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

100 LA SALLE AND FRONTENAC. [1674.received at Court; and he made two petitions to theKing,— the one for a patent of nobility, in considerationof hisservices as an explorer; and the other fora grant in seigniory of Fort Frontenac, for so hecalled the new post, in honor of his patron. On hispart, he offered to pay back the ten thousand francswhich the fort had cost the King; to maintain it athis own charge, with a garrison equal to that ofMontreal, besides fifteen or twenty laborers ; to forma French colony around it ; to build a church, wheneverthe number of inhabitants should reach onehundred; and, meanwhile, to support one or moreRexollet friars; and, finally, to form a settlementof domesticated Indians in the neighborhood. Hisoffers were accepted. He was raised to the rank ofthe untitled nobles ; received a grant of the fort andlands adjacent, to the extent offour leagues in frontand half a league in depth, besides the neighboringislands; and was invested with the government ofthe fort and settlement, subject to the orders of thegovernor-general. 1who is about to go to France, and who is a man of intelligence andability, more capable than anybody else I know here to accomplishevery kind of enterprise and discovery which may be intrusted tohim, as he has the most perfect knowledge of the state of the country,as you will see, if you are disposed to give him a few momentsof audience."1 Memoire pour Ventretien du Fort Frontenac, par le S r -de la Salle,1674. Petition du S r -dela Salle au Roi. Lettres patentes de concession,du Fort de Frontenac et terres adjacentes au profit du S r -de laSalh ; donnees a Compiegne le 13 Mai, 1675. Arret qui accepte les«ffres faites par Robert Cavelier S r -de la Salle ; a Compiegne le 13