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Voyages of Samuel de Champlain, Vol. 2

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On the 28th of the month, I set out from Tadoussac for Quebec, where I
found Captain Pierre, [363] who commanded there, and all his companions in
good health. There was also a savage captain with them, named Batiscan,
with some of his companions, who were awaiting us, and who were greatly
pleased at my arrival, singing and dancing the entire evening. I provided a
banquet for them, which gratified them very much. They had a good meal, for
which they were very thankful, and invited me with seven others to an
entertainment of theirs, not a small mark of respect with them. We each
one carried a porringer, according to custom, and brought it home full of
meat, which we gave to whomsoever we pleased.

Some days after I had set out from Tadoussac, the Montagnais arrived at
Quebec, to the number of sixty able-bodied men, en route for the war. They
tarried here some days, enjoying themselves, and not omitting to ply me
frequently with questions, to assure themselves that I would not fail in my
promises to them. I assured them, and again made promises to them, asking
them if they had found me breaking my word in the past. They were greatly
pleased when I renewed my promises to them.

They said to me: "Here are numerous Basques and Mistigoches" (this is the
name they give to the Normans and people of St. Malo), "who say they will
go to the war with us. What do you think of it? Do they speak the truth?"
I answered no, and that I knew very well what they really meant; that they
said this only to get possession of their commodities. They replied to me:
"You have spoken the truth. They are women, and want to make war only upon
our beavers." They went on talking still farther in a facetious mood, and
in regard to the manner and order of going to the war.

They determined to set out, and await me at the Trois Rivières, thirty
leagues above Quebec, where I had promised to join them, together with four
barques loaded with merchandise, in order to traffic in peltries, among
others with the Ochateguins, who were to await me at the mouth of the river
of the Iroquois, as they had promised the year before, and to bring there
as many as four hundred men to go to the war.


ENDNOTES:

357. In the title above, Champlain calls this his SECOND VOYAGE, by which
he means doubtless to say that this is the second voyage which he had
undertaken as lieutenant. The first and second voyages, of 1603 and of
1604, were not made under his direction.

358. Portland in Dorsetshire, England.

359. _Isle d'Huy_. This plainly refers to the Isle of Wight. On Ortelius's
carte of 1603. it is spelled Vigt: and the orthography, obtained
probably through the ear and not the eye, might easily have been
mistaken by Champlain.

360. _La Hougue_. There are two small islands laid down on the carte of
Ortelius. 1603, under the name _Les Hougueaux_, and a hamlet nearby
called Hougo, which is that, doubtless, to which Chaimplain here
refers.

361. Comparing this statement with the context, it will be clear that the
passage should read the 8th, and not the 18th of April. The "Islands
of St. Pierre," _Isles S. Pierre_, includes the Island of St. Peter
and the cluster surrounding it.

362. M. Ferland infers from this statement that the Basques, Normans, and
Bretons had been accustomed for the last sixty years, from the last
voyage of Roberval in 1549, to extend their fishing and fur-trading
voyages as far as Tadoussac.--_Vide Cours d'Hist. du Canada_, as cited
by Laverdière.

363. Captain Pierre Chavin, of Dieppe. _Vide antea_, p. 227.




CHAPTER II.

DEPARTURE FROM QUEBEC TO ASSIST OUR ALLIED SAVAGES IN THEIR WAR AGAINST THE
IROQUOIS, THEIR ENEMIES; AND ALL THAT TRANSPIRED UNTIL OUR RETURN TO THE
SETTLEMENT.


I set out from Quebec on the 14th of June, to meet the Montagnais,
Algonquins, and Ochateguins, who were to be at the mouth of the river of
the Iroquois. When I was eight leagues from Quebec, I met a canoe,
containing two savages, one an Algonquin, and the other a Montagnais, who
entreated me to advance as rapidly as possible, saying that the Algonquins
and Ochateguins would in two days be at the rendezvous, to the number of
two hundred, with two hundred others to come a little later, together with
Yroquet, one of their chiefs. They asked me if I was satisfied with the
coming of these savages. I told them I could not be displeased at it, since
they had kept their word. They came on board my barque, where I gave them a
good entertainment. Shortly after conferring with them about many matters
concerning their wars, the Algonquin savage, one of their chiefs, drew from
a sack a piece of copper a foot long, which he gave me. This was very
handsome and quite pure. He gave me to understand that there were large
quantities where he had taken this, which was on the bank of a river, near
a great lake. He said that they gathered it in lumps, and, having melted
it, spread it in sheets, smoothing it with stones. I was very glad of this
present, although of small value. [364]

Arriving at Trois Rivières, I found all the Montagnais awaiting me, and the
four barques as I stated above, which had gone to trade with them.

