Skip to main content

Primary sourceArtifact1603

Mariner's Astrolabe

1603

A bronze navigational instrument made in France in 1603, traditionally said to have been lost by Champlain during a 1613 expedition and found centuries later.

Traditionally identified as the astrolabe Champlain lost during his 1613 expedition, making it a rare physical object linked to his navigation.

Ask Samuel de Champlain about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
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.
Mariner's astrolabe, France, 1603. Canadian Museum of History, CMC 989.56.1.

About this source

What it is

This bronze mariner's astrolabe was made in France in 1603. It is traditionally linked to Samuel de Champlain, said to have been lost during his 1613 journey into the Outaouais region. A teenager discovered it buried in the ground near a lake in Ontario in 1867.

Why it matters

Mariner's astrolabes were used to measure the altitude of the sun or stars to find latitude, an essential tool for explorers navigating unfamiliar waters. If this object truly belonged to Champlain, it is a rare physical trace of the instruments he carried on his expeditions into the interior of North America.

Look closer

  • What parts of the astrolabe would have been used for measuring the sky?
  • Why might an explorer lose such a valuable tool in the wilderness?
  • What makes an object's link to a historical figure 'traditional' rather than certain?

This artifact 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

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.Document

Primary source

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

Samuel de Champlain · 1607

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

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