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^ AMERICAN PTOxXEERS AND PA TRIOTS.

THE ADVENTURES

OF THE

Chevalier De La Salle

AND HIS COMPANIONS,

IN THEIR EXPLORATIONS OF THE
PRAIRIES, FORESTS, LAKES. AND RIVERS, OF THE NEW WORLD.
AND THEIR INTERVIEWS WITH THE SAVAGE TRIBES,
TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

JOHN S. C. ABBOTT.

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NEW YORK:

DODD & MEAD, PUBLISHERS,
751 BROADWAY.

/.■'■

Entered, according to Act of Congress, the year 1875, by

DODD & MEAD,
in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

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THE INHABITANTS OF THE GREAT VALLEY OF THE WEST,

WHOSE MAGNIFICENT REALMS

LA SALLE AND HIS COMPANIONS WERE THE FIRST TO EXPLORE,

THIS VOLUME

IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, BY

JOHN S. C. ABBOTT.

67656

PREFACE.

There is no one of the Pioneers of this continent
whose achievements equal those of the Chevalier
Robert de la Salle. He passed over thousands of
miles of lakes and rivers in the birch canoe. He
traversed countless leagues of prairie and forest, on
foot, guided by the moccasined Indian, threading
trails which the white man's foot had never trod, and
penetrating the villages and the wigwams of savages,
where the white man's face had never been seen.

Fear was an emotion La Salle never experienced.
His adventures were more wild and wondrous than
almost any recorded in the tales of chivalry. As
time is rapidly obliterating from our land the foot-
prints of the savage, it is important that these
records of his strange existence should be per-
petuated.

PREFACE.

I '
I f

Fortunately wc have full and accurate accounts
of these explorations, in the journals of Messrs.

Marquette, Hennepin, and Joliet. We have still

more minute narratives, in Etablisscmcnt de la Foix,

par le P. Chretien Le Clercq, Paris 1691 ; Dernier cs

Dt^eotivertes, par le Chevalier de Tonti, Paris 1697.

jfournnl Historiquey par M. Joutel, Paris 171 3.

For the incidents in the last fatal expedition, to
establish a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi,
and the wonderful land tour of more than two
thousand miles from the sea-coast of Texas to Que-
bee, throus?^h the territories of hundreds of tribes, we
have the narratives of P'athcr Christian Le Clercq,
the narrative of Father Anastasias Douay, and the
minute and admirably written almost daily journal
of Monsieur Joutel, in his Dernier Voyage. Both
Douay and Joutel accompanied this expedition
from its commencement to its close.

In these adventures the reader will find a more
vivid description of the condition of this continent,
and the character of its inhabitants two hundred
years ago, than can be found anywhere else. Sir
Walter Scott once remarked, that no one could take
more pleasure in reading his romances, than he had

rREF\CE. J

taken in writing them. In this volume wc have the
romance of truth.

If the writer can judge of the pleasure of the
reader, from the intense interest he has experienced
in following these adventurers through their perilous
achievements, this narrative will prove to be one of
extraordinary interest.

J OHN. S. C. Abbott.

Fair Haven, Connecticut.

'■i

:*^: :. *■

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
27ie Enterprise of yivncs Marquette.

The Discovery of America.— Explorations of the French in
Canada.— Ancestry of James Marquette.— His noble Charac-
ter.— Mission to Canada.— Adventures with the Indians —
Wild Character of the Region and the Tribes.— Voyage to
Lake Superior with the Nez-Perces.— Mission at Green Bay
—Search for the Mississippi.— The Outfit.— The Voyage
through Green Bay.— Fox River and the Illinois.-Enters
the Mississippi.— Scenes Sublime and Beautiful.— Adven-
tures in an Indian Village

PAGE

CHAPTER II.
The First Exploration of the Mississippi River,
River Scenery.-The Missouri.-Its Distant Banks.-The Mos-
quito Pest.-Meeting the Indians.-Influence of the Calumet
-The Arkansas River.-A Friendly Greeting—Scenes in
the Village.-Civilization of the Southern Tribes.— Domestic
Habits.— Fear of the Spaniards.— The ReU'rn Voyage.

CHAPTER III.
Marquette's Last Voyage, and Death.
The Departure from Green Bay.-Navigating the Lake in a

Storms of lain and snow.— Mght Encampments.—

CONTENTS.

PACK

Ascending the Chicago River. — A Winter with the Savages.
— Journey to tlie Kankakee. — The Great Council on the
Prairie. — Interesting Incidents. — The Escort of Savages. —
The Death Scene. — Sublime Funeral Solemnities. . . 6l

CHAPTER IV.

Life iipofi the St. Lawrence and the Lakes Iwo
Htmdrcd Years Ago.

Birth of La Salle. — His Parentage and Education. — Emigrates to
America. — Enterprising Spirit. — Grandeur of his Concep-
tions. — Visits the Court of France. — Pr parations for an
Exploring Voyage. — Adventures of the River and Lake. —
Awful Scene of Indian Torture. — Traffic with the Indians.
— The Ship-yard at Lake Erie. ...... 8l

I !

CHAPTER V.
The Voyage Along the Lakes.

The Embarcation. — Equipment of the Griffin. — Voyage through
the Lakes and Straits. — The Storm. — Superstition of the
Voyagers. — Arrival at Mackinac. — Scenery there. — Friend-
ship of the Indians. — Sail on Lakes Huron and Michigan. —
Arrival at Green Bay. — The well-freighted Griffin sent back.

104

CHAPTER VI.

The Expedition of Father Hennepin.

Seeking a Northwest Passage, — The Voyage Commenced. —
The Alarm. — Delightful Scenery. — The Indian Village. —
Entrance to the Mississippi. — Appearance of the Country.
— The Midnight Storm. — Silence and Solitude. — A Heet of
Canoes. — Captured by the Savages. — Merciful Captivity. —
Alarming Debate. — Condition of the Captives. . . . 128

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VII.
Life with the Savages.

PACE

Ascending the River witli the Savages. — Religious Worship. —
Abundance of Game. — Hardihood of the Savages. — The
War-Whoop. — Savage Revelry. — The Falls of St. Anthony.
— Wild Country Beyond.-— Sufferings of the .Captives. —
Capricious Treatment. — Triumphal Entrance. — The Adop-
tion. — Habits of the Savages. . , . . . .145

CHAPTER VIII.
Escape from the. Savages.

Preaching to the Indians. — Studying the Language. — The Coun-
cil. — Speech of Ou-si-cou-de. — The Baptism. — The Night
Encampment. — Picturesque Scene. — Excursion on the St.
Francis. — Wonderful River Voyage. — Incidents by the Way.
— Characteristics of the Indians. — Great Peril. — Strange En-
counter with the Indian Chief. — Hardships of the Voyage. —
Vicissitudes of the Hunter's Life. — Anecdote. — The Return
Voyage.

163

CHAPTER IX.
The Abandoiwient of Fort Crlvccocur.

Departure of La Salle. — Fathers Membre and Gabriel. — -Their
Missionary Labors. — Character of the Savages.* — The Iroquois
on the War Path. — Peril of the Garrison. — Heroism of Tonti
and Membre. — Infamous Conduct of the Voung Savages. —
Flight of the Illinois. — Fort Abandoned. — Death of Father
Gabriel. — Sufferings of the Journey to Mackinac.

188

* CHAPTER X.
La Salle'' s Second Exploring Tour.

Disasters. — Energy of La Salle. — The Embarcation. — Navigating
the Lakes. — Sunshine and Storm, Beauty and Desolation.—:

CONTENTS.

PAGE

Ruins at Cr^vecceur. — Steps Retraced. — Christian Character
of La Salle. — Arrival at Mackinac. — The Enterprise Re-
newed. — Travelling on the Ice. — Descent of the Illinois
River. — Entering the Mississippi. — Voyage of the Canoes.
— Adventures with the Indians 2I0

CHAPTER XL
The Great Enterprise Accomplished.

Scenes in the Arkansas Villages. — Indian Hospitality. — Bar-
barian Splendor. — Attractive Scenery .r— The Alarm. — Its
Joyful Issue. — Genial Character of I.a Salle. — Erecting the
Cross. — Pleasant Visit to the Koroas. — The Two Channels.
— Perilous Attack. — Humanity of La Salle. — The Sea
Reached. — Ceremonies of Annexation. ....

232

|i ' ' !

CHAPTER XH.

The Return Voyage.

The Numerous Alligators. — Destitution of Provisions. — Encoun-
tering Hostile Indians. — A Naval Battle. — Visit to the Vil-
lage. — Treachery of tie Savages. — The Attack. — Humane
Conduct of La Salle. — Visit to the Friendly Taensas. —
Severe Sickness of La Salle. — His Long Detention at Prud-
homme. — The Sick Man's Camp. — Lieutenant Tonti sent
Forward. — Recovery of La Salle. — His Arrival at Fort
Miami.

249

CHAPTER XIH.
Sea Voyage to the Gulf of Mexico.

La Salle returns to Quebec. — Sails for France. — Assailed by Cal-
umny. — The Naval Expedition. — Its Object. — Its Equip-
ment. — Disagreement between La Salle and Beaujeu. — The
Voyage to the West Indies. — Adventures in the Caribbean
Sea. — They Enter the Gulf. — Storms and Calms. — The
Voyagers Lost. 268

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XIV.

Lost in the Wilderness.

Treachery of Beaujeu. — Accumulating Troubles. — Anxieties of
La Salle. — March on the Land. — Tiie Encampment. — Wreck
of the Aimable. — Misadventure with the Indians. — Com-
mencement of Hostilities. — Desertion of Beaujeu with the
Joli. — The Encampment. — The Indians Solicit P'riendship.
— The Cruel Repulse. — Sickness and Sorrow. — Exploring
Expeditions. — The Mississippi sought for in vain.

FAGK

290

CHAPTER XV.
A Trip toward Mexico.

Ai angements for the Journey. — The Departure. — Indians on
Horseback. — Scenes of Enchantment. — Attractive Character
of La Salle. — Visit to the Kironas. — The Bite of the Snake.
— Adventures Wild aud Perilous. — Hardihood of the Indian
Hunter. — The Long Sickness. — A Man Devoured by a
Crocodile. — The Return. .......

311

CHAPTER XVI.

The Last Days of La Salle.

Plan for the New Journey. — Magnitude of the Enterprise. —
Affecting Leave-taking. — The Journey Commenced. — Adven-
tures by the Way. — Friendly Character of the Indians. — Vast
Realms of Fertility and Beauty. — The Joys and the Sorrows
of such a Pilgrimage. — The Assassination of La Salle and of
three of his Companions. ....... 326

CHAPTER XVII.
The Penalty of Crime.

Nature's Storms. — The Gloom of the Soul. — Approach to the
Cenis Village. — Cordial Welcome. — Barbaric Ceremonials.

I i

CONTENTS.

PAGE

— Social Habits of the Indians. — Meeting with the French
Deserters. — Traffic with the Indians. — Quarrel between
Hiens and Duhaut. — The Assassins Assassinated. — De-
parture of the War Parly. — Fiend-like Triumph. — The
March Resumed 346

CHAPTER XVIH.
The Close of the Drama.

Ludicrous Scene. — Death of M. Marie. — Sympathy of the
Savages. — Barbaric Ceremonies. — The Mississippi Readied.
— Joyful Interview. — Ascending the River. — Incidents by
the Way. — The Beautiful Illinois. — Weary Detention. — The
Voyage to Mackinac. — Thence to Quebec. — Departure for
France. — Fate of the Colony

366

Adventures of La Salle

AND HIS COMPANIONS.

CHAPTER I.

The Enterprise of James Marquette.

The Discovery of America. — Explorations of the French in Canada. —
Ancestry of James Marquette. — His noble character. — Mission
to Canada. — Adventures with the Indians. — Wild Character of
the Region and the Tribes. — Voyage to Lake Superior with the
Nez-Perces. — Mission at Green Bay. — Search for the Mississippi.
— The Outfit. — The Voyage through Green Bay. — Fox River and
the Illinois. — Enters the Mississippi. — Scenes Sublime and Beau-
tiful. — Adventures in an Indian Village.

Nearly three hundred and forty years ago, in
April 1 541, De Soto, in his adventurous march, dis-
covered the majestic Mississippi, not far from the
border of the State of Tennessee. No white man's
eye had ever before beheld that flood whose banks are
now inhabited by busy millions. The Indians in-
formed him that all the region below consisted of
dismal, endless, uninhabitable swamps. De Soto,

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

world-weary and woe-stricken, died upon the banks of
the river. In its fathomless depths his body found
burial.

These cruel adventurers, insanely impelled in
search of mines of gold, founded no settlements, and
left behind them no traces of their passage, save that
by their cruelties they had excited the implacable
ire of the Indian against the white man. A hundred
years of earth's many griefs lingered slowly away,
while these vast solitudes were peopled only by
wandering savage tribes whose record must forever
remain unknown.

In the year 1641, some French envoys, from
Canada, seeking to open friendly trade with the
Indians for the purchase of furs, penetrated the
northwest of our country as far as the Falls of St.
Mary, near the outlet of Lake Superior. The most
friendly relations existed between these Frenchmen
and the Indians, wherever the tribes were encoun-
tered. This visit led to no settlement. The adven-
turous traders purchased many furs, with which they
loaded their birch canoes : established friendly rela-
tions with these distant Indians, and greatly extended
the region from which furs were brough^ to their
trading posts in Canada.

Eighteen more years passed away, over the silent
and gloomy wilderness, when in 1659, a little band

ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE.

of these bold and hardy explorers, in their frail
canoes, with Indian guides, paddled along the lonely,
forest-fringed shores of Lake Ontario, ascended the
Niagara River to the Falls, carried their canoes on
their shoulders around the rapids, launched them
again on Lake Erie, traversed that inland sea over
two hundred and fifty miles, entered the magnificent
Strait, passed through it to Lake St. Clair, crossed
that lake, ascended the St. Clair River to Lake Huron,
and traversing its whole length, a distance of three
hundred miles, reached the Falls of St. Mary.

Here, at the distance of more than a thousand
miles from the least vestiges of civilization, and sur-
rounded by numerous and powerful bands of savages,
these hardy men passed an inclement winter. Amidst
rocks and gloomy pines they reared their hut. Game
was abundant, fuel was at their door, the Indians
were hospitable, and they wanted for nothing. One
event only darkened these wintry months. The
leader of the band became lost in the woods and
perished.

In the spring the men returned rejoicingly to
Canada, with their canoes laden with the richest furs.
They also brought such reports of the docility and
amiability of the Indians, as to inspire the Christians
in Canada with ^ the intense rfesire to establish mis-
sionary stations among them. Five years passed

•If

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SAl.LE.

■\ I

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away, when Father Claude AUouez, with a small
band of Christian heroes, penetrated these wilds to
proclaim the glad tidings of the Gospel. Two years
after, he was followed by Father James Marquette,
a noble man, whose name will never die.

As the explorations of Marquette opened the way
for the still more wonderful excursions of La Salle, I
must here introduce a brief account of his adventures.
There is something in blood. The Marquette family
had been illustrious in France from time immemorial.
Generation after generation, many of its members
had obtained renown, not only for chivalric courage,
but for every virtue which can adorn humanity.
Their ancestral home was a massive feudal castle
on an eminence near the stately city of Leon. The
armorial bearing of the family commemorates deeds
of heroic enterprise five hundred years ago. They
were generally earnest Christians.

James Marquette was born at the ancient seat of
the family in the year 1637. His mother was a
woman of fervent piety and of unusual strength and
culture of mind. Her brother, John Baptiste de la
Salle, was the founder of a system of Christian schools
for the gratuitous education of the poor. Thousands
were thus instructed long before the present system
of public schools was introduced. It was to the in-
structions of his noble mother that James Marquette

■1 !

ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE.

was indebted for his elevated Christian character,
and for his self-sacrificing devotion to the interests
of humanity, which have given his name celebrity
through a large portion of the Christian world.

At the age of seventeen this noble young man,
resisting all the brilliant allurements the world opened
to one of his wealth and rank, consecrated himself to
the service of religion by entering the ministry in the
Catholic Church, in which he was born and educated,
and by whose influences he was exclusively sur-
rounded. '

Two years were devoted to intense study. Then,
for twelve years, he was employed in teaching and in
many laborious and self-denying duties. As was
natural, with a young man of his ardent nature and
glowing spirit of enterprise, he was very desirous of
conveying the glad tidings of the Gospel to those
distant nations who had never even heard of the
name of Jesus.

Canada and its savage tribes were then attracting
much attention in France. \ '^onderful stories were
told of the St. Lawrence River, and of the series of
majestic lakes, spreading far away into the unknown
interior, and whose shores were crowded with In-
dian tribes of strange aspect, language, and customs.

In the year 1666, Marquette set sail from France.
On the 20th of September, he landed, on the banks

THE APVENTURKS OF LA SALLE.

of the St. Lawrence, at a little hamlet of French log-
cabins and Indian wigwams^ called Quebec. He was
then but twenty-nine years of age. There was, at
that time, another missionary, M. Al' iv-\ on an
exploring tour far away upon the majestic ictkes of the
interior. With adventurous footsteps he was traver-
sing prairie solitudes and forest glooms, upon which
no eye of civilized man had ever yet looked. His
birch canoe, paddled hy Indian guides, glided over
solitary waters hundreds of leagues beyond the
remotest frontier stations.

There was quite an important trading-post at the
mouth of Saguenay River. This was a remarkable
stream, which entered the Gt. Lawrence about one
one hundred and twenty miles below Quebec. It
came rushing down, from unknown regions of the
north, with very rapid flood, entering the St. Law-
rence at a point where that majestic river was eleven
miles in width.

Here the French government had established
one of the most important commercial and religious
stations of that day. At certain seasons of the year
it presented an extraordinary wild and picturesque
aspect of busy life. There were countless Indian
tribes, clustered in villages along the banks of the
St. Lawrence, the Saguenay, and their tributary
streams. In the early summer, the Indians came by

ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE.

'5 »
2 A

huiulrcds, iv fleets of canoes — men, women and chil-
dren — to this great mart of traffic. Tliey came in
their gayest attire, reared their wigwams on the
plain, kindled their fires, and engaged in all the bar-
baric sports of Indian gala days. The scene pre-
sented was so full of life and beauty, that the most
skilful artist mig!'t despair of his ability to transfer it
to the canvas.

Father Marquette took his station at this point.
Here for twelve years he patiently labored, trying to
teach the Indians the way of salvation through faith
in Jesus Christ. Full of enthusiasm, and naturally
endowed with a very enterprising spirit, his heart
glowed with zeal as he listened to the narrative of
Father Allouez, of populous tribes, far away on the
majestic shores of Huron, Michigan, Superior.
These tribes had never heard of the mission of the
Son of God, to save a lost world. They had but
very faint conceptions of the Heavenly Father.
Marquette could not resist the impulse to carry the
Gospel to these realms of darkness.

It is difficult for us now to form any adequate con-
ception of the little hamlet, at the mouth of the Sa-
guenay, where Marquette commenced his missionary
labors. The log-cabins of the French, their store-
house, and, most prominent of all, the cross-sur-
mounted log chapel, were clustered together. At a

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Jittle distance, on the plain, were hundreds of Indian
wigwams. Bark canoes, light as bubbles, were seen
gliding over the still waters, which were there ex-
panded into a beautiful bay. The glooms of the
gigantic forest, spreading back to unexplored and un-
imagined depth, added to the sublimity of the scene.

There seemed to be no apprehension of hostility
on either side. The intercourse between the two
parties of civilized and uncivilized men was truly
fraternal. The French conformed, as far as possiMe,
to the modes of life of the Indians. They shared in
their games, married the daughters of their chiefs,
and in all points endeavored to identify the interests
of the natives with their own.

M. Marquette had a remarkable facility in the ac-
quisition of languages. There was a general resem-
blance in the language of all the tribes on the St.
Lawrence. He could very soon speak fluently with
all. Taking Indian guides with him, he commenced
tours in various directions, paddled by Indians in the
birch bark canoe. He visited tribe after tribe, met
the chiefs at their council fires, slept in the wigwams,
administered medicines to the sick, and, with zeal
which no discouragement could chill, endeavored to
point the living and the dying to that Saviour who
taketh away the sins of the world.

After spending two years in these labors, he ob-

ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE.

tained an appointment to connect himself with a
mission cstabHshed nearly a thousand miles west, far
away upon tlic shores of Lake Superior. On the
2 1st of April, 1668, he left Quebec for Montreal.
The distance was one hundred and eighty miles up
the river. The voyage was made in a birch canoe,
with three boatmen to aid him in paddling it against
the stream.. They could proceed about thirty miles
a day. The voyage occupied about a week. There
were Indian villages; on the banks where they occa-
sionally slept. At other times they encamped in
the forest, the night wind lulling them to sleep, as it
sighed through the leafless branches, which the
returning sun of spring had scarcely yet caused to bud.
At Montreal there was a little cluster of cabins
and wigwams, p esent'ng a very different aspect from
the stately city which now adorns that site. After a
short tarry there, waiting for a suitable guide, to
traverse more than a thousand miles of almost path-
less wilderness, a party of Nez-Perce Indians, from
Lake Superior, came down the river in their canoes.
With them Marquette embarked. It was a wonder-
ful voyage which this gentleman, from the refinement
and culture of France, made alone with these

savages.

They paddled up the Ottawa River a distance of
nearly four hundred miles. Thence through a series

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

I'ai.;

of narrow streams and minor lakes, they entered Lake
Nipissing. Descending the rapid flood of French
River, through cheerless solitudes eighty miles in
extent, they entered Georgian Bay. Crossing this
vast sheet of water over an expanse of fifty miles,
they saw the apparently boundless waves of Lake
Huron opening before them. The northern shores
of this inland sea they skirted, until they reached the
river St. Mary, which connects Lake Superior with
Lake Huron. Here two missionary stations were
established.

One was near the entrance of the river into Lake
Huron, aboi >. f ^rty miles below the celebrated Fails
of St. Mary. The other was at Green Bay, an im-
mense lake in itself, jutting out from the northwest-
ern extremity of Lake Michigan. Father Marquette
reared his log-cabin in the vicinity of a small Indian
village, on the main land, just south of the island of
Mackinaw. He named the station St. Ignatius. In
this vast solitude this heroic man commenced his
labors of love. There were about two thousand souls
in the tribes immediately around him. With great
docility they listened to his teachings, and were eager
to be baptized as Christians. But the judicious father
was in no haste thus to secure merely their nominal
conversion. The dying, upon professions of peni-
tence, he was ever ready to baptize, and to adminis-

ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE.

ter to them the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.
With the rest he labored to root out all the remnants
of their degrading superstitions, and to give them
correct ideas of salvation through repentance, amend-
ment, and trust in an atoning Saviour.

Gradually Marquette gathered around him a lit-
tle band of loving disciples. For three years he
labored with them cheerfully, joyously. His gentle
and devoted spirit won, not merely the friendship of
the Indians, but their ardent affections. He was
just as safe among them as the most beloved father
surrounded by his children. Three years this good
man remained in these lonely wilds, peacefully and
successfully teaching these benighted children of the
forest. During all this time his mind had been much
exercised with the thought of exploring the limitless
and unknown regions south and west.

He had heard rumors of the Mississippi, the
Father of Waters ; and his devout mind peopled the
vast realms through which it flowed with the lost
children of God, whom he perhaps might reclaim,
through the Gospel of Jesus, who had come from
heaven for their redemption. The Governor of
Canada was desirous, for more worldly reasons, of
exploring these regions, where future empires might
be reared.

Even the Indians knew but little respecting this
a

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

great and distant river. There was much uncer-
tainty whether it ran south, into the Gulf of Mexico,
or west, emptying into the Gulf of California, which
Spanish explorers had called the Red Sea, in conse-
quence of its resemblance to that Asiatic sheet of
water, or whether it turned easterly, entering the
Atlantic Ocean somewhere near the Virginia coast.

In the spring of the year 1673, Governor Frontenac
sent a French gentleman, M. Joliet, from Quebec,
with five boatmen, to Point St. Ignatius, to take
Father Marquette on board and set out to find and
explore the downward course of this much talked of
river. M. Joliet was admirably qualified for this
responsible enterprise. He was a man of deep
religious convictions, had spent several years among
the Indians, was a very courteous man in all his
intercourse with them, was thoroughly acquainted
with their customs, and spoke several of their lan-
guages. As to courage, it was said that he absolutely
feared nothing. The good father writes, in refer-
ence to his own appointment to this expedition :

" I was the more enraptured at this good news,
as I saw my designs on the point of being accom-
plished, and myself in the happy necessity of expos-
ing my life for the salvation of all these nations.
Our joy at being chosen for this enterprise, sweet-
ened the labor of paddling from morning till night.

ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE.

uncer-
Vlexico,
L, which
1 conse-
heet of
•ing the
coast,
ontenac
Quebec,
to take
rind and
alked of
for this
3f deep
among
1 all his
uainted
leir lan-
)solutely
n refer-
ion :
d news,
accom-
f expos-
nations.
, sweet-
11 night.

As we were going to seek unknown countries, we
took all possible precautions, that if our enterprise
were hazardous, it should not be foolhardy. For
this reason we gathered all possible information from
the Indians, who had frequented those parts. We
even traced a map of all the new country, marking
down the rivers on which we were to sail, the names
of the nations through which we were to pass, and
the course of the great river."

On the 13th of May, 1673, this little band, consist-
ing of M. Joliet, Father Marquette, and five boatmen,
in two birch canoes, commenced their adventurous
voyage. They took 'vith them some Indian corn
and jerked meat ; but they were to live mainly upon
such food as they could obtain by the way. The
immense sheet of water, at the northwestern ex-
tremity of Lake Michigan, called Green Bay, is one
hundred miles long by twenty or thirty broad. The
boatmen paddled their frail canoes along the western
border of this lake until they reached its southern
extremity, where they found a shallow river, flowing
into it from the south, which they called Fox River.
They could propel their canoes about thirty miles a
day. Each night they selected some propitious spot
for their encampment. Upon some dry and grassy
mound they could speedily, with their axes, construct
a hut which would protect them from the weather.

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

iii

Carefully smoothing down the floor, they spread over
it their ample couch of furs. Fish could be taken
in abundance. The forest was filled with game.
.An immense fire, blazing before the open side of the
hut, gave warmth, and illumined the sublime scene
with almost the brilliance of noon-day. There they
joyously cooked their suppers, with appetites which
rendered the feast more luxurious to them probably
than any gourmand at Delmonico's ever enjoyed.

Each night Father Marquette held a religious
service, which all reverently attended. Prayers were
offered, and their hymns of Christian devotion
floated sweetly through those sublime solitudes.
The boatmen were men of a gentle race, who had
been taught from infancy to revere the exercises of
the church.

They came upon several Indian villages. But
the natives were as friendly as brothers. Many of
them had visited the station at St. Ignatius, and all
of them had heard of Father Marquette and his
labors of love. These children of the forest begged
their revered friend to desist from his enterprise.

*' There are," they said, " on the great river ^ bad
Indians who will cut off your heads without any
cause. There are fierce warriors who will try to
seize you and make you slaves. There are enormous
birds there, whose wings darken the air, and who

-|[

ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE.

ad over
; taken
game,
i of the
2 scene
re they
s which
robably
oyed.
eligious
ivs were
levotion
)Utudes.
^ho had
cises of

ts. But

any of
and all
and his
begged
rise.
uer, bad
)ut any
I try to
ormous
nd who

can swallow you all, with your canoes, at a mouthful.
And worst of all, there is a malignant demon there
who, if you escape all other dangers, will cause the
waters to boil and whirl around you and devour
you."

To all this, the good Marquette replied, " I
thank you, dear friends, for your kind advice, but I
cannot follow it. There are souls there, to save
whom, the Son of God came to earth and died.
Their salvation is at stake. I would joyfully lay
down my life if'I could guide them to the Saviour."

They found the navigation of Fox River impeded
with many rapids. To surmount these it was neces-
sary often to alight from their canoes, and, wading
over the rough and sharp stones, to drag them up
against the swift current. They were within the
limits of the present State of Wisconsin, and found
themselves in a region of lakes, sluggish streams, and
marshes. But there were Indian trails, which had
been trodden for uncounted generations, leading
west. These they followed, often painfully carrying
their canoes and their burdens on their shoulders,
for many miles, from water to water, over what the
Indians called the Carrying Places.

At length they entered a region of remarkable
luxuriance, fertility, and beauty. There were crys-
tal streams and charming lakes. Magnificent forests

II i

ii!t;

! ^

■ !

; 1

■ ' J ■''

lii

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

were interspersed with broad and green prairies.
God seemed to have formed, in these remote realms,
. an Eden of surpassing loveliness for the abode of
his children. Three tribes, in perfect harmony, occu-
pied the region — the Miamis, Mascoutins, and Kick-
apoos. There was a large village with abundant
corn-fields around. River and lake, forest and prai-
rie were alike alive with game.

To their surprise they found that the French mis-
sionary. Father Allouez, had reached this distant
spot, preaching the Gospel, eight years before. The
Indians had received him with fraternal kindness.
He had left in the centre of the village a cross, the
emblem of the crucified Son of God.

"I found," Marquette writes, "that these good
people had hung skins and belts and bows and arrows
on the cross, an offering to the Great Spirit, to thank
him because he had taken pity on them during the
winter and had given them an abundant chase."

No white man had ever penetrated beyond this
region. These simple, inoffensive people seemed
greatly surprised that seven unarmed men should
venture to press on to meet the unknown dangers of
the wilderness beyond — wilds which their imagina-
tions had peopled with all conceivable terrors.

On the loth of June these heroic men resumed
their journey. The kind Indians furnished them

ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE.

prairies,
realms,
)ode of
y, occu-
d Kick-
lundant
id prai-

ch mis-
distant
. The
ridness.
)ss, the

ig the

with two guides to lead them through the intricacies
of the forest to a river, about ten miles distant, which
they called Wisconsin, and which they said flowed
westward into the Father of Waters. They soon
reached this stream. The Indians helped them to
carry their canoes and effects across the portage.
"We were then left," writes Marquette, "alone in
that unknown country, in the hand of God."

Our voyagers found the stream hard to navigate.
It was full of sand-bars and shallows. There were
many islands covered with the richest verdure. At
times they came upon landscapes of enchanting
beauty, with lawns and parks and lakes, as if arranged
by the most careful hands of art.

After descending this stream about one hundred
and twenty miles, they reached the mouth of the
Wisconsin River, and saw the flood of the Mississippi
rolling majestically before them. It was the 17th
of June 1673, Father Marquette writes that, upon
beholding the river, he experienced a joy which he
could not express.

Easily they could be swept down by the rapid
current into the sublime unexplored solitudes below.
But to paddle back against the swift-rolling tide
would try the muscles of the hardiest men. Still the
voyagers pressed on. It was indeed a fairy scene
which now opened before them. Here bold bluffs,

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

!!!! :|

hundreds of feet high, jutted into the river. Here
were crags of stupendous size and of every variety
of form, often reminding one of Europe's most pic-
turesque stream, where

" The castled crags of Drachenfels,

Frown o'er the wide and winding Rhine."

Again the prairie would spread out its ocean-like ex-
panse, embellished with groves, garlanded with flow-
ers of gorgeous colors Avaving in the summer breeze,
checkered with sunshine and the shad*^ of passing
clouds, with roving herds of the stately buffalo and
the graceful antelope. And again the gloomy forest
would appear, extending over countless leagues,
where ]>ears, wolves, and panthers found a congenial
home.

Having descended the river nearly two hundred
miles they came to an Indian trail, leading back into
the country. It was so well trodden as to give evi-
dence that a powerful tribe was near. It speaks well
for the Indians — for the reputation which they then
enjoyed — that Marquette, with his French compan-
ion, M. Joliet, far away in the wilderness, seven hun-
dred miles from any spot which a white man's foot
had ever before trod, should not have hesitated alone
to enter this trail in search of the habitations of this
unknown tribe. They left all their companions, with
the canoes, on the bank of the river.

ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE.

•* We cautioned them," writes Father Marquette,
"strictly to beware of a surprise. Then M. JoHet
and I undertook this rather hazardous discovery, for
two single men, who thus put themselves at the dis-
cretion of an unknown and barbarous people."

These two bold adventurers followed the trail in
silence for about six miles: They then saw, not far
from them, upon a meadow on the banks of a small
stream, a very picturesque group of wigwams, with
all the accompaniments of loafing warriors, busy
women, sporting children, and wolfish dogs, usually
to be found in an Indian village. At the distance of
about a mile and a half, upon a gentle eminence,
there was another village of about equal size.

As the Indians had not yet caught sight of them,
they fell upon their knees, and Father Marquette, in
fervent prayer, commended themselves to God. They
then gave a loud shout, to attract the attention of
the Indians, and stepped out into open view. The
whole community was instantly thrown into commo-
tion, rushing from the wigwams, and gathering in
apparently an anxious group. .

After a brief conference they seemed to come to
the conclusion that two unarmed men could not thus
approach them, announcing their coming, with any
hostile intent. Four of their aged men were deputed
to go forward and greet the strangers. They ad-

iii!

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

vanccd with much dignity, not uttering a word, but
waving, in their hands, the pipes of peace. As it
afterwards appeared, they had often heard of the
arrival of the French in Canada, of the wonderful
articles which they brought for traffic, and of the mis-
sionaries, with their long black gowns. The name of
Blackgowns was the one with which, in all the tribes,
they designated these preachers of the Gospel. When
they had come within a few paces of the strangers,
they regarded them attentively and waited to be
addressed. Both M. Joliet and Father Hennepin
understood that these ceremonies indicated friend-
ship. Father Hennepin broke the silence by inquiring :

" To what nation do you belong? "

" We are Illinois," one of them replied, " and in
token of peace we have brought you our pipes to
smoke. We invi*-e you to our village, where all are
awaiting you with impatience."

The Frenchman and the four Indians walked
together to the village. At the door of one of the
largest wigwams, one of the ancients stood to receive
them. According to their custom, on such occa-
sions, he was entirely unclothed. This probably was
the savage mode of indicating that there were no con-
cealed weapons about the person. This man, with
his hands raised toward the sun, which was shining
brightly, said :

ENTERPKISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE.

" How beautiful is the sun, O Frenchmen ! when
you come to visit us. All our people welcome \ ou,
and you shall enter all our cabins in peace."

He then led them into the wigwam. A large
concourse remained outside in respeciiul silence.
Only the principal men entered the wigwam. Mats
were provided, for the guests, in the centre. The
rest took seats around. The calumet of peace was
passed. All in turn partook of the smoke of the
weed which both the civilized and uncivilized man
have prized so highly.

While thus employed, a messenger came in from
the head chief, who resided in the village on the
eminence to which we have alluded. He brought
a message from the chief, inviting the strangers to
his residence.

" We went with a good will," writes M. Marquette.
" The people, who had never before seen a white man,
could never tire looking at us. They threw them-
selves upon the grass, by the way-side, to watch as
we passed. They ran ahead, and then turned and
walked slowly back to examine us. AJi this was
done without noise and in the most respectful
manner."

The chief was standing, with two venerable men,
at the door of his residence. The three were en-
tirely destitute of clothing. Each one held the calu-

I A

■'^

i 'I

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

met of peace in his hand. The guests were received
witn smiles and a few cordial words of welcome.
Together they all entered the spacious wigwam. It
was very comfortable and even cheerful in its aspect,
being carpeted, and its sides were lined with mats
ingeniously woven from rushes. The Frenchmen, as
before, were placed upon central mats, while all the
dignitaries of the village silently entered and took
their seats around.

The chief rose, and in a few very appropriate
words bade the strangers welcome to his country.
Again the pipe of peace was presented to them and
passed the rounds. M. Marquette, who, as we have
said, was quite at home in all matters of Indian eti-
quette, then arose, and addressing the chief, said :

" We have come as friends to visit the nations
on this side of the great river." In token of the
truth of these words, he made the chief a handsome
present. He then added, *' God, the Father of us
all, has had pity on you, though you have long been
ignorant of Him. He wishes to become known to all
nations, and has sent me to communicate His will
to you, and wishes you to acknowledge and obey
Him." Another present was handed the chief.
He then continued, *' My king, the great chief of
the French, wishes that peace should reign every-
where ; that there should be no more wars. The

ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE.

:very-
The

Iroquois, who have been the enemies of the Illinois,
he has subdued." Another present was given, in
confirmation of the truth of these words. In con-
clusion of this brief yet comprehensive speech, he
remarked, " And now I have only to say that we
entreat you to give us all the information, in your
power, of the sea into which the great river runs, and
of the nations through whom we must pass on our
way to reach it."

The chief rose, and addressing Father Marquette,
said, " I thank thee, Blackgown, and thee also," bow-
ing to M. Joliet, " for taking so much pains to
come and visit us. Never has the earth been so
beautiful to us, and never has the sun shone so
brightly upon us as to-day. Never has our river
been so calm or so free from rocks. Your canoes
have swept them away. Never has our tobacco had
so fine a flavor, or our corn been so luxuriant as we
behold it to-day, now that you are with us."

Then, turning to a little Indian captive boy, at
his side, whom they had taken from some hostile
tribe, and had adopted into the family of the chief,
he added :

" Here is my son. I give him to you that you
may know my heart. I implore you to take pity
upon me, and upon all my nation. Thou knowest
the Great Spirit who has made us all. Thou speakcst

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SAIXE.

I |ii:

J I

to Him and hearest His word. Ask Him to give
me life and health, and to come and dwell with us,
that we may know Him."

He then led the little captive to the side of M.
Marquette. This was in return for tlie first present.
Holding in his hand a calumet very highly carved
and ornamented with feathers, he presented it to
the father, saying :

"This is the sacred calumet. It signifies that,
wherever you bear it, you are the messengers of
peace. All our tribes will respect it, and will pro-
tect you from every harm."

The bowl of the pipe was of some highly pol-
ished red stone. The stem, elaborately decorated,
was of a reed about two feet long. " By this pres-
ent," said he, " we wish to show our esteem for your
chief, whom we must all revere after the account you
have given us of him." The third and fourth pres-
ents consisted, so far as we can judge from the rather
obscure narrative, of two thick mats, one for each of
the guests, to serve them for beds on their voyage.
At the same time the chief said :

*' I beg of you, in behalf of the whole nation, not
to go any farther down the river. Your lives will be
in the greatest peril."

" I replied," Father Marquette writes, " that I did
not fear death, and that I esteemed no happiness

ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE.

greater than that of losing my hfe for the glory of
God, who made us all. But this, these poor people
could not understand."

The council now broke up, and a great feast was
given. It consisted of four courses. The first much
resembled what is called in New England hasty
pudding. It consisted of Indian meal, and corn
pounded fine, and boiled in an earthen pot, and was
eaten with melted fat. The master of ceremonies
took some on a wooden plate, and with a horn spoon,
quite neatly made, fed the two Frenchmen as a
mother feeds a child.

The second course consisted of three boiled fishes.
Carefully the bones were removed, and the Indian
who served them placed the food in the mouths of
their guests as before. He blew upon it, to be sure
that it was sufficiently cool. For the third course
there was brought forward a large baked dog. This
was considered a great delicacy, and was deemed the
highest compliment which could be shown to a guest.
But the prejudices of the Frenchmen were such that
they could not eat dog, and this dish was removed.
The fourth course consisted of fat and tender cuts
of buffalo meat. This also was placed in their mouths
as parents feed a child.

There were three hundred wigwams in the village.
After the feast the guests were led into each one of

■11

. .il

ili'
ill

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SAL^.E.

them, and introduced to the inmates. As they
walked through the streets a large crowd accom-
panied them. Some men, officiating as a kind of
poHce, were continually haranguing the throng, urging
the people not to press too close, and not to be
troublesome. Many presents were made them of
belts and scarfs woven from hair and fur, and other
small articles of Indian manufacture, brilliantly col-
ored and richly embroidered with shells. They had
also knee-bands and wrist-bands which were quite
ornamental.

That night the guests slept in the wigwam of the
chief. The next morning they took leave of their
generous entertainers. The chief himself accompa-
nied them to their canoes, followed by a retinue of
nearly six hundred persons.

We cannot record this friendly reception without
emotion. How beautiful is peace! How different
would the history of this world have been but for
man's inhumanity to man !

CHAPTER II.

The First Exploration of the Mississippi River,

River Scenery. — The Missouri. — Its Distant Banks. — The Mosquito
Pest. — Meeting the Indians. — Influence of the Calumet. — The
Arkansas River. — A Friendly Greeting. — Scenes in the Village.
— Civilization of the Southern Tribes. — Domestic Habits. — Fear
of the Spaniards. — The Return Voyage.

Father Marquette and M. Joliet had astronomi-
cal instruments with which they ascertained, with
much accuracy, the latitude of all their important stop-
ping places. As they state that the two villages, which
they visited, were on the western side of the Missis-
sippi, at the latitude of forty degrees north, and
upon the banks of a stream flowing into the Great
River, it is supposed that these villages were upon
the stream now called Des Moines, which forms a part
of the boundary between Iowa and Missouri. The
Indians called the villages Pe-ou-a-sea and Moing-
wena. They were probably situated about six miles
above the present city of Keokuk.

It was three o'clock in the afternoon, of a day
near the end of sunny, blooming June, when our
voyagers re-sumed their adventurous tour. Nearly

llilili

III 1 1 w

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

the whole tribe they had visited stood upon the bank
to bid them adieu. They floated along through a
very dreary country of precipitous rocks and jagged
cliffs, which quite shut out from their view the mag-
nificent prairie region which was spread out beyond
this barrier.

Upon the smooth surface of one of these rocks,
apparently inaccessible, they saw, with surprise, two
figures painted in very brilliant colors and with truly
artistic outline. They thought that the painting
would have done honor to any European artist. The
figures were of two rather frightful looking monsters,
about the size of a calf, in red, green, and black.
Stoddard, in his history of Louisiana, says that these
painted monsters, between the Missouri and the
Illinois Rivers, still remain in a good degree of
preservation.

" As we were discoursing of them," writes Father
Marquette, " sailing gently down a beautiful, still,
clear water, we heard the noise of a rapid, into which
we were about to fall. I have seen nothing more
frightful. A mass of large trees, entire, with branches,
real floating islands, came rushing from the mouth
of the river Pekitunoiil, so impetuously that we
could not, without great danger, expose ourselves to
pass across. The agitation was so great that the
water was all muddy, and could not get clear."

V^iif

EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

This was the rush and the roar of the incom-
ing billows of the terrible Missouri, the most
tremendous river upon this globe. It enters the
Mississippi through a channel half a mile in breadth,
rushing down with a sort of maniacal fury, from its
sources among the Rocky Mountains at the distance
of three thousand and ninety-six miles. Its whole
course, from its rise to its entrance into the Gulf of
Mexico, is four thousand three hundred and forty-
nine miles. More than two hundred and fifty years
after this, Mr. George Catlin ascended this river in
the first steamer which ever ventured to breast its
torrent.

It took the steamer three months to ascend to
the mouth of the Yellowstone, two thousand miles
from the city of St. Louis. At this point the Amer-
ican Fur Company had erected a very substantial
fort, three hundred feet square, for the protection of
their property against the savages. The banks of
the stream were lined with the villages of the In-
dians. Their wigwams were of a great variety of
structure. The scenes presented were astonishing
in their wild and picturesque aspect. Crowds of
weird-like savages would often be collected on the
bluffs, watching the appalling phenomenon of the
passing steamer.

The Missouri is different, perhaps, from any other

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

1 14

river in the world. Its boiling, turbid waters rush
impetuously on, in an unceasing current, for hun-
dreds of leagues, with scarcely a cove, an eddy, or
any resting place where a canoe can be tranquilly
moored. The Indian name of the river signifies
Muddy Water. It is so opaque, like a cup of choco-
late, that a newly coined shilling, placed in a tum-
bler, cannot be seen through the eighth part of an
inch of the water.

For nearly a thousand miles the whole bed of
the stream was impeded with gigantic trees, torn
from the rich alluvial banks, forming snags and saw-
yers and rafts, through which, often with difficulty,
the steamer cut her way. Every island and sand-
bar, was covered with dreary looking masses of drift-
wood of every conceivable variety.

This desolate and savage aspect of the rushing
flood is much relieved by the aspect of marvellous
beauty often presented on the banks. It was almost
a fairy scene. Hills and vales, bluffs and ravines, were
continually presented in successions of subHmity and
beauty which charmed the eye. Prairies were often
spread out before them of boundless expanse, upon
which vast herds, often numbering thousands, of
bufifp^es, elks, and antelopes, were seen grazing. In
the gloomy forests, wolves were roaming. Mountain
goats bounded over the cliffs. And at times, the

■

EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

air seemed darkened with the myriad birds which
rose from the tall grass.

There was one twelve-pound, and three or four
eight-pound cannon on board the steamer. At
every village which was passed, the banks would
be crowded with the astounded natives. Mischiev-
ously, the captain would order all the cannon to be
simultaneously discharged. The effect upon the
terrified savages was ludicrous in the extreme.
They were all thrown into utter consternation. The
more devout threw themselves upon the ground, and,
hiding their faces, cried to the Great Spirit for pro-
tection. The cowards, with the women and the
children, ran screaming back into the prairie, or
behind the hills. Occasionally, a little band of vet-
eran warriors, the bravest of the brave, would stand
their ground, ready to meet the terrors of even a su-
pernatural foe.

" Sometimes," writes Catlin, " they were thrown
neck and heels over each other's heads and shoulders
— men, women, children and dogs ; sage, sachem, old
and young, all in a mass — at the frightful discharge
of the steam from the escape-pipe, which the captain
of the boat let loose among them, for his own fun and
amusement."

As our voyagers, in their birch bark canoes, passed
the mouth of this wonderful stream, they had no

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

conception of the scenes which were transpiring in
thousands of Indian villages on its far-distant waters.
They began now to think, from the course of the
Mississippi, that it must flow into the Gulf of Mexico.
They had however learned, from the Indians, thit
if they were to ascend the Missouri, or, as they
called it, Pekitanoii^, five or six days' sail, they would
come to a very beautiful prairie, ninety-five miles
long. This splendid country, which was represented
as an Eden of loveliness, the Indians said could be
easily crossed, carrying their canoes. They could
then take another river which ran southwest into a
small lake. This was the source of another large and
deep river, which emptied into the western sea.

In subsequent years, this description of the Indians
was found to be unexpectedly correct. By ascending
the Missouri to the Platte River, and following that
stream to its source among the Rocky Mountains, the
traveller is brought within a few leagues of the Colo-
rado, which flows into the Gulf of California. Having
passed the dangerous rush of the Missouri, as it
entered into the Mississippi, and fioatingupon the sur-
face of their combined waters, they came, after the
sail, as they judged, of about sixty miles, to the
mouth of another large river, of gentle current, and
whose waters were of crystal purity, flowing in from
the east. The Indians very appropriately called it

EXPLORATION OF THE MlSSlSSim.

Wabash, which signified Beautiful River. The
P^rench subsequently called it La Belle Riviere. We
have given it the name of Ohio, appropriating the
name Wabash to one of its most important tributaries.

The voyagers learned that this stream was fringed
with a succession of Indian villages. The various
tribes were peaceful, averse to war. In one district
there was a cluster of twenty-three villages ; in
another, of eighteen. But alas for man ! It would
seem that the fallen children of Adam were deter-
mined that there should be no happiness in this
world. The ferocious Iroquois would send their war
parties, hundreds of miles through the wilderness, to
make unprovoked attacks upon these unwarlike peo-
ple. They would rob them of their harvests, wan-
tonly burn their wigwams, kill and scalp men, women,
and children, and carry off captives to torture and
burn at the stake, in barbarian festivities.

Near the mouth of this river they found deposits
of unctuous earth, having quite brilliantly the colors
of red, purple, and violet. Father Hennepin rubbed
some of the red upon his paddle. The constant use
of that paddle in the water, for fifteen days, did
not efface the color. This was a favorite resort of
the Indians to obtain materials for painting their
persons.

They now entered the region of that terrible pest,

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

the. mosquito. Elephants, lions, tigers, can bo
exterminated. The mosquito bids defiance to all
mortal powers. The Indians would build a scaffold-
ing of poles, a mere grate-work, which would give free
passage to smoke. A i"'ivv pieces of bark, overhead,
sheltered them from the rain, and the excessive heat
of the sun. Upon these poles they slept, kindling
smouldering fires beneath. They could better endure
the suffocating fumes which thus enveloped them
and drove away their despicable tormenters, than
bear the poison of their stings. The voyagers were
greatly annoyed by these insects.

As they were thus swept down the infinite wind-
ings of the stream, day after day, mostly at the will
of the current, they perceived one morning, much to
their surprise, a small band of Indians on the shore,
armed with guns. The savages seemed very much
at their ease, and waited the approach of the canoes.
Father Hennepin stood up and waved toward them
his peace calumet, with its imposing decoration of
feathers. His companions held their muskets in
readiness to repel any assault. Drawing near the
shore, the father addressed them in the Huron lan-
guage. They did not understand him, but made
friendly signs for the party to land. The Indians led
the Frenchmen into their wigwams and feasted them

EXPLORATION OF THE MlSSISSim.

upon buffalo steaks, with bear's fat, and some very
delicious wild plums.

It appeared that these Indians were a band of
warriors, probably from the Tuscarora nation. They
had seen the Spaniards, on the Florida coast, and
had purchased of them guns, axes, and knives. They
kept their powder in strong glass bottles. From them
they learned that a ten days' voyage down the rapid
current of the Mississippi would bring them to the
ocean. The indefatigable missionary endeavored to
give them some idea of God, and of salvation through
Jesus Christ, who came to seek and save the lost.

And now, with renewed courage, our adventurers
entered their canoes and resumed their paddles.
The prairies, which had so long delighted their eyes,
gradually cisappeared, and the dense forest lined
both sides of the stream. It was very evident, how-
ever, that upon the other side of the ^orest-crowned
eminences, the prairies continued to extend in all
their sublimity and beauty; for they often heard the
bellowing, as the roar of distant thunders, from thou-
sands of wild cattle roving the plains.

They had now descended to nearly the thirty-
third degree of north latitude, when they came to a
large Indian village, situated upon a plain raised but
a few feet above the level of the water. These
Indians had undoubtedly received some great outrage

Pi',

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

from the Spaniards ; for no sooner did they catch a
sight of the Europeans than they were thrown into
great commotion, and all their warriors rallied for
battle. They were evidently aware that a few men>
armed with the dreadful musket, might overpower a
large number who wielded only the Indian weapons
of warfare.

These warriors were armed with bows and arrows,
javelins, and war clubs. They seemed to know that
the invisible bullet could strike vvilh death far beyond
the reach of any of their missiles. They moved
therefore with great caution. In those southern lat-
itudes the birch tree, from whose bark the canoes of
the northern Indians were made, did not thrive.
Their boats were made of large logs, hollowed out
and neatly shaped. They were often ornamented
with infinite labor. Some of the warriors prepared
to overwhelm the strangers with a shower of arrows
from the land. Others embarked in their larger
boats to ascend the river, and others to descend, so
as to cut off all possibility of retreat.

As .the voyagers drew near the shore, Father
Marquette stood up in his canoe, though exposed to
imminent danger of being pierced by their arrows,
and earnestly waved the calumet of peace, at the
same time, as he writes, imploring the aid of *' our
patroness and guide, the Blessed Virgin Immaculate.

EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPri.

And indeed," he continues, " we needed her aid, for
we heard, from afar, the Indians exciting one another
to the combat by continual yells."

In the terror and tumult of the moment the
calumet had not been seen. But as soon as some of
the chiefs caught sight of it, they rushed into the
water, threw their bows and arrows into the canoes,
which they seized and brought to the shore. Father
Marquette and M. Jolict were so familiar with the
customs of the Indians that they understood this to
be a friendly movement, and they no longer felt any
great anxiety ; though they were aware that, through
some sudden outbreak of the savage sense of re-
venge, they might lose their lives. The good father
addressed them in six Indian languages, none of
which they understood. At last an old man came
forward, who spoke a little Illinois.

Very friendly relations were soon established.
They made the Indians several valuable presents,
and informed them of their desire to find the way to
the ocean. " They perfectly understood our mean-
ing," writes Father Marquette, '' but I know not
whether they understood what I told them of God,
and the things which concerned their salvation. It
is a seed cast in the earth, which will bear its fruit in
season."

The Indians, in return, presented them with corn,

f< i".'

