the conquest of new france-第17章

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

and　sent　with　him　this　large　party　to　assert　against　the　English

the　right　of　France　to　the　valley　of　the　Ohio。　The　English　were

now　to　be　shut　out　definitely　from　advancing　westward　and　to　be

confined　to　the　strip　of　territory　lying　between　the　Atlantic

coast　and　the　Alleghany　Mountains；　a　little　more　than　that　strip

fifty　miles　wide　talked　about　in　Quebec　as　the　maximum　concession

of　France；　but　still　not　very　much　according　to　the　ideas　of　the

English；　and　even　this　not　secure　if　France　should　ever　grow

strong　enough　to　crowd　them　out。



At　no　time　do　we　find　more　vivid　the　contrast　in　type　between　the

two　nations。　Before　a　concrete　fact　the　British　take　action。　When

they　gave　up　Louisbourg　they　built　Halifax。　Their　traders　had

pressed　into　the　Ohio　country；　not　directed　under　any　grandiose

idea　of　empire；　but　simply　as　individuals；　to　trade　and　reap　for

themselves　what　profit　they　could。　When　they　were　checked　and

menaced　by　the　French；　they　saw　that　something　must　be　done。　How

they　did　it　we　shall　see　presently。　It　was　the　weakness　of　the

English　colonies　that　they　could　not　unite　to　work　out　a　great

plan。　If　Virginia　took　steps　to　advance　westward；　Pennsylvania

was　jealous　lest　lands　which　she　desired　should　go　to　a　rival

colony。　France；　on　the　other　hand；　had　complete　unity　of　design。

Celoron　spoke　in　the　name　of　the　King　of　France　and　he　spoke　in

terms　uncompromising　enough。　〃The　Ohio；〃　said　the　King　of　France

through　his　agent；　〃belongs　to　me。〃　It　is　a　French　river。　The

lands　bordering　upon　it　are　〃my　lands。〃　The　English　intruders　are

foreign　robbers　and　not　one　of　them　is　to　be　left　in　the　western

country：　〃I　wilt　not　endure　the　English　on　my　land。〃　The　Indians；

dwelling　in　that　region；　are　〃my　children。〃



Scattered　over　the　vast　region　about　the　Great　Lakes　were　a　good

many　French。　At　the　lower　end　of　Lake　Ontario　stood　Fort

Frontenac；　a　menace　to　the　colony　of　New　York；　as　the　dwellers　in

the　British　post　of　Oswego　on　the　opposite　shore　of　the　lake　well

knew。　We　have　already　seen　that　the　French　held　a　fort　at　Niagara

guarding　the　route　leading　farther　west　to　Lake　Erie　and　to

regions　beyond　Lake　Erie；　by　way　of　the　Ohio　or　the　upper　lakes；

to　the　Mississippi。　Near　the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi；　New

