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By F ATHER € Hi A ba a EV 0 1. x a | Being a more full ina aecurate De- _fcription of Canada, and the neigh- bouring Countries than has been before publifhed ; the Character of every Nation or Tribe in that vaft Tract being given ; their Religion, Cuftoms, Manners, Traditions, Go- vernment, Languages, and Towns; the Trade carried on with them, and at what Places; the Pofts or Forts, and Settlements, eftablithed by the French; the great Lakes, Water-Falls, and Rivers, with the Manner of Navigating them; the he A fe #, | _ mals of thefe. Countries. he With Refle@ions on the Mi RS alfo an Account ° Mines, F thority Suse … French have committed Frying: : on their Trade: and Settl ibe ge noel pointed out. à Le the Mi hi jé ippiy. ee che Ce the Gulf of Mexico, with his * age from thence to St. Den ng and back to France, PP U fr P20) OR X PP IS | à f « 2) au Fat 1 es | ASS LUN ad F LT rele seis 3 UE Lede PONT AS fey. J Fa) ee CONT A BENA QUIS, the Viilage of thefe Savages at Hichanconrt: §2. their Village at Sr. Francois, 60. of their Nations, 112. Algonquins, of the Algonquin Language, 112. the Lower Algonguins, 112. the Higher dlgonguins,113. Charac- ter of the Algonguin Larguage, 121. Particularities of this Language, 122. Difference between the People of the Hurgn Nations and the 4/- gonguins, 123. Origin of the War 3 ane the Alzonquins and the Hu- “yons have maintained againft the Iro- * guois, 124, and Sequel of this War, yao. Anticofte, Ifle, its Defcription, 13. Arms, offenfive and defenfive, of the Savages, 143. Affiniboils, Savages, their Charaéter ; “Lake of the Affiniboils, 110, 111. Af Trees, of Canada, 93. Adour, a Pink of the Comipany’s; the ‘Author embarks in it, 345. the Ship ill commanded, 346. fets fail, 347. the bad Management of this Ship, and its Wreck, 349. Afanfas, a Savage Nation: Defcripti- on of the River of the Akanfas ; different. Tribes of thefe People, 306, 307. Mortality among them, 37 Ambaffadors, their Reception and Au- dience by the Natchez, 322. Apalaches, a Savage Nation, 363. Apparitions, how the Savages come to believe them, 275, Autmeins, Juggicrs Of Acadia, 270. eR ae SM e G Be {Ua TH E Fr #7 4 aux £ LA Ph À £ 4% à an og f # ce PS ET ES A au Gh st Z i 4, Fe, Wer L OE PR BORN DE elt pe ‘ ‘ EN T §. B Bank, the Great, of Newfoundland, defcribed, CR Caufe of the Wine and Fogs ‘there, ee : Bay, Hudfon's, of the fahabitants® of its Environs, 107. and the follow- | ng 5 other Savages of this Ba Bay, ns the Tjonnonthouans, its s Deferip tion, 145. Fe Bay, of the Noguets, 202. - Bay, of the Puans, or fimply, the Bay, ovis a Fort and Miffion in this Place, 203. the Savages of this Bay dance the Calumet, 207. ay Beech Tree, 94. : Bear, Preparations and Supentitione of the Savages for hunting this Ani- mal, 55. The Bear is fix Months without eating, 56. The Manner of hunting the Bear; a ridiculous Ceremony when a Bear is killed 5 how the Hunters are received at their Return, 57. Some Particula- | rities of the Bear, 58. » <4, . F& Beaver, Difference of that of. sg Sey from that of Europe, 38. Of their Fur, 39. Anatomical Defcription of this Animal, 39, 40. Of the fat and. dry Beaver Skins, 41,42. Different Ufes of the Fur, 42. The Induftry and Labours of the Beavers, 42, 43, &c. Their Forefight, 44, 45. Of the Land Beavers, 45. Of hunting the Beaver, 46, Some Particularities of this Creature, 47. Beckancourt, its Situation, 50. River of the fame Name; why called the Stinking River, 50, 51, Of the A Abenaqui s iv CO NT Abenagui Village of Beckancourt, 52. Birds, various Kinds of, 38, The Fly Bird, 89. How it differs from the Humming- Bird of the Iflands, go. Buffale, Hunting the Buffaloe in Ca- nada, 68. mal, 68. Bull-mufk, Defcription of this Animal, 6 ; À Defcription of this Ani- 9. Babama, Paffage thro’ the Channel, 375. Route we muft take to go from thence to St. Dominga, 376. Old Channel of Bahama, 376. Bay of St. Bernard, 343. Bay of Matanza, defcribed, 375. Balife, Xfle of, or Thouloufe, Salt Springs here, 335. | ye Bayagoulas, a Savage Nation, 330. Bean Tree, of Canada, 225. Bellona, a Vefiel.of the Company, the Author embarks in it, 371. The Go- _vernor of the Havannab refufes to Jet this Veffel enter his Port, 374. Mittake of the Pilots in their Reck- oning, 377. Difficulties they are un- der on difcovering Land, the Refo- lution any take, 377. Unexpected Succefs of their Attempt, 378. Ar- rival at Cape Francois, 379. Biloxi, Arrival at; 340. Defcription of the Coaft & Road of Biloxi, w whence it had this Name, 340, 341. Climate of Biloxi, Departure from thence, - 344. Obfervations on this Coatt, 345. Return of the Author and Part -of the Crew of the Adour to Biloxi, 367. Second Departure fom this Place, 371. i : C Calumet, “of the Calumet of the Sava- ges, ‘and its Ufe, 133, 134. Of its Origin, 134,135. Defcription of the Dance of the Calumet, 207. Trea- ties made by Means of this Dance, 208. Canada, falfe Notions People had bi it ‘in France, 31. Mifiakes that were made at the firft Settlement, 31, 32. Hi Conduét in Refpe& to the Skin Trade, 33. Of Licences, and their Abufes, 34, 35. Various Changes in the Money, 36, 37, &c. DHrnene ce of the Beaver of Caxada The. EN TS from that of Europe, 38. Of the Lordfhips of Canada, 49. The right of Patronage not attached to-them:; _ Gentlemen are allowed to trade, 50. Canada not known in France bat by its worft Side; exceffive Cold there, | 96, THE happy Condition of its In- habitants, 102. Its Extent, 109. Of the Vines of this Country, 128. Why the Trees have no Leaves in the Menth of May, 130. Canadians, Creoles of Canada, their hap- ‘py Condition, 102. Many know not how to make Advantage of it, 102. Good and bad Qualities of the Cre- oles, 103, 104, &C. Canoes, Defcription of the Canoes of Bark, 118. Carcajou; or Quinguajou, how it hunts: ‘the Orignal, 7. 66, 67. "4 Cardira! Bird, in 7 | 89. Caribou, Defcription of this Creature, Cafconchiagon, River, its Defcription, - 144. Caftor, of the Ifles, and the Nation of ‘the Caftor, (Beaver) 195. | Caforeum, what. His ar Cararacoui, Reflexions on the Fort of Cataracoui, and ‘on the Way they take to go to it, 117. Defcription of this Fort, 120. Route from this Place to Famine Bay; a Defcription | of the Country, 128, 129. Cedars, of two Species in Canada, 93+ Cedars white and red, 171. Chambly Fort, its Situation, $3, 84. Charlevoix, Author of thefe Letters, fets fail, 2. ‘Eftapes a Storm, 4.'* How he is received by the Poute- Fiis Departure from _ ouatamies, 175. ctroit to go to Michillimakinac, 190. An Adventure that hap- pened to him in the River Sz. Fo- feph, 223. His Departure from Fort St. Fafeph, 272. The News he hears: at Pimiteouy, he finds himfelf be-~ tween four Parties of Enemies,284. His Difficulties, 285. The Care of the Chief for bis Safety, 287. He baptizes the Daughter of this Chief, 288. His Departure from the Mar-” chez, 326. He embarks in the A- dour, 345. He arrives at Havre de Grate, Es Ci | ooh. + . Chiefs, of the Savages; Remarks on * their Names, 181. Of the Succef- fion and Eleétion of the Chiefs, and of their Power, 181, 182. Of the War Chiefs, 132. Cod, of the Cod and the Fifhery, &c. 5, 6. Cold, exceffive, in Canada, 96, 97. The _ Inconveniencies of it, 97. Refiexion on the Caufes of the great Cold, 98, &c. Compafs, Remark on the Variation of the Compafs, 17. inf Copper, Mines of Copper on the Bor- _ ders of the Upper Lake, 194. | Council, of three Savage Nations held . with the Commandant of Detroit, the Refult of it, 173, 174. Of the © Affiftants, or Counfellors, in the - Councils of the Savages, 182. The Wifdom of thefe Councils, 183. Of the Orators who have a Right to {peak in them, 1384. Caimans, in the River of the Ya/ous, 09. GA Defcription of the Grand | Cacique, 378. Cape Francois, of St. Domingo, its De- ' {cription, 380. Of the Plain of the Cape, Obfervations on this Colony 381, 382. Departure from the Cape, 382. : Caffine, ot Apalachine, a Shrub, the ' Virtue of its Leaves, 341. Chaouachas, a Savage Nation, 334. Chapitoulas, a Savage Nation, 332. Chetimachas, a Savage Nation, 330. Chicachas, a Savage Nation, 305. River of the Chicachas, 305. ay Colapifjas, a Savage Nation, 330. Cold, extreme, 301, 303. Cotton, on the Tree in Louifiana, 312, Remark on the Root of the Tree that bears it, 320. 5) Crew, of the Adour, Meafures take to fave themfelves, 351. Paffengers diftruft them, 352. Dif- turbances in the Ship, 354. The Steadinefs of the Officers, 355. An Englifh Ship endeavours in vain to fuccour them, 355. They deliberate on the Courfe they are to take,358. They are divided, 358. The great- eft Number return to Biloxi, 350. Their Defpair, 359. Their Provifi- they The 4 € y LEA YEN) 7 » 2 AT À 4 A4. D { 7 les ARC pt LA t pte” { if f DE ae : a & Our À # ie À LEA LAN oe VAS ? | & so: ters a ons fail, 360. They meet with fome Spaniards who had been wrecked, Danger of being deftroyed, 361. They arrive at St. Mark d’ Apalache, 361. Departure from thence, 364, Falfe Alarm, 365. They arrive at St. Fofeph, 365. Departure from thence, 368. Arrive at Penfacok, 368. And from thence at Bilxi, 369. EU Cuba, Defcription of the North Coaft of this Ifland, 348. Currents, Remarks on. thofe of the Lakes of Canada: Great Currents between the Turtle Iflands and the Martyrs, 359. Cyprefs, of Louifiana, Remark on its ‘Virtues, 329. : | D Dance of Fire, among the Savages, its Defcription, 148, 149. A Story on this Subject, 140. ti Dance of ibe Calumet, its Defcription, 207. Dance of the Difcovery, 208. . .Treaties made by Means of the Dance of the Calumet, 208. Other Dances, 208. Dance of the Bull, 209. Dances ordered by the Phyfie — * cians, 209. : ee Defcription, of the Great Bank of Newe foundland, 2, 3. Of a Storm, 4. Of the Ile of Anticofe, 13. Of Quebec, 19, &c, Of the Miffion of Loretto, 28, Of the Town of Trois Riwieres, 53. Of the Orignal, 64. Of the wild Bull or Buffaloe, 68. Of the Mufk Bull, 69. Of the Ifland and Town of Montreal, 73, 74, &c. Of the Seal, 79. Of the Falls of the River S¢. Laurence, 116, 117, 119. Of the Canoes of Bark, 118. Of the Fort of Cataracoui, 120. Of the South Coaft of Lake Ontario, 136. Of the Racquets for walking upon the Snow, and of the Sledges for carrying the Baggage, 142. Of the River Cafconchiagon, 144. Of the Bay of the Tfonronthouans, 145. Of the River Niagara, 145. Of the | | Country of the Environs of this River, 147. Of the Fire Dance, 148. Of the Fall of Niagara, 162, 153, &c. Of Lake Erié,. 260, Of the Upper Lake, 193. Of the Dance — WE Cc CCE Dance of the Calumet, 207. Detroit, Arrival at Detroit, the Nature of the Country, 171. Of the Savages fettled near the Fort, 172. Dogs, of the Dogs the Savages ufe for ‘hunting, 58. Death, what paffes at the Death of a ‘Savage, 273. Their Generofity to he Dead: Of their Funerals, Tombs, Apparitions, various Practices a- bout the Dead, 273, 274, &c. What pañes after. the Interment: Of Mourning, 276. The Notion of the Savages about thofe who die vio- Yent Deaths, hic Phe ‘Feat . of Souls, 277. ‘The Manner of mourn- ing for the Dead among the J/iuois, as Deluge, Tradition of the Deluge a- mongsthe Savages, 297. Defeviption of the etna of Dreams, 259, &c. Of the Theakiki, 279. Of the Kafkafguias, 292. Of the Miffi- fspi avove the Ihnots, 294, &c. Of the Country of the Natchez, 310. Of the great Village and Temple of the Dircbos cath 312. Of a Feftival of the Natchez, 318. Of. New Orleans, 324. Of the River and Village of the: Youicas, 327. Of the principal Mouth of the Miffifippi, 336, &c. Of the Coatt, the Road: and the Pott of Biloxi: 340, 341. Of the North Coaft of the Ifland of Cuba, 348. Of the Martyr Iflands, 356. OE the Country of the Apalackes, 362.. Of Sr. Fofeph, 366. Of the Bay of Penfacole, 367. Of the Port ‘ef the Ha Lange, 373. Of the Bay of Matanza, 375. Of the grand Ce 378: Of Cape Francois, 380, Of the Port of Plymouth, | pars ows, frequent in Lovifiana, 370. - Diego, Den, Cacique of the Savages of the Adar tps; vifits the French who éfcaped irom the Wreck of the 4- Gour, ‘356. His Authority: He re- _refufes to give the French Guides to go to Sr. Auguftin, 357. Diféaes common among the Savages, 266. Their extravagant Notion of ‘Difeafes, 260. Doradoes, Remark on the Doradoes, Oe A | Préams, of their Nature according to HN Ba | the SR 257. A Story on'this Subjeét, 257. How they are fatis. fied about a Dream, when it is too hard to accomplifh its Inftruétions, 258. Of the Feftival of Dreams: A. - Defcription of one of thefe Fefti- vals, 259, &c. E Eagles, of two Kind. in Canada, 87. Eclipfes, what the Savages of Canada ‘think of them, 298. | Eels, of the Eel F ifhery in Canada; : Dos. Elms, two Species of Elms in C4 ala, fx. eas ; 94. he, Englifb, Difference between 1 the relie and French Colonies, 27.° The Eng- life oppofe a Settlement on the Ri- ver Niagara without Effet, 147. An Englifb Ship endeavours i in vain to fuccour the Créw of the Æ dour, 355. An Englifh Interloper at Biloxi, his Fate, 369, 374. Endea* _ vour to bring over the French Allies fo their Party, 370. The French meet with an Englifh Ship, 382. The Captain’s Behaviour, 383. The Ingenuity of the Eng/i ifb to catch Pirates, 334, Erié, Defcription of Lake Eric, 169. Of the North Coaft of this Lake, 169. Ejfkimaux, Savages, their Character & Cuftoms, 106 &c. F ; Fall, of Niagara, defcribed, tapis | on this Cafcade, 152, 163. Falls of the River Sr. Laurence, 116, 117, 119. Fall of Montmorenci, 19. Fall of the Recollet, 75. Fall of St. Louis: Iroquois Village there, 76, - 77. Origin of this Settlement, 105. Famine, Route from Cataracoui to Fa- stiné Bay, 128. Defcription of this. Place, 120. Firs, four Species of, in Canada, 92. Fire, Defcription of the Fire Dance; a Story on this Subject, 148, 149. Fifh, of thofe that are taken in the Gulf and River St. Laurence, 856. Fifh peculiar to Canada, 87. Armed Fifh, how it catches Birds, 86. Flea Plant, its Effects,'178, Foun | oO) NT EN TUE: Fountains, fingular, 145. Foxes, of Canada, 70. French, Difference between the French Colonies and the Eng/ifh, 27. Fafts, of the Savages, 252. Feftival, of the Dead, among the Sa- vages of Canada, 277, 278, &x. A Feftival of the Natchex, 318. Fire, Religion of ae in Florida, ride, the cs of the . Coaft of Florida, 360. Forefts, of Louifiana, 306. French, deprived of Spiritual Aids a- mong the Natchez, 226. 4 neir fre- quent Defertions in Louifiana : A Confpiracy of fome difcovered, 370. Fruit Trees of Louifiana, 293, 294. Why the Leaves fall fo foon, and appear fo late on the Trees of Louifiand, 302. ke : Funerals of the Savages of Canada, 274; G Game, of the Game of the Difh, or of the Little Bones, 176. Superfti- tious Ufe of it for the Cure of Dif- tempers, 176. Game of the Straws, and other Games ufed among the Miamies, 226, 227. Gafpe, or Gachepe, Bay and Point of this ‘Name, 112, Gulf, in the Place of a Mountain, overturned, 16. Genii, Good ‘and Evil, according to _the Savages, 250. The neceflary _ Preparations to obtain a Guardian Genius, 260. The Savages fome- times change their Guardian Genii, and why, 251. Of the evil Genii, 262, Ginfeng, of that of Canada, 225. Grant, of Mr. Law, 307. A Grant badly fituated, 309. Other Grants ill fituated, 423. The Grants of St. Reyne, and of Madam De Mezieres, 329. That of M. Diron, 329. That of M. le Comte D ’Artagnon, 331. Gulf, in the River of Miffiffippi, 310. H Harts, of Canada, 67. _ Hontan, (the Baron dc la) his Calumny on the Fair of Montreal, 78. _Hurons, a Savage Nation: Of the Peo- j ple of this Language, 215. Charac- ter of the Huron Language, 12%. Particularities of this Language, 122. Difference between the Hz rons and the Algonguins, 123. Ori- gin of the War which the Hurons : and Algonquins have maintained a- gainft the Iroguois, 124, 125, &c. An extraordinary Malady of a Hu ron Woman, and the ridiculous Me- thod of her Cure, Isa, 151... 087 what Temper the Author finds the Hurons of Derroip 175. How they punifh Murder, 187, 188. Regula- tions about Things. found, 183, A fingular Inftance of a Thing i 189. Hair, why ‘the Savages fave no Hair on their Bodies, 220, Havannab, Defcription of the Port of - the Havannab, 373. The Governor réfufes Leave te enter his Port, 3747 ‘ à é a Fefuits, Defcription of their College at Quebec, 23. we Iilinois, a Savage Nation, feem to ha the famë Origin as the Miami ae i ‘Iroquois, of the Fali of Sr. Lewis, and the Mountain. Diforders caufed | by - Brandy among them, 77. Origin. DE. their Settlement at the Fall of Sz, Louis, 105. Policy .of the Iroguois, 184. Iflands, Bird, 11. Iflands aux Canes 15, 16. Ifle of Orleans, 17. Iflands of Ricklien and St, Fran, 59 Ifland of “Fefus, 75. Iflands of Sa. Peter, 10. Fes, the Affinity of the Savages with the ‘feqws, 253. Illinois, a Savage Nation on the River of the Minois, 280, 281. Their Re-. ception of their Prifoners,282.Their Manner of burning them, 282, Par- _ ticularities of their Parties of War, 283. Their doieful Songs, 283. A remarkable Story of one of their Chiefs, 286. | mourning for the Dead, 287. Difi” ferent Tribes of the eae 296.. The Ufefulnefs of the Poft of the é Iinois, 300. Ors, 304. Indigo, of Louifiana, 312: Marks of the Wairi-. Fuel Their, Manner of: \. 906 Vili co T Fes, Of Canada, 263, 264, &c. Their Tricks, 264. Inftallation of - the Jugglers, 265. Impofture of the Jugglers, 270. ‘Their Cruelty to the ‘Sick in defperate Cafes, 270. Jug- glers of Acadia called Auimoins, 270. Jugglers of the Natchez, 321. K TÉikaboné, a Savage Nation, 114. Kafkajquias, Defcription of the Kaf- kafquias, 292, 293. i Lake, of the Aff niboils, 111, Lake of Ni. Peters 62, Lake, the Upper, its Weiler 193. Fable of the Savages about this Lake, 193. Copper Mines on its Borders, 194. Lakes, the Flux and Refüx à in thofe Of Canada, 129. Languages, of Canada, Huron Language; Algonguin Language; Particularities of the two Languages, 122. Lemons, of the Strait (Detroit) 178. Lencornet, Defcription of this Fifh; © Method of taking it, 85. Licences, the Abufe "of ‘Licences, 34. Eoretto, a Village in Canada, Defcrip- tion of the Miffion fettled there, ao. Lakes, of Cia, Remark on their Currents, 211, Lake, of Pontchartrain, 345. Law, Mr. his Grant at the Ahan/as, 307- Eouifiana, Fruit Trees of this Coun- . jtry, 2935204. . dts--Forefts, 306. Where they ought to build their Houfes, 338. From whence pro- ceeds the wrong Notion, which they have in France, of this Coun- ' try, 339. Frequent Defertions in Louifiana, 370. M Riedel, or Magdakine, Cape Mag- dalen, 54. Magicians, how punifhed among the Savages, 188. Malbomines, or wild Oats, a Savage Nation, 202. Maple, of its Juice, 60. Male and | Female Maple, 93.. | Marriages, of the Savages. Of the Plurality of Wives and Hufbands. Of the Degrees of Kindred, 196. Particular Laws for Marriages, 196. How they treat of Mar- riages, 197. ‘The Ceremonies of Marriage, 198. Mafeouri ins, a Savage Nation, 114 Miamies, Savages, feem to have the famé Origin as the IWinsis, 114, Their: particular Cuftoms to pre- pare themfelves for War, 141. Michillimakinac, the Situation of this Po, 192. Traditions of the Sa- vages about Michillimakinac. Plenty of Fifh-here, 194, 195, Miffouri, the Savages of the Miffouri _ defeat a Party of Spaniards, 204 Money, various Changes in that of Canada, 36, 37. Montreal, Difference between the Country Of Quebec and that of Montreal, 72. © Defcription of the Ifland and Town of Montreal, 72, 74. Of the Environs of thisIfland, 76. Of the Fair of Montreal, 78. Mountain, Iroquois Visa of the Mountain, 77. Maix, Corn of Canada, or Of the Bread of Maiz,239. Maiz rotted, _ how ufed by the Savages, 238. Marameg, river, its mines, 297, 292. Marquette, river of Father Mar ghee es Re Ma arriages, of the Fe 319. iid far foal, Englifh Interloper at Biloxi, . 369. His Fate, 374: Martyr 5, Savages in the Ifles of, 367. Defcription of thofe Tiles, 356. Great Currents between the Martyrs and the Turtle Iflands, 359, . Matanza, Defcription of the Bay of Matanza, 375. Meaubiles River of, 343. Murder, how punifhed by’ the Hurons; 187, 188. Medicine, the Principles on which all the Phyfic of the Savages is found- u ed, 269. Men, their Origin, according to the $ Savages, 248,249, Miamies, a Savage Nation; ‘Games ufed ameng them, 226, 227. Michigan, Range of the Navigation of NO ee pl Sate ery te ’ } j ‘a À a D, E ef Lake Michigan : Remark on the “Rivers that run into it from the ” Fait, 221, 222. Mines, Secrecy of the Savages about the Mines of their Country, 225. Mines of the River Marameg, 291. Mines of Iron, 303. : Mi iff tonaries, among the Natchez, with- out Succefs, 325. | ~Mififippi: Entrance into it by the : + River of the l/inois, 290. Conflu- ence of the Miffouri and the Mifi- Sippi, 291. Defcription of this River ._ ‘above the Illinois, 294, 295. The _ Manner of navigating the Mi/iffippi, 3o1, Changes that have happened in the Mouth of it, 333. Of the Paffes of the Miffifippi, 335. Of its principal Mouth, and other Paffes, 336. Means of opening the prin- cipal Pafs, 337. Breadth between the Paffes, 337. Difficulty. of na- vigating the River, 333, 345. Re- mark on the Waters of the A4i/f iff; iff ip~ pi, 348. Miffouri, Confluence of this River and the Mififippi, 291. People fettled _on this River and its Environs, gis Mourning, of the Savages of Canada, . 276. That of the Natchez, 321. sa del ; Of the = Wax, 342. Whe ee See pe. ed Namz, Obfervations on the Names of the Savage Chiefs, 181. Of naming their Children, 200. Remarks on . their Names, 201. Necklaces, of the Strings, Necklaces, or Belts of Porcelain, 132. Newfoundland, of the Inhabitants of this Mand, ros. Niagara, River. Its Defcription, 145. Projet of a Settlement on this Ri- ver. Fruitlefs Oppofition of the Englifh, 147. Defcription of the Country of Niagara, 147. De- fcription of the Fall of Niagara. Remarks on this Calcade, 162, 153. Woguets, Savages. Bay of the No- guets, 202. Natchez, a Savage Nation; Defcripti- ‘on of their Country, 310, &c. De- féription of the great Village, and the aed 312; &c, OF the Na- Of the Great | tion in general, 314. Chief, and the Woman Chief, 375: What happens at their Death, 1406. Their Manners and. various Cuf- toms, 317, 318. Defcription of one of their Feftivals, 318. They offer the firft Fruits in the Temple: Of their Marriages: Of levying Sol- diers, 319: Of the Provifions for War : Of their Marches and Encampings : Of the Prifoners : Names of the Warriors, 320. Of their Jugglers : 321. Their Treaties : given to Ambaffadors, 322. Audience Mif- fionaries at the Natchez without Succefs, 325. , O Oaks, of. two Species in Canada, ba Ontario, Defcription of the ‘South Coaft of Lake Ontario, 136. Onneyouth, Courage of an Onneyouth Captain, burnt by the Hurons, 166. Orignal, or Elk. Defcription of this Animal, 64. The proper Time to hunt the Orignal, 65. Various Ways of chacing him, 65, 66: How the Carcajou, or wile Jets 4 hunts him, 66. Outagamies, Savages, 1t4 | 2 à 7. Outaouais, Savages, 113: Orleans, (New) its iefoription, ie Remarks on its Situation: Little Depth of the Country below this —. City, 332; 333. . The State of it at the Departure of thé Author, 334. Ouabache, River. Its Situation, 303. Oumas, a Savage Nation, 330. » Oyfers, of two Sorts on the Coat of patine ae ee P Partridges, three Sorts in Canada, 88. Peltry, il Condu& in Refpeét to this eine 33, &c. Of what they _ eall the jrs all Peltry, 70. Pines, of two Species in Canada, 92, Porcelain, ot Canada, 132. ‘O% the Strings, Necklaces, Porcelain, Their Ufe, 132, 133. Pof, how, they go Poft in à slp Bes 49,81. P Lan ifers Of Mourning, © AA or Bus M x CoO NT Porpoifes, of two Colours, 81. Ufe ‘of their Skins, 82. The Way of fifhing for them, 82,83. Pouteouatamies, Savages, 114. The Author’s Reception of them, 175. Ifles of the Pouteouatamies, 202. Priefs, who are Priefts among the Savages, 253, 266. — Prifoners, of War among the Savages. Their firft Reception, 160. ‘Their Boaftings, 161. What they make them fuffer at their Entrance into the Village, 161. The Diftribution of the Captives, 162. How they decide their Fate, 162. Of the Adoption of a Captive, 163. Of thofe that are to be burnt, 164. How they receive their Sentence of Condemnation, 164. The Prin- ciple of the Barbarity they exercife on thefe Occafions, 165. Prifoners, of War: ‘Their Reception by the IJinois, and the Manner of burning them, 282. How they are treated by the Natchez, 320. Provence, a fingular Adventure of a Ship of Provence, 27, &c. Puans, (ftinking) Savages fo called, 203. Of the Fort and Miffion of thé Bay of the Puans, 203. Parrots, of Louifiana, 284. Paffengers, efcaped from the Wreck of the Adour: What paffes between them and the Savages of the Mar- tyrs, 352. They diftruft the Ship’s Crew, 352. Several fav'd by a good Providence, 353. Their Trouble from the Savages, 353. Penfacole, ‘Tides at Penfacole, 364. De- . fcription of the Bay of Penfacole, 367. It is reftored to the Spaniards, Piney, Village of the I/incis, 234. Remarkable Story of the Chief of this Village, 286. His Care for the Safety of Father Charlevoix, 287. His Daughter is baptized, 233. Pines, red and white, 223. ‘ Pirates, Ingenuity of the Engli/b to catch them, 384. Plymouth, Arrival at Plymouth: De- fcription of this Port, 333. Point, cut off, 308. Second Point cut ff, 328. Pouteouatamies, a Savage Nation Of their Chief, and their Orator, 228:, E.N TS a og practifed by the Savages, 2, Se s . Q Quebec, Origin of the Name of this. City, 18. Its Situation, 19. De- {cription of this City, and its prin- cipal Buildings, 19, 20, &c. The Epifcopal Palace, 21. The Ca- thedral and the Seminary, 21. The Fort and Cape Diamond, 22. The Recollets and the Urfulines,22, ‘The Fefuits College, 23. The Hofpital, 24. The General Hofpital, 24, 25. Of the Fortifications, 25. Of . the Inhabitants of this City, 26. | Difference between the Country of Quebec and that of Montreal, 72. Quarry, on the Banks of the Mi/- Silfippis 310, R Race, (Cape) its Situation, 10. Racquets, Defcription of the Racquets for walking on the Snow, 142. Rat, (Mufk) its Defcription, 48. Rattle-Snake, its Defcription. medy for its Bite, or. Recollets, Defcription of their Houfe at Quebec, 22, Richlieu, Iflands of Richlieu, 59, 726 Of Fort Richlieu, 62, River, of Beckancourt, 50, 51. River des Prairies, (of the Meadows) Re- Roe-buck, Particularities of that of. Canada, 69. | Rofiers, Cape Rofiers, 12, Reeds, 302. Remarks, on the Heat, and on the dif. ferent Latitudes, 372, 373. On the Colony of Cape Francois, in St. De- mingo, 381. Rivers, Remarks on thofe that run into Lake Michigan, 222. River, of Father Marquette, 222. River, of the Illinois, 280. Its Courfe, 290. Its Entrance into the Wi/- Sifippi, 290. | River Ouabache, or Wabache, 303 River, of the Chicachas, 305. River, of the Akanfas, its Defcrip- tion, 306. River, of the Yafeus, 398. | . River, Re PE ee River, of Maubile, 343. S Saguenay, River, 14. Saint Laurence, of the Gulf of this Name, 11. Of the Entrance of the River St. Laurence, 12. Of its Tides, and the Variation of the Compafs, 16, 17, Of the Fith taken in the Gulf and River of Sz. Laurence, 35, 86. Defcription of the Falls of this River, 116, 117, 119. St, Francois, Wes and Village of St. Francois, 59,60. Lake of Sr, Fran- COIs, 118. St. Paul, (Bay of) 16. St. Peters Fifh, Defcription of it, 85. St. Peters Iflands, 10, Lake of St, Peter, 52. Sakis, a Savage Nation, 204 A Council of the Sakis, and on what Occafion, 205. : Savages, Zeal of the Chriffian Savages of Loretto, 28. Preparations and Superftitions of the Savages for hunting the Bear, 55 56 The. Manner of hunting the Bear: A ridiculous Ceremony when the Bear is killed: How the Hunters are received at their Return, 57. Of their hunting Dogs, 58. They marry the Seine before they ule it, 86. Charaéter of thofe of the En- virons of Hudfon’s Bay, 107, 108. Of the Savages of the North of Canada, 112. Other Savages of Hudfon’s Bay, 113. The Manner of declaring War among the Sa- Vages, 130. Motives which en- . gage the Savages to make War, 136, 137. See War. The No- tion the Savages have of Cou- rage, 139, 140. The Principle of the Barbarity they exercife to- wards their Prifoners of War, 165. Their Skill in Negociations, 167, 168. Savage Nations fettled near the Fort of Detroit, 172. Council of the three Nations at the Fort, 373. The Refult of it, 174. Savages, Of Canada: Why they are more eafily converted than more ævilized Nations, 179, A general Sanren ts" | River, (Red) 328. Idea of their Government, 180. Divifions of the Nations i Tribes, 180. Obfervations on the Names of the Chiefs, 181. Of the Succeffion and Eleétion of the Chiefs, 181, Of their Power, 182. Of the Affiftants or Counfellors : Of the Body of the Elders: Of the War-Chiefs, 182. The Power . of the Women in fome Nations, 183. The Wifdom of thefe Coun- cils, 183. Of the Orators: Of the Interefts of thefe People: The Policy of the Zroguois, 184. Of the Government of the Villages: The Defe&ts of this Goverment, 185. How jealous the Savages are of _their Honour, 189. The Pains the young Savages take to adorn them- felves, 191. Fable of the Savages about the Upper Lake, 193. Their — Traditions about Michillimakinac, 394. Their Marriages, 196, &c. Jealoufy of the Savages, 197. Of naming their Children, 200. Re- _marks on their Names, 201. The Savages of the Bay des Puans dance _ the Calumet, 206. Superftitions of the People near the Bay, 210. Various Nations to the Northand ! Wett of Canada, 211. Savages, of Canada : Their Portrait + ; ‘3 Their Strength, 212. Their Vices : Whythey do not multiply: Advan- | tages they have over us, 213. Their - Eloquence : Their Memory : Their Penetration: Their Judgment, 214, Their Greatnefs of Soul, &c. Their Conftancy in fuffering Pains, 215, Their Valour: Their Kind- nefs to each other, 217. ‘Their Pride, and their other Failings, 217. Their Qualities of the Heart, 218. Example of the little Affection of Children for their Parents, 213, — Particular Friendfhips among the Savages, 219, The Colour of the Savages, 219. Why they have no Hair on their Bodies, 220. Their Secrecy concerning their Simples, and the Mines of their Country, 225. The fad Confequences of their Drunkennefs, 228. Their Happi- nefs, 229, Their Contempt for our Way of living, 230. The Care Mothers take of their Children, 230 xIL 0 ee 230, The ridiculous Shapes which fome give to their Children, 231. What ftrengthens them, and makes _them fo well fhaped, 232. Their firft Exercifes, and their Emulation, 232. In what their Education con- fifts, 233. Of the Paffions of the Savages, 233. How they prick themfelves all over the Body, 234. How, and why they paint, their Faces: The Ornaments of the Men, 235: Of the Ornaments of the Women, 236, Of their Sow- ing and Harveft: Of the Maiz, 237. Of the Sagamitty: Of the Rock Tripe, and rotten Maiz, 238. Of the Bread of the Maiz: Various Roots, &c. and their Ufe: Works of the Women, 239. Works . @f the Men: Their Tools: The Form of their Villages, 240. Their Manner of fortifying themfelves : Of their Winter Camps, 241. Their ‘Naftinefs: The Inconveniencies of the Summer for them, 244. A fhort Portrait of the Savages, 245. Their Notion.of the Origin of Man, 248. Their Notion of Spi- Tits, 249. Their Sacrifices: Their Fafts : Their Vows, 252. Their Affinity with the Jews: Their Priefts, 253. Their Veftals : Their Thoughts of the Immortality of thé Soul, 254, Their Notion of . what becomes of the Soul, when feparated from the Body: Why they carry Provifions to the Tombs: The Prefents they make to the Dead: Of the Country of Souls, ‘ 255. How they pretend to merit _ eternal Happinefs : What they think of the Souls of Beafts, 256. The Nature of Dreams, according to the Savages, 257. Their common Diktéempers, 266. The Ufe they make of their Simples: Divers other Remedies, 267. The Prin- ciples on which their whole. Prac- tice of Phyfic is founded: Their extravagant Notions of Diftem- pers, 269. What paffes at their Deaths, 273. ‘Their Generofity to the Dead: Of their Funerals: Of their Tombs, 274, Their Notions about Apparitions : Various Prac- tices about the Dead, Ler Haw his <a 2. = / 3 x Ge Go 4 EN. 0 Their Notion about thofe who die violent Deaths, 277. Their Inge- nuity to furprize their Enemies, 289. Their Traditions of the Sin of the firft Woman, añd of thé, Deluge, 207. How they know the North when the Sky is. cloudy, 298. What they think of Eclipfes and Thunder, 298; Their Manner of dividing Time, 299. | Savages, on the Martyr Iflands : What paffed between them and the French who efcaped from the Wreck, 352. Trouble from the Savages, 353. Who thefe Savages were, 354. Sacrifices, of the Savages, 252. Sagamitty, the common food of the Savages, 238. Salt Springs, in the Ifland of Tholoufe, or Baliae, 335. Saffafras, a Tree of Canada, 225. Sea«Cows, their Deferrption, and how they fifh for them, 81, Seal, of the Seal Fifhery, 78. De- fcription of the Seal, and the feve- ral Species of them, 79. Ufe of the Flefh and Skin of the Seal, 80, Some Particularities of thefe Ani- mals, 8x. Sein, the Savages marry the Sein be- fore they ufe it, 86. Simples, Secrecy of the Savages con- cerning them, 225. The Ufe they make of them, 267. ) Sioux, Savages: ‘Their Manner of Living, 110. Sledges, Defcription of the Sledges uied for carrying the Baggage, 142. Spaniards, one of their Parties de- | feated by the Savages of the Aif- Jeuri, 204. he Sturgeon, how they fifi for it, 86. Sword-Fifh, defcription of this Fifh, and its Fight withthe Whale, 6. St. Mark d’ Apalachey a Fort of the. Spaniards: Defcription of its En- virons, 362. ; Au St. Fofepb, Defcription of the Bay and Fort of Ss. Yofeph + © Civilities of the Spanifp Governor, 360: : | St. Domingo, Route from the Channel of Bahama to St. Domingo, 376. St. Refe, Channel and MIE of St. Auf 368. Se, Bergard’s Bay, 34341 Vs BAL ha, 1512278 Fi. NA | Sols pe EdGHTEN FE Soul, Thoughts of the Savages con- cerning its Immortality, 2 54. Their Notion of what becomes of it when | feparated from the Body, 255... Cf the Country of Souls, 255... Their Notion of the Souls of Beañts, 256. Sorcerers, among the Savages, 262, Spirits; The Notion of the Savages concerning them, 249. See Genii. Stars, the Notion of the Savages of the Stars and Planets, 297. Sun, Name of the Great Chief of the Natchez, 315. Sweating, how the Savages ufe it, 268. D Tadouffac, Port of this Name, 14. Taenfas, a Savage Nation, 331. Tamarouas, Nation of the MIlinois : Their Village, 291. Tempeff, and its fad Confequences,. 345: d Temple, of the Natchez : Its Defcrip- fion, 312, &c. Firft Fruits offered in the Temple, 319. Theakiki, River: Its Springs, 272, &c. Its Defcription, 279. Thunder, What the Savages think of it, 298. Tides, of the River Sr. Laurence, 16, * 17. A Sort of Tides in the Lakes Of Canada, 129. Tides, at Penfacole, 364. Tobacco, fucceeds in the Country of the Natchez, 311. Tombs, why the Savages carry Provi- fions to the Tombs, 265. Of their Tombs, 2 740 Tonibata, Ifle + Its Situation, 119. Tonicas, à Savage Nation : Defcription of their Village: Of their Chief : The State of this Nation, 327. Touloufe; Ifand of Touloufe, or Balife, 335% Tourtes, a Sort of Wocd Pidgeons : Their Paffage in Canada, 101. Trade, of Brandy: The Diforders it _ occafions among the Zrogueisiof the Fall St. Louis, and of the Moun- ee Travelling, the Inconveniencies of tra- velling in Canada, 135, 136. The Pleafure and Conveniencies of it, 70 £2 53, -. Vu) LD SA LR 15. 7433 WE eae 5 53 Gy IPEZ nm eae a + oe uae xiii À Trees, peculiar to Canada, 04. Why 2 they have no Leaves in the Month — of May, 130. | Ti ripe, of the Rock : What it is, and © the Ufe the Savages make of it, 238. Ti en plenty in Acadia, 8 ai Turtle, Wands: Great Currents be- tween them and the Martyrs, 359 Vv Pre, (Madam and Mifs de ih! The | Bravery of thefé two Canadian La- dies, 63. af Vefals, whether or not among the Savages, 254. Villages, Form of thofe of the Sa. vages, and how they fortify them, 240, 241, : ows, of the Savages, 252, 253. Urfulines, of Quebec, 22. à > RES. Walnut-Tree, 93. Walnut-Trees, of Louifiara, and their Properties, 304. ” War, how the Savages fing the War- Song, 130. Of the God of War, r31. Of the Declaration of War, 131. Motives which engage the Savages tomake War, 136. The ae how a War is refolved on, 137. Preparations of the Chief, 137. ,. The Deliberation ‘oF the Council: The Meafures they take to get Prifoners, 138, Songs, Dances, and Feafts of the Wars tiors, 139. The Notion thefe Peo- ple have of Courage, 139, The Trial which they make of the: Warriors, 140. ‘The Precautions for the Wounded, 140. The Fare- well of the Warriors, 142. Of their Arms, offenfive and defenfive, 143. Of the Care they take to carry their Deities, 143. Circum- ftances of the March of the War- riors, 154, Of their Encamping : Of the Meeting of different Par- ties of War, 155 Of they Ena trance into an Enemy’s CODEN : Of their Approaches and Attacks, 256... Yheir Way or fighting’: Their Inftinét to know the Mark of their fhe a À a “4 oe 2. TE 1 «iv Er er Be ne TE VUE NE ae SIN Sen Deena ane SR AE EE LR D RS PS RTE Fees ES de EE: Ms 2 e ‘ their Enemies Steps, 157. Pre- cautions to fecure their Retreat, and to keep their Prifoners, 157. Of the Marks they leave of their Viétory, 158. Triumph of the Warriors, 160. Wax, of the Myrtle Wax, 342. - Whale, its Fight with the Sword-Fifh, - 6 Of the Whale Fifhery, 33. Wheat, why it has not fucceeded in Louifiana, 302. bed of Widowhood And fe- cond Marriages among the Savages, \ | 277 Wild Cherry-Tree of Canada, 93. Wild-Cats, of Louifiana, 304. Woods, of Canada, 92. wk PT vn 6 ey. 7 à an AT 33 é t4 A Prot eg Se : A f à Le L: Wolves, or wild Cats, of Canada, 70, Woman, Tradition, of the Sin of the firtt Woman, among the Savages, 297. Woman Chief of the Nat- chez, 315. | Women, their Power in fome Savage Nations, 183. Advantages of the Mothers over the Fathers, 199, Of their Lying-in, and its Confe- quences, 199. The Care they take of their Children, 200, . Y Yafous, a Savage Nation: River of the Yafous, 308, Fort of the Ya- fous, 309. By the Tranflator’s being at a Diftance from the Prefs, the a following Errata have happened. he Page ro line 19 read Ray inftead of Race. Page 18 line 9 Breton inftead ef Britain, Page 20 line 4 des inftead of de. Page 24 line 41 Chaplain inftead of Mlmoner. Page 36 (the Note) 4 Livre is 10d. Halfpenny inftead of A Livre is is. 8d, Page 40 line 33 broad inftead of round. Page 60 line 19 Chaudierein- _ ftead of Chandiere. Page 61 the laft line Plane inftead of Plain. Page 64laft line Shamois inftead of Shamios. Page 68 line 44 againft the Wind inftead of | with the Wind. Page 70 line 31 after the Word Kind read of. Page 74 laft line read /a before Fleche. Page 81 line 38 Bete for Beer. Page 85 line 28 turning for burning, Page 95 line 11 Soleil for Soliel. Page 97 line 40 read no after the © Word Time, Page gg line 4 read it before is. Page 103 line 23 fruitful inftead — of faithful, Page 111 line 32 Scandinavia inftead of Scandinaria, Page 115 line 9 ot inftead of no. Page 136 line 16 read 100 Poles for 70 Yards. Page 175 line 16 read Grandmother inftead of Great Grandmother. Page 183 line — 21 Grandmsther inftead of Great Grandmother. Page 190 line 27, 100 Poles in-. fiead of 70 Yards. Page 204 line 44 Chaplains inftead of Almoners. Page 205 line 12 Chaplain inftead of Almoner, Page 232 read Letter XXII, inftead of — XXVI. Page 238 line 45 Maiz inftead of Wheat. Page 239 line 14 read Mafs inftead of Mes. Page 269 line 36 Wood of White Fir inftead of Wood — of Epinette. Page 283 line 8 is inftead of his, Page 284 line 8 Stragglers in ftead of Sragglers. Page 325 line 5 read Seine for Sienc. Page 338 read Great — Gainers by inftead of Great by Gainers. In feveral Places from Page 345 read Biloxi inftead of the Biloxi. Page 373 line 18 read in inftead of the. Page 376 : _ dine. 25 reckoned inftead of reckened, Page 379 line 3 by Ezf inftead of dy — North Eaft, Dane an rece Maw 7 of the TRANSLATOR. - Lthough thefe Letters were ‘begun to be written in the » Year | 1720; yet the Writer has, by Notes, taken Noticn va | Doubt, the mot perfe&t Account of Canada het is extant, And i it 1s faid that it was from this Work in particular. that our M i nier formed their Notions of the fmpertance “ Canada wi > —__ Ua BESS ESS RS ER ER Te Ds ASS a he ee ee oO OS ARRESTS eA AACR CS OL OSLO OGL DOS 2222222 F muni mm mm mme mm nn mm es ee ee ee ss. B + vo ee i a ï \ = “ 7%, - 1 | 7 = à { | 4 1 À } a > Xt, ‘ 4 : . ~ Al | f >) : 5 2 1 = = 1 ae ua F k 1 i 4 AUS ; . # | Ss ie a + i } Fe : A : + = j , 1 , k * ae | f ‘ ‘ ie À | = 4 i À # 4 ia ae eee HISTORICAL JOURNAL TRAVELS in North America Undertaken er / 2 cs 6e LE 12 By Order of the King of FRANCE. ts Léo Cas Voyage, the Great Bank of NEWFOUNDLAND, aad the River S LAURENCE. | ve _ Mapam, QUEBEC, Sepf. 24. (>See Arrived in this City after a tedious and trouble. : ‘vq fome Paffage of 83 Days : We had however but 1000 Leagues to make, fo that you fee we don’t > always go Poft at Sea, as M. the Abbot de Chay — (SW a ufed to fay. I made no Journal of this Voyage, w WEN becaufe I fuffered greatly by the Sea Sicknefs a- ve a Month. I flattered myfelf that I fhould have been free from it, becaufe I had fuffered it twice before; but there are fome Conftitutions which cannot fympathize with this Element, and -fuchis mine. And in the Condition we find ourfelves under this Sicknefs, it is not poffible to attend to what paffes in the Ship: On the other Hand, nothing is more barren than a Voyage like — this ; for the chief Obfervation to be made, is, whence the Wind blows, how much the Ship gets forward, and if it keeps 1 _ wight Courfe ; for during two thirds of the Way there is nc . to be feen but Sky and Water. However, I fhall procee 4 : form you of what I can remember, thatis moft likely tos Ce ‘ LA as ‘ ow 1 Ne A re LUE ae Sa : AT te Jr mr An Hificrical Journal of fome Minutes Amufement ; to keep, as well as I can, the Promife I made you. | We ftaid in the Road of #x the 1ft of July, and the 2d we got under Sail by Favour of a {mall Breeze from the North-Eaft. The three firft Days we had fcarce any Wind, but yet it was in our Fa- vour, and we comforted ourfelves, becaufe this made the Sea very pleafant. It looked as if it wanted to flatter us, before it fhewed itfelf in it’s worft Humour. The ath or the 5th the Wind changed, and came direétly againft us, the Sea ran high, and for near fix Weeks we were tofled in a very extraordinary Manner ; the Winds changed continually, but they were oftner againft than for us, and we were almoft always obliged to fail as near the Wind as poflible. | The oth of Auguft our Pilots thought themfelves upon the A Great Bank of Newfoundland, and they ee oats Sade Fe were not mic ie But from the. | 1 oth to the 16th we made fcarceany Way. What they call the Grear Bank of Newfoundland, is properly a Mountain hid under Water, about 600 Leagues from Franc the Weft. The Sieur Denys, who has given us a very Work of North America, and a very inftructive Treatife