:348 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



TYPE Nf.. H.— THE CHAMPLAIN TYPE. 



Champlain, 1612 (Lescarbot. 1609), to before Delisle, 1703. 



The Bay of Fundy explored, and, upon a small scale, mapped ; the 

 entire earlier nomenclature of the Atlantic coast finally abandoned, and a 

 neio introduced ; on the north shore, Pn'nce Edward Island separated from 

 the mainland, and the entire coast laid down ; of the interior, only the 

 (jeneral courses of the St. Croix and the St. John laid down, with the lower 

 parts of some others ; towards the close of the period some imjjrovement 

 resulting from the reports or maps of the missionaries, but these simply 

 ■added to the old type. Began ivith the voyages of Champlain in 1603 and 

 160 J/., shown on Lescarbot of 1609, and his own map of 1612, and ended 

 with the journey of BeMeulles, in 1686, which gave the data for the map of 

 Delisle, 1703. 



The preceding period was characterized hy an advance in the carto- 

 graphy of the Gulf of St. Lawrence without any improvement in that of 

 the Bay of Fundy. This period opens with a sudden and great improve- 

 ment in the latter, and throughout shows but Httle improvement in the 

 former. 



The life and work of Samuel de Champlain, the causes of his voyages, 

 which meant so much to Canada, and the results in exploration which he 

 accomplished, are all so well known that no reference to them is needed 

 here. It is necessary to speak only of his work as a map-maker, of his 

 proficiency in which, considering his circumstances, it is impossible to 

 ■speak too highl}'. Not only was he an accurate observer of topography, 

 but he drew his maps with considerable skill ; and entirely independently 

 of tradition, placed on them only what he himself saw or learned directly 

 upon good authority from others. He is the model explorer. As a result 

 his maps not onl}^ mark a distinct type in our cartography, but that type 

 is the most important and pronounced of any in the whole range of our 

 subject. No other map-maker has made so great and important an ad- 

 vance over his predecessors as has he, and it is with him that modern, 

 and one may almost say scientific, cartography began, so far as our region 

 is concerned. 



Champlain made a voyage to Canada in 1G03, and during a visit to 

 'Gaspé heard many particulars from the Indians and others about our north 

 -shore. He speaks of Bay Chaleur, Miscou, Tregate (Tracadie) Misamichy, 

 a river Souricoua (probably one of those between Wallace and Pictou), 

 of the head of the Bay of Fundy, of the St. ,Tohn, and of Arcadia.'^ 



1 Alvvay.s spelled thus in 1(303 narrative. On the origin of this word see these 

 Trans. (N. S.), II., ii., 216. 



