The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-22
France Greatest Explorer
in the Western World, to
Whom Dessrtion, Treachery
and Disaster Meant Only
Della, t. His Dauntless
Spirit Hing Louis Owed The
Acquisition Of The Vast Ter
ritory Of Louisiana
~ RICHARD sPmLANE.


II ever man deserved to be known
rs the Lion Hearted surely it was
Robert cavelier. sieur de Ia sale.
Faladin or crusader never showed
higher courage. OF all the great ex-
piorers he endured ths most of all
the great adventurers of France in the
planned the best. Disaster followed
ing could daunt his brave spirit. For
twenty years he struggled against a
combination OF forces such as few OF
the pathhnders OF civilization have
had to contend with. but he was ever
resolute. No man of his time and
field ranks higher. Disappointment.
treachery or ruin meant only delay To-
him. In the pursuit OF his mighty
plan he spared 40 man and least OF
all himself He bore the brunt of
every hardship and every danger. Re-
ligious zeal played no part in squirting
him on. His spiri, was that Of the
ccnqueror. Beset by enemies. be.
trayed and deserted many times. he
never lost sigh; of the goal which IT
was his ambition to attain. Stern and
uncompromising, he made more Bit
tsr enemies than warm friends. His
greatest weakness was in his judg-
nient of men. Never did great COM
mander have poorer lot of lieuten
ants. OF all the lot only one, Henri
dc Tonty stood the test, but he was
a host in himself, for he measured
only little below La Sale in re-
sourcefulness, intrepidity. patience,
devotion and steadfast bravery.
Wealthy French burghers had a
custom of distinguishing members of
their families by designations taken
from their estates, so Rene Robert
Cavelier got the name of De La Sale.
lie was born IN Rouen in 1913, and at
BIN early age became connected with
the Jesuits. How long he remained
with the Jesults Is not clear, but ht
was on good .errns with the orde,
when he left ii. He had an elder
brother the Able Jean Caveiier, IL
Canada. a priest of st. Sulpicc. and il
1866 he crossed the ocean to Join him
The corporation of priests, STYLED
the Seminary OF st. sulpice, owned
Montreal, then the most exposed set,
Element in Canada, They were eager
10 establish outposts as a protection
against the Iroquois. From them La
Sale got a grant of land nine miles
west of Montreal. and started at onco
TO improve his domain 1t was admir-
In derision. 1t got the name La Chine
tchina), By which 1T is known to-
day
La Sale, had he been conservative,
might have developed his domain and
become one of the grand seigneurs of
Canada, but il is likely that before he
came TO the New World he had ideas
about becoming an explorer. for no
sooner had he .reached La Chine than
lie begaai to study the Indian Ian
suages. Within three years he mas
tered the Iroquois and seven or eight
other Languages. or dialects A pas
sage to the South Sea and a new
read for the commerce and riches of
China Were the dreams of the age
He heard from the Senecas of the Ohio
River and OF a great river In the West
that he supposed flowed into the Pa
citic. and his imagination took fire.
To Quebec he went onet day I'm 1869
with the project of equipping an ex
petition to find the passage. He had
no money, having expended all he