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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 NoinilKKN ImHANA II|>I'(»UI. ri'ltl.lC AllHN N(i I The St. Joshph-Kankaker PORTAGE. ITS LOCATION AND USE BY MARQUETTE, LA SALLE AND THE FRENCH VOYAGEURS. BY (JKOHCK .\. IJ.NK'KR. S^:(■ltK^AU^ ow iiik SdciK'iv sor'rii ni'.sw Indiana. i'rBi,isiii:i) \\Y Till'. S()(•II•:T^' .MA\ I. !S!»!). )V I'OKTAUK I.AXIUXCi oN TllK ST. JOSKl'H KIVKl! KiMiii skeli'li by I'liiil St'Bniii Hfitiuill, I'aris. MmMM THE ST. JOSEPH .KANKAKEE PORTAGE. ITS EO(\\TIO\ .\\l) ISK i;V .M.MK.XKTTK. I..\ SAf.EE. AND THK KI:K.\(MI \( )V A( i KlliS. I'lV ( ;i:(iH(;k .\. Uaki'.i; Read before Uie Society. July b, 18&7. yaeouje. Tryz^xruuey^^ Sliorlly ar'cf Easier Sunday. ItlT'), the >ick and di.slirartcncd prirst. Fatlicv .Iacourees of the Kankakee. The basins of these ponds are still clearly delined. Early in December. lliTH. Ea Salle with lleniu'pin. Tonty and others, journeyed (ucr this jiorta^'e on tlieii' way to the Illinois country. It seems vei-y probable tluit .Mloue/. used it also. i)Ut this is (huiied by some authorities. The earliest mention of this historic route is fouml in the writing's of Father Eonis Hennepin. Henrv de Tontv and «?f^j^<5{^ \. Api)leton"s Cyclopedia of .Viiiericaii Hioorapiiy: Subject. .\bir(|UOtto. 2. Uiver of tlu^ Muiinis. T!\o M"aniis lllver. St. J()se])irs r.ivi'r of the Lakes. St. .lose])hs Rivt^r. Hiji- St. .btsepli i;ivei' of Eak(! .Michi- ffan. St. .lose]»h 1 liver. 286601 Rrnr IJobcrl riivclici'. Si. mm- dc L;i SiiIIc' wli.i lir.st i.iadc use of it as slatt'd above in Dccciuhcr. ICiT!'. Wean- led t«» liclicvt'. liow- t'V(M'. Iliat liOiiis .lollicl. conipanioii i)f .\lar<|iict tc and (•(t-disciivcrcr of the .Mississij)|)i. ioicw of ihi> poiMa;;.' as cariv as lllT.'i. In the caflv days tiio rt'^-ion in tlic vicinity of tlic ixuMairr. tlic valleys of the St. Joscpji and tlif Isankaivt'c. alxtiindfd in a {jfi'cat variety of fni'-hcarinu' animals. It was well known anion*;' tlio Indian Irdx'son account of its cNcdiciu-c as a limit inu- uiNauid. Antoinc de la Motlic Cadillac wriliiiLi-of the lower l*cninsula of .Micliijijan in ITOl. says: ••There are -o many \a>^t |irairic> dotted with woods, thickets and vines where the waters of the streams keej) tlie shores always ^-rt'eii and the reaper iia- left immowii the luxuriant <;'rasses which fatten hutTaloes of enoiniou.s si/.e." The plain alonn^ the eastern i)ank of the St. ,lo>epli river south of Niles. Michigan, was a noted hullalo resort known to the l-'reiich as ''Parcau.N vaches ";and to the Indians a> ••The cow-|)ast ui-e." or ••cow-pens." Furthei- up the river the field west and south of the portaert Cavolier, Sieur de La Salle, was ])orn at lloiien. and his liaptisnial entry reads. "'I'lie l'2nd. Novenil>cr ltit:{, was i)a|)tized llobert ('av(!lier. son of the lloiiorahle .lean Caveliei- and < 'ather- ino (Jeest."' ParUnian. ( iraviei- and Marj^ray traced the surname of de La Salle to an estati' in the nei<>liln)rhood of Kouen. atone time iiossessed by the (livelier family. Tiie ('liristian name lli'm' cannot be iiecouiited for although it mijrht pei-haps In; the name ehoaen at his eonlirination, as is eustomary in the church of Home. 2. Paris Documents, published in Colonial History of the State of Xew York: Vol. !•: i'ao-i" Silo. ;{. "Paroquet"— Carolina l'aro(iuet. I'l^of. Amos \V. liulier, in his work. Hirds of Indiana. Indiana (ieolo-hout Indiana. It was last reported from l\nox County in IS")!*. It is now almost e.xtinct in the Inited States, beiny at pres- ent only found in small numbei-s in Florida and in a f(nv favorable locations in north-east Texas and Indian Territory. ■NIMMMlili in liis work. ••Tln' IJcr liunlci-. "' calls tlir St. .Idx'pli count I'v or llluiij'' the l)anK"> of the >trraiii of tliat name, ■• .\ I'ci.idn ihjit almost merit-' tlie lofty a|)|»<'lla1 ion of the tiarden of .\merica.'- Ffcfc with tlie hull'alo weie fonnd tlie lieaf. the elk. tlie (h'cf. the heavef. till' otter, tlie marten, tlie raccoon, the mink, the mnsk- fat. t lie o])os>inn. the wildcat, the lynx, the wolf and the fo.\.-' ••l-'or a century and a half fur was kine-. ' Here the intn-i urtt i/r An/.s' carried on ihcii' trade' with ;.:reat sut-cess. The i'a|)i iiia|) of 1 (iT I. Hi"« .ini.i.n-.i s MAT ii.:i. 1. < )ak ( )|ieiiin;is. or 'Pile Hi'c-l funter. '.'. Iteniains of all these fiirliearini: aninials have Iteen foinui near the site of Korl St. .loseph. and are now in the collection of the N'orlli- ern Indian!! Historical Society. ;{. The lievinnin>; of the .\ \ II centnry was ri'iiuirkalde for an exo- dus to the western countries ucnefally. In spite of the pro- hiliition deereod hy tlie ess of exchaiiiie with the Indians in the remote i-eyions in the heart of the forest on the lakes and i-ivo-s. In ItiSl. tluse traders had he- eonie so nuiiu'rous that thi^ Kiny eoncluded toyrant them a yenei'al amnesty without reserve. Few returned desi)ito this appeal. Ae- cordiny-to M i\e Denouvillu. not only did these roitimrs uard: -'hake St. Louis." Hayf 2i:{. ■4. 'I'lie artiides of merchandise used hy the I'^rencii traders in cat ryinlankets. cottons, rihhons. lieads, vermilion, tohaceo and si)irituous (M)arse licpuir, 'riii'><(> luifilv si>li> of l''i';iii(r. ;icl Ii;i1('(| only liy the love of ad- Vfiilui'f iiiid liiiiii. srldoiii ki'|i) rccoi'iU i'\rii wlii'ii caiiaMc of do'nM'' -o. llo\\('\rl' i1 doc-. -MTii! \r\-y |(|Mlial)lr thai tlu' sloi'ic^ told 1>V tln'^c atl\ i'dI iiroii> tfadi'i'> I'ct iiniiii;^' Iroiii tlicii' \ai'ious cxoi'di- tioii^ to 1lli•^ riili coiiiili'v. would -ooii Iti'coiin' M-i'iicra! iiropciMv t Iii'oiiii'lioiit till- M'l 1 lenient > aloni^ the St. Lawrence rixer, 'rhece is c\crv rea-on to tliink that they knew the \allevs of tlie St. Jo se[)h and the Kankakee far lictier than th'ir native hunh and were ae(|iiaint cd with ni i>1 of th- trails le.i iinL!,' to t he dilVeren t Indian \illaui"cendc(l and descended the St. .Insenli river ami visited tlie ' mhan \illa;^'es on the K'ankakec Itefore .\hir- (|Uette fonnded tiic mis>ion at Ka-^kaskia on the ll!inoi>. Certain it is that tlie>e ^lowin^' descri|»t ion> of tlii> wc>tern eonntrv l»v tin- rriitri "fs ill /"lis. retnrnin;j,' to .Monti'cal, and from the In- dians, and from th<' r.-port made l»v .lolliet to h'rontenac, the ji;ov- ci'nor ;i'cneral who wa- mo>t favoraWIe io La Salle's enterpi'i-M'. thai impelled hlni to undertake hi^ i;'rcat expedition to plant the/A'//- coniit ry and aloiiLi' tiie Colhei't (.Mississippi) river. Tiii^ country afterwards named Louisiana' in honor of tlie(ii'aml ,Moiiari|nc. Louis X I \' . Ilevnolds in l[i> Pioneer Mistcn-y of Illinois, says: -'Mar (luetic and ' »Hict on their return, made out such a - re- |)ort lliat it set all Canada on lire and also swept over l''ruiice like a tornado. 'The l-'rciich. always cxcitalile. cau^^'ht t he mania and became cra/.y to see and settle the West. This ra;j;"(' for wes1(>i'n enterprise reached La Salle and hound him in its folds diirine- the I'emainder of hi> life. ]. It is said hy ( 'harlevni.x tlial the name of Louisiana was <>'ivcn by La Salle, who ilescenileil the .Mississippi in the year lti^2: bal it is d<)iit)tful whether it can be found in any printeij work before ib'ti- nepin's Description de la Louisiane. printed at I'aris. Kis:;. 'i'liis (•(Mitains a dedication to Louis Xl\'. adulatory in tiie e.xtreine: jind it is believed the name was >ii Veil for the same end. In this work, the .Mississippi is culled t he < 'olbert river, after the Kind's •iivat minister: and the name Sidt^iielay to the Illinois and K'ankakec, after ( 'olbi'ft's son. the .Manpiis de Sci;^nMay. who Inul succeeded Ids father as .Minister to the ( olonies. y 1^^ : \1KV\ (il- I'l ilflAi.l, TliMI. l.uiiKINi. S'lni W I S C l'i;u\| M .InsKI'H lil\Kl( . I Tliiit the rc-rion ol" the |)(trtii«;(' u'a«« For (•I'nliii'ics the liomc of the Indian, is cvidt-nciMi hy tin' t lioiisaniU of iinpci'i-'liablc rclits of llicii" lumdicraft found al tlir iii'cscnt time t liroii<^lioii1 the val- ley of tlic St. .Ios('|>li and Ity liiindrccK of cart li worUs alonjr the IvankaUiM" ,ind tlic »niall streams trilnitary lo it. it is n(»t hard for the student to helieve that man in this i-e;rion was coeval witli thr elo>e of the (llaeial epoeli and run t empm'ary with the masto- don. •' the jji'eat elk and tin' final advance and dui-in^ tlie with- drawal of the ixreut Saijiuaw u;laciei'. tliat the water-slied vvhicli causes the peculiar draina;j;e of our inunediate vicinity was estab- 1. ^See (!olle»'lionsof( liiis. H. Ilartii'ti. Kvcll I', .\lillei-. Hasil Itupei, W 11- liain li. Stover, (lecrf^i' A. liakei-, Cluis. Schiiell and Dr. Ilui'1c^1 and llic \\\n-.\ cnnvciiicnt wav would liavc hcen Known to tlic Indian ;^ui(lc> and have remained in use down to the adsent of the |tci'manent white .settlers. i>. I tliinlv, i|uite obvious. ('ci'tainlv siicli a route would he the one u-v the ritiin iirs ih /mis, rm/tii/i hi-s and otiicis haviny lanocs. hcaw loads of peltries and mercliandise to transport from river to river and would be the one of main travel. .No one will denv that occasionally some li;^htly burch-ned traveler or hunter mieht make tlie poi'tae;e by a lon a '■■reat. Ilat vallev with an area of over si.xteen hundred s(piare nule>. extendine; from the ea>tern i)order of the State of Illinois, northeast to the pie^ent site f»f the city of South lieiid, It i-- a \a>1 expanse of mar>h. bordered by bayous, with little reaches here and tlu.'e. connect in;;' witii in- numerable little pools and spat tei'-doik ponds, which extended throue'hout the oo/v, bo^-e-y soil ; and except on occasional small sand islands and dotted pieces of woods in favoralilc localities alon;;' the banks of tlic river, it is dcstiliit.' of tind)er, aifordin^' an un- ol)structcd view f( •• miles. 