the conquest of new france-第20节

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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　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