Voyages of Samuel De Champlain — Volume 01Champlain, Samuel de
History
Voyages of Samuel De Champlain — Volume 01
Champlain, Samuel de
America -- Discovery and exploration -- French; Indians of North America -- Canada; New France -- Discovery and exploration
DEPARTURE FROM TADOUSSAC FOR THE FALL.--DESCRIPTION OF HARE ISLAND, ISLE DU
COUDRE, ISLE D'ORLÉANS, AND SEVERAL OTHERS--OUR ARRIVAL AT QUEBEC
On Wednesday, the eighteenth day of June, we set out from Tadoussac for the
Fall. [147] We passed near an island called Hare Island, [148] about two
leagues, from the northern shore and some seven leagues from Tadoussac and
five leagues from the southern shore. From Hare Island we proceeded along
the northern coast about half a league, to a point extending out into the
water, where one must keep out farther. This point is one league [149] from
an island called _Isle au Coudre_, about two leagues wide, the distance
from which to the northern shore is a league. This island has a pretty even
surface, growing narrower towards the two ends. At the western end there
are meadows and rocky points, which extend out some distance into the
river. This island is very pleasant on account of the woods surrounding it.
It has a great deal of slate-rock, and the soil is very gravelly; at its
extremity there is a rock extending half a league out into the water. We
went to the north of this island, [150] which is twelve leagues distant
from Hare Island.
On the Thursday following, we set out from here and came to anchor in a
dangerous cove on the northern shore, where there are some meadows and a
little river, [151] and where the savages sometimes erect their cabins. The
same day, continuing to coast along on the northern shore, we were obliged
by contrary winds to put in at a place where there were many very dangerous
rocks and localities. Here we stayed three days, waiting for fair weather.
Both the northern and Southern shores here are very mountainous, resembling
in general those of the Saguenay.
On Sunday, the twenty-second, we set out for the Island of Orleans, [152]
in the neighborhood of which are many islands on the southern shore. These
are low and covered with trees, Seem to be very pleasant, and, so far as I
could judge, some of them are one or two leagues and others half a league
in length. About these islands there are only rocks and shallows, so that
the passage is very dangerous.
They are distant some two leagues from the mainland on the south. Thence we
coasted along the Island of Orleans on the south. This is distant a league
from the mainland on the north, is very pleasant and level, and eight
leagues long. The coast on the south is low for some two leagues inland;
the country begins to be low at this island which is perhaps two leagues
distant from the southern shore. It is very dangerous passing on the
northern shore, on account of the sand-banks and rocks between the island
and mainland, and it is almost entirely dry here at low tide.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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