the conquest of new france-第17章

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

tribes　inhabiting　the　west　bank　of　the　Mississippi　were

especially　restless　and　savage。　The　Sioux；　in　particular；　made

life　perilous　for　the　French　at　their　posts　near　the　mouth　of　the

Missouri。



It　thus　happened　that　the　white　man　first　reached　the　remoter

West　by　way　of　regions　farther　north。　It　became　easy　enough　to

coast　along　the　north　and　the　south　shore　of　Lake　Superior；　easy

enough　to　find　rivers　which　fed　the　great　system　of　the　St。

Lawrence　or　of　the　Mississippi。　These；　however；　would　not　solve

the　mystery。　A　river　flowing　westward　was　still　to　be　sought。

Thus；　both　in　pursuit　of　the　fur　trade　and　in　quest　of　the

Western　Sea；　the　French　advanced　westward　from　Lake　Superior。

Where　now　stands　the　city　of　Fort　William　there　flows　into　Lake

Superior　the　little　stream　called　still　by　its　Indian　name　of

Kaministiquia。　There　the　French　had　long　maintained　a

trading…post　from　which　they　made　adventurous　journeys　northward

and　westward。



The　rugged　regions　still　farther　north　had　already　been　explored；

at　least　in　outline。　There　lay　the　great　inland　sea　known　as

Hudson　Bay。　French　and　English　had　long　disputed　for　its　mastery。

By　1670　the　English　had　found　trade　to　Hudson　Bay　so　promising

that　they　then　created　the　Hudson's　Bay　Company；　which　remains

one　of　the　great　trading　corporations　of　the　world。　With　the

English　on　Hudson　Bay；　New　France　was　between　English　on　the

north　and　English　on　the　south　and　did　not　like　it。　On　Hudson　Bay

the　English　showed　the　same　characteristics　which　they　had　shown

in　New　England。　They　were　not　stirred　by　vivid　imaginings　of　what

might　be　found　westward　beyond　the　low…lying　coast　of　the　great

inland　sea。　They　came　for　trade；　planted　themselves　at　the　mouths

of　the　chief　rivers；　unpacked　their　goods；　and　waited　for　the

natives　to　come　to　barter　with　them。　For　many　years　the　natives

came；　since　they　must　have　the　knives；　hatchets；　and　firearms　of

Europe。　To　share　this　profitable　trade　the　French；　now　going

overland　to　the　north　from　Quebec；　now　sailing　into　Hudson　Bay　by

the　Straits；　attacked　the　English；　and　on　those　dreary　waters；

long　before　the　Great　West　was　known；　there　had　been　many　a　naval

battle；　many　a　hand…to…hand　fight　for　forts　and　their　rich　prize

of　furs。



The　chief　French　hero　in　this　struggle　was　that　son　of　Charles　Le

Moyne　of　Montreal；　Pierre　Le　Moyne　d'Iberville；　who　ended　his

days　in　the　task　of　founding　the　French　colony　of　Louisiana。　He

was　perhaps　the　most　notable　of　all　the　adventurous　leaders　whom

New　France　produced。　He　was　first　on　Hudson　Bay　in　the　late

summer　of　1686；　in　a　party　of　about　a　hundred　men；　led　by　the

Chevalier　de　Troyes；　who　had　marched　overland　from　Quebec　through

the　wilderness。　The　English　on　the　Bay；　with　a　charter　from　King

Charles　II；　the　friend　of　the　French；　and　in　a　time　of　profound

peace　under　his　successor；　thought　themselves　secure。　They　now

had；　however；　a　rude　awakening。　In　the　dead　of　night　the

Frenchmen　fell　upon　Fort　Hayes；　captured　its　dazed　garrison；　and

looted　the　place。　The　same　fate　befell　all　the　other　English

posts　on　the　Bay。　Iberville　gained　a　rich　store　of　furs　as　his

share　of　the　plunder　and　returned　with　it　to　Quebec　in　1687；　just

at　the　time　when　La　Salle；　that　other　pioneer　of　France；　was

struck　down　in　the　distant　south　by　a　murderer's　hand。



Iberville　was；　above　all　else；　a　sailor。　The　easiest　route　to

Hudson　Bay　was　by　way　of　the　sea。　More　than　once　after　his　first

experience　he　led　to　the　Bay　a　naval　expedition。　His　exploits　are

still　remembered　with　pride　in　French　naval　annals。　In　1697　he

sailed　the　Pelican　through　the　ice…floes　of　Hudson　Straits。　He

was　attacked　by　three　English　merchantmen；　with　one　hundred　and

twenty　guns　against　his　forty…four。　One　of　the　English　ships

escaped；　one　Iberville　sank　with　all　on　board；　one　he　captured。

That　autumn　the　hardy　corsair　was　in　France　with　a　great　booty

