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At mouth of Saguenay river. The oldest fur-trading post in Canada and one of the oldest settlements in North America. It was first visited by Jacques Cartier in 1535 and from that date the port of St. Malo kept up a constant trade with Tadoussac, several of Cartier's relatives being among the chief traders. At first the fisheries were the chief product, but the fur trade soon developed and Tadoussac became the chief mart for furs from northern and western regions. Basque, Norman, and Breton mariners frequented the harbour in their whaling voyages. The first trading post was established in 1599 by Pontgravé and Chauvin. Champlain visited the post in 1602. The first mission of the Récollet Father Dolbeau was established in 1615. The post was seized by Sir David Kirke in 1628. In 1661 the garrison was massacred by Indians. The Jesuits had charge of the mission from 1641 to 1782 when they were suppressed. Charlevoix relates that in 1670 there were rarely less than 1200 Indians to be seen encamped at Tadoussac, the entrepôt of the fur trade at that period, but in that year the small-pox scourge put an end to the trade by almost annihilating the Indians. Tadoussac was one of the first posts known as King's Posts in the King's Domain. After the cession of Canada, Dunn, Gray & Murray obtained the lease in 1764 and the North West Co. in 1788, the Hudson's Bay Co. in 1821, who did not operate the post after 1859. Mckenzie, who visited the post in 1808 for the North West Co. stated that "it was headquarters of the King's posts. The chapel in 1808 had stood for 110 years (1698-1808). In 1775 the field pieces at the post saved it from American privateers". The present chapel was built in 1747 upon the remains of the first chapel.