the tast of wine which they tooke with a pipe The same hath preserued many of them from death The yong buds of hearbs in the Spring time be also very soueraigne And besides that reason requireth to beleeue it I haue tried it being my selfe gone many times to gather some for our sicke people before that those of our garden might be vsed which restored them to their taste againe and comforted their weake stomacks And as for that which concerneth the exterior parts of the body we haue found great good in wearing woodden pantaphles or patins with our shooes for to avoide the moistnesse The houses neede no opening nor windowes on the Northwest side being a winde very dangerous but rather on the East side or the South It is very good to haue good bedding it was good for me to haue caried things necessary to this purpose and aboue all to keepe himselfe neat I would like well the vse of Stooues such as they haue in Germany by meanes whereof they feele no Winter being at home but as much as they please Yea they haue of them in many places in their gardens which doe so temper the coldnesse of winter that in this rough and sharpe season there one may see Orenge-trees Limon-trees Figge-trees Pomgranet-trees and all such sorts of trees bring foorth fruit as good as in Prouence Which is so much the more easie to doe in this new land for that it is all couered ouer with woods except when one comes in the Armonchiquois countrie a hundred leagues further of then Port Royall And in making of winter a sommer one shall discouer the land Which not hauing any more those great obstacles that hinder the Sunne to court her and from warming it with his heat without doubt it will become very temperate and yeeld a most milde aire and well agreeing with our humour not hauing there euen at this time neither colde nor heat that is excessiue The Sauages that know not Germany nor the customes thereof doe teach vs the same lesson which being subiect to those sicknesse as we haue seene in the voiage of Iames Quartier vse sweatings often as it were euery moneth and by this meanes they preserue themselues driuing out by sweate all the colde and euell humors they might haue gathered But one singular preseruatiue against this perfidious sicknesse which commeth so stealingly and which hauing once lodged it selfe within vs will not be put out is to follow the counsell of him that is wise amonst the wise who hauing considered all the afflictions that man giue to himselfe during his life hath found nothing better then to reioice himselfe and doe good and to take pleasure in his owne workes They that haue done so in our company haue found themselues well by it contrawise some alwaies grudging repining neuer content idle haue beene found out by the same disease True it is that for to inioy mirth it is good to haue the sweetnesse of fresh meates fleshes fishes milke butter oyles fruits and such like which we had not at will I meane the common sort for alwaies some one or other of the company did furnish Monsieur De Poutrincourt his table with wilde foule venison or fresh fish And if we had had halfe a dosen kyne I beleeue that no body had died there It resteth a preseruatiue necessarie for the accomplishment of mirth and to the end one may take pleasure on the worke of his hands is euery one to haue the honest company of his lawfull wife for without that the cheare is neuer perfect ones minde is alwaies vpon that which one loues and desireth there is still some sorrow the bodie becomes full of ill humours and so the sicknesse doth breede And for the last and soueraigne remedie I send backe the patient to the tree of life for so one may well qualifie it which Iames Quartier doth call Anneda yet vnknowen in the coast of Port Royall vnlesse it bee peraduenture the Sasafras whereof there is quantitie in certaine places And it is an assured thing that the said tree is very excellent But Monsieur Champlain who is now in the great riuer of Canada passing his winter in the same part where the said Quartier did winter hath charge to finde it out and to make prouision thereof CHAP. VII The discouery of new Lands by Monsieur De Monts fabulous tales and reports of the riuer and fained towne of Norombega The refuting of the authors that haue written thereof Fish bankes in New found land Kinibeki Chouacoet Mallebarre Armouchiquois The death of a French man killed Mortality of Englishmen in Virginia THe rough season being passed Monsieur De Monts wearied with his badde dwelling at Saint Croix determined to seeke out another Port in a warrner countrie and more to the South And to that end made a Pinnesse to be armed and furnished with victuals to follow the coast and discouering new countries to seeke out some happier Port in a more temperate aire And because that in seeking one cannot set forward so much as when in full sailes one goeth in open sea and that finding out