|!'i;vl Class E \0 5 "0_ Bnnk . 1?> $ ft (bpigM?_ CDEHUGHT DEPOSIT. 39 The St. Lawrence River Historical — Legendary — Picturesque By George Waldo Browne Author of "Japan : The Place and the People," " Paradise of the Pacific ' " Pearl of the Orient," " Wood-Ranger Tales," etc. G. P. Putnam's Sons New York and London Ube IKnfcfeerbocKer press 1905 (Js« LIBRARY of CONGRESS Twu Copies rteceiveu MAY i6 lyU5 GoDyngni tiiirj cussr ol, xxc nui COPY B. Copyright, 1905 BY G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS Ube ftnfcfterbocfcer ipress, flew fort \ ; ; S v / / To sir james Mcpherson lemoine, d.c.l. THIS VOLUME OF THE STORIED ST. LAWRENCE IS MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR Preface WHILE the St. Lawrence River has been the scene of many important events connected with the discovery and development of a large portion of North America, no attempt has before been made to collect and embody in one volume a com- plete and comprehensive narrative of this great water- way. This is not denying that considerable has been written relating to it, and some of this told in an interesting and painstaking manner, but the various offerings have been scattered through many volumes, and most of these have soon become inaccessible to the general reader. Sir J. M. LeMoine, F.R.S.C, of Quebec, who has done so much to give the St.^Law- rence place in the literature of Canada, says of this noble river : It lies for a thousand miles between two great nations, yet neglected by both, though neither would be so great without it, — a river as grand as the La Plata, as picturesque as the Rhine, as pure as the Lakes of Switzerland. . . . The noblest, the purest, most enchanting river on all God's beautiful earth . . . has never yet had a respectable history, nor scarcely more than an occasional artist to delineate its beauties. The writer of this volume has undertaken as far as he could in a single work, to present a succinct and VI Preface unbroken account of the most important historic inci- dents connected with the river, combined with descrip- tions of some of its most picturesque scenery and frequent selections from its prolific sources of legends and tradi- tions. He has not hoped to treat so vast a subject fully in one volume, but he trusts that he will meet the expec- tations of the majority. In writing a work of this kind the difficulty has not been in finding sufficient material, but rather it has been in the selection of those matters which most closely concerned the subject in hand. Thus, he has felt obliged to pass over in silence, or describe hastily, many scenes that appear to deserve greater recognition. It does not seem practicable to make a continuous narrative in a work of this kind, but this plan has been followed as nearly as possible, and at the same time to give an intelligent account of the incidents in their order. When and where original documents and papers have not been available for consultation, only the best authorities have been ac- cepted and then not without comparison with others. It is hoped that but few errors have crept in, while it must be borne in mind that no two historians ever exactly agree on the local history of a place. The author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to the numerous persons whose works have proved especially valuable to him in his study of the subject. Among these it is a pleasure to mention Cartier's Bref Rdcit, Champlain's Narratives, Jesuit Relations, Haldi- mand Papers, Colden's Iroquois Nation, Prof. Grant's Preface vii Picturesque Canada, Willis's Canadian Scenery, Charle- voix's History of Canada, The Johnson Journals, MSS. of M. Fere, Winsor's Car tier to Frontenac, Haddock's Picturesque St. Lawrence, LeMoine's Maple Leaves, Parkman's Pioneers of France in the New World, and many others, besides those credited from time to time, in the following pages, not forgetting the numerous fugitive articles that have materially assisted him. He also wishes to record his appreciation of the valuable assistance given him by his friends who have so gener- ously lent their aid in securing data which was not always easy to obtain. In producing the hundred illustrations that accom- pany the work care has been taken to give as wide a scope as possible to the views belonging to the river. In this department many thanks are due to the artists and photographers for their efforts toward making the work attractive and interesting. The thanks of the publishers are due the Department of the Interior at Ottawa for a plan of the river. G. W. B. Contents CHAPTER I FAGS From Lake to Gulf i Physical and Picturesque Features of Canada's Remarkable River — Fifty Miles of Islands — Scenery of " Les Mille lies " — A Hundred Miles of Rapids — Shooting the Rapids — The Bright Path of Peril — Romantic Montreal — Twin Rows of Towns — Historic Quebec — Long Miles of Tide-Water — Then Out to Sea ! CHAPTER II In the Wake of Cartier 15 His Voyages of Discovery — Planting the Cross at Gaspe — From Gulf to River — Scenery along the Lower St. Lawrence. CHAPTER III The Lower St. Lawrence 25 The Oldest Town in America — Legend of Perce Rock — A Glimpse of the Saguenay — Cartier Reaches Stadacone, the Original Quebec. CHAPTER IV The Primitive Capital of Canada 34 Cartier Keeps up the River to Hochelaga — Ascends Mount Royal — Description of the Stronghold of the Amerinds — Returns to France — Coming of Roberval — His Failure — Romance of the Isle of Demons. CHAPTER V The Coming of Champlain 50 New Interest in France for America — Beginning of the Fur-Trade — Champlain, Pontgrave, and De Monts Appear on the Scene — The Lost Colonists — Settlement of St. Croix — First Blows for Quebec. Contents CHAPTER VI PAGE Founding of Quebec 61 Champlain's First Expedition against the Iroquois — Discovers Lake Champlain — Scenery — Situation of the Five Nations — Rout of the Mohawks — Affairs at Quebec — The Rival Factors. CHAPTER VII From Fur-Trade to Commerce 75 Cardinal Richelieu and his Hundred Associates — First Surrender of Quebec to the English — Comparison of the Settlements of the St. Lawrence Valley to those of Massachusetts Bay — Trade Troubles Increase — Founding of Three Rivers — Death of Champlain — His Character — The Great Company Make Concessions — Laziness De- nounced — Fisheries — Lack of Pilots — Early Shipbuilding — Fairs — Suppression of Knowledge — Ladies of Quebec — First Newspaper in Canada — First Steamship to Cross the Atlantic — Commerce of the St. Lawrence To-day. CHAPTER VIII The Wilderness Missions 95 Four Recollet Priests Come to Quebec — Were Explorers as well as Missionaries — First Missions — Encouragement of Agriculture — Recollets Forced to Abandon their Work — Taken up by the Jesuits — Work Interrupted by the English — Westward from the Ottawa — The Thessaly of Olden Canada — The Huron Missions — The Mis. sion of the Martyrs — College Established at Quebec. CHAPTER IX The Beginning of Montreal . . . . . 107 Founders of the Ursuline Convent in Quebec — Maisonneuve, the Champlain of Montreal — The Heroines of Ville-Marie — A Canadian Regulus — The Holy Wars of Early Montreal. Contents xi CHAPTER X PAGE Spartans of Canada 123 The Story of Daulac and his Heroic Band, every Man of whom Died for New France — How Twenty-two Heroes Held Seven Hundred Iroquois Warriors at Bay. CHAPTER XI The Heroic Period . . . . . . . . 136 La Salle and his Associates — Talon, the First Intendant — Frontenac — The Great Council with the Iroquois — Laval Restored to the Epi- scopate — Maids of Quebec — First Ship upon Lake Erie — Fate of La Salle — Frontenac Recalled — Treachery of Denonville — Massacre at La Chine — Return of Frontenac — His "Winter Raids" — Phips's Expedition — Death of Frontenac. CHAPTER XII Bushrangers and Voyageurs 162 The Coureurs de Bois — A Unique Canadian Character — Their Dress and Habits — The Voyageurs — Rangers of Romance — Personal Ap- pearance — Their Roving Natures — Rowing Songs — Story of Cadieux — His " Lament" — Revelry at the Rendezvous — Homeward Bound. CHAPTER XIII When Quebec Fell . . 174 Situation under Frontenac's Successors — Infamous Conduct of Bigot and Others — Declaration of War, 1756 — Arrival of Montcalm — His Early Victories — Driven back to Quebec — Wolfe and his Army Reach Isle of Orleans — Siege of Quebec — Wolfe's Famous Path to the Plains of Abraham— The Battle — Rout of the French — Wolfe and Montcalm Shot — Scenes that Followed. CHAPTER XIV Under the New Regime 192 Second Battle of the Plains — Surrender of Montreal — Conquest Closes at Pontchartrain — Result — Campaign of 1775-76 — Fall of Montgomery — Arnold's Retreat — The " Hungry Year" — Heroism of the Canadians at Chateauguay — Naval Fight on Lake Champlain — Victory of McDonough — Hard Blow to the English — End of War of 181 2-1 5 — Result of this War to Canada — Important Periods in History — Final Union of the Provinces. xii Contents CHAPTER XV PAGE The Mysterious Saguenay 212 Tadousac of Historic Interest — First Mission here — The Old Church —The Fur-Trade— The Cavern River— Sixty Miles of Mountain Walls— Ha-Ha Bay— Chicoutimi— Lake St. John— " The Grand Discharge " — Falls of Ouiatchouan — Cape Eternity. CHAPTER XVI Up from Tadousac . 224 The Mission of the Montagnais — Story of the Last Missionary — Riviere du Lotip — Murray Bay — Giant of Cap aux Corbeaux — Earthquake of 1663 — A Vivid Scene — Isle of Hazels — A Legion of Mountains — First Mass in Canada — Baie St. Paul — Gouffre — Nature Asleep and Awake. CHAPTER XVII Between Cap Tourmente and Beauport .... 234 Where Art and Nature Meet — A Climax in Mountains — The Island of Sorrow — Legend of Crane Island — Chateau Le Grande — Prisoner of the Jealous Wife — Cartier's Isle of Bacchus — Ancient Petit Cap — Divine Ste. Anne — Canadian Mecca — Story of the Saint — A Bird's-Eye View of Beauport — Falls of Montmorency. CHAPTER XVIII Picturesque Quebec . 248 A Peopled Cliff — The Lower Town — A Spiral Street — Cape Diamond — The Citadel — A Relic of Bunker Hill — Rare Panorama of Country — Memorable Trip of Major Fitzgerald — His Unhappy Love Ro- mance — "Ribbon Farms" — Scene of Cartier's "White Winter" — Two Acres of Clover, Daisies, and Buttercups — Road to Charles- bourg — Chateau de Beaumanoir — Ruins, Flowers, and Vines — His- toric Names — Story of the Acadian Maid— Old Fortress — Its Secret Passage — Plains of Abraham. CHAPTER XIX Sights and Shrines of Quebec 260 Monuments to Wolfe, Montcalm, and " Aux Braves" — Ste. Foye Road — Mount Hermon — Chateau St. Louis — Portraits of Celebrities — Chateau Frontenac — " The Golden Dog" — Story of M. Phillibert — University of Laval — "Notre Dame des Victoires" — Graves of Richelieu and Laval — A Winter Night — Laughter and Good Cheer. Contents xiii CHAPTER XX PAGE From Quebec to Montreal 269 North Bank — Sillery — Indian Settlements in the St. Lawrence Valley — St. Francis — St. Regis — Three Rivers — Poetical Names — An Atmosphere of Age — Peasant Population — Three Types — Early Farmhouses — The Harvest Festival — Christmas-tide — A True Son of Old Normandy. CHAPTER XXI The Region of Rivers 285 The Chaudiere Valley — Watershed of Northern New England — Falls of the Chaudiere — Eastern Townships — As Seen by the Early Voyagers — A Primeval Picture — Feathered Denizens of the Woods — Noble Old Trees — Memory of Cartier's Men — Lake St. Peter — Town of St. Francis — St. Francis River — An Old-Time War-Trail — Rogers's Raid — The Loyalists — Yamaska — A Vista of Mountains — The Richelieu Valley — Extract from an Old Journal — Saintly Names — A Ghostly Bivouac. CHAPTER XXII Canada's " White City " 300 Oldest Town on the St. Lawrence — Victoria Bridge — Helen's Island — "All 's Lost but Honour" — History and Tragedy — First Steamer on the St. Lawrence — Churches — Notre Dame — Great Bell — Mid- night Mass — The Devil and the Wind — Grave of le Rat — Recollet Gate — Public Parks — Terrible Fate of the Four Iroquois Brothers — Noted Homes — Chateau de Ramezay — Scene of Momentous Events — Hallowed by the Presence of Famous Men — Old Kitchen — Portrait Gallery — Future of Montreal. CHAPTER XXIII Climbing the Rapids 323 The White Steamer — Hardships of the Early Portages — " Roads of Iron " — La Chine Canal — Nature Outwitted — The Place of Captives — Lake St. Louis — The Ottawa — Once a Part of the Great River — Lake St. Francis — Sunset on the River — Cornwall — Crossing the Line — St. Regis — Its Historic Bell — First Steamer to Run the Rapids — How it was Done — Prescott — Ancient Landmarks — Grave of Barbara Heck — "Patriot War" — Ill-starred Adventures — The Fenian Insurrection. xiv Contents CHAPTER XXIV PAGE The Gateway to the West 338 Mission of La Presentation — Ogdensburg — Brockville — Romance of the Thousand Islands — A Daughter's Devotion to a Father — Carle- ton Island — " Lost Channel" — Memory of a Bonaparte — Origin of the Feud between the Iroquois and the Algonquins — Legend of the League of the Five Nations — Tradition of Hiawatha — Cooper's "Station Island" — Gananoque — " The Place of the Deer" — A Poet's Tribute — Kingston, the Limestone City — Conclusion. Index 355 Illustrations PAGE View of Quebec, Lower Town . . . Frontispiece Modern Attractions of the Thousand Islands . . 6 From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal. Long Sault Rapids 8 From a drawing by W. H. Bartlett. Shooting the La Chine Rapids 10 From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal. View of the City of Quebec 12 Portrait of Jacques Cartier 16 v From B. Suite's Histoire des Canadiens-Fran$ais (Montreal, 1882-84). The Voyage of Jacques Cartier to Canada, 1534 . . 20 From an old print. Gaspe Basin 26 Perce Rock 28 Riviere du Loup Falls 32 Cartier's Visit to Hochelaga, 1535 . . . -34 From an old print. Cartier on His Way up the St. Lawrence River . .40 Manor de Cartier, St. Malo 50 Samuel De Champlain 52 From the O'Niel copy of the Hamel Painting. 1 A Squall on Lake St. Peter 58 From a drawing by W. H. Bartlett. xv xvi Illustrations PAGE Old Fort Chambly 64 From a drawing by W. H. Bartlett. The Champlain Monument, Quebec 72 From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. The St. Louis Gate, Quebec 76 From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. The French Flag in the Time of Champlain ... 82 Scene on the Jacques Cartier River .... 86 Habitation de Quebec 92 From Champlain's Works, rare Paris ed. of 1613. Chateau St. Louis (1694-1834), Destroyed by Fire in 1834 9 6 The Rapids Above the Cedars 100 From a drawing by W. H. Bartlett. The Indian Village of Caughnawaga .... 104 From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal. Portrait of Marie Guyard (Mere Marie de L'Incar- nation) 108 From B. Suite's Histoire des Canadiens-Francais. Portrait of Maisonneuve 116 Ibid. The Junction of the Ottawa and the St. Lawrence Rivers 126 From a drawing by W. H. Bartlett. Grandmere Rock, St. Maurice River .... 130 Portrait of Laval, First Canadian Bishop . . . 136 Ibid. La Salle House, Lower La Chine Road, Montreal . 138 From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal. A Summer Scene on the Shore of Lake Memphremagog 144 From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal. Portrait and Autograph of Cavalier De La Salle . 148 From B. Suite's Histoire des Canadiens-Francais. Illustrations XVll Frontenac . From Hebert's Statue at Quebec. View of the St. Lawrence River, from Citadel, Quebec From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. St. Patrick's Hole, St. Ferreol From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. The St. Lawrence River in Winter Portrait of Montcalm From B. Suite's Histoire des Canadiens-Franfais. The Louisbourg Gun in the Yard of the Chateau de Ramezay, Montreal .... From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal Cap Rouge . Major-General James Wolfe Montmorency Falls .... From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. The Citadel, Quebec, from Parliament Building From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. In the Days of the Pioneers From a drawing by W. H. Bartlett. The Old Tadousac Church A Group of Montagnais Indians From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. The Little Saguenay .... From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. Ouiatchouan Falls .... Pointe-a-pic, Murray Bay . Cap Tourmente (St. Joachim) St. John's Church, Isle of Orleans . From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. Bonne Ste. Anne — Old Church From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. PAGE *54 160 164 170 176 , 180 190 196 204 212 214 218 222 226 234 240 242 XV111 Illustrations Cape Diamond, Showing. Tablet to the Memory of Montgomery From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. The Break-neck Steps, Quebec .... Natural Steps, Montmorency River . From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. The Ruins of Chateau Bigot .... A Distant View of the Jacques Cartier Monument The Golden Dog From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. Sillery Cove A French Canadian Farmer From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. A French Canadian Homestead (St. Prime) Chaudiere River Chaudiere Falls From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. A Toss-up. A Form of Canadian Sport. . From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal. A Spill on the Toboggan Slide .... The Ice Palace, Montreal, 1885 Dominion Square, Montreal .... From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal. View of Montreal from Mount Royal From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal. The Chateau de Ramezay, Montreal From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal. Kitchen in the Chateau de Ramezay, Montreal From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal. Victoria Square, Montreal .... From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal. 254 258 260 262 264 268 276 278 286 288 290 296 302 306 310 312 3l8 320 Illustrations XIX An Old Windmill on Lower La Chine Road, Montreal 324 From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal. The Methodist Church at Prescott Founded by Barbara Heck. Her grave is marked by a cross. The Old Windmill at Prescott .... View of the Thousand Islands from Devil's Oven . From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal. Below the " Rift,' 1 ' Thousand Islands From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal Among the Thousand Islands From a photograph by W. Notman & Son, Montreal Map of the St. Lawrence River • 334 • 336 • 34o • 346 • 35o at end The St. Lawrence River Chapter I From Lake to Gulf Physical and Picturesque Features of Canada's Remarkable River — Fifty Miles of Islands — Scenery of " Les Mille lies" — A Hundred Miles of Rapids — Shooting the Rapids — The Bright Path of Peril — Romantic Montreal — Twin Rows of Towns — Historic Quebec — Long Miles of Tide-Water —Then Out to Sea! RIVERS play an important part in the history of a country. They reflect more clearly the character of the settlers than any other natu- ral boundary. They were, in truth, the one divid- ing line acknowledged by the American aborigines, and by them, as a rule, the limitations of the tribes be- came fixed, so far as it was possible for a people with unwritten laws to establish their domains. Along the banks of these unmapped streams clustered their conical tents ; here they held their councils of war ; here they celebrated their festivals of peace ; here they fished and hunted ; here they staked their fates, and won, and lost. These streams became their main highways of travel. Along their sedgy courses they sped their 2 The St. Lawrence River light canoes, leaving in their wake no stone disturbed, no twig turned, and scarce a ripple upon the surface of the water. The same boulders and smaller stones that strewed the pathway of the earliest voyager remained in the path of the last. Upon reaching the fountain- head of a river recourse was had to a land journey to the nearest water, the craft which had been their means of transit, as well as their rude " baggage," borne on their shoulders over the intervening portage, known for this reason as a "carrying-place." Upon the advent of the white man these rivers again became the natural paths of the explorers, their banks the homesteads of the pioneers ; later, the sites for cities builded through the industries arising from the mills and manufactories whose power was furnished by their waterfalls. Thus, in many ways, they became closely identified with the progress of civilisation. The history and description of a river should be written, it would seem, by starting at its fountain-head and following its course to that larger body of water where it yields its life and treasures. Unfortunately for this purpose, the tide of human events runs counter to the current of most rivers, and the storied St. Law- rence is no exception. If this is true the series of inci- dents that have helped form its history will be better comprehended after an outline of its natural career from lake to gulf ; each rapid, lakelet, rocky bluff, and tributary, having a double interest when linked with its ancient and now silent glory, is the story of human From Lake to Gulf 3 achievement, some deed of heroism, sacrifice, or suffer- ing endured by the brave race that led the way along its trackless aisles bordered by mighty forests. The St. Lawrence River, in its most limited bounds, x begins at the foot of Lake Ontario, opposite the city of Kingston, and flows generally in a north-easterly direction about 750 miles, when its flood mingles with that of the gulf by the same name. Treated in a more extended manner, according to the ideas of the early French geographers, and taking either the river and lake of Nipigon, on the north of Superior, or the river St. Louis, flowing from the south-west, it has a grand total length of over two thousand miles. With its tributaries it drains over four hundred thousand square miles of country, made up of fertile valleys and plateaux inhabited by a prosperous people, desolate barrens, deep forests, where the foot of man has not yet left its imprint. Seldom less than two miles in width, it is two and one-half miles wide where it issues from Ontario, and with several expansions which deserve the name of lake it becomes eighty miles in width where it ceases to be considered a river. The influence of the tide is felt as far up as Lake St. Peter, about one hundred miles above Quebec and over five hundred miles from the gulf, while it is navigable for sea-going vessels to Montreal, eighty miles farther inland. Rapids impede navigation above this point, but by means of canals continuous com- munication is obtained to the head of Lake Superior. 4 The St. Lawrence River If inferior in breadth to the mighty Amazon, if it lacks the length of the Mississippi, if without the stupendous gorges and cataracts of the Yang-tse-Kiang of China, if missing the ancient castles of the Rhine, if wanting the lonely grandeur that still overhangs the Congo of the Dark Continent, the Great River of Canada has features as remarkable as any of these. It has its source in the largest body of fresh water upon the globe, and among all of the big rivers of the world it is the only one whose volume is not sensibly affected by the elements. In rain or in sunshine, in spring floods or in summer droughts, this phenomenon of waterways seldom varies more than a foot in its rise and fall. By this statement it should not be understood that the river maintains every year the same depth of water, as from other causes it varies somewhat. One of the his- torians of its upper section', Mr. J. A. Haddock, says : The level of the river differs, one year with another, the extreme range being about seven feet. These changes are not the immediate effects of the excessive rains, such as cause floods in other rivers, but appear to be occasioned by the different quantities of rain fall- ing, in some years more than in others, and which finds its way down months afterwards. A series of several years of high water, and others of low water are known to have occurred. The level of the river is also affected by strong prevailing winds, blowing up or down the lake, and several instances of rapid fall, followed by a re- turning wave of extraordinary height, have been reported. While favoured with America's Great Lakes as the reservoir from which to draw its supply, the St. Law- rence has not been niggardly treated in the offerings of tributary streams, some of which are themselves noble From Lake to Gulf 5 rivers, the largest being the Ottawa and Saguenay. Hundreds of streams, many of them deserving the designation of river, come winding down from the region of the northland, or from the great watershed of the south. Canada is a country of canons and waterfalls, and the streams that seek the St. Lawrence run tortuous races before they reach the parent river. Some come tipped up edgewise, like the mysterious Saguenay ; others come flattened like the Montmorency, rolled so thin that the sunlight breaks through ; but one and all roll and tumble, toss and twist, and wear the white veil of mist. Beside Canada, New England, with her rivers and mountains, must be content to take a second place in the matter of waterfalls. Where the great Laurentian chain of mountains, running from east to west across Canada, swings south- ward to enter Northern New York, it drops a link, as it were, so as to allow the last of the big lakes an outlet in the channel of the St. Lawrence, which moves slug- gishly among the thousand islands helping to form the most picturesque archipelago in the world, its nearest rival being that other section of lakes and islands, Fin- land. The actual number of the islands of this Lake of the Thousand Isles is really nearer two thousand, though this discrepancy would not be noticed by the new-comer into this enchanting realm. Nor can it matter greatly to the daily voyager, as he threads the winding passages of the interior, or glides along the broader way leading into the American channel. This 6 The St. Lawrence River was the old Indian trail, and along this course followed the adventurous Champlain, who was the first white man to gaze upon this entrancing scene. Leaving the city of Kingston, which stands upon the site of that frontier town, Cataraqui, with its Mar- tello towers and decidedly military appearance, the course of modern travel leads to the lively American town, Clayton, noted as a summer resort. Below this thriving village, island after island studding the placid lake rises into view, the finger-tips of the great moun- tain range. On one of these larger isles is located the " Thousand Island Park," while a little below is the fashionable resort known as the " Saratoga of the St. Lawrence," Alexandria Bay, its shores the foreground for many elegant villas and summer hotels. Gazing upon the numerous cottages now dotting the islands, the mind of the thoughtful observer quickly spans the years that have seen this beautiful region opened to the admiring sight-seer ; to the period, not so very remote, when this lovely expanse of river and isles was known to I the romantic red man as Manatoana, or " The Garden '■ of the Great Spirit." As usual, the Amerind expressed in fitting term the natural beauties of the spot named. Covered with the ancient forest, fitting haunts for the wild deer, the little bays and inlets the common resort of water-fowl, it must indeed have been a paradise for the dusky hunter "and fisher. It is well that all of these natural attractions have not vanished, for still many of the isles . *:' t - £ _• O £ r js From Lake to Gulf 7 are bristling with firs and pines; others lie open like a level field awaiting the husbandman's care. Some are but arid rock, as wild and picturesque as those seen among the Faroe Islands; others have a group of trees or a solitary pine, and others bear a crown of flow- ers or a little hillock of verdure like a dome of malachite, among which the river slowly glides, embracing with equal fondness the great and the small, now receding afar and now retracing its course, like the good Patriarch visiting his domains, or like the god Proteus counting his snowy flocks. From Clayton to Chippewa Bay the river, with its clustered isles, is like a fairyland, the thousand and one gems brightened by the fantastic imagery of the be- holder. Now an island comes into view which bears a happy resemblance to some spot known in child- hood. Yonder is a bit of rock-landscape diamond- shaped, the gleam and glitter of the gem in its setting rather than in itself. Close by, in marked contrast to the other's barren aspect, is a star-pointed plot of green- sward, adorned by three trees whose interlacing branches form the outline of a cross. Below, like a huge hand laid upon the waters, is the green-bordered isle of the "lost lover" of Indian legend. The pointing finger of this island hand still shows the way the dusky maid went in search of her recreant lover, never to return. And everywhere art has combined with nature to enliven if not to enhance the scene. Upon a tiny island, barely large enough to afford it standing room, is a modest cottage. Over the brown shingle of the rocky beach of a larger island loom the dark grey walls of a western-world imitation of the Castle of Chillon, but happily the white face of 8 The St. Lawrence River its prisoner, made immortal by Byron, is not to be seen at its windows. The last of the Thousand Islands are called " The Three Sisters," on account of their resemblance and in- timate relations to each other, a beautiful trio that have been the silent witnesses of the coming and going of the races of men claiming lordship over the wonderland of the noble river. Brockville, " the Queen City of the St. Lawrence," named for General Brock, is situated on the Canadian shore, below the last of the islands, with Morristown on the New York bank nearly opposite. Below these, Ogdensburg, on the American side, and Prescott on the other, stand also vis-a-vis, like sentinels long on duty. Then the Massena Landing is passed, and the approach to the famous rapids is begun. There is a concealed velocity to the current of the St. Lawrence which we do not realise, though at times conscious of passing along swift water, until we are forci- bly reminded of the troubled condition of the river, and are told that we are entering the first of the series of rapids marking the downward flight of the waters. The Galops are passed when we come in sight of du Plat, thrilled with the pleasant sensation of excitement, and longing for a repetition of the exhilarating experience. We may be cowards at heart, but there is a fascination in this mild form of danger which arouses our interest. Aware that the descent just made was merely the pre- lude to the grand march ahead, as if nature were alive From Lake to Gulf 9 to the best effect to be produced, we approach with quickening pulse the nine miles of rapids known as the Long Sault. The river is now divided by a string of islands. The roar of the surges now breaks solemnly upon the ear, and the gaze is greeted with whirlpools of foaming waters and curved lines of yellow flood charg- ing some hidden enemy which flings it back with furious defiance, only to receive again and again the rallying legions forever beating its rock-ribbed front. Farther than the eye can reach extend these series of rifts, now capped with white plumes, anon darkling with rage ; at one moment rushing madly past jutting headlands, and then leaping with bounds the broken barriers in its pathway. The engineer shuts off the steam, but the current carries us on at the rate of twenty miles an hour. The pilot, a descendant of the dusky boatmen who navigated the river in their light barks long ere the coming of the white race, stands with confidence at his post, every sense on the alert, and the most timid feels safe under his guidance. Thus one and all give their undivided attention to watching the progress of the steamer glid- ing downward amid the pitch and toss of the broken current, the froth and foam upon the dishevelled waters, the bended breakers that wind about her pathway like the fateful combers of some reef-bound coast. Upon getting better command of ourselves, we are surprised at the smoothness with which the great boat follows its winding course, and the swift and faithful compliance it io The St. Lawrence River yields to the man at the wheel. Upon one hand a big white cap of foam covers a snarly head of rocks ; on the other, a granite arm reaches out to seize us as we sweep past, and though we can see it is a dozen fathoms too short to reach us, we breathe easier when it is left astern. Held fast in the granite teeth of a ledge an ill-fated raft is seen not far away, the sight an unpleasant suggestion of what might happen to us. At last, with pleasure and regret striving for the mastery over our feelings, calm water is seen in the distance, and we realise we have passed the long rapids, while the steamer moves gently on where the reunited streams mingle their waters with a tranquillity quite remarkable considering the recent display of violence. Below the Long Sault the river widens so as to form Lake St. Francis, five and one-half miles in width and twenty-five miles in length. Here and there an island dots the placid surface. This soon proves to be the training-ground for another charge in its downward march from the lake to the gulf, the preparation for a series of plunges down four rapids known as Couteau, Cedars, Split Rock, and Cascades, the quartette so closely connected as really to form one continuous rift. Upon reaching the foot of this watery stairway, we come upon another body of calm water, another muster- ground, named Lake St. Louis. The distant range of mountains — a spur of the Adirondacks — which has loomed so long and plain upon our view, now grows in- From Lake to Gulf n distinct, and we turn from its peaceful outlines to watch the river-banks gradually drawing nearer, as if fearful of giving their charge too great scope of freedom. Soon the misty form of Mount Royal appears on the horizon. Then the quickening current again speaks of rapids, of the running of a swift and furious race with fate, as if the elements were forever fleeing from gaolers that would bind them in fetters of granite. The water is whipped into serpents of foam, coiling about the rocky heads thrust above the surface, betraying with added ferocity the rage they would seem to conceal. Borne on once more solely by the current, the boat settles under our feet as if it were slipping from under us. The thrill, the exhilaration, the excitement, the hazard, the fury of the eddies, the foam of the surf, the twists and mazes of the turgid stream that tend to bewilder the onlooker, the efforts of the man at the wheel, the watchfulness of the pilot, the anxiety of the captain, — all these are doubled against our previous experi- ences, and we have run the famous rapids of Lachine ! v The river again widens and assumes a tranquil ap- pearance. The wood-fringed shores of Nun's Island are passed, and then the steamer sweeps proudly under the far-reaching spans of Victoria Bridge, over two miles in length, and considered one of the great engineering feats of the nineteenth century. Then Montreal, Canada's great metropolis, the city of churches and cathedrals, massive business buildings, commodious hotels, and 12 The St. Lawrence River magnificent parks, with the yet more magnificent mountain rising in the background, comes into view. Tried no more with rapids, the great river, like the mighty stream it is, sweeps calmly and majestically be- tween high, precipitous banks, or where the shores are low and level, with continuous rows of white-walled cottages, with groups of these dwellings at regular intervals forming a well-ordered hamlet, from among whose tree-tops rises the spire of a church, proving the inhabitants to be a religious people. Forty-five miles below Montreal, at the mouth of the Richelieu River, stands the thriving town of Sorel. Another broadening of the river forms Lake St. Peter, nine miles wide and twenty-five miles long. Then the St. Francois River, flowing down past the picturesque and historic Indian village by the same name, enters the St. Lawrence ; on the north another stream joins the larger river through three channels, giving name to the bustling town of Three Rivers ; then the namesake of a famous Indian chief, Batiscan, the inlet of Jacques Cartier River, an increasing ruggedness of the river- banks ; the mouth of the Chaudiere ; and then, more conspicuous than all else, rises upon the view the ancient stronghold of New France, — the Gibraltar of America, — Quebec. Here is more history wrapped in the silence of grey battlements ; more romance buried under antique walls; more mystery veiled by the at- mosphere of departed centuries, than is to be found elsewhere in America. Here the luxurious splendour of From Lake to Gulf 13 the Old World mingled with the barbaric simplicity of the New ; here was cradled a new empire for France ; and here, upon her battlefields, was decided the fate of nations. Quebec is about midway between the lakes and the gulf, and with still four hundred miles to journey the St. Lawrence sweeps on toward the sea, its current now the servant of the ocean tide, passing leisurely in suc- cession islands strung upon a broad band of silver, picturesque villages under the dedication of church spires, an occasional tributary stream, the grandest of which is the deep-volumed Saguenay, frowning points of land and rock, mountains whose ruggedness is soft- ened by the enchantment of distance. Rivers have at least one human trait. They are invariably loath to render over their treasures, to yield unto the sea the tribute they have brought from hills and woods through many a difficult passage and peril- ous rapid. As the end draws near they move with increasing sluggishness. The Great River of China, after leaping dizzy mountain cliffs and running a furi- ous race along a thousand leagues of rapids and gorges, slows its gait at last, and finally, in its desperation, heaps up bars of sand in a vain effort to save itself from the hungry sea. The Amazon deploys right and left over the adjacent country, as if bent upon swallow- ing instead of being swallowed, until it is difficult to distinguish between river and ocean. The Mississippi, after overflowing its banks for miles, creeps sullenly 14 The St. Lawrence River over sand-bars it is constantly building up, and pours its flood into the gulf through several avenues. The Great River of Canada forms no exception. Gradu- ally widening after leaving Quebec, at Point de Montes it suddenly makes a broader pathway than ever, but if moving through Amazonian portals it still clings to well-defined shores for another two hundred miles — Then out to the sea with a stately sweep, It mingles its tide with the mighty deep, As it has for a thousand years. Chapter II In the Wake of Cartier His Voyages of Discovery — Planting the Cross at Gaspe — From Gulf to River — Scenery along the Lower St. Lawrence. THE St. Lawrence is the only large river traced upon Novus Ordz's, which is claimed to be the first general atlas of the Western Hemisphere ; and whether done from the knowledge of actual ex- ploration or from imagination, it became in Europe the most famous waterway in America before the Hudson, the Mississippi, or any other stream had created a ripple on the surface of discovery. In regard to its navigation, tradition says one Thomas Aubert sailed up the river, in the early part of the sixteenth century, as far as Tadousac, and brought back an Indian captive. This seems, at first glance, to be the earliest account of an ascent by a European, still there is strong evidence to show that before this adventurous explorer from Dieppe made this voyage the Normans, Basques, and Malouns had ascended the river as far as he claimed, to fish and to trade with the natives for furs. How much farther these rugged fishermen went there is nothing to show, though it 15 1 6 The St. Lawrence River is quite likely they went as far as the present site of Quebec, where there was an Indian town known as Stadacone. Apropos of this interesting subject, Mr. W. H. H. Murray wrote of these voyages of the Basque, while he was enjoying a yacht trip up the Saguenay : There is reason to think that before the Christ was born the old Iberian ships were here ; and their descendants, the Basques, con- tinued the commerce which their progenitors had established, and who had rendezvoused here 1500 years after the Galilean name had conquered kingdoms and empires. The Norsemen were here, we know, a thousand years ago, and many a night the old sea kings of the north drank out of their mighty drinking horns good health to the distant ones and honours to Thor and Odin. Then, late enough to have his coming known to letters, and hence recorded, Jacques Cartier came, himself a Breton, and hence cousin in blood to the Basque whalers, whom he found here engaged in a pursuit which their race had followed before Rome was founded or Greece was born, before Jerusalem was builded, or even Egypt, perhaps, planted as a colony. St. Augustine, Plymouth Rock, Que- bec — these are mushroom growths, creations of yesterday, tradition- less, without a legend and without a fame, beside this harbour of Tadousac, whose history, along a thin but strong cord of sequence, can be traced back for a thousand years, and whose connection with Europe is older than the name ! Passing into the more substantial structure of history we find three names standing out with prominence in the narrative of our river : Cartier, the Pathfinder ; Champlain, the Father of French colonisation ; Fronte- nac, the Saviour of New France. Fortunately the first two left very full accounts of their discoveries, that of the second being especially valuable in the detail and fulness of his descriptions of the new country and its JACQUES CARTIER. In the Wake of Cartier 1 7 denizens. Even if not as complete, no narrative given to the eager seekers after knowledge at that anxious period threw so much light upon the New World as the Bref Recit of the redoubtable Breton who was foremost of this trio. The opening of the sixteenth century was the dawning of a new day upon the long, moonless night of the Mid- dle Ages. Columbus had startled Europe with the out- come of his hazardous voyages, and Spain, reaping the glory, stood at the head of the leading Powers of the civilised world. What Rome had done in the van of conquest Castile promised to repeat. In his overflow of exultation her king very magnanimously divided the earth with the king of Portugal, who was disposed to believe he had a joint interest in the matter, and their popes issued a papal bull to that effect. The spirit of the times and the audacity of kings is shown by the ruler of France, who went Ferdinand one better by laying claim to all of the New World. Thus we see marked upon the maps and globes of that day the con- tinents of North and South America under the name of "New France!" The assumption for this bold claim was based upon the discoveries of Verrazzano in 1524, and those of Jacques Cartier, 1534-36. As the first of these intrepid navigators only sailed along the coast of the unexplored country, I have no occasion to speak of the fruits of his voyages. Those of the latter have a direct bearing upon the subject in hand, for he penetrated so far into 1 8 The St. Lawrence River the interior as to become not only the discoverer but the explorer of the St. Lawrence. Little is known of Cartier outside of his voyages to America. He belonged to a race of hardy fishermen, and had, it is claimed, made several fishing voyages between St. Malo and the shores of Labrador, until he had become imbued with the idea that it would be worth his while to penetrate into the interior of the country, whose shores, if inhospitable and forbidding, yet beckoned him hither with the finger of mystery. Others speak of him as a corsair. Let which will be right, or both for that matter, it is certain he was a bold navigator, who had sailed the seas to such an extent he had created for himself a confidence among his friends and patrons that he was equal to the undertaking of leading the way for any enterprise France might under- take in the unknown West. He was in the prime of life, being forty-three years of age at the time he pro- posed his daring scheme, and the opportunity was pro- pitious. Central Europe was shaken by the spirit of a religious revolution. Germany was under the rod of Luther, and France was trembling before the attacks of Calvin. In both cases Catholicism was the sufferer and it was argued that the success of Spain was due largely to her fidelity to this church. Thus Francis the First, King of France, whose piety was equalled only by his political ambition, eagerly seized upon the prospect of recompensing his church for its loss in the Old World by opening up a field in New France. In the Wake of Cartier 19 St. Malo stood upon a peninsula, whose point ran out into the water so as to form a small harbour, left nearly dry at the ebb of the tide, which went out with a roar and rush quite terrific. Naturally the men of such a place were experienced sailors, and it is certain none stood higher than the master pilot, Jacques Cartier, who upon the morning of April 20, 1534, felt his heart bound with freedom as the tide lifted upon its mighty bosom his small vessels, and bore them resolute- ly away upon their long voyage. Among the friends who bade the departing sailors a hearty god-speed, not even the most sanguine could have dreamed of the out- come of the undertaking. The passage of the Atlantic was made without serious delays, but off the shore of Newfoundland, Cartier experienced such stormy weather that, after going as far as the Strait of Belle Isle, he was fain to turn south, by this manoeuvre accomplishing the first navigation of the coast. Rounding the Magdalene Islands he entered the gulf, and sailing along the shore of Prince Edward's Island, he made on the 8th of July the Bay of Chaleur, giving it the name by which it is now known from the excessive heat of that day. The exact course followed by him after this is not clearly shown, though this is a matter of small import- ance. Where the land juts out into the gulf as a sort of dividing line between that body of water and its generous affluent, he landed to implant the first cross upon the shores of the New World. To appease the 20 The St. Lawrence River fears of the wondering natives he explained that he was doing it as a beacon-post for other voyagers likely to follow him. Then, enticing two of the men on board and impressing them as pilots, he sailed away from the solitary but magnificent shore, whose scenery has not yet been appreciated save by an occasional artist who has reached the ancient hamlet of Ste. Anne des Monts and Cape Gaspe. It has its own peculiar attractions, however, and the day cannot be far distant when the southward tide of tourists will find them, and the quiet simplicity of the humble fisher- and farmer- folk will be swallowed up in the train of modern fashion and revelry. Highly elated over his pious accomplishment at Cape Gaspe, Cartier sailed proudly up the gulf, coasting along the shore of the island of Anticosti. But he failed to realise that he was within the sweep of the flood of the St. Lawrence, and thus missed the knowledge of a discovery of the great waterway bringing its offerings from its vast system of inland seas nearly two thousand miles distant. He was nine weeks in making this exploration, and, after repassing the lonely strait which had led him into the gulf, bore away for his homeland. If he carried with him little to encourage his King in another enterprise of the kind, he had accomplished, in fact, from having paved the way for future voyages, more than he could have foretold. The following spring Cartier started on his second voyage, his one aim and instruction this time being to In the Wake of Cartier 21 carry Christianity to the heathen. One cannot help speculating, without intending sarcasm, as to whether there was not quite as much necessity for this work upon his ships, inasmuch as his crew was made up largely of criminals pressed into his service. Letting that, which is really none of our concern, alone, the weather on this voyage was adverse, so his little fleet of three caravels was scattered before he could bring them safely to the shores of the new country. It was late in July when he again entered the Strait of Belle Isle, on the Labrador coast, and sought safety in a small harbour he christened the " Bay of St. Lawrence " (Saint Laurens), the first appearance of this name which was later to be applied to both gulf and river. Soon the doughty Breton resumed his onward course, hugging the southern shore, along a river eighty miles in width. With what awe he watched the surrounding scene may be imagined, believing, as he did, he had at last found the passage to Cathay, the Mecca of the dreams of every voyager of that day. As his brave little craft plunged boldly along the coast frowning cliffs, bleak, barren, forbidding, frowned down upon him, and then he came abreast of the stern bulwarks of the Gaspe range, whose watchmen, the Shicksaws, tower like huge giants vainly climbing to reach the sky that bended low over their crests as if eager to meet them half-way. Over all hung the silence of forest and mountain, the restless sleep of river and sea. Farther away, upon the other hand, rose rocky walls 22 The St. Lawrence River that formed mighty barriers to the mysterious wilder- ness beyond. Broken here and there with huge rents, gorges, and chasms, these defiles only served to reveal the mightier breastworks beyond thrown up by na- ture in her defence against the incursions of explorers. What a grand sight! Grey rocks, piled tier upon tier; sombre forests, looming terrace above terrace ; the vague, mist-like outline of mountains beyond. Over all hung the shifting tints of light and shade. Now the bright-hued beams of breaking day illuminated pine and spruce, brilliant maple, dazzling poplar, and the deep green of the cedar. At noontide this crimson and pink became intensified with the gorgeous brightness of mid- day. Anon, the atmosphere of evening glorified all with many tints, splashing the landscape with an added transparency of gold and silver upon green and brown, russet and purple, the lighter shades swiftly taking on the deeper hues as the sun sank behind the distant ranges, each halo forming a distinct band of shadows. These, too, proved of short life and shifting shades, for the rising moon touched them with her magic wand, sending them deeper and deeper into the gorges and ravines from whence they had sprung, as she ascended the stairway of the sky. As he progressed, bold headlands thrust, ever and anon, their solemn fronts far out into the water, and then these gave way to long, level reaches, marking the outer boundaries of some bay or deep swamp, the re- sort of innumerable birds, the most prominent of which In the Wake of Cartier 23 were great flocks of crows, whose flight darkened the sun. Then the mountain breeze, tempered with the aroma of a perennial forest, kissed away the damp of the salt-sea spray from his brow, and exchanging the plaintive swish of the moaning tide for the soughing of the west winds through the groves of fir and pine, he passed boldly through the open gate to Canada, leading the way into the primeval fastness for the bold voya- geurs who were to follow in his wake. "What river is this?" asked Cartier, of his dusky pilots, — the two natives whom he had taken captive the year before, — as he stood with uncovered head, begin- ning to realise that his dream of a passage to India was fading away. The red man, with solemn dignity becoming his reply, answered : " A river without end." Now Cartier moved slowly and cautiously along the great river, which he felt certain must come from the interior of the continent. His dark-hued companions told him many wonder stories of the strange region to the north, over which roamed the tribe of Montagnais, or " mountaineers," so frequently written of by the Jesuit missionaries in after years. These Indians had been long at war with the Innuits. They evidently had come at some remote period from the north and west. To the south-west of the Ungava district dwelt the Little Whale River Indians, more mild in their con- duct than the others. They were boatmen of extra- ordinary skill. In their birch-bark canoes, which had 24 The St. Lawrence River a higher curve at prow and stern than others gave to theirs, so as to cut better the