20 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



long sentimental introduction is artificial and like the prologues to 

 similar imaginative stories seems inserted to give a colour of truth to a 

 fictitious narrative. 



Brest in Cartier's First Voyage. 



It is ■well Imown to all students that, until very recent years, all 

 the information existing concerning Cartier's first voyage was drawn 

 from Eamusio's narrative (in 1556) in Italian. Hakluyt's version was 

 translated by Florio, from Italian into English (in 1589), and the only 

 French version was translated later from English or Italian and printed 

 by Petit Val at Eouen in 1598. From one of these sources all versions 

 down to 1867 were dra\\Ti, and upon them all discussions were based. 

 All of them were in reality translations of translations, for they are all 

 founded on the Italian of Eamusio, and the French original of Kamusia 

 had been lost.^ 



In 1867 M. Michelant discovered and printed a manuscript found 

 in the Imperial Library at Paris, which was the " Eelation Originale "" 

 of Cartier himself. Immediately the difficulties in the various narra- 

 tives began to disappear until the whole course of Cartier became clear. 

 But the books and maps before 1867, and many of later date, contain 

 the old errors — the natural result of double or treble translation super- 

 added to errors in transcription and to glosses of the transcribers. One- 

 such error has led most writers astray as to the location of Cartier's 

 Brest for both Hakluyt and Petit Val make Brest to be an Island near 

 Blanc Sablon. It will be better to quote from Petit A"al, though 

 Hakluyt's English version is to the same effect : — 



" Blanc Sablon est un lieu ou n'y a aucun abry du Su ny du Suest, 

 mais vers le Su-Surouest de la lieu, y a deux Isles l'une desquelles est 

 appellee l'isle de Brest, et l'autre l'isle des Oiseaux." 



That was the only information up to 1867; but the "Eelation 

 Originale " reads : — 



" Blanc Sablon est une couche ou il n'y a point d'abry du Su ny 

 du Suest; Et y a au Su Surouaist d'icelle couche deux isles, dont l'une 

 a nom Fisle de Bouays et l'autre l'isle des Ouaiseaulx." 



The transcriber or translator has substituted the word Brest for 

 Bouays (Bois). The Island is called Wood Island (Isle au Bois) to 

 this day. The other island is now called Greenly Island (occasionall}' 

 Green Island or Isle Verte), there can be no mistake about the place; 

 the context is absolutely clear. This misconception has led most writers 

 astray; a notable instance is in the fine chart made in 1784 for the 



^ See Dawfon, Ft. Lawicnco Tasin, p. Vl\. 



