captaine Foulques did not seeme to affect his charge making no ordinary stay in the ship and it was reported that other Merchants not being of Monsieur De Monts his societie did secretly solicite him to breake off the voyage And indeed it hath beene thought that he caused vs to make wrong courses which kept vs two monethes and a halfe at sea as heereafter we shall see Which thing the said Monsieur De Poutrincourt perceiuing himselfe tooke vpon him the charge of Captaine of the ship and went to lie in her the space of fiue or six daies for to get out with the first winde and not to loose the opportunity In the end with much a doe the eleuenth day of May 1606. by the fauour of a small Easterly winde he went to sea and made our Ionas to be brought to the Palisse and the next day being the 12. of the same moneth came againe to Chef de bois which be the places where ships put themselues for shelter from windes where the hope of New France was assembled I say the hope because that of this voyage did depend the continuance or totall breach of the enterprise CHAP. XI Their departure from Rochell Sundry meetings of ships and Pirats Stormy Sea about the Açores and whence it proceeds Why the West windes are frequent in the West sea From whence the winds doe come Porpeses doe prognosticate stormes meanes to take them the describing of them of stormes their effects of Calmes what is a gust of Winde how it is made the effects thereof the boldnesse of mariners how reuerence is giuen to the Kings ship the supputation of the voyage hot sea then cold the reason of it and of the banckes of Ice in New-found Land THe Saturday Whitsoneue 13. of May we weighed our anckers and sailed in open sea so that by little and little wee lost the sight of the great towers and town of Rochell then of the Iles of Rez Oleron bidding France farewell It was a thing fearefull for them that were not vsed to such a dance to see them caried vpon so moueable an ellement and to be at euery moment as it were within two fingers bredth to death We had not long sailed but that many did their endeuour to yeeld vp the tribute to Neptune In the meane while we went still forward for there was no more going backe the plancke being once taken vp The 16. of May we met with 13. Holanders going for Spaine which did inquire of our voyage and so held their course Since that time we were a whole moneth seeing nothing else out of our floting towne but Skie and water one ship excepted neere about the Açors well filled with English and Dutchmen They bare vp with vs and came very neere vs. And according to the maner of the sea we asked them whence their ship was They told vs they were New-found-land men that is to say going a fishing for New-found-land-fish And they asked vs if we would accept of their companie we thanked them therupon they dranke to vs and we to them and they tooke another course But hauing considered their vessell all set with greene mosse on the belly and sides we iudged them to be Pirates that they had of a long time beaten the sea in hope to make some prise It was then that we began to see more than before Neptunes sheepe to skip vp so doe they call the frothy waues when the sea beginneth to sturand to feele the hard blowes of his Trident. For commonly in that place before named the sea is stormy If one aske me the cause why I wil answer that I thinke it to proceed of a certaine conflict between the East westerly windes which doe encounter in that part of the sea and especially in Summer when the West windes doe rise vp and with a great force pierce and passe thorow a great distance of sea vntill they finde the windes of these parts which doe resist them Then it is dangerous for a ship to be at these windy encounters This reason seemeth the more probable vnto me in this
cordes not only to the maine top and to the very height of the maine mast but also without ladder steps to the top of another mast fastened to the first held onely with the force of their armes and feet winding about the highest tacklings Yea much more that if in this great tossing and rowling it chanceth that the maine saile which they call Paphil or Papefust be vntied at the higher ends he who is first commanded will put himselfe stradling vpon the maine yard that is the tree which crossed the maine mast and with a hammer at his girdle and halfe a dosen nailes in his mouth will tie againe and make fast that which was vntied to the perill of a thousand liues I haue sometimes heard great account made of a Switzers bouldnesse who after the siege of Laon and the citie being rendered to the Kings obedience climbed and stood stradling vpon the thwart branch of the crosse of our Ladies church steeple of the said towne and stood there forked wise his feet vpward But that in my iudgement is nothing in regard of this the said Switzer being vpon a firme and solide body and without motion and this contrariwise hanging ouer an vnconstant sea tossed with boistrous windes as we haue sometimes seene After we had left these Pirats spoken of before we were vntill the 18. of Iune tossed with diuers and almost contrary windes without any discouery but of one ship far off from vs which we did not boord and yet notwithstanding the very sight thereof did comfort vs. And the same day we met a ship of Honfleur wherein Captaine La Roche did command going for New-found-landes who had no better fortune vpon the sea then we The custome is at sea that when some particular ship meeteth with the King his ship as ours was to come vnder the lee and to present herselfe not side by side but bias wise Also to pull down her flagge as this Captain La Roche did except the flagge for shee had non no more had we being not needfull in so great a voyage but in approaching the land or when one must fight Our sailers did cast then their computation on the course that we had made For in euery ship the Master the Pilot and Masters Mate doe write downe euery day of their courses and windes that they haue followed for how many houres and the estimation of leagues The said La Roche did account that they were then in the Fourty fiue degrees and within a hundred leagues of the Bancke Our Pilot called Master Oliuer Fleuriot of Saint Maloe by his