The savages were delighted to see me, and I went on shore to speak with
them. They entreated me, together with my companions, to embark on their
canoes and no others, when we went to the war, saying that they were our
old friends. This I promised them, telling them that I desired to set out
at once, since the wind was favorable; and that my barque was not so swift
as their canoes, for which reason I desired to go on in advance. They
earnestly entreated me to wait until the morning of the next day, when we
would all go together, adding that they would not go faster than I should.
Finally, to satisfy them, I promised to do this, at which they were greatly
pleased.

On the following day, we all set out together, and continued our route
until the morning of the next day, the 19th of the month, when we arrived
at an island [365] off the river of the Iroquois, and waited for the
Algonquins, who were to be there the same day. While the Montagnais were
felling trees to clear a place for dancing, and for arranging themselves
for the arrival of the Algonquins, an Algonquin canoe was suddenly seen
coming in haste, to bring word that the Algonquins had fallen in with a
hundred Iroquois, who were strongly barricaded, and that it would be
difficult to conquer them, unless they should come speedily, together with
the Matigoches, as they call us.

The alarm at once sounded among them, and each one got into his canoe with
his arms. They were quickly in readiness, but with confusion; for they were
so precipitous that, instead of making haste, they hindered one another.
They came to our barque and the others, begging me, together with my
companions, to go with them in their canoes, and they were so urgent that I
embarked with four others. I requested our pilot, La Routte, to stay in the
barque, and send me some four or five more of my companions, if the other
barques would send some shallops with men to aid us; for none of the
barques were inclined to go with the savages, except Captain Thibaut, who,
having a barque there, went with me. The savages cried out to those who
remained, saying that they were woman-hearted, and that all they could do
was to make war upon their peltry.

