the conquest of new france-第20章

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

Indians　who；　they　had　been　told；　could　guide　them　to　the　sea。

These；　however；　now　said　that　only　the　Bow　Indians；　farther　on；

could　do　this。　Winter　was　near　when　they　were　among　these

Indians；　probably　a　tribe　of　the　Sioux；　whom　they　found　excitedly

preparing　for　a　raid　on　their　neighbors　farther　west；　the　Snakes。

They　were　going；　they　said；　towards　the　mountains　and　there　the

Frenchmen　could　look　out　on　the　great　sea。　So　the　story　goes　on。

The　brothers　advanced　ever　westward　and　the　land　became　more

rugged；　for　they　were　now　climbing　upward　from　the　prairie

country。　At　last；　on　January　1；　1743；　they　saw　what　both　cheered

and　discouraged　them。　In　the　distance　were　mountains。　About　them

was　the　prairie；　with　game　in　abundance。　It　was　a　great　host　with

which　the　brothers　traveled　for　there　were　two　thousand　warriors

with　their　families　who　made　night　vocal　with　songs　and　yells。　On

the　12th　of　January；　nearly　two　weeks　later；　with　an　advance

party　of　warriors；　the　La　Verendryes　reached　the　foot　of　the

mountains；　〃well　wooded　with　timber　of　every　kind　and　very　high。〃



Was　it　the　Rocky　Mountains　which　they　saw？　Had　they　reached　that

last　mighty　barrier　of　snow…capped　peaks；　rugged　valleys；　and

torrential　streams；　beyond　which　lay　the　sea？　That　they　had　done

so　was　long　assumed　and　many　conjectures　have　been　offered　as　to

the　point　in　the　Rockies　near　which　they　made　their　last　camp。

Their　further　progress　was　checked　by　an　unexpected　crisis。　One

day　they　came　upon　an　encampment　of　the　dreaded　Snake　Indians

which　had　been　abandoned　in　great　haste。　This；　the　Bow　Indians

thought；　could　only　mean　that　the　Snakes　had　hurriedly　left　their

camp　in　order　to　slip　in　behind　the　advance　guard　of　the　Bows　and

massacre　the　women　and　children　left　in　the　rear。　Panic　seized

the　Bows　and　they　turned　homeward　in　wild　confusion。　Their　chief

could　not　restrain　them。　〃I　was　very　much　disappointed；〃　writes

one　of　the　brothers；　〃that　I　could　not　climb　the

mountains〃those　mountains　from　which　he　had　been　told　that　he

might　view　the　Western　Sea。



There　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　turn　back　through　snowdrifts　over

the　bleak　prairie。　The　progress　was　slow　for　the　snow　was

sometimes　two　feet　deep。　On　the　1st　of　March　the　brothers　parted

with　their　Bow　friends　at　their　village　and　then　headed　for　home。

By　the　20th　they　were　encamped　with　a　friendly　tribe　on　the　banks

of　the　Missouri。　Here；　to　assert　that　Louis　XV　was　lord　of　all

that　country；　they　built　on　an　eminence　a　pyramid　of　stones　and

in　it　they　buried　a　tablet　of　lead　with　an　inscription　which

recorded　the　name　of　Louis　XV；　their　King；　and　of　the　Marquis　de

Beauharnois；　Governor　of　Canada；　and　the　date　of　the　visit。



Truth　is　sometimes　stranger　than　fiction。　One　hundred　and　seventy

years　later；　on　February　16；　1913；　a　schoolgirl　strolling　with

some　companions　on　a　Sunday　afternoon　near　the　High　School　in　the

town　of　Pierre；　South　Dakota；　stumbled　upon　a　projecting　corner

of　this　tablet；　which　was　in　an　excellent　state　of　preservation。

Thus　we　know　exactly　where　the　brothers　La　Verendrye　were　on

April　2；　1743；　when　they　bade　farewell　to　their　Indian　friends

and　set　out　on　horseback　for　Fort　La　Reine。



Spring　had　turned　to　summer　before　the　brothers　reached　their

destination。　On　July　2；　1743；　they　relieved　the　anxiety　of　their

waiting　father　after　an　absence　of　fifteen　months。　Moving　slowly

as　they　did；　could　they　have　traveled　from　the　distant　Rockies

from　the　time　in　January　when　they　turned　back？　It　seems

doubtful；　and　in　spite　of　the　long…cherished　belief　that　the

brothers　reached　the　foothills　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　it　may　be

