After having explored the harbour, Champlain traversed La Baie Francaise to see whether he could discover the copper mine mentioned by Prevert of St. Malo, and he soon arrived at a place which he named the Cape of Two Bays, or Chignecto, and perceived the High Islands, where a copper mine was found.

On May 20th an expedition started from the Port of Mines, in search of a place suitable for a permanent settlement.  Proceeding towards the south-west they stopped at the entrance of a large river, which was named St. John, as it was on St. John’s day that they arrived there.  The savages called the river Ouigoudi.  “This river is dangerous,” writes Champlain, “if one does not observe carefully certain points and rocks on the two sides.  It is so narrow at its entrance and then becomes broader.  A certain point being passed it becomes narrower again, and forms a kind of fall between two large cliffs, where the water runs so rapidly that a piece of wood thrown in is drawn under and not seen again.  But by waiting till high tide you can pass this fall very easily.  Then it expands again to the extent of about a league in some places where there are three islands.”

Champlain did not explore the river further, but he ascertained a few days later that the Indians used the river in their journeys to Tadousac, making but a short portage on the way.

As preparations had shortly to be made for winter quarters, de Monts decided to proceed southwards, and the party at length came to a number of islands at the entrance of the river Ste. Croix, or Des Etchemins.  One of these islands was chosen for their establishment, and named Ste. Croix, “because,” says Lescarbot, “they perceived two leagues above this island two streams flowing into the channel of the river, presenting the appearance of a cross.”  De Monts at once commenced to fortify the place by forming a barricade on a little inlet, which served as a station on which he set up a cannon; it was situated halfway between the mainland and the island of Ste. Croix.  Some days afterwards all the French who were waiting in St. Mary’s Bay disembarked on the island.  They were all eager and willing to work, and commenced to render the place habitable.  They erected a storehouse and a residence for de Monts, and built an oven and a hand-mill for grinding wheat.  Some gardens were also laid out, and various kinds of seeds were sown, which flourished well on the mainland, though not on the island, which was too sandy.

De Monts was anxious to ascertain the location of a mine of pure copper which had been spoken of, and accordingly he despatched Champlain, with a savage named Messamouet, who asserted that he could find the place.  At about eight leagues from the island, near the river St. John, they found a mine of copper, which, however, was not pure, though fairly good.  According to the report of the miner, it would yield about eighteen per cent.  Lescarbot says that