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Las diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. rrata :o pelure, 1 d 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 c-D^ >^ i?yi THE BUILDING AND VOYAGE OF THE GRIFFON, IN 1679. HY C). II. MARSIlAI.l.. K.-/.ri. ted />■<">, the PMicatwns of the Buffalo Hhtorical Soeiety, iw. /, .V". 7. -lu.ii'ist. i^yp. inC.ELOW BROTHERS. l>i husiiers. ■^■' THE BUILDING AND VOYAGE OF THE GRIFFON IN 1679. BY O. H. MARSHALL I READ riEKOKE THE SOCIETY, FF.IIRUAKY 3, 1863; AND REVISED IIV THE AUTHOR, AIGIST, 1S79. On the seventh day of August, 1679, two centuries ago, a small vessel left her anchorage near the foot of Scjuaw Island, and ascended the strong rapids of the Niagara into Lake Erie. She was a peculiar craft, of foreign model, full rigged and equipped, having many of the appointments of a man-of-war. A battery of seven small cannon, with some musquetry, con- stituted her armament. A flag, bearing the device of an eagle, floated at her mast-head, and on her bow she bore a carved griffin, in honor of the arms of Count Frontenac, then Gover- nor-General of Canada. By the aid of a strong northeast wind, she endeavored to pass up the channel between the bold bluff now crowned by the ruins of Fort Porter, and the rocky islet, since known by the name of Bird Island. Being unable to overcome the rapid current, a dozen men were landed on the sandy beach which bordered the eastern shore, and with tow Note. — This paper was originally communicated to the Buffalo Historical Society. Feb- ruary 3d, 1863. Since then, it has been revised and enlarged, with a view to its publica- ! m among the Collections of the Society. The present month of August completes two hundred years since the O/^ow sailed from the Niagara to the Upper Lakes. This has been, for that reason, considered the appropriate month for the appearance of this paper. — Ed. 254 THE BUILDING AXD lines, drew her, by main force, up the stream. A group of swarthy Senecas watc hed her movements, shouting their ad- miration at the strange sijettaclc. When the vessel had reached the lake, the men on shore embarked— the Te Deiim was chanted by the grateful crew— their artillery and fire-arms were discharged— and the vessel, turning her prow toward the southwest, boldly jiloughed, with- out chart or guide, the untried waters of the lake.* That vessel was the Griffon, and her projector and builder the adventurous Cavelier de la Salle. This distinguished explorer was born in Rouen, France, on the twenty-second day of November, 1643. Educated by the Jesuits, he became, for a short time, a member of tlieir Order. He came to America in 1666, and soon after visited and de- scended the Ohio; and, as some claim, anticipated Jolliet and Marquette in the discovery of the Mississippi. His western explorations revealed the value and foreshadowed the growth of the fur trade, then dependent for transportation on the bark canoe, or the sluggish pirogue of the Indian. The discovery of an overland route to China, and the development of the copper mines of the Interior, were additional stimuli to draw him from the luxury and ease of Europe, to share in the hard- ships and privations of savage life among the lakes and rivers, forests and prairies of the Northwest. Fort Frontenac was chosen as the base of his operations; and he agreed to rebuild and maintain it at his own expense, provided the French gov- ernment would grant him certain exclusive privileges. These were accorded in May, 1675.! He immediately took possession of the fort, the foundations of which hod been laid by Count Frontenac two years before, and enlarged and strengthened its defences. In 1678, a brigantine of ten tons had been built for the use ♦Hennepin, Louisiana, p. 2g. Hennepin, Noiivelle Decouverte, p. ng. Margry, De- convertes, vol. i., p. 445. + Margry, Deeouv., vol. i., pp. 333, 437- r or AGE OF THE GRIFFON. 255 of the French on Lake Ontario.* To faiilitate his enterprises further west, it became necessary for La Salle to build a larger vessel above the Cataract of Niagara. He first dispatched a party of fifteen men by canoe to the Upper Lakes, with goods of the value of six or seven thousand francs. They had orders to establish friendly relations with the Indians; to collect pro- visions for the use of the contemplated expedition, and to gather furs for the return voyage.f He also sent carpenters and other artisans, under charge of the Sieur de la Motte, to build a fort at Niagara, and the vessel above the Falls.J The chief companions he selected to aid him in these under- takings, were the Chevalier Henry de Tonty, the Sieur la Motte de Lussiere, and Father Louis Hennepin. Tonty vas a Neapolitan by birth. Having fled from the Revolution of Naples, he entered the French Marine in 1668, in which he served four years. Having lost his right hand at Vintimille by the bursting ^l a grenade, he supplied the de- ficiency by a metallic arrangement covered with a glove. || This he used with marked effect in his encounters with the Indians, and thus obtained the sobriquet of the "Iron Hand." He joined La Salle in his last voyage from France, in July, 1678,** and faithfully adhered to the fortunes of his chief, until the death of the latter in 1687. He was distinguished for zeal, courage and capacity. He commanded the reinforcements which were brought from the West to aid De Nonville in his expedition against the Senecas, in 1687. He died at Fort St. Louis, on Mobile bay, towards the close of the year 1704. His father was t'^e author of the financial scheme, called after him "Tontine," which was adopted in France, and sub- sequently introduced into America.ff La Motte de Lussiere was a captain in the celebrated regi- * Hennepin, N. D., p. 72- , , , ,^, . , •• + Hennepin, La., p. 19. Le Clerq, ttab. de la Foi, vol. 11., p. I4»- } M.irgry, Decoiiv., vol. i., pp. 440, 575. I La Potherie, vol. ii., p. 1^4. ** Margry, Decouv., vol. i.,p. 449. ++ Margry, Memoires Inedits, p. 3. 2s6 THE BUILDING AND mcnt of Cari^nan-sixlicrcs, and accompanied La Salle on his first visit to America* He proved, in the secpiel, unfaithful to his commander by adhering to his enemies.f After some experience he found himself unfitted to endure the hardships of the Ne.w World, and gladly returned to civilized life.J Louis Hennepin was a Flemish Recollect of the Franciscan Order, and came to America in 1675 with Bishoi) Laval. He established a Mission at Fort Frontenac, where he remained two and half years. He then returned to Quebec, and after undergoing the necessary religious preparation, reascended the St. Lawrence to Fort Frontenac, and joined the expedition of La Salle. He was proud of his association with his dis- tinguished chief, and devoted as much time to his service as he could well spare from the duties of his priestly ofifice. He was ambitious and unscrupulous, and after the death of La Salle, endeavored to ap])ropriate some of the honors which the latter had ac(iuired by his celebrated discoveries in the West. He published two works, one of which is styled " Description dela Louisiane," printed in 1683, and the other "A New Dis- covery of a Very Vast Country, Situated in America, Between New Mexico and the Frozen Ocean," printed in 1698. The first is less in detail, but more reliable than the second. Its account of the building and voyage of the Griffon, is, for the most part, a bold plagiarism from the official record of that enterprise, which had been communicated, either by La Salle himself, or through his instrumentality, to the French Minister of the Marine, in 1682. Nearly all of Hennepin's account is a verbatim copy of that record; with here and there a slight variation, occasionally relieved by an original paragraph. Twenty-one out of thirty-two pages of his "Louisiane," re- lating to the Griffon, are copied almost literally from the official document above referred to, now deposited among the Clair- * Hennepin, L.i., p. 15. tMarj;ry, Dccoiiv., vol. ii., p. 230. % M.irgry, Decouv., vol. ii., p. g; Hennepin, N. D., p. 76. VOYAGE (.)