The Vanity Was Somewhat Cooler
For The Example We Have Seene The Day Before.
The hungar was that tormented
us most; for him we could not goe seeke for some wild beasts.
Our chiefest
food was onely some few fishes which the wildmen caught by a line, may be
two dozens a whole day, no bigger then my hand.
Being come to the place of repose, some did goe along the water side on the
rocks & there exposed ourselves to the rigour of the weather. Upon these
rocks we find some shells, blackish without and the inner part whitish by
reason of the heat of the sun & of the humidity. They are in a maner glued
to the rock; so we must gett another stone to gett them off by scraping
them hard. When we thought to have enough [we] went back again to the
Cottages, where the rest weare getting the litle fishes ready with trips,
[Footnote: Trips, - meaning "tripe des boiled resolves itself into a black
glue, roche, a species of lichen, which being nauseous but not without
nourishment." Discovery of the Great West, by Parkman.] gutts and all.
The kittle was full with the scraping of the rocks, which soone after it
boyled became like starch, black and clammie & easily to be swallowed. 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.
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