REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I917 167 



reached the ears of young Samuel Champlain and slumbered in the 

 mind of this venturesome Frenchman. Champlain was born in a 

 little village on the Bay of Biscay and his blood was tempered with 

 the loA^e of the sea. Master of the mariner's art, he entered the 

 services of the King of France fighting so well as captain of the royal 

 navy that when that eventful war was closed Champlain received 

 decorations of honor and Henry IV granted him a comfortable life 

 pension. 



The tales of the golden cities and of the wonderful empire of the 

 Montezumas in the land of Mexico across the sea strongly appealed 

 to Champlain's imagination and love of adventure. He was able to 

 secure passage in a mercantile capacity to the West Indies, and later 

 during his trip visited Vera Cruz and traveled inland to the city of 

 Mexico. Later he coasted down to the isthmus, where, like Balboa, 

 he paused in wonder at this narrow dividing strip between the 

 Atlantic and Pacific, but unlike Balboa he was not elated with this 

 narrow continental bridge. Champlain's imagination went farther 

 and visioned the plans for a great ship canal that should divide the 

 continents and shorten the route to Cathay. 



Returning to France Champlain became attached to the staff of 

 DeChaste, who had received an American land patent from the 

 king of France. This land never having been seen or owned by the 

 king was easy to give away. Champlain thus became wedded to 

 the new world. 



After varied adventures on land and sea, Samuel Champlain, born 

 of the sea, mariner and captain of the royal navy, became an explorer 

 of the continental new world. He was to plant the banner of France 

 in the valleys and upon the hilltops of Acadia, bring respect and 

 dominion to the crown of France, secure . profitable trade for the 

 merchants and fur dealers of his country and " Do all things for 

 the glory of God and the good of the church." 



Champlain made friends with the Algonquins and Hurons, among 

 whom he mingled with intimacy and privilege. Using all measures 

 of diplomacy, he extolled the strength of France, the magnificence 

 of her king and courts and craftily suggested to the Hurons the 

 advantage of supporting the emissaries of his king. Champlain 

 early in his experiences in the St Lawrence basin had learned the 

 prowess of the -Five Iroquois Nations and of the hatred that the 

 Hurons and Algonquins bore toward the Maquas and Ossinikas. 

 Indeed Champlain saw in these people living on the south shores of 

 Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence a formidable impediment to the 