/• TJ/E UA'/EEOX. 257 ambaiilt Collections, in the National T-ihrary of Paris.* His narrative re([uires close scrutiny, espetMally in those particulars in which he was neither actor nor eye-witness. I'e belonged to that class of writers, which is said to speak the truth by accident and to lie by inclination. La Salle calls him a great exaggerator, who wrote more in conformity with his wishes than his knowledge.! The expedition sent forward from Fort Frontenac, was un- der the immediate charge of the Sieur de la Motte; who was accompanied by Hennepin and sixteen men. They embarked on the eighteenth of November, 1678, in the brigantine before mentioned.! The autumnal gales were then sweeping over the lake, and the cautious navigators, fearing to be driven on the south shore, avoided the usual course, and coasted timidly under shelter of the Canadian headlands. Having advanced as far west as the site of Toronto, they sought refuge from a storm in the mouth of the river Humber. Grounding three times at the en- trance, they were forced to throw their ballast overboard and to land fourteen of their crew, before the vessel could be made to float. The inhabitants of an Iroquois village noar by, called Tai-ai-a-jyon, were greatly surprised at their strange visitors, and generously supplied them with provisions in their ex- tremity. The vessel narrowly escaped being frozen in for the winter, and was only released by being cut out with axes.|| On the fifth of December the wind becoming favorable, they left for the south side of the lake, riding out a boisterous night about twelve miles from the mouth of the Niagara. On the sixth of December, St. Nicholas' day, they entered what Henne- pin calls " the beautiful river Niagara, into which no bark similar to ours had ever sailed,"** Religion and commerce had joined ♦Compare Hennepin, La., pp. 41-73, with Margry, Decouv., vol. i.,pp. 441-451. tMargry, Decouv., vol. ii., p. 259. X Hennepin, La., p. 20. lb. p. 21. li Le Clerq, Et.ib. de la Foi, vol. ii., p, 141. *♦ Hennepin, N. D., pp. 74, 75- 2S8 THE lUll.DlXC, AXD in the fnteri)rist'. 'I'he noble Ambrosian hymn "TV- DcHVi La it da III lis" arose from the deck of the gallant bark, chanted by the crew in recognition of their escape from the perils of a wintry navigation, and of their safe arrival in so desirable and commodious a harbor. Near by their anchorage were a few cabins, temporarily occupied by the Senecas for shelter during their fishing season. Our voyagers were abundantly supplied by the natives with white-fish, three hundred of which they caught in a single cast of the net. Such unusual luck was ascribed to the auspicious arrival of " the great wooden canoe."* A party was now organized for exploring the river above the Falls, in search of a suitable site for building the i)rojected shi[). On the seventh of December, Hennepin, with five com- panions, ascended two leagues in a bark canoe, as far as the Mountain Ridge. Here their progress was arrested by the rapids which rush with impetuous force from the gorge above; and they landed on .the Canadian shore. Prosecuting their search on foot, they ascended what are now known as Queenston Heights, and followed the river for three leagues, until they reached the mouth of the Chippewa creek. This stream is described by Hennepin as emptying into the Niagara from the west, a league above the great Fall. Being unable to find any land suitable for their purpose, they encamped for the night, first clearing away a foot of snow, before their fire could be kindled. On their return the next day, herds of deer and flocks of wild turkeys met them on the way, giving promise of abund- ant game for the subsistence of the party during their con- templated sojourn on the Niagara.f On the eleventh of December, they celebrated the first mass ever said in the vicinity. The next three days were passed at Niagara, the wind being too unfavorable for the bark to ascend the river. * Hennepin, La., p. 23. t Hennepin, N. D., p. 76. rovAGi-: OF THE gkiiixkw -'59 On the fifteenth, Hennepin took the hehii, and with the aid of three men towing on shore, reathed the foot of the rapids, and moored the l)ark to tlie American shore, l)eh)W the i>re- cipitous cliffs of the Mountain Ridge. 'I'hey employed the seventeenth and the two following days in constructing a cabin on the site ol Lewiston, to serve as a storehouse for the use of the ex|)edition. They were obliged to tliaw the fro/en ground with boiling water, before the palisades could be driven. On the twentieth, and the next three days, the ice ( , ine down the rapids with such force, and in su( h ipiantities, as to threaten the safety of their bark. To guard against the dan- ger, the carpenters, under the direction of l.a Motte, made a capstan, with which they endeavored to draw the vessel into a ravine; but the strain on the cable broke it three times. They finally passed it around the hull, and- succeeded, with ropes attached, in hauling her to a i)lace of safety.* A further advance by vessel or canoe having been checked by the rapids, a portage around the Falls must now be made. Hennepin's reconnoissance, as before seen, had proved the one on the Canadian side to be unsuitable. It now remained to explore the other. Hefore doing so, it became necessary to consult l.a Salle, who had not yet arrived from Fort Fronte- nac, and also to conciliate the neighboring Senecas. The preparations made by La Salle to build a fort at the mouth of the Niagara, and a vessel above the Falls, on the terri- tory claimed by the Senecas, had aroused the jealousy of that proud people. Attempts had been made, with some suc- cess, to propitiate those residing in the small village on the western bank of the river near its mouth.f It was deemed expedient, however, to send an embassy to their capital beyond the (ienesee, before proceeding with the enterprise; and to negotiate, with the usual presents, for the required permission. * Hennepin, N. P., pp. 77, 78. Margry, Dicouv., vol. ii., p. 8. •f Hennepin, N. D., p. 78. 26o THE BUILDIXG A. WO Hennepin, never idle, was l)usy in the construction of a bark chapel for Divine service, when La Motte invited him to join in the proposed embassy. As the friar had ingratiated himself with the Irocpiois, and possessed some knowledge of their language, his co-operation was deemed important. At first he feigned reluctance to go, but finally consented.* Leaving a portion of their party at the foot of the Mountain Ridge, La Motte and Hennepin, wit'- four French companions, left on Christmas day, 1678. Thus, in mid-winter, with blankets, warm clothing and moc- casins for protection, they boldly plunged into the depths of the cheerless forest. The distance to the Seneca village was estimated at thirty-two leagues, or about eighty miles. Five hundred pounds of merchandise for Indian presents, and some sacks of parched corn, were distributed among the party. Their provisions were increased on the w^ay by an occasional deer, and a few black sciuirrels procured by the Indians. For five weary days they followed the Indian trail through the frost-bound wilderness; sleeping at night in the open air, withr out shelter, except what chance afforded. On the last day of December, thev reached Tagarondies, the great village of the Senecas, situated on what has since been known as Houghton Hill, near Victor, in Ontario county.f They were received by the Senecas with marked considera- tion, and conducted to the cabin of their principal chief, where they became objects of curiosity to the women and children. The young men bathed their travel-worn feet, and anointed them with bear's oil. The next day, being the first of the year, Hennepin celebrated mass, and preached the mysteries of his faith to the mixed assembly of French and Indians. Fathers Julien Gamier and Peter Raffeix, two Jesuit mis- sionaries, were found residing in the village at the time of their visit. The former was the first Jesuit ordained in Cf n- * Hennepin, N. D., p. 79. Margry, Decouv., vol. i., p. 443. + X. Y. His. Collections, second series, vol. ii., p. 160. VOYAGE OF THE GKIEEOX. 