Découverte de quelques pays et nations de l´Amerique Septentrionale [The Discovery of Several Countries and Nations in North America]

              [English translation]



on the water, with our sails as a protection against the Mosquitoes and the rays of the Sun. While drifting down with the current, in this condition, we perceived on land some Indians armed with guns, who awaited us. I at once offered them my plumed Calumet, while our Frenchmen prepared for defense, but delayed firing, that the savages might be the first to discharge their guns. I spoke to them in Huron, but they answered me by a word which seemed to me a declaration of war against us. However, they were as frightened as we were; and what we took for a signal for battle was an Invitation that they gave us to draw near, that they might give us food. We therefore landed, and entered their cabins, where they offered us meat from bison and Bear's grease, with white plums, which are very good. They have guns, hatchets, hoes, knives, beads, and flasks of double glass, in which they put their powder. They wear their hair long, and tattoo their bodies after the Iroquois fashion. The women wear head-dresses and garments like those of the Huron women. They assured us that we were no more than ten days' journey from the sea; that they bought cloth and all other goods from the Europeans who lived to the east; that these Europeans had rosaries and pictures; that they played upon Instruments; that some of them looked like me, 










[OCR of French page; consult page images for accurate text]



14 Dkouverte ^ant
avec iibs voiles pour nous mettre a ecu vert im Maringoiiins Sc des rayons du Soleil. Comma iaous nous laiffons aller en cet eftat au gre de i'eau, nous apperceufmes A terre des Sauvages armez de fuzils, avec lefquels ils nous atten¬ doient; je leur prefentay d%ord men Calumet empanache, peiidant que nos Francois fe met-, tent en deffenfe, & attendoient a tirer que Ies Sauvages eulFent fait^a premiere defcharge 5 je leur parlai en Huron,mais ils ne repondirent pas un mot, ce qui me parut nous declarer la guer¬ re ; ils avoient neantmoins autant de peur que nous ,&; ce que nous prenions pour fignal de guerre eftoit une invitation qu'ils faifo'ient de lions approcher pour nous donner a manger. Nous debarquons done Sc nous entrons dans leurs cabannes oil ils noiis prefentent da bosuf faifvage & de Fhuile d'Ours, avec des pru* nes blanches, qui font excellentes ; ils ont des jflizils,des baches, Sc des holies, des coufteaux, de la rafade, des bouteilles de verre double, oii ils mettent leur poudre ; Ils ont les chcveux longs & fe marqucnt a la fagon des Iroquois, IcsiTemmes font veftucs & coifFees comme des Hurones; ils nous affeurent quil n'y a plus que dix journees jufqueS ala mer, qif ils achetoienr les eftofRs des Europeans qui eftoient du cofte de FEft; que les Europeans avoient des Images ^ des Chapelets, qifils jolioient des inftru¬ ments, qu'ily en avoit defiiitscouimc moy^