the conquest of new france-第19章

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only　to　find　the　waters　persistently　flowing　against　them　and　no

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

Assiniboine；　near　the　site　of　the　present　town　of　Portage　la

Prairie　in　Manitoba；　La　Verendrye　built　Fort　La　Reine。　Its　name

is　evidence　still　perhaps　of　hopes　for　aid　through　the　Queen　if

not　through　the　King　of　France。



In　1737　La　Verendrye　made　once　more　the　long　journey　to　Montreal。

His　fourteen　canoes　laden　with　furs　were　an　earnest　of　the　riches

of　the　wonderful　West　and　so　pleased　his　Montreal　partners　that

again　they　fitted　him　out　with　adequate　supplies。　In　the　summer

of　1738　we　find　him　at　Fort　La　Reine；　rich　for　the　moment　in

goods　with　which　to　trade；　keen　and　competent　as　a　trader；　and

having　great　influence　with　the　natives。　All　through　the　West　he

found　Indians　who　went　to　trade　with　the　English　on　Hudson　Bay；

and　he　constantly　urged　them　not　to　take　the　long　journey　but　to

depend　upon　the　French　who　came　into　their　own　country。　It　was　a

policy　well　fitted　to　cause　searching　of　heart　among　the　English

traders　who　seemed　so　secure　in　their　snug　quarters　on　the

seashore　waiting　for　the　Indians　to　come　to　them。



La　Verendrye　had　now　a　fresh　plan　for　penetrating　farther　on　his

alluring　quest。　He　had　heard　of　a　river　to　the　south　to　be

reached　by　a　journey　overland。　It　was　a　new　thing　for　him　to

abandon　canoes　and　march　on　foot　but　this　he　now　did　and　with

winter　approaching。　On　October　16；　1738；　when　the　autumn　winds

were　already　chill；　there　was　a　striking　little　parade　at　Fort　La

Reine。　The　drummer　beat　the　garrison　to　arms。　What　with　soldiers

brought　from　Canada；　the　voyageurs　who　had　paddled　the　great

canoes；　and　the　Indians　who　dogged　always　the　steps　of　the　French

traders；　there　was　a　muster　at　the　fort　of　some　scores　of　men。　La

Verendrye　reviewed　the　whole　company　and　from　them　chose　for　his

expedition　twenty　soldiers　and　voyageurs　and　about　twenty

Assiniboine　Indians。　As　companions　for　himself　he　took　Francois

and　Pierre；　two　of　his　three　surviving　sons；　and　two　traders　who

were　at　the　fort。



We　can　picture　the　little　company　setting　out　on　the　18th　of

October　on　foot；　with　some　semblance　of　military　order；　by　a

well…beaten　trail　leading　across　the　high　land　which　separates

the　Red　River　country　from　the　regions　to　the　southwest。　La

Verendrye　had　heard　much　of　a　people；　the　Mandans；　dwelling　in

well…ordered　villages　on　the　banks　of　a　great　river　and

cultivating　the　soil　instead　of　living　the　wandering　life　of

hunters。　Such　wonders　of　Mandan　culture　had　been　reported　to　La

Verendrye　that　he　half　expected　to　find　them　white　men　with　a

civilization　equal　to　that　of　Europe。　The　river　was　in　reality

not　an　unknown　stream；　as　La　Verendrye　hoped；　but　the　Missouri；　a

river　already　frequented　by　the　French　in　its　lower　stretches

where　its　waters　join　those　of　the　Mississippi。



It　was　a　long　march　over　the　prairie。　La　Verendrye　found　that　he

could　not　hurry　his　Indian　guides。　They　insisted　on　delays　during

days　of　glorious　autumn　weather　when　it　would　have　been　wise　to

press　on　and　avoid　the　winter　cold　on　the　wind…swept　prairie。

They　went　out　of　their　way　to　visit　a　village　of　their　own

Assiniboine　tribe；　and；　when　they　resumed　their　journey；　this

whole　village　followed　them。　The　prairie　Indians　had　a　more

developed　sense　of　order　and　discipline　than　the　tribes　of　the

forest。　La　Verendrye　admired　the　military　regularity　of　the

savages　on　the　march。　They　divided　the　company　of　more　than　six

hundred　into　three　columns：　in　front；　scouts　to　look　out　for　an

enemy　and　also　for　herds　of　buffalo；　in　the　center；　well

protected；　the　old　and　the　lame；　all　those　incapable　of　fighting；

and；　for　a　rear…guard；　strong　fighting　men。　When　buffalo　were

seen；　the　most　active　of　the　fighters　rushed　to　the　front　to　aid

in　hemming　in　the　game。　Women　and　dogs　carried　the　baggage；　the

men　condescending　to　bear　only　their　weapons。



