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
On the seventh of January of this year one thousand six hundred
and thirty-six, the son of a great Sorcerer or Juggler was made
a Christian, his father consenting to it after having offered
a great deal of opposition; for, as our Fathers were revealing
his schemes and throwing discredit upon him, he could not endure
them in his Cabin. However, as [34] his son was on the verge of
death, they begged sieur Nicolet to do all he could to save this
soul. So they went, Father Quentin and he, to his bark house, and
strongly urged this Savage to consent to the baptism of his little
son; as he turned a deaf ear, a good old woman said: "What! dost
thou think the water the black Robes will throw upon the head of
thy child will make him die? Dost thou not see that he is already
dead, and that he can hardly breathe? If these people were asking
thy Porcelain or thy Beavers, for the charitable acts which they
exercise towards thy son, thou wouldst have some excuse; but they
give and ask nothing; thou knowest how they care for the sick, let
them go on; if this poor little one dies, they will bury him better
than thou couldst." So the sick child was baptized and named Adrien
by sieur du Chesne,[68] Surgeon of the settlement; he died some
time afterwards. Father Buteux asked for him, to bury him in our
way. "No, no," said the parents, "thou canst not have him naked;
wait until we have adorned him, and then we will give him to thee."
They painted his face [35] blue, black, and red; they dressed him
in a little red Cloak, and lined it with two Bear skins and a robe
of wild Cat skin, and over all placed a large white sheet which
they had bought at the Store. They arranged the little body in all
this paraphernalia, in the form of a package tied closely on all
sides, and placed it in the hands of the Father, who gently kissed
these sacred remains, to show the Savages how greatly we esteemed
a little baptized Angel. It was buried in our French Cemetery,
with solemnity. This greatly pleases these Barbarians, and often
influences them to allow their children to be made Christians.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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