i, about fiue and
twentie leagues from Canada, where the riuer waxeth very narrow, and
runneth very swift, wherefore it is very dangerous, not onely for that,
but also for certaine great stones that are therein. Many boates and
barkes came vnto vs, in one of which came one of the chiefe Lords of the
contrey, making a long discourse, who being come neere vs, did by evident
signes and gestures shew vs, that the higher the riuer went, the more
dangerous it was, and bade vs take heede of our selues. The said Lord
presented and gaue vnto our Capuine two of his owne children, of which our
Captaine tooke one being a wench 7 or 8 yeres old, the man child he gaue
him againe, because it was too yong, for it was but two or three yeeres
old. Our Captaine as friendly and as courteously as he could did
entertaine and receiue the said Lord and his company, giuing them certaine
small trifles, and so they departed toward the shore againe. Afterwards
the sayd Lord and his wife came vnto Canada to visite his daughter,
bringing vnto our Captaine certaine small presents. From the nineteenth
vntill the eight and twentieth of September, we sailed vp along the saide
riuer, neuer losing one houre of time, all which time we saw as goodly and
pleasant a countrey as possibly can be wished for, full (as we haue said
before) of all sorts of goodly trees, that is to say, Okes, Elmes,
Walnut-trees, Cedars, Firres, Ashes, Boxe, Willowes, and great store of
Vines, all as full of grapes as could be, so that if any of our fellowes
went on shore, they came home laden with them: there are likewise many
Cranes, Swannes, Geese, Duckes, Feasants, Partriges, Thrushes, Blackbirds,
Turtles, Finches, Redbreasts, Nightingales, Sparrowes of diuerse kindes,
with many other sorts of Birds, euen as in France, and great plentie and
store. (M127) Vpon the 28 of September we came to a great wide lake in the
middle of the riuer fiue or sixe leagues broad, and twelue long, all that
day we went against the tide, hauing but two fadome water, still keeping
the sayd scantling: being come to one of the heads of the lake, we could
espie no passage or going out, nay, rather it seemed to haue bene closed
and shut vp round about, and there was but a fadome and an halfe of water,
little more or lesse. And therefore we were constrayned to cast anker, and
to stay with our Pinnesse, and went with our two boates to seeke some
going out, and in one place we found foure or fiue branches, whic