and making signs, the chief gave it to be understood that the
country belonged to him and his people. He and his followers were,
however, easily pacified by a few gifts and with the explanation,
conveyed by signs, that the cross was erected to mark the entrance of
the bay. The French entertained their guests bountifully with food and
drink, and, having gaily decked out two sons of the chief in French
shirts and red caps, they invited these young savages to remain on the
ship and to sail with Cartier. They did so, and the chief and the
others departed rejoicing. The next day the ships weighed anchor,
surrounded by boat-loads of savages who shouted and gesticulated their
farewells to those on board.

Cartier now turned his ships to the north-east. Westward on his left
hand, had he known it, was the opening of the St Lawrence. From the
trend of the land he supposed, however, that, by sailing in an easterly
direction, he was again crossing one of the great bays of the coast.
This conjecture seemed to be correct, as the coastline of the island of
Anticosti presently appeared on the horizon. From July 27 until August
5 the explorers made their way along the shores of Anticosti, which
they almost circumnavigated. Sailing first to the east they passed a
low-lying country, almost bare of forests, but with verdant and
inviting meadows. The shore ended at East Cape, named by Cartier Cape
St Louis, and at this point the ships turned and made their way
north-westward, along the upper shore of the island. On August 1, as
they advanced, they came in sight of the mainland of the northern shore
of the Gulf of St Lawrence, a low, flat country, heavily wooded, with
great mountains forming a jagged sky-line. Cartier had now, evidently
enough, come back again to the side of the great Gulf from which he had
started, but, judging rightly that the way to the west might lie beyond
the Anticosti coast, he continued on his voyage along that shore. Yet
with every day progress became more difficult. As the ships approached
the narrower waters between the west end of Anticosti and the mainland
they met powerful tides and baffling currents. The wind, too, had
turned against them and blew fiercely from the west.

For five days the intrepid mariners fought against the storms and
currents that checked their advance. They were already in sight of what
seemed after long searching to be the opening of the westward passage.
But the fierce wind from the wes