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
could not carry them back with me on account of the difficulties of
the road, promising her something for her trouble. I do not know
whether they understood my jargon, but I have not seen them since.
Having returned to our lodgings, and recounted to Father de Nouë
the difficulties of the road, he told me, by way of consolation,
that in going to the Hurons one would encounter forty places much
more difficult then the one of which I spoke. God be blessed for
all things. If our [13] Fathers who are going to those countries
have trials, God will know very well how to compensate them. Seeing
that a great deal of time was lost in going to and from the cabins,
I sought another means of finding out something about the language,
of which I shall soon speak.
Le 13. du mesme mois d'Octobre le Sauuage nõmé Manitougache, surnommé
des François La Nasse, nous vint voir auec quantité d'autres, qui nous
firent depositaires & gardiens de leurs sacs & richesses. Ie demanday à
l'vn d'eux son nom, il baissa la teste sans rien dire: vn François le
demanda à vn autre, luy disant _Khiga ichenicasson?_ comment t'appelles
tu? Il respondit, _namanikisteriten_, ie n'en scay rien. I'ay depuis
appris qu'ils ne veulent point dire leur nom deuant les autres, ie ne
scay pourquoy. Si neãtmoins vous demandez à quelqu'vn [14] comme vn
autre s'appelle, il vous le dira librement, mais il ne dira pas son
nom. Il est vray que ie l'ay faict dire à quelques enfans, lesquels me
demandans le mien, & voyans que ie le difois librement, ils me disoyent
aussi le leur.
On the 13th of the same month of October the Savage named
Manitougache, surnamed by the French La Nasse,[26] came to see
us with a number of others, making us the trustees and guardians
of their sacks and possessions. I asked one of them his name; he
bowed his head, without saying a word. A Frenchman asked it of
another, saying to him: _Khiga ichenicasson?_--"What is thy name?"
He answered, "_namanikisteriten_,--I know nothing about it." I have
since learned that they do not like to tell their names before
others, I know not why. If, however, you ask some one [14] what
another's name is, he will tell you very freely though he will not
tell his own. It is true that I have had a number of children tell
me, who asked me my name, and, seeing that I told them freely, they
told me theirs also.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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