Noua Francia: or The description of that part of Nevv France, which is one continent with Virginia Described in the three late voyages and plantation made by Monsieur de Monts, Monsieur du Pont-Graué, and Monsieur de Poutrincourt, into the countries called by the Frenchmen La Cadie, lying to the southwest of Cape Breton. Together with an excellent seuerall treatie of all the commodities of the said countries, and maners of the naturall inhabitants of the same. Translated out of French into English by P.E.

CHAP. XXII.

Of Hawking.

SEeing that wee hunt on the land let vs not ouerstray our selues, least if wee take the sea, wee lose out fowles: for the wise man saith, that in vaine the net is spred before the eies of all that haue wings. If hunting then be a noble exercise, wherein the very Muses themselues take delight, by reason of silence and solitarinesse, which brings foorth faire conceits in the minde: in such sort that Diana (saith Pliny) doth not more frequent the mountaines then Minerva. If, I say, hunting be a noble exercise, hau∣king is farre more noble, because it aymeth at an higher subiect, which doth participate of Heauen, seeing, that the inhabitants of the aire are called in the sacred Scrip∣ture, Volucres coeli, the foules of the aire. Moreouer, the exercise therof doth belong but to kings, & to the nobles, aboue which their brightnesse shineth, as the Sunnes brightnesse doth aboue the starres. And our Sauages be∣ing of a noble heart, which maketh no account but of hunting and martiall affaires, may very certainly haue right of vsage, ouer the birds that their land doth affoord them. Which they doe likewise, but with much difficul∣ties, because they haue not (as we haue) the vse of guns. They haue enough, and too many birds of pray, as Ea∣gles, Laynards, Faulcons, Tiercelets, Sparow-haukes, and others, which I haue specified in my farewell to New France, but they haue neither the vse nor industrie to bring them to seruice, as the French Gentlemen: and therefore they loose much good fowle, hauing no other meanes to seeke after them, or to take them but onely with the Bowe and arrowes, with which instruments they doe like vnto them who in France shoote at the Geay in time of middle-lent: or creepe along the grasse, and go to assaile the Outardes, or wild Geese, which doe graze in

the Spring time, and in Summer along the medowes▪ Sometimes also they carrie themselues softly and without making any noise in their canowes and light vessels made with barkes of trees, euen to the shores where the Ma∣lards and other water fowle are, and there strike them downe. But the greatest abundance they haue, come from certaine Ilands, where such quantitie of them are, to wit, of Malards, Margaux, Roquettes, Outards, or wilde Geese, Curlies, Cormorants, and others, that it is a woonderfull thing, yea that which captaine Iames Quar∣tier reciteth, will seeme to some altogether vncredible. When we were vpon our returne into France, being yet beyond Campseau, wee passed by some of those Ilands, where in the space of a quarter of an houre, we laded our barke with them, wee had no need but to strike downe with staues, and not to go about to gather vntill one were wearie a striking. If any man doth aske why they flie not away, one must consider that they be birds onely of two three, or fower moneths old, which haue beene there hatched in the spring time, and haue not yet wings great enough to take slight, though they be well fleshie and in good plight. As for the dwelling of Port Royall we had many of our men that furnished vs with them, and parti∣cularlie one of Monsieur de Monts his houshold seruants, called François Addeni, whose name I insert heere to the end he be had in memorie, beecause he alwaies prouided for vs abundantly with it. During the winter he made vs to liue onely of Mallards, Cranes, Hernes, Woodcocks, Partriges, Blackbirds, & some other kinds of that country birds. But in the spring time it was a sport to see the gray Geese and the bigge Outardes (a kinde of wilde Geese) to keepe their Empire and dominion in our meddowes▪ and in Autumne the white Geese, of which some did al∣waies remaine for a pawne: then the sea Larks flying in great flocks vpon the shores of the waters, which also ve∣ry often were paied home.

Touching the birds of pray, some of our men tooke from the nest an Eagle, from the top of a Pine-apple tree, of the monstrousest height that euer I saw any tree, which Eagle Monsieur de Poutrincourt did breed for to present her to the king, but she brake her ties, seeking to take her flight, and lost her selfe in the sea comming home. The Sauages of Campseau had six of them pearched neere to their cabins, at our comming thither, which wee would not trucke for, because they had pulled off their tailes to to feather their arrowes. There bee such a quantitie of them in those parts, that often they did eat our pigeons, and it did behooue vs to looke narrowly to them.

The birds that were knowen vnto vs, I haue enrowled them (as I haue said) in my farwell to New France, but I haue omitted many of them, because I knew not their names. There also may be seene the description of a little small bird, which the Sauages doe call Niridau, which li∣ueth but with flowers, and she did come noising in my eares, passing inuisibly (so small is shee) when in the mor∣ning I went to take a walke in my garden. There will be seene also the discription of certaine flies, shining in the euening, in the spring time, which doe flie vp and downe the woods in such a multitude that it is woonder. For the birds of Canada, I also refer the Reader to the report of Captaine Iames Quartier.

The Armouchiquois haue the same birdes, whereof there are many which are not knowen vnto vs in these parts. And particularly there is one kinde of water foule which haue their bils made like two kniues, hauing the two edges one vpon another: and that which is worth the wonde∣ring at, the vppermost part of the said bill is shorter by the one halfe then the lower-most: in such wise that it is hard to thinke how this bird taketh her food. But in the Spring time the cockes and hennes, which we call Indien or Turkie cockes doe flie thether as wandring birdes, and soiorne there without passing further hetherward. They come

from the parts of Ʋirginia and Florida. There be yet, be∣sides these, Partridges, Parrats, Pigeons, Stocke-doues, Turtle-doues, Blacke-birds, Crowes, Tiercelets, Faulcons, Laniers, Hernes, Cranes, Storckes, Wilde-geese, Mallards, Cormorans, white Aigrets, red, blacke, and gray ones, and infinite sorts of foule.

As for the Brasilians they also haue store of Turkie-cockes and hennes, which they name Arignan-ouslou, of whom they make no account, nor of their egges: In such maner that the said Turkie-hennes breede their young ones as they can, without so much a doe as in these parts. They haue also duckes but because they goe heauily they eat none of them, saying that they would hinder them from running swiftly. Item a kinde of Pheasants which they call Iacous: Other foules which they name Mouton as bigge as peacocks: some kindes of Partridges as bigge as Geese, called Mocacoüa: Parrats of sundry sorts, and many other kindes altogether vnlike vnto ours.

Notes

• Prou. 1. 17.
• Plin. second Epist. 6. of
• the 1. booke. Psal. 8. 9.
• A sport they haue in France to shoote at the picture of a bird, set at a stake.
• Great aboun∣dance of wa∣ter foule.
• The foule of Port Royall.
• Niridau, an admirable little small bird. Flies.
• A wonderfull foule.
• Turkie∣cockes.
• Come from Virginia.

  Birds and foules of Vir∣ginia and Flo∣rida▪