Canada

The center and soul of the economic system in New France was the traffic in furs. Even before the colony contained more than a handful of settlers, the profit-making possibilities of this trade were recognized. It grew rapidly even in the early days, and for more than a hundred and fifty years furnished New France with its sinews of war and peace. Beginning on the St. Lawrence, this trade moved westward along the Great Lakes, until toward the end of the seventeenth century it passed to the headwaters of the Mississippi.

It was the royal desire that New France should some day become a powerful and prosperous agricultural colony, providing the motherland with an acceptable addition to its food supply. To this end large tracts of land were granted upon most liberal terms to incoming settlers, and every effort was made to get these acres cultivated. Encouragement and coercion were alike given a trial. Settlers who did well were given official recognition, sometimes even to the extent of rank in the noblesse.

In New France there were no privileged orders. This, indeed, was the most marked difference between the social organization of the home land and that of the colony. There were social distinctions in Canada, to be sure, but the boundaries between different elements of the population were not rigid; there were no privileges based upon the laws of the land, and no impenetrable barrier separated one class from another.

 CONVERSION OF LOYOLA. - FOUNDATION OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS. - 
 PREPARATION OF THE NOVICE. - CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ORDER. - 
 THE CANADIAN JESUITS.

 INFANCY OF MONTREAL. - THE FLOOD. - VOW OF MAISONNEUVE. - PILGRIMAGE. - 
 D'AILLEBOUST. - THE HOTEL-DIEU. - PIETY. - PROPAGANDISM. - WAR. - 
 HURONS AND IROQUOIS. - DOGS. - SALLY OF THE FRENCH. - BATTLE. - 
 EXPLOIT OF MAISONNEUVE.

 FAILURE OF THE JESUITS. - WHAT THEIR SUCCESS WOULD HAVE INVOLVED. - 
 FUTURE OF THE MISSION.

 LE JEUNE'S VOYAGE. - HIS FIRST PUPILS. - HIS STUDIES. - 
 HIS INDIAN TEACHER. - WINTER AT THE MISSION-HOUSE. - 
 LE JEUNE'S SCHOOL. - REINFORCEMENTS.

 IROQUOIS PRISONERS. - PISKARET. - HIS EXPLOITS. - MORE PRISONERS. - 
 IROQUOIS EMBASSY. - THE ORATOR. - THE GREAT COUNCIL. - 
 SPEECHES OF KIOTSATON. - MUSTER OF SAVAGES. - PEACE CONFIRMED.

 LE JEUNE JOINS THE INDIANS. - THE FIRST ENCAMPMENT. - THE APOSTATE. - 
 FOREST LIFE IN WINTER. - THE INDIAN HUT. - THE SORCERER. - 
 HIS PERSECUTION OF THE PRIEST. - EVIL COMPANY. - MAGIC. - 
 INCANTATIONS. - CHRISTMAS. - STARVATION. - HOPES OF CONVERSION. - 
 BACKSLIDING. - PERIL AND ESCAPE OF LE JEUNE. - HIS RETURN.

 UNCERTAINTIES. - THE MISSION OF JOGUES. - HE REACHES THE MOHAWKS. - 
 HIS RECEPTION. - HIS RETURN. - HIS SECOND MISSION. - WARNINGS OF DANGER. - 
 RAGE OF THE MOHAWKS. - MURDER OF JOGUES.