The Great Company Part 15

[24] Charlevoix.

[25] Although by this action the French Court directly partic.i.p.ated in and lent its support to the hostilities against the English, yet to all intents and purposes the war was between two commercial corporations.

The ruling spirits of the Northern Company were not unaware of the importance and power of the enemy they had to deal with. In a pamphlet published in France in 1692 there is amusing testimony to the consideration in which the London Company was held by the French.

"It is composed," says this authority, "of opulent merchants and n.o.blemen of the first quality; and it is known that the King himself is part proprietor, having succeeded to that emolument with the other belongings to King James II. So great are its profits that each member is worth at least 5,000 English sterling above what he was before he embarked in the fur traffic. There can be no secrecy about its intention, which is to subvert and subjugate the whole northern Country to its sway."

[26] The expedition which thus wrested away from the French all the forts at the bottom of the Bay was in charge of Captain Grimington, an experienced naval officer, who had seen service in the late wars.

I have not been able to ascertain Grimington's fate, but in the Company's minute-book, under date of 19th of May, 1714, I find the following entry:--

"Mrs. Ann Grimington, widow of Captain Michael Grimington, deceased, having delivered in her pet.i.tion to the Company, the same was read, and considering her poverty and the faithful services her husband performed for the Company, the Committee agreed to allow the said Mrs.

Grimington twelve shillings per month for her subsistence, which the secretary is ordered to pay her every first Monday in the month, to commence the first Monday in June next. Interim, the secretary is ordered to pay her twenty shillings as charity, which is afterwards to be taken out of the poor-box." This is sufficiently strong evidence of the state into which the Company had fallen.

[27] To ill.u.s.trate the divergence of authorities in such matters, I may mention that while Jeremie, who took part in this expedition, calls the two ships the _Poli_ and _Charente_, in which he is followed by Abbe Ferland. Father Marest, the aumonier of the crew, refers to the second ship as the _Salamandre_. His relation is ent.i.tled "Le Voyage du _Poli_ et _Salamandre_." In the letter of Frontenac to the French minister (November 5, 1694) it is stated that Serigny commanded the _Salamandre_. _La Potherie_ observes that the ships sent out in 1694 were the _Poli_ and _Salamandre_. Furthermore, he declares, they sailed the 8th of August; Frontenac states the 9th, and Jeremie the 10th (_Jour de St. Laurent_). _La Potherie_ and Jeremie agree on the date of their arrival, September 24th, although Ferland says it was the 20th.

[28] Jeremie gives us a detailed description of the fort in his "Relation." He says it was composed of four bastions, which formed a square of thirty feet, with a large stone house above and below. In one of these bastions was the storeroom for furs and merchandise, another served for provisions; a third was used by the garrison. All were built of wood. In a line with the first palisade there were two other bastions, in one of which lodged the officers, the other serving as a kitchen and forge. Between these two bastions was a crescent-shaped earthworks sheltering eight cannon, firing eight-pound b.a.l.l.s, and defending the side of the fort towards the river. At the foot of this earthworks was a platform, fortified by six pieces of large cannon. There was no b.u.t.t-range looking out upon the wood, which was a weak point; all the cannon and swivel-guns were on the bastions.

In all, the armament consisted of thirty-two cannon and fourteen swivel-guns outside the fort and fifty-three inside; on the whole, calculated to make a stalwart defence.

[29] Kelsey was the earliest English explorer in the North-West.

Mention of his achievements will be found in the course of Chapter XV.

[30] Allen sent home to his superiors a copy of the capitulation proposals of the French Commandant. This doc.u.ment is not without interest. It is headed:--

CAPITULATION OF FORT YORK, 1696.

Articles of capitulation between William Allen, Commandant-in-Chief at Hays, or St. Therese River, and Sieur G.

de la Forest, Commandant at Fort York or Bourbon, August 31, 1696.

I consent to give up to you my fort on the following conditions:--

1. That I and all my men, French as well as Indians, and my English servant, shall have our lives and liberty granted to us, and that no wrong or violence shall be exercised upon us or whatever belongs to us.

