One morning early in the year 1684, Robert Cavalier, Sieur de la Salle, a gentleman in the King’s service, stood waiting in an antechamber of the royal palace at Versailles (Ver-sālz′). Behind the closed door, which was guarded by two of the King’s Musketeers in their showy uniforms, his Majesty1 Louis the Fourteenth was giving a private audience to the Count de Frontenac. This gentleman, late the governor of New France (Canada), was the friend and adviser2 of The Adventurer, as La Salle had been mockingly nicknamed by the idlers of the French court.
2
La Salle, who was headstrong and somewhat overbearing in character, more used, moreover, to command than to obey, frowned as he walked up and down the room, and glanced impatiently from time to time towards the king’s cabinet, where his fate hung in the balance. Months had passed since he had arrived in France from North America, with a great scheme already planned, and lacking only the consent of the king and his ministers. He had danced attendance at court until he was weary, rugged3 soldier that he was; now filled with hope when the ministers plied4 him with false promises, now sunk in despair when his enemies placed obstacles in his way. “Would I were back in the wilds of America, with Tonti of the Iron Hand and my red brothers,” he muttered, downcast and discouraged.
But at length the door opened, the tapestry5 was pushed aside, and Frontenac appeared. His eyes beamed with satisfaction. “Your application is granted,” he said, pressing La Salle’s hand. “His Majesty commissions you to plant a colony at the mouth of the great river where you have already raised the flag of France. Go, my friend; thank his gracious Majesty, and then hasten your preparations for departure.”
La Salle.
La Salle lost no time in obeying these directions. His heart throbbed6 with pride and satisfied ambition. For this was his dream: to colonize7 the beautiful wilderness8 watered by the lower Mississippi; to found a city on the banks of the mighty9 stream whose mouth it had been his good fortune to discover.
But this dream was never to be realized by him. It was the destiny of La Salle not to colonize Louisiana, but to become the discoverer of Texas.
After much trouble La Salle succeeded in perfecting the arrangements for his voyage. His little fleet was composed of four vessels11: the Aimable (ā-mah′-bl), the Joli (Zho-leé), the Belle12, and the St. Francis. In these embarked13 over three hundred souls, including women, workmen, priests, and soldiers.
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They sailed from Rochelle, France, on the 24th of July, 1684. The passage across the Atlantic was tedious and stormy; it was embittered14 by constant quarrels between La Salle and Beaujeu (Bo-zhuh′), the naval15 commandant of the squadron; and the fleet was crippled by the loss of the St. Francis, the store-ship, which was captured by the Spaniards. But toward the end of September the remaining vessels, in tolerable condition, entered the Gulf16 of Mexico. Here La Salle began a sharp lookout17 for the wide mouth of the river he aimed to enter.
He was full of confidence in himself, for he had spent years of his life tracking the savage18 wilderness of the north with his Indian guides, and he had the keen eye and the ready memory of the practiced scout19.
But he had no exact chart of the pathless and unknown waters around him; the calculation of the experienced landsman stood him in little stead at sea. He lost his way, and sailing to the westward20 of the river known to us as the Mississippi,—but called by La Salle the St. Louis,—he came, on the 1st of January, 1685, in sight of the low-lying shores of Texas.
The Flag of France.
Some weeks later, the fleet anchored in the Gulf outside the beautiful land-locked bay of San Bernard (now Matagorda Bay); and La Salle, flag in hand, and attended by soldiers and priests, set foot on the new land, taking formal possession of it in the name of the King of France.
4
To the colonists21, so long confined within the small ships and overwearied by the monotony of the voyage, it was a joy simply to feast their eyes on the green of the trees that lined the shore, and to breathe the fresh air that blew down, flower-scented, from the far western prairies. They longed to run like children on the sandy beach, to feel under their feet the firm turf. But La Salle’s experience among the Indians had taught him caution. He took the utmost care in landing his colonists, and in forming his temporary camps. Two temporary camps were established, one on Matagorda Island, where the lighthouse now stands; the other on the mainland, near the present site of Indianola.