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

i
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pounded into meal, and some fishes. They said that,
at some distance farther down the river, there was a
large village called Akamsea ; that there they could
learn all they wished to know respecting the course
and the out-flow of the Father of Waters. The voy-
agers slept in the wigwams of the Indians during the
night, though the father confesses that it was not
without some uneasiness. The Akamsea, to which
the Indians referred, was what we now call Arkansas.

It is supposed that this village was near the
Indian village of Guachoya, where the unhappy De
Soto, whose romantic history we have given in a
previous volume of this series, breathed his last, one
hundred and fifty years before. In the narrative
which has descended to us of that ill-fated and cruel
expedition the historian writes :

" The same day, July 2, 1543, that we left Amin-
oya, we passed by Guachoya, where the Indians tar-
ried for us in their canoes."

It was at Aminoya that De Moscoso, who suc-
ceeded De Soto, built his little fleet of seven strong
barges, with which the Spaniards descended, in a
voyage of sixteen days, to the mouth of the river.
The Spaniards were as ignorant of the sources of the
mighty river upon which they were sailing, as were
the French of the termination of the majestic flood,
which they had discovered nearly two thousand

EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

miles, far away amidst the lakes and prairies of the
north.

The next morning, at an early hour, the French-
men resumed their voyage. A party often Indians
accompanied them, leading the way in one of their
large boats. The old man, who understood a little
of the Illinois language, also went with them as an
interpreter. When they had descended the river
nearly thirty miles, and were within about a mile and
a half of the Arkansas village, they saw two boats,
ci"owded with warriors, push out from the shore, and
advancing to meet them. The keen eyes of the sav-
ages had probably discerned the Indian boat which
led the frail canoes of the Frenchmen. They knew
that persons thus approaching could come with no
hostile attempt.

The chief of this party, distinguished by his gor-
geous dress, stood up in his boat, and, waving the
plumed calumet, sung, in a very plaintive but agree-
able tone, some Indian ode of welcome. He came
with smiles and friendly signs alongside of the two
birch canoes which kept close together. First, hav-
ing taken a few whiffs from the pipe, he presented
it to them to smoke. Then, having given them
some bread, made of Indian meal, he made signs for
them to follow him to the shore.

The chief had a large scaffolding, such as we

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

have before described, as a protection from the mos-
quitoes. It also afforded a cool shelter from the
rays of an almost tropical sun. The ground floor
was carpeted with very fine rush mats. In the centre
of this spacious awning, the Frenchmen were seated,
as in the post of honor. The head chief, with his
subordinates, surrounded them. Then the encircling
warriors, several hundred in number, took their
seats. A motley but perfectly orderly crowd of men,
women, and children gathered around as witnesses of
the scene.

Fortunately there was a young warrior there who
had travelled, and who was much more familiar with
the Illinois language than the old man who had
accompanied the voyagers as interpreter.

" Through him," says the faithful missionary, " I
first spoke to the assembly by the ordinary presents.
They admired what I told them of God, and the
mysteries of our holy faith, and showed a great
desire to keep me with them to instruct them."

In answer to inquiries in reference to the sea,
.they said that it could be easily reached, in their
canoes, in ten days. They, however, stated that
they knew but little about the nations who inhab-
ited the lower part of the river, because they were
their enemies. These Indians had hatchets, knives,
and beads. This proved that, in some way, they

EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

mos-
1 the
floor
entre
;ated,
h his
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their
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o had

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they

had held intercourse with Europeans. Upon being
consulted on this question, it appeared that they
had obtained them through the Spaniards in Florida
and Mexico. They warned the voyagers not to go
any farther down the river, as they would certainly
be attacked and destroyed by the war parties of
these hostile bands.

While this conference was going on, which con-
tinued for several hours, the Indians were continually
presenting their guests with plates of food, which
consisted principally of meal-pudding, roast corn, and
dogs' flesh. The Indians were very courteous. But
it was not a powerful or war-like tribe. They often
had but a meagre supply of food, as the ferocity of
their surrounding enemies prevented them from
wandering far in pursuit of game.

Their main rehance was upon corn. They sowed
it at all seasons, raising three crops a year. While
some fields were just sprouting, others were in the
soft and milky state suitable for roasting, and other
fields were waving with the ripe and golden harvest.
These southern tribes were generally much more
advanced in the arts than those farther north.
They manufactured many quite admirable articles
of pottery for household use. It is said that some
of them were hardly inferior in form and finish to the
exquisite vases found in Herculaneum and Pompeii.

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Still they were i'' many respects degraded sav-
ages, of loathsomr ^abits, but little elevated above
the brutes. Many of the men wandered about with-
out any clothing. The women were not regarded
with any honor. They were beasts of burden,
dressed in wretched skins, without any ornaments.
Their wigwams were long and wide, made of bark,
with a single central entrance. Almost like the cat-
tle, they slept together at the two extremities, upon
mat-covered elevations, raised about two feet from
the ground. From the description of Father Mar-
quette, we should infer that, in this melancholy vil-
lage, the chiefs alone enjoyed the luxury of sleeping
upon poles enveloped with suffocating smoke to
drive away the mosquitoes.

" We ate no fruit there," writes Marquette, " but
watermelons. If they knew how to cultivate their
grounds they might have plenty of all kinds."

In the evening M. Joliet and Father Marquette
held a conference in reference to their future course.
They had ascertained that they were at 33° 40' north
latitude. The basin of the Gulf of Mexico was at 31°
40'. Though the Indians had said that they could
reach the sea in ten days, it was manifest that they
could easily accomplish the distance in four or five.
The question was consequently settled that the
Mississippi ran into the Gulf of Mexico. To decide

EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

this point was the great object of their voyage.
Spanish outrages had exasperated all the Indians
along the southern coast. The voyagers could not
prosecute their enterprise any farther, but at the
imminent peril of their lives. Should they thus
perish, the result of their discoveries would, for a
long time, be lost to the world.

They feared the Spaniards even more than they
did the savages. The Spaniards, jealous of the
power of France, would certainly hold them as pris-
oners, if they could take them, and would not
improbably put them to death to prevent the fact of
their having descended the whole course of the
Mississippi from being known. They therefore
wisely determined to retrace their steps with all
energy. On the 17th of July they left the village of
Akamsea, near the mouth of the Arkansas River, to
stem the strong current of the Mississippi on their
return. At high-water the vast flood, a mile in
width, rushed along at the rate of five or six miles
an hour. They found it very difficult to force their
way against this current. We have no particular
account of the incidents of their long and laborious
return voyage. When they had reached the latitude
of thirty-eighth degree north, they came to the
mouth of the Illinois River. The Indians informed
them that this would be a shorter route to Lake

i i

! ;

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Michigan than to go up the Mississippi still farther
to the Wisconsin River. They therefore entered this
stream, which takes its rise within six miles of the
lake. In the glowing account which Father Mar-
quette gives of this river, he writes :

" We had seen nothing like this river for the fertil-
ity of the land, its prairies, woods, wild cattle, stags,
deer, wild-cats, bustards, swans, ducks, parrots, and
even beavers. It has many little lakes and tributary
rivers. The stream on which we sailed is broad,
deep, and gentle, for sixty-five leagues. During the
spring, and part of the summer, when the rivers
are full, the portage is only a mile and a half in
length."

They ascended the Illinois until, by a short por-
tage, they could transport their canoes across the
prairie to the Chicago River. Descending this
stream to its mouth, where the thronged city of
Chicago now stands, but which was then only a
dreary expanse of marshy prairie, they paddled up
the western coast of Lake Michigan until they
reached the mission at Green Bay, about the middle
of September. About two months were spent in
the toilsome voyage from Arkansas.

General Wool, Inspector-General of the army of
tl e United States, has made, from a personal
acquaintance with the route, the following estimate

por-
s the

this
y of
nly a
d up

they
liddle

nt in

EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 59

of the distances of the several stages of this eventful
journey :

From Green Pay up Fox River to the portage 175 miles.

From the portage down the Wisconsin to the Mississippi . 175 "
From the mouth of the Wisconsin to the *nouth of the

Arkansas 1087 "

From the Arkansas to the Illinois River 547 "

From the mouth of the Illinois to Chicago 305 "

From Chicago to Green Bay, by the lake shore 260 "

Total 2,549

The accompanying fac-simile of a map attached
to Marquette's Journal, reduced from the original,
and which we take from Mr. Sparks's brief but
admirable sketch of Marquette's Life, will give the
reader a very clear idea of the route he pursued.
The dotted line from the Mississippi to the Illinois,
marked " Chemin du retour," is evidently a mistake,
added by some other hand. It is clear, from the
narrative, that the voyagers returned up the Illinois
River.

Father Marquette, who was never known to utter
a murmuring word, and who was serene and cheerful
amidst the sorest trials, was so utterly exhausted by
the toils of the expedition that he could proceed no
farther than Green Bay. Here M. Joliet separated
from him and continued his route, in a birch canoe,
along the vast expanse of Huron, Erie, and Ontario,
and down the St. Lawrence to Montreal. In

'.1

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:■•

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

descending the rapids of the river his canoe was over-
set and ail his papers lost, he narrowly escaping with
his life. He subsequently dictated, from memory, a
few pages of the incidents of the voyage ; but the
manuscript of Father Marquette alone remained to
tell the wondrous story. This was sent to France,
and there published.

Even Marquette had no conception of the true
grandeur of that valley he had entered, extending
from the Alleghany ridges to the Rocky Mountains.
Still, when the tidings of his wonderful discoveries
reached Quebec, the exciting intelligence was received
with the ringing of bells, with salvos of artillery, and,
most prominent and important of all, by nearly the
whole population, led by the clergy and other digni-
taries of the place, going in procession to the cathe-
dral where the Te Deum was sung in thanksgiving
to God.

CHAPTER III.
Marquette' s Last Voyage, and Death.

The Departure from Green Bay. — Navigating the Lake in a canoe. —
Storms of rain and snow. — Night Encampments. — Ascendinjj
the Chicago River. — A Winter with the Savages. — Journey to
the Kankakee. — The Great Council on the Prairie. — Interesting
Incidents. — The Escort of Savages. — The Death Scene. — Sub-
lime Funeral Solemnities.

Father Marquette spent the winter and the
whole summer of 1674 at Green Bay, actively engaged
in the services of the mission, though in a very feeble
state of health. It is said that he was remarkably
genial and companionable, fond of pleasantry, ever
greeting others with pleasant words and benignant
smiles. He had promised the Illinois Indians that
he would return to them, to teach them the religion
of peace and good-will brought to the world by the
Son of God.

His health being somewhat recruited, he set out,
by direction of his superiors, with two boatmen,
Pierre and Jacques, to establish a mission among
these Indians, who were anxiously awaiting his arri-
val. The mission at Green Bay was at the southern

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

:ii|in

extremity of that inland sea. Taking their canoe
and all their effects upon their shoulders, they crossed
the peninsula, which separated the bay from the lake,
throui^h an Indian trail about thirty miles in length.
They then launched their canoe upon the broad sur-
face of Lake Michigan. The cold gales of Novem-
ber had now begun to plough the surface of this
inland sea. Their progress was very slow. Often
the billows were such that the canoe could not ride
safely over them. Then they landed, and, in the
chill November breezes, trudged along the shore,
bearing all their effects upon their shoulders !

Ice formed upon the margin of the water, and
several snow-storms impeded their march, adding
greatly to their discomfort. But not a repining word
escaped the lips of Father Marquette. It was but a
dismal shelter they could rear, for the night, on the
bleak shore. Through this exposure his health began
rapidly to fail. It took them nearly four weeks to
reach the mouth of the Chicago River. They as-
cended the river several leagues, until they came to
a small cluster of Indian wigwams. The savages
were poor, but few in number, and their abodes com-
fortless. But Pere Marquette was so sick that they
could go no farther. These Indians were of the
Miami tribe.

Here the voyagers built a small log-cabin, and.

Marquette's last voyage and death. 63

destitute of what many would deem the absolute ne-
cessaries of life, passed the remaining weeks of the
dreary winter. One would suppose that the lone
missionary must at times have contrasted painfully
his then situation, with the luxuries he had enjoyed
in the ancestral castle in which he was cradled. A
few wretched wigwams were scattered over the
snow-whitened plains, where poverty, destitution, and
repulsive social habits reigned, such as is perhaps
never witnessed in civilized life.

His home was but a cabin of logs, with the inter-
stices stuffed with moss. The roof was covered with
bark. The window was merely a hole cut through
the logs. In storms a piece of cloth hung over it,
which partially kept out wind and rain. The fire-
place was one corner of the room, with a hole in the
roof through which the smoke ascended. Often the
state of the atmosphere was such that the cabin was
filled with smothering smoke. A few mats, woven
coarsely from bulrushes, covered a portion of the
earth floor. A mat was his bed. A log, covered with
a mat, was his chair ; his food was pounded corn,
and fishes and flesh of animals, broiled on the coals;
his companions, savages. Such was the home which
this noble man had cheerfully accepted in exchange
for the baronial splendors of his ancestors. It was
two hundred years ago. Father Marquette has re-

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

ceived his rewards. His earthly labors and sacrifices
were for but about twenty years. For two hundred
years he has occupied a mansion, which God reared
for him in heaven. There he is now, with his
crown, his robe, and his harp, with angel companion-
ship. And there he is to dwell forever.

There is something -exceedingly beautiful in the
simplicity of the Gospel of Christ. God, in the per-
son of his Son, came to earth and suffered and died
to make atonement for human sin. All who will
abandon sin, and try to live doing nothing wrong,
and endeavoring to do everything that is right, He
will forgive, and make forever happy in heaven.

This is the Gospel ; the Good News. God is no
respecter of persons ; but in every nation, he that
feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted
with him. The loitering Indians, ignorant, degraded,
wicked, gathered in constant groups around the fire,
in the cabin of the sick Christian teacher. And
when he told them of that happy world where they
shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, and
where God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes,
the truth came home to their hearts, and became its
own witness.

And yet here, as elsewhere, the Gospel of Jesus
found its bitter antagonists. With the Indians, as
in every city and town in Christendom, there were

MARQUETTE'S LAST VOYAGE AND DEATH. 6$

those who did not wish to be holy. They hated a
Gospel which demanded the abandonment of sin.
These men, with bloody tomahawks and gory scalp-
ing knives, and who, from infancy, had been practis-
ing the hideous war-whoop ; who consider the glory
of their manhood to depend upon the number of
enemies they had slain, and whose greatest delight
consisted in listening to the shrieks, and witnessing
the convulsions of their agonized victims at the
stake, denounced the Christian teacher, as the Jews
denounced the Son of God, crying ou-t " Crucify
mn.

Every day Father Marquette was sinking in lan-
guor, which both he and his companions supposed to
be a monition of speedily approaching death. And yet
he was a cheerful and happy man. All incomers at his
cabin were greeted with smiles. Death had no ter-
ror. Brighter and brighter grew the path, as he drew
nearer to the celestial city. His log-cabin was contin-
ually crowded with those who sought instruction.
The two humble companions who attended him,
were devout men, though uneducated, and in life's
lowly station. They joined heartily in the devotions
of the cabin. The voices of the three were joined in
matins and vespers, and floated sweetly over those
dreary wastes, where Buch heavenly strains had never
been heard before.

ill'

i|!:!

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Louif XIV. was then upon the tlirone of France.
He was one of the greatest, most powerful, most opu-
lent of all earthly monarchs. The wealth and the ge-
nius of earth could construct nothing more grand than
his palaces at Marly and Versailles. His banqueting-
hall was unsurpassed by any other hall ever reared
upon this globe. His chambers, his saloons, his gal-
leries, are still visited by astonished and admiring
thousands. And yet no one, familiar with his life,
will deny that Father Marquette, in his log-cabin,
surrounded by Indian wigwams, probably passed a
happier winter than did Louis XIV., amidst the most
dazzling splendors which ever surrounded a mortal.

Christmas came. It was made by the three a
season of special devotion, that God would so rein-
vigorate Father Marquette, as to enable him to ful-
fil his promise, and visit the Illinois Indians, and
teach them the Gospel. These devotions were called
a Novena, which was a nine days' prayer-meeting.
Their prayers were heard. Contrary to all reasonable
expectation, he so far regained his strength as to be
able, on the 29th of March, to resume his journey.
The chill winds of departing winter still swept the
plains. Storms of sleet often beat upon them. The
ground, alternately thawing and freezing, was fre-
quently whitened with snow. And still these heroic
men, with chivalry never surpassed in the annals of

MARQUETTE'S LAST VOYAGE AND DEATH. 6^

knighthood, pressed on. Their journey was slow.
Sometimes they floated upon the stream. Again
they followed the Indian trail through forest and
prairie. After traversing a route about a hundred
and fifty miles in length, they reached, on the 8th
of April, the Kankakee River, an important tributary
of the Illinois. At this point, which is now in the
present county of Kankakee, and near where the
village of Rockport stands, the Illinois Indians had
their large and populous village.

The missionary was received, we are told, as an
angel from heaven. He assembled all the chiefs of
the tribe, with the renowned warriors, that with im-
posing ceremonies he might announce to them the
object of his coming, and impress them with the
momentous importance of his message. There v, as
no wigwrm sufficiently capacious to accommodate
such a multitude as the occasion would assemble.

Near the village there was a smooth, verdant,
beautiful prairie, richly carpeted with the velvet
green of early spring. On a mild and sunny morn-
ing a wonderful crowd of savages — men, women, and
children — were seen crowding to the appointed sta-
tion. The chiefs were dressed in truly gorgeous
habiliments, of plumes, skins richly embroidered and
fringed, and brilliantly colored. Their robes were
more showy than any court-dress ever witnessed at

I f

iliil

THE .ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Windsor Castle or the Tuilcries. The warriors, with,
proud demeanor and stately tread, marched along,
with quivers of arrows at their backs, and bows in their
hands. Tomahawks and scalping knives were ostenta-
tiously displayed, and the scalps of enemies dangled
at their javelin points, as badges of their nobility.
Of these they were more proud than were ever Eng-
lish, French, or Spanish grandees of the decoration
of stars or garters. The women and the dogs came
next. They were alike regarded as necessary drudges
to bear burdens, and to be fed with the refuse which
their masters left. Then came the boys and girls,
many of them half naked, shouting, laughing, racing,
engaging in all the uncouth merriment of a savage
gala day.

The spot selected for the council was decorated
according to the most approved fashion of the peo-
ple and their times. The ground was covered with
mats, made of the skins of bears and other animals.
Posts were planted, draped and festooned with green
boughs. Upon each of the four sides of the square,
the good father, who had ever been taught to regard
with the utmost veneration the Mother of Jesus, hung
a picture of the Blessed Virgin, that all might gaze
upon her sad yet beautiful features.

Father Marquette took his seat upon a mat, in
the centre of the enclosure. Then the chiefs, and

MARQUETTE'S LAST VOYAGE AND DEATH. 69

the veteran warriors, who in many a bloody foray
had won renown, took their seats around him.
Silently and with the dignity becoming great men,
they assumed their positions. The young men, who
had not yet signalized themselves, and who were ever
eager to go upon the war-path, that they might return
with their trophies of gory scalps, to receive the
applause of the nation as braves, came next.

In respect to the war spirit, which is one of the
most direful traits of our fallen race, there is but lit-
tle difference between the civilized and uncivilized
man. I was once breakfasting with one of the most
distinguished officers of a European army. To my
question whether the officers generally wished for
peace or war, he replied :

" War, of course. In times of peace promotion
comes slowly. But upon the battle field promotions
are very rapidly made."

The young warriors counted about fifteen hun-
dred. Outside of their circle, the women and the
children were clustered. It was estimated that the
whole population of the village amounted to about
three thousand.

The Illinois Indians were at war with the Miamis,
among whom Father Marquette had passed the
winter. The Illinois chiefs had obtained of the traders
a few guns. Immediately upon Marquette reaching

« 1

i:J

iM U

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

their village, they hastened to entreat of him powder
and ball, that they might fit out an expedition against
their foes. Father Marquette rose at the council, and
after presenting the chiefs with some valuable gifts,
in token of the sincerity of his desire to be their friend
and do them good, addressed them in substance as
follows :

" I have not brought you any powder or balls.
I do not wish you to fight your brethren the Miamis.
You are all the children of the same Father. You
should love one another. I have come to tell you
of God, and to teach you to pray. God, the Great
Spirit, came to the world, and became a man, whose
name was Jesus. He died upon the cross to atone
for the sins of all men. And now, if you will cease
to sin ; if you will love your Father, the Great Spirit,
pray to Him and do everything in your power to
please Him, He will bless you, and when you die will
take you to dwell with Him and will make you
happy forever."

Such was, in general, the address of Father Mar-
quette. Such was ever, in substance, his teaching.
Jesus the Christ, and Him crucified, was his constant
theme. Two or three days were spent in similar
exercises. The Indians crowded around the father
constantly. They listened to his teachings with
respectful and apparently with even joyful attention.

MARQUETTE'S LAST VOYAGE AND DEATH. 71

He was pale and emaciate. Even the Indians could
perceive, from his feeble voice and emaciate steps,
that he was not far from the grave. On Easter
Sunday, the faithful missionary, with solemn and
imposing ceremonies, took, if we may so speak,
spiritual possession of the land, in the name of
Jesus Christ.

The rapidly failing health of the missionary,
rendered it expedient for him to endeavor to return
to his friends at Green Bay. The poor Indians
really mourned at the idea of his departure. Time
hung heavily upon their hands. They had but little
to think of, and but little to do. Loitering indolently
around, from morning till night, it was a great
source of enjoyment to them, to crowd the large
wigwam they had built for the father, to listen to
his words, to question him, and to witness the cere-
monies with which he was accustomed to conduct
his devotions. They were therefore much troubled
at the thought of his departure, and were but par-
tially comforted by his repeated assurances that he
would either soon return again, or send some one
else to continue the mission which he had thus
commenced.

Slowly and feebly he set out on his long journey
back to Green Bay. It was ninety miles from Kan-
kakee to the southern extremity of Lake Michigan.

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

iiJ?:

They could paddle in canoes over a portion of the
route. But there were also weary miles of portage
which they had to pass over, through Indian trails,
carrying their canoe, and all their effects, upon their
backs. It was a severe undertaking for a sick man,
who was so feeble that even if a horse could have
been provided for him to ride, he could scarcely have
held himself upon the saddle.

A large party of the Indians accompanied the
father, on this weary journey to the lake. They
administered to his wants with the tenderest care,
relieving him of every burden, and aiding him over
the rough ways. At the night encampments, they
provided for him a shelter, kindled his fire, cooked
his food, and spread for him a couch of leaves and
twigs. When they reached a small stream, which
ran into the lake, they placed him as comfortably
as possible in his canoe, and intrusting him to the
care of his two faithful boatmen, Jacques and Pierre,
bade him an affectionate farewell.

The savages, after these deeds of -almost Christian
kindness, returned to their wigwams, to sharpen the
edges of their tomahawks, the points of their javelins,
the barbs of their arrows ; and were soon, with hide-
ous yells, rushing upon their foes the Miamis, burn-
ing, killing, scalping — performing deeds of cruelty
which ought to cause even demons to Llush.

mar(^uette's last voyage and death. 73

istian
the
lelins,
Ihide-
)urn-
luelty

Father Marc^ucttc was too weak to wield the
paddle. He reclined ih the bottom of the canoe,
with his head slightly elevated, so that he could see
all the beauties of the scenery through which they
were passing. His prayer-book was in his hand ;
his talk was of heaven ; he was cheerful and happy.
His companions have testified to the wonderful
amiability, gentleness, and joy he maintained. He
told them plainly that he should die upon the voy-
age, but encouraged them to bear courageously all
the hardships they were to encounter on the way,
assuring that the Lord would not forsake them.

As his attendants plied their paddles he read
prayers to them, sang sweet hymns of devotion, and
in many fervent utterances commended them and
himself to God. He was in no pain. His eye
sparkled with animation. His soul was triumphant.
It may be doubted whether, on the broad continent

of North America, there were, in these hours, an
individual to be found more happy than he.

It was one of the mornings of lovely May, when
this frail birch canoe, with its three inmates, emer-
ging from a small stream, entered upon the ocean-like
expanse of Lake Michigan. On the north and the
east the majestic inland sea spread out to the hori-
zon, with no bounds but the sky. For some unex-
plained reason they decided to take the eastern

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

shore of the lake, on their return voyage, though
their outward voyage had been by the western
shore. They had still a journey of three hundred
miles before them.

Father Marquette was so weak thai; he could no
longer help himself. He could neither move nor
stand, and had to be carried from the canoe to the
shore like an infant. At each encampment the
attendants would draw the canoe, with Father Mar-
quette in it, gently upon the beach. They would
then hastily rear a shelter, spread for him a couch of
the long and withered herbage, and lay him tenderly
upon it. The only food they could prepare for the
fainting invalid, was corn pounded into coarse meal,
mixed with water, and baked in the ashes, with per-
haps a slice of game broiled upon the coals.

Thus they moved along, day after day, expect-
ing almost every hour that the death summons
would come. On Friday evening, the 27th of May,
1675, he told them, with a countenance radiant with
joy, that on the morrow he should take his departure
for his heavenly home.

He gave them minute instructions respecting
the place he wished to be selected for his burial;
directed how to arrange his hands and feet, and how
to wrap him in his robes, for he could have no coflin.
While one was to read the burial service the other

MARQUETTE'S LAST VOYAGE AND DEATH. 75

was gently to toll the small chapel bell which he
bore with him on his mission. The canoe was glid-
ing along near the shore, as the father gave these
instructions, reclining upon his mat. The setting
sun was sinking apparently into the shoreless waters
of the lake, in the west. They were all examining
the land, the boatmen searching for a suitable spot
for their night's encampment, and the father look-
ing for a good place for his dying bed and his
burial.

They came to the mouth of a small, pleasant
river, which presented a sheltered cove for their
canoe. There was an eminence near by, crowned
by a beautiful grove, and commanding a wide pros-
pect of the lake and of the land. It had a sunny
exposure, drained of moisture, and composed of just
such sol as seems suitable for a grave. Father Mar-
quette pointed to the eminence in the lone, silent,
solitary wilderness, and said, " There is the spot for
my last repose."

The boatmen ran their canoe up the mouth of
the river, a few rods, and landed. Hastily they
threv.' up a frail camp, kindled a fire, spread down a
mat for a couch, and placed their revered spiritual
father upon it. He was then left entirely alone,
with his God, while his companions were engaged in
unloading the canoe. They were silent and sad, for

THE ADVENTURKS Ol'' LA SALLE.

^ilNII

I'i'

they could not but perceive that the dying hour
was at hand.

When they returned, Father Marquette gave them
his last instructions. " I thank you, my dear com-
panions," he said, " for all the love and tenderness
you have shown me during this voyage. I beg you
to pardon me for the trouble I have given you. Will
you also say to all my fathers and brethren in the Ot-
towa mission that I implore their forgiveness for my
imperfections. I am now very near my home. But
I shall not forget you in heaven. You are very weary
with the toils of the day. I shall still live probably
for several hours. I wish you would retire and take
that rest which you so greatly need. I will call you
as soon as the last moments arrive."

They left the cabin with stricken hearts and weep-
ing eyes. The dying Christian was left alone with
his God. Who can imeigine the peace and joy which
must then have filled his heart and suffused his eyes.
The victory was won. Death was conquered. The
chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof were wait-
ing at the door of the humble cabin, to transport the
victor, through the pathways of the stars, to his
throne and his crown. Glorious death! Blissful
journey !

Three hours passed away, and his feeble voice
was heard caUing his companions to his side. He

MARQUETTE'S LAST VOYAGE AND DEATH. 7/

threw his arms around the neck of each one, and
drawing him gently down imprinted a kiss upon each
cheek. Then, taking the crucifix, which he ever wore
around his neck, he placed it in the hands of one of
them, requesting him to hold that emblem of the
atoning sacrifice of his Saviour before his eyes until
the last moment- Then, inspired with the faith of
Stephen the Martyr, clasping his hands and fixing his
eyes upon this memorial of God manifest in the flesh,
in fervent prayer he said :

" O Lord God, I thank Thee for the boundless
grace Thou hast conferred upon me in permitting me
to die in the service of Jesus Christ Thy Son. O
God, I thank Thee, that I have been His missionary ;
and that I am permitted to die, in a cabin, in the
depths of the forest, and far removed from all human
aid."

There were a few moments of perfect silence.
No sound fell upon the ear but the gentle breathing
of the dying man. He was then heard feebly to say,
" I know that my Redeemer liveth." Again he said,
in accordance with the faith which he had received
from childhood, " Mary! Mother of Jesus my Lord,
remember me."

Suddenly he raised his eyes from the crucifix and
looked upward, as if a vision of wonderful glory was
bursting upon his entranced view. His countenance

|!«

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

shone radiant with oy. A sweet smile was upon his
lips. Without a struggle, without a sigh, his soul

He had fallen

took its flight to its home in heaven.

asleep.

' Asleep in Jesus ! Far from thee.

Thy kindred and their graves may be.

But thine is still a bh ssed sleep,

From which none ever wake t j weep."

His two bereaved companions wept bitteily.
They laid out the body as directed ; wrapped it in
the threadbare garments it so long had worn, and
having dug the grave, placed the revered remains
within it. While one devotedly covered the body
with its mother earth, the other tolled the little bell
which had so often summoned thern to prayer. They
remained upon the spot until the next day. A large
cross was made, and planted firmly in the ground, m
a position which would attract the attention of all
passing along the shore of the lake. The two faith-
ful boatmen, Jacques and Pierre, then, after kneeling
upon th-^ grave in fervent prayer, returned to their
canoe and continued the long journey to Green Bay.
They reached the mlssi \\ in safety, with their sad
tidings.

Father Marquette died at the early age of thirty-
eight.

He had spent twenty-one years an earnest, sclf-

!U'!!I

MARQUETTE'S LAST VOYAGE AND DEATH. 79

ill

denying minister of Jesus Christ. Twelve of these
were in France. Nine were devoted to the savages
of the New World. At the early age of nine years,
he became an earnest Christian. Every Saturday
was, with this wonderful child, a day of fasting and
prayer.

There were quite a number of Christian Indians at
the Mackinaw mission. They had long known
Father Marquette, and revered and loved him. A
band of these Indians were, some months after this,
on the shores of Lake Michigan, upon a hunting ex-
cursioii. They sought out the grave of Father
Marquette. They took up the remains, carefully
enclosed them in a box of biirh ba.k, placed them in
one of their canoes, and paddled them, three hun-
dred miles, to the mission of St. Ignatius.

A convoy of canoes, thirty in number, in single
file, formed this wonderful funeral procession. It is
doubtful whether such a scene was ever before wit-
nessed on this globe. For more than ten days this
band of Indian hunters, in their picturesque costume,
silently and solemnly paddled along the shores of
the lonely lake, that the remains of their beloved
pastor might repose where they could visit the spot,
and honor them with their testimonials of gratitude.

As they approached the shore, where the mission
was established, with its cross-surmounted chapel,

""'^'jiiiiiMiii

^mmam

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

'it

surrounded with Indian wigwams, a courier was
sent forward rapidly, in a canoe, to announce the
arrival of the cortege. The whole community
promptly gathered upon the beach. A funeral pro-
cession was formed, led by Fathers Nouvel and Pier-
son, who were Superiors of the two missions, one to
the Ottawas, and one to the Hurons, which were
located side by side. Interrogations were first made
to verify the fact, that the body they bore was really
that of Father Marquette.

The two ecclesiastics then chanted the sublime
anthem,

" Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice ; let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my
supplications."

The canoes were still on the water, while quite a
throng of the Indians crowded the shore. With the
customary religious ceremonies, the body was con-
veyed to the chapel. It remained there for a day,
covered with a pall. On the morning of the next
day, which was the ninth of June, the remains were
deposited in a grave, in the middle of the log chapel,
which we infer had no floor but the earth ; there to
repose until the trump of the archangel shall sound,
when all who are in their graves shall come forth.

CHAPTER IV.

■ vil

Life upon the St. Lazvrence and the Lakes Two
Hundred Years Ago.

Birth of La Salle. — His Parentage and Education. — Emigrates to
America. — Enterprising Spirit. — Grandeur of his Conceptions. —
Visits the Court of France. — Preparations for an Exploring
Voyage. — Adventures of the River and Lake. — Awful Scene of
Indian Torture. — Traffic with the Indians. — The Ship-yard at
Lake Erie. •

About two hundred years ago, a young man, by
the name of Robert de la Salle, crossed the Atlan-
<-'C to seek his fortune in the wilds of Canada. He
was born on the 22d of November, 1643, in the city
of Rouen, the ancient capital of Normandy,'^ France.
He was the child of one of the most distinguished
families, and enjoyed all the advantages of social and
educational culture which the refinement and schol-
arship of those times could confer. He was by
nature a thoughtful, pensive young man, whose soul
was profoundly moved by the unsearchable mystery
of this our earthly being. In very early life he found,
in the religion of Jesus, a partial solution of the sub-

* De La Salle among the Senecas, in 1669. By O. 11. Marshal),
Buffalo Historical Society.

li H

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

lime drama of conflict, sin, and sorrow which is being
enacted on this globe, and which has no solution
whatever but in the revelations of the Bible.

Born almost beneath the shadow of the great
cath(idral of Rouen, and of an ancestry which from
time immemorial had been the children of the Cath-
olic Church, and instructed from infancy by revered
ecclesiastics of that communion, he almost as a mat-
ter of necessity accepted Christianity as presented
to him in the ritual of the Church of Rome. Nature
had endowed him with a restless, enterprising spirit,
which led him eagerly to plunge into those wild and
perilous adventures from which most persons would
have turned with dismay.

La Salle received an accomplished education in
one of the best seminaries in Europe. Upon gradu-
ating, he received from the professors a testimonial
of his high intellectual attainments and his unblem-
ished moral character. About the year 1669 he
sailed from France for Canada. His object proba-
bly was to accumulate a fortune by the barter of
European commodities for the furs and skins
obtained by the Indians. He pushed forward to
the frontiers, established trading houses, and in the
well-freighted birch canoe, explored remote lakes
and rivers.

At that time the whole of the great northwest

LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE.

of this country was an entirely unknown land. No
one knew whether the continent was one thousand
or ten thousand miles in breadth. It was the gen-
eral impression that the waves of the Pacific were
dashing against the rocks a few miles west of the
chain of great lakes which fringed the southern
shores of Canada. La Salle was meditating an
expedition up the St. Lawrence, through the majes-
tic chain of lakes to Lake Superior, from the western
end of which he confidently expected to find easy
communication with the Pacific Ocean. There he
would again spread his adventurous sail, having dis-
covered a new route to China and the Indies.

There was grandeur in this conception. It would
entirely change the thoroughfare of the world's com-
merce. It would make the French possessions in
the New World valuable beyond conception. This
all-important route, between Europe and Asia,
would be under the control of the French crown.

M. Frontenac, an ambitious and energetic
Frenchman, was then governor-general of Canada.
He entered cordially into the plans of La Salle, con-
ferred frequently with him upon the subject, and
was sanguine in the expectation that, by this great
discovery, his own name would be immortalized, ind
he would secure the highest applause from the
Grande Monarque, Louis XIV,

MMiMai

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

As early as the year 1660, the Indians had
reported, at Quebec, that many leagues west of the
great lakes there was a wonderful river, the Great
River, the Father of Waters, the most majestic
stream in the world, flowing from the unexplored
solitudes of the wilderness in the north, far away
into the unknown regions of the south.

One day a birch canoe, with a little band of
hardy, wayworn voyagers, French and Indians, came
paddling down the swift current of the St. Lawrence
and ran their boat upon the beach where the little
cluster of dwellings stood, called Quebec. They
brought the startling intelligence that Father Mar-
quette, a great and good man whom all knew, had
discovered the Great River, which the Indians called
the Mississippi, and had followed down its majestic
current for hundreds of leagues, until he had reached
the thirty-third degree of latitude. He had ascer-
tained, beyond all question, that it emptied its flood
into the Gulf of Mexico. This important discovery,
it was claimed, gave to the French, according to the
received law of nations, the whole valley of the Mis-
sissippi and its tributaries, however great that valley
might prove to be.

This intelligence was received with every demon-
stration of public rejoicing. It gave, as it was sup-
posed, to France a new world of boundless resources.

LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE.

The garrison band played its most exultant airs.
Salvos of artillery echoed along the majestic cliffs.
There was feasting, dancing, and singing, and the
spacious church was thronged with worshippers,
praising God with the national anthems of Te
Deum.

This great event gave a new impulse and a new
direction to the ambition of La Salle. He at once
conceived the idea of establishing a series of military
and trading posts along the whole length of the lakes,
and upon all the important points of the great river
and its tributaries. But even then he was but little
aware how magnificent was the realm which these
tributaries watered. He would thus, however, in the
name of the King of France, take military possession
of the whole territory.

Governor Frontenac gave his most cordial ap-
proval to the gigantic plan. His own mind was
greatly excited by the thought of the grandeur of a
chain of forts extending from the mouth of the St.
Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico. He urged La
Salle to go immediately to France, seek an audience
with the king, lay the plan before him, and seek the
royal patronage. The renowned Colbert was then
minister of finance and marine. The governor fur-
nished La Salle with letters to the minister which
would £. cure for him a respectful reception.

■taat

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

La Salle, a penniless adventurer, recrossed the
ocean. It was the year 1675. His plan at once
attracted attention, and he was cordially received by
both minister and king. The courtiers rallied around
him with much enthusiasm. The king, having hon-
ored him with the title of chevalier, authorized him
to rebuild, on the shores of Lake Ontario, Fort
Frontenac, which was falling to decay, and invested
him with the office of seignory or governorship of
the fort and its adjacent territory.

The sublime plan which La Salle thus proposed,
could only be carried into execution by thecontinous
labors of many years. La Salle returned to Canada
full of bright dreams for the future. For more than
two years he was employed in rearing the walls of
Fort Frontenac and improving the region around.
This important post occupied a commanding posi-
tion near the eastern extremity of Lake Ontario.

At the close of the year 1677 he again returned
to France, to report the progress he had made.
His reception by the court was even more cordial
than before, and he received from the king new hon-
ors and more extended privileges. On the 14th of
July, 1678, he sailed from Rochelle for Quebec. He
took with him an Italian gentleman, by the name of
Tonti, as his lieutenant, and a party of thirty men.
After a two months' voyage, they landed at Quebec

LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE.

e.
al
1-
.f
e
.f
b.

on the 15th of September. Then, paddling up the
swift current of the St. Lawrence, they passed the
Httle cluster of log-cabins surrounded with Indian
wigwams at Montreal, and after a voyage of between
three and four hundred miles reached Fort Fron-
tenac.

This was indeed a post far away in the wilder-
ness. It was strongly built, with four bastions on
the northern side of the entrance to the lake, at the
head of a snug forest-fringed bay, where quite a fleet
of small vessels could be sheltered from the winds.

It was a very curiouo spectacle which vvas then
witnessed upon this remote frontier of civilization.
The unbroken wilderness, where wolves howled and
bears roamed, spread in apparently unbroken gloom
in all directions. The fort rose in quite massive
proportions, enclosing within its palisades a number
of cabins, which the garrison occupied, and which
were stored with goods suitable for traffic with the
natives. There was a small green meadow spread
around, which was covered with wigwams of every
picturesque variety. Groups of Indians, of various
tribes, were moving about. The warriors were
painted and plumed, and many of them very gor-
geously attired. Women, young and graceful girls,
and little children, were clustered around the camp-
fires, some with busy hands usefully employed ;

t 1

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

li j:

others shouting and sporting in all the varieties of
barbaric pastimes.

It was an instructive scene, emblematic of this
fallen world. The frowning fort, with its threatening
armament, proclaimed that sin had entered the
world with its war and blood and misery, making
man the direful foe of his brother man. The cr stal
stream and lake ; the azure of the overarching skies ;
the bright, serene autumnal day ; the foliage, the
verdure, the picturesque wigwams ; the peaceful
employments of the women, and the sports and
shouts of the merry children, showed that our ruined
Eden still retained some of those glories which em-
bellished it before man rebelled against his Maker.

La Salle, on his return from Europe, in the
autumn of 1678, had brought with him a select
company of sailors, carpenters, and other mechanics.
At Quebec a number of Canadian boatmen joined
him. These men he sent forward to Fort Frontenac.
which was now virtually his castle, with the sur-
rounding territory his estate. The boats were heav-
ily laden with all articles for trading with the
Indians, and with all the essentials for building and
rigging vessels. He soon followed them, in an open
birch canoe, with one or two companions. It was a
long and perilous river voyage, paddling up the swift
current of the St. Lawrence between its thousand

i!i.-

LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE.

islands, struggHnfj against its rapids, and .seeking for
the eddies along its lonely forest-fringed shores.
Several times they came near being wrecked, with
inevitable death.

At the close of the day it was always necessary
to run the canoe ashore, to land and encamp. But
with hardy men, fond of adventure, these were pleas-
ures rather than pains. With their axes, in half an
hour they could construct a sheltering camp. A
brilliant fire would dispel all gloom, with its wide-
spreading illumination. The fragrant twigs of the
hemlock furnished a soft couch. Here they cooked
their suppers, sang their songs, told their stories, and,
free from all care, probably experienced at least as
much pleasure as is usually found in parlors the
most sumptuous.

Indian villages were quite profusely scattered
along the banks of this majestic river. The scene
was often quite exciting as the canoe of the voyagers
approached one of these clusters of picturesque wig-
wams in the evening twilight. The Indians were
fond of the song, and the dance, and the blaze of the
bonfire. The whole expanse of river, cliff, and
forest, would be lighted up. Shouts of barbaric
revelry echoed throu<,h the sublime solitudes. And
the warrior, the squaw, and the pappoose, flitted
about in all the varied employments of savage life.

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

In these Indian wigwams, at night, the voyagers
almost invariably found hospitable refuge. The
Indians were generally friendly. The traffic which
the French traders introduced was of inestimable
value to the poor savages. And even those who
were disposed to look with suspicion upon the en-
croachments of the white men, were overawed by the
thunderings and lightnings of their death-dealing
muskets. There were fishes of deHcious flavor in the
stream, and game in great variety upon the banks.
These viands, with the food they took with them,
furnished breakfasts and suppers which they deemed
even sumptuous.

The fort was reached in safety. On the i8th of
November, La Salle sent a small vessel of ten tons
burden, with a deck, to go to the farther end of Lake
Ontario, a distance of about two hundred miles, and
to ascend the Niagara River until the falls were
reached. The vessel contained about thirty workmen,
with provisions and implements for erecting a fort
and building a vessel beyond the falls at the extreme
eastern end of Lake Erie. Having ascended the
river as far as possible, they were to transport their
effects along an Indian trail, in the wilderness, several
miles above the falls and the rapids, until they
reached comparatively still water at the opening of
the lake. Here, in mid-winter, they were to construct

LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE.

their fortified magazine, and build a vessel for their
vast inland tour through almost unknown seas, in
search of the distant Mississippi.

Even then this continent was so little known that
many supposed that the Mississippi emptied into the
Pacific Ocean, and that thus the long-sought-for
route to China would be found.

Only about ten years before, in the year 1669,
La Salle, on an exploring tour with a party of mis-
sionaries in birch canoes, had discovered these falls.
M. Galinee, in his journal of the expedition, writes :

" We found a river one eighth of a league broad,
and extremely rapid, forming the outlet from Lake
Erie to Lake Ontario. The depth- is extraordinary,
for we found close to the shore, fifteen or sixteen
fathoms of water. This outlet is forty miles long.
It has, from ten to twelve miles above its embouchure
into Lake Ontario, one of the finest cataracts in the
world. All the Indians say that the river falls from
a rock higher than the tallest pines. We heard the
roar at the distance often or twelve miles The fall
gives such momentum to the water, that its current
prevented our ascending, except with great difficulty.
The current above the falls is so rapid, that it often
sucks in deer and stags, elk and roebuck, endeavoring
to cross the river, and overwhelms them in its fright-
ful abyss."

! i

i :!.

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

This is the earh'cst description of the falls on
record. At this time nearly the whole of the present
State of New York was a dense, unbroken wilderness.
It is very evident, that among the Indians there
were, as in every community, good men and bad men.
But on the whole, the condition of humanity among
the savages must have been dreadful. What are we
to think of a state of society in which every man's
reputation and distinction depended upon the num-
ber of human scalps, torn from the slain victims by
his own hands, with which he could fringe his gar-
ments?

On this tour La Salle visited the Seneca Indians
in Western New York, where the beautiful cities of
civilization and Christianity now adorn the land-
scape. Here they witnessed one of the most tragic
spectacles of savage life.

Some warriors arrived in one of the villages with
a prisoner. He was a fnely formed young man,
about nineteen years of age, from the Shawnee tribe
residing near the Scioto River,, They had clothed
their victim for the sacrifice. Anxious that he should
endure the torture as long as possible, they had
treated him tenderly, that, his bodily strength x.night
not be weakened. He had been given, according to
their custom, to an aged Indian woman, in place of
her son who had been killed. It was at her option

LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE.

JIC

ith
in,
[be
led
lid
lad
tht
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to adopt him or to cause him to be put to death by-
torture. She chose the torture.

The young man was taken into a cabin adjoining
that which was occupied by La Salle and Galinee.
The two Frenchmen visited him in the evening.
Three women were wailing the death of their relative
who had been killed, and were heaping imprecations
upon the victim through whose tortures they hoped
to avenge the deatli of the one who had been slain.
The Christians pleaded earnestly for him, and offered
large rewards to obtain him as a guide to conduct
them to the Ohio All was in vain.

At the earliest dawn of the next morning, a
group came rushing into La Salle's cabin to
announce that the torture was about to commence.
They went out and found the victim entirely stripped
of his clothing, and so bound to a stake that he
could move for a distance of two or three feet. The
whole band — men, women, and children — were gath-
ered exultingly around, to enjoy the cruel pastime.
The poor boy well knew what he had to undergo,
for he had probably often assisted in similar scenes.

M. Galinee was slightly acquainted with the
Algonquin language ; he could hold some conversa-
tion with the captive. The victim, pale and terror-
stricken, entreated the Frenchmen to intercede for
him, that his execution might be postponed until

< i]

-4.,

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

ill

III

^i li

ill

III

the next day. Again they renewed their efforts to
save the boy. They offered to pay a large amount
of their most valuable effects for his ransom. But
the Indians shook their heads and said, " It is our
custom : he must die."

A large fire had been kindled near by. In it
there was a long gun-barrel heated to a red heat.
An Indian warrior, a staid, sober man, came forward
with much dignity of manner, and taking the red-
hot gun-barrel pressed it upon the soles of the vic-
tim's feet, and moved it slowly up his legs. The skin
and flesh smoked and crackled under the terrible
infliction. The agony was such that the poor boy
could not refrain from loud shrieks, and he was
thrown into the most convulsive contortions.

The savages — the stern men, the women, the girls,
the boys — were delighted. As they listened to the
shrieks and witnessed the agonizing struggles of
their victim, they clapped their hands, and danced
and shouted in fiend-like exultation. The heated,
iron was passed over his whole body, from the sole
of his feet to the crown of his head. There was not
a spot left which was not blistered and roasted.
And still they carefully avoided touching any vital
point, that the horrible torture might be continued
as long as possible.

For six hours this poor creature endured every

LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE.

arls,
the

of
iced
Lted.
sole

not

5ted.

ivital

lued

[very

variety of agony which diabolical ingenuity could
inflict. I will not continue the narration. It is too
harrowing to be contemplated. But it is needful to
go thus far to show what, the Indians were without
the Gospel. Galinee writes:

" At length they knocked him down with a stone,
and throwing themselves upon him, cut his body in
pieces. One carried off his head, another an arm, a
third some other member, which they put in the pot
to boil for a feast. Many offered some to the
Frenchmen, telling them there was nothing in the
world better to eat ; but no one desired to try the
experiment.

" In the evening all assembled in the public place,
each with a stick in his hand, with which they began
to beat the cabins on all sides, making a very loud
noise, to chase away, they said, the soul of the de-
ceased, which might be concealed in some corner to
do them injury."

This scene took place in Western Nev/ York, a
mile and a half west of Boughton Hill, but about tv/o
hundred years ago. Surely the religion of Jesus has
improved the condition of humanity.

La Salle and Galinee, unable to endure the spec-
tacle, retired, in anguish of spirit, to their cabin. ** As
I was praying to God," writes Galinee, " and very
sad, La Salle came and told me that from the ex-

tl .

•

i;i

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

citemcnt he saw prevailing, he was apprehensive that
the Indians might insult us, and that we had better
return to the canoes." Hastily they retired.

But let us return from this digression. La Salle
joined his companions at the head of Niagara River,
on the borders of Lake Erie, on the 29th of January,
1679. The river, above the falls, was a sheet of ice,
resembling a plain paved with fine polished marble.
While many of his men had been employed building
a vessel to be launched upon the lake, others had
boldly jxplored all the surrounding region, purchas-
ing of the Indians furs and skins. The winter was
intensely cold, and the snow was deep. There was
a small cluster of Indian wigwams on the Niagara
River below the Falls.

The Indians, men, women and children, received
La Salle and his party even affectionately. They
took the strangers into their warm cabins, spread
bear-skin couches for them, to sleep with their feet
toward the fire, and fed them with their daintiest
bits of game. White-fish were taken in great abun-
dance at that place, and were deemed in flavor equal
to the golden brook-trout. The floating ice endan-
gered their brigantine. The Indians aided with in-
finite labor in dragging it to a safe place upon the
beach, just below those towering cliffs which fringe
so large a portion of this wild river. This spot was

LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE.

near the present site of Quccnstovvn, on the western
side of the stream.

All the goods weiC to be transported through a
trail of the forest, encumbered with snow, around
the falls, a distance of about twenty miles, on the
shoulders of men. The Indians, with fraternal kind-
ness, aided in these herculean labors, and were amply-
repaid for days of toil, by a knife, a hatchet, or a
few trinkets, as valuable to them as are diamonds
and pearls to a duchess. La Salle constructed a for-
tified d^pot at this place, to serve as a base for future
operations. Here he could store such additional
supphes as he might order from Fort Frontenac.
Strange as it may seem, it appears that he could
leave priceless treasure in a frail log-hut, thus far
away in the wildernesb, under the protection of the
Indians themselves. And yet these very men and
women, had La Salle been captured in battle, would
have shouted and leaped for joy in seeing him
writhing and shrieking beneath fiend-like tortures.
Such is fallen man. lie is the ruin of a once noble
fabric. But many fragments of his former gran-
deur still remain. There is no philosophy, save the
religion of the Bible, which can explain these dis-
cordances.

On the 20th of January, 1679, La Salle, with his
long train of heavily laden men in single file, reached

1= i

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

,^. :!i.

r-is

his large log-cabin and ship-yard in the midst of a
dense forest on the shore of Lake Erie. They
brought upon their backs provisions, merchandise,
ammunition, and materials for rigging the vessel.
The dock-yard — it could hardly be called a fort — was
about six miles above Niagara Falls, on the western
side of the river, at the outlet of a little stream
called Chippewa Creek.

The men there had been employed in erecting
their hut, cutting ship timber, and preparing the
ground for building their vessel. There were many
Indians continually visiting them. La Salle, the
very week of his arrival, laid the keel of his vessel,
and with his own hand drove the first bolt. He had
no thought of encroaching upon the lands of the In
dians, or of erecting any forts in antagonism to them.
The object of his exped. 'on was solely to make dis-
coveries in the name of France, to establish trad-
ing stations for the purchase of valuable furs cf the
Indians, and to erect throughout the region he trav-
ersed military posts, over which the banners of France
might float, which would prove that by the right of
discovery, the region belonged to France and not to
England. The foe to be guarded against was the
British Government, not the Indian tribes.

With characteristic sagacity, La Salle summoned

(

LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE.

)f
lo
|e

a council of the chiefs of all the neighboring tribes,
and addressed ^hem in substance as follows:

" I come to you as a friend and a brother. 1
wish to buy your furs. I will pay you for them in
guns and powder, knives, hatchets, kettles, beads, and
such other articles as you want. Thus you can do
me good, and I can do you good. We can be broth-
ers. I am building a vessel, that I may visit other
tribes, purchase their furs, and carry to them our
goods. Let us smoke the pipe of friendship, and
shake hands. The G.^eat Spirit will be pleased to
see us. His children, love one another and help each
other. I wish to establish a trading-post here, where
I can collect my furs, where you can come to sell
them. And here you will find mechanics who will
mend your guns, knives, and kettles, when they get
out of order."