Meanwhile, after going some half a league, all the savages crossing the
river landed, and, leaving their canoes, took their bucklers, bows, arrows,
clubs, and swords, which they attach to the end of large sticks, and
proceeded to make their way in the woods, so fast that we soon lost sight
of them, they leaving us, five in number, without guides. This displeased
us; but, keeping their tracks constantly in sight, we followed them,
although we were often deceived. We went through dense woods, and over
swamps and marshes, with the water always up to our knees, greatly
encumbered by a pike-man's corselet, with which each one was armed. We were
also tormented in a grievous and unheard-of manner by quantities of
mosquitoes, which were so thick that they scarcely permitted us to draw
breath. After going about half a league under these circumstances, and no
longer knowing where we were, we perceived two savages passing through the
woods, to whom we called and told them to stay with us, and guide us to the
whereabouts of the Iroquois, otherwise we could not go there, and should
get lost in the woods. They stayed to guide us. After proceeding a short
distance, we saw a savage coming in haste to us, to induce us to advance as
rapidly as possible, giving me to understand that the Algonquins and
Montagnais had tried to force the barricade of the Iroquois but had been
repulsed, that some of the best men of the Montagnais had been killed in
the attempt, and several wounded, and that they had retired to wait for us,
in whom was their only hope. We had not gone an eighth of a league with
this savage, who was an Algonquin captain, before we heard the yells and
cries on both sides, as they jeered at each other, and were skirmishing
slightly while awaiting us. As soon as the savages perceived us, they began
to shout, so that one could not have heard it thunder. I gave orders to my
companions to follow me steadily, and not to leave me on any account. I
approached the barricade of the enemy, in order to reconnoitre it. It was
constructed of large trees placed one upon an other, and of a circular
shape, the usual form of their fortifications. All the Montagnais and
Algonquins approached likewise the barricade. Then we commenced firing
numerous musket-shots through the brush-wood, since we could not see them,
as they could us. I was wounded while firing my first shot at the side of
their barricade by an arrow, which pierced the end of my ear and entered my
neck. I seized the arrow, and tore it from my neck. The end of it was armed
with a very sharp stone. One of my companions also was wounded at the same
time in the arm by an arrow, which I tore out for him. Yet my wound did
not prevent me from doing my duty: our savages also, on their part, as well
as the enemy, did their duty, so that you could see the arrows fly on all
sides as thick as hail. The Iroquois were astonished at the noise of our
muskets, and especially that the balls penetrated better than their
arrows. They were so frightened at the effect produced that, seeing
several, of their companions fall wounded and dead, they threw themselves
on the ground whenever they heard a discharge, supposing that the shots
were sure. We scarcely ever missed firing two or three balls at one shot,
resting our muskets most of the time on the side of their barricade. But,
seeing that our ammunition began to fail, I said to all the savages that it
was necessary to break down their barricades and capture them by storm; and
that, in order to accomplish this, they must take their shields, cover
themselves with them, and thus approach so near as to be able to fasten
stout ropes to the posts that supported the barricades, and pull them down
by main strength, in that way making an opening large enough to permit them
to enter the fort. I told them that we would meanwhile, by our
musketry-fire, keep off the enemy, as they endeavored to prevent them from
accomplishing this; also that a number of them should get behind some large
trees, which were near the barricade, in order to throw them down upon the
enemy, and that others should protect these with their shields, in order to
keep the enemy from injuring them. All this they did very promptly. And, as
they were about finishing the work, the barques, distant a league and a
half, hearing the reports of our muskets, knew that we were engaged in
conflict; and a young man from St. Malo, full of courage, Des Prairies by
name, who like the rest had come with his barque to engage in peltry
traffic, said to his companions that it was a great shame to let me fight
in this way with the savages without coming to my assistance; that for his
part he had too high a sense of honor to permit him to do so, and that he
did not wish to expose himself to this reproach; Accordingly, he determined
to come to me in a shallop with some of his companions, together with some
of mine whom he took with him. Immediately upon his arrival, he went
towards the fort of the Iroquois, situated on the bank of the river. Here
he landed, and came to find me. Upon seeing him, I ordered our savages who
were breaking down the fortress to stop, so that the new-comers might have
their share of the sport. I requested Sieur des Prairies and his companions
to fire some salvos of musketry, before our savages should carry by storm
the enemy, as they had decided to do. This they did, each one firing
several shots, in which all did their duty well. After they had fired
enough, I addressed myself to our savages, urging them to finish the
work. Straightway, they approached the barricade, as they had previously
done, while we on the flank were to fire at those who should endeavor to
keep them from breaking it down. They behaved so well and bravely that,
with the help of our muskets, they made an opening, which, however, was
difficult to go through, as there was still left a portion as high as a
man, there being also branches of trees there which had been beaten down,
forming a serious obstacle. But, when I saw that the entrance was quite
practicable, I gave orders not to fire any more, which they obeyed. At the
same instant, some twenty or thirty, both of savages and of our own men,
entered, sword in hand, without finding much resistance. Immediately, all
who were unharmed took to flight. But they did not proceed far; for they
were brought down by those around the barricade, and those who escaped were
drowned in the river. We captured some fifteen prisoners, the rest being
killed by musket-shots, arrows, and the sword. When the fight was over,
there came another shallop, containing some of my companions. This although
behind time, was yet in season for the booty, which, however, was not of
much account. There were only robes of beaver-skin, and dead bodies,
covered with blood, which the savages would not take the trouble to
plunder, laughing at those in the last shallop, who did so; for the others
did not engage in such low business. This, then, is the victory obtained by
God's grace, for gaining which they gave us much praise.

* * * * *

CHAMPLAIN'S EXPLANATION OF THE ACCOMPANYING MAP.

FORT DES IROQUOIS.

_A_. The fort of the Iroquois.
_B_. The Iroquois throwing themselves into the river to escape the pursuit
of the Montagnais and Algonquins who followed for the purpose of
killing them.
_D_. Sieur de Champlain and five of his men.
_E_. The savages friendly to us.
_F_. Sieur des Prairies of St. Malo with his comrades.
_G_. Shallop of Sieur des Prairies.
_H_. Great trees cut down for the purpose of destroying the fort of the
Iroquois.

