“...we weighed anchor and put out to sea. Little by little the great towers of the town of La Rochelle faded from our view, then the isle of Re and Oleron, and we bade farewell to France....At last on Saturday, July 15th, about 2 o’clock in the afternoon, the sky began to salute us with repeated cannonades, weeping as though repentant to have kept us so long in trouble. So much so indeed that when the sun shone out, we saw
coming straight towards us (near the coast of North America) two long-boats with all sails set, though the sea was still running high....while we held on our course, Lo, there came to us from the land odours of unrivalled sweetness, brought so abundantly by a warm breeze...We held out our hands, as though to gather them in...meanwhile the two longboats came up, one manned with savages, who had a mosse painted on their sail, the other by Frenchmen of St. Malo who were fishing off Canso harbour; the savages showed the greater diligence, for they arrived first. They were the first I had ever seen, and I admired their fine shape and well-formed faces. One of them made the excuses that on account of the inclemency of the weather, he had not brought his beautiful beaver robe. He wore only a piece of coarse red frieze, with Matachiaz (porcupine-quill ornaments) around his neck and wrists, above his elbows and at his waist. We gave them food and drink...they told us all that had happened the past year at Port Royal, which was our destination....(they also informed them that some savages had spotted a ship off the coast of Cape Breton)...Basques, who contrary to the king’s prohibition, had bartered with the savages and carried off more than six thousand beaver pelts....before leaving they asked for bread to take to their wives, which was given them; and they well deserved it for coming with such good courage to twll us where we were, for thereafter we sailed with constant assurance”.
“We entered the flood tide...the wind was contrary, and gusts blew from the mountains which were like to carry us on the rocks. Amid all this our ship sailed stern first , and more than once turned around, without it being possible to prevent it...when at last within the harbour ir was a wondrous sight for us to see...I wondered why so fair a spot remained desert, and all wooded, seeing that so many folk are ill-off in this world....while we were drifting in the middle of the harbour, Membertou, Chief Sagamos of the Souriquois (Abenaki)...rushed up to the French Fort, to the solitary two who had remained, and cried out like a madman... (waking them up to warn them of possible danger)...At once these two men ran to the wall, and hastily loaded the cannon with agood store of Bullets and priming. Membertwou without delay came out to meet us in his bark canoe, with one of his daughters, and finding nothing but friendship, and perceiving that we were French, he gave no alarm....Soon we landed, visited the house, and passed the day in returning thanks to God, in inspecting the wigwams of the savages, and in wandering through the meadows...”.
“This Sagamos is already a man of great age, and saw Captain Jacques Cartier in that country, being already at that time a married man and the father of a family, though even now he does not look more than fifty years old. He has been a very great and cruel warrior in his youth, and during his life. Therefore, rumour runs that he has many enemies, and is well content to keep close to the French, in order to live in safety...This Membertou told us at our first coming thither that he wished to make a present to the King of his copper mine, since he was that we held metals in high regards, and since Sagamores must be honourable and liberal one towards the other. For being himself a Sagamos, he considers himself the equal of a king and of all his lietenants, and often said to M. de Poutrincourt that he was his great friend, brother, companion, and equal, showing the equality by joining together the fingers of each hand which we call the pointing or index finger.”
I sing of Membertou and the happy victory
Which acquired for him a short time ago an immortal glory,
When he littered with dead the fields of the Armouchiquois
To avenge the Souriqouis people...
To say what moved Membertou and his followers
To undertake such a bloody pursuit for his death
He was Panoniac (for such was his name)
Once a savage of great renown amoung his people,,,
Because this Panomiac ten months ago
Having gone to see them (for the last time)
Carrying in his boats some merchandise...
Without mercy they slaughter their neighbour,
Pilage what he had and divide it
The companions of the dead man escape by swimming away and
Hide themselves for a time in the shadow of a rock...
The body is retrieved, embalmed, and brought back to Port Royal
And to the body preent there, Prince Souriquois
Starts to cry out in a frightful voice
What then Membertou (he said in his language)
Will he leave unpunished such a vicious outrage?
What then, Membertou will not have satisfaction
For the excesses against his own and even his house?
We have close to us the support of the French
To whom these dogs have done a similar wrong
It is resolved, it is necessary that the countryside
Soon be bathed in the blood of these murderers
Actaudin, my dear son, and your youngest brother
Who have never once abandoned your father
It is now necessary to arm yourself with force and courage
Now then, go quickly one following the shore
Frome here to Cape Breton, the other through the woods
Towards the Canadians and Gaspiquois
And the etechemins to announce this insult
And say to our friends that I beseech them all
To carry in their souls a spirited resentment
With the result that they arm themselves promptly
And come to find me near this river
Where they know I have planted my banner
Marc Lescarbot
during this year, 1610.
WITH A BRIEF NARRATIVE of the voyage of Sieur D E POUTRINCOURT.
PARIS, JEAN MILLOT, keeping shop upon the steps of the great Hall of the Palace.
By the King in Council.
Signed, BRIGARD.
