the conquest of new france-第16章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



founded　the　mission　of　Sainte　Marie　du　Saut。　Farther　to　the

south；　on　the　narrow　opening　connecting　Lake　Huron　and　Lake

Michigan；　grew　up　the　post　known　as　Michilimackinac。　It　was　then

inevitable　that　explorers　and　missionaries　should　press　on　into

both　Lake　Superior　and　Lake　Michigan。　By　the　time　that　Frontenac

came　first　to　Canada　in　1672　the　French　had　a　post　called　St。

Esprit　on　the　south　shore　of　Lake　Superior　near　its　western　end

and　they　had　also　passed　westward　from　Lake　Michigan　and　founded

posts　on　both　the　Illinois　and　the　Wisconsin　Rivers　which　flow

into　the　Mississippi。



France　had　placed　on　record　her　claim　to　the　whole　of　the　Great

West。　On　a　June　morning　in　1671　there　had　been　a　striking　scene

at　Sainte　Marie　du　Saut。　The　French　had　summoned　a　great　throng

of　Indians　to　the　spot。　There；　with　impressive　ceremony；

Saint…Lusson；　an　officer　from　Canada；　had　set　up　a　cedar　post　on

which　was　a　plate　engraved　with　the　royal　arms；　and　proclaimed

Louis　XIV　lord　of　all　the　Indian　tribes　and　of　all　the　lands；

rivers；　and　lakes；　discovered　and　to　be　discovered　in　the　region

stretching　from　the　Atlantic　to　that　other　mysterious　sea　beyond

the　spreading　lands　of　the　West。　Henceforth　at　their　peril　would

the　natives　disobey　the　French　King；　or　other　states　encroach

upon　these　his　lands。　A　Jesuit　priest　followed　Saint…Lusson　with

a　description　to　the　savages　of　their　new　lord；　the　King　of

France。　He　was　master　of　all　the　other　rulers　of　the　world。　At

his　word　the　earth　trembled。　He　could　set　earth　and　sea　on　fire

by　the　blaze　of　his　cannon。　The　priest　knew　the　temper　of　his


savage　audience　and　told　of　the　King's　warriors　covered　with　the

blood　of　his　enemies；　of　the　rivers　of　blood　which　flowed　from

their　wounds；　of　the　King's　countless　prisoners；　of　his　riches

and　his　power；　so　great　that　all　the　world　obeyed　him。　The

savages

gave　delighted　shouts　at　the　strange　ceremony；　but　of　its　real

meaning　they　knew　nothing。　What　they　understood　was　that　the

French　seemed　to　be　good　friends　who　brought　them　muskets；

hatchets；　cloth；　and　especially　the　loved　but　destructive

firewater　which　the　savage　palate　ever　craved。



The　mystery　of　the　Great　Lakes　once　solved；　there　still　remained

that　of　the　Western　Sea。　The　St。　Lawrence　flowed　eastward。

Another　river　must　therefore　be　found　flowing　westward。　The

French　were　eager　listeners　when　the　savages　talked　of　a　mighty

river　in　the　west　flowing　to　the　sea。　They　meant；　as　we　now

suppose；　the　Mississippi。　There　are　vague　stories　of　Frenchmen　on

the　Mississippi　at　an　earlier　date；　but；　however　this　may　be；　it

is　certain　that　in　the　summer　of　1673　Louis　Joliet；　the　son　of　a

wagon…maker　of　Quebec；　and　Jacques　Marquette；　a　Jesuit　priest；

reached　and　descended　the　great　river　from　the　mouth　of　the

Wisconsin　to　a　point　far　past　the　mouth　of　the　Ohio。



France　thus　planted　herself　on　the　Mississippi；　though　there　her

occupation　was　less　complete　and　thorough　than　it　was　on　the　St。

Lawrence。　Distance　was　an　obstacle；　it　was　a　far　cry　from　Quebec

by　land；　and　from　France　the　voyage　by　sea　through　the　Gulf　of

Mexico　was　hardly　less　difficult。　The　explorer　La　Salle　tried

both　routes。　In　1681…1682　he　set　out　from　Montreal；　reached　the

Mississippi　overland；　and　descended　to　its　mouth。　Two　years　later

he　sailed　from　France　with　four　ships　bound　for　the　mouth　of　the

river；　there　to　establish　a　colony；　but　before　achieving　his　aim

he　was　murdered　in　a　treacherous　attack　led　by　his　own

countrymen。



It　was　Pierre　Le　Moyne；　Sieur　d'Iberville；　who　first　made　good

France's　claim　to　the　Mississippi。　He　reached　the　river　by　sea　in

1699　and　ascended　to　a　point　some　eighty　miles　beyond　the　present

city　of　New　Orleans。　Farther　east；　on　Biloxi　Bay；　he　built　Fort

Maurepas　and　planted　his　first　colony。　Spain　disliked　this

intrusion；　but　Spain　soon　to　be　herself　ruled；　as　France　then

was；　by　a　Bourbon　kingdid　not　prove　irreconcilable　and　slowly

