that its water was still fresh three miles from the shore. The men
declared, too, that they had seen 'fishes shaped like horses,' which,
so the Indians said, retired to shore at night, and spent the day in
the sea. The creatures, no doubt, were walruses.

It was on August 15 that Cartier had left Anticosti for the Gaspe
shore: it was not until the 24th that, delayed by the exploring
expeditions of the boats and by heavy fogs and contrary winds, he moved
out from the anchorage at the Seven Islands to ascend the St Lawrence.
The season was now far advanced. By this time, doubtless, Cartier had
realized that the voyage would not result in the discovery of the
passage to the East. But, anxious not to return home without having
some success to report, he was in any case prepared to winter in the
New Land. Even though he did not find the passage, it was better to
remain long enough to explore the lands in the basin of the great river
than to return home without adding anything to the exploits of the
previous voyage.

The expedition moved westward up the St Lawrence, the first week's sail
bringing them as far as the Saguenay. On the way Cartier put in at Bic
Islands, and christened them in honour of St John. Finding here but
scanty shelter and a poor anchorage, he went on without further delay
to the Saguenay, the mouth of which he reached on September 1. Here
this great tributary river, fed from the streams and springs of the
distant north, pours its mighty waters between majestic cliffs into the
St Lawrence--truly an impressive sight. So vast is the flood that the
great stream in its wider reaches shows a breadth of three miles, and
in places the waters are charted as being more than eight hundred and
seventy feet deep. Narrowing at its mouth, it enters the St Lawrence in
an angry flood, shortly after passing the vast and frowning rocks of
Cape Eternity and Cape Trinity, rising to a height of fifteen hundred
feet. High up on the face of the cliffs, Cartier saw growing huge
pine-trees that clung, earthless, to the naked rock. Four canoes danced
in the foaming water at the river mouth: one of them made bold to
approach the ships, and the words of Cartier's Indian interpreters so
encouraged its occupants that they came on board. The canoes, so these
Indians explained to Cartier, had come down from Canada to fish.

Cartier did not remain long at the Saguenay. On the next day, September
2, the ships resumed their ascent of the