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THE ADVENTURES OF THE Chevalier De La Salle AND HIS COMPANIONS, IN THEIR EXPLORATIONS OF THE PRAIRIES, FORESTS, LAKES. AND RIVERS, OF THE NEW WORLD. AND THEIR INTERVIEWS WITH THE SAVAGE TRIBES, TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO. BY JOHN S. C. ABBOTT. c ■ I •• <■ t > » ' » ' J .. .. -,; /. ^ ii^i tjs'3;^axe:d: * » ' a > i J I NEW YORK: DODD & MEAD, PUBLISHERS, 751 BROADWAY. /.■'■ Entered, according to Act of Congress, the year 1875, by DODD & MEAD, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. \\ • • • « • • • ••• • , . • • • o « • ft » • t t * 1 « ' ' c tl V I t I * » • ♦ ^. • • « • • ^ TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE GREAT VALLEY OF THE WEST, WHOSE MAGNIFICENT REALMS LA SALLE AND HIS COMPANIONS WERE THE FIRST TO EXPLORE, THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, BY JOHN S. C. ABBOTT. 67656 I I I PREFACE. There is no one of the Pioneers of this continent whose achievements equal those of the Chevalier Robert de la Salle. He passed over thousands of miles of lakes and rivers in the birch canoe. He traversed countless leagues of prairie and forest, on foot, guided by the moccasined Indian, threading trails which the white man's foot had never trod, and penetrating the villages and the wigwams of savages, where the white man's face had never been seen. Fear was an emotion La Salle never experienced. His adventures were more wild and wondrous than almost any recorded in the tales of chivalry. As time is rapidly obliterating from our land the foot- prints of the savage, it is important that these records of his strange existence should be per- petuated. PREFACE. I ' I f Fortunately wc have full and accurate accounts of these explorations, in the journals of Messrs. Marquette, Hennepin, and Joliet. We have still more minute narratives, in Etablisscmcnt de la Foix, par le P. Chretien Le Clercq, Paris 1691 ; Dernier cs Dt^eotivertes, par le Chevalier de Tonti, Paris 1697. jfournnl Historiquey par M. Joutel, Paris 171 3. For the incidents in the last fatal expedition, to establish a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi, and the wonderful land tour of more than two thousand miles from the sea-coast of Texas to Que- bee, throus?^h the territories of hundreds of tribes, we have the narratives of P'athcr Christian Le Clercq, the narrative of Father Anastasias Douay, and the minute and admirably written almost daily journal of Monsieur Joutel, in his Dernier Voyage. Both Douay and Joutel accompanied this expedition from its commencement to its close. In these adventures the reader will find a more vivid description of the condition of this continent, and the character of its inhabitants two hundred years ago, than can be found anywhere else. Sir Walter Scott once remarked, that no one could take more pleasure in reading his romances, than he had rREF\CE. J taken in writing them. In this volume wc have the romance of truth. If the writer can judge of the pleasure of the reader, from the intense interest he has experienced in following these adventurers through their perilous achievements, this narrative will prove to be one of extraordinary interest. J OHN. S. C. Abbott. Fair Haven, Connecticut. .[ '■i :*^: :. *■ CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. 27ie Enterprise of yivncs Marquette. The Discovery of America.— Explorations of the French in Canada.— Ancestry of James Marquette.— His noble Charac- ter.— Mission to Canada.— Adventures with the Indians — Wild Character of the Region and the Tribes.— Voyage to Lake Superior with the Nez-Perces.— Mission at Green Bay —Search for the Mississippi.— The Outfit.— The Voyage through Green Bay.— Fox River and the Illinois.-Enters the Mississippi.— Scenes Sublime and Beautiful.— Adven- tures in an Indian Village PAGE 15 CHAPTER II. The First Exploration of the Mississippi River, River Scenery.-The Missouri.-Its Distant Banks.-The Mos- quito Pest.-Meeting the Indians.-Influence of the Calumet -The Arkansas River.-A Friendly Greeting—Scenes in the Village.-Civilization of the Southern Tribes.— Domestic Habits.— Fear of the Spaniards.— The ReU'rn Voyage. 41 CHAPTER III. Marquette's Last Voyage, and Death. The Departure from Green Bay.-Navigating the Lake in a Storms of lain and snow.— Mght Encampments.