However nobody seemed to worry too much about the long distances to travel. "We leave on foot or in a canoe to go from Quebec to Ville-Marie (Montreal) or from both heads of the Great Lakes, happily and as light footed as if we had to go to the neighbor's house".

This canoe which can be considered fragile and robust at the same time, required constant care. Shallow rocks, or drifting logs, could easily tear its side. The travelers would have had to bring a repair kit containing a roll of bark, animal skin string or small roots and firtree sap. When hard luck hit their canoe, the tear is quickly repaired with ochre.

Three or four days later, they could expect to reach Three Rivers. Traveling would have been done by day to avoid the shallow rocks. Tides, heavy winds and bad weather were many other factors that made these trips very rough. They had to be on constant alert to prevent being attacked by the Iroquois who were always on the lookout for travelers and Hurons, their favorite enemies. The food that they brought with them would be flour, peas, dry meat, but fishing and hunting provided most of their meals.

Usually to avoid being attacked, the travelers had to sleep in their canoes in the middle of the river. One of them would stay awake to prevent sudden moves from those sleeping so that the fragile canoe did not capsize.

It is believed the fleet arrived at Saint-Marie about 35 days later, possibly on September 10, 1648.

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