CHAMPLAIN ON LAKE NIPISSING

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

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.