The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 1: Acadia, 1610-1613
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 1: Acadia, 1610-1613
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
It will be remembered that in 1615 the Récollet friar, Joseph le
Caron, made his way into the far-away country of the Hurons, but
returned in the following year, having learned much of their language
and customs. Five years later, another of his order, William Poulin,
took up the weary task, being joined in 1623 by Fathers Le Caron and
Nicholas Viel, and the historian of the Récollet missions, Brother
Gabriel Sagard. All of them soon left the field, however, save Viel,
who alone, amid almost incredible hardships, attained some measure of
success; but in 1625, when descending the Ottawa to meet and arrange
for co-operation with the Jesuit Brébeuf, at Three Rivers, he was
willfully drowned by his Indian guide in the last rapid of Des Prairies
River, just back of Montreal. Such is the origin of the name of the
dread Sault au Récollet.
In 1626, the Jesuits Brébeuf and Anne de Nouë, having received some
linguistic instruction from Récollets who had been in the Huron field,
proceeded thither, with a Récollet friar, Joseph de la Roche Daillon,
to resume the work which the Récollets had abandoned. Daillon attempted
a mission to neighboring Neutrals, but, being roughly handled by
them, rejoined his Jesuit friends among the Hurons. Two years later,
he returned to Quebec, having been preceded by De Nouë, who found it
impossible to master the difficult language of their dusky flock.
Brébeuf, now left alone, labored gallantly among these people, and,
winning the hearts of many by his easy adoption of their manners,
gathered about him a little colony of those favorably inclined to his
views. He was recalled to Quebec in 1629, arriving there just in time
to fall into the hands of Louis Kirk, and be transported to England.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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