The sun., 1908-07-21


rank, his studies Of the land from the
coasts to the Great Lakes, covering a
period Of many years, were recorded
with the precision OF savant. An In
tense lover of nature, his pages abound
with descriptions Of the vegetable and
mineral wealth Of the new land, the
economic plants that may be brought to
maturity, the grasses affording rich
pasturage, the richness of the soils and
the eboupding food in the waterways
and the forests. He loved his fellow
creatures even though their skins were
red, tried to reach the heart Of their
primitive civilization, wrote always with
sympathy and interest Of their ways and
life, deemed them capable Of great i'm
provement and told the missionaries to
come. He was q man of iron, too, fac
ing serenely storms of obloquy at homo,
solid opposition from the fur traders and
other difficulties that were almost over
whelming.
To the end Of his days the vast region
where he had broken the paths was to
CHAMpLAIN a wonderland where France
might build new empire for her children.
He was full Of this faith when he ended
his first voyage; and 800 years ago last
April he left France again to found his
first settlement and to continue his long
career Of intensive study that led him
the length Of the st. Lawrence, up the
northern tributaries, south to Lake
Champlain and west to the Great Lakes.
It was many generations before the real
Canada outgrew the great domain that
CHAMPLAIN covered with his routes.
On July 8, 1908, CHAMpLAIN reached
the site Of Quebec and saw that 1t was a
goodly place in which to build the pioneer
white homes in New France, at the mar
rowing Of the st. Lawrence River. The
first few sentences Of his description Of
the place show his habit Of crowding his
narrative with concise information and
comparing things Canadian with France:
we anchored at Quebec, which is strait Of the
said river of Canada, soms 500 psces broad. A.
this strait the north side, is very nigh noun
tain which descends on both sides All the rest 10
level and goodly country. where there Is good
land full of trees oaks. Expresses. brehes, mrs
and aspens and other trees bearing fruit and wild
vines; 80 that, In my opinion II they were trmmed
they would DO as good as ours"
Just 800 years before the celebration
OF this week CHAMPLAIN's men were saw
ing lumber and digging cellar for the
first building in Quebec, storehouse for
the protection Of their provisions; and
while "the ship carpenters, wood savers
and others were working on our lodging
house set all the others at clearing the
land about the building, in order to make
the garden plots in which to SOW grain
and seeds, to see how they would all
turn out, for the soil appeared very
good On October he sowed winter
wheat on the 18th rye, and on the oath
he set out native grapevines, (which
came on very finely
It is a great event in the history Of
Canada that she is celebrating 80 elabo-
rately this week; and we who live south
Of the line owe more to this great and
accurate explorer than most Of us mag
inc. 1t was CHAMPI.AIN who made the
first effective charts OF the coasts Of New
England, all along the Atlantic and west
ward nearly to Connecticut. His geo.
graphical work stands the test. His
faith in the future Of Canada has been
realized; and 1t was this unswerving faith,
more than any other factor, that made
him the most conspicuous figure In the
pioneer work Of showing what that vast
domain was fitted to become.
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