YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 9002 06815 0185 Ca4-5 475 k ,. A BOOK FOR TOURISTS ********** ********* ********^*****ji*4;ft4,*.4ji4.4^^^ The Legends OF THE- ST-LAWRENCE **************************** ***** ************* Told during a Cruise ofthe yatch HIRONDELLE From Montreal to Gaspe »r ^^ By The Axjthoe. of •* ' '^- Maple Leaves. X?' ***.. T^^ %. ** V ** **.» QITEBEO : Printed by "Le .Solkil 1898 "^T^oiEeiECG; OF Sir JAMES M. LeMOlNE, F. I S. C. ENGLISH LEGENDARY LOEE OP THE LOWEE St. LAWEENCE, (1 vol. in-32) 1862 MAP1.E LEAVES, (1st Series) (1 v. 1. in-80)' . 1863. " " (2nd Series) (1 vol. in-80) 1864 •' " (3rd Series) (1, vol. in-80) ' iges THE TOURISTS NOTE KOOlLfl vol. in-64) by Cosmopolite . " 1870 THE SWOED OF BEIGADIEE GENEEAL MONTGOMERY, ' '(A memoir) (1 vol. in-64:) irto TRIFLES FROM MY POETFOLIO ¦¦" ma MAPLE LEAVES, (4th Series) ¦" ma QUEBEC. PAST & PRESENT 1876 THE TOURIST'S NOTE BOOK, (second edition) 1876 CHRONICLES OF THE St. LAWREN CE, (I vol. in-8o) '. " " 1878 HISTORICAL MOTES UN QUEBEC AND ITS ENVIRONS '"¦ 1879 THE SCOT IN NEW FRANCE, a Lecture belore L. & H. Society. ... 1880 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC, (1 vol.,in-8o) 551 pages ISsa A CYCLOPEDIA OF QUEBliC HISTOEY : ¦"¦ HISTORICAL NOTES ON ENVIRO.N SOF QUEBEC ISSO- EXPLORATIONS IN EASTERN LATITUDES, by Jonathan Oldbuok, F. G. S. Q. MAPLE LEAVES, (5th Series) 1889- " " (6th Series)— History— Essays— Scenery— Sport.... 1894 THE LEGENDS OF THE ST. LAWRENCE 1898 FRENCH LES OTSEAUX DU CANADA. (2 vol. in-8o)' I860 ASPECT MILITAIREET SOCIAL DE QUEBEC PENDANT L'lN- bURKtCTION DE 1857 et 1898 ETUDESfTRSIRWALTRRSCOTT,poete,romancier, historian .. ma NAVIGATEURS AROTIQUES— Franklin-M'Clure-Kane-ltcOlintok 1862. LES PECHEKIES DU CANADA, (1 vol. in-8o) 1863 MEMOIRE DE MONTCALM, VENGEE, (1 vol. in-32) 1865 L' ALBUM CAN AD [EN 1870 L'ALBUM DU TOURISTE 1873. CONFERENCE SUR L'OENITHOLOGIE lue devant I'lnstitut Cana-, dienQ.ebec .1874 NOTES HIriTORIQUES SUR LES RUES DE QUEBEC 187R. TABLEAU SYNOPTIQUE DES OlSEAUX DU CANADA, h I'usage des ecoles 1377 MONOGRAPHUS ET ESQU.SSES, 500 pages 18^5 CHASSE ET PECHE, 300 pages 188T CONFERENCES LUES DEVANTLASOGiETEROYALEDU CANADA u,,.. 188^-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-90-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. \ Orders filed by C. E. HOLIWELL, Bookstore. Euade St., Quebec. The Legends of the St. Lawrence .(From Quebec i[orning Chronicle, J/Jbh July, 189S.) (S..,; ..<..-^ J:»»0. JV^ The following well-merited notices of Sir James M. Le Moine a propos of the approaching issue of his new " Legends of the St. Lawrence, " appears in Saturday's Montreal Gazette : — "There is one writer to whom — apart from his own ample contribution to our literature, both IVenoh and English — our poets and rom.aacists of either speech are deeply and avowedly indebted. Not they only. Read the prefaces of Parkman and you will know how highly he valued the aid and suggestions of Sir James M icpher« sonLeMoine. To us English readers Sir James LeMoine has been for thirty years and more a guide, trusted and revered, to ^11 that is most romant'c, most noteworthy in the story of the old regim,e and the new Who that has visited Quebec with curiosity unsated as to the vie intim^e of that grand old fortrsiss, has not found refreshment and satisfaction at the perennial springs of Sillery ! Never were springs of knowledged entrusted by Providence to guardian moro generous, more hospitable. ' Through Dr. Bourinot's good oifices', says our most famous novelist, Gilbert Parker, ' I caiue to know Mr. LeMoine, of Quebec, the gifted antiquarian, and President of ths Royal Society of Canada. M. LeMoine placed in iny hands certain historical facts suggestive of romance.' Thus to Sir James and Mr. Fairchild's splendid collection of Canadiana the world owes a debt of whioh ' The Seats of the Mighty ' must ever remind it. Whereof anon." (Montreal Gazette, July 2, 1888.) " The foregoing titles indicate the author's purpose to make his new book embrace all the most striking phases of