Explorations Pierre_Gaultier_de_Varennes,_sieur_de_La_Vérendrye

jean bailleul s pierre gaultier de varennes, sieur de la vérendrye sculpture in front of parliament building (quebec)






















yellow: founded verendrye , sons



































yellow: founded verendrye , sons

blue wave: saskatchewan river (north) , assiniboine river (south)

in 1726 fortunes changed when brother jacques-rené appointed commander of poste du nord. north shore of lake superior 3 main posts: fort kaministiquia became start of main route west; post @ mouth of nipigon river , 1 near wawa, ontario had river connections james bay. pierre began trading in area , in 1728 became commandant when brother left fight fox indians. here became involved quest route pacific. 1713 treaty of utrecht had given hudson bay english , thereby blocked french possible northwest passage. @ time thought not far west inlet pacific called mer du couchant similar equally mythical strait of annian. further thought 1 cross height of land , find river of west flowed pacific. (for area explored see canadian canoe routes, nelson river basin). in 1688 jacques de noyon had reached rainy lake. in 1717 zacharie robutel de la noue tried reach rainy lake succeeded in establishing fort kaministiquia. english on hudson bay heard reports of coureurs des bois west of lake superior, left no records in french archives. morton thinks may have gotten far lake winnipeg. in 1716 memoir drawn governor vaudreuil showed lakes , portages far lake of woods flowed river sea of west. implies there had been frenchmen west of lake superior before vérendrye. la vérendrye questioned indians came trade. learned of mandan country on upper missouri. these people described white men lived in big houses. cree guide, auchagah, made map of canoe routes between lake superior , lake winnipeg based on , other cree experience. la vérendrye judged correctly lake winnipeg geographic key must reached allow further exploration.

in 1730 met governor beauharnois @ quebec , worked out plan. la vérendrye build post on lake winnipeg. expedition paid quebec merchants hoped profit resulting fur trade. method of finance later caused problems because merchants lacked capital , organization efficiently move supplies far west. additional goal divert furs away english on hudson bay. in absence of government funds fur trade necessary pay exploration. not clear whether la verendrye genuinely interested in exploration or whether exploration pretext expansion of fur trade. maurepas, french minister of marine, interested in exploration, not provide funds. french-canadians, naturally, interested in fur trade.

in 1731 la verendrye, 3 of sons , 50 engagés left montreal. autumn son jean-baptiste built fort st. pierre on rainy lake. next year built fort st. charles on lake of woods became headquarters next several years. in 1733 jean-baptiste got within 20 miles of lake winnipeg, blocked ice , lack of supplies. in 1734 lake winnipeg reached , jean-baptiste built fort maurepas (canada) near mouth of red river @ southern end of lake. in 1734 la verendrye went quebec reorganize finances , returned following spring. in 1734 on half beaver pelts reaching quebec came la verenedrye s posts. 1736 clear supply system not working , jean-baptiste forced go lake superior supplies. , eighteen other frenchmen killed sioux @ place called massacre island on lake of woods. la verendrye restrained local cree war of revenge in order protect fur trade. in 1737 la verendrye returned quebec on business.

in paris maurepas pushing more exploration. time there 2 candidates river of west . correct 1 saskatchewan river flows east lake winnipeg. other missouri river in mandan country in north dakota. mandans said live in big houses , resemble frenchmen. la verendrye picked missouri. in september 1738 reached fort maurepas on lake winnipeg , ascended assiniboine river portage la prairie built fort la reine south of lake manitoba (october 1738). joining large band of assiniboins, pushed southwest across prairie , reached mandan village somewhere near modern new town, north dakota 70 miles east of montana border. oddly, did not push on missouri, sent son louis-joseph him. in order rid of numerous assiniboine guests, mandans claimed there sioux war party in area. assiniboines fled, taking them cree interpreter. unable talk mandans, left 2 frenchmen learn language , returned fort la reine (january 1739).

in 1740 returned quebec on business , in 1741 started on fourth , last journey west. fort la reine sent son louis-joseph exploring westward far as, probably, big horn mountains of wyoming (1742–43). (see: verendrye brothers journey rocky mountains) worked consolidate hold on chain of lakes looks single lake west of lake winnipeg, establishing fort dauphin (manitoba), fort bourbon , fort paskoya. in france, maurepas growing increasing irritated la verendrye, thought trading in furs when should exploring. in 1742 maurepas suggested replaced , in 1743 la verendrye resigned. returned new france , led life

of gentleman while doing considerable business since sons remained in west. in 1746 reappointed old post. planning fifth expedition, time saskatchewan river, when died on december 5, 1749. shortly before death awarded order of saint louis.