THE LAST EVENTS OF 1629
"Since the English have taken possession of Quebec," writes Champlain,
"the days have seemed to me as long as months." This dreariness is
easily explained. The unsettled state of affairs, of which he was an
eye-witness, had rendered his life at Quebec intolerable. Louis Kirke,
however, treated him with respect and courtesy, and had given him
permission to bring to Tadousac his two adopted girls, Espérance and
Charité. It was a favour wholly unexpected, especially as by one of the
clauses of the act of capitulation he renounced claim to them.
Champlain, however, was ready to buy their liberty, if necessary, as he
wished to civilize them and convert them to Christianity. Having no
desire to stay longer in a place where even the beauties of the sunset
seemed to remind him of his humiliation, Champlain only resided
temporarily at Tadousac, and was anxious to reach France. He left Quebec
on July 24th, and on the following day he perceived a vessel sailing
near Murray Bay. This was Emery de Caën's ship, which, as we have
already stated, was proceeding to Quebec to claim the peltry in the
storehouse which belonged to his uncle. This vessel, as has been
described, was captured by Kirke, and the same fate happened to Captain
Daniel, who had crossed the ocean from Dieppe with four vessels and a
barque laden with provisions and ammunition. Having heard on the passage
that a Scottish fisherman named James Stuart, had erected a fort on Cape
Breton, in a place called Port-aux-Baleines, to protect his countrymen
during the fishing season, Daniel went out of his way to destroy this
fort, and to build one at Grand Cibou to check the intruders, instead of
proceeding directly to Quebec, as was his duty. He left at this place
forty men and two Jesuits, Father Vimont and Father de Vieux-Pont, and
then having set up the arms of France, he returned to his country
without having taken any care of the Quebec habitation. This was his
first fault, but nevertheless it was a great misfortune.
The Jesuits had prepared at a great expense a shipment for Quebec.
Father Noyrot brought with him Father Charles Lalemant, who was
returning after an absence of nearly two years, Father de Vieux-Pont,
Brother Louis Malot and twenty-four persons. Driven by a terrible storm,
their barque was wrecked near the Island of Canseau. Fourteen were
drowned, including Father Noyrot and Brother Malot. The others
miraculously escaped.
The Chevalier de Razilly was finally ordered to assist Quebec, but it
was found that an agreement had been concluded between France and
England on April 24th. Razilly had his commission cancelled and
proceeded to Morocco.
The failure of these three expeditions, together with that of Emery de
Caën, occurring at the same time under unfortunate circumstances,
resulted in the loss of the colony for France, and won at least
temporary prestige and importance for the Kirke family.
Champlain relates some remarkable events during his sojourn at Tadousac.
Religious fanaticism displayed itself in its worst form. The French had
with them Father de Brébeuf, who was quite competent and willing to
champion the cause of the Catholic faith, and especially when assailed
by his own countrymen. A French Huguenot, named Jacques Michel,
apparently headed a crusade against the Jesuits. One day Michel said to
a party that the Jesuits had come to Canada to annoy the Sieurs de Caën
in their trade. "I beg your pardon," replied the father, "we had no
other design in coming here than the glory of God and the conversion of
the savages." To which Jacques Michel answered still more audaciously:
"Yes, convert the savages, say rather, convert the beavers." "It is
false," replied the priest, somewhat vexed. Michel, who was angry,
raised his arm to strike the father, at the same time saying, "If I were
not restrained by the respect due to my chief, I would slap your face
for your denial." "I ask your pardon," said the father, "it was not in
my mind to injure you, and if my answer has vexed you, I regret it."
Michel was not satisfied and began to blaspheme, so that Champlain was
scandalized, and said: "You swear much for a Reformer." "It is true,"
replied the Huguenot, "but I am furious against this Jesuit for his
denial, and if I hang to-morrow I will give him the blows he deserves."
During the day, however, Michel drank heavily and was attacked by
apoplexy, from which he died thirty-five hours later, without exhibiting
any signs of repentance.
The commander Kirke appears to have acted somewhat strangely on this
occasion, for instead of having Michel quietly buried, he ordered a
splendid funeral, accompanied with military honours. When the remains
were lowered into the grave, a salute of eighty guns was fired, as if
the deceased had been an officer of high rank. Whatever may have been
the reasons for showing these tokens of honour to the remains of Michel,
we know not, but the savages seem to have resented the proceedings, for
they unearthed his body and gave it to the dogs. Michel had been a
traitor to his country and to his God, and this was the method of his
punishment.