Canadian history, scenery, archaeology, sport, romance and folklore. The influence of tradition — Norman or Breton — is in these sketches found in combi nation with the effects of intercourse with people of extra-Fienoh origin — sometimes suggesting an inherited reminiscence of the Ger man garrisons of the Revolutionary epoch. However, that be, these are just such stories as for a quarter of a millennium have been told and listened to around Canadian firesides — presented to no less appre ciative story lovers with all the author's long faniilar allurements.'' MAPLE LEAVES (5th Series) EXPLORATIONS IN EASTERN LATITUDES. OPINIONS OFTHE PRESS, (From the AMERICAN ANGLER, 10th August, 1889.> " This last volume of the indefatigable historian of Canada cannot be estimated by any ordinary literary standard. It is a compendium of " history, legends, scenery and sport," more like M. Hallock's "Fishing Tourist" than perhaps any other book which has yet appeared, but of heavier calibre and replete with information of rare historical value which it has been possible to obtain only through personal travel and a carefully selected librarj^ It describes a great many localities which the angler has not yct become familiar with, such as the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence,. Prince Edward Island, Seal Rocks, Bii'd Islands, (fee , and we cannot do our readers a more agreeable service than to reproduce in the columns bf the American Angler hereafter whole passages and pages from this volume, which we shall lay out to do perhaps next week. Mr. LeMoine has dedicated it to Geo.-M. Fairchild, jr., of New- York, for several years Vice-President of the Canadian Club of New- York and President of the Oritani Club, a gentleman superlatively well known among the better class of sportsmen." (From FOREST AND STREAM, Aug. 22nd. 1889.) MAPLE LEAVEti,~5th. Series. The Exp ob ations of JoNArnvif Oldbuck, F. G. S. Q., in Eastekn Latitudes. Canadian History, Legends, Ucenery, Sport, By J.-M. LeMoine Quebec, 1889. This volume is just what the author professes it was his aim ta give his readers, a familiar itinerary of travel by sea and land cove- ring a score of years and over the most picturesque portion of the Province of Quebec. And if one were privileged, in truth, to choose a travelling companion in Canada, what a rare satisfaction it would be to go in company with this histori-an, antiquary, botanist, orni thologist, sportsman, angler, wit and story teller, whose erudition, versatility and broad sympathies are shown in the noble list of voluj mes already given to Canadian literature, and now newly demons. trated in this volume just from the press. Wild flowers of the woods and fields and the dust of musty historical manuscripts, one might think, would not appeal to the same tastes ; yet the Le .Moine who has written a book ou the "Wild Flowers of Quebec'' is the same LeMoine whose antiquarian note book has supplied the material for volumes of history. And very much as an ardent botanist searches out and brings to the notice of the world rare plants and blossoms, has the author in this book collected the flowers of historical and legendary lore. One is surprised, too, in turning over the pages, to notice how on every hand the sportsman tourist, guided by such a friendly compa" nion, would find associations of interest to him, because touching on his favorite pursuits. Even the geographical names become in Le- Moine's hands keys to stores of anecdotes and reminiscences of Cana dian hunters and fishermen. Thus of Buieseau de I'Ours he writes : "What gave it its sporting name 11 have a faint remembrance of a bear story, more than two hundred years old, in which the local nimrod. Seigneur Giffard, while lying perdu for wild geese — one spring — on the sedgy banks of this river, is stated to have spied a huge bear roaming in the neighborhood, mayhap in quest of the seigniorial mutton. Gaunt, tired, possibly unconscious of evil intent bruin was lapping the crystal draught of the Ruisseau. To substitute in his long duck gun slugs for