The Makers of Canada: ChamplainDionne, N.-E. (Narcisse-Eutrope)
History
The Makers of Canada: Champlain
Dionne, N.-E. (Narcisse-Eutrope)
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Champlain, Samuel de, 1574-1635
Champlain and Pont-Grave intended to return to France during the summer
of 1606. Seeing that the vessels promised by de Monts had not arrived,
they set out from Port Royal to Cape Breton or Gaspe, in search of a
vessel to cross the Atlantic, but when they were approaching Canseau,
they met Ralleau, the secretary of de Monts, who informed them that a
vessel had been despatched under the command of Poutrincourt, with
fifty settlers for the country. They, therefore, returned to Port Royal,
where they found Poutrincourt, who as lieutenant-general of de Monts
intended to remain at Port Royal during the year.
On September 5th, Champlain left Port Royal on a voyage of discovery.
Poutrincourt joined the expedition, and they took with them a physician,
the carpenter Champdore, and Robert Grave, the son of Francois. This
last voyage, undertaken to please de Monts, did not result in anything
remarkable. They first paid a visit to Ste. Croix, where everything
remained unchanged, although the gardens were flourishing. From Ste.
Croix the expedition drifted southwards, and Champlain pointed out the
same bays, harbours, capes and mountains that he had observed before.
Schoudon, chief of the Etchemins, and Messamouet, captain of the
Micmacs, joined the party, and proceeded with them as far as Chouacouet,
where they intended to form an alliance with Olmechin and Marchim, two
Indian chiefs of this country.
On October 2nd, 1606, the expedition reached Mallebarre, and for a few
days they anchored in a bay near Cape Batturier, which they named Port
Fortune (Chatham). Five or six hundred savages were found at this place.
"It would be an excellent place," says Champlain, "to erect buildings,
and lay the foundation of a state, if the harbour was somewhat deeper
and the entrance safer." Poutrincourt stopped here for some days, and
in the meantime visited all the surrounding country, from which he
returned much pleased.
According to a custom peculiar to the French since the days of Jacques
Cartier, de Monts had planted a large cross at the entrance of the
Kennebec River, and also at Mallebarre. Poutrincourt did the same at
Port Fortune. The Indians seemed annoyed at this ceremony, which they
evidently considered as an encroachment upon their rights as
proprietors. They exhibited symptoms of discontent, and during the night
they killed four Frenchmen who had imprudently stayed ashore. They were
buried near the cross. This the Indians immediately threw down, but
Poutrincourt ordered it to be restored to its former position.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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