to be experienced in these regions, he conducted a series of explorations in the Far West. The knowledge of geography was not very great in those days. There was still a prevalent idea that the great southern sea or the west could be reached by means of some river or waterway running through the continent. Long after Champlain's theory about the St. Lawrence was proved to be wholly inaccurate, other explorers had the same idea about the Ohio and Mississippi, and at one time the Chicahominy in Virginia was guessed to be this western river. Some again thought that America and Asia would be found to be really one vast continent.

(11) On May 19, 1731, Verendrye set out on his adventurous journey, and the following is the description given :

'With father Messager, a Jesuit missionary, he left Michillimakinac, and on August 26 he was ready to cross the Grand Portage, at a point forty-five miles further along the coast than the present site of Fort William on the Kaministiquia. From this point he was to adventure himself in a region perfectly unknown to Europeans. His goal was Lake Winnipeg [Ouinipigon]. This was the destination named by the Indian guide, and to this point he was bound in his agreement with the Governor to go, but whether it was a hundred or a thousand leagues distant, no one could tell. The traveller, who in late years has passed over the Dawson route, can have no difficulty in following the pioneer who opened the way-a way of some 450 miles of canoe route and portage. In the second year of Verendrye's journey (1732), the Lake of the Woods was crossed, bearing then the Indian name Lake Minitie, and receiving the French name Des Bois. On its shores, in honour of their patron Beauharnois, Fort St. Charles was erected.

...

Now, leaving what is known as the Dawson

route, they followed the line taken by the Red River expedition, under Colonel Wolseley, in 1870, and descended from the Lake of the Woods the difficult but picturesque river Winnipeg, calling it after the French Minister Maurepas, until they reached Winnipeg-the "Ultima Thule" even of Indian hearsay. And now the Rocky region that we have learned in later years to call the Laurentian-extending through from Labrador to Lake Winnipeg ceases, and the explorers ascend from Lake Winnipeg the Red River at a point where to-day stands the city of Winnipeg. With what a look of wonder would the daring Frenchman now gaze upon the city of Winnipeg, with its smoking manufactories and lofty church steeples! The Assiniboine he named St. Charles after the Governor, and to a branch of this river, the Souris, he gave the name of St. Pierre, the favourite location of new settlers arriving in the northwest1.'

(12) Verendrye and his sons did an immense deal of exploring in the north-west. One of these sons was surprised and murdered by the Sioux. Their greatest exploit was the discovery of the Rocky Mountains in 1742-3, sixty years before the expedition of the Americans Clarke and Lewis. The Verendryes explored not only the sources of the Missouri, but the region further north in the valley of the Saskatchewan. The furthest point reached was Bourbon. They also gave a name to the Forks up the river, calling it Poskoiac. An immense region was thus opened up, and fur traders and explorers followed quickly in their wake. Beyond the Saskatchewan the Athabasca was discovered flowing from the Rocky Mountains into a lake bearing its name; and further north the Peace or Unjigah river-described afterwards

1

1882.

Bryce. Manitoba: its infancy, growth, and present condition,

in Sir W. Butler's 'Wild North Land' as rising on the west side of the Rockies, and rushing eastwards through an immense gorge. At the junction of the Athabasca and Peace rivers Fort Chippewyan was erected, holding a natural vantage-ground for further discoveries to the Arctic Sea and to the Pacific Ocean. About the same time further explorations of the Hudson's Bay littoral were carried on by the English. In 1741 Captain Christopher Middleton, with His Majesty's ships Furnace and Discovery, sailed from England for Churchill River in Hudson's Bay, with a view of discovering a passage from this bay to the South Sea direct. He named Cape Dobbs, latitude 65° 10' N. and longitude 86° 06′ W., and the river Wager after Sir Charles Wager, first Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty. His extreme point was reached on Sunday, August 8, 1742, in latitude 65° 41', longitude 85° 22'. In his log the explorer writes: "We saw very high land fifteen or twenty leagues to the southward of our station, which I take to run towards Cape Comfort, being the furthest that Bylot went; and the bay which Fox named Lord Weston's Portland, in part of Hudson's North Bay, about north-west from the west end of Nottingham, by comparing our longitude made with Fox's and Bylot's. As this last-mentioned bay and strait is quite full of ice not likely to be thawed this year, at least till very late, so as to allow time for a discovery, it was resolved in council to make the best of our way into Hudson's Bay homewards'.'

These explorations were scarcely within the Arctic Circle, and were confined entirely to the north-west extremity of Hudson's Bay.

1 The Geography of Hudson's Bay; by Captain W. Coats.

CHAPTER XII.

Montcalm and Wolfe (1758-1763).

(1) IN Europe the Great Powers were entering upon that long and fierce struggle known as 'The Seven Years' War.' William Pitt in 1758 was at the head of the Government, called there by the popular voice. He entertained magnificent ideas of England's position not only in Europe, but in the world. In America, Pitt was determined to win and to carry on the colonisation of the continent under the auspices of Protestantism, rather than that of France leagued with the Roman Catholics. Pitt pursued a popular policy with the colonists, and rejecting the coercive policy of his predecessors invited the willing co-operation of all. England was to provide arms, ammunition and tents, the colonists were to levy, pay and clothe the men. Montcalm wrote in 1758 in a despondent frame of mind, 'New France needs peace, or sooner or later it must fall; such are the numbers of the English, such the difficulty of our receiving supplies.'

(2) At first, however, victory declared itself for the French. Montcalm destroyed Oswego on the south of Lake Ontario, and Fort William Henry on Lake George. In his expeditions he was assisted by Indians, who committed atrocious cruelties. Lord Loudon and Admiral Holborne, who came over with a large force from England to attack Louisburg, ignominiously failed, and the French still held the entrance to the St. Lawrence. But the campaign in North America was soon taken up in earnest. Three expeditions were set on foot.

Amherst and Wolfe were to join the fleet under Admiral Boscawen, for the second siege of Louisburg; the conquest of Ohio was entrusted to Forbes, and Abercrombie and Howe were to attack Ticonderoga and Crown Point. (3) In June, 1758, Amherst invested Louisburg, which had again passed into the hands of the French by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748). The smaller works were soon carried, and the British cannon brought to bear upon the defences; the French ships in the port were taken and burnt, and in a month's time the capture of Louisburg was complete. Halifax being England's naval station, Louisburg was left in ruins, and all signs of this bulwark of France on the coast disappeared entirely. With this fort fell Cape Breton Island and Prince Edward Island. The garrison of 5637 became prisoners of war, and were sent to England.

(4) The next point was Lake George. Here there were gathered 9000 colonists from New England, New York, and New Jersey, and 6300 regulars. This was the largest army that had yet been assembled on American soil. Unfortunately this expedition miscarried. The gallant young Lord Howe was killed, and the command devolved upon the incompetent Abercrombie. After a great deal of costly fighting the British withdrew, leaving 2000 dead. Montcalm had proved his skill as a general, fighting against great odds, and still held Ticonderoga. But the French lost Forts Frontenac and Du Quesne, two most important posts. Bradstreet at the head of 2700 men, all Americans, crossed Lake Ontario, and landing within a mile of Fort Frontenac, took it and destroyed the military stores and vessels they found there. Forbes, with Washington at the head of 1900 Virginians, penetrated to the Ohio Valley, and the English flag was soon waving over Fort Du Quesne, whence the disheartened French garrison of about 500 had fled at the