navigation very dangerous; more especially as to the southward of that
river there are two islands, around which for above three leagues there
are many rocks and great stones, and only two fathoms water. Besides the
direction of the tide among these islands and rocks is very uncertain
and changeable; so that if it had not been for our boats, we had been in
great danger of losing our pinnace. In coasting along, we found above 30
fathoms water just off shore, except among these rocks and islands.
About 5 leagues beyond the river Saguenay, to the S.W. there is another
island on the north side containing high land, where we proposed to have
come to anchor in waiting for the next tide of flood, but we had no
ground with a line of 120 fathom only an arrow-shot from shore; so that
we were obliged to return to that island, where we had 35 fathoms. We
set sail again next morning to proceed onwards; and this day we got
notice of a strange kind of _fish_ which had never been seen before,
which are called _Adhothuys_ by the natives. They are about the bigness
of a porpoise, but no way like them, having well proportioned bodies and
heads like a greyhound, their whole bodies being entirely white without
spot. There are great numbers of them in this river, and they always
keep in the water, the natives saying that they are very savoury and
good eating, and are nowhere else to be found but in the mouth of this
river. On the 6th of September we proceeded about 15 leagues farther up
the river, where we found an island having a small haven towards the
north, around which there were innumerable large tortoises. There are
here likewise vast numbers of the _fish_ called _Adhothuys_, already
mentioned; and the rapidity of the tide at this place is as great as it
is at Bourdeaux in France. This island is about three leagues long and
two broad, all of rich fertile soil, having many fine trees of various
kinds; among which were many filbert trees, full of nuts, which we found
to be larger and better than ours but somewhat harder, on which account
we named it _Isle aux Condres_, or Filbert Island.