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Voyages of Samuel de Champlain V3

S >> Samuel de Champlain >> Voyages of Samuel de Champlain V3




As to smaller game there is a large quantity of it in its season. There are
also many cranes,[145] white as swans, and other varieties of birds like
those in France.

We proceeded by short days' journeys as far as the shore of the lake of the
Entouhonorons, constantly hunting as before mentioned. Here at its eastern
extremity, which is the entrance to the great River St. Lawrence, we made
the traverse, in latitude 43°, [146] where in the passage there are very
large beautiful islands. We went about fourteen leagues in passing to the
southern side of the lake towards the territory of the enemy. [147] The
savages concealed all their canoes in the woods near the shore. We went
some four leagues over a sandy strand, where I observed a very pleasant and
beautiful country, intersected by many little streams and two small rivers,
which discharge into the before-mentioned lake, also many ponds and
meadows, where there was an endless amount of game, many vines, fine woods,
and a large number of chestnut trees, whose fruit was still in the burr.
The chestnuts are small, but of a good flavor. The country is covered with
forests, which over its greater portion have not been cleared up. All the
canoes being thus hidden, we left the border of the lake, [148] which is
some eighty leagues long and twenty-five wide. [149] The greater portion of
its shores is inhabited by savages. We continued our course by land for
about twenty-five or thirty leagues. In the space of four days we crossed
many brooks, and a river which proceeds from a lake that discharges into
that of the Entouhonorons. [150] This lake is twenty-five or thirty leagues
in circuit, contains some fine islands, and is the place where our enemies,
the Iroquois, catch their fish, in which it abounds.

On the 9th of the month of October our savages going out to reconnoitre met
eleven savages, whom they took prisoners. They consisted of four women,
three boys, one girl, and three men, who were going fishing and were
distant some four leagues from the fort of the enemy. Now it is to be noted
that one of the chiefs, on seeing the prisoners, cut off the finger of one
of these poor women as a beginning of their usual punishment; upon which I
interposed and reprimanded the chief, Iroquet, representing to him that it
was not the act of a warrior, as he declared himself to be, to conduct
himself with cruelty towards women, who have no defence but their tears and
that one should treat them with humanity on account of their helplessness
and weakness; and I told him that on the contrary this act would be deemed
to proceed from a base and brutal courage, and that if he committed any
more of these cruelties he would not give me heart to assist them or favor
them in the war. To which the only answer he gave me was that their enemies
treated them in the same manner, but that, since this was displeasing to
me, he would not do anything more to the women, although; he would to the
men.

The next day, at three o'clock in the afternoon, we arrived before the fort
[151] of their enemies, where the savages made some skirmishes with each
other, although our design was not to disclose ourselves until the next
day, which however the impatience of our savages would not permit, both on
account of their desire to see fire opened upon their enemies, and also
that they might rescue some of their own men who had become too closely
engaged, and were hotly pressed. Then I approached the enemy, and although
I had only a few men, yet we showed them what they had never seen nor heard
before; for, as soon as they saw us and heard the arquebus shots and the
balls whizzing in their ears, they withdrew speedily to their fort,
carrying the dead and wounded in this charge. We also withdrew to our main
body, with five or six wounded, one of whom died.

This done, we withdrew to the distance of cannon range, out of sight of the
enemy, but contrary to my advice and to what they had promised me. This
moved me to address them very rough and angry words in order to incite them
to do their duty, foreseeing that if everything should go according to
their whim and the guidance of their council, their utter ruin would be the
result. Nevertheless I did not fail to send to them and propose means which
they should use in order to get possession of their enemies.

These were, to make with certain kinds of wood a _cavalier_, which should
be higher than the palisades. Upon this were to be placed four or five of
our arquebusiers, who should keep up a constant fire over their palisades
and galleries, which were well provided with stones, and by this means
dislodge the enemy who might attack us from their galleries. Meanwhile
orders were to be given to procure boards for making a sort of mantelet to
protect our men from the arrows and stones of which the savages generally
make use. These instruments, namely the cavalier and mantelets, were
capable of being carried by a large number of men. One mantelet was so
constructed that the water could not extinguish the fire, which might be
set to the fort, under cover of the arquebusiers who were doing their duty
on the cavalier. In this manner, I told them, we might be able to defend
ourselves so that the enemy could not approach to extinguish the fire which
we should set to their ramparts.

