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.
Words of the Ottawas to Cadillac
(September 24, 1707)
Cadillac, Sieur de La Mothe in: Michigan Historical
Collections, XXXIII, pp. 346-350.
(page 346) trade, they could only come through19 Detroit. The Sr. de Boucherville, an officer of
that post, tells them that a great trade in brandy was done at Detroit last
year with the savages. This officer maintains that it was in order to prevent
this that the Sr. de la Mothe has placed the whole of the brandy in the hands
of one person only. But it is impossible to sell brandy at 20 livres a pot to
the French unless trading goes on, and moreover he assured us that more than 12
casks of it went20 up in the first convoy of this
year. They will not fail to see to the execution of the new decree you do them
the honor of sending them, regarding the prohibition of brandy, and will send a
copy of it to the Sr. de la Mothe.
The Sieurs de Vaudreuil and Raudot will have some men and a boat supplied to the Sr. D'Aigremont to make the round of the distant posts of Canada. They will also give him a copy of the agreement made by the Company with the Sr. de la Mothe, and an extract from the engagements entered into by the said Sr. de la Mothe. If they have any orders to send to any of these posts, they will avail themselves of him for taking them.
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The Sieurs Raudot have the honor of giving you an account of Fort Frontenac in their private letter, and of assuring you here that they will pay great attention to the conduct of the Sr. de Tonty and, if they see that he is doing any trading they will inform you of it.
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My Lord |
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Your most humble and most obedient servants |
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Vaudreuil, |
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Raudot, |
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Raudot. |
Quebec the 15th of Novr., 1707.
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WORDS OF THE OTTAWAS TO CADILLAC.
Words of the Outtavois to Monsieur de Lamothe on the 24th Sept. 1707.
O our father, M. de la Mothe, the Outtavois have obeyed you. We are sent by all the village to hearken to you. There is Le Pezant who came into our fort; you have the power to put him to death, but our old men beg you to grant him his life. He is your slave, you can make him eat under your table like a dog that picks up the bones, and the pieces you do not like.
Words of M. de la Mothe to Le Pezant, with three sticks of porcelain.
There you are, however, Pesant, before your father and your master. Is this that great chief, that was so well related and so highly esteemed?
It was you, then, that ate my white bread every day at my table, that drank of my brandy and of my wine. Was it not you who had an incurable disease, of which I had you healed by my physician? Was it not you whom I helped in all your needs, and whose family I took care of? And, because of all these benefits, you have killed my people.
You hide yourself and droop your eyes. Was it not you, also, who went every day to the grey robe who used to caress you, who made you eat with him, and taught you? Yet it is you who have killed him.
There are reproaches, Pesant, which slay you; there is no longer life in your heart, and your eyes are half dead: you close them, they dare not look at the sun again. Go, my slave.
The Outtavois.
All the village asks you for the life of this slave, and we are commissioned to tell you that, if you level the land as it formerly was, the whole village of Michilimakina will take up their hearths and bring them here to Detroit. We love this place; we see our brethren in abundance while, where we are, our children go fasting; the ears of our corn are no longer than the little finger, but here they are a cubit long.
By a young slave.
The Outtavois apply to you alone. We fear you, open your door to us, do not keep it shut. May the rocks which have been rent asunder join together again; may there be no more trees fallen, across the path, that all the children may be able to come and see their father, and their brethren who are near him. We have orders to ask you whether you will give us back our fields; that would be well. If you put us a little further away from you, that will be still better. Our old men await your reply; and, as soon as they receive it, part of the village will come this year and the rest next spring. The old men beg you to send the children beforehand a little wheat so as to enable them to eat sagamité.
M. de St. Pierre told us that we should be your slaves if we came to Detroit. He did not say so at the Council, but apart and in private. That made us think that he was a liar.
He also told us to ask Onontio for him to come and command at Michilimakina. No one wanted to go to Montreal with him, but he so strongly urged Sakima, Kaoutaoulibois and Menakoüence that they granted his request, and the old men are afraid that he will gain them over on the way, to ask Onontio for him; but, if they do so, we do not approve. Be has promised them that Onontio would reward them.
The black robe also dissuades us from coming to Detroit. He chides the old men, but they told me that they will leave without saying anything to him.
Council of the 25th of Sept. All that was said is not reported.
This council opened at 7 o'clock in the morning, and it was not over until 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and M. de la Mothe had not broken his fast. There were many difficulties on both sides. The tribes, however, always showing great deference to M. de la Mothe; but they told each other their faults point-blank without being able to avoid doing so, and we were not sorry for it.
M. Delamothe with a beautiful belt speaks to the Outtavois to put an end to
their disputes.
I am satisfied and very much pleased with you Outtavois. I am a good father. Your submission has gained my heart; your obedience has made the axe fall from my hand and has saved your lives, and the lives of your wives and your children. Onontio and I are but one; he will love you now even as I love you.