His own heart, meantime, was heavy. He had missed his coveted22 and beloved river, though he still believed that the San Bernard Bay might be one of its mouths. The Aimable, in attempting to enter the harbor, had grounded upon a sandbank and gone to pieces. The Indians, who had swarmed23 to the coast in great numbers to greet the pale-faced strangers, had already become troublesome. They had, indeed, murdered two of the colonists, named Ory and Desloges. This was the first European blood shed upon Texas soil. The stock of provisions was running low, and finally, to crown all, Beaujeu, from the beginning hostile to La Salle, had hoisted24 sail, with scant25 warning, and returned to France, leaving the eight cannons27 and the powder belonging to the expedition, but carrying away with him all the cannon26 balls.
5
A less sturdy spirit might have been wholly disheartened; but La Salle, whatever he felt, gave no signs of weakness. He explored the country round about, and at the end of a short time he marked out the foundation of a fort beside a small stream which empties into the bay. He called the river Les Vaches (Cow River[1]), from the number of buffaloes29 which grazed along the banks. The spot[2] chosen for the site of the fort was a delightful30 one; the rolling prairies which stretched away northward31 were covered with rich grass and studded with belts of noble timber; southward lay the grey and misty32 line of the bay; birds of gay plumage sang in shadow of the grapevines that trailed from overhanging trees to the water’s edge; the clear stream reflected the blue and cloudless sky of southern Texas. Here the colonists set to work. La Salle with his own hands aided in hewing33 and laying the heavy beams of wall and of blockhouse. The curious savages34, tall Lipans and scowling35 Carankawaes, hung about the place, peering forward with jealous eyes, and picking off the unwary workmen with their deadly arrows. But a day came at last when the little fortress36, with its chapel37, lodgings38, and guardhouse, was completed. Amid the cheers of the colonists the flag of France loosened its folds to the wind; a hymn39 of thanksgiving and praise arose from the chapel; and La Salle, giving to the fort the name of St. Louis, dedicated40 it to France in the name of the King.
Several expeditions followed, in 1685 and 1686, the building of Fort St. Louis. La Salle not only cherished the hope of finding his lost river; he was lured41 northwestward by rumors42 obtained from the Cenis, the Nassonites, and other friendly Indians, of rich silver mines in the interior. He wished also to communicate, if possible, with his old friend, the Chevalier Tonti of the Iron Hand, whom he had left with a colony on the Illinois River. Tonti, having lost a hand in battle, used one made of iron; hence his title.
These journeys were both painful and perilous43; the footsore explorers were obliged to swim swollen44 rivers; they traversed dangerous swamps and unknown forests; they encountered and fought with hostile Indians; they suffered the pangs45 of hunger and thirst; they were shaken with chills and parched46 with fever. It is marvelous, indeed, that a spark of courage should have remained in their hearts.
6
On returning to the fort after one of these expeditions, during which the commandant had lain for months helpless with fever in the lodge47 of a Cenis chief, he found matters there in a bad way. The last remaining vessel10, the Belle, had been wrecked48 on a shoal in the bay. Food was scarce; ammunition49 was almost exhausted50; and between death from sickness and losses in Indian skirmishes, the inmates51 were reduced to less than forty persons.
La Salle’s Map of Texas.
Despite all this, however, as the wayworn explorers drew near the walls, their ears were greeted with sounds of mirth and revelry. The Sieur Barbier and “one of the maidens”—as the chronicler relates—had just been married in the little chapel. The wedding party welcomed their chief with joyous52 shouts. We can well imagine how, removing his worn cap, he saluted53 the youthful pair with a stately bow. And the same evening, when the colonists gathered in the log-built hall of the commandant’s own quarters to make merry over the first European wedding on Texas soil, with what courtly grace did the Sieur de la Salle tread a measure with the blushing bride!
7
This was in October, 1686. On the 12th of January the following year, La Salle appeared in the open square of the Fort, dressed in his faded red uniform and equipped for traveling. His people pressed around him, listening with anxious hearts to his farewell words. For he was about starting once more across vast and unknown regions in search of Tonti—and help.
