FRENCH IN NORTH AMERICA. 397 



somewhere in Oro or Orillia. After remaining there for a while to col- 

 lect their forces, the party carry over land for three leagues to a small 

 lake, which is connected by a narrow place with a large one twenty-six 

 leagues round, and crossing the large lake, which, of course, is Lake 

 Simcoe, they make a portage of ten leagues (really about half that dis- 

 tance) to another lake, below which is a fall, and from whence flows a 

 river, which, after a course of sixty-four leagues, falls into the great 

 lake of the Entouhonerons. Champlain describes this river, the course 

 of which they followed, as running through beautiful lakes and a fine 

 country, formerly thickly inhabited and cultivated, but at the time of 

 his visit entirely deserted on account of the wars. This mention of ex- 

 tensive cultivation anifmgst the Indians is somewhat foreign to our no- 

 tions, but it must be remembered, that though the Algonquin tribes 

 were a wandering race of hunters, the Hurons and Five Nation Indians 

 are always described as cultivating the soil, and living in permanent 

 villages ; and it is one of the hardships complained of by the mission- 

 aries, that they could rarely get any meat, but lived principally upon 

 sagamite, with occasionally some fish. Champlain says that on their 

 route they had five portages, some of which were four or five leagues 

 long, whereas the only long carrying place between Balsam Lake and 

 the Bay of Quinte is that from Mud Lake to Peterborough, about 

 seven miles. This makes me suspect that they did not follow the 

 course of the main river, but, being desirous of concealment, kept in 

 the back country, and carrying over into the lakes of Belmont and Mar- 

 mora, re-entered the Trent by Crow River. However this may be, they 

 reach the Lake of the Eutouhonerons, cross its eastern extremity, out 

 of which the St. Lawrence flows, and after coasting along for some 

 distance, leave their canoes, and make a four-days journey through the 

 woods, crossing on their way a river, which comes from a large lake, 

 (evidently Oneida Lake,) and so reach the village of the Iroquois, which 

 was their destination. Being repulsed, however, and Champlain himself 

 wounded, they retreat to their canoes, re-cross the lake, and ascend a 

 river for twelve leagues, which, after a portage, brings them to a large 

 lake ten or twelve leagues in extent. The description accords very well 

 with Rice Lake, but it conveys the impression that it was not the same 

 route by which they descended, which strengthens my conjecture as to 

 their former course, for I know of no other large lake they could have 

 reached in this manner, Longborough Lake lying too far out of their 

 course. Here they remained hunting till the frost enabled them to re- 

 turn home over the ice. During the winter Champlain visited some 

 tribes farther south, one of which, the Tobacco-growers, seem to have 

 been located about Guelph ; and he had intended pushing on in the 



