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I mean to say that we there devoted ourselves to the study and practice of the language, and began to reduce it to rules; in this it was necessary to be at once both master and pupil to oneself, with incredible difficulty. Thence, at the end of three years we went with flying colors, so to speak, to Ossosané, one of the principal villages of the whole country; the next year, to Teanaustayaé, the most important village of all, leaving and entirely abandoning the first residence, for lack of inhabitants there, and of persons capable of profiting by our labors,-nearly all being scattered or dead from the malady, which seems to be, not without reason, a punishment from Heaven for the contempt that they showed for the [27] favor of the visit that the divine goodness had procured for them.

At the outset, we gave special care to the children and to elderly sick persons who were near death; these we did not allow to die without Baptism, or at least without instruction to those who most needed it, our Fathers freely entering all the cabins for this purpose. This is a boon and an advantage which cannot be estimated; and those whom it almost cost their lives several times, as may be seen in the Relation of last year, are so satisfied with this victory that they would expose a thousand more lives, if they had them, to maintain it.

In the general and individual instructions, as also in our journeys or missions, we occasionally gain a few souls, although for the present there are usually only mockeries and threats,—which will be, I hope, the seed that shall produce, in its own time, the fruit of the Gospel, and the general subjection of these people to the faith.

Nous auons quelquefois douté, scauoir si on pouuoit efperer la conuerfion de ce païs fans qu'il y eust effusion de fang: le principe receu ce femble dans l'Eglife de [28] Dieu que le fang des Martyrs est la femence des Chreftiens, me faifoient conclurre pour lors, que cela n'eftoit pas à esperer: voire mefme qu'il n'eftoit pas à fouhaiter, confideré la gloire qui reuient à Dieu de la conftance des Martyrs, du fang defquels tout le reste de la terre ayant tantost esté abreuué, ce feroit vne espece de malediction, que ce quartier du monde ne participast point au bon-heur d'auoir contribué à l'efclat de cefte gloire.

Mais i'aduoüe que depuis que ie fuis icy, & que ie vois ce qui fe passe, fçauoir les combats, les batailles, les attaques, & les affauts generaux à toute la Nature, que fouffrent tous les iours icy les ouuriers de l'Euangile, & cependant leur patience, leur courage & leur application continuelle à pourfuiure leur pointe, ie commence à douter fi quelque autre martyre eft neceffaire que celuy-cy, pour l'effet que nous pretendons: & ie ne doute point qu'il ne se trouuast plufieurs perfonnes qui aymaffent mieux tout d'vn coup receuoir vn coup de hache fur la teste, que de mener les années durant la vie qu'il faut mener icy tous les iours, trauaillant à la conuerfion de ces barbares.

[29] Si vous les allez trouuer dans leurs cabanes; & il y faut aller plus fouuent que tous les iours, si vous voulez vous acquiter comme il faut de vostre deuoir: vous y trouuerez vne petite image de l'Enfer, ny voyant pour l'ordinaire que feu & fumée, & des corps nuds deça & dela noirs & à demy roftis, pesle-meslez auec les chiens, qui font auffi cheris que les enfants

We have sometimes wondered whether we could hope for the conversion of this country without the shedding of blood; the principle received, it seems, in the Church of [28] God, that the blood of Martyrs is the seed of Christians, made me at one time conclude that this was not to be expected,—yea, that it was not even to be desired; considering the glory that redounds to God from the constancy of the Martyrs, with whose blood all the rest of the earth has been so lately drenched, it would be a sort of curse if this quarter of the world should not participate in the happiness of having contributed to the splendor of this glory.

But I confess,-now that I am here, and see what is taking place, namely, the combats, battles, attacks, and the general assaults against all Nature, which the Gospel laborers suffer here every day, and at the same time their patience, their courage, and their continual assiduity in pursuing their object,— that I begin to wonder whether any other martyrdom than this is necessary for the results that we aim at; and I do not doubt that many persons could be found who would prefer to receive at once a hatchet blow upon the head, than to spend their years enduring the life that one must every day lead here, working for the conversion of these barbarians.

[29] If you go to visit them in their cabins,—and you must go there oftener than once a day, if you would perform your duty as you ought,-you will find there a miniature picture of Hell,- seeing nothing, ordinarily, but fire and smoke, and on every side naked bodies, black and half roasted, mingled pellmell with the dogs, which are held as dear as the children of the house, and share the beds, plates, and

de la maison, & dans vne communauté de lict, de plat & de nourriture auec leurs maiftres. Tout y eft dans la pouffiere, & fi vous entrez dedans, vous ne ferez pas au bout de la cabane, que vous ferez tout couuert de noirceur de fuye, d'ordure & de pauureté.

Leurs paroles fouuent ne font que blafphemes contre Dieu & nos myfteres; & des iniures contre nous accompagnées d'ingratitude incroyable, nous reprochants que ce font nos visites & nos remedes qui les font malades & mourir; & que noftre fejour icy eft la feule caufe de tous leurs maux. Si vous leur voulez parler pour les inftruire, il faudra quelquefois attendre les heures entieres deuant que de trouuer l'occasion de leur dire à propos vn bon mot; & apres toutes vos peines & vos [30] vifites, vn fonge, qui eft à proprement parler le Dieu du païs, en defera plus en vne nuict, que vous n'aurez auancé en trente iours: & vous pourroit bien, pour toute recompenfe, procurer vn coup de hache ou de fleche. S'ils viennent en vostre cabane, ne penfez pas que vous puiffiez facilement leur refufer voftre porte; ny quand ils font dedans, les gouuerner à voftre mode. où il leur plaift, & n'en fortent pas plaift, Il faut qu'ils entrent par tout, & qu'ils voiet tout, & fi vous les volez empefcher, ce font querelles & reproches auec iniures. Et dans tout cela il faut filer doux: vn coup de hache est bien tost donné par ces Barbares: & le feu mis à vne efcorce, & de recherche de iuftice pour le crime, il n'y en a point dans le païs, & au plus qu'on en pourroit attendre, ce feroit quelques prefens. De forte qu'il faut toufiours estre en garde, & fur la patience, & faire estat qu'on n'a icy, & moins encore qu'en tout autre lieu du monde, aucun moment de fa vie affeuré.

Ils fe mettent quand il vous

food of their masters. Everything is in a cloud of dust, and, if you go within, you will not reach the end of the cabin before you are completely befouled with soot, filth, and dirt.

If

Their words are often only blasphemies against God and our mysteries, and insults against us, accompanied with incredible evidences of ingratitude,— hurling at us the reproach that it is our visits and our remedies which cause them to sicken and die, and that our sojourn here is the sole cause of all their troubles. If you wish to converse, in order to instruct them, it will sometimes be necessary to wait whole hours before finding opportunity to say to them at the right time one profitable word; and after all your pains and your [30] visits, a dream, which is, properly speaking, the God of the country, will undo more in one night than you will have accomplished in thirty days; and you may, indeed, as your sole reward, get a stroke from the hatchet or arrow. they come to your cabin, do not imagine that you can easily refuse them admittance, or, when they are within, manage them in your own way. They sit down where they please, and do not go away at your pleasure. They must enter everywhere, and see everything, and if you try to prevent them, there are quarrels and reproaches and insults. And, in all this, one must act submissively; a blow from the hatchet is soon given by these Barbarians, and the bark set on fire; as to seeking redress for the crime, there is none in the country, and the most one could expect would be a few presents. In consequence, one must always be on the watch and be patient, and consider that here, still less than in any other place in the world, can one be sure of a moment of his life.

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