baies and gulfes lying betweene two lands one must put in because that there one may assoone finde that which is sought for as else where he made in this voyage but about six score leagues as wee will tell you now From Saint Croix to 60. leagues forward the coast lieth East and West at the end of which 60. leagues is the riuer called by the Sauages Kinibeki From which place to Malebarre it lieth North and South and there is yet from one to the other 60. leagues in right line not following the baies So farre stretcheth Monsieur De Monts his voyage wherein he had for Pilot in his vessell Monsieur De Champdore In all this coast so farre as Kinibeki there is many places where shippes may be harbored amongst the Ilands but the people there is not so frequent as is beyond that And there is no remarkable thing at least that may be seene in the outside of the lands but a riuer whereof many haue written fables one after another like to those that they who grounding themselues vpon Hannos his Commentaries a Carthaginian captain haue fained of Townes built by him in great number vpon the coasts of Africa which is watered with the Ocean sea for that hee plaied an heroycall part in sailing so farre as the Iles of Cap Vert where long time since no body hath beene the Nauigation not being so secure then vpon that great sea as it is at this day by the benefit of the Compasse Therefore without alleaging that which the first writers Spaniards and Portingals haue said I will recite that which is in the last booke intituled The vniuersall Historie of the West Indies Printed at Douay the last yeere 1607. in the place where he speaketh of Norombega For in reporting this
Poutrincourt besides all this being yet in care for them whom he had left there so they came againe for the third time into Port Fortunè where no Sauage was seene Vpon the first winde the said Monsieur De Poutrincourt weighed anker for the returne and being mindfull of the dangers passed he sailed in open sea which shortned his course but not without a great mischiefe of the rudder which was againe broken in such sort that being at the mercy of the waues they arriued in the end as well as they could among the Ilands of Norombega where they mended it And after their departure from the said Ilands they came to Menane an Iland about six leagues in length betweene S. Croix and Port Royall where they taried for the winde which being come somewhat fauourable parting from thence new mischances happened For the shaloup being tied at the Barke was stricken with a sea so roughly that with her nose shee brake all the hinder part of the said barke wherein Monsieur De Poutrincourt and others were And moreouer not being able to get to the passage of the said Port Royall the tide which runneth swiftly in that place carried them towards the bottom of Bay Françoise from whence they came not foorth easily and they were in as great danger as euer they were before for as much as seeking to returne from whence they came they saw themselues carried with the winde and tide towards the Coast which is high rockes and downe fales where vnlesse they had doubled a certaine point that threatned them of wrake they had beene cast away But God will in high enterprises trie the constancy of them that fight for his name and see if they will wauer He bringeth them to the doore of death and yet holdeth them by the hand to the end they fall not into the pit as it is written It is I it is I and there is none other God with me I kill and make a liue I wound and I heale and there is no body that may deliuer any out of my hand So we haue said heeretofore and seene by effect that although in those Nauigations a thousand dangers haue presented themselues notwithstanding not one man hath beene lost by the sea although that of them which doe onely go for fishing and to trade for skins many there be that perish there witnesse foure fisher men of S. Maloe that were swallowed vp in the waters being gone afishing when as we were vpon our returne into France God being willing that we should acknowledge to hold this benefit of him and to manifest by that meanes his glory to the end that sensibly men may see that it is he which is the author of these holy enterprises which are not made of couetonsnes nor by vniust effusion of blood but of a zeale to establish his name and his greatnesse among nations that haue no knowledge of him Now after so many heauenly fauours it is the part of them that haue receiued them to say as the Kingly Psalmist well beloued of God Yet neuerthelesse by thy right hand thou holdst me euer fast And with thy counsell dost me guide to glory at the last What thing is there that I can wish but thee in Heauen aboue And in the Earth there is nothing like thee that I can loue After many perils which I will not compare to them of Vlysses nor of Aeneas fearing to defile our holy voyages with prophane