'riirouii'li this il )wc(l the sinuous Kankakee. ( the Theakiki of the earlv Kr<'nch explorers.) drainine- this l)road valley into the Illinois and thence into the .Mississippi river. Professor .John fj. (.'ampbell, Chief I'iiio-incer of the comnns- sion appointed by the 'lencral .\>send»ly of the State of Imliana. Api'il 11 , ISSl, to rcpiM't on t l;c impr(»vemcnt of the K'ankakco river states in his memoir to the (lovcrnoi': ••The broad valley of the Kankakee marsh is doubtless the result of elacial action. At the close of the eiacial period we may suppose that a shallow river extended from bank to bank of the valley. This stream had an averao-e fall of one and tlircc-tcnths feet to the mile: and a con- s(>(pient vclo<-ity rapid cnou;i,h to take up the particles of line sand and carry them forward. The retardation alone- the bordei's would caus(> the deposit of the sand, and thereby make the stream moi'c 1. \'ia Chain Lakes and till' (Irupcviiie Creek. II lUiiTDW 1)V lilt' loi'iual ion id' l»;iiiks. 'Plic Mai'i'owcd and (l(>t'|i(Mi('(1 sti'cani would luivc an inci'i'astMl vclocil y and licnci' ot lie)' masses of sand would be taken up by llu' cun'cnt and carried foi-ward to I'onn obstructions in tlie i>-(>nera] direction (>•' How. Followinji; the Ihus of least resistance, the channel would l)e divei'ted from its original direction aiul would chanti'e from sti'ai^'ht to ci'ooked and continue to chan^'e so lon^' as the velocity was too u-rcat for the stability of the sand bt'd ovei- which .he river Hows. |}y these ui'ocesses doubtless the I\ankakee with its two tliousand l)ends was formed. " It was almost as easy to ascend as it was to des- cend, so sluu'gish was its current. It could be navi^'ated as easily as a shallow lake, niakini;- it a most (h'siral)le route for returning I'oi/iDii iirs heavily laden with their loads of i)ulky ])eltries. Tiu' Kankakee was always a well detined river, and thougli crooked and shallow in many |)lace>. it was plainly (li.';t inguish- al)le from th.e creeks and l)rooks which emptied into it. Mr. Jacob IJitter. Mr. IJoliert (i. Cissne and otlu'r wrll known settlei's of St. Joseph County state that at cei'tain seasons boats could l>e easily launclied north of the nuiin elianiu'l of tlie Kanka- kee, thus sliorteuing the poriage by a mile or more. I want to call particular attention to t his e\ idenc(^ a^ it harmonizes witli the description of the portage route as given in the writings of Hen- nepin and T.a Salle, who state indirectly that the portage was longer during low water and sliorter during high water. The gov(>rnnient survey of St. .losepli County. ISiJS-lSHd. clearly (h'lines t lie outline of the Kankakee mai'sh. Imnu'diately to the nortii it nuirks the (•onliue^ of the semi-wet territory, and still furtlier to tlie north, tlie oidline of the dry prairi(\ whiei: is now known as part of (Jerman townsliip. The township immedi- ately south of (ierman i> I'ortage. so called becaus(> the portage passed through it. The dry prairie was surrovmded on the west, north and east by the origiiud forest of white and black oak and hickory. On tlie southi adjoining tlie semi-wet territory were seattereil clumps ol ald(M> and willow i)ushes and slirubs as wcM'e native to siicli soils. The dry prairii> extended west from the portage landing on tlie St. Joseph I'iver. two and one-half mllfs. and two and on.'-(piarler miles fi'oni tlie eastei'n verge of the prairie, or to aiiout a line nortii and south betweer. sections seven and eight, and sections thirly-one and thirty-two noi'th. 12 \IK\V Ol- lM|iiAi;K IK.MI. I.OdKl.Ni; Sol Til WKSl' KKO.M ST. .lwM:i'|| i;i\i:i; .Sllii\VlN(, ASCKNT I'd llHill liUm Ml. I'lolii |ili..l.i;;lii|ili liv M. 1)1111,11. 1 .s.iiilli 11. 11.1. riin<^(' two cast. The timber line bonlcrint;' tins dry prairie ex- tended to the north aeross liir Indiana stat( line into Mieliiiran. On the west and east it e.\to!Ml^.'(l soutli followino- ih" west and east confines of tlic semi-wet prairie and tlie Kankal\e'> marsh. The nearest approacli of tlic cast liiu- of the dry prairie was be- tvv(M'n the north-east and soutli-"--cs1 (piai'ter of section twenty- seven, townsliip tlurty-ei^'ht, nortli rani^'c two cast ; and directly to the west by stuith of tlu^ present I'csidence of Mrs. James R. Miller, makin<;" the distance as ncai' as can be calcnlatt>d. one (|uarter of a mile from tlic portar six hundred acrt's. had these lakes l)een on his route Tht> rcMuains of the fortitied Indian village referred to above wei'e a prominent landmark with the pioneers who s(>ttled in Gernum township. They were located on the northwest (piai'tcr of section thirty-two, township thirty eight north range two cast, about two hundred yards east of the timber lime, and about two hundred yjirds north of the present Michigan road and just to tlie north- east of the old Jessi' Jennings residiMice. These earthworks con- sisted of a mound some eighty or ninety feel ir, diameter and from four to five feet in height. North of this mound was a cir- cular end)ankment about one hundred feet in diameter. To the west from this enclosure was an elevati'd patli or walk leading to 14 i I I, < u siimll podi wliicli liad no iiild m- oiilict. hcinu- supplied uitli wjitor by the spriiiu-s and the rain. Within tlio (.-iivular enclosure, Ml'. Jacoy) Uillei- l)uil1 a eal)in in ls:;(i. In ordei" that those not aecpiainlecl witli the a])pearanee of the eoi.ntry west from the foi-tilied \illaii-e. I will <|uo1e from tlK> field notes of the ( io\erninent survey: TowNsiiii' :!S N. i:. -2 K. Between Section 7 and IS. White and Hurr Oak Timber: '• IS and !!>. Hurr Oak: '• l!t and .'!(). I^ui-r Oak IS and 24 in. in diameter: .'!0 and Ml, Hickory IS ar.d 22 in. in diameter: lit and 2(1, iiurr Oak: :5() and 2!t. I'.urr Oak: " •• 1)1 and ;!2. Hui'i* Oak and Hickory. Fiand roirm}.> and dry. Tow.Nsiiir, :;s X. I J. 1 K. Kast boundary of Section 24, Hurr Oak and Hickory IS to lUl in. in diameter. East boundary of Section 2"). Hun- Oak aiul Hii-kory ; East bouiKkiry of Section ;>(i. White and Black Oak. 22, 24 and ;U> in. in diameter. Land i-ollino- and ch'y. In addition to this d and 27; South 72|- det>;rees: west 11 chains. In Section 27 at four chains, fifty links: a brook twelve links wide, course N. W. South 80 do^'rees: west two chains, fifty links: North 4')^ degi'CM's: west six chains and fifty links ; North 17 degi'oes: west two chains and fifty links. This is the pcu'tajj-e landing of the Kankakee on the W(>st bank of the St. Joseph river. 15 Hi Noiili 17.) ld notes ot" tlie ineaiiderin;j,'s of the St . .losejili river. So there are lo-dav in existence, two distinct dociiniciils locating' tlie exact spot of tlie laiidiii;^' on the St. .loscpli. Tlie following' is a rcdiu-ed copy of the j)!a1 of the town of St. Joseph, as drawn by IJrook- licld. It represents onlv a portion of the plat ; the pai"t pasted to a leaf in IJook -A . 'Plie reinaiiider of the plat has been torn out and lost. '<^^ ^^^y -^-^ ^4^.^: ';f o/tx^ /^ -/?«/ ^7"^.^ The Sou'li r>eiid Daily Tribune of .laiiuary 2(1. ISK,"). speakino- of the rccordiiie' of this old plat, says: ••One fact i-onnectcd with the i-ecordiiiir of this first town, is of u'reat importance as ii link in history: foi' it establish(>s beyond (piestion the exact location of the old [lortao-,' ,,r the St. Joseph river: the spot where La Salle landed in 1(17!) In the Deed liecord of the County Itecordcr's office, iiook A, and on [lao'c 1. is a rumpled, mutilated plat of the town of St. Josej)!!, as laid out by William Jirouklield. All is torn 1. Wiiliiun Hrooklicld. u surveyor in tlie jioverniiieiit employ. s(!llle(l in this \YM-\ of ludiiuiii. ami Ituiit, a pioneer home on ihe St. .loseph rivor near th(i portaj^-c landing. 16 au-i.y by tVcM,u,.n1 iKin.llino-. unfnl,li„n- an.l fol.lin- ..f th,. rou-h "iup, ...xcept 11... ,Ktrf ,,;,s1 . I to 11,,. b , ,1,, u-hicii roMtiti... tin. nv"- <'"d: and tluMV n.ay hr s.mm, plainly indira1<.,l l.v i...n-n.arks. a1 ^''•' P"i'>t (farll.rst uvst, uMhmv thr str.an, rur^.s lo^vanl th.- noi-Ui. 11„. porta-v of ll„. Kankakv,.. h is in th.- ,.MM,t,.r of lot 4 • The arlicl,> c.niinnrs as rnllows: ••Xu,]oul,t ll.is lirsl .sucv..y<.r <'f«'urnM.inn. att.-art...! I.y tl... striking. u,,„tv of this spot ; kiunv- iM„ the scil of St. Josopli c.unty. f.,n(lly ,lr.-anird of buildinj.- \u>vv a memorial in th(> shape ,)f a t(uvn of a lat,-r-day civilizat i,.n. ■' The portao-o landino-, Nu-aL-d and r(>c(Mitly v,.riti(.d by a sur- v.'y made fr.mi Bror)kli,.lds field notes, is just to the east of the I'ij-- red barn, on the Miller property, south of the r.>sid,.M,-,.. and at the foot of a beautiful ravine deelininir uviitly from th,' hiu-}, K-round. At the water's ,.duv. stn.t.-hin,-' back at least one lunul- red feet, is a low sandy terrae(> ,)f reee.it formation. The ap- proach to this pieturo.s(p)e ravine is oi)scuve and hard to locate from the river: th(. view b..ino- obstructed by the foivst trees. Many of the oriu-inal trees are still standin is eslimated as at least eiglit hundred years and wa.s fjuite a tree at the time of the discovery of the continent. A white oak of about the same girth, which stands in its vi.-inity. and whose growth would b,. more ra[)id. has b,.en estimated at from four hundred to four hundivd and fifty years of ag(.. The trunk of the old ct'dar. which stands just at the enti-ance to the ravim^ and vcM-y close to the old water line, has been covered by the sand and soil washed from above, to a dcptli of between seven and eight feet. In fact a iiuml)er of neighboring trees have been similarly covered. R(>eently, June, 1S97.- tlie soil around the I. This arti(de wii.s written l)y Richard H. Lyon, of South Heiid, Ind. 'i. Thia old cedar was uncovered by Otto M Knoblock and the writer. 