on th Cod Fifhery, makes this Mountain extend 150 Leagues from North to South ; but according to the moft exa& Sea Charts, it begins on the South Side, in 41 Degrees North Latitude, and it’s Northern End is in 49 Degrees 25 Minutes. The Truth is, it’s two extremities grow fo narrow, that it is difficult to mark it’s Bounds. It’s greateft Width from Eaft to Weft, is about go French and Englifh Sea Leagues; between 40 and 49 Degrees of Longitude. Ihave heard fome Seamen fay, that they have cait — . Anchor in five Fathom Water, which is againft the Sieur Denys, ~ who fays, that he never found lefs than 25 on the Bank; it is €ertain that in many Places there are above 60. About the Mid- dle of it’s Length on the Side of Europe, it forms a kind of Bay, © which they call the Pi; and this is the Reafon, that of two Ships _. which are upon the fame Line, and in Sight of each other, one … fhall find Ground, and the other none. Be er) Before we arrive at the Great Bank we meet with a fmaller one, . which is called the Facguet Bank: Some fay there is another be- . fore this, which is of a conical Figuré; but I have feen fome Pilots who of the three make but one, and they anfwer the Objections which are made to this, by faying that there are Hol- lows in the Great Bank, the Depth of which has deceived thofe whe make three of it, becaufe they did not let out Line fufncient. Whatever may be the Figure and Extent of this Mountam, | . which it is impoffible to know exaëtly, they find here a proc i- a ; "gious Quantity of Shells, and many kinds of Fifh of aire ; a ae Ge COR EEE et eg me er TE je A y hb i ÿ * a , £, LATE CREER Pavel in: North América: 4 Feet long, and at leaft two Feet broad, and a Foot thick; it has a large Head : Every Part of it is extremely good and tender; they get a Juice out of the Bones, which is better than the fineit Marrow. ‘The Eyes and the Edges of the two Sides, which they call Relingwes, are very delicate Bits. ‘They throw the whole Body into the Sea to fatten the Cod, whofe moft dangerous E- nemy is the Flettan, who will eat three of them at a Meal. —I fhall fay nothing of the various Kinds of Birds which live upon thefe Seas, and fubfift only by Fifhing ; for here all are Fifhers. Many Travellers have defcribed them, and have faid nothing on this Head that deferves to be repeated. ; The 18th, the Wind fair, wethink the Winds have carried us a little too.much to the South, and we fteer Weft North Weft, to get into our Latitude. ‘The Reafon is, we have not feen the Sun thefe ten or twelve Days, and therefore could not obferve our Latitude. This frequently happens, and is what caufesthe __ greateft Danger of this Voyage. About eight in the Morning we faw a {mall Veffel, which feemed to make towards us; we et it, and when we were near we enquired in what Latitude we ® were: It was an Lngl/ Ship, and the Captain anfwered in his ~~ own Language: We thought we underftood him that we were in 45 Degrees ; we could not greatly truft to this Account, for ~ he might be under the fame Miftake as ourfelves : However, we took Courage, and as the Wind continued fair, we flattered our- felves, if it did not change, we fhould have pañled the Gulph in two Days. : | DRE «About four in the Afternoon the Wind fell, which Was 4 0 x 1s ; however, this faved us. "At ~ Error of the Pi- Concern to us ; however, this faved us. “At ~~ eleven at Night the Horizon appeared very dark before us, tho’ every where elfe the ei. Confequences Sky was very ferene: The Sailors of the, — RES Watch * made nofcruple to fayit was Land; | the Officer made a Jeft of it, but when he found they perfifted … in the fame Opinion, he began to think they might be inthe . right. By good Fortune there was very little Wind; fo that we hoped Day would appear, before we fhould come too near the > Land. At Midnight the Watch changed; the Sailors who fucceeded the firft, were direétly of their Opinion ; but their : Officer undertook to prove by good Reafons, that the Land ‘could not be there, and what they faw was only a Fos, which would difperfe in the Morning ; he could not make them think fo, and they continued poñtive in their Opinion, that the Sky =, Lots, and the dan- “5 * A Ship’s Company is divided into four Bands, each of which are on Duty — + ne _ four Hours; each Band is commanded by an Officer, Fe) ee 8 An Eitfiorical Fournal of | was too clear to have any Fog on that Side, if there was no Land. At Day-break they all cried out that they faw Land, the Offi- cer would not vauchfafe fo much as to look that Way, but fhrugged up his Shoulders, and four o’Clock ftrikins, he goes to Bed, afirming that when he waked, they would fi: se this pre- tended Land melted away. The Officer that fucceeded, who was the Count. de Vaudreuil, being more wary, began furling fome Sails, and foon faw this Precaution was neceflary. As foon as it was Day-light they faw the Horizon almoft all bordered with Land; and they difcovered a fmall Eygujb Veffel at Anchor, about. ‘the Diftance of two Cannon Shot from us.” M. de Voutron, who was informed of it, immediately fent for the incredulous | Officer, who came out of his Cabin with much Reluétance, where he full perfifted that we could not be fo near Land; he came, -however, after two or three Summonfes, and at Sight ar the Dan- ger we had been expofed to by his Obftinacy, he ftood afto- nifhed, He is, notwithftanding, the moft fkilful Man in F rance — to navigate thefe Seas; but too ‘much Skill fometimes does Harm, when we rely too much upon it, Neverth eles, Madam, if the Wind had not failed the Day bes a: fore, at four in the Afternoon, we had certainly been loft in the Night; for we were running full Sail upon fome Breakers, from whence we could not have efcaped. ‘The Difficulty was to know whereabouts we were ; it was certain we were not in 45 Degrees ‘the Day before, but were we more to the South or North? On this we were divided-in our Opinions. One of our Officers affirmed, that the Land we faw before us was Acadia ; that he “hed as there before, and remembered it: Another afferted, that it was the Ifles of St. Peter: But what Probability is there that. we are fo far advanced ? It is but twenty-four Hours fince we were upon the Great Bank, and it is more than 100 Leaguesfrom — - the Great Bank to the Ifles of St. Peter. The -Pilot Chawiteau Maintained it was Cage Race: What a Miftake, fays he, is there an our Reckoning! there is no Doubt of it, and itisno Wonder, as itis impoñible t to make Allowances for Currents wedo not know, and which vary continually, as we have had no Obfervation to correct our Errors; but there is no Probability that we fhould be either on the Coafts of Acadia, or on the Ifles of a St. Peter. His Reafons appeared * good, yet we fhould have i # About 5 Years after, the fame Chaviteau miftook in his Reckoning ina Manner much more fatal ; he was ftill Mafter of the Camel, and pe feveral Days without an Obfervation, the Night of the 2 cth of Auguft, this “Ship was wrecked upon a Rock near Loxifbourg, in 1fle Royal,’ ‘and no r Perfon was faved. They found by the Journals of the Pilots, 1e ‘they eeckonsd themfelves 70 Leagues from that Place, { . been very glad if he had been miftaken; for we conceived how vexatious it would be to be Wind-bound under Cape Race. In this Uncertainty, we refolved to enquire of the Captain of the Englifh Ship, and Chaviteau had Orders to do it: At his Return he reported, that the £xgl/b were as much furprized as : we to find themfelves in this Bay, but with this Difference, that it was the Place they were bound to: That Cafe Race was before — . us, and Cape Brolle ten Leagues lower; that from the midit of thofe Breakers, upon which we had run a Rifk of being loft, there if- fued a River,*at the Entrance of which there was an Englifh Village, whither this little Veffel was carrying Provifions. About 15 Years fince, there happened to usin the fame . Place, a very fingular Adventure, which putus in as much Dan- gerasthat which I have juft now mentioned. It was in Auguf, and we had till then felt the Weather very hot: One Morning when we rofe, we were fo pierced with the Cold, that every Body put on their Winter Garments. We could not conceive from, — whence it could proceed, the Weather being fine, and no North Wind. In fhort, the third Day at four o’Clock in the Morn-. ing, a Sailorcried as loud as hecould, Luff; that is to fay, turnthe to the Windward ; he was obeyed, and the Moment after | direétly turned the Helm. I did not fee this Ice, for I was not yet up; but allwhowerethen upon Deck affured us, that it feemedas high as the Towers of No- tre Dame at Paris, and was for certainty much higher than the Mafts me . of the Ship. I have often heard it afirmed that fuch a Thing was impoffible, becaufe it muft have been prodigioufly deep torife fo high above the Sea; and that it was not poffible that a Piece of. Ice fhould acquire that Height : To this I anfwer in the firft ' Place, that to deny the Faét we muft give the Lie to many People, © for itis not the firft Time that fuch floating Rocks have been feenin the Sea. The Ship called the Mother of the Incarnation, making the fame Courfe as we did, ran the fame Danger in open ‘+ Day; the Rock of Ice which nearly occafioned its Lofs, for Want’ of Wind to fhun it, was feen by the whole Ship’s Company, and ™ judged to be much greater ftill, than that which we met. They add that the General Abfolution was given, as in Cafesof the greateft Datiger. vo “HS It is certain in the fecond Place, thatin Hud/on’s Bay thereare fome of thefe Rocks of Ice formed by the Fallof Torrents, which come from the Tops of the Mountains, and which break away ~~ _ with a vaft Noife during the Summer, and are afterwards driven i bout by the Currents. The Sieur Yeremy who lived many Years. .; Se, ae er oe Travels\in North, Amenities. : 7: gx a Hi + perceived avait floating Piece of Ice, which ran clofe by the iM Ship’s Side, and againit which we fhould have been wrecked, 1f the Sailor had not had good Eyes, and if the Steerfman had not: yee: overs in feveral Places fine Porphyry. On the Side of Mau 10 An Hiftorical Fourral of this Bay, fays he had the Curiofity to found at the Foot of one of thefe Rocks of Ice which was aground, and that they let out an hundred Fathoms of Line without reaching the Bottom, But I return to our Voyage. Cape Race Madam, is the South Eaft Point of the Mand of Neau- _ foundland; it is fituated in 46 Degrees, and Ly ope tae about 30 Minutes Norill Latitude . the Coaft runs from thence 100 Leagues to the Weft, making a little to About half Way is the great Bay of Placentia, which makes one ef the fineft Ports in America. Weft South Weft of this Bay, there is a high Land, which is feen at a great Diftance, and ferves to make it known : It is called X Chapeau rouge (the Red Hat) becaufe at a Diftance it appears in the Shape of a Hat, andisof a reddifh Colour. The 23d at Noon we were over againftit, and in the Evening we came up withthe Ifles of St. Peter, which were on our right Hand, They are three Iflands, the two firft of which are very high, olf aes 3 and from the Side on which we were, they. Pai a Sek appeared to be nothing but Mountain: | covered with Mofs. They fay that this N the North, and terminates at Cape Ray, which is in 47 Degrees. ag de. +7 fe _ foundland there are fome Lands which may be cultivated; and a pretty good Port, were we formerly had fome Habitations. The _ greateft and moft Weftern of the three, which is moft commonly called the Ifle Miquelon, is not fo high as the other two, and appears very level; it is about three quarters of a League Tong. The z4th at Day break, it was 5 or 6 Leagues behind ass bat after Midnight we had no Wind: About four o’Clock jn the Morning, there arofe a {mall Breeze from the South Eaft. Waiting till it was ftrong enough to fill our Sails, we amufed -ourfelves with Fifhing, and took a pretty large Quantity of Cod. » We ftopt two Hours longer than we fhould have done, for this _ Fifhery, andwe had foon Caufe enough to repent it: It was eight — © Clock when we got under Sail, and we run all the Day in ~ Hopes of difcovering Cape Ray, which was on our right, or the little Ifle of St. Paul, which we were to leave on the left, and ‘which is almoft over againft Cape Ray; but the Night came on before wecould difcover either. We heartily wifhed then, we had ‘made Ufe of the Time we had loft. What was the more vexatious we hadabout Midnight another Storm, much like that cn the Great Bank, and knowing that we were near one of thofe two Iflands which we were to pafs between, we did not dare to make Ufe of the Wind, which would have carried us on at a great Rate, So, | contrary to the Opinion of Cheviteau, who engaged to go for- ward without Danger, we lay by. | Be. oe At break of Day we difcovered Cafe Ray, upon which the — a4 ae io \ Travels in North America. ee Currents bore us, and to encreafe our Misfortuné, we had no Wind to keep us off : We were almoft upon it, when about’ half an Hour paft five in the Morning a {mall Breeze from the North Weft, came in very good Time to our Afiiftance. We loft nothing of it, and we got outof Danger. The North Weft after having done us this good Office, would ‘have obliged us extremely, if it had given Place to fome other Wind ; but it did not, and for two Days kept us at the Entrance of the Gulf i of St. Laurence. On the third Day we paffed between the Ifleof Sz. Paul, and Cape St. Laurence; which is the mok northerly Point of Ifle Royal ; this Paflage is very narrow, and we do not hazard ourfelves na init, when the Air isfoggy. The Paflage whichis between the Ifle of St. Paul and Cape Ray, is much wider; but our Sails were fet to take the other, and we made Ufe of it. | The Gulf of St. Laurence is 80 Leagues long, which we paffed with a good Wind in twenty-four Hours, by S ri he Ce a the help of the Currents. About half Way we ; x Bird lands ”™ meet with the Bird Hand, which we paffed confounded with thofe which Yawes Cartier difcovered near the 2 within Cannon Shot, and which muftnotbe AR SEE Ifland of Newfoundland. ‘Thefe I fpeak of, are two Rocks, _ : which appeared to me to rife perpendicular, about 60 Feet above —_ the Sea; the largeft of which is not above z or 300 Paces in Circumference : ‘They are very near each other, and I believe , there is not Water enough between them for 2 large Boat. Itis dificult to fay what Colour they are, for the Dung of the Birds entirely cover their Surface and Sides: Yet we difcovered in fome Places, Veins of a reddifh Colour. . They have been often _ vifited, and Boats have been entirely loaded here with Eggs of ne all Sorts: ‘They fay that the Stench is infupportable. They - add, that with the Perguins, which come from the neighbouring Lands, they find many other Birds which can’t fly. The mediately finds herown. We fired a Gun, which gave the Alarm above the two Iflands, a thick Cloud of thefe Birds, which was — at leaft two or three Leagues round. ‘ _~ Wonder is, that in fuch a Multitude of Nefts, every Birdim- thro’ all this flying Commonwealth, and there was formed gay pect sine The next Day, about the Dawn, the Wind dropt all at once. | 7 In two Hours more we could have doubled Cape Rofers, and | . 1 RS PE ge ‘We have entered the River S+. Laurence, which runs North Eaftand = South Weft, and the North Weft Wind which rofe foon after, would have ferved us; but we loft two Hours of the twenty-four: in Fifhing,and in Confequence, two Days at the Entrance of the Gulf; and we were obliged to wait here till the North Weft _ dropped, which was not in five Days, in which we made only five Leagues. | hed i : | Cz . Cape af Pets pe AN tm ee 3 2 : sy Pek ee RES eae te wee ONE ity Sin a ‘ $ 12 An Hiflorical “fournal of Cape Rofers is properly the Entrance of the River Sr. Laurence, and from hence we muft meafure the Width of its Mouth, which is about 30 Leagues. A little on this Side, more to the South, are the Bay and Point of Ga/pe, or Gachepe. 'Thofe who pre- tend that the River St. Laurence is 40 Leagues wide at its Mouth, meafure it probably from the Eaïtern Point of Ga/pe. Below the Bay we perceive a Kind of Ifland, which is only a fteep Rock, about 30 Fathoms long, 10 high, and 4 in Breadth: It looks like Part of an Old Wall, and they fay it joined formerly to Mount Joli, which is over againft it on the Continent. [his ~ Rock has in the midit of it an Opening like an Arch, under which a Boat of Sifcay may pafs with its Sail up, and this has givenitthe Name of the pierced land: Sailors know they are near-it, when they perceive a flat Mountain ftand above others, : and which is called Rowland’s Table. The Ifland of Bonaventure is ‘a League diftant from the pierced Ifland; about the fame Diftance is the Ifland Mz/cou, which is eight Leagues in Compafs, and has a very good Haven. Not far from this Ifland, there rifes out of : the Sea a Spring of Frefh Water, which bubbles up, and makes a Jet like a Fountain pretty high. , : All thefe Coafts are excellent for their Fifhery, and the An- chorage is good every where. It would be eafy alfo to eftablith Magazines here for the Ufe of Quebec. But we have loft a great deal of Time in purfuing the Fur Trade, which we fhould have employed in the Fifhery for Cod and many other Sorts of Fifh, - with which this Sea abounds, and in fortifying ourfelves in ‘ thofe Ports, the Importance of which we have difcovered too late. Pr "Se _ But to return to our Voyage: It was natural upon having near us fuch fafe and convenient Retreats, that we fhould have made Ufe of them, to wait for the Return of a fair Wind ; but they hoped “it would return every Minute, and they wanted te take Advantage of it immediately. KE 282 ant” … Atlength, on Thurfday the roth of September, the North Weit Wind dropt about Noon, when finding we could not ad- vance, or fcarcely work the Ship, we amufed ourfelves with fifhing, and this Amuefment was again hurtful tous; for the Stecrfman ,minding his fifhing more than his. Helm, let the | Wind come upon his Sails’: During the Calm, we had driven . much upon the Iile of 4zticofe, and this Neglect of the Steerf- man brought us fo near, becaufe the Currents carried us that Way, that we faw plainly all the Breakers with which the Ifland is bordered. To compleat ourMisfortune, the little Wind which _ Was jut rifen failed us in our Neceffity. ee _ Had this Calm continued but a fhort Time, we liad been loft. À Moment after our Sails fwelled a little, and we: endeavoured : ee € + to be out-of Danger; bg ff * PS LP ‘ Travels in North America. 12,0 to change our Courfe, but the Ship, contrary to whatis ufual, . would not come to the Wind, and this twice together: A certain Proof, that the Current by which it was carried was very. ftrong. We thought ourfelves loft without Refource, becaufe we: were very near the Rocks: To run the Ritk of turning about with the Wind in our Poop was extremely hazardous ; but after all, there was nothing elfeto be done; fo we fet ourfelves to work, ratherto have nothing to reproach onrfelves with, thenin Hopes of faving ourfelves; and in an Inftant we found by Experience, that Gop comes to the Affiftance of thofe that endeavour to help them. felves. The Wind changed to the North, it frefhened by Degrees, and aboutfeven o’Clock at Night we cleared the Point of dnii- — & cafe, which had put us in fo much Fear. This Ifland extends about 40 Leagues North Eaft, and South D ofertbiien fide Welt, about the Middle of the River Sz. Lan. ‘The of Anticotte, 7" but has little Breadth. . It was granted | “* to the Sieur Foliez, upon his Return from the Difcovery of the Mifefippi, but they made him no great Prefent., It is abfolutely eood for nothing: It is poorly wooded, its Soil is barren, andit has not a fingle Harbour where a Ship may be in Safety. There was. a Report fome Years ago, that there was a Mine of Silver difcovered in this Ifland ; and for Want of Mi. hers, they fent from Quebec (where I was at that Time) a Gold- _ {mith to make the Proof of it; but he did not go far. He foon | perceived by the Difcourfe of the Perfon who raifed the Re- port, that the Mine exifted only in his own whimfical Brain, = The Coaîts of this Ifland are pretty well ftored with Fifhs neverthelefs, I am perfuaded, that the Heirs of the Sieur Folier would willingly change their va Lordfhip, for the fmalleft Fief Of France. .. . 3 à | When we haye paffed this Ifland, we have the Pleafure to fee Land on both Sides, and to be aflured of the Way we make : but we muit fail with a great deal of Caution up the River, Tuesday the 3d, we left on the left Hand the Mountains of Notre Dame, and Mount Louis; it is a Chain of very high Moun- tains, between which there are fome Vallies, which were. formerly inhabited by Savages. ‘The Country round about Mount Louis has fome very good Land, and fome Frezch Habi- tations. They might make here a very good Settlement for the Fifhery, efpecially for Whales ; and it would be convenient | for Ships which come from France, to find Affiftance here, which they fometimes extremely want. The next Night the Wind, » is encreafed, and was very near playing us an ugly Trick. We, were not far from Trinity Point, which we were to leave upon | and the Steerfman thought us wide enough fromit, ight ; a but M. de Voutron ftarted up in a Fright, crying OES ey $4 ta CS Oe MIE FE. eT ein di pat 14 An Hiftorical Fournal f crying out to the Steerf{man to keep off the Shore. If this Order had been deferred a Quarter of an Hour, the Ship had run upon the Point, which appeared fome Moments after. ‘The / 4th at Night, we anchored for the firft Time, a little below what they call the Paps of Matane. ‘They are two Heads of the fame Mountain, which 1s about two Leagues within Land. I. do not think one can fee a wilder Country; there is nothing to be feen but poor Woods, Rocks, Sands, and not one Ineh of good Land; there are indeed fome fine Springs, and Plenty of good Wild-Fowl ; but it is impoflible for ‘any but Savages and Canadians to follow their Game in fuch a Place. On the gther Side of the River is the Shoal of Manicouagan, famous for Bore than one Ship-wreck, which advances two Leagues into the River. It takes its Name froma River which rifes in the Moun- . tains of Labrador, makes a pretty large Lake, which bears the fame Name, but more commonly that of S¢. Barnabas, and difcharges itfelf into the River S+. Laurence acrofs the Sand : Some of our Maps call it /a Riwure Noire (the Black River.) The 8th we fet Sail, but it was not worth our while for the ‘Way we made; but Variety of Amufement and Exercife is good © for Sailors. Inthe Nightof the roth we made 15 Leagues; andin half a League more we had cleared the moft difficult Paflage of the River. We alfo fhould have got into the ftrong ‘Tides, for to this Place they are hardly yet perceivable but atthe Shores: But the Wind changed fuddeniy tothe South Weft, and obliged us to feck for Shelter, which we found under Ifle Verte or Green Iland, where we remained five Days. We wanted nothing here, but at the End of this Time, we refolved to try if we could not find on the North Side, as we were made to hope, fome Land. Winds, which would carry us into the great Tides. Ret We went therefore, and anchored at MoulinBaude ( Baude Mill) pre os the Traverfe is five Leagues over. Upon ar- PARUS, siving here, I afked to fee the Mill, and they wag ine. Fert of fhewed mé fome Rocks; from. site Tadouffac. à ' nly a ftream of clear Water. ‘They might build a Water-Mill here,pbut it is not likely it will ever be done. There is not perhaps a Country in the World lefs habitable than this. The Saguenay is a little higher ; it is a River which the _ largeft Veffels may go up 25 Leagues ; at the Entrance we leave the Port of Yadouffac to the Right. The greateft Part of our. | Lt Pme have here placed a Town, but where there never | was but one French Houfe, and fome Huts of Savages who. came there in the Time ofthe Trade, and who carried away. their Huts or Booths, when they went away; and this was the _ whole Matter. It is true that this Port has been a long Time # Er / A DES the Refort of all the Savage Nations of the North and Eaft, and. Travels in North America. rn that the Frezch reforted hither as foomas the Navigation was free, both from France and Canada; thie?Miflionaries alfo made -Ufe of the Opportunity, and came to trade here for Heaven: _And when the ‘Trade was over, the Merchants returned to their Homes, the Savages took the Way to their Villages or Forefts, and the Gofpel Labourers followed the laft, to compleat their _Inftruétions. Yet fome Accounts, and fome Travellers, have fpoken much of Yadoufac; and the Geographers have fuppofed it was a Town; and fome Authors have given it a Jurifdiétion. Tadouffac in other Refpects, is a good Port, and they affured me that 25 Meñof War might lay here fheltered from all Winds; that the Anchorage is fafe, and Entrance eafy. Its Shape is al- .moft round, fome fteep Rocks of a prodigious Height furround it on all Sides, and a fmail Stream runs from them, which may fupply the Ships with Water. All the Country 2s full of Mar~ ble; but its greateft Riches would be the Whale Fifhery. In _ 1705, being at Anchor with the Herce in this Place, I faw four of thefe Fifth, which were between Head and Tail, almoft as long ‘ as our Ship. The Bi/caniers have followed this Fifhery formerly with Succefs, and there is {till upon a little Ifland of their Name, and which is little lower than [île Verte (Green Ifland) fome Re. ' mains of the Furnaces, and the Ribs of the Whales. . What a Differenceis there betwixt a fixt Fifhery, which they might fol- low quietly in a River, and that which they goto Greenland for with fo much Danger and Expence. The two following Days there was no Land Wind, and we greatly regretted our firit An- chorage, near which there were fome Frexch Habitations, whereas here we faw neither Man nor Beaft: In fhort, the 3d Day at . Noon we weighed Anchor, and we cleared the Paflage of L'Ile Rouge (Red Ifland) which is dificult. You muft firft bear upon the Iland as if you would land on it, this is to fhun the Poznte aux Allouetts (Lark Point) which is at the Entrance of Saguemay upon the Left, and which advances greatly into the River; hav- ‘ing done this, we change our Courfe. The Paflage on the South of L'Ile Rouge is much fafer, but to do this we muft have gone back, andthe Wind might have failed us. L’Z/le Rouge is only a Rocka little above Water, which appears red, and upon which more than one Ship has been loft. The next Day with little Wind and Tide, we came to an | - Anchor above the Ifland Coudres, which is 1 ee Leagues from Quebec and Tadïuflac ; and thee Pafiage is dangerous, when the Wind is not to our Defire; it is rapid, ftraight, and a Mile long. Formerly it was much fafer, butin 1663 an Earthquake Condres, and the Gwar. _ rooted up a Mountain, and threw it upon the Tile of Coudres; _ whichwas madeone half largerthan before, and inthe Place ofthe - Mountain Ê . 4 n PA 2, à Ae ee 16 An Hiftcrical Fournal of a _ Mountain there appeared a Gulf, which it is not fafe to approach. We might have pafied the South of the Ifland Coudres, and this Paflage would have been fafe and eafy ; it bears the Name of M. d’lberville, who tryed it with Succefs, but it is the Cuftom to pafs by the North, and Cuftom is an abfolute Law for the Ge-. nerality of Mankind. Above the Gulph I have juft mentioned is the Bay of S+. Paul, | pt where the Habitations begin on the North | eg Bay of Side ; and there are fome Woods of Pine- OR ahi t Trees, which are much valued : - Here are alfo forme red Pines of great Beauty. Méffrs. of the Seminary of Quebec are Lords of this * Bay. Six Leaoues higher, there is a very high Promontory, which terminates a Chain of Moun- . tains, which extend above 400 Leagues to the Weft: It is call- ed. Cape Torment, probably becaufe he that gave it this Name, fuffered here by a Guit of Wind. The Anchorage is good, and weare furrounded by Iflands of all Sizes, which afford a very good Shelter. ‘The moft.confiderable is the Ifle of Or- leans, the Fields of which being all cultivated, appear like an Amphitheatre, and terminate the Profpeét very pleañngly. This Iiland is about ‘14 Leagues in Compafs; and in 1676 it was _ made a Title of Honour, and firit gave Title of Count to Francis Berthelot, Secretary General of the Ordinance, by the Stile of . Count St. Laurence; who purchafed it of Francis de Laval, firtt Bithop of Quebec, It contained then four Villages, but it has now fix Parifhes pretty well peopled... Of the two Channels made by. this Ifland, that of the South only is navigable for Ships : Even Boats cannot pafs that of the North but at high Water : So that from Cape Yorment we muit traverfe the River to go to Quebec, and this 'Traverfe has its Difficulties ; we meet with fome moving Sands, on which there is not always Water enough for large Veffels, fo that this is never attempted but whilit the Tide flows. But this Difficulty might be fhunned by taking the Paflage of M. d’lberville. Cape Torment, from which we pafs to make the Traverfe, is 110 Leagues from the Sea, and yet the Water is a little brackifh: It is not fit todrink, but at the Entrance of the two Canals, which form the Iile of Orlean;. ‘This is a Phoenomenon pretty hard to explain, efpecially if we confider the great Rapidity of the River, notwithftanding its _ Breadth. The Tide flows here regularly 5 Hours, and ebbs feven. At Vadouffacit ebbs and flows fix Hours; and the higher "we go upthe River, the more the Flood diminifhes, and the Ebb - increafes. At twenty Leagues above Quebec it flows three Hours, end ebbs nine, Higher up the Tide is not perceivable. When itis * A very good Lead Mine has been found here lately, # "© : À 446 ‘ TA 4 ie ae HAE rae 773 "M + pe) e Bay + SE & 5 ve | 2 ALES à , z vi LKC \ | ‘ LE 2 ti, 1 nage ‘ Travels in North America. #7 half Flood in the Port of Yadouffac, and at the Entrance of So- guenay, itis but juft beginning to flow at Checcutimi, twenty-five Leagues higher up the River Saguenay; and yet it is high Water at the three Places at the fame Time: This happens no Doubt becaufe the Rapidity of the River Saguenay, greater than that of St. Laurence, running againft the Tide, makes an Equili- brium for fome Time between Checoutimi, and the Entrance of the Saguenay into the Great River. This Rapidity was not fo great but fince the Earthquake of 1663. This Earthquake overthrew a Mountain in the River, which ftraitened its Bed, and formed a Peninfula, which they call Checoutimi, above which the Stream is — fo ftrong, that Canoes can’t get up it. The Depth of Saguenay, fromits Mouth up to Checoutimi, is equal to its Rapidity : So that it would not be fafe to anchor in it, if they could not make faft their Veffels to the T'rees that cover the Banks of this River. Itis alfo found that in the Gulf of Sz. Laurence, at eight or ten Leagues from the Land, the Tides are different, according to the various Situations of the Land, or the Difference of the Seafons ; that in fome Places they follow the Winds, and in o- thers they run againft the Wind ; that at the Mouth of the River, at certain Months of the Year, the Currents always run to the - Sea, and in others always towards the Land ; and laftly, that in the River itfelf, till near the feven Iflands, that is to Jay, fixty Leagues, there is no Flux on the South Side, nor any Reflux on the North Side. It is not eafy to give any good Reafons for all this ; all that can be faid, with the greateft Probability, is, that there are fome Motions under. Water, which produce thefe Irregularities, or that there are fome Currents which come and go from the Surface to the Bottom, and from the Bottom to the Surface, in the Manner of Pumps. Another Obfervation to be _ made here is, that the Variation of the Compafs (which in fome - Orleans. Ports of France, is but two or three Degrees North Weft) con- tinues always decreafing till we come tothe Azores, where there is no longer any Variation; but from thence it increafesin fuch a Manner, that upon the Great Bank of Newfoundland it is twenty-two Degrees and more ; afterwards it begins to decreafe, but flowly, fince it is ftill fixteen Degrees at Quebec, and twelve in the Country of the Hurons, where the Sun fets thirty-three Minutes later than at Quebec. AE Sunday the twenty-fecond, we caft Anchor by oe Tile of Or- ig leans, where we went to take an Airing, DUR of till the Return of the ‘Tide. ‘Tee a Country fine, the Soil good, and the Inha- bitants pretty well at their Eafe. T hey have the Charaéter of oe being given to Witchcraft; and they are confulted, they fay,up- on future Events, and concerning what pafles in diftant Places. D SEB Geer SE Ne SF Le. M 4 da : | Le An Hiftorical aurnal of For Inftance : If the Ships of France do not arrive fo foon : as -ufual, they are confulted to hear News of them, and it is faid they have fometimes anfwered pretty true ; that is to fay, having _ gueffed right once or twice, and having out of Diverfion made People believe that they {poke from a certain Knowledge, Peo- pe fancied they had confulted the Devil. When ‘ames Cartier difcovered this Ifland, he found it full of Vice, and named it the Ifle of Bacchus. "This Navigator was a Bastais. After him there came fome Normans ; who plucked up the Vines, and fubftituted Pomona and Ceres in the Room of Bacchus. ‘In Fatt, it produces good Wheat and excellent Fruit. They alfo begin to cultivate Tobacco, and it is not bad.—At length, on Monday the 23d, the Camel anchored before Quebec, where I arrived two Hours before in a Canoe of Bark. [have a thoufand Leagues to travel in thefe brittle Vehicles : I muft ufe myfelf to them by Degrees. This is, Madam, all that I could recolle& of the Particulars of my Voyage.---I fhall have fomething of more Confequence to write hereafter. JT am, &c. I BE ee Roe A Defcription of QUEBEC, Gharader of the Inhabitants, and d the Manuer of Living in the FRENCH CoLony. ee, Mapam; QUEBEC; Of. 28, 1720 TJ Am going to fpeak of Quebec.---All the Defcriptions I have hitherto feen of it are fo different, that I thought it would : be a Pleafure to you to fee a true PiGure of this Capital of New France. It really deferves to be known, were it only for “sb, Me The Abenaquis, whole Eanguage is a Diale& < off the Singularity of its Situation ; for itis the only City.in the World that can boaft of a Port in frefh Water a hundred and twenty Leagues from the Sea, and capable of Containing one hundred Ships of the Line. It is alfo fituated on the moft navi- joes River in the World. ‘This River, up to the Ifle of OkLeais; that is to Tees one Whence the Nake hundred and ten, or one hundred and twelve — of Quebec és de- Leagues from the Sea, is never lefs than: four 6) or five Leagues wide ; “but above the Hand . re à it grows narrower all at once, fo that before Quebec itis but a Mile broad, which gave it the Name of Quex | 6eio,or Quebec; which, in the Lloonquin Language, fi gnifies G ie | Algom: tiny | da ce oc | * 2 ne UP: 4 Me _ Travels in North America. M — Algonquin, call it Quelibec, which fignifies fomething ut up ; be. caufe, at the Entrance of the little River Chaudiere, by which the Savages came to Quebec from the Neighbourhood of Acadia, the Point of Lew: which advances upon the Ifle of Orleans, en- tirely hides the South Channel, and the Ile of Orleans hides the — on North ; fo thatthe Port of Quebec appears only like a great Bay, The firft Thing that appears upon entering the Road, is a fine oi ‘ The Fall ; Sheet of Water, about thirty Feet wide, and us e Fall of forty Feet high. It is direétly at the En- han er trance of the little Channel of the Ifle cf Or- leans, and it is feen from a long Point of the South Coaft of the. River: which, as I faid before, feems to bend upon the Iile of Orleans. This Cafcade is called the Fall of Montmorenci, and the Point bears the Name of Levi; for New France had fuccef. fively for Viceroys, the Admiral Montmorenci, and the Duke de Ventadour his Nephew. Every Body would judge that fuch a large Fall of. Water, which runs continually, was the Difcharge of fome fine River, but it is only derived from an inconfiderable Current which in fome Places is not Ancle deep; but it runs continually, and has its Rife froma Lake about twelve Leagues from the Fall.” : The City is a League higher, and on the fame Side, in the Pte ere of very Place where the River is narroweft; but Quebec ' between the City and the Ifle of Orleans, f | there is a Bafon a full League in Extent every Way, into which the River St. Charles difcharges itfelf, which comes from the North-Weft. Quebec is between the Mouth of a this River and Diamond Cape, which advances a little into the River St. Laurence. ‘The Moorings are over-againit the City. - There is twenty-five Fathom Water, and good Anchorage; yet, _when the North-Eaft blows hard, Ships fometimes drive upon their Anchors, but without Danger. hee “When Samuel de Champlain founded this City in 1608, the Tide rofe fometimes .to the Foot of the ee 7 Rock, Since that ‘Time the Rives has re- Quebec. tired by Degrees, and left a great Space dry, where they have built the lower City, which is at prefent high enough above the Shore to fecure the Inhabitants againft the Inundations of the River. The firt Thing we find at landing, | is a pretty large Spot of an irregular Figure, which has in Front a Row of Houfes pretty well built, their Backfide clofe ta the Rock, fo that they have but littl Depth: They make a pretty long Street, which takes up the whole Bréadth of the _ Place, and extends from Right to Left to two Ways, which lead — to the upper City. The Place is bounded on the Left bya fmall Church, and on the Right by two Rows of Houfes builton QU il an i 2 sag | pe igh delat». À HAS REX ARE: ig Bae 8 {Rah ny ip hip An Hiftorical ournal of _-a Parallel. There is one Row on the other Side between the ‘Church and the Port ; and at the Turning of Cape Diamond, there is another pretty long Range of Houfes on the Side of a fmall Bay, which is called the ? An/e dgMeres, (Mother’s Bay.) This ‘Quarter may be reckoned a Kind of Suburb to the lower City. _ Between this Suburb and the great Street we afcend to the ‘upper City, bya Way fo fteep, that they have been obliged to make Steps, fo that we can only afcend on Foot: But taking the Right Hand Side, they have made a Way which is not 10 fteep, and which is bordered by Houfes: Tis at the Spot where the two Ways meet, that the upper City be- gins on the Side towards the River Sz. Laurence ; for there is : another lower City on the Side of the River St. Charles. The firft remarkable Building we find to the Right of the firft Side, is the Bifhop’s Palace: All the Left is bordered with Houfes. ‘Twenty Paces further, we arrive at two pretty large Squares, or Openings: "That on the Left is the Place of Arms, which is before the Fort, where the Governor-General refides. The Re- _ colleis are over-againft it, and fome pretty good Houfes are built on the other Side of the Square. | - In that on the Right Hand, we meet firft the Cathedral, which alfo ferves as a Parifh Church to all the City. The Seminary is on one Side, upon the Angle made by the River St. Laurence and the River Sz. Charles. Over-againift the Cathedral, is the 7e- Juits College, and between both there are pretty good Houfes. ‘From the Place of Arms, we enter two Streets, which are crofled by a third, which is entirely taken up by the Church and Con- vent of the Recollers. The fecond Opening has two Defcents . to the River Sz. Charles ; one very fteep on the Side of the Se- _minary, where there are few Houfes ; the other, by the Side of the Fefuits Inclofure, which winds very much, and has the Hotel Diex about the Mid-way, is bordered by fmall Houfes, and ends ‘at the Palace of the Intendant. On the other Side of the Fe- | fuits College, where the Church is, there is a pretty long Street, - in which are the Ur/ulines.---To conclude, all the upper City 1s built on a Foundation of Marble and Slate. fa) © This is, Madam, the Topography of Quebec ; which, as you _ . fee, has a pretty large Extent. Moft of the Houfes-are builtof ~ Stone ; and yet it is reckoned to contain but about feven thou- . fand Souls.—-But to give you a juft Idea of this City, I fhail de- _ fcribe its principal Buildings more particularly, and then I fhall givean Account of its Fortifications.---The Church of the lower City was built in Confequence of a Vow made during the Siege (a) This City is confiderably increafed within the laft twenty Years, | Travels in North America. yh et , OF Quebec, in 1690. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Vifory, and ferves the Inhabitants of the lower City. It is a yery plain Building : All its Ornament is a modeft Neatnefs. Some Sifters of a Congregation which I fhall mention hereafter, are lodged _ between this Church and the Port. There are but four or five, and keep a School. | | This Epifcopal Palace is finifhed, excepting the Chapel, -and half the Buildings of the Defign, which was intended to be along Square. If itis ever finifhed, it will be avery fine Build- ing. The Garden extends to the Brow of the Rock, and com- mands all the Road.