that　they　had　not　penetrated　beyond　the　barrier　which　we　know　as

the　Black　Hills。　The　chance　discovery　of　a　forgotten　plate　by

school　children　may　in　truth　prove　that；　as　late　as　in　1750；　the

Rocky　Mountains　had　not　yet　been　seen　by　white　men　and　that　the

first　vision　of　that　mighty　range　was　obtained　much　farther　north

in　Canada。



After　1743　the　French　seem　to　have　made　no　further　efforts　to

reach　the　Western　Sea　by　way　of　the　Missouri。　If　in　reality　the

brothers　had　not　gone　beyond　the　Black　Hills　in　South　Dakota；

then　their　most　important　work　appears　to　have　been　done　within

what　is　now　Canada；　as　discoverers　of　the　Saskatchewan；　the

mighty　river　which　carries　to　far…distant　Hudson　Bay　the　waters

melted　on　the　eastern　slopes　of　the　Rocky　Mountains。　It　was　by

this　route　up　the　Saskatchewan　that　fifty　years　later　was　solved

the　tough　and　haunting　problem　of　going　over　the　mountains　to　the

Pacific　Ocean。　La　Verendrye　now　ascended　the　Saskatchewan　for

some　three　hundred　miles　to　the　forks　where　it　divides　into　two

great　branches。　He　was　going　deeper　into　debt　but　he　hoped　always

for　help　from　the　King。　It　is　pathetic　to　see　today；　on　the　map

of　that　part　of　western　Canada　which　he　and　his　sons　explored；　a

town；　a　lake；　and　a　county　called　Dauphin；　in　honor　of　the　heir

to　the　throne　of　France。　No　doubt　La　Verendrye　had　the　thought

that　some　day　he　might　plead　with　the　Dauphin　when　he　had　become

King　for　help　in　his　great　task。



Before　the　year　1749　had　ended　La　Verendrye；　who　had　returned　to

Montreal；　was　in　his　grave。　His　sons；　partners　in　his　work；

expected　to　be　charged　with　the　taskto　which　the　King；　in　1749；

had　anew　appointed　their　fatherof　continuing　the　work　of

discovery　in　the　West。　Francois；　for　a　time　ill；　wrote　in　1750

from　Montreal　to　La　Jonquiere；　the　Governor　at　Quebec；　that　he

hoped　to　take　up　the　plans　of　his　father。　The　Governor's　reply

was　that　he　had　appointed　another　officer；　Legardeur　de

Saint…Pierre；　to　lead　in　the　search　for　the　Western　Sea。　Francois

hurried　to　Quebec。　The　Governor　met　him　with　a　bland　face　and

seemed　friendly。　Francois；　urged　that　he　and　his　brothers　claimed

no　preeminence　and　that　they　were　ready　to　serve　under　the　orders

of　Saint…Pierre。　The　Governor　was　hesitant；　but　at　last　told

Francois；　frankly　that　the　new　leader　desired　no　help　either　from

him　or　from　his　brothers。　Francois；　was　dismayed。　He　and　his

brothers　were　in　debt。　Already　he　had　sent　on　stores　and　men　to

the　West　and　the　men　were　likely　to　starve　if　not　followed　by

provisions。　His　chief　property　was　in　the　West　in　the　form　of

goods　which　would　be　plundered　without　his　guardianship。　To　tide

over　the　immediate　future　he　sold　the　one　small　piece　of　land　in

Montreal　which　he　had　inherited　from　his　father　and　threw　this

slight　sop　to　his　urgent　creditors。



Saint…Pierre；　strong　in　his　right　of　monopoly；　insisted　that　the

brothers　should　not　even　return　to　the　West。　Francois；　urged　that

to　go　was　a　matter　of　life　and　death。　In　some　way　he　secured

leave　to　set　out　with　one　laden　canoe。　When　Saint…Pierre　found

that　Francois　had　gone；　he　claimed　damages　for　the　intrusion　on

his　monopoly　and　secured　an　order　to　pursue　Francois　and　bring

him　back。　He　caught　him　at　Michilimackinac。　The　meeting　between

the　two　men　at　that　place　involved　explanations。　Face　to　face

with　an　injured　man；　Saint…Pierre　admitted　that　he　had　been　in

the　wrong；　paid　to　Francois　many　compliments；　and　regretted　that

he　had　not　joined　hands　with　the　brothers。



The　mischief　done　was；　however；　irreparable。　Francois；　crippled

by　opposition；　could　not　carry　on　his　trade　with　success　and　in

the　end　he　returned　to　Montreal　a　ruined　man　overwhelmed　with

debt。　He　wrote　to　the　French　court　a　noble　appeal　for　relief：



〃I　remain　without　friends　and　without　patrimony。。。a　simple

ensign　of　the　second　grade；　my　elder　brother　has　only　the　same

rank　as　myself；　my　younger　brother　is　only　a　junior　cadet。　This

is　the　result　of　all　that　my　father；　my　brothers　and　myself　have

done。。。。　There　are　in　the　hands　of　your　Lordship　resources　of

compensation　and　of　consolation。　I　venture　to　appeal　to　you　for

relief。　To　find　ourselves　excluded　from　the　West　would　mean　to　be

cruelly　robbe