impurity Monsieur De Poutrincourt arriued in Port Royall the 14. day of Nouember where we receiued him ioyfully and with a solemnity altogether new in that part For about the time that we expected his returne with great desire and that so much the more that if any harme had happened him we had beene in danger to haue confusion among our selues I aduised my selfe to shew some iollity going to meet him as we did And for as much as it was in French verses made in haste I haue placed them with the Muses of Noua Francia by the title of Neptunes Theater whereunto I refer the Reader Moreouer to giue greater honour to the returne and to our action we did place ouer the gate of our Fort the Armes of France enuironed with Laurell Crownes whereof there is great store along the woods sides with the Kings poesie Duo protegit vnus And vnder the Armes of Monsieur De Monts with this inscription Dabit Deus his quoque finem And those of Monsieur De Poutrincourt with this other inscription Inuia virtuti nulla est via both of them also enuironed with garlands of Bayes CHAP. XVI The condition of the corne which they sowed the institution of the order of Bon temps the behauiour of the Sauages among the Frenchmen the state of winter why raines and fogges be rare in this season why raine is frequent betweene the tropicks snow profitable to the ground the state of Ianuary conformity of weather in the ancient and New France Why the spring is slow the tilling of gardens their Crop a water Mill a Manna of Herrings preparation for the returne Monsieur De Poutrincourts inuention the Sauages admiration Newes from France THe publike reioycing being finished Monsieur De Poutrincourt had a care to see his corne the greatest part whereof he had sowed two leagues off from our Fort vp the riuer L' Equille and the other part about our said Fort and found that which was first sowen very forward but not the last that had beene sowed the sixth and ten daies of Nouember which notwithstanding did grow vnder the snow during Winter as I haue noted it in my sowings It would be a tedious thing to particularise all that was done amongst vs during Winter as to tell how the said Monsieur De Poutrincourt caused many times coales to be made the forge-coale being spent That he caused waies to be made thorow the woods That we went thorow the Forests by the guide of the Compasse and other things of such nature But I will relate that for to keepe vs merry and cleanly concerning victuals there was an order established at the table of the said Monsieur De Poutrincourt which was named L' ordre de bon temps the order of good time or the order of mirth at first inuented by Monsieur Champlein wherein they who were of the same table were euery one at his turne and day which was in fifteene daies once Steward and Cater Now his care was that we should haue good and worshipfull fare which was so well obserued that although the Belly-Gods of these parts doe often reproch vnto vs that we had not La Rue aux Ours of Paris with vs we haue ordinarily had there as good cheare as we could haue at La Rue aux Ours and at farre lesser charges For there was none but two daies before his turne came was carefull to goe ahunting or fishing and brought some
rockes couered with Diamons fixed to them I will not assure them for fine but that is very pleasing to the sight There are also certaine shining blew stones which are of no lesse value or woorth than Turkie stones Monsieur De Champdorè our guide for the nauigations in those countries hauing cut within a rocke one of those stones at his returne from New France he brake it in two and gaue one part of it to Monsieur De Monts the other to Monsieur De Poutrincourt which they made to be put in gold and were found woorthy to be presented the one to the King by the said Poutrincourt the other to the Queene by the said De Monts and were very well accepted I remember that a Gold-smith did offer fifteene crownes to Monsieur De Poutrincourt for that he presented to his Maiestie There be many other secrets rare and faire things within the ground of those Countries which are yet vnknowen vnto vs and will come to the knowledge and euidence by inhabiting the prouince CHAP. IIII. The description of the riuer Saint Iohn and of the I le Saint Croix The man lost in the woods found out 16. daies after Examples of some strange abstinences The discord of the Sauages deferred to the iudgement of Monsieur De Monts The fatherly authoritie amongst the said Sauages What husbands they chuse to their Daughters HAuing viewed the said Mine the companie passed to the other side of the French Baye and went towards the bottome of the same Then turning backe came to the riuer of Saint Iohn so called as I thinke because they arriued thither the soure twentieth of Iune which is S. Iohn Baptists day There is a faire Port but the entrie or mouth is dangerous to them that