In 1540 Cartier made his third and final voyage to Canada. I like to note this is four years after they last left Canada, and three years late on their promise to the people of the Donnaconna of their return. During this time the leader and the others brought to France were baptized and died there, saving one little 10-year-old girl believed to be the daughter of the chief of Achelaiy. Ten people never were able to return to their country. Even still the King of France sent Cartier again to Canada, it seems to search for riches he had been told of by the people before they died.
When they reached Canada they told Agohanna (who had been appointed king by the Donnaconna) that their former leader had died in France, but that the others had stayed behind by choice due to marriage and would not be returning. The new leader seemed to take it well, or at least showed no sign of anger. They stayed with the people for a time trading gifts, and then the captain took two ships up St. Croix. A set up site for a new fort on the Cape Rouge River on the High Point now called Redclyffe. Here they farmed seeds from France to grow food in the fertile soil. The author also mentions them finding stones which they believe to be diamonds, as well as iron to be mined. He also found signs of gold. To my knowledge there is no diamonds been found in Canada sewage likely what they found was some sort of quartz which I know is more easily found in the area.
There is mention of the captain making a visit to the lord of Hochelay and leaving with him to boys to learn their language, as well as gifts to thank him for warning him of others treachery in the past. They met some other people on the way to Saguenay who sent with them four men do show the way. They met other people on the way that they gave gifts to, what they were later warned not to trust these people because they are people who think themselves of great strength (as I understand the author explaining it). They return back to the lord of Hochelay with found that all the people but one son and the two boys were gone. The captain is told that the leader has gone to Agohanna to discuss with to do about the Frenchman whom they dealt in fear. It seems at this point Cartier speak no more of the voyage, and fact the next section of the book relates to voyage by John Francis de la Rocque.
Showing posts with label Book Research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Research. Show all posts
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
A Memoir of Jacques Cartier cont... end of second voyage
The crazy thing is even after the people saved their lives with a cure for scurvy the captain and the others still this trusted the people especially after them seeing their weakness. These people showed the Frenchman nothing but kindness every time they had an encounter, but it was never good enough. It seems the captain intended to take the Donnaconna back to France with them. The captain tried to get Taignoagny and Dom Agaya to help them do this, but it seems they warn the leader not to enter the Frenchmen’s ship. They got the leader to come in the fort at one point but Taignoagny called him out again. The captain ordered his men to take the Donnaconna by force and is great commotion. The Donnaconna and his companions were captured as the author puts it placed into “ safekeeping”. The people cried and screamed for their leaders return and the captain ordered their leader to tell them that after he went and spoke to the King of France he would return to them within ten or twelve moons. Apparently this moved everything over, after giving gifts to the leader’s wife and children they withdrew owing to their lodgings.
The people returned the next day to speak to their leader and the Donnaconna told the captain to tell them he would return in 12 months and that he would bring the leader back his people. It seems that people believed them. Days later several more boats of the people came after speaking to Dom Agaya about the taking of the Donnaconna. Their leader said he was treated well and he returned in 12 moons. Each time people came they brought gifts, were given gifts, is uncertain whether the gifts or the words did the most to mollify them. It was many days later that the ship caring the Frenchman and their “guests” left the shores of Canada on their way back to France.
The people returned the next day to speak to their leader and the Donnaconna told the captain to tell them he would return in 12 months and that he would bring the leader back his people. It seems that people believed them. Days later several more boats of the people came after speaking to Dom Agaya about the taking of the Donnaconna. Their leader said he was treated well and he returned in 12 moons. Each time people came they brought gifts, were given gifts, is uncertain whether the gifts or the words did the most to mollify them. It was many days later that the ship caring the Frenchman and their “guests” left the shores of Canada on their way back to France.
