They were well received by natives along the way. On one occasion when they ran into five Iroquois hunters, Cartier wrote that they "came to meet our boats without fear or alarm, and in as familiar a manner as if they seen us all their lives. And when our longboats grounded, one of those men took me in his arms and carried me on shore as easily as if I had been a six-year-old child, so strong and big was that man."

	Jacques Cartier, His First Interview with the Indians at Hochelaga now Montreal in 1535. Artist: Napoleon Sarony after Andrew Morris, National Archives of Canada C-42247

The expedition of three ships landed at a large island in the river on October 2, 1535. Cartier went ashore and set out on foot.

"We marched on, and about half a league thence found the land began to be cultivated. It was fine land with large fields covered with the corn of the country... and in the middle of these fields is situated and stands the village of Hochelega, near and adjacent to a mountain, the slopes of which are fertile and are cultivated, and from the top of which one can see for a long distance. We named this mountain 'Mount Royal.'"

No other European had been this far into the continent before. Cartier arrived at the gates of Hochelega, then went inside, describing later what he found there.

"They have a plant, of which a large supply is collected in summer for the winter's consumption. They hold it in high esteem, though the men alone make use of it in the following manner...

"After drying it in the sun... they crumble this plant into powder, which they place in one of the openings of a hollow instrument. And laying a live coal on top, suck at the other end to such an extent that they fill their bodies so full of smoke that it streams out of their mouths and nostrils as from a chimney."

While Cartier was watching the Hochelgans, they were also regarding him with some awe, remarking at his beard and his European clothing: they had never seen a being anything like him before. More than 1,000 people came out to meet him and his crew.

They exchanged gifts and the natives gave the Europeans fish and food in such quantity that "it seemed to rain bread." The men danced and there was much calling out.

"At once many sick persons, some blind, others with but one eye, others lame or impotent and others again so extremely old that their eyelids hung down to their cheeks, were brought in and set down or laid out near me, in order that I might lay my hands upon them, so that one would have thought Christ had come down to earth to heal them".

The Iroquois leader, Agouhanna, was partially paralyzed and was carried in on a large deerskin and presented to Cartier. "He showed his arms and legs to me motioning to be good enough to touch them, as if he thereby expected to be cured and healed. On this I set about rubbing his arms and legs with my hands."

Cartier, who wrote "I am more than ever of the opinion that these people would be easy to convert to our holy faith," addressed his impromptu assembly, reading the Gospel of St. John, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... "

He played the role of a healing man to find out how to continue on to the Orient. But his ruse could only last so long. He had to get moving or risk being frozen in until spring.

Finally Cartier was forced to make a run back to the Atlantic, but the ice caught his ships near Donnacona's stronghold at Stadacona and they were forced to winter there.