computation said that we were within 60. leagues of it And Captaine Foulques within 120. leagues I beleeue he gaue the best iudgement We receiued much contentment by the meeting of this ship and did greatly encourage vs seeing wee did begin to meete with ships seeming vnto vs that wee did enter in a place of acquaintance But by the way a thing must be noted which I haue found admirable and which giueth vs occasion to play the Philosophers For about the same 18. day of Iune wee found the sea-water during three daies space very warme and by the same warmth our wine also was warme in the bottome of our ship yet the aire was not hotter then before And the 21. of the said moneth quite contrarie we were 2. or 3. daies so much compassed with mistes and coldes that we thought our selues to be in the moneth of Ianuary and the water of the sea was extreame colde Which continued with vs vntill we came vpon the said Bancke by reason of the said mistes which outwardly did procure this colde vnto vs. When I seeke out the cause of this Antiperistase I attribute it to the Ices of the North which come floating downe vpon the coast and sea adioyning to New-found-land and Labrador which wee haue said else-where is brought thither with the sea by her naturall motion which is greater there then else-where because of the great space it hath to runne as in a gulfe in the depth of America where the nature and situation of the vniuersall earth doth beare it easily Now these Ices which sometimes are seene in banckes of tenne leagues length and as high as Mountaines and hils and thrice as deepe in the waters holding as it were an Empire in this sea driue out farre from them that which is contrary to their coldnesse and consequently doe binde and close on this side that small quantity of milde temperature that the Summer may bring to that part where they come to seat and place themselues Yet for all that I will not deny but this region in one and the selfe-same paralell is somewhat colder then those of our part of Europe for the reasons that we will aleage heereafter when we shall speake of the fowlnesse of seasons Such is my opinion being ready to heare another mans reason And being mindefull heereof I did of purpose take heed of the same at my returne from New France and found the same warmenesse of water or very neere though it was in the Moneth of September within fiue or six daies sailing on this side of the said bancke whereof we will now intreate CHAP. XII Of the great Bancke of Morues or Coddes of the Sound our comming to the said Bancke the description thereof the fishing of New-found-land-fish and of birds the greedinesse of birds called by Frenchmen Hap-foyes that is to say liuer-catchers diuers perils the fauours of God the causes of frequent and long mistes in the Western sea Land-markes the sight of it maruellous odours the boording of two Shaloupes the landing at the Port du Moutton the comming into Port Royall of two Frenchmen remaining there alone amongst the Sauages BEfore wee come to the Bancke spoken of before which is the great Bancke where the fishing of greene Cod-fishes is made so are they called when they are not dry for one must goe alande for the drying of them the sea-faring-men besides the computation they make of their course haue warnings when they come neere to it by birds which are knowen euen as one doth them of these our parts returning backe into France when one is within 100. or 120. leagues neere it The most frequent of these birds towards the said Bancke be Godes Fouquets and other called Happe-foyes for a reason that we will declare anone When these birds then were seene which were not like to them that we had seene in the middest of the great sea we began to thinke our selues not to be farre from the said Bancke Which made vs to sound with our lead vpon a Thursday the 22. of Iune but then we found no bottom The same day in the euening we cast againe with better successe for we found bottome at 36. fadams The said sound is a peece of lead of seuen or eight pound waight made piramidall wise fastened at one or diuers lines and
Sunne did but begin to cheere the earth and to behold his Mistres with an amorous aspect when the Sagamos Membertou after our praiers solemnely made to God and the break-fast distributed to the people according to the custom came to giue vs aduertisment that he had seene a saile vpon the lake which came towards our Fort. At this ioyfull newes euery one went out to see but yet none was found that had so good a sight as he though he be aboue 100. yeeres old neuerthelesse we spied very soone what it was Monsieur De Poutrincourt caused in all diligence the small Barke to be made ready for to goe to view further Monsieur De Champ-dorè and Daniel Hay went in her and by the signe that had beene told them being certaine that they were friends they made presently to be charged foure Canons 12. fawkonnets to salute them that came so far to see vs. They on their part did not faile in beginning the ioy to discharge their peeces to whom they rendered the like with vsury It was onely a small barke vnder the charge of a yong man of Saint Maloes named Cheualier who being arriued at the Fort deliuered his letters to Monsieur De Poutrincourt which were read publikely They did write vnto him that for to helpe to saue the charges of the voyage the ship being yet the Ionas should stay at Campseau Port there to fish for Coddes by reason that the Merchants associate with Monsieur De Monts knew not that there was any fishing farther than that place Notwithstanding if it were necessary he should cause the ship to come to Port Royall Moreouer that the society was broken because that contrary to the King his Edict the Hollanders conducted by a traiterous Frenchman called La Ieunesse had the yeare before taken vp the Beuers and other Furres of the great riuer of Canada a thing which did turne to the great dammage of the Societie which for that cause could no longer furnish the charges of the vnhabiting in these parts as it had done in times past And therefore did send no body for to remaine there after vs. As we receaued ioy to see our assured succour we felt also great griefe to see so faire and so holy an enterprise broken