To the General of the Society of JESUS by Reverend PIERRE BIARD of the same Society _According to the copy published in the_ ANNUÆ LITTERÆ _of the year 1611_ DILLINGEN. From Meyer's Press, at Melchior Algeyer's. [iii] Lectori. _POSTQUAM Patres Societatis_ Jesu _malevolentiam inimicorum suorum vicerant et in_ Galliam _reversierant, vocari videbantur aliò ad labores suos fructuosè collocandos._ [iii] To the Reader. _AFTER the Fathers of the Society of_ Jesus _had overcome the ill-will of their enemies and again been admitted into_ France,[7] _they felt themselves called to other fields for the fruitful employment of their labors._ _Multa erat in_ Novâ Franciâ _messis, ubi incolæ pene belluarum more sine Numinis cognitione vivebant._ _A rich harvest was offered in_ New France, _where the natives lived almost like animals, without any knowledge of God._ _Illûc igitur missi fuerunt duo Societatis sacerdotes, Patres scilicet_ Petrus Biardus _et_ Enemundus Massæus, _qui in_ Acadiam _pervenerunt 22 Maii, Anno Salutis 1611. Septem per menses ibi commoratus_, [iv] P. Biardus _hanc epistolam, Superiori suo transmisit._ _To that country, accordingly, were sent two priests of the Society, Fathers_ Pierre Biard _and_ Enemond Massé, _who reached_ Acadia _on the 22nd of May, 1611. After remaining there seven months_, [iv] Father Biard _sent this epistle to his Superior._ _Quatuor velluti in capita hæc litera divisa est, & narrat:_ 1º. _Quid sit_ Nova Francia, _qualis regio, qui in eâ populi, quique mores._ 2º. _Quo modo, quibusve auxiliis aut successu, Societas missionem illá in regione consecuta sit._ 3º. _Quonam in statu rem Christianam his in locis offenderit Societas._ 4º. _Quid a missionariis hactenus effectum seu potius attentatum sit._ _The letter is divided, as it were, under four heads, and relates:_ _1st. What New France is, the nature of the country, what tribes inhabit it, and their customs._ _2nd. In what manner, with what help and with what success the Society secured a mission in that country._ _3rd. In what condition the Society found the Christian religion in this region._ _4th. What has been done by the missionaries thus far, or rather what has been attempted._ _Licet epistola sub finem habeat:_ ultimo die Januarii CIↃ. IↃC. XI. _ia quidem aut error in anno est, aut P._ Biardus _secundum stylum veterem scripsit, nam debit esse annus_, CIↃ. IↃC. XII. _Although, the end of the letter reads: the last day of_ January, 1611,--_either there is an error in the year, or Father Biard wrote according to the old style, for the year ought to be 1612.[8]_ [5] Missio Canadensis. REVERENDE IN CHRISTO PATER, Pax Christi.