On Champlain's recommendation De Monts now turned his attention to the Saint Lawrence. In order that he might retrieve a part, at least, of his losses, King Henry IV allowed him a monopoly of the fur tradi there for one year. In the summer of 1608, accordingly, Champlain repaired to that part of the river called Quebec, or athe Narrows? where he constructed a trad ing-post. It was hoped that this would not only give them an advantage over the other compet itors in the years of open trade, but would also hold the warlike nation of the Iroquois in check and allow the Algonquins, who came down every summer with furs from the upper Ottawa, to go backward and forward on the Saint Law rence in all security. When Henry IV heard of the construction of De Monts' post at Quebec he renewed his monopoly for another year. Taking advantage of this Champlain, in the summer of 1609, accompanied the Montagnais and the Algonquins on the warpath against the Iroquois. In order to see the palefaces of which they had heard so much, and also to have their share of the victory over the Iroquois, the Hurons, who dwelt beyond the Algonquins on the shores of Georgian Bay, came down to Quebec, for the first time, in the summer of 1609. This combined expedition surprised a combined force of 200 Iroquois on Lake Cham plain. At the sight of the French and the report of their firearms the enemy broke and fled. The Hurons were delighted, and promised to come down henceforward every summer to the annual barter. In this same year (1609) the Sieur de Poutrincourt (see BIENCOURT DE Pouramcourr,:AN) established himself with his family in e buildings formerly occupied by De Monts' colony at Port Royal. He con tinued to reside here until his home was burned by the English in 1613. Although during the winter of 1609-10 De Monts sought to have his monopoly renewed, or at any rate the trade reserved to him, in the region explored by Champlain in his expedition against the Iro quois, all was to no purpose. In the summer of 1610 the fur trade was thrown open to the merchant marine of France to the same extent as the cod, whale and walrus fishing. The result was that so many traders resorted to the Saint Lawrence in that summer that there was a plethora of goods and many ships found it impossible to get rid of even a portion of their cargoes. There was a similar inroad in the summer of 1611. The results of this com petition were soon apparent among the savages. Not only did they ask more for their furs, but they also began to have a poor opinion of the palefaces, whom they saw even strip blood stained furs off the corpses of dead Indians. De Monts also felt it to be unjust that he should beput to the expense of keeping up the post at Quebec when no advantages were accorded him in return. During the summer of 1612 Champlain was kept in France by a fall from a horse, and he improved the opportunity by seeking to bring about a better order of things in the Saint Lawrence. Through his efforts the system of open trade was brought to an end in the autumn of 1612.
The First Permanent Colonization, 1613 32.— In order that the licentiousness of a few merchants should not spoil the trade in the upper Saint Lawrence and ruin the prospects of exploring, with the help of these Indians, the regions farther to the west, Champlain induced the King's uncle, the Comte de Soissons, to apply in the autumn of 1612 for a monopoly of the fur trade above Quebec. This was granted on condition that, during the 12 years it lasted, six families a year should be taken our by the company. Although Soissons died a few weeks later, the monopoly was transferred, at Champlain's request, to Soisson's nephew, the young Prince de Conde. As no time was left to form the company before the trading season opened, Conde merely issued licenses to seven merchants to barter above Quebec. They were each to place four men at Champlain's disposal in case he had need of them. On account, how ever, of the licentiousness of some of the traders in the previous summer when Champlain was absent, neither the Algonquins nor the Hurons put in an appearance in 1613 at the rapids. At this Champlain set off up the Ottawa with a few attendants, and by his exertions induced over 80 canoes to come down to the barter. In the same summer of 1613 an English vessel from Virginia destroyed De Potttrincourt's home Port Royal, and also captured a French vessel sent out by the Jesuits to form a colony at Mount Desert, on the New England coast. In the summer of 1614 Champlain completed the formation of the new company for trade in the Saint Lawrence. On the failure of the La Rochelle merchants to appear, the whole of the shares were divided among the traders of Rouen and Saint Malo. On reaching the annual barter at the Lachine Rapid in the spring of 1615, Champlain found that his absence in the previous summer had made the Indians doubt his friendship. In order to regain their con fidence, and also explore the regions farther to the west, he set out with the Hurons on their return. He was thus able during the winter of 1615-16 to learn much of the geography of the present western Ontario as well as the region about Lake Ontario, to the southern shore of which he accompanied a war expedition against the Iroquois. So grateful were the Hurons for