foaming current, they outrode winds and waves that would appall the hearts of braver, but less skilled, canoe-men. Then there were the Koksoak Indians, whose leading trait was their ability to carry on a long-distance conversation. Through an inflection of speech, peculiar to them, they could raise their voice to such a pitch that they could make themselves understood by their companions who might be more than a mile away, while each alter- nate word would sink to a whisper. These Indians were also, and are still, noted for their exactness in imitating the cries of wild geese. In doing this some of the men will make one note, and others follow with the variations. It is claimed by ethnologists that all of these families of Amerinds belong to the Cree stock, their difference in customs and language being due to their environments. The scene along the south shore was less suggestive of the sublime and fiercer elements which reigned over the northern country, the realm of the foaming torrent and the warring wilderness. Here were to be seen at times wide breadths of lowland forests, with a frame- work of mountains in the distance. To-day there is an almost continuous chain of fisher hamlets, farm-houses, villages, diamonded by church spires, marked by wind- mills, groves of trees, and green meadows, whose bosoms are knotted with silvery streams winding slug- gishly down to the sea. Chapter III The Lower St. Lawrence The Oldest Town in America — Legend of Perce Rock — A Glimpse of the Sague- nay — Cartier Reaches Stadacone, the Original Quebec. THIS lower section of the Great River of Canada is the birthland of the gods and heroes of the picturesque Amerinds, whose myths and legends have not yet fled before the searchlight of civi- lisation, so there is not a spot without its warrior dream and some allusion to that day when the land was peopled by a race with an unwritten history. Here, long before the coming of Cartier and his successors, the most poetical and chivalrous of the explorers of America, was waged many a sanguinary battle for the lordship of these fruitful hunting-grounds and fisheries between the Micmacs, Malecites, Abnakis, Montagnais, Souriquois, and others. Nor did these tragedies cease with the coming of the white conquerors, themselves made up of many families. From where lies grim Anticosti, swathed long nights in its cloaks of mist, dis- closing with the sunlight desolate shores strewn with the wreckage of good vessels driven upon its rocks under the stress of the furious gales prevalent off this coast, 26 The St. Lawrence River there is not an island, point of mainland, or indentation of water where some wonder story does not cling, some wraith of old-time adventure does not hover. We see signs of these imprinted upon the rugged features of the inhabitants, — singular compounds, it would seem, them- selves of the ancient voyageur and the latter-day- farmer- and fisher-folk. The oldest French name on the continent is " Breton," supplied by a Portuguese cartographer in 1520, in memory of the hardy fishermen from Brittany, who had been in the habit of visiting, for an unknown period, the place on their fishing trips. Gaspe can claim a greater honour, as it has reason to be considered the most ancient town founded by Europeans in America, if it is true the Vikings had a fishing station here in the tenth century, five hundred years before Columbus went forth to rediscover the New World. Velasco, the Spanish navigator, is supposed to have visited the bay in 1506. Cartier, as I have already shown, was there in 1534, taking possession of the sur- rounding country in the name of the King of France, and leaving as a monument of his easy conquest a cross thirty feet in height, decked with the fleur-de-lis of his native land. If the Latin race proved poor colonisers, so did the Gallic adventurers, and it was left for the Anglo-Saxons to accomplish what the others had failed to do. Fortunately the earlier feelings of racial dislike have gradually softened, and out of the union has come a strong and virile people, working harmoniously to- The Lower St. Lawrence 27 gether for their common good toward building up a nation destined to become a power in the world. Gaspe Bay is about twenty miles in length, and ends in a basin large enough to shelter a fleet of a thousand vessels, so it is worthy of the notice it attracted in the days of exploration, when the first object desired was the safety of the ships. It is easy to imagine the feelings of these doughty voy- agers as they gazed for the first time upon that grey obe- lisk five hundred feet in length and nearly three hundred feet in height, known as Perce Rock. Rising from the water in the distance like a pillar of solid stone, when they drew nearer a lofty arch opened, as if the massive walls had been swung ajar by the Omnipotent Hand. Some rocks lose their startling shapes upon closer ap- proach, and the air of mystery melts into the clear sunshine, robbing each point and fissure of unlikely pic- tures. But this one manages to increase the vividness of its setting, until it requires no grievous strain of the imagination to feel that you are gazing upon the outer wall of some old granite castle long since depleted of its tower and temple. This illusion is enhanced by the dark broadsides of a mountain in the background, whose top is as square as if it had been chopped off by a single stroke from the mighty axe of Glooscap or some other weird deity of the aborigines of this vicinity. As usual where nature reigns supreme, rock and water and moun- tain blend together so as to form one grand and perfect whole. Throw over this the broad bars of the setting 28 The St. Lawrence River sun, and an atmosphere that only the clear air of this hyperborean temperature can produce, and you have ob- tained a most remarkable effect of a remarkable scene. Beyond this the same sunset is flooding a long, huge pile of brownish ledge of rock, cutting in twain a tide that rolls majestically over fifty fathoms of water. This last is Bonaventura Island, which has been beating back for unnumbered ages the white-maned cavalry of the sea, until its high walls bear the marks of the inroads of these invincible legions, which in the end must become its conquerors though that day is still far removed. Romance delights to cluster around such spots, and Perce Rock is not devoid of interest in this direction. The sweetest, saddest, of these stones still told by the fishermen of this locality is the account of the fair Breton maid who lost her life here, and whose white wraith is still to be seen hovering over the fateful place at certain times when the sun's light dips just so far and no farther over the rim of the distant mountain. She is seen but a moment, and sharp and quick indeed must be the eye of him who catches a glimpse of her. Those who have been so fortunate declare that her form is clearly outlined, and that she is very beautiful. It has been nearly two hundred years since her earthly figure assumed the spiritual. Her lover — for, like most of the delightful folklore of this region, hers is a love-story — was among the early voyagers who came to seek his fortune in the wilds of the American wilderness in the valley of the storied St. Lawrence. The Lower St. Lawrence 29 She was his promised bride, and fain would have ac- companied him upon his hazardous journey, but he deemed it best for her to remain behind until he should send for her. Upon reaching Quebec he soon arranged for her coming, and sent her word to come by the next vessel. She obeyed gladly, but the ship upon which she sailed was captured by Spanish corsairs, and she of all the crew was spared, as it proved, for a worse fate. Her beauty had so captivated the pirate captain that he soon announced his purpose of making her his wife. She refused to comply with his demands, and, finding his threats could not move her, he swore that she should never reach Quebec. Furthermore, he would sail past the town upon the rock, and in sight of its walls and the home of her lover she should be put to death. This fate so preyed upon her mind that as the vessel entered the waters of the Great River she escaped her watchers and sprang overboard. The efforts put forth to effect her rescue were in vain, but later, as the ship was sail- ing past this rock, the lookout discovered what appeared to him as a woman just arisen from the water, her clinging garments dripping with the salt spray. It was the hour of sunset, and attracted thither by some mysterious power, the vessel slowly approached the fiofure luring- them on. In the midst of this advance it was discovered that the ship was slowly sinking, though she had appeared to spring no leak ! In vain her frantic commander shouted his orders to wear away from the haunted spot. In vain did his frenzied crew 30 The St. Lawrence River endeavour to obey. It was soon found that the hulk of the ship and themselves were turning into stone ! The masts became uplifted pillars of iron, and the sails were transformed into sheets of slate ! While she drifted with invincible power toward the fateful rock she con- tinued to sink deeper and deeper into the tide. Be- fore the seamen and their officers could leap overboard they were changed to bodies of stone. Then, as the doomed vessel collided with the rock, in some mysteri- ous manner she became a part of it ! Yonder point of ledge is said to have been her bowsprit, but time and tide have dimmed her outlines somewhat, though there was a day when she could be plainly discerned. If the ship has lost its identity in the rock the wraith of the unfortunate maiden still lingers over the place. It is believed now she, too, will depart when the last vestige of the ship shall have vanished. The fisherman who tells you this legend of Perce Rock may vary its details somewhat, for no two tell it alike, but in one respect all will agree. No one will hazard his luck by dropping a line for fish at the sacred hour when its white visitant is expected to appear. Even this has come since that distant day when Cartier, still wondering, still anxious, kept on his lonely way, the swish of a leaping fish clearing at a bound yards of water and air, the calling of a pair of gulls in the lan- guage known only to them, the deeper call and answer of a couple of loons far out over the water, the plashing of some white whales disporting in the tide, plunging The Lower St. Lawrence 31 about like porpoises, while giving utterance to a deep, lowing sound like a cow calling to her calf, the sounds breaking upon the solemnity of his lonely advance. As he sailed on, the distant walls of the forest, which Ruskin has compared to a mighty cathedral, with painted win- dows and hung with illuminated manuscripts, gradually drew nearer, the silence unbroken by the clink of a sur- veyor's chain, and where the industrious beaver, which was unconsciously to become such a potent factor in opening up this wilderness, now plied its craft undis- turbed, save when that being, half-human, half-satyr, silently set his traps for it and clothed his dusky form in its skins. In turn the bronzed and bearded voyager passed the silent places where stand to-day the quiet hamlets of Ste. Anne de Monts, named for another bold navi- gator as well as in memory of a saint, past Cape Chat, Metis, the favourite resort of romantic lovers, Rimouski, noted for its cathedrals, picturesque Bic, and many other places of modern interest, to stay his progress at last where a tremendous break appeared in the mountain range on the north, making a gigantic gateway opening into the mysterious region beyond, a fitting passage to the underworld. He had been looking for this gloomy passway, for the Indians of Gaspe had awakened his curiosity with wild stories of marvellous mines and stores of gems lying behind the rock-wall, to be reached only by a river that flowed through a cavern. His Indians with him 32 The St. Lawrence River told him this was that river, — the Saguenay, — and on the ist of September, 1535, he anchored his little fleet in St. Catherine's Bay around Point Noire. His pilots told him the country far to the north was inhabited by a race with white skins, and who clothed themselves in wool. Great wealth lay hidden in the earth in that region. Seeing little evidence of it here, and having little relish to brave the frown of the hills about him by entering the silence of the sublime gateway, Cartier speedily headed up the river, until at last he came in sight of that rocky escarpment which was the site of the first settlement of natives he had seen since entering the river. This he was told was the "great town of Stadacone," where dwelt the mighty chief Donnacona and his followers. He saw only a cluster of bark camps covering the rocky outpost of barbarism, clothed in the majesty of supreme silence and breathing the stern poetry of the wilderness. Passing the Isle of Orleans, which so abounded with grapes that he named it the Isle of Bacchus, the ships, which already had awakened the keenest interest of the dusky watchers on the lookout, glided to anchor- age. In an incredibly short time the water swarmed with the birch-bark boats of these amazed Indians, who climbed upon the decks of the new-comers with undis- guised curiosity, even the chief forgetting the dignity of his kingly position and joining his rabble of followers in their childish wonder at the strangers, who they were inclined to believe were superior beings. A few W:«+? ^ RIVIERE DU LOUP FALLS. The Lower St. Lawrence 33 trinkets, some wine and cake, were sufficient to secure their friendship, and without loss of time Cartier, with a few chosen companions, approached the rocky pro- montory in a boat, soon reaching that harbour which has since been the port of so many inland ships. Guided by the dusky natives he made the summit by a circuit- ous path, when for the first time upon record a Euro- pean gazed upon that wonderful panorama of country unfolded to this day to him who stands upon the em- battled heights. He saw, as one sees to-day, far below him the harbour, sparkling like a silver buckler in the clear northern light ; beyond, the bold front of Cap Tour- mente ; on the north and east he looked upon a crescent of primeval forest where we look calmly down upon the farms of peaceful people, framed in now, as then, by the mountains whose blue vies with the azure of the horizon ; on the south-east, with the Isle of Orleans forever breasting the current of the mighty river a little to the left, he gazed upon the unpeopled highlands of Point Levi ; from above, and of greater interest to him than all else, moved the slow-coming stream, bringing its tribute from the great storehouse of the west. A nobler or more picturesque expanse of country was never disclosed to the gaze of an explorer. But even he could not fore- see that this spot was to become the site of America's greatest fortress, where the proudest warriors of the Old World were to be marshalled in after years to decide the fate of the empire of which he was to lay the corner-stone of discovery. Chapter IV The Primitive Capital of Canada Cartier Keeps up the River to Hochelaga — Ascends Mount Royal — Description of the Stronghold of the Amerinds — Returns to France — Coming of Roberval — His Failure — Romance of the Isle of Demons. CARTIER had already been informed that a town larger and of more importance than Stadacone was situated farther up the river, and was known as Hochelaga. Received here with friendliness, and having a lingering hope in his bosom that he was still on the broad road to Cathay, the bold pathfinder soon pushed bravely ahead, promis- ing the dusky chieftain of the town upon the rock that he should return. It is possible this promise afforded the aged king little cause for rejoicing, as it is said that he displayed evident feelings of relief when he saw the strangers heading away in the wake of the westering sun. Be that as it may, their minds were too deeply en- grossed with the wonders of the new land to take into consideration the effect their coming or going might have upon a small confederation of untutored men. Upon the morning. of October 2nd he was warned of his approach to the primitive capital of the wilder- ness by the appearance of a great crowd of half-naked 34 The Primitive Capital of Canada 35 natives, who rapidly gathered along the banks upon sighting them, and began to display wild antics which he easily imagined to mean both surprise and welcome. In the background was a high eminence of land, and at its foot they saw fields of maize, melons, and beans, showing that the people were to a certain extent agri- culturists. Some of the early writers describe them, as well as those at Stadacone, as belonging to the Iro- quois. Others say they were Hurons. It does not seem to matter which were right, as another race occu- pied both towns when, years later, Cartier's successor visited them. Cartier described his reception as most cordial by the natives, who seemed to look upon him and his followers as superior beings. The best they had was placed before the visitors, while the sick and crippled were brought to be healed. The chief went so far as to place upon the brow of Cartier his crown of wild vines, thus acknowledging the latter as his sovereign. The primitive town stood at the base of a hill, encircled by corn-fields, with the river and forest be- yond. The village was surrounded by high palisades, after the rude form of protection common among the Amerinds. The following day, with some of his of- ficers, and a body-guard of twenty men, Cartier visited the fortress. As they were escorted through a gate into the inclosure they found on the inside a gal- lery built to afford a vantage-ground from which the defenders could hurl missiles over the fence upon an 36 The St. Lawrence River attacking enemy. A pile of stones was placed to be in readiness for immediate use. In describing this strong- hold of these wildwood warriors, Parkman, in his pictur- esque language, says : An Indian path led them through the forest which covered the site of Montreal. The morning air was chill and sharp, the leaves were changing hue, and beneath the oaks the ground was thickly- strewn with acorns. They soon met an Indian chief with a party of tribesmen, or, as the old narrative has it, "one of the principal lords of the said city," attended with a numerous retinue. Greeting them after the concise courtesy of the forest, he led them to a fire kindled by the side of the path, for their comfort and refreshment* seated them on the earth, and made them a long harangue, receiving in requital of his eloquence two hatchets, two knives, and a crucifix, the last of which he was invited to kiss. This done, they resumed their march, and presently issued forth upon open fields, covered far and near with the ripened maize, its leaves rustling, its yellow grains gleaming between the parting husks. Before them, wrapped in forests painted by the early frosts, rose the ridgy back of the Mountain of Montreal, and below, encompassed with its corn-fields, lay the Indian town. Cartier spoke in glowing terms of the height of land behind this lodgment, and the thought of the view from its summit must have been in his mind during his visit to the palisaded town, as he improved an early oppor- tunity to make its ascent, led by a few of the red men, and followed by a mob. He had named it at first sight " Mont Royale," a designation since easily transposed into Montreal, the name of the city that stands upon the site of ancient Hochelaga, the primitive metropolis of The Primitive Capital of Canada 37 the Canadian wilds. From its crest he looked out over the great green roof of the boundless west, which was for centuries the battle-ground of rival races. No voice of prophecy came up to him from the savage silence saying that the canopied desert at his feet was destined to produce in its time the towers, domes, and spires, congregated roofs, and bright walls of the city of a civilised people. While he gazed up and down the broad river rolling toward the sea, and its tributary, the tumultous Ottawa, — if smaller, scarcely less impressive, — he must have seen but dimly the realisation of any hope to reach that Cathay, for ever in the minds of the early voyagers. It was now too late in the season for him to dally longer here, as much as he may have wanted to do so, and on the nth of October he was back again at his station on the St. Charles River, just below Stadacone, and called by him Havre de Sainte Croix, in many respects greatly pleased with his trip. He now pre- pared to spend the coming winter here. The experiences which followed, during what he termed " the white winter," were severe enough to have discouraged a less energetic leader. Soon after the cold weather had set in, which was a revelation in itself to these men of France, a disease resembling the scurvy broke out among the natives. This dread malady soon spread among the French, until there was scarcely a man able to keep about. Before the warm weather brought relief twenty-five had perished. Probably the 38 The St Lawrence River lives of the survivors were saved by drinking a bever- age prepared by the Indians which they called ameda. This was supposed to have been brewed from pine boughs and bark. Beyond question it had a soothing and beneficial effect. With the coming of spring the handful of emaciated, disheartened French found courage in the thought of returning to France, and as soon as the river began to clear of ice they prepared to make the homeward trip. One of their vessels was so badly disabled in coming that it was looked upon as quite unseaworthy. But this made little difference, as there were really barely men enough left to man the other two. So they de- cided to give the condemned ship to the natives. Feeling it his duty to leave here some monument of his visit, on the 3rd of May Cartier planted a new cross upon the shore of the river and placed upon it a notice of his claim to the country in the name of his king, couching his notice in the following words : "Francis Primus, Dei Gratia Francorum Rex Regnat." Having accomplished this purpose he next per- formed an act less humane. This was nothing less than the seizure of the poor king of the little band who had treated him in such a friendly manner through the most trying winter of his life, and four of his subjects, having enticed them on board of his ship under the pretence of friendship. Perhaps he excused this deed to his conscience upon the ground that it would be The Primitive Capital of Canada 39 necessary to have some proof of the kind to offer his sovereign at home. Though indignant at this outrage the Indians offered first to ransom their chieftain. This being firmly de- clined, they resorted to force, when Cartier outwitted them by compelling Donnacona to stand up in sight of them, and declare that he was not displeased with the treatment given him. Another year they might look for him back again, with wonderful stones to tell and laden with many beautiful presents. These artful words, with a few simple presents flung to them, together with the proffer of the abandoned vessel, so far appeased the red men that they allowed the abductors to depart without further molestation. This act closed the more noteworthy incidents of Cartier's second voyage. Certainly this time he had not made any discovery that was likely to benefit his King. While there had been held up before the gaze of Cartier at all times the alluring picture of a land abounding in gold and precious gems, covered with a forest filled with wonderful creatures, not the least among them being a race of white men who walked on one leg and lived without food, he had really found a country clothed most of the time under the white mantle of winter, peopled by a race of savages ; and, if he had made strange discoveries, he had reaped a whirl- wind of disease and disappointment. So his mind was not wholly free from trouble, any more than the abused king and his companions who had accompanied him as 4-o The St. Lawrence River captives, the one party looking back with bitter regret at the cabin walls they were never to look upon again, and the other with mingled joy and sadness upon the lonesome emblem of Christianity entwined with the fleur-de-lis of their native land, all they had left to speak of their year of hardships. Cartier designated the stream which he had dis- covered " the river of Hochelaga," or " the great river of Canada." The former term was no doubt an Indian word, applied by them to a collection of cabins or wig- wams ; as we should use it, a town or village. In the journal of this voyage he says explicitly, " Ills appellent une ville Canada!' This word belonged to the Iroquois tongue, with this meaning, and it was the same in the speech of the Mohawks, which was a dialect of the other. Cartier limited the application of the name " Canada " to the country about Stadacone, while he designated that below as " the country of the Saguenay," and that above as " Hochelaga." 1 In his description of the river he had discovered the voyager from St. Malo declared it was "the greatest river that is ever to have been seen." So his narrative 1 The cartographer Ortelius published in 1572-73 a map of America, upon which he applied the name of " Saguenai " to the country about the river which still bears that name ; " Canada," to the country above and reaching to the Ottawa ; " Mos- cosa," to the district south of the mouth of the St. Lawrence and east of the Richelieu; " Chilaga " (Hochelaga), that near the mouth of the Ottawa ; "Avacal," to the south and west of the Moscosa country ; " Norumbega," to Maine and New Brunswick. He followed others in giving the name of New France to all of North and South America. The Primitive Capital of Canada 41 flashes out with wild visions of the country, the whole inflated with superstition, which was a prevalent leaven- ing in the accounts from most of the explorers of that period. He brought, too, specimens of the gold and diamonds that were said to abound so plentifully in the land. But his former patron, Charbot, had fallen into trouble ; his King had all he could do to look after his wars and affairs nearer home. His "gold" proved spurious ; his " diamonds," valueless quartz. So Cartier's account did not find sufficient response to enable him to return on his third voyage, as he had hoped. In fact, so slowly did the importance of his discovery impress itself upon the King and his subjects that it was not until 1 544 that the first fruit of his work appeared as a map, while the narrative of his second voyage was not published till a year later. Neither seemed to have afforded the Government any satisfac- tion, and the publication of both was not only suspended, but all copies that had been put out which could be found were secured and destroyed. It is now supposed that only one copy of the map and his Bref Rdcit of 1 545 have been preserved. The first of these is to be found in the Library of Paris, having been recovered in Germany, and the other still exists in the British Museum. (Parenthetically, it may not be out of place to say that the map is believed by some to be a copy of the original.) It was in reality sixteen years after Cartier had completed his voyages that the French people were made acquainted with his work, and 42 The St. Lawrence River then through an Italian author named Giambattista Ramusio. In the meantime Cartier was not inactive. At Fon- tainebleau, January 15, 1540, Francis signed the papers which made one of his favourites, Jean Francois de la Roche, a Picard seigneur better known by the designa- tion of his vast estate as Roberval, Vice-Royal over the country discovered by Cartier. What was of more importance than this, he placed to his credit 45,000 livres. Even under such encouragement this nobleman from Picardy dallied so with starting upon his enter- prise that the King felt obliged to return to Cartier, whom he had neglected, and he appointed him pilot and captain-general of the expedition. The latter showed that he was equal to the trust, and, though Roberval still delayed, on the 23rd of May, 1541, Cartier, in com- mand of three vessels, set sail on his third voyage, leaving his superior to follow at his leisure. Again he met with a stormy passage of the Atlantic, and his ships were scattered, but fortunately reunited before making the "great river." For the second time he drew near the tower of rock overlooking the foam- flecked water at its base. There had been no apparent change in the scene. On the summit of this natural lookout, commanding a wide view of the surrounding country, under the oak and walnut trees, still stood the primitive dwellings of the people who were the keepers of the wilderness. It was evident they had been look- ing for him a long time, and had discovered the sails of The Primitive Capital of Canada 43 his caravels from afar, as they flocked upon the shore and swam out to meet him as he drew near. Their first demand was to meet their King, whom they had missed for over five years. Cartier told the truth when he informed them that he was dead, adding, as a saving grace, that he had died strong in the faith of the white man's religion. The French captain dared not risk too much upon the truth, so he denied that the others had also fallen victims to disease, but declared that they lived, had married white women, and were so well contented with their new life that they had refused to come back. They had, however, sent kindly greetings to their old companions. These answers served their purpose, though the astute commander could see that he had lost largely the confi- dence of the red men. This time he selected a harbour twelve miles farther up the river, near Cap Rouge, where he established a fort he named Charlesbourg. Rumours reached him of an intended attack on the part of the Iroquois at Hoche- laga, and, while these did not prove true, he passed a rather uncomfortable season. As soon as their fortifica- tions were completed, leaving the command here with one of his trusty followers, Cartier started up the river with two boats to continue the exploration he had begun on his previous voyage. His discoveries did not add materially to his knowledge, but it was late in October when he returned, to find his followers gloomy and distrustful. Nothing had been seen of Roberval ; the 44 The St. Lawrence River Indians had continued to hold aloof, if not displaying open hostilities ; and with the winter already setting in, it was natural a spirit of homesickness should prevail. Nothing more hopeful, however, could be done than to wait until spring, when their leader promised them to return to France. Fortunately they were better prepared for the cold weather than on the previous occasion, while the winter seems to have been less severe. At any rate they apparently suffered less, and another May-day found them sailing once more down the river on their home- ward voyage. Again the grand scenery of the lower St. Lawrence was passed, the rocky islets nearly hidden behind clouds of screaming sea-fowls left behind, and their staunch little ships stood boldly down the gulf. Upon approaching the harbour of St. John, whither they had been attracted by several fishing vessels lying at anchor, Cartier was taken aback to discover the fleet of Roberval, who had left France upon the 16th of April, with three ships and two hundred colonists. Cartier was quickly ordered to retrace his course, the Viceroy assuring him that, with the large number of colonists aboard his ships, little trouble would be exper- ienced in establishing a settlement. But the homeward- bound Breton, for reasons of his own, had no mind to return to Stadacone. Wisely keeping his peace, under cover of the following night he stole away toward the open sea, leaving his superior to continue his expedition as he chose. The Primitive Capital of Canada 45 Upon finding that he had been deserted, Roberval resumed his course steering toward the Strait of Belle Isle, passing on the way those ill-fated piles of rocks denominated " the Isle of Demons," believed by the abo- rigines to have been from time immemorial the abode of a giant, with more of the monster than of the human, and his satellites, who lived upon children and young women. Over the ill-fated place hovered, in the forms of birds and beasts, the spirits of the slain, forever haunting the dead slayers. It seemed destined that the French explorer was to add another wonder tale to the gruesome list already accumulated. This time it was a love romance, which doubtless had some groundwork of reality, as it is told with great gravity by the historian of this expedition, M. Thevet. Shorn of its supersti- tious adornments the story runs somewhat as follows : Among the Viceroy's passengers was his niece, an extremely comely maiden by the name of Marguerite, who had a lover upon the vessel. When this fact was made known to Roberval he was so enraged that he declared that she must either forswear her lover or suffer banishment from the ship. This she refused to do, and soon after, coming abreast of the haunted isle, he caused her to be put into a boat. Giving her four arquebuses with which to defend herself from demons, and a scanty allowance of food, she was set adrift, accompanied by her old nurse who would not be torn from her. While this was being done her lover, prov- ing himself as faithful as she, managed to escape the 46 The St. Lawrence River watchful eyes of the commander, and followed her to the island. Exulting over what he had done, a deed that the old chroniclers say doomed him to everlasting disappointment, Roberval sailed on his way up the St. Lawrence. Letting alone the imaginary perils from the haunting demons ever trying to assail them, the fortunes of the marooned lovers, and their faithful old friend were extremely hard to bear. With their arquebuses they managed to kill enough of the birds and beasts to live upon during the long months that followed. Then came the sufferings of the long, intense cold of the winter. Then another spring, and with it came another life to care for, and the Crusoes grew doubly anxious. Wilder and fiercer than before did the demons wage their ceaseless warfare to get possession of the babe, which they seemed to look upon as their especial prey. But the mother's heart was strong, and the Virgin, to whom she prayed almost constantly, had pity upon her. The child was spared for a time to cheer their loneliness, but the father lost courage, and, sickening, died that summer. As well as they could the two women laid his worn-out form to rest. Soon after the little one, too innocent for such a life, pined away, and its little body was laid beside that of its father. The elder woman lived through another winter, and then she laid down her burden, when poor Marguerite was left alone with her sorrow. Several months later she descried the sail of a fishing vessel, and, by building a fire, finally The Primitive Capital of Canada 47 succeeded in attracting the attention of the fishermen, who drew near the island with great reluctance, until they discovered the figure of a woman in strange attire, beckoning frantically to them. So Marguerite event- ually found her way back to France, where she told her strange story, and the island became known among the French voyagers as " 1' He de la Demoiselle." Whether or no the curse of the demons followed Roberval for his cruel treatment of his niece, whose only sin seemed to have been artlessness in her love, he and his followers had a sorry time of it in the end. Cap Rouge, Cartier's last stopping-place was reached, and here the new-comers built their rude fort, patterned roughly after some Old -World castle, the while the dusky inhabitants of the country looked on with askance. Well they might, had they been invested with higher intellect, for never was there a stranger compound of human beings than those gathered there under one roof : officers and soldiers, artisans and sailors, noblemen and felons, women and children, for the first time undertaking their important part in the colonisation of the New World. If they had builded well in their minds they soon found experience to be a hard taskmaster. If they had shown good judgment in preparations of defence, they had overlooked a matter of even more importance. This was in the matter of provisions. Two vessels were sent back to France with the proud tidings of their successful beginning in colonisation, but the sails of 48 The St Lawrence River the outgoing caravels had barely faded from the blue expanse of the distant St. Lawrence before they dis- covered that the supply of food was wofully short. So winter and famine came hand in hand, the horrors of which outweighed the "white winter" of Cartier, in- asmuch as a goodly portion of this band of sufferers were fair women and helpless little ones. Again the Indians came tardily to the rescue, selling them fish, and digging roots for them, which they boiled in whale oil. Disease was inevitable, doubling the horror, and had it not been for the iron hand of Roberval it is not impossible but the immigrants would have torn each other like a pack of wolves. So sorely were they pressed that the old narrative says the hearts of the Indians were stirred to pity. The balance of the account, if ever written, is lost. It could not be pleasant reading. Cartier had returned to France, and the following spring, 1544, the King, getting anxious over the pro- tracted absence of his favourite, sent Cartier to find him. The latter was successful in so far that he succeeded in bringing back to France a handful of wretched survivors of an expedition which had set forth with such enthusiasm and under such auspicious circum- stances. Of the fate of Roberval there are conflicting accounts. That he was among those rescued by Cartier is certain. One writer says that he had not got his sur- feit of experience in the new country, and that in 1549, after the death of Francis the First, accompanied by his The Primitive Capital of Canada 49 brother Achille, he made another voyage, landing this time at the mouth of the Saguenay. From here the natives declare that he and his men passed up this river, but never came back, and that they are wandering yet somewhere in the interior. Another says he was killed in a mob in Paris. The latter is doubtless right, though he may have undertaken a second voyage to the St. Lawrence. Cartier had made his last voyage to America. His King, in recognition of his valuable services, gave him a manor on the coast shortly removed from St. Malo, where he seems to have passed his remaining years contented and peaceful. He died September 1, 1557. Among the sea-rovers and wonder-seekers of his age, when adventurous voyagers and daring explorers were braving the perils of the trackless oceans, no one ranks higher among the French. While he had not estab- lished a single colonist in the vast country claimed by his King, to him belongs, more than to any other man, the honour of leading the way in that colonisation which was to awaken Europe to the possibilities of the new continent. Chapter V The Coming of Champlain New Interest in France for America — Beginning of the Fur-Trade — Champlain, Pontgrave, and De Monts Appear on the Scene — The Lost Colonists — Settle- ment of St. Croix — First Blows for Quebec. IT is not necessary to dwell upon the successive ex- plorations that followed in the wake of Cartier, as none of them were of lasting importance until we come to the beginning of the seventeenth century. France had quite as much on hand as she could well look after during the latter half of the sixteenth century. Great Britain was now bending her energies toward establishing a foothold in America. This aroused Henry the Fourth of France to action, and the struggle between the rival Powers to gain the prize of the new country began in earnest. By this it must not be supposed that the interval had been wholly a waiting time. The Norman and Breton fishermen had continued to ply their vocation. The sight of their sails was a common occurrence to the Indians, and they often sought them with their spoils of the hunt, eager to barter these for such trinkets and gewgaws as the strangers might offer them. In this way began an industry which was to supplant in a large 50 The Coming of Champlain 51 measure the craft of fishing. Here were possibilities the other calling did not hold forth, with far less of danger and uncertainty. Among the early fur-traders we find two nephews of Cartier. The seekers after bearskins and beaver pelts built rude huts for their comfort on the inhospitable shores of Anticosti, while others went up the river as far as Tadousac. But in the infancy of this enterprise bitter jealousies and intense rivalries entered, until these fortune - seekers not only abused the dusky hunters upon whom they depended for their wares, but they abused each other. The attention of men of speculative minds at home was attracted by the gaining of a monopoly of the business for twelve years by the two Cartiers, who seemed to possess something of the indomitable spirit of their uncle. Finally, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, an enterprising merchant of St. Malo, named Francois Grave, but commonly spoken of as Pontgrave, undertook to colonise and explore the country upon his own account, with an eye to the profits of the fur- trade. He engaged as an associate one M. Chauvin. Pontgrave made two successful voyages, ascending the St. Lawrence as far as Three Rivers. Then, in 1603, his partner died. They had already enlisted in their interest another in the person of Pierre du Gaust, Sieur de Monts, a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to Henry the Fourth. Through his influence a patent was obtained allowing the exclusive trade of the territory between the 40th and 54th degrees of latitude. 52 The St. Lawrence River De Monts immediately began to fit out an expedition equal to the purpose in hand. Even while this was being done, another, with a commission from the King in his pocket, was sailing up the St. Lawrence with the destiny of New France, in spite of all others, in his keeping. His name is one we shall not forget, as there is scarcely an incident in the following years with which it is not connected. He was a native of a small seaport of Brouage on the Bay of Biscay, in his thirty-sixth year, a captain in the royal navy, a favourite of King Henry the Fourth, fresh from adventures in the West Indies. Fortunately his activity, daring, and enterprise were equalled by his firmness, honesty, and cheerfulness. No one understood better than he how to relieve the tedium of a long sea voyage of that day, and no one seemed to exercise better judgment in following up his explora- tions and in founding his settlements. Always faithful to the charge reposed in him by his patrons, he was just to those who crossed his path. In addition to the good qualities mentioned and many others, none of which were too abundant in those trying days, he wrote with a fluent and accurate pen, carefully recording all that he saw and did. He was a Catholic without being bigoted ; a soldier without being tyrannical ; the one man equal to the task of founding an empire in the dream of New France. Perhaps enough has been said to recognise the sturdy figure of Samuel de Champlain. With him was Pontgrave, who had yielded some- SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN. From the O'Niel copy of the Hamel Painting. The Coming of Champlain 53 what his ambition to De Chatte or Du Chaste, who had obtained a patent, and, as Champlain says in his jour- nal, " though his head was crowned with grey hairs as with years, he resolved to proceed to New France in person, and dedicate the rest of his days to the service of God and his King." With the memory of the little colony of sixteen that Chauvin had left a year before to found a trading post at Tadousac in his mind, Pontgrave desired to stop at that place. Reaching here without mishap, they found the mountains capped with fog, and the mist hanging low over the broad expanse of water, but the only sign of life which greeted their gaze was the sportive por- poises at play in the silver-crested waves. A rocky point reaching out to the south-west formed the outer wall of the bay, in which their vessels could find anchorage. Down from among the deep shadows of the lofty crags, whence the dusky canoeists had been wont to come with their freights of furs, rolled un- peopled the dark Saguenay. From out of the solitude of the place no friendly voice greeted them ; no hearty welcome from men who had long waited for their coming. Of all of Chauvin's little band of colonists, not one was ever found. It was learned from the Indians afterwards that a portion had perished of famine or disease, and the others had gone into the interior of the country in comradeship with some of their race. As eager to escape this bleak shore as his com- panion, Pontgrave gladly consented to have Champlain 54 The St. Lawrence River hold his course resolutely up the St. Lawrence, looking in vain for evidence of the native population that Car- tier had found sixty-eight years before. Solitude reigned primeval on every hand. The rock of Stadacone was desolate of its bark cabins, and when they had come under the dome of Mont Royale they looked in vain for the palisaded walls of ancient Hochelaga. A few Indians, of a different tribe from those who had occu- pied the town, were roving about the region, like shadows haunting some beautiful vale. These greeted them with friendly frankness, and in answer to the ques- tions of Champlain, traced for him upon pieces of bark rude outlines of the river above, with its rapids, lakes, cataracts, and islands. Then, finding himself baffled in his attempt to ascend the chain of rapids, the indomit- able explorer was fain to retrace his course down the river, delaying, rather than abandoning, his resolution to penetrate the mysteries of the country that lay beyond. Upon reaching Havre de Grace the weather-beaten voyagers learned with sorrow that their commander, De Chatte, was dead. Already Sieur de Monts had obtained his grant and been made Lieutenant-General of the vast territory stretching from the St. Lawrence to Cape May, known under the name of L Acadie. Though the apparent purpose was to colonise the new country and Christianise the aborigines, it was known to be a gigantic monopoly of the fur-trade. Hence the merchants of St. Malo, Rouen, Dieppe, and Rochelle, The Coming of Champlain 55 all of which had been sending out their claimants for these privileges, raised such a remonstrance that De Monts was fain to include in his corporation De Chatte's company. De Monts set forth upon his mission in four ships upon the 7th of April, 1604, taking Champlain along as pilot, and leaving Pontgrave to follow with supplies. Champlain's narrative goes on to describe the incongru- ous medley of passengers that De Monts took with him to begin his colonisation. Along with noblemen, the most prominent of whom was the Baron de Poutrincourt, were the occupants of prisons ; with Catholic priests were Huguenot ministers, for De Monts was a Calvinist, though he pledged himself to convert the Indians ac- cording to the rites of the Church of Rome. Showing themselves to be more human than divine, these last fell to arguing on questions of faith, and from angry words often came to blows. Having had a taste of the more northern clime, De Monts did not steer directly for the St. Lawrence, but, shaping his course more southerly, entered the Bay of Fundy, on the northern shore of the peninsula of Nova Scotia, where he established a post that afterwards became the site of Port Royal. Poutrincourt was so pleased with the country that he asked for a grant, that he might settle here with his family. De Monts, with half a continent at his disposal, could well afford to part with this plot. With singular infelicity De Monts se- lected for the site of his capital an island at the mouth 56 The St. Lawrence River of the River St. Croix, giving the name the stream now bears to his capital in the wilderness. Before winter had set in willing hands had constructed a row of houses around a square, where a solitary tree had been left standing. In this square were the storehouses, a maga- zine for the powder, workshops, and lodgings. De Monts had built a more pretentious dwelling for himself, and Champlain had followed his example. This was barely completed when November's chill blasts began to warn them of what was to come. Pontgrave had come and gone to trade with the natives at Tadousac. Now Poutrincourt started for France, promising to return in the spring. This left De Monts's little colony by itself. Says Parkman, in describing the situation : From the Spanish settlements northward to the pole, no domestic hearth, no lodgment of civilised men through all the borders of America, save one weak band of Frenchmen, clinging, as it were for life, to the fringe of the vast and savage continent. The grey and sullen autumn sank upon the waste, and the bleak wind howled down the St. Croix, and swept the forest bare. Then the whirling snow powdered the vast sweep of desolate woodland, and shrouded in white the gloomy green of the pine-clad mountains. Ice in sheets, or broken masses, swept by their island with the ebbing and flowing tide, often debarring all access to the mainland, and cutting off their supplies of wood and water. A belt of cedars, indeed, hedged the island; but De Monts had ordered them to be spared, that the north wind might spend something of its force with whist- ling through their shaggy boughs. Cider and wine froze in the casks, and were served out by the pound. As they crowded around their half-fed fires, shivering in the icy currents that pierced their rude tenements, many sank into a desperate apathy. That disease which proved such a scourge to the colonists, scurvy, before spring had claimed as its victims The Coming of Champlain 57 thirty-five out of the seventy-nine. The survivors, mere wrecks of humanity, now thought only of the promised succour. In this respect they were not disappointed. On the 1 6th of June Pontgrave reached them with a reinforcement of forty men, and, what was yet more needed, a supply of provisions. De Monts now lost no time in pushing the explora- tion which he had begun so anxiously. Champlain, who had been the one among them to face without flinching their desperate situation during the long, bitter winter, had the previous fall explored the adjoining country to a considerable extent, making a detailed account of what he saw. His commander, hoping to find some more de- sirable place to remove to, taking Champlain along with him, besides several of his most distinguished compan- ions, a crew of twenty sailors, and an Indian pilot, in a bark of twenty tons, sailed down the coast of Maine and Massachusetts as far as Cape Cod, which they named Cap Blanc. Landing almost daily, the natives had treated them upon friendly terms, until one day a party of sailors, in seeking for a fresh supply of water, lost the kettle which they had taken with them. Three or four Indians had followed them, and these they accused of stealing it. Enraged at this, the natives fired upon the sailors, killing one. Immediately the crew upon the ship opened a volley upon the Indians. The arque- buse of Champlain burst, and he barely escaped being killed. The red men on the shore fled with nimble feet, and escaped uninjured. Others, who had been on 5 8 The St. Lawrence River board of the vessel at the breaking out of the unfor- tunate occurrence, sprang overboard, and all escaped excepting one, who was afterwards released. Provisions now were running low, and De Monts prudently steered toward his infant settlement, ill-pleased with the prospect he had found. No place suited him as well as the region he had so freely granted to Pou- trincourt, and he resolved to remove thither. Arriving at St. Croix in August, he lost no time in carrying out the plan of removal, as he knew only too well he had scanty time in which to make the change before winter should set in. While he was doing this a messenger came from France to inform him that rivals were en- deavouring to steal the rights of his company. Leaving Pontofrave to take the command of the new settlement at the mouth of the river Annapolis, called by them the Esquille, and by others, afterwards, the Dauphin, he set sail for France. Champlain and others of his faith- ful followers offered to remain and brave the rigours of another winter. Fortunately these were not as severe as those of the preceding