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^yt^ ?f/>^

THE JOURNEY

MONCACHT-APE,

Ain^RBW McFARLAND DAVIS.

B. "

S^giSKt "MUm-S'

j^iJi..'^

Z O —

Ac:

THE JOURNEY

MONC ACHT-APE,

AN INDIAN OF TIIF. YAZOO TRIBE,

ACROSS THE CONTINENT, ABOUT THE YEAR 1700.

ANDREW McFARLAND DAVIS.

[FEOH PRiMEElllXGB "F THE AMEB *N ASTl.Jl ABI.IN SiKlirrV, APSIL 3S, 188S.]

WORCESTER, MASS., U. S. A.:

PRINTED BY CHAKLKS HAMILTON,

No. 311 Main Stuf,et.

18S3.

THE JOntN'EY OF MONCACHT-APf:.

Is the nutumu of 1718 M. LcPagc tin Pratz IpiidoU In America. lu
company with abont clirht hundred others forwarded by the " Company
of the West " he hud come to this country to settle. Ho Urst located
near New Orleans, where Bienville was Mien just starting a new settle-
ment, but tlie situiitiou of his grant provlni: unhealthy, he shortly after-
wards moved up to Natchez. There he scoured a farm, on which he
spent eight of the sixteen years lie was in tli's country. He had served
In the army in Germany and had received a air education. He was of
a speculative turn of ndnd, fond of theorl/Z.n;.' and always on the alert
for Information. While at Natchez lie collected and transmitted to
Paris no less than three hundred plants used liy the Indians as remedies.
He cultivated the friendship of Ids Indian nei^'libors and studied their
hal)Its and tlieir language. In 1758 he published at Paris his '• Histoire
<ie la Louislane," in wlilch in addition to the personal experiences and
observations there recorded lie lias treasured up much tliat he garnered
from conversations wltli the old men of tlie tribes concerning the tradi-
tions of their origin, tlieir religion and their forms of government.

The Importance attached to one of these conversations by M. de
Quatrefages, In an article In the Revue d' Anthropologie,' is the occ«-
slon of this paper. The story of JIoncacht-Apf's journey across the
continent and of his encounter with the bearded white men on the
North Pacillc Coast of this country, has, to all intents and purposes,
slumbered in the i)ages of LePage du Pratz until it was revived liy de
Quatrefages. who takes pride in tlie tliouglit tliat he is. as he believes,
the llrst to call attention to its importance.

To understand the merit of the arguments upon which he bases h'.s
faith in the story, it is essential that the whole of the story should l)e
read, otherwise one can neither appreciate tlie importance attaclied to
the verisimilitude of its style, nor measure the value of the coincidences
between tlie statements of the Indian concerning this unknown region
and the facts as revealed by Lewis and Clark anil other subsequent
explorers.

We turn therefore to tlie pages of LoPage du Pratz' and allow Ulm to
introduce the story In his own words ; —

" Wlien the Natchez came to tlie part of America lu which I found
them there were several tribes living on botli sides of the Mississippi

' Revue d'Anthropologie. Tome 4me. 1881. '

• Histoire de la Loulsiaue, par M. LePage du Pratz, Paris, 1758. v. III.,
p. 87 et seq.

184246

Thfv cnllid ("111 li oiIht Tinl Mm. iiiul llii-lr orlu'In i> cxtrciiu'ly tiilllfiilt
to cllxiivii-. I'lir ilii'V Imvi- iidl, like tin' Niitrlicz. picM'TVcd tlicli- trndi-
tlnii^ ii'ir li.'ivc tlicy ni't> iiiiil ^ciciiLi'. like Hit' Mi'xicaiis, fmiii whicli one
can ilnnv iniliiiliinis. 'i'iw (nily tliiiiir to he Iriinicd fnun tlicrii Is, what
tlifV iiniirliilily >ny. tliiil llic y ciiim' Inini tlic Nuitli-Wist, ami llic spot
llial tlicy point oiii « itli tliclr lliii.'i-rs no mailer wlicrc they imiy lir at the
tiiiir, >lioulil I'l' altoiit llfiy-lhc Ui'lth's of latitude. This ineatfi'e inl'or-
nintlon not helnu sallsraeiory to me, I made imiuii'y. If amoni.' the iiel^ili-
iioiinu' tl'ilieslhel'ewiis not »ome wise old man whoeoiild enli;;lilen me fiir-
lliiT on ihi- point. I \va- e.Mi-emely i-ejoleed to learn thai in the nation
of the Yazoo-, Ml a di«lanee of foi'ty leairiu's from .Vatelie/., sneh an one
eonld he fonnd. UN name was Moncaeht-.\pf'. He was a nnni of conr-
aiie and spirit. I can I'.o no hettor than eonipare him to tlio early
tireeks, who travelled anioni; the Kastern people to examine the man-
ners and customs of the dlH'erent countries and then returned to coin-
mnnicate what they had learne<| to their countrymen. Not that Mon-
eacht-.\pe ac'lually carrhMl out sncli a project as this, hut lie ronceived
the idia and did what he could to carry it out. I took advantaije of a
vi«it thill was |i,ai(l me hy this native (d' the Va/.oo Nation. calle<l by the
French • the interpi'eter ' tiecause he sjicaks so many Indian lanauaifes,
but known amom; his ow n people, as 1 iiave already said, as Moncacht-
Ape. which mean- • one who kills dillicultles or fntl'j;iu'.' In fact, the
tra\ els (d' many viMr- did not alt'eet lii- pliy-i(|Ui'. I beijiied him tore-
pent to me iin account of his travel-, ondftinir nothinir. My proposition
seemed to please him. I shall make om- traveller speak in the llrst per-
son, but 1 -hall aliridne hi- voyage to the Kastern Toast, hecau.se he
"speaks there laru'ely of Canada which is very well known. I shall only
report what there was in it of importance. He hsi-an as follows: —

'• ■ I hail lo-t my wife, and the children tliat I had l)y her were dead
before her, when I undertook my trip to tlie country wliere the sun
rises. I left my village notwithstandiiiif all my relations. I was to
take counsel with the t'hickasaws. our friends and neiiilihors. I re-
nniined some days to tind out if they knew whence we nil came, or at
lea-t, if thiy knew whi'nce they themselves came: they who are our
ancestors, -ince It i- from them that the l:uii:uay:e of the people comes;
hut they coidd teach nie iiotliiuy new. For tills reason I resolved to jjo
to the nations on the coast where the sun rises, to learn al)OUt them,
and to know if tlieir old ianuuai:e was the -anie. They tauirlit me the
route that I mn-t take, in order to avoid the lnri;e villages of the whites
for fear that they miirht he :invny to see me — me a strantier. I reached
tile country of the Shawnee-, the point where I was to take up the
river Wabash (ihio:. and I followed it up nearly to its source which Is
in the country of the Iroiniois. but I left them to the side of the cold
[north] and I went into a villafre of the Alienaiiuai- which was in my
route. I remained there until the cold weather, wliicli In Ihis country
Is very severe and very Ion,:;, was over. Dnrins this winter I grained
tile friendship of a man a little older than myself, who was eiiunlly fond
of traveliliitf. He promised to come witli me luul to conduct me, be-
cause he knew the way, to the tJreat Water which I wished to see .sineo
I li:iil heard it talked abonl. As soon as the snows were melted nnd the
weather settled, I started with hini and we avoided the Indian settle-
ments. We rested frequently on the way, liecnuse this country is full
of stiiiie- which made our feet sore, especially mine, beliiff nnaccustomed
to anythiuL' of the sort. After havliiy; travelled several days we saw
the Great Water, When I saw it I was so content that I could not
speak, and my eyes seemed to me to be too small to look at It at my
ease, hut ni^rlit overtook us and we encainpeil near at hand, upon an
elevation. The water was near Ijut below us. The wind was high nnd

■without (loulit vi'Xi'il lh(.' fiiTnt Wiitor. for it iii!i(l<: --o iiindi iiuNc lliat
1 ciiiild iiDt slfep. I feared llinl llu' hlcivvs Hint It «i\\c> wmilil bi^'tik
tlo« a the hel^lit where we were, nlthoiijili it wa- of ••liiiie.

"■Tliesiiii had not a]i|ieared wlieii 1 rose to «ee tlie dreat Water. I
was imieli siu'prl?*ed to see tliat it was far away. I was a lom; time
wlth(piit speakiiii; to my <oiiirade, wIki llioiiaiif from seeing ine all tiie
time lookliiu: iilioiit aii(i not speaking that Iliad lost my wits. I eoiiUl
not understand how tliiseoidd be. Finally, the wind havliii.' ceased, the
sun arose. The (ireat Water was not so much dlstnrhed a« it was on
the precedin;: niy;lil, and I saw with sm-piise that it returned towards
us. 1 sprang lip fl"l<'kly and lied with all my streiiirth. My comrade
called out to me not to lie afraid. I sliouti'd to him. on my p.irt, that
the (ireat Water was comiii!; towards us anil that we should lie drowned.
He then reassiu'ed me, sayliii; that the red men who had seen tin' I ireat
Water had observed that it always ailvaiiced as much as it rei'eilcd, but
that it never came farther up on the earih at oiu' tiiiK- than anothi-r.
When he had thu-. satisiled me we returned to the shore of tie- (ireat
Water, and remained there until the inlddh' of tlu' <lay when I saw It,
reeedinii, l'o afar oil'. We left to an to sleep far oH' from the noise,
which followed me everywhere, and even till eveninit I spoke of iiothinjf
else to my comrade. We arrived ai the lianUs of a lillle river, where we
lay down to rest, but I thouu'ht of it all I he niylit. Wi- retook the route
that we had followed 111 iroin^ and arrived at his home, where they
were ;:lail to see us.

'• • This village Is in the country at some distance from the (ireat
Water whence we hail come, and they hail not seen It except between the
lands where the iffc'it river of the country loses itself. In this ivuion
where they had seen it, it advances and receiles. but much less than in
the place where we had seen it. These peoide believe that the (ireat
Water over which the French come with their tloatinir villaiies. which
the winds move by pullln;; out the irreat sails which tliey bear, they
believe, I say, that this (ireat Water was like several (ireat Waters that
they have In their countrv which are surrounded w itii land and of which
the water Is ifood to drink, in place of wiiich that where we were i- ~alt
and bitter. I know It liecaiise 1 put sume of it in my mouth. More-
over the French say it takes more than two niooii^ to come to our
country, whereas the (ireat Waters of their coiiutry can be crossed in
two or three, or at most in four days for the larirest. anil all that I liave
seen agrees with what the French have told inc. that this water touches
all lanils and Is as lar;ie as the earth.

" • They listened to me with pU'asure for n hmu: time, and an old innn
who was there told me that he had been in a [ilace where t'le :;reat river
of their country [.St. Lawrence] precipitated itself from so liiiih and
with so much noise that it could be heard a li;df day's jour ley distant;
that as I was curious, I should do well to see this place when the cold
weather should be over. 1 resolved to ;io there. I told my coinr.ide who
had .iccompaniid me to the (ireat Water, and In promised to an with
mo. I liad in truth a jireat desire to see tills jihice whicii seemed wortiiy to
be seen. I passed the winter in th's place and v.as very impatii'iit because
It was lon.ii. It Is impossible to hunt 'Xcept with rackets on the feet, to
get accustomed to which caused me iniicli troulile. This is unfortunate,
for the country is ^ood. Finally, the winter beiiiLr over, the snow
melted, the weather ^ood, ami our provisions prepared, >ve packerl our
bundles, and my comrade took a hatchet, with tlie use of which he was
familliir. It was for the purpose of makin;; me a duir-out. upon which,
foUowlujj the counsel that was u;iven me, I should cinliark upon the river
Ohio, as it is called in this country, the Wabash as we call it, and by
this menus I could return to mv villavre more ea-ilv and in less time than

■^^

If I should rotiini on font. W*- (lc;mrvi< 'Hun mil rraTclltMl for sovoral
(lays ln'fiiri' HiiiliuL' the ^Tfiit rUi-r 'A rnar '."inrry. «'.• illil not lack
for MKiit on our rout*. Jlit-r*- i» uu u'.mv!im"'i» ■■? huifiiloei unci also of
other i;nnic. liuf ii« tlii>.i' niiiimii* lun» i xi'»ar lenl of trouhU- to live
wliilo «uo\v 1m on the u'roiinil tiny «>t>ii'.>i ■}*r f.ir. Wlit-n wi> linil nrrlved
upon the Imnks of tlii- j.'''>-iit r!\w. ««• f<v*T^t\. Tht- nt-xt day we
trnviUfd with tin.' curri'iit of tin «Bt,»i» i,;v «•,• nrciv too hlifli up for
the pln.c tliat we cunie to Kt-e. J- oli' -w-utr >rl>iir, hivl heen told us, we
co:'ld iiot he di'celvid in tludiiii: thiK » i!i.»''-i!;iJl, for iWf. hrars the noise
from afar, as we disi o\ereil on our umffiMH-li. Wf iin-..sfd the nlifht
wheri' the noise wa- already stron;: 'nr. ii-iii i»noiiarh to hinder us from
sleeplnu'. As soon as day broke wt '\t^ywM f.ir rhis plare of wlileh all
men speak with wonder. Fortuuut^ly mi '.ii'l miin li.id indiieed us to take,
before leavlni; the vilhij.'e some buBitti'j ♦ -w.mh r.o pur, in our ears; with-
out that we should truly have beioui» '>:ii5 rlirnnurh the irreat noise uiado
by this wati'r in falllut' from >•<> liii'ti. 3 iiul iji»v'i»r been able to believe
w'hat the old man had told me. but \vii.-i ti-j ..y,.^ ,ind my sen.ses beheld,
1 thouirht he had not »aid eiiouirh for liiiirt viiiett my eyes saw.

