In the interest of geographical research and French colonization Champlain was doubtless right.  Unfortunately, Poutrincourt wished to see for himself what De Monts and Champlain had already seen.  It was the more unfortunate that he held this view, as the boats were victualled for over two months, and much could have been done by taking a direct course to Cape Cod.  Little time, however, was spent at the Penobscot and Kennebec.  Leaving St Croix on September 12, Poutrincourt reached the Saco on the 21st.  Here and at points farther south he found ripe grapes, together with maize, pumpkins, squashes, and artichokes.  Gloucester Harbour pleased Champlain greatly.  ’In this very pleasant place we saw two hundred savages, and there are here a large number of very fine walnut trees, cypresses, sassafras, oaks, ashes and beeches. ...There are likewise fine meadows capable of supporting a large number of cattle.’  So much was he charmed with this harbour and its surroundings that he called it Le Beauport.  After tarrying at Gloucester two or three days Poutrincourt reached Cape Cod on October 2, and on the 20th he stood off Martha’s Vineyard, his farthest point.

Champlain’s chronicle of this voyage contains more detail regarding the Indians than will be found in any other part of his Acadian narratives.  Chief among Poutrincourt’s adventures was an encounter with the natives of Cape Cod.  Unlike the Micmacs, the Armouchiquois were ’not so much hunters as good fishermen and tillers of the land.’  Their numbers also were greater; in fact, Champlain speaks of seeing five or six hundred together.  At first they did not interfere with Poutrincourt’s movements, even permitting him to roam their land with a body of arquebusiers.  After a fortnight, however, their suspicions began to become manifest, and on October 15 four hundred savages set upon five Frenchmen who, contrary to orders, had remained ashore.  Four were killed, and although a rescue party set out at once from the barque, the natives made their escape.

To pursue them was fruitless, for they are marvellously swift.  All that we could do was to carry away the dead bodies and bury them near a cross which had been set up the day before, and then to go here and there to see if we could get sight of any of them.  But it was time wasted, therefore we came back.  Three hours afterwards they returned to us on the sea-shore.  We discharged at them several shots from our little brass cannon, and when they heard the noise they crouched down on the ground to escape the fire.  In mockery of us they pulled down the cross and disinterred the dead, which displeased us greatly and caused us to go for them a second time; but they fled, as they had done before.  We set up again the cross and reinterred the dead, whom they had thrown here and there amid the heath, where they kindled a fire to burn them.  We returned without any result, as we had done before, well aware that there was scarcely hope of avenging ourselves this