Produced by Al Haines (This file was produced from images obtained from The Internet Archive) PATHFINDERS OF THE GREAT PLAINS A Chronicle of La Vérendrye and his Sons BY LAWRENCE J. BURPEE TORONTO GLASGOW, BROOK & COMPANY 1914 Copyright in all Countries subscribing to the Berne Convention {ix} CONTENTS Page I. EARLY SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 II. FIRST ATTEMPT AT EXPLORATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 III. ACROSS THE PLAINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 IV. THE MANDAN INDIANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 V. THE DISCOVERY OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS . . . . . . . . . . 72 VI. LA VÉRENDRYES' LATTER DAYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 ILLUSTRATIONS LA VÉRENDRYE EXPLORATIONS, 1731-43 . . . . . . . . . _Facing page_ 1 Map by Bartholomew. AN INDIAN ENCAMPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 48 Painting by Paul Kane. AN ASSINIBOINE INDIAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 52 From a pastel by Edmund Morris. MANDAN GIRLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 68 From Pritchard's 'Natural History of Man.' TABLET DEPOSITED BY LA VÉRENDRYE, 1743 . . . . . . . " " 90 From photographs lent by Charles N. Bell, F.R.G.S., President of the Manitoba Historical and Scientific Society. THE MARQUIS DE LA GALISSONIÈRE . . . . . . . . . . . " " 96 From an engraving in the Château de Ramezay. [Illustration: La Vérendrye Explorations, 1731-43] {1} CHAPTER I EARLY SERVICE Canada has had many brave sons, but none braver than Pierre Gaultier de La Vérendrye, who gave all that he had, including his life, for the glory and welfare of his country. La Vérendrye was born in the quaint little town of Three Rivers, on the St Lawrence, on November 17, 1685. His father was governor of the district of which Three Rivers was the capital; his mother was a daughter of Pierre Boucher, a former governor of the same district. In those days, when Canada was still a French colony, both Three Rivers and Montreal had their own governors, while the whole colony was under the authority of the governor-general, who lived at Quebec.