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New Voyages to North America is a book written by Louis Armand de Lom d’Arce, baron de Lahontan which chronicles the nine years Lahontan spent exploring New France as a soldier in the French Army. The book, composed of two volumes, was published in 1703, originally in French as Nouveaux Voyages de Mr. le Baron de Lahontan dans l’Amérique Septentrionale. An English edition was produced the same year. The book is considered to be the best 17th century work on New France for its detailed descriptions of the environment as well as North American native society. Lahontan’s work includes descriptions of the two winters he spent hunting with a group of the Algonquin people. Lahontan expresses his opinions of New France and the natives as well as European society through his dialogue between himself and a fictional native, Adario, based on the Huron chief Kondiaronk. Though fictional, this dialogue gives insight into his opinions of the native New France and Europe. Both volumes provide valuable knowledge and information on the lands of New France from the perspective of a soldier in the French army as well as an explorer who explored the landscape, native peoples and developing economic, social, and political ties between the native peoples and French explorers. The importance of the book is expressed by Gordon Sayre: “Lahontan takes a secular perspective throughout his writing which differentiates his works from those of the Jesuits that published during the same time he did”. This book is an exploration narrative that tells an explorer's stories but also serves as a historical source for examining the American Indians in the New France region and the connections between the explorers and native peoples.
Contents
Volume I
Volume I has two sections: Lahontan's letters to a friend and his memoirs. Both provide descriptions of his journeys. The letters document his interactions with natives as well as superior French figures in Quebec, Montreal, and Sault St. Marie while the memoirs provide more in depth descriptions of geographical locations, detailed descriptions of the wildlife and lists of native vocabulary.
Letters
Lahontan writes twenty-five letters to an ‘old, bigoted relation’ for whom he promises to describe his travels and discoveries. They take place within the span of nine years from November 1683 to January 1694. The letters are lengthy descriptions that begin with one dated November 8, 1683 which tells of his voyage from France to Canada, in which he details a good trip with the exception of a storm that took place. They arrive in the bay of St. Lawrence and finally Quebec. Lahontan is particularly taken aback by the abundance of crops and land for growing as well as the existence of brothels in Quebec, which the French brought with them. He speaks of Quebec as the metropolitan of New France, containing upper and lower cities, the latter for the merchants and their homes and the former for the populous. The city is well built with lots of homes, six churches, a Cathedral in the upper city and a Jesuit in the lower and it is in letter three that he makes his first commentary on the native people – that he has heard they travels thousands of leagues in bark canoes. In June 1684, Lahontan writes about the Iroquois who he describes as being “barbarians” who are independent, consider themselves sovereign, and are constantly waging war. Lahontan discusses the peace talks the Canadians had with the Iroquois and the importance of bringing them into their commerce system of trade in order to stabilize the peace. The natives around Quebec were the Algonquin and Iroquois, the French quickly developed trade with them as Lahontan observes, it is made of largely of trading beaver skins for axes, arms, kettles, and knives.
The waterways of Canada are essential for this trade to function because the native peoples main source of transportation were canoes which could carry their furs for trade and allowed for them to navigate the St. Lawrence River. Lahontan notes that the natives are incredibly agile at navigating the waters. He spends a winter hunting with the Algonquin “in order to develop a more perfect knowledge of their language” while the city of Montreal is fortified to be protected against attacks. Lahontan writes that the way the Indians fought was comical, with their “bows and arrows and stark nakedness.” Montreal was the city of merchants, some traveling only once a year there to sell their goods such as wine. The governors spent their winters there as well, hence the need for fortifications. During the winter Lahontan is introduced to the native way of hunting elk, the use of “rackets” (or snow shoes) which he finds to be useful. He observes that hunting is a huge part of native culture for survival, unlike in France where hunting is a sport for the wealthy.
In May 1689, Lahontan is issued with orders to march from For Michilimackinac to the Great Lakes and explore the water ways during which time he has encounters with the Hurons at Fort St. Joseph. Lahontan continues his travels around the Great Lakes region describing the country around Michilimackinac, specifically detailing his trip down the Long River with various descriptions of beavers and his own personal creation of maps of the region. After a final altercation with a group of Iroquois that ended in their deaths by burning Lahontan heads back to France in October 1692. From Nantes, in 1693, Lahontan writes that he has been given Lieutenancy of the Newfound Land as well as an independent company and in January 1694 he departs for Portugal.
Memoirs
The memoirs are an expansion on the descriptions presented in the letters. Lahontan expands further on the geography of New France. He describes his journeys down into Lake Superior and then further south into Lake Huron and Lake Erie. While geographically situating these bodies of water he discusses what can be found on the shores of the lakes, citing the native peoples that live there as well as the animals that are present. He continues on with specific descriptions of the wildlife, fish in particular as well as the environment. He also provides vocabulary lists of native terminology.
Volume II
Lahontan's second volume contains discourses on various topics of native life including: habits, temperament, customs, beliefs, love and marriage, diseases and remedies, hunting, military art, Coats of Arms, and hieroglyphics. The second half of volume II is a dialogue between the author and Adario, a fictional native Lahontan created, and lastly an appendix giving details about Lahontan's other voyages to Portugal and Denmark as well as maps and pictures.
Dialogue Between Lahontan and Adario
The dialogue is a conversation between Lahontan and a Huron, whom he describes as "a noted man among the savages". The two discuss the fundamental differences between themselves, Lahontan as a French man, and Adario as a Huron.
Les Sauvages Américains
Les Sauvages Américains by Gordon Sayre describes 17th century New France and North America by exploring both what Lahontan was writing about as well as Lahontan himself in order to create a picture of how European were interacting with the Native Americans and how both parties felt about each other. Sayre writes that Lahontan’s “text both analyzes Indian life for insights into European culture and imposes European categories on Indian culture.” Sayre also points on that unlike others at the time who interpreted the actions of the natives from a religious and moral perspective Lahontan used one of enlightenment, which puts him ahead of the times. This is especially true with reference to native customs, which he believed that “strong passions such as love and jealousy were contrary to reason, and led to pointless strife and violence.” The work is significant in Sayre's opinion for its ethnographic fieldwork.
Lahontan’s letters though incredibly knowledgeable in providing information about his travels in New France could be limited by “time and experience” suggests Sayre whereas the memoirs stem from a large collection of documents leaving some inconsistency. The details are valuable for learning the facts about the fur trade, pelt prices, beavers, geography and the Algonquin customs among others.
Lahontan’s dialogue is a noted literary work for his ability to transform his writing into a secular work that took opinions from both parties with considerable amount of satire that adds to the dialogues meaning and allows for varying interpretations.
Lasting Impressions
Lahontan’s book remains one of the most influential in exploring the native life of New France in the 17th century. The book contained a vast vocabulary that Lahontan carefully noted. One such notation was omitted in the published translation of the book. It was Lahontan’s comments that instead of peasants or “Boors” one should say habitants, and today the Quebecois have pride for the nickname habitants, which they use for themselves and hockey team.