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قراءة كتاب The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. V: Quebec, 1632-1633
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The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. V: Quebec, 1632-1633
3rd of July; that is to say, 19 days. It was still very cold when we arrived, but before leaving we felt excessive heat; and yet it was only the spring, since the trees had only just begun to put forth their foliage. In a very short time the leaves, the buds, the flowers, and the fruit appear here and ripen; I mean the wild [16] fruit, as there is no other. It was here that I saw Savages for the first time. As soon as they saw our vessel, they lighted fires, and two of them came on board in a little canoe very neatly made of bark. The next day a Sagamore, with ten or twelve Savages, came to see us. When I saw them enter our Captain's room, where I happened to be, it seemed to me that I was looking at those maskers who run about in France in Carnival time. There were some whose noses were painted blue, the eyes, eyebrows, and cheeks painted black, and the rest of the face red; and these colors are bright and shining like those of our masks; others had black, red, and blue stripes drawn from the ears to the mouth. Still others were entirely black, except the upper part of the brow and around [17] the ears, and the end of the chin; so that it might have been truly said of them that they were masquerading. There were some who had only one black stripe, like a wide ribbon, drawn from one ear to the other, across the eyes, and three little stripes on the cheeks. Their natural color is like that of those French beggars who are half-roasted in the Sun, and I have no doubt that the Savages would be very white if they were well covered. To describe how they were dressed would be difficult indeed. All the men, when it is a little warm, go naked, with the exception of a piece of skin which falls from just below the navel to the thighs. When it is cold, or probably in imitation of the Europeans, they cover themselves with furs of the Beaver, Bear, Fox, and other animals of the same kind, but so awkwardly, that it does not prevent the greater part of their bodies from being seen. [18] I have seen some of them dressed in Bear skin, just as St. John the Baptist is painted. This fur, with the hair outside, was worn under one arm and over the other, hanging down to the knees. They were girdled around the body with a cord made of a dried intestine. Some are entirely dressed. They are like the Grecian Philosopher who would wear nothing that he had not made. It would not take a great many years to learn all their crafts. All go bareheaded, men and women; their hair, which is uniformly black, is long, greasy, and shiny, and is tied behind, except when they wear mourning. The women are decently covered; they wear skins fastened together on their shoulders with cords, these hang from the neck to the knees. They girdle themselves also with a cord, the rest of the body, the head, the [19] arms and the legs being uncovered. Yet there are some who wear sleeves, stockings, and shoes, but in no other fashion than that which necessity has taught them. Now that they trade with the French for capes, blankets, cloths, and shirts, there are many who use them; but their shirts are as white and as greasy as dishcloths, for they never wash them. Furthermore, they have good figures, their bodies are well made, their limbs very well proportioned, and they are not so clumsy as I supposed them to be. They are fairly intelligent. They do not all talk at once, but one after the other, listening patiently. A Sagamore, or Captain, dining in our room one day, wished to say something; and, not finding an opportunity, because they were all talking at the same time, [20] at last prayed the company to give him a little time to talk in his turn, and all alone, as he did.
Or comme dans les grandes estenduës de ces païs cy, il y a quantité de nations toutes barbares, aussi se font-elles la guerre les vnes les autres fort souuent. A nostre arriuée à Tadoussac les Sauuages reuenoient de la guerre contre les Hiroquois, & en auoient pris neuf, ceux de Quebec en tenoient six, & ceux de Tadoussac trois. Monsieur Emery de Caën les fut voir, il desiroit sauuer la vie au plus ieune, ie plaiday fort pour tous trois, mais on me dit qu'il falloit de grands presens, & ie n'en auois point. Arriuez donc que nous fumes aux cabanes des Sauuages, qui sont faites de perches, & couuertes d'écorces assez grossierement, le faiste n'est point couuert pour receuoir le iour par là, & donner [21] yssuë à la fumée. Nous entrames dans celle du Capitaine de guerre qui estoit longuette; il y auoit trois feux au milieu, les vns éloignez des autres de cinq ou six pieds. Estans entrez nous nous assimes de part & d'autre à plate terre, couuerte de petite branches de sapin; ils n'ont point d'autres sieges. Cela fait, on fit venir les prisonniers qui s'assirent les vns aupres des autres; le plus âgé auoit plus de 60. ans, le second enuiron 30. le troisiesme estoit vn ieune garçon de 15. à 16. ans. Ils se mirent tous à chanter, pour montrer qu'ils ne craignoiẽt point la mort, quoy que tres-cruelle; leur chant me semble fort desagreable, la cadence finissoit tousiours par ces aspirations reïterées oh! oh! oh! 28 ah! ah! ah! hem! hem! hem! &c. Apres qu'ils eurent bien chanté, on les fit dancer les vns apres les autres, le plus âgé se leue le premier, & commance [22] à marcher du long de la cabane tout nud, hors mis, comme i'ay dit, vn morceau de peau qui luy couuroit ce que la nature a caché. Il frappoit des pieds la terre en marchant, & chantoit incessamment. Voyla toute sa dance, pendant laquelle tous les autres Sauuages qui estoient dans la cabane frappoient des mains ou se battoient la cuisse, tirans cette aspiration du fond de l'estomach a—ah, a—ah, a—ah, & puis quand le prisonnier s'arrestoit, ils crioient o—oh! o—oh! o—oh! & l'vn se rasseant, l'autre se mettoit à dancer. Monsieur de Caën demanda quand on les feroit mourir, ils respondirent le lendemain. Ie les fut voir encor, & ie trouuay trois pieux de bois dressez, où on les deuoit executer: mais il vint nouuelle de Quebec qu'on traittoit de paix auec les Hiroquois, & qu'il faudroit peut-estre rendre les prisonniers, ainsi [23] leur mort fut retardée. Il n'y a cruauté semblable à celle qu'ils exercent contre leurs ennemis. Si tost qu'ils les ont pris ils leurs arrachent les ongles à belles dents; ie vis les doigts de ces pauures miserables qui me faisoient pitié, & vne playe assez grande au bras de l'vn d'eux, on me dit que c'estoit vne morsure de celuy qui l'auoit pris, l'autre auoit vne partie du doigt emporté, & ie luy demanday si le feu luy auoit fait cela, ie croyois que ce fust vne bruslure, il me fit signe qu'on luy auoit emporté la piece auec les dents. Ie remarquay la cruauté mesme des filles & des femmes, pendant que ces pauures prisonniers dançoiẽt: car comme ils passoient deuant le feu, elles soufloient & poussoient la flamme dessus eux pour les brusler. Quand ils les font mourir 30 ils les attachent à vn poteau, puis les filles aussi bien que les hommes leur appliquent [24] des tisons ardents & flambans aux parties les plus sensibles du corps, aux costez, aux cuisses, à la poitrine, & en plusieurs autres endroits: ils leurs leuent la peau de la teste, puis iettent sur le crane ou le test découuert, du sablon tout bruslant; ils leurs percent les bras au poignet auec des bastons pointus, & leurs arrachent les nerfs par ces trous. Bref ils les font souffrir tout ce que la cruauté & le Diable leur met en l'esprit. En fin pour derniere catastrophe ils les mangent & les deuorent quasi tout crus. Si nous estions pris des Hiroquois, peut-estre nous en faudroit-il passer par là, pour autant que nous demeurons auec les Montagnards leurs ennemis. Ils sont si enragez contre tout ce qui leur