140 THE TOBACCO NATION. [1639. 



priests. In November and December, they began 

 their missionary excursions, — for the Indians were 

 aow gathered in their settlements, — and journeyed 

 on foot through the denuded forests, in mud and 

 snow, bearing on their backs the vessels and uten- 

 sils necessary for the service of the altar. 



The new and perilous mission of the Tobacco 

 Nation fell to Garnier and Jogues. They were 

 well chosen ; and yet neither of them was robust 

 by nature, in body or mind, though Jogues was 

 noted for personal activity. The Tobacco Nation 

 lay at the distance of a two days' journey from the 

 Huron towns, among the mountains at the head of 

 Nottawassaga Bay. The two missionaries tried to 

 find a guide at Ossossane ; but none would go with 

 them, and they set forth on their wild and un- 

 known pilgrimage alone. 



The forests were full of snow; and the soft, moist 

 flakes were still falling thickly, obscuring the air, 

 beplastering the gray trunks, weighing to the earth 

 the boughs of spruce and pine, and hiding every 

 footprint of the narrow path. The Fathers missed 

 theu' way, and toiled on till night, shaking down at 

 every step from the burdened branches a shower 

 of fleecy white on their black cassocks. Night 

 overtook them in a spruce swamp. Here they 

 made a fire with great difiiculty, cut the evergreen 

 boughs, piled them for a bed, and lay down. The 

 storm presently ceased; and, "praised be God," 

 writes one of the travellers, " we passed a very 

 good night." ^ 



1 Jogues and Gamier in Lalemant, Relation des Hurons, 1640, 95. 



