Travels in North America. 83 



Herrings, which always run to the Sides, and being allured by 

 the Greens which they greatly love, are engaged in the Nets, 

 and find themfelves fhut up : As the Tide finks, it is pleafant to 

 fee their Trouble, and their fruitlefs Attempts to efcape : At laft 

 they remain on dry Land, and often one upon another in fuch 

 great Numbers, that one Blow with a Stick kills two or three of 

 them. They fay that there have, been found fome among tlje 

 white Sort, which weighed three thoufand Pounds. 



Every one knows the Nature of the Whale Fiihery, therefore 

 Of the Whale ^ nothing of it. It is faid here, that 

 ' ike Bifcaynersy who carried it on formerly in 

 the River St. Laurence, difcontinued it only to apply themfelves 

 entirely to'the Fur-Trade, which required not fomuch Expence or 

 Labour, and the Profits of which were then more confid^erable, and 

 of a quicker Return. On the other Hand, they had not all the 

 Conveniencies for this Fifhery, which may be had at prefent, now 

 there are Habitations very near the Gulf. Some Years ago they 

 tried to re-ellablifh it, but without Succefs : The Undertakers 

 either had not a fuffieient Fund to make the neceffary Advances, 

 or expeded their Charges to be reimburfed fooner than the Thing 

 would allow, or elfe they wanted Perfeverance. It appears neveir- 

 thelefs certain that this Fifhery might be a great Article in the 

 Trade of this Colony (a), and might be carried on with lefs 

 Expence and Danger than on the CoaHs of Greenland \ and what 

 Ihould hinder to fix it here, as M. Denys propofed to do that of 

 the Cod-Fiihery in Acadia, ^ This is. Madam, all that con- 

 cerns the Fifheries, that may enrich Canada* 



I am, &c. 



LETTER VIIL 



Of the Fort £f Chambly : Of the Fijh; of the Birds : And of fome 

 Animals, peculiar to Canada. Of the Trees ^u^hich are the fame 

 nx)ith thofe o/' France y and of thofe ^hich are peculiar to this 

 Country, 



Madam, Chambly, M^r^>^ i. 



ONE of the chief Defences of Montreal 2ig2cm^ the Iroquois 

 and Neiv York, is Fort Chamhly : It is from this Fort I 

 Jiave the Honour to write to you. I came hither to pay a Vifit 



CaJ It is to be hoped that we fhall now eftablifh a Whale Fifhery in tloefe 

 Parts ; as there feems great Probability that a vaft Advantage may be reape4 

 from it, 



M ^ to 



