along near each other.’  To this island and the Isle au Haut Champlain gave the names they have since borne.  Thence advancing, with his hand ever on the lead, he reached the mouth of the Penobscot, despite those ’islands, rocks, shoals, banks, and breakers which are so numerous on all sides that it is marvellous to behold.’  Having satisfied himself that the Penobscot was none other than the great river Norumbega, referred to largely on hearsay by earlier geographers, he followed it up almost to Bangor.  On regaining the sea he endeavoured to reach the mouth of the Kennebec, but when within a few miles of it was driven back to St Croix by want of food.  In closing the story of this voyage, which had occupied a month, Champlain says with his usual directness:  ’The above is an exact statement of all I have observed respecting not only the coasts and people, but also the river of Norumbega; and there are none of the marvels there which some persons have described.  I am of opinion that this region is as disagreeable in winter as that of our settlement, in which we were greatly deceived.’

Champlain was now to undergo his first winter in Acadia, and no part of his life could have been more wretched than the ensuing eight months.  On October 6 the snow came.  On December 3 cakes of ice began to appear along the shore.  The storehouse had no cellar, and all liquids froze except sherry.  ’Cider was served by the pound.  We were obliged to use very bad water and drink melted snow, as there were no springs or brooks.’  It was impossible to keep warm or to sleep soundly.  The food was salt meat and vegetables, which impaired the strength of every one and brought on scurvy.  It is unnecessary to cite here Champlain’s detailed and graphic description of this dreadful disease.  The results are enough.  Before the spring came two-fifths of the colonists had died, and of those who remained half were on the point of death.  Not unnaturally, ’all this produced discontent in Sieur de Monts and others of the settlement.’

The survivors of the horrible winter at St Croix were not freed from anxiety until June 15, 1605, when Pontgrave, six weeks late, arrived with fresh stores.  Had De Monts been faint-hearted, he doubtless would have seized this opportunity to return to France.  As it was, he set out in search of a place more suitable than St Croix for the establishment of his colony, On June 18, with a party which included twenty sailors and several gentlemen, he and Champlain began a fresh voyage to the south-west.  Their destination was the country of the Armouchiquois, an Algonquin tribe who then inhabited Massachusetts.