—When the Capital of Nez France fhall be as flourifhing (a) as that of the O/d, (we muft defpair of nothing, Paris was a long Time much lefs than Quebec is now,) as far as the Eye can reach they will fee only Towns, Caitles, Country Houfes ; and all this is already fketched out : And the River Sz. Laurence, that majeftically rolls her Waters, and brings them from the Extremity of the North or the Weft, will be covered with Veflels. ‘The Ifle of Orleans, and the two Banks of thetwo : Rivers that form this Port, will difcover fine Meadows, rich | Hills, and fertile Fields; and nothing is wanting for this End, but to be more peopled. A Part of a charming Valley (which the River Sz. Charles winds pleafingly through) will, no Doubt, be joined tothe City, of which it will certainly make the fneft | Quarter : And when they have bordered ali the Road with no- ble Quays, and we fhall fee three or four hundred Ships loaded with Riches which hitherto we have not known how to value, . ~ and bringing back in Exchange thofe of the Old and New World, you will acknowledge, Madam, that this Terrafs will | afford a Profpeét that nothing can equal. | es, The Cathedral would not be a fine Parifh Church in one of , | the fmalleft T'owns in France. Judge, then, Dore if it deferves to be the Seat of - ‘only B1- : | fhoprick which is in all the French Empirein America, of greater Extent, than was ever that of the Romans. The Architecture, the Choir, the great Altar, the Chapelsof ? this Cathedral, appear only fit for a Country Church. The © moft tolerable Thing belonging to it, is a very high Tower or : Steeple, folidly built, and whichat a Diftance makes fome Ap- pearance. ‘The Seminary, which joins to the Church, isalarge : Square, the Buildings of which are not finifhed : What is built, (a) The Event of Things has fhewn, that this Author had not atruePro- _phetic Spirit. How muft the French be mortified, to find ail their fond Hopes - of raifing Quebec to fuch a Height of Magnificence, fruftrated by the Valour _. of the Englifh Arms ; and to fee that vaft Empire, which they flattered _ themfeives they fhould be able to eftablifhin North America, all transferred and - annexed tothe Imperial Crown of Britain ! - | oe and the Seminary. eee ene RSS ne = ia An Hiftoricat Journal of is well done, and with all the Conveniencies neceffary in this Country. This is the third ‘Time of- building this Houfe. It was burntentirely in 1703. Andin O4ober, 1705, when it was _ jut rebuilt, it was almoft totally deftroyed by Fire. From the Garden there is a Prof pect of the Road, and the River $y. avg fn as far as the Eye can reach, The Fort is a fine Building, which is to be flanked with two ee advanced Pavillions. There is but one Oe fiend built at prefent. They fay the other is to be ay * built very foon. fa) The Entrance is a large and reoular Court; but it has no Garden, becaufe the Fort is built upon the EF Edge of the Rock. A fine Gallery, with a Bal. cony that runs the whole Length of the Building, makes fome Amends for this Defe@. It commands the Road 3 to the Mid- dle of which one may eafily make onefelf heard with a {peaking ‘Trumpet; and the lower City is under your Feet. Coming out of the Fort, and pafling to the Left, we enter into a pretty large Efplanade ; aha; by a gentle Afceat, we arrive at the Top of Diamond Cape, which is a very fine Platform. Befides the Pleafare of the Profpe&, we breathe in this Place the pureft Air, we fee Numbers of Porpoifes, white as Snow, play on the ‘Surface of the Water, and fometimes pick up Stones which are ‘more beautiful than thofe of Alencon, or Brifiol. Thave feen fome orl formed as if they came out of the Hands of the beft Orkman, Formerly they were common, and this gave the Name tothe Cape. At prefent they are very fearce.------ The Defcent to the Count ry here is more gentle than on the Side of ‘the Efplenade. The Recollets have a large and fine Church, which would be an Di, apy: Honour to them at Ver/ailles. t is neatl on pects, roofed, ad dorned with a large Gallery ré thing heavy) of Wood, well wrought, which goes all round ; in which are made the Confeffionals. In fhort, it wants nothing ; but they fhould take away fome Pi@ures that Are very poorly painted. Father Luke has placed fome here that do no Credit to the Place. The Houfe is anfwerable to the Church : It is great, “folidly built, and convenient, accompa- nied with a large G arden well cul (Had The D | Nuns” have faffered twice by Fire, as well as the Seminary : And withal they have fuch a flender Provifion, and the Portions they receive with the Maids of this Country are fo fmall, that the firft, Time aad the Urfulines, ‘their Houfe was burnt, they had Thoughts of fending- them. back to France : However, they have made a Shift to re- eftabl: themielves both Times, and their Church is ares fi nifhe | cue f a) It-is now finithed. Se pe il rl in 4 Travels in North Amevica. 23 | They aré neatly and conveniently lodged : It isthe Fruit of the good Name they have acquired in the Colony by their Piety, Œconomy, Sobriety, and Labour: They gild and embroider. All are ufefully employed ; and whatever comes from their Hands, is generally of a good 'Tafte. ? % DLL You have feen, without Doubt, Madam, in fome of the Rela- Ce tions, that the College of the Fe/uits is.a very L 1 be Jefuits Col- fine Building. It is certain, that when this iit City was a rude Heap of French Barracks, and Savage Cabins, this Houfe (the only one with the Fort that was built of Stone) made fome Figure. The firft Travele lers, who judged by Comparifon, have reprefented it as a very fine Building. ‘Thofe who followed them, and who, according to Cuftom, copied after them, fpoke the fame Language: But the Cabins have difappeared, and the Barracks are changed to Houfes, moft of them well built ; fo that the College is now a Difgrace to the City, and is in a very ruinous Condition. (a) The Situation is bad: It is deprived of the greateft Advan= tage it could have, which is the Profpeét. It had at firfi the View of the Road, and its Founders were good enough to fancy that they would be allowed to enjoy it, but they were deceived: » The Cathedral and the Seminary make a Mafk thatleaves them | nothing but the View of the Square, which has nothingte © \ make Amends for what they have loft. The Court of the Col © lege is {mall and dirty; nothing refembles more a Farm Vard | he Garden is large and well kept, and is bounded by a little Wood, a precious Remain of the antient Foreft that formerly cos vered this whole Mountain. The Church has nothing fine on the Outfide, but a pretty Sort | of a Steeple : It is entirely covered with Slate, and is the only _ ‘one of Canada that has this Advantage, for every Thing here is = | ‘covered with Shingles. The Infide is well adorned: It has a À fine Gallery, bordered with an Iron Baluftrade, painted, gilt»and well contrived ; a Pulpit entirely gilt, and well wrought in Wood and Iron ; three handfome Altars ; fome good Pictures 5. the Roof not arched, but flat, and pretty well ornamented ; no Pavement, but a good Floor, which makes this Church more fupportable in Winter, whilft People are frozen with Cold in the others, I do not mention she four great cylindric maffiue Columusy made of one Block of a certain Porphyry black as Fet, without Spots ‘or Veins, with which it pleafed the Baron de Ja Hontan to enrich the grand Altar. They would certainly be much better than thofé | they have, which are hollow, and - coarfely covered with Mar. ble, But this Author might eafily obtain Pardon, if he had ae we x … difguifed the Truth, only to adornthe Churches. _ (4) The College is fince rebuilt, and is now very fine, 24, | An Hiftorical Fournal of . The Hofpital has two large Halls, one for the Men and the other for the Women; the Beds are well The Hofpital. | kept, the Sick are well attended, and every — Thing is convenient, and very neat. The Church is behind the Woman’s Hall, and has nothing remarka- _ble but the great Altar, the Altar-piece of which is very fine. This Houfe is ferved by fome Nuns of St. Auffin, the firft of which came from Dieppe. They have begun a good Houfe here, but itis very likely they will not foon finifh it for Want of a Fund. As their Houfe is fituated on the Midway of a Hill, on a Spot that advances a little upon the River Sz. Charles, they have a very pretty Profpect. ap The Houfe of the Intendant is called the Palace, becaufe the Chief Council meets there. It is a Grand Pavillion, the Ends of which project fome Feet, to which we afcend by a double Flight of Steps. ‘The Front towards the Garden is much plea- fanter than that of the Entrance, having a View of the little River. The Royal Magazines are on the right Side of the Court, and the Prifon is behind. ‘The Gate at the Entrance is , mafked by the Mountain, on which the upper City ftands, and which prefents in this Place only a fteep Rock, very difagreea- ble tothe Sight. It was much worfe before the Fire, which fome Years ago entirely deftroyed this (a) Palace, for it had no ‘Court in Front, and the Buildings ftood upon the Street, which is very narrow. Going down this Street, or more properly fpeaking, this Way, we come into the Country, and about half a Mile diftant ftands the General Hofpital. It is the fineft Ets es ie General Ho/- Houfe in Canada, and would be no Difgrace _ dat to our greateft Cities of France, ‘The Re- “aaa collets formerly poffefled this Place: M. de Sr. Fallier, Bifhop of Quebec, removed them into the City, bought the Ground, and fpent 100,000 Crowns in Buildings, Furni- ture, and a Fund for its Support. The only Defe& of this Hof- pital is, its being built in a Matth; however, they hope to remedy it by draining the Marfh ; but the River Sr. Charles makes an Elbow in this Place, and the Waters do not eafily run off, and. this can never be well mended. “habe The Prelate, who is the Founder, has his Apartment in the — Houfe, and makes it his ordinary , Refidence ; he lets out his _ own Palace, which is alfo his own Work, ips LY benefit of the Poor. He did not difdain to ferve as se 10 the Hofpital, _ as well as to the Nuns, and he performed the Duty of this Office with a Zeal and Affiduity, which would be admired in a com- mon Prieft, who was to live by this Employment. Artifts or | he ee (a) This Palace was again entirely burat down, ere is a ¢ RE + Cor PEN a de Travels in North America. 22 thers, whom great Age or Infirmities have deprived of getting their living, are received into this Hofpital, to acertain Number of Beds that are appropiated for this Purpofe, and thirty Nuns are employed to attend them. It is a Copy of the Hotel Dieu of Quebec, but to diftinguifh the Nuns, the Bifhop has given them fome particular Regulations, and makes them wear a Silver Crofs upon their Breafts. ‘The greateft Part of them are of good Families, and as they are not of the richeft of the Country, the Bifhop has given Portions to many. __ à | Quebec is not regularly fortified, but they have been long Citak Fue employed in making it a defenfible Place : ae La Ths City is not eafy to be taken in its pre- fent Condition. ‘The Port is flanked by two Baftions, which at the high. T'ides, are almoft level with the Water, that is to fay; about twenty-five Feet high, for the Equi- noctial Tides rife fo high. A little above the Baftion on the right, they have made a half Baftion in the Rock, and higher up, by the Side of the Gallery of the Fort, there is a Battery of twenty-five Pieces of Cannon. There is alittle fquare Fort called the Citadel ftill above this ; and the Ways to go from one Forti- . fication to another are very fteep. ‘To the left of the Port, all along the Road up to the River St; Charles, there are good Bat- — - teries of Cannon, and fome Mortars. | Re |. From the Angle of the Citadel, which looks towards the City, _ they have made an Oreille of a Baftion, from whence they have made a Curtain at right Angles, which runs to join avery high Cavalier, upon which thereis a Mill fortified. Defcending from this Cavalier, we meet, at about the Diftance of Mufket Shot, a firft Tower with Baftions, and at the fame Diftance from thisa fecond. ‘The Defign was to cover all this with a Stone facing, which was to have the fame Angles as the Baftions, and which was to terminate at the End of the Rock over againftthe Palace, where there is a little Redoubt, as well as on the Diamond Cape. actions. muft fay a Word ortwo of its Inhabitants; thisis its Beauty. And . if upon confidering only its Houfes, Squares, Streets, and public _ Buildings, we may reduce it to the Rank of the fmalleft Cities of France, the Worth of thofe who inhabit it, fecures it the Title _ of Capital. ae I know not why this has not been executed. Such was, Madam, __ _ pretty near the State of the Place in 1711, when the Engl _ fitted out a great Fleet for the Conqueft of Canada, which ae failed of Succefs through the Rafhnefs of the Commander, who, contrary to the Advice of his Pilot, came too near the feven Ifles, and loft all his largeft Ships, and three thoufand Men of his beft Trobps… | ns à 5 After having mentioned what is moft material in our Capital, I ut Og 6 An Hifforical journal of I have already faid that they reckon fcarcely at Quebec fever OF the Inbo hij thoufand Souls ; but we find here a little chofen World, which wants nothing to make . an agreeable Society. A Governor Ge- neral (2) with his Attendants, Nobility, Officers of the Army, and Troops: An Intendant (4) with an upper Council, and the inferior Jurifdidions: A Commiffary of the Marine (c): A Grand Provoft (2): AGrand Surveyor of Highways, and a Grand Mafter of the Waters and Forefts (:) whofe Jurifdition is cer- tainly the moftextenfive in the World: Rich Merchants, or who live as if they were fuch: A Bifhop and a numerous Seminary : | Recollets and Fefuits : "Three Societies of Maidens, well compofed : Circles as brilliant as in any other Place, at the Governor’s, and the Intendant’s Ladies. Here feems to me to be every Thing for all Sorts of People to pafs their Time very agreeably. And fo they doin Reality, and every one endeavours to con- tribute what they can towards it. They play, they make Parties of Pleafure, in Summer, in Chariots, or Cances ; in Winter, in Sledges on the Snow, or fkeating on the Ice. Shooting is much followed ; Gentlemen find this their only Refource to live pientifully. The News current is but little, becaufe the . Country furnifhes fcarce any, and the 'News from Europe comes _ all. together; but this affords Converfation for great Part of _ ‘the Year: They make political Remarks on Things paf, and raife Conje€tures on future Events: The Sciences and the fine Arts have their Turn, and Converfation never grows dull, "The Canapians, that is to fay, the Creoles of Canada, breath at “their Birth an Air of Liberty, which makes them very agreeable Lin the Commerce of Life; and our Language is no where fpoken with greater Purity. | Ce ee RTS S _ ‘Thereis nobody ri EUR = See ÉCHES. à ch here, and ’tis Pity, for they love to live * generoufly, and no one thinks of laying up Riches. ‘They keep * good Tables, if their Fortunes will afford it, as welF as to drefs handfomely ; if not, they retrench the Expence of their Table to beftow it on Drefs ; and indeed we muft allow that our Creoles become their Drefs. They are all of good Stature, and the beft Complexion in the World in both Sexes. A plea- - fant Humour, and agreeable and polite Manners are common to — all; and Clownifhnefs, either in Language or Behaviour, is not . known among them. . + LORS eke 1 (a) The Marquis de Vaudreuil. (b) M. Begon. (c) M. Chrambaut d'Aïgt monte (d) M, Denys de Se, Simon, (e) M, le Baron de Békançourt. À … Marfilles lies here ftill, and has found Means to be under Shel- . ma Bar ‘labours for his Heirs; the other leaves them in the Neceffity in Iwas miftaken at the End off my laft Letter, when I faid the | … Secret which may be of fome Ufe. It is good to have fome Re-. thi de ona Anchor the 22d in the Evening, and alter yo | q: revels in North ees | 26m it is not fo, as they fay, with the Englifh our Neighbours, je. and they who know the two Colonies only Mer À ae by the Manner of living, acting and {peaking say ee 2 Io of the Inhabitants, would certainly judge petty ~ ours to be the moft flourifhine. In New Eng- | ene land, and the other Provinces of the Conti- nent of America, fubje&t to the Briri/h Empire, there prevails an Opulence, of which they feem not to know how to take the Be- | nefit; and in New France, a Poverty difguifed by an Air of Eafe, AIS does not feem conftrained. Commerce, and the Culture of Plantations, ftrengthen the former; the Induftry of the In- habitants fupports the | latter, and the Tafte of the Nation diffufesan unbounded Agreeablenefs. The Exgli/b Colonift gathers Wealth, - and never runs into any fuperfluous Expernce: The Freuch enjoys what he has, and often makes a Shew of what he has not. One which he found himfelf, to fhift as well as they can. The Eng~ lif Americans are entirely averfe to War, becaufe they have much to lofe ; they do not regard the Savages, becaufe they think they have no Occafion for them. The Youth of the French, forthe \ contrary Reafons, hate Peace, and live well with the Savages, | whofe Éfteem they gain during a War, and have their F riendthip atall Times. Icould carry the Parallel further, bat I muft finifh:. The King’s Ship is ready, to fail, and the Merchant Ships are preparing to follow it; and perhaps i in three Days there will not be a fingle Ship in our Road. | L'an, &e. on nt Peek TERRE Of the eae? jt VittaceE: What has hindered the Progrefs ‘of th né vy Frenca Coconx of Canana: Of the Money current there. ve im Mapam, Querec, Repo 15. af Am returned from a little Journey of Devotion, of which as ug I fhall give you an Account, but I mutt firft acquaint you, that Road of Quebec would be empty in three Days. A Ship Es: À q ter of the Ice, with which this River is covered. This is a | pare againft any Accident that m ay iy eke The Captain ob E 2 ae An Hifiorical. ‘fournal of had made about a League, he anchored again to wait for fome of his Paffengers, who embarked in the Middle of the Night: He then gave Orders to prepare for failing as foon as the Tide. fhould begin to fall, and went to Bed in pretty good Time. About Midnight they waked him, to let him know that the Veffel was fiiling with Water: ‘They pumped, but to no Pur- pofe: The Water increafed continually, inftead of diminifh- ing. In fhort, every one began to think of faving himfelf, and it was Time. ‘The laft were not yet afhore when the Ship dif- appeared. A Bark loaded with Merchandize from Montreal met with the fame Fate at the Lake Sz. Pierre, (St. Peter,) but they hope to get them both up again, when the fine Weather returns ; and they flatter themfelves that the greateft Part of the Loading of thefe two Veffels will not be loft, The Affair of _ the Ship of Marfeilles may have fome Confequences ; for the Captain fufpeéts that fome Body play’d him a Trick. , I now come to my Pilgrimage. ‘Three Leagues from hence, Mi Delorivicen of to the North-Eaft, there is a little Village of tte Chriftian Hurons, whofe Chapel is built after ; the Model, and with alithe Dimenfons, of the Santa Cafa of Italy, or the Houfe of Loretto ; from whence they fent to our new Converts an Image of the Virgin, like that which is in that celebrated Place. They could not well have chofen a wilder Place for this Miffion : Neverthelefs, the Concourfe here is very great ; and whether it be Fancy, Devotion, or Prejudice, or what you pleafe, many Perfons have affured me that they were feized upon their Arrival here with a fecret and holy Hor- ror, which they could not refift: But what makes a full . greater Impreffion, is the folid Piety of the Inhabitants of this Defart. | eg _ They are Savages, but they retain nothing + their Birth and : Original but what is valuable 5 shar zs to fay, aie ese feel the Simafieiky and Freedom of the firft Aa ey Si the World, with the Addition of Grace ; the Faith of the Patriarchs, a fincere Piety, that Reétitude and Do- -cility of Heart, which is the Character of Saints, an incredi- _ble Innocence of Manners, a pure Chriftianity, on which the World has never breathed the contagious Air that corrupts it, . and-often Actions of the moft heroic Virtue. Nothing is more … _ affeting than to hear them fing in two Choirs, the Men on one ~ … Side, and the Women on the other, the Prayers of the Church, and Hymns in their own Language. Nothing is comparable to the Fervour and Modefty which they make appear in all thei _ Exercifes of Religion. I never faw any Perfon who was no touched with it to the Bottom of his Soul. hes, -This Village was formerly more populous ; but Difeafe. fomething, I know not what, that reduces infenfibly to nc O ie Pa ied, ee # SY, 44 f Travels in North America. 29 _ all the Nations of this Continent, have greatly diminifhed the Number of Inhabitants. The Age and Infirmities of fome of their antient Paftors had alfo made fome Breaches in their firft Fervour ; but it was not difficult to recover them ; and he that governs them at prefent, has nothing to do but tokeep Things upon the Footing he found them. It is true, that they take ail Manner of Precautions to hinder their falling off again. Strong Liquors, the moft common, and almoft the only Stumbling- Block, which makes the Savages fall, are forbid by a folemn Vow, the Tranfgreffion of which is punifhed with publick Pe- nance, as well as every other Fault which caufes Scandal ; and the fecond Offence generally fufices to banifh the Gutity, with- out Hope of Return, from a Place which ought to be the impene- trable Afylum of Piety and Innocence. Peace and Subordina- tion reign here intirely ; and the whole Village feems to make but one Family, regulated upon the pureft Maxims of the Gofpel. This always furprizes every one who knows how far _ thefe People (and the Hurons efpecially) do naturally carry Pride _ and the Spirit of Independence. The greateft, and perhaps the only Trouble of a Miffionary here, is to find Provifion for his Flock. The Diftriét they poffefs, ‘cannot fufficiently fupply them; and there are. good Reafons Basch why they do not permit them to abandon it.—Monfieur and . Madam Begon were of our Pilgrimage, and were received by thefe good People with a Refpeét due to Perfons of their Rank, and who never let them want Neceflaries. After a Reception ~~ entirely military on the Part of the Warriors, and the Shouts of the Multitude, they began the Exercifes of Piety, which was mutually edifying : They were followed by a general Feaft, at _ the Expence of Madam Began, who received all the Honours of it. The Men, according to Cuftom, eat in one Houfe, and the Women and Children in another : I fay Houfe, and not Cabin ; for thefe Savages are lately lodged after the French Manner. The Women on thefe Occafions ufed only to fhew their Gratitude by van their Silence and Modefty ; but becaufe it wasa Lady of the 4 firft Rank that was then in the Colony, who treated thewhole Village, they granted the Huroz Women an Orator, by whom they difplayed to their illuftrious Benefactrefs all the Sentiments _ of their Hearts.’ As forthe Men, after the Chief had madea Speech to the Intendant, they danced and fung as long as we ae pleafed. Nothing, Madam, is lefs diverting, than thefe Songs —__ and Dances: Firft, all are feated upon the Earth like Apes, fee without any Order. From Time to Time a Man rifes up and _ comes forward flowly into the Midft of the Place, always __ keeping Time, as they fay, he turns his Head from Side to Side, bi i NN a TOs as ig + An Hificrical lou ig anes an Air, which is far from being melodious to any one but a Savage born, and pronounces fome Words which have no-preat Meaning. - Sometimes it is a Song of War, fometimes a Song of Death, fometimes an Attack or a Surprize ; for as thefe People drink nothing but Water, ‘they have no drinking Songs, andthey have not yet thought of finging their Amours, Whilt they 4 fing, all the Company never ceafe to beat Time by drawing _ | e he hes ear oe a es + 2 TT PT OR RE Eee on the Bottom of their Breaft an He, which never varies. The Connoiffeurs fay they always keep "Time exatly. I referit to them. When one hasended, another takes his Place: And this conti- nues till the Affembly returns them ‘Thanks ; which would foon happen, without alittle Complaifance, which it is good to have for this People. Itis in Fact a very tirefome and difagreeable - Mufick, at leaft to judge by what I have heard. Throats of Tron, always i in one Tone ; Airs which have always fomething fierce, or mournful. But their Voice is quite different when they fing at Church. As for the Women, their Voices have a farprizing Sweetnefs; they have alfo a good deal of T'afte and Inclination for Mufick. Upon thefe Occafions, the Speech i is the beft Thing. They explain : in few Words, and generally very ingenioufly, the Occa- fion of the Feaft-; to which they never fail to give fome high Motives. The Praifes of the Founder are never forgotten ; and they take the Opportunity of the Prefence of fome Perfons (efpecially when they fpeak before the Governor-General or the Intendant) to afk fome Favour, or to make fome Reprefentation. The Orator of the Hurozs, en that Day, faid fuch witty Things, that we fufpeéted that the Interpreter (who was the Miffionary — himfelf) had lent him his Wit and Politenefs with his Voice; but he protefted that he had added nothing of his own; and we believed him, becaufe he is known to be one of the mo open and fincere Men in the World. (a) | Before I had taken this little Journey, I had made vere Ex- curfons about this City ; but as the Earth was every where co- vered with Snow, five or fix Feet deep, I could thereby learn nothing of the Nature of the Soil ; but I have been over it formerly in all Seafons, and I can affure you that it 1s ve rare to fee Lands more fruitful, or of a better Quality. I applied myfelf very diligently this Winter, to inform myfelf é ae Ad- | vantages which might be made of this Colony, and I will com- ' municate to you the Fruit of my Labours. Canada does not enrich France ;. this is a Complaint as old as the Conan and © it is not without Foundation. It has no rich Inhabitants: This is alfo true. Isthis the Fault of the Country, or is it not o alfo to the firft Settlers? I fhall endeavour to make you decide this Point. ot (a) Father Peter-Dan, Ricker, * Travils in North Ameritas re 0 The firft Source of the ill Fortune of this Country, which is +) The fn Ve No ° honoured with the Name of New France, was FRS i Jehu of the Report which was at firft fpread through Cond the Kingdom, that it had no Mines ; and. wikis they did not enough confider that-the greateft Advantage that can be drawh fronf’ a Colony, is the Increafe of Trade : And to accomplifh this, it requires People; and thefe Peoplings muft be made by Degrees, io that it will not appear in fuch a Kingdom as France: And that the two only Obje@s. _ which prefented themfelves firft in Canada and Acadia, (I meah the Furs and the Fifhery,) required that thefe Countries fhould be peopled: If they had been fo, they had perhaps given, greater Returns to France, than Spain has drawn from the richef — Provinces of the New World; efpecially if they had added Ship-building : But the Luftre of the Gold and Silver which came from Mexico and Peru fo dazled the Eyes of all £Ewroge, that à a Country which did not produce thefe precious Metals, was looked upon as a bad Country. Let us hear upon this Subje&ta fenfible Author, who had been in thefe Places. ir 100 ‘ The common Queftions they make (fays Mark’Lefcarbot} ‘€ are thefe : Is there any Gold or Silver? And no Body afks, ‘ Are thefe People inclined to hear the Chriffian Doétrine? ‘ And as to the Mines, there are fome indeed, but ‘they muft be ‘ wrought with Induftry, Labour, and Patience. ‘The fines | * Mine that I know of, is that of Corn and Wine, and the. ~** breeding of Cattle. They who have this, have Money ; and =~ ‘ we do not live upon Mines. ‘The Sailors who go from all — “<' Parts of Europe to get Fifh at Newfoundland and beyond, eight Fo ‘< or nine hundred Leagues diftant from their Country, find there “€ good Mines, without breaking the Rocks, digging intothe | ‘€ Bowels of the Earth, and living in the Darknefs of Hell. — | ‘ They find, I fay, good Mines at the Bottom of the Waters, = - * and in the Trade of Fur and Skins, of which they make good | ry Money.” | Jeu ‘4 - They not only gave New France a very bad Name without knowing it; but thofe who thought toget | Mifiakes that fome Profit by it, took no Meafures for is ‘ie auere made at the P Sh PA abr ean ue léno ieee FR dent. urpofe. Firft, they were a long ‘Time be. | - fore they fettled upon a Place: They cleared the Land without having ‘firft well examined it: They fowed it, and raifed Buildings upon it ; and then, without knowing why, they often abandoned it, and went to fome other Place. This . Inconflancy was the great Caufe of our lofing Acadia, and hin- ~ dering us from making any Thing of it, whilft we werein Pof feflion of that fine Country.— The Author I have already cited, md who was a Witnefs of our Want of Refolution, was not 22 An. Hiftorical Fournal cf afraid to blame thofe who were moft guilty inthis Affair. ‘ [¢ ‘6 is thus (fays he) that at all Times we, make much ado about € nothing, that we purfue new Enterprizes with great Heat, and ‘ that we project fine Beginnings, and then quit every Thing. ‘€ In Reality; for fuch Undertakings there muft be a Subfiftence ‘ and Support ; but we muft alfo have Men of Refolution, who «< will not foon be difheartened, and have this Point of Honour in View, Vi&ory or Death, that Death being great and glorious ‘© which happens in executing a great Defign ; fuch as laying «‘ the Foundation of a New Kingdom, and eftablifhing the 6 Chriffian Faith among People where GOD is not known.” I come now to Trade.——'The Trade of Canada has been à long Time folely in the Fifhery and Skins. [he Cod Fifhery was carried on upon the Great Bank, and upon the Coatts of Newfoundland, a long "Time before they difcovered the River of Si. Laurence: ‘They bethought themfelves too late, of making a Settlement upon the Ifland ; and we had fuffered the Engli/b to be before-hand with us. At length we took Pof- feffion of the Port and Bay of Placentia. ‘Fhe Militia of Ca- nada have performed here many warlike Exploits; equal to thofe of the boldeft Buccaneers of St. Domingo. They have often de- ftroyed the Inhabitants, and ruined the Trade of the Englifb in this Ifland : But they who fuffered their ftrongeft Places to be | _ eañly taken from them, knew their Enemy too well to be dif- heartened. Accuftomed to fee the Canadian Fire break out -amidft the Northern Ice, and die away of itfelf in the Midit of what ought to have given it more Power, they behaved them- felves at the Approach of our Heroes like a fkilful Pilot upon the Approach of a Storm. ‘They prudently yielded to the La) La € n _: Tempeft, and afterwards repaired without any Hindrance the — . Damage which had been done to their Pofts ; and by this Con- -duét tho’ they were always beat in Newfoundland, either when they _ attacked or defended themfelves, they have always carried on a much greater Trade than their Conquerors, and have at laft re- | . mainec the fole Mafters and quiet Poffeffors of thisIfland. We _ have behaved ftill worfe in Acadia. This great and rich Province has been a long Time divided amongft divers private Perfons, none of which are grown rich, whilft the Exgljb have made an, - . immenfe Profit of the Fifhery upon the Coafts. _ “The Settlements which thefe Proprietors made here, not being . upon a folid Foundation, and wanting themfelves Judgment, and ruining one another, they left the Country, in much the fame | _ Condition they found it; and with fuch an ill Name, that it — - hever recovered till the Moment we loft it. But our Enemies have ~ made us know the Value of it. ra au Oe 184 La 4 !, @ OUEN à a | Refped to the Skin Travels in North America. — 23 KA à The Trade to which they confined : th ( long Time in Canada,’ was that of Skins or : mfelves folely for a © gl ened Furs. It is impofiible to relate the Faults which have been here committed. The Ge- nius of our Nation never, perhaps, was fhewn more than on this Occafion. When we difcovered this vaft Continent, it was full of Deer and other Beafts of the Chace : But a Handful of Frenchmen have within a fingle Age found Means to make them almoft entirely difappear, and there Trade. are fome Species of them entirely deftroyed. ‘Ihey killed the Orignals, or Elks, for the fole Pleafure of killing them, and to fhew they were good Markfmen. No Body thought of inter- pofing the King’s Authority to put a Stop to fuch an extrava- gant Diforder: But the greateft Evil proceeded from the infa- tiable Covetoufnefs of private Perfons, who applied themfelves folely to this Trade. ‘They came for the moft Part from France, like Simonipes ; ¢hat is to fay, poflefing only what they had upon their Backs; and they were impatient to appear in a bete _ ter Condition. At firft, this was eafy : The Savages did not know the Treafure their Woods contained, but by the Eager- nefs the French fhewed to get the Skins out of their Hands, they got from them a prodigious Quantity, by giving them Things which fome People would not pick up : And even fince — they have been better informed of the Value of this Merchan- dize, and expected to be fomething better paid for it, it was very eafy for along Time to fatisfy them at a {mall Expence: With a little Conduct, this Trade might have been continucd on upon a tolerably good Foundation. It would be difficult, however, to name a fingle Family, at this Time, that has been enriched by this Trade. We have feen fome Fortunes, as immenfe as fud- den, raifed and difappear almoft at the fame Time ; like thofe _ moving Mountains of Sand which fome Travellers fpeak of, and | sp which a Whirlwind raifes and levels again in the Plains of Jf. rica. Nothing 1s more common in this Country, than to fee People fuffer a languifhing old Age under Mifery and Contempt, : after having had it in their Power to have made a handfome Settlement for themfelves. | After all, Madam, thefe private Perfons who have miffed. making Fortunes which they did not deferve, would have been . unworthy of the Public Concern, if the Effects of it did not fall upon the Colony ; which foon found itfelf reduced to fuch a _ State, as to fee entirely dried up, or running in another Channel, _ a Spring fromwhence fo many Riches might flow intoits Bofom, Its Ruin begun byuts Plenty. By Means of heaping up Pea- . Skins, which were always the principal Objeét of this e, there was found fuch a vaft Quantity in the Magazines, “ie | that A 34 An Hiftorical Fournal of | ‘ that they could not be difpofed of : Whence it happened, that Bc the Dealers not being willing to take them, our Adventurers, « whom they call here Coureurs de Bois, (Foreft Rangers) carried _ them to the Engl/>, and many of them fettled in New York. Se: veral Attempts were made to hinder thefe People from deferting the Colony; but with little Succefs ; on the contrary, thofe who — went over to our Neighbours for the Sake of Intereft, were de- tained there by the Fear of Punifhment ; and fome Vagabonds, who had taken a Liking to Independency, and a wandering Life, remained among the Savages ; from whom they could not be diftinguifhed, but by their Vices. Recourfe was had feveral Times to the publifhing of Pardon to all that would return ; which at firft had little Effe& ; but at length this Method, ma- naged with Prudence, anfwered the expeéted End. _ They made Ufe of another Method, which was fill more ef- i Léreriee mu fectual. ‘This was, to allow a Number of Doi tlafie , Perfons, whom they thought they could con- anion ' fide in, to go and trade in the Countries of the Savages, and prohibit all other Perfons to go out of the Co- lony. ‘lhe Number of thefe Licences were limited, and they were difiributed to poor Widows and Orphans, who could fell them to the Traders for more or lefs, according to the Value of the Trade ; that is, according to the Places where the Licences permitted them to go; for they had taken the Precaution to mark out the Places, to hinder them from going all one Way. Befides thefe Licences, (the Number of which was fettled by the Court, and the Diftribution of which belongs to the Governor General) there are fome for the Commanders of Pofts, and for extraordinary Occafions ; and the Governor gives fome alfo by © Name of fmple Permifficns : So that a Partof the young Menare | continually roving the Woods ; and though they do not commit - any longer, or at leaft fo openly; the Diforders which have fo much difrraced this Profeffion, yetthey ftill contra& a loofe vagrant Habit, of which they are never entirely cured: They lofe at teaft an Inclination for Labour ; they wafte their Strength, and scome incapable of the leaft Reftraint ; and when they are no longer able to bear the Fatigues of thefe Journies, (which foon \ we happens, becaufe thefe Fatioues are very great) they remain w ES 3&cd, that much good Land lies fill uncultivated, and that tl the Savages, at leaf at certain Seafons of the ‘Yours | Means the Trade would be rendered more flourifhing. ~ wicoout any Refource, and are no longer fit for any Thing. ~ irom hence it proceeds, that Arts have been a long ‘Time neg- pe Country is not peopled. It has been often propofed to abo thefe pernicious Licences, and to.make fome French Settleme in fome chofen Places, and where it would be eafy to aift 9 a Travels in North America. — _ 146 oe . yaft Countries would be infenfibly peopled ; and this would _ perhaps be the only Means to execute _what the Court has had fo long at Heart, to frenchify thefe Savages. I believe I may at leaft affert, that if this Project had been followed, Carada would have been at this Time much more populous than it is ; that the Savages, attracted and retained by. the Help and kind Treatment they would have found in our Habitations, would have been lefs roving, lefs miferable, and in Confequence would have encreafed in Number, (inftead of which their Numbers are furprifingly diminifhed) and they would have been attached to us in fuch a Manner, that we might have made the like Ufe of them by this Time, as of the Subjects of the Crown ; and the more fo, as the Miflionaries would have found much lefs Difficulty in their Converfion.