Samuel de Champlain (1570-1635), French colonial pioneer and explorer, undertook his first voyage to Canada in 1603, probably as an observer and reporter in the service of the king. From 1604-1615 seven more journeys followed, while Champlain became the pioneer of French exploration of the interior regions of north eastern America. He oversaw the exact cartography of the territory around the St. Laurence river and reported on his impressions in detailed travelogues (e.g. 'Voyages et Decouvertures faites en la Nouvelle France, depuis l'année 1615). He focused especially on the hitherto unknown Indian tribes of the Hurons and the Iroquois, and presented a detailed description of plant and animal life, always trying to establish a connection between the natural habitat and the natives' way of life.