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after Frontenac died in 1698； La Mothe Cadillac urged that there
should be built on this river a fort and town which might be made
the center of all the trading interests west of Lake Erie。 End
the folly； he urged； of going still farther afield among the
Indians and teaching them the French language and French modes of
thought。 Leave the Indians to live their own type of life； to
hunt and to fish。 They need European trade and they have valuable
furs to exchange。 Encourage them to come to the French at Detroit
and see that they go nowhere else by not allowing any other posts
in the western country。 Cadillac was himself a keen if secret
participant in the profits of the fur trade and hoped to be
placed in command at Detroit and there to become independent of
control from Quebec。 Detroit was founded in 1701； and though for
a long time it did not thrive； the fact that on the site has
grown up one of the great industrial cities of modern times shows
that Cadillac had read aright the meaning of the geography of
North America。
When France was secure at Niagara and at Detroit； two problems
still remained unsolved。 One was that of occupying the valley of
the Ohio； the waters of which flow westward almost from the south
shore of Lake Erie until they empty into the vaster flood of the
Mississippi。 Here there was a lion in the path； for the English
claimed this region as naturally the hinterland of the colonies
of Virginia and Pennsylvania。 What happened on the Ohio we shall
see in a later chapter。 The other great problem； to be followed
here； was to explore the regions which lay beyond the
Mississippi。 These spread into a remote unknown； unexplored by
the white man； and might ultimately lead to the Western Sea。 We
might have supposed that France's farther adventure into the West
would have been from the Mississippi up its great tributary the
Missouri； which flows eastward from the eternal snows of the
Rocky Mountains。 Always； however； the uncertain temper of the
many Indian tribes in this region made the advance difficult。 The
tribes inhabiting the west bank of the Mississippi were
especially restless and savage。 The Sioux； in particular； made
life perilous for the French at their posts near the mouth of the
Missouri。
It thus happened that the white man first reached the remoter
West by way of regions farther north。 It became easy enough to
coast along the north and the south shore of Lake Superior； easy
enough to find rivers which fed the great system of the St。
Lawrence or of the Mississippi。 These； however； would not solve
the mystery。 A river flowing westward was still to be sought。
Thus； both in pursuit of the fur trade and in quest of the
Western Sea； the French advanced westward from Lake Superior。
Where now stands the city of Fort William there flows into Lake
Superior the little stream called still by its Indian name of
Kaministiquia。 There the French had long maintained a
trading…post from which they made adventurous journeys northward
and westward。
The rugged regions still farther north had already been explored；
at least in outline。 There lay the great inland sea known as
Hudson Bay。 French and English had long disputed for its mastery。
By 1670 the English had found trade to Hudson Bay so promising
that they then created the Hudson's Bay Company； which remains
one of the great trading corporations of the world。 With the
English on Hudson Bay； New France was between English on the
north and English on the south and did not like it。 On Hudson Bay
the English showed the same characteristics which they had shown
in New England。 They were not stirred by vivid imaginings of what
might be found westward beyond the low…lying coast of the great
inland sea。 They came for trade； planted themselves at the mouths
of the chief rivers； unpacked their goods； and waited for the
natives to come to barter with them。 For many years the natives
came； since they must have the knives； hatchets； and firearms of
Europe。 To share this profitable trade the French； now going
overland to the north from Quebec； now sailing into Hudson Bay by
the Straits； attacked the English； and on those dreary waters；
long before the Great West was known； there had been many a naval
battle； many a hand…to…hand fight for forts and their rich prize
of furs。
The chief French hero in this struggle was that son of Charles Le
Moyne of Montreal； Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville； who ended his
days in the task of founding the French colony of Louisiana。 He
was perhaps the most notable of all the adventurous leaders whom
New France produced。 He was first on Hudson Bay in the late
summer of 1686； in a party of about a hundred men； led by the
Chevalier de Troyes； who had marched overland from Quebec through
the wilderness。 The English on the Bay； with a charter from King
Charles II； the friend of the French； and in a time of profound
peace under his successor； thought themselves secure。 They now
had； however； a rude awakening。 In the dead of night the
Frenchmen fell upon Fort Hayes； captured its dazed garrison； and
looted the place。 The same fate befell all the other English
posts on the Bay。 Iberville gained a rich store of furs as his
share of the plunder and returned with it to Quebec in 1687； just
at the time when La Salle； that other pioneer of France； was
struck down in the distant south by a murderer's hand。
Iberville was； above all else； a sailor。 The easiest route to
Hudson Bay was by way of the sea。 More than once after his first
experience he led to the Bay a naval expedition。 His exploits are
still remembered with pride in French naval annals。 In 1697 he
sailed the Pelican through the ice…floes of Hudson Straits。 He
was attacked by three English merchantmen； with one hundred and
twenty guns against his forty…four。 One of the English ships
escaped； one Iberville sank with all on board； one he captured。
That autumn the hardy corsair was in France with a great booty
from the furs which the English had laboriously gathered。
The triumph of the French on Hudson Bay was short…lived。 Their
exploits； though brilliant and daring； were more of the nature of
raids than attempts to settle and explore。 They did no more than
the English to ascend the Nelson or other rivers to find what lay
beyond； and in 1718； by the Treaty of Utrecht； as we have already
seen； they gave up all claim to Hudson Bay and yielded that
region to the English。
Pierre Gaultier de Varennes； Sieur de la Verendrye； was a member
of the Canadian noblesse； a son of the Governor of Three Rivers
on the St。 Lawrence。 He was born in 1685 and had taken part in
the border warfare of the days of Queen Anne。 He was a member of
the raiding party led against New England by Hertel de Rouville
in 1704 and may have been one of those who burst in on the little
town of Deerfield； Massachusetts； and either butchered or carried
off as prisoners most of the inhabitants。 Shortly afterwards we
find him a participant in warfare of a less ignoble type。 In 1706
he went to France and became an ensign in a regiment of
grenadiers。 Those were the days when Marlborough was hammering
and destroying the armies of Louis XIV。 La Verendrye； took part
in the last of the series of great battles； the bloody conflict
at Malplaquet in 1709。 He received a bullet wound through the
body； was left for dead on the field； fell into the hands of the
enemy； and for fifteen months was a captive。 On his release he
was too poor to maintain himself as an officer in France and soon
returned to Canada； where he served as an officer in a colonial
regiment until the peace of 1713。 Then the ambitious young man；
recently married； with a growing family and slight resources； had
to work out a career suited to his genius。
His genius was that of an explorer； his task； which fully
occupied his alert mind； was that of finding the long dreamed of
passage to the Western Sea。 The venture certainly offered
fascinations。 Noyon； a fellow…townsman of La Verendrye at Three
Rivers； had brought back from the distant Lake of the Woods； in
1716； a glowing account； told to him by the natives； of walled
cities； of ships and cannon； and of white…bearded men who lived
farther west。 In 1720 the Jesuit Charlevoix； already familiar
with Canada； came out from France； went to the Mississippi
country； and reported that an attempt to find the path to the
Western Sea might be made either by way of the Missouri or
farther north through the country of the Sioux west of Lake
Superior。 Both routes involved going among warlike native tribes
engaged in incessant and bloody struggles with each other and not
unlikely to turn on the white intruder。 Memorial after memorial
to the French court for assistance resulted at last in serious
effort； but effort handicapped because the court thought that a
monopoly of the fur trade was the only inducement required to
promote th