Orleans　was　now　becoming　a　considerable　town　with　a　governor

independent　of　the　governor　at　Quebec。　Along　the　Mississippi　at

strategic　points　stretching　northward　beyond　the　mouth　of　the

Missouri　were　a　few　French　settlements；　ragged　enough　and　with　a

shiftless　population　of　fur　traders　and　farmers；　but　adequate　to

assert　France's　possession　of　that　mighty　highway。　The　weak　point

in　France's　position　was　in　her　connection　of　the　Mississippi

with　the　St。　Lawrence　by　way　of　the　Ohio。　This　was　the　place　of

danger；　for　here　English　rivalry　was　strongest；　and　it　was　to

cure　this　weakness　that　Celoron　was　now　sent　forth。



Celoron　moved　toilsomely　over　the　portage　which　led　past　the

great　cataract　of　Niagara　and　launched　his　canoes　on　Lake　Erie。

》From　its　south　shore；　during　seven　days　of　heart…breaking　labor；

the　party　dragged　the　canoes　and　supplies　through　dense　forest

and　over　steep　hills　until　they　reached　Chautauqua　Lake；　the

waters　of　which　flow　into　the　Allegheny　River　and　by　it　to　the

Ohio。　For　many　weary　days　they　went　with　the　current；　stopping　at

Indian　villages；　treating　with　the　savages；　who　were　sometimes

awed　and　sometimes　menacing。　They　warned　the　Indians　to　have　no

dealings　with　the　scheming　English　who　would　〃infallibly　prove　to

be　robbers；〃　and　asserted　as　boldly　as　Celoron　dared　the　lordship

of　the　King　of　France　and　his　love　for　his　forest　children。

Celoron　realized　that　he　was　on　an　historic　mission。　At　several

points　on　the　Ohio；　with　great　ceremony；　he　buried　leaden　plates；

as　La　Verendrye　had　done　a　few　years　earlier　in　the　far　West；

bearing　an　inscription　declaring　that；　in　the　name　of　the　King　of

France；　he　took　possession　of　the　country。　On　trees　over　these

memorials　of　lead　he　nailed　the　arms　of　France；　stamped　on　sheets

of　tin。　Since　that　day　at　least　three　of　the　plates　have　been

found。



Celoron's　expedition　went　well　enough。　He　advanced　as　far　west　on

the　Ohio　as　the　mouth　of　the　Great　Miami　River；　then　up　that

river；　and　by　difficult　portages　back　to　Lake　Erie。　It　was　a

remarkable　journey；　but　in　the　late　autumn　he　was　back　again　in

Montreal；　not　sure　that　he　had　achieved　much。　The　natives　of　the

country　were；　he　thought；　hostile　to　France　and　devoted　to　the

English　who　had　long　traded　with　them。　This　opinion　was　in　truth

erroneous；　for；　when　the　time　of　testing　came；　the　Indians　of　the

West　fought　on　the　side　of　France。　Montcalm　had　many　hundreds　of

them　under　his　banner。　The　expedition　meant　the　definite　and

final　throwing　down　of　the　gauntlet　by　France。　With　all　due

ceremony　she　had　declared　that　the　Ohio　country　was　hers　and　that

there　she　would　allow　no　English　to　dwell。



Legardeur　de　Saint…Pierre　could　hardly　have　known；　when　he　left

the　hard　region　of　the　Saskatchewan　in　1752；　that　a　year　later　he

would　be　sent　to　protect　another　set　of　outposts　of　France　in　the

West。　In　1753　we　find　him　in　command　of　the　French　forces　in　the

Ohio　country。　Celoron　had　been　sent　to　Detroit。　If　Saint…Pierre

had　played　his　part　feebly　on　the　Saskatchewan；　he　was　now　made

for　a　brief　period　one　of　the　central　figures　in　the　opening　act

of　a　world　drama。　It　is　with　a　touch　of　emotion　that　we　see　on

the　stage；　as　the　opponent　of　this　not　great　Frenchman；　the

momentous　figure　of　George　Washington。



The　fight　for　North　America　was　now　rapidly　approaching　its　final

phase　in　the　struggle　which　we　know　as　the　Seven　Years'　War。

During　forty　years；　commissioners　of　the　two　nations　had　been

trying　to　reach　some　agreement　as　to　boundaries。　Each　side；

however；　made　impossible　demands。　France　claimed　all　the　lands

drained　by　the　St。　Lawrence　and　the　Great　Lakes　and　by　the

Mississippi　and　its　tributaries　a　claim　which；　if　made　good；

would　have　carried　her　into　the　very　heart　of　the　colony　of　New

York　and　would　have　given　her　also　the　mastery　of　the　Ohio　and

the　regions　beyond。　Britain　claimed　all　the　lands　ever　occupied

by　the　Iroquois　Indians；　who　had　been　recognized　as　British

subjects　by　the　Treaty　of　Utrecht。　As　those　Indians　had　overrun

regions　north　of　the　St。　Lawrence；　the　British　thus　would　become

masters　of　a　good　part　of　Canada。　Neither　side　was　prepared　for

reasonable　compromise。　The　sword　was　to　be　the　final　arbiter。



Events　moved　rapidly　towards　war。　In　1753　Duquesne；　the　new

