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
Le 12 d'Octobre voyant que i'auançois fort peu, apprenant auec beaucoup
de peine des mots décousus, ie m'en allay visiter les cabanes des
Sauuages à desseing d'y aller souuent, & me faire l'oreille à leur
langue. Ils estoient cabanez à plus d'vne grande lieuë loing de nostre
maison, & de peur de m'égarer dans les bois ie pris vn long destour sur
le bord du grand fleuue de Sainct Laurens. O que de peine à trencher
les roches de la pointe aux diamans! C'est vn lieu ainsi appellê de
nos François, pource qu'on y trouue quantité de petits diamants assez
beaux. Ces chemins sont affreux: i'allois des pieds & des mains, auec
belle peur de me laisser tõber. Ie passay par des endroits si estroits,
que la marée montant, & m'empeschant de poursuiure mon [9] chemin, ie
ne pouuois retourner en arriere, tant le passage me sembloit dangereux.
Ie grimpay au dessus des rochers, & m'agraffant à vne branche qui
arrestoit vn arbre abattu, cet arbre s'en vint rouler vers moy auec vne
telle impetuosité, que si ie n'eusse esquiué son coup, il m'eut tout
brisé, & ietté dans la riuiere.
On the 12th of October, seeing that I made very little progress,
learning a few stray words with a great deal of trouble, I went
to visit the cabins of the Savages, with the intention of going
there often, and accustoming my ear to their tongue. They were
encamped at a distance of more than a full league from our house,
and through fear of getting lost in the woods, I made a long detour
on the shores of the great Saint Lawrence river. Oh what a trial it
was to climb the rocks on diamond point! The place is thus named
by the French, because a quantity of very pretty little diamonds
are found there.[25] These roads are frightful; I went on my hands
and knees, with great fear of falling. I passed through places so
narrow, that when the tide arose and prevented me from continuing
on my [9] way, I could not turn back, the passage seemed to me so
dangerous. I climbed upon the rocks and, seizing a branch which
had arrested the fall of an uprooted tree, this tree came rolling
toward me with so much force, that if I had not escaped the blow,
it would have crushed and thrown me into the river.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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