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
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
NOVA FRANCIA Or the DESCRIPTION OF THAT PART OF NEVV FRANCE which is one continent with VIRGINIA Described in the three late Voyages and Plantation made by Monsieur de Monts Monsieur du Pont-Graué and Monsieur de Poutrincourt into the countries called by the French men La Cadie lying to the Southwest of Cape Breton Together with an excellent seuerall Treatie of all the commodities of the said countries and maners of the naturall inhabitants of the same Translated out of French into English by P. E LONDINI Impensis GEORGII BISHOP 1609. TO THE BRIGHT STARRE OF THE NORTH HENRY Prince of Great BRITAINE MOst excellent Prince my Author knowing that there are someworks so naturally great of themselues that they challenge the gratious protection of Princes hath offered this his Historie to the Royall patronage of the most Christian King two Queenes and the Dauphin to the end it might stirre them the more to prosecute the populating of the lands heerein described to bring the Naturals thereof Sauage and miserable people to ciuilitie and right knowledge of God and so to the saluation of their soules Assuming the like presumption I haue hoped notwithstanding the defects which necessarily attend a stranger who can neuer attaine the naturall Idiome of this eloquent language that it might not be an iniury to your Highnesse but an addition of Honor and safetie of tbis worke if I should dare to inscribe your Princely name on the forehead thereof Which bouldnesse the noble vndertaking of the English Nation hath nourished who haue so lately begun by the permission and vnder the protection of his excellent Maiestie your most Royall Father to plant Christianitie in Virginia being one continent next adioining land to these For who may better support and manage magnanimous actions such as be the peopling of lands planting of Colories erecting of ciuill Gouernementes and propagating of the Gospell of Christ which are Royall and Princely foundations then those whom the King of Kings hath established as Atlasses of kingdoms Christian common weales God hath necessitated in his Prophecie Kings and Queenes to be nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers of his Church so that he hath not onely committed the gouernment of a ripe and strong body able to subsist but hath imposed the care of the tendernesse and infancie thereof vpon them Alexander being yet young would haue runne in the Olympian games if kings had runne there now Kings doe run now Princes doe worke in the Lords haruest to spread that name which must gather the elect from the vtmost endes of the world if not in their persons yet with their authoritie and meanes I know your Highnesse would not be inferiour but rather excell in so noble an action such an emulation is pleasing to God your birth leadeth vnto it Christian charitie inuiteth you to be chiefe worker in the sauing of millions of soules The necessitie of your Countrie of Great BRITAINE ouer populous doth require it And lastly your poore Virginians doe seeme to implore your Princely aide to helpe them to shake off the yoke of the diuel who hath hitherto made them liue worse then beasts that hencefoorth they may be brought into the fould of Christ and in time to liue vnder your Christian gouernmēt So then hauing thus runne you shall obtaine an euerlasting Crowne of glory being as well planter as defender of the Faith Your Highnesse humblest seruant P. ERONDELLE To the Reader GEntle Reader The whole volume of the Nauigations of the French nation into the West Indies comprised in three bookes was brought to mee to be translated by M. Richard Hackluyt a man who for his worthy and profitable labours is well knowen to most men of worth not onely of this kingdome but also of forrain parts and by him this part was selected and chosen from the whole worke for the particular vse of this Nation to the end that comparing the goodnesse of the lands of the Northerly parts heerein mentioned with that of Virginia which though in one and the selfe same continent and both lands adioyning must be far better by reason it stands more Southerly neerer to the Sunne greater encouragement may be giuen to prosecute that generous and godly action in planting and peopling that Country to the better propagation of the Gospel of Christ the saluation of innumerable soules and generall benefit of this land too much pestred with ouer many people Which translation as I haue said is but a part of a greater volume If therefore you finde that some references of things mentioned in the former part of the said volume are not to be found in this translation do not thinke it strange in asmuch as they could not wel be brought in except the whole volume should be translated which of purpose was left vndone as well to auoid your farther charges as because it was thought needlesse to translate more then concerneth that which adioyneth to Virginia What good the English Nation may reape of this worke by the onely description that is found therein of Nations Ilands Harbours Bayes Coasts Riuers Rockes Shoulds Sands Bankes and other dangers which the Saylers into those parts may now the more easily finde and auoid by the knowledge that this translation giueth them of it let the Nauigators iudge therof who for want of such knowledge haue found themselues in euident perill of death and many altogether cast away If a man that sheweth foorth effectually the zealous care he hath to the well-fare and common good of his country deserueth praises of the same I refer to the iudgement of them that abhor the vice of ingratitude hatefull aboue all to God goodmen whether the said M. Hackluyt as well for the first procuring of this translation as for many workes of his set out by him for the good and euerlasting fame of the English Nation deserueth not to reape thankes As for this my labour if it be censured fauorably and my good affection in vndertaking the translating of this worke for the benefit of this land taken in good part it will encourage me to endeauour my selfe to doe better heereafter The Table of the contents of the Chapters The first Booke WHerein are described the three late Voiages Nauigations and Plantation of New France otherwise called La Cadia by Monsieur de Monts Monsieur du Pont-grauè and Monsieur de Poutrincourt CHAP. I. The Patent and Commission of the French king to Monsieur de Monts for the inhabiting of the Countries of La Cadia Canada and other places in New France from the 40. degree to the 46. CHAP. II. The voiage of Monsieur de Monts into New France accidents hapned in the said voiage the causes of the Isie bankes in new found lands the imposing of names to certaine Ports the perplexitie wherein they were by reason of the staeie of their other shippe CHAP. III. The leauing of Port du Mouton the accidents of a man lost in the woods the space of 16.
