Drawings by Father Claude Chauchetière, S.J.

Drawings by Father Claude Chauchetière, S.J.

Father Chauchetière had drawn other drawings. These are kept at the Archives départementales de la Gironde in Bordeaux, France. The drawings were done in sepia ink, a reddish brown pigment prepared from the inky secretion of cuttlefish, and the drawings were drawn each on separate pages that measured 20 cm height X 15.5 cm width.

Their translations from French are:
Les six premiers Indigènes de La Prairie viennent d’Onneiout sur les neiges et les glaces :
The first six Natives arrive at Laprairie from Oneida over the snow and ice

Les Indigènes vont s’établir à La Prairie de la Magdeleine avec les Français :
The Natives go to settle at Laprairie de la Magdeleine with the French

On travaille aux champs :
We work in the fields

On en bannit les boissons :
We have proscribe liquors

On bannit les superstitions des enterrements :
We proscribe superstitious customs at burials

On donne la Confirmation la première fois :
We give Confirmation for the first time

On bâtisse la première Chapelle :
We built the first Chapel1

Quelques personnes embrassent la virginité et continence :
Some of the people embrace virginity and continence

On fait processions du Saint Sacrement :
We have processions of the Blessed Sacrament

Le foudre tomba au pied de la Chapelle :
Lightening falls at the foot of the Chapel

There were to be drawn by Father Claude Chauchetière other drawing and unfortunately the pages were left blank. These were titled:

Their Baptisms:
Leurs baptêmes

Their building of a lodge:
Ils bâtissent une cabane

Several persons come to reside at Laprairie:
Plusieurs personnes viennent demeurer à La Prairie

We establish the Holy Family:
On établit la Sainte-Famille

They have all their marriages in front of the church:
Ils font tous les mariages en face d’église

The displacement of the village:
Le changement de village

Some Natives would preach the Faith:
Quelques Indigènes vont prêcher la foi

They have a Holy Society:
Il s’y fait une sainte société

We begin to bring the Holy Viaticum in the lodges:
On commence à porter le Viatique dans les cabanes

The return of Father Frémin:
Le retour de Père Frémin

We invoke the name of Catherine and we come to her tomb:
On invoque le nom de Catherine et on accommode son tombeau

The blessing of the bell:
La bénédiction de la cloche

The fall of the Chapel:
La chute de la Chapelle

The establishment of the Chapel:
L’établissement de la Chapelle