We have already mentioned the names of the Frenchmen who betrayed
Champlain, particularly Étienne Brûlé, Le Baillif, Pierre Reye and
Marsolet. Let us examine their conduct. Étienne Brûlé, in his capacity
of interpreter, had rendered many good services to his compatriots.
Unfortunately, his private actions while dwelling with the Hurons were
not above reproach, and he would certainly have been compelled to
expiate his offences had he not been adopted as one of their family.
Brûlé worked for the benefit of the Hurons, and their gratitude towards
a good officer perhaps outweighed their memory of an injury. On retiring
from the Huron country in 1629, Brûlé went to Tadousac, where he entered
the service of Kirke, and some years after he was killed by a savage.
Marsolet's case is nearly identical with that of Brûlé, although it is
not proved that he was as licentious during the time that he lived with
the Algonquins. He and Brûlé asserted that they were compelled by Kirke
to serve under the British flag. Champlain severely blamed their
conduct, saying: "Remember that God will punish you if you do not amend
your lives. You have lost your honour. Wherever you will go, men will
point at you, saying: 'These are the men who have threatened their king
and sold their country.' It would be preferable to die than to live on
in this manner, as you will suffer the remorse of a bad conscience." To
this they replied: "We well know that in France we should be hanged. We
are sorry for what has happened, but it is done and we must drain the
cup to the bottom, and resolve never to return to France." Champlain
answered them: "If you are captured anywhere, you will run the risk of
being chastised as you deserve."
Nicholas Marsolet became a good citizen, and his family alliances were
the most honourable. Pierre Reye, a carriage maker, was a bad character,
"One of the worst traitors, and wicked." His treason did not surprise
any one, and nothing better was expected of him. Le Baillif was not only
vicious, but a thief. On the night after the seizure by Kirke of the
goods in store, he took from the room of Corneille de Vendremur, a
clerk, one hundred livres in gold and money, a silver cup and some silk
stockings. He was suspected of having stolen from the chapel of the
Lower Town, a silver chalice, the gift of Anne of Austria. Though he was
a Catholic, Le Baillif ate food on days of abstinence, in order to
please the Protestants. He treated the French as if they were dogs. "I
shall abandon him," says Champlain, "to his fate, awaiting the day of
his punishment for his swearings, cursings and impieties."
The treachery of these four men greatly affected Champlain, who was at a
loss to understand how those to whom he had given food and shelter could
be so ungrateful; but their conduct, however reprehensible, played no
part in the loss of the colony. Kirke employed them to further his
purposes without giving them any substantial reward.
The sojourn of the French in Tadousac lasted many weeks, and the delay
caused Champlain much annoyance. David Kirke spent ten or twelve days on
his visit to Quebec, where he wanted to see for himself how his brother
Louis had disposed of everything, and what advantage he was likely to
gain from the acquisition of the new country. Believing himself to be
the supreme ruler and master of New France, he outlined a brilliant
future for the colony, looking forward to the day when he could bring
settlers to take advantage of its natural resources.
Returning to Tadousac, the general invited his captains to a dinner, at
which Champlain was also a guest. The dinner was served in a tent
surrounded with branches. Towards the end of the banquet David Kirke
gave Champlain a letter from Marsolet to inform him that the chief
savages, gathered at Three Rivers in council, had resolved to keep with
them the two girls, Espérance and Charité. This was a severe trial to
Champlain, who had hoped to be able to take them to France. All his
efforts, however, were useless, as there was a plot organized by the
traitor Marsolet. These children loved Champlain as a father, and were
inconsolable when they realized that their departure for France was
impossible.
Champlain relates many things that do not redound to Kirke's credit,
amongst other things that Kirke blamed his brother Louis for giving the
Jesuits permission to say mass, and afterwards refused the permission.
Again, at the moment when the Jesuits embarked for Tadousac, Louis Kirke
ordered a trunk to be opened in which the sacred vessels were contained.