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
said Monsieur De Monts setled himselfe therein doing there some seruice And yet did make loue to a Maide by way of marriage the which not being able to haue with the good liking and consent of her father he rauished her and tooke her to wife Thereupon a great quarrell ensueth And in the end the Maid was taken away from him and returned to her fathers A very great debate was like to follow were it not that Bituani complaining to the said Monsieur De Monts for this iniury the others came to defend their cause saying to wit the father assisted with his friends that he would not giue his daughter to a man vnlesse he had some meanes by his industrie to nourish and maintaine both her and the children that should proceed of the mariage As for him he saw not any thing that he could doe That he loitered about the kitchin of the said Monsieur de Monts not exercising himselfe ahunting Finallie that he should not haue the maide and ought to content himselfe with that which was passed The said Monsieur De Monts hauing heard both parties told them that he detained him not and that the said Bituani was a diligent fellow and should goe ahunting to make proofe of what he could do But yet for all that they did not restore the maide vnto him vntill he had shewed effectually that which the said Monsieur De Monts had promised of him Finally he goeth afishing taketh great store of Salmons the maide is redeliuered him and the next day following he came clothed with a faire new gowne of Beuers well set on with Matachias to the fort which was then a building for the Frenchmen bringing his wife with him as triumphing for the victory hauing gotten her as it were by dint of sword whom he hath euer since loued dearely contrarie to the custome of the other Sauages giuing vs to vnderstand that the thing which is gotten with paine ought to be much cherished By this action we see the two most considerable points in matter of mariage to bee obserued among these people guided onely by the law of nature That is to say the fatherly authority and the husbands industrie A thing which I haue much admired seeing that in our Christian Church by I know not what abuse men haue liued many ages during which the fatherly authority hath beene dispised and set at naught vntill that the Ecclesiasticall conuentions haue opened their eies and knowen that the same was euen against nature it selfe And that our Kings by lawes and Edicts haue reestablished in his force this fatherlie authority which notwithstanding in spirituall mariages and vowes of religion hath not yet recouered his ancient glorie And hath in this respect his proppe but vpon the Courts of Parlaments orders the which oftentimeâ— haue constrained the detainers of Children to restore them to their parents CHAP. V. The description of the Iland of Saint Croix The enterprise of Monsieur De Monts difficult and generous yet persecuted through enuie The returne of Monsieur De Poutrincourt into France the perils of the voiage BEfore we speake of the Ships returne into France it is meete to tell you how hard the I le of Saint Croix is to be found out to them that were neuer there For there are so many Iles and great Baies to goe by before one be at it that I wonder how euer one might pierce so far for to finde it There are three or foure mountains imminent aboue the others on the sides But on the North side from whence the riuer runneth downe there is but a sharpe pointed one aboue two leagues distant The woods of the maine land are faire and admirable high and well growen as in like maner is the grasse There is right ouer against the Iland fresh water brookes very pleasant and agreeable where diuers of Monsieur De Monts his men did their businesse and builded there certaine Cabanes As for the nature of the ground it is most excellent and most abundantly fruitfull For the said Monsieur De Monts hauing caused there some peece of ground to be tilled and the same sowed with Rie for I haue seene there no wheat heâ— was not able to tarry for the maturitie thereof to reape it and notwithstanding the graine fallen hath growen and increased so wonderfully that two yeeres after wee reaped and did gather of it as faire bigge and waightie as any in France which the soile had brought foorth without any tillage and yet at this present it doth continue still to mulltiply every yeere The said Iland containeth some halfe a league of circuit and at the end of it on the sea side there is a Mount or small hill which is as it were a little Ile severed from the other where Monsieur de Monts his Canon was placed There is also a little Chapell built after the sauage fashion At the foot of which Chapell there is such store of mussels as is wonderfull which may be gathered at low water but they are small I beleeue that Monsieur De Monts people did not forget to chuse and take the biggest and left there but the small ones to grow and increase As for the exercise and occupation of our Frenchmen during the time of their abode there we will mention it briefely hauing first conducted backe our ships into France The Sea and maritime charges in such enterprises as that of Monsieur De Monts be so great that he who hath not a good stocke and foundation shall easilie sinke vnder such a burthen and for to supplie in some sort those expences one is forced to suffer and beare infinite discommodities and put himselfe in danger to bee discredited among vnknowen people and which is worse in a land which is vnmanured and all ouer growen with forests Wherein this action is the more generous by so much as the perill is more euidently dangerous and notwithstanding all this fortune is not left vnattempted and to treade downe so many thornes that stop the way Monsieur De Monts his shipes returning into France he remaineth in a desolate place with one barke and one boate onely And though he is promised to be sent for home at the end of the yeere who may assure himselfe of Aeolus and Neptunes fidelitie two euill furious vnconstant and vnmercifull Masters Behold the estate whereunto the said Monsieur De Monts reduced himselfe hauing had no helpe of the King as haue had al those voiages that haue beene heeretofore described except the late Lord Marquis de la Roche and yet it is he that hath done more than all the rest not hauing yet lost his hold But in the end I feare he shall be constrained to giue ouer and forsake all to the great shame and reproch of the French name which by this meanes is made ridiculous and a by word to other nations For as though one would of set purpose oppose himselfe to the
conuersion of these poore Westerly people and to the setting forward of the glorie of God and the Kings there be men start vp full of Auarice and Enuie men which would not giue a stroke or draw their swords for the Kings seruice as Monsieur De Poutrincourt shewed one daie to his Maiesty men which would not indure the least labour in the world for the honour of God which doe hinder that any profit be drawen from the very prouince it selfe to furnish to that which is necessarie to the establishment of such a worke hauing rather that Englishmen and Hollanders reape the profit thereof than Frenchmen and seeking to make the name of God vnknowen in those parts of the world And such men which haue no feare of God for if they had any they would be zealous of his name are heard are beleeued and carry things away at their pleasure Now let vs prepare and hoise vp sailes Monsieur De Poutrincourt made the voyage into these parts with some men of good sort not to winter there but as it were to seeke out his seat and finde out a land that might like him Which he hauing done had no neede to soiorne there any longer So then the Ships being readie for the returne he shipped himselfe and those of his company in one of them The meane while the fame was from all sides in these parts of the wonders made in Ostend then besieged by their Highnesse of Flanders alreadie three yeares passed The voyage was not without stormes and great perils for amongst others I will recite two or three which might be placed among miracles were it not that the Sea-accidents are frequent enough not that I will for all that darken the speciall fauour that God hath alwaies shewed in these voyages The first is of a gust of winde which in the middest of their nauigation came by night instantlie to strike in the sailes with such a violent boistrousnesse that it ouerturned the ship in such maner that of the one part the keele was on the face of the water and the saile swimming vpon it without any meanes or time to right it or to loose the tackles On the sudden the sea is all afire and the Mariners themselues all wet did seeme to bee all compassed with flames so furious was the Sea the Sailers call this fire Saint Goudrans fire and by ill fortune in this sudden surprise there was not a knife to be found for to cut the cables or the saile The poore ship during this casualtie remained ouerturned caried continually one while vpon Mountaines of waters then another while suncken downe euen to hell Briefely euery one did prepare to drinke more than his belly full to all his friends when a new blast of winde came which rent the saile in a thousand peeces euer after vnprofitable to any vse Happy saile hauing by his ruine saued all this people for if it had beene a new one they had beene cast away and neuer newes had beene heard of them But God doth often trie his people and bringeth them euen to deaths doore to the end they may know his powerfull might and feare him So the ship began to stur and rise againe by little and little And well was it for them that she was deepe keeled for if it had beene a fliboate with a flat bottome and broade belly it had beene quite ouerturned vp side downe but the ballast which remained beneath did helpe to stirre her vpright The second was at Casquet an I le or rocke in the forme of a Caske betweene France and England on which there is no dwelling being come within three leagues of the same there was some iealousie betweene the Masters of the ship an euill which oftentimes destroieth both men and faire enterprises the one saying that they might double well enough the said Casket an other that they could not and that it behooued to cast a little from the right course for to passe