season, but the next news that reached them from France was the discouraging fact that De Monts had been deprived of his grant. Hence Champlain and his companions returned to their homeland. If baffled for a time, the indefatigable De Monts soon recovered a portion of what he had lost. Upon the advice of Pontgrave and Champlain he sought for and obtained a monopoly of the fur-trade for one year. 01 I w o The Coming of Champlain 59 The plan was, for the first, to revive the old trading station at Tadousac, and, for the latter, to establish a new station farther inland. Two small vessels sufficed for this expedition, one commanded by Pontgrave, and which stopped at Tadou- sac, as arranged ; the other by Champlain, which can claim the distinction of carrying to New France the pioneer colony. He sailed from Honfleur on the 13th day of April, 1608. This was a year before Hudson sailed from Amsterdam upon the voyage during which he was to discover the river that bears his name, and only a year after the founding of Jamestown by the English, and which at this very time was undergoing such experiences as only another of Champlain's cour- age and indomitable will, Captain John Smith, could have saved from utter failure. While Champlain was not following a course entirely new to him, he having passed that way five years before, with his deep-seated love for nature he scanned closely each point of interest as he sailed up the great river. Leaving his companion at the mouth of the Saguenay, he passed the lofty Cap aux Corbeaux, which name comes from the dismal croakings of the innumerable ravens as they hover over the jagged cliffs and rock-shelves be- yond the reach of the most nimble climber ; under the pilotage of the Laurentian range he followed the great river up past Cartier's Isle of Bacchus, past the shim- mering falls of Montmorency, to which he had given that name on his previous voyage, steadily advancing until 60 The St. Lawrence River he had entered that beautiful harbour which has since become the anchorage of so many fleets of vessels and craft of varied descriptions. His keen judgment had already told him that the site pre-eminently fitted for his purpose was the deserted Indian town upon the rock. The indentation of the river where his ship had come to anchor was protected upon the south by that rugged promotory since named the Heights of Levi, and, on the other hand, by the bold escarpment of Cape Diamond. Under its shadow, on the narrow strip of land covered with its primeval growth, the founder of the great northern stronghold, which was to become the centre of action in New France for one hundred and fifty years, stepped ashore and began his work. The very day of his landing the axes of his labourers broke the solitude of the unpeopled wilderness, their ringing sounds the speaking signals of civilisation arrived at last. Chapter VI Founding of Quebec. Champlain's First Expedition against the Iroquois — Discovers Lake Champlain — Scenery — Situation of the Five Nations — Rout of the Mohawks — Affairs at Quebec — the Rival Factors. THE original Quebec consisted plainly of a few rough cabins such as a party of adventurers, equipped with the few implements at their com- mand, could build. These were constructed in the form of an open square, near the centre of which Champlain placed on the top of a pole a dovecote, emblematical of his peaceful intentions. Around the group of dwellings he raised a wooden wall, and outside of this dug a ditch, the few guns he possessed so arranged as to command the place. This was a prudent policy to pursue, though the deserted lodges of the people inhabiting this coun- try in the days of Cartier alone haunted the rock of Stadacone, and the triumphant cry of the dusky warrior, once master of these domains, found only a hopeless echo in the dismal croak of the raven or the howl of the wolf. If Champlain had little to fear outside of his own fol- lowers, it soon proved that he had enemies within his camp. Among his men were those who hated him for 61 62 The St. Lawrence River his check on the fur-trade, which they looked upon as a legitimate source of plunder, and a conspiracy was laid to murder him, and get control of affairs. Fortunately not only for the sake of Champlain, but for the weal of the little colony, this plot was betrayed by one of its tools, and the conspirators were treated with the usual vigour of this energetic leader. Presently the little settlement was visited by some Indians from the country to the west, who frankly ac- knowledged that they came in the hope of enlisting the " man with the iron breast," as they designated Cham- plain, for their ally in the troublesome wars they were having with their ancient enemies, the Iroquois. More fully than ever before the new-comers came to realise the deadly feud of long standing between the rival tribes of aborigines inhabiting the country, a struggle which had accomplished the ruin of Stadacone and Hochelaga. Champlain listened to their story with a friendly interest, knowing that it would be impolitic for him to refuse. For this act Champlain has been con- demned, and even if there was reason to censure him in this, it speaks in eloquent tribute to him that this alone stands against him. But in this it would appear that he followed the only feasible course open to him. Having cast his fortunes, as it were, among the Algon- quins and their allies, he of necessity must become their friend, and consequently opposed to that powerful ele- ment occupying much of the territory now included in the State of New York, with an influence felt far beyond Founding of Quebec 63 their border. There was in reality no middle policy for him to pursue, though even he could not anticipate the far-reaching result to arise from his choice. This result, however, was destined to be tempered by the strength or weakness of those who were to follow him in his own path. Ay, had Champlain's successors always possessed his rugged honesty and courage of conviction, there would have been no occasion to ac- cuse him of mistakes, or to have written whole pages of the history of New France in tears and blood. Elated to know that they had secured such a power- ful ally, the Indians immediately urged their new-found friends to accompany them upon an expedition against their dreaded enemies, whose name they frankly con- fessed carried terror to the most remote regions lying between the sea and the sunset plains beyond the Father of Waters and fir fringes of the frozen north. Prompted by a desire to explore the country, as well as to add to his influence with the Indian tribes of the St. Lawrence valley, Champlain joined the Hurons and Algonquins with a handful of his followers in the spring of 1609, to enter upon his first memorable raid against the Five Nations. This expedition was made along a course afterwards to become famous in the French and Indian wars with the English, as it had been in the annals of the wildwood warfare for many generations. Keeping up the St. Law- rence to Lake St. Peter, they entered that river which lies like a broad arrow upon the landscape, reaching 64 The St. Lawrence River from the lake of the highlands since christened in honour of the leader of this band, to Canada's great river. Cartier did not have time to explore it, and passed it by without giving it a name. Champlain, knowing it had been the main highway of the Iroquois, very appropriately called it Riviere des Yrocois, "the River of the Iroquois," which it would have been well to keep. But, later, when the renowned Cardinal- Duke Richelieu became the head of the French com- merce and navigation in New France, Chef, Grande Maltre, et Sur-Intendant Gtne'ral, it was given his name, which it still bears. In this respect it suffers no more than the lakelet forming its headwaters, whose apt Indian designation has been supplanted by the name (Lake George) of a king whose association with it is meaningless. Champlain pursued resolutely his course, as the poet tells us — Through woods and waste lands cleft by stormy streams, Past yew-trees, and the heavy air of pines, And where the dew is thickest under the oaks, This way and that ; but questing up and down They saw no trail. Upon getting as far as where is now the great dam of St. Ours, Champlain abandoned the undertaking for the time being. But the tidings was soon brought to him that the Iroquois, exulting over what they believed to be the fear of the allied forces, were planning to make a grand raid to recover their ancient fishing -and hunting-grounds of the valley of the St. Lawrence. J « S I Founding of Quebec 65 Believing that it would be well to carry war into the enemy's country, Champlain determined this time to follow the River of the Iroquois to its source. Accord- ingly every preparation needed was made, the Algon- quins eager and anxious to encourage the expedition, realising that their possession of the Canadian paradise depended upon the success of this undertaking. With a flotilla of twenty-four canoes, his own skiff leading the way, Champlain moved silently and cau- tiously under the overhanging arms of the towering oaks and walnuts that grew abundantly along the river- banks, and anon under the deeper canopy of the wilder- ness of Belceil, until he came to where the stream broadens into what is now known as Chambly Basin, with its primeval intervales and deep-sounding woods. Where these last began to assume darker shades the voyagers came upon the rapids, which they were forced to pass around by the old Indian portage where now is the Chambly and St. John Canal. Just above here they came upon an island since christened Ste. Therese, which was then covered with a growth of pine that excited the keenest admiration of the doughty leader. Still on they moved in solitude past where the city of St. John now stands, and then past lie aux Noix, with a stirring history yet to be enacted. Noiselessly the little fleet glided around Rouse's Point, and the unsus- pected vanguard of civilisation advanced triumphantly into the very battle-ground of past and future races, Lake Champlain. Now the veteran of sea and land, s 66 The St. Lawrence River the hero of many hard-fought battles, and the explorer of many strange scenes paused with uncovered head and unspoken applause to bend his keen gaze over the sheet of water which was to perpetuate his name. He saw, rich in their summer vesture, a scene of glistening water, wooded islands, shores banked in forests, distant mountains groined into "great domes of foliage" such as even he had never found before. Woods and water abounded with wild life, and in the lightness of heart given by the happy mingling of Nature's gifts, he quickly gave the order to move on into the mystery ahead, when his swarthy and dusky rowers plied anew their paddles, sending their light canoes swiftly over the crystal water, little dreaming, little caring for the horrors to follow in their wake, the wars and rumours of wars into which were to be drawn not only the several tribes of red men then claiming the country, but the French, British, Dutch, and Americans. Happily free from the burden of all this, the bold explorer continued to watch with a critical eye his sur- roundings, while his rowers carried him on into the heart of a region which it was fitting such as he should enter. To the west lay the Adirondacks, the ancient homestead of the Algonquin warriors who were his companions. Their fore- fathers deserted that picturesque wilderness for the gentler shores of Hochelaga, driving before them the then unwarlike Iroquois, i whom Cartier had found fishing, corn-planting, and road-making. Contrasting their own better fare with that of the improvident and often famished Algonquins, the Iroquois had nicknamed them Adirondacks, "bark eaters." Once in Canada, the Adirondacks 1 Probably that branch known as the Hurons. — Author. Founding of Quebec 67 became infused into the other Algonquin tribes that occupied the banks of the Ottawa ; but the ancient nickname still happily applies to their old mountain home. Through Emerson's muse these peaks have won a name in literature, as well as on maps ; but on that morning, and long afterwards, they were " titans without muse or name." Then away on his left Champlain saw the soaring peaks of the Green Mountains, which, through the French verts monts, have given name to the State of Vermont. The discoverer remarked, though a July sun was shining, that their summits were white with snow. Toward midnight an Algonquin scout discovered an Iroquois encampment at that place since become famous as Crown Point. Here Champlain prepared to wage his opening battle, and just as the rays of the morning sun were tingeing the distant forest with their gold he and his two French soldiers stepped out upon the headland. Soon after, the solitude of the country- was broken for the first time by the report of firearms. Watching this audacious approach of their enemies from their vantage-ground some thirty yards away, the disdain of the Mohawks was swiftly changed to terror at the sound of that discharge of powder which sent its death-dealing slugs into their midst. A panic followed, which ever rankled in the breasts of the discomfited braves, and which was paid for over and over again in future years, though it could not then save their town from the ravages of the conquerors. Considering this victory sufficient for the time, celebrating the event by giving his name to the lake he had discovered, Champlain immediately retraced his course to the St. Lawrence. 68 The St. Lawrence River The significance of this rout of the Iroquois at Crown Point is shown by the fact that the allied nations of the Indians were not only undisputed masters of the Great Lakes, but they also commanded all of the prin- cipal rivers from the Ottawa and the Hudson to the Mississippi. It was estimated by La Hontan in 1684 that the Five Nations numbered seventy thousand souls, and that they could muster nearly eight thousand war- riors. What the allied forces of Rome at the zenith of Roman glory were to Europe, were the combined tribes of the Iroquois to aboriginal America. Thirty years later a sixth tribe, the Tuscaroras, were admitted to the league, adding materially to their strength as well as to their numbers. Among these shrewd, stalwart sons of the council and the war-trail, by their boldness, sagacity, and eloquence, the Mohawks stood at the head. While the British, as a rule, showed greater wisdom than the French in not discriminating between native tribes, it was inevitable that the Five Nations, with the beginning that had been made, should ally themselves to a certain extent with the former. It was also in- evitable that the British should arm them, while the French did the same by the Algonquins and the Hu- rons. If the French went farther and taught the last- named tribes the arts of defence, it was because they intended them for allies. Neither the whites of New York or New England went as far as this, for they never sought to make the Indians their allies in the full sense of the term. Founding of Quebec 69 The Treaty of Utrecht, 1713, held that the Iroquois Confederacy was under British protection, and through the long and bitter hostilities that followed, as a rule these tribes remained faithful to " Great Father." They proved so true in this direction that they fought against the colonists during the American Revolution, and at its close found themselves in the same situation as the Loyalists or Tories. In this dilemma they sought the protection of the Canadian government, then under British power, and were given reserves along the Grand River. Brant, at this time leader of the Mohawks, se- lected the fertile and beautiful valley where since the town of Brantford has sprung into existence. It was his purpose to establish here a reproduction of the agri- cultural community which had formerly made famous the valley of the Mohawks. Unfortunately he did not live to see his dream fulfilled. A period of peace with the red men was pretty sure to be followed by one of war, and after his death in 1807 the relapse of his tribe into paganism was speedy. We get an inkling of the condition of the Five Nations before the coming of the French and English from the fact that prior to Sullivan's expedition of fire and sword the valleys of the Mohawk and the Wyoming were set with great grain-fields, whose nodding heads whispered of Indian thrift, and the hillsides white with apple blossoms were huge flower gardens. It was to duplicate such a homelike picture that Brant la- boured so zealously, when the bloody drama of war was 70 The St. Lawrence River practically over, and if the red men failed to follow the example of their leader it was because they fell victims to their own weakness rather than to the prowess of their enemies. As a matter of fact it was the vices of civilisation which overpowered them and not its manifold strength. It has been so with all native races. From his first expedition against the Iroquois Champlain had quite as much as he could do in making his journeys of exploration and war against the foes of his dusky allies, to say nothing of the repeated demands made upon him by the home government. Frequent changes in the control of affairs gave him not a little trouble. While remaining in France upon one of these visits he married a girl of twelve, though she did not accompany him to Quebec until 1620, the year the Pil- grims landed at Plymouth Rock. Upon his return from France in 16 13 he was stirred by the report that an adventurer named Nicolas Vignan had discovered the passage to Cathay by following up the Ottawa, and thence by other great rivers he claimed to have found in the north. It proved that Champlain, not less than other explorers, still dreamed dreams of this northern passage, and he quickly set about undertaking a voyage into the north, the result of which brought him only disappointment. Still, this failure did not deter him from making other trips of exploration and war into the interior. One of these incursions into the land of the Iroquois Founding of Quebec 71 proved less satisfactory to him than the victory at Crown Point. This took him and his followers across Lake Ontario, to where the Onondagas lived behind the barriers of their stoutly fenced town. Filled with an unbounded faith in the supernatural powers of their leader, while ignoring his tactics of war, the Hurons and Algonquins attacked wildly the defence of their enemies and were as wildly routed. Champlain had taught them to construct a movable tower from which he and his companions might shoot over the walls of the Onondagas. But, becoming furious the moment the battle opened, Champlain's orders were drowned by their maddening cries, and he found himself power- less to control them. The result of the fight was disastrous to him. He was wounded in the knee and thigh, and the attack finally abandoned, very much to the chagrin of Champlain, who found he had lost, through no fault of his, the prestige he had hitherto enjoyed among his allies. Beating a headlong retreat, the disappointed Hurons then broke their pledge to take their leader back down the St. Lawrence to Mont Royale. Unable to make the journey without their assistance, Champlain was obliged to pass the winter with the Hurons, who treated him well, and one of their chiefs paid particular attention to his wounds. In the spring he returned to Quebec, where he had been looked upon as dead. During his absence Champlain had learned consider- able of Indian character which was to be of benefit to him and his followers in the succeeding wars. From 72 The St. Lawrence River the nature of their combats they had been trained only to meet single foemen, or else to overpower a concealed body of men by massing themselves. They drilled for such encounters by sticking pieces of wood into the ground to represent the chiefs and their soldiers, a dif- erence in the size of the sticks used indicating the leaders and their followers. Taking a bundle of these sticks the chief would select a spot suitable for his pur- pose, and, having chosen his own position, mark it with a dummy, and then place in the ground a smaller up- right to show the position each of his soldiers was to occupy. They must then study carefully the position assigned them. This simple drill was practised until every warrior was perfectly familiar with his part. The Hurons entered into battle nude, except for the war paint daubed generously over their lithe forms. Cham- plain described the Mohawks, whom he routed upon the shore of Lake Champlain, as dressed in armour of cotton fibre, which was arrow-proof. When he came to discharge his arquebuse at a distance of thirty paces, loaded with four balls, he killed two chiefs and wounded a third. Small wonder these simple-minded sons of Mars, who had never witnessed anything like it, should become panic-stricken, fleeing in wild disorder at the second shot fired by one of Champlain's men. Meanwhile the little band of colonists at Quebec were making exceedingly slow progress. Fourteen years after its establishment the colony numbered less than fifty. In 1617 an apothecary named Louis THE CHAMPLAIN MONUMENT, QUEBEC. From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. Founding of Quebec 73 Hebert, who had experienced a season at Port Royal un- der Biencourt, settled at Quebec, with his wife and two children, this courageous family having the honour of founding the first household in Canada. Three years later, a few months before the Pilgrims made their wintry landing at Plymouth, Champlain brought his own family to Quebec. His wife was a woman of great beauty, enthusiasm, and accomplishments, and she en- tered heartily into the work of converting the women and children of the Indians, and of helping to raise the standard of morals then prevailing there. This unhappy condition of the social and intellectual life of the struggling colony was due mainly to the utter lack of honesty on the part of the fur-traders, who from the first had been a disturbing element. Meeting in Champlain a firm and powerful opponent to their nefarious purpose, they seemed to have developed the very worst phase of their character. To add to the per- plexity of the situation this monopoly of the traffic was constantly changing hands. Rivals were continually com- ing to the surface, old favourites were driven out, and scarcely had one set of men or one corporation become established before another would enter the contention. Always were they met by Champlain, doing all in his power to save the common people and the red men from the greed and corruption of the reckless fur-traders, who hesitated at nothing to carry their unjust ends. Champlain was obliged to cease his explorations, as loath as he was to do so. In the future this must be 74 The St. Lawrence River left to others. He had all he could attend to in looking after the welfare of his infant colony, which was about equally divided between being a trading station and a mission. Out of this bitter rivalry were to spring two factors destined to become powerful in shaping the wel- fare of the new empire. These can be best treated in separate chapters. Chapter VII From Fur-Trade to Commerce Cardinal Richelieu and his Hundred Associates — First Surrender of Quebec to the English — Comparison of the Settlements of the St. Lawrence Valley to those of Massachusetts Bay — Trade Troubles Increase — Founding of Three Rivers — Death of Champlain — His Character — The Great Company Make Concessions — Laziness Denounced — Fisheries — Lack of Pilots — Early Ship- building — Fairs — Suppression of Knowledge — Ladies of Quebec — First News- paper in Canada — First Steamship to Cross the Atlantic — Commerce of the St. Lawrence To-day. WHILE the two infant colonies in America that were destined to become intense rivals in years to follow — the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock and the little band under Champlain at Quebec — were undergoing such vicissitudes as must have disheartened less courageous founders, potent changes were taking place in the affairs of France. The religious wars of the sixteenth century brought to the surface of power a French statesman named Richelieu who had begun his military education as Marquis du Chillon and rose to become the most important political figure in Europe. He was made cardinal in 1622, at the time when Champlain was meeting his trying opposition, and in his ambitious desire to add to the greatness of France, he extinguished the remains of feudalism, subjected the higher nobility to the sway of 75 76 The St. Lawrence River the Crown, abased the House of Austria, and in his triumph at Rochelle crushed Protestantism. The con- queror now dreamed of bending Europe to his will. Again he dreamed, and this time saw visions of an em- pire in the New World, which he vaingloriously believed would revivify the grandeur of Old France, and im- mortalise his name in the wilderness of America. With vivid conceptions he ran over the names of the gallant discoverers, — the illustrious quartette of C's,— Columbus, Cabot, Cortes, Cartier. Now to these was added a fifth, Champlain, whose glowing accounts awakened his fertile imagination with such plots of conquest as had not stirred others. With less religious zeal than Champlain, he schemed to build upon the in- terest of the fur-trade. First of all, the complications sur- rounding this industry must be removed, and instead of many petty factions, quarrelling one with another, there must be a unity of effort. To secure this he caused to be discontinued the honourable office of Admiral of France, and created in its stead the office of Grand Master and Superintendent of Navigation and Com- merce. It is perhaps needless to say that he made himself head of this. He then organised a trading company of one hundred influential men. This body became the famous Company of the Hundred Asso- ciates, and Samuel de Champlain was its strongest member. The charter for Richelieu's company carried on its face the possession of all New France — Canada, Acadie, o h e From Fur-Trade to Commerce 77 Newfoundland, and Florida — and its members consisted of priests and religious workers, as well as traders and voyageurs. It openly declared that its first object was the conversion of the Indians to the faith of the Catho- lic church by its zealous teachers, the Jesuits ; in the second place, it was to extend the fur-trade ; and third, and last, to continue the search for a route to the Pacific Ocean. This was exactly reversing the order of purpose controlling the movements of Cartier, whose first object was to find the passage to Cathay. Under the policy of this company was established that feudal seigniory which so long dominated the methods of colonisation. It thought to end the re- ligious discords which had been such a disgraceful portion of previous efforts. No Huguenot or " other heretic " was to be allowed on its soil. The company was given a perpetual monopoly of the fur-trade, with a control for fifteen years of all other trade, except traffic in cod and whale fisheries. To those who might want to trade in furs, and who did not belong to the corporation, it was stipulated that the company should buy every beaverskin at the rate of forty sous each. The company was pledged to aid colonisation by sending out three hundred colonists the first year, and within the following fifteen years to increase the number to six thousand. As proof of its fealty and homage the company was to present each successive heir to the throne with a crown of gold. The King, as a personal tribute, presented it with two armed 78 The St. Lawrence River battleships. Champlain was placed in command. The new company then sent out a fleet of eighteen vessels laden with provisions and commodities for the new colony. The command was entrusted to De Roque- mont, who sailed from Dieppe for Quebec in the spring of 1628. This was an anxious time for the handful of in- habitants by the rock of Quebec, who were languishing under short allowance of food and with hope at ebb- tide. All of Champlain's wonderful resource of tact and good cheer was called into play in order to keep his followers under control until the expected succour should reach them. But this was not destined to arrive. England and France, as usual during the long and try- ing period of American colonisation, were at war, and an adventurer named Sir David Kertk or Kirke, a na- tive of Scotland, at one time professing allegiance to the French but now carrying the flag of Great . Britain, sailed boldly into the harbour of Tadousac with his fleet of six vessels. Finding this trading station poorly equipped to resist him, he seized and pillaged the place. He then sent a boat up the St. Lawrence to de- mand the surrender of the starving colony at Quebec. Upon meeting an enemy seeking to destroy him, in- stead of some of his own countrymen coming to his rescue, Champlain answered the new-comers boldly. Despite the fact that he did not have fifty pounds of ammunition, and that the walls of his primitive fortifi- cations were sadly in need of repair, he sent word to From Fur-Trade to Commerce 79 the British admiral that he should defend Quebec to the last. Deceived by this reply Kertk abandoned for the time his scheme of attack in that direction and sailed down the river. Near its mouth he encountered and captured De Roquemont's fleet of eighteen vessels, tak- ing possession of the supplies so desperately needed at Quebec, whose hope was shattered by this calamity. Reinforced by his two brothers and their ships, Admiral Kertk continued to hover about the gulf for awhile, and then crossed the ocean to England with his prizes. Learning of the fate of De Roquemont and his transports, Champlain's little colony grew more and more despondent, as well they had reason to be. Their rations were reduced to seven ounces of pounded peas a day, until in May even this scanty supply failed and recourse was had to the roots that grew along the mar- gins of the streams, last year's acorns, and the green, tender leaves of the trees. In desperation some of the inhabitants sought the friendly Indians on the west, or the Abnakis on the east. It is possible that Champlain was contemplating invading the Iroquois country, to seize one of their palisaded towns, and take up his abode there. He would be pretty sure of finding a supply of corn, which was so sorely needed here. The season wore on into midwinter without any prospect of a relief from their friends, when the sails of three ships were discovered a league below Point Levis. There was no doubt as to the character of the 80 The St. Lawrence River strangers, but even an enemy was not likely to receive a very cold reception. Champlain, with that display of rugged determination so natural to him, called around him his handful of ragged, hungry followers, now re- duced to sixteen in number, and calmly awaited the approach of the English under the cover of a white flag. It was not difficult to agree upon the terms of capitulation, and on July 20, 1629, the cross of St. George of England was planted for the first time upon Canadian soil. It proved that negotiations for peace were already well under way, and England thought so little of the prize won surreptitiously by Kertk, that Champlain, still loyal to his trust, but almost alone of his countrymen, succeeded in winning back to France by the skill of his diplomacy all of Canada. Then, it was said, the honour of France was saved, and her golden lilies were restored to the rock of Quebec. With the romance that clusters about its name, and the mystery clinging to its history, this fair emblem of French sovereignty — this flag of Champlain — is worthy of more than passing mention. Not unlike other insignia that have given inspiration to thousands and become the sacred symbol of the virtue of a race, the origin of the iris as the heraldic emblem of France is lost in the obscurity of distance. So far back does tradition carry us that it becomes evident it antedates the Frankish Government. But this does not rob the fleur-de-lis of the glory it shares with the prestige of From Fur-Trade to Commerce 81 France. It can even claim to have originated with the beginning of Christian France. According to story, Clovis, the pagan conqueror, before entering upon his battle of Tolbiac, 496, fearful of defeat, pledged his wife Clotilda, the Christian heroine of ancient Paris, that he would accept Christianity if he should gain a victory on the morrow. Pleased with this promise, which had long been her dream, she prayed continually for his success, and her prayer was answered. Clovis continued a conqueror. Within a year he and three thousand of his followers accepted the Christian faith. Immediately upon becoming a believer in her teach- ings, his beautiful wife presented him a blue banner, that her own hands had embroidered with golden fleur- de-lis, and declared that as long as the kings of France should keep that as their standard so long would their armies be victorious. Others, content to give it less ancient origin, claim that the iris was a device adopted by Louis the Seventh, in 114.7, j ust before undertaking his crusade to the Holy Land, which ended so dis- astrously. He may have simply revived the emblem that Clotilda gave to her illustrious husband. Let. it be as it may, the iris as an emblem of wide-spread influ- ence became popular about the middle of the twelfth century, and was conspicuous not only upon the na- tional flag, but upon church crosses, chalices, win- dows of houses, seals, and sceptres. The flag of Champlain, which was, of course, the naval standard, had a blue background, with the fleur- 82 The St. Lawrence River de-lis in gold. The fleur-de-lis ceased to be the standard of France with the abdication of the citizen King, Louis Philippe, and the rise of the republic in 1848, after an illustrious career of over a thousand years. It was succeeded by the tri-colour, which has held its place through the vicissitudes of French gov- ernment until the present day. Immediately upon the signing of the Treaty of St. Germain-Laye in 1632, Emeric de Caen, one of the sufferers from the recent war, was sent to receive Quebec from her captors. To him was given the monopoly of the fur-trade for one year, that he might be reimbursed for his losses. It was not a pleasant or prosperous scene that Kertk left when he pulled down the flag of England and sailed away, glad, no doubt, to get well rid of his prize. Parkman, in describ- ing the situation, says : Caen landed with the Jesuits, Paul le Jeune and Anne de la Noue. They climbed the steep stairway which led up the rock, and as they reached the top the dilapidated fort lay on the left, while farther on was the massive cottage of the Heberts, surrounded with its vege- table gardens, — the only thrifty spot amid the scene of neglect. Few Indians remained, having found the compan- ionship of the English less congenial than that of the French, and those remaining here were rioting under the maddening effects of liquor. De Caen's occupancy of the wilderness capital was not in accord with the aims of the Jesuits, and when, in the succeeding spring, 1633, the Hundred Associates again assumed control, rein- From Fur-Trade to Commerce 83 stating Champlain as governor, rejoicing reigned among them. The Recollets had removed to other fields, the Huguenots were expelled, and religious peace predomi- nated at the settlement under the dark walls of Cape Diamond. The two years that followed were the brightest Quebec had known. Champlain was now invested with all the power and prestige of Richelieu and his Hundred Associates, but he was soon to find that this could not be fully transplanted to the New World. In fact, he was finally forced to believe that he had no greater expectations from the new company than from any that had been organised before. He made such preparations for a defence from the Iroquois as he could, and this called for a station at Three Riv- ers strong enough to check any advance down the river. Another was needed below Quebec to prevent the Eng- lish from coming up, as well as a protection against the Indians in that direction. It was in vain that he asked for soldiers from France to maintain these sta- tions. Two aims were paramount in the minds of those who turned their gaze upon New France. One of these was still the conversion of the Indians by the Jesuits, and to carry on this work the missions here were strength- ened by the coming of four priests, Brebeuf, Masse, Daniel, and Davost. The other was the traffic in furs, which lasted during the summer season. This was not materially different at first thought from the course being followed by the Dutch in New Netherlands, and the English in New England. Albany found its 84 The St. Lawrence River greatest source of revenue from it, and large consign- ments were annually shipped from Manhattan to Holland. New England was maintaining its trading posts on the borderland of the rival colonies at the headwaters of the Kennebec. But the similarity be- tween the last two colonies ended here. While the en- tire population of Canada numbered in the vicinity of only sixty, and could boast of only two households, fully four thousand English had settled about Massa- chusetts Bay, and already that tide of immigration had begun which was to bring twelve thousand more to the country. What was of even greater importance, these people were home-builders. They began at once to build ships and open commerce with distant places. No one realised this difference more keenly than Champlain, and in the hope of encouraging enterprise in this direction, in 1634, he began a new settlement at Three Rivers. He encouraged the priests in carrying the gospel still farther west, and Brebeuf and his com- panions went to establish their missions among the Hurons. In July Champlain made his last journey west- ward, in going to see how work was progressing upon the fort at Three Rivers. Shortly after, Le Jeune went to take charge of the new post. Then an epidemic broke out which threatened to destroy the settlement. A register of the baptisms and deaths in the hand of this faithful priest now remains as the only document of the old Canadian days that is in existence. The burning in 1640 of the chapel of Notre Dame de Recouvrance, built From Fur-Trade to Commerce 85 by Champlain to commemorate the restoration of the town by the English, caused the loss of the early records of Quebec. July 22, 1635, Champlain met in his last council with the Indians at Quebec. According to their practice a goodly number of the Hurons were present, and the founder of New France spoke like a father to his children. Without dreaming that the end was so near the dusky listeners paid careful attention to all he said, for no man was so revered among them. A little later Champlain learned of the return from among the Indians of the west of the young Norman explorer, Nicollet, whose story fills so large a space in the Jesuit Relations of those days. On the 15th of August he wrote his last letter addressed to Richelieu, endeavour- ing to impress upon him the importance of assisting the colony. Two months later he was stricken with paralysis, from which he suffered until upon the after- noon of Christmas Day, 1635, in his sixty-eighth year, the " Father of Quebec " found surcease from his trou- bles in that sleep called death. There was genuine grief among those who stood around his bier, though none of his mourners fully appreciated or understood him. If he had failed in a great measure of reaping the harvest he had anticipated, it was not his fault. Had there been more Heberts and Gifarts with his followers, his disappointment would have been less poignant. The widow of the first-named still lived, and to this day can be pointed out to you the spot where this one early 86 The St. Lawrence River householder of Quebec did more than all other yeomen towards establishing the permanency of New France. At this time across the valley of the St. Charles could be seen the stone manor of Robert Gifart, who had only the year before builded him here a home, where homes were the only thing lacking to make the new empire complete. The Jesuit Lalemant performed the last service, while Le Jeune delivered the eulogy. Then the body of the hero was laid away to rest in a tomb built by the feeble colony. In the changes which have taken place since then this mortuary chapel has been swept away, and no man can point out the resting-place of Champlain with any more precision than that his sepulture was made where is now an open square in the upper town. It matters little where he may have found his resting- place, so long as it was in the heart of the town he loved so well ; where his dust has mingled with the earth, so long as it is with the dust of the streets of that city which he founded with not a little sacrifice. Champlain has many mementoes and monuments, but the greatest and most enduring of these is the great and powerful city of Quebec. No true estimate of a man can be made without taking into account the influences, environments, and opportunities of his day. Champlain lived in a stormy period, when no man could count upon the friends of the day to stand by him on the morrow, and when cor- ruption entered soon or late into the relationships of From Fur-Trade to Commerce 87 most men. Above these wrecks rises the sturdy figure of Champlain, incorruptible and unchangeable. No man of his times was more sincerely mourned, and there is no one whose memory will live longer. Possessing all of the qualities needed for such arduous undertakings : a sublime patience, an enduring frame, a keen foresight, an unswerving passion for discovery, a mind capable of discerning the true from the false to a remarkable extent under his surroundings, a courage that never faltered, and a good cheer that always animated his companions with hopefulness, he was an ideal explorer. He was, too, a statesman of no mean quality, and if his scheme of colonisation ultimately failed, it was due to the system under which it was founded. The prestige of Richelieu waxed and waned ; the Hundred Associates yielded to a weaker combination ; but the influence of Champlain was still the guiding star of New France for a long time. Ay, while governments have changed, and a nation greater than even he could have conceived has risen upon the ruins of that he so fondly planned, his illustrious light kindled by the goodness of his heart cannot fade from the firmament of stars. Champlain was succeeded by De Montmagny as Gov- ernor, and in 1645 the monopoly of the fur-trade which had been enjoyed by the Company of the Hundred As- sociates was made over to inhabitants of the colony, who assumed all of the debts, and allowed the corpora- tion to retain all seignioral rights and an annuity of a thousand pounds of beaver-skins. It was now hoped 88 The St. Lawrence River many of the evils which had prevailed would be stopped, and the colonists expected to receive direct benefits from the change. Under this arrangement, no private individual was allowed to enter into trade, and he could sell his furs only to the colonial corporation and at a fixed price. Even here we see the old spirit of monopoly para- mount. Individual rights were unheeded. Under this system, the evil was not lessened, while another was fostered. This was a habit of looking to the home government for encouragement in whatever enterprise was undertaken. Appeals of this kind were seldom ignored, more 's the pity. This served to encourage claimants, without materially adding to the trade and prosperity of the country. The result was demoralis- ing. Of all the industries, the people of the St. Law- rence were favoured in the matter of fisheries, as far as Nature had performed her part. But for one reason and another the progress was not made that should have been, in spite of the fact that the King was supposed to be heartily in accord with such an enter- prise. " His Majesty," wrote Denonville, in 1688, "de- sires you [the governor] to unite with the merchants to encourage the inhabitants to overcome their natural laziness, since it is the only way to save themselves from the poverty they are now suffering." Then, after declaring against the young men who "ran wild in the woods " for the sake of a few pelts, " Boston is getting rich out of it [the fishery] at our loss." From Fur-Trade to Commerce 89 We find in this same year that the St. Lawrence was without pilots and sailors. Twenty-five years later, En- gineer Catalogne reported to the government that the river was dangerous for vessels at many places, but that it was almost impossible to find a pilot. De Chalons writes at this period : " We ought to have a trade with the West Indies and other countries. Everybody agrees that this is true, but no one attempts it. Our merchants are too poor, or they are taken up with the fur-trade." As early as 1674, the energetic Talon undertook to encourage shipbuilding, but met with slight suc- cess. In 1 714, one Duplessis built a vessel, from which is dated the beginning of shipbuilding in Can- ada, which was so well adapted to become a great maritime nation. But the day when that glory should be known was still far distant. The slight interest paid to commerce reflected upon agriculture, which has since become such an important factor in the prosperity of the country. The absorbing trade was the traffic in beaver-skins. It seemed the best adapted to the wild, adventurous nature of the French colonists. Says Parkman : In the eighteenth century, Canada exported a moderate quan- tity of timber, wheat, the herb called ginseng, and a few other com- modities; but from first to last she lived chiefly on beaver-skins. The government tried without ceasing to control and regulate this traffic; but it never succeeded. It aimed above all things to bring the trade home to the colonists, to prevent them from going to the Indians, and induce the Indians to come to them. 90 The St. Lawrence River To accomplish this purpose, annual fairs were in- augurated at Montreal and Three Rivers, when great fleets of canoes laden with pelts came down the rivers. In the former place, upon the day following the arrival of the Indians with their cargoes, a grand council was held on the Common between the river and St. Paul Street ; every possible courtesy was paid to the red men ; compliments were showered upon them, and then trade began. For a time good order prevailed, but the result was inevitable. The fair would become a wild scene of uncontrollable actors. Indians, clothed only in a feathered headdress, and armed with bows and arrows or a highly painted " trade gun " ; French bush-rangers, decked out in gaudy finery, and as untamed and un- tamable as the wild sons of the forest ; greedy mer- chants ready for any sacrifice to make a livre ; habitans in their plain, coarse garb, as lookers-on in a scene in which they had the smallest interest ; officials in high office, vainly trying to bring order out of chaos ; and sedate priests of St. Sulpice, in their dark robes now sadly bedraggled, praying and exhorting, — all these, and many others, became involved in a maddening, but picturesque, medley of human beings. A great check to the growth of commerce in the valley of the St. Lawrence was the suppression of knowledge. The government, blind to its own inter- est, was ever watchful to see that the merchants, and would-be merchants did not meet to discuss the situ- ation, and inform themselves by learning of others. From Fur-Trade to Commerce 91 Hence there was, with a single exception of little account, no bourse or place of exchange ; no encour- agement from one to another, and least of all from the officials at the head of affairs. The education of those who came to the country compared favourably with others of the times, but their children were not de- stined to be as fortunate. For the women to learn to any great extent, or to read such few books as had been brought from the homeland, was looked upon as a sin- ful waste of time. From such literature as was at their command, the latter deprivation could have been no serious loss, as it could not have afforded them great benefits. The complaint does not seem strange, under these circumstances, that the greater portion of the ladies in Canada took too much care of their dress, and squandered money upon it, with too little regard for the future comforts of the home. Professor Kalm of Sweden, writing in the middle of the eighteenth cent- ury, says of them with a hint of sarcasm : They are no less attentive to know the newest fashions; and they laugh at each other v when they are not dressed to each other's fancy. . . . The ladies of Quebec are not very industrious. A girl of eighteen is reckoned poorly off if she cannot enumerate at least twenty lovers. These young ladies, especially those of a higher rank, get up at seven and dress till nine, drinking their coffee at the same time. When they are dressed, they place them- selves near a window that opens into the street, take up some needle-work, and sew a stitch now and then, but turn their eyes into the street most of the time. When a young fellow comes in, whether they are acquainted with him or not, they immediately set aside their work, sit down by him, and begin to chat, laugh, joke, and invent double entendres j and this is reckoned very witty. 