 This
is the fourth of a continuing series of entries from the Voyages
of Samuel de Champlain, first published in 1613. To view Part I,
click here. For Champlain's
account of the discovery of the lake that bears his name, click
here...
Original
translation from the French by Charles Pomeroy Otis, Ph.D.
Republished by the Prince Society, Boston: 1878.
MEMOIR OF SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN
Volume II
1604-1610
CHAPTER IV.
SIEUR DE MONTS, FINDING NO OTHER PLACE BETTER ADAPTED FOR A
PERMANENT
SETTLEMENT THAN THE ISLAND OF ST. CROIX, FORTIFIES IT AND BUILDS
DWELLINGS. RETURN OF THE VESSELS TO FRANCE, AND OF RALLEAU,
SECRETARY OF
SIEUR DE MONTS, FOR THE SAKE OF ARRANGING SOME BUSINESS AFFAIRS.
Not finding any more suitable place than
this island, we commenced making a barricade on a little islet a
short distance from the main island, which served as a station for
placing our cannon. All worked so energetically that in a little
while it was put in a state of defence, although the mosquitoes
(which are little flies) annoyed us excessively in our work. For
there were several of our men whose faces were so swollen by their
bites that they could scarcely see. The barricade being finished,
Sieur de Monts sent his barque to notify the rest of our party, who
were with our vessel in the bay of St. Mary, to come to St. Croix.
This was promptly done, and while awaiting them we spent our time
very pleasantly.
Some days after, our vessels having arrived and anchored, all
disembarked. Then, without losing time, Sieur de Monts proceeded to
employ the workmen in building houses for our abode, and allowed me
to determine the arrangement of our settlement. After Sieur de Monts
had determined the place for the storehouse, which is nine fathoms
long, three wide, and twelve feet high, he adopted the plan for his
own house, which he had promptly built by good workmen, and then
assigned to each one his location. Straightway, the men began to
gather together by fives and sixes, each according to his desire.
Then all set to work to clear up the island, to go to the woods, to
make the frame work, to carry earth and other things necessary for
the buildings.
* * * * *
CHAMPLAIN'S DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING MAP.
HABITATION DE L'ISLE STE. CROIX.
_The figures indicate fathoms of water_.
_A_. Dwelling of Sieur de Monts.
_B_. Public building where we spent our time when it rained.
_C_. The storehouse.
_D_. Dwelling of the guard.
_E_. The blacksmith shop.
_F_. Dwelling of the carpenters.
_G_. The well.
_H_. The oven where the bread was made.
_I_. Kitchen.
_L_. Gardens.
_M_. Other gardens.
_N_. Place in the centre where a tree stands.
_O_. Palisade.
_P_. Dwellings of the Sieurs d'Orville, Champlain, and Champdoré.
_Q_. Dwelling of Sieur Boulay, and other artisans.
_R_. Dwelling where the Sieurs de Genestou, Sourin, and other
artisans lived.
_T_. Dwelling of the Sieurs de Beaumont, la Motte Bourioli, and
Fougeray.
_V_. Dwelling of our curate.
_X_. Other gardens.
_Y_. The river surrounding the island.
* * * * *
While we were building our houses, Sieur de Monts despatched Captain
Fouques in the vessel of Rossignol, [89] to find Pont Gravé at
Canseau, in order to obtain for our settlement what supplies
remained.
Some time after he had set out, there arrived a small barque of
eight tons, in which was Du Glas of Honfleur, pilot of Pont Grave's
vessel, bringing the Basque ship-masters, who had been captured by
the above Pont Gravé [90] while engaged in the fur-trade, as we have
stated. Sieur de Monts received them civilly, and sent them back by
the above Du Glas to Pont Gravé, with orders for him to take the
vessels he had captured to Rochelle, in order that justice might be
done. Meanwhile, work on the houses went on vigorously and without
cessation; the carpenters engaged on the storehouse and dwelling of
Sieur de Monts, and the others each on his own house, as I was on
mine, which I built with the assistance of some servants belonging
to Sieur d'Orville and myself. It was forthwith completed, and Sieur
de Monts lodged in it until his own was finished. An oven was also
made, and a handmill for grinding our wheat, the working of which
involved much trouble and labor to the most of us, since it was a
toilsome operation. Some gardens were afterwards laid out, on the
main land as well as on the island. Here many kinds of seeds were
planted, which flourished very well on the main land, but not on the
island, since there was only sand here, and the whole were burned up
when the sun shone, although special pains were taken to water them.
Some days after, Sieur de Monts determined to ascertain where the
mine of pure copper was which we had searched for so much. With this
object in view, he despatched me together with a savage named
Messamoüet, who asserted that he knew the place well. I set out in a
small barque of five or six tons, with nine sailors. Some eight
leagues from the island, towards the river St. John, we found a mine
of copper which was not pure, yet good according to the report of
the miner, who said that it would yield eighteen per cent. Farther
on we found others inferior to this. When we reached the place where
we supposed that was which we were hunting for, the savage could not
find it, so that it was necessary to come back, leaving the search
for another time.
Upon my return from this trip. Sieur de Monts resolved to send his
vessels back to France, and also Sieur de Poutrincourt, who had come
only for his pleasure, and to explore countries and places suitable
for a colony, which he desired to found; for which reason he asked
Sieur de Monts for Port Royal, which he gave him in accordance with
the power and directions he had received from the king. [91] He sent
back also Ralleau, his secretary, to arrange some matters concerning
the voyage. They set out from the Island of St. Croix the last day
of August, 1604.
ENDNOTES:
89. This was the vessel taken from Captain Rossignol and
confiscated.--
_Vide antea_, pp. 10, 12; also note 26.
90. Champlain and others often write only Pont for Pont Gravé.
Lescarbot says Gravé was his surname.--_Vide Histoire de la Nou.
Fran_., Paris, 1612, Qvat. Liv. p. 501. To prevent any confusion, we
write it Pont Gravé in all cases.
91. De Monts's charter provided for the distribution of lands to
colonists. This gift to De Poutrincourt was confirmed afterwards by
the king. We may here remark that there is the usual discrepancy in
the orthography of this name. Lescarbot, De Laet, and Charlevoix
write Poutrincourt. In his Latin epitaph, _vide Murdoch's Nova
Scotia_, Vol. I. p. 59, it is Potrincurtius, while Champlain has
Poitrincourt. In Poutrincourt's letter to the Roman Pontiff, Paul
V., written in Latin, he says, _Ego Johannes de Biencour, vulgo De
Povtrincovr a vitae religionis amator et attestor perpetuus_, etc.
This must be conclusive for Poutrincourt as the proper
orthography.--_Vide His. Nov. Fra._, par Lescarbot, Paris,
This
is the conclusion of Chapter 4 of Voyages
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