the conquest of new france-第15章

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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　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

l