These were honest words. They were convincing.
All smoked the pipe and grasped hands in token of
fraternity. The Frenchman was a benefactor, not
an enemy. His life was to be carefully protected.
Should he, from unkind treatment, refuse to come to
their country, they could buy no more guns, or
knives, or kettles. Henceforth, every wiewam wcl-

corned the ent^aiKe of.a.lverichmrin. ^ . : =

.-.'.-. . ;■ !. . *.'. •. ■ '

La Salle, while enqi^gecj.in building his. vessel, de-
spatched several ^aixpc.s alci]g each iihore of Lake Erie,

15 , i Ml

lOO

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

IM!

to visit every Indian village and purchase their furs.
Indian friends paddled the canoes and acted as inter-
preters. The arrival of one of these canoes at an
Indian village was an occasion of universal rejoicing.
Happy was the chief who could be honored by en-
tertaining the white trader :*n his wigwam. The
Frenchman was in no more danger in moving about
amid their dwellings and forests, than he would have
been in tra/ersing the boulevards in Paris.

A poor Indian would bring in some rich furs, to
him scarcely of any value, but worth ten dollars in
London or Paris. He would receive in exchange a
strong, keen-edged pocket-knife, worth in London or
Paris perhaps half a dollar, but to him worth ten times
ten dollars. He would go home to his wigwam so
happy that he could scarcely sleep. He would show
his almost priceless treasure to his wife, his children,
his neighbors. Accustomed to shave down his bow
and arrows only with such an edge as a hard stone
could afford, he was filled with inexpressible delight
as the keenly cutting steel performed its wondrous
work.

The young lady of wealthy parents may rejoice
when the gran^ pipr.o first enters her father's parlor.
The fashionable m^t^n'tiiay- fee< 's&me degree of
exultation as she regards, the splendor of her newly
furnished reccpt'ion-room. But i:Iieir joy was as

LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE.

lOI

nothing compared with the dch'ght with which an
Indian woman, for the first time in her life, hung a
stout iron kettle over her cabin fire.

La Salle named his vessel the "Griffin," as that
animal was one of the emblems on his family coat-
of-arms. During the winter, while the vessel was on
the stocks, circumstances required the presence of
La Salle at Fort Frontenac. Promptly he set out
for a journey on foot of three hundred miles through
the snow and the woods. Two men accompanied
him. A strong dog dragged a portion of the bag-
gage on a sled. Wherever night overtook them they
hastily constructed their camp, built their fire, cooked
their supper, wrapped themselves in furs, and fell
asleep. He seemed to think no m.ore of such a
journey than a gentleman does now of a trip, in
cushioned cars, from Boston to New Orleans. But
nothing in this world ever goes smoothly a long
time. In every man's life it may be said,

" Storm after storm rises dark o'er my way."

Several boats laden with supplies bound from
Frontenac to Niagara were lost in tempests on the
lake. This caused great embarrassment. Provisions
even became scarce. The laborers would have
suffered for food but for the services of Indian hunters,
who brought in deer and other game. The fur trade

I«ll

1 1! 1

■•*■".;!

tm I!

102

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

was becoming a matter of great importance. There
were many private traders and companies engaged in
the traffic, who were alarmed in view of the magni-
tude of the operations contemplated by La Salle, and
of the monopoly which had been granted to him by
the king. Here again we see the dark side of human
nature. Theso men. Frenchmen, nominal Christians,
endeavored to rouse the Indians against La Salle,
even to burnings and massacres. They said to the

savages :

" La Salle wishes to take possession of your whole
country. He is building a fort at Niagara, and
another at Erie. He is building a large vessel, that
he may explore all your distant lakes and large
rivers. He will erect his strong forts upon every
commanding spot. These forts he will garrison
with armed men, well provided with muskets, and
big guns whose roar is like that of thunder. Then
he will take your lands and bring in white men by
thousands, and you will all be killed or driven away.

" Your only safety is in destroying the forts at
Niagara and Erie, and in burning the vessel he is
building, before it is launched. We will not trespass
on your lands. We will build no forts. We will
bring to your villages, in our canoes, all the goods
you want, and will buy all your furs. Thus you will
be in no danger.''

LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE.

103

These plausible representations alarmed the
Indians. Some of them visited the encampment,
and with a suspicious eye watched all the move-
ments. There were two parties formed, the friendly
and the unfriendly. La Salle was erribarrassed. He
micfht be attacked. His little handful of men would
need a strong fortress for their protection. But to
strengthen his works would confirm the fears of his
foes and add to their number. An Indian woman
revealed to him a plot to set fire to his brigantine
on the stocks.

He kept a careful watch, ordered all his men to
be secretly ready for a surprise, and pushed forward
the building of the vessel with all vigor. Early in
April the vessel was launched. The sublime Te
Deum resounded through the solitudes of the forest
as thanksgivings were offered to God for the success
of the enterprise thus far. Prayers were breathed
forth that God would guide and bless the vessel and
its crew. The vessel was moored at a safe distance
from the shore. All the men swung their hammocks
on board their floating fortress, and were quite secure
from any intrusion of the savages.

I n

» CHAPTER V.

T/ie Voyage Along the Lakes.

The Embarcation. — Equipment of the Griffin. — Voyage through the
Lakes and Straits. — The Storm. — Superstition of the Voyagers. —
Arrival at Mackinac. — Scenery there. — Friendship of the In-
dians. — Sail on Lakes Huron and Michigan. — Arrival at Green
Bay. — The well-freighted Griffm sent back.

On the 7th of August, 1679, the Griffin .spread her
sails for her adventurous voyage into the vast unknown.
Her armament consisted of five small cannon, two of
which were of brass, and three clumsy guns called
arquebuses. The vessel was of but sixty tons bur-
den. Most of the men had muskets for taking game.
The current in the river, where the vessel was moored,
was very rapid. But by aid of a fair wind, and twelve
men pulling by a rope on the shore, all difficulties
were overcome, and the Griffin entered triumph-
antly the broad expanse of Lake Erie.

As the anchor was raised and the canvas spread,
a simultaneous salute was fired from the five cannon,
the three arquebuses, and all the muskets. Such an
uproar was never before heard in those silent wilds.

THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.

105

An immense number of Indians crowded the shore.
They gazed with astonishment, awe, and indefinable
dread upon the novel spectacle. The whole com-
pany of Frenchmen embarked, being thirty-four in
number. None were left at Erie. But at Niagara, as
the magazine at Queenstown was called. Father
Mclethon remained, with one or two laborers, to
receive such supplies as might be forwarded to that
place.

Three missionaries accompanied the expedition.
Fathers Hennepin, Zenobe, and Ribourde. They
were venerable and good men, ready at any mo-
ment to lay down their lives in advocacy of the
Christian faith. Lake Erie is about two hundred
and sixty miles long, and from ten to sixty broad.
They ran along the northern shore of this majestic
inland sea, and on the third day reached its western
bounds, where they cautiously entered the mouth of
the strait through which flows the waters of all the
upper lakes. It was about twenty-eight miles long,
and one mile broad. As canoes alone had thus far
passed over its surface, it was necessary for them to
feel their way with much care. La Salle gave the
strait the name of Detroit. Soon entering another
lake, twenty-four miles long by thirty broad, he gave
it the name of St. Clair, in honor of the saint whose

tf;

i 1

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

name appears in the calendar of the church for
that day.

Passing safely over the shallow waters, the Griffin
entered another strait, about thirty miles long,, to
which La Salle gave the name of St. Clair River.
The current was strong, and the navigation perilous.
Gigantic steamers now run through from Lake Erie
to Lake Huron in a few hours. It required thirteen
days for the Griffin to accomplish the passage. The
whole distance is about ninety miles.

Lake Huron opened magnificently before them.
The route along the shore of the lake to its head,
where it receives the waters of Michigan and Supe-
rior, is about three hundred and sixty miles. Its
greatest breadth is one hundred and sixty miles.
The progress of the voyagers was slow. They were
impeded by calms and head winds. It was often
necessary to cast the lead and to watch for rocks and
sand-bars. They had but just entered upon Lake
Huron when they encountered one of the severest
tempests which ever swept that stormy lake. The
whole ship's company were devout Catholics.

In those dark days both the fathers and the crew
were alike disposed to call upon the Virgin Mary and
the saints to aid them, rather than upon God.
Father Hennepin tells us that the stout soul of La
Salle qaailed before the horrible tumult which threat-

THE VOYAGE AT.ONG THE LAKES.

107

cned to engulf him. They all alike fell upon their
knees and addressed their prayers and jtheir cries to
St. Ant' "ly of Padua. They solemnly vowed that
if he would i-itercede with God and obtain their
rescue, they would, in the newly-discovered countries,
erect a chapel in his name. St. Anthony was called
the patron of mariners, and therefore his aid was
especially invoked.

Greatly was their confidence in the saint's inter-
cession increased, as the wind lulled, the clouds dis-
persed, the sun shone forth in all its autumnal gloiy,
and with a fair wind pressing their sails they glided
along over a smooth sea, skirting the southern shore
of the lake, past mountains and valleys, prairiet and
forest, which presented every variety of picturesque
beauty.

At the extreme northwestern extremity of Lake
Huron, near the point where the lake receives the
waters of Lakes Michigan and Superior, there was a
large island, whose swelling hills were crowned with
a dense forest. This island was called by the Indians,
from its peculiar form, Mackinac, or the Turtle, some-
times Michilimackinac, or the big Turtle. On the
27th of August, 1679, the Griffin ran into a beautiful
little bay in this island. It was a lovely summer's
day, serene, sunny, and cloudless. The waters of
the bay, fringed with forest-crowned hills, were as

io8

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

placid as a mirror. There was quite a village there
of wigwams. Naked children were sporting upon
the beach. Buoyant birch canoes, driven by the
paddles of gayly-dressed men and women, were glid-
ing swiftly in all directions. The scene opened
before the eyes of the voyagers like a vision of
enchantment.

Nearly ten years before, Father Marquette, in-
spired by apostolic zeal, had traversed this whole
distance in a birch canoe. Several Indians accom-
panied him as boatmen and interpreters. Upon the
main land, across a' narrow strait, he had established
a mission-post among the Hurons. The Indians at
Mackinac thus knew something of the white men.
With wonder they gazed upon the " great wooden
canoe." They crowded on board the Griffin with
every testimonial of confidence and friendship, and
when one of the cannon was fired, and its roar rever-
berated through the forest, they were astonished, but
not frightened.

Though this remote village seemed so peaceful
and happy, the strong palisades which surrounded it
proved that the voyagers had not yet got beyond
the vestiges of Adam's fall. Those defences spoke
of midnight assaults, of savage yells, of tomahawks,
scalps, blood, misery, and death. La Salle, aware of
the influence of outward appearance upon the minds

THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.

109

of men, dressed himself in a very rich scarlet cloak
fringed with gold lace. With a plumed military
cap upon his head, a long sword at his side, and an
imposing escort of well-dressed and well-armed men,
he was rowed ashore, to make a visit of ceremony to
the chief. His reception was as hospitable and
friendly as those untutored men were capable of
giving.

La Salle had sent forward seyeral canoes of men, to
collect all the furs they could on their way, and store
them at Mackinac. These furs, upon his arrival. La
Salle would transfer to the Griffin and send them back
to Fort Frontenac, to be thence transported to Eu-
rope. But these men had bitterly disappointed him.
Some of them had run away and joined the Indians,
attracted by the apparently careless, easy life which
the wigwam presented. Others had been bribed, by
higher wages, to join rival trading parties. One of
the canoes of deserters had pushed on to the Falls of
St. Mary. These falls, quite renowned in the early
explorations of these remote regions, were situated
on the strait which connects Lake Superior with
Huron.

After a short tarry at Mackinac, the sails of the
Griffin were again spread, and passing through the
strait between Mackinac and the main land, they
entered the head of Lake Michigan. They coasted

THE ADVENTURES OF LA. SALLE.

li: 1 1

along its northern border in beautiful summer wea-
ther, and within pleasant view of the shore, until
they came to an island where there was a pleasant,
sheltered cove, at the mouth of Green Bay, a sheet
of water which, through a broad entrance studded
with islands, spread cut on the west of Michigan, a
hundred miles in length, by about twenty in breadth.

A tribe of Indians, called Pottawatomies, inhab-
ited this island. Here it was La Salle's good fortune
to find one of his large canoes, well freighted with
furs. He had also laid in a large store at Mackinac.
As he was soon to leave the Griffin, to cross the land
by portages, and paddle in birch canoes down distant
and unknown rivers, he decided to send back the
Griffin to Erie, with her rich freight of furs. At
Erie they would be carried on men's '"houlders around
the falls to Niagara, thence reshipped to Frontenac,
and thence sent to Europe. He remained at the
island a fortnight, freighting his ship. She com-
menced her return voyage with a pilot and five mar-
iners. The value of the cargo was such as to make
La Salle a rich man. Notwithstanding all his dis-
couragements, his voyage had thus far been a success.
Cheered with hope, he now prepared to resume his
adventurous explorations in birch canoes.

La Salle, having despatched the richly freighted
Griffin from the mouth of Green Bay to his abandoned

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THE V0;AGE along TillC LAKES.

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ship-yard at. Eric, resumed his voyage in four heavily
hiden birch canoes. The company remaining with
him consisted of seventeen men. Mis freight con-
sisted of a blacksmith's forge, mechanic tools, house-
hold utensils, merchandise, arms, and ammunition.
A very skilful and intelligent Indian accompanied the
party as interpreter and hunter. They paddled down
the western shore of Lake Michigan, landing every
night to bu Id their camp, kindlo their fire, and cook
their supper. Immediately upon landing, the Indian,
with his musket on his shoulder, disappeared in the
forest, and almost invariably soon returned with an
ample supply of game.

It was the 19th of September, 1679, when the
canoes left the mouth of Green Bay. The stormy
days of autumn were approaching, when these north-
ern lakes were often ploughed by fierce gales. The
island from which they set out was several leagues
from the main land. They had no sails. Their
boats were propelled only by the paddle. The first
night, before they reached the main land, dense
clouds seemed hurrying through the skies and thick-
ening over their heads. The wind increased into a
gale. The blackened waters of the lake were lashed
into foam-crested billows. The sun went down, and
gloomy darkness curtained the sky and enveloped the
sea. The sp.ay dashed over them. Occasionally a

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

wave would break into the canoes. At length they
discerned the dim outline of the shore. It was a long
sandy beach, with no cove, no indentation, into which
they could run their boats. The surges, driven by
the northeast storm, struck the shore so furiously
diat it seemed impossible to effect a landing; and
yet every moment they were threatened with destruc-
tion. In the darkness they kept as near together
as they could, to help one another in case of disaster.
Thus hour after hour passed, as our voyagers, weary,
hungry, cold, and drenched, struggled against the
waves. A little after midnight the wind lulled.
Watching their opportunity they ran their canoes
upon the shore, and leaping into the water, carefully
dragged them above the waves. The lain still fell.
They unloaded each canoe, and so packed the pre-
cious contents that they could protect them from the
rain by covering them with the canoes turned upside
down. With their axes they soon constructed a frail
camp. With the flash of powder they with difficulty
kindled a fire, for everything was dripping with
moisture, and every log was soaked.

They threw themselves down to sleep upon the
wet ground, and in their drenched garments, but
with their feet toward loaiing fires. Accustomed as
they were to exposure, these hardships must have
caused severe suffering. The lurid morning revealed

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THE VOYAGE ALONf, TIIH r,AKKS.

to them but a raging sea and a bleak and barren ex-
panse, wliere no game could be found. Here, in
their cheerless camp, they were detained by the wind
and the rain four days. The only game their Indian
hunter brought in, was a single porcupine. They
found its flesh savory, though it afforded scarcely a
mouthful for each man.

The storm at length ceased. Again they launch-
ed their fragile canoes, and paddled along the placid
waters. Soon another storm arose suddenly, and so
severe, that they were glad to take shelter upon the
lee side of a rocky island. There was no growth of
timber with which they could build a camp, and
scarcely sufficient fuel for a fire. Here, like ship-
wrecked mariners, they remained for two days,
wrapped in their blankets, and huddled for shelter in
the cavities of the rocks. Mercilessly they were
pelted with rain mingled with snow.

But again the clouds were dispelled ; the sun
shone brightly. The mirrored waves of the lake in-
vited them to its surface. Though sobered by their
sufferings, they paddled rapidly along, hoping that
a long calm was to succeed the' storm. Their
voyage was cheered by one bright and sunny day,
when the angry clouds again began to gather to do
them battle. The tempest rore so suddenly that
they had no time to seek a harbor, but had to run

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALI.E.

their canoes through the syrf on the shore. All had
to leap into the waves to save the frail boats from
being broken on the stony beach. This, their third
landing, was near the point where the River Mil-
waukie enters the lake.

They had not taken a large supply of provisions
with thern in their canoes, for they had hoped to
find a supply of game by the way. Nearly all their
store of corn and vegetables was now exhausted.
Two or Ihree Indians were seen in the distance ; but
they did not venture to approach so formidable a
looking band. Three men were sent, with the calu-
met of peace, to search for their villages and obtain
food. They came to a cluster of deserted wigwams,
where the sagacity of their Indian guide showed
them an abundance of corn, concealed from the rav
ages of wild beasts, in cells under ground. These
honest or politic men took all they wanted, and left
behind them ample payment.

In the evening twilight, as the boatmen were
gathered around their camp fire, quite a group of
Indians was seen cautiously approaching. La Salle
advanced to meet them, with the calumet uplifted in
his hands. As soon as the Indians saw this emblem
of peace, all their fears were dispelled. They rushed
forward like a joyous band of children, singing and
dancing. They had been to their wigwams, found

THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.

115

the treasures which had been left thei % and their
joy was inexpressible. They returned late in the
evening to their homes ; but in the morning the
g ■ T'l creatures returned, bearing an abundant
su^j^iy of game and corn. La Salle richly rewarded
them.

Nature seemed in sympathy with these blessings
of peace, for the sun, emerging from the clouds,
shone down serenely upon these children of a com-
mon Father, and the weary voyagers, greatly cheered,
again launched their canoes upon the solitary lake.

Thus they continued, day after day, paddling
along the apparently interminable journey to the
South. They pnssed the spot where the majestic
city of Chicago now stands. It was two hundred
years ago. Not even an Indian wigwam was seen to
break the expanded and dreary solitude. A constant
succession of storms was encountered until they
reached the foot of the lake. Any one who has
witnessed the grandeur with which the ocean-like
billows of Lake Michigan often break upon the west-
ern shore, will wonder how it was possible for those
frail canoes to ride over such surges. Every night it
was necessary to land, and often the storm detained
them for many hours.

Having reached the foot of the lake, they
turned to the eastward. Here they found a milder

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clime and more tranquil waters. Deer and wild
turkeys were very abundant, and their Indian hunter
kept them supplied with game. The trees were
festooned with grape-vines, which were laden with
the richest clusters of the delicious fruit. They found
a spot at the foot of the lake so attractive in its
landscape beauty, so abounding in fruit and game,
that, weary as they were with their arduous voy-
age, they drew their canoes on shore for a few days
of rest.

The labor of one or two hours constructed a com-
fortable cabin for the accommodation of all. Fuel
was abundant for the cheering camp-fire. The lake
furnished the choicest fish, and the forest supplied
them with venison and every variety of game. Hav-
ing feasted upon the most delicious of hunters' fare,
they wrapped themselves in their blankets, and
enjoyed that rich sleep which is one of the greatest
blessings of the worn and the weary.

Moccasined footprints had been seen on the sands
of the beach, indicating that there were Indians near.
One of the men out hunting at a little distance from
the camp, came upon a large black bear, which had
climbed a high tree, and was feeding upon the luscious
grapes. Taking deliberate aim he sent a bullet
through the head of the bear, and the huge animal
tumbled lifeless to the ground. It so happened that

THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.

117

there was a large pa»'ty of Indian hunters not far off,
who heard the report of the gun. It was to them a
very unusual sound ; for they were armed only with
bows and arrows. Carefully concealing themselves,
they followed the man as he dragged the carcass to
the camp. It was evening. A brilliant fire illumi-
nated the whole scene. They examined tlie encamp-
ment, counted the number of men, and saw at some
distance on the beach, piles of precioui: goods,
screened ."^om rain by the canoes which were turned
bottom upward over them.

In the darkness of the night, two or three of
them crept noiselessly to the unguarded canoes,
and stole several articles of value. A wakeful eye
chanced to catch a glimpse uf the shadowy form of an
Indian stealing through the forest, and gave the alarm.
All sprang to arms. La Salle had, as we have said,
an Indian guide and hunter with him, from Green
Bay. The Indian band proved to be from that vi-
cinity. The> soon entered into a conference with
La Salle's guide. The savages assumed great frank-
ness and friendliness. One of the chiefs said :

" We heard the gun and feared that a party of
our enemies was approaching. We crept near your
camp to ascertain whether you were friends or foes.
But now that we know that we are among French-
men, we are with our brothers. We love French-

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

men, and wish to smoke with them the pipe
of peace."

La Salle was cautious. He replied, " Let four
of your men, and four only, come in the morning
to our camp." In the meantime he kept a careful
watch. Four venerable men came in the morning,
smoked their pipes and proffered friendship. Mutual
pledges were exchanged, and they departed. It was
not until after they had left, that the discovery was
made that several valuable articles had been stolen.
This entirely changed the aspect of affairs. La Salle,
as energetic as he was conciliatory, re-^'l'Td to have
satisfaction.

Fearing that if the affront were unavenged he
would be exposed to new insults, he took several
well-armed men, penetrated the woods and captured
two Indians. Having led them as prisoners to his
camp, he liberated one, and sent him to the chiefs of
the band to say, that if the stolen goods were not
immediately restored, the other captive would be put
to death.

The Indians, who seemed to have set a high
value upon life, were appalled. They could not re-
store the goods. Many of them had been destroyed.
The chiefs returned this reply. As the Indians
greatly outnumbered the Frenchmen, they resolved
to attempt to rescue the captive by force. In strong

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THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.

119

military array they advanced to the attack. La
Salle marshalled his little force upon a mound, sur-
rounded by a sandy plain, where there was neither
tree, rock, nor shrub, to protect the assailants. The
bullet could be thrown much farther than the arrow.
The hostile forces stood gazing at each other for
some time. The chiefs saw that an attack was hope-
less, and that advance was certain death. La Salle
had no wish to redden his hands with their blood.

In this emergence Father Hennepin in the peace-
ful garb of a priest went forward with the Indian in-
terpreter and solicited a conference. Two old men
advanced to meet him. With unexpected intelli-
gence they proposed that the goods which could be
restored, should be sent back, and that the rest
should be amply paid for. This brought peace.
Rich presents were interchanged, the Indians giving
several beaver-ski . robes. There were feasting and
dancing and speech-making. All hearts were happy.

Again the canoes were put afloat. Coasting up
the eastern shore of the lake fifty or sixty miles, they
reached the mouth of St. Joseph's River, then called
the River of the Miamis. This is the second river
in importance in the State of Michigan. It has a
good harbor at its mouth, flows through an expanse
of two hundred and fifty miles, and affords boat nav-
igation for a distance of one hundred and thirtv miles.

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Here the weary travellers found a port, after a voy-
age of forty days from Green Bay.

Gloomy clouds of trouble now darkened around.
His men, weary of their hardships, became mutinous.
They remonstrated against continuing their journey
into the depths of the unexplored wilderness, peo-
pled by they knew not what hostile tribes. La Salle
had ordered Lieutenant Tonti, with twenty men, to
cross the head of the lake and meet him at that point
by a much shorter route. The lieutenant had not
arrived. It was feared that he was lost. At length
he came. But he brought no tidings of the Griffin.
Two months had elapsed since that vessel sailed from
Green Bay. Her orders were, after discharging her
freight at Niagara, to return immediately to St. Jo-
seph's, for another cargo of furs. La Salle had
embarked more than all his fortune in that vessel.
There was no insurance in those days. He was
deeply in debt to the traders in Quebec and Montreal.

Fearful were his apprehensions that the vessel
was lost. If so he was ruined, a hopeless bankrupt.
The vessel was lost. No tidings of her ever reached
any human ears. In some dreadful tragedy, wit-
nessed only by God, the vessel and its crew sunk in
the depths of the waters. While thus harassed with
anxiety, the cold blasts of approaching winter swept
the bleak plains. The rivers would soon be closed

THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.

121

with ice. His provisions were exhausted, so that
his party was entirely dependent for food upon such
game as could be taken. Under these adverse cir-
cumstances the resolution of this indomitable man
remained unshaken. Gathering his murmuring com-
panions around him, he said :

" I have set out to explore the Mississippi. If
you abandon me I cannot proceed. But I shall
remain here with the missionaries. You may find
your way back as you can, or disperse through the
forest as you please."

The men continued to murmur. But for their
own protection they worked diligently upon the fort.
From this point La Salle intended to establish com-
munication with his depot at Niagara. The boat-
men also, who were earnestly devoted to the ritual-
ism cf the church, under the direction of the mis-
sionaries built a log chapel, where rehgious services
were daily held. A numerous tribe of Indians, the
Miamis, but to which the missionaries gave the
name of St. Joseph's band, had a flourishing village
here. There were very friendly. From the fine
boat harbor they could fish upon the lake, or, in
pursuit of game, could paddle hundreds of miles up
the forest-crowned river and its numerous tributa-
ries. Day after day La Salle watched the horizon
of the lake, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sails of
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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

the returning Griffin, bringing him supplies, and the
tidings that his precious furs were safe and his for-
tune secure. Night after night he placed his head
upon his pillow, the victim of that hope deferred
which maketh the heart sick.

Thirty-three days of anxiety and toil thus passed
away. The boatmen, who had come with Lieu-
tenant Tonti, increased his number to over thirty
men. J\t the point of land where the river entered
the lake, there was a bluff, of considerable elevation
and of triangular form, containing an acre or more
of pretty level land. It was at that time covered
with trees. This commanding position was chosen
for the fort. Two sides were bounded by water.
On the third or land side of the triangle there was a
deep ravine. A breastwork of hewn logs was raised
several feet high, enclosing a space eighty feet long
by forty feet broad. And this all was surrounded
by stout palisades.
. The fortress was artistically constructed, and
could bid defiance to any attack by the Indians. It
was also admirably selected to give the French com-
mand of the region, against any encroachments oi
the English.

Through the whole month of November the men
toiled upon these works, fed only upon the flesh of
turkeys, deer, and bears, which their Indian hunter

THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.

123

brought in. It was learned that the Griffin, which,
it will be remembered, sailed from Green Bay, bound
first to Mackinac, did not reach that port. The
vessel must have foundered somewhere by the way.
The natives on the coast had heard nothing of the
vessel. Seventy days had now clasped since she
sailed, and all hopes of ever hearing from her again
were relinquished.

On the 3d of December the whole party of thir-
ty-three persons, in eight canoes, left Fort Miami,
as La Salle called his works, and paddled up the
river, a distance of seventy miles, toward the south.
Considerable time was lost in the endeavor to find
the trail or portage which led across, westerly from
the St. Joseph's River, to the head waters of the
Kankakee, which is the eastern branch of the Illinois
River.

La Salle, imprudently exploring alone, became
lost in the forest. The darkness of a stormy night,
with falling snow, overtook him. He fired his gun
as a signal of distress ; but silence was the only
answer. Soon he espied, in the distance, the light
of a fire. It was the encampment of a solitary
Indian, who had formed for himself a soft bed of
leaves. Alarmed by the report of the gun, he had
fled. La Salle appropriated to himself the cheerless
quarters an^ slept soundly until morning. All the

124

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

forenoon of the next day he wandered, and it was
not until the afternoon that he rejoined his compan-
ions. He came in with two opossums hanging at his
belt, which he had killed.

At length their Indian hunter found the trail.
They had gone too far up the river. The men took
the canoes and the freight upon their shoulders, and
carried them over the portage, of five or six miles,
which the Indians had traversed for countless ages.
Dreary in the extreme was the wintry kiidscape
which now opened before them. The ground was
frozen hard. Ice fringed the stream, and the flat
marshy expanse was whitened with snow. For
nearly a hundred miles the sluggish Kankakee flowed
through a morass, which afibrded growth to but little
more than rushes and alders. Their provisions were
nearly exhausted. No game could be found. They
were hungry. Each night they landed, built their
fires, and with scarcely any shelter wrapped them-
selves in their blankets for almost comfortless sleep.

At length the river emerged from these dreary
marshes and entered upon a large undulating prairie,
treeless, but whose fertility was attested by the tall,
yet withered grass. The scene became far more
cheering. Though most of the herds, which in sum-
mer grazed these rich fields, had wandered far away
to the south, their indefatigable hunter succeeded in

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THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.

125

shooting two deer and a stray buffalo, which was
found mired. He also took several fat turkeys and
swans.

Thus, with revived spirits, the party, having pad-
dled three hundred miles down the infinite windings
of the Kankakee, entered the more majestic ajid
beautiful river Illinois. The length of the stream
from this point to its entrance into the Mississippi is
two hundred and sixty miles, exclusive of its wind-
ings. As they were swept down by the current, they
came to a large Indian village on the right bank of
the river, near the present town of Ottawa. There
were four or five hundred cabins, very substantially
built, and covered with thick mats very ingeniously
woven from rushes. Extensive corn-fields were near
the village, but the harvest had been gathered in.

Silence and solitude reigned there. Not a living
being was to be seen. The inhabitants had all
migrated, according to their custom, to spend the
winter in more southern hunting-grounds. Large
quantities of corn were stored away for summer use
in dry cellars. La Salle removed fifty bushels to his
canoes, hoping to find the owners farther south and
amply repay them. It would have been of no avail
to have left payment, for it would be carried away
by any band of Indians who chanced to be passing
by. The hunger of his men, in his judgment, ren-

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

dcrcd the taking of the corn a necessity. This spot
was probably near the site of Rock Fort, in La Salle
county, Illinois.

For four days they continued their course without
coming in sight of any human being or any habita-
tion. Yet they passed through scenery often very
charming, presenting a wide-spread ocean of undu-
lating land, with groves and lawns and parks smiling
so peacefully in the bright sunshine.

The morning of the ist of January, 1680, came.
All gathered around the missionaries to commemo-
rate the opening of the new year by religious services.
Prayers were offered, hymns were chanted, sins were
confessed, and the blessing of God was invoked upon
their enterprise. At the conclusion of these devo-
tions the canoes were again pushed out into the stream.
On the fourth of the month they entered an expan-
sion of the river where the breadth of water assumed
the dimension of a lake. This sheet of water, now
called Peoria Lake, was twenty miles long and
three broad.

At its foot they came upon a very large Indian
encampment. La Salle presented the calumet of
peace, and fraternal relations were immediately estab-
lished. At this point he decided to build a large
boat to sail down the river. The loss of the Griffin,
thus depriving him of his supplies, had frustrated all

THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.

127

his pir.ns. He built a strong fort, which he called,
from his own grief, " Crevecccur," or the Broken
Hearted. Here this extraordinary man left most of
his company, and with five men, in mid-winter, set
out to cross the pathless wilderness on foot, a distance
of twelve hundred miles, along the southern shores
of Erie and Ontario to Fort Frontenac. The wonder-
ful journey, through storms of snow and rain, across
bleak plains and morasses and unbridged rivers, was
safely accomplished in about seventy days. He
obtained the needful supplies, freighted several canoes,
engaged new voyagers, and after innumerable perils
again reached the head waters of the Illinois. Here
he learned that his garrison at Crevecceur was dis-
persed and the fort destroyed. This ended his
hopes. He went back to Frontenac a disappointed
but indomitable man, and the enterprise was for the
time relinquished.

Here we must leave La Salle for a time, while we
give an account of the expedition from Crevecceur,
up the Mississippi, and of the destruction of the
colony.

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CHAPTER VI.
T/ie Expedition of Father Hennepin.

Seeking a Northwest Passape. — The Voyage Commenced. — The
Alarm. — Delightful Scenery. — The Indian Village. — Entrance to
the Mississippi. — Appearance of the Counlrj'. — The Midnight
Storm. — Silence and Solitude. — A Fleet of Canoes. — Captured
by the Savages. — Merciful Captivity. — Alarming Debate. — Con-
dition of the Captives.

Two days before La Salle set out from Cr^ve-
cceur, on his adventurous journey, through the wil-
derness, to Fort Frontenac, he despatched Father
Louis Hennepin to explore the Mississippi River
from the mouth of the Illinois to its source. So lit-
tle was then known of this continent that La Salle
had strong hopes that near the source of the Missis-
sippi, another stream might be found, flowing toward
the west, which, by a short voyage, would conduct
one to the Pacific Ocean. In this way he hoped that
the long-sought-for northeast passage to the Pacific
might be discovered.

On the morning of the 29th of February, 1680,
Father Hennepin, with but two companions, entered
his birch canoe, to prosecute his grand and perilous

KXI'KDITION OF FATHER HENNEPIN.

129

enterprise. They were to explore unknown realms,
crowded with savage tribes. They had their guns,
not for attack or defence, but for taking game, with
a gOvyd supply of ammunition, and with several hun-
dred dollars worth of goods, to conciliate the savages
by presents, and to exchange with them for pro-
visions.

With the early dawn they commenced their voy-
age. The day was fine, the river placid in its gentle
flow, and the scenery, on both sides of the stream,
of undulating hills, majestic forests, and wide-spread
prairies, upon which herds of wild cattle were graz-
ing, was picturesque and alluring in the extreme.
As they rapidly descended the river, they met sev-
eral parties of Illinois Indians, returning to their
village at the head of the lake. Their canoes were
laden with the game they had taken. The French-
men and the Indians exchanged friendly greetings.

The kind-hearted savages endeavored to dissuade
them from their perilous voyage, assuring them, with
all the wildest exaggerations of Indian superstition,
that they would encounter birds as large as buffa-
loes, who would carry them in their talons as an
eagle seizes a rabbit ; that there were enormous
beasts in the river, doubtless referring to the alliga-
tors, who would dash their canoe to pieces, and
devour a man at a mouthful ; than there were rapids
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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

and whirlpools from which they could not escape, and
in which they would be surely engulfed ; and that if
by any possibility they escaped, all these perils, they
would fall into the hands of ferocious tribes, who
would enslave them, torture them, cook them, and
eat them. They entreated the Frenchmen to go
back with them to their village, where they could
live in safety and in abundance.

The two boatmen, Anthony Auguelle and Mi-
chael Ako, were alarmed by these representations, and
v/ere strongly inclined to return. But Father Hen-
nepin constrained them to press onward. As they
descended the Illinois, they found the river deep and
broad, much resembling the Seine at Paris. It would,
at times, expand to nearly a mile in breadth. Large
trees crowned many of the gentle eminences which
lined the stream. Upon ascending the hills, as
they landed for their night's encampment, they
gazed, with delight in the gorgeous sunset, upon the
magnificent prairies spread out before them as far as
the eye could reach.

There is nothing which earth has ever presented
more beautiful than those-Eden like landscapes
resembling the ocean in expanse, which were thus,
for the first time, unveiled to the view of civilized
men. Here and there groups of trees appeared, in
small groves, as if planted by the exquisite taste of

EXPEDITION OF FATHER HENNEPIN.

131

a landscape gardener. Herds of buffaloes, antelopes,
and deer, grazed the herbage in countless numbers.
Birds of every variety of song and plumage found
here their paradise. And in these fair realms the
children of Adam might have experienced joys
hardly surpassed by those of their first parents in
Eden, were it not for that inhumanity of man to
man which has caused countless millions to mourn.
To redeem this world from the curse of sin, Jesus
the Son of God has suffered and died. And there
can be no possible true happiness for the human
family until the result of his mission shall be accom-
plished.

Our voyagers, on the seventh day of their jour-
ney, having passed down the windings of the river,
about two hundred miles, as ihey judged, came to a
pleasant Indian village of about two hundred wig-
wams. These Indians had an eye for beauty.
Their little cluster of homes was picturesquely situ-
ated upon a green plain, genily ascending from the
banks of the river, which commanded a view of the
water for some distance above and below. The
prairie, in its grandeur, spread far .and wide around.
The village was about six miles above the entrance
of the Illinois into the Mississippi River. The tribe
was called the Maraos. The hospitable savages, who
without any difficulty could have killed the French-

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

11 i!

men and have taken possession of all their goods,
treated the strangers as brothers, and urged them to
visit their houses. In these hospitable rites we see
beautiful vertiges of the character of man before the
fall. But alas ! wc can never meet the children of
Adam anywhere, or under any circumstances, with-
out soon seeing the evidence of that fall when sin
entered Eden,

" Earth felt the wound ; and nature from her seat,
Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe
That all was lost."

They heard fearful acco^mts of attacks by fero-
cious tribes rushing down upon them, plundering,
burning, killing, scalping, with mercilessness which
demons could not exceed. They were expecting
soon another attack, and were then upon the point
of abandoning their homes and emigrating to the
other side of the Mississippi, to join, for their protec-
tion, another large and friendly tribe.

Soon after Father Hennepin resumed his voyage,
the Indians, according to his narrative, had their
suspicions excited that he was conveying hatchets
and guns to their enemies, either intentionally, or
which might fall into their hands. They therefore
sent a band of their swift-footed warriors down the
ver, to a narrow pass, to intercept the canoe. This
could hardly be considered contrary to the laws of

EXPEDITION OF FATHER HENNEPIN.

133

warfare among civilized nations. The Indians had
witnessed the lightnings and thunders of the white
man's guns, and the terrible energies of their death
dealing-bolts. They might surely consider the
canoe as freighted with goods which were contra-
band of war.

W*" know not what reason Father Hennepin had
for suspecting this movement of the Indians. He
gives no proof of any such hostile design. It is
not improbable that his suspicions were groundless.
As he approached the narrow pass where he imag-
ined the warriors to lie in ambush, he saw the smoke
of the camp fires ascending from a grove which
crowned one of the eminences. Thi.. certainly did
not indicate any secret movement. He paddled
close to the other side of the river, not only without
being attacked, but without obtaining even a
glimpse of his imagined foes.

On the 8th of March they reached the Mis-
sissippi River. The broad flood, a mile in width,
swept majestically along, from unknown regions of
the north, quite covered with floating ice. The vast
masses, two or three feet in thickness, and which
could not be eluded, would speedily tear their frail
birch canoe into fragments. At the mouth of the
Illinois there was a gentle elevation, covered with the

134

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

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stately forest, which commanded a fine view of both
of the rivers and of the adjacent region.

Here the Frenchmen drew their canoe upon the
shore, erected a camp, with open front, as a shelter
from the cold north wind, built their fire, cooked
their game, of which they found abundance all
around, and waited patiently, four days, for the ice
to run by.

In the middle of the Mississippi River, nearly
opposite the mouth of the Illinois, there were three
small islands, covered with large trees and a dense
tangled growth of brush and vines. The heads of
these islands were clogged, for a long distance up
the river, with the deformity of immense rafts of
drift logs, stumps, and trees. They presented an
exceedingly dreary aspect, swept by the freezing
winds, with truly arctic masses of ice grinding by,
and often ploughed up i.ito great hillocks upon the
sand-bars.

At a short distance back from the river a range
of hills or bluffs was seen. Between the bluffs and
the river the meadow or bottom lands were often
treeless, and evidently fertile in the highest degree.
On the morning of the 12th of March the Missis-
sippi was sufficiently clear of ice for these intrepid
voyagers to venture to launch their canoe upon its
surface. Slowly and cautiously they paddled up the

EXPEDITION OF FATHER HENNEPIN.

135

stream, keeping near the shore and taking advan-
tage of every eddy which could be found. Through
vistas opening between the hills and woods occa-
sional glimpses were caught of prairie regions be-
yond, whose solitude and silence were only relieved
by the spectacle of grazing herds, and thousands of
birds upon the wing. There were no signs of human
life. Apparently eternal silence reigned over those
Eden-like solitudes, disturbed only by the lowing of
the herds and the varied notes of bird songs.

As they continued their voyage they came upon
many islands, whose thick growth of forest trees was
so interlaced with vines and undergrowth as to
render them almost impenetrable. Vigorously they
plied their paddles, day after day, breasting the
strong current of the river, encountering no incident
of importance. Every night they landed, drew their
canoe upon the grass, turned it over, so as to cover
its contents from the rain and the dew, built their
frail shelter for the night, kindled their camp fire,
whose flame is ever as companionable as it is cheer-
ful, cooked their supper, which they ate with the
appetite and zest which labor gives, and then, hav-
ing offered their vesper prayers and chanted their
evening hymn, enjoyed that sweet sleep which is one
of the greatest of all earthly blessings. At noon they
always had a short religious exercise in their canoe.

136

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

11'

I 111

They often had mild and beautiful mornings,
when the whole wide-spread scene of crystal waters,
forest, and prairie seemed illumined with almost
celestial radiance. Bird songs filled the air. The
prairies seemed crowded with all the varieties of
animal life in peaceful enjoyment. No sights of vio-
lence or suffering met the eye. No discordant sound
fell upon the ear. All was beauty, harmony, and
joy. The landscape resembled our imaginings of the
world before the fall, when it came fresh from its
Maker's hands, and all the morning stars hailed its
birth.

But again clouds, like marshalling armies, hurried
through and darkened the sky. The tempest rose
with its dirge-like wailing. The surface of the river
was lashed into surges which threatened to devour
them. The rain drenched them. The sleet cut
their faces. Hastily they sought the shores. Fre-
quently they had to paddle a great distance along
the precipitous banks before they could find any
place where they could land. Reaching at length
the shore, they first covered their goods with the
upturned canoe.

Black night would already envelop them.
Groping through the darkness, drenched with rain,
and numbed with sleet, they would, with great
difficulty, raise some frail protection against the

EXPEDITION OF FATHER HENNEPIN.

137

Storm. No fire could be kindled. No change of
clothing was possible. Throwing themselves upon
the wet sod, hungry, shivering, and sleepless, they
would anxiously await the dawn. The cry of the
lone night-bird, and the howling of wolves, would be
added to the discord of the angrj'- elements. In such
hours this globe did indeed seem to be a sin-blighted
world, upon which had fallen the frown of its Maker.

Amid such changes and toils as these, Father
Hennepin and his companions, in their frail birch
canoe, paddled along against the strong current of
the Mississippi. They breakfasted with the earliest
dawn, and continued their voyage through ever-vary-
ing scenes of sublimity and beauty, until late in the
afternoon. Then they began to look eagerly for
some sheltered nook suitable for their night's en-
campment. The silence and solitude through which
they passed, at times seemed pleasing, and again
almost awful.

For weary leagues, not a village, not a wigwam,
not a solitary Indian, appeared. They seemed to be
exploring an uninhabited world. The mouths of
many rivers were passed, whose names were unknown
to them. With feelings akin to awe, they looked up
the long reaches of streams, now known by the names
of the Des Moines, the Iowa, the Rock River, and
the Wisconsin. They wondered what scenes were

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138

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

transpiring far away upon the banks of these appa-
rently soUtary waters.

They had ascended the Mississippi several hun-
dred miles, when, about two o'clock in the afternoon
of the nth of April, they were startled by seeing
suddenly coming round a near headland, thirty large
bark canoes, crowded with Indians, plumed, painted,
and armed for battle. It was a gorgeous as well as
an appalling spectacle. The blades of their paddles
sparkled in the sunlight. The savages were dressed
in the highest style of barbaric splendor. Their
brilliantly colored feathers, fringed garments, and
highly decorated bows, war-clubs and javelins,
surpassed, in picturesque beauty, any of the ordinary
military trapping of civilized life.

The moment the savages caught sight of the
Frenchmen's boat, they simultaneously raised a shout
or yell, which reverberated along the banks of the
river and struck the hearts of the voyagers with dread.
Escape was impossible. Resistance was not to be
thought of. The little fleet of canoes, descending
the river by the aid both of the current and their
paddles, approached with great rapidity. Father
Hennepin stood up in his boat and in his hands
extended toward the savasres, the calumet of peace.
Speedily he was surrounded, the calumet was
snatched from him, and his canoe was taken to the

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EXPEDITION OF FATHER IIENNEriN.

139

shore, while all the others followed. During all the
time the savages were raising frightful cries and yells,
the signification of. which, whether welcoming or
threatening, could not be understood. It was prob-
ably near the mouth of the Wisconsin River that
this capture took place.

Father Hennepin had been so long among the
Indians, visiting various tribes, and had so long been
accustomed to contemplate his violent death as an
event which might any day take place, that he was far
more tranquil in mind than most persons could have
been under these circumstances. Speedily his well-
trained eye recognized the chief of the savages. He
presented him some tobacco, and then endeavored by
signs to enter into conversation with him.

The two head chiefs conferred together. They
declined, smoking the peace calumet, and were by no
means cordial in their reception of the strangers.
There was evidently a diversity of opinion among
them, as to the disposition they should make of their
captives. Three blows of the tomahawk would
silence them all in death. Their bodies could be
thrown into the stream, and their canoe, with all its
freight, of such priceless value to the savages, would
be in their possession. Probably some of them had
visited the French forts, and knew how to use the
musket, and appreciated its death-deahng power.

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

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Already they had examined every article in the
canoe. They had inspected the rifles, and counted
the store of bullets and powder. Such an acquisition
would aid them inestimably in the war-path upon
which they had entered.

The young men clamored for this decision of the
question. In the mind of an untutored savage, who
has never enjoyed the light of revealed religion, the
dividing line between right and wrong must necessa-
rily be faint. With these men, the pride of life con-
sisted in the numbers of enemies they had slain.
Inspired by this desire, they were now on the way to
attack a neighboring tribe, to burn their homes,
destroy their property, kill and scalp men, women,
and children, and to take back some of the leading
warriors, that they, their wives, and their children
might enjoy the delight of seeing them put to death
by diabolical torture. Why should they hesitate to
tomahawk three white men who had crossed their
path? Why not rob and murder them, when by
doing so they could acquire possessions of the
greatest value ?

But God seems to have implanted in every human
heart some sense of right and wrong, some convic-
tion of responsibility to a Superior Being. So far as
Father Hennepin could understand their sign lan-
guage, the chiefs informed him that they were going

EXPEDITION OF FATHER HENNEPIN.

141

down the Mississippi to attack a village of the
Miamis on the Illinois River. The war party con-
sisted of but one hundred and twenty braves. They
intended to attack the village by surprise at night.
In an hour they would accomplish their fiend-like
deed of murder, scalping, and conflagration. Then,
with their gory trophies and their prisoners, they
would take to their boats and be far away up the
river before there could be any rallying of the tribes
in pursuit.

Father Hennepin told them that the Miamis had
been informed of their intended attack ; that they
had abandoned their village, had fled across the
Mississippi, and having joined another powerful tribe
were watching for their approach. The savages on
the shore "surrounded their captives, and for some
unknown reason frequently gave simultaneous utter-
ance to the most unearthly yells.

Father Hennepin affected great composure, assum-
ing that he was among friends. He presented to the
chiefs two large fat turkeys which he had shot com-
ing up the river. Then, with his two companions,
he built a fire, hung his iron kettle, and commenced
boiling some venison. The Indians looked quietly
on for a few minutes, and thor all gathered in a
group to hold a council. Father Hennepin secretly
watched their proceedings with the utmost anxiety.

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142

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Their speeches were accompanied with very much
action. The debate was prolonged and vehement.
He sufficiently understood the language of signs to
perceive that they were divided in opinion, that while
a part were in favor of putting them to death, othtrs
were urging that their lives should be spared.

With one of his men he went to the canoe, took
six axes, fifteen knives, and a quantity of tobacco,
and advancing into the midst of the council pre-
sented them to the chiefs. He then took an axe, and
bowing his head, made signs that the Indians might
kill him if they wished to do so. This chivalric deed
touched whatever there was of chivalry in the sav-
age bosom. There was a general murmur of ap-
plause. Som;- of them had been roasting, at a fire
near by, some beaver's flesh. One of the savages
ran, cut a piece of the smoking meat, and bringing
it, ^n a plate of birch bark, with a sharpened stick for
, put three morsels into the mouth of Father
^nnepin and his companions. As the food was
very hot, the savage blew upon it to cool it. He
then set the plate before them, to eat at their
pleasure. *

Still there was a degree of restraint on the part
of the Indians, which indicated that there was by no
means perfect reconciliation. There was much talk-
ing apart, and it was evident that the fate of the

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EXPEDITION OF FATHER HENNEPIN.

143

prisoners was not yet decided. The representations,
however, which Father Hennepin had made, induced
them to relinquish their contemplated enterprise,
and to turn back from tiie war-path upon which
they had entered. Just before night, one of the
chiefs silently returned to Father Hennepin his
peace calumet. This greatly increased their anx-
iety, as it was inferred that it was an act renouncing
friendship.

Savages and Frenchmen all slept aUke on the
ground and in the open air, by the side of their
camp fires. There was no watch kept, and the cap-
tives had no indication that they were abridged of
their freedom. Still they had many fears that they
were to be assassinated before the morning. The
two boatmen, Auguelle and Ako, slept with their
guns and swords by their sides. They declared that
if attacked they would sell their lives as dearly as
possible. But Father Hennepin said to them, " I
shall allow myself to be killed without any resistance.
I came to announce to the savages a God, who for
the world's redemption allowed Himself to be falsely
accused, unjustly condemned, and cruelly crucified,
without showing the least enmity to those who put
Him to death. I shall imitate the example thus set

me.

The night passed peacefully away, and the morn-

144

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

ing of the 12th of April dawned upon this scene so
wild and picturesque.

As all were gathered around their camp fires,
cooking their breakfasts, one of the chiefs, Narke-
toba by name — presenting a hideous aspect in his
barbarian military trappings, his face and bare chest
smeared with war paint — approached Father Henne-
pin and asked for the peace calumet. Receiving it,
he filled the cup with tobacco, and having taken a few
whiffs himself, presented it to one after another ri
the whole band. Each one smoked the pipe,
though some with evident reluctance. The French-
men understood this to indicate that, for the present
at least, their lives were to be spared. They were
then informed that they must accompany the In-
dians up the river to their own country.

" I was not sorry," Father Hennepin writes, "in
this conjuncture, to continue our discovery with this
people."

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CHAPTER VII.

Life with the Savages.

Ascending the River with the Savages. — Religious Worship. — Abun-
dance of Game. — Hardihood of the Savages. — The War-Whoop. —
Savage Revelry. — The Falls of St. Anthony. — Wild Country
Beyond. — Sufferings of the Captives. — Capricious Treatment. —
Triumphal Entrance. — The Adoption. — Habits of the Savages.

Father Hennepin and his two companions
reembarked in their canoe, and, oppressed with
varied feelings of anxiety and curiosity, recom-
menced their journey up the river. The thirty large
canoes, filled v/ith their captors, surrounded them.
The current was rapid ; the savages were seldom in
a hurry, and their progress was slow. At night they
always landed and slept in the open air, unless it was
stormy, when they would sometimes construct for
themselves a frail shelter.

The devout ecclesiastic felt in duty bound daily
to say his office, as it was called, in accordance with
the rules of the Catholic Church. He had his bre-
viary, composed of matins, lauds, vespers, and com-
pline, or last prayer at night. These exercises he
scrupulously performed. The superstitious Indians,

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE,

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seeing him open his book, and move his lips, imag-
ined that he was practising some sort of incantation
against them. Angrily they cried out against it, ex-
claiming, in their own language, " witchcraft."

Michael Ako, who had no ambition to receive a
martyr's crown, entreated him, if he must say his
prayers, to say them in secret. " If you persist in
this course," said he, " you will so provoke the In-
dians, that we shall all be inevitably killed." Au-
guelle, who was more religiously inclined, joined in
these entreaties, begging him to retire apart, morn-
ing and evening, into the forest for his devotions.

But the suspicions of the Indians were aroused.
They had a great dread of diabolical influences.
Whenever he entered the woods a party followed him.
He could get no chance to pray out of their sight.
At length he said to his companions :

" I cannot dispense with my prayers, whatever
may be the consequences. If we are all massacred,
I shall be the innocent cause of your death, as well
as of my own."

To accustom the Indians to his mode of worship,
he commenced chanting the litany of the Virgin.
He had a well-trained, melodious voice. The In-
dians were pleased with the novel strains floating
over the still waters. Paddle in hand they paused
to listen. Adroitly, he led them to believe that the

LIFE WITH THE SAVAGE:

147

i V <

Good Spirit had taught him to sing, and had sent
him to them for their diversion. It would seem, on
the whole, that the Indians treated their captives
with remarkable kindness. The canoe of the French-
men was heavily bden with articles for trade, and
there were but three to paddle. They therefore
found it very difficult to keep up with the well-manned
war canoes of the savages. The chief placed one or
two warriors on board tiie Frenchmen's boat, to help
them stem the current. It was with difficulty that
the little fleet accomplished more than twenty or
twenty-five miles a day.

