Voyages of Samuel De Champlain — Volume 01Champlain, Samuel de
History
Voyages of Samuel De Champlain — Volume 01
Champlain, Samuel de
America -- Discovery and exploration -- French; Indians of North America -- Canada; New France -- Discovery and exploration
Upon arriving at Tadoussac, we found the savages, whom we had met at the
River of the Iroquois, and who had had an encounter at the first lake with
three Iroquois canoes, there being ten of the Montagnais. The latter
brought back the heads of the Iroquois to Tadoussac, there being only one
Montagnais wounded, which was in the arm by an arrow; and in case he should
have a dream, it would be necessary for all the ten others to execute it in
order to satisfy him, they thinking, moreover, that his wound would thereby
do better. If this savage should die, his relatives would avenge his death
either on his own tribe or others, or it would be necessary for the
captains to make presents to the relatives of the deceased, in order to
content them, otherwise, as I have said, they would practise vengeance,
which is a great evil among them.
Before these Montagnais set out for the war, they all gathered together in
their richest fur garments of beaver and other skins, adorned with beads
and belts of various colors. They assembled in a large public place, in the
presence of a sagamore named Begourat, who led them to the war. They were
arranged one behind the other, with their bows and arrows, clubs, and round
shields with which they provide for fighting. They went leaping one after
the other, making various gestures with their bodies, and many snail-like
turns. Afterwards they proceeded to dance in the customary manner, as I
have before described; then they had their _tabagie_, after which the women
stripped themselves stark naked, adorned with their handsomest
_matachiats_. Thus naked and dancing, they entered their canoes, when they
put out upon the water, striking each other with their oars, and throwing
quantities of water at one another. But they did themselves no harm, since
they parried the blows hurled at each other. After all these ceremonies,
the women withdrew to their cabins, and the men went to the war against the
Iroquois.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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