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

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

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CHAPTER IV.1667-1672.FRANCE TAKES POSSESSION OF THE WEST.Talon. — Saint-Lusson. — Perrot. — The Ceremony at Saut SteMarie. — The Speech <strong>of</strong> Allouez. — Count Frontenac.Jean Talon, intendant <strong>of</strong> Canada, was full <strong>of</strong>projects for <strong>the</strong> good <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> colony. On <strong>the</strong> oneh<strong>and</strong>, he set himself to <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> its industries,<strong>and</strong>, on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r, to <strong>the</strong> extension <strong>of</strong> itsdomain. He meant to occupy <strong>the</strong> interior <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>continent, control <strong>the</strong> rivers, which were its onlyhighways, <strong>and</strong> hold it for France against every o<strong>the</strong>rnation. On <strong>the</strong> east, Engl<strong>and</strong> was to be hemmedwithin a narrow strip <strong>of</strong> seaboard; while, on <strong>the</strong>south, Talon aimed at securing a port on <strong>the</strong> Gulf <strong>of</strong>Mexico, to keep <strong>the</strong> Spaniards in check, <strong>and</strong> disputewith <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong> possession <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> vast regions which<strong>the</strong>y claimed as <strong>the</strong>ir own. But <strong>the</strong> interior <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>continent was still an unknown world.him to explore it;It behooved<strong>and</strong> to that end he availed himself<strong>of</strong> Jesuits, <strong>of</strong>ficers, fur-traders, <strong>and</strong> enterprisingschemers like <strong>La</strong> <strong>Salle</strong>. His efforts at <strong>discovery</strong>seem to have been conducted with a singular economy

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