Voyages of Samuel De Champlain Volume II Part 3

Some days after, Sieur de Monts decided to go and examine the coasts of Baye Francoise. For this purpose, he set out from the vessel on the 16th of May,[53] and we went through the strait of Long Island.[54] Not having found in St. Mary's Bay any place in which to fortify ourselves except at the cost of much time, we accordingly resolved to see whether there might not be a more favorable one in the other bay. Heading north-east six leagues, there is a cove where vessels can anchor in four, five, six, and seven fathoms of water. The bottom is sandy. This place is only a kind of roadstead.[55] Continuing two leagues farther on in the same direction, we entered one of the finest harbors I had seen along all these coasts, in which two thousand vessels might lie in security. The entrance is eight hundred paces broad; then you enter a harbor two leagues long and one broad, which I have named Port Royal.[56] Three rivers empty into it, one of which is very large, extending eastward, and called Riviere de l'equille,[57] from a little fish of the size of an _esplan?_, which is caught there in large numbers, as is also the herring, and several other kinds of fish found in abundance in their season. This river is nearly a quarter of a league broad at its entrance, where there is an island [58]

perhaps half a league in circuit, and covered with wood like all the rest of the country, as pines, firs, spruces, birches, aspens, and some oaks, although the latter are found in small numbers in comparison with the other kinds. There are two entrances to the above river, one on the north, the other on the south side of the island. That on the north is the better, and vessels can there anchor under shelter of the island in five, six, seven, eight, and nine fathoms. But it is necessary to be on one's guard against some shallows near the island on the one side, and the main land on the other, very dangerous, if one does not know the channel.

CHAMPLAIN'S DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING MAP.

PORT AU MOUTON.

_The figures indicate fathoms of water_.

_A_. Place where vessels lie.

_B_. Place where we made our camp.

_C_. A pond.

_D_. An island at the entrance to the harbor, covered with wood.

_E_. A river very shallow.

_F_. A pond.

_G_. A very large brook coming from the pond F.

_H_. Six little islands in the harbor.

_L_. Country, containing only copse and heath of very small size.

_M_. Sea-sh.o.r.e.

NOTE.--The wanting letter L should probably be placed where the trees are represented as very small, between the letters B and the island F.

We ascended the river some fourteen or fifteen leagues, where the tide rises, and it is not navigable much farther. It has there a breadth of sixty paces, and about a fathom and a half of water. The country bordering the river is filled with numerous oaks, ashes, and other trees. Between the mouth of the river and the point to which we ascended there are many meadows, which are flooded at the spring tides, many little streams traversing them from one side to the other, through which shallops and boats can go at full tide. This place was the most favorable and agreeable for a settlement that we had seen. There is another island [59] within the port, distant nearly two leagues from the former. At this point is another little stream, extending a considerable distance inland, which we named Riviere St. Antoine. [60] Its mouth is distant from the end of the Bay of St. Mary some four leagues through the woods. The remaining river is only a small stream filled with rocks, which cannot be ascended at all on account of the small amount of water, and which has been named Rocky Brook. [61]

This place is in lat.i.tude [62] 45; and 17 8' of the deflection of the magnetic needle.

CHAMPLAIN'S DESCRIPTION OF THE MAP

PORT ROYAL

_The figures indicate fathoms of water_.

_A_. Our habitation. [Note: On the present site of Lower Granville.]

_B_. Garden of Sieur de Champlain.

_C_. Road through the woods that Sieur de Poutrincourt had made.

_D_. Island at the mouth of equille River.

_E_. Entrance to Port Royal, _F_. Shoals, dry at low tide.

_G_. River St. Antoine. [Note: The stream west of river St. Antoine is the Jogging River.]

_H_. Place under cultivation for sowing wheat. [Note: The site of the present town of Annapolis.]

_I_. Mill that Sieur de Poutrincourt had made.

_L_. Meadows overflowed at highest tides.

_M_. equille River.

_N_. Seacoast of Port Royal.

_O_. Ranges of mountains.

_P_. Island near the river St. Antoine.

_Q_. Rocky Brook. [Footnote: Now called Deep Brook.]

_R_. Another brook. [Note: Morris River.]

_S_. Mill River. [Note: Allen River.]

_T_. Small lake.

_V_. Place where the savages catch herring in the season.

_X_. Trout brook. [Note: Trout Brook is now called Shafer's Brook, and the first on the west is Thorne's, and the second Scofield's Brook.]

_Y_. A lane that Sieur de Champlain had made.

