UPON the 24th of the month,[103] we caused a fair high cross to be made of the height of thirty feet, which was made in the presence of many of them, upon the point of the entrance of the said haven,[104] in the midst whereof we hanged up a shield with three fleur-de-lis[105] in it; and in the top was carved in the wood with antique letters this posy,[106] _Vive le Roi de France_. Then before them all we set it upon the said point. They with great heed[107] beheld both the making and setting of it up. So soon as it was up, we all together kneeled down before them, with our hands toward heaven, yielding God thanks; and we made signs unto them, showing them the heavens, and that all our salvation dependeth only on Him which in them dwelleth: whereat they showed a great admiration, looking first one at another, and then upon the cross. And, after we were returned to our ships, their captain, clad with an old bear’s-skin, with three of his sons and a brother of his with him, came unto us in one of their boats; but they came not so near us as they were wont to do. There he made a long oration unto us, showing us the cross we had set up, and making a cross with his two fingers. Then did he show us all the country about us, as if he would say that all was his, and that we should not set up any cross without his leave. Illustration: CARTIER RAISING A CROSS ON THE ST. CHARLES RIVER. His talk being ended, we showed him an axe, feigning that we would give it him for his skin, to which he listened, for by little and little he came near our ships. One of our fellows that was in our boat took hold on theirs, and suddenly leaped into it, with two or three more, who enforced them to enter into our ships, whereat they were greatly astonished. But our captain did straightway assure them that they should have no harm, nor any injury offered them at all, and entertained them very friendly, making them eat and drink. Then did we show them with signs, that the cross was only set up to be as a light and leader which ways to enter into the port,[108] and that we would shortly come again, and bring good store of iron-wares and other things; but that we would take two of his children with us, and afterward bring them to the said port again. And so we clothed two of them in shirts and colored coats, with red caps, and put about every one’s neck a copper chain, whereat they were greatly contented. Then gave they their old clothes to the fellows that went back again; and we gave to each one of those three that went back, a hatchet and some knives, which made them very glad. After these were gone, and had told the news unto their fellows, in the afternoon there came to our ships six boats of them, with five or six men in every one, to take their farewells of those two we had detained to take with us, and brought them some fish, uttering many words which we did not understand, making signs that they would not remove the cross we had set up.