Charlevoix, Pierre-Francois-Xavier de (1744) (Explorer and historian). Histoire et description généra/e de la Nouvelle France avec le Journal historique d ’un Voyage fait par ordre du roi dans /’Amerique septentriona/e. Didot, Paris (in 3 vols.); Nyon fils, Paris (in 6 vols.).

Pierre Charlevoix (b. 1682, d. 7 76 1) was a Jesuit priest, teacher and author, who is now best known for his ’Histoire et description de la Nouvelle France', published in 1744 under the ’approbation et privilege du Roy’. The Histoire was the product of not only direct experience of the New World, but also of twenty years of research back in Paris, where he was given full access to the archives of the department of the Marine by the minister, the Count of Maurepas. Ever since, it has proved to be one of the most widely read and influential contemporary accounts of New France. Char/evoix’s direct experience of the New World was acquired on two separate occasions: from 1 705 to 7709, as a newly ordained Jesuit deacon, he taught grammar at the Jesuit college in Quebec. Then in 7 720, following ten years of study and teaching back in France, he was commissioned by the regent of France to investigate the existence of a ’western sea' in the west of North America. After his arrival by ship at Quebec in 7720, he travelled by canoe during the next two years through the Great Lakes and do wn the Mississippi River to New Orleans from where he sailed back to France in 7722. During this journey he kept a detailed journal which he was later to append to his Histoire. The description of lie Saint—Jean in the Histoire is brief (he clearly had not visited the island). It comprises less than a page and is concerned largely with the grant of the island to the Count of Saint- Pierre and the subsequent failure of the company. It contains however a one-sentence general description of the trees of the island, based either on his own common sense deduction or derived from contact with others who knew the island. He presents more detail on the trees of Cape Breton Island (nine species are named), and elsewhere in the work there is a well informed description of the principal trees of Canada, as well as a botanical appendix with drawings of various plant species, including several trees. His writings contain among the most detailed botanical information to survive from the French period.

REFERENCES:

Hayne, D. M. (1974) Charlevoix, Pierre-Francois-Xavier de. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Ill: 103-110.

O’Neill, C. E. (1977) Introduction. Char/evoix’s Louisiana — Selections from the History and Journal. Louisiana State University Press, pp. xiii-xxxii.

Aprés l’lsle Royale, celle de 3. Jean, qui en est fort proche, est la plus grande de toutes celles, qu’on trouve dans la Golphe de S. Laurent, & elle a méme sur celle-Ia Woods of al/ the cet avantage, que toutes les Terres y sont fertiles. Elle étoit alors couverte de Bois

benef Spec/95‘- de toutes les meilleures espéces. [Vol. II, p. 401]

After Isle Royale, that of St. Jean, which is very close, is the largest of all those in Woods of all the the Gulf of St. Laurence, and it has even this advantage over it, that all of its soils are better SPECIES- fertile. It is covered with woods of all the better species.

[Vol. ll, p. 401]

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