Voyages of Samuel De Champlain — Volume 02Champlain, Samuel de
History
Voyages of Samuel De Champlain — Volume 02
Champlain, Samuel de
America -- Discovery and exploration -- French; Indians of North America -- Canada; New France -- Discovery and exploration
Now I will drop this discussion to return to the savages who had conducted
me to the falls of the river Norumbegue, who went to notify Bessabez, their
chief, and other savages, who in turn proceeded to another little river to
inform their own, named Cabahis, and give him notice of our arrival.
The 16th of the month there came to us some thirty savages on assurances
given them by those who had served us as guides. There came also to us the
same day the above named Bessabez with six canoes. As soon as the savages
who were on land saw him coming, they all began to sing, dance, and jump,
until he had landed. Afterwards, they all seated themselves in a circle on
the ground, as is their custom, when they wish to celebrate a festivity, or
an harangue is to be made. Cabahis, the other chief, arrived also a little
later with twenty or thirty of his companions, who withdrew one side and
enjoyed greatly seeing us, as it was the first time they had seen
Christians. A little while after, I went on shore with two of my companions
and two of our savages who served as interpreters. I directed the men in
our barque to approach near the savages, and hold their arms in readiness
to do their duty in case they noticed any movement of these people against
us. Bessabez, seeing us on land, bade us sit down, and began to smoke with
his companions, as they usually do before an address. They presented us
with venison and game.
I directed our interpreter to say to our savages that they should cause
Bessabez, Cabahis, and their companions to understand that Sieur de Monts
had sent me to them to see them, and also their country, and that he
desired to preserve friendship with them and to reconcile them with their
enemies, the Souriquois and Canadians, and moreover that he desired to
inhabit their country and show them how to cultivate it, in order that they
might not continue to lead so miserable a life as they were doing, and some
other words on the same subject. This our savages interpreted to them, at
which they signified their great satisfaction, saying that no greater good
could come to them than to have our friendship, and that they desired to
live in peace with their enemies, and that we should dwell in their land,
in order that they might in future more than ever before engage in hunting
beavers, and give us a part of them in return for our providing them with
things which they wanted. After he had finished his discourse, I presented
them with hatchets, paternosters, caps, knives, and other little
knick-knacks, when we separated from each other. All the rest of this day
and the following night, until break of day, they did nothing but dance,
sing, and make merry, after which we traded for a certain number of
beavers. Then each party returned, Bessabez with his companions on the one
side, and we on the other, highly pleased at having made the acquaintance
of this people.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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