In 1611 Champlain again returned to America, bringing the young Algonquin with him; and on the 28th of May, proceeded 1611. in search of his allies, whom he was to meet by appointment. Not finding them he employed his time in choosing a site for a new settlement, higher up the river than Quebec. After a careful survey, he fixed upon an eligible spot in the vicinity of Mont Royal. His choice has been amply justified by the great prosperity to which this place, under the name of Montreal, has subsequently risen. Having cleared a considerable space of ground, he fenced it in by an earthen ditch, and planted grain in the enclosure.

At length on the 13th of June, three weeks after the time appointed, a party of his Indian friends appeared. They evinced great pleasure at meeting their countryman, who gave a most favourable report of the treatment he had received in France, and after a liberal present to Champlain the cause of their long delay was unfolded. They stated that it was altogether owing to a prisoner, who had escaped the previous year, spreading a report that the French, having resolved to espouse the cause of the Iroquois, were coming in great force to destroy their nation. Champlain complained of their having paid attention to such an idle rumour, the truth of which all his actions belied. They protested that it had never been credited by themselves, and was believed by those only of their tribe who never had an opportunity of becoming personally acquainted with the French. Having now received solemn protestations of friendship, and being satisfied with Champlain's sincerity, they declared their firm determination of adhering to his alliance; and of promoting, to the best of their ability, his projects of penetrating into the interior. As an evidence of their good will they imparted much valuable information respecting the geography of this continent, with which they seemed to be tolerably well acquainted as far south as the Gulf of Mexico. They readily agreed to his proposal to return shortly with forty or fifty of his people to prosecute discoveries, and form settlements in their country if he thought proper. They even made a request that a French youth should accompany them, and make observations upon their territory and tribe.

Champlain again returned to France with a view of making arrangements for more extensive operations; but this object was now of very difficult accomplishment. De Monts, who had been appointed governor of Saintonge, was no longer inclined to take the lead in measures of this kind, and excused himself from going to court by stating the urgency of his own affairs. He therefore committed the whole conduct of the settlement to Champlain, advising him, at the

same time, to seek some powerful protector, whose influence would overcome any opposition which might be made to his plans. The latter was so fortunate as to win over, almost immediately, the Count de Soissons to aid him in his designs. This nobleman obtained the title of lieutenant-general of New France; and, by a formal agreement, transferred to Champlain all the functions of that high office. The Count died soon after, but Champlain found a still 1612. more influential friend in the Prince of Conde, who succeeded to all the privileges of the deceased, and transferred them to him in a manner equally ample. These privileges, including a monopoly of the fur trade, gave great dissatisfaction to the merchants; but Champlain endeavoured to remove their principal objection, by permitting as many of them as chose to accompany him to the New World, and to engage in this traffic. In consequence of this permission, three merchants from Normandy, one from Rochelle, and one from St Malo, accompanied him. They were allowed the privileges of a free trade on contributing six men each to assist in projects of discovery, and giving one-twentieth of their profits towards defraying the expenses of the settlement.

In the beginning of March, the expedition sailed from Harfleur, and on the 7th of May arrived at Quebec. Champlain now

1613. engaged in a new project. A person named Vignau had

accompanied him on several visits to the Indians, and spent a winter among them. He reported that the river of the Algonquins (the Ottawa) issued from a lake connected with the North Sea, that he had visited the shores of this sea, and there witnessed the wreck of an English vessel. The crew, eighty in number, had reached the shore, where they had all been killed and scalped by the inhabitants, except a boy, whom they offered to give up to him, with other trophies of their victory. Wishing to have this narrative as well authenticated as possible, Champlain caused a declaration to be signed before two notaries, warning Vignau that if it were false he would be exposing himself to capital punishment. Finding that the man persevered, and having learned that some English vessels had really been wrecked on the coast of Labrador, his doubts were at length removed, and he determined to devote a season to the prosecution of discoveries in that part of North America.

Having this object in view he did not remain long at Quebec, and on the 21st of May arrived at the Lachine Rapids. With two canoes, containing four of his countrymen and one Indian, he proceeded on his voyage up the Ottawa, during the continuance of which he experienced much severe hardship, and encountered nu

merous difficulties. They met with a succession of cataracts and rapids, which they could only avoid by carrying the canoes and stores overland. In some instances, the woods were so dense that this laborious plan could not be adopted; and their only alternative then was to drag them through a foaming current, exposed to the danger of being themselves engulfed. Another danger arose from the wandering bands of Iroquois, who, if they had the French in their power, would doubtless have treated them in the same manner as they did their Algonquin captives. The difficulties of the navigation increasing as they ascended the river, they were obliged at length to leave their corn behind, and trust entirely to their guns and nets for provisions. At length the party reached the abode of Tessonant, a friendly chief, whose country was eight days' journey from that of the Nipissings, where the shipwreck was said to have occurred. He received them courteously, and agreed to admit their leader to a solemn council. Champlain being asked the object of his visit, after many courteous expressions, requested four canoes to escort him into the country of the Nipissings, which he earnestly desired to explore. The Indians were averse to granting this request, and only complied with it on the most earnest entreaty. The council having broken up, he ascertained that his wishes were still regarded unfavourably, and that none of the natives were willing to accompany him. He, therefore, demanded another meeting, in which he reproached them with their intended breach of faith; and to convince them that the fears which they expressed were groundless, referred to the fact of Vignau having spent some time among the Nipissings without injury. This person was then called upon to state whether he had made such a voyage, and after some hesitation replied in the affirmative, when the Indians declared in the strongest terms that he had uttered a falsehood, having never passed the limits of their own country, and that he deserved to be tortured for his dishonesty. After a close examination of Vignau, Champlain was obliged to acknowledge that they were right; and that he had been egregiously deceived. He had not only encountered a long series of labours and fatigues in vain, but the whole season had been spent without promoting objects which he had much at heart. Leaving Vignau with the Indians, as a punishment, he returned to Quebec, whence he sailed afterwards for France, where he arrived on the 26th of August, and 1614. found that matters still continued favourable for the colony. The Prince of Conde retained his influence at Court, and no difficulty was consequently found in equipping a small fleet, to carry out settlers and supplies from Rouen and St Malo. On board of this

