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bearing an inscription declaring that； in the name of the King of
France； he took possession of the country。 On trees over these
memorials of lead he nailed the arms of France； stamped on sheets
of tin。 Since that day at least three of the plates have been
found。
Celoron's expedition went well enough。 He advanced as far west on
the Ohio as the mouth of the Great Miami River； then up that
river； and by difficult portages back to Lake Erie。 It was a
remarkable journey； but in the late autumn he was back again in
Montreal； not sure that he had achieved much。 The natives of the
country were； he thought； hostile to France and devoted to the
English who had long traded with them。 This opinion was in truth
erroneous； for； when the time of testing came； the Indians of the
West fought on the side of France。 Montcalm had many hundreds of
them under his banner。 The expedition meant the definite and
final throwing down of the gauntlet by France。 With all due
ceremony she had declared that the Ohio country was hers and that
there she would allow no English to dwell。
Legardeur de Saint…Pierre could hardly have known； when he left
the hard region of the Saskatchewan in 1752； that a year later he
would be sent to protect another set of outposts of France in the
West。 In 1753 we find him in command of the French forces in the
Ohio country。 Celoron had been sent to Detroit。 If Saint…Pierre
had played his part feebly on the Saskatchewan； he was now made
for a brief period one of the central figures in the opening act
of a world drama。 It is with a touch of emotion that we see on
the stage； as the opponent of this not great Frenchman； the
momentous figure of George Washington。
The fight for North America was now rapidly approaching its final
phase in the struggle which we know as the Seven Years' War。
During forty years； commissioners of the two nations had been
trying to reach some agreement as to boundaries。 Each side；
however； made impossible demands。 France claimed all the lands
drained by the St。 Lawrence and the Great Lakes and by the
Mississippi and its tributaries a claim which； if made good；
would have carried her into the very heart of the colony of New
York and would have given her also the mastery of the Ohio and
the regions beyond。 Britain claimed all the lands ever occupied
by the Iroquois Indians； who had been recognized as British
subjects by the Treaty of Utrecht。 As those Indians had overrun
regions north of the St。 Lawrence； the British thus would become
masters of a good part of Canada。 Neither side was prepared for
reasonable compromise。 The sword was to be the final arbiter。
Events moved rapidly towards war。 In 1753 Duquesne； the new
Governor of Canada； sent more than a thousand men to build Fort
Le Boeuf； on upper waters flowing to the Ohio and within easy
reach of support by way of Lake Erie。 In the nest year the French
were swarming in the Ohio Valley； stirring up the Indians against
the English and confident of success。 They jeered at the
divisions among the English and believed their own unity so
strong that they could master the colonies one by one。 The two
colonies most affected were Pennsylvania and Virginia； either of
them quite ready to see its own citizens advance into the Ohio
country and possess the land； but neither of them willing to
unite with the other in effective military action to protect the
frontier。
It is at this crisis that there appears for the first time in
history George Washington of Virginia。 In December； 1753； in the
dead of winter； he made a long； toilsome journey from Virginia to
the north through snow and rain； by difficult forest trails； over
two ranges of mountains； across streams sometimes frozen；
sometimes dangerous from treacherous thaws。 On the way he heard
gossip from the Indians about the designs of the French。 They
boasted that they would come in numbers like the sands of the
seashore； that the natives would be no more an obstacle to them
than the flies and mosquitoes； which indeed they resembled； and
that not the breadth of a finger…nail of land belonged to the
Indians。 Washington was told by one of the French that 〃it was
their absolute design to take possession of the Ohio and； by；
they would do it！〃 It was no matter that the French were
outnumbered two to one by the English； for the English were
dilatory and ineffective。
In the end； Washington arrived at Fort Le Boeuf and presented a
letter from Dinwiddie； the Lieutenant…Governor of Virginia；
pointing out that the British could not permit an armed force
from Canada to invade their territory of the Ohio and requiring
that the French should leave the country at once。 Legardeur de
Saint…Pierre； to whom this firm demand was delivered； 〃an elderly
gentleman；〃 says Washington； with 〃much the air of a soldier〃
gave； of course； a polite answer in the manner of his nation； but
he intended； he said； to remain where he was as long as he had
instructions so to do。 Washington kept his eyes open and made
careful observations of the plan of the fort； the number of men；
and also of the canoes； of which he noted that there were more
than two hundred ready and many others building。 The French tried
to entice away his Indians and he says； 〃I cannot say that ever
in my life I suffered so much anxiety。〃 On the journey back he
nearly perished when he fell into an ice…cold stream and was
obliged to spend the night on a tiny island in frozen clothing。
He brought comfort as cold to the waiting Dinwiddie。
The French meanwhile were always a little ahead of the English in
their planning。 Early in April； 1754； a French force of five or
six hundred men from Canada； which had set out while Quebec was
still in the icy grip of winter； reached the upper waters of the
Ohio。 They attacked and destroyed a fort which the English had
begun at the forks where now stands Pittsburgh； and； in its
place； began a formidable one； called Fort Duquesne after the
Governor of Canada。 In vain was Washington sent with a few
hundred men to take possession of this fort and to assert the
claim of the English to the land。 He fell in with a French
scouting party under young Coulon de Jumonville； killed its
leader and nine others； and took more than a score of
prisonerswarfare bloody enough in a time of supposed peace。 But
the French were now on the Ohio in greater numbers than the
English。 At a spot known as the Great Meadows； where Washington
had hastily thrown up defenses； which he called Fort Necessity；
he was forced to surrender； but was allowed to lead his force
back to Virginia； defeated in the first military adventure of his
career。 The French took the view that his killing of the young
officer Jumonville was assassination； since no state of war
existed； and raised a fierce clamor that Washington was a
murderera strange contrast to his relations with France in the
years to come。
What astonishes us in regard to these events is that Britain and
France long remained nominally at peace while they were carrying
on active hostilities in America and sending from Europe armies
to fight。 There were various reasons for this hesitation about
plunging formally into war。 Each side wished to delay until sure
of its alliances in Europe。 During the war ending in 1748 France
had fought with Frederick of Prussia against Austria； and Britain
had been Austria's ally。 The war had been chiefly a land war； but
France had been beaten on the sea。 Now Britain and Prussia were
drawing together and； if France fought them； it must be with
Austria as an ally。 Such an alliance offered France but slight
advantage。 Austria； an inland power； could not help France
against an adversary whose strength was on the sea； she could not
aid the designs of France in America or in India； where the
capable French leader Dupleix was in a fair way to build up a
mighty oriental empire。 Nor had France anything to gain in Europe
from an Austrian alliance。 The shoe was on the other foot。 The
supreme passion of Maria Theresa who ruled Austria was to recover
the province of Silesia which had been seized in 1740 by Prussia
and heldheld to this day。 Austria could do little for France
but France could do much for Austria。 So Austria worked for this
alliance。 It is a story of intrigue。 Usually in France the King
carried on negotiations with foreign countries only through his
ministers； who knew the real interests of France。 Now the astute
Austrian statesman； Kaunitz； went past the ministers of Louis XV
to Louis himself。 This was the heyday of Madame de Pompadour； the
King's mistress。 Maria Theresa condescended to intrigue with this
woman whom in her heart she despised。 There is still much mystery
in the affair。 The King was flattered into thinking that
personally he was swaying the affairs of Europe and took delight
in deceiving his ministers and working behind their backs。 While
events in