France　built　up　a　colony　in　the　south。　It　was　in　1718　that

Iberville's　brother；　Jean　Baptiste　Le　Moyne；　Sieur　de　Bienville；

founded　New　Orleans；　destined　to　become　in　time　one　of　the　great

cities　of　North　America。　Its　beginnings　were　not　propitious。　The

historian　Charlevoix　describes　it　as　being　in　1721　a　low…lying；

malarious　place；　infested　by　snakes　and　alligators；　and

consisting　of　a　hundred　wretched　hovels。



In　spite　of　this　dreary　outlook；　it　was　still　true　that　France；

planted　at　the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi；　controlled　the　greatest

waterway　in　the　world。　Soon　she　had　scattered　settlements

stretching　northward　to　the　Ohio　and　the　Missouri；　the　one　river

reaching　eastward　almost　to　the　waters　of　the　St。　Lawrence

system；　the　other　flowing　out　of　the　western　plains　from　its

source　in　the　Rocky　Mountains。　The　old　mystery；　however；

remained；　for　the　Mississippi　flowed　into　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；

into　Atlantic　waters　already　well　known。　The　route　to　the　Western

Sea　was　still　to　be　found。



It　was　easy　enough　for　France　to　record　a　sweeping　claim　to　the

West；　but　to　make　good　this　claim　she　needed　a　chain　of　posts；

which　should　also　be　forts；　linking　the　Mississippi　with　the　St。

Lawrence　and　strong　enough　to　impress　the　Indians　whose　country

she　had　invaded。　At　first　she　had　reached　the　interior　by　way　of

the　Ottawa　River　and　Lake　Huron；　and　in　that　northern　country　her

position　was　secure　enough　through　her　posts　on　the　upper　lakes。

The　route　farther　south　by　Lake　Ontario　and　Lake　Erie　was　more

difficult。　The　Iroquois　menaced　Niagara　and　long　refused　to　let

France　have　a　footing　there　to　protect　her　pathway　to　Lake　Erie

and　the　Ohio　Valley。　It　was　not　until　1720；　a　period

comparatively　late；　that　the　French　managed　to　have　a　fort　at　the

mouth　of　the　Niagara。　On　the　Detroit　River；　the　next　strategic

point　on　the　way　westward；　they　were　established　earlier。　Just

after　Frontenac　died　in　1698；　La　Mothe　Cadillac　urged　that　there

should　be　built　on　this　river　a　fort　and　town　which　might　be　made

the　center　of　all　the　trading　interests　west　of　Lake　Erie。　End

the　folly；　he　urged；　of　going　still　farther　afield　among　the

Indians　and　teaching　them　the　French　language　and　French　modes　of

thought。　Leave　the　Indians　to　live　their　own　type　of　life；　to

hunt　and　to　fish。　They　need　European　trade　and　they　have　valuable

furs　to　exchange。　Encourage　them　to　come　to　the　French　at　Detroit

and　see　that　they　go　nowhere　else　by　not　allowing　any　other　posts

in　the　western　country。　Cadillac　was　himself　a　keen　if　secret

participant　in　the　profits　of　the　fur　trade　and　hoped　to　be

placed　in　command　at　Detroit　and　there　to　become　independent　of

control　from　Quebec。　Detroit　was　founded　in　1701；　and　though　for

a　long　time　it　did　not　thrive；　the　fact　that　on　the　site　has

grown　up　one　of　the　great　industrial　cities　of　modern　times　shows

that　Cadillac　had　read　aright　the　meaning　of　the　geography　of

North　America。



When　France　was　secure　at　Niagara　and　at　Detroit；　two　problems

still　remained　unsolved。　One　was　that　of　occupying　the　valley　of

the　Ohio；　the　waters　of　which　flow　westward　almost　from　the　south

shore　of　Lake　Erie　until　they　empty　into　the　vaster　flood　of　the

Mississippi。　Here　there　was　a　lion　in　the　path；　for　the　English

claimed　this　region　as　naturally　the　hinterland　of　the　colonies

of　Virginia　and　Pennsylvania。　What　happened　on　the　Ohio　we　shall

see　in　a　later　chapter。　The　other　great　problem；　to　be　followed

here；　was　to　explore　the　regions　which　lay　beyond　the

Mississippi。　These　spread　into　a　remote　unknown；　unexplored　by

the　white　man；　and　might　ultimately　lead　to　the　Western　Sea。　We

might　have　supposed　that　France's　farther　adventure　into　the　West

would　have　been　from　the　Mississippi　up　its　great　tributary　the

Missouri；　which　flows　eastward　from　the　eternal　snows　of　the

Rocky　Mountains。　Always；　however；　the　uncertain　temper　of　the

many　Indian　tribes　in　this　region　made　the　advance　difficult。　The

tribes　inhabiting　t