192 An Hijîorical Journal of 



«nd is ten Leagues long : Our Canadians call it Igs Pays Plais^ 

 ( the Flat Country.) 



The next Day we gained the Bay of Saguinam, which is five or 



cr-j o'. ' ^ fix Leagues wide at the Mouth, and thirty 

 The Situation of 1 ^rpi r\ . • 1, ^rn • 1' 



..... J deep. The Qutaouais have a Viilage m the 

 MicniiiimaRi- bottom of this Bay, which they fav is a very 

 fine Country. From thence to MichilUinakinac 

 we fee nothing fine, no more Vines, bad Woods, and very little 

 Game. Ten Leagues above the Bay of Saguinam we fee two pret- 

 ty large Rivers a League diilant from each other, and four or 

 ^ve Leagues farther the Bay of Tonnerre (Thunder Bay )^ which is 

 three Leagues wide at its Entrance, and has but little Depth. 



Michillimakinac (a) is 43*^ 30 Minutes North Latitude, and the 

 Courfe, which is a 100 Leagues from the Mouth of the Strait, 

 coalling the Weft Side of Lake Huron^ is almoft Noith. I arrived 

 the twenty-eighth at this Poft, which is much declined fince 

 M. de la Motte Cadillac drew to Detroit the greateft Part of the 

 Savages who were fettled here, and efpecially Ûit Hurons, Seve- 

 ral Outaouais have followed them, others have difpcrfed them- 

 felves in the Illes of Cafior ; there is only here a middling. Vil- 

 lage, where there is ftill a great Trade for Peltry, becaufe it 

 is the PaÏÏage or the Rendezvous of many of the Savage Na- 

 tions. The Fort is preferved, and the Houfe of the Milfionaries, 

 who are not much employed at prefent, having never found much 

 Docility among the Outaouais-^ but the Court thinks their Pre- 

 fence neceffary, in a Place where one mull often treat with our Al- 

 lies, to exercife their Miniftry among the French^ v^^ho come hi- 

 ther in great Numbers. 1 have been afliired, that fince the Set- 

 tlement of Detroit^ and the Difperfion of the Savages occafion- 

 ed thereby, m.any Nations of the North who ufed to bring their 

 Peltries hither, have taken the Route of Hudfon^s Bay, by the 

 River Bourbon, and go there to trade with the UngHjh } but M. 

 de la Motte could by no Means forefee this Inconvenience^ fince 

 we were then in PofieiTiGn of Htid/on*s Bay, 



The Situation of MîchilU7nakinac is very advantageous &r 

 Trade. This Poft is between three great Lakes ; Lake Michi- 

 gan, which is three Hundred Leagues in Compafs, without 

 incntioning the great Bay that comes into it j Lake Him)-n^ which 

 is three Hundred and fifty Leagues in Circumference, and which 

 is triangular ; and the Upper Lake, which is five Hundred 

 Leagues. All three are navigable for the largeft Bark^, and 

 the two firft are only feparatcd by a little Strait, which has alfp 



(a) Some pronounce \X ■ MWUmakinac^ which deceived iiîf. MArùma'.e^ 

 ' who has made it two different PiacejSe 



Water 