After having explored this harbor, we set out to advance farther on in Baye Francoise, and see whether we could not find the copper mine, [63] which had been discovered the year before. Heading north-east, and sailing eight or ten leagues along the coast of Port Royal,[64] we crossed a part of the bay Some five or six leagues in extent, when we arrived at a place which we called the Cape of Two Bays;[65] and we pa.s.sed by an island a league distant therefrom, a league also in circuit, rising up forty or forty-five fathoms. [66] It is wholly surrounded by great rocks, except in one place which is sloping, at the foot of which slope there is a pond of salt water, coming from under a pebbly point, having the form of a spur. The surface of the island is flat, covered with trees, and containing a fine spring of water. In this place is a copper mine. Thence we proceeded to a harbor a league and a half distant, where we supposed the copper mine was, which a certain Prevert of St. Malo had discovered by aid of the savages of the country. This port is in lat.i.tude 45 40', and is dry at low tide. [67] In order to enter it, it is necessary to place beacons, and mark out a sand-bank at the entrance, which borders a channel that extends along the main land. Then you enter a bay nearly a league in length, and half a league in breadth. In some places, the bottom is oozy and sandy, where vessels may get aground. The sea falls and rises there to the extent of four or five fathoms. We landed to see whether we could find the mines which Prevert had reported to us. Having gone about a quarter of a league along certain mountains, we found none, nor did we recognize any resemblance to the description of the harbor he had given us. Accordingly, he had not himself been there, but probably two or three of his men had been there, guided by some savages, partly by land and partly by little streams, while he awaited them in his shallop at the mouth of a little river in the Bay of St. Lawrence.[68] These men, upon their return, brought him several small pieces of copper, which he showed us when he returned from his voyage. Nevertheless, we found in this harbor two mines of what seemed to be copper according to the report of our miner, who considered it very good, although it was not native copper.

CHAMPLAIN'S DESCRIPTION OF THE MAP.

PORT DES MINES.

_The figures indicate fathoms of water_.

_A_. A place where vessels are liable to run aground.

_B_. A Small river.

_C_. A tongue of land composed of Sand.

_D_. A point composed of large pebbles, which is like a mole.

_E_. Location of a copper mine, which is covered by the tide twice a day.

_F_. An island to the rear of the Cape of Mines. [Note: Now called Spencer's Island. Champlain probably obtained his knowledge of this island at a subsequent visit. There is a creek extending from near Spencer's Island between the rocky elevations to Advocate's Harbor, or nearly so, which Champlain does not appear to have seen, or at least he does not represent it on his map. This point, thus made an island by the creek, has an elevation of five hundred feet, at the base of which was the copper mine which they discovered.--_Vide_ note 67.]

_G_. Roadstead where vessels anchor while waiting for the tide.

_H_. Isle Haute, which is a league and a half from Port of Mines.

_I_. Channel.

_L_. Little River.

_M_. Range of mountains along the coast of the Cape of Mines.

The head [69] of the Baye Francoise, which we crossed, is fifteen leagues inland. All the land which we have seen in coasting along from the little pa.s.sage of Long Island is rocky, and there is no place except Port Royal where vessels can lie in Safety. The land is covered with pines and birches, and, in my opinion, is not very good.

On the 20th of May,[70] we set out from the Port of Mines to seek a place adapted for a permanent stay, in order to lose no time, purposing afterwards to return, and see if we could discover the mine of pure copper which Prevert's men had found by aid of the savages. We sailed west two leagues as far as the cape of the two bays, then north five or six leagues; and we crossed the other bay,[71] where we thought the copper mine was, of which we have already spoken: inasmuch as there are there two rivers, [72]

the one coming from the direction of Cape Breton, and the other from Gaspe or Tregatte, near the great river St. Lawrence. Sailing west some six leagues, we arrived at a little river,[73] at the mouth of which is rather a low cape, extending out into the sea; and a short distance inland there is a mountain,[74] having the shape of a Cardinal's hat. In this place we found an iron mine. There is anchorage here only for shallops. Four leagues west south-west is a rocky point [75] extending out a short distance into the water, where there are strong tides which are very dangerous. Near the point we saw a cove about half a league in extent, in which we found another iron mine, also very good. Four leagues farther on is a fine bay running up into the main land;[76] at the extremity of which there are three islands and a rock; two of which are a league from the cape towards the west, and the other is at the mouth of the largest and deepest river we had yet seen, which we named the river St. John, because it was on this saint's day that we arrived there.[77] By the savages it is called Ouygoudy. This river is dangerous, if one does not observe carefully certain points and rocks on the two sides. It is narrow at its entrance, and then becomes broader. A certain point being pa.s.sed, it becomes narrower again, and forms a kind of fall between two large cliffs, where the water runs so rapidly that a piece of wood thrown in is drawn under and not seen again. But by waiting till high tide you can pa.s.s this fall very easily.

[78] Then it expands again to the extent of about a league in some places, where there are three islands. We did not explore it farther up.[79] But Ralleau, secretary of Sieur de Monts, went there some time after to see a savage named Secondon, chief of this river, who reported that it was beautiful, large, and extensive, with many meadows and fine trees, as oaks, beeches, walnut-trees, and also wild grapevines. The inhabitants of the country go by this river to Tadoussac, on the great river St. Lawrence, making but a short portage on the journey. From the river St. John to Tadoussac is sixty-five leagues.[80] At its mouth, which is in lat.i.tude 45 40', there is an iron mine.[81]

CHAMPLAIN'S DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING MAP.

RIVIeRE ST. JEHAN.

_The figures indicate fathoms of water_.

_A_. Three islands above the falls. [Note: The islands are not close together as here represented. One is very near the main land on one sh.o.r.e, and two on the other.]