Voyages of Samuel De Champlain Volume II Part 5

Consequently, at low tide there is a fall outward, and at high tide there is a fall inward, at neither of which times can the fall be pa.s.sed. The only time for pa.s.sing the fall is when the waters of the sea are on a level with the waters of the river. This occurs twice every tide, at the level point at the flood and likewise at the ebb.

The period for pa.s.sing lasts about fifteen or twenty minutes, and of course occurs four times a day. Vessels a.s.semble in considerable numbers above and below to embrace the opportunity of pa.s.sing at the favoring moment. There are periods, however, when the river is swollen by rains and melting snow, at which the tides do not rise as high as the river, and consequently there is a constant fall outward, and vessels cannot pa.s.s until the high water subsides.

79. They ascended the river only a short distance into the large bay just above the falls, near which are the three islands mentioned in the text.

80. The distance from the mouth of the river St. John to Tadoussac in a direct line is about sixty-five leagues. But by the winding course of the St. John it would be very much greater.

81. Champlain's lat.i.tude is inexact. St. John's Harbor is 45 16'.

82. _Margos_, magpies. The four islands which Champlain named the Magpies are now called the Wolves, and are near the mouth of Pa.s.samaquoddy Bay. Charlevoix has _Oiseaux_, the Birds.

83. Manan. Known as the Grand Manan in contradistinction to the Pet.i.t Manan, a small island still further west. It is about fourteen or fifteen miles long, and about six in its greatest width. On the south and eastern side are Long Island, Great Duck, Ross, Cheyne, and White Head Islands, among which good harborage may be found. The name, as appears in the text, is of Indian origin. It is Sometimes Spelled Mena.r.s.e, but that in the text prevails.

84. The St. Croix River, sometimes called the Scoudic.

85. Pa.s.ssmaquoddy Bay. On Gastaldo's map of 1550 called Angoulesme. On Rouge's "Atlas Ameriquain," 1778, it is written Pa.s.samacadie.

86. The Holy Cross, _Saincte Croix_, This name was suggested by the circ.u.mstance that, a few miles above the island, two streams flow into the main channel of the river at the same place, one from the east and the other from the west, while a bay makes up between them, presenting the appearance of a cross.

"Et d'autant qu' deux lieues au dessus il y a des ruisseaux qui viennent comme en croix de decharger dans ce large bras de mer, cette ile de la retraite des Francois fut appelee SAINCTE CROIX."--_His.

Nouvelle France_ par Lescarbot, Paris. 1612, Qvat Liv. pp. 461, 462.

It is now called De Monts's Island. It has been called Dochet's Island and Neutral Island, but there is great appropriateness in calling it after its first occupant and proprietor, and in honor of him it has been so named with suitable ceremonies.--_Vide G.o.dfrey's Centennial Discourse_, Bangor, 1870, p. 20. The United States maintain a light upon the island, which is seventy-one feet above the level of the sea, and is visible twelve nautical miles. The island itself is moderately high, and in the widest part is one hundred and eighty paces or about five hundred and forty feet. The area is probably not more than six or seven acres, although it has been estimated at twice that. It may have been diminished in some slight degree since the time of Champlain by the action of the waves, but probably very little. On the southern extremity of the island where De Monts placed his cannon, about twenty-five years ago a workman in excavating threw out five small cannon-b.a.l.l.s, one of which was obtained by Peter E. Vose, Esq., of Dennysville, Me., who then resided near the island, and was conversant with all the circ.u.mstances of the discovery. They were about a foot and a half below the surface, and the workman was excavating for another purpose, and knew nothing of the history of the island. At our solicitation, the ball belonging to Mr. Vose has recently been presented to the New England Historic Genealogical Society, of which he is a member. It is iron, perfectly round, two and a quarter inches in diameter, and weighs 22 oz. avoirdupois. There can be no reasonable doubt that these b.a.l.l.s are relics of the little French colony of 1604, and probably the only memorial of the kind now in existence.

87. The description in the text of the environs of the Island of St. Croix is entirely accurate. Some distance above, and in view from the island, is the fork, or Divide, as it is called. Here is a meeting of the waters of Warwig Creek from the east, Oak Bay from the north, and the river of the Etechemins, now called the St. Croix, from the west. These are the three rivers mentioned by Champlain, Oak Bay being considered as one of them, in which may be seen the two islands mentioned in the text, one high and the other low. A little above Calais is the waterfall, around which the Indians carried their bark canoes, when on their journey up the river through the Scoudic lakes, from which by land they reached the river St. John on the east, or, on the west, pa.s.sing through the Mettawamkeag, they reached the Norumbegue, or Pen.o.bscot River.

88. The lat.i.tude of the Island of St. Croix is 45 7' 43".

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 anch.o.r.ed, 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 a.s.signed 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 Champdore.

_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 Grave 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 Grave [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 Grave, with orders for him to take the vessels he had captured to Roch.e.l.le, 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 a.s.sistance 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 Messamouet, who a.s.serted 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 Grave. Lescarbot says Grave was his surname.--_Vide Histoire de la Nou. Fran_., Paris, 1612, Qvat. Liv. p. 501. To prevent any confusion, we write it Pont Grave 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, 1612, p. 612.

CHAPTER V.

OF THE COAST, INHABITANTS, AND RIVER OF NORUMBEGUE, AND OF ALL THAT OCCURRED DURING THE EXPLORATION OF THE LATTER.