Monday, June 30, 2014
A Memoir of Jacques Cartier cont...Scurvy
It seems that the attempts of Christianization of the Donnacona and his people was met with limited success, so the captain told Taignoagny and Dom Agaya to tell them they would be back on the next voyage priests and holy oil for a proper baptism. It is very obvious at this point that Cartier has very little respect for these people or their way of life from their marriage practices down to the way they dress and the food they farm. He did mention that the people including the children were very resistant to the cold, this alone seem to impress him. He makes a lot of reference to the need of these people for change, and his desire to “tame” them. The text gets a bit confusing after this, there is reference to distrust of the leader as well as Taignoagny and Dom Agaya. There is a mention of the leader of another talent warning the captain the Donnacona one to take the three children they gave them. In fact the largest of the girls fled the shipped, so it is said the captain had the other children taken care of. It is unclear with the author means by “taken care of”. There is some conflict between the captain and the people, and eventually the Donnacona returns the girl to them saying that she left because some cabin boys beat her. Apparently the captain agreed to take her back and a tentative peace remain between the two groups. As an aside I have to say I am confused by the desperateness that people seem to have regarding pleasing the Frenchman, or the very least pleasing their captain. I’m unsure why they seem so desperate to please them, and because we’re seeing everything through an outsiders point of view there is no way to tell why the Donnacona does this.
The section after this is a lot of travel, talking about the land, the animals, and passing areas where people live but not interacting with them. Later on they mention friendly relations with some people, in conflict with others, which made the “good people” sorry and angry. They did reach the river Saguenay and traveled it, but found its depths did not work well with their boats. The people they meet make mention there are people dressed like the Frenchman in towns as they have a great quantity of gold and copper. They mentioned the river leads to several great lakes of freshwater, but no mention of the sea. They also mentioned a land where there is no ice and snow, with the people dressed in skins and furs like them, and who constantly war with each other.
It seems in the month of December scurvy hits the people in the Frenchman’s fort, spreading across the three ships, after apparently hitting some of the people of the area as well. Many people died and were buried under the snow as fear of the unknown gripped everyone. The captain made the sick man work hard to hide their weakness from the people of the land, for fear upon seeing their weakness the “savages” would take advantage of the situation. Apparently they eventually found a cure when they actually bothered talking to the “savages”, seeing that Dom Agaya was well, they asked how he was cured. The people showed the Frenchman how using the bark of a particular tree would cure the sickness. Scholars argue whether it was white spruce or white pine the medicine came from, but the white spruce is supposed to be a better treatment for the scurvy.
The section after this is a lot of travel, talking about the land, the animals, and passing areas where people live but not interacting with them. Later on they mention friendly relations with some people, in conflict with others, which made the “good people” sorry and angry. They did reach the river Saguenay and traveled it, but found its depths did not work well with their boats. The people they meet make mention there are people dressed like the Frenchman in towns as they have a great quantity of gold and copper. They mentioned the river leads to several great lakes of freshwater, but no mention of the sea. They also mentioned a land where there is no ice and snow, with the people dressed in skins and furs like them, and who constantly war with each other.
It seems in the month of December scurvy hits the people in the Frenchman’s fort, spreading across the three ships, after apparently hitting some of the people of the area as well. Many people died and were buried under the snow as fear of the unknown gripped everyone. The captain made the sick man work hard to hide their weakness from the people of the land, for fear upon seeing their weakness the “savages” would take advantage of the situation. Apparently they eventually found a cure when they actually bothered talking to the “savages”, seeing that Dom Agaya was well, they asked how he was cured. The people showed the Frenchman how using the bark of a particular tree would cure the sickness. Scholars argue whether it was white spruce or white pine the medicine came from, but the white spruce is supposed to be a better treatment for the scurvy.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
A Memoir of Jacques Cartier cont...Hochelaga and the Abnakis
The next place they visited was the heavy agricultural area that led into the town Hochelaga which was near a mountain the French named Mont Royal. This was actually an enclosed town that even had a gate for the single entrance into town. Cartier even sounded impressed by the defensiveness of the town. He also talks about the long houses, corn flour that they used to make round cakes which they bake on stones, the method they use to smoke there meat, and the fact that the most precious thing to this tribe are the shells they use for their wampum. Cartier describes the way they get the shells is by of someone who has been sentenced to death and cutting large gashes in their body. They placed the body in the bottom of the river where the shells live and leave it there for up to 12 hours. When they take up the body we are able to gather what they need of the shells that have grown into the gashes. Once again Cartier mentions that the women are very physically curious and touch the Frenchman without shame, very curious.
