118 BURIAL MOUNDS OF THE NORTHERN SECTIONS 
This captain thought our proposition very reasonable and the old men (anciens) of 
the country remained very well contented with it. Some time after, the chaudiere was 
divided, and, as I have said, five villages of our part of the country resolved to hold 
their feast apart. 
In the spring a general assembly of all the principal men was held, to consult about 
the feast and to endeavor to prevent this schism and reunite the cooking of the kettle. 
These dissatisfied ones were there and I also was invited. They made me the same 
proposition as before. I replied that we were very well satisfied, provided that this 
was done under the conditions that we had demanded. I was reminded of the divis- 
ion, and they asked me, since there were two feasts (chaudieres), that is, two graves, 
on which side I desired to have our special grave. To this I answered, in order to 
offend no one, that I would leave it to their judgment; that they were just and wise 
and they could decide between themselves. The master of the feast of Rochelle said, 
thereupon, with condescension, that he did not claim anything and that he was will- 
ing that the other, who is the chief at this place, should have on his side the remains 
of our two Frenchmen. The latter replied that he laid no claim to the one that had 
been buried at Rochelle, but that as for the body of Estienne Bruslé it belonged to 
him, as it was he that had engaged with him and led him into this country. So here 
the bodies were separated, one on one side, the other on the other side. At this some 
one said privately that indeed he (the chief) had the right to demand the body of 
Estienne Bruslé, and that it was reasonable that he should render some honor to his 
bones, since they had killedhim. This could not be said so discreetly but that the cap- 
tain had a hint of it; he concealed his feelings, however, at the time. After the 
council, as we had already gone, he raised this reproach and began to talk with the 
captain of Rochelle, and finally gave over entirely the body of Bruslé, in order not to 
embitter and make bloody this sore, of which the people of this point have net yet 
cleared themselves. This caused us to resolve, that we might keep in favor with those 
of Rochelle, not to meddle with either the one or the other. 
Truly there is reason te admire the secret judgments of God, for this infamous man 
certainly did not merit that honor; and to tell the truth we had hesitated much in 
resolving to make on this occasion a particular cemetery, and to transport to holy 
ground a body that had led so wicked a life in the country and given the savages such 
a wrong impression of the manners of the French. At first some thought hard of it 
that we should have this opinion and were offended, alleging that this being so they 
could not boast as they hoped among strange nations of being related to the French, 
otherwise it would be said to them that they did not have much appearance of it, 
since we had not wished to put the bones of our people with theirs. Afterwards, how- 
ever, having heard all our reasons, they decided that we had acted prudently and that 
it was the best ineans of maintaining our friendship with each other. 
Shall I finish for the present with this funeral? Yes; since it is a mark sufficiently 
clear of the hope of a future life which nature seems to furnish us in the minds of 
these people, as a good means of making them understand the promises of Jesus Christ. 
Is there not reason to hope that they will do this, and that as soon as possible? Cer- 
tainly I dare to assert that with this prospect we have reason to fortify our courage 
and to say of our Hurons what St. Paul wrote to the Philippians: ‘ Confidens hocipsum, 
quia qui ceepit in vobis opus bonum, perficiet vsque in diem Christi Iesu.” These poor people 
open their ears to what we tell them of the kingdom of heaven; they think it very 
reasonable, and do not dare to contradict it. They are learning the judgments of God in 
the other life; they are beginning to have recourse with us to His goodness in their ne- 
cessities, and our Lord seems to favor them sometimes with some particular assistance. 
They procure baptism for those who they think are about to die; they give us their 
children to be instructed, even permitting them to come three hundred leagues for 
this purpose, notwithstanding the tender affection they have for them; they promise 
to follow them one day and show us that they would not give us such precious pledges 
if they did not desire to keep faith with us. You would say that they were waiting 