——-What we now fee at Loretgo, and in fome Meafure amongft the Zroguois, the Algonquins, and the Abenaquis, who live in the Colony, leaves no Room to doubt of the Truth of what I advance ; and there is no Perfon among thofe who have been moft converfant with the Savages, who does not agree that we can never depend on thefe People till they are Chriftians. I will cite no other Example than the Abenaquis ; who, though few in Number, were during the two laft Wars the principal Bulwark of New France again New England, He This Projet, which I have laid before you, Madam, is as old as the Colony, it was that of M. de Champlain its Founder, and it was the Defire of almoft all the Miffionaries whom I have a known, and whofe painful Labours in the Situation in which, _ Things have been a long*while, do not prodnce any great Fruit in the Miffions which are at any Diftance. It would be in Faët a very late to take up this Defign now with Refpeët to the Savages, who difappear in fuch a Manner, as is fcarce conceiva- ble. But what fhould hinder us from following it, with Refpe& ‘to the French, and to continue the Colony from one Neighbour- hood to another, till it can reach out a Hand to that of Lewifana, - to ftrengthen each other. By this Means the Engh/> in lefs. than an Age and a half have peopled above five hundred Leagues of Country, and have formed a Power on this Con- tinent, which we cannot help beholding without Fear when wé take a near View of it————-Canada may and does fome- - times carry on a pretty confiderable Trade with the Ifles of Ame- rica, in Flour, Planks, and other Wood fit for Buildings ; as there is not perhaps a Country in the World that has more Variety of - Wood, nor a better Sort: Judge what Riches this may one Day _ produce. It appears that few People underftand this Article ; Ida not underftand it enough myfelf toenter intoa more particularAc- … count: I have fomething more Knowledgeinthe Articleof Oils, of … which I fhallfoon take Notice. Being in Hañe to finifhmy Letter,E . have © Liu ua | Fe F 2 ee An Hiftorical Fournal of ‘ | have only Time to compleat what concerns the Tradeinge. neral. ; aa ae Nothing has more contributed to diftrefs the Trade than the fre- quent Changes which have been made in the Money ; this is the Hiftory of it in few Words. In 1670, the Weft-India Company, « to whom the King had given the Domain of the Iflands of the Continent of French America, had leave to fend to thefe Iflands a hundred thoufand Livres (a) in fmall Money, marked with a particular Legend, that was proper to it. The King’s Edit is dated in February, by which this Species was to be current only in the Iflands. But upon fome Difficulties which arofe, the Council made an Order November 18, 1672, that the faid Mo- “ney, and all other Species that was currentin France, fhould pafs alfo, not only in the French Iflands, but alfo on the Conti- nent of America fubjeë to the Crown, with an Augmentation of One fourth Part; that is to fay, the Pieces of fifteen Sous for twenty, and the reftin Proportion. ‘The fame Order decreed that all Contraéts, Notes, Accounts, Sales, and Payments, fhould be made according to the Rate of the Money, without making Ufe of Exchanges, or accounting in Sugar or other Merchandize, on the Penalty of making all fuch A&ts void. And for all paft it was ordered, that all Contraéts, Notes, Debts, Dues, Rents in Sugar, or other Merchandize, fhould be paidin Money, ac- cording to the Currency of the faid Species. In the Execution of this Order, Money encreafed one fourth in New France, which foon occafioned many Difficulties. In Faét, M. de Champigny Norey, who was made Indendant of Quebec in 1684, and who is now Intendant at Havre-de-Grace, found himfelf foon embarrafied, « both in the Payment of the Trocps, and other Expences of the © King in this Colony. Sines: 1 " Befdes this, the Funds which were fent from France, almoft always cametoo late; and by the firft of Faxuary the Officers and Soldiers were to be paid, and other Payments to be made, which were equally indifpenfabie. To fatisfy the moft prefling De- . mands, M. de Champigny made Notes to fupply the Place of Mo. . ney, obferving always the Augmentation. And by Order of the © Governor and the Intendant, they fet on every Piece of this Mo.” ney (which was a Card) the Treafurer’s Sign Manual, the Arms of — France, and the Seals of the Governor and Intendant in Wax; they — afterwards got them printed in France, on Pañteboard, with the | fame Marks as the current Money of the Kingdom ; and it was u ordered that they fhould be prefented every Year before th Arrival of the Ships from France, to add,a Mark, to prev Counterfeits. oes (oa Agta ee | : (a) A Livre is about mt. of “oury Money. eee ie 2 Various Changes in the Money. és f ! ety be Travels m North Ameria. °° ae _ This Pafteboard Money did not laft long, and they made Ufe again of Cards, on which they grayed new Devices. The Intendant figned all that were of four Livres Value and above, | and only made a Flourifh upon the others. In latter Times the Governor General figned all that were of fix Livres or more. In the Beginning of the Autumn, all the Cards were car- ried to the Treafurer, who gave for their Value Bills of Ex- change upon the Treafurer General of the Marines, or his Clerk at Rochfort, on the Account of the Expences for the next Year. Thofe which were damaged or defacedwere burnt, after they had taken a proper Accountof them. So long as thefe Bilisof Ex- change were faithfully paid, thefe Cards were preferred to Money; but when the Bills were not paid, the Cards were no longer carried to the Treafurer; fothatin 1702, M. de Champigny gave him- felf a great deal of Pains to no Purpofe, to call in thofehehad 7}. made. His Succeflors were obliged to make new ones every | Year to pay Officers, which multiplied them to fuch a Degree, that they fell to no Price, and nobody would receive them any longer. ‘Trade was hereby entirely ruined, and the Diforder — went fo far, that in 1713 the Inhabitants propofed to lofe half, a on Condition that the King would take them again and paythe | other half : This Propofal was accepted the Year following, but the Orders given in Confequence, were notentirely executed A till 1717. An Order was then made to abolifh the Money of |” Cards, and they begun to pay in Silver the Officers of the Co- lony. ‘The Augmentation of one fourth was alfo abolifhed at » © the fame Time : Experfence having made it appear that the Augmentation of the Species in a Colony, is not the Way to — keep it in it, which was the Thing propofed; and that Mo- ney can never circulate greatly in a Colony, but when they pay in Merchandize for all they have from the Mother Country. In | Fat, in this Cafe, the Colony keeps the Species, inflead of which, N if it has not Merchandize fufficient to-anfwer the whole Demands | upon it, it is obliged to pay the Surplus in Money, and how will it come back again? — wi à In fhort, Madam, you will be furprized to hear, that in 1706, © the Trade of the oldeft of our Colonies was carried on with a Fund of only fix hundredand fifty thoufand Livres, and Thingsare _ not much changed fince that Time. Now this Sum difperfed amongft thirty thoufand Inhabitants, cannot fet them at their Eafe, nor afford them Means to purchafe the Merchandize of France. So the greateft Part of them go naked, efpecially thofe « who are in the diftant Settlements. They do not evenfell the Surplus of their Merchandize to the Inhabitants of the Towns, … becaufe the latter are obliged for a Subfiftence to have Lands __in the Country, and to improve them themfelves. De | ñ When i » ‘ me ak a y ie ie at the End of this Letter. I do not know that any Autho was for Want ofobferving it attentively; perhaps alfo D An Hiftorical Fournal of 4 _When the King took Canada out of the Hands of the Compa- nies, his Majefty {pent much more for fome Years than he has done fince ; and the Colony, during this Time, fent to France’ near the Value of a Million of Livres in Beaver Skins every Year, tho’ it was lefs peopled than it is now: But it has always had more from France than it could pay, and acted like a private Perfon, who has thirty thoufand Livres a Year Eftate, and who fpends forty thoufand or more. By this Means its Credit is fallen, and in falling, has brought on the Ruin of its Trade; which, fince the Year 1706, has confifted in nothing more than fmali Peltry. All the Dealers fought for them, and this was their Ruin, becaufe they often bought them dearer of the Savages, than they fold them in France. is ; Lam, &c. > EERE PET Tee ay Of the BEAVERS of Canada, hor they differ fromthe Beavers of Europe: Of their Manner of Building: The Manner of bunting the Beavers: Of the Advantage to bémade of them. Of the Musk RAT, -Mapam, | QuEesec, March 1. # Was to go from hence a Day or two after I had clofed my laf À Letter, but I muft fill fop for Wamt of Carriage. The bet Ican do in the mean Time, is to entertain you with the Curiofi- ties of this Country; and I begin with what is moft fingular, that is, the Beaver. The Spoils of this. Animal has hitherto — farnifhed New France with the principal Object of its Trade. It js of itfelf one of the Wonders of Nature, and it may be toMan ~~ a great Example of Forefight, of Induftry, Skill, and Conflancy © in Labour. ; | ae The Beaver was not unknown in France before the Difcovery “Phe Difire. of America, and we find in fome ancient Writ- be Différence ings of the Hatters of Paris, fome Regula- of ee Beever OF sions for making Beaver Hats: The Beaver or anata, fromthat Caitor is entirely the fame Creature ;. but af debrope. either that the European Beaver is become éx-. ~—*treamly farce, or its Fur was not fo good as that of the Ameri~ ean Caftor, we hear little Mention now but. of the laft,-unlefs it be with Refpeët to Cafforeum, of which I fhall fay a few Wor -f{poken of this Animal as being any Thing curious; per fo that t é ‘@adtots or Beavers of Europe are like the Land Caftors, the Dif. Ference of which from the others I fhall prefently make you ‘underftand. | A However that ar be, gee = sa PA cine sa 2 an | amphibious Quadrupede, which cannot how: ed à the Fur of lees remain ci Time in the Water, and the Beaver. can dowithout being init, provided it has the . Opportunity of wafhing itfelf fometimes: ‘Whe largeft Beavers are fomething under four Feet long, about fifteen Inches from one Hip tothe other, and weigh about fixty Pounds. The Colour of this Animal is different, according to the dif. ferent Climates where it is found. Inthe moft diftant Parts of the North they are generally quite black, though fome- times they are found there white. In the more temperate Countries they are brown, and by Degrees, as they ad- “vance towards the South, their Colour grows more and more light. Amongft the Jos, they are almoft of a fallow Colour, | and fome have been found of a ftraw Colour. It it further ob- ferved, that the lefs black they are, the lefs they are furnifhed with Fur, and of Confequence their Skins are lefs valuable. ‘This is an Effeét of Providence, which defends them from the Cold, as they are the more expofed to it. heir Fur is of two Sorts all _ over the Body, except the Feet, where there is but one Sort very, _ fhort. The longeft Sort is about eight or ten Lines, or Parts of an Inch long, fuppofe an Inch to be divided into twelve Parts: It is even two Inches long on the Back, but diminifhes by ‘Degrees towards the Head and Tail. This For is fliff and gloffy, and is what gives the Colour to the Creature. Upon view- the cleareft, which proves that it is hollow; this Fur is of no Ufe. _ The other Fur is a very fine Down, very thick, and at moft not formerly called in Europz, Mu/cowy Wool. This is properly the and perhaps helps him in fwimming. They fay that the Beaver lives from fifteen to twenty Years; | Sie that the Female goes four Months wi ings Der. alc goes four Mot ths with Youngs Ht . and has commonly four Young ones; fome Defcription of this ryt We ty à 1 LA . FA Travellers makethe Number amount to eight, hd ; but I believe this feldom happens: She has four Dugs, two on the great Pectoral Mufcle, between the fecond and third Ribs, and two about four Inches higher, The Mufcles of this Animal are very ftrong, and bigger than feems even, have a very great Strength; each Jaw is furnifhed with ten eeeth, two cutting ones and eight Grinders. The upper cut Ru. | ting Zravels in North America. 29 ing it with a Microfcope, the middle Part of it is found to be ~ above an Inch long, and this is what is made Ufe of. It was. Cloathing of the Beaver; the firft ferves him only for Crnament, » neceffary to its Size. Its Inteftines on the contrary are very . ender; its Bones are very hard, its two Jaws, which are almoft — 40 An Hiforical. Fournal of "0 _ ting Teeth are two Inches and a half long, the lower are above _ three Inches, and follow the Bend of the Jaw, which gives them a Strength which is admirable in fuch little Animals. It is ob- ferved alfo, that the two Jaws do not meet exaétly, but that the upper reach over the lower, fo that they crofs like the Edges of a Pair of Sciffars ; and laftly, that the Length of all their Teeth is exactly the third Part of the Roots of them. The Head of a Beaver is nearly like the Head of a Field Rat, the Snont is — fomewhat long, the Eyes little, the Ears fhort and round, cover ~ ed with Down on the Outfide, and naked within; its Legs are ~ fhort, particularly thofe before, they are feldom above four or ~ five Inches long, and like thofe of a Badger ; its Nails are as it | were cut floping, and are hollow like a Quill. The hind Legs are quite different, they are flat, and furnifhed with a Mem- brane; fo that the Beaver goes but flowly on Land, but fwims as eafily as any other Water Animal: And on the other Hand, by its Tail, it 1s entirely a Fifh; and fo it has been declared by the College of Phyficians at Paris, and in Confequence of this Declaration, the Doors of Divinity have agreed, that the Flefh might be eaten on Faft Days. M. Lemery was miftaken, when he faid that this Decifion was only confined to the Tail of the Beaver. It is true that we can make but little Advantage of this Condefcenfion: The Beavers are fo far from our Habitations at prefent, itis rare to have any that are eatable. The Savages. who dwell amongftus, keep them after they have been dryed in the Smoak, and I aflure you, Madam, that I know of nothing more ordinary. We muft alfo, when the Beaver is frefh, put itin — + fome Brothto make it lofeawild and naufeous Tafte; butwith this Precaution there isno Meat lighter, more dainty, or wholfome: They fay that it is as nourifhing as Veal: Boiled it wants fomething to give ita Relifh, but roafted it it wants nothing. | What is ftill moft remarkable in the Shape of this Animal, is the Tail. It is near four Inches Seed at its Root, five in the midft, and three at the End, (I fpeak always of the large Beavers) itis an Inchthick, and a Foot long. Its Subftancess is a hard Fat, or a tender Sinew, which pretty much refembles the Flefh of a Porpoife, but which grows harder upon being kept along Time. It is covered with a fcaly Skin, the Scales — of which are hexagonal, half a Line thick, and three or four | Lines long, which Tay one upon another like thofe of a Fifh; — they lay upon a very tender Skin, and are fixtinfuch a Man- ner, that they may be eafily feparated after the Death of the — Animal. This is, Madam, in few Words, the Defcription cf — 4 « ey, © this curious amphibious Creature. i os the Caf: Ancients, probably, becaufe they are very ‘cram | given this Name to the Purfes or Bags of the Caftoreum, which are very different, and four jn Number, in the lower Belly of the Beaver. The two firft, which they call the upper, becaufe they are higher than the others, have the Shape — _ of a Pear, and communicate with each other like the two Pockets of a Wallet. The two others, which are called the — lower, are rounded at the Bottom, Thefe contain a refinous, foft, glewy Matter, mixt with fmall Fibres, of a greyifh Colour without, and a yellowifh within ; of a ftrong Smell, difagreea-_ ble and penetrating, and which is eafily infammable.: This is the true Caforeum: It grows hard in the Airin a Month’s ‘Time, and becomes brown, brittle, and friable. If we are ina hurry to harden it, it need only be hung in the Chimney. They fay that the Caffereum which comes from Dantzic, 1s better than that of Canada, I refer to the Druggifts ; it is cer- — tain that the Bags of the latter are fmaller, and that here alfo the largeft are elteemed. Befides their Bignefs, they fhould be | heavy, of a brown Colour, of a penetrating and ftrong Smell, full of a hard brittle and friable Matter, of the fame Colour, or yellow, interweaved with a thin Membrane, and of a fharp Faite. The Properties of Cafforeum, are to attenuate vifcous Matter, to ftrengthen the Brain, to remove Vapours, to provoke the Menfes, to hinder Corruption, and to evaporate had Humours by Tranf- piration ; it is ufed alfo with Succefs againft the Epilepfy, the — Palfy, the Apoplexy, and Deafnefs. The lower Bags contain an unctuous fat Liquor like Honey. Its Colour is a pale Yellow, its Odour fetid, little differing from that of Caffcreum, but fomething weaker and fainter. It thickens with | keeping, and takes the Confiftence of Tallow. This Liquor is yefolving, and ftrengthens the “Nerves; for this Purpofe, 1t need — only be applied to the Part affected. It isa Miftake to fay, as _fome Authors do fill, upon the Credit of the ancient Natura- lifts, that when the Beaver is purfyed, it bites off thefe pretended Tefticles, and leaves them to the Hunters to fave his Life. It is of his Fur which he ought rather to deprive himfelf, for in Compa- rifon of his Fleece, the reftis hardly of any Value, But how- ever, itis this Fable, which has given it the Name of Caftor, The Skin of this Animal, deprived of its Fur, is not to be neglected ; they make Gloves and Stockings of it; but as it is difficult ta get off all the Fur without cutting the Skin, they feldom ufe any but thofe of the Land Beaver. You have heard, perhaps, the ers = Travels in North America. 4 . ‘The true Tefticles of this Animal were not known to the fmall, and hid under the Groin. They had — adam, of the fat and dry Béaver Skins; the Difference isthis, — > dry Skin is the Skin of a Beaver that has never been ufed 3 - Ne a.) ie ‘Aorical Faurtal of «the fat Skin is what has been worn by the Savages, which, after = ‘they have been well {craped within, and rubbed with the Marrow “of certain Animals which I do not know, to make it more plia- ble, they few feveral together, and make a Kind of Mantle, which they call a Robe, with which they wrap. themfelves up -with the Fur inwards. They wear it continually in Winter, Day and Night; the long Hair foon falls off, and the Down re-, mains, and grows greafy : In this Condition it is much fitter for the Ufe of the Hatters; they cannot not even ufe the dry Sort, : without mixing fome of the other with it. ‘They fay that it muft be worn ‘fifteen or fixteen Months to be in Perfeétion. I leave you to judge, if at firft they were weak enough to let the Savages know, that their old Clothes were fucha precious Merchandize. But a Secret of this Nature, could not be long hid from them; it was trufted to Covetoufnefs, which is never long without LE. traying itfelf. :. . About three Years: ago one Guigues, who had the Farm of a LE de the Beaver Skins, finding himfelf burdened Bows with a prodigious Quantity of thefe Skins, à he PET NEC Hard to encreafe the Confumption, by hav- ing the Fur fpun and carded with Wool; and with this Compo- fition he made Cloths and Flannels, Ab wove Stockings, and fuch-like Works, but with little Succefs. It is evident by this Tryal, that the Beaver Fur is good for nothing but to make Hats. It is too fhort to be fpun alone, it muft be mixt with above half Wool; fo that there is but little - Profit to be made of thefe Works. There is, however, ‘fill one of thefe Manufactures in Holland, where they make Cloths and Druggets; but thefe Stuffs are deur: and do not wear well. The Beaver Fur feparates foon, and forms a Kind of Down upon the « » Surface, which takes off all their Beauty. The Stockings mes a were nde of it in France, had the fame Fault. ‘24 This is, Madam, all the Advantage this Colony can reccive M | frorat the Beavers, with Refpect to its Trade. Ht ay Nile The Indattry of the Bee D Forefight, | GCE AE BEG. ye Unity and Subordivaehin fo much admir- " ap ed inthem, their Attention to procure them- A felves Conveniencies, the a forts of which, we thought former: * _.dy Brutes were not feniible of, furnifh to: Man more “Inftrug 10% i than the Ant, to which the Holy Scriptures fend the Idle. The: are at leaft- amongft Quadrupedes, what the Bees are amo 9 flying Infeéts. I nçver heard that they had a King ora Q and itis not true that when they are at work together in. panies, that they havea Chief who commands and p the idle: But by Virtue of that Inftinét given to Animals, I whofe Providence governs them, every one knows WES. Supreme Intelligence, who makes Ufe of thefe. Beings, who want Reafon, the better to difplay his Wifdom and Power, and to makes us know that our Reafon itfelf is frequently, sy our Prefumption, the Caufe of our going aftray. The firft Thing that is done by thefe Creatures, when they want to make a Habitation, is, to aflemble themfelves : Shall I fay in» Tribes or Societies ? It thall be what you pleafe: But there are fometimes three or four hundred together, making a ‘Town, which might be called a little Venice. (a) At firft they chufe a Place were they may find Plenty of Provifions, and Materials for their build- ss ing: Above all, they muft have Water. If there is no Lake or Pond near, they fupply the Defect, by ftopping the Courfe : of fome Brook or Rivulet, by the Mare of a Dyke ; or, as they - call it here, a Caufey. For this End they go and cut down fome Trees above the Place where they intend to build : Three or four Beavers fet themfelves about a great Tree, and cut it down with their Teeth. This is not all: They take their Meafures! fo well, that it always falls on the Sidetowards the Water, that they may have the lefs Way to carry it when they have cut it to Pieces ; as they are fenfible their Materials are not fo eafily tranfported by Land as by Water. They have nothing to de: after, but to roll thefe Pieces into the Water, and guide them. to the Place where they are to be fixed. ‘Thefe Pieces are thicker or thinner, longer or fhorter, as the Nature and Situation of the Place require; for one would fay that thefe Architeéts conceive at once every Thing that relates to their Defign. Sometimes they employ large Trunks of ‘Trees, which they lay flat: Sometimes the Caufey is made only of Stakes; fome as thick as a Man’s — ‘Thigh, or lefs ; which they drive into the Earth very near each “other, and interweave with {mall Branches ; and every where the hollow Spaces are filled up with Clay fo well applied, that not a Drop of Water can pafs through. It is with their Paws that the Beavers prepare the Clay; and their Tail does not only: ferve them for a Trowel to build with, but for a Hod to carry this Mortar. ‘To place and fpread this Clay, they firft make Ufe of their Paws, then their Tail. The Foundation of the Dams are generally ten or twelve Feet thick; but they decreafe in Thicknefs upwards: So that a Dam which is twelve Feet. thick at the Bottom, is not above two atthe Top. All thisis | done in exaét Proportion, and, as one may fay, according to the {Bales of Art; forit is obferved, that the Side towards the Cur- ue The ney of Venice is built in the midit of Waters. wà G à rent 2s is in North America. My) eae to de. and every Thing is done without Confufion, and with fo much Order as can never befufiiciently admired. Perhaps, after all, we are fo much aftonifhed but for Want of looking up to that x. =n, DR ae aes 44 An Hiflorical Formal of rent of the Water is always floping, in order to break the Pref: _ fure of the Water, and the other Side perfettly perpendicular: Ina Word, it would be difficult for our beft Workmen to make any Thing more folid and regular. The Conftruétion of their Cabins is not lefs wonderful. They are generally made upon Piles in the midft of thefe little Lakes, which the Dykes have made : Sometimes by the Side of a River, or at the Extremity of a Point that advances into the Water. ‘Their Shape is round or oval; and the Roof is arched. The Walls are two Feet thick, built with the fame Materials as the Caufey, but lefs, and every where fo well plaiftered with Clay on the Infide, that the leaft Breath of Air cannot enter. ‘Two thirds of the Building is out of the Water, and in this Part every Beaver has a feparate Place, which he takes Care to ftrew with Leaves, or {mall Branches of Firs. It is always free from Ordure; and for this End, befides the common Door of the Cabin, and another Outlet by which thefe Creatures pafs to bathe themfelves, there are feveral Open- ings by which they can dung into the Water. The common Ca- bins lodge eight or ten Beavers, fome have been found which held thirty, but this is uncommon. ‘They are all near enough exch other, to have an eafy Communication. The Beavers are ae furprized by the Winter; all the ona - Works I mention, are finifhed by the End of — ee Fergie September, and then every one Brite his -§ Store for the Winter. Whilft they go backwards and forwards in the Woods or Fields, they live upon Fruits, the Bark and « Leaves of Trees; they alfo catch Cray-Fifh and other Fifth; w _ Then they have Variety of Food. But when they are to pro- w me forth their Young : The Males keep the Country till towar . Winter will prove longer or fhorter; and this is an Almanack à _ for the Savages, which never deceives them in Regard to the © Cold. ‘The Beavers before they eat the Wood, cut it in very « ing of the Snow is at its Height, as it never fails to caufe great © vide themfelves for the whole Seafon, that the Earth being co- ~ vered with Snow fupplies them with nothing, they content ~ themfelves with foft Woods, fuch as the Poplar and the Afpen, ~ and fuch-like. They "pile it up in fuch a Manner, that they © can always take thofe Pieces which are foaked in the Water. It w is always obferved, that thefe Piles are larger or fmaller, as the fall Pieces, and carry it into their feparate Lodges; for every Cabin has but one Magazine for all the Family: When the melt: Floods, the Beavers leave their Cabins, which are no longer — habitable, and every one takes which Way ‘he likes beft. ~ “he Females return as foon as the Waters are run off, and then bring the Monthi of Fuly, when they re-affemble to repair thé Breaches _ which thé Floods have made in their Cabins or Dykes, — If they @ # HA ‘4 m1 an à i LRU 2 UE ÿ: : Travels in North Americas 459 have been deftroyed by the Hunters, or if they are’ not worth i the Trouble of repairing, they make others: But many Rea- {ons oblige them to change their Abode. frequently, the moft common is the Want of Provifion ; they are alfo obliged to do ‘at by the Hunters, or Beafts of Prey, again which they have no other Defence than Flight. We might think it flrange, that the Author of Nature has given lefs Power of Defence to the greateft Part of ufeful Animals, than to thofe which are not ufe- ful; if this Circumftance did not the more difplay his Wifdom and Power, in that the former, notwithftanding their Weaknefs; multiply much more than the latter. foie There are fome Places which the Beavers feem to have taken fuch an Affection to, that they cannot leave them, though they. are continually difquieted. In the Way from Montreal to Lake Huron, by the great River, they never fail to find every Year in the fame Place, a Lodgment which thefe Animals build or repair every Summer. For the firft Thing Paffengers do who pafs this Way, isto break down the Cabin, and the Caufey which furnifhes - it with-Water. If this Caufey had not kept up the Water,they __ would not have enough to continue their Way, and they would =~ be obliged to make a Portage; fo that it looks as if thefe offi= cious Beavers pofted themfelves here folely for the Convenience of Paffengers. The fame Thing, as they fay, is to be feen near = Québec, where the Beavers labouring for themielves, fupply Was ter to a Mill for fawing Planks. 7 | ghee ee ek SI The Savages were formerly perfuaded, if we believe fome ~ Of the Land Relations, that the Beavers were a reafonablé ” Kind of Creatures, which had their Laws, theif Government, and their particular Language: : That this amphibious People chofe-;Commanders, who in their common Labours appointed to everyone his T'afk, placed Cens | tinels to give Notice of the Approach of an Enemy, and pu- —- nifhed or banifhed the idle. Thefe pretended Exiles are pro- _ bably thofe which they call the Land Beavers, which in Fatt “s live apart from the others, do not labour, and live under. « Ground, where their whole Care is to make themfelves a €O- ~ vered Way to go'to the Water. They are known by the little Fur they have upon their Backs, which proceeds'no doubt from their rubbing it conftantly againft the Earth; and withal they Beavers. = Ve DS are lean, the Effect of their Sloth: More of thefe are found in the South than in the North. I have already obferved, that _ our Beavers of Euyope are more like thefe, than the others. In Fatt, M. Lemery fays, they live in Holes and Cavities on the Banks of Rivers, efpecially in Poland. ‘There are fome alfo in _ ‘Germany upon the Elbe, and in France upon the Rhone, the. Libre and the Oxf, It is certain, that we do not find in the Faroge 2 | : | Beave j AO. oc: An Hiftorical “fournal of. Beavers thofe extraordinary Qualities which fo much diftinsuifh : À thofe of Canada. ’Tis a great Pity, Madam, that none of thefe . | wonderful Creatures were found in the Tyder, or in the T'errito- : | ries of Parnaffus, what fine Things would the Grez and Roman. Poets have faid on this Subject. 4 | a | It appears that the Savages of Canada did not difturb them greatly till our Arrival in their Country. The Skins of the | Beavers were not the moft ufed by thefe People for Garments, and the Flefh of Bears, Elks, and other wild Creatures was more approved by them. They hunted them, neverthelefs, and this Chace had its Seafon, and its peculiar Ceremonies ; but when they hunted only for what was merely neceflary for a pre- fent Supply, they made no great Ravages; and indeed when we came to Canada, we found a prodigious Number of thefe am- phibious Creatures in the Country. Pa ad : There is no Difficulty in hunting the Beaver, for this Animal Bah Se has not in any Degree the Strength to defend | OF ‘bunting:/the himfelf, ioe Ee Sill to fhun the Attacks of his Enemy, which it difcovers in providing for itfelf Lodging and Provifions. It is during Winter they make War againft him in Form; shat is to fay, from the Begin- ning of November till April. Then it has, like all other Ani- mals, more Fur, and the Skin is thinner; this hunting is per- formed four different Ways, with Nets, with the Gun, the Trench, and the Trap; the firft 1s generally joined to the third, and they feldom make Ufe of the fecond, becaufe the Eyes of this little Animal are fo piercing, and his Ears are fo quick, that it is difficult to approach near enough to fhoot him, before he gets into the Water, which he never goes far from. during this Seafon, and into which he immediately plunges. , They would lofe him alfo if he were wounded before he gets À into the Water, becaufe he never comes up again if he dies of “his Wound; itis therefore the Trench or the Trap that are ge- nerally ufed. | ; - Though the Beavers have made their Provifion for the Win- | ter, they ftill continue to make fome Excurfons intothe Woods 4 to find fome frefher and tenderer Food, and this Daintinefs cofts — many their Lives. The Savages fet up Traps in their Way, . _ made almoft like a Figure of 4, and for a Bait they put little ~~ Pieces of foft Food newly cut; as foon as the Beaver touches it, a great Log falls upon him and breaks his Back, and the Hun- | ter coming up makes an End of him without any Trouble. — The Trench requires more Caution, and they proceed in thik “Manner: When the Ice is but half a Foot thick, they cut _ Opening with an Ax, the Beavers come here to breathe freely; the Hunters wait for them, and perceive them CO PT € x * Beaver. Travels in North America.: = 4g 7 ‘at a good Diftance, becaufe in blowing they give a confiderable ‘Motion to the Water; fo that it is eafy to take their Meafures ‘to kill them.as foon as they appear above Water: But for the - greater Certainty, and not to be feen by the Beavers, they throw ‘upon the Hole which they make in the Ice fome broken Reeds or Stalks of Indian Wheat, and when they find that the Ani- --malds within Reach, they feize him by one of his Paws, and -~ throw him- upon the Ice, where they knock him on the Head ‘before he has recovered of his Surprize. | | " «If the Cabin is near fome Rivulet, they are taken with lefs Trouble, they make a Cut acrofs the Ice to let down their Nets, ‘then they go and break down the Cabin. The Beavers that are ‘in it never fail to run into the Rivulet, and are caught in the Net, ~ - but they muft not be left there long, for they would foon make : their Way out by gnawing it. Thofe which have their Cabins in the Lakes have, at three or four hundred Paces from the > - Shore, a Kind of Country-houfe, where they may breathe a bet- ter Air: Then the Hunters divide themfelves in two Parties, one goes to break down the Country Cabin, and the other Party _ | ‘falls upon that of the Lake ; the Beavers which are in the latter {and the Hunters take the ‘Time when they are all there) fly for ‘Refuge to the other; but they find nothing there but Duft, ‘which has been thown in on Purpofe, and which blinds them fo that they are eafily taken. Laftly, in fome Places, they make a Breach in the Caufey ; by this Means the Beavers foon find themfelves aground, and without Defence, or elfe they immediately run to remedy the Evil of which they do not know the Authors, and as they are well prepared to receive them, the Beavers feldom.efcape, or at leaft fome of them are taken. There are fome other Particularities of the Beavers which IPL S - J find in fome Memoirs, the Truth of which Some Particula- rities of this Crea- ture. I cannot warrant. ‘They pretend, that when thefe Animals have difcovered any Hunters, _ | | or any of thofe Beafts that prey upon them, they dive, ftriking the Water with their Tail, with fucha great LR : Noife, that they may be heard half a League off: Thisis pro _ ‘bably to give Notice to the reft to be.upon their Guard. “hey, : “fay alfo that they have the Senfe of fmelling fo exquifite,.that being in the Water they fmell a Canoe at a great Diftance. But they add, that they only fee Side-ways like a Hare, and that through this Defeé& they often fall into the Hands of the Hun- _ ter whom they feek to fhun. And laftly they affirm, that when a _ Beaver has loft his Mate, they never couple again with another, as they 14 7 _is reported of the Turtle Dove. The Savages take great Careto | hinder their Dogs from touching the Bones of the Beaver, becaufe Ahn te, <2 are fo hard they would fpoil their Teeth ; they fay the fame | D Thiag ore # eat TV Pe oP tee RE 48. An Hiftorical Journal of Thing of the Bones of the Porcupine. The Generality of the Savages give another Reafon for this; it is, they fay, not to enrage the Spirits of thefe Animals, which would hinder at an- other Time the Chace from being fuccefsful. For the reft, Ma- dam, I wonder they have not tried to tranfport fome of thefe wonderful Creatures into France ; we have Places enough where they might find Food enough, and Materials for building, and — I believe they would multiply there prefently. We have here alfo a little Animal much of the fame Nature | as the Beaver, which in many Refpeéts feems By ie ae to be a fmaller Species, sr is Tatas the Ces Mufe Rat. Ithas, in Fat, almoft all the Properties of the Beaver, the Shape of the Body, and efpecially © of the Head of both,.is fo alike, that one would take the Mufk Rat for a little Beaver, if his Tail was cut of, which is almoft like that of our Rats; and if its Tefticles were taken away, which contain a moft exquifite Mufk. This Animal, which weighs about four Pounds, 1s much like that which Mr. Ray defcribes under the Name of Mus Alpinus. It takes the Field in the Month of March, and its Food is then fome Bits of Wood, which it peals + before eating them. Afterthe Snows are melted, it lives upon the Roots of Nettles, then on the Stalks and Leaves of this . Plant. In Summer it feeds moftly on Rafberries and Straw- berries, and afterwards on other autumnal Fruits. During this Seafon, the Male is feldom feen without the Female: When Winter begins they feparate, ‘and each goes to find a Lodging in fome Hole, or the Hollow of a Tree, without any Provifions ; and the Savages affirm that as long as the Cold lafts they. eat They buildalfo Cabins, fomething like thofe of the Beavers, but very far from being fo well built. As to their Situation, it is always by the Water Side, fo they have no Occafion to make any Dams. They fay that the Fur of the Mufk Rat may be — mixt with that of the Beaver in making Hats, without any Prejudice to the Work. Its Flefh is not bad but in rutting ‘Time; then it is not poffible to deprive it of a Mufkinefs, which © is not fo pleafant to the T'afte as to the Smell. ———1 was very much inclined, Madam, to give you an Account of the other \ … Chaces of the Savages; and of the Animals that are peculiar to | _ this Country, but I muf defer it to another Opportunity. Jam — ‘ jut now informed that my Carriage is ready, and I am going | Age fet out, ae CE teil Be: sy) nit: HIER \ PALESTINE L Travels in North America. | 49 | manne prenais me EEnaer nn Cl LOT E KR V. A Fourney from QueEBeEc fo Trois Rivieres (the Three Rivers +) … How they go Poft upon the Snow. Of the Lordfhips or Manors of — New France. À Defcription of Beck ancourT. The Tradition in regard to the Name of the River PUANTE (the Stinking River.) A Defeription of Trois Rivieres. A Continuation of the feveral Huntings of the Savages. 3 MaDAM, | Trois Rivieres, March 6. ¥ Arrived Yefterday in this Town, after two Days Journey, and I though it is twenty-five Leagues diftant from Quebec, I could have performed the Journey in twelve Hours, becaufe I came in a Sledge, which the Snow and Ice makes a very eafy Way of travelling in this Country during the Winter, and which does not coft more than the common Carriages. The Sledge runs fo fmoothly, that a fingle Horfe fuffices to draw it, and always goes a Gallop. One finds at different Places frefh Horfes at à acheap Rate. In Cafe of Need one might travel this Way threefcore Leagues in twenty-four Hours, much more con: veniently than in the beft Poft-Chaifes. | I lay the the firft Night at Pointe aux Trembles, (Afpen Tree Point) feven Leagues from the Capital, which Ofthe LordPiPe x Jeff but one Hour before Night. This is Of Can. Oie of the good Parifhes of this Country. The Church is large and well built, and the Inhabitants in good Circumftances. In general, the old Inhabitants are richer here than the Lords of the Manors, and this is the Reafon : Canada was but a great Foreft when .the French firft fettled it. _Thofe who obtained Lordfhips, were not People to improve the — 7 Land themfelves ; they were Officers, Gentlemen, and Compas nies, who had not Funds fuflicient to eftablifh a proper Num- ber of Labourers for this Purpofe. They were therefore obliged _ to fettle Inhabitants; who, before they could get a Subfiftence; were obliged to labour much, and to advance all the Charges; fo that they paid their Lords but a very flender Rent; and all the ufual Pines of a Manor amount here but to a fmall Sum. A Lordfhip of two Leagues in Front, and of an unlimited Depth, _ brings in but a fmall Income ina Country fo thinly peopled, and : _ where there is fo little Trade in the inward+Parts. a 5x ; pees RS - ¢ x Æ aie ‘ e. ay? a . "NM HSE ae This nu LT pe We AO ; GABE hy Er» Eu * ~ V UE CPE a 8° An Hiftorical ‘journal of This was without Doubt, one of the Reafons that engaged | Sepa are Lewis the. XIV th to allow all Nobles and a a DEA a FT Dar Jettled in Canada, to trade both by Patr ae dés oe Sea and Land, without being lable to be troubled nis ste ss on this Account, or reputedto have derogated from anne . their Birth and Family. 'Thefe are the Terms * of tlie Order, which was made by the Council, the roth of March 168s. And further, there are no Lordfhips in this Country, even of thofe which ‘give Titles of Honour, to which the Right of Patronage belongs; for upon the Claim of fome Lords, founded upon their having built a Parifh Church, his Majefty being pre- fent in Council, declared the fame Year, 1685, that this Right- belonged only to.the Bifhop, as well becaufe he is more capa- “bié than any other of judging who are the fitteft Pérfons, as be- caufe, that the proper Allowance of the Curates, is paid out of © the Tythes:that belong to the Bifhop. The King in the fame Order declares, that the Right of Patronage is not to give any ‘Rank of Honour. ne | | St I departed from Pointe aux Trembles before Day,. with a one DE he “Si eyed Horfe, I changed him afterwards for Of eas 35 alameone, and then him fora broken winded ge A a ae Soy one. With thefe three Relays, I went feven- court. teen Leagues in feven or eight Hours, and I arrived early at the Baron de Beckancourt’s, chief Surveyor of the Highways of New France, who would by no Means « fuffer- me to go forward. This Gentleman has a Village of Vi Abenaquis, under the DireGtion of a Fefait in Matters of Re- « ligion, to whom I was very glad to pay my Refpeéts by the Way. The Baron lives atthe Entrance of a little River that comes from the South; which runs entirely through his Lordfhip, and « bears his Name. The Life which M. de Beckancourt leads in ‘ this Défert (for here are no other French Inhabitants as yet but ~ the Lord) naturally brings to Mind the antient. Patriarchs, if À, | who: did not difdain to divide with their Servants the Labours of © their Country, and lived almoft in as plain a Manner as they, | ‘The Advantage which he makes by the Trade with the Savages à + his Neighbours, by buying Skins of them at the firft Hand, is M more than the Profits he could make of Inhabitants, to whom 0 he fhould divide his Land. In Time, it will be his own Fault w if he hay no Vaflals, and he will make more advantageous Con- ditions when he has: cleared all his Land, The River Beckan-- court was-formerly called Riviere Puante, ox the Stank wer. I enquired the Caufe of this Name, for the W eared to me very fine, and they affured me that it is y ‘and that there is no bad Smell in all this Quarter. Y À _méit was fo called on Account of the bad Qualities 4 ee " 4 Travels in North América. #4 Waters: Others attributed it to the great Number of Mufk Rats . that are found in it, the Scent of which the Savages cannot bear ; buthere is a third Reafon, which they who have made the greateit _Refearches into the antient Hiftory of the Country fay, is the true one. | | | | sa * Some Ægonguins were at War with the Oxnontcharonnons, better known by the Name of the Jroguet Nation, which antiently dwelt in the Ifland of Monireal. The Name it bears proves, that it was of the Huron Language ; but they fay it was thefe Hurons who drove them from their antient Habitation, and who have in Part deftroyed them: However that may be, this Nation was at the Time I fpeak of, at War with the Algonguins, who, to make an End at once of the War, which they began to. bé ye, weary of, contrived a Stratagem, which fucceeded. They fet pur themfelves in Ambufh on the two Sides of a little River, which = is now called Beckancourt.. 'Then they detached. fome, Canoes, which made a Shew of Fifhing in the Great River. . ‘They knew that-their Enemies were not far off, and they made.no Doubt that they would foon fall upon thefe pretended Vifhermen; And — in Fact, they foon faw a Fleet of Canoes coming in Hafte ‘to attack them ;- they feemed to be afrighted, fled, and got up. the River, They.were followed very clofe by the Enemy, who thought to make a very eafy Congueft of this Handful of Men ; and to draw them on, they afeéted to be greatly terrified. This Feint fucceeded, the Purfuers fill kept advancing, and making ~ moft hideous Cries, according to: the Cuftom of thefe Bar- barians, they thought they were inftantly going to feize their e Peeyi te. Thenta Shower of Arrows from, behind the Bufhes which: bor: dered the River threw them into Confufion, which theygave them no Time to recover. A fecond Difcharge which followed - clofe npon the firft, entirely routed them... They ftrove to fy.in _ their Turn, but they could no longer ufe their Canoes, which were every where pierced with Arrows: They leaped into the Water, hoping to fave themfelves by fwimming, but befides . a that the greateft Part were wounded, they met at landing the — Death they fled from, and not one efcaped the Algonguins, who le no Quarter, and: did not even amufe themfelves with mas cing of Prifoners: The Jraguet Nation never recovered this fat tal Blow, and though fome of thefe Savages have been feen fince the Arrival of the French in Canada, at iprefent there are — none remaining. In the mean Time the Number of dead Bodies which remained in the Water and upon the Sides of the River … infected it in fuch a Manner, that it fill retainsthe Name of Riviere Puante, (the Stinking River.) : de | Ay star EU * . A ons UBL actu ie oe vla cooling 31 #60 Ve IR HA TR rs Ho) ue ae 2 An Hiftorical Fournal of The Abenagui Village of Beckancourt is not fo populous asit % Or the Abena 35 fome Years ago, yet they would be of — ni Vill _ great Affiftance to us in Cafe of a War. « iVillage of Bec Thefe S ne d sea lie bo efe Savages are always ready to make In- roads into New England, where their Name alone has often carried Terror even into Boffen. They would alfo : | ferve us as effeétually againft the Jrogucis, to whom they are no ways inferior in Valour: and are better difciplined. "They ate -. all Chriflians, and they have a pretty Chapel, where they prac- >. tife with much Edification all the Exercifes of the Chriffian Re- * ‘ligion. We muft, neverthelefs, acknowledge, that they are great- ly fallen from the Fervour which appeared in them the firft Years of their Eftablifhment amongft us. They carried them Brandy, which they took a great Liking to, and the Savages never - drink but to get drunk. We have learnt by fatal Experience, that in Proportion as thefe People depart from God, in the fame Mea- fure they pay lefs Refpeét to their Paftors, and grow more in the Intereit of the Exglifs. It is greatly to be feared that the Lord will permit them to become our Enemies, to punifh us for having contributed, fora fordid Intereft, to render them vicis ous, as it has already happened to fome other Nations. After having embraced the Miffionary of Beckancourt, (a) vi- ee fited his Village, and made with himfome for- rowful Refleétions which naturally arife from the Diforders I have mentioned, and for which he is often reduced to groan in the Sight of God, I crofied the River Sz. Laurence to come to this Situation of the Town of Trois Rivieres. Town. Nothing is more charming than its Situation. It is built upon a gentle Hill of Sand, which is only barren for the Space it may occupy, if it ever becomes a confiderable Town ; for at prefent it is but of little Confequence. It 1s fur- rounded by whatever can render a Town agreeable and wealthy. The River, whichis near half 4 League wide, runs | atthe Bottom. Beyond, we fee a cultivated fruitful Country, _ that is crowned with the fineft Forefts in the World. A little © = below, and on the fame Side as the Town, the Great River re- ceives another tolerably fine River, which before it mixesits | Water with the firft, receives at the fame Time two others, one _ to the right and the other to the left, which has given the Name … Cf Trois Rivieres (Three Rivers) to the Town. =. | Above, and at about the fame Diftance, 0. pe the Lake of | 4 St. Pierre, which is about three Leagues | | aa Poke ae wide, and feven long : So that ms % Paie ) * bounds the Sighton that Side, and the Sur ’ appears. to fet in the Waves. This - which is only an Enlargement of the River Sz. Laurence, (a) Father Euflache Le Sueur. fi Travels in North America. #9 4 Rivers. It appears probable, that it is thefe Rivers that in a Courfe of Years have eaten away the low and light Soil, through which they run. This is moft apparent in the River St. Frangois, the Mouth of which hath may little Iflands interfperfed in it, which probably were formerly joined to the Continent. And moreover, in all the Lake, unlefs in the midit of the Channel where the Strength of the Current of the Great River has pre- ~ferved its Depth, there is no pafling but in Canoes. There are _ alfo fome Places where great Canoes, if they are but lightly i - loaded, cannot eañly pafs. But it is every where full of Fifh, and the Fifh are excellent. | su | They reckon but about feven or eight hundred People in the Airis Town of Trors Rivieres, but it has in its LT P ay Neighbourhood wherewithal to enrich @ vs FT great City ; that is to fay, very good Iron Mines, which may be wrought with Profit at at any Time (a). Upon the whole, though this Town is but thinly peopled, its Situation renders it of great Confequence, and it is one of the oldeft Settlements in the Colony. From the firft, this Pott has had a Governor, he has a thoufand Crowns Salary, aadan Etat Major (a certain Number of General Officers of the Army under him.) Here is alfo a Convent of Recollets, a pretty good Parifh Church ferved by this Society, and a very fine Hofpital, jeined toa Nunnery of Ur/ulines, to the Number of forty; who are employed as Nurfes to the Hofpital. This is alfo a Foundas tion of M. de St. Vallier. From the Year 1650, the Senechal (whofe Office and Power was afterwards abolifhed and invefted in the Superior Council of Quebec, and the Intendant) had a Lieutenant at Trois Rivieres: At prefent, this ‘Town has a com= _ mon Court of Juftice, the Chief of which is a Lieutenant Ges, — neral. ‘ er It owes its Origin to the great Refort of Savages of different — gh C Nations tothis Place. At the Beginningof _ | 1 oft cae the Colony there came down many, efpecially _ Dés Efaohje- som the fartheit Parts of the North, by the ae sie iad : three Rivers, which have given the Name to _ this Town, and by which they go up a great Way. The Situas tion of the Place, joined to the great Trade that was carried on here, engaged fome French to fettle here ; and the Neighbours hood of the River de Sorel, then called the Iroquois River, (which ey I fhall mention foon) induced the Governor General to builda Fort here, where was maintained a good Garrifon, andwhich had from, the firft a Governor of itsown. This Poft was then looked — . (a) They are aétually wropght at this Time, and produce the beft ron as the World, nos : és ‘ae ® A: ie Wray de B4 An Hificrical journal of? upon, as one of the moft important in New France. After fome Years, the Savages being tired of being continually harraffed by the Ircquois, from whom the French themfelves had Trouble enough to defend themfelves, and having no longerthe Liberty of © the Paffes, where thefe proud Enemies laid wait: for them conti- nually, and not being fafe even in Sight of, and under the Can- non of our Fort, they forebore to bring hither their Peltry or Skins. ‘The Fe/uits with all their new Converts retired three Leagues lower, upon fome Lands that were given them by the Abbot de la Madeleine, one of the Members of the Society of the hundred Afociates, formed by the Cardinal de Richhiéu, from whence this Place took the Name of Case de la Madeleine, which’ it bears to this Day (a). : .. The Mifion which was tranfported hither, did not fübfift a "Un f Cape Ma- long Time. This was partly the Effect of detcine. the Confequence of the Wars and. Difeafes which have almoft entirely deftroyed this rifing Church. There are ftill in the Neighbourhood a Company of Algonguins, the greateft Part of whom were baptized in their Infancy, but have ae no regular Exercife of Religion. The Gentlemen of the eft-India Company, who have now the Beaver Trade, . have in vain endeavoured to draw them to Checoutime, where they have already re-united feveral Families of the fame Nation, and of the Nation of the Mountains, under the Direction of a Je/uit Mifionary. Others wanted to unite them with the Abenaquis of SF, François. All their Anfwer to thefe Invitations was, that .they could-not refolve to quit a Place where the Bones of their Fathers reit. But fome People believe, and not without Foun- dation, that this Refufal proceeds lefs from themfelves, than from fome People to whom their Neighbourhood is advantage- “ous; and who, without Doubt, do not fufficiently confider that _ they facrifice the Salvation of thefe Savages to a little Intereft. | “4 i have juft been informed, Madam, that in a few Days I fhall we an Opportunity of fending this Letter to Quebec, from whence it may go carly to France by the Ifle Royal. _ I fhall fill it up with what concerns the Huntings of the Savages.