CARTIEE'S COURSE. 159 



Bay ; luit Una is not correct. It is the Bay of Islands. It is astoiiishiiiir tliat siicli an error 

 should have taken hold. Cartier describes this bayas "full of round islands like pigeon- 

 houses or dove-cots" (ajdloii biers). There are no islands of any sort whatever in Bonne 

 Baj% and Baj- of Islands- (naturally) is fiiU of them, and especially of that sort of islands 

 called liy the French colombiers. It is quite a common name with them for a high round 

 island. There ai'e two such islands called the Grand and Petit Colombiers at the entrance 

 of the harbour of St. Pierre Miquelon. The former is 492 feet high. The principal one at 

 Bay of Islands, marked on modern maps as Guernsey Island, and called by the people " Wee 

 Ball," is nearly 1,000 feet high. There is a group of islands called by the same name on the 

 coast of Brittany, near St. Malo, Cartier's birthplace. 



It is necessary to follow the narrative very attentively here. In fact, without a personal 

 knowledge of the locality, it would Ijc impossible to understand it. Hence so many mistakes 

 have been made concerning this part of the voyage. 



It was on the IBtli of .lane they saw Cow Head. On the toUowing day, 17th, they 

 were obliged to lie-to in a storm and drift before the wind.' On Thursday, June 18th, they 

 were oii Sainct Julian. Cartier makes the distance from Cap Poinctu to St. Julian 37 

 leagues. This distance is also very much overestimated. The actual distance from Cow 

 Head to Bay of Islands is about 55 miles. (Bonne Bay only 20 miles from Cow Head is, of 

 course, altogether out of the question.) If we take the distance from Point Riche to Cow 

 Head, which Cartier calls 35 leagues, and apply the same ratio of measurement from Cow 

 Head southwards, we will tind that 37 leagues will bring us exactly to Bay of Islands, South 

 Head. 



As to the name of Saint Julian, M. TAbbé Hospice Yerreau, in his study on Jacques 

 Cartier ('Transactions for 1890," vol. VIII., p. 136), says it was given in honour of St. Julian, 

 first bishop of Le Mans, to which venerable Thaumaturge, he says, Cartier had a special 

 devotion. And as a proof, he states that on one of the windows of the principal hall of 

 Cartier's manor at Limoilou, there was painted an image of this saint. However that may 

 be, I wish to remark a very curious coincidence, viz., that the day Cartier remained off this 

 said bay (19th June) is in our calendar of to-day the feast of St. Juliana Falconiere. Of 

 course this is a female saint, and, though born in 1270, she was not placed in the calendar as 

 a saint till 1737 ; still her name was in much Jionour, and she was looked upon as a saint soon 

 after her death, "not only in Florence, but in all parts of the Christian world." (Brev. Rom.) 

 If this had nothing to do with the naming of the place, it must only be looked upon as a 

 very extraordinary coincidence. 



On Thursday-, June 18tli, after being knocked about very much in liad weather (it is 

 always squally under these highlands) Cartier found himself off {le travers de) Bay of 

 Islands. He then goes on to describe the land to the southwest of Bay of Islands. Cap 

 Royal, called to-day Cape Louis (but it has been corrupted into Cap TOurs, ti'anslated Bear 

 Head), has a very remarkable rock more like a lion couchant than a bear. This cape is 

 seven leagues southwest from St. Julian, course and distance both perfectly correct. Another 

 cape lay to the west-southwest of Cape Royal, which he calls C. Delatte. This is Round 



' The following are Cartier's words : " Eûmes tourmente de vent du nordeist et mysmea an pepfil (or pepsil) 

 à courir et à la cappe et fysmes de chemin." 1 Lave asked an explanation of them from French captains, but could 

 not get any information. 