That so many labours and perils past should serue to no effect and that the hope of planting the name of God and the Catholike faith should vanish away Notwithstanding after that Monsieur De Poutrincourt had a long while mused heereupon he said that although he should haue no body to come with him but onely his family he would not forsake the enterprise It was great griefe vnto vs to abandon without hope of returne a land that had produced vnto vs so faire Corne and so many faire adorned gardens All that could be done vntill that time was to finde out a place fit to make a setled dwelling and a land of good fertility And that being done it was great want of courage to giue ouer the enterprise for another yeare being passed the necessity of maintaining an habitation there should be taken away for the land was sufficient to yeeld things necessary for life This was the cause of that griefe which pierced the hearts of them which were desirous to see the Christian Religion established in that country But on the contrary Monsieur De Monts and his associates reaping no benefit but losse and hauing no helpe from the King it was a thing which they could not doe but with much difficulty to maintaine an habitation in those parts Now this enuy for the trade of Beuers with the Sauages found not onely place in the Hollanders hearts but also in French Merchants in such sort that the priuiledge which had beene giuen to the said Monsieur De Monts for ten yeares was reuoked The vnsatiable auarice of men is a strange thing which haue no regard to that which is honest so that they may rifle and catch by what meanes soeuer And thereupon I will say moreouer that there haue beene some of them that came to that country to fetch vs home that wickedly haue presumed so much as to strip the dead and steale away the Beuers which those poore people doe put for their last benefit vpon them whom they bury as we will declare more at large in the booke following A thing that maketh the French name to be odious worthy disdain among them which haue no such sordide quality at all but rather hauing a heart truly noble and generous hauing nothing in priuate to themselues but rather all things common and which ordinarily doe present gifts and that very liberally according to their ability to them whom they loue and honor And besides this mischiefe it came to passe that the Sauages when that we were at Campseau killed him that had shewed them the Sepulchers of their dead I need not to alleage heere what Herodote reciteth of the vile basenesse of King Darius who thinking to haue caught the old one in the nest as saith the prouerbe that is to say great treasures in the Tombe of Semiramis Queene of the Babylonians went away altogether confounded as wise as he came thither hauing found in it a writing altogether contrary to the first hee had read which rebuked him very sharply for his auarice and wickednesse Let vs returne to our sorowfull newes and to the griefe thereof Monsieur De Poutrincourt hauing propounded to some of our company whether they would tarry there for a yeare eight good fellows offered themselues who were promised that euery one of them should haue a hogshead of wine and corne sufficiently for one yeare but they demanded so great wages that they could not agree So resolution was taken for the returne Towards the euening wee made bonfires for the natiuity of my Lord the Duke of Orleans and began afresh to make our Canons and falconets to thunder out accompanied with store of Musket shots hauing before sung for that purpose Te Deum Laudamus The said Cheualier bringer of the newes had borne the office of Captaine in the Ship that remained at Campseau in this condition there was giuen to him for to bring vnto vs six Weathers 24. Hens a pound of Peper 20. pounds of Rice as many of Raisens and of Prunes a thousand of Almonds a pound of Nutmegs a quarter of Cinamon two pounds of Maces halfe a pound of Cloues two pounds of Citron rindes two dozen of Citrons as many Orenges a Westphalia gamon of Bacon and six other gamons a hogshead of Gascoine wine and as much of Sacke a hogshead of poudred Beefe foure pottles and a halfe of oile of Oliue a Iar of Oliues a barrell of Vinegar and two Sugar-loaues but all that was lost through Gutter-lane and we saw none of all these things to make account of Neuerthelesse I haue thought good to name heere these wares
finde out the ship at Campseau which is a Port being betweene seuen or eight Ilands where ships may be sheltered from windes and there is a Bay of aboue 15. leagues depth and 6. or 7. leagues broad The said place being distant from Port Royall aboue 150. leagues We had a great Barke two small ones and a shaloup In one of the small Barkes some men were shipped that were sent before And the 30. of Iuly the other two went away I was in the great one conducted by Monsieur De Champ-dorè But Monsieur De Poutrincourt desirous to see an end of our sowed corne tarried till it was ripe and remained there eleuen daies yet after vs. In the meane time our first iourny hauing beene the passage of Port Royall the next day mistes came and spread themselues vpon the sea which continued with vs eight whole daies during which all we could doe was to get to Cap De Sable which we saw not In these Cimmerian darknesses hauing one day cast anker in the sea by reason of the night our anker driued in such sort that in the morning the tide had carried vs among Ilands and I maruell that we were not cast away striking against some rocks But for victuals we wanted for no fish for in halfe an houres fishing we might take Codde enough for to feed vs a fortnight and of the fairest and fattest that euer I saw being of the colour of Carpes which I haue neuer knowen nor noted but in this part of the said Cap De Sable which after we had passed the tide which is swift in this place brought vs in short time as farre as to the Port De La Heue thinking that we were no further than the Port Du Mouton There we taried two daies and in the very same Port we saw the Coddes bite at the hooke We found there store of red Gooseberies and a Marcassite of Copper Mine we also made there some trucking with the Sauages for skinnes From thence forward we had winde