— lO CONTENTS. PACK Ascending the Chicago River. — A Winter with the Savages. — Journey to tlie Kankakee. — The Great Council on the Prairie. — Interesting Incidents. — The Escort of Savages. — The Death Scene. — Sublime Funeral Solemnities. . . 6l CHAPTER IV. Life iipofi the St. Lawrence and the Lakes Iwo Htmdrcd Years Ago. Birth of La Salle. — His Parentage and Education. — Emigrates to America. — Enterprising Spirit. — Grandeur of his Concep- tions. — Visits the Court of France. — Pr parations for an Exploring Voyage. — Adventures of the River and Lake. — Awful Scene of Indian Torture. — Traffic with the Indians. — The Ship-yard at Lake Erie. ...... 8l I ! CHAPTER V. The Voyage Along the Lakes. The Embarcation. — Equipment of the Griffin. — Voyage through the Lakes and Straits. — The Storm. — Superstition of the Voyagers. — Arrival at Mackinac. — Scenery there. — Friend- ship of the Indians. — Sail on Lakes Huron and Michigan. — Arrival at Green Bay. — The well-freighted Griffin sent back. 104 CHAPTER VI. The Expedition of Father Hennepin. Seeking a Northwest Passage, — The Voyage Commenced. — The Alarm. — Delightful Scenery. — The Indian Village. — Entrance to the Mississippi. — Appearance of the Country. — The Midnight Storm. — Silence and Solitude. — A Heet of Canoes. — Captured by the Savages. — Merciful Captivity. — Alarming Debate. — Condition of the Captives. . . . 128 CONTENTS. II CHAPTER VII. Life with the Savages. PACE Ascending the River witli the Savages. — Religious Worship. — Abundance of Game. — Hardihood of the Savages. — The War-Whoop. — Savage Revelry. — The Falls of St. Anthony. — Wild Country Beyond.-— Sufferings of the .Captives. — Capricious Treatment. — Triumphal Entrance. — The Adop- tion. — Habits of the Savages. . , . . . .145 CHAPTER VIII. Escape from the. Savages. Preaching to the Indians. — Studying the Language. — The Coun- cil. — Speech of Ou-si-cou-de. — The Baptism. — The Night Encampment. — Picturesque Scene. — Excursion on the St. Francis. — Wonderful River Voyage. — Incidents by the Way. — Characteristics of the Indians. — Great Peril. — Strange En- counter with the Indian Chief. — Hardships of the Voyage. — Vicissitudes of the Hunter's Life. — Anecdote. — The Return Voyage. 163 CHAPTER IX. The Abandoiwient of Fort Crlvccocur. Departure of La Salle. — Fathers Membre and Gabriel. — -Their Missionary Labors. — Character of the Savages.* — The Iroquois on the War Path. — Peril of the Garrison. — Heroism of Tonti and Membre. — Infamous Conduct of the Voung Savages. — Flight of the Illinois. — Fort Abandoned. — Death of Father Gabriel. — Sufferings of the Journey to Mackinac. 188 * CHAPTER X. La Salle'' s Second Exploring Tour. Disasters. — Energy of La Salle. — The Embarcation. — Navigating the Lakes. — Sunshine and Storm, Beauty and Desolation.—: 12 CONTENTS. PAGE Ruins at Cr^vecceur. — Steps Retraced. — Christian Character of La Salle. — Arrival at Mackinac. — The Enterprise Re- newed. — Travelling on the Ice. — Descent of the Illinois River. — Entering the Mississippi. — Voyage of the Canoes. — Adventures with the Indians 2I0 CHAPTER XL The Great Enterprise Accomplished. Scenes in the Arkansas Villages. — Indian Hospitality. — Bar- barian Splendor. — Attractive Scenery .r— The Alarm. — Its Joyful Issue. — Genial Character of I.a Salle. — Erecting the Cross. — Pleasant Visit to the Koroas. — The Two Channels. — Perilous Attack. — Humanity of La Salle. — The Sea Reached. — Ceremonies of Annexation. .... 232 |i ' ' ! CHAPTER XH. The Return Voyage. The Numerous Alligators. — Destitution of Provisions. — Encoun- tering Hostile Indians. — A Naval Battle. — Visit to the Vil- lage. — Treachery of tie Savages. — The Attack. — Humane Conduct of La Salle. — Visit to the Friendly Taensas. — Severe Sickness of La Salle. — His Long Detention at Prud- homme. — The Sick Man's Camp. — Lieutenant Tonti sent Forward. — Recovery of La Salle. — His Arrival at Fort Miami. 249 I CHAPTER XIH. Sea Voyage to the Gulf of Mexico. La Salle returns to Quebec. — Sails for France. — Assailed by Cal- umny. — The Naval Expedition. — Its Object. — Its Equip- ment. — Disagreement between La Salle and Beaujeu. — The Voyage to the West Indies. — Adventures in the Caribbean Sea. — They Enter the Gulf. — Storms and Calms. — The Voyagers Lost. 268 CONTENTS. 