the conquest of new france-第22章

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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　hunting。　Guns　and　ammunition　were　costly。　His

Indians；　who　used　only　bows　and　arrows；　on　this　day　killed

seven〃fine　sport；〃　says　Hendry。　Often　the　Indians　took　only　the

tongue；　leaving　the　carcass　for　the　wolves；　who　naturally

abounded　in　such　advantageous　conditions。　It　is　not　easy　now　to

imagine　the　part　played　by　the　buffalo　in　the　life　of　the


prairie。　As　Hendry　advanced　the　herds　were　so　dense　as　sometimes

to　retard　his　progress。　Other　writers　tell　of　the　vast　numbers　of

these　creatures。　Alexander　Henry；　the　younger；　writing　on　April

1；　1801；　says　that　in　a　river　swollen　by　spring　floods；　drowned

buffalo　floated　past　his　camp　in　one　continuous　line　for　two　days

and　two　nights。　In　prairie　fires　thousands　were　blinded　and　would

go　tumbling　down　banks　into　streams　or　lie　down　to　die。　One

morning　the　bellowing　of　buffaloes　awakened　Henry　and　he　looked

out　to　see　the　prairie　black。　〃The　ground　was　covered　at　every

point　of　the　compass；　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach；　and　every

animal　was　in　motion。〃



Daily　as　Hendry　advanced　he　saw　smoke　in　the　distance　and　his

Indians　told　him　that　it　came　from　the　camp　of　the　Blackfeet。　He

reached　them　on　Monday　the　14th　of　October。　When　four　miles　away

he　was　stopped　by　mounted　scouts　who　asked　whether　he　came　as　a

friend　or　as　an　enemy。　He　was　taken　to　the　camp　of　two　hundred

tents　pitched　in　two　rows；　and　was　led　through　the　long　passage

between　the　tents　to　the　big　tent　of　the　chief　of　whom　he　had

heard　much。　Not　a　word　was　spoken。　The　chief　sat　on　a　white

buffalo　skin。　Pipes　were　passed　round　and　each　person　was

presented　with　boiled　buffalo　flesh。　When　talk　began；　Hendry　told

the　chief　that　his　great　leader　had　sent　him　to　invite　them　to

come　to　trade　at　Hudson　Bay　where　his　people　would　get　powder；

shot；　guns；　cloth；　beads；　and　other　things。　The　chief　said　it　was

faraway；　and　his　people　knew　nothing　of　paddling。　Such　strangers

to　great　waters　were　they　that　they　would　not　even　eat　fish。　They

despised　Hendry's　tobacco。　What　they　smoked　was　dried　horse　dung。

In　the　end　Hendry　was　dismissed　and　ordered　to　make　his　camp　a

quarter　of　a　mile　away　from　that　of　the　Blackfeet。



It　was　close　by　the　present　site　of　Calgary　and　apparently　in

full　view；　on　clear　days；　of　the　white　peaks　of　the　Rocky

Mountains　that　Hendry　visited　the　Blackfeet。　He　lingered　in　the

far　western　country　through　the　greater　part　of　the　winter。　On　a

portion　of　his　return　journey　he　used　a　horse。　When　the　spring

thaw　came；　once　more　he　took　to　the　water　in　canoes。　He　complains

of　the　idleness　of　his　Indian　companions　who　would　remain　in

their　huts　all　day　and　never　stir　to　lay　up　a　store　of　food　even

when　game　was　abundant。　Conjuring；　dancing　to　the　hideous

pounding　of　drums；　feasting　and　smoking；　were　their　amusements。

On　his　way　back　Hendry　revisited　the　French　post　on　the

Saskatchewan。　The　leader；　no　doubt　St。　Luc　de　la　Corne；　had

returned　from　Montreal　and　now　had　with　him　nine　men。　〃The

master；〃　says　Hendry；　〃　invited　me　in　to　sup　with　him；　and　was

very　kind。　He　is　dressed　very　Genteel。〃　He　showed　Hendry　his

stock　of　furs；　〃a　brave　parcel；〃　the　admiring　rival　thought。

Hendry　admits　the　superiority　of　the　French　as　traders。　They

〃talk　Several　Languages　to　perfection；　they　have　the　advantage　of

us　in　every　shape。〃　In　the　West；　as　in　the　East；　France　was

recognized　as　a　formidable　rival　of　England　for　the　mastery　of

North　America。



When　Hendry　was　making　his　peaceful　visit　to　the　French　fort　in

1755；　the　crisis　of　the　struggle　had　just　been　reached。　In　that

year　the　battle　line　from　Acadia　to　the　Ohio　and　the　Mississippi

was　already　forming；　and　the　fate　of　France's　eager　efforts　to

hold　the　West　was　soon　to　be　decided　in　the　East。　If　Britain

should　conquer　on　the　St。　Lawrence；　she　would　conquer　also　on　the

