246 Discoveries 
River is of fo great Extent that it pafifes through many 
great Lakes : The firfl: is 1 50 Leagues from the Entrance 
of the River, and is 100 Leagues in Circuit ; the Natives 
call it the Lake of Forts (or rather Forefis). On the 
North Side a River difcharges itfelf, called the Rapid 
River ; this takes its rife from a Lake 300 Leagues 
from the firft, which they call Michinipi^ or the Great 
JV Iters j becaufe, in effeft, it is the greateft and deepeft 
Lake, being 600 Leagues in Circumference, and re- 
ceives into it many Rivers, fome of v/hich have a Com- 
munication with the Danijh River, and others with the 
Plafcotez de Chiens, about this Lake and along thefe 
Rivers are many Indians, who call themfelves the Nation 
of the great Waters, or of Jjfinibowls it is to be re- 
rharked, that thefe are as humane and affable, as the EJki- 
mautc are fierce and barbarous, as are alfo all other Na- 
tions along Hudfo 7 ls Bay. At the Extremity of the 
Lake of Forefis the River Bowlon continues its Courfe, 
and comes from another Lake, called the Junhiion of the 
two Seas, becaufe the Land almoft meets in the Middle 
of the Lake ; the Eaft-fide of this Lake is a Country 
full of thick Forefis, in which are great Numbers of 
Beaver and Elks. Llere begins the Country of the 
Chrifiinaux. 
This is in a much more temperate Climate. The 
Weft-fide is full ot fine Meadows, filled with wild Oxen. 
The Affmibowls live here *, the Lake is 400 Leagues in 
Circumference, and 200 from the other Lake. 100 
Leagues farther Wefb-fouth-weft along this River is ano- 
ther I.ake, which they call Ounipigouchih, or the Lit- 
tle Sea ; it is almoft the fame Country and Climate with 
the other, inhabited by the fame Indians, the Afiinibowls, 
the Chrifiinaux, and Souteurs ; it is 300 Leagues in 
Circumference ; at the further End is a River, which 
comes from Facamiouen, which is not fo great as the 
other j it is into this Lake that the River of Stags is 
difcharged, which is of fuch a Length that the Natives 
have not yet difcovered its Source ; from this River 
they can go to another, which runs Weftward, but all 
the reft run either into the Bay or River of Canada. He 
endeavoured to fend the Natives to difcover if it went to 
the Weftward Sea, but their Enemies lying in the way 
prevented them ; however, they brought fome of them 
Prifoners, who faid they alfo were at War with another 
Nation farther Weft ; thefe faid they had Neighbours 
with Beards, who lived in Stone Houfes and Forts, that 
they were not cloathed like them *, that they had white 
Kettles ; and fhev/ing them a Silver Cup, they faid it 
was of that Metal ; they faid they tilled their I^and with 
Tools of that Metal. According to their Defcription it 
was Maize they cultivated. 
The Intendant of Canada was very defirous to difcover 
thefe Countries from thence ; but it is much eafier from 
Fort Bourbon, as it is fhorter ; and though a fine Country 
full of Beafts and wild Fowl, befides Fruit, which grow 
wild, as Plumbs, Apples, and Grapes, and great Va- 
riety of fmaller Fruit. On the South-weft Side of this 
Lake Facamiouen is a River which comes from another, 
called the Lake of Dogs, which is not far from the fu- 
perior Lake. The River St. Fherefa is but half a League 
wide where the Fort is built ; two Leagues higher is 
Fort Philipeaux, built for a Retreat ; there the River be- 
gins to be interfperfed with Ifiands ; twenty I^eagues 
above the Fort the River divides into two Branches, one 
which comes from the North- weft Side communicates 
with Nelfon or Bourbon River, by v/hich the Natives 
come down to trade, by the Means of a Land Carri- 
age from the Lake of Forefis to this River. Twenty 
Leagues above the firft Fork there is another that comes 
from the South-eaft, which the Natives call Guicomatou- 
mg, or the Great Fork. This has a Communication 
with the River St. Huiles ; the Weftern Branch, though 
ftill called St. Fherefa, is but of a fmall Extent, coming 
from its Source by feveral fmall Brooks, in each of 
which are great Numbers of Lynx, Beavers, Martins, 
and others of fmaller Furs. Betwixt the two Forts is a 
fmall River, called Egaree, from whence they get their 
Wood for firing, it being fcarce at the Fort. Near 
the Mouth of the River is another fmall one they call 
Gargouffe j there comes in at high Water a great Num- 
Settlements Book I. 
ber of Porpoifies. The River being narrow here, there 
might be a good Fifhing, where they might make above 
fix hundred Barrels of Oil annually. 