13 CHAPTER XIV. Lost in the Wilderness. Treachery of Beaujeu. — Accumulating Troubles. — Anxieties of La Salle. — March on the Land. — Tiie Encampment. — Wreck of the Aimable. — Misadventure with the Indians. — Com- mencement of Hostilities. — Desertion of Beaujeu with the Joli. — The Encampment. — The Indians Solicit P'riendship. — The Cruel Repulse. — Sickness and Sorrow. — Exploring Expeditions. — The Mississippi sought for in vain. FAGK 290 CHAPTER XV. A Trip toward Mexico. Ai angements for the Journey. — The Departure. — Indians on Horseback. — Scenes of Enchantment. — Attractive Character of La Salle. — Visit to the Kironas. — The Bite of the Snake. — Adventures Wild aud Perilous. — Hardihood of the Indian Hunter. — The Long Sickness. — A Man Devoured by a Crocodile. — The Return. ....... 311 CHAPTER XVI. The Last Days of La Salle. Plan for the New Journey. — Magnitude of the Enterprise. — Affecting Leave-taking. — The Journey Commenced. — Adven- tures by the Way. — Friendly Character of the Indians. — Vast Realms of Fertility and Beauty. — The Joys and the Sorrows of such a Pilgrimage. — The Assassination of La Salle and of three of his Companions. ....... 326 CHAPTER XVII. The Penalty of Crime. Nature's Storms. — The Gloom of the Soul. — Approach to the Cenis Village. — Cordial Welcome. — Barbaric Ceremonials. I i 14 CONTENTS. PAGE — Social Habits of the Indians. — Meeting with the French Deserters. — Traffic with the Indians. — Quarrel between Hiens and Duhaut. — The Assassins Assassinated. — De- parture of the War Parly. — Fiend-like Triumph. — The March Resumed 346 CHAPTER XVIH. The Close of the Drama. Ludicrous Scene. — Death of M. Marie. — Sympathy of the Savages. — Barbaric Ceremonies. — The Mississippi Readied. — Joyful Interview. — Ascending the River. — Incidents by the Way. — The Beautiful Illinois. — Weary Detention. — The Voyage to Mackinac. — Thence to Quebec. — Departure for France. — Fate of the Colony 366 Adventures of La Salle AND HIS COMPANIONS. CHAPTER I. The Enterprise of James Marquette. The Discovery of America. — Explorations of the French in Canada. — Ancestry of James Marquette. — His noble character. — Mission to Canada. — Adventures with the Indians. — Wild Character of the Region and the Tribes. — Voyage to Lake Superior with the Nez-Perces. — Mission at Green Bay. — Search for the Mississippi. — The Outfit. — The Voyage through Green Bay. — Fox River and the Illinois. — Enters the Mississippi. — Scenes Sublime and Beau- tiful. — Adventures in an Indian Village. Nearly three hundred and forty years ago, in April 1 541, De Soto, in his adventurous march, dis- covered the majestic Mississippi, not far from the border of the State of Tennessee. No white man's eye had ever before beheld that flood whose banks are now inhabited by busy millions. The Indians in- formed him that all the region below consisted of dismal, endless, uninhabitable swamps. De Soto, i6 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. world-weary and woe-stricken, died upon the banks of the river. In its fathomless depths his body found burial. These cruel adventurers, insanely impelled in search of mines of gold, founded no settlements, and left behind them no traces of their passage, save that by their cruelties they had excited the implacable ire of the Indian against the white man. A hundred years of earth's many griefs lingered slowly away, while these vast solitudes were peopled only by wandering savage tribes whose record must forever remain unknown. In the year 1641, some French envoys, from Canada, seeking to open friendly trade with the Indians for the purchase of furs, penetrated the northwest of our country as far as the Falls of St. Mary, near the outlet of Lake Superior. The most friendly relations existed between these Frenchmen and the Indians, wherever the tribes were encoun- tered. This visit led to no settlement. The adven- turous traders purchased many furs, with which they loaded their birch canoes : established friendly rela- tions with these distant Indians, and greatly extended the region from which furs were brough^ to their trading posts in Canada. Eighteen more years passed away, over the silent and gloomy wilderness, when in 1659, a little band ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE. 17 of these bold and hardy explorers, in their frail canoes, with Indian guides, paddled along the lonely, forest-fringed shores of Lake Ontario, ascended the Niagara River to the Falls, carried their canoes on their shoulders around the rapids, launched them again on Lake Erie, traversed that inland sea over two hundred and fifty miles, entered the magnificent Strait, passed through it to