August 3d, he sailed to France.
Champlain was a good advertising agent, as the following shows: "During
my sojourn at the settlement I had some of the common corn cut--that
is, the French corn that had been planted there--which was very
beautiful, in order to carry some to France, to show that this soil
is very good and fertile. There was also some very fine Indian corn
and some grafts and trees that we had brought thither." This contrasts
favourably with the gloomy report given to France by Jacques Cartier of
the Canadian climate, which doubtless influenced the delay of organized
colonization. It is evident that Champlain was still thinking of making
Montreal a permanent settlement. From the memoirs of 1615-16 we learn
that Champlain before leaving for France took with him to Quebec an
Indian, Daronthal or Aronthal, whom he called his host. This man,
after admiring the buildings and the civilization of the settlement
of Quebec, and being desirous that his people should become better
acquainted with the religion of the Christians "in order to learn to
serve God and to understand our way of living," suggested that they
should be attracted to live with the settlers.
"He suggested," says Champlain, "that for the advancement of this work,
we should make another settlement at the St. Louis rapids, so as to
give them a safe passage of the river, for fear of their enemies; and
said that once they would come in great numbers to us to live there
like brothers. I promised to do this as soon as I could." Daronthal was
sent back with this promise to his companions at St. Louis rapids, but
it was reserved for Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, twenty-six
years later to carry it out.
FOOTNOTES:
[23] Through the intervention of and in the presence of Pierre du Gas,
Sieur de Monts, as the matrimonial contract dated Paris, December
27, 1610, states, Champlain had contracted to marry after two years
Hélène de Boullé, a young girl not yet in her twelfth year and not
yet marriageable, the daughter of Nicolas Boullé, secretary of the
King's Chamber, a Huguenot like his friend de Monts. In this contract
Champlain made her heiress of all the property that he might be able to
leave, and her parents consented to give him before the marriage 6,000
_livres_.
On the 29th of December, in the church of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois,
Champlain was handed over four thousand five hundred of the promised
_livres_. On the next day the marriage took place. Hélène Boullé became
a Catholic after two years. Shortly after the marriage Champlain left
for New France, leaving his wife behind. We find him at the Grand Sault
on May 28, 1611.
[24] The Lachine Rapids.
[25] Lake of Two Mountains.
[26] Dollier de Casson says in his "Historic de Montréal" that
Champlain cut down many trees for firewood and also to guarantee
himself against ambuscades.
[27] Ile Normandin.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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