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
Hocheloga. 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]