Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-09-04


there have been ships which wishing to
pass through the cracks which they dis
| play. often as broad as great river,
have found no outlet and have been
wrecked. These ice-bergs come from the
| North and sea- wolves (seals) are often
| found sleeping on them. We saw number
| of whales-not n rare occurrence-but what
| surprised me was to be told that from these
! whales are obtained ordinarily 100 casks
| Of oil, each as large as four casks, Bar
measure, saw one stranded near Tadous-
| sac. whose busQue en- os (skelctonD alone
was enormous. It Is common thing to
see great number OF porpoises, which roll
in troops over the surface of the sea- You
would declare you were looking at droves
OF pigs, but so large that from each. they
| get 100 casks of oil, Bar measure. The
seals there are so tame that they cameq quite
close to our anchorage. They like to sleep
on the shore; and a fisherman whom we
met had just killed more than As with
stick as long as one's arm and no thick
er than ones finger. 1t was easy enough.
for he found them sleeping on the rocks,
where they had stranded. When the
tide is high, they come in toward the
rocks, and when IT, has gone out. while
they are asleep they find themselves high
and dry The King wished to sec some OF
them. and two were taken him, with
difficulty this past year. He saw them
alive, but shortly afterwards they died.
The head is sha ped like n dog but without
the ears, of dun color.--at least those
which I have seen alive. though | have
seen others that were gray. 1t is "A mar
velous thing to see the number of birds
that are found on the Grand Banks. Their
cries warn you that you are near this
bank and bring a joy that begins to drive
away the todium of one of the longest
voyages that can be made out of sight of
land There was such a prodigious num-
Der of them that you could have killed
q f.., LID r Nlt
blows of stick The reason that they
are seen there rather than elsewhere is
that this Grand Bank is the place where
cod caught. In the four or five hours
that We stayed there, we took near 800
1t is "A treasure, this stretch of sea, only
~ or 50 leagues in BREADTH and about 100
in length and only 40 fathoms deep.
Thence come the fine cod We have in Eu-
rope.
This bank passed, one enters the
beautiful ST. Lawrence 80 leagues wide at
it's mouth. 1t must be confessed that it
is admirable. The river, which forms a
part of the wealth of the country, has
its ebb and flow as far as 40 leagues
above; SO that it is difficult to cross at
some places. At TIdoussac | begged our
captain to give me his boat to proceed,
for fear that tho difficulty of getting on
with the ship would keep us a long time
on this stream. Fifteen or sixteen of the
best of our ships company went with me.
, 1t well took boat. for beyond
that the ship remained eight days behind
Us. S1uail of wind struck 1t so furious
ly that it parted its ca Bile and was forced
: to leave the anchor in the sea. So, then,
arrived at quebec very happily. with
, out other Inconvenience than two hours $
tribute paid to the sea. None got off any
better than |. not excepting even those
who have been twenty years on the sea
! did not wait at Quebec to kiss the land
Id oil a..h In lilo
did that at our first landing below Ia
doussac. which was on st. Johns Eve.
| asked our captain to let us go ashore
, to light bonfire on this great festival.
Those who accomra MED me took each one
his musket to defend us against the iro-
| quos. who the preceding year at almost
this very place had killed three French
men, one of whom was our captain S
, brother. Our fear was the less for know
ing that these savages were now seeking
5 peace with the French, and meanwhile
were careful to avoid any hostile act.
, on coming to the woods, we found a lodge
of the savages with a box of bark. which
served US to make our bonfire with.
| did not surprise our fathers at Quebec for
they had been expecting me for two years;
but truly they gave me such welcome as
threw me into confusion. | stayed with
[ them only fortnight or three weeks, but
. in happiness SO great In union and peace
so delightful, that | thought myself in Il
! little paradise aud realized that the spirit
f of our Lord ruled in our house. Some time
after my arrival the iroQuois, who had
been giventw months Oo conclude peace
a came and on the day set for fulfilling the
conditions that had been proposed to them
| they delivered their harangues and thCil
- presents with unwonted humility. -Four
days afterwards their visit was returne q
I with all state, and they were given to under
n stand that there would be no peace viii
4 them, if in case anyone of their nation by
, any chance should Kill a Frenchman or 81
= Huron, they themselves did not produce
a the murderer to be delivered up. They
l. accepted the condition. which We repeat
ed again to them at their home. in order
that they might not pretend ignorance Of
II it, In default of its observance theil
n country is Immediately to be put to tn,
n torch ard sword, The most important OF
their requests was for black gowns
i (priosts to teach them; and TO that end the,
T presented to our officers Cmcssicursh
>, collar of wan,pum (pourcelcincO al
sprinkled with crosses. ! was happ!
enough to lie chosen from our Canada Il
o go into their country with Father Ere
IS min, the former missionary.-a thing which
n failed not to cause a holy jealousy IN th
breasts of several brave fellows who hac
u been only waiting the opportunity. ! hat
e been applying myself for eight days "A
q Quebec to the Huron language; hut th
, good news made me change in order t.
; learn that of the Iroquois -Yeronon,-
> our most dangerous enemies In the past
&c and the most to be feared in future.
= is already a month since | left Quebec
and ! am living with them, but, to tel