CONTENTS—French Missionaries—First in 1615—Recollets—With Champlain— Jesuits, in 1625—Valuable records—Bishopric of Quebec, 1674—First Bishop of Canada, Laval—Rivalry—Power of Jesuits—Number of Missionaries—Their “Relations”—First mission field; Bay Quinté region—“Antient mission”—How founded—First missionaries—Kleus, abbe D’Urfé—La Salle, to build a church—The ornaments and sacred vessels—The site of the “Chappel,” uncertain—Bald Bluff, Carrying Place—Silver crosses—Mission at Georgian Bay—The “Christian Islands”—Chapel at Michilmicinac, 1679—The natives attracted— Subjects of the French King—Francois Picquet—La Presentation— _Soegasti_—The most important mission—The object—Six Nations—The Missionary’s living—“Disagreeable expostulations”—Putting stomach in order—Trout—Picquet’s mode of teaching Indians—The same afterward adopted by Rev. W. Case—Picquet’s success—Picquet on a voyage—At Fort Toronto—Mississaugas request—Picquet’s reply—A slander—At Niagara, Oswego—At Frontenac—Grand reception—Return to La Presentation—Picquet in the last French war—Returns to France— By Mississippi—“Apostles of Peace”—Unseemly strife—Last of the Jesuits in Canada. THE FIRST FRENCH MISSIONARIES. In introducing this subject, we propose first to glance at the original French Missionaries, and then at the first Protestant Missionaries and clergymen, who labored in the Atlantic Provinces. The first missionaries of Christianity to America, came to Canada in the year 1615. They were four in number, and belonged to the order of Recollets, or Franciscans, of Spanish origin, a sect who attended to the spiritual wants of the people without accepting any remuneration. Four of these devoted men attended Champlain on his second visit to Canada in 1615. Three years later the Pope accorded the charge of missions in Canada to the Recollets of Paris. In 1625 members of the society of Jesus likewise entered the mission of America. Ignatius Loyola founded the Jesuit society in 1521. These two orders of Roman Catholics, especially the Jesuits, contributed much to the advancement of French interests in Canada, and by their learning assisted greatly to elevate the people. Side by side they traversed the vast wilderness of America, with the intrepid explorers, and by their close observations, committed to paper, they have left most valuable records of the country in its primeval state; and the different tribes of savages that held possession of the country.