That Is Why I Resolved To Go There, & I Expressed
The Same Hope To The Savage Whom I Sent Back To Give Information To My
Father That The Governor Would Come With Me To Make Some Friendship To Him
& Protect Him In My Absence.
It was with the consent of the Governor & upon
his parole that I had told him that; nevertheless he did not wish to come,
& I was for the first time found a liar among the savages, which is of a
dangerous consequence, for these nations have in abomination this vice.
He
came to me, however, in no wise angry in that interview, & I received not
even a reproach from him.
When I was at the rendezvous they told me that my adopted father was gone
away from it because I had annoyed a savage, for he had been informed that
I had arrived to see him. This savage having remembered the obligation to
return, although very sad on account of some news that he had learned upon
the road, which was that the chief of the nation who inhabited the height
above the river Neosaverne, named "the bearded," & one of his sons, who
were his relations, had been killed in going to insult those among the
savages who were set to the duty of taking care of the Frenchman who had
been wounded by a savage gained over by the English, after that he had
embraced me, & that he had informed me of the circumstance of that affaire,
& the number of people he had as followers, I wrote to the Governor to come
to me in the place where we were, to make him know in effect that he must
after my departure prevent the continuation of these disorders in virtue of
the treaty of peace & of union that I had made in presence of the savages
between the French & the English.
The Governor having arrived, I presented to him my adopted father, & said
to him that as it was the chief who commanded the nation that inhabited in
the place where they built the fort, I had made him some little presents by
Captain Gazer, & that it was also desirable that he make some to him,
because I had promissed some the preceeding year that I had not given;
which the Governor found very bad, & he became irritated even against this
chief without any cause for it; except that it might be because he was my
adopted father, & I have learned since that he was angry that when I had
arrived I had not given any present to a simple savage who served as a spy,
who was the son of that chief called "the bearded." That was a horrible
extravagence; for this Governor was inferior to me, & I was not under any
obligation to recognize his favor; besides, I had never made any presents
but to the chiefs of the nations. Moreover, it was not for our Governor to
censure my conduct. I had received some independent orders, which had been
given me on account of the outrage that he had committed; but acting for
the service of my King and for those of the Company, I passed it over in
silence. I saw that it would be imprudent if I should speak my sentiments
openly to a man who after my departure should command all those who
remained in the country.[Footnote: "That would have perhaps drawn upon him
some contempt." Note by Radisson. ] I contented myself then with letting
him know the inconveniences which would happen from the indifference that
he affected to have for the chief of the savage nations, & I exhorted him
also to change at once his policy in regard to my adopted father; not by
that consideration, but because that he was, as I said to him, the chief of
the nations which inhabited the place where they built the fort, which he
promissed me of undoing. After that I went on board our ship.
My nephew, who remained in the fort with the Governor, having learned that
the ships were ready to leave, kept himself near me with the French whom I
had resolved to leave in Canada, to say adieu to me, & it was in the
company of this Governor that they made the journey, during which, as I
have since learned from my nephew, he showed to them more good will than he
had yet done, assuring them that they should never want anything, & in
consideration of me they would receive the same treatment as himself. The
behaviour that my nephew & the other Frenchmen had shown gave no reason for
doubting the sincerity of their protestations. They no longer believed that
any one could have any mistrust of them. My nephew & his interpreter had
been solicited to remain in the country to serve the company, & they had
consented to it without a murmur because I had charged myself with the care
of their interests in England. All that passed in the presence and by the
persuasions of the Governor. Nevertheless, behold a surprising change which
came to pass by the inconstancy, the caprice, & the wicked behaviour of
this same Governor.
I disposed myself to part with the other Frenchmen, when the Governor,
having come aboard of the little frigate, caused a signal to be made to
hold a council of war. Upon this the Captains of the ships & myself
rendered ourselves on board, where my nephew followed us, remaining upon
the poop, whilst the officers & myself were in the room where this Governor
demanded of us, at first, if we had any valid reasons why he should not
send back in the ships all the Frenchmen who were in the country; to all
which the others having said nothing, I was obliged to speak in these
terms: "At my departure from England I received a verbal order from the
company, in particular from Sir James Hayes, to leave in the country where
we are as many of the Frenchmen as I should find desirable for the good &
advantage of the company.
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