WINNING OF CANADA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 259, 25 July 1908, Page 5

WINNING OF CANADA.

CHAMPUIN DAY. WORLD-FAMED FRENCH EXPLORER* ' ANGLO-AMERICAN KINSHIP. (nr telegraph—press association —copyright/ (Rec. July 24, 10.17 p.m.) Ottawa, July 24. Tho chicf feature of Thursday's Tercenten, ary festivities was tho glorification of Samuel do Champlain, the'founder of Quebec. ' Replying to an addross presented by tha Mayor of Quebec, tho Princo of Wales paid a gracoful tribute to Champlain, whoso fame, ho said, had spread throughout tho Empiro. Tho Princo said ho was glad to welcome representatives from tho furthest limits of tho Empire. Ho warmly thanked tho United States and France for sending representatives, whoso presonco was tho outward and visible sign of friendship with Britain. Tho Governor-General of Canada (Lord Grey)' read a congratulatory telegram from ■ tho Governors of Australia' and New Zealand., , - Tho Vice-President of the United Mr. C. "W. Fairbanks, in an eloquent ora-. tion, expressed a fervent hope 'and belief , that the relations of tlio'United- States, Canada, and Britain, would never again bo disturbod. ■ The great historical procession was highly, successful, and vividly represented the periods of Canada's history from tho time of Champlain downwards. Lord Dudley (Govornor-Gerieral of the Commonwealth) and Lord Ranfurly attended ■a State banquet in-tho Citadel in tho evening. CHAMPLAIN. Samuel de Champlain (born 1567, died 1635), tho Governor:of tho first French settlors in Lower Canada, was born at Brouage, in 1567. His -father was a sea captain, and probably ho was already skillod in navigation when still young,- ho entered tho army of Henry IV., On the conclusion of tha war he accompanied a Spanish ileet to Mexico and tho West Indies, and on his return wrote an account of the expedition. In i 1603 ho made his first voyage to Canada, being sent out by Do Chastes, on whom .the king had bestowed somo territory in that country. During 1604-1607 he was engaged, together with De Monts, to whom De Chastes' privileges had been transferred, in exploring the Canadian coast, in seeking a site for a new settlement, and in making surveys and maps. In 1608 he made his third voyage, and m this year he commenced the formation of a settlement at Quebec. But De Monts's influence was now waning; ho had been deprived of some of his privileges; and. the. merchants who had ventured ■in the affair were losing heart. Under tho circumstances Champlain prevailed upon the Due do Soissons to interest himself in the matter, and to seek the post of Governor and Lieutenant-Genoral. of New France. Under him, and-under his successor, the Duka of Condo, Champlain held tho office of lieutenant, which him, in reality, governor of'the colony. .Owing, however,, to quarrels with the Indians, the settlement seemed likely to fail, but under tho vice-royalty of tho Due do jMontmorenci, and Btill more under that of the Due de Ventadoiir, it began to flourish. In 1629 it met with a reverse, Champlain being forced to. surrender to an English fleet commanded by_ three (brothers named Kirk. He was carried to England, but was restored to liberty in 1632. Ho returned to Canada in the next year, and died thero two years afterwards.

Though Champlain came to the New, World primarily for the purpose of establishing a trading, settlement—in which ho succeeded— he,.was by temperament an explorer. In those days it was Sloped that a now route would by some means bo found which would shorten the journey between Europe and the East. It seemed to Champlain quito possible that beyond tho rapids of Lachine there might lie a watorway to the South Sea, or that he might come upon it suddenly like tho explorers" at Darien. For seven years lie Ijept this purpose in view, and in the course of tho work of explorer and trader he added not only .to the wealth of his company, but to the geographical knowledge then extant. In the summer of 1611 Champlain, having founded Quebec in 1608, chose the site, and cleared the ground for an extended trading post at Montreal. It was during this visit-that Champlain ran the Lachine rapids with Indians in a bark canoe. He was the third white man who performed this feat. One of his predecessors, however, was drowned in tho perilous adventure. Champlain did not carry out his intention of founding a settlement in Montreal. In 1613 he appeared at: St. Helen's Island, and from there started on his wonderful expedition of exploration up the Ottawa River to the groat Lakes. ' Concerning this extraordinary; man Parkman writes:—"Of tho pionoors of the North American forests, his •name'stands foremost on, tho list. It was he who- struck 'tho' deepest' and' boldest stroke into the heart of. tneir pristine barbarism. At Chantilly, at Fontainebleau, at Paris, in. tho cabinet of princes and of royalty itself, mingling with the proud vanities of tho court; then lost from sight in the depths of Canada,"the'companion of savages,' sharer of their toils,', privations, and battles, moro hardy, patient, and bold than they; such, for' successive years, were tho alternations of this man's lifo." In his "History of Canada," Dr. Kingsford compares Champlain to Julius Caesar, " with whoso oxcellehcies and genius he bears strong relationship, unalloyed by those vices and that social deformity which marked Roman life."- •