y placing little sticks upon the ground they gave Cartier
to understand that a third rapid was to be passed, and that the river
was not navigable to the country of Saguenay.

Convinced that further exploration was not possible for the time being,
the French returned to their boats. As usual, a great concourse of
Indians had come to the spot. Cartier says that he 'understood
afterwards' that the Indians would have made an end of the French, but
judged them too strong for the attempt. The expedition started at once
for the winter quarters at Cap Rouge. As they passed Hochelay--the
abode of the supposed friendly chief near Portneuf--they learned that
he had gone down the river ahead of them to devise means with Agouhanna
for the destruction of the expedition.

Cartier's narrative ends at this most dramatic moment of his
adventures. He seems to have reached the encampment at Cap Rouge at the
very moment when an Indian assault was imminent. We know, indeed, that
the attack, which, from certain allusions in the narrative, seems
presently to have been made, was warded off, and that Cartier's ships
and a part at least of his company sailed home to France, falling in
with Roberval on the way. But the story of the long months of anxiety
and privation, and probably of disease and hostilities with the
Indians, is not recorded. The narrative of the great explorer, as it is
translated by Hakluyt, closes with the following ominous sentences:

'And when we were arrived at our fort, we understood by our people that
the savages of the country came not any more about our fort, as they
were accustomed, to bring us fish, and that they were in a wonderful
doubt and fear of us. Wherefore our captain, having been advised by
some of our men which had been at Stadacona to visit them that there
was a wonderful number of the country people assembled together, caused
all things in our fortress to be set in good order.' And beyond these
words, Cartier's story was never written, or, if written, it has been
lost.

CHAPTER IX

THE CLOSE OF CARTIER'S CAREER

Great doubt and uncertainty surround the ultimate fate of Roberval's
attempted colony, of which Cartier's expedition was to form the advance
guard. Roberval, as already seen, had stayed behind in France when
Cartier sailed in 1541, because his equipment was not yet ready for the
voyage. Nor does he seem to have finally started on his expedition for
nearly a year after the departure of Car