The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 5: Quebec, 1632-1633
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 5: Quebec, 1632-1633
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
comme nous estions venus, sans baptiser l'enfant, ne iugeant pas sa
maladie mortelle, la fiebure quoy que bien grande estãt intermittente.
The next day Father de Nouë and I went to see the child. Our fear
lest he should die without being baptized made us set out in
the midst of very stormy weather; the wind and rain seemed bent
on breaking and drowning everything. I also wanted to go and hear
the confession of a Bengalese, who had been wounded, and had sent
for me. He is a young man brought from the East Indies, who had
been converted to Christianity in France, and has been passing
the winter here with us. I saw him, and consoled him as best I
possibly could. As to the little Savage, having presented myself
at one of the doors of the Cabin, they said to me: _aouesse_, "go
away." But, having heard my voice, they told me to come in by the
other door; I went in, while Father de Nouë was seeking the [260
i.e., 160] Interpreter. A woman stopped me at the first step,
saying, _appitou_, "sit thee down there." I answered her, "yes, I
want to see the child." "Wait, wait," said she to me, "thou shalt
see him." The greatest sorcerer they have among them, according
to the Interpreter, who arrived shortly afterward, sang and blew
upon the child to cure him. They had made a little retreat where
the child was. Two or three times I tried to get near it, but was
not permitted. The Savages stopped me every time. I waited until
this fine doctor had treated his patient; the child, naked as one's
hand, lay in a cradle of bark, upon pulverized rotten wood. He
was burning with a high fever; and this charlatan, to cure him,
was beating upon and whirling around an instrument full of little
stones, made exactly like a [261 i.e., 161] tambourine. With all
this he howled immoderately. In a word, he and his companion, in
order to cure this little boy of a fever, made enough noise to
give one to a healthy man. The sorcerer approached the patient,
and blew all over the body, as I conjectured, for I could not see
what he was doing, but I heard his breath drawn from the depths of
his stomach. He beat the tambourine in the child's ears, during
which there was great silence among the other Savages who were in
the same cabin. His medicine having been given, he called me and
told me I might then see the child, and that I should give him
my opinion; as to him, he believed that the child had something
or other black in his body, and it was that which made him sick.
Behold the result of this great noise. I approach, I feel the pulse
of the child, I discover a raging fever; and I tell him that he has
a sickness [262 i.e., 162] which we call fever, that he must be
left to rest, and not be killed by this great noise which makes him
worse; that recently I had an attack of fever, and that rest had
cured me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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