One of the oddest things was the leader (I think that’s who he was) started bringing sick people to the captain for the captain to touch and “heal”. Many gifts were given afterwards, a feast was had, and then some of the people led the Frenchman on the mountain. While there, their guides made reference to silver coming from the river, but said evil folks named Agojuda were there, and that they warred with each other all the time. The Agojuda’s armor was described as wood laced together by cords woven together. I found reference to Samuel de Champlain mentioning the Agojuda as well and in notes scholars said that judging from the slat armor mentioned this was likely the Ouendat (Huron). Cartier and the other sailors were hoping the mountain held copper, but the Abnakis (Abenaki) insisted that came from Saguenay. After the walk to the mountain Cartier and his men went to return to their boats and when the Abnakis saw that they were tired, they carried the sailors. When the French men left the people follow them along the river, seeming sad to see them go.
It wasn’t until several days later that Cartier mentions Taignoagny and Dom Agaya who came with many others to welcome them further down on what the Frenchman named the Whip River. Cartier seem to doubt the sincerity of the welcome. They insisted that the Frenchman come see the Donnacona who apparently were located in a different place than they had been when the sailors had visited before. The captain gave the men knives and other things of small value, and to the women he presented gifts of tin rings. While there the captain was also shown by the Donnacona the “skins of five men’s heads stretched upon wood like the skins of parchment” and were told the skins were from a group called the Toudamans who they were at war with, and who had unexpectedly attacked them. A group that just happened to be located at the place the Abnakis said that the copper came from. Saguenay. Looking into the Iroquois and armor they were, it seems more likely that the Toudamans wore actually of that group, so it is possible the term Agojuda may have meant Iroquois not Huron.
As a side note the mention of the wood slat armor is very interesting to me, and may require a bit more research as a possible option for my own armor. To my knowledge my tribe didn't wear any armor in battle, at least nothing that would fit the standards of SCA armor, so this would slat armor might be a possible solution. I have seen the wood slat armor mentioned before while doing research on First Nations, and the Russians were said to have some contact with people called the Tlingit who wore wooden armor. Here's an example of that I found...
One of the oddest things was the leader (I think that’s who he was) started bringing sick people to the captain for the captain to touch and “heal”. Many gifts were given afterwards, a feast was had, and then some of the people led the Frenchman on the mountain. While there, their guides made reference to silver coming from the river, but said evil folks named Agojuda were there, and that they warred with each other all the time. The Agojuda’s armor was described as wood laced together by cords woven together. I found reference to Samuel de Champlain mentioning the Agojuda as well and in notes scholars said that judging from the slat armor mentioned this was likely the Ouendat (Huron). Cartier and the other sailors were hoping the mountain held copper, but the Abnakis (Abenaki) insisted that came from Saguenay. After the walk to the mountain Cartier and his men went to return to their boats and when the Abnakis saw that they were tired, they carried the sailors. When the French men left the people follow them along the river, seeming sad to see them go.
It wasn’t until several days later that Cartier mentions Taignoagny and Dom Agaya who came with many others to welcome them further down on what the Frenchman named the Whip River. Cartier seem to doubt the sincerity of the welcome. They insisted that the Frenchman come see the Donnacona who apparently were located in a different place than they had been when the sailors had visited before. The captain gave the men knives and other things of small value, and to the women he presented gifts of tin rings. While there the captain was also shown by the Donnacona the “skins of five men’s heads stretched upon wood like the skins of parchment” and were told the skins were from a group called the Toudamans who they were at war with, and who had unexpectedly attacked them. A group that just happened to be located at the place the Abnakis said that the copper came from. Saguenay. Looking into the Iroquois and armor they were, it seems more likely that the Toudamans wore actually of that group, so it is possible the term Agojuda may have meant Iroquois not Huron.
As a side note the mention of the wood slat armor is very interesting to me, and may require a bit more research as a possible option for my own armor. To my knowledge my tribe didn't wear any armor in battle, at least nothing that would fit the standards of SCA armor, so this would slat armor might be a possible solution. I have seen the wood slat armor mentioned before while doing research on First Nations, and the Russians were said to have some contact with people called the Tlingit who wore wooden armor. Here's an example of that I found...
