followers and to the native Indians of Canada. He was of good
address--always able, when he desired it, to render himself acceptable
to the highest personages in France, so as to secure a willing attention
to his representations. Such was the man who, under the auspices of De
Chates and of M. de Monts, first made his appearance in New France, in
whose early annals he figured conspicuously upward of thirty years.

In 1603 Champlain, in conjunction with Pontegrave, made his first voyage
to the St. Lawrence. At Tadoussac they left their ships and ascended the
river in boats to the then farthest attainable point--the Sault St.
Louis, now known as the Rapids, above the city of Montreal. The features
of the country, so far as they could be examined from the river, were
carefully observed. The Indian towns of Carrier's time, Stadacona and
Hochelaga, were no longer in existence; but Champlain regarded with
attention the scenery around their sites. Hochelaga is not even mentioned
by him, although, acting as Carrier had done nearly seventy years before,
he ascended Mount Royal in order to obtain a good view. Returning to
Tadoussac, where their three small vessels had been left, Champlain and
Pontegrave, toward autumn, set sail for France.

De Chates had died during their absence, and the company formed by him
was already almost broken up. Champlain, however, prepared a narrative,
and a map to illustrate what he had seen, and submitted these for the
information of Henry (IV of France), who expressed his willingness to
countenance the resumption of plans for settling the country.

Almost immediately afterward the company was reorganized by M. de Monts.
He also was a Huguenot, patriotic, of great abilities and experience, and
possessing much influence at court, without which he could not have
surmounted impediments that were purposely raised against his designs
from the first. The King, unmoved by the objections to De Monts,
appointed him lieutenant-general of the North American territory between
40 deg. and 46 deg. north latitude, with instructions to establish colonists,
cultivate the soil, search for mines of gold and silver, build forts and
towns, and with power to confer grants of land, as well as the exclusive
right of trading with the natives in furs and all kinds of merchandise.
Although a Protestant, while De Monts and his friends were to enjoy the
free exercise of their religion, he was bound by the charter to provide
for