The Discovery of the St. Lawrence: Cartier and Roberval

The adventurers wintered in the St. Charles River, and continued to be treated with apparent kindness and hospitality by the Stadaconians, who had, fortunately, laid up abundant stores of provisions. Unaccustomed, however, to the rigor of a Canadian winter, and scantily supplied with warm clothing, Cartier and his companions suffered severely from the cold. To add to their other misfortunes, scurvy, the terror of the seaman in those days, made its appearance, and, in conjunction with a disease produced by a licentious intercourse with the natives, speedily carried off twenty-five of their number. To a decoction from the bark of the spruce-fir, taken on the recommendation of the Indians, the remainder ascribed their restoration to health.

The long winter at length drew to a close; the ice broke up, and, although the voyage had led to no gold-discoveries or profitable returns in a mercantile point of view, the expedition prepared to return home. Like other adventurers of that age, they requited the kindness and hospitality of the aborigines with the basest ingratitude. They compelled Donacona, with two other chiefs and eight warriors, to bear them company to France, where the greater part of these unfortunate men died soon after their arrival.

Cartier made a second visit to the St. Lawrence in 1540, in command of a fleet fitted out by De Roberval, a rich nobleman of France. As he failed to bring back their chief, the inhabitants of Stadacona received him with indications of hostility.

Finding his position with the inhabitants of Stadacona becoming daily more and more unpleasant, Cartier moved higher up the river to Cape Rouge, where he laid up three of his vessels, and sent the other two back to France, with letters to the king and Roberval, stating the success of his voyage and asking for supplies. His next proceeding was to erect a fort, which he called Charlesbourg. Here, after an unsuccessful attempt to navigate the rapids above Hochelaga, he passed a most uncomfortable winter. During the ensuring summer he occupied himself in examining the country in every direction, and in searching for gold, but of which he only procured a few trifling specimens in the beds of some dried rivulets. A few small diamonds were discovered in headland near Stadacona, which was therefore called Cape Diamond, a name it still retains.

The promised supplies not having arrived, another severe winter completely disheartened Cartier, and he accordingly resolved to return home. Putting into the harbor of St. John, Newfoundland, he encountered Roberval, who was now on his way to Canada, with a new company of adventurers and an abundance of stores and provisions. The viceroy endeavored to persuade Cartier to return with him, but without effect. He and his companions were alike disheartened with the extreme cold and prolonged duration of a Canadian winter, and this circumstance, in connection with the other hardships to which they had been exposed, caused them to long earnestly to return to their own sunny France. To avoid further importunity, a possible quarrel, and forcible detention, Cartier caused his sailors to weigh anchor during the night. After a tolerably quick passage, he arrived safely in his native country, where he died shortly after his return, having, like many others, sacrificed health and fortune to a passion for discovery and a desire to acquire gold.

Roberval returned to France, after spending the winter in Canada. He subsequently started with another expedition for the same region. This fleet was never heard of again, and probably foundered at sea. The results of these efforts so discouraged the French that no similar attempt was made for many years afterwards.