he Ducornet portrait

FORT OF THE IROQUOIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
From Laverdiere's "Oeuvres de Champlain"

THE MURDER OF LA SALLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
From Hennepin's "A New Discovery of a Vast Country in
America"

LE MOYNE DE BIENVILLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
From the original painting in the possession of
J. A. Allen, Esq., Kingston, Ont.

FALLS OF ST. ANTHONY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
From Carver's "Travels Through the Interior Parts
of North America"

{3}

French Pathfinders in North America

Chapter I

THE ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE INDIAN RACE

America probably peopled from Asia.--Unity of the American Race.--The
Eskimo, possibly, an Exception.--Range of the Several Groups.

In an earlier volume, "Pioneer Spaniards in North America," the probable
origin of the native races of America has been discussed. Let us restate
briefly the general conclusions there set forth.

It is the universal opinion of scientific men that the people whom we
call Indians did not originate in the Western World, but, in the far
distant past, came upon this continent from another--from Europe, some
say; from Asia, say others. In support of the latter opinion it is
pointed out that Asia and America once were connected by a broad belt of
land, now sunk {4} beneath the shallow Bering Sea. It is easy, then, to
picture successive hordes of dusky wanderers pouring over from the old,
old East upon the virgin soil of what was then emphatically a new world,
since no human beings roamed its vast plains or traversed its stately
forests.

Human wave followed upon wave, the new comers pushing the older ones on.
Some wandered eastward and spread themselves in the region surrounding
Hudson Bay. Others took a southeast course and were the ancestors of the
Algonquins, Iroquois, and other families inhabiting the eastern territory
of the United States. Still others pushed their way down the Pacific
coast and peopled Mexico and Central America, while yet others, driven no
doubt by the crowding of great numbers into the most desirable regions of
the isthmus, passed on into South America and gradually overspread it.

Most likely these hordes of Asiatic savages wandered into America during
hundreds of years and no doubt there was great diversity among them, some
being far more advanced in the arts of life than others. But