ETIENNE BRULE

Born in 1592, Etienne Brule was a French explorer.  Everyone that met Brule liked him and at age 13, he had a huge interest in exploration.  Just three years younger than Nicolas Marsolet, one of his closest European friends, Samuel Champlain sent Brule into the deep wilderness so he could learn more about the Native American civilizations of the Huron, as well as the land on which they lived.  At this time, Brule ended up on the same vessel as Marsolet.

Upon arrival to the New World, Brule fell in love with the people and the culture, blending in exceptionally well.  Once there, he lived with the Huron just like a brother, even accompanying a group of them in 1612 to Georgia Bay of Lake Huron.  That same year, Brule guided Champlain to the lake so he could see its beauty.  On the way back, historians tell us that the two of them were the first Europeans to ever, lay eyes on Lake Ontario.

From there, Brule was sent to the Susquehanna River and then on to Chesapeake Bay.  While traveling back from this expedition, the Iroquois captured Brule and tortured him.  Even so, he remained strong, escaping in 1618.  Going forward, he once again lived with the Huron people, taking a number of explorations although no specific records have been found to prove his routes.  However, historians believe he probably visited Lake Superior and then saw all of the Great Lakes with the exception of Lake Michigan.

Champlain became the Governor of New France but from what is understood, it would have been impossible for him to be in Quebec too often since records show he took 30 voyages back and forth from France to La Nouvelle from 1603 until his death in 1635.  For the years of 1629 to 1632, Champlain chose to remain in France and use the services of a professional writer to capture his travels in the form of memoirs.

The interesting thing was that Brule piloted the English vessels known for capturing Quebec.  With this, his old commander, Champlain, was so angry that he held a major grudge against Brule.  However, in all, Brule’s time roaming the land lasted from 1608 to 1632, a time of him taking full advantage of an exceptional opportunity, especially for such a young man.

As Brule aged, he lived hard, drinking, loving women, hunting, and unfortunately, not being responsible for much.  After his last voyage, Brule decided to retire, living the remainder of his life with the Huron but unfortunately, during a specific quarrel, he was killed in 1632 by the very people he loved.  This sad news reached Champlain, whereby he returned to Quebec in 1633.