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the other in the rear ; the first carrying one end of the canoe on the right shoulder, the second carry-ing the other end on the left. It becomes necessary to do this either on meeting cascades and entirerivers which fall some times perpendicularly from a prodigious height or when the current is toorapid ; or when the water thereabout being too deep, we cannot walk, dragging the canoe along bythe hand; or when the country is to be crossed from one river to the other.
But when the mouth of the Great Lake is reached, the navigation is easy, when the waters aretranquil, becoming insensibly wider at first; then about two-thirds, next one half and finally out ofsight (of land); especially after one has passed an infinity of little islands which are at the entranceof the Lake , in such great number and in such a variety that the most experienced Iroquois Pilotssometimes lose themselves there, and experience considerable difficulty in distinguishing the courseto be steered, in the confusion and as it were in the labyrinth formed by the islands, which otherwisehave nothing agreeable beyond their multitude. For these are only huge rocks rising out the water,covered merely by moss, or a few spruce or other stunted wood whose roots spring from the clefts ofthe rocks which can supply no other aliment or moisture to these barren trees than what the rainsfurnish them.
After leaving this melancholy abode, the Lake is discovered appealsislands or bounds, where barks and ships can sail in all safety; so that the“
easy between all the French colonies that could be established on the borders of tins Oreat Lake
which is more than a hundred leagues long by thirty to forty wide. t
It is from this point that all the Iroquois Nations can be reached, y various irec , .
Mohawks , the route to whom is by the River Richelieu, of which we can sa e y say wothey regard it, that our troops have already constructed the three forts ol whic we lai e spoIt is called the Richelieu River because of the fort of the same name which was erec e ere amouth at the commencement of the wars; and which has been rebuilt anew to secuie e en r ^ nof that river. It likewise bears the name of the River of the Iroquois , because it is t e rcm e \\ nleads thither, and it is by it these Barbarians used most ordinarily come to attack us. ie e othis river is one hundred to one hundred and fifty paces wide almost throughout, thoug 1 a i s monit is somewhat narrower •. its borders are decorated with beautiful pines through which we can wa cwith ease; as in fact fifty of our men have done a foot by land nearly twenty leagues o ie wayfrom the mouth of the river to the Sault, which is so called, though it is not properly a wateriall butonly an impetuous rapid full of rocks, that arrest its course and render the navigation almost im-possible for three quarters of a league. In time however its passage may be facilitated. Theremainder of the river has from the beginning a very fine bottom; as many as eight islands are tobe met with before arriving at the basin, which is at the foot of the Sault This basin is like a itt e
lake, a league and a half in circumference and six to eight feet deep, where fish aboun s a mos aall seasons. " . .
To the right of this basin in going up, is seen Fort Saint Louis, built quite recent y ere, w nc isvery convenient for the design entertained against the Iroquois , since its posi ion len ers 1 mosimpregnable and causes it to command the whole river. . .
After passing the rapids of the Sault which extend three leagues, the third fort is visi e mterminates all these rapids: for the river afterwards is very beautiful and quite navigable to t e a ecalled Champlain, at the extremities of which we enter on the lands of the Mohawk Iroquois .