know not the best waies because that before the comming in there is a long banke of rockes which are not seene nor discouered but onely at low water which doe serue as for defence to this Port within which when one hath gone about a league there is found a violent fall of the said riuer which falleth downe from the rockes when that the sea doth ebbe with a maruellous noise for being sometimes at an ker at sea we haue heard it from aboue twelue leagues off But at full sea one may passe it with great ships This riuer is one of the fairest that may be seene hauing store of Ilands and swarming with fishes This last yeere 1608. the said Monsieur de Champdorè with one of the said Monsieur De Monts his men hath beene some 50 leagues vp the said riuer and do witnesse that there is great quantitie of Vines along the shore but the grapes are not so bigge as they bee in the country of the Armouchiquois There are also Onions many other sorts of good hearbs As for the trees they are the fayrest that may be seene When we were there we saw great number of Cedar trees Concerning fishes the said Champdorè hath related vnto vs that putting the kettle ouer the fire they had taken fish sufficient for their diner before that the water was hot Moreouer this riuer stretching it selfe farre within the lands of the Sauages doth maruellously shorten the long trauels by meanes thereof For in six daies they goe to Gashepè coming to the bay or gulfe of Chaleur or heate when they are at the end of it in carying their Canowes some few leagues And by the same riuer in eight daies they goe to Tadoussac by a branch of the same which commeth from the North-West In such sort that in Port Royall one may haue within 15. or 18. daies newes from the Frenchmen dwelling in the great riuer of Canada by these waies which could not be done in one moneth by sea nor without danger Leauing Saint Iohns riuer they came following the coast 20. leagues from that place to a great riuer which is properlie sea where they fortified themselues in a little Iland seated in the middest of this riuer which the said Champlein had beene to discouer and view And seeing it strong by nature and of easie defence and keeping besides that the season began to slide away and therefore it was behouefull to prouide of lodging without running any farther they resolued to make their abode there I will not sift out curiously the reasons of all parts vpon the resolution of this their dwelling but I will alwaies be of opinion that whosoeuer goes into a countrie to possesse it must not stay in the Iles there to be a prisoner For before all things the culter and tillage of the ground must be regarded And I would faine know how one shall till and manure it if it behoueth at euery houre in the morning at noone and the euening to crosse a great passage of water to goe for things requisite from the firme land And if one feareth the enemy how shall he that husbandeth the land or otherwise busie in necessarie affaires saue himselfe if he be pursued for one findeth not alwaies a boat in hand in time of neede nor two men to conduct it Besides out life requiring many commodities an Iland is not fit for to begin the establishment and seat of a Colony vnlesse there be Currents and streames of sweet water for to drinke and to supplie other necessaries in houshold which is not in small Ilands There needeth wood for fuell which also is not there But aboue all there must be shelters from the hurtfull winds and colde which is hardly found in a small continent inuironed with water of all sides Neuerthelesse the Companie soiorned there in the midest of a broad riuer where the North wind and North-West bloweth at will And because that two leagues higher there be brooks that come crosse-wise to fall within this large branch of sea the I le of the Frenchmens retreat was called Saint Croix 25. leagues distant from Port Royal. Whilest that they begin to cut downe Cedars and other trees of the said Ile to make necessary buildings let vs returne to seeke out Master Nicolas Aubri lost in the woods which long time since is holden for dead As they began to visit and search the Iland Monsieur de Champdorè of whom we shal henceforth make mentiō by reason he dwelt foure yeeres in those parts conducting the voyages made there was sent backe to the Bay of Saint Mary with a Mine-finder that had beene caried thither for to get some Mines of siluer Iron which they did And as they had crossed the French Baie they entred into the said Baie of Saint Marie by a narrow strait or passage which is betweene the land of Port Royal and an Iland called the Long I le where after some abode they going afishing the said Aubri perceaued them and began with a feeble voice to call as loud as he could and for to helpe his voice he aduised himselfe to doe as Ariadne did heeretofore to