* * * * *

The savages scalped the dead, and took the heads as a trophy of victory,
according to their custom. They returned with fifty wounded Montagnais and
Algonquins and three dead, singing and leading their prisoners with them.
They attached to sticks in the prows of their canoes the heads and a dead
body cut into quarters, to eat in revenge, as they said. In this way, they
went to our barques off the River of the Iroquois.

My companions and I embarked in a shallop, where I had my wound dressed by
the surgeon, De Boyer, of Rouen, who likewise had come here for the purpose
of traffic. The savages spent all this day in dancing and singing.

The next day, Sieur de Pont Gravé arrived with another shallop, loaded with
merchandise. Moreover, there was also a barque containing Captain Pierre,
which he had left behind, it being able to come only with difficulty, as it
was rather heavy and a poor sailer.

The same day there was some trading in peltry, but the other barques
carried off the better part of the booty. It was doing them a great favor
to search out a strange people for them, that they might afterwards carry
off the profit without any risk or danger.

That day, I asked the savages for an Iroquois prisoner which they had, and
they gave him to me. What I did for him was not a little; for I saved him
from many tortures which he must have suffered in company with his
fellow-prisoners, whole nails they tore out, also cutting off their
fingers, and burning them in several places. They put to death on the same
day two or three, and, in order to increase their torture, treated them in
the following manner.

They took the prisoners to the border of the water, and fastened them
perfectly upright to a stake. Then each came with a torch of birch bark,
and burned them, now in this place, now in that. The poor wretches, feeling
the fire, raised so loud a cry that it was something frightful to hear; and
frightful indeed are the cruelties which these barbarians practise towards
each other. After making them suffer greatly in this manner and burning
them with the above-mentioned bark, taking some water, they threw it on
their bodies to increase their suffering. Then they applied the fire anew,
so that the skin fell from their bodies, they continuing to utter loud
cries and exclamations, and dancing until the poor wretches fell dead on
the spot.

As soon as a body fell to the ground dead, they struck it violent blows
with sticks, when they cut off the arms, legs, and other parts; and he was
not regarded by them as manly, who did not cut off a piece of the flesh,
and give it to the dogs. Such are the courtesies prisoners receive. But
still they endure all the tortures inflicted upon them with such constancy
that the spectator is astonished.

As to the other prisoners, which remained in possession of the Algonquins
and Montagnais, it was left to their wives and daughters to put them to
death with their own hands; and, in such a matter, they do not show
themselves less inhuman than the men, but even surpass them by far in
cruelty; for they devise by their cunning more cruel punishments, in which
they take pleasure, putting an end to their lives by the most extreme
pains.

The next day there arrived the Captain Yroquet, also another Ochateguin,
with some eighty men, who regretted greatly not having been present at the
defeat. Among all these tribes there were present nearly two hundred men,
who had never before seen Christians, for whom they conceived a great
admiration.

We were some three days together on an island off the river of the
Iroquois, when each tribe returned to its own country.

I had a young lad, who had already spent two winters at Quebec, and who was
desirous of going with the Algonquins to learn their language. Pont Gravé
and I concluded that, if he entertained this desire, it would be better to
send him to this place than elsewhere, that he might ascertain the nature
of their country, see the great lake, observe the rivers and tribes there,
and also explore the mines and objects of special interest in the
localities occupied by these tribes, in order that he might inform us upon
his return, of the facts of the case. We asked him if it was his desire to
go, for I did not wish to force him. But he answered the question at once
by consenting to the journey with great pleasure.