17 old ri'daf wtis rciiutvi'd and tlir mcii-^invtiu'iils as stated wciv iiuido. As llie trunk was laid baiv. tlicrc was revealed soniothinj^' that liUG been lost to vi(>vv for a hundred years or more. Throe <;-reat blaze-niarUs. t'orinino- a rude eross, nuidc^ by a wido-bliided axo,' such as weiv in common us(> in the French colonies. Flere was wliat we had suspected, on(> of the wittu'ss tives nuirUed no no d,oubt in tlie early days to locale the poi-tao-c landino;. The blaze-marks are wide and deep and show u-reat a^'c. It is well 1)1(1 cedar lit porta>jri' luadiiiK ^f wilier ruilu blazed cross. known that the red cedar is among the slowest of woods to decay, owino- to the preservative qualities of the resin it contains. 1 need hardly say how long ago these uuirks were placed upon this tree. It was certainly many decades ago: and it is very probable that this was one of tlie trees marked by Father (iabriel. who was at the portage with Hennepin and La Salle in l(i7!(, and who it is stated by Hennepin, in his ••Description de la Louisiane." marked several trees so that it would be easier to find the portage. William Brookfield in runnina- his section lines crosses the I. La Salle's party no doubl had with them shipbuilder's wido-V)lai.ed axes. See FI. W. lifckwitirs arlicle: '* F.and of the Tllini." 18 1 p«>i'1:iuv trail t.. tli,- Kaiikak,.,. an. I .•a.vlully hutr. its position ami lii|. ;;s, Noiij, lianwv L' ,as1; al II rliains. !i;; link. ; a n.a.l .-oursr >oiit li- w.-si . -■ ^'" '•:iri was ;ii the point as located in Hrooklield's notes, and the |)atli led t(» the south-west to a little lirMncli of the Kankakee. Whou ask.>d if he knew of any Indian trail Icidin- west from tlieold earthworks on the .lenninys place, nesajd: " I hidlt my little cahin in the cinmlar enclosure in |s:;n: iiv.-d there for se\t'ral years, and then moved one nule north, where I huilt ,i more permanent r<>sideiice. I am perfectly familiar with all lie- eountry thereahout-: knew all my neiyhhors. jind I never savv or heard of a portaj^c trail Icailiiij^' west to Chain hakes.'" 2. .\Ir. Kohci-t (; ('issue, who has resided on I'orlai^c I'rairie since |s;:|. said that the porta-^c landin;^- was directly east of tlie residence of .lami's K. .Miller. "It was on the west hank of the .St .Joseph river, at the foot of a natm-al ravine. I hauled the ellecis of a l'"r<'ncli trader from this point over the old trail to the laiidiiii^ on the Kaidvakee in |s:!i. | know n((lhin<'- of any ti-ail to the (irape- vine oi' Chain Lakes, and do not thitds here was one. There was a trail leading soutli fi'om Leopold I'okajion's villa;^e. on the ed;;v of .\liehi Town. ' 19 RANOt CxPLANATfON. =s iNDICATt OlO RoAOS ChoSSING 5LCT10N LiNts OcTwtCN Stc's,33ANo4^— 8anoI7. The Historic Portage Trail of La Salle and Charlevoix. 20 ■ Witter; Mrs. (icnrui. Witter:' .Mi', .hic.tl. ('ripe:' Mr. Wiliiiim ( ». .laek.soii and l>y iiiaiiy nlliei- well icpli river: and no j)ioneei' settler in St. .losepli Comity lias kiiowled;;e ol" any otlier one Hence we are led to lielieve that tliis trail, so car*'- fnlly outlined when tin' eoiiiitry was iinelian^^cd and aiitlienlicalfd by livin<^ witnesses, the shortest, the most convciiient at all seasons, one vvitii very few oltstacles and which liarnioni/.es in every particular with the (h'seriptions by the earliest writciN. was the one use foi' aji'es and tlie one that was traversed bv tlie earlv e.Nploi'ers and inissionai'ies and by tliein made liistorie. In llie .lesuit Kelatioiis de la Xouvelle l-'i^ancc. 1»!7.'! ItlT."). (ori;j,'inal liy Claude Dablon pr<'served at the Colh-u-c Ste. Marie at M(Miti'eal). there is an account of Mar(|Uet tes death, but no indii-a- tion is cuiiitry liy lln' ufsltTii >.i(lf of tilt' laUt'. Ill tlial ca^c lliry iialiiiallv n>r(l. in ;^<>iii;i'. llic Clii vH'U> itortujic. and wmilil natnrallv ii>f. in I'ct iiniiim'. llic St. Jo sc|ili |Mirta;^t'. Slill tlifV cnuld |»a>>>- n.trlli liy Iln' ('liiiaj,!' |Mti't ay".', and inakr llic liicnit of I lie >oiii licni ciii'vcof Ilic lakf. It s^'tMll^ |)os«Niltlr that .Mai'(|nrl tc did tlii-. Init |irolialilt' that lit' \\t nt rmrlli l)\ llic oilier portaLi't' i St . .lo>r|»l I I \'r!'V t nilv. .Il ^TIN W'iNSoU. To Ceo A . liaUcr, Soutli IJriid. Ind In rradin;^' llii-^ >tatc'ntMit we niii^t hear in mind that lln'rc is prohaldv lo dav no om- who i^ l»cttrr informed reo'ardinj;' the early liistoi-y of Anieriea than Mr. \Vin>or. His o|tinloii as to the use of our St .losepli ri\i'r |»;(rlau'i' l»y Marijiiette on his return \o\aiie in li'iT.'). i> shared l»\' •>iieli eminent authorities as Mr. .loliii (iilliiai'V Siiea : Hon. 'riioiiias W'eadock. author of the Life of Mar- (jnette; l)\- Mr. ("harles (Ireeii, Serretarv (>( the Mielii ."(L'ti. savs; --He seems to have taken the wav l)\ the St .loseph's river and reached thet'astern shore of Laki' .Miclii;L;'un. aloiij.:' wliicli he had net vet sailed.' Mr. Tiiomas We. (dock, in his -Life of Mar(|Utdte. " says, after •^pcakiiiu' (if t!;" i";iundin^' l»y Marcpudtc of the Mission of the Ini- mucnlate Coiicepi ion i.f tlie Hlessed X'irein at K'askaskia: '-The ohject he iiati cherished for vcars was attained he had founded the Illinois mission. His work was done: he was ready to die. Hut he wished Iodic amono- his bi'elhren. with the rites of holy church: so he set out on his return voviijj,'e. <;'oin*;' hv St. .losej>li s rivei- and the eastern .■^llore of fiake Michi;!;aii. (Jraduallv liis streMi!;lli failed, and at last he had 1(» he lifted out of the canoe when they stojjjxHl for the niolit. He calmly contemplated the approacliint^' ehan^'e with that pious serenity which became a Clivisliun missionary. It is a characteristic of u-reat nnnds. whtdher pau-aii. philosojiher oi- Christian man. that they (an so i>2 '""'^ '<|M.,. H.s.fl, vvitlinut IVar. IV, v M,,r.,„Pl t. >,,n| f his ,„ I"'"*""'""-' ••'"'■ '""I ;i-'^'- l'i> iitt.-n.l;.„u i„.trn..tM„.. s.. ..; ',. 'lM'.Vtl..M.u.|„ Im. u;,. s,M.al.i.,.o|;.no,l,..r .\V;,r . In- ,„■, „„ ., "Ml"- Sh...,,in.- i;.,.,.. on tin. l.;n,l.> nf ulml ,s m,,,.. kn..u„ as I '•'••' .Man,n..n.. ri\..r. |„. ,li,.,|. May l>, I.;;:., ayv.l ;;s yars ' Near llir |,la,-.. ,,r |,i. ,l,,,t 1, l,r ua> hiiri.-l l.v |,is Uv;, l.ni'.,. L'' lol '••^'"'■"^ "'"•" ""> |'n.r....,|r,| |nrl..n,ly nn thrir .,uvu,'s U> the Si raits. Tun y-ar^ arirruar.l> a paiiy nl K-i.k;,k,,„s. r,.nn..r .li-.,i,,h.>. nf Maninrtl... >nn-ht ..,,1 his u-rav... I'larino hi. hu,„.. i„a l.inh I'ox they ivwivinly ,mmi v..y,.,l th.-m i,, Si. lu-nar... Ill -'i liist..ry <.r |;,.,Tirn ronntv. .Mi.hio;,,,, ,M,l.lishr,| in | »(, l.y I). W. Knsiu.,, A- Co . „r rhihHh.|,.hia, s|-..akinu- ,.r Man,,,,! t,.'. liist v.yaMvaii.l t !..■ ,.stal.ii>hii,..ni of hi. mission. uvli,Ml: •Ahoni ""'"'''''"''"'■ ■M"'il •"•>'■' "lit. a,-...,ii|.,:i:i,.,i |,v hi> two Kn.,ir|, MUM). I'i.M-n. an.l .iacpir.. and with x-vcr; ,'lian -ni.h.s. to ^-o '"' '''''^■'; ■^'''••'i.Uiin l.y a (lillnvnt roul.- iVoni th .1 nnc uhi.l, h.- ha.l |)uss.'(| in lii.s |.ivvi..n. joiM-nrys. intm.lin- to .strike IIm- hike on its caslrrn si.h- an.) to pass n..i't liu ard al.-nu thai sh.nv to Mi.-hiili iiiiickiiuic, Tlir si.k prirsl and Ids party to,.k llrir uay up Ihr '"'""'^ '■'\<''' ^" ""' '"-""li "f iIh- Kankak -... an. I tlM-nc'. np th.. latlcr slivani 1.. a point near its hrad. \vIm.,v they landr.j and '■r<..ss(.(l a ix.rlaov of liv,. orsi.x miles in l.-nnth, u'hi,.h l.i-onnht tlu'in to tlir uat.«rs.,f a stivani to vvhicli tli.-y oav,. tl„. nani.~..f •liivci'of the Miamis.- hc-ans,. ih,.y found tlir principa of that Indian tribe located a sJK.rt distance south of it.' • . 'n I'liice wlieiv tlie Jesuit and Ids followers readied the St. .I..sc| i Kiver of the .Miainis) is near the present city of South IJeinh hid ana. and from that point they passed down tlie river in their '•aii.u's toilsmoutji. where tlie villa-v of St. Joseph now stands.' Mr. i:. II. Clark, in the Catholic World. \'ol. .W'j.. pan-,. !!. .says of Manpieltes return: -Takiiiu- tlie way of tlie SM. Josephs river and tlie eastern slior,> of Lake .MichiMjni ■ .-tc Mr. ("harles (Ireen says: ••! think there is iiodouht hut that Mar(piott(> (h>scended the St. .Joseph river on his return from his last voya Indian "[uidrs were lauiiliiir with this route, and Ion;; Unew ol' tlic easy iiccess to I lie eastern >hores of Lake Michiejan l»y way of tlie Kankakee and the j»ort- a"c lo the St. Joseph river, and in their solicitation for in iiealth told him of the beauties tif this route and of the abundance of '-iinie: and reineniberiny; the ice bound c(»a>t .ind the scarcity of food alon<-- the Chicago route, the sick and dislu»iirtened priest was easilv won over to the advisability of taking' this route The weight of lestinioiiy of the be^t authority, is that .\hir- (|uettc made use of the St. .loseph-K'ankakec portage. H lias been su^'y,ested that when the Northern Indiana His- torical Soi'iety murks with a inonumciit the historic hio;liway. via the luinkakee and St. Joseph river, the name of the illu>ti-ious Jesuit be inscrilied thereon with the name of the brave explorer. La Salle. The main events sub.>e(|ueiit to Li Salles advent on Tjake .Micliioan.' it is to be presumed, are known to most of us. Hence I will conline this article to (h'tuils l)eai'in^' more or loss on Lake Michi more particularly interested. H. W. Beekwith. meml)tM' of the Chicago Historical Society, in an article on -'Land of tlu> lllini," says: •• La Salle's canoes, (which had Ikmmi loaded with the foro-c. bellows, anvil, blacksmith tools, iron for nails, an outfit of ship's earpontei* and joiner tools, a pit-saw for sawin»>' planks, with arms and merchandisi'). with fourteen nu'n and tlii'ee missionaries, havinti' coasted the west shore and southern trend of Lake Michiijan. ari'ived at. the St. Joseph rivei'on Nov. 1st. 1(I7!I. Here they should have met fienry de Tonty, the second in conunand, whose division was to conit' by the eastern shore of the lake, the much shorter route. He hud been sent up to th(> trade and mission post at the head of the Sault St. Marie, to catch and brin<;' in two men who hud run uwuy fi'om service. This work and a series of mishaps, needless liere to recount, detained him and seriously delayed the whole e.xpedi- 1. See }\irk)nan's Dlseovery of the (Jreat West, and Spark's Life of ( 'hevalier de La Salle. S4 tion Wl.il.. wiiili.iu^ r.