Jacques Cartier (1491 - 1557)

Jacques Cartier Hand-coloured etching by Léopold Massard, published in M. de Clugny, Costumes français depuis Clovis jusqu'à nos jours, tome II, fig. 143, Paris, 1836 Library and Archives Canada, C-043934

Sailing from Saint-Malo in France, Jacques Cartier reached the Gaspé Peninsula in 1534 where he erected a cross, marking the territory for the King of France. On his second voyage, in 1535, he sailed up the St. Lawrence River as far as Hochelaga (present-day site of Montréal) and returned to Stadaconé (present-day Québec) to spend the winter. On his last voyage in 1541, he discovered diamonds on the cape* overlooking the river near Stadaconé. He took them back to France, but alas, they were only quartz crystals! Because of his mistake, the cliffs surrounding Québec are called Cap‑aux‑Diamants (which means Diamond Cape).

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