diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-30 20:49:49 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-30 20:49:49 -0800 |
| commit | 382288fa0a9df135f148af26ee7f6b2194c74380 (patch) | |
| tree | 9a89d1fe2def5f3a2cbdd7b7004232c57f65c0a2 /old/62154-8.txt | |
| parent | 0191c657b1b6d8c9d0b1f9153a76cd39736ed9e0 (diff) | |
Diffstat (limited to 'old/62154-8.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/62154-8.txt | 9129 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 9129 deletions
diff --git a/old/62154-8.txt b/old/62154-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 73447fe..0000000 --- a/old/62154-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9129 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Canada, by Beckles Willson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Canada - -Author: Beckles Willson - -Illustrator: Henry Sandham - -Release Date: May 16, 2020 [EBook #62154] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CANADA *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: Cover art] - - - - -[Frontispiece: Landing of the Loyalists, 1783 (Page 260)] - - - - -[Illustration: Title page] - - - - - ROMANCE OF EMPIRE - - - CANADA - - - BY - - BECKLES WILLSON - - AUTHOR OF 'THE GREAT FUR COMPANY,' 'LEDGER AND SWORD,' ETC. - - - - WITH TWELVE REPRODUCTIONS FROM ORIGINAL COLOURED DRAWINGS BY - HENRY SANDHAM - - - - LONDON: T. C. & E. C. JACK, LTD. - 35 PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C., & EDINBURGH - - 1907 - - - - - - TO MY SON - - GORDON - - - - -{vii} - -PREFACE - -In the following pages is told the history of my native land, as a -sagamore of the olden time might tell the legends of the past to the -young braves of his tribe gathered round the lodge fire. Though -primarily intended for youth, yet there is scarce any one of -intelligence and spirit who may not find some entertainment in -hearing of the doings of the valiant heroes, the bloodthirsty -villains, the virtuous ladies who played their part in the Canadian -drama, and then passed for ever away. - -Elsewhere I have given the story of Hudson's Bay,[1] and what is -recounted here of fur-traders and fur-trading forts owes much, as the -reader will expect, to my former book. - - -[1] _The Great Fur Company_ 1899. - - - - -{ix} - -CONTENTS - - -CHAPTER I - -CARTIER UNFURLS THE FLAG OF THE LILIES - - -CHAPTER II - -POUTRAINCOURT GOES FORTH TO ACADIA - - -CHAPTER III - -OF THE DOINGS OF GALLANT CHAMPLAIN - - -CHAPTER IV - -ROMANCE OF THE TWO DE LA TOURS - - -CHAPTER V - -THE FOUNDING OF MONTREAL - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE FURY OF THE IROQUOIS - - -CHAPTER VII - -STRANGE DOINGS AT PORT ROYAL - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE COMING OF FRONTENAC - - -{x} - -CHAPTER IX - -"QUEBEC FOR KING LOUIS" - - -CHAPTER X - -KING LOUIS BUILDS A MIGHTY FORT - - -CHAPTER XI - -HOW LOUISBURG SURRENDERED AND WAS GIVEN BACK - - -CHAPTER XII - -THE ACADIANS ARE BANISHED FROM ACADIA - - -CHAPTER XIII - -TERRIBLE FIGHTS OVER THE BORDER - - -CHAPTER XIV - -HOW THE GALLANT WOLFE TOOK QUEBEC - - -CHAPTER XV - -LEVIS AND THE NOBLES RETIRE TO OLD FRANCE - - -CHAPTER XVI - -THE COMING OF THE LOYALISTS - - -CHAPTER XVII - -HOW CANADA'S ENEMY WAS FOILED - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -TRAITORS, REDCOATS, AND REDSKINS - - -INDEX - - - - -{xi} - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - -Landing of the Loyalists, 1783 ... Frontispiece - -Jacques Cartier and the Redskins - -"The Order of a Good Time," 1606 - -De la Tour refuses to yield his Allegiance, 1630 - -Maisonneuve covering the Retreat of his Followers, 1644 - -Dollard strikes his Last Blow, 1658 - -"My Guns will give my Answer," Frontenac, 1690 - -Heroic Defence by Madeleine de Verchères and her Brothers, 1692 - -Wolfe's Army scaling the Cliff at Quebec, 1759 - -Laura Secord intercepted by the Mohawk Scouts - -Meeting of the Nor'-Westers at Fort William, 1816 - -The Defeat of Louis Riel, Fish Creek, 1885. - - - - -{1} - -THE ROMANCE OF CANADA - - - -CHAPTER I - -CARTIER UNFURLS THE FLAG OF THE LILIES - -Nearly four centuries ago, in the spring of the year, the banks of -the river Thames from Windsor to Greenwich were lined with a -multitude of gaily-dressed lieges. Artisans and their wives, -tradesmen and apprentices, farmers in smock frocks, gentlemen in -doublets and hose, and ladies in farthingales, all came out to snatch -a peep of a brave spectacle. From lip to lip ran the news that at -last the royal barge in its crimson and gold trappings had set out -from Windsor. Bluff "King Hal," as the people affectionately termed -their monarch, and his new queen, Anne Boleyn, were that day making -their first voyage together down the Thames to the royal palace at -Greenwich. - -Glance at this spectacle but a moment, for, if an English reader and -more familiar with English than with Canadian history, it will serve -to fix the date of my story's opening firmly in your mind. The banks -are re-echoing with loyal cheers, the State {2} bargemen are plying -their oars and the State trumpeters their trumpets, while poor Anne -Boleyn, little dreaming of the fate awaiting her, smiles and nods -merrily at the crowds who wave their silken kerchiefs in the -sunshine. So this first water pageant of the season passes along. - -Now, History borrowing something of Romance, has so ordered it that -on this self-same day, the 20th of April 1534, when the English King -was setting out on the river journey with his new queen, on the other -side of the English Channel another and very different embarkation -was taking place, and a very different voyage was begun. - -The object of this enterprise was far indeed from pleasure, and its -consequences were very important and far-reaching, not only to the -King of France, but to King Henry the Eighth's successors, the -English people and the British Empire of our own day. Different as -it was, there was here, too, cheering and waving of caps and cries of -"Vive le Roi!" as the soldiers, sailors, and townsfolk on the dock at -St. Malo bade lion-hearted Jacques Cartier godspeed on his -adventurous voyage to the New World. - -At this time, you must bear in mind, more than forty years had -elapsed since Christopher Columbus had returned to Spain with tidings -of his glorious discovery on the other side of the Atlantic. When -Jacques Cartier, son of a Breton mariner, was born, all Europe was -still ringing with the news. As the child grew up he heard tales of -how often famous mariners had in turn sailed boldly to the west and -{3} claimed for Spain, Portugal, and England the lands which might -lead to India and serve as gateway to the Spice Islands of the East. -Amongst these sailors were John Cabot and his son Sebastian, who, -although themselves Venetians, sailed from the port of Bristol and -flew the English flag. In 1498 the Cabots explored the whole coast -of North America from Labrador to South Carolina, and were the first -Europeans actually to land in the country we to-day know as Canada. -After the Cabots, who claimed the whole northern lands for England, -came, a quarter of a century later, a Florentine navigator, named -Verrazano, who declared the entire region annexed to the French -Crown. And now, because of Verrazano's claim, King Francis of France -was sending Jacques Cartier forth from St. Malo with two little ships -and 120 men to explore inland and set up the French flag and a French -colony in a New France beyond the sea. So this Frenchman, valiant, -lean, and rugged, with his little band of compatriots, sailed away on -that April day while Bluff King Hal of England was merrymaking on the -Thames, well content with his little isle of England, giving no -thought to Empire or distant deeds of discovery and conquest amongst -the savage nations of the earth. - -Straight towards the setting sun steered Cartier and his men. As -they were not buffeted greatly by the waves, in twenty days' time, on -the 10th of May, they reached the straits which led to the gulf and -river of St. Lawrence. How their hearts leapt when they sighted -land! On their left they saw the great island of Newfoundland and on -the right Labrador's {4} bleak shores stretched before them. -"Surely," cried Cartier, "this is Cain's portion of the earth!" But -their spirits rose when they sailed into the Gulf and came to rich -forests of pine, maple, and ash, with abundance of blossom and wild -berries on every hand. They had been afraid that the interior was as -desolate as their first glimpse of Labrador. The few Indians on the -banks gazed upon them with a wondering but friendly eye. The -explorers were unprepared, too, for the great heat which overtook -them. By day the land was bathed in intense sunshine, and at night a -gorgeous moon lit up the broad waters, while owls and bats wheeled in -air heavily perfumed with wild shrubs and flowers. A bay in which he -anchored Cartier called Baie des Chaleurs. Sailing on, he came to a -promontory, which he christened Cape Gaspé, where he landed and set -up a cross 30 feet high. On its front was a shield with the arms of -France. As you travel through Eastern Canada to-day you will -frequently come upon crosses by the wayside, where the country folk -kneel and say their prayers. This at Gaspé was the first cross -erected in New France. While the pious sailors were erecting it a -number of red-men flocked near and surveyed the proceeding jealously, -as if the white newcomers were about to charm away their land; but -Cartier explained as best he could to their medicine-men and -distributed amongst them some knives and trinkets, of which he had -brought out hither a goodly store. - -Having quieted their suspicions, Cartier lured two of the young -red-men into his ship, wishing to {5} show them, on his return, to -the King. Cartier had meant to continue his voyage much farther -westward, but adverse winds met him, wherefore, abandoning this -resolution, and taking counsel with his officers and pilots, he -decided to set sail for France. As truly as Columbus he had -discovered a new world, and from the two natives whom he bore away -Jacques Cartier had learnt of the existence of the great river St. -Lawrence. So much interest was awakened in France by Cartier's -narrative of his voyage, that there was no difficulty about procuring -the money for another expedition. The French Court and people were -filled with enthusiasm about Canada, and so they continued to be for -more than two centuries. How their hope and confidence were rewarded -we shall see in due time. - -When Jacques Cartier again took his departure from St. Malo, in May -1535, he commanded three ships and 110 sailors. A number of nobles -and gentlemen, moreover, belonging to some of the proudest families -in France, went with him, eager for adventure. They thought, as -marine adventurers often thought in those days, that this time surely -they would find the gateway to the passage of Cathay and win wealth -untold. But they were not so lucky as at first; the winds were so -bad that seven weeks elapsed before Cartier reached the Straits of -Belle Isle. From this point the squadron steered for the Gulf St. -Lawrence, so named by Cartier in honour of the saint upon whose day -it was discovered. Keeping on, as his Indian interpreters bade him -do, he sailed up that stream which the Indians called "The Great -River of Canada." - -{6} - -Can you wonder at Cartier and his attendant nobles feeling a thrill -of excitement as the landscape no white man had ever seen before -slowly unfolded itself to view? Opposite the great mouth of the -mysterious Saguenay red-men in birch bark canoes came to greet them. -Their two interpreters could exchange language with these, although -their many months' residence in France had made them very different -in appearance from their brother savages of Canada. They wore now -slashed crimson doublets and brilliant striped hose, while the -massive feathers in their heads caused the Canadian Indians to regard -them as chiefs of great renown. Cartier led his ships on to what the -natives called "The Kingdom of Canada," which stretched along the St. -Lawrence as far as the Island of Montreal, where the King of -Hochelaga held his sway. To the fertile Isle of Orleans, which -Cartier reached on the 9th of September, he gave the name of Isle of -Bacchus, on account of the abundant grape vines growing upon it. -From here the explorer could see on the north bank of the great river -a towering promontory lit up by the morning sun. This was Cape -Diamond, at whose base there crouched the Indian village of -Stadacona. Cartier anchored here his little fleet, and the chief of -the neighbouring tribe, Donacona, came to greet him, with twelve -canoes full of warriors. After a speech of welcome, the women of the -tribe, or squaws, danced and sang without ceasing, standing in water -up to their knees. - -Jacques Cartier was delighted with the country he had discovered, and -lost no time in deciding to proceed {7} up the river as far as -Hochelaga. Donacona and the other chiefs, on hearing this, did their -utmost to dissuade him by inventing stories about the dangers of the -river. Perceiving these made little impression on the sturdy sailor, -three Indians were forthwith dressed as devils, "with faces painted -as black as coal, with horns as long as the arm, and covered with the -skins of black and white dogs." Cartier was told that these devils -were the servants of the Indian god at Hochelaga, who warned the -European strangers that "there was so much snow and ice that all -would die." To their astonishment, however, Cartier only laughed at -such tricks, and told them that "their god was a mere fool, and that -Jesus would preserve them from all danger if they would believe in -Him." Wishing also to impress upon them his own great power, he -ordered several pieces of artillery to be discharged in the presence -of the chief and his warriors; whereupon they became filled with -astonishment and dread. Never before had they heard such terrible -sounds. What were these strangers who could produce thunder at will? -To reassure them, the "pale-face" chief distributed trinkets, small -crosses, beads, pieces of glass, and other trifles amongst them and -sailed on boldly up the river. - -In a fortnight a town, consisting of about fifty large huts or cabins -surrounded by wooden palisades, came into view; 1200 souls belonging -to a tribe called the Algonquins dwelt here in Hochelaga. The whole -population assembled on the banks and gave the visitors friendly -welcome. All that night the savages remained on the shore, burning -bonfires, {8} dancing, and crying out "Aguaze!" which was their word -for welcome and joy. The poor Indians took Cartier and his men for -gods. He distributed gifts amongst them and professed to heal their -ailments. - -[Illustration: Jacques Cartier and the Red-skins] - -Near the town of Hochelaga was a mountain, to which the Indians -conducted their visitors. From the summit this first band of -Europeans in Canada gazed down at the wonderful panorama spread -before their eyes, glistening rivers, green meadows, and forests of -maple brilliant in autumn scarlets and yellows. Naming this lofty -eminence Mount Royal, Jacques Cartier and his companions returned to -Stadacona. Having decided to spend the winter in Canada, a fort was -forthwith built on the shore, but before the little colony could be -more than half prepared, a fierce Canadian blizzard was upon them. -Never had they known such cold and such tempests. From their lack of -fresh food, scurvy rioted amongst them, and out of 110 men 25 died. -When the disease was at its height an Indian told them that they -could be cured by the juice of a spruce tree. Out of their fort they -ran with the axes, and so quickly did they drink the juice that in -six days the whole of a great tree had been consumed. - -Thus was the little colony made well again. Lest the Indians should -know how weak they were during that terrible winter, they continued -to dread; but no attack was made upon them, and in the spring Cartier -made ready to return to France. This time Donacona and four other -chiefs were seized by stratagem and taken on board ship. A cross 30 -feet high, with the fleur-de-lys fastened to {9} it, was set up on -the shore, and in the middle of May the waters of the St. Lawrence -began to bear them down to the Gulf and the open Atlantic. Exactly -one month later Cartier was being greeted by the cheers of the people -of his native St. Malo. - -Alas! Donacona and the other Indian braves whom the French had borne -away never returned to Stadacona and their forest haunts. Before -Cartier was ready to make another voyage to Canada, five years later, -all had pined away and died. It was then that the Sieur de Roberval, -a nobleman of Picardy, was appointed by King Francis as lieutenant, -with the high-sounding titles of Governor of Canada, Hochelaga, -Saguenay, Newfoundland, Belle Isle, Carpunt, Labrador, the Great Bay, -and of Baccalaos, as well as Lord of Norembaga, which latter country -existed only in imagination. Roberval meant to have gone out with -Cartier, but was detained until the following year. On his third -voyage Jacques Cartier visited Hochelaga and tried to pass up the -river beyond the village, but the dangerous rapids of Lachine caused -him to pause. When he returned to France a year later, he took with -him some small transparent stones which he supposed were diamonds, -but which were really only quartz crystals; he also carried away what -he deemed to be gold ore, but which turned out to be merely mica. On -the way back he met the Sieur de Roberval, who afterwards built a -fort on the St. Lawrence and explored the surrounding country. But -Roberval wrought nothing, and famine at length reduced the survivors -to a state of abject dependence upon the natives. In vain Roberval -entreated the {10} King to come to his rescue with supplies of -colonists, food, and ammunition. Instead of acceding to this -petition, King Francis despatched orders for his lieutenant to return -home to France. Roberval reluctantly obeyed, and thus this first -attempt to establish a French colony on the banks of the St. Lawrence -ended in failure. - -Cartier was allowed by the King to bear always the title of -"Captain." He undertook no more voyages into unknown lands, but died -about 1577 in his own manor-house close to St. Malo. While he was -thus spending his later years in an enforced retirement, eating his -heart out for want of adventure, a daring Spaniard, De Soto, was -facing dangers at the other and southern end of the Continent, close -to the triple mouths of the Mississippi, which he had discovered. - -King Francis of France, years before, had been stricken by death, and -thereupon his country became plunged in unhappy civil war. Catholic -and Huguenot dipped their blades in each other's blood; but in the -midst of the long and deadly strife Canada was not wholly forgotten. -Frenchmen still spoke with pride of the valiant Cartier and the flag -of the lilies which he had unfurled in the Western world. - - - - -{11} - -CHAPTER II - -POUTRAINCOURT GOES FORTH TO ACADIA - -It was a terrible era for France. Catholics and Huguenots made -fierce war upon one another, and in the midst of all the fighting and -murders and massacres such as that of St. Bartholomew, which you may -read about in French history, conquest and discovery languished. -Although the King, the Court, and the Cardinals had no time to spare -to Canada, yet you must not suppose that for the next fifty years -there was no connection at all between the New World and France. The -red-men, paddling up and down the mighty St. Lawrence, very often met -with pale-face mariners eager to exchange guns and hatchets and beads -for the furs of the animals trapped in the northern wilderness. Many -European ships--often over a hundred sail--came every year to -Newfoundland to the cod-fisheries off that coast, and some of these -sailed onward into the Gulf and on to Tadoussac, and even as far as -Three Rivers. At these places fur-trading stations were set up, and -hither repaired each season the hardy mariners, who were not slow to -discover more profit in Europe out of sable and beaver skins than out -of cod-fish. Those wild animals, whose fur was esteemed in France -and {12} other lands, were so plentiful in Canada that in course of -time the peltry trade, as it was called, grew to be the principal -business of the country. As each spring came round the savage -tribes, whose hunting-grounds were far in the interior, would pack -their furs in canoes and paddle hundreds of miles down the lakes and -rivers to the post where the white trader was awaiting them. When -the Indian had bartered his furs, back he paddled again to his own -hunting-grounds, and the trader in turn sailed back to France, to -return the next season. - -Meanwhile, too, English sailors, lieges to the great Elizabeth, had -been visiting the New World which Cabot had claimed for England. -First there came Martin Frobisher in 1576, who, looking for a short -route to India, set foot on the shores of Labrador. Again, on the -other side of the continent, Sir Francis Drake, sailing round the -world, sighted the snowy peaks on the borders of British Columbia, -which afterwards became a part of the Canadian Dominion. Then came -Sir Humphrey Gilbert, half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh, with 260 -men and several ships, to plant a colony in Newfoundland. Sir -Humphrey's sovereign mistress, Elizabeth, had graciously granted him -a charter of 600 miles in every direction from St. John's, whereby he -became lord and master of what we know to-day as Nova Scotia, New -Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and parts of Labrador and Quebec. -It was on a serene August morning that the fleet reached harbour. -Donning his most gorgeous doublet of lace and velvet, and surrounded -by his stalwart retainers, Sir {13} Humphrey landed at St. John's and -took possession of Newfoundland in Elizabeth's name. When he had -reconnoitred the coast, our courtier resolved to return with his -people to England for provisions and reinforcements. Nowadays many -of our bravest sailors would be afraid to trust themselves in the -little ships that formed his fleet. They were very short, curved, -and blunt, and, compared to our modern floating castles, were only -giant cockle-shells. A few days out a hurricane arose, and in the -midst of the raging seas Sir Humphrey's ship, the _Squirrel_, was -doomed. But not even his dreadful fate, when it loomed around him, -could fill the brave commander's soul with fear. With waves -careering mast-high he sat placidly on deck with a Bible on his lap. -"Cheer up, lads," cried he to his sailors, "we are as near heaven on -sea as on land." And so the cruel billows rolled over the -_Squirrel_, and it and the brave souls it bore were lost for ever. -The expedition from which so much had been hoped in England was an -utter failure. It was the sons of France who were destined to found -and people Canada, and to perform such deeds of daring valour and -endurance as are not to be surpassed in the history of our own island -motherland. Englishmen, it is true, were to have all Canada at last, -but nearly two hundred years were to roll by before their soldiers -could wrest the mainland from their hereditary rivals. - -Fifteen years had passed since Sir Humphrey Gilbert went down in the -little _Squirrel_, when a French noble, the Marquis de la Roche, -received a commission from King Henry the Fourth of France {14} to -colonise Canada. With the commission in his pocket the Marquis knew -not which way to turn. It was not easy in those days to find -Frenchmen ready to live in a country supposed to be ice and snow the -whole year round. But "where there's a will there's a way," and the -Marquis at last chose fifty sturdy convicts from the prisons and -galleys, and, embarking with his retinue, set sail for the West. A -long low sandbank called Sable Island guards the entrance to St. -Lawrence Gulf, and here the Viceroy set forty of his convicts ashore -while he explored the waters roundabout. At first the marooned -convicts were delighted with their freedom. They roamed hither and -thither, finding a lagoon of fresh water, frequented by wild cattle -and coveys of wild ducks. Sweet berries flourished in abundance. -During all that summer the convicts amused themselves, keeping a -sharp look-out for the return of their lord and master, the Marquis, -who had gone to find them a haven to settle in and build their -dwellings. Day succeeded day, week followed week, but the Marquis -never came back. A violent storm had arisen which drove his vessel -eastward across the wide Atlantic to the very shores of France, where -the hapless nobleman was seized by a powerful enemy and cast into -prison. Can you not picture the rage and despair of the unhappy men -on Sable Island when they realised their plight? Winter was fast -approaching, and they had neither proper food, fuel, nor raiment. -Quarrelling fiercely, they slew one another, while those who were -left, huddled together in rude huts formed of wreckage, lived on raw -{15} flesh and dressed themselves in the hides of wild cattle. They -gave themselves up for lost, but at length the Marquis de la Roche, -far away in France, was able to tell the King of the predicament of -the abandoned convicts. A ship was sent out to rescue them, and, -like so many wild animals, with long matted hair and beards, they -grovelled at the feet of their deliverers. After such hardships as -they had undergone, King Henry was not the one to send them back to -prison; he pardoned them instead, and all who had survived went back -to their homes. De la Roche, broken in health and fortune, died soon -after, so this project for starting a colony was, as you see, not a -whit luckier than Cartier's or Roberval's or Sir Humphrey Gilbert's -had been. Was the next attempt to reap greater success? - -In that summer of 1599, when the convicts were still on Sable Island, -to the north of them, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, fur-trading ships -pressed forward under full canvas to the westward. These ships were -owned by two men of King Henry's Huguenot subjects, named Pontgravé -and Chauvin, who had formed themselves into a partnership to buy and -sell furs. No trader could lift a finger in those days without a -royal charter or patent, and these men were influential enough to get -a charter from the King bestowing upon them the exclusive right to -the fur trade of Canada. It was hardly likely they could really make -good such a right, or that the other Frenchmen who had been buying -furs from the Indians would thereafter stop buying them on account of -it. But it was a safe precaution, and {16} made their rivals' -operations illegal. On their part Pontgravé and Chauvin promised the -King that they would settle in Canada 500 colonists. In this they -were promising more than they could perform; the most they actually -did do was to induce sixteen men to remain all winter at Tadoussac, -with insufficient food, clothing, and shelter. Alas! when the ships -from France appeared in the St. Lawrence next year, the last year of -the sixteenth century, they found most of the sixteen dead. Their -surviving companions had married native wives and gone to live in the -wigwams of the Indians. Once more you see this enterprise had not -fared any better than those which had gone before, and, like the -others, Chauvin died recognising bitterly that his scheme was a -failure. - -How was it with his partner, Pontgravé? Pontgravé was only a trader, -but he was of dogged tenacity. He saw that if Canada could be -colonised by his countrymen, there was a great fortune to be made out -of the fur trade, and the way to do it, he reasoned, was to bring his -chief rivals together to form a company, so that, instead of being -enemies, all would work together to keep out the smaller traders or -"pirates," and gradually establish proper trading-posts in Canada. -An influential and wealthy old soldier named Aymar de Chastes, -Governor of Rouen, interested himself in the scheme, and, being high -in favour with the King of France, he procured a charter and set -about seeing if he and his friends could not succeed where the others -had been so signally defeated. - -{17} - -We have now reached the point in our story at which Samuel de -Champlain, the real founder of New France, enters upon the scene. -For Aymar de Chastes, casting about for an experienced and -adventurous spirit to help in the new enterprise, bethought him of a -valorous naval captain who had recently returned from Mexico and the -Spanish main, ready for anything which would fill his purse or -increase his renown. Captain de Champlain was a truly great man, no -mere hot-blooded, roystering swashbuckler, as many adventurers were -in those days, but romantic, pious, and humane. He was then about -thirty-six years old. Offering with alacrity his sword and his skill -on an exploring expedition up the St. Lawrence, Champlain went, in -company with Pontgravé and another adventure-loving nobleman of the -Court, Pierre du Gast, better known as the Sieur de Monts. When -these pioneers reached Tadoussac they left their ships and ascended -the river in boats to the farthest point yet reached, the Rapids, -just above Hochelaga, now the city of Montreal. Just as Jacques -Cartier had done nearly seventy years before, Champlain toiled up the -forest-clad slopes of Mount Royal in order to obtain a good view of -the surrounding country. He, too, was charmed with all that met his -eye, and having drawn up a map and written down a narrative of all he -had seen, Champlain and his companions re-embarked in the autumn, -when the Canadian woods were brilliant in their browns and purples, -yellow and crimson foliage, and sailed back across the salt seas to -France. What was their mortification to discover that during {18} -their absence their patron, De Chastes, had died, and the company he -had exerted himself to make prosperous was all but broken up. But -Champlain was not to be beaten. He showed his narrative and his maps -to the good and wise King Henry, who was perfectly satisfied of his -good faith, and agreed to allow De Monts and his friends to continue -the work of colonising Canada and organising the fur trade. De -Monts, who was a Huguenot, was forthwith appointed the King's Viceroy -in New France, on condition that he and the others bore all the cost -of the expedition, and by and by, in the spring of 1604, four vessels -once more sailed away. It was arranged that two of the ships should -engage in the fur trade on the St. Lawrence, while the other two were -to carry out the colonists, soldiers, work-people, priests, -gentlemen, and, as always happened, as always must happen, a few -rogues, to whichever spot De Monts selected for the purpose. The -little fleet steered farther south than was done in the last voyage, -and thus it came to pass that it finally reached that part of New -France then called Acadia, and to-day marked Nova Scotia on the map. -How it came by its name of Nova Scotia you shall hear later on. One -day, just before De Monts and his heterogeneous crew landed, they -anchored in a harbour where one of their sheep (_moutons_) jumped -overboard. So De Monts, who was not without a vein of humour in -these matters, christened the harbour Port Mouton. All were -delighted with the beauty of the landscape, the grassy meadows, the -silvery streams replete with fish, the wooded mountains. - -{19} - -Besides De Monts and Champlain there was a third leader of the -expedition, a certain rich nobleman of Picardy named Baron de -Poutraincourt. It was Poutraincourt who named the place where he -wished to found a colony Port Royal. It was, wrote Champlain -afterwards, "the most commodious, pleasant place that we had yet seen -in this country." Unhappily the leaders could not instantly make up -their minds, and the landing and settlement actually took place many -leagues farther along on the banks of a river which now forms the -boundary between the two great countries of America and Canada, which -river was then, and ever since has been, called the Holy Cross (Ste. -Croix) River. What a scene of joyous bustle ensued! Eighty people -disembarked from the ships, and were soon hard at work building the -little fort and houses of the first French settlement on the coast of -the North-American Continent. While the colony was thus -industriously making ready for the winter, Champlain, thinking he -might be better employed, went off exploring the coast in his ship, -sailing up and down what was destined to become long before he died -the territory of New England. - -Great trials were in store for the little colony. Very quickly the -settlers found that Holy Cross River was a very uncomfortable place, -lacking sufficient shelter, with little or no fuel handy. What was -far worse than the winter's cold, scurvy broke out amongst them, and -by the time the leaves were putting forth their first blossoms -thirty-six persons had perished of this disease. Poutraincourt's -choice, {20} Port Royal, after all, was best, and there in late -spring they began to construct a town near what is now called -Annapolis. De Monts and Poutraincourt returned in the autumn to -France, and after much labour and trouble managed to induce a large -number of mechanics and workers to come out to Acadia. It must be -confessed that there were on board Poutraincourt's ship, the _Jonas_, -which sailed from Rochelle in May 1600, some very reckless, unruly -characters. But their leader felt convinced that they would make -good colonists, if they were only shown the way. Amongst those to -help him he had brought a very clever man, Lescarbot, a lawyer and -poet, full of enthusiasm for the new project. - -In the meantime what of the founders and original settlers of Port -Royal? Thinking they had been deserted by their leaders, and lacking -provisions and clothing, they became almost as discouraged as the -poor convicts had been on Sable Island. - -As the summer season wore on they constructed two little craft--the -very first ships ever built in Canada--and straightway sailed for the -Newfoundland fishery banks to seek some of their countrymen, leaving -two only of their number and a wise old Indian chief, named -Meinbertou, to greet the newcomers on board the _Jonas_. A peal of a -cannon from the little fort testified to the joy of its inmates that -the long-expected succour was at last at hand. A party was sent to -overtake the little Port Royal ship to bring back the colonists. No -sooner were they landed than Poutraincourt broached a hogshead of -wine, and Port Royal became a scene of mirth {21} and festivity. -When Champlain and Poutraincourt went off to make further -exploration, Lescarbot was left in charge of the colony. He set -briskly to work to show the people how they should become prosperous. -He ordered crops of wheat, rye, and barley to be sown in the rich -meadows and gardens to be planted. Some he cheered, others he shamed -into industry, never sparing himself, so that by and by it was not -wonderful that everybody loved the merry, witty, bustling Lescarbot. -Not a day passed but he set going some new and useful work. Until -now the people had ground their corn with hand-mills, as their -fathers and grandfathers had done for hundreds of years; Lescarbot -showed them how to make a water-mill. He also taught them how to -make fire-bricks and a furnace, and how to turn the sap of the trees -into tar and turpentine. No wonder the Indians, astonished to see so -many novel industries growing up before their eyes, cried out, "How -many things these Normans know!" When the explorers returned to Port -Royal, rather dispirited, Lescarbot arranged a masquerade to welcome -them back, and all the ensuing winter, which was extremely mild, was -given up to content and good cheer. Then it was that Champlain -started his famous "Order of a Good Time," of which many stories have -come down to us. The members of this order were the fifteen leading -men of Port Royal. They met in Poutraincourt's great hall, where the -great log fire roared merrily. For a single day each of the members -was saluted by the rest as Grand Master and wore round his neck the -splendid collar of office, while he busied himself {22} with the duty -of providing dinner and entertainment. One and all declared the fish -and game were better than in Paris, and plenty of wine there was to -toast the King and one another in turn. At the right hand of the -Grand Master sat the guest of honour, the wrinkled sagamore, -Membertou, nearly one hundred years old, his eyes gleaming with -amusement as toast, song, and tale followed one another. On the -floor squatted other Indians who joined in the gay revels. As a -final item on the programme, the pipe of peace, with its huge -lobster-like bowl, went round, and all smoked it in turn until the -tobacco in its fiery oven was exhausted. Then, and not till then, -the long winter evening was over. - -[Illustration: 'The Order of a Good Time' 1606] - -What jolly times those were! If only they could have lasted! Port -Royal might have become a great city and Acadia a populous province. -But bad tidings for Port Royal came from France. The next ship that -sailed into the harbour brought word that De Monts' charter had been -revoked by the King, and his friends would support his scheme with no -more money. So there appeared nothing to do but to bid good-bye to -Port Royal and their Indian friends, who watched them depart with -sadness, promising to look after the fort and its belongings until -the white men should return from over the wide sea. - -Champlain had already in his heart chosen another field--the lands -far inland on the St. Lawrence; but as for Poutraincourt, he swore to -deal a blow at his enemies in France and come back to take deep root -in the fertile Acadian soil. While, therefore, Champlain {23} was -with his followers founding Quebec, and De Monts, discouraged, had -lost all interest in Acadia, Poutraincourt busied himself to such -purpose that three years later (1610), in spite of all the baffling -obstacles he met with, he set out again for his promised land with a -fresh shipload of settlers. - -At this time King Henry the Fourth was surrounded by members of the -Society of Jesus (called Jesuits), who had made themselves already -very powerful in the politics of Europe. The King ordered -Poutraincourt to take out a Jesuit priest to Acadia, but -Poutraincourt, distrusting the Jesuits, evaded the priest who had -been chosen to accompany him at Bordeaux, and took out one of his own -choosing instead, Father La Flèche. What was their joy when they -landed in midsummer to find everything at Port Royal just as they had -left it! One may be sure the Indians gave their pale-face friends a -cordial greeting. Old Membertou, still alive, embraced Poutraincourt -and declared that now he was ready to be baptized a Christian. The -christening duly took place, and the ancient sagamore was renamed -Henri, after the King, and his chief squaw was christened Marie, -after the Queen. There were numerous other Indian converts, and -great celebrations took place, for the colonists were religious -enthusiasts and believed such doings would give great satisfaction to -the King. - -But, alas, the King was never to hear of it! Even while all this was -happening, while the future of the colony promised so well, a -terrible blow had fallen upon it and the realm of France. The brave -and {24} humane Henry the Fourth had been stabbed to death by the -dagger of the assassin Ravaillac. The new King, Louis the -Thirteenth, being only a little boy, all the power and influence of -the Court fell into the hands of the Queen Dowager, Marie de Medici, -a false and cruel woman. Her closest friends and advisers were the -Jesuit priests. Now these Jesuits, although professing Christianity -and brotherly love, held in horror anybody who did not think exactly -as they did. They wanted especially, by whatever means, to make -converts of the Canadian savages. They wanted too, being very -ambitious, to get the direction of the affairs of the New World into -their own hands. - -Yet ignorant of the royal tragedy, Poutraincourt sent his son, -Biencourt, a fine youth of eighteen, back in the ship to France, to -report to his Majesty the success at Port Royal in converting the -natives. Whereupon the Jesuits decided that the time had come to -supplant Poutraincourt. They announced that they would send back two -of their priests with young Biencourt. A number of rich and pious -Catholic ladies of the Court, headed by Madame de Guercheville, -interested themselves so far in the work as to buy up all the rights -of Poutraincourt's friends and partners, including De Monts, as -proprietors of Acadia. Henceforward Poutraincourt was to be under -the dependence of the Jesuits. That was the unwelcome news his son -sailed back to tell him. The two priests whom he was obliged to -receive--Biard and Ennemond Massé--were the very first members of -their famous order to engage in the {25} work of converting the -North-American Indians. You will see as our story progresses what a -terrible and dangerous task this was, and how it demanded men of -boundless zeal and courage to undertake it. - -Under the circumstance, quarrels were to be expected; and quarrels -enough came. The Jesuits at Court, finding Poutraincourt -insubordinate, seized the trading vessels destined for Port Royal on -one pretext or another, and brought about so many imprisonments and -lawsuits, that at last Poutraincourt was ruined. No longer could he -send out supplies of provisions, and his people at Port Royal had to -subsist through a whole winter upon acorns, beech-nuts, and wild -roots. When Madame de Guercheville and her Jesuit friends had thus -crippled poor Poutraincourt, she withdrew the priests to other -localities named in her charter, over which she really supposed she -had control. As for the sturdy old sagamore, Membertou or Chief -Henri, he soon breathed his last. On his deathbed he prayed to be -buried with his forefathers, but of course the priests overcame his -scruples, and his wrinkled body was laid in the little cemetery at -Port Royal. - -You may be interested to know what were the French Jesuit rights in -North-America. The charter the young king, or rather the Queen -Dowager, gave to Madame de Guercheville actually included nearly all -the territory from the St. Lawrence River to Florida. Was there no -one at hand to remind the crafty Marie that the continent she thus -complacently handed over was not hers or {26} her son's to bestow; -that the English had a far better right than the French to its -possession; that in that very year an English colony had been settled -in Virginia, chartered by King James the First of England? Curious -to relate, the land which the English king granted was as wide in -extent, in truth it was almost the very same region as that claimed -by the French. So here we have the cause and beginning of a quarrel -which occasioned seas of bloodshed, and was to last, very nearly -without interruption, for just a century and a half, between the -French and the English colonists in North-America. - -In the spring of 1613 the Jesuits despatched a new expedition under a -courtier named La Saussaye, who, having landed at Port Royal to take -on board the two priests there, sailed on and founded a new colony at -Mount Desert, now in the American State of Maine. They had just -commenced to erect buildings and put up the walls of a fort, when, -greatly to their surprise, a strange war-ship appeared in the little -harbour. It drew nearer, and they saw, with misgivings, the -blood-red cross of St. George floating from the mast-head. The -captain of the war-ship turned out to be Samuel Argall, a young and -daring English mariner, who had joined his fortunes to those of -Virginia. While he was cruising with sixty men off the coast of -Maine on the lookout for codfish, some friendly Indians boarded the -ship and told him that French intruders were hard by, building a -fort. By no means a kind, indulgent young man was Argall, and his -eyes kindled angrily. - -{27} - -"Oho!" he exclaimed, with an oath, "how dare these rascals venture -into King James, my master's territory!" Whereupon, stimulated by -hopes of plunder, he unmuzzled his fourteen cannon and assaulted and -sacked the yet defenceless French settlement, killing several, -including one of the priests, and making prisoners of the rest. This -done, he destroyed every trace of the colony. Fifteen Frenchmen, -including La Saussaye, he turned adrift in an open boat, while the -others he took back with him to Virginia. Those whom Argall -abandoned to their fate would surely have perished had it not been -for friendly Indians, who gave them food and helped them on their way -north. There they eventually met a trading vessel and were carried -back to France. As to the prisoners, on landing at Jamestown they -were treated as pirates by the English settlers there. Although -afterwards released, the Virginian governor, Sir Thomas Dale, was so -incensed at hearing from one of them about Port Royal, that he bade -Argall return, with three armed ships, and sweep every Frenchman out -of Acadia. Argall carried out his instructions only too well; he set -fire to the fort and settlement of Port Royal, and in a few hours the -entire place, the gallant Poutraincourt's hope and pride, was a mass -of smoking ruins. Luckily for themselves, most of the French -happened to be away in the forest at the time, and so saved their -lives. Some took permanent refuge with the Indians, and amongst -these was young Biencourt. Others found their way to the colony -which, as we shall now narrate, Champlain had by {28} this time -formed far away at Quebec. But it was all over with Port Royal, at -least for the present. With a heavy heart Poutraincourt sailed away -to France, and soon afterwards in battle laid down his life for his -sovereign. - -So ends the first chapter in the story of that part of Canada then -called Acadia. We will return to it again, for the adventurous young -Biencourt is still there roaming in the woods with a handful of -faithful followers, ready to found Port Royal anew. In the meantime -what was happening to Champlain, who a few years before had sailed a -thousand miles up the mighty St. Lawrence to found a colony? It is -high time that we should now turn to his adventures. - - - - -{29} - -CHAPTER III - -OF THE DOINGS OF GALLANT CHAMPLAIN - -When the Sieur de Monts abandoned Acadia, thinking, as indeed it -seemed, an evil spell had been cast upon it, he turned his attention -to Quebec and the river St. Lawrence. Here, far inland, was a fair -region which promised wealth and glory, and over this region he -appointed Champlain his lieutenant. Of the two ships which De Monts -fitted out one was for the fur trade, of which King Henry, ere his -heart was pierced by the dagger of Ravaillac, gave him a monopoly for -one year; the other was to carry colonists to found a new French -settlement. You have seen how one after another the French colonies -had, from this cause or that, come to destruction; but with such a -wise and strong head as Samuel de Champlain, one now was expected to -bear better and more lasting fruit. Truly, whatever their faults, -the founders of New France were very determined men, arising fresh -after each disaster, resolved to people with their countrymen the -great Western wilderness. When Champlain's ships, once safely -through the Straits of Belle Isle, reached Tadoussac, Champlain left -there his associate Pontgravé to barter for furs with the {30} -Indians. He himself continued his voyage up the river until he came -to the spot where Jacques Cartier had passed the winter of 1535, and -with his men consumed a whole spruce-tree in order to drive away the -scurvy. - -It was at Quebec (a word meaning in the Indian language a strait) -that on the third day of July 1607 Champlain gave orders to -disembark. In the shadow of the towering rock of Cape Diamond, the -first thing to be done was to clear a site and erect cabins for -shelter. As his men toiled on unceasingly the natives gathered round -in wonder and admiration. They were unaccustomed to much manual work -themselves, their squaws doing most of the labour. They saw in a few -short weeks the bastions of a fort and cannon set up. Scarcely had -the workmen completed their task and got all snug and tidy for the -winter than a plot was formed amongst some of Champlain's followers -to kill him. The leader of the plot was a Norman locksmith, Jean -Duval, a brave and violent fellow who had served with Champlain in -Acadia, and was impatient under any kind of authority. According to -the plan the conspirators drew up, their leader was to be shot, the -stores pillaged, and then they were all to fly to Spain with the -booty. Lucky it was for the great and good pioneer that one of the -plotters, filled with remorse, went to Champlain a few days before -the mutiny was to be carried out and confessed all. Champlain with -great promptitude seized Duval and hanged him to the nearest tree, -but the rest he only sent back to France, where the good King, at his -{31} request, pardoned them. Meanwhile Pontgravé had collected and -sailed away with his cargo of furs. Spring came; the snows melted -and were replaced by green meadows and blossoming trees; everywhere -the birds sang. Champlain, without waiting for Pontgravé's return, -set off up the river and soon met again friendly Indian chiefs of the -Algonquin and Huron tribes, who told him terrible tales of their -sufferings at the hands of their enemies the Iroquois or the Five -Nations. In their despair these chiefs sought out the -Man-with-the-Iron-Breast, as they called Champlain, on account of the -steel breast-plate he wore, and asked his help against the -blood-thirsty Iroquois. These men of the Five Nations, Mohawks, -Senecas, Cayugas, Onondagas, and Oneidas, lived in the forests south -of Lake Ontario, and were perhaps at once the most intelligent and -the most cruel of all the Indians on the continent. It was the -Iroquois who had destroyed the old Huron towns of Stadacona and -Hochelaga which Cartier had seen and described, and as they bore the -Hurons and Algonquins an implacable enmity, it was natural that they -would extend this enmity to the pale-faces who had now come to dwell -in the Huron country. They might, it is true, have been propitiated; -but Champlain did not stop to consider any questions of policy: he -favoured at once the idea of alliance with the surrounding red-men, -an alliance which was to cost him and his new colony a bloody and -fearful price. Champlain, then, made three warlike expeditions into -the country of the Iroquois during the next six years. In the first -he paddled in canoes {32} up the Richelieu River and came to a -beautiful lake, to which he gave his own name ("Lake Champlain"). -Meeting a party of Iroquois of the Mohawk nation or tribe, he fell -upon them suddenly. The Mohawks fancied at first that they had only -to do with Algonquins, and felt confident of victory, until the -Frenchmen's muskets rang out; then not fast enough could they flee in -panic from the magic bullets, leaving many slain, including their -bravest chiefs. Champlain had only 60 Frenchmen and Indians, while -the Mohawks numbered 200; but his victory was complete; not one of -his force was killed, and the town of the enemy was wiped from the -face of the earth. Notwithstanding Champlain's protests, the -Algonquins insisted on torturing one of their Iroquois captives to -death by every device of savage cruelty. Mercy was not in their -code; they neither gave it, nor, when captured, expected it. - -During the next three years Champlain was kept very busy in -explorations, in attacking the Iroquois, and in protecting his -colony. During this time he returned to France, and was favourably -received at Fontainebleau by King Henry, who listened with interest -to Champlain's tale of his adventures in "New France." But in spite -of royal favour, Champlain had so many rivals and enemies that, like -Poutraincourt in Acadia, he found it impossible to get the charter -renewed, and so his friend and patron, De Monts, was obliged to try -and get along without it. Equipping two more ships, he sent -Champlain back with them to Canada. - -The great ambition of Champlain's soul was to {33} find a passage -through the continent to China. At last it seemed to him that the -friendliness of the Hurons and Algonquins would furnish him with the -means of attaining this desire. He had just made arrangements with -the chiefs, when the news came to him of King Henry's assassination, -and he felt it was necessary for him to return without delay again to -France. De Monts, his patron, still enjoyed the title of -Lieutenant-General of New France, but his resources and influence had -been sadly crippled by the King's death, and the cost of keeping up -Quebec, Tadoussac, and Acadia was very great. He had no longer the -monopoly, that is to say, the sole right of buying and selling -Canadian furs--it was a right thrown open to other traders; and when -Champlain on his next voyage back from France once more sailed up the -St. Lawrence, he found many strange fur-traders trafficking with the -savages. - -The leader had now more to do and think about than ever; he wished, -moreover, to prepare a fitting home for a fair and youthful partner -who was ever in his thoughts. During his absence in Paris he had -espoused a charming Huguenot girl named Helen Bouillé, daughter of -the murdered King's private secretary. Her name survives to-day in -"Helen's Island" in the river opposite Montreal. So many traders did -Champlain find in the vicinity of this island, that he built a fort -there and resolved to turn the site of Hochelaga into a trading -station. Two uneventful years passed by, and then, in the very year -Argall was destroying hapless Port Royal (1613), Champlain's -imagination was kindled by the {34} astonishing tale of a certain -Nicholas Vignau. This adventurer had passed a winter amongst the -red-men of the upper Ottawa River. Vignau told his chief that, in -company with some Algonquins, he had once arrived at a remote -sea-shore, where his eyes had beheld the fragments of a wrecked -English ship. Champlain's heart bounded with joy; he thought his -hopes were now about to be realised. Taking Vignau, two white -followers, and an Indian guide, the explorer passed the dangerous -rapids of the Ottawa and made the acquaintance, one after another, of -its lakes, cataracts, and islands. He pressed on, passed the Rideau -(Curtain) Falls, so named because of the resemblance of this sheet of -water to a great white curtain. He and his awe-struck companions -stared at the raging, foaming cauldron of the Chaudière, close to -where the city of Ottawa, capital of the Canadian Dominion, now -stands, while the Indians cast into the waters gifts of tobacco and -other things to propitiate the angry god of the waters. At last the -party reached Allumette Island. Here dwelt a friendly Algonquin -chief named Tessouat, who received the Frenchmen hospitably and -invited them to a banquet. Tessouat knew Vignau; he knew also how he -had passed his time amongst the men of his tribe. So when Champlain -related at the feast what Vignau had told him of his journey to the -sea-shore, Tessouat bluntly told his guest that Vignau, though a -pale-face, was a liar, and that he had never been on such a journey. -For a while the shock of this discovery overwhelmed Champlain with -rage and sorrow. {35} Tessouat was so indignant at the way the -French leader had been deceived, that he wanted Vignau to be put to -death, but Champlain was of too noble and forgiving a nature for -that, and contented himself with rebuking the offender. At the same -time, although Vignau confessed his falsehood, we are able to see -to-day a certain foundation for his story which was obscured from -Canada's founder. We happen to know now what Champlain centuries ago -did not dream of: that only three hundred miles separate Allumette -Island from the southern end of the great inland sea, Hudson's Bay. -This body of water two or three brief seasons before had been -discovered by an Englishman, who, like Champlain, had tried to find a -short route to China and the East Indies. - -In 1610 Henry Hudson, in the pay of the Dutch, sailed up the river -which now bears his name, and paved the way for the Dutch colony, -afterwards called the New Netherlands. A year later, in the service -of England, he sailed northwards in the _Half Moon_, passed through -the narrow Hudson's Straits, and so on into the ice-bound inland sea. -There his terrified crew mutinied, turning their brave commander -adrift in an open boat, together with his son and two of his faithful -companions. Thus perished Henry Hudson, who was never heard of -again. As for the craven mutineers, when they stole back guiltily to -England, they were seized and made to pay the penalty of their crime. -Three ships were sent out to search for Hudson, but, alas, it was -then too late. - -Of this inland sea Vignau may have heard stories {36} from the -Indians. It may be that those who told him had really seen the wreck -of poor Henry Hudson's boat on the shores, but this we shall never -really know until the great Day of Judgment comes, when the sea gives -up its dead and all secrets of the deep are known. - -In the discovery of Lake Ontario, two years later, Champlain found -some compensation for his disappointment. He was the first European -to visit the "freshwater sea," as he called it. He penned a -description of all he had seen, and carried it to France, where it -was eagerly read. One of Champlain's mottoes was that "the salvation -of a single soul was worth more than the conquest of an Empire." Up -to now Quebec had been wholly without priests, but when Champlain -returned to the colony he brought out four priests of the Order of -the Recollets, pious men who had taken vows of poverty and -self-denial. These set about converting the savages to Christianity. -One of them, Joseph Le Caron, went forward to the distant Huron -country, which had not yet been visited by any European. Champlain -himself accompanied the priest from Quebec. On reaching the rapids -just above Montreal, the Governor held a conference with the Hurons, -who had come from their homes in the West to meet him and induce him -to fulfil his pledge to attack the Iroquois. This expedition was one -of the most fateful