Indians. They showed him a second stream, the Ottawa, as
great, they said, as the St Lawrence, whose north-westward
course Cartier supposed must run through the kingdom of
Saguenay. As the savages pointed to the Ottawa, they took
hold of a silver chain on which hung the whistle that
Cartier carried, and then touched the dagger of one of
the sailors, which had a handle of copper, yellow as
gold, as if to show that these metals, or rather silver
and gold, came from the country beyond that river. This,
at least, was the way that Cartier interpreted the simple
and evident signs that the Indians made. The commentators
on Cartier's voyages have ever since sought some other
explanation, supposing that no such metals existed in
the country. The discovery of the gold and silver deposits
of the basin of the Ottawa in the district of New Ontario
shows that Cartier had truly understood the signs of the
Indians. If they had ever seen silver before, it is
precisely from this country that it would have come.
Cartier was given to understand, also, that in this same
region there dwelt another race of savages, very fierce,
and continually at war.

The party descended from the mountain and pursued their
way towards the boats. Their Indian friends hung upon
their footsteps, showing evidences of admiration and
affection, and even carried in their arms any of the
French who showed indications of weariness. They stood
about with every sign of grief and regret as the sails
were hoisted and the boats bearing the wonderful beings
dropped swiftly down the river. On October 4, the boats