the conquest of new france-第21节

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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　is　that　Britain　and

France　long　remained　nominally　at　peace　while　they　were　carrying

on　active　hostilities　in　America　and　sending　from　Europe　armies

to　fight。　There　were　various　reasons　for　this　hesitation　about

plunging　formally　into　war。　Each　side　wished　to　delay　until　sure

of　its　alliances　in　Europe。　During　the　war　ending　in　1748　France

had　fought　with　Frederick　of　Prussia　against　Austria；　and　Britain

had　been　Austria's　ally。　The　war　had　been　chiefly　a　land　war；　but

France　had　been　beaten　on　the　sea。　Now　Britain　and　Prussia　were

drawing　together　and；　if　France　fought　them；　it　must　be　with

Austria　as　an　ally。　Such　an　alliance　offered　France　but　slight

advantage。　Austria；　an　inland　power；　could　not　help　France

against　an　adversary　whose　strength　was　on　the　sea；　she　could　not

aid　the　designs　of　France　in　America　or　in　India；　where　the

capable　French　leader　Dupleix　was　in　a　fair　way　to　build　up　a

mighty　oriental　empire。　Nor　had　France　anything　to　gain　in　Europe

from　an　Austrian　alliance。　The　shoe　was　on　the　other　foot。　The

supreme　passion　of　Maria　Theresa　who　ruled　Austria　was　to　recover

the　province　of　Silesia　which　had　been　seized　in　1740　by　Prussia

and　heldheld　to　this　day。　Austria　could　do　little　for　France

but　France　could　do　much　for　Austria。　So　Austria　worked　for　this

alliance。　It　is　a　story　of　intrigue。　Usually　in　France　the　King

carried　on　negotiations　with　foreign　countries　only　through　his

ministers；　who　knew　the　real　interests　of　France。　Now　the　astute

Austrian　statesman；　Kaunitz；　went　past　the　ministers　of　Louis　XV

to　Louis　himself。　This　was　the　heyday　of　Madame　de　Pompadour；　the

King's　mistress。　Maria　Theresa　condescended　to　intrigue　with　this

woman　whom　in　her　heart　she　despised。　There　is　still　much　mystery

in　the　affair。　The　King　was　flattered　into　thinking　that

personally　he　was　swaying　the　affairs　of　Europe　and　took　delight

in　deceiving　his　ministers　and　working　behind　their　backs。　While

events　in