The principal nauigations, voyages, traffiques and discoueries of the English nation. [vols. 1-3] made by sea or ouer-land, to the remote and farthest distant quarters of the earth, at any time within the compasse of these 1600. yeres: deuided into three seuerall volumes, according to the positions of the regions, whereunto they were directed. The first volume containeth the worthy discoueries, &c. of the English ... The second volume comprehendeth the principall nauigations ... to the south and south-east parts of the world ... By Richard Hakluyt preacher, and sometime student of Christ-Church in Oxford.

How our Captaine caused the ships to returne backe againe, only to know if in Saint Lau∣rence gulfe there were any passage toward the North. Chap. 2.

VPon the 18 of August being Wednesday, our Captaine caused his shippes ••o wind backe, and bend toward the other shore, so that we trended the said Northerly cost, which runneth Northeast and Southwest, being fashioned like vnto halfe a bowe, and is a very highland, but yet not so high as that on the South parts. The Thursday following we came to seuen very high Islands, which we named The round Isl••nds.* 1.1 These Islands are distant from the South shore about 40 leagues, and stretch out into the sea about 3 or 4 leagues. Against these there are goodly low grounds to be seene full of goodly trees, which we the Friday following, w••••h our boats cō∣passed about. Ouerth wart these lands there are diuers sandy shelues more then two leagues in∣to the sea, very dangerous, which at a low water remaine almost dry. At t••e fu••••hest bounds of these lowe lands,* 1.2 that containe about ten leagues, there is a riuer of fre•••• water, that with such swiftnesse runneth into the sea, that for the space of one l••••gue wit••in it t••e water is as fresh as any fountaine water. We with our boates entred into the sayd riuer, at the entrance of which we ••ound about one fadome & a halfe of water. There are in this riuer many fishes shaped like horses,* 1.3 which as our wild men told vs, al•• the day long lie in the water, and the night on land: of which we saw therin a great number. The next day being the 21 of the moneth, by breake of day we hoysed saile, and sailed so long along the said coast, that we had sight of the rest of the sayd North••rne coast, which as yet we had not se••ne,* 1.4 and of the Island of the Assumption which wee went to dis••ouer, departing from the sayd land: which thing so soone as we had done, & that we were certified no o∣ther passage to be there, we came to our ships againe, which we had left at the said Islands, where is a good harborough, the water being about nine or ten fadome. In the same place by occasion of contrary winds & foggie mists, we were constrained to stay, not being either able to come out of it, or hoise saile, till the 24 of the moneth:* 1.5 On which day we departed & came to a h••uen on the Sou∣therly coast about 80 leagues from the said Islands. This hauen is ou••r against three flat Islands that lie amidst the r••uer, because on the midway betweene those Islands, & the sayd hauen toward the North, there is a very great riuer that runneth betweene the high and low landes,* 1.6 and more then three leagues into the sea it hath many shelues, & there is not altogether two fadome water, so that the place is very dangerous: and neere vnto the said shelues, there is either sixteene or 20 fadomes from shore to shore. All the Northerly coaste runneth Northeast and by North, and Southwest & by South. The said hauen wherin we stayed on the South side, is as it were but a s••uce of the waters that rise by the flood, & but of smal accompt: we named them S. Iohns Islets,* 1.7 be∣cause we found them, & entred into them the day of the beheading of that Saint. And before you come to the said hauen, there is an Island lying Eastward about 5 leagues distant from the same: betwe••n•• which and the land there is no passage sauing only for smal boats. The haue•• of S. Iohns Islets dry••th vp all the waters that rise by flowing, although they flow two fadome at the least. The best place to harborough ships therein is on the South part of a li••tle Island that is ouer a∣gainst the said hauen, whereby the bancke or shore of the Island riseth. Upon the sirst of Septem∣ber we departed out of the said hauen, purposing to go toward Canada, & about 15 leagues from it toward the West, & Westsouthwest, amidst the riuer, there are three Islands, ouer against the which there is a riuer which runneth swift, and is of a great depth, & it is that which leadeth, and runneth into the countrey and kingdome of Saguenay,* 1.8 as by the two wild men of Canada it was told vs. This riuer passeth and runneth along very high and steepe hils of bare stone, where very little earth is, & notwithstanding there is great quantity of ••undry sorts of trees that grow in the said bare stones, euen as vpon good & fertile ground, in such sort that we haue seene some so great as wel would suffise to make a mast for a ship of 30 ••unne burden, and as greene as possibly can be, growing in a stony rocke without any earth at all. At the entrance of the sayd riuer we met with 4 boats ful of wild me•• which as far as we could perceiue, very fearfully came toward vs, so that some of them went backe againe, & the other came as neere vs as easily they might he are & vnder∣stand one of our wild men, who told them his name, and then tooke acquaintance of them, vpon whose word they came to vs. The next day being the 2 of September, we came out of the sayd ri∣uer to go to Canada, and by reason of the seas flowing, the tide was very swift and danger••us, for that on the South part of it there lie two Islands, about which, more then three leagues com••asse, lie many rocks and great stones, & but two fadome water: and the flowing amidst those Islands is very vnconstant and doubtful, so that if it had not bene for our boats, we had been in great dan∣ger to lose our Pinnesse: & coasting along the said drie sands, there is more then 30 sadom wa••er.

