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
[68] Is there not some Lady in France who has enough courage to
found here a Seminary for girls, to be under the care of some good
courageous widow, assisted by two brave young women, who would live
in a house which might be built near the home of that estimable
family that is here? There are Ladies in Paris who yearly spend
over ten thousand francs in pocket-money; if they would apply a
part of this to gather in the drops of blood that the son of God
shed for so many souls that are going astray daily for want of
help, then they would not be put to shame when they appear before
God, and must give an account of the goods of which he has made
them stewards. That is a great deal easier to say than to do.
Le 10. de Ianuier le froid estoit [66 i.e., 69] fort violẽt, Ie ne
voy le iour la plus part de l'hyuer qu'au trauers des glaces: il se
fait vne crouste de glace sur les chassis de ma cellule ou chambrette,
laquelle tombe comme vne losange ou carreau de verre quand le froid se
vient à relascher: C'est au travers de ce crystal que le Soleil nous
communique sa lumiere. I'ay souuent trouué de gros glaçons attachez le
matin à ma couuerture, formez du souffle de l'haleine; & m'oubliant de
les oster le matin, ie les trouuois encore le soir: I'en ay quelquefois
veu en France, mais peu souuent & bien petits, à comparaison de ceux-cy.
On the 10th of January the cold was [66 i.e., 69] very severe.
I see daylight a great part of the winter only through ice. The
crusts of ice gather upon the windows of my cell or little room,
and fall like a lozenge, or a piece of glass, when the cold
relaxes. It is through this crystal that the Sun sends us his
light. Several times I have found large pieces of ice, formed by
my breath, attached to my blanket in the morning; and, forgetting
to shake them off, I found them there still in the evening. I have
sometimes seen them in France, but rarely, and they were very small
compared with these.
Comme nous n'auons ny fontaine, ny puy, il nous faut aller tous les
iours puiser de l'eau à la riuiere, de laquelle nous sommes esloignez
enuiron 200 pas: mais pour en auoir, il faut fendre la glace à grands
coups [70] de hache, & encor faut-il attendre que la mer monte, car le
marée estãt basse, on ne peut auoir d'eau pour l'espaisseur des glaces.
Nous iettons ceste eau dans vn poinçon qui n'est pas loing d'vn bon
feu; & cependãt il faut auoir vn grand soin tous les matins de rompre
la crouste de glace qui se forme dans ce vaisseau, autrement en deux
nuicts tout ne seroit qu'vn glaçon, le poinçon fut-il plein.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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