The Month Of August That Brings A Company Of The Sault, Who Weare Come By
The River Of The Three Rivers With Incredible Paines, As They Said.
It was
a company of seaven boats.
We wrote the news of their arrivement to Quebuc.
They send us word that they will stay untill the 2 fathers be turned from
Sacquenes, that we should goe with them. An answer without reason.
Necessity obliged us to goe. Those people are not to be inticed, ffor as
soone as they have done their affaire they goe. The governor of that place
defends us to goe. We tould him that the offense was pardonable because it
was every one's interest; neverthelesse we knewed what we weare to doe, and
that he should not be blamed for us. We made guifts to the wildmen, that
wished with all their hearts that we might goe along with them. We told
them that the governor minded to send servants with them, and forbids us to
goe along with them. The wild men would not accept of their company, but
tould us that they would stay for us two dayes in the Lake of St Peter in
the grasse some 6 leagues from the 3 rivers; but we did not lett them stay
so long, for that very night, my brother having the keys of the Brough as
being Captayne of the place, we embarqued ourselves.
We made ready in the morning, so that we went, 3 of us, about midnight.
Being come opposit to the fort, they aske who is there. My brother tells
his name. Every one knows what good services we had done to the countrey,
and loved us, the inhabitants as well as the souldiers. The sentrey answers
him, "God give you a good voyage." We went on the rest of that night. Att 6
in the morning we are arrived to the appointed place, but found no body. We
weare well armed, & had a good boat. We resolved to goe day and night to
the river of the meddows to overtake them. The wildmen did feare that it
was somewhat else, but 3 leagues beyond that of the fort of Richlieu we saw
them coming to us. We putt ourselves uppon our guards, thinking they weare
ennemy; but weare friends, and received us with joy, and said that if we
had not come in 3 dayes' time, they would have sent their boats to know the
reason of our delay. There we are in that river waiting for the night.
Being come to the river of the medows, we did separat ourselves, 3 into 3
boats. The man that we have taken with us was putt into a boat of 3 men and
a woman, but not of the same nation as the rest, but of one that we call
sorcerors. They weare going downe to see some friends that lived with the
nation of the fire, that now liveth with the Ponoestigonce or the Sault. It
is to be understood that this river is divided much into streams very swift
& small before you goe to the river of Canada; [on account] of the great
game that there is in it, the ennemy is to be feared, which made us go
through these torrents. This could make any one afraid who is inexperted in
such voyages.
We suffered much for 3 dayes and 3 nights without rest. As we went we heard
the noise of guns, which made us believe firmly they weare ennemyes. We saw
5 boats goe by, and heard others, which daunted our hearts for feare,
although wee had 8 boats in number; but weare a great distance one from
another, as is said in my former voyage, before we could gaine the height
of the river. The boat of the sorcerors where was one of us, albeit made a
voyage into the hurrons' country before with the ffathers, it was not
usefull, soe we made him embark another, but stayed not there long. The
night following, he that was in the boat dreamed that the Iroquoits had
taken him with the rest. In his dreame he cryes out aloud; those that weare
att rest awakes of the noise. We are in alarum, and ready to be gone. Those
that weare with the man resolved to goe back againe, explicating that an
evill presage. The wildmen councelled to send back the ffrenchman, saying
he should die before he could come to their countrey. It's usually spoken
among the wildmen when a man is sick or not able to doe anything to
discourage him in such sayings.
Here I will give a relation of that ffrenchman before I goe farther, and
what a thing it is to have an intrigue. The next day they see a boat of
their ennemys, as we heard since. They presently landed. The wild men
runned away; the ffrenchman alsoe, as he went along the watter side for
fear of loosing himselfe. He finds there an harbour very thick, layes
himselfe downe and falls asleepe. The night being come, the wildmen being
come to know whether the ennemy had perceived them, but non pursued them,
and found their boat in the same place, and imbarques themselves and comes
in good time to mount royall. They left the poore ffrenchman there,
thinking he had wit enough to come along the watter side, being not above
tenne leagues from thence. Those wild men, after their arrivement, for
feare spoak not one word of him, but went downe to the 3 rivers, where
their habitation was. Fourteen days after some boats ventured to goe looke
for some Oriniaks, came to the same place, where they made cottages, and
that within a quarter of mille where this wrech was. One of the ffrench
finds him on his back and almost quite spent; had his gunne by him. He was
very weake, and desirous that he should be discovered by some or other.
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