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When a. dorm is about to rife you are adver- 

 tifed of it, fay they, two days before ; at firft you ' 

 perceive a gentle murmuring on the furface of the 

 water which lafts the whole day, without en- 

 creafing in any fenfible manner ; the day after the 

 lake is covered with pretty large waves, but with- 

 out breaking all that day, fo that you may pro- 

 ceed without fear, and even make good way if the 

 wind is favourable ; but on the third day when 

 you are lead thinking of it the lake becomes all 

 on fire ; the ocean in its greater! rage is not more 

 toft, in which cafe you muffc take care to be near 

 fhelter to fave yourfelf; this you are always fure 

 to find on the north fhore, whereas on the fouth 

 you are obliged to fecure yourfelf the fecond day 

 at a confiderable diftance from the water fide. 



The Indians out of gratitude for the plenty of 

 fifh with which this lake fupplies them, and from 

 the refpect which its vaft extent infpires them with, 

 have made a fort of divinity of it, to which they 

 offer facrifices after their own manner. I am how- 

 ever of opinion, that it is not to the lake itfelf 

 but to the genius that prefides over it, that they 

 addrefs their vows. If we may credit thefe people 

 this lake proceeds from a divine original, and was 

 formed by Michabou god of the waters, in order 

 to catch beavers. In the channel by which it dis- 

 charges itfelf into lake Huron, is a rapid current 

 caufed by two great rocks \ our miffionaries who 

 have a very fburifhing church here have called it, 

 Le fault de Sainte Marie, or the Fall of St. Mary : 

 thefe rocks according to the tradition of the Indi- 

 ans, are the remains of a caufeway made by the 

 god in order to dam up the waters of the rivers, 

 and thofe of the lake Alimipegon which fupply this 

 great lake. 