not charge himselfe with so much furniture corne meat and marchandises as were there which he had beene forced to cast into the sea and which had been greatly to our preiudice and we did feare it very much if these two men had not aduentured themselues to tary there for the preseruing of those things which they did with a willing and ioyfull minde CHAP. XIII The happy meeting of Monsieur Du Pont his returne vnto Port Royall reioycing description of the confines of the said Port coniecture touching the head and spring of the great Riuer of Canada sowing of Corne the returne of Monsieur Du Pont into France the voyage of Monsieur De Poutrincourt vnto the countrie of the Armouchiquois faire Rie sprung vp without tillage the exercises and maner of liuing in Port Royall the Medowes of the riuer De L'Equille THe Friday next day after our arriuall Monsieur De Poutrincourt affected to this enterprise as for himselfe put part of his people to worke in the tillage and manuring of the ground whilest the others were emploied in making cleane of the chambers and euery one to make ready that which belonged to his trade In the meane time those people of ours that had left vs at Campseau to come along the coast met as it were miraculously with Monsieur Du Pont among Ilands that be in great number in those parts To declare how great was the ioy of each side is a thing not to be expressed The said Monsieur Du Pont at this happy and fortunate meeting returned backe to see vs in Port Royall and to ship himselfe in the Ionas to returne into France As this chance was beneficiall vnto him so was it vnto vs by the meanes of his ships that he left with vs For without that we had been in such extremity that we had not been able to goe nor come any where our ship being once returned into France He arriued there on Mondy the last of Iuly and tarried yet in Port Royall vntill the 28. of August All this moneth we made merry Monsieur De Poutrincourt did set vp and opened a Hogshed of wine one of them that was giuen him for his owne drinking giuing leaue to all commers to drinke as long as it should hold so that some of them drunke vntill their caps turned round At the very beginning we were desirous to see the country vp the riuer where we found medowes almost continually aboue twelue leagues of ground among which brookes doe run without number which come from the hils and mountaines adioyning The woods very thicke on the water shoares and so thicke that sometimes one cannot goe thorow them Yet for all that I would not make them such as Ioseph Acosta reciteth those of Peru to be when he saith One of our brethren a man of credit told vs that being gone astray and lost in the Mountaines not knowing what part nor which way he should goe found himselfe among bushes so thicke that he was constrained to trauell vpon them without putting his feet on the ground a whole fortnights space I refer the beleeuing of that to any one that will but this beleefe cannot reach so farre as to haue place with me Now in the land whereof we speake the woods are thinner farre off from the shoares and watrish places And the felicity thereof is so much the more to be hoped for in that it is like the land which God did promise to his people by the mouth of Moyses saying The Lord thy God doth bring thee into a good land of riuers of waters with fountaines and depthes which doe spring in fields c. A land where thou shalt eat thy bread without scarsitie wherein nothing shall faile thee a land whose stones are of Iron and from whose Mountaines thou shalt digge brasse And further in another place confirming the promises for the goodnesse and state of the land that he would giue them The country saith he wherin you are going for to possesse it is not as the land of Aegypt from whence you are come foorth where thou diddest sow thy seed and wateredst it with the labour of they feet as a garden of hearbes But the country thorow which you are going to passe for to possesse it is a land of mountaines and fields and is watred with waters that raineth from heauen Now according to the description that heeretofore we haue made of Port Royall and the confines thereof in describing the first voiage of Monsieur De Monts and as yet we doe mention it heere brookes doe there abound at will and for this respect this land is no lesse happy than the country of the Gaules now called France to whom King Agrippa making an oration to the Iewes recited by Iosephus in his warre of the Iewes attributed a particular felicity because they had store of domesticall fountaines And also that a part of those countries is called Aquitaine for the same consideration As for the stones which our God promiseth that should be of iron and the mountaines of Brasse that signifieth nothing else but the Mines of Copper of Iron and of steele whereof we haue already heeretofore spoken and will speake yet heereafter And as for the fields wherof we haue not yet spoken there be