„. T..nty. I.u Sail viipird his hmmi in l)uil(liiiu- a slorcli.Mis,. and fort' on liic mMvii of a san.lliill that skirted the soiilh.-rn sliorr of the rivers ni .nth. to >e-ve lor u seeiirity for th.' (Irillin.' uith il„. mi|. plies it wus to hrin;^^. us well us a place of relii^re l\.r lli.- mm in case of need. 'Hiis work was called Kort Miairn. To assure a safe harbor for the vessel. Til Salle sounded the riv.-r mouth and marked its either side with two tall poles will, bearskin i)endaiits and with Imk.vs ull alonj;. Filially t(»v/ards the last of November. Tonty came with all his nien;aiidon December third, the united force, iiumberinjr t went v ci;^'ht all told, and eiuht canoes, be^an the ascent of the St. Joseph. Koni- men were left behind ; tw<.' at the fort to^ive notice in case the Inwpiois sava^vs invaded the Illinois country, as F^a Salle feared. The other two. Nicolas Laurent, nicknamed \ai ChajM'lle. and Noel le IJIanc. a ship-carpenter, were to <»-o back lookino- for ilu> (irini,, as far as .Mackinac, and if they found it. to inform the pilot of the arrunirements and assist him in tniidinir the vessel into the harboraj^e named. After tlie portage from the St. Joseph was made, and the Kankakee and Illinois rivers were coui'sed, the voyaeors came to the e-n-at Illinois villao-e that skir- ted the northern shore for nearly two miles down toand ojiposite le Koelier (the rtu-ks, or Starved Rock.)" Kiic sliiiilf ol ■.ijfiialiiic ti) iIcimI Hiitliii at I In- iiiwutii iiT iii.- .i| ., !.■..•, ,li l{i\ it Iici'omiIht :.', liW2 wlit'li l.iiHiillr I'lHivi'.vrd i-i'ilniii laiiriM lo M. Aiwiiult. ' ' 1. A lireastwork of liewn lojcs. enclosing,' a space eijifhty by forty feet. whi«'h for ;^i'eiitt'i" .secnu'ity was surruinnii'd by palisades. 800 Hen- nepin's Description de la Loiusiaiie. 2. La Salle's vessel was iianmd the Grillin. in coinpliiiient to the Coimt de Froiitenac. the (Jovernoi" of Canada, whose armorial bearings were adorned l)y two <;rininH as supporters 3. This is aceordiny to the statement of Le ('lei'C(|. Hennepin does not mention tins fat.'t, and it is not prol)able that so small a number would have been left at the fort, exposed to the attacks of roviny savages. There seems to be no <,'-ood reason for (luestioninj^ the accuracy of lfennei)in's narrative, coneenuny La Salle's first trip on the St. Joseph river. l*\)rty-two years afterwards, Charlevoix traveled over the .same route and his description of natural objects, the course of the river and distances, ayree very closely with that of !• ennepin. 25 Ill I III r.a Sallos |)iirtv winch iis.viid,.,! Ihr SI. .loscpli rivi-r is vari^ nusly .'stimat.'d l.y.lim.iviit a.it lu.rit i.'S. at r,,„ii 1 wnity riu'l.t to tliiNy Conr. K,.li„ui,iu-. | o'lvr tl.cir names s.i far as can' l.c'iscor- tiiiiied: IJtMK' (Johcrt rav(>li(M-. Si(«iir (|(. La Salic. <'''"Vi'li.T Henry ,1c Tonty. I.u Salic s Li.Mitciiant. an hali:.. I',v l.inli. who had l.ccn for several years in the FrciK^l army and had lost a haii,^ in th,> s,>rvic.>. ||c was a sc... "!■ the u-rcat (inaiicier who invented the Tontine, a method of life insurance, adojitcd in j-'raiicc. <»>'>-<>"i"la-'ne,h i wee- vvve-le-meek , a Moher Louis F^eiin(>pin. neither fiahriel de la [Jihourde. I'^ather Zenolie Menibrc. relio'ioiis teacher. Joan Russell (La liousseliere , La SaUe's part ner at La Chine Ahehel Accault (Ako,. afterwards a trader. •'<>'"' '•'•aiicis IJourdon. afterwards Sieur dAntrav a son of •'•>lin Uourdon. Attorney (ieneral and Chief Ln-nneer of Canada. " Anthony Auo-uclle. (|>i,.ard du Cay.) Ktieiine Renault, the Parisian. Ui Violette. of Lyons. Moyse Hilleivt the master ship huilder. •I'-aii le Mire, a ship carpenter. •'>-'i" Mi.'Ileor. ,r.a Korue). the nail makcM-. Andrew Ffenaull. Colin Cre\-ell. Nicholas Crevell. Mi'hol IS liaurent. •liieipies Messier. -loan Ri( heon. Martin Chart Xieholas I) Joan La C ler uplessi,' roi.x. Michel Maril.ault. Bois clArdeoiie. 26 ;f<'l'" 'J'l'nary Slu-a, on pa^v tluv. hundro.l un.i tuvnUMlnvo '•< Ins work, .n1ilh.,l -11,. Calholu- ('hu.vl, in Colonial Duns' ^.r. l.;7!. 1 hr.u- up a ru.lMor, and in i1 '•"•'^ ^^ ''^"•'^' '•"'»"• II'" iirsl Catholi,. Clnir..!, in 11,. louvr penin- sula ot .MiHu^an. Il was apparent ly .l..,li.ah..Mo S,. A nihonv of ' '"l"a, as In. had promised on thr voya-r to dcdiral. tl,,. 'first '■liapcl to that saint." Torontinu,. th(. narrative of this trip, | u-iil rrvirw the v.r- s.ons la.mhar to .\nn>riran n-adrrs: ritin^ lir.t Iron. .In.tin Win- sors ••Cartiei- io Krontcnac' pane L'dl. -On n.-cMnhrr :\n\. KIT:. La Sail, with riu-ht cano.s and tliirty-llir.M. men, start..] np tin. St. .los.ph riv(>r. Th.r,. was "'*^'""- ^" '■'"''"'• ^'""'" i" ""• str.t.h of dr.arv li.l.js and bar. wnod.s which lin.d th. riv..rs <.hann.l. His an.xi.t v nbont th. (.rdhn weio-hed him down t Iirouu'lmnt th. s.v.ntv sad'n.ih-s For a whil,. h. .h.spair.d of lindin.' th. portao-.; at last it was di.s.ov- rr.d. and th.r. was ;. s.vere haul owr liv. niil(>s ..f slill.m.d ooz. When th.y once mor. lannehed th.-ir ran.u-s ,.n Il„. Kankakee, tlicy slipp.vi alono- with ti„. w..|<.,nu. current throuuh op.m prai- ries." •-'II From Winsors ••Xai'rativ. and Triti.al Flistorv of .\nu>ri.a.' Vol IV. I'ao-. 21^; ,,,|ition L^S L •■Th..y now toovth.r w.nt up the St. .To.s.ph River and. .rossino- th.' porta.uv. lann.h.d th.ir canoes on th. Kankuk... ' On pan-. 2."). Mr. Winsor in his work •Th. .Mississippi Lasin '' says: --In th. south.ast ano|. of th.. lake ( .MicliinM,i ), wa>thc portao-,. of the Si. .|..scph riv.-r. whi.-h La Sail.- was mu.-h a.-.-us- toin.Ml 1., trav(.r>,.. Tlu«r.. was by it ab..ut lour mil..s ..f , arriaov t.) th(> K'ankakce." Fi-ancis I'arkman in his •• l)is.-ov.>ry .)f the (-'r.-at W.sl." says : ••H.'. (La Salle) push...! on. how.\ .'r, .-ii-clino^ ar.um.l th. s.)iith.rn sh.>r(. of Lak(> Michigan, till h,. r(>ach..7 hand and tho streams' would soon be frozen. The men clamored to o-o forward, uruiiiii- that they should starve if they could not reaeh the villasre of the Illinois before the tribe scattered for the winter hunt. La Salle was ine.\orablt>. If they should all desert, he said. he. with his Mohe^'an hunter and tlie three friars, would still remain and wait for Tonty. The men grumbled, but obeyed; and. to divert their thoughts, lie set them at building a fort of timber, on a I'isino- trround at the mouth of the river. '•They had spent twenty days at this task, and their work- was well advanced, when at length Tonty apjieared. He brought with him only half of his men. Provisions had failed; and the rest of ills party had been left thirty leagues l)ohind, to sustain themselves by hunting. La Salle told him to return and hasten tliem forward. He set out with two mi'n. .\ violent north wind arose. He tried to run his canoe ashore through the breakers. The two men could not manage their vessel, and he with his one hand could not help them. She swamped, rolling over in the surf. Guns, batju'aov and i)povisions were lost: and the three voyagers returned to the Miamis. subsisting on acorns by the way. Happily, the men left behind, excepting two deserters, succeeded, a few days after, in rejoining the party. •'Thus was one heavy load lifted from the heart of La Salle. But where was the • (irittin? " Time enough, and more than enough, had passi'd foi- her voyage to Niagara and back again. He scanned the dreary horizon with an anxious eye. No return- ing sail gladdened the watei'y solitude, and a dark forboding gathered on his heart. Yet farther delay was impossible. He sent back two men to Michillimackinac- to meet her. if she still existed, and pilot her to his new fort of the Miamis, and then pre- pared to ascentl the river, whose weedy edges wert> already glassed with thin flakes of ice. On the third of December, the jiarty re-embarked, thirty- three in all. in eight canoes, and ascended the chill current of the St. Joseph, bordered with dreary meadows and bare gray forests. When they approached the site of the present village of South Bend, they looked anxiously along tlie shore on theii' right to find the portage or path leading to the head(|uarters of the Illi- nois. The Mohegan was absent, hunting; and, unaided by his practiced eye, they passed the jtath without seeing it. La Salle 28 I 1iiii(1(h1 to sciuvh tlie woods. Hours passed, and he did not re- turn. Hennepin and Toi^ty <.iv\v uneasy, diseinbariced, bivou- aclced, ordered ^uns to be lii-ed. and sent out men to .seour the coiuitry, Niu-ht came. I)ut not their lo.st leadei-. Multled in their blankets and powdered by th(> Ihiek-I'allino' snow Makes, thev sat ruefully specuiatino- as to what had befallen hinr. nor was it till four oV'lock of the next afternoon that they saw him approach ing alono' the maru'in i^f th(> river. His face and hands were be- smirched with charcoal: and lu> was farther decorated with two o])ossums. which huno- from his belt, and which he had killed with a stick as they were swingino- head downwards from the bouo'h of a tree, after the fashion of that singular animal. He had missed his way in the for(>st. and had been forced to make a wide circuit around the edge of a swamp:' while the snow, of which the air was full, added to his perplexities. Thus he pushed on throuo-h the rest of the day and the greater part of the night, till about two o'clock in the morning he reached the riv(>r atmin and liivd his gun as a signal to his party. Hearing no answerinu- shot, he pursut'd his way along the baid^.when he presently saw the oh>ain of a tire among the dense thickets clost' at hand. Not doubt ino- that he had ft)und the bivouac of his party, he hastened to the spot. To his surprise, no human being was to l)e seen. [Jndei- a tree beside the fire was a heap of diy grass impressed with the form of a man who must liave tied l)ut a moment befiu-e, foi- his couch was still warm. It was. no doubt, an Indian, ambushed on the bank, watching to kill some passing enemy. La Salle called out in several Indian languages: but there was dead silence all around. He then, with ailmirable coolness, took poss(>ssion of the (juarters he had found, shouting to their invisibh" proprietor that he was about to slet>p in his bed: piled a barricade of bushes around the spf>t, rekindled the dying lir(\ warmed his benumbed hands, stretched himself on the dried grass and slept undisturbed till morning. The Mohegan had I'cjoined tlu^ party l)(>fore La Salle's return. and witli his aid the portage was soon found. Hei'e the party encamped. Tax Salle, who was fatigued. occu])ied. together with Hennepin, a wigwam covered in the Indian manner with mats of 1. Evidently the swanij) near Mishavvaka. Tndi.ana, four miles aljove South Bend. 29 I'cod. Tlic cold t'oi'ccd llioni 1o kindlr ;i lii'c. wliicli Itcl'drc duy- biviik set the iiials in ;i l)l;izi': and llic two .