——The hunting of the Beaver, as I have before obferved, was not their- principal Concern, till they faw the Value which the French fet _ upon the Skin of this Animal. Before this, the hunting of the the Ficklenefs of the Savages, but principally | 18 Bear held the firft Place, and was performed with the greateft F « Superftition. This is what is obferved at this Day in this “is Chace, amongft thofe who are not Chriffiuns. 4 a) Befides the Iron Mines, which are very plentiful at Cape Ma 2 ; “iS here have been difcovered fome Years ago, feveral Springs of Mu Waters, : + SEMESTRE hey “y 4 it ey . \ Travels in North America. es It is always’ a War-Chief who fixes the Time, and has the 3 O% PIES A aa hae Care of inviting the Hunters. This Invita- pee runting ÎP6 sion which is made with great Ceremony, is he (laa 2: followed with a Faft of eight Days; during which they muft not drink even a Drop of Water. And I will tell you by the Way, Madam, that what the Savages call fafting,, is to take abfolutely nothing at all. Still more, in Spite of the _ extreme Weaknefs which fuch an Abftinence one may fuppofe cannot fail to caufe, they never ceafe finging all the ‘Time it are. As Ajax did not afk of Fupiter to give him the Victory over his Enemies, but only Day enough to make an End of his awake, itis natural that during their Sleep (which can’t be very _ fary that all, at leaft the greateft Number, fhould in their Sleep . _ obliged to eat up all : Though they have fafted fo long before … at, (and perhaps it is for this Reafon) they eat moderately. He _ who gives the Feaft, eats nothing ; and all his Employment, _ _ whilft the others are at Table, is to relate his former Atchieve- . ‘ments in hunting: Frefh Invocations of the Manes of dead … Jafts. They obferve this Faft, in order to induce the. Geni, or Spirits, to difcover the Places where they may find many Bears. Many even do much more to; deferve this Favour. Several have been feen to cut their Flefh in feveral Places of their Body, to render their Genii, or Spirits, more propitious. But it is proper # . to obferve, that they do not afk their Affiftance to conquer thefe furious Animals: Ît fuffices them to be informed where they Conquet. Decay 2 ae ae The Savages fupplicate alfo on the fame Account the Manes of the Beafts which they have killed in former Huntings; and | as their Thoughts. run wholly on the Matter whilft they are — , | found upon fuch empty Stomachs) they fhould often dreamof | Bears. But this is not enough to determine them: Itis necef. pi ¥ thus : Provided a fkilful Hunter has thought he has dreamt two © or three Times together of feeing Bears in a certain Place, ei- ther through Complaifance, or through continual talking of it, ~ theirchimerical Brain at laft takes the [mpreffion, and every Body ~~ prefently dreams the fame, or feignthat they have dreamt fo, and _ a Refolution is taken to go to that Place. The Faf being — over, andthe Place of the Hunt fettled, the Chief who is chofen for the Chace gives to all thofe who are to be of the Partya great Feaft ; but no Perfon dares be prefent, without having frft bathed ; that is to fay, without having plunged into the River, let the Weather be ever fo fevere, provided the River is not — 7 frozen. This Feaft is not like many others, in which they are __ ears, finifhes the Feaft. Then they begin their March, equipp’d [@] « Months without . . eating. ES at Unt An Hiftorical Journal of of that antient Genero as for War, and their Faces befmeared with Black, amidft' the: Acclamations of the whole Village ; for the Chace, among thefe People, is as noble as War. The Alliance of a good Hun- teris more fought after than that of a famous Warrior, becanfe the Chace provides the whole Family with Provifion and Cloath- ing, and the Savages defire nothing more: But a Manis not efteemed a great Hunter, till he has killed twelve great Beafts in one Day. — | | Thefe People have two great Advantages over us in this Ex- ercife ; for, in the firft Place, nothing ftops them, neither Bufhes, Ditches, ‘Torrents, Ponds, nor Rivers. They always go for- ward upon a ftrait Line. Inthefecond Place, there are few, or rather no Creatures, which they cannot overtake in running : They have been feen, as it is faid, entering a Village, leading Bears in a Wythe, {which they had tired by running down) as if they had been leading a Flock of Sheep ; and the nimblett - Deer is not fwifter than they are. Laftly, the chief Hunter muft make little Advantage himfelf of his Game :, He is oblig’d to be very liberal of it: If they even prevent his Gift, and take it away from him, he muft fuffer the Lofs without faying any Thing, and be contented with the Glory of having labour’d for the Public. Neverthelefs, it is not complained of, if in the Diftribution which he makes of the Game, he gives the firft _Part to his own Family. But we muft confefs, that thofe Sa- vages with whom we haye moft Commerce, have loft fomething — fey, and that wonderful Difintereftednefs which they were remarkable for.---Nothing is more contagious © than the Spirit of Intereft, and nothing more capable of alter- ing the Manners of a People. Winter is the Seafon for hunting the Bear : Then thefe Ani- The Bear is he mals are hid in hollow Trees ; or if they find | any blown down, they fhelter themfelves un- der the Roots of them, and ftop up the En- trance with Branches of Pine, fo thatthey . are perfe&ly {creened from the Rigour of the Seafon ; otherwife, they make a Hole in the Earth, and take great Care, when they _ _ arein, to ftop up the Opening. Some have been f found at the _ Bottom of a Cavern, hid in fuch a Manner as not to be per- | to his living all this Time by fucking his Paws, as fome A ceived, though looked very narrowly for. But in what Manner | foever the Bear is lodged, he never leaves his Retreat for the — whole Winter: This is no longer doubted of. Itis as certain that M he never makes any Provifion for the Winter, and of Confe- … quence, that during all that Time he never eats or drinks have affirmed, every one is allowed to believe what he. But this is certain, that they have been kept chained up du sy Travels in North America. es he Winter, without having any Thing given’ them to eat or to drink, and at the End of fix Months they were as fat as before. It is without Doubt furprizing that a Creature cloathed with fuch — “ 2 good Fur, and who has not the Appearance of being very ten- der, fhould take fuch Precautions againft the Cold, which no one elfe would think there was any Need of. This fhews we | muft not judge by Appearances : Every one beft knows his own Wants. fo Re There is no Need of running much to catch the Bear: | It is only neceffary to know the Places — Ge de Be Ÿ where the pis me Number is hid. As foon. hunting the Bear. the Hunters think they have found fuch a Place, they form a Circle of a Quarter of a League in Circum- ference, or more or lefs, according to the Number of Hunters : _ Then they advance, coming {till clofer and clofer together ; and every one looks before him, to find dut the Retreat of fome Bear ; fo that if there is any, it is difficult for one to efcape, for our Savages are excellent Ferrets. ‘The next Day the fame Mas nœuvre begins again at fome Diftance from thence, and all the Time of the Chace is employed in this Manner. bn | When a Bear is killed, the Hunter puts the End of his | lighted Pipe between his Teeth, blows into . A ridiculous Ce- the Bowl ; and thus filling the Mouth and Be ite — “ Throat of the Beaft with Smoak, he conjures OE RER 3t3 Spirit to bear no Malice for what he has _ juft done to the Body, and not to oppofe him in his future Huntings : But as the Spirit does not anfwer, the Hunter (to knowif his Prayer is granted) cuts the String under the Bear’s ‘Tongue, and keeps it till he returns to the Village : Then they all throw, with great Ceremony, and after many Invocations, | _thefe Strings intothe Fire: If they crackle, and fhrink up, as feldom fails tohappen, this is taken for a certain Sign that the | Spirit of the Bear is appeafed ; if not, they believe they are en- raged, and that the Chace of next Year will not be fuccefsful, unlefs they can find a Way to reconcile them ; for, in fhort, there _ 15 a Remedy for every Thing. 3 sl _ The Hunters make good Cheer, as long as the Chace lafts; © “Rs, ee ae,” and even if they have but little Succefs, they À ff with them enough to treat their _ ters are received at . rewind D a F ee + se ESRD riends, and feed their Families a long Time. ere” j This Flefh is in Reality no great Ragout he ‘10 1 “anty no g gout, | but every Thing is good to the Savages. “To fee how they are received, the Praifes they give them, the pleafed and felf-fufi- — Gent Airs they take upon themfelves, one would fay they were returning from fome grand Expedition, loaded with the Spoils of a whole Nation deftroyed. T A | of the Village fay, i : o c Wig \ À à \ $ nuft gy he € his Rt dy oy ad UP RARE ¥ Rav CENT ANA È 2 we See Mey Pr. = CR , Hé. din Hiftorical Fournal of, x" 1 -niuft be a Man (and the Hunters fay fo themfelves) to fight awitl and conquer Bears in this Manner.—Another Thing for which they receive no lefs Praife, and upon which they as much pride them- _ felves; is to leave nothing of the great Feaft which is given them at their Return from the Chace by the chief Hunter. The firft Service that is prefented, is thelargeft Bear they have taken; and they ferve it up whole, with all its Entrails: It is not even fkinned ; they only finge the Skin as one does that of a Hog for Bacon. This Feaft is performed to a certain Spirit, whofe An- ger they think they fhould incur if they did not eat all : ‘They muft not even leave any of the Broth in which the Meat was boiled, which is fearce any ‘Thing but Fat melted and re- duced to Oil: Nothing can be worfe; and it generally kills fome of them, and makes many of them very fick, © | The Bears are not:mifchievous in this Country, but when they are hungry, or when they are wounded ; however, People are on their Guard when -they approach them. ‘They feldom attack ; they even generally run away as foon as they fee any Perfon, : ‘and there needs only a Dog to make them {cour quite away. The Bear ruts in uly: He then grows fo iean, & his Fléfh is foinfipid and ill tafted, that even the Savages who often eat thofe ‘Things, the Sight of which would turn our Stomachs, can hardly touch it. Whowould believe that this Paffion fhould wafte an Animal ‘of this Kind and Shape more in one Month, than a total Abfti- « nence from Food for fix Months? It is lefs furprizing that he” fhould then be fo fierce and ill-natured, that it is not fafe to … meet him in his Way. ‘This is the Effect of his Jealoufy. This Seafon being over, the Bear grows fat again, and no- thing contributes more to it than the Fruits which he finds in the ‘Woods, of which he is very fond. Above all, he is fond of Grapes ; and as all the Foreits are fullof Vines, which grow tow _.the Tops of the higheft Trees, he makes no Difficulty to climb — ap them: Butif a Hunter finds himthere, his Daintinefs cofts — him his Life. When he has thus well fed upon Fruits, his. ‘Flefh has a very good Tafte, and keeps it till Spring : Ithas, ~meverthelefs, always a great Fault; it is too oily ; and if it is ‘not ufed with Moderation, it caufes the Bloody Flux: On the other Hand, a Bear’s Whelp is as good asa Lamb; =. i forgot, Madam, to tell you that the Savages always carry a great Number of Dogs with them when they Some Particula- rities of the Bear. the Des ile Younes they are the only Domeftic Creatures oe ae for which they bring up, and they bring GOES a up only for Hunting : ‘They all feen of the famé Species : Their, Ears fland upright ; thei Jong, like that of a Wolf; but they are very faithful. ; pene à oe Travels in North America. os ! tached to their Mafters; who, neverthelefs, feed them but _ poorly, and never fondle them : They break them betimes to that Kind of Chace they are intended for, and they are excel- _ lent Hunters. I have not Time to add any Thing more, for | _ they call me to depart. | I am, &c. L'ET TER: VE, A Defeription of the Country, and the Iflands of Richlieu and sel, Lu Francois. Of the Abenaqui Village. Of the antient Fort of Richlieu, and of thofe that have been built in each Parifh À brave AGion of two Canadian Ladies. Mapa, ; St. Francois, March 11. |] Departed on the goth from Trois Rivieres, and croffed the Lake of Sz. Peter, inclining a little to the South. J per- ~ formed this Journey in a Sledge, becaufe the Ice was ftill ftrong enough to bear all Sorts of Carriages ; and I arrived at Noon at St. François. 1 employed the Afternoon, and all Yefterday, - to vifit this Quarter ; and I fhall nov. give you an Account of — ï what I obferved here. At the Weft End of Lake Sr, Pierre, there is a vaft Number of _ Iflands of all Sizes, which they call the 3 SA if sine Iflands of Richlieu ; and turning to the Left, i Se Pie 7% when we come from Quebec, we find fix others, 3 fe Brangols. which border a pretty deep Bay, into which: a River difcharges itfelf, the Spring Head of which is in the Neighbourhood of New York. ‘The Ifiands, the River, and all. the Country it.waters, bear the Name of 85. Francois. Each of - thefe Iflands are about a Mile long; their Breadth is unequal:: The greateft Part of thofe of Richlieu are fmaller : They were i‘ . all formerly full of Stags, Deer, Goats, and Elks: Here was alfo a furprizing Plenty of wild Fowl, which is not now very fearce ; but the great Beafts have difappeared. _ _ We get alfo excellent Fith in the River of St. François, and at its Mouth. In Winter they make Holes in the Ice, and let _ di. down their Nets of five or fix Fathom long, and they feldom take them up empty. ‘The Fifh which they commonly-take, are the gilt Fith, Achigans, and particularly the Ma/quinongez, which are _ iu _ a Kind of Pike: It hath a Head larger than ours, and the. ~ Mouth under atiooked Snout, which gives them an edd Look. The Lands of St. François, if we may judge by the Trees that ae | grow x 60° An Hiftorical “fournal of grow here, and by that which is already cultivated, are very good. ‘The Inhabitants are, notwithftanding, poor. enough ; and many would be reduced to the greateft Indigence, if the ‘Trade with the Savages, their Neighbours, did not help them a little. But is it not this Trade that hinders them from mend- ‘ing their Circumftances, by making them lazy ? | _ The Savages I fpeak of, are the Abenaquis, amongft which OF Abe there are fome Algonquins, and alfo Sokokis and. PS no Mabingans, better known by the Name of the 4 ie Wolves. This Natiog was formerly fettled upon the River of Manbatte, in New York, and it appears that they were antient Inhabitants of that Country. The Abenaguis came to St. François from the Southern Parts of New France, which are neareft New England. Their firft Station, upon leav- ing their Country to come to live amongft us, was a little River that difcharges itfelf into the River Sz. Laurence, almoft over- againft SYLLERY ; that is to fay, about a League and a half above Quebec, on the South Side. "They feated themfelves in the Neighbourhood of a Fall, which was called the Fall de la Char diere, (the Kettle.) They are now fituated on the Bank of the River St. François, two Leagues from its Mouth, in the Lake Sv. Pierre. ‘The Place is very pleafant ; but the Misfortune is, that thefe People do not enjoy the Pleafures of a fine Situation, and the Cabins of the Savages, efpecially of the Abenaguis, do not adorn a Country. The Village is well peopled, and is inha- bited only by Chriffians. This Nation 1s docible, and were at all Times well affected to the French (a) ; but the Miffionary has no lefs Trouble on their Account, than his Brother of Beck. - ancourt, and for the fame Reafons. hi Sah ost 3 I was treated here with Maple Juice : This is the Seafon in Dyes Vis! which itis drawn. It is delicious, of won- — ef ae ae ral Coolnefs, and very wholefome. The Zi nk manner of drawing it is very eafy. When the Sap begins to rife, they make a Jag or Notch in the Trunk of the Maple, and by the Means of a bit of Wood which they — fix in it, the Water runs as by a Spout: This Water is received into a Vefiel, which they fet under it. ‘To’ make it run plenti- fully, there muft be much Snow upon the Ground, the Night — muft be frofty, the Sky clear, and the Wind not too cold. Our Maples would have perhaps the fame Virtue, if we had in France as much Snow as in Canada, and if it lafted as long. By Degrees, | as the Sap thickens, it runs lefs, and after fome Time it ftops en: tirely. It is eafy to. judge, that after fuch a Bleeding, the Tree … is not the more healthy : They affirm, howey that it can bear _ this many Years together. ‘They would do _ (a) Father Fofepb Aubery, NAT eo oy a Travels in North America. 61 ‘let it ret a Year or two, that it might recover its Strength‘ But at laff, when, it is worn out, it ferves to cut down, and its — Wood, Roots, and Knots, are fit for many Things. This Tree ' muft be very plenty here, for they burn much of it. © SA The Water of the Maple is pretty clear, though a little: whitifh ; it is very cooling, and leaves in the Moutha Tafte like thatof Sugar, very agreeable. It is avery good Pectoral; and in what Quantity foever it is drank, though you are never fo much __ heated, it never does Harm; for it has not that Rawnefs which œaufes the Pleurify ; but on the contrary, a balfamick Virtue, which fweetens the Blood, and a certain Salt, which keeps up the Heat of it. ‘They add that it never congeals; but if they keep it a certain Time, it becomes an excellent Vinegar. I do not warrant this for Fa&, and I know that a Traveller ought not to take every Thing for ‘Truth which he hears. It is very probable that the Savages, who are well acquainted with the Virtues of all their Plants, have at all ‘Times made the fame Ufe of this Water, which they do at this Day; butit is certain they did not know how to make a Sugar of it, which we have fince taught them. ‘They were contented to let it boil a little, to thicken it fomething, and make a Sort of Syrup, which is pretty enough. What is further required to make Sugar of it, is to let : it boil till it takes a proper Confiftence, and it purifies itfelf without any foreign Mixture. ‘There needs only Care not to boil it too much, and to feum it well. ‘The greateft Fault in making it, is to let it harden too much in its Syrup, which makes it oily, and to keep a Tafte of Honey, which renders it lefs. palatable, unlefs it is refined. , This Sugar made with Care, and it requires much lefs than ours, is natural, pectoral, and does not burn the Stomach, : Befides, the making of itis very cheap. It is commonly thought that it is impofible to refine it, like that which is made from’ Canes; but Ido not fee the Reafon of this; and it is certain, — that as it comes out of the Hands of the Savages, it is purer and much better than the Sugar of the Iflands, which has undergone © no more Management. I gave fome to a Sugar Baker of Or- Jeans, whofound no other Defect in it, than that which I have already mentioned, and which he attributed folely to its not being ; fuficiently purified. He thought it alfo of a better Kind than the other, and made fome Lozenges of it, which I had the. Honour to prefent to you, Madam, and which you found fo ex- cellent. It will be objeGted, that if it was of fuch a good Quality, | _ it would havebecome an Obje& of Trade, but there is not enough — __ made for this Purpofe; but perhaps they are in the wrong in not trying what maybe done. There are many other Things be= _ fides this, that are neglected in this Country.---The Ble Tree, 62 An Hifiorical Fournal of the {mall Cherry, the Afh, and the Walnut-Trees of different Sorts, give alfo a Water that makes Sugar, but in lefs Quantity, and the Sugar is not fo gocd. Yet fome People give the Pre- ference to that which-is drawn from the Afh, but there is very little made. Could you have believed, Madam, that we fhould findin Canada, what Virgil fays in foretelling the Renewal of the golden Age, that Honey fhould flow from the Trees (a). All this Country has been a long Time the Theatre of many Oa cay Se bloody Scenes, becaufe during the War with FA NÉ the Jraguois, it was the moft expofed to the® 5 Excurfions of thofe Barbarians. ‘They came down upon the Colony, by a River that difcharges itfelf into the River St. Laurence, a little above Lake Sz. Pierre, on the fame Side as that of St. François ; and to which, for this Reafon, they at firft gave their Name. It has been fince for fome Time called — Richlieu, and is now called the River de Sorel. The Iflands -of ichlieu, which they came to firft, ferved them equally for their Ar bufhes, and for a Retreat; but when we had fhut up this a Paflage by a Fort, built at the Entrance of the River, they took ‘their Way by the Lands above and below, and threw themfelves efpecially on the Side of St. François, where they found the fame _ Advantages to exercife their Robberies, and where they have difperfe the Enemy, as to give Notice to the Inhabitants to be ae their Guard, and to inform when they wanted Succours. _. committed Cruelties which are horrible to relate. They fpread themfelves afterwards through the whole Colony, ; Mile à and they were obliged in order to defend À 7, y. themfelves from their Fury, to buildin every _ { ail the Parifhes. Parifh a Kind of Fort, where the Inhabitants may take Refuge on the firt Alarm. They kept in each Fort : one or two Centinels, who did Duty Nightand Day, and they had all fome Field-Pieces, or at leaft fome Pattereroes, as well to: x Ihefe Forts are only Inclofures, defended with Pallifadoes, with fome Redoubts: The Church and the Manor-Houfe are always in this Inclofure ; and there is itil! Room enough left, in cafe of ” need, to give Refuge to the Women and Children, and the Cat- tle. This has been found fufficient to preferve them from — a Infult; for I never heard the Jroguois took any of thefe « orts. 2 Un TA IT They very feldom block them up, and fcarce ever attack them to take them by Affault. One is too dangerous for Savages, who have no defenfive Arms, and do not lovea Victory ftained with their Blood: The other Way does not agree with their Manner of making War. Two attacks of the Fort de Vercheres, are nevers" M (a) Et dure Quercus fudabunt rofcida mel let 20 Sieg 13: ! # 4 2 Travels in North America. 63 | &helefs famous in the Annals of Canada; and it looks as if the Zroquois had attempted it twice, contrary to their Cuftom, only to difplay the Valour and Intrepidity of two Amazons. n 1690, thefe Savages being informed that Madam de Vercheres L was almoft alone in her Fort, approached it Gallant si without being feen, and attempted to fcale _ : dr Canadian {je Pallifadoes : Some Mufket Shot that were a+ Len fired to good Purpofe, upon the firft Noife ‘they made, difperfed them; but they foon returned, and they were again repulfed ; and what fuprifed them the more was, that they faw only a Woman, and her they faw every where. This | was Madam de Wercheres, who kept up as good a Countenance _ as if fhe had had a numerous Garrifon. The Hope whichthe Bes fiegers had conceived at firft, to take a Place eafily, which they oe knew was without Men, made them return feveral Times to the Charge; but the Lady with the Help of the Women with her, always beat them off. She fought in this Manner two Days,, _ with fuch Bravery and Prefence of Mind, as would have dome Honour to an old Warrior; and at laft fhe obliged the Enemy __ to retire, for Fear of having their Retreat cut off, greatly afhamed of being forced to fly before a Woman. = Two Years after another Party of the’ fame Nation, much - more numerous than the other, appeared in Sight of the fame Fort, whilft all the Inhabitants were abroad; and the greatet _ Part employed in the Fields. The Jroguois finding them thus _ difperfed, without any Sufpicion of an Enemy, feized them all one after another, then marched towards the Fort. The Daugh- _ ther of the Lord, who was at moft but fourteen Years old, was about two hundred Paces off the Fort. At the firft Cry fhe heard, fhe ran to get in: The Savages purfued her, and one of them came up with her juft as fhe got to the Door; but having feized her by a Handkerchief that was about her Neck, fhe let it flip from her, and fo got in, and fhut to the Gate. Ne There was nobody in the Fort but a young Soldier anda __ Company of Women ; who, at the Sight of their Hufbands whom the Savages were binding and carrying away Prifoners, fent ~— forth molt lamentable Cries. The young Lady loft neither her Judgment nor Courage. She began by pulling off her Cap, | fhe tied up her Hair, put on a Hat and a Jacket, and locked up all the Women, whofe Cries and Tears could but encourage: — the Enemy. ‘Then fhe fired a Cannon and fome Mutket Shot, * and fhewing herfelf with her Soldier fometimes in one Redoubt, and fometimes in another, changing frequently their Drefs, and _ fring to good Purpofe whenever the faw the Jroguois approach the |. Pallifade, the Savages fancied there were many People inthe _ _ Fort; and when the Chevalier de Cri/ay, upon hearing the firing, “ae ih > came A on off, y R ’ ARE à x + ys LR on A: PE: TE Lab “cd mi. An Hiftorical Fournal of came to fuccour the Place, the Enemy was already marched Let us now return to the Chafe. That of the Orignal would OF the Elk, or MOT have been lefs profitable to us at prefent, 0; 2. ] ; than that of the Beaver, if our Predeceffors eur in this Country had given more Attention to the Profits which might have-been made of it, and had not al- moft entirely deftroyed the Species, at leaftin thofe Places which are within our Reach. | What they call here the Orignal, is what in Germany, Poland, - ee on of and Mafcovy, they call the Elk or ‘Great Li Or : . Beaft. ‘This Animal here, is as big as a ave Urigna ~~ Horfe, or a Mule of Auvergne. The hind Quarters are large, the Tail but only an Inch long, the Hams very high, the Legs and Feet like thofe of a Hart; along Hair covers the Withers, the Neck, and the upper Part of the Hams: ‘The Head is above two Feet long, and he carries it out,} which gives him an ill Look: Its Muzzle is large, and leffens in the upper Part like that of a Camel, and‘its Noitrils are fo large one may eafly thruft in halfones Arm. Its Horns are not lefs long than thofe of a Hart, and much wider: They are fat and forked dike thofe of a Deer, and are renewed every Year; but I know ‘not if uponthe new Growth, they make an Increafe which de. notes the Age of the Animal. Vay They fay that the Orignal is fubje& to the Epilepfy, and : when the Fits feize him, he gets over them by fcratching his ar-with his left hind Foot till he draws Blood, which has made the Hoof of this Foot be efteemed a Specific againft the falling Sicknefs, It is applied to the Heart of the Patient, and they dothe ‘fame tocure the Palpitation of the Heart: They put it alfo into the left Hand of the Perfon who is difordered, and rub his Ear with at: But why fhould they not draw Blood from him alfo, as the Orignal does? This Hoof is alfo reckoned very good againft _ the Pleurify Cholick Pains, the Flux, the Vertigo, and the — À EN again. Mattreffes are made of it, and Saddles. Its Flefh is well » . i _ Purples, by reducing it to Powder, and giving it in Water. I have been told that the Æ/gorguins, who formerly made the Flefh _ of this Animal their common Food, were very much fubjeét to the Epilepfy, and never ufed this Remedy: Perhaps they had better. ‘The Hair of the Orignal is a Mixture of light grey and | à dark red. It grows hollow as the Beaft grows old, and never lofes its elaftic Power: Beat it ever fo long it fprings up tafted, light, and nourifhing ; it would be a Pity that it fhould caufe the Epilepfy; but our Hunters, who have lived upon it whole Winters, never found that it had any bad Quality. — Skin is ftrong, foft and fubftantial ; it is made into Shamios, an 5 ie EXC j excellent Buff, which is very light. The Savages look upon the Orignal as a Creature of good Omen, and believe that thofe | who dream frequently of it, may fatter themfelves with long Life: But they think quite the contrary with Regard to dream- -ing of the Bear, except in the: Time when they are difpofed to hunt thofe Creatures. ‘There is alfo current among thefe Bar- barians, "a comical ‘Tradition of a great Orignal, near which all the-reft appear but as Ants: They fay his Legs are fo long, that eight Feet Depth of Snow is no Hindrance to him ; that his Skin is Proof againft all Sorts of Arms, and that he has a Kind of Arm which grows out of his Shoulder, which he makes Ufe of as we do of our’s; that he never fails to have after him a great Number of Orignals, who form his Court, and who render him all the Services he requires of them. Thus the Antients had their Pheenix, and their Pegafus : And the Chinefe and the Fapanefe have their Kirin, their Foe, their Water Dragon, and their Bird of Paradife.—Zwvery Country bas its ridiculous Notions. | se . The Orignal loves cold Countries ; he feeds on Grafs in Sum- mer, and in Winter he gnaws the Trees. The properTime +. ; ey) | Wis ee. When the Snows arehigh, thefe Animals to bunt the Orig- hide dite fi COS 1: bag” troop together into fome Pine-Grove, to fhel- | ter themfelves under the Verdure from the bad Weather, and they continue there as long as they find — oe Food. ‘Then it is eafy to hunt them ; but eafier ftill, when the Sun begins to have Strength enough to melt the Snow ; for the — _ frofty Nights making a Sort of Cruft upon the Snow melted in _ the Day, the Orignal (which is an heavy Creature) breaks it _ with his cloven Foot, fleas his Legs, and has fome Trouble to get out of the Holes he makes. Without this, arid efpecially when there is but little Snow, they ¢annot approach him with out Trouble, nor without Danger ; becaufe, when he is wound- ed, he grows furious, turns faddenly upon the Hunter, and -tramples him under his Feet. ‘The Way to efcape this, is for the Hunter to throw him his Coat, upon which he difcharges all a long Time: But yet the Savages can out-run him. They fay that he kneels down to drink, to eat, and to reft himfelf, and ‘that there is in his Heart a little Bone, which being reduced to __ Powder, and taken in Broth, appeafes the Pains of Child-birth, _ “and facilitates Delivery. + The moft Northern Nations of Canada have a Way of per- Various Ways of Ces Travels in North America, | 6;; his Fury; whilft the Hunter, hid behind a Tree, can take his _ Meafures to kill him. The Orignal always goes a great Trot, . which is near equal to the Speed of the Buffaloe, and heholdsit .. forming this Hunt which is very eafy, and without Danger. The Hunters dividethem- felves into two Companies: One embarks in _ Be Canoes ; 66. An Hifiorical ‘fournal of Canoes; and thefe Canoes keeping at fome Diftance from each ~ other, form a large Semicircle, the two Ends of which touch the Shore : The other Company that remains on the Land, performs . much the fame Operation, and enclofe a large Space. Then thefe Hunters let go their Dogs, and rouze all the Orignals that are in that Space; and driving them forward, oblige them to run into the River, or the Lake. ‘They are no fooner in the Water, than they fire upon them from all the Canoes: Every Shot takes Place, and very feldom even a fingle Orignal efcapes. Champlain {peaks of another Manner of hunting not only the Orignals, but alfo Harts and Caribous, which is fomething like | this Way. ‘They inclofe (fays he) a Part of a Foreft with Stakes, interwoven with Branches of Trees, and leave but one narrow . Opening, where they lay Snares made of raw Skins. ‘This Space is triangular, and from the Angle of the Entrance they draw another ‘Triangle, much larger: So thefe two Inclofures communicate together by the two Angles: The two Sides of the fecond Triangle are alfo fhut up with Stakes, and the Hun- ters ranged upon a Line form the Bafe. Then they advance, without breaking the Line; and drawing nearer and nearer to each other, they make a great Shouting, and ftrike upon fome- thing that makes a great Noife. ‘The Beafts being driven for- ward, andnot able to efcape either to Right or Left, and being affrighted with the Noife, know not where to fly, but into the other Inclofure ; and many, as they enterit, are caught bythe w Horns or the Neck. ‘They ftruggle greatly to get loofe, and — fometimes they carry with them or break the Snares : Sometimes _alfo they ftrangle themfelves, or at leaft give the Hunters Time — to fhoot them at their Eafe. 'Thofe which efcape this, fare no better : They are inclofed in too fmall a Space to fhun the Ar- — rows which the Hunters let fly at them from all Sides. ü The Orignal has other Enemies than the Savages, and which " How the C make a no lefs rough War againfthim. The © aw te “eT. oft terrible of all is the Carcajou, or Quin- — cajou, a Sort of wild Cat; whofe Tail is fo © | long, that it can twift it feveral Times round « its Body : Its Hairis a reddifh brown. As foon as this Hunter L: can come up with an Orignal, he leaps upon him; and fixing ~ #pon his Neck, twifts its long Tail round it ; after which, it tears the Jugular Vein. The Orignal has but one Way to © efcape this Mistortune ; ¢hatzs, to get into the Water as foon as he is feized by this dangerous Enemy. The Carcajou, who can- © not bear the Water, lets go his Hold immediately. But if the ‘Water is too far off, it has Time to kill the Orignal befo can get intoit. Commonly this Hunter, whofe Smell is not the _ beft, brings three Foxes to the Chace, and fends them out upon 1 - a. | ad = PS nee ance = Se Ee — cajou, or wild Cat, hunts the Orignal. \ ’ : Travels in North America. OF » the Difcovery. As foon as they have fmelt out an Orignal, two 3 place themfelves at his Sides, and the third behind him, andthey = all three make fuch a fine Manœuvre, harrafling the Beaft, that they oblige him to go where they have left the Carcajou, with _ which they agree afterwards about dividing the Game.---Ano- _ ther Stratagem of the Carcajou, is to climb up a Tree: There ly- ing along upon an extended Branch, he waits for the pafling by of an Orignal, and leaps upon him as foon as he is within his Reach. rane | Many People have imagined, Madam, that the Relations of Canada give the Savages more Wit and Senfe than they have. They are, neverthelefs, Men: And under what Climate fhall we find Brutes that have an Inftinét more ingenious than the Beaver, the Carcajou, and the Fox? ee _ The Hart of Canadais abfolutely the fame as in F due per- | | >, haps commonly a litttle larger. It does not Ms bed appear that the Savages diftarb him much ; at leaft, I do not find that they make War — againft him in Form, and with any Preparations. It is not the fame with Regard to the Caribou fa). This is an Animal not fo high as the Orignal, which has more of the Afs than the Mule in its Shape, and which equals the Hartin Swiftnefs. Some Years ago, one appeared upon Cape Diamond, above Quebec: It : was, no Doubt, flying from the Hunters, but he perceived foon he was not in a Place of Safety, and he made almoft but one — the Caribou. Leap from thence into the River. A wild Goatof the ds could. va not have done more: Then he fwam very fwiftly acrofs the Ri- . ver ;. but it was all to no Purpofe: Some Cazadians, who were 1 going to make War, and who were encamped near the Point of Levi, having difcovered him, waited for his landing, and killed him. They greatly efteem the Tongue of this Animal, which | herds moft about Hud/on’s Bay. 'The Sieur Jeremy, who has pafled ja many Years in thefe Northern Parts, fays, that between the Dames River and Port Ne//fox, during the whole Summer, they fee prodi- gious Numbers of them; which being driven from the Woods by the Flies and Gnats, come to refrefh themfelves by the Sea = … Side ; and that for the Space of forty or fifty Leagues they meet | almoft continully with Herds of ten thoufand at leaft. : | It appears that the Caribou has never been in any great Num- bers in the moft frequented Places of Canada ; but the Orignals — abounded every where when we firft difcovered the Country ; andit might have made an Article of Trade, and a great Con- … venience of Life, if they had been careful to preferve the Breed: “th But this they have not done ; and, either becaufe they have a) It differs not fromthe Rain-Deer, but in its Colour; which is brown, little reddifh, ANA as FE Kz thinned nd ry, bi fs 4 ge! een . pie! i ee Salee. falls down upon his Eyes, and gives him a § aan { en | the hind Parts fmall, the Tail very fhoit, andone can fearce fee © aendfethe Wind. When he is wounded he is furidus, and turn 68. An Hifiorical journal of thinned the Species, by killing great Numbers, or that by: | frightening them they have been driven to fome other Country, | nothing is more fcarce at prefent. | | a fn the Southern and Weftern Parts of New France, on both SR te i ao on ee the se famous Hunt is Basia aat,of the Buta oe, which is performed in : | this Manner: The Hunters range themfelves on four Lines, which form a great Square, and begin by fetting Fire to the Grafs and Herbs, which are dry and very high: Then as the Fire gets forwards they advance, clofing their Lines: The Buffaloes, which are extremely afraid of Fire, keep flying from it, and at laft find themfelves fo crouded together, that they are generally every one killed. They fay that a Party feldom returns from hunting without killing Fifteen Hundred or Two Thoufand. But leit the different Companies fhould hinder each other, they all agree before they fet out about the Place where they intend to hunt. There are alfo fome Penalties appointed againft thofe who tranfgrefs this Rule, as well as — againft thofe who, quitting their Poft, give. way to the Beafts — to efcape. "Thefe Penalties confit in giving a Right to every — Perfon to ftrip thofe who are guilty, and to take away even their “ Arms, which is the greateft Affront that can be given to a Sa- vage; and to pull down their Cabins. The Chiefs are fubjec& to this Penalty, as well asthe others, and if any were to endea- vour to exempt them from this Law, it would raife a Civil War w amongit them, which would not end icon. a The Bull, or Buffalce, of Canada is bigger than ours; his w FRA VER - Horns are low, black, and fhort : hé has a 7 A LE i great Beard of Hair under his Muzic. and bise ee OF Bl great Tuft of Hair upon his Head, which ~ “™ hideous Look. He has a great Bump upon his Back, which” begins at his Hips, and goes increafing up to his Shoulders; ~ and this bump is covered with Hair, fomething reddifh, and.” very long; the reft of the Body is covered with black Wool, © which is much valued. They fay that the Skin of a Buffaloe © has eight Pounds of Wool on it. This Animal has a large Cheft, — Dae STE +24 PES any Neckithas, but its Head is bigger than that of the Europea: Bulls. He runs away generally at the Sight of any Perfon, a one Dog is enough to make a whole Herd take to a full Gallop The Buffaloe has a good Smell, and to approach him withou being perceived near enough to fhoot him, you muft go the Hunters. He is as furious when the Cows h calved. His Flefh is good, but they feldom eat any | is : © “a Travels in North America. ~ — 69 the Cows, becaufe the Buffaloes are too tough. As for his _ Skin, there are none better ; it is eafily drefled, and tho’ very … ftrong, it becomes fupple, like the beft Shamois. The Savages … make Shields of it, which are very light, and Mr a Mufket ” Bail will not eafily pierce. They find about Hzdjon’s Bay another Bull, whofe “Shia and Of the Mi uf W ool are the fame with fhiote I have already | Bull defcribed. This is what M. Jeremy fays of. | ny FAR een Leagues from the Dares River, «© is the River of Seals, fo called becaufe there are many in this <¢ Place. Between thefe two Rivers there is a Kind of Bulls which ‘ wecall the Mu/é Bulls; becaufe they have fo ftrong a Smell of «¢ Mufk, that at fome certain Times thereis no fuch Thing as. ‘* eating their Flefh. Thefe Animals havea very fine Wool, and ** itis longer than that of the Barbary Sheep. 