It is a striking fact that Champlain had helped to found Port Royal before he founded Quebec.  He was not the pioneer of Acadian colonization:  De Monts deserves the praise of turning the first sod.  But Champlain was a leading figure in the hard fight at St Croix and Port Royal; he it was who first charted in any detail the Atlantic seaboard from Cape Breton to Cape Cod; and his narrative joins with that of Lescarbot to preserve the story of the episode.

Although unprosperous, the first attempt of the French to colonize Acadia is among the bright deeds of their colonial history.  While the death of De Chastes was most inopportune, the future of the French race in America did not hinge upon any one man.  In 1603 fishing on the Grand Bank off Newfoundland was a well-established occupation of Normans and Bretons, the fur trade held out hope of great profit, and the spirit of national emulation supplied a motive which was stronger still.  Hence it is not surprising that to De Chastes there at once succeeds De Monts.

As regards position they belonged to much the same class.  Both were men of standing, with enough capital and influence to organize an expedition.  In respect, however, of personality and circumstance there were differences.  By reason of advanced age De Chastes had been unable to accompany his ships, whereas De Monts was in his prime and had already made a voyage to the St Lawrence.  Moreover, De Monts was a Huguenot.  A generation later no Huguenot could have expected to receive a monopoly of the fur trade and a royal commission authorizing him to establish settlements, but Henry iv, who had once been a Protestant, could hardly treat his old co-religionists as Richelieu afterwards treated them.  The heresy of its founder was a source of weakness to the first French colony in Acadia, yet through a Calvinist it came into being.

Like De Chastes, De Monts had associates who joined with him to supply the necessary funds, though in 1604. the investment was greater than on any previous occasion, and a larger number were admitted to the benefits of the monopoly.  Not only did St Malo and Rouen secure recognition, but La Rochelle and St Jean de Luz were given a chance to participate.  De Monts’ company had a capital of 90,000 livres, divided in shares—­of which two-fifths were allotted to St Malo, two-fifths to La Rochelle and St Jean de Luz conjointly, and the remainder to Rouen.  The personal investment of De Monts was somewhat more than a tenth of the total, as he took a majority of the stock which fell to Rouen.  Apart from Sully’s unfriendliness, the chief initial difficulty arose over religion.  The Parlement of Normandy refused to register De Monts’ commission on the ground that the conversion of the heathen could not fitly be left to a heretic.  This remonstrance was only withdrawn after the king had undertaken to place the religious instruction of the Indians in the charge of priests—­a promise which did not prevent the Protestant colonists from having their own pastor.  The monopoly contained wider privileges than before, including both Acadia and the St Lawrence.  At the same time, the obligation to colonize became more exacting, since the minimum number of new settlers per annum was raised from fifty to a hundred.