THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Memoir of De Gannes Concerning the
Illinois Country
(Due to length divided here into ten parts)
De Gannes in: Pease, Theodore Calvin ed., Collections of the
Illinois State Historical Library, Vol. 23,
(French Series,
Vol. 1, The French Foundations: 1680-1693), pp. 302-395.
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lent gris sur quoy ils etendent leur viande après l'avoir aprestée, Sous laquelle ils font un petit feu, ils sont ordinairement un jour quand ils veulent bien faire seicher un plat costé, il y en a deux dans un Boeuf, ils le prennent depuis L'Epaule jusqu'a la Cuisse et depuis la Bosse jusqu'a la moitié du Ventre, apres quoy ils l'etendent le plus mince qu'ils peuvent Et le font ordinairement de quatre pieds en quaré ils les plient tout chaud comme un portefeüil pour plus de faciliter a le porter, les hommes et les femmes les plus Robustes en portent jusqu'a huit toute une journée, il n'en est pas de méme de l'automne n'y de l'hiver comme se sont des Vaches qui sont dans leurs grandes graisses, c'est beaucoup quand ils en portent quatre.
Pendant que les femmes et filles faisoient sécher cette Viande, cela n'empéchoit pas que les jeunes gens n'allassent a la Chasse tous les jours en leur particulier, car il n'y a que quand ils pourtent tous ensemble qu'il y a des Gardes, si quelqu'un d'eux ne tire rien (ce qui arrive tres rarement dans les chasse du Boeuf) Les parents leur en donnent leur charge, ces petites petites chasses sont ordinairement de Chevreüils, ours et poulets d'indes dont ils se festinent
[Translation]
which they spread out their meat after preparing it. Under this they kindle a little fire. They are at it for a day, ordinarily, when they wish to dry a flat side. There are two of these in a buffalo. They take it from the shoulder clear to the thigh and from the hump to the middle of the belly, after which they spread it out as thin as they can, making it usually four feet square. They fold it up while still hot, like a portfolio, so as to make it easier to carry. The most robust men and women carry as many as eight, for a whole day. This is not possible in autumn nor in winter, however, as the cows are then very fat; they then can carry four at most.
The drying of this meat by the women and girls does not prevent the young men from going to the chase every day each for himself, for it is only when they all go together that they have guards. If anyone has no luck (which rarely happens in buffalo hunting), his relatives contribute from their share. These little hunts are ordinarily for bucks, bears, and young turkeys, on which
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a quoy ils ne manquent pas d'inviter les Etrangers qui sont parmis eux, ce qui arrive fort souvent comme Miamis, outaouest Poutouatamis, Cikapoua et autres, si bien qu'il y avoit des jours que nous étions invité jusqu'a dix fois, nous n'osions pas les refuser ayant apris que c'etoit leur faire de la peine de n'y point aller quand on étoit parmis eux. Quelques jours apres ils entourerent encore une grande bande de Boeufs, j'allay a la Chasse dans l'esperance d'en trouver quelqu'un a l'ecart et de le tuer a la surprise afin de reparer en quelque maniere la mauvaise opinion qu'on avoit eu de moy, par laprehention que j'avois témoigné a la Vuë des premiers, a environ un demy quart de Lieuë d'ou nous étions campé, j'entendis souffler dans les Broüissailles j'ecoutay fort attentivement, et ayant connus que je ne me trompois point, j'avançay le plus doucemt qu'il me fut possible, j'apperçeu un Veau Estendu, de qui on avoit tué la mere qui n'en pouvoit plus de Lassitude, je n'hesitay point de luy lacher mon coup de fusil plusrs femmes qui estoient aux Environs a lever des écorçes vinrent au coup de fusil, une d'elles
[Translation]
they feast, not failing to invite the strangers whom they have among them (a very frequent thing), such as Miami, Ottawa, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, and others; so that there were days when I was invited as many as ten times. We did not dare to refuse, having learned that they were grieved if anyone who was among them did not come. Some days later they again surrounded a large herd of buffalos. I went to the chase in the hope of finding some one of these isolated so as to surprise and kill him, and thus redeem in some sort the poor opinion they had formed of me because of the apprehension I had shown at the sight of the first buffalos. About an eighth of a league from the spot where we were camping I heard a loud breathing in the brushwood. I listened very intently, and, having assured myself that I was not mistaken, I advanced as softly as I could and saw a calf stretched on the ground, its mother having been killed. It was completely exhausted. I did not wait long to discharge my gun. Several women who were in the vicinity, engaged in peeling off bark, came up on hearing the report. One of them, leaving the others, went off to
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se détacha et s'en fut dire au Village que j'avois tué un veau deux vieillards vinrent apres n'avoir fait entendre que cela ne valloit pas le coup parce que les veaux n'etoient jamais gras, Mais comme c'etoit la premiere Beste que j'avois tué il falloit luy faire honneur il l'echorcherent et ne laisserent que les Tripes et la peau et sitôt que tous nos chasseurs furent de Retour un des deux vieillards s'en fut haranguer dans le Village que j'avois tué un veau ainsy qu'il falloit qu'ils en fussent manger, pour remercier le Maistre de la Vie, de ce qu'il m'avoit fait commencer a tuer des Bestes, La Viande fut partagée a six vingt hommes qu'ils étoient, sans qu'ils en laissassent perdre la moindre chose, nous n'y goutâmes point n'etant pas la Coutume des Sauvages de manger quand ils font festin.
