the first light of the morning. A few of their number
were left to guard the boats; the others, accompanied by
some of the Indians, set out on foot for Hochelaga. Their
way lay over a beaten path through the woods. It brought
them presently to the tall palisades that surrounded the
group of long wooden houses forming the Indian settlement.
It stood just below the slope of the mountain, and covered
a space of almost two acres. On the map of the modern
city this village of Hochelaga would be bounded by the
four streets, Metcalfe, Mansfield, Burnside, and Sherbrooke,
just below the site of McGill University. But the visit
of Cartier is an event of such historic interest that it
can best be narrated in the words of his own narrative.
We may follow here as elsewhere the translation of Hakluyt,
which is itself three hundred years old, and seems in
its quaint and picturesque form more fitting than the
commoner garb of modern prose.

Our captain [so runs the narrative], the next day very
early in the morning, having very gorgeously attired
himself, caused all his company to be set in order to
go to see the town and habitation of these people, and
a certain mountain that is somewhere near the city; with
whom went also five gentlemen and twenty mariners,
leaving the rest to keep and look to our boats. We took
with us three men of Hochelaga to bring us to the place.
All along as we went we found the way as well beaten
and frequented as can be, the fairest and best country
that can possibly be seen, full of as goodly great oaks
as are in any wood in France, under which the ground