Saskatchewan　and　on　the　Mississippi。



Conquer　she　did；　and　thus　it　happened　that　it　was　Britain's　sons

who　took　up　the　later　burdens　of　the　discoverer。　In　the　summer　of

1789；　just　at　the　time　when　the　great　Revolution　was　beginning　in

France；　Alexander　Mackenzie；　a　Scotch　trader　from　Montreal；

starting　from　Lake　Athabasca；　north　of　the　farthest　point　reached

by　Hendry；　was　pressing　still　onward　into　an　unknown　region　to

find　a　river　which　might　lead　to　the　sea。　This　river　he　found；　we

know　it　now　as　the　Mackenzie。　For　two　weeks　he　and　his　Indians

and　voyageurs　paddled　with　the　current　down　this　mighty　stream；

and　on　July　14；　1789；　the　day　of　the　fall　of　the　Bastille；　he　saw

whales　sporting　in　Arctic　waters。



The　real　goal　which　Mackenzie　sought　was　that　of　La　Verendrye；　a

western　and　not　a　northern　ocean。　Three　years　later；　after　months

of　preparation；　he　attempted　the　great　feat　of　crossing　the　Rocky

Mountains　to　the　sea。　After　nine　months　of　rugged　travel；　across

mountain　streams　and　gorges；　in　peril　daily　from　hostile　savages；

on　July　22；　1793；　he　reached　the　shore　of　the　Pacific　Ocean；　the

first　white　man　to　go　by　land　over　the　width　of　the　continent

from　sea　to　sea。　It　was　thus　a　Scotchman　who　achieved　that　of

which　La　Verendrye　had　so　long　dreamed；　and　with　no　aid　from　the

state　but　with　only　the　resources　of　a　trading　company。



Ten　years　later；　when　France　sold　to　the　United　States　her　last

remaining　territory　of　Louisiana；　the　American　Government

equipped　an　expedition　under　Lewis　and　Clark　to　cross　the　Rocky

Mountains　by　way　of　the　Missouri；　the　route　from　which　the　La

Verendrye　brothers　had　been　obliged　to　turn　back。　The　party　began

the　ascent　of　the　Missouri　on　May　14；　1804；　and　arrived　in　the

Mandan　country　in　the　late　autumn。　Here　they　spent　the　winter　of

1804…05。　Not　until　November　15；　1805；　had　they　completed　the　hard

journey　across　the　Rocky　Mountains　and　reached　the　mouth　of　the

Columbia　River　on　the　Pacific　Ocean。　Little　did　La　Verendrye；　in

his　eager　search　for　the　Western　Sea；　imagine　the　difficulties　to

be　encountered　and　the　hardships　to　be　endured　by　those　who　were

destined；　in　later　days；　to　realize　his　dream。







CHAPTER　VI。　The　Valley　Of　The　Ohio



Almost　at　the　moment　in　1749　when　British　ships　were　lying　at

anchor　in　Halifax　harbor　and　sending　to　shore　hundreds　of

boatloads　of　dazed　and　expectant　settlers　for　the　new　colony；

there　had　set　out　from　Montreal；　in　the　interests　of　France；　an

expedition　with　designs　so　far…reaching　that　we　wonder　still　at

the　stupendous　issues　involved　in　efforts　which　seem　so　petty。

The　purpose　of　France　was　now　to　make　good　her　claim　to　the　whole

vast　West。　It　was　a　picturesque　company　which　pushed　its　canoes

from　the　shore　at　Lachine　on　the　15th　of　June；　six　days　before

the　British　squadron　reached　Halifax。　There　was　a　procession　of

twenty…three　great　birchbark　canoes　well　filled；　for　in　them　were

more　than　two　hundred　men；　at　least　ten　in　each　canoe；　together

with　the　necessary　impedimenta　for　a　long　journey。　There　were

twenty　soldiers　in　uniform；　a　hundred　and　eighty　Canadians

skilled　in　paddling　and　in　carrying　canoes　and　freight　over　the

portages；　a　band　of　Indians；　and　fourteen　officers　with　Celoron

de　Blainville　at　their　head。



The　acting　Governor　of　Canada　at　this　time　was　a　dwarf　in

physique；　but　a　giant　in　intellect；　the　brilliant　naval　officer；

the　Marquis　de　la　Galissoniere；　destined　later　to　inflict　upon

the　English　in　the　Mediterranean　the　naval　defeat　which　caused

the　execution　of　Admiral　Byng　as　a　coward。　This　remarkable

manplanning；　like　his　predecessor　Frontenac；　on　a　scale　suited

to　world　politicssaw　that　the　peace　of　1748　settled　nothing；

that　in　the　balance　now　was　the　whole　future　of　North　America；

and　that　victory　would　be　to　the　alert　and　the　strong。　He　chose


Celoron；　the　most　capable　of　the　hardy　young　Canadian　noblesse

whom　he　had　at　hand；　a　man　accustomed　to　the　life　of　the　forest；

and　sent　with