Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-04-29
THE FEMALE DEMON.
river fiend Ancsontiy Believed to Haunt
the st. Lawrence.

= .'''D' Hichu Ancl6utiy believed to Haunt
the st. Lawrence.
In very entertaining article emit
lied Some Legends OF the Old st
Lawrence contained in the New En-
gland Magazine, j. Macdonald OxIey
writes as follows:
hetracing our course somewhat, and
doubling the Gaspe promon tory, we find
ourselves in the Bale des Cbaleurs
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 shipwfeck, and narrowing human
suffering abound Once 1t was VERY
prosperous fishing center, but that day
has long since passed, and now only a
handful Of French Canadians exc out a
miserable existence, aided by the har
vest OF wild hay which grows upon vast
meadows daily oyerffowed by the tide.
According to Governor Deny, the island
possessed in his time that is two hun
dred or more years ago--a notab Q
natural wonder, which Is thus described.
"A few hundred yards from the beach
there spurts from the briny sea a gusn
OF fresh water as big az your two fist I.
which retains It's freshness for space
OF twenty yards, without in any wise
blending with the surrounding sail
i'quid, either at high or low tide TIL
fishermen come there in boats to fiji
their casks, and draw it up as If it were
rom the reservoir Of fountain" And
Mr. Lemoine, who is still with us, ayers
that the truthfulness OF the old Cove
or's narrative has been vouched for /.
him by seafaring folk frequenting those
shores.
But the most famous and far-spread
legends of Miscou are those connected
with the Gougou, concerning which mys
terious monster we had better let its
first chronicler, Champ ain, speak for
himself. l translate the following from
his Voyages: There is" he says, "a
wonderful thing here, well worthy OF
mention. which many Of the natives
have assured me is a fact, to-wit, thai
near the Bale des Chaleurs lies ar
Island, upon which dwells a monster
With the form of a woman, but OF dread
ful appearance, and of such a stature
that the top of their masts would reaci
only to her waist. They describe her
as being appalling. She has devoured
many of their number, and continues to
do so, putting her victims when she has
seized them in huge pocket. which
some, who lave been so lucky as to es-
cape from her dreadful clutches. de-
scribe as being big enough to hold one
OF their vessels. This monster Is COZ
stantly making horrible noises, and
bears the name Of Gougou. and when
the natives speak of her it is ALWAYS
with bated breath and trem bling lips.
Yea, the Sieur Irevert de Saint Malo.
while on search for mines, assures ms
that he passed so close to the lair O.
this dreadful creature that he and all OF
board the vessel heard the strange hiss
ng noises she made, and that the ma
ttyes who were with him told him that
was indeed the Gongou and were so ter
rified that they hid themselves wher-
ever they could. dreading least she had
come TO bear them off. | am Of opin-
ton continues Champlain. by wav OF
judgment upon the evidence before him.
that the island is the residence of some
demon which takes delight in torment
ing the people in that way