--Iccpcrs narrowly escaped Ix'ing burned alonji' vvitli their lint, In tlip nioi'nini;' tlie party slioiildered tlieii' canoes and l>a<4'- a'au'e and heii'an tln'ir niarcli for llie soiire(>> of tlie lliver Illinois, some live nules distant. Around tlieni strcdelied a desolate plain, half eovei'ed with snow, and strewn willi the sl Miami Indians, who had made this place tlieii- al)>)de. Tliey soon reached a spot where the oozv. saiurated soil (piaked beiu'atli their tread. .\'l around were clumps of alder bu^lles. tufts of raidc ffi'ass and pools of water. In the midst, a dark and laxy current, winch a tall man mij^ht bc>tri(ie. crept twisting- like a snake ainontj the weeds and rushes. Iici'(> were the sources of tlio Kankakee, one of the heads of the Illinois. Th(>v set their canoes on this thi'ead of wat(M-. end)ark-ed t heir lia^'u'aii'e and them- selves, and pushed down the sluo'o'isli streamlet, lookiiii:'. at a I'M tie distance, like men who sailed on land. l-'ed by an uiu-easin^- t ri'>- ute of the spon^'v soil, it (piickly widenc'l to a river: and tliey tloated on tlieir way through a voiceless, lifeless solitude of dreary oak barrens or boundless mar>hes overe'rowr, with reeds. .At nio-ht. tliey built their lire on o-round made lirm by frost and biv- ouacked amoiit^' the rushes. A few days brought them to a moi'e favori'd rejiion ' .Tared Sparks, in his Life f)f •■Chevalier de La Sall(>." savs: '• Having- waited as Ion;;- as prudence would admit. La Salle I'e- solved to n-o forward. Ice had formed in the rivei'. but it was dissolved by a favorable chane'c of the weathei-. On tlie .'Ird of December the wliole party, cnnsistine- of t hirt v-t hree persons, took- iheir departure from the fort in eio-ht canoes and asciMided to the i)orlau-e. The distance was al»out scNcntv miles. .\lthouuh a canoe had before Li'one up the ri\er to search for the portaii'e. yet its e.xact positioi' had not bi'cn ascertained. The Sieur de Lu Salle landed to e.\])lore th(> count rv above, and was ti'one so lon<'- that his companions beuan to be alarmed for lis -afely. While he was wand(>riiii>' at some di.Mauce from the river, hopino- to dis- cover the source of th(> eastern branch of the Illinois, he fell U))on marshy o-rounds covered witli tliick bushes, which compelled liiin to Ink,, a lar^v ci.vnil. uiu] .larkncss owrlook l,i,n on Ins way lie lir(.'"Hl nrarthc'li.va ImmI „r l.avrs. u^nm u-l,icl, a man had Invn ivposm- ,,r„l)al.ly an In-lian. who. starllrd at thr soiuul of tlic o'un. had mad,, a pivripitat.. rscai.... \V(>arv with the fa1i<-U(. of th.. ,hiy. and ..Iii!!,-.! hy thr laliin- snow. La Sal!., at onco cam,' to llu' ivsolution of approprjatinu- il„.^,> .■omiortal.!,. .,ua.-t,.rs to him- self for 11,,. nio'ht. Cuttinn' down th,. hush,.s. an.l .so arranu-nig tlu.m annuxl his litth- ,.ncami.n„.nt that no on,. n,ul,i a],i,.-oa,'h without makinu-a nois.. that would aroiisr him from his slumb,M-s in time f,.i- d,.f,.ns,.. h,. thivw hims,.lf upon th,. ,.ouch ,)f leaws and slept undislurl.,.,1 until niornin- j,, th,. aft(.rno,.n h,. rejoin, .d his ,.,)mpani,)ns. who w,.iv ov..|.i,)y,.,l at his saf, return. Two opossums w,.r,. han-:ino. tVom his Ih.11. whi,di he ha,l lr iiistni,'ti,»ns f,>r th,- captain of th,. (irittin. in ,-as,' he should ai'rive. ^^)r nearly a lmn,lrc,l mil,. s from its sourc,. th,. Kankake," wimis lhr,)uu-|i marsh, .s. which atlor,! ^-rowth t,) lift I,. , .Is,, than tall ruslu's an,l al, I,. rs. .\ mor,. ,l,.solat,. sc,.n,> in th,. mi, 1st of wint,'r coul,] hardlv be ima^'in,.,!. .\ t h.nnih t h,. ,.an,.,.s float,.,! on the wat,.rs of th,' Illinois. aft,.r a voya^',. of thr,.,. Iiun,lr,.d mil,.s by th,. wind- inii's of the KankaK,',. from th,. porla^-,'." l'eyn,»lds. in his ■•rioii,.,.r History of Illinois." pai;-,' 17. says: •■At (irt.en Hay thcCJritlin was load,Nl with furs and s,.nt to Ni- an-ai-a. whil,. L;i Salle, with fourt,.,.n mi.n. start, "d for th,. Miamis, or St. ,los,.ph riv,.r. There th,. pai'ty wait,.d for the iv'turn n\' th,. (Ii'inin. .\t this point La Sail,, built a foi-t . The parly. ,>n the oi'd ,)f l),.,','mber. ,',)nsist ino- of thirty lab,)r,'rs an,l tlir,.e m,)nks. wf.nt u]) th,. St. .I,)s,. ph. cross,.,! the jiortau'c to the Tli,.au- keki, n,>w K'ankak, >,.. and ,lown to Ih,. Illiimis river." 31 Ki'oiii Al»l)t>1ts -Tlic .\(lvcntiir(>s of Clicvalicr dc T^a Sallo and [[is C()ini)anl(»ns/' ])a (|Uo1(': --On tlio Ilrd of Di'conilKM' Ihc wliolc party of tliirty-tlin'o persons, in ei^lit canoes, left l''ort Miami, as La Salle called liis works, and paddled up the riv(>r a distance of seventy miles towards tlie soutli. Con- siderable time was lost in endeavorinji' lo find tlio trail or portage wliicli led from th(> St. .Joseph v'wrv to the head-waters of tlie [\an- kaUee. which is the eastern branch of the Illinois river. At len«,^tli their Indian hunter fouin' the ti'ad; llie men took the canoes and frei<2;lit upon their shoulders and carried them over the portai^e of livt> or six miles, which the Indians had traversed for countless ao'es. Di'earv in the exli-eme was the wintrv landsca))e wl)ic]i now opened before them; the uriMuid was fi-o/.en hard: ice frinjrod tin stream, and the I'at. marshy expanse was whitened witli snow. For nearly a hundred miles the slugjjjish l\ankakee flowed throu^-h a morass which alVorded growth to but little more than rushes and alders " From Sidney [Creese's •• History of Illinois," pa*:je 10'), we take the following'; •' IJy Hennepin's narrative it v^'oidd seem that havinir left the month of the Miamis on the second dav of Decern- bei", KtT'.i, they rowed twenty-live lea}j,'ues (seventy-live mih>s) in u southwest dii'cction. and reached tht> Illinois ( [\ankakee). navi- mU)le for canoes to within one hundred i)ac(>s or its source." IJancroft. in his •• History (if the I'nited States," \'ol. 11.. pa^e 1(>;}, says: •• La Salle, with ijouis Hennepin and two other Fran- ciscans with Tonti. and about thirty followers, ascended the St. Joseph, and after on(> short portagv entered a branch of the J\an- kakee, which connects with the Illinois." "Dimn's Indiana, on pa-o 37, we find this statement: --On the third of D(>cend)(M-, KIT'.I, havinir mustered all his forces, thirty laborers and three monks, aftt'r haviufj;' left ten men to jrari-ison the fort, Ija Salle started aji;ain upon his ^-reat voyage and o-lorious undertaking, ascending tlie St. .los(>phs river in the southwestern part of Michigan to a point where, by a short 32 i I ( portage, they pass t.. the TlioaukiUi. lu.w rorruptcl int.. Kankakoo. a main branch of tlio Illinois river." In an artlHo rntitlcd "Cawlior do LaSallo. wl.i.li appoarcl in the Chicago Times. Fel>. 2r>. 1SS2. we tind the lollowing: •■After great sutlering and many thrilling •.idvcntmvs, they iTachcd the mouth of the St. Joseph rivr. and. after waiting, were j(.in.>d l.y Tonty. whom La Salle liad sent to Saiilt St,.. Ahirie fn.m Macki- naw, to look after his fur gatlier..rs. The :!r.l of IVceiidu'r the ex- pedition began the ascent of the St. .los.-ph river, near the site of the present City of South Hend. Indiana. Th,. canoes, eight in number, were carried acro.ss to the lumkakec," The above citations are about all we have of tiic details of La Salle's first trip through this region, when he made use of our portage, as told by Ajiierican historians. From these accounts it appears that the portage landing was obscur(> and ditticult to lo- cate, and that, wIhmi found, the distance was estimated at twenty- five leagues by some, and from seventy to s(>venty-live miles bv others from th(> mouth of \]w St. Jos(.ph i-iver. and that the port- age was across a vast i)lain, a part of which was a (|uaking, oozy bog; that on the western V(>rge of the plain was located an Indian village; that the portage was variously (>stimated at from four to six miles in length; that the source of the Kankakee was in the midst of a (juaking, saturated soil, all around which were pools or ponds of glistening water, and tliat it was navigable to within one hundred paces of its source. It also appears tluit Francis I'ark- man. the historian, who went over the trail in the year LS4S. graphically describes the portage and the l\ankakee river; also the ponds or pools, which are still in e.\istenc(\ and states in par- ticular that here wei-e the sources of the K'ankakee: all of which harmonizes in every detail with tlie portage as outlined by the Government Surveyor and by the testimony of living witnesses. No other stream was known as the Kankakee at the time of Parkmans visit, nor before, back as far as 1S2S. thi' time of the Government survey.' All the streams in this county were well known by their present mimes. We can hardly believe that a careful writer like i^'rancis Parkman.who verified every statement- 1. But three streams are mentioned by name in the Survey by Brook- field: viz , the St. Joseph rivcj-, tlie Kankakee river and the Grape- vine creek. 