TH E JESUIT MISSIONS J EAN N E MANCE Faci n g p a ge 1 3 F m r ro a ort ait. in the hateau de Rameza p C y, M ontreal. JACQ UES MARQUETTE From a ortrait in the hateau de Rameza p C y, Montreal . H LA T H JEAN JOSEP H CASOT, T E S O F T E ‘ JESU l 'fs O F NEW FRANCE From a paintin g in the H ouse of the Immaculate M ntr al nce tion o e . Co p , CHAPTER I THE RECOLLET FRIARS OR seven years the colony which Champlain )u n ded at the rock of Qu ebec lived withou t 1 ri t P r n t es s. e haps the lack was o seri ously It for r , most of the twosco e inmates of i e r u u r r t settlement we e H g enot t ade s . Bu t t h r r d r fi in e g eat land , in eve y i ection p m the rude dwellings that hou sed the i on eers C d r r of ana a, oamed savage t ibes ‘ vm m l ru g, said Cha plain, ike b te beasts . ’ m l r r r l , was Cha p ain s a dent desi e to ec aim r ese beings of the wilde ness . The salva oi on e soul was to him of m ore valu e ’ u t m r the conq es of an e pi e . Not far his native town of Brou age there was a n it Ré ll t u r y of the co e s , and , d ing one his r u r r pe iodical Sojo ns in F ance , he invited em m r e to send issiona i s to Canada . The For the general history of the peri od covered by the first cha ters of the resent n rrative se The p p a , e Founder Of New 09 in this Series. 2 THE J ESUIT MISS I ONS r to l Récollets esponded his appea , and it w arranged that several of their num ber Shou sail with him t o the St Lawrence in t f ll r 1 6 1 thr o owing sp ing . So , in May 5 , ’ ’ R ll t r r — m d Olb a éco e f ia s Denis Ja ay , Jean e — Joseph Le Car on and a lay brother n am1 P cificu du Pl l e a s essis, anded at Tadouss ‘ To these fou r m e n is du e t he honour of fou n i r t rm t m m ng the fi s pe anen ission a ong t . Indian s o f New France) An earlier u n dt t aking of the Jesu its in Acadia ( 1 6 1 1 - 1 3 ) h; r u C been b oken p . The anadian m ission u t an d r t usually associated with the Jes i s, igh f or m ll l i so , to the , as we sha see , be ongs m ost gl oriou s hist ory b u t it was the R écc l r ets who pionee ed the way . When the friars reached Quebec th u arranged a division of labou r in this m anne Jam ay and Du Plessis were to rem ain ’ Qu ebec ; D Olb eau was t o retu rn to Tadou ss and essay the thorny task of converting t tribes r ound that fishing and tr ading st atic ] while t o Le Caron was assigned a m ore dista l r r r fie d, but one that p omised a ich ha ve r u r m l r u Six o seven h n d ed i es f om Q ebec, the region o f Lake Sim coe and the Georgi Ba u r r e y , dwelt the H ons, a sedenta y p p] living in villages and practising a rude ag 2 THE J ESUIT MISS I O NS R r l w . écollets esponded to his appea , and it arranged that several of their num ber Shou sail wit h him t o the St Lawr ence in tl ll r 1 6 1 thr ‘ fo owing sp ing . So , in May 5 , ’ R ll t fr r — m a d Olb ea éco e ia s Denis Ja y , Jean — Joseph Le Car on and a lay br other nam e Pacificu du Pl l at e s essis , anded Tadouss To these fou r m e n is du e the honou r of fou n l ing th e first perm anent m ission am ong tl r rl r Indians o f New F ance . An ea ie unde taking of the Jesu its in Acadia ( 1 6 1 1 - 1 3 ) h r u C d m been b oken p . The ana ian ission u u ll t t the u t an d r t s a y associa ed wi h Jes i s, igh f or t m ll l so , to he , as we sha see , be ongs i m ost gloriou s history ; b u t it was the R écc r lets who pionee ed the way . When the friars reached Qu ebec th arr anged a division o f labou r in this m anne Jam ay and Du Plessis were to rem ain ’ Qu ebec ; D olbeau was t o ret u rn t o Ta dou ss ' and essay the thorny task o f converting t tribes r ou nd that fishing and trading st atio while to Le Caron w as assigned a m or e dista b u t r m d r r field, one that p o ise a ich ha ve r u dr m l r m u Six o seven h n ed i es f o Q ebec, the region of Lake Sim coe and the Georgi Ba l the u r r y , dwe t H ons, a sedenta y peo living in villages and practising a ru de a TH E RECOLLET FR IARS 3 r r f r r cultu e . In these espects they di fe ed f om l r f th r the A gonquin t ibes o e St Law ence , who had no fixed abodes and depended on forest r r u r an d st eam fo a living . The H ons, too , were bound to the French by both w ar and “ tr d m d t m the a e . Cha plain had assiste he and l r the mm A gonquins in battle against co on foe, h r u or an d t ll t e I oq ois Five Nations , a flo i a of fr m r u r r r canoes o the Hu on co nt y , b inging fu s t r - St w r o one of the t ading posts on the La ence , a R ll t r w s an annual event . The éco e s, the e r r dl r fo e , felt confident of a f ien y eception am on g the Hu r ons and it was with bu oyant hopes t hat Le Caron gir ded him self for the rn m - fi iou ey to his distant ission eld . 6th or th f u l m On the 7 o J y , in co pany with r r C r t t t pa ty of Hu ons, Le a on se ou from he l r l u r m and of Mont ea . The H ons had co e r rr m l t ade , and to a ange with Cha p ain r another punitive expedition against the o u ois r r t r t t q , and we e now e u ning o heir own lla es l r g . It was a abo iou s and painfu l urn e —u r L y the Ottawa, ac oss ake Nipis p — n d down the French River b u t at the friar stood on the shores of Lake the r m en t o r fi st of white see its wate s . the m ou th of the French River the lay southward for more than a hundred HE J ESUIT MISSIONS r r the east sho e of Geo gian Bay, irty arrived at the peninsu la which -n Nott aw asaga and Mat chedash 'ee or fou r m iles inland from the of this peninsula st ood the town u ha r - d r ld , a t iple palisade st ongho r r ons . He e the Indians gave the enthusiastic welcom e and invited mare their com m on lodges ; b u t ‘ red a retreat in which he cou ld ’ n l u lt him c om si ence , they b i a r r ll A abin apa t f om the vi age . ater Champlain him self appeared n e ; and it was on the 1 2th o f Lt he and his followers attended in cabin the first Mass c elebrated 5 n ow the province of Ontario . [e Le Caron began his efforts f or rsion th t r of e benigh ed Hu ons , went o ff with the warriors on a — ' ent m ission an invasion oi the .