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Voyages of Samuel de Champlain V3

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During these altercations, it was impossible for me, as the time of my
departure was very near at hand, to do anything for the habitation at
Quebec, for repairing and enlarging which I desired to take out some
workmen. It was accordingly necessary to go out this year without any
farther organization. The passports of Monseigneur le Prince were made out
for four vessels, which were already in readiness for the voyage, viz.
three from Rouen and one from La Rochelle, on condition that each should
furnish four men for my assistance, not only in my discoveries but in war,
as I desired to keep the promise which I had made to the Ochataiguins [29]
in the year 1611, to assist them in their wars at the time of my next
voyage.

As I was preparing to set out, I was informed that the Parliamentary Court
of Rouen would not permit the publication of the commission of the King,
because his Majesty had reserved to himself and his Council the sole
cognizance of the differences which might arise in this matter; added to
which was the fact that the merchants of St. Malo were also opposed to it.
This greatly embarrassed me, and obliged me to make three journeys to
Rouen, with orders of his Majesty, in consideration of which the Court
desisted from their inhibition, and the assumptions of the opponents were
overruled. The commission was then published in all the ports of Normandy.

ENDNOTES:

25. For a brief notice of the Count de Soissons, _vide_ Vol. I. note 74;
also note by Laverdière, Quebec ed., p. 433.

26. This Commission, dated October 15, 1612, will be found in Champlain's
issue of 1632. _Vide_ Quebec ed., p 887.

27. Henry de Bourbon. _Vide_ Vol. I. p 113, note 75.

28. Champlain was appointed lieutenant of the Prince de Condé on the 22d
day of November, 1612. _Vide_ issue of 1632, Quebec ed., p. 1072.

29. Ochateguins, or Hurons.




CHAPTER II.

DEPARTURE FROM FRANCE.--WHAT TOOK PLACE UP TO OUR ARRIVAL AT THE FALLS.


I set out from Rouen on the 5th of March for Honfleur, accompanied by Sieur
L'Ange, to assist me in my explorations, and in war if occasion should
require.

On the next day, the 6th of the month, we embarked in the vessel of Sieur
de Pont Gravé, immediately setting sail, with a favorable wind.

On the 10th of April we sighted the Grand Bank, where we several times
tried for fish, but without success.

On the 15th we had a violent gale, accompanied by rain and hail, which was
followed by another, lasting forty-eight hours, and so violent as to cause
the loss of several vessels on the island of Cape Breton.

On the 21st we sighted the island and Cap de Raye. [30] On the 29th the
Montagnais savages, perceiving us from All Devils' Point, [31] threw
themselves into their canoes and came to meet us, being so thin and
hideous-looking that I did not recognize them. At once they began crying
for bread, saying that they were dying of hunger. This led us to conclude
that the winter had not been severe, and consequently the hunting poor,
which matter we have alluded to in previous voyages.

Having arrived on board of our vessel they examined the faces of all, and
as I was not to be seen anywhere they asked where Monsieur de Champlain
was, and were answered that I had remained in France. But this they would
not think of believing, and an old man among them came to me in a corner
where I was walking, not desiring to be recognized as yet, and taking me by
the ear, for he suspected who it was, saw the scar of the arrow wound,
which I received at the defeat of the Iroquois. At this he cried out, and
all the others after him, with great demonstrations of joy, saying, Your
people are awaiting you at the harbor of Tadoussac.

The same day we arrived at Tadoussac, and although we had set out last,
nevertheless arrived first, Sieur Boyer of Rouen arriving with the same
tide. From this it is evident that to set out before the season is simply
rushing into the ice. When we had anchored, our friends came out to us,
and, after informing us how everything was at the habitation, began to
dress three _outardes_ [32] and two hares, which they had brought, throwing
the entrails overboard, after which the poor savages rushed, and, like
famished beasts, devoured them without drawing. They also scraped off with
their nails the fat with which our vessel had been coated, eating it
gluttonously as if they had found some great delicacy.

The next day two vessels arrived from St. Malo, which had set out before
the oppositions had been settled and the commission been published in
Normandy. I proceeded on board, accompanied by L'Ange. The Sieurs de la
Moinerie and la Tremblaye were in command, to whom I read the commission of
the King, and the prohibition against violating it on penalties attached to
the same. They replied that they were subjects and faithful servants of His
Majesty, and that they would obey his commands; and I then had attached to
a post in the port the arms and commission of His Majesty, that no ground
for ignorance might be claimed.