episodes in Champlain's life. He knew nothing -about Iroquois history or character. If he had had any suspicion of -what his present action was to cost his countrymen in Canada, he -would rather have died {37} than provoke the enmity of so terrible a -foe. Champlain chose this time to take a most round-about route, -measuring full 300 leagues, he and his men often carrying on their -backs the canoes and baggage, living on coarse food, and suffering -many hardships. Even the priest was obliged to take his share of the -hardest work, paddling his oar until the sweat mantled his brow, -staggering through the forest with a load such as a mule might carry, -and with it all obliged, with the whole party, to hasten at full -speed for fear of falling behind into the hands of Iroquois. In -those days when there were no roads and hardly even any long paths, -travellers made their way by following the rivers and lakes in -canoes. When they came to the end of one waterway and wished to -reach the beginning of another, they followed what were called the -portages or carrying-places, paths in the woods, sometimes only a few -yards long and sometimes as long as nine or ten miles. - -For many weeks did Champlain sojourn in the Huron country, and then, -in early autumn, he departed from their chief town, Carhagonha, on -Lake Simcoe, with several hundred red warriors, to inflict -chastisement on the painted warriors of the Five Nations. - -Crossing Lake Simcoe, Champlain and his followers travelled slowly -and with much hardship through the country north of Lake Ontario, -until by this very roundabout route the whole party came in a month's -time to the fort of the Onondagas, which they intended to attack. As -they drew near, the French {38} and Indians fell in with outlying -bands of this tribe, capturing many prisoners. Champlain strove -unceasingly to induce his Huron allies to show mercy to the captives, -but the Indian warrior always deemed mercy a pitiful sign of -weakness. He wanted not only to cut off the hands and feet of the -male prisoners, gouge out their eyes and burn them alive, but to -torture the women and children as well. Only was it when Champlain -threatened to withdraw his French soldiers altogether that the Huron -chiefs consented to confine their barbarities to the men alone. When -the allies got closer to the Onondaga fort they found it was much -more strongly defended than they had supposed. It consisted of four -rows of strong stakes, and a thick wall made of heavy branches of -trees. On the top of this wall were gutters of wood to conduct water -to any part which the enemy should set on fire. The water was drawn -from a small pond inside the fortification, where all the Onondagas -were assembled in little houses, having a large store of bows and -arrows, stones and hatchets. Provisions, too, were plentiful, for -the Indian harvest was just over. Champlain saw at once that to take -such a fort was not an easy task, and advised his Indian allies to be -prudent. But the young Hurons were foolhardy and rushed at the -four-fold palisade with ear-splitting war-whoops, flourishing their -tomahawks. The consequence was as Champlain foresaw: they were shot -down or killed by a shower of stones by the enemy. After a time, -when they had lost heavily, the Hurons were ready to listen to -reason. A plan was devised. In the {39} night-time Champlain had a -high wooden platform built; upon it he placed several of his -musketeers so that they could fire into the fort, while 300 Hurons -were stationed close by to set fire to the palisade. These measures -might have succeeded, but the wind unluckily was in the wrong -direction and blew the flames of the Huron torches away from the -fort. Champlain himself, while trying to make the unruly Hurons obey -his orders, was twice wounded, and many of his followers were killed. -Then it was that the foolish Huron chiefs became disheartened. They -lost faith in the "Man -with -the -Iron -Breast" and decided to give -up the attempt and retreat homewards before the winter set in. In -vain Champlain besought them; they were obdurate. As it was, when -they got to the place, eighty miles away, where their canoes had been -left, high winds and snowstorms had begun, and their wounded, -including Champlain, suffered much. Solemnly had they promised the -French leader that after the attack on the Iroquois they would carry -him down the St. Lawrence to Hochelaga, but now they became traitors -to their word and refused him even two guides for such a journey. -There was nothing else to do: Champlain was obliged to go back with -them and spend the whole of the succeeding winter in their lodges. -On the way they made many halts to allow the Hurons time to procure -stores of fish and game, which were very plentiful in the region -north of Lake Ontario. Not until two days before Christmas was the -journey ended. - -Champlain was not idle that winter, for when his {40} wounds had -healed he moved amongst the tribes, making himself acquainted with -the country and the language. The woods were filled with June -flowers ere he returned to Quebec, where he had been mourned as one -dead. You can imagine how rejoiced were the band of martial pioneers -there to see their leader once more alive and well. They cheered and -sang songs and waved flags in his honour, and even discharged the -great cannon, whose echoes startled the Indians prowling afar on the -green banks of the St. Lawrence. - -Verily the part which Samuel de Champlain and his little band of -Frenchmen had played in giving armed assistance to the Hurons and -Algonquins was to have terrible results. It threw the Iroquois into -friendship with the Dutch and other enemies of the French, who -supplied them with firearms. It caused them to bear a hate to -Champlain and all his countrymen almost as great as the hate they -bore to the dusky Hurons. - -All this time Champlain, great as was his ambition, can only be -regarded as the agent or manager of a company of men in France whose -first wish was to make money out of the fur trade. These men in -their hearts had very little sympathy for Champlain's schemes of -colonisation and conversion of the savages, and, becoming -dissatisfied with the profits Champlain was making for them, they -tried repeatedly to procure his recall. In order to baffle the -intrigues against him and explain to the King himself the importance -of Canada to the kingdom of France, Champlain sailed away yet again -for home, {41} leaving sixty men, the entire French population of -Canada, behind him in Quebec. By his zeal and eloquence he was able -to obtain some fresh supplies for his colony, and also some more -soldiers and workers. Amongst these was an apothecary named Louis -Hébert, who is often spoken of as the first emigrant to Canada, -because he took with him his wife and two children, intending to -settle as a farmer on the land. Direct descendants of Hébert are -alive in Canada to this day. Two years later Champlain managed to -bring a body of eighty colonists out to New France, and the next year -(1620) his own wife, Helen de Champlain, accompanied him for the -first time to the colony. This time he had triumphed over those who -wished to depose him, and was now confirmed in his title of Viceroy -of New France, and all seemed in the general rejoicings on his return -to promise well for his enterprise. Not only the French in Quebec, -but the Indians were delighted at the beauty and manners of the -Governor's wife, then only twenty-two years of age. They tell of her -that she wore always a small mirror suspended from her neck, -according to the custom of the ladies in those days. When the -red-men who drew near her looked in the little mirror they saw each, -to his astonishment, his own face reflected there, and went about -telling one another that the beautiful wife of the white chief -cherished an image of each in her heart. - -Once in Quebec, Champlain lost no time in laying the foundation of a -Government House, since known as the Château of St. Louis, reared on -the heights of {42} the rock. This building came to be the residence -of every succeeding Governor of Canada for two hundred years, until -one night it was wholly destroyed by fire and never rebuilt. In the -year it was begun, too, the Recollet priests began to build their -convent, and other large buildings arose. - -So now you see quite a flourishing little town was fast growing up in -the midst of the Canadian wilderness. But with the advancement of -his schemes came many new troubles for the lion-hearted Champlain. -In the first place, the Indians had acquired a passion for strong -drink--"fire-water" they called it,--and although people of their -fierce, reckless disposition should never have been allowed to touch -a drop, yet the fur-traders were so callous and greedy as to be -always ready to supply them with gallons and hogsheads of the fatal -brandy. The consequences were what might have been expected, and -Champlain was very angry as he looked upon the scenes of riot and -bloodshed. But his efforts to keep liquor from the Indians only made -the traders hate him more bitterly. To this source of anxiety was -added another: the bloodthirsty feud between the Iroquois and the -Algonquins and Hurons, which occasioned constant bloody massacres and -made the life of the French colonists at Quebec, Three Rivers, and -Tadoussac one of never-ending danger. On a certain night a band -crept down the St. Lawrence silently to Quebec, having sworn an oath -to wipe the city of the pale-faces from the face of the earth. But -the stone buildings, the cannon and muskets in the hands of the -determined Frenchmen {43} daunted them and they beat a retreat. Not -to be wholly balked of blood, they fell upon the Algonquins, who were -bringing furs to Quebec, slaughtering them without mercy. Then there -were plots against Quebec, even amongst the tribes which Champlain -considered friendly, for savages were, and ever will be, fickle, and -often the most trifling incident will tempt them to treachery. - -Meantime Champlain's friends in France, the associated merchants, had -lost their fur-trading monopoly because they had failed to fulfil -their pledges. In consequence of this, the monopoly was handed over -by the King to two Huguenot gentlemen, William and Emery de Caen, an -uncle and nephew. The uncle was a merchant and the nephew was a sea -captain, and, although Protestants themselves, they were charged not -to settle any but Catholics in the colony. This arrangement turned -out a very bad one. The Huguenots and Catholics quarrelled in New -France, as they had been quarrelling in Old France, and finally, so -violent grew the disputes, that the King joined the two associations -into one under the title of "the Company of Montmorency," with -Champlain still as Viceroy. Matters thereafter went so much more -smoothly that Champlain decided to take the opportunity of paying -another visit to his native country. With him he took his beautiful -young wife, Helen de Champlain, who had had nearly five years amongst -the Indians and the rough fur-traders, and had endured many hardships -and faced many dangers. You must bear in mind that when she sailed -away she left behind only fifty of her {44} fellow-countrymen in -Quebec. This is a very small number, but they were for the most part -very much in earnest, very hardy and rugged, and inspired by -Champlain in a strong belief in the future of the country. Before we -have finished our history you will see whether that belief was -justified or not. - - - - -{45} - -CHAPTER IV - -ROMANCE OF THE TWO DE LA TOURS - -Two years did the doughty hero Champlain linger in Old France. To -everybody he met, king, courtier, priest, and peasant, he had but one -subject: Canada, never ceasing all this while to urge the needs of -the colony across the sea and to further its interests by tongue and -pen. It needed all his influence. The Duke of Montmorency, becoming -disgusted by the perpetual squabbles of the merchants, sold his -rights as patron of Canada to the Duke de Ventadour, a religious -enthusiast, whose passion was not trade nor settlement, but saving -human souls. Although bred a soldier, he had actually entered a -monkish order, vowing to spend the rest of his days in religious -exercises, and it was this nobleman who now sent out to Quebec the -first little body of Jesuit priests, five in all, that arrived in -that colony. Now these Jesuits were the very last people either -Champlain or the Huguenots wanted in Canada. They belonged to a very -powerful, crafty order. They could sway both king, queen, and -minister to their wishes. De Caen and the Huguenot traders received -the five priests when they arrived at Quebec as coldly as -Poutraincourt had done in Acadia, but the {46} Recollets generously -gave them shelter in their convent until they could build one for -themselves. This they soon did on the very spot where, ninety years -before, Jacques Cartier had laid out his little fort. These five -priests were destined to have some thrilling experiences and to meet -with terrible ends, all of which you shall hear in due time. - -Meanwhile Champlain at home in France saw with eagle eye that -Huguenot and Catholic could never live together in peace across the -wide waste of waters. They were always quarrelling. The colony did -not grow as it should, in spite of the fact that in a single year -22,000 beaver skins were sent by the De Caens to France. Nor was -religion attended to as devoutly as he thought the Huguenots ought to -attend to it. But perhaps this was because the Huguenots did not -acknowledge the authority of the Pope. So he wrote strongly to De -Caen about it, and the letter fell into the hands of the most -powerful, most crafty man of that era, far more powerful than King -Louis the Thirteenth himself. Cardinal Richelieu was the King's -Prime Minister. Having at length accomplished great things for his -master in France, Richelieu now turned his attention to Canada. With -a stroke of the pen he abolished the monopoly of the De Caens and -founded the "Company of the Hundred Associates," with himself at the -head. Thence-forward no Huguenot was to be permitted to enter the -colony under any conditions. The new Company was given a perpetual -monopoly of the fur trade and control of other commerce, besides -being made lord of {47} an enormous territory extending from the -Arctic Ocean to Florida. Moreover, the Company was bound to send out -at once a number of labourers and mechanics and 4000 other colonists. -Champlain was made one of the Associates, and continued in his -command of Quebec. Canada was now to be governed directly by the -King, just as if it were one of the provinces of Old France, and -nobles were to be created who would take their titles from their -estates. - -All then seemed bright and rosy for the colony on the St. Lawrence. -But the best-laid plans, you know, "gang aft agley"; Richelieu, with -all his strength and cunning, had no power over English ships, and -English sailors would only laugh at his pretensions. At the very -moment when Champlain saw all his hopes about to be realised, the -most cruel blow that had yet fallen fell upon him. War had been -declared between France and England, and King Charles of England, -seeing his American colonies already prosperous, wished to extend his -royal sway over the whole continent. Thus, while the little band of -Frenchmen in Quebec were nearly starving, owing to supplies running -short during the winter of 1628, and were straining their eyes for -the arrival of the great fleet of eighteen ships sent out by -Richelieu, an English admiral sailed coolly up the St. Lawrence. Sir -David Kirke commanded a stout little fleet for King Charles, and it -occurred to him that it would be very good policy to capture Quebec. -Imagine the dismay of Champlain, the priests, the traders, farmers, -and soldiers of the colony when, {48} having waited for succour until -long past midsummer, the oncoming ships turned out to be English, and -they received a summons from the English admiral to surrender! How -weak his fort was Champlain well knew, but that did not prevent him -from replying firmly and with dignity to the summons, saying that he -would defend his post until death. Secretly he hoped that the French -fleet he expected would come in time. Although he intended to take -Quebec, Kirke did not press his advantage just then. He had now a -far better plan: to lie and wait for this same French fleet, and -cripple the colony in that way. His reward duly came. Off Gaspé, -Kirke met the squadron from France, and after a fierce struggle -captured all the ships but one, together with much booty. - -What a plight was the brave Champlain now in! Cut off from all -communication with France, for at least ten months must his forlorn -band wait before assistance could arrive. He set to work to grapple -with the difficulty by sending all his men farming, and hunting, and -fishing. Very little land was cleared as yet; it hardly seemed worth -while clearing it as long as the dreaded Iroquois were allowed to -shoot the farmers as they worked, and afterwards to swoop down and -burn up the crops. Worst of all to Champlain's mind, the Hurons and -Algonquins whom he had befriended chose such a time as this to -manifest their enmity to him. Instead of helping, they refused him -succour. But food of some sort must be got. He set his people -digging up wild roots in the woods, and despatched a boat down the -{49} river to search the gulf for a friendly trader or fisherman who -would give them dried codfish. At the end of a long year of -hardship, when no French ship came to his relief, Champlain was -ready, in sheer desperation, to march his hungry little garrison -against the Iroquois, capture one of their towns, and pillage it of -corn. But before he could really carry out this dangerous scheme the -English admiral once more showed his face in the St. Lawrence. This -time it seemed far better to surrender to such an enemy as the -English than to perish miserably from starvation in the wilderness. -Kirke offered honourable terms, and Champlain, perceiving how utterly -useless was resistance, gave up for a time the fort, magazine, and -dwellings of Quebec. On the 24th July 1629 Champlain and ten priests -and a number of others embarked on board one of the English ships to -be carried to England, and from thence to France. For the first time -in its history, the flag of England was hoisted, amidst great -cheering on the part of the lusty English mariners, over Quebec. - -You must not suppose the English abused their victory. All the -settlers who chose were allowed to remain on their property. Lewis -Kirke was installed as English Governor, and treated all with -kindness, giving them bounteous provisions. - -On the way down the river the ship bearing away Champlain met, near -Tadoussac, Emery de Caen, returning with supplies for Quebec. Too -late! Kirke turned his guns on the Frenchmen, and De Caen was forced -at the cannon's mouth to surrender. But although he did so, young De -Caen told the {50} Englishman that which completely spoilt Kirke's -rest that night. "I have heard," quoth De Caen, "that peace hath -been declared between the two Crowns, and that when you captured -Quebec and the sixteen French ships, King Louis and King Charles had -been friends for a good two months. You have, therefore, done a -gross and unlawful thing." - -De Caen spoke not falsely, for so it turned out to be. When Kirke -anchored in Plymouth harbour he learnt, to his chagrin, that peace -had really been made some time before, and that all conquests from -France must be restored. The doughty, scarred old Governor, -Champlain, posted in hot haste to London, and unfolded the tale of -Quebec's surrender to King Louis' ambassador. But, strange as it may -appear, King Louis was in no hurry to get back Quebec into his hands -again. It seemed to His Majesty, fond of his ease and pleasure, that -all Canada was far more trouble than it was worth. The capture of -Quebec did not mean the loss of the whole of New France. Several -places in Acadia still belonged to King Louis, besides the Island of -Cape Breton. But even these possessions only seemed to promise more -expense and bloodshed and wrangling. - -In the meanwhile another personage--a Scotsman--had appeared on the -scene and laid claim to a large part of the country. Sir William -Alexander was a man of letters and a successful courtier. Being a -great favourite of old King James the First, as long ago as 1621 that -monarch had listened graciously to Alexander when he averred that, by -reason of Cabot's discoveries, the whole North-American {51} -Continent belonged to England by right. "As there is already a New -England, your Majesty should go further and found a New Scotland." -King James desired nothing better. He gave Sir William a grant of -the Acadian Peninsula and a great deal of the adjoining mainland for -his ambitious and patriotic purpose. As the King was fond of Latin, -instead of New Scotland the country was christened Nova Scotia. The -English set out modestly at first to people the country. As Sir -William was satisfied for some years in sending out a trading ship -each year to Nova Scotia and in exploring the region, there was no -fighting, or even ill-feeling, between the French and the English. -When in 1625 King James died, King Charles not only confirmed -Alexander's charter, but actually allowed his enterprising subject to -establish an Order of Knights-Baronets of Nova Scotia. Any wealthy -and respectable person could, by paying a certain sum towards the -funds of the new colony, obtain an estate of 18 square miles and -become a baronet; and over one hundred persons did this, and some of -their descendants are baronets in Great Britain to this day. - -Sir William had no desire to drive away the French settlers in -Acadia, which, you remember, was more or less in the hands of -Biencourt, son of Poutraincourt. Besides Biencourt there lived in -Acadia at this time the two La Tours, father and son. Claude de la -Tour, the father, was a brave and courtly Huguenot. He occupied a -trading post on the borders of what is now Maine; while Charles, his -son, held a strong little fort called St. Louis, near {52} Cape -Sable. When Biencourt died he bequeathed his title and all his -interests in Acadia to young Charles, because he had been his friend -and companion from boyhood. - -You have seen that soon after this a war broke out between France and -England--the war in which Admiral Kirke captured the French fleet and -summoned Quebec to surrender. On board one of the captured ships of -the French fleet was the hope of Acadia, in the person of Claude de -la Tour. He had gone home to France, and was now bringing out men -and arms and provisions to make Port Royal strong enough to resist -the new English pretensions to this fair region. While the valiant -Champlain saw himself shut up starving in Quebec, Claude de la Tour -was buffeting the waves on the way to England as Kirke's prisoner of -war. De la Tour, being a Protestant of noble birth and of charming -manners, was well received in London, and made much of. The very -best people were anxious to make his acquaintance. He, on his side, -found the English most agreeable, and ended by courting one of the -Maids of Honour of Queen Henrietta Maria and marrying her. Sir -William Alexander quickly saw how useful he would be, and soon had -him created a baronet of Nova Scotia. After this La Tour took -service in the English Royal Navy, and having obtained a grant of -territory in Nova Scotia, undertook to found there an English -settlement. Not only this, but he promised to bring his son into the -English service. Sir William Alexander readily agreed to the plan of -making La Tour's son, {53} Charles, a baronet also, and this was -accordingly brought about. - -All this while young Charles de la Tour, rightful lord of Acadia -under Poutraincourt's charter, knew nothing of his good fortune or of -these proceedings on the part of his father. It remained for the -elder De la Tour to break the glad news to his son. Two ships of war -were put under his orders, and in these, with his pretty young -English bride and many Scotch colonists, the old man set sail. His -task turned out to be a far harder one than he had thought. When he -got to his destination on the other side of the Atlantic he demanded -an interview of his son, who was, surprising to relate, most -ungrateful. What astonished him most was to find his father in -command of an English ship, and wearing the dress of an English -Admiral. Claude began by telling his son Charles of the flattering -reception he had met with in London, and the honours that had been -heaped upon him. - -"I am an English Baronet," he exclaimed, embracing the youth, "and, -what is more, so also are you. Rejoice, therefore, at the good -fortune that has befallen us, and fly the proud blood-red cross of -St. George from yonder staff." - -But Charles, far from showing joy, seemed thunderstruck. Disengaging -himself from his sire's embraces, he replied haughtily that "if those -who sent you on this errand think me capable of betraying my country, -even at the solicitation of a parent, they have greatly mistaken me. -I am not disposed to purchase the honours now offered me by -committing a crime. I do not undervalue the proffer of the King of -England; {54} but the Prince in whose service I am is quite able to -reward me; and whether he do so or not, the inward consciousness of -my fidelity to him will be in itself a recompense to me. The King of -France has confided the defence of this place to me. I shall -maintain it, if attacked, till my latest breath." - -[Illustration: De la Tour refuses to yield his Allegiance. 1630] - -After this, what could the disappointed father do but return -crestfallen to his ship? After writing his son a letter urging him -to obedience, Sir Claude bethought him of the effect of cannon and -muskets as arguments. He would bring the ungrateful youth to reason -by force. Thrice he landed his soldiers and sailors and tried to -storm Fort St. Louis; but in vain. His men were repulsed, and soon -became disgusted with the whole enterprise. Eventually they all -repaired to Port Royal and took up settlement with the other Scotch -colonists there. It might be supposed that in this extremity the -young English girl to whom Sir Claude had promised power and luxury -on his Nova Scotian estates would now desire to return to England, -and he begged her to do so. But she refused. - -"I have shared your prosperity, Sir Claude," she said gently, "I will -now share your evil fortunes." - -And evil, indeed, they turned out to be. - -In 1632 came the shameful treaty of St. Germain-en-Laye, by which -Canada and Nova Scotia were ceded back to France by King Charles, who -was afraid that by his refusal he would not receive from King Louis -the wedding dowry promised to his sister, Queen Henrietta Maria of -England. This treaty made a great difference to the fortunes of the -Frenchmen {55} in the New World--to Champlain and the De la Tours. -It deprived Sir Claude of his hopes, even of his refuge at Port -Royal. Not daring or wishing to return either to France or England, -he was obliged to throw himself on his son's protection. Charles -gave him and his pretty stepmother a house hard by Fort St. Louis. -He was rewarded. The story of Charles de la Tour's loyalty reached -the ears of his monarch, who graciously made him a -Lieutenant-Governor, and sent out men, stores, and ammunition of war -to uphold his faithful subject in the lands and forts he had guarded -so zealously. - -We must now, for a little while, leave Charles de la Tour and his -fortunes. We will return to them anon, but meanwhile it behoves us -to see what was happening to Champlain and Quebec. You will remember -that the great Cardinal Richelieu had placed himself at the head of -the Company of the Hundred Associates. He had made Canada a royal -province, with a nobility of its own and with Champlain as Viceroy. -The war with England and the captures of Kirke brought this great -scheme to a halt for some years, but the treaty of St. -Germain-en-Laye was signed at last, and the Hundred Associates were -ready to begin their operations. By the end of May 1633 Champlain -was back again in his fort on Cape Diamond. This time he had with -him two hundred persons and great equipments. In his Company also -were a number of Jesuits, to take the place of the Recollets. With -such zeal did they administer their charge that life at Quebec became -pious and orderly, and many Indian conversions to Christianity were -{56} made. A new fort was built at the old trading station of Three -Rivers, at the mouth of St. Maurice River, as a protection against -the Iroquois, but otherwise not very much happened worth describing -here during the last two years of Champlain's life. The veteran was -now but two years short of the allotted span, and could survey the -fruits of his long labours in Canada with satisfaction. He had not, -it was true, made Canada full of towns and cities and filled her -countryside with prosperous farms and peasantry. But he had trod out -a path through the forest and had sown the seed of future greatness. -If only he had not also sown the seed of future hatred--if only he -had made the Iroquois a friend instead of a foe! Nevertheless, when -he fell sick on Christmas Day 1635 and his heroic spirit passed away -for ever from the land he loved, Samuel de Champlain had well earned -the name by which he is to-day called on the banks of the St. -Lawrence, the "Father of Canada." - -In his prime Champlain had a handsome countenance, a noble and -soldierly bearing, and an iron constitution. In an age when fifty -miles was considered a great journey, he travelled many thousands by -sea and by land, crossing the ocean at least twenty times to defend -or promote the colony's interests in Old France. His wife survived -him nearly twenty years, and having founded a convent at Meaux, in -France, became herself a nun, and as Sister Helen, beloved by the -other nuns, she died. - -After Champlain's lamented death a new Governor, Charles de -Montmagny, a pious soldier and knight of Malta, was sent out to -Canada. On his landing {57} at the foot of Cape Diamond a striking -scene took place. Amidst a crowd of black-robed Jesuits and soldiers -in brilliant uniforms and the officials and people in their gayest -apparel, Montmagny knelt down at the foot of a cross marking -Champlain's grave and cried out, "Behold the first cross that I have -seen in this country. Let us worship the crucified Saviour in his -image." The procession straightway climbed the hill to the church, -chanted the Te Deum, and prayed for King Louis. Montmagny was a -devout believer in the Jesuits, who ruled with great severity. If a -French colonist failed to attend church regularly, he was sent off to -prison. They cared nothing for the good things of this world; their -only desire was for the salvation of souls. It mattered nothing to -them whether the Company of the Hundred Associates made money out of -the buying and selling of furs or not. The great ambition of the -Jesuits was to make Christians out of the Canadian savages, however -remote, and as the Iroquois absolutely refused to be converted, and -hated the Jesuits, the priests did not hesitate to join hands with -the Hurons and Algonquins to destroy them. So there began to rage a -terrible war. The Iroquois, who if not more numerous, were braver -and fiercer than the Hurons, swore by the great Manitou never to bury -the war-hatchet as long as a single Huron was left alive above the -ground. Assault followed assault, the Iroquois braves coming close -to the walls of Quebec and burning and torturing their prisoners -under the very eyes of the horrified "black robes." On their part -the priests, besides being pious, were {58} very brave men and cared -nothing for danger. They would push fearlessly past the Iroquois -concealed in ambush and carry the gospel amongst the most distant -tribes. After a time their letters home describing their adventures -made a great stir in France, and a number of wealthy and influential -people came forward to help them in their great work. It was at this -time that the famous colleges and convents and hospitals of Quebec -were founded. The Marquis de Gamache founded a Jesuit college; -another priest-nobleman, Noel de Sillery, built a home for Indian -converts; the Duchess of Aiguillon, a niece of Cardinal Richelieu, -provided the money for the Hotel Dieu, or God's Hospital. Then there -was a wealthy young widow, Madame de la Peltrie, who, having no -children of her own, decided to devote her life and fortune to -establish a seminary for young girls in Canada. In the summer of -1639 she arrived in Quebec in company with Marie Guyard, a silk -manufacturer's daughter who had taken vows as a nun and became "Mary -of the Incarnation," the Mother Superior of the Ursuline Convent. -All of these as soon as they had landed fell down and kissed the -earth and evinced great enthusiasm over their future work. When they -visited the first Indian settlement, we are told by one of the -priests that Madame de la Peltrie and the rest embraced the little -Indian girls, "without taking heed whether they were clean or not." -Yet at home in Paris these fine ladies would probably not have cared -to take the poor dirty little French children to their bosoms. - -The Jesuits quickly spread themselves everywhere. {59} No hardship, -no danger, no cold was too great for them. Amongst the Huron Indians -they soon found their greatest success. There numbered 30,000 Hurons -before disaster befell them, considered the most intelligent and -progressive of the Canadian Indians. Three fathers, led by the -indomitable Jean de Brébeuf, went forth to establish missions amongst -them. Brébeuf came of a noble family in Normandy, a tall strong man, -who seemed born for a soldier. He could perform wonderful feats of -strength and endurance. He penetrated the wilderness in spite of -every obstacle, and established a mission at Thonatiria, on Georgian -Bay. At first the Jesuits were opposed by the tribe, who foolishly -regarded all their sacraments and services as the deeds of sorcerers. -Whenever any evil happened to any of them, when the crops were -frost-bitten, or even when a child fell ill, the Hurons put it all -down to the incantations of the "Black Robes," as they called the -missionaries. But gradually the Jesuits lived down all such -prejudice. The Hurons saw they were strong, wise men, and at last -placed themselves unreservedly in their hands. While the Jesuit -fathers made their central station at St Mary on the Wye, a little -river emptying into Matchedash Bay, they founded other missions, St. -Louis, St. Jean, St. Michael, St. Joseph, in all the country round -about. In course of a very few years the missionaries came almost to -be the rulers of all the tribes there settled. But the Iroquois hate -against the Hurons was fast fanning into flame. Having sworn -vengeance upon them because of their alliance {60} with the French, -sooner or later they would find them out, and then, alas, the most -dreadful, thrilling scenes in the whole history of Canada would -happen. While the Hurons and their ministering Jesuits were living -in fancied security in their corner of the west, the French in Quebec -and Three Rivers were in constant dread of the Iroquois. Day by day -the redskins grew bolder. At first, terrified by the French cannon -and muskets, they did not venture to approach too near the walls of -the French forts. But by degrees that fear wore away, and the -sentries, looking out from the bastions, would often see a dozen or -two Iroquois braves lurking about the fort in the hopes of catching -some straggler unawares and scalping him. One day indeed they were -rewarded. Two Frenchmen named Godefroy and François Margerie were -captured and dragged away to their lodges. The Iroquois chief, -summoning all his forces, prepared a plan. He resolved to offer -peace to the French at Three Rivers if they would give up their -Indian allies, the Algonquins, against whom and the Hurons the -Iroquois were engaged in a war of extermination. As Margerie spoke -the Indian tongue, he was told that his life for the present would be -spared, that he was to go under a flag of truce back to the fort at -Three Rivers and offer these terms to his countrymen. If he did not -return, his fellow-captive, Godefroy, would be tortured and slain. -The heroic Margerie did not shrink from his task. He journeyed back -to the fort and urged the Commandant to reject so dishonourable a -proposal. Then, fully counting the cost of his action, he returned -to the {61} Iroquois and to his companion Godefroy. Luckily for him, -in the meantime, the Governor arrived from Quebec with soldiers to -reinforce the garrison at Three Rivers. The Iroquois perceived that -it would be hopeless now to storm the fort, and wisely decided to -accept ransom for their prisoners. So the brave Margerie and his -friend, who had boldly faced death, were now free. - - - - -{62} - -CHAPTER V - -THE FOUNDING OF MONTREAL - -Of all the great cities of the world you will not find one that has -had so romantic a beginning as Montreal. The stories sent home by -the Jesuits had stirred all France, and made the more pious and -enterprising spirits more than ever resolved to teach the wicked -redskins a lesson in Christianity and plant the fear of God in their -hearts. The French said they did not believe in treating the savages -of the New World in the cruel way the Spaniards had done in Peru and -Mexico; they preferred to win them over to civilised ways by kindness -and the force of good example. - -One night a certain Jerome de la Dauversiére had a dream after he had -returned from his office in the little town of La Flèche, in Anjou, -where he was receiver of taxes. In this dream an angel came and told -him that the surest way to win the red-men of Canada over to -Christianity was to set up a great mission on the Island of Mount -Royal. This island in the river St. Lawrence, you remember, Jacques -Cartier had visited one hundred years before, and had been struck not -only by its beauty but by the friendliness of the Indians who lived -there. Their town they {63} called Hochelaga. Since Cartier's time -Hochelaga had mysteriously vanished (probably owing to one of the -frequent redskin feuds), and the French Governor and people of Quebec -had made as yet no settlement there. Dauversiére, who was a very -holy and zealous man, went to Paris, and to Father Olier, a friendly -priest, related his dream. It appeared that the worthy father also -had had a vision, in which Mount Royal was pointed out as the future -scene of pious labours. Whereupon the two set to work and formed a -company of forty persons to build on this island, 3000 miles away, in -the heart of New France, a French town, well fortified and able to -resist the onslaughts of the infidel savages. The Company of the -Hundred Associates agreed to sell them the land, for, of course, the -Hundred Associates at this time controlled all the land of New France -under a charter from King Louis. All that the promoters of the plan -had finally to do was to find a proper person to take charge of the -new settlement, which it was decided to call Ville Marie de Montreal, -or, as we would call it, Marytown of Mount Royal, in honour of the -Holy Virgin. They were fortunate to find just the one they sought in -Paul de Chomedy, Sieur de Maisonneuve, a brave and pious soldier, who -was forthwith appointed the first Governor of Ville Marie. - -With Maisonneuve, when he sailed away from France in the spring of -1641, went Mademoiselle Jeanne Mance. This young woman had dedicated -her whole life to nursing the sick and teaching little children, and -was to take charge of a hospital in the new colony. - -{64} - -Slow sailing it was in those days, and when Maisonneuve's ship -reached Quebec the sweltering heats of August oppressed the city. -Governor de Montmagny bade the pioneers welcome, and, after listening -to their scheme, told them flatly that he thought it was all a -mistake. Instead of venturing their lives so far inland amongst the -treacherous Iroquois, much better was it to choose a spot nearer -Quebec for their town. But Maisonneuve and his companions, although -prevailed upon to spend the winter in Quebec, were resolved to reach -Mount Royal, even though, as Maisonneuve said, "every tree on the -island were an Iroquois." And so in the spring all set off boldly up -the Great River. When they saw the leader's resolution, Governor de -Montmagny, Father Vimont, Superior of the Jesuits, and Madame de la -Peltrie, head of the Ursuline Convent, consented to accompany them in -their ship. - -On the 17th May the memorable landing took place. All of the -expedition--some fifty in number--fell upon their knees, and from -their lips fell a prayer of thankfulness to Almighty God. But they -did not deceive themselves as to their danger. They all knew--even -the women--that there was to be more work and fighting than praying. -As yet no treacherous red-man, tomahawk in hand, lurked behind the -tall trees, but the alarm was sure to come, and no time was to be -lost. So to the task of chopping and hewing and hammering they flew -without delay. The site was quickly enclosed with palisades and -several cannon brought from the ship {65} and put in position. As -for the hospital which Mademoiselle de Mance had been given the money -to build, it could safely be reared outside the walls, being of stone -and almost a little fortress of itself. For two centuries and a half -this hospital withstood all the attacks of the Iroquois, until a -mighty city pressing in upon it forced it to a peaceful surrender to -the interests of trade and commerce. - -Winter came and went. Spring found Ville Marie quite snug and -comfortable, and the inhabitants wondering where the Iroquois were. -They had not long to wait. A solitary Algonquin one day fled within -the palisades for refuge. He told Maisonneuve that he was being -pursued by the Iroquois, coveting his scalp. In a few hours his -pursuers had discovered Ville Marie, and, shaking their tomahawks at -its inhabitants, vowed vengeance on the bold pale-faces who had -ventured to settle in a part of Canada which they had cruelly decreed -should for ever remain a desert. Thereafter they patrolled the -borders of the town, watching stealthily where they might strike down -man, woman, or child. No longer was it possible in safety to sow or -reap. Nor were the wooden palisades strong enough for protection. -Stout walls and bastions were needed, and accordingly stone was -quarried across the river, and willing hands toiled night and day to -build what was henceforth little more than a prison. When the colony -was two years old, the Iroquois summoned all their braves. - -"Let us destroy these insolent Frenchmen," {66} said their chief; -"let us carry off their white girls to drudge for us in our lodges." - -[Illustration: Maisonneuve covering the Retreat of his Followers, -1644] - -Maisonneuve, hearing that they had collected a large force, unwisely -sallied out to give them battle. It was springtime, but the deep -snow had not yet melted. The little company of French settlers, -their hearts beating high with valour and courage, looked about for -the foe. Not finding him at first, they were drawn farther and -farther into the surrounding forest. Then it was that the redskins, -hidden behind trees, darted forth a volley of arrows, and the -founders of Ville Marie became an easy target and fell by the dozen. -They were unused to this kind of warfare, the only kind the red-men -really knew. Maisonneuve, shocked but undaunted, gave the signal for -retreat, and the French drew back to the walls of Ville Marie, -dragging their dead and wounded with them. Close followed the enemy -with ear-splitting yells and flourishing their blood-stained -tomahawks. Maisonneuve, pistol in hand, was the last man to enter -the gate. Just as he was crossing the threshold an Iroquois chief -sprang forward to drag him back, but quick as the savage was, not -quick enough was he. The Governor's pistol rang out, and the chief -dropped in his tracks. His baffled companions, shrieking in anger -and dismay, saw the gates of the little town shut, and for that day -the rest of its defenders were safe. To-day, if you should chance to -visit the great city of Montreal, you may see the very spot where -this encounter took place. It is called the Place d'Armes, and in -the middle is a bronze statue of the brave {67} Maisonneuve, on whose -pedestal is a representation of his narrow escape from death. - -Such terrible experiences were not confined to Montreal alone, or -even to Quebec and Three Rivers. About the whole country the -Iroquois prowled like wild beasts. Especially did they frequent the -northern outlets of the Ottawa River to waylay the friendly Hurons in -their passage to the St. Lawrence, bringing furs for barter to the -French. Observing this, Governor Montmagny set about building a fort -at the mouth of the Richelieu River, and notwithstanding the attempts -of 700 Iroquois to destroy it and kill the workmen, it was completed -in a short time and christened Fort Richelieu. Forced to retreat, -the savages managed to carry off with them a Jesuit priest, Father -Isaac Jogues, and two young students named Goupil and Couture, who -were coming down the river with a party of fur-hunters. They did not -kill their prisoners at once, as they expected, but, after putting -them through a course of dreadful tortures, carried them to the home -of one of their tribes, the Mohawks. After cutting off Goupil's -thumb with a clam-shell, so as to prolong the pain, they scalped him -and flung his body down a steep waterfall. Couture, adopted into the -tribe, turned Mohawk in order to save his life. - -After a time Father Jogues was taken by the Iroquois in one of their -trading visits to the Dutch of New Netherlands, now called New York. -This is the first time any of the French in Canada had any -communication with the European settlers to {68} the south of them, -in what are now known as the United States. The Dutch Governor of -Albany took pity on the poor Jesuit priest and helped him to escape. -Ultimately he was sent back in a ship to France, where he thrilled -the King and Court by the sight of his wounds and the story of his -wonderful adventures. Never once had he lost courage, but went on -baptizing Indian children and giving the sacrament to the dying. -Once when no water was forthcoming to baptize a Huron prisoner in the -throes of death, Jogues shook off a few scant drops of dew which -still clung to an ear of maize that had been thrown to him for food. - -After all the intrepid father's starvation and sufferings you would -think he had had enough of mission work amongst the red-men and would -remain in a peaceful French curacy for the rest of his days. But -that is because you do not understand what kind of men these Jesuit -priests were. Undaunted by pains or privations, they wished nothing -better than to be martyred in the cause of their religion. Isaac -Jogues went back again to Canada a year later. In his absence the -Mohawks had made peace with the French, and the intrepid priest took -up his residence in one of their villages. When it became necessary -to visit the Governor of Quebec on business, Jogues left behind him a -small box containing a few medicine bottles and other simple things. -No sooner was the priest's back turned than the medicine-man or -sorcerer of the tribe, who hated the missionaries because they -exposed their foolish practices, told the Mohawks that this innocent -box contained magic, which would {69} bring all of them ill-luck, -disease, and death. Some believed this story, others were -incredulous; so that when Father Jogues came back, he found the -village divided on the question of killing him or sparing his life. -He was invited to a feast, which he dared not refuse. As he entered, -a tomahawk clove its way to his brain, and the priest was made a -martyr at last. Poor brave Father Jogues was the first to suffer -martyrdom in New France. The savages cut off his head and fastened -it to a long pole, and the savage children threw pebbles at it in -sport. - -Alas, the fate of Jogues was destined to be that of the other priests -who had established missions in the Huron country. - -"Do not imagine," wrote the Father Superior, "that the rage of the -Iroquois and the loss of many Christians and converts can bring to -nought the mystery of the Cross. We shall die, we shall be captured, -burned, and butchered. So be it. Those who die in their beds do not -always die the best death. I see none of our company cast down. On -the contrary, they ask leave to go up to the Hurons, and some of them -protest that the fires of the Iroquois are one of their motives for -the journey." - -In the summer of 1648 the Hurons wished very much to pay a visit to -the French in Eastern Canada. Many canoes had they full of furs -which they could exchange for the kettles, hatchets, and knives of -the traders. They resolved, therefore, to brave the Iroquois and -make the long journey. Five distinguished chiefs accompanied 250 of -their best warriors, and by the middle of July, Three Rivers {70} was -reached in safety. The Hurons ran their canoes ashore amongst the -bulrushes, and began to spread on their war-paint and adorn -themselves with feathers and wampum so as to make a distinguished -appearance at the fort of the pale-faces. Suddenly an alarm was -sounded. The Iroquois were on their track. Snatching their arms, -the Hurons ran to meet the foe. This time the Iroquois were -outnumbered and were defeated, and the Hurons eventually set out for -home, flushed with victory and bearing a number of Iroquois scalps. - -At home news of a terrible disaster awaited the victorious Hurons. -Taking advantage of their absence, the Iroquois had attacked the -Huron town of Teanaustaye, or St. Joseph, where the Jesuit, Father -Daniel, was in charge. St. Joseph was one of the chief towns of the -Huron nation; it had 2000 inhabitants, and was surrounded by a strong -palisade. But on one fatal July day it was all but defenceless: -scarce a warrior was to be seen. The arrival of the Iroquois flung -the crowd of old men, women, and children into a panic. Daniel, in -all his radiant priestly vestments, came to meet the foe at the -church door, undismayed by their dreadful war-whoops. There he died. -A dozen Iroquois bent their bows and pierced him as he stood, while -the chief, armed with a gun he had bought from the Dutch, sent a -bullet through the brave priest's heart. The town was set on fire. -When the flames reached the church, Daniel's body was thrown into it, -and both were consumed together. Nearly one thousand Hurons were -killed or taken captive. - -{71} - -Eight months passed, and in the early spring-time the Iroquois came -again. This time the Indian converts at St. Mary on the Wye saw -heavy smoke curling above the forest three miles away, and cried out, -"The Iroquois! the Iroquois! They are burning St. Louis!" And so -it was. Had the Hurons acted with better judgment and more valour -they might have averted their doom. But ever since the massacre and -destruction of St. Joseph they seemed to have lost spirit. The two -priests who were stationed here, Brébeuf and Lalement, did their best -to arouse them, but they would not take measures to foil an Iroquois -assault. Brébeuf and Lalement, implored to flee while there was yet -time, both scorned such counsel. Uttering savage yells, the Iroquois -swarmed towards the palisades, hacking at them with their hatchets, -and they broke through at last, burning and slaying. The two brave -priests were seized and stripped and beaten with clubs along the road -to St. Ignace, which post the Iroquois had also captured. The fate -of St. Mary itself was now trembling in the balance. Here were some -40 Frenchmen, well armed, and besides a large Huron population, 300 -more Huron braves were outside the gates, hoping to waylay some of -their victorious foes. A battle between the two tribes of red-men -ensued, and although this time the Hurons fought with a will, they -were obliged at last to give way. Hundreds had been killed or lay -weltering in their blood. Only twenty were captured alive by the -Iroquois. The enemy's chief was badly wounded, and they themselves -had lost a hundred of their best {72} warriors in this fierce battle. -You may imagine how the French and Christian Indians shut up in St. -Mary waited for the issue of the fight. When they knew that their -outer guard was defeated, they gave themselves over to prayer, -believing all was lost. They well knew how inflammable were their -palisades of wood. When a hundred torches came to be applied only a -miracle could save them. At this critical moment panic seized the -Iroquois camp. A rumour had spread that a mighty army of Hurons were -descending upon them, and they resolved, in spite of their chiefs, to -retreat at once. But before fleeing from their imaginary foe, they -took nearly all their prisoners and thrust them, bound hand and foot, -into the bark dwellings of St. Ignace. They spared neither men nor -women, young nor old, not even tiny babes. When they had done this -they applied the torch to the town. - -Of the two priests, the giant, Jean de Brébeuf, was led apart and -fastened to a stake. From thence he called to the others, exhorting -them to suffer patiently and God would reward them. They tortured -him, but he still stood erect, tall and masterful, and addressed his -people. For this the angry Iroquois cut away his lower lip and -thrust a red-hot iron down his throat. Round the naked body of -Father Lalement they tied strips of bark steeped in pitch and set him -in a blaze. As if this were not enough agony, on the heads of both -they poured boiling water and cut strips of flesh from Brébeuf's -limbs. - -"You told us," cried the fiends, laughing, "that {73} the more one -suffers on earth the happier he is in heaven. We wish to make you -happy. We torment you in this way because we love you; and you ought -to thank us for it!" - -Still from Brébeuf came no sign of flinching. Baffled in devising -further tortures, they cut off his head and tore his body in pieces. -The heart of this great man, the founder of the ill-fated Huron -mission, was seized by an Iroquois chief and devoured. His friend -Lalement, after being tortured all night, was killed by a blow from a -hatchet. - -Two or three days afterwards, when the fleeing Iroquois were leagues -away, the Jesuits at St. Mary came to the smoking ruins of St. -Ignace. The scorched and mangled remains of the two martyrs met -their horrified gaze. These they carried back to St. Mary and -buried, all but Brébeuf's skull, which they preserved as a holy -relic. At the Hotel Dieu at Quebec it is shown to the visitor, -enclosed in a silver bust of the martyr, which his family sent to the -good nuns from France. - -Upon the Hurons such a disaster as this told with crushing force. -Flight from their country was all they could think of now. Two weeks -later they abandoned for ever fifteen towns to roam northward and -eastward in the barren, inhospitable wilderness. In various places -the fugitives found refuge, some with this tribe, some with that, but -as a strong, separate nation they soon ceased to be, and the fort and -mission of St. Mary on the Wye was left solitary in the middle of a -great waste. - -All the love and labour of the Jesuit missionaries {74} for ten years -had been in vain. With aching hearts the priests resolved to break -up the mission and betake themselves to some less dangerous and more -useful station. Several of them followed the wandering Hurons, but a -number of priests, with forty soldiers and labourers, established -themselves on St. Joseph Island, at the entrance of Matchedash Bay. -It is one of three--now known as Faith, Hope, and Charity--islands. -Here they toiled, together with a number of Huron converts, in -building a stronghold which would defy the dreaded Iroquois. Six or -eight thousand souls came to people the island. There not being food -for so many, what with hunger and disease, by springtime half had -perished. The despairing survivors, resolving to brave the -surrounding Iroquois, who roamed on the mainland, and escape, one by -one fell into the hands of their lynx-like foes. No refuge was there -for the poor persecuted race but in the shadow of the French guns at -Quebec. - -"Take us to Quebec," cried one of the Huron chiefs to the Jesuit -fathers. "Do not wait until war and famine have destroyed us to the -last man. We are in your hands. Death has taken more than ten -thousand of us. If you wait longer, not one will remain alive." - -At last the Jesuits resolved to grant their petition. On the 10th of -June 1650 the whole population of St. Joseph (or Charity) Island -embarked in canoes, which were packed with all their earthly goods, -and paddled sadly towards the east. On the Ottawa River, which was -now desolate of native hut or wigwam, they met a large party of {75} -French soldiers and Hurons on the way to help the Huron mission. - -Too late! The mission, with all its forts and settlements, had been -abandoned for ever. The entire party kept on to Montreal, where the -Hurons could not be induced to stay because it was too open to -Iroquois attacks; and about the end of July the great heights of -Quebec came in sight. All disembarked and were hospitably received -by the Governor, the priests, the nuns, and the people. Yet the new -arrivals could not have come at a worse time, for food was scarce and -nearly all were poor. - - - - -{76} - -CHAPTER VI - -THE FURY OF THE IROQUOIS - -When the poor harassed "Black Robes" and their panic-stricken Indian -charges finally rested under the sheltering walls of Quebec, -Montmagny was no longer Governor. He had, after twelve years' -service, gone back to France, and a new Governor had arrived in his -stead. But the Indians still called the new Governor, and all the -Governors who came afterwards, by the name of "Onontio." They were -told that Montmagny in French signified "Great Mountain," Onontio in -the Huron tongue, and supposed it was a title bestowed by the -pale-faces on all their rulers in Canada. - -Despite the unspeakable horrors, bloodshed, and martyrdom related in -the last chapter, nothing of lasting value was accomplished by the -hapless mission to the Hurons except a knowledge of the great Lake -Superior, which an