amongst vs after the strangest sort that euer was eyther
heard of or seene, insomuch as some did lose all their strength, and could
not stand on their feete, then did their legges swel, their sinnowes
shrinke as blacke as any cole. Others also had all their skins spotted
with spots of blood of a purple coulour: then did it ascend vp to their
ankels, knees, thighes, shoulders, and necke: their mouth became
stincking, their gummes so rotten, that all the flesh did fall off, even
to the rootes of the teeth, which did also almost all fall out. With such
infection did this sicknesse spread itselfe in our three ships, that about
the middle of February, of a hundreth and tenne persons that we were,
there were not ten whole, so that one could not help the other, a most
horrible and pitifull case, considering the place we were in, forsomuch as
the people of the countrey would dayly come before our fort, and saw but
few of vs. There were alreadie eight dead, and more then fifty sicke, and
as we thought, past all hope of recouery. Our Captaine seeing this our
misery, and that the sicknesse was gone so farre, ordained and commanded,
that euery one should deuoutly prepare himselfe to prayer, and in
remembrance of Christ, caused his Image to be set vpon a tree, about a
flight shot from the fort amidst the yce and snow, giuing all men to
vnderstand, that on the Sunday following, seruice should be said there,
and that whosoeuer could goe, sicke or whole, should goe thither in
Procession, singing the seuen Psalmes of Dauid, with other Letanies,
praying most heartily that it would please the said our Christ to haue
compassion vpon vs. Seruice being done, and as well celebrated as we
could, our Captaine there made a vow, that if it would please God to giue
him leaue to returne into France, he would go on Pilgrimage to our Ladie
of Rocquemado. That day Philip Rougemont, borne in Amboise, died, being 22
yeeres olde, and because the sicknesse was to vs vnknowen, our Captaine
caused him to be ripped to see if by any meanes possible we might know
what it was, and so seeke meanes to saue and preserue the rest of the
company: he was found to have his heart white, but rotten, and more then a
quart of red water about it: his liuer was indifferent faire, but his
lungs blacke and mortified, his blood was altogither shrunke about the
heart, so that when he was opened great quantitie of rotten blood issued
out from about his heart: his milt toward the b