About fiue leagues beyond the riuer of Saguenay Southwest,* 1.9 there is another Iland on the Northside, wherein are certaine high lands, and thereabouts we thought to haue cast anker, on purpose to stay the next tide, but we could sound no ground in a 120 fadome, within a flight sho•••• from shore, so that we were constrained to winde backe to the said Iland, where wee sounded a∣gaine and found 35 fadome. The next morning we hoysed saile and went thence, sayling further on, where we had notice of a certaine kind of fish neuer before of any man seene or knowen. They are about the bignesse of a Porpose, yet nothing like them, of body very well proportioned, hea∣ded like Grayhounds, altogither as white as snow without any spot, within which riuer there is great quantitie of them: they doe liue altogither betweene the Sea and the fresh water. These people of the Countrey call them Adhothuys, they tolde vs that they be very sauory and good to be eaten. Moreouer they affirme no••e to be found elsewhere but in the mouth of that riuer. The sixth of the month, the weather being calme and faire, we went about 15 leagu••s more vpward into the riuer, and there lighted on an Iland that looketh Northward, and it maketh a little haue•• or creeke wherein are many and innumerable great Tortoyzes,* 1.10 continually lying about that I∣land. There are likewise great quantitie of the said Adhothuys taken by the inhabitours of the countrey, and there is as great a current in that place as is at Bordeux in France at euery tide. This Iland is in length about three leagues, and in bredth two, and is a goodly and fertile plot of ground, replenished with many goodly and great trees of many sorts. Among the rest ther•• are many Filberd-trees, which we found hanging full of th••m, somewhat bigger and better in sauour then ours, but somewhat harder, and therefore we called it The Iland of Filberds.* 1.11 The seuenth of the moneth being our Ladies euen, after seruice we went from that Iland to goe vp higher into the riuer, and came to 14 Ilands seuen or eight leagues from the Iland of Filberds, where the countrey of Canada beginneth•• one of which Ilands is ten leagues in length, and fiue in bredth, greatly inhabited of such men as onely liue by fishing of such sorts o•• fishes as the riuer affordeth, according to the season of them. After we had cast anker betwene the said great Iland,* 1.12 & the Northerly coast, we went on land and tooke our two wild men with vs, meeting with many of those countrey people, who would not at all approch vnto vs, but rather fled from vs, vntill our two men began to speake vnto them, telling them that they were Taignoagny and Domagaia, who so soone as they had taken acquaintance of them, beganne greatly to reioyce, dancing and shewing many sorts of ceremonies: and many of the chiefest of them came to our boats & brough•• many Eeles and other sorts of fishes,* 1.13 with two or three burdens of great Millet where with they make their bread, and many great muske millious. The same day came also many other bo••tes sull of those countreymen and weomen, to see and take acquaintance of our two men, all which ••ere as courteously receiued and friendly entertained of our Captaine, as possibly could be. And to haue them the better acquainted with him, and make them his friends, hee gaue them many small gifts, but of small value: neuerthelesse they were greatly contented with them. The nex•• day following, the Lord of Canada (whose proper name was Donnacona, but by the name of Lord they call him Agouhanna) with ••welue boats came to our ships, accompanied with many people, who causing ten of his boates to goe backe with the other two, approched vnto vs ••i••h sixteene men. Then beganne the said Agouhanna ouer against the smallest of our ships, accor∣ding to their maner and fashion, to frame a long Oration, moouing all his bodie and members af∣ter a strange fashion, which thing is a ceremonie and signe of gladnesse and securitie among them, and then comming to the Generals ship, where Taignoagny and Domagaia were, he spake with them & they with him, where they began to tell and shew vnto him what they had seene in France•• and what good entertainement they had had: hearing which things the said Lord seemed to be ve∣ry glad thereof, and prayed our Captaine to reach him his arme, that he might kisse it, which thing he did: their Lord taking it, laid it about his necke, for so they vse to doe when they wil•• make much of one. Then our Captaine entred into Agouhannas boat, causing bread and w••ne to be brought to make the said Lord and his companie to eate and drinke, which thing they did, and were greatly thereby contented and satisfied. Our Captaine for that time gaue them nothing•• because he looked for a fitter opportunity. These things being done, ech one tooke leaue of oth••rs, and the said Lord went with his boats againe to his place of adobe. Our Captaine then caus•••• our boates to be set in order, that with the next tide he might goe vp higher into the riuer, to find some safe harborough for our ships: and we passed vp the riuer against the streame about tenne leagues, coasting the said Iland, at the end whereof, we found a goodly and pleasant sound, where is a little riuer and hauen, where by reason of the flood there is about three fadome wa••er. T••is place seemed to vs very fit and commodious to harbour our ships therein, and so we did ver•• saf••∣ly, we named it the holy Crosse, for on that day we came thither. Neere vnto it, there is a village,* 1.14