B

fleet came out four fathers of the order of the Recollets, whose benevolence induced them to desire the conversion of the Indians to Christianity. These were the first priests who settled in Canada. Champlain arrived safely, on the 25th May, at Tadoussac, whence he immediately pushed forward to Quebec, and subsequently to

1615. the usual place of Indian rendezvous, at the Lachine Rapids.

Here he found his Algonquin and Huron allies full of projects of war against the Iroquois, whom they now proposed to assail among the lakes to the westward, with a force of 2000 fighting men. Always desirous to embark in any enterprise which promised to make him better acquainted with the country, Champlain laid down a plan of operations which he offered to aid the Algonquins in carrying out, and at which they expressed the utmost satisfaction. He accompanied them in a long march first up the Ottawa, and afterwards over small lakes and portages, leading to Lake Nipissing. The Nipissings, about 700 or 800 in number, who inhabited the shores of this lake, received the party in a friendly manner. Having remained with them two days, the Algonquins resumed their journey along the course of French River to Georgian Bay, which they crossed near the Great Manitoulin Island, and entered Lake Huron, which Champlain describes in his travels as a fresh-water sea 300 leagues in length, by 50 in breadth." After coasting this lake for several leagues, they turned a point near its extremity, and struck into the interior with a view of reaching Cahiagua, where they were to be reinforced by a detachment of the Algonquins, and some other friendly Indians. On arrival at this place a large body were found collected, who gave them a joyful welcome, and stated that they expected 500 additional warriors of other tribes, who also considered the Iroquois as their enemies, to join them. While awaiting the arrival of these warriors, several days were spent in dancing and festivity, the usual prelude to Indian expeditions. These over, and the allies not arriving, they again set out, and occasionally employed themselves in hunting, until they came to Lake St Clair, near the present city of Detroit, where they at length descried the Iroquois fort, which, in expectation of an attack, had been rendered unusually strong. It was defended by four rows of wooden palisades, with strong parapets at top, and enclosed a pond whence water was conducted to the different quarters, to extinguish any fires which might occur. The Iroquois advanced from this fort and skirmished successfully against their assailants for some time, and until the fire-arms were discharged, when they retreated precipitately. They

* Champlain, Book ix. chap. vi.

fought bravely, however, behind their defences, and poured forth. showers of arrows and stones, which compelled the allies, in spite of the exhortations and reproaches of Champlain, to withdraw beyond their reach. He now taught them to construct an enclosure of planks called a cavalier, which would command the enemy's entrenchment. The discharges from this machine were meant to drive the latter from the parapet and afford the assailants an opportunity of setting fire to the defences. The Indians showed the utmost activity in constructing this work, which they finished in four hours, when 200 of the strongest moved it close to the palisade. The shot from it drove the Iroquois into the interior of their stronghold, whence, however, they continued to discharge missiles of various kinds. The fort might now, with the greatest ease, have been set on fre, but Champlain found to his mortification that he had to deal with men who would make war only as they pleased. Instead of following his directions, they preferred to pour out execrations upon the enemy, and shoot arrows against the strong wooden defences. At length they commenced throwing pieces of burning timber, but so carelessly, as to produce very little effect, while the voices of their European friends, instructing them how to proceed, were lost amid the tumult. The Iroquois, meanwhile, drew water from their reservoir so copiously, that streams flowed through every part of the fortress, and the fires were speedily quenched, when, taking advantage of the disorder in the adverse ranks, they killed several of their assailants Champlain himself was twice wounded in the leg, and his allies finding the reduction of the fort likely to be attended with more loss than they had anticipated, resolved to retire. They justified their conduct by alleging the absence of the 500 auxiliaries, promising on their arrival to renew the assault. For two days a strong wind blew most favourably for another attempt to fire the fort; still, nothing could induce them to advance. Several petty attacks were subsequently made, but with such little success, that the French were obliged to come to the rescue. The enemy, in consequence, bitterly taunted the Algonquins as being unable to cope with them in a fair field, and obliged to seek the aid of a strange and odious race.

The reinforcement not appearing, the Canadian Indians determined to abandon the enterprise altogether, and return home. Their retreat was conducted with a much greater degree of skill than had been displayed in their offensive operations. The wounded were placed in the centre, while armed warriors guarded the front, brought up the rear, and formed flanking parties. The Iroquois followed them a short distance, but unable to make any impression