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CHAP. called Orleans. The natives received them with unsuspecting hospitality. Leaving his ships safely 1535. moored, Cartier, in a boat, sailed up the majestic stream to the chief Indian settlement on the island of Hochelaga. The town lay at the foot of a hill, which he climbed. As he reached the summit, he was moved to admiration by the prospect before him of woods, and waters and mountains. Imagination presented it as the future emporium of inland commerce, and the metropolis of a prosperous province; filled with bright anticipations, he called the hill Mont-Real,' and time, that has transferred the name to the island, is realizing his visions. Cartier also gathered of the Indians some indistinct account of the countries, now contained in the north of Vermont and New-York. Rejoining his ships, the winter, rendered frightful by the ravages of the scurvy, was passed, where they were anchored. At the approach of spring, a cross was solemnly erected upon land, and on it a shield was suspended, which bore the arms of France, and an inscription, declaring Francis to be the rightful king of these new found regions. Having thus claimed possession of the territory, 1536. the Breton mariner returned to Europe, and once 6. more entered St. Malo in security.

July

1536,

to

The description which Cartier gave of the country, 1540. bordering on the St. Lawrence, furnished arguments 2 against attempting a colony. The intense severity of the climate terrified even the inhabitants of the north of France; and no mines of silver and gold,

1 Hakluyt, v. iii. p. 272.

2 Charlevoix, N. F. V. i. p. 20.

VOYAGES OF CARTIER AND ROBERVAL TO CANADA.

1.

25

no veins, abounding in diamonds and precious stones, CHAP. had been promised by the faithful narrative of the voyage. Three or four years, therefore, elapsed, 1540. before plans of colonization were renewed. Yet imagination did not fail to anticipate the establishment of a state upon the fertile banks of a river, which surpassed all the streams of Europe in grandeur, and flowed through a country, situated between nearly the same parallels as France. Soon after a short peace had terminated the third desperate struggle between Francis I. and Charles V., attention to America was again awakened; there were not wanting men at court, who deemed it unworthy a gallant nation to abandon the enterprize; and a nobleman of Picardy, Francis de la Roque, Lord of Roberval, a man of considerable provincial distinction, sought and obtained' a commission. It was easy to confer 1540. provinces and plant colonies upon parchment; Roberval could congratulate himself on being the acknowledged lord of the unknown Norimbega, and viceroy, with full regal authority over the immense territories and islands, which lie near the gulf or along the river St. Lawrence. But the ambitious nobleman could not dispense with the services of the former naval commander, who possessed the confidence of the king; and Cartier also received a commission.2 Its terms merit consideration. He was appointed captain general and chief pilot of the

1 Charlevoix, N. F. v. i. p. 20, 21. The accounts which Charlevoix gives of this expedition, are too full of errors, to require special VOL. I.

4

criticism. We follow the docu-
ments and the original accounts
in Lescarbot and Hakluyt.

2 Hazard's Coll. v. i. p. 19–21.

Jan.

15.

1540.

Oct.

17.

CHAP. expedition; he was directed to take with him perI. sons of every trade and art; to repair to the newly 1540. discovered territory; and to dwell there with the natives.1 But where were the honest tradesmen and industrious mechanics to be found, who would repair to this New World? The commission gave Cartier full authority to ransack the prisons; to rescue the unfortunate and the criminal; and to make up the complement of his men from their number. Thieves or homicides, the spendthrift or the fraudulent bankrupt, the debtors to justice or its victims, prisoners rightfully or wrongfully detained, excepting only those arrested for treason or counterfeiting money, these were the people, by whom the colony was, in part, to be established.

1541.

The division of authority between Cartier and Roberval of itself defeated the enterprize.3 Roberval was ambitious of power; and Cartier desired the exclusive honor of discovery. They neither emMay barked in company, nor acted in concert. Cartier sailed from St. Malo the next spring after the date of his commission; he arrived at the scene of his former adventures, ascended the St. Lawrence, and,

23.

Converser avec les peuples d'iceux, et avec eux habiter (si besoin est.) Hazard, v. i. p. 20.