Going to Captain Yroquet, who was strongly attached to me, I asked him if
he would like to take this young boy to his country to spend the winter
with him, and bring him back in the spring. He promised to do so, and treat
him as his own son, saying that he was greatly pleased with the idea. He
communicated the plan to all the Algonquins, who were not greatly pleased
with it, from fear that some accident might happen to the boy, which would
cause us to make war upon them. This hesitation cooled the desire of
Yroquet, who came and told me that all his companions failed to find the
plan a good one. Meanwhile, all the barques had left, excepting that of
Pont Gravé, who, having some pressing business on hand, as he told me, went
away too. But I stayed with my barque to see how the matter of the journey
of this boy, which I was desirous should take place, would result. I
accordingly went on shore, and asked to speak with the captains, who came
to me, and we sat down for a conference, together with many other savages
of age and distinction in their troops. Then I asked them why Captain
Yroquet, whom I regarded as my friend, had refused to take my boy with
him. I said that it was not acting like a brother or friend to refuse me
what he had promised, and what could result in nothing but good to them;
taking the boy would be a means of increasing still more our friendship
with them and forming one with their neighbors; that their scruples at
doing so only gave me an unfavorable opinion of them; and that if they
would not take the boy, as Captain Yroquet had promised, I would never have
any friendship with them, for they were not children to break their
promises in this manner. They then told me that they were satisfied with
the arrangement, only they feared that, from change of diet to something
worse than he had been accustomed to, some harm might happen to the boy,
which would provoke my displeasure. This they said was the only cause of
their refusal.

I replied that the boy would be able to adapt himself without difficulty to
their manner of living and usual food, and that, if through sickness or the
fortunes of war any harm should befall him, this would not interrupt my
friendly feelings towards them, and that we were all exposed to accidents,
which we must submit to with patience. But I said that if they treated him
badly, and if any misfortune happened to him through their fault, I should
in truth be displeased, which, however, I did not expect from them, but
quite the contrary.

They said to me: "Since then, this is your desire, we will take him, and
treat him like ourselves. But you shall also take a young man in his place,
to go to France. We shall be greatly pleased to hear him report the fine
things he shall have seen." I accepted with pleasure the proposition, and
took the young man. He belonged to the tribe of the Ochateguins, and was
also glad to go with me. This presented an additional motive for treating
my boy still better than they might otherwise have done. I fitted him out
with what he needed, and we made a mutual promise to meet at the end of
June.

We parted with many promises of friendship. Then they went away towards the
great fall of the River of Canada, while I returned to Quebec. On my way, I
met Pont Gravé on Lake St. Peter, who was waiting for me with a large
patache, which he had fallen in with on this lake, and which had not been
expeditious enough to reach the place where the savages were, on account of
its poor sailing qualities.

We all returned together to Quebec, when Pont Gravé went to Tadoussac, to
arrange some matters pertaining to our quarters there. But I stayed at
Quebec to see to the reconstruction of some palisades about our abode,
until Pont Gravé should return, when we could confer together as to what
was to be done.

On the 4th of June, Des Marais arrived at Quebec, greatly to our joy; for
we were afraid that some accident had happened to him at sea.

Some days after, an Iroquois prisoner, whom I had kept guarded, got away in
consequence of my giving him too much liberty, and made his escape, urged
to do so by fear, notwithstanding the assurances given him by a woman of
his tribe we had at our settlement.

A few days after, Pont Gravé wrote me that he was thinking of passing the
winter at the settlement, being moved to do so by many considerations. I
replied that, if he expected to fare better than I had done in the past, he
would do well.

He accordingly hastened to provide himself with the supplies necessary for
the settlement.

After I had finished the palisade about our habitation, and put every thing
in order, Captain Pierre returned in a barque in which he had gone to
Tadoussac to see his friends. I also went there to ascertain what would
result from the second trading, and to attend to some other special
business which I had there. Upon my arrival, I found there Pont Gravé, who
stated to me in detail his plans, and the reasons inducing him to spend the
winter. I told him frankly what I thought of the matter; namely, that I
believed he would not derive much profit from it, according to the
appearances that were plainly to be seen.

He determined accordingly to change his plan, and despatched a barque with
orders for Captain Pierre to return from Quebec on account of some business
he had with him; with the intelligence also that some vessels, which had
arrived from Brouage, brought the news that Monsieur de Saint Luc had come
by post from Paris, expelled those of the religion from Brouage,
re-enforced the garrison with soldiers, and then returned to Court; [366]
that the king had been killed, and two or three days after him the Duke of
Sully, together with two other lords, whose names they did not know. [367]

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