26 FOSSIL MEN. 



Donnacanna, the reigning Agouhanna, or chief of 

 Canada, met the voyagers in state with twelve canoes, 

 and made a long speech, with much gesticulation, 

 which was interpreted by the two Canadians, who had 

 returned with Cartier, as expressing welcome and 

 goodwill. At Stadacona, accordingly, Cartier laid up 

 his ships, preparatory to his further intended explora- 

 tion of the Eiver Hochelaga, and had many feasts and 

 quarrels with his friend Donnacanna, whom at length 

 he treacherously seized and carried off to France. 



Here, first at Sta^acona, and afterwards at Hoche- 

 laga, Cartier found himself at the head-quarters of 

 the primitive men of the more advanced Stone Age. 

 We shall first accompany him to the latter place, 

 and then inquire in detail as to the actual character 

 of the Flint folk, and the remains which they have 

 left. 



Donnacanna and his advisers were, when their edu- 

 cation and opportunities are considered, little inferior 

 to their successors in American public life in devising 

 political expedients. They seem at a very early 

 period of their intercourse with the French to have 

 discovered that it was not for the public good to 

 allow their visitors to proceed any farther up the St. 

 Lawrence. It was clearly the interest of Stadacona 

 that foreign trade should be limited to it, and that the 

 precious commodities of the strangers should be dis- 

 tributed inland only at the price set upon them by the 

 Quebec dealers. The commercial jealousy of the cities 

 on the St. Lawrence was already in full force. The 