at will and during that time it happened once that being vpō the hatches I cried out to our Pilote Monsieur De Champdore that we were ready to strike thinking I had seene the bottome of the sea but I was deceiued by the Raine-bow which did appeare with all his colours in the water procured by the shadow that our boarespright saile did make ouer the same being opposite to the Sunne which asembling his beames within the hollownesse of the same saile as it doth within the clouds those beames were forced to make a reuerberation in the water and to shew foorth this wonder In the end we arriued within foure leagues of Campseau at a Port where a good old man of Saint Iohn De Lus called Captaine Saualet receiued vs with all the kindnesse in the world And for as much as this Port which is little but very faire hath no name I haue qualified it in my Geographicall Map with the name of Saualet This good honest man told vs that the same voyage was the 42. voyage that he had made into those parts and neuerthelesse the New-found-land-men do make but one in a yeare He was maruellously pleased with his fishing and told vs moreouer that he tooke euery day fifty Crownes worth of fish and that his voyage would be woorth 1000. pounds He paied wages to 16 men and his vessell was of 80. tunnes which could carry 100000. dry fishes He was sometimes vexed with the Sauages that did cabine there who too boldly and impudently went into his ship and carried away from him what they listed And for to auoid their troublesome behauiour he threatned them that we would come thither and that we would put them all to the edge of the sword if they did him wrong This did feare them they did him not so much harme as otherwise they would haue done Notwithstanding whensoeuer the Fishermen came with their shaloups full of fish they did chuse what seemed good vnto them and they did not care for Codde but rather tooke Merlus or Whitings Barses or fletans a kind of very great Turbots which might be worth heere in Paris aboue foure crownes apeece and paraduenture six or more for it is a maruellous good meat specially when they be great and of the thicknesse of six fingers as are those that be taken there And it would haue beene very hard to bridle their insolency because that for to doe it one should be forced to haue alwaies weapons in hand and so the worke should be left vndone The good nature and honesty of this man was extended not onely to vs but also to all our people that passed by his Port for it was the passage to goe and come from Port Royall But there were some of them that came to fetch vs home who did worse than the Sauages vsing him as the Souldier doth the poore peasan or country Farmer heere a thing which was very grieuous for me to heare We were 4. daies there by reason of the contrary wind Then came we to Campseau where we taried for the other Barke which came two daies after vs. And as for Monsieur De Poutrincourt as soone as he saw that the corne might be reaped he pulled vp some Rie root and all for to shew heare the beauty goodnesse and vnmeasurable height of the same He also made gleanes of the other sorts of seedes as Wheat Barly Oates Hemp and others for the same purpose which was not done by them that haue heeretofore beene in Brasill and in Florida Wherein I haue cause to reioyce because I was of the company and of the first tillers of that land And heerein I pleased my selfe the more when I did set before mine eies our ancient father Noah a great King great Priest and great Prophet whose occupation was to husband the ground both in sowing of Corne and planting the Vine And the ancient Romane Captaine Seranus who was found sowing of his field when that he was sent for to conduct the Romane Armie And Quintus Cincinatus who all dusty did plough foure akers of lands bare headed and open stomackt when the Senats Harold brought letters of the Dictatorship vnto him in sort that this messenger was forced to pray him to couer himselfe before he declared his Embassage vnto him Delighting my selfe in this exercise God hath blessed my poore labour and I haue had in my garden as faire wheat as any can be in France whereof the said Monsieur De Poutrincourt gaue vnto mee a gleane when he came to the said Port De Campseau He was ready to depart from Port Royall when Membertou and his company arriued victorious ouer the Armouchiquois And because I haue made a description of this war in French Verses I will not heere trouble my paper with it being desirous rather to be briefe than to seeke out new matter At the instant of the said
seeing that the nature of the soile and of the woods is all one In September after that this vermine is gone away there grow other flies like vnto ours but they are not troublesome and become very bigge Now our Sauages to saue themselues from the stinging of these creatures rubbe themselues with certaine greases and oiles as I haue said which make them foule and of a tawnish colour Besides that alwaies they lie on the ground or be exposed to the heat and the wind But there is cause of wondering wherefore the Brasilians and other inhabitants of America betweene the two Tropikes are not borne blacke as they of Africa seeing that it seemeth it is the selfesame case being vnder one and the selfesame parallell and like eleuation of the Sunne If the Poets fables were sufficient reasons for to take away this scruple one might say that Phaeton hauing done the foolish deed in conducting the Charet of the Sunne onely Africa was burned and the horses set againe in their right course before they came to the New world But I had rather say that the heat of Lybia being the cause of this blacknesse of men is ingendred from the great lands ouer which the Sunne passeth before it come thither from whence the heat is still carried more abundantly by the swift motion of this great Heauenly torch Whereunto the great sands of that Prouince doe also helpe which are very capable of those heates specially not being watered with store of riuers as America is which aboundeth in riuers and brookes as much as any Prouince in the World which doe giue perpetuall refreshing vnto it and makes the region much more temperate the ground being also there more fat and