interpreter, named Jean Nicollet, had discovered a -few years before. - -Season now followed season, and each saw the French but little better -than prisoners in their three towns on the St. Lawrence. If they -ventured very far out of these fortified posts, it was only to give -the Iroquois a chance to spring upon them and bear {77} back their -scalps in triumph to their lodges in the wilderness. The French -might have made a treaty of alliance with their English neighbours in -New England, who had now set up a number of towns and were -flourishing, although they too were at the mercy of the surrounding -savages. But the French Governor made it a condition of the treaty -that the New Englanders should help Canada to exterminate the -terrible Iroquois. This the English colonists were loath to do; they -had no wish to bring the Iroquois tomahawks down upon their heads -also, as the French had done; and so the plan fell through. After a -time one of the Iroquois tribes, having lost a great many of their -fighting men in the long war, began to think of making recruits. The -idea occurred to them that the unfortunate Hurons and Algonquins, who -had joined their fortunes to the French, would be the very men for -their purpose, if they could only induce them to desert the alliance. -Forthwith they sent courtiers to announce to the Hurons that they no -longer bore them any grudge and were willing to adopt them--to -receive them into the bosom of their lodges. But it soon appeared -that all the Iroquois were not unanimous in their approval of this -plan, and as their treachery was well known, the Hurons and -Algonquins, now settled on the Isle of Orleans near Quebec, naturally -hesitated about accepting the offer. The few foolish ones who -trusted in Iroquois good faith were actually tomahawked by their -so-called friends on the way to the Iroquois lodges. In attempting -to punish a band of Iroquois ambushed near his fort, Du Plessis -Bochat, the Governor of {78} Three Rivers, lost his life; Father -Buteaux was killed on his way to his mission, and another priest, -Father Poucet, was borne away to a Mohawk village, and after being -tortured was sent back to Quebec to offer peace to the French. Peace -was indeed welcome, but the French were naturally still suspicious. -The truth was that the Iroquois were then too busily engaged in -destroying the Eries, a tribe which had burned one of their most -illustrious chiefs, to spare time to massacre the pale-faces. As the -chief, a Seneca, had stood with unquivering nerve at the stake he had -cried out, "Eries, you burn in me an entire nation!" for he knew the -Senecas would avenge his death. Much, then, as the Governor, De -Lauzon, wanted peace, neither he nor his Indian allies knew how far -they could trust the Iroquois. It was at last decided that if the -Onondagas, one of the five Iroquois nations, would receive a Jesuit -mission, a body of Hurons should be sent under escort to be adopted -into their tribe. From the Onondagas there came a message to say -they would agree to this, and in June 1656 the expedition set out -from Quebec. It consisted of a large body of Hurons, as well as -Onondagas, fifty French soldiers, led by the brave captain, Dupuy, -and two priests, Dablon and Chaumonot. Scarcely was the party well -under way, when a band of Mohawks fell upon them, and before they -pretended to discover that they were attacking members of their own -confederacy, they had killed and wounded a number of Onondagas. -Profuse excuses and apologies followed, the Mohawks explaining that -they took them, the Onondagas, for Hurons. {79} The expedition was -suffered to proceed. The truth is, the Mohawks were jealous of the -Onondagas in obtaining an alliance with the French and Hurons. To -show their power and their contempt of the pale-faces, they continued -their journey eastward to the Isle of Orleans, and under the very -guns of the fort of Quebec surprised the defenceless Hurons who dwelt -there, and fiercely murdered or captured all they came upon, even the -women and children. In broad daylight they paddled their fleet of -bark canoes in front of Quebec, laughing and yelling defiance to the -French, and making their unhappy captives join in dancing and songs -of triumph. The Governor this time was a weak man, and all he could -do was to wring his hands and regret bitterly that he had ever sent -any mission to the Onondagas. He began to fear for their safety. - -Not wholly unfounded were the Governor's alarms. At first all went -smoothly enough with the little band of Frenchmen in the heart of the -Onondaga country. This particular tribe of the Iroquois appeared -delighted at the coming of the French. But quickly signs of danger -began to multiply. The pale-face soldiers grew aware that a plot was -on foot to murder them in the little fort they had built, close to -where the present prosperous city of Syracuse now stands. Dupuy, -being an able and courageous man, resolved by some means or another -to foil the savages and escape back to Canada. This is the stratagem -he hit upon; it was the custom of these Indians to hold mystic -feasts, at which it was a point of honour to eat everything that was -set before them {80} by their hosts. If a man failed to eat the -whole of a dish--even to the fifth helping--it was taken by the host -as a personal insult. Dupuy planned such a feast, and arranged to -stuff them so plentifully that not a single brave would be capable of -rising from the banquet. The plan worked perfectly, the Indians not -observing that the French concealed most of their food instead of -eating it, so that by midnight the gorged and drunken Onondagas were -sunk in a gluttonous sleep. Dupuy had taken good care beforehand to -build secretly within his fort a number of large, light, -flat-bottomed skiffs, and now when dawn came the Frenchmen stole -away, carrying these with them to the Oswego River, reaching Quebec -at last, in spite of ice and rapids, with the loss of only three men, -who were drowned. The Indians pursued, but their birch-bark canoes -were useless on the icy stream, and they had to give up the chase. - -The escape from the Onondagas was a very clever and daring deed, and -shows the material the colonists of New France were made of in those -days. A deed still more daring and important was to follow. The -Iroquois threw off the mask and determined to deal the French in -Canada a deadly blow. A mighty force of the Five Nations was -organised, to meet at the junction of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence -rivers, and swoop down first upon Montreal and then upon the other -settlements. It so happened that there lived in Ville Marie at this -time a young nobleman, Daulac des Ormeaux, who chose to be known to -the other colonists as Adam Dollard. Having left France in order to -escape the consequences of {81} some rash act, he burned for some -chance to retrieve the honour of his name. The valiant youth now saw -with joy the long-looked-for opportunity arrive at his door, and he -obeyed the summons. From the Governor did Dollard obtain leave to -lead a party of volunteers against the savage foe. Gathering sixteen -gallant fellows about him, all swore a solemn oath to give or take no -quarter, but by sheer force of their arms break the force of the blow -which was about to descend on their beloved town. A mad enterprise -truly did it seem, but for sheer valour nothing finer has been known -since fearless Leonidas and his handful of Greeks held the pass at -Thermopylae. The seventeen heroes, together kneeling, took the -Sacrament at the hands of the pale priest, and set forth for the Long -Sault (or Rapids) of the Ottawa. There in the dense woods they found -a disused old Indian stockade by which the invading host had to pass. -Entrenching themselves as well as they could, they waited. A few -friendly Hurons and Algonquins joined them, wondering at the -hardihood of the pale-face warriors, and shamed into lending them a -helping hand. The storm broke. A horde of 700 screaming savages, -picked men of the Iroquois, flung themselves upon them. Easy work it -seemed to crush out this feeble band. To their astonishment, Dollard -and his men beat them back. Again and again they came on, and again -and again were they repulsed. By this time, appalled at the fearful -odds against them, the friendly Indians had fled from the side of the -besieged, all but one Huron chief, Annahotaha, and four Algonquins. -These stood firm. {82} Every loophole in the stockade darted its -tongue of fire; so faultless was the aim that nearly every time a -musket rang out an Iroquois fell dead. Fortunately Dollard had -brought plenty of ammunition. Some musketoons of large calibre, from -whose throats scraps of lead and iron belched forth, slew and wounded -several of the enemy at a single discharge. Thus three days wore -away and still the terrible struggle came to no end. In the -intervals, by day and night, Dollard and his men offered up prayers -to Heaven on their knees in the melting snow. Their food was now -gone, and, worse still, they had no water. No hope now remained save -to keep the Iroquois a few hours longer at bay; they were certain -only of a martyr's reward. On the part of the besiegers so many men -had they lost that they sickened of the fight, and some amongst them -even counselled going home. But other chiefs shrank from such a -disgrace. - -"Shall we," they cried, "confess ourselves beaten by so paltry an -enemy? Our squaws would laugh in our faces! Let us now rather band -ourselves together and storm the fort of the white men, at whatever -cost." - -A general assault was made. So high by this time was piled the -bodies of the Iroquois, that their fellows could now leap over the -stockade. Dollard fell, and one after another of the exhausted -defenders was slain, although each fought like a madman, a sword or -hatchet in one hand and a knife in the other. Amongst the heap of -corpses one Frenchman still breathed, and he was dragged out and {83} -tortured. This was the end; thus perished Dollard and his valiant -sixteen, whose names are imperishably written in the annals of -Montreal. Nor did they offer their lives to the Iroquois hatchets in -vain. The Iroquois had been taught a lesson, and to their lodges the -tribe slunk back like whipped curs. "If," said they, "seventeen -Frenchmen, four Algonquins, and one Huron can, behind a picket fence, -hold seven hundred of our best warriors at bay, what defence would -their hundreds do behind yonder ramparts of stone?" And so the -colony of New France was saved. - -The cowardly native allies of the French in this fight were not to -escape the penalty of their treacherous desertion. The Iroquois -turned upon them, burning some on the spot, and making captives of -others. Five only succeeded in escaping to carry the tale of the -defence, the butchery, and the martyrdom to Ville Marie. - -It seemed, however, as if Canada had only been saved in order to -perish from other causes. The colony was impoverished and torn, -besides, with civil and religious dissensions. The Society of Notre -Dame of Montreal, those rich and influential persons in France who -had founded the city, now wearied of their enterprise. It was turned -over to the great Seminary of St. Sulpicius, and a number of -Sulpician fathers were sent out to take charge and to found a -seminary in Montreal. Amongst these was the Abbe de Queylus, who -hoped the King would eventually make him a bishop. But the Jesuits -were too powerful not to prevent any priest but a {84} Jesuit from -receiving such an appointment, and at last succeeded in getting -François de Laval, Bishop of Petræa, appointed to control the Church -in Canada. A striking figure was Laval, playing a great part in the -early history of Canada; but in spite of his virtue, he was -narrow-minded and domineering, perpetually quarrelling with the -various Governors of the colony during the next thirty-five years. - -So desperate did the people of New France become at the dangers which -surrounded them, at the quarrels between the Bishop and the Governor, -at the excesses of the fur-traders, who insisted on intoxicating the -Indians and themselves with brandy, that it hardly needed the -terrible earthquake which took place in 1663 to make them lose heart -altogether. The total population then was some two thousand souls, -and the Company of the Hundred Associates had been found powerless to -settle, develop, and defend the country properly. Thinking only of -the profits of the fur trade, it had shamefully neglected its -promises, and when any of its officials made money in Canada, they at -once went home to spend it. All this was pointed out by the Marquis -d'Avaugour when the Governorship at last fell from his hands; and -remembering that others, including Laval, had made the same charge, -Colbert, the new Minister of young King Louis the Fourteenth, decided -to plead the cause of Canada to his master. It was on his advice -that King Louis resolved to take the government directly into his own -hands. By royal edict was revoked the charter of the Hundred -Associates, and three men appointed as a {85} Sovereign Council in -Canada to carry out royal authority. These three officials were the -Governor, the Bishop, and the Intendant, the latter having charge of -the commerce and finances of the colony. To the post of Governor the -Sieur de Courcelle was appointed, and Jean Baptiste Talon became -Intendant. The office of Bishop, of course, continued to be filled -by Laval. - -[Illustration: Dollard strikes his Last Blow, 1658] - -And now the drooping fortunes of New France began to revive. -Soldiers and settlers began to pour into the country. Besides De -Courcelle, the King sent also his Viceroy for the whole of his -Trans-atlantic domains, the veteran Marquis de Tracy, to report to -him personally upon the state of Canada. When De Tracy set sail a -throng of eager young nobles accompanied him. Their imagination had -been stirred by the tales they had heard of the country by the St. -Lawrence River. They thirsted for adventure and renown. There came -also the famous disbanded regiment, called the Carignan-Callières, -after the names of its commanders, the first regiment of regular -troops ever sent to Canada by the King. It had lately been serving -in the wars of France against the Turks, and had provoked the -admiration of the Turkish Sultan. - -On the last day of June 1665 a brilliant scene was witnessed in -Quebec. On that glowing summer's day the gallant Marquis and the -troops landed at the flowery base of towering Cape Diamond. What a -different scene was now presented from that which had taken place but -a few seasons before, when the impudent Iroquois had shaken their -hatchets from {86} their canoes at the trembling and helpless -Governor! The population had doubled as if by magic; thousands were -on the ramparts shouting a welcome to the broad white standard -blazoned with the arms of France, which floated proudly from fleet -and fortress. The river-banks echoed with the hoarse note of cannon. -The bells of the church and seminaries pealed in a frenzy of joy. -Tracy, a giant six feet and a half high, and his officers stepped -ashore, all gorgeously attired in crimson and white and gold. In the -vanguard of the procession which climbed that day the heights of -Quebec were twenty-four guards in the King's livery, followed by four -pages and six valets. On arrival at the square, Laval, in his -resplendent pontificals, received them, and noted with pleasure that -the old marquis, although suffering from fever caught in the tropics, -knelt on the bare pavement. A new order of things everywhere was -begun. With the 2000 settlers came young women for wives, as well as -horses, oxen, and sheep in abundance. It became Tracy's duty to look -to the colony's protection in order that it might increase and -multiply, and the only way to accomplish this was by curbing the -power of the Iroquois. No time was lost in taking measures to this -end. The forts at Quebec, Three Rivers, and Montreal were -strengthened, three new forts, St. Theresa, Sorel, and Chambly, were -built on the Richelieu River. Reports of the arrival of the troops, -and of all their preparations, naturally spread far and wide amongst -the Indians, and very soon four of the Five Nations thought it -prudent to sue for peace. The fierce {87} Mohawks alone remained -defiant; they were not to be cowed by all this martial pomp, and at -last Courcelle, the Governor, with Tracy, the Viceroy's, permission, -resolved to chastise them as soundly as they deserved. He would take -them when they least expected it: surprise them in their lodges in -the depths of winter, when his soldiers could travel over the frozen -rivers as though on a paved highway. Many who had had experience of -winter journeyings in Canada sought to dissuade him from the attempt, -but the new Governor was anxious to distinguish himself, and win the -approval of the Viceroy and his King. Early in January he and his -500 men began to march. Before they had reached Three Rivers many -had their ears, noses, and fingers frozen, while some of the -newly-arrived troops were so disabled by the cold, that they had to -be left behind. But the old Indian fighters and native Canadians, of -whom there were nearly a hundred, pressed forward bravely in the van, -in spite of the heavy loads which all were obliged to carry. For six -weeks they travelled to reach the Iroquois lodges, but they lost -their way, and came at last to the Dutch settlement of Schenectady. -Here they learnt that the Mohawks had gone far afield on a war-like -expedition, and that the country they were now in belonged to the -Duke of York, afterwards James II. New Netherlands having thus -passed into English hands, Courcelle and his troops were asked to -quit the territory at once. There was nothing, therefore, to do but -to steal away to Canada, whence they had come. It was not an easy -feat, for a body of Mohawks hung at {88} their heels tomahawking -stragglers. The cold was intense, and, to make matters worse, the -provisions gave out. Sixty men perished on the march. Nevertheless, -unlucky as Courcelle had been, his expedition had served to convince -the Mohawks that they and their families were no longer safe in their -lodges. There was no telling what these Frenchmen would do next, so -they sent a deputation to offer peace. The Viceroy, in his turn, -sent a priest as his ambassador to visit their deputation, but he had -scarcely left when tidings came that a party of seven French officers -out hunting near Lake Champlain had been set upon and killed by the -Mohawks. A cousin of Tracy's had been captured, and a nephew had -been slain. - -"Now, by the Virgin!" cried the sick old soldier, bringing down his -giant palm on the table, "they have gone far enough. Recall the holy -father. We must teach these savages a lesson." But the cup of his -anger was not yet full. A couple of boastful Mohawk deputies arrived -in Quebec and came to his house. When the indignant Tracy happened -to mention the murder of his nephew, one of them actually had the -effrontery to laugh and exclaim, as he stretched out his arm, "Yes, -this is the hand that split the head of that young man!" - -The Viceroy, veteran soldier as he was, and used to deeds of -violence, shuddered with horror. - -"Very well," he said, "never shall it slay any one else. Take that -base wretch out," he added to one of the guard, "and hang him in the -presence of his fellows!" - -{89} - -It was September. Tracy himself and Courcelle, commanding 1300 men, -put the heights of Quebec behind them. Traversing mountains, swamps, -rivers, lakes, and forests, they held steadily on their way to the -country of the Mohawks. When the gout seized the commander they bore -him on a litter, a mighty load. All day long were the drums beating -and the trumpets blowing; when provisions had grown low, luckily they -came upon a huge grove yielding chestnuts, on which they largely fed. -The Mohawks heard of this martial procession and were terrified. -They had no wish now to face the French, whose numbers rumour -magnified, and whose drums they took for devils. At the last moment -they retreated from their towns, one after another. Tracy pursued -them, capturing each place as he arrived at it. At the fourth town -he thought he had captured them all, but a squaw told him there was -still another, and stronger than any they had yet seen. To this town -he sent an officer, who prepared for an assault, but, to the surprise -of the French, they found within only an old man, a couple of aged -squaws, and a little child. These told the French that the Mohawks -had just evacuated, crying, "Let us save ourselves, brothers! The -whole world is coming against us!" All loaded with corn and -provisions as it was, to the town the French that night applied the -torch. A mighty bonfire lit up the forest. In despair at losing all -their possessions, the two squaws flung themselves headlong into the -flames. All the other places were destroyed, and then, chanting the -Te Deum and reciting mass, the victors set out on {90} the return -march. They had burned the food of the Mohawks, who they knew must -now feel the dread pangs of hunger. Terrible was the blow, and the -Mohawks suffered much that winter. Their pride was humbled. By -these means was a treaty of peace between the French and all the -Iroquois declared, and for twenty years Canada enjoyed the sweets of -peace. - -Old Marquis de Tracy had done his work well, and could now go back to -France with his resplendent bodyguard, his four pages, and his six -valets, and leave Courcelle and Talon to rule Canada alone. - -After this, when they went amongst the Iroquois, cross and breviary -in hand, Jesuit missionaries met with no danger or refusal. They -made many converts. Not content with their labours amongst the -tribes close at hand, they pierced the distant forests north of Lake -Superior, established permanent missions at Michilimackinac and Sault -Ste. Marie, which joins the Lakes Huron and Michigan. On the banks -of the St. Lawrence a new era began. For when the Carignan-Callières -regiment was disbanded, the soldiers turned their swords into -ploughshares, and the wise and prudent Intendant, Talon, had the -satisfaction of seeing farms arise in the wilderness and yield -abundant harvests. Talon's hand was seen everywhere; he spared no -pains to make Canada prosperous and self-supporting. He set about -establishing the fisheries in the St. Lawrence river and gulf, and -encouraged the seal-hunts, by which much oil was obtained and -exported to France. He ordered the people to grow hemp, and taught -the women to spin wool. He also devoted much attention to the {91} -timber trade, and to him is owing the first tannery seen in Canada. -By the year 1688 as many as 1100 vessels had in a single season -anchored in the Quebec roadstead, laden with every kind of -merchandise. According to a letter written by one of the chief nuns, -"M. Talon studied with the affection of a father how to succour the -poor and cause the colony to grow; entered into the minutest -particulars; visited the houses of the inhabitants and caused them to -visit him; learned what crop each was raising; taught those who had -wheat to sell it at a profit; helped those who had none, and -encouraged everybody." - -But in nothing were Talon's efforts so extraordinary to us as in his -providing wives for the colonists of New France. In his first few -years of office 1200 girls were shipped out from France. These -French maidens were chosen from the country rather than from the -city, strong and accustomed to work. But there was also a -consignment of "select young ladies" as wives for the officers. When -they arrived in Quebec or Montreal, the girls, tall and short, blonde -or brunette, plump and lean, were gathered in a large building, and -the young Canadian came and chose a wife to his liking. A priest was -in readiness, and they were married on the spot, in batches of thirty -at a time. Next day, we are told, the Governor caused the couple to -be presented with an ox, a cow, a pair of swine, a pair of fowls, two -barrels of salted meat, and eleven crowns in money. Besides this -bounty, twenty livres were given to each youth who married before he -was twenty years old, and to each girl who married before {92} -sixteen. All bachelors were heavily taxed. To be unmarried was -regarded by the Intendant and the King as a crime. In short, as has -been said, the new settler was found by the King, sent over by the -King, and supplied by the King with a wife, a farm, and even a house. - -Now amongst free-born Britons all this royal interference would have -been resented. Britons like to manage their own private affairs. -They would call Louis the Fourteenth's system "paternalism," and in -truth the system was a failure, because it discouraged the principle -of independence. No spirit of self-reliance was stimulated amongst -the people. They looked to the Government for everything, not to -themselves. The result was that many of the strongest and most -self-reliant amongst the young men preferred to live a life of -freedom and adventure in the wilderness, hunting, fishing, and -trading, rather than suffer the constraints imposed upon them by the -well-meaning Talon. Thus came about the creation of a famous class -called the _coureurs de bois_, or bushrangers, who at last spread -themselves all over Canada, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, owning -no laws but their own, living like Indians, taking unto themselves -Indian wives, and rearing half-breed children. Talon and all the -Governors, Intendants, and Bishops were very angry with these men, -who thus set the wishes of the good King at defiance, and made many -laws against them. But in vain! The bushrangers, valorous, -picturesque, and their companions, the _voyageurs_, continued to -flourish almost until our own day. - - - - -{93} - -CHAPTER VII - -STRANGE DOINGS AT PORT ROYAL - -We left the loyal, undaunted Charles de la Tour, whom his Huguenot -father, Sir Claude, had tempted in vain to enter the English service, -master once more of Port Royal in Acadia, and in high favour with -King Louis the Thirteenth. All Acadia as well as Canada was given -back to the French by the treaty of St. Germain-en-Laye, and King -Louis and his Court were now inclined to abandon their policy of -indifference and begin the work of colonising anew. In the spring of -1632 a nephew of Richelieu's, Captain de Razilly, arrived in Acadia -with a shipload of colonists, including artisans, farmers, several -Capuchin friars, and some gentry. Amongst the latter were Nicholas -Denys and an extraordinary person, Charles de Menou, Chevalier de -Charnisay. - -The new Governor-General of Acadia was so struck by the natural -beauties of La Heve that he fixed his residence there, in preference -to Port Royal, which the Scotch had taken care to dismantle before -sailing away. Naturally young De la Tour was very jealous at -Razilly's coming. He thought the King ought to have appointed him -Governor, instead of giving him the mere lordship over a limited -territory. {94} With Razilly's death in the following year De la -Tour thought his chance had come. But again his hopes were -frustrated. It appeared that Razilly had ceded all his rights to -Charnisay, his Deputy-Governor, whose first act was to remove from La -Heve and take up residence at Port Royal, where he built a new fort. - -From this time forward Charnisay and De la Tour were sworn enemies. -De la Tour believed in his heart that it was Charnisay's aim to -dispossess him of those rights which he had acquired in Acadia by so -much energy and sacrifice. It is certain that Charnisay had much -more influence at home in France than had his rival. The King tried -to settle the dispute by fixing the limits of Charnisay's government -at the New England frontiers on the one hand, and at a line north -from the Bay of Fundy on the other. Westward of this line was to be -De la Tour's province. But in vain. Both rivals appealed to their -monarch, and Charnisay's friends having poisoned the King's mind by -alleging that De la Tour was a Huguenot in disguise, orders were sent -to his foe to arrest him and send him a prisoner to France. By this -time De la Tour was dwelling with his young wife and children, his -soldiers and Indian followers, in a strong fort he had built at the -mouth of the St. John's River, to which he had given his own name. -When, to his amazement, he heard that his foe had succeeded in -depriving him of his rank as King's Lieutenant, of his charter, and -of his share in the fur trade; that Charnisay had, moreover, orders -to take him a prisoner to France, his indignation was {95} -overwhelming. He took instant measures. Having strengthened Fort la -Tour, he defied his enemy to do his worst. - -Charnisay was a crafty man and moved slowly. Not until the spring of -1643 was he ready to wreak vengeance on the "traitor," as he called -De la Tour. The snows had scarce melted, the trees were putting -forth their first pale verdure, when De la Tour perceived several -armed ships creeping stealthily into the harbour. Aboard these ships -were 500 men whom Richelieu had sent to Charnisay to overpower the -loyal subject who had, in a time of stress and temptation, held all -Acadia for the French King. Duly the attacking force landed, and -Charnisay, his eye kindling with hate and expected triumph, himself -led the assault. But he deceived himself: the fort proved too strong -and the besieged too valiant. After an hour of hot fighting, -Charnisay was fain to acknowledge himself baffled. Yet although he -could not storm the fort, he had another resource. He could, he -thought, starve it into capitulation. Thus was begun a close siege -by sea and land. But in spite of Charnisay's care, a loophole in the -line of ships was left, and through this loophole one day De la -Tour's keen vision saw, far on the horizon, the long-expected ship, -with provisions, merchandise, and gunpowder for Fort de la Tour. To -reach that ship was now the hope of De la Tour and his wife, no whit -less valiant than himself. In it both would sail to Boston, and -there seek to obtain reinforcements from the sturdy New Englanders. -In his hazardous extremity De la Tour remembered the lesson his -father, now dead, {96} had tried to teach him, and what he had tried -to forget all these years, that he was a baronet of England, doubly -so, once in his own right and once by right of inheritance. By -virtue of the rank the English King had given him, King Charles's -transatlantic subjects would not refuse him succour. The next night, -therefore, De la Tour and his lady slipped unperceived into a waiting -boat and rowed with muffled oars through the blockade. The captain -of the _St. Clement_ was delighted to see De la Tour. Placing -himself under his orders, they sailed for Boston, where, although -they dared not give him direct assistance, the Puritan elders of the -new town had no objection to striking a bargain, and at a good price -permitted their visitor to hire four stout ships and seventy men. -Sailing back with his force, De la Tour was able now to make his -enemy flee before him. The siege of his own fort being raised, he -followed the foiled Charnisay to Port Royal, captured a shipload of -rich furs, and would have taken Charnisay himself and his settlement, -had it not been for the scruples of his New England allies, who -succeeded in patching up a peace. But none knew better than De la -Tour that there could be no lasting truce between him and Charnisay. - -While his wife went to France to obtain help, the brave Charles set -about strengthening Fort la Tour. Once across the Atlantic, Madame -de la Tour had a narrow escape from falling into the hands of their -enemy, Charnisay, who had also gone to France on the same mission. -But she eluded her enemies as well as the King's officers sent to -arrest {97} her, and reached England in safety. After many months, -she took passage home in a small vessel. She had many adventures. -Once she hid in the hold of the vessel while her enemies searched for -her. The ship suffered delay after delay ere, to her joy, Fort la -Tour at length was reached. Her husband received her with raptures, -and at once set out to bribe the Boston folk once more to lend him a -helping hand to avert the danger which again threatened him. Now was -Charnisay's opportunity. Hardly was his rival gone than he mustered -all his ships and men and fell upon the fort. What an easy prey it -seemed! Charnisay forgot that a woman sometimes can play a man's -part. The fort received him with so hot a fire--so hot that -thirty-three of his men were slain--that Charnisay, with loud curses, -withdrew to his ships. Long he lay in wait for De la Tour, who dared -not now return, and after a second onslaught on the fort, Charnisay -began in earnest to despair of success. At this critical junction a -scoundrelly traitor, bought by Charnisay's gold, appeared in the -fort. In vain the heroic woman spurred on her valiant band to repel -the invaders. The latter had been told that her food and powder were -nearly spent, and finally, at a signal, the traitor threw open the -outer gates of the fort, and the host of the enemy rushed in. Yet -even then for three days Madame de la Tour kept them at bay, and -Charnisay at last, weary of the bloodshed, was fain to offer her fair -terms if she would surrender and depart. She hesitated a moment, -but, to spare the lives of her brave garrison, she {98} caused the -gates of the inner fort to be opened, and so yielded. - -Then it was that Charnisay covered his name to the end of all time -with the blackest infamy. His eyes dwelt on the smallness of the -garrison, and, ashamed of the terms he had offered, he cried out, "I -have been deceived! I have been deceived! Take these wretches out -and hang them all one by one!" He ordered a halter to be placed -about the neck of the splendid heroine, their intrepid mistress, -Marie de la Tour. He forced her to witness the cold-blooded murder -of her men, so that she swooned with horror. To Port Royal Charnisay -then bore her away, where she fell ill, and in three short weeks was -dead. - -Alas, poor Marie de la Tour! Her husband was now an exile from -Acadia. By the capture of the fort he had lost not only his wife, -but all his merchandise, jewels, plate, and furniture worth ten -thousand pounds. His debts to the Bostonians being heavy, he became -bankrupt. So while Charnisay flourished and grew rich at Port Royal, -reigning supreme throughout Acadia, Charles de la Tour was a wanderer -on the face of the earth. As a _coureur de bois_ he hunted and -bartered for furs in the far north. Years passed, when, through a -faithful follower, tidings reached him which filled his breast anew -with hope. His enemy was dead, drowned in an Acadian river in the -very flush and midsummer of his success, which, however, by the -wildest extravagance, he had grossly abused. No sooner did De la -Tour learn of this event than he took ship {99} immediately for -France and poured out the story of his wrongs at the foot of the -throne. The King acknowledged the injustice with which his faithful -subject had been treated, and, to make amends, created him sole -Governor of Acadia, with a monopoly of the fur trade. Once again -back in the colony he loved, his fortunes grew bright. His coffers -soon filled with gold. But the sight of the widow and children of -his life-long enemy troubled him. He knew that they regarded him as -profiting by their misfortunes. To make what reparation he could, he -presented himself before Madame Charnisay. She did not spurn his -attentions, and so he courted, then wedded her, and took her children -under his protection. - -And now, you will think, this surely is the end of the drama. Nay, -there is more to come. Charnisay in his day had had many dealings -with a certain merchant of Rochelle named Le Borgne. This fellow now -came forward with a trumped-up tale for De la Tour's undoing. He -swore that Charnisay had died owing him a quarter of a million -livres, and this story he duly unfolded before Cardinal Mazarin, the -great Richelieu's successor. Mazarin, an intriguing bigot, suspected -De la Tour's loyalty and religion, and ended by giving Le Borgne -power to seize the dead Charnisay's estate. On the strength of this -authority a force was got together, and Le Borgne sailed away to oust -De la Tour and make himself, if possible, master of Acadia. He fell -first upon Nicholas Denys, who commanded a fort under De la Tour, -captured him, took Port Royal, and made all in readiness to storm -Fort la Tour. Matters were {100} in this posture when, like a -bombshell, burst a surprise for all parties. - -At this time, far away across the Atlantic in England, the Civil War -had come to an end. King Charles was beheaded, and Oliver Cromwell -ruled in his stead as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. When war -broke out with Holland, Cromwell despatched a fleet to capture the -Dutch colonies in America; but not long after the ships arrived at -Boston, where they were to be joined by 500 of the English colonists, -the latter were chagrined to hear that the war was over. The New -Englanders had, however, in the meantime been petitioning Cromwell to -make himself master of Nova Scotia, which they said was English by -right and a source of danger to themselves. A glorious opportunity -was now at hand of carrying out their schemes. The expedition -intended for the Dutch was turned against the French in Acadia, and -both De la Tour and Le Borgne were compelled to surrender. Nova -Scotia once more flew the English flag, and at Port Royal an English -Governor was installed, who made the settlers understand that no harm -or oppression should befall them. - -When these things happened, in the year 1654, De la Tour was long -past his prime. After waiting a year he began to see how hopeless it -was to expect that France would do anything to save Acadia. He -crossed the ocean, this time to England. As Sir Charles de la Tour -he obtained audience of the Lord Protector and stated his case fully -and frankly. "I am the man for that country, {101} my Lord. For -more than sixty years I have laboured there, and settlers and Indians -know me. With me it may prosper; without me it is nothing." -Cromwell was a keen judge of character. He liked De la Tour's -address, and decreed that he should come into his own again. An -English Company was formed, consisting of De la Tour, Thomas Temple, -one of Cromwell's colonels, and a Puritan minister named William -Crowne, to take over the whole of Acadia, both the peninsula of Nova -Scotia and the mainland. The partners were given besides the usual -trading monopoly. Great projects were planned, and so firm was -Temple's belief in Acadia's future that he spent his whole fortune in -developing the estate. Long before his death, in 1666, Charles de la -Tour sold out his interests to his partners. He divined further -trouble, for the Restoration of Charles the Second put a new aspect -on the situation. His seventy years of strenuous life made him long -for peace and quiet. But the worst he did not live to see. A year -after De la Tour died, King Charles put his royal hand to the -disgraceful Treaty of Breda, by which all Acadia, Nova Scotia, New -Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, was given back to France, and -Temple became a ruined man. - -For forty-three years did Nova Scotia remain in the possession of the -French. At length in 1713, by the Treaty of Utrecht, it passed to -Great Britain, and in British possession it remains to this day. The -New Englanders never ceased to regard French Acadia with jealousy. -There were constant quarrels about the boundary-line between it and -New England, {102} and many deadly raids on both sides. Among the -chief characters of Acadia at this time was the Baron St. Castin. He -was a French noble who flung off the mantle of civilisation when he -arrived in Canada with the Carignan-Callières regiment, and, marrying -a squaw, took up his residence with the Indians. St. Castin dwelt in -a strong fort on the Penobscot River and made himself lord and master -over hundreds of Abenakis Indians. He was greatly dreaded by the -English of Maine and Massachusetts. - -During this long period, while Frontenac was ruling far away in -Quebec, the population of Acadia slowly increased. Settlement was -made at Chignecto and in the district called the Basin of Minas. It -was the descendants of these settlers whose opposition to British -rule caused them in the next century to be banished from the country. - -In the meantime you must bear in mind that by water more than a -thousand miles separated Port Royal from Quebec. Communication was -slow and difficult. There was no high-road, and consequently the -colonists on the St. Lawrence showed for a long time hardly more -interest in Acadia's fortunes than if it were one of France's -far-distant West Indian possessions. Louisburg, that mighty fortress -which was to awaken their interest and to centre in itself so much of -the power and glory of New France, was not yet built. It was not yet -even a dream. - - - - -{103} - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE COMING OF FRONTENAC - -While the wise and prudent Intendant, Talon, was playing his part of -official father to the people, Governor Courcelle was busy with his -own duties at Quebec. He found that the Iroquois, although they had -buried the war-hatchet, had begun to injure Canada's interests in -another way by inducing the Northern and Western Indians to trade -with the English colonies. Courcelle made up his mind that the -proper policy for the French was to secure a stronger hold on the -more distant tribes. A fort and military station was built at a spot -on the north shore of Lake Ontario where Kingston now stands. -Expeditions were despatched to open up communication with the great -and unknown territory west and south of the great lakes. Such was -the beginning of a great era of discovery, associated in Canadian -history with the name of Frontenac, Courcelle's successor, whose name -in Canadian history stands second only to Champlain. It was during -Courcelle's governorship, in 1669, that Charles the Second of England -granted a charter to the Hudson's Bay Company, who thereby acquired -the right to trade for furs in the mighty region bordering upon {104} -Hudson's Bay. But although England thus planted her foot in the far -regions of the north, it was to a couple of intrepid French Canadian -bushrangers that the idea of the Company was due. The names of these -bushrangers were Pierre Esprit Radisson and Chouart de Groseilliers, -both emigrants from France. At an early age they had been thrilled -by the tales of life and adventure in the distant wilderness across -the sea. They were hardy and enterprising, well fitted for the -arduous life-work which was before them. From a western tribe of -Indians called the Assiniboines, Radisson and Groseilliers first -heard of the character and extent of the great inland sea to the -north, which had long before been named by the English marine -explorers Hudson's Bay. Not only did they glean a description of the -inland sea, but they also succeeded, while on their wanderings, in -obtaining information how they might reach it, not as the English -might do by sea, but overland. - -In August 1660 the two adventurers found their way back to Montreal -after over a year's absence. They were accompanied by 300 Indians -and 60 canoes, laden with furs, out of which they made a handsome -profit. But they had to reckon with the jealous fur-trading -proprietors of Quebec, who sought to restrict them from adventuring -into any new fields, and so many obstacles did the pair meet with, -that in order to carry out their scheme and establish trading posts -on Hudson's Bay they gave up their overland scheme and decided to -throw in their lot with the English. They crossed over the ocean and -had an interview with King Charles's cousin, the gallant {105} Prince -Rupert, and the result was all their hearts could wish for. Money -for the enterprise was found, and an English association founded -under charter from the King, which took the title of the Merchants -and Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay, but better -known to us as the Hudson's Bay Company. - -On a June morning 1668 the _Nonsuch_, a ketch of only fifty tons' -burden, left the Thames for Hudson's Bay. At the end of September it -passed safely through Hudson's Straits, and all hands were ordered -ashore in Rupert's River to begin the construction of a fort and -dwellings, called after King Charles. It was made of logs, in the -fashion of those made by the Jesuits and traders in Canada. As some -protection from sudden attack it was enclosed by a stockade. - -This, at Rupert's River, was the first of the forts and stations of -the Hudson's Bay Company. After a time other forts and "factories," -as they were called, began to dot the shores of the bay. - -Radisson and Groseilliers did not continue very constant in their -allegiance; sometimes they were English, sometimes they were French. -They were rough-and-ready adventurers both; and it all depended whose -purse was largest to command their services. Radisson, however, -ended his days in the receipt of a pension from the Hudson's Bay -Company. - -Naturally, the French were not at all pleased at this enterprise -which the English had set on foot, and soon began to take measures to -get the {106} fur trade of the most distant parts into their own -hands. - -Governor Courcelle despatched an explorer, a brave fellow named -Nicholas Perrot, to summon deputies from the far western tribes to a -conference, and take them all under the protection of King Louis. It -was while on this expedition that Perrot heard from the Indians of a -mighty river flowing southwards, which they spoke of as the -Mississippi, or Father of Waters. The rumour caused great interest -in Canada. It was not long, as we shall see, before another -expedition started from Quebec to ascertain what truth lay in the -story. But that was in Frontenac's time. - -Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac, was a grandson of one of the -knightly paladins who had fought with Henry the Fourth in the wars of -the League. He was a very shrewd, courageous, and ambitious man. He -entered upon the government of Canada, as he entered upon everything -he undertook in his life, with great enthusiasm. In almost his first -letter home he wrote: "I have never seen anything so fair or so grand -as the site of Quebec. That city could not have been better placed -had it been purposely founded as the expected capital of a great -Empire." Soon after lie arrived, Talon retired from his post of -Intendant, fearing a conflict with the indomitable spirit of the new -Governor. For Frontenac, with all his excellent qualities, could -endure no opposition. He chafed at any criticism of his authority. -And opposition and criticism were to be his lot for years. He soon -became engaged in {107} bitter disputes with the officials of the -colony, with Bishop Laval, who was as stern and unbending as himself, -with the new Intendant, Duchesneau, and with the Governor of -Montreal. Frontenac disliked the Jesuits; he was constantly seeking -to curb their influence. This unhappy three-cornered conflict lasted -all through Frontenac's first governorship of ten years. He became -more and more despotic, banishing members of the Council who offended -him, and finally sending Governor Perrot of Montreal, as well as a -hostile priest named Fenelon, back to France, where the former was -imprisoned in the Bastille. - -He had many enemies, but Frontenac had also many friends. These -idolised him, and to one, the brilliant and adventurous La Salle, he -stood firm as a rock. We have seen how Frontenac's predecessor, -Courcelle, had planned a fort on Lake Ontario. This plan Frontenac -warmly approved, and believing the post ought to be a strong one, he -sent 400 men to construct the works and to serve as garrison. He -also established another fort at Niagara. The project of discovering -the vast stream which the Indians called the Mississippi also greatly -interested the Governor, and a strong and able priest, Father -Marquette, and a fur-trading explorer named Jolliet left the St. -Lawrence in its quest. Frontenac, La Salle, and the others still -cherished in their hearts a vision of a short route to China. At -that time no one knew how far away the Pacific Ocean lay--no one -dreamt that thousands of miles of mountain range and prairie -separated Quebec and New York from its shores. Marquette and -Jolliet, with a few {108} followers, pushed on to the north-west of -Lake Michigan. After much paddling and many portages their canoes -brought them at last into the swelling flood of the greatest river in -the world. What emotions they felt! In wonder and triumph they -descended the Mississippi, and during the month which followed, -passed the mouths of three other great rivers, the Illinois, the -Missouri, and the Ohio. They had many talks with friendly Indians on -the banks; they saw much beautiful scenery and many strange sights. -At last they drew near to the mouth of the river of Arkansas, where -savages who had never so much as looked on the face of a white man -were not so friendly. Jolliet and his companion deemed that they had -gone far enough. By this time they had made up their minds that the -great river emptied not into the Pacific ocean but into the Gulf of -Mexico. Reluctantly they turned back, and not till the following -summer did the two explorers reach Canada again. All through this -memorable journey Jolliet had noted down in a book a description of -all that had attracted his attention, besides sketching carefully a -map of the course. This book he guarded jealously, intending it for -the eyes of the Governor, of King Louis, and the people of France. -Alas, just as he had run Lachine rapids and was in sight of home, his -canoe capsized and the precious volume floated away on the rushing -waters! It was a cruel disappointment for Jolliet. Frontenac -received him graciously, heard his story, and reported what he had -heard to his royal master. As for Jolliet's companion, Father -Marquette was wholly worn out by {109} his exertions. Less than two -years later he lay down and died by a little river pouring into Lake -Michigan, baffled in his dream of converting whole tribes of Indians -in what was then the Far West. Neither he nor the Canadian-born -Jolliet have been forgotten in this region. To many towns and -counties have their names been given, and their statues in bronze and -marble are to be seen in several places in America to-day. - -Jolliet and Marquette had begun the work; it now remained for another -strong, ardent, adventurous spirit to continue it. Such a one was -close at hand in the person of Réné Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la -Salle. As a young man he had come to Canada from his native city of -Rouen, filled with the most romantic ideas of winning fame and wealth -in the wilderness. To learn the Indian language and ways he had left -the towns and led the roving life of a bushranger, making long, -lonely canoe journeys and dwelling in the Indian wigwams. He, too, -had heard of the Father of Waters, the vast Mississippi, and tried to -reach it, but, as we have seen, Jolliet was there before him. But La -Salle did not accept Jolliet's conclusions. He refused to believe -that the Mississippi emptied into the Gulf of Mexico--he thought it -led to the Pacific. He was full of faith in the existence of a short -route to China. When any one met him on his return from an -expedition, however short, they would jokingly ask him, "Venez vous -de la Chine?" ("Do you come from China?") La Salle had bought an -estate not far from Montreal, and this estate came at last to be -called in derision {110} La Chine, and Lachine it is called to this -hour. But La Salle was not the kind of man to be discouraged. He -was determined to settle the matter one way or another, and into his -plans Frontenac entered heartily. But for some years other work -claimed La Salle's attention--work of a pioneering sort. He believed -that before the French could lay strong hands on the west, where the -English had already begun to penetrate, forts and stations ought to -be built and a firm alliance made with the Indians. With Frontenac's -approval, he assumed control of Fort Cataracoui, on Lake Ontario. -Once in his hands, La Salle tore it down, built a stronger one of -stone, and rechristened it in honour of his patron, Fort Frontenac. -Moving westward, he began to clear land and to build small ships to -carry the cargoes of furs he had bargained for. The first he built -on Lake Erie in the year 1679 he called the _Griffin_, in which he -sailed to the Green Bay Mission on Lake Michigan. There the -_Griffin_ was packed with costly furs and bade God-speed on her -return voyage eastward. Weeks passed, then months and years, but the -_Griffin_ never came back. Her timbers and the bodies of her crew -have long rotted somewhere at the bottom of one of the Great Lakes. -The loss was a sad blow to La Salle; it was one of the first of that -series of great misfortunes which followed him through his career -until he was cruelly done to death by foul traitors in the remote -forest. - -But by this time La Salle was not alone in his wanderings. In Henry -de Tonti he had a fiery and trusty lieutenant, and a devoted follower -in a Recollet {111} friar, Father Hennepin. Before coming to Canada, -Tonti had lost a hand in battle, its place being supplied by one of -steel, covered by a glove. The Indians stood amazed at the blows -Tonti could deal with his mysterious gloved hand, blows which would -have shattered their own members to fragments. Tonti often had -reason to bless his hand of steel. Three years after the ill-fated -_Griffin_ went down, La Salle saw his way clear to carry out his -great purpose. He embarked on the waters of the Mississippi on a -voyage to its source. The explorer, with Tonti and his party, met -with a friendly reception from most of the Indians on their journey. -Some were disposed to be hostile, and when this happened to be the -case, strong, quick paddling soon put the French out of their reach. -Finally, on the 19th of March, as the sun shone hot and trees and -flowers were in bloom, their canoes entered the mouth of the Father -of Waters, which is divided into three channels. La Salle, in his -canoe, entered one, Tonti the second, and Captain d'Autray the third. -All disembarked, and on some high, dry ground La Salle caused a -column to be raised, and upon it this inscription was placed: - - LOUIS THE GREAT, - King of France - and of Navarre, - reigns. - The ninth of April 1682. - -La Salle took possession of the country for the King, and bestowed -upon it the name, in his honour, of {112} Louisiana. It took the -explorers a full year to get back to Quebec, for the current was -strong and the difficulties many. There he received a warm -reception. But nothing could console him. Much to his sorrow and -dismay, he found a new Governor installed. The enemies of Frontenac, -headed by Laval, had triumphed, and the greatest and strongest man in -Canada had been recalled by the King. Never could this measure have -happened at a worse time. For, while La Salle had been absent, after -years of peace, the restless Iroquois had dug up the war-hatchet. -Upon a pretext of having received offence from the Illinois tribe, -which was under French protection, they threatened to deluge the land -in blood. To this policy they had been urged by the English Governor -of New York, Colonel Dongan, who saw with alarm the growing -enterprise, both in fur trade and exploration of the French. While -he continued in Canada the doughty Frontenac was more than a match -for the Iroquois chiefs. He sent for them instantly to Fort -Frontenac, saying that if they had been wronged by the Illinois he -would see that they had proper satisfaction. The Iroquois, having -the English Governor at their back, at first returned a defiant -answer. "If you want to see us, friend Onontio," they said, "you -must come to our lodges." With flashing eyes and with knitted brows, -Frontenac sent back the messenger to the Iroquois commanding them to -keep their hands off his Indians or take all consequences. He had, -he said, asked them to come and meet him at Fort Frontenac. Now he -added, if the Iroquois wished {113} to see him, they would have to -come to Montreal. His sternness and the fear of his displeasure -overcame the braves of the Five Nations. Changing their tone, they -sent an embassy to Montreal, promising the peace which they hated. -Scarcely had they done so than Frontenac the Lion was replaced by La -Barre, the Lamb. - -Like every one else, La Salle, on learning the evil news, saw the -folly and danger of the change. To France straightway he sailed, -where the King heaped him with honours, and, seizing the opportunity, -he unfolded a project for establishing a French colony in Louisiana. -Ships were freely given him and many soldiers and supplies to reach -the Gulf of Mexico by sea. But La Salle, though he never would admit -the fact, was no sailor. His navigation was fatally at fault; he -wholly missed his intended destination, the mouth of the Mississippi, -sailing hundreds of miles beyond. He landed, and through the forests -and swamps, and stricken with fever, he led his colonists. After -much miserable wandering, in which most of the little army perished, -his followers mutinied. La Salle was murdered and his corpse flung -to the jackals and vultures. - -Far more successful were the adventures of the Chevalier de Troyes. -The Chevalier de Troyes was a Canadian nobleman who had long fought -for his king, and had seen service on many of the bloody battlefields -in Europe. Now, when age began to creep upon him, and scars lined -his cheek and brow, he had retired to his estate on the banks of the -silvery St. Lawrence, to spend the rest of his days {114} in peace -and the companionship of his books. In his retirement the news of -the increasing power and wealth of the Hudson's Bay Company reached -him; it told him that unless this power was checked the prosperity of -the French fur-hunters and fur-traders would be utterly crushed. An -idea flashed across the brain of the Chevalier de Troyes, who -believed he now saw an opportunity of winning enduring distinction, -to rival, and may be surpass, the exploits of