The sons of Pierre Gaultier de La Vérendrye, who discovered the Rockies, went on expeditions with their father. After his death in 1749, they continued searching the passage to the Western sea, that is the Pacific Ocean. Illustration: C. W. Jeffreys,
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In spite of being 40 years old, an age at which he could have lived peacefully on his land, Monsieur de La Verendrye suddenly discovers a passion for exploring. You may remember that during a stay in northwest of the Great Lakes, he let himself get carried away with the idea of discovering the famous passage leading to China or Japan.
The route to the Vermillion Sea having been described to him by tribes, some of whose members had already been there, he eagerly asked the authorities for permission to leave. His intentions are praiseworthy, but rather ambitious. In addition to discovering the passage to the Orient, he promises to extend the territory of New France westward, to build several forts, to push the fur trade in that direction and to maintain peace between the peoples that he would encounter.
We do not know wheter Monsieur de La Verendrye hopes to see the Vermillion Sea this year, but well-informed sources have told us that he must first cross a very high and very rocky wall of mountains.
