Page "Jacques Cartier" Paragraph 20

Returning to Charlesbourg-Royal, Cartier found the situation ominous.

The Iroquoians no longer made friendly visits or peddled fish and game, but prowled about in a sinister manner.

No records exist about the winter of 1541 – 1542 and the information must be gleaned from the few details provided by returning sailors.

It seems the natives attacked and killed about 35 settlers before the Frenchmen could retreat behind their fortifications.

Even though scurvy was cured through the native remedy ( Thuja occidentalis infusion ), the impression left is of a general misery, and of Cartier's growing conviction that he had insufficient manpower either to protect his base or to go in search of the Saguenay Kingdom.