Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-04-19
THE FEMALE DEMON.
\ River Fiend Ancientiy Believed to Haunt
the st. Lawrence.

the st. Lawrence.
In very entertaining article enti-
tied Some Legends of the Old st.
Lawrence. contained in the New En-
gland Magazine, j. Macdonald Oxley
writes as follows:
Retracing our course somewhat and
doubling the Gaspe promontory. we find
ourselves in the Bale DIES Cha!eurs,
whose entrance is guarded by the Island
Of Miscou, than which no other spot, MOI
even Anticosti itself, has borne a richer
harvest of legend. Tales of marvellous
monsters, and traditions of war, famine
and shipwreck, and narrowing human
suffering abound. Once it was very
prosperous fishing center, but that day
has long since passed, and now only a
handful Of French Canadians exc out d
miserable existence, aided by the har
vest OF wild hay which grows upon vast
meadows daily overlooked by the tide
According to Governor Deny, the island
possessed in his time-that is two hun
dred or more years ago-a NOTABLE
natural wonder, which is thus described
~ few hundred yards from the beach
there spurts from the briny sea a gush
Of fresh water as big as your two fists
which retains its freshness for a space
Of twenty yards, without in any wise
blending with the surrounding sal
liquid, either at high or low tide. Tho
fishermen come there in boats to fill
their casks. and draw it up as if it were
from the reservoir of fountain" And
Mr.. Lemoine, who is still with US, aver,
that the truthfulness of the old Cover
ors narrative has been vouched for Il
him by seafaring folk frequenting thosC
shores.
But the most famous and far-SpreaC
legends of MiScou are those connected
with the Gougou, concerning which mys
ferrous monster we had better let it,
first chronicler, Champlain, speak fol
himself. | translate the following from
his Voyages: There is" he says, 81
wonderful thing here, well worthy OF
mention, which many of the NATIVES
have assured me is fact, to-wit, thai
near the Bale des Chaleurs lies az
island, upon which dwells a monster
with the form OF woman, but of dread
Jul appearance, and of such a stature
that the top of their masts would reaci
only to her waist. They describe hel
rs being appalling. She has devoured
many of their number, and continues tC
do so. putting her victims when she has
seized them in huge pocket, which
some, who Lave been 50 lucky as to es
cape from her dreadful clutches, de
scribe as being big enough to hold one
Of their vessels. This monster is con,
stantly making horrible noises, and
bears the name of Gougou, and wher
the natives speak of her it is always
with bated breath and trembling lips
Yea, the Sieur Frevert de Saint MalO
while on a search for mines, assures me
that he passed so close to the lair oil
this dreadful creature that he and all or
board the vessel heard the strange hiss
ng noises She made. and that the ma
tives who were with him told him that
was indeed the Gougou and were 50 ter.
rifed that they hid themselves wher
ever they could, dreading least she had
come to bear them off. | am of Opin
ion" continues Champlain, by way OF
I Judgment upon the evidence before him
that the islands, the residence of some
+ demon which takes delight in torment
/ ing the people in that way"