in a superficial manner with a wooden implement, by which they cultivate their corn resembling that which grows in Brazil, and which they call effici.  They have also plenty of melons, pompions, gourds, cucumbers, and pease and beans of various colours, all different from ours.  They have likewise a certain kind of herb of which they lay up a store every summer, having first dried it in the sun.  This is only used by the men, who always carry some of this dried herb in a small skin bag hanging from their necks, in which they also carry a hollow piece of stone or wood like a pipe.  When they use this herb, they bruise it to powder, which they put into one end of the before-mentioned pipe, and lay a small piece of live coal upon it, after which they suck so long at the other end that they fill their bodies full of smoke, till it comes out of their mouth and nostrils, as if from the chimney of a fire-place.  They allege that this practice keeps them warm and is conducive to health, and they constantly carry some of this herb about with them for this purpose.  We have tried to use this smoke, but on putting it to our mouths it seemed as hot as pepper.  The women among these savages labour much more than the men, in tilling the ground, fishing, and other matters; and all of them, men, women, and children, are able to resist the extremity of cold better even than the wild beasts; for we have seen them in the extremest cold, which is most amazingly severe, come stark naked to our ships over the ice and snow, which must appear incredible to those who have not witnessed such hardiness.  During winter, when the whole country is covered with ice and snow, they take great numbers of wild beasts; such as stags, fauns, bears, martins, hares, foxes, and many other kinds, the flesh of which they eat almost raw, being only dried in the sun or in smoke, as they do their fish.  So far as we were acquainted with these people, it were an easy matter to civilize them and to teach them any thing whatever:  May God of his great mercy give a blessing to this, in his good time.  Amen!

SECTION III.

Wintering of Jacques Cartier in Canada in 1536, and return to France in 1537.

The great river of Canada or Hochelega, begins at the sea or gulf of St Lawrence below the Island of Assumption, or Anticosti.  Over against the high mountains of Hognedo and the Seven Islands, the breadth of this river is from 35 to 40 leagues, being 200 fathoms deep in the mid channel.  The surest way to sail up this river is on the south side[53].  On the north side, at about seven leagues distance from the Seven Islands, there are two considerable rivers which come from the hills of Saguenay, and occasion several very dangerous shoals.  At the entrance of these rivers we saw vast numbers of whales and sea-horses; and near these islands a small river runs in through marshy grounds, which is frequented by immense numbers of water-fowl.  From these Seven