2. See fiife of Francis Farknian. ])y Julius H. Ward, published in Mc- Chn-e's Maj,'azine— Vol. II. ])aye IS."). 33 lie iiiadc l)y personally cNiiininin^' cxcry locality lliat caiiic iiilo his stoi'y, could I'vv in this j)articular vital point of the portu^u'. especiall V as tills (lescfiption of tliis jiart of I. a Salle's trip was the cause of liis visit to llii> locality. l-'ort unately. we lia\-e access to the doc inn en ts. the vei-y source from whieli our historians ha\e taken their accounts of La Salle's use of t he |iortau'e: and I will later cite the evidence from tliese docmnents in ordei- that tlio>e wlio are ac(|uainte(l witli the t()pocri|)t ion de la Lou- isiane. par le II. I', liouis Hennepin; I'aris Kd.. lliST. taken from t he volume owned iiy t he ('liicati,() I'uhlic Library. 2. John (lil- mary Siiea's translation of Flennepi'i's •• Docript ion de hi Louisi- ane." of the l*ai'i> Kd., Itis:;. ;}. Kconi Le ('lerc(|'s •■ Kstablisli- menl of the I'^aitliin New l''rance.' I*aris Kd.. ItllM. \. l"''rom Memoir by the Sieur de la Tonti. ••()n tlie Discovery of the Mis- sissij)pi and tlu' Xei^'hboiinu- Nations," by >L de F^a Salle, from t he yeai' 1 ()7s to the time of his death; publislit>d in l-'i-encli > '•Historical Colleetions of Louisiana. " X. Y. \'a\.. L'^IH. .'». ■•l/d Salle's Dairy," library of ("hicau'o Historical Society. (I. From ''Charlevoi.x's Letters. " dated on the St. .hiseph river, .\u;^'ust l(i, 172L and --On the Source of the Theakiki. " Sep1end)er 17. 17lM, to the Madame la nuchesse de Lesdifpiieres, I'acis Kd., 1744. and Londen Ed., 17(i.">: from copies in the Hoston Atheiueum. 7. From Daniel Cove's ••Carolania. " S. j-'rom a ■•.Memoir on the Indian Tribes i>etween F.ake Krie and the Missisippi IJiver," Paris document. 171S. contained in the Colonial History of New York, \'ol. L\'., pa«ie SS'.i. We will also present reproductions of the earlv niajjs on which are traced the St. Joseph riv.-r. the K'.inkakee river, to- ^•ethei' with the location of the portage as drawn by the early writers and explorers. IJefore we can intellio-cntly analyze the several accounts and harmonize them with present day sur\-eys, we must know with some deg-roe of c.-rtainty the e.juivalent of the itinerary <»r linear Freneh league in Knglish miles: for these early writers made use of th(> league in stating distances. ll is remarkable how they were able to estinuite distances; esp(>cially distances on land. 34 I Distaii.vs l.y Will..)- Wwy di,) „oi ..stinuit.' with siid, arciracy. No (louht tli(. cunvnts uiid win. Is had sonuMliiiiu. t,, ,|.. with tlii's: bill (n(Mi tlicsc .'stiiiiat.'s liariiiciii/.. in a niarvrlous douTOf. The l('u<.Hu. in us,, in New Fran,.... and us..,l by La SalU..''H.M.nei.in. Tonty and ('harN.voix. was tlu- ..Id Kn-n. 'li itinerary or lim.ar l('aL' Knu-lish or statute miles. Mr. Keuben (i, Tliwait,'s, Seer,.tary of tli,. Wis.'onsin FJis- torical So'/iely, says, in a n,)t,' on pajjje I'llS. \',)1, |\'., ,,f il,,. m-w edition of ••Tli,. Jesuit Relati,)ns and .Mli,-,! Doeunients' : '-TIh' linear uri),.nt ,.1' I'aris was ISO f,.,.t (variously e,)ni|)ut,.,l at l'r,)ni 1!»1.8:! t,) j'.il'.:; Kno'llsh fe,.t). This was the ,.n,. us,.d in New Fran,-,. und,.r th,. i'nut,n,h ,f. /'./ris. and it still r,. mains the leo-al iiieasur,. in all th,. s,.io-niories ,)r ,\>u,.|),.,.. Tlie (,)u,'l)ec. Dt.partnient of Crown lands. whi,.|i w,' adopt as auth,)rity. translates the arpent into l!n.S5 f,M.1." Parenthetii-ally. Mr.Thwaites stat,>s in his n,.te that ther," are S4 arpents in a Fr,>n,'li Unie-u,'. Wol)ster"s T^iat)ri,l^r,.d Di,-tionarv stales that the 1,'aLnie is a iiwasur,. of liMiuth oi- ,listanee ,.(|ual in Enu-|and and th,> [Jnited States to thr,-,. geoni-aphical miles. Mr. X. K. Dionne. Librarian of th,. liil)li,)th,".(iue de la r/'nislatur,' de la Provinee d,. (^lebee. re<;'ai'ded as th," hio,-hest authority on these matters in Canada, says, in a letter dated Quebec. June 2. 18!I7: To Gko. a. Hakku. '•Dkau Sii«:— After havin.^ consulted pei'sons ,)f treatability on the (luostion.l may state: First. Th,' arpent used in the French Canadian coloni,'s in their early history, was th,' same as the one in use at the present day. S,'c,)n(l. The ar})ent, which is still the leu-al nieasur,. in all the seijruiories of th,' counti-y, the Prov- ince of Quebec, is the arpent de I'aris. e(]ual to ISO /,;>'i/ i(t/ t/f Rui. S4 arpents cjual 1 league. 2S " - 1 mile. ••This is ,)ur legal measur,' in use in all our Province. In France it is quite ditl'erent. Yours truly. X. F. Dionne." 35 Mr. (It'Of^^c M. Wi'onn'. IM-ofcssoi- ol' llistoi-y in the I 'iiivcrsif y of T( troll to, and t'ditorol' I {c view of Historical I'nblicat ions rclat in<'' to CaiuuUi, writes tliat : ••>!. Dionni" may !)»' rc^iardcd us an iui- thority on tlicsc niattci's. " and lie lias consuitt'd otln-rs also. Mr. Douglas lli-ynnicr. I'liblic Ardiivist <»r the Doiiiiuion of ('uiuida. says, in a let fcr dated: Ottawa. May L'dtli. 1S!»7. * * * "Tlicrc wci'c several varieties of lca;j,iic: hut the one that Charlevoix uiidouhtedly meant wa> the ordinai-y league (if SI arpents. That will u-ive ;», (>.'»! plus r)2L'll .'ji'SlMh statute miles. 'S'ou need have no liesilation in assuming- Cliarle voix's league to he 'A. {)'}'! statute or l'in;j,-lisli miles. N'ours trulv. •• |)ol(i|,.\S I)|{VNMK1{. Mr. Jai-ed Sparks, in his ••r.ife of Father .Mar(piet te. ' also in Ins ••l.ife of liU Salle," estimates that the lea<<;ue was eipial to three Kiif»;lis]i miles. I need hardly say that the authorities aj.^ree as to the length of the league in vogue in the eoloiiies of N(>w I'^ranee. State- ments to the etVeet that the French posting league of '2.\2 Kn<«-- lish miles was the (Mie used in iNew France seem to he without foundation, and was not used in the Colonies at all so far as I can learn from Canadian authorities. The posting league was a short league and not a legal measure. The eijitor of the ••Century Dic- tionary" says in a lettei- dated. June ">, 1897: ••It was naturally taken advantage of in agreements about tlie hiring of horses and conveyances.'" We will now proceed with the (piotations from the writino-.s ot the explorers and others. From the '• Desci-iption iU' la Louisiane,"" par le \l. l\ r.ouis Reiinepin, beginning at ])age 112. and citing only that pertain- ing particularly to the St. .Joseph- K'ankakee river portage: •'Nous embartiuamesle troisieme Deeembre. avee trcMite hom- ines, dans huit Canots i\; nous remontames la riviere des Miamls faisant nostre route au Sud est durant environ vingt-cinf| Hues, nous ne jnunes reconnoistre le Portage quo nous devoins faire de nos canots i^- de tout re((uipage pour aller nous ombarcpier a la source (.„ la riviere Siegnelay i^ commo nous estions monte/. plus haut en canot sans reconnoistre le lieu ou nous d(>vi()us marchei' 96 pur tcri'c |Mtur prciKlrc ccltc autn- IliNicrc (|ni sc vavcMulro iiiix IsliiKtis, nous fismcs lialtc poiii- at toiidrf \v Sicur dc la Salle, cpii ostoit allr par tcn-c a la (ii'coiivcrtc, ^ ('omiiiic il tie I'cvciinit point nous no scavions (pirllc resolution prendre. I*a<>'ell7. "Nostro Sauvu^i' estoit reste derriere nous poui- eliasser A' ne nous trouvant jMiint an portaj^e il nioiita |)lus liaut. iV nous vint diro (pVd I'allolt (le>eei!dre la Kivierc 1 on envoyaavee luy lows nos eanots. iV je restay avoc le Sieur de la Salle rpn estoir fort fatigue. " l'ag(>llS. Nous joiuiiinies n<»>< n^'ns le lendeniain au port- aj^o, ou le Pere (!ai)i'iel avoil fait phisieui's Croix sur des arhres pour nous le faire I'ei-onnoistre. * * * Cel endroit est seiti'ie au bord d'uue o-rande eanipae-ne. a rextreinite de hupielle du eoste du Coueluiut il y a un \nilao;e d,. .Miamis. Masi-outens iS: Oiaton rainaslo/- ensenil)le. " l*u;j;ell!*. 'iia Uiviere Seio-neJay qui ])asso aux Islinois })rend sa source ilans une (•ainpaij.'ne a pour des canols a cent pas de sa source & elle s'augmente de telle sorte en pen de temps, (|u"olle. est L*resque aussi lart>;e tS: ])lus prosonde que la Marne detours (pi(»y (pie son courant Soit assez fort. Qu'apres avoir vooue une jouriuM' entiere on trouvoit (juelquesois que nous n'avions pas avance plus de deux lieues. en droit lij^iie on lie voyoit aussi loin (pie la veu(' pouvoit s'eteiidre (jue des Marais de joncs \' des aulnes, nous neussions [lu trouuer a nous cabanner durant plus de (piarante lieues de chemin, sans (pieUjues mottes de terres <;'laces. sur Ks(piel es nous." From Sb(>a's translation of Henhepins •• Description de la Louisiane," paj^'es 135-141: "Wc embarked on the Hrd of De- cember with thirty men. in eight canoes, and ascended the river of the Miamis, taking our course to the south-east for about 37 tvvciitv livt' Icat'iu's. \Vi' foiild iiol iii;il mm|i. iiwt. which runs by the Illinois, we halted to wait Tor the Sleur de La Salle, wlu) had j^-one exploring- on land: and as he did not return we did not know what eourse to [xirsue. 