1 “brought fome to 6 Francein 1708, of which I I Rad fome Stockings made, which. ‘6 were finer than thofe made of Silk. Thefe Bulls, though «© they are fmaller than our’s, have Horns much thicker and *< longer: ‘Their Roots join on the Crown of the Head, and «€ defcend by the Side of the Eyes almoft as low as the Throat $ ; << afterwards the End rifes up, and forms a Kind of Crefcent. | «¢ There are fome fo large, that I have feen of them, which be- “ ing feparated from the Skull, weighed both together fixty | * Pounds: Fheir: Less are very fhort, fo that their Wool ‘€ drags upon the Ground when they walk ; which makes them ‘€ fo deformed, that it is dificult ata little Diflance to know 6 which Way the Head flands. "There are not many of thefe ©: ‘€ Animals; fo that the Savages would foon deitroy them, if q \ | à a LE LPS ~ RES nee pian ‘€ they were to hunt them. Moreover, as their Legs are very ‘ fhort, when there is much Snow they kill them with Lances, : | as they are not able then to make any Speed.” ce . The moft common Quadrupede at this Time in Canada, is the ee Roe-Buck, which differs in nothin from or the Roc- our’s. Itis faid that it fheds Tears oa it is an run down by the Flunters. Whilft it is young Ur, der CAE, RE ES its Hair is firiped with many Colours lengthwife: Afterwards ; this Hair falls off, and another crows up of the Colour of the 014 common Roe-Buck. This Creature is not fierce ,and iseafily atta tamed, and feems naturally to have an Affection for Man. ‘The 4 F amas that is ufed tothe Houfe, retires into the Woods in rut- _ ting Time, and as foon as it has coupledwith the Male, returns — again to the Houfe of her Mafter. When La Time is come to — _. bring forth, the returns into the Woods, and remains there fome es Days with her Young; then fhe returns again to her Matter 5, si but continues to vifit her Young very afiduouflv: When they” » Wat nk asie ae: ve her and take her Young, and Me fs ae 3 Be a ¥ & 10 ; Hi 7: ne Yournal of ti brings them up in the Houfe. It is fomething frange he all 4 our Habitations have not whole Herds of FR The Mn ; hunt them but feldom. . : : There are alfo in the Woes of Une many. Wolves, or ra- _. ther wild Cats, for they ‘only refemble the Of the Wolves Wolves in a Kind of Howie In every 4 Thing elfe, fays Mr. Sarrafiny they are ex genere félins (of the Cat Kind. ) They.are true Hunters, which | live only on the Animals they catch, and which they purfue to — the Tops of the higheft Trees. Their Flefh is white and good — toeat.: Their Skins are well known in France ; it is one of the fine Furs of this Country, and one of the greateft Articles of its’ Frade. ‘There are a Sort of black Foxes in the northern Mbunition 2 whofe Skins are much valued, but re are very fcarce. There . are fome that are more common, the Hair of which is black or * grey, and others of a tawny red. They find fome going up the M;fiffippi that are very beautiful, the Fur of which is of a Silver Colour. We alfo.meet with here Tygers, and Wolves of a fmaller Kind than our’s. The Foxes here catch Water- Fowl in a very ingenious Manner. They go a little Way into’ the Water, and come out again, and make a thoufand Capers upon the Bank of the River... The Ducks, the Buftards, and the like Birds who are pleafed with this Sport, approach : the Fox : When he fees them within his Reach, he keeps himfelf very quiet at fr, not to fcare them ; ‘he only wags his Tail to draw . ! .. them nearer, and the filly Birds give into the Snare fo far as to pick his Tail. Then the Fox leaps upon them, and feldom -miffes his Aim. Some Dogs have been broke ta this Way with Succefs, an? thefe Dogs make a fharp War with the Foxes. Here 1 is a Kind Pole- Cat, which they call Ayfant de Diable or Ao DA phe he 7 Bete Puante (the Child of the Devil, or ftink- 4 ee PE d ing Beaft) becaufe when it is purfued, it is. ie A makes a Urine which ftinks the Air for half a . Mile round. It is in other Refpetts, a very pretty Animal. Itis é about as high as a fmall Cat, but bigger round, has bright Harr; 3 + gnclining to grey, with two white Lines, which form on the . / Back an oval Figure from its Head to the Tail. Its Tail is: ad bufhy like a Fox’s, and it carries it like a Squirrel. Its Fur is 4 ° like te of the Pekans, another, Kind of wi d Wat, about the — fame Bignefs of our’s.. Otters Skins, ‘common Pole-Cat’ Sy he | Pitois or Stote, the Field Rat the ape 85 the Mai and Foxes. Sn ee is 2 à le a Size of our Squisiél but fimetitine lon: r5 its . white, and it has a very long T'ail, the End of which is as No LAS ‘Je The Martens in Canada are not fo red : De the ae ‘ rie LA : % A ee , ‘ 1 NME ÿ Fu ‘ VAE me } à 4 ( % Travels in North America. ut … France, and havea finer Fur“ ‘They keep generallyinthe midt . of the Woods, out of which they never come but once in two of three Years; but they always come out in great ‘Troops. ‘The _ Savages believe that the Year when they fee them come out, will _ be good for Hunting; that is to./ay, that there will be a deep Snow. … The Martens Skins are actually fold here at a Crown a-piece, I mean the common ones, for thofe that are brown fetch up to twenty-four Livres, and more. The Pitoi or Stote differs no- thing from the Pole-Cat, but in that the Fur is blacker, longer, and thicker. ‘Thefe two Animals make War with the Birds, even with thelargeft, and make great Ravagesin Hen-Rooftsand Dove-Houfes. ‘The Field Rat is twice as big as ours, and has | an hairy Tail, and its Fur is of a very fine Silver grey. There re are fome which dre entirely white, and a very beautiful White. The Female has a Purfe under the Belly, which,opens and fhuts . when fhe will. She puts her young ones in it when the is purfued, #4 and faves them with herfelf. As to the Squirrels, they give me “them very little Difturbance here, fo that there are a prodigious : . Number in this Country. They diftinguifh them into three Sorts; the red, which does not differ from ours, the Sauf, which are a little fmaller, and are fo called becaufe their Fur is ftriped lengthwife with red, black, and white, much like the _ Swifs of the Pope’s Guard ; and the flying Squirrels, of much … the fame Sizeas the Swi/s, whofe Furis a dark grey. They call them flying, not becaufe they really fly, but becaufe they leap from one ‘Tree to another, the Diftance of forty Pacesat | * leaft. When they leap from a high Place to a lower, they leap ~twice as far. What enables them to make fuch Leaps, are two Skins which they have on their Sides, between the fore and hind … ) Feet, and which firetch to the Breadth of two Inches. They : ‘are very thin, and only covered with Down. This little Animal . foon grows familiar; it is very lively when it does not fleep; . but it often fleeps in any Place it can creep into, as a Pocket, _ Sleeve, or Muff. It foon grows fond of its Mafter, and will — find him out amongft twenty Perfons. The Porcupine of Canada’ is as thick as a middling Dog, but fhorter, and not fo high; its _ Quills are about four Inches long, about the Thicknefs of a {mall Straw, white, hollow, and very ftrong, particularly onthe- Back. Thefe are its Arms, both offenfive and defenfive. It : darts them direëtly at thofe who attemptits Lifé, and ifit enters __ _ ever fo little in the Flefh, it muft be drawn out inftantly, or elfe it finks in entirely. Its for this Reafon, that they are very _ careful to hinder their Dogs from approaching thefe Animals. Their Flefh is good eating. A roafted Porcupine, is as good fucking Pig. ‘The Hares and Rabbits here arelike thofeof pe, excepting that their hind Legs are longer. ‘Their Skins ied aaa : are thas’ 72 An Hiftorical Journal of | are of no great Ufe, becaufe they fhed their Fur continually ; which is a Pity, for their Fur is very fine, and would do no Da- mage in the Hat Manufaëture. In Winter thefe Animals turn rey, and feldom come out of their Holes, where they live upon the fmalleft Branches of the Birch Tree. In Summer, their Fur is of a yellowiih red. The Foxes make a fharp War with them in all Seafons, and the Savages take them in Winter in Gins, when they go out to feek for Food. ; L am, &c- } LE T'F ae ee A Defcription of the Country between Lake St. PierRrE,and Monv- REAL: lz what it differs from QuEBec. A Defcription of the Ifland and Townof MontReat, and its Environs. Of the Fifhery for Seals, the Sea Cow, Porpoife, and Whale. | Mapa, MonTreaL, March 20. Departed the 13th from St. François, and Ge dee thane if the next Day Faire in this Town. I of 1 had not in pafling here, which is abouttwenty « Leagues, the Pleafure I had formerly in coming this fame Route — ina Canoe, in the fineft Weather in’the World, to fee open be- _. fore me by Degrees as 1 advanced, Canals that reached out of _ Sight, between a prodigious Number of Iflands, which at a Di- « _ftance feemed to make one Land with the Continent, and flop © he) ‘the River in its Courfe, thofe pleafing Views, which changed © every Moment like the Decorations of a Theatre, and which M ‘one would think were contrived on Purpofe to recreate a 'Travel- — ler: But I had fome Reeompence in the Singularity of the © Sight of an Archipelago, that was become in fome Manner a Con- M tinent ; and by the Convenience of travelling in a Sledge, or à Kind of Calath, upon Canals between Iflands, which appeared — as if they had been plac’d by a Line like Orange Trees. As forthe Profpett, it is not fine in this Seafon. Nothing is. D Mie Lay -more melancholy than that White which co- ‘ L ie ‘vers every Thing, and which takes the Place PERE a ane Ki _ of that beautiful Variety of Colours which ms er No dé }, the greateft Ornament of the Country ; th ee, eae _ Trees, which appear planted in the Snow which prefent to our Sight only. hoary Heads, and Branch: loaded with Ificles. In other Refpe&ts, Madam, the Ba of Sr. Pierre is here what the River Loire is in France. LI \ Travels in North America. 73 Side of Quebec the Lands are good; but in general you fee no- | thing that can recreate the Sight. Moreover, the Climate is _ very fevere ; for the more we go down the River, and the more ___we advance towards the North, of Confequence the Cold is more piercing. Quebec is in 47. 56. Latitude. Trois Riwieresis in 46. and fome Minutes: And Montreal between 44. and 45. The River St. Laurence, above the Lake of 57. Pierre, making an El- bow to the South. It feems therefore, when we are paft the [lands of Richlieu, as if we were tranfported all at once into another Climate. ‘The Air is fofter, the Land more level, the River finer ; and its Banks havea Fe me Jcai quoi, more pleafing. ‘We meet from Time to Time with Iflands, fome of which are inhabited ; the others, in their natural State, offer to the Sight the fineft Landfcapes in the World. In a Word, it is Towraine and la Limagne of Auvergne, compared with Maine and Normandy. ‘Fhe Iflesof Montreal, which is as it were the Centre of this fine Country, is ten Leagues long from Eaft Defeription of | cb OT CUS to Weft, and near four Leagues over in its oe ¢ of Mon- greateft Breadth. The Mountain from which it takes its Name, and which has two Heads of unequal Height, is almoft in the Midft of the Length of the Ifland, but it is but half a League from the South Coaft,- upon which the Town is built. This Town was called Ville-Marie, by its Founders ; but this Name hath never been brought into common Ufe.: Itis only mentioned in public Writings, and amongft the Lords; who are very tenacious of it. Thefe Lords, who have the Domain not only of the Town, but alfo of the whole Ifland, are Miffionaries of the Seminary of St. Sulpice : And as all the Lands here are very good, and well culti- _wated ; and as the Town is.as well peopled as Quebec, we may affirm that this Lordfhip is worth half a Dozen of the beft in Canada. This is the Fruit of the Labour and good Condué of ‘the Lords of this Ifland ; and certainly twenty private Perfons, amongft whom this might have been.divided, would not have put it in the State we now feé it, nor have made the People fo happy. The Town of Montreal has a very chearful Afpedt : It _ is well fituated, open, and well built. The Agreeablenefs of its | Environs, andits Profpedts, infpires a certain Gaity, of which “every one feels the Effect. It is not fortified: A fingie Pallifade, which is.but poorly kept up, is all its Defence ; with a bad Re- doubt upon a little Eminence, which ferves for a Bulwark, and which terminates with a gentle Slope at a little Square. This is _ what we meet with at firft, in coming from Quebec. It is not … forty Years ago, fince the Town was quite open, and expofed to “be burnt by the Savages or the Exglifo. It was the Chevalier de “Callicres, Brother of. the Plenipotentiary of Rifwick, who en- DRE: : : L - clofed ee adored. Mr 74 An Hiftorical Fournal of clofed it whilft he was Governor. They have talked fome Years’ of furrounding it with Walls (a); but it will not be eafy toen- g78¢ the Inhabitants to contribute towards it: They are brave, and not rich ; and are hard to be perfuaded of the Neceflity of this Expence, being fully convinced that their Valour is more thaw fufficient to defend the Town againft any Enemy that fhould dare to attack it. ’ Our Canadians, on this Article, have alla — pretty good Opinion of themfelves, and we muft allow it is not ill founded ; but in Confequence of the Confidence which this Sia them, it is not fo dificult to furprize them, as to conquer them, 7 Montreal isa long Square, fituated on the Bank of the River 3 which rifing infenfibly, divides the Town in its Length into High and Low; butthe Afcent from one to the other is fcarcelÿ perceiveable. The Hotel Dieu, and the King’s Magazines, are in the Lower Town, and almoft all the Traders live there. The Seminary and the Parifh Church, the Recollets, the Fe/uits, thé Maids of the Congregation, the Governor, and greateft Part of the Officers, are in the Higher Town. Beyonda httle Rivulet, which comes from the North Weft, and bounds the Town on. that Side, there are fome Houfes and the Hofpital General ; and going to the Right, beyond the Recollets, whofe Convent is at the End of the Town, on the fame Side, there begins to be formed a Kind of Suburb, which in Time will make a very fine Quarter. The Fefuits here have but a very little Houfe ; but their Church, which is juft finifhed, is large and well built. The Convent of the Recollets is much larger, and the Society moré numerous. The Seminary isin the Centre of the Town: It appears that they fludied more to make it folid and convenient, than fine; but yet it has the Air of belonging to the Lords of the Place : It communicates with the Parifh Church, which has much more the Appearance of a Cathedral than that of Quebec. ‘The Service is performed here with a Modefty and Dignity | which infpires Refpeët for the Majefty of the God who is heré The Houfe of the Maids of the Congregation, though oné | of the largeft in the Town, is yet ftill too little tolodge fo nu-, merous a Society : Itis the Chief of an Order, and the Novici- ate of an Inftitution, which ought to be fo much dearer to New. #rance, and to this Town in particular, becaufe it took its Rife here, and becaufe all the Colony feels the Advantages of this” fine Foundation. The Hotel Dieu is ferved by Nuns, the firft of which were taken from Fieche in Anjou. a (a) This is now donc. q hs NA cies qui ‘ oy he Ta LA 4 | + (They are poor, yet their Poverty does not appear in theit Hall ; which is large, and well furnifhed with Beds and othe? à: a Travels in North America. 7 F Furniture; nor in their Church, which is fine and well adorn’d* nor in their Houfe, which is well built, neat and convenient’: -But they have but a poor Maintenance, though they are all inde- fatigably employed in the Inftruétion of Youth, and in the Care of the Sick. The Hofpital General owes its Foundation to a private Per- fon, named Charron, who aflociated himfelf with many pious Perfons, not only for this good Work, but alfo to furnifh the Country Parifhes with School-Mafters, who fhould inftruét the Boys, as the Sifters of the Congregation do the Girls: But the . Society was foon diffolved: Some left it for other Affairs, and fome through Ficklenefs; fo thatthe Sieur Charron was left- alone. However, he was not difcouraged ; he emptied his own Purfe, and found Means to open thofe of fome powerful ' Perfons : He built a Houfe, and procured a Number of School: Matters, and Perfons to attend the Hofpital. The Public took - a Pleafure to aflift and give Authority to a Man who fpared nei- ther his own Subftance, nor his Pains, and whom\nothing could difcourage, In fhort, before his Death, which happened in 1719, he had the Comfort to fee his Project out of all Danger of failing, at leaft with Refpet to the Hofpital General. The Houfe is fine, and the Church very pretty. The School- Matters are not yet well eftablifhed in the Parifhes ; and the Order they have received from Court, forbidding them to wear an uniform Habit, or to engage themfelves by Vows, may hin- der their Eftablithment. Between the Ifland of Montreal and the Continent on the , North Side, there, is ahother Ifland about | Jefe, pt SA eight Leagues long, and two Leagues over :. Sor doc Prato. it Was firft named the Ifland of Montmagay, ver des Prairies, . : 4 (of the Mead ows) from the Name of a Governor General OF : | | Canada: It was afterwards granted to the Fefuits, who called it the Ifland of Fe/us ; and it has preferved this laft Name, though it has paffed from the Hands of the Fe- Juits to Meflieurs of the Seminary of Quebec, who have begun +0 place fome Inhabitants here ; and as the Lands are good, there is Room to hope that the whole Ifland will foon be cleared. The Channel which feparates the two Iflands, is re the Ri- ., ver des Prairies, (Meadows) becaule it runs Hu _ hes: inthe Midft of fine Meadows. Its Courfe is # a impeded towards the Middle by a Torrent which they call the Recolet’s Fall, in Memory of one of that Or- der, who was drowned here. The Ecclefiaftics of the Seminary | 76. 7 Ne Hiftorical Journal if of Montreal, for along Time, had a Miffion of Savages near this Place, which they have fince removed to another Part. 40 The third Arm of the River is ftrewed as it were with fuch a Oe he Eel prodigious Number of Iflands, that there is À M ri 1. almoft as much Land as Water. This Chan- NOT PAPER SAR ACER Milles-illes, or River of St. Jean, (thoufand- Lilands, or St. John’s River.) At the Head of the ‘Ifland Je/us, is the little Ifland Bizard, {o called from the Name of a Swi/s Officer, to whom it belonged, and who died a Major at Montreal. A little higher towards the South, is the Ifland Perrot ; ‘thus called by Mr. Perrot, who was the firft Governor of ia Montreal, and the Father of Madam the Countefs a Ja Roche- Allard, and of Madam the Prefidentefs of Lubert. This Ifland is near two Leagues every Way, and the Lands are good, and they begin to clear them. ‘The Ifle Bixard terminates the Lake des deux Montagnes (of the two Mountains) and the Ifland Perrot {e- parates the fame Lake from that of Sz. Louis.’ The Lake of the two Mountains is -properly the Mouth of the Great River, otherwife called the River of the Oztaoua7s, into the River St. Laurence. It is two Leagues long, and near as wide, The Lake of 54. Louis is fome ething larger, but it isin Fat no- thing more than an Enlargement cf the River St. Lawrence. Till Jately, the French Colony extended no farther to the Weft; but they begin to make fome new Hiäbitations a little higher, and … the Lands are every where excellent. That which has been the be rar 4 of. Méitrial and its Envi- rons during the laft Wars, are two Villages . St Of the Fall 4 of Jroquois Chriftians and the Fort de Chambly. 4 The firit of the two Villages is that of the © Fall of Sr. Louis, fituated on the Continent on the South Side, three Leagues above the Town of Montreal. It is very popu- « “ous, and has always been efteemed one of our ftrongeft Barriers — againft the Reathen Troguois, and the Enghfh of New York. It has already been twice removed within the Space of two Leagues. # Its fecond Situation, where I faw it in 1708, was over- againit the : Fall of St. Louis ; and it keeps this Name, though it is now am good Diftance from it. It looks as if they had fixed it now ; for the Church, which is juft fnifhed, and the Houfe of the Min fionaries are, each in'its Kind, two of the fineft Buildings in, _ the Country. The Situation is charming : The River St. Laurence, which is very wide here, is alfo hereabouts fall of Iflands, which. & havea very fine Effect. The Ifland of Montreal, entirely peopled, — is a Perfpeétive on one Side; and the View has fcarce any Bounds _ ee on the other Side, on Account of the Lake Sz. Louis, re ber gins a little higher. 3 Travels in North America. | ri . Thefecond Village is called de la Montagne, (of the Mountain) F i: . becaufe it was a long Time on the Mountain - | Of tae roqnois which gave the Name to the Ifland. It has | of the Mountain. . fince been removed to the Reccllers Fall, as faid before. It is now on the Continent, over-againft the: Weft: . End of the Ifland. It is governed by the Ecclefiaftics of thé.Se--. minary of Montreal. Thefe two Villages have produced many ™ brave Men, and their Fervour in Religion was admirable before the Avarice of our Traders hadintroduced Drunkennefs, which has made ftill greater Ruin here than in the Miffions of Sz. Fran- — gois and Beckancourt. The Miffionaries have in vain employed all their Induftry and > Difird Vigilance to puta Stop to this Diforder. It : EN 6 Ha was to no Purpofe that they called in the. fioned ty theBranay nid of the Magiftrates, threatened the Trad e in thefe two Wrath of Heaven, and offered the mof per- Villages. fuafive Reafons : All fignified nothing, Even the moft fatal Accidents, in which the Hand of GOD evidently appeared heavy on the Authors of this Evil, have not been fufh- cient to open the Eyes. of fome Chriffians, whom a. Thirft af- ter fordid Gain hath blinded.’ One fees even in the Squares and Streets of Montreal, the moît frightful Spectacles, the certain . Confequences of the Drunkennefs of thefe Barbarians: Huf- bands and Wives, Fathers, Mothers and their Children ; - Brothers and Sifters, taking each other by the Throat, tearing off each other’s Kars, and biting one another like furious Wolves. The Air refounds inthe Night with Howlings, more horrible than thofe which the wild Beafts make in the Woods. Thofe who have moft to reproach themfelves with for thefe _ horrible Diforders, are the firft to afk, IF thefe People are Chrifs tians ? We may anfwerthem, Yes, they are Chriffians, and new. Converts, who know not what they do: But thefe who cooly, _ and knowing the certain Effet, bring them by their Avarice to this Condition, have they any Religion? They know thatthe Savages would give alkthey have for a Glafs of Brandy: This + isa'Temptation to the Traders ; againft which, neither the Cries of the Paftors, nor the Zeal and Authority of the Magiltrates, nor Refpeét of the Laws, nor the Severity of the Sovereign Ju- ~— rifdiétion nor the Fear of GOD’s Judgments, nor the Thoughts -of Hell, (a Reprefentation of which is feen in the Drunkennefs of _ thefe Savages) have been able to reftrain them. But let us turn away our Eyes from thefe difagreeable Objets. | The great Trade for Skins, after the Town of Trois Riwieres was no longer frequented by the Nations of the Northand Weft, | was carried on feveral Years at Montreal, whither the Savages re- __ forted at certain Seafons from all Parts of Carada. This was 4 a. 4 a Kin a 1 ~ Caan An Hiflerical “ournal of Kind of Fair, which brought many French to this Town. The Governor General, and the Intendant, came hither alfo,” and they took Advantage of this Occafion to accommodate the Dif- ference that might have happened between our Allies. But if you meet, Madam, by Chance, with the Book of La Hontan, where Mention is made of this Fair, I would have you take Care how you give Credit to what he fays of it: He does not. even preferve Probability. The Women of Montreal never gave any Foundation for what this Author reports of them, and there isno Fear that their Honour fhould ever fuffer any Blemifh from the Savages. There is no Example that any have ever taken- the leaft Liberty with the French Women, even when they were their Prifoners : They not even feem to have an Inclination * to it; and it were to be wifhed that the Frenchmen had the fame Diflike tothe Savage Women. La Hontan could not be ignorant ef what is fo publickly known in this Country; but he wanted to give a Gaiety to his Memoirs, and for this Purpofe he faid any Thing. We are always fure to pleafé certain Perfons, when we giveno Bounds to a Liberty of inventing Stories, and of flandering. | One fees now and then little Fleets of Savages arrive at Moz- real ; but nothing in Comparifon of former Times. It is the froquois War that has interrupted this great Concourfe of Na- tions in the Colony. ‘To make Amends for this Failure of the Savages coming to Montreal, they, have eftablifhed amongft the greateft Partof them Magazines and Forts, where there are always an Officer and Soldiers enough to fecure the Merchandize. The Savages will always have a Gunfmithin thefe Places; andinmany there are Miffionaries ; who would do more Good if there were no other French there. There is Reafon to believe it would be better to fet Things upon the antient Footing, fince Peace has _ been eftablifhed both within and without the Colony: This would be the Means to reftrain the Wood-Rangers, whofe Cove- . toufnefs (not to mention the Diforders caufed by their Licentiouf- nefs) makes them every Day guilty of mean Actions, which ren- der us defpicable in the Sight of the Savages, have lower’d eur Merchandizes, and raifed the Price of Skins. Befides, the Savages, naturally proud, are grown infolent, fince they find that we feek after them. À The Fifhery might much more enrich Carada than the Chace; Of a Sea , and this does not depend on the Savages : Fibers hé Two weighty Reafons for following it, which | per yet have not been fufficient to engage our Co- Jonifts to make it the principal Objet of their Trade.——I have nothing to add to what I have already faid on the Cod Fifhery, which alone would be worth more to us than Peru, if the F A à DM dr nr ri | ema ig Travels in North America. “9 _ ders of New France had taken proper Meafures to fecure th Poffeffion of it to ourfelves.---I begin with the Fifhery for Seals; Sea Cows, and Porpoifes, which may be carried on every where in the Gulph of St. Laurence, and a great Way up-the River. *. __ The Sea Wolf, or the Seal, takes its Name from its Cry, which ©. — nor any Land Animal that we know. Le/cardot aflerts, that he _ has heard fome cry like Screech-Owls ; but thefe might be only young ones, whofe Cry was not quite formed. They make no Hefitation here, Madam, to place it in the Rank of Fifhes 3 though it is not mute, though it is brought forth on the Land, and lives as much on it asin the Water, and is covered with Hair: In a Word, though it wants nothing to make it to be confidered as an amphibious Creature. But we are in a new World, and it muft not be required of us always to fpeak the Language of the Old; and Cuftom, againft which there is ne _ reafoning, is here in Poffeflion of allits Rights. So that the - War they make with the Seals, though it is often on Land; and with the Gun, is called a Fifhery; and that which they make with the Beavers in the Water, and with Nets, is called # Chace. | is a Sort of howling ; for in its Shape it refembles not the Wolf, . Ry The Head of a Seal is fomething like a Bull-Dog’s : He has ‘ a ue: four Legs, very fhort, efpecially thofe be- Pest Fe oF hind : fa FA other Refpett a is a Fifh. chimes go: _ It drags itfelf rather than walks upon its Feet. Its Legs before have Nails, thofe behind are like Fins : His Skin is hard; and covered with fhort Hair of divers €olours. There are fome Seals all white, and they are all fo at firft ; but fome, as they grow up, become black, others tawny : Many are of ali thefe Colours mixed together. | The Fifhermen diftinguifh feveral Species of Seals: The | Of the feveral Species of Seal: and they fay their Nofe is more pointed than the others. There are fome that only frifk largeft weigh up to two thoufand Pounds; about inthe Water : Gur Sailors call them Brafeurs, (Brewers.} - They have given the Name of Naw to another Sort ; for which I can give no Keafon, nor know the Meaning of the Word. Ano- ther Sort they call Grofes Tetes, (Great Heads.) There are fome | fmall ones that are very lively and fkilful in cutting the Nets they are taken in : They are of a Tyger Colour ; they are full of Play and Spirit, and as pretty as Creatures of this Shape can: be. ‘The Savages learn thefe to follow them like little Dogs, | and eat them notwithitanding. _ : # _. M. Denys {peaks of two Sorts of Seals that are found upon the | . Coafts of Acadia. One Sort (fays he). are fo big, that their … Young are larger than our largeft Porkers. He adds, that foom et om after _8o An Hiftorical Fournal of a after they are brought forth, the old ones carry them to the Wa- ter, and from Time to Time bring them afhore again to fuck : _ That the Time of fucking them is the Month of February ; when the young ones, which they aim chiefly to catch, go fcarce any more into the Water: ‘That at the firft Noife the old ones fly, making a great Noife to give Notice to the young ones to follow them ; which they never fail to do, if the Fifhermen do not make Hafte to give them 2° Blow on the Nofe with a Stick, which is enough to kill them.---The Number of thefe Animals mui{t be very great upon thefe Coafts, if it true, as the fame Au- | thor affirms, that in one Day they take fometimes eight hundred of the young ones. , | The fecond Species of thefe Seals, which M. Denys fpeaks of, is very fmall, and has little more Oil but what it has in its Blad- der. Thefe laft never go far from the Shore, and there is always ene that ftands Centinel : At the firft Signal he gives, they all throw themfelves into the Sea : After fome Time they approach the Land, and raife themfelves upon their hind Feet to fee if there is nothing to fear: But in Spite of all their Precautions, they furprize a great Number of them on Shore, and it is almoft rmpoflible to take them any other Way. ; It is agreed, that the Flefh of the Seal is not bad to eat, but : it is more profitable to make Oùl of it: pies ie This is not difficult, They melt the Fat on Boal the Fire, and it diflolvesinto an-Oil. Some- — ; times they only put the Fat of a great many Seals on Square Planks; and leave it to diflolve of itfelf, a Hole being made at the Bottom, for the Oil to runthrough. This Oil whilft it is new is very good for Kitchen Ufes ; but that of the : young: Seals foon grows rank, and the other dries too much, upon keeping any time: They then ufe it to burn, or to drefs Skins with. It keeps clear a Jong Time, has no Smell, and leaves no Lee, nor any Kind of Foulnefs at the Bottom of the. Merely. ©"! any ee : 3 _ At the firft fettling the Colony, they ufed a great Quantity of Seal Skins to make Mufis; but that is now out of Fafhion; and their chief Ufe now is to cover Trunks, &c. When they are tanned they have almoft the fame Grain as Mordcco Lea- ther: They are not fo fine, but they are ftronger, and wear w better. They make of them very good Shoes, and Boots; which will not take Water. They are alfo ufed to cover Seats of M Chairs, the Frames of which are fooner worn out than the Co; M vers. They tan thefe Skins here with the Bark of the Spruce Fir, and in the Tin@ure, they ufe to dye them black, they mix ~ a Powder, drawn from certain Stones they find upon the Banks! the Rivers ; which are called Thunder Stones, ox Marcafites. = | Travels in North America. Htc: ae te Fi. ‘The Seals couple upon the Rocks, and fometimes upon thé Ice, where alfo the Females bring forth their à Some Particula- } a “y.. Young. They have commonly two, and ‘4 cbr a dé ooo they fuckle them pretty often in the Water, | but oftener upon the Land. When they would ” accuftom them to fwim, they carry them, as they fay, on their Backs in the Water, and let them off from Time to Time into the Water, then take them again, and continue this Practice till the young ones can fwim alone. If this Fact 1s true, this is. a ftrange Fifh, which Nature has not taught what the greateft _ part of Land Animals are capable of almoft as foon as they co into the World. ‘The Seal has its Senfes very quick, and this is its fole Defence ; but this does not hinder them from being often furprized, as I have before remarked; but the moft com- mon Method of fifhing for them isthis : The Cuftom of this Animal, when it is in the Water, is to come with the Tide into - - the Creeks. When they have difcovered the Creeks, where a great Number come, they fhut them up with Stakes and Nets; they only leave a {mall Space open by which the Seals enter. When the Tide is up, they ftop this Opening, fo that after the Tide is out, thefe Fifh remain on the Shore, and they have only | the Trouble to knock them on the Head. They follow them alfo ina Canoe, in Places where there is Plenty of them, and ‘when they put their Heads out of the Water to breathe, they fhoot them. If they are only wounded, they eafily take them; ~ * but if they are fhot dead, they fink directly to the Bottom, like as the Beaversdo. But they have great Dogs, which are train’d to fetch them up at the Depth of feven or eight Fathom. Our Fifhermen take but few Sea-Cows on the Coafts of the Gulph of Sz. Laurence; 1 know not whether they have taken any in other Places. The Englifs formerly eftablifhed a Fifhery for them at the Iflé of Sable ; but they made no great Advantage of it. The Shape of this Animal is not very different from the Seals. What is peculiar toit, are two Teeth, of the Bignefs and Length of a Man’s Arm, a little bent back at Top, and which appear at a Diftance like Horns; this is probably the Rea- fon they are called Sea-Cows. Our Sailors Callthem more plainly _ la beet a la grande dent, (the great toothed Beaft) thefe Teeth are. of very fine Ivory, as well as all thofe which are inthe Jawof this Fifh, and which are four Inches long. ra on There are in the River St. Laurence Porpoifes of two Colours: | In the Salt Water ; #hat is to fay, till a little below the Ifle of Orleans, they do not differ better than that of aSheep, but not fo good as a Calf’s. : The Skins of both Sorts are tan’d like Mcrocco Leather. At ge pa firft it is foft like Fat, and is an Inch thick, Skin they fcrape ita long Time, and it becomes woe like a tranfparent Leather ; and how thin foever it is, even fo as to be fit for Waiitcoats and Breeches, it is always very ftrong and Proof againft a Mufket Ball. There are fome eighteen Feet long, and nine wide ; they fay that there is nothing better to cover the T'ops of Coaches. ‘They have lately eftablifhed two Fifheries below Quebec for Porpoifes, one in the Bay of Sz. Paul, and the other feven or eight Leagues lower, over-againft a Habitation called Camourafca, from the Name of certain Rocks that rife confiderably above the Water. ‘The Ex- pences are not great ; and the Profits would be confiderable, if | the Porpoifes were Animals fettled in a Place: But either through Inftin&, or Caprice, they often break the Meafures of the Fifhermen, and take another Route than that where they wait for them. Moreover, thefe Fifheries, which would only en- rich fome few Perfons, have occafioned an Inconvenience which made the common People complain ; which is, that they have greatly diminifhed the Eel Fifhery, which is a great Help to the poor Inhabitants. For the Porpoifes, finding themfelves dif- turbed below Quebec, are retired to fome other Place; and the » Eels, finding no longer thefe great Fifh in their Way, which © obliged them to return back, go down the River without any © Hindrance ; whence it happens, that between Quebec and TYrozs - Rivieres, where they took a prodigious Number every Year, they — now icarce take any. _ . e The Way of fithing for Porpoifes is much the fame as that T have been mentioning for Seals. When the Tide is out, they” fet Stakes in the Mud, or Sarid, pretty near one another, and they faften Nets to them in the Shape. of Funnels, the Opening « of which is pretty large, and made in fuch a Manner, that when once the Fifth has entered, he can’t find his Way out again. They take Care to put upon the Tops of the Stakes Branches of Greens. When the Tide rifes, thefe Fifh giving Ch 4 i Herrings, which always run to the Sides, and being allured by _ the Greens which they greatly love, are engaged in the Nets, . and find themfelves fhut up: As the Tide finks, it is pleafant to _ fee their Trouble, and their fruitlefs Attempts to efcape: At laft they remain on dry Land, and often one upon another in fuch . great Numbers, that one Blow with a Stick kills two or three of them. They fay that there have; been found fome among the white Sort,which weighed three thoufand Pounds. - | Every one knows the Nature of the Whale Fifhery, therefore one 1 he Whale I fhall fay nothing of it. It is faid here, that 9" the Bifcayners, who carried it on formerly in the River Sz. Laurence, difcontinued it only to apply themfelves entirely tothe Fur-'Trade, which required not fomuch Expence or | Labour, and the Profits of which were then more confiderable, and of a quicker Return. On the other Hand, they had not all the Conveniencies for this Fifhery, which may be had at prefent, now there are Habitations very near the Gulf. Some Years ago they ‘tried to re-eftablifh it, but without Succefs : The Undertakers - either had not a fufficient Fund to make the neceflary Advances, or expected their Charges to be reimburfed fooner than the Thing would allow, or elfe they wanted Perfeverance. It appears never- thelefs certain that this Fifhery might be a great Article in the Trade of this Colony fa), and might be: carried on with lefs Expence and Danger than on the Coafts of Greenland; and what fhould hinder to fix it here, as M. Denys propofed to do that of the Cod-Fifhery in Acadia. —— This is, Madam, all that con- gerns the Fifheries, that may enrich Canada. | L am, &c. NAN Ce en M abe A à à Of the Fort of CuamEiy: Of the Fifh; of the Birds: And of fome — Animals, peculiar to Canada. Of the Trees which are the fame with thofe of FRANCE; and of thofe which are peculiar ta this Country, | | ate Mapam, | CHAMELY, March 1. O NE ofthe chief Defences of Montreal againft the Iroquois and New York, is Fort Chambly : It is from this Fort I have the Honour to write to you. Icame hither to pay a Vifit > fa) It is to be hoped that we fhall now eftablifh a Whale Fifhery in thefe _. Parts; as there feems great Probability that a vaft Advantage may be reaped from it, - cape M 2 Mie Travels in North America. - 82 Ba...» An Hi TA a to the Commandant, who is M. de Sabrevois, of one of the beft Families of Beauce, my Friend, my Companion in the Voyage, D. ¥ AE rey à i re a 4 and a good Officer. I fhall defcribe this important Fort, and … the Situation of it, in a few Words. | In the firft Years of our Settlement in this Country, the Tro- ; guois, to make their Incurfions into the very Centre of our Ha- bitations, came down a River which difcharges itfelf into the River St. Laurence, a little above Lake St. Pierre, and which for this Reafon, was called firft the ZJroquois River. It has been . fince called the River of Richelieu, from a Fort which bore this — Name, and which was built at its Mouth. This Fort being in.a ruinous Condition, M. de Sorel, Captain in Carignan-Salieres Regi-’ ment, built another, whichhe called by hisown Name. This Name communicated itfelf to the River, and it is fill called fo, tho’ the Fort has not been ftanding for a long Time. When we have gone up the River about feventeen Leagues, going always towards the South, but a little to the South Weft, we find a ; Torrent or Water-fall, and over againft ita Kind of little Lake, formed by the River itfelf. It is by the Side of the Water-fall, _and over againft the Lake, that the Fortis fituated. It was firft built of Wood, by M. ae Chambly, at the fame ‘Time that M. d Sorel built his Fort, but it has been fince built of Stone, and. flanked with four Baftions, and there is always a pretty good ~ Garrifon kept in it. The Lands round it are very good, and they begin to eftablifh fome Habitations here, and many People think thatin Time, they will build a ‘Town in this Place. From Chambly to Lake Champlain, it is but eight Leagues. The River Sorel croffes the Lake; and there is perhaps no Part Of New France which is more fit to be peopled. ‘The Climate is milder than any other Part of the Colony, and the Inhabitants wili have the Jreguois for Neighbours, who at the Bottom are a good Sort of People, who will not feek to quarrel with us, when they fee us in a Condition not to be afraid of © ‘them, and who will find their Account J believe ftill better from — this Neighbourhood, than from that of New York. Many. other Reafons ought to engage us in this Settlement, but if I _ fhould write all, I fhould have nothing to fay when I have the Honour to fee you again. I fhall take Advantage of the Leifure Hours I have here, to continue to entertain you with the Par. ticularities of this Country. I have already given an Account of what the Gulf and the River of St. Laurence may fupply for the Trade of New France; it remains for meto fpeak of the” Refources which the Inhabitants may find here for the Supports of Life, Er De. ? na / nai eats Cape Torment to the Gulf, one may take al- dat Oth Gur moit all Fith that live in the Sea, as Sal- and Poe af St * mon, Tunny, Shad, Trout, Lamprey, Smelts, Fetes ~ ‘Conger Eels, Mackerel, Soals, Herrings, An- sisi chovies, Pilchards, Turbots, and many o- _ thers that are not known in Europe. They are all taken with a - Sein, or other Nets. In the Gulf they take Hallibuts, three Sorts of T'hornbacks, the common, the curled Sort, which they fay is better than in France, and another Sort that is not efteem- ed; Lencornets, a Kind of Cuttle Fifh, St. Pezer’s Fith, Requiems, Sea Dogs; a Kind of Reguzems much lefs mifchievous whilft alive, and beyond Comparifon better when dead, than the com- mon Sort. Ovyfters are very plenty in Winter on the Coatts of _ Aacida, and the Manner of fithing for them is fomething fingu- lar. ‘They make a Hole in the Ice, and they thruft in two Poles together in. fuch a Manner, that they have the Effect of a Pair _ of Pinchers, and they feldom draw them up without an Oyfter. The Lencornet is, as I have faid, a Kind of Cuttle Fifh, but how- ever, it is very different from the common Cuttle Fifh. It is quite round, or rather oval; at the End of its Tail is a Sort of Ledge, which makes him a Kind of Shield, and his Head 1s furrounded . with Barbs half a Foot long, which he makes Ufe of to catch … other Fifh. There are two Kinds, which differ only in Bignefs; _ ‘the fmaller Sort is about a Foot long. They take few but of the Jaft Sort, and thofe by the Light ofa Flambeau: ‘They love the Light much, they fhew it them on the Shore when the Tide is at Height, but juft upon burning, they approachit, and fo are left aground. The Lencornet roafted, boiled, or fricafleed, is very good eating, but makes the Sauce quite black. The St. Peter’s Fifh is like a fmall Cod, has the fame Tafte, — O Oe eee? and is dried alfo like that. It has two black F eS > sh ae _ Spots on the Sides of its Head, and the Sai- si th D. lors fay, this is the Fifh in which St. Perer te. found the Piece of Money to pay the Tri- bute to the Roman Emperor, for our Lord and himfelf ; and that its two Spots are the two Places by which he took hold of it: For this Reafon they call it St. Peter’s Fifh, The Sea Plaice is firmer and better than the River, Plaice. “They catch them as well as Lobfters with long Sticks armed — with a fharp Iron, which is notched to prevent the Efcape of the’ Fith. - In fhort, in many Places, efpecially to- … wards Acadia, the Ponds are full of Salmon Trouts, and Tur- * tles two Feet in Diameter, the Flefh of which is excellent, and the Top Shell ftreaked with white, red, and blue. ‘Travels in North America ae ~ ‘Wherever the Water of the River is falt, that és to Jay, from Among — 86 : An Hiflorical Journal of re 4 Among the Fifh with which the Lake Champlain, and the Ri= Of the Armed vers which flow into it, abound, M. -Cham- Fip plain obferved one pretty fingular, which he eeu calls Chacufarou, probably from the Name given it by the Savages. It is a particular Species of the Armed Fifh, which is found in many Places. ‘This has a Body nearly of the fame, Shape as a Pike, but it is covered with Scales that are Proof againit the Stab of a Dagger; Its Colour is a fiiver grey, and there grows under his Mouth a long bony Sub- © ftance, jagged atthe Edges, hollow, and with a Hole at the End of it; which gives Reafon tojudge, that it breaths by it: ‘The Skin that covers it is tender: The Length of it is proportioned to that of the Fifh, of which it makes a third Part. It is two Fingers in Breadth in the fmalleit, The Savages affured M. — . Champlain that fome of thefe Fifh were eight or ten Feet long, but the largeft he faw were but five Feet, and about as thick as a Man’s Thich. oe ) One may eafily conceive that fuch an Animal is a Ravager Rice: shin pages UE the Inhabitants of the Water, but one 3. -* would not imagine that it fhouid make War with the Inhabitants of the Air; which he does, however, with much Art, in this Manner: He hides him- felf in the Reeds in fuch a Manner, that only this Inftrument of his is to be feen, which he thrufts out of the Water in an up- right Pofition ; the Birds that want to reft themfelves take this for a dry Reed, or Piece of Wood, and perch upon it. ‘They are no fooner on it, than the Fifh opens his Mouth, and makes fuch a fudden Motion to feize his Prey, that it feldom efcapes him. ‘The Teeth which edge the Inftrument that he ufes to -fuch good Purpofe, are pretty long and very fharp. The Sa- vages fay, that they are a foverecign Remedy againit the Head. “Ach, and that pricking with one of thefe Teel where the Pain "45 fharpeft, takes it away inftantiy. 