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Voyages of Samuel de Champlain, Vol. 2

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"The _Turkie_, who is blacker than ours; I haue heard several credible
persons affirm, they haue seen _Turkie Cocks_ that have weighed forty,
yea sixty pound; but out of my personal experimental knowledge I can
assure you, that I haue eaten my share of a _Turkie Cock_, that when
he was pull'd and garbidg'd, weighed thirty [9] pound; and I haue also
seen threescore broods of young _Turkies_ on the side of a marsh,
sunning themselves in a morning betimes, but this was thirty years
since, the _English_ and the _Indians_ having now destroyed the breed,
so that 'tis very rare to meet with a wild _Turkie_ in the Woods: But
some of the _English_ bring up great store of the wild kind, which
remain about their Houses as tame as ours in _England_."--_New
England's Rarities_, by John Josselyn, Gent., London, 1672,
Tuckerman's ed., pp. 41, 42.

"Here are likewise abundance of Turkies often killed in the Woods,
farre greater then our English Turkies, and exceeding fat, sweet, and
fleshy, for here they haue aboundance of feeding all the yeere long,
as Strawberriees, in Summer at places are full of them and all manner
of Berries and Fruits."--_New England Plantation_, by Francis
Higginson, London, 1630. _Vide_ also _Bradford's Hist. Plym.
Plantation_, 1646, Deane's ed., Boston, 1856. p. 105.

It appears to be the opinion among recent ornithologists that the
species of turkey, thus early found in New England, was the _Meleagris
Americana_, long since extirpated, and not identical with our
domesticated bird. Our domestic turkey is supposed to have originated
in the West Indies or in Mexico, and to have been transplanted as
tamed to other parts of this continent, and to Europe, and named by
Linnaeus. _Meleagris gallopavo_.--_Vide Report on the Zoology of
Pacific Railroad Routes_, by Baird, Washington, 1858. Vol. IX. Part
II. pp. 613-618; _Coues's Key_, Boston, 1872, pp. 231, 232.




CHAPTER IX.

RETURN FROM THE DISCOVERIES ALONG THE COAST OF THE ALMOUCHIQUOIS.


We had spent more than five weeks in going over three degrees of latitude,
and our voyage was limited to six, since we had not taken provisions for a
longer time. In consequence of fogs and storms, we had not been able to go
farther than Mallebarre, where we waited several days for fair weather, in
order to sail. Finding ourselves accordingly pressed by the scantiness of
provisions, Sieur de Monts determined to return to the Island of St. Croix,
in order to find another place more favorable for our settlement, as we had
not been able to do on any of the coasts which we had explored on this
voyage.

Accordingly, on the 25th of July, we set out from this harbor, in order to
make observations elsewhere. In going out, we came near being lost on the
bar at the entrance, from the mistake of our pilots, Cramolet and
Champdoré, masters of the barque, who had imperfectly marked out the
entrance of the channel on the southern side, where we were to go. Having
escaped this danger, we headed north-east [174] for six leagues, until we
reached Cap Blanc, sailing on from there to Island Cape, a distance of
fifteen leagues, with the same wind. Then we headed east-north-east sixteen
leagues, as far as Choüacoet, where we saw the savage chief, Marchin, [175]
whom we had expected to see at the Lake Quinibequy. He had the reputation
of being one of the valiant ones of his people. He had a fine appearance:
all his motions were dignified, savage as he was. Sieur de Monts gave him
many presents, with which he was greatly pleased; and, in return, Marchin
gave him a young Etechemin boy, whom he had captured in war, and whom we
took away with us; and thus we set out, mutually good friends. We headed
north-east a quarter east for fifteen leagues, as far as Quinibequy, where
we arrived on the 29th of the month, and where we were expecting to find a
savage, named Sasinou, of whom I spoke before. Thinking that he would come,
we waited some time for him, in order to recover from him an Etechemin
young man and girl, whom he was holding as prisoners. While waiting, there
came to us a captain called Anassou, who trafficked a little in furs, and
with whom we made an alliance. He told us that there was a ship, ten
leagues off the harbor, which was engaged in fishing, and that those on her
had killed five savages of this river, under cover of friendship. From his
description of the men on the vessel, we concluded that they were English,
and we named the island where they were La Nef; [176] for, at a distance,
it had the appearance of a ship. Finding that the above-mentioned Sasinou
did not come, we headed east-south-east, [176-1/2] for twenty leagues, to
Isle Haute, where we anchored for the night.

