rockes couered with Diamons fixed to them I will not assure them for fine but that is very pleasing to the sight There are also certaine shining blew stones which are of no lesse value or woorth than Turkie stones Monsieur De Champdorè our guide for the nauigations in those countries hauing cut within a rocke one of those stones at his returne from New France he brake it in two and gaue one part of it to Monsieur De Monts the other to Monsieur De Poutrincourt which they made to be put in gold and were found woorthy to be presented the one to the King by the said Poutrincourt the other to the Queene by the said De Monts and were very well accepted I remember that a Gold-smith did offer fifteene crownes to Monsieur De Poutrincourt for that he presented to his Maiestie There be many other secrets rare and faire things within the ground of those Countries which are yet vnknowen vnto vs and will come to the knowledge and euidence by inhabiting the prouince CHAP. IIII. The description of the riuer Saint Iohn and of the I le Saint Croix The man lost in the woods found out 16. daies after Examples of some strange abstinences The discord of the Sauages deferred to the iudgement of Monsieur De Monts The fatherly authoritie amongst the said Sauages What husbands they chuse to their Daughters HAuing viewed the said Mine the companie passed to the other side of the French Baye and went towards the bottome of the same Then turning backe came to the riuer of Saint Iohn so called as I thinke because they arriued thither the soure twentieth of Iune which is S. Iohn Baptists day There is a faire Port but the entrie or mouth is dangerous to them that know not the best waies because that before the comming in there is a long banke of rockes which are not seene nor discouered but onely at low water which doe serue as for defence to this Port within which when one hath gone about a league there is found a violent fall of the said riuer which falleth downe from the rockes when that the sea doth ebbe with a maruellous noise for being sometimes at an ker at sea we haue heard it from aboue twelue leagues off But at full sea one may passe it with great ships This riuer is one of the fairest that may be seene hauing store of Ilands and swarming with fishes This last yeere 1608. the said Monsieur de Champdorè with one of the said Monsieur De Monts his men hath beene some 50 leagues vp the said riuer and do witnesse that there is great quantitie of Vines along the shore but the grapes are not so bigge as they bee in the country of the Armouchiquois There are also Onions many other sorts of good hearbs As for the trees they are the fayrest that may be seene When we were there we saw great number of Cedar trees Concerning fishes the said Champdorè hath related vnto vs that putting the kettle ouer the fire they had taken fish sufficient for their diner before that the water was hot Moreouer this riuer stretching it selfe farre within the lands of the Sauages doth maruellously shorten the long trauels by meanes thereof For in six daies they goe to Gashepè coming to the bay or gulfe of Chaleur or heate when they are at the end of it in carying their Canowes some few leagues And by the same riuer in eight daies they goe to Tadoussac by a branch of the same which commeth from the North-West In such sort that in Port Royall one may haue within 15. or 18. daies newes from the Frenchmen dwelling in the great riuer of Canada by these waies which could not be done in one moneth by sea nor without danger Leauing Saint Iohns riuer they came following the coast 20. leagues from that place to a great riuer which is properlie sea where they fortified themselues in a little Iland seated in the middest of this riuer which the said Champlein had beene to discouer and view And seeing it strong by nature and of easie defence and keeping besides that the season began to slide away and therefore it was behouefull to prouide of lodging without running any farther they resolued to make their abode there I will not sift out curiously the reasons of all parts vpon the resolution of this their dwelling but I will alwaies be of opinion that whosoeuer goes into a countrie to possesse it must not stay in the Iles there to be a prisoner For before all things the culter and tillage of the ground must be regarded And I would faine know how one shall till and manure it if it behoueth at euery houre in the morning at noone and the euening to crosse a great passage of water to goe for things requisite from the firme land And if one feareth the enemy how shall he that husbandeth the land or otherwise busie in necessarie affaires saue himselfe if he be pursued for one findeth not alwaies a boat in hand in time of neede nor two men to conduct it Besides out life requiring many commodities an Iland is not fit for to begin the establishment and seat of a Colony vnlesse there be Currents and streames of sweet water for to drinke and to supplie other necessaries in houshold which is not in small Ilands There needeth wood for fuell which also is not there But aboue all there must be shelters from the hurtfull winds and colde which is hardly found in a small continent inuironed with water of all sides Neuerthelesse the Companie soiorned there in the midest of a broad riuer where the North wind and North-West bloweth at will And because that two leagues higher there be brooks that come crosse-wise to fall within this large branch of sea the I le of the Frenchmens retreat was called Saint Croix 25. leagues distant from Port Royal. Whilest that they begin to cut downe Cedars and other trees of the said Ile to make necessary buildings let vs returne to seeke out Master Nicolas Aubri lost in the woods which long time since is holden for dead As they began to visit and search the Iland Monsieur de Champdorè of whom we shal henceforth make mentiō by reason he dwelt foure yeeres in those parts conducting the voyages made there was sent backe to the Bay of Saint Mary with a Mine-finder that had beene caried thither for to get some Mines of siluer Iron which they did And as they had crossed the French Baie they entred into the said Baie of Saint Marie by a narrow strait or passage which is betweene the land of Port Royal and an Iland called the Long I le where after some abode they going afishing the said Aubri perceaued them and began with a feeble voice to call as loud as he could and for to helpe his voice he aduised himselfe to doe as Ariadne did heeretofore to
noteth that fishes which haue stones on their heads doe feare winter and retire themselues betimes of whose number is the Cod which hath within her braines two white stones made gundole wise and iagged about which haue not those that be taken towards Scotland as some learned and curious man hath tould me This fish is wonderfully greedy and deuoureth others almost as bigg as himselfe yea euen lobsters which are like bigge Langoustes and I maruell how he may digest those bigge and hard shells Of the liuers of Cods our New-found-land-men doe make oiles casting those liuers into barels set in the Sunne where they melt of themselues There is great trafficke made in Europe of the oile of the fish of New-found-land And for this only cause many go to the fishing of the whale and of the Hippopotames which they call the beast with the great tooth or the Morses of whom some thing we must say The Almighty willing to shew vnto Iob how wonderfull are his works wilt thou draw saith he Leuiathan with a booke and his tongue with a string which thou hast cast in the water By this Leuiathan is the whale meant and all fishes of that reach whose hugenesse and chiefely of the whale is so great that it is a dreadfull thing as wee haue shewed elsewhere speaking of one that was cast on the Coast of Brasill by the tide And Plinie saith that there be some found in the Indies which haue fower acres of ground in length This is the cause why man is to be admired yea rather God who hath giuen him the courage to assaile so fearefull a monster which hath not his equall on the land I leaue the maner of taking of her described by Oppian and S. Basil for to come to our French-men and chiefely the Basques who doe goe euery yeare to the great riuer of Canada for the Whale Commonly the fishing thereof is made in the riuer called Lesquemin towards Tadoussac And for to doe it they goe by skowtes to make watch vpon the tops of rockes to see if they may haue the sight of some one and when they haue discouered any foorth with they goe with fower shaloupes after it and hauing cunningly borded her they strike her with a harping iron to the depth of her lard and to the quicke of the flesh Then this creature feeling herselfe rudely pricked with a dreadfull boisterousnesse casteth herselfe into the depth of the sea The men in the meane while are in their shirts which vere out the cord whereunto the harping iron is tied which the whale carrieth away But at the shaloupe side that hath giuen the blow there is a man redy with a hatchet in hand to cut the said cord least perchance some accident should happen that it were mingled or that the Whales force should be too violent which notwithstanding hauing found the bottome and being able to goe no further she mounteth vp againe leasurely aboue the water and then againe she is set vpon with glaue-staues or pertuifanes very sharp so hotly that the salt-salt-water pierceing within her flesh she looseth her force and remaineth there Then one tieth her to a cable at whose end is an anker which is cast into the sea then at the end of six or eight daies they goe to fetch her when time and opportunity permits it they cut her in peeces and in great kettles doe seeth the fat which melteth it selfe into oile wherewith they may fill 400. Hogs-heads sometimes more and somtimes lesse according to the greatnesse of the beast and of the tongue commonly they draw fiue yea six hogs-heads full of traine If this be admirable in vs that haue industry it is more admirable in the Indian people naked and without artificiall instruments and neuerthelesse they execute the same thing which is recited by Ioseph Acosta saying that for to take those great monsters they put themselues in a Canow or Barke made of the barkes of trees and bording the Whale they leape nimbly on her necke and there doe stand as it were on horse-backe attending the fit meanes to take her and seeing their opportunity the boldest of them putteth a strong and sharpe stafe which he carrieth with him into the gap of the Whales nostrils I call nostrill the condut or hole thorow which they breath foorth with he thrust it in far with another very strong stafe and maketh it to enter in as deepe as he can In the meane while the Whale beateth the sea furiously and raiseth vp mountaines of water diuing downe with great violence then mounteth vp again not knowing what to do through very rage The Indian notwithstanding remaineth still sitting fast and for to pay her home for this trouble fixeth yet another like stalke in the other nostrill making it to enter in in such wise that it stoppeth her winde quite and taketh away her breath and he commeth againe into his Canow which he holdeth tied at the side of the Whale with a cord then retireth himselfe on land hauing first tied his cord to the Whale which he vereth out on her which whilest she findeth much water skippeth heere and there as touched with griefe and in the end draweth to land where foorth with for the huge enormity of her body she remaineth on the shore not being able to mooue or stur herselfe any more And then a great number of Indians doe come to finde out the Conquerer for to reape the fruit of his conquest and for that purpose they make an end of killing of her cutting her and making morsels of her flesh which is bad enough which they drie and stampe to make powder of it which they vse for meat that serueth them a long time As for the Hippopotames or Morses we haue said in the voiages of Iames Quartier that there be great number of them in the Gulfe of Canada and specially in the I le of Brion and in the seuen Iles which is the riuer of Chischedec It is a creature which is more like to a Cow then to a horse But we haue named it Hippopotamus that is to say the horse of the riuer because Pliny doth so call them that be in the riuer Nilus which notwithstanding do not altogether resemble the horse but doth participate also of an oxe or a cow He is of haire like to the seale that is to say daple graie and somewhat towards the redde the skinne very hard a small head like to a Barbarie Cowe hauing two ranks of teeth on ech side betweene which there is two of them of ech part hanging from the vpper iaw downward of the forme of a young Elephants tooth wherewith this creature helpeth her selfe to climbe on the rocks Because of those teeth our Mariners doe call it La beste a La grand ' dent the beast with the great teeth His eares be short and his taile also he loweth as an Oxe and hath wings or finnes at his
