 This
is the twenty-seventh in a continuing series of entries from the Voyages
of Samuel de Champlain, first published in 1613. To view Part I,
click here. For Champlain's
account of the discovery of the lake that bears his name, click
here...
Original
translation from the French by Charles Pomeroy Otis, Ph.D.
Republished by the Prince Society, Boston: 1878.
The voyages to the great river St.
Lawrence,
made by Sieur de Champlain,
Captain in ordinary to the King in the Marine,
from the year 1608 to that of 1612
CHAPTER X.
RETURN FROM THE BATTLE, AND WHAT TOOK PLACE ON THE WAY.
After going some eight leagues, towards evening they took one of the
prisoners, to whom they made a harangue, enumerating the cruelties
which he and his men had already practised towards them without any
mercy, and that, in like manner, he ought to make up his mind to
receive as much. They commanded him to sing, if he had courage,
which he did; but it was a very sad song.
Meanwhile, our men kindled a fire; and, when it was well burning,
they each took a brand, and burned this poor creature gradually, so
as to make him suffer greater torment. Sometimes they stopped, and
threw water on his back. Then they tore out his nails, and applied
fire to the extremities of his fingers and private member.
Afterwards, they flayed the top of his head, and had a kind of gum
poured all hot upon it; then they pierced his arms near the wrists,
and, drawing up the sinews with sticks, they tore them out by force;
but, seeing that they could not get them, they cut them. This poor
wretch uttered terrible cries, and it excited my pity to see him
treated in this manner, and yet showing such firmness that one would
have said, at times, that he suffered hardly any pain at all. They
urged me strongly to take some fire, and do as they did. I
remonstrated with them, saying that we practised no such cruelties,
but killed them at once; and that, if they wished me to fire a
musket-shot at him, I should be willing to do so. They refused,
saying that he would not in that case suffer any pain. I went away
from them, pained to see such cruelties as they practised upon his
body. When they saw that I was displeased, they called me, and told
me to fire a musket-shot at him. This I did without his feeing it,
and thus put an end, by a single shot, to all the torments he would
have suffered, rather than see him tyrannized over. After his death,
they were not yet satisfied, but opened him, and threw his entrails
into the lake. Then they cut off his head, arms, and legs, which
they scattered in different directions; keeping the scalp which they
had flayed off, as they had done in the case of all the rest whom
they had killed in the contest. They were guilty also of another
monstrosity in taking his heart, cutting it into several pieces, and
giving it to a brother of his to eat, as also to others of his
companions, who were prisoners: they took it into their mouths, but
would not swallow it. Some Algonquin savages, who were guarding
them, made some of them spit it out, when they threw it into the
water. This is the manner in which these people behave towards those
whom they capture in war, for whom it would be better to die
fighting, or to kill themselves on the spur of the moment, as many
do, rather than fall into the hands of their enemies. After this
execution, we set out on our return with the rest of the prisoners,
who kept singing as they went along, with no better hopes for the
future than he had had who was so wretchedly treated.
Having arrived at the falls of the Iroquois, the Algonquins returned
to their own country; so also the Ochateguins, [350] with a part of
the prisoners: well satisfied with the results of the war, and that
I had accompanied them so readily. We separated accordingly with
loud protestations of mutual friendship; and they asked me whether I
would not like to go into their country, to assist them with
continued fraternal relations; and I promised that I would do so.
I returned with the Montagnais. After informing myself from the
prisoners in regard to their country, and of its probable extent, we
packed up the baggage for the return, which was accomplished with
such despatch that we went every day in their canoes twenty-five or
thirty leagues, which was their usual rate of travelling. When we
arrived at the mouth of the river Iroquois, some of the savages
dreamed that their enemies were pursuing them. This dream led them
to move their camp forthwith, although the night was very inclement
on account of the wind and rain; and they went and passed the
remainder of the night, from fear of their enemies, amid high reeds
on Lake St. Peter. Two days after, we arrived at our settlement,
where I gave them some bread and peas; also some beads, which they
asked me for, in order to ornament the heads of their enemies, for
the purpose of merry-making upon their return. The next day, I went
with them in their canoes as far as Tadoussac, in order to witness
their ceremonies. On approaching the shore, they each took a stick,
to the end of which they hung the heads of their enemies, who had
been killed, together with some beads, all of them singing. When
they were through with this, the women undressed themselves, so as
to be in a state of entire nudity, when they jumped into the water,
and swam to the prows, of the canoes to take the heads of their
enemies, which were on the ends of long poles before their boats:
then they hung them about their necks, as if it had been some costly
chain, singing and dancing meanwhile. Some days after, they
presented me with one of these heads, as if it were something very
precious; and also with a pair of arms taken from their enemies, to
keep and show to the king. This, for the sake of gratifying them, I
promised to do.
After some days, I went to Quebec, whither some Algonquin savages
came, expressing their regret at not being present at the defeat of
their enemies, and presenting me with some furs, in consideration of
my having gone there and assisted their friends.
Some days after they had set out for their country, distant about a
hundred and twenty leagues from our settlement, I went to Tadoussac
to see whether Pont Gravé had returned from Gaspé, whither he had
gone. He did not arrive until the next day, when he told me that he
had decided to return to France. We concluded to leave an upright
man, Captain Pierre Chavin of Dieppe, to command at Quebec, until
Sieur de Monts should arrange matters there.
ENDNOTES:
350. The Indian allies on this expedition were the Algonquins (_Algoumequins_),
the Hurons (_Ochatequins_), and the Montagnais (_Montagnets_). The
two former, on their way to Quebec, had met Champlain near the river
St. Anne, and joined him and the Montagnais, who belonged in the
neighborhood of Tadoussac, or farther east.--_Vide antea_, p. 202.
They now, at the falls near the Basin of Chambly, departed to their
homes, perhaps on the Ottawa River and the shores of Lake Huron.
This is
the conclusion of Volume II, Part XXVII, Chapter 10 of Voyages
1608-1612
Click here for Volume II, Part XXVII, Chapter 11
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