Travels in North America. 87 



King of Filh fhould reign equally in the Ocean and the Rivers. 

 Be that as it may, we fee here Sturgeons of eight, ten, ^nd 

 twelve Feet long, and big in Proportion. This Animal has on 

 the Head a Sort of Crown raifed about an Inch, and it is co- 

 vered with Scales of half a Foot Diameter, aîmoU oval, and 

 fprinkled with fmall Figures which fomething refemble the 

 Flower de Luce of the Arms of France, The Savages take them 

 in the Lakes in this Manner : Two Men are at the two Ends of 

 a Canoe ; he behind fleers, and the other ftands up, holding a 

 Dart in one Hand, to which a long Cord is faftened, the other 

 End is tied to one of the Bars of the Canoe. As foon as he 

 fees the Sturgeon in his Reach, he throws his Dart, and endea- 

 vours to flrike where there are no Scales ; if the Fifh is wound- . 

 ed it flies, and draws the Canoe alfo pretty fwiftly, but after 

 having fwam about 150 Faces it dies, then they draw up the 

 Cord and take it. There is a fmall Kind of Sturgeon, the Flefli 

 of which is very tender and delicate. 



The River St, Laurence produces many Fifh which are not 

 knov/n in France: The moft elleemed are thç 

 I'ljh peculiar to j^j^-^^^^ ^^d the Foijon-dore (the Gilt Fijh J; ^ 

 ^* the other Rivers of Canada, and efpecially 



. thofe of Jcadiay are as well flocked as this River, which has 

 perhaps the moil Fifh of any in the World, and of the mofî va- 

 rious Kinds, and the befl of the Sorts. There are fonie Seaions 

 v/hen the Filh alone might feed the v/hole Colony; bat I know 

 not what Credit may be given to what I have feen in the Ma- 

 nufcript of an antient MifTionary, who affirms that he faw a 

 Mer-man in the River de Screl, three Leagues below Chamhly. 

 The Relation is written with much Judgment, but the better to 

 f^.ate the Fa6l, and to fhew that the iirll Appearance did not de- 

 ceive him, the Author fhould have added to his Account a De- 

 fcription of this Monfler. V/ e are fometimes feized at the firfl 

 Glance with a Refemblarice, which upon viewing more atten- 

 tively immediately vanifhes. Furthermore, if this Fifh in hu- 

 man Shape came from the Sea, it came a long Way to get fo 

 near Chamhîy, and it is fomethin:^ ilrange that it was not feen 

 but in this Place. 



Our Forefls are not fo well flocked with Birds as our Lakes 

 Tivo Sorts of Rivers are with Fifh; hov>^ever, here are 



P . J fome which have their Merit, and are pecu- 



^ ^ ' liar to America. We fee here two Sorts of 



Eagles, the largeil has the Neck and Head almoil white ; they 

 prey upon the Hares and Rabbits, which they take in their 

 Talons, and carry to their Magazines and their Nefls. The 

 others are all grey, and are contented to make War with the 

 B4rds ; And they are all pretty good Filheis, The Falcon, the 



9 Gofs 



