In 1688 the island was acquired by Charles Le Moyne, Sieur de Longueuil, who gave the name of Ste. Hélène to one of his most distinguished sons. During the eighteenth century (from before 1723), his descendants, the Barons of Longueuil, whose territory lay just opposite, had a residence here, the ruins of which, once surrounded with gardens, are to be seen upon it on the east side. The Government acquired it from them by arrangement during the War of 1812, and later by purchase in 1818, for military purposes. It ceded the park portion to the city in 1874.
Almost adjoining it, at the lower extremity, is Ile Ronde, a small low island.
Both islands are interesting geologically from the occurrence there of a remarkable breccia containing inclusions of Devonian Limestone, and also from the existence of some rare types of dyke rock.
[31] Sault St. Louis Rapids, now known as the Lachine Rapids.
[33] Who is this Maisonneuve appearing as a privileged trader with the passport of the prince, doubtless the Prince de Condé, Henri de Bourbon, viceroy of Canada and head of Champlain's company? Evidently he was a person of some consequence from the ease with which Champlain granted him permission to trade at his settlement. Can it be, as Kingsford and others ingeniously try to prove, Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, who was later to found Montreal as a settlement in 1642, acting for "La Compagnie de Montreal?" (1) No. Chomedey was from Paris; the de Maisonneuve mentioned above is from St. Malo. (2) de Maisonneuve was a common enough name. There were even several of that name in Montreal in 1667.
[34] Mass was only said at Quebec for the first time on June 25, 1615, by which time they had built their chapel. The priority of the Island of Montreal in its claim to the first mass is substantiated by the "_Mémoires des Recollects_" of 1637 which distinctly say that "the first mass was celebrated at Rivière des Prairies and the second at Quebec."
UNDER THE COMPANY OF ONE HUNDRED ASSOCIATES
THE CHARTER OF THE HUNDRED ASSOCIATES THE BASIS OF THE SEIGNEURIAL SYSTEM TO BE AFTERWARDS ESTABLISHED AT MONTREAL--THE ENGLISH IN 1629 CAPTURE QUEBEC--1632, CANADA AGAIN CEDED TO THE FRENCH--1633, THE COMING OF THE JESUITS--THE RECOLLECTS DO NOT RETURN--THREE RIVERS IS ESTABLISHED--DESCRIPTION OF COLONIAL LIFE AT QUEBEC--DEATH OF CHAMPLAIN IN 1635--THE RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS TO BE IMITATED AFTERWARDS AT MONTREAL--THE "RELATIONS DES JESUITES"--THE IROQUOIS BEGIN THEIR ATTACKS--THE NEWS OF A REINFORCEMENT AND DISAPPOINTMENT THAT MONTREAL HAS BEEN CHOSEN AS ITS HEADQUARTERS.