Seeing a box which contained a chalice Kirke tried to seize it, but
Father Massé interfered, and said to him: "This is a sacred object, do
not profane it, if you please." "Why," said Kirke, "we have no faith in
your superstition," and so saying he took the chalice in his hands,
braving the Jesuit's advice. The Catholics were also denied the
privilege of praying in public. This intolerant action was condemned by
Champlain. During their stay at Tadousac Champlain and the admiral went
out shooting. They killed more than two thousand larks, plovers, snipes
and curlews. In the meantime the sailors had cut trees for masts, and
some birch which they took to England. They also carried with them four
thousand five hundred and forty beaver skins, one thousand seven hundred
and thirteen others seized at Quebec, and four hundred and thirty-two
elk skins. The French had not given up all their skins; some had hidden
a good many, and others kept them with Kirke's consent. The Récollets
and the Jesuits were returning poorer than when they came. Champlain
alone was allowed to retain all his baggage. At the commencement of
September the admiral fitted out a medium sized barque with provisions
for Quebec, with instructions to bring back the Récollets who were
scattered throughout the country, and also some of the French who had
intended to remain at Quebec and other places.
On September 14th the English fleet set out carrying Champlain, the
Jesuits, the Récollets, and two-thirds of the French, that is to say,
nearly the whole of the colony. The passage was short though difficult,
and eleven of the crew died from dysentery. On October 20th the vessels
reached Plymouth, where Kirke was much disappointed to learn that the
treaty of peace signed on April 24th had been confirmed on September
16th. All the French, except Champlain, took passage for France at
Dover. Champlain proceeded directly to London, where he met the French
ambassador, M. de Chateauneuf, and related to him the events which had
taken place in Canada, and urged him to take steps for its restoration
to France.
The fathers disembarked at Calais at the end of October. Father Massé
returned to his former position of minister at the college of La Flèche.
Father Anne de Noüe went to Bourges. Father de Brébeuf entered the
college of Rouen, where he had laboured previously, and three other
Jesuits whom we find afterwards in Canada, Father Charles Lalemant,
Father Jogues and Father Simon Lemoyne, were at that time professors in
this college. Father Massé and Father de Brébeuf were soon to resume
their ministration in this country, which they were forced to abandon at
a time when they had hoped to see the realization of their noble
mission. L'Abbé Faillon has written that the family of Hébert alone
remained at Quebec after the surrender, but this is incorrect. The truth
is that at least five families remained in Quebec. It was God's will
that the most prominent and influential men should leave for France,
but He also ordained that a few heroic settlers or possessors of New
France should remain. If their remaining was favourable to France
Champlain deserves the credit, for he did more than any of his
countrymen to bring it about. The population of Quebec or of the whole
colony in July, 1629, was divided as follows:--Inhabitants,
twenty-three; interpreters, eleven; clerks, fourteen; missionaries, ten;
domestics, seven; French, arrived from the Huron country, twenty. This
makes a total number of eighty-five persons.
The following persons remained at Quebec:--Guillaume Hubou and his wife,
Marie Rollet, widow of Louis Hébert; Guillaume Hébert; Guillaume
Couillard, and his wife Guillemette Hébert, and their three children;
Abraham Martin, and his wife, Marguerite Langlois, and their three
children; Pierre Desportes, and his wife, Françoise Langlois, and their
daughter Hélène; Nicholas Pivert, his wife, Marguerite Lesage, and their
niece; Adrien Duchesne and his wife; Jean Foucher, Étienne Brûlé,
Nicholas Marsolet, Le Baillif, Pierre Reye, Olivier Le Tardif. The
missionaries who returned to France were: Three Jesuits, two Récollets,
two Brothers Jesuits and three Brothers Récollets, ten in all. Their
names were: Fathers Jesuits Enemond Massé, Anne de Noüe and Jean de
Brébeuf, Fathers Récollets Joseph de la Roche d'Aillon, and Joseph Le
Caron, Brothers Jesuits François Charton and Gilbert Burel, and the
Récollet Friars Gervais Mohier, Jean Gaufestre and Pierre Langoissieux.
Among the clerks who returned home were Corneille de Vendremur,
Thierry-Desdames, Eustache Boullé, and Destouches.
Since the year 1608 there had been only seven births, three marriages,
and forty deaths. One man had been hanged, six had been murdered, and
three drowned. A Récollet father, called Nicholas Viel, had perished in
the Sault au Récollet; and there had been sixteen victims of the scurvy.