2 Hazard, v. i. p. 20, 21.

3 See the accounts in Hakluyt, v. iii. p. 286-297. Compare Belknap's American Biography, v. i. p. 178-182.

4 Hakluyt, v. iii. p. 295.

5 Holmes, in Annals, v. i. p. 70, 71, places the departure of Cartier May 23, 1540. He follows, undoubtedly, the date in Hak. v. iii. p. 286; which is, however, a misprint,

or an error. For, first, the patent of Cartier was not issued till October, 1640; next, the annalist can find no occupation for Cartier in Canada for one whole year; and further, it is undisputed, that Roberval did not sail till April, 1542, and it is expressly said in the account of Roberval's voyage, Hak. v. iii. p. 295, that "Jaques Cartier and his company" were "sent with five sayles the yeere before." Belknap makes a similar mistake. American Biography, v. i. p. 178.

CARTIER AND ROBERVAL IN CANADA.

27

near the site of Quebec, built a fort for the security CHAP. of his party; but no considerable advances in geographical knowledge appear to have been made. 1541. The winter passed in sullenness and gloom. In June of the following year, he and his ships stole away and returned to France, just as Roberval 1542. arrived with a considerable reinforcement. Unsustained by Cartier, Roberval accomplished no more thán a verification of previous discoveries. Remaining about a year in America, he abandoned his immense viceroyalty. Estates in Picardy were better than titles in Norimbega. His subjects must have been a sad company; during the winter, one was hanged for theft; several were put in irons; and "divers persons, as well women as men," were whipped. By these means quiet was preserved.2 Perhaps the expedition on its return entered the bay of Massachusetts; the French diplomatists always contended, that Boston was built within the original limits of New-France.

The commission of Roberval was followed by no 1549. permanent results. It is confidently said, that, at a later date, he again embarked for his viceroyalty, accompanied by a numerous train of adventurers; and, as he was never more heard of, he may have perished at sea.

Can it be a matter of surprise, that, for the next 1550. fifty years, no further discoveries were attempted by 1600

1 Chalmers places this event in in Hakluyt, v. iii. p. 294. “I have 1545, entirely without reason. Chalmers, p. 82.

2 Hakluyt, v. iii. p. 296.

3 See the narrative of the Pilot,

been at a bay as farre as 42 degrees
between Norumbega and Flori-

da."

4 Charlevoix, N. F. v. i. p. 22.

to

I.

to

CHAP. the government of a nation, which had become a prey to the fury of civil wars and the fiercest contests 1550. of vindictive fanaticism? There was, indeed, a plan 1562, matured among the protestants of France for a 1567. colony in what was then called Florida. The melancholy results of this effort of private enterprize will presently be recorded; a government, which 1572. could devise the massacre of St. Bartholomew, was Aug. neither worthy nor able to lay the foundation of new

24.

states.

At length, under the mild and tolerant reign of Henry IV., the star of France emerged from the clouds of blood, treachery and civil war, which had so long eclipsed her glory. The number and importance of the fishing stages had increased; in 1578 1578. there were one hundred and fifty French vessels at Newfoundland, and even regular trading voyages for 1581. the purpose of traffic with the natives, now began to

be successfully made. At a later period, a French mariner is spoken of, who, before 1609, had made more than forty voyages to the fisheries on the American coast. The purpose of founding a per

3

manent French empire in America was now vigor1598. ously renewed. A commission, not less ample than that which had been conceded to Roberval, was issued to the Marquis de la Roche, a nobleman of Brittany. Yet his enterprize entirely failed. He swept the prisons of France in search of emigrants;

1 Hakluyt, v. iii. p. 171. A letter from Parkhurst, in 1578.

2 Hakluyt, v. iii. p. 233.

carbot, in Purchas, v. iv. p. 1640. 4 Charlevoix, N. F. v. i. p. 107. Haliburton's Hist. of N. Scotia, v.

3 Purchas, v. iv. p. 1605; Les- i. p. 10, 11. Purchas, v. iv. p. 1807.

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