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native corn, except as these barbarians sell it,-nor without them have we hitherto been able to obtain it from any one or by any process-it was therefore, and certainly is now, very easy for them by convention to cut off our food, and this they have apparently striven to accomplish. And yet, such has been God's providence toward us that neither for us nor for our 27 domestics, forsooth, has anything at all been wanting of those things which in these places are usual in the way of food and clothing: nay, even, all things were abundantly supplied to us at a cheaper rate than to the natives themselves.

But, the demon raging in vain, more than 1,000 were baptized from among the dying, among whom a great number of children prevented an unhappy life by a happy death. This, I will say, deceived us, whether happily or unhappily; for, while we hoped for no small progress in our infant church this year, we did indeed enrich the church with a new offspring, but not the one which we had in mind: for our thought was of the church militant, whereas God provided for the church triumphant. For such was the disturbance in these times of persecution, that not only has no addition been made to our church militant, but even the one congregated last year has been almost altogether dispersed and disbanded: we surmise that this disposition is perhaps in the decrees of God, and that, through the triumphant church of our barbarians, this militant one may be established. He is the Lord: let him do what is good in his sight. Certainly he has left us a seed, but that a small and scanty one,-three or four heads of families, a few old women, a seed altogether as of mustard you may say, or that hidden leaven of the gospel, and

evangelii absconditum, atque utinam! verum quid non speramus adjuti Væ Pis vix et totius Societatis nostræ SS. et pp.

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would it might be that! What indeed do we not hope in the way of help from Your Paternity and from the Sacrifices and prayers of our whole Society?

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Among the Hurons in new France,
I April, 1640.

Your Very Reverend Paternity's most humble and obedient and likewise unworthy son in Christ,

JEROME LALEMANT.

Epistola Patris Jacobi Buteux ad Reverendissimum Patrem Mutium Vitelleschi, Præpositum

A.

Generalem Societatis Jesu, Romæ.

R. IN XO P.

P.C.

Sex anni sunt, cum missus in canadensem provinciam totidem annos in residentia. Conceptæ B. V. ad tria flumina peregi. De qua paucis scribere ad V. P. ex officio. Quartum jam annum superioris habeo. Quod si adhuc non præstiti, dabit hoc potius animo pusillo vel ignorantiæ vitio quam negligentiæ.

Sita est hæc residentia ad ripas fluminis quod à septentrionali parte in celeberrimum Sti Laurentii flumen per tres alv[e]os influit. cœlum habet salubre, solum vero ferendis frugibus, tum nostratibus tritico scilicet, ordeo, pisis, cujusque generis oleribus, tum indicis seminibus idoneum. frequentibus undique fluviis ac stagnis, iisque piscibus abundantissimis intersecatur. Vnde fit ut a Gallis juxta ac sylvestribus ametur. hi non ita multi cum primum huc appulimus imo et sequentibus 4 annis nos quasi letalis morbi (quo absumebantur) autores publice conviteabantur. Sed tandem (quod est Dei beneficium) procul ab eorum mentibus recessit hæc opinio. Parentum loco nos habent, mansuetiores fiunt, et qui

Letter from Father Jacques Buteux to the Very Reverend Father, Mutio Vitelleschi, General

of the Society of Jesus, at Rome.

VERY REVEREND FATHER IN CHRIST,

VERY

Pax Christi.

Six years have elapsed since I was sent to the Canadian province; I have spent the same number of years in the residence of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin at the three rivers, concerning which I have a few things to write to Your Paternity officially. I am now serving my fourth year as superior. But if hitherto I have not fulfilled this office, you will assign the fact rather to my limited mind or to the fault of ignorance, than to neglect.

This residence is situated on the banks of a river which flows into the very famous river Saint Lawrence by three mouths, from the north. The climate is salubrious; the soil, indeed, adapted to bearing fruits not only for our fellow countrymen,- namely, wheat, barley, peas, and vegetables of every kind, but also Indian grains. It is everywhere cut up by numerous rivers and marshes; and these are very abundant in fish. Whence it happens that it is loved nearly as much by the French as by the savages. These, not in very great numbers, publicly abused us when we first landed here,- and that, too, in the following 4 years,—as the authors of a certain mortal disease (by which they were consumed). But finally (which is a favor from God), this opinion has

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