261 ada, and the last missionary of that Order among the Senecas.* He commenced his hibors among the Oneidas in 1668, at the age of twenty-five, and in the same year visited the Ononda- gas and Cayugas. In 1669 he had charge of the Seneca mis- sion of St. Michael, and the following year that of St. James. In 167 1 he conducted the three missions among that people.f He died at Quebec in February, 1730, having devoted upwards of sixty years to his missionary work. He was acquainted with the Algonquin language, tut better versed in Huron and Iroquois.J His companion, Raffeix, joined him in the Seneca country in 1672. He was chaplain in the expedition of Cour- celles against the Mohawks, in i666.|| He was soon after chosen for missionary work among the Cayugas, and labored among them and the Senecas until 1680. The writer can find no later notice of him than 1703, at which time he was living at Quebec.** After Hennepin had concluded his religious services, the grand council was convened. It was composed of forty-two of the elders among the Senecas. Their tall forms were com- pletely enveloped in robes made from the skins of the beaver, wolf and black squirrel. With calumet in mouth, these grave councillors took their seats on their mats, with all the stateli- ness and dignity of Venetian senators. At the opening of the council, La Motte, suspecting Father Gamier of hostility to La Salle, objected to his presence. At the request of the Senecas he withdrew. Hennepin, consider- ing this as an affront to his cloth, retired with him. La Salle was ever suspicious of the Jesuits; believing them to be op- posed to his enterprises, and inclined to influence the Indians against him. The council was info ned, through Brassart, the interpreter, * Shea's Catholic Missions, 294, n. , n , r.;/- t Jesuit Relations, Quebec, cd. 1668, p. 17; i66g, p. 12; 1670, pp. 69-78; 1671, p. 20; 1606, p. 9. J Jesuit Rel., etl. 1666. p. 6. Parkman's Jesuits, p. 54. ,: lb., ed. 1666, p. g. ** Shea's Catholic Missions, 254, n. 262 THE BUILDING AXD that the French had come to visit them on the part of Onnon- tio, their governor, and to smoke the calumet on their mats; that the Sieiir de la Salle was about to build a great wooden canoe above the Falls, in which to bring merchandise from Europe by a more convenient route than the rapids of the Saint Lawrence; that by this means the French would be able to undersell the E:nglish of Boston, and the Dutch of New York.* This speech was accompanied with four hundred pounds weight of presents, consisting of hatchets, knives, coats, and a large necklace of blue and white shells. Portions of these were handed over at the end of each proposition. This mode of treating with the Indians. by bribing their chiefs, has, unfor- tunately, continued to the present day. Among other inducements, La Motte promised to furnish, for the convenience of their whole nation, a gunsmith and blacksmith, to reside at the mouth of the Niagara, for the pur- pose of mending their guns and hatchets. Several coats and pieces of fine cloth, iron, and European merchandise of great rarity among the Indians, and of the value of four hundred francs, were added, as weighty reasons, to influence them in favor of the French. "The best arguments in the world," says Hennepin, "are not listened to by the natives, unless ac- companied with presents.''^ On the next day, the Senecas answered the speech of La Motte, sentence by sentence, and responded by presents. As aids to the memory, they used small wooden sticks which the speaker took up, one by one, as he replied, seratim, to the several points in the speech of the day previous. Belts of wam- pum, made of small shells strung on fine sinews, were presented after each speech, followed by the exclamation '' Ni-a-oua," signifying approval, from the whole assembly. This, however, * Alluding to the plan of La Salle to send merchandise to the Niagara by the way of the Mississippi and the lakes. t Hennepin, N. IJ., p. 85. J'OVAGE OF THE GKIFFOX. 263 proved an insincere response in the present instance; for La Motte, with his specious reasoning, made no impression on these shrewd children of the forest. They knew that the Eng- lish and Dutch had greater facilities than the French for sup- plying them with merchandise, and could outbid the latter in trading for their furs. They received the offered presents with apparent acquiescence, and after the customary salutations, the council broke up. Before it ended, two prisoners of war, who had been taken near the borders of Virginia, were brought in; one of whom, out of compliment to their guests, was put to ■death with tortures, such as Indians only in their savage state •can invent and inflict. The French, unable to bear the sight, and willing to testify their abhorrence of the cruelty, withdrew^ from the scene. So the embassy left for their quarters on the banks of the Niagara; which they reached on the fourteenth of January, 1679, thoroughly exhausted with their toilsome expedi- tion. They were in some measure solaced on their arrival, with the abundance of white-fish, just then in seasc i. The water in which they were boiled, thickened into jelly, reminded them of the savory soups to which they had been accustomed in their father-land.* The side of the Niagara on which the vessel for use on the Upper Lakes could be most conveniently built, was as yet unde- termined. The Canadian side had been examined, as already noticed, and found unsatisfactory.! Historians have widely •differed, not only as to the one finally selected, but also as to the precise point where the keel of the historic bark was laid. The solution of these questions involves interesting topograph- ical investigations. Governor Cass, in his address before the Historical Society of Michigan, maintains that "the Griffon was launched at Erie."t Schoolcraft says, "near Buffalo."! Bancroft, in the ♦Hennepin, N. D. pp., 78-gi. t Hennepin, N. D., p. 75. X Historical Discourse at Detroit, p. 14. 1; Tour to the Lakes, p. 33. 264 TJIK BUILDING AND first edition of his History of the United States, says, "at the: mouth of the Tonewanda creek."* Dr. Sparks, in his "Life of La Salle," says, "at Chippewa creek, on the Canadian side of lue river;"t and his opinion was followed by Parkman in his Life of Pontiac,J and more recently by Doctor Abbott, in his "Adventures of La Salle."