Before the expedition was ready to sail, Col. Nicholson had conquered the whole of Acadia, including Port Royal its, capital; or perhaps more properly speaking, one hundred and fifty-six famished Frenchmen, on his approach, marched out with the honors of war, to beg food as alms. Flushed with victory, he repaired immediately to England, to urge forward the expedition against Canada. At the same time, Col. Schuyler from Albany, accompanied by five Iroquois sachems, repaired to England. The Indians, dressed in English small-clothes of black, with scarlet cloth mantles, edged with gold, for blankets, were conducted in coaches in great state to the royal palace, and had an audience with the queen, (Ann,) and giving her belts of wampum, avowed their readiness to take up the hatchet, and aid in the reduction of Canada.* At that time, St. John, (afterward Lord Bolingbroke, the "greatest young man of his day," was secretary of state. He was "the best orator in the House of Commons ;" and Parliament seemed, as it were, moved at his bidding. St. John, in 1710, planned the conquest of Canada; and in June, 1711, wrote, "As the whole design," said he, "was formed by me, and the management of it singly carried on by me, I have a sort of paternal concern for the success of it." The fleet consisted of fifteen ships of war, and forty transports; the whole was commanded by Sir Hoveden Walker. Seven veteran regiments from Marlborough's army, with a battalion of marines, commanded by Mrs. Masham's brother, called honest Jack Hill by his bottle-companions, accompanied the expedition. In its preparation, the public treasury, we are told, was defrauded for the benefit of favorites. On the 25th of June, 1711, the fleet arrived in Boston, where they were to take in supplies and colonial forces. An army from Connecticut, New-York, and New-Jersey, and about six hundred Iroquois warriors, assembled at Albany, preparatory to an attack on Montreal. The English, through the Iroquois, had also formed an alliance with the Foxes of Wisconsin, who were desirous of expelling the French from their territory. News of the intended expedition soon reached Quebec, and means for its protection were immediately adopted. A renewal of treaties with the Western Indians, through the influence of Jesuit missionaries, was at once effected. Their influence was never so apparent before. A war festival was held at Montreal, and seven or eight hundred warriors attended. Delegates from the Far West, from the Hurons, one branch of the Sacs, the Pottawatomies, the Illinois, and the Miamies, were present. The war-song was sung, and the hatchet uplifted. Some of the western tribes hesitating for a moment, twenty Huron chiefs took up the hatchet, and marching through the ranks, the rest all followed. Vaudrieul, the governor, descending from thence to Quebec, strengthened its fortifica. tions, and the women assisted-all watched the approach of the fleet. September came and passed, and no enemy could be seen. * An amusing account of this interview is given in one of the numbers of the Spectator The English squadron left Boston on the 30th of July, and loitering along the Bay of Gaspe, at length began to ascend the St. Lawrence. Such an armanent had never before floated on its waters. Sir Hoveden Walker, in the meantime, anticipating the surrender of Quebec as a thing of course, puzzled himself how he should secure his vessels during the winter. Fearing that "the ice in the river freezing to the bottom, would bilge them," he could think of no other way, than "to secure them on the dry ground in frames and cradles, till the thaw ;" when ascending the river, which was "a hundred fathoms deep," and which he supposed would "freeze to the bottom," he was overtaken on the 22nd of August, by a thick fog and an easterly breeze. The pilot advised that the fleet should lie to. They did so. Notwithstanding this, however, the vessels drifted in a direction to the northern shore. Just as the admiral was going to bed, the captain of his ship entered his cabin, and told him that land was ahead. Without going on deck, the admiral wantonly directed the ships to head to the north. There was, fortunately, on the quarter-deck a man of sense, one Goddard, a captain in the land service; he rushed immediately into his cabin, and implored him, at least, to come on deck; but the self-willed, inconsiderate commander, laughed at his fears, and refused. Goddard, a second time returned: "For God's sake," said he, "come on deck, or we shall be lost; I see breakers all around." "Putting on my gown and slippers," wrote Walker, afterward, "and coming upon deck, I found what he told me was true." Walker, however, at the same time said, "I see no land to the leeward." The moon, however, breaking at this moment through the mist, "gave him the lie." The fleet was among the Egg Islands, close upon the When shore. They immediately made sail for the middle of the river. the morning dawned, it was discovered that eight vessels had been wrecked, and eight hundred and eighty-four men had been drowned. A council of war being summoned immediately, it was unanimously voted that they would not proceed. Thus terminated an expedition, undertaken at a great expense, and under flattering circumstances, by reason of the ignorance or incompetency of its commander. Walker afterward, in speaking of this unfortunate expedition, says, "had we arrived safe at Quebec, ten or twelve thousand men must have been left to perish of cold and hunger. By the loss of a part, Providence saved all the rest." Just as though he had expected public honors for disgracing the British arms. France, driven from her outposts, was compelled, at last, to struggle for "her altars and her homes." Her aged monarch, humbled in arms, reduced in power, chagrined at the loss of provinces, and the decline of his influence, was wounded also in his affections. His children and his grandchildren, all but one feeble infant, were swept away-he only remained. Bowing to the stroke of Providence, he desired peace upon any terms. "I make a sacrifice," said he, "of what I cherished most. I forget my glory." He assented to the dethronement of his grandson. The confederates, however, demanded more. That he should assist in reducing the Spanish monarchy. This arrogant demand was rejected, and the battle of Malplaquet fought. He then agreed to surrender Alsace, and pay a million of livres per month toward expelling his grandson from the Spanish throne. The allies required him to do it himself. "If I must," said he, "have war, it shall not be with my children." Public sympathies began at last to be excited in favor of a prince, who had threatened the subjugation of Europe. He could no longer threaten England with a king, or Holland with conquest. The peace party in England increased in numbers and in power-and the debility of France became her safety. The tories became paramount in the State. Marlborough, having declared that "the enmity between England and France was irreconcilable," was dismissed, and humanity triumphed. The peace of Utretch followed in April, 1713. Louisiana and Canada were confirmed to France. The hatchet was temporarily buried, and the seeds of war scattered again broadcast throughout the globe. William III., bearing the standard of freedom, was false to the liberty of the seas. All commerce with France was prohibited, and the protest of Holland received no other reply, than "it was his will," The whig ministry of Queen Ann were the first to vindicate it. Grotius promulgated the idea; Bolingbroke fostered it; and at the treaty of Utrecht, England held that "free ships made free goods." Contraband articles were defined, and the right of blockade was limited. In those days, sailors required no special protection; their country's flag, and their God, were all that was necessary. How far England has been true to her principles, remains to be seen. Anterior to the peace of Utrecht, in 1713, the wars in Europe demanded, as we have already observed, the whole attention, and called forth the whole resources of France. The king was, therefore, obliged to withhold from Louisiana the usual supplies of men and money. Determined, however, at all events, to keep it out of the hands of his enemies, he granted it on the 14th of September, 1712, and in the seventieth year of his reign, to Anthoey Crozat. Crozat was a merchant in Paris, of great wealth, of high respectability, and had on former occasions rendered important service to the crown. His character and talents were sure pledges, that the colony would prosper in his hands. Another motive led to the concession. The provincial authorities were hostile to each other, and some energetic hand was requisite to heal the disorder. De La Motte Cadilla, the merchant proprietor and founder of Detroit, appointed royal governor of Louisiana under the grant, now admitted as a partner of Crozat, resorted thither, and took upon himself its gov ernment. The grant of Crozat being an important document, including as it did the whole valley of the Mississippi, the State of Illinois, and its territory of Wisconsin, among others, we insert it at length. LOUIS, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, KING OF FRANCE AND NAVARRE, TO ALL WHO SHALL SEE THESE PRESENT LETTERS-GREETING: The care we have had to procure the welfare and advantage of our subjects, having induced us, notwithstanding the almost continued wars which we have been obliged to support from the beginning of our reign, to seek for all possible opportunity of enlarging and extending the trade of our American colonies; we did, in the year sixteen hundred and eighty-three, give our orders to undertake a discovery of the countries and lands which are situated in the northern part of America, between New-France and NewMexico; and the Sieur de la Sale, to whom was committed that enterprise, having had success enough to confirm a belief, that a communication might be opened between NewFrance and the Gulf of Mexico, by means of large rivers; this obliged us, immediately after the peace of Ryswick, to give orders for the establishing a colony there, and maintaining a garrison, which has kept and preserved the possession we had taken, in the very year 1683, of the lands, coasts, and islands, which are situated in the Gulf of Mexico, between Carolina on the east, and Old and New-Mexico on the west. But a new war having broken out in Europe shortly after, there was no probability, till now, of reaping from that new colony, the advantages that might have been expected from thence; because the private men who were concerned in the sea trade, were all under engagements with other colonies, which they have been obliged to follow: And, whereas, upon the information we have received, concerning the disposition and situation of the said countries, known at present, by the name of the province of Louisiana, we are of opinion that there may be established therein a considerable commerce, so much the more advantageous to our kingdom, in that there has hitherto been a necessity of fetching from foreigners the greatest part of the commodities which may be brought from thence; and because, in exchange thereof, we need carry thither nothing but commodities of the growth and manufacture of our own kingdom;—we have resolved to grant the commerce of the country of Louisiana, to the Sieur Anthony Crozat, our councillor, secretary