the sea, and that the desire of making the journey
had led him to say what he did, also that he did not
suppose that I would undertake it; and he begged them
to be pleased to pardon him, as he also begged me
again, confessing that he had greatly offended, and
if I would leave him in the country he would by his
efforts repair the offence and see this sea, and bring
back trustworthy intelligence concerning it the
following year; and in view of certain considerations
I pardoned him on this condition.

Vignau's public confession was followed by the annual
barter with the Indians, after which Champlain returned
to France.

We come now to the Voyage of 1615, which describes
Champlain's longest and most daring journey through the
forest--an expedition that occupied the whole period from
July 9, 1615, to the last days of June 1616. Thus for
the first time he passed a winter with the Indians,
enlarging greatly thereby his knowledge of their customs
and character. The central incident of the expedition
was an attack made by the Hurons and their allies upon
the stronghold of the Onondagas in the heart of the
Iroquois country. But while this war-party furnishes the
chief adventure, there is no page of Champlain's narrative
which lacks its tale of the marvellous. As a story of
life in the woods, the Voyage of 1615 stands first among
all Champlain's writings.