vnder the Iland In this case the worst was that one knew not the houre of the day because it was darke by reason of mistes and by consequent they knew not if it did ebbe or flow For if it had beene floud they had easily doubled it but it chanced that it was turning water and by that meanes the ebbe did hinder it So that approching the said rocke they saw no hope to saue themselues and that necessarily they must go strike against it Then euery one began to pray to God to craue pardon one of another and for their last comfort to bewaile one another Heereupon Captaine Rossignol whose Ship was taken in New France as we haue said before drew out a great knife to kill therewith Captaine Timothie Gouernor of this present voyage saying to him Doest thou not content thy selfe to haue vndone me but wilt thou needs yet cast me heere away but he was held and kept from doing of that he was about to doe And in very truth it was in him great folly yea rather madnesse to goe about to kill a man that was going to die and he that went to giue the blow in the same perill In the end as they went to strike vpon the rocke Monsieur De Poutrincort who had alreadie yeelded his soule and recommended his family to God asked of him that was at the top if there were any hope who told him there was none Then he bad some to helpe him to change the sailes which two or three onely did and already was there no more water but to turne the Ship when the mercy and fauor of God came to helpe them turned the ship from the perils wherein they saw themselues Some had put off their doublets for to seeke to saue themselues by climbing vpon the rocke but the feare was all the harme they had for that time sauing that some few houres after being arriued neere to a rocke called Le nid a L'aigle the Eagles nest they thought to goe bord it thinking in the darknesse of the mist it had been a Ship from whence being againe escaped they arriued at New hauen the place from whence they first set out The said Monsieur De Poutrincourt hauing left his armours and prouisions of war in the I le of Saint Croix in the keeping of the said Monsieur De Monts as a gage and token of the good will he had to returne thither But I may yet well set downe heere a maruellous danger from which the same vessell was preserued a little after the departing from Saint Croix and this by a bad accident which God turned to good For a certaine tipling fellow being by night stealingly come downe to the bottome of the ship for to drinke his belly full and to fill his bottle with wine hee found that there was but too much to drinke and that the said ship was alreadie halfe full of water in such sort that the perill was imminent and they had
in the mouth against the Squinancie and against the biting of serpents It hath long leaues drawing in colour to a dark greene and produceth a black roote from which liquor is drawen as well as from the leaf Strabo saith that the like case hapned to the army that Aelius Gallus brought into Arabia by the commission of Augustus the Emperor And the like also chanced to king S. Lewes his armie in Egypt as the Lord de Ioinuille reporteth Other effects of bad waters are seene neere vnto vs to wit in Sauoy where the women more than men because they are of a colder constitution haue commonly swellings in their throats as bigge as bottels Next to waters the aire is also one of the fathers and ingenderes of this sicknes in boggy and watrish places and opposit to the South which is most often rainy But there is yet in New France another bad quality of the aire by reason of lakes that be thicke there and of the great rottennes in the woods whose odour the bodies hauing drawen vp during the raines of Autumne and winter easily are ingendred the corruptions of the mouth and swelling in the legges before spoken and a cold entreth vnsensibly into it which benummeth the limbes stifneth the sinewes constraineth to creepe with cruches and in the end to keepe the bed And for as much as the windes doe participate with the aire yea are an aire running with a more vehement force than ordinary and in this quality haue great power ouer the health and sicknesses of men we will speake some thing of it not for all that straying ourselues from the sequell of our historie The Easterly winde called by the Latins Subsolanus is held for the healthfullest of all and for that cause wise builders giue aduice to set their buildings towards the aspect of the East The opposit to it is the winde called Fauorinus or Zephirus which our Sea-men doe name West which in these parts is milde fructifying The Southern winde called Auster by the Latines is in Affrica hot and drie But in crossing the Mediterranian sea it gathereth a great moistnes which maketh it stormy and putrifying in Prouence and Languedoc The opposite to it is the Northern winde otherwise called Boreas Bize Tramontane which is colde and drie chaseth the cloudes and sweepeth the airie region It is taken for the holsommest next to the East winde But these qualities of the winde found and noted in these parts make not one generall rule thorow ouer all the earth For the North-winde beyond the Equinoctiall line is not colde as in these parts nor the South-winde hot because that by a long crossing they borrow the qualities of the regions thorow which they passe besides that the South-winde at his first issue is cooling according to the report of those that haue trauelled in Affrica In like maner there be regions in Perou as in Lima and the plaines where the North-winde is vnholsome and noysome And thorow all that coast which is aboue 500. leagues in length they take the South-winde for a sound and fresh cooling winde and which more is most milde and pleasant yea also that it doth neuer raine by it according to that which Ioseph Acosta writeth of it cleane contrary to that we see in this our part of Europe And in Spaine the East-winde which we haue said to be sound the same Acosta saith that it is noisome and vnsound The winde called Circius which is the North-west is so stormie and boistrous in the Westerly shores of Norwege that if there be any which vndertaketh any voyage that way when that winde bloweth he must make account to be lost and cast away And this winde is so colde in that region that it suffereth not any tree small or great to grow there So that for want of wood they must serue thēselues with the bones of great fishes to seeth or rost their meats which discommodity is not in these parts In like sort we haue had experience in New France that the North-winds are not for health And the North-east which are the colde strong sharpe and stormy Aquilons yet worse which our sicke folkes and they that had wintred there the former yeare did greatly feare because that likely some of them drooped away when that winde blew for indeed they had some sensible feeling of this winde As we see those that bee subiect to ruptures endure great pangs when that the South-winde doth blow And as we see the very beasts to prognosticate by some signes the change of weather This noisome qualitie of winde proceedeth in my iudgement from the nature of the countrie thorow which it passeth which as we haue said is full of lakes and those very great which be as it were standing and still waters Whereto I adde the exhalation of the rottennesse of woods that this winde bringeth and that in so much greater quantitie as the North-west part is great large and spacious The seasons are also to be marked in this disease which I haue not seene nor heard of that it beginnes to work neither in the spring time Summer nor Autumne vnlesse it be at the end of it but in Winter And the cause thereof is that as the growing heat of the Spring maketh the humours closed vp in the winter to disperse themselues to the extremities of the body and so cleareth it from melancholy and from the noisome humors that haue beene gathered in Winter so the Autumne as the Winter approcheth draweth them inward and doth nourish this melancholie and blacke humor which doth abound specially in this season and the Winter being come sheweth foorth his effects at the costs and griefe of the poore patients Galen yeldeth a reason for the same saying that the humors of the bodie hauing beene parched by the burning of the Summer that which may rest of it after the heat is expulsed becommeth foorthwith colde and drie That is to say colde by the priuation of the heat and drie in as much as in the drying of these humors all the moistnesse that was therein hath been consumed And thereby it commeth that sickenesses are bred in this season and the farther one goeth the weaker nature is and the vntemperate coldnesse of the aire being entred into a bodie alreadie thereto disposed doth handle it as it were at a becke and at will without pitie I would adde willingly to all the foresaid causes the bad foode of the sea which in a long voiage brings much corruption in mans bodie For one must of necessity after foure or fiue daies liue of salt meate or to bring sheepe aliue and store of poultry but this is but for Masters and Commanders in ships and we had none in our voyage but for to reserue and multiplie in the land whither we did go The mariners then and passengers doe suffer discommoditie as well in the bread as in meat and drinke the biskit
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
