Innu (Montagnais)

Aprés auoir bien chanté, dansé & parlementé les vns aux autres, le iour venu, mes compagnons & moy estions tousiours couuerts, de peur que les ennemis ne nous veissent, preparans nos armes le mieux qu'il nous estoit possible, estans toutesfois separez, chacun en vn des canots des sauuages montagnars. Aprés que nous fusmes armez d'armes legeres, nous prismes chacun vne arquebuse & descendismes à terre. Ie vey sortir les ennemis de leur barricade, qui estoient prés de 200. hommes forts & robustes à les voir, qui venoient au petit pas audeuant de nous, auec vne grauité & asseurance qui me contenta fort à la teste desquels y auoit trois chefs.

After much singing, dancing, and talk back and forth, day came. My companions and I stayed hidden all the while, so the enemy would not see us. We got our weapons ready as well as we could. We were separated, each in one of the canoes of the Montagnais Savages. When we had put on light armor, each of us took an arquebus and landed. I watched the enemy leave their barricade. There were nearly two hundred of them, strong and sturdy to look at. They came toward us at a slow pace, with a dignity and confidence that greatly impressed me. Three chiefs led them.

Deffaite des Yroquois au Lac Champlain. A Le fort des Yroquois. B Les ennemis. C Les Canots des ennemis faits d'escorce de chesne, qui peuuent tenir chacun 10. 15. & 18. hommes. D. E. Deux chefs tués, & vn blessé d'vn coup d'arquebuse par le sieur de Champlain. F Le sieur de Champlain. G Deux Arquebusiers du sieur de Champlain. H Montaignets, Ochastaiguins & Algoumequins. I Canots de nos sauuages aliés faits d'escorce de bouleau. K Les bois.

Defeat of the Iroquois at Lake Champlain. A: The Iroquois fort. B: The enemy. C: The enemy’s canoes, made of oak bark, each of which can hold 10, 15, or 18 men. D, E: Two chiefs killed, and one wounded by a shot from the sieur de Champlain’s arquebus. F: The sieur de Champlain. G: Two of the sieur de Champlain’s arquebusiers. H: Montagnais, Ochastaiguins, and Algonquins. I: The canoes of our allied Savages, made of birch bark. K: The woods.

Ie me suis enquis souuent, combien grand pourroit estre le nombre de ce peuple: I'ay trouué par la Relation des Sauuages mesmes, que dans l'enclos de la grande riuiere, dés les Terres Neufues iusques à Chouacoët, on ne sçauroit trouuer plus de neuf ou dix mill'ames. Regardez la carte, & ie vous en donneray le denombrement. Tous les Souriquoys 3000. ou 3500. Les Eteminquois iusques à Pentegoët 2500. Dés Pentegoët iusques à Kinibequi, & de Kinibequi iusques à Chouacoët 3000. Les Montaguets 1000. Voila enuiron dix mill'ames, & ie crois que c'est pour le plus. Les autres peuples ne nous sõt pas cogneus.

I have often asked how large this people might be. I have learned from the Savages themselves that within the bounds of the great river, from Newfoundland as far as Chouacoët, you could not find more than nine or ten thousand souls. Look at the map, and I will give you the count. All the Souriquois, 3,000 or 3,500. The Etchemins as far as Pentegoët, 2,500. From Pentegoët to Kinibequi, and from Kinibequi to Chouacoët, 3,000. The Montagnais, 1,000. That makes about ten thousand souls, and I believe that is the most there could be. The other peoples are not known to us.