On the next day, the 1st of August, we sailed east some twenty leagues to
Cap Corneille, [177] where we spent the night. On the 2d of the month, we
sailed north-east seven leagues to the mouth of the river St. Croix, on the
western shore. Having anchored between the two first islands, [178] Sieur
de Monts embarked in a canoe, at a distance of six leagues from the
settlement of St. Croix, where we arrived the next day with our barque. We
found there Sieur des Antons of St. Malo, who had come in one of the
vessels of Sieur de Monts, to bring provisions and also other supplies for
those who were to winter in this country.

ENDNOTES:

174. Champlain is in error as to the longitude of Mallebarre, or Nauset
harbor, from which they took their departure on the 25th of July,
1605. This port is about 38' east of Island Cape, or Cape Anne, and
about 16' east of the western point of Cap Blanc, or Cape Cod; and, to
reach their destination, they must have sailed north-west, and not
north-east, as he erroneously states.

175. They had failed to meet him at the lake in the Kennebec; namely,
Merrymeeting Bay.--_Vide antea_, p. 60.

176. The island which they thus named _La Nef_, the Ship, was Monhegan,
about twenty-five nautical miles east from the mouth of the Kennebec,
a mile and a third long, with an elevation at its highest point of a
hundred and forty feet above the level of the sea, and in latitude 43º
45' 52". Champlain's conjecture as to the nationality of the ship was
correct. It was the "Archangel," commanded by the celebrated explorer,
Captain George Weymouth, who under the patronage of the Earl of
Southampton came to explore our Atlantic coast in the spring of 1605,
for the purpose of selecting a site for an English colony. He anchored
near Monhegan on the 28th of May, N. S.; and, after spending nearly a
month in reconnoitring the islands and mainland in the vicinity, and
capturing five of the natives, he took his departure for England on
the 26th of June. On the 5th of July, just 9 days after Weymouth left
the coast, De Monts and Champlain entered with their little barque the
mouth of the Kennebec. They do not appear to have seen at that time
any of the natives at or about the mouth of the river; and it is not
unlikely that, on account of the seizure and, as they supposed, the
murder of their comrades by Weymouth, they had retired farther up the
river for greater safety. On the return, however, of the French from
Cape Cod, on the 29th of July, Anassou gave them, as stated in the
text, a friendly reception, and related the story of the seizure of
his friends.

To prevent the interference of other nations, it was the policy of
Weymouth and his patron not to disclose the locality of the region he
had explored; and consequently Rosier, the narrator of the voyage, so
skilfully withheld whatever might clearly identify the place, and
couched his descriptions in such indefinite language, that there has
been and is now a great diversity of opinion on the subject among
local historians. It was the opinion of the Rev. Thomas Prince that
Weymouth explored the Kennebec, or Sagadahoc, and with him coincide
Mr. John McKeen and the Rev. Dr. Ballard, of Brunswick. The
Rev. Dr. Belknap, after satisfactory examinations, decided that it was
the Penobscot; and he is followed by Mr. William Willis, late
President of the Maine Historical Society. Mr. George Prince, of Bath,
has published an elaborate paper to prove that it was St. George's
River; and Mr. David Cushman, of Warren, coincides in this view. Other
writers, not entering into the discussion at length, accept one or
another of the theories above mentioned. It does not fall within the
purview of our present purpose to enter upon the discussion of this
subject. But the statement in the text, not referred to by any of the
above-mentioned writers, "that those on her had killed five savages
_of this river," que ceux de dedans avoient tué cinq sauuages d'icelle
rivière_, can hardly fail to have weight in the decision of this
interesting question.

The chief Anassou reported that they were "killed," a natural
inference under the circumstances; but in fact they were carefully
concealed in the hold of the ship, and three of them, having been
transported to England and introduced into his family, imparted much
important information to Sir Ferdinando Gorges, whose distinguished
career was afterward so intimately connected with the progress of
American colonization. For the discussion touching the river explored
by Weymouth, _vide Prince's Annals_, 1736, _in loco; Belknap's
American Biography_, 1794, Vol. II., art. Weymouth; _Remarks on the
Voyage of George Waymouth_, by John McKeen, Col. Me. His. Society,
Vol. V. p. 309; _Comments on Waymouth's Voyage_, by William Willis,
idem, p. 344; _Voyage of Captain George Weymouth_, by George Prince,
Col. Me. His. Soc., Vol. VI. p. 293; _Weymouth's Voyage_, by David
Cushman, _idem_, p. 369; _George Weymouth and the Kennebec_, by the
Rev. Edward Ballard, D. D., Memorial Volume of the Popham Celebration,
Portland, 1863, p. 301.

