( 94 ) 



We have here two villages of Indians, one of 

 the Miamis and the other of the Poutewatamies, 

 both of them moftly Chriftians ; but as they have 

 been for a long time without any parlors, the mif- 

 fionary who has lately been fent them, will have 

 no fmall difficulty in bringing them back to the 

 exercife of their religion. The river of St. Jofeph 

 comes from the fouth-eaft, and difcharges itfelf in- 

 to the bottom of lake Michigan, the eafttrn fhore 

 of which is a hundred leagues in length, and which 

 you are obliged to fail along before you come to the 

 entry of this river. You afterward i fail up twenty 

 leagues in it before you reach the fort, which na* 

 vigation requires great precautions •, becaufe when 

 the wind is large, that is to fay wefterly, which 

 frequently prevails here, the waves extend the 

 whole length of the lake. There is alfo good 

 ground to believe, that the great number of rivers 

 which difcharge themfelves into the lake on the 

 eaftern fide, contribute much by the fhock of their 

 currents againft the waves to render this voyage 

 dangerous : what is certain is, that there are few 

 places in all Canada where there are more fhip- 

 wrecks. But I return to my journal where I left 

 off. 



On the firft of Auguft, after having croffed un- 

 der fail a bay which is thirty leagues in depth, I 

 left on my right Us ijles de Caftor^ or Beaver 

 iflands, whichfeem to me very well wooded; and fome 

 leagues farther on the left, I perceived on a fandy 

 eminence a kind of grove or thicket, which when 

 you are abreaft of it, has the figure of an animal 

 lying down: the French call this the Sleeping, and 

 the Indians the Couching Bear. I advanced twenty 

 leagues this day ; and encamped in a little ifland, 

 which lies in 44 deg. 30 min, north latitude, be- 

 ing 



