( 2 ) 



much more agreeable but. longer by one half. Lake 

 Erie is a hundred leagues in length from eaft to 

 weft. Its breadth from north to fouth is thirty- 

 leagues, or thereabouts. The name it bears is 

 that of an Indian nation of the Huron language, 

 which was formerly feated on its banks, and who 

 have been entirely deflroyed by the Iroquoife. 

 Erie in that language fignifies Cat, and in fome 

 accounts this nation is called the Cat nation. This 

 name comes probably, from the large quantity of 

 thefe animals formerly found in this country. They 

 are no larger than ours and their fkins are reckoned 

 very valuable. Some modern maps have given 

 lake Erie the name of Conti, but with no better 

 fuccefs than the names of Conde, Tracy, and 

 Orleans which have been given to the lakes Hu- 

 ron, Superior and Michigan. 



' On the 28th I advanced nineteen leagues, and 

 found myfelf oppofite to a river called, La grande 

 Riviere ', or the Great River, which runs from the 

 eaftward in 42 deg. 1 5 min. The iargeft trees 

 however were not as yet covered with leaves. Ex- 

 cepting this circumftance, the country appeared 

 to me extremely beautiful. We made little way 

 the 29th, and none at all the 30th. We embark- 

 ed a^ain on the morrow before fun rife, and ad- 

 vanced a good way. The ift. of June being the 

 day of Pentecoft, after having failed up a beauti- 

 ful river for the fpace of an hour, which has its 

 rife as they fay at a great diftance, and runs be- 

 twixt two fine meadows we pafTed over a carry- 

 ing place of about fixty paces in breadth, in or- 

 der to avoid turning round a point which is called 

 the long Point ; it is a very fandy fpot of ground, 

 and naturally bears a great quantity of vines. The 



follow- 