176-1/2. _We headed east south-east_. It is possible that, on leaving the
mouth of the Kennebec, they sailed for a short distance to the
south-east; but the general course was to the north-east.

177. _Cap Corneille_, or Crow Cape, was apparently the point of land
advancing out between Machias and Little Machias Bays, including
perhaps Cross Island. De Monts and his party probably anchored and
passed the night in Machias Bay. The position of Cap Corneille may be
satisfactorily fixed by its distance and direction from the Grand
Manan, as seen on Champlain's map of 1612, to which the reader is
referred.

178. This anchorage was between Campobello and Moose Island, on which is
situated the town of Eastport.




CHAPTER X.

THE DWELLING-PLACE ON THE ISLAND OF ST. CROIX TRANSFERRED TO PORT ROYAL,
AND THE REASON WHY.


Sieur De Monts determined to change his location, and make another
settlement, in order to avoid the severe cold and the bad winter which we
had had in the Island of St. Croix. As we had not, up to that time, found
any suitable harbor, and, in view of the short time we had for building
houses in which to establish ourselves, we fitted out two barques, and
loaded them with the frame-work taken from the houses of St. Croix, in
order to transport it to Port Royal, twenty-five leagues distant, where we
thought the climate was much more temperate and agreeable. Pont Gravé and I
set out for that place; and, having arrived, we looked for a site favorable
for our residence, under shelter from the north-west wind, which we
dreaded, having been very much harassed by it.

After searching carefully in all directions, we found no place more
suitable and better situated than one slightly elevated, about which there
are some marshes and good springs of water. This place is opposite the
island at the mouth of the river Equille. [179] To the north of us about a
league, there is a range of mountains, [180] extending nearly ten leagues
in a north-east and south-west direction. The whole country is filled with
thick forests, as I mentioned above, except at a point a league and a half
up the river, where there are some oaks, although scattering, and many wild
vines, which one could easily remove and put the soil under cultivation,
notwithstanding it is light and sandy. We had almost resolved to build
there; but the consideration that we should have been too far up the harbor
and river led us to change our mind.

Recognizing accordingly the site of our habitation as a good one, we began
to clear up the ground, which was full of trees, and to erect houses as
soon as possible. Each one was busy in this work. After every thing had
been arranged, and the majority of the dwellings built, Sieur de Monts
determined to return to France, in order to petition his Majesty to grant
him all that might be necessary for his undertaking. He had desired to
leave Sieur d'Orville to command in this place in his absence. But the
climatic malady, _mal de la terre_, with which he was afflicted would not
allow him to gratify the wish of Sieur de Monts. On this account, a
conference was held with Pont Gravé on the subject, to whom this charge was
offered, which he was happy to accept; and he finished what little of the
habitation remained to be built. I, at the same time, hoping to have an
opportunity to make some new explorations towards Florida, determined to
stay there also, of which Sieur de Monts approved.

ENDNOTES:

179. In the original, Champlain has written the name of this river in this
particular instance _Guille_, probably an abbreviation for _Anguille_,
the French name of the fish which we call the eel. Lescarbot says the
"river was named _L'Equille_ because the first fish taken therein was
an _equille_."--Vide antea, note 57.

180. The elevation of this range varies from six hundred to seven hundred
feet.




CHAPTER XI

WHAT TOOK PLACE AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF SIEUR DE MONTS, UNTIL, NO TIDINGS OF
WHAT HE HAD PROMISED BEING RECEIVED, WE DEPARTED FROM PORT ROYAL TO RETURN
TO FRANCE.


