The Fishei^y Qicestzon. 3 



in a position to profit by the skill of the 

 Britons in navigation Chabot, admiral of 

 France, influenced no doubt by the spectacle 

 of the Spanish colonies, dispatched Cartier in 

 1534 to obtain more definite information, 

 Cartier sailed to Newfoundland, and in the 

 execution of his instructions explored the 

 Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The King's ambi- 

 tion was to be a power in Europe. He was 

 rather disposed to ridicule western coloniza- 

 tion, and almost in jest, he granted the un- 

 known country to a favorite. Again Cartier 

 sailed in 1540, as commander-general under 

 Robeval, to whom Fran9ois had given a feu- 

 dal seigniory, comprehensive enough to in- 

 clude all of North America. Both passed the 

 winter in Canada and both returned,^ Robe- 

 val to engage in the European wars. His 

 attempt to found a colony was not successful, 

 and he perished after again setting out for 

 America in 1549. Under the influence of 

 Sully, Henry IV. placed the Fishery under 

 government protection and gave to De la 

 Roche the lieutenancy in New France. 



Interested parties may have caused these 

 letters patent to be revoked. The patentee, 

 with two hundred criminals, the material for 



