pilots, merchants and others, who had for a long time frequented the
country and 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.