Narrative of a Voyage to the West Indies and Mexico in the Years 1599-1602 — John Shaqi
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
The relation of this voyage was never published, and this should rather
confirm the supposition that the manuscript had been presented to M.
Chastes. It was evidently finished in haste; as the omission of several
drawings, which are mentioned but not inserted, and the character of
the writing, shews. Champlain returned from this voyage early in 1602,
and before the autumn of the year was occupied in making preparations
for his first voyage to Canada, before his return from which in the
next year, 1603, M. de Chastes had died. Had Champlain kept the
manuscript of his West India voyage, he would surely have published it
in 1604, at the same time that the account of his first expedition to
Canada was printed, and to none is it so likely that he would have
given his "Brief Discourse" as to his best friend and patron, at whose
death (he died at Dieppe) it would pass into private hands, or the
Minime Convent, and be lost sight of.
The narrative is highly interesting as exhibiting the state of some of
the West India Islands two hundred and fifty years ago, many of them
being then uninhabited by Europeans; and of the condition of Mexico,
and of the Spanish policy there, where no foreigner was then permitted
to set his foot. Gage, who travelled some five and twenty years after
Champlain, bears witness to the difficulty of proceeding thither, being
obliged to hide himself in an empty biscuit-cask to avoid the search of
the Spanish officials, till the vessel in which he had embarked should
sail.
The account of the capture of Porto-rico, by the Earl of Cumberland,
and the state in which it appeared, after the English had abandoned the
island, is curious; and the combat with the Anglo-Franco-Flemish fleet,
amusing. The idea of the junction of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans is
also remarkable.
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