made by sea Then the said Monsieur De Monts hoised vp sailes and leaueth the said Monsieur Du Pont as his Lieutenant and deputie in these parts who wanting no diligence according to his nature in making perfect that which was needfull for to lodge both himselfe and his people which was all that might be done for that yeare in that country For to goe farre from home in the Winter and after so long a toile there was no reason And as for the tillage of the ground I beleeue they had no fit time to doe it For the said Monsieur Du Pont was not a man to be long in rest nor to leaue his men idle if there had beene any meanes for it The Winter being come the Sauages of the country did assemble themselues from farre to Port Royal for to truck with the Frenchmen for such things they had some bringing Beauers skinnes and Otters which are those whereof most account may be made in that place and also Ellans or Stagges whereof good buffe may be made Others bringing flesh newly killed wherewith they made many good Tabagies or feasts liuing merily as long as they had wherewithall They neuer wanted any bread but wine did not continue with them till the season was ended For when we came thither the yeare following they had been aboue three Moneths without any wine and were very glad of our comming for that made them to take againe the taste of it The greatest paine they had was to grinde the corne to haue bread which is very painfull with hand-mils whereall the strength of the bodie is requisite And therefore it is not without cause that in old time bad people were threatned to be sent to the Mill as to the painefullest thing that is to which occupation poore slaues were set to before the vse of water and winde-mils was found out as the Prophane histories make mention and the same of the comming of the people of Israel out of the land of Aegypt where for the last scourge that God will send to Pharao he declareth by the mouth of Moises that about midnight he will passe thorow Aegypt and euery first borne shall die there from the first borne of Pharao that should sit vpon his throne to the first borne of the maide Seruant which grindeth at the Mill. And this labor is so great that the Sauages although they be very poore cannot beare it and had rather to be without bread then to take so much pains as it hath beene tried offering them halfe of the grinding they should doe but they chused rather to haue no corne And I might well beleeue that the same with other things hath beene great meanes to breed the sicknesse spoken of in some of Monsieur Du Pont his men for there died some halfe a dosen of them that winter True it is that I finde a defect in the buildings of our Frenchmen which is they had no ditches about them whereby the waters of the ground next to them did runne vnder their lower-most roomes which was a great hindrance to their health I adde besides the bad waters which they vsed that did not runne from a quicke spring but from the neerest brooke The winter being passed the sea nauigable Monsieur Du Pont would needes atchieue the enterprise begun the yeere before by Monsieur De Monts and to goe seeke out a Port more Southerly where the aire might be more temperate according as he had in charge of the said Monsieur De Monts He furnished then the barke which remained with him to that effect But being set out of the port and full readie hoisted vp failes for Malebarre he was forced by contrarie winde twice to put backe againe and at the third time the said Barke strake against the rockes at the entire of the said Port. In this disgrace of Neptune the men were saued with the better part of prouision and merchandise but as for the Barke it was rent in peeces And by this mishap the voyage was broken and that which was so desired intermitted For the habitation of Port Royall was not iudged good And notwithstanding it is on the North and North-west sides well sheltered with mountaines distant some one league some halfe a league from the Port and the riuer L'Equille So we see how that enterprises take not effect according to the desires of men and are accompanied with many perils So that one must not woonder if the time be long in establishing of Colonies specially in lands so remote whose nature and temperature of aire is not knowen and where one must fell and cut downe forrests and be constrained to take heed not from the people that we call Sauages but from them that terme themselues Christians and yet haue but the name of it cursed and abhominable people woorse then woolues enemies to God and humane nature This attempt then being broken Monsieur Du Pont knew not what to doe but to attend the succour and supplie that Monsieur De Monts promised parting from Port Royall at his returne into France to send him the yeere following Yet for all euents he built an other Barke and a Shaloup for to seeke French shippes in the places where they vse to dry fish such as Campseau Port English Port Misamichis Port the Baie of Chaleur or heat the Baie of Morues or Coddes and others in great number according as Monsieur De Monts had done the former yeere to the end to ship himselfe in them and to returne into France in case that no shippe should come to succour him Wherein he did wisely for he was in danger to heare no newes from vs that were appointed to succeed him as it shall appeare by the discourse following But in the meane while wee must consider that they which in these voyages haue transported themselues in these parts haue had an aduantage ouer those that would plant in Florida which is in hauing that refuge beforesaid of French shippes that frequent the New found lands for fishing not being forced to build great shippes nor to abide extreme famines as they haue done in Florida whose voyages haue beene lamentable for that respect and these by reason of the sicknesses that haue persecuted them but they of Florida haue had a blessing for that they were in a milde and fertill countrey and more friendly to mans health then New France spoken of else where If they haue suffered famines there was great fault in them for not hauing tilled the ground which they found plaine and champion Which before all other thing is to be done of them that will lodge themselues so farre from ordinarie succour But the Frenchmen and almost all nations at this day I meane of those that be not borne and brought vp to the manuring of the ground haue this badde nature that they thinke to derogate much from their dignitie in addicting themselues to the
that vntill we came neere the Açores we had the winde fit enough and afterward we had almost alwaies either South-west or Norweast little North and South which were not good for vs but to saile with the bowline For Easterly windes we had none at all but once or twice which continued nothing with vs to speake of Sure it is that the Westerly windes doe raigne much a long that sea Whether it be by a certaine repercussion of the East winde which is stiffe and swift vnder the Equinoctiall line wherof we haue spoken else-where or because that this Western land being large and great also the winde that issueth from thence doth abound the more Which commeth especially in Summer when the sunne hath force to draw vp the vapors of the earth for the windes come from thence issuing from the dennes and Caues of the same And therefore the Poets doe faine that Aeolus holdeth them in prisons from whence hee draweth them and giueth them liberty when it pleaseth him But the spirit of God doth confirm it vnto vs yet better when he saith by the mouth of the Prophet that Almighty God among other his maruels draweth the windes out of his treasures which be the Caues whereof I speake For the word treasure fignifieth in Hebrew secret and hidden place He bringeth foorth the cloudes from the earthes furthest parts the lightnings with the raines he makes and them impartes on some in his anger on others for pleasures The windes he draweth foorth out of his deepe treasures And vpon this consideration Christopher Columbus a Genwaie first nauigator of these last ages vnto the Ilands of Amerika did iudge that there was some great land in the West hauing obserued sailing on the sea that continuall windes came from that part Continuing then our course we had some other stormes hindrances procured by windes which we almost had alwaies contrary by reason we set out too late but they that set out in March haue commonly good windes because that then the East Noreast and Northern windes doe raigne which are fit and prosperous for these voiages These tempests were very often foretold vs by Porpeses which did haunt about our ship by thousands sporting themselues after a very pleasant maner Some of them did pay for their so neer eapproaching For some men waited for them at the beke head which is the forepart of the ship with harping Irons in their hands which met with them sometimes and drew them in abord with the helpe of the other sailers which with iron hookes which they call Gaffes tied at the end of a long powle pulled them vp We haue taken many of them in that sort both in going and comming which haue done vs no harme There bee two sorts of them some which haue a blunt and bigge nose others which haue it sharpe we tooke none but of these last but yet I remember to haue seene in the water some of the short-nosed ones This fish hath two fingers bredth of fat at the least on the backe When it was cut in two we did wash our hands in his hot blood which they say comforteth the sinewes He hath a maruelous quantity of teeth along his Iawes and I thinke that he holdeth fast that which he once catcheth Moreouer the inward parts haue altogether the taste of hoggs flesh and the bones not in forme of fish bones but like a foure footed creature The most delicate meat of it is the finne which he hath vpon the backe and the taile which are neither fish nor flesh but better then that such as also is in