Early this morning we had a view of a very high promontory, which we were informed terminates a chain of mountains, that reach near five hundred leagues to the westward. This promontory is called Cape Torment. A number of islands now presented themselves to our view, among which is that of Orleans, which forms a most beautiful prospect, a clear open country, with villages, and churches innumerable, and being all whitewashed on the outside, gave them a neat, elegant appearance, from our ships. This island is about fourteen leagues in circumference; it produces excellent wheat and fine fruits, and forms two channels, of which the south is the most navigable. Here the water becomes fit to drink; for it is brackish at Cape Torment, though it is an hundred and ten leagues from the sea.
From the island of Orleans the river grows so narrow, that before Quebec it is not a mile over. The Point Levy, which juts out beyond the isle of Orleans, entirely hides the south channel of the river, as the Isle of Orleans does that on the north; so that from thence to the port of Quebec appears like a large bason, or bay, land locked on all sides, and capable of containing one hundred ships of the line, at four hundred and twenty miles distance from the sea.
In the river St. Lawrence, are sea wolves, sea cows, porpoises, the chaourasou, turtles, lobsters, sea plaise, salmon, trouts, with a variety of other fish. The sea wolf, so called from its howling, is an amphibious creature; his head resembles that of a dog; he has four very short legs, of which the fore ones have nails, but the hind ones terminate in fins. The largest are said to weigh two thousand pounds, and are of different colours. Their flesh is good eating, but the profit of it lies in its oil, which is proper for burning, and currying leather. Their skins make excellent covering for trunks, and though not so fine as morocco leather, they preserve their freshness better, and are less liable to crack. The shoes and boots made of these skins do not admit water, and when properly tanned make excellent and lasting covers for seats. The sea cow, is larger than the sea wolf, but resembles it in figure. It is as white as snow, and has two teeth of the thickness and length of a man's arm, that, when grown, look like horns, and are very fine ivory, as well as its other teeth. It seldom happens that they are caught in the water, but they are taken on shore by the following stratagem. The inhabitants of Arcadia, tie a bull to a stake, fixt on the shore, in the depth of about two feet water; they then beat, and otherwise torment him, by twisting his tail, until they make him roar; which as soon as these animals hear, they make towards the shore, and when they get into shallow water, they crawl to the bull, and are taken with little difficulty. The Arcadians as well as the Indians eat some parts of this animal, and what they dislike they boil with its fat, to an oily or greasy substance, with which they save or cure the skins of other animals for leather.
Some of the porpoises of the river St. Lawrence, are said to yield a hogshead of oil, and of their skins made waistcoats, which are exceeding strong, and musket proof.
The chaourasou is an armed fish, resembling a pike; but is covered with scales, that are proof against a dagger; some of them are above five feet long, and about the thickness of a man's thigh: this fish is said even to catch and devour birds; in order to which, he conceals himself among the canes, or reeds, in such a manner, that nothing is to be seen besides his weapon, which he holds, raised perpendicularly above the surface of the water: the birds which come to take rest, imagining the weapon to be only a withered reed, make no scruple of perching upon it; but they are no sooner alighted, than the fish opens his throat, and so suddenly makes at his prey, that it rarely escapes.
SOURCE: Roger Lamb, An Original and Authentic Journal of Occurrences During the Late American War, from its Commencement to the Year 1783, pp. 69-71
