FUR-TRADERS AND HABITANTS.
Montreal--the Mount Royal of Jacques Cartier--was then in the heyday of
its pioneer glory. It was the seat of government of the North-West
Company, which exercised feudal sway over an empire of wilderness, lake
and prairie, and whose title to monopoly was challenged only by the
powerful Hudson's Bay Company. Since 1670 this older syndicate of
adventurers had held the destinies of the great lone land in the farther
North-West, its fruitful plains and pathless forests, in the hollow of
its hand. Later, when the two companies amalgamated, their joint
operations extended from Alaska to Rupert's Land, from Oregon to the
Sandwich Islands, from Vancouver to Labrador, an empire embracing an
area of 4,500,000 square miles.
At Montreal Brock lived with these merchant princes on terms of close
intimacy. He was sensible enough, as a man of the world, to enjoy the
creature comforts of life. The blazing log-fire, with its glow and
crackle, in contrast to the blizzard that raged outside; the dim-lighted
splendour of spacious dining-hall, with hewn rafters and savage trophies
of the explorers; the polished oak floor and carved ceiling, hung with
rare fur and gaudy feathers, appealed to him.
The rubber of whist over, came the fragrant _perfecto_--these traders
ransacked the world for their tobacco--and Brock, under the influence of
the soothing weed, would charm these wild vagrants into unlocking some
of the strange secrets of the wilderness. From these usually silent but
sometimes garrulous merchants he acquired during the long winter nights
a fund of facts that greatly influenced his future actions.
Being superseded at Montreal by General Drummond, he did not relish a
return to Quebec. Separation from the 49th meant actual pain, but, as he
said, "Soldiers must accustom themselves to frequent movements, and as
they have no choice, it often happens they are placed in situations
little agreeing with their wishes." His regrets were lessened by his
promotion to the rank of brigadier-general. But he prayed for active
service, still trying to secure a staff appointment in Portugal, and
awaited the result of his brother Savery's efforts, hoping he might yet
be ordered to join "the best disciplined army that ever left England."
"Your Excellency," he said to the Governor-General, "I _must_ see active
service, or had much better quit the army, for I can look for no
advantage if I remain buried in inaction in this remote corner of the
earth, without the least mention ever likely being made of me."
Unsuspected by our hero, fate in his case was only "marking time."
Day after day Brock saw British ships weigh anchor at Quebec with
Canadian timber for the building of English vessels of war. The
importance of these Canadian provinces to Great Britain awoke in him
dreams of a federation of all the colonies. Cargoes of timber, that
would require more than 400 vessels to transport, were then lying on the
beaches of the St. Lawrence. "Bonaparte," he wrote, "coveted these vast
colonial areas, and desired to repossess them."
Brock's mind was busy trying to solve these problems. "A small French
force of 5,000 men," he told the Governor, "could most assuredly conquer
the Province of Quebec. In the event of French invasion, would the
volatile Lower Canadian people, in spite of all their privileges, remain
loyal?" A certain class of _habitant_ argued that Napoleon, who was sure
to conquer Europe, would of course seize the Canadas, encouraged by the
United States. "Would Englishmen," asked Brock, "if positions were
reversed, be any more impatient to escape from possible British rule
than were French Canadians from the possible rule of France?"
"Blood, my good FitzGibbon," he declared to his _protégé_, "is thicker
than water. You cannot expect to get men to change their nature, or the
traditions of their race, through an act of parliament at twenty-four
hours' notice. Old thoughts and habits die hard."
Though Brock's perceptive faculties were well developed, his forecasts,
built upon the evidences of opposition among certain Lower Canadians,
happily proved only in part correct. Later, when his plan of campaign
was menaced by still greater disaffection in Upper Canada, he found he
had not reckoned on the influence of his own example, which, added to
his power of purpose, "disconcerted the disloyal." In proof of this fact
Detroit and Queenston Heights were splendid examples.
It was this spirit of unrest among the people of Quebec that moved Sir
James Craig to keep Brock within easy reach until the growing discord in
Upper Canada called for the presence of a man of tact and resolution,
one to whom all things seemed possible--and Brock knew no such word as
"impossible." On one occasion the "faithful sergeant-major" had ventured
to declare that a certain order was "impossible." "'Impossible!'"
repeated Brock, "nothing should be 'impossible' to a soldier. The word
'impossible' must not be found in a soldier's vocabulary."