But Cavelier proved to be somewhat intractable, and after several unsuccessful attempts to conform to the rigid discipline of the Jesuit order he was released from his vows in With no prospects in France, Cavelier followed family connections and a wandering spirit and set out for New France that same year. He was immediately granted a seigneury, known as Lachine, by his Sulpician brother's order on Montreal Island. It is an instructive comment on the Sieur de La Salle's character that he ignored the grant and quickly sold it back to the Sulpicians, who had given it to him.
The money allowed him to satisfy his desire to search for the Ohio River, "the way to the Southern Sea, and thereby the route to China. La Salle's first expedition, in , plagued by his inexperience and that of his companions, accomplished little. His activities for the next 3 years remain a mystery. Through cultivation of the Comte de Frontenac, the governor of New France, and a trip to France in , La Salle was granted Cataraqui now Kingston and promptly renamed it in honor of his patron, Governor Frontenac.
In he was granted permission by the King to explore the western part of North America. Over the next 2 years La Salle traveled about the basin of the Great Lakes as far west as the Illinois country. After a brief visit to Montreal in the summer of , during which he attempted, with little effect, to satisfy his creditors, La Salle again set out for the Illinois country.
On this occasion he reached the Mississippi River but did not proceed further. He wintered at Michilimackinac and returned to Montreal in the summer of , following the orders of Frontenac. Finally, in , the two explorers met in St.
Ignace, Michigan and canoed down the Mississippi. After a short trip to France for more supplies, La Salle returned to America to establish a colony near the Gulf of Mexico.
Unfortunately, the expedition was beset by pirates, hostile Indians, and navigational problems. During a search for the mouth of the Mississippi, his remaining men mutinied and he was killed during an ambush. La Salle's Adventures in. Story of the Thirteen Colonies by H.
Half-Century of Conflict in. La Salle thus became obsessed with the idea of finding a river in North America that flowed to China. By , La Salle had prospered, controlling a large share of the fur trade, but relentless ambition drove him to seek more. He once again sailed to France to obtain permission to explore the western part of New France and the Mississippi in hopes of finding a water route to China.
La Salle returned to Montreal with dozens of men and Italian soldier of fortune Henri de Tonti, who became his devoted disciple. The mission had to be suspended due to the loss of Le Griffon , most likely in a storm, and a mutiny by the sailors. La Salle was reputedly callous in his treatment of those he deemed subordinate. In April, they reached the Gulf of Mexico.
On his return trip, La Salle established Fort St. Louis in Illinois. On July 24, , La Salle set out for North America with a large contingent of four ships and sailors to establish a French colony on the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Mississippi River and challenge Spanish rule in Mexico.
The expedition encountered problems nearly from the start. La Salle and the marine commander argued over navigation. One ship was lost to pirates in the West Indies. When the fleet finally landed at Matagorda Bay near present-day Houston, Texas , they were miles west of their intended destination. There, a second ship sunk and a third headed back to France.
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