goose shot was the affair of an instant for this sporting Laird, and, lo ! bruin's brave spirit was wafted to where all good bears go !" Again, of Hunter River the story is told tkat it received its name in commemoration of the fate of an English officer, who,having become lost in the woods while hunting, did not appear when his Appointed wedding day came, and returning at last, to find another favored suitor in his place, Vjetook himself again to the woods, where he was found on the banks of this river dead. No tourist in the Dominion can afford to omit giving this book .a place in his satchel, where it will be at hand for constant reference. Lt.-Col. Hunter Duvar, the author of "Osiris" and other poems, thus holds forth, in the Charlottetown Examiner of 24th August, 1889 : " One of the pleasantest books published in Canada for some time is " the Explorations of Jonathan Oldbuck, Esq., in E istern Latitudes," Oldbuck being the distinguished antiquary, J.-M. LeMoine, of Spencer Grange, Sillery, Q., past president of the Royal Society of Canada, and honorary member of several societies, Canadian and foreign. If we mistake not, Spencer Grange is itself a centre of historical associations, although the details have escaped us. At all events, it is known as a Mecca to literary men. As might be anticipated from the title, the book is a cheery melange of liistory, legend, description of scenery and sport. Th& scenes explored are Quebec proper, Montraorenci, the Good Ste. Anne, Fort Jacques Cartier, the Saguenay district, Montmagny, Rimouski, Prince Edward Island aud the Magdalens, all well known localities, but seldom so agreeably described. Mr. LeMoine is old enough to remember having seen, when a small boy, the patriot or reb^l (opinions differ which) Papineau. " The great statesman, " he says, " being pressed for time, could not stop even to receive addresses ; it was therefore decided by the dominie of the school (St. Thomas) that an address, brief but gushing, should be delivered to the liberator, as the carriage rolled past the school on its way to Kamouraska. To the tallest boy was allotted the envied honor He, as well as his comrades, had been suitably drilled for the nonce in court etiquette ; all the " hopefuls " were to stand in line on the roadside, and when in presence of the carriage the tallest boy was to advance three steps, right foot first, takeoff his cap and deliver in a loud, measured voice this patriotic salutation or address : " Honor and glory to the brave and generous defender of" our rights ? hurrah ! ! hurrali ! ! ! hurrah ! ! ! So it was done. The three hurrahs were given with deafening cheers, all hats off. The- defender of our rights gracefully bowed to us. As the tallest of the boys was your humble servant, the entry in this old diary may be- relied on." Of P. E. Island, Oldbuck says : " Flowing streams, woods and fertile plains," snch indeed would be an appropriate motto for this- green, sunny and populous little kingdom." Mr. LeMoine's visit wa& of some years back, when, as he sayo, the Khedive Hodgson was. preparing to abdicate, but even then he, as an intelligent stranger could not fail to note the advantages that Confederation opened to the Island. By the way, we have the authority of the Antiquary for saying that the real name of Rustico is Racicot, so called from a fort on Roland's Point, named after M. Racicot, a Frenchman who returned to Fiance when the Island passed into the hands of the Bristish- Our author also relates the legend that gave name to Huiiter River, hut with more romantic details than the popular version. He does not, however, mention, — - although so well authenticated by eye witnesses (!) — the spectre-ship and light on Tryon bar. The book is embellished with a view of Spencer Grange, in the foreground of which we recognize portraits of the author and his famous St. Bernard's dog " Woife '', as also of two graceful female figures peeping among the flowers, one of whom may be Mary Mclntyre, but the other cannot well be Miss Grizzel Oldbuck. Of all Mr. LeMoine's many