made by sea Then the said Monsieur De Monts hoised vp sailes and leaueth the said Monsieur Du Pont as his Lieutenant and deputie in these parts who wanting no diligence according to his nature in making perfect that which was needfull for to lodge both himselfe and his people which was all that might be done for that yeare in that country For to goe farre from home in the Winter and after so long a toile there was no reason And as for the tillage of the ground I beleeue they had no fit time to doe it For the said Monsieur Du Pont was not a man to be long in rest nor to leaue his men idle if there had beene any meanes for it The Winter being come the Sauages of the country did assemble themselues from farre to Port Royal for to truck with the Frenchmen for such things they had some bringing Beauers skinnes and Otters which are those whereof most account may be made in that place and also Ellans or Stagges whereof good buffe may be made Others bringing flesh newly killed wherewith they made many good Tabagies or feasts liuing merily as long as they had wherewithall They neuer wanted any bread but wine did not continue with them till the season was ended For when we came thither the yeare following they had been aboue three Moneths without any wine and were very glad of our comming for that made them to take againe the taste of it The greatest paine they had was to grinde the corne to haue bread which is very painfull with hand-mils whereall the strength of the bodie is requisite And therefore it is not without cause that in old time bad people were threatned to be sent to the Mill as to the painefullest thing that is to which occupation poore slaues were set to before the vse of water and winde-mils was found out as the Prophane histories make mention and the same of the comming of the people of Israel out of the land of Aegypt where for the last scourge that God will send to Pharao he declareth by the mouth of Moises that about midnight he will passe thorow Aegypt and euery first borne shall die there from the first borne of Pharao that should sit vpon his throne to the first borne of the maide Seruant which grindeth at the Mill. And this labor is so great that the Sauages although they be very poore cannot beare it and had rather to be without bread then to take so much pains as it hath beene tried offering them halfe of the grinding they should doe but they chused rather to haue no corne And I might well beleeue that the same with other things hath beene great meanes to breed the sicknesse spoken of in some of Monsieur Du Pont his men for there died some halfe a dosen of them that winter True it is that I finde a defect in the buildings of our Frenchmen which is they had no ditches about them whereby the waters of the ground next to them did runne vnder their lower-most roomes which was a great hindrance to their health I adde besides the bad waters which they vsed that did not runne from a quicke spring but from the neerest brooke The winter being passed the sea nauigable Monsieur Du Pont would needes atchieue the enterprise begun the yeere before by Monsieur De Monts and to goe seeke out a Port more Southerly where the aire might be more temperate according as he had in charge of the said Monsieur De Monts He furnished then the barke which remained with him to that effect But being set out of the port and full readie hoisted vp failes for Malebarre he was forced by contrarie winde twice to put backe againe and at the third time the said Barke strake against the rockes at the entire of the said Port. In this disgrace of Neptune the men were saued with the better part of prouision and merchandise but as for the Barke it was rent in peeces And by this mishap the voyage was broken and that which was so desired intermitted For the habitation of Port Royall was not iudged good And notwithstanding it is on the North and North-west sides well sheltered with mountaines distant some one league some halfe a league from the Port and the riuer L'Equille So we see how that enterprises take not effect according to the desires of men and are accompanied with many perils So that one must not woonder if the time be long in establishing of Colonies specially in lands so remote whose nature and temperature of aire is not knowen and where one must fell and cut downe forrests and be constrained to take heed not from the people that we call Sauages but from them that terme themselues Christians and yet haue but the name of it cursed and abhominable people woorse then woolues enemies to God and humane nature This attempt then being broken Monsieur Du Pont knew not what to doe but to attend the succour and supplie that Monsieur De Monts promised parting from Port Royall at his returne into France to send him the yeere following Yet for all euents he built an other Barke and a Shaloup for to seeke French shippes in the places where they vse to dry fish such as Campseau Port English Port Misamichis Port the Baie of Chaleur or heat the Baie of Morues or Coddes and others in great number according as Monsieur De Monts had done the former yeere to the end to ship himselfe in them and to returne into France in case that no shippe should come to succour him Wherein he did wisely for he was in danger to heare no newes from vs that were appointed to succeed him as it shall appeare by the discourse following But in the meane while wee must consider that they which in these voyages haue transported themselues in these parts haue had an aduantage ouer those that would plant in Florida which is in hauing that refuge beforesaid of French shippes that frequent the New found lands for fishing not being forced to build great shippes nor to abide extreme famines as they haue done in Florida whose voyages haue beene lamentable for that respect and these by reason of the sicknesses that haue persecuted them but they of Florida haue had a blessing for that they were in a milde and fertill countrey and more friendly to mans health then New France spoken of else where If they haue suffered famines there was great fault in them for not hauing tilled the ground which they found plaine and champion Which before all other thing is to be done of them that will lodge themselues so farre from ordinarie succour But the Frenchmen and almost all nations at this day I meane of those that be not borne and brought vp to the manuring of the ground haue this badde nature that they thinke to derogate much from their dignitie in addicting themselues to the
to be at sea to make diet which we did but too soone being once come thither for during two whole monethes we saw not a whit of land as we will farther tell anone But the workemen thorow their good cheare for they had euery one two shillings a daies hire did play maruellous pranckes in Saint Nicholas quarter where they were lodged which was found strange in a towne so reformed as Rochell is in the which no notorious riots nor dissolutions be made and indeed one must behaue himselfe orderly there vnlesse he will incurre the danger either of the censure of the Maior or of the Ministers of the Towne Some of those disordered men were put in prison which were kept in the Towne-house till the time of going and had beene further punished had it not beene vpon consideration of the voyage where they knew they should not haue all their eases but should afterwards pay deere enough their madde bargen in putting the said Master Macquin and Master Georges to so much trouble to keepe them in order I will not for all that put in the number of this disordred people al the rest for there were some very ciuill and respectiue But I will say that the common people is a dangerous beast And this maketh me remember the Croquans war amongst whom I was once in my life being in Querci It was the strangest thing in the world to see the confusion of those woodden shooed fellowes from whence they tooke the name of Croquans that is to say Hookers because that their woodden shooes nayled before and behinde did hooke or sticke fast at euery steppe This confused people had neither rime nor reason among them euery one was Master there some armed with an hedge-hooke at a stafes end others with some rusty sword and so accordingly Our Ionas hauing her full loade was in the end rowed out of the Towne into the roade and we thought to set out the 8. or 9. of Aprill Captaine Foulques had taken the charge for the conducting of the voyage But as commonmonly there is negligence in mens businesses it hapned that this Captaine who notwithstanding I haue knowen very diligent and watchfull at sea hauing left the ship ill manned not being in her himselfe nor the Pilot but only 6. or 7. mariners good and bad a great South-east winde arose in the night which brake the Ionas cable fastend with one onely ancker and driueth her against a forewall which is out of the towne backing and proping the Tower of the chaine against which she strake so many times that she brake and sunke downe and it chanced well that it was then ebbing for if this mishap had come in flowing time the ship was in danger to be ouerwhelmed with a farre greater losse then we had but she stood vp and so there was means to mend her which was done with speed Our workemen were warned to come and helpe in this necessity either to draw at the pompe at the Capestane or to any other thing but few there were that endeuoured themselues to doe any thing the most part of them going away and most of them made a mocke of it Some hauing gone so far as to the oare went backe complaining that one had cast water vpon them being of that side that the water came out of the pompe which the winde did scatter vpon them I came thither with Monsieur De Poutrincourt and some other willing men where wee were not vnprofitable Almost all the inhabitants of Rochell were beholding this spectacle vpon the rampiers The sea was yet stormy and we thought our ship would haue dashed oftentimes against the great Towers of the towne In the end we came in with lesse losse then wee thought of The ship was all vnladen being forced to tackle and furnish her anew The losse thereby was great and the voyages almost broken off for euer for I beleeue that after so many trials none would haue ventured to goe plant Colonies in those parts that Country being so ill spoken of that euery one did pittie vs considering the accidents happened to them that had beene there before Notwithstanding Monsieur De Monts and his associates did beare manfully this losse And I must needs be so bold as to tel in this occurrāce that if euer that country be inhabited with Christians and ciuill people the first praise thereof must of right be due to the Authors of this voyage This great trouble hindered vs aboue a moneth which was emploied in the vnlading and lading againe of our ship During that time we did walke sometimes vnto the places neere about the towne and chiefly vnto the Convent of the Cordeliers which is but halfe a league off from the towne where being one Sunday I did maruell how in those places of frontier there is no better garrison having so strong enemies neere them And seeing I take in hand to relate an history of things according to the true maner of them I say that it is a shamefull thing for vs that the Ministers of Rochell pray to God euery day in their Congregations for the