The savages were collected from various villages,
and it was quite evident that they were still divided
in opinion respecting the disposition to be made of
their prisoners. - One of the chiefs took the French-
men under his special protection. He caused them,
at each encampment, to occupy the same cabin with
him, or to sleep by his side. But there was another
chief who clamored for their death. He h-nd lost a
son, killed by the Miamis. Every night his dismal
howlings were heard, as he wailed piteously, endeav-
oring to stimulate his own passions, and to rouse his
comrades to kill the Frenchmen, so as to seize their
arms and avenge themselves upon the Miamis.

But others, who were far more considerate, said,
" If we kill or rob these Frenchmen, we shall soon

148

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

use up the few goods they have in their canoe, and
no other P^renchmen will dare to visit j to bring us
more. But, if we treat them kindly, and purchase
their goods fairly, others will come, bringing a great
abundance. Thus we can all sell our skins and furs,
and supply the whole tribe with the things we so
greatly need.

As they were paddling along one day, a large
flock of turkeys was seen feeding near the river.
Cautiously Father Hennepin paddled near them, and
one of his boatmen, taking careful aim, struck down
three with a single shot. The savages, who had
watched the proceeding with intense interest, were
amazed. Many of them, perhaps all, had never seen
a gun discharged before, though the knowledge of
the arrival of the French, and the wonderful power
of their guns, had been widely spread through the
tribes. The canoes were all paddled to the shore.
With the deepest interest they examined the dead
turkeys, and reexamined the musket. The unseen
bolt had struck them down at twice the distance
their arrows would reach. An arrow could have
killed but one. The bullet had killed three. " Manza
ouacangege," exclaimed one of the chiefs, in aston-
ishment, which signified. The iroji has understanding.

The situation of the Frenchmen was very peculiar,
as they hardly knew whether the savages regarded

LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES.

149

them as prisoners or not. Father Hennepin was
still pursuing his original design of exploring the
sources of the Mississippi. If the Indians were truly
friendly, their companionship was an element of
safety, and was to be desired. In order to test the
question whether he was his own master, and could
follow his own will, he suggested to the chief his
design of turning back and following down the Mis-
sissippi to its mouth. He might thus find a short
passage to the Indies, though he admits that he
thought it more probable that it emptied into the
Gulf of Mexico, than into the Red Sea. The chiefs
however, promptly signified that they could not con-
sent to be thus deprived of the pleasure of his
company.

Though the Indians paddled all day long, with
great vigor, against the current, not stopping even to
eat until their night's encampment, they never
seemed at all fatigued. There was an ample supply
of game for food. Having reared their frail shelters,
if it rained, kindled their fires and cooked their sup-
pers, they invariably had a war dance, each smoking
in turn the war calumet. This was distinguished
from the peace calumet by different colored feathers.
Their whoops and yells were hideous. And there
was something indescribably mournful in the wailings
of those who had lost relatives durino; the war.

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Fortunately for the French, all their expeditions
had thus far been conducted under the control of
religious men. Not an Indian had been killed or
wronged by them. They had proved only great
benefactors to the Indians. Had a solitary Indian
been killed by any Frenchmen, these captives, in
revenge, would have been put to death with tortures
of the most diabolical cruelty. Had any Miami war-
riors fallen into the hands of these savages, awful
would have been their doom. Father Hennepin and
his companions could not but shudder as they
listened to the wailing yells of those who mourned
their dead, and witnessed the fiend-like expression
of their countenances and gestures.

With the earliest dawn, after the night's encamp-
ment, some one gave a whoop, which instantly
brought every man to his feet. No time was lost in
washing or dressing. They generally, as a measure
of protection against their enemies, endeavored to
encamp upon the point of an island. While some
went out to hunt for game, others replenished the
fires, and cooked the breakfast, while still others
sought the neighboring eminences to discover
whether there were any smoke or other indications
of a lurking foe. They then entered their birch
canoes, which they did .lOt leave until the close of

LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES.

151

the afternoon, when they landed for another night's
encampment.

Thus for nineteen days they continued ascend-
ing the river. Father Hennepin estimated that they
had made between three and four hundred miles.

One afternoon, as the thirty canoes were being
paddled up the stream in a long line, a large bear was
seen swimming across the river, a little above them.
The canoes in advance promptly surrounded him,
and he was speedily killed. Upon dragging him
ashore he proved to be a monster in size, and very
fat. It so happened that they were opposite a very
beautiful prairie. The head chief, whose name was
Aguipaguetin, ordered all the canoes ashore for a
grand feast. The warriors decorated themselves
with paint and feathers, and after partaking of what
they considered a sumptuous feast, commenced the
wild orgies of the war dance, with hideous yellings
and contortions. They all leaped about on the
greensward of the prairie, with their arms akimbo,
and violently beating the ground with their feet, in
measured tread.

The wailing for the dead was blended with their
discordant cries. One of the chiefs who was very
loud in his demonstrations of grief for his lost son,
and who had previously urged putting the French-
men to death, frequently in the course of the frantic

152

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

>iii»i I

dance approaclicd the Frenchmen, and placing his
hands on each one of their heads, uttered the most
piercing dirge-like cries. Father Hennepin could
not understand the significance of this strange cere-
mony, but he had many fears that it indicated
violence to come.

Hoping to conciliate the chief, he made him a
very valuable present of knives, axes, beads, and
tobacco in honor of the son whose loss he so deeply
deplored. By these frequent presents, the small
store of goods which the canoe could hold was
rapidly disappearing. They were then on the
borders of a wide expansion of :he Mississippi resem-
bling a lake. Father Hennepin gave it the name of
Pepin, or the Lake of Tears, from the lugubrious
cries of the chieftain in the funereal dance. The
next day, or day after, quite a large herd of buf-
aloes was seen swimming across the river. The
enormous creatures, thus taken at disadvantage, were
easily killed. Thirty or forty, pierced by arrows and
javelins, were soon dragged ashore. The savages
had another feast, from the tongues and other most
delicate morsels of the animal. All the remainder
was left to putrefy, or be devoured by wild beasts.
The frail canoes were so crowded that there was no
room to store away any game. Neither was there
need to do so, for every day brought almost invaria-

"i^.g;:

—""-■■"**-'■'""* ■

LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES.

153

bly a full supply. It required hunger, and an
acquired appetite for such food, to make it palatable ;
for it was eaten without bread or salt, or any other
seasoning.

Some days the Indians seemed very good natured.
Again, with no known cause, they were morose and
threatening. Even the chief who had protected
them was as capricious in his conduct as a child.
He would at times feed them abundantly, minister
to all their wants, and caress them. Again he would
allow them, in a stormy night, to be driven from his
cabin, to find such shelter as they could. Usually
some Indians would be placed in their canoe, to
help them paddle. Again they would be left to
struggle unaided against the rushing flood. The
Frenchmen could not speak a word of the language
of their captors, or understand a word spoken to
them. It is probable that they often misunderstood
the significance of signs. But there was no diffi-
culty in perceiving the difference between smiles
and frowns, between blessings and curses.

On the nineteenth day of their navigation, the
Indians reached one of their villages on the river
banks. It was afterwards found that this spot was
about twenty-five miles below a remarkable fall in
the river, to which Father Hennepin gave, in honor
of his patron saint, the name of the Falls of St.

154

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Anthony. This hamlet, far away in the north, was
a cold and cheerless assemblage of savage homes.
The families, in the culture and comforts of life, were
but slightly elevated above the brutes around them.
There were several chiefs who had lost sons during
the war. The captives were given one to each of
three of them. Nominally, they were to be adopted
in the place of the lost ones. In reality, they were
slaves, to be driven farthest from the fire, to have
the most scanty supply of food, in case of want, and
in all things to endure the hardest fare.

Having thus distributed their captives, the savages
seized their property and divided it among them-
selves. They probably did not consider this an act
of robbery, but since the Frenchmen had been gra-
ciously received as sons of the tribe, their goods
should be appropriated to the public welfare. The
village near the Falls of St. Anthony was but a
temporary encampment. The tribe into whose
hands the captives had fallen, was called Issatis.
Their principal village was still farther up the river,
nearly a hundred and fifty miles in a northwesterly
direction. Probably in consequence of the innumer-
able windings of the stream, they abandoned their
canoes at the Falls, and commenced the journey on
foot, traversing an Indian trail which led tJirough
forest and moor, over prairie and mountain. It was

LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES.

155

indeed a wearisome and almost fatal journey to
those newjy adopted into such hardships of barba-
rian life. In those early days of spring, and in those
high latitudes, it was often bitterly cold. There
were remaining snow drifts, and deeper clammy
mud and pools of water to be waded, skimmed over
with ice, and freezing storms of rain and sleet. They
encountered many rivers and swollen brooks, which
they were compelled either to swim or ford.

These streams, flowing down from unknown
regions in the north, were often encumbered with
large blocks of ice. There was but little game in
those dismal forests, and on those sear and bleak
prairies. The savages were pitiless, and would often
give but a meagre portion to their adopted breth-
ren. Father Hennepen often divested himself of his
clothes, bound them upon his head, and swam across
these streams. Upon reaching the shore, his limbs
would be so chilled and benumbed that he could
scarcely stand. The blood would trickle down his
body and limbs, from wounds inflicted by the sharp
edges of the ice. The trail invariably led to spots
where the crossings of the swollen streams were not
very wide. Several of the Indians were men of
gigantic stature. Father Hennepin was a tall man,
but his companions were very short, and neither of
them could swim. When they came to a ford where

I $6

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

the water was over the heads of the short men, these
tall Indians would carry them across on their shoul-
ders. When all were compelled to swim, they would
help the unfortunate men across on pieces of drift
wood.

The Indians seemed to have sinews of steel.
They were alike insensible to hunger, cv> drenched
garments, and to freezing blasts. The celerity with
which they pressed on their way, astonished the
Europeans, On several occasions Father Hennepin,
while traversing the broad bleak prairie, was quite
in despair. His trembling, tottering limbs would
scarcely support his body. Once, feeling unable to
take another step, he threw himself upon the ground,
declaring that there he must die. The rank and
withered grass of the prairie was five or six feet high.
Very deliberately one of the savages set fire to the
grass. It burst forth in a consuming flame. *' Now,"
said he, "you may follow us or be burned to death."

On one occasion, when Father Hennepin had
thrown himself upon the ground, in utter exhaustion,
one of the chiefs of the party came to him, and pull-
ing up a quantity of dried grass, made a soft bed for
him to lie down upon. Then seating himself by his
side, he took from his pocket two pieces of wood,
very dry. One was a small block of cedar, with an
indentation in the centre, about two thirds of an inch

LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES.

157

in diameter. The other was a round peg, five or six
inches long, which fitted into the hole in the block.
This block he placed upon his knee, and fitting the
peg into the socket, spun it round with wonderful
rapidity between his two palms. Soon smoke began
to appear, then a few sparks were elicited, and then
a gentle flame rose from the dust of the charred
wood. He lighted his pipe, and after smoking for a
moment, gave it Father Hennepin to smoke. He
then put his hands affectionately on the Frenchman's
head, and moaned and wept.

What did this all mean ? Were the sympathies
of the savage excited, in view of the sufferings of the
white man ? Were his tears caused to flow in antici-
pation of torture at the burning stake, to which he
might suppose the victim to be doomed? Or was
this an act of barbarian mourning over some loved
one lost in battle? leather Hennepin could not in-
terpret the deed. But he greatly feared that it indi-
cated dreadful woes to come — sufferings, the thought
of which was sufficient to agitate even a savage
breast.

After a weary journey of five days, this party of
forty or fifty warriors, with their captives, approached
tlicir destined village. It was far away in the north-
ern wilderness, east of the Mississippi, which majes-
tic stream had there dwindled into a rivulet. They

158

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

were near the head waters of a river, since called the
St. Francis. It was indeed. a dreary and savage wild
which they had penetrated, and from whose glooms
the captives could not expect ever to emerge. In
some way the inhabitants of the village had heard
of the approach of the warriors, and quite a number
of the women and children came out to meet them.

In a sort of triumphal entrance, like that of tha
ancient Romans, they took Auguelle, dressed him as
gorgeously as they could, in Indian costume, painted
his face, daubed his hair with grease, and fastened
upon his head a plume of eagle's feathers, brilliantly
colored. They placed a gourd in his hand, contain-
ing a number of round pebbles, which he was directed
to shake for music, with the accompaniment of his
voice, shouting a French song. The Frenchmen, in
dreadful incertitude respecting their fate, were agreed
in the conviction that it was good policy to do every-
thing in their power to conciliate their captors.

The warriors were much chagrined in returning
from their expedition without a single scalp, without
a single captive from their enemies, without having
even struck a blow. It was necessary for them there-
fore to make as much parade as they could of their
French prisoners. Yet the most ignorant Indian of
them all could not but perceive that there was not
much to be boasted of in a hundred and twenty war-

LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES.

159

riors having picked up three peaceful canoe men, who
had made no resistance, who had never done them
any harm ; who had come into their country as
friends, making them rich presents, and who unde-
niably desired only to do them good.

They could not utter the scalp halloo, nor the
yell announcing that they were bringing victims for
the stake. But they made the forest resound with
their war-whoops, and with their shouts of triumph.
During the absence of the war party, the women and
the old men had planted -:everal stakes, and had
gathered around their large quantities of dried grass,
with which they intended to scorch and blister and
consume the prisoners, whom they doubted not the
victors would bring back. They were anticipating
a grand gala day in dance and yell, as they witnessed
the writhings of their v^ictims and listened with
delight to the shrieks which agony extorted.

Father Hennepin and his companions were
appalled as they looked at these stakes and these
preparations for torture, and feared that they were to
occupy the places prepared for the Miamis. They,
however, concealed their fears, carefully abstained
from the slightest indication of anxiety, and assumed
that they were contented and beloved members of the
tribe which had adopted them.

It was about the 21st of April, 1680, when these

i6o

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

14 i^r

unfortunate men, who had been cradled in France,
were led into the miserable hovels of this village of
savages. They were all conducted into the wigwam
of the principal chief. Here, much to their encour-
agement, the chief presented them his own peace
calumet, to smoke. He then gave them, in a birch
bark dish, some boiled wild rice, seasoned with
dry whortleberries. Half-famished as the French-
men were, this was by no means unpalatable
food.

After this feast each one was conducted to the
wigwam of the Indian by whom he had been adopted.
These Indians lived in different villages several miles
apart. The captives now found, much to their sor-
row, that they were to be separated. Father Henne-
pin was adopted by the chief Aquipaguetin, and was
conducted nearly three miles, often through marshes
knee-deep with mud and water, till they came to a
considerable stream, probably one of the upper tribu-
taries of the St. Francis River. Here five wives of
the chief, with their canoes, were obsequiously wait-
ing the approach of their lord and master. A young
son of the chief was also with them. The chief
informed them all that he had adopted the white
man in the place of the child he had lost ; and that
his wives were to call him their son, and that his son
was to call him brother.

LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES.

i6i

. ; I '

The women paddled the canoes down the dark
stream fringed with gloomy evergreens and tangled
underbrush, until they came to an island upon which
there was a small cluster of cabins. Here was the
residence of the chief. His wigwam was large,
though but a single room, and was crowded with his
wives and children. Father Hennepin was imme-
diately presented with some boiled fish on a birch
bark plate. But he was so very weak, from exposure,
toil, and emaciation, that he could not rise from the
ground without assistance.

The medical practice of the chief was peculiar :
but cither in consequence of it, or in spite of it, the
sick man got well. A small hut, called a sweating
cabin, was built, very tight. This was made more
impervious to the air by covering it with buffalo
skins. A large number of stones heated red hot
were placed inside, which raised the temperature
almost to that of an oven. The sick man crept in,
followed by four medical practitioners. The entrance
was closed. The Indians then began to wail and
howl, probably to frighten off the evil spirits, who
they supposed had invaded the sick man's body.
At the same time they commenced rubbing their
patient violently from head to foot. The perspira-
tion oozed from every pore, and fell from him like

1 62

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

rain drops. The heat was intolerable. He nearly
fainted, and was for the time greatly debilitated.
This regimen was followed three times a week for
two or three weeks, when, Father Hennepin writes,
*' I felt as strong as ever."

-r

CHAPTE :l VIII.

Escape from the Savages.

Preaching to the Indians. — Studying the Language, — The Council.
— Speech of Ou-si-cou-d^. — The Baptism. — The Night Encamp-
ment. — Picturesque Scene. — Excursion on the St. Francis. — Won-
derful River Voyage. — Incidents by the Way, — Characteristics of
th^ Indians. — Great Peril. — Strange Encounter with the Indian
Chief. — Hardships of the Voyage, — Vicissitudes of the Hunter's
Life. — Anecdote. — The Return Voyage.

There was a singular combination of intelligence
and childish simplicity developed by the Indians.
Father Hennepin had a small pocket compass, of
which they stood in great need. When they saw
him turn the needle with a key, they were awe-
stricken, and whispered to one another that it was
a spirit which had become obedient to the white
man's will. He had an iron pot, with three feet
resembling a lion's paws. This they never dared to
touch, unless their hands were covered with some
robe. What could have been the cause of this
senseless fear, it is impossible to imagine. The
same men on other subjects would reason with great
logical acumen.

164

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

The good ecclesiastic was still very anxious for
the conversion of the Indians. He manifested more
solicitude for their salvation, than for his own resto-
ration to liberty or the preservation of his own life.
He immediately entered upon the vigorous study of
the language. Having learned that the phrase,
" Taket chia biheu," meant, " How do you call that,"
he commenced compiling a dictionary. He had a
natural facility for the acquisition of languages, and
made rapid progress. Fortunately he had paper
and ink, and eagle's quills were easily obtained.

Hour after hour he spent inquiring the meaning
of words and the names of things. The chiefs were
quite pleased in teaching him and in seeing how fast
he was acquiring the power of talking with them on
all familiar subjects. His writing the words was an
inexplicable mystery to them. They would often
question him respecting the names of things. He
would refer to his memorandum and then tell them
correctly. This not only surprised but seemed to
overawe them.

Father Louis Hennepin was called, by his two
French boatmen, P^re Louis. The chief who had
adopted him was one day exhibiting to some chiefs
who were visiting his wigwam, this v/onderful power
of the white man in recalling a difficult name, by

ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.

165

looking at the characters he had written. Very
solemnly he said :

" There must be an invisible spirit who tells VtrQ
Louis everything we say."

Neither of the other Frenchmen could write.
The dress of the ecclesiastic was much more impos-
ing than that of the boatmen. He was a tall, fine-
looking man, ever moving with that dignity which
seems instinctive in one accustomed to command.
The keen-sighted Indians were not slow in recognizing
his superiority of rank, and all considered him in-
vested with supernatural powers. Often, when it
rained as they were wishing to go hunting, they
would entreat him to sweep away the clouds. His
invariable reply was, pointing to the skies, *' The
Great Spirit there controls all things. I have no
such ability." They stood in awe of his spiritual
power, and their good feelingr were won by his
invariable serenity and kindness. They contributed
beaver skins, to the value of about one hundred
dollars, which they presented to him to induce him
to remain and take some wives and have a richly
furnished wigwam. But he declined the present,
saying:

" I did not come among you to collect beaver skins,
but to teach you to love and obey the Great Spirit.
I wish to live as you do, sharing your hard fare."

;

1 66

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

[ ,

KgA u

HI 'i

(

Very wisely he assumed that he came voluntarily
among them, and that when the time came for his
departure, no one would think of throwing any
obstacle in his way. It was a time almost of famine
with the Indians. The summer birds had not
returned. Game was very scarce. There was great
suffering for want of food. And these strangely
inconsistent creatures, while affecting the greatest
kindness, would conceal the little food they had,
get up in the night and eat it secretly, leaving P^re
Hennepin to the gnawings of hunger.

" Although women," he writes, *' are for the most
part more kind and compassionate than men, they
gave what little fish they had to their children,
regarding me as a slave made by their warriors in
their enemy's country, and they reasonably preferred
their children's lives to mine."

One day a deliberative- council of Issati chiefs was
held, to consult respecting various matters. P^re
Louis, having been adopted into the tribe as the
son of the head chief, attended. He could under-
stand nearly all that was said. There was a very
able chief, by the name of Oui-si-cou-dfe, who had
manifested great esteem for the father. He rose
and said :

" We all ought to feel indignant in view of the
insulting manner in which our young men treated

:a«i

Illii» !

ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.

167

P^rc Louis on the way. They were young warriors
without sense, and perhaps knew no better. They
robbed him and wanted to kill him. They acted like
hungry dogs, who snatch a bit of meat from the
bark dish, and run. They abused men who brought
us iron and merchandise, which we never had before."

P^re Louis had considerable medical skill, and
had brought with him several simple remedies. He
was ever ready to attend the sick, and his success in
medical practice gave him great renown. A little
child was dying. According to the belief of Father
Hennepin, if it should die unbaptized, it was lost.
But how could he baptize the heathen child of hea-
then parents. Great was his anxiety, and fervent
were his prayers for enlightenment. At length his
kind heart obtained the victory over his theological
creed. The solemn rite was performed with deepest
emotion. Giving the child, a little girl, the Christian
name of Antoinette, in honor of St. Anthony, he said :

" Creature of God, I baptize thee in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

To his great grief he could not say mass, for want
of wine and the appropriate vestments, which had
been taken from him. He however spread an altar
cloth, which he had retained about his person, upon
the body of the child. When the spirit had taken
its flight, he gave the remains Christian burial.

H^^

1 68

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

•

The news of the arrival of the Frenchmen In the
villages of Issati, spread far and wide through the
adjacent tribes. An embassy of Indians came to
visit Father Hennepin from the distaiice of several
hundred miles in the far west. They approached
him with reverence, and had many questions to ask
him. They were men of high rank and dignity, and
their questions indicated much thought.

" We live," they said, " in a much milder chme,
where there are immense plains and boundless prai-
ries ; where herds of thousands of buffaloes roam,
and where deer and turkeys and innumerable other
kinds of game are found in abundance. There is no
hunger there, for food can always be obtained."

They expressed the earnest wish to take Father
Hennepin back with them. But his own tribe were
just about to set out on a grand hunting excursion,
to the sunny realms of the southwest. A hundred
and thirty families, and also two hundred and fifty
warriors, embarked in a fleet of eighty birch canoes,
about the middle of July. The embarcation was a
wondrous spectacle, suqh as civilized eyes have rarely
beheld, and can never witness again. A canoe had
been provided for the three Frenchmen. But the
two Frenchmen were jealous of the extraordinary
respect with which Father Hennepin was treated,
and refused to take him on board.

ESCAl'K I'KUM Till-: SAVACiES.

iCnj

As this straiij^c fleet in a \o\v^ and straggling; line
descended the St. Francis River, Father Hennepin
stood upon the banks extending his hands in a bene-
diction. Two Indians, passing by in a small canoe,
seeing him thus deserted, paddled ashore and took
him with them. This overloaded the canoe, and it
began to leak. It required constant exertion on the
part of Father Hennepin to bail out the water with
a small birch cup, as fast as it ran in. The canoe did
not weigh fifty pounds. Great care was necessary to
preserve its equilibrium, for almost the slightest irreg-
ular motion of the body would upset it.

At night all landed. Sleeping in the canoes, or
navigating them in the dark, was impossible. Here
again one of the strangest of earthly spectacles was
witnessed. Beneath the gloomy pines which fringed
the stream, countless camp fires were gleaming.
Men, women and children were running about in all
directions. Some were cooking the supper ; some,
rearing frail shelters for the night. There was chat-
tering and bandied jokes and laughter. The proud
warriors, despising any menial employment, strutted
about with lordly air.

Michael Ako was a most graceless fellow, and it
was his influence which had excluded Father Henne-
pin from the canoe. But Anthony Auguelle was much
more devoutly inclined. He was ashamed of their
8

I/O

'IIIK ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

conduct. In the cvcni'iif^ he souf^lit out Father
Hennepin, and offered a poor excuse for not receiv-
ing him into their canoe, sayinj^ it was so small and
frail that had three been in it, it would inevitably
have been swamped. The father was not deceived,
thouj;h he accepted the apolot^^y.

After four days* paddlinj^ down the .St. T'rancis
River, the littie fleet reached its mouth, where it
empties into the Mississippi. They crossed to the
west shore of tlie f^reat river, and encamped upon
an eminence there. It was impossible for I''ather
Hennepin to be very accurate ir. his estimate of dis-
tances. He judged that tliey were then about twenty-
four miles above the Falls of St. Anthony.

At this spot there was a forest of birch trees, and
suitable wood for canoe frames. They had com-
menced the voyaj/e with old canoes, which were frail
anvl decayed, and in which they could not safely
launch forth upon the turbulent flood of the Missis-
sippi. The whole band consequently encamped for
several days upon this eminence, to construct new
canoes. The veteran hunters wandered throu^^h the
forests and over the prairies, to hunt str ;'■,, deer, and
beaver. The larger boys and givls brou:^dit to the
encampment their arms full of bircli bark, with care-
fu.Iy selected twigs for frames. 'Jhe experienced
women, wit.* nimble fingers, joined the .seams ^liid

B' r'

ESCAPE I'-ROM TIIK SAVACES.

171

fasliioncd the buoyant and {graceful boat. All were
busy.

\]ut the lumters were unsuccessful. They brou^dit
in but little ^ame. The whole community was fed
upon thin broth, and there was but little of that.
Father Hennepin, accompanied by Anthony Au-
guelle, in their ^reat hunj^er, wandered about search-
ing for wild berries. They found but few, and those
which they ate often made them sick. The surly
Michael Ako refused to go with them.

The tribe of Indians encamped in July, 1680,
upon the Upper Mississippi, opposite the mouth of
St. LVancis River, numbered between four and five
hundred souls. There was a great want of food in
the camp. According to Father Ilennnepin's esti-
mate, they were about two hundred miles above the
mouth of the Wisconsin River. lie told the Indians
that when La Salle left Crevecccur for iMjrt Frontenac
to obtain supplies, he promised to send to the mouth
of the Wisconsin River, a reinforcement of men,
with powder ard guns, and very many other articles
for traffic with the Indians.

They therefore consented that he should descend
the river to this point, to obtain the supplies. These
strange ir "n were too polite to intimate that they
distrusted his word and considered this merely a plan
devised for his escape, as it probably was. 1 hey,

e:^

liBPI

172^

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

however, furnished him with a canoe only sufficiently
large to bear him and Anthony Auguelle, with their
needful luggage. By this contrivance, Michael Ako
was left behind as a hostage for their return.

The two Frenchmen set out, in a biich bark canoe,
for this river voyage, going and returning, of four
hundred miles. The only articles they could obtain
to take with them, to meet the casualties of the way,
were a gun, fifteen charges of p jwder, a knife, an
earthern pot, and two robes o" beaver skins, as
blankets for the night's encampments. They safely
reached the falls. Taking the canoe and freight
upon their shoulders, they carried them along the
well-trodden trail which constituted the portage.
Here they found five or six of their Indian hunters.
One of them had climbed a gnarled oak tree opposite
the foaming cataract, and was offering the following
prayer, which l^^ather Hennepin took down on the
spot. Peculiar moans and wails, as of penitence,
were blended with the prayer.

** O Thou who art a Great Spirit, grant that our
nation may pass these Falls quietly without harm.
Help us to kill buffaloes in abundance. May we take
prisoners who shall serve us as slaves. Some of them
we will put to death in thine honor. Aid us to
avenge our kindred whom they have killed."

At the same time this devout savage hung upon

ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.

173

the tree, as an offering to the spirit of the falls, a
rich robe of fur, gorgeously fringed and embroidered
with porcupines' quills, variously colored. A few
miles below the falls, they met another party of four
or five hunters. They were encamped upon a small
island, and were feasting upon an abundance of buf-
falo meat. The Frenchmen paddled ashore and
joined eagerly in the repast. Scarcely two hours
had elapsed ere four or five more canoes were seen
descending the river. Sixteen warrior hunters of
their own party leaped ashore. They seemed to be
very angry. Tomahawk in hand, they knocked their
cabin to pieces, and seized all the meat. Father
Hennepin was astonished, and inquired what this
meant. One of the warriors, who professed to be his
uncle, replied :

'* These men, contrary to our laws, have gone on
a buffalo hunt before the rest. Thus, while they
have furnished themselves with an abundance of
meat, they have frightened away the buffaloes, and
left us destitue. In punishment, we have a right to
strip them."

The two solitary voyagers paddled down the
stream, as they judged, one hundred and sixty miles.
During this time they killed but one deer, which
they shot as it was swimming across the river. The
July heat was such that the flesh could be kept but

^^^>--'

174

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

for a few hours. They saw many turtles. But for a
long time in vain they endeavored to take one. The
timid animals would plunge into the water the mo-
ment they heard the least noise. At last they suc-
ceeded in takinof one of them. But as Father Henne-
pin endeavored to cut off the turtle's head, he came
very near losing one of his own fingers in its sharp
jaws. The Frenchmen were very hungry, and had
paddled their canoe to the shore. While the fiither
was endeavoring to dress the turtle to be cooked,
Anthony, with his gun, went back into the prairie,
hoping to shoot some game. Father Hennepin
chanced to look up from his work, and behold, a
gust of wind had swept the canoe from the shore out
into the stream, and it was floating rapidly down on
the strong current.

Unless the canoe could be recovered, this would
prove a terrible calamity. Not a moment was to be
lost. Divesting himself of most of his clothing, he
plunged into the stream, and being a strong swim-
mer, soon overtook the boat. It floated buoyant as
an eggshell. He could not get into it. By pushing
it before him he succeeded in effecting a landing^,
about half a mile down stream, and quite out oi"
sight of the spot he had left. In the meantin^e
Anthony returned. Seeing the half-dressed turtle,
and the father and the canoe both gone, he was

ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.

175

thrown into a dreadful panic. He could not doubt
that some hostile Indians had appeared and carried
them both away, and that he was abandoned to
perish of starv^ition. He went back into the prairie,
to ascend an eminence which commanded a view of
the country for some distance around.

Father H^ nnepin paddled up the stream with all
possible diligence, drew the canoe well upon the
shore, and had just reclothed himself, when he saw,
near by, a herd of sixty buffaloes, swimming across
the river. Anthony had the only gun. The father
ran back into the prairie, shouting for him with all
his might. It was indeed a joyful cry which reached
the ears of Anthony. Eagerly he responded to it.
They sprang into the canoe, pursued the buffaloes,
and succeeded in shooting one. They towed him to
the bank of the river. The father paddled, Anthony
holding the huge carcass by the horns. Rut they
could not drag the creature ashore. They could
only cut off the tender morsels and leave the re-
mainder to float down the stream. In consequence
of their great hunger they ate so voraciously, that
they were both made sick, and for two days could
not leave their camp. Father Hennepin writes :

*' Never have we more admired God's providence
than during this voyage. We could not always find
game. And when we did, could take but little meat

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176

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

il!

with us, as our canoe was so small, and besides, the
excessive heat spoiled it. When we embarked in the
morning, we seldom knew what we should have to
eat during the day. Eut the eagles, which were
very common i^n those vast countries, frequently
dropped from their claws large fishes, which they
were taking to their nests ! "

On the nth of July, as they were paddling down
the river in search of the mouth of the Wisconsin,
they were startled by the sudden appearance of a
large canoe descending rapidly upon them, contain-
ing eleven warriors. They proved to be the chief
Aquipaguetin, and ten of his braves. This savage
chieftain had been very unwilling that his adopted
son should leave the tribe for this voyage, though
the other Indians had given their consent. There
was a frown on his brow, and severity in his tones,
as he asked whether they had yet found the French-
men, who were to bring the goods. They all landed
and eat together. Then the chief and his party
started off, leaving Father Hennepin behind, and
with vigorous paddling drove their canoe rapidly
down the stream. Rather menacingly the chief said
that he would go to the Wisconsin River, and that
if the Frenchmen were there, he would take charge
of their goods.

After three days' absence, he again appeared,

ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.

177

with his canoe of warriors, on his return. He had
been to the mouth of the river. There were no
signs of the Frenchmen there. He came back in a
very unamiable mood. Father Hennepin had
landed, and was alone in a frail cabin which he had
reared as a shelter from the hot sun. Anthony had
gone into the prairie for food. Father Hennepin
writes :

" Aquipaguetin, seeing me alone, came up tom-
ahawk in hand. I seized two pocket pistols, which
we had regained from the Indians, and a knife. I
had no intention of killing my pretended father, but
only wished to frighten him, and to prevent his kill-
ing me, in case he had that intention."

Probably the savage had no such murderous de-
signs. He informed his adopted son that there were
no Frenchmen at the Wisconsin, and none had been
there, and therefore urged his return up the river.
There was no alternative. But Father Hennepin
and Anthony could not keep pace with the eleven-
oared, or rather paddled, canoe of the savages. They
crept along slowly after them. They thus paddled
up the swift current of the Mississippi two hundred
miles, running the risk, Hennepin says, of perishing
of hunger.

They had but ten charges of powder left. These

they divided into twenty, and succeeded in killing
8*

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178

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Ill

some wild pigeons. At one time, for two days, they
had no food whatever, though they landed and
searched for game. They found a fish whose flesh
was almost putrid, dropped by an eagle. With bits
of this they baited two hooks, which they floated
from the stern of the canoe. Father Hennepin then
fell upon his knees and prayed to St. Anthony that
he would come to his relief. While praying, they
perceived a strain upon the lines, and running to the
canoe, drew in two fishes, so large that they could
with difficulty take them from the water. They
broiled pieces upon the coals, and the starving men
made an abundant repast.

The next morning they met the remainder of the
Indians whom they had left above the Falls of St.
Anthony. They were descending the river, in search
of more southern hunting grounds. Michael Ako
was with them. He had developed want of courage
and energy which excited the contempt of the sav-
ages. There was a large number of canoes, compos-
ing this fleet, crowded with a motley group of men,
women, and children. They had encountered herds
of buffaloes, and were well supplied with food.

Father Hennepin and Anthony again joined
them^ and accompanied them back down the river,
as he says, about eighty leagues. But as we have
before remarked, we cannot place much rehance upon

ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.

1/9

his estimate of distances. The discomforts of tliis
voyage must have been innumerable. The crowded
canoes, the loatlisome personal habits of the savages,
elevated but little above the beasts, the blistering
midday sun, the drenching storms and showers, the
cheerless encampments, often upon the open prairie
with no protection whatever from wind and rain, and
the food often scanty, consisting of nothing but
llesh, without any seasoning, boiled in earthern pots,
or broiled upon the coals, must have rendered the
excursion irksome in the extreme to civilized men
accustomed to the comforts of European life.

In our last chapter we left the Indians, several
hundred in number, in a fleet of canoes descending
the upper waters of the Mississippi, in search of
game. The three Frenchmen were with them.
They were somewhere near the mouth of the Wis-
consin River. Conscious that they were trespassing
upon hunting grounds which other tribes claimed,
they pr-actised the utmost caution to elude their
enemies. There were two hundred and fifty warriors,
thoroughly armed with all the weapons of savage
warfare, who composed the guard of the tribe.

Whenever they landed, they selected a spot where
they could hide their canoes in the tangled brush
which often frirrged the banks of the river. Some
warriors were sent to the tops of the adjacent emi-

! •"

1 80

THE ADVENTURES OF LA S\LLE.

ncnccs to sec if there were any indications of hostile
parties in the vicinity. They then pushed back
twenty or thirty miles into the prairie land, where
they almost invariably found herds of buffaloes graz-
ing. Without horses to aid in the pursuit, and with
only arrows and javelins as weapons, the killing of a
buffalo was indeed an arduous task. Still, in the
course of a few weeks, a hundred and twenty were
slaughtered. They jerked the meat ; that is, they
cut it into very thin strips and hung them in the sun
over a smouldering fire, so that it was both smoked
and dried at the same time.

One day an Indian ran a splinter far into his foot,
inflicting a very serious wound. Father Hennepin
made a deep incision in the sole, to draw out the
wood. He was performing the painful operation,
when an alarm was given, that foes were approaching
the camp. The wounded Indian immediately sprang
upon his feet, seized his arms and rushed to meet the
enemy, regardless of his swollen, throbbing foot. The
alarm proved a false one. A herd of eighty stags in
the distance had been imagined to be hostile warriors.
The excitement being over, it was with very great
difficulty the crippled savage could hobble his way
back to the camp.

When Father Hennepin and Anthony Auguelle
rejoined the Indians, they were again separated, and

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ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.

I8l

each was taken into the family by which he had
been adopted. In their voyaging, as they passed
from point to point in the river, there was assigned
to tlie father the duty of conveying in his small
canoe, a shrivelled Indian woman, eighty years of
age, and three little children. These long years had
not sweetened the woman's disposition. She was a
terrible scold, and often threatened to beat the chil-
dren with her paddle.

Thus they wandered about in this successful buf-
falo hunt, until the close of July, when they were
returning to their village far up the St. Francis River.
They were here not very far west of the western end
of Lake Superior. As they were returning, two
wandering members of the tribe came in, and stated
that they had been to Lake Superior, that they found
there five Frenchmen, and that when they told them
that there were three of their countrymen with the
Issati tribe, the Frenchmen were very anxious to
come to them, as they could not imagine by what
roundabout way they had reached those distant
regions.

Soon after, they met on the Mississippi River M.
de Luth, with five French soldiers, descending the
stream in a canoe. There is some confusion in
Father Hennepin's narrative here, so that it is im-
possible to ascertain at what point of the river the

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two parties of Frenchmen met. On the 14th of
August they all reached the villages of the Issati.
As they were ascending the river they passed the
grave of an Indian warrior. Many of the savages
cast upon it some valuable article, in token of regard
for the departed. Father Hennepin, who understood
the Indians thoroughly, spread upon it a blanket.
M. Luth contributed nothing. The generous act of
Hennepin was exceedingly gratifying to the Indians.

Soon after their return, they had a great feast,
Father Hennepin and M. Luth were both present.
In the midst of the entertainment one of the chiefs,
who was a relative of the deceased warrior, brought
in a large buffalo robe, very softly dressed, one side
being brilliantly embroidered with variously colored
porcupines' quills, while the curly wool remained
upon the other. This robe was neatly folded, and
upon it was placed a birch-bark dish filled with food.
On this, as a tea-tray, he presented the dish to the
father. After he had eaten the meat, the chief
spread the robe over his shoulders, saying :

" He whose body thou didst cover, now covers
thine. He has carried tidings of thee to the land of
spirits. Brave was thy act in his regard. All the
nation praises thee for it."

He then reproached M. Luth for not having
paid any tribute of respect to the remains of the

ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.

183

dead. M. Luth replied that he covered the bodies
only of those who were chiefs, of the same rank with
with himself. The chief replied :

" Pere Louis is a greater captain than thou art ;
for his robe is more beautiful than thine. We have
sent his robe to our allies who are distant more than
three moons' journey from our country."

By his robe the chief meant the rich dress, embroi-
dered with sib'er lace, which the ecclesiastic wore at
mass, and which he called his "■ brocade chasuble."
This garment had so dazzled the eyes of the Indians,
that they had appropriated it to themselves as of
supernatural splendor.

Toward the end of September, Father Hennepin
informed the Indians that it was his wish and that
of his two companions, to return with the five other
Frenchmen to their own country ; and that then
they would fit out expeditions laden with g'^ods to
trade with these distant tribes. The Indians gave
their consent. The length of the journey to Mon-
treal by the route they must take, they estimated at
twenty-four hundred miles.

The eight Frenchmen set out in two canoes.
They paddled down the St. Francis, and the Missis-
sippi to the mouth of the Wisconsin. On their way
they met a fleet of one hundred and forty canojs,
filled with about two hundred and fifty warriors.

\ :

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184

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

The chiefs visited the Frenchmen, and treated them
with greatest kindness. '

Entering the Wisconsin, they paddled up its lone
and silent banks one hundred and twenty miles, as
they supposed. They followed the same route
which Father Marquette had previously pursued
going in an opposite direction. They carried their
canoes and their effects on their shoulders, across a
portage of a mile and a half to Fox River. Here
they reembarked, following a river of wonderful
windings, and through a series of magnificent and
beautiful lakes, and through a country which they
described as charming in the extreme, until they
entered the magnificent expanse of Green Bay, at its
southern extremity. They had accomplished, as
they judged, about twelve hundred miles of their
journey. Father Hennepin writes :

" I had not celebrated mass for over nine months,
for want of wine. I had still some hosts. We
remained two days to rest, sing the Te Deum, high
mass, and preach. All our Frenchmen went to con-
fession and communion, to thank God for having
preserved us amid so many wanderings and perils."

They purchased for a gun, a canoe, large enough
to contain them all. With this they paddled a hun-
dred leagues, until they reached Mackinac. The
blasts of approaching winter were beginning to

ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.

185

sweep these cold regions. Here they spent the
winter. '

At this point they found, as they expected, an
important military and trading post. Many Indians,
even from remote tribes, were continually coming
and joing. Father Hennepin eni^aged very earnestly
in preaching to the French, and in trying to teach
the Indians the Gospel of Christ. They were deeply
impressed with the heroism he had exhibited in his
long and perilous journey. They said that the father
must have been protected by the Great Spirit, for
had any of the Indians attempted to go so far they
would certainly have been put to death by these dis-
tant tribes.

Early in April, 1861, the father, with a few boat-
men, set out on his long voyage to Fort Frontenac,
at the extreme end of Lake Ontario. A broad belt
of thick ice still fringed the shores of these northern
lakes. For thirty miles they dragged their canoes
over the ice of Lake Huron ; and then, as they came
to thin ice, launched them upon this fresh water sea.
They sailed along the lake a " hundred leagues,"
closely following the shore, landing every night, and
living mainly upon white-fish, which were caught in
abundance, in twenty fathoms water. They passed
'* The Strait " and Lake St. Clair for " thirty leagues."
In the still waters of Lake St. Clair they killed with

I nii

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186

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

an axe, thirty sturgeons which had come to the shal-
low waters of the banks to spawn. Near this place
they came upon an Ottowa Indian chief, wan and
woe-stricken, who told him that he had been unsuc-
cessful in hunting, and his wife and five children had
all starved to death.

Emerging from "The Strait," they entered Lake
Erie, and paddled along its shores a hundred and
twenty leagues. Carrying their canoes and effects
upon their backs, they passed the great Falls of
Niagara, and again took to the water, coasting along
the southern shore of Lake Ontario. After a voyage
of about ninety miles, they reached a large village of
Seneca Indians, on the southern shore of the lake.
It was the middle of May. These Indians had con-
stant intercourse with the French in Canada, and
were in cordial alliance with them. Father Henne-
pin attended a council of the chiefs, accusing them
of having enslaved, as he had learned by the way,
several Indians of the Ottawa tribe, who were also
allies of the French, The chiefs made many apolo-
gi.es ; said that the deed had been perpetrated by
some mad young warriors, and that the captives
should be restored to their tribe.

One of the chiefs, named Teganeot, speaking in
in the name of all assembled in the council, presented
Father Hennepin with several rich furs, which were

ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.

187

valued at about twenty-five dollars. The father ac-
cepted the gift, but immediately passed it over to
the son of the chief, saying :

" I give it to you, that you may purchase such
things as you need of the French traders. I cannot
accept any presents. But I will report your kind
feelings to the French Governor."

Reembarking, they continued their voyage forty
leagues, when they reached Fort Frontenac. Father
Hennepin was received with great rejoicing, as one
risen from the dead. After a short tarry, they again
entered their canoes, and descending the rapids of
the St. Lawrence, in two days reached Montreal,
sixty miles distant from the fort. Here Count
Frontenac resided. He was Governor of all the
French possessions in the New World.

" This governor," Father Hennepin writes, " re-
ceived me as well as a man of his probity can receive
a missionary. As he believed me killed by the In-
dians, he was for a time thunderstruck. He beheld me
wasted, without a cloak, with a garment patched with
pieces of buffalo skin. He took me with him, twelve
days, to recover, and himself gave me the meat I was
to eat, for fear I should eat too much, after so long a
diet. I rendered to him an exact account of my
voyage, and represented to him the advantages of
our discovery."

CHAPTER IX.

The Abando7imcnt of Fort Crivecoeur,

"!lf

Departure of La SrJle. — Fathers Membre and Gabriel. — Their Mis-
sionary Labors. — Character of the Savages. — The Iroquois on the
War Path. — Peril of the Garrison. — Heroism of Tonti and Mem-
bre. — Infamous Conduct of the Young Savages. — Flight of the
Illinois. — Fort Abandoned. — Death of Father Gabriel. — Suffer-
ings of the Journey to Mackinac.

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It will be remembered that on the last of Febru-
ary, 1680, M. La Salle left the fort at Cr^veccEur,
with four Frenchmen and an Indian guide, for his
perilous journey of four hundred leagues, through
the pathless wilderness, to Frontenac, at the eastern
extremity of Lake Ontario. His chosen companion,
Lieutenant Tonti, was intrusted with the militaiy
charge of the garrison. Fathers Membr^ and Gabriel,
both inspired with the noblest spirit of missionary
enterprise, were appointed to instruct and, if possible,
to convert the Indians.

They raised a pretty capacious log-cabin, which
was both their residence and their chapel. This
humble sanctuary was every day crowded with
Indians from various tribes. A very large Indian

ABANDONMENT OF FORT CREVECCEUR.

189

village was on the shores of Lake Peoria, about half
a mile from the cabin of the missionaries. Father
Membre, a true apostle of Jesus Christ, wrote an
account of the momentous scenes which transpired.
To his narrative we are indebted for the facts which
we now give.

One of the chiefs, Oumakouka, adopted, accord-
ing to Indian custom. Father Membrii as his son.
He ever welcomed him to a warm seat by his wig-
wam fire, and presented him with tender morsels of
game. While Father Gabriel spent the most of his
time in the fort with Lieutenant Tonti and the
workmen. Father Membr^, who was soon quite famil-
iar with their language, devoted much of his time to
the instruction of the Indians in their wigwams.
This was the arrangement which La Salle had made.
He felt that the wild and reckless spirits in the gar-
rison needed the restraints of the constant presence
of their spiritual father. Individuals might otherwise
be guilty of violating the rights of the Indians, and
thus the whole of the Httle community might be
involved in ruin.

The large Indian village where Father Membrd
exerted his ministry contained a population of about
eight thousand souls. There were also a large num-
ber of villages within a circle of fifty miles in diameter,
some of which belonged to other tribes. These the

190

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

unwearied missionary frequently visited. Ail these
Indians made their wigwams of mats of braided flat
rushes. They were tall, well formed, and very skil-
ful archers. But the good father does not give a very
flattering account of the characters they developed.
They were genuine loafers; idle, excessively super-
stitious, quarelsome, under scarcely any restraints of
law, and they would steal everything upon which
they could lay their hands. Their lands were exceed-
ingly fertile that, with very slight labor, they had an
.abundance of corn. Pounded corn, mixed with water
and baked in the ashes, would afford but a meagre
repast in the humblest log-cabin. It was deemed all-
sufiicient in the wigwam.

All who could afford it had several wives. They
""•ere as unfeeling as brutes. If a wife displeased her
loid and master, he would mercilessly cut off her
nose ; and with apparently as little concern as a dog-
fancier trims the ears of a terrier. United with these
execrable traits of character, there were others, to
which we have already alluded, which were alluring.
In the summer, the men often went without any
clothing, except moccasins made of buffalo hide.

These poor savages were engaged in almost in-
cessant wars. Even the religion of Jesus, whose
great mission was to bring peace on earth and good-
will to man, has not yet been able to obliterate these

ABANDONMENT OF FORT CREVECCEUR.

191

sanguinary propensities from the human heart.
England, France, Germany, are great slaughter-
houses, where millions of men have hurled them-
selves upon each other in demoniac strife. What,
then, could be expected of savages.

The Miamis of the north were organizing an ex-
pedition against the Illinois. The rumor reached the
Indian village at Cr^vecoeur, and created great con-
sternation. Lieutenant Tonti endeavored to inspire
the Indians with a spirit of defence. He taught
them how to surround their village with palisades,
and influenced them to build a fort with intrench-
ments. Some of the French garrison, weary of the
restraints of the fort, deserted, and wandered away
among the Indian tribes ; and so incorporated them-
selves with the savages, in dress, in war-paint, in
habits, and in taking Indian wives, that it required
very close scrutiny to distinguish them from the
Indians.

The two missionaries, conscious that there was no
substantial remedy for the ills of humanity but in
the regeneration of the soul which the religion of
Jesus enjoined, consecrated, with increasing zeal, all
their energies in the endeavor to make French-
men and Indians good men, new creatures in Jesus
Christ.

One of the Illinois chiefs, Asapista by name,

192

Tllb ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

'•t

became very strongly attached to good Father Ga-
briel, and adopted him as his son. This was quite
a favor. The generality of the Indians, like the pop-
ulace everywhere, were exceedingly fickle. The
friendship and caresses of to-day might be hatred
and the tomahawk to-morrow. The adoption of a
stranger into the tribe, as the son of a, chief, was a
great security against any sudden outburst of sus-
picion, which might lead to massacre.

The Gospel of Christ makes slow headway against
the wickedness of man. As in our own enlightened
times, the multitude listened, were respectful to their
teachers, even reverenced them, but did not heed or
obey.

" With regard to conversions," Father Membr6
writes, ** I cannot rely on any. There is in these
savages such an alienation from the faith, so brutal
and narrow a mind, such corrupt and anti-Christian
morals, that much time would be needed to hope for
any fruit. It is however true, that I found many
of quite docile character. We baptized some dying
children, and two or three dying persons who mani-
fested proper dispositions. As these people arc
entirely material in their ideas, they would have sub-
mitted to baptism, had we liked, but without any
knowledge of the sacrament.

During the summer, the Indians wandered about

ABANDONMENT OF KOKT CREVT'CCEUR.

193

in large hunting expeditions. The missionaries ac-
companied these bands, seeking day by day opportu-
nities to teach them. Father Membrd' also visited
.several remote tribes. He found much to discourage
him. He said that their blindness and obduracy
were quite indescribable.

On the lOth of September, 1680, when the In-
dians had generally returned from their hunting par-
ties, and were loitering about in indolent groups,
with nothing to do, an Indian, from an allied tribe,
came rushing almost breathless into the village, with
the tidings that a united army of the Iroquois and
the Miamis from the north, five hundred in number,
had already entered their territory, and were on the
rapid march to attack their village by surprise. He
also made the astounding assertion that M. La Salle
himself was leading this band of hostile warriors.
There was no foundation for this last statc,ment ex-
cepting that the chief of the Iroquois wore a Euro-
pean coat and hat. This led the courier to think
he was La Salle, whom he had seen similarly dressed.

The Indians, accepting this statement, of course
believed that there was treachery. Supposing the
Frenchmen at Cr^vecoeur were prepared to join the
invading army immediately upon its arrival, they
resolved to tomahawk them all. The peril of the
French was great. The Indians, like children, were

194

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

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apt to act first and think afterwards. The French
were entirely unprepared for such a sudden change
of feehng.

But Lieutenant Tonti, whose presence of mind
never forsook him even in the greatest perils, ran
from the fort to the village, and assured the warriors
that La Salle was not with their foes, and that he
was ready to muster his whole force, at the garrison,
with their fire-arms, and accompany the warriors to
repel the enemy. This caused another change of
public sentiment. All looked to the French as their
deliverers. In a few hours several hundred warriors,
with the French, were on the march.

The arrow from the bow is but a feeble weapon
compared with the bullet from rifle. The Iroquois,
having had much intercourse with the French in
Canada, were many of them supplied with fire-arms.
They were allies of the French, and were very anx-
ious to preserve friendship with them. The Illinois
Indians, being more remote, had not been able to
obtain the efficient European instruments of warfare.

The two parties approached each other; and the
Illinois, guided by Tonti, were placed in a command-
ing position to resist attack. The allies were much
disappointed in finding their plan of assailing the
village by surprise frustrated. They paused in the
march ; and the two armies for some time looked

ABANDONMENT OF FORT CREVECCEUR.

195

land-

loked

each other in the face, neither venturing to con'i-
mence the assault. The result of the battle was at
least doubtful. So many of the Iroquois warriors
were armed with muskets or rifles, and had become
so skilful in the use of them that, in Indian wa.fare,
dodging from rock to rock and from tree to tree,
they were fully equal to the French. Whatever
might be the result of the battle, it was certain that
many on each side must be slain.

