Travels in North America. 53 



(«^><^ Rivers. It appears probable, that it is thefe Rivers that in â 

 i) Coupfe of Years have eaten away the low and light Soil, through 

 which they run. This is moft apparent in the River St, Fra^içois^ 

 the Mouth of which hath may little Iflands interfperfed in itj 

 which probably were formerly joined to the Continent* And 

 moreover, in all the Lake, unlefs in the midil: of the Channel 

 where the Strength of the Current of the Great River has pre^ 

 Nferved its Depth, there is no paiTing but in Canoes* There aré 

 alfo fome Places where great Canoes, if they are but lightly 

 loaded, cannot eanly pafs. But it is every where full of Fifxii 

 and the Fifn are exceil(*rxt. 



They reckon but about feven or eight hundred People in thé 

 AT) r '-ht' f "^^^^ Trois Ri^jieresy but it has in itsS 

 yrr// tan oj- j^jeij^hbourhood wherewithal to enrich % 

 great City ; that is to Jay y very good Iron 

 Mines, which may be wrought with Profit at at any Time (a)% 

 Upon the whole, though this Town is but thinly peopled^ 

 its Situation renders it of great Confequence, and it is one of 

 the oldeft Settlements in the Colony. From the firll, this Poit 

 has had a Governor, he has a thoufand Crowns Salary, and art 

 Etat Major (a certain Number of General Officers of the Arrny 

 under him.) Here is alfo a Convent of RecolletSy a pretty good 

 Parilh Church ferved by this Society, and a very fine Hofpital, 

 joined to a Nunnery of Ur/ulinesy to the Number of forty, wha 

 are employed as Nurfes to the Hofpital. This is alfo a Foundà-» 

 tion of M. de St, Vallier, From the Year 1650, the Senechat 

 (whofe Office and Power was afterwards abolifhed and invefled 

 in the Superior Council of S>uehec, and the Intendant) had a 

 Lieutenant at Trois Ri'vieres : At prefent, this Town has a com- 

 mon Court of Jullice, the Chief of which is a Lieutenant Ge* 

 neral. ^ 



It owes its Origin to the great Refort of Savages of different 

 97, ft r r ^^^^^^s ^^^^ Place. At the Beginning of 

 I he firjt Lauje ^j^^ Colony there came down many, efpecially 

 lent' from the fartheft Parts of the North, by the 



■^^^^ ' three Rivers, which have given the Name to 



this Town, and by which they go up a great Way* The Situai 

 tion of the Place, joined to the great Trade that was carried on 

 here, engaged fome French to fettle here ; and the Neighbour- 

 hood of the River de SoreU then called the Iroquois Ri^ver, (which 

 Î fhall mention foon) induced the Governor General to build a Fort 

 here, where was maintained a good Garrifon, and which had from 

 the firft a Governor of its own. This Poll was then looked 



(a ) They are actually wrought at' thisf Time^ and produce the bcft Iron 

 in the World. 



upofl 



