Traveh in North America 1 1 •y 



Above the Buljfon, the River is a Mile wide, and the I^ands on 

 Reflexion on the both Sides_ are very good and well wooded. 

 Fart of Cataro- ^,^^>; ^^g?" ^ thofe which are on thç 

 coui, and on the ^"'.'^ ^^^'^f it would be very eafy to 

 iVa the take to o ^'^^^^"^ ^ Koad from the Foint, which is over 

 thithe'r'^ ^ againil: the Ifland Montreal to a Bay which 

 they call la Galette, They will fhun by this 

 forty Leagues of Navigation, which the Falls render almoft im- 

 pradicabie, and very tedious. A Fort would be much better fitu^" 

 ated and more neceilary at la Galette than at Catarocoui, hecaufe a 

 imgie Canoe cannot pafs here without being feen, whereas afc 

 Catarocoui, they rnay Hip behind the Iflands v/ithout being ob- 

 ferved : Moreover, the Lands about Galette are very good, 

 and they- might in Confequence }iave always Provifions in 

 plenty, which would fave many Charges. Befides this, a Bark 

 might go in two Days with a good. Wind to Niagara, One of 

 the Objeds which they had in View* in building the Fort Ca- 

 tarocoui, was the Trade with the Iroquois ; but thefe Savages 

 would come as willingly to la Galette, as to Catarocoui. They 

 would have indeed fomething further to go, but they would avoid 

 a PafTage of eight or nine Leagues, which they mud make over 

 the Lake Ontario : In Ihort, a Fort at/^ Galette would cover the 

 whole Country, which is between the great River of the Ou- 

 taouais, and the River St, Laurence', for they cannot .come into this 

 Country, on the Side of the River St, Laurence, becaufe of the 

 Falls ; and nothing is more eafy than to guard the Banks of 

 $he River of the Oiitaouais. I have thefe Remarks from a Com- 

 miflary of the Marine (a), who was fent by the King to vifit 

 aîl the diilant Foils of Canada, 



The fame Day, May the third, I v/ent three Leagues, and ar« 

 rived at ihQ Cedars ; this is the third Fall ; which has taken it$ 

 Name from the Quantity of Cedars that grew in this Place ; but 

 they are nov/ almoU all cut down. On the fourth, 1 could go no 

 farther than the fourth Fall, v/hich is called x.\\q Coteau du Lac ^ 

 ( the Hill of the Lake) tho' it is but two Leagues and half from 

 the other ; becaufe one of the Canoes burll. You will not be 

 furprifed, Madam, at thefe frequent Wrecks, Vv^hen you know 

 how thefe Gondola's are made. I believe that I have already 

 told you that there are two Sorts of them, the one of Elm Bark, 

 which are wider and more clumfily built, but commonly bigger. 

 I know none hut the Iroquois who have any of this Sort. The 

 others are of the Bark of Birch Trees, of a Width lefs in Pro- 

 portion than their Len|^th, and much better made : It isjthefe 

 that I am going to defcribe, becaufe all the French^ and almoft all 

 îthe Savages, ufe them. 



(a.) deCîa-amhaut, AiFrmont, 



They 



