Att The Parting Of The Slaves, I Made My Bundle
Light As The Rest.
We found snowes in few places, saving where the trees
made a shaddow, which hindred the snow to thaw, which made us carry the
raquetts with our feete, and sometimes with the hands.
After 10 days' march [we completed our journey] through a country covered
with water, and where also are mountaines and great plaines. In those
plaines wee kill'd stagges, and a great many Tourquies. Thence we came to a
great river of a mile wide which was not frozen, which made us stay there
10 or 12 dayes making skiffs of the rind of walnut trees. We made good
cheere and wished to stay there longer. We made 3 skiffs to hould 3 men,
and one to hould two. We imbarked though there weare ice in many places,
and yett no hinderance to us going small journeys, fearing least what
should befall us. In 4 dayes we came to a lake much frozen; covered in some
places with ice by reason of the tossing of the wind, and the ground all
covered with snow. Heere we did our best to save us from the rigour of the
aire, and must stay 15 dayes. The wild men admired that the season of the
yeare was so backward. Att the end the wind changes southerly, which made
the lake free from Ice and cleare over all the skirts of it, without either
snow or ice. There was such a thawing that made the litle brookes flow like
rivers, which made us imbarque to wander [over] that sweet sea. The weather
lovely, the wind fayre, and nature satisfied. Tending forwards, singing and
playing, not considering the contrary weather past, continued so 6 days
upon the lake and rested the nights ashore.
The more we proceeded in our journey, the more the pleasant country and
warmer. Ending the lake, we entered into a beautifull sweet river, a
stoan-cast wide. After halfe a day we rid on it, weare forced to bring both
barks and equipage uppon our backs to the next streame of that river. This
done above 20 times, hawling our boats after us all laden. We went up that
river att least 30 or 40 leagues. Att last [it] brought us to a lake of
some 9 miles in length. Being comed to the highest place of the lake, we
landed and hid our boats farr enough in the woods, [and] tooke our bundles.
We weare 3 dayes going through a great wildernesse where was no wood, not
so much as could make us fire. Then the thickned flower did serve us
instead of meate, mingling it with watter. We foorded many litle rivers, in
swiming & sayling. Our armes, which we putt uppon some sticks tyed together
of such wood as that desolat place could afford, to keepe them from the
weatt. The evening we came on the side of a violent river, uppon which we
made bridges of trees that we [made] to meet, to go over.
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