158 BISHOP HOWLEY ON 



The " Sailing Directions " thus speak of the soundings in the straits : * * * "The 

 soundings are irregular, from 20 to 30, and in some places 38 fathoms." ^ * * " The 

 nature of the hottom is as various as the depths, sometimes of rock, and at others of sand, 

 hroken shells, and pieces of coral or gravel " (evidently taygnay). 



The day after their arrival at Brest, being the festival of St. Barnabas Apostle (June 

 11), they had a grand mass of thanksgiving celebrated, and then he set out on an exploring 

 voyage westwards. He visited four harbours, which he calls, respectively, St. Anthony, St. 

 Servain, St. Jacques, and Jacques Cartier harbour ; from which latter he returned directly 

 to Brest. Professor Ganong (loc. cit.) has carefully traced out this route and located these 

 harbours. They are called at the present day by the following names, respectively : — Rocky 

 Bay, Lobster Bay, Shecatica Bay, and Cumberland Harbour. (Trans, p. 125.) 



While at St. Jacques Harbour (Shecatica) they met " a ship from La Rochelle, which 

 was searching for the harbour of Brest, where they were going to make their fishery." 

 This proves that this part of the gulf was frequented by French and Breton fishermen, at 

 that time. 



On the 18th June, Saturday, they left Jacques Cartier Harbour for Brest, and on the 

 14th, Sunday, they had mass sung (fysmes chanter la messe), presumably at Brest, after 

 which they weighed anchor and sailed towards the south to examine the coast of New- 

 foundland. When about half way across the bay or gulf, which in this place is about 20 

 leagues, they saw what seemed to be a great double cape. It appeared at first like two 

 islands, but he afterwards discovered it was the mainland. It was, in fact, the highlands ot 

 St. John, a part of the great chain of mountains which runs almost without intermission 

 from Cape Ray right across the Island of Newfoundland in a northeastern direction. The 

 point of coast which forms Bay St. John on the one side and the bight of Ingornachoix on 

 the other, and which is called Point Riche, is low lying land, and so is the country for several 

 miles back, but these magnificent highlands, rising to a height of nearly 2,000 feet, show 

 from a great distance seaward long before the intermediate lowland appears. A little 

 further on, Cartier named one of the spurs of these mountains " Les Granches," from the 

 appearance which they bear to immense barns or ricks. The description which he gives of 

 these mountains as " hachées et creuses," " chopped and hewn out," is most appropriate. They 

 are cut out into the most perfect forms of pyramids, ricks, cones and polygons, showing deep 

 gorges and ravines between, and rising as they do sometimes to over two thousand feet, the 

 play of sunlight and shadow in these gorges or gulches produces most vivid and beautiful 



eôects.' 



On Tuesday, June 16th, they coasted along southwest by south about 32 leagues, when 

 they came to a cape which Cartier calls Cap Poinctu. The description which he gives of it, 

 and particularly the mention of an island about a league to the north of it, leaves no doubt 

 that it is Cow Head. There is no other island all along that coast, but the distance is very 

 much over-estimated. The actual distance between Point Riche and Cow Head is 52 miles, 

 about 20 of Cartier's leagues. But it must be remembered that they were enveloped in fog, 

 and had lost sight of land, and so missed their reckoning. 



The next place mentioned by Cartier is a bay which he called 



Sainct Julian. 

 All the commentators whom I have yet seen have supposed this to be the modern Bonne 



See sketch of Cape Ray Range (Illustration No. 1.) 