substance of taile that of the Beuers which seemeth to be scailed These Porpeses be the onely fishes we tooke before we came to the great bancke of Morues or Codfish But far off we saw other great fishes which did shew out of the water aboue halfe an akers length of their backes and did thrust out in the aire aboue a speares height of great pipes of water thorow the holes they had vpon their heads But to returne to our purpose of stormes during our voiage we had some which made vs strike downe saile and to stand our armes a crosse caried at the pleasure of the waues and tossed vp and downe after a strange maner If any coffer or chest was not well made fast it was heard to rowle from side to side makeing a foule noise Sometimes the kettle was ouerturned and in dyning or supping our dishes and platters flew from one ende of the table to the other vnlesse they were holden very fast As for the drinke one must cary his mouth and the glasse according to the motion of the ship Briefely it was a sport but somewhat rude to them that cannot beare this iogging easily For all that the most of vs did laugh at it for there was no danger in it at least euident being in a good ship and strong to withstand the waues We had also sometimes calmes very tedious and wearisome during which we washed our selues in the sea we danced vpon the decke we climbed vp the maine top we sang in muficke Then when a little small cloude was percerued to issue from vnder the Horizon we were forced to giue ouer those exercises for to take heed of a gust of winde which was wrapped in the same cloud which dissoluing it selfe grumbling snorting whistling roaring storming and buzing was able to ouer turne our ship vp-side downe vnlesse men had beene ready to execute that which the Master of the ship which was Captaine Foulques a man very vigilant commanded them There is no harme in shewing how these gusts of winde otherwise called stormes are formed and from whence they proceed Plinie speaketh of them in his naturall history and saith that they be exhalations light vapours raised from the earth to the colde region of the aire and not being able to passe further but rather forced to returne backe they sometimes meet sulphury and firy exhalations which compasse them about and binde so hard that there come thereby a great combat motions and agitation between the sulphury heat and the airy moistnesse which being constrained by the stronger enemy to run away it openeth it selfe maketh it selfe waie whistleth roareth and stormeth briefely becometh a winde which is great or lesser according that the sulphury exalation which wrappeth it breaketh it selfe and giueth it way sometimes all at once as we haue shewed before and sometimes with longer time according to the quantity of the matter wherof it is made and according as either more or lesse it is moued by his contrary qualities But I cannot leaue vnmentioned the wonderful courage and assurance that good sailers haue in these windie conflicts stormes and tempests when as a ship being caried and mounted vpon mountaines of waters and from thence let downe as it were into the profound depthes of the world they clime among the tacklings and
conuersion of these poore Westerly people and to the setting forward of the glorie of God and the Kings there be men start vp full of Auarice and Enuie men which would not giue a stroke or draw their swords for the Kings seruice as Monsieur De Poutrincourt shewed one daie to his Maiesty men which would not indure the least labour in the world for the honour of God which doe hinder that any profit be drawen from the very prouince it selfe to furnish to that which is necessarie to the establishment of such a worke hauing rather that Englishmen and Hollanders reape the profit thereof than Frenchmen and seeking to make the name of God vnknowen in those parts of the world And such men which haue no feare of God for if they had any they would be zealous of his name are heard are beleeued and carry things away at their pleasure Now let vs prepare and hoise vp sailes Monsieur De Poutrincourt made the voyage into these parts with some men of good sort not to winter there but as it were to seeke out his seat and finde out a land that might like him Which he hauing done had no neede to soiorne there any longer So then the Ships being readie for the returne he shipped himselfe and those of his company in one of them The meane while the fame was from all sides in these parts of the wonders made in Ostend then besieged by their Highnesse of Flanders alreadie three yeares passed The voyage was not without stormes and great perils for amongst others I will recite two or three which might be placed among miracles were it not that the Sea-accidents are frequent enough not that I will for all that darken the speciall fauour that God hath alwaies shewed in these voyages The first is of a gust of winde which in the middest of their nauigation came by night instantlie to strike in the sailes with such a violent boistrousnesse that it ouerturned the ship in such maner that of the one part the keele was on the face of the water and the saile swimming vpon it without any meanes or time to right it or to loose the tackles On the sudden the sea is all afire and the Mariners themselues all wet did seeme to bee all compassed with flames so furious was the Sea the Sailers call this fire Saint Goudrans fire and by ill fortune in this sudden surprise there was not a knife to be found for to cut the cables or the saile The poore ship during this casualtie remained ouerturned caried continually one while vpon Mountaines of waters then another while suncken downe euen to hell Briefely euery one did prepare to drinke more than his belly full to all his friends when a new blast of winde came which rent the saile in a thousand peeces euer after vnprofitable to any vse Happy saile hauing by his ruine saued all this people for if it had beene a new one they had beene cast away and neuer newes had beene heard of them But God doth often trie his people and bringeth them euen to deaths doore to the end they may know his powerfull might and feare him So the ship began to stur and rise againe by little and little And well was it for them that she was deepe keeled for if it had beene a fliboate with a flat bottome and broade belly it had beene quite ouerturned vp side downe but the ballast which remained beneath did helpe to stirre her vpright The second was at Casquet an I le or rocke in the forme of a Caske betweene France and England on which there is no dwelling being come within three leagues of the same there was some iealousie betweene the Masters of the ship an euill which oftentimes destroieth both men and faire enterprises the one saying that they might double well enough the said Casket an other that they could not and that it behooued to cast a little from the right course for to passe vnder the Iland In this case the worst was that one knew not the houre of the day because it was darke by reason of mistes and by consequent they knew not if it did ebbe or flow For if it had beene floud they had easily doubled it but it chanced that it was turning water and by that meanes the ebbe did hinder it So that approching the said rocke they saw no hope to saue themselues and that necessarily they must go strike against it Then euery one began to pray to God to craue pardon one of another and for their last comfort to bewaile one another Heereupon Captaine Rossignol whose Ship was taken in New France as we haue said before drew out a great knife to kill therewith Captaine Timothie Gouernor of this present voyage saying to him Doest thou not content thy selfe to haue vndone me but wilt thou needs yet cast me heere away but he was held and kept from doing of that he was about to doe And in very truth it was in him great folly yea rather madnesse to goe about to kill a man that was going to die and he that went to giue the blow in the same perill In the end as they went to strike vpon the rocke Monsieur De Poutrincort who had alreadie yeelded his soule and recommended his family to God asked of him that was at the top if there were any hope who told him there was none Then he bad some to helpe him to change the sailes which two or three onely did and already was there no more water but to turne the Ship when the mercy and fauor of God came to helpe them turned the ship from the perils wherein they saw themselues Some had put off their doublets for to seeke to saue themselues by climbing vpon the rocke but the feare was all the harme they had for that time sauing that some few houres after being arriued neere to a rocke called Le nid a L'aigle the Eagles nest they thought to goe bord it thinking in the darknesse of the mist it had been a Ship from whence being againe escaped they arriued at New hauen the place from whence they first set out The said Monsieur De Poutrincourt hauing left his armours and prouisions of war in the I le of Saint Croix in the keeping of the said Monsieur De Monts as a gage and token of the good will he had to returne thither But I may yet well set downe heere a maruellous danger from which the same vessell was preserued a little after the departing from Saint Croix and this by a bad accident which God turned to good For a certaine tipling fellow being by night stealingly come downe to the bottome of the ship for to drinke his belly full and to fill his bottle with wine hee found that there was but too much to drinke and that the said ship was alreadie halfe full of water in such sort that the perill was imminent and they had
it than other more Southerly nations Witnesse the Hollanders Frizeland men and other thereabout amongst whom the said Hollanders doe write in their nauigations that going to the East Indies many of them were taken with the same disease being vpon the coast of Guinie a dangerous coast bearing a pestiferous aire a hundred leagues farre in the sea And the same I meane the Hollanders being in the yeere 1606 gone vpon the coast of Spaine to keepe the same coast and to annoy the Spanish Nauie were constrained to with-draw themselues by reason of this disease hauing cast into the sea two and twentie of their dead And if one will heare the witnesse of Olaus magnus writing of the Northerly Nations of which part himselfe was let him hearken to his report which is this There is saith he yet an other martiall sicknesse that is a sicknesse that afflicteth them which follow the warres which tormenteth and afflicteth them that are besieged such whose limbes thickned by a certaine fleshy heauinesse and by a corrupted bloud which is betweene the flesh and the skinne dilating it selfe like wax they sinke with the least impression made on them with the finger and disioineth the teeth as ready to fall out changeth the white colour of the skinne into blew and causeth a benumming with a distaste to take Physicke and that disease is called in the vulgar tongue of the countrey Sorbut in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per aduenture because of this putrifying softnesse which is vnder the skinne which seemeth to proceede of indigesting and salt meats and to be continued by the cold exhalation of the walles But it shall not haue so much force where the houses are inward wainscotted with boords If it continue longer it must be driuen out by taking euery day wormwood as one expelleth out the roote of the stone by a decoction of