page_title: Jean du Plessis d'Ossonville
section_title: Settlement of Guadeloupe
hierarchical_section_title: Jean du Plessis d'Ossonville / Settlement of Guadeloupe
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Champ de canne à sucre dans la rhumerie Bologne. On aperçoit au fond la Soufrière dans les nuages (comme très souvent).
context_page_description: Jean du Plessis, sieur d’Ossonville was a joint leader of the French expedition that established a colony on the island of Guadeloupe in 1635. He died on the island after less than six months.
context_section_description: The ships made a very fast passage to Guadeloupe, where they disembarked on 28 or 29 June 1635.
  The landing point was near Pointe-Allègre (Sainte-Rose).
  L'Olive established himself west of Pointe Allègre on the banks of what became the Vieux-Fort river, so called because Fort Saint-Pierre was built there.
  Du Plessis made his base east of Pointe Allègre and built a small fort on the river that became called Petit-Fort river.
  No traces of these forts remain, but an old map shows their position.
  The governors went to Saint Christophe for six weeks.
  Two weeks after they arrived d’Esnambuc sent colonists to settle in Martinique.
  Pointe-Allègre proved to be a poor location, and many settlers died from sickness or starvation.
  The survivors moved to the south of the island beside the present Vieux-Fort.
  The Caribs helped them fell trees, sow the land, make canoes and fish for turtles and manatees.
  However, acting against the advice of Du Plessis, l'Olive decided to attack the Caribs and take their food and women.
  Jean du Plessis seems to have been gentle, human and prudent, and broke with the more brutal Charles de l'Olive.
  Du Plessis embarked for France with Jean François du Buc late in 1635 after the Compagnie de Saint-Christophe had been ruined.
  He died on 4 December 1635, apparently on the return boat.
caption: Sugar cane plantation on Guadeloupe
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