some on the West side of the said Port Royall And aboue the Mountaines there be some faire ones where I haue seene lakes and brookes euen as in the vallies Yea euen in the passage to come foorth from the same fort for to go to sea there is a brooke which falleth from the high rockes downe and in falling disperseth it self into a small raine which is very delightfull in Summer because that at the foote of the rocke there are caues wherin one is couered whilest that this raine falleth so pleasantly And in the caue wherein the raine of this brooke falleth is made as it were a Raine-bow when the Sunne shineth which hath giuen me great cause of admiration Once we went from our fort as farre as the sea thorow the woods the space of three leagues but in our returne we were pleasantly deceiued for at the end of our iourny thinking to be in a plaine champion country we found our selues on the top of a high Mountaine and were forced to come downe with paine enough by reason of snowes But Mountaines be not perpetual in a country Within 15. leagues of our dwelling the country thorow which the Riuer L' Equille passeth is all plaine and euen I haue seene in those parts many countries where the land is all euen and the fairest of the world But the perfection thereof is that it is well watered And for witnesse whereof not onely in Port Royall but also in all New France the great riuer of Canada is proofe thereof which at the end of 400. leagues is as broade as the greatest riuers of the world replenished with Iles and rockes innumerable taking her
great riuer of Canada and they told vs that they came from their dwelling thither in six daies which made me much to maruell seeing the distance that there is by sea but they shorten very much their waies and make great voiages by the meanes of lakes and riuers at the end of which being come in carying their Canowes three or foure leagues they get to other riuers that haue a contrary course All these Sauages were come thither to goe to the warres with Membertou against the Armouchiquois But because I haue spoken of this riuer of Oüigoudi in Monsieur De Monts voiage I will not at this time speake more of it When we returned to our Barke which was at the comming in of the Port halfe a league off from thence sheltered by a causie that the sea hath made there our men and specially Captaine Champ-dorè that conducted vs were in doubt lest some mischance should happen vnto vs and hauing seene the Sauages in armes thought it had beene to doe vs some mischiefe which had beene very easie for we were but two and therefore they were very glad of our returne After which the next day come the wizard or Soothsaier of that quarter crying as a mad-man towards our barke Not knowing what he meant he was sent for in a Cocke boat and came to parly with vs telling vs that the Armouchiquois were within the woods which came to assaile them and that they had killed some of their folkes that were ahunting And therfore that we should come aland to assist them Hauing heard this discourse which according to our iudgement tended to no good we told him that our iournies were limited and our victuals also and that it was behouefull for vs to begone Seeing himselfe denied he said that before two yeares were come about they would either kill all the Normands or that the Normands should kill them Wee mocked him and told him that we would bring our Barke before their Fort to ransacke them all but we did it not for we went away that day And hauing the winde contrary we sheltred our selues vnder a small Iland where we were two daies during which some went a shooting at Mallards for prouision others attended one the Cookery And Captaine Champdorè and my selfe went along the rockes with hammers and chisels seeking if there were any Mines In doing whereof we found quantity of steele among the rockes which was since molten by Monsieur De Poutrincourt who made wedges of it and it was found very fine steele wherof hee caused a knife to bee made that did cut as a razor which at our returne he shewed to the King From thence we went in three daies to the I le S. Croix being often contraried with the windes And because we had a bad coniecture of the Sauages which we did see in great number at the riuer of S. Iohn and that the troupe that was departed from Port Royall was yet at Menane an I le betweene the said Port Royall and S. Croix which we would not trust we kept good watch in the night time At which time we did often heare Seales voices which were very like to the voice of Owles A thing contrarie to the opinion of them that haue said and written that fishes haue no voice Being arriued at the I le Saint Croix we found there the buildings left there all whole sauing that the Store-house was vncouered of one side We found there yet Sacke in the bottome of a pipe wereof we dranke and it was not much the worse As for gardens