Voyages of Samuel De Champlain — Volume 03

by Samuel de Champlain

ENDNOTES:

201. Champlain made a voyage to New France in 1617, but appears to have kept no journal of its events. He simply observes that nothing occurred worthy of remark. Vide issue of 1632, Quebec ed., p. 969. Sagard gives a brief narrative of the events that occurred that year. Vol. I. pp. 34-44.

202. Eustache Boullé. His father was Nicolas Boullé, Secretary of the King's Chamber, and his mother was Marguerite Alix. Vide Vol. I. p. 205 et passim.

203. Nicolas de La Mothe, or de la Motte le Vilin. He had been Lieutenant of Saussaye in 1613, when Capt. Argall captured the French colony at Mount Desert. Vide Les Voyages de Champlain, 1632, Quebec ed., p. 773; Relation de la Nouvelle France, Père Biard, p. 64.

204. Fauquets. Probably the common Tern, or Sea Swallow. Sterna hirundo. Peter Kalm, on his voyage in 1749, says "Terns, sterna hirundo, Linn, though of a somewhat darker colour than the common ones, we found after the forty-first degree of north latitude and forty-seventh degree of west longitude from London, very plentifully, and sometimes in flocks of some hundreds; sometimes they settled, as if tired, on our ship." Kalm's Travels, 1770, Vol. I. p. 23.

205. St. John's day was June 24th.

206. According to Sagard they were assassinated about the middle of April, 1617. Hist. Canada, Vol. I. p. 42.

207. Sagard says the French, on account of this affair, were menaced by eight hundred savages of different nations who were assembled at Trois Rivières. Vide Histoire du Canada, 1636, Vol. I. p.42. The statement, "on estoit menacé de huict cens Sauvages de diuerse nations, qui festoient assemblez és Trois Rivieres à dessein de venir surprendre les François & leur coupper à tous la gorge, pour preuenir la vengeance qu'ils eussent pû prendre de deux de leurs hommes tuez par les Montagnais environ la my Auril de l'an 1617," is, we think, too strong. The savages were excited and frightened by the demands of the French, who desired to produce upon their minds a strong moral impression, in order to prevent a recurrence of the murder, which was a private thing, in which the great body of the savages had no part. They could not be said to be hostile, though they prudently put themselves in a state of defence, as, under the circumstances, it was very natural they should do.

208. They were then at Trois Rivières.

209. The moat around the habitation at Quebec was fifteen feet wide and six feet deep, constructed with a drawbridge to be taken up in case of need. Vide Vol II p. 182.