153. On Champlain's map of the harbor of Quebec he calls this "torrent" le grand saut de Montmorency, the grand fall of Montmorency. It was named by Champlain himself, and in honor of the "noble, high, and powerful Charles de Montmorency," to whom the journal of this voyage is dedicated. The stream is shallow, "in some places," Charlevoix says, "not more than ankle deep." The grandeur or impressiveness of the fall, if either of these qualities can be attributed to it, arises from its height and not from the volume of water--_Vide_ ed. 1632, p. 123. On Bellm's Atlas Maritime, 1764, its height is put down at _sixty-five feet_. Bayfield's Chart more correctly says 251 feet above high water spring tides--_Vide_ Vol. II of this work, note 308. 154. _Nous vinsmmes mouiller l'ancre à Quebec, qui est vn destroict de laditt riuiere de Canadas_. These words very clearly define the meaning of Quebec, which is an Indian word, signifying a narrowing or a contraction.--_Vide_ Vol. II. p. 175, note 309. The breadth of the river at this point is underestimated. It is not far from 1320 feet, or three-quarters of a mile. CHAPTER VI. OF THE POINT ST. CROIX AND THE RIVER BATISCAN.--OF THE RIVERS, ROCKS, ISLANDS, LANDS, TREES, FRUITS, VINES, AND FINE COUNTRY BETWEEN QUEBEC AND THE TROIS RIVIÈRES. On Monday, the 23d of this month, we set out from Quebec, where the river begins to widen, sometimes to the extent of a league, then a league and a half or two leagues at most. The country grows finer and finer; it is everywhere low, without rocks for the most part. The northern shore is covered with rocks and sand-banks; it is necessary to go along the southern one about half a league from the shore. There are some small rivers, not navigable, except for the canoes of the savages, and in which there are a great many falls. We came to anchor at St. Croix, fifteen leagues distant from Quebec; a low point rising up on both sides. [155] The country is fine and level, the soil being the best that I had seen, with extensive woods, containing, however, but little fir and cypress. There are found there in large numbers vines, pears, hazel-nuts, cherries, red and green currants, and certain little radishes of the size of a small nut, resembling truffles in taste, which are very good when roasted or boiled. All this soil is black, without any rocks, excepting that there a large quantity of slate. The soil is very soft, and, if well cultivated, would be very productive.