VOLUMES VIL, VIIL, IX

Thèse three volumes comprise the years 1634-36 and deal with Cape Breton, Québec and the Huron country. They are not ail written by Father Le Jeune ; sometimes he encloses relations transmitted to him by Perrault, in Cape Breton, or Brebœuf in Upper Canada, which he îorwards to Paris as Superior of the missions of New France.

Julien Perrault (1634) describes the situation, climate, resources, and people of the island of Cape Breton. He speaks of Chibou, now called Bras d'Or. In the middle of that great bay, on the left-hand side, as one enters from the sea, was the fort of Sainte-Anne, at the entrance of the harbor, opposite a little cove — an excellent port easy to défend against any enemy. There was situated the first mission of the Jesuits in New France, the second mission or résidence being located at Miscou. Father Le Jeune explains that as the vessels which go to Cape Breton and to Miscou do not go up as far as Québec, "it thus happens that we hâve no communication with our Fathers who are in the résidences of Sainte-Anne and of Saint-Charles of Miscou, except by way of France ; hence, neither letters nor other things should be sent to us to hold for them, but they should be given to those vessels which go to thèse French settlements."

Perrault naturally finds that the Indians of Cape Breton lack in the knowledge of God and of the service that they ought to render to him, as also of the state of the soûl after death ; nevertheless, he admires the honesty and decency of their conduct: "Everything is frec to them

in ail places, and yet nothing is in danger in their présence, even if they are alone in a cabin and where no one can see them." His conclusion is that thèse people will be easily Christianized. He, like ail the missionaries of his time, entertained a wrong conception of the character and tempérament of the aborigines ; he also overestimated the aid his own countrymen were disposed to contribute towards the conversion of the infidels. Yet it cannot be said that he was altogether dreaming, for he must hâve been aware of the rumor circulating in Paris, Rouen and Dieppe, of the changes intended to be made in the administration of New France at that very moment. The embarrassed financial position of the Hundred Partners, also the persistent décline of health in Champlain, engaged Richelieu to accept the offer of the Knights of Malta, who were willing to assume the direction of New France and work the scheme of establishing colonies in Acadia, in Cape Breton, on the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes. During the years 1635-36, Châteaufort was sent to Québec; Montmagny and Delisle arrived there soon after. Razilly went to Acadia, Sillery had a hand in the whole afifair, and ail thèse new corners brought with them the hope of an effectuai and glorious administration. Before the year 1636 was over, circumstances of a higher order paralyzed the actions of the Knights of Malta and everything went back to the status quo. The Hundred Partners made a compromise with an association of a few merchants of Dieppe, Rouen and Paris for the trade of Canada, with the hope of seeing the dawn of better days.

During this time Father Le Jeune was studying Québec and the neighboring districts, writing invaluable

148 THË jÊSUITS' RELATIONS AND ALLIED DOCUMENTS

letters on the subject and preparing himself for improvements that never came in his days. He describes the language of the Montagnais, which, though déficient in expressions for abstract ideas, he praises for its fullness and richness in vocabulary and grammatical forms. Once master of the idioms, and assisted by the resources of a strong colonial government, he expected to bring the Indian tribes to a reasonable state of civilization, and place them alongside of a prosperous agricultural colony of Frenchmen. He knew well that the trials of the last thirty years amounted to nothing towards the aim, but he was in receipt of letters from France which spoke with such warmth of the future of Canada that he really believed in a full and complète success. In fact things showed a better appearance than in the past, but there was not much behind that. The Hundred Partners never, at any time, meant to colonize Canada or any part thereof. Ail they cared for was the fur-trade and they did not even know how to conduct it properly in order to make it a paying business. In 1636, as already stated, the company abandoned Canada into the hands of seven or eight associated merchants, under certain conditions which were in hardly any respect fulfîlled, so that the colony went from bad to worse. The création of this private company did not afïect the charter still in possession of the Hundred Partners, but as the latter were unacquainted with trade or navigation they simply remained in the shade, and the fîrm of Chefïault, Rosé, Castillon, Juchereau, Berruyer, Lauzon and Fouquet reigned suprême over the St. Lawrence. The Hundred Partners seemed at first to be willing to send over colonists ; they made concessions to Gifïard, Bourdon, Leneuf, Godefroy and

others, obliging those to whom lands were given to assume the company's duties of clearing such lands, and sending and supporting the settlers ; but the few familles who came under that management had to find a living by themselves and as a resuit the recruiting in France was discouraged from the outset. Cheffault, Rosé and Company acted in the same manner as the great company ; cleared no land and only sent provisions from France for their own fur-trade employées. Father Le Jeune had said in 1635 that the Hundred Partners were "discharging their duties perfectly, although at a very great expense" in regard to procuring actual settlers ; this is not confirmed by the facts, since we can only find seventy men of that class arriving from 1632 to 1639, and as far as we can ascertain coming of their own accord, and at their own expense. Statements made in 1641 and 1642 concerning the approximate population corroborate our opinion in this matter. The number of settlers up to 1636 was about forty-three, according to our own calculation. Father Le Jeune said in the fall of that >ear, that if the Jesuits had a school in Québec they might expect to teach twenty or thirty French pupils. Three Rivers had no children at that date. Father Le Jeune adds : "A poor man burdened with a wife and children should not come over hère the first years with his family, if he is not hired by the Gentlemen of the Company, or by some one else who will bring them hither: otherwise he will sufïer greatly and will not make any headway." Such was the situation, and we find there is no room for praise.*

3 The narratives concerning the Hurons are to be found in Volume VIII.