RETURN FROM THE FALL TO TADOUSSAC.--TESTIMONY OF SEVERAL SAVAGES IN REGARD
TO THE LENGTH AND COMMENCEMENT OF THE GREAT RIVER OF CANADA, NUMBER OF THE
FALLS, AND THE LAKES WHICH IT TRAVERSES.
We set out from the fall on Friday, the fourth of June, [207] and returned
the same day to the river of the Iroquois. On Sunday, the sixth of June, we
set out from here, and came to anchor at the lake. On Monday following, we
came to anchor at the Trois Rivières. The same day, we made some four
leagues beyond the Trois Rivières. The following Tuesday we reached Quebec,
and the next day the end of the island of Orleans, where the Indians, who
were encamped on the mainland to the north, came to us. We questioned two
or three Algonquins, in order to ascertain whether they would agree with
those whom we had interrogated in regard to the extent and commencement of
the River of Canada.
They said, indicating it by signs, that two or three leagues after passing
the fall which we had seen, there is, on the northern shore, a river in
their territory; that, continuing in the said great river, they pass a
fall, where they carry their canoes; that they then pass five other falls
comprising, from the first to the last, some nine or ten leagues, and that
these falls are not hard to pass, as they drag their canoes in the most of
them, except at two, where they carry them. After that, they enter a river
which is a sort of lake, comprising some six or seven leagues; and then
they pass five other falls, where they drag their canoes as before, except
at two, where they carry them as at the first; and that, from the first to
the last, there are some twenty or twenty-five leagues. Then they enter a
lake some hundred and fifty leagues in length, and some four or five
leagues from the entrance of this lake there is a river [208] extending
northward to the Algonquins, and another towards the Iroquois, [209] where
the said Algonquins and the Iroquois make war upon each other. And a little
farther along, on the south shore of this lake, there is another river,
[210] extending towards the Iroquois; then, arriving at the end of this
lake, they come to another fall, where they carry their canoes; beyond
this, they enter another very large lake, as long, perhaps, as the first.
The latter they have visited but very little, they said, and have heard
that, at the end of it, there is a sea of which they have not seen the end,
nor heard that any one has, but that the water at the point to which they
have gone is not salt, but that they are not able to judge of the water
beyond, since they have not advanced any farther; that the course of the
water is from the west towards the east, and that they do not know whether,
beyond the lakes they have seen, there is another watercourse towards the
west; that the sun sets on the right of this lake; that is, in my judgment,
northwest more or less; and that, at the first lake, the water never
freezes, which leads me to conclude that the weather there is moderate.
[211] They said, moreover, that all the territory of the Algonquins is low
land, containing but little wood; but that on the side of the Iroquois the
land is mountainous, although very good and productive, and better than in
any place they had seen. The Iroquois dwell some fifty or sixty leagues
from this great lake. This is what they told me they had seen, which
differs but very little from the statement of the former savages.
On the same day we went about three leagues, nearly to the Isle aux
Coudres. On Thursday, the tenth of the month, we came within about a league
and a half of Hare Island, on the north shore, where other Indians came to
our barque, among whom was a young Algonquin who had travelled a great deal
in the aforesaid great lake. We questioned him very particularly, as we had
the other savages. He told us that, some two or three leagues beyond the
fall we had seen, there is a river extending to the place where the
Algonquins dwell, and that, proceeding up the great river, there are five
falls, some eight or nine leagues from the first to the last, past three of
which they carry their canoes, and in the other two drag them; that each
one of these falls is, perhaps, a quarter of a league long. Then they enter
a lake some fifteen leagues in extent, after which they pass five other
falls, extending from the first to the last some twenty to twenty-five
leagues, only two of which they pass in their canoes, while at the three
others they drag them. After this, they enter a very large lake, some three
hundred leagues in length. Proceeding some hundred leagues in this lake,
they come to a very large island, beyond which the water is good; but that,
upon going some hundred leagues farther, the water has become somewhat bad,
and, upon reaching the end of the lake, it is perfectly salt. That there is
a fall about a league wide, where a very large mass of water falls into
said lake; that, when this fall is passed, one sees no more land on either
side, but only a sea so large that they have never seen the end of it, nor
heard that any one has; that the sun sets on the right of this lake, at the
entrance to which there is a river extending towards the Algonquins, and
another towards the Iroquois, by way of which they go to war; that the
country of the Iroquois is somewhat mountainous, though very fertile, there
being there a great amount of Indian corn and other products which they do
not have in their own country. That the territory of the Algonquins is low
and fertile.
I asked them whether they had knowledge of any mines. They told us that
there was a nation called the good Iroquois, [212] who come to barter for
the articles of merchandise which the French vessels furnish the
Algonquins, who say that, towards the north, there is a mine of pure
copper, some bracelets made from which they showed us, which they had
obtained from the good Iroquois; [213] that, if we wished to go there, they
would guide those who might be deputed for this object.
This is all that I have been able to ascertain from all parties, their
statements differing but little from each other, except that the second
ones who were interrogated said that they had never drunk salt water;
whence it appears that they had not proceeded so far in said lake as the
others. They differ, also, but little in respect to the distance, some
making it shorter and others longer; so that, according to their statement,
the distance from the fall where we had been to the salt sea, which is
possibly the South Sea, is some four hundred leagues. It is not to be
doubted, then, according to their statement, that this is none other than
the South Sea, the sun setting where they say.
On Friday, the tenth of this month, [214] we returned to Tadoussac, where
our vessel lay.
ENDNOTES:
207. As they were at Lake St Peter on the 29th of June, it is plain that
this should read July.
208. This river extending north from Lake Ontario is the river-like Bay of
Quinté.
209. The Oswego River.
210. The Genesee River, after which they come to Niagara Falls.
211. We, can easily recognize Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and Niagara Falls,
although this account is exceedingly confused and inaccurate.
212. Reference is here made to the Hurons who were nearly related to the
Iroquois. They were called by the French the good Iroquois in
distinction from the Iroquois in the State of New York, with whom they
were at war.
213. A specimen of pure copper was subsequently presented to Champlain.--
Vol. II. p. 236: _Vide_ a brochure on _Prehistoric Copper Implements_,
by the editor, reprinted from the New England Historical and
Genealogical Register for Jan. 1879; also reprinted in the Collections
of Wis. Hist. Soc., Vol. VIII. 1880.
214. Friday, July 11th.