The Discovery of the St. Lawrence

The voyages of discovery to the northern coast of North America began with the expedition of John Cabot, in 1497, under the auspices of Henry VII. of England. His object was to seek not alone for new lands, but also for that northwest passage to the coast of Asia which gave rise to so many subsequent voyages to the Arctic seas. On the 26th of June, Cabot discovered land, most probably the island of Newfoundland. Continuing his course, he reached the coast of Labrador on the 3d of July. He was, therefore, the first of modern navigators to discover the continent of America, which was not reached by Columbus till some thirteen months afterwards. He explored the coast for nine hundred miles to the southward, and returned to England. In the following year his son Sebastian made a voyage to the same region, with similar instructions to search for a northwest passage. The same object was sought, in 1527, by a fleet sent out by Henry VIII.

The Portuguese also made early voyages in search of this illusory northwest passage. Gaspar Cortereal, in 1500, reached the American coast at fifty degrees of north latitude. On a second voyage his ship was lost, and his brother Miguel, who went in search of him, failed also to return.

In 1524, Francis I. of France resolved to have his share in these discoveries, and in the benefits which might result from them. "What!" said he to his courtiers, "shall the kings of Spain and Portugal divide all America between them, without suffering me to take a share as their brother? I would fain see the article in Adam's will that bequeaths that vast inheritance to them." Already some fishing captains had partly explored the coast. The fishermen of Breton have left their record of discovery in the name of Cape Breton. John Denys explored the Gulf of St. Lawrence as early as 1506. These hardy fishermen formed useful crews for succeeding voyages of discovery. Francis prepared a squadron of four ships, which he placed under command of Giovanni Verrazano, an experienced Italian navigator, who explored the American coast from Carolina northward, probably visiting New York and Narragansett Bays. He also was in search of a passage to India, and became convinced that no such passage existed, and that the continent was continuous from the Straits of Magellan to Labrador. An account of the succeeding French expedition, that of Cartier, we extract from "The History of Canada," by John McMullen.]

IN 1534 the French king fitted out a second expedition, the conduct of which he intrusted to Jacques Cartier, a fearless and skilful mariner, who had previously been engaged for several years in the fisheries on the Banks of Newfoundland, which even as early as 1517 already gave employment to some fifty English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese vessels. This expedition, consisting of two vessels of sixty tons each, sailed from St. Malo on the 20th of April, and on the 10th of May arrived at Newfoundland, where it remained ten days. Proceeding northward, Cartier passed through the Straits of Belleisle, entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and landed at Gaspe, where, on the 24th July, he erected a cross, surmounted by a fleur-de-lys, to commemorate his advent on the coast. A friendly intercourse with the natives enabled him to kidnap two men, with whom he sailed for France, where, on his arrival, he was well received by his sovereign.

In the following year Cartier obtained a new commission from Francis, and sailed with three vessels direct for the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with instructions to explore its shores carefully, to establish a settlement, if at all practicable, and to open a traffic for gold with the inhabitants. In the month of August, on the festival day of the martyr Lawrence, this navigator entered the great father of the northern waters, which he called after the saint. Proceeding up it course, he found himself, in a few days, opposite the Indian village of Stadacona, then occupying a portion of the ground on which the city of Quebec now stands. As the vessels came to an anchor the terrified natives fled to the forest, whence they gazed, with mingled feelings of awe and wonder, on the "winged canoes" which had borne the pale-faced strangers to their shores. These feelings were, however, much less intense than they must have otherwise been, owing to the rumors which from time to time had preceded Cartier's approach, and to the fact that they were well acquainted with the circumstance of his visit to Gaspe the previous year, and the outrage he had there perpetrated on their countrymen. This knowledge led the inhabitants of Stadacona to resolve on a wary intercourse with the strangers. Their chief, Donacona, approached the vessels with a fleet of twelve canoes, filled with his armed followers. Ten of these canoes he directed to remain at a short distance, while he proceeded with the other two to ascertain the purport of the visit, - whether it was for peace or war. With this object in view, he commenced an oration. Cartier heard the chief patiently, and with the aid of the two Gaspe Indians, now tolerably proficient in the French language, he was enabled to open a conversation with him, and to allay his apprehensions. An amicable understanding having thus been established, Cartier moored his vessels safely in the river St. Charles, where, shortly afterwards, he received a second visit from Donacona, who this time came accompanied by five hundred warriors of his tribe.