AJ-027: Cartier, Second Voyage (1535-1536)

              


1535]    CARTIER'S SECOND
VOYAGE    47

which thing he did:
their Lord taking it, laid it about his necke,
for so
they use to doe when they will make much of one. Then
our
Captaine entred into Agouhannas boat, causing bread
and
wine 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
gave them nothing, because he
looked for a fitter opportunity.
These things being done,
ech one tooke leave of others, and the
said Lord went
with his boats againe to his place of abode.
Our Captaine
then caused our boates to be set in order, that
with the
next tide he might goe up higher into the river, to
find
some safe harborough for our ships: and we passed up
the
river 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 river and
haven, where by reason of the
flood there is about three
fadome water. This place seemed to
us very fit and
commodious to harbour our ships therein, and
so we did
very safely, we named it the holy Crosse,' for on
that
day 2 we came thither. Neere unto it, there is a
village,
whereof Donnacona is Lord, and there he keepeth
his abode:
it is called Stadacona,3 as goodly a plot of
ground as possibly
may be seene, and therewithall very
fruitfull, full of goodly trees
even as in France, as
Okes, Elmes, Ashes, Walnut trees, Maple
tres, Cydrons,
Vines, and white Thornes, that bring foorth
fruit as
bigge as any damsons, and many other sortes of
trees,
under which groweth as faire tall hempe, as any in
France,
without any seede or any mans worke or labour at
all. Having
considered the place, and finding it fit for
our purpose, our
Captaine withdrew himselfe on purpose to
returne to our ships:
but behold, as we were comming out
of the river we met com-
ming against us one of the Lords
of the said village of Stadacona,
accompanied with many
others, as men, weomen, and children,
who after the
fashion of their country, in signe of mirth and
joy,
began to make a long Oration, the women still singing
and
dancing up to the knees in water. Our Captaine
knowing

  1 St. Charles.  2 I.e., September 14.  3
Present site of Quebec.