mpossible without his aid. In the
first cabinet of Sir John Macdonald he sat as minister of militia and
defence, and carried in 1868 an important act establishing the land
forces of Canada on a sound basis. Though a devout Catholic, he became
involved in a political quarrel with his church, and was defeated by
clerical influence at the general election of 1872. Another seat was
found for him, but his health failed and he died on the 20th of May
1873.

The _Life_, by Alfred O. De Celles (Toronto, 1904), may be
supplemented by the sketch in Dent's _Canadian Portrait Gallery_
(Toronto, 1880). (W. L. G.)

CARTIER, JACQUES (1491-1557), French navigator, discoverer of the
Canadian river St Lawrence, was born at St Malo in Brittany. Of his
early life nothing is known. On the suppression by Admiral Chabot of the
trade to Brazil, an expedition consisting of two ships and sixty-one men
was despatched from St Malo under Cartier on the 20th of April 1534, to
look for a north-west passage to the East. Cartier reached Newfoundland
on the 10th of May, and at once entered the strait of Belle Isle, then
known to the fishermen as the bay of Castles. While the ships renewed
their supply of wood and water in Belles Amours harbour on the north
side of the strait, the long-boats discovered that the coast farther
west was barren, rocky and uninviting. In view of this Cartier set sail
on Monday, the 15th of June, for the south side of the strait, by
following which he was led down almost the whole west coast of
Newfoundland. Off St George's Bay a storm drove the ships out into the
gulf, but on resuming his course Cartier fell in with the Bird Rocks.
The island south of these he named Brion Island, after Chabot. Cartier
mistook our Magdalen and Prince Edward Islands for the main shore on the
south side of this inland sea. Following the coast of New Brunswick
northward he was greatly disappointed to discover Chaleur Bay was not a
strait. During a ten days' stay in Gaspe Harbour Cartier made friends
with a tribe of Huron-Iroquois Indians from Quebec, two of whom he
carried off with him. A mirage deceived him into thinking the passage up
the river south of Anticosti was a bay, whereupon he proceeded to coast
the southern, eastern and northern shores of Anticosti. On discovering
the passage between this island and the Quebec shore a council was held,
at which it was decided to postpone the exploration of this strait until
the foll