The “Distemper of the The “Distemper of the Land” Land” ††

Samuel de Champlain Samuel de Champlain

Colonizing a New Environment

† a disordered state of body and mind….caused by the New World itself.

Death Stalked Colonization Of New France 1604-1609. People feared the many travel hazards of the time and the unknown dangers of starting settlement in a New World.

We are going to research the deaths that occurred during the colonization of New France (1604-1608) by analyzing what the people of the time thought.

Disease claimed many lives in early New France.

But what was killing the Settlers?

Champlain’s book describes this disease as the “distemper of the land” itself, and it hit all three of Champlain’s settlements.

This disease was disgusting; swollen purple gums, easy bruising, tiredness, teeth falling out and

bleeding eyeballs.

After the first casualties in 1604, Champlain believed that it was the same disease encountered by Cartier 70 years earlier.

Cartier had wintered in Quebec in 1535 and wrote:

“The sickness broke out among us, some lost all their strength…their legs became black like charcoal, in others the legs were spotted with purple blood. The disease would rise to the hips, shoulders, arms and neck. And all their mouths so infected that the gums rotted down to the roots of the teeth, nearly all of which fell out.”

•Cartier’s expedition overcame the disease 70 years before. • Cartier did not know the actual cause of the disease that claimed 25 of his sailors in 1535.

• Cartier’s expedition survived due to the knowledge of a pine tree (annedda) brought by the local Iroquois tribe (boiling the needles then drinking the broth).

Why couldn’t Champlain overcome the disease?

•The French had forgotten the tree’s use by Champlain’s time.

•The Iroquois who had come to Cartier’s aid in the 1500’s were sedentary and grew crops . By Champlain’s time in the 1600’s nomadic Algonquians had replaced them.

Let us study the settlements of Samuel de Champlainbetween 1604-1608 to examine and discover the environmental and cultural reasons that explain how, what, when, where, who and why these people died.

First, 1604 Ste. Croix . No trees were left after First, 1604 Ste. Croix . No trees were left after construction of the settlement on this tiny island. construction of the settlement on this tiny island. There were no local aboriginal people to introduce There were no local aboriginal people to introduce local agricultural practices or to trade for fresh local agricultural practices or to trade for fresh food.food.

Champlain 1613, habitation de lile ste croix. Book scan cropped to show only image. Source: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/earlyimages/026017-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=13

1604 Living in Ste. Croix meant 1604 Living in Ste. Croix meant adaptingadapting

“…the mosquitoes annoyed us excessively, there were several of our men whose faces were so swollen by their bites that they could scarcely see.”

Champlain 1604

“All our liquor froze.. Cider was dispensed by the pound” Champlain describing the harsh winter of 1604

1604 Adapting Agriculture to Ste. 1604 Adapting Agriculture to Ste. CroixCroix

Champlain’s colonists planted French crops, wheat and various vegetables after they had constructed their settlement.

They had not yet learned about farming here.

The growing season is the last frost to the first fall frost (approximately May-October). In France, it is March-November.

Consequently the settlers were unable to harvest their plantings in time for winter.

They had no fresh food and lived on the provisions brought from France until the month of June. People died in winter.

1605 Leaving Ste. Croix1605 Leaving Ste. CroixChamplain left Ste. Croix and moved across to

Port Royal on the mainland.

abitasion du port royal. Image cropped from original online version Source: Champlain, Samuel de. Les voyages du sieur de Champlain Xaintongeois, capitaine ordinaire pour le Roy, en la marine [...] . Paris: Jean Berjon

1605-1607 Adapting 1605-1607 Adapting

Agriculture in Port RoyalAgriculture in Port Royal

Again, in 1605, Champlain and his settlers were too late planting their crops probably because they were busy constructing the houses and palisade.

Fresh food ran low and there was no fresh food from France.

Twelve settlers died again during the winter (1605).