Champlain, La Salle, -and the other hero-pioneers of New France. - -In the depths of winter he summoned all his dependants and all whom -his eloquence could attract, locked up his library, and set out for -Quebec on snow-shoes. From the Governor he procured, on Christmas -Eve 1685, official permission to steal upon the English and drive -them, at the point of the sword, from the shores of Hudson's Bay. He -was empowered to "search for, seize, and occupy the most advantageous -posts, to seize the robbers, bushrangers, and others whom we know to -have taken and arrested several of our French engaged in the Indian -trade, whom we order him to arrest, especially Radisson and his -adherents, wherever they may be found, and bring them to be punished -as deserters, according to the rigour of the ordinances." The rigour -of the ordinances was but another word for death. - -Fourscore Canadians were selected to make up the expedition against -the Hudson's Bay Company's posts by the Chevalier de Troyes. For his -lieutenants the leader chose the three sons of a nobleman of New -{115} France named Charles le Moine. One, the eldest, a young man of -only twenty-five, was to bear an enduring distinction in the annals -of France as one of her most able and intrepid naval commanders. -This was the Sieur d'Iberville. His brothers, taking their names, as -he had done, from places in their native land, were called the Sieurs -de Sainte-Hélène and de Marincourt. Thirty soldiers were directly -attached to the Chevalier's command, veterans who had, almost to a -man, seen service in one or other of the great European wars. That -they might not be without the ministrations of religion, Father -Sylvie, a Jesuit priest, accompanied the expedition. - -"The rivers," writes a chronicler of the Troyes expedition, "were -frozen and the earth covered with snow when that small party of -vigorous men left Montreal in order to ascend the Ottawa River as far -as the height of land, and thence to go down to James's Bay." At the -beginning of April they arrived at the Long Sault, where they -prepared some canoes in order to ascend the Ottawa River. From Lake -Temiscamingue they passed many portages until they reached Lake -Abbitibi, at the entrance or most southern extremity of which they -built a small fort of stockades. After a short halt they continued -their course onward to James's Bay. - -First doomed to conquest by Troyes and his companions was Moose -Factory, a stockade fort with four bastions. In the centre stood a -house 40 feet square and as many high, terminating in a platform. -This fort was escaladed by the French late at night, and of {116} the -palisades short work was made by the hatchets of the bushrangers. - -Not a man amongst the garrison appears to have attempted a decent -defence save the chief gunner, whose skull was split into fragments -by Iberville, and who thus perished bravely at his post of duty. A -cry for quarter went up, and the English were made prisoners on the -spot. They were sixteen in number, and as the attack was made at -night, they were in a state of almost complete undress. Troyes found -in the fort twelve cannon, chiefly six and eight pounders, three -thousand pounds of powder, and ten pounds of lead. - -It is worth telling that this conquest was made with an amount of -pomp and ceremony calculated to strike the deepest awe into the -hearts of the fifteen unhappy traders, who knew nothing of fighting, -nor had bargained for anything so perilous. For so small a victory -it was both preceded and followed by almost as much circumstance as -would have sufficed for the Grand Monarque himself in one of his -theatrical sieges. The Chevalier announced in a loud voice that he -took possession of the fort and island "in the name of his Most -Christian Majesty the Most High, Most Mighty, Most Redoubtable -Monarch Louis XIV. of the Most Christian names, King of France and -Navarre." According to romantic custom, a sod of earth was thrice -raised in the air, whilst a cry of "Vive le Roi" rang out over those -waters wherein, deep down, lay the bodies of Henry Hudson and his -brave followers. - -Flushed with his triumph, the Chevalier de Troyes {117} next -bethought him of an attack on either Fort Rupert or Fort Albany. He -did not long hesitate. News came that a boat containing provisions -had left Moose Factory on the previous day bound for Rupert's River. -Iberville was therefore sent with nine men and two bark canoes to -attack a sloop belonging to the Company, then lying at anchor at the -mouth of the latter river. Fourteen souls were aboard, including the -Governor. To accomplish this feat it was necessary to travel forty -leagues along the sea-coast. The road was extremely difficult, and -in places almost impassable. A small boat was built to carry a -couple of small camion. When he had arranged all his plans, Troyes -left for Fort Rupert. - -Ste. Hélène was sent on in advance to reconnoitre the English fort. -He returned with the information that it was a square structure, -flanked by four bastions, but that all was in a state of confusion -owing to repairs and additions then being made. The cannon had not -yet been placed, being temporarily accommodated outside on the slope -of a redoubt. - -Ere the attack, which could only have one issue, was made by the land -forces, Iberville had boarded the Company's sloop, surprised captain -and crew, and made all, including Governor Bridgar, prisoners. Four -of the English were killed. - -On the heels of this exploit, Iberville came ashore, rejoined his -superior, and overpowered the almost defenceless garrison of Fort -Rupert. - -The French forces now united, and Ste. Hélène having been as -successful as his brother in securing the second of the Company's -ships, all embarked and {118} sailed for the remaining post of the -Company in that part of the Bay. - -Neither Troyes nor Iberville knew its precise situation; but a little -reconnoitring soon discovered it. Fort Albany was built in a -sheltered inlet forty yards from the borders of the Bay. Two miles -to the north-east was an estrapade, on the summit of which was placed -a seat for a sentinel to sight the ships expected from England, and -to signal them if all was well. But on this morning, unhappily, no -sentinel was there to greet with a waving flag the Company's captured -ship, on the deck of which young Iberville held vigilant and -expectant watch. - -Two Indians, however, brought Governor Sargeant tidings of the -approach of the enemy, and his previous successes at Moose and Rupert -rivers. The Governor immediately resolved upon making a bold stand; -all was instantly got in readiness to sustain a siege, and the men -were encouraged to behave with fortitude. Two hours later the -booming of cannon was heard, and soon afterwards a couple of -skirmishers were sighted at a distance. Despite the Governor's -example, the servants at the fort were thrown into the greatest -confusion. Two of their number were deputed by the rest to inform -the Governor that they were by no means disposed to sacrifice their -lives without provision being made for themselves and families in -case of a serious issue. They were prevailed upon by the Governor to -return to their posts, and a bounty was promised them. Bombardment -by the French soon afterwards began, and lasted for two {119} days, -occasionally replied to by the English. But it was not until the -evening of the second day that the first fatality occurred, when one -of the servants was killed, and this brought about a mutiny. Elias -Turner, the chief gunner, declared to his comrades that it was -impossible for the Governor to hold the place, and that, for his -part, he was ready to throw himself on the clemency of the French. -Sargeant, overhearing this declaration, drew his pistol and -threatened to blow out the gunner's brains if he did not return to -his post, and the man slunk back to his duty. The French now -profited by the darkness to bring their cannon through the wood -closer to the fort; and by daybreak a series of heavy balls struck -the bastions, causing a breach. Bridgar and Captain Outlaw, then at -Fort Albany, were convinced that the enemy was undermining the powder -magazine, in which case they would certainly all be blown to pieces. - -From the ship the French had thrown up a battery, which was separated -from the moat surrounding the fort by less than a musket-shot. None -ventured to show himself above ground at a moment of such peril. A -shell exploded at the head of the stairway and wounded the cook. The -cries of the French could now be distinctly heard outside the -fort--"Vive le Roi, Vive le Roi." In their fright and despair the -English echoed the cry "Vive le Roi," thinking thereby to propitiate -their aggressors. But the latter mistook the cry for one of -defiance, as a token of loyalty to an altogether different monarch, -and the bullets whistled faster and thicker. Sargeant {120} desired -to lower the flag floating above his own dwelling, but there was none -to undertake so hazardous a task. Finally, Dixon, the under-factor, -offered to show himself and placate the French. He first thrust a -white cloth from a window and waved a lighted torch before it. He -then called in a loud voice, and the firing instantly ceased. The -under-factor came forth, fully dressed, bearing two huge flagons of -port wine. Walking beyond the parapets, he encountered both Troyes -and Iberville, and by the light of a full moon the little party of -French officers and the solitary Englishman sat down on the mounted -cannon, or on the ground beside it, broached the two flagons and -drank the health of the two kings, their masters. - -"And now, gentlemen," said Dixon, "what is it you want?" - -"Possession of your fort in the name of his Most Christian Majesty, -King Louis the Fourteenth." - -Dixon, explaining that he was not master there, offered to conduct -this message to his chief, and in a very short time the French -commanders were seated comfortably within the house of the Governor. -The demand was here repeated, it being added that great offence had -been given by the action of the English in taking captive three -French traders, the previous autumn, and keeping them prisoners on -ground owned and ruled by the King of France. For this compensation -was demanded, and Sargeant was desired at once to surrender the fort. -The Governor was surprised at such extreme measures, for which he was -totally unprepared, but was willing {121} to surrender upon terms of -capitulation. On the following morning these were arranged. - -It was agreed that Sargeant should continue to keep all his personal -effects; and further, that his deputy, Dixon, three domestics, and -his servant should accompany him out of the fort. It was also agreed -that Troyes should send the clerks and servants of the Company to a -neighbouring island, there to await the arrival of the Company's -ships from England. In case of their non-arrival within a reasonable -time, Troyes promised to assist them to such vessel as he could -procure for the purpose. The Frenchmen also gave Sargeant the -provisions necessary to keep him and his companions from starvation. -All quitted the fort without arms, save Sargeant and his son, whose -swords and pistols hung at their sides. The Governor and his suite -were provided with passage to Hays Island, where he afterwards made -his escape to Port Nelson. The others were distributed between Forts -Moose and Albany, and were treated by their captors with considerable -severity and hardship. - -Having attended to the disposition of his prisoners and their -property, Troyes, accompanied by Iberville, departed on 10th August -for Montreal. The gallant Chevalier and his associates would have -been glad to have pursued their successes by crossing the Bay and -capturing York Factory. But although two ships belonging to the -Company had fallen to their lot, yet they could find none competent -to command them. The distance between Albany and Port Nelson was by -water 250 leagues, and the road overland was {122} as yet unknown to -the French. But it was not their purpose that it should long remain -so. In a letter to his official superior at Quebec, Troyes, who -wanted to plant the fleur-de-lys over the whole bay, boasted that the -next year would not pass without his becoming acquainted with it. - -Wherefore Troyes suffered himself to be prevailed upon by Iberville -and be content with the victories already won. They carried with -them in their journey more than 50,000 beaver skins as a trophy of -their arms. Many of the Hudson's Bay Company's servants were -employed in bearing the spoils. During the dreary march several of -these unhappy captives were killed through the connivance of the -French with the Indians; and the survivors reached Quebec in a -dreadfully emaciated and halt condition. - -You may believe that the victories of the Chevalier were blazoned to -the skies. He was hailed in Montreal, Three Rivers, and Quebec as -equal to any of the heroes of olden times, and his return was -celebrated with great pomp. As to his future, the career of the -Chevalier de Troyes ended abruptly and tragically in 1687, when he -and all his men, to the number of ninety, were massacred by the -Indians at Niagara. - -Governor la Barre, as you have heard, was an altogether different -sort of man from Count Frontenac. The Iroquois tribes, especially -the Senecas, who had now become the strongest nation, noticed the -difference at once when they resumed negotiations. Instead of the -dignity of command, La Barre wheedled their deputies, sending them -away from {123} Montreal loaded with presents. Soon afterwards, when -he despatched a trading expedition to the Illinois region, the -Senecas stopped it in its course, overhauled the canoes, and -confiscated all the valuable goods with which La Barre (with an eye -to great private profits) had packed them. Such a high-handed -proceeding touched the Governor in a very sore place--his pocket. He -became very wroth with the rascally Senecas, and swore to punish them -for their knavery and presumption. A force of 900 men being raised, -La Barre himself led them to the land of the Senecas on the south -side of Lake Ontario. But so badly laid and badly carried out were -his plans that, having got as far as the spot, since called the Bay -of Famine, Governor la Barre called a halt and there encamped. Each -day saw some of the soldiers stricken down by death and disease. The -prospect was so gloomy that finally La Barre thought it best to come -to terms with the enemy, and he therefore patched up an inglorious -peace. - -The name of the Seneca deputy at the peace conference was La Grande -Gueule, or Big Jaw, so called from his gift of sustained eloquence. -Big Jaw openly boasted that the Iroquois had not the slightest -intention of sparing the Illinois tribe, whether the French liked it -or not. Frontenac would have smitten the fellow down where he stood, -but La Barre was obliged to pocket this affront, and the next day the -remnant of his troops, full of anger and indignation, marched away. - -Such a peace could not, of course, long endure. {124} The Iroquois -torch had been kindled, an evil wind was blowing, and it would take -more than La Barre's feeble efforts to extinguish it. Tardy in war -and too eager for peace had the Governor shown himself, and when he -returned to Quebec found, to his mortification, that the King, his -master, had superseded him. His instant return to France was -ordered, the Marquis de Denonville being appointed in his stead. -Little pains did His Majesty take to conceal his dissatisfaction with -the treaty, or his anger at the abandonment of the Illinois. - -The new Governor very quickly found that the English colonists were -intriguing with the Iroquois, upholding and encouraging them in acts -of hostility against the French. War, and war in earnest, had to -come, and when 800 fresh soldiers arrived from France, Denonville -began to prepare for it. In this he had the loyal support of the -brave and wise man who also came out as the new Governor of Montreal, -De Callières. Unluckily, Denonville began with an act of treachery. -It was a strange deed for a soldier and a Christian. A number of -Iroquois chiefs were enticed to Fort Frontenac, where they were -seized, and, after being flung into prison, were sent to France to -work all the rest of their days in the galleys. What a fate for such -haughty braves, who never worked, but left all labour to their poor -squaws! What wonder the revenge of the Iroquois was terrible! - -Creeping along the St. Lawrence with his army, Denonville crossed -Lake Ontario, built a new fort, and leaving 400 men to guard it, -marched towards {125} the Seneca lodges. In the middle of July 1687 -a hot battle took place with 800 Senecas, in which, after losing six -men killed and twenty wounded, the French drove the foe into the -forest. Four hundred thousand bushels of Indian corn (maize) and -several herds of swine were found and destroyed. In the meantime, -however, while the Senecas were being punished, the danger to -Montreal and the other towns was imminent, owing to their being -without strong military protection. To defend Chambly 120 -bushrangers were armed, and on the island of Montreal, Callières -built twenty small forts for the inhabitants to take refuge in, -should the Iroquois descend upon them in force. For by this time, as -you can imagine, the whole of the Five Nations were blazing with -rage, as if they had been so many bloodthirsty wolves. Even in their -rage they were cunning. They had no intention of attacking Canada in -force; that was not their method of warfare. Crossing the border -silently in batches, each singled out his prey, some sleeping -village, or mayhap an unsuspecting farm. Next day a few mangled -corpses here, a heap of smoking ruins there, told the terrible tale -of the Iroquois raid. - -After a time the wiser heads amongst the Five Nations began to -consider whether a conquest over the French would not make the -Colonial English (whom they called _Ang'ais_ or Yankees) too -powerful. Suddenly they openly professed a desire for peace. A -deputation was sent to Canada to say that, strong as the Iroquois -knew themselves to be, they did not mean to press for all the -advantages they had the {126} right and power to demand. "We know," -they said, "how weak you are. We can at any time burn the houses of -your people, pillage your stores, waste your crops, and raze your -forts." To this boasting Denonville replied that Colonel Dongan of -New York claimed the Iroquois as English subjects. "If you are -English subjects, then you must be at peace with us, for France and -England are not now at war." "Onontio," exclaimed the chief of the -Envoys, "the Five Nations are independent! We can be friends to one -or both, or enemies to one or both. Never have we been conquered by -either of you." - -In the end a truce was proclaimed, but truce or no truce, a great -many skirmishes and massacres still went on, on both sides. All they -could do to prevent a peace being signed, the Hurons of -Michilimackinac, allies of the French, did. To them peace meant -utter ruin; their numbers were too few, and they well knew Denonville -could not protect them from the fury of the Iroquois. Amongst the -Hurons was a tall chief famous for his prowess in war and his gift of -eloquence. He was, according to those who knew him, the bravest and -most intelligent chief on the whole Continent. Kondiaronk, or "The -Rat," was mortally offended that the French should have made even a -truce without so much as consulting the wishes of their native -allies. To take his revenge on Denonville, he resolved to make peace -impossible. When the Iroquois envoys were on their way to Montreal -to sign the treaty, "The Rat" lay in ambush with a band of his trusty -Hurons. He surprised and made them all his prisoners, slaying {127} -one. When they angrily explained that they were peaceful envoys, the -crafty Kondiaronk professed to be greatly surprised, because, said -he, "the French Governor himself sent me here on purpose to waylay -you. But if, as I believe, what you say is true, behold, I set you -at liberty! May the gods curse Onontio for having committed such an -act of treachery!" Thus saying, he loaded the deputies with gifts -and bade all but one go free. After which Kondiaronk, glorying in -his perfidy, hastened to Michilimackinac, shaking his fist in triumph -and crying, "I have killed the peace!" He spoke then the truth. The -Iroquois prisoner he took with him, under the pretence of adopting -him in place of one of his Hurons slain by the deputies on being -attacked, was handed over to the French Commander of Michilimackinac -as a spy. In vain the victim protested that he was an envoy of peace -between the Five Nations and the French. In vain did he try to -explain the circumstances of his capture. Kondiaronk laughed in his -face, telling the French Commander he must have taken leave of his -wits, and the unhappy wretch was led to the stake. An Iroquois -captive was released by Kondiaronk and bidden to return to his tribe -with this message, that while the French were making a show of -wishing peace, they were secretly slaying and capturing the men of -the Five Nations. - -Months passed while the Iroquois brooded on vengeance. Denonville's -protestations were received in contemptuous silence. There was now -nothing to prevent formal war, for France and England had recommenced -hostilities. King James the Second had {128} fled from his throne -and palace to France. William of Orange, the mortal enemy of King -Louis, reigned in his stead. A new English Governor, Andros, was -sent out to New York to foment the deadly feud between the Iroquois -and the Canadians. - -In the month of August 1689 burst at last the storm of the Iroquois' -hatred and revenge. One night, during a heavy shower of hail, 1500 -dusky warriors crossed Lake St. Louis, landing silently and -stealthily on the beautiful island of Montreal, the "Garden of -Canada." By daybreak they had grouped themselves in platoons, one -platoon around every large dwelling for several leagues along the -road at Lachine almost to the gates of Montreal. The inhabitants of -Lachine were wrapped in sweet slumber, soon and ruthlessly to be -exchanged for that other slumber which knows no mortal awakening. - -Let us conjure up the terrible picture. At each door, in war-paint -and feathers, stands a group of savages with upraised hatchets and -huge mallets. The signal is given; it is the dread Indian war-whoop; -the next moment doors and windows are driven inwards. Sleeping men, -women, and children are dragged from their beds. In vain they -struggle in the hands of their butchers, in vain they appeal to those -who know no pity. They might as well appeal to wild beasts. A few -houses resist their attacks; when these are fired 200 unhappy beings, -the hope and pride of the colony, are burnt alive. Agonising shrieks -rend the air. The knife, the torch, and the tomahawk spare none, not -even {129} the little children. Those who do not now die under their -tortures are led away to nameless cruelties, which will furnish rare -sport to the lodges of the Five Nations. - -Such was the awful massacre of Lachine; such the vengeance of the -Iroquois. So swift and sudden had been the blow that the citizens of -Montreal were paralysed. All that dreadful day the savages moved on, -and for many days afterwards, and none came to arrest their course. -Governor Denonville, to whose policy the calamity was due, seems -entirely to have lost his nerve. A few miles from Lachine a body of -200 troops, led by a brave officer named Subercase, asked to be led -against the murderers of their countrymen. But Denonville, in a -panic, ordered Subercase to take refuge in Fort Roland. All were -forbidden to stir. Another body of men, commanded by one Larobeyre, -attempting to reach Fort Roland, were set upon and cut to pieces. -More than half the prisoners were burnt by their conquerors. -Larobeyre, wounded and unable to flee, was led captive to the -Iroquois wigwams and roasted alive at a slow fire. The bloodthirsty -tribes remained by the St. Lawrence as long as they pleased; their -ravages of the countryside continued for many weeks. Not until -October did the last of them disappear. A small party sent by -Denonville to make sure that they had really gone, came upon a canoe -bearing twenty-two departing Iroquois paddling across the Lake of the -Two Mountains. The chance was not one to be foregone. Too long held -in check, the Canadians drew near the savages, {130} who fired upon -them without damage. Then with a fierce joy the white men singled -out each his man, raised their muskets, and when the explosion came -eighteen Iroquois toppled over into the lake. But considering the -hundreds of Canadians who had been massacred, this was a paltry -retribution indeed. - -What wonder now that the men and women of Canada longed for the -strong right arm and sagacious brain of Frontenac! Is it any marvel -that they rejoiced to hear that, menaced with the loss of his -North-American dominions, King Louis had entrusted the gallant, fiery -old soldier once more with the government of New France. Frontenac's -return was hailed by all, nobles, soldiers, merchants, artisans, -farmers, even by the Jesuits, who five years before had striven to -send him away. He was escorted to the fort with a multitude of -torch-bearers. Well he knew what a great task awaited him. He had -now to battle not only with the Iroquois, but with the Anglo-American -colonies, the Yankees, as they were called by the Indians, just as -his master, King Louis, had to combat five powers at once--England, -Germany, Holland, Spain, and Savoy. - -Was Frontenac equal to the task? Was the strain now to be placed on -his shoulders too great for the powers of a hero seventy-two years of -age? That question let the next chapter answer. - - - - -{131} - -CHAPTER IX - -"QUEBEC FOR KING LOUIS" - -When Count Frontenac arrived at Quebec the massacre at Lachine had -just thrilled all Canada with horror. It was time to be up and doing -if the French Canadians were not to be utterly exterminated, if New -France was to be saved for King Louis, then at the height of his -power and renown. Callières, the Governor of Montreal, saw in the -presence not of the Iroquois but of the English in New York the root -of all Canada's troubles. He urged his sovereign to strike, and King -Louis had resolved to deal them a blow once and for all, from which -they would never recover. He would banish them from New York and -plant a colony of Frenchmen instead. The plan was entrusted to -Frontenac to execute. Unfortunately for the success of this scheme, -sufficient ships and troops and money were not forthcoming at the -right moment from France. There followed vexatious delays, and when -the French fleet at length crossed the ocean and anchored at -Chedabucto, in Acadia, the season was too far advanced to begin -operations. Meanwhile Frontenac was not the man to let time dwell on -his hands. Against the English colonies three war-parties were -organised whose deeds of blood {132} were long remembered in American -homesteads and in Indian wigwams. Frontenac saw that French prestige -had sunk so low amongst the northern and western tribes that all were -ready to make peace with the dreaded Iroquois on any terms. At the -very name of Frenchmen the meanest brave amongst the Five Nations -laughed and spat contemptuously on the ground. - -"Now, by St. Louis," cried Frontenac, "they shall see how weak we -are!" - -His fiery soul could not wait upon the seasons. The three -expeditions he sent forth marched amidst the ice and snow of -mid-winter, for it was by such a stroke of daring that Canada could -be saved. The first started from Montreal, led by Mantet and Ste. -Hélène, one of the three sons of the brave Canadian named Le Moine, -and after incredible hardships reached the village of Schenectady, on -the Hudson. They burst upon the sleeping, unsuspecting villagers in -the middle of the night, killing many and taking numerous prisoners. -When the fighting was over they burned nearly the whole settlement to -the ground. The Indians of the party were indignant at not being -able to torture the prisoners unhindered, for the French-Canadian -leaders were not cruel by nature. They showed gratitude to an -English colonist named Glen, who, on a previous occasion, had treated -certain French prisoners with kindness. Glen barricaded his house, -resolved to sell his life dearly, but the Canadian captain called out -to him to have no fear. "We are your debtors, not your enemies. -Moreover, if you have any kinsmen amongst {133} the captives we have -taken, point them out, and they shall go free." The Quebec Indians -looked on sulkily while the Englishman took advantage of this -handsome offer and named several of the prisoners. "This Yankee -pale-face has a terribly large family," their chief was heard to -grumble. - -The second war-party from Three Rivers, led by the redoubtable -François Hertel, wiped out the village of Salmon Falls, butchering -most of the inhabitants; while the third, under the command of -Portneuf, attacked and captured the fort and settlement at Casco Bay. -To the disgrace of Portneuf, he broke faith with the heroic garrison -when they surrendered, and abandoned his prisoners to his Indian -allies, who scalped and burnt them all. - -By feats such as these the tide was turned. At last the French had -exhibited proofs of their prowess, and the Iroquois were not slow in -acknowledging that they had made a mistake when they branded them -with the name of cowards. Frontenac could strike still as heavy a -blow as in the past. The wavering North-West tribes made haste to -assure him of their support, and the haughty Iroquois, in spite of -the arguments of the English, sent deputies to Quebec to congratulate -Onontio on his return to the land. The furs which had been -collecting for three years in the distant ports, with none daring -enough to venture upon their transport, now began to pour into -Montreal in hundreds of canoes. Trade began to revive, and the -drooping spirits of the colonists were exchanged for gladness and -hope. - -Could the redoubtable Frontenac have thought {134} that the English -colonists would bear this terrible treatment tamely? No! every mind -and bosom there was excited by the desire for revenge. Moreover, -they knew that now France's chief strength lay in Frontenac himself. -With England flying at the throat of Old France, the King, to whom -Frontenac applied, told him bluntly that he had need for all his -soldiers in Europe. "Your demands," wrote King Louis, "come at a -wrong time. A defensive policy is the proper one for you to pursue." -True, William the Third of England also could give little help to the -New Englanders. They, too, must fight their own battles. To their -own arms was it left to inflict chastisement on the Canadians in the -north. Accordingly, all the colonies met in consultation, and by -great efforts a fleet of seven vessels and several hundred men was -raised in Boston. Sir William Phips led them forth, and Port Royal, -in Acadia, was taken without much trouble. Sufficient booty was -captured to cover the cost of this expedition, and the New Englanders -returned flushed with triumph and eager for a more daring blow. -Meanwhile a land force of 1300 men, under Colonel Winthrop, had -failed, through sickness and mismanagement, to reach Montreal by way -of Lake Champlain. A portion of this little army had followed -Captain John Schuyler onwards, and, crossing the Canadian border, -killed a few Frenchmen near Montreal. When it had done that, it beat -a hasty retreat. - -Such raids as these--for raids is all they were--afforded little -satisfaction to the English colonists, {135} burning with a desire to -sweep the lilies of France from the New World. Silently and speedily -a plot was matured, and by the next summer it was ripe. Frontenac, -thinking all was secure for the present, had left Quebec to entertain -a band of Iroquois at Montreal to a great feast and war-dance. One -morning a messenger arrived post-haste to tell him that the enemy in -their ships were sailing up the St. Lawrence. Not a moment was to be -lost. Summoning the Governor of Montreal and De Ramsay of Three -Rivers to follow him with every man who could shoulder a musket, the -lion-hearted Frontenac pressed forward with all his speed. Ere he -could reach Quebec the enemy's fleet had anchored off the Isle of -Orleans. Quebec was almost in a panic, but Frontenac's arrival -instantly assuaged their fears. He filled all with his enthusiasm. -They resolved to die rather than yield. Great trunks of trees and -casks filled with stones were hastily heaped up where the walls were -weakest. On the enemy were trained the rows of cannon, and 2700 men -firmly awaited the onslaught. Was the danger then so great? Who was -the man--who were the men--who thus hoped to storm the strongest -citadel in New France? - -A humble blacksmith's son was William Phips, born at Fort Pemaquid, -in Maine. In his boyhood he herded a drove of cattle. But he was a -clever boy, and having learned ship-carpentry, he built a little -vessel of his own, and as a trader went to sea. Phips was a born -sailor. In one of his many long voyages he heard stories of a -Spanish galleon filled {136} with gold and silver sunk off the Island -of Cuba. Phips learnt all the particulars, satisfied himself of his -ability, and then determined to raise that ship and make himself -master of her wealth. At first people laughed at him, but he -persevered, and at last the King had given him the command of a -warship. As he had promised, so Phips carried out his plan, bringing -to England a fortune of £300,000. With the praise of King Charles -the Second ringing in his ears, as Sir William Phips he returned to -New England, prepared for any deed of note and valour which fate -might offer. - -To Phips, then, his New England fellow-countrymen had entrusted their -fleet, thirty-two vessels, large and small, with 2000 men. Phips -sailed forth in a confident spirit, but when he first cast his eyes -on the great rock of Quebec and the white fleur-de-lys floating above -in the autumn air, he may have felt some misgivings. These he -sternly repressed: it were best to put the boldest front on the -matter. Choosing a young major, he sent him with a peremptory -summons to Count Frontenac to surrender the city. Immediately on -landing from the boat with his flag of truce, Phips's emissary was -blindfolded and led by a roundabout path to the Castle of St. Louis, -where Frontenac and most of the chief men of the colony were -assembled. His demands Phips had written out on a sheet of paper. -He was anxious, he told Frontenac, to avoid shedding blood, and that -if the Count would surrender the fort, the city, the stores, and -their persons without delay, they may expect mercy from him as a -Christian. Otherwise {137} it would go hard with the French. -Capitulation was demanded within one hour. - -The bandage was taken from the messenger's eyes and the paper read -and translated to the company. Then the New England major took a -large silver watch from his pocket and laid it on the table, saying -haughtily, "Gentlemen, you will perceive it is now ten o'clock. My -general expects an answer by eleven." - -Whereat the French officers assembled, flushed with anger, only -Frontenac's face remaining impassive. "You need not wait so long," -he said. He told the envoy that the French rejected the demand. - -"Will your Excellency put that in writing?" asked the envoy. - -Frontenac's eyes darted fire. - -[Illustration: My Guns will give my Answer, Frontenac, 1690] - -"It is by the cannon's mouth and by musket-shot that I will send my -answer. I am not in the habit of being addressed in the style he has -chosen to adopt. Let your master do his best; I will do mine." - -Once more blindfolded, the messenger was escorted to his boat. A -little later the batteries of Quebec's lower town opened fire on the -fleet. Some of the very first shots brought down the flag of Phips's -own vessel, seeing which from the shore, several bold Canadians -immediately swam out, and, regardless of the musket fire from the -fleet, fished the dripping prize out of the water. Afterwards this -flag was hung as a trophy to the ceiling of Quebec Cathedral, and -there it remained until the siege and capture of the city by General -Wolfe, when it and the building that sheltered it were consumed by -fire. - -{138} - -For two whole days Phips remained in a state of indecision. The -enemy was of sterner stuff than he had supposed, and an effective -plan must be concerted. On the 18th of October 1690 Major Walley, -the second in command, with 1300 men and some small field cannon, -landed at Beauport. They had resolved to cross the St. Charles River -there and attack Quebec in the rear. At the same time the guns of -the ships opened fire. So vigorously replied the ramparts that Phips -was obliged to draw off for a while, not renewing his bombardment -until the next morning. By this time the New England commander saw -that unless the troops on shore could manage to force their way into -the city and capture it by assault, his chances of success were gone. - -Valiantly, doggedly did Walley and his men try to cross the St. -Charles River. The banks were covered with deep mud; each time they -tried to cross, the Indians and bushrangers sent by Frontenac beat -them off. After three days of cold and hunger they were fain to give -up the attempt. When they retreated to the ships, five of their -cannon were left sticking in the Beauport mud. Yet even had they -succeeded, what a task was left them to do! There was Frontenac -watching them sharply, ready, if need be, to go to the rescue of the -outposts of carabiniers with 2000 men. In these circumstances Sir -William Phips's siege of Quebec turned out an utter failure. -Frontenac was more than a match for him: Quebec was not Port Royal. - -On the following day the townsfolk and soldiers on the heights saw -the discomfited fleet of the foe {139} passing out of sight homeward -down the St. Lawrence. They had lost only some sixty killed and -wounded,--Ste. Hélène had fallen,--while before Phips got back to -Boston, what with those slain by bullets and the hundreds drowned on -the several ships lost in the November storms, his loss was heavy -indeed. While Quebec sang a Te Deum and dedicated a chapel to "Our -Lady of Victories," Boston was plunged in gloom. Phips's ignoble -failure had involved the whole colony in debt and mortification. -King Louis the Fourteenth, hearing the good news, ordered a medal to -be struck bearing the inscription: "Francia in Nova Orbe Victrix; -Kebeca Liberata A.D. MDCXC." - -If Frontenac hoped that the Iroquois would cease after this to give -him trouble, he was destined to disappointment. All his endeavours -to conciliate them failed; their chiefs were still convinced that -they had more to hope for as allies of the English, and took measures -accordingly. English and French colonists now hated one another with -a hate that was never to slumber for the next seventy years, until -Wolfe was to plant the blood-red flag of England on the frowning -heights of Quebec. - -During the winter of 1691 and 1692 there were numerous terrible -border raids, in one of which the Abenakis devastated more than fifty -leagues of English territory and utterly destroyed Yorktown. Both -French and English used the Indians as so many packs of human -bloodhounds to track their foes to death. Both sides resorted to the -practice of paying a price for the bodies, alive or dead, of the -{140} hostile savages. A French regular soldier received ten louis -for the scalp of an Iroquois; a volunteer received twenty. If he had -to hunt the red-man like any other wild animal, he could claim fifty -louis for his scalp. This practice was not confined to the -Canadians. Corresponding premiums were paid by the English. - -Living captives were often handed over to their Indian allies to -appease their delight in human suffering and bloodshed. Once one of -Frontenac's officers, ravaging the country of the Oneidas, found a -solitary old man in a certain village. He was nearly a hundred years -of age, but do not imagine his years awakened any compassion in his -captors, who at once handed him over to their savage allies. The old -brave awaited his fate as calmly as any of those Roman senators whose -city was taken by the Gauls. Father Charlevoix tells us the story. -He says it was a strange sight to behold more than four hundred -savage tormentors forming a circle round a decrepit object from whom -they could not wring a single cry, and who, as long as the breath -remained in his body, taunted them with being the slaves of weak and -foolish Frenchmen. Only once did he complain, and that was when one -of his butchers, on purpose to finish the scene, stabbed him -repeatedly in the breast. - -"Ah," he murmured hoarsely, "why did you not wait until you had done -your worst, so that you might behold how a man ought to die!" - -At another time Frontenac captured two Mohawk warriors whom he -condemned to die by torture. One of them immediately despatched -himself {141} with a knife, which a pitying priest threw him in -prison. But his fellow-captive, disdaining such an escape, walked -boldly to the stake singing his death chant. In his song he boasted -that not all the power of man could extort a groan or a murmur from -his lips, and that it was enough happiness for him in the hour of -trial to remember that he had made many a Frenchman feel the same -pangs he was about to feel. When bound to the stake, he looked round -on his executioners, their instruments of torture, and the multitude -of French spectators with a smile of composure. For some hours he -endured a series of barbarities that make our blood even now, as we -read of it, chill in our veins, and at last a Frenchwoman implored -the Governor to order him to be dealt a mortal blow and so put him -out of his agony. - -Thanks to the incessant raids of the Iroquois into Canada, the -farmers dared not till the fields and sow the seed. Those who might -have protected them were everywhere up in arms, coping with their -implacable savage foes, who seemed to rise out of the ground on every -hand. In vain was one band beaten and cut to pieces; another sprang -up to take its place. - -Many were the heroic deeds performed by both Canadian men and women, -but none is more thrilling than that which is told of a beautiful -young girl of fourteen, Madeleine de la Verchères. She was the -daughter of Seigneur of Verchères, and lived in the fortified -seignory ten miles from Montreal, on the south side of the great -river St. Lawrence. One {142} morning her father was absent at -Quebec, and all the farm-folk were working in the fields. To guard -the fort, her father had left two soldiers, an old man eighty years -old, her two little brothers, and herself. Suddenly the terrible -war-whoop of the Iroquois pierced the air, and scarce time had the -soldiers to barricade the doors and windows before a mighty host -appeared before the fort. So fierce was their fire, that the -soldiers deemed it useless to continue to struggle. But not so -Madeleine. Seizing a musket, she ordered the falterers to their -posts. Day and night for a whole week did this heroic girl hold the -band of Iroquois at bay. She taught her little brothers to load and -fire so rapidly, that the Indians fancied a garrison of twelve men at -least held the fort. At last a reinforcement arrived, and the -Iroquois beat a retreat. The gates of the fort were flung open, and -the pale, weary girl of fourteen, captain of the garrison of -Verchères, flung herself into her father's arms. - -[Illustration: Heroic Defence by Madeleine de Verchères and her -Brothers, 1692] - -And now let us return for a moment to the shores of Hudson's Bay. It -was not likely that the forts which the Chevalier de Troyes had -wrested from the English would continue to remain in French -possession without an effort being made to regain them. One Captain -Moon, returning from Port Nelson, endeavoured, with twenty-four men, -to surprise the French at Fort Anne, which was the new name bestowed -upon the captured Fort Albany. Moon built a station eight miles -away, but Iberville, who had been again sent to the Bay, instantly -got wind of it, and, marching thither, drove the English out. {143} -When two Hudson's Bay Company's vessels arrived in these waters, -winter overtook them, and they became locked in the ice. The crews -landed, and had nearly built a fort when Iberville fell upon them and -made them all prisoners. - -But there was one stronghold in the northern bay which continued to -defy the French. This single fort was considered of so much -importance, that the gain or loss of everything in Hudson's Bay -depended upon it. To capture it, however, required a stronger force -than Iberville could at present command, whereupon he sailed away to -France to ask assistance from the King. He revealed to His Majesty -his plans for the capture of Fort Nelson, and was at length promised -two ships in the following spring. The royal promise was duly kept. -After a hot bombardment of three weeks, the English Governor was -obliged to surrender and the French standard hoisted over the -captured stronghold. Only for a year, however, did the stronghold -remain in the enemy's possession, when it was recaptured by the -Company, and threescore Frenchmen sent prisoners to England. When -Iberville heard of this fresh turn which events had taken, he ground -his teeth with rage. "Am I," he cried, "to go on capturing this fort -from the English, only to have it repeatedly slip through our hands?" -He then and there vowed to have nothing further to do with Hudson's -Bay, he who had fought so many battles and won there so many -victories. - -As for the French prisoners, no sooner were they released than they -crossed the Channel and sought {144} audience of their King. Gazing -upon this emaciated band of fur-hunters and bushrangers, Louis the -Fourteenth would have been craven indeed if he had not attempted to -retrieve their misfortunes. Four ships of war were promised them. -"And," said the King, "Iberville shall lead you." But Iberville was -then at Placentia, in Newfoundland, bent on finding other fields for -his energy and martial prowess. No other man was so well equipped at -all points, in knowledge of the great bay and of the conditions of -fighting there, as this hero, so the four captains found him out at -Placentia, and, embarking in the _Pelican_, he took command. - -Iberville's flag-ship mounted fifty guns. The others of the fleet -were the _Palmier_, the _Weesph_, and the _Violent_. The attack on -Fort Nelson this time was to be no child's play. Almost at the very -moment when the wind was filling the sails of the French ships in the -Channel, there sailed from Plymouth a fleet belonging to the Hudson's -Bay Company, the _Hampshire_, the _Hudson's Bay_, the _Dering_, and -_Owner's Love_. The two first-named vessels were no strangers to the -Bay, and had participated in the conquest of the previous year. -Although each was ignorant of the other's movements, it was a race -across the Atlantic, and the English fleet entered the Straits only -forty hours before the ships of the French, and, like them, was much -impeded by the ice, which was unusually troublesome. Passage was -made by the enemy in the English wake. One French ship, commanded by -Duqué, pushed past the currents, taking a northerly {145} course, -which brought her commander into full view of two of the Company's -ships. Shots were exchanged; but owing to the difficulties -engendered by the ice, it was impossible to manoeuvre with such -certainty as to cut off the Frenchman's escape. While this skirmish -was in progress, Iberville in the _Pelican_ succeeded in getting past -the English unknown to them, and reached the mouth of the Nelson -River in sight of the fort. His presence, as may be imagined, -greatly surprised and disturbed the Governor and the Company's -servants; for they had believed their own ships would have arrived in -season to prevent the enemy from entering the Straits. Several -rounds of shot were fired as a signal, in the hope that a response -would be made by the Company's ships, which they hourly expected in -that quarter. - -On his part the French commander was equally disturbed by the -non-arrival of his three consorts, which the exigencies of the voyage -had obliged him to forsake. Two days were passed in a state of -suspense. At daybreak on the 5th of September three ships[1] were -distinctly visible; both parties joyfully believed they were their -own. So certain was Iberville, that he immediately raised anchor and -started to join the newcomers. He was soon undeceived, but the -knowledge of his mistake in no way daunted him. - -The Company's commanders were not prepared {146} either for the -daring or the fury of the Frenchman's onslaught. It is true the -_Pelican_ was much superior to any of their own craft singly, being -manned by nearly 250 men, and boasting 44 pieces of cannon. The -Company's ships lined up, the _Hampshire_ in front, the _Dering_ -next, with the _Hudson's Bay_ bringing up the rear. - -The combatants being in close proximity, the battle began at -half-past nine in the morning. The French commander came straight -for the _Hampshire_, whose captain, believing it was his enemy's -design to board, instantly let fall his mainsail and set his -fore-top-sail. Contact having been by these means narrowly evaded, -the scene of battle suddenly shifted to the _Pelican_ and the -_Dering_, whose mainsail was smitten by the terrific volley. At the -same time the _Hudson's Bay_, veering, received a damaging broadside. -The Company's men could distinctly hear the orders shouted by -Iberville to discharge a musket fire into the _Dering's_ forecastle, -but in this move he was anticipated by the English sailors, who -poured a storm of bullets in upon the Frenchman, accompanied by a -broadside of grape, which wrought havoc with her sails. While the -cries of the wounded on the _Pelican_ could be distinctly heard, all -three of the Company's ships opened fire, with the design of -disabling her rigging. But the captain of the _Hudson's Bay_, seeing -that he could not engage the _Pelican_ owing to Iberville's tactics, -determined to run in front of her and give her the benefit of a -constant hull fire, besides taking the wind from her sails. -Iberville observed the movement; the two {147} English vessels were -near; he veered round, and by a superb piece of seamanship came so -near to the _Hampshire_ that the crew of the latter saw that boarding -was intended. Every man flew out on the main deck with his pistol -and cutlass, and a terrific broadside of grape on the part of the -Englishman alone saved him. - -Hotter and fiercer raged the battle. The _Hampshire's_ salvation had -been only temporary; at the end of three hours and a half she began -to sink, with all sails set. When this occurred, Iberville had -ninety men wounded, forty being struck by a single broadside. -Notwithstanding this, he decided at once to push matters with the -_Hampshire's_ companions, although the _Pelican_ was in a badly -damaged state, especially the forecastle, which was a mass of -splinters. - -The enemy made at once for the _Dering_, which besides being the -smallest ship, had suffered severely. She crowded on all sail and -managed to avoid an encounter, and Iberville, being in no condition -to prosecute the chase, returned to the _Hudson's Bay_, which soon -surrendered. Iberville was not destined, however, to reap much -advantage from his prize, the _Hampshire_. The English flag-ship was -unable to render any assistance to the _Hudson's Bay_, and soon went -down, with nearly all on board. - -To render the situation more distressing, no sooner had some ninety -prisoners been made than a storm arose, so that it became out of the -question to approach the shore with design of landing. They were -without a long-boat, and each attempt to {148} launch canoes in the -boiling surf was attended with failure. - -Night fell; the wind instead of calming grew fiercer. The sea became -truly terrible, seeking, seemingly, with all its power to drive the -_Pelican_ and the _Hudson's Bay_ upon the coast. The rudders of each -ship broke; the tide rose, and there seemed no hope for the crews, -whose destiny was so cruel. Their only hope, in the midst of the -bitter blast and clouds of snow which environed them, lay in the -strength of their cables. Soon after nine o'clock the _Hudson's Bay_ -and its anchor parted with a shock. - -"Instantly," said one of the survivors, "a piercing cry went up from -our forecastle. The wounded and dead lay heaped up with so little -separation one from the other that silence and moans alone -distinguished them. All were icy cold and covered with blood. They -had told us the anchor would hold, and we dreaded being washed up on -the shore stiff the next morning." - -A huge wave broke over the main deck and the ship lurched -desperately. Two hours later the cable parted, and the ship was -hurled rudderless to and fro in the trough of the sea. - -By the French account, matters were in no more enviable state aboard -the _Pelican_; Iberville, however, amidst scenes rivalling those just -described, did his best to animate his officers and men with a spirit -equalling his own. - -"It is better," he cried, "to die, if we must, outside the bastions -of Fort Bourbon than to perish here like pent sheep on board." - -{149} - -When morning broke, it was seen by the French that their ship was not -yet submerged, and it was resolved to disembark by such means as lay -in their power. The Company's servants were more fortunate. The -_Hudson's Bay_ had drifted eight miles to the south of the fort, and -was wrecked on a bank of icy marshland, which at least constrained -them to wade no deeper than their knees. The French, however, were -forced to make their way through the icy water submerged to their -necks, from the results of which terrible exposure no fewer than -eighteen marines and seamen lost their lives. Once on shore they -could not, like the English, look forward to a place of refuge and -appease their hunger with provisions and drink. They were obliged, -in their shivering, half-frozen state, to subsist upon moss and -seaweed, but for which indifferent nourishment they must inevitably -have perished. - -The Company's garrison witnessed the calamities which were overtaking -the French, but not knowing how great their number, and assured of -their hostility, did not attempt any acts of mercy. They perceived -the enemy camped in a wood, less than two leagues distant, where, -building several fires, they sought to restore their spirits by means -of warmth and hot draughts of boiled herbs. - -While the fort was being continually recruited by survivors of the -two wrecked ships, the other three French vessels had arrived on the -scene. The fourth, the _Violent_, lay at the bottom of the Bay, -having been sunk by the ice. The _Palmier_ had suffered the loss of -her helm, but was fortunate in not being also {150} a victim of the -storm. The French forces being now united, little time was lost by -Iberville in making active preparations for the attack upon the fort. - -On the 11th the enemy attained a small wood, almost under the guns of -the fort, and having entrenched themselves, lit numerous fires and -made considerable noise in order to lend the impression to the -English that an entrenchment was being thrown up. This ruse was -successful, for the Governor gave orders to fire in that direction; -and Iberville, seizing this opportunity, effected a landing of all -his men and armaments from the ships. - -The fort would now soon be hemmed in on all sides, and it were indeed -strange if a chance shot or firebrand did not ignite the timbers and -the powder magazine were not exploded. Governor Bailey was holding a -council of his advisers when one of the French prisoners in the fort -gave notice of the approach of a messenger bearing a flag of truce. -He was recognised as Martigny. The Governor permitted his advance -and sent a factor to meet him and insist upon his eyes being bandaged -before he would be permitted to enter. Martigny was conducted to -where the council was sitting, and there delivered Iberville's -message demanding surrender. He was instantly interrupted by Captain -Smithsend, who, with a great show of passion, asked the emissary if -it were not true that Iberville had been killed in the action. In -spite of Martigny's denials, Smithsend loudly persisted in believing -Iberville's death, and held that the French were in sore straits and -only {151} made the present attack because no other alternative was -offered to desperate men to obtain food and shelter. Bailey allowed -himself to be influenced by Smithsend, and declined to yield to any -of Martigny's demands. The latter returned, and the French instantly -set up a battery near the fort and continued, amidst a hail of -bullets, the work of landing their damaged stores and armaments. -Stragglers from the wreck of the _Hudson's Bay_ continued all day to -find their way to the fort, but several reached it only to be shot -down in mistake by the cannon and muskets of their own men. On the -12th, after a hot skirmish, fatal to both sides, the Governor was -again requested, this time by Sérigny, to yield up the fort to -superior numbers. - -"If you refuse, we will set fire to the place and accord you no -quarter," he wrote to Bailey. - -"Set fire and be d----d to you!" responded Bailey. - -He then went to work, with Smithsend, whose treatment as a prisoner -in the hands of the French some years before was still vividly before -him, to animate the garrison. - -"Go for them, you dogs!" cried Bailey. "Give it to them hot and -heavy; I promise you forty pounds apiece for your widows!" - -Fighting in these days was attended by fearful mortality, and the -scarcity of pensions to the hero's family, perhaps, made the offer -seem handsome. At any rate it seemed a sufficient bribe to the -Company's men, who fought like demons. - -A continual fire of guns and mortar, as well as {152} of muskets, was -kept up. The Canadians sallied out upon a number of skirmishes, -filling the air with a frightful din, borrowing from the Iroquois -their piercing war-cries. In one of these sallies St. Martin, one of -their bravest men, perished. - -Under protection of a flag of truce, Sérigny came again to demand a -surrender. It was the last time, he said, the request would be -preferred. A general assault had been resolved upon by the enemy, -who were at their last resort, living like beasts in the wood, -feeding on moss, and to whom no extremity could be odious were it but -an exchange for their present condition. They were resolved upon -carrying the fort, even at the point of the bayonet and over heaps of -their slain. - -Bailey decided to yield. He sent Morrison to carry the terms of -capitulation, in which he demanded all the peltries in the fort -belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company. This demand being rejected by -the enemy, Bailey later in the evening sent Henry Kelsey with a -proposition to retain a portion of their armament; this also was -refused. There was now nothing for it but to surrender, Iberville -having granted an evacuation with bag and baggage. - -At one o'clock on the following day, therefore, the evacuation took -place. Bailey, at the head of his garrison, and a number of the crew -of the wrecked _Hudson's Bay_ and six survivors of the _Hampshire_, -marched forth from Fort York with drums beating, flag flying, and -with arms and baggage. They hardly knew whither they were to go, or -what fate awaited them. A vast, and inhospitable region surrounded -{153} them, and a winter long to be remembered for its severity had -begun. But to the French it seemed as if their spirits were -undaunted, and they set forth bravely. - -The enemy watched the retreat of the defeated garrison not without -admiration, and for the moment speculation was rife as to their fate. -But it was only for a moment. Too rejoiced to contemplate anything -but the termination of their own sufferings, the Canadians hastened -to enter the fort, headed by Boisbriant, late an ensign in the -service of the Compagnie du Nord. Fort Nelson was once more in the -hands of the French. - - -On the St. Lawrence the Count of Frontenac, old as he was, sickening -of the perpetual raids, led a great war force into the very midst of -the Iroquois. Rebuilding Fort Frontenac, which had been destroyed, -he launched his men straight against the Onondaga lodges, wiping out -all their stores of food and their maize harvests. He laid low also -the land of the Oneidas, and the warriors of both tribes fled before -him. If they could raid and butcher, by St. Louis, so could he! The -Iroquois looked to the English for help against the French. Whatever -they might have done, their hand was stopped. News arrived in 1697 -of the signing of the peace at Ryswick between the warring kingdoms -of England and France. Tired of the conflict grew the haughty Five -Nations, and deputies were sent to Quebec to bring it to an end. -They offered, as before, to cease fighting the French Canadians, but -not their Indian allies in the west. {154} This would not satisfy -Frontenac: he would make no peace which could not be lasting. The -Governor of New York interfered. - -"The Iroquois," he told Frontenac, "are under the King of England's -protection. They cannot make either war or peace on their own -account. I have told them to be at peace with you. Henceforward you -must not treat them as enemies." - -"I will make my peace with the Five Nations," Frontenac thundered -forth to the Indian deputy, "but it shall be on my own terms. If we -continue to fight and you aid them, by St. Louis! the blood will be -on your own hands." - -A few weeks later, when the reward of his firmness was in sight, the -lion-hearted Frontenac, now in his seventy-eighth year, sickened and -died, amidst the sorrow of his people. It was a great loss to -Canada, and fortunate was it that his successor was as brave and wise -as Governor de Callières. - - - -[1] The fourth, the fire-ship _Owner's Love_, was never more heard -of. It is supposed that, separated from the others, she ran into the -ice and was sunk, with all on board. - - - - -{155} - -CHAPTER X - -KING LOUIS BUILDS A MIGHTY FORT - -Afar off, in the little Dutch town of Ryswick, the two kings, William -and Louis, had signed the treaty of peace. It was agreed that all -the places captured by either French or English soldiers during the -war should be given back again. What did this mean to Canada and -America? Only this: that all these eight years of bloodshed had been -in vain. Neither French nor English were a whit the richer or more -powerful than before. You must always remember that what both sides -were really fighting for was the mastery of the North-American -continent. Vast as it was, there was not room enough for both. One -side or other must possess it. Should it be French or English? No -lasting peace could there be as long as the question remained -unsettled. - -A great advantage was gained for Canada when the Iroquois at length -gave way. Their chiefs, journeying to Montreal in 1701, smoked the -calumet with Governor de Callières and handed him the belt of -wampum--which signified that there should be no more fighting between -Onontio and the Five Nations. Never again did the Iroquois make -serious trouble for the people of Canada, and the fetters {156} which -had so long bound the fur trade were for ever removed. - -But the very next year after this had happened the Peace of Ryswick -came to an end. It had lasted only five years, and it was the -reckless ambition of Louis the Fourteenth that killed it. He, too, -like Kondiaronk, "The Rat," could exclaim to his courtiers, "I have -killed the peace!" The new war is known in Europe as the War of the -Spanish Succession, because Louis wanted to put his Bourbon nephew on -the vacant throne of Spain. In America it is always called "Queen -Anne's War." William the Third had died that year, and Queen Anne -had succeeded him on the English throne. - -The English colonists were still as much in earnest as ever about the -importance of overcoming by any means in their power the "French -danger," as they called it. They did not hesitate to employ the -tribes of Indians, however remote, in the work of harrying the French -settlements, both east and west. Port Royal was again attacked, only -this time the attack was ignominiously repulsed. Meanwhile the -French were not idle. De Calliéres had strongly advised the -establishment of several posts on the lake for the reception of furs -and merchandise. In June 1701 La Motte Cadillac, with a Jesuit -priest and 100 men, was despatched to build a fort at Detroit. -Governor de Calliéres hesitated to attack Albany until he could feel -confident that the long-dreaded Iroquois Indians would not return to -the old allies, the English. He was still making up his mind when -illness seized him, and {157} in 1703 he died. His successor was the -Marquis de Vaudreuil. - -But if the authorities at Quebec doubted the wisdom of provoking -Indian hostility in their quarrel with the New Yorkers, Vaudreuil and -his friends felt sure of Abenakis friendship. This famous tribe had -long hated the New Englanders with a deadly hate. They had committed -terrible outrages for many years upon the unfortunate Yankee -settlers. De Vaudreuil feared that if the Abenakis were to be at -peace too long, they might forget their hatred and even become on -friendly terms with the Americans. So Canadian priests and soldiers -were sent amongst them to stir up their zeal. They did not want any -pitched battles or long sieges. Their policy was to persecute and -slay the outlying farmers and woodmen, to make settlement outside of -the large towns impossible. - -One of the most terrible of these raids occurred at Deerfield in -Massachusetts. This place was on the river Connecticut. A party -under De Rouville crept up Lake Champlain in mid-winter, and, -following the river on the ice, reached Deerfield in the dark. What -had happened at Schenectady and Salmon Falls happened here. The -surprised people could make no defence, the town was burnt, fifty -people slaughtered, almost without resistance, and a hundred more -carried away prisoners. A man never laid his head on the pillow at -night without the fear that a red assassin might scalp it ere morning -dawned. A little later the Abenakis were induced to attack the town -of Haverhill in broad daylight. Fierce fighting {158} ensued, -because this time there were fifty soldiers present to aid the -inhabitants in their resistance; but all was in vain. The massacre -at Haverhill is still spoken of with horror in New England. You can -imagine the storm of indignation which swept through the English -colonies when they heard of these dreadful raids, how strong was -their anger against the Abenakis! Bands of stout colonists were sent -against them, eager for vengeance and showing no mercy, and as a -result the chiefs of the Abenakis at length decided that it would be -safer for them to cross the border and set up their wigwams in -Canada. From Canada they could raid New England as usual. But, to -their surprise, they were by no means heartily welcomed by the -French. Canadians well knew by this time the treacherous nature of -the Indian. Guns and food were given them, and a smiling face hid -the Governor's real embarrassment. Fortunate for him if that were to -be his only embarrassment! - -Although repeatedly foiled, the people of both New and Old England -again plotted on a large scale the destruction of French power in -Canada, Acadia, and Newfoundland. One day a ship reached Quebec with -tidings that an English army was on its way to join with two other -forces in an attack upon Quebec. The report was true, but certain -accidents occurred which prevented carrying out the plan for that -season. In the following year (1709), however, they fell upon Port -Royal. The English intention was to sail on to Quebec, but the -danger of being caught in the ice prevented them, and Nicholson -appearing before {159} the Acadian capital, called upon the brave -Subercase to surrender. Port Royal had not expected an attack; both -powder and provisions were low, but Subercase was not a man to yield -without firing a shot. So gallant a resistance did he offer, -although his garrison was in a half-starved state, that when at last -he could fight no more, Nicholson granted him the honours of war. -With the fleur-de-lys flying in the icy breeze, with the roll of -drums and the sound of the trumpet, the last of the shattered band of -Frenchmen sailed out of Port Royal, which was to be Port Royal no -more. In honour of Queen Anne, Nicholson rechristened the place -Annapolis Royal, and thereafter it was held by the Queen's successors -on the English throne. - -Acadia now being English and garrisoned by the colonists, it remained -to deal a deadly blow at Quebec. Up to this time the chief -difficulty had been to procure sufficient soldiers from England, for -during all the years since the outbreak of Queen Anne's war England -had been drained of her first-class fighting men. The great -Marlborough had wanted them for Oudenarde, Ramillies, and those other -great battles which you read of in the history of that time in -Europe. But now, flushed and confident with his many victories, -Marlborough could afford to spare a few regiments for the conquest of -Quebec. No child's play it was to be this time, no half-hearted -attempt. Nicholson himself was there at the English Court to press -the scheme upon Queen Anne and her ministers. A large and splendid -fleet of fifteen warships, besides forty-six transports and store -{160} ships, was got ready, and with the fleet seven of Marlborough's -best regiments were ordered to set sail for Canada. - -But it is not always big armaments, many men, many ships, many guns, -that win the famous battles of history. Sometimes, as we have seen, -so far from winning the battle, they do not even strike a blow. This -expedition was England's shame. This, which might have conquered -Quebec for the English flag, melted away in sorrow, disease, and -disgrace, all because of the utter incompetency of its leaders. The -Admiral, Sir Hovenden Walker, was both foolish and perverse. As for -the commander of the land forces, Sir John Hill, he was chosen not -because of his war-like talents, but because he was a brother of Mrs. -Masham, the Queen's great personal friend. - -You may be interested in learning something of his personal history -as afterwards written by the Duchess of Marlborough. "Abigail Hill's -brother, whom the bottle man afterwards called 'honest Jack Hill,' -was a tall boy whom I clothed (for he was all in rags) and put to -school in St. Albans. I afterwards got my Lord Marlborough to make -him groom of the bedchamber to the Duke of Gloucester, and though my -Lord always said that Jack Hill was good for nothing, yet to oblige -me he made him his aide-de-camp and afterwards gave him a regiment." - -Under such a commander the fleet and army, crossing the Atlantic, -arrived at Boston. Here they were joined by two Massachusetts -regiments under the command of Samuel Vetch, a New Englander, who had -been made Governor of Annapolis. The {161} plan decided upon was -that Canada should be attacked, simultaneously with Quebec and -Montreal, by 12,000 men. Surely, with such a force, it seemed -impossible to fail! But failure had marked the enterprise for its -own. A dense fog hung over the gulf and river of St. Lawrence. In -vain Admiral Walker was warned that to steer to the north was to -advance to certain destruction. Walker simply laughed at the advice. -But his laughter had scarcely died away ere the shrieks of drowning -men rang in his ears. Eight ships, packed close with brave soldiers -eager for the fray, were shattered to pieces in the black fog. A -terrible night ensued, a night which has no parallel in the annals of -the British Navy. When day dawned, some Indian and French -fur-traders found 1000 bodies strewn on the beach. There were some -women amongst them, hapless soldiers' wives, who from early times -have accompanied British expeditions, and have been present in defeat -and victory. - -After this terrible disaster the question arose whether the attack on -Quebec should be abandoned or not. There was still a great land -force left, enough to plant the British flag on the heights of Quebec -if valour and endurance could do it. The officers and soldiers -looked with one accord to General Hill, their commander, who had it -in his power yet to atone for the disaster which had overtaken his -comrade, Admiral Walker. When Hill spoke, it was not to say, -"Gentlemen, we will retrieve our misfortunes," but, "Gentlemen, we -will turn back." Vetch implored him to reconsider, but orders were -{162} given to turn about the prows of the remaining ships. - -After fatal delays the ill-starred fleet reached Portsmouth again -about the middle of October. But even when safe in dock, misfortune -went with it to the last. The Admiral's flag-ship _Edgar_ by some -accident blew up, killing 400 seamen, and 30 of the townsfolk of -Portsmouth who had gone on board to learn from the sailors the -melancholy tale of the expedition. Well might the English people -have been angry, and their anger descended swiftly and heavily upon -the foolish and stubborn admiral's head. He was driven from England, -to die at last, broken in heart, rank, and fortune, on a West Indian -island. - -But what further rejoicings in Canada! What gratitude, what repeated -Te Deums for the narrow escape the colony had had from almost certain -destruction! General Hill had caused to be printed beforehand, and -took with him, a bundle of proclamations, calling upon the French -Canadians to acknowledge the rule of Queen Anne. A bundle of these -documents had been washed ashore, and were now distributed amongst -the people amidst derisive laughter. So grateful did the Quebec folk -feel to Heaven for having preserved them from such peril, that they -built a memorial in Our Lady of Victories, as the church in the lower -town of Quebec was called. De Vaudreuil appealed to the people to -help him in making yet stronger the fortifications of Quebec, and he -did not appeal in vain. Fifty thousand écus poured into the Treasury -for this purpose. - -{163} - -While Quebec and Canada were thus saved, by the Treaty of Utrecht in -1713 Great Britain obtained cession of Acadia, Newfoundland, and the -countries bordering Hudson Bay. Forced to give up so much, yet the -French retained Cape Breton, with the right to fortify it. King -Louis made great efforts to get Nova Scotia back into his power, but -in vain. Foiled in this, he well knew the value of Cape Breton, and -here it was resolved to erect a great fortress to dominate the whole -seaboard of Nova Scotia and New England. In a very few years Cape -Breton became the centre of intriguing governors and priests, always -in touch with the French population in Acadia to teach them to be -discontented and dangerous to the English rulers. Vaudreuil did not -cease to govern Canada till his death in 1725. He always clung to -the hope of regaining Acadia; he always prevented the Abenakis from -making peace with the colonists of New England, and encouraged them -to attack the outlying settlements. Vaudreuil still dreamed, as -Frontenac had done before him, of France ruling the whole of the -great north and west of the continent, and it was hard to see how -that prize could be wrested from her. As the eighteenth century wore -on, the chain of great inland lakes were as French as those two great -rivers, the St. Lawrence and the Mississippi. Little by little -French priests and fur-traders pushed their way through the -wilderness, making peace with new tribes and founding forts at the -heads or junctions of important rivers. Before Vaudreuil died, he -saw all New France prospering and in peace. - -{164} - -Profit was even wrested from calamity. Once a great ship, _La -Seine_, bearing clothes and merchandise to Quebec and Montreal, had -been captured and carried a prize to England. The loss had caused -much distress in Canada, because up to this date the people had not -grown flax and hemp, and had spun no wool, and their clothing, -therefore, came across to them from France. In this emergency the -Canadians, particularly the women, were obliged to show their -ingenuity, and soon they began to weave coverings, blankets, and even -small carpets. They found the fibre of a nettle would make good -cloth, and the bark of the white wood cotton-tree was pressed into -service. Slowly but surely the industry grew, until there were -twenty-five different branches of trade producing druggets, cloths, -and linens. The nuns commenced to make bunting for their own dress, -black serge for the priests, and blue serge for their pupils. - -At first there were no horses in Quebec or Montreal. But at the -beginning of the eighteenth century hundreds of these animals were -being bred, and to possess and train them became a passion amongst -the young men. The result was that many who had before been very -skilful in the use of snowshoes soon grew lazy and drove about in -sleighs. This came to the notice of the Governor, who told them that -Canada could not afford to have her young men unaccustomed to -snow-shoes. It was by means of snow-shoes that they were able, even -when a blizzard was blowing, to move silently and swiftly in time of -war. He issued a decree which forbade any {165} habitant to own more -than two mares and one colt. After a certain day any colonist -possessing more would be visited by an official ordered to kill the -extra horses, and the order was carried out. - -The population of Canada had now grown to 50,000 souls. As to life -in the colony, we get an excellent picture from the writings of -Father Charlevoix, who visited Canada in 1720, and spent some time in -making personal observations. He tells us that the country about -Montreal was wholly unsettled by Europeans excepting several -fortified posts and block-houses, such as Frontenac, Niagara, -Detroit, Michilimackinac, and other trading stations in the west. -"In Quebec," he wrote, "one finds nothing but what is select and -calculated to form an agreeable society. A Governor-General, with -his staff, a high-born officer and his troops, an Intendant with a -superior council and inferior court, a Commissary of Marines and -other officers, and a Superintendent of Waters and Forests, whose -jurisdiction is certainly the largest in the world; merchants in easy -circumstances, or at least living as if they were, a Bishop, a -seminary, and three convents. - -"Other circles elsewhere are as brilliant as those surrounding the -Governor and Intendant. On the whole, it seems to me there are for -all classes the means of passing the time agreeably. Every one -contributes to his utmost, people amuse themselves with games and -excursions, using caleches in summer, sledges and skates in winter. -There is a great deal of hunting, for many gentle folks have no other -resources for living in comfort. The news from {166} Europe comes -all at once, and occupies a great part of the year, furnishing -subjects of conversation of the past and future." - -"The Canadians," continues this eye-witness, "breathe from their -birth the air of liberty, which renders them very agreeable in social -intercourse. Nowhere else is our language spoken with greater -purity. One observes here no defective accent. There are here no -rich people; every one is hospitable, and no one amuses himself with -making money. If a person cannot afford to entertain friends at -table, he at least endeavours to dress well." - -From the foregoing you may be able to form a fair picture of Canada -under the Old Régime. - -Two hundred years ago, when Newfoundland was ceded to the English, -all the French officials and fishermen removed to the eastern coast -of Cape Breton. Cape Breton, despite its name, is an island, and was -known to the French as Isle Royale. The place whither the French -retired was a safe and spacious inlet, up to that time known as -English Harbour, and it was English Harbour that the French king -chose as the site of the greatest and most celebrated fortress in the -New World. To it was duly given the name of Louisburg. Vauban, a -celebrated engineer of his day, was called upon to design it. "Spare -neither money nor labour," said the King; "we shall make it another -Dunkerque." This Dunkerque, you may remember, was a fortified -seaport on the north-east coast of France, upon which millions of -money had been spent, and it was generally believed that no enemy -could take it. To {167} build its equal, hundreds of engineers, -stonecutters, masons, bricklayers, and workmen sailed across the -Atlantic. When finished, Louisburg fortress occupied an area of 100 -acres, the harbour being defended by batteries on an island at the -entrance. Within the fort and town dwelt never less than 2000 -people. With such a stronghold so near at hand, it was not strange -that the French in Acadia should dwell firmly in the belief that the -flag of the lilies would once more wave over them. If few English -colonists came to Nova Scotia, none at all migrated to that portion -of it which was still called Acadia. - -While these things were happening in the far east, in the west -notable pioneers were forging a path to French dominion. The far -north-west was opened up by Sieur Verendrye with his three valiant -sons, a Jesuit priest, and a handful of bushrangers. Verendrye -struck out westward through Michilimackinac. He had heard of the -great Lake Winnipeg from the Indians and resolved to reach it. -Coming upon the Lake of the Woods, there he built a strong -fur-trading post, Fort St. Charles, where his party were met by the -Sioux, a fierce western tribe. In the battle one of Verendrye's sons -was slain. After the explorer had finally reached Lake Winnipeg, he -crossed its waters and paddled with his party up the Red River. One -morning they came to where the river Assiniboine joins the Red River, -and there Verendrye halted and built Fort Rouge. Hard by a -settlement grew up, which settlement has in our day expanded at -length into the great and flourishing city of Winnipeg. - -{168} - -Nothing could daunt Verendrye and his sons, neither heat nor cold, -hunger nor thirst. They pressed on through the forest and over the -prairie, exploring and building trading posts. The news of their -travels and successes with the Indians reached Quebec and Montreal, -and a horde of hardy bush-rangers were soon following their example. -The forts in the far wilderness grew closely packed with costly furs. -Heavily-laden canoes by the hundred found their way by river and lake -and toilsome portage to the great stone warehouses of Montreal, some -of which are yet upstanding in the city. - -It was after the leader Verendrye's death that one of his sons, on -New Year's Day 1743, first amongst French Canadians, beheld the lofty -snow-clad pinnacles of the Rocky Mountains. Truly, in spite of many -discouragements, the fleur-de-lys was being borne westward valiantly. - - - - -{169} - -CHAPTER XI - -HOW LOUISBURG SURRENDERED AND WAS GIVEN BACK - -Twenty-seven years of peace! It was a long respite, but long as it -was, French and English were ready to fly at each other's throats -with renewed vigour when war broke out again. Quickly did the flames -of the conflict spread to the New World. - -Looking out from the ramparts of his strong fortress of Louisburg, it -seemed to the Governor that the moment was a most favourable one to -recapture Nova Scotia for France. The iron was struck while it was -hot. One thousand men, led by Duvivier, were despatched to -Annapolis, which, under the name of Port Royal, has been the scene of -so many vicissitudes. - -On the way thither the French easily took Canso, at the entrance of -the strait of that name, and sent its garrison prisoners to -Louisburg. Flushed with this victory, Duvivier marched by land to -Annapolis, held for the English by Paul Mascarene. But if the French -thought they would frighten Mascarene into surrendering, they were -mistaken. Of Huguenot extraction, Mascarene was yet a brave and -sturdy Englishman. "We are expecting," wrote Duvivier, "the arrival -of three ships of war, carrying respectively {170} seventy, sixty, -and forty guns, and a regiment of soldiers. Not that we need these, -for I have already sufficient forces to storm your fort." "Really," -ran Mascarene's reply, "it will be time to consider the question of -surrender when your French fleet is in the harbour." Then it was -Duvivier sent his brother proposing a truce and asking for the -conditional capitulation of the garrison. The brave Mascarene called -his officers together and found that they were not disinclined to -accept the French terms. - -"We have no chance," they said; "we are abandoned and our men losing -heart; let us capitulate while we can." They spoke so strongly, that -Mascarene allowed three of them to confer with the French commander -and obtain his proffered terms in writing. But no sooner had he cast -his eye over the paper than Mascarene steadfastly refused to sign. -In vain his officers implored him to put his name to the deed of -surrender. He rebuked them and set about with tact and energy to -raise the spirits of his men and reanimate them with courage. The -French renewed their attack on the fort. Day after day and night -after night they tried to wear out the garrison, but Mascarene had -now, by his patience and good spirits, brought all to his way of -thinking. Try as they would, the French could make no impression on -the sturdy ramparts of Annapolis. - -Duvivier sickened of the siege, and during October returned to -Louisburg. No sooner had he gone than the French Acadians were -filled with fear. They had supposed that all Acadia would have been -won for King Louis, and, realising their mistake, they {171} hastened -to send deputies to Mascarene declaring that they had refused to take -any part in the expedition. At the same time they wrote to the -defeated French commander to say, "We live under a mild and tranquil -government, and we have good reason to be faithful to it. We hope, -therefore, that you will not separate us from it, and that you will -grant us the favour not to plunge us into utter misery." - -Soon I will have to tell you how these same Acadians, because of -their continued treachery to the English Government, had to be -transported from this land of their birth or adoption. A great deal -has been written about the poor Acadians to excite our sympathy for -them at the fate which shortly awaited them. You will see that they -brought it upon themselves, or rather that their leaders and -ill-advisers brought it upon them. Perfectly happy and contented -were they under English rule, but base priests and agitators amongst -them tried hard to instil into their minds the idea of a grievance -and stirred up treachery and disaffection in their hearts. Bitterest -and most unscrupulous of these agitators was a priest named Le -Loutre. Although an able man, he was a terrible coward, and shrank -from no crime, no falsehood, to gain his ends. Of Le Loutre and the -results of his policy we will speak hereafter. - -The English prisoners taken at Canso spent many weeks shut up in -Louisburg. They did not wholly idle away their time, but, examining -all they saw with such care and to such purpose, they were able on -{172} regaining their freedom to describe with accuracy the plan and -condition of this great fortress. Once a French officer had said -that Louisburg was so strong that it might be held against any -assault by an army of women. Yet these English prisoners thought -they saw how Louisburg might be taken, and their hopes were eagerly -seized upon and shared by the Governor of Massachusetts. - -Governor William Shirley was a lawyer by profession, full of energy -and enterprise, and once he had set his mind to do a thing, -difficulties seemed to fade away. He now set his mind to the capture -of Louisburg. He believed that unless the English had control of the -whole coast from Cape Sable to the mouth of the St. Lawrence, the -safety, nay, the very existence of New England was in constant -jeopardy. Shirley listened eagerly to what the returned prisoners -had to tell him. They had observed the discontent and the bad -discipline of the Louisburg garrison, which consisted of 1300 men. -Their plan of the fort showed him that it was built on a point of -land jutting out into the Atlantic, while all behind it on the land -side was treacherous marsh. From 30 to 36 feet high were the walls -on the other side of a ditch 80 feet wide. One hundred and -sixty-four guns were mounted on the walls, besides many mortars and -cohorns. On a little island opposite Louisburg there was a battery -mounted with thirty-two heavy cannon. The ramparts were, however, -seen to be defective in more than one place, and, besides this, if -the French ships which came over sea with provisions and -reinforcements could {173} be intercepted, Shirley felt there was a -fair chance of success. He wrote instantly to London asking King -George to help him with ships, but without waiting for a reply a -little fleet was raised and a land force of 4000 men hastily got -together. It was not a very imposing army in appearance, as you may -imagine. It was chiefly composed of artisans, farmers, fishermen, -and labourers, commanded by a merchant named William Pepperell. -Although without any military experience, Pepperell had courage and -good judgment, and was anxious to distinguish himself. On the 24th -March 1745 the ships left Boston, and reached Canso ten days later. -Here they remained three weeks, waiting for the ice to melt in the -bays and harbours. It was at Canso that Pepperell and his brave New -Englanders were joined by the English commodore, Warren, whom King -George had sent to help him in the capture of Louisburg. Instantly -Pepperell and his army set off, while Warren cruised about with a -fleet of ten ships to prevent any news or assistance from reaching -the fortress. - -The Governor of Louisburg was M. Duchambon. On the fateful night a -ball was given in the town, which the Governor, his officers, and -soldiers attended. Before the people had got to sleep it was almost -dawn, and their slumbers were quickly disturbed. A captain, attired -in his night-clothes, came rushing into the Governor's chamber to -report that a strange fleet had been sighted by the sentries entering -Gabarus Bay, five miles distant. "French ships?" cried Duchambon. -"No, sir," answered the officer, {174} "I fear the English are upon -us." Next moment the cannons were booming loudly from the walls and -a peal of bells rang through the town. Pepperell made a pretence of -landing his troops at a certain point, so as to deceive the French. -A skirmish took place, in which the French were beaten back and some -of them taken prisoners. Before nightfall 2000 of the New Englanders -had planted foot on the shore, and the next day they were joined by -the rest of their comrades. The siege of Louisburg was begun. A -hard and dangerous task was the landing of the artillery and stores, -owing to the rolling surf. There being no wharf, the men had to wade -through the sea to bring the guns, ammunition, and provisions on -shore. This alone took an entire fortnight. Batteries were thrown -up, in spite of sallies made from the town by French and Indians to -prevent them. An outside battery was captured, mounted with -twenty-eight heavy guns, which now belched forth shot and shell -amongst the besieged. Warehouses and other places took fire, and -great columns of smoke hid the fort from view for days at a time. -The walls were at last seen to crumble, and when the guns of the -Americans began to close up on the fortress, Duchambon was summoned -to surrender. He replied that he would surrender when forced to by -the cannon of the foe. The New Englanders at last silenced the -island battery, so that the English fleet could enter the harbour and -turn upon him its 500 guns. The expected supply ship from France, -the _Vigilant_, had been captured, and Duchambon's supply of -gunpowder was exhausted. {175} He gave himself up to despair, and -now it was that the flag of truce was sent to the British camp asking -for terms of capitulation. - -The terms offered by Pepperell were accepted. For forty-nine days -Duchambon had defended Louisburg bravely. He had done his best, and -when the time came to surrender he was permitted to march out his -soldiers with colours flying and drums beating. While he abandoned -the fortress by one gate, Pepperell at the head of the victorious -besiegers entered by another. The day wound up with a great banquet; -all was rejoicing at so glorious a victory. But terrible was the -defeat and humiliation for more than 4000 of the French in Louisburg. -They were embarked on ships and sent back to France. - -Meanwhile the French flag was not lowered from the parapets, so as to -lure in any French ships approaching those waters. The ruse was -successful. Two East Indiamen and one South Sea vessel fell into the -trap, and these prizes were afterwards found to be worth six hundred -thousand pounds. In prize money the share of an ordinary seaman is -said to have been eight hundred guineas. - -No wonder the bells in Boston and Salem rang out with jubilation when -the tidings of the capture of Louisburg arrived. Nor were King -George II. and his ministers less pleased. From palace and tower -cannons fixed their salute of rejoicing; many bonfires were lit in -London, and whole streets were illuminated. Pepperell was created a -baron and a colonel in the Army. Shirley was also rewarded. {176} -Warren was promoted to be an admiral. There is, however, a -melancholy side to this picture. The troops left in possession of -Louisburg were too elated by success to behave themselves properly. -Many men can stand defeat who cannot endure success. The stores of -liquor in the fort were stolen, and in spite of all the efforts of -the English commandant 1000 men were found every day intoxicated. A -terrible illness raged throughout the garrison, and when spring came -it was found that out of 3000 men 1200 had died. - -At first the people in France and in Canada could not believe the -news that Louisburg had fallen. They had looked upon it as the key -to French power in North-America. When at length there could be no -doubt that the news was true, one thought, one ambition filled the -minds of all--the fortress must at all hazards be retaken. It was -resolved at Versailles that an expedition should be sent out to Cape -Breton for that purpose. One of the finest fleets that ever left the -shores of France sailed away from Rochelle the following year, -commanded by the Duke d'Anville, which consisted of thirty-nine ships -of war and many of the best soldiers in France. D'Anville had orders -to recapture Louisburg and Nova Scotia, to ravage Boston, and turn -all New England into a scene of desolation. But man proposes, God -disposes. Not only were two of D'Anville's ships captured by English -cruisers, but he encountered such a succession of storms and one -mighty tempest, that the whole squadron was dispersed. When, at -Chebucto, D'Anville arrived with the remnants of his fleet, his -mortification {177} was so great as to bring on an apoplectic stroke, -from which he died. - -On an island in what is to-day known as Halifax Harbour, his body was -buried. On the afternoon of the very day on which the French -commander died, his Vice-Admiral, Destournelles, arrived with three -more ships, on board one of which was Canada's new Governor, General -Jonquière. When Destournelles took command the outlook was most -desperate. More than 2000 men were stricken with fever, and -eventually died. Destournelles, seeing no hope for success, proposed -that the expedition should be abandoned and the vessels return to -France. Jonquière and most of the officers resisted this plan. If -they could not take Louisburg, at least they could attack Annapolis -and seize Nova Scotia. Annapolis was weak and had a small garrison, -and once it were captured, Acadia was regained for France. Moreover, -was not the priest, Le Loutre, at hand to give the signal to the -Acadians to rise against their English masters? On seeing that they -were all against him, Admiral Destournelles retired. He thought it -reflected on his character and honour, and next morning they found -him stabbed through the breast. He had lost his reason and flung -himself upon his sword. - -It was now Jonquière's turn to lead the forlorn expedition. But ere -he could get to Annapolis another great storm arose, scattering his -fleet, and nothing remained at last but to return dispirited to -France. At least 2500 brave Frenchmen had been lost in this -ill-fated expedition. Still undaunted by these terrible reverses, -next year the Marquis de la {178} Jonquière made another attempt with -another fleet. But the English admirals, Anson and Warren, were on -the watch; a battle was fought off Cape Finisterre, in the Bay of -Biscay, and a signal defeat inflicted on the French. This time -Jonquière himself was captured and carried to London. It seemed as -if he were fated never to reach his Governor's château at Quebec. - -Balked in her endeavours to obtain Louisburg again at the point of -the sword, France had now recourse to the arts of diplomacy. - -In 1748 was signed the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. The French, you -may remember, had met with many successes in Europe and in India. -They had, for one thing, captured the province of Madras, and so had -something to offer England in exchange for what they considered to be -a greater prize than all they had won. A bargain was therefore -struck between the diplomatists of France and England, the former to -yield back Madras if the English would give up Louisburg. King -George did not consult the New Englanders who had striven so hard and -so valiantly to win him the prize. He consented to the exchange, and -Louisburg was handed back to France. - -Of course when the bargain was known in Massachusetts and New York -there was great indignation. But the wiser heads amongst the -colonists saw that the welfare of a whole empire is greater than the -welfare of any part, and so bided their time, knowing full well that -another and final blow would some day be struck. Meanwhile, all -{179} the money that the colonists had spent on their expedition was -given back to them by Britain. - -Although eight years of peace followed the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, -it was a peace only in name. In Canada and America there were two -nations who could never be free from war until one had conquered the -other. One of the great causes of offence and perpetual squabbling -was that as yet neither knew the precise boundaries of French and -British territory. It seems strange that where so much land existed -and so few people, that there should be any fighting over boundaries; -but if you study the wars of history you will see there is nothing -that nations are so ready to quarrel over as this question of -boundaries. Besides, there was a vast region constantly being -explored, and even surveyed, upon which dwelt tribes of Indians whose -allegiance was claimed by one of the two parties to the dispute. So -while the Marquis de la Jonquière languished in an English prison, -the acting Governor-General of Canada, Galissonière, was kept -extremely busy. It was his idea, and he was never tired of -expressing it, that although Acadia had been surrendered to England, -Acadia meant only the peninsula of Nova Scotia. As for the great -region of the west now known as New Brunswick and Eastern Maine, that -he claimed to belong to France. He sent out several hundred French -agents to conciliate the Indian tribes, to warn off English traders, -and to mark out the boundary line between New England and Canada. -The Governor ordered forts to be built at Gaspereau and Beauséjour, -and another {180} on the St. John River. In the west many other -forts were built, including Fort Ticonderoga, at the head of Lake -George. He asked King Louis to send him 10,000 colonists to settle -along the line of the Alleghany Mountains, and so form a barrier -against the English on the east. But, however anxious he was to keep -New France, by this time King Louis thought he had lost sufficient of -his subjects in the late wars, and refused the request. - -The English traders and frontiersmen were meanwhile pressing -westward. If France's title to all the country on the other side of -the Alleghanies was to be something better than waste-paper, -something more must be done to assert it. Galissonière therefore -resolved to take swift and effective action. - -And so the curious episode called "The Planting of the Leaden Plates" -began. - - - - -{181} - -CHAPTER XII - -THE ACADIANS ARE BANISHED FROM ACADIA - -The French had really no grounds for their claims to sovereignty over -the valley of the Ohio except in the explorations of La Salle in the -previous century. All the country south of Lake Erie was almost -unknown to the French Canadians. The regions in the vicinity of the -Ohio River were generally regarded as belonging to the English -colonies of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York. - -If you will look at the old maps of America, you will see that the -map-makers never gave any boundary-line on the west of the thirteen -colonies. There was no boundary-line. At this time, as was said in -the last chapter, English traders had crossed the Alleghany Mountains -on their fur-trading expeditions, and the Indians, in turn, had -visited the people living in the three provinces I have named. But -Galissonière had a special reason for wanting the whole Ohio valley -in French possession. Canada and Acadia were not the only French -colonies on the North American continent. Far to the south there was -Louisiana, which since La Salle's time had grown and flourished -exceedingly. A Canadian, De Bienville, one of the sons of Charles le -Moine, had even been {182} sent to govern it. So, you see, it was of -the utmost importance to the French way of thinking that Canada and -Louisiana should be joined together by a stretch of territory flying -the French flag. It would be fatal for Louisiana to be cut off from -Canada by English colonies, or even forts and trading posts. For -this reason Galissonière now set about proclaiming French sovereignty -over the entire Ohio valley, as this region was called. - -In the French service there was a captain named Célèron, a Chevalier -of the Order of St. Louis. This officer the Government despatched in -the summer of 1749 with a small force of some 200 French soldiers, -Canadian bushrangers, and Indians. With him Célèron carried a large -stock of leaden plates with engraved inscriptions. These plates were -eleven inches long and seven and a half inches wide, and Célèron was -ordered to bury them at the foot of certain trees marking the -boundary-line which Galissonière had drawn up on his map. Besides -these leaden plates Célèron carried an immense stock of tin shields -bearing the arms of the King of France. Every time he buried a -leaden plate at the foot of a tree, he nailed up one of the shields -on the trunk. - -Now it so happened that one of these plates was dug up by an Indian -soon after the French party had marched on. It was sent by a Cayugan -chief to a famous English trader and colonist named William Johnson. -The chief asked Johnson to tell him what the French meant by planting -such a plate in their territory. He thought it might be some sorcery -on the part of the northern pale-faces. Johnson had no {183} love -for the French. He knew exactly what they were aiming at, and he -spoke very plainly to the chief of the Cayugas. "Brethren," said he, -"this is an affair of the greatest importance to you. Nothing less -than all your lands and your best hunting-places are concerned. You -are to be shut off entirely from us and the rest of your brethren, -the Pennsylvanians and the Virginians, who can always supply you with -goods at a much lower rate than the French ever did or ever could do. -Under our protection you are, and ever will be, safer and better -treated than under the French, who are your implacable enemies. The -writing on this piece of lead is sufficient of itself to convince you -of their villainous designs." The Governor of New York afterwards -sent the plate to England, where it attracted great attention, for it -showed quite clearly what the designs of the French were. - -By this time English statesmen began to consider whether the step -they had taken in giving back Cape Breton to France so hastily was -not a mistake. But something to offset it might still be done. -Although Louisburg was no longer theirs, yet they had the power to -retrieve much of the prestige and many of the advantages they had -lost. Governor Shirley dinned constantly into their ears the value -of settling an English population in Nova Scotia to counter-balance -the French Acadians who were planted there. So at last King George -was induced to issue a proclamation offering to all officers and -private men retired from the Army or Navy, and to many others, a free -passage to Nova Scotia, besides supporting {184} them for a year -after landing and giving them arms, ammunition, and a grant of land -to build a dwelling. Parliament having voted £40,000, in the summer -of 1749 more than 2500 settlers, with their families, arrived at -Chebucto, now rechristened in honour of the Earl of Halifax. - -The commander of the expedition and the chief of the new colony was -Colonel Edward Cornwallis, a man both able and lovable. Owing to his -care, a beautiful city gradually arose on the shore of the splendid -harbour, afterwards to be crowned by the famous citadel of Halifax. - -Soon after Cornwallis's arrival he issued a proclamation in French -and English to the Acadians calling upon them to assist the new -settlers. He did not fail to remind them that while they had so long -enjoyed possession of their lands and the free exercise of their -religion, they had been secretly aiding King George's enemies. But -His Majesty would forgive and forget all this if they were at once to -take the oath of allegiance and act in future as British subjects. - -Some 13,000 Frenchmen were at this time settled in the ten villages -of Acadia. To the northward the French had built a fort of five -bastions which they called Beauséjour, and another one much similar -at Baie Verte. Their idea was to keep up communication with -Louisburg until they could strike a blow against the English and get -back Acadia again into their own hands. - -It was at Fort Beauséjour that the priestly traitor Le Loutre -continued to create dissatisfaction and sow the seeds of revolt -amongst the thrifty, ignorant {185} Acadians, who otherwise would -have been happy and contented. Their minds filled with Le Loutre's -threats and promises, they refused to take the oath of allegiance, -and even to supply the English settlers with labour, timber, or -provisions, though good prices for these were offered. Cornwallis -warned them. "You will allow yourselves," he said, "to be led away -by people who find it to their interest to lead you astray. It is -only out of pity for your situation and your inexperience in the ways -of government that we condescend to reason with you. Otherwise the -question would not be reasoning, but commanding and being obeyed." - -He was very patient with them. He told them that they had been for -more than thirty-four years the subjects of the King of Great -Britain. "Show now that you are grateful for his favours and ready -to serve your King when your services are required. Manage to let me -have here in ten days fifty of your people to assist the poor to -build their houses to shelter them from the bad weather. They shall -be paid in ready money and fed on the King's provisions." - -Shortly thereafter Le Loutre descended from craft to the crime of -bloodshed. He aroused the native Indians of the province, known as -the Micmacs, against the English newcomers. He sent them out -stealthily to slay and to destroy. Twenty Englishmen were surprised -and captured at Canso while gathering hay. Eight Indians, pretending -to barter furs, went on board two English ships and tried to surprise -them. Several of the sailors were killed. A saw-mill had been built -near Halifax. Six {186} unsuspecting men went out unarmed to hew -some timber. Four were killed and scalped, one was captured, and one -escaped. So frequent became the Indian attacks that the men of -Halifax formed themselves into a militia, and a sentry paced the -streets every night. Cornwallis offered £100 for the head of Le -Loutre. Ten guineas were offered for an Indian, living or dead, or -for his scalp. - -It now became necessary also to build a fort to counterbalance the -Fort Beauséjour of the French. The latter was erected on the western -bank of a little stream called the Missiquash which the French -claimed as the boundary between Canada and Acadia. Opposite, at -Chignecto, Colonel Lawrence was sent with 400 men to build the -English fort. Le Loutre and his Acadians did their best to prevent -the English landing and building the fort which became known as Fort -Lawrence. The commander of this post was named Captain Howe, a man -of charming manners who spoke French fluently. Howe reasoned with -the stubborn Acadians, many of whom saw the good sense of his -remarks, and in a short time the captain became extremely popular. -All this Le Loutre saw with misgivings. He felt that Howe was -obtaining an influence amongst the Acadians, and so marked him down -for destruction. One bright autumn day a Frenchman in the dress of -an officer advanced to the opposite side of the stream waving a white -handkerchief. Howe, ever polite, advanced to meet him. As he did -so, some Indians who were in ambuscade pointed their guns at him and -shot him dead. La Corne, the French commandant, was filled {187} -with shame and horror at this treacherous murder. He would like to -have got rid of Le Loutre, but the priest was too strong for him. -His influence at Quebec was great, as it was amongst the Acadian -people, who dreaded his fierce anger. - -Notwithstanding all this, there were a number of Acadians who at last -consented to take the oath of allegiance to King George. When the -French Governor at Quebec heard of their doing so, he issued a -proclamation that all the Acadians must swear loyalty to France and -be enrolled in the Canadian militia, or suffer the penalty of fire -and sword. By way of rejoinder, the English Governor of Nova Scotia -proclaimed that if any Acadian, taking the oath of allegiance to King -George, should afterwards be found fighting amongst the French -soldiers, he would be shot. Thus were the poor Acadians between two -fires. A considerable number of them removed their settlements to -the Canadian side of the boundary. Some travelled even as far as -Quebec. But the majority who remained continued to cause great -anxiety to the English authorities in Nova Scotia. - -In 1754 the French planned an invasion of Nova Scotia, and Halifax -was filled with alarm. For they knew that in the absence of the -English fleet, Cape Breton could send a force in a few hours to -overrun the country. As for provisions, were not the Acadians there -to furnish them to the French invaders? In forty-eight hours 15,000 -armed Acadians could be summoned to Fort Beauséjour. The outlying -English forts would be destroyed and {188} Halifax starved into -surrender. When this had been captured, New England would be the -next victim. So reasoned Lawrence and Governor Shirley of -Massachusetts. Taking counsel together, they resolved to strike a -blow instantly before troops from France or Quebec could arrive. -They would seize Fort Beauséjour and drive the French out of the -isthmus. Two thousand men were raised and the command given to an -English officer, Colonel Monckton. On the 1st June 1755 the English -war-party arrived in Chignecto Bay. - -No longer was the gallant La Corne commandant at Fort Beauséjour; -another, dishonest and incompetent, ruled the French stronghold. His -name was Vergor. Vergor thought little of patriotism, but only of -his purse and how much money he could make by defrauding his King. -When he saw the English ships approach, Vergor issued a proclamation -to the Acadians round about to hasten to his defence. Fifteen -hundred responded, and three hundred of these he took into the fort. -The others he ordered to retire into the woods and stealthily harass -the enemy. - -While the New Englanders prepared to launch their force, the French -spent the time trying to strengthen their bastions. The strong, -simple Acadians, accustomed to hard labour, were set to work. Over -them stood Le Loutre in his shirt-sleeves with a pipe in his mouth, -encouraging them to toil. But in spite of his zeal and his promises, -so huddled and exposed was their condition inside the fort, that many -Acadians deserted. - -{189} - -Duly the bombardment began. When it was at its height, and Vergor -was hourly expecting help from Louisburg, a letter arrived to say -that assistance could not come from that quarter. An English -squadron was cruising in front of Louisburg harbour, and so prevented -the French frigates from putting out to sea. - -When this disquieting news leaked out at Beauséjour, more Acadians -became disheartened, and in spite of the threats launched against -them, deserted by dozens. The bombardment continued. Next morning -at breakfast a shell from an English mortar crashed through the -ceiling of a casemate, killing three French officers and an English -captain who had been taken prisoner. Vergor saw that he had begun to -strengthen his fort too late. There was now no hope--the guns of the -English were too near. He despatched a flag of truce and surrendered -Fort Beauséjour. - -Having got Fort Beauséjour, henceforward to be known as Fort -Cumberland, into his hands, the victorious Monckton sent summonses to -the other French stronghold at Baie Verte to surrender. Seeing the -situation hopeless, the French commandant complied, and the campaign -was over. Immediate danger to English settlers in Nova Scotia was -happily removed for ever. - -And now we come to a tragedy--the most pathetic passage in Canada's -history. It is known as the expulsion of the Acadians. You have -seen the dilemma in which the English found themselves. They could -not trust the Acadians, nor could they {190} spare an army large -enough to render treachery harmless. On the other hand, they could -not treat all those thousands of people as rebels, for the great -majority of them had not fought against them at Beauséjour and -elsewhere, but had remained quiet in their villages. The long -patience of the English was now almost worn out. Yet once again -Governor Lawrence urged them to take the oath. Once again they -stubbornly refused. - -What else could be done? Nothing. So the decree of exile went -forth. Ignorant of the trades and callings by which they could earn -a livelihood in those countries, the Acadians could not be sent to -France or England. Colonists they were, and the sons of colonists, -suited only for a colonial life. On banishment they would be -distributed in batches amongst the English colonies along the -Atlantic coast. - -It was a terrible thing to do, and many hearts, even among the rude -soldiers, beat warmly for the fate of the unhappy Acadians. Those -who had taken the oath were safe in their homesteads. A number -escaped into the woods. As for the rest, the military officers were -given their instructions. At Beauséjour 400 men were seized. -Without warning the people, Colonel Winslow marched rapidly to -Grandpré. He summoned the men of the village to meet him in the -chapel, and there he read them the decree of banishment. In vain -they tried to escape; the doors were shut and guarded by English -soldiers. The people of village after village were seized, until -6000 souls had been gathered {191} together. Many of the Acadians -never believed that the threat would be carried out. For a long time -they had to wait for transports to bear them away. Many had to be -placed on the ships by force. Old and young, men, women, and -children, were marched to the beach. Sometimes members of the same -family became separated from each other, never to meet again. But -the soldiers did their best to perform their painful duty as humanely -as they could. No unnecessary harshness was permitted. - -From Minas, Chignecto, and Annapolis ship after ship carried away -their weeping burdens to Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, -New York, Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. One of -the vessels, hailing from Annapolis, was captured by its cargo of -exiles, who overpowered