trafficked with its inhabitants.  Accompanying these letters patent was a license to De Monts to trade with the natives of the St. Lawrence, and make settlements on that river.  It was under these authorisations to De Monts exclusively, that all the permanent settlements of the French in Nova Scotia and Canada were effected, beyond which countries none were ever attempted by them, within the limits of the Verrazzano discovery, or any rights asserted on behalf of the French crown.

It is thus evident that the history of France and of her kings is utterly void on the subject of this discovery, without any legitimate cause, if it had ever taken place; and that the policy of the crown in regard to colonization in America has ever been entirely in repugnance to it.  It is incredible, therefore, that any such could ever have taken place for Francis, or for France.

An important piece of testimony of an affirmative character, however, still exists, showing that the crown of France had no knowledge or appreciation of this claim.  It comes from France, and, as it were, from Francis himself.  It is to be found in the work of a French cartographer, a large and elaborately executed map of the world, which has been reproduced by M. Jomard, in his Monuments of Geography, under the title of Mappemonde peinte sur parchemin par ordre de Henry II, roi de France. [Footnote:  Les Monuments de la Geographie ou Receuil d’anciennes cartes, &c., en facsimile de la grandeur des originaux.  Par M. Jomard.  No.  XIX.] M. D’Avezac assigns it the date of 1542, which is five years before the death of Francis and accession of Henry to the throne. [Footnote:  Inventaire et classement raisonne des “Monuments de la Geographie” publies par M. Jomard de 1842 a 1863. (Communication de M. D’Avezac.) Extrait du Bulletin de L’Academie des inscriptions et belles lettres.  Seance du 30 Aout 1867, p. 7.  L’Annee Geographique.  Sixieme annee (1867), pp. 548, 554.] But neither of these dates appears to be exactly correct; as upon that portion of the map representing Saguenay, the person of Roberval is depicted and his name inscribed, evidently denoting his visit to that country, which did not take place until June, 1543. [Footnote:  Hakluyt, III, 242.] No information, could possibly have arrived in France, to have enabled the maker of the map, to have indicated this circumstance upon it before the latter part of that year.  On the other hand the arms of both the king and dauphin are repeatedly drawn in the decorated border of the map, showing that it was made, if not under the actual direction of Henry, at least while he was in fact discharging the functions of admiral of France, which he assumed after the disgrace of Chabot, in 1540, and continued to exercise until the death of Francis, in 1547.  It therefore belongs to the period of 1543-7; and thus comes to us apparently impressed with an official character.  It is the work of an accomplished French geographer, during the