Voyages of Samuel De Champlain — Volume 03Champlain, Samuel de
History
Voyages of Samuel De Champlain — Volume 03
Champlain, Samuel de
America -- Discovery and exploration -- French; Indians of North America -- Canada; New France -- Discovery and exploration
On the 21st we sighted the island and Cap de Raye. [30] On the 29th the
Montagnais savages, perceiving us from All Devils' Point, [31] threw
themselves into their canoes and came to meet us, being so thin and
hideous-looking that I did not recognize them. At once they began crying
for bread, saying that they were dying of hunger. This led us to conclude
that the winter had not been severe, and consequently the hunting poor,
which matter we have alluded to in previous voyages.
Having arrived on board of our vessel they examined the faces of all, and
as I was not to be seen anywhere they asked where Monsieur de Champlain
was, and were answered that I had remained in France. But this they would
not think of believing, and an old man among them came to me in a corner
where I was walking, not desiring to be recognized as yet, and taking me by
the ear, for he suspected who it was, saw the scar of the arrow wound,
which I received at the defeat of the Iroquois. At this he cried out, and
all the others after him, with great demonstrations of joy, saying, Your
people are awaiting you at the harbor of Tadoussac.
The same day we arrived at Tadoussac, and although we had set out last,
nevertheless arrived first, Sieur Boyer of Rouen arriving with the same
tide. From this it is evident that to set out before the season is simply
rushing into the ice. When we had anchored, our friends came out to us,
and, after informing us how everything was at the habitation, began to
dress three _outardes_ [32] and two hares, which they had brought, throwing
the entrails overboard, after which the poor savages rushed, and, like
famished beasts, devoured them without drawing. They also scraped off with
their nails the fat with which our vessel had been coated, eating it
gluttonously as if they had found some great delicacy.
The next day two vessels arrived from St. Malo, which had set out before
the oppositions had been settled and the commission been published in
Normandy. I proceeded on board, accompanied by L'Ange. The Sieurs de la
Moinerie and la Tremblaye were in command, to whom I read the commission of
the King, and the prohibition against violating it on penalties attached to
the same. They replied that they were subjects and faithful servants of His
Majesty, and that they would obey his commands; and I then had attached to
a post in the port the arms and commission of His Majesty, that no ground
for ignorance might be claimed.
On the 2d of May, seeing two shallops equipped to go to the Falls, I
embarked with the before-mentioned L'Ange in one of them. We had very bad
weather, so that the masts of our shallop were broken, and had it not been
for the preserving hand of God we should have been lost, as was before our
eyes a shallop from St Malo, which was going to the Isle d'Orleans, those
on board of which however being saved.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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