In 1869, a poem by Abbé Henri-Raymond Casgrain described the universe of the coureur des bois: “J’ai (...) le dôme des cieux pour palais, pour tapis j’ai la mousse fine, pour trône, les monts, les forêts.” * (Translation:  The... sky overhead is my palace, soft lichen is my carpet, the hills and forests are my throne.) In addition to this, we could also say that the voyageur’s blanket was dampness and his traveling companions, mosquitoes... While the forest provided magnificent scenery, daily life in the woods entailed many difficulties that the coureurs des bois learned to overcome by following the example of the Aboriginal peoples, among other things.

The coureurs des bois and the voyageurs were often wet, whether that was a result of sweat, rain, or the times they had to get out of their canoes. As a result, they preferred clothing made of fabric rather than skins, since it dried better. The coureur des bois’ outfit included a cotton or linen shirt and knee-length canvas pants. On his head, he would wear a wool toque or a scarf to keep the sweat off his face. He also wore a brightly colored wool belt, from which he could hang a cup or a bag containing his pipe, tobacco, and lighter. On cold days, the coureur des bois would don a woolen capote or, occasionally, a coat made of moose or caribou hide. He would store his black powder in a well-sealed horn.  He also carried a few knives and a gun.

The voyageurs and coureurs des bois also wore Amerindian clothing, which was well-suited to life in the forest. In the summer, the breechcloth occasionally replaced pants. Instead of socks, they used leggings that protected their legs from insects, thorns and brambles. Occasionally, the leggings would be made of deer skin. For their feet, the coureurs des bois opted for moccasins, which they lined with wool in the winter. In order to protect themselves against mosquitoes, the Whites copied the Amerindians, coating their skin with bear fat.

Every evening, the crew would set up camp. The fire would be lit and the meal prepared. For shelter, they would use an overturned canoe, which could be covered with a tarpaulin. Some evenings, they slept under the open sky. One man would always keep watch over the fire and the merchandise, waking his companions well before dawn. During winter expeditions, the men would bundle up and sleep close to the fire.  Occasionally they would dig a hole under the snow for protection against the wind, and cover the ground with pine branches. Like the Amerindian peoples, the voyageurs occasionally made caches to store supplies and merchandise.

The food used by the voyageur and the coureur des bois had to be light to carry, easy to store and nourishing. The menu included peas, salt pork, and biscuits, as well as certain Amerindian foods including corn flour, wild rice, and pemmican. In the evening or after a difficult trip, the men would receive a little alcohol. If the opportunity arose, they could hunt, fish, collect eggs and pick berries, but generally they had little time for this. If they ran out of supplies the coureurs des bois also ate what they called tripe de roche, an unappetizing, boiled lichen. The voyageurs used pots to cook their food over the fire, as well as frying pans with long handles. Since dishes were kept to a minimum, the men often ate from the same pot.

The men who wintered in the trading posts worked hard to ensure their subsistence. Some grew crops, raised animals, fished and gathered.  Their lives were often monotonous. For entertainment, alcohol, cards, checkers and dominoes were very popular, as were games of skill and strength. The presence of a musical instrument in a trading post was always appreciated. People sang and danced to the pipe of fiddle. Feasts and large fairs provide the men with an opportunity to get together and celebrate. For their part, the voyageurs had a reputation as smooth talkers.  They chatted, recounted their adventures, told tales of fantastic animals such as the windigo, and told scary stories.

Songs were of great use to the voyageurs. As they paddled, songs kept them motivated and helped them keep the pace. The beat would be fast or slow, depending on whether the canoe was loaded or light. They were particularly fond of singing songs in rounds and ballads known as chansons en laisse. Some would be French, while others would be typically Canadian. Good singers were sought after for the canoes and received higher wages.

When they had to face dangerous situations, the voyageurs would pray and make vows, which they generally respected. On their trip out, they would always stop at the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue chapel to commune and leave an offering. They would ask to have mass said for them. If a voyageur drowned, his paddle would be planted on the shore, near a cross erected in his memory.

Certain rituals were specific to the “brotherhood” of voyageurs, such as the initiation that all men had to undergo on their first trip. During this “baptism”, the novice would be thrown into the water or, in the case of a merchant, sprayed using a cedar branch.  Merchants could be spared by providing alcohol.  The new voyageurs also had to swear an oath. On their knees, they would be “blessed” by the first guide, who would spray them with water. They promised, among other things, to follow a code of honor and repeat this ritual with all novices.

The good humor and skill at making people laugh that generally characterized the coureurs des bois pleased the Amerindians. Some Amerindian women even chose such men for their husbands. To learn more about the companions of the coureurs des bois, we invite you to return on April 14, 2009.

*

The poem, “Le coureur des bois”, by Henri-Raymond Casgrain, was published in 1875 in Oeuvres complètes de l’abbé H.R. Casgrain. Volume 3: Légendes canadiennes et œuvres diverses.

Sources

GERMAIN, Georges-Hébert. Les coureurs des bois: la saga des indiens blancs. Outremont, Libre expression; [Ottawa], Musée canadien des civilisations, 2003, 158 pages.

POMERLEAU, Jeanne. Les coureurs de bois: la traite des fourrures avec les Amérindiens. Sainte-Foy, Éditions Dupont, 1994, 143 pages. 


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