ispatched from France to Canada
to bring him back. Certain it is that in April 1544 orders were issued
for the summons of both Cartier and Roberval to appear before a
commission for the settling of their accounts. The report of the royal
auditors credits Cartier apparently with a service of eight months
spent in returning to Canada to bring Roberval home. On the strength of
this, it is thought likely that Cartier, returning safely to France in
the summer of 1542, was sent back again at the king's command to aid in
the return of the colonists, whose enterprise was recognized as a
failure. After this, Roberval is lost to sight in the history of
France. Certain chroniclers have said that he made another voyage to
the New World and perished at sea. Others have it that he was
assassinated in Paris near the church of the Holy Innocents. But
nothing is known.

Cartier also is practically lost from sight during the last fifteen
years of his life. His name appears at intervals in the local records,
notably on the register of baptisms as a godfather. As far as can be
judged, he spent the remainder of his days in comfortable retirement in
his native town of St Malo. Besides his house in the seaport he had a
country residence some miles distant at Limoilou. This old house of
solid and substantial stone, with a courtyard and stone walls
surrounding it, is still standing. There can be no doubt that the
famous pilot enjoyed during his closing years a universal esteem. It is
just possible that in recognition of his services he was elevated in
rank by the king of France, for in certain records of St Malo in 1549,
he is spoken of as the Sieur de Limoilou. But this may have been merely
the sort of courtesy title often given in those days to the proprietors
of small landed estates.

It was sometimes the custom of the officials of the port of St Malo to
mark down in the records of the day the death of any townsman of
especial note. Such an entry as this is the last record of the great
pilot. In the margins of certain documents of September 1, 1557, there
is written in the quaint, almost unreadable penmanship of the time:
'This said Wednesday about five in the morning died Jacques Cartier.'

There is no need to enlarge upon the greatness of Cartier's
achievements. It was only the beginning of a far-reaching work, the
completion of which fell to other hands. But it is Cartier's proud
place in history to bear the title of discoverer of a co