not fail to take their places, each in the Canoe of his parents or friends. For to come all together in one vessel would have been impossible, as they have no other boats or shallops than their bark canoes, which are very small. But when it came to separating the children from their mothers, the extraordinary tenderness which the Savage women have for their children stopped all proceedings, and nearly smothered our project in its birth] One worthy youth, named Satouta, clung to the Father, promising to remain with him and even to go to France, if it were desired. This youth alone was faithful, persevering in the midst of the greatest trials in his determination to be instructed and to remain [179] with us. When the Father reached the three Rivers, where we had long been expecting him with the twelve little Hurons, who they had sent us word were coming, we were much surprised when we saw him with a single lad, already nearly grown. We did not lose courage on account of this first difficulty; we had recourse to God and to men. All the French, on their side, endeavor to get some young Hurons who had come down with their relatives. Monsieur the Commandant kindly uses his influence to this end, as I wrote in my last Relation. Sieur Nicolet and the other Interpreters do what they can; they address now one Savage, now another; presents are made, Father Daniel begs and conjures the children to remain, and their parents to give them permission to do so. Some were influenced in this way; but if they were with us in the morning, in the evening they were gone. Finally, as these tribes are accustomed to hold an assembly or council with our French before returning to their own country, Monsieur the Commandant had

vne affemblee ou confeil auec nos François deuant que de s'en retourner en leur pays, Mõfieur le General fit affeoir aupres de foi Satouta, c'eftoit le feul constant & perfeuerat dans fon deffein, l'honora deuant tous les Principaux de fa Nation, luy attribüa le feftin qu'il leur fit, & enuoia quelques prefens à fes amis. Tout cela fit dire aux Hurons que [180] nous aimions leur Nation: mais ne les fit point refoudre fur l'heure à nous laiffer leurs enfans. L'Affemblee partie nous perdions quafi l'efperance de pouuoir commencer le Seminaire ceste annee-là: quãd tout à coup noftre Seigneur follicité par les prieres de l'ancienne & de la nouuelle France touche l'vn de ces Barbares, lui fait tenir vne affemblee auec les principaux Hurons, en laquelle il harangua fi fortement en faueur du Seminaire & du bien qu'ils pouuoient esperer de l'alliance des François, que les Capitaines enjoignirent à deux ieunes hommes de tenir Compagnie a Satouta, & demeurer auec nous. Vous pouuez penfer fi cefte nouuelle nous releua le courage, & fi elle anima noftre esperance qui commençoit bien fort à chăceler. On peut dire auec grande verité que Deus deducit ad inferos & reduci[t,] attollit & deprimit, exaltat & humiliat; Nous voila donc auec trois ieunes hommes au lieu de douze petits Seminariftes que nous attendions. Comme le temps preffoit, Monfieur le General nous embarque auec ces trois ieunes hommes pour defcendre à Kebec. A peine eftions nous partis, qu'vne autre bande d'Hurons arriuant aux trois Riuieres & apprenant ce qui s'eftoit paffé, en dõna encore trois autres que le fieur Nicolet amena à Kebec. Quelque temps apres d'autres [181] Hurons furuenans au mefme lieu des trois Riuieres,

Satouta sit near him, he being the only one who had been faithful and persevering in his purpose,-honored him before all the Chief Men of his Nation, ascribed to him the feast he made for them, and sent some presents to his friends. All this showed the Hurons that [180] we loved their Nation, but it did not make them immediately decide to let us have their children. The Assembly over, we were almost losing hope of being able to begin the Seminary that year; when all at once our Lord, solicited by the prayers of old and of new France, moved one of these Barbarians, and caused him to hold a council with the chief Hurons, in which he spoke so eloquently in favor of the Seminary, and of the benefit they might expect from the alliance with the French, that the Captains enjoined two young men to bear Satouta Company, and remain with us. You can imagine how this news raised our courage and animated our hopes, which, indeed, were now faltering. We can most truly say that Deus deducit ad inferos et reduci[t,] attollit et deprimit, exaltat et humiliat. Here we are now with three young men instead of twelve little Seminarists, as we expected. As time was pressing us, Monsieur the Commandant gave us passage with these three lads to go down to Kebec. Scarcely had we departed, when another band of Hurons, arriving at the three Rivers, and learning what had happened, gave us three more, whom sieur Nicolet brought to Kebec. A little while afterwards, other [181] Hurons, arriving unexpectedly at this same place, the three Rivers, offered some of their children also, saying that nothing else was talked about along the great river but the decision the Hurons had made to stay with the French,- that it would be discussed a