the crew and made themselves masters of the -ship. This they sailed up the river St. John, where they ran it -ashore and escaped to Quebec. A few decided to struggle southwards, -however, until they reached Louisiana, where some of their -descendants are to this day. Others, after months and even years, -returned again to Acadia, where, when Quebec and the French flag had -fallen, they were no longer a danger to the Government. Such of the -Acadians who reached Quebec were treated very coldly and almost died -of famine. It is said that they were reduced to four ounces of bread -per day, and sought in the gutters of Quebec to appease their hunger. -Many were forced to eat boiled leather during the greater part of the -winter. As if this were not enough, smallpox broke out amongst them, -and {192} many entire families were destroyed. Such, alas! was the -fate of men "whose attachment to their mother-country was only -equalled by her indifference." - -The expulsion of the Acadians may seem to us a cruel act, but it was -forced upon the English by the hardest necessity--the necessity of -self-protection. - - - - -{193} - -CHAPTER XIII - -TERRIBLE FIGHTS OVER THE BORDER - -The Marquis de Jonquière was released at last from his English prison -and sailed away to succeed Galissonière as Governor of Canada. - -Jonquière's term of office is looked back upon with shame by the -people of Canada, but is it strange that the servants of King Louis -the Fifteenth in any quarter of the world where the French flag yet -flew should be animated by low motives and a desire for gain? See -what an example their monarch set them! Jonquière was an able man, -but he was mercenary, and thought only of lining his own pockets and -those of his creatures with the profits of the Canadian fur trade. -With him went Francis Bigot to fill the important office of -Intendant. Bigot's is one of the most infamous names in French -Canadian annals. He was a lawyer, ambitious, intelligent, and fond -of luxury and display. Yet with all his intelligence he fell easily -a prey to the wiles of a certain Madame Péan, who turned the King's -service to her private advantage. Servants, lackeys, upstarts were, -by her influence, placed in responsible positions. If they happened -to be ignorant and dishonest, it was no bar to their promotion. -Taxes were multiplied and the {194} poor people of Canada were made -to suffer. Bigot and his official band of robbers held office to the -last moment of French dominion in Canada, but Jonquière died in the -midst of his peculations and money-making schemes. - -In 1752 his successor, the Marquis Duquesne, appeared on the scene. -Before setting out from France, the new Governor had been ordered to -arrest the pretensions of the English to the Ohio and western region -and drive them from the territory. No English were to be allowed to -carry on trade there. Duquesne began by sending out 300 Canadian -Militia to build a French fort on Lake Erie, the command of which was -afterwards given to Legardeur de St. Pierre. A second fort was built -twenty miles away. - -In the meantime the English colonists continued to cast their eyes -lovingly on this great and fertile region to the west. Almost every -month exploring parties went out, and returned full of enthusiastic -reports of its commercial advantages. By and by a body was formed -called the Ohio Company, including amongst its members many of the -leading men of Virginia. To this Company King George granted 500,000 -acres, on condition that 100 families should be settled on the -territory within seven years and that a fort should be built. - -Seeing this, the Pennsylvanians became jealous of Virginia and formed -plans to secure the Ohio region for themselves. Each told different -and conflicting stories to the Indians. The Virginians tried to stir -up suspicion against the Pennsylvanians, {195} and the Pennsylvanians -retorted by creating distrust of the Virginians. The result of all -this was that the tribes, who up to now had been faithful to England, -began to look suspiciously upon the actions and the policy of both -these colonies. All this, of course, was playing into the hands of -the French. An English fort or two was built, but in spite of the -efforts of the Governors of New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, -very little was done for several years to assert English sovereignty. -The qualities the Indians admire are vigour and courage. When the -tribes saw the bold and daring efforts of Canada to Frenchify the -western country, they were naturally led to range themselves on the -Canadian side. - -All that happened during the next few years, of the battles and -skirmishes, the forts that were taken, and the massacres that were -carried out, does not properly belong to Canadian history. It must, -however, be mentioned that it was at this time, when Governor -Duquesne in his citadel at Quebec was rejoicing at the prospect of -bringing the western region under French rule, that we first hear of -a young Virginian whose name was destined to be world famous. The -name of this youth was George Washington. He was only twenty-one -years of age when Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia sent him to -expostulate with a party of French Canadians who had just captured an -English trading fort. Getting no satisfaction from the Commandant -there, young Washington went on to Fort Le Breuf, where, as we have -seen, Legardeur de St. Pierre was in charge. {196} St. Pierre -received Washington courteously, but could not give him any -satisfaction. The French were there, and there they meant to stay, -in spite of all the English protests. It was now plain that there -was serious trouble looming ahead. All these proceedings being -reported to England, at last, after many delays, King George's -ministers decided to send a large force to America to drive the -French back across the Canadian border. The command of this force -was given to General Braddock, a stern and peppery old soldier, -wholly ignorant of Indian warfare. Before Braddock could cross the -Atlantic with his regiments, English and French were at each other's -throats in earnest. The French had built Fort Duquesne, and Colonel -Washington, with a force of regulars and backwoodsmen, was sent to -capture it. A bloody battle was fought, in which Washington was -defeated; and now the Indians were more than ever on the French side. -But the schemes and labour of the last three years had undermined -Governor Duquesne's health, and a new Viceroy appeared in Quebec. -This was the Marquis de Vaudreuil, a native of Canada, whose father -had formerly also been Governor. - -Vaudreuil entered with spirit upon the duties of his office. He -needed all his faculties, for stirring times were in prospect. -General Braddock and his Englishmen were in the north awaiting -soldiers who were crossing the Atlantic. The French were also -resolved to maintain what their Canadian advance guard had won. -Field-Marshal Baron Dieskau was appointed to command six regiments of -French {197} soldiers who left their native shores in a squadron of -fourteen battleships, four frigates, and many transports. - -You must remember that during all this time there had been no war. -If you had asked any of the French courtiers or ambassadors they -would have told you that perfect peace existed between the two -nations. But that was only a diplomatic fiction. At all events, -whatever was happening in Europe between Old France and Old England, -on the other side of the great ocean New France and New England were -engaged in a life-and-death conflict. It was not strange that the -hand of both mother-countries was extended to help them. Only if -England could have looked into the future five-and-twenty years and -seen her ungrateful American children tearing down her noble old flag -with taunts and insults, perhaps she might not have given her help or -spilt her blood so freely to protect America from the French. After -all, it may be as well that nations do not know all the evils that -are to happen. Their course is to do their duty manfully and -honestly for the present; posterity can take care of itself. -Moreover, the separation of America from England was no real evil, -because that separation was to build the foundation of Canada's -greatness in the British Empire and loyalty to the British crown and -flag. - -On the arrival of General Braddock the various colonial Governors -held a consultation. They decided that the three forts, Duquesne, -Niagara, and Crown Point, at the head of Lake Champlain, should be -captured. We have already seen that another {198} French fort, -Beauséjour, was doomed to destruction. It was while Beauséjour was -being surrounded by Monckton and his New Englanders that the other -expeditions were setting out for their destinations. Braddock -decided to take Fort Duquesne himself. Governor Shirley led the -expedition against Niagara, and Colonel William Johnson was ordered -to take Crown Point. Braddock took 1000 English veterans and 1200 -Virginian Militia into the heart of the wilderness. The commander of -Fort Duquesne was Contrecoeur. When he was told the size of -Braddock's army he saw little hope of standing a siege, but he might -intercept the English soldiers in the woods. It was a splendid -opportunity for the kind of warfare Indians loved. Two hundred -Frenchmen and 500 redskins were sent to lie in ambush on the trail -which Braddock would take with drums beating and fifes playing. On a -beautiful July day the scarlet-coated regiments of Braddock moved on -unconscious to their doom. Every moment they looked to see the great -walls of the Fort Duquesne burst upon their gaze. Through the forest -they came to the river, the Monongahela, and forded it. Hardly had -they crossed, when a strange apparition sprang into the middle of the -wide woodland path. He wore war-paint and flaming feathers, but in -spite of this dress he was really a French officer. He flung his -right arm into the air as a signal, and instantly the forest rang -with savage yells. A shower of bullets, fired by unseen hands, fell -upon the advancing English. Astonished and taken at such a -disadvantage, they yet did not hesitate to return the fire. The -intrepid French leader who had given the {199} signal so openly, paid -for that act with his life; but it was not easy to fight, however -valiantly, against a hidden foe. Braddock and his officers thought -it cowardly to fight behind trees; they charged hither and thither in -pursuit of the enemy, and were mowed down like grass. The troops -became at length huddled together in a panic, shooting, if they shot -at all, blindly and without aim. In vain did the General's -aide-de-camp, Washington, urge him to scatter his men singly under -cover. Braddock, on horseback, galloped fearlessly in every -direction ordering the ranks to advance. Not until four horses had -been shot dead beneath him did he order a retreat. The command had -scarcely passed his lips ere a bullet pierced his body, and he fell, -to rise no more. His last words were, "We shall know better how to -deal with them another time." The retreat soon became a disgraceful -flight. Arms, baggage, and artillery were abandoned. Yelling -Indians pursued them, only stopping in order to scalp the helpless -wounded. Had it not been for the hope of plunder, very few of the -British forces would have escaped death or captivity. Cannons, -stores, arms, and papers fell into the hands of the victorious -French. Upwards of sixty British officers had been killed, and of -all Braddock's army less than half took refuge in the English Fort -Cumberland. - -Tidings of Braddock's defeat were carried by the swiftest couriers to -Canada, and there caused much rejoicing. The Marquis de Vaudreuil -sent the good news off at once to his King, but his letter never -reached its destination. The ship that bore it, _Le {200} Pierre -Alexandre_, was overhauled by an English man-of-war in August, and -the captain threw overboard the bag of Canadian letters. Not till -nearly two months after the battle had been fought did the news of -the victory reach France by way of England. But it was otherwise on -the American side of the border. It put an end at once to Shirley's -expedition against Niagara. For a time it was thought that the -attack on Crown Point would also be given up. It might have been had -it been entrusted to another man than Sir William Johnson. Johnson -was a settler on the Upper Hudson River. He had married Mollie -Brant, sister of the celebrated Chief Brant of the Mohawks, who had -acquired great influence with the Iroquois tribes in his locality, -and it was on his account that the Mohawks refrained from joining the -French. Johnson was not a skilled soldier, but he was wise and -daring. Braddock's papers, which had fallen into the hands of -Governor Vaudreuil at Quebec, convinced him that Crown Point would be -attacked. - -Baron Dieskau was sent with 3500 men, half of them Canadian farmers, -to go to the defence of Crown Point. Johnson had behind him some -5000 men, raw Militia from Massachusetts and Connecticut. Before -attacking Crown Point, Johnson deemed it prudent to build another -fort on the Hudson, known as Fort Edward; from this fort he marched -to the foot of a large lake, to which he gave the name of his -sovereign, and there built Fort George. He was still engaged in -building it when the French general marched upon Fort Edward. A -scout brought {201} Johnson the news, and immediately he despatched -1000 men to oppose his defence. Dieskau, remembering the success of -the manoeuvres against the hapless Braddock, thought to repeat them -here. He arranged to keep his own men out of sight amongst the trees -and bushes until the enemy should pass by. Had this plan been -carried out it is probable that none of the English forces would have -escaped alive. But the redskins set up their war-whoops a little too -soon, and the English, seeing that they were about to fall into an -ambuscade, beat an instant retreat upon Fort Edward. Dieskau now -made a hasty resolve to bring the whole strength of his forces to -bear upon Fort George. Johnson had made this fort of great strength, -protecting it by forming trees into a sort of breastwork, from behind -which his cannons and musketry could be used with fatal effect, but -Dieskau was not to be turned aside. He ordered his troops to fling -themselves on the fort. Legardeur de St. Pierre was killed. Dieskau -led forth the French veterans unsupported, leaving the Canadians and -Indians scattered behind the trees. These, you will remember, were -precisely the tactics which had led to Braddock's defeat. The -soldiers advanced gallantly, and, like the English before Fort -Duquesne, were mowed down like grass. Dieskau's body was pierced by -three bullets. A Canadian who attempted to drag him from under the -walls of the fort was shot dead, falling across his General's legs. -None now came to his assistance. The French were beaten back and -Fort George was saved. The New England troops left their defences. -General Dieskau, while leaning {202} against a tree, suffering from -the wounds he had received, was fired at and again wounded by a -renegade French Canadian, who some years before had deserted. -Dieskau reproached him for firing on a wounded man, but the fellow -answered that it was better to kill the devil than be killed by him. -The French commander was carried to Johnson's own tent and treated -kindly. The Iroquois wanted to torture him to death, but Johnson -sternly refused. For this victory Johnson was made a Baronet and -presented with a purse of £5000. He had begun his career as a -private in the army, and had risen to distinction from sheer force of -character. As for Dieskau, he never recovered from his wounds, and -although he was carried back to France, it was only as a bedridden -invalid, to die. - -The French still held the positions at Niagara and Crown Point. -Three out of the four English expeditions had failed to achieve their -purpose, the French remained undisputed masters of the Ohio valley, -and their victory over Braddock enabled them to attack the undefended -frontiers of Virginia and Pennsylvania. During the winter of 1755-6 -French war-parties from Fort Duquesne repeatedly attacked the -settlements of the English, behaving very cruelly, and killing or -carrying away as prisoners more than 1000 souls. In spite of these -temporary successes of the French, Vaudreuil and the Indians were not -happy. All this fighting had drawn the farmers away from the soil, -and the harvest was very scanty. The necessaries of life became very -dear, but, worse than all, dishonesty and corruption were eating out -{203} the very heart of Canada. The Intendant Bigot was at the -height of his infamy; he descended to every trick of rascality to -achieve his ends. - -Trade had almost ceased, the supply of beef given out, and the people -were reduced to eat horseflesh. As the famine increased the Governor -ordered flour to be given to the people; crowds attended at the -bakers' shops struggling to be served. At first they were given one -pound apiece, afterwards only half a pound. Owing to the scarcity of -money, the promises to pay, written on cards, were made to pass as -currency. Bigot began to issue what were called ordinances; he -issued these notes recklessly. Money was sent from time to time from -France, but it was not enough to fill the need. The value of the -paper money went down and down, and when England finally acquired -Canada it was found that 41,000,000 livres of ordinances were in -circulation. Bigot got up a Company to import commodities from -France and to buy up all the grain in the country districts. The -poor people had to deal with this Company and to pay their charges. -The supplies for the King's service had to be bought from the Company -in Quebec. The citizens could procure bread only through the -Company's stores, which in the two leading cities were known as "La -Friponne" or "The Cheat." It was in this way that gigantic frauds -were committed which paralysed the colony only to enrich a few -individuals. Canada was costing France 15,000,000 francs a year, and -France had already spent upon her 80,000,000 francs, but, distressed -as she herself was, she did not grudge these sums to her colony. - -{204} - -In the spring of 1756 the people welcomed with joy the arrival of a -fresh fleet bearing 1000 soldiers, a supply of food and ammunition, -and a large sum of money. Almost as great a boon King Louis bestowed -upon Canada when he sent her the new Commander-in-Chief of the -Canadian army, the Marquis de Montcalm. This hero was forty-six -years old, a splendid soldier, of high character, culture, and -determination. Could Canada be saved to the flag of the lilies? If -so, surely it was the virtuous Montcalm who could achieve this great -task. - - - - -{205} - -CHAPTER XIV - -HOW THE GALLANT WOLFE TOOK QUEBEC - -If we were to tell the story of Canada faithfully for the next few -years, it would be only of further battles, sieges, skirmishes, and -massacres between the French and English colonists, aided by savage -Indian warriors. - -Never before had Canada boasted so many French soldiers as were now -arrayed under the command of Montcalm. He fell upon Oswego and -destroyed it, taking 1400 prisoners and great booty. Against him was -sent the English Earl of Loudoun, no match for the French commander, -and afraid to strike an overwhelming blow. Loudoun at last sailed -away for Halifax with his army, thinking to make another attack by -and by on Louisburg, still in French hands. A terrible mistake this -of Loudoun's, and just the opportunity Montcalm looked for. The -French had built a strong fortress at Ticonderoga, and now that the -danger of Loudoun's army was removed, 6000 of their troops moved -swiftly out of the fortress and attacked Fort William Henry. - -Undaunted by the great force brought against him, the commander, -Colonel Munro, answered Montcalm's summons to surrender by saying -that he would {206} defend his post to the death. The French planted -their guns and the siege commenced. Day and night the wooden -ramparts of Fort William Henry were splintered by Montcalm's cannon -balls. Munro, brave Scotsman that he was, hoped vainly that the -English garrison at Fort Edward would come to his rescue, but their -commander was afraid to send them over. He knew that there were -nearly 2000 bloodthirsty redskins roaming at large in the woods. -They dreaded the tomahawk and scalping-knife more than the sword and -musket. Well did they know what their fate would be if they fell -into the hands, wounded or prisoners, of those relentless savages. - -So at last one sweltering August day Munro realised that no hope -remained. He could hold out no longer. His fort was nearly a mass -of ruins, and reluctantly he hoisted the white flag asking Montcalm -for terms of capitulation. - -The French commander allowed the brave Munro and his soldiers to -march out with the honours of war, pledging himself to protect them -from his savage followers. Alas! Montcalm had reckoned without his -host. He might as well have tried to fetter the summer breeze that -blew across Lake George as to balk his redskin allies of their -destined prey. They thirsted for the blood of the English. They -could not understand the French code of honour. Of terms of -capitulation they knew nothing. The soldiers of the garrison, with -their wives and children, with a French escort, filed slowly through -the woods on their way to a refuge at Fort Edward. Suddenly the -Indians, sending up a terrible war-yell, darted {207} upon them. One -of the most dreadful massacres in history now took place. The -soldiers could do nothing to defend themselves, because they had -given up their muskets to the French. They were scalped by dozens -and hundreds. Helpless women were brained by hatchets and little -children were dashed to death against the trunks of trees. - -At the risk of their lives, Montcalm and his officers strove to save -the fugitives, but not until nearly 1000 had been slain did they -succeed. Montcalm was pale with horror at the awful disgrace which -had stained the French name. He had given his word that the garrison -should march out unharmed, and now his brave foes were lying in heaps -of mangled corpses in the heart of this once peaceful forest. - -In fear lest he should punish them in his great anger, the -treacherous redskins slunk away with their scalps and plunder. Such -was the massacre of Fort William Henry. Afterwards the fort itself -was levelled to the ground. - -This was not the only disaster the English suffered. Twelve thousand -soldiers and eighteen battleships were sent to capture Louisburg, but -after cruising about for many weeks and losing several vessels, the -weak and cowardly Lord Loudoun did not venture upon an attack, and -sailed back to England to meet the contempt of his fellow-countrymen. - -You can see what a critical period this was in the history of Canada. -To many it seemed a critical period in the life of the English -colonists in America. {208} But the French triumph was soon to be -cut short. A new and vigorous minister was called by King George to -his councils. The energy and fire of the great William Pitt put new -life into the hearts of the English people in every part of the -Empire. Crushing his right hand down upon the map of the New World, -Pitt decreed that French dominion in Canada must be brought to a -close. Easy it was to say this. Other English ministers had said it -before, but their misfortune was that they did not know how to make -the right plans, or to find the right men to carry out their plans. -They could not kindle the soldiers into a flame of enthusiasm by -their zeal and eloquence. Pitt could do this. He could choose his -generals for their worth and fighting qualities, and when he wanted a -live ardent soldier, upon whom he could rely, he chose James Wolfe. -Who would have dreamt that in the long, gaunt figure, with pale face -and straight red hair, that shuffled into the minister's ante-chamber -in the spring of 1758, was the future conqueror of Quebec! - -General Wolfe was then thirty-two years old. His appearance little -revealed his character. A born soldier, he had already distinguished -himself on the battlefields of Europe. In those sleepy days, before -Pitt came, his fellow-officers could not understand Wolfe's -enthusiasm. One of them told King George that he believed Wolfe was -mad. "Then," cried the King, remembering the defeats his army had -suffered, "I only hope he will bite some of my generals!" - -Court influence succeeded in giving the nominal command to General -Amherst, but Wolfe was the {209} real leader. With Amherst and Wolfe -sailed a powerful fleet under Admiral Boscawen. By June 1758 the -whole of this great force drew up before the fortress of Louisburg, -within whose walls was a population of 4000 souls. The garrison -consisted of the bravest men the French could furnish, veterans of -many battlefields. The Commandant was Drucour. But it was in vain -now that the French defended their splendid fortress. After an -heroic defence, Drucour was at last obliged to surrender, and all the -garrison were sent to England as prisoners of war. Louisburg would -give the English trouble and anxiety no more. As if it were but a -tiny sandcastle built by children on the seashore, these mighty stone -bastions were swept away. After the surrender the English soldiers -were ordered to the duty of destroying the stronghold of France in -Cape Breton, pulling it to pieces with pickaxe and crowbar, filling -the crevices with gunpowder, until at last hardly a vestige remained. -If you ask to see Louisburg to-day, you will be shown only a rolling -meadow upon which sheep graze peacefully. - -Wolfe was now eager to push on to Quebec, but he had to wait nearly a -year. In the meantime the French had triumphed on Lake Champlain. -General Abercrombie had tried to take Fort Ticonderoga with 15,000 -men, but Abercrombie was no such soldier as James Wolfe. He had, -however, with him Lord Howe, a brave and able young officer, who was -the second in command. Had not a stray bullet struck him down on his -way to the battlefield, the story of Ticonderoga might have had a -different ending. He {210} was beloved and trusted by his soldiers, -and when he died their courage seemed to die away also. - -Abercrombie foolishly thought that by his superior numbers he could -force Ticonderoga without cannon, but Montcalm knew his strength. He -was surprised when he saw the English general hurling his soldiers in -four strong columns upon the front of his fort. It was a battle in -which superior numbers, bravery, and perseverance were thrown away. -Six times did the English doggedly come on, and six times did the -cannon of the French sow carnage amongst them. There was a regiment -of Highlanders fighting like tigers, some of them hacking the wooden -stocks of the outposts with their claymores until a cannon-ball -carried away their limbs. When at last, at the close of that long -bloody day, Abercrombie drew off his troops, he left 2000 English -corpses in the glacis outside the walls of the French fort. - -Was it strange that the hearts of the survivors turned against him? -that they did not conceal their rejoicing when the King, after this -fearful defeat, relieved Abercrombie of his command? - -It was not, however, all a tale of repulses and humiliation for the -English. Colonel Bradstreet had crossed Lake Ontario and captured -Fort Frontenac. General Forbes had made the French abandon Fort -Duquesne. On its site a new stronghold arose, to which the name of -Fort Pitt was given. Here in our day is the great and flourishing -city of Pittsburg. This was not all. In the spring of the fateful -year 1759, Fort Niagara fell. - -{211} - -The news of the capture of Louisburg, which caused such rejoicings in -America and England, cast a terrible gloom over French Canada. -Quebec, that splendid stronghold which had defied the English, was -now their last hope. The town and citadel on the summit of Cape -Diamond which Champlain had founded and Frontenac guarded so well, -seemed to laugh at cannon and bayonet. Stern was the task set before -the man who should presume to scale those heights and force the proud -city to surrender. Behind its confident aspect Quebec was the scene -of despair and corruption. Amongst the officials reckless -extravagance reigned. While Canada's fate was trembling in the -balance, the Intendant Bigot, who should have been a pattern to the -community, spent his nights in riot and gambling. Although the King -had forbidden games of hazard, Bigot would often play amongst a party -of forty people, losing many thousands of francs in a few hours. The -King sent out his gold to help Canada, the people crushed by taxation -gave theirs, but all the money found its way into the pocket of Bigot -and his accomplices. - -Provisions and clothing that should have gone to the hungry, -shivering French soldiers were sold at La Friponne to reap a profit. -Distant forts held bravely for the French cried aloud for succour, -but the scoundrelly Intendant put them off with excuses, and the -money intended for them was devoted to gaming and dissipation. In -two years alone Bigot's robberies amounted to nearly a million pounds -sterling. A time of retribution was at hand. Montcalm wept at the -vices and irregularities around him, but, {212} being only military -commander, he could do little or nothing. The Governor, De -Vaudreuil, answered his warnings haughtily, for he was jealous of -Montcalm. So the end approached. - -Never had England sent out an army so full of zeal, courage, and -discipline as the army which sailed away from her shores under Wolfe -to take Quebec. Their commander well knew that he had to attack one -of the strongest forts in the world, defended by all the soldiers -that Montcalm could muster, fighting in defence of their country, -their flag, and their religion. Wolfe had only 9000 men against the -18,000 French Canadians, but he rejoiced in his Englishmen. "If -valour could make amends for want of numbers," he wrote to Pitt, "we -shall succeed." - -On the first day of June 1759, the ships sailed out of the harbour of -Halifax for the river St. Lawrence. The harbour rang with the cheers -of the soldiers, and the bands struck up the old melody "The Girl I -left behind Me." When they reached the mighty river they ran great -danger for want of a pilot. A French prisoner on board began -wringing his hands, declaring that they would all go to the bottom. -An old British captain of a transport laughed in his face: "I will -show you," he roared with an oath, "that an Englishman shall go where -a Frenchman dare not show his nose." And he steered his ship through -in safety. The boast was no empty one. Vaudreuil wrote to France to -say "that the enemy have passed sixty ships of war where we dare not -risk a vessel of 100 tons by night or day." - -In Quebec, Montcalm during the long days of {213} early summer -awaited the coming of the English. Not a man was idle. Drilling and -building of earthworks filled up nearly every hour of the day. -Montcalm's 18,000 men were as strongly entrenched as Nature and the -art of war could make them. On the 27th of June the French in Quebec -snatched their first glimpse of the masts of the English battleships. -A few hours later the English fleet had halted before the Isle of -Orleans, and Wolfe and his red-coated infantry landed on its shores. -Mounting the point of land to the west, the young general took out a -telescope and turned it towards the heights of Quebec, four miles -away. As he scanned the mighty rock he felt that it was indeed a -hard task which England had sent him to accomplish. - -Vaudreuil did not wait for the English commander to make the first -move; he attempted to destroy the English fleet with fire-ships. One -dark night a number of old vessels, filled with pitch, gunpowder, -bombs, and antique cannon, packed to the muzzle, were towed out into -the channel and set on fire to float to the English fleet. The whole -countryside seemed to burst in lurid flames, and a hail of grapeshot -and bullets flew in all directions. But the English soldiers were -not frightened; they rowed out in their boats, grappling courageously -with the flaming monsters, and towed them to shore. Vaudreuil's -explosive experiments proved a total failure. During that very night -Wolfe was busy with pen and paper writing his first manifesto to the -Canadian people. "We are sent by King George," he said, "to conquer -this province, but not to make war upon women and {214} children, the -ministers of religion, or industrious people. We lament the -sufferings which our invasion may inflict upon you, but if you remain -neutral we proffer safety to person and property, with freedom in -religion. We are masters of the river; no succour can reach you from -France; General Amherst with a large army has sailed to the southern -frontier. Your cause is hopeless, your valour useless. Your nation -has been guilty of great cruelties to our unprotected settlers, but -we seek no revenge, we offer you the sweets of peace with the honours -of war. England in her strength will befriend you; France in her -weakness leaves you to your fate." But although the English -commander spoke so confidently, he had many misgivings in his heart. -If Amherst did not get through to Montreal and down the St. Lawrence -by the autumn, it meant the winter would be lost, and where was he to -find food for his troops? How could he face amidst the snow and ice -the 18,000 men of Montcalm, as brave and as hardy as his own? - -Victory was only to be won by quick and vigorous action. Seizing the -heights of Point Lévis opposite Quebec, Wolfe set up his batteries so -as to bombard the city. He planted a large force on the north bank -of the river St. Lawrence, near the Falls of Montmorency, leaving -some regiments encamped on the Isle of Orleans. Fleet and army now -only waited a given signal to attack the city. On board the fleet -were some, as yet unknown, officers, who were destined to rise to -great fame in the world. A young midshipman there was, named Jervis, -who became the great English Admiral Earl St. Vincent. Palliser -{215} too, who figures in history as Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, was -on board the frigate _Mercury_. On another vessel was Robison, -destined to be a noted Professor of Science in Edinburgh, and the -partner of James Watt, inventor of the steam-engine. The humble -sailing master of the _Mercury_ was none other than James Cook, who -became the most famous scientific navigator that ever left the shores -of England. - -Quickly did the fire of the English ships, joined to that of the -batteries, work destruction upon the outer walls of the grim -fortress. In the lower town the buildings were soon reduced to -ruins, and even in the upper town many dangerous fires broke out. -Indeed, before the siege was brought to a close, more than 500 -buildings fell a prey to the flames, including public and private -structures, the Cathedral and other churches. Yet while the summer -wore away, in spite of Wolfe's terrible bombardment, Montcalm played -a waiting game. Wolfe was in despair. By the end of July half of -Quebec was shattered away by his cannon-balls, and still the French -commander could not be drawn out to a battle; so the Englishman -decided to attack the enemy at close quarters, just on the other side -of the river Montmorency. But a fierce repulse awaited him; 12,000 -French soldiers poured a storm of bullets against the brave -grenadiers, who tried to get a footing on the river slopes. They -were beaten back, 500 of Wolfe's best troops having fallen in the -fatal charge. Wolfe fretted with impatience; he knew the time was -precious. If he could only draw Montcalm out to battle! But -Montcalm was wise; he refused to be drawn. - -{216} - -"You may destroy the town," came the French message under the flag of -truce, "but you will never get inside it." - -"I will take Quebec," replied Wolfe, "if I stay here until November." - -One plan only now remained: it was to creep up in the night and scale -the heights. It was a desperate move, but the only one that remained -that offered a chance of success. In the midst of his plans the -young English commander fell ill. He had always been of a delicate -constitution, ever struggling with sickness. Days elapsed, but his -heroic spirit conquered, and on the 11th of September the English -troops were directed to be ready to land and attack the enemy. While -a portion of the troops made a feint to the eastward to disguise -Wolfe's intentions from the enemy, Wolfe and his troops drifted up -stream with the tide. When the tide began to ebb, boats full of -soldiers were cast off, reaching in safety a little cove three miles -above Quebec. - -In the first boat to land was the young general himself, who, as the -oarsmen plied their muffled oars, murmured softly to his officers, -the famous lines in Gray's _Elegy_:-- - - The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power, - And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave, - Await alike the inevitable hour-- - The paths of glory lead but to the grave. - - -"Gentlemen," said Wolfe, "I would rather have written those lines -than take Quebec." - -As the boat's prow touched the shore, the sentinel's {217} challenge -rang out in the darkness, "Qui vive." To hesitate was to be lost. -Instantly a Scotch captain, who spoke French perfectly, answered, "La -France!" - -"A quel régiment?" - -"De la Heine," replied the Highlander boldly. - -His quickness averted a calamity. The sentry was satisfied; his -comrades had been expecting provision boats from Montreal, and he -thought they had arrived. Sentry after sentry was passed by Wolfe -and his men with the same result. - -Up the dread heights the English soldiers clambered. Day was just -dawning when they reached the top. They could see a cluster of -French tents close at hand, and, dashing forward, they captured their -occupants. This was the first outpost. The victors' huzzas rang -out, and at this signal all Wolfe's red-coated battalions began -climbing the cliffs, and soon joined their companions on the top. -Their eyes beheld a great plain stretched out. - -In the early days of the colony Master Abraham Martin had owned this -tract of ground, which he had planted with corn. The people called -it the Plains of Abraham, and Wolfe now chose it for his battlefield. -On one side of him was the garrison of Quebec, startled by hearing of -his mad adventure; on the opposite side was another French army under -Bougainville; behind was the edge of the steep cliff and the river. - -Montcalm, deceived by the firing of the English fleet, was far away. -But at six o'clock he mounted and galloped thither as fast as his -horse would carry {218} him. Two miles away he could discern the red -ranks of the British soldiers. - -"This is a serious business," he said coolly, riding over the bridge -of the St. Charles to gather his troops for the fray. Fervently they -rallied at his command, never doubting but that they would sweep -Wolfe and his men wholly from the heights. The eyes of the Indians, -as did their tomahawks, glittered with expectancy; as did too, the -eyes and bayonets of the white-coated battalions of Old France and -the native Canadians, whose homes were at stake. - -Brandishing his sword and again putting spurs to his noble war-horse, -Montcalm led his ranks against the English infantry. - -[Illustration: Wolfe's Army scaling the Cliff at Quebec. 1759] - -Wolfe waited until the French were only forty paces away, and then -from kilted Highlander and English red-coat poured one tremendous -sheet of flame. The French staggered, but still came on. Another -fatal volley met them, inflicting awful slaughter. As they wavered, -Wolfe flourished his sword, and amidst the weird uproar of the -bagpipes, the shrieks and groans of the wounded, the war-whoops of -the Indians, the mad shouting of the English, and fierce slogan of -the Highlanders, Wolfe pushed on over dead and dying, behind a moving -wall of bayonets. A bullet shattered his wrist, another pierced his -body, but he kept on; a third lodged in his breast, and Wolfe fell -upon the ground. - -Two or three stalwart grenadiers bore their beloved general quickly -to the rear. "There is no need for a surgeon," he said; "it is all -over with me!" - -{219} - -One of the grenadiers looked up and cried out, "They run! See how -they run!" - -The dying Wolfe opened his eyes and murmured, "Who run?" - -"The enemy, sir; they give way everywhere." - -The general roused himself by a superhuman effort. - -"Go, one of you, to Colonel Burton," he said in quick terms of -command. "Tell him to march Webb's regiment down to Charles River to -cut off their retreat from the bridge." Then, turning on his side, -he whispered faintly, "Now, God be praised, I die in peace." - -In a few moments the gallant Wolfe was no more. - -How fared it meanwhile with his brave enemy, Montcalm? As he -galloped about on horseback the tide of French fugitives pressed him -back towards the gates of Quebec. He was nearing the walls when a -shot passed through his body. Mortally wounded though he was, he -kept himself seated in the saddle, two soldiers supporting him on -either side. - -As his life-blood streamed from Montcalm's body down his horse's -limbs, the frightened crowd of women within the gates exclaimed in -grief and terror, "The Marquis is killed! the Marquis is killed!" - -"It is nothing, it is nothing," replied the dying Montcalm: "do not -be troubled for me, my good friends." - -When, some hours later, his spirit had breathed his last, Montcalm -was buried under the floor of the Ursuline Convent. No workman could -be found during the panic to make a coffin, and so an {220} old -servant gathered a few boards and nailed them together into a rough -box. No bell tolled, no cannon fired a salute as Montcalm was laid -to eternal rest. - -Not thus was the funeral of the victorious Wolfe. His body was -embalmed and borne across the sea to England, where the greatest and -most powerful gathered to do him honour and reverence at his funeral -in Westminster Abbey. - -Yet history has struck the balance. To-day in Quebec, marking the -scene of the death-struggle on that fateful September day, a single -shaft of stone rises to heaven to commemorate at the same time a -victory and a defeat. On the one side is graven the single word -"MONTCALM" and on the other "WOLFE." - - - - -{221} - -CHAPTER XV - -LÉVIS AND THE NOBLES RETIRE TO OLD FRANCE - -It was while Montcalm, high-spirited and valorous, yet lay dying, -that Vaudreuil, now quartered on the Beauport Road, called a council -of war. Tumult, fear, and confusion reigned. Montcalm, seeing the -sands of his life fast running out, despatched a brief reply. "You -have a threefold choice," he said: "to fight the English again, to -retreat to Jacques Cartier, or to surrender the colony." - -Over which choice to make, Vaudreuil hesitated. With Bougainville's -troops he could muster 3000 men. These added to the Quebec garrison, -the Canadian militia and artillery at Beauport, would give him a -force far larger than that which had been mustered by the heroic -Wolfe on the Plains of Abraham. When he asked the advice of the -council of war he found, to his chagrin, that all his officers voted -for retreat. "In vain," he reported to the King, "I told these -gentlemen that we were superior to the enemy, and should beat them if -we mustered. Still I could not at all change their opinion, and my -love for the service and for the colony made me subscribe to the -voice of the council. In fact, if I had attacked the English against -the advice of the principal officers, {222} their ill-will would have -exposed me to the risk of losing the battle and the colony also." -But the real reason why the officers were against fighting afterwards -appeared. It was that they thought their commander, Vaudreuil, unfit -to lead them to the fray. So Quebec, which might even now have been -prevented from falling into the hands of the English, was left to its -fate. Weary and footsore, almost dead for want of sleep, leaving -their cannon, tents, and provisions behind them, Vaudreuil and the -Beauport army set out for the distant hill of Jacques Cartier, where -they were certain of a refuge that very night. Never was such -disorder seen before. "It was not a retreat," wrote one of the -officers afterwards, "but an abominable flight, with such disorder -and confusion that, had the English but known it, 300 men sent after -us would have been sufficient to cut all our army to pieces. The -soldiers were all mixed, scattered, dispersed, and running as hard as -they could, as if the English army were at their heels." - -But the English, under General Townsend, were not so foolish as to -risk the fruits of their victory by making an attempt to pursue the -French across the St. Charles River. The people of Quebec, realising -that they were deserted by the army, without provisions or munitions -of war, and that the defences were insufficient to repulse a -bombardment and assault, wished to surrender at once. Seeing that -they refused to fight the enemy, the commandant, Ramésay, could only -send out a flag of truce to the hostile camp and begin negotiations -for capitulation. - -{223} - -But within the walls of Quebec dwelt a doughty patriot, the -town-major, named Joannès. He called upon the soldiers and citizens -to fight with their last breath, to die as Montcalm had done rather -than let Quebec pass into the hands of the enemy. In his rage at the -cowardice about him he beat two of the garrison with the flat of his -sword. When the white flag was raised Joannès, the bravest man in -the city, instantly hauled it down with his own hands. But alas! it -was but fighting a battle against fate. His superior officer, -Ramésay, commanded him sternly to repair to the English camp and get -the best terms of peace he could. Through the pelting rain the -town-major of Quebec, his head thrown back defiantly, his hand on his -empty scabbard, sought the quarters of General Townsend. There he -spun out the hours in a parley, hoping against hope that the recreant -Vaudreuil would return and try to succour the city. Joannès kept up -the negotiations as long as he could. Losing patience at last, -Townsend sent him back to the French general with the message that if -Quebec were not surrendered before eleven o'clock, he would capture -it by assault. Ramésay, seeing all was lost, put his name to the -articles of capitulation, and Joannès, with a heavy heart, carried -the document back to the English commander. Scarcely had he put the -walls of the city he loved behind him, when a troop of sixty Canadian -horsemen appeared with the news that the Chevalier de Lévis was on -the way with troops and provisions to rescue Quebec. The tidings -came too late! The French general had surrendered; he would not now -break his word. {224} Ramésay dreaded too much the vengeance of the -English in case the news borne by the sixty horsemen was not true, -but false. How shall we picture the feelings of the town-major -Joannès? When he returned he hid himself in a cellar and wept, while -the blood-red cross of St. George was flaunted from the summit of the -citadel. Thus at length, on the 18th September 1759, the capital -town and rock-bound fortress of New France fell into the hands of the -English. - -General Townsend recognised too well the danger of his position not -to grant favourable terms to the enemy, whose troops and sailors were -allowed to march out of the garrison with the honours of war and -granted passage in English ships to France. The persons and property -of the inhabitants were promised protection, and their religion was -not to be interfered with. - -But now the question was with the English, should they keep Quebec or -destroy it, as they had destroyed Louisburg? For a moment the city's -fate trembled in the balance, and then it was resolved to keep it. -Ten battalions of the artillery and a company of Rangers were ordered -to remain behind and through the long Canadian winter hold the ruins -of Quebec against the efforts of Lévis and the French, for little -more than ruins much of Quebec now was. It needed enormous labour to -make the town secure against the enemy, or even habitable. - -While Townsend sailed away to England, leaving General Murray in -charge, many working parties of soldiers were distributed through the -town to clear {225} the streets of rubbish and to repair the -buildings for occupation. The palace of the Intendant was turned -into winter quarters for an English regiment, which found there -quantities of unused firearms, iron-mongery, blankets, cloths and -linen, trinkets and lace, furs, wine, sugar, moccasins, and other -stores. These were seized upon with alacrity. Nearly 7000 English, -with insufficient food and clothing, made ready to face the -approaching winter. Outposts in the neighbourhood of Sillery, St. -Foye, and Lorette were established in order to guard against a -surprise and to cover the safety of the detachments sent out to -gather fuel in the surrounding woods. Canadian winters are cold, and -the English soldiers were not yet hardened to their severities, and -this gathering of firewood became a very serious business. Each -detachment could make only one trip a day to the forest, returning -with a fair-sized load on a sled drawn by hand. The soldiers were -obliged to go armed as they worked, and keep a sharp lookout for fear -of attacks by the Indians, who were always skulking in the -neighbourhood. Winter this year set in even earlier than usual, and -the brave soldiers who had served in India and Europe were now face -to face with an enemy more terrible than the French. Their faces, -hands, and feet were often frost-bitten, and on some occasions half -the force of a detachment would be borne back entirely disabled. As -if this were not enough, fever and scurvy prevailed in the garrison -the whole winter long, and the brave fellows perished by scores and -hundreds. Those who died were buried in the deep snow to await -interment {226} in the spring, for the ground was fast locked by -frost. - -Meanwhile the inhabitants of the province were disarmed and required -to take the oath of allegiance to King George. But they could not -all be trusted. The English lived in constant insecurity, and during -the winter many rumours came of a projected attack by the French, and -several skirmishes took place. Once in November it was reported that -Lévis was about to march upon Quebec with 15,000 men the next month, -for had he not sworn an oath to eat his Christmas dinner under the -French flag within the walls? So the half-frozen English, each man -hugging his musket in his frost-bitten fingers, waited for the enemy. -The enemy had a fine sense of humour. In February a party of French -and Indians sent a message to the English officers that a large -company of expert hairdressers were prepared to wait upon them -whenever their services were required! Needless to say, the English -took no notice of this handsome offer to deprive them of their scalps. - -Not until April did the long-expected battle occur. For months Lévis -had been gathering his forces, and now, with an army of 8000 men and -many redskins, he set out to recover the lost city of Quebec. At the -village of St. Foye, five or six miles away, he halted. So wary had -been his approach, that Murray and his garrison were ignorant of -danger. They might have learnt it too late but for a strange and -fortunate accident. It so happened that a frigate called the -_Racehorse_ had wintered in the {227} dock at Quebec Lower town. On -board this frigate soon after midnight the watch heard a faint cry of -distress proceeding from the river. He ran at once to the captain, -who, believing that some one was drowning, ordered a boat to be put -out to save him. Guided by the cries, the sailors found a man lying -on a large cake of ice, wet through and half dead with cold. -Carrying him to the ship and pouring hot cordials down his throat, -the man at last found strength to mutter that he was a soldier in -Lévis's army; he and his companions had been trying to land just -about Cap Rouge, but the boat had overturned, and he was the sole -survivor. His life had been saved by his clambering upon a cake of -floating ice. "The army of Lévis?" echoed the puzzled ship captain. -"Just so," answered the soldier; "there are 12,000 of us. We are -coming to retake Quebec." - -Although it was between two and three o'clock in the morning, the -rescued soldier was wrapped up warmly, slung in a hammock, and -carried straightway up the heights to the commander's quarters. -General Murray was fast asleep, but, having risen and heard the man's -story, he ordered the troops under arms on the instant. By daybreak -half the English garrison, with ten pieces of cannon, were hurled on -the French columns at St. Foye. But in his rashness and thirst for -renown, Murray had not counted well the cost. The French had thrice -as many soldiers, and although the English fought gallantly and -doggedly, they were compelled at last to fall back. When the English -columns withdrew again to the city, they had left 1000 dead and dying -men on the field of St. Foye. - -{228} - -Then began what Murray dreaded most--a new siege of Quebec. Weak his -men were with sickness, and feeble with toil, fighting, and hunger, -but their spirit was as unquenchable as ever. While Lévis set up his -siege guns in position and began a steady bombardment of the city, -the English garrison worked unceasingly, officers and privates -handling spade and pickaxe in the same trenches together. Not a man -of them all was idle. Even the sick in hospital filled sandbags or -made wadding for the cannons. The English fire grew hotter every day -from the 150 cannon which had been planted upon the walls. - -All depended now on the reinforcements of troops expected by both -sides from England and from France. Whichever arrived first would -settle the question of victory. It was on a bright May morning, as -Murray sat pondering over his despatches at headquarters, that an -officer burst in to tell him that a ship of war had been sighted far -down the river. The news spread through the town; all were divided -between hope and fear. Was this warship French or was she English? -Every eye was strained on the approaching ship, which displayed no -colours at her mast-head. Slowly, slowly she drew near, and then -hurrah! there unfurled to the wind the crimson flag of England, and -the first boom of a salute of twenty-one guns reverberated across the -mighty river. She turned out to be the _Lowestoft_ bringing news -that a British squadron was at the mouth of the St. Lawrence and -would reach Quebec in a few days. "The gladness of the troops," -wrote home one of the {229} garrison, "is not to be expressed. Both -officers and soldiers mounted the parapet in the face of the enemy -and huzzaed, with their hats in the air, for almost an hour. The -garrison, the enemy's camp, the bay resounded with our shouts and the -thunder of our artillery, and the gunners were so elated that they -did nothing but load and fire for a considerable time." - -But if a French squadron had been first, what a shock to their -spirits, what a test of their endurance, which they might not have -overborne! - -On the heart of the gallant Chevalier de Lévis this news fell, and -brought a deadly chill. He withdrew his troops hastily, and it was -soon seen that the French ships, which had wintered high up the -river, were fated to destruction. Of these there were six -altogether, two frigates, two small armed ships, and two schooners. -Commanding them was a daring officer named Vauquelin. Although -Vauquelin fought with dogged determination till all his powder and -lead was spent, although he refused to lower his colours, the English -mariners overpowered him and made him their prisoner. But the -English knew a brave man when they saw one, and Vauquelin they -treated with distinguished honour, inviting him to a banquet and -toasting him loudly as a hero. - -This was the deathblow to the hopes of Lévis. True, he had Montreal -still in his hands, but what was Montreal without ammunition and -provisions, with the enemy clamouring at the very gates? The -Canadian Militia had deserted to their homes, and Vaudreuil and De -Lévis had to defend the city with only 2000 disheartened troops; -while against them {230} was ranged a force of 17,000 English. -Further resistance was useless, and so on the 8th of September -Vaudreuil surrendered to General Murray, and Canada and all its -dependencies passed to the British Crown. - -Hopeless as the situation had been for a full year past, ever since -Wolfe had laid down his life at the moment of victory on the Plains -of Abraham, there were some amongst the French to whom the thought of -defeat was unbearable pain. Invincible in spirit, we see emerging -through the mist of a century and a half, the courtly, stalwart, -chivalrous figure of the Chevalier de Lévis. To be conquered while -his right arm could grip the handle of a sword was to him unutterable -disgrace. When he heard that his superior, Vaudreuil, had agreed -that the French troops should lay down their arms and serve no longer -during the war, his manly cheek flushed and he insisted that the -negotiations should be broken off. "If," he said, "the Marquis de -Vaudreuil must surrender, let us at least withdraw with the troops to -the Island of St. Helen in order to uphold there, on our own behalf, -the honour of the King's army." But this step Vaudreuil could not, -of course, permit, and the Chevalier could only grind his teeth in -mortification and prepare to bid the Canada he loved an eternal -farewell. - -Canada was now a British colony, and those members of the old French -Canadian families who were unwilling to become British subjects -followed Vaudreuil and Lévis back to France. With them also went the -rascally Bigot and the traitors and pilferers who had fattened on the -distresses of their country. Nemesis awaited them! No sooner had -{231} they touched French soil than they were seized and flung into -the Bastille. At first the brazen Cadet swore, when he faced his -judges, he was innocent, but afterwards he confessed all. Bigot too -denied his knavery, until the papers signed by himself put him to -silence. His punishment was great, but far less than he deserved; he -was banished from France for life, his property confiscated