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Voyages of Samuel de Champlain, 1604-1618 (1907)
Voyages of Samuel de Champlain 1604-1618 - 1907 Author:Samuel de Champlain Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: BOOK I1 THE VOYAGES OF 1604-1607 Chapter 1 The benefits of commerce have induced several princes to seek an easier route for traffic with the people of th... more »e East. Several unsuccessful voyages. Determination of the French for this purpose. Undertaking of Sieur de Monts: his commission and its revocation. New commission to Sieur de Monts to enable him to continue his undertaking. The inclinations of men differ according to their varied dispositions; and each one in his calling has his particular end in view. Some aim at gain, some at glory, some at the public weal. The greater number are engaged in trade, and especially that which is transacted on the sea. Hence arise the principal support of the people, the opulence and honor of states. This is what raised ancient Rome to the sovereignty and mastery over the entire world, and the Venetians to a grandeur equal to that of powerful kings. It has in all times caused maritime towns to abound in riches, among whichAlexandria and Tyre are distinguished, and numerous others, which fill up the regions of the interior with the objects of beauty and rarity obtained from foreign nations. For this reason, many princes have striven to find a northerly route to China, in order to facilitate commerce with the Orientals, in the belief that this route would be shorter and less dangerous. 1 Though Book I. is not given in the original a separate title or heading, such as is given to Book II., the distinction between the two is broadly marked in the table of contents of the original. It reads: "Book First, in which are described the discoveries of the coast of Acadia and Florida." Then follows the list of the seventeen chapters of Book I.; then, "Book Second, in which are described the voyages made to the great River St. Laurens by the Sieu...« less