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
Champlain remained nearly five weeks in London, preparing a report for
the king of all that had occurred; the capitulation with General Kerk,
and a map of all the country taken by the English and claimed by the
French in virtue of first discovery; and waiting for news from France,
but none arriving, the ambassador allowed him to depart, giving him
letters for the Cardinal (Richelieu), with the assurance that the
English government had promised to give up the colony, and all property
captured. He accordingly left London on the 30th December, for "Larie"
(Rye), as being the nearest port to Dieppe, meeting on the road the
elder De Caen, on his way to London, in the hope of recovering his
peltries and other property.[27] Embarking the next day, he arrived
safely at Dieppe.
[27] De Caen found means not only to disarm suspicion of his
treachery and collusion with Michel, but contrived to obtain a
sort of compensation for his exclusion from the company of the
"Cent Associés." On the 1st January, 1633, Cardinal Richelieu
gave permission to the Sieur Guillaume De Caen to establish
colonies on certain islands in the West Indies, with exclusive
privileges for a term of years, "provided the said islands were
not already inhabited by Christians, and that none but Roman
Catholics should be allowed to settle there." I cannot find any
further mention of De Caen and his enterprises.
After a few days repose at Dieppe and Rouen, Champlain proceeded to
Paris, where he presented himself to the king, Cardinal Richelieu, and
the "associates" of the company, giving a full account of his
proceedings, etc. Letters were despatched from the French government,
to London, to demand restitution of the fort and settlement of Quebec,
and the other places captured in Canada, and on the coast of Acadia.
Restitution of Quebec was promised by the king of England, but no
mention made of Acadia. These promises were renewed from time to time,
without any appearance even of performance, so that the company finding
that "restitution" seemed as far off as ever, supplicated the king to
send six ships of war, in company with four of their vessels, to the
St. Lawrence, to resume possession of the colony according to
agreement; and that if the English should not consent to give it up,
that they "should be constrained by all just and legal methods,"
_i.e._, by force. The company proposed to pay the interest of the sum
requisite for the equipment of the royal ships. This petition was
granted, and the Chevalier de Rasilly was appointed commander of the
fleet; and the vessels were prepared for sailing, when the English
government, taking umbrage at this extraordinary armament,
remonstrated; and the French king, fully occupied with his Italian
wars, put off all interference till they should be over; so that the
armament was countermanded, the voyage abandoned, and matters remained
for the present _in statu quo_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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