Le meme jour je fis assembler les Vieillards dans nôtre Cabane, et je leur donnay tout la poudre et les Balles que nous avions, leur faisant entendre que nous ne sçavions pas tuer des Bestes a la Course, ainsi qu'ils la partageassent aux jeunes Gens n'etant pas juste qu'ils nous nourissent pour rien, et a ceux de notre Cabanne,
[Translation]
the village to announce that I had killed a calf. Two old men came up, who gave me to understand that the animal was not worth the shot, as the calves are never fat; but as this was the first animal that I had killed, they felt it must be given the proper honors. They skinned it, leaving nothing but the entrails and the skin, and as soon as all our hunters had returned, one of the old men went off to harangue the village, announcing that I had killed a calf and that they must partake of it, in order to thank the Master of Life because he had allowed me to begin to kill game. The meat was divided among 120 men, who did not allow the least scrap of it to go to waste. We did not taste it, as it is not customary for the savages to eat when they give a feast.
The same day I had the old men assemble in our cabin and gave them all the powder and bullets that we had, telling them that we were not able to kill game while pursuing it on the run; so I begged them to divide this with the young men, as it was not fair that they should feed us for nothing; and to those of our
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que selon le bon traittement qu'ils nous feroient, je sçaurois les recompenser nous connusmes qu'ils m'avoient entendu par le soin extraordinaire qu'ils avoient de nous, quand nous estions en marche, si nous temoignons avoir soif, les plus alertes couroient nous chercher de l'eau dans des Endroits que nous n'orions jamais découverts.
A propos de soif, étant allé a la Chasse, je trouvay deux hommes dans une prairie qui escorchoient un boeuf, ils me dirent de rester avec eux qu'ils vouloient me faire manger une grillade de leur Beste, je leur dis que j'avois plus besoin de Boire que de manger, ils me firent connoître qu'on ne pouvoit trouver d'eau que fort loing, mais qu'il y en avoit dans le Boeuf qu'il n'y avoit pas demy heure qu'ils avoient tûës, ainsy que j'eusse un peu de patience, je croyois ne pas bien entendre, ce que les sauvages s'aperçevant ne me dirent plus a tout ce que je leur voulois dire, qu'attend, ma soif n'etant pas si grande que je ne le pusse faire, mais je craignois pour plus de deux lieuës qu'il y avoit encore a faire de
[Translation]
own cabin I said that, according to the good treatment they accorded us, I should find a way to reward them. We perceived that they had understood me by the extraordinary care they took of us when we were on the march. If we showed signs of being thirsty, the most agile of them ran to fetch water for us from places that we should never have discovered.
