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round the entrance to the Gulf of St。 Lawrence for years before；
in 1535； the French sailor； Jacques Cartier； advanced up the
river as far as the foot of the torrential rapids where now
stands the city of Montreal。 Cartier was seeking a route to the
Far East。 He half believed that this impressive waterway drained
the plains of China and that around the next bend he might find
the busy life of an oriental city。 The time came when it was
known that a great sea lay between America and Asia and the
mystery of the pathway to this sea long fascinated the pioneers
of the St。 Lawrence。 Canada was a colony； a trading…post； a
mission； the favorite field of Jesuit activity； but it was also
the land which offered by way of the St。 Lawrence a route leading
illimitably westward to the Far East。
One other route rivaled the St。 Lawrence in promise； and that was
the Mississippi。 The two rivers are essentially different in
their approaches and in type。 The mouth of the St。 Lawrence opens
directly towards Europe and of all American rivers lies nearest
to the seafaring peoples of Europe。 Since it flows chiefly in a
rocky bed； its course changes little； its waters are clear； and
they become icy cold as they approach the sea and mingle with the
tide which flows into the great Gulf of St。 Lawrence from the
Arctic regions。 The Mississippi； on the other hand； is a turbid；
warm stream； flowing through soft lands。 Its shifting channel is
divided at its mouth by deltas created from the vast quantity of
soil which the river carries in its current。 On the low…lying；
forest…clad； northern shore of the Gulf of Mexico it was not easy
to find the mouth of the Mississippi by approaching it from the
sea。 The voyage there from France was long and difficult； and；
moreover； Spain claimed the lands bordering on the Gulf of Mexico
and declared herself ready to drive out all intruders。
Nature； it is clear； dictated that； if France was to build up her
power in the interior of the New World； it was the valley of the
St。 Lawrence which she should first occupy。 Time has shown the
riches of the lands drained by the St。 Lawrence。 On no other
river system in the world is there now such a multitude of great
cities。 The modern traveler who advances by this route to the
sources of the river beyond the Great Lakes surveys wonders ever
more impressive。 Before his view appear in succession Quebec；
Montreal； Toronto； Buffalo； Cleveland； Detroit； Chicago； Duluth；
and many other cities and towns； with millions in population and
an aggregate of wealth so vast as to stagger the imagination。
Step by step had the French advanced from Quebec to the interior。
Champlain was on Lake Huron in 1615； and there the Jesuits soon
had a flourishing mission to the Huron Indians。 They had only to
follow the shore of Lake Huron to come to the St。 Mary's River
bearing towards the sea the chilly waters of Lake Superior。 On
this river； a much frequented fishing ground of the natives； they
founded the mission of Sainte Marie du Saut。 Farther to the
south； on the narrow opening connecting Lake Huron and Lake
Michigan； grew up the post known as Michilimackinac。 It was then
inevitable that explorers and missionaries should press on into
both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan。 By the time that Frontenac
came first to Canada in 1672 the French had a post called St。
Esprit on the south shore of Lake Superior near its western end
and they had also passed westward from Lake Michigan and founded
posts on both the Illinois and the Wisconsin Rivers which flow
into the Mississippi。
France had placed on record her claim to the whole of the Great
West。 On a June morning in 1671 there had been a striking scene
at Sainte Marie du Saut。 The French had summoned a great throng
of Indians to the spot。 There； with impressive ceremony；
Saint…Lusson； an officer from Canada； had set up a cedar post on
which was a plate engraved with the royal arms； and proclaimed
Louis XIV lord of all the Indian tribes and of all the lands；
rivers； and lakes； discovered and to be discovered in the region
stretching from the Atlantic to that other mysterious sea beyond
the spreading lands of the West。 Henceforth at their peril would
the natives disobey the French King； or other states encroach
upon these his lands。 A Jesuit priest followed Saint…Lusson with
a description to the savages of their new lord； the King of