On the 2d of May, seeing two shallops equipped to go to the Falls, I
embarked with the before-mentioned L'Ange in one of them. We had very bad
weather, so that the masts of our shallop were broken, and had it not been
for the preserving hand of God we should have been lost, as was before our
eyes a shallop from St Malo, which was going to the Isle d'Orleans, those
on board of which however being saved.

On the 7th we arrived at Quebec, where we found in good condition those who
had wintered there, they not having been sick; they told us that the winter
had not been severe, and that the river had not frozen. The trees also were
beginning to put forth leaves and the fields to be decked with flowers.

On the 13th we set out from Quebec for the Falls of St. Louis, where we
arrived on the 21st, finding there one of, our barques which had set out
after us from Tadoussac, and which had traded some with a small troop of
Algonquins, who came from the war with the Iroquois, and had with them two
prisoners. Those in the barque gave them to understand that I had come with
a number of men to assist them in their wars, according to the promise I
had made them in previous years; also that I desired to go to their country
and enter into an alliance with all their friends, at which they were
greatly pleased. And, inasmuch as they were desirous of returning to their
country to assure their friends of their victory, see their wives, and put
to death their prisoners in a festive _tabagie_, they left us pledges of
their return, which they promised should be before the middle of the first
moon, according to their reckoning, their shields made of wood and elk
leather, and a part of their bows and arrows. I regretted very much that I
was not prepared to go with them to their country.

Three days after, three canoes arrived with Algonquins, who had come from
the interior, with some articles of merchandise which they bartered. They
told me that the bad treatment which the savages had received the year
before had discouraged them from coming any more, and that they did not
believe that I would ever return to their country on account of the wrong
impressions which those jealous of me had given them respecting me;
wherefore twelve hundred men had gone to the war, having no more hope from
the French, who, they did not believe, would return again to their country.

This intelligence greatly disheartened the merchants, as they had made a
great purchase of merchandise, with the expectation that the savages would
come, as they had been accustomed to. This led me to resolve, as I engaged
in my explorations, to pass through their country, in order to encourage
those who had stayed back, with an assurance of the good treatment they
would receive, and of the large amount of good merchandise at the Fall, and
also of the desire I had to assist them in their war. For carrying out this
purpose I requested three canoes and three savages to guide us, but after
much difficulty obtained only two and one savage, and this by means of some
presents made them.

ENDNOTES:

30. The _island_ refers to New Foundland. Cap de Raye, still known as Cape
Ray, was on the southwestern angle of New Foundland.

31. Now called Point aux Vaches. It was sometimes called All-Devils'
Point. _Vide_ note 136, Vol. I. p. 235.

32. _Outardes_. Sometimes written _houtardes_, and _Oltardes_. The name
outarde or bustard, the _otis_ of ornithologists, a land bird of
Europe, was applied to a species of goose in Canada at a very early
period.

The outarde is mentioned by Cartier in 1535, and the name may have been
originally applied by the fishermen and fur-traders at a much earlier
period, doubtless on account of some fancied resemblance which they saw
to the lesser bustard or outarde, which was about the size of the
English pheasant. _Vide Pennant's British Zoölogy_, Vol. I. p. 379.
Cartier, Champlain, Lescarbot, Baron La Hontan, Potherie, and Charlvoix
mention the outarde in catalogues of water-fowl in which _oye_, the
goose, is likewise mentioned. They very clearly distinguish it from the
class which they commonly considered _oyes_, or geese. Cartier, for
instance, says, Il y a aussi grand nombre d'oyseaulx, scauoir grues,
signes, _oltardes, oyes sauuages, blanches, & grises_. Others speak of
_outardes et oyes_. They do not generally describe it with
particularity. Champlain, however, in describing the turkey, _cocq
d'Inde_, on the coast of New England, says, _aussi gros qu'vne outarde,
qui est une espece d'oye_. Father Pierre Biard writes, _et au mesme
temps les outardes arriuent du midy, qui sont grosses cannes au double
des nostres_. From these statements it is obvious that the outarde was
a species of goose, but was so small that it could well be described as
a large duck. In New France there were at least four species of the
goose, which might have come under the observation of the early
navigators and explorers. We give them in the order of their size, as
described in Coues' Key to North American Birds.

