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The following is excerpted from Pierre-Esprit Radisson: The Collected Writings, Volume 1: The Voyages edited by Germaine Warkentin. In this first volume of Radisson's complete writings, Germaine Warkentin introduces the life, travels, motivations, and work of Radisson while providing a comprehensive and authoritative edition of his masterpiece – The Voyages. In the four accounts of his travels to the far interior of the Great Lakes and James Bay, Radisson vibrantly depicts his life among the Mohawk, his encounters and relationships with Native peoples, Jesuits, English, French, and Dutch colonists and traders, as well as the hazards of the capricious politics of the New World and the thrilling surprise of discoveries.
Now lett me come to our miserable poore captives that stayed all
along the raine upon the scaffold to the mercy of two or three hundred rogues,
that shott us with litle arrows, and so drew out our beards, and the haire from
those that had any. The showre of rayne being over, all came together againe, and
having kindled fires begun to burne some of those poore wreches. That day they
pluckt four nailes out of my fingers, and made me sing though I had no mind att
that time. I became speechless oftentimes, then they gave me watter wherin they
boyled a certain herbe, that the gunsmiths use to pollish their armes.(…)
There comes a multitud of people who makes me come downe and layd
mee into a cottage where there weare a number of sixty old men smoaking
tobbacco. Heere they make mee sitt downe among them, and stayed about halfe an
houre without that they asked who, and why I was brought thither, nor did I
much care. For the great torments that I souffred, I knewed not whether I was dead
or alive. And albeit I was in a hott feavor and great paines, I rejoyced at the
sight of my brother, that I have not seene since my arrivement. He comes in very
sumptuously covered with several necklaces of porcelaine, and a hattchett in
his hand, satt downe by the company, and cast an eye on me now and then.
Presently and comes in my father with a new and long cover, and a new porcelaine
about him, with a hattchet in his hands, likewise satt downe with the company.
He had a calumet of red stoane in his hands, a sacke uppon his shoulder that
hanged downe his back, and so had the rest of the old men. In that same sacke
are inclosed all the things in the world, as they tould me often, advertising
mee that I should [not] disoblige them in the least nor make them angry, by
reason they had in their power the sun and moone and the heavens, and
consequently all the earth.(…) The desire that I had to make me beloved, for the assurance of
my life, made me resolve to offer myselfe for to serve, and take party with
them. But I feared much least he should mistrust me touching his advis to my
resolution. Neverthelesse I finding him once of a good humor, and on the point
of honor encourages his son to break the ketle and take the hattchett and to be
gon to the foraigne nations, and that [it] was of courage and of great renowne
to see the father of one parte, and the son of an other part and that he should
not mispraise if he should separat from him, but that it was the quickest way
to make the world tremble, and by that means have liberty every where by
vanquishing the mortall enemy of his nation. Uppon this, I venture to aske him what
I was, presently [he] answers that I was a Iroquoite as himselfe. “Lett me revenge,”
said I, “my kindred. I love my brother, lett me die with him. I would die with
you but you will not [let me] because you goe a gainst the French. Lett me
againe goe with my brother, the /21/ prisoners and the heads that I shall bring
to the joy of my mother and sisters will make me undertake att my retourne to
take up the hattchett against those of Quebucq, of the Three Rivers and
Monteroyall in declaring them my name, and that it’s I that kills them. And by
that you shall know I am your son, worthy to beare that title that you gave me
when you adopted me.”
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