retaining better the dewes of Heauen which are there abundantly and raines also for the reasons abuesaid For the Sunne finding in the meeting of these lands those great moistnesses he doth not faile to draw a good quantitie of them and that so much the more plentifully that his force is there great and maruellous which makes there continuall raines especially to them that haue him for their zenith I adde one great reason that the Sunne leauing the lands of Africa giueth his beames vpon a moist element by so long a course that he hath good meanes to sucke vp vapors and to draw together with him great quantitie thereof into those parts which maketh that the cause is much differing of the colour of these two people and of the temperature of their lands Let vs come to other circumstances and seeing that we are about colours I will say that all they which I haue seene haue blacke haires some excepted which haue abram colour haires but of flaxen colour I haue seene none and lesse of red and one must not thinke that they which are more Southerly be otherwise for the Floridians and Brasilians are yet blacker than the Sauages of New found land The beard of the chinne which our Sauages call migidoni is with them as blacke as their haires They all take away the producing cause thereof except the Sagamos who for the most part haue but a little Membertou hath more than all the others and notwithstanding it is not thicke as it is commonly with Frenchmen If these people weare no beards on their chinne at the least the most part there is no cause of maruelling For the ancient Romans themselues esteeming that that was a hinderance vnto them did weare none vntill the time of Adrian the Emperour who first began to weare a beard Which they tooke for such an honour that a man accused of any crime had not that priuiledge to shaue his haires as may be gathered by the testimonie of Aulus Gellius speaking of Scipio the sonne of Paul As for the inferiour parts our Sauages doe not hinder the growing or increasing of haires there It is said that the women haue some there also And according as they be curious some of our men haue made them beleeue that the French women haue beards on their chinnes and haue left them in that good opinion so that they were very desirious to see some of them their maner of clothing By these particularities one may vnderstand that all these people haue generally lesser haires than we for along the body they haue none at all so farre is it then that they be hairie as some thinke This belongeth to the inhabitants of the Iles Gorgades from whence Hanno the Carthaginien captaine brought two womens skinnes which he did set vp in the temple of Iuno for great singularitie But heere is to bee noted what we haue said that our sauage people haue almost all their haires blacke for the Frenchmen in one and the selfesame degree are not commonly so The ancient authors Polybius Caesar Strabo Diadore the Cicilian and particularly Ammian Marcellin doe say that the ancient Gaullois had almost all their haires as yellow as gold were of high stature and fearefull for their gastly lookes besides quarelsome and readie to strike a fearefull voice neuer speaking but in threatning At this time those qualities are well changed For there are not now so many yellow haires nor so many men of high stature but that other nations haue as tall As for the fearefull lookes the delicacies of this time haue moderated that and as for the threatning voice I haue scarse seene in all the Gaules but the Gascons and them of Languedoc which haue their maner of speech some what rude which they retaine of the Gotish and of the Spaniard by their neighbourhood But as for the haires it is very farre from being so commonly blacke The same author Ammian saith also that the women of the Gaules whom he noted to be good shrewes and to bee too hard for their husbands when they are in choler haue blue eies and consequently the men and notwithstanding in that respect wee are much mingled which maketh that one knoweth not what rarenesse to chuse for the beautie of eies For many doe loue the blue eies and others loue them greene which were also in ancient time most praised For among the Sonnets of Monsieur de Couci who was in old time so great a clerke in loue matters that songs were made of it greene eies are praised The Germans haue kept better than we the qualities which Tacitus giueth them likewise that which Ammian reciteth of the Gaullois In so great a number of men saith Tacitus there is but one fashion of garments They haue blue eies and fearefull their haires shining as gold and are very corpulent Pliny giueth the same bodily qualities to the people of the Taprobane saying that they haue redde haires their eies blue and the voice horrible and fearefull Wherein I know not if I ought to beleeue him considering the climate which is in the 8 9. and 10. degrees onely and that in the kingdome of Calecute farther off than the Aequinoctial line the men are blacke But as for
noteth that fishes which haue stones on their heads doe feare winter and retire themselues betimes of whose number is the Cod which hath within her braines two white stones made gundole wise and iagged about which haue not those that be taken towards Scotland as some learned and curious man hath tould me This fish is wonderfully greedy and deuoureth others almost as bigg as himselfe yea euen lobsters which are like bigge Langoustes and I maruell how he may digest those bigge and hard shells Of the liuers of Cods our New-found-land-men doe make oiles casting those liuers into barels set in the Sunne where they melt of themselues There is great trafficke made in Europe of the oile of the fish of New-found-land And for this only cause many go to the fishing of the whale and of the Hippopotames which they call the beast with the great tooth or the Morses of whom some thing we must say The Almighty willing to shew vnto Iob how wonderfull are his works wilt thou draw saith he Leuiathan with a booke and his tongue with a string which thou hast cast in the water By this Leuiathan is the whale meant and all fishes of that reach whose hugenesse and chiefely of the whale is so great that it is a dreadfull thing as wee haue