•• • This river does not fall. It i^ u* J5 '' were i-iwr, the same a.s \.ien
an arrow falls to the ground. Tlu^ ».ijiin Auult* my hair "tand on end and
my itesh creep. Xeverthele>■^. ufVM iiiiviair Uwt<.-d for a suttlclently lonjj
time, my heart whiih had been iiirit«1^-l ^eeame .piii-t. .\s soon as I
perceived It was (piiet I -i>oke to niy«td uut <iiid, U'liat thenl Am I
not a man? AVhat I see is naiorul ttu<l wttii»p men have passe<l under this
river. Why should not I |'a»-s therer Jt ;* twif rhar only Frenchmen
have passed there and that red mt^u ^'j tiin iinilerTake the pa.-sa8;e ; but I,
Moueacht-Ai)<'. ouclit I to fear more iiiittv .murlier man?' -No.' .said I,
In a low tone. I ou;fht not to few. .1 iew.i'niled at onre and passed
under and rame aek. 1 pastted tTrtjitiuniy .'lUicli. for althou;{h I had
buffalo's wool In my ear-, the uoixe «jt» ov ♦rpinar rliat I was ;;lddy. I
■was not so mneh drenched u^ 3 iiu'.l w^i^ffM 'o he liefore I wi'ut In.
After Imvln;: examined the heiirht of T.ut* ftij; I believe that the Kcd
men -|)eak tin' truth wli.-n 'hey aowwn "iuir it i-» of tlie heif.'ht of one
hundreil Hed men who are rather luli"jiiuui wliires. U'e were detained
so loni; lookini.' at what J Inne wwrve^i t'aat. we were compelled to
camp for the nljilit on the other ••kle "i i. -v.vid. ivhlch notwithstanding
Its thickness did not «top the ui>iM. .,rj -liii* \vaTi»rs. fi,r we still heard It.
It is true that our ear-. althou;rh »rti.>)>;«i'! up, wert- full of It, and for
more than ten day- after J "till ihoiu^iii D ieavd ir.

• • The next day we toi.,k tlie •.uor,*-*.- >iwli f.ip the Ohio River. When
we reached thiTe we followed do«i; '.x;>* f.v.^v ro a point where there
was no more wood to jirevfut me is'.tui JsUiwvluu; its waters to the great
river of our coiuitry. which pa<-he^ \ <iri iHa» here. This was the way
that 1 wished to take, as I had beei; ii.ii41 ji iroiild rake me to my village.
When we were at the place where 3 wv*hr to take the water, we cut
down a tree of -oft wood: we iiiatle Ui i;*tiiirt rime my little diiir-out.
In truth it wa- not well finished. Oiri ih- Lr wa.'* ro de-ceinl with the
current, it was better than a liirirt ',uie. Jfy duir-out belnir made, I
slia|ied a [laildle. I also made ii \i\u% J'Mjit VCrf placed the dug-out in
the water and fastened it with my biu't mii)e ; then we went hunting.
AVe killed two l)Ut1'aloes. the meat 'JS 'V''\\i''.\ x.» smoked. My comradfr
took his -hare, and I jilaeed the r'f-n tu niii* dnur-out. We parted with
hearts botuid toi.'etlier like good JWrnitU 'v!io love one another. If he
had been without a wife and ihU<U«u 'oi* ■.vnitld have ji.ined me in my
trip to the West of whieli 1 h.ave ".jKiiniu

•• • I entered my dug-out and det,e«U'li»i41 M my ea.-<e the Ohio River ta
our great river, which we call Mea'-fl-'uncr-Hpi. without n\eeting any
man in the Ohio River. I .'lai.i not ))r•,K^^}v'^'^^ ix( in the Great River before

I rai't two plrojriii'>i full of Arkaiw.**. »Uiv "..ins :i calnmet to the Illinois,
niio nre tluMr t>r()tli<T«. Tli»'Ui-.»- I •:i»*M»ttili'il :ill flit- tlmi' oven to our
little river. «l 'ili I enured, hut t*'i»ij<I J.w .in.» at ■iiir nelithljori, whom
I happily met. i nevi-r ^lioulil Uav. 4»»tti .Wii^ u, ■x-cfni\ to our village. I
saw with joy my rehitiou-. « ho •♦•r* x!M' r,t «»i« nif in ifood hcnltli.'

'• Suoii \va* tile uarrHtivf il^ut J8imu'.»'1i1!-.%p* ir.ive me of liU jour-
ney to the En^t. wlierc he Ifurutid WJ^AviXis ''.i;af f.mlnit the matters which
lie WHS inve-tliratinif. It \>- tru* itf iM'. *>'»n thr- oc> He had seen It

In 11 «tnte of ajritiitiou. H»- had \viiiii>*«.»d rhn i>bli nnd i of the tide.
He liad examined tlie famous liUl- w Jf.ii'xii":i. .md ne m r i talk Intelll-
irentiy of tliem. .ill thi^ '"Uld ii'.<t iM: r., i-,i> ^uri-if.irto 'v to a curious
nuin, wii(j had nothluj: eKe to ''.io tiiui w:i\t.^I for 'i.rornintion, to ilo
which he had but to malie sUuilw ■ssjji'ilitionH ' i that vhlch he had
made to the East.

'•Tlie fnliure of the Mf)i» tii.li>-i, •.■' Hr.nctu-ht-Apf: ilurini; f-everol
years, far from extiuii-ulKhiiiju' ili». :.wrri» rh.-ir he had to learn, only
excited him tlie more. iJel'-niinif:' Vr M.Mmpt ivnyfUinii to dispel the
ignorance in which he j«erceiv»'.i Hii!,i m ww lmnrjr§ed, he persisted

hN j-i-oplfi- rt design which
d which w )Uld never have
- lerermineii tli-n to go from
.:" in rho country from wliich
■ :\T. he couM there learn many
• crrni'i*. He undertook the
liC return for tive years. He
lay after he had repeated to

lu tlie desijfn of di»covennt' the
demanded as much spirit a- ■ ' ■ ■ i . !
entered tlio liruin of an ordiuu!> ■ i ■
nation to nation until he '•houli.i ♦■.
his ancestors eniiirriited, beint' l"' ■ i
thini;s whicli tliey had fort'"!'' • ■
journey to the West, from wlij'; ...
gave me tiie following detaJJt 1Ii» irtsr.
me tliat of the East ; —

'• • My preparations were umd' viiC '«'ii»a 'I'le arrain wa* ripe' I prepared
some provisions for the joui-u*^. bu; I! .|Kparr.-il, follovvin;: tlic hijfh
laud in which we live [to the euM <.4 n;ii» rt?i»v to the Wabash Ohio)].
I followed the stream uji for a ijujutiw '<'l! .i day aljove the place where it
loses itself in the Great Kiver 'M.i*«i*»tj>sii ' . in order to he able to cross
it witliout being carried into tin ',«tll«ir When I s.aw tliat it was liiah
enough, I made a raft of cune» uu'U » i!.:.rl,» onni-h of canes wliicli served
nie for a paddle. I thus cro«j,»ii:l tin W:th(wh [Ohio], and began my
journey on the prairies, wlicrt liit iaJ:i»-< irin hut just t)ei.'inning to
spring' up. Tlie next day. lowaj-'J* liitt midiile of the day. I found a
small troop of l)ull'aloes. whicb |iernij!ti!,»i 1 la^. to approach so near to tliem
that I killed a cow suttlcieutly iiel. i n.',i-,k the tenderloin, tlie hump and
the tongue, and left the rest for iiIm; w.ii?.*^. [ w;is heavily loaded, Viut
I did not liave far to go to lem-ii l^* TTiiim.iraas, one of the villages of
the Illinois nation. When J vn* in nlii-» nation I rested a few ilays,
prejiaring to continue my jourm-j.. Atfj^v this little rest I pursued my
way, mounting to tlit Noith. evrm Vii she Mi-'souri. As soon as I was
opposite tills river. I jirepared to 'ir'j>»+-he 'i-reat River [Mississippi] so
as to arrive on the north of ih»- >fi>*'iivvi. To etfect this. I ascended
sulliciently high and made a rajl *•• S lunl done to cr^i^s tlie Wabash
[Ohio], i crossed the <irfiit iijv.ttf- 'J|Ii:-«i'-»ippi^ from East to West.
When I was near the bank I perui.rtAM'J luy-^if to ilrift with the curi'cnt
until I wa.A at tlie st".l point whfj'e oHie swo rivers meet. In descending
upon this point I found tliere vjuie SniWiWrls. which h.icl no fear of man.
I killed one. .4s I went to iikils jl nt) I! -^w my raft, which I had
abandoned liecause I liad uo funlliw '«'«» for it. It had been drawn
quietly down Iiy the ciineut kIoiu: "V ■•h.ire. but when it reached the
point wliere tlie two water* uiMei.. iili»5 r,'i«'-«t»d it iboiit and scemetl to
quarrel as to which should iiavt^ ii. i v wrlied it as long as I could, for

'Probably when the corn wa* ^'ixitCii* foas'ing ear."

I had never seen waters flftlit like that, as if eacii of tliem wislied to
have a part of it. Finally I lost si}j;ht of it. What seemed extraordinary
to me and gave me jrreat iileiisure was to see the two waters niini^le
themselves tojretlier. Their (litferencc is threat, for the Great Kiver
[Mississippi] wliicli I had just evussed, is very clear above the Missouri,
although lielow it is muddy even to the fireat Water [ocean]. This
conies from the >Iiss(juri. whose waters are always muddy in all its
course, which is very loni'. I saw also that these two waters flowed
for a long distance, side l)y side, that on the West lieing muddy, and on
the Kast the water is clear. I a>ccniled the Missouri on the North l)ank,
and I travelled several days before arriving at tlie Missouri nation,
whom I liad some dilllculty to find. I remained there long enough not
only to rest myself, but also to learn the language spoken a little further
on. I was surfeited on my trij) with tlie humps and tenderloins of
buffaloes which I had killed. I never saw so many of these animals as
in this country, where you can see prairies of the length of a day's
journey and more covere<l witli tliem. The .Missourls live almost
exclusively on meat, and they only use maize as a relief from l)uft'alo and
other game, of which they have great (|uantity. 1 passed the winter
with them, during wliich so much snow fell that it covered the earth as
deep as a man's waist.

" ' Wlien the wintei- vva-.^ over 1 resunnil my journey and ascended the
Missouri till 1 arrived at the nation of thi^ We>t. [They are also called
the Canzfs]. There I gathered Information of what I wanted to know
so as to arrange for the future. They told nie that to go to the country
from whence we as well as they came would be very ditlioult, because
the nations were far away from tlie Mi.-s,iiiri. That alsv; when I should
have travelled about a montli, it would be necessary for nie to liear to
my right, taking directly Nortli, where I should (Ind at several day's
journeys another river wliicli runs from the East to the West, conse-
quently directly opposite to the Missouri. That I shoulil follow this river
until I should tlnd the nation of the ()tter>, where I could rest myself
and couUl learn more fully w hat was necessary, and perhaps tlnd some
persons who would accominuiy me. For the rest I coi|ld descend this
river in a dug-out and travel a great distance without fatigue.

" ' With these instructions I continued my route, following constantly
for one moon the Missouri, and although I had travelled sutliciently fast,
I did not yet dare to take to the right as they had told me, t)ecause for
many days 1 had seen mountains which I hoitated to pass for fear of
wounding my feet. Xevertheless, it wa> ueeosary fur me ti> come to a
conclusion. Having taken this resolve for the next day. 1 determined to
sleep where I was and made a tin-. Shortly after, while wntchlnu' the
sun which had already gone considerably down, I saw some smoke at
some distance oil'. I did not doulit that this was a party of hunters who
proposed to pass tlie night in this place, and It entered my mind that
they might lielong to the (Jtters. I liiiniediately left In order that I
might be guided to them by the ~moki' while it was yet daylight. I
joined them and they saw me with surprise. Thi'y were a [larty of thirty
men and some women. Their lanirmige was unknmvn to nie and we
were only able to comniunieati' by siu-ns. Nevertlieless, ivith the
exception of their surprise, they received nie well enough,^ and T
remained three days with thein. At the end of this time one 'of tlie
■wives told her husbainl 'that she bellevi'd herself ready for lying in.
Upon that the others sent this man and Ills wife to the village, iind told
them to take me with them in order that I mly:ht travel by an easier
road than that which I was mi tlie |ioint of takini;.

" ' We ascended the Missouri still for nine short days, tlien we turned
directly North and travelled for live ihiys. at the cud d' wlilcli time

we found a river witli clear and beantll'iil water. They called it
" The lieaiitifnl liiver." 'I'liis man and Ids wife a-kid nie by sijins
if I did not wi'^li to liatlie, as tliey did, because i uas loni; since
they liad liatlied. I tcld tlieui in tlie »aine way tijat J also liad ureat
need of a hatli, but that I was afraid of croeiidiles. Tliey made me
understand tliat tiicre were none liere. Upon their assurance I bathed
and did it witli srreat pleasure in this beautiful water.