This proposition they thought good and very seasonable, and immediately
proceeded to carry it out as I directed. In fact the next day they set to
work, some to cut wood, others to gather it, for building and equipping the
cavalier and mantelets. The work was promptly executed and in less than
four hours, although the amount of wood they had collected for burning
against the ramparts, in order to set fire to them, was very small. Their
expectation was that the five hundred men who had promised to come would do
so on this day, but doubt was felt about them, since they had not appeared
at the rendezvous, as they had been charged to do, and as they had
promised. This greatly troubled our savages; but seeing that they were
sufficiently numerous to take the fort without other assistance, and
thinking for my part that delay, if not in all things at least in many, is
prejudicial, I urged them to attack it, representing to them that the
enemy, having become aware of their force and our arms, which pierced
whatever was proof against arrows, had begun to barricade themselves and
cover themselves with strong pieces of wood, with which they were well
provided and their village filled. I told them that the least delay was the
best, since the enemy had already strengthened themselves very much; for
their village was enclosed by four good palisades, which were made of great
pieces of wood, interlaced with each other, with an opening of not more
than half a foot between two, and which were thirty feet high, with
galleries after the manner of a parapet, which they had furnished with
double pieces of wood that were proof against our arquebus shots. Moreover
it was near a pond where the water was abundant, and was well supplied with
gutters, placed between each pair of palisades, to throw out water, which
they had also under cover inside, in order to extinguish fire. Now this is
the character of their fortifications and defences, which are much stronger
than the villages of the Attigouautan and others.

We approached to attack the village, our cavalier being carried by two
hundred of the strongest men, who put it down before the village at a
pike's length off. I ordered three arquebusiers to mount upon it, who were
well protected from the arrows and stones that could be shot or hurled at
them. Meanwhile the enemy did not fail to send a large number of arrows
which did not miss, and a great many stones, which they hurled from their
palisades. Nevertheless a hot fire of arquebuses forced them to dislodge
and abandon their galleries, in consequence of the cavalier which uncovered
them, they not venturing to show themselves, but fighting under shelter.
Now when the cavalier was carried forward, instead of bringing up the
mantelets according to order, including that one under cover of which we
were to set the fire, they abandoned them and began to scream at their
enemies, shooting arrows into the fort, which in my opinion did little harm
to the enemy.

But we must excuse them, for they are not warriors, and besides will have
no discipline nor correction, and will do only what they please.
Accordingly one of them set fire inconsiderately to the wood placed against
the fort of the enemy, quite the wrong way and in the face of the wind, so
that it produced no effect.

This fire being out, the greater part of the savages began to carry wood
against the palisades, but in so small quantity that the fire could have no
great effect. There also arose such disorder among them that one could not
understand another, which greatly troubled me. In vain did I shout in their
ears and remonstrate to my utmost with them as to the danger to which they
exposed themselves by their bad behavior, but on account of the great noise
they made they heard nothing. Seeing that shouting would only burst my
head, and that my remonstrances were useless for putting a stop to the
disorder, I did nothing more, but determined together with my men to do
what we could, and fire upon such as we could see.

Meanwhile the enemy profited by our disorder to get water and pour it so
abundantly that you would have said brooks were flowing through their
spouts, the result of which was that the fire was instantly extinguished,
while they did not cease shooting their arrows, which fell upon us like
hail. But the men on the cavalier killed and maimed many. We were engaged
in this combat about three hours, in which two of our chiefs and leading
warriors were wounded, namely, one called _Ochateguain_ and another
_Orani_, together with some fifteen common warriors. The others, seeing
their men and some of the chiefs wounded, now began to talk of a retreat
without farther fighting, in expectation of the five hundred men, [152]
whose arrival could not be much delayed. Thus they retreated, a disorderly
rabble.

