M. B. Sulte, in a paper read before the Royal Society, in May, 1882, collected a mass of useful information regarding the interpreters of the time of Champlain. The most remarkable of them were Jacques Hertel (Sieur de la Frenière), François Marguerie, Jean, Jean-Paul and Thomas Godefroy, Olivier Le Tartif, Jean Nicolet and Nicolas Marsolet. Every one of these men had a career of adventure, full of the spirit of romance. Some of them were men of family; nearly all were scholars. Marguerie, when in captivity, traced on skin, with colored grease, a narrative of his misfortunes and need of help, in Latin, French, English, Dutch and Indian. His sister married Jacques Hertel, who has left a multitude of descendants. Besides the aforementioned, there were, in Champlain's time, several others who acted as interpreters, such as Etienne Brulé, who with Thomas (possibly Godefroy) accompanied Champlain to the Huron County in 1615, and who ultimately fell a victim to the cruel vindictiveness of savage foes and was burned at the stake. He is believed to have been the French boy left by Champlain with his Algonquin and Huron allies in 1610, when he took one of their number, Savignon, with him to France. Nicolas de Vignau and Gros Jean, of Dieppe-of whom the former deceived Champlain as to the North-west passage, and the latter attached himself to the English and served under Kirke-may be added to the number.*

Down to 1628 there were altogether more than a dozen interpreters in the vicinity of the Lakes. The missionaries were, of course, practically interpreters-the first essential to success in their labors being a knowledge of the language of the aborigines.

To trace the zig-zag wanderings of the interpreters who succeeded would be to narrate the history of the continent— its trade, its wars, its diplomacy, its missions. Wherever the Europeans went in pursuit of land, or gold, or power,

A young Greek, who was in Quebec with the founder of that city just before its capture by Kirk, merits a place in the list. Voyages de Champlain, p. 1154.

the interpreter was sure to make his appearance. Sometimes they were Europeans, sometimes Indians, sometimes half-breeds. They were of all grades of society, from the lowest to the highest-bushrangers, men of science, artists, warriors, preachers of the Gospel. Some served occasionally, as circumstances demanded; other were regularly employed and paid by the authorities; others freely devoted their hardly gained knowledge of the Indian tongues to the cause of evangelization, of science or of trade.

THE OLD WATER COURSES.

In the January, 1890, number of Canadiana reference is made to the lake on the Lachine flats and the canal system supposed to have existed between Lachine and Montreal. The researches of Mr. Robert C. Douglas, as stated in the March, 1890, number of this publication, showed that this proposed canal system had not been fully completed. These local questions have an interest for archæologists, and as each one contributes his mite, the pieces are collected until, like a ripped manuscript gathered out of the waste paper basket, the facts which the original contained are brought out, although one portion might have led to a doubtful conclusion. If we speculate it is with the hope that we may at last arrive at the truth.

Looking at Champlain's map of the Island of Montreal, which is to be found in his narrative, it will be noticed that a large portion of the flats below the Lachine Rapids, near Cote St. Paul, were covered with water. Admitting that this visit was a hurried one, covering but a day, and that the incident of the loss of a canoe and one of his men may have disturbed the explorer, still anything stated by Champlain deserves careful attention as being prima facie correct. Were the date of his visit when the river was dammed by the ice, it might have been supposed that these flats were

thus covered with water; the date was 11th June, 1611, therefore this supposition must be set aside.

Was a considerable portion of this flat covered with water at the time? In support of the probability it may be said (1) that Champlain was a reliable witness and an intelligent one; (2) that the maps of N. Bellin, 1744, show a lake in this neighborhood stretching from near Lachine village to Cote St. Paul; (3) that this lake was known even to old men now living; (4) that the low lie of the land and its present swampy state are evidences of its being near the present water level.

If Champlain's map was correct, then the present St. Paul flat has been reclaimed from the water since.

The changes in the St. Pierre River, which was somewhat modified by the drainage system, and in part adopted for the drainage of Lachine, shows the continued tendency to make dry land of what was water in Champlain's time.

