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

126 THE GRAND ENTERPRISE [1678.memorial had asked.It authorizes La Salle to buildand own, not two forts only, but as many as he maysee fit, provided that he do so within five years ; andit gives him, besides, the monopoly of buffalo-hides,for which at first he had not petitioned. Nothing issaid of colonies. To discover the country, secure itby forts, and find, if possible, a way to Mexico, are"the only object set forth ; for Louis XIV. always discountenancedsettlement in the West, partly as tendingto deplete Canada, and partly as removing hissubjects too far from his paternal control. It wasbut the year before that he refused to Louis Jolietthe permission to plant a trading station in the Valleyof the Mississippi. 1 La Salle, however, still held tohis plan of a commercial and industrial colony, andin connection with it to another purpose, of whichhis memorial had made no mention. This was thebuilding of a vessel on some branch of the Mississippi,in order to sail down that river to its mouth,and open a route tocommerce through the Gulf ofMexico. It is evident that this design was alreadyformed; for he had no sooner received his patent,than he engaged ship-carpenters, and procured iron,cordage, and anchors, not for one vessel, but fortwo.What he now most needed was money; and havingnone of his own, he set himself to raising it fromothers. A notary named Simonnet lent him fourthousand livres; an advocate named Raoul, twentyiColbert a Duchesneau, 28 Avril, 1677.