tants. An officer landed, bringing with him very liberal terms, upon which Champlain and his followers might honourably surrender a post which, in their circumstances, was utterly untenable. Champlain and Pontegravé, who was present, acceded, and the conditions having been ratified by Sir David Kirkt at Tadoussac, the English, without resistance, took possession of the fort, magazine, and habitations of Quebec. Before actually yielding up his post, the high-minded Champlain went on board the vessel of Captain Louis Kirkt, and stipulated for the security of the place of worship and quarters of the Jesuits and Recollets, as well as for the protection of the property of the widow Hebert and her son-in-law, Couillard. the 24th of July 1629, Champlain and the priests, together with all who chose to depart, embarked on board the vessel of Thomas Kirkt, and after some delay at Tadoussac, were carried to England, and thence suffered to pass into France.*

On

Thus ended, for the time, Champlain's effort to found

* When Champlain, accompanied by Pontegravé, went on board Louis Kirkt's vessel, on the 20th, he demanded to be shown the commission from the King of England in virtue of which the seizure of the country was made. The two, as being persons whose reputation had spread throughout Europe, were received with profound respect; and after Champlain's request relative to the commission had been complied with, it was stipulated that the inhabitants should leave with their arms and baggage, and be supplied with provisions and means of transport to France. About four days were needed to procure the sanction of the Admiral, David Kirkt, at Tadoussac, and then Champlain, with a heavy heart, attended by his followers, embarked in the English ship. He says in his memoirs-" Since the surrender every day seems to me a month." On the way down the St Lawrence, Emery de Caën was met, above Tadoussac, in a vessel with supplies for Quebec. Kirkt is said to have desired Champlain to use his influence with De Caën to induce him to surrender without resistance, which, however, the nobleminded man declined. Bazilli was reported to be in the Gulf with a French fleet, but nevertheless De Caën felt obliged to surrender, as the Kirkts had two ships to oppose his one. De Caën told Champlain that he believed peace was already signed between the two crowns.

and establish a colony at Quebec-an attempt persevered in during twenty years, in spite of discouragement and obstacles which would have conquered the zeal of any man of that age excepting Champlain, who alone, even now, when taken prisoner and carried out of the country, did not despair of ultimate success.*

CHAPTER IX.

66

THE COMPANY OF THE HUNDRED ASSOCIATES"-FAILURE OF THE COMPANY'S FIRST UNDERTAKINGS-RECOVERY OF NEW FRANCE, AND RE-OCCUPATION OF QUEBEC BY THE FRENCH-STATE OF THAT PLACE AND THE COUNTRY-GREAT GATHERING OF INDIANS AT QUEBEC THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC " JESUITS' RELATIONS."

68. CARDINAL RICHELIEU, the Prime Minister of Louis XIII., founded the society called the "Company of the One Hundred Associates." It was established, not merely to put an end to the various obstacles and evils under which the colony languished, but also to place its future upon a strong and durable basis. Its organisation was completed in the year 1627, and the first expedition under its auspices was entered upon in 1628, but proved an entire failure, owing to the English having then the control

* A few, by Champlain's advice, accepted the offers of the English to remain under their protection in the possession of their habitations and clearings. They were to enjoy the same privileges as the English themselves. A number of the French traders also remained, but betook themselves to the west and into the Huron country, where they lived with the Indians until the country was restored to France about three years subsequently. Louis Kirkt was left in command at Quebec.

of the St Lawrence, and capturing or destroying the vessels sent out under M. de Roguemont. Then occurred, as we have described, the surrender of Quebec and the other stations, and their occupation by the English under the Kirkts.* The existence of the new Company and its government of the affairs of the colony can scarcely be said to have commenced, practically, until the year 1632, when New France was, by treaty with England, restored to the French authorities.