Moreover the chiefs have in fact no absolute control over their men, who
are governed by their own will and follow their own fancy, which is the
cause of their disorder and the ruin of all their undertakings; for, having
determined upon anything with their leaders, it needs only the whim of a
villain, or nothing at all, to lead them to break it off and form a new
plan. Thus there is no concert of action among them, as can be seen by this
expedition.

Now we withdrew into our fort, I having received two arrow wounds, one in
the leg, the other in the knee, which caused me great inconvenience, aside
from the severe pain. When they were all assembled, I addressed them some
words of remonstrance on the disorder that had occurred. But all I said
availed nothing, and had no effect upon them. They replied that many of
their men had been wounded like myself, so that it would cause the others
much trouble and inconvenience to carry them as they retreated, and that it
was not possible to return again against their enemies, as I told them it
was their duty to do. They agreed, however, to wait four days longer for
the five hundred men who were to come; and, if they came, to make a second
effort against their enemies, and execute better what I might tell them
than they had done in the past. With this I had to content myself, to my
great regret.

Herewith is indicated the manner in which they fortify their towns, from
which representation it may be inferred that those of their friends and
enemies are fortified in like manner.

The next day there was a violent wind, which lasted two days, and was very
favorable for setting fire anew to the fort of the enemy which, although I
urged them strongly, they were unwilling to do, as if they were afraid of
getting the worst of it, and besides they pleaded their wounded as an
excuse.

We remained in camp until the 16th of the month, [153] during which time
there were some skirmishes between the enemy and our men, who were very
often surrounded by the former, rather through their imprudence than from
lack of courage; for I assure you that every time we went to the charge it
was necessary for us to go and disengage them from the crowd, since they
could only retreat under cover of our arquebusiers, whom the enemy greatly
dreaded and feared; for as soon as they perceived any one of the
arquebusiers they withdrew speedily, saying in a persuasive manner that we
should not interfere in their combats, and that their enemies had very
little courage to require us to assist them, with many other words of like
tenor, in order to prevail upon us.

I have represented by figure E the manner in which they arm themselves in
going to war.

After some days, seeing that the five hundred men did not come, they
determined to depart, and enter upon their retreat as soon as possible.
They proceeded to make a kind of basket for carrying the wounded, who are
put into it crowded up in a heap, being bound and pinioned in such a manner
that it is as impossible for them to move as for an infant in its swaddling
clothes; but this is, not without causing the wounded much extreme
pain. This I can say with truth from my own experience, having been carried
some days, since I could not stand up, particularly on account of an
arrow-wound which I had received in the knee. I never found myself in such
a _gehenna_ as during this time, for the pain which I suffered in
consequence of the wound in my knee was nothing in comparison with that
which I endured while I was carried bound and pinioned on the back of one
of our savages; so that I lost my patience, and as soon as I could sustain
myself, got out of this prison, or rather _gehenna_.

The enemy followed us about half a league, though at a distance, with the
view of trying to take some of those composing the rear guard; but their
efforts were vain, and they retired.

Now the only good point that I have seen in their mode of warfare is that
they make their retreat very securely, placing all the wounded and aged in
their centre, being well armed on the wings and in the rear, and continuing
this order without interruption until they reach a place of security.

Their retreat was very long, being from twenty-five to thirty leagues,
which caused the wounded much fatigue, as also those who carried them,
although the latter relieved each other from time to time.

On the 18th day of the month there fell much snow and hail, accompanied by
a strong wind, which greatly incommoded us. Nevertheless we succeeded in
arriving at the shore of the lake of the Entouhonorons, at the place where
our canoes were concealed, which we found all intact, for we had been
afraid lest the enemy might have broken them up.

