We Rested In One Of Them All Night, Where We Found Vast
Quantities Of Duck Eggs, And The Eggs Of Other Birds Which Breed There.
We Named The Whole Of This Group The Islets.
Next day, having passed
beyond all these small isles, we found a good harbour which we named
Port St Anthony.
One of two leagues beyond this we found a little river
towards the S.W. coast, between two other islands, forming a good
harbour. We set up a cross here, and named it St Servans Port. About a
league S.W. from this port and river there is a small round island like
an oven, surrounded with many little islands, and forming a good mark
for finding out Port St Servan. About two leagues farther on we came to
a larger inlet, which we named James River, in which we caught many
salmon. While in this river we saw a ship belonging to Rochelle, which
intended to have gone a fishing in Port Brest, but had passed it as they
knew not whereabout they were. We went to her with our boats, and
directed them to a harbour about a league west from James River, which I
believe to be one of the best in the world, and which therefore we named
James Cartiers Sound. If the soil of this country were as good as its
harbours, it would be a place of great consequence: But it does not
deserve the name of the New-found-land, but rather the new stones and
wild crags, and is a place fit only for wild beasts. In all the north
part of the island I did not see a cart load of good earth, though I
went on shore in many places. In the island of White Sand there is
nothing growing but moss and stunted thorn bushes scattered here and
there, all dry and withered. In short, I believe this to have been the
land which God appointed for Cain. There are however, inhabitants of
tolerable stature, but wild and intractable, who wear their hair tied
upon the top of their heads, like a wreath of hay, stuck through with a
wooden pin, and ornamented with birds feathers. Both men and women are
clothed in the skins of beasts; but the garments of the women are
straiter and closer than those of the men, and their waists are girded.
They paint themselves with a roan or reddish-brown colour. Their boats
are made of birch bark, with which they go a fishing, and they catch
great quantities of seals. So far as we could understand them, they do
not dwell all the year in this country, but come from warmer countries
on the main land, on purpose to catch seals and fish for their
sustenance.
On the 13th of June we returned to our ships, meaning to proceed on our
voyage, the weather being favourable, and on Sunday we had divine
service performed. On Monday the 15th, we sailed from Brest to the
southwards, to explore some lands we had seen in that direction, which
seemed to be two islands. On getting to the middle of the bay, however,
we found it to be the firm land, being a high point having two eminences
one above the other, on which account we called it Double Cape. We
sounded the entrance of the bay, and got ground with a line of 100
fathoms. From Brest to the Double Cape is about 20 leagues, and five or
six leagues farther on we had ground at 40 fathoms. The direction
between Port Brest and Double Cape is N.E. and S.W. Next day, being the
16th, we sailed 35 leagues from Double Cape S.W. and by S. where we
found very steep and wild hills, among which we noticed certain small
cabins, resembling what are called granges in our country, on which
account we named these the Grange Hills. The rest of the coast was all
rocky, full of clefts and cuts, having low islands between and the open
sea. On the former day we could not see the land, on account of thick
mists and dark fogs, but this evening we espied an entrance into the
land, by a river between the Grange Hills and a cape to the S.W. about 3
leagues from the ships. The top of this cape is blunt, but it ends
towards the sea in a sharp point, on which account we named it Pointed
Cape. On its north side there is a flat island. Meaning to examine if
there were any good harbours at this entrance, we lay to for the night;
but on the next day we had stormy weather from the N.E. for which reason
we stood to the S.W. till Thursday morning, in which time we sailed 37
leagues. We now opened a bay full of round islands like pigeon-houses,
which we therefore named the Dove-cots. From the Bay of St. Julian to
a cape which lies S. and by W. called Cape Royal, the distance is 7
leagues; and towards the W.S.W. side of that cape there is another, the
lower part of which is all craggy, and the top round. On the north side
of this cape, which we called Cape Milk, there is a low island. Between
Cape Royal and Cape Milk there are some low islands, within which there
are others, indicating that there are some rivers in this place. About
two leagues from Cape Royal we had 20 fathom water, and found cod in
such abundance, that, while waiting for our consort we caught above a
hundred in less than an hour.
Next day, the 18th, the wind turned against us with such fury that we
were forced back to Cape Royal; and, sending the boats to look for a
harbour, we found a great deep gulf above the low islands, having
certain other islands within it.
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