69. At first more than a hundred persons entered the Company, whose list of members included the names of Richelieu, Champlain, and a number of the most noted men of the kingdom, amongst whom were the Marquis d'Effiat, Commander Razilly, the famous printer Cremoizie, and the principal merchants of Paris, Rouen, Bourdeaux, and Dieppe. They engaged to carry out to New France not less than four thousand colonists within fifteen years, together with provision for their maintenance and their establishment on the land, furnished with implements of husbandry and all things requisite, until able to support themselves by their own labour.†

* The capture of Quebec and the occupation by Kirkt's people actually occurred at a date two months later than the declaration of peace between France and England in May 1629. Kirkt has been accused by some writers of having been acquainted with this fact when he moved finally upon Quebec to demand its surrender. However this may be, Champlain made representations on the subject in England, with a view to obtaining redress. Owing to several causes-the French being engaged in undertakings in comparison with which the restoration of Quebec seemed an insignificant affair, and the English Government being also remiss on the subject-three years elapsed, at the end of which the place was evacuated by the Kirkts and occupied by the French.

The plans upon which this society was established were begun to be contemplated some time before, in consequence of the repetition of failures to fulfil engagements by De Caën's company, which, as has been stated in a former page, Champlain's reports made known in France, and probably led Richelieu to determine upon some effectual remedy.

In compensation for the expenses attendant upon their great undertaking, immense powers and privileges were conceded, subject to certain conditions set forth in detail in their charter. The associates were empowered to exercise sovereignty over New France and Florida. Two vessels of war, armed and equipped, were to be furnished by the King. All necessary supplies and merchandise for the colony were to be exempt from taxes or duties in France. The descendants of the colonists, as well as all natives who might be converted to Christianity, were to be regarded as lawful subjects of the King, and entitled to all the usual rights and privileges without being obliged to take out letters of naturalisation. All persons not members of the Church of Rome were to be excluded from the colony. Sovereign powers were to be exercised over New France and Florida, subject only to a simple act of homage to the King and his successors on the throne. Moreover, while traffic and commerce of all other kinds were guaranteed to the Company, under such regulations as they might determine from time to time, the fisheries of cod and whale were reserved to be freely open to all Frenchmen.*

70. The claims of religion were not forgotten in the arrangements of the new Company. It was stipulated that three priests should be maintained at each regular station during fifteen years, and kept supplied with everything necessary for the exercise of their functions. But when the time came to settle what orders of the priesthood should be employed, Richelieu and his coadjutors decided that it was not expedient to have in the colony more than a single order preferring that of the Jesuits.†

The other inhabitants of the country who were not maintained by or dependent upon the Company's resources were to be at liberty to trade with the natives, on condition of delivering all beaver-skins so procured to the Company's agents at a fixed price.

+One argument used was to the effect that, since for a long time the

71. When, after considerable delay, the restoration of Quebec was actually conceded by the English, A.D. 1632. there existed two causes by which the Company of One Hundred were prevented from immediately taking possession. In the first place, although it had been agreed to provide a large capital, ships and crews were not ready for their purposes; and, secondly, the De Caëns were justly entitled to be allowed some opportunities of recovering their losses, and, if possible, some portion of their property in the colony, which had of course fallen into the hands of the captors in 1629.

It was therefore settled that one of the De Caëns, with an officer named Duplessis Bochart under him, should, in the first instance, proceed to Quebec to resume possession, making up the expedition by means of the ships and employés of the old Company. At the same time, the space of one year's continuance of traffic was granted to the De Caëns for the other purpose mentioned above. At the

colony must be poor, it would be inconsistent to attach to it a Mendicant order, such as the Recollets were. The Jesuits joyfully resumed their missionary work in 1632, while the Recollets were not allowed to proceed further than Acadia. One of their number, the well-known Le Caron, died soon afterwards in France.

The powers, privileges, and obligations of the new Company may be thus summarily described :-A power, almost sovereign, was delegated to this Company over the transatlantic possessions of the King. It was to carry out settlers, and establish them on the land, with means of subsistence for three years to do whatever was requisite for the protection of the colony, and for the administration of justice among its people-to regulate commerce, in regard to which the Company was made free of all imposts both in America and in France-to take care that the settlers should be exclusively Frenchmen and Roman Catholics-to set apart cleared lands for the perpetual maintenance of religion, with three priests on each distinct station or settlement to enjoy all the privileges of native Frenchmen in regard to the sea-fisheries, and freedom of trade at home and abroad, as well as an exclusive monopoly in the fur trade-and, finally, to civilise and christianise the native Indian tribes, by bringing them under the influence of the Church.