conuersion of the poore Sauage people and also for our safe conducting and that our Church-men doe not the like In very truth we neuer required neither the one nor the other to doe it but therin is knowen the zeale of both sides In the end a little before our departing it came to my minde to aske of the Parson or Vicar of Rochell if there might be found any of his fraternity that would come with vs which I hoped might easily be done because there was a reasonable good number of them and besides that being in a maritime towne I thought they tooke delight to haunt the seas but I could obtaine nothing and for all excuses it was tolde me that none would goe to such voyages vnlesse they were mooued with an extraordinary zeale and pietie And that it would bee the best way to seeke to the fathers Iesuites for the same Which we could not then doe our ship hauing almost her full lading Whereupon I remember to haue heard oftentimes of Monsieur De Poutrincourt that after his first voiage being at the Court an Ecclesiasticall person esteemed very zealous in the Christian religion demanded of him what might be hoped for in the conuersion of the people of New France and whether there were any great number of them Whereunto he answered that a hundred thousand soules might be gotten to Iesus Christ naming a number certaine for an vncertaine This Clergie man making small account of such a number said therupon by admiration is that all as if that number did not deserue the labour of a Church-man Truly though there were but the hundreth part of that yea yet lesse one must not suffer it to bee lost The good Sheepheard hauing among an hundred sheepe one astray left the 99. for to go and seeke out the one that was lost
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
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
nor any wise swadled in cloutes The Cimbres did put their new borne children into the snow to harden them And the Frenchmen did plunge theirs into the riuer Rhine to know if they were legitinate for if they did sinke vnto the bottome they were esteemed bastards and if they did swimme on the water they were legitimate meaning as it were that French-men ought naturally to swim vpon the waters As for our Sauages of New France when that I was there thinking nothing lesse than on this History I tooke not heed of many things which I might haue obserued But yet I remember that as a woman was deliuered of her child they came into our Fort to demand very instantly for some grease or oyle to make the child to swallow it downe before they giue him the dugge or any food they can render no reason for this but that it is a custome of long continuance Whereupon I coniecture that the diuell who hath alwaies borrowed ceremonies from the Church as well in the ancient as in the new law would that his people so doe I call them that beleeue not in God and are out of the Communion of Saints should be anointed like to Gods people which vnction he hath made to be inward because the spirituall vnction of the Christians is so CHAP. II. Of the imposition of names AS for imposition of names they giue them by tradition that is to say they haue great quantity of names which they chuse and impose on their children But the eldest sonne commonly beareth his fathers name adding at the end some diminutiue as the eldest of Membertou shall be called Membertouchis as it were the lesser or the yonger Membertou As for the yonger Son he beareth not the Fathers name but they giue him such name as they list And hee that is borne after him shall beare his name adding a syllable to it as the yonger of Membertou is called Actaudin he that commeth after is called Actaudinech So Memembourré had a sonne named Semcoud and his yonger was called Semcoudech It is not for all that a generall rule to adde this termination ech For Panoniacs yonger Sonne of whom mention is made in Membertous warre against the Armouchiquois which I haue described in the Muses of New France was called Panouiagués so that this termination is done according as the former name requireth it But they haue a custome that when this elder brother or father is dead they change name for to auoid the sorrow that the remembrance of the deceassed might bring vnto them This is the cause why after the decease of Memembourré Semcoud that died this last Winter Semcoudech hath left his brothers name and hath not taken that of his father but rather hath made himselfe to be called Paris because he dwelt in Paris And after Panoniacs death Panoniagues forsooke his name and was by one of our men called Roland which I finde euill and vndiscreetly done so to prophane Christians names and to impose them vpon Infidels as I remember of another that was called Martin Alexander the Great though he was an Heathen would not that any should beare his name vnlesse he should render himselfe woorthy thereof by vertue And as one day a souldier bearing the name of Alexander was accused before him to be voluptuous and lecherous he commanded him either to forsake that name or to change his life The Brasiliens as Iohn De Leri saith whom I had rather follow in that which he hath seene than a Spaniard impose names to their children of the first thing that commeth before them as if a bow and string come to their imagination they will call their child Ourapacen which signifieth a bow and a string and so consequently In regard of our Sauages they haue at this day names without signification which peraduenture in the first imposing of them did signifie some thing but as the tongues do change the knowledge thereof is lost Of all the names of them that I haue knowen I haue learned none sauing that Chkoudun signifieth a Trowt and Oigoudi the name of the riuer of the said Chkoudun which signifieth to see It is very certaine that names haue not beene imposed to what thing soeuer without reason For Adam gaue the name to euery liuing creature according to the property and nature thereof and consequently names haue beene giuen to men signifying something As Adam signifieth Man or that which is made of earth Euah signifieth the Mother of all liuing Abel weeping Cain possession Iesus a Sauiour Diuell a Slanderer Satan an aduersarie c. Among the Romans some were called Lucius because they were born at the breake of day Others Caesar for that the Mothers belly was cut at the birth of him that first did beare this name In like maner Lentulus Piso Fabius Cicero c. all nick-names giuen by reason of some accident like our Sauages names but with some more iudgement CHAP. III. Of the feeding of their Children ALmighty God shewing a true Mothers duty saith by the Prophet Esay Can a woman forget her child and not haue compassion on the Sonne of her wombe This pity which God requireth in Mothers is to giue the brest to their children and not to change the food which they haue giuen vnto them before their birth But at this day the most part make their brests to serue for alurements to whoredome and being willing to set themselues at ease free from the childrens noise do send them into the Country where peraduenture they be changed or giuen to bad nurses whose corruption and bad nature they sucke with their milke And from thence come the changelings weake and degenerate from the right stocke whose names they beare The Sauage women beare a greater loue than that towards their yong ones for none but themselues doe nourish them And that is generall thorowout all the West Indies likewise their brests are no baites of loue as in these our parts but rather loue in those lands is made by the flame that nature kindleth in euery one without annexing any arts to it either by painting amorous poisons or otherwise And for this maner of nursing their children are the ancient German women praised by Tacitus because that euery one did nurse their Children with her owne brests and would not haue suffered that another besides themselues should giue sucke to their children Now our Sauage women do giue vnto them with the dugge meats which they vse hauing first well chawed them and so by little and little bring them vp As for the swadling of them they that dwell in hot Countries and neere the Tropicks haue no care of it but leaue them free vnbound But drawing towards the North the mothers haue an euen smooth boord like the couering of a drawer or cupborod vpon which they lay the child wrapped in a Beauer fur vnles it be too hot and tied thereupon with some swadling band whom they carry on their
as these fresh meats And I find by my reckening that Pythagoras was very ignorant forbidding in his faire goulden sentences the vse of fishes without distinction One may excuse him in that fish being dumbe hath some conformity with his sect wherein dumbnesse or silence was much commended It is also said that he did it because that fish is nourished in an Element enemy to mankinde Item that it is a great sinne to kill and to eat a creature thar doth not hurt vs. Item that it is a delicious luxurious meat not of necessity as indeed in the Hieroglyphiques of Orus Apollo fish is put for a marke of delicacie and voluptuousnesse Item that he the said Pythagoras did eat but meats that might be offered to the gods which is not done with fishes and other such toies recited by Plutarch in his Convivial questions But all those superstions be foolish and I would faine demand of such a man if being in Canada he had rather die for hunger then to eat fish So many anciently to follow their owne fancies and to say these be we haue forbidden their followers the vse of meats that God hath giuen to man and sometimes laied yoakes vpon men that they themselues would not beare Now whatsoeuer the Philosophy of Pythagoras is I am none of his I finde better the rule of our good religious men which please themselues in eating of flesh which I liked well in New France neither am I yet displeased when I meet with such fare If this Philosopher did liue with Ambrosia and of the food of the Gods and not of fishes of which none are sacrificed vnto them Our said good religious as the Cordeliers or Franciscans of Saint Maloes and others of the maritime townes together with the Priests may say that in eating sometimes fish they eate of the meat consecrated to God For when the New found land men doe meet with some woonderfull faire Codde they make of it a Sanctorum