Etienne Brule 1615
In the twilight after sundown on September 9th, 1615,
a 23-year-old explorer named Etienne Brule looked out
over Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Humber River, and became the first
European to see Lake Ontario. Accompanied by twelve Huron Indians, Brule
had travelled from their village on Lake Simcoe down the 45-km (28 miles)
portage route known as the Toronto Carrying-Place Trail along the Humber
River Valley to Lake Ontario.
The Toronto Carrying-Place Trail from Lake Simcoe to Lake Ontario was well-travelled by the Indians who gave the name Toronto, which meant "carrying place" or "meeting place," to the area at the mouth of the Humber River. This trail was used by explorers, missionaries and traders until Lieutenant Governor John Simcoe built Yonge Street in 1796.
The Saga of Etienne Brule
The youthful discoverer of the Humber River Valley, Etienne Brule, was born near Paris, France in 1592 and came to Quebec with Samuel de Champlain in 1608. He was exchanged for a Huron whom Champlain took back to France. After spending the winter of 1610-11 with the Indians, Brule adopted Indian ways and remained with the Hurons until 1615. He then acted as Champlain's interpreter. Champlain promised to help the Hurons attack the Iroquois if the Hurons accepted a missionary. The Hurons wanted assistance from the Andastes, on the Susquehanna River, for the battle with the Iroquois. It was on this mission that Brule and his twelve Indian companions made their historic voyage on the Humber River Valley route. But by the time the Andastes returned with Brule, the Hurons had been defeated.
Etienne Brule's accomplishments were many. He was the first European to speak the languages of the Algonquin and Huron Indians, and the first to journey from Quebec to Lake Huron by way of the Ottawa River. Brule was the first European to enter what is now the province of Ontario and the first to explore the shores of Lake Superior. He was also the first to traverse northern New York and descend the Susquehanna River through Pennsylvania and Maryland.
In spite of his many discoveries, Brule was not well regarded in his time. The Jesuit missionaries considered his living with the Hurons and adopting their ways as a disgrace to the French and to Christianity. Brule's life ended in 1633 when he was murdered and eaten by his former Huron friends. His remains are believed to be buried according to Huron custom near the site of Penetanguishene, Ontario.
Katz, Elliott, Great
Country Walks Around Toronto, Great North Books, Thornhill
Ontario, 1996.
ISBN-0-920361-00-5