Skip to main content

Primary sourceDocument1607

Descripsion des costs, pts., rades, Illes de la Nouuele France

Samuel de Champlain · 1607

A hand-drawn manuscript map by Champlain of the North American coast from Cape Sable to Cape Cod, made during his 1604–1607 surveys.

A surviving hand-drawn map made by Champlain himself during his coastal surveys of 1604–1607.

Ask Samuel de Champlain about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Hand-drawn manuscript map on vellum showing a coastline with green-washed shorelines, pictorial hill relief, place names in handwriting, a compass rose, a decorative cartouche and a scale bar. Ink lines and wash on aged parchment.
Samuel de Champlain, Descripsion des costs, pts., rades, Illes de la Nouuele France, 1607. Library of Congress.

About this source

What it is

This hand-drawn map on vellum was made by Samuel de Champlain in 1607. It shows the coastline from Cape Sable to Cape Cod, drawn with ink and green wash, including place names, a compass rose, and a decorative cartouche. It is held today by the Library of Congress.

Why it matters

As a surviving original manuscript map, this is direct physical evidence of Champlain's surveying work along the North American coast between 1604 and 1607. It shows the careful, firsthand observation behind the printed maps that later shaped European knowledge of the region.

Look closer

  • What details suggest this map was drawn directly from observation rather than copied from another source?
  • Why might a hand-drawn working map differ from a later printed, decorated map?
  • What might be missing from a map made by an explorer surveying unfamiliar coastlines?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Samuel de Champlain on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Samuel de Champlain sources

Meet the AI Samuel de Champlain →
Front cover of a dark red leather-bound book with a small gold-tooled emblem of a lion or griffin-like creature above the initials 'E' and 'T' in gold lettering, centered on the cover.Book

Primary source

Les Voyages du sieur de Champlain

Samuel de Champlain · 1613

Sepia-toned engraved map titled 'Carte geographique de la Nouvelle Franse' showing the Atlantic coast, rivers, lakes, and decorative borders with compass roses, sailing ships, sea creatures, Native American figures, and a coat of arms.Document

Primary source

Carte geographique de la Nouvelle Franse

Samuel de Champlain · 1612

Front cover of a dark brown leather-bound book with gold-tooled decorative corner ornaments and a thin gold border frame on each panel, with a patterned gold-tooled spine band across the middle. The cover is closed and shows no visible title.Book

Primary source

Des Sauvages, ou voyage de Samuel Champlain

Samuel de Champlain · 1603

First page of a handwritten French manuscript, Samuel de Champlain's testament, dated 1635. Cursive brown ink on aged yellowed paper with water stains, a stamp reading Archives Nationales, and a handwritten signature at the left margin. The text begins 'Au nom du Pere et du fils et du Saint Esprit'.Document

Primary source

Testament de Samuel Champlain

Samuel de Champlain · 17 November 1635

A bronze mariner's astrolabe in a glass display case. It has a ring at the top for hanging, a circular plate with engraved scale markings around the edge, four open spokes, and a central pivot with two alidade arms. A blurred old map is behind it.Artifact

Primary source

Mariner's Astrolabe

1603

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Samuel de Champlain now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions