^ebec. 123 



ty thing that happened before that period, 

 is more like a fidion or a dream, than any 

 thing that really happened. In later times 

 there have, however, been found a fcv^ 

 marks of antiquity, from which it may be 

 conjedtured, that North- America was for- 

 merly inhabited by a nation more verfed in 

 fcience, and more civilized, than that which 

 the 'Europeans found on their arrival here j 

 or that a great military expedition was 

 undertaken to th?s continent, from thefe 

 known parts of the world. 



This is confirmed by an account, vt'hich 

 I received from Mr. de Fcrandrier, who 

 has commanded the expedition to the fouth- 

 fea in perfon, pf which I fhall prefently 

 give an account. I have heard it repeated 

 by others, who have been eye-witneiTes of 

 every thing that happened on that occa- 

 fion. Some years before I came into Ca- 

 nada, the then governor-general. Chevalier 

 de Beauharnoisy gave Mr. de Vcrandrier an 

 order to go from Ca7tada, with a number 

 of people, on an expedition acrofs North- 

 America to the fouth-fea, in order to exa- 

 mine, how far thofe two places are diftant 

 from each other, and to find out, what 

 advantages might accrue to Canada, or 

 Liouifianay from a communication with that 

 ocean. They fet out on horfeback from 



Montreal^ 



