born 1598, Cherbourg, France
died Nov. 1, 1642, Sillery, Que., Can.
French explorer in North America.
In 1618 he traveled to New France, where he lived with Indian tribes. He learned several Indian languages and became the interpreter for the French colony at Three Rivers (1633). He journeyed into Huron territory, canoeing with several Indians through the Straits of Mackinac to became the first European to see Lake Michigan (1634). He later explored the region of present-day Wisconsin.