The picturesque StLawrence . nges that seemed imposingly highin the azure distance. VIII THE HISTORIC ST. FRANCIS TN pioneer times the importance of the *- Francis River as a highway between the and the country to the south wassecond only to that of the Richelieu. From thevalleys of the Connecticut and of the Merrimac,and thence through the gateway of the wilder-ness lakes and down the St. Francis passedmore English captives to Canada than on allother routes combined. This tributary of theSt. Lawrence has known the wail of humandistress at every turn in its winding course, andh
The picturesque StLawrence . nges that seemed imposingly highin the azure distance. VIII THE HISTORIC ST. FRANCIS TN pioneer times the importance of the *- Francis River as a highway between the and the country to the south wassecond only to that of the Richelieu. From thevalleys of the Connecticut and of the Merrimac,and thence through the gateway of the wilder-ness lakes and down the St. Francis passedmore English captives to Canada than on allother routes combined. This tributary of theSt. Lawrence has known the wail of humandistress at every turn in its winding course, andhas witnessed many a savage tragedy. Near its mouth was an Indian village with thesame name as the stream, the inhabitants ofwhich were nominally Christians, though theyremained thorough savages in dress, habits andcharacter, and were the scourge of the NewEngland borders. In September, 1759, MajorRobert Rogers, who had won much fame as aforest ranger, was sent against this village. Heand his men went in bateaux up Lake Cham-. The waterfalls at the entrance to the Ausable Chasm The Historic St. Francis 145 plain to its north end, where they hid the boatsand left two friendly Indians on guard. Theparty then began its march, but on the secondday out the two Indians overtook Rogers withthe startling intelligence that about four hundredFrench had found the bateaux and that half theforce was on his trail in hot pursuit. Otherparties would doubtless soon be warned of hispresence in the northern wilderness, and hisdanger was serious. He determined, however, to outmarch hispursuers and to go on and strike St. Francis be-fore it could receive help. That done, he wouldreturn by way of Lake Memphramagog and theConnecticut River. For nine days more he toilednorthward, much of the time through densespruce swamps with no dry resting-place atnight. Then he drew near to his destination, andone day, toward evening, Rogers climbed a treeand descried the town three miles distant. Accidents, fatigu
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