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A M ET^I C J. 



Chap. II. 



A brief De- 



fcriptton of 

 Laconia, a 

 Province in 

 New Eng- 

 land. 



thefc Parts) by Ferdinando Gorges Efcj; Heir to the above»mention'd Sir Ferdinando, 

 and thereby fole Lord of the faid Provinces, onely contracting what hath been by 

 him delivered more at large. 



Among divers Plantations of the Englifh happily Founded in New England , is a 

 Province to the Landward, nam'd Laconia, Co call'd by reafon of the great Lakes 

 therein, but by the ancient Inhabitants thereof it is call'd The Countrey of the Troquois: 

 It lies between the Latitude of forty four and forty five Degrees, having the Ri- 

 vers of Sagadebock and Merrimeck on the Sea-Coaft of New England, Southerly from 

 it; into each of which Rivers there is a fliort Paflage, frequented by the Salvages 

 inhabiting near the Lakes. Alfo it hath the great Lakes which tend towards Cali- 

 fornia in the South Sea. on the Weft thereof: On the North thereof is the great 

 River of Canada, into which the faid River difgorgeth it felf by a fair large River, 

 well rcplenifli'd with many fruitful Iflands : The Air thereof is pure and wholefom, 

 the Countrey pleafant, having fome high Hills, full of goodly Forrefts, and fair 

 Valleys and Plains, fruitful in Corn, Vines, Chefhuts, Wallnuts, and infinite forts 

 of other Fruits, large Rivers well ftor'd with Fifli, and inviron'd with goodly Mea- 

 dows full of Timber-trees. 



One of the great Lakes is call'd The Lake of Iroquois, which together with a Ri- 

 ver of the lame Name, running into the River of Qanada, is fixty or feventy Leagues 

 in length. 



In the Lake are four fair Iflands, which are low and full of goodly Woods and 

 Meadows^ having ftore of Game for Hunting, as Stags, Fallow*Deer, Elks, Roe- 

 Bucks, Beavers, and other forts of Beafts which come from the Main Land to the 

 faid Iflands. 



The Rivers which fall into the Lakes have in them good (lore of Beavers 5 of 

 which Beafts, as alfo of the Elks, the Salvages make their chiefeft Traffick. 



The faid Iflands have been inhabited heretofore by the Salvages, but are now 

 abandon'd by reafon of their late Wars one with another : They contain twelve 

 or fifteen Leagues in length, and are feated commodioufly for Habitation in the 

 midft of the Lake, which abounds with divers kinds of wholefom Fifli. 



From this Lake run two Rivers Southward, which fall into the Eaftern and 

 Southern Sea-Coaft of New England. 



Into this Lake there went many years fince certain French of Quebeck, who fided 

 with the MgoYtnquins, with the help of their Ca?ioos, which they carried the fpace of 

 five Miles over the Impoftible Falls, to Fight a Battel in revenge of fome former In- 

 juries done by the Troquois to the JlgoVmquins , who had the Victory 5 for which caufe 

 the French have been fo hated ever fince by the Nation of the Troquois, that none of 

 themdurft everappear in any part of that Lake. But their Trade, faid tobe fixteen 

 thoufand Beavers yearly , is partly fcld to the .Dutch , who Trade with the Weft- 

 end of the faid Lake over Land by Horfes, from their Plantation upon Hudfons 

 (RjVer : and another part is conceived to be purchas'd by the Hiroons, who being 

 Newters, a,re Friends both to the one and the other ; and thefe Hiroons bring down 

 the greateft part of all by the River of Canada. 



The Way over Land to this great Lake, from the Plantation of <Pafcatalt>ay, hath 

 been attempted by Captain Walter Neale, once Governor, at the Charges of Sir Fer» 

 dinando Gorges, Captain Mafon, and fome Merchants of London, and the Difcovery 

 wanted but one days Journey of finiflhing, becaufe their Victuals was fpent, which, 

 for want of Horfes, they were enfore'd to carry with their Arms, and their Clothes, 

 upon their Backs : They intended to have made a fettlement for Trade by Pinnaces 

 upon the faid Lake, which they reckon to be about ninety or a hundred Miles from 

 the Plantation over Land. The 



