( 34* ) 



I was obliged to pafs the reft of the night in my ' 

 canoe, where I was expofed to a very hard froft. 

 Thus the trees were fcarce obferved to bud, but 

 were all in the fame ftate as in the middle of winter. 

 We fet out thence at half an hour paft three in the 

 morning of the 2 2d, being afcenfion day, and went 

 to fay mafs at nine o'clock, at what is called k 

 Grand Marais. This is much fuch another place 

 as that of the Tfonnonthouans, but the lands ieem 

 better. Towards two o'clock in the afternoon, we 

 entered the river of Niagara formed by the great 

 fall, whereof I (hall fpeak prefently, or rather it is 

 the river St. Lawrence, which proceeds from lake 

 Erie, and pafTes thro' lake Ontario after fourteen 

 leagues of Narrows. It is called the river Niagara 

 from the fall being a courfe of fix leagues. After 

 failing three leagues, you find on the left fome ca- 

 bins of the Iroquois, Tfonnonthouans, and of tl[e 

 Miflifagues as at Catarocoui. The Sieur de Jon- 

 caire, lieutenant of our troops, has alfo a cabbin at 

 » this place, to which they have before hand given the 

 name of Fort * : for it is pretended that in time this 

 will be changed into a great fortrefs. 



I found here feveral officers, who were to return 

 in a few days to Quebec. For this reafon I am 

 obliged to clofe my letter, which I mall fend by that 

 way. As for my own part, 1 forefee I mail have 

 time fufficient to write you another after they are 

 gone, and the place itfelf will in a great meafure 

 furnilh me materials enough to fill it, together with 



* A fort has been iince built in the mouth of the river of 

 Niagara on the fame fide, and exaclly at the place where Monf, 

 de Denonville had built one, which fubfifted not long. There 

 even begins to be formed heie a French town. 



what 



