Garnier beside this child, in order that, if he recovered consciousness, he might be immediately advised thereof. Meanwhile Father Garnier did not fail to say a few good words to the relatives, and to tell them of Paradise and of Hell. They seemed at

first somewhat inclined to have this child go after death to the place where his dead relatives were; nevertheless, the Father Superior having returned towards evening, and having asked them their opinion, they said they desired their son to go where it would be best for him; and, having answered them that it would be best for him in heaven, they said that they wished him then to go there. Now for fear of losing the opportunity [201] of placing the soul of this poor sick boy in Heaven, the Father Superior left Father Garnier to sleep beside him. He conversed during a part of the night with the relatives, and especially with a famous sorcerer, upon the truth of the one God, and some other good subjects. The patient passed the night very quietly, and nature itself made some efforts, so that consciousness returned to him, to the great satisfaction of his father and mother, who, when this happened, told wonders of a little sugar that had been given him. Father Garnier lost no time, but as soon as he saw him even slightly revived, he began to instruct him, in order to baptize him; yet he did not finish, seeing that there was every probability that, if he went to notify the Father Superior, they would find the boy still entirely conscious. The Father comes, instructs him, and, in short, has him baptized by Father Garnier. He was named Joseph in acknowledgement of the favor they had received from this Holy Patriarch, who is always showing us that it is with

& de l'enfer, elle mourut miferablement quelques iours apres.

Le 5. vn Capitaine d'Offoffané enuoia inuiter le P. Superieur à vn confeil general qui s'y deuoit tenir, il partir le 6. ie luy fis compagnie. En paffant par Oüenrio, il fit affembler les ancies pour traitter de leur reünion auec ceux de nostre bourgade; mais ils ne refolurent rien, feulement ils promirent d'en conferer entr'eux encor plus particulierement. Eftans arriuez à Offoffané, nous attendismes deux iours apres le confeil, & apres cela il nous en fallut reuenir comme nous estions allez, l'absence du Capitaine du bourg, Angouteus en fut la caufe. Cependant le Capitaine d'Offoffané loüa fort le deffein que nous auions de les rallier tous enfemble, que ce feroit vn nouueau fuiet de nous faire aimer, & nous rendre confiderables dans le païs, que fi la chofe reüffiffoit, il en feroit parlé a iamais en toutes les affemblées folemnelles, & aux Feftes des morts. Tandis que nous estions à attendre ce confeil; vn des gendres de noftre hofte retourna de la chaffe de l'Ours, mais à l'entendre, ce qu'ils [203] auoient pris ne recompenfoit pas la perte qu'ils auoient faite; nous eusmes du plaifir à ce narré, il raconta la mort d'vn chien, qu'ils croioient auoir efté deuoré d'vn Ours, fi pathetiquement, que vous euffiez prefque creu qu'il parlast de la mort d'vn des braues Capitaines du païs; il loüa fon courage à pourfuiure l'Ours, & à luy faire tefte, il adioufta que l'aiant perdu de veuë, & l'aiant fuiui long temps à la piste, iusques à vne petite riuiere; il s'eftoit en fin arresté, & auoit dit, en fichant sa hache en terre: Quoy donc, Oüatit (c'estoit le nom du chien) es-tu mort? voila ma hache que ie rifque auec toy.

good reason we have taken him for our patron and our Father.

On the 2nd day of April, they also found at Ossossané a young woman on the verge of death; she had still enough understanding, but it was not possible to persuade her to accept baptism, [202] notwithstanding all the arguments that could be presented to her about Paradise and hell. She died miserably,

several days later.