Friday, June 27, 2014
A Memoir of Jacques Cartier cont...More Huron and Journey to Hochelaga
The text gets a little more complicated after that, rather confusing in fact, but I would try to recount the events as explained best I can. They mention Donnacona again when they meet in St. Croix along with 25 boats loaded with people. That day the Huron people wouldn’t get the ship which made Cartier and the others suspicious. People seemed joyous, but Taigoagny and Dom Agaya did not. The captain asked the two men if they were going with them to Hochelaga and the men said yes. The captain left the ship with an armed escort of men, which didn’t sit well with the Donnacona. Things seem fine the next day when the Donnacona and a huge group of Huron feasted with them all outside the ship and small presents were given. It seems the Donnacona did not want them to go to Hochelaga. There was some mention of making Taigoagny a present to appease the Donnacona. The Donnacona even made a present of the daughter of his sister who was about 10 years old, along with two younger boys. There is the argument after that between Taigoagny and Dom Agaya, and Cartier refers to Taigoagny as having treason and malice. The children were taken on the ship (note to self to remember this for research) and there was a gunfire display for the pleasure of the people which according to the author was later used by Taigoagny to convince the people that the Frenchmen had killed two of the Huron.
Things turned bad after that. With the help of Taigoagny some the warriors dressed up like devils with huge horns, black-and-white skins, and faces painted black. Things get super confusing about then, so they bought a stolen boat, a performance related to the Huron trying to convince the explorers not to go on to their planned destination, but from what I can tell it entirely centered on Taigoagny and Dom Agaya who were now working together it seems. There was some mention of the Huron leader requiring a hostage be left behind, I guess to make sure they returned from Hochelaga. The footnote says it is believed the people didn’t want the Frenchman to go to Hochelaga because the visitors had given them such wonderful gifts they didn’t want to share the generous visitors with others.
When Cartier met the new group along the river they saw houses built all along the banks. These people were very friendly as well, and shared a large amount of the fish they had fished from the river they lived by with the newcomers for trade. The leader of this group also gave the captain a gift two of his own children, a girl about the age of 8 or 9, and a boy of 2 to 3 years. The captain accepted the girl but refused the boy because he was too small. Knowing how my own people value their children, I admit to being baffled at the idea of the leader of this group giving his own children to the strangers. This is the second time it is mentioned that a leader of the Huron has done this, and I find myself curious if this is a common practice. I can’t imagine what it was like for those children on the ships, far away from their people, their families, anything familiar. After this the explorers met a group of hunters, but no one else until they reached Hochelaga.
At Hochelaga they were greeted by hundreds of people, men women and children, who I assume are Huron since there is no mention of a recognizable difference between them and those Cartier and his men just left. Like all the rest the situations they were meeting with friendliness, acceptance, and a large dose of hands-on curiosity especially from the women and children. The captain gifted the women with tin and other “trifling things”, and gifted the men with knives. Once they reached the village itself there were gifts given to the leader of hatchets and knives, as well as some religious icons including a “memorial of the crucifixion” which the captain made the Huron leader kiss before hanging it over his neck. This interaction seemed to go extremely well.
Things turned bad after that. With the help of Taigoagny some the warriors dressed up like devils with huge horns, black-and-white skins, and faces painted black. Things get super confusing about then, so they bought a stolen boat, a performance related to the Huron trying to convince the explorers not to go on to their planned destination, but from what I can tell it entirely centered on Taigoagny and Dom Agaya who were now working together it seems. There was some mention of the Huron leader requiring a hostage be left behind, I guess to make sure they returned from Hochelaga. The footnote says it is believed the people didn’t want the Frenchman to go to Hochelaga because the visitors had given them such wonderful gifts they didn’t want to share the generous visitors with others.
When Cartier met the new group along the river they saw houses built all along the banks. These people were very friendly as well, and shared a large amount of the fish they had fished from the river they lived by with the newcomers for trade. The leader of this group also gave the captain a gift two of his own children, a girl about the age of 8 or 9, and a boy of 2 to 3 years. The captain accepted the girl but refused the boy because he was too small. Knowing how my own people value their children, I admit to being baffled at the idea of the leader of this group giving his own children to the strangers. This is the second time it is mentioned that a leader of the Huron has done this, and I find myself curious if this is a common practice. I can’t imagine what it was like for those children on the ships, far away from their people, their families, anything familiar. After this the explorers met a group of hunters, but no one else until they reached Hochelaga.
