Feb. 1687The next Day, being the First of February 1687, Monsieur de la Sale left me to guard the Camp,Village inhabited. and took along with him, Monsieur Cavelier his Brother and seven Men, to go see whether he could find any Body in several Cottages our Hunters had discover’d. He found twenty four or twenty five of them, built round like those I have before mention’d, standing on a rising Ground, almost encompass’d by the River, in each of which there were four or five Men, and several Women and Children.
The Savages were somewhat surpriz’d at Monsieur de la Sale’s coming; however they receiv’d him in friendly Manner, and conducted him to their Commander’s Hut, which was immediately fill’d with People, who came to see him. The Elders came together there, Bullocks Hides were laid upon the Ground, on which they made Monsieur de la Sale and his Company sit. They gave them hung Beef to eat, and then signify’d to them that some of their Allies had given them Notice of our being in the Country, and that we were going to the Cenis, and they had imagin’d that we would pass thro’ their Country.
Monsieur de la Sale present’d them with some Knives and Bits of Tabacco, and they gave him Bullocks Hides, very well dress’d with the Hair, they gave one for a Knife, and would have given many more, but that we told to them, that we had no Conveniency to carry them and that if they had any Horses, he would give them Axes in Exchange. They answer’d, they had but two, which they could not part with. It being late when Monsieur de la Sale return’d, we staid there the rest of the Day, and several Indians came to see us, in Hopes of receiving some Present, offering us Bullocks Hides dressed, which we would not burden our selves with.
The Second, we set out again, and halted some Time in that Village, where by the Way we barter’d for some Collars, or a Sort of Knots[87] made of Bullocks Hides well dress’d, which the Natives make Use of to carry their Burdens, whether of Wood, Utensils, or the Meat they kill. They prov’d of Use both to us and our Horses, because the Thongs of those Collars serv’d to make fast our Burdens.
We proceeded on our Journey, through a Country pleasant enough, but Sandy, and having cross’d a large Plain, came to the Bank of a fine River, call’d la Maligne,la Maligne River. or the Mischievous, because in Monsieur de la Sale’s former Journey, an Alligator devour’d one of his Servants, who was swimming over it. This River is as wide as the Seine at Roan, seems to be very navigable and has a very pleasant Country about it. We incamp’d in a little Wood adjoining to it, and bark’d the Aspen Trees to hut.
Our Hunters kill’d Beeves, wild Goats, Turkeys and other Wild-Fowl, and among the rest some Creatures as big as an indifferent Cat, very like a Rat,Indian Rats. having a Bag under their Throat, in which they carry their Young. They feed upon Nuts and Acorns, are very fat, and their Flesh is much like Pig.
Hard by there, we found a Place where Monsieur de la Sale, in his former Journey had hid some Parcels of Strings of Beads in the Trunks of Trees, and we rested there till the Eighth of the Month. During that Time, no Day pass’d without seeing some of the Natives, who sometimes spent the whole Day with us, and said they were of several Nations. We made them smoke, and always gave them some small Presents. They admir’d that after we had writ down some Words they spoke to us, we repeated them, looking on the Paper.
Portable Canoe.Whilst we staid, Monsieur de la Sale set Men at Work to make a portable Canoe, of long Poles, hew’d and joyn’d and then cover’d with Bullocks Hides sew’d together, having pull’d off the Hair or Wooll, as it may be call’d there. That Canoe was of great Use to us, to cross Rivers as well for our selves as for our Baggage, but the Horses swam over.
The Ninth, we put our Canoe into the Water, and pass’d the River in it, and incamp’d half a League from thence, on Account of the Grass, which our Horses stood in Need of to recover themselves a little. The Tenth, we held on our Journey, crossing several spacious Plains, the Grass whereof was burnt, whence Monsieur de la Sale concluded, that there were many Natives thereabouts. He thought it convenient to provide Store of dry’d Flesh, for Fear we should not find Game in the Country we were going to enter upon, and accordingly caused several Beeves to be kill’d for that Purpose.
For that Reason, we continued there till the 12th, when we went and incamped on the Bank of a River, which Monsieur de la Sale had in his former Journey call’d d’Eure. At Night there arose a storm, follow’d by Thunder and Rain, which swell’d the Streams, and obliged us to stay there. The 13th and 14th we cross’d four or five large Rivulets, and then a fine curious Country,[88] diversify’d with several little Woods, Hills and small Brooks, affording a delightful Prospect. That pleasant Country was terminated by a Wood, which we were to cross, and were favour’d in it by a Way beaten by the Bullocks, and at Night we incamped there.