1

Marquis was cast away in an attempt to carry out his scheme. In 1587 the grand-nephew of Cartier was in Canada, evidently engaged in regular trade.2 Beyond question communication was maintained with Canada until official colonization was again taken up in 1597.3 The efforts of Francis I. in sending out Verrazano, Cartier, and Roberval were by no means thrown away, and we must take for what it is worth the statement of Alexander in his Encouragement to Colonies, where (p. 36) he says that the French in America effected more "by making a needless ostentation, that the World should know they had beene there, then that they did continue still to inhabit there.”

CRITICAL ESSAY ON THE SOURCES OF INFORMATION.

ITTLE is known of the personal history of Jacques Cartier, though Cunat discovered several points relating to his ancestry. It appears that one Jehan Cartier married Guillemette Baudoin; and that of their six children, Jamet, or Jacques, was the oldest, having been born Dec. 4, 1458. Marrying in turn Jeffeline Jansart, he had by her a son, Dec. 31, 1494. This son, up to a recent day, was held to be the great navigator; but Longrais has rendered it almost certain that he was not.

Like Verrazano, Allefonsce, and others, he appears to have done something as a privateer; and the Spanish ambassador in France, reporting the expedition of Cartier and Roberval, Dec. 17, 1541, spoke of "el corsario Jacques Cartier." 4

At an early age Cartier was wedded to Catharine des Granches, daughter of Jacques des Granches, the constable of St. Malo, this being considered a brilliant marriage. After retiring from the sea, he lived in the winter at his house in St. Malo, adjoining the Hospital of St. Thomas, and in the summer at his manor on the outskirts of the town at Limoilou. The name of Des Granches appears in connection with the mountains on the shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Cartier, so far as known, had no children. At least Cunat's researches, supported by the local tradition, show that Manat had no authority now recognized for saying that in 1665 he had a lineal descendant in one Harvée Cartier.6

Following Verrazano, we have the earliest notice of French visitations to the coast in the statement of Herrera,' that in 1526 the Breton, Nicolas Don, pursued the fisheries at Baccalaos. In 1527 Rut, as reported in Purchas, says that eleven sail of Normans and

1 Discourse, etc., p. 26.

2 Principal Navigations, iii. 236.

3 Hakluyt in his third volume gives accounts of several English voyages to the St. Lawrence, 1 593-1 597.

4 Navarrete, Bibliotheca maritima, i. 396.

5 [There is a view of this manor in the Relation originale, Paris, 1867. In the Massachusetts Archives, Documents collected in France, i. 263, is a paper on the genealogy of Cartier, by M. Cunat, of St. Malo, communicated to Mr. Poore by M. d'Avezac. This and various other copies of papers (many of which have of late years been printed) relating to Cartier are preserved

in the office of the Régistraire de la Province de Québec. In 1883 the Chambre of the Province ordered a list made of the documents relating to Canadian history in that office, which was in March furnished by the secretary, J. Blanchet, and printed as no. 62 of the legislative documents. It shows about one thousand documents from the time of Cartier to the American Revolution. - ED.]

6 See Transactions of the Quebec Literary and Historical Society, 1862, which contains valuable articles (p. 141).

7 Edition of 1728; dec. iii. 1. x. cap. 9.
8 Vol. iii. p. 809.

one of Bretons were at St. John, Newfoundland.1 According to Lescarbot, who gives no authority, the Baron de Léry landed cattle on the Isle of Sable in 1528.8

Next in the order of French voyages we reach those of Cartier. The narrative of his first voyage appeared originally in the Raccolta, etc., of Ramusio, printed at Venice in 1556.4 It was translated from the Italian into English by John Florio, and appeared under the title, A Short and Briefe Narration of the Two Navigations and Discoveries to the Northweast Partes called Newe Fraunce, London, 1580.5 This was adopted by Hakluyt, and printed in his Navigations, 1600.6 Another account of this voyage appeared in French, printed at Rouen, 1598, having been written originally in a langue étrangere. It has been supposed very generally that the "strange language” was Italian, and that it was a translation from Ramusio; but this opinion is questioned. Another narrative of the voyage has been found and published as an original account by Cartier. In the Preface to the volume the Editor sets forth his reasons for this opinion. It is noticeable that each of these three versions is characterized by an obscurity to which attention has been called.10 Nearly all the facts of the first voyage, handled, like the rest of his voyages, by so many writers, come from one of these three versions." The patent for the voyage, as in the case of the voyage of Verrazano, is not known.

