14 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



acquaintances there and received great courtesies from the inhabitants 

 and were made very welcome. 



This place is the beginning of Canada, but we did not want to 

 prolong our sojourn there because we desired first to go and see the 

 Sieur du Dongeon, who is governor, and resides ordinarily at Brest, 

 the principal town of the whole country, well provisioned, large and 

 strongly fortified, peopled by about fifty thousand men, and furnished 

 with all that is necessary to enrich a good sized town; it is distant from 

 Surfe about fifty leagues. 



Our voyage so far was more favourable than the sequel, for having 

 sailed on the eleventh December, so soon as we were in the open sea 

 about six leagues, a North wind arose which struck "us with such vio- 

 lence that in less than twenty-four hours we were thrown on the land 

 called Baccalaos, partly owned by the Spaniards, partly by the inhab- 

 itants of the country; but fortune was so favourable that we were 

 pushed in a little strait in the corner of an island under great trees 

 closely resembling oaks, except that their leaves are like cabbage leaves 

 and they bear fruit similar to oranges, which is very good and delicate 

 with a taste most delicious and agreeable. While we were there riding 

 at anchor some of our men, animated by curiosity to know who were 

 the inhabitants of that island, roamed amongst the trees and walked 

 about two miles before finding anything. Then, proceeding further, 

 they saw in the woods a few huts covered with foliage and in the 

 vicinity some men who seemed to carry arms and were patrolling 

 around the huts. Our folks stopped a moment in order to ascertain 

 what they were doing. Soon after came to them two tall men, like 

 semi-giants, armed with scales of fishes and each carrying a big club 

 in his hand bristling with big iron nails, and weighing about eighty 

 pounds. At the first approach they began to quarrel with these poor 

 people and in less than no time threw ten or twelve of them on the 

 ground before they had time to put themselves on their guard; upon 

 which the people began to beat upon a sort of wood unknown to me 

 and made such a noise that the whole forest resounded. Then, join- 

 ing together in defence to the number of about five hundred, and with 

 a sort of cross-bows gave chase to these monsters who, nevertheless, car- 

 ried off some plunder in their flight. 



Our men, seeing the awkwardness at arms of those poor Barbarians, 

 became more bold and, showing themselves to them, fired three or four 

 discharges of musketry, which so surprised them that they did not know 

 where they were and they were preparing to flee when some of our men 

 advanced towards them and made signs to have no fear and that no 

 harm would be done to any of them. 



