Читать книгу Canada and its Provinces - Various - Страница 16

Near the mouth of the Richelieu River, Champlain again found his allies in 1610, and joined them in an attack upon a hastily constructed Iroquois fort. So complete was his victory that not an enemy escaped. A second time he had cemented with blood the treaty made with the Algonquin fur traders at Tadoussac.

Before returning to Quebec, Champlain effected an exchange of hostages with his allies. A young Huron, whom the French named Savignon, accompanied Champlain to France, while Iroquet, an Algonquin chief, carried back with him up the Ottawa a French youth, Étienne Brûlé, a survivor of the terrible winter at Quebec, who was destined to be the discoverer of a vast territory extending from Lake Superior to Chesapeake Bay. Brûlé was instructed to keep eyes and ears open, and to report to Champlain as to the Great Lakes, the whole upper country, the inhabitants, minerals and everything worthy of note. Brûlé was kindly treated, and when the natives met Champlain and Savignon again below the Grand Sault (Sault St Louis or Lachine Rapids) in the following summer, he appeared arrayed in Huron fashion, and speaking the native dialect fluently. The Indians had given him interesting information. Four of them were present to assure the explorer that they had been to a sea far beyond their country, but the route lay through a region difficult to traverse, and dangerous by reason of warring tribes. The Hurons confirmed the alliance by the usual feast. Three young Frenchmen on this occasion accompanied the savages on their return up the Ottawa, for the purpose of learning their languages and acquiring further information. One of these was Nicolas Vignau, of whom we shall hear again. Champlain promised to return in 1612 and to aid his allies in a long-meditated invasion of Iroquois territory. But his main interest was in the discovery of the Western Sea.