Summary
Admiral Villegagnon, a hero of the Italian wars, is recruiting people from every trade to found a French village in Brazil. Two children are taken aboard to serve as interpreters among the Indians, because of the facility children have for learning languages. The “orphans” are: Just and Colombe Clamorgan, embarked by a cousin who had been in charge of their education since their father (a condottiere in Italy) had left a long time ago.
Eager to get rid of the children and deprive them of their heritage, she lies to them (promising they are going to join their father) and to the ship-owners (saying they are brothers and two years younger than their real age). Colombe must cut her hair and pass as “Colin”. The trip takes a few months, and the children become cabin boys. But Just is put in chains for fighting another cabin boy, Martin, who was jealous of his natural authority and pushed him from the top of the mast. Colombe/Colin then decides to confide in Villegagnon and reveal their true identity, so that his brother would be spared unavoidable death. Surprised, Villegagnon – who had met their father in Italy – releases Just (who demands that Martin be liberated too), and takes both children to his cabin as pages. If Colin failed to say she was in fact Colombe, Villegagnon does not reveal that he knows their father has died a long time ago.
The expedition finally grounds in Rio de Janeiro Bay, where Villegagnon decides to first build a fort on a small island. They must trade with the Indians through a French trafficker, Le Freux – who avails himself of his knowledge of the country to swindle the crew and to trade in liquor and women.
The settlers are frustrated and desertions follow, and Villegagnon must enforce military discipline. Villegagnon understands that before trying to convert the Indians he should keep settlers’ faith against the temptations of the uncivilized world. Just becomes Villegagnon page and has full access to his library. He reads all the humanist authors, and every morning Villegagnon gives him fencing lessons on the beach.
Colombe/Colin is sent to the Indians to learn the language. She is received with joy and kindness by all women and children of the tribe, who immediately know she is a woman despite her clothing. She is left alone in the tribe, and quickly learns not only the language but also the habits, beginning with cleanliness and nudity. She is reborn to a new culture, in harmony with nature. When she returns to the island, she is greeted as miraculously saved: all the crew had been murdered after they left her with the Indians, so she was also thought to be dead. While only Villegagnon still makes believe her true name is Colin, she becomes the interpreter who allows them to dispense with the services of the traffickers. Le Freux then decides to murder the Admiral and sends Martin (the renegade cabin boy) to do the deed. But Just frustrates the plot. Martin runs away, Le Freux and his accomplices are hanged.
Just has now grown into a man and is in charge of building the fort. His reunion with Colombe is at the same time tender and embarassing. Their fraternal love is fighting to give way to more adult feelings they cannot express. They become somewhat estranged, as if Just was on the side of Villegagnon’s colonial ideal that allows no place for his sister’s enchantment with the Indian way of life. Villegagnon is sending a caravel back to France and offers the “children” a ride back home, but after learning their father had been murdered by the King’s spies, Just and Colombe discover they have only one wish: to stay.
Villegagnon had sent many letters to France, asking the King (from whom he knew he had little to expect) and Calvin to help him with his mission and to send priests and women! Months go by and Colombe goes back to the forest and meets Pay-Lo. Tattoed all over like an Indian, and living among them, this old Frenchman had come to the Bay long before the Portuguese, 50 years ago and became the wise man of the forest. He lives with a large heterogeneous family, made of banned Indians, concubines, children and some Europeans converted to the natural way of life. Colombe strikes up an immediate friendship with Pay-Lo.
When she returns to the island, she discovers an incredible event: dozens of colonists who have been sent by Calvin. They are led by priests, and include ten women to be married. Villegagnon immediately collides with Du Pont, the pastor- commander of this protestant expedition, who does not want to be under the authority of a Catholic. At once, conflicts between the first settlers, tired and wasted after a year of forced labor, and the know-it-all newcomer Calvinists, explode.
Very soon both communities are in opposition and guns are made ready. Just cannot follow Villegagnon’s religious stance while at the same he is troubled by the beauty of Du Pont’s niece, Aude. The young woman tries to seduce the inexperienced Just, who falls into her trap. He is in now love but torn between the two opposing sides. Colombe is so distressed and disappointed in Just that she decides to leave the island for good – after ridiculing Aude by feigning a cannibal attack against the precious little lady, with the help of some Indian slaves, who afterwards run away with her.
Aude calls Just and proposes to marry him, as a last resort to reconcile both communities. They kiss passionately and decide to announce their marriage during Mass the following morning. But the office turns into chaotic battle. Villegagnon presents the Calvinists with an ultimatum: in three days they must leave the island. Aude and her uncle are the last to leave. She sends for Just to convince him to come with her. He refuses and she stabs him.
As the Calvinists return to France, Villegagnon decides to go back too, to prevent Aude and her uncle from slandering him behind his back, and leaves the wounded Just in charge of the colony. Discouraged, his only responsibility is now to finish the fort, which lows him to maintain his role as headman. However, the island is ravaged by an epidemic. Very little is left of the Nouvelle France dream, when looming in the horizon two masts are seen: a Portuguese armada!
Just has to go ashore to ask for help: he must find Colombe, who went back to her natural life at Pay-Lo’s village. From the Admiral’s second, who deserted, she learns her true story: during the Italian wars, Clamorgan had rescued a small girl from a pillaged town and brought her up with his son Just. They are not brother and sister! Colombe is now Pay-Lo’s spiritual daughter and the Indians see her as the reincarnation of the late old wise man.
When Just arrives, Colombe, the reigning mistress of the place, shies away and downs some European clothes taken from Pay-Lo’s old trunk. Just confesses he knew they had never been kin and begs her pardon for not having told her so. What was there to say? When he takes off her clothes, he is first surprised and then somewhat disgusted by her tattoos, then starts worshipping her body, in a brutal contrast with his previous reality.
The Portuguese armada anchors at the Bay. Their man ashore is Martin, the renegade cabin boy, who succeeded Le Freux and hopes to become Duke of Rio by serving the Portuguese. The following morning, the Portuguese bomb the Fort. There is no response. As they come ashore, they only find the dying victims of the epidemic. The canons of the Fort, that had been taken away during the night and set on the banks start bombarding the Portuguese, who flee Rio. They were beaten by Just, a strategist who struck alliance with the Indians and decided to forestall any European ship to lay up in the Bay.
For the next 50 years, the French, together with the Indian population whose customs they have learned, sustained a winning fight against every settler or trafficker who threatened the wild life of the bay....
