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The river St Lawrence breeds feveral fifties, al- 

 together unknown in France. Thofe mo ft efleem- 

 ed are the Achigau and the Gilthead. The other 

 rivers of Canada, and efpecially thofe of Acadia, 

 are equally well provided with this river, perhaps, 

 the moft plentifully flocked with fifh in the whole 

 world, and in which there is the greateft variety of 

 different and thofe the beft forts.' 



There are fome feafons in which the fifhes in this 

 river are alone capable of fuftaining the whole co- 

 lony. But I am utterly at a lofs, what degree of 

 credit ought to be given to what I have read in a 

 manufcript relation of an ancient miffionary, who 

 afferts, his having feen a Homme marin, or mer- 

 maid in the river Sorel, three leagues below Cham- 

 bly ; this relation is wrote with abundance of judg- 

 ment ; but in order to flate the matter of faci, and 

 to prove that he has not been deceived by a falfe 

 and hafty appearance, the author ought to have 

 added to his account a defcription of this monfrer. 

 People have often at firft look apprehended they 

 faw the appearance of fomething, which vanifhes 

 on the careful fcrutiny of a fage eye. Befides, had 

 this fifh fo refembling a human creature come from 

 the fea, he muft have made a long voyage before 

 he got up as high as near Chambly, and it muft 

 have been extraordinary enough he was never feen 

 till he arrived at this fortrels. 



The forefts of Canada are far from being as well 

 peopled with birds, as our lakes and rivers are with 

 fifhes. There are fome, however, which are not 

 without their merit, and which are even peculiar to 

 the Americans. We find here eagles of two forts ; 

 the largefl have the head and neck almofl quite 

 white j they give chace to the hares and rabbits, take 



them 