shewed elsewhere speaking of one that was cast on the Coast of Brasill by the tide And Plinie saith that there be some found in the Indies which haue fower acres of ground in length This is the cause why man is to be admired yea rather God who hath giuen him the courage to assaile so fearefull a monster which hath not his equall on the land I leaue the maner of taking of her described by Oppian and S. Basil for to come to our French-men and chiefely the Basques who doe goe euery yeare to the great riuer of Canada for the Whale Commonly the fishing thereof is made in the riuer called Lesquemin towards Tadoussac And for to doe it they goe by skowtes to make watch vpon the tops of rockes to see if they may haue the sight of some one and when they haue discouered any foorth with they goe with fower shaloupes after it and hauing cunningly borded her they strike her with a harping iron to the depth of her lard and to the quicke of the flesh Then this creature feeling herselfe rudely pricked with a dreadfull boisterousnesse casteth herselfe into the depth of the sea The men in the meane while are in their shirts which vere out the cord whereunto the harping iron is tied which the whale carrieth away But at the shaloupe side that hath giuen the blow there is a man redy with a hatchet in hand to cut the said cord least perchance some accident should happen that it were mingled or that the Whales force should be too violent which notwithstanding hauing found the bottome and being able to goe no further she mounteth vp againe leasurely aboue the water and then againe she is set vpon with glaue-staues or pertuifanes very sharp so hotly that the salt-water pierceing within her flesh she looseth her force and remaineth there Then one tieth her to a cable at whose end is an anker which is cast into the sea then at the end of six or eight daies they goe to fetch her when time and opportunity permits it they cut her in peeces and in great kettles doe seeth the fat which melteth it selfe into oile wherewith they may fill 400. Hogs-heads sometimes more and somtimes lesse according to the greatnesse of the beast and of the tongue commonly they draw fiue yea six hogs-heads full of traine If this be admirable in vs that haue industry it is more admirable in the Indian people naked and without artificiall instruments and neuerthelesse they execute the same thing which is recited by Ioseph Acosta saying that for to take those great monsters they put themselues in a Canow or Barke made of the barkes of trees and bording the Whale they leape nimbly on her necke and there doe stand as it were on horse-backe attending the fit meanes to take her and seeing their opportunity the boldest of them putteth a strong and sharpe stafe which he carrieth with him into the gap of the Whales nostrils I call nostrill the condut or hole thorow which they breath foorth with he thrust it in far with another very strong stafe and maketh it to enter in as deepe as he can In the meane while the Whale beateth the sea furiously and raiseth vp mountaines of water diuing downe with great violence then mounteth vp again not knowing what to do through very rage The Indian notwithstanding remaineth still sitting fast and for to pay her home for this trouble fixeth yet another like stalke in the other nostrill making it to enter in in such wise that it stoppeth her winde quite and taketh away her breath and he commeth againe into his Canow which he holdeth tied at the side of the Whale with a cord then retireth himselfe on land hauing first tied his cord to the Whale which he vereth out on her which whilest she findeth much water skippeth heere and there as touched with griefe and in the end draweth to land where foorth with for the huge enormity of her body she remaineth on the shore not being able to mooue or stur herselfe any more And then a great number of Indians doe come to finde out the Conquerer for to reape the fruit of his conquest and for that purpose they make an end of killing of her cutting her and making morsels of her flesh which is bad enough which they drie and stampe to make powder of it which they vse for meat that serueth them a long time As for the Hippopotames or Morses we haue said in the voiages of Iames Quartier that there be great number of them in the Gulfe of Canada and specially in the I le of Brion and in the seuen Iles which is the riuer of Chischedec It is a creature which is more like to a Cow then to a horse But we haue named it Hippopotamus that is to say the horse of the riuer because Pliny doth so call them that be in the riuer Nilus which notwithstanding do not altogether resemble the horse but doth participate also of an oxe or a cow He is of haire like to the seale that is to say daple graie and somewhat towards the redde the skinne very hard a small head like to a Barbarie Cowe hauing two ranks of teeth on ech side betweene which there is two of them of ech part hanging from the vpper iaw downward of the forme of a young Elephants tooth wherewith this creature helpeth her selfe to climbe on the rocks Because of those teeth our Mariners doe call it La beste a La grand ' dent the beast with the great teeth His eares be short and his taile also he loweth as an Oxe and hath wings or finnes at his
to that end Commissioners ordained for to cleanse them Likewise the bottome and Channell of the Riuer Tybre as certaine ancient inscriptions which I haue sometimes read doe record The land of the Armouchiquois doth beare yeerely such corne as that which wee call Sarrazen wheate Turkie wheate and Indian wheate which is the Irio or Erysimon fruges of Pliny and Columella But the Virginians Floridians and Brasilians more southerly make two haruests a yeere All these people doe till their land with a woodden picke-axe weed out the weeds and burne them fatten their fieldes with shell-fish hauing neither tame Cattell nor dung then they heape their ground in small heapes two foote distant one from another and the month of Maie being come they set their Corne in those heapes of earth as wee doe plant beanes fixing a stick and putting foure graines of corne seuerally one after another by certaine superstition in the hole and betweene the plants of the said