It is well known that to traverse this swamp the original Montreal & Lachine Railway was piled, and the piles are still there.

Upon the subject of our watercourses, it may interest some persons to look at the old maps of the city of Montreal, and there note the rivulet where Craig street now is. Some fifty years since this creek divided the roadway for its whole length from St. Antoine street to St. Denis street. Bridges were necessary to cross this creek at St. Antoine, Bleury, St. Lawrence and other streets. Afterwards, this creek was tunnelled and a broad roadway formed as now exists. This rivulet or creek was the outlet for the several brooks of the west and east ends of the city. On the west the brooks, being the overflow of certain springs now covered up, may be noted. 1st. One on the Desrivières (now Redpath) property. 2nd One on Judge Smith's property south of Sherbrooke street, near the corner of Peel street. 3rd. One at the gate on University street of the McGill College ground (the McGill-Burnside property)

all of which brooks had cut gullys (traces of which may still be seen at the corner of Sherbrooke and University streets) and found their way in an united brook on a line between the present Aylmer street and Union avenue. A second brook from the uplands came down parallel with St. Lawrence street, a little to the east of this street, into Craig street, and two streams came across the Ordnance lands, now the Park or the Logan estate, into Craig street rivulet, whilst the whole thus found its way into the main rivulet on the present Craig street. It dragged its slow length along, joined by rivulets from the Beaver Meadows, and emptied at Handyside's distillery, as Ruisseau Migeon, into the St. Lawrence.

Another creek or rivulet on the Island of Montreal on the city side to be noted is the St. Pierre, finding its way by two branches to the St. Lawrence, one emptying opposite Nuns' Island, and the other crossing St. Joseph street (now Notre Dame street west) near Dow's brewery, thence through the old Montreal College grounds, thence across McGill street, where there was a bridge, thence along Commissioners street, to empty into the St. Lawrence at Pointe à Callières.

When the city of Montreal was incorporated in 1840, or shortly thereafter, the Craig street creek was tunnelled, and the water west of St. Lawrence street was turned westward (contrary to its natural course), and a cut made to connect it with the St. Pierre.

A reference to the old maps and to the present officials may verify or correct these rough notes thus thrown together to meet the request of some enquiries made of an old inhabitant of Montreal.

When the authoress of "The Backwoods of Canada" arrived in Montreal in August, 1832, she wrote:—

"We were struck by the dirty, narrow, ill-paved or unpaved streets of the suburbs, and overpowered by the

noisome vapor arising from a deep fosse that ran along the street behind the wharf.

"This ditch seemed the receptacle of every abomination, and sufficient in itself to infect a whole town with malignant fever." D. D.

I am indebted to the officials in the City Surveyor's Department for the following information:

The only portion of the old "creek" remaining uncovered in 1845 was in the neighborhood of Chaboillez Square, from Dow's brewery to St. Antoine street, the remaining portion in Foundling and Craig streets being covered.

The original creek had an outfall opposite the present Custom House, from where it passed westward along Foundling and College streets to Chaboillez Square, where it was joined by the St. Pierre rivulet, that passed under the Lachine Canal; from the junction of Chaboillez and College streets it passed northward across Chaboillez Square, where it was joined by the rivulet from the west, that is now drained by Bonaventure main sewer. From the junction of Notre Dame street (then St. Joseph) and Chaboillez Square it passed eastward along Craig street, passed St. Lawrence, St. Denis and Papineau road at Dorchester street, where it branched northwards into several small tributaries.

REMINISCENCES OF COL. CLAUS.

BY MR. ERNEST CRUIKSHANK.

VI.

ED.

In anticipation of the return of the Indians from the Lake of Two Mountains to their homes, it would appear that an attempt had been made to draw a reinforcement from those with Proctor's army. On the 12th August a meeting of the Indians was held at the cross roads to receive the report of the embassy sent to Detroit for this purpose. There were present representing the Indian department, besides Col.