Some Dayes After We Observed That There Weare Some Boats Before Us, But
Knewed Not Certainely What They Weare.
We made all the hast to overtake
them, fearing the ennemy no more.
Indeed the faster we could goe the better
for us, because of the season of the yeare, that began to be cold & freeze.
They weare a nation that lived in a land towards the South. This nation is
very small, being not 100 in all, men & women together. As we came neerer
them they weare surprized of our safe retourne, and astonied to see us,
admiring the rich marchandises that their confederates brought from the
ffrench, that weare hattchetts and knives and other utensils very
commodious, rare, precious, and necessary in those countreys. They told the
news one to another whilst we made good cheere and great fires. They
mourned for the death of [one] of their comrades; the heads of their ennemy
weare danced. Some dayes [after] we separated ourselves, and presented
guiftes to those that weare going an other way, for which we received great
store of meate, which was putt up in barrills, and grease of bears &
Oriniacke.
After this we came to a remarquable place. It's a banke of Rocks that the
wild men made a sacrifice to; they calls it Nanitoucksinagoit, which
signifies the likenesse of the devill. They fling much tobacco and other
things in its veneration. It is a thing most incredible that that lake
should be so boisterous, that the waves of it should have the strength to
doe what I have to say by this my discours: first, that it's so high and
soe deepe that it's impossible to claime up to the point. There comes many
sorte of birds that makes there nest here, the goilants, which is a white
sea-bird of the bignesse of pigeon, which makes me believe what the wildmen
told me concerning the sea to be neare directly to the point. It's like a
great Portail, by reason of the beating of the waves. The lower part of
that oppening is as bigg as a tower, and grows bigger in the going up.
There is, I believe, 6 acres of land. Above it a shipp of 500 tuns could
passe by, soe bigg is the arch. I gave it the name of the portail of St
Peter, because my name is so called, and that I was the first Christian
[Footnote: "The first Christian that ever saw it." French Jesuits and
fur-traders pushed deeper and deeper into the wilderness of the northern
lakes. In 1641 Jacques and Raynbault preached the Faith to a concourse of
Indians at the outlet of Lake Superior. Then came the havoc and desolation
of the Iroquois war, and for years further exploration was arrested. At
length, in 1658, two daring traders penetrated to Lake Superior, wintered
there, and brought back the tales they had heard of the ferocious Sioux,
and of a great western river on which they dwelt.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 116 of 223
Words from 59623 to 60124
of 117345
