Relation de la Novvelle France, et le Voyage des Peres Iesvites en icelle.
CHAPITRE I.
[1] QUEL PAÏS EST LA NOUUELLE FRANCE, & CEUX QUI PREMIEREMENT L'ONT VOULU HABITER.
[38] NOVS appellons Nouuelle France; les terres, & païs de l'Amerique, ou Indes Occidentales, qui sont à l'autre bord de l'Ocean de Guienne, vers le Soleil couchant, opposites à nous, & droictement correspondantes en mesme ligne de l'Orient à l'Occident. [2] On leur a imposé ce nom de Nouuelle France, pour deux raisons principalement. La premiere, d'autant que (comme i'ay dit) ces terres sont paralleles à nostre France, n'y ayant rien entre la Guienne & ces dictes contrées, sinon nostre mer d'Occident, large en son plus estroict, de huict cens lieües & d'auantage; En son plus ample peu moins de mille lieües ou enuiron. La seconde raison est d'autant que ce païs a esté premierement descouuert par les François Bretons, l'an 1504. Il y ja cent & onze ans; Et qui despuis n'ont cessé de la frequenter. Les Normans de mesme ont contribué à ce trauail des premiers; entre lesquels nous lisons, que le Capitaine Thomas Aubert, Dieppois y fit voile, l'an 1508. & en ramena des Sauuages du païs, lesquels il fit voir auec admiration, [3] & applaudissement à la France. Deux ans auant luy le Capitaine Ieã Denys de Honfleur auoit [40] fait la mesme descouuerte; Mais par ce qu'il n'en auoit rapporté que des poissons, & des cartes Geographiques, son renom en est demeuré plus obscur, que de Thomas Aubert. Depuis l'an 1523. Iean Verazan courut toute la coste, dés la Floride iusques au Cap Breton, & en prit possession au nom de François I. son maistre. Ie croy que ç'a esté ce Iean Verazan, qui a esté le Parrain de ceste denomination de Nouuelle France: Parce que Canada, (duquel nom aussi on l'appelle communement) n'est point à proprement parler toute ceste tenuë de païs, qu'ores on nõme Nouuelle France; Ains est celle tant seulement, laquelle s'estend au long des riuages du grand Fleuue Canadas, & [4] le Gelfe de S. Laurens; qui n'est seulement, que la partie la plus Septentrionale de la Nouuelle France; ainsi qu'il vous appert par la carte Geographique, que nous vous apposons icy.
Relation of New France, and the Jesuit Fathers' Voyage to that country.
CHAPTER I.
[1] ON THE LOCATION OF NEW FRANCE, AND THOSE WHO FIRST ATTEMPTED TO SETTLE THERE.
WE call New France,[1] the lands and countries of America or the West Indies, which are upon the other shore of the Ocean of Guienne,[2] towards the setting Sun, opposite us and lying directly in the same line from East to West. [2] They have given it this name of New France principally for two reasons. The first, because (as I have said) these lands are parallel to our France, nothing lying between Guienne and said countries, except our Western sea, in its narrowest part more than eight hundred leagues wide; in its widest, a little less than a thousand leagues, or thereabout. The second reason is that this country was first discovered by French Bretons, in the year 1504, one hundred and eleven years ago, and since then they have not ceased to visit it. The Normans also assisted in these early discoveries; among whom we read that Captain Thomas Aubert,[3] of Dieppe, sailed in the year 1508, and brought back from there some of the Natives, whom he exhibited to the wonder [3] and applause of France. Two years before him, Captain Jean Denys,[4] of Honfleur, had made the same discovery; but, as he brought back only some fish, and Geographical charts, he has not become so renowned as Thomas Aubert. After the year 1523, Jean Verazan[5] skirted all the coast from Florida to Cape Breton, and took possession of it in the name of his master, Francis I. I believe it was Jean Verazan who was Godfather to this title of "New France;"[1] for Canada (a name by which they also frequently call it) is not, properly speaking, all this extent of country which they now call New France; but it is only that part, which extends along the banks of the great River Canada, and [4] the Gulf of St. Lawrence;[6] this being only the most Northern part of New France, as will be seen from the Geographical chart which we insert herein.[7]
A Canada touche l'Acadie, ou pays des Souriquoys plus bas vers le Sud: Et plus bas encores au delà de la Baye Françoise est la Norambegue. De ces deux mots de Norambegue & de Acadie, il n'en reste plus aucune memoire sur le pays; ouy bien de Canada, laquelle fut principalement descouuerte par Iacques Cartier, l'an 1524. & puis par vn second voyage dix ans apres l'an 1534.
Acadie, or the Souriquoys country farther South, is next to Canada, and still farther down, on the other side of French Bay, is Norambegue. Of these two words, Norambegue and Acadie, there no longer remains any remembrance in the country;[8] yet there is of Canada, which was discovered principally by Jacques Cartier in 1524, and then in a second voyage ten years afterwards in 1534.