Explorer Samuel de Champlain - His Diligence Helped Him Map Part Of The New World And Found A City.

Byline: Michael Richman, Investor's Daily

The Frenchman Samuel de Champlain wanted to know what was in the unexplored Canadian wilderness - and he wasn't about to let anything stop him. The elements were harsh, and he and his party of explorers had to forage in the woods to eat. To make things worse, a fierce Iroquois tribe repeatedly attacked. But Champlain (1567-1635) was determined to discover the land's secrets. He made alliances with friendly Indian tribes to battle the Iroquois. Once, the Montagnais tribe asked Champlain to lead the charge against the Iroquois. He did do eagerly. At another time, an Iroquois arrow hit Champlain in the ear and buried itself in his neck. Unfazed, he ripped it away and continued to fight. His determination paid off. His exploration of southeasternCanada in the early 17th century allowed him to establish the French colony ofQuebec and become known as the father of New France. He kept an open mind whenexploring. "In him, the valor and the religious ardor of a crusader were unsullied by the intolerance and superstition which marked so many of his contemporaries," W.L. Grant wrote in "Voyages of Samuel de Champlain." Champlain documented his travels so that others would be able to find their wayaround the new land. He recorded impressions and made maps and vivid sketches of his findings. He drew a map in 1607, for example, that gave the first thorough delineation of the Atlantic coastline in North America from Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, to Cape Cod, Mass. lthough most maps were drawn by cartographers who got information secondhand or even thirdhand, Champlain basedhis charts on his own observations. Champlain was born and raised in Brouage, a seaport on France's west coast. His father was a captain in the French Navy, and his uncle was a ship commander. He absorbed their advice and became an excellent seaman. The tales he heard from other sailors inspired him. He spent much of his youth sailing from Brouage and making maps of the French coastline.On one occasion, Champlain saw three Indians who had been captured in Canada and taken to France being prodded with a sword before a laughing crowd. Champlain knew that treatment was wrong and had an overwhelming desire to go toCanada. In 1599, his uncle invited him to sail aboard a vessel that was part of a caravan taking goods to the West Indies. It was his first trans-Atlantic voyage. While sailing, Champlain kept a mental account of the islands and portshe visited. In Panama, he figured that a canal would speed shipment of freightacross the isthmus to the Pacific Ocean. It took until the early 20th century for the Panama Canal to be built. During his voyage to the West Indies, Champlain kept his eye trained for what would be valuable. He detected an abundance of fruits and animals unusual to the French ...