When they were all assembled, and I saw that they were ready to depart to
their village, I begged them to take me to our settlement, which, though
unwilling at first, they finally concluded to do, and sought four men to
conduct me. Four men were found, who offered themselves of their own
accord; for, as I have before said, the chiefs have no control over their
men, in consequence of which they are often unable to do as they would
like. Now the men having been found, it was necessary also to find a canoe,
which was not to be had, each one needing his own, and there being no more
than they required. This was far from being pleasant to me, but, on the
contrary greatly annoyed me, since it led me to suspect some evil purpose,
inasmuch as they had promised to conduct me to our settlement after their
war. Moreover I was poorly prepared for spending the winter with them, or
else should not have been concerned about the matter. But not being able to
do anything, I was obliged to resign myself in patience. Now after some
days I perceived that their plan was to keep me and my companions, not only
as a security for themselves, for they feared their enemies, but also that
I might listen to what took place in their councils and assemblies, and
determine what they should do in the future against their enemies for their
security and preservation.

The next day, the 28th of the month, they began to make preparations; some
to go deer-hunting, others to hunt bears and beavers, others to go fishing,
others to return to their villages. An abode and lodging were furnished me
by one of the principal chiefs, called _D'Arontal_, with whom I already had
some acquaintance. Having offered me his cabin, provisions, and
accommodations, he set out also for the deer-hunt, which is esteemed by
them the greatest and most noble one. After crossing, from the island,
[154] the end of the lake, we entered a river [155] some twelve leagues in
extent. They then carried their canoes by land some half a league, when we
entered a lake [156] which was some ten or twelve leagues in circuit, where
there was a large amount of game, as swans, [157] white cranes, [158]
outardes, [159] ducks, teal, song-thrush, [160] larks, [161] snipe, [162]
geese, [163] and several other kinds of fowl too numerous to mention. Of
these I killed a great number, which stood us in good stead while waiting
for the capture of a deer. From there we proceeded to a certain place some
ten leagues distant, where our savages thought there were deer in
abundance. Assembled there were some twenty-five savages, who set to
building two or three cabins out of pieces of wood fitted to each other,
the chinks of which they stopped up by means of moss to prevent the
entrance of the air, covering them with the bark of trees.

When they had done this they went into the woods to a small forest of firs,
where they made an enclosure in the form of a triangle, closed up on two
sides and open on one. This enclosure was made of great stakes of wood
closely pressed together, from eight to nine feet high, each of the sides
being fifteen hundred paces long. At the extremity of this triangle there
was a little enclosure, constantly diminishing in size, covered in part
with boughs and with only an opening of five feet, about the width of a
medium-sized door, into which the deer were to enter. They were so
expeditious in their work, that in less than ten days they had their
enclosure in readiness. Meanwhile other savages had gone fishing, catching
trout and pike of prodigious size, and enough to meet all our wants.

All preparations being made, they set out half an hour before day to go
into the wood, some half a league from the before-mentioned enclosure,
separated from each other some eighty paces. Each had two sticks, which
they struck together, and they marched in this order at a slow pace until
they arrived at their enclosure. The deer hearing this noise flee before
them until they reach the enclosure, into which the savages force them to
go. Then they gradually unite on approaching the bay and opening of their
triangle, the deer skirting the sides until they reach the end, to which
the savages hotly pursue them, with bow and arrow in hand ready to let fly.
On reaching the end of the triangle they begin to shout and imitate wolves,
[164] which are numerous, and which devour the deer. The deer, hearing this
frightful noise, are constrained to enter the retreat by the little
opening, whither they are very hotly pursued by arrow shots. Having entered
this retreat, which is so well closed and fastened that they can by no
possibility get out, they are easily captured. I assure you that there is a
singular pleasure in this chase, which took place every two days, and was
so successful that, in the thirty-eight days [165] during which we were
there, they captured one hundred and twenty deer, which they make good use
of, reserving the fat for winter, which they use as we do butter, and
taking away to their homes some of the flesh for their festivities.

They have other contrivances for capturing the deer; as snares, with which
they kill many. You see depicted opposite the manner of their chase,
enclosure, and snare. Out of the skins they make garments. Thus you see how
we spent the time while waiting for the frost, that we might return the
more easily, since the country is very marshy.

