Page:Memoirs of a Huguenot Family.djvu/398

 390 river, to the westward of these same mountains, discharging itself into a large lake called Thoyago, which pours its waters through a large navigable river into a boundless sea, where, they told him, they had seen prodigious large canoes, with three masts, and men almost as fair as himself, if I mistake not; for, as I have read a History of the travels of an Indian towards those regions, as well as those of Mr. Cox, the reports of the natives to both of them as to the large canoes are so similar, that I perhaps may confound one with the other. Mr. Cox's book, I imagine, is very scarce. I know of but one copy in this colony, of which I had an accidental, and therefore a cursory view, about four years ago. It is a small octavo volume, entitled Cox's Carolana, that country being thus called from the Donor.

Now, sir, though this narrative hath in it something of the romantic air of the voyager, yet the author's accounts of such branches of that river, and such parts of that country, even as high up as the latitude of Huron's Lake, and also his description of the extent, situation, shape, soundings and other properties of the Lakes now confessedly navigated by him, together with his character of the circumjacent lands, are said to have been found just by late discoveries, as far as discoveries have been made. And, if so, it is but reasonable to give credit to what he tells us concerning others of its waters and countries, into which, perhaps, no British subject has ever since penetrated. I presume the credit which Colonel Fry gave to Mr. Cox, and his recommending these matters to the consideration of the Governor and Council, gave birth to a grand scheme formed here about three years ago. But this is only a conjecture, founded on my having seen that book at his house.