" ' We descended the Beautiful liiver diirinn- tlie rest of the day, till we
arrived upon the Ijanks of a stream which we recoirnized wliere this
trooj) of hunters had concealed their dug-outs. My guide liavini; drawn
out his own. we three entered and descended to theb- village, where we
did not arrive till night. I was as well received by this nation as if I
had l)een one of them. Dnrini; the journey I had picl<ed up a few words
of tlieir language and I very ^oon learned it, becau.se I was always with
the oh! men who love to instruct tlie younir, as the young love to be
instructed and converse freely with each other. l" have noted this
generally in all the natives tliat I have seen. This nation was really the
Utters wleini I souiiht. As I was very well treated there I would
willinirly liave made a longer stay, and it seemed to me tliat they also
wished it. But my desi4.'U 'ccupied me always. I determined toleave
with >-ouie of this people who were L'oing to carry a calumet to a nation
thronirh wliicli I must pass, who, I)eing brothers nf those whom I was
about to iiuit, spoke the same language with some slight dltfercnces. I
parted then with the Otters, and we doceiided the •• Beautiful Kiver" in
a piroitnt for eigliteeu days, putting mi slifire from time to time
to hunt, and we did not want for game. I sliould have liked to
pnsli on further, following alwys the •' Beautiful Kiver," for I did not
become fatigued in the pirogne, but it was necessary for me to yield to
the reasons opposed to it. They told me that tlie lieat was already
great, that the iirass wa^ hiiih and the serpents dangerous in this season,
and that I miirht lie liitten in goiiiir to the cliase, and that moreover it
was nece>sary that I should iearii the laii:iuage of .lie nation where I
wished to no, whicli would be much easier wlien I should know tluit of
tlie country where I was. I followed the advice that the oUl men of
t'.'s nation yave me witii tiie less hesitation that I saw tliat their liearts
am! their mouths -poke to^'ether. They loved nie and I did not go
to till cliase except for amusement, liurinii the winter that I passed
with tlieni. I set myself to work to learn the lauauauo of the peojile
where I iuteiideil to go, becau-e with it they assured me that I could
make myself understood by all the peojde that I should llnd from that
point to the "(ireat Water," wliicli is at the West, tlie ditl'erence
between their lanKUage- not being L'l'eat.

••'The warm weather was not yet entirely over wlien I got in a
piroirne with plenty of breadstnlt's' [ vuaules eu farine IhQcixufiC these
nations do not cultivate maize. aU''ough the soil seems very good.
They cultivate only a little as a cur' ... . I had in my pirogue only my
provision-, a pot, a bowl and what i needed for my beti, and if I had
liad some Indian corn nothing would have been wantiiiir. Tims, not
beiu:,' enibiirrassed willi aiiytliin;r, I lloated at my ease, and in a short time
I arrived at a very simill nation, who were suv|U^i-ed to see me arrive
alone. Tills tribe wear lonn' hair and look upon those who wear short
slaves, whose hair lias l.ieen i;ut in order that they m.ay be recog-

nizi

d. The chief of this tribe, who was on the bank of the river, said

' l*. S. G. and G. Survey, Conlvibiitions to Xorlli .American Ethnology,

vol. I., 1113. Tribes of Western Washiiiitton and Northeastern Oregon,

by George Glbbs, M.D. The roots used [for food] arc numerous

the wappatu, or sa<juitt'iria. and the kamas are the principal.

but

brusquely to me : ' Who are yon? Wliero do yon come fromV Wl\nt do
you want lieriMvitli yoiiv >liort liair?' I saiti to him. 'I am Monraclit-
Ape; I come from the nation ot tlie Otters. I am in searcli of informa-
tion, and 1 eome to yon for yon to jrive it: my luiir is --liort so tliat it
may not botlier me, l)nt my cotirane is yood. 1 do nut eonie to asl< food
from you. I Inive enotiyh to hist me for some time, and wlieii I shall
have no more, my bow and my arrows will rnrni~li nie more tliaii I need.
Durinii winter, lilie tlie l)ear, I seel\ a eovert, and in summer I imitate
tlie oairle, wlio move- about to .satisfy ids eiiriosity. Is it possi'de tliat
a single man, wlm travel> by dayli-ilit, makes you afraidr'

"'He replied that altliouj;h I mijilil eome from the nation of the
Otters, lie easily saw that I was not of them: but that I could remain
since I was so courasreous, a(hlin.sr th.at he e<nild not understand how I
spoke his lani^iuijje, which none of the people east of tliere understood.
I told hiin that I had learned it of an old man called Salt Tear, and at
the same time 1 re-embar!-:ed iu order to go, l)ecause I disliked his
conversation, l)ut at the name of Salt Tear, who was oni' of his friends,
he retained me, assuring: tne thai I shouhl confer a pleasure on him by
remaininu: in his villajre as lonjr as I was willing'. I came ashore rather
to learn what I could than to rest myself, for I was not satislled with
his talk. ' What,' said I to myself, ' when two bears meet they stop,
rub nose aarainst nose, mutter some sounds that they understand without
doubt, and seem to caress each other, and here men speak rudely to cacli
other.' Being then disembarked I told him that Salt Teai' liad charged
me to see on his part an old man called •• Big UoeljucU." It was the
father of him with whom I was talking. He had him called. The old
man came, being led l)y the hand, for he could not see very well, and
learidug from wl'.at parts I ha<l come, he received mi.' as ix I were his
son, took me into his cabin and had all that was in my pirogue brocght
there. The next day he taught me those things that I wished to know,
and assured me that all the nations on the sliores of the Great Water
would receive me well on telling them that I was the friend of big
Hoebuck. I remained there only two days, during which he catised to
be made some gruel from certain snudl grains, smaller than French peas ,
which are very good, which pleased me all tlie more that it was so long
that I had eatei; only meat. Having re-embarked in my pirogue, I
descended the Beautiful liiver without stopping more than one day with
each nation that I met on my way.

"'The last of these nations is at a day's journey from the Great
Water, and withdrawn from the river the journey "of a man [abi)Ut
a league]. They remain in the woods to conceal themselves, they say,
from the bearded men. I was received in this nation as if I had arrived
in my family, and I had there good cheer of all sorts, for they have in
this country an abundance of that grain of winch Biir Hoebuck had
made me a gruel, and although it springs up without l)eiug sowed, it is
better than any grain that I have ever eaten. Some large blue l)irds
come to eat this grain, but they kill them because they are very good.
The water also furnishes this people with meat. There is an' animal
which comes ashore to cut grass, which has a head shaped like a young
butt'alo, but not of the same color. They eat also many llsh from the
Great Water, which are larger than our large brills and much better, as
well as a great variety of shell-tlsh, amongst which some are very
beautifid. But if they live well in this country it is necessary always
to bo on the watch agains^ th>j bearded men. who do all that they can to
carry away the youna persons, for they never have taken any men,
although they could have done so. They told me that these men were
white, that tliey had long, lilack beards 'which fell upon their breasts,
that they appeared to bo short and thick, with largo heads, which they

\'f Wliat do
.Moiicai-'Iit-
of iiil'oniia-
o that it
tn a»k rood
uhcii I shall
tliaii I iii'L'cl.
ii-'i' I imitate
o-.siblo that

lion of tlie

oiild remain

■taud liow I

imdi'i'stood.

rear, and at

dislilicd Ills

liis Iriciuls,

■e on liim by

■•lioie rather

itistled with

It thi/y stop,

and witliout

dc'ly to each

:iad charucd

It was the

■d. Tlif okl

ry woll, and

I wcri' his

no brorifhl

I to know.

Great Wiiter

icnd of hig

10 caii-ed to

Freneli peas,

was so Idii!?

■ piroirne, I

jne (lay with

n the Great
man [about
's. tliey say,

liad arrived

lioy liavc in
loobnek lind

soweil, it is
L- blue liirds

very ;rood.
s an animal
like a young
■li from tlie
h better, as
le are very
sary always

they can to
n any men,
e men were
eir Iji'oasts,

which they

covered with clotli ; that tiiey always wore their clothes, oven in the
hottest weatlier: tliat tlieir coats fell to the middle of the lc:is. which
as well as the feet were covei'ed witli red or yellow cloth. Toi' the rest
they did not know of wliat tlieir clothim; was made, because they had
never lieeii alile to kill one. iheir arm> makinii' a irreiit noise and a LTeat
llanie: tha"" they nevertheless retire when they see more red men than
tlieir own numbers; that then they j.'o aboard their plro;:ue [witliout
doubt a bar(|Uo] where there were sometimes liiirty and even more.
They added lliat those strani;cr.s came from where the sun sets to seek
upon this coa-l a yellow and tiad-smelliny- wooil which dyo> a beautif il
yellow. That a« they hail o)i^er\cMl that the bearded men came to carry
oil' this wood each year when Ilie cold weathi'r liad ceased, they had
destroyed all these trees, followinL; the advice of an old man, so that they
came no more, because they fonml no more of this wood. In truth, tlie
banks of the river, which were formerly covered, were then naked, and
there remained of this wood in this country but a small iiuantity, only
sullicieiit for the dyeiny' of the people themselves. Two nations, ueiith-
bor.s of each othci' and not far distan' from the one where I was. could
not imitate them in tliis stoii. because they had no other than this yellow
Avood, and the bearded men, having: discovered this, went there every
year, which inconvenienced these natic:us very nuicli. as they did not dare
•ro on the coast for fear of losiutr their youni;- people. In order to drive
them oiV thoi'ou;.dily, they had invited all the neiirhborin^r tribes to
rendezvous with them in arms towards the ciw .uencoment of the
followiuir summer, at a irivon moon, and this time wa^ near at hand. As
I told them that I had seen ilre-arms and wa~ not afraid of them, these
people invited nie to tut with them, sayiiii; that these two nations were
on the route that I must take to co to the country from uliich we came,
and for the rest there wmild be so many red uu'ii that they would easily
destroy the bearded men. which would liimler others from coiniiij!;. I
replied that my heart found that it was yood that I should l'o with
them, and in actimr thus I had a desire that I wished to satisfy. I was
anxious to see these beardeil men, who did not resemble French, Eniflish
nor Spaniards, sucli as 1 had seen, all of whom trim their beards and are
dilferently clothed. .My cheerful assent created much pleasure anion^
these tribes, who tliouiiht witli roa-oii that a man who had seen whites
and many nathes. oiiuht to have more intelliyroncc than those who had
never lofi their hoino^ .'lud had only seen red men.'

"I ti?id Moucaclit-.Vpe to take a rest until the next day. I gave
him a glass of brandy and set to work as usual transcribing what
he had told mo. During the second niiiht that >Ioncacht-Ape staid
with me I recalled what the native had told me <d' the Great Water into
which the Beautiful Hiver discharges; I thought this sea of which lie
spoke might lie the " Sea of the West.'' for which they have sought so
long. Therefore I proposed to submit certain i|Uestioiis to him before
he began his recital of his journey to tlie West. The next day. as he
prepared to continue, I asked him what roifo he had followed with
respect to the sun. When one triivels in Enroiie one does not notice
whether one goes Xortli. South. East or West, liecause one follows roads
"■'''"h lead where yon are iXQUVS, without disturbing oneself with the
• earing of the stars; but in the rouions which are only sjiursely
inhabited it is necessary that the sun sliould serve as a i.'uido, there
being no other way; and the natives, throuirh habit anil necessity,
observe closely the bearing' of the sun in their travels. Thus I was
assured of a reply on Monoaclit-.ApL''s part.

"He answeroil. then, that in asceniliuL' the Missouri as far as the
nation of that name he had travelled according to his idea between
North and West: that from this nation to the Gauzes he had travelled

to til.' NoiMli, ainl lliiit iU'tii' Icaviiii: the Cnnzes, in foUowiiiir th«
Missdiii'i, lie liad iihvays travi/llcil Ki-twecu North and Wo-t, and tljatthe
J*Ii>i-oiiri went thu>. That when lii' i|'iitf''l t'l'^' .Mi»i>ouri to i;o to the
Bfantifiil liiviT he liad travi'lU'd .lircct to the Xorlli: that in deseelidinjj;
the lieaiitiful liivir lie had always tiMvelliii between North and We.st,
even to the (ireat Water; that the iiiir Hoeliiiek liad told him that the
MiNSonri and tlie l!eaiitil'iil IJivir had their eoiir>e> always ei|Uiilly
(iistnn; the one from the other. A Irr having: answered my questions,
he eonliniieil the narrative of hi- lra\els in the-e terii.v :

■•• When the time wa-- eoiiie. I left with the warrior>. and we travel-
led live ;;reat day-' journey-. lieiiiir arrived we waited a lom: time for
the liearded iiieii. who eaiue tin- year a little later than ti-iial. Wliile
waitinir I wii- -how n tlie jihite where they put their lar^e pirojjne. It
was between two elitls wliieh are sullieiently hli:h and lonjr, and are
conneeted with the main land. I'etweeii them Hows a little river bor-
dered with the treis whieh furnish the yellow wood, but this river being
too -hallow to permit the entry of their hirj.'e |dromies, they had a smaller
one with w liieli they wi'iit ii]i. 'I hey told me that the bearded men would
not mi-tru-t aiiythiiii;. beeau~e the people all withdrew two days' journey
fr<Mii the -pDt as -oon as tliey pereeivetl them eomiiii; on the (ireat Water,
and did not aiii'ear airain until they had left. That nevertheless they
Were always watched without the wateher- beini: seen. After having
instructed me in a'.! tlie-e thiiiir-, they held a eouueil and were of opinion
that tliey oiifjht to eiuiceal llifciii-eives behind these two clifl's, and
when the bearded men sIkiuUI arrive, everybody should cry out and
draw upon them to jirevent them from landiu;;. 1 had not spoken at
lirst, but tiiially -eeiiii: how thinirs were L'oin;:. I told tiieiii that althongu
1 had not made warairainst tlie whites, I knew that they were brave and
skillful, that althouiiU I did not know if these white men resembled the
others. 1 nevertlii-le-s thoii;ilit that they 'the Indians) would not do
nnich harm in tiie way they projiosed to act: that Ijy their plan, if they
shouhl secure three or four scalps, they would have accomplished a
great deal; which would not be much honor for so many warriors, and
they would lie badly received on their return to their (leople, for it would
be believed that they were afr;ud. I cnunselled them to place two men
upon the two elill'- to watch t!ie bearded men witlmut their knowledge,
and to warn us of their arrival : that time should then be given for them
to come ashore to cut woml and that when they were thus occupied a party
of warriors should mniiiit upon the eiilfs, another should conceal itself in
last year's underbru-h. and the rest openly attack. It cannot be doubted,
I ailded. that there uill not be many bearded men who will save them-
selves, but wlu'ii they wl -li to rcL'ain their -mall pirogue, those C(Uicealed
in the underbni-h will kill many, and when they apiu'oach the large
pirogue, those on tlic elitls will do the same. All the warriors were
of my opiniiui, and were very glad that I had been willing -ime

with them.