7

1 Herrera (Historia general, Madrid, 1601, dec. ii. 1. v. c. 3, seemingly under the year 1519) reports "fifty ships, Spanish, French, and Portuguese, fishing;" but the true date is 1527. Oviedo indicates the date in his Historia general de las Indias (Madrid, 1851), 611. See Brevoort's Verrazano the Navigator, pp. 147, 148, and the Northmen in Maine, on Rut's voyage, p. 55.

2 Nouvelle France, 1612, p. 22.

8 See Harrisse's Notes pour servir, etc., Paris, 1872, p. 1I. Harrisse found copies in the National and Sainte-Geneviève libraries of Paris, and says it follows a text not now known; and that Hakluyt in his Principall Navigations followed still another text.

9 Relation originale du voyage de Jacques Car tier au Canada en 1534: Documents inédits sur Jacques Cartier et le Canada (nouvelle série), publiés par H. Michelant et A. Ramé, accompagnés de

8 Cf. J. B. Gilpin, Lecture on Sable Island, deux portraits de Cartier, et de deux vues de son Halifax, 1858, 24 pages.

4 Vol. iii. fol. 369.

7 The following is the title: Discours du voyage fait par le Capitaine Iaques Cartier aux Terres-neufues de Canadas, Norembergue, Hochelage, Labrador, et pays adiacens, dite nouuelle France, auec particulieres mœurs, langage, et ceremonies des habitans d'icelle. — A Roven, de l'imprimerie de Raphal du Petit Val, Libraire et Imprimeur à l'Ange Raphal, M.D.XCVIII., avec permission du Roy. This has been reprinted at Quebec in the Voyages de découverte au Canada, 1534-1552, published under the direction of the Literary and Historical Society, Cowan, 1843, and at Paris by Tross, 1865. It is followed in Ternaux-Compans (Archives des voyages, Paris, 1840), and is used in Lescarbot's Histoire de la Nouvelle France, livre iii. chaps. 2-5; and of this last text Harrisse (p. 2) says, "Ce n'est qu'une médiocre reproduction de celui de Petit-Val," a publisher of Rouen.

manoir. Paris, Tross, 1867. The original manu-
script bears the erroneous date of 1544.

The Normans and Bretons probably sailed to the banks of Newfoundland before Cabot made Prima Vista. An early mention of their voyages is that of the Gran Capitano Francese of 1539, found in Ramusio (Raccolta, 1556, iii. 359), where they are spoken of as frequenting the northern parts thirty-five years before, and giving a well-known headland its present name of Cape Breton. [This "gran capitano" is held by Estancelin in his Navigateurs Normands to be Jean Parmentier of Dieppe, and Pierre Crignon is named as the writer of the somewhat confused routier and narrative given in Ramusio. Cf. Shea's Charlevoix, i. 132; Major's Early Voyages to Terra Australis, Introduction; and Murphy's Verrazzano, p. 85. Harrisse (Cabots, p. 249) also discusses the question of the Capitano's identity.-ED.] Ramusio also (iii. 359) refers to Jean Denys and the pilot

The narrative of the second voyage was published at Paris in 1545.1 Ramusio 2 accompanies the narrative of the first voyage with an account of the second, also in Italian. Three manuscript versions of the narrative are preserved in the Bibliotheque Nationale, and are described by Harrisse in his Notes.8 Hakluyt appears to follow Ramusio. The patents for the second voyage will be found in Lescarbot (Nouvelle France), who used in his account of Cartier what is known as the Roffet text, though he abridges and alters somewhat; and he in turn was followed by Charlevoix.

For the third voyage of Cartier, unfortunately, we have only a few facts in addition to the fragment preserved by Hakluyt, which ends with events at the close of September, 1541. An account of the voyage of Roberval is added thereto. The commission of Cartier is found in Lescarbot's Nouvelle France. All that was formerly known was taken from Hakluyt; but facts that somewhat recently have come to light, though few, are nevertheless important, proving that Hakluyt's information respecting Roberval was poor, like that which he gives of the voyage of Rut (1527). Rut's voyage was tolerably well understood by Purchas, who wrote after Hakluyt. Bancroft, in his History of

1

the United States,1 writes on the subject of Cartier as he wrote forty-nine years earlier; a while nearly all historical writers, whether famous or obscure, have written in a similar way. They have been misled by Hakluyt. The statement that Cartier, on his way home in June, 1542, encountered Roberval at Newfoundland, and deserted him in the night, is not in keeping with his character, and is rendered improbable by the fact that in the previous autumn Roberval sailed for Canada. All things, so far as known, indicate that a good understanding existed between the two commanders, and that circumstances alone prevented the accomplishment of larger results. Certainly, if Cartier had failed in his duty, history would have given some record of the fact. Francis I. would not have employed any halting, half-hearted man who was trying to discourage exploration. Let us here, then, endeavor to epitomize the operations of Roberval and Cartier : —

Jan. 15, 1540, Roberval was appointed lieutenant-general and commander.

