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The Vikings | Columbus | John Day | John Cabot | Martin Frobisher | Jacques Cartier | John Guy | Henry Hudson | Samuel De Champlain | Native Perceptions | Francis Drake | Humphrey Gilbert
JACQUES CARTIER SAILS UP THE
ST. LAWRENCE, 1535
Jacques Cartier was
born in the seaport of St. Malo,
Brittany, France, in 1491. Little is known of his early
history as a mariner until he appears as pilot of an expe
dition to America in 1534. His first voyage took him to
Newfoundland, Labrador, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The second voyage, made in 1535 and 1536, is more sig
nificant than the first because Cartier penetrated to Stada
cona ( Quebec) and Hochelaga ( Montreal). He returned
to Canada in 1541, but little is known of this voyage. The
extract given here from the narrative of the second voy
age describes Cartier's arrival at Stadacona and Hoche
laga.
. . . On [Tuesday],
the seventh of the month [ Septem
ber, 1535 ], being our Lady's day, after hearing mass, we
set out from this [Coudres] island to proceed up stream,
and came to fourteen islands which lay some seven or
eight leagues beyond Coudres island. This is the point
where the province and territory of Canada begins. One
of these islands is large, being some ten leagues long and
five leagues wide, and is inhabited by Indians who are
much employed in fishing for the many varieties of fish
caught in this river, according to the season. Mention
will be made of these fish farther on. After we had cast
H. P. Biggar, "The
Voyages of Jacques Cartier," Publica
tions of the Public Archives of Canada, No. 11 ( Ottawa,
1924), 119-124, 149-156.