works, in English and French on Canadian topics, these " Explorations " seem to us the most peasantly adapted for holiday reading. Duvar. Charlottetown, P. E. I. Examiner, 24th August, 1889. SPENCER GRANGE, SILLERY, NEAR QUEBEC. The Manor of Sir Jame^ McPherson LeMoine. SEA SIDE SERIES LEGENDS-HISTORY-SCENERY-SPORT TSIE LEGEiSoftheSLLIlWHENCE Told during a cruise ofthe yatch HIRONDELLE From Montreal to Gaspe <*'<*' IB'X" '«>^«^ SIR JAMES MePHERSON LeMOINE, F. R. S. C. QUEBEC C. E. HOLIWELL, Publisher, 17 Buade Street PRINTED BY " LA COMPAGNIE D'IMPRIMERIE DE QUEBEC " Publisher of " Le Soleil" 1898. Entered, according to Act of Parliament, in the year 1898, by Sm Jambs M. LeMoine, in the office of the Minister of Agriculture. THE YATCH HIRONDELLE Leaving Montreal Harbour for Gasp^. THE CRUISE OF THE YATCH " HIRONDELLE DRAMATIS PERSONS The commodore J. U. G. Mac of ihe isles Sagaman, Navigator. Jonathan OLrBUCK Antiquary, Naturalist, Discoverer. The Laird of Ravenscltffe Poet, Sportsman. Carleton Sailing Master — Old Mariner. Jean Lavoib Steward, Chef-de cuisine. Weather-prophet. NAPOLifioN Maturin Able-bodied seaman. Pierro Cabin Boy. Fox A Sillery Collie. Scene : — Sometimes oti board the HIRONDELLE Sometimes on Shore.. to JOHN READE, F. R. S. C. author of the prophecy of merlin, poet, historian, essayist, in memory of a friendship of a life-time. THE AUTHOR. Spencer Grange, Quebec, July, 1898. TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAP. L Pages. Historic Montreal. — Cadieux. The Coureur de bois. — The Patriotes of 1837. — P.ose Latulippe. — Midnight Mass of the Phantom-Priest. — Sorel. — The St. Maurice Forges Apparitions. The Wreck of the Julie Plante. 1-56 OHAP. II. Three-Rivers. — Deschambault. — Portneuf. — Baron Robi- neau and his fierce hounds. — Pointe-aux-Trembles, its historic memories. ^ — The Legend of the St. Augustin draught Horse. — The Devil outwitted. The Hirondelle at Quebec 56-83 CHAP. III. Quebec. — " Songs of Old Canada" : Donna Sol and Madlle Clementine.— Florio 84-100 CHAP. IV. Sunny Memories. — Sir Etienne P. Tach^ A. D. C, to the Queen. — William Randal Patton. — Baron Oliva. — Daniel McPherson, U. E. L. — Revd Cur^ Beaubien. A Day Dream. The Seal Islands. — Their Game. — Their Legends. Crane Island. The Goose Island Legend. — Madlle de Granville , 101-140 CHAP. V. The Legend of the French Dead at Charlottetown, P. Ed. Island. The Light of Try on Bar. —The Sable Island Ghost. — The Revifere Quelle Porpoise Legend. — The Magie Fiddlar 141-160 Pages. CHAP. VI. Rivifere-du-Loup. — Cacouanna. — Bic. — L'Islet au Massacre. —Its Legend j , 161-173 CHAP. VIL Rimouski. — Cape Chatte. — Devil's Point. — Grifiin's Cove. — Cock Cove. — Mont Sainte-Anne. — Its Shrine and Legend 174-176 CHAP. VIII. The Braillard de la Magdeleine. — Perc^ Rock. — The Boat with the Red Spot. — The Legend of the Great Lorette Serpent....' 177-192 CHAP. IX. Beaumanoir 193-197 CHAP. X. Gaspd Basin. — ^Morpheus' Domain. — Bobbing for Mackerel — Lt. Governor Cox ] 98-203 INTRODUCTION The popular legends now presented to ;the patrons ot Maple Leavea, 'were collected during pleasant yateh excursions on the lower St. Lawrence, more especially In the course of a cruise from Montreal to Gasp6. They are in a measure calculated to complete a programme, set forth by the author, several years back— embracing glimpsestof Canadian history. scenery, archesology and sport, previously given to the public, under the title of Maple Leavea. A leading feature, in the majority of these simple narratives, relates to the agency of the Prince of Darkness' in the sublunary affairs ofthis planet. Is it to be credited in thia form to th ^ peouliar legefidary lore of Nor mandy, Brittany, &o., seemingly the cradle of some ot these legends ? or is the flavor, in some cases, indicative of German origin ? Were some of the traditions handed down more than a hundred years ago at Canadian fire-sides, on long winter nights, with becoming German phlegm, to the French peasantry by General Burgoyne's Hessians and Brunswickers oantonned ia the parishes of the