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Culture Documents
Franois 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
Champlains 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