“On the eighth, the Chevalier de Levis returned from St. Frederic. He found 950 Canadians, and the detachment is composed of the good kind, almost all voyageurs. One recognizes them easily by their looks, by their size, and because all of them are tattooed on their bodies with the figures of plants or animals."
4 October 1758, page 288
I have beaver footprints on the back of my left leg.Upon seeing this a woman at a public event
declared loudly"NOBODY HAD TATOOS IN THE OLD DAYS!" 
Good stuff Mario,Thanks.
From Peter Kalm (1749):
"I have related before that the Indians paint various designs on their bodies and that these are put on in such a way that they remain as long as the natives live....Several of the French, especially the common people, who travel frequently about the country in order to buy skins, have in fun followed the example of the natives. However, they never paint their faces as the natives do, but another part of the body, as their chest, back, thighs and especially their legs. The designs they paint are made up of stripes, or they represent the sun, our Crucified Savior or something else their fancy may dictate. As a rule the natives who are masters of the art adorn the Frenchmen."
My current ink is an alligator on my right calf. Done very simply and modeled after some 17th century images from Florida. From my days traveling through the lands of the Seminole and Miccosukee as a kid.
Also planned are an outline of a moose modeled after the Jeffers petroglyphs (8 years in Alaska) and something nautical related to the Caribbean (many vacations with my Mom as a kid).
I have dozens of tattoo quotes in an Indian context for the 18th century, plus a bunch of images.
Mario
Topic: Voyageur documentation, quotes, etc. (Read 292 times)