The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 5: Quebec, 1632-1633 — John Shaqi
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
Ie remarquay la cruauté mesme des filles & des femmes, pendant
que ces pauures prisonniers dançoiẽt: car comme ils passoient deuant
le feu, elles soufloient & poussoient la flamme dessus eux pour les
brusler. Quand ils les font mourir ils les attachent à vn poteau,
puis les filles aussi bien que les hommes leur appliquent [24] des
tisons ardents & flambans aux parties les plus sensibles du corps, aux
costez, aux cuisses, à la poitrine, & en plusieurs autres endroits:
ils leurs leuent la peau de la teste, puis iettent sur le crane ou le
test découuert, du sablon tout bruslant; ils leurs percent les bras au
poignet auec des bastons pointus, & leurs arrachent les nerfs par ces
trous. Bref ils les font souffrir tout ce que la cruauté & le Diable
leur met en l'esprit. En fin pour derniere catastrophe ils les mangent
& les deuorent quasi tout crus. Si nous estions pris des Hiroquois,
peut-estre nous en faudroit-il passer par là, pour autant que nous
demeurons auec les Montagnards leurs ennemis. Ils sont si enragez
contre tout ce qui leur fait du mal, qu'ils mangent les poux & toute
autre vermine qu'ils trouuẽt sur eux, non pour aucun goust qu'ils y
ayent; mais seulement, [25] disent-ils, pour se vanger & pour manger
ceux qui les mangent.
Now, as in the wide stretches of territory in this country there
are a great many wholly barbarous tribes, so they very often make
war upon each other. When we arrived at Tadoussac the Savages were
coming back from a war against the Hiroquois, and had taken nine
of them: those of Quebec took six, and those of Tadoussac three.
Monsieur Emery de Caën went to see the captives, hoping to save the
life of the youngest one. I pleaded very earnestly for all three,
but was told that great presents were necessary, and I had none.
Having arrived at the cabins of the Savages, which are made of
poles, clumsily covered with bark, the top left uncovered for the
purpose of letting in light and of leaving [21] an opening for the
smoke to go out, we entered that of the war Captain, which was long
and narrow. There were three fires in the middle, distant from each
other five or six feet. Having entered, we sat down here and there
on the ground, which was covered with little branches of fir, for
they have no other seats. This done, they brought in the prisoners,
who sat down beside each other. The eldest was over 60, the second
about 30, and the third was a young boy from 15 to 16 years old.
They all began to sing, in order to show that they were not at all
afraid of death, however cruel it might be. Their singing seemed
to me very disagreeable; the cadence always ended with reiterated
aspirations, "oh! oh! oh! ah! ah! ah! hem! hem! hem!" _etc._ After
singing for some time, they were made to dance, one after the
other. The eldest one rose first, and began [22] to walk through
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