126 THE LABRADOR PENINSULA. chap. xxix. 



of the Peninsula — Lake Mistassinni — Indian Superstitions with 

 respect to a Rock in Lake Mistassinni — Origin of the Name 

 Mistassiuni — Michaux's Description of the Mistassinni Country. 



HISTORICAL NOTICE. 



THE traditi(^ns respecting the origin of the name 

 ' Labrador ' prevaihng among the residents on the 

 coast, many of wliom occupy the sedentary seal fisheries 

 of their ancestors, ascribe both tlie discovery of the 

 country and its name to ' Labrador,' a Basque wlialer, 

 from the kingdom of Navarre, wlio penetrated as far 

 as Labrador Bay, now called Bradore Ba}^, about tlie 

 middle of the fifteenth centmy. Li process of time, as 

 this bay was much frequented by Basque fishermen, tlie 

 whole coast became known by tlie name of the adven- 

 turous whaler who first visited it.* In 1497, Jean and 

 Sebastian Cabot discovered the island of Newfoundland, 

 and are supposed to have visited the coast of Labrador. 

 But it does not appear that they gave it any name. The 

 island of Newfoundland, which they perhaps thought 

 was a part of tlie mainland, they called Terre de 

 Boccaleos, from the abundance of cod-fish wliich sur- 

 rounded them. 



The discovery of LalDrador is also ascribed to Gaspar 

 de Cortereal, who sailed along the coast for a distance of 

 000 miles, and on an old map published at Eome in 1508 

 the coast of Labrador is denominated Terra Corteralis.'l' 

 The Basques, the Normans, and Bretons, about the year 

 1500, visited the coast and carried on extensive fisheries. 



* Sanil. Robertson. 



t Tvtler's Northern Coasts of America, with continuation by R. 31. 

 Ballantvne. 