1605-1607 Adapting to 1605-1607 Adapting to Agriculture in Port RoyalAgriculture in Port Royal

The following year, Champlain and the other colonists planted and harvested wheat, rye, hemp, turnips, radishes, carrots and parsnips.

Perhaps they had learned about the growing season, perhaps not.

1605-1607 Port Royal1605-1607 Port Royal

In 1606, Champlain decided to establish the “Order of Good Cheer”. Each member of the Order was given the opportunity to

prepare a feast and outdo the previous chef. This ensured that the members of the Order (fifteen

gentlemen in total) ate well.

That winter only seven settlers died of the disease. None were members of the “Order of Good Cheer”.

In 1608, Champlain moved the settlement to In 1608, Champlain moved the settlement to Quebec City. It was on an established Native Quebec City. It was on an established Native Peoples’ fur trade network, but these people were Peoples’ fur trade network, but these people were nomadic and knew nothing about crops. Note the nomadic and knew nothing about crops. Note the dovecot for pigeons (left) that they brought. dovecot for pigeons (left) that they brought. Perhaps this was an attempt to overcome the food Perhaps this was an attempt to overcome the food problem.problem.

Image taken from images canada version from Collections Canada here.Source: Champlain, Samuel de. Les voyages du sieur de Champlain Xaintongeois, capitaine ordinaire pour le Roy, en la marine [...]. Paris: Jean Berjon

1608 Agriculture in Quebec1608 Agriculture in Quebec

Champlain built a small fort at Quebec. Consequently, planting only began in July so there was no fresh food. Of the 28 men who settled Quebec, only 8 survived.

According to the writings of Samuel de Champlain, we know the following about the disease:

“It attacks those who take proper care of themselves as well as the most miserable people”

“Only eight of the original twenty eight inhabitants remained alive, and even then, half of us were very weak”

Following are the potential causes of the disease according to Champlain and Lescarbot:

“Illness caused by the vapors that rose from the soil and infected the air outside” Champlain

“Eating too much salty food and vegetables, which heat the blood and spoil the interior parts”Champlain

Boredom and depression affect the health of men

Comparing Mortality Rates in the 3 Settlements (1604-1609)

Note that the mortality rate increased significantly from 1604 to 1609.

# of settlers # of deaths

Ste. Croix

1604-1605

79 36 (45%)

Port Royal

1605

1606

Not

Available12

7

Quebec

1608-1609

28 20 (71%)

What explains the higher death rate at Quebec compared to the earlier settlements in the Maritimes?

Longer winters

Poorer soils

Fewer Indian settlements nearby to provide fresh food

Farther from France

Why was the death rate at Quebec in 1608 higher than that of the 1607 English settlements of Jamestown, Virginia?

Many died in Jamestown too (38 out of 107, some 35%), but the rate (71%) was higher at Quebec. Champlain faced a longer and more severe winter, poorer soil, shorter growing season and no local agricultural knowledge.

Local native people in Quebec were nomadic not sedentary. In Jamestown, settlers copied agricultural practises from Native peoples.

The food growing Iroquoian-Stadaconians had left the area around Quebec.

“ During the winter a certain disease broke out among many of our people, called the distemper of the land, otherwise the scurvy, as I have since heard learned men say.”

Champlain eventually knew the name but not the cause of this disease. It would be several centuries before the exact cause and cure of this disease was discovered.

In the meantime, Champlain decided to systematically adapt farming to the new environment and so he:

• compared growth of seeds in a tilled field to that of seeds planted on the forest floor.

• grew vines (native and European), vegetables and various grains.

• planned experimental farms around the settlement.

European colonists had difficulties importing their own plants and adapting to North American plants and practices

•European plants and crops (wheat, oats, peas) tended to be “cool season” i.e. Needed a longer, cooler, growing season to mature. •NA crops (corn, squash) tended to be “warm season” requiring a shorter but warmer summer.

•Consequently, the very first settlers relied on dried food from France not fresh food in their first winters. •Scurvy, a disease arising from a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables explains why death stalked Champlain’s three settlements over the winters.