There They
Take No Notice, For They Live In So Great Liberty That They Are Never
Jealous One Of Another.
I admired of a sudaine to heare new musick.
Shee
was in travell and immediately delivered. I awaked all astonished to see
her drying her child by the fire side. Having done, [she] lapt the child in
her bosome and went to bed as if that had ben nothing, without moan or cry,
as doe our Europian women. Before we left the place that babe died. I had
great mind to baptize him, but feared least they should accuse me to be the
cause of his death.
Being come to the above named place, where weare the ghostly ffathers with
8 other french, 3 came to meet us from the fort, which weare but 30 leagues
off, where I have receaved a censure for being so timidous, [in] not
dareing to ffling watter on the head of that poore innocent to make him
happy. We frenchmen began to tell our adventures, having ben out of hopes
of ever to see one another, being exceeding glad that we weare deceaved in
our opinions. Some leaves us & went by land to their cabbans. The rest
stayes for faire weather to come to our journey's ende. We wanted not
slaves from that place to carry our packs. We came into a river towards the
fort which was dangerous for its swiftnesse. From that river that brought
us within 30 leagues of the lake we came into a narrower river from a small
lake where a french fort was built. This river was 2 leagues long & the
lake 5 in compasse. About it a most pleasant country, very fruitfull.
Goeing up that same river we meet 2 french that weare fishing a kind of
fish called dab, which is excellent, & have done us great kindnesse, having
left no more provision then what we needed much.
Having come to the landing place att the foot of the fort, we found there a
most faire castle very neatly built, 2 great & 2 small ones. The bottom was
built with great trees & well tyed in the topp with twiggs of ashure,
strengthened with two strong walles & 2 bastions, which made the fort
imppregnable of the wild men. There was also a fine fall of woods about it.
The french corne grewed there exceeding well, where was as much as covered
half a league of land. The country smooth like a boord, a matter of some 3
or 4 leagues about. Severall fields of all sides of Indian corne, severall
of french tournaps, full of chestnutts and oakes of accorns, with thousand
such like fruit in abundance. A great company of hoggs so fatt that they
weare not able to goe. A plenty of all sortes of fowles. The ringdoves in
such a number that in a nett 15 or 1600 att once might be taken. So this
was not a wild country to our imagination, but plentyfull in every thing.
We weare humanly receaved by the Reverend ffathers Jesuits and some other
40 frenchmen, as well domestiques as volontiers. We prepared ourselves to
take the country's recreation, some to hunt, some to fish, but prevented by
a feaver that seised on us all. Some continued a month, some more and some
lesse, which is the tribut that one must pay for the changment of climat.
Some dayes after we had news that another company of Iroquoits weare
arrived att mont Royall. As soone [as] we went from thence the father & the
rest of the ffrench that did stay behind did imbark themselves with them
and followed us so close that ere long would be at us. As they went up to
make cottages in the island of the massacre, which was 16 dayes before our
departure, one of the company goes to shute for his pleasure, finds a woman
half starved for hunger, lying on a rock by a water. He brings her to the
cottages & made so much by giving her some luckwarme water, which he boyled
with flower & grease, that she came to herselfe entirely againe. Shee was
examined. Shee told them what is above said, and when it happened. Shee hid
her selfe in a rotten tree during the slaughter, where shee remained 3
dayes; after we weare gone shee came foorth for to gett some food, and
found nothing, but founde onely some small grapes, of roots the 3 first
dayes, & nothing else. Shee finding her selfe feeble and weake, not able to
sustaine such, resolved for death. The father, knowing her to be a
Christian, had a singular care for her, & brought her where I overtooke the
said father with the 8 french. Being brought [she] was frightened againe
for seeing a man charging his gunne to kill her, as shee said, so went away
that night, & non knowes what became of her. Being weake, not thoroughly
healed, shee fancied that such a thing might be done. By this, we poore,
many have recovered. The father arrives, that affirmes this newes to us,
being very sorry for the losse of this poore creature that God has so long
preserved without any subsistance, which shews us apparently that wee ought
not to despaire, & that keeps those that lives in his feare. We went to
meete the father, I meane those that weare able, to bid the father welcome
& his company. Being come safe & in a good disposition together, we
rendered God thanks.
There weare many that waited for us, desiring to tourne back againe to
Quebecq, obtaining their desier from the fathers & the governour of the
fort. They weare 13 in number & one father. After 6 weeks end we recovered
our health. So we went to bring them a part of the way, some to the water
side, some to the laksende, where we tooke of one another farewell, with
such ceremonys as are used when friends depart. Some dayes after we heare
that the poore woman was in the woods; not that shee knew'd which way to
tourne, but did follow her owne fancy whersoever it lead her, & so wandered
6 dayes, getting some times for her subsistance wild garlick, yong buds of
trees, & roots.
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