92 The St. Lawrence River So far as the matter of frivolity goes, there is little to show that the sterner sex had any reason to claim greater industry. The daughters of families of all ranks did not disdain to go to market, and to carry home whatever they had purchased. With all their faults, real or im- aginary, it seems that the young ladies of Montreal felt " very much displeased because those of Quebec get husbands sooner than they ! " Returning to the subject from which this is a digres- sion, there was no printing-press in the colony to spread intelligence. It is true, one was brought to Quebec early in the eighteenth century, but it was looked upon as a dangerous experiment and sent back from whence it had come with all the despatch possible. The first newspaper did not appear until after the British con- quest, and its founder came from Philadelphia, as did another a few years later to begin the publication of a paper in Montreal, the second of its class in Canada. The enterprising young man in this venture was named William Brown, and his sponsor was the Rev. William Dunlap, a relative of the wife of Benjamin Franklin. Thinking there was a fertile field here for him to work, he took in as partner another young man named Gil- more, and the two prepared at once for their under- taking. The latter went to England to buy material, while Brown started for Quebec to make a beginning. Upon reaching Boston, and disappointed in not finding a boat to take him to Quebec, he started on horseback for an overland journey. Upon reaching Albany, he ABITATrON.JDE QVEBECQ, ^.ag HABITATION DE QUEBEC, FROM CHAMPLAIN'S SKETCH. Key to illustration : A, Storehouse ; B, Dovecote ; C. Workmen's lodgings and armoury ; D, Lodgings for mechanics ; E, Dial ; F, Blacksmith's shop and work- men's lodgings ; G, Galleries ; H, Champlain's residence ; I, Gate and draw- bridge ; L, Walk ; M, Moat ; N, Platform for cannon ; O, Garden ; P, Kitchen ; Q, Vacant space ; R, St. Lawrence. From Fur-Trade to Commerce 93 completed his trip by boat, going down Lake Cham- plain, the Richelieu River to Montreal, and thence by the St. Lawrence to his destination, which he reached September 30, 1763. He then began a canvass for subscribers, and made all preparations for carrying on the business, learning during the interval the French language. In due season Gilmore arrived from Lon- don with a press, type, ink, paper, and other articles needed. The initial number of the paper, called the Quebec Gazette, appeared upon June 21, 1764, the first newspaper printed in Canada. Great credit belongs to the young men, who paid every dollar of debt they had incurred, and were very successful in their endeavours. Before the British conquest, Quebec had become quite a shipbuilding place, and as many as fifty vessels, varying from five hundred to two thousand tons burden, besides many smaller craft, were built here in a year. The oak used in the construction of these ships had to be brought from the highlands between New France and New England, as that growing about Quebec was too small and inferior in quality. French war-ships were built here for a time, but finally the order came not to build any more, as American oak did not have the lasting quality of the European species. As a great maritime highway, however, the St. Law- rence was not really appreciated until within half a century. But a quarter of a century before this, in 1 83 1, Quebec sent from her stocks, with Montreal fur- nishing the machinery, the Royal Williain, the first 94 The St. Lawrence River steamship to cross the Atlantic from the St. Lawrence. To Canada belongs the credit of originating the pioneer line of ocean steamers, the Cunard Line, founded by Samuel Cunard, of Halifax, in 1840. The first line of ocean steamers plying directly between Quebec and Liverpool was the Allan Line, founded by Hugh Allan, and his first ship was the Canadian, built at Quebec in 1 852-1 853. Mr. Allan met with great obstacles in car- rying out his plans, but through his indomitable perse- verance won, and was eventually knighted in honour of his achievement. To-day the St. Lawrence is one of the greatest maritime highways of the world, and her commerce extends to the most distant ports of the globe. Montreal alone has a shipping trade amount- ing to 3,500,000 tons annually, and fifteen transatlantic steamship lines. At present Quebec has to take a sec- ond place in this department, though her citizens look hopefully forward to the day when she shall become the " Empire City " of that great maritime nation, Canada, and her sister across the way become her Brooklyn. Chapter VIII The Wilderness Missions Four Recollet Priests Come to Quebec — Were Explorers as well as Missionaries — First Missions — Encouragement of Agriculture — Recollets Forced to Abandon their Work — Taken up by the Jesuits — Work Interrupted by the English — Westward from the Ottawa — The Thessaly of Olden Canada — The Huron Missions — The Mission of the Martyrs — College Established at Quebec. M ENTION has been made of those who came to the valley of the St. Lawrence as religious teachers, and no narrative of the great river would be complete without their story and that of the wilderness missions founded by them. No story in the annals of history is of more thrilling and pathetic in- terest. It is filled with such personal sacrifices, trials of fortitude, and patient suffering as make the tales of the most adventurous explorers read like commonplace in- cidents. If it often showed confidence misplaced, and dreams the most sanguine could hardly expect to be fulfilled, the golden deed remains as a living monument of what man is willing to do, to dare, and to suffer in the zeal of religious work. The missionary was the saviour of the little bands of colonists in New France at the beginning of the seven- teenth century. Champlain, himself half missionary, with the other half voyageur, giving him a spirit 95 96 The St. Lawrence River Always roaming with a hungry heart, encouraged the coming of the Jesuits, though even he could not foresee, when a few years later he forbade the Huguenots to sing their psalms to the symphony of the St. Lawrence, that within a hundred and fifty years the fleur-de-lis he had so proudly planted upon the forti- fied heights of Quebec would be torn down, and New France, then empress of America, would be represented by a few fishing islands clinging to the coast of the great country he fondly believed was destined to reflect the glory of Old France. When Champlain brought to New France four priests of the Order of Recollets in 1615, a religious influence in more than name was given to the under- taking of founding the colony. It should be said to the credit of these new agents in the work that they came with words of peace and compassion, and a purpose to do and to suffer. The cruelty of the Spanish missionary in the South, which encircled the word " Christian " with such terrors, was unknown here. The Indian of Canada, with thrice the ferocity of his southern cousin, had no occasion to exclaim to those who claimed to be his Salvationists : " The devil is more kind to us ; we adore him ! " These brave men and their followers were not only missionaries but explorers and discoverers. Not only did they lead the way up the Kennebec from the shores of Maine to the St. Lawrence, but they pierced the wilds of the Saguenay, and pushed overland from The Wilderness Missions 97 Quebec to Hudson Bay, the Recollet Father Le Caron being the first to carry the cross to the tribes of the Great Lakes. But, faithfully as they went about their work, for ten years these austere soldiers of the cross, in their grey garbs of coarse gown and hood, with wooden sandals on their feet, unused to the severe cli- mate of this country, moving hither and thither through the pathless wilderness upon what they believed to be errands of sacred duty, met with no perceptible success, though others, with far less sacrifice of comfort and personal vanity, were reaping a harvest from trade and from politics. Humiliated and dispirited, but not lagging in the faith, they felt compelled to ask the succour of that stronger brotherhood, the Society of Jesus, already established in Asia, Africa, and South America. Three of the Jesuits came, among them that giant in figure and intellect, Jean de Brebeuf. His companions were Masse and Charles Lalemant. Even the united efforts of these do not appear to have borne any lasting fruits. Quebec then was indeed but a collection of a few miser- able huts. With its surrender to Kertk, the career of the Recollets ended here, and that of the Jesuits for the time was suspended. Following the restoration of Quebec to the French, the Jesuits reorganised the mission here in 1632, and ex- tended their field of action so as to cover the whole of New France, a country reaching from the gulf to the Mississippi. Interrupted by the fortunes of war, they 98 The St. Lawrence River continued their herculean task, having first to master the language of the people they hoped to bring to an understanding of their teachings. They established missions at Three Rivers, Montreal, Sillery, Becancourt, and St. Francis de Sales. These were intended for the Algonquins, who had settled along the St. Lawrence, the Montagnais, and such of the Abnakis as chose to come within the fold. Among the most noted and influential of the mis- sions was that of the palisaded station first named St. Joseph, but later honoured with the name of Com- mander Noel Brulart de Sillery, who gave liberally towards its founding. This was established in 1637, and enjoyed the distinction of accomplishing the first step towards bringing the Indians to adopt agricultural pursuits. Here twenty Algonquins were persuaded to take up the cultivation of the soil, but allowed to fish and hunt when not actually needed among the growing crops. Early in their work, the missionaries had come to understand that the greatest difficulty they had to con- tend with was the fixed habit of the red men to follow a wandering life, fishing, hunting, warring, never settling in one place, and always lapsing from their pledges by these frequent changes. Thus the missionaries endeav- oured to interest them in a more settled pursuit. At first this worked in favour of that growing power in the new country, the fur-traders, but they soon saw that if this idea was carried out it would end or seriously curtail The Wilderness Missions 99 their enterprise. On the other hand, these "meets" between the dusky hunters and the buyers of their wares brought about several evils, not the least of which was the introduction of rum. So between the priest and the trader, one who thought only of saving souls, and the other of the profit from his traffic, there sprang up a rivalry which, at times, developed into feelings of bitterness bordering upon enmity. Eventually some Montagnais joined the other In- dians at Sillery, and the little hamlet grew gradually into importance. In 1640, its usefulness was increased by the opening of a hospital here by the nuns of Quebec. This was for the benefit of both French and Indians. After an existence of six years, the laudable enterprise had to be abandoned on account of the hostilities of rival tribes of red men. Soon after, the chapel and mission house were destroyed by fire. Then disease broke out among the Indians, the soil, exhausted by its prodigal treatment, refused to yield enough to sustain its meagre population, and the old Sillery was given up. The descendants of its original founders re-established themselves at a new mission named St. Francis de Sales, soon better known as the Mission of St Francis, of which I shall speak more anon. Father Bateaux established a mission at Three Rivers, formerly a trading station, to fall a few years later, 1652, at the hands of the Iroquois. He made some of the longest, most difficult, and most painful journeys recorded among his Order. L.o* c - ioo The St. Lawrence River The missionary settlement of Montreal was founded, 1 64 1, by Maisonneuve, but this mission was soon taken in charge by Abbe d' Olier, who established in Paris four years later the " Priests of the Society of St. Sul- pice," and this colony was transferred to the Sulpicians in 1656. Afterwards this mission was removed to the Sault au Recollet, and from there to the Lake of the Two Mountains, where it still exists, the oldest in the country. Here several tribes of red men, among them the Algonquins, the Nipissing, and the Iroquois descendants, meet to-day. No permanent mission was attempted on le grande riviere, the Ottawa, though this was for some time the main way of travel by the missionaries into the west. The first Indians to trade with the French from the re- gion of the Upper Lakes were the Ottawas, hence that territory became known as the country of the Ottawas, though several other tribes dwelt within the region. From this came the modern name of the river. Looking westward, we behold the great battle-ground of the races. Here were lighted the momentous coun- cil-fires of the Iroquois ; here was carried from border to border the Huron's tocsin of war ; and here wound the war trails of nations that fought, bled, and perished in the same cause that has wrung tears from the old earth since it was young. This was the Thessaly of old Canada. Here the stately Titanis mustered his dusky legions, and went forth as did Varus of old Rome, to vanish into the night of the wilderness. w S W fa The Wilderness Missions 101 Here was the home of the fiery Pontiac, who staked his all and lost on the ebb of the tide. Here, the cur- tain fallen upon the last act in the terrible drama of war, came the noble Brant to teach his people the ways of peace, dying with his dream a-dreaming. Here the grand Tecumseh rallied his faithful followers in the interest of an alien race, and here he fell, bravely bat- tling for a lost cause. No mean warriors these, worthy to stand shoulder to shoulder with the noblest of the Old World heroes. The door to this magnificent coun- try was the Huron Mission, of which it has been truthfully said : No men have, in the zealous exercise of their faith, performed hardier deeds than these Jesuits of the Huron Mission ; yet after three years of unremitting toil, they could [1640] count but a few- hundred converts out of a population of 16,000, and these were for the most part sick infants or aged persons, who had died soon after baptism. The rugged braves scorned the approaches of the fathers, and unmercifully tormented their converts ; the medicine men waged continual warfare on their work ; smallpox and the Iroquois were decimating the people. Still they clung to their work, and new missions were undertaken. During the thirty-five years in which they carried on their labours here, twenty-nine mission- aries entered the field, five of them sacrificing their lives on the altars of their ambition. But the end was in- evitable. The time came, in the summer of 1650, when the few survivors of the unfortunate missions aban- doned their last resort on some islands in Lake Huron, and with their flocks gladly accepted the hospitality 102 The St. Lawrence River offered them by the founders of a small village on the Island of Orleans, just below Quebec. Even here, they soon found that they had not escaped the ven- geance of the Iroquois, and they saved themselves only by making a desperate stand at Lorette, also near Quebec, where are still to be found reminders of the faithful band. At this time the dusky allies of the French against the Iroquois, — the Montagnais, the Hurons, the Algon- quins, the Petuns, and the Neutrals, — had suffered so from the inroads of their enemies, not the least among which was that of disease, that the colonists of New France were threatened with complete extinction at the hands of the Five Nations. Not only had the Jesuits reasons to be disheartened, but the coureur du bois had found his forest trade ruined, and the settlements of Quebec, Three Rivers, and Montreal were sorely op- pressed by an enemy that knew neither mercy nor the limit of human endurance. In 1653 came an unexpected overture. This was nothing less than a proposal on the part of the Iroquois for peace, and an invitation to the Jesuits to establish a mission in their country. It was a shrewd act on the part of the Five Nations, as they were anxious to dis- tract the French from helping the routed Hurons, Al- gonquins, and Petuns to rally against them. This was essential to them, as they had about as much as they could attend to in stemming the tide of the Eries com- ing in upon them from the west, and of the Susque- hannas from the south. The Wilderness Missions 103 The first missionary to enter the territory of the Five Nations had been Jogues, 1642, who went as cap- tive of the Mohawks. The second was Bressani, 1644, who had a similar introduction, and who, like the first, after a series of hazardous hardships, eventually re- turned with the forlorn hope that he could Christianize these warlike people. These two, with a companion in each case, suffered torture and death at the hands of those whom they would fain have converted to milder ways. In 1659, the Iroquois formed a conspiracy to kill all of the French within their country, and then to blot out of existence the settlements in the St. Lawrence valley. Fortunately, this plot was betrayed by one of their number, and the missionaries then among them managed to escape and reach Montreal after a series of adventures of the most hazardous nature. Though baffled at the outset, the Iroquois .-actually massed to carry out this far-reaching plan, the sequel of which will be told in another chapter. In the midst of this unstable condition, they again, as a subterfuge possibly, in the person of a Cayuga sachem, asked for another visit from the black-robed Fathers. As usual, the appeal was not made in vain, the fearless, patient Le Moyne answering the summons this time. He passed the winter with them. It was not until five years later, however, when the French had become strong enough to subdue four of the allied tribes, the Cayugas, Oneidas, Onondagas, and Senecas, that the missionary could go among them without fear 104 The St. Lawrence River and trembling. The Mohawks, still stubborn, were humbled and humiliated only when their village had been laid in ruins. Among the converts of this period was one at least worthy of mention. She was an Iroquois woman known as Catharine Tegakouita, "the Iroquois saint," She afterwards founded a native mission on the banks of the St. Lawrence. The French did not wholly retire from this field until 1687, when the English had become so strong that they felt obliged to abandon an enterprise which at its most prosperous period was barren of great result. The New York Indians who had been attracted to the valley of the St. Lawrence were cared for at a palisaded mission, nearly opposite Montreal, known as the St. Francis Xavier. This mission, which was originally an outpost against the marauding Iroquois, was subse- quently removed to* Sault St. Louis, and is known to this day as Caughnawaga. The accounts of the sufferings and hardships borne by these pious followers of the cross surpass the belief of the most humane, and overleap the imagination of those who have not read them. It would seem as if the savage mind invented every form of cruelty that was possible to punish these heroic men who were sacri- ficing everything for them. Among them, none could exceed the Mohawks in their ingenious and devilish atrocities, hence the labour undertaken in their midst has appropriately been distinguished as "The Mission of the Martyrs." The Wilderness Missions 105 So assiduously did they apply themselves to the task in hand, that within seven years of their second arrival they had accomplished the exploration of the country to the borders of Lake Superior, and thence down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. On the shores of the Great Lakes, they established their outposts of civilisation while yet the battle-cry of a savage race was awakening the fastnesses of the wilderness, — all this before the sturdy New Englander had cared to push away from the seacoast, and while the slow-mov- ing Dutch were occupied within their limited domains. Before Eliot, of New England, had addressed a single word to the Indians within six miles of Boston Har- bour, Le Jeune, Brebeuf, and others had mastered the Algonquin and Huron tongues, and were preaching to the dusky congregations in their own language. Neither the conversion of souls nor exploration was their paramount purpose, for the education of the young was ever in their mind. In 1637, while the English were debating the building, upon the banks of the river Charles, of Harvard University, a Jesuit named Rene de Rohaut established a school for Indian children and a college for French boys at Quebec. The first pupil came from the Huron country, under the charge of Father Daniel, who, in 1648, fell with half a dozen Iroquois bullets in his body, the second Christian martyr in New France. Nicollet, who had spent so much time among the Indians to learn their language, succeeded in furnishing several subjects for 106 The St. Lawrence River the training of the pious teachers. But these dusky- seekers after knowledge came with little aspiration for light, and Father Le Jeune confesses that some ran away ; one was kidnapped by parents who could not ap- preciate the golden opportunity open to their offspring, while two others met more ignoble fates by gorging themselves to death with — not overstudy, but over- eating ! The college building, which was a wooden structure, was made into a soldiers' barracks upon the occupation of the city by the English. It is fortunate for those who seek for a knowledge of the scenes in which they figured that the missionaries were faithful chroniclers of what they saw and did, and that the French Government required them to render such reports from time to time. The style of these writers was simple in the extreme, while a pathetic inter- est pervades all they say. There is no other source of early history which contains so much of the customs, religion, legends, and language of the native races. The Jesuit Relations was originally published in forty small octavo volumes, and is now (1904) being reprinted, in Cleveland, in a definitive edition comprising 73 volumes. Chapter IX The Beginning of Montreal Founders of the Ursuline Convent in Quebec — Maisonneuve, the Champlain of Montreal — The Heroines of Ville-Marie — A Canadian Regulus — The Holy Wars of Early Montreal. IT must not be supposed by those reading the story of the wilderness missions that all of the heroism of founding the Catholic Church in New France belonged to the sterner sex. From among the gentler followers of the cross came spirits equally brave and self-sacrificing. The touching and beautiful pictures the devout Fathers sent home, in spite of the pain and the burden they had taken upon themselves, found sympathetic hearts in court ladies and youthful nuns. Many young and beautiful maids and matrons promptly vowed themselves ready to help in the grand work of upbuilding the missions of the St. Lawrence. " A charitable and virtuous lady is needed here to teach the word of Christ to little Indian girls," wrote Father Le Jeune, nothing discouraged by the obstacles constantly rising in his path of trying to educate the dusky youths. No sooner was his touching request heralded across the water, than thirteen nuns from one convent pledged their lives to work in the good cause 107 108 The St. Lawrence River in Quebec, or wherever they should be called. This same appeal awakened the religious ecstasy of another, even as the religious zeal of the young and beautiful Madame Champlain had been stirred twenty years be- fore into a determination to devote her life to the work. This good and pious woman was the widow of the lamented De la Peltrie, and, left childless, she resolved to become a nun. In vain her father, to force her to marry again, threatened to disinherit her. Upon the advice of a Jesuit she did allow arrange- ments to be made for the form of a marriage, but the death of her father, soon after, left her free to carry out the purpose which now absorbed her life. From the convent at Tours she easily secured three nuns to help her in founding an Ursuline convent at Quebec. One of these companions became the noted Marie de 1' Incarnation, then a tall, regal woman of forty, with a romantic and pathetic history. She was both a widow and a mother, having been married at seventeen, and left without a husband at nineteen. It was only after long and earnest meditation, severe discipline, and de- vout supplication to the power upholding her that she could finally separate herself from her child. When she had at last concluded to take the veil, she was re- ceived by the Ursulines of Tours with great rejoicing. She was made Superior of the new convent at Quebec, and proved herself to be worthy of the hopes of her associates. M. de Montmagny, a Knight of Malta, had become MARIE GUYARD (MERE MARIE DE L'lNCARNATION.) The Beginning of Montreal 109 the successor of Champlain, and though lacking the other's resourceful enthusiasm he did fairly well. He rebuilt, in stone, Fort St. Louis, close to the precipice ; he restored the fallen tenements of Champlain's first habitation ; he saw the first H6tel-Dieu rise on the cliff commanding the valley of the St. Charles ; and he looked with satisfaction upon the progress of Quebec's lonely farmer, Louis Hebert. He had encouraged the brave Ursuline sisters to found their mission at Sillery, where they nobly contended with disease and dangers such as must have discouraged less brave hearts. A memorial of their unselfish work endures to-day in the cloisters of Garden Street, where in the sweet repose of seclusion gentle followers of their faith minister still to the maids of French-speaking Quebec ; and yet an- other exists in Palace Hill Hospital, where the suffering are cared for as tenderly as in the dark days of Indian invasion when their Order undertook the humane work of establishing itself among the wilderness missions of 1639. Not alone was Quebec the scene of womanly devo- tion to duty and religion, but already the gaze of some of the religious spirits of France was turned upon the island situated at the vortex of two rivers, both im- portant waterways for trade with the natives of the in- terior. The very fact that this was in the midst of one of the most troublesome periods of Indian invasions made it the more imperative that an outpost should be established here. Mention has already been made no The St. Lawrence River of the founding of the mission of Montreal by Maison- neuve, under the patronage of M. Dauversiere and M. d'Olier, who established, four years later, the Order of St. Sulpice. The island of Montreal then belonged to M. Lauzon, one of the Hundred Associates, who was induced to transfer his title, with the reserve that they should not engage in the fur-trade nor build forts. The Society of Notre Dame de Montreal was then organised, and the leadership of the undertaking in- trusted to that brave Christian knight, Paul de Maison- neuve, who was worthy to wear the mantle of Champlain, and by his untiring efforts linked his name inseparably with the queen city of Canadian commerce, no little honour. Neither does all of the credit belong to this brave man. Among those who became interested in the laud- able enterprise was a devout lady, Mademoiselle Mance, who joined the mission, and encouraged three other women to go with the settlers. Forty-two men, be- sides Maisonneuve and the three women, after meeting at the church of Notre Dame, at Paris, to consecrate the new settlement, which they had christened Ville Marie de Montreal, set sail for New France. Delayed in getting started, they did not reach Que- bec in season to continue up to their proposed stopping- place. Here they met with an opposition they had not expected. Montmagny opposed the scheme upon the exceedingly plausible ground that the settlers were needed at Quebec ; that it would be folly to try and The Beginning of Montreal 1 1 1 establish another settlement in the very teeth of the enemy, when he had all he could do to defend his own flock. The governor knew whereof he spoke. Only a short time before had the Iroquois, grown bold and sinister with their previous successes against their rival tribes, sent two Frenchmen, whom they had captured, in advance of their large force, to demand the surrender of the post at Three Rivers. The terms proposed were for the French to accept an armistice of peace, and leave their Algonquin allies to the mercy of their foes. The messenger, whose name was Francois Marguerie, under a flag of truce, did as he was bid in delivering the infamous message intrusted to him. Then, seeing his countrymen wavering in their duty, knowing the fearful odds they were facing, he broke forth into a defiant state- ment of their duty to the allies who had always stood by them, and who would be butchered in cold blood by the Iroquois did they accept such conditions of peace. His bold words saved the honour of New France, and it was decided that a desperate stand should be made until the last. Marguerie was then advised to remain with them, as it was known he would be put to the most fiendish torture should he return to his captors after having betrayed them in this manner. But this modern Regulus pointed out that if he did not go back, his companion, who was held as hostage until he should return, would have to suffer in his place. Under these circumstances Marguerie heroically bade adieu to his companions and went back to meet his fate. Fortun- i ii2 The St. Lawrence River ately, the delay caused by this parley enabled the gov- ernor to send a small body of reinforcements to the post, and upon learning of this the Iroquois abandoned the siege. They also consented to let Marguerie and his companion go free upon a ransom, and thus the hero was spared the fate that he expected when he decided upon his bold stand. Maisonneuve was equally firm in his purpose. He showed how he was simply an agent with an appointed duty before him. " I have not come here to deliber- ate," he declared, "but to act. It is my duty and my honour to found a colony at Montreal ; and I would go if every tree were an Iroquois." That autumn, Octo- ber 14, 1 64 1, the site of Ville-Marie was dedicated, but the settlers wintered in Quebec, where their leader was looked upon by the governor as his rival in power. He softened somewhat in his attitude with the coming of spring, and accompanied the colonists upon their trip in May to their future homes. Over the route that is now accomplished by one of the river steamers in as many hours, Maison- neuve's little fleet forged its way for fifteen days, when, on the 17th of May, the rounded slopes of Mount Royal, clad in the delicate green foliage of spring, burst into sight, stirring the hearts of the anxious beholders with new-found joy. They were delighted with the scenery, the fragrance of the springing forest per- meated the balmy air, and, what was dearer far to them, over the water and over the landscape rested an air The Beginning of Montreal 113 of peace quite in keeping with their pious purpose. There was nothing save rumours of an enemy that never allowed their vengeance to sleep, to forewarn them of the bloody deeds so soon to be enacted upon that fair scene. As belonged to him, Maisonneuve was the first to step upon the land, and as the others followed him, Mademoiselle Mance next to their leader, they fell upon their knees, sending up their songs of praise and thanksgiving. Their first work was to erect an altar at a favourable spot within sight and sound of the river- bank, the women decorating the rough woodwork with some of the wild-flowers growing in abundance upon the island, until the whole looked very beautiful. Then every member of the party, from the stately Governor Montmagny, in his courtly dress, the tall, dignified Maisonneuve, the fair, brave women, with their female attendants, lending grace to the scene by their presence, to the humbler persons, — the artisans, soldiers, and sailors, — knelt in solemn silence while M. Barthelemy Vimont, the Superior of the Jesuits, in his dark, ecclesi- astical robes, performed the ceremony of high mass. As he closed, he addressed his little congregation with these prophetic words : " You are a grain of mustard seed that shall rise and grow till its branches overshadow the earth. You are few, but your work is the work of God. His smile is on you, and your children shall fill the land." Speedily the site of Ville-Marie was surrounded by ii4 The St. Lawrence River a palisade, but the hospital erected by them was set outside of this wall. This was a stone structure, look- ing more like a fortress, which it proved to be in the battles to come. The summer passed quietly, while a little village of small wooden houses sprang up around the spot. A small chapel was built over the altar. Happily the band remained in ignorance of the bitter strife being waged all around them. As yet the Iroquois had not discovered the presence of this party of brave colonists daring to invade terri- tory they claimed belonged to them. Certainly they had shed blood enough to possess it. But all too soon the discovery was made, when they patrolled the woods in large bodies and in small, waiting for the opportunity to strike the blow which should sweep this new outpost from existence. The stockade was deemed insufficient to meet such an enemy, and it was replaced by solid walls and bastions. This summer was passed in anx- iety and alarm. The cultivation of the soil had to be abandoned, except as it was done under the protection of arms. The fuel needed to keep them warm during the cold weather had to be procured under cover of arms. Cut off from intercourse with the posts below, that were experiencing equal extremities, Ville-Marie was little better than a prison-pen. The Iroquois held a rough fort at Lachine, and had openly declared that they would not rest until they had cleared the country of both French and Algonquins. Some Hurons, falling into a trap of their setting, to save themselves betrayed their The Beginning of Montreal 115 allies, and assured them that it would be an easy matter to capture Ville-Marie, which was too poorly equipped to stand a siege. Another winter passed in inactivity. Now and then the enemy had been seen, and an occasional skirmish took place, but Maisonneuve counselled prudence. As might have been expected, some of his men began to murmur, saying that a bold onset would scatter the foes. Their sagacious leader replied that a single de- feat would ruin all. Better to remain inactive and watchful than to hazard their fate by overconfidence in their strength. That fall the little colony had re- ceived from France several watch-dogs, which proved remarkably intelligent and useful. One, named Pilote, was especially helpful, acting as scout and sentinel, leading her train in evident enjoyment upon her round of duties. One morning in early spring, while the snow still lay deep upon the ground, Pilote was sent out upon her daily round of reconnoissance. She had not been gone many minutes before she came bounding back, barking furiously, as much as to say, " The enemy are skulking in the woods." " Let us prove if the dog be right or not," said the soldiers among themselves, and Maison- neuve answered promptly that they should have the opportunity to see all the fighting they would care for. Eagerly the men, whose bravery over-ruled their better judgment, armed themselves with guns, and fastened snow-shoes upon their feet. As there were 1 1 6 The St. Lawrence River not enough of the latter for all, some went without. Thus, in battle array, Maisonneuve marched his band of thirty out of the fort into the clearing, covered deeply with the melting snow. Entering the deep forest they could see no sign of the enemy, and the soldiers began to think that Pilote had given a false alarm. Then a volley of bullets and arrows whistled around their heads, and the words of Maisonneuve proved a prophecy of truth, when every tree became an Iroquois ! The suddenness of the attack, the outburst of yells coming from throats of demons, fairly paralysed the soldiers, who were unused to Indian warfare. Massed in a bunch they must have fallen easy targets for the arms of the Iroquois, who were exultant over their sur- prise, had not their leader proved himself wise enough to order them to get behind the trees. Three or four were already killed and several wounded. The brave fellows returned the fire of the Iroquois, and, reloading their firearms, poured a second volley into the forest, though few, if any, of their bullets took effect. Maison- neuve was shrewd to see that such a fight, if continued, was sure to end disastrously to them, so he ordered a retreat, instructing his men to bear off the dead, and to gain a sledge-path leading to the fort. Nothing loath they obeyed, while the gallant Maisonneuve covered their retreat with his pistols, the Indians following upon their steps, while they dodged from tree to tree. Upon gaining the sledge-track the soldiers fled in such dis- order to the fort that they were mistaken by the occu- SIEUR DE MAISONNEUVE. The Beginning of Montreal 1 1 7 pants for the enemy, and, but for a timely warning from one of the women would have received a volley of bullets from their friends. With a pistol in either hand Maisonneuve slowly followed his men, keeping his eye upon his foes, who refrained from shooting him, as they now considered it a great honour to capture such an enemy alive. War- wise in this course of action, the brave captain kept them at bay, until the last of his soldiers had got within the gate, with the bodies of the dead and the wounded. Then he began to look to his own safety, when an Iro- quois chief, seeing their last opportunity of capturing him slipping away, sprang boldly forward to intercept him. But Maisonneuve proved that he was alert for such an act, and before the other could close in upon him he sent a bullet through his brain. The next mo- ment he leaped inside of the gate, gladly opened to him by his anxious companions, who shouted for joy over his escape. Henceforth no man ever questioned the courage of their leader, who had shown himself a hero. The death of the chief threw the Iroquois into such confusion that his body was dragged away without fur- ther attack being made. The spot where the valiant Maisonneuve stood when he fired the shot that saved himself and his friends is now known in commemora- tion of his deed as Place cCArmes. And so prophetic have the words of the Jesuit Father proved that it lies in the heart of a great commercial city and near to that noted church, Notre Dame, the largest cathedral in u8 The St. Lawrence River America, with the exception of one other standing on the site of the ancient Aztec pyramid of Mexico. While a period of comparative peace followed for a time, this little outpost of civilisation was never free from concern over its safety. Making the Richelieu River, as they had always done, their main entrance into the valley of the St. Lawrence, the Iroquois would lie in ambush along Lake St. Peter to intercept the fur- traders coming down from the upper country, or send their scouting parties farther down the stream to waylay whomever they could find. As has been mentioned, Montmagny built a fort at its mouth, but this, though meeting successfully an attack upon it, the wily red man found many ways to get around, and maintain a barrier of armed forces between this upper outpost on the St. Lawrence and the settlements below. This state of affairs lasted for over ten years without an abatement of its terrors and its horrors. During the interval the Jesuits, in the person of Father Jogues, had their first experience in the homeland of the Iroquois. In the west the Huron missions had suffered beyond the power of description, until finally the few survivors fled toward Quebec, finding a place of refuge at Sorel. At this time the colonists of New England were enjoying peace and a rapid growth of population. The confederacy known as " The United Colonies of New England " was formed to secure such protection as could be obtained from a union of interests. Hitherto, and in the years to follow, however, the settlements in New The Beginning of Montreal 119 England artd those in the valley of the St. Lawrence might flourish, whether planning war upon each other or enduring internal strife at home, neither knew, or seemed to care, what the other was doing. At this time, however, the eyes of the prosperous New Eng- enders became turned upon the region along the St. Lawrence, and a treaty of perpetual amity was pro- posed between New France and New England. Com- ing in the midst of such distress as the former colonists were enduring it was received with joy by them. Montmagny had been succeeded as governor by D'Aille- boust, and he immediately sent as a representative to act in their behalf Father Druilettes to confer with the English council at Boston. Smarting under the terrible blows being dealt against them by their unswerving foes, the Government at Quebec stipulated that one condition of the treaty should be that the colonists of New England should join with them in exterminating the Iroquois. This the latter stoutly refused to do. An armistice of peace had existed between them and the Five Nations which they had no desire to break. The emissary from Canada was firm in his demands, and so the negotiations came to naught. Disappointed in this direction Druilettes resolved to secure an ally elsewhere, and so astutely did he manage matters that he won over to his cause the Abnaki tribes in the east, who had shown but little disposition to be unfriendly to the English. So, instead of averting bloodshed as they had hoped, the New Englanders were drawn into 120 The St Lawrence River a series of struggles and bush battles which, with few and short cessations, lengthened into a war lasting over a hundred years. Nor were the French able to escape what they had hoped to throw off in a large measure. Learning of this intrigue the Iroquois became more bitter than before in their hostilities. Their lonely settlements in the heart of New France never rested in peace. Un- der the canopy of the great forest skulked a foe that never slept, and so bold did he grow that his war- plumes danced under the very guns of St. Louis on the fortified rock of Quebec. If the brave hearts at Quebec fairly hushed their beating, how silent it must have been behind the walls of Ville-Marie ! Fasting, penance, and prayer reigned supreme among these brave, but well-nigh hopeless, colonists, only fifty in number, and environed by a wilderness that was a veritable beehive of dusky foemen. In 1653, while the Iroquois were busy in exterminat- ing another tribe of red men, the Eries, the colonists of the St. Lawrence were given a breathing spell. The missionaries were brought into renewed activity, being called among the rival tribes to carry on their work of building missions and saving souls. But the cloak of promised protection held under its folds the viper of death. The Five Nations of the Iroquois were agreed to unite in exterminating the missionaries and attend- ants in their midst, and then sweep the St. Lawrence valley clean of Frenchmen, which has already been The Beginning of Montreal 121 mentioned. The hero of this scene in the drama of races was the intrepid Dupuy, who was in command of a little band under the supposed protection of the Onondaga Mission. Learning from secret sources of the plot of the Indians, he had his men construct some very light boats within cover of the fort. As soon as these were completed he invited the Onondagas to a feast, which was so liberally furnished that the Indians ate and drank themselves into an unnatural sleep. While they slumbered their entertainers stole away with their boats upon their shoulders. Reaching the Oswego River, though it was in mid-March they suc- ceeded in making their passage to the lake, and from thence down the St. Lawrence to Quebec. In the meantime at Ville-Marie, Mademoiselle Mance, though beginning to feel the infirmities of years, with her associates, was kept busy caring for the sick and wounded at her hospital. Another brave wo- man, young in years, and with a good inheritance had she remained at home to enjoy it, came to Ville-Marie to teach the children, opening her school in a stable, lodging herself in the loft. In fact, others of the gentle sex found their way upon this stormy scene, lured hither by intoxicating stories of the good they might accomplish among the poor and needy. Many of these came through the agency of that arch-scoundrel, Dau- versiere, whose name has already been mentioned. It was even claimed that he had kidnapped and sold them into this life of sacrifice. 122 The St. Lawrence River As well as men and women the missions needed money, and in 1658 Mademoiselle Mance and Mar- guerite Bourgeoys, a young teacher, visited France to solicit aid. They were so successful, through the aid of the Sulpicians, that a large body of emigrants came with them upon their return, and an energetic Sulpician Father, the Abbe de Queylus. The latter established the seminary which had long been the dream of the colony. The dwellings were increased to fifty well- built houses, compactly situated, and protected by a fort and stone windmill where is now St. Paul Street. The brief term of peace which had allowed this hope- ful upbuilding now proved but a lull in the storm of what has passed into history as the " Holy Wars of Montreal." The Iroquois again took the war trail, fiercer, stronger than ever. Victims were scalped within sight and sound of the only stronghold within New France. Thither fled the frightened nuns from their stone convents, and thither the fur-traders and voyageurs looked for succour. In the midst of this thrilling situation intelligence was brought of a great war-party of Iroquois descending the Ottawa River to hurl itself upon Ville-Marie. Under its impending doom, amid the prayers of priests and women, rose the hero of this occasion, a young nobleman named Adam Daulac, Sieur des Ormeaux, since frequently called Dol- lard, who had come to Montreal a short time before, as it would seem, for just such an opportunity as this. His story is worthy of a separate chapter. Chapter X Spartans of Canada The Story of Daulac and his Heroic Band, Every Man of whom Died for New France — How Twenty-two Heroes Held Seven Hundred Iroquois Warriors at Bay. THE pioneer days of all countries are filled with deeds of heroism, and the names of many he- roes and heroines stand boldly out on the his- toric pages as conspicuous examples of faithfulness unto death for generations to come, inspiring their descend- ants with love for homeland. The early history of Canada is especially bright in this respect. But among her many fearless builders and defenders no figures stand forth in bolder relief than Daulac's little Spartan band that dared and did so much for New France in the stirring and perilous period of Iroquois invasion. Adam Daulac, or Dollard in its Englished form, was only twenty-five years old, but, belonging to an old fam- ily of soldiers, he had seen considerable military service as a regular in the army of France. Unfortunately his record was blackened by the charge of cowardice, and his sensitive nature writhed under the accusation, which was really groundless. Smarting under this humiliation he had come to New France with the avowed purpose 123 124 The St. Lawrence River of washing out by some deed of prowess the stain on his otherwise proud name. In a new country he fondly believed he would find greater field for his desire. Now he believed his opportunity had come. Thus he watched the uprising of the Iroquois with feelings far different from those who listened to the reports with trembling. Instead of waiting in fear and suspense for the savage enemies to gather their wild forces and hurl them en masse upon their homes, poorly fitted to withstand a siege, he favoured carrying war into the others' midst. Such a course, he argued, would do more to disconcert the Iroquois than a hundred fights made on the defensive, however bravely the stand might be taken. Unless something of this kind were done they would grow bolder as the season advanced, and as the men of necessity became more busy about their growing crops the Indians would be given greater opportunity for action. So, obtaining permission from the governor to raise a party of kindred spirits to take the war trail, Daulac soon enlisted sixteen as brave and dashing spirits as himself. For reasons of his own he accepted only those who had no families depending upon them for a living, and no man older than himself. As far as possible he selected those, who, through some disappointment, had grown reckless and placed a low value on life. He then advised them all to make their wills, if they had any property which they wished to dispose of, in case they failed to return. Spartans of Canada 125 The older men of the vicinity asked that the expedi- tion be delayed until they could plant their seed, when they would gladly accompany the others, and thus bring the company up to a respectable number. Daulac met this with the argument that a small body of men could move faster and easier than a large number, and thus be better able to surprise the Indians, which would be the only hope of a success. After having seen that his little band had taken an ample supply of arms and ammunition, among the former several heavy musketoons, or small cannon, together with as much crushed corn as was deemed best, Daulac was ready to set forth upon his perilous mission. The Sacrament was received and their confessions made in the little chapel, while their many friends, who felt they never should see them again, bade them a tender, tearful good-bye. A fair April morning was breaking over the north- land as the brave seventeen resolutely set the prows of their stout canoes up the stream, and entered upon the first stage of their arduous and dangerous journey. The river swollen by the floods of spring and still carry- ing floating cakes of ice, they were six days in stemming the rapids of Sainte Anne, and only the most deter- mined battle with the elements enabled them to enter the furious Ottawa. But strengthened rather than daunted by this difficult beginning they pushed ahead, crossed the Lake of the Two Mountains, and paused for their first respite at the foot of the angry current of Carillon. 