it until he could see land on both sides of his ship. Unprepared for wintering in the New World, he laid claim upon the area in the name of the French crown and returned to the port of St. Malo. Cartier’s expedition was amazing in more ways than simple discovery. He had managed to accomplish the entire expedition—crossing the Atlantic twice, discovery of the St. Lawrence waterway, and the addition of vast amounts of land for France—all in the course of five months. As could be assumed, the relative ease and success of the mission was met with great enthusiasm in France. And, due to this, another expedition was immediately drawn up and planned for, with all expecting even grander results. Although Cartier’s second voyage was considered a failure, due to the great loss of life that occurred wintering in the New World (many died of scurvy and the cold temperatures), he was able to make contact with a sizeable indigenous population. Traversing up the St. Lawrence, he came to the island of Hochelaga and discussed the neighboring areas as best he could with the native population. Provided with crude explanations of the area and a dream of future glory for France, he once again crossed the Atlantic—abandoning one ship—and arrived at St. Malo on the sixteenth of July 1536. Cartier was to make one more voyage to the New World. However, this voyage ended as a complete failure. Even considering the failures of the second and third voyages of Cartier, he had accomplished what was needed for the future. A sizeable waterway had been discovered, which many believed could lead to the riches of the Far East, and new claims of empire had been laid in the name of France. In addition, Cartier had managed to make some inroads with groups of natives that could possibly be used in the future. And, as we shall see, this would prove significant for the next major explorer, Samuel de Champlain. Samuel...
