She was a Huguenot, though subsequently
converted by her husband. She visited Canada in 1620, and remained
about four years.
Champlain went to France before winter, and was there detained nearly two
years by the affairs of the company. Although his zeal and his hopes of
founding a colony never flagged, even De Monts retired from participation
in further undertakings, owing to the uncertainties attendant upon the
peltry traffic, and the losses incurred. It appears that Champlain deemed
it indispensably necessary for the colony, and for the trading company
with which it might be connected, to possess, as chief, some personage in
France who had influence and rank at court; therefore, on the retirement
of De Monts, the Count de Soissons was applied to, and afterward the
Prince Henri de Conde. Conde being created viceroy of New France,
Champlain was appointed his lieutenant.[2] Much time was then occupied in
negotiations, with the object of effecting a compromise with the
merchants and traders of Dieppe, St. Malo, Rochelle, and Rouen. In the
end some kind of arrangement was made, securing for the wants of the
colony at Quebec a certain portion of the results of the fur traffic to
be paid by traders; but it seems that no perfectly satisfactory
arrangement was practicable at that time, owing to the state of affairs
at the court of France, which would not renew the former exclusive
privileges.
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