so doe they call it and doe vow and consecrate it to Saint Frances Saint Nicholas Saint Leonard and others head and all whereas in their fishing they cast the heads into the sea I should be forced to make a whole booke if I would discourse of all the fishes that are cōmon to the Brasilians Floridians Armouchiquois Canadians Souriquois But I will restrain my selfe to two or three hauing first told that in Port Royall there is great beds of Muscles wherewith we did fill our Shallops when that sometimes wee went into those parts There be also Scallops twise as bigge as Oysters in quantitie Item Cockles which haue neuer failed vs As also there is Chatagnes demer sea Chestnuts the most delicious fish that is possible to bee Item Crabbes and Lobstarts those be the shell fishes But one must take the pleasure to fetch them and are not all in one place Now the said Port being eight leagues compasse there is by the abouesaid Philosophers leaue good sport to row in it for so pleasant a fishing And seeing wee are in the Countrie where the Coddes are taken I will not yet leaue off worke vntill I haue spoken something thereof For so many people and in so great number goe to fetch them out of all the parts of Europe euery yeere that I know not from whence such a swarme may come The Coddes that bee brought into these parts are either drie or wet The fishing of the wee fish is on the banke in the open sea on this side New found land as may be noted by my Geographicall mappe Fifteene or twentie more or lesse mariners haue euery one a lyne it is a corde of fortie or fiftie fathams long at the end whereof is a hooke baited and a lead of three pounds waight to bring it to the bottome with this implement they fish their Coddes which are so greedie that no sooner let downe but as soone caught where good fishing is The fish being drawen a shippe-boord there are boords in forme of narrow tables along the ship where the fish is dressed There is one that cutteth off their heads and casteth them commonly in the sea Another cutteth their bellies and garbelleth them and sendeth backe to his fellow the biggest part of the backe-bone which hee cutteth away That done they are put into the salting tubbe for fower and twentie houres then they are laid vp And in this sort doe they worke continually without respecting the Sunday which is the Lords day for the space of almost three moneths their sailes downe vntill the lading be fully made And because the poore mariners doe endure there some cold among the fogges specially them that be most hastie which begin their voiage in Februarie from thence commeth the saying that it is cold in Canada As for the drie Codde one must goe a land There is in New-found-land and in Bacaillos great number ef Ports where Ships lie at Ancker for three months At the very breake of day the Mariners doe goe two or three leagues off in the sea to take their lading They haue euery one filled their shaloupe by one or two a clock in the afternoone and do returne into the Port where being there is a great Scaffold built one the sea shoare whereon the fish is cast as one cast sheaues of corne through a barne window There is a great table whereon the fish cast is dressed as aboue said After six houres they are turned and so fundry times Then all is gathered and piled together and againe at the end of eight daies put to the aire In the end being dried it is laid vp But there must be no fogges when it is a drying for then it will rot not too much heat for it would become red but a temperate and windy weather They doe not fish by night because then the Cod will not bite I durst beleeue that they be of the fishes which suffer themselues to be taken sleeping although that Oppian is of opinion that fishes warring and deuouring one another as doe the Brasilians and Canibals are alwaies watchfull and sleepe not excepting neuerthelesse the Sargot onely which he saith putteth himselfe in certaine caues to take his sleepe Which I might well beleeue and this fish deserueth not to be warred vpon seeing he maketh warrs vpon none others and liueth of weeds by reason whereof all the Authours doe say that he chaweth his cudde like the Sheepe But as the same Oppian saith that this fish onely in chawing his cudde doth render a moist voice and in that he is deceaued because that my selfe haue heard many times the Seales or Sea woolues in open sea as I haue said elsewhere He might also haue aequiuocated in this The same Cod leaueth biting after the month of September is passed but retireth himselfe to the bottome of the broad sea or else goeth to a hotter country vntill the Spring time Whereupon I will heere aleadge what Pliny
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
feete and the female calleth her young ones on the land And because that he is a fish of the whales kind and very fatte our Basques and other Mariners doe make oile thereof as they doe with the whale and they doe surprise him on the land Those of Nil saith Pliny are clouen footed the maine the back and the neighing of a horse the teeth issuing foorth as to a wild Boare And he addeth that when this creature hath beene in the corne for to feed he goeth away backwards vpon his returne for feare hee should be followed by his traces I doe not purpose to discourse heere of all the sorts of fishes that are in chose parts the same being too spacious a subiect for my historie because also that I haue specified a good number of them in my farewell to New France I will say onely that by maner of pastime on the coasts of New France I will take in one day fish enough for to serue as foode for a longer time then six weeks in the places where the abundance of Codde is for that kinde of fish is there most frequent And hee that hath the industry to take Mackrels at sea may there take so many that he shall not know what to doe with them for in many places I haue seene infinite numbers of them close together which did occupie more space there three times then the market hals of Paris doe containe And notwithstanding I see a number of people in our countrie of France so rechlesse and so idle in these daies that they had rather die for hunger or liue in slauerie at the least to languish vpon their miserable dunghill then to endeauour to get out of the mire and to change their fortune by some generous action or to die in it CHAP. XXIIII Of the qualitie of the Soile VVE haue made prouision in the three last chapters of venison of foule and of fish which is much But in our old ancient France bread and wine being our vsuall sustenance it would bee hard vnto vs to make heere our aboade vnlesse the land were fit for the same Let vs then enter into consideration of it and let vs put our hands into our bosome to see if the dugges of this mother will yeeld any milke to nourish her children and as for the rest wee will take what may bee hoped for of her Attilius Regulus twise Consull in Rome did commonly say that one must not choose places ouer ranke because they are vnhealthfull neither places ouer barren although one may liue healthily in them And with such a modetate soile did Cato content himselfe The ground of New France is such for the most part of fatte sand vnder which we haue often found clay ground and of that earth did Monsieur de Poutrincourt cause a quantitie of bricks to be made wherewith he builded a furnance to melt the gum of the firre tree and chimneies I will say farther that one may make with this earth such operations as with the earth which we call terra sigillata or Bolus Armenicus as in many occasions our Apothecarie master Lewes Hebert most sufficient in his Arte hath made triall of it by the aduice of Monsieur de Poutrincourt yea euen when that Monsieur du Pont his sonne had three fingers cut off with a musket-shot which did burst being ouercharged in the countrie of the Armouchiquois This prouince hauing the two natures of Earth that God hath giuen vnto man for to possesse who may doubt but that it is a land of promise when it shal be manured Wee haue made triall of it and haue taken pleasure therein which neuer did all them that haue gone before vs whether it be in Brasill whether it be in Florida or in Canada God hath blessed our labours and hath giuen vnto vs faire wheate Rie Barly Oates Peason Beanes Hempe Turneps and garden hearbs and this so plentifully that the Rie was as high as the tallest man that may be seene and we did feare that this height should hinder it from bringing foorth seed But it hath so well fructified that one french-graine sowed there hath yeelded one hundred and fifty Eares of corne such as by the testimony of my Lord Chancellour the Iland of Cicilia nor the countrie of Beausse doe yeeld none fairer I did sow wheate without suffring my land to rest and without dunging it at all and neuerthelesse it grew vp in as faire perfection as the fairest wheate in France although the corne and all that wee did sow was to long kept But the new corne which the said Monsieur de Poutrincourt did sow before his departure from thence grew vp so beautifull that it was wonderfull according to the report of them that haue beene there a yeere after our departure Whereupon I will say that which was of mine owne doing that in the month of Aprill in the yeere 1607 hauing sowed too thicke too neere one to the other some few grains of the Rie that was gathered at Saint Croix the first dwelling of Monsieur de Monts some twenty fiue leagues from Port Royall these graines did multiplie so aboundantly that they choaked one another and came to no good perfection But as for the ground mended dunged with our hogs dung or with the sweepings of the kitchinne shels of fish or such like things I would not beleeue vnlesse I had seene it the excessiue loftinesse of the plants that it hath produced euery one in his kinde Yea the Sonne of Monsieur de Poutrincourt a yong Gentleman of great forwardnesse hauing sowed graines of Oringes and of Citrons in his garden they sprung plants of a foote high at three months end We did not expect so much and notwithstanding we tooke pleasure therein emulating one another I referre to any mans Iudgement if the second triall will be done with a good courage And heere I must say by the way that the Secretary of the said Monsieur de Monts being come into those parts before our departure did say that he would not for any thing in the world but to haue made the voyage and that vnlesse he had seene our corne he would not haue beleeued it Behold how continually the country of Canada hath beene discredited vnder whose name all that land is comprized not knowing what it is vpon thereport of some Mariners who onely doe goe to fish for Coddes and vpon the rumor of some sicknesses which may bee avoided in maintaining of mirth So that men be well furnished of necessaries But to continue our purpose of the mending of the ground whereof wee spake euen now one certaine ancient Authour saith that the Censors of Rome did let to farme the dunghils and other vncleanenesse which were drawen out of sinckes for 1000 tallents a yeere which is woorth 600000 French-crownes to the Gardeners of Rome because that it was the excellentest dung of all And there was
