jo North- America.. icy 



That is j this People do not perplex themfelves 

 with voluminous Laws, and vexatious Suits ; they 

 delight only in the tops of Mountains^ and deep 

 Caves, and every one confines his care to the ma- 

 nagement of his own Family, without troubling 

 his Head about his Neighbour, The Danes were the 

 firft difcoverers of this Country, which is full of 

 Ports, Havens, and Bays, that the Quebec Barques 

 refort to in the Summer, in order to truck with the 

 Savages for the Skins of Sea-Calves. The Com- 

 merce I fpeak of, is carried on after this manner. 

 As foon as the Qut bec Barques come to an Anchor, 

 thefe Devils come on board of them in their little 

 Canows made of the Skins of Sea-Calves, in the 

 form of a Weavers Shuttle, with a hole in the 

 middle of it, refembling that of a Purfe, in which 

 they flow themfelves with Ropes, fitting fuqat upon 

 their Brech. Being fet in this fafhion they row 

 with little Slices, fometimes to the Right, and fome- 

 times to the Left, without bending their Body for 

 fear of OverTetting. As foon as they are near the 

 Barque, they hold up their Skins upon the end of the 

 Oar, and at the fame time make a demand of fo 

 many Knives, Powder, Ball, Fufees, Axes, Kettles*- 

 &c In fine, every one {hews what he has, and men- 

 tions what he expeds in exchange : And fo when 

 the Bargain is concluded, they deliver and receive 

 their Goods upon the end of a Stick. As thefe pi- 

 tiful Fellows ufe the precaution of not going on 

 board of our Boats, fo we take care not to fiiffer 

 too great a number of Canows tofurround us ; for 

 they have carry'd off oftner than ones, feme of 

 our fmall VeiTels, at a time when die Seamen were 

 bufied in hauling in the Skins, and delivering out the 

 other Goods. Here, we are oblig'd to be very vi- 

 gilant in the Might-time, for they know how to 

 make great Sloops, that will hold thirty or forty 

 Mm? mi fBftas faft as the Wind i And 'tis for this 



P reafoof 