4

February

6 he took the oath, followed the next day by letters-patent confirming those of January 15.5 February 27 Roberval appointed Paul d'Angilhou, known as Sainterre, his lieutenant.® March 9 the Parliament of Rouen authorized Roberval to take certain classes of criminals for the voyage." October 17 Francis I. appointed Jacques Cartier captain-general and chief pilot. October 28 Prince Henry, the Dauphin, ordered certain prisoners to be sent to Cartier for the voyage.9 November 3 additional criminals, to the number of fifty, were ordered for the expedition.10 December 12 the King complained that the expedition was delayed.11 May 23, 1541, Cartier sailed with five ships.1 July 10 Chancellor Paget informs the Parliament of Rouen that "the King considers it very strange that Roberval has not departed." 18 August 18 Roberval writes from Honfleur that he will leave in four days.14 Aug. 22, 1541, Roberval sailed from Honfleur. 15 In the autumn of 1541, Roberval, on his way to Canada, meets at St. John's,16 Newfoundland, Jallobert and Noel, sailing and with wrath and amazement recognized the

1 Edition of 1883, vol. i. p. 17.

2 "The division of authority between Cartier and Roberval defeated the undertaking. Roberval was ambitious of power, and Cartier desired the exclusive honor of discovery. They neither embarked in company nor acted in concert. In May, 1541, Cartier sailed from St. Malo. Arrived at the scene of his former adventures, near the site of Quebec, he built a fort; but no considerable advances in geographical knowledge appear to have been made. The winter passed in sullenness and gloom. In June, 1542, he and his ships returned to France, just before Roberval arrived with a considerable reinforcement. Unsustained by Cartier, Roberval accomplished no more than a verification of previous discoveries. Remaining about a year in America, he abandoned his immense viceroyalty."

There is, however, no good proof of these charges. At the time when Roberval is represented as contending with Cartier, the former must have been in Canada. We have no proof of any conflict of authority. Facts recited in the present chapter do not appear to have been known to Mr. Bancroft. Kohl (Discovery of Maine, p. 343) appears to have known nothing beyond what is found in Hakluyt with reference to the meeting at St. John's. Parkman (Pioneers of France, p. 202, edition of 1882) says that Roberval sailed for Canada in April, 1542, and that, soon after reaching St. John's, "he descried three other sail rounding the entrance to the haven, VOL. IV. 9.

12

ships of Cartier. The Viceroy ordered him
to return; but Cartier escaped with his vessels
under cover of night, and made sail for France."
See also Gay's Popular History of the United
States, i. 188; and, on these voyages, Biographie
des Malouins célèbres, Paris, 1824; St. Malo illus
tré par ses marines, by Cunat, Paris, 1857; Bio-
graphie Bretonne, by Livot, Vannes, 1858. Also,
D'Avezac's edition of the voyage of 1545, Paris,
1863, f. xiii. This author does not appear to have
known that Roberval sailed in 1541, instead of
1542. Hatton, in his Newfoundland, London,
1883, p. 14, also goes very wide of the mark.
8 Harrisse, Notes, pp. 243-253.
4 Ibid.

5 Ibid., pp. 259–264.
6 Ibid., pp. 254–258.

7 Ibid., pp. 268–271. *

8 Ramé, Documents inédits, p. 12; and the Transactions of the Quebec Literary and Historical Society, 1862, p. 116.

• Documents inédits, p. 12; Transactions,. etc., p. 120.

10 Gosselin's Nouvelles glanes historiques Nor mandes (Rouen, 1873), p. 4; forming a limited edition of Documents inédits.