126 The St. Lawrence River Daulac cheered his companions with stories of Champlain on his first voyage up the Ottawa, and soon they gazed upon the stormy rapids where the great explorer had nearly lost his life. Looking upon the rock-strewn waterway where the mad current leaped and roared and flung twenty feet into the air its white and yellow mane, they wisely concluded it would be impossible for them to ascend the cataracts of Long Sault at this time. Even if that were possible, the news which had reached them that a large war-party of the Iroquois were encamped just above warned them that it would be running into a trap. Their leader, whose judgment was seldom questioned, argued that it would be better to lie in ambush near by and attack the enemy when they should come down the turbid stream. It happened that an Algonquin war-party the pre- vious year had made a small clearing and hastily con- structed a fort surrounded by palisades. Though this simple fortification had fallen into a dilapidated condi- tion during the winter, it was quickly decided to make it their rendezvous, and repair it as soon as they had somewhat recovered from the exhaustion of their efforts in battling with the current. So their supplies of pro- visions and ammunition were taken inside the fort, their canoes dragged up out of the reach of the water, a hearty meal eaten, when they wrapped themselves in their blankets and lay down to the rest and sleep so greatly required, putting off until another day the improvement they intended to give the fort. a a Spartans of Canada 127 The night proved uneventful, and the following morning Daulac and his men were both surprised and pleased at the appearance of a party of Indians, consist- ing of Hurons and Algonquins, who hated the Iroquois and consequently professed friendship for the French. These dusky allies numbered forty-four, of whom only four belonged to the Algonquin tribe. Daulac himself had little confidence that the Indians would stand by them in case the fight should become close, as the Hu- rons were not noted for such qualities, having of late several times deserted the French at a critical moment. However, he had no reason to doubt the courage and loyalty of their leader, so he was fain to accept their proffered aid, and the repairs upon the fort were be- gun with promptness and strong belief in their suc- cess against the enemies, who the Huron chief assured them were even then close at hand. They were in the midst of this work when one of the scouts reported that two canoe-loads of Iroquois warriors were shooting the rapids at that moment. Axes were immediately exchanged for firearms, and the allies waited impatiently for the appearance of their enemies. The suspense was of short duration, and having passed the falls in safety the Iroquois were in the act of landing just below, as Daulac gave the word to fire. But in the excitement so many shots were wasted that a portion of the Iroquois escaped up the bank of the river. These carried the news of the at- tack to their companions encamped above the rapids, 128 The St. Lawrence River and preparations were hastily begun to make a raid upon the French and their allies. Meanwhile Daulac and his companions, speaking lightly of what they had done, cooked their morning meal, and were eating it when they were apprised of the approach of a hundred canoes of Iroquois ! Quickly as they ended their breakfast, before they could carry their cooking utensils into the fort the foremost of the invading Indians shot into sight, borne down- ward by the wild river with a rapidity that appeared startling to the beholders. If the watchers from the fort at first thought it pos- sible they would pass them without molestation, they were speedily shown the contrary, for upon reaching the calm water at the foot of the rapids the occupants of the canoes swarmed out upon the shore until Daulac felt positive there were not less than two hundred of them. He was confident it was the same war-party that was on the way to attack the settlements, and he addressed a few stirring words to his companions, de- claring that the fate of the homes in New France was in their hands. The attack of the Iroquois was so stubbornly met that the latter fell back with considerable loss. No- thing daunted by this they prepared for a second at- tack, changing their tactics somewhat this time. First breaking up the canoes of the besieged allies, they ignited the pieces of bark, and carrying these blazing torches over their heads hoped to get near enough to Spartans of Canada 129 set on fire the palisades. But they were met by such a hot fire from the weapons of the brave men within the fort that the survivors were forced to retreat in wild disorder. At this juncture, a Seneca chief, who had won great glory in a former campaign for his bravery and cun- ning, assumed command. It seemed certain that in a short time, inspired by his heroic daring, they would enter the fort in spite of the furious firing of the occu- pants. This chief had indeed almost reached the pali- sades, when Daulac sent a bullet through his brain. Upon seeing him fall the others again retreated into the forest, where they held a short consultation. It proved that this party had been on its way to join another and larger body, and together they were plan- ning to sweep every French colonist off the banks of the St. Lawrence, from Montreal to Quebec. The council quickly concluded that it would be wisest to send for this large party to come to their assistance as soon as possible. In the meantime it was decided to erect a fort for themselves close by, keeping up the appearance of a siege by an occasional attack. While this was taking place three of the young fol- lowers of Daulac determined to bring in the head of the Seneca chief, as an act of defiance to their foes. Dau- lac not objecting, they set forth upon their daring mis- sion, their companions standing at the loopholes ready to shoot down the first Iroquois that ventured within reach of their bullets. The deed was accomplished 9 130 The St. Lawrence River without loss of life on their part, and a few minutes later the head of the chief was placed upon the top of a pole close by the palisades. This aroused the Iroquois to an- other attack, which proved as fruitless to them as ever. Between the intervals of the attacks of the Iroquois, while they were building their fort, the French and their allies improved the opportunity to repair and strengthen their fortifications. Small trees were cut to form a second line of palisades, the space between the rows filled in with earth to the height of a man. Five loopholes were left on each side of the defence, each sufficient to accommodate three men, so at least sixty men could be employed at one time. By this time the besieged party had been called upon to meet enemies more to be dreaded than even the fiery Iroquois. These were hunger, thirst, cold, and the loss of sleep. There was no water to be had with- in the inclosure of the palisades, and the only kind of food they had was the dry hominy. Once half a dozen ventured forth, and succeeded in getting a small quan- tity of water, but this could not be repeated. Then they began to dig for it, succeeding in getting a limited supply of muddy water, but in spite of all they could do their sufferings soon became intense. This fact, with the certainty that sooner or later all must fall into the hands of the Iroquois, caused the Hurons to desert, one after another, until only their chief, the brave Etienne Annahotaha, with the four Algonquins, remained with the little band of French. Spartans of Canada 131 Then came the fateful day, nearly a week after the Iroquois had settled down to what seemed the slow pro- cess of starving out the besieged men, when the war- whoops of five hundred warriors, hastening to the aid of their brothers-in-arms, came wildly up through the forest, drowning the steady roar of Long Sault. The cheers of the besiegers answered in exultant tones, while the beleaguered ones felt that their last hope was gone. Soon the siege was resumed in deadly earnest, and for three days and three nights the Iroquois kept up an irregular assault, trying in vain to get inside the walls of earth defended by the twenty brave spirits resolved to fight and die if need be, but to surrender, never ! The more fearful of the besiegers would now fain give up the siege, declaring the French were protected by the Great Spirit. Others looked fiercely upon the Hu- ron deserters, as if they would wreak their vengeance upon them. These, knowing their own lives lay in overcoming the French, boldly taunted them of lacking courage. Thereupon a daring chief proposed a scheme by which it could be found just who had the courage to continue the attack. This was to be done by tying to- gether as many bundles of small sticks as there were warriors, and let each one choose if he would pick up one of these or not. Put thus to the test, fearing to be branded cowards if they did not, nearly all of the Iro- quois and all of the Hurons caught up his bundle of sticks with guttural exclamations of defiance. All talk of desisting from the attack ended here. i3 2 The St. Lawrence River Resolved now to destroy the party within the fort at any cost, a council was held to decide how it was best to cope with so desperate an enemy. Thereupon one of the Iroquois suggested that they make large wooden shields out of small trees fastened together, behind which it might be possible to reach the fort and overwhelm its defenders. This plan was accepted without debate, and preparations began at once to carry it forward. All joining willingly in the work, it required only a short time to fell the small trees and cut their trunks into suitable lengths. These pieces were then lashed to- gether with withes, and the rude defences were ready for use. Volunteers, eager to distinguish themselves in the fray, were not lacking to lead the charge, while behind those who carried the shields followed the main body of the Iroquois. In this way, without firing a shot, the dusky legion approached the palisades, waiting eagerly for the opportunity to begin their work of annihilation. In the meantime a more anxious council had been held by the little group of heroic defenders of the fort. Daulac called each man by name, offering him the opportunity to surrender if he chose ; but not one, even to the four Algonquins and the Huron chief, hesi- tated in his decision to remain. In fact, they knew only too well the dread alternative, and a speedy death was preferable to the slower torture that awaited them if they fell into the hands of the enemy alive. Watching the movements of the Iroquois from the Spartans of Canada 133 loopholes they anticipated their intentions and under- stood the form their next attack would take. Their only hope now lay in the musketoons, which they had not used before on account of the greater amount of powder they required. Now they only wished they had four instead of two, so as to be able to protect every side at once. However, these were planted to do the most effective work, and the approach of the Indians anxiously awaited. Realising that the end was near, each brave defender of New France stood at his post impatiently waiting for the opening of the battle that was to become the clos- ing act in the tragedy of border warfare. Daulac spoke a few words of encouragement, and then turned to see that the musketoon on that quarter was discharged at the proper moment to do the most mischief. It proved, indeed, a sort of mischief that for a brief time threatened to demoralise the Iroquois. As the double reports rang out simultaneously, many of the shield-bearers fell, and for a time the wooden walls proved but poor protection to those exposed by their fall. Daulac lost no time in having the guns reloaded, and had there been two more it would have been very uncertain if the Iroquois, notwithstanding their over- whelming numbers, would have succeeded in their purpose. As it was, two sides were left unprotected by these large firearms, and the advance of the enemies was unchecked. The brave Huron, Etienne, was on one of 134 The St. Lawrence River these more exposed positions, and the moment the Iroquois had got near enough to throw down their shields and begin to hack at the palisades with their hatchets, he sprang into the fray hand-to-hand. He was closely followed by others. No quarter was asked or expected. The faithful Huron soon went down with more than a dozen wounds, and his body was quickly covered by two of the Algonquins, while the French died like the heroes they had proved themselves to be. Finding that their enemies were breaking through the wooden wall at his rear, Daulac, having literally filled to the muzzle one of the musketoons with powder and shot, lighted the fuse, and tried to throw it over the palisades into the midst of the assailants. But it was not lifted high enough to clear the top, and falling back into the inclosure it burst as it struck the ground. Several of the defenders were killed or injured by this explosion, but the others, resorting now to knives and axes, continued to hew down the Iroquois as fast as they showed themselves at the rents they had made in the walls. It had been their orders not to kill any one if possible, but to save all for the torture. But, seeing so many of their numbers slain by these indomitable men, and fearing they would escape after all, the com- mand was given to fire upon them. Daulac was killed by this volley, though not till he had encircled himself with victims. Of his brave com- panions only three survived this deadly discharge of bullets, and these were more dead than alive when Spartans of Canada 135 seized by the fiendish captors, maddened by the fact that they obtained no more captives. In this disappoint- ment they turned upon the unfortunate Hurons, who had deserted the French to fight with them, and more than half of their number were put to death along with the three survivors of the garrison. Of the balance of the Hurons, five escaped soon after to carry to Mon- treal the tragic story of the fate of Daulac and his heroic band. The fate of the other Hurons is unknown. The Iroquois had suffered so severely at the hands of the heroes of Long Sault, and probably thinking that it would be folly to carry on their warfare with a race of whom they judged Daulac and his men to be repre- sentatives, they abandoned all further attacks for that season. Thus the heroic sacrifice of these brave soldiers of New France had not been made in vain, and for a long time their praises were sung by the thankful colonists. Chapter XI The Heroic Period La Salle and his Associates — Talon, the First Intendant — Frontenac — The Great Council with the Iroquois— Laval Restored to the Episcopate — Maids of Quebec — First Ship upon Lake Erie — Fate of La Salle — Frontenac Recalled— Treachery of Denonville — Massacre at La Chine — Return of Frontenac — His "Winter Raids" — Phips's Expedition — Death of Frontenac. WITH the exit of Champlain from the stage the curtain falls upon the second act in the drama of exploration and colonisation in the valley of the St. Lawrence. When it lifts again it rises over what has not inappropriately been styled "the heroic period." The mantle of the explorer falls upon Marquette, who founded, in April, 1668, the first mission in Michigan, Sault Ste. Marie, and w r ho reached the Mississippi in the summer of 1673, an d died on the bank of the little river that bears his name in 1675; Joliet, his companion ; Hennepin, who explored the up- per portion of the Mississippi River; and, greater than either, La Salle, and his faithful friend of the " silver hand," Tonty ; an illustrious group who blazed the path westward for the coming power which was destined to be antagonistic to their own. Of these the checkered fortunes of La Salle will have the most to do with our work. 136 MONSEIGNEUR LAVAL, FIRST CANADIAN BISHOP. The Heroic Period 137 In 1 66 1 a change came over the political and com- mercial situation in the St. Lawrence valley. Colbert, a clear-headed, fearless financier was chosen by the King to be comptroller of finance and minister of marine. That veteran of two wars, Baron Dubois d'Avaugor, became governor of New France. He immediately saw the possibilities of the country, and declared that the St. Lawrence was the portal to "the grandest empire on earth." At this time (1663) its population, scattered among isolated posts, numbered 2500, one-third of whom lived in Quebec. The Hundred Associates throwing up their charter, a special council was created by the King to control affairs in Canada, with Quebec its capital. May 24, 1664, under the inspiration of Colbert, the Company of the West was organised, and given the dominion of commerce for the entire territory of New France. This brought murmuring from the people, and to quiet them the company allowed the trade of the Upper St. Law- rence to redound to their profit, but retained the lower and richer section. Louis XIV., surnamed the Great, was then in the midst of his dazzling career, calling about him some of the ablest men of his time, and making his power in his own kingdom so absolute as to be able to say, without fear of contradiction, Litat cest moi [" I am the state "]. He sent to New France some of the ablest men she had. Among these came Daniel de Remy, Sieur de Courcelles, who became governor, and Jean Baptiste 138 The St. Lawrence River Talon, the first Intendant, an office associated in power with the first. These men were thoroughly imbued with the royal spirit of Louis. In order to help put down the Iroquois raids twelve hundred veteran soldiers of the Turkish campaign and in other wars were sent over. What was of equal im- portance, two thousand immigrants came to swell the population. With the strong, righteous arm of Talon to fight for them, coupled with the energetic military skill of Courcelles, it looked as if the drooping lilies of France were to be lifted into brighter prospects than ever up and down the great river. It was then the English ob- tained possession of New Netherlands, and began to move up the valley of that other river, the Hudson, in a way the rival of the St. Lawrence. Charles II. was entering upon his stormy reign in England, and New England, as well as her sister colony in the north, was beginning to feel the iron heel of kingly despotism ; only in her case the master was not as worthy of his subjects. Talon urged the necessity of establishing posts far- ther south, and Courcelles invaded the Mohawk coun- try, lost his way, found village after village deserted, and was glad to get out of the wilderness. He was followed by an expedition under the lieutenant-general Marquis de Tracy, who led the largest force, thirteen hundred men, ever seen until then in the Mohawk country, and with competent guides, which his pre- decessor had lacked, he devastated town after town of the Mohawks. The succeeding spring the humbled £ s ^aS^: The Heroic Period 139 red men for the first time sued for peace. Then fol- lowed twenty years in the St. Lawrence valley of free- dom from the war-whoop. The population increased rapidly, and in 1670 there were 6000 inhabitants. The colonists pushed out into the wilderness with good courage. Canada began to look like a land of homes. But, at the same time, the coureurs de bois re- ceived a wider license of freedom than ever, the most serious menace civilisation knew. Now, too, the explo- rers cross the border line : Marquette, Joliet, Hennepin, Duluth, rise like the sun, and like the sun disappear in the unknown West. The astute Talon reserved his favours for another adventurer, who in many respects was to outstrip his rivals. His name was Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, who was born in 1644 and appeared in Montreal in his 23rd year. His enthusiastic spirit prompted him to begin work at once. The first result was a palisaded town above the rapids, built as a station for the fur- trade. But his restless energy would not allow him a long period of clearing the wilderness here, and upon the 6th of July, 1669, we find him sailing up the St. Lawrence in quest of China. Somewhat derisively the name of La Chine was given to the estate he left when starting upon this chimerical expedition. Breaking down under the strain upon him, Cour- celles asked to be relieved of his position, and his suc- cessor appeared upon the scene in 1672. Strong as had been the men who had gone before him, the new 140 The St Lawrence River governor-general was one to rise head and shoulders above them. His was a character not pleasant to ana- lyse ; not always friendly to his King, to his fellow-man, to himself. But in spite of the vices of his age and asso- ciates, in defiance of his imperious temper, his will that brooked no opposition, his reputation not the best for honesty, his home life not free from scandal, his intem- perate habits, his indifference to religious teachings according to the tenets of the Jesuits and Sulpicians, his was a rugged, progressive, untrammelled nature. One word expresses the name by which he is best known, Frontenac, but he was really Louis de Baude, Comte de Palluau et de Frontenac. He has been styled the " Saviour of New France." If this honour belongs to him it was because the country needed such an iron will and resolute arm to stem the turgid current of its political and commercial St. Lawrence. Among the first things that the new governor did was to strike at the feudal rights so dear to the King of France, and which Talon and his associates had been careful to foster, not caring to try the temper of Louis. Frontenac called about him the leading spirits of the colony, and planned to establish a structure of the States somewhat similar to the Estates General once popular in France, but thrust aside by the reigning monarch. For this he was rebuked by the King, who had no intention of allowing any semblance of power to spring up that should in the least interfere with his absolutism, and New France lost her only opportunity The Heroic Period 14 1 for freedom. This, coming from one who seemed little short of a dictator himself, was something of a surprise. Again Frontenac looked about him, and saw wrongs that needed righting in the system of trade, and straightway he had the bushrangers arrayed against him. Nor did it stop here. Perrot, the governor, fa- voured the class, as they had favoured him. Immedi- ately this aggrieved official started for France, to lay his troubles before the King. La Salle also went, with a recommendation from Frontenac for kingly assistance in opening up the west. The Sulpicians were now up in arms against the governor-general, who bent his will to no man. The Jesuits, while not openly denounc- ing him, placed every obstacle possible in his path. While encouraging exploration, and La Salle above all other explorers, Frontenac had deemed it advisable to establish a post upon the shore of Lake Ontario, farther up on the St. Lawrence than had yet been done. In order to carry out this purpose to his satisfaction he planned an expedition to be headed by himself, and also sent La Salle ahead to invite the Iroquois to be present at a council. Leaving Quebec June 3, 1673, he sailed up the St. Lawrence, stopping at Montreal, where his forces were considerably increased. He left this place on the 28th, with 400 men, 120 canoes, and two flat- boats. This imposing flotilla, with its brightly painted bateaux and long train of birch barques, all moving to strains of martial music, and decked with the striking and mysterious devices of a people coming as strangers 142 The St. Lawrence River into a strange land, must have created a thrilling awe in the breasts of the dusky lookouts of those island retreats. In the foremost boat the stately figure of Frontenac was the most conspicuous object, his gold- laced uniform looking exceedingly bright, considering the long and toilsome journey he had made against the current of the mighty river, and in face of the perils of the wilderness. Moving upon the scene with holiday pomp and gaiety, the new-comers disembarked at Cataraqui, near where now stands the city of Kingston, on the 12th of July. The engineer, Raudin, was set to work laying out a fort, and La Salle was placed in command. The Iroquois were promptly on hand, and the most import- ant council which had ever been held with these war- riors followed, these astute sons of the war trail finding the new commander of a different stamp to treat with than they had met before. He both flattered and threat- ened them, and they went away deeply impressed with his presence. The result of La Salle's visit to France was, in part, a grant to him of the fort at Cataraqui, with the adjoining territory. Upon the same vessel that brought him back were Hennepin, the Recollet friar, who was to become noted for his western explorations ; Laval, restored to the episcopate of Quebec, and Duchesnau, the successor of Talon, who had been unable to get along with Fronte- nac. The times must have been prolific of independent spirits, for it is seldom four were ever brought together The Heroic Period 143 who were so strong-minded each in his own peculiar field of work. Upon this ship came also another element quite as disturbing to the decorum of the company as either, on account of their merry ways rather than from any ma- licious disposition. This was a bevy of pretty maids sent over by the King to become the wives of needy settlers. From the beginning in New France there had been a scarcity of women, and Talon, in his endeavour to increase the number of settlers, called especially for young ladies to save the country from a matrimonial famine. In 1665 one hundred girls arrived in Quebec, and were quickly supplied with husbands. The follow- ing year twice as many came, and still the demand was not met. Another company of over a hundred came in 1667, and from year to year this practice was kept up. Many of these girls were selected from good families at home and were intended to supply the seigneurs, and thus from the beginning were built up two classes in Canada, the noblesse and the habitants ; the first holding the lands of the King, and the others cultivating it upon leases. Upon being separated into the class where the candidates for matrimonial honours belonged, those who desired a wife stated their wishes to a person in charge, usually a woman, gave proof as to his possessions and ability to support a home, when he was at liberty to select one most to his fancy from the class in which he had a right to look. The maids, on their part, were given the privilege to reject any man that might not 1 44 The St. Lawrence River appear congenial, when he would be obliged to try- again. The choice being mutual, the couple sought a priest and notary, and were speedily united for better or worse, and there is no record to show that these im- promptu marriages did not prove as satisfactory as weddings made with greater leisure. In 1676, encouraged by Frontenac and the peace of the country, at the time when the New England colo- nists were in the midst of King Philip's War, La Salle rebuilt in masonry the walls to Fort Frontenac, as Cata- raqui had been renamed, strengthened the palisades, laid the keel of a ship, and brought cattle from Mon- treal. The settlement grew under his fostering care, and another year he had three vessels plying upon the lake, whose profit to him amounted to 25,000 livres a year. Still he saw through his ambition a vision of the Mississippi for ever rolling into the mysterious west. So he went to France in 1678 to obtain permission to extend commerce in that direction. He secured from the King, who never seemed to refuse help to the strug- gling colony, a patent which empowered him to go on with his work. What was of almost equal importance to him, he secured the friendship and companionship of a remarkable man, who was never to falter in his behalf through the trying scenes to follow. This was Henry Tonty, the son of Lorenzo Tonti, the Italian refugee, whose name is connected with the Tontine system of in- surance. La Salle and Tonty came with a good force of mechanics and shipbuilders to help along their plans. The Heroic Period 145 We next see them upon Lake Erie, building the first vessel ever sailed upon this inland sea, which he named the Griffin for the fabulous monster, half bird, half beast, dwelling in the Rhipsean Mountains and guarding the treasures of the Hyperborean regions. Completed in May, this little vessel, with an armanent of five guns, proudly left her rude dock in August, her crew singing Te Deum, as she unfurled her canvas to the virgin breeze. With the prospect gradually unfold- ing to him like a vision seen in a dream, as he sailed away in the eye of the westering sun, that was probably the happiest moment of La Salle's checkered life. Out of Erie into Huron, by the river between, flew the trium- phant Griffin, looking indeed like a veritable bird to the wondering eyes that saw her from the distance. A stop was made at the mission of Ignace at Michilimackinac, where the hero in his gold-laced uniform and air of a conqueror attended divine worship, to kneel with be- coming grace among the humble and dusky followers of the cross. La Salle learned here that some of the men he had sent to trade with the Indians had deserted him and be- come traders on their own account — coureurs de bois. Others were only lukewarm in his interest, and he felt that his presence was none too welcome. He arrested a few of the unfaithful, and sent scouts to look after those abroad. Then he broke faith with his patrons by securing at Green Bay, from the Ottawas, a cargo of pelts, though his commission stated that he should not 146 The St. Lawrence River do this. His excuse to himself, if his conscience called for an explanation, must have been that he had got to do something of the kind to satisfy his creditors, for he had been obliged to depend largely upon borrowed capi- tal in order to carry on his undertaking. On September 18th, her ill-gotten cargo stowed away, the Griffin sailed upon her return trip under the charge of a captain, pilot, and three men. That was the last La Salle ever saw or heard of his ship. It was rumoured she was lost in a storm, and all on board perished. It was whispered that her pilot had run her aground upon the nearest point of land, and with his associates undertook to get away with the cargo, only to fall into the hands of hostile Indians who put them to death. Which was correct the owner never knew, and to this day no one has become wiser than he. Upon parting with his ship laden with its goods, flattering himself that his creditors would be pleased, La Salle then entered upon a career whose account reads like a pathetic romance. He passed up Lake Michigan ; he built a fort upon the St. Joseph, now the Illinois, River ; with his dream of exploring the Missis- sippi still uppermost in his mind, he laid the keel here for another vessel ; not overpleased with his stern ways, some of his best carpenters deserted him ; haunted by the dread of some mishap having befallen the Griffin, he left his station, which he had named Fort Crivecoeur, in remembrance of a fort by that name in Netherlands, under the command of Tonty, and started for Ontario The Heroic Period 147 across the peninsula of Michigan, where he and his companions encountered perils enough to make the stoutest heart quail. . . . They waded through drowned lands. They were obliged to thaw their stiffened clothes in the morning before they could move. Where they found a path in the opening they burned the grass to destroy their trail, for warring savages invested the country, little discriminating as regarded their human prey. La Salle reached the shipyard where the Griffin had been built, to learn to a certainty that the vessel had been lost. To his further disappointment, he was told that a vessel he had expected to come to Niagara with supplies had been wrecked on the St. Lawrence. To complicate matters still more, a report had been circulated by his enemies that he was dead, and under this pretence his property had been sold under the hammer, and his agents had taken the profits. Fortu- nately, he had the robust friendship of Frontenac left him. This enabled him to resume his tortuous path of exploration, not the least of his dangers being the jealousies and discouragements of rivals, each anxious to get the credit of what was being done. This chap- ter of discovery and adventure, in which the names of La Salle, Tonty, Marquette, Hennepin, Duluth, and others are associated, is filled with records of hardships and sufferings, the rewards to the individuals small for the sacrifices they underwent. Out of this stormy con- quest came a union of the St. Lawrence with the Mis- sissippi, and by these great rivers was the Gulf of St. Lawrence linked to the Gulf of Mexico. 148 The St. Lawrence River La Salle perished miserably at the hands of a rene- gade follower in the midst of his explorations, a victim, perhaps, to his own arrogance. No character among the early voyagers and discoverers has been more vari- ously estimated than his. He was certainly not with- out his faults, the greatest of which seemed to be his inability to make many friends and never to placate an enemy. He did not a little for the development of the St. Lawrence valley, and he deserved all the praise his memory will ever get. In the meantime, a storm had set in at Quebec, which threatened the ruin of the colony. Frontenac and the Intendant were at sword's point over matters trivial and serious. Laval, the bishop, and the Jesuits combined against the former ; the Recollet friars and the merchant stoutly maintained that he was right. So fast and furious did this war wage that both were re- called. Unfortunately, this was done in the midst of an uprising on the part of the Iroquois, who had been en- couraged to open hostilities again by the Governor of New York, Colonel Dongan. The blow was not aimed directly at the inhabitants of the St. Lawrence valley, but against the Indians of the Illinois River. Fronte- nac had warned them to take their hands off of this tribe occupying a country he, through La Salle, was trying to open up. They replied insolently at first, but, not daring to try the bluff old soldier too far, finally came to Montreal to treat with him. Now La Barre, an old man sent to do a young man's work, succeeded CHEVALIER DE LA SALLE. The Heroic Period 149 Frontenac. He made a sad mess of the warring ele- ments. He evaded, he fought, he implored, he betrayed his allies on the one hand and feebly pleaded for them on the other, until, had not the Iroquois been too far- seeing to carry out such a scheme, there is little doubt but the last Frenchman in the St. Lawrence country would have bade a long farewell to its scenes. The saving grace for La Barre was the fact that the politic Iroquois leaders could realise that with the removal of the French from the field of action they would have a power more to be dreaded in the English. For this reason they suffered them to remain and harass the others. Then La Barre was recalled and one Denonville sent in his place. James II. was on the throne of England, and between him and Louis XIV. existed amicable relations. The two fixed up terms of peace between their possessions in America, without either entering into the full depth of the problem. This was nothing less than the settlement of the mastery of the west. Dongan's first move was to capture the trade of the St. Lawrence for the Hudson. To obtain this, he sent his men far into the north, where never an English- man had gone before. His next aim was exactly what the French had been trying to do by the English ; that is, confine them to the smallest extent of territory pos- sible. Dongan was favoured in this part of his scheme from the fact of the raids on Acadie by the New Eng- enders. Denonville, in his eagerness to carry out the 150 The St. Lawrence River policy of his predecessors, Talon, La Salle, Frontenac, ignored the treaty of peace made by his King, and sent troops to rout the posts established by the English in the Hudson Bay region. Then both he and Dongan decided it was for their interest to maintain a fort at Niagara, the best man to win the race. The site con- sidered most desirable was held by the Senecas. They were not an easy occupant to placate, either by the wiles of peace or by the arts of war. But Denonville considered himself equal to the task, and he set himself about it in a manner which has blackened his name with infamy. In 1687 he gathered his armed forces and moved up the St. Lawrence to Fort Frontenac, where he invited some of the Seneca chiefs to a council. Innocent of the treachery of their host these came, were seized by sur- prise and sent to France, where they were punished as slaves in the King's galleys. He then pillaged the vil- lages of some neutral Iroquois, who were living quietly and peacefully near by. These shared the fate of poor slaves, though it was claimed the evil of the deed had been mitigated by converting the captive women and children to Christianity. Losing no time lest the news might spread, Denonville moved swiftly over the lake, and, reinforced by friendly Indians from Michilimack- inac, he hurled his allied forces upon the surprised Sen- ecas. A short and terrific resistance was made, but the end was inevitable. The towns of the Indians were laid in ruins, their stores of grain were confiscated, and their The Heroic Period 15 1 herds of swine seized. The survivors of that terrible day came forth from their concealment in the forests, when the enemies had left, broken in spirit and desolate. Denonville had now a clear way to build his fort at Niagara, which he proceeded to do, and then armed it with one hundred men. If triumphant in his bold plans, he had to learn that the viper crushed might rise to sting. The Senecas had their avengers. Maddened by the cowardly onset of Denonville and his followers, the Iroquois to a man rose against the French. This was not done by any organised raid, but, shod with silence, small, eager war-parties haunted the forests of the St. Lawrence, striking where they were the least expected, and never failing to leave behind them the smoke of burning dwellings and the horrors of desolated lives. From Fort Frontenac to Tadousac there was not a home exempt from this deadly scourge ; not a life that was not threatened. Unable to cope with so artful a foe, Denonville was in despair. He sued for peace, but to obtain this he had got to betray his allies, the Indians of the Upper Lakes, who had entered his service under the condition that the war should continue until the Iroquois were exterminated. The latter sent delegates to confer with the French commander at Montreal. While this conference was under way, a Huron chief showed that he was the equal of even Denonville in the strategies of war where the code of honour was a dead letter. Anticipating the fate in store for his race did the 152 The St. Lawrence River French carry out their scheme of self-defence, this chief whose name was Kandironk, " the Rat," lay in ambush for the envoys on their way home from their confer- ence with Denonville, when the latter had made so many fair promises. These Kandironk captured, claim- ino- he did it under orders from Denonville, bore them to Michilimackinac, and tortured them as spies. This done, he sent an Iroquois captive to tell his people how fickle the French could be. Scarcely was this ac- complished when he gave to the French his exultant de- claration : " I have killed the peace ! " The words were prophetic. Nothing that Denonville could say or do cleared him of connection with the affair. His previous conduct was enough to condemn him. To avenge this act of deceit, as the Iroquois considered it, they rallied in great numbers, and on the night of Au- gust 4, 1689, dealt the most cruel and deadly blow given during all the years of warfare in the St. Lawrence valley. Fifteen hundred strong, under cover of the darkness they stole down upon the settlement of La Chine situ- ated at the upper end of the island of Montreal, and sur- prised the inhabitants while they slept in fancied security. More than two hundred men, women, and children were slain in cold blood, or borne away to fates a hundred times more terrible to meet than swift death. The day already breaking upon the terror-stricken colonists was the darkest Canada ever knew. In addition to these perils and horrors of Indian warfare, from which Quebec suffered her share, this The Heroic Period 153 town was visited in the summer of 1682, on the 4th of August, by a fire that swept the Lower Town, leaving only one house standing, and licking up more than half the wealth of New France. Following the massacre of La Chine, Denonville awoke to the fact that instead of conquering the Eng- lish and exterminating the Indians, he had got to look to the protection of his own flock. Already it was rumoured that Major Andros, who had succeeded Don- gan in New York, was planning to conquer New France. James II. had been succeeded as King of England by William of Orange, who hated Louis, and war was declared between the two nations. Fortunately for New France Denonville was recalled. He had shown himself too weak to strike a blow against the enemy after the La Chine horror, as well as having proved that he was unable to follow up the advantage gained by La Salle and even then faithfully guarded by Tonty, Duluth, and Perrot. The one man needed at that lonely hour was Frontenac. His faults forgotten, he was prayed for by the Church and the people ; his sterling qualities remembered, he was sent by Louis to become the saviour of New France. It was near the middle of October, 1689, when the ship upon which the grizzled veteran, erect and vigorous in spite of his seventy years, was taken back to Quebec, sailed up the St. Lawrence and dropped anchor under the frowning walls. It was late in the evening, but his arrival had been anticipated, and the expectant citizens 154 The St. Lawrence River had gathered upon the quay, lighting the scene with torches, while fireworks and thousands of coloured lights illuminated the streets of the Upper Town in honour of his coming. There was no murmuring Jesuit protesting against him ; no Intendant chafing at his iron rule ; but one and all gave the glad hand of welcome to the hero, and that night Quebec slept with a hopeful calmness she had not known for years. While deficient in both money and troops, Frontenac quickly infused new life into the hearts of his people. He restored the Iroquois chiefs, so basely captured by Denonville, to their subjects, and the Iroquois felt the powerful Onontio, as they called him, would not hesitate to deal with them as they had dealt with the French people. But Frontenac's first move was against the English in what has passed into history as his " three winter raids." Made up of regulars, coureurs de dots, and Indians, these war-parties started in the dead of winter from Montreal, Three Rivers, and Quebec. The first, by following the Richelieu valley, reached the Dutch settlement of Corlaer, now Schenectady, N. Y., which they desolated. The second passed up the valley of the St. Francis, through the deep snow and the " white swamps," to finally reach the settlement of Salmon Falls, on the border of New Hampshire, where the inhabitants were inhumanly butchered. This division then joined the company from Quebec, and moving against the vil- lages in Maine carried on the work of desolation, the Indians, breaking the pledges of the French made to FRONTENAC. From Hubert's Statue at Quebec. The Heroic Period 155 those who surrendered, adding to the horrors by a shameless slaughter of captives. News of these successes coming to their ears, the Indians, who had faltered in their allegiance to the French, now came resolutely forward. Light hearts reigned in Quebec, while up and down the valley of the St. Lawrence bonfires were lighted in honour of the brighter prospects of New France. But if Frontenac had invested his followers with renewed courage, by this very act of blood and rapine he had aroused the New England inhabitants to such a feeling of indigna- tion that they became united in a struggle against Canada which did not cease until Quebec fell. Plans were laid for the capture of the towns on the St. Lawrence by the concerted efforts of the militia of New York against Montreal, and a naval expedition against Quebec commanded by Sir William Phips. The command of the former undertaking was intrusted to Fitz-John Winthrop, under a commission from Gov- ernor Leisler dated July 31, 1690. It proved a failure from the outset. Phips, an adventurer of checkered experience, with little military or naval skill, but withal considerable resource of tactics and a large reserve stock of bluff, in command of thirty-two vessels of various sizes, and a little over two thousand men, set forth upon his expedition with entire confidence in his ability to clear the rock of Quebec of every foe. To distract Frontenac's attention, Colonel Church was sent along the Atlantic coast with a land force. He at 156 The St. Lawrence River least accomplished his purpose. Phips had been en- couraged by an easy capture of Port Royal a short time before with a smaller force, but he was to find a far different reception at Quebec. At the time, Frontenac was in Montreal dancing the war-dance with some Indians from Michilimackinac. News had just come to him of Colonel Winthrop's raid on La Prairie, all that came of New York's part in the "conquest of Canada," and he was planning a counter- attack for this assault when a messenger apprised him of the advance of an English fleet up the St. Lawrence. He returned to the capital with all haste possible. Since his arrival from France he had caused the weak- ened defences to be repaired. A call was made for the rallying of the Canadian militia, then scattered over the country. It was a lively day in Quebec, with her fortifications still incomplete, her guns in bad shape, her stock of ammunition low, her provisions scanty, her troops meagre in number, — but they had Frontenac ! The grim warrior showed no signs of trepidation. Ay, they do say he smiled when, on the morning of October 16th (1690), the English fleet was discovered coming up the river. For some reason Phips, usually so energetic, had dallied on his way, stopping nearly three weeks at Tadousac for no apparent reason, unless he wished to give his enemy so much time to carry on the work of preparation for him. If he lost courage at sight of the embattled heights he did not show it. Dropping anchor not far from where Kertk had done The Heroic Period 157 the same upon the eve of his conquest, Phips coolly sent a demand for the surrender of the French strong- hold. This messenger, according to an order from Frontenac, was blindfolded and then led by a circuit- ous way to the great council hall in Chateau St. Louis, where the royal governor and his associates awaited him. Upon having the covering removed from his eyes, this officer must have been possessed of nerves of iron not to be, for a moment at least, dumfounded by the warlike group before him. He found himself standing before a tall, thin old man of com- manding presence, with a nose like an eagle's beak, who looked at him sternly out of a pair of fierce grey eyes, deep-set under great tufted brows — a weather-beaten, age-lined face, which, better than the upright figure and the easy grace of movement, bespoke years of campaigning on the field. It was Frontenac. Upon either hand of him were representatives of the noblesse of the colony, gay courtiers in brilliant dress, some young in years, but of noble families and destined to carve for themselves names of renown in the com- ing struggle of New France ; others already, like their leader, grown grey in the service of their King. To these men, but first to the white-haired governor in their centre, the young English officer delivered his audacious message. Frontenac's associates would have burst forth into indignant laughter, but their chief si- lenced them with a wave of his hand, which also con- veyed his answer to Phips, with the added explanation that the cannon would be his spokesman. So Phips's 158 The St. Lawrence River boastful campaign ended in bluster. Possibly he might have succeeded had he followed the advice given him to lead his men up the same pathway where, a little less than three-fourths of a century later, Wolfe climbed to immortality, but the obstinate Englishman had a plan of his own that ended in disaster to his hopes. It was a forlorn fleet that straggled into Boston, the ships com- ing by twos and singly, such as did return ; for several, with those on board, were never heard from. New England must indeed recuperate her strength and re- plenish her treasury before she again thought of invad- ing New France. Proud indeed was the moment to Frontenac, when he watched the departing fleet disappearing around the point of the Isle of Orleans, though he was not fitted to attempt any further the conquest of the land of his rivals. He stood higher than ever in the estimation of his followers, and another good stroke of fortune lifted him yet higher in their esteem. This was his success in collecting and running down from the upper country a flotilla of canoes, numbering over a hundred, every one heavily laden with pelts, to gladden the hearts of the traders of Montreal. Nothing like that had been seen for years, and a festival of rejoicing was held, during which it is said the courtly governor, despite his more than seventy years, danced with his dusky voyageurs in their merry-making. If the war between the French and the English abated for a time, the great three-cornered fight was The Heroic Period 159 not yet ended. The Iroquois were not vanquished from the vales of the Mohawk ; while in the east, the Abnakis were already duplicating their deeds against the French by leaving trails of blood between the New England homes. Everywhere in New France and New England the torch and the scalping-knife were held aloft, and both were crimson. The advantage, if it came to either, fell to the French. The fur-trade continued to yield a good income, and the people began to prosper as they had never pro- spered before. To ensure greater glory in this direc- tion, Frontenac planned a campaign against the English trading posts in the region of Hudson Bay. This ex- pedition was commanded by D' Iberville, who had been successful in crowding the English down to the sea- coast in the lower districts. He was so far successful in the north that Frontenac felt as if he had but one enemy more to overcome. This was the irrepressible Iroquois, though even these had not rallied as they had at the time of the La Chine massacre. He resolved to strike one more blow in that direction, and heavy enough to be his last. So, in 1696, in his seventy-sixth year, he assembled at Fort Frontenac over two thousand men, and, cross- ing the lake with a vast fleet of canoes, entered the Os- wego River. Following this stream to the falls, and transporting their boats by portage, the expedition, the largest invading force ever seen in that country, moved majestically up Lake Onondaga. Discovered by 160 The St. Lawrence River Indian scouts, the news flew like wildfire through the encampment of the Iroquois, and, dismayed at the im- posing sight of such an enemy, the red men scattered throuo-h the woods, like rabbits driven from the brush. The French force, marching in military array, with drums beating and colours flying, advanced upon a pile of smouldering ruins, where a short time before had stood the proud village of the Long House. A few tardy Indians, hesitating in their flight, were captured and put to tortures that even their own skill could not have outdone. Fields of corn, orchards of apples, and patches of melons had been left undisturbed by the fugitives. These the French ravaged ; and despoiling village after village, though securing few prisoners, leaving only when he had completed a scene of desola- tion, Frontenac returned in triumph to the place of starting. At last the pride and power of the Five Nations had been humbled. Soon after, the Iroquois sued for peace. Then, September 20, 1697, followed the Treaty of Ryswick between the French and the English, which closed at last Frontenac's long series of campaigns. In truth, the illustrious career of the hero was itself drawing to a close. In his last campaign it had been necessary to carry him in a chair, though his eagle spirit had not been daunted. Now the iron will, unbending still, was broken by the touch of the eternal hand on the 28th of November, 1698, in his seventy-eighth year. Thus passed from the stage of action the strongest, The Heroic Period 161 grandest figure since Champlain, and not to be equalled until the third of the great trio, Montcalm, should fall fighting for the glory of the grey old rock upon which the first had founded and the second had defended so nobly the honour of New France. Chapter XII Bushrangers and Voyageurs The Coureurs de Bois — A Unique Canadian Character — Their Dress and Habits — The Voyageurs — Rangers of Romance — Personal Appearance — Their Roving Natures — Rowing Songs — Story of Cadieux — His ' ' Lament " — Revelry at the Rendezvous — Homeward Bound. FREQUENT mention has been made in connec- tion with the fur-trade of a class that gave no little uneasiness both to the religious teachers and the Government. As the traffic in beaver pelts in- creased, this evil grew, until not only the morals but the very life of the colony was threatened. This element has since found its rival, though not its equal, in the sable hunters of Siberia. The nearest approach to it with the English has been the trappers of the Far West, who led the way for civilisation beyond the Rocky Mountains. As gold-seekers, instead of fur-seekers, it overran Australia for a period, and then vanished as mysteriously as it came, — as it finally disappeared from the Canadian wilds. I come now to speak at closer range, as it were, of that class of early immigrants to Canada which had the most to do with its acclaim and the least to do with its good. These were the coureurs de bois, or " runners of 162 Bushrangers and Voyageurs 163 the woods." Coureurs de risques! "runners of risks," says the keen-witted Hontan. Unlike the pioneers of New England they were rovers of the wilderness, the fur-trade offering them a ready excuse for their wander- ings. But the actual spirit which led them far into the forest fastnesses was that restless nature ever urging them on to find solace for souls that neither compassed restfulness nor longings that were satisfied. This dar- ing of the solitude, voluntary isolation of homes, led the King in the middle of the seventeenth century to order the colonists, for their own safety, which meant the well-being of the colony, "to make no more clearings except one next to another, and to reduce their parishes so as to conform as much as possible to the parishes of France." In their lives alone Canada offers a great field for the romancer. With a swarthy face, his small head covered with a red woollen cap, made loose, or a head-gear made of the skin of the fox or the wolf, his lithe body clad in blanket-coats, girthed about the waist with stout leathern thongs, his lower limbs encased in deerskin leggins, fringed along the seams, and his feet thrust into moccasins ornamented with porcupine quills, the Cana- dian ranger looked what he was, the most picturesque character that came to the front in those adventurous times. In the course of his career he was wandering all over the great North-west. Without him New France must have remained a dream in the troubled sleep of the French; with him, she became a nightmare. 