lower St. Lawrence when they returned to Canada, at the close of the war ot American Independence ! Quen Sdbe ? The solution of this intricate problem is reserved for Canadian anti quaries. In concluding this volume recalling most delightful outings on our noble river, a pleasant part remains to be fulfllled. Special thanks are due aad tendered to the fellow travellers, on the Hirondelle, for their contribu tions to the legendary log of the yatch, as well as to absent literary friends whose sympathetic advice and help were never wanting : John Eeade, F. B. S. C. George Martin, author of "Marguerite" and other poems. "WiUiam Douw Lighthall, author of " I'As Young Seigneur " ; " Thoughts, Moods and Ideals". William McLennan author of ''Songs of Old Canada". Lieut. Col. Hunter— Duvar, author of " Roberval " ; Emigration of the Faries, &c. Gjorge M Fairchild, jr. author of " Rod and Gun", History of (Quebec Carnival, d:c. J. TJ. Gregory author of " En racontant" Arthur G. Doughty, Essayist and Poet. THE AUTHOR OF MAPLE LEAVES. Spencer Grange, July 1898. THE LEGENDS OP THE ST. LAWEENCE " Heave che anchor short I Baise the mansall and jib. Steer forth O llttie white— hulled sloop, now speed On really deep waters." WALT WHITMAN Chap. I HISTORIC MONTREAL. Cadieux, the coureur de bois— Thk Patriotes of 1837 — Rose Latulippe — Midnight Mass of the phantom-Pbiest — The St. Maurice Foeges appaeition. Port of Montreal, August, 189-. On a bright august afternoon, in the year of grace 189 — the yatch Hirondelle, lay with furled sails, in the Montreal Harbor opposite Ste Helen's Island, with hawser moored to the quay ; the craft, had an ample outfit for a month's cruise, at least, in the lower St. Lawrence. The commodore, J. U. Gr., had that day ordered an early dinner, so as to afford his antiquarian, and sporting friends, his guests on board, time to go and reconnoitre the highways and by-wg-ys of the great city of Montreal, ere' they set sail at sunset for Sorel to — 2 — land some members of the jolly party in time for the opening of the shooting season — 1st September. One of the guests was an old, but still robust Montreal Barrister, Monsieur Viger, who prided himself on being the doyen of the chasseurs of the Sorel Islands ; the other, was a raw Scotch youth, fresh from Glasgow, brimful of old world conceits and prejudices againstj Canada and Canadians. A very notable inmate of the Hirondelle at this moment, by his bustling activity was Pierro, the cabin- boy, who also held the responsible position of head waiter, gillie and secretary to the sporting commodore. Dinner closed with a health to the Royal Family. — Pierro having removed the cloth, spread on the table, a large map of the City and Harbor of Montreal. In the midst of a brisk conversation that ensued Jonathan Oldbuck, the antiquary's sharp voice was heard in reply . to a question put by Mac of the Isles as to the origin of a Montreal or Ottawa lament current from time immemorial, under the name of Cornplainte de Cadieux- — Cadieux's Dirge. The aforesaid Cadieux, it would appear, was described as a venturesome Voyageur — a Coureur de hois, a poet to boot. Was his lament founded on fact, on merely one of the numerous popular legends ? Had Cadieux as Mac of the Isles pointedly and practically put it, ever existed ? That was the question. —Well, gentlemen replied the antiquary, I can only relate to you this tale of woe, as it appears in that sacred repository of Canadian lore, &c., the Maple Leaves. At a nod from the antiquary, Pierro drew from a locker, a green despatch box, with heavy brass-clasps. It bore the letters A. dor Arcana Cana- diana in gold, printed on the lid. The precious box, with two shelves of volumes on Canadian history and sport, under which were hung a Winchester rifle, a shot gun and an aneroid barometer, — were the most noticeable pieces of furniture in the commodore's cabin, whilst Fox, a handsome black collie, lay coiled up under the table, &c. Evidently the Hirondelle, with her merry crew, was bent on sport as well as on collecting legendary lore, in