At Hochelaga they were greeted by hundreds of people, men women and children, who I assume are Huron since there is no mention of a recognizable difference between them and those Cartier and his men just left. Like all the rest the situations they were meeting with friendliness, acceptance, and a large dose of hands-on curiosity especially from the women and children. The captain gifted the women with tin and other “trifling things”, and gifted the men with knives. Once they reached the village itself there were gifts given to the leader of hatchets and knives, as well as some religious icons including a “memorial of the crucifixion” which the captain made the Huron leader kiss before hanging it over his neck. This interaction seemed to go extremely well.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
A Memoir of Jacques Cartier cont...The Huron
The next group of people the Frenchmen met are noted as being different than the ones they had previously encountered, but doesn’t explain very well how they were different except they have shaved heads save but a tuff of hair the top of their head. According to the footnotes this hairstyle is called a “scalp lock” and is worn by the Huron. Looking up the Huron I find them also referred to as the Wyandot people or Wendat. It also mentions that these people flip over their boats to use as shelter much as a group mentioned by Viking explorers called the Skraelings (which according to what I found simply means not like us, barbarians). Cartier traded knives, paternosters, glass, hair combs, and other things he considered very little worth but that’s the Huron seemed very happy with. The manuscript goes on to say that they traveled further in to where the Huron were and were greeted well by the men but most the women were frightened and ran into the woods. The few women that stayed were given hair combs and bells, and eventually the other woman returned our also gifted with little tin bells which the women were very pleased with. Some of his comments after this confused me, he mentions the Huron sharing all this food with them but then calls them thieves without any explanation of why. There was a bit of fuss a few days later when the Frenchman planted a cross on the land, but with a bit of diplomacy and some more iron trade goods, that was all smoothed over. Cartier even manages to convince one of the Huron leaders to leave his sons on the visitor’s boat with the promise they would return soon. There was no mention whether the explorer planned to keep his promise, but somehow I doubt it. Even after meeting more Huron on their journey no mention was made of the men they had taken captive. And all month after they sailed for home, marking the end of their first voyage.
The second voyage is listed as occurring between 1535 and 1536, and starts off much as the first one did with a visit to the Isle of Birds. I don’t know if this is a sign that he’s taking the same path or and it’s just the easiest way into that area. Cartier does make a note of moving off to the West to explore the other islands where at a harbor they named St Nicholas they planted another cross. He make some mention about “ by the savages we had we were told this was the beginning of the Saguenay, and inhabited land, and from it came the red copper…” which to me sounds like he had some of the First Nations folks with them, the Huron men taken during the first voyage giving him information. Since his last voyage had they in that year been converted and were now serving Cartier as guides? He does make reference later on to his “two men of the country of Canada” and the Footnote at this point simply calls them Cartier’s Indians. He doesn’t calls them by name nor talks about them as if they were equals as part of the crew, but he certainly used them later on to lore other Huron on board the ship. There is no mention on what happened with that encounter, if it was trading, if the other Huron left the ship, but I’m assuming they did since it sound like it was more than just a couple of them.
When Cartier encounters the next group of people they are afraid of the Frenchmen until the two Huron with Cartier talk to them. At this point their names are mentioned as Taigoagny and Dom Agaya and when they introduce themselves to the people everyone is happy and no longer afraid. As before items the Frenchmen consider worthless are traded to the people who seem very pleased with them. At this point a couple names crop up. There is someone Cartier refers to as the Lord of Canada named Donnacona this title seems to be Agohanna. According to the footnote these too are Huron. At this time Taigoagny and Dom Agaya share with Agohanna the things they seen during her time in France and according to Cartier told the Huron leader how well they have been treated. Reading on this appears to be where they leave the Huron territory since the next group according to the footnote is a new group of people, but the rest will have to wait for tomorrow. I did learn the public and campus library have a great deal on the Huron/Wendat so plenty of good research stuff there for further on this tribe.
