to bring about a peace between the Hurons and the Iroquois. It was
supposed that this would divert the trade of the Hurons from Quebec by
sending it through the Iroquois country to the Dutch of the Hudson
River. At so early a date did the question of closer trade relations
between the territories north and south of the lakes agitate the minds
of statesmen and men of commerce.

In the winter of 1640-1, the Jesuit missionaries, Brebeuf and Chaumonot
traversed the country of the Neutrals. The former composed a dictionary
showing the differences between the kindred dialects of the Hurons and
Neutrals. Chaumonot made a map of the country, which is not extant, but
there is reason for believing that it was the authority for the
delineation of the territory on Sanson's map of 1656 and Ducreux's Latin
map of 1660. From the facts hereinafter detailed it is highly probable
that they reached the Detroit River, and that they visited and named the
Neutral village of which the Southwold Earthwork is the memorial. The
first printed map in which Lake Erie is shown was made by N. Sanson
d'Abbeville, geographer in ordinary to the King, and printed in Paris,
with "privilege du Roy" for twenty years, in the year 1656. It is a map
of eastern North America. The sources of information are stated in
general terms, which may be translated as follows: "The most northerly
portion is drawn from the various Relations of the English, Danes, etc.
Towards the south the coasts of Virginia, New Sweden, New Netherlands
and New England are drawn from those of the English, Dutch, etc. THE
GREAT RIVER OF CANADA, or of St. Lawrence and all the neighboring
regions (_environs_) are according to the Relations of the French."

Now, we know that Father Raymbault visited Sault Ste. Marie in 1641 and
mapped Lake Superior, and that Father Chaumonot in the same year
rendered the same service for the Neutral Country. Sanson's map is
fairly accurate for the upper lakes, when compared with some maps
published at much later periods when the lakes had become tolerably well
known to traders and travellers. It shows an acquaintance with the
general contour of Lakes Erie, St. Clair and Huron, with several of the
streams emptying into Lakes Erie and Huron on both the Canadian and the
American sides, with the names of tribes inhabiting both shores, and
with the locations of five towns of the Neutrals, besides some towns of
the Tobacco Nation. The Neutral towns are given as S. F