It's Such A Country That The Ffrench Calls It The Burned
Country 20 Miles About, And In Many Places The Same Is To Be Seene Where
There Weare Forests.
So seeing that the north regions weare not so peopled, they pursued [their]
route of that way, and for the purpose provided themselves provision for a
twelvemonth to live, with all their equipage imbarqued in the begining of
the Spring.
After that they passed great wayes, coming to a lake which
conducts them into a great river, [Footnote: "Coming to a lake which
conducts them into a great river." Moose River, which leads into Hudson's
Bay.] which river leads them to a great extent of salt watter; so as they
being good fishers want no fish. They coasted this great watter for a long
time, finding allways some litle nation whose language they knew not,
haveing great feare of one another. Finally, finding but a fearfull country
full of mountains and rocks, they made great boats that might hould some 30
men to traverse with more assurance the great bay for to decline from the
tediousnesse of the highway, which they must doe, having but small boats;
whence they came to a country full of mountains of ice, which made us
believe that they descended to the goulden arme.
So, fearing the winter should come on, they made sayles wherein they made
greate way when the wind was behind; otherwyse they could not make use of
their sayles, and many of their boats weare lost, but still went on, hoping
of a better country. They wandered so many moons with great danger and
famine, ffor they began to misse such plenty as they [were] used [to]. Att
last [they] gott out, and coasting the skirts of the sea, and enters as it
weare into a country where the sumer begins againe, they weare incouraged
to greater hopes, insomuch that the poore people became from their first
origine to lead another life. Being only conducted by their imaginary idea
or instinct of nature ffor steering, they knewed nothing but towards the
roote of the Sun, and likewise by some starrs. Finally the coast brings
them to the great river St. Lawrence, river of Canada; knowing not that it
was a river till they came just opposit against the mounts of our blessed
lady, where they then perceaved to [be] betwixt 2 lands, albeit that litle
summer was past, and that the season of the yeare growing on somewhat
sharpe, which made them think to search for winter. [They] mounted allways
up the river, and finding one side most beautifull for the eye, they passed
it over, and planted their cabbans in many parts by reason of the many
streams there flowing with quantity of fish, whereof they made a good store
for their wintering. After a while that upon this undertaking they made
cognicence and commerced with the highlanders, inhabitants of that country,
who gave them notice that there weare a nation higher who should understand
them, being that they weare great travellers, that they should goe on the
other side and there should find another river named Tatousac.
They seeing the winter drawing on they made a fort and sent to discover the
said place a band of their men to Tatousac. They finde a nation that
understands them not more then the first, but by chance some that escaped
the hands of their ennemy Iroquoits, and doubts that there is great
difference of language between the Iroquoits and the Hurrons. They weare
heard; & further you must note that neere the lake of the Hurrons some 40
leagues eastward there is another lake belonging to the nation of the
Castors, which is 30 miles about. This nation have no other trafick nor
industry then huntsmen. They use to goe once a yeare to the furthest place
of the lake of the Hurrons to sell their Castors for Indian Corne, for some
collors made of nettles, for sacks, & such things, for which they weare
curious enough. So coming backe to their small lake againe, those
marchandises weare transported to a nation beyond that lake towards N. N.
E., and that nation had commerce with a people called the white fish, which
is norwest to the 3 rivers some 150 leagues in the land. That nation had
intelligence with the Saguenes, who are those that liveth about Tadousac,
so that the 2 nations have great correspondency with one another because of
their mutual language, saving that each one have a particular letter and
accent.
Finding that nation of the Castors, who for the most part understands the
Hurron idiom, they conversed together & weare supplied with meat by that
wandring nation that lives onely by what they may or can gett. Contrary
wise the Hurrons are seditious. We shall speak of them more amply in its
place. So those miserable adventurers had ayd during that winter, who
doubtlesse should souffer without this favor. They consulted together
often, seeing themselves renforced with such a succour of people for to
make warrs against the Iroqois.
The next spring their warre was conducted with success, ffor they chassed
the Iroquois out of their country which they lost some winters before. They
march up to the furthest part of the Lake Champlaine, to know if that was
their formest dwelling, but they speak no further of it. Those Iroquoits to
wander up and downe and spread themselves as you have heard to the lake
d'Ontario, of which I will after make mention. I heard all this from
frenchmen that knewed the Huron speech better then I myselfe, and after I
heard it from the wildmen, & it's strang (being if it be so as the french
as [well] as wildmen do already) that those people should have made a
circuit of that litle world.
The Iroquoits after being putt out of that country of Quebecq, the Hurrons
and Algonquins made themselves masters in it; that is to say, they went up
above monmorency after that they left the place of their wintring, which
was over against Tadousac, att the height of the Chaudiere (so called in
french), and after many years they retourned to live att the gape of their
lake, which is 200 Leagues long & 50 or 60 leagues large.
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