The second voyage is listed as occurring between 1535 and 1536, and starts off much as the first one did with a visit to the Isle of Birds. I don’t know if this is a sign that he’s taking the same path or and it’s just the easiest way into that area. Cartier does make a note of moving off to the West to explore the other islands where at a harbor they named St Nicholas they planted another cross. He make some mention about “ by the savages we had we were told this was the beginning of the Saguenay, and inhabited land, and from it came the red copper…” which to me sounds like he had some of the First Nations folks with them, the Huron men taken during the first voyage giving him information. Since his last voyage had they in that year been converted and were now serving Cartier as guides? He does make reference later on to his “two men of the country of Canada” and the Footnote at this point simply calls them Cartier’s Indians. He doesn’t calls them by name nor talks about them as if they were equals as part of the crew, but he certainly used them later on to lore other Huron on board the ship. There is no mention on what happened with that encounter, if it was trading, if the other Huron left the ship, but I’m assuming they did since it sound like it was more than just a couple of them.
When Cartier encounters the next group of people they are afraid of the Frenchmen until the two Huron with Cartier talk to them. At this point their names are mentioned as Taigoagny and Dom Agaya and when they introduce themselves to the people everyone is happy and no longer afraid. As before items the Frenchmen consider worthless are traded to the people who seem very pleased with them. At this point a couple names crop up. There is someone Cartier refers to as the Lord of Canada named Donnacona this title seems to be Agohanna. According to the footnote these too are Huron. At this time Taigoagny and Dom Agaya share with Agohanna the things they seen during her time in France and according to Cartier told the Huron leader how well they have been treated. Reading on this appears to be where they leave the Huron territory since the next group according to the footnote is a new group of people, but the rest will have to wait for tomorrow. I did learn the public and campus library have a great deal on the Huron/Wendat so plenty of good research stuff there for further on this tribe.
A Memoir of Jacques Cartier cont...The Micmac
It was quite awhile before they mentioned meeting anyone
else, but the next time he did it was a group of boats, about 40 or 50, who
this time did not seem pleased the strangers were in their territory. Seeing they were outnumbered at the time Cartier
and his men tried to leave, but a couple of the boats followed them. The
Frenchmen came to discover that the people in the boats actually wanted to be
friends. Of course the Frenchman got nervous, started shooting a bunch of
warning shots, and that was about it for that interaction. It seems however these people showed up later
at the big ship and some trading occurred now that Cartier felt less outnumbered.
They traded for knives and other types of iron goods along with a red hat to
give to their leader, in exchange for the skins the people had, including the
skins they were wearing at the time. He mentioned that people plan to return
the next day with more skins, but it doesn’t say they actually returned. It is
noted fortunately in the footnotes that the people Cartier met on this occasion
were the Micmacs. This is useful to
know when start researching possible tribes for the French name persona. I’m not
surprised to see them mentioned since the herald I talked to that had a native
persona with a French name was playing a Micmac.
Reading a bit further on it seems several days later the Micmac people returned in their boats and even hunted up some seals to share and cook as a gift for the visitors. Cartier in exchange gave them hatchets, knives, paternosters (from what I can figure out they are historical versions of prayer beads/rosary), and other goods which made the Micmac very happy. There were women and children there, and Cartier mentions the woman touch them without fear. The Micmac were very friendly and Cartier seem to take this as a sign they would be easily converted. This seems to be the last of the contact with the Micmac people for this voyage. Doing some further research online I found the Micmac referred to as the Mi'kmaq Nation. Our local library didn't seem to have very much on the Mi'kmaq Which was frustrating, though there does seem to be a fair bit at the campus library once I have the time to dig through it all.
Reading a bit further on it seems several days later the Micmac people returned in their boats and even hunted up some seals to share and cook as a gift for the visitors. Cartier in exchange gave them hatchets, knives, paternosters (from what I can figure out they are historical versions of prayer beads/rosary), and other goods which made the Micmac very happy. There were women and children there, and Cartier mentions the woman touch them without fear. The Micmac were very friendly and Cartier seem to take this as a sign they would be easily converted. This seems to be the last of the contact with the Micmac people for this voyage. Doing some further research online I found the Micmac referred to as the Mi'kmaq Nation. Our local library didn't seem to have very much on the Mi'kmaq Which was frustrating, though there does seem to be a fair bit at the campus library once I have the time to dig through it all.
A Memoir of Jacques Cartier...The Beothuk
Knowing I had a good bit to do around the house I decided last night to start going through the pile of books I got from the library. I figure if I can keep track of the books that I’m using for my research, noting which ones were useful (probably leaving out which ones really weren’t in any final biography list I put together), will be easy to gather up in case somebody else needs to know which ones to look for to use in their own research.
