the conquest of new france-第18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！



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

been　told　that　it　emptied　into　a　great　body　of　salt　water　upon

the　shores　of　which　lived　many　people。　We　may　be　sure　that　La

Verendrye　read　into　the　words　of　the　savage　the　meaning　which　he

himself　desired　and　that　in　reality　the　Indian　was　describing

only　the　waters　which　flow　into　Lake　Winnipeg。



La　Verendrye　was　all　eagerness。　Soon　we　find　him　back　at　Quebec

stirring　by　his　own　enthusiasm　the　zeal　of　the　Marquis　de

Beauharnois；　the　Governor　of　Canada；　and　begging　for　help　to　pay

and　equip　a　hundred　men　for　the　great　enterprise　in　the　West。　The

Governor　did　what　he　could　but　was　unable　to　move　the　French

court　to　give　money。　The　sole　help　offered　was　a　monopoly　of　the

fur　trade　in　the　region　to　be　explored；　a　doubtful　gift；　since　it

angered　all　the　traders　excluded　from　the　monopoly。　La　Verendrye；

however；　was　able；　by　promising　to　hand　over　most　of　the　profits；

to　persuade　merchants　in　Montreal　to　equip　him　with　the　necessary

men　and　merchandise。



There　followed　a　period　of　high　hopes　and　of　heartbreaking

failure。　In　1731　La　Verendrye　set　out　for　the　West　with　three

sons；　a　nephew；　a　Jesuit　priest；　the　Indian　Ochagach　as　guidea

party　numbering　in　all　about　fifty。　He　intended　to　build

trading…posts　as　he　went　westward　and　to　make　the　last　post

always　a　base　from　which　to　advance　still　farther。　His

difficulties　read　like　those　of　Columbus。　His　men　not　only

disliked　the　hard　work　which　was　inevitable　but　were　haunted　by

superstitious　fears　of　malignant　fiends　in　the　unknown　land　who

were　ready　to　punish　the　invaders　of　their　secrets。　The　route　lay

across　the　rough　country　beyond　Lake　Superior。　There　were　many

long　portages　over　which　his　men　must　carry　the　provisions　and

heavy　stores　for　trade。　At　length　the　party　reached　Rainy　Lake；

and　out　of　Rainy　Lake　the　waters　flow　westward。　The　country

seemed　delightful。　Fish　and　game　were　abundant；　and　it　was　not

hard　to　secure　a　rich　store　of　furs。　On　the　shore　of　the　lake；　in

a　charming　meadow　surrounded　by　oak　trees；　La　Verendrye　built　a

trading…post　on　waters　flowing　to　the　west；　naming　it　Fort　St。

Pierre。



The　voyageurs　could　now　travel　westward　with　the　current。　It　is

certain　that　other　Frenchmen　had　preceded　them　in　that　region；

but　this　is　the　first　voyage　of　discovery　of　which　we　have　any

details。　Escorted　by　an　imposing　array　of　fifty　canoes　of

Indians；　La　Verendrye　floated　down　Rainy　River　to　the　Lake　of　the

Woods；　and　here；　on　a　beautiful　peninsula　jutting　out　into　the

lake；　he　built　another　post；　Fort　St。　Charles。　It　must　have

seemed　imposing　to　the　natives。　On　walls　one　hundred　feet　square

were　four　bastions　and　a　watchtower；　evidence　of　the　perennial

need　of　alertness　and　strength　in　the　Indian　country。　There　were

a　chapel；　houses　for　the　commandant　and　the　priest；　a

powder…magazine；　a　storehouse；　and　other　buildings。　La　Verendrye

cleared　some　land　and　planted　wheat；　and　was　thus　the　pioneer　in

the　mighty　wheat　production　of　the　West。　Fish　and　game　were

abundant　and　the　outlook　was　smiling。　By　this　time　the　second

winter　of　La　Verendrye's　adventurous　journeying　was　near；　but

even　the　cold　of　that　hard　region　could　not　chill　his　eagerness。

He　himself　waited　at　Fort　St。　Charles　but　his　eldest　son；　Jean

Baptiste；　set　out　to　explore　still　farther。



We　may　follow　with　interest　the　little　group　of　Frenchmen　and

Indian　guides　as　they　file　on　snowshoes　along　the　surface　of　the

frozen　river　or　over　the　deep　snow　of　the　silent　forest　on；　ever

on；　to　the　West。　They　are　the　first　white　men　of　whom　we　have

certain　knowledge　to　press　beyond　the　Lake　of　the　Woods　into　that

great　Northwest　so　full　of　meaning　for　the　future。　The　going　was

laborious　and　the　distances　seemed　long；　for　on　their　return　they

reported　that　they　had　gone　a　hundred　and　fifty　leagues；　though

in　truth　the　distance　was　only　a　hundred　and　fifty　miles。　Then　at

