Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
PRE- AND EARLY COLONIAL LITERATURE
years, have not made him lose courage because of the diculties that have been
encountered; but, on the contrary, the dangers and risks that he has met with,
instead of lessening, have redoubled his courage. And two very strong reasons in
particular have decided him to make new voyages there. The rst is that under the
reign of King Louis the Just, France should become enriched and increased by a
country of which the extent exceeds sixteen hundred leagues in length and nearly
ve hundred in breadth; the second, that the richness of the soil and the useful
things that can be derived from it, whether for commerce or to make life pleasant
in that country, are such that one cannot estimate the advantage that the French
would gain from it some day, if the French colonies that may be established there
should be protected by the favor and authority of His Majesty.
The new discoveries led to the purpose of establishing colonies, which,
though at rst of little account, have nevertheless in course of time, by means of
commerce, become equal to the states of the greatest Icings. One may put in this
class several cities that the Spaniards have founded in Peru and other parts of the
world within the last hundred and twenty years, which were nothing to begin with.
Europe can oer the example of the city of Venice, which was originally a refuge
for poor shermen. Genoa, one of the most superb cities of the world, was built in
a region surrounded by mountains, very wild, and so sterile that the inhabitants
were obliged to have soil brought from outside to cultivate their garden plots, and
their sea is without sh. The city of Marseilles, which formerly was nothing but a
great marsh, surrounded by rugged hills and mountains, nevertheless in the course
of time made its land fertile, and has become famous and an important seat of
commerce. Similarly, many small colonies which had the convenience of ports and
harbors have increased in wealth and in reputation.
It must be said also that the country of New France is a new world, and not a
kingdom; perfectly beautiful, with very convenient locations, both on the banks
of the great river St. Lawrence (the ornament of the country) and on other rivers,
lakes, ponds and brooks. It has, too, an innite number of beautiful islands, and
they contain very pleasant and delightful meadows and groves where, during the
spring and the summer, may be seen a great number of birds which come there in
their time and season. The soil is very fertile for all kinds of grain; the pasturage
is abundant; and a network of great rivers and lakes, which are like seas lying
across the countries, lend great facility to all the explorations of the interior,
whence one could get access to the oceans on the west, the east, the north, and
even on the south.
The country is lled with immense tall forests composed of the same kinds of
trees that we have in France. The air is salubrious and the water excellent in the
latitudes corresponding to ours. The benet that can be derived from this country,
according to what Sieur de Champlain hopes to demonstrate, is sucient to make
the enterprise worth considering, since this country can supply for the service
of the King the same advantages that we have in France, as will appear from the
following account.
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