whereof Donnacona is Lord, and there he keepeth his abode: it is called Stadacona,* 1.15 as goodly a plot of ground as possibly may be seene, and there withall very fruitfull, full of goodly trees euen as in France, as Okes, Elmes, Ashes, Walnut trees, Maple tres, Cydrons, Uines, and white Thornes, that bring foorth fruit as bigge as any damsons, and many other sortes of trees, vnder which groweth as faire tall hempe, as any in France, without any seede or any mans worke or labour at all.* 1.16 Hauing considered the place, and finding it fit for our purpose, our Captaine with∣drew himselfe on purpose to returne to our ships: but behold, as we were comming out of the ri∣uer we met comming against vs one of the Lords of the said village of Stadacona, accompanied with many others, as men, weamen, and children, who after the fashion of their countrey, in signe of mirth and ioy, began to make a long Oration, the women still singing and dancing vp to the knees in water. Our Captaine knowing their good will and kindnesse toward vs, caused the boat wherein they were, to come vnto him, and gaue them certaine trifles, as kniues, and beades of glasse, whereat they were maruellous glad, for being gone about three leagues from them, for the pleasure they conceiued of our comming, we might heare them sing, and see them dance for all they were so farre.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The seuen Is••es.
• * 1.2

  A swi••t riuer.
• * 1.3

  Sea-horses.
• * 1.4

  The Isle of As∣••••••pt••on, or Na∣t••leote••
• * 1.5

  •• ••auen on the Southerne coa••••.
• * 1.6

  A great riuer.
• * 1.7

  ••. Iohn•• Islets.
• * 1.8

  This is the ri∣uer of Tadi••e••, or of Saguenay.
• * 1.9

  The riuer o•• Saguenay.
• * 1.10

  In••umerable Torto••••es.
• * 1.11

  The Ile of Co••••••es 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Fil∣berds.
• * 1.12

  This great Iland is cal∣led The Ile of O••leans.
• * 1.13

  Ma••••.
• * 1.14

  〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.15

  Stadacona.
• * 1.16

  Goodly deury