• ' We waited for the bearded men (hiring seventeen uays, at the end
of which time they were seen to apiu'oach in two large pirogues. They
placed themselves between the two dill's, where they busied themselves
in filling with fresh water, vessels of wood similar to those in which the
French [tlace the (ire water. It was not until the fourth day that they
went ashore to cut wood. The attack was carried out as I had advised,
nevrtheless they only killed eleven. I do not know why it is that red
men w ho shoot si> -urely at i.'ame, aim so badly at their enemies. The
rest of them ^'allied their jiirogues and lied upon the Great Water, where
we fidlowed tliem lontr with our eyes and linally lost sight of tliem.
They were as much afraid of our numliers as we were of their lire-arms.
We th.-n Went to examine the dead which remained with us. They were

)llowiiiir ih«
iiul flat the
II yi> to the

li iiiiil Went,
liini thiit the
iii.vs uiiually
ly (iiiestions,

il we travel-
iii; time for
-Hill. While
pii'ii;j;ile. It
oiijf, and are
le river bor-
s river being
lad a Kinaller
(1 men would
lays' jonrney
ireat Water,
tlieless tliey
Ifter Imving
■c of opinion
) clitl's, and
cry ont and
ot spolveu at
liat althougii
re brave and

umliled the

onld not do

plan, if they

oniplislied a

rarriors, and

for it would

ace two men

linowledge,

ien for them

iipiedaparty

ceal itself in

be doubted,

save tlicm-
se concealed
I'll the large
arrlors were
iiig nne

s, at the end
guos. They
I themselves
in which the
!iy that they
liad advised,
: is that red
emies. The
'ater. where
It of tliem.
ir lire-arms.
They were

■

mncli smniler tlian we were, auil very whilr. Thiy bad liirao heads and
bodies s'lltlcieiitly lariic for tlwii- liciL'lit. 'I'hiii- hair was unly lunir in
the mi Idle of the head. Tliey diil iii;i wear liat« li'Kc you, bill their
heads were twisted aroninl with cl'ith: tliclr ilntiie> were neither
wo'iUen nor bark [he wouUl say »ilk] but siniu-lhiiiL: similar to yonr old
shirts [without doubt cotton] very soft and of dilferent colors. That
which covered their limbs anil their feet was of a single piece. I
wisliei! to try on one of these covcriiifis. but my feet would not enter
it. [The leL';riiiirs were bnttiiies which have the ^enin l)ehind. Natives
can not wear siioes and s|ii<-kin^-. because their tuc^ are spread so far
apart.] All the tribes assembled in this place divided up tlieir garments,
their beads and their scalps, of the eleven killed, two only had Hre
arms with powder and balls. Althoiiirh I did nut know a- niiich about
flre-arms as I d>i now. still, as I had seen Nuine in Canada, I wished to
try them, and found that they did not kill a> far as yours. Tliey were
much heavier, 'file powder wa- mixed, coarse, medium ami line, but
the coarse was in y:reati-r i|iiantity.

" ' See what I have obseived cnncei'iiin;.' tlie lii^arded men. and in what
■way the natives relieved themselves of tliem. After thi^ I thouudit only
of coutinuinit my joiu'in y. 'I'o iieconipli-h this. ie;'.viiiu tlie red men to
return to their home~, I joined tlio-^e who lived further to the West on
the coast, alid we travelled always fol!ov\inu' at a short distance the
coast line of the Great Water, which L:oes directly between North and
AVest. When I reached the lionu- of this people I rested several days,
during which I studied the way that remained for me to travel. I ob-
served that the days were much lonirer than with ii~. and the nights
very short. I wanted to know from them the reason. Init they could
not tell me. The old men ad\ i«ed me that it would be useless to under-
take to go further. They -aid the I'oast still exteinleil for a great
distance to the North anil'Wesi ; that llnally it turned sinu't to the West,
and Unal'y it was cut tlirouLdi by the ("ireat Water directly fiom North
to Sonth. One of tliiMii adiled that when vouni;' he had known a very
old man who had seen this land [before the ocean Ini'l eaten its way
through] which went a lonir ilislance. and that when the (ireat Waters
were lowered [at low tide] thiTe are rock- wliieli ^iiow where this laud
was. Everyone turned me asiih' from undi'rtiiking this journey, because
they assured me that tlie country was sterile and cold and ciuiseipiently
vvithont inhabitants, and they counselled mo to return to my own
country.'

" Moncacht-Ape returiiod home by the same route that he had taken
In going, -which he recounted to me in few words. After which I asked
him if he could say how many days' journeys then; were of actual
travel; he told me that the lleautiful liiver lieing very swift and rapid
he had uescended very fast, and that in reducinn- this march to ilays'
journeys by land, he coinited to have journeyed in all tliirly-«ix moons,
that is to say during thi'ei' years. It is true, a- he ailiuittcd. tliat
travelling throu;;li countries wliieli to him were absolutely unknown, he
had followed the sinuosities of the Missouri, ami if he had to return to
the same jilaces he could shorten his path ami would iK>t travel more
than thirty-two or thirty-three moons. It is true as he said that he
travelled faster than red men ordinarily do, who generally make but sis
leairues n day when loaded with at least two hiindreil i)ouuds burthen,
but as Moncncht-Aiie carried only one hundred pounds, or siuuetimes not
more than sixty, lie ouuht to have made often even idni' or ten leagues. I
know myself from experience in returniui! from my expedition to the
interior, that not losing time in makini: investii.'atiiuis. my iieople,
although loaded, made nearly ten leagues a day. Thus, in estitnating
his day's journeys at seven leagues' travel, he oiiirht to have made, with

jyjfct.--

cs:?;

some cortninty, at loa>t oiglitoeii liuiulrcd Icafrups. Tims I reason : He
traVflli.Ml aliont tliii'ty-«ix moons, a-^ many iroing as eominj;. It is
noet'S-ary to ilfduct lialf this tinit' for liis return. At seven leagues a
(lay thiri? will remain three tlioiisaml. seven lunulred and forty-eiglit
leau'iies. I deduct ajiaiu liall' for tlie lU'tours that he was oblij^ed to
nuike. which were in itreat nuiiihci', and I lln<l still eiirhtcen hundred and
ninety leairiies that there was from the Vazoo to the coast, which was
at the mouth of the lieautifiil Kiver. He was live years making this
journey to the West,"

M. de Quatrefnges was mistaken in supposini; that he was the flrst to
call attention to the ethnological value of this tale, for we find that the
first volume of the transactions of tlie Literary and Historical Society
of Queiiec' contains a paper liy Andrew Stuart, Ksq,, which is entitled
"Journey Across the Continent of Xorth America, by an Indian Cliief,"
etc, etc. Mr. Stuart evidently places contidenee in the story, for after
giving a translation of it and reciting nntny things whicli subsequent
explorations have proved to be true, he says: "None of these could
have been known to the Indian cldcf , .anil the general tone and character
of M. du Pratz's work excludes the idea of his having fabricated the
story."'

Greenho w, in his History of Oregon,-' quotes a version of the story with
the following endorsement : '•there is indeed, nothing about it which.
shouUl induce us to reject it as false, except the part respecting the ships
and white men." In the Hevue d'Anthro]iologie, tome 4nie, 1881, M. A.
de Quatrefages,^ in tlie article to whieli we have already alluded,
reprints LePnire's story in full, explains and elucidates tlie obscure por-
tions with voluminous notes, cites a vast amount of testimony to show
that the white men must have come from Lieou Tchou or some of the
Eastern isles of Japan, and arrives at the conclusion that the journey of
Moncacht-Ap6 was really accomplished, and tliat, prior to the time when
the Europeans knew anytliing about tliat part of tlie shores of North
.■Vmerica, the mouth of the ('olniiibia Itiver and the adjoining shores
were known and frequented Ijy this peoide.

Let us examine the story to see w hat are its elements of strength and

'Transactions of tlie Literarv and Historical Society of Quebec, Que-
bec, 1829, Art, XL, vol. I., p. i98 et seq.

'As early as 17(15 Die discussion of tills subject began, in a 4to.
entitled '• Memoires et (.)bservations (ie<)^raphi(|Ues," fte. Par Mr.
• • * (SniiK'.el Eugel). Lausanne, ITO.'i. This was accomiianied
by a chart illustrating the tlieory of the author and sliowing Moncacht-
Ajie's journey.

■'Greenhow's Oregon, Boston, \SH, p. 145.

* The reputation of M. de Quatrefages probably requires no endorse-
ment in this country, but if any doubts exist as to the value of his
opinions, such languay;e as tliis, '• M. de Quatrefages is acknowledged
to be the most disthiguished Anthropologist In France," used by Major
Powell, in Science, vol. I., No. 10, p. 290, [633], will dispel tliem. See
also [034] where Major Powell brlelly alludes to the Moncaclit-Ap6
storv.

what its eleuit'iits of weakiic'>s. We can at tlio ^-aiiie time, pt'i'linps,
deternilue wliptlier lliuro wvro any motives suilicient to iiuliice a writer
of tliat pcrioii to fabiicate or iMiibclii-iii a proiliiftioii of tliis
kind. We must bear In inincl lliat t-i'I'ai:i.' ilii I'rat/ was inanifestlv a
tliL'orif.t and an ontlinsiast. To liini the romantic iKition tliat tliis vener-
al)lc red >lvin was luuitin;; npa ijcucaloi;i<al rci'ord, wonld t)e conspicu-
ously apparent as tlic all-iniiKjrtant factor of tlie journey, wliere tlie
mention of sncli a motive niiylit liave licen entirely overlooked by one
not alliicted with the ethnoloirical craze. But wliatever the motive, was
the journey a possil)ility? Could tids solitary traveller have penetrated
a reijion the secrets of which wore only yielded to the bold assaults of
Lewis and Clark in l.'^m? Cal>eca de Vaca' with Ids three companions,
tossed about from tribe to trilie, half-starved and terribly maltreated,
was nine years in workinir his way across the arid deserts of New Mex-
ico and Arizona, !)ut lie survived his terrible experiences and llnally
reached a place of safety under th(.' .Spanish Hair on the Pacillc slope.
Col. Dod^e, in "Our Wild Inilians,"- tells of a native who travelled
" on foot, jrenerally alone, from the banks of the Mississippi to the
mouth of the Columbia River, and who afterwards in repeated journeys
crossed and re-crossed. North, South, East and West, tlie vast expanse
of wilderness, until he seemed to know every stream ami moinitain of
the whole great continent west of the Mississippi river." Capt. Marcy,
in the "Prairie Traveller,"' tells of anothi'r " who had set his traps
.ind spread his Ijlanket ujion the head-waters of the Missou .;nd Co-
lumbia, and his wandcriiiL's liad led him .Soutli to the Colorailo and
the Gila, and thence to the slii)res of tlie I'acilic' Tlie physical
possibility of the trip may tliereforo be accepted.

The .i;eoi?raphy of the lower Missouri, the character of the river, the
tribes of Indians, tlie anim.ils and the plants to be found there were
known to LePage du Pratz. We llnd in his liistory an account of an
expedition by IJoiii'sinoiit throuiili this country. Little or nothiuj; could
have beer, known, however, by him, coiicerninLT tl.e habits or the modes
of life of the Indians livlni;- near the s.)urce of the Missouri,' and the

'Relation of Alvar Nunez Cabei^'a deVaca, Translated by Buckingham
Smith, N. Y., IsTl.

^"Our Wild Indians," Col. Richard C. Dodge, Hartford, 1882, p. 5.54.
I wish here to acknowledge tlie assistance rendered me by Mr. Luclen
Carr, of the Pealiody Museum, who kindly pointed out to ine these
instances of travel and endurance, and has otlierwise materially helped
me in this investigation.

^The Prairie Traveller, Capt. R. B. Marcy, N. Y., Iso'J, p. 188.

