the early years of Nicolet, though his age upon arrival is estimated to be around twenty. In addition, some evidence points towards the port of Cherbourg as his city of birth. Apparently, though, he was a man of supreme confidence, intelligence, and religious integrity because Champlain immediately recognized his potential. Almost immediately, Champlain dispatched Nicolet to live amongst the Algonquin tribes on the Allumettes Island, located on the Ottawa River. And, after only four years, Nicolet “is mentioned as having acquired an extensive influence over the Algonquin tribes.” According to a Jesuit, Father Vimont, Nicolet was “always join [ing] the barbarians in their excursions and journeys, undergoing such fatigues as none but eye witnesses can conceive; he often passed seven or eight days without food, and once full seven weeks with no other nourishment than a little bark from the trees.” There is some dispute over his length of stay with the Algonquin people of the Ottawa; some scholars place him there for only two years, while others claim that he spent more then a decade amongst them. During his times with the Algonquin, it is known that Nicolet accompanied some four hundred natives on a successful mission of peace with the Iroquois. Then, in 1629, when the British temporarily took control of Quebec, Nicolet remained with the native populations, most likely the Nipissing tribes located near the lake that still bears their name. Upon the return of French dominion in 1632, Champlain was forced to rebuild what he had started. When able, he turned his attention towards increased westward expansion. For many years Champlain had heard rumors of a native population called “the people of the sea” by the Huron and their allies. Determined to win them over to the French cause, Champlain dispatched Nicolet in hopes of their discovery. Thus, Nicolet was charged with the miss...
