is styled 'Antoine de
Champlain, Capitaine de la Marine.' The same document styles Champlain
himself 'Samuel de Champlain.' A petition in which he asks for a
continuation of his pension (_circ._ 1630) styles him in its opening
words 'Le Sieur de Champlain' and afterwards 'le dit sieur Champlain'
in two places, while in six places it styles him 'le dit sieur de
Champlain.' Le Jeune calls him 'Monsieur de Champlain.' It is clear
that he was not a noble. It is also clear that he possessed sufficient
social standing to warrant the use of _de_. On the title-page of all
his books after 1604 he is styled the 'Sieur de Champlain.'

[2] He served chiefly in Brittany against the Spanish allies of the
League, and reached the rank of quartermaster.

[3] The history of all the companies formed during these years for
trade in New France is the same. First a monopoly is granted under
circumstances ostensibly most favourable to the Government and to the
privileged merchants; then follow the howls of the excluded traders,
the lack of good voluntary colonists, the transportation to the colony
of a few beggars, criminals, or unpromising labourers; a drain on the
company's funds in maintaining these during the long winter; a steady
decrease in the number taken out; at length no attempt to fulfil this
condition of the monopoly; the anger of the Government when made aware
of the facts; and finally the sudden repeal of the monopoly several
years before its legal termination.--H. P. Biggar, _Early Trading
Companies of New France_, p. 49.

[4] Francois Grave, Sieur du Pont, whose name, strictly speaking, is
Dupont-Grave, one of the most active French navigators of the
seventeenth century. From 1600 to 1629 his voyages to the St Lawrence
and Acadia were incessant.

[5] Now called the Lachine Rapids. An extremely important point in the
history of New France, since it marked the head of ship navigation on
the St Lawrence. Constantly mentioned in the writings of Champlain's
period.

{22}

CHAPTER II

CHAMPLAIN IN ACADIA[1]

The early settlements of the French in America were divided into two
zones by the Gulf of St Lawrence. Considered from the standpoint of
colonization, this great body of water has a double aspect. In the
main it was a vestibule to the vast region which extended westward from
Gaspe to Lake Michigan and thence to the Mississippi. But while a
highway it was also a barrier, cutting off Acadia from the