1 beo'^ed two of our most alert men to [)enetrate into the woods and lire oil their ;j,'uns, so us to jrive him notice of Die spot where we wei'e waiting' for luni. Two others ascended the river, but to no purpose, lor tlie niirlil ol)liired them to retrace their steps. The next day 1 took two of our men in a litrhtened cunoe, to make greater expedition and to seek him by ascending th(> river, but in vain: and at lour oclock in the afternoon we perceived him at a distance : his hands and face all bUu-k with tlie coals and wood that he hud liiihted durinii" the niu'lit. which was cold, lie had two anlnuds of the ize of nuiskrats iiany-inji; to his belt, which had a very beautiful skin, like a kind of ermine, which he killed with blows of a stit'k without these little animals takino- flio-ht. and which often let themselves hang by the tail from branches of trees: and as they were very fat our canoe men feasted on theni. lie told us that the marshes that he met with obliged him to make a wide sweep, and as moreover he was hindei'cd by the snow, which was falling rapidly, ho was unable to reach the bank of the rivi'r l)e- fore two o'clock at ni(t-ht. Ho firecl two jinui-shots to notify us. and no one havini; answered him. he thouijht the canoes had ix^^nc ahead of him, and kept on his way along and up the river. After marchinir in this way more than three hours he saw lire on a 38 Ill ouimI. vvhifli lie iiscciidrd l)niM|iii.ly, iiinl iil'tiM' railing; two or three times; hut il)^tl•a(l nl' liinliii;;; »in ii-«lc('|i. a> In- expected. In- saw only a little lire aiiii>ii;j; some hniNli and iiiidcr an oak tree; tlie.Npot wliei'e a Mian had been lyiii^ down on >ome dry lu'rl)s. and vviio had apparently ^oi,,. ,)|| ;it ti,,, noise whieh he had heard, it was some Indian who had odiie there in and)u>li to snrpi'i>e and Kill some of his enmnes a Ion;;,' I he ri\ er. lie called to him in t wo or three lann-ua^'es. and at last, to show him that lie did not tear him, he ci'ied that lie wa> ;4'oiii;;' to sleep in his place. He re- newed the lire. and. alter warmin;^' hiniscll' well. Iii> took - ♦eps to ;j;iiai"iiitee himself a;4'aiiist surprise by cutting' (huvn aro mm, him a(| the Sieui- ile La Salle not to leave his partv as he hud (h)ne. showin;.;' him that the whole successor our voya^i'e depen(h'd on his presence, (hir Indian had remained beiiind to hunt, and not rmdiiio- us at the porta;^.' he went higher up and came to tell us that we would lia\t' to descend the river. All our canoes wei'e sent with him. and I remained witli Sieur lU' La Salle, who was very much lalieued, and as our cabin was com- posed only of tla<2;-mats. it took lii'c and would have burnt us liad 1 not promptly thrown oil tiie mats. wl)icli served as a door to our lit tie quarters, and which was all in llames. We joined our j)arty the ne.xt day at tlie jxn'taee. where Father (iabriel had ma(h' several crosses (blazes) on the ti'ees that we miji'ht recojr- nize it. We found thei-e a nundter of bullalo liorns and the car- casses of those animals, and some canoes that the Indians had iiuide of butValo skill to cross the river with their load of meat. This place is situated on the edt^'c of a ^reat plain, at the ex- tremity of wliich, on the westei-n sich'. is a villa*;'e of >riainis. Mascoutens and Oiaton (Wees) o-athered together. The rivei- Seiirnelav (Tlieakiki). wliich Hows to the Tlliiiois. rises in a plain in tlie midst of much boo-y-y land. o\er which it is not easv to walk. This river is only a leaou(> and a half distant i-l..')? miles) from that of the Miamis. and thus we transported all our e(piip- ai>'(» and our canoes by a road which was marked for the benelit of those who mie-ht come after us. after leaving- at the portau-e of 39 imMMtmmiMwmmm!-vemmsmmmBmm mi* tht> Miuinis river, as well as at the t'oi'l whieli we had built at its nioutli. letters, wliieh were huiio- on the trees at the ])ass to serve as a ii'uide to those who were to eonie and join us bv the barciue. to the number of tweiity-t1v{>. The rivei- Sei^iielay is navigable for eanoes to within a hundred ])aces of its soui'ce. and it increases to such an extent in a short time that it is almost as broad and deeper than the Marne. It takes its eourse through vast marshes, where it winds aboiU so. though its eui-rent is pretty strong, that after sailing on it for a whole da.y we sometimes found that we had not advanced more than two l(>agues in a straight line. As far as the eye could reacli nothing was to be seen but maivslies full of Hags and alders. For more than foi'ty leagues of the way we could not have found a camping ground, except for some lium- mocUs of frozen earth upon which we slept and lit our lire '" La Salle says, in his diary of his second ti'ip through tiiis region: ••Tiiat on the 17th of November, KiSO, having made the portage, which is two leagues ( (1. 1 miles) long, when the waters are low."" * * * * Tonty, in his account of the trip, written November 14, l(tS4. says: "After having as'-ended the river of the Miamis about twenty-seven leagues, and having nobody to guide us to find the portage which goes to the Kiver Illinois. M. de La Salle walked by land, with the intention of finding one. Night canu' upon us and we took to shelter, butM.de La Salle bein<>: entamded be- ween a swamp and the firm ground was obliged to make the tour. Having seen a tire he went to it. lu)ping to find some savages and get shelter with them. He cried out like a savage, but findino- no one answered him, he entercnl the brusliwood wliere the fire was. He found nobody, and it was surely the hut of some war- rior who had been afraid of him. He lay down with two fire- brands befo)'3 him. although it was very culd. and even snowed. He joined me the next day. There arrive meantime I eaine up with llie deserters and hi-ouo-ht tliem hack to witliin tliirty l(>a-h1 pi-oceed to 1li(> Illinois. I therefoi-e retraced my way to find them: but the violence of tiio wind forced me to land and our canoe was upset by the violeiic.> of the waves. It was, however, saved: but eviM-ythino- that was in it vvas lost, and for want of provisions we lived foi- three days on acon.s. I s(Mit word of what had happened to M. de f.a Salle, and he directed nic to join him. I went back in my little canoe, and as soon as [ arrived we ascended twenty-iive leao-ues as far as th(> portao-e, where the men whom I had left behind joIikmI us. We made \ho porta<»'e, which extends about two lea of the Illinois river. We eml»arked there, descending the river for om' hundred hsigues and arrived at tlie village of the savages." I''r(iiii l''j':iiii{ii>'lin s Ma|i. lii^S. Le Clercq. in his '-Establishment of the l"\iith in New l-'ranec," says: -'iNhnin while, on the ISlli of S(>])1('mber. the Sieur de La Salle, with oui* l"\ithei's and seventeen men. continued their route in canoes, by r^ake Dauphin, to the mouth of the river of the .Mi- amis, whore they arrived on tlio Islof NovendxM'. 'Phis place had been ujipointed ii rendezvous for twenty Frenchmen, who came by 41 *i tlic ()})positr slutro. and ulso for llie Sioiii' dc Toiily, who had been sent by the SUnn- do I^a Salle to Missiliiiuikinak on anotlior oxpodi- tion. The Sicur do La Salle built a Tort' tliere. to piil his men and property in safety at>'ainst Ilie assuLdts of the Indians. Our I'oli- ifious Fathers soon had a bai'k cabin envted to servo as a chapel, wliere they exercised their ministry foi* Fr(MU'h and Indians until the iWd of December followinij;. when, leaving four men in the fort, they went in search of the portage which would bring them to the Seignelay river, whicli descends 1o the Rivei- Mississippi. They embarked on this river to the nundicn'of thirty or forty ])er- sons, by which, after a liundrcd or a hundred and twenty leagues sail, tliey an-ived toward the close of December at the greatest village of the Illinois, com])osed of about four or five hundred cabins, each of five or six families." In the memoir on '-The Indians Hetwoeii lake Erie and the \]ississi])pi." Paris Documents. 171S. published in the Colonial History of the State of New York. \"ol. IX., page liSII. we find the following statement: ••The River St . Joseph is soutli of Lake Michigan, formerly the Lake of Illinois. Many take this river to the Rocks, because it is convenient, and they thereby avoid the portages des Chaines and des Perches." We now come to the letters of Cliarlevoix.' writtcMi to the Madame la Duchesse do Lesdicjuieres. We quote first, from the letter of August 1(1, 1721. dated RiviM- St. Jose})h: "It is eight days since I arrived at this post, where we have a mission, and 1. lu liis 1 loyal Charier, La Salle was ^^iven perrais.sion f" < -rlablish Forts._ It was his intention to make this ])la('e at tlie luu nh of the Miamis river the base of operation and his vessel's principal port on r^ake Michigan. On the nia]> which accompanies Hennepin's work, "Description de la fjouisianc " La Halle's Foi-t is called Fort Des Miamis. (.'harlcvoix. wlio visited the St Joseph river in 1721, makes no mention of any Fort at the mouth of tlie river either in his " Letters to the Madame la Duchesse caiitiful city. 2. Pierre Francois Xavier Charlevoix. 48 vvhoi'c thoro is u conimiindunt with ii sinull <2;.ivrison. Tho coin- maiulant's hous(% which is a -ci-y soi-ry <>iu\ is called the Fort.' from its bcin<2; surrounded with an iudilTerent jialisado, whicli is in-etty near the case witli all the rest. We liave here two villages of Tndians, one of the Mianiis and tlie otlu-r of tlie Pottawato- inies: botli of them mostly Cliristiiin. but they liave l)een for a lono- til, .' without any pastor. The missionary wlio has been lately sent to them will have no small ditticulty in bringin;^- them back to the exercise of their reli»i;ion. The River St. Joseph comes from the south and discharges itself into Lake .Micliigan (the eastern shore of which is a hundred leagues in lengtli). and whicli you are oblio-cd to sail along bei'ore you come to the t>ntry of the river. You afterwards sail up twenty leagues in it before you reach the fort, which navigation x-equires great precaution." I will state that this distance, by actual survey of the west bank of the riv(>r, is a trifle over fifty-nine miles. It is estimated in Perkins" '-Annals of the West,"' at sixty miles. I'voni Clmilfvoixs .Miip, I'liblislud irn. 1 Fort St. Joseph was loeated one mile south of the i)resent city of Niles" Michii>an. on the east hank of the St. .h)seph river. Near this site was'^a village of the Miami Indians. Father Aveneau of the Society of Jesus established a mihsion there in 1<>!K). February llth l()!)l,"(rOvernor Denonville granted this society a concession of •'0 aruent's along the St. .losepli river by 20 arpents in depth, at such a si)Ot as they should deem most suitable to erect a ehai)el and liouse Sieur dc Courtenumehe with some Canadian .soldiers \vei-e at the nussion in lOit."). and protected tlie missionaries from the Frociuls. In U)l»i. a MiliiMiry l\)st was established there. From that time it was known in history as I'ort St. .loseph. until it was destroyed by the Spanish Fxpedilion fi-om St. Louis in 17«1. 