Lieutenant Tonti called the chiefs of the Illinois
around him, and, after quite an earnest colloquy,
induced them to consent that he should go to the
Iroquois chiefs and endeavor to avert hostilities. It
was a perilouj enterprise. While some of the In-
dian chieftains were of much moral worth, there were
many savages who were miserable wretches, and
over whom the chiefs had but very little control.

Lieutenant Tonti, partly from necessity, partly
from choice, was dressed mainly in Indian costume.
As the European garments of the Frenchmen were
worn out, they were constrained to supply their place
with deer-skin jackets and leggins, generally painted
and fringed after the fashion of the natives. Thus
Lieutenant Tonti, at the council of the chiefs, in gen-
eral appearance resembled the rest. But the Chris-
tian Fathers always wore a long black gown. As we
have mentioned, they were called by that name

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196

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

among all the tribes, " The Black Gowns." Their
teachings, their ministerings at the couches of the
sick and dying, their utter renunciation of the char-
acter of warriors, and their self-denying devotion to
the welfare of the Indians, had caused them to be
generally revered. But, among the untutored tribes
as in almost every village of our land, there were
** certain lewd fellows of the baser sort," who hated
the clergy.

Father Mcmbre, with that calm, peaceful Chris-
tain chivalry which cannot be surpassed amidst the
tumult and carnage of the field of battle, offered to
accompany Lieutenant Tonti on his mission of peace.

The two opposing forces were facing each other,
with the space of perhaps an eighth of a mile between
them. Both parties were concealed, as far as pos-
sible, though occasionally the nodding plumes of a
warrior were visible, as he moved from one hiding-
place to another. Lieutenant Tonti, holding high
above his head, as a flag of truce, the gorgeously
decorated calumet of peace, accompanied by Father
Membr^ in his long, flowing black robe, boldly moved
forward toward the Iroquois encampment. Several
of the chiefs met him, and were surprised to find that
he was a Frenchman. He addressed them in their
own language, in substance as follows :

" I bring you the calumet of peace. The Illinois,

ABANDONMENT OF FORT CREVECCEUR.

197

reral
that

Inois,

against whom you are waging war, are our brothers.
They are the friends and allies of the French. The
great father in Canada is the protector both of the
Iroquois and of the Illinois. He cannot see one
destroy the other."

The chiefs were deeply impressed by this state-
ment. It would be ruinous for them to bring down
the terrible arm of the French power upon their
nation. The French could withhold entirely from
them arms and ammunition, and could supply their
foes abundantly with these terrible materials of war.
Such were the thoughts of the considerate chieftains.
They perceived the necessity of heeding the remon-
strance. But the reckless young men, who had their
reputation as warriors to make, and whose hearts
were glowing with the thought of returning to their
village waving gory scalps as the trophies of their
heroism, were resolved that there should be no
peace. To render a battle inevitable they determined
to kill the two envoys from the Illinois camp.

A small band of these ferocious, savage young
men, crept up, cautiously and unperceived, to a spot
within arrow-shot of the place where the conference
with the chiefs was held. Suddenly they discharged
several arrows upon Tonti and MembrcC', which
whizzed by, fortunately, without hitting them. The
perfidious wretches then rushed forward, with gleam-

^i'*

198

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

■i \

ing knives. The chiefs interposed to save those
who were under the sacred protection of the
calumet.

One young Indian, with vigorous irm and a
gleaming knife, aimed a blow at the heart of Lieuten-
ant Tonti. As by a miracle, he escaped from death.
The blow struck him to the ground, and the blood
gushed forth from a fearful gash. But the point of
the knife glanced from a rib, and did not penetrate
the heart. All this was the work of an instant.
The chiefs, veteran warriors, who had a reputation
for honor to sustain, promptly drew their knives, sur-
rounded the envoys with their protection, and drove
off the assassins. Tenderly they bound up th^
wound of Tonti, expressed to him their grief and
indignation, assured him that hostilities should cease
and that they would immediately withdraw, with
their warriors, back to their own village.

The wounded lieutenant, aided by his clerical
friend, returned to the Illinois camp, with the glad
tidings that .the Iroquois had consented to peace.
Several hours passed, and the Iroquois bands, instead
of retiring, were continually drawing nearer, in a
very suspicious manner, apparently with the inten-
tion of surrounding the Illinois, and cutting off their
retreat. The Illinois chief held ancther council, and
requested Father Membre to go back to the Iroquois

ABANDONMENT OF FORT CREVECCEUR.

199

and inquire into the reason of their conduct. Father
Membre writes :

" This was not a very agreeable mission to a sav-
age tribe. Nevertheless, I made up my mind, and
God preserved me from all harm."

The chiefs received him kindly. They were
ashamed of the course which the warriors, notwith-
standing their remonstrances, were pursuing. They
said to him frankly :

" Our real trouble is that we are starving. We
expected to find abundant food in the Illinois village,
and have consumed all we brought with us. Our
march has frightened away the game, so that we can
expect to find but little on our return. We are in
danger of perishing for want of food."

Membre brought back this message. At his sug-
gestion an abundance of food was immediately sent,
on many heavily-laden shoulders, to the Illinois
camp. The good father accompanied this peaceful
embassage, and slept in the camp of the Illinois.
Still the young savages were determined, if possible,
to bring on a fight. They longed for the excitement
of battle. The hideous war-whoop, with the shrieks
of women and children, falling beneath their toma-
hawks, was music to their ears. The burning wig-
wams, the mangled bodies, the bloody scalps, were
pictures of beauty to their eyes. And, most glorious

liifl*''

V p-

" ft1l

Ill «►•"

200

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

mil

I il

! .iiiit«i

of all, to tiicir purely unangclic natures, was the tri-
umphant return to their village with prisoners to run
• the dreadful gauntlet ; and to writhe, and perhaps be
forced to scream, beneath the fiend-like tortures of
the stake.

The next morning the Iroquois warriors, instead
of turning their steps homewards, flocked, in large
numbers, into the village of the Illinois. They were
evidently bent upon picking a quarrel. They swag-
gered through the streets, insulted the women,
trampled the corn-fields, and went even so far as to
disinter, and knock about the bones of the dead.

It soon became manifest to all, that a bloody
conflict was inevitable. The chiefs directed all the
women and children to retire as silently and un-
observed as possible, and hide themselves in the for-
est, behind a distant hill. Here they were in the
vicinity of a trail which led quite directly to the Mis-
sissippi River. If the Illinois were defeated in the
battle, they could by this line of retreat, cross the
Great River, and take refuge with a friendly tribe
upon the other side. Then the Illinois warriors, in
a body, without venturing upon an engagement,
abandoned the village to the Iroquois, and com-
menced a precipitate flight to the Mississippi. They
were not pursued. The Iroquois chiefs would not

ABANDON MI:NT OF FOKT CREVECCEUr..

201

tom-

lead the young men in an enterprise which they
deemed so dishonorable.

As we have said, the control of the chiefs over
the daring and lawless spirits of the young savages
was feeble. The French garrison was greatly weak-
ened by death and desertion. There was much
reason to fear that the savages would fall upon them,
and kill them all, for the sake of the plunder they
would find in the fort. There was nothing to detain
the missionaries. Upon the retirement of the Iro-
quois, they would be left in a lone and silent wil-
derness.

Lieutenant Tonti, and his two clerical associates,
Fathers Membre and Gabriel, held a consultation,
and decided upon an immediate withdrawal. It was
the 1 3th of September, 1680. Their desire was to go
back to Mackinaw, which station La Salle would
necessarily revisit on his return from Frontenac, with
reinforcements and supplies. Their numbers were
so diminished, and their departure so hasty, that
they all embarked in one frail canoe. The chiefs so
far restrained the young savages, that no attack was
made upon them. But the leaders of this feeble
little garrison were well aware, that in all probability
bands of the young men would pursue them, to lie
in ambush at some narrow passage of the river, and
cut them off, if possible.

i^T-T"

mm\

202

TIIK ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

They left the fort about noon, packing in their
canoe only a few articles of absolute necessity. All
the afternoon they plied their paddles vigorously,
ascending the Illinois River, and passing through
the broad expanse of Lake Peoria. Their canoe was
leaky and heavily laden. The current was strong, and
their passage slow. They did not venture to land
until after dark, that the landing might not be seen
by any foe, skulking through the forest along the
banks of the river. They also took the precaution
to seek their night's encampment on the side of the
stream opposite that which was occupied by the
Iroquois band.

At an early hour the next morning they resumed
their voyage, still ascending the Illinois River. They
had paddled along but a few hours, and had reached
a point between twenty-five and thirty miles above
the fort, when their dilapidated canoe leaked so
badly, that they were forced to land, that they might
repair it. They were one the borders of one of Il-
linois' most beautiful prairies. The smooth and ver-
dant expanse, extending to the horizon, was dotted
with groves, presenting a landscape of enchanting
loveliness.

Father Gabriel, as he could be of no service in
repairing the boat, decided to walk into one of the
groves, at a little distance from the river, with his

ABANDONMENT OF FORT CREVECCEUR.

203

prayrr-book in his hand, that he might, alone in
those lonely solitudes, worship his Creator. It was a
temple for devout meditation and adoration such as
no cathedral reared by man's hand ever presented.

It took all day to repair the canoe. Hour after
hour passed away, and Father Gabriel did not return.
His companions began to feel a little solicitude about
his safety. Toward evening Father Membr6 set out
in search of him. He was not in the grove. There
were no traces of him to be seen. There were
several groves in the distance ; and there were gentle
eminences in the rolling prairie, behind which he
might be concealed. The anxious father ascended
one after another of these eminences, but nowhere
over the vast plain could he catch any sight of the
lost one. Again and again he shouted. The silence
of the prairie was the only response to his cry.

Greatly alarmed, he returned to his companions,
who had now completed their repairs of the canoe.
The whole party then set out on the search. They
moved in various directions ; hallooed, and fired their
guns. All was in vain. Night had settled over the
prairie, when they reassembled in great despondency
at the canoe. Father Gabriel was greatly loved.
He was a gentle* self-sacrificing man, of kindly
words and generaus deeds.

The party crossed the river, as a preca'.M.ion

204

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

against an attack from any band of the Iroquois
who might be following them. They then built a
large fire, that its rays, shining far and wide over the
prairie, might arrest the eye of the lost one, and
guide him on his return. The morning dawned.
Still there was no clue to the disappearance of
Father Gabriel. The voyagers returned to the
other side of the river, and lingered there until the
middle of the forenoon.

Lieutenant Tonti then said that it was clear that
their companion had not wandered into the prairie
and become lost ; for from any of the eminences he
could have discerned the line of the river, nor could
he have wandered so far as neither to have heard
the report of their guns nor seen the light of their
fire. It was certain that he had cither been cut off
by some prowling band of savages, cr that he had
decided to follow up the banks of the river on foot,
intending to enter the canoe when it came along.
In either case it was their duty to press forward on
their journey as rapidly as possible.

For a long time they heard no more of Father
Gabriel. Finally they learned that some young sav-
ages, of the Kikapoo tribe, who were at war with
the Iroquois, were prowling about when they caught
sight of the father engaged in his devotions in the
grove. His eyes were probably closed, and his whole

ABANDONMENT OF FORT CRKVECfKUR.

205

soul absorbed in prayer. There is one advantage
which the arrow has over the bullet. It performs
its deadly mission without making any noise. The
wily savages, unseen and unheard, crept near, and
piercing him with their arrows he fell dead. They
took his scalp, threw the body into a ditch, covering
it with a few leaves, and fled. Whenthey arrived at
their village they very boastfully exhibited the scalp
of the defenceless missionary, as that of an Iroquois
warrior. To obtain this renown was the only object
of the cowardly assassins in their murderous deed.

Thus died Father Gabriel. He was the last scion
of a noble family of Buigundy. Me had renounced
his inheritance, and all the brilliant prospects of a
courtly life, to consecrate himself to the service of
his Saviour, the Son of God. In his own country,
his family name, his many virtues, and his entire
devotion to the ministry upon which he had entered,
had elevated him to high positions of influence and
honor. All these he relinquished, after he had passed
his three-score years, to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus
to the savages of North Americx. He landed in
Canada, in the summer of 1670. Tor some time he
was employed as chaplain of Governor Frontenac.
Here he was untiring in his efforts to instruct the
Indians. Having become in a good degree familiar
with th^ir language and customs, he embarked with

206

THE ADVENTURES OF I.A SAI.LE.

La Salic to establish new missions w the vast and
unexplored regions he was about to penetrate.

The good old man was now seventy years of aj:^e.
For forty years he had been earnestly engaged in
preaching the gospel of peace on earth, and > ^
will among men. And now the blessed hour nad
come when God sent his angel to take the victor in
many a hard-fought spiritual conflict, to his home in
heaven ; for God can convert even the wickedness
of man into an agency for the accomplishment of
His purposes.

How sublime the scene of his departure. It was
a serene, beautiful autumnal day. The deep blue of
the overarching skies were embroidered, as it were,
with fleecy clouds. The waters of the river, clear as
crystal, flowed gently by. The luxuriant prairie,
brilliant with the bloom of autumn, almost entranced
the eye as a garden of the Lord. In a majestic
grove the veteran Christian knelt, at peace with God,
with himself, and with all the world. His eyes were
closed. His hands were clasped. His soul was all
absorbed in prayer. Suddenly a shower of arrows
pierce him, and he falls dead !

Dead! do I say? No! He awakes to a new
life of inconceivable vitality and grandeur. A retinue
of angels are there, ready to receive him. In their

ABANDONMENT OF FORT CREVECCEUR.

207

blest companionship lie takes his rapturous journey
to the bosom of his Saviour and his God.

•'Oh, 'tis a glorious thing to die
As dies the Christian, willi his armor on."

The saddened voyagers, as they plied their pad-
dles in ascending the river, all unconscious of the
fate which had overtaken the beloved father, had still
a journey of nearly two hundred and fifty miles
before them, ere they could reach their friends. The
dilapidated canoe soon failed them entirely, and
they were compelled to abandon it. The remainder
of the long journey was to be made on foot. Their
destitution was alarming. They had no food but
such as they could pick up by the w-^y. Their cloth-
ing was old, worn out, and very scant ; for they had
been waiting for supplies to be brought them by La
Salle. They had neither companion nor guide. The
route they were to follow was in a northerly direction,
through the pathless forests, and over the pathless
prairies, many miles west of Lake Michigan, to the
missionary station at the foot of Green Bay.

Father Hennepin had left his cloak in the canoe.
They cut up the garment to repair their shoes and
clothes. Often, in days of storm, they wandered be-
wildered and lost. They found but little game, for they
were not professional hunters. Their food consisted
mainly of acorns and roots. After a journey of fit-

(■' -r

208

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

tccn clays, and when almost starved, they were so
fortunate as to kill a deer. Upon venison steaks
they feasted luxuriously.

At lenj^th they came to a little cluster of Potta-
watomi wiy;wams. This powerful tribe occupied an
extensive territory southwest of Lake Michigan.
About ten years before, a delegation from the tribe
had visited the French, and friendly relations were
established between them. Very hospitably they
received the worn, emaciate, and ragged wanderers.
They fed them with such morsels as could be fished
from the pots of the Indians. Thcwigwams were
comfortable, affording ample protection from wind
and rain. The weary wanderers, who were scarcely
able to stand, threw themselves upon mats before the
wigwam fires and slept long, long hours of rich en-
joyment.

Somewhat recruited by th.c repose of a few days,
they again took up their line of march. After the
endurance of great fatigue and many sufferings, they
at length reached the missionary station at Green
Bay. Here they were received as brothers, and here
they passed the winter. Early in the spring, as soon
as the ice had disappeared from the bay. Lieutenant
Tonti and Father Membr6 set out in a canoe, with a
few boatmen, for the station at Michilimackinac.
After a prosperous voyage of a few days, they reached

ABANDONMENT OF FORT CREVECCEUR.

209

that important point in safety. They had been there
but a short tiinr, wlicn a small fleet of canoes came
paddling into the harbor. It was about the middle
of June. To their cjreat joy they found that it was
an expedition of La Salle, and that he was on board.
He had a sad story to tell of disasters and sufferings,
which we must reserve for our next chapter.

} A

mac.
Ichcd

!. ,! [^ "■

"-■;)> -

CHAPTER X.
La Salle s Secofid Exploritig Tour.

Disasters. — Energy of La Salle. — The Embarcation. — Navigating
the Lakes. — Sunshine and Storm, Beauty and Desolation. — Ruins
at Crevecoeur. — Steps Retraced. — Christian Character of La
Salle. — Arrival at Mackinaw. — The Enterprise Renewed —
Travelling on the Ice. — Descent of the Illinois River. — Entering
the Mississippi. — Voyage of the Canoes. — Adventures with the
Indians,

IJI

It will be r n .mbered that late in February,
l680v La Salle left Crevecoeur for Frontenac, to ob-
tain supplies. We have no record of the details of
that wonderful journey of four hundred leagues
through the wilderness. He reached the post after
a long and exhausting journey. There he encoun-
tered tidings of disaster sufficient to crush the stoutest
heart. The Griffin had foundered, when but a few
days out from Green Bay. All on board perished ;
and the whole of La Salle's fortune, consisting of
ten thousand dollars' worth of furs, had gone down
into the bottom of the lake.

The rumor reached Frontenac that La Salle had
perished in his vessel. He had sent quite a fleet of
canoes, laden with articles for the Indian trade, to

iiiii

ivigating
. — Ruins
• of La
newcd —
Entering
with the

bruary,

Ito ob-

ails of

eagues

after

ncoun-

;outest

a few

ished ;

ng of

down

le had
iet of
de, to

'if

fSffi':

LA SALLE S SECOND EXPLORING TOUR. 211

purchase all the furs they could along the northern
and southern shores of Lake Ontario. The canoe
men heard the rumor of the death of La Salle, and
treacherously appropriated to themselves all the
goods with which they had been intrusted. Before
setting out on his first excursion, he had sent to
France for more goods, to the amount of five thou-
sand dollars ; a very considerable sum in those days.
The vessel laden with these articles, after having
safely crossed the Atlantic, was driven upon one of
the islands of St. Peter, and everything was lost.
There was no insurance in those days; La Salle did
indeed experience the truth of the adage that " sor-
rows come in troops."

Still the enterprise, energy, and noble character
of the man was such that friends came to the rescue.
The Governor was very desirous of continuing the
exploration, to the mouth of the Mississippi, which
La Salle had begun. It was his great ambition there
to unfurl the banner of France, and there, in the
name of is king, to take possession of the most
majestic valley on this globe.

Another small fleet of canoes was soon prepared,
freighted with such articles, for use and traffic, as he
would need on the expedition. The canoes, eight
or ten in number, were large and strong. The party
consisted of twenty-three Frenchmen and thirty-one

I ;!:■

212

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

V<1i>IH i^'U

Indians ; fifty-four, in all. The statement seems
almost incredible that, of these Indians, ten were
women, and three were children. But Father Ze-
nobe, who accompanied the expedition, mentions that
the Indians insisted upon taking the women, as ser-
vants, to cook their food, and to perform the drud-
gery at their several encampments. Some of these
women had children whom they could not leave
behind.

It was indeed an imposing spectacle, when, at an
early hour of a still, sultry summer morning, this
gayly decorated fleet of canoes pushed out from the
little harbor at the fort, upon the mirrored surface
of Lake Ontario. It was, to a considerable degree,
a national expedition. The banners of France flut-
tered in the gentle breeze over all the battlements
of the fort. The forests and the hills resounded
with the roar of the salute from her heavy guns.
Hundreds of Indians crowded the shore to witness
the departure. The Frenchmen returned the salute
by a discharge of their muskets and by three cheers.
The canoes speedily disappeared behind a headland,
as the voyagers, with their paddles, pressed forward
upon one of the most extraordinary expeditions ever
undertaken by man.

The voyage along the southern shore of the lake
proved to be very stormy. Again and again the

iHilpnii

LA SALLE'S SECOND EXPLORING TOUR. 21 3

«i

ere

Ze-

;hat

ser-

rud-

hese

cave

at an

, this

nn the

urface

egree,

e flut-

ments

lunded
guns,
itness
salute
beers,
dland,
rward
s ever

me lake
tin the

gale and the surging billows drove them ashore. To
the Indians, and to the Canadian boatmen generally,
there was no hardship in this. It was the customary
Hfe of these men ; and to the Indians, the life to
which .they had been inured from infancy, and the
only life they had ever known. Indeed the crew
generally had no more thought of yesterday or to-
morrow than the few dogs who accompanied them.
The weight of responsibility rested only upon the
minds of La Salle and his gentlemanly, highly edu-
cated ecclesiastical companions.

When landing, for an encampment at night, or
forced to take shelter from the storm, they easily
drew their canoes up upon the greensward ; turned
them over to protect the freight from the rain, entered
a little distance, the dense, primeval forest, which
from time immemorial had fringed the shores of
the lake, and there speedily reared a shelter which,
to them, presented all the comforts which the palatial
mansion offers to its lord. They spread their mats
upon the floor. They built their camp fires, whose
brilliant blaze enlivened the scene. They cooked
their suppers, of corn-bread and venison steaks,
which health and hunger rendered luxurious. They
sang songs, told stories, cracked jokes, and enjoyed
perhaps as much as the mere animal man is capable
of enjoying.

214

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

This is indeed the sunny side of such a life. But
it is a real side. For such men it has a real charm ;
charms so great Jiat they reluctantly relinquish
them for all that civilization can offer. But it must
be evident to every reader of these pages, that this
wandering, homeless life, has also its shady side.
They, like all other men, had often occasion to say
in the beautiful verse of Longfellow :

" The (lay is cold, and dark, ami dreary.
It rains, and the wind is never weary,
The vine stil) .iings to the mouldering wall.
At every gust the dead leaves fall.
And the day is dark and dreary."

La Salle left Fort Frontenac on the 23d of July,
1680, about two months before the abandonment of
Cr^vecoeur by Tonti. In consequence of the series
of storms, he was nearly three weeks in reaching the
western extremity of Lake Ontario. The canoes and
the goods were then carried around the falls, to the
station called Fort Conti, which had been established
at the head of Niagara River. He did not reach
this station until about the middle of August.

Fort Conti had become quite a resort of the
neighboring Indian tribes for trade. Here La Salle
intended to lay in fresh supplies of corn. The sea-
son had been an unfavorable one. The small crop
annually raised by the thoughtless, indolent savages,
was still smaller than usual, affording but a scant

LA SALLE'S SECOND EXPLORINr, TOUR. 21$

' "ii

and
the

shed
:ach

supply for the winter. The Indians were not dis-
posed to sell. Many days passed away, and but little
had been brought in. La Salle had quite a store of
French brandy. He cHered to exchange brandy for
corn. The poor Indians, who would sell the clothes
from their backs for intoxicating liquors, brought the
cora in so abundantly, that the canoes were imme-
diately filled. In one day, sixty sacks were urged
upon him.

On the 28th of August, 1680, the voyagers reem-
barked in their canoes, and beneath sunny skies and
with a smooth expanse of water before them, pad-
dled joyously along the northern shores of Lake Erie,
ascended the Detroit River, crossed Lake St. Clair,
passed through the Straits of St. Clair, and coasted
along the eastern and northern shores of Lake Huron,
a distance of two or three hundred miles, until they
reached the station at Mackinac, the latter part of
September.

The voyage from the head of Niagara River had
occupied nearly a month. When the little fleet of
birch canoes entered the harbor at Mackinac, Lieu-
tenant Tonti, had just abandoned hisdilapidated birch
canoe on the Illinois River, in his retirement from
the fort, and, with his few companions, was struggling
on foot through the wilderness west of Lake Michi-
gan, seeking also the same refuge.

i i

If ? ■ f

2l6

THE ADVENTURKS OK LA SALLE.

La Salic, entirely unconscious of the disasters
which had overtaken his garrison at Cr5vecoeur, re-
embarked, on the 4th of October. Following the
same course he had pursued before, he paddled
down the eastern coast of Lake Michigan, to the
River St. Joseph. At the head of which river, it
will be remembered, he had erected Fort Miami, on
territory inhabited by the Miami Indians. It was a
long voyage, with many obstructions from the
autumnal storms, which seemed to be incessantly
sweeping that bleak and harborless lake. After the
tempestuous voyage of a month, he reached Fort
Miami on the 3d of November.

Eleven months before, on the 3d of December,
1679, he had left that station, on his route to the
Illinois River. Le Clerc says that four men were
left in charge there. This is not sustained by other
accounts. It is not probable that so small a number
would have been left in a position so greatly exposed.
But, however this may be, he found the Miami vil-
lage in ashes, and all who dwelt in it dispersed. His
log fort was also in utter ruin. It was a melancholy
scene which met his eye ; another indication of
man's inhumanity to man.

The St. Joseph's River takes its rise in Indiana.
For nearly a hundred miles before it empties its
flood into Lake Michigan, it flows in a course of

LA SALLE S SLCOND EXPLOKLNC] TOUR.

ters
• rc-

the
died

the
;r, it
li, on
kvas a
, the
>antly
er the
, Fort

^mbcr,
;o the
were
other
lumber
jposed.

II vil-

His

icholy

Ion of

idiana.
ties its
Irse of

narrow windings, ahnost directly from the south.
By paddling up this stream, in a canoe voyage of
three or four days, or about seventy miles of our
measurement, they came to a portage, five or six
miles in length, by which they could reach the Kan-
kakee River.

This was an important tributary of the Illinois
River. It will be remembered that it was by
this stream that La Salle and his party, more than
a year before, prosecuted their voyage to Lake Peo-
ria. It was then, for much of its distance, rather a
dismal stream, sluggishly winding through marshes
lined with alders. Rapidly they paddled on, day
after day, through a country of silence and solitude,
until they entered the broader, deeper waters of
Illinois River.

Still, as they descended this beautiful stream,
which presented as attractive situations for happy-
homes as perhaps earth could afford, they passed no
Indian villages, no solitary wigwam, no sign what-
ever of human life. They came to the site where
the Indian village had formerly stood in its pictu-
resque beauty, with six or eight thousand inhabi-
tants swarming around, in the various costumes, and
engaged in the diversified employments of savage
life. Naught remained but smouldering ruins and
trampled harvests. Man bitterest foe, his brother

2l8

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

man, had been there, and had left behind but the
traces of desolation, blood and woe. Neither wolf
nor bear could have been more merciless, or could
have left behind them ravages so dreadful.

The dispersion of the garrison, and the destruc-
tion of all the works commenced and the stores
deposited at Cr^vecceur, was another blow upon
the head and the heart of La Salle, apparently frus-
trating all his plans. He must have experienced
emotions of the keenest anguish. But this remark-
able man, invincible by the reverses of fortune, pre-
sented to his companions only a smiling aspect, and
addressed them only with cheerful words. Having
lost everything which he had expected to find at
Cr5vecoeur, it became necessary foi him to return
to Mackinac. This required a journey by river,
forest, prairie, and lake, of nearly five hundred
miles.

Immediately he re-embarked his whole force, in
his canoes, and commenced the laborious ascent of
the stream he had- ;ust descended so pleasantly,
borne along by the aid of the current. When they
reached the mouth of the Kankakee, instead of
following up that stream, they struck across the
country, by a portage directly north, until they
reached the Chicago River. Here they again
launched their canoes and followed down the wind-

LA SALLE'S SECOND F:XPL0RING TOUR. 219

ings of the stream until they came to its entran *:
into Lake Michigan, where Chicago now stands.

At this port La Salle found fragments of many
war-scathed tribes, in a half-starving condition.
They informed him that the terrible Iroquois,
composed of five united savage nations, and whose
central power was in the vast territory south of
Lake Ontario, had in overwhelming numbers invaded
the valley of the Illinois. Many of their warriors
were armed vvith guns purchased from the French.
The feeble tribes fled in terror before them. The
ferocious bands wandered in all directions. By day
and by night the hideous war-whoop resounded.
Villages were burned, captives were seized, women
and children were slaughtered, and thousand of fugi-
tives, war-bereaved, woe-stricken, fled to the western
side of the Mississippi to seek protection by being
incorporated into friendly tribes in those apparently
limitless realms.

Around the lovely shores of Lake Peoria there
had been seventeen flourishing Indian villages.
These were all destroyed, in awful scenes of confla-
gration and massacre. The survivors fled beyond
the Mississippi, six hundred miles from their deso-
lated homes. And even to these regions the fero-
cious Iroquois pursued them, thirsting for blood
and scalps.

220

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

La Salle was a Christian. He was interested in
the reh'gious welfare of the poor Indians, as the only
instrumentality by which they could secure for them-
selves pleasant homes on earth, and happy homes in
heaven. He agreed with the missionaries, that if
they wished to establish missions in those parts,
with any hope of seeing Christianity make progress
among the natives, they must secure them immunity
from the horrors of war. This could only be done
by uniting the remaining tribes in a firm union for a
common defence.

At the mouth of the Chicago River, La Salle was,
as he thought, by the route he had taken, about
one hundred and twenty miles from Lake Peoria,
lie reached this point probably some time in January
1 68 1. The lake, for some distance from the shore,
was encumbered with ice. Fierce v/intry storms
swept the bleak prairies, and piled the snow in drifts.
It was almost impossible to journey, either by land
or water. La Salle and his party went into encamp-
ment upon the banks of the Chicago River, to wait
a few weeks until the severity of winter was over.
At the same time, though he knew not of it, the few
remaining members of the garrison which he had left
at Crevecoeur were seeking shelter from these pierc-
ing blasts, about a hundred miles north, in the wig-
wams of the friendly Pottawattomies.

LA SALLE S SECOND EXPLORING TOUR. 221

La Salle and his ecclesiastical companions im-
proved these few weeks of leisure in seeking inter-
views with the chiefs of the various tribes in the
vicinity, and in endeavoring to unite them in a
strong confederacy. He assured them that if they
would thus be true to themselves, the French would
become their allies and send them efficient aid. It
was not until the 22d of May that he was able to
launch his canoes upon the lake. There was then
a voyage of about two hundred and sixty miles
before him.

About the middle of June his fleet of canoes was
seen, coming around a point of land, as the boatmen
rapidly paddled into the harbor at Michilimackinac.
Here La Salle met Lieutenant Tonti, Father Membr^,
and their associates, as we have mentioned in the
last chapter. The good Father Membre writes :

" I leave you to conceive our mutual joy, damped
though it was by the narrative he made us of all his
misfortunes, and of that we made him of our tragical
adventures. Though La Salle related to us all his
calamities, yet never did I remark in him the least
alteration. He always maintained his ordinary cool-
ness and self-possession. Any other person would
have abandoned the enterprise. But La Salic, by a
firmness of mind and constancy almost unequalled,
was more resolute than ever to carry out his discovery.

§™m^

222

THE ADVIZNTURES OF LA SALLE.

We therefore left, to return to Fort Frontenac with
his whole party, to adopt new measures, to resume
and complete our course, with the help of heaven, in
which we put all our trust."

We have no detailed account of the long voyage
back to Frontenac, or of the return voyage to the
mouth of the Chicago River. In the meagre narra-
tives which have descended to us, there are slight
discrepancies which it is impossible to reconcile.
Entering Lake Michigan at its northern extremity
through the Straits of Mackinac, they paddled down
the eastern coast, passed the mouth of St. Joseph's
River, rounded the southern curvature of the lake, and
reached the mouth of the Chicago River on the 4th
of January, 1682. The winter in that region was
short, but very severe. The Chicago River presented
a solid surface of ice.

Sledges were constructed, upon which the canoes
were placed, and dragged by the men over the ice
of the river. This journey in mid-winter, over a bleak
and often treeless expanse, was slow and toilsome.
Having reached the point where the portage com-
menced, they dragged their sledges, laden with the
canoes, baggage, and provisions, across the portage
to the Illinois River. They reached this point on
the 29th of the month, having spent twenty-three
days in the exhausting journey. They were, at that

LA SALLE'S SECOND EXPLORING TOUR. 22$

point, according to Father Membre's estimate, two
hundred and forty miles from the mouth of the
Illinois where it enters into the Mississippi.

Drawing their sledges upon the ice, they day
after day followed down the lonely and silent stream,
whose banks war had desolated. They passed the
smouldering sites of many former villages, where only
melancholy scenes of devastation met the eye. They
reached Crevecoeur about the ist of February. It
would seem that La Salle, on his previous visit, had
repaired the ruins there, so as to provide a temporary
home for his party upon its arrival. He found all
things as he had left them.

The river below Crevecoeur was free from ice.
Having rested for about a week, in the enjoyment of
warm fires, in their log-cabins, they launched their
canoes into the Illinois River, and on the 6th of Feb-
ruary reached the mouth of the river. They found
the swollen flood of the Mississippi full of vast masses
of ice, pouring down from the distant regions of the
north. This detained them till the 13th of the
month. They encamped at the same point where
Father Hennepin had tarried. A short voyage of a
day bore them to the mouth of turbid and turbulent
Missouri.

Here they landed at an Indian village, where they
seem to have been very kindly received. It will be

;. ^ f r

"^;^iTT'" 'r;. '•'.,"

'f f

I ti !

' ti

224

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

remembered that La Salle was still intent upon find-
ing some short passage across the continent, of whose
width he knew nothing, to the Pacific Ocean. He
was much excited by the strange tidings he heard
from the Indians here. They assured him that by
ascending the river ten or twelve days he would come
to a range of mountains where the river took its rise ;
that numerous and populous Indian villages v/ere
scattered all the way along the banks of the river ;
that by ascending one of the mountain eminences,
he would have a view of the vast and boundless sea
where great ships v/ere sailing. We cannot now
tell whether this was the mere fabrication of some
imaginative savage, or whether such was the general
opinion of the tribe.

The next day, after a sail of about thirty miles,
they reached another Indian village on the bank of
the ri^ er. Here again they landed peacefully, and
warmed the hearts of the savages by a few presents
which were to them of priceless value. They jour-
neyed slowly. They could not, in their crowded
canoes, carry a large amount of provisions. Conse-
quently they were under the necessity of making
frequent stops to catch fish or to hunt for game.
Not long after this visit of La Salle, a mission was
established in this little village, which was called

LA SALLE'S SECOND EXPLORING TOUR. 22$

Marou. It is said that most of them were converted
to, at least, nominal Christianity.

Continuing their voyage one hundred and twenty
miles down the river, they came to the mouth of the
Ohio. Here they made another stop to lay in fresh
supplies. The friendly Indians there informed them
they could find no suitable camping ground for a
distance of nearly one hundred and fifty miles, the
banks were so low and so encumbered with rushes
and dense brush.

The voyagers remained at the mouth of the
Ohio ten days, sending out parties in various direc-
tions. One of the Frenchmen, Peter Prudhomme,
wandering from his companions, did not return.
There were many fears that he had been captured
by the Indians, as some of the party had seen fresh
Indian trails. The heroic La Salle was not disposed
to abandon the man. He threw up some entrench-
ments for the protection of his company, and de-
spatched several well-armed Frenchmen, with Indian
guides, to follow vigorously the trail of the savages,
for the recovery of the captive if he had been taken
by them. For four days La Salle tarried in his
encampment at the mouth of the Ohio.

On the 1st of March the detachment, sent in
pursuit of the lost one, returned. They had seen
and heard nothing of Peter. Five Indians, however,

'V-' T .'^>VW-^

226

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

had been seen, two of whom were caught and brought
into the camp. They knew nothing of the lost man.
Receiving only friendly treatment, they seemed quite
anxious that La Salle should visit their village, which
they falsely assured La Salle was distant but a day
and a half's journey from the point where they then
were. These Indians belonged to the Chickasaw
tribe, which subsequently became quite prominent
in the history of our land.

With the Indians a day's journey was about thirty
miles. La Salle and Father Membr^ bet out to
visit the village, guided by the Indians. They do
not appear to have had any hesitation in thus plac-
ing themselves entirely in the hands of the savages.
But after having travelled day and a half through a
country diversified with forest, prairie, and mountain,
they became satisfied that the Indians were deceiv-
ing them, and charged them with it.

They confessed the deception, made some lame
apologies for it, and confessed that their village was
still at the distance of three days' journey. Without
any apparent reluctance they accompanied La Salle
and Membr6 back to the camp. La Salle then sent
one of the Indians to the Chickasaw village, with
several presents, and to invite the chiefs to meet
him, some hundred miles below, as he descended in

LA SALLE S SECOND EXPLORING TOUR.

227

his canoes. The other Indian consented to remain,
and accompany his party down the river.

Just as the voyagers were re-embarking, the miss-
ing man appeared. He had been lost ii> the forest,
and for nine days had wandered in the unavaihng
search for his companions. Fortunately, the wea-
ther was mild, game abundant, and, as he had his gun
with him, he did not want for food. Cheered by his
return, they rejoicingly entered their canoes, and,
with cloudless skies overarching them, pushed out
into the rapid current, to be swept along through
realms to them entirely unknown, and to a point
they knew not where.

It was a singular and a beautful spectacle, which
was presented by this flock of large birch canoes,
eight or ten in number, filled with Indians, and
Frenchmen in Indian costume, gliding down the
broad, swift current of the river. The paddles glis-
tened with the reflected rays of the sun. All were
in health. There was no toil. New scenes of mar-
vellous desolation, or beauty, or grandeur, were con-
tinually opening before them. They were well fed.
The mind was kept in a state of delightful excite-
ment. The French are proverbially good-natured
and mirthful. Each night's encampment presented
a scene of feasting, bonfires and innocent joyous

r-ti

!^i

228

THE ADVENTURES OK LA SALLE.

revel. These were indeed sunny days, and this was
the poetry of travelling.

The 3d of March, 1682, came. They had then
descended the river, as they judged, about one hun-
dred and twenty miles below the mouth of the Ohio.
They were approaching, though they knew it not, a
large village of the Arkansas Indians, situated on the
western banks of the Missis. 'opi. It was concealed
from them by a bluff, and by a turn in the stream.
An Indian, upon the lookout on the bluff, caught
sight of the formidable looking fleet, far up the river,
and, supposing it to be filled with hostile savages on
the war-path, gave the alarm.

The whole village was instantly thrown into a
state of great excitement. The women and children
fled back into the forest. The warriors grasped their
arms and rallied for battle. As the fleet drew near,
all unconscious of the commotion it had excited, the
voyagers, not seeing a single Indian, were surprised
to hear, on the other side of the bluff, the yells of
apparently hundreds of savages. Their piercing
war-whoops were blended with the loud beatings
of a kind of drum which they had fabricated.

Warned by these hostile demonstrations. La
Sallv guided his canoes to the other side of the
river, which was here about a mile in width. He
landed in direct view pf the village. With his

LA SALLE'S SECOND EXPLORING TOUR. 229

customary caution, he immediately threw up some
intrenchments, behind which his men, with their
guns, could beat off almost any number of sav-
ages. He knew not but that hundreds of warriors
would cross the rivet in their canoes, to make an im-
petuous assault upon him.

Having thus guarded against surprise, and afforded
the Indians a little time to recover from their first
alarm, he then, unarmed, advanced to the water's
edge, and by friendly signs endeavored to invite
some of the chiefs to come over to meet him.

Several of the chiefs entered a large boat, called
a periagua. It was made of the trunk of an immense
tree, hollowed out, and carved and decorated with
immense labor. Such a wooden canoe was capable
of holding a large number of warriors. The chiefs
crossed the river until they came to within a quarter
of a mile of the shore, and then they stopped, and
beckoned the strangers to come and meet them.

La Salle sent one Frenchman, we infer from the
narrative that it must have been Father Membr^, in
a canoe, to meet them. Two of his Indians paddled
the boat, until they came alongside of the periagua
of the natives. Father Membre, familiar as he was
with several Indian dialects, could not speak their
language. He however held out to them the calu-
met of peace, which at once won their confidence ;

wn^g

1^1

230

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

and he found no difficulty in communicating with
them by signs. He invited the chiefs to accompany
him back to the encampment. They were six in
number. Retaining him with them, in the. large pcr-
iagua, they speedily paddled ashore, followed by
Membre's canoe, with the two Indian boatmen.

Without any hesitancy, the six Indian chiefs en-
tered into the redoubt which La Salle had thrown up.
They appeared frank, unsuspicious, and cordial, and
were made very happy by several presents which La
Salle placed in their hands. They invited the whole
party to cross the river to their village. The canoes
were launched, and all crossed the stream, led by the
chieftains in their wooden boat. The whole adult
male population of the village crowded the banks to
receive them ; and with every demonstration of
friendship. But the timid women and children kept
cautiously in the distance.

Eight or ten large birch canoes, from which mere
than fifty persons landed upon the beach, presented
a very imposing appearance. They were nearly all
armed with guns, not for aggressive warfare, but for
hunting and protection.

The natives crowded around the strangers, con-
ducted them up to their wigwams, which were very
pleasantly situated on a rich and tolerably well cul-
tivated plain extending back from the river. The

LA SALLE'S SECOND EXI'LORLN'G TOUR. 231

guests were regaled with the greatest profusion of
barbarian hospitality. These Indians had attained
a very considerable degree of civilization. They
had quite a large number of slaves, whom they had
captured from tribes with whom they were at war.
The fertile fields around were quite well cultivated
with corn, beans, melons, and a variety of fruits.
Peaches were abundant. Large flocks of turkeys
and other domestic fowls crowded their doors.
They were a very handsome race ; and it was ob-
served that, while the northern Indians were generally
moody and taciturn, these savages, beneath more
sunny skies, were frank, generous, and gay in the
extreme.

1^1

CHAPTER XI.
The Great Enterprise Aceoviplished.

Scenes in the Arkansas Villages. — Indinn liospitality. — Barbarian
Splendor. — Attractive Scenery. — Tlie Alarm. — Its Joyful Issue. —
Genial Character of La Salle. — Erecting the Cross. — Pleasant
Visit to the Koroas. — The Two Channels. — Perilous Attack. —
Humanity of I,n Salic. — The Sea Reached. — Ceremonies of
Annexation.

For several days La Salle and his party re-
mained with their hospitable friends the Arkansas
Indians. On the 14th of March, 1682, La Salle took
possession of the country in the name of the king of
France. He invested the ceremony with all the
pomp he could command. An immense cross was
raised in the centre of the village ; and the Chris-
tian's God was recognized with anthems, prayers
and imposing religious rites. Thousands of savages
gathered aro'-nd, gazing with delight upon the scene
so novel to them. They had no conception of its
significance. They supposed it a festival got up for
their entertainment, as they would got up a war-
dance to please their guests. As the cross was
raised. Father Membr^ made some attempt to teach

II!

THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMPLISHED. 233

them the significance of this emblem of the way
of salvation through faith in an atoning Saviour.
He writes :

" During this time they showed that they rel-
ished what I said by raising their eyes to heaven,
and kneeling as if to adore. We also saw them
rubbing their hands over their bodies, after rubbing
them over the cross. In fine, on our return from
the sea, we found that they had surrounded the cross
with a palisade."

On the 17th of the month, the explorers re-em-
barked, and continued their voyage down the river
about eighteen miles, when they came to two other
villages of the Arkansas tribe. Here they were again
received with the utmost hospitality. Continuing
their sunny voyage beneath cloudless skies and upon
a glassy stream for four days, they came to quite a
large lake formed by an expansion of the river. This
sheet of water seemed to be fringed with villages.
There were forty on the east side of the lake, and
thirty-four on the west side, upon its tanks. All
were picturesquely situated and, in the distance, pre-
sented an aspect of much beauty.

The houses were well built, of clay mixed with
straw baked in the sun. The roofs were constructed
of canes quite gracefully bent in the form of a dome.
Their beds or mats were raised on wooden bedsteads,

^^^

Hill

234

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

and they had many jonven lent articles of household
furniture. Thj bark of a tree furnished very fine
white fibres, which they braided into blankets and
other articles of dress. The head chief was an abso-
lute sovereign, having the property and the lives of
his subjects entirely at his disposal. A retinue of
slaves attended him. He was luxuriously clothed,
fed, and housed.

The village of the chief was at a little distance
from the banks of the lake. La Salle was quite sick,
and unable to go up to the palace to pay his respects
to the monarch. He encamped upon the borders of
the expanded stream, and beneath the shade of his
roof sought repose upon his mat. He, however, sent
Lieutenant Tonti and Father Membre with presents
to the chief. In return, several men were sent to La
Salle, munificently laden with provisions and other
gifts. Soon after, the king himself appeared in regal
state. First came a master of ceremonies, with six
pioneers, to remove every obstruction from the way,
and to make the path level for the feet of royalty.
They selected a spot upon which the monarch was
to give audience to his guests. The ground was
carefully smoothed, and carpeted with beautiful mats.

The monarch soon made his appearance. He
was richly dressed in white robes. Two officers pre-
ceded- him, bearing plumes of gorgeously colored

THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMPLISHED. " 235

feathers. He was followed by another official, bear-
ing two large plates of copper, highly polished. The
king had the bearing of a gentleman. He was
grave, dignified, and courteous. Having ever been
accustomed to absolute command, he had that pecu-
liar air of self-possession and authority which seems
to be the inheritance of those who can boast a long
line of illustrious ancestry.

It was the 22d day of March, 1682. The scene
presented was in the highest degree picturesque and
beautiful. The widely expanded lake glittered in
the sunlight as placid as a mirror. The villages of
the Indians, clustered so thickly along the shores,
were composed of substantial dwellings, whose
roofs of curved canes, thatched with thick mats, were
rounded into graceful domes. The barbarian splen-
dor assumed by the monarch, the group of French
adventurers, with their Indian companions, gathered
near by, the thousands of the Taensa tribe, men,
women, and children, standing at a respectful distance,
silently gazing upon the scene, the little fleet of
canoes upon the beach, and the encampment hastily
thrown up — these combined to open to the eye a
picture of peace and loveliness, which the pencil of
the most skilful artist might in vain attempt to
rival.

It did indeed seem then and there, as though

236

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

God had intended this for a happy world — for a
world where his children might live together in
paternal love, and with the interchange of the kind-
liest sympathies. Though in the early spring, the
foliage beneath those sunny skies was in full leaf,
. and the flowers in full bloom.

" The whole country," writes Father Membr6,
"is covered with palm trees, laurels of two kinds,
plums, peaches, mulberry, apple, and pear trees of
every variety. There are also five or six kinds of nut
trees, some of which bear nuts of extraordinary size.
They also gave us several kinds of dried fruit to taste.
We found them large and good. They have also
many varieties of fruit trees which I never saw in
Europe. The season was however too early to allow
us to see the fruit. We observed vines already out
of blossom."

The interview between the monarch and La Salle
passed off very pleasantly. It was conducted mainly
by signs. Smiles and presents were interchanged.
For four days the voyagers remained the guests of
these friendly people. They rambled through their
villages, entered their dwellings, and were abun-
dantly feasted. The natives seemed very amiable,
quite intelligent, and were far in advance, in civiliza-
tion, of the nations or tribes farther north. Father
Membrd was much pleased with their candor, and

THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMPLISHED. 237

with the clearness with which 'he thought they com-
prehended his instructions. They readily accepted
his teaching of God ; and apparently comprehended,
without any difficulty, the plan of salvation through
an atoning Saviour.

In truth, this doctrine is apparently the most
simple and the most powerful which can be pre-
sented to the savage. All over the world, the neces-
sity of an atonement for sin seems to be implanted
in the human breast. And when the missionary
teaches the savage that God, our Heavenly Father,
in the person of His Son has borne our sins in His
own body on the tree, the most ignorant can com-
prehend it, and the most wicked can be moved by it.

On the 26th of March, La Salle and his compan-
ions, greatly refreshed by their delightful visit, re-
sumed their voyage down the river. They descended
very rapidly, by the aid of the current and the paddle.
Having sailed about forty miles, they saw in the dis-
tance below them, a large wooden boat containing a
number of Indians. The savages seemed alarmed
as they caught sight of the fleet of canoes coming
down so rapidly upon them. They plied their pad-
dles with all diligence, and run into the eastern shore.

La Salle, with his usual caution, landed upon the
opposite bank. The two parties gazed at each other
across the rolling flood, a mile in width. La Salle

■?

&i iiii

ill

238

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

sent Lieutenant ^jnti, in a canoe with several In-
dians, to carry t^ the boatmen the calumet of peace.
While the Indians plied their paddles, he stood up in
the canoe, waving toward the boatmen the plumed
badge of fraternity. As Lieutenant Tonti was cross-
ing the river, a large number of Indians were seen
running in, from various directions, and crowding
the banks. When within arrow-shot of the shore, he
stopped, still presenting the calumet, which all the
tribes seemed to recognize and respect.

All suspicion was allayed. The savages, unap-
prehensive of any treachery, crowded their periagua,
and the boat and the canoe, with the inmates on
terms of the kindest fellowship, passed over to the
French on the western bank. The two parties
blended as brothers. The Indians were fishermen
of the Natches tribe. They had a large village
about nine miles inland, east of the river. Without
any hesitancy La Salle, Father Membr^, and a few
others, accepted an invitation to accompany them to
their village.

There are some men so frank, genial, kind-hearted,
that they win affection at sight. La Salle was such
a man. With no special effort to make friends, his
nature was such that the savage and the civilized
man alike were immediately w-n by the fascination
of his presence. Father Membr^ gives frequent tes-

'-aBBBBn

THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMPLISHED. 239

timony to these peculiar attractions of the chivalric
pioneer. On this occasion he writes :

'* We slept in the wigwams of these savages.
They gave us as kindly a welcome as we could desire.
The Chevalier La Salle, whose very air, engaging
manners, and captivating mind, everywhere com-
manded respect and love, so impressed the liearts of
these Indians that they did not know how to treat us
well enough. They would gladly have kept us with
them permanently."

For three days La Salle and his companions
enjoyed the hospitality of these friendly natives.
About thirty miles below the Natches Indians, there
was another powerful tribe called the Koroas. They
were friends and allies of the Natches. A courier
was despatched to inform the chief of the Koroas of
the arrival of the distinguished strangers, and to
invite him to come and share in giving them a suit-
able welcome. He hastened to Natches with an
imposing retinue of his head men. They also paid
prompt homage to the dignity and the attractions
of La Salle.

Again a cross was erected, while admiring multi-
tudes gazed admiringly upon the religious and civil
pomp with which the ceremony was invested. A
plate was attached to the cross, upon which was
engraved the arms of Louis XIV. The In-

I r

240

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

dians were delighted with the show, and with the
memorial thus left of the visit ; though they could
not comprehend the significance of the rite as taking
possession of their country in the name of the King
of France.

La Salle and his companions returned to their
canoes. The Chickasaw Indian who had accompa-
nied them from their encampment near the mouth
of the Ohio, and which they had named Camp Prud-
hommc, from the man who had been lost and found
there, remained at the village of the Natches Indians.
The journey of a few days would take him to his
own tribe.

The chief of the Koroas, having invited La Salle
to visit his village, embarked with his suite, in their
wooden boats, and descended the river in company
with the French in theii birch canoes. A sail of
about four hours swept them down to the village,
which was called Akoroa. It was beautifully situated
on an eminence, commanding a view of a wide-spread
and exceedingly fertile prairie, with large fields of
corn, whose spear-like leaves were already waving in
the gentle breeze.

The Indians were fond of ceremony. They held
a council, presented the calumet, smoked the pipe
of fraternity, made speeches which were but poorly
understood, and exchanged presents. After a short

THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMrLISIIED. 2|1

held

pipe

oorly

hort

tarry, the voyage was again resumed. The chief
furnished them with a pilot, telling them that it
would still require a voyage of ten days to reach the
sea, and that the river broke into several channels or
independent streams as it approached the Gulf. As
the Indians considered thirty or forty miles a good
day's voyage in descending the river, it was estimated
that there was a journey of between three and four
hundred miles still before them. They were also
informed that there were numerous tribes upon the
lower river, but that they were generally well-dis-
posed.

On the 2d of April, when the canoes had de-
scended the river about eighteen miles below Ako-
roa, the river branched into two arms or channels,
with an island between, which they estimated to be
one hundred and eighty miles in length. They had
been directed to take the channel on the left. But
it so chanced that there was a heavy river fog, and
ihey did not see it. La Salle's canoe was in the
advance, and the canoe which held the guide hap-
pened to be far in the rear. Though the keen eyes
of the Indian pierced the fog, and he did all in his
power by signs to show them that they were wrong,
the whole fleet followed its leader, and were swept
along in the channel on the right.

The reason why they were cautioned to take the

■(■'

v'iii

1 ,r

hi:

I . ' !

Iljl

m wi

242

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

left branch, was that the eight or ten tribes on the
western banks were friendly, and would make them
no trouble, while those upon the eastern branch were
ferocious, and would be likely to attack them. They
soon experienced the wisdom of the advice which
had been given them.