stale Beere drunke with butter The same Author doth yet say in an other place a thing much to be noted In the beginning saith he they sustaine the siege with force but in the end the Souldier being by continuance weakned they take away the prouisions from the inuaders by artificiall meanes subtilties and ambushments specially the sheepe which they carry away and make them to grase in grassie places of their houses for feare that through want of fresh meats they fall into the lothsomest sicknesse of all sicknesses called in the country language Sorbut that is to say a wounded stomacke dried by cruell torments and long anguishes for the cold and indigesting meats greedily taken seeme to be the true cause of this sicknesse I haue delighted my selfe to recite heere the very words of this Author because he speaketh thereof as being skilfull and setteth foorth sufficiently enough the land disease of New France sauing that he maketh no mention of the stiffening of the hammes nor of a superfluous flesh which groweth and aboundeth within the mouth and that if one thinke to take it away it increaseth still but well speaketh he of the bad stomacke For Monsieur De Poutrincourt made a Negroe to be opened that died of that sicknesse in our voyage who was found to haue the inward parts very sound except the stomacke that had wrinckles as though they were vlcered And as for the cause proceeding from salt meats it is verie true there are many other causes concurring which feed and entertaine this sicknesse Amongst which I will place in generall the bad food comprehending with it the drinks then the vice of the aire of the countrey and after the euill disposition of the bodie leauing the Physicians to sift it out more curiously Whereunto Hippocrates saith that the Physicion ought also carefully to take heed in considering the seasons the windes the aspects of the Sunne the waters the land it selfe the nature and situation of it the nature of men their maner of liuing and exercise As for the food this sicknesse is caused by cold meats without iuice grosse and corrupted One must then take heed of salt meats smokie mustie raw and of an euill sent likewise of dried fishes as New-found land fish and stinking Raies Briefly from all melancholy meates which are of hard digesting are easily corrupted and breed a grosse and melancholie bloud I would not for all that be so scrupulous as the Physicians which do put in the number of grosse and melancholie meates Beeuesflesh Beares wilde Bores and Hogges flesh they might as well adde vnto them Beuers flesh which notwithstanding we haue found very good as they do amongst fishes the Tons Dolphins all those that carie lard among the birds the Hernes Duckes and all other water birds for in being an ouer curious obseruator of these things one might fall into the danger of staruing and to die for hunger They place yet among the meats that are to be shunned bisket beanes and pulse the often vsing of miâ—ke cheese the grosse and harsh wine and that which is too small white wine and the vse of vineger Beere which is not well sodden nor well scummed and that hath not hoppes enow Also waters that runne thorow rotten wood and those of lakes and bogges still and corrupted waters such as is much in Holland and Frizeland where is obserued that they of Amsterdam are more subiect to paulfies and stifning of sinewes than they of Roterdam for the abouesaid cause of still and sleepie waters which besides doe ingender dropfies dysenteries fluxes quarten agues and burning feuers swellings vlcers of the lights shortnesse of breath ruptures in children swelling in the veines sores in the legges finally they wholly belong to the disease whereof we speake being drawen by the spleene where they leaue all their corruption Sometimes this sicknesse doth also come by a vice which is euen in waters of running fountaines as if they be among or neere bogges or if they issue from a muddie ground or from a place that hath not the Suns aspect So Pliny reciteth that in the voiage which the prince Caesar Germanicus made into Germany hauing giuen order to his armie to passe the riuer of Rhine to the end to get still forward in the countrie he did set his campe on the sea shore vpon the coast of Frizeland in a place where was but one onely fountaine of fresh water to be found which notwithstanding was so pernicious that all they that dranke of it lost their teeth in lesse than two yeeres space and had their knees so weake and disiointed that they could not beare themselues Which is verily the sicknesse whereof we speake which the Physicians doe call Stomaccacè that is to say mouthes sore and Scelotyrbè which is as much to say as the shaking of thighs and legs And it was not possible to finde any remedie but by the meanes of an hearbe called Britannica or Scuruie-grasse which besides is very good for the sinewes against the sores and accidents
becommeth dampish and rotten the fishes that are giuen them alike and the waters stincking they which carie sweet meates be it flesh or fruits and that vse good bread good wine and good brothes do easily auoide those sicknesses and I durst in some sort be answerable vnto them for their healthes vnlesse they be very vnhealthfull by nature And when I consider that this disease is as well taken in Holland Frizeland in Spaine and in Guinie as in Canada I am brought to beleeue that the chiefe cause thereof is in that which I haue said and not peculiar nor particular to New France After all these causes and considerations it is good in euery place to haue a wel disposed body for to be in health and liue long For those which naturally gather colde and grosse humors and haue the masse of their bodie pory Item they that be subiect to the oppilations of the spleene and they that vse not a sturring life but sitting and without frequent motion are more apt and subiect to these sicknesses Therefore a Physitian might say that a student is not fit for that Countrie that is to say he shall not liue there in health nor those which ouertoile in labors nor melancholy people men which haue drowsie dreaming spirits nor those that be often visited with agues and such other sort of people Which I might easily beleeue because that these things doe heape much melancholy cold and superfluous humors Notwithstanding I haue tried the contrarie both by my selfe and by others against the opinion of some of ours yea of Sagamos Membertou himselfe which plaieth the Soothsaier among the Sauages who arriuing in that countrie said that I should neuer returne into France nor Monsieur Boullet sometimes captaine of Monsieur De Poutrincourt his regiment who for the most part of the time hath had agues there but he did farewel And they themselues did aduise our labourers to take but small labour in their worke which counsell they could very well obserue For I may say and that truely that I neuer made so much bodily worke for the pleasure that I did take in dressing and tilling my gardens to inclose and hedge them against the gluttony of the hogges to make knots to draw out allies to build arbours to sowe wheat rie barly oates beanes pease garden hearbs and to water them so much desire had I to know the goodnesse of the ground by my owne experience So that Summers daies were vnto mee too short and very often did I worke by Moonelight Concerning the labour of the minde I tooke a reasonable part of it for at night euery one being retired among the pratings noises and hurliburlies I was shut vp in my studie reading or writing of something Yea I will not be ashamed to speake that being requested by Monsieur De Poutrincourt our Commander to bestow some houres of my industrie in giuing Christian instructions to our small company for not to liue like beasts and for to giue to the Sauages an example of our maner of life I haue done it according to the necessitie and being thereof requested euery Sunday and sometimes extraordinarilie almost during all the time we haue beene there And well was it for me that I had brought my Bible and some bookes vnawares for otherwise it had beene very difficult for me and had beene cause to excuse me of that worke It hath not beene without fruit many witnessing vnto me that they had neuer heard so much good talke of God not knowing before any principle of that which belongeth to Christian doctrine And such is the state wherin liue the most part of Christendome And if there were any edifying of one part there was backbiting on the other by reason that vsing a French liberty I willingly spake the truth Whereupon I remember the saying of the Prophet Amos They haue hated saith he him that reproued them in the gate and haue had in abomination him that spake in integrity But in the end we became all good friends And amongst these things God gaue me alwaies a sound and a perfect health alwaies a good taste alwaies mery and nimble sauing that hauing once laien in the woods neere to a brooke in snowey weather I was touched with a Crampe or Sciatika in my thigh a fortnights space not loosing my appetite nor stomacke for the same for indeed I tooke delight in that which I did desiring to confine there my life if it would please God to blesse the voyages I should be ouer tedious if I would set downe heere the disposition of all persons and to speake concerning children that they are more subiect to this sicknesse then others for that they haue very often vlcers in the mouth and gummes because of the thin substance that abound in their bodies and also that they gather many crude humours by their disorder of liuing and by the quantity of fruits they eate being neuer filled with it by which m eans they gather great quantity of waterish bloud and the spleene being stopped cannot soake vp those moisturs And as for old folkes that haue their heat weakened and cannot resist the sicknes being filled with crudities and with a cold and moist temperature which is the qualitie proper to stirre vp and nourish it I will not take the Physitians office in hand fearing the censuring rod and notwithstanding with their leaue not touching with their orders and receits of Agaric aloes rubarbe and other ingrediens I will write heere that which I thinke more ready at hand for the poore people which haue not the abilitie and meanes to send to Alexandria as well for the preseruation of their health as for the remedie of this sicknesse It is a certaine axiome that a contrary must be healed by his contrarie This sicknesse proceeding from an indigestion of rude grosse cold and melancholie meates which offend the stomacke I thinke it good submitting my selfe to better Iudgement and aduice to accompany them with good sawces be it of butter oyle or fat all well spiced to correct as well the quality of the meate as of the bodie inwardly waxen colde Let this be said for rude and grosse meates as beanes pease and fish for he that shall eat good capons 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—â—idges good duckes and good rabets he may be â—â—sured of his health or else his body is of a very bad constitution We haue had some sicke that haue as it were raised vp from death to life for hauing eaten twice or thrice of a coolice made of a cocke good wine taken according to the necessity of nature is a soueraigne preseruatiue for all sicknesses and particularily for this Master Macquin and Master Georges worshipfull Marchants of Rochel as associates to Monsieur De Monts did furnish vs with 45. toones of wine which did vs very much good And our sicke folkes themselues hauing their mouthes spoiled and not being able to eat haue neuer lost
