The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 2: Acadia, 1612-1614
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 2: Acadia, 1612-1614
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
declare, in the presence of the Jesuits, that there would be no
place for them in the vessel; [571] and they emphatically asserted
that, if it should be otherwise, they would straightway forsake the
prosecution of the work, and all other business in their contract.
From this resolution, not even the authority of the Queen herself,
pronounced with dignity and severity by Sieur _de Cicoigne_, the
royal Governor of the city of Dieppe, could move these servants of
Calvin. The matter was apparently in a desperate condition, because
only this one ship was that year being fitted out for New France,
and the two Calvinists would not permit themselves to be moved
in any respect. This difficulty of ours deeply pained Madame de
Guercheville, a woman of extreme piety and great spirit; but her
ingenuity speedily devised a method by which she might place us
on the ship, not as passengers, but as partners, to the exclusion
of the churlish Heretics. She therefore collected in a few days,
from the leading men and women of the Court, 4,000 livres, as
much as was necessary for fitting out the ship; and by raising
that sum deprived the two Calvinists of a share in the vessel,
establishing at the same time a sufficient capital from which there
might each year be paid to the director of the Canadian undertaking
an allowance for our Mission. When, therefore, by the diligence
of this woman, the obstacles which delayed us had been removed,
although nearly three months had been spent in equipping the ship,
still, in the eleventh year of this century, on the 24th day of
January, we set sail under the leadership of God, from the shore at
Dieppe; and, after a voyage lasting in all four months, arrived at
Campseau harbor, on the Southern coast of New France; at a distance
thence of 120 leagues, either by sea or land, we joyfully entered
Port [572] Royal. The exercises of the members of the Society
in piety, humility, and kindness toward all manner of men, were
especially observed by our brethren during that sea-voyage, because
an expedition of great importance was being undertaken, and also
for the reason that, besides a few Calvinists, we were associated
with officers and seamen to whom it was absolutely necessary that
we should, on account of our frequent intercourse, give more
correct ideas concerning the Institutum[69] of the Society than
they had formerly received. When we brought the ship to the coast
of this region, Champlain[70] met us,--a man renowned not only for
his valor in other respects, but also for his voyages in this sea
for seven years past; whom, to our utter amazement, we have seen
battling against masses of ice, equal in size to great hills upon
land, with the greatest courage, and with remarkable activity and
skill, sailing forth bravely amid all these dangers. Concerning the
St.
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