A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

1728.] VARENNES DE LA VlfiRENDRYE. 9sustain the dignity of his office. His wife becamethe mother of numerous offspring, among whom wasPierre, born in 1685, — an active and hardy youth,who, like the rest of the poor but vigorous Canadiannoblesse^ seemed born for the forest and the fur-trade.When, however, the War of the Spanish Successionbroke out, the young man crossed the sea, obtainedthe commission of lieutenant, and was nearly killedat the battle of Malplaquet, where he was shotthrough the body, received six sabre-cuts, and wasleft for dead on the field. He recovered, and returnedto Canada, when, finding his services slighted, heagain took to the woods. He had assumed thedesignation of La V^rendrye, and thenceforth hisfull name was Pierre Gaultier de Varennes de laVdrendrye.^In 1728, he was in command of a small post onLake Nipigon, north of Lake Superior. Here anIndian chief from the river Kaministiguia told himof a certain great lake which discharged itself by ariver flowing westward. The Indian further declaredthat he had descended this river till he reached waterthat ebbed and flowed, and, terrified by the strangephenomenon, had turned back, though not till he hadheard of a great salt lake, bordered with many villages.Other Indians confirmed and improved thestory. "These people," said La V^rendrye to the1 M. Benjamin Suite has traced out the family history of theVarennes in the parish registers of Three Eivers and other trustworthysources. See Revue Canadienne, x. 781, 849, 935.