Récit de Angélique Langlade

Ma name, Angélique Langlade ; born Drummon Islan ; me Chippawa half-breed ; ma mudder, Josephine Ah-quah-dah,Chippawa squaw,Yankee tribe ; ma fadder, Charles Langlade, French half-breed, hees born Mackinaw, an move Drummon Islan wid Breeteesh. I no spik good Eengleesh ver well. I not know how old I be – ha-a – I no chicken – me. I tink bout seven, ten, mebbe tirteen year ole when we come Pentang. Mebbe some day God tell me how ole I be when I die. Ma fadder, mudder, Charlie, Louie, Pierre, two Marguerites, Angélique, dats me, an Delede, all come in big bateau from Nort shore. Priess mak mistak an baptise two Marguerites. Katrine born Pentang. All dead but two, Delede (Mrs. Precourt) an me – dat's Angélique. We come Gordon's pinte ; mak wigwam cedar bark, stay dare leetle tam ; wait for land, den come ware McAvela's place on de hill, an leeve dare lang, lang tam. Soldiers come nex year after we come Gordon's pinte. Ma granfadder Capn. Charles Langlade. Good French, come Montreal ; work for Hudson Bay Coy., marry Chippawa squaw – big, big soldier in Breeteesh army – he fight fer Mackinaw 1812 – much good, loyal to Eengleesh – had ver fine sword – after war went to Green Bay, where he die – had tousan acre Ian – built ver big fine stone house, where he lef hees sword, piano an lots money – ver, ver rich. Had tree sons an tree daughters – Alixe, Indians mak him big chief way, way off in Unat Stat ; Charlie, dats ma fadder, he come Drummon Islan wid Breeteesh soldiers and den he come Pentang ; Napoleon, he go way an nevare come back no more – nevare hear from him every years – speks lak hees dead long tam. One daughter kep Mackinaw, where she married an leeve ; two go to school, Montreal, get married an go to Lac Montaigne to leeve. Lots ma friens Langlades leeve Montreal – fine peoples – ver rich. Ma granmudder, Angélique Langlade, she come on visit from Green Bay an die in Pentang. She ver, ver ole when she die. Father Point, Missionary Priess, on veesit from Wekwam-i-kon, he bury her. He say she more as hunner year ole. Ma sister, Marguerite, she marry George Gordon, hees secon wife. She die in Toronto. Odder Marguerite, she die in Pentang. Dr. Mitchell come Drummon Islan, too ; hees wife Chippewa squaw ; she die fore he come here. Hees son, Andrew Mitchell, kep store in ole log-house where Charlie Wright's barn ess, on Water Street. Ole Dr. Mitchell, hees son André an some more buried on ole Mitchell farm. Jacko Vasseur, Batcheesh, young Jacques, Marguerite, Paul an Rosette all buried on Gidley's. Mr. Simpson, trader, he marry squaw on Drummon Islan ; she buried behind ole store on Water Street ; hees secon wife half-breed, sister Jo. Craddock, Coldwater. Mr. Keating capture Yankee schooner on Drummon Islan.

Tiré de A. C. Osborne, « The Migration of Voyageurs from Drummond Island to Penetanguishene in 1828 », Ontario Historical Society, Papers and Records, 3, 1901, p. 147-148.

Note de l'éditeur : A. C. Osborne a rédigé cette entrevue en utilisant un style qui rend approximativement l'anglais d'Angélique Langlade, une francophone qui, selon Osborne, ne maîtrisait pas l'anglais, et utilisait un « dialecte anglais pittoresque ». Nous avons décidé de ne pas traduire ce récit en français, le texte original pouvant contenir des renseignements intéressants.