What Contributed Much Was The Discourse That The Savages
Made To Him, Telling Him That I Left Him Amongst Them
To receive in my
absence the marks of amity that they had sworn to me, & that they regarded
him as
The nephew of the one who had brought peace to the nations & made
the union of the English & French in making by the same means the brothers
of both.
This last success in my affairs was proof to me of the authority that I had
over the French & the savages; for my nephew had no sooner declared that he
submitted himself to do what I wished, than all the other Frenchmen offered
themselves to risk the ennui of remaining in the country, although my
design was only to leave but two of them; & the savages on their part burst
out in cries of joy in such a manner that I no more considered after that
but to put an end to all things.
All our beaver skins having been embarked, I resolved, after having put
everything into tranquil & assured state for my return into England, where
my presence was absolutely necessary, to make known to the Company in what
manner it was necessary to act to profit advantageously the solid
establishment that I came to do & the things which were of indispensible
necessity in the country to facilitate the trade with the savages &
hindering them from making any of it with foreigners, that is to say, with
the French of Canada.
I was then for the last time with my nephew at the house of our Frenchmen,
to the end of leaving there some Englishmen. I found there a number of
savages arrived to visit me, who called my nephew & myself into one of
their cabins, where a venerable old man spoke to me in these terms:
"Porcupine's head, thy heart is good & thou hast great courage, having made
peace with the English for the love of us. Behold, we have come towards
thee, old & young, wives & daughters & little children, to thank thee for
it, & to recognise thee for our father. We wish to be the children & adopt
for our son thy nephew that thou lovest so much, & in fine to give thee an
eternal mark of the obligation that we have to thee. We weep no more
henceforth except for the memory of those of whom thou bearest the name."
After which, having told one of the young people to speak, he fell like as
if in a swoon, & the other spoke after that same manner: "Men & women,
young men & children, even those who are at the breast, remember this one
here for your father. He is better than the sun who warms you. You will
find always in him a protector who will help you in your needs & console
you in your afflictions. Men, remember that he gave you guns during the
course of the year for you to defend yourselves against your Enemies, & to
kill the beasts who nourish you & your families.
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