43 Charlevoix, in liis IcMter lo the Duchesse, dated on the Source of the Theukilx-i. the 17th of Sep1eiiil)er. 1721. says: "Makamk: — I did not expect to take my pen so soon again to write to you, but my guides have just Itroken their boat, and liere T am again de- layed for a whole day in a place where I lind nothing to excite the cui'iosity of a ti-avejer. so I have nothing better to do than to yield myself to the pleasure of talking with you. 1 believe 1 made you understand in my last that 1 had two routes to choose between for reaching the Illinois. The first was lo return to Lake Michiii'an, to follow its southern course, and to enter the little river of Chicago. After having ascended it live or six leagues one passes into that of the Illinois by means of two portages, the longer of which is only tive-(|uai'ter leagues; l)\it as this river is. howeveiv only a l)rook at this plai-e, I was wai'iied that at this sea- son I should not find In it eiu)ugh water for my boat. Therefon* ] took the other route, which, indeed, has its Inconveniences and is not nearly as agreeable, but it is surer. T left yesterday the fort of St. J()se})h rivei". and I ascended this river about six leagues. I disembarked on the right, walked five-(|uartei' leagues, first fol- lowing: the cdii'e of the water, then across the lields into a ii'reat prairie, all sprinkled with little tufts of WDodland. which have a very beautiful effect. It is called -la Prairie de Tete de Bd'uf. ' because there was found therc^ so they say. an ox's head, which was monstrous in size. Why may there not have been giants among these animals also? I encamped in a beautiful place called 'U» Fort des Renards." I)ecause the wolves, that is tlie Outaoaniis. had there not long ago a village fortified In tlu'ir way. This morning I went a league fartlier into th(> prairie: my feet almost constantly in water. There I found a sort of pond which commu- nicates with .several others of different sizes, the lartjest of which Is only one hundred paces in circuit. These are the sources of a river called Tlieakiki, wl.ch, l)y corruption, our Canadians name Kiakiki. Theak means a wolf. \ no lony-cM* recall in what Ian- guage, but this river bears that name because the Mahingans, who are also called tlie Wolves, formerly took refuge there. We put our boat, which two men had carried up to this point, into the second of these sources and we embarked, but we had scarcely enougli water to keep afloat. Ten men would make In two days a straight and navigable canal, which would save much trouble 44 and ten or Iwclvo l(>;iou,.s of road, lor the rivor. at its issue from the source, is so narrow, and it is necessiiry to continually tui-n so sharply, that at each instant one is in danger of hreakino- his boat, as has just hap])ened to us." ^.O'. y^e^ iLa^r^i^i/^ 4»i 2^' Daniel Coxe, in his '-Di^scription of the Knu-jish Province of Carolina." jiublished in 1722, oiv,.s the distance fi-oiu the St. Jo- seph rivM'r to the Theakiki as six uiiUs. These are the data from which the historians obtained their knowledu-e of the portage ; and it seems that the citations oivcn cover everything they mention, and without doubt are the orifi- nal sources of their information. From the account of Charlevoix, we know that the distance from the mouth of the river to Fort St. Joseph was <'stiniated by him at twenty leagues, or sixty one Knglish miles. The actual distance by survey is tifty nine miles. We know from Hennepin's and Tonty's account, and indirectly from Charlevoix's account, that the portage was obscure and hard to find, which would not have been the case if it had been well delined and marked l)y the mouth of a creek or brook.' From the accounts of Hen- nepin and Tonty, we know that La Salle's party passed the por- tage. Tonty says that they a.scended twenty sevtMi leagues, and that they descended two leagues to tlie portage, making the dis- tance from the mouth of the i-iver twenty five leagues, or live leagues from the site of Foi-t St. Jos(>ph. as located by Charle- voix. Charlevoix states in his letter of September 17. 1721 : "Tas- cended the river about six leagues" and he evidently passed the portage landing as had \a\ Salle and his followers. He further states that he walked live-quarter leagues, three and three-cpiar- It has ])fcn suyycstcd tliat the poi'tuyc liui ua1cr. W'c cun cstiinate tlic (lislaiicc he traveled aloiio' tlic cd^'c nf the walcr (|ui1(M'l()soly. as lie stales that the (i\ e (|iiai-tei' leat^'ues hroiiirht him in the fortified Indian vilhiov. This vilhiuv was two and one-half miles from tlie portage landino- and on tlie western verge of the prairie: hence Charlevoix must havedecended the river from a point ahoul opposite St. Mary's Academy ; one and one-(piai'ter miles to the portage landing. This is about the only place he could have walked along tlie river's edge ; for below the landing, the western bank of the river is high and precipitous, ami above it is. in the main, low and terraced. Outii,,,. „,.awin. Snowin, ,„H.,.tl„„ „r „..,„„. ■, ,,,„,, ^,,.,. ^,„„,,^,„. ^,_,, ^ I thr I'Drtatre. 46 [ioth Flcniicpiii iiiul Cliarlrvoix slate tliat llic soui-cc (if tlu' l\ankakoo was in a praii-ic ui- plain, and lliat llic land was wot and ho^iry. over which it was not easy lo walk. Cliarlcvoix says of th(» last Ica^MH', Ihroe miles, ••my feet were almost eonstatjt Iv in tlie water." I'arkman says that th(> soil (piaked hencath tlieir tread and all around wei-e pools of ^j^listenino^ water. Hennepin states that this point is only a league and a half. 4.r)7 miles, dis- tant from the Mian)is river. This corresponds to the distance measured alonu- the porta<>;e trail, as located hv the (iovei-n- ment Sui-vey, and verified by sucli well known surveyors as Mr. William Kosencrans. Mr. Fred Kellar. and the late Milton |{. Stokes. At a point a little to the northeast of the middle of Section 17, Townshi}) iJT North. Range 2 Kast, in bogg'y and wet around, prominently and clearly indicated, are the basins of three small pools or ponds, thelaro^ost of which is not over one hundred paces in circumference. They are the sources of the crooked and wind- ing- northwest branch of the Kankake(» river. These ponds are, without any doubt, the ones referred to by Hennepin and Charle- voix, as tlie place where they launched tluMr canoes. I^a Salle on his second on the Kankakee between Sections 1!» and 20. Township :;7 North, Range 2 East. It has been suggested that Charlevoix might have continued his journey directly west one league, throe miles, from the forti- fied Indian village. If this had been the case, he vvould have gone through forest and over dry rolling land, l)ringing him to the west of Heaver Lake;' the lak(> farthest noi'tli of the three, known as Chain Lakes. The outlet of these lakes is tlie (ira])evin(> Creek, which flows toward the south for a distance of ten miles 1. This little hike to the soul li of l'';iii'view Ciiapel in Warren T()\vnslii|i. St. Jcsei)h County, was in IS',",) ovvv tlu'ce tlionsund feet in circuiii- ferenee. in is:iil Mr. Cluii-les Woolverton. enlui'ji'cd Us outlet : hiter tlie partially recluinied land was ditclied. inakinj^- it most (lesira})le |)astnreland. There still remain, however, two oi' three wet siK)ts. formerly tlie deep holes in this little lake, iaid tliouyli they are connected by a ditcli with the former outlet, these ])laees remain moist and marshy. I call attention to the above facts. l)eeause these wet s])ots have l)een mentioned as the pools or ])onds referred to l>y Hennepin and Charlevoix. 47 J a P. through Ihc Cinipcvino woods Ix^foi'c it empties into the Kankakee. However, rharlevoix states distiiu'tly that after leaviiin- the foi'tified Indian village, he walked one leagut; further into tlie prairie, witli his feet almost constantly in tiie water. Tins state- ment is the best evidence that Charlevoix did not go by way of Chain Lakes and the (irapevine Creek: but did go throuo-h the boggy and marsliy ground in the vicinity of the shallow Cran- berry. Crill and Mud T^akc^s. in Section 5 and 8, to the ponds, and to the landing on the Kankakee, as made by Hennepin, Tonty and La Salle, in their portage of December, l(i7!>. Chai'levoix evidently did not follow the pcn'tage from river to river, as we have every reason to think that La Salle's party with their canoes and heavy bui'dens did. He came to this country mainly to visit and report on the condition of the Indian missions; a good reason for his visit to the fortified Indian village on the western verge of the prairie. Finding tlie village abandoned, he the next day continued his journey .southward, and together with his two companions, launched their cano(> on the Jvankakee. The detour making a distance traveled live and one-half miles, which is longei- than the regular trail followcMl t)etween the two landing places. In conclusion we can confidently infer that the trail as used by La Salle and the early Frencli explorers and by them made historic. c(mimencedat the landing on the St. Joseph riv(>r, at the place indicated in Brookfields survey, and thence leading to the southwest to the ponds which were the source of the northwest branch of the Kankakee. 48 Kroiii II. S. Taniici's Miip of Oliici and Indiiirm, I'lililislicil at I'liiladoliiliia, isi'.i Knmi .loliii KarniiM's Map id' Indiana. I'uhlislicd at Detroit. IS.T.