the conquest of new france-第21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！



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

cruelly　robbed　of　our　heritage；　to　realize　for　ourselves　all　that

is　bitter　and　to　see　others　secure　all　that　is　sweet。〃



The　appeal　fell　on　deaf　ears。　The　brothers　sank　into　obscurity。

During　Montcalm's　campaigns　from　1756　to　1759　Pierre　and　Francois

seem　to　have　been　engaged　in　military　service。　Francois　was

killed　in　the　siege　of　Quebec　in　1759。　After　the　final　surrender

of　Canada　the　Auguste；　a　ship　laden　for　the　most　part　with

refugees　returning　to　France；　was　wrecked　on　the　St。　Lawrence。

Among　those　on　board　who　perished　was　Pierre　de　la　Verendrye。　He

died　amid　the　howling　of　the　tempest　and　the　cries　of　drowning

men。　Tragedy；　unrelenting；　had　pursued　him　to　the　end。



Legardeur　de　Saint…Pierre；　the　choice　of　the　Marquis　de　la

Jonquiere　to　take　up　the　search　for　the　Western　Sea　in　succession

to　the　elder　La　Verendrye；　himself　went　only　as　far　as　Fort　La

Reine。　It　was　a　subordinate；　the　Chevalier　de　Niverville；　whom　he

sent　farther　west　to　find　the　great　mountains　and　if　possible　the

sea。　The　winter　of　1750…51　had　set　in　before　Niverville　was

ready。　He　started　apparently　from　Fort　Maurepas；　on　snowshoes；

his　party　dragging　their　supplies　on　toboggans。　Before　they

reached　Paskoya　on　the　Saskatchewan　（the　modern　Le　Pas）　they　had

nearly　perished　of　hunger　and　were　able　to　save　their　lives　only

by　catching　a　few　fish　through　the　ice。　Niverville　was　ill。　He

sent　forward　ten　men　by　canoe　up　the　Saskatchewan。　They　traveled

with　such　rapidity　that　on　May　29；　1751；　they　had　reached　the

Rockies。　They　built　a　good　fort；　which　they　named　Fort　La

Jonquiere；　and　stored　it　with　a　considerable　quantity　of

provisions。　If；　as　seems　likely；　the　brothers　La　Verendrye　saw

only　the　Black　Hills；　these　ten　unknown　men　were　the　discoverers

of　the　Rocky　Mountains。



Saint…Pierre　braced　himself　to　set　out　for　the　distant　goal　but

he　was　easily　discouraged。　Niverville；　he　said；　was　ill；　the

Indians　were　at　war　among　themselves；　some　of　them　were　plotting

what　Saint…Pierre　calls　〃treason〃　to　the　French　and　their

〃perfidy〃　surpassed　anything　in　his　lifelong　experience。　The

hostile　influence　of　the　English　he　thought　all…pervasive。

Obviously　these　are　excuses。　He　did　not　like　the　task　and　he

turned　back。　As　it　was；　he　tells　a　dramatic　story　of　how　Indians

crowded　into　Fort　La　Reine　in　a　threatening　manner　and　how　he

saved　the　fort　and　himself　only　by　rushing　to　the　magazine　with　a

lighted　torch；　knocking　open　a　barrel　of　powder；　and　threatening

to　blow　up　everything　and　everybody　if　the　savages　did　not

withdraw　at　once。　He　was　eager　to　leave　the　country。　In　1752　he

handed　over　the　command　to　St。　Luc　de　la　Come　and；　in　August　of

that　year；　having　experienced　〃much　wretchedness〃　on　his

journeys；　he　was　safely　back　in　Montreal。　The　founding　of　Fort　La

Jonquiere　was；　no　doubt；　a　great　feat。　Where　the　fort　stood　we　do

not　know。　It　may　have　been　on　the　North　Saskatchewan；　near

Edmonton；　or　on　the　south　branch　of　the　river　near　Calgary。　In

any　case　it　was　a　far…flung　outpost　of　France。



The　English　had　always　been　more　prosaic　than　the　French。　The

traders　on　Hudson　Bay　worked；　indeed；　under　a　monopoly　not　less

rigorous　than　that　which　Canada　imposed。　Without　doubt；　many　an

Englishman　on　the　Bay　was　haunted　by　the　hope　and　desire　to　reach

the　Western　Sea。　But　the　servants　of　the　Company　knew　that　to　buy

and　sell　at　a　profit　was　their　chief　aim。　They　had　been　on　the

whole　content　to　wait　for　trade　to　come　to　them。　By　1740　the

Indians；　who　made　the　long　journey　to　the　Bay　by　the　intricate

waters　which　carried　to　the　sea　the　flood　of　the　Saskatchewan　and

Lake　Winnipeg；　were　showing　to　the　English　articles　supplied　by

the　French　at　points　far　inland。　It　thus　became　evident　that　the

French　were　tapping　the　traffic　in　furs　near　its　source　and

cutting　off　the　stream　which　had　long　flowed　to　Hudson　Bay。



