November 24, 1608

Champlain arriving at Quebec

These conditions in Quebec have been hard to handle, much worse then on the ship. The Don-de-Dieu, as much as I loved that beautiful ship I commanded, had become a source of headaches for me. The crewmen did not listen well and the ship had become dirty and disgusting. The poop deck reeked and the ship began to smell from the bow to the stern. I thought for sure we would die of sickness from the scurvy on the ship, but we have survived this far. However, now many people have been dying from awful diseases including smallpox as well as scurvy. This is making everything much harder and the fort has been growing so slowly so I really do not know how we are all going to survive. I have been so upset recently because of all of this and I don’t know how this fort is going to hold up anymore. The weather here has been brutal, and I cannot even make it to work on this city some days. I suppose I should visit my men to make sure they are in better health then before.

Drawing of Habitation by Champlain

July 30, 1609

Champlain and Huron plan to battle the Iroquois

Today we battled the vicious Iroquois, even more natives on our land. We tried to be friendly and make alliances with the Wendat, the Algonquin, the Montagnais Etchemin, and the Hurons from the St. Lawrence River. We told them we would help in their battle on the Iroquois in the south. I left with many natives and a few French soldiers. I stopped to map a nearby lake, and when we did not find the Iroquois many of the men returned. Our group of men consisted at that point only of sixty natives and two Frenchmen. Today, however, we fought with the Iroquois after meeting them yesterday. They must have had a good two-hundred men on their side along with a few chiefs. Many men thought we could never win this battle, but I took out my arquebus and killed two of them easily. Another man killed the last. We know there will be more fighting in the days to come, but I know that the people of Quebec shall be successful.

French and Iroquois Battle

September 22, 1611

Lachine Rapids

I have come back again on an expedition to New France but this time to settle where Jacques Cartier had claimed previously 75 years before. Mont Real is the place where I found a new site for another settlement. I call it La Place Royale because the view we have here is simply astounding. It is on an island I have named Sainte-Hélène after my gorgeous wife that is built around a mountain bountiful with trees around it and it is near both the St Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. After having united my fur trading monopolies in the St Lawrence River area, I decided to return to New France. I established a new settlement for France, in the hopes that I may be rewarded with honor and pride. There are far more people here than then were at Habitation, and I pray that most of them and my crew will not die this time. That way, this could grow into a permanent settlement for France.
The French and the Iroquois peace treaty has been to my advantage lately. My fur trading post is quite successful due to the natives. They do much business with me and help me to earn quite a portion of my daily profits. I am hoping all goes well from now on.

Natives on Ottawa River

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