we found there Coale-worts Sorrell Lettuces which we vsed for the kitching We made there also good pasties of Turtle Doues which are very plentifull in the woods but the grasse is there so high that one could not finde them when they were killed and fallen in the ground The court was there full of whole caskes which some ill disposed Mariners did burn for their pleasures which thing when I saw I did abhor and I did iudge better than before that the Sauages were being lesse ciuilized more humane and honester men than many that beare the name of Christians hauing during three yeares spared that place wherein they had not taken so much as a peece of wood nor salt which was there in great quantity as hard as a rocke Going from thence we cast anker among a great number of confused Iles where we heard some Sauages and we did call to make them come to vs. They answered vs with the like call Whereunto one of ours replied Oüen Kirau that is to say What are ye they would not discouer themselues But the next day Oagimont the Sagamos of this riuer came to vs and we knew it was he whom we heard He did prepare to follow Membertou and his troupe to the warres where he was grieuously wounded as I haue said in my verses vpon this matter This Oagimont hath a daughter about eleuen yeares old who is very comly which Monsieur De Poutrincourt desired to haue and hath oftentimes demanded her of him to giue her to the Queene promising him that he should neuer want Corne nor any thing else but he would neuer condiscend thereto Being entred into our Barke he accompanied vs vntill we came to the broad sea where he put himselfe in his shaloup to returne backe and for vs we bent our course for Port Royall where we arriued before day but we were before our Fort iust at the very point that faire Aurora began to shew her reddy cheekes vpon the top of our woody hils euery bodie was yet asleepe and there was but one that rose vp by the continuall barking of dogges but we made the rest soone to awake by peales of Musket shots and trumpets-sound Monsieur De Poutrincourt was but the day before arriued from his voyage to the mines whither we haue said that he was to goe and the day before that was the Barke arriued that had carried part of our workmen to Campseau So that all being assembled there rested nothing more than to prepare things necessary for our shipping And in this busines our Water-Mill did vs very good seruice for otherwise there had been no meanes to prepare meale enough for the voyage but in the end we had more than we had need of which was to the Sauages to the end to haue vs in remembrance CHAP. XVIII The Port de Campseau our departure from Port Royall fogs of eight daies continuance a Raine-bow appearing in the water the Port De Saualet tillage an honour able exercise the Sauages griefe at Monsieur De Poutrincourts going away returne into France voyage to Mount Saint Michael fruits of New France presented to the King a voyage into New France after the said Monsieur De Poutrincourt his returne VPon the point that we should take our leaue of Port Royall Monsieur De Poutrincourt sent his men one after another to
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
Pallas a young Lord friend to Aeneas Tum geminas vestes ostróque auróque rigentes Extulit Aeneas Multaque praeterea laurentis praemia pugnae Aggerat longo praedam iubet ordine duci Addit equos tela quibus spoliaverat hostem And vnderneath Spargitur tellus lachrimis sparguntur arma Hinc alij spolia occisis direpta Latinis Conijciunt igni galeas ensésque decoros Fraenáque feruent esque rotas pars munera nota Ipsorum clypeos non faeliciatela Setigerósque sues raptásque ex omnibus agris In flammam iugulant pecudes In the holy Scripture I finde but the bodies of Saul and of his Sonnes to haue beene burnt after their ouerthrow but it is not said that any of their mooueables were cast into the fire The old Gaullois and Germains did burne with the dead bodie all that which he had loued euen to the very beasts papers of accounts and obligations as if by that meanes they would either haue paied or demanded their debts In such sort that a little before that Caesar came thither there was some that did cast themselues vpon the pile where the body was burned in hope to liue else where with their kinred Lords and friends Concerning the Germains Tacitus saith the same of them in those termes Quae viuis cordi fuisse arbrit antur in ignem inferunt etiam animalia seruos clientes These fashions haue beene common anciently to many nations but our Sauages are not so foolish as that for they take good heede from putting themselues into the fire knowing that it is to hot They content themselues then in burning the dead man his goods And as for the body they put him honourably in the graue This Panoniac of whom wee haue spoken was kept in the cabin of Niguiroet his father and of Neguioadetch his