FRENCH IN NORTH AMERICA. 403 



and a Latin inscription, which I submit as a puzzle to any members of 

 the Institute, who are curious in such things.* 



There are not so many details of the discoveries in this direction, 

 and they are not of as interesting a character. Although Tadousac 

 was so long the most important station in Canada, it was not till 1 647 

 that the French reached Lake St. John. In 1663 they had penetrated 

 as far as Hudson's Bay. Tadousac was the principal site of the Indian 

 trade, long after Quebec had become the capital of the colony, and 

 some of the oldest missionary settlements are on the Saguenay. In 

 Champlain's time, the island of Montreal seems almost to have vied 

 with it as a trading place for the Indians, who followed the route of 

 the Ottawa, and Champlain himself built a house near where the Vic- 

 toria Bridge crosses, though the trading rendezvous seems to have been 

 at the back of the island, on the Riviere des Prairies. But the Iroquois 

 wars must have rendered such a station too insecure, as no town or fort 

 was built there till 1641, and the Indians even from Lake Huron used 

 to ascend the streams, which fall into the Ottawa from the North, and 

 after a portage, used to descend the St. Maurice to Three Rivers, or 

 the Saguenay to Tadousac. Even as late as 1670, Charlevoix tells us 

 that there were rarely less than 1200 Indians to be seen encamped at 

 Tadousac during the trading season ; but the ravages of the small-pox 

 amongst the Northern tribes about that period, put an end to the trade 

 of Tadousac and Three Rivers. Some nations were no more heard of. 

 They were exterminated, amalgamated with other tribes, or carried 

 their furs to the English fort on Hudson's Bay. Montreal, which was 

 now rising into importance, became the chief seat of the trade, and 

 Tadousac was deserted. 



In tracing the history of these discoveries, one cannot but be struck 

 with the extraordinary rapidity with which the French spread them- 

 selves over the continent, as compared with the progress of the Eng- 

 lish. The commencement of the colony may date from the foundation 

 of Quebec by Champlain in 1608, one year after the permanent estab- 

 lishment of the English at Jamestown, and one year before the dis- 

 covery of the Hudson River, and twelve years before the landing of the 

 Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth. The colonies therefore commenced 

 nearly on equal terms, yet within 8 years the French had reached Lake 

 Huron, whilst it was nearly a century before the English had extended 

 to any considerable distance from the sea coast. The Iroquois wars 

 now broke out, which for many years confined the French almost en- 

 tirely to the Lower St. Lawrence, but no sooner were they brought to 



* His in quam supersedimus in hoc 4ta editione ne doctiores veniant Romani et tollant 

 nostram gentem propinante ad nauseam Baccho. 