9 8 = -’Phefe People have a wonderful Skill in ftriking Fith in the he Mortaoe of Water, efpecially in the Torrents. They fish nes 4 Pk alfo with the Sein, and they have an odd Ce- noel aie remony before they ufe this Net. They many it to two young Maids, and during the Wedding Feaft they place it between the two Brides. They exhort it very ferioufly to take a great many Fifh, and they think to engage it to do fo by making great Prefents to its pretended Fathers-in-Law. | M The Sturgeon here is a Sea and a freth bie Fi: “ae pe a take it upon the Coafts of Canada, andinthe « St OF Î, ARE “a great ites which crofs the River pees im fe a rence. Many People think it is the real De phin of the Antients; if this is true, it was fitting ‘th: catches Birds. GORE Travels in North America. 1) Om _ King of Fifh fhould reign equally in the Ocean and the Rivers. - Be that as it may, we fee here Sturgeons of eight, ten, and twelve Feet long, and big in Proportion. ‘This Animal has on the Head a Sort of Crown raifed about an Inch, and it is co- véred with Scales of half a Foot Diameter, almoft oval, and fprinkled with fmall Figures which fomething refemble the Flower de Luce of the Arms of France. The Savages take them . in the Lakes in this Manner: Two Men are at the two Ends of a Canoe; he behind fteers, and the other ftands up, holding a * Dart in one Hand, to which a long Cord is faftened, the other End is tied to one of the Bars of the Canoe. As foon as he fees the Sturgeon in his Reach, he throws his Dart, and endea- vours to ftrike where there are no Scales; if the Fifh is wound-. ed it flies, and draws the Canoe alfo pretty fwiftly, but after having fwam about 150 Paces it dies, then they draw up the Cord and take it. There is a fmall Kind of Sturgeon, the Flefh of which is very tender and delicate. _ The River St. Laurence produces many Fifh which are not 4 diy, : known in France: The moft efteemed are the Fifh peculiar to ‘Canada Achigan, and the Poiffon-doré (the Gilt Fifh)3 the other Rivers of Canada, and efpecially . thofe of Acadia, are as well flocked as this River, which has perhaps the moft Fith of any in the World, and of the moft va- rious Kinds, and the beft of the Sorts. There are fome Seafons — when the Fifh alone might feed the whole Colony; but I know not what Credit may be given to what I have feen in the Ma- nufcript of an antient Miffionary, who affirms that he faw a Mer-man in the River de Sorel, three Leagues below Chambly. The Relation is written with much Judgment, but the better to ftate the Fa&t, and to fhew that the firt Appearance did not de- ceive him, the Author fhould have added to his Account a De- {cription of this Monfter. We are fometimes feized at the firit Glance with a Refemblance, which upon viewing more atten- tively immediately vanifhes. Furthermore, if this Fifh in hu- _ man Shape came from the Sea, it came a long Way to get fo near Chambly, and it is fomethins ftrange that it was not feen but in this Place. , ne _ .Our Forefts are not fo well ftocked with Birds as our Lakes 7 Ta ee, and Rivers are with Fifh; however, here are Tue Sorts Lime which have their Merit, and | Phases _. fome which have their Merit, and are pecu- noie … … Jiar to America. We fee here two Sorts of _ Eagles, the largeit has the Neck and Head almoft white; they: 18 prey upon the Hares and Rabbits, which they take in their _ Talons, and carry to their Magazines and their Nefts. The ne others are all grey, and are contented to make War with the Bards: And they are all pretty good Fifhers. The Falcon, the ee £ pare Ï La. EUR RK Ey ! 9 a Bh L = fe +. AU TR he, K # 2 " 88 An Hiftorical Fournal of a Gofs Hawk, andthe Taffel, are entirely the fame as in Frances but we have a fecond Sort of Falcons which live only on Fifh. | NPA Our Partridges are of three Kinds, grey, red, and black : the Three Saris of laft are the leaft efteemed, they have too much Pp me Tafte of the Grape, Juniper, and Fir; Their mie: Head and Eyes are like the Pheafant’s, and their Flefh is brown. ‘They all have a long Tail, and fpread it as a Fan, like the Turkey Cock: Thefe Tails are very fine, fome are mixed with red, brown, and grey; and others of a light and dark grey. I faid that the black Partridges were not moft eiteemed, but fome People prefer them to the red. They are all bigger than in Frazce, but fo filly, that they fuffer themfelves to be fhot, and even approached, without fcarce firring. | _ Beñdes the Snipes, which are excellent in this Country, and iti Bak the fmall Game of the Rivers, which is eve- “*. ry where plenty, they find fome Woodcocks about the Springs, bat in a imall Number. Amongft the Joss, _andin all the fouthern Parts of New France, they are more ‘common; M. Denys afferts, that the Crows of Canada are as good to eat as a Fowl. ,This may be true on the Side of Acadia, but I do not find in thefe Parts that they are much of this Opi- nion. They are bigger than in France, and fomething blacker, and have a different Cry. The Ofprey on the contrary is fmaller, and its Cry is not fo difagreeable. - The Screech-Owl of Canada differs from that of France only by a little white Ruff about the Neck, and a particular Cry: Its Flefh is good to eat, and many People prefer it toa Fowl. Its Provifion for the Winter is Field Mice; whofe Feet it breaks, and then nou- rifhes and fattens them with Care till it has Oceafion to feed upon them. The Bat is bigger here than in France. The Black- - birds and Swallows are here Birds of Paflage, as in Europe. ‘The firft are-not black, but inclining to red. We have three Sorts of Larks, the fmalleft of which are as big as a Sparrow. The Sparrow is but little different from our’s, and has the fame ‘Inclinations, but an ugly Sort of a Look. We fee in this Coun- try a prodigious Quantity of Ducks, they reckon twenty-two different Species. The moft beautiful, and thofe whofe Flefh is ‘moft delicate, are the Branch Ducks: They call them fo becaufe they perch on the Branches of Trees ; their Plumage is very much varied, and very brilliant. Swans, Turkies, Water-hens, — Cranes, Teal, Geefe, Buftards, and other great River Bir fwarm every where except in the Neighbourhood of the Habi- tations, which they never approach. We have Cranes ‘Colours, fome white, and others gridelin. All of the | Travels in North America. ag excellent Soup. Our Wood-Peckers are very beautiful; there are fome which are of ail Colours, others are black or a dark brown all over except the Head and the Neck, which are of a very fine red. | AUS QE The Nightingale of Canada, is much the fame as that of France for Shape, but ithas but half its Song: The Wren has robbed it of - the other Half. The Goldfinch has not fo fine a Head asin _ Europe, and all its Plumage is mixt with Yellow and Black. As — I never faw any of them in a Cage, I can fay nothing of their Song. All our Woods are full of a Sort of Birds, which are Yellow all over, about the Bignefs of a Linnet, which has a pretty Note, but-its Song is very fhort, and not varied. ‘It: has no other Name but that cf its Colour, being called the Yel- low Bird. A kind of Ortolan, whofe Plumage is of an Afh Colour on the Back, and White under the Belly, and which they call the White Bird, is the beft Songfter of all the Inhabitants of _ . our Woods : It is little inferior to the Nightingale of France, but it is the Male only that fings, the Female which is of a deeper Colour is filent even in a Cage. This little Bird hasa very té Plumage, and is well called an Ortolan for its Tafte. I now not where it retires during the Winter, but it As always the firft to proclaim to us the Return of Spring. As foon as the Snow is melted in fome Places, they come in great Flocks, and we take as many of them as we pleafe. | | | Itis feldom, but at a hundred Leagues from hence towards the ! Fe if 1 s “7e 4 EL Sou th, that we begin to {ee the Cardinal Bird. : l'here are fome at Paris, that were tranfported Bird. : ne AN from Louifiana, and I believe they will make their Fortune in France, if they can breed them there like the Canary-Birds.. The Sweetnefs of its Song, the Brilliancy of its: rane Plumage, which is of a fine Scarlet, a little Tuft of Feathers they have upon the Head, and which pretty well refembles the Crowns ' which Painters give to Indian Kings and Americans, feems to! confirm to them, the Empire of the Air. They have neverthelefs _ a Rival here who would have all the Votes for it, if it pleafed the Ear as much as it charms the Sight. This is what they call in this Country /’Oc/eau Mouche, (the Fly-Bird.) It is thus called {he for two Reafons : The firft, on Account its OftheFh=Bird, Smallnefs, for it is but little bigger than | with its Feathers. the common May-Bug, or Chaffer. The fecond, is on Account of a pretty loud _ Humming, which it makes with its Wings ; which is muchlike ~ that of a great Fly. Its Legs, which are about an Inch long, = are like two Needles, its Bill is the fame, and it puts out of ita pos ice, upon which it feeds, The Female has nothing brilliant, ae ne | ON © | fer _ little Trunk, which it thrufts into the Flowers, to draw out their go _ Travels in North America. i a pretty fine White under the Belly, and an Afh Colour on the reit of her Body, 1s all its Ornament ; but the Male is a perfect Beauty. Ithas on the Top of the Head, a little Tuft ofa beautiful Black, the Throat red, the Belly white, the Back, the Wings, and the Tail of a green like that of Rofe Leaves; a Lay of Gold fpread over all this Plumage gives it a great Brilliancy, and a little imperceptible Down, gives it the fineft Shades that can be feen. | Some Travellers have confounded it with the Humming-Bird, ay Fans of the Hands; and in Fatt it appears to bea Fu Ne Species of it; but that 1s a little bigger, its (RAT ay pe AS Plumage 1s notfo brilliant, and its Bill bent sd a little downward. I may however be deceiv’d in regard to the Brilliancy of the Humming-Bird’s Plumage, becaufe I have never feen any alive. Some have faid it has a very melodious Song, if this is true, it hasa great Advantage over our Fly-Bird, which Nobody has heard fing. ButI have heard myfelf a Female, which whiftled in a harfh and difagree- able Note. This Bird has a very ftrons Wing, and flies. with furprizing Swiftnefs ; you fee it upon a Flower, and in a Moment itrifes up to a great Meight in the Air, almoft perpendicular. It is an Enemy. to the Crow, anda dangerous one too. I heardone | fay, who.was worthy of Credit, that he has feen one fuddenly. quit a Flower it was fucking, rife up as fwiftas Lightning, and: go and thruft itfelf under the Wing of a Crow, that was float- — ing very high in the Air, with its Wings fpread out, and peirc- ing it with its Trunk, made it fall down dead ; either kill’d by the Fall, or the Wound. | | The Fly-Bird feeks Flowers, which have the ftrongeft Smell ; and itfücks them, keeping always upon the Fluttering: Butitreits infelf from Time to'l'ime ; and then one may view it perfe@tly : ‘They have been kept fome Time upon fagared Water, and Flow- ers; [kept one formerly for 24 Hours : It {uffered itfelf to be taken, and handled, and feigned itfelf dead; as foon as I let it go, it took its Flight, and kept fluttering about my Window : I made a Prefent of itto one of my Friends, who the next Morr- ing found it dead ; and that Night there had beena little Prof. | Thefe little Animals take Care to fhun the fir cold Weather, . itis very, probable, that they return towards Carolina 3, and it is affured that.they are not there but in the Winter. They make their » _ Nefts. in Canada, where-they hang them to a Branch of a Tree, and turn them in fuch Manner, that they are fheltered from all — the Injuries of the Weather. Nothing is fo neat as thefe. Nefis. The Bottom is made of very little Bits of Wood, platted like Bafket ; and: the Infide is lined’with I know not.what Sort Down, which appears like Silk. ‘The Eggs are about the E An Hiftorical Fournal of gt | nef of a Pea, and have yellow Spots upon a white Ground. | | immediately 3 but Providence has provided a Remedy. - They fay they have commonly three, and fometimes five Eggs. Amongft the Reptiles of this Country, I know of none but We the aS the Rattle-Snake that deferves any Attention. ‘Snake. There are fome of thefe as big as a Man’s ch Leg, and fometimes bigger, and they are long in Proportion: But there are fome, and I believe the .greateft Number, that are not bigger nor longer than our lärgeit _ Addérsin France: Their Shapeis pretty fingular. Upon à dat and very thick Neck they have but a fmali Head: Their Co- lours are lively, without being brilliant ; a pale Yellow predo- minates, with fome Clouds that are pretty enough. —s_— | But what is moft remarkable in this Animal, is its Tail, which is {caly like a Coat of Mail, a little fat; and they fay that ic grows every Year one Ring or Row of Scales, fo that they know its Age by its Tail, as we do that of a Horfe by his Teeth. En moving, it makes the fame Noife as a Cricket in fying : For you know, without Doubt, Madam, that the pretended Singing ~ of a Cricket is only the Noife of its Wings. And the Refem- blance I {peak of is fo alike, that I have often been deceived by it myfelf: Itis this Noife that has given this Serpent the Name ~ it bears. ! : The Bite of this Serpent is mortal, if a Remedy 1s not ane ie n all the Places where this dangerous Reptile is found, there grows a Plant which is called Rasttle-Snake Herb ; the Root of which is a cettain Antidote againit the Venom of this Serpent : It need only be pounded or chewed, and applied like a Poultice upon the Wound : It is a beautiful Plant, and eafily known: Its round Stalk, a little bigger than a Goofe’s Quill, rifes to the Height of three or four Feet, and ends in a yellow Flower of the Shape and Bignefs of a common Daifey: This Flower has a very fweet Smell. The Leaves of the Plant are oval, and are fupported’ “a | si together, like the Claw of a Turkey, by a Stalk of an Inch On. | en | la i Vi The Rattle-Snake feldom attacks the Paffenger that does not meddle with it. I have had one at my Feet, which was cer~ tainly more afraid than myfelf ; for I did not perceive it till it was running away : But if you tread upon it, you are immedi- ately flung ; and if you purfue it, if it has but a little Time to recover itfelf, it folds itfelf round with the Head in the Middle, — and then darts itfelf with great Violence and Fury againft its _ Purfuer : Neverthelefs, the Savages chace it, and find its Méfh very good. I have even heard fome Frenchmen, who had tafted it, fay, that it was not bad eating ; but they were Travellers, and ‘tach People think every Thing good, becaufe they ate often “FM UN 2 | co OT aya || 3 An Hiftorical ‘journal of hungry. But this is at leaf certain, that it does no Harm to PAIE that eat 11. 7” : | in I know not, Madam, rs I fhould undertake to fpeak to ou of the Woods of Canada. We are inthe its Of the Woods Midi of the greateft Forefts in the World. ‘of Canada. ne aie In all Appearance they are as old as the World itfelf, and were not planted by the Hands of Men. No- thing 1s more magnificent to the Sight; the Trees lofe them- : felves in the Clouds ; and there is fuch a prodigious Variety of : Species, that even among thofe Perfons who have taken moft Pains to know them, there is not one perhaps that knows half the Number. As to their Quality, and the Ufes to which they may be employed, the Sentiments are fo different in this Country, and in France, that I even defpair of ever being able to give you that Satisfaction which I could with upon this Article: © At leaft, for the prefent, I muft confine myfelf to fome Obferva- tions which I have made myfelf, and have had from other Peo- ple, who have more Skill and Experience in this Matter than myfelf. | | on | ‘What ftruck my Sight moft the firft Time I came into this AP A pe Country, were the Pines, the Firs, and the à P: wy “2 Cedars, which are of furprizing Height and gee fe ji al Bignéfs. ‘There are here two Sorts of Pines. They all produce a Rofin which is very fit to make Pitch and ‘Tar: The white Pines, at leaft fome of them, have at the very Tops of them a Kind of Mufhroom, which the Inhabitants call | Guarigue, and which the Savages make Ufe of with Succefs. againft Dif-rders of the Breaft and Bloody-Fluxes. The red Pines are fulleft of Gum, and the heavieft Wood, but they do not grow fo large. ‘The Lands which produce both Sorts, are not the beft to produce Grain ; they generally confit of Gravel, . Sand, and Clay. ms | There are four Species of Fir in Canada; the firt refembles w pur Co our’s : The other three Sorts are the White; Pour Species of the Red, and the Spruce : The fecond and Parse the fourth Sort grow very high, and are fit for Mafts, efpecially the White, which is alfo fit for Carpenters - Work : It grows generally in wet and black Lands ; but which being drained, may bear all Sorts of Grain : Its Bark is fmooth © and fhining ; and there grows upon it fome little Bladders, the _ Bignefs of a Kidney:Bean, which contain a Kind of Turpen- tine, moft excellent for Wounds, which it cures ina fhort Time; and even for Fraftures. They affirm, that it allays Fevers, and cures the Diforders of the Stomach and Lungs. ‘The Way to . ufe it, is to put two Drops of itinto Broth : It has alfo a parg- ang Quality. This is what they call at Paris, the White Balfam. F 2 Traveis in North America. 1194 . ‘The red Fir has fcarce any Refemblance with the white : Its _ Wood is heavy, and may be employed for Building. The A: Lands where it grows are only Gravel and Clay. The Spruce _ Firis gummy, bat does not throw out enough Gum to be made + Use of : Its Wood lafts a long Time in the Earth without rot- ting, which renders it very fit to make Inclofures : Its Bark is very fit for the Tanners; and the Savages make of it a Dye, which is pretty near a deep Blue. The greateft Part of the + Land where this Tree grows, is Clay. I have neverthelefs feen * fome very large in a fandy Soil, but perhaps under the Sand there might be Clay. The Cedars are of two Species, White and Red: The firft | cast abe ‘are the largeft : They make Pales of it; andy - C 7 SPECES OF this Wood is what they generally make UN dE Shingles with, becaufe of its Lightnefs. “There diftills from it a Kind of Incenfe, or Perfume: but it : bears no Fruit like that of Mount Lebanon. The red Cedar is {maller: The mof fenfible Difference between one and the other is, that the Smell of the firft is in its Leaves, and of the other in the Wood ; but the laft is by much the moft agreeable. The Cedar, at leaft the White, grows only in a very good Soil. There are every where in Canada two Species of Oaks, di- Of she Oaks ftinguifhed by the Names of White and Red. a hy Rae ‘The firt are often found in a low, wet, and ee ) x as fertile Soil, whichis fit to produce Grain and Wii he Pulfe. The Red, whole Wood is: lefs | TG a ees i oe - efteemed, grows in a dry and fandy Soil: Both Kinds bear Acorns.---The Maple is very common in Ca- ‘nada, and fome are very large, of which they make handfome Furniture : They grow on high Grounds, which are fitteft for Fruit-Trees. ‘They call the Female Maple here Rene, the Wood of which is wav’d, but paler than that of the Male: In other Refpeéts it has the fame Shape and Qualities ; but it requires a wet and fruitful Soil. The wild Cherry-Tree, which grows promifcuoufly with the Maple and the White Wood, makes very fine Furniture: It yields more Water or . Juice than the Maple ; but it is bitter, and the Sugar made of it never lofes its Bitternefs. The Savages make Ufe of itsBaik ~ in certain Diforders that happen to Women. à There are in Canada three Sorts of Ath; the True, the Mon- grel, and the Baftard : The firft Sort, which grows amongit the Maples, is fit for the Carpenters Ufe, and to make Cafks for _ dry Goods: The fecond has the fame Properties, and grows as the Baftard Kind does, only in a low and good Soil. _ _ They reckon alfo in this Country three Kinds of Walnuts ; _ the hard, the foft, anda third Kind which has a verythin Bark: ee | ; ‘The Lie 94 An Hiftorical Fournal afer or À TU The hard Kind bears very fmall Nuts, good to eat, but hard to | Æhell : Its Wood is good for nothing but to burn. The foft _. Kind bears long Nuts, as big as thofe of France, but the Shells ~ @re very hard : The Kernels are excellent. The Woods not — _fo fine as our’s; but to make Amends, it fcarce ever decays, e1- ther in Earth or in Water, and is with Difficulty confumed in the Fire. The third Sort bears Nuts of the Bignefs of the fir, but in a greater Quantity ; which are bitter, and inclofed in very foft Shells. They make very good Oil of thefe Nuts. This Tree yields fweeter Water than the Maple, but in a fmaller Quantity : It grows only, like the foft Walnut, in the beft Soils. Beach ‘Trees are very plentiful here. I havefeen fome on fandy Halls, and in very fruitful low Lands: ‘They bear much Matt, from which it would be eafy to extrac&t an Oil. The Bears make it their principal Food, as do alfo the Partridges. The Wood is very foft, and fit to make Oars for Boats ; but the Rud- ers of Canoes are made of Maple. The White Wood, which gtows amongft the Maple and the wild Cherry, 1s very plenty. Thefe Trees grow large and ftrait : They make Boards and Planks of them, and alfo Cafks for dry Goods : It isfoft, and _ eafy to work. The Savages peel of the Bark to cover their Cabins, ' Elms are very common through the whole Country. There | app Species gf Ate white and red. The Wood of the firft Es. PECES OF à hardeft to work, but lafts longeft. The 7r0- MT dut quois make their Canoes of the Bark of the sed Elm: There are fome of a fingle Piece, which will hold — #wenty Men. There are alfo fome hollow Elms, where the Bears ænd wild Cats retire from November to April. The Afpen-Tree commonly grows here by the Sides of Rivers and Marthes. They find in the thicket Woods a great Number of Plumb- Pan dont 2 TOO loaded with Fruit, but very four. The is os aay "419 Vinegar-Tree is a Shrub very pithy, which fe een yields Bunches of a fhatp Fruit, of an Ox- Blood Colour. By infufing them in Water they make a Kind of -- Vinegar. The Pemine is another Kind of Shrub which grows by the Side of Brooks, and Meadows. It bears a Bunch of Fruit of a lively red, which is aftringent. There are three Sorts of Goofberries that grow naturally in this Country. They are the fame as in France. The Sloe grows here as in France : This Fruit is wonderful for curing the Bloody-Flux in a very fhort Time. The Savages dry them as we do Cherries in France, ; | ae fa The 4ioca is a Fruit with Kernéls as big as à Cherry: This Pleat, which runs upon the Ground in the Marles, produces M LAS oie. ee + We ES . Travels in North America. 95 its Fruit in the Water. The Fruit is fharp, and they make _ Sweet-Meatsof it. The White-Thorn is found by the Sides. of > Rivers, and produces much Fruit with three Kernels, This is _ the Food of many wild Beatts. ‘They call here the Cotton- Tree a Plant which fhoots up like Afparagus, to the Height of about three Feet, at the Top of which grow many Tufts of Flowers. In the Morning, before the Dew is off, they fhake thefe Flowers, and there falls off with the Water a Lind of Honey, which is made into Sugar by boiling. The Seed grows in a Bladder, which contains a very fine Sort of Cotton. The Soliel (the Sun) is another Plant very common in the Fields of the Savages, and which grows feven or eight Feet high, Its Flower, which is very large, is in the Shape of a Marigold, and the Seed grows in the fame Manner. ‘The Savages by boiling it draw out an Oil, with which they greafe their Hair. The Plants which thefe People principally cultivate are Maiz, © Turkey Wheat, Kidney- Beans, Gourds, and Melons. They have a Kind of Gourd lefs than ours, which has a fweet _"Tafte. They boil them whole, or roaft them under the Athes, _ and eat them thus without any thing with them. The Savages before our Arrival here had the common Melons, and the Wa. ter Melons. The firft are as good as our’sin France, efpecially in this Ifland, where they are very plenty. Hops and Maiden- Hair are the natural Growth of this Country ; but the Maiden- Hair grows higher here, and is infinitely better than in France. ———Here is a Letter, Madam, in which you will eafily. diftinguifh a Traveller who ranges thro’ the Woods and Plains, of Canada, and who is, entertained with every thing that pre. fents.itfelf to his View. | lam, &c. gree ey *® ER ka LED TER e : 96. ca Hiftorical Pournal oF ove LETTER IX. Of ie Caufes of the Cold of Canavda. Of the prec ee VA have for Subfiftence. Of the Charaëter of the Frencu CanabDians. MaDaMmM, — Marveras: April 22. rT is furprifing that in France, where they io often fee Per. fons who have pañed a good Part of their Lives in Canada, ie fhould have fuch a wrong Idea of this Country. This pro- fe ceeds without Doubt from the Information becuse of thofe People who know it by its worft ARR OEE EAD Re LR The ated enerally begins before. but by its worft 8 y beg: re gen the Veffels fail for France, and it begins i in a ” Manner that aftonifhes thofe who are not ufedto it. The firft Froft fills the Rivers with Ice in a few Days, and the Earth is foon covered with Snow, which laits fix Months, and always rifes fix Feet high where the Wind has not Power. | There is indeed no Want of Wood to provide againft the LE ve Cold Cold, which foon becomes exceflive, and lafts ie RTE Ed Spring is pretty forward: But it is — very melancholy not to be able to ftir out without being frozen, or without being wrapt up in Furs like a Bear. Befides, What a Sight is the Stow: which dazzles one’s Eyes, and hides all the Beauties of Nature! There is no longer any Difference be-. tween the Rivers and the Fields, no more Variety, even the ‘Trees are covered with a Rime, and all their Branches are hung with Ificles, under which it is not fafe to fland. What can one think when we fee the Horfes have Beards of Ice-a Foot long? And how can one travel ina Country, where the Bears for fix Months dare not venture out of their Holes? And indeed, I never pafled a Winter in this Country, but I faw fome People who were carried to the Hofpital, to have their Legs and Arms cut off that were frozen. In Fa&, if the Sky is clear, there blows from the weftern Parts a Wind that cuts the Face. Ifthe — Wind turns to the South or the Eaft, the Weather grows a little _ milder, but there falls fuch a thick Sve. that you cannot fee | ten Paces at Noon Day. If there comes a thawing Air, adieu a to all the Capons, Quarters of Beef and Mutton, the. Fowls a | the Fifh, which had been laid up in the Store-Rooms: Sot Spight of the Rigour of the exceflive Cold, they are ftill liged to with for its Continuance. It is to no Purpof to ‘ “the Winters are not fo cold as they were eighty Years ago, that » ip all Appearance they will grow milder hereatter. The Misfor- we fufer. A Crecle of Martinico, who fhould have landed the firft Time in France during the great Froft in 1709, would he have been much relieved by hearing me fay, who came at that Time from Quebec, that the Cold was not fo fharp as in Canada? For though I fpoke the Truth, and had gdod Evidences of it, ss © Travels in North America. | 97 tune of thofe who came before us, and the good Fortune of thofe : who fhall come after us, is no Cure for the prefent Evil which | yet he might have anfwered me, that he did rot find the Cold | of France lefs piercing by hearing that it was fharper ftill in Canada. Neverthelefs, as foon as the Month of May is come, the Scene is foon changed, the Sweetnefs. of this End of the Spring is fo much the more pleafing, as it fucceeds a more ‘ri- \ gorous Seafon. The Heat of the Summer, which in lefs than four Months Time fhews us both Seed-Time and Harvett (a), the Serenity of the Autumn, in which we enjoy a Courfe of fine Days, which are feldom feen in moft of the Provinces of France: All this, added to the Liberty which they enjoy in this Country, is a Compenfation which makes many People think an Abode here, at leaft as agreeable as in the Kingdom where they were born; and it is certain, that our Canadians do» not fcruple to give it the Preference. iy After all, there. are in this exceflive and long Cold, fome In- The Inconwenitt~ medied : I fhall Place in the firft Rank, the cies Fe Bra! Dificulty of feeding Cattle, which during the whole Winter can find abfolutely nothing in the Fields, and of Confequence coft much to feed, and the conveniencies which can never be well re-. Fleth of which, after. £x Months dry Food, has fcarceany Tafte. The Fowls require alfo a great deal of Care, and much Corn, to preferve them during fo long and fevere a Winter. If we fave the Expence by killing at the End of O&cber, all the Animals we are to eat till May, one may eafily judge that fuch Meat is very infipid, and in the Manner that I have faid they take Fifh under the Ice, they cannot be very plenty; befides that, they. are immediately frozen. So that itis almoit impoffible to have them frefh inthe Seafon when it is moft difficult to do without. ; ‘tothe roth of May, they cut the Corn from the rsth of Auguft to the 2oth da QO ; P ney ; 98 | An Hifforical ‘ournal of yh Pulfe, and Roots, which they preferve in Store-Rooms as well a. as they can, but which has fcarce an we been kept there fome Months. Add to this, that excepting Apples, which are excellent here, and the fmall Summer Fruits which do not keep, the Fruits of France have not fucceeded in Canada. Thefe, Ma- dam, are the Difadvantages which are caufed by the great Cold. We are, notwithftanding, as near the Sun as they are in the - moft fouthern Provinces of France, and as we advance in the Colony, we come nearer ftill. From whence can this diferent Temperature of the Air proceed under the fame Parallels ? This is what, in my Opinion, no Perfon has yet well ex- lained. ae 3 | ‘The greateft Part of the Authors, who have treated on this a eee we Matter, have fatisfied themfelves with fay C ing, that thislong and fevere Cold proceeds aufes of the great pe Li HORS je Cola. rom the Snow’s laying fo long on the Ground, that it is impoffible that the Ground fhould be well warmed again. But this Anfwer makes the ' ‘Difficulty flill greater, for one may afk what is it that produces this great, Quantity of Snow, in Climates as hot as Languedoc, and Provence, and in Parts that are much more diftant from any Mountains. ‘The Sieur Denys, whom I have cited feveral Times before, afferts, that the Trees grow’ green before the Sun is high enough above the Horizon to melt the Snow, and to warm the Earth; that may be true in Acadia, and on all the Sea Coafts, but every where elfe it is certain that all the Snow is melted in the thicket Foreft before there is a Leaf upon the Trees. This Author feems not to have any better Authority for faying, that the Snow melts rather by tge Heat of the Barth, than that of the Air, and that itis always at the Bottom that it « ‘begins tomelt: For who can be perfuaded that the Earth, co- vered with a frozen Water, fhould have more Heat than the © Air, which receives immediately the Heat of the Rays of the © Sun. Befides, it does not Aniwer the Queftion, what 1s the ~ Caufe of this Deluge of Snow, which overflows vaft Countries in the midft of the temperate Zone ? Fhere is no Doubt but that, generally fpeaking, the Moun- “tains, Woods, and Lakes; contribute much to it; but it appears to me, that we muft full feek for other Caufes. Father Jofeph Brefjani, an Italian Fefuit, who pañt the beft Years of his Lite in Canada, has left usin his native Tongue; a Relation of New — France, in which he endeavours to clear up this Point of Phi- — icfophy. He cannot allow that we fhould attribute the Cold of which we feek the Caufe, to any of the Caufes 1 have ju mentioned, vz. the Mountains, Woods, and Lakes, with» iy y Virtue when they have PUP Ree ee ae A ty jo Travels in North America. | 09 - this Country abounds ; but he feems to go too far; for there is nothing to anfwer againft Experience, which makes us fenfible of the Abatement of the Cold, in Proporti: n as the Country is clear- ed of the Woods, altho’ is not in fo great a Proportion as it . ought tobe, if the Thicknefs of the Woods was the principal _ Caufe of it, What he allows himfelf, that it is common to fee a Froft in Summer after a very hot Day, appears to mea De- monftration againft him; for how can we explain this Phosno- menon otherwife, than by faying that the Sun having opened in the Day Time the Pores of the Earth, the Moifture that was inclofed in it, and the nitrous Particles which the Snow left in it in great Quantities, and the Heat which is continued after the fetting of the Sun, in an Air fo fubtil as that we breathe in this Country, form thefe little Froftsin the fame Manner as we make Ice on the Fire: Now the Moifture of the Air is evidently a great Part of the Caufe of the Cold; and from whence fhould this Moifture come in a Country where the Soil is generally mixt with much Sand, if it was not from the Lakes and the Rivers, from the Thicknefs of the Forefts, and from Mountains covered with Snow, which in melting water the Plains, and from Winds which carry the Exhalations every where. | : _ But if Father Brefani was miftaken, as I think, from exclud- # ing all thefe Things from the Caufes of the exceflive Cold of Canada, what he fubftitutes in Lieu thereof, feems to me to contribute greatly towards it. There are, fays he, in the hot- teft Climates, fome moift Lands, and there are fome very dry. in the coldeft Countries: But a certain Mixture of dry and moift makes Ice and Snow, the Quantity of which makes the Excefs | and Duration of the Cold. Now if one was to travel but very little in Canada, we fhould perceive this Mixture in avery re- markable Manner. It is without Contradiétion a Country where there is the moft Water of any Country in the World, and there are few, where the Soilis more mixt with Stones and Sand. Add to this, it feldom rains here, and the Air is ex- tremely pure and healthy; a certain Proof of the natural Dry- - nefs of the Earth. In Faét, Father Brefani afirms, that during fixteen Years that the Mifiion fubffted in the Country of the - ‘Hurons, there lived there at the fame Time fixty Frenchmen, many | of whom were of a tender Conftitution ; that they all faredvery hardly in Point of Diet, and fuffered in other Refpeéts beyond all Imagination, and that not one died. | Pre In Faët, this prodigious Multitude of Rivers and Lakes, which occupy as much Space in New France as half the Lands » n Europe, one would imagine fhould furnifh the Air with new mn Vapours; but, befides that the greateft Part of thefe Waters im Ua , are a * + sa 4% &: ee OO . An Hifiorical Journal of. > 4 3. ae are very clear, and on a fandy Bottom, their great and continual | Agitation blunt the Rays of the Sun, hinder it from raifing many. Vapours, or caufes them to fall again in the Fogs; for the Winds excite upon thefe frefh Water Seas as frequent and as violent Storms as upon the Ocean: And this alfa is the true Reafon why it feldom rains at Sea. oe The fecond Caufe of the exceflive Cold of Canada, according to Father Brefani, is the Neighbourhoodof the Northern Sea, covered with monftrous Heaps of Ice above eight Months in the Year. You may here recollect, Madam, what I faidin my firft Letter of the Cold we felt in the Dog Days, from the Neigh- bourhood of a floating Ifland of Ice, or rather from the Wind which blew upon us from the Side where it was, and which ceafed the Moment it was under the Wind. It’ is. moreover. certain, that is does not fnow here, but with a North Bait Wind, — which comes from the Quarter where the Ice of the North lies; M and though we do not feel fo great Cold while the Snow falls, there is no Doubt but it contributes greatly to render fo piercing the Weft and North Weft Winds, which come to us acrofs vaft Countries, and a great Chain of Mountains which are’ covered with Snow. met. - Laftly, if we take the Opinion of this Italian Mifiônary, the « — Height of the Land is not the leaft Caufe of the SuBtilty of the Air which we breathe in this Country, and confequeñtly of the Severity of the Cold. Father Brefani takes great Pâiffsto prove this Elevation by. the Depth .of the.Seä,. which inéreafes, fays he, in Proportion as we approach Gas#ada;. and by the Number and Height of the Falls of the Rivers. But it feems to me that the Depth of the Sea proves nothing at all, and that the Falls of the River S¢. Laurence, and of fome Rivers in New France, M prove no more than the Cataracts of the Nz. On the other ~ - Hand, we do not obferve that from Montreal, where the Falls begin, down to the Sea, that the River St. Laurence is much more rapid than fome of our Rivers in Europe. I think there- fore, we muft keep to the Neighbourhood of the Ice of the North, as the Caufe of the Cold, and that even in Spite of this : Neighboyrhood, if Canada was as free from Woods, and as well — peopled as France, the Winters here would not be fo long and — fo fevere. But they would be always more fo than in France, becaufe of the Sérenity and Purity of the Air: For it 1s certain that in Winter, all other Things being equal, the Froft is keener when the Sky is clear, and the Sun has rarified the Air. | ‘When the Winter is paft, Fifhing, Shooting, and Hunting, : se tes abundantly fupplies thofe with -Provifions 1 ) A ae Eel Fifh- who take the Pains for it: Béfides the ery. | and Wild Fowl, which I have already € tioned, the River Sr. Laurence and the Foreft, furnifh re Travels in North America ia _ «bitants with two Sorts of Manna, as we may call it, which are sete a great Support to them. From Quebec to Trois Rivieres, they take in the River qa prodigious Quantity of great Eels, which come down, as they fay, from Lake Onrario, where thèy _ are bred in fome Marfhes, on the Side of the Lake ; but as they :: -meet, as I before remarked, with white Porpoifes, which chafé?