Lake St. Clair, crossed that lake, ascended the St. Clair River to Lake Huron, and traversing its whole length, a distance of three hundred miles, reached the Falls of St. Mary. Here, at the distance of more than a thousand miles from the least vestiges of civilization, and sur- rounded by numerous and powerful bands of savages, these hardy men passed an inclement winter. Amidst rocks and gloomy pines they reared their hut. Game was abundant, fuel was at their door, the Indians were hospitable, and they wanted for nothing. One event only darkened these wintry months. The leader of the band became lost in the woods and perished. In the spring the men returned rejoicingly to Canada, with their canoes laden with the richest furs. They also brought such reports of the docility and amiability of the Indians, as to inspire the Christians in Canada with ^ the intense rfesire to establish mis- sionary stations among them. Five years passed •If I I llji! 18 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SAl.LE. ■\ I |i > m away, when Father Claude AUouez, with a small band of Christian heroes, penetrated these wilds to proclaim the glad tidings of the Gospel. Two years after, he was followed by Father James Marquette, a noble man, whose name will never die. As the explorations of Marquette opened the way for the still more wonderful excursions of La Salle, I must here introduce a brief account of his adventures. There is something in blood. The Marquette family had been illustrious in France from time immemorial. Generation after generation, many of its members had obtained renown, not only for chivalric courage, but for every virtue which can adorn humanity. Their ancestral home was a massive feudal castle on an eminence near the stately city of Leon. The armorial bearing of the family commemorates deeds of heroic enterprise five hundred years ago. They were generally earnest Christians. James Marquette was born at the ancient seat of the family in the year 1637. His mother was a woman of fervent piety and of unusual strength and culture of mind. Her brother, John Baptiste de la Salle, was the founder of a system of Christian schools for the gratuitous education of the poor. Thousands were thus instructed long before the present system of public schools was introduced. It was to the in- structions of his noble mother that James Marquette ■1 ! ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE. 19 was indebted for his elevated Christian character, and for his self-sacrificing devotion to the interests of humanity, which have given his name celebrity through a large portion of the Christian world. At the age of seventeen this noble young man, resisting all the brilliant allurements the world opened to one of his wealth and rank, consecrated himself to the service of religion by entering the ministry in the Catholic Church, in which he was born and educated, and by whose influences he was exclusively sur- rounded. ' Two years were devoted to intense study. Then, for twelve years, he was employed in teaching and in many laborious and self-denying duties. As was natural, with a young man of his ardent nature and glowing spirit of enterprise, he was very desirous of conveying the glad tidings of the Gospel to those distant nations who had never even heard of the name of Jesus. Canada and its savage tribes were then attracting much attention in France. \ '^onderful stories were told of the St. Lawrence River, and of the series of majestic lakes, spreading far away into the unknown interior, and whose shores were crowded with In- dian tribes of strange aspect, language, and customs. In the year 1666, Marquette set sail from France. On the 20th of September, he landed, on the banks 20 THE APVENTURKS OF LA SALLE. of the St. Lawrence, at a little hamlet of French log- cabins and Indian wigwams^ called Quebec. He was then but twenty-nine years of age. There was, at that time, another missionary, M. Al' iv-\ on an exploring tour far away upon the majestic ictkes of the interior. With adventurous footsteps he was traver- sing prairie solitudes and forest glooms, upon which no eye of civilized man had ever yet looked. His birch canoe, paddled hy Indian guides, glided over solitary waters hundreds of leagues beyond the remotest frontier stations. There was quite an important trading-post at the mouth of Saguenay River. This was a remarkable stream, which entered the Gt. Lawrence about one one hundred