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
Capitaines de France des Peres qu'on leur enuoye; & tout cela pour les
disposer à recognoistre le Dieu des François, & de tout l'Vniuers.
A ce discours vn Capitaine repartit, qu'ils ne manqueroient pas de
rendre ceste lettre, & de tenir Conseil sur les Articles proposez.
Qu'au reste que toute leur Nation aymoit tous les François, & qu'il
sembloit neantmoins, que les François n'aymoient qu'vne seule de leurs
Bourgades, puisque tous ceux qui montoient en leur Pays la prenoient
pour leur demeure. On leur respondit, que iusques icy ils n'auoient eu
qu'vn petit nombre de nos François, & que s'ils embrassoient nostre
creance, qu'ils en auroient [97] en toutes leurs Bourgades.
On the twenty-second of July, there was held an Assembly or
Council between the French and the Hurons. Father Buteux, who
had come down from the Residence of the Conception, and I [94]
participated therein. After public affairs, Monsieur de Champlain,
our Governor, very affectionately recommended our Fathers, and the
French who accompanied them, to these Tribes; he told them, through
an interpreter, that if they wished to preserve and strengthen
their friendship with the French, they must receive our belief
and worship the God that we worshiped; that this would be very
profitable to them, for God, being all-powerful, will bless and
protect them, and make them victorious over their enemies; that the
French will go in goodly numbers to their Country; that they will
marry their daughters when they become Christians; that they will
teach all their people to make hatchets, knives, and other things
which are very necessary to them; and that for this purpose they
must next year [95] bring many of their little boys, whom we will
lodge comfortably, and will feed, instruct and cherish as if they
were our little Brothers. And that, inasmuch as all the Captains
could not come down there, they should hold a Council upon this
matter in their Country, to which they should summon _Echom_,--it
is thus they call Father Brebeuf;[12] and then, giving them a
letter to bear to him, he added, "Here I inform the Father of all
these points. He will be in your Assembly, and will make you a
present that his Brothers send him; there you will show whether you
truly love the French." I suggested these thoughts to Monsieur our
governor, and he approved them; but he also amplified them with a
thousand praises and a thousand proofs of affection towards our
[96] Society. Monsieur the General also said a few words upon this
subject, and did all he could to let these Peoples know the high
estimation in which the great Captains of France hold these Fathers
that they send over to them; and all this was done to dispose them
to recognize the God of the French and of the whole Universe. To
this discourse a Chief replied that they would not fail to deliver
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