268 PREHISTORIC FISHING. 



most twenty feet long, about five feet wide, and in the form of a half-moon, being- 

 raised and curved at both ends ; they carry five persons at the most. By means 

 of these very light vessels they cut the waves with great velocity, and they carry 

 them on their shoulders in case of need ; for, having no fixed dwelling-places, 

 they roam about like nomads, and very often change their abodes, either on the 

 spur of necessity, or when it appears convenient to them." (Page 34).* 



Be Champlain {Le Sieur): Voyages et Descovvertvres faites en la Novvelle 

 France, dejjuis Vannee 1615. iusques a la fin de Vannee 1618 ; Paris, 1619 ; (Euvres 

 de Champlain publiees par VAbhe C.-H. Laverdiere ; Vol. IV, Quebec, 1870. — 

 Translation: [Hurons]. " The men make the nets to capture fish in summer 

 as well as in winter, when they generally fish, reaching their prey even below 

 the ice, either with the line or the seine. 



" They perform this kind of fishing by making several holes in a round 

 through the ice, that by which they have to draw up the seine being some five 

 feet long and three feet wide. At this opening they begin to let down their net, 

 which is attached to a wooden pole from six to seven feet long, and having 

 brought it under the ice, they move this pole with the net from hole to hole, 

 where it is seized by a man or two through the holes ; and this they continue 

 until the opening of five or six feet is reached. This done, they let go the net, 

 which sinks to the bottom of the water by means of certain small stones attached 

 to the end ; and afterward they draw it up by its two ends, and thus secure the 

 fish caught in it. This is in short the method they employ in fishing during 

 winter." (Page 101). f 



Sagard Theodat {Le F. Gabriel): Histoire du Canada et Voyages que les Freres 

 Mineurs Becollects y on faicts pour la Conuersion des Infidelles, etc.; Paris, 1636 ; 

 Paris reprint of 1866. — Translation : [Hurons]. " From the cordage Avhich the 

 women and girls have prepared, the men, during winter, make nets and seines 

 for catching fish even under the ice, by means of holes cut in diiferent places, 



* [IncoliB Terrje Novie, eorum habitus & mores]. " Cymbse ipsis ex corticibus arborum compositse, viginti 

 ut plurimum pedes longie, qiiinque aut circiter latse & semilunsB in modum, ad proram atque puppim erectae atque 

 incurvo9, quinque ad summum veetorum capaces; illis utpote levissimis undas summa velocitate secant, easdem 

 quum opus fiierit humeris gestant; nam ne statis quidem sedibus se continent, sed vagi Nomadum instar ftepius 

 habitationes mutant, prout illos aut necessitas cogit, aut commoditas invitat." 



f " Les homraes font les rets pour pescher, & prendre le poisson en este conime en hyuer, qu'ils pesehent ordi- 

 nairement, & prennent le poisson iusques soubs la glace a la ligne, ou a la seine. 



" Et la fa9on de ceste pesche est telle, qu'ils font plusieurs trous en rond sur la glace, & celuy par ou ils doib- 

 uent tirer la seine a quelque cinq pieds de long, & trois pieds de large, puis eomman9ent (sic) par ceste ouuerture 

 h mettre leur filet, lesquels ils attachent a vne perche de bois, de six a sept pieds de long, & la mettent dessoubs la 

 glace, & font courir ceste perche de trou en trou, ou vn homme, ou deux, mettent les mains par les trous, prenant 

 la perche oil est attache vn bout du filet, iusques a ce qu'ils viennent ioindre I'ouuerture de cinq a six pieds. Ce 

 faict, ils laissent couUer le rets au fonds de I'eau, qui va has, par le moyen de certaines petites pierres qu'ils atta- 

 chent au bout, & estans au fonds de I'eau, ils le retirent k force de bras par ces deux bouts, & ainsi amenent le 

 poisson qui se trouue prins dedans. Voila la faQon en bref comme ils en vsent pour leur pesche en hyuer." 