diuers furres that be there which I finde are not to be dispised seeing that we see so much enuy against a priuiledge that the King did grant to Monsieur de Monts for to helpe to establish and settle there some French Colony But there may be drawen a generall commodity to France that in the scarsity of victuals one Prouince may succour the other which might be done now if the Country were well inhabited seeing that since we haue beene there the seasons haue alwaies beene good in it and in these our parts rough to the poore which doe die for hunger and liueth but in want and penury in stead that there many might liue at their ease who it were better to preserue then to suffer to perish Besides fishing being made in New France the New-found-land-ships shall haue nothing to doe but to lade arriuing thither in stead that they are forced to tarry three moneths there and shal be able to make three voiage for one Of exquisit woods I know none there but the Cedar and the Sassafras but good profit may be drawen from the Firre and Pruse-trees because they will yeeld aboundance of gumme and they die very often thorow ouer much liquor This gumme is very faire like the Turpentine of Venice and very soueraigne for medicines I haue giuen some to some Churches of Paris for Frankensence which hath beene found very good One may moreouer furnish the Citie of Paris and other places of France with Sope-ashes which at this present be all bare and without woods They who finde themselues afflicted may haue there a pleasant place to retire themselues into rather then to yeeld themselues subiect to the Spaniard as many doe So many families as be in France ouercharged with Children may diuide themselues and take there their portion with those small goods and moueables as they haue Then time will discouer some thing a new and one must helpe all the world if it be possible But the chiefest good one must aime at is the establishment of Christian religion in a Country where God is not knowen and the conuersion of these poore people whose damnation crieth vengance against them that may and ought to employ themselues thereto and to contribute at least with their names to that effect seeing that they gather vp the fat of the earth and are constituted Stewards of the things of this world CHAP. XXV Of their Warre OF possessing of land commeth warre And when one hath established himselfe in New-France some greedy fellow peraduenture will come to take away the labour of honest painefull men This is that which many doe say But the state of France is God be praised too well setled for to be affraid of such trickes We are not now in the time of leagues and partialties There is none that will beginne with our king nor make aduentuturous enterprizes for a small purchase And though any one would doe it I beleeue that the remedies haue beene thought vpon alreadie And moreouer this action is for religion and not to take away anothers goods This being so Faith maketh one to march bouldly with assurance and to passe through all difficulties For beholde what the Almightie saith by his Prophet Isaiah to them whom he taketh in his tuition and to the Frenchmen of New-France Harken vnto me you that follow Iustice and that seeke after the Lord. Behold the rocke out of which you were cut and to the deepe of the Cisterne from whence you haue been drawen That is to say consider that you are French-men Looke to Abraham your father and to Sara who hath brought you foorth how I haue called him he being all alone and haue blessed and multiplied him Therefore assuredly the Lord will comfort Sion c. Our Sauages doe not ground their wars vpon the possession of the land Wee doe not see that they encroatch one vpon another for that respect They haue lande enough for to liue and for to walke Their ambition is limited within their boundes They make war as Alexander the great did make it that they may say I haue beaten you or else for reuenge in remembrance of some iniurie receaued which is the greatest vice that I find in them because they neuer forget iniuries Wherein they are so much the more excusable because they doe nothing but that which our selues doe also They follow nature And if wee refraine any thing of that instinct it is the commandement of God which maketh vs to doe it whereunto many doe stoppe their eies Therefore when they will make warres the Sagamos who hath most credit among them maketh them to know the cause why the rendez-vous and time of the assembly Being arriued he maketh long orations vnto them vpon the occasion which is offered and for to encourage them At euery proposition he demandeth their aduise and if they giue consent they all make an exclamation saying Hau if not some Sagamos will beginne to speake and say what he thinketh good of it being both the one and the other well heard Their warres are made but by surprizes in the darke of the night or by Moone-shine by ambushments or subtiltie Which is generall throughout all those Indies For we haue seene in the first booke in what fashion the Floridians doe make warre And the Brasilians doe no otherwise And the surprizes being done they come to handie blowes and doe fight very often by day But before they goe from home ours I meane the Souriquois haue this custome to make a fort within which all the yongue men of the armie doe put themselues where being the women come to compasse them about and to keepe them as besieged Seeing themselues so enuironned they make sailies for to shunne and deliuer themselues out of prison The women that keepe watch doe repulse them doe arrest them doe their best endeauour to take them And if they be taken they lay loades at them doe beate them strippe them and by such a successe they take a good presage of the warre they goe to make If they escape it is an euill signe They haue also another custome concerning some one particular man who bringing an enemies head they make great feasts dances and songs for many daies and whilest these things be in doing they strippe the Conqueror giue him but some bad ragge to couer himselfe withall But at the end of eight daies or there about after the feast euery one doth present himselfe with some thing to honour him for his valour The Captaines amongst them take their degree by succession as the regalitie in these our parts which is to be vnderstood if the Sonne of a Sagamos imitateth the vertues of his father for otherwise they doe as in the old time when that first the people did chuse kings whereof Iohn de Meung Author of the Roman de la Rose speaking hee saith that They chused the tallest that had the biggest body and biggest
bones amongst them and made him their Prince and Lord. But this Sagamos hath not an absolute authoritie among them but such as Tacitus reporteth of the ancient Germaine Kings the power of their Kings saith he is not free nor infinite but they conduct the people rather by example then by commandement In Virginia and in Florida they are more honoured then among the Souriquois But in Brasill he that hath taken and killed more prisoners they will take him for Captaine and yet his children may not inherite that dignitie Their armes are the first which were in vse after the creation of the world Clubbes bowes arrowes for as for slings and Crosse-bowes they haue none nor any weapons of iron or steele much lesse those that humane wit hath inuented since two hundred yeeres to counterfaite the thunder nor Rammes or other ancient engins of batterie They are very skilfull in shooting an arrow and let that be for an example which is recited heeretofore of one that was killed by the Armouchiquois hauing a little dogge pierced together with him with an arrow shot a farre off Yet I would not giue them the praises due to many nations of this hither world which haue beene famous for that exercise as the Scythians Getes Sarmates Goths Scots Parthians and all the people of the East of whom a great number were so skilfull that they had hit a haire which the holy Scripture witnesseth of many of Gods people namely of the Beniamites who going to warre against Israel Of all this people saith the Scripture there was seuen huudred chosen men being left-handed all these could fling a stone at an haires breadth and not faile In Creete there was an Alcon so skilfull an archer that a dragon carrying away his Sonne he pursued after him and killed him without hurting his child One may read of the Emperour Domitian that he could direct his arrow farre of between his two fingers being spred abroad The writings of the ancient make mention of many who shotte birds through flying in the aire and of other wonders which our Sauages would admire at But notwithstanding they are gallant men and good warriers who will goe through euery place being backt by some number of French-men and which is the second thing next vnto courage they can endure hardenesse in the warre lie in the snow and on the I se suffer hunger and by intermission feede themselues with smoake as we haue said in the former chapter For warre is called Militia not out of the word Mollitia as Vlpian the lawyer and others would haue it by an antiphrasticall manner of speaking But of Malitia which is as much to say as Duritia Kakia or of Afflictio which the Greekes doe call Kakosis And so it is taken in Saint Mathew where it is said that the day hath enough of his own griefe Kakia that is to â—â—y his affliction his paine his labour his hardenesse as Saint Hierome doth expound it very well And the word in