As soon as Sieur de Monts had departed, a portion of the forty or
forty-five who remained began to make gardens. I, also, for the sake of
occupying my time, made one, which was surrounded with ditches full of
water, in which I placed some fine trout, and into which flowed three
brooks of very fine running water, from which the greater part of our
settlement was supplied. I made also a little sluice-way towards the shore,
in order to draw off the water when I wished. This spot was entirely
surrounded by meadows, where I constructed a summer-house, with some fine
trees, as a resort for enjoying the fresh air. I made there, also, a little
reservoir for holding salt-water fish, which we took out as we wanted them.
I took especial pleasure in it, and planted there some seeds which turned
out well. But much work had to be laid out in preparation. We resorted
often to this place as a pastime; and it seemed as if the little birds
round about took pleasure in it, for they gathered there in large numbers,
warbling and chirping so pleasantly that I think I never heard the like.

The plan of the settlement was ten fathoms long and eight wide, making the
distance round thirty-six. On the eastern side is a store-house, occupying
the width of it, and a very fine cellar from five to six feet deep. On the
northern side are the quarters of Sieur de Monts, handsomely finished.
About the back yard are the dwellings of the workmen. At a corner of the
western side is a platform, where four cannon were placed; and at the other
corner, towards the east, is a palisade shaped like a platform, as can be
seen from the accompanying illustration.

* * * * *

CHAMPLAIN'S EXPLANATION OF THE ACCOMPANYING MAP.

L'ABITASION DU PORT ROYAL.

_The figures indicate fathoms of water_.

_A_. Dwelling of the artisans.
_B_. Platform where the cannon were placed.
_C_. The store-house.
_D_. Dwelling of Sieur de Pont Gravé and Champlain.
_E_. The blacksmith's shop.
_F_. Palisade of pickets.
_G_. The bakery.
_H_. The kitchen.
_O_. Small house where the equipment of our barques was stored. This Sieur
de Poutrincourt afterwards had rebuilt, and Sieur Boulay dwelt there
when Sieur de Pont Gravé returned to France.
_P_. Gate to our habitation.
_Q_. The Cemetery.
_R_. The River.

NOTES. The habitation of Port Royal was on the present site of the hamlet
of Lower Granville in Nova Scotia. _I_. Points to the garden-plots. _K_.
Takes the place of _Q_, which is wanting on the map, and marks the place of
the cemetery, where may be seen the crucifix, the death's-head, and
cross-bones. _L_. Takes the place of _R_, which is wanting, to indicate the
river. _M_. Indicates the moat on the north side of the dwelling. _N_.
Probably indicates the dwelling of the gentlemen, De Monts and others.

* * * * *

Some days after the buildings were completed, I went to the river St. John
to find the savage named Secondon, the same that conducted Prevert's party
to the copper mine, which I had already gone in search of with Sieur de
Monts, when we were at the Port of Mines, though without success. [181]
Having found him, I begged him to go there with us, which he very readily
consented to do, and proceeded to show it to us. We found there some
little pieces of copper of the thickness of a sou, and others still thicker
imbedded in grayish and red rocks. The miner accompanying us, whose name
was Master Jacques, a native of Sclavonia, a man very skilful in searching
for minerals, made the entire circuit of the hills to see if he could find
any gangue, [182] but without success. Yet he found, some steps from where
we had taken the pieces of copper before mentioned, something like a mine,
which, however, was far from being one. He said that, from the appearance
of the soil, it might prove to be good, if it were worked; and that it was
not probable that there could be pure copper on the surface of the earth,
without there being a large quantity of it underneath. The truth is that,
if the water did not cover the mines twice a day, and if they did not lie
in such hard rocks, something might be expected from them.

After making this observation, we returned to our settlement, where we
found some of our company sick with the _mal de la terre_, but not so
seriously as at the Island of St. Croix; although, out of our number of
forty-five, twelve died, including the miner, and five were sick, who
recovered the following spring. Our surgeon, named Des Champs, from
Honfleur, skilful in his profession, opened some of the bodies, to see
whether he might be more successful in discovering the cause of the
maladies that our surgeons had been the year before. He found the parts of
the body affected in the same manner as those opened at the Island of
St. Croix, but could discover no means of curing them, any more than the
other surgeons.

On the 20th of December, it began to snow, and some ice passed along before
our Settlement. The winter was not so sharp as the year before, nor the
snow so deep, or of so long duration. Among other incidents, the wind was
so violent on the 20th of February, 1605, [183] that it blew over a large
number of trees, roots and all, and broke off many others. It was a
remarkable sight. The rains were very frequent; which was the cause of the
mild winter in comparison with the past one, although it is only
twenty-five leagues from Port Royal to St. Croix.