to the -King, and he was made to pay a fine of 1,500,000 francs. Cadet was -banished for nine years and fined 6,000,000 francs, while the rest -were ordered to be imprisoned until their fines were paid, so that -many who had betrayed New France languished in the gaols of Old -France and died within those bare stone walls. - -Canada, as you have seen, had now changed masters. But the red-man, -so long the friend and ally of the French, standing at the door of -his wigwam or stealing noiselessly in his war-paint through the -forest, was puzzled and angered. He could not understand how it had -happened; he could not understand why the flag of the lilies should -be hauled down from every fort and trading-station, and the flag of -the English or the "Boston men," as he called them, unfurled. His -mind could not grasp the meek submission of the Canadian -pale-faces--the farmers and traders--to the chiefs sent out by King -George. "Why do you not," said one of their braves, "leave your -towns and villages and set up your lodges in the forest? Then, when -the English are lulled into security, return and fall upon and slay -them? You can win battles by craft and cunning as well as by numbers -and cannon." But although the French Canadians smiled and shook -{232} their heads at this plan, yet at the western settlements, such -as Michilimackinac, Detroit, and Presqu'Isle, they did not scruple to -tell the Indians that the English would soon drive them from their -forest homes and hunting-grounds, and thereby to kindle hate in their -hearts for the new conquerors. The French certainly understood the -Indian character far better than the English, who treated them with -contemptuous neglect. The vanity of the redskin chiefs was no longer -fostered, and the tribes were told plainly that they were regarded as -vassals and savages. For the English--the Boston men--could not -forget the bloodthirsty cruelty which had been practised upon them -and their wives and children for so long, and now that they felt that -all power on the continent was in the hollow of their hands, they -would not stoop to truckle to its aboriginal masters. - -At first the haughty redskin chiefs were taken wholly by surprise at -the contempt meted out to them; then all their hot savage blood -mounted in their veins. All that they needed was a leader, and they -had not long to wait. A leader of their own race, intelligent, -daring, treacherous, and vain, suddenly appeared on the scene. -Pontiac was a chieftain of the Ottawas, but so greatly had his fame -spread that all the braves of the Hurons, the Ojibways, the Sacs, the -Wyandots, the Delawares, and the Senecas looked to him as their guide -and captain. In the strange drama which was now to thrill the -Western world, Pontiac takes the stage as the central figure. In -history this drama is called "The Conspiracy of Pontiac." - -{233} - -It was not many months after General Murray was ruling Canada in the -name of his young master, King George III., that Pontiac, the -chieftain of the Ottawas, saw with a keen eye the danger that -threatened his people. Either the red-man and all the tribes would -be crushed under the heel of the pale-faces, or else they must take -up their dwellings and retreat farther into the western forests. -"With the French," said Pontiac, "we can live in friendship, but with -the restless English either we must flee afar or we or they must die!" - -A plot grew and took shape in Pontiac's mind of uniting all the power -of the red-men and driving the English for ever out of the whole -country. He told his audacious plot to some of the Western French -fur-traders, who expressed their joy, saying that the King of France -would surely help him, and was even then sending out fresh hosts to -slay the enemy. With the utmost care did Pontiac lay his plans. A -day was chosen, a day in May 1763, when all the Indians who looked to -Pontiac as their leader would rise in their might and fall with -musket and tomahawk upon their unsuspecting victims. At this time -the strongest of the western forts was Detroit, and this fort Pontiac -had arranged to surprise and seize by strategy. A council of Indians -arranged to meet Major Gladwin, the commander, and the other English -officers within the fort on that day. They were supposed to be -entirely unarmed, but beneath his blanket each conspirator concealed -a musket, shortened by its barrel being filed in half. While they -conversed pleasantly Pontiac was to give the signal which would {234} -sound the doom of the garrison. But the plot failed. To the love of -an Indian maiden for Gladwin the English owed their lives. This -young girl overheard the plot. She could not sleep the whole of one -night, and in the morning stole hurriedly to Gladwin and told him of -Pontiac's intended treachery. Altogether ignorant of how he had been -betrayed, Pontiac and his fellow-conspirators, with faces calm and -smiling, for the Indians can wear the most impenetrable mask, arrived -at the fort to attend the proposed conference. To Pontiac's -astonishment, he saw the English soldiers drawn up with loaded -muskets as if for battle. Did he start back cringing and -discomfited? Nay, not a change of expression passed his impassive -features; he went on with the conference as if nothing had happened, -and afterwards, without giving any signal, withdrew. Next morning -Pontiac again came; this time he was ordered away from the gates of -the fort. Fierce rage filled his heart; he knew then that his plot -had been revealed to the English. Strategy had failed at Detroit, he -must now fire the torch of Indian hatred and openly assault the -stronghold. He attacked, and for months the red-men were kept at bay -until succour could come to the heroic Gladwin and his men. - -But if the devotion of one Indian maiden had spared Detroit, the -treachery of another sacrificed Fort Miami and the garrison of the -Maumee River. Captain Holmes, the commandant, had inspired the -jealousy of a young squaw. She believed he loved another, and lent -herself to Pontiac's schemes to encompass the English chiefs -destruction. On the {235} fatal morning she came to tell Holmes that -her sister was seriously ill in one of the wigwams and desired to see -him. All unsuspecting, he set out on his mission of charity, and was -shot dead on the very threshold of the wigwam. As for his fort and -company of soldiers, they fell into the hands of the watchful -Indians. The same fate was reserved for the forts of De Boeuf, -Presqu'Isle, and Sandusky. The blood of the colonists on the -frontier of Pennsylvania flowed freely; the scalps of Pontiac's -victims adorned many lodges. - -It soon began to appear as if Pontiac's threat against the English -had not been in vain. At Michilimackinac strategy carried the day -for the red conspirators. On King George's birthday, the 4th June, -Captain Etherington received an invitation from the Sacs and Ojibways -to witness their favourite game of lacrosse by way of celebrating the -day. Suspecting no danger, the gate of the fort was allowed to be -left open, while the officers and soldiers, clustered in groups -outside, became deeply interested in the progress of this most -exciting game. The ball was passed and repassed skilfully between -the goals, as, seizing their opportunity, a number of squaws, with -muskets and tomahawks hidden under their blankets, stole unseen -through the gates. Soon the ball bounced against the pallisade, and -instantly a swarm of players dashed after it. In the twinkling of an -eye they had darted through the open gates and snatched their weapons -from the waiting squaws. Before the garrison could realise what had -happened, fifteen of them lay weltering in their blood, and the rest -were {236} taken prisoners. Thus in only six weeks from the day of -the first attack of Pontiac on Detroit, all the forts in the western -country, except three, were seized and destroyed and the garrisons -massacred or made prisoners. - -To Pontiac and his men Fort Pitt bade defiance. After some weeks' -delay Colonel Bouquet was sent out to reinforce it. Bouquet met and -defeated the Delaware and Shawanoe tribes, and gave them so sound a -beating that the tide against the English began to turn. The -misguided chiefs slowly came to see that the power of England was -greater than they had supposed, and that of France extinguished for -ever. In the following year several Indian tribes were defeated, and -Pontiac, now deserted by many of his allies, was obliged to fall back -farther into the west. Two years later the mighty chief's power was -broken, and he was forced to submit. So ended the great conspiracy. -The hundreds of prisoners whom Pontiac and his Indians had captured -in their raids were at last restored to families which had, not -without reason, supposed them to be dead. Parties of rescuers found -that some of the young English girls had actually fallen in love with -their savage captors and had wedded them in Indian fashion. Children -had forgotten their parents. One girl only remembered her childhood -when the strains of a lullaby fell from the lips of her rejoicing -mother, whose face was strange to her. - -Pontiac himself vanished with ignominy from history. Fallen from his -high estate, defeated in his ambitious hopes, he engaged in a drunken -bout with {237} a warrior of the Illinois nation. From words the -pair proceeded to blows, tomahawks flashed in the air, and the once -powerful chieftain was laid low. Such was the ending to the career -of a savage enemy whose name had caused the people in the English -colonies to tremble for so long. But Pontiac and his conspiracy had -taught the new conquerors a lesson. Justice and forbearance not only -towards the French Canadians but towards the red-men was -thenceforward the policy of English Canada. - -All seemed now fair sailing for all the colonies under the rule of -King George. But war-clouds were already mounting above the horizon -which would gather in size and intensity as the years ran on. More -blood would be spilt in Canada and on the great continent of which -Canada forms so important a part. - - - - -{238} - -CHAPTER XVI - -THE COMING OF THE LOYALISTS - -Fifteen years after Wolfe's victorious battle the restless American -colonists were ready to revolt and cut themselves loose from the -empire which had been won so painfully, so valiantly, and at such -cost. Glad enough had they been of the protection of King George and -King George's soldiers when the French menaced them from the north -and the unsubdued tribes of fierce savages were threatening to drive -them into the sea. But now that the power of both French and Indian -had been crushed, when the thousands of brave English soldiers had -been laid at rest amid the Canadian snows, the colonists felt a -security they had never known before. They had now at their -threshold no foe to fear, and as men dislike all authority which is -not of their own choosing, demagogues and agitators quickly set to -work to induce the Americans to throw off with violence what was -called "the British yoke." - -The British yoke consisted chiefly in a demand that the colonies -should help to pay something of the cost the recent wars had entailed -upon the mother-country. The mother-country asked to be helped to -bear her burden, and in reply her {239} daughterland--America--flew -at her throat. But this is not the place in which to tell the story -of the American Revolution. It was clear from the very first that -Canada would be involved, and so certain were the American agitators -and traitors to the King that Canada would join them, that they set -up what was called "The Continental Congress" at Philadelphia. To -their intense astonishment and chagrin Canada would have nothing to -do with their designs. "The Continental Congress!" cried the loyal -Governor, Sir Guy Carleton; "let me tell you that Canada on this -continent will have none of your disloyalty!" So the Americans made -up their minds to swoop down upon Canada and capture it before -further English troops could come to its assistance. - -Ticonderoga and Crown Point were surprised in rough-and-ready fashion -by Ethan Allen and his "Green Mountain Boys." Through the old -war-path leading into Canada, General Richard Montgomery, an Irish -officer who had turned against his King, was sent to Montreal with an -army of 3000 men. But as we have seen many times, to capture -Montreal was not quite the same thing as capturing Quebec. Yet both -might have succeeded if the Canadians had proved false. - -For the mission to Quebec a strong, daring, even reckless character -was needed, and such a one sprang up suddenly to notice in the -American army. The name of this man was Benedict Arnold. It is a -name which history has covered with infamy because of its owner's -subsequent treason to the American cause. But nothing that he -afterwards did can {240} obliterate the fact that Arnold was -fearless, enterprising, and generous-minded, and the equal in origin -and manners of most of the American military officers of that day. -Arnold had been successively druggist, bookseller, horse-dealer, -shipowner, and shipmaster, and at thirty-five years of age found -himself burning with military zeal and anxious to distinguish -himself. He proposed to lead the 1100 men he had raised, by way of -river and wilderness, over the mountains of Maine to Quebec and -capture that city by surprise. His little force was composed of the -roughest elements: ten companies of musketeers and three of riflemen, -the latter hailed from the hills of Virginia and Pennsylvania, -hunters and Indian fighters, wise in woodcraft, handy with the rifle, -the hunting-knife, and birch-bark canoe, accustomed to hunger, -exposure, and fatigue. They were armed each with a good rifle, a -tomahawk, a long knife, a small axe, and dressed in a hunting-shirt -of deer-skin, with moccasins and leggings of the same material. By -the middle of September 1775 Arnold and his daring band were well on -their way through the wilderness. When not paddling their canoes, -the ground across the carrying-places was rough, rocky, and rugged, -interspersed with bogs, into which the invaders sank often to their -knees. New difficulties faced them daily, and their provisions grew -scant, until at length they resolved to eat their pork raw and to -make but two meals each day. Never was expedition undertaken more -recklessly. Unacquainted with the distance they had to go, they were -without map or chart; half a biscuit, half a {241} square inch of raw -pork formed their usual meal; but there were worse days to come, days -when these invaders of Canada were called to kill the two faithful -dogs which accompanied them, to make soup out of their old deer-skin -moccasins, to devour roots and leaves greedily. But the thought of -capturing Quebec fired every heart during the memorable six weeks' -march. Thus it was that a camp at the French Canadian settlement was -reached. Hearing of Arnold's arrival with his emaciated followers, -the Indians of the country-side began flocking around, eager to know -what had brought him hither. "Summon," said Arnold, "your braves in -council, gather together your young men, and I will tell them why we -are come." - -Natanis, the principal chief, forthwith summoned an Indian conclave, -and, boldly casting truth to one side, Benedict Arnold addressed it -in these words: "Brothers, we are children of this English people who -have now taken up the hatchet against us. More than a hundred years -ago we were all as one family; we then differed in our religion and -came over to this great country by consent of the King. Our fathers -bought land of the red-men, and have grown a great people, even as -the stars in the sky. We have planted the ground and by our labour -grown rich. Now a new King and his wicked great man want to take our -lands and money without our consent. The King would not hear our -prayer, but sent a great army to Boston, and endeavoured to set our -children against us in Canada. The King's army at Boston came out -into the fields and houses, killed {242} a great many women and -children while they were peaceably at work. The Bostonians sent to -their children in the country, and they came in unto their relief, -and in six days raised an army of 50,000 men and drove the King's -troops on board their ships, killing and wounding 1500 of their men. -Since that they durst not come out of Boston. Now we hear the French -and Indians in Canada have sent to us that the King's troops oppress -them and make them pay a great price for their rum and other things, -pressing them to take up arms against the Bostonians, their children, -who have done them no hurt. By the desire of the French and Indians, -our brethren, we have come to their assistance with an intent to -drive out the King's soldiers. When driven off, we will return to -our own country and leave this to the peaceable enjoyment of its -proper inhabitants. Now, if the Indians, our brethren, will join us, -we will be very much obliged to them, and will give them one -Portuguese dollar per month, two dollars bounty, and find them their -provisions and the liberty to choose their own officers." - -Judge if, at this extraordinary speech, Natanis and his redskins -looked their astonishment! But although they had never heard any of -these terrible and unjust deeds on the part of King George before, -their Indian cupidity and bloodthirstiness were excited, and little -more persuasion was needed to induce some of them at least to tread -the war-path. Natanis and his brother Sabatis, with about fifty -warriors, joined the expedition on the spot. - -Some days later Arnold and his men beheld the {243} scene of their -destined conquest spread out before them. The last leaves of the -trees in the beautiful valley of the Chaudière had fluttered to the -ground and the sunlight danced upon the hill-tops and on the waters -of the St. Lawrence, lighting up in the distance the city and the -fortress they coveted. The American general, George Washington, had -beforehand written a manifesto to the Canadians which had been -translated into French and printed before Arnold's departure. This -manifesto Arnold now caused to be distributed, assuring them of -American friendship and asking the assistance of the Canadians. - -Luckily for the future of Canada under the British flag, a strong, -brave man sat in the seat of authority. Sir Guy Carleton had been a -friend of Wolfe, and had served with him before Quebec. He was as -brave as Frontenac and as wise as the coming Haldimand. Carleton -needed all his bravery and wisdom; he had only about 400 regulars and -600 French Canadian volunteers. The fortunes of Canada were in his -hands! When Montgomery took possession of Montreal, Carleton retired -to Quebec, escaping capture only by the most daring of stratagems. -Before he could reach the fortress, the commandant he had left there -had summoned all the loyal citizens together and prepared for battle. -He dealt Arnold a blow by burning every boat on the river and -sentinelling the channel with vessels of war. If Arnold could have -crossed the St. Lawrence immediately on his arrival, he would have -stood a far better chance of capturing Quebec, but his men had now to -scour the country for birch-bark canoes. One dark night {244} he -succeeded in eluding a British frigate and sloop and landed 500 men -at Wolfe's Cove. On the following morning, at daybreak, Benedict -Arnold led his troops up the steep path and formed them in ranks on -the Plains of Abraham above. His idea was to provoke a sally and -attack the garrison as Wolfe had done. He believed that outside the -walls were numerous sympathisers with the Americans who would rally -to his assistance during a fight. So he marched his men up close to -the battlements, as if daring the besieged to come out and fight. -But the Commandant was not to be snared into the same trap which had -proved the undoing of Montcalm. "If you want Quebec," he said, "you -must come and take it!" - -The news that Sir Guy Carleton was approaching with reinforcements -from up the river quickly decided Benedict Arnold to retire from the -Heights of Abraham. He withdrew his troops to a point some distance -above Quebec, there to await the arrival of Montgomery, who was -approaching with clothing and provisions. His failure to seduce the -French Canadians to break their oath of loyalty to King George caused -him the bitterest chagrin. If a siege dragged on till spring-time, -the British fleet would surely relieve Quebec. Many of the American -troops were sick, and their artillery was insufficient. Nothing -remained to Montgomery and Arnold but an attempt to seize Quebec by a -daring piece of strategy. - -It was the last day of December. Snow had been falling heavily all -day, and now, late at night, it was {245} still falling. It had been -planned that Montgomery should attack the Lower town on the side of -Cape Diamond, and Arnold on the side of St. Roque. If once the -streets near the river could be gained, they could scale the walls to -the Upper town. To distract Carleton's attention from these two -assaulting columns, two feigned attacks were made on other parts of -the city. In order that they might recognise each other in the -darkness, each of the American invaders wore on his cap a band of -white paper on which was written "Liberty or Death." But Carleton -was not to be taken by surprise, and the Quebec garrison was on the -alert. Montgomery and Arnold were to meet in the Lower town and -force a rough structure of pickets called Prescott gate. At the head -of his men, Montgomery found himself intercepted by a party of -British soldiers and seamen. "Come on, my brave boys, and Quebec is -ours," he shouted. Flames of fire darted out from a log-house -battery which barred his approach to the Lower town. Montgomery, his -two aides, and ten others were struck down and killed on the spot. - -On the other side of the Lower town Arnold was running forward with -his men. Suddenly in the midst of the wild storm the bells of the -city rang out the alarm, the beating of drums was heard, and the -artillery began to belch forth shot and shell. Arnold was one of the -first to be struck down, and, wounded in the leg, he retired to the -rear. Those who did not follow his example of retreat were compelled -to surrender. So ended this ambitious scheme for the conquest of -Quebec! When morning came the {246} bodies of Montgomery and others -were carried into the city and given proper burial. Both Richard -Montgomery, who had sought to tear down the Union Jack from the -citadel, and Guy Carleton, who had defended the town and flag, had -served under Wolfe in the campaign which made Britain mistress of -Quebec. - -The Americans, largely reinforced, continued for some time to hang -about the city. British ships sailed up the St. Lawrence at last, -and the invaders retired in haste. The coming of the warships was -the signal to fall upon the Americans, seize their artillery, and -turn them into a fleeing mob. The troops so long awaited from -England arrived at last. Everywhere the invaders were routed. -Benedict Arnold at Montreal found it prudent to leave that city, and -it was at once entered and taken possession of by the English. -Moreover, the forts on the lakes were retaken. The fleet which -Arnold had gathered on Lake Champlain was destroyed, and the gates of -Canada were again barred against the disloyal invader. - -For many months the fate of the thirteen revolting colonies hung in -the balance. Their troops were dispirited, ill-fed, ill-paid, -ill-clad. Many thousands absolutely refused to serve or to obey -their officers. A single great battle won by the King's soldiers -might have sent them back to their homes willing to accept the terms -of peace which the mother-country offered to the colonies. As it -was, every third man you would have met, had you travelled from -Boston to Savannah, was still a Loyalist or Tory openly or at heart. -At the beginning of the conflict two-thirds {247} of the entire -population of America, which was then about 3,000,000, were -Loyalists. But if you have read the history of the French -Revolution, you know that peaceful majorities have little power when -opposed by loud-voiced, vehement, energetic men, with a single -object, and perpetually keeping that object in view. Thus we see as -the war dragged on the numbers of Loyalists diminishing. Many had -not dared to avow their fealty to King and Empire; many had not dared -to express their opinion that America had been in the wrong from the -first. They shrank from calling Samuel Adams a demagogue, and Tom -Paine a wicked atheist, because this would have exposed them to the -hatred of the lawless mob. For now that the King's authority had -been overthrown, especially in the cities, the lives of peaceful, -law-abiding men were at the mercy of the multitude. It was no time -to be neutral. A man had to choose between his King and the -Philadelphia Congress, and, moreover, he had to choose quickly. In -many cases his choice was influenced by immediate fear. His house or -shop might be broken into, his goods stolen, his chattels burned, -even he himself, if he escaped stoning or the fanatic's bullet, might -be tarred and feathered. - -Under these circumstances, you see what a painful predicament they -were in who in those distant colonies, proud of their imperial -heritage as Englishmen, grateful for what England had done for them, -convinced that the mother-country did not really wish to oppress -them, stood firm for their sovereign, flag, and ancient Constitution. - -{248} - -History now shows that the Loyalists were, with a few striking -exceptions, the best men in America. Their numbers embraced the most -notable judges, the most eminent lawyers, most cultured clergy, most -distinguished physicians, most educated and refined of the people, -both north and south. Early in the war, nay, even long before the -war broke out, the Boston mobs had set upon them for their loyalty. -Any official or merchant suspected of sympathising with the British -Army or British Government of the day became at once a target for -their insults and persecution. They began by setting Governor -Hutchinson's mansion in flames; sheriffs and judges were mobbed; -feeble old men were driven into the woods, and innocent women -insulted. As the war progressed the violence of the revolutionists -grew in intensity. Thousands sought safety with the King's troops, -thousands armed themselves and fought valiantly for the King. Any -man accused of being a Loyalist was liable to have his estate -confiscated and to be punished even with death. Now we can afford to -look back on these things and to bear no ill-will to the good and -wise Americans who built up the United States. It happened long ago; -we have long forgiven. But Canadians can never forget. - -What the Loyalists had suffered during the war, when the issue of the -contest still wavered, was far, far less than that which they had to -endure when the Revolutionists at last triumphed. - -The British Empire had been badly served by the officers England had -sent out to America. If she {249} had had a soldier of the stamp of -Washington to direct her armies, there would have been a different -conclusion; but all was mismanaged, and her Generals, Gage, Burgoyne, -and Cornwallis, planned feebly and fought half-heartedly. If there -was any doubt as to the result, that doubt was speedily set at rest -when England's hereditary enemy, France, espoused the cause of the -American insurgents. French money, ships, and men poured into -America. The Americans fought with French muskets, they were clad in -French clothing, and they were paid with gold which the impoverished -people of France could ill spare. Great is the debt America owes to -the French King and statesmen of that time. - -Then came the day when Cornwallis found himself shut up at Yorktown -by the French and American armies under Rochambeau and Washington, -four times greater than his own forces. The French fleet turned its -guns upon him from the sea; retreat was cut off, and Cornwallis -surrendered. To the hopes of the Loyalists this was the last blow, -and indeed to the hopes of British King and Parliament. - -The war was all but over, but not yet over was the terrible ordeal -which the men who had stood staunch and faithful to the United Empire -were destined to undergo. They were termed "traitors"; they were -pursued through the streets; their families were driven into the -woods; they were shot down remorselessly. Rows of them were hung up -like felons. At the battle of King's Mountains in North Carolina ten -of the prisoners, men of character and {250} influence, were hanged -in cold blood. There were many other instances when prisoners were -ferociously executed. - -New York remained in British hands a year or two longer. There came -one morning tidings that a Loyalist named Philip White had been -hanged. The Loyalists, led by William, the able, stout-hearted son -of Benjamin Franklin, now resolved to retaliate. For every Loyalist, -they proclaimed, who was murdered they would hang a Congress officer -falling into their hands. Accordingly one Joshua Huddy, who had been -taken prisoner by them, was hanged. On his corpse was fastened this -notice: "We determine to hang man for man, while there is a refugee -living." Verily, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth! -Naturally Washington and the Congress were very angry at this, and by -way of further retaliation condemned a young officer, nineteen years -of age, Captain Asgill, to die on the gibbet. Lady Asgill, the -mother of the young officer, failing to obtain mercy from Congress, -applied to the French, and De Vergennes requested that young Asgill -should be set at liberty, saying: "Captain Asgill is doubtless your -prisoner, but he is among those whom the armies of the King, my -master, contributed to place in your hands at Yorktown." Such a -request Congress did not dare refuse, and the destined victim was set -at liberty. - -Canada proper during the war had not again been molested. But far to -the north let us turn our eyes for a moment to witness a scene -occurring there. - -All this time the vast country bordering upon {251} Hudson's Bay -remained in undisputed possession of the English Hudson's Bay -Company. Their forts and factories, though capable of offering a -strong defence, were built of logs, with bastions of stone. Only one -really noble fort lifted its crest in the sub-Arctic region. Fifty -years before the remembrance of their former posts destroyed by fire -and the cannon of the redoubtable Iberville induced the Company to -fortify its best harbour on a splendid scale, and erect in the -northern wilderness, in the hushed solitudes of the moose, the bear, -and the wolf, a mighty fortress which would evoke the admiration of -Europe. A massive 30-feet-wide foundation was begun from the plans -of the military engineers who had served under the Duke of -Marlborough, and, after some years, in 1734, Fort Prince of Wales, a -rival to the French stronghold of Louisburg, 2000 miles away, was -reared at the mouth of Churchill River. The walls were 42 feet thick -at their foundation; three of the bastions had arches for -store-houses, and in the fourth was built a magazine 34 feet long and -10 wide. For fifty years Fort Prince of Wales stood undisturbed, -none daring to offer it insult or attack. The remote Chippewas and -far-off tribes from Athabasca and the Great Slave Lake travelling to -Hudson's Bay gazed with wonder at its masonry and formidable -artillery. The great cannon whose muzzles stared grimly from the -battlements had been woven into Indian legends. - -So strong did the Company deem it, that no thought of any conquest -seems to have entered their minds. The garrison was allowed to wane -in {252} numbers, until on an August evening 1782 only thirty-nine -defenders within its walls witnessed the arrival of three strange -ships in the Bay. Word ran from mouth to mouth that they were French -men-of-war. All was consternation and anxiety at first, quickly -succeeded by dread. Two score pair of English eyes watched the -strangers, as pinnace, gig, and long-boat were lowered, and a number -of swarthy sailors began busily to sound the approaches to the -harbour. Anxious indeed was the night passed in the fort by Governor -Samuel Hearne and his men. Daybreak came and showed the strangers -already disembarking in their boats, and as the morning sun waxed -stronger, an array of 400 troops was seen drawn up on the shore of -Churchill Bay, at a place called Hare Point. Orders were given to -march, and with the flag of France once more unfurled on these -distant northern shores, the French attacking party approached Fort -Prince of Wales, the Company's stronghold. - -Four hundred yards from the walls they halted; two officers were sent -on in advance to summon the Governor to surrender. The French ships -turned out to be the _Sceptre_, seventy-four guns, the _Astarte_, and -the _Engageante_, of thirty-six guns each; they had, besides, four -field-guns, two mortars, and 300 bomb-shells. - -It appears that Admiral la Pérouse, who commanded this hostile fleet, -had counted on arriving just in time to secure a handsome prize in -the shape of the Company's ships, for which he had lain in wait in -the Bay. But these luckily eluded him. At {253} the spectacle of -the French attacking force, the Governor of Prince of Wales Fort, -Samuel Hearne, seems to have become panic-stricken. Believing -resistance useless, he snatched up a table-cloth which, to the -surprise of the French, was soon seen waving from the parapet of the -fort. Without a shot being fired on either side, Fort Prince of -Wales had yielded to the foe. - -The delighted French admiral lost no time in transporting what guns -he could find in the fort to his ships, as well as in replenishing -his depleted commissariat from its well-filled provision stores. - -Afterwards came much noisy rioting on the part of the French soldiers -and the utter looting of the fort. An attempt was made, occupying -two days, to demolish it; but although French gunpowder as well as -English was freely used, yet the walls were of such solid masonry as -to resist their best efforts. The artillerymen of the enemy could -only displace the upper rows of the massive granite stones, dismount -its guns, and blow up the gateway, together with the stone outwork -protecting it. - -Then La Pérouse sailed away for York Factory, which at this time was -garrisoned by sixty English and twelve Indians. Its defence -consisted of thirteen cannon, twelve and nine pounders, which formed -a half-moon battery in front; and it being thought probable that the -enemy would arrive in the night and turn these guns against the fort, -they were overturned into the ditch. On the ramparts were twelve -swivel guns mounted on carriages, and within was abundance of small -arms and ammunition. A rivulet {254} of fresh water ran within the -stockades to quench the thirst of the besieged; and there were also -thirty head of cattle and as many hogs, to keep them from hunger. - -Two Indian scouts, sent out to obtain intelligence, returned in about -three hours with the information that the enemy were less than a -league distant. Several guns had been heard firing in the -neighbourhood; and at sunset of that day all could plainly discern a -large bonfire, presumably kindled by the French, about a mile and a -half to the west. A night of anxiety was passed, and by ten o'clock -the next morning the enemy appeared before the gates. "During their -approach," says one of those in the fort at the time, "a most -inviting opportunity offered itself to be revenged on our invaders by -discharging the guns on the ramparts, which must have done great -execution." - -But here also the Governor was not the man for such an emergency. He -knew nothing of war, and had a wholesome dread of all armed and -equipped soldiery. Trembling so that he could scarcely stand, he -begged the surgeon, "for God's sake to give him a glass of liquor to -steady his nerves." There being none at hand, he swallowed a tumbler -of raw spirits of wine, and this so far infused courage and -determination into his blood, that he peremptorily declared he would -shoot the first man who offered to fire a gun. Dismay filled the -bosoms of many of the fur Company's servants. The second in command -and the surgeon endeavoured to expostulate, and to silence them the -Governor caught up a white sheet {255} with his own hand and waved it -from a window of the fort. This was answered by the French officer -displaying his pocket-handkerchief. - -Under the sanction of this flag of truce a parley took place. The -Governor was ordered to surrender within two hours. But no such time -was needed; the fort was most ingloriously yielded in ten minutes. -In vain did some of the English council plead that the fort might -have withstood the united efforts of double the number of those by -whom it was assailed. Vainly they showed that, from the nature of -the enemy's attack by way of Nelson River, they could not use their -mortars or artillery, the ground being very bad and full of woods, -thickets, and bogs. The miserable Governor was resolved to yield the -place, and he carried out his intention, much to the astonishment and -satisfaction of the French. - -The fur-trading company never rebuilt Fort Prince of Wales. The -distant traveller may behold its ruins to-day standing to mark the -most northern stronghold on the North American continent, a reminder -of bygone strife, useful now only as a beacon and a resting-place for -flocks of Arctic birds. - -Peace was declared between Britain and America in 1783, but there was -no peace for the American Loyalists. When the King's armies sailed -away from Charleston, the last spectacle they saw was the bodies of -twenty-four Loyalists swinging from a row of gibbets. Of no crime -were these men guilty but that of refusing to disunite the glorious -Empire, of refusing to fight against him whom they regarded as {256} -their lawful sovereign, and an honest and benevolent prince. - -By the Treaty of Versailles they had been abandoned by the -mother-country, left to the tender mercies of the American -conquerors. No wonder there were men in both Houses of Parliament -who were shocked at this treatment. - -"When I consider the case of the colonists," cried Wilberforce, "I -confess I there feel myself conquered; I there see my country -humiliated; I there see her at the feet of America!" "A peace -founded on the sacrifice of these unhappy subjects," declared one -noble lord, "must be accursed in the sight of God and man." - -Months before the peace was actually signed Canada itself, which was -to be the Canaan of the Loyalists, was almost lost to the Empire. A -French fleet of thirty-five ships were assembled at Martinique in the -West Indies and about to sail northward for the reconquest of New -France. America would not have dared to gainsay the wishes of her -French allies to possess Canada, yet there was nothing that the -Americans dreaded more. They knew that the time would come, were -France once again entrenched in Canada, when they would be obliged to -fight her future Frontenacs and Montcalms for the possession of -Quebec and the security of their northern frontier. - -But the fears of the Americans were never realised. The gallant -sea-dog Rodney fell upon De Grasse in West Indian waters, inflicting -upon him a crushing defeat, and so Canada was providentially -preserved to the British flag. - -{257} - -It was now time for the Loyalists to journey forth from the new -republic they despised and distrusted. Somewhere--for most of them -knew it but vaguely--in the northern wilds, in the virgin forests of -pine and maple and hemlock, in the solitudes of lakes and rivers, -which no man of English blood had ever seen, was the refuge the -Loyalists sought. No longer could they hope that their confiscated -property would be restored or even that the little they had left -would be secured to them. - -In the month of November 1783 New York was evacuated by the King's -troops under Sir Guy Carleton. With him went all the stores -belonging to the Crown, all the baggage and artillery and 40,000 -souls. New York was the stronghold of the Loyalists; Pennsylvania -had been equally divided between Loyalists and Revolutionists; there -were more Loyalists in Virginia than adherents of Congress; and -Georgia had at least three Loyalists for every rebel. Thousands had -perished; thousands had sought refuge in England; thousands had -recanted. Fifty thousand now set out with their wives and children -and such belongings as were left to them to traverse the hundreds of -miles which lay between them and their new homesteads in Canada. -These United Empire Loyalists were the fathers of English Canada. -Comfort came to them in a proclamation that England would not think -of deserting them. - -Seated on the throne at Westminster, King George had addressed to -Parliament these words: "I trust you will agree with me that a due -and {258} generous attention ought to be shown to those who have -relinquished their property or their possessions from motives of -loyalty to me, or attachment to the mother-country." - -Delay, alas, occurred; commissioners had to be appointed to consider -Loyalists' claims, yet in the end England was not ungrateful; land -and money were bestowed upon them freely. Albeit there was a long -period of suffering and privation, of cold and hunger and hardship. -There are few tales which history has to tell so stirring and noble -as the exodus of the Loyalists. Most of them had been brought up in -comfort, and even luxury; their women were tenderly nurtured and -unaccustomed to hardship. But one spirit animated them all, one hope -fired all their bosoms, one faith drove them out of the American -republic into the wilderness. - -The exodus was divided into two main streams, one moving eastward to -Nova Scotia and the country where a century and a half before -Poutraincourt and De la Tour had fought and flourished. The other -moved westward to the region north of Lake Ontario, which had -witnessed the labours of Frontenac and Lasalle and the sufferings of -Brébeuf and his brother Jesuits. These came in by Lake Champlain and -ascended the St. Lawrence in open boats, bivouacking at night, -resuming their journey by day. They crossed from Oswego on Lake -Ontario to Kingston and York, and began at once felling trees and -erecting rude cabins. Many had travelled by waggons from North -Carolina and Georgia, exposed to insult and danger all the way. -Those who followed the eastern {259} course landed at the mouth of -the St. John River, New Brunswick, on the 18th May 1783, a day still -celebrated in the city of St. John's. They took up settlements in -the meadows of the Bay of Fundy and at Port Rasoir in Nova Scotia. -There, like the city in the Arabian tale, there sprang up, as if by -magic, the town of Shelburne, with 12,000 inhabitants, where -yesterday had been but solitude. - -All eastern Canada, all the country indeed which lay between Detroit -and the ocean, became dotted with the settlements of the Loyalists. -By them Canada had been little known. They found, to their surprise -and their infinite gratitude to God, that instead of the bleak, -inhospitable wilderness, they had come into a smiling, sun-kissed, -fertile land. Only patience and industry were needed to fell the -timber, plough the soil, and reap a harvest. Many difficulties and -much self-denial there were to undergo, but the United Empire -Loyalists felt amply repaid when they gazed round in years to come at -their snug and tidy homesteads, at the little church set by the foot -of the green-clad hill, and saw the flag of their ancestors, rudely -wrought by loving hands maybe, but oh, how cherished! floating in the -crisp, pure air. - -One year was called the Year of Famine in the Lake region, for in -that year the crops had failed, and many families had to live on -roots and beech-nuts. A sack of flour then, it was said, would have -purchased an entire farm. In that year some of the old and feeble -perished, but none of the living lost courage, none would have -exchanged their new lot {260} with its prospects for even luxury -under the flag of the Republic across the border. - -No one will know, because none has told, all that these brave -pioneers underwent for their devotion and fidelity. You will see -to-day on the outskirts of the older settlements little mounds, -moss-covered tombstones which record the last resting-places of the -forefathers of the hamlet. They do not tell you of the brave hearts -laid low by hunger and exposure, of the girlish forms wasted away, of -the babes and little children who perished for want of proper food -and raiment. They have nothing to tell of the courageous, -high-minded mothers, wives, and daughters who bore themselves as -bravely as men, complaining never, toiling with the men in the -fields, banishing all regrets for the life they might have led had -they sacrificed their loyalty. - -No distinction that the Congress could give them equalled to their -minds the distinction which their King accorded them of affixing to -their names the letters U.E.L. To-day the Canadians who can trace -their descent from the U.E.L. dwell upon it as proudly as if there -flowed in their veins the blood of the Howards, Vernons, and -Montmorencys. No great monument has been raised to their memory; -none is needed; it is enshrined for ever in the hearts of every true -Canadian, and of every one who admires fidelity to principle, -devotion, and self-sacrifice. - - - - -{261} - -CHAPTER XVII - -HOW CANADA'S ENEMY WAS FOILED - -Slowly under the labour of the Loyalists and their children did the -forests of Canada give way to civilisation. Smiling fields, trim -homesteads, and flourishing gardens replaced the rude and solitary -wigwams of the red-men of Ontario, Quebec, and the maritime provinces -to the east. English, Scotch, and Irish emigrants found their way in -shiploads to Prince Edward Island, which you may remember as the Isle -St. Jean of the French. Lord Selkirk, the founder of the Red River -Settlement, of which we shall soon hear, brought whole colonies of -thrifty Scotch families; the name of the island was changed and that -of the father of the future Queen Victoria bestowed upon it. For -Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, was now commander of the British forces -in Quebec. - -In the midst of the increasing prosperity of the New Empire which was -growing up for Britain in the west, an empire compounded of both -French and English, a war-cloud began to loom upon the Southern -horizon. The American Republic, after thirty-five years of -independence, quarrelled once more with the mother-country. Once -again {262} England was, in 1812, as she had been in the days of the -American Revolution, engaged in a terrible struggle with France. The -ambition of Napoleon Bonaparte had rendered him an appalling danger -to the whole of Europe. It was to quell Napoleon that Britain put -forth all her strength. On land she met with alternate victories and -defeats, but there was none to gainsay her on the sea. The embargo -on British goods pronounced by Napoleon in the Continental blockade -was America's great opportunity. A great ship industry, a splendid -carrying trade sprang up between America and France. England -insisted on a right of searching any vessels suspected of bringing -"aid and comfort" to the enemy or of harbouring English deserters. -Dozens of times was it shown that the cargoes the American vessels -carried were not American products, but had been bought at a French -colony and were on their way to France. Even many of the vessels -flying the American flag were foreigners or English blockade-runners. -This act of self-preservation was all the excuse the Americans wanted -to declare war and pounce once more upon Canada, in the sure hope -this time of success attending their plans. They declared that their -object in taking up arms was to uphold the honour of the Stars and -Stripes. "The flag," they said, "covers the cargo; you have no right -to search for seamen who have deserted or for contraband goods. If -you persist, we will fight you." - -Wherefore, in June 1812, Congress declared war. It was not so stated -in the declaration, but its real object was to snatch Canada from -Britain, and, with {263} the help of Napoleon, extinguish King -George's maritime and colonial Empire. True, there were many -opponents of this war in America. The people of New England in -particular denounced it as wicked and senseless, and in Boston the -flags were hung at half-mast. Yet the temptation was too strong for -the masses led by Thomas Jefferson. "France," he said, "should be -the mistress of Europe, America should be mistress of the New World!" - -It seemed natural to expect that 400,000 people could not stand out -against 8,000,000. The Stars and Stripes must be planted forthwith -at Quebec, York (Toronto), Montreal, and Kingston. "On to Canada" -was the cry of the war-party. So while Napoleon, at the head of a -vast army, was marching on to Moscow, and Wellington in Spain was -holding Napoleon's marshals at bay, the American army set out once -more to conquer Canada. - -Innocent of having given any cause of offence to their neighbours, -the Canadian people, farmers, lawyers, doctors, school-teachers, -shouldered their arms to a man and steadfastly waited the foe. -Enough it was for them to know that the enemy had declared war -against Britain, and that their portion of the Empire was threatened -with invasion. A long frontier it was to guard, 1700 miles, and -there were only 5000 regular troops. But Canada had a host unto -herself in the gallant, dauntless person of General Isaac Brock, -commander in Upper Canada. Brock had scarce need to call for -volunteer battalions before they were already formed. More men -flocked to his banners than there were arms with which to {264} equip -them. The Indians, too, well content with British policy and fair -play, came tribe after tribe and offered their services. Chief -amongst them stands the noble figure of Tecumseh, leader of the -Shawanoes. His tribe had already fought the Americans, and been -defeated by them at the battle of Tippecanoe. After the battle the -red-men, like the Loyalists, had refused to live under the flag of -the Republic and had migrated northward to Canada. Three distinct -American armies began the attack. The leader of one of these, -General Hull, crossed the Detroit River and, landing in Canada, -issued a proclamation offering peace, liberty, and security to all -who would accept American rule. To those who refused, all the -horrors of war would descend upon their heads. Instantly another -proclamation was issued by General Brock. "Britain," it ran, "will -defend her subjects!" Canada, well knowing her duty to herself and -her sovereign, was not to be bribed nor bullied. A little band of -Canadian soldiers and voyageurs appeared before the American fort of -Michilimackinac, which commanded Lake Michigan, and compelled it to -surrender. Another small body of 350 Canadians, accompanied by -Tecumseh and his zealous Shawanoes, cut off Hull's supplies and -checked his progress. This prompt action greatly astonished the -bombastic American general. He set out at once upon a retreat to -Detroit, and there was quickly followed by Brock. The Canadian -leader commanded but little more than half the number of men his -adversary could boast, but nevertheless Brock was bent on storming -the enemy's fort. He was on the {265} point of giving the signal for -assault when, to his amazement, a white flag was raised aloft and -Hull offered to capitulate. The result was that 2500 troops and 33 -cannon and the whole territory of Michigan was surrendered to Canada. -No wonder that Brock became a hero, and that the heart of every -Canadian who heard the tidings was fired with patriotic enthusiasm. - -Meanwhile how fared it with the other American armies? General van -Rensselaer brought his clamorous, eager followers to Niagara, where -the mighty torrent of waters scarce could drown their huzzas of -expected victory when they sighted from afar Canadian soil. The -woods flamed with crimson and yellow, vineyards were thick with their -purple harvests when Van Rensselaer led his army to the attack on -Queenston heights. The Canadian shore of the Niagara River rose -sheer and splendid from the foaming rapids below. At a spot where -the river's course is somewhat checked the embarkation took place. -The sound of oars caught the ear of a sentinel, and a Canadian -battery opened fire. Too late! The Americans also had their -batteries planted, and they were far more numerous. Thirteen hundred -Americans, led by Captain Wool, moved slowly up the slope and gained -the summit. - -The sound of the firing reached Fort George, where General Brock then -was. No time was to be lost; he flew to the fray. The Americans -must be dislodged at the point of the bayonet. "Scale the heights!" -rang out as the battle-cry. Waving his sword at the head of the -charging lines, Brock's voice {266} could be heard shouting, "Push -on, ye brave York volunteers!" The words had scarce left his lips -ere the brave Brock sank down shot through the breast. - -Under the hot fire from the summit on Queenston heights the ranks of -his followers were fast mowed down--so fast, that at length the -Canadians were fain to halt awhile to gather breath. They had not -suffered without inflicting suffering on the foe. The American -general was disabled, many of his troops killed, and his position on -the crest far from secure. Although he still had several hundred -more men than the Canadians could bring against him, and 4000 more -American soldiers were at hand on the other side of the river, the -fate of the invaders was sealed. Brock's successor, Roger Sheaffe, -stormed them on three sides, while on the fourth side was a -precipice, 200 feet deep, its base washed by the angry river. They -fought madly, but nothing could stop the fury of the Canadian charge. -Back, back they fell until the very edge of the precipice was -reached. There was nothing now but death or surrender, and 1100 -Americans laid down their arms and became prisoners of war. - -When the first year's campaign came to an end Canadian soil had been -freed from the invader. - -Next year, however, the enemy attacked with even greater vigour. -They had met with several successes against the English at sea, for -England could not always spare her best ships for the American -conflict, and America thus felt the late defeats of her generals more -than atoned for. York, afterwards Toronto, was captured, its public -buildings burned, the church {267} pillaged, and the public library -sacked. A number of private houses were also looted and destroyed. -But all this was not to go unavenged. Before the war was over a -British general in the very capital city of the enemy had exacted -terrible retribution. The capitol at Washington was burned and -several other public buildings destroyed by way of retaliation. - -With this campaign is associated in Canadian annals the story of a -brave woman, Laura Secord. It shows the qualities which the -womanhood of Canada possessed at a time of storm and stress, when -their country was invaded by the foe. The American general-in-chief -despatched one of his officers, Colonel Boerstler, to capture by -surprise two of the Canadian outposts. Two valiant Canadians held -these posts, Fitzgibbon at De Ceu's farm and De Harren at Twelve Mile -Creek. On a clear June night the Americans set out from Fort George. -In advance of their main body a strong picket roamed the country to -capture all the male inhabitants they met, so that no tidings of the -American approach could reach the threatened garrison. But although -they captured many, there were some they were constrained to spare. -Of these was a wounded militiaman, named James Secord. He had lately -been fighting for his country and flag at Queenston heights when an -American bullet had brought him low. Deeming him helpless, the -pickets of the enemy spoke freely. Secord overheard them speaking of -the projected attack on De Ceu's farm, where Fitzgibbon's thirty -picked men slept ignorant of danger. A pang shot through the hapless -Secord's breast. How to warn {268} Fitzgibbon? How to apprise him -of the certain doom which awaited him? He spoke of the matter to his -true-hearted wife, Laura. She too came of sterling Loyalist stock. -The parents of both had suffered much at the hands of the American -revolutionists. They had lost all they possessed and had fled to -Canada for refuge from persecution. She saw instantly the danger, -and said quietly to her husband, "Fitzgibbon must be warned, and I -will warn him." Secord stared at his wife in amazement. Did she -realise the magnitude of such a task? The roads were swollen with -rain and almost impassable by reason of the mud. The woods were deep -in swamp. American and Indian marauders abounded. Twenty miles of -wilderness had to be traversed, not by a strong, lusty man in the -pride of youth, but by a frail woman, nearly forty years of age, and -the mother of five children. Yet Laura Secord did not shrink. -Seeing her resolution, her husband bade her God-speed, and she set -off dauntlessly at daybreak. After struggling along through -unfrequented paths for nineteen miles, subject to constant alarms, -she came to a branch of a river. For want of a bridge to cross it, -she reached the opposite bank by the aid of a fallen tree-trunk. At -nightfall she suddenly found herself in an Indian camp. The -moonlight shone on her figure, and the Indians, seeing her, burst -into fearful war-yells. Laura Secord was almost slain before she -could give an account of herself to the chief. The Indians were -friendly and conducted her to Fitzgibbon; to him she quickly imparted -her tidings. The Indians suggested that the Canadians {269} should -wait in ambush for the American column. Fitzgibbon was a brave, -intelligent officer and made his plans swiftly. Sending word to his -fellow-officer, De Harren, he distributed his dusky allies through -the woods and waited. - -[Illustration: Laura Secord intercepted by the Mohawk scouts] - -At daybreak Boerstler's advance-guard was received with a murderous, -unseen fire, accompanied by terrific yells. Then came the column of -the enemy, which was similarly greeted. Boerstler's men began to -drop in their tracks. Judging by the noise and vigour of the -invisible enemy, Boerstler fancied he was being attacked by an -overpowering force. He sent back for reinforcements to Fort George, -and ordered his men to press on with what speed and courage they -could. At this juncture Fitzgibbon, with admirable presence of mind, -took advantage of the situation. Emerging suddenly from the thicket -with his little handful of men, he greeted Boerstler with a flag of -truce. It was a white handkerchief which he had tied hastily to his -sword. At the sight of the redcoats and their commander the fire -stopped, "I wish to avoid bloodshed," said Fitzgibbon to the enemy. -"In the name of the King, I call upon you to surrender!" - -By this time Boerstler was greatly alarmed, but he summoned up enough -courage to mutter that he was not accustomed to surrender to a force -which he had not seen. But Fitzgibbon was obdurate. He knew that -Major de Harren with 200 men would soon join him, and he again -pressed for instant surrender. At the time he made this lofty demand -he had scarce forty men at his back! "I will give you {270} five -minutes," he said to Boerstler; "I have no longer power to control my -Indians." Boerstler believed he had fallen into a trap. He had -received two wounds in the skirmish. His mind was greatly agitated, -and he put his hand to the articles of surrender. While he was -penning his name De Harren arrived with his 200 bayonets. - -By this surrender 25 officers, 519 non-commissioned officers and men, -2 field-guns, 2 ammunition cars, and a large number of horses were -captured by the British. - -As for Laura Secord, she soon recovered the fatigues of her thrilling -adventure, and lived to be an old lady of ninety-three, greatly -honoured by Canadians for her heroism and fidelity to her country's -cause. - -But the glory and honour of the campaign was offset by a disgraceful -British reverse. - -At Detroit the general, Proctor, was cut off from his supplies, and, -recognising his position, resolved to evacuate and fall back on -Burlington Heights. In order that the fort at Detroit might be of -little use to the enemy, he dismantled it as much as he could, -carried the guns away with him, and beat a retreat up the valley. -With his garrison of 900 Canadians went the valiant Tecumseh and 500 -Indian braves. In the footsteps of this retreating force followed -3000 of the enemy. At Moravian Town, on the banks of the river -Thames, Proctor halted. It was a capital spot for a defence. On his -right was a thick cedar swamp which was quickly occupied by Tecumseh -and his 500 warriors. Between the swamp and river only about 300 -yards intervened. But {271} Proctor had made a terrible blunder. He -had not dreamed the enemy were so nearly upon him. His scouts and -skirmishers told him nothing. He felled no trees, he threw up no -ramparts. In this fancied security, never thinking they would dare -to attack him until he had time to make preparations, the hardy -riflemen of Kentucky were swiftly upon him. They were led by the -American general, Harrison, who afterwards became President of the -United States. When they appeared Proctor and his men trembled. -There was a momentary indecision. Perhaps the troops felt that if -they had had a brave, wise commander to lead them they might still -give battle to the enemy. A moment later their indecision yielded, -their ranks broke, and the Canadians fled. Not so, however, Tecumseh -and his red-men. Deserted by their white allies, they still held the -Cedar Swamp for the British flag. But they were six times -outnumbered; fight as they might, their defeat was a foregone -conclusion. Amongst those who fell was the stalwart hero, Tecumseh, -whose loss was mourned not more by the Indians than by the white men -of Canada. Not even his heroism could save his dead body from the -disgrace of mutilation by the foe. But in so doing the disgrace of -the latter was greater than that they inflicted. In all his battles, -as in all his life, Tecumseh had ever been humane, just, and -moderate. As for the incompetent general, Proctor, he was -court-martialled for his conduct and dismissed by the King from his -service. - -In the autumn of this year (1813) Lower Canada was threatened by a -force of 7000 Americans, {272} commanded by General Hampton. This -army advanced from Lake Champlain to the Chateauguay River, designing -to reach the head of Montreal Island. At this spot they expected to -be joined by 8000 men under General Wilkinson, coming down the St. -Lawrence in boats from Lake Ontario. To oppose the troops led by -Hampton and prevent them from joining their comrades near Montreal, -was a little force of 1600 men, commanded by one of the old French -Canadian noblesse, Colonel de Salaberry, who had already fought for -Britain in foreign climes. He was an experienced soldier; he knew -that courage and endurance in the cause of patriotism more than -atoned for want of numbers. He determined to throw himself in -Hampton's path in the forest, and so prevent his reaching -Chateauguay. Accordingly he threw up his trenches and waited for the -oncoming of the Americans. - -In due time they came; the battle began, and the first ranks of the -foe were mowed down like grass. De Salaberry had taken the -precaution to scatter a dozen buglers through the woods, who sounded -the advance at intervals through the fray. The invaders, hearing the -repeated trumpet blasts, thought a vast Canadian army opposed them. -Nevertheless they pressed forward, the defenders purposely giving way -a little. The hidden buglers blew harder than ever, panic seized the -enemy at last, and they fled back into the bushes, dropping their -knapsacks, drums, and muskets as they ran. Their comrades behind -took them for victorious Canadians advancing to a charge, and fired -upon them. Discovering their mistake too {273} late, they in turn -fled, and soon the victory of 380 Canadians over ten times that -number of the enemy was complete. Miraculous to relate, the Canadian -loss was only two killed and sixteen wounded; that of the Americans -will never be known. But on the day following the battle nearly 100 -graves were dug on their bank of the river. - -Chateauguay was a blow to American pride which required many battles -and more than one victory on the sea and the Great Lakes to atone for. - -Meanwhile what of Wilkinson and his army which was to join Hampton at -Montreal? Of the defeat and retreat of Hampton they knew nothing. -They supposed him to be advancing triumphantly from the south to join -them. Wilkinson and his Americans could not understand why the -Canadians took such trouble to oppose him. For did he not tell them -he was come to release them from their fetters? that they would no -longer be slaves under the monarchy of King George, but henceforward -as free as the air under a splendid republic? He could not -understand it. He complained bitterly of the "active, universal -hostility" of the male inhabitants of the country; he had come, he -said plainly, to "subdue the forces of His Britannic Majesty, not to -war against his unoffending subjects." - -The answer to this kind of talk was supplied by the Canadians at the -battle of Chrysler's Farm. It happened in this wise. While the -American general descended the St. Lawrence by water, some 3000 of -his troops marched abreast by land on the way to Montreal. In their -rear a force of 800 {274} Canadians from Kingston followed them day -and night, attacking whenever they had the chance. At last the -invaders received their General's command to set upon these Canadian -skirmishers and "brush away the annoyance." - -On a November afternoon a little force under Colonel Morrison drew up -at a spot called Chrysler's Farm to receive the foe, three or four -times outnumbering them. They fought fiercely, and when the struggle -was over the Americans had received signal defeat; their general had -fallen mortally wounded, they had lost several hundred men, and the -British took more than a hundred prisoners. Thus, completely routed, -Wilkinson's sole hope lay in joining Hampton at Lachine. But, alas, -the news of the defeat at Chateauguay caused him to change his plans; -the attack on Montreal was given up, and the army of the invaders -retired for the winter. - -One of the most hotly-fought contests of this war occurred in the -following year at Lundy's Lane. Here 3000 British faced 4600 -Americans, and this again was a British victory of which Canada has -reason to be proud. In the following year the war was over, and an -American statesman, Quincey, could say in Congress: "Since the -invasion of the Buccaneers, there is nothing in history more -disgraceful than this war." - -As far as Canada was concerned the enemy had gained nothing. They -had been repeatedly defeated by people fighting against many odds, -whose territory they had wantonly invaded. To retaliate for their -destruction of York, the capital of Upper Canada, {275} the American -capitol and other public buildings at Washington had been burned, -3000 of their ships had been captured by Britain, and two-thirds of -their merchants were bankrupt at the close of the war. But Canada, -baptized by fire, came out of the ordeal with a new spirit, a new -self-reliance and pride in her achievements and destiny. - -While the forces of America and Canada were eyeing each other angrily -across the border, in the far west a new colony which would some day -form a great and vigorous portion of the Dominion was born. You may -remember that all these lands between the Red River in the north and -Hudson's Bay were claimed by the Hudson's Bay Company. But it seemed -to many an unfair thing that this large and fertile district should -be given up as haunts for the fox and the beaver, the moose and the -buffalo. - -Accordingly a benevolent Scottish nobleman, the Earl of Selkirk, -struck by the poverty of his peasant countrymen, obtained a grant of -land from the Company and resolved to begin a settlement on a large -scale at Red River. Now, at this time the Hudson's Bay Company, as a -fur-trading enterprise, had a rival in Canada. This rival was known -as the North-West Company of Montreal. The "Nor'-Westers," as they -were called, objected to having the solitudes of the north-west -invaded by farmers and shepherds, and no pains and misrepresentations -were spared to prejudice the public against Lord Selkirk's scheme. -They went up and down telling everybody that the country was cold and -barren, half waste, half forest, unfit to be the abode of white men. -"If you {276} plant a colony out there," they told Lord Selkirk, -"your colonists will either freeze to death or be massacred by the -savages." Nevertheless Selkirk sent out his emigrants in ships -across Hudson's Bay, and they made their way from thence slowly -southward to Red River. - -There was, besides the Hudson's Bay traders and their rivals the -Nor'-Westers, another class which bitterly resented this invasion -into their hunting haunts. These were the half-breed bushrangers, -who were commonly called the Métis or Bois-Brulés. These men, rough -and untractable, were chiefly the descendants of the French -fur-hunters and trappers who had married Indian women and settled -down on the shore of some distant lake or stream. In the midst of -these French half-breeds there grew up also a number of Englishmen -and Scotchmen hardly less fond of the wild life of the wilderness -than themselves. These also took Indian wives, and when they or -their children were asked whether they were English, Scotch, or -Indian, they declared they were not one or the other: "We belong to -the New Nation." - -It was only natural that amongst this rude race there should arise a -leader, a half-breed to whose superior ability and natural advantages -was added an education in Montreal, the seat of the co-partnery. -Cuthbert Grant, which was the name this individual bore, was known -far and wide amongst the hunters and trappers of Rupert's Land, and -everywhere commanded homage and respect. He had risen to be one of -the most enterprising and {277} valued agents of the Nor'-Westers, -and was constantly admitted to their councils. - -At the beginning of spring the "first brigade" of immigrants resumed -its journey to the Red River Valley, arriving at what is now known as -Point Douglas late in August 1812. Hardly had they reached this spot -than they were immediately thrown into the greatest fright and -disorder. A band of armed men, painted, disfigured, and apparelled -like savages, confronted the little trembling band of colonists and -bade them halt. They were told briefly that they were unwelcome -visitors in that region, and must depart. The colonists might have -been urged to make a stand, but to the terrors of hostile Indian and -half-breed was added that of prospective starvation, for none would -sell them provisions thereabouts. The painted warriors, who were -North-West Company Métis in disguise, urged them to proceed to -Pembina, across the American border, where they would be unharmed, -and offered to conduct them thither. They acquiesced, and the -pilgrimage was resumed for seventy miles farther on. At Pembina they -passed the winter in tents, according to the Indian fashion, -subsisting on the products of the chase, in common with the natives. - -Spring came, and it was decided to venture again to plant the colony -on the banks of the Red River. Means were found to mollify their -opponents, and log-houses were built and patches of prairie sown with -corn. A small quantity of seed wheat, obtained at Fort Alexander, -yielded them handsome returns at harvest time, and the lot of the -settlers seemed {278} brighter. Nevertheless they decided to repair -to Pembina for the winter, and, carefully saving their corn, live by -hunting until the spring. - -While affairs were thus proceeding with the colonists, Lord Selkirk, -in 1813, paid a visit to Ireland, where he secured a large number of -people as servants for the fur trade and the colony, in addition to -those engaged in the Highlands. - -His colonists spent a winter rendered miserable by the unfriendliness -of the Indians and half-breeds. But the Nor'-Westers were not yet -satisfied. They met at their great post of Fort William in the -spring, and set about planning for the complete destruction of the -colony. It excited the greatest indignation and bitterness. They -now determined to seduce and inveigle away as many of the colonists -as could be induced to join the North-West standard, and after they -should have thus diminished their means of defence, to exhort the -Indians of Lac Rouge, Fond du Lac, and other places to rise and -destroy the settlement. It was likewise their avowed intention to -seize the Governor of Red River and carry him to Montreal as a -prisoner, and so degrade the authority under which the colony was -established in the eyes of the natives of that country. - -Gradually a number of the settlers were seduced and instigated to -disloyalty against their benefactors and the Company. A large band -of the Bois-Brulés were, for two years, maintained and paraded in -arms. Now that the preparatory measures had reached this stage the -time seemed ripe for more decisive measures. - -{279} - -The ruling spirit amongst the half-breed hordes, Cuthbert Grant, -appeared on the scene, and with him some of his choice dare-devil -crew. The return of the settlers to Red River had filled the minds -of the Bois-Brulés with rage. The contempt of the wild hunters of -the plains for the peaceful tillers of the soil was great. They -scorned them for their manual labour; they reproachfully termed them -"the workers in gardens," and the phrase "pork-eaters," formerly -applied to the voyageurs east of Fort William, was now used -derisively towards the Scotch settlers. All was now ready for a -final blow to the infant colony. - -In June 1815, after the colony at Red River had been deprived of the -means of defence and was in great measure surrounded by its enemies, -a large force of Nor'-Westers, consisting of half-breeds, servants, -and clerks, sallied forth to make a combined attack on the -settlement. A sharp fire of musketry was kept up for some time on -the Governor's house and adjacent buildings. After a series of -attacks and skirmishes, Governor M'Donnell was obliged to surrender -himself as a prisoner, and under a warrant from a partner in the -North-West Company, sent to Montreal, charged with an undue arrogance -of authority, to the detriment of the fur trade. - -Great joy filled the breasts of the North-Westers assembled at Fort -William when these brave tidings were conveyed to their ear. The -news was accompanied by convincing proofs of the great victory gained -over the enemy in the persons of 134 settlers, including men, women, -and children! - -{280} - -Deep were the potations, turbulent was the revelry when the flushed -Nor'-Westers returned from Red River and took their places at the -board. They had gained a victory over the miserable colonists -despatched by Lord Selkirk to begin the peopling of the West. The -war between Britain and America was ended, and so further relieved -their dread of punishment. But decisive as their triumph seemed, it -was short-lived. Even as they rejoiced and made merry, the despised -settlers had returned, and affairs at Red River were shaping for a -tragedy. A new brigade of immigrants from Scotland also arrived at -Red River only to gaze upon the embers of the burnt settlement. With -them came a new Governor for the colony, Robert Semple by name. -Governor Semple had been appointed to the chief control of all the -Hudson's Bay Company's factories at Rupert's Land. - -Lord Selkirk himself arrived in Canada and began engaging a number of -disbanded troops to help him quell the outrages of the Nor'-Westers -and inflict vengeance upon them for their murders and misdeeds. The -Nor'-Westers had not thought of this. - -The war with America being over, the hired European regiments of De -Meuron, Watteville, and the Glengarry Fencibles in Canada were out of -employment. The privates, as well as their officers, were entitled -on their discharge to grants of lands in Canada, and in the event of -their accepting them, the members of the two first-mentioned -regiments were not to be sent back to Europe. Selkirk perceived in -them an instrument ready to his hand, and, {281} mustering them -together, he travelled towards the stronghold of the Nor'-Westers, -Fort William. - -Meanwhile Cuthbert Grant and his Bois-Brulés began final hostilities -against the Red River settlement. One large post of the Hudson's Bay -Company was seized and pillaged, not only of all the English goods, -furs, and provisions, but also of the private property of the -servants. The Bois-Brulés then set out to wipe the colony of Red -River from the face of the earth. - -On a bright June day Governor Semple, on the way from York factory, -learnt that he was to be attacked in two days by the Bois-Brulés, who -were determined to take the fort. If any resistance were made, -neither men, women, nor children should be spared. Two days later, -while he was still gathering the friendly Indians about him, a man in -the watch-house called out that the half-breeds were coming. Semple -and his officers surveyed the neighbouring plains through their -telescopes, and made out the approach of some men on horseback. - -Semple, ever a man of peace, said, "We must go out and meet these -people; let twenty men follow me." So they proceeded by the -frequented path leading to the settlement. As they went along they -met many of the colonists, who were running towards them, crying: -"The half-breeds! The half-breeds!" An advance was made of about -one mile, when some persons on horseback were discerned close at -hand, and the Governor, somewhat uneasy at the signs of their -numbers, had just decided to send for a cannon, when a fearful -clamour pierced the air, and he saw {282} it was too late. The -half-breeds galloped forward, their faces painted in the most hideous -manner. All were dressed in the Indian fashion, and surrounded the -Hudson's Bay people in the form of a half-moon. As they advanced, -the latter party retreated, and a North-West hunter named Boucher -rode up close to Governor Semple and asked what he wanted there? -Semple replied by demanding of Boucher what he and his party wanted? -Boucher said, "We want our fort," and the Governor's answer was, -"Well, go to your fort." "You rascal," shrieked Boucher, "you have -destroyed our fort." Semple, a man of extremely mild manners and -cultivated mind, flushed with indignation at such an address. -Incautiously he laid hand upon the bridle of Boucher's horse. A few -high words passed. Two shots rang out in quick succession, by the -first of which an aide fell, and by the second Semple was wounded. -In a few minutes the field was covered with bleeding forms; almost -all Semple's men were either killed or wounded. Save in a single -instance, no quarter was given; the injured were summarily -despatched, and on the bodies of the dead were practised all the -revolting horrors which characterise the inhuman heart of the savage. - -To Lord Selkirk, on his way westward with a party of about eighty -soldiers, the first intelligence of the massacre and destruction of -the colony was received when Sault Ste. Marie was reached. They told -him that the settlers and a large part of the property of Red River -had been transported to Fort William. - -Filled with indignation, and determined to demand {283} an -explanation of this further bloody deed, the Earl pressed on with all -haste to the rendezvous of the North-West Company. There, all -unconscious of his approach, no plan had been made either to defend -themselves or to arrest Selkirk's progress. - -Let us peep in at Fort William. On the night preceding the Earl's -arrival the Nor'-West partners and their servants are seated at a -rude banquet, at which rum and brandy flow like water. Haunches of -beef and venison repose on the board, flanked by many kinds of forest -game. Laughter and toasting deafen the ear. - -But if the scene within was noisy and animated, that without beggars -description. Hundreds of voyageurs, soldiers, Indians, and -half-breeds were encamped together in the open, holding high revel. -They hailed from all over the globe, England, Ireland, Scotland, -France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Switzerland, -America, the African Gold Coast, the Sandwich Islands, Bengal, -Canada, with Creoles, various tribes of Indians, and a mixed progeny -of Bois-Brulés or half-breeds. "Here," wrote one trader, "were -congregated on the shores of the inland sea, within the walls of Fort -William, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, Sun worshippers, -men from all parts of the world whose creeds were 'wide as poles -asunder,' united in one common object, and bowing down before the -same idol." Women, soldiers, voyageurs, and Indians, in ever-moving -medley, danced, sang, drank, and gambolled about the fort this night. - -But Nemesis was at hand. The Earl approached {284} the fur-trading -stronghold swiftly and silently. He was on them before they realised -it. An attempt was made to shut the gate and prevent the troops from -entering. The fort people had succeeded in shutting one half of the -gate, and had almost closed the other by force, when thirty soldiers -forthwith rushed to the spot and forced their way into the stronghold -of the Northmen. - -The notes of a bugle rang out across the river. A fresh force of -about thirty other veterans of European battlefields hurried quickly -over the stream to join their comrades. Awed by the apparition of so -many arms and uniforms, the North-Westers abandoned further -resistance, and bloodshed was happily averted. Those who had refused -obedience to the Earl's commands were seized and taken forcibly to -the boats, the others submitting peaceably to arrest. - -[Illustration: Meeting of the Nor'-Westers at Fort William, 1816] - -Fort William and the Nor'-Westers, together with about two hundred -French Canadians and half-breeds, and sixty or seventy Iroquois -Indians in and about the fort, had been captured by Lord Selkirk. He -had become possessed, to use his own words, "of a fort which had -served, the last of any in the British dominions, as an asylum for -banditti and murderers, and the receptacle for their plunder; a fort -which nothing less than the express and special licence of his -Majesty could authorise subjects to hold; a fort which had served as -the capital and seat of government to the traitorously assumed -sovereignty of the North-West; a fort whose possession could have -enabled the North-West {285} Company to have kept back all evidence -of their crimes." - -The heads of the evil-doing were summoned to stand their trial in the -east. But the Nor'-Westers were bitter against the Earl who had -dared to plant a colony in the midst of their hunting grounds. - -"That canting rascal and hypocritical villain, Lord Selkirk, has got -possession of our post at Fort William," wrote one of the aggrieved -partners. "Well, we will have him out of that fort," he pursued -amiably, "as the Hudson's Bay knaves shall be cleared, bag and -baggage, out of the North-West." - -But although no man was destined to see this part of their prophecy -fulfilled, yet Lord Selkirk, a few weeks later, evacuated Fort -William. No sooner had the Earl and his forces left this great post -than the sheriff of Upper Canada arrived, took possession of the fort -and the Nor'-Westers, and restored it to its original owners. -Afterwards Imperial commissioners appointed in the name of the Prince -Regent to restore law and order to the region went on to Red River, -whither Lord Selkirk had repaired. Law and order were, however, not -so easily restored. The rivalry between the fur-traders was too -strong, the memory of bloodshed too recent for perfect peace to be -established in a few weeks or months. - -In the meantime Lord Selkirk left the matter of retribution upon the -murderers of Governor Semple to the law and returned to England. -Punishment was duly meted out to the wrongdoers. The Red River -colony struggled manfully against adversity for several winters, and -it was not until 1822 that it at {286} last surmounted the evils -which threatened to starve it out of existence. But the heart of its -founder was not to be gladdened by the tidings of its growing -prosperity. The Earl had reached England disheartened; his health -was shattered by the long and anxious struggle to found a colony at -Red River, and in April 1820 he breathed his last. Selkirk may be -truly called the founder and father of the prosperous North-West of -to-day. - -Soon after his death the Hudson's Bay and North-West Companies, for -so long such fierce competitors in the fur trade, joined hands in -friendly partnership. - -Gone now for ever were the old free days of the hunters and trappers, -the bushrangers and voyageurs. The whole fur trade was placed on a -strictly commercial basis. The Nor'-Westers, rough, enterprising -adventurers, found themselves part of a huge machine operated by a -governor and committee in far-away England. Smaller and more remote -grew the regions where they could roam free and undisturbed. -Rupert's Land extended from the American border to the Pole, and from -the Great Lakes to the Pacific, and the officers of the Hudson's Bay -Company ruled it and most of those who dwelt there with a rod of iron -for the next fifty years. - -Trouble, however, was still in store for Red River. Blood was yet to -flow before the Bois-Brulé could adapt himself to the new order of -things. - - - - -{287} - -CHAPTER XVIII - -TRAITORS, REDCOATS, AND REDSKINS - -When on that memorable morning in June 1837 the young Princess -Victoria was awakened from her slumber and told that she had become -mistress of the British Empire, far away, in one part of the Empire, -two men were plotting to overthrow the new Queen's authority. Canada -was again beset by disloyalty and rebellion. By this time that -portion of the country which Champlain had founded and Frontenac -ruled, now called Lower Canada, was filled with industrious, -God-fearing peasantry, tilling their farms, pursuing the peaceful, -wholesome life of the village and countryside. Westward to them lay -Upper Canada and the towns and homesteads of the Loyalists, into -which many more thousands of settlers had poured since the days of -King George III. Amongst both these people a host of agitators -arose, restless lawyer-politicians for the most part, who cried out -for liberty and a republic. We have seen these crafty-eyed men, with -their loud voices and sardonic smile, stalking all through the pages -of New World history. They were the successors of the renegades who -revolted against Champlain, just as 150 years before that there were -the jealous {288} malcontents who revolted against Christopher -Columbus and brought him in sorrow to the grave. Frontenac faced -them, and with an effort he put them down; the gallant Lasalle met -his death at their hands; under Samuel Adams they achieved a triumph -in New England which led to the loss of the thirteen American -colonies. A noisy, reckless faction of this kind it was which had -forced America into the shameful, useless war of 1812. Now the -revolutionists stalked rampant in Canada, and it was high time their -leaders were overthrown and crushed. In the English part of Canada, -the Upper Provinces, the revolutionaries were led by a rash and -impulsive Scotchmen named William Mackenzie. In Lower Canada, which -was chiefly peopled by French Canadians, the rebels looked to Louis -Papineau as their leader. When Lord Gosford, the Governor, warned -the people of the peril they ran in listening to the counsels of the -demagogues who would ruin them, they only met in the streets shouting -"Long live Papineau, our deliverer!" Daring bands of rebels, called -"Sons of Liberty," tore down the Governor's proclamation. In a few -weeks Papineau gave the signal and his followers flew to arms. It -was the time of harvest; the grain had ripened and was ready for the -reaper, but the English settlers in Lower Canada, loyal to their -young Queen, dared not use their scythes and sickles for fear of the -loaded muskets of the French Canadian rebels. They fled for refuge -to Montreal, where the first skirmish in the rebellion took place. -Then the rebels set upon a small body of loyal cavalry marching from -St. John's, on the {289} Richelieu River. Amongst them was a young -officer, Lieutenant Weir, the bearer of despatches from Colonel Gore. -He was made prisoner and placed in the custody of some of the -insurgents, who, regardless of mercy and decency, butchered him in -barbarous fashion. While Weir was being hacked to pieces by -Papineau's men, the rebel leader learned from the captured despatches -that Gore and his soldiers were marching upon them. At St. Denis, -therefore, they entrenched themselves, and for some hours held the -post, keeping up a deadly fire upon the troops. - -Fortunately for the English flag in Canada, there was an able man to -defend it in the person of Sir John Colborne, one of the generals of -the Duke of Wellington. He sent Colonel Wetherell to take the rebel -post at St. Charles. Here a weak and foolish American, who called -himself "General" Brown, abandoned his men almost at the first -artillery discharge. Though they fought on for a time, none the -worse for their leader's absence, they were soon dispersed by -assault. Colborne himself, with a force of regulars and militia, -marched to the villages of St. Eustache and St. Benoit. The parish -church at St. Eustache, built of stone, was turned into a fort, and -here, in the sacred edifice, the rebels bade defiance to the soldiers -of the Queen. Their fate was a terrible one. Flames shot through -the roof and steeple, and the walls began to fall in. The rebels -continuing to make a stand until escape was too late, almost the -whole number of those who thus held St. Eustache were burnt to ashes. - -When Colborne marched his men on to St. Benoit {290} the rebels, now -thoroughly frightened at their misdeeds, sued for peace. They -surrendered ignominiously, but this did not prevent the British -settlers, whose homes and harvests they had destroyed, from venting -their anger upon them, so that this village and many houses round -about fell a prey to their wrath. That night the countryside was lit -up by a terrible glow. On the morrow it was seen how few amongst the -vast body of French Canadians were really disloyal to the Government -which had given them political and religious liberty. In one of the -districts which had been claimed by Papineau, 1500 militiamen put -themselves under the French Canadian, Colonel de Hertel, and declared -themselves staunch in their allegiance and ready to help in quelling -the rebellion. Although Papineau's men had fled cravenly across the -border at the first outbreak of trouble, others still continued to -foment war and bloodshed. Two unhappy brothers named Nelson gained -an unenviable notoriety. One of them boldly proclaimed the -"Republic" of Canada; but all they gained for their pains was the -melancholy pleasure of seeing their countrymen, of both French and -English origin, in distress, gaols filled with their deluded -followers, many of whom were afterwards hanged for treason. - -While this was happening in Lower Canada to cause the young Queen and -her ministers anxiety, in Upper Canada William Mackenzie and his -followers revelled in riot. Mackenzie fancied he was another -Washington; he wrote bombastic letters to his fellow-traitor, -Papineau, and busied himself with {291} designing a flag for his new -Republic, on which were two stars, one for each province. At last -Mackenzie considered the time had come for war, and he and his -friends decided to capture Toronto. - -One bright, cold December day 1000 rebels were entrenched at their -rendezvous, Montgomery's tavern, a few miles outside Toronto. An old -soldier, who had fought under Napoleon, Van Egmond, undertook to -drill them; Sam Lount, a beetle-browed blacksmith, was their -commander-in-chief. To nip their schemes in the bud, against them -marched the royal Governor, Sir Francis Head, with 500 militia. The -Governor called upon them to surrender and lay down their arms; they -refused, and an exchange of fire took place. Then the courage of the -insurgents oozed out, and they fled, the ringleader, Mackenzie, being -among the first who took to his heels. He retired to a little spot -in the middle of the Niagara River called Navy Island, and proceeded -to establish what he called a Provisional Government. Overhead, -greatly to his own satisfaction, floated the two-starred flag of the -Canadian Republic. Here Mackenzie impudently issued grants of land -to all who would take up arms in his cause, and despatched them in a -steamboat called the _Caroline_. One dark night a dashing young -British lieutenant seized the rebel _Caroline_, which his American -sympathisers had lent to "President" Mackenzie, set her on fire, and -dropped her, a burning mass, over the Niagara Falls. - -A time soon came when the American sympathisers felt that they had -gone too far, and their {292} President issued a proclamation warning -his people against attacking a friendly power. In spite of this, -however, several American filibustering expeditions took place before -they realised the hopelessness of endeavouring to seize Canada, as -they had seized Texas from a friendly nation like Mexico and make it -a part of their Republic. - -Mackenzie was arrested by the Americans themselves and sentenced to -eighteen months in gaol. Had he been caught in Canada, he would have -suffered the fate of his companions and been hanged, as he richly -deserved, for treason. - -The disaffection all came to an end when Queen Victoria's Government, -acting on the advice of Lord Durham, who had been sent to Canada to -inquire into the disturbances, united Upper Canada and Lower Canada -into one province, and granted the people the power to manage their -own affairs in a Parliament of their own. After a time, when the -Canadian people could not agree upon a spot to be chosen for a -capital town for their now united Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, -they called upon Queen Victoria to select one for them. It so -happened that there was on the banks of the Ottawa a little village -named Bytown, not far from two beautiful falls, the Rideau and -Chaudière. It was the scene of a prosperous lumbering camp, and -several sawmills throve there; it was far removed from the stress and -the struggle of the French and English parties, and from bitter -political feeling. So the young Queen, who had seen some sketches of -the {293} village, chose it for the meeting-place of Parliament and -the residence of her Governor-General. All parties were pleased, and -so it came about that Bytown was rechristened Ottawa, and it in -course of a few years became filled with magnificent buildings and -beautiful homes. - -Ottawa was destined to be still more important and famous as the -capital of the entire DOMINION OF CANADA. For as time went on all -the British provinces, both of the east and the west, that begun by -Poutraincourt 250 years before in Acadia, and that founded by Selkirk -on the Red River, all the colonies between the Atlantic and the -Pacific north of the American border, had grown and flourished and -sought to be welded into a single nation under the British flag. -Thirty years after Papineau's rebellion, therefore, the desired union -took place, and in 1867 the Canadian Dominion, under Sir John -Macdonald's leadership, began its career. - -The new order of things involved many changes. Amongst others it was -time in the Far West that the power of the Hudson's Bay Company over -the vast region of Rupert's Land should come to a close. No longer -was it meet and proper that a body of fur-traders should be lords -paramount over all this territory. Yet neither the Company nor its -dependents, the voyageurs, trappers, and hunters, were eager for any -change. The Métis or Bois-Brulés, of whom we spoke in the last -chapter, had grown accustomed to the Company's rule. "If," said -they, "the Company is no longer to govern us, then we should govern -ourselves." When they saw the first {294} advance guard of Canadians -from the east coming in to take their land for farms, to lay out -roads and townships, the Bois-Bruits met in angry protest; they -defied the Canadians to take their country without their consent. -They were joined by a number of American immigrants, who regarded any -political trouble with pleasure as hastening the annexation which was -the object of their desire. - -Again did a leader step quickly forth from their ranks. His name was -Louis Riel. Half-educated, fanatical, this young man dreamed dreams -of future power and glory. In person he was short and stout, with a -large head, a high forehead, and an intelligent eye; above his brow a -mass of long and thick black hair clustered. No sooner was it clear -that the authority of the Hudson's Bay Company had been sold for -Canadian gold, than Riel proclaimed himself Dictator of the new -province of Rupert's Land; he issued a bombastic proclamation to his -people refusing to recognise the authority of Canada "coming to rule -us with a rod of despotism," and declaring a Provisional Government, -as so many agitators had done before him. A new flag, comprised of -the fleur-de-lys and a shamrock, out of compliment to the Irish -Fenians, was hoisted over Fort Garry, a strong stone fortress which -the Company had built on the Red River, not far from where the city -of Winnipeg now stands. - -When the Canadian Government heard of the trouble that was brewing in -its newly-acquired territory of Rupert's Land, the greatest alarm was -felt, for at that very moment Governor MacDougall was on his {295} -way to Fort Garry to take charge of the new territory. The Governor -had just set foot across the border when he was met by Riel and three -or four thousand followers at a barrier built across the roadway. -Two courses were open to him: to fight or retreat. As he had no -desire to shed blood, he returned quietly across the border. - -Riel could not now keep his hot-headed followers in hand. Sixty -prisoners, all who dared to oppose his schemes, were seized and -locked up in the fort. A commissioner was sent from Canada, Donald -Smith, afterwards Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal, to allay the -excitement, but his mission had no immediate effect, for Louis Riel -was resolved to play a heroic part in the eyes of Indians and Métis. -Several of the leading men of the Company were put in irons. So -overwhelmed was the Company's governor, that he took to his bed and -never recovered. While he lay in the shadow of death, the pitiless -Riel stood over him heaping him with abuse. As for Donald Smith, -Riel gave orders to his guard, "Shoot that man," said he, "if he -makes an attempt at escape or disobeys my orders." But Donald Smith -survived the ordeal, living to be governor of the territory, and -afterwards to be known all over the Empire as one of the chief -builders of the Canadian Pacific Railway. - -Amongst the prisoners who had dared to defy Riel's power was a -resolute young Canadian named Thomas Scott. Scott had refused to bow -the knee to the Dictator, and Riel resolved that he should die. So -on the 4th March 1870 Scott was led outside the gate of the fort, -with a white handkerchief bound {296} across his brow; his coffin, -with a white sheet thrown upon it, was carried with him; his eyes -were then bandaged, he was allowed a few minutes for prayer, and then -told to kneel in the snow. Six half-breeds, who had been plied -heavily with drink, then raised their muskets; their shots rang out, -and Scott immediately fell back, pierced by three bullets. He had -not been executed; he had been brutally murdered. Like wild-fire -through the east flew the news of the death of Scott. Volunteers and -regulars were hastily summoned. At that time there was in Canada an -able Colonel of the British Army, by name Garnet Wolseley. Very few -knew his name then, but he, too, was destined to be world-famous. He -instantly put himself at the head of the Red River brigade and -pressed on to Fort Garry to punish the impudent traitor who had dared -to set Canada at defiance. The Red River brigade pressed on through -bad roads, dense forests; they crossed lakes and turbulent rivers in -leaky boats. A number of accidents occurred and many narrow escapes -from rock and rapid. But at last through the 600 miles of wilderness -Colonel Wolseley and his men of the brigade came to the neighbourhood -of Fort Garry. A line of skirmishers was thrown out in advance; it -was not yet known what defence "the little Napoleon," as his -adherents were fond of calling Riel, would offer. To Wolseley's -surprise, no banner floated from the flagstaff and the gates of the -fort were open. Through the portals the Colonel and his brigade -marched, angry that they had been balked of their prey. Louis Riel's -courage had oozed out at the {297} last moment, and he had fled -across the Assiniboine River. - -[Illustration: The Defeat of Louis Riel, Fish Creek, 1885] - -But Canada was not yet done with Louis Riel. Fifteen years passed -away--years of stirring change. Thousands of colonists had poured -into the new and fertile province now called Manitoba, and a -flourishing city arose on the site of Fort Garry. In sullenness the -half-breeds still further withdrew into the heart of the wilderness -and settled on the banks of the Saskatchewan and the far Saskatchewan -Valley. Silently they nourished hate against the settlers, looking -to their leader Riel, who lived in exile across the American border, -to come some day and avenge their wrongs. - -Slowly but surely the farmers and ranchers pushed the half-breeds and -hunters farther and farther, until they felt the forests slip from -them. When they could bear it no longer, they sent a message to Riel -to free them from the tyranny of the Canadian immigrants. Riel -answered the call; he rejoiced this time in the title of Liberator, -for he told the Indians and Bois-Brulés he would liberate their lands -from the harvesters and ranchmen. Gathering together not only the -half-breeds, but many of the red-men as well, the rebels advanced on -the Canadian militia at Duck Lake and inflicted upon them a defeat. -Flushed with this triumph, Riel sought the chiefs of the Cree and -Black Feet tribes; he showed them how the Canadians could be driven -out of the country, and the old happy, careless, prosperous days of -the Indians would return. Amongst those who listened was Big Bear, -chieftain {298} of the Crees, and Crow Foot of the warlike Black -Feet, besides Poundmaker and other chiefs. War and butchery ensued; -helpless settlers were shot down without mercy. But Nemesis was at -hand. Canada was pouring an army of redcoats into the turbulent -North-West, and the fate of Riel and his deluded half-breeds and -redskin followers was sealed. He himself was seized, found guilty of -treason, and hanged at last for his folly and his crimes. - - -We have now in the pages of this book marked the Romance of Canada -from that summer day nearly four centuries ago when the adventurous -Cartier sailed into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and marvelled at the -red-men and the beauty of the Canadian forests; we have marked the -gallant Poutraincourt plan his picturesque little colony in Acadia; -noted the deeds of the valiant Champlain and his loyal trust in the -land for which he spent and suffered so much. Can you forget the -fortitude and unquenchable heroism of the ill-fated Jesuits? The -picturesque fidelity and thrilling adventures of Charles de la Tour -and his brave wife; the heroic achievements of Frontenac; the fierce -struggle against fate of hapless Montcalm; the glorious victory of -Wolfe; the zeal and sufferings of the United Empire Loyalists, pass -in a succession of pictures as we compass those three centuries of -time since Canada became the settled habitation of lion-hearted men. - -Gradually the ferocious red-man with his musket and tomahawk has been -driven from his lodges and wigwams in the east, to make way for -bustling cities {299} and thriving towns and villages. The lakes and -rivers, where the birch-bark canoes of the savage, where the daring -fur-hunters once thronged, laden with the spoils of the forest, now -bear on their bosoms hundreds of busy steam-boats, freighted with the -produce of farm and orchard and factory. The lonely, dangerous -trails along which Champlain, Frontenac, Lasalle, and Verendrye led -their men have given way to steel highroads which traverse the entire -Continent. Everywhere the spirit of progress has smiled upon the -land, and the farms, orchards, and homesteads of Canada smile upward -to the clear heavens in return. - -Do not forget that Romance, though unseen by the bodily eye, never -dies. It is as beautiful as the landscape or the setting sun. -Search for it in the annals of the past, and each grey lake, every -simple river, both hill and dale, have their stirring story to tell -of valour and heroic sacrifice, of noble endurance, of patriotic deed. - -Canada was not easy in the making; much blood flowed and many loyal -hearts were broken before the Great Dominion arose. - - - - -{301} - -INDEX - -NDX - -Abenaki tribe, 139, 157, 158 - -Abercrombie, General, 209, 210 - -Abraham, Plains of, 217 - -Acadia, 18, 28, 101, 159, 179, 184, 187, 190 - -Aix-la-Chapelle, Treaty of, 178 - -Albany, Fort, 118, 142 - -Alexander, Sir W., 50, 52 - -Algonquin tribe, 7, 31, 32, 33, 43, 48, 77 - -Allan, E., 239 - -Allumette Island, 34 - -American revolutionary war, 247 - -American war of 1812, 262 - -Amherst, General, 208, 214 - -Andros, Governor, 128 - -Annahotaha (chief), 81 - -Annapolis, 20, 159, 169, 177 - -Anson, Admiral, 178 - -Anville, Duke d', 176 - -Argall, S., 26, 27 - -Arnold, B., 239, 245, 246 - -Asgill, Captain, 250 - -Assiniboines tribe, 104 - -Avaugour, Marquis d', 84 - - - -Bailey, Governor, 150, 152 - -Barre, La, Governor, 113, 122, 123 - -Beauséjour, Fort, 184, 188, 198 - -Biard, Father, 24 - -Biencourt, Baron de, 24, 27, 51 - -Big Jaw (chief), 123 - -Bigot, F., 193, 203, 211, 230, 231 - -Bochat, Du Plessis, 77 - -Boerstler, 269 - -Bois-Brulés, 276, 278, 281, 294 - -Borgne, Le, 99, 100 - -Boscawen, Admiral, 209 - -Boucher, 282 - -Bougainville, General, 217, 221 - -Bouillé, Helen (wife of Champlain), 33, 41, 66 - -Bouquet, Colonel, 236 - -Braddock, General, 196, 197, 199 - -Bradstreet, Colonel, 210 - -Brant, Mollie, 200 - -Brébeuf, J. de, 59, 71 - -Breda, Treaty of, 101 - -British Columbia, 12 - -Brock, I., 263, 264, 265 - -Burton, Colonel, 219 - - - -Cabot, John, 3, 12 - -Cabot, Sebastian, 3 - -Cadet, 231 - -Cadillac, La Motte, 166 - -Caen, W. and E. de, 43, 45, 49 - -Callières, De, Governor, 124, 126, 131, 154, 155, 156 - -Canada, 3, 6, 14; first colonisation of, 16; 18, 165, 203; and the -American Revolution, 239, 256 - -Cape Breton, 50, 163, 166 - -Carleton, Sir G., 239, 243, 244, 257 - -Caron, J. le, 36 - -Cartier, Jacques, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9; dies, 10; 30 - -Cayuga tribe, 31, 182 - -Célèron, Chevalier, 182 - -Chaleurs, Baie de, 4 - -Champlain, Lake, 32 - -Champlain, S. de, 17, 19, 22, 27, 29, 31, 46, 47, 55, 56 - -Charles I., 47, 51, 54 - -Charnisay, Chevalier de, 93, 94 - -Chastes, A. de, 16, 18 - -Chateauguay, battle of, 273 - -Chauvin, 15 - -Chrysler's Farm, battle of, 273 - -Colborne, Sir J., 289 - -Columbus, C., 2 - -Contrecour, 198 - -Cook, Captain J., 215 - -Cornwallis, E., 184, 185 - -Cornwallis, General, 249 - -Courcelle, Sieur de, 85, 88, 103 - -Cromwell, Oliver, 100 - -Crown Point, 200, 239 - - - -Dale, Sir T., 27 - -Daniel, Father, 70 - -Dauversiére, J. de la, 62 - -Deerfield, raid of, 157 - -Denonville, Marquis de, 124, 126, 129 - -Destournelles, Admiral, 177 - -Detroit, 233, 270 - -Dieskau, Baron, 196, 200, 201 - -Dinwiddie, Governor, 195 - -Dixon, 120 - -Dollard, A. (Daulac des Ormeaux), 80 - -Donacona (chief), 6, 8 - -Dongan, Colonel, 112, 126 - -Drake, Sir F., 12 - -Drucour, General, 209 - -Duchambon, 173, 174 - -Duchesneau, 107 - -Duck Lake, battle of, 297 - -Dupuy, Captain, 78, 79 - -Duquesne, Fort, 197, 198, 201, 210 - -Duquesue, Marquis, 194, 195, 196 - -Durham, Earl of, 292 - -Duval, J., 30 - -Duvivier, 169, 170 - - - -Edward, Fort, 200 - -Elizabeth, Queen, 12 - -Erie tribe, 78 - -Etherington, Captain, 235 - - - -Finisterre, Cape, battle of, 178 - -Fitzgibbon, 267 - -Five Nations (Indian), 31, 37, 125, 153 - -Flèche, Father la, 23 - -Francis I. (France), 3, 10 - -Frobisher, Martin, 12 - -Frontenac, Count of, 103, 106, 112, 113, 130, 135, 137, 153, 154 - -Frontenac, Fort, 110, 153, 210 - -Fur trade, 11, 16, 33, 43, 104 - - - -Galissonière, Governor, 179, 181, 182 - -Garry, Fort, 294 - -Gaspé, Cape, 4, 48 - -George, Fort, 200, 201 - -George III., 257 - -Gilbert, Sir H., 12, 13 - -Gladwin, Major, 233 - -Gore, Colonel, 289 - -Gosford, Lord, 288 - -Grant, C., 276, 279, 281 - -Green Mountain Boys, 239 - -Groseilliers, C. de, 104, 105 - -Guercheville, Madame de, 24, 25 - - - -Halifax, N.S., 184 - -Hampton, General, 272 - -Harren, Major de, 269 - -Harrison, General, 271 - -Haverhill, massacre of, 158 - -Head, Sir F., 291 - -Hearne, S., 252 - -Hébert, L., 41 - -Henry IV. (of France), 13, 18, 24 - -Henry VIII., 1 - -Hertel, F., 133 - -Hill, Sir J., 160, 161 - -Hochelaga, 6, 31, 33, 63 - -Holmes, Captain, 234 - -Holy Cross (Ste. Croix) River, 19 - -Horses, 164 - -Howe, Captain, 186 - -Howe, Lord, 209 - -Hudson, H., 35 - -Hudson's Bay, 35, 142, 251, 276 - -Hudson's Bay Company, 103, 105 286, 293 - -Huguenots, the, 45, 46 - -Hull, General, 264 - -"Hundred Associates, Company of the," 46, 55, 63, 84 - -Huron tribe, 31, 33, 36, 48, 57, 59, 69, 73, 77, 79, 126 - -Iberville, Sieur d', 115, 117, 121, 143, 144, 148 - -Indians, Red, 4, 12, 31, 42, 231, 264 (see also under individual -tribes) - -Iroquois tribe, 31, 36, 57, 60, 65, 112, 124, 127, 132, 139, 153, -155, 202 - -Isle Royale (Cape Breton), 166 - - - -James I., 26, 50 - -Jefferson, T., 263 - -Jesuits, 23, 25, 45, 55, 59, 90 - -Joannès, town-major, 223, 224 - -Jogues, Father, 67 - -Johnson, W., 182, 198, 200, 202 - -Jolliet, 107, 108 - -Jonquière, Marquis de la, 177, 178, 179, 193, 194 - - - -Kirke, Sir D., 47, 49 - -Kirke, L., 49 - -Koudiaronk (chief), 126 - - - -Labrador, 3, 12 - -Lachine, massacre of, 128 - -Lalement, Father, 72 - -Larobeyre, 129 - -Laval, F. de, 84, 86, 107, 112 - -Lawrence, Colonel, 186, 188, 190 - -Leaden plates and shields, the, 182 - -Lescarbot, 20, 21 - -Lévis, Chevalier de, 223, 226, 228, 229, 230 - -Loudon, Earl of, 205, 207 - -Louis XIII., 24, 50 - -Louis XV., 193 - -Louisburg, 166, 169, 172, 174, 178, 209 - -Louisiana, 112, 113, 181 - -Lount, Sam, 291 - -Loutre, Father le, 171, 177, 184, 185, 186, 188 - -Loyalists, American, exodus of, 258 - -Lundy's Lane, battle of, 274 - - - -Macdonald, Sir J., 293 - -M'Donnell, Governor, 279 - -M'Dougall, Governor, 294 - -Mackenzie, W., 288, 290, 291, 292 - -Maisonneuve, Sieur de, 63, 66 - -Mance, Jeanne, 63, 65 - -Margerie, F. and G., 60 - -Marie de Medici, Queen, 24 - -Marquette, Father, 107, 108 - -Martigny, 150 - -Mascarene, P., 169 - -Massé, E., 24 - -Mazarin, Cardinal, 99 - -Membertou (chief), 20, 22, 23, 25 - -Menou, C. de, _see_ Charnisay - -Micmac tribe, 185 - -Mississippi river, 106, 108 - -Mohawk tribe, 31, 32, 68, 78, 87, 90, 200 - -Monckton, Colonel, 188, 189, 198 - -Montcalm, Marquis de, 204, 205, 206, 207, 210, 211, 213, 215, 217, -218; his death, 219 - -Montgomery, R., 239, 244, 245 - -Montmagny, C. de, 56, 64, 76 - -"Montmorency, Company of, " 43 - -Montmorency, Duke of, 45 - -Montmorency, river, 215 - -Montreal, 6, 17, 62, 229, 239 - -Monts, Sieur de, 17, 22, 24, 29, 32 - -Moon, Captain, 142 - -Moose Factory, 115 - -Morrison, Colonel, 274 - -Mount Desert, 26 - -Mount Royal, 8, 17, 62 - -Mouton, Port, 18 - -Munro, Colonel, 205, 206 - -Murray, General, 224, 226, 228, 233 - - - -Napoleon I., 262 - -Natanis (chief), 241, 242 - -Nelson, Fort, 143 - -New Brunswick, 12, 101, 179 - -Newfoundland, 3, 11 - -"New Nation, " 276 - -New Netherlands, 35, 87 - -New York, 250, 257 - -Niagara, Fort, 210 - -Nicollet, J., 76 - -Nicholson, Colonel, 169 - -North-West Company, 275, 277, 278, 279, 286 - -Nova Scotia, 12, 18, 51, 100, 101, 163, 169, 183, 258 - -Nova Scotia, Baronets of, 51 - - - -Ohio Company, 194 - -Oneida tribe, 31, 140, 153 - -Onondaga tribe, 31, 37, 78, 80, 153 - -Ontario, Lake, 36, 258 - -"Order of a Good Time, " 21 - -Oswego, 205 - -Ottawa, city, 34, 293 - -Ottawa, river, 34 - - - -Palliser, Sir H., 215 - -Papineau, L., 288, 290 - -Péan, Madame, 193 - -Peltrie, Madame de la, 58, 64 - -Pembina, 277, 278 - -Pennsylvania, 194 - -Pepperell, W., 173, 174, 175 - -Pérouse, Admiral la, 252 - -Perrot, Governor, 107 - -Perrot, N., 106 - -Phips, Sir W., 134, 135, 138, 139 - -Pitt, Fort, 236 - -Pitt, William, 208 - -Pittsburg, 210 - -Point Lévis, 214 - -Pontgravé, 15, 16, 29, 31 - -Pontiac (chief), 232, 233, 236 - -Portneuf, 133 - -Port Royal, 19, 20, 25, 27, 52, 99, 158 - -Poutraincourt, Baron de, 19, 23, 24, 25, 28 - -Prince Edward Island, 12, 101, 261 - -Prince of Wales, Fort, 251 - -Proctor, General, 270 - - - -Quebec, 12, 23, 29, 30, 36, 49, 75, 135, 137, 165, 211, 214; storming -of, 216; 222, 224, 228, 245 - -Queenston Heights, battle of, 266 - - - -Radisson, P. E., 104, 105, 114 - -Ramésay, Commandant, 223, 224 - -Razilly, Captain do, 93 - -Recollet priests, 36, 42, 46 - -Red River Settlement, 261, 275, 285 - -Rensselaer, General van, 265 - -Richelieu, Cardinal, 46 - -Richelieu, Fort, 67 - -Riel, L., 294, 295, 296, 298 - -Roberval, Sieur de, 9 - -Roche, Marquis de la, 13, 15 - -Rocky Mountains, 168 - -Rodney, Admiral, 256 - -Rupert, Fort, 117 - -Rupert, Prince, 105 - -Rupert's Land, 294 - -Ryswick, Peace of, 153, 156 - - - -Sable Island, 14 - -St. Castin, Baron de, 102 - -St. Foye, battle of, 227 - -St. Germain-en-Laye, Treaty of, 54, 55, 93 - -Ste. Hélène, Sieur de, 115, 117, 132, 139 - -St. John's (N.B.), 12, 259 - -St. Joseph, massacre of, 70 - -St. Joseph Island, 74 - -St. Lawrence river, 3, 5 - -St. Louis, Château de, 41 - -St. Mary on Wye, 71 - -St. Pierre, Legardeur de, 194, 195, 201 - -St. Vincent, Earl, 214 - -Salaberry, Colonel de, 272 - -Salle, Sieur de la, 107, 109, 112, 181 - -Sargeant, Governor, 118 - -Saussaye, La, 26, 27 - -Schuyler, J., 134 - -Scott, T., 295 - -Secord, J., 267 - -Secord, Laura, 267, 270 - -Selkirk, Earl of, 261, 275; 278, 280, 282, 285, 286 - -Semple, R., 280, 281 - -Seneca tribe, 31, 122, 123, 125 - -Sérigny, 151, 152 - -Sheaffe, R., 266 - -Shelburne, 259 - -Shirley, W., 172, 175, 183, 188, 198, 200 - -Smithsend, Captain, 150 - -Strathcona, Lord, 295 - -Subercase, 129, 159 - -Sulpician fathers, 83 - -Superior, Lake, 76 - - - -Talon, J. B., 85, 90, 92, 103, 106 - -Tecumseh (chief), 264, 270 - -Tessouat (chief), 34 - -Ticonderoga, Fort, 209, 239 - -Tonti, H. de, 110 - -Toronto, 266, 291 - -Tour, Charles de la, 51, 53, 55, 93, 98, 100, 101 - -Tour, Claude de la, 51, 52 - -Tour, Madame de la, 96, 97, 98 - -Townsend, General, 222, 223, 224 - -Tracy, Marquis de, 85, 88, 90 - -Troyes, Chevalier de, 113, 121, 122 - - - -"U.E.L.," 260 - -Utrecht, Treaty of, 101 - - - -Vauban, 166 - -Vaudreuil, Marquis de, 157, 162, 163 - -Vaudreuil, Marquis de (son of above), 196, 199, 202, 212, 213, 221, -222, 229 - -Vauquelin, 229 - -Ventadour, Duke de, 45 - -Verchères, Madeleine de la, 141 - -Verendrye, Sieur, 167 - -Vergennes, De, 250 - -Vergor, 188, 189 - -Verrazano, 3 - -Versailles, Treaty of, 256 - -Vetch, S., 160 - -Vigneau, N., 34 - -Ville Marie de Montreal, 63, 65 - -Vimont, Father, 64 - -Virginia, 26, 194 - - - -Walker, Sir H., 160, 161, 162 - -Walley, Major, 138 - -Warren, Commodore, 173, 176, 178 - -Washington, George, 195, 196, 199, 243, 250 - -Weir, Lieutenant, 289 - -Wilberforce, William, 256 - -Wilkinson, General, 272, 273 - -William, Fort, 283 - -William Henry, Fort, 205; massacre of, 207 - -Winnipeg, Lake, 167 - -Winslow, Colonel, 190 - -Winthrop, Colonel, 134 - -Wolfe, J., 137, 208, 209, 212, 216, 216; his death, 219 - -Wolseley, Garnet J., 296 - -Wool, Captain, 265 - - - -York Factory, 263 - -Yorktown, surrender of, 249 - -NDX - -THE END - - - - PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY - THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, LTD. - - - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Canada, by Beckles Willson - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CANADA *** - -***** This file should be named 62154-8.txt or 62154-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/1/5/62154/ - -Produced by Al Haines -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |