the conquest of new france-第2章

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the　white　men。　In　all　their　long　centuries　in　America　they　had

learned　nothing　of　the　use　of　iron。　Their　sharpest　tool　had　been

made　of　chipped　obsidian　or　of　hammered　copper。　Their　most　potent

weapons　had　been　the　stone　hatchet　or　age　and　the　bow　and　arrow。

It　thus　happened　that；　when　steel　and　gunpowder　reached　America；

the　natives　soon　came　to　despise　their　primitive　implements。　More

and　more　they　craved　the　supplies　from　Europe　which　multiplied　in

a　hundred　ways　their　strength　in　the　conflict　with　nature　and

with　man。　To　the　Indian　tribes　trade　with　the　French　or　English

soon　became　a　vital　necessity。　From　the　far　northwest　for　a

thousand　miles　to　the　bleak　shores　of　Hudson　Bay；　from　the　banks

of　the　Mississippi　to　the　banks　of　the　St。　Lawrence　and　the

Hudson；　they　came　each　year　on　laborious　journeys；　paddling　their

canoes　and　carrying　them　over　portages；　to　barter　furs　for　the

things　which　they　must　have　and　which　the　white　man　alone　could

supply。



The　Iroquois；　the　ablest　and　most　resolute　of　the　native　tribes；

held　the　lands　bordering　on　Lake　Ontario　which　commanded　the

approaches　from　both　the　Hudson　and　the　St。　Lawrence　by　the　Great

Lakes　to　the　spacious　regions　of　the　West。　The　five　tribes　known

as　the　Iroquois　had　shown　marked　political　talent　by　forming

themselves　into　a　confederacy。　From　the　time　of　Champlain；　the

founder　of　Quebec；　there　had　been　trouble　between　the　French　and

the　Iroquois。　In　spite　of　this　bad　beginning；　the　French　had

later　done　their　best　to　make　friends　with　the　powerful

confederacy。　They　had　sent　to　them　devoted　missionaries；　many　of

whom　met　the　martyr's　reward　of　torture　and　massacre。　But　the

opposing　influence　of　the　English；　with　whom　the　Iroquois　chiefly

traded；　proved　too　strong。



With　the　Iroquois　hostile；　it　was　too　dangerous　for　the　French　to

travel　inland　by　way　of　Lake　Ontario。　They　had；　it　is　true；　a

shorter　and；　indeed；　a　better　route　farther　north；　by　way　of　the

Ottawa　River　and　Lake　Nipissing　to　Lake　Huron。　In　time；　however；

the　Iroquois　made　even　this　route　unsafe。　Their　power　was

far…reaching　and　their　ambition　limitless。　They　aimed　to　be

masters　of　North　America。　Like　all　virile　but　backward　peoples；

they　believed　themselves　superior　to　every　other　race。　Their

orators　declared　that　the　fate　of　the　world　was　to　turn　on　their

policy。



On　Frontenac's　return　to　Canada　he　had　a　stormy　inheritance　in

confronting　the　Iroquois。　They　had　real　grievances　against

France。　Devonvine；　Frontenac's　predecessor；　had　met　their

treachery　by　treachery　of　his　own。　Louis　XIV　had　found　that　these

lusty　savages　made　excellent　galley　slaves　and　had　ordered

Denonville　to　secure　a　supply　in　Canada。　In　consequence　the

Frenchman　seized　even　friendly　Iroquois　and　sent　them　over　seas

to　France。　The　savages　in　retaliation　exacted　a　fearful　vengeance

in　the　butchery　of　French　colonists。　The　bloodiest　story　in　the

annals　of　Canada　is　the　massacre　at　Lachine；　a　village　a　few

miles　above　Montreal。　On　the　night　of　August　4；　1689；　fourteen

hundred　Iroquois　burst　in　on　the　village　and　a　wild　orgy　of

massacre　followed。　All　Canada　was　in　a　panic。　Some　weeks　later

Frontenac　arrived　at　Quebec　and　took　command。　To　the　old　soldier；

now　in　his　seventieth　year；　his　hard　task　was　not　uncongenial。　He

had　fought　the　savage　Iroquois　before　and　the　no　less　savage

Turk。　He　belonged　to　that　school　of　military　action　which　knows

no　scruple　in　its　methods；　and　he　was　prepared　to　make　war　with

all　the　frightfulness　practised　by　the　savages　themselves。　His

resolute；　blustering　demeanor　was　well　fitted　to　impress　the　red

men　of　the　forest；　for　an　imperious　eye　will　sometimes　cow　an

Indian　as　well　as　a　lion；　and　Frontenac's　mien　was　imperious。　In

his　life　in　court　and　camp　he　had　learned　how　to　command。



The　English　in　New　York　had　professed　to　be　brothers　to　the

Iroquois　and　had　called　them　by　that　name。　This　title　of