On the 2d of April, when they had descended
the river about one hundred and twenty miles, they
saw a number of Indians on the bank of the river,
fishing. The moment the savages caught sight of
the fleet of canoes they fled. Immediately the forest
seemed filled with the clamor of hideous war-whoops,
the beating of drums, and all other sounds of hos-
tility. The branch of the river which they were de-
scending, was here compressed into a narrow chan-
nel. A dense forest fringed both banks. It was
evident that there were populous villages near by,
for the warriors were seen rapidly gathering, as
they ran from tree to tree to get good positions to
overwhelm the canoes with their arrows.

The bows were very strong. The muscular arms
of the Indians would throw an arrow with almost the
velocity and precision of a rifle bullet. These barbed
weapons would tear their way through the birch
bark of the canoes as if they were but sheets of brown
paper. With appalling suddenness this cloud of war

THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMPLISHED. 243

ir arms
ost the
barbed
birch
f brown
i of war

was marshalling its forces. It was sufficiently men-
acing to alarm the bravest heart.

La Salle ordered all the boats to stop. He then
sent one canoe forward, with four Frenchmen, to
present the calumet of peace. They received orders
not to fire upon the savages under any emergence.
As soon as the canoe came within arrow-shot, the sav-
ages, regardless of the calumet, let fly a shower of
arrows upon them. Fortunately, they nearly all fell
a little short, and no one was hit. With the utmost
precipitation, the Frenchmen paddled back to their
companions. La Salle then sent another canoe, with
four Indians, bearing the calumet. They advanced
with great caution, and met with the same hostile
reception.

He then directed the canoes to press as near the
opposite bank as possible, to ply their paddles with
all energy, and thus hurry by the point of peril.
Humanely he ordered not a gun to be fired. He
had no wish to engage in a battle in which nothing
was to be gained. Very easily his sharp-shooters
could cause many of those savage warriors to bite the
dust ; and thus lamentation and woe would be sent
to many of those wigwams. But this would do no
good. It would not subdue the savages; it would
only exasperate them. He also remembered that he
was to return, and that if the savages had received

'I v

244

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

no harm at his hands, their spirit of revenge would
not be aroused, and it would be much less difficult
to establish friendly relations with them.

Though the savages yelled, and ran franticly
along the shore, and threw their arrows with their
utmost strength, the canoes, swept along by the rapid
current, and the sinewy strength of the paddles, all
passed in safety. The kind-hearted La Salle must
have congratulated himself that none were left
behind to mourn. He afterwards learned that this
inhospitable tribe was called the Quinnipissa.

They had paddled down the stream but about
six miles, when they came to other and still more
deplorable evidences of man's inhumanity to man.
They found upon the banks the smouldering remains
of a large village, which had recently been sacked
and burned. It was evident that the inhabitants had
been given up to indiscriminate massacre, with the
exception of those who had been carried away into
slavery, or to add to the revelry of a gala day, in the
endurance of demoniac torture. The ground was
covered with the bodies of men, women, and children,
in all the loathsome stages of decay. Sadly the voy-
agers rambled through these awful scenes for an
hour, meeting with no living being, and then hurried
on their way. This village, it was subsequently as-
certained, was called Tangibao.

THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMPLTSnED. 245

Still they continued descending the liver four
days longer, without meeting any incident of impor-
tance. Their day's sail averaged about thirty miles.
It was always necessary to land for the night's en-
campment. They had made, as they estimated,
about one hundred and twenty miles from Quinni-
pisca when they came to the delta of the Mississippi.
Here the majestic river divided into four branches.
At this point they landed, and encamped in the
midst of a dense and almost tropical forest, upon the
bank, but slightly elevated above the surface of the
water.

In the morning La Salle divided his fleet into

three bands, one to descend each of these three
branches. He took the one on the extreme right, or
the western branch. Lieutenant Tonti, with Father
Membrd, took the middle. The eastern branch, on
the left, was assigned to Mr. Dautray. Upon reach-
ing the sea, the canoes on the right and left were to
turn toward the centre until they should meet the
party of Lieutenant Tonti, whose route to the sea,
it was supposed, would be a little shorter than that
of either of the other two.

They all found the water deep and brackish, and
the current very slow. After sailing a few miles they
tasted the salt of the ocean. Soon their eyes were
gladdened with the sight of the open sea. It was

246

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

mild, serene, beautiful summer weather. Tiie region,
as far as tne eye could reach, was low and marshy,
with no landmarks. The fleets were, however, all re-
united in safety. La Salle having heard the report
respecting the middle and eastern channels, decided
to return to the western, by which he had descended.

They then asc^^nded this branch before they could
find any dry and solid ground, suitable to afford a
permanent foundation for the crocs of Christ and
the arms of France. On the ninth of April, they
were all assembled on a ridge slightly elevated, for
the celebration of this all-important ceremony. First,
they raised a massive column, at the foot of which
they buried a leaden plate, bearing *an inscription in
Latin, to the following purport:

" Louis the Great Reigns. Robert, Cavalier,
M'ith Lord Tonti, Ambassador, Zenobia Membr^,
Ecclesiastic, and twenty Frenchmen, first navigated
this river from the country of the Illinois, and passed
through this mouth on 'the ninth of April, sixteen
hundred and eighty-two."

The names of all the Frenchmen of the party
were attached to this plate. La Salle then made a
speech, which was carefully worded, and seems to
have been recorded at that time. It was in substance
as follows :

" In the name of Louis the Great, and in virtue

ammtmnmm

THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMPLISHED. 247

of the commission I hold in my hand, I take posses-
sion of this country of Louisiana, its seas, harbors,
ports, bays, and adjacent straits ; and also of all the
nations, people, provinces, cities, towns, villages,
mines, minerals, fisheries, streams, and rivers, com-
prised in the extent of the said Louisiana, from the
mouth of the great river called the Ohio, and this
with the consent of the people dwelling therein,
with whom we have made alliance ; and also of the
rivers which discharge themselves therein, from the
sources of the Mississippi to its mouth in the sea;
upon the assurance of all these nations that we are
the first Europeans who have descended or ascended
the said Mississippi. I hereby protest against all
those who may in future undertake to invade any
of these countries, to the prejudice of the right of his
Majesty, acquired by the consent of all the nations
herein named. Of this I take to witness all those
who hear me, and demand an act of the Notary as
required by law."

To this the whole assembly responded with
shouts of Vive le Roi and with a salute of fire-arms.

The civic ceremony being thus ended, the trans-
action was now to be ratified with religious rites.
By the side of the column, a massive cross had been
erected. The devout La Salle, who was earnestly a

rtue

24^

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

religious man, took his position at the foot of the
cross, and said :

" His Majesty, Louis the Great, the eldest son
of the Church, will annex no country to his crown
without making it his chief care to establish the
Christian religion therein. Its symbol must now be
recognized." Several Christian hymns were then
chanted. The sublime strains of the Te Deum
resounded through the arches of the forest ; and
other ceremonies of the Catholic Church were per-
formed with all the pomp which the circumstances
would allow.

Thus the great achievement was accomplished.
According to the then existing law of nations, the
whole valley of the Mississippi was annexed to France.
It was indeed a magnificent acquisition. It is esti-
mated that the kingdom of France comprises an extent
not quite three hundred thousand square miles. It
is judged that the valley of the Mississippi drains a
region of one million square miles. Thns the pio-
neer. La Salle, conferred upon France a territory
more than three times as large as the kingdom of
France itself.

fx/^:.

fW ■'■

CHAPTER XII.

The Return Voyage.

The Numerous Alligators. — Destitution of Provisions. — Encounter-
ing Hostile Indians. — A Naval Battle. -Visit to the Village. —
Treachery of the Savages. — The Attack.- Humane Conduct of La
Salle. — Visit to the P'riendly Taensas. — Severe Sickness of La
Salle. — His Long Detention at Prudhomme. — The Sick Man's
Camp. — Lieutenant Tonti sent Forward. — Recovery of La Salle.
— His Arrival at Fort Miami.

There was no game to be taken in the vast
swamps at the mouth of the river. The provisions
of the voyagers were nearly exhausted. They, how-
ever, chanced to find an abandoned Indian camp,
where there was a small quantity of strips of the flesh
of some animal, dried in the sun. As they were
eagerly eating it, the Indians who accompanied
them informed them that it was human flesh. It is
needless to say that they could eat no more ; though
the savages, who devoured it with much gusto, de-
clared that it was exceedingly delicate and savory.

On the lOth of April, the next day after the
ceremony of annexation, they commenced their toil-
some ascent of the river on their voyage back.
II*

"ii! "

250

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Enormous alligators were often met with, sunning
themselves on the sand-bars. The sharp-shooters
soon learned where the bullet would strike a vul-
nerable point. For several days they lived mainly
on wild potatoes and the flesh of alligators. The
country was so low, and so bordered with almost im-
penetrable canes, that they could not hunt without
making long delays. At length they reached the
blackened ruins and the mouldering dead of Tangi-
bao. The desolation remained complete. None
had returned.

It was a matter of the utmost importance, appar-
ently of absolute necessity, that they should lay in
a store of corn. There was so much uncertainty as
to hunting, that they might be many days without
food, and thus perish. But a pint of corn, pounded
into meal and baked in the ashes, would afford a
hungry man a very nutritious dinner. And if so
successful as to take some game, this bread gave
great additional zest to the repast.

On the thirteenth day, as they were slowly pad-
dling against the stream, they saw, far away in the
north, a great smoke, apparently from Indian fires.
It was evidently not far from the region where the
Quinnipissa Indians had so fiercely attacked them,
but a few days before. Much apprehension was felt
lest they should again be assailed. The passage

THE RETURN VOYACJE.

251

against the rapid current was necessarily very slow.
The Indians had large wooden boats, which they
could fill with warriors, and being above them on
the river, could completely cut off their retreat.

La Salle sent one of the canoes forward to recon-
noitre. As his Indian boatmen were paddling cau-
tiously along beneath the dense foliage of the banks,
they caught sight of four women. Under the
perilous circumstances, it was thought best to cap-
ture them, if possible, and hold them as hostages for
the good behavior of the tribe. This was not doing
evil that good might come, for the measure was
fully justifiable, in view of the attack which had been
made upon them, and as tlie only nicans of prevent-
ing the effusion of blood.

The men landed, and the swift runners caught
the women and took them back to the fleet. It was
then learned that the Quinnipissa Indians, a pecu-
liarly warlike and ferocious race, had a large village
but a little distance farther up the river. This vil-
lage it was necessary to pass. There could be no
doubt that the savages would fiercely assail them.
As they could probably bring many hundred war-
riors into the conflict, and could make the attack
not only from their capacious periaguas, but also
from the shelter of the trees on the bank, the situa-
tion of the I^^-cnch seemed quite desperate.

7 *,

L'52

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

La Salle, in this emergence, clreAV his canoes to
the shore, a little below the village, and on the
opposite bank. He hoped, by the aid of his captives,
to open some communication with the foe. But the
Indians had already learned of his approach. Again
the hideous clamor of demoniac war was heard, as
the noise of their rude drums and savage yells fell
upon the ear.

It was early in the afternoon of a day of almost
tropical warmth and serenity, when all the voices of
nature seemed to invite man to love and help his
brother. Soon quite a fleet of massive boats was
seen, descending the river, each boat crowded with
twenty or thirty warriors, plumed and painted, and
armed with bows and arrows, javelins, and clubs.
They were yelling like demons, as if expecting by
noise to rouse their courage to the highest point.

La Salle himself, with two or three picked com-
panions, pushed out in a canoe, and advanced to
meet them. Though one or two guns were in the
bottom of the canoe, to be used in case of absolute
necessity, they appeared entirely unarmed — a single
canoe advancing to meet a fleet. La Salle stood up
and waved the calumet, the sacred emblem of peace
and friendship. The savages, thirsty for blood, paid
no heed to this appeal. They redoubled their yells,
and like a band of desperate vill- ins as they were.

THE RETURN VOYAGE.

253

shot a volley of arrows tovad the one canoe with
its three or four unarmed occupants. With new
vigor the savages plied their paddles, being now sure
of the capture of the strangers.

The moment for prompt and decisive action had
come. The guns were heavily loaded. One of the
boats, larger and more richly ornamented than the
rest, ccmtained evidently the head chief. He was a
man of herculean frame, dressed in the most gor-
geous of barbaric attire. As he stood up in his
boat, giving orders, he presented just the target,
though at a great distance, to which a sharp-shooter
might direct unerring aim. La Salle ordered one of
his marksmen to strike him down. After a moment's
pause, there was a flash, a slight puff of smoke, a loud
report, and the invisible bullet pierced the heart of
the chief. The blood gushed forth in a torrent, and
the warrior dropped dead in the bottom of the boat.

The warriors were appalled, terrified. Never
before had they heard the report of a gun. They
knew not what had struck down their chief. No mis-
sile had been seen. None could be found. The
savages were very superstitious. They thought this
must be the work of witchcraft ; that they were
attacked by evil spirits, whose power was invincible.
They had seen the lightning flash, and the rising,
vanishing cloud. They had heard the thunder peal.

,.« ^JMP

ill

254

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Their chief had been struck dead by some resistless
bolt, at twice the distance to which any arrow could
be thrown. It was folly to contend against such a
foe. The next instant every one might be stricken
down. They were seized with -x panic. Instantly,
heading the bows of their boats up the river, they
fled with the utmost precipitation.

La Salle returned to his companions, conscious
that he had secured a truce only. He had still the
the village to pass ; and the current was so strong
that he must pass very slowly. It was probable that
the Indians would so far recover from their conster-
nation, that some of the boldest would again assail
his boats, from behind sheltering rocks and trees.
The frail canoes might easily be pierced by their mis-
siles, and the inmates thrown into the water. The
savages would soon become accustomed to the report
of the guns. Finding that rocks and trees pro-
tected them from the invisible bolt, they would all
be emboldened ; and thus a general and prolonged
attack, following them up the river, would cause their
entire destruction.

The utmost wisdom was still requisite, to rescue
the party from these perils. La Salle loaded one of
the women with rich presents of axes, knives, and
beads, and sent her across the river in one of his
canoes. By signs he told her to inform her tribe

THE RETURN VOYAGE.

255

jcue

and

his
tribe

that he wished for friendship with them ; that if they
would be friendly, and bring him in a supply of corn,
he would liberate his three other captives, and pay
liberally for the corn, in articles which would be of
great value to the Indians.

The next morning a large number of Indian war-
riors were seen approaching the encampment, where
the Frenchmen had thrown up defences which would
enable them to sell their lives dearly, were the sav-
ages determined upon their destruction. La Salle, as
bold as he was humane, advanced alone to meet
them, presenting the calumet. The Indians assumed a
friendly attitude, entered into a treaty of peace, and
invited La Salle, with his party, to visit their village.
They also brought him a considerable store of corn.
Though their manner was such as to lead La Salle
greatly to doubt their sincerity, he accepted their in-
vitation, first exacting hostages to remain in the
camp until his return. He took with him Father
Membre, his invariable companion on such occasions.
The mild, fearless, heroic missionary writes :

" We went up to the village where these Indians
had prepared us a feast in their fashion. They had
notified their allies and neighbors ; so that when we
went to enjoy the banquet, in a large square, we saw
a confused mass of armed savages arrive, one after
another. We were however welcomed by the chiefs ;

256

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

but, having ground for suspicion, each kept his gun
ready, and the Indians, seeing it, durst not attack us."

Toward evening. La Salle and his companion
returned to the camp, still apprehensive that the
Indians meditated treachery. They released the
three women, whom they made very happy, with
rich presents. A careful watch was kept through
the night. Before the dawn of the next morning
the sentinels reported that they heard a noise, as if
a multitude of men were stealthily gathering in a
dense growth of canes, but a short distance from the
encampment. All were instantly summoned to arms.

It was a gloomy morning, very dark, with moan-
ing wind and gathering clouds and falling rain. The
men had but just taken their stations, behind the.
intrenchments which had been so prudently raised,
when the shrill war-whoop burst from apparently
hundreds of savage lips ; and from the impenetrable
darkness a shower of arrows came whizzing through
the air. They all fell harmless in and around the
spot where the men stood, behind their ramparts,
with muskets loaded and primed.

Though the savages kept up an incessant yell,
and threw their arrows almost at random into the
narrow enclosure, they were so concealed by the
darkness and the thick cane-brake, that not one was
to be seen. The French kept perfect silence. Not

THE RETURN VOYAGE.

257

a loud word was spoken. Not a musket was fired.
It was very important that every bullet sluniKl
accomplish its mission and lay a warrior dead in his
blood. The Indians were to be taught that every
flash and peal was the sure precursor of the death
or the serious wound of one of their number.

Soon the day began to dawn. With the increasing
light the savages were revealed, as they dodged from
point to point. There was no random firing of the
guns. Deliberate aim was taken. The savages
were very cautious in exposing themselves. The
Frenchmen were perfectly protected from their
arrows by the rampart of logs. For two hours this
strange battle raged — twenty Frenchmen against
hundreds of savages. Ten Indians were shot dead.
Many others were dreadfully wounded with shat-
tered bones. It is probable that every bullet hit its
mark. Not an arrow of the savage had drawn blood.

As the sun rose, revealing the deadly fire of the
guns and the utter impotence of the missiles of the
Indians, the savages were again thrown into a panic,
and fled precipitately. La Salle, with nearly all his
force, pursued them up to the village, where, with
axes, he speedily demoHshed all their boats, so that
they could not pursue, as he should continue his
voyage. His men urged him to burn the village of
his treacherous foes. But he refused, saying that he

ISf!

258

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SAKLE.

would inflict no farther injury upon them than was
absolutely necessary in self-defence.

At the close of this day of j^loom, battle, and
blood, another ni^ht came, of darkness and rain.
■Envelo[)ed in the shades of ni^ht, the French re-cm-
barked. Silently they passed the village. Not a
savage " openec' his mouth or peeped," The storm
passed away. And when the sun of another lovely
morninj^ shone down upon them, the voyagers were
far beyond the reach of their cruel foes. Father
Membr6 returned thanks to God that He had borne
them, unharmed, through such great peril, and had
restrained them from the exercise of any unchristian
revenge. It was the morning of the 19th of April.

For twelve days they continued breasting the
current of the stream, as they laboriously paddled
their way upward. Anxious to return to Quebec as
soon as possible, with the tidings of their glorious
achievement, th(;y made no tarry at tiie many villages
which were scattered along the banks. They often
saw assemblages of Indians, who seemed to assume
a hostile attitude. No attack was, however, made
upon them.

In descend. iig the river they had a good supply
of corn, i:nd stored away quite a quantity in a cache.
They found 't, on their return, in good condit' ^n,
and it furnished them with a very opportune supply.

THE RETURN VOYAGE.

259

They were surprised to sec how rapidly the corn in
tlic fields matured. Fields were passed on the 29th
of March, where tlie tender blades were just sprout-
ing from the ground. And now, in less than four
weeks, the corn was fit to roast. They were told
that, in fifty days from planting, it often ripened.

A short tarry was made at tlie friendly village of
the Taensa Indians, where they were again very
liospit.ibly entertained. On the 1st of May they
resumed their slow and laborious voyage, and reached
the Arkansas Indians about the 15th of the month.
On the 1 6th La Salle took two light canoes, propelled
by sturdy Indian rowers, and pushed on in advance
of the rest of the party. He gave directions for the
other canoes to follow as fast as they could. But he
was taken dangerously sick on the way.

A birch canoe, in which one is exposed to the
rays of the noonday sun, to the chill dews of morn-
ing and evening, to drenching showers and dreary
days of clouds and rain, presents but few comfortii Lo
a man in sickness and suffering. He, liowever, suc-
ceeded, after a toilsome voyage of about ten days, in
reaching his old encampment, which he had named
Prudhomme, near the mouth of the Ohio River.

Here his malady grew so alar«iiing that he could
po no fartlier. His [rariy landed, drew their canoes
up upon the grass of the prairie, repaired their

1 ■

ill

i< W'

260

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

camp, so as to make it an effectual protection from
sun and rain, spread mats upon the ground, and
made the sick man, who they feared was soon to
die, as comfortable as possible.

In such ca. es a camp was generally built in the
form of a shed, with the front entirely open. This
camp was on the eastern side of the river, facing the
majestic stream and the splendors of the setting sun.
La Salle had no physician, no medicine, no tender
nursing, no delicate food to tempt a failing appetite.
He could only lie patiently upon his mat, and await
the progress of the disease, whether it were for life
or for death. The silence and solitude of the river,
the prairie, and the forest surrounded him.

Strange must have been his reflections in those
solemn hours, when he was anticipating the speedy
approach of death, upon the banks of that wonderful
stream which his enterprise had caused to be ex-
plored from its sources to its mouth. As in languor
and suffering he reclined upon his couch, all the
beauty and bloom of May, in a delightful clime,
were spread around him. The silent flood swept
by, rushing down a distance of countless leagues in
the north, until, after a serpentine course of more
than a thousand miles, througli the most wonderful
scenes of nature, and fringed with the villages of
innumerable savage tribes, it was lost in the great

..■..; 1 1

THE RETURN VOYAGE.

261

Mexican gulf. The Indians moved about in silence,
seldom exchanging a word with each other. They
brought in game, and were continually cooking and
eating at the fire, which was kept in a constant blaze
in front of the camp.

Two days and nights were thus passed, when, on
the 2d of June, the remaining canoes of the fleet
were seen in the distance, approaching the encamp-
ment. They soon laiided ; and the whole party,
over fifty in number, presented to the eye a new
scene of bustle and activity. La Salle was sinking,
in the ever-increasing languor of something like ty-
phoid fever. It was manifest that many days must
elapse before he could leave that spot, and it was
probable, in his own judgment as well as in that of
all his companions, that he would there sink into that
last sleep from which there is no earthly waking.

In these trying hours, his serenity and trust in
God did not forsake him. lie ca.ied Lieutenant
Tonti to the side of his couch, and directed him to
take several canoes, with the larger part of the com-
pany, and make his way, as vigorously as possible
up the river three hundred miles to the mouth of the
Illinois River. Then, ascending that, and its upper
branch, the Kaskaskias, he was to cross by the port-
age to a tributary of the St. Joseph's, and paddle
down those streams to Fort Miami, where the St

f '

262

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Joseph empties into Lake Michigan. Thence by the
lake he was to make his way to Mackinac. This
required a journey of over a thousand miles. M.
Tonti was furnished with documents addressed to
Count Frontenac, Governor of Canada, giving a
detailed account of the explorations and discoveries
which La Salle had so successfully accomplished.
Father Membre, with several others of the party,
remained with the sick man.

For more than a month the burning fever raged,
and La Salle was brought to the verge of the grave.
The fever then left him. For some time it was
doubtful whether there was sufficient strength re-
maining for him to recover. Slowly he gained.
After a detention of forty days, they placed him
carefully upon mats, in the bottom of a canoe, and, by
short stages, resumed their voyage. They left Fort
Prudhomme, and, following the same track which
Tonti had pursued, did not reach Fort Miami, at the
mouth of the St. Joseph's River, until the end of Sep-
tember. But July and August were months of delight-
ful weather. The scenery, rich with forest grandeur
and prairie flowers, was varied and enchanting. Game
was abundant. Ripe fruit hung on many boughs.
Hospitable villages were scattered along the way,
where the general voyagers were invariably received
with kindness truly fraternal.

THE RETURN VOYAGE.

263

The motion of the canoe, as the Indians, with
brawny arms, paddled over the mirrored surface of the
stream, was soothing and grateful to the languid, yet
convalescent patient. In the cool of the beautiful
mornings they could glide along the stream for a few
leagues, then shelter themselves in some shady grove
from the rays of the noonday sun, and in the cool
of the serene evenings, resume their voyage till the
deepening twilight admonished them to seek their
night's encampment.

Thus pleasantly journeying. La Salle rapidly
regained strength ; and when he reached Fort Miami
he was restored to almost his customary vigor. He
found the habitation called Fort Miami quite reno-
vated by Lieutenant Tonti, and a few men left in
garrison to receive him upon his arrival. Quite a
cluster of Indian wigwams had also been reared
there, giving a very animated and cheerful aspect to
the spot. Father Membr^, in describing the scenery
through which they passed, in this ascent of the Mis-
sissippi and the Illinois, writes:

" The banks of the Mississippi, for twenty or
thirty leagues from its mouth, are covered with a
dense growth of canes, except in fifteen or twenty
places where there are very pretty hills and spacious,
cenvenient landing-places. Behind this fringe of
marshy land you see the finest country in the world.

264

THE ADVENTURP:S of la SALLE.

Our hunters, both French and Indian, were delighted
with it. For an extent of six hundred miles in
length, and as much in breadth, we were told there
are vast fields of excellent land, diversified with
pleasing hills, lofty woods, groves through which you
might ride on horseback, so clear and unobstructed
are the paths.

"These little forests also line the rivers which
intersect the country in various places, and which
abound in fish. The crocodiles are dangerous here ;
so much so, that, in some places, no one would ven-
ture to expose himself, or even to put his hand out
of his canoe. The Indians told us that these animals
often dragged in their people, where they could any-
where get hold of them.

"The fields are full of all kinds of game, wild
cattle, does, deer, stags, bears, turkeys, partridges,
parrots, quails, woodcock, wild pigeons, and ring-
doves. There are also beaver, otters, and martens.
The cattle of this country surpass ours in size.
Their head is monstrous, and their look is frightful,
on account of the long, black hair with which it is
surrounded, and which hangs below the chin. The
hair is fine, and scarce inferior to wool. The Indians
wear their skins, which they dress very neatly. They
assured us that, inland, toward the west, there are
animals on which men ride, and which carry very

THE RETURN VOYAGE.

265

heavy loads. They described them as horses, and
showed two feet, which were actually hoofs of horses.

" We observed wood fit for every use. There
were the most beautiful cedars in the world. There
was one kind of tree which shed an abundance of
giim, as pleasant to burn as the best French pastilles.
We also saw fine hemlocks, and other large trees with
white bark. The cotton-wood trees were very large
Of these, the Indians dug out canoes forty or fifty
feet long. Sometimes there were fleets of a hundred
and fifty at their villages. We saw every kind of
tree fit for ship-building. There is also plenty of
hemp for cordage, and tar could be made in abun-
dance.

" Prairies are seen everywhere. Sometimes they
are fifty or sixty miles in length on the river front,
and many leagues in depth. They are very rich
and fertile, without a stone or a tree to obstruct
the plough. These prairies are capable of sustaining
an immense population. Beans grow wild, and the
stalks last several years, bearing fruit. The bean
vines are thicker than a man's arm, and run to the
top of the highest trees. Peach trees are abundant,
and bear fruit equal to the best which can be found
in France. They are often so loaded, in the gar-
dens of the Indians, that they have to prop up the
branches. There are whole forests of mulberries,

^.1^

266

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

|!i I
ill 1

H 1

- ;:i

i'l ;>

f :(

,1 I

whose ripened fruit vvc began to eat in the month of
May. Plums are found in great variety, many of
which arc not known in Europe. Grapevines and
pomegranates are common. Three or four crops of
corn can be raised in a year.

" The Indian tribes, though savage, seem generally
amiable, affable, and obliging. They have no true
idea of religion by a regular worship. Tribes sepa-
rated by not more than thirty miles, speak a different
language. And yet they manage to understand each
other. There is always some interpreter of one na-
tion residing in another, when they are allies, and
who acts as a kind of consul. They are very differ-
ent from our Canada Indians, in their houses, dress,
manners, inclinations, and customs. They have
large public squares, games, assemblies. They seem
mirthful and full of vivacity. Their chiefs have abso-
lute authority. No one would dare to pass between
the chief and the cane torch which burns in his
cabin, and is carried before him when he goes out.
All make a circuit around it with some ceremony.

The chiefs have servants and officers, who follow
them and wait upon them everywhere. The chiefs
distribute their favors at will. In a word, we gener-
ally found them to be men. We saw none who
knew the use of firearms. They had no iron or steel
articles, using only stone knives and hatchets."

•

THE RETURN VOYAGE.

26;

This

wonderful

expedition

was

accom

plishcd

without

the loss of a

single life,

on the part

of the

voyagers

. Not one

was even

woun

ded.

Father

Membrc

attributes this, next to

God's

good

ness, to

the tact and wisdom

manifested

by La

Salle.

As to

the missionary fruits

of this ente

;rprisc

the devoted

ecclesiastic writes:

** I will say nothing here of conversions. For-
merly the apostles had but to enter a country, when
on the first publication of the Gospel, conversions
were seen. I am but a miserable sinner, infinitely
destitute of the 'Merits of the apostles. We must
acknowledge that these miraculous ways of grace are
not attached to the exercise of our ministry. God
employs an ordinary and common way, following
which, I contented myself with announcing, as well
as I could, the principal truths of Christianity to the
nations I met. The Illinois language served me for
about three hundred miles down the river. I made
the rest understand by gestures, and some term in
their dialect which I insensibly picked up. But I
cannot say that my feeble efforts produced certain
fruits. With regard to these people, perhaps some
one, by a secret effect of grace, has profited. God
only knows. All we have done has been to see the
state of these tribes, and to open the way to the
Gospel, and to missionaries."

if'

III

CHAPTER XIII.

Sea Voyage to the Gulf of Mexico.

La Salle returns to Quebec. — Sails for France. — A oailcd by Cal-
umny. — The Naval Expedition. — Its Object. — lis Equipment. —
Disagreement between La Salle and Beaujeu. — The Voyage to
the West Indies. — Adventures in the Caribbean Sea. — They
Enter the Gulf. — Storms and Calms. — The Voyagers Lost.

Father Membre's journal abruptly terminates
v'ith the arrival of the party at Fort Miami. Wc
have no detailed account of the adventures of La
Salle during the next eight or ten months. We
learn incidentally, that Father Membre was sent to
Quebec, and thence to France, to convey to the
court the tidings of the great discovery, and of the
annexation of truly imperial realms to the kingdom
of Louis XIV. On the 8th of October, Father
Membre left Fort Miami for Quebec. Thence he
sailed with Governor Frontenac for France, where he
arrived before the close of the year. La Salle re-
mained with the Miami and the Illinois Indians, prob-
ably retrieving his fallen fortunes by extensive traffic
in furs, of which he had, at the time, a monoply con-
ferred upon him by the king.

v..

t 4"

SEA VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 269

At length, in the autumn of 1683, he also re-
turned to Quebec, and sailed for France, landing at
Rochelle on the 13th of December. No man can, in
this world, accomplish great results without exposing
himself to malignant attacks. Bitter enemies assailed
La Salle with venomous hostility. Their hostility was
excited by the monopoly of the fur trade, which he
enjoyed over all the vast regions he had explored.
They despatched atrocious charges against him to
the government, denouncing him as a robber, and
denying the discoveries which he professed to have
made. But Governor Frontenac and Father Mem-
hr6 were both at Versailles, and La Salle's cause was
not seriously injured by these malignant charges.

It was the chevalier's object, in this his return to
France, to organize a colony to form a settlement in
the earthly paradise which he thought that he had
discovered on the banks of the Mississippi. He
designed to arrange an expedition of such magnitude
as would enable him to establish several permanent
settlements, and also to explore more extensively
the newly discovered country.

The king and the court entered eagerly into
plans, which promised to redound greatly to the
glory of France. The reputation of La Salle, the
grandeur of the undertaking, and a natural curiosity
to visit scenes so full of novelty and wonders,

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

induced several gentlemen of distinction and intelli
gence to embark in the enterprise. Among them
was a younger brother of La Salle, with an ecclesias-
tic called M. Cavalier, and also a nephew. The king
conferred a new commission upon La Salle, invest-
ing him with the powers almost of viceroyalty.
The whole valley of the Mississippi, from Lake
Michigan to the Gulf, was called Louisiana, in honor
of the then reigning king. The sway of La Salle
embraced the whole of this almost limitless region.
Seven missionaries accompanied the expedition,
under the general supervision of Father Membrd,
whose virtues and eminent qualification for the
station all alike recognized.

Four vessels were equipped for the expedition.
The first, called the Joli, was a man-of-war armed
with thirty-six guns. The second was a frigate
called the Belle. The king made a present of this
vessel to La Salle. • He had furnished it with a very
complete outfit, and with an armamucnt of six guns.
The third, called the Aimable, was a merchant-ship
of about three hundred tons. It was heavily laden
with all those implem.ents and goods which it was
deemed would be most useful in the establishment
of a colony. The fourth was a light, swift-sailmg
yacht, called the St. Francis, of but thirty tons.
This vessel was also laden with munitions, supplies,

SEA VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 2/1

il-ng

and goods for traffic with the Indians. The whole
number who embarked, including one hundred sol-
diers and seven or eight families of women and chil-
dren, amounted to two hundred and eighty. Care
was taken to select good mechanics for the various
trades. But, unfortunately, soldiers and seamen were
engaged without apparently any reference to char-
acter. Thus some of the worst vagabonds of earth
were gathered from the seaports of France to colon-
ize the New World.

Nothing with the quarrelsome race of man ever
goes smoothly for any considerable length of time.
Captain Beaujeu, a Norman seaman of great valor
and extensive experience, was commander of the
man-of-war, and, as such, was intrusted with the gen-
eral direction and supervision of the vessels. He
was a proud man, accustomed to authority, and he
regarded La Salle and his party as passengers, whom
he was conveying to their destination, and who,
while on board his vessels, were to be subservient
to his will.

On the other hand, La Salle regarded Beaujeu as
one of his officers, who was to be implicitly obedient
to his directions. The idea never occurred to him
that Beaujeu was to be taken into partnership, or
even, in recrard to anv of his measui

any

farther than La Salle might deem it expedient to

2/2

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

consult him or any other of his subordinates. With
views so different, a speedy quarrel was inevitable.
Beaujeu is represented as a man full of conceit, of
narrow mind, and very irritable. La Salle was
reserved, self-reliant, keeping his own counsel.
Scarcely had the two men met, before they found
themselves in antagonism. Before the vessels sailed,
Beaujeu wrote to the king's minister as follows :

** You have ordered me, sir, to afford this enter-
prise every facility in my power. I shall do so. But
permit me to say that I Lake great credit to myself
for consenting to obey the orders of La Salle. I
believe him to be a worthy man, but he has never
served in war except against savages, and has no
military rank. I, on the contrary, have been thirteen
years captain of a vessel, and have served thirty
years by sea and land.

^ie tells me that, in case of his death, the com-
mand devolves on Chevalier de Tonti. This is
certainly hard for me to bear. Though I am not
now acquainted with the country, I must be a dull
scholar not to obtain an adequate knowledge of it in
a month after my arrival. I beg you therefore to
give me a share in the command, so that no military
operation may be undertaken without consulting me.
Should we be attacked by the Spaniards, I am per-
suaded that men who have never commanded in

1 ;■«

SEA VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 273

war could not resist them, as another could do, who
had been taught by experience."

Three weeks later, he wrote : " The Joli is prepared
for sea. I hope to sail down the river to-morrow.
It remains for M. La Salle to sail when he is ready.
He has said nothing to me of his designs. As he is
constantly changing his plans, I know not whether
the provisions will be enough for the enterprise.
He is so jealous, and so fearful that some one may
penetrate his secrets, that I have refrained from
asking him any questions.

" I have already informed you how disagreeable
it was for me to be under the orders of M. de la Salle,
who has no military rank. I shall however obey
him, without repugnance, if you send me orders to
that effect. But I beg that they may be such that
he can impute no fault to me should he fail to
execute what he has undertaken. I am induced to
say this because he has intimated that it was my
design to thwart his plans. I wish you would inform
me what is to be done in regard to the soldiers.
He preUnds that, on our arrival, they are to be put
under his charge. My instructions do not authorize
this pretence. I am to afford all the aid in my
power, without endangering the safety of the
vessels."

The ministry paid no attention to these com-

12*

274

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

plaints. They probably decided to leave the com-
inanders to settle such questions among themselves.
The four vessels sailed from Rochelle on the 24th of
July, 1684. They had advanced but about one
hundred and fifty miles when a violent tempest
overtook them. The Joli lost her bowsprit. Con-
sequently the little squadron returned to Rochefort.
Having repaired damages, the fleet again set sail, on
the 1st of August.

La Salle and his suite, if we may so speak of his
chosen companions, were on board the Joli, which
Captain Beaujeu commanded. On the 8th of
August the fleet passed Cape Finisterre, the extreme
northwestern point of Spain. On the 20th they
reached the island of Madeira. Captain Beaujeu
wished to land here, to take in a fresh supply of
provisions. La Salle said, emphatically, *' No ! "

" We have," he said, " an ample supply of both
food and water. To anchor there will cause us a
delay of six or eight days. It will reveal our
enterprise to the Spaniards. It was not the inten-
tion of the king that we should touch at that point."

Beaujeu was compelled to submit. But he was
very angry and sullen. His sub-officers and sailors
were also angry. Time was nothing to them, and
they were anticipating grand carousals in port.
Sharp words were interchanged, and the quarrel

SEA VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO.

275

became more bitter. On the 24th they reached the
influence of the trade winds, which blow continually
from east to west. On the 6th of September they
reached the Tropic of Cancer. In crossing this line
a custom had long prevailed of performing a rite
called baptism upon all on shipboard who then
crossed for the first time. The indignity was in-
flicted upon all alike, without any regard to charac-
ter or rank. But, by giving the sailors a rich treat,
one could secure for himself a little more moderation
in the performance of the revolting ceremony.

A very stout sailor, generally the most gigantic
man of the crew, grotesquely dressed to represent
P'ather Neptune, would come up over the bows of
the vessel and seize his victim. First he would cate-
chize him very closely respecting his object in cross-
ing the line ; then he would exact an oath that he
would never permit any one, when he was present,
to enter the tropics without subjecting him to bap-
tism. Then he would dash several bucketsful of
salt water upon his head. This was the mildest form
of performing the rite. If the subject for the bap-
tism were, for any reason, obnoxious to the sailors,
his treatment was much more severe. He was
greased and tarred and shampooed, and shaved with
an iron hoop, and treated, in all respects, very
roughly.

2'](}

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

On board this fleet, the passengers, includin
one hundred well-armed soldiers, greatly exceeded
the number of sailors. La Salle, learning that the
sailors were making great preparations for this bap-
tism, resolved that he would not submit to such an
indignity, and that his companions and followers
should not be subjected to it. He therefore issued
orders prohibiting the ceremony. This exasperated
the sailors. Beaujeu openly advocated their cause.
The seamen were compelled to submit. The antag-
onism between the two commanders was embit-
tered.

On the nth of September they reached the
latitude of St. Domingo. A dead calm soon ensued.
The ships floated as upon a sea of glass. One of the
soldiers died. After imposing religious rites, his
body was consigned to its ocean sepulchre. The
calm was succeeded by a storm. In the darkness
and tumult of this tropical tempest the vessels lost
sight of each other. Gradually the storm abated.
The change of climate had caused much sickness.
Fifty were in hospital on board the Joli, including
La Salle and both of the surgeons. On the 20th,
the grand mountains of St. Helena hove in sight,
and the majestic bay of Samana opened before
them.

It still required a sail of five days before they

SEA VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 2;/

reached the Port de Pa'x, on the northwestern
extremity of the island. Here there was a very fine
harbor, and here the French governor of the nei<^h-
boring isle of Tortue had his residence. La Salle
had letters to this governor, M. de Cussy, directing
him to supply the fleet with everything it might need,
and which it was in his power to give. For some
unexplained reason Beaujeu silently declined obey-
ing these orders. In the night he sailed directly by
the Port de Paix, and doubling Cape St. Nicholas, a
hundred miles distant at the western extremity of
the island, circled around to the southern shore,
and on the 27th cast anchor in a small harbor called
the Petit Guave. The voyage thus far, from Ro-
chelle, had occupied fifty-eight days.

This unaccountable change of place for the ren-
dezvous of the scattered vessels caused m.uch embar-
rassment. We do not know what were the remon-
strances of La Salle, or what was the defence of
Beaujeu. The Joli had scarcely cast anchor in this
remote and silent bay, when a large sail-boat, con-
taining twenty men, who had caught sight of the
ship, entered the port, and informed La Salle that
not only Governor Cussy was at the Port de Paix,
but also the Marquis of Laurent, who was governor-
general of all the French West India Islands. This
greatly increased the chagrin of La Salle, for an

I' i

278

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALI.E.

interview with them would have greatly facihtated
his operations.

Reh'fi^ious ceremonies were, in a remarkable degree,
blended with all these explorations. The next day
after the Joli cast anchor, all the ship's company was
assembled for divine worship, to return thanks to God
for their prosperous voyage. La Salle, being conva-
lescent, went ashore with a -boat's crew to obtain
some refreshments, and to send intelligence across
the island, to the governor, of his arrival at Port de
Paix. In this message he expressed intense regret
that he had not been able to stop at Port de Paix,
and entreated the governor, if it were in his power,
to visit his ship at Guave.

In consequence of the number of sick on board,
they were all landed, shelters were reared for them,
and they w( "^- refreshed with fresh vegetables, fruit,
and exercise in the open air. La Salle was still very
feeble. A slow fever was consuminj^- him. The con-
duct of Beaujeu caused him the greatest embarrass-
ment. We should infer from the narrative of M.
Joutel that there was no European settlement at the
spot, and but very few native inhabitants, though all
the natives were friendly.

In a few days two of the vessels which had been
separated from the Joli by the storm, entered the
bay, having probably learned from the natives, as

L-i

SEA VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO.

279

they coasted along the shore, where the ship was.
The whole of the eastern portion of the island was
then held by Spain. As the three vessels were sail-
ing along, two large boats, filled with armed Spaniards,
pushed out from the shore and seized the smallest of
the vessels — the St. Francis — and carried it off as a
prize, with all its crew. This was a very heavy loss,
as it deprived the expedition of supplies of which it
stood greatly in need. The chagrin of La Salle was
increased by the reflection that had Beaujeu obeyed
orders and entered Port de Paix, the fleet would
have rendezvoused there in perfect safety. The
governor very loudly expressed his indignation, in
view of the conduct of Captain Beaujeu.

The state of mind of the captain may be inferred
from the following extracts from a letter to the
French minister, which he wrote at that place :

" Were it i.ot the sickness of Chevalier La Salle,
I should have no occasion to write to you, as I am
charged only with the navigation and he with the
secret. We have arrived here almost all sick. La
Salle has been attacked by a violent fever, which
affects not more his body than his mind. His brother
requested me to take charge of his affairs. I excused
myself because I know that when restored to health
he would not approve of what I had done.

*' It is said that the Spaniards have, in these seas,

t s,

280

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

six men-of-war, each carrying sixty guns. It is true
that if the Chevalier de la Salle should not recover,
I shall pursue different measures from those which
he has adopted, which I do not approve. I cannot
comprehend how a man should dream of settling a
country surrounded by Spainards and Indians, with
a company of workmen and women, without soldiers.

" If you will permit me to express my opinion,
the Chevalier de la Salle should have contented
himself with the discovery of his river, without at-
tempting to conduct three vessels and troops across
the ocean through seas utterly unknown to him. He
is a man of great learning, who has read much, and
has some knowledge of navigation. But there is a
great difference between theory and practice. The
ability to transport canoes through lakes and rivers
is very different from that which is required to con-
duct vessels and troops over remote seas."

After a short delay in this lonely harbor, the
fleet, now consisting of but three vessels, again
spread its sails. It was agreed to direct their course
to Cape St. Antoine, about nine hundred miles dis-
tant, at the extreme western point of the island of
Cu a. Should the vessels be separated by a storm,
they were to rendevous at that place.

As the Aimable, a heavily laden merchantman,
was the slowest sailer, it was decided that she should

SEA VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 28 1

take the lead, the other two following. La Salle,
with his brother, Father Membr6, and some others,
transferred their quarters from the Joli to the
Aimable. This movement was also probably influ-
enced by La Salle's desire to escape from the
uncongenial companionship of Captain Ik'aujeu. It
was on the 25th of November, 1C84, that the voyage
was resumed.

Two days' sail brought the fleet within sight of
the magnificent island of Cuba. They ran along its
southern shore, generally in sight of its towering
mountains and its luxuriant foliage, but having the
enchanting scenery occasionally veiled from their
view by dense fogs. On the ist of December they
caught sight, far away in the south, of the grand
island of Cayman. On the 4th of December, they
cast anchor in a sheltered bay of the beautiful Island
of Pines, but a few miles south of the Cuban coast.

La Salle, with his companions, took a boat and
went on shore. Several of the ship's crew rowed the
boat. As they approached the sandy beach, they
saw an immense crocodile, apparently asleep, enjoy-
ing the blaze of a tropical sun. The boatmen drew
near as noiselessly as they could. La Salle took
deliberate aim and fired. Fortunately the bullet
> struck a vulnerable point. The monster, after a few
convulsive struggles, was dead. The sailors, eager

». If

Hil^

282

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

for a taste of fresh meat, kindled a fire and roasted
the flesh, which they found tender and palatable.
There were no inhabitants at that point. The party
separated in small groups, and wandered in all
directions, lured by the beauty of the region, and
feasting upon the rich tropical fruits which grew in
spontaneous abundance.

When about to re-embark, two of the sailors were,
missing. Several guns were fired as signals for the
lost men, but in vain. The boat returned to the
ship. The next morning, at sunrise, a boat's crew of
thirty men was sent to search for the wanderers. At
length they were found, thoroughly frightened, hav-
ing passed a very uncomfortable night. The beauty
of this island charmed all who beheld it. They were
lavish in their praises of its luxuriance, its fruits, its
game, and its birds of brilliant plumage.

Again the fleet weighed anchor and, on the
nth, reached Cape Corrientes, one of the most
prominent southwestern points of Cuba. Here
again they ran into a solitary bay, which, in cluster-
ing fruits and vine-draped bowers, and birds on the
wing, presented an aspect of almost Eden loveliness.
They tarried but a day. Then, taking advantage of
a breeze fresh and fair, they passed from the Carib-
bean Sea into the Gulf of Mexico. They had pro-v
cceded but about fifteen miles when the wind

SEA VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 28^

changed, and became adverse. For two days, by
beating, they worked their way slowly against it.

Captain Beaujeu took a boat, and cime on board
the Aimable, and insisted that the vessels should
put back to Cape Antoine, and ride at anchor there
unt-' the wind should prove favorable. La Sallo
could not consider this measure judicious. But,
weary of contention and anxious to agree with
Beaujeu whenever he could, he reluctantly gave his
consent. They ran back to the land, cast anchor,
remained two days in a dead calm, when suddenly a
tropical tempest arose, which was almost a tornado.
The Belle dragged her anchor, and was driven vio-
lently against the Aimable, carrying away her bow-
sprit, and greatly injuring much of her rigging. The
Aimable would have been sunk had she not cut her
cable and escaped. The anchor was lost.

On the 1 8th, the wind became fair. Having
repaired damages as far as was in their power, the
fleet again set sail. It was ten o'clock in the morn-
ing of a very delightful day. Directing their course
northwesterly, they sailed, with a gentle breeze and
occasional calms, nine days* without seeing land or
encountering any event of importance. On the 28th,
land was discovered. It was but a few miles dis-
tant. It was evidently the continent of North
America, and consisted of a long reach of low land,

■ .111

>r Biu WW' ^'c;

284

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

fringed with a dense forest, and elevated but a few-
feet above the level of the Gulf.

A shallop was speedily equipped, and La Salle,
with a few of his chosen companions and a boat's
crew, all well-armed, repaired to the shore to recon-
noitre. Another boat, also similiarly equipped, was
ordered soon to follow. The Belle was directed to
keep up careful soundings, and to range along the
coast as near the shore as was safe.

La Salle's party soon reached the shore, and
landed upon a very beautiful meadow. But they
had no time for exploration. The freshening wind
rolled in such a surf that there was great danger that
their boat would be swamped. They were compelled
hastily to re-embark, and return to the ship. Slowly
the vessels coasted along the uninviting shore, look-
ing in vain for any inlet or any river's mouth.

On the 2d of January, 1685, a dense fog settled
down over the sea and the land, so enveloping the
ships that no object could be seen at the distance of
a few yards.

La Salle ordered cannon occasionally to be fired on
board the Aimable, to let the other two vessels know
where he was. As there was scarcely a breath of wind,
there was no necessity that the fleet should be scat-
tered. When the fog the next day was dissipated,
the Joli was not in sight. Toward evening, however.

SEA VOYAGE TO TUB GULF OF MEXICO. 285

t a few

1 Salle,
. boat's
) recon-
ed, was
cted to
)ng the

re, and
at they
ig wind
ger that
Tipelled
Slowly
, look-
settled
ng the
ince of

red on
s know
f wind,
e scat-
ipated,
wever.

the ship was again seen. In a few days they discov-
ered an inlet, which La Salle carefully examined from
the mast-head. He judged it to be the Bay of Ap-
palachicola, then called Espiritu Santo, on the Florida
coast. They therefore pressed on westerly, hoping
soon to reach the Mississippi.

To -nake it sure that he should not pass the
mouth of the river, which, flowing through very low
and marshy soil, was designated by no landmark, La
Salle desired to send a party of thirty men ashore to
follow along the coast. But the wind rose, and the
surf dashed so violently upon the muddy banks, that
a landing could not be effected. Slowly the fleet
moved along until the 13th, when it was found neces-
sary to land to take in water. A shallop was sent
ashore, with five or six seamen, well-armed. There
was no inlet, and no creek to afford any protection,
and the surf still rolled in heavily.

Though the dense forest spread its gloom far and
wide around, there opened before them a small mead-
ow of but ,a few acres, green, treeless and smooth
as a floor. The boat was directed toward that spot.
When within a gun-shot of the land, a troop of about
a dozen savages, tall, stalwart i, entirely naked,
emerged from the forest, and came down to the
water's edge. The surf was so high that there was
much danger that the boat would be swamped

ill

286

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

in an attempt to land. The seamen therefore cast
anchor, to consider what was to be done.

When the savages saw that they were at a stand-
still, they made friendly signs, inviting the strangers
to land. They waded out into the surf and beck-
oned to them. Apparently the boat could not pass
safely through the surf. There was a large amount
of drift-wood Hning the shore. Several of the sav-
ages selecteu a large smooth log. This they pushed
through the surf. Ranging themselves on each side,
they clung to the log with one arm, while, with the
other, they paddled. Without any hesitancy, un-
armed and helpless, they clambered into the boat.

When five were in, the seamen motioned to the
others to go to another boat which was then ap-
proaching, and which conveyed La Salle. The sav-
ages seemed not to entertain the slightest suspicion
of danger. La Salle was very glad to receive them.
He hoped that they could give him some information
respecting the river he sought. But all his efforts
were in vain. Though he spoke several Indian lan-
guages, he could not make them understand him.
They were all taken on board the vessel. With much
curiosity they examined its wonders. They were
feasted, and seemed quite at home in smoking the
pipe of fragrant tobacco. The sheep, the swine, and
the poultry, they had evidently never seen before.

SEA VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 287

til

But when they were shown the skin of a cow, which
had recently been killed, they seemed much delighted,
and indicated that they had seen such animals before,
doubtless referring to the buffaloes.

Having received many presents, a boat was sent
to carry them as near the shore as it was safe to go.
The savages bound their presents upon their heads,
and letting themselves gently down into the water,
swam to the land. Marvellous must have been the
stories which they narrated that night, in their wig-
wams, to admiring crowds. Quite a large group of
Indians was seen gathered upon the shore to greet
them, as they came back.

La Salle had found it impossible to understand
their signs. But his apprehensions were somewhat
excited by the thought that they might have endeav-
ored to indicate to him that he had already passed
the mouth of the Mississippi.

That evening the wind rose fresh and fair. Rais-
ing their anchors, and keeping near the shore, with
frequent soundings, they pressed on toward the
southwest. The next day came a dead calm. Each
vessel floated on the glassy sea, " like a painted ship
on a painted ocean." Thus they moved along, day
after day, encountering calms, when not a ripple was
to be seen on the mirrowed expanse, and fresh
breezes, which tossed the ocean in billowy foam,

■fw

288

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

and storms which threatened to tear the masts from
the hulls.

On the 14th of January they attempted again to
effect a landing in the boats. But the surf pre-
vented. They saw, however, upon a beautiful
prairie, extending with its waving grass and gor-
geous flowers as far as the eye could reach, vast
herds of wild horses and buffaloes. All on board the
vessels were greatly excited by this spectacle. They
were eager to land, that they might enjoy the pleas-
ure of an encampment and the excitement of hunt-
ing and the chase.