|| What is still more remarkable and inexcusable, the new History of the United States, bearing, the endorsement of the late William Cullen Bryant, states that the Grift> 1 was built at Fort Frontenac, which it locates on Lake Erie! Such is history. In an article published August 22d, 1845, in the Buffalo Com- mercial Advertiser, the writer claimed that the vessel was built at the mouth of the Cayuga creek. Since that publication, Mr. Bancroft, in later editions of his. History,** and Mr. Parkman, in his more recent works,tt have accepted Cayuga creek as the true site of the dock. As some doubts, however, still exist, and erroneous locations- continue to be repeated, the subject has been re-examined in the light of the evidence afforded by the valuable documents- lately published by Mr. Margry, under the auspices of the American Congress, and with the aid of other historical material recently discovered. The portage around the Falls, and the site of the dock, must,, necessarily, have been on the same side of the river. The American portage would naturally be chosen as the shortest and most feasible route ; its length being two and a half miles- less than the Canadian, owing to the configuration of the river. That the French actually used the American side during and subsequent to the building of the Griffon, clearly appears from the testimony of Hennepin and La Hontan. In his notice of the point where the river issues from the ■*> ».» * History of the United States, vol. iii., p. 162. + Life of La Salle, p. 21. X Parkman's Life of Pontiac, first eJ., p. 52. i Abbott's Adventures of La Salle, p. 98. ♦*Vol. iii., p. 162, sixteenth ed. tt Discovery of the Great West, p. 133. Life of Pontiac, bi.xth ed., vol. 1., p. 58. rOYAGE OF THE GRIFFON. 265 mountain gorge between Lewiston and Queenston, Hennepin mentions a "great rock" which rose to a considerable height above the water, "three fathoms from the Canadian shore." Also, "three mountains" on the American side, "opposite the great rock."* In describing his return from his western dis- coveries, after the loss of the Griffon, Hennepin says, "we carried our canoe from the great Fall of Niagara to the foot of the three mountains, which are two leagues below, and opposite the great rock."t This locates the portage used by Hennepin, on the American side. The Baron la Hontan, who visited the Falls in t688, only nine years after the Griffon was built, says, in his "Voyages to North America," published in 1703, "I went up the Niagara three leagues from its mouth, to the end of navigation. We were obliged to carry our canoe from a league and a half below the Falls, to a half a league above them. We ascended the three mountains before finding the way smooth and level, "t On the map which accompanies his travels, La Hontan places the "three mountains" unmistakably on the American side of the river, just south of the site of Lewiston. From the preceding quotations, it is evident that the "great rock," is referred to as on the west or Canadian side, and the " three mountains" on the opposite or American side of the Niagara. This "great rock" was long a conspicuous object near the shore ; and can still be seen under the western end of the old Suspension bridge, the ruins of which now span the river at that point. Within the menory of the early settlers, boats could readily pass between tl .• rock and the adjacent bank. The debris from the precipice above, thrown down in the con- struction of the bridge, has nearly filled the intervening space. Hennepin describes the rock as very high ;|1 but time, and the * Hennepin, N. D., pp. 45- 77. "3- '>i-- t Hennepin, N. D., p. 456. X I,a Huntan's Voy.ij^es, Kng. ed., vol. 1., p. 81. ,; Hennepin, N. D., p. 45-2- I ! 266 THE BUILDING AND action of the ever-flowing current, have reduced its dimensions,, and settled it in its river bed. It still lifts its dark head abotte the surrounding waters, an abiding witness of the accu- racy of this part of the Franciscan's narrative, and perpetuates, his memory under the name of "Hennepin's Rock." The "three mountains" on the American side can easily be recognized in the lofty ridge, composed of three terraces, caused by the geological formation of the bank, which rises four hundred feet above the surface of the river. The ravine into which the brigantine was drawn by La Motte, to protect it from the ice, as before stated, is plainly to be seen near the foot of the Mountain Ridge, on the American side of the river, a short distance above Lewiston. This ravine, in the absence of any on the Canadian side, proves the site of the palisaded storehouse, and the commencement of the portage, to have been on the eastern side. The proofs establi^ihing the particular site where the vessel was built, will now be considered. Hennepin describes the portage as passing over beautiful meadows, and through groves of scattered oaks and pine. "We went," says he, "two leagues above the great Fall of Niagara, and there built some stocks for the construction of the vessel needed for our voyage. We could not have chosen a more convenient place. It was near a river which empties into the strait between Lake Erie and the great Fall."* Two leagues above the Falls would be about five miles. At that distance we find the Cayuga creek, a stream which answers perfectly to Hennepin's description. Opposite its mouth, an island of the same name lies parallel with the shore, about a mile long, and two or three hundred yards wide. It is sepa- rated from the main-land by a narrow branch of the river, called by the early inhabitants, "Little Niagara;" wide and deep enough to float a vessel of the tonnage of the Griffon. * Hennepin, N. D., p. 94. I'OYAGE OF THE GKIFFOX. 267 iv Into this channel and opposite the middle of the island, the Cayuga creek empties. On the main shore, just above the mouth of the creek, and under shelter of the island, is a favorable site for a ship-yard. So eligible is the position, that it was selected by the United States government, in the early part of the present century, as a suitable point for building one or more vessels for the transportation of troops and supplies to the western posts. For that reason it was known in early times, as the "old ship-yard;" and local traditions have been preserved in the memory of the early pioneers, of its anterior occupancy, for the same purpose, by the French.* Investigation among the archives of the Afiiiisihc dc la Ma- rine in Paris, have brought to light the existence of three manu- script maps, nearly cotemporaneous with the construction of the Griffon. 'J'he first two were made by Jean Baptiste Louis Fram/uelin, Hydrographer to Louis XIV., and the predecessor of Louis Jolliet in that office. The earliest of the three is a map of North America, pur- porting to have been "drawn in 1688, by order of the (Governor and Intendant of New France, from sixteen years observations of the author." It is five feet long, and three feet wide. Lakes Ontario and Erie, with the adjacent country, are, for that early day, remarkably well delineated. The Niagara river and Falls are distinctly represented, with a portage road around the latter, on the American side. A fac-simile of that portion of the map which embraces the Niagara river, reproduced from a careful tracing over the original, is given on the fol- lowing page. Its most interesting feature is the design of a cabin, on the eastern side of the river, midway between the two lakes, with this inscription : " Cahane ou le S'' de la Salle a fait f aire line barque." (Cabin where the Sieur de la Salle caused a bark to be built.) ♦ Marshall's Ni.igara Frontier, p. 30. ■»B«IP 268 THE BUILDIXG AND ir^BaJtrt. The next map drawn by the same author in 1689, is sub- stantially like that of 1688. The Niagara river is laid down as on the former chart, with a cabin indicating the site where the Griffon was built; but the inscription differs slightly, it being, '' C/ia/itier on le S'' de hi Salle a f /''' uuc l>an/iii\" (Stocks where the Sieur de la Salle caused a bark to be built.) The third map, drawn after Franquelin in 1699, has, unfor- tunately, been so closely crinimed for binding in atlas form, as • 1 VOYAGE OF THE GRIEEON. 