When they first went out hunting, I lost my way in the woods, having
followed a certain bird that seemed to me peculiar. It had a beak like that
of a parrot, and was of the size of a hen. It was entirely yellow, except
the head which was red, and the wings which were blue, and it flew by
intervals like a partridge. The desire to kill it led me to pursue it from
tree to tree for a very long time, until it flew away in good earnest. Thus
losing all hope, I desired to retrace my steps, but found none of our
hunters, who had been constantly getting ahead, and had reached the
enclosure. While trying to overtake them, and going, as it seemed to me,
straight to where the enclosure was, I found myself lost in the woods,
going now on this side now on that, without being able to recognize my
position. The night coming on, I was obliged to spend it at the foot of a
great tree, and in the morning set out and walked until three o'clock in
the afternoon, when I came to a little pond of still water. Here I noticed
some game, which I pursued, killing three or four birds, which were very
acceptable, since I had had nothing to eat. Unfortunately for me there had
been no sunshine for three days, nothing but rain and cloudy weather, which
increased my trouble. Tired and exhausted I prepared to rest myself and
cook the birds in order to alleviate the hunger which I began painfully to
feel, and which by God's favor was appeased.

When I had made my repast I began to consider what I should do, and to pray
God to give me the will and courage to sustain patiently my misfortune if I
should be obliged to remain abandoned in this forest without counsel or
consolation except the Divine goodness and mercy, and at the same time to
exert myself to return to our hunters. Thus committing all to His mercy I
gathered up renewed courage going here and there all day, without
perceiving any foot-print or path, except those of wild beasts, of which I
generally saw a good number. I was obliged to pass here this night
also. Unfortunately I had forgotten to bring with me a small compass which
would have put me on the right road, or nearly so. At the dawn of day,
after a brief repast, I set out in order to find, if possible, some brook
and follow it, thinking that it must of necessity flow into the river on
the border of which our hunters were encamped. Having resolved upon this
plan, I carried it out so well that at noon I found myself on the border of
a little lake, about a league and a half in extent, where I killed some
game, which was very timely for my wants; I had likewise remaining some
eight or ten charges of powder, which was a great satisfaction.

I proceeded along the border of this lake to see where it discharged, and
found a large brook, which I followed until five o'clock in the evening,
when I heard a great noise, but on carefully listening failed to perceive
clearly what it was. On hearing the noise, however, more distinctly, I
concluded that it was a fall of water in the river which I was searching
for. I proceeded nearer, and saw an opening, approaching which I found
myself in a great and far-reaching meadow, where there was a large number
of wild beasts, and looking to my right I perceived the river, broad and
long. I looked to see if I could not recognize the place, and walking along
on the meadow I noticed a little path where the savages carried their
canoes. Finally, after careful observation, I recognized it as the same
river, and that I had gone that way before.

I passed the night in better spirits than the previous ones, supping on the
little I had. In the morning I re-examined the place where I was, and
concluded from certain mountains on the border of the river that I had not
been deceived, and that our hunters must be lower down by four or five good
leagues. This distance I walked at my leisure along the border of the
river, until I perceived the smoke of our hunters, where I arrived to the
great pleasure not only of myself but of them, who were still searching for
me, but had about given up all hopes of seeing me again. They begged me not
to stray off from them any more, or never to forget to carry with me my
compass, and they added: If you had not come, and we had not succeeded in
finding you, we should never have gone again to the French, for fear of
their accusing us of having killed you. After this he [166] was very
careful of me when I went hunting, always giving me a savage as companion,
who knew how to find again the place from which he started so well that it
was something very remarkable.

To return to my subject: they have a kind of superstition in regard to this
hunt; namely, they believe that if they should roast any of the meat taken
in this way, or if any of the fat should fall into the fire, or if any of
the bones should be thrown into it, they would not be able to capture any
more deer. Accordingly they begged me to roast none of this meat, but I
laughed at this and their way of doing. Yet, in order not to offend them,
I cheerfully desisted, at least in their presence; though when they were
out of sight I took some of the best and roasted it, attaching no credit to
their superstitions. When I afterwards told them what I had done, they
would not believe me, saying that they could not have taken any deer after
the doing of such a thing.

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