Découverte de quelques pays et nations de l´Amerique Septentrionale [The Discovery of Several Countries and Nations in North America]

              [English translation]



washed assumes a bloody tinge. There is also very heavy, red sand. I placed some on a paddle, which was dyed with its color so deeply that the water could not wash it away during the fifteen days while I used it for paddling.



Here we began to see canes, or large reeds, which grow on the bank of the river; their color is a very pleasing green; all the nodes are marked by a crown of long, narrow, and pointed leaves. They are very high, and grow so thickly that the bison have some difficulty in forcing their way through them.



Hitherto, we had not suffered any inconvenience from Mosquitoes; but we were entering into their home, as it were. This is what the Indians of this quarter do to protect themselves against them. They erect a scaffolding, the floor of which consists only of poles, so that it is open to the air in order that the smoke of the fire made underneath may pass through, and drive away those little creatures, which cannot endure it; the savages lie down upon the poles, over which bark is spread to keep off rain. These scaffoldings also serve them as protection against The excessive and unbearable heat of this country; for they lie in the shade, on the floor below, and thus protect themselves against the sun's rays, enjoying the cool breeze that circulates freely through the scaffolding.



With the same object, we were compelled to erect a sort of Cabin 










[OCR of French page; consult page images for accurate text]


fAmetique SeptentfionaK 33 ia¥e prend la couleur de ftng. 11 y a auffi d'un lable rouge fort pefant, j'en mis iur un aviron qui en prit la couleur fi fortemeht que I'eau ne la pilt eftacer pendant quinze jours que je m'en lervois pour nager.
C'eft icy oil,nous commen|ons a voir des Cannes, bu gros rofeauX, qui fbnt for Ie bord de la riviere5 elles ont un verd fort agreable^ tous Ies noeuds font couronnez de feUilles lon^ gues, etroates & pbintucs: elles font fort hau¬ tes, & en fi grande quantity que les Boeufs fauvages ont peine a les forcct.
Jufques k prefent nous n'avons point eft6 incommbdez des Maringoiiins, mais nous cn-« krons comme dans leur pais; voici ce que font Ies Sauvages de ces quartiers pour s'en de¬ fendre J Ils clevent un echaf uit qui n'eft que de perches,& par confequent peu ferme &; a jdm% afin que la fiim^e paffe au travers faifant dri feu deffus Sc chaffe ces petits animaux qui ne la peuvent fouftrir; on fe couche fiir Ies pfcr- ches ^ au-deltas defquelles font des ^corce^ £tendues contre lapluye , & F^chafiiutleur fert contre les chaleurs exceffives & infopportables de ce pays, car on s'y met a Fombre a Fefta- ge d'embas, & on s'y garentit des rayons du Soleil prenant le frais Su vent , qui palFeliw brement'au travers de en ^chafiut*   ,
D'ans le mefine dejflein nous fufines con- trains de fkire fiir Feau ¦ une' efpece de Cabane
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