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
facito, vt te periculo mortis eruat, ne quis in nos tui occasus culpam
conferat. Illud ipsum curo, inquit, Pater, desine esse sollicitus,
nec enim me hic morbus exhauriet. In Porturegiensi quiete Pater
Biardus interea doctore Barbaro vtebatur ad condiscendam barbariem,
quæ se idoneum Euangelij præconem in rudi admodum gente præstaret:
cui doctori quamdiu habuit vnde mensam insterneret, eius facili,
vtilíque opera profecit, sed discendi docendíque cursum post aliquot
hebdomadas inhibuit penus inopia. Cuius angustiis quoq; prohibiti
sunt nostri, ne quattuor Barbaros, quos Pater Biardus & Biencourtius
in maritimo discrimine, ipsis Barbaris ratum votum habẽtibus, futuros
Christianos vouerant, si è præsenti naufragio incolumes euaderent.
Erepti periculo cum ad Regium Portum appulissent nauem, non fuit in
cella vnde alerentur Barbari, quoad idonea Catechesi essent imbuti, qua
destitutione affectis nobis rei bene gerendæ occasio periit, nec postea
rediit.
POTRINCOURT, the father of Biencourt, had sailed for France in the
month of July for the sake of procuring supplies, of which there
was a great scarcity in the colony at Port Royal; but up to the
following month of October no provisions had been sent from France;
therefore, Biencourt decided to make a trip, in company with Father
Biard, to the Almochiquois, who lived near the Choüacoet river,
[579] and had plenty of Indian corn, in order by the exchange of
French goods to obtain some food for the winter. But because he
turned aside from the journey across French Bay, to the St. John
river, in order that he might exact from the young Pontgravé and
the rest of the Maclouins a tax upon their Canadian traffic, and
being longer delayed by disputes which arose with that colony, he
waited almost beyond the time for obtaining corn; and, when he
finally returned to that business, deceived by the pretensions of
the Indians, who had held out the hope of buying food, he sailed
back empty-handed to Port Royal. During this trip Father Biard
fortunately succeeded in reconciling Biencourt to Pontgravé, just
as he had lately conciliated Potrincourt, who had been enraged at
the same man; and also, by the same office of pacification, in
preserving the life of Merveille, the Malouin, who was in great
jeopardy on account of certain suspicions; by which actions he
acquired the greatest influence over them both. It was advantageous
to our Priest to have men of this character indebted for favors to
him, not only for many other reasons, but especially, because he
designed to make use of their faithful and effective services in
learning the Canadian language, in which Pontgravé was unusually
skilled, if they should be allowed to reside together for a few
days, or to meet even more frequently. They, of their own accord,
took care that Father Biard might not request what he desired,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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