vigorously and without cessation; the carpenters engaged on the storehouse
and dwelling of Sieur de Monts, and the others each on his own house, as I
was on mine, which I built with the assistance of some servants belonging
to Sieur d'Orville and myself. It was forthwith completed, and Sieur de
Monts lodged in it until his own was finished. An oven was also made, and a
handmill for grinding our wheat, the working of which involved much trouble
and labor to the most of us, since it was a toilsome operation. Some
gardens were afterwards laid out, on the main land as well as on the
island. Here many kinds of seeds were planted, which flourished very well
on the main land, but not on the island, since there was only sand here,
and the whole were burned up when the sun shone, although special pains
were taken to water them.

Some days after, Sieur de Monts determined to ascertain where the mine of
pure copper was which we had searched for so much. With this object in
view, he despatched me together with a savage named Messamoueet, who
asserted that he knew the place well. I set out in a small barque of five
or six tons, with nine sailors. Some eight leagues from the island, towards
the river St. John, we found a mine of copper which was not pure, yet good
according to the report of the miner, who said that it would yield eighteen
per cent. Farther on we found others inferior to this. When we reached the
place where we supposed that was which we were hunting for, the savage
could not find it, so that it was necessary to come back, leaving the
search for another time.

Upon my return from this trip. Sieur de Monts resolved to send his vessels
back to France, and also Sieur de Poutrincourt, who had come only for his
pleasure, and to explore countries and places suitable for a colony, which
he desired to found; for which reason he asked Sieur de Monts for Port
Royal, which he gave him in accordance with the power and directions he had