[Footnote 51:  It is impossible to give any explanation of this ridiculous account of the esurgny, any farther than that the Frenchmen were either imposed upon by the natives, or misunderstood them from not knowing their language.  In a subsequent part of the voyages of Cartier, this substance is called Esnoguy.—­E.]

When we came near the town, a vast number of the inhabitants came out to meet us, and received us in the most cordial manner, while the guides led us to the middle of the town, in which there is a large open square, a good stones throw from side to side, in which they desired us by signs to remain.  Then all the women and girls of the place gathered together in the square, many of whom carried young children in their arms; as many of them as could get forwards came up and rubbed our faces, arms, and bodies, giving every token of joy and gladness for having seen us, and requiring us by signs to touch their children.  After this, the men caused the women to withdraw, and all sat down on the ground round about us, as if they meant to represent some comedy or shew.  The women came back, each of them carrying a square matt like a carpet, which they spread out on the ground and caused us to sit down on them.  When this was done, Agouhanna, the king or lord of the town, was brought into the square on the shoulders of nine or ten men.  He sat upon a large deer skin, and was set down on one of the matts near our captain, all the people signifying to us by signs that this was their king.  Agouhanna was apparently about fifty years old, and no way better clothed than any of the rest, except that he had a kind of red wreath round his head instead of a crown, which was made of the skins of hedgehogs.  He was full of palsy, and all his limbs were shrunk and withered.  After he had saluted our captain and all the company, welcoming us all to his town by signs and gestures, he shewed his shrunk legs and arms to the captain, desiring him to touch them, which he did accordingly, rubbing them with his hands.  Then Agouhanna took the crown or fillet from his own head, and gave it to our captain; after which several diseased men were brought before the captain, some blind and others cripple, lame or impotent of their limbs, that he might touch them, as they seemed to think that God had come down from heaven to heal them.  Some of these men were so old that the hair of their eyebrows grew down over their cheeks.  Seeing the misery and devotion of these ignorant people, our captain recited the commencement of the gospel of St John, “In the beginning was the word,” &c. touching all the diseased persons, and prayed to God that he would open the hearts of these deluded people, making them to know his holy word, and to receive baptism and the Christian faith.  He then opened a service-book, and read over the passion of Christ with an audible voice; during which all the natives kept a profound silence, looking up to heaven and imitating all our