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

;1680-83.] CHARGES AGAINST LA SALLE. 329the western tribes against them; the western tribeswere told that he was betraying them to the Iroquoishis proceedings were denounced to the court; andcontinual efforts were made to alienate his associates.They, on their part, sore as they were from disappointmentand loss, were in a mood to listen to theaspersions cast upon him; and they pestered himwith letters, asking questions, demanding explanations,and dunning him for money. It is through hisanswers that we are best able to judge him ; and attimes, by those touches of nature which make thewhole world kin, they teach us to know him and tofeel for him.The main chargesagainst him were that he was acrack-brained schemer, that he was harsh to his men,that he traded where he had no right to trade, andthat his discoveries were nothing but a pretence formaking money. No accusations appear that touchhis integrity or his honor.It was hard to convince those who were alwayslosing by him. A remittance of good dividendswould have been his best answer, and would havemade any other answer needless; but, instead ofbills of exchange, he had nothing to give but excusesand explanations. In the autumn of 1680, he wroteto an associate who had demanded thelong-deferredprofits: "I have had many misfortunes in the lasttwo years. In the autumn of '78, I lost a vessel bythe fault of the pilot; in the next summer, thedeserters I told you about robbed me of eight or ten