130 



A M E^I C A. 



Chapi I. 



Champlain arc the two French- men that have gain'd fomuch fame by making a more 

 ample and particular fearch into thefe parts, that this Province may feem from 

 thence to have fufficiem claim to the Title of New France, whereof that part more 

 cfpecially fo call'd, lies on the North.fide of the River Canada, and Southward to 

 Terra Corterealis. The Winter is here very long, and fo much the more feverc by 

 reafon of a cold North. Weft Wind which blows mod part of the Winter Seafon, 

 and brings with it fo thick a Snow, that it continues upon the Ground raoft com- 

 monly till after May. The Countrey is for the molt part wooddy, but in the 

 Champain parts thereof very fruitful of Corn, and all forts of Grain, eipecially 

 Pulfe: It hath alfo Fifli, Fowl, wild Deer, Bears, Marterns, and Foxes in abun- 

 dance, and of Hares fuch plenty, that one of the little Iflands belonging to this Pro- 

 vince, is by the French nam'd V 1/le des LieVres, or The IJland of Hares : But the mod 

 peculiar Commodity belonging to this Countrey is the Efurgnuy, a kind of Shell- 

 Fifli, extraordinary white, and approv'd of lingular vertue for the ftanching of 

 Blood ; to which purpofe they make Bracelets of them, not onely for their own 

 ufe, but alfo to vend them to others 5 but John de Laet and others have obferv'd no 

 other than a fuperftitious ufe of them amongft the Salvages, in their Funeral Rites 

 for the Dead : the manner of their taking it is very remarkable 5 for when any one 

 is condemned to die, or taken Prifoner, they cut offall his flefhy parts in long dices, 

 and then throw him into the River, where they let him lie twelve hours, and ac 

 laft pulling him out again find his Wounds full of Efurgnui. Quadus and Maginus 

 make mention of three ancient Towns, namely Canada (denominated as the Pro- 

 vince, from the River) Hochelai and Hochcbelaga, giving Name to a Territory about 

 it, which Gjeographers either take no notice of, or make fome queftion of the be- 

 ing of fuch Towns 5 however, a late Defcriber of the Wefl~lndies y not mentioning 

 the other two, gives this defcription of the laft, Vi^. Hocbchelaga : 

 . iC ThisCity(Taithhe)faidto be the Seat and Refidence of a King of this Country 

 " whom the Natives, at leaft fome of them, acknowledge and reverence, carrying 

 te him fometimes in great pomp upon their Shoulders fitting upon a Carpet of 

 u Beads Skins, is fituate far within Land, at a diftance of fix or feven Leagues from 

 rc the River Canada, and is a kind of fortifi'd place,encompafs'd about with a three- 

 <c fold Range of Timber Ramparts one within another, of about two Rods high 

 " from the Ground, with crofs Planks, or .pieces of Timber jutting out, on purpofe 

 tf to hinder an Enemy's Scaling or getting up 5 towards the top there is as it were a 

 <c Scaffold or Gallery fram'd, from whence they may throw down Stones (of which 

 " there is always good ftore ready, or what clfe to annoy the Aflailants : It hath 

 one onely Gate for Entrance, and thatlikewife well fortifi'd after their manner : 

 There are guefs'd to be in it fifty or fixty great Houfes, built (as the mancr of the 

 " Americans that live in Houfes ufually is) in afquare Figure, each fide being about 

 <j fifty Foot long, or more, and fixteen or twenty broad, but not many Stories 

 " high 5 and inthemidft of the Court or void ipace, a place to make their Fire, 

 </ and do other neceffary work about it. Moreover the Territory round about 

 " this Town is both rich in Soil, and pleafant in ProfpecT:. 



Befides thefe three above-mention'd Towns there are feveral others, which arc 

 not untaken notice of in the moft modern Defcriptions and Maps, vi^. 1. Stadac, 

 or Stadacone, fomewhat Weft ward of a fmall Ifle call'd The Ijh d 1 Orleance . 2. Que- 

 beque, which being made a Colony of the French, and the Natives expell'd, came to 

 be Entituled St. Croix ; 3. Tadoujfac, which lies in that part of the Countrey denomi- 

 - nated from the River Saguenay, and by fome call'd at this day Nowvelle Hifcaye, a de- 

 lightful place, and full of (lately Trees, and hath likewife a good and fafe Haven, 



capable 



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