I
Think If Any Bird Had Lighted Upon The Excrements Of The Said Stuff, They
Had Stuckt To It As If It Weare Glue.
In the fields we have gathered
severall fruits, as goosberyes, blackberrys, that in an houre we gathered
above a bushell of such sorte, although not as yett full ripe.
We boyled
it, and then every one had his share. Heere was daintinesse slighted. The
belly did not permitt us to gett on neither shoos nor stockins, that the
better we might goe over the rocks, which did [make] our feet smart [so]
that we came backe. Our feet & thighs & leggs weare scraped with thorns, in
a heape of blood. The good God looked uppon those infidels by sending them
now & then a beare into the river, or if we perceived any in an Isle forced
them to swime, that by that means we might the sooner kill them. But the
most parts there abouts is so sterill that there is nothing to be seene but
rocks & sand, & on the high wayes but deale trees that grow most
miraculously, for that earth is not to be seene than can nourish the root,
& most of them trees are very bigg & high. We tooke a litle refreshment in
a place called the lake of Castors, which is some 30 leagues from the first
great lake. Some of those wildmen hid a rest [Footnote: "Hid a rest," or
cache.] as they went down to the ffrench; but the lake was so full of
fishes we tooke so much that served us a long while.
We came to a place where weare abundance of Otters, in so much that I
believe all gathered to hinder our passage. We killed some with our arrows,
not daring to shoote because we discovered there abouts some tracks,
judging to be our ennemy by the impression of their feet in the sand. All
knowes there one another by their march, for each hath his proper steps,
some upon their toes, some on their heele, which is natural to them, for
when they are infants the mother wrapeth them to their mode. Heer I speake
not of the horrid streams we passed, nor of the falls of the water, which
weare of an incredible height. In some parts most faire & delicious, where
people formerly lived onely by what they could gett by the bow & arrows. We
weare come above 300 leagues allwayes against the streame, & made 60
carriages, besides drawing, besides the swift streams we overcame by the
oares & poles to come to that litle lake of Castors which may be 30 or 40
leagues in compasse. The upper end of it is full of Islands, where there is
not time lost to wander about, finding wherewithall to make the kettle
boyle with venison, great bears, castors & fishes, which are plenty in that
place. The river that we goe to the great lake is somewhat favorable. We
goe downe with ease & runing of the watter, which empties itsselfe in that
lake in which we are now coming in. This river hath but 8 high & violent
streams, which is some 30 leagues in length. The place where we weare is a
bay all full of rocks, small isles, & most between wind and water which an
infinite [number] of fishes, which are seene in the water so cleare as
christiall. That is the reason of so many otters, that lives onely uppon
fish. Each of us begins to looke to his bundle & merchandizes and prepare
himselfe for the bad weather that uses to be on that great extent of water.
The wildmen finds what they hid among the rocks 3 months before they came
up to the french. Heere we are stiring about in our boats as nimble as bees
and divided ourselves into 2 companys. Seaven boats went towards west
norwest and the rest to the South.
After we mourned enough for the death of our deare countrymen that weare
slained coming up, we take leave of each other with promise of amitie &
good correspondence one with another, as for the continuance of peace, as
for the assistance of strength, if the enemy should make an assault. That
they should not goe to the french without giving notice one to another &
soe goe together. We that weare for the South went on severall dayes
merily, & saw by the way the place where the ffathers Jesuits had
heretofore lived; a delicious place, albeit we could but see it afarre off.
The coast of this lake is most delightfull to the minde. The lands smooth,
and woods of all sorts. In many places there are many large open fields
where in, I believe, wildmen formerly lived before the destruction of the
many nations which did inhabit, and tooke more place then 600 leagues
about; for I can well say that from the river of Canada to the great lake
of the hurrons, which is neere 200 leagues in length & 60 in breadth, as I
guesse, for I have [been] round about it, plenty of fish. There are banks
of sand 5 or 6 leagues from the waterside, where such an infinite deale of
fish that scarcely we are able to draw out our nett. There are fishes as
bigg as children of 2 years old. There is sturgeon enough & other sorte
that is not knowne to us. The South part is without isles, onely in some
bayes where there are some. It is delightfull to goe along the side of the
watter in summer where you may pluck the ducks.
We must stay often in a place 2 or 3 dayes for the contrary winds; ffor
[if] the winds weare anything high, we durst not venter the boats against
the impetuosity of the waves, which is the reason that our voyages are so
long and tedious. A great many large deep rivers empties themselves in that
lake, and an infinit number of other small rivers, that cann beare boats,
and all from lakes & pools which are in abundance in that country.
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