The land was now found trending more and more
to the south. They had reached a latitude consid-
erably below that of the mouth of the Mississippi, as
ascertained by La Salle, upon his first visit. The
whole aspect of the country seemed changed. There
were immense treeless prairies continually opening
before them, crowded with game, and especially
with immense herds of horses and buffaloes.

At length they came to apparently the mouth of
a small river. A boat was sent on shore, with orders
to kindle a fire, as a signal, should they find a good
place for landing. La Salle stood upon the deck of
the Aimable, eagerly watching. Soon he saw the
smoke curHng up through the clear air of the prairie.
Just as La Salle was entering his boat for the shore,

SEA VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 289

the wind freshened and tumbled in such billows from
the open sea that the boat, which had already landed,
was compelled precipitately to return. The next
morning the wind abated La Salle felt himself lost.
He resolved to land, with a strong party, and make a
thorough exploraiion of the region, that he might,
by observation or by communication with such inhab-
itants as he might discover, find out where he was.
He had many apprehensions that he had passed the
mouth of the Mississippi, and that he was far in the
west, skirting the'coast of Mexico.

:!M.

! i

'. I

CHAPTER XIV.
Lost m the Wilderness,

Treachery of Beaujeu. — Accumulating Troubles. — Anxieties of La
Salle. — March on the Land. — The Encampment. — Wreck of the
Aimable. — Misadventure with the Indians. — Commencement of
Jlostilities, — Desertion of Beaujeu with the Joli. — The Encamp-
ment. — The Indians Solicit Friendship. — The Cruel Repulse. —
Sickness and Sorrow. — Exploring Expeditions. — The Mississippi
sought for in vain.

The altercation between La Salle and Beaujeu
still continued. The chevalier feared that the cap-
tain designed to abandon him and return to France.
Parties were formed, and the dispute on board the
vessels was bitter. La Salle was convinced that he
had passed the Mississippi. Others argued that
they had not reached it. In fact they were beyond
Matagorda Bay, in the southwestern part of Texas,
iand were within a hundred miles of the Rio Grande.
A dense fog prevented the landing of the boat's
crew. La Salle insisting upon a return, the vessels
coasted slowly along, a distance of about thirty
miles, till they came to an inlet, which the fog had
prevented them from seeing before, and which
proved to be Matagorda Bay.

LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.

291

The expedition was now in serious trouble.
Their provisions were nearly exhausted. They had
thus far seen no settlement, on the; American coast,
from which they could obtain supplies. A large
party was landed on the western entrance of the bay.
They threw up a camp, and while some explored
the prairie with their guns, others followed up the
stream with their fishing rods, An ample supply of
game, of great variety, was taken, and also an abun-
dance of fish. All who could be spared from the
ships hastened to the shore. The weather was
delightful ; cne scenery enchanting ; and the whole
ship'3 company, after so long an imprisonment in
the crowded vessels, revelled in feasting and joy.

" Uneasy lies the head which wears a crown."
La Salle, feeling keenly his responsibility for the
success of the expedition, was heavily oppressed by
care. One of the boats was sent up the bay, seven
or eight miles, in search of a livei or brook ; but
their search was in vain. A few springs of tolerably
good water were found, from which they replenished
their empty barrels. Ducks and other water-fowl
were met in great abundance.

The vessels were all anchored in the bay, near the
shore, and for several days, in this sunny region,
beneath cloudless skies, the voyagers generally
enjoyed all the pleasures of the most delightful pic-

292

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

nic party. La Salle saw increasing evidence that
Bcaujeu was intending to desert him. Me was anx-
ious to lay in supplies for a long voyage. La Salle
wished to delay only to obtain provisions for fifteen
days. He was satisfied that it would not take longer
than that to return to the point where he now
believed the mouth of the Mississippi to be.

In this emergence he decided to have the vessels
coast along near the shore, while he sent a chosen
party of one hundred and thirty men, to march
along upon the land. The adventurous band com-
menced its journey in a fog so dense that those in
the rear could not see those in front. M. Joutel, the
historian of the expedition from the time it sailed
from France until its close, led this party.

The march was commenced on the 5th of Feb-
ruary. Each man carried his pack upon his own
shoulders. They kept along as near as possible to
the sea. The first night they encamped on a slight
eminence, where a large fire was built to signalize
to the vessels their position. For a week they thus
journeyed along, through marsh and prairie and for-
est, building each night their signal fires. During
all this time they caught no sight of their ves-
sels. On the 13th they came to the banks of a
wide creek or bayou, which they had no means of
crossing.

LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.

293

The carpenters were immediately set to work in
building a boat. The next day, while thus employed,
the Joli and the Belle hove in sight. The short twi-
light of the tropics was then passing into night. A
signal fire was built, and seen by those on the ships.
The next morning, the slow-sailing Aimable, which
bore La Salle and his companions, appeared. La
Salle landed and visited the encampment. Having
sounded the creek, he decided to bring the three ves-
sels in, and to send a boat to explore inland, hoping
that the creek might prove to be the mouth of some
river. The channel was carefully staked out for
the entrance of the vessels, safe anchorage chosen,
and orders were issued for the three to enter at the
next high tide. La Salle would give the signal from
the shore, when they were to move.

Captain Beaujeu sent back the insolent answer,
** I can manage my own vessel without any instruc-
tions from Monsieur La Salle."

As this message arrived, a party of the ship's com-
pany, who Had been at some distance from the camp,
came running in, much alarmed, saying that quite an
army of savages was approaching. La Salle in-
stantly called all his force to arms, that he might be
prepared for any emergence. Though earnestly
desirous of peace, he yet deemed it important to
show a bold front. In imposing military array, with

T^^

?^"^fE;

294

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

muskets loaded, and the beating of drums, he led his
band of about one hundred and fifty men, to meet
the Indians.

Both parties halted and faced each other, neither
knowing whether the other wished for peace or Avar.
La Salle directed ten of his men to lay down their
arms, and advance toward the Indians, making
friendly signs, and endeavoring to invite an unarmed
party to meet them. The whole body at once threw
down their arms, consisting of bows and javelins, and
ran forward joyously, caressing the Europeans,
according to their custom, by rubbing their hands
first over their own breasts and arms, and then over
the breasts and arms of their newly found friends.

Six or seven accompanied a party of the FreiiCh
back to their encampment. La Salle, with the rest,
accepted an invitation to visit the Indian village,
which they represented as distant about five miles.
Just as they were starting, La Salle turned his eyes
toward the bay, when he saw, much to his conster-
nation, that their store-ship the Aimable, which was
left under the care of Captain Beaujeu, instead of
following the channel marked out by the stakes, was
paying no regard to them. He was greatly alarmed ;
but there was nothing which he could do to repel
the danger.

He therefore, though in great perturbation, fol-

LOST IN THE WIT.^ERNESS.

295

fol-

lowed the savages to their village. It consisted of
about fifty wigwams, erected upon an eminence but
sligluly elevated above the level prairie. The huts
were built of mats or of the tanned skins of the buf-
falo. Just as they were entering the village, a cannon
was fired from one of the ships. The savages were
greatly terrified, and simultaneo"sly threw themselves
upon the ground, burying their faces in the grass.
But La Salle reassured them, stating that it was
merely a signal to him that one of his ships had
come to anchor.

Though La Salle was very vigilant to guard
against any treachery, still the hospitality manife;,ted
by the Indians seemed sincere and cordial. 1 he In-
dians feasted them abundantly with fresh buffalo
steaks, and jerked meat consisting of thin slices of
flesh dried in the sun and smoked. Their village
was near the creek, and La Salle counted forty large
boats, made of logs hollowed out, such as he had seen
on the Mississippi.

Upon returning to the camp. La Salle found
his worst fears realized. The Aimable was driven
aground, and under circumstances which rendered it
almost certain that it had been done through the
treachery of Captain Beaujeu. La Salle had marked
out the channel by stakes, had sent the vessel a
pilot, whom Beaujeu had refused to receive, and had

)s'^

'. !

fiH m

296

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

stationed a man at the mast-head, who had given a
loud warning, but whose cry was entirely disregarded.

" Those who witnessed the manoeuvre," writes
Joutel, ** were convinced, by irresistible evidence,
that the vessel was wrecked by design, which was
one of the" blackest and most detestable crimes
which can enter into the human heart."

The vessel was run upon the shore at the high-
est tide. All efforts to float her again were unavail-
ing. The calamity was irretrievable. The Aimable
contained all the ammunition, the mechanic tools,
and the farming and household utensils. But La
Salle, ever rising superior to the blows of misfortune,
still retained his firmness. Diligently he engaged in
removing the stores from the wrecked ship. One of
the shallops had been, as it was believed, treacher-
ously destroyed.

With the one shallop which remained, he suc-
ceeded, that afternoon, in removing from the ship to
an encampment on the shore, the ammunition, a con-
siderable portion of the mechanic tools, the farming
and domestic utensils, and a few barrels of provisions.
During the night a storm arose. The vessel was
dashed to pieces. In the morning the bay was
covered with barrels, chests, bales, and other d6bris
of the wreck. While affairs were in this deplorable
state, the savages, about one hundred and twenty in

LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.

297

suc-
lip to

con-
ming
;ions.

was

was
ebris
rable
ty in

number, made another visit to the camp. The
shores were strewed with articles of inestimable
value to these poor Indians. Sentinels were sta-
tioned to prevent any robbery ; but the Indians
manifested no disposition to perpetrate any acts of
violence.

La Salle was in great want of more boats. The
Indians had some, which were dug out from im-
mense trunks of trees, of graceful form and rich carv-
ing, capable of carrying twenty or thirty men. As
all the work on these boats had been performed with
stone hatchets, almost an infinity of labor had been
expended upon them, and they were deemed very
valuable.

La Salle sent two trusty men to the village of the
Indians, to purchase, if they could, two of the boats.
When they entered the wigwams, they found that a
bale of blankets, which had, drifted along the bay,
had been picked up by the Indians, and divided
aiiiong them. They made no attempt at conceal-
ment. Not having any clear views of the rights of
property, they had no thought that they had done
anything wrong in taking goods which they had
found drifting in the water. The officers returned
to La Salle with this report.

Suffering from shipwreck and great destitution,
it was necessary for him to economize, as much as

298

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

possible, in his expenditures. He therefore decided
to send some men to the Indians, to endeavor to
obtain two boats in exchange for the blankets and a
few other articles which they had picked up. M.
Hamel, one of Beaujeu's officers, volunteered to go
on this mission, with a boat's crew, in the shallop of
the Joli. He was an impetuous young fellow, with
more bravery than prudence. Assuming that the
Indians had stolen the blankets, and that they were
to be browbeaten and forced to make restitution by
the surrender of two of their boats, he advanced,
upon his landing, in such mena mv, military array as
to frighten the Indians. Most ot them fled into the
woods.

He entered the deserted cabins, picked up all the
blankets he could find, stole a number of very nicely
tanned deer skins, and then, seizing two of the best
boats, put men on board of each, and commenced
his return to the ship. He was quite elated with his
performance, thinking it a heroic achievement. As
they were paddling slowly down the bay, the wind
rose strongly against them. Night came on cold
and dark. It became necessary to land and wait for
the morning.

They built a large fire. Wrapped in blankets,
they threw themselves upon the grass around, with
their feet toward the glowing coals, and soon all

LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.

299

fell asleep. Sentinels had been stationed at a short
distance from the fire, but they slept also.

The Indians returned to their wigwams. They
found their treasures gone and tw-* of their best
bo?ts stolen. As night came, they saw in the dis-
tance the light of a camp-fire, and understood full well
what it signified. With silent tread, and breathing
vengeance, they crept through the forest upon their
sleeping foes. At a given signal, the forest re-
sounded with the dreadful war-whoop, and a shower
of arrows fell upon the sleepers. Two were killed
jutright ; two were severely wounded. The rest
sprung to their arm.s, while some fled in terror.

The Indians, aware of the terrible power of the
white man's musket, did not wait for a battle.
Having inflicted this deed of revenge, they suddenly
disaopeared. Onu of the men, M. Moranget, a
nephew of La Salle, succeeded in reaching the en-
campment of his friends, though faint and bleeding.
One arrow had inflicted a terrible wound, almost
cutting its way through his shoulder. Another had
cut a deep gash along his bosom.

La Salle immediately sent an armed party to the
spot. He was exceedingly chagrined by the cruel
blunder perpetrated by his envoy. Though he
could not blame the Indians, he knew full well that,
their vengeance being thus aroused, they would, if

300

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

they could, doom all to ind'scriminate slaughter.
It was necessary for him therefore to take the most
decisive action in self-defence. The dead were
buried. One man, helplessly wounded, was brought
back to the camp. The others returned unharmed.
This disaster took place in the night of the 5th of
March, 1685.

These calamities operated fearfully against La
Salle. Beaujeu took advantage of them, and lost no
opportunity of proclaiming them as evidence that
La Salle was utterly incompetent to conduct such an
enterprise as that in which he was engaged.
Quite a number, who had formerly been friends of
La Salle, ranged themselves on the side of Beaujeu,
who now openly proclaimed his intention of aban-
doning the enterprise and returning to France.
Still he continued to do everything in his power to
embarrass the operations of La Salle. There were
several pieces of cannon on board the Belle. But
nearly all the cannon balls were in the hold of the
Joli. Beaujeu, on the eve of his departure, refused
to give them up, saying that it was inconvenient for
him to get at them.

About the 14th of March, Captain Beaujeu spread
the sails of the Joli, and disappeared over the hori-
zon of the sea, on his voyage to France. He took
with him sixty or seventy of the company, and many

LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.

301

stores which were deemed essential in the establish-
ment of a colony. La Salle was left with about two
hundred men, encamped upon the banks of an un-
known inlet, and with one single small vessel, the
Belle, anchored in the bay. To add to the gloom
of his situation, the Indians were justly exasperated
against him.

The first thing to be done was to build a fort for
defence. Thinking it not impossible that the broad
creek he had entered might prove to be one of the
mouths of the Mississippi, he decided to set out on
an exploring tour up the river for some distance into
the interior. Five boats, containing a well-armed
party of about fifty persons, embarked upon this
enterprise. La Salle himself took the command.
About one hundred and forty persons were left
behind in the fort, under the control of M. Joutel.
Those who were left in garrison, were to employ
their time in strengthening the fort, and in building
a large boat on the European plan.

The savages came frequently around the encamp-
ment at night, barking like dogs and howling like
wolves. They did not venture upon any attack.
Upon one occasion, however, a few men Were at
work at a little distance from the encampment,
when they saw a large band of savages approaching.
The workmen fled to the fort, leaving all their tools

rnr

1 1

' ^'\ '*

302

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

behind them. The savages gathered them up and
retired. It was not safe to wander far for game. But
fish was taken in great abundance from the bay.

Early in April, the garrison was alarmed by the
sight of a distant sail. It was feared that it was a
war-ship of the hostile Spaniards, coming to destroy
them. The vessel, however, passed by, without
apparently seeing the encampment. Several tragic
incidents ensued. One man was bitten by a rattle-
snake. After suffering dreadful agonies he died.
Another, who was fishing, was swept away by the
current and was drowned. Fortunately, beds of ex-
cellent salt were found, formed by the evaporation
of salt water in basins on the land.

It must be confessed that the savages manifested
much of a Christian disposition. They frequently
came near the fort, and made signs indicative of
their desire that friendly relations might be restored.
But La Salle, fearing treachery, and not having full
confidence in the prudence of those he left behind,
gave orders that no intercourse should be opened
with the savages until his return.

Early in May, quite a large party of Indians
appeared near the fort. Three of them, laying aside
their weapons, came forward and made signs that
they wished for a conference. M. Joutel, instead of
sending three unarmed men to meet them, invited

LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.

303

them to come into the fort. Though they thus
placed themselves entirely in his power, they, with-
out the slightest hesitation, entered the enclosure.
They quietly sat down, and, by signs, said that
hunters from the fort had often been near them, so
that they could easily have killed them. But they
refrained from doing them any injury. M. Moranget,
who had been so severely wounded, urged that they
should be terribly punished, in revenge for the attack
upon the camp. This infamous proposal M. Joutel
rejected.

But his conduct was inexcusable. He gave them
a very unfriendly reception ; and soon ordered them
to depart. They had scarcely left the entrance gate,
when he ordered several muskets to be fired, as if at
them. They thought that they were treacherously
fired upon, and fled precipitately. He then ordered
several cannon-shot to be thrown to the eminence,
where the large party was peacefully assembled.
This scattered them. Such was the response to the
Indians' appeal for friendship. Thus insanely did
the garrison establish open hostilities between the
two parties, when it was evident that the Indians
desired friendship.

La Salle, in ascending the river, found a prairie
region far more rich and beautiful than that occupied
by the encampment at the mouth of the creek. He

■i.

304

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

sent back two boats, with directions that about thirty
of the most able-bodied men should remain to garri-
son the fort, while the rest, including all the women
and children, were to embark, under M. Moranget,
for the new location. Early in July another messen-
ger came with instructions for all the remaining gar-
rison to embark, with all the stores they could carry,
in the Belle, and ascend the river many leagues, to
join their companions in the new settlement, and to
bury, in careful concealment, aU the goods which
could not be removed.

But sorrows and troubles without number came.
The blazing sun of summer withered them. Many
were sick. All were languid, discontented, disheart-
ened. The wood to build their huts had to be drawn
three miles by hand. There was no heart for the
work. Discontented men always quarrel. Even La
Salle lost hope, and no longer displayed his custom-
ary energy and sagacity. Those who had professed
to be good house-carpenters, were found to be totally
ignorant of their business. Food became scarce.
More than thirty in a few weeks died. These funeral
scenes spread gloom over the whole encampment,
and all wished themselves back in France.

La Salle could intrust weighty responsibilities to
no one. He was compelled to superintend every-

■1

LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.

305

thirty

garri-
vomen
•angct,
lessen-
ig gar-
l carry,
;ues, to
and to

which

r came.
Many

isheart-
drawn

for the
ven La
ustoin-
ofessed
totally
scarce,
funeral
pment,

lities to
every-

thing, and even to devote himself to the minutest
details.

La Salle called this river La Vache, or Cow River,
in consequence of the vast number of buffalo cows
which he saw grazing upon the banks. The spot
chosen for the village or encampment, if we can judge
from the description of M. Joutel, must have been
quite enchanting. There was an elevated expanse,
smooth and fertile, raised many feet above the level
of the stream. An undulating prairie, covered with
waving grass and flowers, spread far away for
leagues toward the north and the west, bordered, in
the distance, by forest-covered hills. The river
flowed placidly upon the east, entering into the long
and wide bay upon the south. Nothing could exceed
the beauty of the prairie, waving in the richest bloom
of flowers of every variety of tint.

A large cellar was dug, that the ammunition and
other valuables might be stored beneath the ground,
as a protection against fire. La Salle, with a few
companions, made several excursions of fifteen or
twenty miles into the country, hoping to find the
Mississippi, or some Indians who could give him
information upon that point. Failing in all these, he
decided upon a more extensive exploration.

The property at the settlement now consisted of
only two hundred muskets, two hundred swords, one

3o6

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

hundred kegs of powder, three thousand pounds of
bullets, three hundred pounds of lead, several bars
of steel and of iron to be hammered into nails, and a
tolerable supply of farming and mechanic tools.
They had no ploughs, horses, or oxen. Without
these, farming could be carried on only upon a very
limited scale. They had, however, twenty barrels of
flour, a puncheon and a half of wine, a few gallons
of brandy, one or two swine, and one cock and hen.

The exploring party of fifty set out in two bands,
in October, from the bay, which he had named St.
Louis. M. Joutel was left in command at the settle-
ment, with the strictest injunctions to have no inter-
course with the Indians. One band ascended the
river in boats. The other followed along upon the
shore. Having ascended the river many leagues, and
being fully convinced that it was not a branch of the
Mississippi, they drew their boats upon the eastern
shore, and all commenced their march, over the
boundless prairies, with packs upon their backs,
toward the rising sun.

Ere long they saw in the distance an Indian vil-
lage, consisting of a cluster of thirty or forty wig-
wams. It was delightfully situated. The Indians,
in locating their villages, ever had a keen sense of
landscape beauty. It is difficult to account for the
fact that, under the leadership of La Salle, there

i"'

LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.

307

should have been a battle. But it was so. We
have no explanation of the circumstances. After a
brief conflict, the savages fled, many being wounded
and probably some killed, for they were accustomed
to carry their dead with them on a retreat.

La Salle and his party entered the abandoned
village. They found, cowering in one of the wig-
wams, a woman who had been struck by a bullet in
the neck, and who was dying. A young girl was
with her. Just after this. La Salle sent a party of
six men to explore a stream. After a toilsome day
the party encamped for the night. They built their
fire, cooked their supper, and, without establishing
any watch, wrapped themselves in their blankets for
sleep.

The next day they did not return. La Salle's
anxieties were roused. He set out in search of them.
The dead bodies of the six were found, pierced with
arrows, scalped, and half devoured by wolves. The
details of this midnight tragedy were never known.
Saddened by this calamity, yet striving to maintain
cheerful spirits, the party pressed on their way.
After many days' march they came to another large
river, which proved to be that which is now known
as the Colorado, which empties into Matagorda Bay,
more than four hundred miles west of the mouths
of the Mississippi. r,,„: - ,. . /.;> * j v \. ^

3o8

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

I !

As they were journeying along, one of the men,
with blistered feet, stopped to adjust his shoes.
When he resumed his march, he found that the
party was out of sight, and he could not overtake
them. The grass of the prairie was higher than the
men's heads, and there were many tracks through it
which were called buffalo streets. It was impossible
for him to tell which path the men had taken. He
was hopelessly lost. To follow either one of them
might lead him farther and farther from his compan-
ions, where he would perish miserably.

Night came. He fired his gun several times, but
could get no response. He threw himself upon the
grass. In the intensity of his anxiety, he could not
sleep. All the next day ond the next night, he
remained upon the spot, hop:.ig that his companions
might come back in search for him. They did not
return. He had been reprin\anded the preceding
day for some misconduct, and it was supposed that
he had deserted.

Almost in despair he retraced his stepsj travelling
mostly by night, through fear that he might en-
counter the savages. After a month of toil and
suffering, ragged and emaciate he at midnight
reached the settlement. Many weeks passed away,
and no tidings whatever were heard of the exploring
party. One morning early in March, M. Joutel

ffl

LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.

309

chanced to be upon the roof of a hut, when he saw
far away on the prairie, eight men approaching. He
immediately took a well-armed party and advanced
to meet them. They proved to be a portion of the
exploring band. They said that others were returning
by another route. They were all in a deplorable condi-
tion. Their clothes were in tatters. Most of them were
without hats. Their shirts were entirely worn out.

All were rejoiced to see La Salle again. But he
had no tidings to give of the long-sought-for river.
The situation in which the colonists, with their
greatly diminished numbers, now found themselves
was appalling. They were utterly lost in the bound-
less wilderness of this new world. All communica-
tion with their friends m France was cut off. There
was no hope that any French vessel would ever
search for them ; or could find them, even if such
search were undertaken. The Indians were hostile.
Death would gradually diminish their numbers, and
finally the remnant would either be exterminated or
carried into captivity by the savages.

To add to the affliction of La Salle, the Belle, the
only vessel remaining to him, was wrecked and
utterly lost. Several of the sailors were drowned ; and
stores of inestimable value were destroyed. Father
Le Clerc, in describing this untoward event, writes :

" We leave the reader to imagine the grief and

310

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

the affliction felt by the Chevaher La Salle, at an
accident which completely ruined all his measures.
His great courage even could not have borne him
up, had not God aided his virtue by the help of
extraordinary grace.''

Until the loss of the Belle, he had been sustained
by the hope that, in the last extremity, the remnant
of his company might find their way back to St.
Domingo, and thence to France. This hope was
now extinguished.

Under these circumstances La Salle resolved to
undertake another exploring tour. Having refreshed
himself and his men, and obtained new articles of
clothing, mainly by distributing the garments of the
dead among the living, early in May, 1686, the party
again set forth. Those who remained behind em-
ployed themselves in strengthening the fortifications;
in unsuccessfully cultivating the soil, for most of the
seeds would not sprout, and in the chase, laying in
a store of jerked meat. They had several nostile
rencontres with the Indians, in which the savages
were invariably beaten, in consequence of the supe-
riority of the weapons of the Europeans.

But there was no harmony in the settlement.
Loud murmurs ascended continually. Some de-
nounced La Salle. Some defended him. The
antagonistic parties were almost ready to draw their
swords against each other.

le, at an

neasures.

)rne him

help of

sustained

remnant

ck to St.

lope was

jsolved to
refreshed
irticles of
nts of the
he party
lind em-
fications;
ost of the
laying in
al Hostile
savages
he supe-

ttlcment.

ome de-

■n. The

raw their

CHAPTER XV.

A Trip tozvard Mexico,

Arrangements for the Journey. — The Departure. — Indians on Horse-
back. — Scenes of Enchantment. — Attractive Character of La
Salle. — Visit to the Kironas. — The Bite of the Snake. — Adven-
tures Wild and Perilous. — Hardihood of the Indian Hunter. —
The Long Sickne.ss. — A Man Devoured by a Crocodile. — The
Return.

Though La Salle was now more than four
hundred miles west of the Mississippi River, he was
still under the impression that he was east of tliat
point. He therefore, in his blind search; directed
his steps toward the setting sun. F'ather Douay,
who accompanied this expedition, has given a de-
tailed account of its adventures.

After religious ceremonies in the chapel of the
fort, the party, cons.'sting of twenty persons, set out,
on the 22d of April, 1686. They took, for the
journey, four pounds of powder, four pounds of lead,
two axes, two dozen knives, two kettles, and a few
awls and beads.

On the third day out they entered one of the
most beautiful prairies they had ever seen. To their

312

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

astonishment they saw, on the plain, a large number
of people, some on foot and some on horseback.
Several of these came galloping toward them, booted
and spurred, and seated on saddles. They were
Indians who were in a high state of civilization, hav-
ing long held intimate relations with the Spaniards.
They gave the Frenchmen an earnest invitation to
visit them, in their village, which was about twenty
miles distant. But as this would take them quite
out of their course, the invitation was declined.
Continuing their tour, they encamped at night, being
careful to throw up around them entrenchments
which would protect them from attack. The next
two days they continued their journey over the
prairie, until they reached a river, which La Salle
named Robek. The amount of wild cattle seen was
prodigious. Many of the herds numbered thou-
sands. In a few moments they shot ten. The meat
they cut into very thin slices, and dried in the blaz-
ing sun, over the smoke of a smouldering fire. Thus
they were provided with nutritious food for four or
five days.

Crossing the Robek in a hastily constructed raft,
after marching about five miles they came to another
very beautiful river, wider and deeper than the Seine
at Paris. It was skirted by a magnificent forest, with
no underbrush, presenting a park such as the hand of

■■^ — ^

A TRIP TOWARD MEXICO.

313

umber
eback.
Dooted
' were
n, hav-
niards.
tion to
twenty
n quite
;clined.
, being
hments
le next
'■er the
Salle
;en was
thou-
meat
blaz-
Thus
our or

d raft,
not her
; Seine
, with
nd of

man never planted. In this Eden-like grove there
were many trees laden with rich fruit.

This river, which La Salle named La Maligne,
they also crossed upon a raft. Passing through the
forest beyond, they entered upon another extensive
prairie. Continuing their tour through a country
which they describe as full of enchantments, with
blooming plains skirted with vines, fruit trees, and
groves, they came to a river which they callen Hiens,
from one of their party, a German, who, in endeav-
oring to ford it, got stuck fast in the mud. Two
men swam across with axes on their backs. They
then cut down the largest trees, on each side, so that
their branches met in the middle. By this bridge
the party crossed. More than thirty times, during
this trip, they resorted to this measure for crossing
streams.

** After several days' march," writes Father Douay,
" in a pretty fine country, we entered a delightful
territory, where we found a numerous tribe, who re-
ceived us with all possible friendship ; even the women
coming to embrace our men. They made us sit
down on well-made mats, at the upper end of the
wigwam, near the chiefs, who presented us with the
calumet, adorned with feathers of every hue, which
we had to smoke in turn."

The Indians feasted them abundantly, with the
14

'lli

314

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

best of their fare, and presented them with some ex-
cellently tanned buffalo skins, for moccasins. La
Salle gave them, in return, some beads, with which
they seemed to be greatly delighted. Father Douay
writes :

" During our stay. Chevalier La Salle so won
them by his manners, and insinuated so much of the
glory of our king, telling them that he was greater
and higher than the sun, that they were all ravished
with astonishment."

Continuing their journey, they crossed several
rivers, until they came to a large Indian village of
three hundred cabins. Just as they were approach-
ing the village they came upon a herd of deer and
shot one. The Indians, who heard the report and
saw the deer fall dead, were terror-stricken. In a
mass they fled to the neighboring forest. La Salle,
to avoid surprise, entered the village in military array.

Entering the largest cabin, which proved to be
that of the chief, they found a very aged woman, the
wife of the chief, who, from her infirmities, was
unable to fly. La Salle treated the terrified woman
with the greatest kindness, and by signs assured her
that he intended no harm. Three grown-up sons of
the chief, who were watching the progress of events
with great solicitude, seeing no indication of hostile
measures, cautiously returned. La Salle met them

A TRIP TOWARD MEXICO.

315

with friendly signs, and accepted the presented calu-
met. The young chiefs then called to their people
in the distance, and all returned. The evening was
passed in feasting, dancing, and all kinds of semi-
barbarian festivities.

Still La Salle did not venture to sleep in the
wigwams, where his party would be entirely in the
power of those who might prove treacherous. He
returned to encamp in a dense cane-brake, where no
foe could approach without giving warning. In the
night, some thought they heard approaching foot-
steps. But La Salle made it manifest that they
were all on the alert, and the foe, if there were any
foe approaching, drew off.

The alarm was doubtless groundless. The next
morning there was a repetition of all the tokens
of friendship which were manifested the evening
before. Continuing their route about thirty miles,
they came to another Indian village. The savages
seemed to have no suspicions whatever of the
strangers. A party, seeing them approaching in the
distance, came out to meet them as if they were old
friends. They seemed to be quite gentlemanly men
in their courteous and polished demeanor. They
gave the strangers an earnest invitation to visit their
village.

These Indians had heard of the Spaniards, and of

3i6

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

the atrocities of which they were guilty farther west.
They were quite overjoyed when told that the
French were at war with the Spaniards ; and were
quite eager to raise an army and march with the
French to attack them. La Salle entered into a
cordial alliance with these Indians, who were called
the Kironas. He promised that he would eventu-
ally, if it were in his power, return with more numer-
ous troops.

It would appear that La Salle was now convinced
that he would not find the Mississippi by journeying
further west ; for he turned his steps toward the
northeast. There was a large river near the village,
across which the hospitable Indians paddled them in
their boats. As they were crossing a beautiful
prairie, their Indian companion, whose name was
Nika, called out suddenly, " I am dead ! I am dead."

A venomous snake had bitten him, and the limb
began instantly to throb and swell. In rude sur-
gery, they, with their pocket-knives, cut out the flesh
around. Deep gashes were cut near the wound,
hoping that the poison would be carried away in the
free flowing of the blood. They applied poultices of
herbs, which they had been told were available in
such cases. After much suffering, which the Indian
bore with wonderful stoicism, he recovered from
the perilous wound.

'K»™ai''nHl-M»'. »,.,

A TRIP TOWARD MEXICO.

317

Journeying on, day after day, they at length
reached a broad river, whose current was so rapid
that they saw, at once, that it would be very difficult
to effect a passage. This was probably the Colorado,
many miles above the point where they had touched
it in one of their previous excursions. They made a
raft. Most of the company were afraid to attempt
to cross upon it. La Salle, with his brother Cavalier
and one or two others, got on. As soon as they
pushed out from the shore, into the middle of the
stream, the swiftly rushing torrent seized them,
whirled the raft around, and swept it down the
stream with resistless velocity. In a few moments
it disappeared, as the foaming flood bore it around
a bend in the stream.

"It was a moment," writes Father Douay, "of
extreme anguish for us all. We despaired of ever
again seeing our guardian angel the Chevalier de la
Salle." Several hours passed away. The men left
upon the bank were in utter bewilderment. They
knew not what to do. " The day was spent," it is
written, " in tears and weeping."

Just before nightfall, to their great joy, they saw
La Salle and his party on the opposite side of the
river. It subsequently appeared that the raft struck
a large tree, which had been torn from the banks,
and was almost stationary in the middle of the

318

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

stream ; its roots, heavy with earth and stone, drag-
ging on the bottom. By seizing the branches they
dragged themselves out of the current, and by
grasping the branches of other trees, overhanging
the water, they at length, through a thousand perils,
succeeded in gaining the eastern bank, several miles
below the point where they had constructed the
raft. One of the men was swept from ^ae raft and
swam ashore.

The party was now divided, with the foaming and
apparently impassable torrent rushing between them.
On both sides the night was spent in great anxiety.
Many were the plans suggested and abandoned, to
form a reunion. In the morning. La Salle shouted
to them across the river, that they must build two
light rafts, of the very buoyant canes, and cross on
them, promising them that he would send several
strong swimmers into the river to aid them.

One such raft was constructed. With fear and
trembling five men ventured upon it. The raft was
so light that it barely supported its burden. With
long poles they succeeded in reaching the centre of
the stream. Then two men from the opposite side
swam out, and by their aid, with vigorous paddling,
they safely reached the land, after drifting far down
the stream.

The most timid ones were left behind. They

A TRIP TOWARD MEXICO.

319

dared not venture the passage. La Salle, seeing
their hesitation, ordered his men to pack up and
continue their march, leaving t4iem behind. The
greater peril overcame the less. To be abandoned
there they deemed sure destruction. They shouted
across the river, begging for delay. Inspired by the
energies of almost despair, they vigorously built their
raft, and by noon all were happily reassembled to
press on their way.

For two days they moved slowly and laboriously
along, cutting their way, with the two axes, through
an immense forest of cane-brakes. On the third
day an incident occurred which peculiarly illustrates
the sagacity and endurance of the Indians. Their
Indian hunter, Nika, who, as we have said, accom-
panied La Salle from Canada, left the party the day
before they reached the river, in search of game.
They had heard nothing from him since. It was
in vain to search for him, and the party could not
delay its march to wait for his return.

On the evening of the fourth day after his ab-
sence, as the men were gathered around the camp-
fire, little expecting to see Nika again, hq came
quietly into the camp as composed as if nothing
unusual had occurred. He had on his shoulders a
large amount of the choicest cuts of venison, which
he had dried in the sun, and nearly the whole of a

320

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

deer which he had just killed. He had probably
swum the stream, floating the venison across on a
log by his side. And all this he had done, notwith-
standing his wound from the bite of a snake and all
the cruel surgery he had undergone. La Salle was
so overjoyed to see again his faithful attendant and
friend, that he ordered several guns to be fired in
salute of his safe rcUirn.

*' Still marching east," writes Father Douay, " we
entered countries more beautiful than any we yet had
passed. Here we found native tribes who had noth-
ing barbarous about them but the name. Among
others we met a very honest Indian returning from
the chase with his wife and family. He presented
Chevalier de la Salle with one of his horses, and
some meat. He also invited all our party to his
cabin. To induce us to visit him, he left his wife,
children, and game with us as pledges, and galloped
off to his village to announce our coming and to se-
cure for us a cordial welcome."

Nika, and another of the attendants of La Salle,
accompanied him. The village was at some dis-
tance, so that tAvo days passed before their return.
The hospitable Indian came back with two horses
laden with provisions. Several chiefs and warriors
came back with him on horseback. They were all
neatly and even beautifully dressed, in softly tanned

A TRIP TOWARD MEXICO.

321

deer-skins, tastefully fringed, and with head-dresses of
waving plumes. In picturesque beauty their attire
would favorably compare with the court dresses of
most of the European monarchies.

The principal chief rode forward, bearing conspic-
uously the plumed calumet of peace. La Salle had
been slowly advancing, and the two parties met about
nine miles from the village. After cordial greetings,
the united band continued its march. When but a
short distance from the cluster of native dwellings,
an immense concourse of people was seen flocking
out to meet the strangers. The young men were
quite imposingly marshalled in military array. But
the reception was so cordial, and the indications of
sincerity so unquestionable, that no one entertained
the slightest apprehension of treachery.

La Salle and his party remained three days, enjoy-
ing the good cheer of this truly hospitable people.
This very prudent commander encamped three or
four miles outside of the village. He had no fear
of the natives, but he had not full confidence in his
own men. Any impropriety of the members of his
party toward the females of the village, might sud-
denly turn their friendly relations into bitter hostil-
ity. The'e were apparently many pleasant families.
The young maidens were generally of pleasing fea-
tures, and graceful as sylphs in form. La Salle pur-
14*

^'«f!l i

322

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

chased several horses, which proved to be of ines-
timable value to him.

The region which the explorers had reached was
probably not far from Austin County, in the present
State of Texas. It was a more highly civilized and
more densely inhabited country than any they had
hitherto passed through, in any portion of the conti-
nent. For a distance of sixty miles they found a
continuous series of villages, but a few miles apart,
all prosperous, harmonious, and happy.

Their cabins were large and commodious, fre-
quently forty or fifty feet high, with dome-like roofs,
in the shape of the old-fashioned bee-hives. They
were made by planting very tall saplings in the
ground, in the form of a circle. Their tops were
bent down and bound together. This whole frame-
work was very neatly and effectually thatched with
the long grass of the prairie. The beds, consisting
of soft mats, were ranged around the cabin, raised
about three feet from the ground. Tiie fire, seldom
needed except for cooking, in that warm latitude,
was in the middle. Each cabin usually accommo-
dated two families. .

These Indians were called the Coenis nation. It
was very evident that they had held some inter-
course with the Spaniards. La Salle found among
them silver coins, silver spoons, and various kinds of

A TRIP TOWARD MEXICO.

European clothes. Horses were abundant. Ahorse
was readily exchanged for an axe. La Salle could
only converse with them by signs. The/ said no
Spaniards had ever yet visited them, though there
was a settlement of them at the distance of about
six days* journey west. Several of their most intelli-
gent men drew a map of the country upon some
bark. They delineated a large river many days
journey to the east, which La Salle had no doubt
was the Mississippi.

"The Chevalier La Salle," writes Father Douay,
"who perfectly understood the art of gaining the
Indians of all nations, filled these with admiration at
«:very moment. He told them that the chief of the
French was the greatest chief in the world ; that he
was as far above thr Spaniards as the sun is above
the earth. On his recounting the victories of our
monarch they burst into exclamations of astonish-
ment. I found them very docile and tractable.
They comprehended well enough what we told them
of the truth of a God."

After the refreshment of this delightful visit, the
explorers continued their journey. After travelling
about thirty miles, four of the men, during a night's
encampment, deserted and went back to cast in
their lot for life with the Indians. They were house-
less aiid homeless adventurers, with no ties to bind

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

them to the cares, toils, and restraints of civilized life.
It is not surprising that they should have been
charmed with the case, abundance, and freedom of
life in the wigwam. They probably became incor-
porated in the tribes, took Indian wives, and were
heard of no more.

At this encampment La Salle and his nephew,
M. Moranget, were both attacked with a violent
fever. They had frequent relapses, so that two
weary months passed before the march could be
resumed. During this long delay they did not suffer
for food, for there was abundance of game, and of
great variety. Their powder, however, began to fail
them. According to their estimate, they were about
four hundred and fifty miles, in a straight line, from
their settlement. It was resolved now to hasten
back. Their horses, which found abundant pasturage
on the rich prairies, did them good service, bearing
the sick upon their backs and the burdens of all.

They came to a river which it was necessary to
cross by a raft. Indeed every few leagues they
encountered such a stream. They generally swam
their horses over. In this case, La Salle, with one or
two of his men, was upon a lii^ht raft of canes.
Suddenly an enormous crocodile, twenty feet in
length, raised his head out of the water, and with
one snap of his horrid jaws grasped one of the men

A TRIP TOWARD MEXICO.

325

ry to
they
swam
)ne or
ancs.
et in
with
men

by the waist and drew him under. As the monster
sank, there was one short, wild shriek from the
victim, a slight crimson tinge of the waves, and a
small circling whirlpool marking the spot where the
huge beast had gone down. Thus, in an instant, as
by the lightning's flash, another of the terrible trage-
dies of this tragic world had come and gone.

On the 17th of October this wearied and dimin-
ished party reached the camp, after an absence of
six months. Of the twenty who left, but eight
returned. The meeting was one of joy and of sad-
ness. Both parties had narratives to give of disaster ;
and gloom impenetrable still hung over the feeble
colony, so rapidly wasting away. In commenting
upon this enterprise. Father Douay writes :

" It would be difficult to find in history, courage
more intrepid or more invincible than that of the
Chevalier de la Salle. In adversity he was never
cast down. He always hoped, with the help of
heaven, to succeed in his enterprses, despite all tht
obstacles that rose against it."

9ln

CHAPTER XVI.
The Last Days of La Salle.

Plan for the New Journey. — Magnitude of the Enterprise. — Affecting
Leave-taking. — The Journey Commenced. — Adventures by the
Way. — fViendly Character of the Indians. — Vast Realms of
Fertility and Beauty. — The Joys and the Sorrows of such a Pil-
grimage. — The Assassination of La Salle and of three of his Com-
panions,

La Salle was now fully convinced that he was
west of the Mississippi River. He resolved to set
out on a journey across the country to Canada, a
distance of probably not less than two thousand
miles. His design was to send tidings to France of
his disasters, and thus to secure aid to be sent thence
to his suffering and expiring colony.

By pursuing his route toward the northeast, he
was sure of eventually striking the Mississippi. He
would then feel quite at home. Following up that
stream and the Illinois, he could easily pass over to
the lakes, and then reach Canada through regions
with which he was quite familiar. More than two
months were spent in strengthening the defences of
the settlement, and in laying in stores of provisions
for those who were to be left behind.

THE LAST DAYS OF LA SALLE.

327

At midnight of the 7th of January, 1687, the
whole company met in the httle chapel for a solemn
religious service, to implore God's blessing upon the
enterprise. The scene was very affecting. Nearly
all were in tears. There were but few chances that
those then bidding each other adieu weald ever
meet again. Those who left, and those who re-
mained, were alike exposed. La Salle selected
twenty men to accompany him. Among those, were
his brother, his ever-faithful Indian attendant, M.
Douay, to whose pen we are indebted for the record
of the last expedition, and M. Joutel, who kept a
daily journal of the events of this journey. M.
Douay wrote also quite a minute account of the ex-
pedition. Both of their narratives now lie before
me. We have no reason to doubt the accuracy of
either. There were but twenty French left behind,
including seven women and children. La Salle gave
them a parting address. Father Douay writes :

" He made an address full of eloquence, with that
engaging way so natural to him. The whole colony
was present, and were all moved to tears. They
were alike persuaded of the necessity of his voyage
and the uprightness of his intentions."

The property left w^ith the colonists consisted of
seventy pigs, large and small, twenty hens and chick-
ens, a few barrels of corn, which was carefully kept for

EJ, r

328

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

the sick, a considerable quantity of powder and lead,
and eight cannons, but without balls.

The heroic and devout Father Membre remained
as the spiritual guide. M. Barbier was left with the
secular command. La Salle drew up very minute
directions for the administration of affairs during his
absence.

" We parted," writes M. Joutel, " in a manner so
tender, so sorrowful, that it would seem that we had
a secret presentiment that we should never again see
each other. Father Membr(§ was deeply affected.
He said to me that never before had he experienced
a parting so painful."

It was the 12th of January, 1689, when this truly
forlorn hope set out upon its long journey. They
took with them the five horses, bearing some arti-
cles of food and such things as they would need for
their night's encampment. The second day of their
journey they came to a plain about six miles wide,
which seemed to be covered with buffaloes, deer,
flocks of wild turkeys, and every variety of game.
Beyond the plain there was a splendid growth of
trees. Upon entering the grove, they found that it
fringed a small river. Concealed by these trees, they
succeeded in shooting five buffaloes which had come
to the river to drink. They crossed the river on a
raft, and camped a mile and a half beyond, in a

THE LAST DAYS OF LA SALLE.

329

e ar ti-
ed for
their
wide,
deer,
fcrame.
h of
hat it
they
come
on a
, in a

drenching rain. The skins and meat of these ani-
mals were packed upon the horses. The skins, easily-
tanned, were of immense value in their subsequent
lodgings.

The next morning, the 14th, the sun rose in a
cloudle[,s sky. The prairie seemed spread out for
leagues before them, covered with herds of buffaloes
and deer, while immense flocks of turkeys and other
birds of the prairie rose before them. About noon
they saw, in the distance, an immense herd of buffa-
loes rushing over the plains as if mad. They con-
jectured at once that some Indian hunters were pur-
suing them. Their conjecture proved correct.

Soon they saw a savage, on the full run, and very
flat-footed, pursuing the herd. Hastily the load was
thrown from one of the horses, a man was mounted
upon him, and galloping over the plain soon over-
took the Indian, and led him back to the company.
When the poor man saw himself surrounded by a
group of white men, such as he had seen before, he
was greatly terrified. And he had cause to be fright-
ened. La Salle's associates infamously urged that
he should be put to death, in revenge for the murder
of their companions by some unknown Indian
band. The humane, magnanimous leader found it
necessary to present to his reckless followers such
motives as they could appreciate. He said to them :

. 1 .; S

™

330

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

** We are but few in numb r. We have before us
a journey of hundreds of miles through a region
crowded with Indian tribes. If we rouse the ven-
geance of the savages, we shall all be cut off. Let
us treat them with kindness, and thus we shall secure
for ourselves kind treatment in return."

The cordial smiles and friendly signs of this
truly good man soon dispelled apparently the great
alarm of the stranger. A fire was built. After
abundantly feeding their hungry guest, and smoking
with him the friendly pipe, La Salle, assuring him
of his desire to do harm to none, but good to all, dis-
missed him with presents which to the savage must
have seemed almost like celestial gifts. Still the
cautious Indian, accustomed to treachery, was evi-
dently uncertain as to the fate which awaited him.
As he withdrew, he cast anxious glances around,
until he had attained the distance of a few rods,
when he took to flight, with almost the rapidity of
a deer.

The travellers continued their route, and after an
hour or two, overtook another Indian hunter. They
caught him, and lavished upon him the same acts of
kindness. As evening was approaching, they saw a
large band of savages in the distance. Their attitude
was somewhat menacing. When they caught sight
of the little cluster of strangers, they separated into

THE LAST DAYS OF LA SALLE.

331

two parties, and advanced on the right and left, as
if to surround them. When the two bands had
come within musket-shot, La Salle ordered a halt.
The savages halted also. For a few moments they
attentively regarded each other, no movement being
made on either side.

Then La Salle, laying aside his arms, walked
slowly forward toward the party where the head
chief seemed to be, making signs for the chief to
come and meet him. The chief was a tall man of
powerful frame, and richly decorated. He came
cautiously forward, while the rest of his party fol-
lowed slowly at a little distance behind. As soon
as it was seen that the two chiefs met cordially, all
came running together in the interchange of caresses
and every mark of friendly greeting.

Fires were built, food was cooked, pipes were
smoked. There was feasting and dancing and shout-
ing. It was a marvellous spectacle which was then
and there presented of semi-civihzed and full bar-
barian jollification.

The savages were evidently delighted with their
reception. They examined their presents with
astonishment. With unfeigned joy they learned
that La Salle intended to return and settle in their
country ; and that he would bring an abundance of
his treasures, which he would exchange with them

■miU

m 1

h in I

IK,-;;

-UW

332

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

for such articles as they had to part with. It was
now the hour of evening twilight. The two parties
separated, each going its own way. About a mile
and a half in advance, there was a beautiful grove
and a running stream. La Salle encamped there.
With his customary prudence he threw up intrench-
ments, and established sentinels as if he were in the
enemy's country.

They had but just established their camp, when
they saw six savages approaching, following each
other in single file. They came forward without
any hesitation, as if visiting old friends. By signs
they said that they had heard of the kind treatment
their fellow countrymen had met with, and that they
were brothers, not enemies. After a short and
pleasant visit they retired, and the camp was left to
undisturbed repose.

In the morning, at an early hour, the march was
resumed. There was before them a stream too deep
to be forded; Not wishing to lose time in construct-
ing a raft, they fpllowed up the west bank of the
stream for several miles. Their route led through
an enchanting region of lawn-like prairies and park-
like groves. The river was fringed with trees of
every variety, without any underbrush. There were
many pre. ty little creeks to be crossed, which ran
into the main stream. The water was pure, sweet,

THE LAST DAYS OF LA SALLE.

333

and clear as crystal. Occasionally they came to a
cane-brake, through which they cut their way with
axes. Their appetites were fed with abundance of
game.

The next day, the 19th, they made but a short
journey, and experienced great fatigue in fording
streams and cutting their way through cane-brakes.
They came across a few deserted cabins of the In-
dians. During the slow progress of the day, their
skilful Indian hunter Nika killed eight buffaloes.
The most tender cuts were taken from them, and
they there crossed the river by a ford.

After traversing a few It^ues, they came to an-
other river, flowing through a low plain, elevated
but slightly above the stream. A dense fog set in,
accompanied by a deluging rain. Here they en-
camped in the woods which bordered the river.
They passed a comfortless night, and the storm
detained them all the next day.

On the 19th the rain ceased, but the fog con-
tinued. Their path led through marshy ground
thoroughly soaked with rain, so that they often sank
to their knees in the mire. Their feet were shod with
moccasins made of the hide of buffaloes. These
being alternately wet and dried, became stiff, and
blistered their feet cruelly. Fortunately, they struck
upon one of the ** streets " made by the buffaloes, as

334

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

in thousands they followed one after the other,
crushing their way through the cane-brakes. These
animals were, by instinct, good engineers, and invari-
ably selected the most favorable routes. Still the
voyagers were often compelled to wade through
deep mire, and their sufferings were at times severe.

On the night of the 19th, they fortunately came
upon a ridge, where they could enjoy a dry encamp-
ment. They built a roaring fire, cooked a savory
supper, nursed their blistered feet, and during a few
hours of refreshing sleep forgot their toils. As they
awoke the next morning the river was again falling.
Still they pressed on, entering upon another vast
prairie covered with herds of buffaloes. At night
they encamped upon the banks of a river too deep
to be forded. On the 21st they ascended the banks
of the stream, hoping to find a shallow spot where
they could cross. Instead of this, they came to a
place where the river flowed through a narrow and
deep channel, with large trees on each side. They
cut down two of these trees, so that their branches
met in the middle, crossed on this bridge, and swam
their horses over.

On the other side, a beautiful country, of elevated,
undulating prairie, opened before them. As they
were preparing to encamp in the shelter of a grove,
they heard voices, and soon beheld fifteen Indians

THE LAST DAYS OF LA SALLE.

335

approaching. The savages manifested no alarm, but
in token of peace laid aside their bows and arrows,
and came into the camp. They ate, smoked, ex-
changed presents, and went on their way rejoicing,
promising to visit the camp again.

The horses, as well as the men, were quite ex-
liaustcd. They therefore remained, for a day of rest,
on their very pleasant camping ground. During the
day a band of twenty-two Indians came to them.
They had shields impervious to arrows, made of the
hide of buffaloes. They were at war with another
tribe. They said that there were other white men,
at the distance of ten days' journey 0,1 the west,
doubtless referring to the Spaniards. The interview
was mutually pleasant, and La Salle obtained some
important information in reference to the continu-
ance of his route.

Onward they pressed, day after day, with alter-
nate sunshine and storm, through marsh and forest,
over prairies and across rivers, without encountering
any adventure of much importance until the 1st of
February. That day they discovered, at a distance,
an Indian village. La Salle, leaving M. Joutel in
charge of the camp, took his brother and seven men,
and set out to reconnoitre. They came to a village
of twenty-five wigwams, very pleasantly situated.
Each wigwam contained four or five men, besides

■ f

7 "1

33(3

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

quite a number of women and children. The Indians
received their guests very hospitably, conducted
them to the dwelling of their chief, and seated them
upon mats of buffalo skins. A great crowd gathered
within and around the cabin. The chief, after feed-
ing them abundantly upon buffalo steaks, informed
them that he had been expecting their arrival.
Other Indians had told him that they were in the
country, and that they were on a route which would
lead them near his village.

