26 THROUGH CANADA 



river. His pluck and daring so inspired these 

 children of the forest, that to them he became 

 the king of medicine-men, whom difficulties could 

 not daunt nor dangers dismay. Faith answered to 

 faith, and the Indians pressed their frail canoes up 

 rapids at his behest, to which the spoil of the chase 

 or the lust of conquest would never have spurred them. 

 They invoked Manitou, the spirit of the river, on his 

 behalf, and threw their propitiating gifts on the 

 seething cataracts which barred their way. They 

 carried their canoes through dense woodlands, and 

 braved the hardships of hunger and the perils of the 

 forest until they reached the country of the Ottawa 

 tribe on Lake Coulange. 



The coming of Champlain and his companions 

 was looked upon by the Indians as nothing less 

 than miraculous. We read that warriors gazed upon 

 him in reverent wonder. " How could he have 

 survived the perils of forest and rapids ? " they 

 exclaimed. Surely the white man had fallen from 

 the clouds ! 



Champlain's own account of the voyage is 

 recorded, and the difficulties which he had to 

 surmount. Chief amongst these were the dissuasions 

 of the wise men amongst ^the tribes, who advised 

 desistance. But the voyager had set his mind on 

 exploring the Ottawa, despite all such advice. 

 Driven back for want of canoes, and duped by a 

 lying counsellor, he was checked in his first attempts. 



