n of his voyages; which contain an exact and
extended description of the coasts, harbours, straits, bays, capes,
rivers, and islands which he visited, both in his voyages on the river
St Lawrence, and in his excursions by land into the interior of Canada.
To this day navigators use most of the names which he affixed to the
various parts which he explored with indefatigable industry." In the
present edition, the only freedom used is reducing the antiquated
language of Hakluyt to the modern standard.----Ed.

[Footnote 23: Hakluyt, III. 250.]

[Footnote 24: Bibl. Univ. des Voy. VI. 15.]

SECTION I.

_The first Voyage of Jacques Cartier to Newfoundland and Canada, in_
1534.

The Chevalier de Mouy lord of Meylleraye and vice-admiral of France,
having administered the oaths of fidelity to the king, and of obedience
to M. Cartier, to the captains, masters, and mariners of the ships
employed in this expedition, we left the port of St Maloes on the 20th
of April 1534, with two ships of 60 tons, and having sixty-one chosen
men. Having prosperous weather, we reached Newfoundland on the 10th of
May, making Cape _Bonavista_, in lat. 48 deg. 30' N[25]. Owing to the great
quantities of ice on the coast, we were obliged to go into port St
Catherine [26], which is about five leagues S.S.E. from the harbour of
Cape Bonavista, in which we remained ten days waiting fair weather, and
employed ourselves in repairing and fitting out our boats.

[Footnote 25: In our most recent maps Cape Bonavista is laid down in
lat. 48 deg. 58' N.--E.]

[Footnote 26: Named in English charts Catalina Harbour, in lat. 48 deg. 44'
N.--E.]

On the 21st of May we set sail with the wind at west, steering N. and by
E. from Cape Bonavista till we came to the Isle of Birds, which we found
environed by ice, but broken and cracked in many places. Notwithstanding
the ice, our two boats went to the island to take in some birds, which
are there in such incredible numbers that no one would believe unless he
had seen them. The island is only a league in circuit, and so swarms
with birds as if they had been strewed on purpose; yet an hundred times
as many are to be seen hovering all around. Some of these are black and
white, as large as jays, and having beaks like crows, which lie always
on the sea, as they cannot fly to any height on account of the smallness
of their wings, which are not larger than the half of ones hand; yet
they fly with wonderful swiftn