And you, Pesant, why have you fled? You have no more courage than a child. Death has made you fearful, you who were so brave; you have trembled in the bosom of the father you had angered. But, learn that the obedience of the old men, your brothers, and all the young men, has disarmed me; and, for love of your brethren, your children and your wife, of your tribe and your allies, I give you your life. For I am your master now and could take you anywhere, because you are my slave; no one could find fault with it. But you have life once more; if you die in your flight, it is you who kill yourself.
M. De la Mothe speaks to all the tribes.
I thank all my children for having heard and obeyed me today. Behold they are all united in my bosom and under my wings. I greet them all, I embrace them. They have all cast out the poison which was in their hearts, their mouths are now cleansed.
Here I am in the midst of my beloved children; those who had gone astray have returned trustfully to their father. Their father receives them with joy, for he sees that they have repented of their transgression.
I am making a great bowl of soup to-day. I invite all the tribes that are the children of Onontio to sit down by this bowl, and I wish us all to eat of it together and drink the good broth. And, while we are seated near this bowl, who would be bold enough to come and shake it to spill the broth?
I had pity on your dead and covered them; their blood no longer shows (page 349) upon the ground. I have buried my tomahawk; 1 had only kept the end of the handle until I obtained reparation from the Outtavois. I have obtained it; they have obeyed me; and I bury this tomahawk entirely. Today I set over it for good this great rock which rises up to the sun when it is noon. Who will ever be strong enough to take away so lofty a rock? Who even, bold enough to think of moving it?
With this belt, Outtavois, I open for you the gate of my village. You shall enter it and your elbows shall not be rubbed against the posts of this gate. There were no longer rocks in the river, level with the surface of the water; they shall not split your boats; I join up again those which had been rent asunder.
The sun was but one cubit high, and lo! it is now at its meridian. The mists are scattered, the waters are calm, they will no longer flood our boats. You walk no more through the night, the fallen trees will no longer graze your legs, and see, the rugged earth is as smooth as the palm of the hand. I will give you lands when the old men are here, we will consider together the place where your fire shall be kindled. I will send wheat to my grandsons so that they may clasp their grandfather about the neck when they see him.
The Outtavois speak, with a package of beaver-skins.
Our men had lost their spirit; all the land was stupefied, and want had taken possession of our bones. The children had lost their senses, but their father puts them right, and sets them on a good path. We beg you to have what we need given to us, and to sell us goods as to your true children. If we dared we would pass our hands gently over you from head to foot, to show you that we are very grateful for the favors you are bestowing upon us; but our hands are still dirty, and we must first wash them.
O all ye Hurons and Miamis and others, who is there who will not hearken? Can anyone stop his ears when our father speaks? Let us take one another by the hand again, and let us again be friends even as we were before. Let us never again have evil thoughts when we see boats on the lakes or smoke on land. Let us not say they are men of evil disposition but let us approach those boats and go towards that smoke, and let us say "these are brothers of ours, they are the children of De la Mothe and Onontio."
Monsieur de la Mothe, with three sticks of porcelain, speaks to the Outtavois; this porcelain represents the black robe, as if it were present at the council.
Speak then, black robe of Michilmakina; you dissuade my children the Outtavois from coming to settle at Detroit; you tell them that I want to make them my slaves, you speak thus to them aside, and in secret, by (page 350) stealth. This is a proof that you are a liar; for, if you were telling them the truth, you would tell them it at a council where there would be Frenchmen and chiefs. But you would not dare, for you well know that the King wishes the Outtavois to come and settle at Detroit. Would you state the contrary, before me, black robe? Speak; you dare not; for if you did so I would send you to the King for disobedience.
What are you meddling with, black robe? Are you a man of war, have you a sword at your side? You are all tied up with your long robe that reaches down to your heels. Is it for you to settle matters? Speak of prayer and I will hearken to you; the Outtavois may hearken. Go and enter your church and pray to God, you are the director of prayer; go into the huts, clasp your hands and teach them to pray; that is your duty. Prayer is your concern, but not the affairs which there are between the tribes. Onontio is the ruler of all the land, and I am ruler here.
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COPY OF MONSIEUR DE LA MOTHE'S LETTER WRITTEN TO THE
MARQUIS DE VAUDREUIL FROM FORT PONTCHARTRAIN
ON THE FIRST OF OCTOBER, 1707.
Sir,
I received by Malet1 the letter which you did me the honor to write me on the 3rd of August.
You will have been informed as to everything by the return of M. de St. Pierre2 from Repentigny. He will perhaps not have told you that he almost forced Sakima and the other two to go down, and to go and ask for him as commandant over them at Michilmakina.
I am sorry for the differences which he is said to have had with the savages
who had gone down to Montreal, who came up again by the great river, concerning
the goods he had left in their charge before his departure for that place, but
what can be done about it? He should know, better than many another man that
there is no trust to be placed in the savages.
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1 Maurice Malet, sometimes referred to as Maurice.- C. M. B.
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