Kingdom of Saguenay

The Kingdom of Saguenay (French: Royaume du Saguenay) was a mythical kingdom that French-Breton maritime explorer Jacques Cartier tried to reach in 1535, supposedly located inland of present-day Quebec, Canada.

The treasures were shipped back to France, but turned out to be quartz crystals and iron pyrites.

After all, England had profited from the discoveries of John Cabot while Spain acquired wealth from mines in Mexico and Peru.

[4] In 1997 the Canadian historian Daniel Francis reached the conclusion that Cartier "believed in the fanciful kingdom of Saguenay, rich in gold and diamonds, some of whose inhabitants knew how to fly."

Other explorers held similar beliefs about the North of present-day Canada, including Martin Frobisher and Samuel Hearne.

The Dauphin Map of Canada, circa 1543, showing the discoveries of Jacques Cartier.