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

1743-1750.] JEALOUSY OF RIVALS. 35great relief of their father, who was waiting in suspense,having heard nothing ofyear.them for more than aSixty-two years later, when the vast westernregions then calledthe United States,Louisiana had just been ceded toCaptains Lewis and Clark left theMandan villages with thirty-two men, traced theMissouri to the mountains, penetrated the wastesbeyond, and made their way to the Pacific. Thefirst stages ofthat remarkable exploration were anticipatedby the brothers La V^rendrye. They did notfind the Pacific, but they discovered the RockyMountains, or at least the part of them to which thename properly belongs ; for the southern continuationof the great range had long been known to theSpaniards.Their bold adventure was achieved, notat the charge of a government, but at their own costand that oftheir father, — not with a band of wellequippedmen, but with only two followers.The fur-trading privilege which was to have beentheir compensation had proved their ruin. Theywere still pursued without ceasing by the jealousy ofrival traders and the ire of disappointed partners."Here in Canada more than anywhere else," theChevalier wrote, some years after his return, " envyis the passion tt la mode^ and there is no escaping it." ^It was the story of La Salle repeated. Beauharnois,however, still stood by them, encouraged and defendedthem, and wrote in their favor to the colonial minis-1 Le Chevalier de la Verendrye au Ministre, 30 Septemhre, 1750.