After spending some time in exploring the northern coast, to find an
opening to the northward; in the beginning of September, 1535, he sailed
up the river St. Lawrence and discovered several islands; one of which,
from the multitude of filberts, he called Coudres; and another, from the
vast quantity of grapes, he named Bacchus, (now Orleans.) This island was
full of inhabitants who subsisted by fishing.
When the ships had come to anchor between the N. W. side of the island
and the main, Cartier went on shore with his two young Savages. The
people of the country were at first afraid of them; but hearing the
youths speak to them in their own language, they became sociable, and
brought eels and other fish, with a quantity of Indian corn in ears,
for the refreshment of their new guests; in return for which, they were
presented with such European baubles as were pleasing to them.
The next day, Donacona, the prince of the place, came to visit them,
attended by twelve boats; but, keeping ten of them at a distance, he
approached with two only, containing sixteen men. In the true spirit of
hospitality, he made a speech, accompanied with significant gestures,
welcoming the French to his country and offering his service to them.
The young savages, Taignoagni and Domagaia answered him, reporting all
which they had seen in France, at which he appeared to be pleased.
Then approaching the Captain, who held out his hand, he kissed it, and
laid it round his own neck, in token of friendship. Cartier, on his
part, entertained Donacona with bread and wine, and they parted mutually
pleased.
The next day Cartier went up in his boat to find a harbour for his ships;
the season being so far advanced that it became necessary to secure them.
At the west end of the isle of Bacchus, he found “a goodly and pleasant
sound, where is a little river and haven; about three fathom deep at high
water.” To this he gave the name of St. Croix, and determined there to
lay up his ships.
Near this place was a village called Stadacona, of which Donacona was
the Lord. It was environed with forest trees, some of which bore fruit;
and under the trees, was a growth of wild hemp. As Cartier was returning
to his ships, he had another specimen of the hospitable manners of the
natives. A company of people, of both sexes, met him on the shore of the
little river, singing and dancing up to their knees in water. In return
for their courtesy, he gave them knives and beads; and they continued
their music till he was beyond hearing it.
When Cartier had brought his ships to the harbour and secured them, he
intimated his intention to pass in his boats up the river to Hochelaga.
Donacona was loath to part with him; and invented several artifices to
prevent his going thither. Among others, he contrived to dress three
of his men in black and white skins, with horns on their heads, and
their faces besmeared with coal, to make them resemble infernal spirits.
They were put into a canoe and passed by the ships; brandishing their
horns and making an unintelligible harangue. Donacona, with his people,
pursued and took them, on which they fell down as if dead. They were
carried ashore into the woods, and all the savages followed them. A long
discourse ensued, and the conclusion of the farce was, that these demons
had brought news from the God of Hochelaga, that his country was so full
of snow and ice, that whoever should adventure thither would perish with
the cold. The artifice afforded diversion to the French, but was too
thin to deceive them. Cartier determined to proceed; and on the 19th of
September, with his pinnace and two boats, began his voyage up the river
to Hochelaga.
Among the woods on the margin of the river were many vines loaded
with ripe grapes, than which nothing could be a more welcome sight to
Frenchmen, though the fruit was not so delicious as they had been used
to taste in their own country. Along the banks were many huts of the
natives; who made signs of joy as they passed; presented them with fish;
piloted them through narrow channels; carried them ashore on their backs,
and helped them to get off their boats when aground. Some presented their
children to them, and such as were of proper age were accepted.
The water at that time of the year being low, their passage was rendered
difficult; but by the friendly assistance of the natives they surmounted
the obstructions. On the 28th of September they passed the rapids between
the islands in the upper part of the lake Angoleme, (now called St.
Peter’s) and on the second of October they arrived at the island of
Hochelaga; where they had been expected, and preparations were made to
give them a welcome reception. About a thousand persons came to meet
them, singing and dancing, the men on one side, the women on the other,
and the children in a distinct body. Presents of fish and other victuals
were brought, and in return were given knives, beads and other trinkets.
The Frenchmen lodged the first night in their boats, and the natives
watched on the shore, dancing round their fires during the whole night.
The next morning Cartier, with twenty-five of his company, went to visit
the town, and were met on the way by a person of distinction, who bade
them welcome. To him they gave two hatchets and two knives, and hung over
his neck a cross which they taught him to kiss. As they proceeded, they
passed through groves of oak, from which the acorns were fallen and lay
thick on the ground. After this they came to fields of ripe corn, some of
which was gathered. In the midst of these fields was situate the town of
Hochelaga.
It was of a round form, encompassed with three lines of palisades,
through which was one entrance, well secured with stakes and bars. On the
inside was a rampart of timber, to which were ascents by ladders, and
heaps of stones were laid in proper places for defence. In the town were
about fifty long huts built with stakes and covered with bark. In the
middle of each hut was a fire, round which were lodging places, floored
with bark and covered with skins. In the upper part was a scaffold, on
which they dried and preserved their corn. To prepare it for eating,
they pounded it in wooden mortars, and having mixed it with water, baked
it on hot stones. Besides corn they had beans, squashes and pumpkins.
They dried their fish and preserved them in troughs. These people lived
chiefly by tillage and fishing, and seldom went far from home. Those on
the lower parts of the river were more given to hunting, and considered
the Lord of Hochelaga as their sovereign, to whom they paid tribute.
When the new guests were conducted to an open square in the centre of the
town, the females came to them, rubbing their hands and faces, weeping
with joy at their arrival, and bringing their children to be touched by
the strangers. They spread mats for them on the ground, whilst the men
seated themselves in a large circle on the outside. The King was then
brought in a litter, on the shoulders of ten men, and placed on a mat
next to the French Captain. He was about fifty years old, and had no
mark of distinction but a coronet made of porcupine’s quills dyed red;
which he took off and gave to the Captain, requesting him to rub his
arms and legs which were trembling with a palsy. Several persons, blind,
lame, and withered with age, were also brought to be touched; as if they
supposed that their new guests were messengers from heaven invested with
a power of healing diseases. Cartier gratified them as well as he could,
by laying his hands on them and repeating some devotional passages from a
service book, which he had in his pocket; accompanying his ejaculations
with significant gestures, and lifting up his eyes to heaven. The natives
attentively observed and imitated all his motions.
Having performed this ceremony, he desired men, women and children to
arrange themselves in separate bodies. To the men he gave hatchets, to
the women beads, and to the children rings. He then ordered his drums
and trumpets to sound, which highly pleased the company and set them to
dancing.
Being desirous of ascending the hill, under which the town was built, the
natives conducted them to the summit; where they were entertained with a
most extensive and beautiful prospect of mountains, woods, islands and
waters. They observed the course of the river above, and some falls of
water in it; and the natives informed them that they might sail on it for
three months; that it ran through two or three great lakes, beyond which
was a sea of fresh water, to which they knew of no bounds; and that on
the other side of the mountains there was another river which ran in a
contrary direction to the south-west, through a country full of delicious
fruits and free from snow and ice; that there was found such metal as
the Captain’s _silver_ whistle and the haft of a dagger belonging to one
of the company which was gilt with _gold_. Being shown some copper, they
pointed to the northward, and said it came from Saguenay. To this hill
Cartier gave the name of _Montreal_, which it has ever since retained.
[Illustration]