from　the　furs　which　the　English　had　laboriously　gathered。



The　triumph　of　the　French　on　Hudson　Bay　was　short…lived。　Their

exploits；　though　brilliant　and　daring；　were　more　of　the　nature　of

raids　than　attempts　to　settle　and　explore。　They　did　no　more　than

the　English　to　ascend　the　Nelson　or　other　rivers　to　find　what　lay

beyond；　and　in　1718；　by　the　Treaty　of　Utrecht；　as　we　have　already

seen；　they　gave　up　all　claim　to　Hudson　Bay　and　yielded　that

region　to　the　English。



Pierre　Gaultier　de　Varennes；　Sieur　de　la　Verendrye；　was　a　member

of　the　Canadian　noblesse；　a　son　of　the　Governor　of　Three　Rivers

on　the　St。　Lawrence。　He　was　born　in　1685　and　had　taken　part　in

the　border　warfare　of　the　days　of　Queen　Anne。　He　was　a　member　of

the　raiding　party　led　against　New　England　by　Hertel　de　Rouville

in　1704　and　may　have　been　one　of　those　who　burst　in　on　the　little

town　of　Deerfield；　Massachusetts；　and　either　butchered　or　carried

off　as　prisoners　most　of　the　inhabitants。　Shortly　afterwards　we

find　him　a　participant　in　warfare　of　a　less　ignoble　type。　In　1706

he　went　to　France　and　became　an　ensign　in　a　regiment　of

grenadiers。　Those　were　the　days　when　Marlborough　was　hammering

and　destroying　the　armies　of　Louis　XIV。　La　Verendrye；　took　part

in　the　last　of　the　series　of　great　battles；　the　bloody　conflict

at　Malplaquet　in　1709。　He　received　a　bullet　wound　through　the

body；　was　left　for　dead　on　the　field；　fell　into　the　hands　of　the

enemy；　and　for　fifteen　months　was　a　captive。　On　his　release　he

was　too　poor　to　maintain　himself　as　an　officer　in　France　and　soon

returned　to　Canada；　where　he　served　as　an　officer　in　a　colonial

regiment　until　the　peace　of　1713。　Then　the　ambitious　young　man；

recently　married；　with　a　growing　family　and　slight　resources；　had

to　work　out　a　career　suited　to　his　genius。



His　genius　was　that　of　an　explorer；　his　task；　which　fully

occupied　his　alert　mind；　was　that　of　finding　the　long　dreamed　of

passage　to　the　Western　Sea。　The　venture　certainly　offered

fascinations。　Noyon；　a　fellow…townsman　of　La　Verendrye　at　Three

Rivers；　had　brought　back　from　the　distant　Lake　of　the　Woods；　in

1716；　a　glowing　account；　told　to　him　by　the　natives；　of　walled

cities；　of　ships　and　cannon；　and　of　white…bearded　men　who　lived

farther　west。　In　1720　the　Jesuit　Charlevoix；　already　familiar

with　Canada；　came　out　from　France；　went　to　the　Mississippi

country；　and　reported　that　an　attempt　to　find　the　path　to　the

Western　Sea　might　be　made　either　by　way　of　the　Missouri　or

farther　north　through　the　country　of　the　Sioux　west　of　Lake

Superior。　Both　routes　involved　going　among　warlike　native　tribes

engaged　in　incessant　and　bloody　struggles　with　each　other　and　not

unlikely　to　turn　on　the　white　intruder。　Memorial　after　memorial

to　the　French　court　for　assistance　resulted　at　last　in　serious

effort；　but　effort　handicapped　because　the　court　thought　that　a

monopoly　of　the　fur　trade　was　the　only　inducement　required　to

promote　the　work　of　discovery。



La　Verendrye　was　more　eager　to　reach　the　Western　Sea　than　he　was

to　trade。　To　outward　seeming；　however；　he　became　just　a　fur

trader　and　a　successful　one。　We　find　him；　in　1726；　at　the

trading…post　of　Nipigon；　not　far　from　the　lake　of　that　name；　near

the　north　shore　of　Lake　Superior。　From　this　point　it　was　not　very

difficult　to　reach　the　shore　of　one　great　sea；　Hudson　Bay；　but

that　was　not　the　Western　Sea　which　fired　his　imagination。

Incessantly　he　questioned　the　savages　with　whom　he　traded　about

what　lay　in　the　unknown　West。　His　zeal　was　kindled　anew　by　the

talk　of　an　Indian　named　Ochagach。　This　man　said　that　he　himself

had　been　on　a　great　lake　lying　west　of　Lake　Superior；　that　out　of

it　flowed　a　river　westward；　that　he　had　paddled　down　this　river

until　he　came　to　water　which；　as　La　Verendrye　understood；　rose

and　fell　like　the　tide。　Farther；　to　the　actual　mouth　of　the

river；　the　savage　had　not　gone；　for　fear　of　enemies；　but　he　had

been　told　that　it　emptied　into　a　great　body　o