1. Canada Goose, _Branta Canadensis_, SCOPOLI, 36 inches.
2. Snow Goose, _Anser hyperboreus_, LINNÆUS, 30 inches.
3. Am. White-fronted Goose, _Anser albifrons_, LINNÆUS, 27 inches.
4. Brant Goose, _Branta bernicla_, SCOPOLI, 24 inches.

Recurring to the statement of Cartier above cited, it will be observed
that he mentions, besides the outarde, wild geese white and gray. The
first and largest of the four species above mentioned, the Canada
goose, _Branta Canadensis_, is gray, and the two next, the Snow goose
and White-fronted, would be classified as white. This disposes of three
of the four mentioned. The outarde of Cartier would therefore be the
fourth species in the list, viz. the Brant goose. _Branta bernicla_.
This is the smallest species found on our northern coast, and might
naturally be described, as stated by Father Biard, as a large duck. It
is obvious that the good Father could not have described the Canada
goose, the largest of the four species, as a large duck, and the white
geese have never been supposed to be referred to under the name of
outarde. The Brant goose, to which all the evidence which we have been
able to find in the Canadian authorities seems to point as the outarde
of early times, is common in our markets in its season, but our
market-men, unaccustomed to make scientific distinctions, are puzzled
to decide whether it should be classed as a goose or a duck. It is not
improbable that the early voyagers to our northern latitudes, unable to
decide to which of these classes this water-fowl properly belonged, and
seeing in it a fancied resemblance to the lesser outarde, with which
they were familiar, gave it for sake of the distinction, but
nevertheless inappropriately, the name of outarde. The reader is
referred to the following authorities.

_Vide Brief Récit_ par Jacques Cartier, 1545. D'Avezac ed., p. 33;
_Champlain_, Quebec ed., p. 220; _Jésuite Relations_, 1616, p. 10; _Le
Grand Voyage du Pays des Hurons_, par Sagard, Paris, 1632, p. 301;
_Dictionaire de la Langue Hurone_, par Sagard, Paris, 1632, _oyseaux;
Letters to the Dutchess of Lesdiguieres_, By Fr. Xa. de Charlevoix,
London. 1763, p. 88; _Le Jeune, Relations des Jésuites_, 1633, P. 4,
1636, p. 47; _Histoire de l'Amérique Septentrionale_, par de la
Potherie, Paris, 1722, Vol. I. pp. 20, 172, 212, 308; _Lescarbot,
Histoire de la Nouvelle France_, pp. 369, 582, 611.



CHAPTER III.

DEPARTURE TO DISCOVER THE NORTH SEA, ON THE GROUND OF THE REPORT MADE ME IN
REGARD TO IT. DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL RIVERS, LAKES AND ISLANDS, THE FALLS
OF THE CHAUDIÈRE AND OTHER FALLS.


Now, as I had only two canoes, I could take with me but four men, among
whom was one named Nicholas de Vignau, the most impudent liar that has been
seen for a long time, as the sequel of this narrative will show. He had
formerly spent the winter with the savages, and I had sent him on
explorations the preceding years. He reported to me, on his return to Paris
in 1612, that he had seen the North Sea; that the river of the Algonquins
came from a lake which emptied into it; and that in seventeen days one
could go from the Falls of St. Louis to this sea and back again; that he
had seen the wreck and _débris_ of an English ship that had been wrecked,
on board of which were eighty men, who had escaped to the shore, and whom
the savages killed because the English endeavored to take from them by
force their Indian corn and other necessaries of life; and that he had seen
the scalps which these savages had flayed off, according to their custom,
which they would show me, and that they would likewise give me a young
English boy whom they had kept for me. This intelligence had greatly
pleased me, for I thought that I had almost found that for which I had for
a long time been searching. Accordingly I enjoined upon him to tell me the
truth, in order that I might inform the King, and warned him that if he
gave utterance to a lie he was putting the rope about his neck, assuring
him on the other hand that, if his narrative were true, he could be certain
of being well rewarded. He again assured me, with stronger oaths than ever;
and in order to play his _rôle_ better he gave me a description of the
country, which he said he had made as well as he was able. Accordingly the
confidence which I saw in him, his entire frankness as it seemed, the
description which he had prepared, the wreck and _debris_ of the ship, and
the things above mentioned, had an appearance of probability, in connection
with the voyage of the English to Labrador in 1612, where they found a
strait, in which they sailed as far as the 63d degree of latitude and the
290th of longitude, wintering at the 53d degree and losing some vessels, as
their report proves.[33] These circumstances inducing me to believe that
what he said was true, I made a report of the same to the Chancellor, [34]
which I showed to Marshal de Brissac,[35] President Jeannin, [36] and other
Seigneurs of the Court, who told me that I ought to visit the place in
person. For this reason I requested Sieur Georges, a merchant of La
Rochelle, to give him a passage in his ship, which he willingly did, and
during the voyage he questioned him as to his object in making it; and,
since it was not of any profit to him, he asked if he expected any pay, to
which the young man answered that he did not, that he did not expect
anything, from any one but the King, and that he undertook the voyage only
to show me the North Sea, which he had seen. He made an affidavit of this
at La Rochelle before two notaries.