mother vntill the Spring time when that the assembly of the Sauages was made for to goe to reuenge his death In which assembly he was yet wept for and before they went to the warres they made an end of his funerals and carried him according to their custome into a desolate Ilande towardes Cap de Sable some fiue and twenty or thirtie leagues distant from Port Royall Those Isles which doe serue them for Church-yardes are secret amongst them for feare some enemy should seeke to torment the bones of their dead Pliny and many others haue esteemed that it was foolishnesse to keepe dead bodies vnder a vaine opinion that after this life one is something But one may apply vnto him that which Portius Festus Gouernour of Caesarea did foolishly say to the Apostle Saint Paul Thou art besides thy selfe much learning hath made thee mad Our Sauages are esteemed very brutish which they are not but yet they haue more wisedome in that respect then such Philosophers We Christians doe commonly bury the dead bodies that is to say we yeeld them to the earth called Humus from whence commeth the word Homo a Man from which they were taken and so did the ancient Romans before the custome of burning them Which amongst the West Indians the Brasilians doe who put their dead into pits digged after the forme of a tunne almost vpright sometimes in their owne houses like to the first Romans according as Seruius the Commentor of Virgill doth say But our sauages as far as Perou do not so but rather do keepe them whole in Sepulchers which be in many places as scaffoldes of nine and ten foote height the rooffe wherof is all couered with mattes whereuponthey stretch out their dead rancked according to the order of their decease So almost our Sauages doe sauing that their sepulchers are lesser and lower made after the forme of Cages which they couer very properly and there they lay their dead Which we call to bury and not to interre seeing they are not within the earth Now although that many nations haue thought good to keepe the dead bodies yet it is better to follow that which nature requireth which is to render to the earth that which belongeth vnto her which as Lucrece saith Omniparens eadem rerum est commune sepulchrum Also this is the ancientest fashion of burying saith Cicero And that great Cirus King of the Persians would not be otherwise serued after his death then to be restored to the earth ô my deare children said he before he died When I haue ended my life doe not put my bodie neither in gould nor in siluer nor in any other sepulcher but render it foorthwith to the earth For what may be more happy and more to be desired then to ioine himselfe with her that produceth and nourisheth all good and faire things So did he esteeme for vanity all the pompes and excessiue expences of the Pyramides of Aegypt of the Mausolees and other monuments made after that imitation As the same of Augustus the Great and magnificall masse of Adrian the Septizone of Seuerus and other yet lesser not esteeming himselfe after death more then the meanest of his Subiects The Romans did leaue the entombing of the bodies hauing perceiued that the long warres did bring disorder vnto it and that the dead corps were vnburied which by the lawes of the twelue Tables it was behoouefull to bury out of the towne like as they did in Athens Wherupon Arnobius speaking against the Gentils Wee doe not feare saith he as you thinke the ransacking of our graues but wee keepe the most ancient and best custome of burying Pausanias who blameth the Gaullois as much as he can saith in his Phociques that they had no care to bury their dead but we haue shewed the contrary heeretofore And though it were so he speaketh of the ouerthrow of the army of Brennus The same might haue beene said of the Nabateens Who according to Strabo did that which Pausanias doth obiect to the Gaullois and buried the bodies of their kinges in dunghils Our Sauages are more kinde then so and haue all that which the office of humanitie may desire yea euen more For after they haue brought the dead to his rest euery one maketh him a present of the best thing he hath Some doe couer him with many skinnes of Beuers of Otters and other beastes others present him with bowes arrowes quiuers kniues Matachiaz and other thinges Which they haue in common not onely with them of Florida who for want of furres doe set vpon the sepulchers the cuppe wherein the deceassed was accustomed to drinke and all about them they plant great number of arrowes Item they of Brasill who doe bury with their dead thinges made of feathers and Carkenets and they of Perou who before the comming of the the Spaniardes did fill their tombes with treasures But also with many nations of these our partes which did the same euen from the first time after the floud as may be coniectured by the writing though deceitfull of the Sepulcher of Semiramis Queene of