226 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Superior, or upper, for that the wildmen hold it to be longer and 

 broader, besides a great many islands, which maks appeare in a bigger 

 extent. This rapid was formerly the dwelling -^ of those with whome 

 wee weare, and consequently we must not aske them if they knew where 

 they have layed. Wee made cottages att out advantages, and found 

 the truth of what those men had often said, that if once we could come 

 to that place, we should make good cheare of a fish that they call 

 Assickmack, which signifieth a white fish. The beare, the castors and the 

 oriniack shewed themselves often, hut to their cost; indeed it was to 

 us like a terrestriall paradise .... But the season was far spent, 

 and use diligence and leave that place so wished, while wee shall bewaile, 

 to the coursed Iroquoits.-* What hath that poore nation done to thee, 

 and being so far from thy country? Yett if they had the same liberty 

 that in former dayes they have had, we poore ffrench should not goe 

 further with out heads except we had a strong army. Those great lakes 

 had not so soone comed to our knowledge if it had not been for those 

 brutish people; two men -^ had not found out the truth of these seas 

 so cheape; the interest and the glorie could not doe what terror doth 

 att the end .... The weather was agréable when we began to 

 navigat upon that great extenî of watter, finding it so calme and the 

 aire so cleare. We thwarted in a pretty place, came to an isle most 

 delightfull for the diversity of its fruits.' We called it the isle of the 

 foure beggars .... We went from thence to gaine the firme 

 lande, which was 6 leagues from us ... . There we found a small 

 river. It was so curious that I inquired my dearest friends the name 

 of this stream. They named me it panahickkomesibs, which signifieth 

 a small river of copper. I asked him the reason. He told me, " Come, 

 and I shall shew thee the reason why." I was in a place which was 

 not 200 paces in the wood, where many pieces of copper wears uncov- 

 ered. Further he told me that the mountains I saw was of nothing 

 else. Seeing it so faire and pure, I had a mind to take a piece of it, 

 but they hindered me, telling jay brother there was more where we weare 

 to goe. In this great Lake of myne owne eyes have 'seene which are 

 admirable, and cane maintaine of a hundred pounds teem will not be 

 decayed. 



" From this place we went along the coasts, wliich are most delight- 

 full and wounderous, for it's nature that made it so pleasant to the 

 eye, the sperit and the belly. As we went along we saw bankes of 

 sand so high that one of our wildmen went upp for curiositie, being 

 there, did shew no more than a crow .... There comes many 

 sorte of birds that makes their nest here, the goilants, which is 

 a white sea-bird of the bignesse of pigeon, which makes me 