Now as I took leave on Whitsuntide, [37] of all the principal men to whose
prayers I commended myself, and also to those of all others, I said to him
in their presence that if what he had previously said was not true he must
not give me the trouble to undertake the journey, which involved many
dangers. Again he affirmed all that he had said, on peril of his life.

Accordingly, our canoes being laden with some provisions, our arms, and a
few articles of merchandise for making presents to the savages, I set out
on Monday the 27th of May from Isle St. Hélène with four Frenchmen and one
savage, a parting salute being given me with some rounds from small
pieces. This day we went only to the Falls of St. Louis, a league up the
river, the bad weather not allowing us to go any farther.

On the 29th we passed the Falls, [38] partly by land, partly by water, it
being necessary for us to carry our canoes, clothes, victuals, and arms on
our shoulders, no small matter for persons not accustomed to it. After
going two leagues beyond the Falls, we entered a lake, [39] about twelve
leagues in circuit, into which three rivers empty; one coming from the
west, from the direction of the Ochateguins, distant from one hundred and
fifty to two hundred leagues from the great Falls; [40] another from the
south and the country of the Iroquois, a like distance off; [41] and the
other from the north and the country of the Algonquins and Nebicerini, also
about the same distance. [42] This river on the north, according to the
report of the savages, comes from a source more remote, and passes by
tribes unknown to them and about three hundred leagues distant.

This lake is filled with fine large islands, containing only pasturage
land, where there is fine hunting, deer and fowl being plenty. Fish are
abundant. The country bordering the lake is covered with extensive
forests. We proceeded to pass the night at the entrance to this lake,
making barricades against the Iroquois, who roam in these regions in order
to surprise their enemies; and I am sure that if they were to find us they
would give us as good a welcome as them, for which reason we kept a good
watch all night. On the next day I took the altitude of the place, and
found it in latitude 45° 18'. About three o'clock in the afternoon we
entered the river which comes from the north, and, passing a small fall
[43] by land so as to favor our canoes, we proceeded to a little island,
where we spent the remainder of the night.

On the last day of May we passed another lake, [44] seven or eight leagues
long and three broad, containing several islands. The neighboring country
is very level, except in some places, where there are pine-covered hills.
We passed a fall called by the inhabitants of the country Quenechouan,[45]
which is filled with stones and rocks, and where the water runs with great
velocity. We had to get into the water and drag our canoes along the shore
with a rope. Half a league from there we passed another little fall by
rowing, which makes one sweat. Great skill is required in passing these
falls, in order to avoid the eddies and surf, in which they abound; but the
savages do this with the greatest possible dexterity, winding about and
going by the easiest places, which they recognize at a glance.

On Saturday, the 1st of June, we passed two other falls; the first half a
league long, the second a league, in which we had much difficulty; for the
rapidity of the current is so great that it makes a frightful noise, and
produces, as it descends from stage to stage, so white a foam everywhere
that the water cannot be seen at all. This fall is strewn with rocks, and
contains some islands here and there covered with pines and white cedars.
This was the place where we had a hard time; for, not being able to carry
our canoes by land on account of the density of the wood, we had to drag
them in the water with ropes, and in drawing mine I came near losing my
life, as it crossed into one of the eddies, and if I had not had the good
fortune to fall between two rocks the canoe would have dragged me in,
inasmuch as I was unable to undo quickly enough the rope which was wound
around my hand, and which hurt me severely and came near cutting it off. In
this danger I cried to God and began to pull my canoe, which was returned
to me by the refluent water, such as occurs in these falls. Having thus
escaped I thanked God, begging Him to preserve us. Later our savage came to
help me, but I was out of danger. It is not strange that I was desirous of
preserving my canoe, for if it had been lost it would have been necessary
to remain, or wait until some savages came that way, a poor hope for those
who have nothing to dine on, and who are not accustomed to such
hardship. As for our Frenchmen, they did not have any better luck, and
several times came near losing their lives; but the Divine Goodness
preserved us all. During the remainder of the day we rested, having done
enough.

