126 The First Battle of Lake Champlain. 



New York." Slafter, in his memoir of Champlain, published by the 

 Prince Society, locates the battle at Ticonderoga, and argues at some 

 length in support of that view. 



This is a strong array of authorities which it may be presumptuous 

 to question, but attention is called to a few plain facts bearing on the 

 matter. Champlain's maps, his picture of the battle and his Journal, 

 together with the natural conformation of the western shore of the 

 lake, are the chief points of interest in the case. 



First, as to the map referred to above. This is Champlain's great 

 map of New France, drawn by his own hand, and upon which are 

 delineated the results of his discoveries and observations in the New 

 World during his travels and sojournings, covering a period of over 

 twenty-five years, from 1603 to 1629, along the Atlantic coast from 

 the Gulf of St. Lawrence as far south as Cape Cod and, perhaps, to 

 Martha's Vineyard, along the coast of Labrador, through New Bruns- 

 wick and Nova Scotia and the Eastern provinces of Canada, up the 

 Saguenay river, through the St. Lawrence to the foot of the Cascades 

 at the head of Lake St. Francis, up the Ottawa river to Lake Nippis- 

 sing, and through the Georgian Bay, Lake Simcoe, to Lake Ontario, 

 Oneida Lake and Lake Champlain. This map and his journals were 

 made in obedience to the orders of King Henry IV, and the testimony 

 of both map and journals is entitled to the utmost weight. Cham- 

 plain says in his dedication to the king : "This I do feeling myself 

 urged by a just sense of the honor I have received during the last ten 

 years in commissions, not only, sire, from your majesty but also from 

 the late king, Henry the Great, of happy memory, who commissioned 

 me to make the most exact researches and explorations in my power. 

 This I have done, and added, moreover, the maps." To the Queen 

 Regent, showing his sense of religious obligation, he speaks of his 

 explorations in America, " Where I have always desired to see 

 the Lily nourish, and also the only religion, Catholic, Apostolic and 

 Eoman." 



On this great map Lake Champlain appears with its islands and 

 rivers and outlines, drawn as near to nature as one might expect from 

 data gathered during one trip through it with a war-party of savages. 

 On the west side, three rivers, only, are marked on this map north of 

 the outlet of Lake George. It will be remembered that Champlain 

 traveled up the lake on the west side, and very slowly, taking seven- 

 teen days from Chambly Basin to reach the scene of the battle — only 

 about seven miles a day. Here, then, on this western shore, if any- 

 where.wemay certainly expect accurate mapping, and, more especially, 



