Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/95

Rh villages on the Missouri River, 75 miles to the southwest. His is the first account of any visit to the Mandans or to this part of the Missouri. As we have seen, he expected they would be found to be quite different from, and greatly superior to, other Indians; and while he tells of blonde and white individuals among them, and considers their fortifications superior to those of other Indians he had seen, he voices disappointment at learning that they were just Indians after all.

He returned to Fort La Reine early in 1739, leaving two men to learn the language and customs of these Indians, so that the remainder of the trip to the Western Sea might be made easier by their aid, for he had no thought but to resume the journey as soon as possible. As usual, he found his posts beset with all manner of difficulties, and as the season advanced was confronted with the usual failure of supplies. At last, it became necessary for him to undertake a fourth journey to Montreal. He arrived there in August, 1740, only to find that the incomprehensible envy and calumny which his efforts in behalf of New France had ever aroused, had culminated in a law suit. Action had been brought against his posts, and accusations of greed and of dishonest use of his trading privileges to amass a private fortune, had been sent to the French court. To this slander Verendrye merely replied: "If more than 40,000 livres of debt which are hanging over me are an advantage I flatter myself with being very rich."

Beauharnois remained at all times La Verendrye's staunch friend and supporter and this loyalty was a great consolation to the brave adventurer, who himself admits that at one time he was all but overwhelmed with grief at the bitter and unceasing attacks made upon him.

He did not, however, turn for an instant from his self appointed mission, although he had now made up his mind to send his sons on the forthcoming journey toward the Pacific, reserving for himself the arduous