Travels in North America. 191 



djreeablc Situation that can be feen. From thence to Lake 

 Huroft they reckon twelve Leagues, and the Country is all the 

 Way charming. It is a magnificent Canal as lirait as a Line^ 

 bordered with lofty Woods, divided by fine Meadows, and 

 fprinkled with i Hands, fome of which are pretty large. We 

 fteer here North North Eaft, and at the Entrance of Lake Hu- 

 ron, the Courfe is North for twelve Leagues further. 



In croffing Lake Sf. Claire^ I had in my Canoe a young Savage 



cTL p ' .1 Itrong and vigorous, and on the Strength of 



Sa^a ^IT ake^to^a ^^^^^ Arms I much depended, in granting 



adages ae o a- j^-^ the PafTage which he aflced of me; but 

 aornwemjel^es. ^^^^ ^.^^^^ AffiHance. In Recompence 



he diverted me much, till a Storm which rofe over our Heads, 

 began to make me uneafy. This young Man had been at his 

 Toilet before he embarked, and he did not give three Strokes 

 with his Oar, but he took his Looking GlaTs to fee if the Mo- 

 tion of his Arms had not difordered the drefiing of his Hair ; or 

 if the Sweat had not altered the Figures he had drawn on his 

 Face with Red, and other Colours, with which he had painted 

 hi mfelf. 



I knovv not whether he did not hope to arrive at the Village of 

 the Mifftfagmz before Night, to be prefent at fome Feafi, but we 

 could not go fo far. The Storm began juft as we got to an liland 

 at the End of the Traverfe of the Lake, and we were forced to 

 flay there. The young Savage however did not appear to be 

 much difconcerted at this Difappointment, for thefe People are 

 cafily reconciled to every Accident : Perhaps alfo he only intend- 

 ed to (hew himfelf to us in all his Finery ; but if this was his 

 Defign he lofi: his Labour, I had feen him a few Days before ia 

 his natural Appearance, and liked him much better than v/itk 

 this odd Mixture of Colours, which had coil him fo much Pains, 

 We fee few Women paint their Faces here, but the Men, and 

 efpecially the young ones, are very curious in this Ornament : 

 There are fome who employ half a Day in painting themfelves 'm 

 this Manner only to go from Door to Door to be looked at, and 

 who return mightily Satisfied with themfelves, tho' Nobody has 

 faid a Word to them. 



We entered Lake Huron the twentieth, about ten in the 

 Morning. And we prefently had the Diverfion of fifhing for 

 Sturgeon. Thô next Day, in Spite of the Thunder, whick 

 grumbled all the Day, but which was fatisfied with threatening 

 lis, I advanced hear twenty-five Leagues ori the Lake, but the 

 twenty- third a thick Fog, which hindered us from feeing four 

 Paces before oiif Canoe, obliged us to go more flowly, becaufe we 

 failed on a rocky Bottom, which in many Places is not covered 

 with half a Foot Water : It extends a great Way into the Lake, 



and 



