The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 3: Acadia, 1611-1616

This volume brings together a fascinating slice of early New France history, presenting the original French, Latin, and Italian manuscripts alongside careful English translations. Richly annotated, the text is complemented by period portraits, detailed maps and facsimile images that help listeners picture the remote Atlantic coast as it first opened to European eyes.

The core of the collection is Father Pierre Biard’s firsthand accounts. In a 1614 letter he describes the founding of the St. Sauveur mission, the sudden attack by English forces, and the precarious return of the Jesuits to France. His longer 1616 Relation offers vivid descriptions of the climate, forests and the daily lives of the Indigenous peoples he encountered—covering their dwellings, social structures, medicine and even their beliefs about witchcraft. He also recounts the early voyages up the Kennebec River, the harsh winters that tested the fledgling colony, and the uneasy negotiations between French patrons, explorers and the missionary community.