long upon our guard, being resolved to defend our selves to the utmost extremity.

When we saw our selves safe, Father Zenoble and I made several reflections, on the dissimulation and infidelity of that nation, and likewise on the dangers we had been exposed to in their council; and I remember that that good father blam'd my proceedings; and said, That in those nice occasions, we ought to be more pliant, in hopes to find a more favourable opportunity. I agreed with him in general, but insisted, that this principle admitted of some exceptions, and that assuredness and vigour were more prevailing upon barbarous men, than a more prudent way. In the mean time we advised what was fit to be done in this juncture; and being unable to defend us against so many enemies, we resolved to quit the fort the next day. I embarked the next morning with two Recollects and five French men; the others who were in the fort, having chosen to go and live among the Illinois rather than to return home.

Having equally divided our arms, ammunition, and goods, we embarked the eleventh of September, 1687, very early, and about five leagues from the fort, we went ashore to repair our canoo, and dry some furs, which the water would have spoiled. As we were busie about it, Father Gabriel told me that he would take a walk along the shore; and I advised him to keep in our sight, because we were surrounded with enemies; but the charming prospect of that country ingaged him a little too far, so that seeing he did not return, we began to mistrust that he was fallen into the hands of the savages. Father Zenoble and I advanced into the woods to look for him, but could not discover what was become of him, notwithstanding we fir'd our arms, and made all the night long a great fire to give him notice of the place where we expected him. We

understood since, that he was met by a band of savages called Quicapous, who murthered him, and sold, some time after, his breviary to a jesuit, from whom we learned these particulars. Thus dyed this holy man, in the seventieth year of his age, by the hands of those very men for the sake of whom he had left his native country, and suffer'd so many fatigues.

We waited for him 'till the next day about noon, but having no hopes of his return, we embarked again, and after one months navigation, landed within two days journey of the lake of the Illinois, into which we carried over land our equipage. We embarked again on the 20th of October, and ten days after, were forced to land, by contrary winds, within 20 leagues of a great village, called Potavalamia, where we found no other provisions but

acorns.

I was sick of an ague, and my legs were so swoln, that we could not reach the village I have spoken of 'till the 10th of November. We found no body in it, nor any provisions, but having, by good chance, advanced into the country, we met with a good quantity of Indian corn, which enabled us to imbark again. The winds were so cross, that we were oblig'd to come a shore a few days after, where having found some fresh foot-steps, we followed the track, and came to another village of the Pontoualamis, which was likewise abandoned, but however afforded us some provisions, which were sufficient to maintain us 'till our arrival at the bay of Puans, which was towards the latter end of November.

Having already described this bay, I need not repeat it now, but I must add, that there is a creek in it called the creek of the sturgeons, because of the prodigious quantity of that sort of fish that is catch'd in it. We refreshed our selves in that

place for several days with the Pontoualamis, who entertained us with scorched beef and stagg. We diverted also our selves in hunting of beavers, which afforded us a great satisfaction.

The country about the bay, being watered by an infinite number of rivulets, lined with great trees, and the woods being full of aspen-trees, the branches and leaves whereof are the dainty food of beavers. Those creatures are very numerous in those parts.

The beavers are, as every body knows, amphibious creatures, who cannot live without air, water, and land. They are near as big as sheep, but not so tall, their legs being very short, but so nimble, that they come nothing short of apes for dexterity. They have a muzzle or nose, and strong teeth; their body is covered with thick hair, and pretty fine, but their tail is made up of a kind of twisted hair, which forms a figure like that of a triangle, and serves them as a trowel to beat the soft earth they make use of to build their habitations.

The instinct or industry of those creatures is almost incredible, and therefore I am sensible that many will question the truth of what I have to say about it, however, I may assure the reader that I do not romance in the least. When they have a mind to make a new settlement or habitation, and have found a proper place for it, which is commonly in the channel of a river, provided it be not too deep, or too broad, they look for a tree on the bank of the said river, leaning a little towards the water. They meet together in a circle, and because their number is always odd, it seems that they hold a council, to know what is fit to be done. The first thing to be done, is to cut down the tree they have pitched upon, but not horizontaly, but in such a manner that it may fall into the very place they have a mind to, that is cross the river, to stop, or at least to abate the rapidity of the stream. If the

branches hinder the body of the tree to lye in the water, they cut them likewise, and then make a perfect dike or bank with mud and gravel together, leaving now and then some places open for the water, lest the river should overflow their bank. If the tree cannot reach the other shore, they fell another tree over against it to join that, and make a perfect causey or bridge. This work being compleated, they build their habitations or caves near that place, and employ nothing but mud in the following manner; they lay a lay of it, and beat it very hard with their tails, and then another, and so on successively, 'till it is about three foot high; they arch it and polish it very handsomly, and divide it into three several apartments, which have communication one with the other; one of them is to lie in, the second for their provisions, and the ́third serves them for a necessary house. They make a canal or subterranean aqueduct from the river to one of their apartments, in which they have a kind of pond, wherein they hold their tail, for otherwise they could not live. This canal serves also for another use, for when they hear any noise, they make their escape through that place into the river. Every one is obliged to work, but if any one has his tail excoriated or otherwise hurt, he lays it flat upon his back, to show that he is unable to work.

When the savages go a hunting, they follow the rivers, and as soon as they discover any causey, bridge or bank, they may be sure that the beavers are not far off. They come as near as they can, but as soon as the beavers see or hear them, they run through their canal into the river; but as they must breath from time to time, the savages soon shoot them, if it be in summer time; for in winter they use another art to catch them. They make holes in the ice, and having beat out the beavers

from their habitations into the river, they must come to breath through those holes, and then the savages catch them alive by the tail.

Having refreshed our selves above ten days in this place, and taken in provisions, we embarked again on the seventeenth of December for Missilimachinac, but eight days after were forced back by a contrary wind. The savages were gone away, but had left some provisions, which we wanted very much; for the ice and the malady of our men obliged us to continue in that place, where we suffer'd very much. Finding our selves in that extremity, I advanced into the woods to endeavour to find some relief, and it pleased God that I met with two savages, of the nation of the Outnovas, who conducted me to a village belonging to the Pontoualamis, where we met several French men setled in that place, by whom we were kindly receiv'd, as also by the savages. Father Zenoble understanding that the jesuits had a settlement in the bottom of the bay, thought it was more becoming his character, to pass the winter amongst them, than in company of the savages, and went thither two days after our arrival; but we continued 'till the next spring in that place, and liv'd very comfortably.

We diverted our selves at hunting wild bulls in the beginning of March, the grass being already grown. Those bulls are near twice as big as ours, the hair looks like a fine fleece, and is very long; their horns are bent backwards, and extraordinary long; their eyes are likewise larger and bigger than those of our European bulls, which make them look terrible. They go always by droves of three or four hundred in each. When the savages go a hunting, they encompass a drove of these bulls, and one of them comes creeping as near as he can, and then stands up, making an out-cry, which frightens