169 ;[)artly to cut off the Niagara river; but tiic inscriiJtion, indi- •cating, as on the other maps, that the vessel was constructed on the eastern side of the river, was left untouched, and is as follows: "' Chaiitii-r (/<• .V'' tic hx Salic [al, or act of taking possession of the territory of the Senecas in 1687; only eight years after the Grifoii \\w^ built. He says: "La Salle built a bark two leagues above the great Kail of Niagara, which navigated Lakes l^rie, Huron and Illi- nois (Michigan), t/ir sfi'iks of li'tiich are still to be seen."* it will be n()tii;ed that Hennepin and Dcnonville agree in the ■distance of the dock above the l''alls. The proofs now exhibited remove all (loul)ts as to the site where the Gri(foii was built. The mouth of the Cayuga creek ' is, uncjuestionably, the true locality. Li commemoration of the event, the name, " La Salle," has appropriately been conferred on the neighboring village. La Salle, who had remained at Fort Frontenac, for the jnir- ■pose of procuring supplies and materials for the pro|)osed vessel, embarked with his lieutenant, Tonty, on a brigantine of twenty tons, and sailed for Niagara, by the south shore of the Hake.f When near the mouth of the (lenesee river, he landed by canoe, and went to Tagarondies, which he had visited with ,the Sulpitians, Dollier and Crallinee, ten years before.;]; At a •council, supplementary to the one just held by La Motte and Hennepin, he succeeded, by his personal address, in gaining what they had failed to obtain — the full assent of the Senecas to the execution of his enterprises.! Re-embarking in his vessel, he sailed westward toward Niagara. When about twenty-five miles east of that river — the Avind having failed — he left the \essel, and, accompanied by * N. V. Col. Doc, vol. ix., p. 335. + Margry, Dt-couv., vol. i., p. 575. $ Margry, Decouv., vol. 1., p. 127. ,11 Hennepin, N. D., p. iit. I 270 THE nuiLDisc, Axn Tontv, pursued his \v;iy to Niagara by land. Me left instruc- tions with the pilot, that if the wind should blow from the nortiiwest, lie should steer for Niaj^'ara; and if from the south- west, he should seek shelter in the river of the Senecas.* On the eighth of January, 1679, the pilot and ( rew, while wailing for a favorable bree/e, left the vessel at am lior, to sleep on shore. TIk' wind rose so suddenly, that ihcv were unable to embark. The vessel dragged her anchor, stru( k on a rock, and became a total wreck.*- This must ha\e been at or near what is now known as Thirt\ -mile Point, being that distance east of Fort Niagara. Hy this misfortune, a large amount of material, designed for the construction of the Griffoii, including several! bark canoes, was lost. Nothing was saved but the anchors and cables. 'I'o replace the loss, much valuable time would now be recpiired, in transporting provisions and supplies to; the use of the men employed in the work. J La Salb; and Tonty reached the mouth of the Niagara on the evening after they had left the vessel. The Indians residing on the western side of the river, answering their summons, ferried them over to the village in their wooden canoes, and hospitably received them into their cabins.|| Nothing could be had for their refreshment, but the usual Indian diet of white- t'lsh antl corn soup. This seemed, to Tonty's palate, barbarous and unsavory. Nevertheless, hunger compelled him to partake of it, without the relish of bread, wine, pepper or salt. Such was the rough life of the French explorer; subsisting on game,^ fish, and Indian corn, and inadetpiately protected from the weather by rudely constructed cabins of bark. At midnight, the restless La Salle set out by moonlight with Tonty, e.xpecting to join La Motte in his cabin at the foot of the Mountain Ridge. They found he was still absent with ♦ (ienesee river. + Mar^jrv Decouv., vnl. i.. yip. 442. 576. % M.iri,'ry, Di-couv,, vol. ii., p. 229. Hennepin, L.-i.. p. 41. i M.irgiy, Decouv., vol. 1., p. 576. roy.u;K o/- hie crniox. 27 t Hennepin, on tlu-ir embnssy to the Seneciis. Leaving 'I'onty to await liis return, La Salle proceeded the next day further up the ri\ er, in search of a site above the l-'alis. ( onxenient for l)uihh'nL; the projected vessel. Havinj,' found one. he trans- ferred to the location some of his men, for the purjiose of constru< ting a dock, and l)ci;innin,L; the work. ReturniiiL;- to Niagara, he waited imi)atiently for the arri\al of i,a Motteand Hennepin. News reached him while there of the loss ,)f his vessel on Lake ()ntario; and he r(.])aired at once to the wreik, in order to rescue what might he useful in the construction of the new bark. On the twenty-second of January, La Salle, Hennepin and Tonty repaired to the site which the former had chosen for the dock.* On his way there, La Salle turned aside to view the great Cataract; the first engraved view and detailed de- scrii)tion of which are given by his comijanion, H'jnne])in, in his " New Discovery." La Salle had passed within fifteen miles of it ten years before, as he was coasting by canoe along the southerly shore of Lake Ontario, but this was his first visit.} Tonty was now given the command of the working j)arty. A place was cleared for the stocks. The woods resounded with the strokes of the axe, that pioneer of western civilization. Oaks were felled, and converted into plank; and their branches fashioned into ribs and knees, to conform the ship to a shapely model. On the twenty-sixth, the keel was laid; and everything being ready, I-a Salle sent the carpenter to invite Hennepin to strike the first blow for the commerce of the lakes. The modesty of the good father for once overcame his ambition, and he de- clined the proffered honor. La Salle then promised ten Louis d'or, to encourage the carpenter to hasten the work.j It now became necessary for La Salle to return to Fort * Margry, Decniiv., vol. i., pp. 576, 577. Hennepin, N. I)., p. 96. + Margry. Decouv., vol. i., p. 139. + Hennepin, N. D., p. 95. ■ J -,-,m'Ji.-- ! « ".i,t.|l.WAlWJJf ii* '.i--.-,tjj?iiij.vra i 272 rill: Hiii.nixa axd I: Frontcnac, to obtain sui)i)lics for his jtroposcd ship, and to appc-aso the (.laniors of his imiiortiinatf < rcditors. It was iiboiit the first of la'hriiary, anil the snow still lay deep in the leaf- less woods. His bark had been wrecked, and the lake was too trea( herons for a wintry voyage by canoe or brigantine. Noth- ing, however. ( ould repress his nntiring energy. Setting out on snow-shoes, with only two men for his conipaninns, and a dog to draw Ids baggage, he lra\ersed the fro/en route of over eighty leagues, to l-'ort I'rontuiac lie took no provisions but a bag of pari bed corn, and fx en that failed him before he iea< lied bis (kstination.* Hennepin and 'i'onty accompanied him as far as Niagara. While there. I, a Salle traced a fort, which, after the prince of tliat name, he called fort C'onty. In order to deceive the Sene( as, he pretended it was for a budd- ing he had promised them for the bhu ksmith. La Motte lost no time in (DUimenc ing a house on the site, -and fortifying it with palisades, for the prolec tion ot the party and the storage of their supi)lies.+ Thus were laid the toun- dations of that renowned fortress, over which, after passmg successively under I'rench and English control, now Hoats the standard of the American Republic. After La Salle's dei)arture, Tonty and Hennepin returned to their duties at the ship-yard.J Two bark cabins, including a chapel for the sjjecial use of Hennepin, were built with the aid of the Indians. Divine worship was regularly observed; and on Sundays and fete days, the sombre woods were vocal with the (Iregorian chant;;, .''ig ;)y the devout Franciscans. Fortunately they 'a or, n- I interrupted by the Senecas; most of their warriors being absent on an expedition be- yond Lake F:rie. The few that remained were less insolent through their weakness. However, they often visited the camp, and exhibited dissatisfaction at the progress of the work. *Margn-, Docoiiv , vol. i., pp. 442. 