S. Paul Kakopatheson Hos kalos stratiotis Ieson Christion had not beene ill translated Dura that is Suffer affliction as a good souldier of Iesus Christ insteed of Labora harden thy selfe with patience as it is in Virgill Durate rebus vosmet seruate secundis And in another place he calleth the Scipios Duros belli to signifie braue and excellent Captaines which hardnes and malice of warre Tertullian doth expound Imbonit as in the booke that he hath written to the Martirs for to exhort them to suffer afflictions manfully for the name of Iesus Christ A souldier saith he cannot come to the wars with pleasures and he goeth not to the fight comming foorth from his chamber but out oftents and pauillions stretched out and tied to stalkes and forkes Vbi omnis duritia imbonit as insuauit as where no pleasure is Now although the war which is made comming foorth out of tents and pauilions is hard yet notwithstanding the life of our Sauages is yet harder and may be called a true milicia that is to say malice which I take for hardnesse And after this maner doe they trauell ouer great countries through the woods for to surprise their enemy and to assaile him on the sudden This is that which keepeth them in perpetuall feare For at the least noise in the world as of an Ellan which passeth among branches and leaues they take an alarme They that haue townes after the maner that I haue described heeretofore are somewhat more assured For hauing well barred the comming in they may aske quiva là who goeth there and prepare themselues to the combat By such surprises the Iroquois being in number eight thousand men haue heeretofore exterminated the Algumequins them of Hochelaga and others bordering vpon the great riuer Neuerthelesse when our Sauages vnder the conduct of Membertou went to the warre against the Armouchiquois they imbarked themselues in shaloupes and Canowes But indeed they did not enter within the Country but killed them on their frontieres in the Port of Choüakoet And for asmuch as this war the cause thereof the counsell the execution and the end of it hath beene described by me in French verses which I haue annexed vnto my poem intituled the Muses of New France I refer the reader to haue recourse to it because I will not writ one thing twise I will onely say that being at the riuer Saint Iohn the Sagamos Chkoudun a Christian and Frenchman in will and courage made a yong man of Retel called Lesevre and my selfe to see how they goe to the warres And after their feast they came foorth some foure-score out of his Towne hauing laied downe their mantles of furre that is to say starke naked bearing euery one a shield which couered all their body ouer after the fashion of the ancient Gaulois who passed into Greece vnder the Captaine Brennus of whom they that could not wade the riuers did lay themselues on their Bucklers which serued them for Boates as Pausanias saith Besides these shieldes they had euery one his wodden mace their quiuers on their backes and their bow in hand marching as it were in dancing wise I doe not thinke for all that that when they come neere to the enemy for to fight that they be so orderly as the ancient Lacedemonians who from the age of fiue yeares were accustomed to a certaine maner of dancing which they vsed going to fight that is to say with a milde and graue measure to the sound of flutes to the end to come to blowes with a coole and setled sense and not to trouble their mindes to be able also to discerne them that were couragious from them that were fearefull as Plutarch saith But rather they goe furiously with great clamors and fearefull howlings to the end to astonish the enemy and to giue to themselues mutuall assurance Which is done amongst all the Westerly Indians In this mustering our Sauages went
three nights continually and without eating And all the Paraoustis that be his allies and friendes doe the like mourning cutting halfe their haires as well men as women in token of loue And that done there be some women ordained who during the time of six Moones doe lamente the death of their Paraousti three times a day crying with a loud voice in the morning at noone and at night which is the fashion of the Roman Praefices of whom we haue not long since spoken For that which is of the mourning apparell our Souriquois doe paint their faces all with blacke which maketh them to seeme very hidious But the Hebrewes were more reprouable who did scotch their faces in the time of mourning and did shaue their haires as saith the Prophet Ieremie which was vsuall among them of great antiquity By reason whereof the same was forbidden them by the law of God in Leuiticus You shall not cut round the corners of your haires neither marre the tufts of your beards and you shall not cut your flesh for the dead nor make any print of a marke vpon you I am the Lord. And in Deuteronomie you are the children of the Lord your God you shall not cut your selues nor make any baldnesse betweene your eies for the dead Which was also forbidden by the Romans in the lawes of the twelue tables Herodotus and Diodorus doe say that the Aegyptians chiefly in their Kings funerals did rent their garments and besmeered their faces yea all their heads and assembling themselues twise a day did march in round singing the vertues of their King did abstaine from sodden meats from liuing creatures from wine and from all daintie fare during the space of 70. daies without any washing nor lying on any bed much lesse to haue the company of their wiues alwaies lamenting The ancient mourning of our Queenes of France for as for our Kings they weare no mourning apparell was in white colour and therefore after the death of their husbands they kept the names of Roines blanches white Queenes But the common mourning of others is at this day in blacke qui sub personarisus est For all these mournings are but deceits and of a hundred there is not one but is glad of such a weed This is the cause that the ancient Thracians were more wise who did celebrate the birth of man with teares and their funerals with ioy shewing that by death we are deliuered from all calamities wherewith we are borne and are in rest Heraclides speaking of the Locrois saith that they make not any mourning for the dead but rather banckets and great reioycing And the wise Solon knowing the foresaid abuses doth abolish all those renting of cloathes of those weeping fellowes and would not that so many clamors should be made ouer the dead as Plutarch saith in his life The Christians yet more wise did in ancient time sing Alleluia at their burials and this verse of the Psalme Reuertere anima mea in requiem tuam quia Dominus benefecit tibi And now my soule sith thou art safe returne vnto thy rest For largely loe the Lord to thee his bounty hath exprest Notwithstanding because that we are men subiect to ioy to griefe and to other motions and perturbations of minde which at the first motion are not in our power as saith the Philosopher weeping is not a thing to be blamed whether it be in considering our fraile condition and subiect to so many harmes be it for the losse of that which we did loue and held deerely Holy personages haue bene touched with those passions and our Sauiour himselfe wept ouer the Sepulchre of Lazarus brother to the holy Magdalein But one must not suffer himselfe to be carried away with sorrow nor make ostentations of clamors wherewith very often the heart is neuer a whit touched Whereupon the wise sonne of Sirach doth giue vs an aduertisement saying Weepe for the dead for he hath lost the light of this life but make small weeping because he is in rest After that our Sauages had wept for Panoniac they went to the place where his cabin was whilst hee did liue and there they did burne all that hee had left his bowes arrowes quiuers his Beuers skinnes his Tabacco without which they cannot liue his dogs and other his small mooueables to the end that no body should quarrell for his succession The same sheweth how little they care for the goods of this world giuing thereby a goodly lesson to them who by right or wrong doe runne after this siluer diuell and very often doe breake their necks or if they catch what they desire it is in making bankerout with God and spoiling the poore whether it be with open warre or vnder colour of iustice A faire lesson I say to those couetous vnsatiable Tantalusses who take so much paines and murther so many creatures to seeke out hell in the depth of the earth that is to say the treasures which our Sauiour doth call the Riches of iniquitie A faire lesson also for them of whom Saint Hierome speaketh treating of the life of Clearks There bee some saith he who doe giue a little thing for an alme to the end to haue it againe with great vsurie and vnder colour of giuing some thing they seeke after riches which is rather a hunting than an almes So are beasts birds and fishes taken A small bait is put to a hooke to the end to catch at it silly womens purses And in the Epitaph of Nepotian to Heliodore Some saith he doe heape money vpon money and making their purses to burst out by certaine kinde of seruices they catch at a suare the richesse of good matrons and become richer being Monkes then they were being secular And for this couetousnesse the regular and secular haue beene by imperiall Edicts excluded from legacies whereof the same doth complaine not for the thing but for that the cause thereof hath beene giuen Let vs come againe to our burning of goods The first people that had not yet couetousnesse rooted in their hearts did the same as our Sauages do For the Phrygians or Troyians did bring to the Latins the vse of burning not onely of mooueables but also of the dead bodies making high piles of wood for that effect as Aeneas did in the funerals of Misenus robore secto Ingentem struxere pyram Then the body being washed and annointed they did cast all his garments vpon the pile of wood frankincense meats and they powred on it oile wine honie leaues flowers violets roses ointments of good smell and other things as may be seene by ancient histories and inscriptions And for to continue that which I haue said of Misenus Virgil doth adde Purpureásque super vestes velamina nota Conijciunt pars ingenti subiere feretro c. congesta cremantur Thura dona dapes fuso crateres oliuo And speaking of the funerals of