166 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
was forthwith completed, and Sieur de Monts lodged in it until his own was 
finished. An oven was also made, and a handmill for grinding our wheat, the 
working of which involved much trouble and labour to the most of us, since 
it was a toilsome operation. Some gardens were afterwards laid out on the 
mainland! as well as on ‘the island, where many kinds of seeds were planted, 
which flourished very well on the mainland, but not on the island, since there 
was only sand here, and the whole were burned up when the sun shone, 
although special pains was taken to water them. 
Some days after, Sieur de Monts determined to ascertain where the mine 
of pure copper was which he had searched for so much.” With this object in 
view he despatched me together with a savage named Messamoüet, who 
asserted that he knew the place well. I set out in a small barque of five or six 
tons, with nine sailors. Some eight leagues from the island towards the River 
St. John, we found a mine of copper which was not pure, yet good according 
to the report of the miner, who said it would yield eighteen per cent.* Farther 
on we found others inferior to this. When we reached the place where we 
supposed that was, which we were hunting for, the savage could not find it, 
so that it was necessary to come back, leaving the search for another time. 
Upon my return from this trip, Sieur de Monts resolved to send his vessels 
back to France, and also Sieur de Poutrincourt, who had come only for his 
pleasure, and to explore countries and places suitable for a colony, which he 
desired to found; for which reason he asked Sieur de Monts for Port Royal,‘ 
which he gave him, in accordance with the power and direction he had 
received from the King. He sent back also Ralleau, his Secretary, to arrange 
some matters concerning the voyage. They set out from the Island of St. 
Croix the last day of August, 1604. 
Chapter V. deals with a voyage of exploration made by Champlain, 
by order of de Monts, as far as Kennebec. Although of very great 
interest, it does not concern our present subject. He set out Septem- 
ber 2, and returned to the island October 2. 
[51] DU MAL DE TERRE, FORT CRUELLE MAL-adie. A quoy les hommes 
& femmes sauuages passent le temps durant l'yuer. Ht tout ce qui se passa en Vhabita- 
tion pendant Vhyuernement. 
CHAPITRE VI. 
OMME nous arriuasmes à l’isle S. Croix chacun acheuoit de se loger. 
l'yuer nous surprit plustost que n’esperions, & nous empescha de faire 
beauccup de choses que nous nous estions proposées. Neantmoins le sieur de 
Mons ne [52] laissa de faire faire des iardinages dans l’isle. Beaucoup com- 
mancerent à deffricher chacun le sien; & moy aussi le mien, qui estoit assez 

1 Shown on Champlain’s map (Fig. 8). Their exact location is explained 
on page 156. 
* A mine of copper had been reported from the Bay of Fundy the preceding 
year ‘by one Sieur Prevert, as related in an earlier volume of Champlain’s 
writings. 
* This mine was probably in the vicinity of Beaver Harbour, where small 
veins of the copper ore chalcopyrite are known. 
* Now Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia. De Monts, as Lieutenant-General, 
had ample power to make grants of land to intending colonists. 
