IN A FISHING COUNTRY 



the Murray. The inn-keeping trade ran in 

 the family, for a George Chaperon was his 

 host later at Baie St. Paul. 



In neither place was he able to get infor- 

 mation of the interior. The French seem- 

 ed to have no knowledge, the Indians were 

 chary of imparting it. At length one Gi- 

 rard agreed to lead him through the 'pass 

 of the Mountains' (the Passe des Monts, 

 where ascends the present St. Urbain road) 

 and conduct him to 'Malbay' by a detour. 



The journal of this endeavour might 

 have been written yesterday by an untried 

 and rather wretched explorer: — 'The coun- 

 try through which we travelled was all but 

 impenetrable. The old fallen trees lay 

 so thick, and overgrown with Saplings and 

 Brushwood, that we could not see each 

 other at the distance of four yards. . . We 

 were much fatigued when we encamped, 

 and our Clothes all torn. The Swarms of 

 Mosquitoes tormented us extremely, and 

 they are the only living thing we have seen 

 to-day, not even a Bird or a Squirrel made 

 its appearance . . . the whole is almost one 

 continued burnt field, excepting round the 

 little Lakes, and in the Vallies . . . We en- 

 camped by the side of a fine little Lake, 

 much fatigued and hungry. The men tried 

 24 



