Their ffish comes from those parts. There are people that
lives there and dare not trade in it towards the south. There is a river so
deepe and blacke that there is no bottome. They say that fish goes neither
out nor in to that river. It is very warme, and if they durst navigate in
it, they should not come to the end in 40 dayes. That river comes from the
lake, and the inhabitants makes warrs against the birds, that defends &
offends with theire bills that are as sharpe as sword. This I cannot tell
for truth, but told me. All the circumjacent neighbours do incourage us,
saying that they would venter their lives with us, for which we weare much
overjoyed to see them so freely disposed to goe along with us. Here nothing
but courage. "Brother, doe not lye, ffor the ffrench will not believe
thee." All men of courage and vallour, lett them fetch commodities, and not
stand lazing and be a beggar in the cabbane. It is the way to be beloved of
women, to goe and bring them wherewithall to be joyfull. We present guifts
to one and to another for to warne them to that end that we should make the
earth quake, and give terror to the Iroquoits if they weare so bold as to
shew themselves. The Christinos made guifts that they might come with us.
This was graunted unto them, to send 2 boats, to testifie that they weare
retained slaves among the other nations, although they furnish them with
castors. The boats ready, we embarque ourselves. We weare 700. There was
not seene such a company to goe downe to the ffrench. There weare above 400
Christinos' boats that brought us their castors, in hopes that the people
should give some marchandises for them. Att their retourne the biggest
boats could carry onely the man and his wife, and could scarce carry with
them 3 castors, so little weare their boats. In summer time I have seene
300 men goe to warrs, and each man his boat, ffor they are that makes the
least boats. The company that we had filled above 360 boats. There weare
boats that caryed seaven men, and the least two. It was a pleasur to see
that imbarquing, ffor all the yong women went in stark naked, their hairs
hanging down, yett it is not their coustoms to doe soe. I thought it their
shame, but contrary they thinke it excellent & old custome good. They sing
a loud and sweetly. They stood in their boats, and remained in that posture
halfe a day, to encourage us to come and lodge with them againe. Therefore
they are not alltogether ashamed to shew us all, to intice us, and
inanimate the men to defend themselves valliantly and come and injoy them.
In two dayes we arrived att the River of the sturgeon, so called because of
the great quantity of sturgeons that we tooke there.
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