' Hennepin, while a captive ainoiig the Sioux, " saw Indians wlio cime
from about live hundred leagues to the West; they informed us tliat
the Asseiiipovalacs were then only seven or eii:ht days distant to the
Nortlieast of us; all the other known tribes on the West and Northwest
inhabit immense plains and praiiii's ab,)Uiiding in luilfalo and peltries,
where they are sometimes obli:red to make ilres with buH'alo dung for
want of wood." Hennepin's Loui-ianii, Sliea, New York, ls80, p. 230.

existence even of llic Cohimbia river liail not Ixm'Ii cstuljlisheil. What-
ever coincidences are f(j\inil Ixlween the >tor.v and the facts wliich
relate to tlie rei^ion West of tlie lieail-waters of tlie ifisioiiri are there-
fore valualile us indications of tlie probable truth of the story. The
astonlsliMient of the sava;;e at the absence of Indian corn, his yearning
for it after Ids meat-diet, and tlie inadei|iiacy of the bread-sttitl's ' fur-
nished liiin as a siibsiitiite, are tlie natural experiences of a traveller
over tills wnsie. Of tlie ^'rain used liy Hi:.' lioeliiick in Ids tuoliisonie
gruel we linve no knowledge. It is not Inclmhjd in any Hsi of the arti-
cles of food of these Indians in such a way as will enalile us to Identify
it. There are. however, several varieties of wild peas in i ireiion, which
might make a good relish as a dinner vegetable, and It is not impossible
that they may have been used in tliis manner in a limited way. We have
no record of any Indians alonir the liauks of the Columbia or Its tribu-
taries, wlio cut the hair of their slaves as a mark of indignity, but in
his '• Native Haces of the I'acillc,"' H. II. Bancroft tells us that "to cut
the liair sliort is to the Xootkn a disirrace," and in a note lie f|Uotes from
Sproat's " Scenes and Studies of Savage Life," Loiidon. I.SDS, i)p. 2o-2",
as follows : " Tlie hair of tlie natives is never sliavcn from tlie head. It
is black or dark brown, without gloss, coarse and lank, but not scanty,
worn long. • * * Slaves wear tlieir hair sliort."^ The
abundant opportunity for personal observation which Sproat had dur-
ing Ills residence on tlio Pacific Coast, makes this a valuable addition to
the list of coincidences. The seal does not come on shore and browse
on the grass, but the movements of the animal would suggest to one
ignorant of its habits, that this was probably what it was doing ; hence
w. nave no dilllculty in identifying the animal that furnished the "meat
from the water " to tlie natives. While it required no great imagina-
tion to suggest as prob.iijle the alnindanee of fish and shell-llsh which
the savage mentions, tlie habitual use of seal's meat as food could not
have been known to the Indian. Such knowledge was not, how-
ever, absolutely beyond LePage's power of acquisition at the time
of tlie publication of his book.

To appreciate the ignorance, at this time, of the geographers concern-
ing the region about tlie Columbia Kiver, it is necessary to establish
approximately the date of tiie interview between LePage dii Pratz and
Moncacht-Ape. Following the date of LePau'e's movements, this must
have taken place about 1725. JIoncacht-.Ape was tlieii an ohl man, and
the journey was a story drawn from liis memory. If we allow that

'For account of food used by Indians in Oregon, see Contributions to
North American Ethnology, .\rt. liy George Gibbs, M.IJ., vol. I., p. 193.

'Bancroft's Native Rtices, vol. I., p. 17'.'. and note.

'Lafitau, in vol. 2, p. 51, of his Manirs des Sauvages, Paris, 1724, 4to,
says that Mausolus, king of Carla, compelled the Lycians to cut their
hair, which was tiieii a mark of siM-vitude, also that the hair is cut as a
mark of servitude among tlie Caribsand the Indians of the South.

lied. What-
facts which

ii'i lire tliLTe-

st<jry. The

hi-j yi'.inilnt;
iil-ritnrt'ji' fiir-
of a travellur
lis tcjolhsDiiie
t of the arti-
us to identify
>i'ei:on. which
ot lin|>o^slbIe
uy. \Vc have
: <>v its tiilju-
iirnity, Ijut in

tiiat "to cut
i? (j notes fioin
iiiS, 1)11. L'5-L'7,

the liend. It
It not scanty,
hort."' The
I'oat had dur-
le addition to
e and browse
iKgest to one
dolnj; ; lience
ed tlie " meat
rcat Iniagina-
ell-llsli wliich
)od could not
IS not, how-

at the time

liers concern-
V to establish
In Pnitz and
ts. tills must
old man, and
te allow that

itriliutions to
ol. I., p. 193.

•is, 1724, 4to,
5 to cut their
ir is cut as a
.South.

the trip took place aliont 1700. we shall uot jilace it too early. We iiave
no account of the landins: of any white man on tlie I'acltic coast North
of 43° N. prior to that time. The only explorer said to have jieiiitrated
that region wliosc elaiiiis have in any way been recoifnized by jiostiTity.
Is Fuca. His <liscovery, in 1592, of the straits wliiili bear lil> name, in
accepted liy many as proljabie. If to this we should add tlie alle:ied
discovery liy Airiiilar of a river in 40° X., as Ijeinn jios^ibly tlie mouth
of the C'olnnibiii. tlie error in the location of wliicli wii> cliio to the
inadequate instruments and the inellicient metiiods of the times, we
shall then have cxleiided the area of actual knowledge of the day to
Include all tliat could possibly be claimed. Ail else was pure conjec-
ture, and more speculation. There were, however, anion;; tlie Imllans,
rumors concernini; a ;,ieat sea to the West and a great river llowiiig
Into it, and stories about tlicin were pa>sed from month to nmuth,
treading closely upon facts and suiri^esting a foundation in knowledge.
Wo cnunot to-day strip the embellishiiK'iits from tlie fundamental facts
with certainty, liiil we can come nearer to it than ever before. Aiiiniig
tliese stories one lliids place in the '• Kelation of mfifi," ' where we are
told that the " Sioux say that beyond the Kari/.i the earth is < 'it otV and
there is notliiiiir but a salt lake."

I'ather Jlaripiette, at the Mission of the " Outaou.acs " in l(i69, states
in his Kelation- that he was told of a "river at some distance to the
West of ills station, wliich Mowed into tiie Sea of the West, at the
moutli of which ids informer liad seen four canoes under sail."

Father Dablon, .Suiierior of tlie same Mission, in his ijelalioii-' for
the same year, gives other details of the river and sea, on which lie was
told " there was an ebb and How of the tide.''

Sngard-Thfodat* gives some curious details of a tribe " to whom
each year a certain people having no hair on head or chin, were wont to
come liy way of the sea in large ships. Their only purpose seemed to
be that of tratllc. They had tomahawks shajied like tiie tall of a
partridge, stockings with slioes attaciied, which were supple a'- a ;.'lovc,
and many otlim- things which tliey cxciianircd for peltries."

Piirchas* tells of a "friend in Vir;:inia to wiiom came nimor> even
there, from Indians to the Xortliwest. of tlie arrival on tiieir coa-t of
ships • which he concluded to liave come from Jajian.' "

In his history of Carolana, publislied in 1721', Coxe° tells n.* of a yellow
river called the Massorlte. tlie most uortlierly branches of whicli "are

' Relation 1000-67, ch. XII.. p. 114.

'Relation 1009-70, Part III., ch. XI., p. CO.

»Id.,ch.X., p. 12.

• Le grand voyage du pays des Hiiroiis, F. Sagard Thi'odat. p. 74,
Paris, 1032. New ed., Paris, 180,5 : and also, Histoire du Canada. Snsjard
ThCodat, 1630; New ed., Paris, 1800, p. 227.

'Purchas his Pilgrimes, The Third part. London, 102">, p. 849.

'Description of Carolana, Daniel C.)xe, Loudon, 1722. p. l.o.

Interwovoii with otlu'i' braiiclii'S wlili'h liiivo a (.■ontrary course, pro-
ceeiliiiit to the AVoHt, ftiul cmiity tlieiiiselvesi into tlie South Si-a.' The
Indians allli'ui they see ureal sliips sailiui.' in tliat lake, twenty times
bij:i!er tliau tiieir canoes."

An eiliiion of tlie " liilations de la Loulsiane "' [attrihuleil to Chev.
Tiinti anil by liini relniiiiiUcil], was |uiblislieil at An erdani in 1720.
There is an Inti'oductoi'y cliaiitor in tlii> e<lition from the pen of an
olllccr, eontaiiiiiiir a Ueseription of the Missinn'i, in wliich the followini;
stateiiuiit occurs: -'The savaifes witli whom the banks of this river
are tliickly peopled, assert that it rises in a moiuitain, from tlie other side
of which a torrent forms anotlier great river wliieh flows to the West
and empties into a jtreat lake which can only be, acceptiiii; the truth of
the statement, the Sea of Jajian."

We have in tlie fort'^oiiig, evidence of the character of information
on this subject open tfi Moncacht-Apfi as well as to Leraire, at the date
of the Indian's journey. There was no knowledite whatever of the
Pacitic coast oi liic chariicter of its iiihal>itants, but there were rumors
amongst the natives of the liiver, of the Ocean and even of visits from
foreigners, whom the French Fathers iilentitied with the Chinese or
Japanese.

In proceeding to examine the i|uestion of motive, we must (Irst call
attention to a curious t"act which seems to have l)een overlooked by
those wlio iiave referred to tills story in print. ■" Dnriuir tlie time
that Lel'aire was at Xatchcz a Freucli olllcer named Duniont was sta-
tioned in that vicinity. He met Lel'aire and interchanged notes and
observations witli him. In 17.5M he published a book on Louisiana
wliicli contained a digest of the Moncacht-.\iie story, duly credited to
LcPage du I'ralz as authority. This story, liowever, has an entirely
different ending from tlie one already quoted, and Its peculiarities
justify its quotation.' It is as follows ;

"I will tinish what I have to sny on Louisiana by >ome remarks sent
me by a friend.' wliom I liave cited many times in these memoires,
concernini: tlie situation of the Sea of the West and the means of
arriving tiiere l)y the river Mi-souri. I shall permit him to speak in this
chapter.

• ' An Indian,' said he, ' from the Yazoos, called Moncachtab6, whom
the French call the interpreter because lie speaks nearly all the Indian
language* of Xortli Amerioa, was In'ouuht to me as I requested. He
h.ad been described to me as a man remarkalde for his hniif journeys.
In fact lie had made one of three years into Canada, and another in the

'The raciflc.

^Relations de la Louisiauo, etc., par Cliev. Tonti, Amsterdam, 1720.

■'Kxcept in the contemporaneous publication of Mr. Samnel Engel,
" Memoires et observation* Geograpliiipies." etc. • Lausanne, 17(>5.

'Memoires snr La Louisiane, composes snr les .Memoires de M.
Dninopt. par M. L. L. M., vul. II., p. lmc, et seq., Paris, 1753.

^LePage du Prat/..

msm

<-"-'fS

course, pro-
1 Si'ji.' The
wont}' times

It'll to Chev.
lam III 1720.
pi'ii of ftn
lie I'ullowlni;
if this river
In; oilier sWe
to the West
the truth of

iiforinatlon
, nt the date
ever of the
wore rumors
f visits from

Chiueso or

ust first call
erlooktd by
ii!i the time
rint ^vas sta-
ll notes and
n Louisiana
■ credited to
i an entirely
peculiarities

eniarks sent
B memoires,
le means of
speak in this

:itab6. whom
1 the Indian
I nested. He
lit journeys,
other in the

erdani, 1720.
inuel Enf^el,
0, 170.5.
)lrcs de M.
3.

oppcxiie iliroetlim. mid lo the \Ve^t-X(irtli\ve«l of .\iiieriia, I n i-eivo<l
lihii favoriilily al iiiv hmi^e. where he lived »niiie time, and I |i;i(| the
leisure to iiiuaire liim in eoiivef^alioii eonceniiin; U\- travel>. In one of
tlie-e ei>iiver>atioiis that ue had toL'etlier. >ee u hat 1 leaniecl of the
joiiriH'V that he made to the We^t-Norlhwest. He axciided the ri\erSt.
I.oiii- [Mi'si»»l|ipi] to the Illinois. 'I'heiiei', liaviiii.' <ios»i'd thi- river
liy swimiiiliiir or on n rait, lie heu:iiii to travel on the .Vortli hank of the
.\il>-oUfi river, w liieh Sieur de lioiirmoiit. whoa-eeiided it to its -oiiree,
calls eiiilil Imiidied lea^iie^ in leiiifth from that point to where it empties
into tlie St. l.oiiis [Mi«si-isippi]. Kollow iiu.', tlieii, the North liank of
thi^ river. .MoiieaelitahC' arrived at a nation which had been pointed out
to him as the nearest to tho<e whom he hail left, and he made a -"'joiirn
there, as well to perfect himself in llieir hin^'na^'c, which he knew
already, as to learn tliat of the next nation in the direction wliicli he
wished to take, for in all tlie^e nations there is always some one who
kiiow-^ how to >p(ak the laiii;uai:e of the iiei::liliorintr native-^. He did
tlii>i always in moviiiir I'rom one nation to another, which delaineil him a
loiii: time on his journey, whicli oeeii|iied live year-. Finally, haviii;;
arrived ipiite at tlie source of the JUssonri r«'er. piirsniiii: crjii-tantly
the We-t-Xorthwest direction, he vi-lted many iiiitioii-, situated iijion
another river unite ne.ir to this hi-t, but which liad a coinve directly
opposite, for he supiioses that it llows from Ka-t to West into a sea
who>e name as well as that of the river the savaiic did not know.
Moiicachtabe nevertheless fcdlowed it for a loiiir time, takiiii; always the
same route, but he was not able to reach its month, for the last native
tribe where he was forced to terminate his journey was at war with
anotlier iiviim' lietwceii them and the sea. He wished very much to see
it, but the open war between tlie-e nations prevented lilm. It was
inipo-<ible for hini to lenrn anytliinir tibout it, because the lew slaves
that this tribe had captured from their eneniie> were too youm; to ^ive
him any information on the subject. Xcverthcless. the hope of i.'aining
perchance scnne knowicdfio In the end. determined him to live for a long
period with this tribe, lie was even desirous of iroinit with hi- lio-ts to
war, and when the winter wa- come, the season that the Indians choose
ordinarily for their hnntiujj: and military e.vpedilions, he joined the llrst
party of this tribe which inarched au'ainst the enemy, lint the expeilition
was not fortunate; not only did tiny not capture a sin^de slave, they
even lost some of their own number. Thus it is that these tirst
expeditious rarely -uccecd becan-i' the enemy are then upon their jiiuard.
Moneachtabf' did not back ont. He joined the second party of these
sava^ic-, which returned to tlie war against this nation, and had more
good fortune this time than the llrst. They defeated a party of the
enemy and took four prisoners, three men and a woman of jibout thirty-
two years of age. who. having been taken by our traveller, liccame in
conse<|Ueuce ills slave. These four prisoners were conducted in triumph
by these savages to their village, to be there burned with ceremony,
which was carried (uit with tlie three men. .Vs for the woman
Moncachtabfi took her to his house, married her and treated her kindly,
in the liope of drawing from her some ligli, conceruinir what he wanted
to know. In fact, after having staunched her tears, this woman liad the
less trouble to reply to the numerous ((Ucstions put to her by her
husband and to satisfy his cnriositv. because lie -howed so much friend-
ship to her, and she knew that he was not a mniiber of the tribe which
was ail enemy of her own. See what she taught him.

