In 1535, Jacques Cartier visited the village of Hochelaga, and stated it was a village protected by a wooden palisade. The village was described by Cartier as being quite large, with 50 longhouse constructed and an estimated population of 3,000.
When he returned to the village in 1541, it was gone. He made no mention of it in the journals of his 1541 voyage.
I know there are a number of theories as to the disappearance of the village, but it strikes me as extremely odd it was completely gone, longhouses and Palisades included, after just six year. Is there a theory that carries more weight than others, or is the truth lost to the sands of time?
I would love to know the truth about this as well. Cartier and his men brought disease, so there is a good chance it killed majority of the tribe.
Cartier also kidnapped their leader and members, on two occasions, on his first voyage and second, bringing them back to Europe with false promises of their return.
It would make sense that the few that survived moved else where to get away from both the disease(s) and from having to be visited by Cartier and endure future kidnappings.
Why there were no remnants or mention of the disappeared village is beyond me.