CAETIEE'S COUESB. 177 



To return to Cartier, he arrived at the Isle of Bryoii either on Monday, May 22nd, or 

 Tuesday, 23rd. It is not clear from the Belatiov, which of the two. There is here a gap or 

 lacuna in the Belntioii ; no account is given of Wednesday, 24th. He was no douht anchored 

 under the lee of Bryon Island during this time. "On Thursday the 26th," he says, "the 

 feast of the Ascension of Our Lord "' (this is a mistake for 25th), " we went across to a sandy- 

 land lying low to the southwest about eight leagues." This of course was the east point of 

 the Magdalens. One of the most unaccountal)le facts in the whole narrative is this, that 

 although he recognized the Isle Bi-yon so well and steered his course so unerringly for it 

 from Cape De Pratto, he does not seem to recognize the Magdalens where he had made such 

 a thorough survey the previous year. On Friday, 27th (thus the i?e?a<zo??, it should he 26th, 

 the error is corrected after this day), he returned to Bryon Island and remained till June 

 1st, Thursday. The proceedings of this day are more confusedly written and have caused 

 more trouble to commentators than any other portion of the voyage. I shall therefore give 

 an exact copy of the Relation in the original French, then explain my views on the matter: 



" Au premier iour de iuing, vinsmes quérir vne terre haulte qui demeure au suest de 

 ladicte isle (Bryon) qui nous apparoissoit estre vne ysle, & la rengeasmes enuiron deux lieues 

 & demye, faisant lequel chemin eusmes congnoissance de trois haultes ysles cpii demeurent 

 vers les araynes. Apres les quelles choses congneus, retournasmes au cap de ladicte terre, 

 qui se faict a deux ou trois caps haultz à merueilles, & grand parfond d'eaue k la marée si 

 courante qu'il n'est possible de plus. Nous arriuasmes celluy iour au Cap de Lorraine qui 

 est en 46 degrez ^, au su duquel cap ya vne basse terre, & semblant d'entrée de riuière, mais 

 il n'ya hable que vaille, parsus lesquelles terres vers le su, veismes vng aultre cap de terre 

 que nous nommasmes le Cap de Sainct Paul, qui est en 47 degrez \." 



This is decidedly the most obscure passage in the Relation. To give an idea of 

 the confusion of opinions of various authors on this point, I quote the following from the 

 late exhaustive work of Dr. Bourinot, on Cape Breton (page 133) : " Mr. Ganong # * * 

 believes, from the similarity of names, that the Cape Lorraine was the present Cape St. 

 Lawrence, but on the other hand, Mr. Pope * # * is an advocate for the claim of Cape 

 North * * *^ Brown, on the other hand * * * states that Cape Lorraine was Cape 

 Ray in Newfoundland, and Cap St. Paul's, Cape North in Cape Breton Island." But 

 none of those accounts can be made to fit in with the narration. Let us now make a careful 

 analysis of Cartier's words. On Thursday (Ascension), May 2.5th, he explored the eastern 

 part of the Magdalen group, namely, Coffin Island (see map). It will be remembered that 

 he had not examined this part of the group in 1534. His description of it is, as usual, in 

 perfect accord with Bayfield's survey, but I shall not now dwell on that ; he remained about 

 this island till Friday, 26th, when the wind coming on the shore he had to run again for 

 Bryon Island, where he remained till Thursday, June 1st — then comes the disjiuted passage. 

 " We came to examine, to the southeast of the said isle (Bryon), a high land which 

 appeared like an island." Where he was when he saw this high land to the southeast he 

 does not say, but he must have started from the Bryon Island and sailed some distance to 

 the S. or S. E. This high land, which, like so many others already mentioned, appeared in 

 the distance like an island, was to the southeast of Bryon Island. The only land to the 

 southeast of Bryon Island is the coast of Newfoundland, about Cape Ray. A glance at 

 any chart will show this. St. Paul's Island by Cartier's compass was south-half-east from 

 Bryon ; Cape North was south by west from the same island. That is, a difterence of four or 



Sec. II., 1894. 23. 