6

On the 5th, a Captain of Ossossané sent to invite the Father Superior to a general council to be held there; he departed on the 6th, I accompanying him. In passing through Ouenrio, he had the old men assemble to treat of their reunion with the people of our village; but they came to no conclusion, only promising to confer again about it, more in detail, among themselves. Having arrived at Ossossané, we waited two days for the council, and after that we were obliged to return as we had come, the absence of the Captain of the village Angouteus, being the cause of this. However, the Captain of Ossossané greatly praised our plan of bringing them all together, saying that this would be a new occasion for endearing ourselves, and rendering ourselves influential in the country; that, if this affair were successful, it would be mentioned forever in all the solemn assemblies, and at the Feasts of the dead. While we were awaiting this council, a son-in-law of our host returned from Bear hunting; but, according to his story, what they [203] had captured did not recompense them for the loss they had sustained. We enjoyed this narrative; he described the death of a dog, which he believed had been devoured by a Bear, so pathetically, that you would almost have

Celuy à qui eftoit le chien escoutoit ce discours, auec vn cœur si saisi qu'il eust trõpé ceux qui eufsent ignoré le fuiet de fa douleur. Ah! il eft vray (difoit-il) que i'aimois bien fort Oüatit, i'auois refolu de le garder auec moy toute sa vie, il n'y auoit point de fonge qui fuft capable de me porter à en faire feftin, pour rien du monde ie ne l'euffe donné; & encor me feroitce maintenant quelque confolation, si on m'auoit apporté vn petit Ours qui peust prendre sa place, & porter fon nom. Mais voicy vn fuiet plus ferieux, & tout à fait plein de confolation.

[204] Le 13. à l'occafion de quelques vns de nos domeftiques, qui alloient faire vn voyage à la nation du Petun, qui eft à deux iournées de nous. Le P. Garnier demanda au P. Superieur de leur faire compagnie, fimplement pour y vifiter les malades, qui estoient (à ce qu'on nous auoit dit) en assez bon nombre. Ce voiage fut de 14. iours, le pere baptifa 15. perfonnes malades, vn enfant à Arenté, deux autres à Offoffané, qui moururent peu de iours apres, le reste à la nation du Petun, fçauoir eft deux femmes fort aagées, & dix petits enfans, dont deux moururent le mefme iour de leur baptefme. Ce fut vne prouidence de Dieu bien particuliere, nommement pour vn petit garçon de dix ans, il y auoit trois ans qu'il languissoit, & n'attendoit ce femble, que le baptefme pour mourir.

Le 15. nous aprifmes qu'vn ieune homme s'eftoit empoisonné à Offoffané, & à cette occafion quelques Sauuages nous dirent, qu'vne des principales caufes pourquoy ils vfoiet d'vne fi grande indulgence enuers leurs enfans, c'eftoit d'autant que lors que les enfans fe voioient traittez de leur parens auec quelque rigueur, ils en venoient d'ordinaire à ces extremitez &

believed that he was relating the death of one of the brave Captains of the country. He praised his courage in pursuing the Bear, and in opposing him; he added that, having lost sight of him, and having a long time followed his tracks as far as a little river, he had at last stopped, and had said, sticking his hatchet into the ground, "How now, Ouatit" (this was the name of the dog) "art thou dead? There is my hatchet that I risk with thee." The owner of the dog listened to this speech with so heavy a heart that he would have deceived those who might not know the cause of his grief. "Ah! it is true" (said he) "that I dearly loved Ouatit; I had resolved to keep him with me all his life; there was no dream that could have influenced me to make a feast of him, I would not have given him for anything in the world; and yet it would be some consolation to me now if they had brought me a little Bear, which could take his place and carry his name." But here is a more serious subject, and one in every way full of consolation.

[204] On the 13th, when some of our domestics were going on a visit to the Tobacco nation, which is a two days' journey from us, Father Garnier asked the Father Superior's permission to accompany them, simply to visit the sick there, who were (according to what we had been told) quite numerous. This journey lasted 14 days, and the father baptized 15 sick persons,- one child at Arenté; two others at Ossossané, who died a few days afterward; the rest in the Tobacco nation, namely, two very old women and ten little children, two of whom died the day of their baptism. This was a very special providence of God, especially for a little boy of ten years; he had