One by one he called to his side those whom he had chosen to accompany him. They numbered twenty—exactly half of the remnant of his colony. Among them were two of his own nephews and his brother, Cavalier; the faithful priest, Father Anastase; Joutel, the young historian of the colony; Liotot (Lee-o-to); L’Archevêque (Larsh-vāke′); Duhaut (Du-ho′); and Nika (Nee-ka), an Indian hunter who had followed La Salle to France from Canada.
Sieur Barbier was placed in command of the garrison54; and, after an affectionate farewell, La Salle passed through the gate, which he was never to enter again, and plunged55 a last time into the forest.
Two months later, near the crossing of the Neches River, Moragnet (Mo-r?-nyā), La Salle’s nephew, who had been for some time on bad terms with L’Archevêque and Duhaut, was murdered by them while he was sleeping. Nika, who was with the party (which had been sent out after fresh buffalo28 meat), was killed at the same time. The murderers, fearful of La Salle’s just vengeance56, determined57 to take his life also. They placed themselves in ambush58; L’Archevêque, who was only sixteen years old, was detailed59 to lead their chief into the trap.
When La Salle appeared, in search of his nephew, he was fired upon and instantly killed (March 16, 1687).
Thus perished, by treacherous60 hands, the gallant61 and stout-hearted La Salle—the soldier, explorer, and dreamer. He was buried in the lonely spot where he fell. Father Anastase scooped62 out a shallow grave for his friend and benefactor63, and pressed the grassy64 turf upon his breast. And so, within the borders of Texas—though the exact spot is unknown—repose the mortal remains65 of its discoverer.
8
Joutel with several of the band succeeded after many adventures in reaching one of Tonti’s settlements on the Arkansas River. Thence they made their way to Canada.
The assassins and their followers66 remained with the Indians, where, one after another, they nearly all met the same bloody67 and violent death they had meted68 out to their victims.
Five years later L’Archevêque with one companion was recaptured by the Spaniards from the savages and sent to Madrid.[3]
Tonti of the Iron Hand had waited long and anxiously for news of his friend. In 1684 he had gone in a canoe down the Mississippi to its mouth to meet the expedition from France. The expedition did not appear, and he returned to his post on the upper Mississippi. He questioned the Indian runners from the south and west as they passed his camp on their hunting raids. He could learn nothing of La Salle or his companions. That intrepid69 captain seemed to have vanished into the unknown west. At last, in 1689, he journeyed southward again in quest of his friend. Vague rumors reached him of men who had passed through his own forts and tarried to tell the story of La Salle’s death. But he would not believe them. He entered Texas and traveled as far as the wigwams of the friendly Cenis. From them he learned the fate of the man he loved; and the rugged soldier turned aside his head and wept.
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1
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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3
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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5
tapestry
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| n.挂毯，丰富多采的画面 | |
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throbbed
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| 抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动 | |
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colonize
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| v.建立殖民地，拓殖；定居，居于 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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12
belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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14
embittered
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| v.使怨恨，激怒( embitter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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17
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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18
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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21
colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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22
coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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23
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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24
hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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26
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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cannons
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| n.加农炮，大炮，火炮( cannon的名词复数 ) | |
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28
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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buffaloes
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| n.水牛（分非洲水牛和亚洲水牛两种）( buffalo的名词复数 )；（南非或北美的）野牛；威胁；恐吓 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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32
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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33
hewing
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| v.（用斧、刀等）砍、劈( hew的现在分词 )；砍成；劈出；开辟 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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35
scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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36
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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37
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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38
lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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39
hymn
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
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40
dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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41
lured
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| 吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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42
rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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43
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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44
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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45
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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47
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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48
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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49
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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50
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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51
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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52
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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53
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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54
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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55
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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56
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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57
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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58
ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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60
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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61
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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62
scooped
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| v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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63
benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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64
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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65
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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66
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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67
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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68
meted
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| v.（对某人）施以，给予（处罚等）( mete的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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intrepid
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| adj.无畏的，刚毅的 | |
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