f 236 ) 



who are virgins, and during the marriage-feaft, 

 place it between the two brides they afterwards 

 exhort it to catch plenty of fifh, and believe they 

 do a great deal to obtain this favour, by making 

 large prefents to the fham fathers-in-law. 



The fturgeon of this country is both a frefh and 

 fait- water fifh for it is caught on the coafts of Ca- 

 nada, and in the great lakes crofs which the river 

 St. Lawrence runs. Many believe this to be the 

 true dolphin of the antients •, if this is true, it was 

 but fit the king of fifties fhould reign both in the 

 rivers and ocean. Be this as it will, we fee here 

 fturgeons of from eight to ten, and twelve feet long, 

 and of a proportionable thicknefs. This animal has 

 on its head a fort of crown about an inch high, and 

 is covered with fcales half a foot diameter, almoft 

 oval, and with fmall figures on them, pretty much 

 like the lily in the arms of France. The following 

 is the way the Indians fifh for them in the lakes. 

 Two men place themfelves in the two extremities 

 of a canoe 5 the next the ftern fleers, the other 

 Handing up holding a dart to which is tied a long 

 cord, the other extremity _ whereof is faflened to 

 one of the crofs timbers of the canoe. The mo- 

 ment he fees the fturgeon within reach of him, he 

 lances his dart at him, and endeavours, as much as 

 poffible, to hit in the place that is without fcales. 

 If the fifh happens to be wounded, he flies and 

 draws the canoe after him with extreme velocity ; 

 but after he has fwam the diftance of an hundred 

 and fifty paces or thereabouts, he dies, and then, 

 they draw up the line and take him. There is a 

 fmall fort of fturgeon, the fiefh of which is exceed- 

 ing tender, and prodigious delicate. 



The 



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