The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 3: Acadia, 1611-1616
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 3: Acadia, 1611-1616
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
Nous fusmes à Kinibequi iusques au quatre, ou cinquiesme de Nouembre,
saison ja trop auancée pour passer outre selon nostre premier dessein:
c'est pourquoy le sieur de Biencourt se mit au retour d'autant qu'il
pensoit estre moindre mal de souffrir l'Hyuer, & la disette à Port
Royal, y estans bien logés, & chauffés, & attendãts la misericorde
de Dieu; que non pas de risquer sur mer en vn temps de tempestes,
parmy des Barbares & ennemis, ayants [182] encores de plus la faim à
craindre; car nos prouisions commençoy[~e]t fort à faillir: ainsi donc
nous adressasmes à P[~e]tegoet pour nous en retourner à Port Royal.
We were at Kinibequi until the fourth or fifth of November, a
season already too advanced to go on any farther, according to our
first intention; hence sieur de Biencourt set out upon his return,
thinking it the lesser evil to endure Winter and want at Port
Royal, comfortably lodged and warm, awaiting God's mercy, than to
risk passage upon the sea in this stormy season, being now among
Barbarians and enemies, with [182] famine to fear besides; for our
provisions began to be very scarce: therefore we turned towards
Pentegoet, on our way back to Port Royal.
A Pentegoet nous trouuasmes vn'assemblee de quatre vingts cauots
Sauuages, & vne chaloupe. C'estoit en tout enuiron trois cents ames.
De là nous repassasmes à l'Isle S. Croix, où Platrier nous donna deux
barils de pois, ou de febues: l'vn & l'autre nous fut vn bien grand
present.
At Pentegoet we found an assemblage of eighty canoes of Savages,
and a boat, in all about three hundred souls. Thence we passed on
to the Island of Ste. Croix, where Platrier gave us two barrels of
peas or beans; they both proved a very great boon to us.
Icy le P. Biard supplia le sieur de Biencour de le faire passer à la
riuiere S. Ieã à ce qu'il peust aller trouuer du Pont & trauailler au
Catechisme, ainsi qu'ils auoyent conuenu au depart. Mais ledit sieur
ne luy voulust point accorder sa requeste, sinon aux conditions, qu'il
entretinst & nourrist auec soy les matelots, qui le conduiroyent [183]
iusques au Printemps suiuant; Condition totalement impossible. Ainsi
fallust qu'il laissast son Catechisme, & s'en reuinst auec les autres à
Port Royal à son grand regret.
Here Father Biard begged sieur de Biencour to let him go on to the
river St. John so that he could find du Pont and go to work on
the Catechism, as they had agreed at his departure. But the said
sieur was not willing to grant his request, unless on the condition
that he would feed and keep with him, [183] until the following
Spring, the sailors who would take him there; a Condition totally
impossible. Therefore he had to give up his Catechism, and return
with the others to Port Royal, much to his regret.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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