577- Hennepin, N. 1). p. 97- + Hennepin. La., p. 30. X M.-irgry, Decuuv., vol. i., 577. m roy.K,/-: of ////■: i;a'///o.v -'73 One 1)1' tlifin, t'cij^ninj; iiUoxication, attcmplL'd to kill I, a l'nri;t.', the blacksmith, who vigorously rcp\ilsc(l him with a hi^sinj; bur of rcil-iiot iron. This, adik-d to a ri'iuimand I'mni IUimk- pin, ciaiscd liii.i to desist. 'I'lu- timely wariiin;^ of a -.(|ii,i\v, holdiivj; fiieiidly relations with one of thr wurkmen, prevented the destruction of the vessel; the Seneca-^ havinii planned ti» burn it on the ^toi ks. ()nl\' tlu' strictest vigilaiu e sa\ed it from the torch.* So great was 'I'onty's fear that an atta( k Would lie made upon the camp, that he sent La Mniir on a second \ isii to the Seneca village, to a\ert the design. . lie was not only suet essful in his mission, hut securec', at the same time, much needed supplies of corn for I'ort I'ronteP u', and for the party at work on the (iriff(>ii.\ While I, a .\lotte wiis absent on his mission, 'I'unty repaired to Niagara, and launched the brigantine, in order to save what he could from tlie unfortunate v.reck. I'.ut a storm arc u;, and the wind and it e forced him to come to anchor. The ( al)le parted, and, after encountering great peril and fatigue, he suc- ceeded in reaching the mouth of the Niagara, without accom- plishing his object, .\fter the storm had subsided, he em- barked, by canoe, to regain his lost anchor; and met l.a Motte on his return from the Sene<'as. Leaving the latter to fish up the anchor, Tonty returned to the dock.|. The freipient alarms which they experienced, the fear thai provisions would fail them by reason of the loss of the bark, and the refusal of the Senecas to sell them supplies, greatl)- disc(niraged the carpenters. |1 They were otherwise'demorali/ed by the attempted desertion of one of their number to the I )ui( h in New \'ork. Hennepin assumes tlie credit of allaying these fears, and of stimulating the men to greater diligence. 1)\' his timelv exhortations on Sundays and festivals, and assurances that their work would redound to the glorv of (i a-clievc(l from their i)ainful \iL;ils. ij;ladly L'XchanL;c(l their cheer- less ([iiarters 0:1 land, tor thj djilv of tlie Grijfoii, where they swung their hammocks; secure, for tlie first time, from the jealous owners ot the soil.'"' While these events were transi)irinLj; under the superx ision of Tonty, La Salle, wluise duties detained him at l''ort JM-ontenac. was harrassed by Iiis credit(jrs, clamorous for tiie pa\inent of their dues. All his effects at Montreal and Quebec were at- tached, even to the bed of his secretary ; notwithstanding his interest in Fort Krontenac, alone, was ample security for all his debts, without relying upon returns from his western venture. These hostile proceedings originated, in part, from jealousy of the man. They did not, however, modify his purpose, but stimulated him to prosecute his enterprise, regardless of the machinations of his enemies. f The Griffon being safely moored in tlie river, and the time .approaching for the commencement of her western voyage, Hennepin, in order to ascertain the feasibility of taking her up the Niagara into Lake Erie, was disjiatched on a reconnoissance. Accompanied by a single Indian in a bark canoe, he twice poled u]) the ra])ids, as far as the lake; sounding their depth, and estimating their force. He reported that no difficulty existed in the undertaking, if the Griffon should be favored with a fresh north or northwest bree/.e.:l: Soon after the vessel was completetl, she sailed up the eastern • side of ('.rand Island, overcoming the current with her sails alone. She dropped anchor below Squaw Island, in ten feet water, two and a half miles from the lake, where she could ride .secure in any weather. || Hennepin now repaired to I'"ort l''rontena(- for the purpose of obtaining, from his brethren there, some companions to aid him in his proposed mission to the great West. Leaving the * HiMineiiiii. X. D., p. loo. Mar^ry, Pecoiiv., vol. i., p. 444. t Margry, Dccom ., vol. i., p. 444. Hennepin, N. D.. pp. lOi, 102 X Hennepin, X. D., p. 102. Hennepin, X. 1)., 11. 103. 276 THE BUILDING AND Griffon at her anchorage, he descended the river by canoe.. with two assistants, as far as the Uinding just above the Falls. From thence they carried their canoe over the portage; and launching it again at the foot of the Mountain Ridge, proceeded to Fake Ontario. Here they found the brigantine which the Sieur de la Forjst had brought from b'ort Frontenac. After spending a few days at the mouth of the river in»trading with the Indians, they sailed for the l^'ort. 'i'he sea-sickness of a party of s(iuaws, who embarked with them to save a journey of forty leagues, by land, to their village, rendered the voyage cpiite disagreeable, particularly to h'ather Ilenneiiin, who emjjhati- cally e.vpresses himself ipiite disgusted with his fellow voyagers.'^ After touching at the mcnith of the Oswego river, where they traded with the lro(|uois, exchanging l)randy for furs (a proceeding strongly condemned by Henne])in), they crossed the lake and landed on (lull Island, called by Hennepin " Goilaiis^ one of the group which lies off Point Traverse in the eastern end of Lake Ontario. This is'and was so named from the gulls that fre(|uented it in great a])undance. They deposited their eggs in the sand, and left them to be hatched by the sun, Hennepin states that he "gathered and carried away a large (piantity, which relished well in omelette. "t On arri\ ing at Fort Frontenac, Hennepin was welcomed by his I'"ran(iscan brethren. Two of the Order, Oabriel de la Ribourde and /enobe Membre, where chosen to accompany him in the memorable \oyage of the {.irij)oi!.\ On the twenty-seventh of May, while the [)arty were at Fort F'rontenac, La Salle, in recognition of the services of the l'"ran(iscans, conve)-ed to the ( )rder eighteen acres of land bordering on the lake near the I'ort, and about one hundred in the adjacent forest. He abo decreed, by virtue of his. * Hcnncpiii, X. !">., pp. 104, 105. + Hennepin, N. I)., p. 106. t Hennepin, X. O., p. 1:17. L VOYAGE OF THE GA'/ErO.V. 277 authority as governor and proprietor of the Fort, that no other Order should be established in its vicinity. After visiting the neighboring Indians, the Franciscans em- barked in the brigantine, for Niagara.* They landed first at the mouth of the (ienesee river, wliere lln'V traded with the Senecas; [)urchasing furs and supplies, with guns, knives, pow- der, lead and brandy; the latter being the nutst in demand. Hennepin secluded himself from these distractions, by retiring some d'stance in the woods; where he built a bark chapel for religious observances. While they were thus delayed, l.a Salle arrived at the end of eight days, on his way to the Seneca \il- lage. On reaching the latter, he made some i)resents to attac;h the Indians to his interest, and to counteract the prejudices which his enemies had secretly excited against him. 'I'hese negotiations detained them so long, as to [)revent their reaching Niagara before the thirtieth of June. On the fourth of July.f Hennei)in and Sergeant la Meur set out on fcjot to rejoin the Griffon. 