"•The country where we live," said she, Ms only about two days'
journey from the Great Water [that is to say the .Sea]. I went there
about four vears ago with maiiv men and women from onr village, to

tlsh for those larae shell tlsh whicli serve to make our ear-rina

and

"■f\

j^»

those lariri' plmiiie* wliicli iiinti \m:w m flii»(r hi'i»a*r-<. Wlilk' wc were
engaLTcil in ir.iilirriiir tli'-in. tli'Mt u)')>';u'i»i! upon rln- aivnr wnter n Inrjje
plroiiui' ill uliiih tw ij or ilirm iiuui.* •.< rivi-. n-^ri> .m i^iid. fiuiii wliicli
iiilii;; siiini'tliiii;: :ittai'lii-i liiiiii \ty viiti-'i ir i-* iiula'."! '"< Mic iiiuliT-
8tniiil> llKil tills ha'l iN'horiiiti'iii via 'inij mi-'in :i vi"<-<.-l -.vitli lu.-i' >ails].
Beliliiil tliiis iireat vckHcl.' '.•imtiiiuji'.i >,ih, • «•>• *;tw a •"iiiallcr oiii'. [It
was a baru;f]. 'J'lii« v^i-Hel fuv-n-c t '.w** nnil hpantifiil river wlu're
tliey tooli ill water, nliicli tli>-\ i:«Wi»i| xm w.>ll «■» wddiI to the lartte
vessel. Tlio'ic wIid were in t'l- «iuiikU>i> f.»*«.«l <inv iis. and It api'enrctl
that we iiiutiially feureil ntvl i.iUi«! ff .r iiirst'he-' Wf ri'tlicd under
CDViT of a wood upon a hfi^tlii A''.ii*m^ ir w.t)» i»a«y for ii- to >^oe tlicni
without liein;; prrciivcd ouiM-:vf<.. TJlii»y \v>ri» ilvi- ilays taking' !u wood
mill water, after wliieli tliev u!l j>t,urii'd inro rlie laru'e vi-^id, wltliout
our heiiii; al)li' to uuder^tiiu'l li"\v lii'V '^vilrt raNe the <iiialli'r vessel
into tile lar^e one. liecaii-f w. \\>Ye<.vi!B' 'iif. .Vfvr tlmt. liavlnir made
to inilate that whleli « »• Kti*|ieu(i"<i Uit'A up in rlje Lti'i'.'it ve«<el, tliej-
were lioriie far olfan.l ili^a]ipeare(l fy".M .ui* "iichr a.-« if they had entered
into the water. .\« we liud tiiu'- <lui'u<r rli^n live day- that thi'V were
near us to examine them.' addwd tlii* -v .man. • we reiuarkivl that tliese
men were smaller lhauour>-. ha'iw; i .vliii-e *kin : hair upon the eliin,
blank and white : no hair '>ut »oiii.n;ii«!i: ;"r.'ind upon the head : they hore
upon llieir shoulder- itarmeu',> \vUi''i .<m',.r4-ii their liodie-. uiioii the
arms lieinir pa— ed tlivouzh tliem. uii<' "ae-w .|e-.eeuded just to the ealf of
the le^. They had also le;:_'iiij:» loi^ ^iioe* .lirtV-rent from ours. What-
ever we could do we were iie\er «■•> -,, ■■onnt over -even in the sninll
boat witli a small hoy, witlioiri uvf vim.an.' • .""ui-h i- in substance,'
added my friend, -the reply that iUi> -v;;.» of jrom-aclitaiie made to the
questions of her hu-buiid.' iiiKl wjmt r]\i-< recital 1 was very luiich
tenii)ted to believe that this <.rr»:ir VWirer. .il" wiiich she speaks, niiuht
very well lie the Sea of tlie \Vk«i «»ihk>tv «'e have souirht for so loiij; a
time."

We have liere an account wliii-U J» 3»'-ev.Ml from nuicli tiiat is calcu-
lated to tax tlie credulity 'jf tlie ir»ni<i»i! ivi! co-<l.ay. We are not called
upon to explain au unnuai lit.itBti'.'U ro,> l.ave no lireanns and no
powder with its laru'e and smiill irruiu*. The ni'>rthwe-t coast, tlie Alas-
kan Peninsula and ISehriiiz'^ Kt'urt* \vi' '.ei*: .lut of thl- account. Who
is responsible for the chanire'r JU'i^fja' > Hi^r^'ivy w.a- published in 1758.
Diimoufs "Meiiioire- -ur In i.oui»<tuii' ' ivimt* out in IT."):}. Prhu- to tlie
publication of l)umoni> \\ork. liej^mj. 'luul contributed to tiie .lournal
fEcoi oiniqne n series of article* wlu'il. 'it^wrme in hi.s preface an abridg-
ment of his liistory. In Duui'-urr'*- 'cult there Is abundant evidence of
jealousy and hard feelini: toward*- lit-J'iic'. He alluiles repeatedly to tiie
articles in the Journal (Kioiioiui'iu* mi'. .ii-i-HHes the' writer of l)orrow-
ini; his manuscript and apjiropviat'^m: ii* vork. While repeatedly speak-
ing of him as a frieml. he ehiirjB»«t- iiin. \v\th hhinders. inaccuracies and
falsehood.' "His friend" had :t»)')i«ri»iirly fnrni.shed Duiiiout with
the information he had ;:iitli>'r«i u>nni riii» *uhjerts in which he was
interested. Tliese (lUolutious « eiii jiH^i-red in the Menioire- with due
acknowiedirraent only for the (>ui3'*.h*. we -^lionld judae, of being
attacked with arifumeut or ricli'-ai«<' 'v'^tti ■♦atire. We have no otlier

'Dumont's Memoire-. vol. %. p. Jltl uul iii-.re ■
»Id., vol. III., p. 2ny.

clue to 1)1
His Memo
LeMascrle
Diiiiuuit.'
tliese Men
(plestion t
against I.i
accepted
two liook-
has been
attack, an
incredible
liimself SI
when Dm
length, an
if it was i
About t
going on 1
not enabh
the relatic
might hav
.loseph
sented to
charts, til
Admiral I'
of the 'Wi
our coutii
West whi
then recei
phers clu
H better cai
tight, and
ill tracts !
ridiculed
" But wi

' Nouv*
'' Dumo
'Id., v<
*Id., v,

»DeLif
Paris, 17
I desire
looking
attention

" Rema
By T. Gi

liilr wo were
wntiT a Inr/Jte

I'i'llil Wlllcll

' 'Ml- llllilrr-

Ih lll;r Nllils],

llfl' one. [It

rhir wliiTe
t" tlic \ariie
1 it apiu'ni'ud
•itiri'il miller

« t.i sfi; tliclll

kini.' ill WDOfl

~-i-i. witlidut
iiialliT vosel

iiiivliii; iiiaile
■ ^•l•«l•i, they
y liad I'liti'i'c'd
i:U tliry were
i-"i that these
pMll llie cllill,
111 ; tlii-y hore

••«, iiiPDii the
tofhc calf of
i)iir>. Wliat-

I ill the Miinll

II ^iiihstaiice,"
• maile to tlie
- very iiiiich
■|)eak>, iiiiiiht
for so lipiitc a

that is cnlcu-
re not called
arms niid no
ast, the Alas-
roiiiit. Who
ished ill 1768.
Prior to tlie
) the Journal
:ce an abrldg-
t evidence of
atedly to the
r of borrow-
atedly speak-
■I iiracie.s and
)iinioi!t with
liicli he was
ire- witli due
e, of ijcing
vc no other

-i

clue to Duinoiifs identity than « iiifl .-» ^inii«hed in the liook itHelf.
His Meniuire* were ediled by M i.. i, J|.. -.aiil to have lieeii L'Alib6
I.e.Mascrier. They have been ••ni.(U»i'.n.-»!.y .irrrlhiited by some to Hutel
Uumoiit.' a French lawyer uu'i ittridi',i? '■,t',ni in 17:;.'. As tin' luithor of
tliese Meiiioires was in Li'iii-iB iii r ::7i^,' ic i< of eoiir-e out of tlie
question that JJutel Diiiuoui eoalol uv)*- written the book. The charge
apiinst LePnj;c of platriaritm. vUi-ii ?* made in this book, has been
accepted l)y many as true, o" iiii- tv Hi* ♦tniiljirity of the contentH of the
two books, but a careful ei.aiiiiu«iii'.«i vS rhi»m m.iy prove tliat injustice
has been done Lel'at'e du Pratt. M:W ?:inra.-«tlc theories ni.-.y invite
attack, and lu' may record hlorif* jitijituvi i ro him iiv other;< which seem
incredible, but when he coutine* li.:.ui«;.l! rc> rhe description of wiiat he
himself saw, there is hcldoni rooit l';W i«ni;ici"ni. On the otlier hand,
when Duinmit telN us that be >.»" ii iriirrli»-.nakK' twenty-two feet lu
lenatli. and a fro^' whicli «iii;be'.i liirj'y-fw.) pounds, we may well ask
if It was in the reijion tliat we k.ii'.'w \» r.iit* Louisiana of that time.

About the same time that tUebe '.i'.i'^-» i.».*re published, a great war wan
doing on aniona the carto<:rapliw>. ;» invafew of whicli. although it may
not enable us to reach an exact c.'.»U" itt+ii'.*. ^viil aid us in compreheiiiling
the relations of these two men imJ tiW i«ri»nt to which partNaii feelings
might have been aroused iu sucii a '.i':ttJi.»>rt.

Joseph Xicolas J)e Lisle iu 1754. viui' Pllilippe Buache in 17,53, pre-
sented to the French Academy lA V.-i»iiiii». .Vtemoires' accompanied liy
charts, the oliject of which wu*. tv ;T*ti'iHc.ile riu- fabulous voyages of
.\dmiral Fonte : Maldonado't uijili;':u ♦."ittuh* ol* .Vnian : tlie unknown .Sua
of the West, which occupied tUt «v>".* or any part of the interior of
our continent to suit the geogriit«liW* «*«« ; anil the alleged river of the
West which was dotted iu to t-v'n. iil«t imry of the engraver, with the
then recent discovery of our c.oa»l \f KiiiiMa:^. The French cartogra-
phers clung to Fouie and Maklyuttilv •with :v pertinacity worthy of a
better cause. Writers iu KUMiia. ''ii«m:iny and Fjigland took up the
tight, and articles were publi«,lie'.l inllirt^ -icientirtc works of tlie day and
iu tracts specially devoted t.u liie *iu'.;-^<:'. iu wliii-h these charts were
ridiculed and unworthy motive* -ww* Mi:dhuteil 'o the geographers.
"But within this ceutujw." buy* 'lUrt^ if these tracts,' "tlie French

' Nouveiie Biograpliie 'jeuf-raW. ♦*« Bi'VT,.:i-r>umout.

'' Duraoufs Memoire», Prefuoe BiUi t; BC, p. •■;;».

'Id., vol. I., p. lO'J.

•Id., vol. II., p. 2C7.

*DeLlsle's Espilcatioii de la cart* '.<»* Jfonvelles decouvortes, etc.,
Paris, 1752. 15uache"B Cou^idera^i'.a^♦ Oo-i-raphiijUes, etc., Paris. 1753.
I desire to ackuowlec'ge the iftTtii+ftincit of .\rr. Jn-tiu Winsia- in
looking up the cartography oi' ritt **!» >->i the U'est. He called my
attention to these Memoire*. for Mlkt'ii my i;hanks are especially due.

'Remarks in Support of the Sevr CiiWfi: if Xorth and South America.
By T. Green. Esq.. Li.iidon. ITr.S. ;•. ix

foKorri

S S w t •-;

geographers have wliolly omitted Xow AUiioii, and converted Port Sir
Francis Drake into Port San Francisco, dishonoring tlie name of the
knight and clianging it into one ol" their spurious saints." Our two his-
torians, wlio were tlien at work upon tlieir l)ooks, were necessarily
afl'ected by lliis contest. To take sides wiili liis countrymen would have
cost LePaije dn Pratz his faith in Moncnelit-Apr. To him the tale of
the Indian, crossing the country in scirch of the lionie of his ancestors,
was more in synipatliy than were the wild conjectures about the sea lu
the hea''t of the continent. It must be borne in nnnd that the measure of
the breadth of our continent from ocean to ocean had only been taken at
Mexico. Every league tliat the explorers on the Jllssouri a.lded to its
width was a surprise. California' was an island on many charts for nearly
two hundred years afier an expedition sent out by Cortez had settled the
fact that it was a peninsula. If the ishnid theory liad to be abandoned,
then the next way to narrow the distance from shore to shore was l)y
means of an inland sea. Fuca's inlet and .Aguilar's alleged river were
accepted as entrances to this theoretical sea. The tales of the Indians
were believed to prove its existence. The most incredible thing to the
French geograi)her of that day— the thing which he was least prepared
to admit — was the broad stretch of land from Nova Scotia to Oregon.
La Houtan, in 1703, pul)lished in his book a copy of an Indian map
drawn on deer's skin, showing the Kocky Mountains and a river heading
al)ont where the Columbia heads and Ilowiug indetlnitely West. Tills
chart is recognized by LePage- in the map which accompanied his
history. Such a river might, perhaps, have been permitted to llow into
the "Sea of the West," as the distance from its source to its mouth
was absolutely an unknown quantity, l)ut LePai;e was aware and admi's
the fact,^ that belief in Moncacht-Ape's tale involved giving up this
favorite speculation of the French geographers. He thus was com-
pelled to t.ake the opposite side in this controversy from that maintained
by the " Premier Geographer of the King of France, and one of the
most eminent Astronomers of the Ac.ademv of Science."'

