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Giving ah Account of a moon VOYAGE to CANADA,
AND
UNDERTAKEN
By Order of the prefent Kine of F R.
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
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Fat 1 es |
ASS
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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.
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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
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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