The Makers of Canada: Champlain | Page 6

other Indians, God asked the
same question, "Where are you going?" and He was given the same
answer. "Do not go further," said the divine voice, "you will find your
life here." Seeing nothing, however, they continued their journey. Then
God took two sticks and touched two of them, and they were at once
turned into sticks. The fifth Indian, however, paused, and God gave
him some meat, which he ate, and he afterwards returned to his
countrymen.
These Indian tribes had their jugglers, whom they called pilotois, from
the Basques, or autmoins, which means a magician. These jugglers
exercised great sway over the Indians, who would not hesitate to kill a
Frenchman if the jugglers decided that it was necessary.
In spite of their superstitions Champlain believed that it would be an
easy task to convert the Indians to Christianity, especially if the French
resided near them. This desirable end was not to be attained without
great difficulty, as Champlain soon realized, for the missionaries toiled
for many years before their efforts were crowned with success.
Champlain now proceeded to explore the river Saguenay for a distance
of twelve to fifteen leagues, and he thus describes the scenery:--
"All the land I have seen is composed of rocks, covered with fir woods,
cypress, birch, very unpleasing land, where I could not find a league of
plain land on each side." He also learned from the Indians of the
existence of Lake St. John, and of a salt sea flowing towards the north.
It was evidently Hudson Bay to which these northern tribes directed
Champlain's attention, and if they had not seen it themselves they had
probably heard of its existence from the Indians dwelling around the
southern or south-western shores of the bay, who came annually to
Nemiscau Lake to trade their furs. This lake was half way between
Hudson Bay and the river St. Lawrence. The Kilistinons and other

Indians of the north had regular communication with their
_congénères_ scattered along the shores of the St. Maurice and the
several rivers which flow into Lake St. John.
When the French arrived in Canada with Chauvin, in the year 1600,
they began to monopolize the fur trade of all the Indian nations, but
some years later the English established themselves on the shores of
Hudson Bay, and prosecuted the trade for their own benefit.
Champlain could not, evidently, have been in possession of any exact
information as to the existence of this large bay, as he was searching
for a northern passage to Cathay, the great desideratum of all the
navigators and explorers of the time.
After having promised to aid the various tribes gathered at Tadousac in
their wars, Champlain and Pont-Gravé proceeded to Sault St. Louis.
This expedition lasted fifteen days, during which they saw Hare Island,
so named by Jacques Cartier, and the Island of Orleans. The ship
anchored at Quebec where Champlain stopped to make a short
description of the country watered by the St. Lawrence, and they then
proceeded to Sault St. Louis. Here Champlain gathered much valuable
information relating to lakes Ontario and Erie, the Detroit River,
Niagara Falls, and the rapids of the St. Lawrence. Returning to
Tadousac, he determined to explore Gaspesia, and proceeded to visit
Percé and Mal Bay, where he met Indians at every turn. He also was
informed by Prévert, from St. Malo, who was exploring the country, of
the existence of a copper mine.
Champlain carefully noted all the information he had received, and
after his return to Tadousac he sailed again for France on August 16th,
1603, and reached Havre de Grâce, after a passage of twenty-one days.
On his arrival in France, he heard that Aymar de Chastes had died a
few weeks previously, on August 13th. This was a great loss to Canada,
and especially to Champlain, for he was convinced that the noble and
enterprising de Chastes was seriously disposed to colonize New France.
"In this enterprise," he says, "I cannot find a single fault, because it has
been well inaugurated." With the death of de Chastes, the project of
colonizing would undoubtedly have fallen through had not Champlain

been present to promote another movement in this direction. Champlain
had an interview with the king, and presented him with a map of the
country which he had visited, and placed in his hands a relation of his
voyage.[4] Henry IV was so favourably impressed that he promised to
assist Champlain in his patriotic designs.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] This island is only forty leagues in length and twenty in breadth,
and belonged to the Spanish from the date of its discovery by Ponce de
Léon in 1509, to 1598. When Champlain visited the island it had been
taken by George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland. During the same