to be at sea to make diet which we did but too soone being once come thither for during two whole monethes we saw not a whit of land as we will farther tell anone But the workemen thorow their good cheare for they had euery one two shillings a daies hire did play maruellous pranckes in Saint Nicholas quarter where they were lodged which was found strange in a towne so reformed as Rochell is in the which no notorious riots nor dissolutions be made and indeed one must behaue himselfe orderly there vnlesse he will incurre the danger either of the censure of the Maior or of the Ministers of the Towne Some of those disordered men were put in prison which were kept in the Towne-house till the time of going and had beene further punished had it not beene vpon consideration of the voyage where they knew they should not haue all their eases but should afterwards pay deere enough their madde bargen in putting the said Master Macquin and Master Georges to so much trouble to keepe them in order I will not for all that put in the number of this disordred people al the rest for there were some very ciuill and respectiue But I will say that the common people is a dangerous beast And this maketh me remember the Croquans war amongst whom I was once in my life being in Querci It was the strangest thing in the world to see the confusion of those woodden shooed fellowes from whence they tooke the name of Croquans that is to say Hookers because that their woodden shooes nayled before and behinde did hooke or sticke fast at euery steppe This confused people had neither rime nor reason among them euery one was Master there some armed with an hedge-hooke at a stafes end others with some rusty sword and so accordingly Our Ionas hauing her full loade was in the end rowed out of the Towne into the roade and we thought to set out the 8. or 9. of Aprill Captaine Foulques had taken the charge for the conducting of the voyage But as commonmonly there is negligence in mens businesses it hapned that this Captaine who notwithstanding I haue knowen very diligent and watchfull at sea hauing left the ship ill manned not being in her himselfe nor the Pilot but only 6. or 7. mariners good and bad a great South-east winde arose in the night which brake the Ionas cable fastend with one onely ancker and driueth her against a forewall which is out of the towne backing and proping the Tower of the chaine against which she strake so many times that she brake and sunke downe and it chanced well that it was then ebbing for if this mishap had come in flowing time the ship was in danger to be ouerwhelmed with a farre greater losse then we had but she stood vp and so there was means to mend her which was done with speed Our workemen were warned to come and helpe in this necessity either to draw at the pompe at the Capestane or to any other thing but few there were that endeuoured themselues to doe any thing the most part of them going away and most of them made a mocke of it Some hauing gone so far as to the oare went backe complaining that one had cast water vpon them being of that side that the water came out of the pompe which the winde did scatter vpon them I came thither with Monsieur De Poutrincourt and some other willing men where wee were not vnprofitable Almost all the inhabitants of Rochell were beholding this spectacle vpon the rampiers The sea was yet stormy and we thought our ship would haue dashed oftentimes against the great Towers of the towne In the end we came in with lesse losse then wee thought of The ship was all vnladen being forced to tackle and furnish her anew The losse thereby was great and the voyages almost broken off for euer for I beleeue that after so many trials none would haue ventured to goe plant Colonies in those parts that Country being so ill spoken of that euery one did pittie vs considering the accidents happened to them that had beene there before Notwithstanding Monsieur De Monts and his associates did beare manfully this losse And I must needs be so bold as to tel in this occurrāce that if euer that country be inhabited with Christians and ciuill people the first praise thereof must of right be due to the Authors of this voyage This great trouble hindered vs aboue a moneth which was emploied in the vnlading and lading againe of our ship During that time we did walke sometimes vnto the places neere about the towne and chiefly vnto the Convent of the Cordeliers which is but halfe a league off from the towne where being one Sunday I did maruell how in those places of frontier there is no better garrison having so strong enemies neere them And seeing I take in hand to relate an history of things according to the true maner of them I say that it is a shamefull thing for vs that the Ministers of Rochell pray to God euery day in their Congregations for the conuersion of the poore Sauage people and also for our safe conducting and that our Church-men doe not the like In very truth we neuer required neither the one nor the other to doe it but therin is knowen the zeale of both sides In the end a little before our departing it came to my minde to aske of the Parson or Vicar of Rochell if there might be found any of his fraternity that would come with vs which I hoped might easily be done because there was a reasonable good number of them and besides that being in a maritime towne I thought they tooke delight to haunt the seas but I could obtaine nothing and for all excuses it was tolde me that none would goe to such voyages vnlesse they were mooued with an extraordinary zeale and pietie And that it would bee the best way to seeke to the fathers Iesuites for the same Which we could not then doe our ship hauing almost her full lading Whereupon I remember to haue heard oftentimes of Monsieur De Poutrincourt that after his first voiage being at the Court an Ecclesiasticall person esteemed very zealous in the Christian religion demanded of him what might be hoped for in the conuersion of the people of New France and whether there were any great number of them Whereunto he answered that a hundred thousand soules might be gotten to Iesus Christ naming a number certaine for an vncertaine This Clergie man making small account of such a number said therupon by admiration is that all as if that number did not deserue the labour of a Church-man Truly though there were but the hundreth part of that yea yet lesse one must not suffer it to bee lost The good Sheepheard hauing among an hundred sheepe one astray left the 99. for to go and seeke out the one that was lost
We are taught I beleeue it so that though there were but one man to be saued our Lord Iesus Christ had not disdained to come as well for him as he hath done for all the world In like maner one must not make so smal account of the saluation of these poore people though they swarme not in number as within Paris or Constantinople Seeing it auailed me nothing in demanding for a Church-man to administer the Sacrament vnto vs be it during our nauigation or vpon the land The ancient custome of the Christians came into my minde which going in voyage did carry with them the holy bread of the Eucharist and this did they because they found not in all places Priests to administer this Sacrament vnto them the world being then yet full either of Heathens or Heretickes So that it was not vnproperly called Viatic which they carried with them trauelling on the way yet notwithstanding I am of opinion that it hath a spirituall meaning And considering that we might be brought to that necessity not hauing in New France but one Priest onely of whose death wee heard when we came thither I demanded if they would doe vnto vs as to the ancient Christians who were as wise as we I was answered that the same was done in that time for considerations which are not now at this daie I replied that Satirus Saint Ambroses brother going on a voyage vpon the sea serued himselfe with this spirituall Physicke as we read in his funerall oration made by his said brother Saint Ambrose which he did carry in Orario which I take to be a lynnen cloth or taffita and well did it happen vnto him by it For hauing made ship-wracke he saued himselfe vpon a bord left of his vessels wracke But I was as well refused in this as of the rest Which gaue mee cause of wondring seeming to me a very rigorous thing to be in worse condition then the first Christians For the Eucharist is no other thing at this day then it was then And if they held it precious we doe not demand it to make lesser account thereof Let vs returne to our Ionas Now shee was laden and brought out of the towne into the roade there resteth nothing more than fit weather tide which was the hardest of the matter For in places where is no great depth as in Rochell one must tarry for the high tydes of the full and new Moones and then paraduenture the winde will not be fit and so one must deferre till a fortnights time In the meane while the season goeth away as it was almost with vs. For we saw the houre that after so many labours and charges we were indanger to tary for lacke of winde because the Moone was in the waine and consequently the tyde Captaine Foulques did not seeme to affect his charge making no ordinary stay in the ship and it was reported that other Merchants not being of Monsieur De Monts his societie did secretly solicite him to breake off the voyage And indeed it hath beene thought that he caused vs to make wrong courses which kept vs two monethes and a halfe at sea as heereafter we shall see Which thing the said Monsieur De Poutrincourt perceiuing himselfe tooke vpon him the charge of Captaine of the ship and went to lie in her the space of fiue or six daies for to get out with the first winde and not to loose the opportunity In the end with much a doe the eleuenth day of May 1606. by the fauour of a small Easterly winde he went to sea and made our Ionas to be brought to the Palisse and the next day being the 12. of the same moneth came againe to Chef de bois which be the places where ships put themselues for shelter from windes where the hope of New France was assembled I say the hope because that of this voyage did depend the continuance or totall breach of the enterprise CHAP. XI Their departure from Rochell Sundry meetings of ships and Pirats Stormy Sea about the Açores and whence it proceeds Why the West windes are frequent in the West sea From whence the winds doe come Porpeses doe prognosticate stormes meanes to take them the describing of them of stormes their effects of Calmes what is a gust of Winde how it is made the effects thereof the boldnesse of mariners how reuerence is giuen to the Kings ship the supputation of the voyage hot sea then cold the reason of it and of the banckes of Ice in New-found Land THe Saturday Whitsoneue 13. of May we weighed our anckers and sailed in open sea so that by little and little wee lost the sight of the great towers and town of Rochell then of the Iles of Rez Oleron bidding France farewell It was a thing fearefull for them that were not vsed to such a dance to see them caried vpon so moueable an ellement and to be at euery moment as it were within two fingers bredth to death We had not long sailed but that many did their endeuour to yeeld vp the tribute to Neptune In the meane while we went still forward for there was no more going backe the plancke being once taken vp The 16. of May we met with 13. Holanders going for Spaine which did inquire of our voyage and so held their course Since that time we were a whole moneth seeing nothing else out of our floting towne but Skie and water one ship excepted neere about the Açors well filled with English and Dutchmen They bare vp with vs and came very neere vs. And according to the maner of the sea we asked them whence their ship was They told vs they were New-found-land men that is to say going a fishing for New-found-land-fish And they asked vs if we would accept of their companie we thanked them therupon they dranke to vs and we to them and they tooke another course But hauing considered their vessell all set with greene mosse on the belly and sides we iudged them to be Pirates that they had of a long time beaten the sea in hope to make some prise It was then that we began to see more than before Neptunes sheepe to skip vp so doe they call the frothy waues when the sea beginneth to sturand to feele the hard blowes of his Trident. For commonly in that place before named the sea is stormy If one aske me the cause why I wil answer that I thinke it to proceed of a certaine conflict between the East westerly windes which doe encounter in that part of the sea and especially in Summer when the West windes doe rise vp and with a great force pierce and passe thorow a great distance of sea vntill they finde the windes of these parts which doe resist them Then it is dangerous for a ship to be at these windy encounters This reason seemeth the more probable vnto me in this