As regards thirst, having gone to the chase, I found two men in a prairie who were skinning a buffalo. They told me to come with them as they wanted to have me eat a broiled slice of their meat. I told them I stood more in need of drink than of food. They gave me to understand that no water was to be found except at a great distance, but that there was some in the buffalo which they had killed not half an hour before, if I would have a little patience. I thought I had not rightly understood them, and the savages perceiving this, said nothing in reply to everything that I wished to say to them except, "Wait," my thirst not being so great but that I could do so. But I was apprehensive about the two leagues and more that remained to be traversed before arriving
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vant que de trouver les Bois ou l'on trouve des Ruisseaux, ils se dépeschoient le plus qu'ils pouvoient d'ecorcher leur Boeuf, je leur aidé a le mettre sur le dos, apres avoir ouvert le Ventre, ils ouvrirent la pance Et separerent avec leurs mains la fiente d'avec l'eau qui n'avoit pas eu le temps de s'imbiber et avec mes mains je bû autant que je voulu cela s'entait, un mauvois goust, mais malgré cela j'eu le plaisir de me désalterer.
Quand je vins pour la grillade dont ils m'avoient fait feste, je ne conçevois pas de quoy ils se serviroient pour la faire cuire, ils prirent un filet de dedans la corps, c'est l'endroit le plus tendre de toutes sortes de Bestes, ils le couperent par ribandelles comme des saucisses, un d'eux fut a 3. ou 4. arpents dans un fond ou le printemps ce n'est qu'une maniere de marais, et apporterent une botte de Roseaux ronds qui sont gros comme les doigts, tirerent de leur Carquois deux morceaux de Bois, qui leur sert de batte feu, Et en moins d'un demy miserere en eurent fait, ils allumerent une partie de leurs Roseaux, sur quoy ils mirent leur viande, qu'ils
[Translation]
at the woods where streams are to be found. They hurried as much as they could in skinning their buffalo, and I helped them lay it on its back. After opening its belly, they opened the paunch and separated with their hands the excrements from the water which had not yet had time to be absorbed. Using my hands, I drank as much as I wished. It had a bad taste, but in spite of that, I had the pleasure of slaking my thirst.
When I came for my broiled meat on which they had promised to feast me, I could not understand where they would get means for cooking it. They took a fillet from within the body, this being the most tender part in all sorts of animals, and cut it into strips like sausages. One of them went off three or four arpents into a hollow, which in spring is nothing but a sort of marsh, and brought back a bundle of round reeds as thick as one's fingers. They drew from their quivers two bits of wood which serve them for striking a flame, and in less than half a Miserere, they had a fire. They kindled a part of their reeds, over which they put their meat, which they turned from time to time with their bows. In
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tournoient de temps en temps avec leur arcs, malgré tour le Soin qu'ils eurent de la gratter avec leurs couteaux, il restoit toujours de la cendre qui l'avoit renduë aussi noire qu'elle, je ne laissay pas d'en manger beaucoup et de la trouver bonne, elle étoit fort tendre et j'avois bon appétit, un de ces morçeaux dont on se sert pour faire du feu est de Cedre blanc qui est le plus combustible, d'un pied plus ou moins de long, selon celle qu'ils veulent luy donner, de la largeur de deux doigts, ils font d'un costé tout sur le bord, de petits trous, ou ils font une coche, ils mettent ce morceau de bois sur du bois poury, ou sur de l'herbe bien séche et bien fine, apres qu'ils ont eu le soin de la bien ecraser dans leurs mains, l'autre morceau de bois est gros comme le petit doigt, c'est un brin d'un bois qui rapporte une graine noire, que nous appellons de la morette, quand ce bois est vert il est fort foible, et a proportion dur quand il est sec, ils amenuisent le bout de la grosseur des Troux de l'autre morceau de bois, dans un desquels ils le mettent, et en le tournant dans leurs mains sans relache, il se fait une maniere de poussiere dont on voit en tres peu de temps comme j'ay déja dit,
[Translation]
spite of all the care they took to scrape it with their knives, some ash remained, which rendered it as black as itself. Nevertheless, I ate abundantly of it and found it very good. It was very tender and I had a good appetite. One of the pieces of wood which they use to make a fire is of white cedar, which is the most combustible, a foot long more or less, according as they choose to make it, and as thick as two fingers. On one side, on the very edge, they make little holes, in which they make a notch. They put this bit of wood on some rotten wood or on some grass, dry and very fine, after taking care to crush it thoroughly in their hands. The other piece of wood is as thick as the little finger; it is a bit of a wood that has a black berry, which we call morette. When this wood is green it is very soft, and it is proportionately hard when it is dry. They shape the end to the size of the holes in the other piece of wood, into one of which they insert it, and by turning it in their hands without ceasing, they produce a sort of powder from which, after a very short time, one sees smoke issue, which shortly is converted
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sortir de la fumée, et ensuite se convertir en feu, cela coulant par cette coche dont je viens de parler, tombe sur ce bois pouris ou herbe séche qui se convertit en feu.