offrirent encor de leurs enfans, difans, qu'on ne parloit d'autre chofe fur le grand fleuue que de la refolution qu'auoient prife les Hurons de demeurer auec les François, qu'il en feroit fort parlé dans le pays & qu'on s'en refioüiroit grandement; Or comme il n'y auoit perfonne qui peust tenir Confeil auec eux, les Truchemens eftans defcendus à Kebec on ne paffa pas outre. Ce fut vne prouidence de Dieu qu'on n'en enuoya pas dauantage, car nous euffions manqué de viures & d'autres chofes neceffaires pour les entretenir.

Voila donc le Seminaire commencé auec de tresgrandes difficultez, on careffe ces ieunes gens, on les fait habiller à la Françoise, on les fournit de linge & d'autres chofes neceffaires. On les loge en vn lieu destiné pour ce fuiet auec le Pere qui doit auoir foing d'eux. Il sẽble que tout eft en paix: Nos Fraçois prennet plaifir de voir de ieunes Sauuages jaloux de viure à la Françoise, chacun fembloit fort content. Qui loge fon contentement ailleurs qu'en la Croix ne fera pas long temps fans trifteffe; l'vn de ces ieunes homes eftant d'vne humeur melancholique, demande bien toft apres fon arriuee de s'en retourner en fon pays, ne pouuant, difoit-il s'accorder auec les autres. Sur ces entrefaites [128 i.e., 182] vn Capitaine Huron ayant appris aux trois Riuieres les nouuelles du Seminaire, defcendit à Kebec pour voir ces ieunes gens & les encourager de bien faire, notamment l'vn de fes neueux qui eftoit de la bande. Ce bon vieillard (car il est bien aagé de foixante ans) aiant veu l'ordre qu'on gardoit au Seminaire, & le traitement qu'on faifoit à ceux de fa Nation, s'efcria. ô! qu'il fera parlé de tout ceci en noftre païs: mes enfans que

great deal in the country, and would be the subject of great rejoicing. Now since there was no one who could hold a Council with them, the Interpreters having gone down to Kebec, nothing more was done. It was a providence of God that no more of them were sent, for we would have lacked food and other necessaries to maintain them.

Behold, then, our Seminary begun under very great difficulties. These young men are petted, are dressed in the French way, are furnished with linen and other necessary articles. They are lodged in a place selected for this purpose, with the Father who is to have the care of them. All seems to be going along peacefully. Our French people are pleased at seeing these young Savages anxious to live after the French fashion; all seemed very contented. He who places his contentment elsewhere than in the Cross will not long be without sadness. One of these young men, being of a melancholy disposition, asks, soon after his arrival, to return to his own country, saying he could not agree with the others. In the meanwhile, [128 i.e., 182] a Huron Captain, having heard at the three Rivers about the Seminary, came down to Kebec to see these young men, and encourage them to do well, especially one of his nephews who was among them. This good old man (for he is fully sixty years old) having seen what order was observed at the Seminary, and the treatment received by those of his Nation, exclaimed, "Oh, how they will talk about all this in our country! My children, how fortunate you are to be made so comfortable! Among us we do not know what it is to have food so well prepared as this that they give you; come, have courage, be peaceable and very obedient; observe care