1 64 The St. Lawrence River Following close upon the heels of the fortune-seeking fur-traders who pushed out into the wilderness along the St. Lawrence and its many tributaries, establishing their posts to carry on their rude commerce, came that class of adventurers styled the Canadian voyageurs, whose very name became synonymous of bravery and romance. By this term I am not understood to mean the first sailors and explorers who came to Canada, but rather their de- scendants, many of whom were half-breeds, all of whom were roving, care-free followers of the wilderness, noted for the skill with which they handled their birchen skiffs, and found wherever these could penetrate with their sharp prows the many streams abounding in a country richly endowed in this respect. Their temperament seems to have been the embodiment of the restless energy for conquest and intense longing for loneliness that per- vaded all of the earlier enterprises of New France. It was the controlling spirit of Cartier and his followers ; it was the guiding star of the coureur de dot's, setting only when the fleur-de-lis of France faded from the rock of Quebec ; it was the overruling power of the zeal- ous missionary, sending him far and wide into the sav- age wilderness ; it even entered into the foundation of the colonial homes, scattering them in a way that greatly enlarged the domains of New France. In Champlain we find a happy combination of the missionary and the voyageur, with a leavening of home love. There was possibly no phase of life in the break- ing of the American wilderness which afforded a a Bushrangers and Voyageurs 165 larger meed of romance and adventure than that of the Canadian voyageur, in the days when the forest was pathless and the St. Lawrence bore on its broad bosom no larger craft than an occasional caravel from the Old World. Trained from early boyhood to the exciting work of propelling their crafts up and down the streams, now stemming some furious rapid, anon running the cataracts, at periods compelled to make a tedious portage where the waters ran too wild to risk the loss of their freight, apparently calling for more concern than their lives, they could not have been other than hardy, reckless, intrepid spirits, whose only relax- ation was to be found at the trading station, where too often their meagre earnings were spent in the jovial bowl. At these rendezvous the wine ran freely, so much the worse for them, as those were days of liberal drink- ing, when joviality reigned over the flowing bowl and under the spell of the goddess of song. Frequently they were of pure Iroquois or Huron blood ; more often they were a mixture of white and red parentage, often noticeable in the dark features of some Norman whose skin was given a deeper bronze by his mother, a dusky Indian maid. The majority of the voyageurs were of French extraction. The garb of this rover of the forest and river was in poetical harmony with his character and surround- ings. It consisted of a cotton shirt, generally striped in bright colours, cloth trousers, and leather leggins. The feet were encased in deerskin moccasins. Over the 1 66 The St. Lawrence River shoulders rested lightly, each passing breeze lifting it in graceful imitation of the movement of the wearer, a capot or little cloak. His waist was girthed about with a wide worsted belt with flowing ends, from which were suspended a knife and tobacco pouch. This half-wild dress of the voyageztr was rendered more picturesque in case the owner was the favourite follower of some brigade leader, when he would have a long black or red feather attached to his close-fitting cap. In keeping with the supple figure of the man, his canoe was builded of wonderful lightness, considering that no sacrifice of the strength and lasting qualities that were necessary had been allowed. It was made of birch bark cut in sheets of suitable length, and selected by an experienced eye for its thinness and durability. The seams were pitched so as to be water-tight. One of these crafts, capable of carrying great weight, could be easily carried upon the shoulders of a single man. It passed the comprehension of the Indians that these new-comers could outdo them with generations of train- ing in this handicraft, and they believed the Frenchmen had been given special secrets by the Great Spirit. There were heavier canoes for transporting freight, and these were marvels of lightness, considering their ability to carry from three to four tons' burden. A crew usually consisted of a dozen men, who were capable of moving their boat along at a rapid rate of speed, notwithstanding its heavy freight. Nothing suited these rowers better than their period- Bushrangers and Voyageurs 167 ical trips into the river-bound interior of an unexplored country, and yet, like sailors about to embark upon their long voyages, upon the eve of their departure upon a trip which might keep them away for months, they de- lighted to drown their anxieties in brimming bumpers of wine, until it often became necessary for their leaders to carefully keep them in ignorance of the actual day set for the journey. Otherwise, the day of their departure known, a generous feast was given by their friends and loved ones, when wives, children, and sweethearts gath- ered around them to bid their husky farewells and hope- ful "don voyage." No sooner was the ordeal of separation over than the wild natures of the crew asserted themselves, and while the cheers of those who remained behind rang on the air, serving to encourage them, each round growing fainter and more prolonged, the entire party would strike up a chanson de voyage, the volume of the song more than making up for its lack of melody. Not infrequently some old French song of tradi- tional love affair would be started by him at the steer- ing paddle, when his companions would quickly join in, until the welkin would ring with the melody of voices. These were usually selected with a remarkable fitness for the occasion and environment of the situation. Was the canoe gliding over some placid lake, where scarcely a breath of air moved the glassy surface of the water, the song was sure to move in harmony with the calm- ness of the tranquil scene. Should they be approaching a 1 68 The St. Lawrence River waterfall, the foam upon the river was no surer indica- tion of the coming struggle with the elements than the quickening notes of the singer, the increased volume of the song, the growing impetuosity of the melody, ring- ing with the spirit of enthusiasm to do and dare what- ever lay in their pathway. Did the arms of the rower tire, or his spirits lag for a time, some gay song burning with new-born activity would revive the faltering energy. At all times the paddles kept time with the singers. Among the favourite songs was A la Claire Fontaine, whose opening stanza runs — A la claire fontaine, M'en allant promener, J'ai trouve l'eau si belle, Que je m'y suis baigne. A free translation in English makes this : Unto the crystal fountain, For pleasure did I stray ; So fair I found the waters, In them my limbs I lay. Another popular rowing song among the voyageurs was Dans les Prisons de Nantes, which, unlike most of the Canadian songs that could be traced back to an ori- gin in the old country, seems to have been composed by one of this hardy class. This goes on to describe in verses of more than ordinary merit how a soldier was captured and thrown into prison at Nantes to be freed by the gaoler's pretty daughter the eve before the day upon which he was to have been shot. There was still Bushrangers and Voyageurs 169 another of these songs frequently sung, around which clung a pathetic story of heroism unto death. As far back as the days of Champlain an educated and adventurous Frenchman named Cadieux met, upon one of his trips into the wilderness in quest of furs, the beautiful daughter of a chief of the tribe of Indians living upon the upper Ottawa. Falling in love with this dusky belle of the wilds, he made her his wife, and built him a dwelling in that region within sight and sound of the river. For several years his cabin home was the rendezvous for voyageurs ranging the country in that direction, until the hospitality of this couple be- came widely known. But one day they were surprised by a band of hostile Iroquois just as they were launch- ing their canoes upon the rapid stream. Cut off from reaching their cabin, Cadieux shouted to his companion to keep on down the river while he went up-stream, expecting by this stratagem either to divide the force of their enemies or give his wife an easy way of escape by calling all the Iroquois after him. Confident of capturing both of them the latter gave pursuit in both directions, expecting to make quick work of overtaking the woman, as her light canoe was plunged into the boiling water where it did not seem possible to escape. But like a feather it was lifted from pool to pool, while in the mist that enveloped the es- caping spouse the Iroquois discerned a female figure beckoning her on. The fleeing Christian wife after- wards declared that she was guided to safety by " Bonne 170 The St. Lawrence River Ste. Anne." At any rate the Iroquois abandoned their pursuit of her, and she succeeded in getting away with- out being harmed. Cadieux was less fortunate. After seeing his wife successfully shoot the rapids, having killed two of his enemies, and received himself a painful wound, the brave voyageur kept on up the river to a cave opening upon its bank. Crawling into this retreat he prepared to defend himself unto the end. So de- sperately did he do this, that his foes tried in vain for three days and nights to drive him out or reach him. But the end was near now. The pangs of hunger, his lack of sleep, his exhaustion from his unbroken vigilance, to say nothing of the weakness resulting from his wounds, all combined to warn him of his fate. Surrender he never would, and so deliberately planned to die of starv- ation; if he escaped death otherwise. In the intervals of his long and painful suspense, he composed his Lament de Cadieux, writing it down upon scraps of birch bark in his own blood. This was found beside his lifeless body, by his faithful wife, who sought to effect his rescue as soon as she could find succour, and its touching and beautiful strains became a favourite with the voyageurs as they drew near the foaming currents of the upper Ottawa, while on the St. Lawrence they were long popular and are still remembered, as well as the pathetic fate of their author. So these half-wild beings of woods and ''water, thoughtless of future perils, paddled industriously against the current of some rapid stream, carrying their 1 Iff Bushrangers and Voyageurs 171 boats and freight around the rifts that were impassable, now making the welkin ring with the melody of their songs, anon gliding like shadows over some sheet of dark water, camping at the close forgetful of the dangers and hardship of their voyage, while they peopled the night with weird creatures of their fanciful tales told under the mystic spell of the pipe and the glowing embers. Wherever they went, and that was all over Canada, their track was marked at frequent intervals by wooden crosses, where some comrade, worn out with the ceaseless toil of his journey, or meeting a more untimely fate in the swirling eddies of some uncommonly dangerous rift, found his resting-place, Where the stalwart oak grew and lived Long ages and died among its kind. The voyageurs from each section of the St. Lawrence had their particular rendezvous where they found a hearty greeting at the end of their arduous journey. Those who went up the Saguenay found their destina- tion at the station of Roberval on the headwaters of that river, a place filled with tragic memories. The followers of the Ottawa from Montreal stopped at Fort Nicollet, later renamed Fort William. A large wooden building had been erected here to accommodate the voyageurs and coureurs de bois who met here to transfer their merchandise and barter news as well as trade. The great council hall, where the whites had been wont to meet the Indians in trying a debate, now 172 The St. Lawrence River became the banquet-room and the scene of ungovernable revelry, when the passions of half-wild men were loosened by the brimming bowl and the merry songs. Especial effort was made to load the tables with the choicest viands from nature's storehouse of game. Among the daintiest morsels served at these banquets were buf- falos' tongues and beavers' tails. Then, the cargoes loaded and everything in readiness for departure, a final feast was given, a closing toast drunk, the last hand- shake over, our voyageurs start their canoes homeward, as they glide with the current of the river, singing some favourite song expressive of their freedom from cares : The river runs free, The west wind is clear, And my love is calling to me. There is a good wind, There is a free tide, And my love is waiting for me. Those who may feel that all this was close to an element of savagery should not forget that it is but a step backward from civilisation to barbarism. If it was a trait to be found in our ancestors that we believe we have not inherited, it was because they lived nearer to nature. But we have not escaped it if we would. In the rapidity and pleasure with which men delight to isolate themselves, break away from the shell of conven- tionality and wallow in the furrow of indolent imagery, we see ample proof of the truth of this. We see it typified in the hunter lured into the depths of the forest under the pretence of slaying some helpless victim, but Bushrangers and Voyageurs 173 really governed by the irresistible impulse to be by him- self. There is evidence of it in the naturalist, in the mountaineer, in the friend who frequently breaks away from the social ties of life to roam the open fields, wander in the fastness of the forest, loneliness of the mountain, the sublimity of the seashore. It is not an indication of weakness. Rather it is the vital spark of humanity. So long as its embers last will there be hope for the race. Chapter XIII When Quebec Fell Situation under Frontenac's Successors — Infamous Conduct of Bigot and Others — Declaration of War, 1756 — Arrival of Montcalm — His Early Victories — Driven Back to Quebec — Wolfe and his Army Reach Isle of Orleans — Siege of Quebec — Wolfe's Famous Path to the Plains of Abraham — The Battle — Rout of the French — Wolfe and Montcalm Shot — Scenes that Followed. FRONTENAC left New France at the high-water mark of prosperity and power. Never before had its people been favoured with such rare good fortune ; and never would it enjoy such favours. The St. Lawrence bore upon its broad shield more ships of commerce than it had ever known, and every inland stream was the pathway of the hardy voyageur, en route with his cargo of furs. The population had increased; new towns had sprung up; and now the fickle goddess which had so long coquetted with " Our Lady of the Snow " seemed to surrender without reserve. Still there were many perplexing problems to be settled. Much as the trade of the St. Lawrence valley had increased, it was not yet sufficient to meet all its obligations without help from the mother-hand. The Iroquois were not yet fully subdued, and from time to time they raided the country, in small parties it is true, but none the less to be dreaded. It cost consider- 174 When Quebec Fell 1 75 able to maintain the friendship of the Abnakis in the east. The English were drawing from them their trade by the way of the Kennebec, Hudson, Ohio, and the Mississippi. The cabins of English pioneers, as well as the huts of their traders, were springing up where least expected. In order to protect the valley of the west it was necessary to draw from the valley of the St. Lawrence. The population at this time of New France did not reach higher than thirty thousand souls. Besides these there were not less than five thousand soldiers in the country, comprising some of the best-drilled regiments in the world. To strengthen the military force were the country militia, which consisted of every male citizen able to bear arms, while there was not a seigneur of the villages and fortress-like chateaux that was not capable of leading these men in war. Added to all of these were the scattered bands of savages, trained by the Jesuits, themselves imbued with a martial spirit scarcely inferior to their religious enthusiasm. These were powerful allies in the sanguinary struggle waged so long. In point of military ability New France was far superior to her rival. But the worst enemies this fair empire knew were those within the fold. If England was accustomed, now and then, to steal a plum from the pudding of her colo- nists, France was ready to take the pudding. Few of the many who were intrusted with the guardianship of this fair ward of the St. Lawrence were faithful to their charge ; to the pity of the child ; to the shame of the 176 The St. Lawrence River mother. And each despoiler, regardless of the suffer- ings he had inflicted, turned from his victim with the disdain of the libertine, spurning the virtue he had violated. But the day of reckoning was not so far removed. Frontenac was succeeded by Vaudreuil, under whose long rule the cultivation of flax and hemp and the home manufacture of clothing was encouraged. Greater attention was paid to the fisheries, and shipbuilding flourished. Considerable trade with the West Indies was opened, while the traffic in furs was not abated. Continual efforts were made to hold the two great water- ways of the continent, the St. Lawrence and the Mis- sissippi, against the encroachments of the English. A French fort was again planted at Niagara, but the English counterbalanced this by erecting one at Os- wego. Louis XIV. died in 1 715, and from this time on New France felt the loss of his strong arm. Vaudreuil died in 1725, and was succeeded by Marquis Beauharnois, who gave more attention to checking the advance of the English and less to home enterprise. At the head of the Narrows of Lake Champlain he built the stronghold known as Crown Point, and which was to play such an important part in the war to follow. In 1745 the troops of New England, with the assist- ance of some British ships, captured Louisbourg. In 1756, what became known as the Seven Years' War was declared. No matter what else may be laid to the charge of MARQUIS DE MONTCALM. When Quebec Fell 177 France, she generally sent her best to help fight the battles of the colony on the St. Lawrence, and now she quickly dispatched one of her ablest commanders, the Marquis de Montcalm. With him she sent De Levis, De Bougainville, and De Bourlamaque, and some of the best regiments. In respect to military skill the English soon proved far inferior. But if stronger from the point of the sword, so to speak, New France was in every other way much the weaker of the two. This had come about through a gradual weakening of the parent hand. Canada had, through no fault of her own, become a jest among certain ones high in kingly favour. " Fifteen thousand acres of snow ! " said one, " a beautiful inher- itance!" Immigration had long since ceased, and the increase in population had not been as great as had been wished. There were about sixty thousand inhabit- ants at this time ; possibly a few more, probably a few less. Of these, seven thousand lived in Quebec, mostly in the Lower Town. Montreal could claim between three and four thousand, while the balance were scat- tered up and down the valley. Nor was this sparse population the only weak spot of the country. The political power of the colony was rotten to the core. This had been slowly decaying, until the worst came upon the appearance on the scene of him whose bril- liancy was more than sunk by his infamy. More 's the the dishonour, he came not as the choice of the weak- ling with the title of king, but through the wish of his mistress, Madame de la Pompadour. His name 178 The St. Lawrence River was Francois Bigot, and he disgraced the high office created for the noble Talon. One of Canada's his- torians (Roberts), in describing him and his atrocious acts, says : Offices of profit under his authority he filled with such men as would follow his example and act as his tools. The old seigneurial families, unable to stem the tide of corruption, for the most part held aloof on their estates; though a few yielded to the baneful example. The masses suffered in hopeless silence. Montcalm, the military chief, had small means of knowing the real state of affairs, and still less means of interfering had he known. The governor alone, Vaudreuil, might have changed it; but he was either blinded by Bigot's cleverness or in sympathy with his crimes. Either directly or through his confederates, of whom the most notorious was a con- tractor named Cadet, Bigot's thieveries rose to a colossal figure. The King's millions sent out for war, the people's millions squeezed from them in crushing taxes, alike found their way into these rapacious pockets. The enemies of New France within the walls were as deadly as those without. As outside perils thickened Bigot's thefts grew more daring. Forts fell like ripe fruit into the hands of the English, because they were commanded by weak favourites of the Intendant, or because the Intendant had kept the money which should have supplied them with arms and food. '. . . It is claimed that in two years alone, 1757 and 1758, the Intendant cheated his King and country out of nearly five million dollars. While that fact, as satisfactory as it may be, did not help the situation then, it is gratifying to know that this infamous wretch was finally punished for his misde- meanours by banishment from France, and his estates confiscated. Under these adverse circumstances was Montcalm called upon to defend the honour of this ravaged peo- ple. As might have been expected, for a time this When Quebec Fell 179 gallant soldier was successful. He was victorious at Ticonderoga, following the capture of Fort William Henry, with its accompanying horrors. But the French lost Louisbourg, and Canada was cut in twain through the capture of Fort Frontenac by a body of colonial militia. In the east and in the west Canada was writh- ing under the blows of her enemy. Montcalm was driven back to the St. Lawrence, but where he moved there was hope. Now, if ever, New France needed the aid of the King, but Montcalm's earnest request for men and money was met by a firm refusal, and he was told to stand upon the defensive and await the turn of fortune. Under such conditions as these, with the vultures still clutching at her throat, Montcalm prepared for the in- evitable at Quebec. The story of the siege and capture of Quebec by Wolfe has been told so frequently, and so well, that a detailed description is not called for here. Of the com- manders, the British general was the junior of his rival by fourteen years. He was of slight frame, and not physically strong. He was the son of industrious but humble parents, educated for war, had seen some hard fighting, and had been the choice of Pitt, then the domi- nating spirit in England, to command an expedition against the stronghold of New France. He had under him less than nine thousand men, composed of tried and stalwart regulars of the English army, and a company of New England rangers, who had made the success of the English on the lakes of the highlands certain. 180 The St. Lawrence River Montcalm was the son of a nobleman of the best blood of France. He, too, had been trained from boy- hood as a soldier, and had won signal distinction as a military leader. Like Wolfe he had accepted this charge from a sense and love of duty, rather than from his own choice. He had a force of about sixteen thou- sand men, of whom about four thousand were regulars, and five thousand belonged to the Canadian militia. One of the last-named was considered to be equal to three regulars when it came to bush-fighting, but he was an uncertain factor in open battle. The balance of his troops were undisciplined peasants and Indians. He knew the fate of New France rested with him. Should Wolfe fail another might renew the struggle. Should he fail, and Quebec fall, slight hope would there be for the French in the St. Lawrence valley. Montcalm closed the mouth of the St. Charles with great booms of timber, and planted upon its banks frowning batteries. At the outlet of the Beauport stream he constructed a floating battery of twelve guns- In fact he ranged defences along the St. Lawrence as far down as the Montmorency. De Ramesay was given two thousand men with which to defend the Lower Town, while a cordon of fire-ships and gunboats lined the water's edge. Behind a hundred cannons bidding defiance to the enemy from the summit of rock, he stationed the main body of his force, ready at a mo- ment's warning to rush to the defence of any position. His situation seemed impregnable, — without a possi- o g When Quebec Fell ibi bility of an attack from the rear; with a front that seemed insurmountable. Wolfe and his fleet appeared opposite the Isle of Orleans toward the last of June, 1759, and disembark- ing his troops he intrenched himself on the western point, within four miles of the enemy's guns looking ominously down upon him from the rocky citadel. The French fleet had been sent up the river for safety, and to allow the crews to assist in the defence of the city. Before Wolfe's eyes was now unfolded the magnitude of his task. 1 On his right was the splendid white cataract of Montmor- ency leaping out of the dark fir groves on the summit of the ridge. Beyond lay the long, serried lines of intrenchments, swarming with the white uniforms of France. Then the crowded, steep roofs and spires of the Lower Town, with the gunboats and fire-ships on its water-front. And then, soaring over all, the majestic promontory of Cape Diamond; its grim face seamed with batteries, and stairs, and climbing ribbons of streets; its summit crowned with portentous bastions and with the chivalrous banners of France. Escaping a desperate effort on the part of the French to de- stroy his ships by the fire-boats, Wolfe fortified himself, and planted batteries on Point Levi, from whence he could bombard the city. He took possession of the height below Montmorency, and tried to get in the rear of Montcalm's line of defence, but failed in his purpose. Under cover of his guns on Point Levi, he did succeed in sending a portion of his fleet up the river, to harass his enemy between Quebec and Cap Rouge. But in spite of his endeavours the summer passed without bringing him any encouragement of ultimate success. He had lost half a thousand men in a vain attack upon Beauport, and nearly as many more from the firing of their foes and sickness. The expected aid from Amherst was not likely to come. Troubled to obtain supplies for his army, and himself ill with a fever, it was little wonder the brave and sanguine commander began to lose courage. Without having gained any vantage after over two months of desultory fighting, was there any prospect that 1 Roberts. 1 82 The St. Lawrence River he could do better for the next sixty days ? By the end of that time cold weather would be upon them, and it would not do for them to remain and get ice-locked. Looking the situation squarely in the face, without losing courage or buoying himself up by any dream of success, Wolfe began to consider anew, and bolder, plan of operation. About the first of September he was apprised of what Phips had been told in his forlorn attack years before. This was the fact of a slight break in the river-bank, where men could scale the ascent to the top. The place was guarded, but a small body of men climbing up to them unawares might easily overpower them, and hold the pass until the main body of the army could ascend to the plains. Wolfe profited where Phips lost. It was a desperate undertaking, and to do it he must recall his force from Montmorency. But even this worked in his favour, for the watchful Montcalm concluded that it was the first step toward withdrawing; and every move Wolfe made was given this substantial colouring. The alertness of the French commander is expressed in his own words: " Our troops are in their tents, with clothes on, ready for an alarm; I in my boots; my horses saddled. In fact, this is my custom. I wish you were here, for I cannot be everywhere, though I multiply myself, and have not taken off my clothes since the 23rd of June." Again, on the nth of September, only two days before the great battle, he wrote to Bourlamaque, pro- bably his last message : I am oppressed with work, and should often lose my temper, as you do, if I were not paid by Europe not to do it. Nothing new has occurred since I wrote you last. I give the enemy an- other month, or even less, to stay here. He had" written that a hundred men could hold at bay any force the enemy might try to push up the gully of Arise du Foulon, where Wolfe had fixed his gaze. Perhaps he was right. It should so be under proper watchfulness. Even the hawk sleeps sometimes. For- tune favours the bold. In order to replenish their less- When Quebec Fell 183 ening stock of provisions, the French planned to run down, under cover of night, boats from Montreal. While this scheme had really been abandoned, the sentries were in ignorance of the fact, and nightly looked for the coming of the friendly boats. On the 4th of September, Wolfe's illness again fastened itself upon him, and, though he recovered somewhat by the 7th, it was his opinion the end was not far distant with him, should he escape the bullets of his enemy. But this solemn conviction did not dis- courage him from carrying out his daring purpose. It rained for two days and nights in succession, making it uncomfortable for all, but affording partial concealment for the work in hand. Wolfe's ships were moving back and forth upon the river, worrying the French by their pretences to effect a landing at different places. On the 1 2th, the vessels anchored off Cap Rouge. The evening of that day had been selected by Wolfe for his attack. A demand had been made for a squad of men to lead the way up the gully to overpower the guard. Twenty-four brave men volunteered to do whatever duty was asked of them. Though every soldier felt that some momentous undertaking was coming, no one knew just what it was to be. The night selected was starless, and under its cover the troops, numbering not quite five thousand, were ordered to enter the boats, and there await the ebbing of the tide. It had been the custom for the vessels to move up with the flow of the tide, and back with its 1 84 The St. Lawrence River ebb. This was a part of the plan now. The boat with the brave twenty-four was to lead, while Wolfe was to follow next to it. During the interval of waiting the young com- mander, suffering from his illness, but hopeful of vic- tory, took from a chain about his neck a miniature of a beautiful young woman to whom he was betrothed. His gaze lingered long and tenderly over the sweet face looking into his faintly in the dim lamplight of the rough cabin, and then he handed it to a companion, a youthful naval officer named Jervis, who was afterwards to become a great admiral, asking him to return it to the owner, Miss Lowther, adding that he did not ex- pect to live until another day. Then he gave a short message for his mother, and with thoughts of these, mother and sweetheart, the most tender that sway the human heart, he descended into his boat, to depart upon that errand which was to shake an empire founded upon a rock, but whose structure had become honey- combed with the follies of weak men. The darkness and silence of this midnight jour- ney is enlivened by the pretty story of Wolfe's reciting Grays Elegy while he was being borne on the tide, re- marking to his companions that " I would rather be the author of that piece than take Quebec." This plausible conceit, to a certain extent illustrates the peculiar traits of the British commander, his moods of enthusiasm, his love for good literature, and clear- cut courage that never faltered under the most trying When Quebec Fell 185 situations. No less authority than Sir Walter Scott seems first to have given the legend prominence by re- lating it as it was told to him by one who overheard the speech. But as nearly three-fourths of a century had elapsed since that eventful night, it is possible that error may have crept in and that the incident which gave the legend substance occurred a few hours, or even a day before. But this does not rob the gem of its lustre. The foremost boat, or rather boats, for it took two to convey the vanguard of this expedition, was in com- mand of Lieutenant-Colonel Howe, who in later years became a prominent English general during the Ameri- can Revolution. In this boat was also an officer of the Highlanders who could speak French perfectly. Be- hind these followed the others, in darkness and in sil- ence, while they were carried swiftly down to Anse du Foulon, from that night known as Wolfe's Cove. As the boat came abreast of the Palisades a sharp- voiced sentry challenged: il Qtci vive?" " France" ^ re- plied the Highlander, promptly. " Quel rdgiment est ce la?" u De la Reine" responded the quick-witted officer, naming a French regiment he knew was at Cap Rouge. They were allowed to keep on amid a silence that none dared to break. A little lower down they were hailed again, and as before the shrewd officer made replies that were satisfactory. This time he boldly declared they were French provision boats, and that silence must be maintained. 1 86 The St. Lawrence River Upon reaching the cove the troops hastily landed, and the foremost began the ascent of the bank, led by the Highlander. More frequently than otherwise great victories are the result largely of some blunder upon the part of the loser. Montcalm may not have blundered, but it so happened that at this very hour, four a.m., while the twenty-four daring climbers were ascending to the Plains of Abraham, the officer in command of this pass at Anse du Foulon was one Vergor, who had been once tried for cowardice, and who had escaped only through the influence of Vaudreuil and Bigot. He may not have been a coward, but he was asleep in his tent ! Some say he had been bribed by the English, but a bribed man would never sleep under those circum- stances. Be that as it may, the sentinels were easily surprised, and Vergor was seized as he sprang from his bunk. The signal was given for the others to follow, and in a minute Wolfe, though weak and faint, stood at last at the top. The breaking day disclosed his army arrayed along the summit. With a portion of the French forces above him at Cap Rouge under De Bougainville, and the main body under Montcalm at Quebec, now fairly between the two, there was no alternative save to push forward to victory or death. Two small pieces of artillery had been dragged up, and with these Wolfe advanced to the edge of the Plains of Abraham, within a mile of Quebec, though this could not be seen on account of an intervening ridge. The Plains, so called for one Maitre Abraham, a noted When Quebec Fell 187 river pilot in former days who had owned the land, were covered with tall, grass, broken here and there with patches of corn and clumps of bushes. As Wolfe drew up his line upon this broad plateau, flanked on the one side by the high bank of the St. Lawrence, on the other by the meadows of the sleepy St. Charles, and fronted by the fortifications of Quebec commanding the surrounding country, he passed along encouraging his soldiers with spirited words to strike that day for love and honour of Old England, and theirs would be the glory. He had seemed to throw off his recent illness, though he looked little like the hero, with his tall, ema- ciated figure, his sloping shoulders, small head, reced- ing forehead, met by red hair cut short, a long, pointed nose, and pallid skin, but there was the fire of a martial spirit in the flashing eyes, and the inspiration of un- bounded courage in his voice. At this moment a breathless courier was informing Montcalm of his peril, and immediately there was lively effort put forth to prepare for the enemy. The regi- ments were ordered up from the trenches at Beauport. Help was summoned from the garrisons of the Lower Town, but these refused to leave their post. Other regiments, owing, it is said, to Vaudreuil's influence, were not on hand. But with about 4500 men Mont- calm formed a line of battle, and leading them in per- son, mounted upon his magnificent black horse, he went forth to meet his conqueror, knowing that the fate of Canada was to be decided within that half -hour. It 1 88 The St. Lawrence River may be he ought to have waited, as some say, until he could have had a better understanding with the gov- ernor; until De Ramesay at the city could have been persuaded to have sent him a dozen pieces instead of only three; until De Bougainville could have come to his aid; until many things possible and impossible might have happened, but his destiny and Canada's had willed it nay. Every inch a commander born to gain victories did he look, while he addressed a few words to his followers. "As he brandished his sword in gesticulat- ing to them, the wide sleeves of his coat fell away so as to disclose the white linen of his wristband," said one of his soldiers in after years. With greater calmness the British commander and his soldiers in their red uniforms awaited this desperate charge. When the French were within forty yards they suddenly found themselves confronted by a human wall thrown across their pathway. The sharp command, the rattle of musketry, a sheet of flame, and the ranks of the oncoming army were riven. The French fought bravely, answering volley for volley, but while they strove they staggered back, enveloped in smoke. Swift to follow up his advantage, Wolfe gave the command to charge, himself leading his men. Amid wild cheering the British regulars, the Highlanders, and the New Eng- land Rangers under Captain Stark sprang forward, and the tide of battle was stemmed if not turned. Wolfe's wrist was shattered by a bullet. Binding it with a handkerchief, he kept on, only to receive a second, When Quebec Fell 189 and then a third shot. The last entered his breast, and he sank to the ground, unable to go farther. A lieu- tenant of the grenadiers named Brown and a volunteer by the name of Henderson, assisted by two others, 1 seeing him fall, carried him in their arms to the rear. " Run for a surgeon! " cried one. " There is no need of that," he answered. " Lay me down. It 's all over with me." Glancing from the sufferer toward the scene of action, Lieutenant Brown exclaimed : " They run ! look, how they run ! " " Who run ? " asked Wolfe, start- ing up from the lethargy stealing over him. " The enemy, sir. Egad, they are giving away everywhere !" Rallying somewhat at this welcome announcement, he said: " Go, one of you, and tell Colonel Burton to order Webb's regiment down to the Charles River, to cut off their retreat from the bridge." Then the dying victor, moving slightly, murmured: " God be praised! I will die in peace." A moment later and the hero lived in name only. It was in vain Montcalm tried to stem the tide of retreat, and on horseback he was fairly swept toward the town. The bullets were still flying thick about them as they reached the St. Louis gate, and one pierced his body. He would have fallen from his horse, but two soldiers held him in position until he had passed through into the town, where an excited crowd was anxiously awaiting the result of the ominous firing. One of the 1 1 have reason to believe that one of these was Captain William Stark, of the New England Rangers. See Turnbull's painting of The Death of Wolfe. — Author. 190 The St. Lawrence River spectators, a woman, who recognised him, discovered the blood upon his white shirt-front, and cried : " O mon Dieu ! mon Dieu ! le Marquis est tite 1 7 " " It's nothing," he replied, rallying somewhat ; " do not be grieved for me, my good friends." He was taken to a house to be treated by a surgeon. But the great French leader was beyond mortal aid. When he was told of this, he said : " I shall die happy not to live to see the surren- der of Quebec." Refusing to confer with De Ramesay and others, he gave his attention to arranging some business matters. He did not forget to look after the welfare of those who had been intrusted to his care, and almost his last act. was to send the following appeal to the British commander : Monsieur, the humanity of the English sets my mind at peace concerning the fate of the French and Canadian prisoners. Feel toward them as they have caused me to feel. Do not let them per- ceive that they have changed masters. Be their protector as I have been their father. He lived until morning, quietly breathing his last at four o'clock. He was buried in a coffin made of rough boards by an old servitor, on the morning of the 14th, his grave a hollow scooped out of the earth under the floor of the Ursuline Convent by a bursting shell, — a sepulture grand in its very simplicity, and befitting the hero. In far-away Candiac, the stately home of the Montcalms, one of the most beautiful women in France had awakened from a night's troubled sleep a widow ; and three fair children, hopefully looking forward to his MAJOR-GENERAL JAMES WOLFE. When Quebec Fell 191 home-coming, listened in vain for the sound of his step and the music of a father's voice. The body of Wolfe was embalmed, and conveyed to England upon the gun-ship Royal William, the rejoic- ings over his great victory saddened by the sorrow of his death. He was given sepulture in the vault of the parish church at Greenwich, where his aged father had been borne only a few months before, and where his mother followed six years later. Five days after the battle De Ramesay formally sur- rendered Quebec to General Townshend, who had be- come the successor of Wolfe. While the English felt jubilant over their conquest, the French were still hope- ful, but even they could not realise how near they were to come in their efforts to recapture Quebec. Chapter XIV Under the New Regime Second Battle of the Plains — Surrender of Montreal — Conquest Closes at Pont- chartrain — Result — Campaign of 1775-76 — Fall of Montgomery — Arnold's Retreat — The "Hungry Year" — Heroism of the Canadians at Chateauguay — Naval Fight on Lake Champlain — Victory of McDonough — Hard Blow to the English — End of War of 181 2-1 5 — Result of this War to Canada — Im- portant Periods in History — Final Union of the Provinces. THE fall of Montcalm left the French at Quebec without a commander able to rally the de- moralised forces. Oh, then for one hour of Frontenac ! or that up from the dust of her streets might rise the shade of Champlain ! The weak Vaud- reuil, though he had a larger force than the English could muster, beat a hasty retreat up the St. Lawrence. De Levis, who was alone worthy to succeed Montcalm, was in Montreal. Fearful that he might appear upon the scene with superior forces, Townshend, who was now in command of the British army, pushed the cam- paign so vigorously the terrified citizens demanded that De Ramesay surrender. This he for a time refused to do. Finally he consented, and the flag of truce was run up. Some one pulled it down. A second time it was raised, and that time it remained until the hands of the conquerors removed it. Townshend proved a magnani- 192 Under the New Regime 193 mous captor. The garrison marched out with full honours of war, and were sent away to France at the expense of England. The citizens and Indians were promised all the protection that could be given English subjects, providing they should prove loyal to their pledge. Then the lilied standard of France, the fleur- de-lis of Champlain, the founder of the city, the proud emblem under which Frontenac had conquered, came down from its lofty position, and in its stead was flung to the breeze the red cross of St. George. While the result proved a decided victory, there was a following interval filled with unrest and uncertainty. During the succeeding winter the English commander found himself placed in greatly straitened circumstances. The British fleet sailed away to England, the command being left to General Murray. First the rigour of the climate, and then the scarcity of provisions, made the situation desperate. To add to this, with the return of spring it was found that a determined effort was to be made to recover the city and its fortifications. At this time famine, climate, and disease, the outcome of the two former, had reduced the British forces from seven to three thousand men fit for duty. Toward the last of April the only vessel that Murray could get to per- form the errand, the Lawrence, was sent down the river to look for the expected fleet from the homeland, and to hasten its coming, while a small band of New England Rangers, who had served under Wolfe, were sent with a lieutenant to convey to General Amherst, then stationed 194 The St. Lawrence River at Lake Ontario, information of the critical condition of the garrison. Unknown to them, at that time over nine thousand regulars and volunteers were on their way down the river from Montreal under the leadership of De Levis, who had sworn to recapture Quebec. There are conflicting accounts as to the manner in which the British were apprised of the coming of the enemy. One of these was that the sentry on duty was warned of the coming of De Levis by one of the latter's officers whom he rescued from drowning in the river through the capsizing of his boat, when all his men were lost. The other, and better authenticated explana- tion, shows how the advancing French were discovered by one of Murray's men stationed at the outpost at Ste. Foye. It was about three o'clock on the morning of April 27th, when General Murray was aroused, and the order " To arms ! " was immediately given. March- ing out through the St. Louis and St. John gates he hastened to the outpost at Ste. Foye. De Levis at that moment was advancing through the growth covering the lowlands at the foot of Ste. Foye, and upon receiving a sharp cannonade, when he had expected to make the surprise, without knowing the weakness of the British he quickly fell back, deciding to outflank the enemy he had failed to take unawares, still in ignorance of the fact that he had encountered more than the regular force stationed here. Realising that he would be unable to cope success- fully with so large a force, Murray destroyed his works Under the New Regime 195 here, and retreated to the city. But having done this he quickly decided that the condition of the fortifica- tions was such that it would be folly for him to stake his fortune upon a single chance, and he resolved to muster every man he could and meet the enemy at the most favourable spot. This he considered to be the gentle swell upon the Plains known as Les Buttes-a-Neveu, where he ordered his troops to be formed, while he rode ahead to reconnoitre. The foremost brigades of De Levis were then swinging around toward Sillery, while the main body was coming along the Ste. Foye road in marching order. Without waiting for the enemy to open the fight, the ambitious Murray, brave to rash- ness, ordered his troops forward, and, regardless of the fact that he was outnumbered two to one by some of the best troops of Canada, led by one of the most skilful strategists of the times, opened fire upon the French columns. Then ensued one of the most desperate battles, while it lasted, ever fought on Canadian soil. Every man proved himself a hero, but when Murray had seen each third man under him go down, he found that he could save the others only by falling back, which was defined to mean by his grisly veterans "retreat." De Levis did not deem it wise to follow, and thus the golden opportunity to recover New France to the French was lost. It is true, anxious months of siege followed, and De Levis played a losing game with credit. All de- pended upon the arrival of succour from the old countries. Should that of France come first, the fleur-de-lis would 19 6 The St. Lawrence River again float above the walls of Quebec. In the midst of this suspense a vessel was sighted coming up the St. Lawrence, but she carried no flag at her masthead. Was she French, or English, or did she come from an- other port ? While friends and foes alike watched with feverish interest the mysterious stranger, realising that the destiny of a nation hung upon the character of the approach, in the midst of the suspense the flag of Eng- land was run up the mast ! Quebec was saved to the English ! While the cheers of his enemies rang on the air De Levis prudently withdrew his fleet. Nothing re- mained for the French but a forlorn hope at Montreal. De Levis was followed up the St. Lawrence, in due time, by Murray, who stationed himself a few miles below Montreal. At the same time Lord Amherst, General Jeffrey, in answer to the summons sent him, started down the river from Lake Ontario, as described elsewhere. Down the Richelieu came Colonel Havi- land, who speedily joined Murray, when the united forces moved forward, the latter to take up a position just below the French, while the former chose his nearly opposite. About this time Amherst appeared before the western walls of the city. The Canadian militia, foreseeing the ultimate outcome, upon receiving promise of protection from the British deserted De Levis and returned to their scattered homes, thankful to escape the toils of war. This left the gallant De Levis with barely two thousand regulars under him, and he had no other alternative than to surrender, which he MONTMORENCY FALLS. From a photograph by Livernois, Quebec. Under the New Regime 197 did on the 8th of September, 1 760, within six days of a year from the memorable morning that Wolfe led the way to victory upon the Plains of Abraham. The same generous terms as those given at Quebec were made here. General Murray was appointed as the first governor under the new government. The closing act in this drama of conquest was yet to be played. The leader intrusted with the work was Major Robert Rogers, with his Rangers, sent by Am- herst to take possession of Fort Pontchartrain on the Detroit. It was in November, 1760, and in ignorance of the capitulation at Montreal the French commander here saw with wonder the presence of English troops where they had not dared to venture before. The first summons to surrender he treated with disdain, but the second, given in facsimile of the capitulation at Mon- treal, with an order from Marquis de Vaudreuil direct- ing the surrender of the fort, put a different phase upon the situation. Nothing else could be done. The flag- staff was soon bereft of its fleur-de-lis, and made to swing to the breeze the flag of the incoming power. New France was only a memory. Never was conquest more fortunate. What the outcome might have been in the valley of the St. Law- rence had this been delayed awhile longer is vain to speculate. Let it be said to her honour that seldom has fairer treatment been accorded a vanquished party than that England allowed her new subjects here in Canada. In the words of one of her historians : 198 The St. Lawrence River Previous history affords no example of such forbearance and generosity on the part of the conquerors toward the conquered — forming such a new era in civilised warfare, that an admiring world admitted the claim of Great Britain to the glory of conquering a people less from views of ambition and the security of her colonies than from the hope of improving their situation, and endowing them with the privileges of freedom. Upon the other hand, it was shown that the people who had borne with fidelity the duties pertaining to them as French citizens during the protracted struggle between the colonies, of border warfare and its attend- ant evils, were capable of bearing with a spirit of resig- nation the humiliation of defeat as well as the dclat of victory. The Quebec Act of 1774, which recognised the French civil laws, allowed free religious and civil rights, and, granting the official use of the language of their race, made them faithful, loyal, and loving subjects. The real wellspring of history is the homes of the com- mon people. It is here, rather than in the stormy scenes of battle, that we must look for the true source of their success. Here we find Canada especially fortu- nate. Her peasant population, which have ever been the filling in the fabric of national greatness, has not only been of a firm texture, but of lasting, durable qualities. Despite this fact, upon the conquest of the British a large percentage of the old seigneurial families, unable to face the necessity of owing allegiance to the flag which they, their fathers, and their fathers' fathers had spent their lives in fighting, quietly slipped away to Under the New Regime 199 France. The St. Lawrence country was greatly the loser on this account. To take their places, if not to fill them, came the English immigrant, the Scotch and the Irish, with later a goodly lot of New Englanders who had remained true to the King during the American Revolution. The Treaty of Paris of February 10, 1763, had marked a notable change in the situation in America. By it France relinquished her claim to more than half of the continent. Besides this she yielded the territory of Louisiana to Spain, which in turn had given up Florida. All that the descendent power of Louis XIV. could now claim across the ocean was a few small islands of New Foundland, which had been reserved for fishing stations. Not a pleasant ending to the dream of Champlain, though into such hands had his heritage fallen 't were better so. England was now mistress of America, and inflated with the prowess of her arms. But no greater statesman than Montcalm had predicted that the success of En- gland in the St. Lawrence valley would prove disastrous to her power over the colonies in the provinces she had fostered. Here was an aggressive element of a different stamina from that she had subdued in the north. If they had sufficient cause for the course they pursued is not a matter for consideration here. When they re- belled it was natural they should look for allies among the French in the valley of the "great river," who they took for granted must be still smarting under the 200 The St. Lawrence River pains of their recent defeat. Their overtures proving failures, as described elsewhere, they resolved to ac- complish by force of arms what they could not secure by peaceful means. This resulted in the famous attack upon the citadel of Quebec under General Montgomery upon the morning