162 BISHOP HOWLEY ON 



vast opening of Bay St. George, and was evidently ignorant of its existence. He speaks of 

 the distance between Cap Royal and Cap St. Jehan as if it were a continuous line of coast. 

 This was owing to his being driven very far out to sea by foul weather for three or four days 

 (tourmente, et vent contraire et serraison.) We now go back to take up the narrative at Cap 

 Royal. On leaving this cape the first time (on the morning of the 18th or 19th June) he 

 passed outside of Long Point of Porte à Porte Bay, without observing the entrance to the 

 said bay. This Long Point is quite low, a ridge of limestone rocks, and looks at a distance 

 like the coast of the main land. In order to show that this does not detract from my boasted 

 shrewdness of observation on the part of Cartier, I shall here quote his words in apposition 

 with the " Sailing Directions." " Between these two capes (Cap Royal and Cap Delatte) 

 there are low lands, above which there are very high lands and an appearance as if there 

 Avere rivers." (Entre cetz deux caps y a terres basses, par dessurs lesquelles y en a de moult 

 hautes, en semblance de y auoir ripuieres.) The following is the manner in which it is described 

 in the "Sailing Directions": "The land between Red Island and the entrance to Porte à 

 Porte is rather low (terres basses) with sandy beaches, (except one remarkable hillock named 

 Round Head), but up the country (par dessurs les quelles) there are highlands (moult hautes), 

 and if distant three or four leagues to sea, the Long Point of land which forms the bay 

 cannot be seen." And so Cartier, giving a wide berth to the "long ledge" off Long Point 

 did not see the Point, nor know there was a large bay inside it. He found it out afterwards, 

 however, for when he had arrived off the long point, (at A of map) as we have already seen, 

 a storm arose, and he had to put about and run for a harbour. Then for the first time he 

 discovered this large bay lying behind Long Point. He sent out his boats on an excursion 

 of discovery and found that "beyond the low lands there is a large and very deep (i. e. 

 extending far) bay, which is closed at the south of the said low lands, which form one side 

 of the entrance (i. e. Long Point) and Cap Royal the other. The said lands stretch out into 

 the sea more than half a league with shoal and bad bottom," (the Long Point ledges) and in 

 the middle of the entrance there is an island (Fox Island.) The rivers which are mentioned 

 above and which he saw from outside above the Long Point are Fox Island River and Three 

 Guts. The commentators hitherto have supposed this bay to have been Bay of Islands. 

 But it does not answer at all to the description, particularly as Cartier places this baj-in 48J° 

 latitude, which is almost perfectly correct. Bay of Islands is beyond the 49th degree. 



" We did not find a harbour," he says, " but we held to sea for the night, the cape (i. e. 

 Delatte) to the westward of us," consequently' they were within the moiith of the bay in 

 smooth water somewhere in the neighbourhood of Fox Island. This will account for their 

 being able to lie to without anchoring through the night. They were under the shelter of 

 the Long Point and perfectly safe. They might have anchored ; this is a good harbour, and 

 the site of one of the French fishing rooms at the present day. 



The next point of interest is 



Cap St. Jehan. 



From the 18th or 19th June till the 24th, the feast of St. John the Baptist, the voy- 

 agers experienced, as we have seen, very rough weather. On this day they discovered land 

 to the southeast, and Cartier estimated it about thirty-five leagues from Cap Royal. This 

 land was near Cape Anguille (south point of St. George's Bay), but somewhat further in the 

 bay. Writers generally have condemned Cartier's estimate of the distance of this land from 

 Cap Royal. It would not be wonderful if he were wrong, considering the weather he had. 