- them, the greateft Part flrive to return again, and this is the Reafon they take fuch a great Number. ‘They &fh for them in this Manner: Upon a Part of the Shore which is covered at high Water, and which is left dry whenthe Tide falls, they ‘place Boxes at certain Diftances, and fix them againft a Fence of Ozier” Hurdles, which leaves no Paflage open for the Eels. Large Nets; or Bafkets of the fame Matter, are fixed by the nar-- roweft End into thefe Boxes, and the other End, which is very wide, lies againft the Hurdles, upon which they place at Inter- zals fome Bunches of Greens. - When all is covered with the Tide, the Eels, which always run to the Side, and which are en- ticed by the Greens, come in great Numbers along this Fence, and enter into the Bafkets, which conduét them to the Prifons prepared for them. “And often in one Tide the Boxes are filled. D'UN AE Thefe Eels are-.bieger than ours, and yield a great deal of! Oil. have already obferved, that with whatfoever Sauce they are eaten, they always retain a rank ‘Fafte, to which we can- not reconcile ourfelves but with Difficulty: Perhaps thisis the — Fault of our Cooks. ‘Their Bones all terminate in a Pointa |. little bent, which Ido not remember to have feen in thofe of 9 France. The beft Method of drefling this Fifhis to hang it up in the Chimney, and there let it roaft flowly in its Skin: This Skin comes off of itfelf, and all the Oilruns out, As they pro- vide great Store of them during the three Months that the _ Fifhery lafts, they falt them, and put them in Barrels like Her- rings. ‘The other Manna I {poke of, is a Kind of Wood-Pi- geons, which come here in the Months of May and June, It is faid that-formerly they darkened the Air by their Multitudes, but it is not the fame now. Neverthelefs, there ftill comes into the Neighbourhood of the Towns a pretty large Number to reft upon the Trees. They commonly callthem Tourtes, and they — differ in Fact from Wood-Pigeons, Turtles, and the common _ Pigeons of Europe, enough to make a fourth Species. They ‘are fmaller than our largeft Pigeons of Europe; but have their _ Eyes, andthe like Clouds of their Neck. Their Plumage is of a | dark brown, except their Wings, where they have fome Feathers of a very fine blue. : | y One would think that thefe Birds fought to be killed, for if. . there is any dry Branch on a Tree, they chufe that to perch las | uponÿ _ hard to live. It would be harder with them full, if they were and Woods are full of Herbs of wonderful Virtue, and eo LA They have alfo found a Way to take many alive, and they. | wantage of this. net embracing a Profeflion, which the fole Corruption of Man- © Ficklenefs, and Averfion to diligent and regular se eal : 102 An Hiftorical Journal of = upon; and they range themfelves in fuch a Manner, tha wort Markfman may knock down fix at leaf with one them till the firft Froft ; then they kill them, and lay them up in ; their Store-Rooms, where they keep all the Winter. Move It follows from hence, Madam, that every one se a the Ne- _. ceffaries of Life: The pay little to the Kine; ins bos. pars the fnhabitant "nomen Le Land-Tax ai à | Axe f Gu tes eRe Money ; he has Bread cheap; Meat and | * Fifh are not dear; but Wine and Stuffs, and — every Thing they have from France, is very dear. ‘The moft to be pitied are the Gentlemen and Officers here, who have only | their Salaries, and are burthened with Families: The Women feldom bring any other Portions to their Hufbands than much = Wit, Love, Agreeablenefs, and Fruitfulnefs. But as God gives 4 to the Marriages of this Country the Bleffing which he gave to the Patriarchs, they ought alfo, in order to fubfift fuch numerous Families, to live like the Patriarchs; but thofe Times are paft. In New France there are more Gentlemen than in all the reft of our Colonies together. ‘The King maintains here twenty-eight M Companies of Marines, and three Etats Majors. Many Families have been enobled here, and there have remained here feveral Officers of the Regiment of Carignan-Salieres, which have peopled the Country with Gentlemen, the greatelt Part of which find it not allowed to trade, and if every one here had not a common Right to fith, fhoot, ‘and hunt. i After all, if they fuffer Want, they are a little à blame them- felves. The Land is good almoft every where, and Agriculture does not degradea =~ Gentleman. How many Gentlemen in all … the Provinces of France would envy the com- M mon Inhabitants of Gazada if they knew it; and thofe who — languith here in a fhameful Indigence, can they be exenfed for — Many know not bew 10 make Ad- mers and wee Maxims have degraded from its antient Ho- LA Pa > We do not know in the World a Country more healthy _ than this: There prevails here no particular Difeafe ; the Fields” Trees diftill moft excellent Balfams. Thefe Advantages ougl at leaft to keep thofe in this Country who are born here; b a Spirit of Independency, have driven ont a great Nu ber of young People, and have hindered the’ Cole ra 125, a | i D f © Qualities of the W 7 Travels in North America. | 103 di i : hefe, Madam, are the Failings of which they accufe, with the 4 iPS) Lal > 7.» ..; 2., moft Foundation, the French of Canada. The _ Good and bad Savages have alfo the fame ; one would think Gish af Cana- that the Air which they breathe in this vait gale 7" Continent contributes to it; but the Exam- pe x ple and Company of the natural Inhabitants, _ who place all their Happinefs in Liberty and Independence, are more than fufficient to form this Character. They accufe alfo our Creoles of being very greedy, and of heaping up Riches, and truly for this Purpofe, they perform Things one would not believe without feeing: The Journies they undertake, the Fa- tigués they endure, the Dangers they expofe themfelves to, the Ef- forts they make, exceed all Imagination. There are, notwithftand- ing, few Men lefs covetous, who diflipate more eafily what has _ coft them fo much Pains to acquire, and who fhew lefs Concern for having loftit. And there is no Room to. doubt, but that they generally undertake thefe painful and dangerous Journies through Inclination. ‘They love to breathe an open Air, they are accuftomed betimes to live a roving Life; it has Charms Ae for them that makes them forget the paft Dangers and Fatigues and they pride themfelves in braving them anew. ‘They have much Wit, (efpecially the Women, whofe Wit is brilliant and _eafy). They are faithful in Expedients, bold, and capable of conducting Affairs of the greateft Moment. You have known, Madam, more than one of this Character, and you have often — exprefled to me your Surprize at it. Ido aflure you, that . the greateft Part here are fuch; and they are the fame in all ~ Ranks. I know not whether I fhould place among the Failings of the Canadians, the good Opinion they have of themfelves. It is certain at leaft that it infpires them with a Confidence that Makes them undertake and execute what would feem impoffibie | to many others. We muft allow, on the other Hand, that they _ have excellent Qualities. ‘They are of a good Stature, and well | fhaped in Body. ‘Their Strength of Conftitution is not always -anfwerable thereto ; and if the Canadians live long, they are old end worn out betimes. ‘This is not entirely their own Fault, it is partly that of their Parents, who for the moft Part do not AS a4 Ce eg à: MEME, : Fe n / ways f Mine Ja SENTE 4 , a _ watch enough over their Children to hinder them from ruining «their Health in an Age, in which, when it is ruined, there is no - Refource. Their Agility and Dexterity are without equal ; the moft fkilful Savages do not guide their Canoes better in _ the moft dangerous Torrents, and are not better Markfmen. _ __ Many People are perfuaded that they are not fit for the ~ Sciences, which require much Application, and a Courfe of à Study. : [ cannot fay whether this Prejudice is well or ill re y founded, FO4 An Hiflorical Fournal of founded, for we have had no Canadian yet who has undertaken to confute it. Perhaps they are fo only from the loofe difipats ed Way they are brought up in. But every one muft acknow- ledge, that they have a wonderful Genius for Mechanics: They have fcarce any Need of Mafters to excel in them, and we fee every. Day fome who fucceed in all Trades. without having ferved an Apprenticefhip. Some charge them with Ingra- titude, yet they have appeared to me to have Hearts good enough, but their natural Levity often hinders them from con- fidering the Duties that Gratitude requires. It is faid they make bad Valets ; this is becaufe they are too high fpirited, and love their Liberty too much to fubmit to Servitude. On the other Hand, they are very good Mafters. ‘This is quite contrary to * what is faid of thofe from whom the greateft Part take their Origin. ‘They would be perfect Men, if with their own good Qualities, they had preferved thofe of their Anceftors. Some — have complained that they are inconftant Friends: This is far from being generally true, and in thofe who have given Room for this Complaint, this proceeds from their not being ufed to any Reftraint, even in their own Affairs. If they are not eafy to be difciplined, this comes from the fame Principle ; or be- caufe they have a Difcipline of their own, which they think the propereft to make War with the Savages, in which they are not altogetherin the wrong. Onthe other Hand, they feem not to be Mafters of a certain Impetuofity, which makes them fitter for a Coup de Main, or a fudden Expedition, than for the regular and fettled Operations of a Campaign. It has alfo been - f remarked, that amongft 2 great Number of brave Men, who have diftinguifhed themfelves in the late Wars, there have been few found who had Talents to command. ‘This was perhaps, becaufe they had not fufficiently learnt how to obey. Itistrue that when they are well headed, there is nothing they cannot accomplifh, either by Land or Sea; but for this End, they mutt. have a great Opinion of their Commander. The late M. a’ Iberville, who had all the good Qualities of his Country, without any of its Defects, would have led them to the End of the World. There is one Thing upon which it is not eafy to excufethem, which is, the little Regard they have for their Parents ; who on their Side, have a Tendernefs for them that is not juitifiable, The Savages fall into the fame Error, and it produces amongft them the fame Effects. But what above all Things thould i | us value our Creoles is, that they have a great deal of Piety and Religion, and that nothing is wanting in their Education on _ this Point. It is alfo true, that out of their own Country they retain fcarce any of their Faults. As with this, they are EX \ Travels in North America. on "tremely. brave and dexterous, they might be rendered very {ér- _ viceable for War, for the Sea, and forthe Arts ; and I believe it would be for the Good of the State to promote their Increafe more than has hitherto been done. -Men are the principal Riches of a Sovereign; and Canada, though it could be of no other Ufe to France, but for this Purpofe, would ftill be, if it was _ well peopled, one of the moft important of our Colonies. L am, &c. BET PORK. X. different People who inbabit CANADA. Of the Iroquors Village. Of the Fauu of St. Louts 3 andof the — MaDpam, Fazc or Sr. Louis, May 21. : sk HIS Village was at firft placed by St. Magdalen’s Mea- dow, about a League lower than the Fall of St. Louis, to- wards the South. ‘The Lands not being found fit for producing _ Maiz, it was removed over-againft the Fall itfelf, from whence it took the Name it ftill bears, though it has been removed again a few Years ago a League ftill higher. I have already faid that its Situation is charming, that the Church and the Houfe of the HSE | AE re RSR Miffionaries are two of the fineft Buildings in the Country s.. from which we may conclude, that effectual Meafures have been taken not to be obliged to make more Removals. I reckoned, when I came here, to go away immediately after the Zafer Ho- lidays ; but nothing is more fubjeét to Difappointments of all Kinds, than thefe Sort of Journies. JI am yet uncertain of the Day of my Departure; and as we muft make Advantage of every Thing, when we make fuch Excurfions as mine, I have endeavoured to make Ufe of this Delay: I have pafied the Time in converfing with fome antient Miffionaries, who have — lived a long Time with the Savages, and have had from them many Particulars concerning various People who inhabit this vaft Continent; which, Madam, I fhall now communicate to ou. : The firft Land of America that we meet with coming from France to Canada, 1s the Ifland of Newfound- land, one of the largeft that we know. It could never be known for Certainty, whe- ther it had any Native Inhabitants: Its Bar- Of the Inhabi- tants of New- foundland. hee _ rennefs, fuppofing it every where as real as it is thought to be, — 4 not a fuificient Proof that it has had no Native Inhabitants ; for 106 An Hifforical Journal of for Fifhing and Hunting is fufficient to maintain Savages. This — is certain, that here was never feen any but Effimaux, who are not Natives of this Country. ‘Their real Country is Labrador, or New Britain: It is there at leaft that they pafs the greateft Part of the Year ; for it would be prophaning the Name of Na- tive Country, to apply it to wandering Barbarians, who having no Affection for any Country, travel over a vaft Extent of Land. InFaé, befides the Coafts of Nezvfoundland, which the Effimaux range over in the Summer, in all the vaft Continent which is between the River St. Laurence and Canada, and the North Sea, there has never been feen any other People than the Ehimaux : They have been met with alfo a good Way up the River, Bourbon, which runs into Hud/on’s Bay, coming from the rs Weft. .¢ HN A Er, + toh à. ittle Foundation, efpecially if it is true, as I have been affured, that their Language is entirely different. For the ref, _ their Alliance would do no great Honour to any Nation ; for if there was no Country on the Face of the Earth lefs fit to be inha- bited by Men than Newfoundland and Labrador, there is perhaps ‘no People which deferve more to be confined here than the Efi- maux. For my Part, I am perfuaded they came originally from Greenland. | rh HA à Ma ie a 'Thele Savages “are covered in fuch 2 Manner, that you can hardly fee any Part of their Face, or the Ends of their Fingers, Upon a Kind of Shirt made of Bladders, or the Guts of Fith cut in Slips, and pretty well fewed together, they have a Coat Gea fear: Dect Skins, and fometimes of Birds Skins. A their Head ; on the Top of which there comes out a Tuft of Hair, which hangs over their Forehead: The Shirt comes no _ lower than their Wail: their Coat hangs behind down to their . Thighs, and terminates before in a Point fomething below the __ Wailt ; but the Women wear them both before and behind, to the Middle of the Leg, and bound with a Girdle, from whiéh. hang little Bones. ‘The Men have Breeches of Skins, with th Hair inwards, and which are covered on the Outfde with? Skins of Ermine, or fuch-like : They wear alfo Socks, withthe Hair inwards, and over this a Boot, furred in like Manner on the Infide ; then a fecond Sock and fecond Boots: And they fay © that thefe Coverings for the Feet are fometimes three or four fold ; which does not, however, hinder thefe Savages from be- ing very nimble. ‘Their Arrows, which are the only Arms they ule, fi artnec with Points made of the T'eeth of the Sea-Cow, and they fometimes make them of Iron, when they can get it. it appears that in Summer they keep in the open Air Night and Day, but in the Winter they lodge under Ground ina Sort of Cave, where they all lie one upon another. “NP We are little sean with the one People which are in dre 4 the Environs, and above Hudj/on’s Bay. Ina bites a Vb Y the Southern Part of this Bay, hey trade po swith the Mifaffins, the Monjonis, the Criftindux, and the 4ffniboils. Thefe laft came here from a great Diftance, fince they inhabit the Borders of a Lake which is to the North _ orthe North Weft of the Sioux, and their Language is aDialect / 3 OE TS te ee 108 An Fiftorical ‘fournal of of the Sioux. The other three ufe the Algonquin Language. The Crifinaux, or Killiftinons, come from the North of the upper © Lake. The Savages of the River Bourbon (a), and the River Sainte Therefe, have a Language entirely different from either : It is probable they are more acquainted with the E/Rimaux Lan- guage. It is obferved, that they are extremely fuperftitious, and offer fome Sort of Sacrifices. ‘Thofe who are the moft ac-. quainted with them affirm, that they have, like thofe of Canada, a Notion of a good and evil Spirit ; that the Sun is their great Deity ; and that when they deliberate on an important Affair, they make him as it were fmoke ; which they perform in this Manner: ‘They aflemble at Day-break in a Cabin of one of their Chiefs; who, after having lighted his Pipe, prefénts it three Times to the rifing Sun ; then he guides it with both ~ Hands from the Eaft to the Weft, praying the Sun to favour the Nation. This being done, all the Aflembly fmoke in the fame Pipe. All thefe Savages, though they are of five or fix different Nations, are known in the French Relations by the Name of the Savenois, becaufethe Country where they inhabit is low, marfhy, poorly wooded, and becaufe in Canada they call Savanes (4) thofe wet Lands which are good for nothing. i Going tothe North of the Bay, we find two Rivers ; the firft — of which is called the Dames River, and the fecond the River of Seals. There are fome Savages on the Sides of thefe Rivers, to + whom they have given (I know not why) the Name, or rather the Nick-Name, of the flat Sides of Dogs. ‘They are often at far again the Savanois, but neither one nor the other treat "their Prifoners with that Barbarity which is ufual amongft the Canadians ; they only keep them in Slavery. The Savanois are “often reduced by Want to ftrange Extremities : Either through Hdlenefs on their Part, or that their Land produces nothing at all, they find themfelves, when the Chace and the Fifhery fail, without any Provifions; and then itis faid, they make no Diff. culty to eat one another: The Weakeft, no Doubt, go firft. It is alfo faid, that itis a Cuftom amongft them, that when a Man as arrived to an Age in which he can be of no longer Service to his Family, buton thecontrary a Burden toit, he puts a Cord himfelf about his Neck, and prefents the two Ends of it to him of his Sons whom he is moft fond of, who ftrangles him as foon as ke can: Heeven thinks that in this he does a good Aétion, 3 ihe : + % _ {a) They fay that when they have gone one hundred Leagues up this Ri- _ ver, itis no longer navigable for fifty Leagues, and that afterwards it runs _ inthe midft of a very fine Country, and this lafts to the Lake of the mie bods, where it rifes, hom | mi : (è) The Erclifh call them Swamps. ‘ gi ie Travels in North America. =~ 104 not only becaufe he puts an End to the Sufferings of his Father, _ but alfo becaufe heis perfuaded he haftens his Happinefs ; for _ thefe Savages imagine that a Man who dies inold Age, is born againin the other World at the Age of a fucking Child; and , ‘that on the contrary, thofe who die young, are old when the come into the Country of Souls. The Daughters of thefe Peo. ‘ple never marry, but with the Confent of their Parents, and the ‘Son-in-Law is obliged to live with his Father-in-Law, and be - fubje& to him in every Thing, till he has Children. The Sons leave their Father’s Houfe early. Thefe Savages burn their ‘Dead, and wrap up their Afhes in the Bark of a Tree, per à they bury in the Earth : Then they raife over the Grave a Kind © of Monument with Poles, to which they faften Tobacco, that the Deceafed may have wherewith to fmoke in the other World. IF | he was a Hunter, they hang up alfo his Bow and Arrows. Tho? the Mothers weep for ss Children twenty Days, the Fathers receive Prefents, and in Return make a Feait, Waris much lefs honourable amongft them than the Chace; but to be © efteemed a good Hunter, they muft faft «three Days together without taking the leaft Nourifhment, having their Faces fmeared with Black all this Time. When tl te Faft is over, the Candidate facrifices to the Great Spirit a Piece of each of the Beafts he hath been wont to hunt ; this is commonly the Tongue and the Muzzle, which at other Times is the Hunter’s Share : fis Family or Relations don’t touch it; and they would eyem fooner die with Hunger than eat any of it, it being appropme ated to the Hunter to feaft his Friends and Strangers with... to the reft, they fay that thefe Savages are perfectly difinterelied, and are of moft inviolable Fidelity; that they cannot bé@ra Lye, and look upon all Deceit with Horror. » - Thisis, Madam, all that I could learn of thefe Northern Peas ple, with whom we never had a fettled Intercourfe, and whom . we never faw but ex paflant. Let us come to thofe we are better acquainted with.—One may divide them into three Claffes, diftinguifhed by their Language, and their particular Genius. In that Extent of Country which is commonly called 4 dut of France, which has no Bounds to the North, oly ak. : but on the Side of Hud/on’s Bay, which was ss dre difmembered from it by the Treaty of Urrecht, : y ) je VECRES | which has no other on the Eaft but the Sea, the Erghifb Colonies on the South, Louzfiana to the South-Haft, and the Sparifh Ter- - ritories to the Weft: In this Extent of Country, there are but three Mother Tongues, from which all the others are derived s Thefe are the Sioux, the Algonquin, and the Huron. We know ~ _ but little of the People that fpeak the firft of thefe Languages, _ and no Body knows how far it extends. We have hitherto had me à i na Wee € AT à : ‘5 _ 240 An Hifioriçal Fournal ao hin | no Commerce but with the Sioux and the Aff wiboils and this has | not been greatly followed. Ce Our Miffionaries have endeavonted ‘8 make a Settleme it among the Szoux; and I new one who greatly Of the Sioux. A that he had not fucceeded, oe i | ther, that had not remained longer among thefe People, who _ appeared to him docible. There are none perhaps from whom we | may gain more Information concerning all that is to the North Welt of the Mififippi, as they LAE an Intercourfe with all the Nations of thefe vat, ies. They dwell commonly in Meadows, under de a. ‘Skins, and well wrought : They ‘live on wild, s, which grow in Abundance in their Marfhes and Rivers, and by hunting, efpecially of the Buffa- does that are covered with Wool, and which are in Herds of ‘Thoufands in their Meadows : They have no fixed Abode, | but travel in great Companies like the Yartars, and never ftay in one Place any longer than the Chace detains them. Our Geographers diftinguith this Nation into wandering Si- oux, and Sioux of the Meadows, into Sioux of the Eaf, and Sioux of the Weft. ele Divifions don’t appear to me to be well ground- ed: AH ia Sioux live after the fame Manner ; whence it hap- pens that a Village which was laft Year on the Eaft Side of the Mififfippi, Shall next Year be on the Weft Side; and that thofe who were at one Time by the River Ss. Pierre, are perhaps now | enough from it in fome Meadow. The Name of Sioux, Wich we have given tothefe Savages, is entirely our own mak- or rathef is ‘the two laft Syllables of Nadoueffioux, as they are 1 by many Nations : Others call them Nadouefs. They he moft numerous People we know in Cazada: ‘They were peaceable Enough; and little ufed to War, before the Hurons and Oszacyais took Refuge in their Country, flying from the Fury of ’ . Jroquois. They derided their Simplicity, and made them ‘i she Sioux have fereral Wives, and they feverely punifh thofe at fail of Conjugal Fidelity. They cut off the End of their lofes, and cut a Circle in a Part of the Skin on the Top of their Pad, and pull it off. I have feen fome People who are per- faaded that thefe Savages had a Chinefe Accent: It would not De difficult to know the Truth of this, nor to know if their a Language has any Affinity with the Chine. | pa _ Thofe y who have been amongit the Affiniboils fay, that ee are Of the Afin;: tall, well made, ftrong, nimble, inured to the ai ‘4 _ Cold and all Manner of Fatigues ; that they in ; ‘prick themfelves all over the Body, and mark — E, out Fi igures of Serpents, or other Animals, and that they. under- take very long Jourmes. There is. nothing 1 in this that di aa Mae j ay ils OA “HR 4 dar A | Ë ost Travels in. North America. {11 ‘guifhes them much from the other Savages of this Continent, “whom we know; but what is particular in their Character is, that they have a great deal of Gravity ; at leaft they appear fo, ‘in Comparifon of the Crifinaux, with whom they have fome In- tercourfe. The Créfinaux-are in Fact of an extraordinary Vi- ~vacity ; they are always finging and dancing ; and: they {peak with fuch a Volubility and Precipitation, that has never been ‘obferved of any other Savages. oath The Native Country of the Afmidoils is about a Lake which fe) 5 ni bears their Name, and which ts little known. f the Lake of A Frenchman whom I have feen at Moztreal, the Afiniboils. affured me he had been there, but that he had feen it as they fee the Sea in a Port and ex paflant. The com- mon Opinion is, that this Lake is fix hundred Leagues in Com- paf, that we cannot go to it but by Ways which are almoft im. ‘paflable, that all the Borders of it are charming, that the Air here is very temperate, though they place it to the North Weft of the upper Lake, where the Cold is extreme, and, that it con- tains fuch a Number of Iflands, that they call itin thefe Parts ‘the Lake of Iflands. Some Savages call it Michinip?, which figni- fies the Great Water ; and it feems in Faët to be the Source of the greateft Rivers and all the great Lakes of North América = For by feveral Evidences, they make the River Bourbon to rife out of it, which runs into Hudjon’s Bay ; the River St. Laurence, which carries its Waters to the Ocean ; the Mi/e/itp7, which‘di ‘charges itfelf into the Gulph of Mexico; the Meffourt, whi mingles with the laft ; and which, to the Place where they join, is in no Refpeét inferior toit ; and a fifth which runs, as they. fay, to the Weft, and which of Courfe muft go into the South Sea It is a great Lofs that this Lake was not known tothe Learned, who have fought every where for the terreftial Paradife, _ It would have been at leaft as well placed here as in Scandinaria, But I do not warrant, Madam, all thefe Faéts for Truth, which ‘are only founded upon the Reports of Travellers; much lefs - ‘what fome Savages have reported, wiz. that about the Lake of ‘the Affniboils there are Men like the Europeans, and who are | fettled in a Country where Gold and Silver is fo plenty, that it ferves for the moft common Utes. "s a Gs Father Marquette, who difcovered the Mififipp: in 1673, fays in ‘his Relation, that fome Savages not only fpoke to him of the Ri- ver, which taking its Rife from this Lake, runs tothe Weft; but - Ey al pat A con ‘ AE" res aura 5 1 SES ie Pod adele ' \ d'ami x! , Fu MONTE ‘that they alfo added, that they had feen great Ships in its Mouth. Tt appears in the old Maps under the Name of Poualaks, and of . whom fome Relations’ fay that their Country isthe Bouridaty to à that of the Crfinèux, or Killiffinons. ee | Te 12 An Hifiorical Yournal of — The Aleonquin and Huron Languages have between them almoft Ake Beat all the Savage Nations of Canada that we J Al P ah are acquainted with. Whoever fhould well g ene LE BOT underftand both, might travel without an In- | , MANZUALE. terpreter above one thoufand five hundred Leagues of Country, and make himfelf underftood by one hun- dred different Nations, who have each their peculiar Tongue. "Phe Algonquin efpecially has a vaft Extent: It begins at Acadia and the Gulf of Sz. Laurence, and takes a Compafs of twelve hundred Leagues, twining from the South Eaft by the North to the South Weft. They fay alfo, that the Wolf Nation, or the Mabingans, and the greateit Part of the Indians of New England and Virginia, {peak Algonquin Diale&s. ates. 1 The Alronguins, or Canibas, who are Neighbours to New Eng- OF the Ab land, have for their neareft Neighbours the | Of bi apo Etechemins, or Malecites, about the River Pen- HR Ni sop ar tagoet ; and more to the Eaft are the Micmaks, be GREE RAISON Souriquois, whofe proper or Native Country A de is Acadia, the Continuance of the Coaft of the Gulf of Sr. Laurence, up to Gafpé, (from whence one Writer -ealls them Ga/pefans) and the neighbouring Iflands. In going up the River St. Laurence, we meet with at prefent no Savage _ Natton, till we come to Saguenay. Neverthelefs, when Canada _ . was firft difcovered, and many Years afterwards, they reckoned An this Space many Nations, which fpread themfelves in the Hand Anticofte, towards the Hills of Notre-dame, and along the = North Side of the River. Thofe which the antient Relations “peak mof of, are the Berfiamites, the Papinachois, and the Mon- tagnez. ‘They call them alfo (efpecially the laft) the /ower A1 gonguins, becaufe they inhabited the lower Part of the River _ with Refpe& to Quebec. But the greateft Part of the others are ~ reduced to fome Families, which we meet with fometimes in one Place, and fometimes in another. "There were fome Savages who came down into the Colony MOF the Savage from the North, fometimes by Saguenay, and | of cB eye 8" oftener by Trois Rivieres, of whom we have eee : heard nothing for along Time. There were amoneft others the Æéikameques : ‘Thefe Savages came from far, and their Country was furrounded by many other Nations, who extended themfelves about the Lake Sz. John, and to the Lakes of the Mifaffins and Nemifeau. ‘They have been almoft all de- firoyed by the Sword of the Irogucis, or by Diftempers that were __ the Confequence of the Sufferings to which the Fear of thefe __ Barbarians reduced them. This is a great Lofs: They had no Vices ; they were of a very mild Difpofition, eafily conve df and very affeCtionate to the French. = Travers in North America. UE à à : . Between Quebec and Mouitreal, towards Trois Riwieres, We meet … fillwith fome 4/eonquins, but who do not make a Village, and who … ¢rade with the French. At our firft Arrival here, this Nation oc- … ,cupied all the Northern Side of the River from Quebec (where … M: de Champlain found them fettled, and made an Alliance with them) up to the Lake Sr. Pierre. : We Eu From the Ifle of Montreal, going towards the bpd Bao i ne de with fome Villages of Nzpifiugs, of Témif- 4 Of a mr camings, Of Tetes = Boules, a Richel Heads) of Wake PE A ‘à Amikoues, and of Outaouais (a). The firtt are Mahe “AI ey the true Æ/vonquins, and who have alone pre- oe 4) ela tr ferved the Algonquin Language, without any dia Alteration: They have given their Name to a little Lake fituated between Lake Huron and the River of the Outaouais. The Temifcamings occupy the Borders of another little Lake, which bears their Name, and which appears to be the real Source of the River Ozraouais. The Round Heads are not far off : Their Name comes from the Shape of their Heads : They think a round Head to be a great Beauty ; and it is very probable that the Mothers give this Shape to the Heads of their Children in their Infancy. The Amikoues, which they call allo the Nation of the Beavers, are reduced almoft to nothing: The : Remains of them are found in the Ifland Manitoualin, which is in the Lake Huroz, towards the North. The Outaodais, for- merly very numerous, were fettled on the Borders of the great __ River which bears their Name, and of which they pretended to ~ be Lords. I know but of three Villages of this Nation, and thofe but thinly peopled, which I fhall {peak of hereafter, Between Lake Huron and the upper Lake in the Streightit- felf, by which the fecond flows into the firft, isa Torrent, or Fall, which is called Saulte Sainte Marie, (the Fall St. Mary.) Its En- irons were formerly inhabited by Savages who came from the South Side of the upper Lake, whom they call Sauieurs; THAT A a is TOSAY, thelibabitants of the Fall. They have probably given M them this Name, to fave the Trouble of pronouncing their true Nathe; which it is not pofiible to do, without taking Breath ~ two or three Times (4). ‘There is no Nation fettled (at leaft that I know of) on the Borders of the upper Lake; butin the Poits which we poffefs there, we trade with the Crifinaux, who come here from the North Eaft, and who belong to the Alponquin __ . Tongue, and with the A/fniboils, who are tothe North Weft. — (a) Many write and pronounce Oxtaouaks. 1 cof Ea (b) Pauoirigousioubai.. 114 An Hifotieal Journal af ss The Lake Michigan, which 1s ale DAMES with Lake Hye . ren, into which it difcharges itfelf, and which _ ey tee Tourer dE feparated from it bat ‘by a Penida D ms hundred Leagues long, which grows ‘Hage 0 rower continually towards the North, has few . Inhabitants on its Banks. I do not know ~ even that any Nation was ever fettled here, and itis without any" Foundation called in many Maps the Lake of the finois. In going up the River Sz. Fe/ep>, which runs into it, we find two Villages of different Nations, which came from other Parts not long fince. This Lake has on the Weft Side a great Bay, which extends BAR "2 Leagues to the South, and which is calléd the Bay des Puant¥or fimply, the Bay. Its Entrance is very wide, and fullof Iflands, fome of which are fifteen or twenty Leagues in Compafs. ‘They were formerly inhabited by the Poureonata-. mis, whofe Name they bear, excepting fome which we leave to the Right, where there are {till fome Savages called Noguets. The Pouteouatamis poflefs at prefent one of the {malleit of thefe Iflands ; and they have befides two other Villages, one in the River Sv. Fofeph, and another in the Streight. In the Bottom of the Bay _ there are fome Saks and Orchagras. Thefe laft are called Puans, (ftinking ), but for what Reafon I know not. Before we come to them, we leave upon the Right another little Nation, called Mal. bomines, Qr Folles Avoines, (wild Oats.) : RE 0 A little River, much ruffled with Torrents, difcharges itfel£f into the Bottom of the Bay: It is known by — | of ibe on al the Name of the River i Renards, ( of the | set the + arate Foxes). All this Country is very beautiful ;* tins, and the K1- and that is fil more fo, which extends from ere the South to the River of the Z/wois, It is notwithflanding only inhabited by two little Nations, which. are the Kicapeus and the Mafcoutins. Some of our Geographers” _have been pleafed to call the laft the Natéon of Fire, and their Country the Land of Fire. An equivocal Word gave Rifeto | this Name. | ne BUT | * _ Fifty Years ago, the Méamis were fettled at the South End of nr. + the Lake Michigan, in a Place called Chicageu;: Of ses which is alfo ig Name of a little Rivet and the mois. which runs into the Lake, the Spring of: which is not far from that of the /inois. ‘They are at prefent divided into three Villages, one of which is on the River 8. Fo- Jeph, the fecond on another River which bears their Name, and runs into Lake Erie, and the third upon the River Ouabache, which runs into the Mififippi. Thele laft are more known by — the Name of Oxyatanons.. There is fearce any Doubt but thatthis | tl Nation aad the J/iuois were, not long fince, one People, confic ouatamis, and other Savages of the Bay. ih ae 19 rae’ 1} É é » 4 F5 rh Etes LP "+ À rm in RE AR A EE Mas ù ,; d * Travels in North America, — ITs ing the Affinity of their Languages. I fhall be able to fpea k with more Certainty, when I have been among them. For the reft, the greateft Part of the A/gonquin Nations, excepting thofe which are more advanced towards the South, employ them- felves but little in cultivating the Lands, and live almoft wholly upon Hunting and Fifhing ; fo that they are not fixed to any _ Place. Some vf them allow Plurality of Wives; yet, far from …_ multiplying, they decreafe every Day. ‘There is not any one of —. thefe Nations that confits of fix thoufand Souls, and fome no of two thoufand. The Huren Language is not by far fo extenfive as the Algon « Of the Peop “ if quin :, Lhe Reafon‘of which is, without ne Doubt, that the People who fpeak it have pui À Lu is been lefs roving than the Algonguins : I fay Fat So the Huron Langyage, in Conformity to the common Opinion ; for fome maintain that the Zroguois is the . Mother Tongue. Let that be as it will, all the Savages which … are to the South of the River St. Laurence, from the River Sore! to the End gf the Lake Erie, and even pretty near Virginia, be- long to this Language : And whoever underftands the Huron, underftands them all. ‘The Dialeéts are indeed extremely mul- … _ tiplied, and there are almoft as many as there are Villages. The five Cantons which compofe the Jraguois Commonwealth, have each their own Language ; and all that was formerly called without any Diftinction the Huron, was not the fame Language. [cannot find out to what Language the Cherokees belong, a pretty numerous People, which inhabit the vaft Meadows which are between the Lake Erie and the Mifi/ippi. : But it is worth while to obferve, that as the greateft Part of the Savages of Canada have at all Times been converfant with each other, fometimes as Allies, and fometimes as Enemies, al though the three Mother ‘Tongues which I have fpoken pf, have no Manner of Affinity or Agreement with each other, thefe People have neverthelefs found Means to treat together without the Help of an Interpreter: [Either that long Cuftom makes it eafy to underftand each other by Signs, or that they have formed a Kind of common Jargon, which they. learn by Ufe.— I have juft received Notice that I muftembark : I fhall finifh this Article at my firft Leifure. | a elds = | Lam, &c. 116 An Hiftorical Yournal of — LETTER Oh Voyage to Cararocour. A Defcription of the Congr: and à 4 the Falls of the River St. Laurence. Defcription and Si tuation of the Fort Ca TAROCOUL. Of the Languages of Ca-. NADA, and of the People that /peak them. The Occafion of the | War between the IROQUO1S and the ALGONQUINS. Mapam, CaTarocour, May 14. Departed from the Fall St. Louis the Day after I had clofed . my laft Letter, and went to lie at the Weftern Point of the Ifle of Montrear, where I did not arrive till Midnight. ‘The next Day Iemployed all the Morning in vifiting the Country, which is very fine. In the Afternoon I croffed the Lake Sz. Louis to go to the Cafcades, where I found thofe of my People who went hither in a diré&t Way: I found them bufy in mending their Canoe, which they had let fall in carrying it on their Shoulders, and which was fplit from one End to the other. This is, Madam, the Convenience and Inconvenience of thefe little Car- riages : The leaft Thing breaks them, but the Remedy is ready and eafy. It fuffices to furnifh one’s felf with Bark, Gums, aid Roots ; and there are very few Places where one does not find Pi Gums and Roots fit to few the Bark:> ver St. Laurence. What they call rhe Cafcades, is a Water-fall fituated exaly _ ES sn pee above the Ifland Perrot, which makes the Se- Le Fall the Ri. paration of the Lake St. Louis, and the Lake d y des deux Montagnes, (of the two Mountains }, To avoid it, we goa little Way to the Right, and make the Canoes pafs empty ina Place they call 4 Trou, . (the Hele) : Then they draw them to Land, and make a Portage © of half a Quarter of a League ; that is to Jay, they carry the Canoe’ with all the Baggage on their Shoulders. This 16 to avoid a fecond Fall called k Buiffon, (the Bufo). This is a fine Sheet of Water, which falls from a flat Rock about half a Foot high. ‘They-might eafe themfelves of this Trouble, by deep- ening a little the Bed of a fmall River which runs into another ‘above the Cafcades ; The Expence would not be tage Lu # tite. yt à Fe } 4) : RAR SE à ee f u . a ASE OIL, *. ; LIU ead Poe © Re | x Speier NP 5 ARR LE TAN. iy * Naa ER à) * > Ves A Re TORRES me ATE Où Travels in North America 117 | Abovethe Buifeu, the River is a Mile wide, and the Lands on a ee ee both Sides are very good, and well wooded. cp x re M me They begin to rs thafe which are on the Fort -of Cataro- North Sid dice id: be Meee coui, and on the ” | 1. af bs in D bt ate ed Way they take to go maxe a Road from the Point, whick is over r. EE againit the Ifland Montreal, toa Bay which _ Ji they call /a Galette. They will fhun by this id _ forty Leagues of Navigation, which the Falls render almoftim- practicable, and very tedious. A Fort would be-much better fitus ~ ated and more neceflary at /a Galette than at Catarcconi, becaufe a ingle Canoe cannot pafs here without being feen, whereas at - Catarocow, they may flip behind the Iflands without being ob- ferved : Moreover, the Lands about Galette are very good, - and they. might in Confequence have always Previfions in plenty, which would fave many Charges. Befides this, a Bark might go in two Days with a good Wind to Niagara. One of — the Objects which they had in View in building the Fort Ca- - tarocoui, was the Trade with the Jrequois; but thefe Savages — _would come as willingly to /a Galette, as to Catarocoui. They would have indeed fomething further to go, but they would avoid a Paffage of eight or nine Leagues, which they muft make over the Lake Oxztario: In fhort, a Fort at 22 Galette would. cover the: whole Country, which is between the great River of the O- taouais, and the River Sz. Laurence; for they cannot come into this’ Country, on the Side of the River Sz. Laurence, becaufe of the: — Falls; and,nothing is more eafy than to guard the Banks of we she River of the Owraouais. Ihave thefe Remarks from a Com- .miflary of the Marine fa), who was fent by the King to vifit atbthe diftant Pofts of Canada. | AE bape . The fame Day, May the third, I went three Leagues, and are ee 4 = * eit. . . , PRS OE 4 + rivedat the Cedars; this is the third Fall; which has taken its ba _ tthe Savages, ule them. Lp tne Name from the Quantity of Cedars that grew in this Place ; but: they are now almoft ali cut down. On the fourth, I could go no © farther than the fourth Fall, which is called the Coteau du Lar, (the Hill of the Lake) tho’ it is but two Leagues and half from! . the other; becaufe one of the Canoes burft. You will not be. furprifed, Madam, at thefe frequent Wrecks, when you know © ! how thefe-Gondola’s are made. I believe that I have already told you that there are two Sorts of them, the one of Elm Bark,» which are wider and more clumfily built, but commonly bigger. I Know none but the Iroquois who have any of this Sort. The. others are of the Bark of Birch Trees, of a Width lefsin Pro- portion than their Length, and much better made: It is thefe … that lam going to defcribe, becaufe all the French, and almoft all # Do 4, 0 (à) M, de Clerambaut, d? Aigremont. j > 7 PA ne _— 118 An Hifionical: ‘Fourndl Gf 7 7 ae “They lay the Bark, which is very thick, on flat and very thin _ Det of Bark. ROSE e Length by fmall Crofs-Bars, | se which feparate the Seats of the Canoe ; two main Pieces of the fame Wood, to which thefe little Bars are few’d, ftrengthen the whole Machine. Between the Ribs , andthe Bark they thruft little Pieces of Cedar, which are thin- . ner fill than the Ribs, and which help to ftrengthen the Canoe, the two Ends<