THE MONTAGNAIS INDIANS 



and Eskimos at that time dwelt as far south as 

 Cape Charles. 



One beautiful day the last of May when " La 

 Belle Marguerite " was anchored in a sheltered 

 little cove among Les Isles des Corneilles, I was 

 delighted by a cry from Mathias of " Les 

 sauvages / " a cry which, in the earlier 

 history of French-speaking America, has times 

 innumerable struck terror into the heart of 

 the white man. Not so in this case, for les 

 sauvages here are no longer savage, they are 

 but a peaceful remnant of their old selves, and, 

 being well treated by the white man, treat him 

 well in return, as indeed they have always done 

 when dealt with in this unusual manner. Two 

 barges like our own had sailed into a neighbour- 

 ing cove, and, through the glass, I could see a 

 motley crowd of men, women, children and 

 dogs tumbling into canoes and going ashore. 

 They soon were grouped about a fire and were 

 evidently cooking and eating their breakfast, 

 which, judging from the shells seen later, 

 consisted of roasted eiders' eggs. A brilliant 

 patch of colour they made on the barren hill- 

 side, that contrasted well with the gray of the 

 lichen-covered rocks, the green of the firs, and 



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