New-York tribune., 1905-08-06

looked not only by the fishermen who soon
began to frequent the coast but even by ex-
plOrers who. like Verrazano and Gomez were
seeking westward passage to Asia. The OPEN
-ng was known, but it was universally regarded
a bay by those who failed to enter it, until
Cartier on his second voyage pushed through
and sailed up the river as far as Stadacona, the
site of the present city of Quebec, afterward
persisting in boats up to Hochelaga, where Mon
1real stands
The painstaking manner in which the author
runs earth the legends of the region. yet
without destroying their interest, is shown in
The case of the story told of mythical Island
OF Demons in the Gulf, which George Waldo
Browne in his recent work the st. Lawrence
was content to leave where he found it. in the
air Here il is said, Roberval marooned his
niece, Marguerite, who had dared to love below
her station Her lover, plunging into the sea,
swan TO join her, but afterward perished, as
did their child, and the unhappy lady was at
last rescued by fishermen and returned TO
France LAS a piece of constructive mendacity,"
writes DR.. Dawson, of this legend, "it has been
successful in inspiring the graceful prose of
Parkman, and in becoming the theme of
Canadian poem Of much merit Like all good
s15ry-tellers, TheYet"-to whom we are indebted
for The romance-'personally knew the parties"
g nucleus of truth, and the ever judicious Able
Ferland says it contains very much less truth
-han falsehood. This nucleus of truth con-
-iuues DR.. Dawson may surely be found in the
'Heptameron' of the pearl of Marguerites,' the
sister Of Francis, Queen Margaret of Navarro
II is the sixty-seventh tale, and relates how
Ioor woman, TO save the life of her husband
-isked her own, and never left him until his
death. Here everything falls into rational order
and as IL was published in 1853 only fifteen
years after the occurrence, we may reasonably
accept It" The husband had been condemned to
death by Roberval for treason. The wife inter-
Vened, secured a mitigation of the sentence to
abandonment on an island, and Joined him in
his banishrnent Jean AIlefonse." DR. Dawson
goes on to say. was RobervaTs pilot and must
have witnessed the incident, whatever it was. In
his 'routier' he partially confirms the story by
giving the name Isle de la DamoiselIe to what
are now called Meccatina Islands, Oh the coast
of The Quebec Labrador. It viii add some in
rerest TO Grand Meccatina Island to know that
i is the scene of this touching story"
The old explorers were nearer to finding the
shortest road TO China than they guessed. But
that was long before the days of the Canadian
Pacific Railroad Champain, who pushed his
expIorations 50 far in many directions, was
also. it is interesting to note at this especial
ttnlc, the first person to suggest the possibility
e cutting a canal through the Isthmus of Pan
ana He too. it was who sent Nicollet to ne
aotfate peace with the Winnebagoes, and to
open up trade-trade west of Chicago-and
-ae Pilgrims only fourteen years landed at
Plymouth. The clew TO the secret of America
-ag along St Lawrence waters, and Champlain
almost solved it while TIE sound of the wash
4 The Atlantic was still in the ears of the
T-r.pT5ef4 settlers"