The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 2: Acadia, 1612-1614

This volume brings together a rare collection of early‑colonial papers, rendered from their original French, Latin and Italian into clear English. Alongside the translations are meticulous notes, facsimile maps of Port Royal and the surrounding rivers, and portrait illustrations that help listeners picture the rugged landscape of Acadia in the 1610s. The editorial team’s attention to detail lets the listener hear the voices of the era while staying grounded in modern scholarship.

Among the documents are Pierre Biard’s vivid letters describing a trek to French trading posts on the St. Croix and St. John rivers, his encounters with the Etchemin settlement, and a brief stop at an English fishing station on the Kennebec. Lescarty’s account of the 1610 Poutrincourt expedition records the conversion of the native chief Membertou and offers a candid view of life at Port Royal, including tensions between colonists and the Jesuits. A later Jesuit report of 1613‑14 outlines the geography, climate and customs of the region, recounts the brief founding and destruction of the St. Sauveur settlement, and details the missionaries’ capture and release.