Not　until　cold　December　had　come　did　the　party　reach　the　chief

Mandan　village。　It　was　in　some　sense　imposing；　for　the　Indian

lodges　were　arranged　neatly　in　streets　and　squares　and　the

surrounding　palisade　was　strong　and　well　built。　Around　the　fort

was　a　ditch　fifteen　feet　deep　and　of　equal　width；　which　made　the

village　impregnable　in　Indian　warfare。　After　saluting　the　village

with　three　volleys　of　musket　fire；　La　Verendrye　marched　in　with

great　ceremony；　under　the　French　flag；　only　to　discover　that　the

Mandans　were　not　greatly　unlike　the　Assiniboines　and　other

Indians　of　the　West　whom　he　already　knew。　The　men　went　about

naked　and　the　women　nearly　so。　They　were　skilled　in　dressing

leather。　They　were　also　cunning　traders；　for　they　duped　La

Verendrye's　friends；　the　Assiniboines；　and　cheated　them　out　of

their　muskets；　ammunition；　kettles；　and　knives。　Great　eaters　were

the　Mandans。　They　cultivated　abundant　crops　and　stored　them　in

cave　cellars。　Every　day　they　brought　their　visitors　more　than

twenty　dishes　cooked　in　earthen　pottery　of　their　own　handicraft。

There　was　incredible　feasting；　which　La　Verendrye　avoided　but

which　his　sons　enjoyed。　The　Mandan　language　he　could　not

understand　and　close　questioning　as　to　the　route　to　the　Western

Sea　was　thus　impossible。　He　learned　enough　to　discredit　the　vague

tales　of　white　men　in　armor　and　peopled　towns　with　which　his

lying　guides　had　regaled　him。　In　the　end　he　decided　for　the　time

being　to　return　to　Fort　La　Reine　and　to　leave　two　of　his

followers　to　learn　the　Mandan　language　so　that　in　the　future　they

might　act　as　interpreters。　When　he　left　the　Mandan　village　on　the

13th　of　December；　he　was　already　ill　and　it　is　a　wonder　that　he

did　not　perish　from　the　cold　on　the　winter　journey　across　hill

and　prairie。　〃In　all　my　life　I　have　never；〃　he　says；　〃endured

such　misery　from　illness　and　fatigue；　as　on　that　journey。〃　On　the

11th　of　February　he　was　back　at　Fort　La　Reine；　worn　out　and

broken　in　health　but　still　undaunted　and　resolved　never　to

abandon　his　search。



Abandon　it　he　never　did。　We　find　him　in　Montreal　in　1740　involved

in　what　he　had　always　held　in　horrora　lawsuit　brought　against

him　by　some　impatient　creditor。　The　report　had　gone　abroad　that

he　was　amassing　great　wealth；　when；　as　he　said；　all　that　he　had

accumulated　was　a　debt　of　forty　thousand　livres。　In　the　autumn　of

1741　he　was　back　at　Fort　La　Reine；　where　he　welcomed　his　son

Pierre　from　a　fruitless　journey　to　the　Mandans。



The　most　famous　of　all　the　efforts　of　the　family　was　now　on　foot。

On　April　29；　1742；　a　new　expedition　started　from　Fort　La　Reine；

led　by　La　Verendrye's　two　sons；　Pierre　and　Francois。　They　knew

the　nature　of　the　task　before　them；　its　perils　as　well　as　its

hopes。　They　took　with　them　no　imposing　company　as　their　father

had　done；　but　only　two　men。　The　party　of　four；　too　feeble　to

fight　their　way；　had　to　trust　to　the　peaceful　disposition　of　the

natives。　When　they　started；　the　prairie　was　turning　from　brown　to

green　and　the　rivers　were　still　swollen　from　the　spring　thaw。　In

three　weeks　they　reached　a　Mandan　village　on　the　upper　Missouri

and　were　well　received。　It　was　after　midsummer　when　they　set　out

again　and　pressed　on　westward　with　a　trend　to　the　south。　The

country　was　bare　and　desolate。　For　twenty　days　they　saw　no　human

being。　They　had　Mandan　guides　who　promised　to　take　them　to　the

next　tribe；　the　Handsome　MenBeaux　Hommesas　the　brothers

called　them；　a　tribe　much　feared　by　the　Mandans。　The　travelers

were　now　mounted；　for　the　horse；　brought　first　to　America　by　the

Spaniards；　had　run　wild　on　the　western　plains　where　the　European

himself　had　not　yet　penetrated；　and　had　become　an　indispensable

aid　to　certain　of　the　native　tribes。　Deer　and　buffalo　were　in

abundance　and　they　had　no　lack　of　food。



When　they　reached　the　tribe　of　Beaux　Hommes；　the　Mandan　guides

fled　homeward。　Summer　passed　into　bleak　autumn　with　chill　winds

and　long　nights。　By　the　end　of　October　they　were　among　the　Horse

Indians