La Salle and the discovery of the great West - North Central ...

i673.] PROJECTS OF FRONTEtfAC. 85support of its authorities he could do nothing. Thissupport he found. From the moment when CountFrontenac assumed the government ofthe colony, heseems to have looked with favor on the youngdiscoverer. There were points of likeness betweenthe two men. Both were ardent, bold, and enterprising.The irascible and fiery pride of the noble foundits match in the reserved and seemingly cold pride ofthe ambitious burgher.Each could comprehend theother; and they had, moreover, strong prejudicesand dislikes in common. An understanding, not tosay an alliance,soon grew up between them.Frontenac had come to Canada a ruined man.Hewas ostentatious, lavish, and in no way disposed tolet slip an opportunity of mending his fortune. Hepresently thought that he had found a plan by whichhe could serve both the colony and himself. Hispredecessor, Courcelle, had urged upon the Kingthe expediency of building a fort on Lake Ontario, inorder to hold the Iroquois in check and intercept thetrade which the tribes of the Upper Lakes had beguuto carry on with the Dutch and English of NewYork. Thus a stream of wealth would be turnedinto Canada, which would otherwise enrich her enemies.Here, to all appearance, was a great publicgood, and from the military point ofin fact ;view it was sobut it was clear that the trade thus securedmight be made to profit,not the colony at large, butthose alone who had control of the fort,which wouldthen become the instrument of a monopoly. This