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
Ils entretiennent leur santé (l'Esté principalement) par l'vsage des
estuuées & sueurs, & du baigner. Ils se seruent aussi de friction,
apres laquelle ils s'oignent tout le corps d'huyle de loup marin.
Ce qui les rend fort fascheusement puants à qui n'y est accoustumé.
Neantmoins ceste onction faict, que le chaud & le froid leur en sont
plus tolerables, que leurs [78] cheueux ne sõt prins par les bois,
ains glissent, que la pluye & mauuais temps ne leur nuit à la teste,
ains coule en bas & iusques aux pieds. Item, que les moucherons (qui
là sont cruels en Esté, & plus qu'on ne croiroit) ne les tourmentent
point tant és parties nuës, &c. Ils vsent aussi du petun, & en boiuent
la fumée, de la façon commune en France. Cela leur profite sans
doute, voire leur est du tout necessaire, veu les grandes extremitez
qu'ils endur[~e]t de froid & mauuais temps, de faim, & de repletion
ou saturité, mais aussi beaucoup de maux leur en aduiennent; à cause
de leur excés en cela, c'est tout leur deduit quãd ils en ont, & de
certains François aussi bien que d'eux, qui s'y accoquinent, tellement
que pour boire de ces fumées, ils vendroyent leur chemise. Tous leurs
deuis, [79] traictés, bien-veignements, & caresses se font auec ce
petun. Ils se mett[~e]t en rond à l'entour du feu, deuisants, & se
baillants le petunoir de main en main, & s'entretenants en ceste façon
plusieurs heures auec grand plaisir. Tel est leur goust, & coustume.
They keep themselves well (principally in Summer) by the use of
hot rooms and sweat boxes, and by the bath. They also use massage,
afterwards rubbing the whole body with seal oil, causing them to
emit an odor which is very disagreeable to those not accustomed to
it. Nevertheless, when this oiling process is over, they can stand
heat and cold better, and their [78] hair is not caught in the
branches, but is slippery, so that rain and tempest do not injure
the head, but glide over it to the feet; also that the mosquitoes
(which are very vicious there in Summer, and more annoying than
one would believe) do not sting so much in the bare parts, etc.
They also use tobacco, and inhale the smoke as is done in France.
This is without doubt a help to them, and upon the whole rather
necessary, considering the great extremes of cold and bad weather
and of hunger and overeating or satiety which they endure; but
also many ills arise from it, on account of its excessive use. It
is the sole delight of these people when they have some of it, and
also certain Frenchmen are so bewitched with it that, to inhale
its fumes, they would sell their shirts. All their talks, [79]
treaties, welcomes, and endearments are made under the fumes of
this tobacco. They gather around the fire, chatting and passing the
pipe from hand to hand, enjoying themselves in this way for several
hours. Such is their inclination and custom.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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