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
Au reste nous auons trouué l'hyuer dans l'esté, c'est à dire dans
le mois de May & vne partie de Iuin, les vents, & la bruine nous
glaçoient, le Pere de Nouë a eu les pieds & les mains gelées, adioustez
vne douleur de teste ou de cœur qui ne me quitta quasi iamais le
premier mois; vne grande soif, pour ce que nous ne mangions que choses
salées, & il n'y auoit point de fontaine d'eau douce dans nostre
vaisseau. Nos cabanes estoient [8] si grãdes, que nous n'y pouuions
estre ny debout, ny à genoux, ny assis, & qui pis est, l'eau pendant la
pluie me tomboit par fois sur la face. Toutes ces incõmoditez estoient
communes aux autres, les pauures mattelots enduroient bien dauantage.
Tout cela est passé, Dieu mercy, ie n'eusse pas voulu estre en France.
Tous ces petits trauaux ne nous ont point encor, comme ie croy, donné
la moindre tristesse de nostre depart. Dieu ne se laisse iamais
vaincre; si on luy donne des oboles, il donne des mines d'or, encor me
semble-il que ie me suis mieux porté que le Pere de Nouë, lequel a esté
fort longtemps sans quasi pouuoir manger; pour nostre Frere, il est
comme ces animaux Amphibies, il se porte aussi bien sur la mer que sur
la terre.
But, to speak of other things, we found winter in summer; that is
to say, in the month of May and a part of June, the winds and the
fogs chilled us; Father de Nouë's feet and hands were frozen; and,
besides this, I had pains in my head or heart, which scarcely left
me at all during the first month; and a keen thirst, because we
ate nothing but salted food, and there was no fresh water upon our
vessel. The size of our cabins was [8] such that we could not stand
upright, kneel, or sit down; and, what is worse, during the rain,
the water fell at times upon my face. All these discomforts were
shared by the others; but the poor sailors suffered many more. All
that is past; thank God, I would not have wished to be in France.
All these little afflictions have not as yet, I believe, caused us
the least sadness over our departure. God never suffers himself
to be vanquished; if you give him mites, he gives mines of gold.
Still, it seems to me that I get along better than Father de Nouë,
who, for a long time, was hardly able to eat; as to our Brother, he
is like the Amphibious animals; he is just as much at home on the
sea as on the land.
Le iour de la Pentecoste, comme i'estois prest de prescher, ce que ie
faisois [9] ordinairement les Dimanches, & bonnes Festes, vn de nos
mattelots se mit à crier moluë, moluë, il auoit ietté sa ligne, & en
tiroit vne grande. Il y auoit desia quelques iours que nous estions sur
le banc, mais on n'auoit quasi rien pris. Ce iour là on en prit tant
qu'on voulut. C'estoit vn plaisir de voir vne si grande tuerie, & tant
de ce sang répãdu sur le tillac de nostre nauire. Ce rafraichissement
nous vint fort à propos, apres de si longues bourrasques.
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