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
On the thirtieth day of October, we went away from this unhappy
Island, and toward nightfall disembarked at another Island
which bears a name almost as big as it is, for it is not half a
league in circumference; and this is what our Savages tell me
it is called, _Ca pacoucacktechokhi chachagou achiganikhi, Ca
pakhitaouananiouikhi_; I believe they forge these names upon the
spot. This Island is nothing but a big and frightful rock; as there
was no spring of fresh water, we had to [129 i.e., 229] drink very
dirty rainwater that we collected in the bogs and upon the rocks.
The sail of our shallop was thrown over some poles, on our arrival
at this place, and this formed our shelter; our beds were white
and green, I mean there were so few pine branches under us that in
several places we touched the snow, which three days before had
begun to cover the earth with a white mantle.
Nous trouuasmes en ce lieu la cabane d'vn Sauuage, que nostre hoste
cherchoit, nommé Ek_hennabamate_, il apprit de luy que son frere le
Sorcier estoit passé depuis peu, & qu'ayant eu le vent contraire, il
n'estoit pas loing, il n'attendit pas qu'il fut iour tout à fait pour
le suiure, son Canot poussé par trois rameurs alloit comme le vent:
bref le beau premier iour de Nouembre dedié à la memoire de tous les
Saincts, il nous ramena ce Demon, i'entends ce Sorcier. Ie fus bien
estonné quand ie le vis: car ie ne l'attendois pas, me figurant que
mon hoste estoit allé à la chasse, fut-il ainsi, & que ceste miserable
proye [230] luy eust eschappé des mains.
We found here the cabin of a Savage, named _Ekhennabamate_, whom
our host was seeking. He learned from him that his brother, the
Sorcerer, had passed, a short time before; and that, having the
wind against him, he had not gone far. He did not wait until broad
daylight to follow him; his Canoe, paddled by three men, went like
the wind; and, in short, on the first of November, a beautiful day,
dedicated to the memory of all the Saints, he brought back this
Demon, I mean the Sorcerer. I was very much surprised when I saw
him, for I was not expecting him, imagining that my host had gone
hunting; would that he had, and that this miserable prey [230] had
escaped from his hands.
Si tost qu'il fut arriué ce n'estoient plus que festins dans nos
cabanes, nous n'auions plus que fort peu de viures de reste, ces
Barbares les mangeoient auec autant de paix & d'asseurance, comme si
les animaux qu'ils deuoient chasser eussent esté renfermez dans vne
estable.
As soon as he came, there was nothing but feasting in our cabins;
we had only a little food left, but these Barbarians ate it with as
much calmness and confidence as if the game they were to hunt was
shut up in a stable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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