the contemplated cruise from Montreal to Caspe. Jonathan Oldbuck having raised the cover of the green box, dived down into its depths and among a bundle of documents — some worm-eaten and dry-as-dust — others quite fresh and modern, snatched an antique parchment and read from it as follows : " Amongst the numerous' stories or songs which old Voyageurs and Northwesters were in the habit of relating, or singing a few years ago, after the toil of the day was over, and when the aroma of the weed rose in circles round the camp-fire, few had a wider range of celebrity than one generally known as the " Complainte de Cadieux ; " it portrayed in simple but vivid language the singular fate of an educated and roving Frenchman, of the name of Cadieux, on the banks of the Ottawa River, close to Portage du Fort. But I fancy I hear an inquisitive lady friend ask : " Who was Cadieux ? What brought him out to Canada ? Was it to escape a lettre de cachet, or was he a blas^, Court roue, or a disappointed lover, seeking oblivion or concealment in the fastnesses of a Canadian forest, like the old Hermit of the Island of St. Bernabe ? " Lady fair, I cannot say ; I can only translate for you the history of the solitary tomb, — 4 — which you can visit any day you like, near Portage du Fort, as Dr. Tache has related it. Evidently, Cadieux must have united to bravery, and to a romantic rnind, a poetical genius : he finds his place amongst that resolute band of intelligent pioneers, the Marsollets, the Coutures, the Nicolets, &c., who were sometimes employed by government, sometimes by the missionaries, to interpret the various Indian dialects. Dr. Tache, to whom we are indebted for the narrative of Cadieux in his Forestiers et Voyageurs, tellS us that he himself had frequently, in the course of his extended travels in the back-woods of Canada, heard detached, stanzas of this mysterious wail of suffering and death, but until recently, the singular tradition, as embodied in poetry, had, as a whole, constantly eluded his grasp. Nor was he alone in his_ efforts to ' rescue it from oblivion ; an old ahd indefatigable searcher of the past, the venerable Abbe Ferland, had diligently set to work, making enquiry in every quarter, writing even to the Red River settlement for infor mation. To the .pleasing writer of Les Forestiers et Voyageurs, was reserved the satisfaction of graphically recording the old tradition. Audubon himself, when h.% discovered the magniflcent eagle to which he gave the name ofthe Bird of Washington, did not experienoel keener pleasure than Dr. Tach6 on receiving from thei lips of his old Indian guide Morache, the whole com plainte or song of Cadieux. " In ascending," says he, " the great River Ottawa,^ one has to stop at the rock of the high mountain, situated| in the middle of the portage of the seven chutes, at the foot of the island of the Grand Calumet .- it is therd that lies Cadieux's tomb, surrounded to this day by a — 5 — wooden railing. Each time the Company's canoes pass the little rock, an old voyageur relates to his younger companions the fate of the brave interpreter. " Cadieux was a roving interpreter, who had married a young Algonquin girl : he generally spent, the summer hunting, and in winter he would purchase furs for the traders. After a winter thus passed by Cadieux at the portage, where he and other families had their wigwams, it had been decided in May to wait for other Indian tribes who had furs for sale, and then all were to come down to Montreal. Profound peace existed in the settlement, when one day a young Indian, who had been roaming about, close to the rapids lower down than the portage, rushed back out of breath, and shouted amongst the affrighted occupants of the huts : Nattaoue ! Nattaoue ! ! The Iroquois ! the Iroquois ! ! " There was in reality at that moment, lowerthan the rapids of the Seven Falls, a party of Iroquois warriors, waiting to pounce upon the canoes, who generally descended at that season loaded with furs : one only chance of escape remained, that was to attempt to take the canoes