The next day we fell in with fifteen canoes of savages called
_Quenongebin_, [46] in a river, after we had passed a small lake, four
leagues long and two broad. They had been informed of my coming by those
who had passed the Falls of St. Louis, on their way from the war with the
Iroquois. I was very glad to meet them, as were they also to meet me, but
they were astonished to see me in this country with so few companions, and
with only one savage. Accordingly, after saluting each other after the
manner of the country, I desired them not to go any farther until I had
informed them of my plan. To this they assented, and we encamped on an
island.

The next day I explained to them that I was on my way to their country to
visit them, and fulfil the promise I had previously made them, and that if
they had determined to go to the war it would be very agreeable to me,
inasmuch as I had brought some companions with this view, at which they
were greatly pleased; and having told them that I wished to go farther in
order to notify the other tribes, they wanted to deter me, saying that the
way was bad, and that we had seen nothing up to this point. Wherefore I
asked them to give me one of their number to take charge of our second
canoe, and also to serve us as guide, since our conductors were not
acquainted any farther. This they did willingly, and in return I made them
a present and gave them one of our Frenchmen, the least indispensable, whom
I sent back to the Falls with a leaf of my note-book, on which for want of
paper I made a report of myself.

Thus we parted, and continuing our course up the river we found another
one, very fair and broad, which comes from a nation called _Ouescharini_,
[47] who live north of it, a distance of four days' journey from the
mouth. This river is very pleasant in consequence of the fine islands it
contains, and the fair and open woods with which its shores are
bordered. The land is very good for tillage.

On the fourth day we passed near another river coming from the north, where
tribes called _Algonquins_ live. This river falls into the great river
St. Lawrence, three leagues below the Falls of St. Louis, forming a large
island of nearly forty leagues. [48] This river is not broad, but filled
with a countless number of falls, very hard to pass. Sometimes these tribes
go by way of this river in order to avoid encounters with their enemies,
knowing that they will not try to find them in places so difficult of
access.

Where this river has its debouchure is another coming from the south, [49]
at the mouth of which is a marvellous fall. For it descends a height of
twenty or twenty-five fathoms [50] with such impetuosity that it makes an
arch nearly four hundred paces broad. The savages take pleasure in passing
under it, not wetting themselves, except from the spray that is thrown off.
There is an island in the middle of the river which, like all the country
round about, is covered with pines and white cedars. When the savages
desire to enter the river they ascend the mountain, carrying their canoes,
and go half a league by land. The neighboring country is filled with all
sorts of game, so that the savages often make a stop here. The Iroquois
also go there sometimes and surprise them while making the passage.

We passed a fall [51] a league from there, which is half a league broad,
and has a descent of six or seven fathoms. There are many little islands,
which are, however, nothing more than rough and dangerous rocks covered
with a poor sort of brushwood. The water falls in one place with such force
upon a rock that it has hollowed out in course of time a large and deep
basin, in which the water has a circular motion and forms large eddies in
the middle, so that the savages call it _Asticou_, which signifies boiler.
This cataract produces such a noise in this basin that it is heard for more
than two leagues. The savages when passing here observe a ceremony which we
shall speak of in its place. We had much trouble in ascending by rowing
against a strong current, in order to reach the foot of the fall. Here the
savages took their canoes, my Frenchmen and myself, our arms, provisions,
and other necessaries, and we passed over the rough rocks for the distance
of about a quarter of a league, the extent of the fall. Then we embarked,
being obliged afterwards to land a second time and go about three hundred
paces through copse-wood, after which we got into the water in order to get
our canoes over the sharp rocks, the trouble attending which may be
imagined. I took the altitude of this place, which I found to be in
latitude 45° 38'. [52]

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