France。 He was master of all the other rulers of the world。 At
his word the earth trembled。 He could set earth and sea on fire
by the blaze of his cannon。 The priest knew the temper of his
savage audience and told of the King's warriors covered with the
blood of his enemies； of the rivers of blood which flowed from
their wounds； of the King's countless prisoners； of his riches
and his power； so great that all the world obeyed him。 The
savages
gave delighted shouts at the strange ceremony； but of its real
meaning they knew nothing。 What they understood was that the
French seemed to be good friends who brought them muskets；
hatchets； cloth； and especially the loved but destructive
firewater which the savage palate ever craved。
The mystery of the Great Lakes once solved； there still remained
that of the Western Sea。 The St。 Lawrence flowed eastward。
Another river must therefore be found flowing westward。 The
French were eager listeners when the savages talked of a mighty
river in the west flowing to the sea。 They meant； as we now
suppose； the Mississippi。 There are vague stories of Frenchmen on
the Mississippi at an earlier date； but； however this may be； it
is certain that in the summer of 1673 Louis Joliet； the son of a
wagon…maker of Quebec； and Jacques Marquette； a Jesuit priest；
reached and descended the great river from the mouth of the
Wisconsin to a point far past the mouth of the Ohio。
France thus planted herself on the Mississippi； though there her
occupation was less complete and thorough than it was on the St。
Lawrence。 Distance was an obstacle； it was a far cry from Quebec
by land； and from France the voyage by sea through the Gulf of
Mexico was hardly less difficult。 The explorer La Salle tried
both routes。 In 1681…1682 he set out from Montreal； reached the
Mississippi overland； and descended to its mouth。 Two years later
he sailed from France with four ships bound for the mouth of the
river； there to establish a colony； but before achieving his aim
he was murdered in a treacherous attack led by his own
countrymen。
It was Pierre Le Moyne； Sieur d'Iberville； who first made good
France's claim to the Mississippi。 He reached the river by sea in
1699 and ascended to a point some eighty miles beyond the present
city of New Orleans。 Farther east； on Biloxi Bay； he built Fort
Maurepas and planted his first colony。 Spain disliked this
intrusion； but Spain soon to be herself ruled； as France then
was； by a Bourbon kingdid not prove irreconcilable and slowly
France built up a colony in the south。 It was in 1718 that
Iberville's brother； Jean Baptiste Le Moyne； Sieur de Bienville；
founded New Orleans； destined to become in time one of the great
cities of North America。 Its beginnings were not propitious。 The
historian Charlevoix describes it as being in 1721 a low…lying；
malarious place； infested by snakes and alligators； and
consisting of a hundred wretched hovels。
In spite of this dreary outlook； it was still true that France；
planted at the mouth of the Mississippi； controlled the greatest
waterway in the world。 Soon she had scattered settlements
stretching northward to the Ohio and the Missouri； the one river
reaching eastward almost to the waters of the St。 Lawrence
system； the other flowing out of the western plains from its
source in the Rocky Mountains。 The old mystery； however；
remained； for the Mississippi flowed into the Gulf of Mexico；
into Atlantic waters already well known。 The route to the Western
Sea was still to be found。
It was easy enough for France to record a sweeping claim to the
West； but to make good this claim she needed a chain of posts；
which should also be forts； linking the Mississippi with the St。
Lawrence and strong enough to impress the Indians whose country
she had invaded。 At first she had reached the interior by way of
the Ottawa River and Lake Huron； and in that northern country her
position was secure enough through her posts on the upper lakes。
The route farther south by Lake Ontario and Lake Erie was more
difficult。 The Iroquois menaced Niagara and long refused to let
France have a footing there to protect her pathway to Lake Erie
and the Ohio Valley。 It was not until 1720； a period
comparatively late； that the French managed to have a fort at the
mouth of the Niagara。 On the Detroit River； the next strategic
point on the way westward； they were established earlier。 Just
after Frontenac died in 1698； La Mothe Cadillac urged that there
should be built