404 ON THE EARLY DISCOVERIES OF THE 



a close, or rather succeeded by a hollow truce, than the tide of dis- 

 cover}', which had been pent up, spread over the whole continent, and 

 in a very few years extended to the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, 

 and almost to the Rocky Mountains. Much of this difference must 

 no doubt be ascribed to the facilities afforded by our immense chain of 

 Lakes and Rivers, and to the character of the Indians with whom the 

 French were brought into contact, for they never made any progress in the 

 direction of the warlike Iroquois. Something may also be due to the 

 missionary spirit of the Jesuits and Recollets, who penetrated in spite 

 of dangers and privations to everjr tribe where there was a chance of 

 propagating the faith, and something to the ambition of their home gov- 

 ernment, which prompted to the acquisition of new territory, whilst 

 the British colonies were left very much to themselves. But much is 

 still to be attributed to the national character of the settlers. The 

 Englishman, grave and earnest, settled himself at once on his farm, and 

 devoted any leisure he could spare to framing laws for the government 

 of the society which surrounded him, and to enforcing them with the 

 stringency of a man, who having strong convictions himself, is very 

 intolerant of any body who deviates from his notion of right. He was 

 essentially a member of a commmrity, and rarely pushed beyond reach 

 of his neighbours, until lack of space compelled the hive to give off a 

 swarm. The Frenchman on the contrary, with characteristic impetuosity, 

 leaving the cares of state to the Governor or Intendant, and questions 

 of religion to his priest, plunged at once into the excitement and ad- 

 venture which, in spite of its hardships, give such an irresistable charm 

 to a half savage life. We find constant endeavours to check this ten- 

 dency of the population to wander, and edicts which forbid the colo- 

 nists, even on pain of death, to pursue their hunting excursions for more 

 than a league beyond the settlements. But nature is stronger than 

 laws, and the coureurs des bois were to be found everywhere, and often 

 no doubt where no record of their adventures has been preserved. 

 Only six years after Champlain's expedition, at the time when Quebec 

 could only count fifty inhabitants, we find Sagard, whilst a missionary 

 amongst the Hurons on Lake Simcoe, saying, that the only meat he 

 had tasted for six months was given him by a party of French hunters. 

 If the Celt has marked his progress on this continent by that dash and 

 elan which characterizes him as a soldier, but cannot always resist long 

 continued obstacles, the Anglo-Saxon has equally exhibited the invincible 

 tenacity, which enables him to advance step by step in spite of difficul- 

 ties, and keep what he gains. 



One other remark has been suggested by these enquiries, viz., the 

 extraordinary mutability of nations in the savage state, and the rapidity 