last　they　stood　on　the　shores　of　a　vast　body　of　water；　ice…bound

and　forbidding　as　it　lay　in　the　grip　of　winter。　It　opened　out

illimitably　westward。　But　it　was　not　the　Western　Sea；　for　its

waters　were　fresh。　The　shallow　waters　of　Lake　Winnipeg　empty　not

into　the　Western　Sea　but　into　the　Atlantic　by　way　of　Hudson　Bay。

Its　shores　then　were　deserted　and　desolate；　and　even　to　this　day

they　are　but　scantily　peopled。　In　that　wild　land　there　was　no

hint　of　the　populous　East　of　which　La　Verendrye　had　dreamed。



At　the　mouth　of　the　Winnipeg　River；　where　it　enters　Lake

Winnipeg；　La　Verendrye　built　Fort　Maurepas；　named　after　the

French　minister　who　was　in　charge　of　the　colonies　and　who　was

influential　at　court。　The　name　no　doubt　expresses　some　clinging

hope　which　La　Verendrye　still　cherished　of　obtaining　help　from

the　King。　Already　he　was　hard　pressed　for　resources。　Where　were

the　means　to　come　from　for　this　costly　work　of　building　forts？

》From　time　to　time　he　sent　eastward　canoes　laden　with　furs　which；

after　a　long　and　difficult　journey；　reached　Montreal。　The　traders

to　whom　the　furs　were　consigned　sold　them　and　kept　the　money　as

their　own　on　account　of　their　outlay。　La　Verendrye　in　the　far

interior　could　not　pay　his　men　and　would　soon　be　without　goods　to

trade　with　the　Indians。　After　having　repeatedly　begged　for　help

but　in　vain；　he　made　a　rapid　journey　to　Montreal　and　implored　the

Governor　to　aid　an　enterprise　which　might　change　the　outlook　of

the　whole　world。　The　Governor　was　willing　but　without　the　consent

of　France　could　not　give　help。　By　promising　the　traders；　who　were

now　partners　in　his　monopoly；　profits　of　one　hundred　per　cent　on

their　outlay；　La　Verendrye　at　last　secured　what　he　needed。　His

canoes　were　laden　with　goods；　and　soon　brawny　arms　were　driving

once　again　the　graceful　craft　westward。　He　had　offered　a　new

hostage　to　fortune　by　arranging　that　his　fourth　son；　a　lad　of

eighteen；　should　follow　him　in　the　next　year。



La　Verendrye　pressed　on　eagerly　in　advance　of　the　heavy…laden

canoes。　Grim　news　met　him　soon　after　he　reached　Fort　St。　Charles

on　the　Lake　of　the　Woods。　His　nephew　La　Jemeraye；　a　born　leader

of　men；　who　was　at　the　most　advanced　station；　Fort　Maurepas　on

Lake　Winnipeg；　had　broken　down　from　exposure；　anxiety；　and

overwork；　and　had　been　laid　in　a　lonely　grave　in　the　wilderness。

Nearly　all　pioneer　work　is　a　record　of　tragedy　and　its　gloom　lies

heavy　on　the　career　of　La　Verendrye。　A　little　later　came　another

sorrow…laden　disaster。　La　Verendrye　sent　his　eldest　son　Jean　back

to　Rainy　Lake　to　hurry　the　canoes　from　Montreal　which　were

bringing　needed　food。　The　party　landed　on　a　peninsula　at　the

discharge　of　Rainy　Lake　into　Rainy　River；　fell　into　an　ambush　of

Sioux　Indians；　and　were　butchered　to　a　man。　This　incident　reveals

the　chief　cause　of　the　slow　progress　in　discovery　in　the　Great

West：　the　temper　of　the　savages　was　always　uncertain。



There　is　no　sign　that　La　Verendrye　wavered　in　his　great　hope　even

when　he　realized　that　the　Winnipeg　River　was　not　the　river

flowing　westward　which　he　sought。　We　know　now　that　the　northern

regions　of　the　American　continent　east　of　the　Rocky　Mountains　are

tilted　towards　the　east　and　the　north　and　that　in　all　its　vast

spaces　there　is　no　great　river　which　flows　to　the　west。　La

Verendrye；　however；　ignorant　of　this　dictate　of　nature；　longed　to

paddle　with　the　stream　towards　the　west。　The　Red　River　flows

from　the　south　into　Lake　Winnipeg　at　a　point　near　the　mouth　of

the　Winnipeg　River。　Up　the　Red　River　went　La　Verendrye　and　found

a　tributary；　the　Assiniboine；　flowing　into　it　from　the　west。　At

the　point　of　junction；　where　has　grown　up　the　city　of　Winnipeg；

he　built　a　tiny　fort；　called　Fort　Rouge；　a　name　still　preserved

in　a　suburb　of　the　modern　Winnipeg。　The　explorers　went　southward

on　the　Red　River；　and　then　went　westward　on　the　Assiniboine　River

only　to　find　the　waters　persistently　flowing　against　them　and　no

definite　news　of　other　waters　leading　to　the　Western　Sea。　On　the

A