Narrative of a Voyage to the West Indies and Mexico in the Years 1599-1602Champlain, Samuel de
History
Narrative of a Voyage to the West Indies and Mexico in the Years 1599-1602
Champlain, Samuel de
Mexico -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; West Indies -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
While Champlain was thus busily occupied, Mons. de Monts, who was then
governor of Pons, in Saintonge, having remained at Paris to settle some
private affairs, was again attacked and worried by the complaints of
his former opponents, "the Bretons, Basques, and Normans," and, they
again getting the ear of persons in power, De Monts was for the second
time deprived of his privilege, and this time without any compensation.
He wrote an account of the whole business to Champlain, who immediately
returned to France, and, after having informed De Monts of his labours
at Quebec, made a full report of all to the king, who received both him
and it with much satisfaction.
De Monts endeavoured by every possible means to obtain a third
commission, but his enemies were too powerful, and so managed matters
that all his attempts and labour were in vain. Nevertheless, being
extremely desirous of settling in the new country, he resolved, with or
without commission, to continue his establishment there, and explore
the country inland on the upper part of the St. Laurence; and for the
better execution of the project he again equipped two ships, in
conjunction with a company formed under the auspices of Father Coton
(confessor to Henry IV) and of Madame de Guercheville, and which had
obtained certain privileges for the establishment of a Jesuit mission
in New France.[18] The vessels being ready, Champlain and Du Pont Gravé
embarked with labourers and artisans of all kinds, and arriving at
Tadoussac and Quebec, found all things in good and flourishing
condition.
[18] The Jesuits did not send a mission until the next year,
1611. Madame de Guercheville was the wife of M. de Liancour,
"premier écuyer" to the king, and governor of Paris: she was one
of the most ardent supporters of the Jesuits, as the following
trait will shew: "When the expedition of M. de Biencour, son of
M. de Poitrincourt, was preparing at Dieppe in 1611, the Jesuits
sent two of their company, the fathers Biart and Rémond Massé, to
join it, and proceed to establish a mission in Canada. On their
arrival at Dieppe, the Sieurs du Querne and Jourdain, Protestants
and members of the Company of New France, would not allow them to
embark, treating them with disdain and contumely. At which Madame
de Guercheville was so indignant that, aided by the influence of
Father Coton, she managed to force the recusant Protestants to
quit the company, with an indemnity of four thousand livres for
their shares."--Asselini, MS. Chronicle, 1682.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account