at Canada with
Donnacona. He said this that it might not be known how many of us were
sick. Domagaia sent immediately two women, who brought ten or twelve
branches of that tree, and shewed the manner of using it; which was to
boil the bark and leaves of the tree in water, to drink of this
decoction every other day, and to put the dregs upon the legs of the
sick. He said likewise that this tree was of great efficacy in curing
many other diseases. This tree is called _Ameda_ or _Hanneda_ in their
language, and is thought to be that which we call Sassafras. Our captain
immediately caused some of that drink to be prepared for his men; but at
first only one or two would venture to use it, who were followed by the
rest, and in a short time they were all completely cured, not only of
this dreadful sickness, but even of every other with which any of them
were at that time afflicted. Some even who had been four or five years
diseased with the _Lues_ became quite cured. After this medicine was
found to be effectual, there was so much eagerness to get it that the
people were ready to kill each other as to who should be first served.
Such quantities were used, that a tree as large as a well grown oak was
completely lopped bare in five or six days, and the medicine wrought so
well that if all the physicians of Montpelier or Louvain had been to
attend us, with all the drugs of Alexandria, they could not have done so
much for us in a whole year as that tree did in six days, all who used
it recovering their health by the blessing of God.

While the disease lasted among us, Donnacona, Taignoagny, and many
others of the natives went from home, pretending that they went to catch
stags and deer, called by them _Aiounesta_ and _Asquenoudo_. They said
that they were only to be away a fortnight, but they staid away above
two months, on which account we suspected they had gone to raise the
country against us while we were so weak. But we had used so much
diligence in fortifying ourselves, that the whole power of the country
could only have looked at us, without being able to have done us any
harm. While they were away, many of the natives used to come daily to
our ships with fresh meat, such as stags, deer, fishes and other things;
but held them at a high price, and would often take them away again,
rather as sell them moderately. It must be allowed however that the
winter that year was uncommonly long, and there was even some scarcity
of prov