equality；　however；　Frontenac　would　not　yield。　Kings　speak　of　〃my

people〃；　Frontenac　spoke　to　the　Indians　not　as　his　brothers　but

as　his　children　and　as　children　of　the　great　King　whom　he　served。

He　was　their　father；　their　protector；　the　disposer　and　controller

of　mighty　reserves　of　power；　who　loved　and　cared　for　those

putting　their　trust　in　him。　He　could　unbend　to　play　with　their

children　and　give　presents　to　their　squaws。　At　times　he　seemed

patient；　gentle；　and　forgiving。　At　times；　too；　he　swaggered　and

boasted　in　terms　which　the　event　did　not　always　justify。



La　Potherie；　a　cultivated　Frenchman　in　Canada　during　Frontenac's

regime；　describes　an　amazing　scene　at　Montreal；　which　seems　to

show　that；　whether　Frontenac　recognized　the　title　or　not；　he　had

qualities　which　made　him　the　real　brother　of　the　savages。　In　1690

Huron　and　other　Indian　allies　of　the　French　had　come　from　the　far

interior　to　trade　and　also　to　consider　the　eternal　question　of

checking　the　Iroquois。　At　the　council；　which　began　with　grave

decorum；　a　Huron　orator　begged　the　French　to　make　no　terms　with

the　Iroquois。　Frontenac　answered　in　the　high　tone　which　he　could

so　well　assume。　He　would　fight　them　until　they　should　humbly

crave　peace；　he　would　make　with　them　no　treaty　except　in　concert

with　his　Indian　allies；　whom　he　would　never　fail　in　fatherly

care。　To　impress　the　council　by　the　reality　of　his　oneness　with

the　Indians；　Frontenac　now　seized　a　tomahawk　and　brandished　it　in

the　air　shouting　at　the　same　time　the　Indian　war…song。　The　whole

assembly；　French　and　Indians；　joined　in　a　wild　orgy　of　war

passion；　and　the　old　man　of　seventy；　fresh　from　the　court　of

Louis　XIV；　led　in　the　war…dance；　yelled　with　the　Indians　their

savage　war…whoops；　danced　round　the　circle　of　the　council；　and

showed　himself　in　spirit　a　brother　of　the　wildest　of　them。　This

was　good　diplomacy。　The　savages　swore　to　make　war　to　the　end

under　his　lead。　Many　a　frontier　outrage；　many　a　village　attacked

in　the　dead　of　night　and　burned；　amidst　bloody　massacre　of　its

few　toil…worn　settlers；　was　to　be　the　result　of　that　strange

mingling　of　Europe　with　wild　America。　



Frontenac's　task　was　to　make　war　on　the　English　and　their

Iroquois　allies。　He　had　before　him　the　King's　instructions　as　to

the　means　for　effecting　this。　The　King　aimed　at　nothing　less　than

the　conquest　of　the　English　colonies　in　America。　In　1664　the

English；　by　a　sudden　blow　in　time　of　peace；　had　captured　New

Netherland；　the　Dutch　colony　on　the　Hudson；　which　then　became　New

York。　Now；　a　quarter　of　a　century　later；　France　thought　to　strike

a　similar　blow　against　the　English；　and　Louis　XIV　was　resolved

that　the　conquest　should　be　thoroughgoing。　The　Dutch　power　had

fallen　before　a　meager　naval　force。　The　English　now　would　have　to

face　one　much　more　formidable。　Two　French　ships　were　to　cross　the

sea　and　to　lie　in　wait　near　New　York。　Meanwhile　from　Canada；

sixteen　hundred　armed　men；　a　thousand　of　them　French　regular

troops；　were　to　advance　by　land　into　the　heart　of　the　colony；

seize　Albany　and　all　the　boats　there　available；　and　descend　by

the　Hudson　to　New　York。　The　warships；　hovering　off　the　coast；

would　then　enter　New　York　harbor　at　the　same　time　that　the　land

forces　made　their　attack。　The　village；　for　it　was　hardly　more

than　this；　contained；　as　the　French　believed；　only　some　two

hundred　houses　and　four　hundred　fighting　men　and　it　was　thought

that　a　month　would　suffice　to　complete　this　whole　work　of

conquest。　Once　victors；　the　French　were　to　show　no　pity。　All

private　property；　but　that　of　Catholics；　was　to　be　confiscated。

Catholics；　whether　English　or　Dutch；　were　to　be　left　undisturbed

if　not　too　numerous　and　if　they　would　take　the　oath　of　allegiance

to　Louis　XIV　and　show　some　promise　of　keeping　it。　Rich

Protestants　were　to　be　held　for　ransom。　All　the　other

inhabitants；　except　those　whom　the　French　might　find　useful　for

their　own　purposes；　were　to　be　driven　out　of　the　colony；　homeless

wanderers；　to　be　scattered　far　so　that　they　could　not　combine　t