corne which groweth like a small tree and is ripe at three months end they also set beanes spotted with all colours which are very delicate which by reason they be not so high doe grow very well among these plantes of corne Wee haue sowed of the said corne this last yeere in Paris in good ground but with small profit hauing yeelded euery plant but one eare or two and yet very thinne Where in that country one graine will yeld foure fiue and six eares and euery eare one with another aboue 200 graines which is a maruellous increase Which sheweth the prouerbe reported by Theophrastus to be very true that it is the yeere that produced the fruit and not the field That is to say that the temperature of the aire and condition of the weather is that which maketh the plants to budde and fructifie more then the nature of the earth Wherein is to be wondred that our Corne groweth better there then their corne heere A certaine testimonie that God hath blessed that country since that his name hath beene called vpon there Also that in these parts since some yeeres God beateth vs as I haue said elsewhere with rods of iron and in that country he hath spred his blessing aboundantly vpon our labour and that in one parallele and eleuation of the Sunne This Corne growing high as we haue said the stalke of it is as bigge as Canes yea bigger The stalke Corne taken greene haue a sugar taste which is the cause why the Mowles and field Rattes doe so couet it for they spoiled me a plot of it in New France The great beasts as Stagges and other beasts as also birds doe spoile it And the Indians are constrained to keepe them as wee doe the vines heere The Haruest being done this people laieth vp their Corne in the ground in pits which they make in some discent of a hill for the running downe of waters furnishing those pits with mattes and this they doe because they haue no houses with loftes nor chests to lay it vp otherwise then the corne conserued after this maner is out of the way of Rats and Mise Sundry nations of those parts haue had the same inuention to keepe corne in pits For Suidas maketh mention of it vpō the word Seiroi And Procopius in the second book of the Gothicke warre saith that the Gothes besieging Rome fell within the pits where the inhabitants were woont to lay their Corne. Tacitus reporteth also that the Germans had such pits And without particularising any farther in many places of France that keepe at this day their corne after that maner We haue declared heeretofore in what fashion they stampe their Corne and make bread with it and how by the testimonie of Pliny the ancient Italians had no better industrie then they They of Canada and Hochelaga in the time of Iames Quartier did also till after the same maner and the land did affoord them Corne Beanes Peason Milions Pompions Cucumbers but since that their furres haue been in request and that for the same they haue had bread and other victuals without any other paines they are become sluggish as the Souriquois also who did addict themselues to tillage in the same time But both the one and the other nation haue yet at this time excellent Hempe which the ground produceth of it selfe It is higher finer whiter and stronger then ours in these our parts But that of the Armouchiquois beareth at the top of the stalke thereof a cod filled with a kinde of cotten like vnto silke in which lieth the seed Of this cotton or whatsoeuer it be good beddes may be made more excellent a thousand times then of feathers and softer than common cotten We haue sowed of the said seed or graine in diuers places of Paris but it did not prooue We haue seene by our Historie how along the great riuer beyond Tadoussac Vines are found innumerable and grapes at the season I haue seene none in Port Royall but the land and the hils are very proper for it France had none in ancient time vnlesse peraduenture along the coast of the Mediterranean sea And the Gaullois hauing done some notable seruice to the Emperour Probus they demanded of him for recompence permission to plant Vines which he granted vnto them But they were first denied by the Emperor Nero. But why doe I aleadge the Gaullois seeing that in Brasill being a hot countrie there was none vntill that the Frenchmen and Portugeses had planted some there So there is no doubt but that the Vine will grow plentifully in the said Port Royall seeing likewise that at the riuer Saint Iohn which is twentie leagues more Northward than the said Port there be many of them yet for all that not so faire as in the countrie of the Armouchiquois where it seemeth that Nature did delight herselfe in planting of them there And for as much as we haue handled this subiect speaking of the voiage that Monsieur De Poutrincourt made thether we will passe further to declare vnto you that the most part of the woods of this land be Oakes and Walnut-trees bearing small-nuts with fower or fiue sides so sweet and delicate as any thing may be And likewise Plumb-trees which bring foorth very good Plumbes As also Sassafras a tree hauing leaues like to Oake-leaues but lesse iagged whose wood is of very good sent and most excellent for the curing of many diseases as the pox and the sicknesse of Canada which I call Phthisie whereof we haue discoursed at large heeretofore They also plant great store of Tabacco a thing most precious with them and vniversally amongst all those nations It is a plante of the bignesse of Consolida maior the smoake whereof they sucke vp with a pipe in that manner that I will declare vnto you for the contentment of them that know not the vse of it After that they haue gathered this hearbe they
