[The Mariner of St. Malo: A Chronicle of the Voyages of Jacques Cartier by Stephen Leacock]@TWC D-Link book
The Mariner of St. Malo: A Chronicle of the Voyages of Jacques Cartier

CHAPTER VI
10/13

This Agouhanna was a man about fifty pears old.

He was no whit better apparelled than any of the rest, only excepted that he had a certain thing made of hedgehogs [porcupines], like a red wreath, and that was instead of his crown.
He was full of the palsy, and his members shrunk together.
After he had with certain signs saluted our captain and all his company, and by manifest tokens bid all welcome, he showed his legs and arms to our captain, and with signs desired him to touch them, and so we did, rubbing them with his own hands; then did Agouhanna take the wreath or crown he had about his head, and gave it unto our captain That done, they brought before him divers diseased men, some blind, some crippled, some lame, and some so old that the hair of their eyelids came down and covered their cheeks, and laid them all along before our captain to the end that they might of him be touched.
For it seemed unto them that God was descended and come down from heaven to heal them.
Our captain, seeing the misery and devotion of this poor people, recited the Gospel of St John, that is to say, 'IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD,' touching every one that were [sic] diseased, praying to God that it would please Him to open the hearts of the poor people and to make them know His Holy Word, and that they might receive baptism and christendom.

That done, he took a service-book in his hand, and with a loud voice read all the passion of Christ, word by word, that all the standers-by might hear him; all which while this poor people kept silence and were marvellously attentive, looking up to heaven and imitating us in gestures.

Then he caused the men all orderly to be set on one side, the women on another, and likewise the children on another, and to the chiefest of them he gave hatchets, to the others knives, and to the women beads and such other small trifles.

Then where the children were he cast rings, counters and brooches made of tin, whereat they seemed to be very glad.
Before Cartier and his men returned to their boats, some of the Indians took them up to the top of Mount Royal.


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