In　June；　1754；　Anthony　Hendry；　a　young　man　in　the　service　of　the

Company；　left　York　factory　on　Hudson　Bay　to　find　out　what　the

French　were　doing。　We　have　a　slight　but　carefully　written　diary

of　Hendry's　journey。　He　does　not　fail　to　note　that　in　the　summer

weather　life　was　made　almost　intolerable　by　the　〃musketoos。〃

Traveling　by　canoe　he　reached　the　Saskatchewan　River　and　tells

how；　on　the　22d　of　July；　he　came　to　〃a　French　house。〃　It　was　Fort

Paskoya。　When　Hendry　paddled　up　to　the　river　bank　two　Frenchmen

met　him　and　〃in　a　very　genteel　manner〃　invited　him　into　their

house。　With　all　courtesy　they　asked　him；　he　says；　if　he　had　any

letter　from　his　master　and　where　and　on　what　design　he　was　going

inland。　His　answer　was　that　he　had　been　sent　〃to　view　the

Country〃　and　that　he　intended　to　return　to　Hudson　Bay　in　the

spring。　The　Frenchmen　were　sorry　that　their　own　master；　who　was

apparently　the　well…known　Canadian　leader；　St。　Luc　de　la　Corne；

the　successor　of　Saint…Pierre；　had　gone　to　Montreal　with　furs；

and　added　their　regrets　that　they　must　detain　Hendry　until　this

leader's　return。　At　this　Hendry's　Indians　grunted　and　said　that

the　French　dared　not　do　so。　Next　day　Hendry　took　breakfast　and

dinner　at　the　fort；　gave　〃two　feet　of　tobacco〃　（at　that　time　it

was　sold　in　long　coils）　to　his　hosts；　and　in　return　received　some

moose　flesh。　The　confidence　of　his　Indian　guides　that　the　French

would　not　dare　to　detain　him　was　justified。　Next　day　Hendry

paddled　on　up　the　river　and　advanced　more　than　twenty　miles；

camping　at　night　by　〃the　largest　Birch　trees　I　have　yet　seen。〃



Hendry　wished　to　see　the　country　thoroughly　and　to　come　into

touch　with　the　natives。　The　best　way　to　do　this　and　to　obtain

food　was　to　leave　the　river　and　go　boldly　overland。　He

accordingly　left　his　canoes　behind　and　advanced　on　foot。　The

party　was　starving。　On　a　Sunday　in　July　he　walked　twenty…six

miles　and　says　〃neither　Bird　nor　Beast　to　be　seen；so　that　we

have　nothing　to　eat。〃　The　next　day　he　traveled　twenty…four　miles

on　an　empty　stomach　and　then；　to　his　delight；　found　a　supply　of

ripe　strawberries；　〃the　size　of　black　currants　and　the　finest　I

ever　eat。〃　The　next　day　his　Indians　killed　two　moose。　He　then　met

natives　who；　when　he　asked　them　to　go　to　Hudson　Bay　to　trade；

replied　that　they　could　obtain　all　they　needed　from　the　French

posts。　The　tact　and　skill　of　the　French　were　such　that；　as　Hendry

admits；　reluctantly　enough；　the　Indians　were　already　strongly

attached　to　them。　Day　after　day　Hendry　journeyed　on　over　the

rolling　prairie　in　the　warm　summer　days。　He　came　to　the　south

branch　of　the　Saskatchewan　near　the　point　where　now　stands　the

city　of　Saskatoon　and　crossed　the　river　on　the　21st　of　August。

Then　on　to　the　West；　eager　to　take　part　in　the　hunting　of　the

buffalo。



Hendry　is　almost　certainly　the　first　Englishman　to　see　this

region。　In　the　end　he　reached　the　mountains。　He　makes　no　mention

of　having　seen　or　heard　anything　of　Fort　La　Jonquiere；　built

three　years　earlier。　He　had　aims　different　from　those　of　La

Verendrye　and　other　French　explorers。　Not　the　Western　Sea　but

openings　for　trade　was　he　seeking。　His　great　aim　was　to　reach　the

tribe　called　later　the　Blackfeet　Indians；　who　were　mighty　hunters

of　the　buffalo。　Hendry　was　alive　to　the　impressions　of　nature。

The　intense　heat　of　August　was　followed　in　September　by　glorious

weather；　with　the　nights　cool　and　the　mosquitoes　no　longer

troublesome。　The　climate　was　bracing。　He　complains　only；　from

time　to　time；　of　swollen　feet；　and　we　need　not　wonder　since　his

daily　march　occasionally　went　beyond　twenty…five　miles。　Sometimes

for　days　he　saw　no　living　creature。　At　other　times　wild　life　was

prolific：　there　were　moose　in　great　abundance；　bears；　including

the　dreaded　grizzlyone　of　which　killed　an　Indian　of　his　company

and　badly　mutilated　anotherbeaver；　wild　horses；　and；　above　all；

the　buffalo。　〃Saw　many　herds　of　Buffalo　grazing　like　English

cattle；〃　he　says；　on　the　13th　of　September；　and　the　next　day　he

goes　buffalo