Tlte First Battle of Lake Champlain. 



123 



ago, only eighteen days after the discovery of this valley and its lake 

 by Champlain, this probably being the first conflict, in what is now 

 the State of Xew York, where firearms were used. 



The site of this battle has also been fixed by current history, erro- 

 neously fixed, as I believe, and the purpose of this paper is to bring 

 reasons for such belief. It will be remembered that Champlain was 

 on his way through Lake Champlain, going south with a war party 

 of Montagnais Indians against the Iroquois. The party consisted of 

 Champlain and two other Frenchmen and sixty savages, with twenty- 

 four birch bark canoes. They set out from the Fall of the Iroquois 

 river, at Chambly Basin, on the 12th of July, 1609. Champlain in 

 his Journal describes the journey up the river Richelieu and along the 

 west side of the lake, and proceeds thus (Prince Society's translation): 



"Now as we began to approach within two or three days' journey of 

 the abode of their enemies we advanced only at night, resting during 

 the day. * * * When it was evening we embarked in our canoes 

 to continue our course and, as we advanced very quietly and without 

 making any noise, we met on the 29th of July the Iroquois, about 

 ten o'clock at evening, at the extremity of a cape which extends into 

 the lake on the western bank (an bout d'un cap qui advance dans le 

 lac du coste d' V Occident). They had come to fight. We both began 

 to utter loud cries, all getting their arms in readiness. We withdrew 

 out on the water, and the Iroquois went on shore, where they drew 

 up all their canoes close to each other and began to fell trees with 

 poor axes, which they acquire in war sometimes, using also others of 

 stone. Thus they barricaded themselves very well. 



" Our forces also passed the entire night, their canoes being drawn 

 up close to each other and fastened to poles, so that they might not 

 get separated, and that they might be all in readiness to fight if occa- 

 sion required. We were out upon the water, within arrow range of 

 their barricades. When they were armed and in array, they des- 

 patched two canoes by themselves to the enemy to inquire if they 

 wished to fight, to which the latter replied that they wanted nothing 

 else : but they said that at present there was not much light, and 

 that it would be necessary to wait for daylight so as to be able to 

 recognize each other; and that as soon as the sun rose they would 

 offer battle. This was agreed to by our side. Meanwhile, the entire 

 night was spent in dancing and singing, on both sides, with endless 

 insults and other talk ; as, how little courage we had, how feeble a 

 resistance we would make against their arms, and that, when day 

 came, we should realize it to our ruin. Ours, also, were not slow in 



