22 GANONG ON ST. LAWEENCE 



explorers passed it, aud although it was almost certainly known to the fishermen, the 

 explorers did not see its entrance. 



(2.) In his second voyage he passed between Anticosti and Labrador (as no one has 

 ever doubted), and, rounding the western end of Anticosti, saw the mountains of Notre 

 Dame to the south. And by the two natives whom he had taken from Gaspé the year 

 before " we were told that it was a part of the southern coast, and that there was an island 

 to the south of which is the way to go from Honguedo [i.e., Gaspé] to Canada." This 

 was named the Island of Assumption. Cartier clearly shows that he had no suspicion 

 previously that this was an island, for on his first voyage he had not gone far enough 

 beyond North Cape of Anticosti to see the land to the south. Had he gone up the river 

 south of the island the previous year, as he was now passing along the northern side, he 

 would not have needed to be told by the natives that the laud he had sailed all around 

 was an island. But as he had not gone up the river south of the island, but supposed it 

 to be all land, the information that it was an island was news to him. 



(3.) But the most conclusive evidence of all is that Cartier tells us, in so many words, 

 that he did not discover the soxithern entrance on his first voyage. In returning towards 

 France in May, 1536, he passed down the St. Lawrence directly to G-aspé, " which 

 passage," he says, " had not before that time been discovered." ' Nothing could be more 

 conclusive upon this point. 



B. — Cartier's Second Voyage. 



In his second voyage, Cartier left St. Malo with three ships, on May 19th, 1585, 

 and he did not succeed in reaching Newfoundland until July *7th. He A'isited Funk 

 Islands, and, entering the Strait of Belle Isle, waited at Blanc Sablon until the 26th for 

 the arrival of the two ships which had been separated from his in a storm. On the 29th 

 he sailed to the west, and twenty leagues beyond the port of Brest (now Old Fort Bay) 

 passed two islands which projected beyond the others into the sea. These were named 

 St. "William's Islands, and would appear, from the distance given, to be in the vicinity of 

 what is to-day called St. Augustin Chain. Twelve leagues further he found other islands, 

 which he named St. Martha's. Among them, to the north, was a bay with many islands 

 and apparently good harbors. This description applies well to the islands at G-reat Meca- 

 tina, to the north of which is just such a bay as Cartier describes. Fifteen leagues fur- 

 ther brought him to another group of islands, which he named St. Germain, the descrip- 

 tion and position of which would place them at the St. Mary's Islands or those at Cape 

 Whittle. This is confirmed by the fact that his course after leaving them was along a 

 coast which ran east and west, a point to the south-east." Seventeen and a half leagues 

 further he met with other islands, but gave them no name. Seven leagues beyond this 

 he came to Cape Thienuot, to which he had given that name on his first voyage. This 

 was without doubt the present Natashquan Point. Some seven leagues or more further 

 on he entered a harbor among foirr islands which stretch out into the sea. This he named 

 St. Nicholas Harbor ; it appears to be the Pachachibou (or Pashasheebu) of to-day. 



' " Passasmes iusques a Honguedo [i.e. Gaspé], lequel passage n'auoit pas cydeuaut esté descouuert." Bref 

 Récit, p. 54, ed. 1863. - The directions are magnetic and not true, of course. 



