"Travels in North America. 9 



been very glad if he had been miilaken ; for we conceived how 

 vexatious it would be to be Wind-bound under Cape Race, In 

 this Uncertainty, we refolved to enquire of the Captain of the 

 ÈngliJJ? Ship, and Cha^viteau had Orders to do it : At his 

 Return he reported, that the Englip were as much furprized as 

 v/e to find themfelves in this Bay, but with this DiiFerence, that 

 it was the Place they were bound to : That Cape Race was before 

 usy and Cape Brolle ten Leagues lower; that from themidft of thofe 

 Breakers, upon which we had run a RifK of being loH, there if- 

 fued a River, at the Entrance of which there was an Englijh 

 Village, whither this little Veffel was carrying Provilions. 



About 15 Years ûnce, there happened to us in the fame 

 place, a very fingular Adventure, which put us in as much Dan- 

 ger as that which I have juft now mentioned. It was in Augufty 

 and wc had till then felt the Weather very hot : One Morning 

 when we rofe, we were fo pierced with the Cold, that every Body 

 put on their Winter Garments. We could not conceive from 

 whence it could proceed, the Weather being fine, and no North 

 Wind. In Ihort, the third Day at four o'Clock in the Morn- 

 ing, a Sailor cried as loud as he could, Luff\ that is to £ay, turn the 

 Helm to the Windward ; he was obeyed, and the Moment after 

 they perceived a vaft floating Piece of Ice, which ran clofe by the 

 Ship's Side, and againft which we fliould have been wrecked, if 

 the Sailor had not had good Eyes, and if the Steerfman had not 

 direélly turned the Helm, 



I did not fee this Ice, for I was not yet up ; but all who were then 

 upon Deck alTured us, that it feemedas high as the Towers of No- 

 treDame at P^;7V,and was for certainty much higher than the Mafts 

 of the Ship. I have often heard it affirmed that fuch a Thing was 

 impoffible, becaufe it muft have been prodigioufly deep to rife fo 

 high above the Sea ; and that it was not poffible that ^ Piece of 

 Ice fhould acquire that Height : To this I anfwer in the firft 

 Place, that to deny the Fad we muft give the Lie to many People, 

 for it is not the firft Time that fuch floating Rocks have been 

 feen in the Sea. The Ship called the Mother of the Incar7iatzon, 

 making the fame Courfe as we did, ran , the fame Danger in open 

 Day ; the Rock of Ice which nearly occafioned its Lofs, for Want 

 of Wind to fliun it, was feen by the whole Ship's Company, and 

 judged to be much greater ftill, than that which Vv^e met. They 

 add that the General Abfolution was given, fis in Cafes of the 

 greatcft Danger. 



It is certain in the fécond Place^ that in Hud/on^ s Bay there are 

 fome of thefe Rocks of Ice formed by the Fall of Torrents, which 

 come from the Tops of the Mountains, and which break away 

 with a vaft Noife during the Summer, and are afterwards driven 

 about by the Currents. The Sieur Jeremy who lived many Years 



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