The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 8: Quebec, Hurons, Cape Breton, 1634-1636
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 8: Quebec, Hurons, Cape Breton, 1634-1636
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
que nous en pouuiõs auoir, ils oserent bien demander à quelques-vns de
nos François, s'ils n'en mangeroient pas bien leur part, puis qu'ils
auoient tué de nos Compatriotes. On leur repartit que ces cruautez
nous déplaisoient, & que nous n'estions point des antropophages. Il
ne mourut point neantmoins; car ces Barbares ennuyez de la guerre,
parlerent à ce ieune prisonnier, qui est homme fort, & d'vne riche &
haute taille, de faire la paix; ils ont esté long-tẽps à la traiter,
mais en fin ils l'ont concluë. Ie croy bien qu'elle ne durera gueres,
[70] car le premier vertige qui prendra à quelque estourdy, sur le
souuenir que l'vn de ses parens aura esté tué par les Hiroquois, en ira
surprendre quelqu'vn, & le massacrera en trahison: & ainsi recommencera
la guerre. Il ne faut pas attendre de fidelité des peuples qui n'ont
point la vraye Foy.
On the twenty-third day of October, fifteen or twenty Savages
returned from the war, bringing a prisoner. As soon as they could
descry our Settlement and their cabins, they collected their canoes
and sailed slowly down the middle of the great river, uttering
from their chests songs full of gladness; as soon as they were
seen, there was a great outcry among the cabins, each one coming
out to see these warriors, who made the poor prisoner stand up and
dance in their fashion in the middle of a canoe. He sang, and they
kept time with their paddles; he was bound with a cord which tied
his arms behind his back, another was around his feet, and still
another, [68] a long one, around his body; they had torn out his
finger-nails, so that he could not untie himself. Marvel, I pray
you, at the cruelty of these people. A Savage, having perceived
Father Buteux and me mingling with the others, came up to us and
said, full of joy and satisfaction, _Tapoue kouetakiou nigamouau_;
"I shall really eat some Hiroquois." Finally this poor man came
out of the canoe, and was taken into a cabin, the children, girls,
and women striking him, some with sticks, others with stones, as
he entered; you would have said he was insensible, as he passed
along and received these blows without looking around; as soon
as he entered, they made him dance to the music of their howls.
After having made a few turns, striking the ground and agitating
his body, which is all there is of [69] their dancing, they made
him sit down; and some of the Savages, addressing us, told us that
this Hiroquois was one of those who the year before had surprised
and killed three of our Frenchmen; this was done to stifle in us
the pity that we might have for him, and they even dared to ask
some of our French if they did not want to eat their share of
him, since they had killed our Countrymen. We replied that these
cruelties displeased us, and that we were not cannibals. He did not
die, however; for these Barbarians, weary of the war, spoke with
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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