Pelts and palisades: The story of fur and the rivalry for pelts in early AmericaHale, Nathaniel C. (Nathaniel Claiborne)
History
Pelts and palisades: The story of fur and the rivalry for pelts in early America
Hale, Nathaniel C. (Nathaniel Claiborne)
Fur trade -- Canada; Fur trade -- United States; United States -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
Saint Just’s father, Sieur de Poutrincourt, had been granted the
country originally by de Monts, and now held it under an independent
patent from the king. Although, all in all, Poutrincourt and his son
made a pretty profit from their patent, they met with difficulty in
getting their full share of the furs being collected. Taxes of course
are always unpopular, especially among frontiersmen. The traders across
the bay at St. Croix were recalcitrant, and there were even more
serious dissensions at Port Royal itself on this score.
Among the inhabitants of Port Royal were two lately-arrived Jesuit
priests who had purchased part ownership in a trading vessel and
were stirring up no end of trouble for Saint Just. One of these
fathers, Pierre Biard, was particularly obstreperous, objecting to the
vice-admiral’s profits, giving unwanted advice on trading, and even
trying to take over control of the colony according to his enemies. He
was accused of pitting Catholics against Huguenots, and he did actually
bring about the excommunication of Saint Just. Some said he partook too
freely of the bottle.
In any event, Father Biard accompanied Saint Just on his voyage along
the southern coast and liked the lay of the country. He thought it
offered special opportunities for a profitable trade in furs, and he
felt that if he could but have a colony of his own there he would
use the profits of trade with the savages for the maintenance of the
Jesuits rather than let it be “lost in the hands of the merchants.”
Upon his return to Port Royal, Biard and his brother priest proceeded
to do something about it. Writing to their patron at the French court,
Madame deGuercheville, the Jesuits told her of their troubles and their
aspirations. Whereupon that well-connected lady acquired a patent to
the southern coast, granted the fathers their wish for a colony of
their own and sent over a ship to settle them there at her expense. In
the spring of 1613 the Jesuit colony was planted--Saint Sauveur it was
called--on Mt. Desert Island in Maine.
But no sooner were the Frenchmen seated than they were murderously
surprised by the English.
Captain Samuel Argall out of Jamestown in his heavily armed ship,
the _Treasurer_, happened to be trading and fishing in the vicinity.
Learning from the Indians of the presence of the French vessel at Mount
Desert and the colony being planted there, he attacked so suddenly
that he met with practically no resistance. Two Frenchmen were killed.
Father Biard and fourteen others were taken to Jamestown as prisoners
and the remainder were ordered by Argall to find their way home as best
they could in any fishing or trading vessels they might happen upon
along the coast.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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