The first book I started going through is called “A Memoir of Jacques Cartier” by James Phinney Baxter, A.M., Litt. D. The reason I got this is that it is supposed to contain Cartier’s “Voyage to the St. Lawrence” a manuscript which contains as I understand it information in his own words on the First Nation people he met and observed in his travels to Canada. I’m not sure what to expect in a 1500s Frenchman’s point of view regarding the indigenous people of Canada, but hopefully I can find something useful to take away from it.
The first section is listed “ voyage of 1534”. They mention something about the “Isle of Birds” (which is now called Funk Island not far from Newfoundland Canada). I read for a while after that with no mention of meeting any people at all, just lots of stuff about animals and things they collected, especially birds. Finally about 13 pages in, I found a mention of people. The manuscript mentions they wear leather (skins of beasts), paint their faces with “tawny colors”, and use the bark of birch trees to make their boats for seal “fishing”. He also makes note that he believes this area is not their home but simply where they hunt before they return to warmer lands for shelter. I’m guessing the interaction was friendly because he mentions no battles or conflict of any kind, just that he and his men moved on with their travels. The footnote mentions Beothiks, a word I am not familiar with, and that the people use red ochre to pick themselves. I looked up the word “Beothiks”, and found they are a tribe of Newfoundland that are believed by most scholars to be extinct, but many Micmacs claim to have ancestral links to. It is said that the last known Beothik woman, Shanawdithit, died in 1829 at the age of 20. I have to admit at being tempted to learn as much as I can about the Beothik not only to honor their memory by learning more about them, but in the possibilities of them for my persona.
The footnotes also states that three of these people were earlier captured by someone named Cabot and taken to England, an Italian “explorer” commissioned by Henry VII in the mid-1400s. This is interesting to know since it predates Cartier’s arrival by nearly 100 years. I checked the public library system and found one mention of a book mentioning this tribe, and it's a fiction novel written by a Cree archaeologist called "The Beothuk saga : a novel" by Bernard Assiniwi ; translated by Wayne Grady. I also found mention in the library listing of the Vikings in relation to the Beothik as well which ties back to my first thought while ago on Viking Metis.
There are two mentions at the library on campus of the Beothuk... Pioneers in Canada by Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston and and article called "A historiography of an ahistoricity: on the beothuk indians". Both I am attempting to access for further study and will share later in another post.
The first section is listed “ voyage of 1534”. They mention something about the “Isle of Birds” (which is now called Funk Island not far from Newfoundland Canada). I read for a while after that with no mention of meeting any people at all, just lots of stuff about animals and things they collected, especially birds. Finally about 13 pages in, I found a mention of people. The manuscript mentions they wear leather (skins of beasts), paint their faces with “tawny colors”, and use the bark of birch trees to make their boats for seal “fishing”. He also makes note that he believes this area is not their home but simply where they hunt before they return to warmer lands for shelter. I’m guessing the interaction was friendly because he mentions no battles or conflict of any kind, just that he and his men moved on with their travels. The footnote mentions Beothiks, a word I am not familiar with, and that the people use red ochre to pick themselves. I looked up the word “Beothiks”, and found they are a tribe of Newfoundland that are believed by most scholars to be extinct, but many Micmacs claim to have ancestral links to. It is said that the last known Beothik woman, Shanawdithit, died in 1829 at the age of 20. I have to admit at being tempted to learn as much as I can about the Beothik not only to honor their memory by learning more about them, but in the possibilities of them for my persona.
The footnotes also states that three of these people were earlier captured by someone named Cabot and taken to England, an Italian “explorer” commissioned by Henry VII in the mid-1400s. This is interesting to know since it predates Cartier’s arrival by nearly 100 years. I checked the public library system and found one mention of a book mentioning this tribe, and it's a fiction novel written by a Cree archaeologist called "The Beothuk saga : a novel" by Bernard Assiniwi ; translated by Wayne Grady. I also found mention in the library listing of the Vikings in relation to the Beothik as well which ties back to my first thought while ago on Viking Metis.
There are two mentions at the library on campus of the Beothuk... Pioneers in Canada by Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston and and article called "A historiography of an ahistoricity: on the beothuk indians". Both I am attempting to access for further study and will share later in another post.
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