the conquest of new france-第19节

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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　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；