2. We shall march out of the fort without arms, to the beat of the drum, match lighted, ball in mouth, flags unfurled, and carry with us the two cannon which we brought from France.

3. We shall be transported altogether, in our own vessel, to Plaisance, a French Port in New Newfoundland. We do not wish to give up the fort till we have embarked, and we shall keep the French flag over the fort till we march out.

4. If we meet with our vessels there shall be a truce between us, and it shall be permitted to transport us with whatever belongs to us.

5. We shall take with us all the beaver skins and other merchandise obtained in trade this year, which shall be embarked with us upon our vessels.

6. All my men shall embark their clothes and whatever belongs to them without being subject to visitation, or robbed of anything.

7. In case of sickness during the voyage, you shall furnish us with all the remedies and medicines which we may require.

8. The two Frenchmen, who ought to return with the Indians, shall be received in the fort on their return, where they shall be treated the same as the English, and sent to Europe during the same year, or they shall be furnished with everything necessary to take them to Roch.e.l.le.

We shall have the full exercise of our religion, and the Jesuit priest, our missionary, shall publicly perform the functions of his ministry.

CHAPTER XIV.

1696-1697.

Imprisoned French Fur-Traders Reach Paris -- A Fleet under Iberville Despatched by Lewis to the Bay -- Company's four Ships precede them through the Straits -- Beginning of a Fierce Battle -- The _Hampshire_ Sinks -- Escape of the _Dering_ and capture of the _Hudson's Bay_ -- Dreadful Storm in the Bay -- Losses of the Victors -- Landing of Iberville -- Operations against Fort Nelson -- Bailey Yields -- Evacuation by the English.

The French prisoners captured in the Company's expedition of 1696 suffered an incarceration of nearly four months at Portsmouth. No sooner had their liberty been regained than they boarded a French brig bound for Havre, and on arrival in Paris lost little time in making known the condition of affairs at Hudson's Bay. Lewis and his Ministers, gazing upon this emaciated band of traders and bushrangers, could hardly refrain from taking immediate action to retrieve the situation. Precisely following the tactics of their enemy in the previous year, they engaged four men-of-war; which fleet was despatched to join Iberville, then at the port of Placentia in Newfoundland. The Court was well aware that there was no one man so thoroughly equipped at all points in knowledge of the Bay, and the conditions there of life and warfare, as this hero. Consequently, although numerous enough, all other offers to lead the expedition were rejected.

On the arrival of the French ships at Placentia, Iberville took command, embarking in the _Pelican_, of fifty guns. The others were the _Palmier_, the _Weesph_, the _Pelican_, and the _Violent_.[31]

But Fort Nelson was not to be captured without a struggle.

[Sidenote: Meeting of the French and English ships.]

At almost the very moment the French fleet sailed, there departed from Plymouth four of the Company's ships, the _Hampshire_, the _Hudson's Bay_, the _Dering_, and _Owner's Love_, a fire-ship, the two former having been partic.i.p.ants in the conquest of the previous year. The Company's fleet entered the straits only forty hours before the ships of the French; and like them was much impeded by the ice, which was unusually troublesome. Pa.s.sage was made by the enemy in the English wake. The _Profound_, commanded by Duque, pushed past the currents, taking a northerly course, which brought her commander into full view of two of the Company's ships. Shots were exchanged; but owing to the difficulties engendered by the ice, it was impossible to manoeuvre with such certainty as to cut off the Frenchman's escape. While this skirmish was in progress, Iberville in the _Pelican_ succeeded in getting past the English unknown to them, and reached the mouth of the Nelson River in sight of the fort. His presence, as may be imagined, greatly surprised and disturbed the Governor and the Company's servants; for they had believed their own ships would have arrived in season to prevent the enemy from entering the straits. Several rounds of shot were fired as a signal, in the hope that a response would be made by the Company's ships which they hourly expected in that quarter.

On his part the French commander was equally disturbed by the non-arrival of his three consorts, which the exigencies of the voyage had obliged him to forsake. Two days were pa.s.sed in a state of suspense. At daybreak on the fifth of September three ships[32] were distinctly visible; both parties joyfully believed they were their own. So certain was Iberville, that he immediately raised anchor and started to join the newcomers. He was soon undeceived, but the perception of his mistake in no way daunted him.