cordes not only to the maine top and to the very height of the maine mast but also without ladder steps to the top of another mast fastened to the first held onely with the force of their armes and feet winding about the highest tacklings Yea much more that if in this great tossing and rowling it chanceth that the maine saile which they call Paphil or Papefust be vntied at the higher ends he who is first commanded will put himselfe stradling vpon the maine yard that is the tree which crossed the maine mast and with a hammer at his girdle and halfe a dosen nailes in his mouth will tie againe and make fast that which was vntied to the perill of a thousand liues I haue sometimes heard great account made of a Switzers bouldnesse who after the siege of Laon and the citie being rendered to the Kings obedience climbed and stood stradling vpon the thwart branch of the crosse of our Ladies church steeple of the said towne and stood there forked wise his feet vpward But that in my iudgement is nothing in regard of this the said Switzer being vpon a firme and solide body and without motion and this contrariwise hanging ouer an vnconstant sea tossed with boistrous windes as we haue sometimes seene After we had left these Pirats spoken of before we were vntill the 18. of Iune tossed with diuers and almost contrary windes without any discouery but of one ship far off from vs which we did not boord and yet notwithstanding the very sight thereof did comfort vs. And the same day we met a ship of Honfleur wherein Captaine La Roche did command going for New-found-landes who had no better fortune vpon the sea then we The custome is at sea that when some particular ship meeteth with the King his ship as ours was to come vnder the lee and to present herselfe not side by side but bias wise Also to pull down her flagge as this Captain La Roche did except the flagge for shee had non no more had we being not needfull in so great a voyage but in approaching the land or when one must fight Our sailers did cast then their computation on the course that we had made For in euery ship the Master the Pilot and Masters Mate doe write downe euery day of their courses and windes that they haue followed for how many houres and the estimation of leagues The said La Roche did account that they were then in the Fourty fiue degrees and within a hundred leagues of the Bancke Our Pilot called Master Oliuer Fleuriot of Saint Maloe by his computation said that we were within 60. leagues of it And Captaine Foulques within 120. leagues I beleeue he gaue the best iudgement We receiued much contentment by the meeting of this ship and did greatly encourage vs seeing wee did begin to meete with ships seeming vnto vs that wee did enter in a place of acquaintance But by the way a thing must be noted which I haue found admirable and which giueth vs occasion to play the Philosophers For about the same 18. day of Iune wee found the sea-water during three daies space very warme and by the same warmth our wine also was warme in the bottome of our ship yet the aire was not hotter then before And the 21. of the said moneth quite contrarie we were 2. or 3. daies so much compassed with mistes and coldes that we thought our selues to be in the moneth of Ianuary and the water of the sea was extreame colde Which continued with vs vntill we came vpon the said Bancke by reason of the said mistes which outwardly did procure this colde vnto vs. When I seeke out the cause of this Antiperistase I attribute it to the Ices of the North which come floating downe vpon the coast and sea adioyning to New-found-land and Labrador which wee haue said else-where is brought thither with the sea by her naturall motion which is greater there then else-where because of the great space it hath to runne as in a gulfe in the depth of America where the nature and situation of the vniuersall earth doth beare it easily Now these Ices which sometimes are seene in banckes of tenne leagues length and as high as Mountaines and hils and thrice as deepe in the waters holding as it were an Empire in this sea driue out farre from them that which is contrary to their coldnesse and consequently doe binde and close on this side that small quantity of milde temperature that the Summer may bring to that part where they come to seat and place themselues Yet for all that I will not deny but this region in one and the selfe-same paralell is somewhat colder then those of our part of Europe for the reasons that we will aleage heereafter when we shall speake of the fowlnesse of seasons Such is my opinion being ready to heare another mans reason And being mindefull heereof I did of purpose take heed of the same at my returne from New France and found the same warmenesse of water or very neere though it was in the Moneth of September within fiue or six daies sailing on this side of the said bancke whereof we will now intreate CHAP. XII Of the great Bancke of Morues or Coddes of the Sound our comming to the said Bancke the description thereof the fishing of New-found-land-fish and of birds the greedinesse of birds called by Frenchmen Hap-foyes that is to say liuer-catchers diuers perils the fauours of God the causes of frequent and long mistes in the Western sea Land-markes the sight of it maruellous odours the boording of two Shaloupes the landing at the Port du Moutton the comming into Port Royall of two Frenchmen remaining there alone amongst the Sauages BEfore wee come to the Bancke spoken of before which is the great Bancke where the fishing of greene Cod-fishes is made so are they called when they are not dry for one must goe alande for the drying of them the sea-faring-men besides the computation they make of their course haue warnings when they come neere to it by birds which are knowen euen as one doth them of these our parts returning backe into France when one is within 100. or 120. leagues neere it The most frequent of these birds towards the said Bancke be Godes Fouquets and other called Happe-foyes for a reason that we will declare anone When these birds then were seene which were not like to them that we had seene in the middest of the great sea we began to thinke our selues not to be farre from the said Bancke Which made vs to sound with our lead vpon a Thursday the 22. of Iune but then we found no bottom The same day in the euening we cast againe with better successe for we found bottome at 36. fadams The said sound is a peece of lead of seuen or eight pound waight made piramidall wise fastened at one or diuers lines and
at the biggest end which is flat one putteth some grease to it mingled with butter then all the sailes are stricken downe and the sound cast and when that the bottome is felt and the lead draweth no more line they leaue off leting downe of it So our sound being drawen vp brought with it some small stones with a white one and a peece of shell hauing moreouer a pit in the grease whereby they iudged that the bottome was a rocke I cannot expresse the Ioy that we had seeing vs there where we had so much desired to be There was not any one of vs more sicke euery one did leape for Ioy and did seeme vnto vs to be in our owne country though we were come but to the halse of our voyage at least for the time that passed before we came to Port Royall whther we were bound Heere I will before I proceed any further decipher vnto you what meaneth this word Bancke which paraduenture putteth some in paine to know what it is They somtimes call Banckes a sandy bottome which is very shallow or which is a drie at low water Such places be mortall for ships that meete with them But the Bancke whereof we speake are mountaines grounded in the depth of the waters which are raised vp to 30. 36. and 40. fadams neere to the vpper face of the sea This Bancke is holden to be of 200. leagues in lenght and 18. 20. and 24. leagues broad which being passed there is no more bottome found out then in these parts vntill one come to the land The ships being there arriued the sailes are rowled vp and there fishing is made of the greene fish as I haue said whereof we shall speake in the booke following For the satisfying of my reader I haue drawen it in my Geography call Map of New-found-land with prickes which is all may be done to represent it There is farther off other banckes as I haue marked in the said Map vpon the which good fishing may be made and many goe thither that know the places When that we parted from Rochel there was as it were a forrest of ships lying at Chef de Bois whereof that place hath taken his name which went all in a company to that country preuenting vs in their going but onely of two daies Hauing seene and noted the Bancke wee hoisted vp sailes and bare all night keeping still our course to the West But the dawne of day being come which was Saint Iohn Baptists Eue in Gods name we pulled downe sailes passing that day a fishing of Cod-fish with a thousand mirthes and contentments by reason of fresh meates whereof we had asmuch as we would hauing long before wished for them Monsieur De Poutrincourt and a yong man of Retel named Le Feure who by reason of the sea-sicknesse were not come out from their beds nor cabanes from the beginning of the Nauigation came vpon the hatches that day and had the pleasure not onely of fishing of Cod but also of those birds that bee called by French mariners Happe-foyes that is to say Liuer-catchers because of their greedinesse to deuour the liuers of the Cod-fishes that are cast into the sea after their bellies bee opened whereof they are so couetous that though they see a great powle ouer their heads ready to strike them downe yet they aduenture themselues to come neere to the ship to catch some of them at what price soeuer And they which were not occupied in fishing did passe their time in that sport And so did they by their