tres, Cydrons, Vines, and white Thornes, that bring foorth fruit as bigge
as any damsons, and many other sortes of trees, vnder which groweth as
faire tall hempe, as any in France, without any seede or any mans worke or
labour at all. Hauing considered the place, and finding it fit for our
purpose, our Captaine withdrew himselfe on purpose to returne to our
ships: but behold, as we were comming out of the riuer we met comming
against vs one of the Lords of the said village of Stadacona, accompanied
with many others, as men, women, and children, who after the fashion of
their country, in signe of mirth and ioy, began to make a long Oration,
the women still singing and dancing vp to the knees in water. Our Captaine
knowing their good will and kindnesse toward vs, caused the boat wherein
they were, to come vnto him, and gaue them certaine trifles, as kniues,
and beades of glasse, whereat they were maruellous glad, for being gone
about leagues from them, for the pleasure they concerned of our comming we
might heare them sing, and see them dance for all they were so farre.
Chap. 3. How our Captaine went to see and note the bignesse of the Iland,
and the nature of it, and then returned to the ships, causing them to be
brought to the riuer of The holy Crosse.
After we were come with our boats vnto our ships againe, our Captaine
caused our barks to be made readie to goe on land in the said Iland, to
note the trees that in shew seemed so faire, and to consider the nature
and qualitie of it: which things we did, and found it full of goodly trees
likes to ours. (M124) Also we saw many goodly Vines, a thing not before of
vs seene in those countries, and therefore we named it Bacchus Iland. It
is in length about twelue leagues, in sight very pleasant, but full of
woods, no part of it manured, vnlesse it be in certaine places, where a
few cottages be for Fishers dwellings as before we haue said. The next day
we departed with our ships to bring them to the place of the holy Crosse,
and on the 14 of that moneth we came thither, and the Lord Donnacona,
Taignoagny, and Domagaia, with 25 boats full of those people, came to
meete vs, comming from the place whence we were come, and going toward
Stadacona, where their abiding is, and all came to our ships, shewing
sundry and diuers gestures of gladnesse and mirth, except those two that
he had brought, to wit, Taignoagny, and Domagaia, who seemed to haue
altered and changed their mind
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