' From this River of St. Huiles, or New Severn, is i©o 
Leagues South-eaft. It is fituated in Latitude 56 De- 
grees ; the Entrance is but fhallow, only capable of Vef- 
fels of 60 Tuns: Here might be made good HoufeSj 
for Wood is very plenty here and there are great 
Numbers of Beavers higher up the River. As to the 
Climate of Fort Bourbon, it being in Latitude 57 De- 
grees, is very cold in Winter, which begins about Mi- 
chaelmas, and ends in May. The Sun lets about three, 
and rifes about nine in the Winter. When the Days 
grow a little longer, and the Cold is more temperate, 
the Sportfmen kill as many Partriges and Hares as they 
pleafe. One Year, when they had eighty Men in Gar» 
rifon, they had the Curiofity to reckon the Number, 
which amounted to ninety thoufand Partriges, and twenty- 
five thoiifand Hares. At the End of April the Geefe, 
Buftards, and Ducks, return in fuch Numbers, that they 
kill as many as they pleafe; they alfo take great Num- 
bers of Cariboux, or Rain-Deer ; in March and April, 
they come from the North to the South, and extend 
then along the River 60 Leagues: They go again 
Northward in July and Augufi ; the Roads they make in 
the Snow are as well padded, and crofs each other as 
often as the Streets at Paris. The Natives make Hedges 
with the Branches of Trees, and leave Openings, 
in which they fix Snares, and thus take Numbers of 
them : When they fwim the Rivers, in returning North- 
wards, the Natives kill them in Canoes with Lances, as 
many as they pleafe. In Summer they have the Plea- 
fure of fifhing, and with Nets take Pike, Trout, and 
Carp, and a white Fifli fomething like a Herring, by 
much the beft Fifh in the World : They preferve thofe 
for their Winter Provifion, by putting them in Snow, 
or freezing them, as alfo the Flefh they would preferve. 
They keep thus alfo Geefe, Ducks, and Buftards, which 
they roaft with the Hares and Partriges they kill in 
Winter. So that though it be a cold Climate, there' is 
good living there, by getting Bread and Wine from 
Europe. 
Though the Summer be fhort they had a Garden, 
and good Coleworts, with Sallads and fmall Herbs, which 
they put in their Soups in Winter. He had 120,000 
Livres Profit out of 8000 fent him in Goods in one 
Seafon *, they have alfo Bears, Elks, and all Sorts of 
Beafts, whofe Skins and Furs are valued in France and, 
according to him, it is one of the moft profitable Pofts 
in North America, confidering the Expence. Thus far 
this French Writer, from whom we have borrowed a 
very clear and copious Account of the Advantages that 
might have accrued to us, if our original Difeovery of 
HudfoA s Bay had been properly confidered. 
But there were, and will be always, a Race of People 
decrying thofe Projedts they want Courage to attempt; 
and who, by ridiculing the Pains taken to vifit frozen 
Climates and barren Countries, hinder thofe Improve- 
ments which might otherwife follow from fuch kind 
of Expeditions. But they ought to confider before they 
run down fuch Attempts, that we have Numbers of poor 
People here who want Employment, and for whom Em- 
ployments ought to be found ; that if this be not 
done, they will either ftarve to our Shame, or ftrike out 
Ways of living at our Expence ; whereas, if they were 
thus employed, they would both maintain themfelves 
and benefit the Public : Befides, there is this Advantage 
that attends Northern Expeditions and Difeoveries, that 
they breed a Race of hardy and ufeful Seamen, who are 
nearer at hand, and confequently more capable of ferv- 
ing their Country upon any Emergency than fuch as are 
employed in other Branches of Navigation. As to the 
fuppofed Dijfficulties that are to be in this way encoun- 
tered, it is a Shame to hear them mentioned amongft 
People who pretend to maritime Power. 
If Men are afraid of Ice, Cold, and Rocks, they mull 
relinquilh all Thoughts of being great at Sea, and leave 
it to thofe who can, not only endure, but even defpife, 
fuch Hardfhips ; the Dutch, the Danes, and the Ham- 
burghers, fail every Year on the Whale Fiftiery, near 
20 De- 