Nous fumes dans cette chasse jusqu'a vingt Lieuës du fort, ou je puis dire avec verité, qu'il ne se peut voir de plus beau pays, il y a des avenuës a perte de vuë qui semble que la nature les ayent faites exprest pour les faire admirer a peu pres de la Largeur du Cours de la Reine sans y voir la moindre broussaille, cela peut provenir de la quantité innombrable de Boeufs qui y passent. Ce qui rend ces Endroits si frequenté par ces animaux ce sont des Especes de marais qu'ils trouvent de temps en temps dans le milieu de ces allées qui leur servent d'abreuvoirs.
Il se tua pres de douze cent boeufs dans notre chasse, sans compter les ours, Biches, Cerfs, chevreuïls, poulets d'indes et loups serviers, on tua aussi quelques animaux que les Illinois et les Miamis appellent Quinonsaoueia, ce qui veut dire Les grandes queuës, ils l'ont aussi de plus de deux pieds de Long, la tête faite comme celle d'un chat, Le corps d'environ trois pieds de long, Le Ventre fort efflanqué, et haut sur jambes, Le poil roussâtre et
[Translation]
into flame. This coming through the notch of which I have just spoken, falls on the rotten wood or dry grass, which is ignited.
We went as much as twenty leagues from the fort on this hunt, and I may say with truth that no finer landscape can be found. There are avenues extending farther than the eye can reach, which seem made expressly by nature to provoke our admiration, and offering, though about as wide as the Cours de la Reine, not a single bit of brushwood. This may be due to the endless number of buffalos that pass there. The reason why these places are so much frequented by these animals is because there is a kind of marsh here and there in the middle of these alleys which serves them for watering places.
More than 1,200 buffalos were killed during our hunt, without counting the bears, does, stags, bucks, young turkeys, and lynxes. We killed also some animals which the Illinois and Miami call Quinousaoueia, which signifies the big tails, as they have tails more than two feet long, a head like that of a cat, a body
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ras, ils Vont plus viste qu'aucune beste pendant deux ou trois arpents; s'ils estoient aussi communs que les Loups on ne verroit point tant de Chevreüils dans ce pays la, car ils ne que de cela.
Je vis faire une chose a un jeune homme d'environ vingt deux ans, qui fera connoistre la legereté de ces sauvages, qui me le fit admirer et qui seroit d'un grand plaisir a mil gens de condition, en nous en retournant an fort, on apperçu d'une grande prairie ou nous étions (car ces gens la ont des yeux de linc) une bande de Biches d'environ 60 qui étoient tout proche Le Bois ou nous alions entrer, plusieurs jeunes gens ce détacherent, partie a droite partie a gauche, et quand ils furent dans le Bois, vis a vis d'ou ils les avoient vuës ils donnerent dessus les Bestes, gaignerent la prairie, partie de nos gens apres, et d'autres sur leurs ailes, ils les coururent pendant demy heure, les laissant aller tantost d'un costé tantôt de l'autre en les rangeant toujours devers nous, celuy de qui je veux parler comme le plus alerte, l'emporta sur ses camarades, en attrapant les Biches dont il mit la main sur la Croupe d'une en
[Translation]
about three feet long, a very lank belly, and long legs, and fur, reddish and very short. They move faster than any other beast for two or three arpents. If they were as common as wolves, we should not see so many bucks in that country, for they [live] only on these. I saw an exploit of a young man of about twenty-two years which will show the agility of these savages, and which made me admire him and could not but give great pleasure to a thousand people themselves trained runners. On returning to the fort, we saw on a large prairie in which we were (for these people have lynx-eyes) a band of does numbering about sixty, and quite near the wood which we were about to enter. Several young men started off, part to the right, part to the left, and when they reached the wood, opposite the place where they had seen them, they made for the animals and reached the prairie, with part of our people after them, and with others at the flanks. They chased them for half an hour, letting them go now to one side, now to the other, but steering them continually toward us. The one of whom I wish to speak as the most agile, outran his comrades and caught up with the animals, laying his band on the back of one of
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faisant des cris de Victoire, et apres tira plusieurs fleches de son Carquois dont il en tua et blessa plusieurs, ceux qui étoient resté comme nous y Coururent et en tuerent plus de la moitié a coups de fusil, on Cabana au bois ou on les avoit vûës, d'ou on retourna chercher la viande.