tlirough the rapids ; a hopeless project, it had ever been considered. Thia was not all : it would be necessary to station some parties in the woods in order, by firing, to draw off the attention of the Iroquois from the desperate attempt which would be made to go through the rapids and prevent pursuit. Cadieux, being the ablest and most resolute of the tribe, choose a young Algonquin war rior to accompany him in this perilous service : it was settled at once that should the interpreter and his comrade have succeeded to inveigle the Iroquois in -6 — the woods, they would try a circuitous route, aud at tempt to join their own friends who were to send after them, if they were too long absent. " Preparations being made for a start, it was agreed that Cadieux and the Algonquin warrior, well armed, would go towards the Iroquois encampment, and that the sign for the canoes to break cover, and start on their fearful race, would be the firing of their guns. Soon the report of afire-arm was heard in the distance; it was followed by three or four others in quick suc cession ; on went the frail birch canoes, amidst the foam and rocks, flying like sea birds, over the boiling caldron ; it was a race for dear life, the extraordinary and superhuman skill of the red-skins alone, under Providence, saving them from death in a thousand : shapes." " ' I saw nothing during our passage over the rapids,' said Cadieux's wife, a pious woman, 'but the form of a tall lady in white hovering over the canoes, and showing us the way.' They had invoked Ste. Anne, the patron saint of the mariner. " The canoes escaped and safely arrived at the Lake of Two Mountains ; but Cadieux and his devoted follower, what had become of them ? This was ascer tained some time after by the party sent to their res cue, and from the Iroquois themselves. " Cadieux had quietly watched for the Iroquois at the portage, placing himself about an acre from his col league. Allowing the Iroquois scout to penetrate to the centre of the portage, he waited for the death yell of one of them, shot by his helpmate, and then fired with unerring aim : the war whoop resounded, and the Iro quois fancying that they were attacked by a large party olthe enemy, separated and charged in different direc tions. It is supposed that the young Algonquin fell here in attempting to join Cadieux, as was agreed on. For three days the blood-thirsty aborigines scoured the woods to flnd out traces of the encampment, never thinking for a moment that the enemy had been fool hardy enough to attempt descending through the the rapids. For three days and nights they searched for Cadieux, and these were sleepless nights for the white man ! Foiled in their object, they retraced their steps and returned to their canoes. Several days had elapsed, and as no tidings of Cadieux came, a party was formed and sent to scour the woods ; traces of the Iroquois were unmistakeable, and indications also of the presence of Cadieux in the vicinity. At the Por tage des Sept Chutes, they noticed a small hut of bran ches which, apparently, had been abandoned ; they passed it without much search and continued their route, thinking that perhaps Cadieux might have been compelled to ascend the Ottawa and take refuge with the Indians of the island. Two days later — it was the thirteenth day after the skirmish — they noticed,with sur prise, on their return, on repassing what had previously appeared to them an abandoned hut, a small cross. It stood at the head of a fresh grave, on the surface ; in it, was deposited the corpse, still fresh, of Cadieux, half covered with green branches. His hands were clasped over his chest, on which rested a large sheet of birch bark. The general opinion was, on reading the writing scribbled on the bark, and from other circumstances, that exhaustion, hunger, and anxiety had produced on the unfortunate interpreter that kind of mental excite ment, or hallucination which the French Canadians call la folie des hois, one of its peculiarities being, the propen- — -8 — sity its victims have in the woods of