eturned to France.

We come now to the _Voyage_ of 1615, which describes Champlain's
longest and most daring journey through the forest--an expedition that
occupied the whole period from July 9, 1615, to the last days of June
1616. Thus for the first time he passed a winter with the Indians,
enlarging greatly thereby his knowledge of their customs and character.
The central incident of the expedition was an attack made by the Hurons
and their allies upon the stronghold of the Onondagas in the heart of
the Iroquois country. But while this war-party furnishes the chief
adventure, there is no page of Champlain's narrative which lacks its
tale of the marvellous. As a story of life in the woods, the _Voyage_
of 1615 stands first among all Champlain's writings.

As in 1609, there was a mutuality of interest between Champlain and the
Indians who {105} traded at the Sault. His desire was to explore and
theirs was to fight. By compromise they disclosed to him the recesses
of their country and he aided them against the Iroquois. In 1615 the
Hurons not only reminded him of his repeated promises to aid them, but
stated flatly that without such aid they could no longer attend the
annual market, as their enemies were making the route too unsafe. On
their side they promised a war-party of more than two thousand men. A
further proof of friendship was afforded by their willingness to
receive a missionary in their midst--the Recollet, Father Joseph Le
Caron.

Champlain's line of exploration in 1615-16 took the following course.
He first ascended the Ottawa to the mouth of the Mattawa. Thence
journeying overland by ponds and portages he entered Lake Nipissing,
which he skirted to the outlet. French River next took him to Georgian
Bay, or, as he calls it for geographical definition, the Lake of the
Attigouautan [Hurons]. His own name for this vast inland sea is the
_Mer Douce_. That he did not explore it with any degree of
thoroughness is evident from the terms of his narrative as well as from
his statement that its length, east and {106} west, is four hundred
leagues. What he saw of Lake Huron was really the east shore of
Georgian Bay, from the mouth of French River to the bottom of
Matchedash Bay. Here he entered the country of the Hurons, which
pleased him greatly in comparison with the tract before traversed. 'It
was very fine, the largest part being cleared, and many hills and
several rivers rendering the region agre