The Second Voyage Of Jacques Cartier, To Canada, Hochelega, Saguenay,
And Other Lands Now Called New France; With The Manners And Customs Of
The Natives.
On Whitsunday, the 16th of May 1535, by command of our captain, Jacques
Cartier, and by common consent, we
Confessed our sins and received the
holy sacrament in the cathedral of St Maloes; after which, having all
presented ourselves in the Quire, we received the blessing of the lord
bishop, being in his robes. On Wednesday following, the 19th of that
month, we set sail with a favourable gale. Our squadron consisted of
three ships. The great Hermina of an hundred to an hundred and twenty
tons, of which Jacques Cartier was captain and general of the
expedition, Thomas Frosmont chief master, accompanied by Claudius de
Pont Briand, son to the lord of Montceuell cupbearer to the Dauphin,
Charles de Pomeraies, John Powlet, and other gentlemen. In the second
ship of sixty tons, called the Little Hermina, Mace Salobert and William
Marie were captains under the orders of our general. The third ship of
forty tons, called the Hermerillon, was commanded by William Britton and
James Maingare. The day after we set sail, the prosperous gale was
changed into storms and contrary winds, with darksome fogs, in which we
suffered exceedingly till the 25th of June, when our three ships lost
sight of each other, and never rejoined again till after our arrival at
Newfoundland. We in the generals ship continued to be tossed about by
contrary winds till the 7th of July, when we made the island of
Birds[39], 14 leagues from the main of Newfoundland. This island is so
full of birds that our ships might have been loaded with them, and the
quantity taken away not missed. We took away two boat loads, to increase
our sea stores. The Isle of Birds is in lat. 49 deg. 40' N.
[Footnote 39: Already supposed to be that now called Funk Island, in
lat. 50 deg. N. - E.]
We left this island with a fair wind on the eighth of July, and came to
the harbour of White Sands, or Blanc Sablon, in the Grand Bay or Baye
des Chateaux, where the rendezvous of the squadron had been appointed.
We remained here till the 26th of July, when both of the other ships
joined us, and we then laid in a stock of wood and water for enabling us
to proceed on our voyage. Every thing being in readiness, we set sail
from the White Sands early in the morning of the 29th, and sailing along
the northern coast, which runs from S.W. to N.E. we passed by two
islands, lying farther out than the others, which we named St Williams
Islands, being twenty leagues or more from the port called Brest. All
the coast from the Bay of Castles to that place, lies E. and W. - N.E.
and S.W. off which there are sundry small islands, the whole being
stony and barren, without soil or trees, except in a few narrow vallies.
Next day, we sailed twelve leagues and a half westwards, in search of
other islands, among which there is a great bay towards the north, all
full of islands and great creeks, among which there seemed to be many
good harbours.
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