diligence that wee tooke some thirty of them But in this action one of our shipwrights fell downe in the sea And it was good for him that the ship went but slow which gaue him meanes to saue himselfe by taking hold of the rudder from which he was pulled in a boord but for his paines was well beaten by Captaine Foulques In this fishing we sometimes did take sea-dogges whose skinnes our Ioyners did keepe carefully to smooth their worke withall Item fishes called by Frenchmen Merlus which be better then Cod and sometimes another kinde of fish called Bars which diuersity did augment our delight They which were not busie in taking neither fishes nor birdes did passe their time in gathering the hearts guts and other inward parts most delicate of the Cod-fish which they did mince with lard and spices and with those things did make as good Bolonia sausiges as any can be made in Paris and we did eat of them with a very good stomacke On the euening we made ready to continue our course hauing first made our Canons to roare as well because of Saint Iohn his holy day as for Monsieur De Poutrincourts sake which beareth the name of that Saint The next day some of our men tolde vs they had seene a Bancke of Ice And thereupon was recited vnto vs how that the yeare before a ship of Olone was cast away by approaching too neere to it and that two men hauing saued themselues vpon the Ice had this good fortune that another ship passing by the men tooke them in aboord them It is to be noted that from the 18. of Iune vntill wee did arriue at Port Royall we haue found the weather quite otherwise to that we had before For as we haue already said we had colde mistes or fogges before our comming to the Bancke where we came in faire sunshine but the next day we fell to the fogges againe which a far off we might perceiue to come and wrappe vs about holding vs continually prisoners three whole daies for two daies of faire weather that they permitted vs which was alwaies accompanied with colde by reason of the Summers absence Yea euen diuers times wee haue seene our selues a whole sennight continually in thicke fogges twice without any shew of Sunne but very little as I will recite heereafter And I will bring foorth a reason for such effects which seemeth vnto me probable As wee see the fire to draw the moistnesse of a wet cloath opposite vnto it likewise the sunne draweth moistnesse and vapours both from the sea and from the land But for the dissoluing of them there is heere one vertue and beyond those parts another according to the accidents and circumstances that are found In these our countries it raiseth vp vapours onely from the ground and from our riuers which earthly vapours grosse and waighty and participating lesse of the moist ellement doe cause vs a hot aire and the earth discharged of those vapours becomes thereby more hot and parching From thence it commeth that the said vapors hauing the earth of the one part and the Sunne on the other which heateth them they are easily dissolued not remaining long in the aire vnlesse it be in winter when the earth is waxen colde and the Sunne beyond the Equinoctiall line farre off from vs. From the same reason proceedeth the cause why mistes and
Indeed I doe not wonder if a people poore and naked bee theeuish but when the heart is malicious it is vnexcusable This people is such that they must be handled with terrour for if through loue and gentlenesse one giue them too free accesse they will practise some surprise as it hath beene knowen in diuers occasions heeretofore and will yet heereafter beseene And without deferring any longer the second day after our comming thither as they saw our people busie awishing linnen they came some fifty one following another with bowes arrowes and quiuers intending to play some bad part as it was coniectured vpon their maner of proceeding but they were preuented some of our men going to meet them with their muskets and matches at the cocke which made some of them run away and the others being compassed in hauing put downe their weapons came to a Peninsule or small head of an Iland where our men were and making a friendly shew demanded to trucke the Tabacco they had for our merchandises The next day the Captaine of the said place and Port came into Monsieur De Poutrincourts barke to see him we did maruell to see him accompanied with Olmechin seeing the way was maruellous long to come thither by land and much shorter by sea That gaue cause of bad suspition albeit he had promised his loue to the Frenchmen Notwithstanding they were gently receiued And Monsieur De Poutrincourt gaue to the said Olmechin a complet garment wherewith being clothed he viewed himselfe in a glasse and did laugh to see himselfe in that order But a little while after feeling that the same hindred him although it was in October when he was returned vnto his Cabins he distributed it to sundry of his men to the end that one alone should not be ouerpestered with it This ought to be a sufficient lesson to so many finnical both men and women of these parts who cause their garments and brest-plates to be made as hard and stiffe as wood wherein their bodies are so miserably tormented that they are in their clothes vnable to all good actions And if the weather be too hot they suffer in their great bummes with a thousand folds vnsupportable heats that are more vntolerable than the torments which felons and criminall men are sometimes made to feele Now during the time that the said Monsieur De Poutrincourt was there being in doubt whether Monsieur De Monts would come to make an habitation on that coast as he wished it he made there a peece of ground to be tilled for to sow corne and to plant vines which they did with the helpe of our Apothecary Master Lewes Hebert a man who besides his experience in his art taketh great delight in the tilling of the ground And the said Monsieur De Poutrincourt may be heere compared to good father Noah who after he had made the tillage most necessarie for the sowing of corne he began to plant the vine whose effects he felt afterwards As they were a deliberating to passe farther Olmechin came to the Barke to see Monsieur De Poutrincourt where hauing taried certaine houres either in talking or eating he said that the next day 100. boates should come containing euery one six men but the comming of such a number of men being but troublesome Monsieur De Poutrincourt would not tarry for them but went away the same day to Malebarre not without much difficultie by reason of the great streames and sholds that are there So that the Barke hauing touched at three foot of water onely we thought to be cast away and we began to vnlade her and put the victuals into the Shaloup which was behinde for to saue vs on land but being no full sea the barke came aflote within an houre All this Sea is a land ouerflowed as that of Mount Saint Michels a sandy ground in which all that resteth is a plaine flat country as far as the Mountaines which are seene 15. leagues off from that place And I am of opinion that as far as Virginia it is all alike Moreouer there is heere great quantity of grapes as before and a country very full of people Monsieur De Monts being come to Malebarre in an other season of the yeare gathered onely greene grapes which he made to be preserued and brought some to the King But it was our good hap to come thither in October for to see the maturity thereof I haue heere before shewed the difficulty that is found in entering into Malebarre This is the cause why Monsieur De Poutrincourt came not in with his Barke but went thither with a shaloup onely which thirty or forty Sauages did helpe to draw in and when it was full tide but the tide doth not mount heere but two fadames high which is seldome seene he went out and retired himselfe into his said barke to passe further in the morning as soone as hee should ordaine it CHAP. XV. Dangers vnknowen languages the making of a forge and of an ouen Crosses set vp plenty a conspiracy disobedience murther the flight of three hundred against tenne the agility of the Armouchiquois bad company dangerous the accident of a Musket that did burst the insolency of the Sauages their timorosity impiety and flight the fortunate Port a bad sea reuenge the counsell and resolution for the returne new perils Gods fauours the arriuall of Monsieur De Poutrincourt at Port Royall and how he was receiued THe night beginning to giue place to the dawning of the day the sailes are hoised vp but it was but a very perilous nauigation For with this small vessell they were forced to coast the land where they found no depth going backe to sea it was yet woorse in such wise that they did strike twice or thrice being raised vp againe onely by the waues and the rudder was broken which was a dreadfull thing In this extremity they were constrained to cast anker in the sea at two fadams deepe and three leagues off from the land Which being done Daniel Hay a man which taketh pleasure in shewing foorth his vertue in the perils of the sea was sent towards the Coast to view it and see if there were any Port. And as he was neere land he saw a Sauage which did daunce singing yo yo yo he called him to come neerer and by signes asked him if there were any place to retire ships in and where any fresh water was The Sauage hauing made signe there was he tooke him into his shaloup and brought him to the Barke wherein was Chkoudun Captaine of the riuer of Oigoudi otherwise Saint Iohns riuer who being brought before this Sauage he vnderstood him no more than did our owne people true it is that by signes he comprehended better than they what he would say This Sauage shewed the places where no depth was and where was any and did so well indenting and winding heere
