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proudly presents:proudly presents:

The Explorers, Episode 1The Explorers, Episode 1Jacques CartierJacques Cartier’’s 1st Voyage and the s 1st Voyage and the

Discovery of CanadaDiscovery of Canada

written bywritten by:: Fergus DucharmeFergus Ducharme, , assisted by:assisted by: JoemarieJoemarie AcallarAcallar & & Nilo Nilo JimenoJimeno

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The First Voyage: April 20th, 1534 / September 5th, 1534.Voyages of Discovery, Part 1

In early January 1534, King Francis IV commissioned Jacques Cartier of St Malo to explore the Western Seas to discover a short route to the Spice Islands and China. Cartier, began his preparations immediately and on April 20th, 1534, he set out with a crew of 61 able seamen on his two ships from Saint Malo, France, heading west into the raging and wild North Atlantic Ocean. They had an uneventful crossing and arrived only 20 days later on the shores of what is today Newfoundland at Cape Bonavista.

They replenished their water supplies and fished in the area for a few days before continuing northwest and entered the Strait of Belle Isle between Newfoundland and Labrador. They followed the west coast as far as Cape Race at the extreme south western point of the Island of Newfoundland and then turned south to arrive off today’s Prince Edward Island; which they explored and found it to have abundant berries and seeds to eat and very fertile soils. A week or so later they were exploring in the Bay of Chaleurs and into Gaspé Bay thinking it may be the entrance of the passage to the mysterious East.

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Baie des Chaleurs, Quebec, Canada

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Throughout July of 1534, Cartier charted the northern coast of New Brunswick, exploring the shores of Kouchibouguac, Miramichi, Shippagan, and proceeding onward into a large bay which he later named "Baye de Chaleur".

The landing at Baie des Chaleurs with the Gaspe Rock in the background.

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It is in the Bay of Chaleurs on July 24, 1534, that Cartier took possession of these lands in the name of King Francis IV. From the abundant timber at hand he built, on the point at the entrance to the harbour, a cross thirty feet high.

Under the cross bar he states "we fixed a shield with three fleurs-de-lysin relief and above it a wooden board engraved in large Gothic characters where was written Vive Le Roy De France."

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Great ceremony attended the event and the on-looking Indians, who had come from Stadacona (the site of present day Quebec City) to fish and hunt over the summer months, realized instinctively that Cartier was claiming their land.

After the ceremony, Donnacona, the local chief dressed in an old black, bear-skin, arrived with his three sons and his brother. The chief pointed to the cross and the land all about and with hand signs and a long harangue attempted to make it clearly understood that the country belonged to him and his people.

Before long, however, he was pacified by gifts and other goodies including food and drink.

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It is at this point that Cartier decided that he would like to bring some of the natives back to France and asked for the Chief’s consent in allowing two of his sons: Domagaya and Taignoagny, to accompany him on his return to France.

The Chief agreed and after the boys had been properly dressed to join the expedition, the ships weighed anchor, the next day, and continued their voyage of exploration into the mouth of the St Lawrence River.

It was the middle of August and getting late in the season and the weather was turning colder. At that point just about few leagues west of Anticosti Island, Cartier decided that it was time to turn for home.

Despite being tossed about by violent storms, the Frenchmen finally found fair weather "and upon the 5th of September in the said year we came to the port of St. Malo whence we departed." Apart from the two Native youths who created quite a sensation at the Royal Court Cartier had little to show the king for the voyage.

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Besides being a very accomplished and expert mariner, Cartier was a astute observer. He kept a meticulous journal of his Voyages – a copy of a page of one of his diaries is shown above. Not only that he was also an excellent cartographer who mapped the early discoveries he made on the Canadian Frontier. A copy of an early map of his Canada voyage of 1535 is also shown in the above slide.

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The statue was erected in Limoilou, France just outside St Malo where Cartier lived with his family in their rather large home. The statue’s inscription reads: The 24th of July, 1534, Jacques Cartier of Saint Malo, landed on Canadian Shores and took possession of “New France” in the name of Francis IV.

16Cartier Home at Limoilou, just outside St Malo

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The Cartier Family property/estate in Limoilou just outside St Malo

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Although the King was not overjoyed with the results of the Cartier’s first voyage, he re-commissioned Cartier to prepare for a second trip and urged him to be ready to leave by the beginning of April the following year with the objective of finding the elusive northern route to China.

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We want to thank the following for their contributions to this article:

Other materials and some photos provided by: www.wikipedia.org

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