1535. AUBERT AND J. CARTIER. 51 



Canada in the language of the natives — ilz appel- 

 lant une ville, Canada.^ 



The subsequent voyages of Roberval and of the 

 Marqnis de la Roche had no other object of dis- 

 covery than that of gold, or of finding out a 

 desirable spot to establish a colony on the coast of 

 America; and though they contain many very 

 curious and interesting transactions with the 

 native Indians, they come not within the scope of 

 the present history, which is meant to be confined to 

 the more northern regions. We hasten, therefore, 

 to those brilUant periods of early English enter- 

 prize, so conspicuously displayed in every quarter 

 of the globe ; but in none, probably, to greater 

 advantage, than in those bold and persevering- 

 efforts to pierce through frozen seas, in their little 

 slender barks of the most miserable description, 

 ill provided w ith the means either of comfort or 

 safety, without charts or instruments, or any pre- 

 vious knowledge of the cold and inhospitable 

 regions through which they had to force and to 

 feel their wav : their vessels oft beset amidst end- 

 less fields of ice, and threatened to be overwhelmed 

 with instant destruction from the rapid whirling 

 and bursting of those huge floating masses, known 

 by the name of ice-bergs : yet, so powerfully in- 

 fused into the minds of Britons was the spirit of 



* In hk vocabulary of the language he calls a toun ** Canada.** 

 r^Hakluyt, vol. iii. p. 232. . 



E 2 



