jest― said it was very fine that all should wish to go to Heaven, and be happy; but that, as far as he was concerned, it did not matter even if he should be burned in Hell. I replied that God gave us all the choice of the one or the other; that he did not know what Hell fire was, and that I hoped he would change his mind when he was better informed.

You see the inclination of the Hurons, and especially of the Nation of the Bear, to receive Christianity; and this will be greatly increased by the fact that we have already baptized many of their children. For they say, We do not wish to be separated from our children, we desire to go to Heaven with them. You can judge," they say," how much we approve your talk, seeing we willingly listen to it, without contradiction, and permit you to baptize our children." I must not forget to express on this occasion the satisfaction which Louys de saincte Foy gives us; he certainly performs his duties as a Christian as much to our edification and pleasure as formerly he failed therein. In this month of September he had a desire to return to our house at Kébec for the winter, in order to resume quietly [20] the good instructions he had had formerly from our Fathers in France, and to devote himself again to the practice of virtue and Christian piety. We strongly approved this design, the more so as he could have taken with him some young relative who might have been instructed and baptized there; but as some difficulty came in the way of his resolution, he concluded that he would pass a good part of the Winter with us. This he has done with much satisfaction and profit, both to himself and to us; for he has resumed attendance upon the Sacraments, and the habit of

veu mefmement qu'il euft mené auec luy quelque ieune homme de fes parens, qui euft pû estre instruit & baptifé là bas: mais quelque difficulté ayant trauerfé ceste refolution, il fe delibera de passer vne bonne partie de l'Hyuer auec nous, ce qu'il a fait auec beaucoup de contentement & de profit, tãt de fon cofté que du noftre; car il s'eft remis dans la hantife des Sacremens, & dans l'vfage de la priere. A Noël il fit vne fort bonne Confeffion generale depuis fon Baptefme: d'autre part en nos Catechifmes & instructions que nous faisons aux Sauuages il nous feruoit de Truchement, & nous a traduit plusieurs choses en langue Huronne, où nous admirions la facilité qu'il auoit à entendre noftre langue, & à comprendre & expliquer les mysteres les plus difficiles. Bref il tefmoigne que veritablement il a la crainte de Dieu.

Pour conclufion de ce chapitre nous esperons vous renuoyer les Peres Antoine Daniel, & Ambroife Dauot auec vne bande de braues petits Hurons, afin de donner [21] commencement au Seminaire, duquel on peut efperer auec raifon de grands fruits pour la conuerfion de ces Peuples. Que s'il y auoit à Kébec des Religieufes, ie croy qu'on vous pourroit auffi enuoyer de petites Seminaristes, il y a icy quantité de braues petites filles, lefquelles fi elles eftoient bien efleuees ne cederoient en rien à noftre ieuneffe Françoise. Ce nous eft vn grand creue-cœur de voir ces petites innocentes foüiller incontinent la pureté de leur corps & beauté de leur ame faute de bon exemple & bonne instruction; ie ne doute nullement que la diuine Bonté ne comble de grands biens, particulierement ceux qu'elle inspirera de contribuer à la fondation de ces Seminaires, & â l'education de ces petites plantes de cefte Eglife naiffante.

prayer. At Christmas he made a very good general Confession for the period since his Baptism. Besides, in our Catechizing and teaching of the Savages, he served as Interpreter, and has translated several things into the Huron language for us, wherein we admired the facility with which he understood our language, and comprehended and explained the most difficult mysteries. In short, he gives evidence that truly he has the fear of God before his eyes.

To conclude this chapter, we hope to send you Fathers Antoine Daniel and Ambroise Davot with a band of honest little Hurons, to make [21] a beginning for the Seminary, from which we can reasonably expect much fruit in the conversion of these Peoples. If there were Nuns at Kébec, I believe we might be able to send also girls for a Seminary. There are here a number of fine little girls, who, if they were well brought up, would not yield in any respect to our young French girls. It makes our hearts ache to see these innocent young girls so soon defile their purity of body and beauty of soul, for lack of a good example and good instruction. I doubt not at all that the divine Goodness will crown with great blessings those in particular whom he inspires to contribute to the foundation of these Seminaries, and to the education of these young plants of this infant Church.

CHAPITRE II.

CONTENANT SELON L'ORDRE DES TEMPS LES AUTRES CHOSES REMARQUABLES ADUENUËS PENDANT CESTE ANNÉE.

L

A premiere chose est la fechereffe de l'Efté passé laquelle a efté fort vniuerfelle [22] en tous ces Pays, autant que i'ay peu apprẽdre tant des lettres de Kébec, comme de diuers Sauuages reuenans des traittes loingtaines, tout eftoit fi fec & fi aride qu'à la moindre étincelle de feu les forests & les campagnes eftoient incontinent embrafées: d'où arriua que plufieurs Sauuages allans par pays, & n'estans pas fur leur garde eurent leurs Cabanes & viures bruílez, comme auffi deux de nos hommes. Mais pour ne parler que du Pays des Hurons, la fecheresse y fut tres-grande, car depuis Pasques iufques a la my-Iuin il ne pleut point, ou fort peu; rien ne profitoit, tout deperiffoit, de forte qu'on apprehendoit vne grand famine, & à bon droit; car tout le terroir des Hurons & des lieux circonuoifins eftans tout fablonneux, s'il eft trois iours fans eftre arroufé des pluyes du Ciel, tout commence à faner & à baiffer la tefte. Dans ces apprehenfions tout le Pays eftoit en alarme de la famine, veu mefmement que le Printemps paffé trois villages auoiet efté bruflez, qui fans cet accident euffent pû feruir dans la neceffité de greniers à tout le Pays. Tous crioient à l'ayde, & imploroient à leur ordinaire le fecours des Sorciers ou

CHAPTER II.

CONTAINING IN THE ORDER OF TIME THE OTHER REMARKABLE THINGS THAT HAPPENED

FIRS

DURING THIS YEAR.

IRST, I notice the dryness of the past Summer, which has been very general [22] throughout

these Regions, so far as I can learn from Kébec letters, and from Savages returning from distant trading expeditions; everything was so dry and so arid that at the least spark of fire the forests and fields were at once in a blaze. Thus it happened that many Savages, going about the country and not being on their guard, had their Cabins and provisions burned, as did also two of our men. But to speak only of the Huron Country,— the drought was very great, for from Easter until the middle of June there was no rain at all, or very little. Nothing was growing, everything was dying, so that we apprehended a serious famine, and rightly; for, the soil of the Huron country and adjacent regions being sandy, if three days pass without its being watered with rain from Heaven, everything begins to fade and hang its head. Filled with these apprehensions, the whole Country was dreading a famine, especially as last Spring three villages had been burned which, but for this accident, might have served in case of necessity as granaries to the whole Country. All were crying for help, and imploring, according to their custom, the help of the Sorcerers, or Arendiowane,