' Remarks in Support of the New Chart of North and >South America.
By T. Green, Esq., Loudon, 1753, p. 22.

'LePage du Pratz. Histoire de la Louisiane, Vol. III., pp. 138, 139,
note. La Houtan'.'- chart is there alluded to with the statement that this
river must have been the one which Moncacht-Ap6 descended to the
" Sea of the South or Pacitlc."

^Histoire de la Louisiane. Vol. III., p. 138. Speaking of the Pea of
the West of the cartographers, he says. " For my part I am strongly
impelled to believe that it exists only in imagination." .Same, p. 137 ;
" I can not persuade myself otherwise than that he travelled upon the
shores of the Sea of the Sontli, of which the northern part may l)c called
if you wish, the Seu of the West. Same, p. 139 : '• This beautiful river
fails Into the sea, at the West, . . . which by this account iudlcates only
the Sea of the South or Pacific Ocean."

* Remarks in Support of the New Chart of North and South America.
By T. Green, Esq.. London. 175:!, p. 40.

i-icd Port Sir
iiiuiic of the
ijiii' two Iiis-

e iifcesMirily

II would have

III tlio tale of
his ancestors,
out the sea lu
lie lueasiire of
beeu taken nt
i ailded to it*,
irts for nearly
lad settled the
)e abandoned,
shore was by
ed river were
of the Indians
1' tiling to tlie
east prepared
ia to Oregon.
11 Iiulian map

river heading
West. This
onipaniod his
I'd to tlow iuto
to its mouth
ire and adnii'M
[iving u|) this
ins was com-
iiit maintained
id one of the

•juth America.

., pp. 13S, 139,
meiit that this
lended to the

: of the Rea of
I am strongly
.Same, p. 13"';
elled upon the
may be called
tieautiful river
indicates only

outh America.

Duinont ranged himself with lii-^ countrymen. lie had written to
Buaclie' a letter in wliicii he L..\i)rfssed opinliiii-^ on the subject similar
to those which may \>u found in his boul;. His opinion i> also jdainly
shown in the following extract, taken from his Imok. wliicli iiuniediately
follows the Indian's story := "Whatever one may think of this narra-
tive of Sienr LePage, w-liich some perhaps will look upon less as n
reality than as a bad copy of Robinson, it cannot possibly snlllco to give
more light to our geographers concerning the tine position of the Sea
of the West and the route to take to arrive there through North
Ainrrica. To make this more certain it is necessary to consult the new
chart of North America recutly made liy Messrs. De Lisle ami Buache."
A change had come over the spirit of his dream since writing in his
preface: "his (LePage's) rolh^ctions seem just; amongst others, those
where he points out to u~ a route to Hnd the Sea of the West by the
river Missouri, based upon a description made to him by a Yazoo
Indian known to the author."

We find no trace of a controversial sjjirit in LePage's book,'' and
yet we may rest assured that the inlluence^ which cost Duinont his
belief in Moncachl-.Ape's stoi-y would only fan the tires of faith with one
of Lei age's enthusiastic temperament.

Although Duinont claims in his prefaie to have known the Yazoo
Indian, still he credits tlie story, as we have seen, to LePage. and there
is enough of identity to assure the coinnion origin of the two versions.
Their dilfereuces, however, are so radical that thev cannot be explained
as the ordinary changes to which such stories are subject in passing
from person to person. The ill-will that Duniont entertained toward
LePage might perhaps have furnished .an adequate motive for him to
Inve altered or supjiressed the story: but, inaildition to the fact that
Dnmonl's version is much tlie more credible of the two, it must be
hijrne in mind that LePage had recently published a series of articles in
the .louriial (Ecouoini.jue and it is presumable that he was on the spot,
or wliere lie could see Dumont's book when it should come out, and
would therefore notice any changes in statements attributed to himself
as authority. With LePage on the spot and with the pages of a period-
ical at his command, Dumont might venture to prod him with satire and
comineiits. but would scarcely have dared to falsify liini. It seems
incredible that LePage should not have seen Dumont's liook, but if he
did so his failure to notice in his own work the references to himself
with which Dumont's pages bristle, remains a mystery to puzzle us still.

'Considerations Geographiques, etc., par Philippe Buaclie. Paris
1753, p. 36.

'Dumont's Memoires sur la Louisiane, Paris. 1753, p. 24i;, et seq.

■■" Unless the following extract fr jm tlie preface, referring to certain
other Hclations, may be considered as alluding to some individual,
perhaps Dnmoiit: "It is then absolutely necessary to destroy these
false opinions occasioned by these untrue accounts, often full of malig-
nity and nearlv alwavs of ianorance. "

TIr' review of tliis partisiui ooiitroversy aiul the proof of its close
connection witli tlie Monciiclil-Ape story has enaljletl us to sec some of
the sources of information which would inevitably have attracted the
observation of a ^eocrrapher diirini; the interim between Moncacht-Ap6's
telling his story and LePage's publication of his liistory. That LePago's
attention was attracted to the controversy of the cartographers we
know,' because he tells us that the French charts show the possibility
of the connection of tlie land at the North-west of America and the
North-ea<t of Asia, as suggested l)y the Indian. But these were not the
only sources of information oj)en to LePage in 175'i which have not been
included in our revievv of the Ivuowledge which he might have obtained
at the date of the Indian's story. During the si.xteen years which had
passed "oetwoen the return to Siberia of the Behring's Expedition in
1742' and the time of LePage's going to press, more or less of the
iuforujation gathered by that expedition had lieen furuislied to the public.
The war of the geographers as to the aullienticity of the Fonte and
Maldouado forgeries necosarily attracted great attention to the reports
of the men who accompanied Behring. Buachc' in his Jlejnolro to the
Academy seeks to identify their land-falls witli the Fou-Sang of the
Chinese. Among other things recorded l)y the naturalists who accom-
panied the expedition, and published by Miiller* in 1758, we And the
facts that i : coast Indians were in the hiibit of eating seals, and were
observed Ij eat roots which they had dug ont of the ground. It will
thus be seen that information upon these two points had been in posses-
sion of European naturalists for at least fifteen years. It would not
have been remarkalile if during tliat time it had come to the ears of a
man of LePage's' tastes, but on the other hand there had been no such
pul)lication of it as to Justify us in saying lliat he mu-t have seen it.

The knowledge of the coa>t-line iliseovered liy Heliring must have
been brought to his attention by DeLisie and by Buache's cliarts, and as
he was not hampered by the necessity of reconciling the actual discover-
ies with the hypotlictical maps bused upon the alleged voyages of Fontfe
and Maldouado, he would naturally have constructed a coast line which
would approximate the real one. If the coa.st line of Siberia, explored

'LePage du Pratz, "Histoire de la Louisiane," Paris, 1758, vol. III.,
p. 13G.

•Miiller returned to St. Prtersl)uru' Fel). 15. 1748. See -Miiller's
Voyages Asia to .\nierica, Jefferys' translation, p. 107.

■"Considerations Geographiques, etc., P. Buaehe, Paris, 1750, p. 47.

^See .Jetrerys' translation of Miiller's Vovages, Asia to .\nierica,
1764, p. 00.

^That he was in such close contact with the savants of the period
as to justify this l)elief, would appear from the fact that he says in his
Preface, tliat he was urged by " the savants to reproduce his ethno-
logical papers for the Journal iFIconoralque in book form."

S by Behring !

navigator, 1

in 1741, and

chart, the e

^ -without see

' siaus acccp'

•,' duced by J(

, to-day, and

, Up to thi

I of the histc

J was entitle-

^ in its relati

its writer.

came habit

be predict(

cargo of dj

visits? If

difflculty li

prove that

Japan, but

one to bell

\ the Japani

'* both recoi

coast,' but
the theory
from Islan
should be
Is no knov
and there
of a partic
The coUec
woods for
and if, coi
vessels ca
then we n
A careful

' Vovaf!
don, 1764,
dou, 1753

• Iudec(
"The pa.-
proves to
Apt's sto

' Proce
Paper on
West Coi

*"Cou

▼

r of its close
see some of
iittnictcd the
iicacht-ApO's
liat LcPajje's
raplicrs we
; possibility
lica anil the
were not the
iiive not been
lave obtained
which had
ixpedition iu
r kss of the
to the public,
le Fonte and
o the reports
emoiro to the
Sans? of the
' who accom-
we anil the
als. and were
iiind. It will
•CM in posses-
It would not
the ears of a
been no such
e seen it.
li must have
:Ii:iits, and as
tual iliscover-
ises of Fontfe
St line which
iria, explored

'•iS, vol. III.,

See MUller's

1753, p. 47.
to America,

)f the period
le says In his
e his ethuo-

' by Behrlng In 1728 j the strcngv; coast opposite reached by Gwosdew,' the
i uavigator, In 1730 ; the points ou the American coast reached by Bchrlug
in 1741, and the general trend of the known coast below be plotted on a
chart, the existence of the strait through which Behrlug twice sailed
without seeing America will be Inferred wit. .out hesitation. The Rus-
sians accepted this inference, and published a chart which was repro-
duced by Jefl'erys iu 17i')4. This cliart closely resembles the mai)s of
to-day, and Moucacht-ApC's descri|ition may fairly be applied to it.'

Up to this point we have sought to analyze the sources of knowledge
of the historian so as to know what weight the argument of coiucldeuces
was entitle^ to, and also to discover if there was aught iu the story or
in its relation to the controversies of the day to imperil the judgment of
its writer. It remains for us to ask, what about the bearded men who
came habitually to the coast with such regularity that their arrival could
be predicted within a few days; whose purpose was simply to get a
cargo of dye-wood and who had no expectation of tralHc on these annual
visits? If we admit this part of the story to be true we shall have no
difllculty in accepting the learned argument of M. de Quatrefages to
prove that the foreigners came from Lieou-Tchou or the Ea.steru Isles of
Japan, but if we submit the talc to a careful scrutiny, it is not an easy
one to believe. There Is no sutlicient evidence to justify the belief that
the Japanese habitually made such venturesome voyages. We have
both record and tradition of the arrival of Japanese vessels on our
coast,' but they have always plainly been unwilling visitors. Even if
the theory that tlie Cliluese found their way ivom coast to island and
from Island to coast, until they reached the so-called laud of Fou Sang*
should be accepted, there is no evidence of habitual visitations. Tliere
is no known wood upon our coast of particular value as a dye-wood,
and tiiere is no part of the North I'acitlc coast wliere the extermination
of a particular species of tree would leave the inhabitants without wood.
The collection of a cargo of dye-wood In a country which has no valuable
woods for that purpose, Is not a suHicient reason for an annual visit,
and If. correcting tlie story to make it more probable, we admit that the
vessels came for purposes of trade as indicated in the Indian leseuds.
then we must insist upon lludiug traces of that trade along the coast.
A careftil csamiuatlou of the authorities does not disclose in the hands

'Voyages from Asia to America. Jliiller translated by Jelt'erys. Lon-
don, 1764, p. 5.5. Green's "Keuiarks In support of the New Chart." Lon-
don, 1753, p. 25.

•Indeed this is just what LePage himself says of it, vol. III.. i36 :
"The passage of the Kussiaus from Asia to America where they landed,
proves to us that the coast may run In a Hue conformable to Moncacht-
Ap6's story."

'Proceedings of the American .Antiquarian Society, April 2.'?. 1872.
Paper on the likelihood of an admixture of Japanese blood on our North-
West Coast, by Horace Davis.

*"Cousid6rations Geographiques," etc., P. Buaclie. Paris, 17.i3. p. 11.

of the luiliaiis evidence suillcleut to prove the existence of sncb a trade.
Bodega' In 1775. at Port Trinidad, fouud some Iron among the Indians,
but the chronicler of the expedition reports that what they chiefly valued
In traffic "was iron and particularly knives or hoops of old barrels."
Cook' found iron and brass among the Indians. Their tomahawks were
made of .'<tone. Their arrows were generally pointed with bone. They
had chisels and knives of iron ; the latter shaped like pruning-knives
with the edge on the back. He also met one Indian who had two silver
spoons, apparently of Spanish manufacture. And yet he says:" "We
never observed the least signs of their having seen ships before, nor of
their having traded with such people. Many circumstances seem to
prove this almost beyond a doubt." )^

In addition to the foregoing evidences of some sort of traffic with
outsiders on the part of the Indians on the Northwest coast, Greenhow*
cites Friar Penas's journal of a voyage of Juan Perez, and also quotes
from the narrative of the expedition of Behring,'both of which expedi-
tions, he F.iys, found knives and articles of iron in the hands of the
natives. But he concludes each account with the statement that they
appeared never before to have held any intercourse with civilized people.
The uniform testimony of the early voyagers to the existence of metallic
ornaments and knives in the hands of the Indians, which had apparently
been introduced from outside sources, can leave but little doubt of the
fact. The negative testimony of Vancouver" as to the Indians at
Trinidad, whom Bodega had found with both iron and copper, but who
in 1793 had neither, must be accepted as proof only that the supply of
these Indians was not constant, and that the amount owned by them
must have been small. The unfamiliarity of the Indians with vessels
and the irregularities of the stock of these metals, especially when taken
in connection with the silver spoons, would point to some Inland source
of supply.

