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
Quasi tous les Sauuages ont vn petit Castipitagan, ou sac à petum; les
vns sont faits d'vne peau de rat musqué, en telle sorte que l'animal
semble tout entier: il n'a qu'vne petite ouuerture par la teste par où
ils l'ont écorché: les autres sont faits d'autres animaux; il y en a
qui ont vne partie du bras & la main de quelque Hiroquois qu'ils ont
tué: cela est si biens vuidé que les ongles restẽt toutes entieres:
vous diriez vraiemẽt vne main solide, quand ils l'ont remply de petum,
ou autre chose ie n'en ay point veu, mais on m'a asseuré que cela
estoit ainsi.
Nearly all the Savages have a little Castipitagan or tobacco pouch.
Some are made from the skin of the muskrat, in such a way that the
animal seems quite entire, there being only a little opening at the
head made in skinning it. Others are made of other animals. Some
of them carry a part of an arm or a hand of a Hiroquois whom they
have slain, which is so skillfully prepared that the nails remain
entire. You would really think it was a solid hand, when they fill
it with tobacco or something else. I have not seen any of these,
but I have been assured that it is so.
Quelquefois pour monstrer qu'ils [54] ont du courage, vn Sauuage se
liera le bras nud auec vn autre, puis mettant entre leurs deux bras
sur la chair vn morceau de tondre allumé, ils le laissent consommer
iusques au bout, se bruslans iusques aux os: celuy qui retire le bras,
& secouë le feu, est tenu pour moins courageux: ie n'ay point veu cette
barbarie; on m'a dit qu'vn François estant aux Hurons pensa perdre le
bras, voulant ioüer à ce beau ieu contre vn Sauuage.
Sometimes, in order to show that they [54] have courage, a Savage
will bind his bare arm to that of another; then putting between the
two arms, upon the flesh, a piece of lighted tinder, they leave it
until it is entirely consumed, burning themselves to the bone. The
man who withdraws his arm and shakes off the fire is considered
lacking in courage. I have not seen this act of barbarism. I am
told that a Frenchman who was among the Hurons, came very near
losing his arm in trying to play at this fine game with a Savage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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