11 Harrisse, Jean et Sébastien Cabot, p. 212. 12 Hakluyt, iii. 232.

18 Nouvelles glanes, p. 6.

14 Ibid., p. 6.

15 Ibid., p. 6.

16 Ibid., p. 6, and Hakluyt, iii. 240.

by order of Cartier to France. Immediately on his arrival at Quebec, autumn of 1541, Roberval sends Sainterre to France.1 Jan. 26, 1542, Francis I. orders Sainterre, who has already “made the voyage,” to sail with two ships "to succour, support, and aid the said Lord Roberval with provisions and other things of which he has very great need and necessity.' "2 During the summer of 1542 Roberval explores and builds France Roy. Sept. 9, 1542, Roberval pardons Sainterre at France Roy, in the presence of Jean Allefonsce, for mutiny.4 Oct. 21, 1542, Cartier is in St. Malo and present at a baptism, having spent seventeen months on the voyage. Roberval spends the winter of 1542–1543 at France Roy. March 25, 1543, Cartier present at a baptism in St. Malo. In the summer of 1543 Cartier sails on a voyage which occupies eight months, and brings Roberval home, leaving Canada late in the season, and running unusual risk of his freight (péril de nauleaige).o April 3, 1544, Cartier and Roberval are summoned to appear before the King,10

6

5

8

This, so far as our present knowledge goes, formed the end of Cartier's seafaring. Thereafter, without having derived any material financial benefit from his great undertakings, Cartier, as the Seigneur of Limoilou, dwelt at his plain manor-house on the outskirts of St. Malo, where he died, greatly honored and respected, about the year 1555."

Charlevoix affirms that Roberval made another attempt to colonize Canada in 1549; 12 Thevet says that he was murdered in Paris: at all events he soon passed from sight.18 There is no evidence to prove that Cartier gave any name to the country which he explored. The statement found at the end of Hakluyt's version of the second voyage,14

241.

Hakluyt, iii. 241.

2 Harrisse, Notes, p. 272.

necessary, being upon the whole a mendacious character. Nevertheless he was well acquainted

3 Cosmographie of Allefonsce; Hakluyt, iii. with Roberval and Cartier, and is said to have

♦ Ibid., p. 240.

5 Transactions, 1862, p. 93.

6 Ibid., p. 241.

7 Transactions, p. 90.

8 "Jacques Cartier, après avoir réclamé 4,500 livres pour L'Hermine et L'Emerillon, ajoute: 'Et on ce qui est du tiers navise, mettre pour 17 mois qu'il a eté au dit voyage du dit Cartier, et pour huit mois qu'il a éte à retourner quérir le dit Robertval au dit Canada, au péril de nauleige, ce seront 2,500 livres, et pour les deux autres qui fuerint au dit voyage, six mois à cent livres le mois, sont douze cent livres.'" (Transactions, etc., 1862, p. 93.) See also Documents inédits, p. 28.

9 Transactions, p. 93. Harrisse (Jean et Sébastien Cabot, p. 215) suggests that Cartier brought Roberval home in the month of June, 1544. This, however, was not so, as Cartier had actually returned prior to April 3, 1544. 10 Transactions, p. 94.

11 Cf. A. Walker on A Forgotten Hero" in Fraser's Magazine, 1880, p. 775

lived six months with the latter at St. Malo. [The Northmen in Maine, by Dr. De Costa, p. 63, and Biographie universelle, 1826–1827, vol. xxv.; also, vol. xlix. on Villegagnon.] This episode covers the case of Roberval's niece, who in 1541 went on the voyage with him, becoming the victim of a young man who followed her from France. As punishment, she was put ashore with her old nurse on an island called the Isle of Demons, which figures prominently in the map found in the Ptolemy of Ruscelli, her lover being allowed to join them. On this island both of her companions died. After more than two years she was rescued by a fishing-vessel, and carried to France. Her story was first told in the Heptameron of Marguerite, published at Paris in 1559, forming number lxvii: "Extrême amour et austérité de femme en terre étrange." Thevet, in his Cosmographie (ii. 1019), recasts the story, and says that he had the account from the princess herself, who, in a little village of Périgord, met the young woman, who had sought an asylum there from the wrath of her uncle Roberval. In his Grand insulaire, a manuscript

12 Shea's Charlevoix, i. 131; also, Le Clercq, preserved in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris Établissement de la foy, i. 14.

18 An episode in the voyage of Roberval, not alluded to by Hakluyt, is preserved in Thevet's Cosmographie universelle, Paris, 1575. Thevet drew his accounts of New France partly from the navigators and partly from his imagination, deliberately inventing facts where he deemed it

(Harrisse, Notes, p. 278), which antedates his Cosmographie, Thevet also has a version of the story. In the latter work it is given in connection with the fabulous account of a Nestorian bishop. It is illustrated by a picture of the woman on the Isle of Demons shooting wild beasts.

14 Vol. iii. p. 232.