The Company's commanders were not prepared either for the daring or the fury of the Frenchman's onslaught. It is true the _Pelican_ was much superior to any of their own craft singly, being manned by nearly two hundred and fifty men, and boasting forty-four pieces of cannon.

The Company's ships lined up, the _Hampshire_ in front, the _Dering_ next, with the _Hudson's Bay_ bringing up the rear.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "HAMPSHIRE." "HUDSON'S BAY." "DERING."]

[Sidenote: A fierce battle in the Bay.]

The combatants being in close proximity the battle began at half-past nine in the morning. The French commander came straight for the _Hampshire_, whose captain, believing it was his enemy's design to board, instantly lowered his mainsheet and put up his fore-top-sail.

Contact having been by these means narrowly evaded, the scene of battle suddenly shifted to the _Pelican_ and the _Dering_, whose mainsail was smitten by a terrific volley. At the same time the _Hudson's Bay_, veering, received a damaging broadside. The Company's men could distinctly hear the orders shouted by Iberville to both ships to discharge a musket fire into the _Dering's_ forecastle, but in this move he was antic.i.p.ated by the English sailors, who poured a storm of bullets in upon the Frenchman, accompanied by a broadside of grape, which wrought havoc with her sails. While the cries of the wounded on the _Pelican_ could be distinctly heard, all three of the Company's ships opened fire, with the design of disabling her rigging.

But the captain of the _Hudson's Bay_, seeing that he could not engage the _Pelican_, owing to Iberville's tactics, determined to run in front of her and give her the benefit of a constant hull fire, besides taking the wind from her sails. Iberville observed the movement; the two English vessels were near; he veered around, and by a superb piece of seamanship came so near to the _Hampshire_ that the crew of the latter saw that boarding was intended. Every man flew out on the main deck, with his pistol and cutla.s.s, and a terrific broadside of grape on the part of the Englishman alone saved him.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE EVACUATION OF FORT NELSON.

(_See page 166._)]

The battle raged hotter and fiercer. The _Hampshire's_ salvation had been only temporary; at the end of three hours and a half she began to sink, with all sails set. When this occurred, Iberville had ninety men wounded, forty being struck by a single broadside. Notwithstanding this, he decided at once to push matters with the _Hampshire's_ companions, although the _Pelican_ was in a badly damaged state, especially the forecastle, which was a ma.s.s of splinters.

The enemy made at once for the _Dering_, which, besides being the smallest ship, had suffered severely. She crowded on all sail and managed to avoid an encounter, and Iberville being in no condition to prosecute the chase, returned to the _Hudson's Bay_, which soon surrendered. Iberville was not destined, however, to reap much advantage from his prize, the _Hampshire_. The English flag-ship was unable to render any a.s.sistance to her and she soon went down with nearly all on board.[33]

To render the situation more distressing, no sooner had some ninety prisoners been made, than a storm arose; so that it became out of the question to approach the sh.o.r.e with design of landing. They were without a long-boat and each attempt to launch canoes in the boiling surf was attended with failure.

[Sidenote: A great storm.]

Night fell; the wind instead of calming, grew fiercer. The sea became truly terrible, seeking, seemingly, with all its power to drive the _Pelican_ and the _Hudson's Bay_ upon the coast. The rudders of each ship broke; the tide rose and there seemed no hope for the crews whose destiny was so cruel. Their only hope in the midst of the bitter blast and clouds of snow which environed them, lay in the strength of their cables. Soon after nine o'clock the _Hudson's Bay_ and its anchor parted with a shock.

"Instantly," says one of the survivors, "a piercing cry went up from our forecastle. The wounded and dead lay heaped up, with so little separation one from the other that silence and moans alone distinguished them. All were icy cold, and covered with blood. They had told us the anchor would hold; and we dreaded being washed up on the sh.o.r.e stiff the next morning."

A huge wave broke over the main deck and the ship rocked desperately.