Governor　of　Canada；　sent　more　than　a　thousand　men　to　build　Fort

Le　Boeuf；　on　upper　waters　flowing　to　the　Ohio　and　within　easy

reach　of　support　by　way　of　Lake　Erie。　In　the　nest　year　the　French

were　swarming　in　the　Ohio　Valley；　stirring　up　the　Indians　against

the　English　and　confident　of　success。　They　jeered　at　the

divisions　among　the　English　and　believed　their　own　unity　so

strong　that　they　could　master　the　colonies　one　by　one。　The　two

colonies　most　affected　were　Pennsylvania　and　Virginia；　either　of

them　quite　ready　to　see　its　own　citizens　advance　into　the　Ohio

country　and　possess　the　land；　but　neither　of　them　willing　to

unite　with　the　other　in　effective　military　action　to　protect　the

frontier。



It　is　at　this　crisis　that　there　appears　for　the　first　time　in

history　George　Washington　of　Virginia。　In　December；　1753；　in　the

dead　of　winter；　he　made　a　long；　toilsome　journey　from　Virginia　to

the　north　through　snow　and　rain；　by　difficult　forest　trails；　over

two　ranges　of　mountains；　across　streams　sometimes　frozen；

sometimes　dangerous　from　treacherous　thaws。　On　the　way　he　heard

gossip　from　the　Indians　about　the　designs　of　the　French。　They

boasted　that　they　would　come　in　numbers　like　the　sands　of　the

seashore；　that　the　natives　would　be　no　more　an　obstacle　to　them

than　the　flies　and　mosquitoes；　which　indeed　they　resembled；　and

that　not　the　breadth　of　a　finger…nail　of　land　belonged　to　the

Indians。　Washington　was　told　by　one　of　the　French　that　〃it　was

their　absolute　design　to　take　possession　of　the　Ohio　and；　by；

they　would　do　it！〃　It　was　no　matter　that　the　French　were

outnumbered　two　to　one　by　the　English；　for　the　English　were

dilatory　and　ineffective。



In　the　end；　Washington　arrived　at　Fort　Le　Boeuf　and　presented　a

letter　from　Dinwiddie；　the　Lieutenant…Governor　of　Virginia；

pointing　out　that　the　British　could　not　permit　an　armed　force

from　Canada　to　invade　their　territory　of　the　Ohio　and　requiring

that　the　French　should　leave　the　country　at　once。　Legardeur　de

Saint…Pierre；　to　whom　this　firm　demand　was　delivered；　〃an　elderly

gentleman；〃　says　Washington；　with　〃much　the　air　of　a　soldier〃

gave；　of　course；　a　polite　answer　in　the　manner　of　his　nation；　but

he　intended；　he　said；　to　remain　where　he　was　as　long　as　he　had

instructions　so　to　do。　Washington　kept　his　eyes　open　and　made

careful　observations　of　the　plan　of　the　fort；　the　number　of　men；

and　also　of　the　canoes；　of　which　he　noted　that　there　were　more

than　two　hundred　ready　and　many　others　building。　The　French　tried

to　entice　away　his　Indians　and　he　says；　〃I　cannot　say　that　ever

in　my　life　I　suffered　so　much　anxiety。〃　On　the　journey　back　he

nearly　perished　when　he　fell　into　an　ice…cold　stream　and　was

obliged　to　spend　the　night　on　a　tiny　island　in　frozen　clothing。

He　brought　comfort　as　cold　to　the　waiting　Dinwiddie。



The　French　meanwhile　were　always　a　little　ahead　of　the　English　in

their　planning。　Early　in　April；　1754；　a　French　force　of　five　or

six　hundred　men　from　Canada；　which　had　set　out　while　Quebec　was

still　in　the　icy　grip　of　winter；　reached　the　upper　waters　of　the

Ohio。　They　attacked　and　destroyed　a　fort　which　the　English　had

begun　at　the　forks　where　now　stands　Pittsburgh；　and；　in　its

place；　began　a　formidable　one；　called　Fort　Duquesne　after　the

Governor　of　Canada。　In　vain　was　Washington　sent　with　a　few

hundred　men　to　take　possession　of　this　fort　and　to　assert　the

claim　of　the　English　to　the　land。　He　fell　in　with　a　French

scouting　party　under　young　Coulon　de　Jumonville；　killed　its

leader　and　nine　others；　and　took　more　than　a　score　of

prisonerswarfare　bloody　enough　in　a　time　of　supposed　peace。　But

the　French　were　now　on　the　Ohio　in　greater　numbers　than　the

English。　At　a　spot　known　as　the　Great　Meadows；　where　Washington

had　hastily　thrown　up　defenses；　which　he　called　Fort　Necessity；

he　was　forced　to　surrender；　but　was　allowed　to　lead　his　force

back　to　Virginia；　defeated　in　the　first　military　adventure　of　his

career。　The　French　took　the　view　that　his　killing　of　the　young

officer　Jumonville　was　assassination；　since　no　state　of　war

existed；　and　raised　a　fierce　clamor　that　Washington　was　a

murderera　strange　contrast　to　his　relations　with　France　in　the

years　to　come。



What　astonishes　us　in　regard　to　these　events　i