olicitous about forming an alliance with the Europeans for the
sake of aid against their enemies. An understanding was soon established.
The Indians engaged to visit the French trading-posts with abundance of
furs for the purposes of traffic, and promised to assist Champlain with
facilities for exploring their country westward. On the other hand,
Champlain undertook to help them in their conflicts with the Iroquois. In
pursuance of this agreement the French, under Champlain, first intervened
in Indian warfare. Returning to Quebec, Champlain procured reenforcements
and supplies for his establishment from Pontegrave, who had by this time
arrived at Tadoussac from France. Before the end of May he set out again
on his way up the river to join his Indian allies, and to accompany them
into the country of their enemies, the Iroquois.

During the twenty-seven years following the foundation of Quebec, the
history of the colony consists almost exclusively of the personal history
of Champlain, its founder, upon whose own memoirs we are dependent
chiefly for authentic information. They present details of romantic
incidents, of courage, fortitude, and virtue, of sagacity, and of
indefatigable industry, of self-denial and patience, which will always
entitle him to a high rank among the celebrated in the annals of mankind.

In pursuance of the alliance he had entered into with the aborigines of
Canada, as well as for the purpose of extending his discoveries, he
engaged in three different warlike expeditions into the country of the
Iroquois, viz., in the years 1609, 1611, and 1615.

In his first expedition he passed with a body of Algonquins and
Montagnais up the river Richelieu, which then, and subsequently, was the
principal route followed by the Iroquois when making incursions into
Canada. He discovered that this river formed the outlet of the waters of
a beautiful lake, which he was the first of Europeans to behold, and
which he called "Lake Champlain," after his own name. He was now in parts
frequented by the Iroquois. According to Champlain's description it was a
region abounding in game, fish, beavers, bears, and other wild animals.

Not far from the site upon which, long afterward, Fort Ticonderoga was
constructed, the invaders fell in with a body of two hundred Iroquois,
who were easily beaten and put to flight, chiefly owing to the chivalrous
valor of Champlain, and the terror inspired by fire-arms used by him and
his two a