Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 4 (of 8): French Explorations and Settlements in North America and Those of the Portuguese, Dutch, and Swedes 1500-1700
History
Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 4 (of 8): French Explorations and Settlements in North America and Those of the Portuguese, Dutch, and Swedes 1500-1700
America -- Discovery and exploration; America -- History; United States -- History
company, moued as it seemeth with ambition, because they would haue all
the glory of the discouerie of those partes themselues, stole privately
away the next night from us, and, without taking their leaues, departed
home for Bretainye.”
This, however, appears to be wrong; as at the time he is represented as
meeting Roberval at Newfoundland his chief must have been in Canada,
he having left France Aug. 22, 1541. Hakluyt’s informant was confused,
and the ships met by Roberval at Newfoundland may have been those
two despatched by Cartier to France under Jallobert and Noel during
the previous autumn, or else Cartier on his way home in June met
Sainterre.[179]
Jean François de la Roche, Lord of Roberval, in connection with
Cartier, was commissioned for his expedition by a royal patent, Jan.
15, 1540. His fleet consisted of three tall ships and a company of two
hundred persons, including women and gentlemen of quality. Sainterre
was his lieutenant, and Jean Allefonsce his pilot-general. According
to Hakluyt, he sailed from Rochelle, April 14, 1542,—more than a
year after the time originally appointed,—reaching St. John’s,
Newfoundland, June 8, where he found seventeen fishing-vessels. While
delayed here, Hakluyt says, Cartier appeared in the harbor, and
afterward left secretly, as already stated, to return to France. As a
matter of fact, however, Roberval sailed from Honfleur, Aug. 22, 1541.
We must not be misled, therefore, where Hakluyt says that on the last
day of June, 1542, having composed a quarrel between the French and
Portuguese fishermen, he sailed on his voyage through the Gulf. This
he must have done during the preceding autumn. Yet, whenever he may
have ascended the St. Lawrence, Roberval reached the Isle of Orleans
in safety, and found a good harbor. Hakluyt says that at the end of
July he landed his stores, and began to fortify above Quebec at France
Royal;[180] if it was in July, it must have been July, 1542. Roberval,
possibly, reached his winter-quarters in 1541, when it was too late to
fortify. Hakluyt, having been misinformed on the expedition, supposed
that Cartier and Roberval were not together in Canada; but there is
much uncertainty in any conclusion.
A strong, elevated, and beautiful situation was selected by Roberval,
with “two courtes of buildings, a great toure, and another of fourtie
or fiftie foote long; wherein there were diuers chambers, an hall, a
kitchine, houses of office, sellers high and lowe, and neere vnto were
an oven and milles, and a stoue to warme men in, and a well before the
house.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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