to Nort/?- America. 20% 



hitherto been unknown to all the World, as well as' 

 that great River, and which I would never have vi- 

 fited, if I had not been fully inftruAed in every thing 

 that related to it, and convoy'd by a good Guard, f 

 have plac'd the Map of Canada at the front of thefe 

 Memoirs, and defire that favour of you, that you 

 would not iTiew it to any body under my Name. 

 To the latter part I have fubjoyn'd an Explication 

 of the Marine, and other difficult Terms, made ufe 

 of in my Letters, as well as in thefe Memoirs ; which 

 you'll pleafe to confult, when you meet with a 

 word that you do not underftand. 



A jhort Defmftion of Canada. 



You'll think, Sir, that I advance a Paradox, when 

 I acquaint you that New-France, commonly calTd 

 Canada, comprehends a greater extent of Ground,, 

 than the half of Europe : But pray mind what proof 

 I have for that Affertion. You know that Europe 

 extends South and North, from the ?fto the 72 

 degree of Latitude, or if you will, from Cadiz, to 

 the North Cape on the confines of Lapland; and 

 that it's Longitude reaches from the yth to the 94/t 

 Degree, that is, from the River Ohy, to the Weft 

 Cape in YJIandia. But at the fame time, if we take 

 the greateft breadth of Europe, from Eaft to Weft, 

 from the imaginary Canal, ( for Inftance ) between 

 the Janais and the Volga, to Dinglebay in Ireland, it 

 makes but 66 Degrees of Longitude, which con- 

 tain more Leagues than the Degrees allotted to k 

 towards the Polar Circle, though thefe are more nu- 

 merous, by reafon that the degrees of Longitude are 

 unequal : And fince we are wont to mealure Pro- 

 vinces, Iflands, and Kingdoms by the fpace of 

 Ground, I am of the Opinion, that we ought to 

 make ufeof the lame Standard, with rdped to the 

 four parts of the World, The Geographers who par- 

 cel 



