Glimpses of the Past: History of the River St. John, A.D. 1604-1784Raymond, W. O. (William Odber)
History
Glimpses of the Past: History of the River St. John, A.D. 1604-1784
Raymond, W. O. (William Odber)
New Brunswick -- History; Saint John River Valley (Me. and N.B.)
Father Germain, the missionary to the Indians and French on the St.
John, was a man of courage and of patriotic impulses. He deemed
himself justified in making every possible effort to keep the English
from gaining a foothold north of the Bay of Fundy, but it does not
appear that he ever incited the Indians to indulge their savage
instincts, or that he was guilty of the duplicity and barbarity that
have been so freely laid to the charge of the Abbe Le Loutre. It is
evident, moreover, that the Marquis de la Galissonniere and his aides
were particularly anxious to retain the services of Germain. He had
been twelve or fourteen years in charge of his mission on the St.
John, and during most of that time had labored single handed. Recently
Father Loverja had come to stay with the Maliseets of Medoctec in
consequence of their urgent request for a missionary, their village
being eighteen leagues from Aukpaque, where Father Germain was
stationed. Another missionary named Audren (or Andrein) had just
arrived to replace Germain, who had been nominated superior of the
house of Jesuits at Quebec. The Abbes de L'Isle-Dieu and Le Loutre
endeavored to convince the French minister that it was very
undesirable, under existing circumstances, that Germain should be
removed, as he was valued and beloved by his people--French and
Indians alike--and his services could not well be spared. There was
no chaplain at the fort, lately re-established at the mouth of the
river, and Loverja's age and infirmities would oblige him shortly to
remove to Quebec. The two missionaries would then have sufficient
occupation, especially as they would have frequently to repair on the
one hand to Medoctec, and on the other to the garrison of Fort
Menagoueche. In consequence of these strong objections to his
retirement it was decided by Father Germain's superiors to allow him
to remain at his mission.
The Abbe de L'Isle-Dieu wrote the French minister, early the next
year, that there was neither priest nor chapel at Fort Menagoueche,
and that a missionary was needed on the lower part of the river.
Father Germain had now for a long time been missionary to the
Maliseets at Aukpaque (l'isle d'Ecouba) and having more than eighty
families under his care found the fort too far removed to give due
attention to the wants of the garrison.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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