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Higginson, Thomas Wentworth, 1823-1911

"Tales of the Enchanted Islands of the Atlantic"

Lawrence and past the haunted Bay of Chaleurs. They certainlyheard a roaring and a hissing in the distance, but it may have been thewaves on the beach.But this was not their last glimpse of the supposed guardians of the St.Lawrence. As the ship proceeded farther up the beautiful river, they sawone morning a boat come forth from the woods, bearing three men dressed tolook like devils, wrapped in dogs' skins, white and black, their facesbesmeared as black as any coals, with horns on their heads more than ayard long, and as this boat passed the ship, one of the men made a longaddress, not looking towards them. Then they all three fell flat in theboat, when Indians rowed out to meet them and guided them to a landing.Then many Indians collected in the woods and began a loud talk which theycould hear on board the ships and which lasted half an hour. Then two oftheir leaders came towards the shore, holding their hands upward joinedtogether, and meanwhile carrying their hats under their upper garments andshowing great reverence. Looking upward they sometimes cried, "Jesus,Jesus," or "Jesus Maria." Then the captain asked them whether anything illhad happened, and they said in French, "Nenni est il bon," meaning that itwas not good. Then they said that their god Cudraigny had spoken inHochelaga (Montreal) and had sent these three men to show to them thatthere was so much snow and ice in the country that he who went there woulddie.


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