'I'hey visited tlu great Catar- act on their way, and stop])ed at the stocks where the vessel had been built, and which Hennepin locates at six leagues from Lake Ontario. AVhile resting thc^e, two young Indians seriously incommoded the fathers, by slyly appropriating all their pro- visions. Here they found an old bark canoe, much dilaj)- idated, which they rei)aired as well as their conveniences allowed. In this, with extem[)orized paddles, they risked the vovaLj;e up the Niagara, and were cordiallv welcomed on board the Grilfoii, still swinging at her anchors, in the current helow the rapids. ;j; A party of ]ro([n()is, returning with prisoners from a western fora_\', visited the ship on their wa\', and were struck with amazement that the material for her ci|uipinent, including such large anchors, could have been brought up the rapids of the St. Lawrence. '' Gaiiiioroii f they e.xi'laimed, in * Heiinc|iiii, N. 1)., pp. I iS, n>i, 1 1 >. * Hcnciupiii's N. 1)., 1'. III. Tliure is some cuiifiisioii "A d.Ues in Hi;iiiiei'in's narrative, IKvt rfcciiu.llable. X Hcmiepiii, X. I)., p. 11.;. I Ijl I 27S TlfE BIII.DIXC, AXD 1 s tlicir astonishment; an expression in their hmguage for, " Won- derful. "■^' I .ea\ing instructions with tlie pilot, not to attemi)t the ascent of the river, Hennejiin returned to X-agara on the six- teenth, and brought up the brigantine in which they had come from l''ort Frontenac, as far as the (ireat R(jck; and ancht)red her at the foot of the 'i'hree Mountains. + The munitions of war, provisions and rigging with which the brigantine was loaded, were now carried over the jjortage by the crew, aided by the l-'ranciscans, involving many a weary and painful journey of two long leagues. Father (labriel, sixty-four years old, went up and down the Three xMountains, three several times, with remarkable activity and endurance. It required four persons to carry the largest anchor; but a liberal distribution of ])randy encouraged the men, and lightened their labor.J The transportation of their effects being thus accomplished, aH repaired to the outlet of Lake Erie, and waited for the sail- ing of the Griffon. Hennepin took advantage of the delay, to make another visit to the l''alls, in company with La Salle and Father (labriel. II He was so charmed with the fine scenery, the abundant fishery, and the beauty of the river, that he pro- posed to La Salle to found a settlement on its borders. \\\ this means, he claimed, the Lidian trade could be monopolized, and at the same time the interests of religion be promoted.** liut La Salle was in del)t; depending for the lii|uidation of his liabilities on ihi' furs he cxi)ected to realize from the far West. 'I'his consideration, cou])led with an intense desire to explore the interior of the continent, prevented his listening to the entreaties of Hennei)in. Everything being ready for the voyage, several fruitless at- * ThU is not a Seneca, liut a MolKu\k H-onl. It was evidently burroueil by tTennepin from i'alher linnas' manuscript Dictionary of tlie Molia\vl< l.ar..L;ua,L;e, which tlie former cons\ilteil in America. The (•orresiiorulmu xvortl in tlie Seneca dialect, is ('„i-ii,i-i'li. wliicl: signifies literally, difficult . r cvtiai'idiiuuy. Brnyas' Radical Words of the Mohawk l.ant;ua.i;e, \). 83. t Heniiei>in, \, I)., p. 113. J Hennepin, N. D., p. 114. ! Hennepin, N. I)., p. lio. ♦♦ Hennepin, N. !>., p. 105. J'OY.IGE OF THE GRIFFOX. 279 tempts were made by the Grijfoii to ascend the rapids into Lake F>rie. The winds were either adverse, or too liyht. While thus waiting, a i)art of tlie crew cleared some land or. tlie Cana- dian shore, and sowed several \arieties of garden seeds. " riiis," says Henne])in, "was done for the benefit of those who shouUl be engaged in maintaining, over the i)ortage, the communication between the vessels navigating the two lakes."* They dis- covered some wild clh-rvil, and (juantities of .Si)anish garlic, {rosea III />()h') growing there spontaneously.! The crew had been reduced, by leaving Father Melithon and others at the stocks al)ove the l''alls. A i)ortion of the remain- der encamped on shore, to lighten the vessel in its attemi)ts to .stem the rai)id current. Divine service was daily observed on board, and the jireaching on Sundays and festivals could easily be heard by the men on shore. | On the twenty-second of July, Tonty was sent forward with five men, to join a company of fourteen, who had, some time before, ])een ordered by La Salle to rendezvous at the mouth of the Detroit river. || At length the wished-for wind from the northeast arose; and the party, to the number of thirty-two souls, including the two Recollects who had recently joined them from l''ort l''ronte- nac, embarked; and, contrary to tlie predictions of the jjilot, succeeded in ascending the rapids into the lake,** as heretcM'ore described. It was a moment of rejoicing and ])rofound gratitude, re- ligiously acknowledged by the hapjjy voyagers, as the vessel floatetl on the bosom of what Hennepin styles, "the beautiful Lake l'>rie." She now s])read her sails to the auspicious breeze, and commenced her adventurous voyage. The \ast inland seas * Hennepin, X. I)., p. iiS. ■I luclKe Clinton says, Una tlic clicrvii w.is pmljably the swoet cicely, am! the i-oscanibole cither (lie leek (■!• j;arlic. X Hennepin. X. I)., p. iig. .\lar,i;rv, Deconv.. vol. i.,p. 57S. **iMai-Kry, vol. i., p. 445. .1' 28o TJIE BUILDING AND over which she was al)oiit to navigate, had never been explored,, save by the canoe of the Indian, timidly coasting along their shores. Without chart to warn of hidden dangers, she boldly ploughed her way, — tlie luimble pioneer of the vast fleets of our modern lake commerce. A moonless night succeeded, 'i'hey had been told that Lake Mric was full of shoals, fatal to navigation; so they cau- ti. M.irgry, Decouv., vol. i., p. 446. The figures in the text are (greatly exaggerated. Neither of the channels through the St. Clair flats, are over h.ilf a mile wide, and their average depth is less than ten feet. Ilf^ m |s-r, lit. /•(')v/c;a' ()/•• '/•///:: i;a'//'7o.v. -^x.5 Contrary winds delayed tlicir progress through the St. C'hiir river for several days. .\t length they were enabled to ap- proach I,ake Huron; luit the \ iolent ( iirrent, in( reasetl by a northerly gale, prevented their advan( ing. 'i'he wind shil'ting to the south, they succeeded, with the aid ot" a do/en men towing on shore, as at the outlet of Lake Mrie, in surmounting the rajjids, whii h were pronounced 1)_\- I lennepin almost as strong as those of the Niagara, 'i'hey enteretl the lake on the twenty- third of August; the l"'ranciscans chanting the VV Av//// for the third time, and thanking the Almighty for their safe navigation thus far, and for the sight of the great bay of Lake Huron; on the eastern shores of which their brethren had established the earliest missions in North Amerit:a. si.\ty-four years before.* As soon as they entered the lake, a fresh wind drove them rapidly along its eastern shore until e\ening, when it changed violently to the southwest. The Grijfon then tacked to the northwest, and, running on that course all night, crossed the great bay of '' Silk ilia III" (Saginaw), thirty miles in width, and which penetrates twice that distance into the heart of the Michigan Peninsula. When morning came, they were running in sight of land, on a northwesterly course, parallel with the western coast. This continued until e\ ening, when they were becalmed in two fathoms water, among the Thunder Jkiy Islands. 'I'hey sought, under easy sail, for an anchorage, during a part of the next night; but, finding none satisfactory, and the wind increasing from the west, they steered north to gain an offing, sounding their way and waiting for the day. La Salle, having discovered evidences of negligence on the part of the pilot, took personal supervision of the lead during the remainder of the voyage. f On the twenty-fifth, they were becalmed until noon; when, favored by a southerly wind, they steered northwest. Suddenly, the wind veered to the southwest. At midnight, they changed their course to the north, to avoid a cajje, since known as Presque * Hennepin, N. D., p. 129. t^Iargry, Decouv., vol. i., p. 447. Hennepin, N. D., p. 131. 