20 THE LACKADOR PENINSULA. chap. xxi. 



thousands, but of hundreds of thousands, awaiting the zeal 

 of the missionaries. Most of the other Jesuit fathers speak 

 of the scarcity of aborigines belonging to the Algonkin 

 races, although they represent the Hurons and Iroquois 

 or Mohawks to have been very numerous. The different 

 tribes wliich formed the Montagnais nation were many 

 in number, and scattered over an immense extent of 

 country. The Jesuits, among other insignificant bands, 

 speak of a nation called the Oumamiwek, whose hunting- 

 grounds were to the north-east of the Bersiamits, about 

 340 miles below Quebec. In 1652 Pere Jean de Quest 

 visited a number of these people, who had come to 

 the coast from the interior. They were at the time at 

 war with the Gaspe Indians, who were in the habit of 

 crossing the St. Lawrence to hunt the moose, bear, and 

 beaver, with which their country abounded. He further 

 says, ' They are either Bersiamits (Montagnais) or some 

 aUies of the Esquimaux, who inhabit the northern coasts 

 of the Gulf below Anticosti.' 



In 1661 Pere Pierre BaiUoquet visited seven or eight 

 different nations (tribes probably), 480 miles below 

 Quebec, named the Papinachiois, the Bersiamites, la 

 Nation des Monts Peles, the Oumamiwek, and their 

 allies.* 



In 1664 Pere Henri Nouvel reached Lake Manicouagan 

 in the country of the Papinachiois, a Montagnais tribe. 

 Beyond, and north of the Papinachiois hunting-grounds, 

 was the country of the Ochestgouetch. Among some of 

 these people whom he saw at Lake Manicouagan was an 



• Relation de la Nouvelle France, en I'Ann^e 16G1. 



