Inscription
"During the winter a certain malady attacked many of our people...
We could find no remedy..."
Samuel Champlain Journal, 1604 (translation)
When winter came, treacherous ice made crossing to the mainland impossible. The French were trapped on the island without fresh water or game. They survived on preserved food, wine, and melted snow. But then sickness struck. by spring, thirty-five men—nearly half their number—were dead.
The French were not only unprepared for the North American climate, but they were also unlucky. In 1604-05, winter temperatures were colder than they usually are today.
In his journals, Champlain suggests that the settlers were killed by scurvy. Unfortunately, it would be another 150 years before Europeans learned that fresh fruit prevents scurvy.
«Durane l'yuer il se mit une certaine maladie entre plusieurs de nos gens...
Nous ne pusmes trouuer aucun remede...»
Samuel Champlain,
Journal, 1604
L'hiver venu, l'état incertain des glaces empêche les gens de se rendre sur le continent. Les Français sont prisonniers de l'île, sans eau potable ou gibier sauvage. Ils parviennent à survivre en se nourrissant de conserves, de vin et de neige fondue, mais la maladie frappe. Au printemps, 35 hommes — soit près de la moitrié d'entre eux — sont morts.
Le Français étaient non seulement mal préparés pour affronter le climat nord-américain, mais également malchanceux. En 1604-1605, l'hiver était beaucoup plus rigoureux qu'il ne l'est habituellement aujourd'hui.
Selon les journeaux de Champlain, les pionniers auraient été victimes du scorbut. Malbeureusement, il faudra attendre encore 150 ans avant que les Européens apprennent que manger des fruits frais prévient cette maladie.
Details
| HM Number | HM2CJ9 |
|---|---|
| Tags | |
| Placed By | National Park Service |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Sunday, October 21st, 2018 at 2:03pm PDT -07:00 |
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Locationbig map
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 19T E 645806 N 4998395 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 45.12398333, -67.14601667 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 45° 7.439', W 67° 8.761' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 45° 7' 26.34" N, 67° 8' 45.66" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 207 |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 84 St Croix Dr, Calais ME 04619, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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Nearby Markersshow on map
Exploring the Coast / Exploration de la côte
Lessons Learned / Leçons durement apprises
Imagining the Settlement / La colonie telle qu'on l'imagine
Building A Community / Tout à bâtir
Settling on Saint Croix Island / Colonisation de l'île Sainte-Croix
Strangers Offshore / Étrangers du grand large
Welcome to Saint Croix Island International Historic Site / An Enduring Legacy
Saint Croix Island
St. Andrews Blockhouse
Wartime legacies
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