Two hundred years ago the great country lying between Lake Superior and
the Rocky Mountains was unknown to the people who lived in the little
stockaded forts, where Quebec, Montreal, and Three Rivers now stand.
Great explorers had followed Columbus to America, and had sailed down
the mighty St. Lawrence and its tributaries. They all longed to find
the Great Western Sea, which Columbus had hoped would lead to Asia; but
over two hundred years had passed since his voyage, and no one had yet
reached the great water of the West.
When Pierre de la Vérendrye was a boy, living at Three Rivers, he heard
many wonderful stories of adventure told by fur traders and explorers
as they returned from expeditions to the North and West, and he longed
for the time to come when he would be old enough to join such a party.
When he was twenty-seven years old, he had charge of a trading-post on
Lake Nepigon, and heard from the neighboring Indians of great lakes and
rivers, and immense tracts of treeless country where herds of cattle
roamed. He had not forgotten the dream of his boyhood, and when these
tales of a land far west reached him, he made up his mind that he would
be the one to explore the country and find a way to the Western Sea.
Years passed by, and it was not until 1731 that his dream was realized.
He had spent years in preparing for the expedition. The governor
at Quebec had given him a license to trade with the Indians, and
Montreal merchants promised to supply him with money and goods. On the
eighth day of June the company set out from Montreal. It consisted of
Vérendrye, his three tall sons, Jean, Pierre and François, and fifty
followers. There were the priests, the hardy voyageurs, the wood
runners, and the Indian interpreters. They embarked in birch canoes
measuring from eighty to ninety feet in length. In the bottom of the
canoes were strongly wrapped packages of merchandise which were to be
exchanged on the way for furs.
In seventy-eight days they reached Kaministiquia, a fur post on Lake
Superior, where Fort William now stands. This was the last Western
post. All the country beyond this would be new to the eager voyageurs.
Sailing down the Pigeon River, they entered Rainy Lake and built Fort
St. Pierre on its left bank. Winter was approaching and their supply of
provisions was getting low, so it was necessary for some of the party
to return to the nearest trading-post to obtain provisions and goods
in exchange for valuable furs. The Cree Indians who inhabited this
district had gazed in wonder at the presents of ammunition offered to
them by the white men, and had gladly given generous supplies of furs
in exchange for these new possessions.
When spring came, the voyageurs accepted the friendly offer of the
Indians to guide them west to the Lake of the Woods. It was several
months before the next long stop was made. They had reached the head of
the lake when it was again necessary to stop and build a fort for their
winter stay. This fort, built of logs, chinked up with clay and moss,
and roofed with branches of trees, was called St. Charles.
The next year they reached Lake Winnipeg by way of the Winnipeg
River, and near its mouth they built Fort Maurepas, now known as Fort
Alexander. In 1738, after travelling over many miles of the surrounding
country, Vérendrye left this fort, crossed the southern end of Lake
Winnipeg, and entered the Red River, which he followed until he came
to its junction with the Assiniboine, and to the place where the city
of Winnipeg now stands. The land around the river was dotted with the
tepees of the Assiniboine Indians, who probably now looked upon a white
man for the first time. A rude fort called Fort Rouge was built, and
leaving his sons to trade with the Indians, Vérendrye pushed on up the
Assiniboine and in one week came to the “Portage of the Prairie.” This
was called by the explorer, Fort De La Reine.
Vérendrye had now spent seven years in his search for the Western Sea.
He had suffered many hardships. His men had often mutinied and deserted
him. Winter had overtaken him when supplies were low, and in these
times of famine he and his men had lived on roots and bark, coarse
parchment, and often on the flesh of the sleigh dogs. His eldest son,
Jean, had been cruelly murdered by the Indians, while he was journeying
to one of the eastern forts for supplies. Still the brave explorer’s
courage did not fail, and he pressed on hoping to find some sign, or
hear some word that would tell him his quest had not been in vain.
The merchants at Montreal upon whom Vérendrye depended for aid were
not interested in his work of exploration, but cared only for the
loads of valuable furs which he sent to them. Fur traders were jealous
of his success, and charged him with trading for his own profit,
and deceiving his partners. Leaving his sons to continue their
explorations, he returned to Quebec in 1746 to defend himself against
these false charges.
Nothing could be proved against him, but this was small comfort
to the worn-out traveller. His life had been one of suffering and
disappointment, and his countrymen did not realize the noble work he
had done, yet he was eager to return to his sons and continue the work
he had begun. In 1749 he was preparing for the journey back to the
West, when he was taken ill, and died suddenly at Montreal. Though his
work was not appreciated during his lifetime, he is now honored as the
pioneer explorer of the Great West.
--HELEN PALK.