our Sauages concerning their eies they haue them neither blue nor greene but blacke for the most part like to their haires and neuerthelesse their eies are not small as they of the ancient Scythians but of a decent greatnesse And I may say assuredly and truely that I haue seene there as faire boies and girles as any can be in France For as for the mouth they haue no bigge moorish lippes as in Africa and also in Spaine they are well limmed well boned and well bodied competently strong and neuerthelesse we had many in our company who might haue wrestled well enough with the strongest of them but being hardned there would be made of them very good men for the warre which is that wherein they most delight Moreouer among them there is none of those prodigious men whereof Pliny maketh mention which haue no noses in their faces or no lips or no tong Item which are without mouth without nose hauing but two small holes wherof one of them serueth for to breath the other serueth in stead of a mouth Item which haue dogges heads and a dogge for king Item which haue their heads on the brest or one onely eie in the middest of the forehead or a flat broad foot to couer their heads when it raineth and such like monsters There is none also of them which our Sauage Agohanna told captaine Iames Quartier that hee had seene in Saguenay whereof we haue spoken heeretofore If there be any blinde with one eie or lame as it hapneth sometimes it is a casuall thing and commeth of hunting Being well composed they cannot chuse but be nimble and swift in running We haue spoken heeretofore of the nimblenesse of the Brasilians Margaias and Ou-etacas but all nations haue not those bodily dispositions They which liue in mountains haue more dexteritie than they of the vallies because they breath a purer and cleerer aire and that their food is better In the vallies the aire is grosser and the lands fatter and consequently vnholesommer The nations that be between the Tropikes haue also more agilitie than the others participating more with the firie nature than they that are farther off This is the cause why Pliny speaking of the Gorgones and Iles Gorgonides which are those of Cap Verd saith that the men are there so light of foote that scarse one may follow them by the eye-sight in such maner that Hanno the Carthaginian could not catch any one of them He maketh the like relation of the Troglodytes a nation of Guinee whom hee saith are called Therothoens because they are as swift in hunting vpon the land as the Ichthyophages are prompt in swiming in the sea who almost are as seldome wearie therein as a fish And Maffeus in his Histories of the Indies reporteth that the Naires so the nobles and warriours are called of the kingdome of Malabaris are so nimble and so swift as it is almost incredible and doe handle so well their bodies at will that they seeme to haue no bones in such sort that it is hard to come to skirmish against such men forasmuch as with this agilitie they aduance and recoile as they list But for to make themselues such they helpe nature and their sinewes are stretched out euen from seuen yeeres of age which afterward are anointed and rubbed with oile of Sesamum That which I say is knowen euen in beasts for a Spanish Genet or a Barbe is more liuely and light in running than a Roossin or Germain Curtall an Italian horse more than a French horse Now although that which I haue said be true yet for all that there be nations out of the Tropikes who by exercise and Art come to such agilitie For the holy Scripture maketh mention of one Hazael an Israelite of whom it witnesseth that he was as light of foot as a Roe bucke of the fields And for to come to the people of the North the Heruli are renouned for being swift in runing by this verse of Sidonius Cursu Herulus iaculis Hunnus Francusque natatu And by this swiftnesse the Germans sometimes troubled very much Iulius Caesar So our Armouchiquois are as swift as grey hounds as we haue said heertofore and the other Sauages are little inferior vnto them and yet they do not force nature neither doe they vse any Art to run well But as the ancient Gaulois being addicted to hunting for it is their life and to warre their bodies are nimble and so little charged with fatte that it doth not hinder them from running at their will Now the Sauages dexteritie is not knowen onely by running but also in swimming which they all can doe but it seemes that some more than others As for the Brasilians they are so naturall in that trade that they would swimme eight daies in the sea if hunger did not presse them and they feare more that some fish should deuoure them than to perish through wearinesse The like is in Florida where the men will follow a fish in the sea and will take it vnlesse it be too bigge Ioseph Acosta saith so much of them of Peru. And as for that which concerneth breathing they haue a certaine Art to suppe vp the water and to cast it out againe by which meanes they will remaine easily in it a long time The women likewise haue a maruellous disposition to that exercise for the History of Florida maketh mention that they can passe great riuers in swimming holding their children with one arme and they climbe very nimbly vp the highest trees of the countrey I will affirme nothing of the Armouchiquois nor of our Sauages because I tooke no heed to it but it is very certaine that all can swim very cunningly For the other parts of their bodies they haue them verie perfect as likewise the naturall senses For Membertou who is aboue an hundred yeeres old did see sooner a shaloupe or a Canow of the Sauages to come afarre off vnto Port Royall than any of vs and it is said of the Brasilians and other Sauages of Peru hidden in the mountaines that they haue the smelling so good that in smelling of the hand they know if a man be a Spaniard or a French man And if he be a Spaniard they kill him without remission so much doe they hate him for the harmes that they haue receiued of them Which the abouesaid Acosta doth confesse when he speaketh of leauing the Indians to liue according to their ancient policie reprouing the Spaniards in that And therefore saith he this is a thing preiudiciall vnto vs because that they take occasion to abhor vs note that he speaketh of them who doe obey them as men who in all things whether it be in good whether it be in euill haue alwaies beene and still are contrary vnto them CHAP. XI Of the Paintings Markes Incisions and Ornaments of their body IT is no maruell if the Ladies of our time do paint themselues
base that by the law Voconia the very father could not make them to inherite more then of the one third part of his goods And the Emperour Iustinian forbiddeth them in his decrees to accept the awardship which had beene deferred vnto them which sheweth either a great seueritie against them or an argument that in that countrie they haue a very weake spirit And after this sort be the wiues of our Sauages yea in woorse condition in not eating with the men in their Tabagies and notwithstanding it seemeth vnto mee that their fare is not in their feasts so delicate which ought not to consist only in eating and drinking but in the societie of that sex which God hath ordained vnto man for to helpe him and to keepe him companie It will seeme to many that our Sauages doe liue verie poorely in not hauing any seasoning in those few messes that I haue named But I will replie that it was not Caligula nor Heliogabalus nor such like that haue raised the Romane Empire to his greatnesse neither was it that Cooke who made an imperiall feast all with hogs flesh disguised in a thousand sorts nor those likerish companions who after they haue destroied the aire the sea and the land now knowing what to finde more to asswage their gluttonie goe a seeking wormes from the trees yea doe keepe them in mew and doe fatten them for to make thereof a delicate messe But rather it was one Curius Dentatus who did eat in woodden dishes and did scrape radishes by the fire side Item those good husbandmen whom the Senate did send for from the plough for to conduct the Romane armie And in one word those Romans which did liue with sodden food after the maner of our Sauages for they had not the vse of bread but about 600. yeres after the foundatioÌ„of the city hauing learned in tract of time to make some cakes grossely dressed baked vnder the embres or in the ouen Pliny author of this report saith moreouer that the Scythians now Tartares doe also liue with sodden food and raw meale as the Brasilians And neuerthelesse they haue alwaies beene a warlike and mightie nation The same saith that the Arympheens which be the Moscouites doe liue in forests as our Sauages do with graines and fruits which they gather from the trees without mention neither of flesh nor of fish And indeed the prophane Authors doe agree that the first men did liue after that maner to wit of corne graines pulse acornes and mastes from whence commeth the Grerke worde Phagein to wit to eate some particular nations and not all had fruits as peares were in vse among the Argiues figges with the Athenians almonds with the Medes the fruite of Cannes with the Ethiopians the Cardamuin with the Persians the dates with the Babilonians the Treffle or three leaued grasse with the Egyptians They which haue had none of those fruits haue made war against the beasts of the woods and forests as the Getulians and all the Northern men yea also the ancient Germans notwithstanding they had also meates made of milke Others dwelling vpon the shores of the sea or lakes and riuers liued on fishes and were called Ichthyophages others liuing of Torteses were called Chelonophages Part of the Aethiopians doe liue of Grashoppers which they salt and harden in the smoake in great quantitie for all seasons and therein do the Historians of this day agree with Plinie For there is sometimes clouds of them that is to say such infinite numbers that they hide the clouds and in the East likewise which destroy all the fields so that nothing remaineth vnto them to eate but those grashoppers which was the food of Saint Iohn Baptist in the desart according to the opinion of Saint Hierome and Augustine Although Nicephorus thinketh that they were the tender leaues of the toppes of trees because that the Greeke word achrides signifieth both the one and the other But let vs come to the Romane Emperour best qualified Ammian Mercellin speaking of their maner of life saith that Scipio Aemiliar Metellus Traian and Adrian did content themselues ordinarily with the meate of the campe that is to say with Bacon cheese and bruvage If then our Sauages haue venison and fish abundantly I doe not thinke them ill furnished for many times we haue receaued of them quantitie of Sturgeons of Salmons and other fishes besides their venison and Beuers which liue in ponds and liue partly on the land partly in the water At least one laudable thing is knowen in them that they are not men eaters as the Scythians haue beene aforetime and many other nations of these parts of the world and as yet are at this day the Brasilians Canibals and others of the new world The inconuenience which is found in their maner of life is that they haue no bread Indeed bread is a food very naturall for man but it is easier to liue with flesh or with fish then with bread onely If they haue not the vse of salt the most parte of the world doe vse none It is not altogether necessary and the principall profit thereof consisteth in preseruing whereunto it is altogether proper Notwithstanding if they had any to make some prouisions they would be more happie then vs. But for want of that they sometimes suffer some need which hapneth when the winter is too milde or the latter end of the same For then they haue neither venison nor fish as wee will declare in the chapter of hunting and are then constrained to feed vpon the barkes of trees and on the parings of skinnes and on their dogges which vpon this extremitie they do eate And the historie of the Floridians saith thas in extremitie they eate a thousand filthes euen to the swallowing downe of coales and to put earth in their spoone meate True it is that in Port Royall there is alwaies shell fish so that in all cases one cannot die there for hunger But yet haue they one superstition that they will not feed on mussels and they can alleage no reason for it no more than our superstitious Christians which will not bee thirteene at a table or which feare to paire their nailes on the Friday or which haue other scrupulosities true apish-toies such as Plinie reciteth a good number of them in his naturall historie Notwithstanding in our company seeing vs to eate of them they did the like for we must say heere by the way that they will eate no vnknowen meat but first they must see the triall of it by others As for beasts of the woods they eate of all them the woolfe excepted They also eate egges which they go gathering along the shoares of waters and they doe lade their Caâ—owes with them when the Geese and Outardes haue done laying in the Spring time and they vse all as well them that be old as new As for modestie they vse it