Perfect harmony prevailed. Presents were ex-
changed. The Indians were eager to give a nicely
tanned buffalo robe for a knife or almost any trinket
in the hands of the white men. But La Salle had no
means of transporting the robes, which would prove
so valuable in European markets. They continued
their journey, often meeting with Indians, who were
always friendly. At times a brotherly band would
accompany them during the march of a whole day.
By the aid of the Indians, the very light frame of a
canoe was constructed, which was easily packed and
carried. By stretching over it the skin of a buffalo,
from which the hair had been removed, they were
furnished with a very buoyant boat, with which to
cross the rivers. The horses could easily swim the
streams. •

On the loth of February, they saw before them

THE LAST DAYS OF LA SALLK.

3 were
would
e day.
of a
d and
uffalo,
were
ich to
m the

them

337

( .'

a vast plain which had been swept by the flames.
Thinking that they might not find game there, they
made a halt of two days, to lay in a store of jerked
meat. Resuming their journey, they soon passed the
scathed region and entered again upon a country of
bloom and verdure. On the evening of the 15th,
they camped on the borders of a stream, where they
saw evidences that a band of savages had recently
passed that way.

The next morning La Salle took his brother and
seven men, and followed a well-trodden Indian trail
in search of a village. After a short walk, they came
upon a cluster of fifty or sixty cabins. His recep-
tion was, as usual, cordial in the extreme. The
leading men of the village were courteous in their
bearing and intelligent in reference to matters relat-
ing to their own country. They gave the names of
twenty tribes or nations, through whose territories
La Salle had already passed from his settlement,
which he called St. Louis. On the 17th, one of the
horses fell, and sprained his shoulder, so that he had
to be left behind.

For several days the journey was somewhat mo-
notonous. They made about twenty or twenty-five
miles a day. Indian hunters were continually met
with, and Indian villages entered with essentially
the same rites of friendship and hospitality. From

338

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

some of these Indians they heard tidings of those
Frenchmen who had deserted. They were Hving in
a very friendly manner among the Indians. On the
1st of March they came to an immense marsh, par-
tially submerged in water. The intricate passage
across it was. very difficult to find, and required the
services of a guide. Several of the Indians volun-
teered, and with great tenderness led them safely
across.

Passing the morass caused a delay of four or five
days, as it could not be undertaken in a drenching
rain which chanced then to be falling. On the 15th
they emerged from this gloomy region and entered a
country which, from the contrast, appeared to them
remarkably beautiful. Here they encamped for a
brief rest. Nika brought in word that he had killed
two buffaloes, and wished to have a couple of horses
sent to bring in the meat. A party of five was sent
out, led by M. Moranget, i^ho was a rash and irrita-
ble man. There were three men who had accom-
panied the hunter, and who were cutting up and
drying the meat, in preparation for transporting it to
the camp. At the same time they were cooking for
themselves some of the choicest pieces.

When Morariget reached the place and found the
men feasting, as he thought, rather than jerking the
meat, he reprimanded them, in his accustomed

THE LAST DAYS OF LA SALLE.

339

those
'ing in
3n the
h, par-
)assage
•ed the

voUm-
safely

: or five
enching
he 15 th
ntered a
to them
d for a
d killed
horses
as sent
d irrita-
accom-
up and
ing it to
)king for

)und the

king the

Hustomed

tones of severity. The men chanced to be the very
worst and most desperate in the camp. Moranget
accompanied his denunciations with still more irri-
tating actions. He took from them the delicious
morsels which they cooked. Four men, for another
had joined them, greatly enraged, sullenly abandoned
their work, and retiring a short distance agreed to
avenge themselves by killing Moranget, and also by
killing Nika and another man who was the valet of
La Salle. Both of these men were friends and
supporters of Moranget.

They waited till night. All took their supper
together. It was the night of the 17th of March.
Though in that genial climate the weather was
serene and mild, a rousing nre was found very grate-
ful in protecting them from the chill of the night air.
With the fading twilight the stars shone down
brightly upon them, and, surrounded by the silence
and solemnity of the prairie and the forest, they were
soon apparently all asleep.

One of the murderers, Liotot, cautiously arose,
as by agreement, and with a hatchet in his hand,
creeping toward Moranget, with, one desperate blow
split open his skull from crown to chin. The deed
was effectually done. And yet with sinewy arm
blow followed blow, till the head was one mass of
clotted gore. The other two were despatched in

340

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

the same way. The three remaining conspirators
stood, with their guns cocked and primed, to shoot
down either of the victims who might succeed in
making any resistance. There issomeshght discrep-
ancy in the detail of these murders. It is said that
Moranget, upon receiving the first blow, made a
convulsive movement, as if to rise ; b it that the
valet and the Indian did not stir.

One crime always leads to another. The con-
spirators, having perpetrated these murders, now
consulted together as to what was next to be done.
Moranget was the nephew of La Salle. The valet
and the Indian were his devoted friends. Their
death could not be concealed. It was certain that
La Salle would not allow it to go unavenged.
Though punishment might be postponed until they
should emerge from their long and perilous journey
through the wilderness, there could be no doubt that
as soon as they should reach a French military post
they would all die upon the scaffold.

They decided to return to the camp, enlist a
few others on their side, kill La Salle, and others
of his prominent friends, when unsuspicious of dan-
ger ; and thus involving all the rest in their own
criminality, effectually prevent any witnesses from
rising against them. Probably in some degree tor-
tured by remorse, and trembling in view of the task

III

THE LAST DAYS OF LA SALLE.

341

Ltors
hoot
d in
crep-
that
ide a
t the

i con-

, now
done.

i valet
Their
that
enged.
:il they
ourney
bt that
ry post

mlist a
others
of dan-
nr own
from
Iree tor-
the task

which they had undertaken, they remained for two
days, the i8th and 19th, where they were, ostensibly
employed in jerking the meat.

La Salle, not knowing how to account for this
long absence, became uneasy. He decided to go
himself, taking a few others with him, to ascertain
the cause. To his friends he expressed serious
apprehensions that some great calamity had hap-
pened. M. Joutel was left in charge of the camp,
and La Salle, with Father Douay and another com-
panion, set out in search of the lost ones.

Father Douay gives the following account of
the tragic scene which ensued :

" All the way La Salle conversed with me of
matters of piety, grace, and predestination. He
expatiated upon all his obligations to God, for hav-
ing saved him from so many dangers during the last
twenty years that he had traversed America. He
seemed to me to be peculiarly penetrated with a
grateful sense of God's kindness to him. Suddenly
I saw him plunged into a deep melancholy, for which
he himself could not account. He was so troubled
that he no longer seemed like himself. As this was
an unusual state of mind with him, I endeavored to
rouse him from his lethargy.

Two leagues after, we found the bloody cravat of
his valet. He perceived two eagles flying over his

\ ^

342

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

head. At the same time he discerned some of his
people on the edge of the river. He approached
them, asking what had become of his nephew. They
answered incoherently, pointing to a spot where they
said we should find him. We proceeded some steps
along the bank, to the fatal spot where two of his
murderers were hidden in the grass, one on each side,
with guns cocked. One missed Monsieur de la Salle
The one firing at the same time shot him in the
head. He died an hour after, on the 19th of March
1687.

" I expected the same, fate. But this danger did
not occupy my thoughts, penetrated with grief at so
cruel a spectacle. I saw him fall, a step from me, his
face all full of blood. He had confessed and per-
formed his devotions just before we started. During
his last moments he manifested the spirit of a good
Christian, especially in the act of pardoning his mur-
derers.

" Thus died our wise commander, constant in
adversity, intrepid, generous, engaging, dexterous,
skilful, capable of everything. He, who for twenty
years had softened the fierce temper of countless
savage tribes, was massacred by the hands of his
own domestics, whom he had loaded with caresses.
He died in the prime of life, in the midst of his enter-
prises, without having seen their success. I could

THE LAST DAYS OF LA SALLE.

343

ant m
crous,
wcnty
Lintlcss
of his
resses.
enter-
could

not leave the spot where he had expired, without
having buried him as well as I could. After which I
raised a cross over his grave."

In reference to the burial, Joutel gives a little
different account. He says : " The shot which
killed Joutel was the signal for the accomplices of
the assassin to rush to the spot. With barbarous
cruelty they stripped him of his clothing, even to his
shirt. The poor dead body was treated with every
indignity. The corpse was left, entirely naked, to the
voracity of wild beasts."

Both of these accounts may be essentially true.
The barbarities practised by the assassins may have
preceded or followed the hasty burial of Douay,
Father Douay, in his account, continues :

" Occupied with these thoughts, which La Salle
had a thousand times suggested to us, while relat-
ing the events of the new discoveries, I unceasingly
adored the inscrutable designs of God in this con-
duct of His Providence, uncertain still what fate He
reserved for us, as our desperadoes plotted nothing
less than our destruction. We at last entered the
place where Monsieur Cavalier was. The assassins
entered the cabin unceremoniously, and seized all
that was there. I had arrived a moment before
them. I had no need to speak ; for as soon as Ca-

*( •■■

344

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

valier beheld my countenance, all bathed in tears, he
exclaimed aloud :

" * Ah, my poor brother is dead.'

" This holy ecclesiastic, whose virtue has been so
often tried in the apostolic labors of Canada, fell at
once on his knees. I myself, and some others did
the same, to prepare to die the same death. But
the murderers, touched by some sentiment of com-
passion at the sight of the venerable old man, and
besides half-penitent for the murders they had com-
mitted, resolved to spare us, on condition that we
should never return to France. But as they were
still undecided, and many of them wished to go
home to France, we heard them often say to one
another, that they must get rid of us ; that otherwise
we should accuse them before the tribunals, if we
once had them in the kingdom.'

The leader of these desperadoes, a wretch by the
name of Duhaut, at once assumed the supreme com-
mand. The company now consisted of but seven-
teen. The timid ones, trembling for their lives,
feigned entire devotion to the cause of the assassins.
Duhaut ruled with an iron hand. It was manifest
that the least indication of an insubordinate spirit
would lead to instant death. Some of the best men
were for organizing a conspiracy to assassinate the
assassins. But the priest Cavalier continually said no,

|by the
com-
seven-
lives,
assins.
lanifest
spirit
,t men
,te the
laid no,

THE LAST DAYS OF LA SALLE.

345

s, he

en so

fell at

rs did

But

com-
n, and
I com-
lat we
y were

to go

o one

erwise

L if we

repeating the words, " Vengeance is mine. I will
repay, saith the Lord."

It is impossible to determine the precise spot
where the m irder of La Salle and his companions
took place. We know that it was several days'
journey west of the Cenis Indians, whose territory
extended along the banks of Trinity River, which
empties into Galveston Bay. It is therefore con-
jectured that it must have been near one of the
streams flowing into the Brazos, in the heart of
Texas, probably not far from where Washington
now is.

15*

i til

CHAPTER XVII.

Tlic Penalty of Crime.

Nature's Storms. — The Gloom of the Soul. — Approach to the Cenis
Village. — Cordial Welcome. — Barbaric Ceremonials. — Social*
Habits of the Indians. — Meeting with the French Deserters. —
Traffic with the Indians. — Quarrel between Miens and Duhaut.
The Assassins Assassinated. — Departure of the War Party. —
Fiend-like Triumph. — The March Resumed.

The morning of the 2lst ushered in a day of
gloom, wind, and rain. Nature, in the moaning
storm, seemed in sympathy with the sadness which
must have oppressed all hearts. Silently they toiled
along, drenched with the falling rain, until noon,
when the storm became so severe that they were
compelled to halt. They threw up their camp in a
deep and dark ravine. The murderers could have no
rest. They were in continual fear that the friends
of La Salle would rise and kill them. Father Douay,
M. Joutel, and La Salle's brother the Chevalier,
knew full well that the murderers had the strongest
possible incentive to kill them also.

There is no storm so desolating, so ruinou to all
happiness, as sin. Could these voyagers have con-

TIIF. rKXAT.TV OF CRIME.

347

ing

vhich

oiled

oon,

were

in a

e no
iends

uay,
alier,

Ito all

con-

tinued their journey with fraternal love, its material
obstacles could all have been pleasantly surmounted.
But henceforth, for them, there were no more sunny
skies, no more blooming prairies, no more joy-
ous gatherings and feastings aiound the camp fire.
Journeying on, through a gloomy country, and in
sombre weather, they came, on the 24th, to a river.
Most of the party swam across. Father Douay, M.
Joutel, and Cavalier could not swim. Some friendly
Indians came along and, swimming by their side,
helped them over. A journey of four days more
brought them to. a large village of the Cenis Indians,
on a stream which they called by the same name.

The region was beautiful. There was no con-
tinuous forest, but extended, well-watered plains,
interspersed with groves of a great variety of majes-
tic trees. They frequently met with Indians, from
whom they always received kind treatment. Most
of the men encamped a few miles from the village,
M. Joutel was sent, with three others, to purchase
from them, if possible, some corn. One of the men
thus sent forward was Hiens, one of the original con-
spirators with Duhaut. M. Joutel was annoyed in
•accompanying a murderer on this mission, but it was
not safe to make any remonstrance. Duhaut kept
careful guard over all the effects. He intrusted a

iff!

348

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

ii:,::

few hatchets and knives to his envoys, with instruc-
tions to purchase corn, and, if possible, a liorse.

They had not gone far before they saw three sav-
ages approaching them on horseback. One had a hat
and cloak, which he had probably obtained in some
way from the Spaniards. The other two were en-
tirely naked. The three had panniers closely woven
of fibres of cane, and filled with corn meal pounded
or ground very fine. They had been sent forward
by their chief, with the meal as a present, and to
invite the strangers to visit his village. After smok-
ing together, and the Indians having received some
knives and beads in return for their gift, the united
party set out for the village.

It was still some distance to the village. Night
had come. The horses of the travellers were weary
and hungry. They therefore encamped in a rich
meadow, by a rippling stream. Two of the Indians
returned to their village. One remained with the
strangers. The next morning they went forward,
and were conducted by their Indian companion to
the cabin of the chief. They were received with very
unusual courtly etiquette.

About a third of a mile from the village there
was a very large building, which we should call the
town house, or the city hall. It was constructed as
the place for the gathering of all their great public

THE PENALTY OF CRIME.

349

assemblages. The floor was very neatly carpeted
with finely woven mats. A very imposing procession
was formed to escort the strangers from the cabin
of the chief to this council house.

First in the procession came all the men of the
village, venerable in character and age. They were
richly dressed, in very tasteful picturesque garments,
of softly tanned deer-skin. These robes and leggins
and scarfs were of different colors, of brilliant hue,
and were profusely decorated with fringes and em-
broidered with shelis. They wore plumes of colored
feathers upon their heads, which waved gracefully
in the gentle breeze. In their hands they held jave-
lins, or bows, with quivers of arrows suspended on
their shoulders.

On each side of the ancients, who were twelve in
number, there were files of warriors, as if for their
protection. They were all young men of admirable
figure, painted and dressed, and armed as if on the
war-path. The procession being thus formed in
front of the chief's cabin, and the whole population
of the village, many hundred in number, men, women
and children, gathered around to witness the spec-
tacle, M. Joutel and his attendants, led by the
chief, were brought out to be received by the ancients
and conducted to the council house.

These venerable men greeted them with much

■I I

350

Tlir! ADVENTURES OF lA SALLE.

formality. Each one raised his ritjht hand to his
head, and then performed a peculiar series of bows.
They then embraced each one, fjcntly throwinf^ their
arms around the neck. Tliis ceremony was followed
by the presentation of the pipe of friendship, each
one taking but a few whiffs.

The cortege advanced to the council house. The
guests were seated on couches in the centre. The
ancients, silently and with much dignity of move-
ment, took seats around them. A large multi-
tude crowded the vacant spaces. They were feasted
with the choicest viands of the Indians, boiled corn
meal, cakes baked in the ashes, and truly delicious
steaks of venison. Presents were interchanged, and
kind speeches made, mainly by signs.

M. Joutel informed them that it Wiis his great
desire to obtain corn for their long journey. They
said that their supply was short, but that in a neigh-
boring village, at the distance of but a few leagues,
there was an abundant supply. They also signified
their readiness to accompany their guests to this
village.

A large party set out together. The trail led
along the banks of one of the branches of the Brazos.
The region was delightful, the soil fertile, and quite a
dense population, blessed with abundance, peopled
the lovely valley. It might have been almost an Eden,

THE PENALTY OF CRIME.

351

but for the wickedness of fallen man. This powerful
tribe the Cenis, was at war with another tribe, called
theCannohantimos. Frequently the valley would be
swept by an irruption of fierce warriors, with gleam-
ing tomahawks and poisoned arrows and demoniac
yells. Conflagration, blood, and shrieks of misery
ensued. The valley, which God had made so beau-
tiful for his children, those children had converted
into a Gethsemane, where all the fiends seemed
struggling.

But our travellers passed up this valley in one of
the serene and blooming spring mornings. There
was a lull in war's tempest, and a heavenly Father's
smile illumined all the scene. Large dome-like
cabins and cultivated fields were met with all along
the route. Many of these dwellings were sixty feet
in diameter. They afforded perfect protection from
wind and rain, were neatly carpeted, and gave ample
accommodation often for four or five families.

One central fire, which was never permitted to
go out, was common for all. There were no parti-
tions. Each family occupied a certain portion of
the space, and slept on comfortable beds, raised a
foot or two from the floor. They were naturally
a very amiable people among themselves, and lived
together on the most brotherly terms.

In cultivating tlie fields they worked together.

352

TIIK ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Often a hundred men and women would meet to
plant the field of on ' man. They would spend six
or seven hours in carefully dii/j^ing the field with
wooden forks, and in planting seeds of corn, beans,
melons, and other vegetables. They would then
have a feast, provided by the one in whose behalf
they were laboring. This would be followed by
games and dances. The men dug the soil, while
the women planted and covered the seed. These
children of the prairie must have found, in these
co-operative labors, far more enjoyment than the
solitary farmer can find in his lonely toils. Thus this
band would pass from field to fiekl throughout the
whole village.

M. Joutel says that, so far as he could learn, they
did not seem to have any definite idea of God.
They had certain shadowy notions of some being or
beings above themselves, but apparently did not
consider that these beings took any special interest
in scenes occurring here below. Upon the subject
of religion it could hardly be said that they had any
definite idea. They had no temples, no priests, no
v/orship. Their minds were in a state of vacuity,
[n this respect they were m. J\ in the condition of
mere animals. They had certain ceremonies, the
meaning of which they could not explain, except
that such was their custom — that their fathers did

THE PENALTY OF CRIME.

353

SO. Be it remembered tliat tliis is the account
which is given of the Cenis Indians. Others were
more enhghtened, and others less. There are well-
authenticated accounts of some Indians, who were
in the habit of daily prayer.

They reached the village in the early evening.
Couriers had preceded them to announce their com-
ing. The principal men came out and conducted
them to a cabin, which had been [)repared for their
reception. After supper and a social pi[)e, the guests
were left to the repose which they greatly needed.
The cabin assigned to them was one of the larjjest in
the plage. It had belonged to a chief who h;id re-
cently died. A gentle fire was burning .a the centre.
There were several women in the cabin, attending to
sundry household duties. The guests slept soundly.

The next morning was the 1st of April, 1687,
The fathers of the village again called upon the
strangers with much courtesy of demeanor, and
brought them an ample breakfast. Presents were
exchanged, and a very fine horse was purchased for
a hatchet. The day was L'pent in purchasing corn,
which wa*' placed in panniers, to be carried en the
backs of the horses.

Here were found three Frenchmen who, a year
before had deserted from La Salle. With painted
faces, and in the dress of savages, no one could dis-

354

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

ting-uish tlicm from others of the tribe. The fact
that in one year they had almost entirely forgotten
their native language, seems at first thought almost
incredible. But it must be remembered that they
were vagabond sailors, with no mental culture, who
could neither read nor write, and with whom lan-
guage was merely a succession of sounds, which were
very easily obliterated from the memory.

M. Joutcl sent his companions back to the camp
with the corn which had already been purchased,
while he remained to obtain more. Alone in the
cabin, far away in the wilderness, the companion of
murderers, and a very uncertain fate before him, he
could not sleep. At midnight, as he was reclining
upon his mat, absorbed in thought, he saw, by the
light of the fire, an Indian enter the cabin, with a
bow and two arrows in his hand. He took a seat
near where M. Joutel was apparently sleeping.

M. Joutcl spoke to him. He made no reply;
but arose and took another seat near the fire. M.
Joutel, being sleepless, followed him, to enter, if
possible, into conversation. Fixing his eyes earnestly
upon the taciturn Indian, he saw, co his surprise, that
he was one of the P^ench deserters whom he had
formerly known very well. His name was GroUet.
He informed M. Joutel that he had a comrade by
the name of Ruter, who did not dare to come with

THE PENALTY OF CRIME.

355

M.
:r, if
(estly
that
had
)llet.
le by
Iwith

him, from fear that he should be punished by La
Salle, of whose death they had not heard.

**They had," writes M. Joutel, "in so short a
time so entirely contracted the habits of the savages,
as to become thorough savages themselves. They
were naked, and their faces and bodies were covered
with painted figures. Each of them had taken sev-
eral wives. They had accompanied the warriors of
the tribe to battle ; and with their guns had killed
many of the enemy, which had given them great
renown. Having expended all their powder and
bullets, their guns had become useless. They had
therefore taken bows and arrows and had become
quite skilful in their use. As to religion, they never
had a- /. The libertine life they were now practising
was quite to their taste."

GroUet seemed much moved when he heard of
the death of La Salle and the others. Upon be'ng
questioned whether he had ever heard the Indians
speak of the Mississippi, he said that he had not, but
that he had often heard them speak of a very large
river, about five days' journey northeast of them, and
upon whose banks there were very many Indian
tribes.

The two next days M. Joutel continued purchas-
ing corn. It could not be bought in large quantities,
but many families could spare a little. On the 8th

; ;

356

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

of April he returned to the camp, with three horses
laden with corn. During this delay the murderer,
Duhaut, had had many hours for reflection. To
return to a French military or trading post, accom-
panied by the witnesses of his crime, was certain
death. To attempt to kill all those not implicated
in the murder, would be a very serious undertaking;
especially as they were now on their guard, and the
assassins had begun to quarrel among themselves.

Duhaut formed the plan of turning back, with
his confederates, to the settlement which they had
left at the bay of St. Louis. Where he designed to
build a vessel and to sail for the West India Islands.
The persons whom Duhaut greatly feared were
Father Douay, M. Joutel, La Salle's brother, M.
Chevalier, and a young man who was called Young
Chevalier. The head murderer now adopted the
policy of separating these men from the rest of the
company, that he might freely talk with his confeder-
ates of his plans. M. Joutel and his associates were
also well pleased with this arrangement, for they
too could now talk freely. Duhaut tried to compel
the other party to go back with him. But they ab-
solutely refused. Finding that he could not force
them, and that they were resolved to continue their
journey to the French settlements, and that thus
they might send an armed ship to capture the mur-

THE PENALTY OF CRIME.

357

)mpel
y ab-
force
their
thus
mur-

derers ; he resolved to continue in their company.
Probably he hoped that some opportunity would
occur in which he could cut them off.

There were five men who were active participants
in the assassination. Duhaut, the instigator, Hiens,
who was the next most prominent in the plot, and
three others, who were rather their tools, Liotot,
Tessier, and Larcheveque. The rage of Hiens was
kindled only against Moranget. He was willing to
kill Moranget's two companions that they might not
be witnesses against the murderers. He would con-
ceal their bodies, and would have it understood that
they had wandered away and become lost, or that
they had been captured by the Indians.

Liotot was appointed to strike the fatal blows
upon Moranget and his companions with the hatchet,
while the others stood ready, with their guns, to aid,
should it be necessary. The subsequent murder of
La Salle was contrary to the wishes of Hiens.
Duhaut and Larcheveque waylaid him. They both
fired nearly at the same moment. The bullet of
Larcheveque, either intentionally or by accident,
passed wide of its mark. Duhaut's bullet pierced
the brain.

There was no sympathy between Hiens and
Duhaut. When the latter so arrogantly assumed the
command, Hiens became very restive, and was wait-

358

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

ing for an opportunity to dethrone him. 'Trcmbhng
in view of the peril of approaching the French settle-
ments, and having no disposition to imbrue his hands
any farther in the blood of innocent men whose con-
duct had only won his regard, he was extremely anx-
ious to return to the bay of St. Louis.

Finding that Duhaut had altered his plan and
had decided to continue on tlie Mississippi, he took
one or two of his companions aside and deeply im-
pressed them with a sense of the danger they would
thus encounter. They conspired to kill Duhaut and
his most resolute supporter Liotot.

Hiens then entered into a secret alliance with the
savages, promising that if they would aid him in his
plans, he would stop the march of the party toward
the Mississippi, and with several others would join
them, with their all-powerful muskets, in a hostile
expedition they were about to make against a neigh-
boring tribe. He also enlisted, in co-operation with
his plans, the French deserters who had already
become savages.

Thus strengthened, and with twenty-two well-
armed savages in his train, he sought Duhaut. In
brief words he thus addressed him :

" You have decided to go on to the French set-
tlements. It is a danger which we dare not encoun-
ter. I therefore demand that you divide with us all

THE PENALTY OF CRIME.

359

ngh-

set-
|ou Il-
ls all

the arms, ammunition, and goods wc have. You
may then pursue your own course and we will pur-
sue ours."

Without waiting for any reply he drew a pistol
and shot Duhaut through the heart. The miserable
man staggered back a few steps and dropped dead.
At the same moment one of his accomplices, Ruter,
with his musket, shot down Liotot, inflicting a mor-
tal wound. As the men was struggling in death's
agonies, Ruter advanced and discharged a pistol-
shot into the convulsed body. Douay writes, " His
hair, and then his shirt and clothes took fire, and
wrapped him in flames, and in this torment he ex-
pired." It was the intention of Hiens also to kill Lar-
cheveque, but he, terror-stricken, escaped by flight.

A small hole was dug, and the two dead bodies
were thrown in and covered up. M. Joutel was
present, and witnessed this dreadful scene. He
writes :

" These murders took place before my eyes. I
was dreadfully agitated, and supposing that my
death was immediately to follow, instinctively seized
my musket in self-defence. But Hiens cried out :

*' * You have nothing to fear. We do not wish
to harm you. We only avenge the death of our
patron La Salle. Could I have prevented his death
I certainly should have done so.* '"

3^0

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

The savages were astonished at this scene. They
were not at all prepared for it. But Hiens explained
to them that it was done to avenge murders which
they had committed ; and that as Duhaut and
Liotot had resolved to take with them all the guns
and ammunition, it was necessary to kill them that
Hiens and his associates might join the Indians in
their war party. This statement seemed to give
entire satisfaction.

Hiens was now the leader of the rapidly dwin-
dling band. He informed them that he should take
several of his companions, with the guns and ammu-
nition, and accompany the Indians on their military
expedition. In the meantime, until his return, they
were to remain in charge of frieadly Indians. Thus
they were virtually prisoners. Their means for con-
tinuing the journey were taken from them. Proba-
bly Hiens intended that they should never return to
France.

Early in May, the war party commenced its
march. Hiens accompanied the warriors, with four
of his party, and two of the French deserters. This
made seven Frenchmen, well armed with powder
and ball. As they were to encounter foes who bore
only bows and arrows, the French allies became an
immense acquisition to the force of the expedition.
Each one of these had a horse. Hiens exacted a

THE PENALTY OF CRIME.

361

ba-
te

its
our

his
der
ore

on.
Id a

promise, from those he left behind, that they would
not leave the village until his return.

A fortnight passed away. Those who remained
were encamped at a little distance outside of the
village. They were frequently visited by the men
and the women, who ever manifested the most
friendly feelings. They could converse only by
signs, and their attempted communication of ideas
was not very satisfactory.

On the 1 8th of the month a great crowd came
rushing out to the encampment. The men and
women were painted and decorated. Their smiling
faces, songs, and dances indicated plainly that they
had received tidings of a great victory. For several
hours, there was exhibited a very picturesque scene
of feasting, smoking, and barbarian jollity. In the
midst of these wild festivities, a courier arrived,
stating that the victorious army was returning, and
that they had killed more than forty of their ene-
mies. The next day they arrived.

They brought very glowing accounts of the
achievements of the French with their muskets.
They found the foe drawn up in battle array in a
dense grove. Approaching within musket-shot, but
not within arrow-shot, the French with deliberate
aim shot down forty-eight of the foe. The rest in
terror fled. The shouting Cenis pursued. They
16

i i

362

TIIK ADVENTURES OE LA SALLE.

[J '

took a large number of women and children as pris-
oners, most of whom they instantly killed and
scalped. Two mature f^irls they brought back with
tliem to subject to fiend like torture. One of them
had been cruelly scal[)ed. I'aint and bleeding she
could endure but little more. An Indian, borrowing
a pistol from a Frenchman, deliberately shot her
through the head, saying:

" Take that message to your nation. Tell them
that ere long we will serve them all in the sarrrc
way."

The other maiden was reserved for all the horrors
of demoniac torture by the women and the girls.
These were arranged in a circle. The poor girl was
led into the middle of them. They were all armed
with strong sticks sharply pointed. They then,
with hideous yells, fell tumultuously upon her, like
hounds upon a hare. .She soon dropped to the
grown beneath their blows. They thrust their sharp
sticks into her body. With sinewy arms these
•savage women beat her in the face, over the head,
upon every part of her frame until her body pre-
sented but a mangled mass of blood. As she lay
upon the ground scarcely breathing, a burly Indian
came forward, and with one blow of a club crushed
in her brain.

The next day there was another great celebra-

THE I'KXALTY OF CKIMK.

363

tion. Great honor was conferred upon the French
who had caused the victory. The Indian warriors
had done but little more than kill the women and
children whom they had taken prisoners, and scalp
all the slain. After several speeches were made by
their orators, a procession was formed. Each war-
rior had a bow and two arrows in his hand, and was
accompanied by one of his wives, who, like a servant,
or rather like the squire of the knights of old, waved
in her hands the gory scalps, revolting trophies of
her husband's chivalric achievements. The whole
day was devoted to barbarian feasting and carousing.

Hiens the next day held an amicable conference
with M. Joutel and his friends, to come to some agree-
ment as to their future operations. " I am not will-
ing," he said, "to return to the J'Vench settlements-
It would inevitably cost me my head. liut I am will-
ing to divide all our property equally between the
two parties. Those who wish may accompany Jou-
tel ; others may remain with me."

The division was made. M. Joutel, Father Douay,
M. Cavalier, and his nephew, young Cavalier, and
three others, De Marie, Tessier and Barthelmy, com-
posed the party which was to return to the French
settlements. Thus the band of twenty which had
left the bay of St. Louis had dwindled down to seven.
They had three horses, thirty hatchets, five dozen

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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

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knives, thirty pounds of powder, and thirty pounds
of bullets. Three Indians volunteered as guides for
a portion of the way.

When the Cenis chief found that M. Joute! was
about to undertake so long and perilous a journey,
with so small a band, he was astonished, and did
everything in his power to dissuade him from such
an enterprise.

" If you will remain with U5," said he. " we will give
you cabins and wives, and food in abundance. The
dangers before you are appalling, not only from hos-
tile Indians, whose territories you must pass through,
but from the innumerable difficulties of broad rivers
and deep marshes you must encounter by the way."

M. Joutel and his companions were firm. Very
reluctantly the chief consented that tht three Indian
guides should, for a time, accompany' them. It was
about the 25th of May, when they resumed their
march from the village of the Cenis. The second
day they came to a broad river, which they crossed
on a raft, swimming their horses. The country was
quite densely populated. They daily passed cabins
and villages of the Indians, but encountered no oppo-
sition. We have minute accounts of their reception
in many of these villages. All tre essentially the
same with those which we have already narrated.

Day after day, with occasional halts in conse-

THE PENALTY OF CRIME.

365

quence of rains, the travellers pressed on, through the
month of May and to the middle of June. Their
route was generally in a northeastern direction
Their path led them through a rugged country of
forests, ravines, and rivers. The average territory of
each Indian tribe was about twenty miles square.
Friendly Indians were always found to guide them,
as it were, from post to post on their way.

i^i

CHAPTER XVIII.

T/ie Close of the Drama.

Ludicrous Scene. — Death of M. Marie. — Sympathy of the Savages. —
Barbaric Ceremonies. — The Mississippi Reached. — Joyful Inter-
view. — Ascending the River. — Incidents by the Way. — The
Beautiful Illinois. — Weary Detention. — The Voyage to Mack-
inac. — Thence to Quebec. — Departure for France. — Fate of
the Colony.

The latter part of June they approached a village,
when a large number of men came out to greet them,
and to escort them in. The Indians insisted upon
carrying the Frenchmen into the village upon their
backs, saying that it was their invariable custom in
the reception of guests. They were constrained to
submit. Seven savages stooped down, and each one
received one of the guests upon his shoulders.
Others led the horses.

M. Joutel was a very tall man and very heavy.
He also carried a gun, two pistols, some powder and
lead, and several articles of clothing. The savage
who undertook to carry him, was a small man, so
that M. Joutel's feet almost touched the ground.
As he tottered beneath his burden, two other sav-

THE CLOSE OF THE DRAMA.

367

sav-

ages came to his aid, helping to sustain him by the
legs. Thus he had three porters.

The Frenchmen, whose vivacity s'^emcd never
long to forsake them, found it very difficult to re-
strain their laughter in view of the ludicrous spcf i-
cle they presented. It was three-quarters of a mile
to the village. The porters, quite exhausted, sur-
rendered their burdens in the cabin of the chief.
The Indians wore but little clothing; some of them
• none at all. They brought water, saying that it was
their custom to wash their guests, but as they per-
ceived that the Frenchmen were encumbered with
garments, they would wash only their faces.

After this ceremony, they were placed upon a
platform about four feet high, and addressed in long
speeches of welcome. As usual there was smoking,
feasting, and the exchange of presv^nts. They Inen
opened a very successful traffic with the Indians for
the purchase of corn.

These Indians had never heard the report of a
gun. They were astonished in view of the deadly
power of the invisible bullet ; and they implored the
. strangers to remain with them and aid them in a war
expedition. Though M. Joutel was the historian of
this expedition, they seem, by common consent, to
have regarded La Salle's brother, M. Caviilirr, as
their leader. He informed the Indians that they

368

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

must hasten on their way, but that they hoped, ere
long, to return and bring v/ith them guns, powder,
hatchets, knives, and other articles to exchange for
their furs. This pleased them greatly.

A melancholy accident occurred at this place.
M. Marie went into the river to bathe. Accidentally
he got beyond his depth and was drowned. The
savages manifested the deepest sympathy on the
occasion. They rushed to the spot in large numbers,
plunged into the water, regained the lifeless body,
and with mournful wailings bore it back to the village.
They watched with intenscst interest the rites of
Christian burial. The grave of the unfortunate man
was in a beautiful grove, on the banks of the river.
His mourning companions raised over the spot a
cross, the touching emblem of the great atoning
sacrifice for sin.

" It is our duty to testify," v;rites M. Joutel, "to
the kindness of this affectionate people. Their
humanity, manifested in this sad accident, Was very
remarkable. Their sympathy in our grief was greater
than we could have experienced in any part of
Europe."

There were four very pleasant and populous vil-
la^'"es here, situated near each other. The inhabitants
seemed to be united in the most fraternal alliance.
And yet these people, who could be so gentle, tender

THE CLOSE OF THE DRAMA.

369

and sympathetic in receiving their friends, could
be as merciless as demons in torturing their enemies.

On the 30th of June, the travellers again took up
their line of march. There was a wide river, near
by, to be crossed. They had spent several days in
this village, receiving unbounded acts of politeness
and hospitality from the people. The men and the
women alike vied in delicate attentions, such as could
not have been expected from savages.

There was a broad and deep river near by to be
crossed. The chief and a large escort of the natives
accompanied them to the river, and paddled them
over in their canoes, swimming the horses. M.
Chevalier, in taking leave of his friends, gave them
some rich presents, not forgetting to make the women
happy in the gift of some gorgeous beads. Several
Indians guided the party to the next tribe, at a dis-
tance of about thirty miles. Here again they were
received in the cabin of the chief with unbounded
hospitality.

After being welcomed with their many ceremo-
nials of greeting, guides were furnished to accompany
them to the next tribe. Thus they pressed on, day
after day, with but occasional delays. Their route
lay through a very rich country, abounding with deer
and turkeys and prairie chickens. Village after vil-
lage they entered. Tribe after tribe they met. But
16*

\l\

i-iJJU. •■ J

370

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SAI.LE.

everywnere they encountered the same invariable
hospitality. On one occasion a group of singers
came to their cabin, and treated them with a seren-
ade of plaintive music. At the same time one of
their number crowned M. Chevalier with a beautiful
head-dress of colored plumes.

The ceremony, on this occasion, was very elabo-
rate, in which the females as well as the men
took an active part. Two girls, of remarkably grace-
ful form, and whose symmetric limbs were but
slightly veiled, were brought, evidently without any
intentional immodesty, into such affectionate contact
with M. Chevalier, as greatly to confuse him.

It was quite evident that the Indians did not
expect that their wealthy guests would receive these
attentions without making them some return. They
seem to have regarded themselves as abundantly
rewarded by a gift of a hatchet, four knives, and a
few beads. They regarded the French as superior
beings, and were amazed and awed by the report of
the guns, and the deadly flight of the bullet. They
entreated the strangers to remain with them, offering
them cabins and food and wives.

They had reached a broken, hilly country, with
ravines and forests, and Indian trails leading in
many directions. Guides were greatly needed ; and
guides were always furnished. On the evening of

THE CLOSE OF THE DRAMA.

371

the 24th of July, they came to the banks of a river
of unusual flood and breadth. To their surprise
and delight they saw, upon the opposite bank, a
large cross, and near by a spacious log-cabin, such as
the French were accustomed to rear at their stations.

"No one," writes M. Joutel, "can imagine the
joy with which this sight inspired our hearts. We
threw ourselves upon our knees, and with tearful eyes
thanked God for having so safely led us. We had
no doubt that those on the opposite shore were
Frenchmen, and the cross proved that they were
fellow Christians."

The inmates of the log-cabin caught sight of the
strangers. Probably their dress indicated that they
were not Indians. They fired two muskets as a
salute. The salute was promptly returned. Imme-
diately several canoes pushed off, from the opposite
bank, paddled by Indians, and in which the travellers
saw two men in European dress. They were two
Frenchmen, M. Charpentier and M. Launay, both
from Rouen. Their station was on the northern
bank of the Arkansas River, not far from its entrance
into the Mississippi. Lieutenant Tonti had estab-
lished the post, that he might receive news from La
Salle's expedition.

In this interview, as in nearly all the scenes of
earth, joy and grief were blended. The travellers felt

372

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

that now they were safe, and that return to friends
and home was secure. But all wept over the death
of La Salle, for he was revered and loved by all who
knew him. There was quite a large number of
Indians at the station. They unloaded the horses,
brought up the baggage, and men and women
crowded around with unfeigned joy.

After a short time the Indians all left the cabin,
and the white men held a conference tojrether, nar-
rating past events. Lieutenant Tonti had stationed
six men at that post. They were to remain there
until they should receive tidings of La Salle's landing
at the mouth of the Mississippi. As the months
passed away, and they heard nothing of his expedi-
tion, four of the party went to fort St. Louis on the
Illinois River, leaving but two behind. It was
decided that it was best to conceal the death of La
Dalle until it could be communicated by his brother,
Chevalier, to the cour'; in France. In the meantime
the impression was to be left that he was still super-
intending the affairs of the settlement at the bay of
St. Louis.

At a little distance from the log-cabin of the
French there was quite a group of Indian wigwams.
The chief soon came and invited the newly arrived
strangers to dine with him and his chief men. Mats
were spread in the large cabin of the chief, and an

THE CLOSE OF THE DRAMA.

373

ample feast provided. At the close of the jntertain-
ment M. Cavalier addressed them, in substance as
follows :

" We accompanied the Chevalier La Salle from
France, to establish a settlement at the mouth of the
Mississippi River. We left our colony on the shores
of the Gulf of Mexico, and arc on our way to Canadi.
We have passed through the territories of very many
tribes, who have all treated us in the kindest manner.
It is our intention to return from Canada to the
mouth of the river, with a large supply of merchan-
dise. The people, through whose countries ue have
passed, have furnished us with guides. We ask the
same favor of you, with canoes to ascend the river,
and with a supply of food. The guides shall be well
rewarded, and we will pay you for all the supplies
with which you may furnish us."

AH this was very easily said, through an interpre-
ter. The chief expressed his surprise that they could
have passed through so many tribes without having
been either killed or robbed. He said that he would
immediately send couriers to the other villages of
his tribe, to inform them of the wishes of the French-
men and to decide what could be done to aid them
in their object.

M. Joutel gives a very alluring account of the
situation and structure of this village. It was

im\

374

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

delightfully situated on an elevated plain, com-
manding an extensive view of the river and of the
adjacent country. The wigvvams were substantially
built, presenting very comfortable interiors. The
region around was almost crowded with buffaloes,
deer, antelopes, and a Vdst variety of prairie and
water-fowls. Fruit trees and vines were abundant,
and they were richly laden with their delicious l>ur-
dens. Extended fields were waving luxuriantly with
the golden corn. Fish of many kinds were taken
from the river. It is indeed a glowing account
which the pen of the historian gives of this favored
land.

The tribe at that point was called the Arkansas.
They occupied four large villages. Two of these
villages were on the Arkansas River, and two upon
the Mississippi. These savages did everything in
their power to testify the pleasure with which they
received the strangers. Some of their ceremonies
were so tedious that the guests would gladly have
avoided them. A delegation of the chiefs, from the
other villages, was soon assembled. A very formal
coimcil was held. It was decided that the four vil-
lages should furnis!' one large bo^t, and one man
from each village to aid in navigating it, and also
the needful supply of food.

One of M. Cavalier's party, M. Barthelmy, who

THE CLOSE OF TIIK DRAMA.

375

was a young man from Paris, weary with the long
journey he had already taken, and charmed with
the friendly character of the natives and the Eden-
likc region they had found, decided to remain
there. The horses also were left. They had, as
they judged, a voyage of twelve hundred miles from
the mouth of the Arkansas to the mouth of the
Illinois. They had travelled, according to their esti-
mate, seven hundred and fifty miles from their settle-
ment on the Gulf.

The French party had now dwindled to five per-
sons. The boat in which they embarked was forty
feet long. Fifteen Indians, men and women, entered
the boat with them, to accompany them a part of '.he
way. The windings of the river were such that it
required a voyage of several leagues to reach its
mouth. It would seem, from the narrative, that
they reached a village at the mouth of the river on
the 29th. Here they exchanged their large and
heavy periagua, for two light canoes, with which to
ascend against the swift current of the Mississippi.

The next day they made twenty-four miles, and
reached Cappa, the last village of the Arkansas on
the Mississippi. Here the chief contrived to detain
them a day, that the Indians might enjoy a few
hours of barbaric festivity. On the 2d of August
the party re-embarked, nine in number, five French-

i'M

376

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

U.J

men and four Indians. The rapidity of the current
was such that they were frequently compelled to
cross the river to take advantage of the eddies.
Sometimes, at points in the river, the flow was so
swift that they were compelled to land, and carry
the canoes and all their luggage on their shoulders
around the point.

The first night they encamped upon an island,
for greater security. The Indians in that vicin-
ity had a bad reputation. The hardships of
this voyage were very great. It was necessary
for each one to ply the paddle with the utmost
energy. They had often marshes to wade, dense
forests to cut their way through, and desert plains
to traverse beneath the rays of a blistering sun.

Weary days and nights came and went. Long-
accustomed to every variety of wilderness life, there
was no novelty to charm them. On the 19th of
August they reached the mouth of the Ohio. Occa-
sionally they landed to shoot a buffalo or a deer or
a turkey. Their Indian atte'idants now manifested
a disposition to leave them, which caused the French-
men great alarm. Should the Indians stealthily, at
night, take the canoes and descend the swift current
of the stream, pursuit would be impossible, and the
travellers would be left on the banks of the river, in
a truly deplorable condition. This rendered it ne-

THE CLOSE OF THE DRAMA.

377

cessary for them to keep a constant watch, witV their
arms in their hands.

In this state of anxiety they continued their
laborious voyage until the 30th of August, when they
reached the mouth of the Missouri River. On the
2d of August they passed the famous painting on
the rocks to which we have before alluded. On the
3d of September they joyfully left the Mississippi,
and entered the more placid current of the Illinois.*
They judged it to be one hundred and eighty miles
from the Ohio to the Illinois.

Upon this river they found a great and delightful
change of scenery. The richest verdure and bloom
of summer were all around them. Meadows, and
prairies, and lawn-like groves crowded with game,
constantly regaled the eye. The gentle flow of the
river greatly relieved them from the fatigue of the
paddle. Day after day they ascended the charming
stream. Night after night they enjoyed encamp-
ment in lovely groves, beneath serene skies, and
feasting upon the choicest game. They frequently
came to villages and encampments of the Illinois
Indians, with whom they felt entirely at home.

On the I ith of September a solitary Indian came
down to the bank of the river, and hailed them.

* M. Douay says, the 5th of September. These slight discrepan-
cies in dates are very frequent.

) i

ji';

378

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

They understood his language, and informed him
that they had come from M. de la Salle, and that
they were bound to the station, farther up the river.
He ran back to the encampment with the news. The
whole multitude came rushing down to the river, with
joyous shoutings ; and several guns were fired by
them in salute. The salute was returned from the
boats. This was a band of the numerous tribe of
Illinois Indians from the region of Kaskaskia.

The French fort on the Illinois River, as we
have mentioned, was called St. Louis. The Indians
said that Lieutenant Tonti was not then at the fort,
but that he had accompanied a party of their war-
riors in an expedition against the Iroquois. They
urged the voyagers to land and take some food with
them. But the Frenchmen declined. Being now
so near what they deemed their journey's end, they
were eager to press on their way.

At two o'clock in the afternoon of Sunday, the
14th of September, 1687, the weary and way-worn
travellers reached the trading and military post of
St. Louis. Compared with the humble wigwams of
the Indians, the fort assumed majestic proportions,
standing upon an eminence which commanded an
extensive view of the region around. A group of
Indians was gathered upon the bank. When
informed that the strangers were from the settlement

THE CLOSE OF THE DRAMA.

379

of La Salle, they ran back to the fort with the joy-
ful tidings. Immediately a Frenchman was seen,
rushing down to the river, followed by a tumultuous
group of Indians. M. Joutel writes :

" We returned together to the fort, where we
found three Frenchmen. They inquired of us of the
Chevalier de la Salle. We informed them that he
had accompanied us a part of the way, and that we
had left him about one hundred and twenty miles
south of the great Cenis nation ; and that he was
then in good health. In that statement there was
nothing which was untrue; for M. Cavalier and I,
who said this, were not present at his death. He
had left us in good health. I have already spoken
of the reasons which induced us to conceal his death
until we should arrive in France."

Upon entering the fort, the first movement was
to go to the chapel in a body, with prayers and the
Te Deum, to return thanks to God, for having con-
ducted them so safely on their long and perilous way.
La Salle was universally beloved and revered. His
noble bearing, his winning deportment, his familiarity
with Indian languages, his authority derived from
the king, hi^ :tended explorations and perilous ad-
ventures, and his pure and sincerely devout spirit,
caused him to be regarded as eminently the great
man of the pioneers in this new world. He was

1S'

380

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

alike venerated by the savages and the Frenchmen.
It was feared that the tidings of his death might
materially weaken the power of the French in all
their settlements.

The Indians, who had accompanied the voyagers
from the Arkansas, were abundantly rewarded.
One of them had been taken sick and died at the
fort. His share of the reward was given to his com-
panions. They took a canoe, and, aided by the
rapid current, probably soon reached their distant
home.

M. Cavalier was anxious to reach Quebec as soon
as possible, that he might sail for France, communi-
cate to the court the tidings of his brother's death,
and send succor to the imperilled colony. On the
1 8th of September the party re-embarked, in a canoe,
obtained for their voyage of still more than a thou-
sand miles, by rivers, portages, and lakes, to Quebec.
They were in northern latitudes, and had entered
the region of autumnal storms. They had ascended
the river but a short distance when a storm arose of
such violence that for eight days they were impris-
oned in a wretched encampment. Resuming their
voyage, even while the storm continued, they toiled
along through several painful days, until they found
themselves in such a battered condition that it was
necessary to return to St. Louis. Much to the sur-

THE CLOSE OF THE DRAMA.

381

prise of the little garrison there, the wanderers came
back on the 7th of October.

Though greatly afflicted by this delay, they re-
mained here, we know not why, during the remainder
of the autumn and a part of the winter. The country
was full of game, and they had an abundance of good
cheer, brought in by the Indian hunters. The fort
was situated on a bluff about two hundred feet above
the level of the stream. . A strong palisade surrounded
a space containing several log buildings, such as
dwelling-houses, a store-house, and a chapel. The
prospect from this eminence charmed every eye.

" More lovely scenery," writes Joutel, " can no-
where be found; The country of the Illinois is not
only surpassingly beautiful, but its fertility is such
that it produces abundantly everything which is
needful for human life. The temperate climate is
the most delightful in the world."

On the 27th of October, Lieutenant Tonti re-
turned from the expedition against the ferocious
Iroquois. Very strangely they concealed even from
him, the news of the death of La Salle. Early in
December, two couriers arrived, stating that three
canoes from Montreal, laden with ammunition and
valuable merchandise, had arrived at the mouth of
the Chicago River, and were there blocked up by the
ice. Lieutenant Tonti sent forty Indians, men and

Ill illlllipi.^ll U I

)««■■■ iii>. i-aapnmn^imipv

382

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

i|}

■ I i

women, to transport these goods, on their backs or
on sledges, to the fort. They did the work speedily
and faithfully.

The latter part of March, the ice left the river.
On the 2 1st of the month, M. Cavalier and his party
again set out on their journey, and on the 29th
reached Chicago.. A dismal storm was then sweep-
ing the icy lake. There was no settlement there.
There was, however, an abandoned cabin where they
took refuge for ten days. No game was to be found
on the bleak plain, which was swept by rain and pier-
cing winds. They had pounded corn alone for food.

On the 8th of April, the rain still falling and the
waves high, they pushed out from the river, into the
turbulent waters, in their frail canoe. After much
suffering and many perils, they reached Michilimack-
inac on the loth of May, 1683. Early in June, a
party of twenty-four Frenchmen and Indians set out
in four canoes for Montreal. On the 25th the little
fleet passed from Lake Michigan into Lake Huron,
and on the 13th of July reached Montreal. Still
they concealed the death of La Salle. They left the
impression that he was with the colony, and that they
were hastening to France to have supplies sent out
to him. On the 27th they took a boat for Quebec,
and reached that station on the 29th. On the 30th
of August they embarked in a ship for their native

THE CLOSE OF THE DRAMA.

383

country, and were safely landed at Rochelle, on the
15th of October, 1688.

We have a brief and melancholy account, related
by Charlevoix, of the fate of the unfortunate colony.
When the Indians heard of the death of La Salle,
and the departure of so large a portion of the garri-
son, being exasperated by the cruel treatment they
had received, and the refusal of the garrison to enter
into any friendly relations with them, they made an
attack upon the fort.

The attack was successful. All were massacred
excepting one man, three boys, and a girl. They
were carried into captivity. Spain was at war
with France. The Spaniards in Mexico heard of
the establishment of a French colony on the Mexi-
can Gulf. An expedition under Don Alonzo de
Leon set out from Coahuila, probably with hostile
intent, to visit the colony. He found but smoulder-
ing ruins, and the decaying bodies of the dead.
These bodies were pierced with arrows, and their
heads crushed with war-clubs. He ascertained that
the Indians had saved a few prisoners, and had
celebrated their victory with songs and dances in all
their villasv's. Wha.t 'bfectutife. ©f 'th^ :unhappy cap-
tives can never be known.

It is stated: iji .'a ' S'p?Cii?0 4cC(?tint'* that Don

* The Ensayo Cronologico of Barcia, p. 294.

3^4

THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.

Alonzo did everything in his- power to redeem the
captives, and that he ordered the dead to be buried,
weeping over their misfortunes, and praying most
earnestly for the salvation of their souls.

Such was the wonderful career of La Salle. Next
to Columbus, he was the most illustrious of the
pioneers of the New World. It would be difficult
to find, in history, any one who has displayed In a
higher degree the noble qualities of energy, cour-
age, and perseverance, combined with the more
gentle virtues of tendernesS; humanity, and amia-
bility. Adversity seem-^d to have no power to dis-
hearten him. His character was pure, and we have
no reason to doubt that he was in heart a sincere
Christian. In the past history of our country, there
are but few names which are entitled to stand so
high on its roll of fame, as that of the Chevalier de
la Salle.

THE END.

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