of the household, crown and revenue, to whom we intrust the execution of this project. We are the more readily inclined hereunto, because his zeal, and the singular knowledge he has acquired in maritime commerce, encourage us to hope for as good success as he has hitherto had in the divers and sundry enterprises he has gone upon, and which have procured to our kingdom great quantities of gold and silver, in such conjunctures as have rendered them very welcome to us. For these reasons, being desirous to show our favor to him, and to regulate the conditions upon which we mean to grant him the said commerce, after having deliberated this affair in our council, of our certain knowledge, full power, and royal authority: we, by these presents, signed by our hand, have appointed, and do appoint, the said Sieur Crozat, solely to carry on a trade in all the lands possessed by us, and bounded by New. Mexico, and by the lands of the English of Carolina; all the establishments, ports, havens, rivers, and principally the port and haven of the Isle Dauphine, heretofore Massacre; the river of St. Louis, heretofore called Mississippi, from the edge of the sea, as far as the Illinois; together with the river St. Phillip, heretofore called the Missouri, and of St. Jerome, heretofore called Ouabache, with all the countries, territories, lakes within land, and the rivers which fall directly, or indirectly, into that part of the river of St. Louis. THE ARTICLES. I. Our pleasure is, that all the aforesaid lands, countries, streams, rivers, and islands, be, and remain comprised, under the name of the government of Louisiana, which shall be dependent upon the general government of New-France, to which it is subordinate; and further, that all the lands which we possess from the Illinois, be united, so far as occasion requires, to the general government of New-France, and become part thereof; reserving, however, to ourselves the liberty of enlarging, as we shall think fit, the extent of the government of the said country of Louisiana. III. We permit him to search for, open, and dig all sorts of mines, veins, and min erals, throughout the whole extent of the said country of Louisiana, and to transport the profits thereof into any port of France, during the said fifteen years; and we grant in perpetuity, to him, his heirs, and others, claiming under him or them, the property of, in, and to the mines, veins, and minerals, which he shall bring to bear-paying us in lieu of all claim, the fifth part of the gold and silver, which the said Sieur Crozat shall cause to be transported to France, at his own expense, into what port he pleases, of which fifth he will run the risk of the sea and of war, and the tenth part of what effects he shall draw from the other mines, veins, and minerals; which tenth he shall transfer and convey to our magazines in the said country of Louisiana. We likewise permit him to search for precious stones and pearls, paying us the fifth part, in the same manner as is mentioned for the gold and silver. We will that the said Sieur Crozat, his heirs, or those claiming under him or them the perpetual right, shall forfeit the property of the said mines, veins, and minerals, if they discontinue the work during three years; and that, in such case, the said mines, veins, and minerals, shall be fully reunited to our domain, by virtue of this present article, without the formality of any process of law, but only an ordinance of reunion, from the sub-delegate of the Intendant of New-France, who shall be in the said country; nor do we mean, that the said penalty of forfeiture, in default of working for three years, be reputed a comminatory penalty. VII. Our edicts, ordinances, and customs, and the usages of the mayoralty and shrievalty of Paris, shall be observed for laws and customs in the said country of Louisiana. Given at Fontainbleau, the fourteenth day of September, in the year of grace, 1712, and of our reign the seventeenth. PHILIPEAUX, etc. By the King: LOUIS. The grant to Crozat, it will be observed, was a grant of its commerce only. It is evidence, however, of the extent of the claim of France at that time, in the valley of the Mississippi; and by reference to its discovery, possession, and settlement, we shall find, that by Louisiana is to be understood, all that country on both sides of the Mississippi, including its tributary streams, as far as the 49th degree of north latitude, that having been fixed by the treaty of Utrecht as its boundary. The words in Crozat's grant, 46 as far as the Illinois," had no reference to the river of that name, but to the country generally, on both sides of the Mississippi above the mouth of the Ohio, which under the French and Spanish governments was denominated "the country of the Illinois." This fact appears in all their records and official acts. Thus, letters, deeds, and other instruments, bore date at Kaskaskia, of the Illinois; St. Louis, of the Illinois; not simply to signify the villages in which such documents were respectively executed, but more particularly to denote the country in which those villages are situated. Hence, the commerce of Crozat, by the terms of the patent, extended to the utmost limits of Louisiana, and by the treaty of Utrecht, was fixed at the 49th degree north-which is some distance above the Falls of St. Anthony. France and Spain being united under one faith, it was not unfrequent for the missionaries of both, attended by troops of their respective nations, as well when they were rivals as when they were belligerents, to unite in diffusing gospel light among the children of darkness. The conversion of the heathen was considered by them (we say considered,) as a sacred |