for the fray. Champlain and his two comrades; armed with hand guns or arquebuses, went on shore with their Indian allies, and taking their proper position in line, marched to within thirty paces of the enemy, when the battle began. The destruction of the hand guns, which were new to the Iroquois, caused such terrible slaughter they soon turned and fled, leaving many of their dead and wounded behind and also their canoes and provisions. The latter with ten or twelve prisoners were soon started down the lake in company with the victorious combatants on their homeward voyage.

In September, Champlain decided to return to France and arrived at Hornfleur October 13, 1609, where with the assistance of De Monts two more vessels were supplied with articles most necessary to strengthen the colony at Quebec. On account of sickness of Champlain the expedition did not leave France until April 8, 1610. At the end of eighteen days the vessels reached Tadousac and the twenty-eighth day of April found them at Quebec, where the little colony were enjoying good health and spirits.

Hostilities then existing between the neighboring tribes of Indians became a barrier to Champlain's plans for further exploration, and owing to the reported assassination of Henry IV. on May 14, and other troubles at home, he decided to return to France, where he arrived the 27th of September, 1610. During the autumn, while residing in Paris, Champlain became attracted by the presence of Helene, daughter of Nicholas Boulle, Secretary of the King's chamber, she being quite young, the marriage contract was subscribed to December 27, but the marriage was not to take place within at least two years.

With a determination evidently of winning success in his colonization scheme, he again set out from Hornfleur for New France, arriving at Tadousac May 13, 1611. During this season he selected a spot within the present city of Montreal on which to locate a trading-house and permanent

inlets, were all carefully examined and noted in his journal.

July 3, 1608, he located and began laying the foundations of Quebec. Soon after beginning improvements here, a plot was discovered among some of the men to assassinate Champlain and confiscate the property. But the scheme having been discovered the prime movers were brought to an account and the life of our zealous navigator saved. The winter of 1608 and that of 1609, proved very severe; twenty out of his twenty-eight men died of disease and exposure. But the warm sun of spring came and with it a fresh arrival from France, and plans were laid for further explorations. June 18, 1609, Champlain with eleven men and a party of Indians began the ascent of the river St. Lawrence. At the Falls of Chambly he dismissed a portion of his associates, ordering them to return to Quebec while he with two companions were to proceed with the Indians as guides. Continuing up the river they came to the lake which now bears his name. This they entered with their canoes, but were obliged to pass the daytime in thickets. on shore, travelling only by night in order to escape the notice of hostile tribes within whose country they were exploring.

On the evening of July 29, while gliding noiselessly along near the point where Fort Carillon was afterwards erected at Ticonderoga, they suddenly came upon a collection of heavy canoes, containing not far from two hundred Iroquois warriors. Champlain with his allies drew away an arrow shot from the shore, and fastened their canoes together by poles. The Iroquois were asked if they desired to fight, to which they replied nothing would suit them better. But as it was then dark, sunrise in the morning was chosen for the time hostilities were to begin. All night long each party entertained the other with charges of cowardice and weakness, declaring they would prove the truth of their assertions on the coming morrow. Scarcely had the sun touched the mountain-tops when all were ready

Constitution and By-Laws and organize by appointing a secretary, and prepare for a vigorous campaign.

At the close of his address, President Ely announced the committees for the ensuing year in the order as they appear on the foregoing pages of this number of the Society's proceedings.

On motion of Mr. Paine the question of duties, services and compensation for such services, both of the Librarian and Secretary, were discussed, and on motion of Mr. Chase the matter of compensation in each case was left to the Executive Board to consider and recommend such action as they might deem wise, at the next regular meeting of the Society.

Hon. Ellery B. Crane was introduced and read the following:

CHAMPLAIN'S VOYAGES AND THE FOUNDING OF QUEBEC AND MONTREAL.

Samuel de Champlain was the son of Antoine de Champlain, a captain in the marine, and his wife Marguerite le Roy. There appears to be no record of the exact day or even year of his birth. As near as can be ascertained he was born about the year 1567, in the village of Brouage in the ancient province of Saintonge. This village, of great antiquity, is situated in a low, marshy region on the southern bank of an inlet or arm of the sea, on the southwestern shores of France, opposite to that part of the Island of Oleron, where it is separated from the mainland only by a narrow channel.

From Champlain's birth throughout the whole period of his youth, and until he entered upon his manhood, the little town within whose walls he was reared was the fitful scene of war and peace, of alarm and conflict, caused by the civil contentions that raged in that province for a period of nearly forty years. During all these busy scenes

settlement. In September he returned to France for securing more powerful personal influence towards building up and sustaining the settlements in his chosen territory. He succeeded in doing this and returned to Tadousac April 29, 1613, and to Quebec May 7, where he found everything in good order. Twenty days later Champlain with four Frenchmen and an Indian guide started on a trip up the Ottawa River, covering a distance of two hundred and twenty-five miles into that northern country, and on his return was accompanied by a large delegation of Indians, bringing loads of furs to exchange for other merchandise at Montreal. The season having been spent he set sail for France, arriving at St. Malo the 26th of August, 1613.

The year 1614, Champlain passed in France, adding new members to his company of associates and devising means for the establishment of the Christian faith in the wilds of America. Thus far no missionary had found his way to the region of the St. Lawrence River. But through the efforts of Champlain, four Recollet friars set sail with him. from Hornfleur, April 24, 1615, for Quebec, from where, after their arrival, they were assigned various points in the territory at which to begin their Christianizing work among the native tribes. On reaching Montreal, Champlain met representatives from various Indian tribes, demanding that he accompany them and help in subjugating or annihilating their common enemy, the Iroquois. So strongly did they plead, that in order to retain them as his allies he was forced to join them in their scheme, and at once set out for their homes near Lake Huron, where it merges into the River St. Lawrence, there to collect an army that should march upon the stronghold of the despised Iroquois and put them to death.

The journey was made, the fortress besieged and many of the Iroquois killed. But Champlain found the Algonquins and Hurons too hot-headed to obey his commands,

and a retreat was in progress before he could rally them for another attack.

Not being able to procure an Indian escort back to Montreal, Champlain was forced to remain with the Indians through the winter, during which time he was completing his records, and map of the country over which he traveled.

About the 20th of May, 1616, our navigator in company with Le Caron, one of the missionaries, left the Huron capital with an Indian escort, for their return to Quebec, where they arrived July 11, amid great rejoicing, the settlers having imagined Champlain had perished at the hands of the savages. Ten days later he left for France, where he arrived September 10. He made visits to his little colony on the banks of the St. Lawrence, both in 1617 and 1618.

Some of his associates in the enterprise merely hoped for the gain to be derived from trade with the Indians, but Champlain labored to develop a self-sustaining colony, consequently certain discords arose in the management of the company's affairs. But through the intervention of Duke de Montmorency, the new viceroy of France, the difficulties were settled, and Champlain, accompanied by his wife, sailed from Hornfleur early in May, 1620, arriving at Tadousac two months later. He soon pushed on to Quebec, where he was received with great cordiality; a sermon composed for the occasion was preached, and his arrival otherwise celebrated.

After a sojourn of four years, he with his wife visited France in October, 1624. Two years later they returned to Quebec and he devoted his time to repairing the company's buildings and trying to settle disputes among the Indian tribes.

Nearly twenty years had elapsed since the founding of Quebec and still it remained but a trading-post, which fact proved quite discouraging to Champlain. A new company was now formed including one hundred and seven wealthy