ce-book, and read over the passion of Christ with an
audible voice; during which all the natives kept a profound silence,
looking up to heaven and imitating all our gestures. He then caused all
the men to stand orderly on one side, the women on the other, and the
young people on a third, giving hatchets to the chiefs, knives to the
others, beads and other trifles to the women, and rings, counters, and
broaches of tin to the children. He then caused our trumpets and other
musical instruments to be sounded, which made the natives very merry. We
then took leave of them to return to our boats, on which the women
placed themselves in our way, offering us of their provisions which they
had made ready for us, such as fish, pottage, beans, and other things;
but, as all their victuals were dressed without salt, we did not like
them, and gave them to understand by signs that we were not hungry.

When we left the town, many of the men and women followed us, and
conducted us to the top of Mount Royal, which is about a league from the
town, and whence we had a commanding view of the country for thirty
leagues round. To the north we saw many hills stretching east and west,
and a similar range to the south, between which the whole country was
exceedingly pleasant, being level and fit for husbandry. In the midst of
these pleasant plains, we could see the river a great way farther up
than where we had left our boats; and at about fifteen leagues from us,
as far as we could judge, it came through the fair round mountains to
the south in a great rapid fall, the largest, widest, and swiftest that
ever was seen. The natives informed us that there were three such falls
besides; but as we did not understand their language, we could not learn
the distance between these. They likewise informed us by signs, that
after passing above these three falls, a man might sail three months
continually up the river, and that along the hills to the north, there
is another great river coming from the west, which we believed to be
that which runs through the country of Saguenay. One of the natives,
without any sign or question made to him, took hold of the silver chain
of our captains whistle, and the dagger haft of one of the mariners,
which was of gilt brass, giving us to understand that such metals came
from that river, where there were evil people named _Agouionda_, armed
even to their finger ends, shewing us the way in which their armour was
made, being w