Monsieur _de la Sale_ present’d them with some Knives and Bits of Tabacco, and they gave him Bullocks Hides, very well dress’d with the Hair, they gave one for a Knife, and would have given many more, but that we told to them, that we had no Conveniency to carry them and that if they had any Horses, he would give them Axes in Exchange. They answer’d, they had but two, which they could not part with. It being late when Monsieur _de la Sale_ return’d, we staid there the rest of the Day, and several _Indians_ came to see us, in Hopes of receiving some Present, offering us Bullocks Hides dressed, which we would not burden our selves with. The Second, we set out again, and halted some Time in that Village, where by the Way we barter’d for some Collars, or a Sort of Knots[87] made of Bullocks Hides well dress’d, which the Natives make Use of to carry their Burdens, whether of Wood, Utensils, or the Meat they kill. They prov’d of Use both to us and our Horses, because the Thongs of those Collars serv’d to make fast our Burdens. [Sidenote: la Maligne _River_.] We proceeded on our Journey, through a Country pleasant enough, but Sandy, and having cross’d a large Plain, came to the Bank of a fine River, call’d _la Maligne_, or the Mischievous, because in Monsieur _de la Sale’s_ former Journey, an Alligator devour’d one of his Servants, who was swimming over it. This River is as wide as the _Seine_ at _Roan_, seems to be very navigable and has a very pleasant Country about it. We incamp’d in a little Wood adjoining to it, and bark’d the Aspen Trees to hut. [Sidenote: Indian _Rats_.] Our Hunters kill’d Beeves, wild Goats, Turkeys and other Wild-Fowl, and among the rest some Creatures as big as an indifferent Cat, very like a Rat, having a Bag under their Throat, in which they carry their Young. They feed upon Nuts and Acorns, are very fat, and their Flesh is much like Pig. Hard by there, we found a Place where Monsieur _de la Sale_, in his former Journey had hid some Parcels of Strings of Beads in the Trunks of Trees, and we rested there till the Eighth of the Month. During that Time, no Day pass’d without seeing some of the Natives, who sometimes spent the whole Day with us, and said they were of several Nations. We made them smoke, and always gave them some small Presents. They admir’d that after we had writ down some Words they spoke to us, we repeated them, looking on the Paper. [Sidenote: _Portable Canoe._] Whilst we staid, Monsieur _de la Sale_ set Men at Work to make a portable Canoe, of long Poles, hew’d and joyn’d and then cover’d with Bullocks Hides sew’d together, having pull’d off the Hair or Wooll, as it may be call’d there. That Canoe was of great Use to us, to cross Rivers as well for our selves as for our Baggage, but the Horses swam over.