The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 3: Acadia, 1611-1616 — John Shaqi
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
Quelque part qu'ils soyent arriués; la premiere chose c'est de faire
du feu, & se cabaner, ce qu'ils ont faict dans vn heure, ou deux:
souuent en demy heure. Les femmes vont au bois, & en apportent des
perches, lesquelles on dispose par en bas en rond à lentour du feu;
& par en haut on les enfourche entr'elles pyramidalement, [41] de
maniere qu'elles se reposent l'vne contre l'autre droit au dessus du
feu; car là est la cheminée. Sur les perches on iette des peaux, ou
bien des nattes, ou des escorces. Au pied des perches dessous les peaux
se mettent les sacs. Toute la place à l'entour du feu est ionchée de
fueilles de pin, à fin de ne sentir l'humidité de la terre: dessus les
fueilles de sapin ils iett[~e]t souu[~e]t des nattes ou des peaux de
loup marin aussi delicates que le velours; là dessus ils s'estendent à
l'entour du feu ayant la teste sur leurs sacs. Et ce qu'on ne croiroit
pas, ils sont tres-chaudement leans dedans à petit feu, voire aux plus
grandes rigueurs de l'Hiuer. Ils ne se caban[~e]t point, qu'aupres de
quelque bonne eau, & en lieu de plaisant aspect. En Esté leurs logis
changent de figure: car ils les font larges & longs, [42] à fin d'auoir
plus d'air; aussi les couurent-ils lors quasi d'escorces, ou de nattes,
faictes de roseaux tendres, & sont beaucoup plus minces & delicates
que les nostres de paille, si artistement tissuës, que quand elles
pend[~e]t, l'eau coule tout au long, sans point les percer.
Arrived at a certain place, the first thing they do is to build a
fire and arrange their camp, which they have finished in an hour
or two; often in half an hour. The women go to the woods and bring
back some poles which are stuck into the ground in a circle around
the fire, and at the top are interlaced, in the form of a pyramid,
[41] so that they come together directly over the fire, for there
is the chimney. Upon the poles they throw some skins, matting or
bark. At the foot of the poles, under the skins, they put their
baggage. All the space around the fire is strewn with leaves of
the fir tree, so they will not feel the dampness of the ground;
over these leaves are often thrown some mats, or sealskins as soft
as velvet; upon this they stretch themselves around the fire with
their heads resting upon their baggage; And, what no one would
believe, they are very warm in there around that little fire, even
in the greatest rigors of the Winter. They do not camp except near
some good water, and in an attractive location. In Summer the shape
of their houses is changed; for then they are broad and long, [42]
that they may have more air; then they nearly always cover them
with bark, or mats made of tender reeds, finer and more delicate
than ours made of straw, and so skillfully woven, that when they
are hung up the water runs along their surface without penetrating
them.
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