winde and weather aâ—omming Seasons Galen Com. 35. lib. 1. de nat hum Bad foode and discommodities of the Sea Disposition of bodie Sagamos is a Sauage word which Signifieth a Lord a ruler or a Captaine The author his exercise in New France The labour of the minde The pietie of the Author of this Historie Amos. 5. verse 10. Of Children Of aged folkes Aduice for the sicknesses of New France Good Wine Hearbs in the spring time Stooues Stooues in gardens The countrie of the Armouchiquois 100. leagues distant from Port Royall The Sweatings of the Sauages Ecclesi 3. verse 12. and 22. Meanes of mirth Necessitie of hauing women into the country Tree of life Sasafras Monsieur Champlein is now this present yeare 1609. in Canada Monsieur De Monts his voiage for the discouery of new Lands Kinibeki 60. legues from Saint Croix Plin lib. 3. cap. 1. Fabulous tales of the riuer Norombega Pemtegoet Oiection Answer An other Fabulous report of the Riuer of Norombega Note this well The great Bancke of Newfoundland Banquereau banc Iacquet Kinibeks The bay of Marchin 1607. Chouakoet The ground manured Vines Malebarre The Armouchiquois traitours and theefes Shoulds stretching farre into the sea Violent death of a Frenchman of Saint Mallos The swiftnes of the Armouchiquois 1606. Monsieur DeMonts difficultie in his enterprise The mortalitie of the English in Virginia like that of the Frensh in New France Virginia is in 36. 37. 38. degrees of latitude Praise of the temper of Virginia Bad fare the chiefe cause of the sicknes Things needfull The second voyage made by Monsieur Du Pont-Grauè The arriuall of Monsieur Du Pont. 1605. Transmigration from S. Croix to Port Royal. New buildings The returne of Monsieur de Monts into France Traffike with the Sauages Beuers Otters and Stagges Tabaguia is a Sauage tearme signifying banket Hand Mils Exod. 11. ver 4. 5. The number of the dead Fault in their buildings The furniture of Monsieur Du Pont to go to the discouery of new lands The wracke of their Bark Causes of delay in establishing the dwelling place of the French men The comparing of these later voiages The blame of them who at this day despise the manuring of the ground Gods punishments The third voiage made by Monsieur de Poutrincourt Monsieur De Poutrincourt accepteth the voiage of New France The causes of the Authors voiage Psal 5. 4. The parting from Paris The praises of Rochell Croquans Signifying hookes why so called Negligence in the keeping of the Ionas Hyred workmen negligent The courage of Monsieur De Monts and his associates The frontiers ought to be furnished with good Souldiers The Ministers doe pray for the conuersion of the Sauages Math. 18. vers 12. 132. Custome of the ancient Christians carying the Eucharist in their voyages Saint Ambrose in his funerall oration for his brother Hardnesse to come foorth from a Port. Bad suspition of Captaine Foulques The diligence and care of Monss-De Poutrincourts * A place so called neere Rochell 13. of May. 1606. Meetings of ships Meeting of a Pirate or outlawed Neptunes sheepe Why is the sea stormie about the Açores Westerly windes ordinary in the Westerne Sea from whence the windes doe come Psal 135. Porpeses doe prognosticate storms The way to take them The description of the Porpese The Porpeses hot bloud doth comfort the sinewes A Beauers taile is dainty meate Stormes and their effects Calmes wearisome Whirlewinde what it is how it is made the effects thereof Plin. lib. 2. cap. 48. The maruellous assurance of the good Mariners in their sea-labours The boldnes of a Switzer at Laon. The 18. of Iune A ship An other ship The vailing of Marchands ships to a ship Royall Computatiof the voyage Sea water milke warme then colde Great cold The reason of this Antiperistase and the cause of the Ices of New-found-lande In the 16. chapter Second experience Warnings neere the great Bancke Birds called by Frenchmen Godes Fouquets Happefoies What the sound is and how it is cast The arriuall to the fish Bancke Of the word Bancke and description of the fishing Bancke The fishing of Cod. Happe-foyes Why so called Sea-dogges skinnes Excellent sawsiges made with the inwards of Codd Men saued vpon a banck of Ice The weather in those seas contrary then in ours The causes of mists on the West sea A small bancke A Mariner fallen by night in the sea Land markes The discouery of S. Peters Ilands Plain discovery of the Land Cap. Breton The Bay of Campseau Eight daies Gods fauour in danger Calme weather Maruellous odours cumming from the land The boording of two shalopes The Sauages goodly men Matachiaz be carkanets necklaces bracelets and wrought girdles During the mists at sea it is faire wether on land A discommoditie brings a commodity The care of the sauages for their wiues The departing of some of our company going aland The Sauages doe trauell much way in small time Mistes Calmes The perill of many Mariners Drunkennesse causeth diuers perils Port du Rossignoll Port au Mouton What growes in the land at Port au Monton Le Cap de Sable Long Iland The Bay S. Mary The arriuing to Port Royall Difficulties in comming in The beauty of the Port. Sagamos signifieth Captain Praises of the two Frenchmen left alone in the fort of Port-Royall The tilling of the ground The meeting with Monsieur Du Pont. Ioseph Acosta lib. 4. ca. 30. Land like to that which God promised to his people Deut 8. vers 7. 8. Deuter. 11. vers 10. Heereupon the 3. chap. A bundance of brookes Iron stones Mountaines of Brasse Lakes and brooks vpon the mountaines The forme of a Raine bow vnder a caue They trauell three leagues in the woods Country well watered Coniecture vpon the spring of the great Riuer of Canada Which is the first mine Sowing of corne 20 Of August Cause of the voyage made into the country of the Armou thiquois A whale in Port Royall Parting from Port Royall Faire Rie found at S. Croix Their meaning is to plant beyond Malebarre to the Southward A ditch profitably made What store of workemen and labourers in New France Their exercise and maner of life Mussels Lapsters Crabs Good prouision of wilde-fowle What quantity of bread and wine Preseruatiue against the sicknesse of New France A cleare and pure aire Allowance * A kinde of stagge or red Deere The liberall naâ—ure of the Sauages Châ—rcoale made in New France What earth is in the medowes Ellans in the Medowes Pemptegoet Kinibeki The bay of Marchin Confederacy The riuer of Olmechin Port De Choüakoet An Iland of vines The riuer of Olmechin The galantnesse of the Sauages Port de la Heve The Sauages doe paint their faces The Oration of Messamoet Messamoets affection to the French men The largesse and liberality of Messamoets The Sauages be liberall A Corne country beanes pumpions and grapes Bessabes Englishmen Asticou A very good Port. The agility of the Armouchiquois Happy people if