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
All night there was continual haranguing, singing and dancing,
for such is the kind of life all these people lead when they are
together. Now as we supposed that probably their songs and dances
were invocations to the devil, to oppose the power of this cursed
tyrant, I had our people sing [65] some sacred hymns, as the
_Salve_, the _Ave Maris Stella_, and others. But when they once
got into the way of singing, the spiritual songs being exhausted,
they took up others with which they were familiar. When they came
to the end of these, as the French are natural mimics, they began
to mimic the singing and dancing of the Armouchiquois who were
upon the bank, succeeding in it so well that the Armouchiquois
stopped to listen to them; and then our people stopped and the
others immediately began again. It was really very comical, for
you would have said that they were two choirs which had a thorough
understanding with each other, and scarcely could you distinguish
the real Armouchiquois from their imitators.
Le matin venu, nous poursuyvions notre route contremont. Eux, nous
ayans accompagnez, nous dirent que si nous voulions du _piousquemin_
(c'est leur bled), que nous debvions avec facilité prendre à droicte,
et non avec grand travail et danger aller contremont; que prenant à
droicte par le bras qui se monstroit, en peu d'heures, nous arriverions
vers le grand sagamo Meteourmite, qui nous fourniroit de tout; qu'ils
nous y serviroient de guides, car aussy bien s'en alloyent ils le
visiter.
In the morning we continued our journey up the river. The
Armouchiquois, who were accompanying us, told us that if we wanted
any _piousquemin_ (corn), it would be better and easier for us
to turn to the right and not, with great difficulty and risk, to
continue going up the river; that if we turned to the right through
the branch which was just at hand, in a few hours we would reach
the great sagamore Meteourmite, who would furnish us with all we
wanted; that they would act as our guides, since they themselves
were going to visit him.
Il est à presumer, et en avons de grands indices, qu'ils ne nous
donnoyent ce conseil sinon en intention [66] de nous prendre aux
filets, et avoir bon marché de nous à l'ayde de Meteourmite, lequel ils
sçavoient estre ennemy des Anglois, et le conjecturoient l'estre de
tous estrangers. Mais, Dieu mercy, leurs embusches se tournerent contre
eux.
It is to be supposed, and there were strong indications of it, that
they gave us this advice only with the intention [66] of ensnaring
us, and making an easy conquest of us by the help of Meteourmite,
whom they knew to be the enemy of the English, and whom they
supposed to be an enemy of all foreigners. But, thank God, their
ambuscade was turned against themselves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 2: Acadia, 1612-1614 — John Shaqi
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