128 "W. F. GANONG ON 



western coast of the main island, which has this direction. That day they went fifteen 

 leagues and the next ten more, which brought them to a red cape with a rounded top. 

 The narration describes the region as follows : — "The next day we ranged along that land 

 about ten leagues even to a red cape of land, which is a rounded cape within which is a 

 passage towards the north and low ground ; there is low ground between the sea and a 

 pond. From the said cape of land and pond to another cape of land, there are about four 

 leagues ' ; between them the land is in the form of a semi-circle, and all ranged with sands 

 like a ditch, about which and over which there is a kind of marshes and pools as far as 

 one can see. And before arriving at the first cape there are two little islands very near 

 the land ; and five leagues from the second cape, there is an island to the south-west 

 which is high and pointed, which was named by us AUezay. The first cape was named 

 Cape St. Petsr, because it was on the day of that saint we arrived there." 



After the first day's sailing, it will be noticed, no direction is mentioned ; they simply 

 coasted along the laud. The distance traversed in the two days, however, would bring 

 them about to Entry Island ; the rest of the narrative now becomes clear. Some charts 

 mark on the south of Entry Island " Red clifis," and a recent popular work" says of it : — 

 "Abrupt and magnificently shaped cliffs, beautifully tinted red and brown are to be seen in 

 its entire circuit, which at the eastern end are over four hundred feet high." Cartier's red 

 Cape St. Peter, then, might have been in Entry Island, and the context clearly shews that 

 it was. The only cape which is four leagues from the first (no direction is given) is some 

 point on Grindstone Island, possibly lied Cape. Any good chart on a suSiciently large 

 scale will represent the appearances described by Cartier between the two capes. The land 

 lies in a semicircle between them, all ranged with sands, very low and full of pools. The 

 two little islands met with before reaching Cape St. Peter, would seem to be Sea Cow Rock 

 and possibly some detached rock on the main island. 



Five leagues to the south-west of the second cape, was the island named by them 

 " Allezay." The island corresponding to this description in regard to position is the present 

 Deadman's Island. The work last mentioned says of it : — "It is indeed a singular rock, 

 about a mile long. Not a herb, nor a bush, nor a blade of grass is to be seen on its rocky 

 sides, which rise to a sharp, razor-like ridge in the centre." Now, this island, as will be 

 seen by reference to the map accompanying this paper, is much longer than broad, and 

 almost its shortest diameter is seen from Cartier's second cape. If it rises to a razor-like 

 ridge in the centre, it must certainly seem pointed from such a position ; it is marked as 

 being 170 feet high on some charts and, therefore would seem very well to answer to 

 Cartier's decription of Allezay, which was " high and pointed." It is not strange that he 

 should give its distance and direction from Second Cape, instead of Cape St. Peter. As 

 these were the only two conspicuous places he mentions, he had to locate it with reference 

 to one of them, and it would only be visible from the former. 



On June 29th they left the Magdalen Islands, ^ setting out, apparently, from Cape 



' Edition of 1598 has fourteen. But that of Relation originale is undoubtedly correct, for there is no cape 

 in this vicinity as great a distance as fourteen leagues from any other cape. If it reads /our leagues, the account 

 is clear; if it rea-ds fnurken, nothing can be made of it. 



^ Cruise of the "Alice May," by S. G. W. Benjamin. 



^ The very different views of Dr. Kohl and Rev. B. F. DeCosta, as to the identity of these places will be referred 

 to further on. 