walking, uninten tionally, in a circle and without making any progress. Cadieux had, doubtless, lived on wild fruit, never daring to light a fire, for fear of betraying his place of con cealment to his merciless foes. He had grown weaker and weaker daily ; when the relief party had passed the hut two days previously, he had recognized them as friends, but the sudden joy at the prospect of a speedy deliverance was so great that it made him speechless and inanimate ; that when they passed him, seeing the last hope vanish, and feeling his strength fail, he had scribbled his adieux to the living, and then prepared his last resting place ; this done, and the cross erected, he laid himself down to sleep the long sleep, of death, covering his body as best he could with spruce boughs- Cadieux was a voyageur, a poet, and a warrior. What he had written on the bark was his dirge, his funeral chant. Before lying himself down to rest, he, whose imagination revelled in nature's grand scenery, and who could write songs for voyageurs, feeling a return of the sacred fire, embodied in verse his own dirge. "This chaunt, by its simplicity,isvery attractive ; it is much in the style of the old Norman ballads imported in the colony by the flrst settlers. The dying bard addresses himself to the objcf^ts which surround him, telling them of his regret for quitting life ; then, physical pain wrings from him a groan of anguish, which is followed by a sorrowful thought at the loss of those nearest and dearest to his heart. He then next expresses his apprehension on witnessing smoke rise from his hut not far distant ; then tells of the intense joy he experienced on recognizing tbe features of friends in the party sent out to rescue him ; of his utter inability to shout out where he was, and of the — 9 — pang which their flnal departure cost him. Cadieux next sees a wolf and a raven prowling round his ema ciated frame ; the ardor of the hunter, and of the back woodsman fires his eye for a second, he threatens to shoot one ; to the other he cries, avaunt ! go and feast on the bodies of the Iroquois I have slain near by. He next charges the song sparrow (the Rossignol) ta tell his wife and his " well-beloved children, " ; then winds up by an invocation to the Virgin Mary. The piece of bark on which Cadieux's death's song waa written was brought to the post of the Lake of Two Mountains. The voyageurs have set it to a plaintive melody, well suited toa lay intended to portray the arduous life of a hunter and Indian warrior. It runs- thus : — > " Petit rocher d« la Haute mohtagne, Je viens finir ici cette campagne ! Ah ! doux ^chos, entendez mes soupirs ; En languissant je vais bientSt mourrir. Petits oiseaux, vos douces harmonies, Quand vous chantez, me rattachent h. la vie : Ah ! si j 'avals des ailes comme vous, Je s'rais heureux avant qu'il fut deux jours ! Seul en ces bois, que j'ai eu de soucis ! Pensant toujours a mes si chers amis ; Je demandais : Hflas ! sont-ils noy^s ? Les Iroquois les auraient-ils tu^s ! Un de ces jours que m'^tant ^loign^, En revenant je vis une fum^e ; Je me suis dit : Ab ! grand Dieu, qu'est ceci T Les Iroquois m'ont pris mon logis ? — 10 — Je me suis mis un peu a I'embassade, Afin de voir si c'etait embuscade ; Alors je vis trois visages frangais, M'ont mis le coeur d'une trop grande joie ! Mes genoux plient, ma faible voix s'arrfite ; Je tombe Helas ! a partir iis s'apprStent ; Je reste seul Pas un qui me console, Quand la mort vient par un si grand d^sole ! Un loup hurlant vient prfes de ma cabane. Voir si mon feu n'avait plus de boucane ; Je lui ai dit : " Retire-toi d'ici ; Car, par ma foi, je percerai ton habit ! " Un noir corbeau, volant a I'aventure, Vient se percher tout prfes de ma toiture ; Je lui ai dit : " Mangeur de chaire humaine, Va-t'en chercher autre viande que mienne ; " " Va-t'en la-bas, dans ces bois et marais, Tu trouveras plusieurs corps Iroquois f Tu trouveras des chairs, aussi des os ; Va-t'en plus loin, laisse-moi en repos ! " Rossignolet, va dire k ma maitresse, A mes enfants qu'un adieu je leur laisse,