of December 31, 1775, aided by Arnold and his contingent. This unfortunate campaign, unfortunate both from its conception and the death of General Montgomery, was one of the most heroic and arduous that American history records. Arnold, the first upon the scene, and to whom has been credited the daring scheme, though some say it originated with Washington, reached the valley of the St. Lawrence with decimated ranks and forlorn appear- ance after his memorable journey up the Kennebec through the wilds of Maine, over " the terrible carrying- place," and down the Chaudiere. Having less than half the men he had started with, but a gallant five hundred, he climbed the same steep path to the Plains of Abraham that Wolfe had followed a little over six- teen years before. The audacious Arnold, parading his troops, then demanded the surrender of the city. But the commander at this time, Lieutenant-Governor Cramache, not to be caught as Montcalm had been, by running into the enemy's power in ignorance of their numbers, replied with the voice of the cannon, and remained in his stronghold. Arnold wisely retreated to Pointe aux Trembles, and sent for Montgomery to come to his assistance. By this move the Americans c p fa < Under the New Regime 201 commanded the river above Quebec, and Quebec only remained to be taken. Montgomery, who had recently been promoted to the position of Major- General, than whom no more valiant officer ever commanded an army, lost no time in starting to the assistance of Colonel Arnold. He had fought under Wolfe at the battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759, and looked eagerly forward to an- other conquest of the " Gibraltar of America," with himself as leader. He had good reason to feel hopeful, for he had not only pushed his way successfully down the Richelieu, seizing the forts of St John's and Cham- bly on his way, but had found Montreal an easy prize. Leaving sufficient of his troops here under General Wooster to meet any uprising that might take place, he hastened down the St. Lawrence with three hundred men. With the English the situation was less hopeful. The command had devolved upon Sir Guy Carleton, also a comrade under Wolfe at Quebec sixteen years before. The regulars under him had been but a small force, and the French peasants, claiming a desire to re- main neutral, had defied the orders of the seigneurs and the expostulations of the priests to rally to the defence of the Government. In this plight he had been unable to cope with Montgomery at Montreal, and had barely escaped by flight in the disguise of a habitant. Upon the very day that Arnold withdrew his troops, Carleton appeared in Quebec, to the joy of its loyal 202 The St. Lawrence River inhabitants. Here he decided to make a desperate stand, and after sifting out the disaffected •" neutrals " he had about four hundred regulars and a few more French Canadian volunteers, upon whom he could count under all circumstances. Besides these, the citizens of Quebec stood ready to assist with all their power. Immediately upon reaching Arnold at Pointe aux Trembles, General Montgomery resolved upon moving against Quebec at once, though their combined forces did not quite reach one thousand men. He had in- creased his little company at Sorel with Captain Lamb's company of artillery, who had taken along sev- eral mortars. Colonel Arnold, more perhaps than he, had been greatly disappointed in finding the Canadian peasants unwilling to join in the undertaking. He had counted with confidence upon being strongly reinforced from this direction, and now he did not find a man dis- posed to lift a gun. In the face of difficulties which must have daunted less sanguine leaders, they besieged the stronghold. Though they held tenaciously to their purpose for over a month nothing was gained. Toward the last of the year General Montgomery decided upon an attack by night, hoping to surprise the enemy. Into this undertaking Arnold entered heartily, and, as he was well acquainted with the situation of the defences, the plan was largely his. But the intentions of the Americans became known to the British through a traitor, and Carleton resolved that he would not be Under the New Regime 203 taken by surprise. The night selected for the despe- rate assault was the last of the year, and it was on the early morning of December 31, 1775, when the assault- ing columns moved upon their stern purpose. A bitter snow-storm was raging with Canadian fury, a fitting night for such a wild venture. One column was led along the St. Charles through the suburb of St. Roch. A terrific fight ensued, during which Arnold was wounded, and, the British getting in the rear of his troops, he was driven back, and about four hundred men were captured. General Montgomery was even less fortunate. He sought to gain the city by a narrow defile known as Pres-de-ville, near what is now Champlain Street. Here, with a precipice running down to the river upon one hand, and on the other the scarped rock reaching above, he was confronted by a battery of three-pounders manned by a squad of Canadians and British militia- men. Still believing he was going to effect a surprise, the American commander urged his men forward in the face of the pelting storm, and the yet more deadly hail of grape that instantly swept the pass. Mont- gomery fell, with two officers and ten of his brave men, while the rest beat a precipitous retreat. Over the body of the unfortunate officer, worthy of a nobler end, the falling snow quickly threw a white shroud as if in compassion for his fate. In the morning the bodies of the fallen Americans were taken into the city and given burial. The body 204 The St. Lawrence River of the leader was buried with special honours, and his grave in the St. Louis bastion was marked with a cut stone. In 1818, upon the desire of Mrs. Montgomery, the widow, the remains of General Montgomery were removed from their resting-place in Quebec to New York, and there re-interred. Over the spot where this brave American fell in the service of his country, a tablet has been placed bearing this inscription : Here Montgomery Fell, December 31st, 1775. The command now devolved upon Arnold, who main- tained the siege, or, more strictly speaking, blockade, until spring. The Americans had been reinforced, but no sooner was the river beginning to clear of ice than a British ship was seen coming up the St. Lawrence with troops to assist the besieged garrison. Arnold hastily retired. This retreat was soon turned into a rout, for Carleton gave pursuit, capturing the artillery. Later an attack by the Indians upon the Americans at "The Cedars," on the St. Lawrence, resulted in the capture by them of about four hundred of the American troops, in May, 1776. A month later the Americans undertook the capture of Three Rivers, but after a fierce battle they were repulsed. Realising by this time the hopelessness of their attempt to conquer Canada, the Americans withdrew to Lake Champlain, where they commanded the inland gate to the valley of Under the New Regime 205 the St. Lawrence until the following autumn. Both sides knowing the importance of holding this water- way, each prepared to battle for it. The American fleet, consisting of fifteen vessels carrying eighty-eight guns and defended by eight hundred and eleven men, of whom over a hundred were unfit to do duty, was placed under the command of Arnold. The English squadron, commanded by Carleton, was greatly the superior both in number of men and the quality of its ships, and Arnold was forced, after a gallant resistance, to abandon the lake to the English, when for over a third of a century the St. Lawrence valley was free from the invading foot. Following the close of the American Revolution, which gave to the Thirteen States their independence, the population of Canada was greatly increased by the Loyalists. They found here refuge and new homes, though only after severe hardships and such trying ex- periences as those of the "Hungry Year" of 1787, when even Mother Earth forgot her children and left them to find meagre sustenance upon the roots and buds of the wild land. If there was plenty of game in the forest, and an abundance of fish in the waters, the men had neither powder and bullet to slay the one nor tackle to catch the other. Gaunt men crept about with poles, striving to knock down the wild pigeons ; or they angled all day with awkward, home-made hooks for a few chub or perch to keep their families from starv- ation. In one settlement a beef-bone was passed from house to house that each household might boil it a little while and so get a 206 The St. Lawrence River flavour in the pot of unsalted bran soup. A few of the weak and aged actually died of starvation during these famine months; and others were poisoned by eating noxious roots which they grubbed up in the woods. As the summer wore on, however, the kernels of wheat, oats, and barley began to grow plump. People gathered hungrily to the fields, to pluck and devour the green heads. Boiled, these were a luxury ; and hope stole back to the starving settlements. With those who came from the States to swell the population of the St. Lawrence valley, and prove her faithful defenders in wars to follow, were those old-time enemies, the Mohawks, among whom rises the grand fig- ure of Brant. A little later, from farther west came other tribes of Amerinds, led by the heroic chief of the Shaw- nees, Tecumseh, who fell fighting bravely her battles. Whatever other reasons may be assigned, and there were several of more or less significance, the underlying purpose of the declaration of the War of 1812 was the sentiment: "Europe for France; the New World for America." This meant the annexation of Canada to the United States. At this time the former had a pop- ulation of little over three hundred thousand, while the latter had nearly eight millions. The valley of the St. Lawrence, which included the region of the Great Lakes, from its geographic position became the battle- ground between the Provinces and the States. During the period when Napoleon was leading his great armies upon Spain and Russia, Great Britain had all she could attend to on the continent of Europe, and so Canada was left this time to fight the war of defence mainly through her own efforts. Under the New Regime 207 Following their success at Moravian Town, where their dusky allies under the ill-fated Tecumseh put to shame the English troops, the Americans designed to carry out a plan which should place the whole of Upper Canada in their possession. Two divisions of the army were expected to co-operate in this ominous campaign. A body of troops comprising about six thousand men, under Major-General Hampton, was to move from Lake Champlain into the valley of the St. Lawrence, while a larger force of over eight thousand, under Major-Gen- eral Wilkinson, was to move down the St. Lawrence from Lake Ontario, and together the armies were to cap- ture Montreal. The first division moved promptly to the Chateauguay River, which finds its way into the St. Lawrence from the mountain range of the same name in northern New York. To check this, the English had a force of about fifteen hundred, so scattered as not to be available at once. In this plight De Salaberry, a veteran in England's cause, while belonging to the old Canadian noblesse, with less than four hundred French Canadians and a few Highlanders, intrenched himself in the path of Hampton and his troops. The result was a signal triumph for the valiant De Salaberry and his brave followers, who were specially honoured in con- sequence by England. In the meantime, General Wil- kinson got down as far as Cornwall, where he learned that Hampton had retreated. Without his co-operation he did not deem it wise to push down to Montreal. Accordingly he went into winter quarters on Salmon 208 The St. Lawrence River River, thinking to make up in part for his disappoint- ment by capturing Prescott and Kingston. But a lack of provisions obliged him to fall back to Plattsburg, the entire campaign simply giving the Canadians opportun- ity to concentrate their forces on the Niagara frontier. Early in the spring General Wilkinson, with a little over four thousand men, undertook to capture the British post on the Richelieu River, held by Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, at the head of fifteen hundred men, but he failed in this. Losing courage over his defeats General Wilkinson soon after resigned his commission. The campaign about Niagara, which brought some hot fighting on both sides, and heavy losses of men, particularly at Lundy's Lane, where every fifth man on both sides was slain, was practically a series of drawn battles. Having defeated the Americans in their in- vasion of the St. Lawrence valley, the English now turned their attention to invading the country of the enemy. Triumphant in Europe over the powers of France, England could now assist in the cause of her colony. She sent over reinforcements to the troops, so that on the 3rd of September, Sir George Prevost, in command of fourteen thousand veterans, moved up the Saranac toward Plattsburg. The militia from New York and Vermont rallied under General Macomb to contest this advance, but, though they fought nobly, they could not stem the tide of invasion by so formid- able a body. At the same time Admiral Downie, with a force of a Under the New Regime 209 thousand men and ninety-five guns, was moving up the Richelieu with his fleet. This squadron was met by Commodore McDonough, with a force of a little over eight hundred men and eighty-six guns. Then followed one of the most sanguinary battles of the war, resulting in victory for the gallant McDonough. The brave Englishman, Admiral Downie, was killed, and all of his ships were sunk or captured. Dismayed by this de- feat of the English fleet, Prevost retreated precipitately from the scene, greatly to the chagrin of his army, and thus the English invasion ended even more disastrously than that of the Americans. The fighting was now turned toward the south, resulting in Jackson's victory at New Orleans, and it could be said at last that the revolution of the colonists was fully consummated. The result of this war was particularly beneficial to Canada in one respect at least. It had tended to solid- ify the elements composing its population as no term of peace, for many times that number of years, could have done. The French militia had fought nobly in defence of their homeland, and no English or Scotch had shown greater valour within her gates. If paid for dearly, the prize was worth the sacrifice, and from this time the doubt of sincerity and loyalty was lifted from the colonists of the St. Lawrence valley. The history of Canada from this period has been chequered with a few disturbing incidents, one or two of which have threatened serious results, but her states- men have usually shaped her course in peaceful waters, 210 The St. Lawrence River and on the whole she has progressed steadily and with credit. One of the most important periods since the conquest was during the division of the country into two provinces in 1 791. The population at this time was 120,000 in Lower Canada, and only 10,000 in Upper Canada. In 1826, the " Company of Canada" was incorporated with a capital of one million pounds sterling, for the express purpose of peopling the Can- adian wilds. In four years, 1 828-1831, it is claimed that over 150,000 settlers founded homes within her borders. This time has been called the " Period of the Great Immigration." With its great good to Canada, the limits of whose benefit cannot be placed, this movement brought a grievous misfortune in the form of the Asiatic cholera, which came with a ship-load of immigrants from Dublin in the summer of 1832. Started at one of the islands below Quebec, this dread scourge could not be held within bounds, and it swept with horrible devastation up the valley of the St. Law- rence, until checked by cold weather. Again the fol- lowing summer it broke out, though with less loss of life. In 1828 there was to be seen evidence of the un- easiness of the people over the political situation, when a petition was signed in Lower Canada by 87,000 persons, remonstrating against the distribution of public patronage and the illegal application of the money, and of the Trade Act of the Imperial Parliament. The sequel to this came ten years later, in 1840, when Under the New Regime 2 1 1 the British inhabitants, angered by Lord Elgin's sanc- tion of the Rebellion Losses Bill, burned the Parliament building and made a demand for a peaceful separation from the old country. The outcome of this animated struggle was the triumph of reform, and the union of the two provinces, which had been estranged for half a century. Chapter XV The Mysterious Saguenay Tadousac of Historic Interest — First Mission Here — The Old Church — The Fur- Trade— The Cavern River — Sixty Miles of Mountain Walls — Ha Ha Bay — Chicoutimi — Lake St. John — " The Grand Discharge" — Falls of Ouiatchouan — Cape Eternity. IF Gaspe can lay an uncertain claim to being the older settlement, Tadousac has the positive honour of being the first French station established upon the St. Lawrence from which evolved a permanent town, where trading posts were maintained in the early stages of exploration. The link which connects it to those trying days, with a deep feeling of veneration, is a little church, still standing, the first that was built in Canada. The natural features have changed so little since Champlain's visit, in 1603, that his description can be quoted : Le diet port de Tadoussac est petit, ok il ne pourroit que dix ou douze vaisseaux j mais il y a I'eau asses a de I 'Est, a Fabry de la ditte Riviere de Saguenay, le long d 'une petite Montaigne qui est presque coupe'e de la mer. Le reste ce sont Montaignes haultes eleve'es oil il y a peu de terre, sinon rochers et sables re7nplis de bois de pins, cyprez, sapins et quelques manures d'arbres de peu. II y a un petit estang, proche du dit port, renferme de Montaignes couvertes de bois. The Mysterious Saguenay 213 The said port of Tadoussac is small, and could hold only ten or twelve vessels ; but there is water enough to the east, sheltered by the said River of Saguenay, along a little mountain which is very nearly cut in two by the sea. For the rest there are mountains of high elevation, where there is little soil, except rocks and sands filled with wood of pines, cypresses, spruces and some species of undergrowth. There is a pond near the said port, inclosed by mountains covered with wood. As we enter the realm of sombre attractiveness, the inky hue of the water of the dark Saguenay is seen in marked contrast to the clear flood of the St. Lawrence. Tadousac, its warder for a period older than history, has played an important part in the development of Canada as well as this vicinity, since that distant day when Cartier was first lured hither by the wonder stories of his dusky pilots. From its very position it became the original post for trade with the aboriginal hunters, who found the river their way of entrance from the solitude beyond the surrounding mountains. To-day, only the rem- nants of the Montagnais roam the interior, gaining a precarious existence where their ancestors, with a sprinkling of French, went in search of furs and pelts, often falling victims to privations and hardships which made their earnings dear. As has been shown, all through the old rdgime this region figured conspicu- ously in the output of pelts and the fisheries. Tadousac has also another phase of history, if less profitable. As early as 161 5, only four years after the coming of the pioneer of his faith, a little band of Recollets landed here for the avowed pious purpose of overcoming the baneful influences of the evil spirits 214 The St. Lawrence River that were supposed to have their abode on that forbid- ding point of rock Champlain aptly christened La Pointe de Tours des Diables. This attempt proving unsuccessful in more ways than one, it was repeated in 1647 by the brave Jesuit Pere Duquen, and still a third and more satisfactory trial was made by Father Albanel in 1679, when he and young De St. Simon actually penetrated the unexplored regions, going as far north as Hudson Bay. To the heroic Pierre Chauvin, an associate with Pontgrave, as we have seen, belongs the credit of first trying to estab- lish the Catholic faith among the natives, he and some of his brave followers spending the winter of 1599-1600 here, suffering terribly from cold and hunger. By this time it had dawned upon the active French mind that the true source of wealth from the Saguenay lay not in mines of gold and diamonds, which had been such potent factors in guiding the earlier explorers, but in the abundance of fur-bearing animals existing in the interior. So, just as Yermak, the discoverer of Siberia, and his followers, discovered in the sable and kin- dred animals a profitable revenue in that inhospitable clime, so Pontgrave and his successors found the beaver and its associate animals the true source of income from the broken wilds of Canada. Straightway huge com- panies were formed, and with remarkable indifference to the exact boundary of their domains, seventy thou- sand miles of area, reaching from Les Eboulements to the Moisic River, three thousand miles distant, and O" The Mysterious Saguenay 215 northward to the highlands of Hudson Bay district, was leased for twenty-one years. A little over forty years later we find this tract of country given over to a body of leading bourgeois then in the country. This generous act did not seem to be more lasting than many of the other gifts and counter-gifts of that changeful period, for sixteen years later, 1658, Sieur Demaure ob- tained from the French Government the first regular lease, and a survey was soon after ordered, though this was not carried into effect until 1732. While the Saguenay district was looked upon during the French dominion with a greater degree of professed knowledge than the unexplored country lying to the north of the great river between Quebec and Montreal, in reality this conception was based upon the most vague hearsay evidence. Under the command of those who were reaping a rich harvest from its wilderness of ignor- ance, it was business policy to guard well its secrets, to throw over its solitude a shield of silence as impene- trable and unbroken as the primeval shadows, drawn like a curtain over its rugged features. This was the more easily done through the assistance of Nature her- self, who, in one of her wildest moods, had flung at the gateway rapids that only the bravest dared enter, and reared over them rocky bulwarks that gave an air of gloom and oppression which few cared to meet. Thus a few hundred pounds of revenue to the Gov- ernment, and no one outside of the pale of this se- cret dreamed of the great resources lying beyond the 216 The St. Lawrence River barriers until in 1820 an investigation disclosed the facts in the situation. Suddenly the abundance of the forest, the fertility of the soil, the stores of the mines, the loaf leavened with a climate hitherto believed to have been impossible, awakened the people to its possibilities. In 1837, upon the expiration of the lease of the Hud- son Bay Company, a swift transformation began. Ener- getic colonists swarmed into the territory ; hundreds of homes were formed in the wilderness. In an incredibly short time the isolated trading posts of the fur-traders be- came thriving, bustling centres of population. In this way, the ancient prophecy was solved, and the Saguenay became in truth the stone gateway to an Eden lying within. An episode that never fades from the memory is one's first ascent of the Saguenay, — the cavern river, the Styx, — as dark and dreary to-day as it was when the imperious Roberval tried to penetrate its mysterious realm, remaining so long to solve its secret. The frown that greets him at the gate ; the air of mystery that invests the distance ; the solitude that overhangs the way : these rival powers combat with each other to stop his entrance and to lure him ahead. The result is a disappointment, or is it perplexity ? You may have ascended the Hudson, and gazed with rapt admiration upon its palisades, upon its rocky northern banks, upon its constant charms ; and here you meet — what ? You may have passed the castled banks of Europe's grand old river ; you find yourself comparing this to the The Mysterious Saguenay 217 ancient Rhine as a block of stone in the sculptor's hand in the first stage of his chiselling. You may have come fresh from the dazzling streams of old Norland, whose short rivers run brief but glorious careers ; you find your attention here repelled rather than held. It is so with some scenes. The beholder is overawed by his environments, and he reels back with his senses dazed. Then, as he appreciates better the masterful display of Nature, he feels gradually stealing over him the unseen forces which chain him and imprison his very soul. It is this feeling the tourist experiences upon entering the templed hills of Nikko, Japan, but before he leaves the sacred mountain he finds its grandeur indelibly fixed upon his mind. It is so with the Saguenay, and he wonders that he had not felt this before. Then he begins to feel that there is an infinity and grandeur, a reach of distance, a solemnity of height he had not realised. Allow me to improve upon my narrative by quoting the vivid description of another, who declares that by degrees the immensity and majesty assert themselves. As an abrupt turn brings the steamer close in ashore, you realise that the other bank is a mile away, aye, two miles distant, and that the black band at the base of the mountains, which roll away one beyond the other, is in truth the shadowed face of a mighty cliff, rising sheer from the water's edge, like that which now towers nearly two thousand feet above you. There is an indescribable grandeur in the very monotony of the interminable succession of precipice and gorge, of lofty bluff and deep-hewn bay ; no mere monotony of outline, for every bend of the river changes the pictures in the majestic panorama of hills, water, and sky, and every rock has its individuality ; but the overwhelming reiteration of the same grand 218 The St. Lawrence River theme with infinite variety of detail, till the senses are overpowered by the evidences of the mighty force — force which you know, as soon as you see those grim masses of syenite split and rent by upheaval, seamed and scarred by icebergs, was once suddenly, irresistibly active, but has now lain dormant for ages of ages. There is the inevitable sternness of the manifestation of great power, and this effect is heightened by the transparency of the atmosphere, which allows no softening of the clear-cut lines, and heightens their bold sweep by intense shadows sharply defined. There is no rich foliage ; forest fires have swept and blackened the hill-tops ; a scanty growth of sombre firs and slender birches replaces the lordly pines that once crowned the heights, and strug- gles for a foothold along the sides of the ravines and on the ledges of the cliffs, where the naked rock shows through the tops of the trees. The rare signs of life only accentuate the lonely stillness. A few log-houses on an opportune ledge that overhangs a niche-like cove, a shoal of white porpoises gambolling in the current, a sea-gull circling overhead, a white sail in the distance, and a wary loon, whose mocking call echoes from the rocks, — what are they in the face of these hills, that are the children of the mighty landsmith whose forge fires have not yet burned out and the stroke of whose hammer is still heard at intervals among the hills of the north ! We follow sixty miles of this awe-inspiring pas- sage — sixty miles of majesty, calm bays, rippling currents, giant cliffs cut in solid rock, solitude and loneliness, waterfalls veiled in mists that hang over them like silver threads, through mountain walls that are fit portals to the scenes that lie beyond, vista upon vista of country dotted with hamlets, and we are told that the bay whose fame we had heard sung before we started lies before us. We laugh in our feeling of relief from the solitude we have left behind, as the first explorers did, and in the echo that comes back from the rocky hills, we find its name, " Ha Ha Bay." It The Mysterious Saguenay 219 is nine miles long and six miles wide, in reality an un- filled waterway leading from the interior. We see ample evidence of this in the rich alluvial deposits. Another relic of the past, Lake Kinogama, we are told lies about twenty miles to the west, a sullen depth of black water extending for fifteen miles, with a width of only half a mile and a depth of a thousand feet. Ha Ha Bay, quite as appropriately called Grand Bay, is really a breathing-place in this vast amphi- theatre of mountains, though the gloom of the lower regions is not wholly shaken off. As we resume our course we realise that the land is made up from the deposits of some mighty stream in the past, that which we are following being a shadow of its departed greatness. The end of steamboat navigation is Chicou- timi, which, unlike Tadousac, does not conceal its light under a bushel. It stands upon a prominent summit, and the tall spire of its church is the first sight to greet the eye, as the steamer glides along the smooth river above the narrows, where those stern sentinels of the waterway, Cap Ouest and Cap Est, look down with searching grimness. The name of the town is said to be derived from the Cree expression, " Ishkotimew" which means " up to here the water is deep." Chicoutimi is the great lumber-yard of the north. This timber has been brought down chiefly by the rapid upper Saguenay, portage roads connecting its source, Lake St. John, with the trading posts of the Hudson Bay Company. The town presents a pictur- 220 The St. Lawrence River esque appearance. Its cottages are conspicuous for their gabled roofs, often covered with birch bark, which gives them at a distance a resemblance to stucco-work. The yards — and every one has a small plot — are made cheerful by several varieties of annuals, asters, larkspurs, marigolds, and zinnias, all in their brightest hues, while the doors are framed in with climbing bean vines, in their floweringf season radiant with crimson blossoms. It was here that an adventurous Jesuit missionary established a pioneer mission that afterwards became a trading post for the Hudson Bay Company, building as early as 1670 his chapel of cedar-wood noted for its perfume and durability. Fifty years later another was built. Both are now covered by mounds of earth, and surrounded by a fence to protect them from relic hunters. The Chicoutimi River turns over its flood to the Saguenay, after a descent of nearly five hundred feet in seventeen miles. It is the outlet of Lake Kinogama, already mentioned. Among the carrying-places at the rapids of this turbulent stream is one known as Portage de V Enfant, so called in commemoration of the mirac- ulous escape of an Indian child that was carried over the falls of fifty feet in a canoe without being injured. Chicoutimi has its rival in the village of Ste. Anne, perched recklessly on an opposite bluff, where it com- mands on one hand a long, beautiful view of the descending river, on the other looks upward toward its source thirty-five miles distant. The rapid stream is The Mysterious Saguenay 221 as large at its starting-point as it is here. Possibly it has lost something of its volume in its fretful passage. Once the rocky barriers of the Saguenay are passed the new-comer finds himself in a country which he had not expected, where many prosperous hamlets have sprung up, and where there is room for many more — a country drained by a network of rivers. Among the gems of inland seas, Lake St. John, about forty miles in diam- eter and nearly round in shape, is the natural reservoir of one of the grandest water systems to be found on the continent. This lake is the magnet sought from the north-east by the stately Pribonca, the outlet of three great ponds ; from the southland, reaching away toward Quebec, comes Metabetchouan, with its offer- ings from a silvery chain of lakelets ; on the north-west winds the Ashuapmouchouan ; from the north, the Mistassini draws down its stony descents the great volume of Lake Mistassini, as large as Ontario. Until recently Lake St. John was embowered in the heart of a great wilderness, composed of pines, oaks, and other hardy woods forming a band of forest across the con- tinent in the same parallel of latitude that strikes the upper portion of the State of Washington. If robbed of its forest mantle, its forty rivers that feed it, three of them as large as its outlet, remain, showing the plainer upon the broad plateaux of country for their undress. The blue fringe of mountains still lingers in the distance, and on its rolling flood repose its purple islands. As long as waters run, the dazzling whirlpools 222 The St. Lawrence River that toss milk-white foam high in the air will continue to glorify the " grand discharge " at the narrow outlet, while over all will float the white veil of Ouiatchouan, as this mad stream takes at one leap a fall of three hundred feet. There are really two Saguenays : the one seen under the northern moon and the stars being cold, dark, and forbidding ; but the same rocks and clefts, seen under the breaking light of a new day, present a milder aspect. The crimson of early morning or the gold of sunset lights up like oriflambs of grandeur the mighty pillars of the square, massive walls, and send down to the water's edge legions of dancing sprites in bright and orange hues. The unseemly feature to him who looks for the sunlight and the glory are the burnt for- ests, whose naked yeomanry rattle their skeleton arms, while they hover grimly above him like hosts of departed greatness, lingering for a time to mourn over nature's loss, fit warders of such a region of solitude. The climax of this awe-inspiring scenery is reached at Trinity Bay, where the stupendous height of Cape Trinity frowns down upon the intruder, a bare wall of limestone that towers nearly two thousand feet into mid-air. Its frowning brows thrust out three hundred feet over the water, give the beholder a dread lest it tumble upon him. Rent asunder by some far-distant glacial power, the great column is really made up of three sections so placed that at first sight they look like huge steps leading to a mighty flight of stairs, OUIATCHOUAN FALLS. The Mysterious Saguenay 223 such a ladder as the ancient Titan, warring here against the elements, might be expected to climb in his ascent to strive with the gods for a supremacy. In marked contrast to this gloomy giant of three in one — a Trinity — stands Cape Eternity, within a hund- red feet as high as its sombre brother, but clothed in a warm vesture from foot to crown, and looking calm and peaceful. Wrapped in never-fading vestments drawn closely about its huge body, well may it defy the storms of this wintry region for all time. With what feelings of emotion, and yet something akin to relief, the visitor turns from that " region of primeval grandeur, where art has done nothing and nature everything." In defiance of all training his mind will linger over the impressive scene, where the massive cliffs have tipped a river upon edge, and where solitude reigns supreme. For many days he will not be able to rise above the illusion that he is again among the rocks and dark waters, a mile and a half deep — reaching far below the bed of the St. Law- rence — while the steamer sweeps majestically into the Bay of Eternity for ever guarded by her twin sentinels of rock. Chapter XVI Up from Tadousac The Mission of the Montagnais — Story of the Last Missionary — Riviere du Loup — Murray Bay — Giant of Cap aux Corbeaux — Earthquake of 1663 — A Vivid Scene — Isle of Hazels — A Legion of Mountains — First Mass in Canada — Baie St. Paul — Gouffre — Nature Asleep and Awake. TADOUSAC is situated on the lower terrace left at the base of the hills when the mighty floods, held long in leash above, first opened the gate- way for the great inland sea that must have existed there. The most conspicuous object is the great hotel, that seems to overflow with its summer tourists, made more distinct, perhaps, by the setting of dark spruces that cover the second bench, with the hills above form- ing an oval frame. From the plateau one looks across the St. Lawrence, twenty-five miles wide, and as un- ruffled as it is possible for a plain of water to be. From this, with its distant bank dimly seen through the summer haze, dotted faintly with its clustered homes, he sees with marked contrast the dark waters of the Saguenay reluctantly leaving their deep bed for the blue shallows of the greater river. The historic mind turns from this pretty picture, pervaded with the wild- ness of nature, to the little church standing on the 224 Up from Tadousac 225 site of the bark-roofed hut which served as the mission chapel until 1648, when the original church was built, and what may be termed one of the most extended fields of missionary work in New France was definitely entered. Beginning with the romance of thrilling ad- ventures, this mission of the Montagnais closed in 1674, under circumstances as picturesque as the most vivid imagination could conceive. Of course it is repeated now as a legend, but no historic incident has stronger testimony in regard to its actual occurrence. Pere La Brosse is the Jesuit around whose memory clings this charming tradition, which the swarthy Montagnais, as well as the devout follower of the faith, still love to cherish: The Father had been working hard all day, as usual, among his converts and in the services of the church, and had spent the even- ing in pleasant converse with some of the officers of the post. Their amazement and incredulity may be imagined when, as he got up to go, he bade them good-bye for eternity, and announced that at midnight he would be a corpse, adding that the bell of his chapel would toll for his passing soul at that hour. He told them that if they did not believe him they could go and see for them- selves, but begged them not to touch his body. He bade them fetch Messire Compain, who would be waiting for them the next day at the lower end of Isle aux Coudres, to wrap him in his shroud and bury him ; and this they were to do without heeding what the weather should be, for he would answer for the safety of those who undertook the voyage. The little party, astounded, sat, watch in hand, marking the hours pass, till at the first stroke of midnight the chapel bell began to toll, and trembling with fear, they rushed into the church. There, prostrate before the altar, hands joined in prayer, shrouding his face alike from the first glimpse of the valley of the shadow of death, and from the dazzling glory of the waiting angels, lay Pere La Brosse, dead. What fear and sorrow must have 226 The St. Lawrence River mingled with the pious hopes and tender prayers of those rough traders and rougher Indians as, awe-stricken, they kept vigil that April night. With sunrise came a violent storm ; but mindful of his command and promise, four brave men risked their lives on the water. The lashing waves parted to form a calm path for their canoe, and wondrously soon they were at Isle aux Coudres. There, as had been foretold by Pere La Brosse, was M. Compain waiting on the rocks, breviary in hand, and as soon as they were in hearing, his shout told them he knew their strange errand. For the night before he had been mysteriously warned: the bell of his church was tolled at midnight by invisible hands, and a voice had told him what had happened and was yet to happen, and had bid him to be ready to do his office. In all the missions that Pere La Brosse had served, the church bells, it is said, marked that night his dying moment. On the north shore of the St. Lawrence nobody- goes beyond Tadousac, unless he is a salmon-fisher, and accounts from the interior of the country come in the strain of traditions, vague and visionary. The southern shore has more attractions below this point, as has been shown, but from Tadousac to Quebec the north bank can claim the prize for picturesque wild- ness, though the French annalist, Boucher, in his His- toire du Canada, wrote in 1663 : The country is quite uninhabitable, being too high and all rocky, and quite precipitous. I have remarked only one place, that is Baie St. Paul, about half way and opposite to Isle aux Coudres, which seems very pretty as one passes by, as well as all the islands between Tadousac and Quebec, which are fit to be inhabited. In a marked degree what this veracious historian said of the shore nearly two hundred and fifty years ago will apply to it now,- with the added presence, here and there, of a small hamlet clinging to the foot of the Up from Tadousac 227 precipitous bluffs, rather forcibly proving that the ex- ception to the rule does not affect the grand result. The boldness of the rocky ramparts thrusting them- selves down to the water's edge with a front that cannot be scaled could scarcely have presented a wilder aspect to the early voyager than it does to the modern tourist passing on one of the palatial steamers that ply on the river. Leaving Tadousac on our upward trip, with L'Anse St. Jean on our right, following nearly in the track of Cartier, we cross the St. Lawrence to what was then the unpeopled site of the present-day lumber port, Rivilre du Loup. It is sufficient, perhaps, for the reputation of this bustling place that it possesses the most magnificent view of the opposite bank to be found along the river. The distance lending a beauti- ful effect to the rare colouring of the atmosphere, the combination is especially happy at the setting of the sun, when the soft radiance of its beams falls aslant the background of dark-green hills touched with the variegated hues of the maple and birch of the lowlands. The first place of importance to mention is that popular resort for tourists, Murray Bay, the Newport of the St. Lawrence, nearly encircled by the beautiful Canadian scenery, with the salt breeze fanning its brow and the briny surf displaced by the blue tide of the inlet at its foot. This place is eighty miles below Quebec. From the east of the bay rises into the clouds the lofty Cap aux Corbeaux, a name given this 228 The St. Lawrence River peak in the days of the early explorers from the dis- mal croakings of the ravens, as they hovered over the jagged cliffs and rock-shelves beyond the reach of the most nimble climber. Nor are they all gone yet by any means, for great numbers still build their nests in the inaccessible crags, unfearing the molestation of man ; while, finding a precarious existence in the stunted growth, browses the caribou, and the bear fattens upon the berries afforded by the dwarfed bushes clinging to the crevices of rock. Like other wild spots, this is the source of many legends, such as hang over Blomidon of Nova Scotia. Here, as the susceptible habitan believes to this day, is the abode of demons, and there is a tradition that in the misty years of yore a giant, in some respects like Glooscap of Blomidon, held sway until the cross drove him farther into the solitude of the land of Ungava. He is still angry over his forced abdication of a throne he had held so long, and frequently he stamps his great foot in his wrath and peals forth his voice in thunder- tones, so the entire northern shore is shaken with such violence as to terrify the people. This thrilling nar- rative is given a touch of truth by the fact that the region is subject to periodical shocks of earthquake, the worst of which was felt in 1663, when the shaking lasted for over six months, and was felt as far south as New England. The last shock was in 1870. Accord- ing to contemporary accounts, at this time the air was dark with smoke and cinders, illuminated ever and Up from Tadousac 229 anon with meteors. Vegetation dried up, and nothing grew that year. Ferland, in describing this, says in part : New lakes were formed, hills were lowered, falls were levelled, small streams disappeared, great forests were overturned. From Cap Tourmente to Tadousac the appearance of the shore was greatly altered in several localities. Near Baie St. Paul an isolated hill, about a quarter of a league in circumference, descended be- low the waters, and emerged to form an island. Towards Pointe aux Alouettes a great wood was detached from the solid ground, and slipped over the rocks into the river, where for some time the trees remained upright, raising their verdant crests above the water. As many as ten severe shocks have been recorded since the first voyager came up the river. In the fast- ness of the broken interior at the upper end of the val- ley is pointed out the place where the inhabitants living toward Quebec found concealment from the soldiers of Wolfe's army at the time of his campaign in 1 759. Many of these came from the Isle aux Coudres, which name was given it by Cartier from the abundance of hazel trees growing there at the time of his voyage. This is one of the oldest French settlements, and it was here that Admiral Durell's squadron waited two months for the coming of the rest of Wolfe's army, the inhabitants fleeing to the mountains, as described. It is said two of Montcalm's scouts swam the river at night, captured two English officers, one a grandson of the admiral, and took them to Quebec. The Breton, upon arriving at the island of hazels, found the natives busy catching porpoises, and this industry of the simple natives was taken up by the 230 The St. Lawrence River Seminarists of Quebec one hundred and fifty years later, and from that time has become the permanent employment of the seigneurs during the season. It is recorded that as many as three hundred and twenty have been captured at the incoming of a tide. When it is considered that each porpoise yields over a barrel of oil, and that its skin is valuable for leather, it can be seen that this occupation was decidedly lucrative. Soon individuals and companies contended for exclu- sive rights to carry on the fishery. The method em- ployed was exceedingly simple and effective. It was simply to drive rows of saplings long enough to reach above high water into the shelving beach from the extremes of high and low water, each end stopping with a spiral curve so as to form a half circle. The por- poises coming with the tide in pursuit of shoals of small fishes, smelts and herrings, that keep close to the shore, unwittingly passed within the trap set for them. Upon seeking to return they found themselves confronted by this curved line of poles, and frightened in their efforts to find an escape, swam along the swaying barrier, which served to add to their frenzy, until, coming to the twist at its end, they were turned back over their course. Repeated attempts of this kind finally so distracted them that they gave up in despair, to be left high and dry by the ebbing tide. Then they became easy vic- tims to the murderous assaults of the fishermen. The hapless victims died without defence, the female sacri- ficing her own life in a vain effort to save her young, Up from Tadousac 231 displaying most pathetic examples of maternal devotion unto death. This isle, with a population of between seven and eight hundred, two persons out of three being church communicants, has the distinction of being the place on the St. Lawrence where mass was first celebrated. With a legion of mountains in the background, we are overlooked by the frowning Les Eboulements, here marshalling, as of yore, the rocky host and bidding de- fiance to the combined forces of nature and man. It is not difficult to picture to the mind's eye something of the terrific battle waged in the days when the earth was young between these giants, whose broken and scarred veterans remain as eternal warders of the battlefield. From the summit one looks down upon fertile valleys set with white villages, and buttressed by the mountains. The placid river is unrolled like an endless ribbon from a mighty spool, the distant shore mirrored in trans- parent clouds, jewelled with stars as the sun-rays play upon the pointed spires of its churches. In the centre of this beautiful vista lies Isle aux Coudres, fairer, brighter, younger, than it appeared on that auspicious September morning, in 1535, when De Saint Malo, beau port de Mer, Trois grands navires sont arrives, and the Grande Herf/iine, the Petite Her mine, and the Emerillon swung to their anchors in the bay behind the little promontories that jut out near the western end of the island. One can almost imagine that the sweet and solemn strains of the Mass which Dom Antoine and Dom Guillaume le Breton offered for the first time on 232 The St Lawrence River Canadian soil, and the fervent responses of Jacques Cartier and his men are borne across the water. But it is evening, and the soft sounds we hear are the chimes of the Angelus from the churches in the valleys. Boucher, whom I have already quoted, in writing twenty years later says that two settlements have been founded in this wild district, " that of Baie St. Paul being the first inhabited land to be met with on the north shore as you come from France." It contained only three brave families then, and a population of only thirty-one souls. If it has grown slowly since, the river more rapidly has been robbing it of its fertile soil, year by year, until to-day it is little more than a cleft in the rocks through which a furious mountain torrent dashes over rocky shoals where stood the dwellings of the earliest inhabitants mentioned by the historian. As if one spite was not sufficient for nature to have against a place, Baie St. Paul was the scene, some years since, of severe earthquake shocks. This parish suffered at the hands of Captain Gorham's soldiers during the raid of 1759, when all the villages as far down as Murray Bay on the north bank were ravaged. In juxtaposition to Baie St. Paul is the delightful retreat of Gouffre, with its groves of birch, maple, and hazel, and arbours of spruce and cedar, its pebbly shores, its clusters of bright cottages ; the whole sanctified by the little church, whose spire mingles with the tree-tops like a golden star upon a field of green. A marked tranquillity of peacefulness and contentment rests upon all, as if here was one spot where troubles cease from Up from Tadousac 233 vexing and the soul is free from doubt. As it is with man so it is with nature. The rugged heights melt in the distance into a soft liquid blue and grey mingling, while the nearer cliffs, seamed and scarred by many fissures and jagged points, are relieved by silvery bands of crystal water hanging like tremulous drapery over the brink of the precipice. Anon, plunging desperately down the descent, a subdued cry of triumph comes up from below, as if the tumbling waters would proclaim to the world the daring feat they had performed. Disappearing then with a parting shout of glee, appar- ently lost to sight for ever, they as suddenly and merrily reappear upon the vision, brighter than before if that were possible, ready to leap another chasm as fearless as if it had not taken a hundred just such plunges in its wild journey to the great river that seems to linger here to catch in its arms these runaway naiads of ravine and forest. The murmur of many of these streams falls upon the ear like the subdued strains of sacred music, while the sweet aroma of field and forest perfumes with an indescribable sweetness the miles of entrancing land- scape and sympathetic river. But those who have braved its wintry fastness tell me it is not always so calm and peaceful at Gouffre. There comes a time when melting ice and heavy rains swell these mountain streams chafing at the long restraint the mountains have imposed upon them, until they fret and tear at the flanks of the hills, and uncover the secrets of the prehistoric world. Rocks, trees, and bridges are swept into the turbid flood of the Gouffre, which, raging like a demon un- chained, destroys everything that impedes its headlong course. Chapter XVII Between Cap Tourmente and Beauport Where Art and Nature Meet — a Climax in Mountains — the Island of Sorrow — Legend of Crane Island — Chateau Le Grande — Prisoner of the Jealous Wife — Cartier's Isle of Bacchus — Ancient Petit Cap — Divine Ste. Anne — Canadian Mecca — Story of the Saint — A Bird's-Eye View of Beauport — Falls of Montmorency. A BOVE Tadousac the northern shore is bounded / % by a rocky ridge that comes so close to the 1 V water's edge for miles at a stretch as to rise a sheer precipice into the air. Something of the impres- sive wildness and majesty of the Ichang Gorge of China's great river is recalled. Only one thing is lack- ing to remind us of the Highlands of the Hudson, and that is the fact that everything here is on a mightier scale — the great breadth of water-scene robbing the banks of their impressiveness. Bring these walls into closer companionship and the result would amaze the beholder. At Cap Tourmente a climax in the mount- ain range is reached. The rounded summit of the Laurentides come into plainer view, and Mont Ste. Anne stands out in bold relief, deserted, it would seem, by her sister heights, who slowly retreat to make room for the surprise they have planned a little farther up the broken way. 234 Between Cap Tourmente and Beauport 235 Where the river begins to narrow, among the many- island gems that repose upon its peaceful bosom, is a jewel known as lie de Grosse, with no apparent evidence in sight of the grewsome history thrust upon it by a stern necessity that knows no sentiment in its devotion to duty. When the accommodations upon the ships during their long passage over from the Old World were such as to advance disease and death, this island was made a quarantine station for the immigrants. Here, in the year 1847 alone, as many as seven thousand, through fever and cholera, found an end to their bright dreams of homes in a new country. But when we come to think of it, others have scarcely less happy records, for among all of the fair isles of the lower St. Lawrence, so fragrant with innocence, not one but has its dark tale of human misery, some story of treachery and mas- sacre, wherein is preserved the memory of life's un- fortunate sons and daughters. About thirty miles below Quebec lies a little group of islands in mid-river, the largest of which is known as Crane's Island. Over this lingers a goodly share of romantic memories of that day now fruitful of legends. The very atmosphere seems to breathe this, and the shimmer of the sunlight, as it quivers over rock and grassy slope, until it finally rests upon the highest point of land, pictures it upon the imagination of the beholder. "Looking upon the ruins of Chateau Le Grande?" breaks upon our meditation a voice at our elbow. 