This was a
serious thing, without speaking except by nodding or gesture.
Their drums
weare earthen potts full of watter, covered with staggs-skin. The sticks
like hammers for the purpose. The elders have bomkins to the end of their
staves full of small stones, which makes a ratle, to which yong men and
women goe in a cadance. The elders are about these potts, beating them and
singing. The women also by, having a nosegay in their hands, and dance very
modestly, not lifting much their feete from the ground, keeping their heads
downewards, makeing a sweet harmony. We made guifts for that while 14 days'
time. Every one brings the most exquisite things, to shew what his country
affoards. The renewing of their alliances, the mariages according to their
countrey coustoms, are made; also the visit of the boans of their deceased
ffriends, ffor they keepe them and bestow them uppon one another. We sang
in our language as they in theirs, to which they gave greate attention. We
gave them severall guifts, and received many. They bestowed upon us above
300 robs of castors, out of which we brought not five to the ffrench, being
far in the countrey.
This feast ended, every one retourns to his countrey well satisfied. To be
as good as our words, we came to the nation of the beefe, which was seaven
small Journeys from that place. We promised in like maner to the Christinos
the next spring we should come to their side of the upper lake, and there
they should meete us, to come into their countrey. We being arrived among
the nation of the beefe, we wondred to finde ourselves in a towne where
weare great cabbans most covered with skins and other close matts. They
tould us that there weare 7,000 men. This we believed. Those have as many
wives as they can keepe. If any one did trespasse upon the other, his nose
was cutt off, and often the crowne of his head. The maidens have all maner
of freedome, but are forced to mary when they come to the age. The more
they beare children the more they are respected. I have seene a man having
14 wives. There they have no wood, and make provision of mosse for their
firing. This their place is environed with pearches which are a good
distance one from an other, that they gett in the valleys where the Buffe
use to repaire, uppon which they do live. They sow corne, but their harvest
is small. The soyle is good, but the cold hinders it, and the graine very
small. In their countrey are mines of copper, of pewter, and of ledd. There
are mountains covered with a kind of Stone that is transparent and tender,
and like to that of Venice. The people stay not there all the yeare; they
retire in winter towards the woods of the North, where they kill a quantity
of Castors, and I say that there are not so good in the whole world, but
not in such a store as the Christinos, but far better.
Wee stayed there 6 weeks, and came back with a company of people of the
nation of the Sault, that came along with us loaden with booty. We weare 12
dayes before we could overtake our company that went to the lake. The
spring approaches, which [is] the fitest time to kill the Oriniack. A
wildman and I with my brother killed that time above 600, besides other
beasts. We came to the lake side with much paines, ffor we sent our wildmen
before, and we two weare forced to make cariages 5 dayes through the woods.
After we mett with a company that did us a great deale of service, ffor
they carryed what we had, and arrived att the appointed place before 3
dayes ended. Here we made a fort. Att our arrivall we found att least 20
cottages full.
One very faire evening we went to finde what we hide before, which we finde
in a good condition. We went about to execut our resolution, fforseeing
that we must stay that yeare there, ffor which wee weare not very sorry,
being resolved to know what we heard before. We waited untill the Ice
should vanish, but received [news] that the Octanaks built a fort on the
point that formes that Bay, which resembles a small lake. We went towards
it with all speede. We had a great store of booty which we would not trust
to the wildmen, ffor the occasion makes the thiefe. We overloaded our slide
on that rotten Ice, and the further we went the Sun was stronger, which
made our Trainage have more difficultie. I seeing my brother so strained, I
tooke the slide, which was heavier then mine, and he mine. Being in that
extent above foure leagues from the ground, we sunke downe above the one
halfe of the legge in the Ice, and must advance in spight of our teeth. To
leave our booty was to undoe us. We strived so that I hurted myselfe in so
much that I could not stand up right, nor any further. This putt us in
great trouble. Uppon this I advised my brother to leave me with his slide.
We putt the two sleds one by another. I tooke some cloathes to cover mee.
After I stripped myselfe from my wett cloathes, I layed myselfe downe on
the slide; my brother leaves me to the keeping of that good God. We had not
above two leagues more to goe. He makes hast and came there in time and
sends wildmen for me and the slids. There we found the perfidiousnesse of
the Octanaks. Seeing us in Extremitie, would prescribe us laws. We promised
them whatever they asked. They came to fetch me.
For eight dayes I was so tormented I thought never to recover.
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