Nous trouvasmes dans ce bois quantité d'arbres chargés de néfles, d'autres de noix qui sont d'une délicatesse admirable, elles sont communement faite en olive, mais une fois plus grosses, Les Coquilles fort minçes, il y a un tést dedans qui separe l'amande en deux qui est fort amere, il y en avoit encore d'autres gros comme la jambe qui ployoient d'un fruit jaunastre de la figure et grosseur d'un moyen concombre que les sauvages appellent assemina, Les françois l'ont nommé d'un nom impertinent, il y a des gens qui ne L'aimeroient pas, mais moi je le trouve tres bon, ils ont 5 on 6 noyaux dedans qui sont gros comme des fevves de marais, et a peu pres faits de méme, j'en ay mangé un jour soixante tant gros que petits, il n'est mûre qu'au mois d'octobre, aussi bien que les
[Translation]
them while uttering cries of victory; afterwards he drew several arrows from his quiver, with which he killed and wounded several. Those who had remained behind, like ourselves, ran up, and we killed more than half of them with our guns. We camped in the wood where we had seen them, and came back from there to get the meat.
We found in these woods a vast number of trees laden with medlars, and others with nuts which have a wonderfully delicate taste. They are ordinarily olive-shaped but twice as big. The shells are very thin. There is a testa inside dividing in two the kernel, which is very bitter. There were other trees as thick as one's leg, which bend under a yellowish fruit of the shape and size of a medium-sized cucumber, which the savages call assemina. The French have given it an impertinent name. There are people who would not like it, but I find it very good. They have five or six nuclei inside which are as big as marsh beans, and of about the same shape. I ate, one day, sixty of them, big and little. This fruit does not ripen till October, like the medlars. Grapes grow
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neifles, le Raisin y est en si grande quantité que l'on ne fait pas quatre arpents sans en trouver des arbres pleins de treilles et d'une beauté a charmer, des grappes aussy grosses quelquefois que celles de france, mais la plus part ont les grains fort écartez, il n'en est pas de mesme de la bonté car de tous ceux que j'ay goutez, je n'en ay point trouvé qui se pust manger, ayant Essayé de faire une rostie, je mis plus d'un quarteron de sucre dans la Valeur de chopine de ce jus Et il me fut impossible d'en avaller n'y l'homme qui me servait.
Il y a des Rats de bois gros comme des Chats françois, qui ont le poil Blanc, tirant sur le Roux Long comme celuy des marthes fort fin dont les femmes font des Jartieres, ils ont la queuës d'un pied de long et grosse comme le doigt, tout comme celle d'un Rat musqué, la femelle a deux peaux sous le Ventre qui font le meme Effet qu'un justé au Corps qui est fermé par en haut, et par En bas, et ouvert par le milieu, ils ont jusqu'a huit petits qu'ils portent dedans quand ils marchent des sauvages m'en apporterent une fois deux dans l'hiver, jésperois les envoyer en france, mas je fus
[Translation]
here in such abundance that one cannot travel four arpents without finding trees full of trellises of charming beauty, with clusters sometimes as large as those in France; but most of them have the berries far apart. 1 cannot say as much of their quality, for out of all those that I have tasted, I have found none that are edible. I tried to cook some and used more than a quarter of a pound of sugar to a pint of this juice, yet it was impossible for me or my serving man to swallow it.
There are wood rats here as big as a French cat, which have white fur inclining to reddish, as long as that of a marten. It is very fine and the women make garters of it. They have tails a foot long and as thick as a finger, just like that of the muskrat. The female has two skins under her belly which gives the effect of a justaucorps closed at the top and the bottom, and open in the middle. They have as many as eight young, which they carry inside when they walk. Some savages brought me a couple of them once during the winter. I hoped to send them to France, but I
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