236 The St. Lawrence River " That has gone the way of mortals," the speaker, an old river-man, continues, "though it was only in the eighteenth century it was raised as the monument of a woman's whim." Of course it was a love romance, and if short it compassed the happiness of two rivals. The hero, for I suppose he must be considered such, was a gay courtier of the social circles of Old France. His wife was handsome, pure, and true, but of a temperament that brooked no oppositon to her slightest wish, and secured little happiness to her lover or to herself. Up- braiding him one day for his freeness in the presence of Court beauties, he proposed a compact with her, which she quickly accepted. This was nothing less than for them to build a home near the capital of the then famous New France, and there live exclusively in each other's society. In such a place there could be no an- ticipation of jealousy or family discord. The site chosen was Crane's Island. The feathered denizens, which had held here their right of domain for ages, were frightened from their old rendezvous by the sound of the hammer of civilisation, and they speedily retreated before the aggressor. On yon summit rose directly a fine residence of the provincial architecture of the times, and to this wild, lonely retreat in the heart of the island Le Grande transported his young and beautiful wife. Happy months followed, winging themselves all too swiftly into years, the self-exiled couple finding delight in the picturesque surroundings. Both loved nature, and they saw here much to admire, Between Cap Tourmente and Beauport 237 for no more lovely and entrancing scene was to be found in the New World. Nor was there the monotony one might have expected in this isolation. The scene seemed to change day by day. Now the landscape looked fresh and innocent as some coy maid in its man- tle of spring newness ; anon it blossomed as the rose ; grew grey and brown under the autumn sun ; took on a brightness given it by the brush of the frost-king ; and then fell asleep under the virgin robes of winter, looking fairer, purer than ever before. There were no two days alike, and each was unto them a poem written in the sweet language of love and filled with the inspira- tion of immortality. The birds, finding here kindred spirits of affinity, returned slyly to their old-time haunts, singing merrier than ever before. At intervals, some weather-beaten vessel, a messenger from the outside world, would come up the river, flying in the ambient breeze the beloved fleur-de-lis of their homeland. The fairest sky must some time become flecked by a cloud. Even into the sweet contentment of this life came a shadow, and it was the shadow of a smile. While their lives had flowed on silently, quietly, hap- pily, Madame Le Grande had become aware of the pain- ful fact that a gay life had sprung up close by them, transforming, as it seemed to her vivid mind, this wilder- ness into Paris. Not alone at Quebec had this free spirit of gaiety entered into the every-day conduct of her inhabitants, but into the lives of the smaller towns and Indian villages something of this freeness and 238 The St. Lawrence River indifference to decorum had also come. Le Grande was now often away from the company of his suspicious wife. It is true he made liberal and plausible excuses for be- ing absent so much, but it dawned upon her that these were more profuse than an honest purpose demanded. Affairs went on in this manner, until frequently his boat did not return from over the river till an early hour of morning. She said nothing, but bided her time. This came but too soon for her peace of mind and his happiness. It usually does when a woman waits. Making some trivial excuse to her as the reason for being away for the evening, Le Grande left the chateau one summer day just as the westering sun was kissing the mountains on the farther view good-night, and rowed over the water to the opposite shore. She had been told by one of her secret spies that the Indians, a few miles above, were holding a dance that would last until late into the night. Throwing over her shapely shoulders a thick dark cloak, though the weather was warm, she followed in his course, until she reached one of those hamlets where a mixed population of French and Indian prevailed. She soon found her informant had not been mistaken. One of those wild, pantomimic dances, for which the Indians were famous, was in the midst of its dizzy, bewildering pleasure. Ay, at the moment she paused by the edge of the timber bordering the sequestered spot, Le Grande, her husband, who had sworn upon his sword and the crucifix to be ever faith- Between Cap Tourmente and Beauport 239 ful to her, was then leading forward to the dance a beautiful dusky belle ! She did not stop to listen to the music, or dwell upon the surprise she was to cre- ate. Like a shadow her tall and regal figure glided forward and stood beside her faithless husband. What she said to him no one ever knew. In fact, the poor Indians fled at sight of her supernatural figure, thinking it was some evil spirit angry with them for their sport. Le Grande dropped the arm of the dark- hued beauty hanging upon him for support, and fol- lowed his wife. The return to the chateau was made in silence, so far as is known. Once there, she is re- ported to have turned upon him with a steely glitter in her dark eyes, saying : " Is this proof of your fidelity to me ? Was it for this you brought me to this lonely spot ? You made a vow then to grant me any demand I might ask if you proved recreant to your pledge. Are you ready to fulfil your promise?" " Name it," he said simply. "You are never to leave this island again while you live." He bowed his head in silence, and from that day Seigneur Le Grande was never seen away from the chateau, which suddenly lost its erstwhile cheerful- ness, while silence reigned where formerly was life and vivacity. At last there came a day when Madame Le Grande engaged passage to France on a home- ward-bound ship, when it was known that her doubly 240 The St. Lawrence River unfortunate husband had been released from his im- prisonment and the tyranny of a woman's love by that grim freeman, Death. She was never heard of after- wards in Quebec, though it was rumoured that she had taken the veil. The chateau long since crumbled to dust, there being no one to preserve its glory. Another island to claim our interest is the Isle of Bacchus, as Cartier christened it in 1535, on account of its great profusion of vines and grapes. Later, in honour of the Duke of Orleans, the son of Francis I., it received its modern name of Isle of Orleans. Between the two, for a long period, it was known among the pioneers as " Wizards' Isle," under the belief that the Indians who inhabited the place were in such close touch with nature as to be able to predict with certainty the coming of a storm or high tide. For a long time it was claimed that during the nights phantom lights played over the land and water, and the white inhabit- ants became alarmed, until it was found that the " spirit lights " were torches in the hands of dusky fishermen moving swiftly and silently to and fro in their canoes. Even then, so strong a hold had the spell thrown over the island by the uncanny stories that had been told, there were many who still whispered by the fireside of grotesque midnight dances by lamps that no mortal hands lighted. Very peaceful and innocent of super- natural deeds rests the beautiful island to-day under the benign influence of modern civilisation. Coming up the river and approaching the Isle of Between Cap Tourmente and Beauport 241 Orleans our gaze becomes attracted by a bluff that is the site of the ancient church of St. Francois. In the distance the Laurentian hills fretwork the horizon, from among whose pinnacled tops stands out in bold relief one at the base of which stood the little stone chapel that was the centre of attraction for one of the oldest settlements in Canada, Petit Cap. Hither fled the remnant of Christian Indians in the days of the mis- sionaries and warfare with the Iroquois. It was here they listened with the devout priests to the sweet-toned sacred vespers, whose soft music floated swiftly, sadly, across the rolling river on the wings of the wind to the dusky warriors skulking in the depths of the forest, but with enough of their native stamina left to refuse to sell their birthright for a bumper of French rum, or a few gaudy trinkets, if less harmful, quite as worthless. What a panorama of wilderness overhung the scene upon that day ! A hundred years later, and this was the scene of the attack of the brawny Highlanders upon the allied French and Hurons. The village then known under the more divine name of Sainte Anne, suffered sorely on this occasion. Every other building in the hamlet was burned, save the little church, which defied the in- vaders' torch, and remained a sacred shrine to many pilgrims in the years to come. When war's red flame had burned out, the town was rebuilt, and to-day the picturesque little community exists as a living example of the Roman Catholics' faith and work in Canada, one 16 242 The St. Lawrence River of the oldest, if not the oldest, altar of worship in the St. Lawrence valley. What stories cluster about the venerated place ! What memories cling to its shrines ! What voices come in subdued whispers of that far-away past in which it was founded ! What changes it has outlived ! That pagan race, to whom it was originally consecrated, and in whose welfare so many of the faith- ful brotherhood laboured, loved, and lost during the long years of missionary work, have passed away, until only a handful remain to fan the embers of departed lordship. The far-reaching forests have also disap- peared, and on the hill-tops and on the plains have risen the homes of a prosperous people. This has not been the fulfilment of the old dream of French colonisation, but the upbuilding of a rival race. The scheme of the ambitious Richelieu to found a French empire in America proved a delusion under his system of development. It has been truthfully said that when he excluded the Huguenots from France and her colonies, he was doing as much as possible to add to the wealth of the Pro- testants of Europe and to the prosperity of the Puritans of New England, and one of the results of his policy was to be the per- petuation of the very heresy he hated. The old church built in 1660 at Ste. Anne de Beaupre was taken down some years since, it having been declared unsafe. On its site was erected a mod- ern and more pretentious building, but one that lacks the ancient interest of the other. It is true you will be told that the interior is of the same finish, and a Between Cap Tourmente and Beauport 243 the double bell-tower that surmounts it is the same that did service for the original ; but the rose window, the plain facade, the Norman door, the air of a gen- eration long-since departed are missing, and we find ourselves entering what seems to us a commonplace structure, lacking that air of deep sanctity which belongs to the old. Through all the changes of the years, the subor- dination of the native race, and the ascendency of the English over the French, the shrine of Ste. Anne was left in peace and repose, until it was suddenly revealed in the nineteenth century, under the revivified belief of an old creed, that the relics of a dead saint were more powerful to save the living than all other powers. The incredible is always the swiftest of wing, and it was only a brief time before pious pilgrimages were begun to this early outpost of Quebec, which under the old regime was the soul of New France, just as Kyoto was the soul of Old Japan. And to-day, in fewer numbers, which increase year by year, there are made to this Canadian Megca pious pilgrimages like those once made to a Saviour's grave in the Holy Land, and those which are now annually performed in Japan, when thousands wend their way along the noble old road under the lofty cryptomerias leading to the templed hills of Nikko. Ste. Anne is the patron saint of Canada. Where- ever one goes he is pretty sure to stumble upon a shrine in which tapers are kept burning, and which is 244 The St. Lawrence River dedicated to the memory of this virtuous person. A question naturally arises in regard to the history of this omnipresent patron more often appealed to by the ancient voyageurs than all others, and whose influence is so marked at this day as to call for comment. Tra- dition, which is ever bold where history is shy, says she was the mother of the Virgin Mary, and a daughter of the house of David. Her sepulchre is in Jerusalem, but you will be shown in a little glass case what are claimed to be her bones. Are you curious to know how they reached this little niche of the world ? Tra- dition never yet builded a structure it was not able to clothe in proper attire. It does not fail in this case. When the infidels destroyed the monuments of the Holy Land, one casket was found that would neither burn nor open. In their rage the despoilers flung it into the sea, upon the bosom of which it was car- ried to the shores of Provence. There it was washed ashore, and lay, it is supposed, for a long period em- bedded in the sand. Finally, a big fish struggling in the captivity of some fishermen scooped out a deep hole in the sand, at the bottom of which this casket was disclosed. But the reverent men of Apt could succeed no better than the infidels of Jerusalem in opening the coffin, and believing it was not to be done by mortals they placed it in a vault, and had the walls hermetically sealed. Here the casket rested undisturbed for over seven hundred years. Then Charlemagne had his at- tention attracted to it by a boy, blind, deaf, and dumb. Between Cap Tourmente and Beauport 245 How he came by his information the conqueror did not stop to ask, but upon removing the wall he discovered the casket. From this place, for some unknown reason, it was taken to the little town of Carnac, in Brittany, where it was entombed, and the place became famous as the shrine of Ste. Anne d'Auray. Once more the sacred bones were removed,- this time by an over-zealous believer, who started with them to America. After a stormy passage over the Atlantic they found repose here at Ste. Anne de Beaupre. This church dates its origin from 1658, in which a habitan gave the land for its site, and the French gov- ernor laid its foundation-stone. On that very day its miracles began. A peasant afflicted with a severe pain in his loins, while in the midst of assisting in the good work, was suddenly relieved of his suffering. Another with a lame limb recovered its use immediately. A blind man was restored to his sight when he turned his sightless orbs on the sacred place. Another who had not been able to speak aloud for years found his speech, and it is needless to say, perhaps, spent much of his time afterwards in sounding the praises of this saint. A pious woman, upon hearing of the remarkable cures of those who had visited the shrine, invoked the bless- ing of the saint, when she was cured of the disease which had bent her nearly double. Then miracle after miracle followed, until the sleepy little hollow was the talk of all New France. Soldiers, as they paced their beat on the fort, looked down the river as if they expected to 246 The St. Lawrence River see a vision. The peasantry grouped together in large family- circles, just as they love to do to-day, and as the big logs crackled in the great fireplace, some one who had been to the shrine re- counted his experiences and gave free rein to his imagination, while all piously crossed themselves when he had concluded. Pilgrims flocked to the New World wonder on the St. Lawrence, and during the seventeenth century there were never less than a thousand on the feast day of Ste. Anne. At all seasons of the year, individual pilgrims were seen going afoot along the Cdte de Beaupre, and in winter in their sleighs on the frozen river. The Micmac Indians came regularly from New Brunswick for trade, and before feast days their canoes were seen coming up the stream to the shrine, where they built birch-bark huts to shelter the pilgrims. In fact, the whole country was excited by the mystery, and many churches were built in honour of the saint. It was a regular custom of vessels ascending the St. Lawrence to fire a broadside salute when passing the place. . . . We, who live in this age of electricity, and who affect to be beyond astonishment, but gape at every new sensation as if the world was yet in its teens, may imagine the thrill of wonder which would run through the minds of the simple peasantry, and the superstitious voyageurs, when the miracles were told. For a time the virtues of this Canadian Mecca seemed to wane, but the pendulum that swings out must return, and again Ste. Anne is enjoying her sacred rights with an ever-increasing following, as wit- nessed in the silent but eloquent tokens heaped high at her door by those who have come crippled and gone away with light steps and lighter hearts ; as witnessed by the constant praise sung in her name and the long train who come and go with believing minds. Leaving this dreamy picture behind the village of Beauport, with its historical memories rising vividly before us, there flashes on our sight a cluster of pic- turesque cottages, above which rises the ever-present Between Cap Tourmente and Beauport 247 companion of these rural hamlets, a church with twin spires. In the distance, set in a frame of pine and hemlocks, with white birches peeping out between, the background is veiled by the yellow curtain of Mont- morency Falls. Resting on pillars of fragile buoyancy that forever tremble but never tumble, the bended sheet of river, fifty feet in width, drops a sheer descent of 220 feet, and without ado, as if it had done nothing uncommon, glides down to meet the St. Lawrence. The charm of this delightful waterfall does not lie in the depth or the volume of the cataract, but rather in the transparency of its flood which looks like a silver foil laid lightly over the grey rock, and worn so thin by constant friction that its delicate tissues seem about to break asunder. It is not less beautiful in winter than in summer, and after flinging its mists over tree and shrub, it glistens in the sunbeams like a mine of diamonds. Chapter XVIII Picturesque Quebec A Peopled Cliff — The Lower Town — A Spiral Street — Cape Diamond — The Cita- del — A Relic of Bunker Hill — Rare Panorama of Country — Memorable Trip of Major Fitzgerald — His Unhappy Love Romance — "Ribbon Farms" — Scene of Cartier's "White Winter" — Two Acres of Clover, Daisies, and Buttercups — Road toCharlesbourg — Chateau de Beaumanoir — Ruins, Flowers, and Vines — Historic Names — Story of the Acadian Maid — Old Fortress — Its Secret Passage — Plains of Abraham. THE scenes briefly sketched, with many more as deserving of mention, pass successively in re- view, and then Quebec, the soul of " Our Lady of the Snow," breaks upon the vision. Gone in a moment are the pictures, but not the memories, of the lower river. Now the grand and beautiful blend in a harmony that is never forgotten. Above the river rises a massive wall of rock over three hundred feet in height, and bidding defiance to the world. " Qzte bee ! " (" What a beak ! ") exclaimed one of Cartier's followers, and the name has clung to it ever since. That alone has remained unchanged. It is now a cliff populated ; an unassorted mass of rocks, roofs, ramparts, fortified walls, pointed spires, and ominous muzzles of guns more curious than dangerous. Gone are the ancient walnuts ; varnished are the shades that peopled them. Yet to-day the scene is picturesque — Canadian— yesterday 248 CAPE DIAMOND, SHOWING TABLET TO THE MEMORY OF MONTGOMERY. From a photograph hy Livernois, Quebec. Picturesque Quebec 249 framed in the present. The keen-sighted Thoreau ex- claimed, in describing the scenery about Quebec : The fortifications of Cape Diamond are omnipresent. They preside, they frown over the river and the surrounding country. You travel ten, twenty, thirty miles up or down the river's banks, you ramble fifteen miles amid the hills on either side, and then, when you have long since forgotten them, perchance slept on them by the way, at a turn of the road or of your body, there they are still, with their geometry against the sky. Cape Diamond, which, by the way, somewhat re- minds us of another promontory by that name in mid- Pacific, is a rock-wedge, composed of grey granite mixed with quartz and a species of dark-coloured slate, thrust down between the St. Lawrence and St. Charles rivers. Something of its rugged grimness is softened by patches of shrubs that somehow find sustenance on its Roman features, giving it the appearance of a bearded Titan. At the base of this huge bulwark, forming the " Gibraltar of America," lies the " Lower Town," with its narrow streets, its weather-stained dwellings, its warehouses, breathless life, bustle, and confusion, flanked by the stone stairways leading to sunlight and the rare- fied atmosphere above, and fronted by the river piers, harbour, and a mixed collection of water-craft. Here exist the bone and sinew of the city. This lower section has been compared to some parts of Edinburgh. It is connected with the " Upper Town " by Cdte de la Montague, or Mountain Street, which, until within thirty or forty years, has not been passable for carriages. 250 The St. Lawrence River Leaving this spiral street, up which have climbed so many in the past, not a few of whom were burdened with cares and responsibilities greater than the fate of their own lives, to the teams and the pedestrians, we follow along the narrow street running under the frown- ing cliff. What if the way is narrow, and the houses claim so much ! Every foot of this earth has been a gift from the river — a precious gift, with that crouching rock looking jealously down upon it. It must have been just below this spot where Donnacona and his dusky followers pushed out in their canoes to greet Cartier on his first visit. It was somewhere close by that weather-beaten building that Champlain, with his own hand, felled the first walnut tree preparatory to founding his capital of New France. Up that zigzag pathway climbed Montgomery, with the snow blinding his eyes, to his inevitable fate. We ascend to the summit of the rocky bulwark by the wooden stairway, counting one hundred and sixty- four steps, and are glad there is not another. The bold promontory upon which we now stand em- braces an area of about forty acres. The most strik- ing feature is naturally the citadel, with its continuous granite wall running along the very brow of the height, flanked with towers and bastions commanding both the St. Lawrence and the St. Charles rivers. The new- comer cannot be other than impressed with the solid appearance of this wall, built before the independence of America was won. Picturesque Quebec 251 The citadel has been so often described that another detailed account would seem superfluous. But its lofty- situation, if nothing else, demands attention, and gives to the visitor one of the finest prospects to be found in any land. The "boys" about the barracks are light- hearted and care-free, though life here, with its steady round of duty, has its monotony. Among the objects of curiosity pointed out to the sight-seer, is a brass piece the British captured from the New England troops at Bunker Hill. It does not look very formida- ble, and a strong man might carry it off under his arm. The view from this historic lookout is one of im- pressive interest, varied in its diversity of scenery and grand in its effect. The St. Lawrence, majestic and magnificent as ever, unfolds its broad band of glistening water, over which craft of every kind, from the birch skiff of the dusky native to the palace steamer of tourist travel, lend motion and vivacity to the picture, and speak not only of the present but of the past when the aborigines were lords of the wilderness. Midway, in the stream below, lies the Isle of Orleans in plain view, while across the river rises Point Levis, rivalling but not equalling Cape Diamond in its bold front, breasting the water like a lion crouching at bay. Beyond this height, which is the site of a populous community, stretches a country noted for its beauty and tranquillity of surface. Unconsciously the mind is carried back to the day when this was an unpeopled wilderness, and to that wintry journey made on snow-shoes through its 252 The St. Lawrence River trackless depths from Frederickton to Quebec, a dis- tance of 175 miles, by Major Fitzgerald, soon after the closing act of the American Revolution. He had been an officer under Lord Rawdon, and served with dis- tinction at Eutaw Springs, where he was wounded. Upon reaching Quebec with his message, without stop- ping to recuperate he continued into the western country, guided now by his staunch friend, Brant. Pro- ceeding to Michilimackinac, and then reaching the Mississippi, he followed down the river to New Orleans. From there he hastened home to greet the loved one who he fondly believed was awaiting anxiously his return. Alas ! for man's dreams and woman's forget- fulness, he was met at her father's door by the faithless sweetheart and — her husband ! Crushed by the blow, he rejoined the army, to fall a martyr to the cause of Ireland a few years later. He was more fortunate in having the eloquent Tom Moore for his biographer, the latter himself visiting, in 1804, a portion of the country traversed by his friend, giving a memorial of his trip in his immortal Canadian Boat-Song and other poems of the St. Lawrence. Slowly the eye" continues to follow the great river winding sluggishly through the valley, bounded on the south by the distant backbone of the Appalachian Mountains whose far slopes reach down to the shores of ancient Vinland, and on the north by the Laurentides, the oldest mountains known to geologists, looming peak beyond peak, until lost to shape and sight in the Picturesque Quebec 253 distance, and where the vision stops the imagination carries the fancy forward to the vast wilderness sweep- ing on in majestic silence to the frozen pole. Looking over the gabled roofs and dormer windows, the minarets of the naval academy, and the spires of the churches, with here and there a glimpse of some narrow street winding upward until, as if tired of the attempt to reach the top, it had tumbled back to lie crumbled and distorted amid the debris of streets and buildings and rocks, a vivid picture is gained of the Lower Town. Quebec, as it is the only walled city in America, is possibly less American than any city north of Mexico. It certainly appeals to the new-comer as no other American city does, and he goes away with that impression strengthened. While it may not be able to boast the ancient castles of a Hamburg or a Hei- delberg, with the moss upon its grey walls, the lichens upon its battlements, the slimy moats around its citadel, the legends of a day that may never have been, it has a suggestion of medisevalism older than the Middle Ages and rendered more attractive on account of its modern setting. It requires no imagination to be made to be- lieve that the town at your feet is a corner of Old France, and that the rock beneath them is older than Europe ! As the gaze roams northward from the rounded shoulder of the Isle of Orleans, beautiful and filled with memories, it rests upon the long street of Beauport, where the landscape is adorned with metal-covered 254 The St. Lawrence River cottages, whose heavy roofs, like bats' wings, reach down to shelter the unrailed verandas, Old-World features of some Swiss village or corner in Brittany. The sim- ple dress of the people, their quaint speech, their pict- uresque manner, each help to complete the suggestion. The roads around Quebec are well kept, while the plank sidewalks add to the pleasure of the tourist who chooses to go amid these scenes on foot. Down on the flat, within sight and sound of the Falls of Mont- morency, the combined French and Indian forces ral- lied to beat back that adventure-mad New Englander, Phips, who thought to surprise the northern eagle in his eyrie. And there, too, was fought the prelude to Wolfe's far-reaching victory upon the Plains of Abraham. Farther away, edged by the rounded horizon, lies what looks like a fine agricultural country, with its " ribbon farms," low- walled cottages, and green fields white-starred with daisies. To the west of these winds down from the interior the St. Charles, the river of ro- mance. At its mouth Cartier moored his briny cara- vels, and a little higher up he went into camp for that long, tedious "white winter." A monument to his memory now marks the place. Just across the river, upon the intervale farms that lie between the stream and the road running northward, leading to the ruins of Beaumanoir, we saw, only a few days since, one of nature's most beautiful flower-gardens, two acres of crimson clover, star-eyed daisies, and yellow buttercups, THE BREAK-NECK STEPS, QUEBEC. Picturesque Quebec 255 the three standing evenly shoulder to shoulder. Never did colours blend more happily, and never was sweeter fragrance wafted on the amorous breeze of June. Here was a flower for each conquest of Canada, and the brightest was the last. Following up this delightful road bordered with white dasies and that fleur-de-lis of Canadian flowers, the buttercup, some five miles from the Dorchester bridge spanning the St. Charles, reposes to-day, under the shadows of Charlesbourg Mountain, a pile of ru- ins called by the English " The Hermitage "; by the French, " The Mansion of the Mountain." In the days of its glory it was more poetically known as Beau- manoir, and it was here that the infamous Bigot, with his boon companions, held his secret councils and car- ousals to the shame of New France, and which more than all else led to her downfall. In those days noble old forests composed of giant oaks, whose seamed and weather-beaten bodies showed ample proof of long lives ; lofty elms, with wide-spreading tops that tipped their tapering branches with becoming grace ; dark pines that wore for ever a frown, as if bidding defiance to the axe of the woodsman who had already turned his gaze hitherward, surrounded the gay palace, which, with its adjacent buildings, covered an area as large as a small town, the collection forming a square, illuminated by beautiful gardens. The Chateau of Beaumanoir was built of stone like most of the buildings of its time, gabled and 256 The St Lawrence River pointed in the style of architecture then prevailing. It had been erected by the first Intendant of New France, Jean Talon, the patron of the gallant explorer, La Salle, as a retreat for him to flee to when worried with the cares of his high office that afforded him so small a meed of satisfaction, owing to the indifference the mother country paid to her offspring. Among the famous persons who made historic this old hall were Sieur Joliet, who came here to relate his wonderful ex- ploits in the untrodden West ; here, also, came Father Marquette to recount to his wondering listeners his stories, that sounded like fables, of that majestic river styled "The Father of Waters"; while from here the intrepid La Salle, the most chivalrous of them all, set forth on his romantic mission to explore the mysterious stream and claim it in the name of his King. Then, when its illustrious company, of which these were only a trio among a score, had gone the way of shadows, the ancient edifice became dishonoured by the ignoble presence of those who boasted of the ruin and not of the glory of the fair empire intrusted to their keeping. Could their language have been interpreted, what tales of infamous scenes these walls would have told ! The chateau was entered by a wide gate set at the end of a broad avenue, overhung by a lofty hedge, trimmed into fantastic figures after the manner of the gates of Luxembourg. The main building, as has been said, was set in the midst of gardens of luxurious growth, squares, circles, and polygons radiant through Picturesque Quebec 257 the summer months with flowers of varied beauty and fragrance. The hedges were filled with fruit trees that might well have graced the orchards of the old country, all of which, indeed, had been brought from France by the thoughtful Talon. In their season were cherries, red and luscious as those that thrived in the gardens of Brittany ; plums that vied with the rare sweetness of their sisters in Gascony ; pears from the famous fruitage of the Rhone valley ; and apples rivalling in their soft tints the rosy cheeks of the fair maids of Normandy. But if environed by a prodigal display of beauty and sunshine, the chateau stood the very image of gloom. Its massive doors were ever kept bolted and barred ; its mullioned windows close-shut, as if it were a dungeon holding within its walls unhappy victims denied their freedom. If there is any truth in local tradition this was, in fact, the case concerning one fair life, too pure, too beautiful to mingle with the wicked world. She was the child of De Castin, that high and noble founder of the name in Acadia. Her mother was the daughter of an Abnaki chief, and, like a true forest princess, was every way worthy of her liege lord. This daughter possessed all of the comeliness of person belonging to her mother, and the dignity of her proud father. As she grew to womanhood, her personal charms and manner more than fulfilling the promise of girlhood, the Castin man- sion became the popular resort of persons of distinction connected with the affairs of the colony. Among others 17 258 The St. Lawrence River came Francois Bigot, Chief Commissary of the Army, then looked upon as an honoured officer of his King. An attachment quickly sprang up between this couple, sincere and lifelong with the one, a passing whim with the other, but sufficiently sincere to afford amusement for a time that might otherwise have been wearisome. Leaving his post here in disgrace, Chevalier Bigot no doubt thought that his little love romance was over. But he had not come to realise the depth of a woman's love and the sacrifice she was willing to make for him who had enthralled her very soul. He left her, as he supposed, to languish in silence and inactivity ; but it was not long after he had come to Quebec, in 1 748, in spite of his infamy elsewhere, to defame the already smirched name of New France, that he learned that a very beautiful woman had been seen about the city. He gave no thought to her, however, until one day, while hunting in the vicinity of Beaumanoir, he met her in the forest and recognised her who was entitled to be his wife. It chanced that he was alone at the time, and, not caring to have his companions learn of his intrigue, un- able to induce her to go away, he escorted her to the chateau. There she remained practically a prisoner during the troublesome times that followed, and until it was rumoured that she had been murdered by one of his agents. Let that be as it may, Bigot has been charged with quite enough for one man to meet at the judgment. Slightly removed from the chateau, but according to >. o* Picturesque Quebec 259 story connected by an underground passage, stood a tower of stone masonry, its walls filled with loopholes and crowned with a crenelated crest. This had been built as a place of refuge and defence during the Indian attacks in the days of the Iroquois invasions. The little fortress had proved invulnerable to them ; but the suns and the storms of the passing years proved more destruc- tive than the primitive armament of the dusky warriors, so that long since it crumbled and fell. Little remains now of Beaumanoir — a ruined corner of wall here, a gable there, a few unsightly mounds, the red alders creeping over fallen buildings, the ugliness of the crumbling masonry relieved by the innocent faces of Canadian violets and illuminated by star-flowers, or half concealed by thick moss and tall grass, where the birds build their nests and the winds sigh a frequent requiem over the loss of an empire standing upon corruption and depotism. There are those who claim that the desola- tion of the unhappy place is made more pathetic by the haunting presence of the most innocent and beautiful life that perished amid the downfall of human hopes. Chapter XIX Sights and Shrines of Quebec Monuments to Wolfe, Montcalm, and " Aux Braves "— Ste. Foye Road— Mount Hermon— Chateau St. Louis — Portraits of Celebrities— Chateau Frontenac — " The Golden Dog "—Story of M. Phillibert— University of Laval—" Notre Dame des Victoires "—Graves of Richelieu and Laval— A Winter Night- Laughter and Good Cheer. THE gaze reluctantly turning away from the direction of Charlesbourg, with its ruins and memories, naturally seeks that battlefield where the course of infamy ended in disaster. The Plains of Abraham are a fitting resting-place for heroes, and it needs no modern historian to tell the glory of those who fill them. Recent research has, however, done much toward correcting the errors perpetuated by careless chroniclers contemporaneous with the scenes which they attempted to describe. A plain shaft marks the spot where, according to late-day investigations, the victor did not fall. But the matter of a few hundred yards, more or less, from the exact spot does not matter. Wolfe does not need such a monument. Behind Duf- ferin Terrace, in the governor's garden, another granite column adds the part of a monument to keep green the story, with the simple inscription : " In memory of Wolfe and Montcalm." Not often is the name of the van- 260 Sights and Shrines of Quebec 261 quished linked so harmoniously with that of his con- queror, until at this not very distant day it is not worth weighing the difference to find whose fame is the greater. Two miles above the Lower Town a break in the massive wall affords room for that convenient path- way where both Wolfe and Arnold climbed to dare the enemy intrenched upon the height. Had the action of the foe in each case been reversed— Montcalm remaining behind his defences and Cramache seeking battle on the open plain — who can say that Canada would not now be a part of the United States instead of Great Britain, and Arnold, not Wolfe, the great figure in its history ? Possibly this historic and momentous pathway, which seems to have been designed as the key to Cape Dia- mond's fortified heights, is not so abrupt and difficult of ascent as your historian, aided by your imagination, has pictured it to you. Such places become, upon close inspection, wanting in some of the wilder and more im- practicable parts. Putnam's ride at Breakneck Stairs was really a tame affair compared to what it has been described. But a hero's fame rises above such minor facts. Like the rhyme and rhythm of great poets, their deeds are entitled to certain licenses of description. Then it must be remembered that nearly one hundred and fifty years have softened the rugged trail. May the day be hastened when the Plains of Abraham shall be reserved for a public park ! Beyond the scene of this overshadowing victory is the battlefield of Ste. Foye, where De Levis won his 262 The St. Lawrence River victory over Murray in 1 760, and which was an inter- esting outcome of Wolfe's campaign. It is sometimes called "the second battle of the plains." This place is marked by a monument " To the Brave," erected by Prince Napoleon Bonaparte in 1854. It is a tall pillar of iron, surmounted by a figure of Bellona, the Roman goddess of war, and with the fraternal feelings which mark so many of the Canadian memorials it is gener- ously inscribed to the memory of both sides, the in- scription reading simply : AUX BRAVES. Quebec has many pretty walks, but none prettier than that which leads through the gate of St. John and follows along the Ste. Foye road, beneath a leafy ave- nue bordered with neat villas, until a slight eminence is reached where Murray made his reckless charge, with the slush and April snow knee-deep, quickly crimsoned with the blood of the heroes who fell on every hand. Near by are the Martello towers. A visit to a battlefield seems to be fitly followed by one to a " City of Silence." There can be no more beautiful cemetery than " Mount Hermon," planned by an American gentleman, Major Douglas, and almost equal in area to the Plains of Abraham. It commands a fine view, and among the noted persons who have found resting-places here may be mentioned the famous Scottish vocalist, John Wilson, and the Reverend Daniel Wilkie, LL.D., the celebrated preceptor of youth. ft Sights and Shrines of Quebec 263 But leaving the city of the dead and the monuments of heroes, the eye falls upon Quebec's famous terrace, which was laid out by the Earl of Durham, to be en- larged and improved by Lord Dufferin, whose name it now bears. Under this terrace are yet to be seen the foundations of that ancient Chateau St. Louis, built by Champlain and destroyed by fire in 1834. This notable building was for about two centuries the seat of govern- ment, and within its walls transpired some of the most momentous scenes in the history of New France. Its great hall has been described as palatial in its dimen- sions and adornments. Its high walls, set with deep panels of wainscoting, and hung with paintings of his- toric interest, were relieved by huge pillars of polished oak, lifting high overhead the lofty ceiling, tinted a deep blue, and ornamented by delicate carvings of ebony-wood. Among the richly coloured portraits were the searching features of Cartier, with his pointed beard, sharp nose, and flashing eyes, as if still peering up the rapids of the mighty river he had discovered ; there was Champlain, his handsome countenance touched softly with the radiance of clear, dark eyes, and framed in with a profusion of long, waving hair, giving slight token of the fire that burned in his restless brain ; Louis Baude de Frontenac, keen of feature and as gallant of look as in life, while beside him was the beautiful woman whom he acknowledged as his wife but whose company he ignored; the unselfish Talon, noblest of the Intend- ants ; the courtly La Salle, to whom New France owed 264 The St. Lawrence River so much in the West ; Laval, the first bishop, the father of education in the colony ; and not far away that faith- ful founder of schools and the first superior of the Ur- sulines in Quebec, Mere Marie de l'lncarnation ; the stern, resolute, all-ambitious Louis the Great of France, with many other men of note, — kings, governors, in- tendants, explorers, and builders of New France. Of all this and much more that has never been told exists only a shade. Near its site stands a modern structure, the Chateau Frontenac, one of the finest hotels in the world. In the yard in front of this, look- ing calmly down upon the beholder, stands a massive memorial to Champlain. Just below, at this writing, another fitting tribute is being raised to the memory of that truly great and good man, Laval. Near by stands the post-office, a modern enough building of stone, yet holding within its walls a block of granite from that ancient building once standing on its site and known by the unpoetical name of Le Chien d' Or, or " The Golden Dog." This legend-haunted house was made the scene of one of Quebec's most famous books, and everything relating to it is redolent with romance. It was built by a M. Phillibert, a merchant coming to Quebec from Bordeaux in the unhappy days of Bigot, the infamous Intendant. M. Phillibert, with the cause of the com- mon people at heart, undertook to break down the power of the dishonest ring which was ruining New France. Over the door to the entrance of his great store, where was to be found every commodity needed £ C J C/3 ^ 5 X o a, d £; s 2 o o Q a Canada's " White City " 307 Montreal, to the credit of her citizens : — " Recoiled Gate : By this gate Amherst took possession, 8th September, 1760. General Hull, U. S. Army, twenty-five officers, three hundred and fifty men, entered prisoners of war, 20th September, 18 12." Montreal has many squares and public parks worthy of description. Foremost among these must be num- bered that place designed to commemorate the heroic deed of Maisonneuve, as described in another chapter. This is properly the heart of the great city, where more and deeper interests centre than elsewhere, the multi- tude moving to and fro under the beautiful figure of that early hero, who does not look down upon them in bronze with greater calmness than he displayed during the critical period of founding the first settlement, when he showed himself master of the dangerous situation. The statue was designed by a native sculptor, Louis Hebert, and represents the hero in the French costume of that day, the right hand holding the fleur-de-lis of his fatherland. The granite pedestal has this inscrip- tion : " Paul de Chomedy de Maisonneuve, Foundateur de Montreal, 1642." The fountain upon which it rests has four bas-reliefs, showing the following scenes and actors : Maisonneuve killing the Indian chief ; the founding of Ville-Marie ; the fate of the heroic Lambert Closse, who began to fret because he was not killed fighting the heathen, but who finally met such a death defending the gate at St. Lambert Hill ; last, but not least, the fall of the heroic Daulac, with his brave 308 The St. Lawrence River companions at Long Sault on the Ottawa. The four corners have each a life-size figure in bronze : a colonist, a colonist's wife, an Indian, the dog Pilote, and a soldier. Omitting mention of the other beautiful squares, every one of which deserves description, it will not do to forget that ideal park, the beautiful crown of a beautiful city, Mount Royal, the noble lookout which attracted Cartier as he came up the river, which drew like a magnet to its summit the sturdy Champlain, and which a little later was climbed to its crest by Maison- neuve with the huge cross in his arms he had vowed to set up in thankfulness for the escape of the colony from flood and famine. Like that huge " Punch Bowl " over- looking the beautiful capital of the Hawaiian Islands, Honolulu, Mount Royal is really the shoulders of a vol- cano with its head blown off. It was in prehistoric ages, when it belched forth its molten floods and wrote its daily history in letters of fire upon the sky, a high mountain, with one foot planted on St. Helen's Island and the other far back toward the hoary Laurentides. It now lifts its dismantled body 900 feet above the sea, and 740 feet above the river. It covers about 450 acres, and the last purchase of private owners by the city was made in i860. No better description of its view can be given in as many words than that of the poet : Changing its hue with the changing sky, The River flows in its beauty rare ; Canada's "White City" 309 While across the plain eternal rise Boucherville, Rougemont, and St. Hilaire. Far to the westward lies La Chine, Gate of the Orient long ago, When the virgin forest swept between The Royal Mount and the River below. Upon the one hand we look down upon the busy, prosperous city of commerce and inland trade in its very substantial form, and not as the devout Jeanne Mance saw it, when God, lifting for her the veils of space, showed to her, while yet in France, in a divine vision, the shores of our isles, and the site of Ville-Marie at the foot of the Mountain and on the shore of its great River. To the north the Riviere des Prairies, a branch of the Ottawa, winds downward, while above the island rests that jewel of the uplands, the Lake of Two Mountains. Coming back we reach Jacques Cartier Square, where once stood the St. Francis Gate. As we stand upon this hallowed spot, the unhappy fate of the four Iroquois warriors who perished here rises vividly before our mind. Let it be repeated in the words of an eye- witness, and, while it is not pleasant reading, it will possibly impress us with the fact that not all of the barbarism belonged to the untutored race, and that men in sacerdotal robes sometimes were more human than divine. Let the narrator tell his story : When I came to Montreal for the first time it was by the St. Francis Gate, and as I was speaking to a friend, I became distracted 310 The St. Lawrence River because of a large crowd that I saw on the Place des Je'suites. There- upon my comrade said: "Upon my word, you have come just in time to see four Iroquois burned alive. Come on as far as the Jesuites, we'll see better." It was immediately in front of their door that this bloody tragedy was to take place. I thought at first they would throw the poor wretches into the fire; but upon looking on all side I saw no faggots for the sacrifice of victims, and I ques- tioned my friend about several small fires which I saw certain dis- tances apart from each other. He answered me: "Patience; we are going to have some good laughing." For some time it was no laughing matter. They led out these four wild men, who were brothers, and the finest looking men I have even seen in my life. Then the Jesuites baptised them and made them some scanty ex- hortations; for, to speak freely, to do more would have been "to wash the head of a corpse." The holy ceremony finished, they were then taken hold of and submitted to punishments of which they were the inventors. They bound them naked to the stakes stuck three or four feet in the ground, and then each of our Indian allies, as well as sev- eral Frenchmen, armed themselves with bits of red-hot iron, where- with they broiled all parts of their bodies. Those small fires which I had seen served as forges to heat the abominable instruments with which they roasted them. Their torture lasted six hours, during which they never ceased to chant of their deeds of war. Similar scenes to this were enacted in Quebec and elsewhere, so the pity is not wholly a one-sided affair. We find the streets of the older section of the city redolent with memories of a stormy past. Down there is a stone marking the spot where Cartier landed in t 535. On the site of the present custom-house the gal- lant Champlain, the founder of New France, established a trading post in 161 1, which he named Place Roy ale. At the corner of St. Peter and St. Paul streets was the house in which La Salle lived in 1668, two years after he came to Montreal. On the corner of the street by o