the help thus accorded them that they accom panied Champlain in great numbers on his re turn to the Saint Lawrence in the spring of 1616. For this reason, also, the barters of 1617 and 1618 were extremely well attended. Not withstanding this increase of trade, the company unfortunately did nothing toward establishing a local source of supply, and paid almost no attention to colonization. Only one family was brought out, and it was treated in an extremely unjust manner. Not only were none of its members allowed to engage in the fur trade, but while paying very high prices for all the stores bought from the company they were obliged to sell their own produce at the very low prices current in France. When Cham plain, as the representative of the viceroy, sought to secure the fulfilment of these condi tions as to colonists, defense and local sources of supply, he simply made himself disliked. In the spring of 1619 they even refused him a passage to Quebec. At the King's express command he returned there in 1620, only to find the factory so tumble-down that the rain came in on every side. When this was notified to the admiral of France, who had succeeded Conde as viceroy, he at once revoked the monopoly of the company and gave the trade to two Huguenot merchants, William and Emery de Caen. The old company, however, appealed to the King. Pending his decision both parties sent out vessels in the summer of 1621 and each left servants of its own to winter at the factory. In the course of the winter of 1621-22 the two companies amalgamated with a fresh monopoly which was to run until the year 1635. Unfortunately this united company neglected colonization and local sources of sup ply as much as its predecessor. The result was that in the spring of 1623 when the vessels arrived late they found that for some months all the inmates of the factory had been living on roots and berries. The same state of affairs reoccurred a few years later. Champlain, who was still governor, did his best to keep this united company up to its engagements, but whenever he returned to France everything was allowed to go to ruin. Although on his departure in the autumn of 1624 he left the new factory almost completed, he found on his re turn two years later that not a single nail had been driven in since he went away. It could have been said Champlain, sin a fortnight, had they been willing to work, but that is just what they will not dos As little attention was paid to cultivating a local source of supply, and when, in the summer of 1627, the principal supply-ship failed to appear, the outlook for the winter was far from bright. To make matters worse, war broke out between England and France in the spring of 1628 and several English ships were sent into the Saint Lawrence. Although Champlain bravely re fused to surrender the factory, the fleet sent out to Quebec by a new company which Riche lieu had formed was captured below Tadoussac. At the same time a Scottish colony was founded at De Poutrincourt's old quarters at Port Royal. In the winter of 1628-29 these Scottish and English merchants formed themselves into one company and sent out two fleets in the spring of 1629. While one brought fresh stores to Port Royal, the other entered the Saint Lawrence and summoned the factory at Quebec to surrender. As no help of any sort had come since 1627 and all the inmates had been living for some time on roots and berries, Champlain was obliged to comply. On 22 July 1629 the English flag was run up on the flagstaff. The new company formed by Richelieu, called the Company of New France, also sent out a fleet, however, which not only succored the small French post at Cape Sable, below Port Royal, but also succeeded in dislodging Lord Ochiltree, who had formed a settlement on Cape Breton Island. He and his people were taken prisoners, and out of the material of their buildings a new French fort was constructed in one of the neighboring harbors. Here a garrison of 40 men was left. In the autumn of 1629 the French applied for the restitution of Quebec, since it had been surrendered after the con clusion of peace on 29 April. King Charles I acquiesced, but the negotiations dragged on until the spring of 1632. In the meanwhile both companies sent out provisions to their posts; the Company of New France to Cape Sable and Cape Breton Island, and the English and Scottish company to Port Royal and Que bec. Finally, on the conclusion of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 20 March 1632, the post at Port Royal was made over to the Company of New France, while the old United Company was allowed to enjoy the trade at Quebec for one year in order to recuperate itself for its heavy losses. In the summer of 1633 its servants retired and the whole of New; France passed into the hands of the Company of New France, which held it until the year 1664.
H. P. BIGGAlk Author of The Early Trading Companies of New France.)