On the first day of March, Pont Gravé ordered a barque of seventeen or
eighteen tons to be fitted up, which was ready, on the 15th, in order to go
on a voyage of discovery along the coast of Florida. [184] With this view,
we set out on the 16th following, but were obliged to put in at an island
to the south of Manan, having gone that day eighteen leagues. We anchored
in a sandy cove, exposed to the sea and the south wind. [185] The latter
increased, during the night, to such an impetuosity that we could not stand
by our anchor, and were compelled, without choice, to go ashore, at the
mercy of God and the waves. The latter were so heavy and furious that while
we were attaching the buoy to the anchor, so as to cut the cable at the
hawse-hole, it did not give us time, but broke straightway of itself. The
wind and the sea cast us as the wave receded upon a little rock, and we
awaited only the moment to see our barque break up, and to save ourselves,
if possible, upon its fragments. In these desperate straits, after we had
received several waves, there came one so large and fortunate for us that
it carried us over the rock, and threw us on to a little sandy beach, which
insured us for this time from shipwreck.

The barque being on shore, we began at once to unload what there was in
her, in order to ascertain where the damage was, which was not so great as
we expected. She was speedily repaired by the diligence of Champdoré, her
master. Having been put in order, she was reloaded; and we waited for fair
weather and until the fury of the sea should abate, which was not until the
end of four days, namely, the 21st of March, when we set out from this
miserable place, and proceeded to Port aux Coquilles, [186] seven or eight
leagues distant. The latter is at the mouth of the river St. Croix, where
there was a large quantity of snow. We stayed there until the 29th of the
month, in consequence of the fogs and contrary winds, which are usual at
this season, when Pont Gravé determined to put back to Port Royal, to see
in what condition our companions were, whom we had left there sick. Having
arrived there, Pont Gravé was attacked with illness, which delayed us until
the 8th of April.

On the 9th of the month he embarked, although still indisposed, from his
desire to see the coast of Florida, and in the belief that a change of air
would restore his health. The same day we anchored and passed the night at
the mouth of the harbor, two leagues distant from our settlement.

The next morning before day, Champdoré came to ask Pont Gravé if he wished
to have the anchor raised, who replied in the affirmative, if he deemed the
weather favorable for setting out. Upon this, Champdoré had the anchor
raised at once, and the sail spread to the wind, which was
north-north-east, according to his report. The weather was thick and rainy,
and the air full of fog, with indications of foul rather than fair weather.

While going out of the mouth of the harbor, [187] we were suddenly carried
by the tide out of the passage, and, before perceiving them, were driven
upon the rocks on the east-north-east coast. [188] Pont Gravé and I, who
were asleep, were awaked by hearing the sailors shouting and exclaiming,
"We are lost!" which brought me quickly to my feet, to see what was the
matter. Pont Gravé was still ill, which prevented him from rising as
quickly as he wished. I was scarcely on deck, when the barque was thrown
upon the coast; and the wind, which was north, drove us upon a point. We
unfurled the mainsail, turned it to the wind, and hauled it up as high as
we could, that it might drive us up as far as possible on the rocks, for
fear that the reflux of the sea, which fortunately was falling, would draw
us in, when it would have been impossible to save ourselves. At the first
blow of our boat upon the rocks, the rudder broke, a part of the keel and
three or four planks were smashed, and some ribs stove in, which frightened
us, for our barque filled immediately; and all that we could do was to wait
until the sea fell, so that we might get ashore. For, otherwise, we were in
danger of our lives, in consequence of the swell, which was very high and
furious about us. The sea having fallen, we went on shore amid the storm,
when the barque was speedily unloaded, and we saved a large portion of the
provisions in her, with the help of the savage, Captain Secondon and his
companions, who came to us with their canoes, to carry to our habitation
what we had saved from our barque, which, all shattered as she was, went to
pieces at the return of the tide. But we, most happy at having saved our
lives, returned to our settlement with our poor savages, who stayed there a
large part of the winter; and we praised God for having rescued us from
this shipwreck, from which we had not expected to escape so easily.

The loss of our barque caused us great regret, since we found ourselves,
through want of a vessel, deprived of the prospect of being able to
accomplish the voyage we had undertaken. And we were unable to build
another; for time was pressing, and although there was another barque on
the stocks, yet it would have required too long to get it ready, and we
could scarcely have made use of it before the return from France of the
vessels we were daily expecting.

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