champlain on lake nipissing

CHAMPLAIN ON LAKE NIPISSING François Castilloux

On July 26th 1615,

Samuel de

Champlain sailed

on Lake Nipissing

and stayed with the

Nipissing nation for

a few days. It was

part of a long

voyage to explore

Ottawa River to the Great Lakes and connect

New France to the native world. Because of this

voyage, the year 2015 celebrates the 400th

anniversary of French presence in Ontario. This

July 26th is also the 400th anniversary of

Champlain on Lake Nipissing. Champlain wrote

his experience and described the lake, landscape

and people. In the spirit of celebrations, this is

the moment to let him speak. The following

paragraphs are an English translation of

Champlain’s original French writing pulled from

"The Works of Samuel de Champlain” (H.P.

Biggar, The Champlain Society, vol. 4). I have

modernized the writing including the toponyms,

ethnonyms and unit of measure for the general

public, but kept most of the original language

and style. Here is Champlain when he was

approaching Lake Nipissing:

Continuing our way by land, after leaving the

Ottawa River, we passed through several lakes,

where the natives carry their canoes, we entered

Lake Nipissing in latitude of 46 degree 15. The

26th of the month of July, after traveling more by

land than lakes, 139 km or thereabouts. This

done, we reach the cabin of the Nipissings where

we stayed 2 days with them. They gave us a very

kind reception and were in good numbers. […]

During the time I was with them, the Chief of

these people and others of their elder men, made

us a feast on several occasions, according to their

customs, we did not need to go fish or hunt

because they treated us as delicately as they

could. They were in good number 7 or 8

hundreds souls who usually live on the lake

where there is a great number of beautiful very

pretty islands, and among others one more than

6 leagues long on which are 3 or 4 fine ponds

and a number of beautiful meadows. It is

bordered by very fine woods and there is plenty

of game which retreats to these little ponds

where the natives catch fish.

The north side of the lake is very pleasant, there

are fine meadows for pasturing cattle and many

little streams discharging into it. The natives

were fishing in a lake very abundant in many

kind of fish, among others a very good one which

was a foot in length, and also other varieties

which the savages catch in order to dry or store

them. This lake is about 44 km wide and 140

long and into it flows a river which comes from

the northwest [Sturgeon River] where they go

trade their goods bartered from us and return

with fur with those who dwell there, who live by

hunting and fishing because this country is

largely stocked as well with animals and birds as

with fish. Having rested 2 days with the Chief of

the said Nipissings, we re-embarked in our

canoes and entered a river by which this lake

discharge [French River] and after 194 km we

came down by many short portages, more by

land then water, until we reached Lake Huron.