The flr.st glance at the Japanese chart brought to Europe by Kaempfer,
a copy of whicli is given In the DeLisle and Buache Memoires, showing
as it does a familiarity with our coast at lea.st as great as that shown in
the original charts of tliese cartograpliers, would suggest that this was
in itself a strong argument in favor of the annual visits of the Japauese
vessels to this part of the world. The trouble with the chart, however,
for this purpose is that it shows too much. The accuracy of the outlines
of the Gulf of CalH'ornia and of the Gulf of Mexico could not have come
from Japanese sources. The same authority that contributed these out-

llines may hai
Icoiijectures c
fthis chart.
So far as i

'Miscellanies of Dnines Ba;'riugton, London, 1775, pp. 488, 489.

'Cook's Voyages, London, 17S4, pp. 207, 271, 279, 282, 311, 327, 330.

'Id., 1784, p. 331.

* Greenhow's Oregon, Boston I.?44, p. 116.

'id., 1844, p. 132.

'Vancouver, London, 17'J8, v. IL, 243.

« concerned

'tfi

day, when w
Chinese, hav
unravelling t
we do not V
people, to m
facts of the s
his own day,
about the mi
One word
draw our c(
review touc
Moncacht-A
Xow if he c
description
the general
what we kii
North Flatti
should expi
river and ta
of the raout
knew whicl
where he ci
conclusion
bank,' evei
have seen
we have oc
them to thi
accept, noi
may conce
Indian's a
stationed
for Le Pay
in more dl
its founda

' It is 111
years afte
"been spca
the West
America.
London,
" Dumo
'This a
Duniont i

iich a trade.

the ladiaus,

hiefly valued

!d barrels."

ibawks were

Doue. They

uing-knives

id two silver

says;' "We

efore, nor of

ces seem to

traffic with

:, Greenhow*

1 also quotes

hich expedi-

lands of the

nt that they

llzed people.

le of metallic

d apparently

doubt of the

J Indians at

)er, but who

;he supply of

ned by them

with vessels

y when taken

nland source

)y Kaempfer,
res, showing
liat shown In
hat this was
the Japanese
rt. however,
the outlines
It have come
ed these out-

?, 489.

11, 327, 330.

'lines may h.ive furulshod, and probably did furnish, the knowledge and
iconjectiii'es on which the line of our Northwest coast was assumed In
'tills chart.

So far as the guns and the details with reference to the powder are
concerned, the curious statements of Moiicaclit-ApO may at some future
day, when we shall know more about the history of the Japanese and
Chinese, have a irreatMr value than they possess at present, as factors in
unravelling this complicated riuestion. All that we can now say is that
we do not know enough about the weapons or the powder of the^e
people, to make any use of the statements in our attempts to get at the
facts of the story. Moucacht-Ap6 not only anticipated the knowledge of
his own day, but also, as yet, of ours, for we have not learned enough
about the matter to say whether he told the truth.

One word as to the route of the Indian, and we shall be prepared to
draw our conclusions from this protracted discussion, having in our
review touched upon the various points which we started to examine.
Moncacht-Ap6 specifies that he kept up the North bank of the Missouri.
Now if he continued on the North bank of the river to its source, his
description of the way to reach the head-waters of the Columbia and of
the general direction of that river from that point is irreconcilable with
what we know of its course. On the other hand, if he went up the
North Platte, which would agree with the general courses he gave, we
should expect some record in the narrative, of his crossing the main
river and taking up the tributary, for he spent the winter in the vicinity
of the mouth of the Platte, aud there could be no doubt that the Indians
knew which was the main stream. Further he is particular in mentioning
where he crossed the Ohio and the Mississippi rivers, which favors the
conclusion that his course was, as he Intimates, constantly on the North
bank,' even at the expense of making his account a little foggy. We
have seen that the story of the journey was not only a possibility, but
we have occasional records of men whose habits of mind and body ie.id
them to these solitary expeditions. It does not ret|iilre that we should
accept, nor need we reject the alleged motives of the expedition, but we
may concede the probability that the outline of the tale came from the
Indian's mi/Uth. Dumont, who tells us that he knew him, h.id been
stationed among the Yazoos' as well as at Nfitchez, and in his contempt
for Le Page's speculations he would have been glad to denounce the story
in more direct terms if he had not believed that there was some truth at
its foundation."

'It is Init just to allude here to the fact that Charlevoix says, a few
years after the savage's journey, ".VII these natives of whom 1 have
been speaking (The Mlssouris and Canzes were inchided i dwell upon
the Western bank of the Missouri." Journal of a voyage to North
America. Translated from the French ol' P. de Charlevoix, Vol. II.,
London, 1761, p. 224.

■Dumont's Memolres, &c., Paris, 17,i3, v. II., p. G9.

'This argument was anticipated by Mr. Samuel Engcl, who says, " M.
Dumont who has given another relation of Louisiana, in which he, or at

'2»

The Isolation of a life at, Natchez kept LePaue's active liraln at work
upon the facts that he haO accmnulatetl eoncernin;; the migrations of the
Indians aiul their forms of government. He frameil theoriej* and then
proponnded lending interrogatories wliich were better calculated, per-
haps, than he thought to lirlng. forth the answers that he wanted. The
running commentaries hy Dunmnt in his Memolres call attention to this
weakness ou the part uf Lel'age, and the conelnsiou is irresistible tliat
he colored the statements of the Indians, or the Indians cheerfully
adapted their answers to his needs.

Tlie argument of coincidence l)etween wliat was stated by Moncaeht-
Ape concrning this unknown rc'gion and suljsetiueut discoveries is very
properly claimed by M. de Quatrefages as of great value. But if its
application should show that there is no error of statement so long as
tlie narrative deals with regions that were thoroughly explored; that it
introduces statements concerning whidi we are incredulous or doubtful
only whi'n it arrives at a region about which nothing was then known;
and that in some of the more fanciful iiortions of tlie tale we think that
we can trace the rei>roduction of legends already familiar to us from the
Relations ; if these are the coincidences that our e.xaniiuation establishes,
then our couclusion will i)e that the personality of LePage has materially
affected the value of the story. To sliow that this is really so, it hardly
ueeds that we should point to tlic wonderful truthfulness of the story so
long as it is conflned to the East and to the lower Missouri : to tlie ac-
curacy with which tlie course of that river is given where it had l)een
e.NploriHl ; to the fact that our tlrst conlllct with moderu explorations
conies at the point where tin.' traveller treads on entirely new ground;
to the strong family roseml)lance between the bearded men with their
strange clothing, and Sagard Theodafs smooth-laced men with tlieir
leggings and shoes; to the e.xtraordiiiaiy differences between the two
eudings, in whicli many of the additional materials found in the later
publication correspond closely with new facts brought to the notice of
European scientists by the Behring's Expedition.

As to the curious details concerning the guns and the powder, the
only place to which we can look for their corroboration is the Orient.
Sliould research fail to discover the use of similar weapons and materials
tliere, it would stamp this part of the story as a lictiou.

In examining tlie qnestioii of motive and responsibility we have
learned enough of the cartograpliic controversy to see that not alone
DeLlsle and Buaclie on the one side and Green and Jefferys on the
other, l)Ut that men from all parts of Europe drifted into that discussiou.

least his editor, is often of a contrary opinion to M. LeP.age, far from
contradicting tills journey of JIoncacht-Ape gives an extract from it iu
his work. Now M. Duiiiont has. tliey say. lived twenty-two years in
this country. He would not have lost the opportunity to contradict M.
LePage, if he had recounted a fable."

'• Memoircs et Observations Oeographiques, etc. Par M. • * *
[Saiiuiel Engel] Lausanne, 1765, 'p. 108.

•■

1
:*

^\Ve have set

Iwhile we c«

f^have found

able to shov

Ithat the Dm

^that the rai

presence of

the memoirt

on LePage h

him. The f

Dumout, hi'

emphasis to

EiiKilly, '

cliauge froi

men of the

to in the pu

Spangber

stature " w

middle age

} 1748, says,

search of i

affirm that

towards thi

them men 1

Bunche*

Bob6 Lazai

the land of

French tra

found in tl:

that the sa

and who cc

distance fi'

unknown t

' Dumon

of his pre

articles in

from one i

' Jeffervi

17fi4, p. 72

'Ellis's

* Buach<

' This b-

the beach

Hudson's

there is i

Hudson,"

having tr;

-i

▼'

iraln at work
;r;itioii,s of tlie
rii.'> aiKi theu
ikulatetl, pcr-
wnnted. Tlie
eiitioii to tills
esistlble that
ii.s cheerfully

by Moiicncht-

vcries is very
But if Its

;iit so loiif;; as
ilort'il; that It
us or doubtful
i theu kuowu;

we Ihiuk that
to us from the
)u establishes,
las uintcrially
y so, it hardly
)f the story so
iiri : to the ac-
re it had been
u explorations
• new ground;
len witli their
en with tlieir
ween the two
I in the later
> the notice of

i powder, the
is the Orient,
and materials

lity we have
lat not alone
Berys on the
at discussion.

'age, far from
act from It in
■two years in
contradict M.

We have seen that LePage and Duinont espou.sed o|)poslte sides, and
wliile we could not discover in the liistory signs of bad temper, we
have found the menioires bristling witli ill will. Thu.'< we have been
able to show a motive for misrepresentation, jind if we had concluded
that the Dumoiit ending wa.'- a forgery, we should have had little doubt
that the rancor that he showed was a sulllclent f.\planatlon of It. The
presence of the two men in France' at the time of the publication of
the memoircs, and Dnmont's bold charge of tlie authorship of the story
on LePage has served to fix the responsibility for the two endings upon
him. The fact that notwithstanding the ill-will that we have traced to
Diimont, his version of the story Is the more credilde of the two adds
emphasis to the conviction.

Eiiially, we fancy that we may be able to account, even for the
change from the smooth-faced men of Sagard Theodat to the bearded
men of the story by showing that such bearded men were alluded
to in the publications of the period.

Spangberg' in ITSU saw on the northern isles of Japan, men of small
stature " with pretty long hair all over their bodies, and the men of
middle age had black, while the old men had grey beards." Ellis. ^ in
1748, says, descrjbing the most recent voyage to Hudson's Bay in
searcli of a northwest passage: "Tlie southern Indians constantly
alHrm that a great oceau lies but a small distance from their country
towards the Sun's setting. In which they have seen slii|)s, and on board
them men having large beards and wearing caps."

Buache* tells us that he had a letter written March 15, 1716, by M.
Bob6 Lazariste de Versailles, in which tiie statement is made that " in
the land of the Sioux, at the head of tlie Jlississippi there are always
French traders ; that they know that near the source of the river can be
found in the high lands a river which leads to the Sea of the West;
that the savages say that they have seen bearded men who have caps,
and who collect gold dust on the edge of the Sea.^ But it is a very long
distance from their country, and the\'* must pas.s through many tribes
unknown to the French."

' Dumont's presence at this time may be inferred from the language
of his preface. LePage returned in 1734. lie published some of his
articles in the Journal (Ecouomlqne in 17.'>1. .\t least Miiller quotes
from one of tiieni In the September number ol' that year.

'Jetfervs' Translation, Midler's Voyages .Vsia to .Vmerlca, London,
1764, p. 72.

'Ellis's Voyage to Hudson Bay, London, 1748, p. 304.

'' Biiache, Considerations Geographkiues, Paris, 17.")3, p. 38.

"■This belief In the bearded men and also in the gold-bearing sands of
the beaclics of the Pacific llnds occasional expression among these
Hudson's Bay savages. In the Hecnell d'.Arrests, Amsterdam, 1720,
there Is a Relation by M. Jeremle, entitled " Kelatlon de la Bale de
Hudson," in which occurs this passage. " Tiie saviiiies say that after
having travelled many months to the West-Southwe>t. they found the

We come then practically to the coucluslon that there Is nothlnjf In
the story to tax our credulity If we are uot called upon to believe In the
annual visits of the bearded men and the various doubtful Incidents
which their presence Involves. We have not been able to trace to the
historian a knowledge, or a possibility of Ivuowledge of all the details of
the Indian's story which subsequent discovery has verified, and this
adds to the probability that the journey was actually accomplished, ind
the story of it related to Le Page du Pratz. We are not, however, able
to relieve him fi-oni responsibility for the double endings, and although
the general tone and character of his work justify the high esteem lu
•which Mr. Stuart' held It, we are nevertheless forced to the unwilling
conclusion that the original story of the savage suffered changes at his
hands.

In coucluslon we express the hope that the students who mayherf-
after have access to Oriental records, will bear in mind, that proof
ought there to be found, If proof there be, of the habitual presence on
our shores, at that period, of the bearded men,— a presence which we
have seen indicated in tradition and story, but for which as yet we have
found no other authority than the helpless wrecks which have been
borne upon our coast by the Japanese current.

sen, on which they saw large canoes [these are ships] with men who
had beards and caps, who collect gold upon the edge of the sea [that is
to say at the mouth of the rivers]." — p. 12. On the 26''' page of the
same Relation there is another allusion to bearded men who build stone
forts, &c.

' Transactions of the Quebec Literary and Historical Society of
Quebec, Quebec, 1829, vol. I., p. 198.

■-■112:'.=^ . - , ^-^'

e Is nothinf; In
) believe In the
nful lucldeuta

trace to the
11 the details of
■ifled, and this
iraplishcd, and

however, able
), and although
ligh esteem lu

1 the uuwUliug
changes at bis

tvho may here ■
nd, that proof j
lal presence on
seuce which we
as yet we have
ilch have been

with men who
the sea [that is
5"' page of the
vho build stone

cal Society of