Page 194 - Transcriptions d'actes notariés - Tome 20 - 1682-1686
P. 194

on  the  way  iwo-ecare  Savagee  from  ihe  North  Bay.  il8)  1 conveyed  to
                                      them  ihe first  iidhgr af  ~he Fajih,  [or which  ihey  ttienked  me witli  some
                                      poli lenefis.
                                         "Coniinuing  our journey,  on the  sevenleenih  we  croased  a  parlion  of
                                      our grc.at  Lake, (lu)  paddling  for  iuelve hours  wjthout  dropping  the  pad-
                                      dle  ironi  ihe  hand.  God  rendered  nie  verr  iensihle  ajd;  Ior,  ad tliere
                                      were  but  three  of  us  in anr  Cnnoe,  1 was obliged  to  paddle  with  al1 my
                                      slrengih,  iogeiher  wiili  ihe  Savages,  in  order  to  make  the  niost  of  the
                                      cah, wi~hout whicli  WP  would  have  beru  iii  great  danger,  utterly  spcnt
                                      as  WP  were  wilh  toi1 end Iick of  food.  Nevertheleas  we luy  dowii  supper-
                                      les.  ut  nighifall,  and  on  ihe  morraw  coiilented  our~slves with  u  frugal
                                      meal  of Indian  corn and  water;  for  !lie  wind  and  the  rain prevenied  nur
                                      Savages  irom custing  llieir  nels.
                                         "On  the  nincteentli,  invilcd  by  ihe  beautiEul  weslher,  we  covered
                                      eighteen  leagucç,  paddling  Irom  daybreak  iill  Sunset,  without  respite
                                      and  without  landjng.
                                         "Oa  the  twentieth,  finding oolhing in  out  neis,  we  continued  on Our
                                      journey,  munching  some  grains of  dry  coin.  On ~he foiiowing  dey,  God
                                      refresbed  us  wilh  iwo  small  fisliee,  which  gave  us  new  lire.  lieaven's
                                      blessings  increased  on  ~he nent  day, our  Savagea  catching  so many  siur-
                                      gzon  ~hat ~hey were  obligcd  LO  leave  perr  of  ihem  ui  the  waier's  edge.
                                         "Coasling  along  the Yorthern  aliore oI lhis  peet Lake  on the  iwenty-
                                      ihird,  we  paased  from Island  io Islaud,  these  being  vety  Erequent.  There
                                      is  one,  ai  leas1 lwenly  leagner  bng,  where  are  tound  pieces  of  capper,
                                      which  iu  ticld  ,by Frcnchrntn  who  have  examiried  il here  to  be  [rue  red
                                      copper. 12'))
                                         "Aher  aeeomplishiiig  a  good  part  01 out  journey  on  the  Luke,  we
                                      le[t  il on  the  rwenty-hfth of  lhis  monlh  of  May,  aud  couuigned ourselvea
                                      to  a  River,  so iull ol ~npidri and  Ialls  tbal wen  our Savages could  go no


                                  (18)  Thr  "North  Bay".  "Sea  01 the North",  and  shilar expressions,  were  used  by
                                       tbe French  ai  tliis  period  LO d~àignate Hüdson'e  Bay.  They  were  oot  errlain
                                       as  yei  lhat  ihe  Xorth  Bay  of  which  ihe  InJians spoke  was  ihe  came  as  that
                                       wbieh  ihey  knew  Henry  Hudron  hnd  diseovered  See  JR,  vol.  LIV,. p.  15,
                                       where  Father  Dablon  gives  reasons  for  taking  a  Lrip  to  rhe  Nortli  Sen,  and
                                       wonder.  iI it will  prove  to  be "Hudson's  Bay".
                                       The Indians  from  the  Nonh  Bey that  Allouez  met  were  most  probably  Kilia-
                                       iiuior  or  Crecs.
                                  (le)  Nelljs  M.  Crouse,  in  his Oocioral Dis~erlation, "Conlribuiions  oi  the Canadien
                                       Jcsuits  to  the  Geograpbieal  Knowlerlge  nt  New  Frence",  etates  (p.  1231,
                                       "This  rernarkahle  feal  of  crossing  cven  e  por~ion of  Lake  Snperior  waa  not
                                       an iionsnd one  wit h  ihe Indians, for by  taking advarilage of  favorable weaiher
                                       rhey  could  eovrr  ~hc disiance  [rom Keweenaw  Yoiot  ta  Isle  Royale  (appron-
                                       imaiely  ioriy-hve  miles)  irom riuntiae  io  sunse~."  But  it does  not  seem  thai
                                       Allouez  cro~srd the  Lake ai  ihat  place,  for il appeere  from  ihe  narrative  thai
                                       it  was  only  ao  May  23rd, iint  oii  rhe  19th, thal  they  came  nrar  Isle Royale.
                                       It  j6  VFV  proliable  ibai  he  cmssed much  nearer  the head of  rhe Lake in aome
                                       point  M  the  Minnesoia  portion  01 the  northern  6hore.
                                  (20)  There  can  be  littlr  doubi  lhal  ihie  war  TEIF Royale.  On  the  Jesuil  map  of
                                       Lskc Superior  01 1671, and  on  other  early  maps,  it  waa  cdled  Isle  Minong.
                                       In hi6  deseriptjon  of  tb~ eopper  deposits  on  ihe  shores  of  LBke  Superi~r in
                                       I~P Relation  nf  1669-71 (IR, vol.  LIV, pp.  159 and  Ioll.),  Father Dablon  givee
                                       n  luli aceount  O[  this  ieland and iis red  copper  as be  bed  heard  of  ihem imm
                                       Jndiene  aud  French  voyageurs.
                                                             -%-
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