THORFINN KARLSEFNI 29 



relates that the scenery was beautiful in Streamf jord. 

 Halldor Hermannsson refers to Cartier's description 

 of Chaleur Bay. His description, written after his 

 voyage in 1534, is as follows: "The land toward the 

 south of the said bay is as fair as good land, arable, 

 and full of as goodly fields and meadows as we have 

 seen, and level as a pondj and that toward the north 

 is a high land, with mountains all full of trees of tall 

 growth, of many sorts, and among others are many 

 cedars and firs, as goodly as it may be possible to behold 

 for to make masts sufiicient to mast ships of three 

 hundred tons or more 5 in which we did not see a single 

 place devoid of woods, save in two places of low lands, 

 where were very beautiful meadows and lakes." Then 

 Cartier continues in his praise of the climate, plant 

 life, wild grain, various berries, saying that the coun- 

 try is covered with red roses and other fragrant flow- 

 ers and that all the lakes are full of salmon. In this 

 connection it is well to note that the locality is in lati- 

 tude 48° N.J that is one degree farther south than 

 Paris. The winter is, however, no less severe than 

 that which Thorfinn and his men experienced in 

 Streamfjord; excellent fishing is also to be found 

 there today. When Cartier arrived five centuries ago 

 the Indians did extensive fishing there. Grapevines 

 do not, however, grow there nor anywhere else in 

 New Brunswick, a fact that agrees well with the Saga, 



