zens or Strangers, the public or the individuals of the Village; as, for example, feasts, dances, games, crosse matches, and funeral ceremonies. The second are affairs of war. Now there are as many sorts of Captains as of affairs. In the large Villages there will be sometimes several Captains, both of administration and of war, who divide among them the families of the Village as into so many Captaincies. Occasionally, too, there are even Captains to whom these matters of government are referred on account of their intellectual superiority, popularity, wealth, or other qualities which render them influential in the Country. There are none who, by virtue of their election, are of higher rank [161] than others. Those hold the first rank who have acquired it by intellectual preeminence, eloquence, free expenditure, courage, and wise conduct. Consequently, the affairs of the Village are referred principally to that one of the Chiefs who has these qualifications; and the same is true with regard to the affairs of the whole Country, in which the men of greatest ability are the leading Captains, and usually there is one only who bears the burden of all; it is in his name Treaties of Peace are made with foreign Peoples; the Country even bears his name, and now, for example, when one speaks of Anenkhiondic in the Councils of Foreigners, the Nation of the Bear is meant. Formerly only worthy men were Captains, and so they were called Enondecha, the same name by which they call the Country, Nation, district, as if a good Chief and the Country were one and the same thing. But today they do not pay so much attention to the selection of their Captains; and so they no longer give them that name, although they still call them atiwa pellent le Pays, Nation, terre, comme si vn bon Capitaine & le Pays eftoient vne mefme chofe; mais auiourd'huy ils n'ont pas vn tel égard en l'élection de leurs Capitaines; auffi ne leur donnent-ils plus ce nom là, quoy qu'ils l'appellent encor atidarontas, atiɣanens, ondakhienhai, les groffes pierres, les anciens, les fedentaires. Cependant ceux là ne laissent pas de tenir, comme i'ay dit, le premier rang tant dans [162] les affaires particulieres des Villages, que de tout le Pays, qui font les plus grands en merites & en efprit. Leurs parens font come autant de Lieutenans & de Confeillers. Ils arriuent à ce degré d'honneur, partie par fucceffion, partie par élection, leurs enfans ne leur fuccedent pas d'ordinaire, mais bien leurs neueux & petits fils. Et ceux cy encor ne viennent pas à la fucceffion de ces petites Royautez, comme les Dauphins en France, ou les enfans en l'heritage de leurs peres; mais en tant qu'ils ont les qualitez conuenables, & qu'ils les acceptent, & font acceptez de tout le Pays. Il s'en trouue qui refufent ces honneurs, tant parce qu'ils n'ont pas le difcours en main, ny affez de retenue ny de patience, que pource qu'ils ayment le repos; car ces charges font pluftoft de feruitudes, qu'autre chose. Il faut qu'vn Capitaine fasse eftat d'estre quafi touiours en campagne: si on tient Confeil à cinq ou fix lieuës pour les affaires de tout le Pays, Hyuer ou Esté en quelque faifon que ce foit il faut marcher: s'il fe fait vne Affemblée dans le Village, c'eft en la Cabane du Capitaine: s'il y a quelque chofe à publier, c'est à luy à le faire; & puis le peu d'authorité qu'il a d'ordinaire fur fes fuiets, n'eft pas [163] vn puiffant attrait pour accepter ceste rontas, atiwanens, ondakhienhai, "big stones, the elders, the stay-at-homes." However, those still hold, as I have said, the first rank as well in [162] the special affairs of the Villages as of the whole Country, who are most highly esteemed and intellectually preëminent. Their relatives are like so many Lieutenants and Councilors. They reach this degree of honor, partly through succession, partly through election; their children do not usually succeed them, but properly their nephews and grandsons. And the latter do not even come to the succession of these petty Royalties, like the Dauphins of France, or children to the inheritance of their fathers; but only in so far as they have suitable qualifications, and accept the position, and are accepted by the whole Country. Some are found who refuse these honors,- sometimes because they have not aptitude in speaking, or sufficient discretion or patience, sometimes because they like a quiet life; for these positions are servitudes more than anything else. A Captain must always make it a point to be, as it were, in the field; if a Council is held five or six leagues away for the affairs of the Country, Winter or Summer, whatever the weather, he must go. If there is an Assembly in the Village, it is in the Captain's Cabin; if there is anything to be made public, he must do it; and then the small authority he usually has over his subjects is not [163] a powerful attraction to make him accept this position. These Captains do not govern their subjects by means of command and absolute power; they have no force at hand to compel them to their duty. Their government is only civil; they represent only what is to be done for the good of the village, or of the whole charge. Ces Capitaines icy ne gouuernent pas leurs fuiets par voye d'empire, & de puiffance abfoluë; ils n'ont point de force en main, pour les ranger à leur deuoir. Leur gouuernement n'eft que ciuil, ils representent feulement ce qu'il est question de faire pour le bien du village, ou de tout le Pays. Apres cela fe remuë qui veut. Il y en a neantmoins, qui sçauent bien se faire obeyr, principalement quand ils ont l'affection de leurs fuiets. Quelques vns font auffi reculez de ces charges, pour la memoire de leurs anceftres qui ont déseruy la Patrie. Que s'ils y font receus, c'est à force de prefens, que les Anciens acceptent en leur Affemblée, & mettent dans les coffres du Public. Tous les ans enuiron le Printemps fe font ces refurrections de Capitaines, fi quelques cas particuliers ne retardent ou n'aduancent l'affaire. Ie demanderois volontiers icy à ceux qui ont peu d'opinion de nos Sauuages, ce qu'il leur femble de cette conduite. Mais en preuue de ce que ie viens de dire de l'efprit de nos Capitaines, il faut que ie concluë ce Chapitre par vn difcours que me fit ce Printemps vn Capitaine, nommé [164] Aenons, il pretendoit nous perfuader de transporter noftre Cabane en fon Village. Surquoy nous auons à louer Dieu, de ce qu'il nous fait la grace d'eftre aymez & recherchez dans le Pays; c'eft à qui nous aura en fon Village: les Arendoronnon nous en ont fouuent porté la parole, les Attignenonghac, & ceux du Village Offoffané, que nous appellons la Rochelle, nous font encor plus d'inftance: mais fi nous auons égard aux importunitez, affeurément ce Capitaine l'emportera; il y a plus de fix mois qu'il ne nous donne aucun repos, quelque Country. That settled, he who will takes action. There are, however, some who know well how to secure obedience, especially when they have the affection of their subjects. Some, too, are kept back from these positions by the memory of their ancestors who have badly served their Country. But, if they are received therein, it is by dint of presents which the Old Men accept in their Assembly and put into the Public coffers. Every year, about Spring, these resurrections of Captains take place, if some special cases do not delay or hasten the matter. I should like here to ask those who have a low opinion of our Savages, what they think of this method of conducting affairs. For But, in proof of what I have just said of the intelligence of our Captains, I must conclude this Chapter with a speech, made to me, this Spring, by a Captain named [164] Aenons. He was trying to persuade us to transfer our Cabin to his Village. this we have to praise God, that he gives us the favor to be loved and sought after throughout the Country; there is a strife as to who will have us in his Village. The Arendoronnon 22 have often invited us; the Attignenonghac, and the people of the Village of Ossossané, which we call la Rochelle, have pressed us still more earnestly; but, if we have regard to importunities, assuredly this Chief will prevail. For more than six months he has given us no rest; whatever Public affair he may relate to us, he never fails to draw expressly or tacitly this conclusion; but this Spring, more than ever, he has employed all his Rhetoric to secure our promise, and gain our full consent. Going then one day to Wenrio, to visit one of our Christians sick unto death, I |