The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 6: Quebec, 1633-1634
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 6: Quebec, 1633-1634
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
Le Porc épic se prend à l'attrape & à la course, le chien l'ayant
découuert, il est [156] mort s'il n'est bien prés de son giste, qu'il
faict sous de grandes roches, sous lesquelles s'estant retiré, il est
en lieu d'asseurance; car ny les hõmes, ny les chiens, ne se sçauroient
glisser là dessous, il ne peut courre sur la neige, voila pourquoy il
est bien tost assommé, & n'est guere plus gros qu'vn gros cochon de
laict, ses pointes ou piquerons sont blãcs, longuets & assez minces,
entrelassez & entremeslez d'vn poil noir ou grisate: I'ay veu en France
des armes où il y auoit des pointes de Porcs épics trois fois plus
longues & dix fois plus grosses & biẽ plus fermes que celles des Porcs
épics de ce païs cy: les Sauuages m'ont dit que vers le fleuue de
Saguenay, tirãt vers le Nord, ces animaux y estoient bien plus gros.
Ils les brulent comme nous faisons les pourceaux en France, puis les
ayant raclez, les font boüillir ou rostir, le manger en est bon, assez
dur neantmoins, notamment des vieux, car les ieunes sont tendres &
delicats; mais ils n'approchent point, ny de nos Porcs Sangliers, ny de
nos Porcs domestiques.
The Porcupine is taken in a trap, or by coursing. The dog having
discovered it, it is sure to be [156] killed if it is not very
near its abode, which it makes under large rocks; having reached
this, it is in a place of safety, for neither men nor dogs can
crawl into it. It cannot run upon the snow, and is therefore
very soon put to death. It is hardly larger than a good-sized
sucking-pig. Its points or quills are white, long, and rather thin,
interlaced and mixed with black or grayish hair. In France I have
seen specimens of the Porcupine with quills three times longer and
ten times thicker, and much stiffer than those of the Porcupines
of this country. The Savages have told me that near the Saguenay
river, toward the North, these animals are much larger. They singe
them as we do pigs in France; and, after they are scraped, they
are boiled or roasted, and are quite edible, although rather
tough, especially the old ones, but the young ones are tender and
delicate. But in taste they are not equal to either our Wild Boar
or our common Pig.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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