This Vessel Was Supposed
To Be The Petite Hermine, One Of Jacques Cartier's Vessels Left By
Him At The Place Where He Wintered In 1535-6.
"The existence of this vessel had been known to persons frequenting the
place for a great many years.
Part of it, the farthest out in the stream,
had been carried away for firewood or otherwise, and the forepart of the
vessel was covered with clay and earth from the adjoining bank to the
depth of six or seven feet. This was in great part removed, leaving the
keel and part of the planking and ribs visible. The vessel had been built
of large-grained oak, which was mostly in a good state of preservation,
although discolored, and the iron spikes and bolts were still strong. The
bolts in the keel, contrary to the usual practice, had been placed in from
below. This is the spot where Jacques Cartier, is supposed to have
wintered. The tide rises in the entrance of the brook, where the vessel
lies, about six or seven feet. This entrance forms a semi-circular cove,
on each side of which towards the St. Charles, the earth is elevated so as
to have the appearance of a breastwork; the bank to the west of the cove
is about eighteen feet high, and it was then covered with thick brush
which prevented its being fully examined. The distance of the place from
town is about one mile; the road is over the Dorchester Bridge and along
the north bank of the St. Charles." - (Quebec Gazette, August 30, 1843).
(From the Quebec Gazette, 30th August, 1843.)
"In the last number (August 25th, inst.,) of Le Canadien there is
an article of deep interest to the Canadian antiquarian: The long agitated
question as to the where or whereabouts Jacques Cartier, on his second
voyage from France to this continent spent the winter of 1535-6; whether
at the embouchure of the river bearing his name emptying into the St.
Lawrence some ten or eleven leagues above Quebec, or in the little river
St. Charles to the north of and at the foot of the promontory on which
Quebec is built, is now, it would seem, about to be solved and
satisfactorily set at rest by the recent discovery of the remains of a
vessel, doubtless of European construction, supposed to be those of La
Petite Hermine, of about 60 tons burthen, one of the three (La Grande
Hermine, La Petite Hermine, and L'Emerillon), with which on the 19th
of May, 1535, that intrepid navigator left St. Malo.
The article alluded to, which we believe to be the work of the editor
himself (Mr. McDonald) of Le Canadien, logically establishes from
Jacques Cartier's narrative that the place of his wintering, or Sainte
Croix, as he named it, can be none other than the little river St.
Charles, as we now call it. "Coasting," says he, "the said island
(Orleans) we found at the upper end of it an expanse of water very
beautiful and pleasant, at which place there is a little river and bar
harbor with two or three fathoms of water, which we found to be a place
suitable for putting our vessels in safety. We called it Ste. Croix,
because on that day, (14th September) we arrived there. Near this place
there are natives, whose chief is Donnacona and who lives there, which
place is called Stadacone," (now Quebec). Cartier observes in another part
of his narrative that Sainte Croix was situate half a league from and
to the north of Quebec. Again, speaking of the residence (Stadacone) of
Donnacona, he says, "under which high land towards the north is the
river and harbour Sainte Croix, at which place we remained from the 15th
of September, to the 16th of May, 1536, where the vessels remained dry."
* * * * *
"We now translate from Le Canadien: - 'At the invitation of Mr. Jos.
Hamel, City Surveyor, Hon. Wm. Sheppard, the President, and (G. B.)
Faribault, Vice-President of the Literary and Historical Society of
Quebec, went with him on Saturday, the 19th instant, (1843) to visit the
place, and according to the position of the debris of the vessel,
the nature of the wood it is composed of, and the character of the stones
(ballast) they found at the bottom, they were satisfied that all the
probabilities are in favor of Mr. Hamel's hypothesis.
"'On a report of this visit, the Council of the Literary and Historical
Society assembled on Monday last, and resolved on laying open the
debris, leaving it to Mr. Faribault, the Vice-President, to make,
with Mr. Hamel, the necessary arrangements for the execution. The members
of the Council having no funds at their disposal, that they can legally
apply to this purpose, have so far carried it on at their own expense.
"'Some valuable evidences of the ancient existence of this vessel have
been gathered. We shall speak of them in giving an account of the
exhumation in progress, under the direction of Messrs. Faribault and
Hamel. All those who can throw any light on the subject, either of their
own knowledge or by what they may have learnt by tradition, are earnestly
solicited to impart the same at the Office of Le Canadien.'
"Those gentlemen ought not to be allowed to carry on this work at their
sole expense. The country, the world, are interested in it. This continent
in 1535, from end to end one vast wilderness, the imagination can scarcely
figure to itself a more awful solitude than that in which, during the
winter of 1535-6 Cartier and his faithful followers, amidst savages in an
unknown country, during a Canadian winter, at a thousand leagues from
their native land, were buried in the dreary swamp (for it then must have
been little better) of Sainte Croix now the beautiful valley of the
St. Charles, covered with cheerful cottages and a redundant population.
Look to-day from the Citadel of Stadacone in all directions north,
south, east, west, than which under heaven, there is not a more splendid
panorama, and think of what it was when Cartier and his comrades first
looked upon it.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 183 of 231
Words from 186925 to 187960
of 236821
