The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 7: Quebec, Hurons, Cape Breton, 1634-1635
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 7: Quebec, Hurons, Cape Breton, 1634-1635
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
[167] Iugez maintenant qu'elle peut-estre la gentillesse de leurs
habits, la noblesse & la richesse de leurs ornements, vous prẽdriez
plaisir de les voir en cõpagnie: pendant l'Hiuer toutes sortes d'habits
leurs sont propres, & tout est commun tant aux femmes comme aux hommes:
il n'y a point de difformité en leurs vestemens, tout est bon, pourueu
qu'il soit biẽ chaud. Ils sont couuerts propremẽt, quand ils le sont
commodement; dõnez leur vn chaperon, vne homme le portera aussi bien
qu'vne femme, il n'y a habit de fol dont ils ne se seruent sagement,
s'ils s'en peuuent seruir chaudement: ils ne sont point comme ces
Seigneurs qui s'attachent à vne couleur. Depuis qu'ils prattiquent nos
Europeans, ils sont plus bigarrez que des Suisses. I'ay veu vne petite
fille de six ans vestuë de la casaque de son pere, qui estoit vn grand
homme, il ne falut point de Tailleur pour luy mettre cét habit dans
sa iustesse, on le ramasse à l'entour du corps, & on le lie comme vn
fagot. L'vn a vn bonnet rouge, l'autre vn bõnet verd, l'autre vn gris,
tous faits, nõ à la mode de la Cour, mais à la mode de la commodité.
L'autre aura [168] vn chapeau que si les bords l'empeschent, ils les
couppent.
[167] Judge now how elegant must be their garments, how noble and
rich their ornaments. You would enjoy seeing them in company.
During the Winter all kinds of garments are appropriate to them,
and all are common to both women and men, there being no difference
at all in their clothes; anything is good, provided it is warm.
They are dressed properly when they are dressed comfortably. Give
them a hood, and a man will wear it as well as a woman; for there
is no article of dress, however foolish, which they will not wear
in all seriousness if it helps to keep them warm, in this respect
being unlike those Lords who affect a certain color. Since they
have had intercourse with our Europeans, they are more motley than
the Swiss. I have seen a little six-year-old girl dressed in the
greatcoat of her father, who was a large man; yet no Tailor was
needed to adjust it to her size, for it was gathered around her
body and tied like a bunch of fagots. One has a red hood, another
a green one, and another a gray,--all made, not in the fashion of
the Court, but in the way best suited to their convenience. Another
will wear [168] a hat with the brim cut off, if it happens to be
too broad.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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