2el liuni to staml in for the land.t At this juncture, as related by Mennepin, T.a Salle entered the cabin in much alarm, exclaiming that he commended his enterprise to the 1 )ivine jirotection. "We had been accustomed," says Hennci)in, "during the entire \()\age, to fall on our knees morning and evening, to say our ju-ayers publicly, ami sing some hymns of the church. Hut the storm was now >o \iolcnt, that we could not remain on deck. In this extremity, each one performed his devotions intlependently, as well as he coidd, ex- cept our i)ilot, who could ne\er be ])ersuaded to follow our example. He complained that the Sieur de la Salle had brought him thus far, to lose, in a fresh-water lake, the glory he had accpnred in many successful \oyages by sea."| In this fearful crisis. La Salle was induced, by the importunity of the Recollects, to make a special vow; and, taking Saint An- thony de Padua, the tutelary saint of the sailor, for his i)atron, he promised, that if (lod would deliver them from their present peril, the first chapel erected in Louisiana should be dedicated to the memory of that venerated saint. The vow seems to have met a response, for the wind slightly decreased. They were obliged, however, to lie to, drifting slowly all night, unable to find either anchorage or shelter. On the twenty-seventh, they were driven northwesterly until evening; when, under favor of a light southerly breeze, they rounded Point St. Ignace, and anchored in the calm waters * M.irgry, Docouv., vol. i., p. 447. t-Slargry, Decoiiv., vol. i., p. 447. X Hennepin, X. 1)., p. 132. roy.n;/-: <)/■• -ri/i. rj^n-iox. 2,S; of tlic I);iy of .MifssilliiiKii IsiiKu . (Ics( rihcd ;is a slicltLTctl harlior, protected on all sides. r\(e|ii from the southeast.* Here our voyagers t'ound a settlement, ((imposed of lliirons {Kiskahons), Ottawas, and a feu !■ htk Iniien. A bark-covered cliai)oI bore the emblem of the cross, erected o\er a mission planted by the Jesuits. Like a dim taper, it shone, with feeble light, in a vast wilderness of iiag.in darkness. Here it was that >rar(piette and jolliet. i.riest and layman, organized, six ye.irs before, their memorable \()\age dow n the Mississippi; and here the bones of the honored missionarv found a gra\e, until rilled by some sacrilegious relic hunter. A lew fragments that were spared, have been gathered and jjreserved with pious care, soon to be deposited under a monument, which will be visible far and wide, over land and water; and show , to c (iniing generations, where the thrice-buried remai-is of the heroic Mar- (lUftte liave found a final resting j.hu e. The safe arrival ot the Griffon in this secure ha\en, was the occasion of great rejoicing t(j the weary voyagers. A salute was iired from her deck, and thrn e responded to bv the lire- unns ot the Hurons on shore. Mass was gratefully celebrated by the Franciscans, in the ( hapel of the Ottawas. l,a .Salle attended, robed in line clothes, including a scarlet cloak bor- dered with gold lace; his arms being laid aside in the chapel, in charge of a sentinel. In the distance, the Griffon lay at anchor; presenting, with her fine etiuipnient, an imposing appearance. More than a hundred bark canoes gathered around her, attrac- ted by the novel sj)ectacle.f La Salle found, at Missillimakinac, a part of the fifteen men that he had sent forward from Fort Frontenac tcj trade with the Illinois Indians, and whom he suniiosed were alreadv anion"- the latter. They had listened to reports on the way, that the plans of La Salle were visionary, and that the Griffon would never reach Missillimackinac. La Salle seized four of the de- * Martrry, Dccouv., vul. i., p. 447. + Hennepin, N. D., p. 135. Margry, Decouv. vol. i., pp. 44^. 579. I i H 2S6 THE luii.nixi; .ixf sortcTs; ;in(l. kMniiiiL; iIkU two iiiDrc were at tlic Saut Saiiitc Marii.', he «lcsiiat( lied I'diUn' tm the twenty-ninth ol' SepteMiber, with six assistants, to arrest them. As the season was rajiidly passinL; away, he was unable tO' wait for 'I'onty's return, and i;a\e orders t'or the departure of the Griffon. On the twelfth of September, live days before 'I'onty's return, she sailed out of the straits, into Lake Michi- gan, then named Illinois.* A prosperous run brought her to an island since (ailed Washington Island, forty leagues from Missillimackinac, inhabited b\' the I'oUawatamies. It is situa- ted at the entrance of La Grand Juu,\ a name since corrupted into (Ireen liay. Some of the party were found there, who had been sent forward by 1, a Salle to the Illinois, the year pre\ious. They had collected a large quantity of furs, to the amount of 12,000 poumls, in anticipation of the arrival ot the Griffon. Our navigators found secure shelter in a small bay, now known as Detroit harbor, on the southerly side of the island, where they rode out, at anchor, a violent storm of four days duration.! As winter was now a])proaching, I, a Salle loaded the Griffon with the furs which had thus been collected; inteniling to semi them to the storehouse he had built above the I'"alls; from thence to be transhipped to I'"ort l''rontenac, in satisfaction of the claims (jf his creditors. His own purjjose was to pursue his route, by canoe, to the head of Lake Michigan; and from thence to the country of the Illinois. Being unable to obtain more than four canoes, which were wholly insufficient to con- tain all the merchandise and the various articles destined for his southern enter])rise, he was obliged to leave a portion of his goods in the Griffon, with directions to the pilot to deposit them at Missillimackinac, until the vessel should call for them, on her return voyage. J * Mavgry, vf.l. i., p. 450. Hennepin, I.a., p. 68. Hennepin, \. D., p. 140. Hennepin says, tiie Cri/fon led ^lissilliniackinac on tlie second of Sejiteniber. •f Mavijry, ]")ecoMv., vol. i., p. 450. Hennepin, N. D., p. 140. % Margry, Deconv., vol. i., p. 450. /'(>r./f,7-; ()/•• /■///-; (;/,'//■/■ ox. .'S7 I'hc 0'/7//()// sailid tnr ihc Ni.ijj;;ira on the ciLilili'dUh ul' Sc|i- teniheT. hut without l,.i Salk-; a fatal rrror. uhi( h i-rohahU- caused thr loss ot" the ncsscI, her < ar^o and crew. A I'axoiahle wind hore her from the liarlior; and, with a sinj;,le gun, slie hid adieu to her enterprising huihler. who ne\er saw her a.-ain. She bore a cargo, \alued, w ith the \e>sel. at litly or si\t\ thous- and francs, obtained at a great sacrifiie of time and treasure. She was placed under the conimand of the pilot, Luc, .issisted by a supercargf) and luegood sailors; with directions to ( all at Missilliniacl~-ion«then„;:. ' • ' r.'-"'^'"- ''>■ «-'■ ""• '!>'-■ month of the Missi„ip„i H seventfnll,,ee„,l,od,ed the elements of a g,-andep,ep- f"li „t romantn. nuerest and graphie in.ident: alte nat n- 1' »..cces., and ailnre, and enlntinating n, a tragie death " 1- ranee and Ameri,-a, in friendly and h.ntoral.le rivalrv are '»«• »cek,ns ,„ do jnstiee ,„ his fante. The rehears, ; , frontier seems, on this hi-.entennial anniversirv m pnate tribute to his memory. "i\e.sai), .xn appro- P *He„„epi„,X.D.,p.,,,. Mt.,.,^.. D.eot.v., vol. i., p. ,3, detained five In the mean ig'^ as to the 'ore he heard le of a series, ii'on will was d. He con- >t dishearten- -ver ialtcred. the luxuries <-'ss; whether or the hurn- ig the north- Mississi])])]. e'pic l)oem, ternatin-;- in Uh. •■i\alry, are irsal of the 1 his enter- he N'iagara an ajjpro-