and twenty miles below Quebec. It came rushing down, from unknown regions of the north, with very rapid flood, entering the St. Law- rence at a point where that majestic river was eleven miles in width. Here the French government had established one of the most important commercial and religious stations of that day. At certain seasons of the year it presented an extraordinary wild and picturesque aspect of busy life. There were countless Indian tribes, clustered in villages along the banks of the St. Lawrence, the Saguenay, and their tributary streams. In the early summer, the Indians came by ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE. '5 » 2 A huiulrcds, iv fleets of canoes — men, women and chil- dren — to this great mart of traffic. Tliey came in their gayest attire, reared their wigwams on the plain, kindled their fires, and engaged in all the bar- baric sports of Indian gala days. The scene pre- sented was so full of life and beauty, that the most skilful artist mig!'t despair of his ability to transfer it to the canvas. Father Marquette took his station at this point. Here for twelve years he patiently labored, trying to teach the Indians the way of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Full of enthusiasm, and naturally endowed with a very enterprising spirit, his heart glowed with zeal as he listened to the narrative of Father Allouez, of populous tribes, far away on the majestic shores of Huron, Michigan, Superior. These tribes had never heard of the mission of the Son of God, to save a lost world. They had but very faint conceptions of the Heavenly Father. Marquette could not resist the impulse to carry the Gospel to these realms of darkness. It is difficult for us now to form any adequate con- ception of the little hamlet, at the mouth of the Sa- guenay, where Marquette commenced his missionary labors. The log-cabins of the French, their store- house, and, most prominent of all, the cross-sur- mounted log chapel, were clustered together. At a 22 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. Jittle distance, on the plain, were hundreds of Indian wigwams. Bark canoes, light as bubbles, were seen gliding over the still waters, which were there ex- panded into a beautiful bay. The glooms of the gigantic forest, spreading back to unexplored and un- imagined depth, added to the sublimity of the scene. There seemed to be no apprehension of hostility on either side. The intercourse between the two parties of civilized and uncivilized men was truly fraternal. The French conformed, as far as possiMe, to the modes of life of the Indians. They shared in their games, married the daughters of their chiefs, and in all points endeavored to identify the interests of the natives with their own. M. Marquette had a remarkable facility in the ac- quisition of languages. There was a general resem- blance in the language of all the tribes on the St. Lawrence. He could very soon speak fluently with all. Taking Indian guides with him, he commenced tours in various directions, paddled by Indians in the birch bark canoe. He visited tribe after tribe, met the chiefs at their council fires, slept in the wigwams, administered medicines to the sick, and, with zeal which no discouragement could chill, endeavored to point the living and the dying to that Saviour who taketh away the sins of the world. After spending two years in these labors, he ob- ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE. tained an appointment to connect himself with a mission cstabHshed nearly a thousand miles west, far away upon tlic shores of Lake Superior. On the 2 1st of April, 1668, he left Quebec for Montreal. The distance was one hundred and eighty miles up the river. The voyage was made in a birch canoe, with three boatmen to aid him in paddling it against the stream.. They could proceed about thirty miles a day. The voyage occupied about a week. There were Indian villages; on the banks where they occa- sionally slept. At other times they encamped in the forest, the night wind lulling them to sleep, as it sighed through the leafless branches, which the returning sun of spring had scarcely yet caused to bud. At Montreal there was a little cluster of cabins and wigwams, p esent'ng a very different aspect from the stately city which now adorns that site. After a short tarry there, waiting for a suitable guide, to traverse more than a thousand miles of almost path- less wilderness, a party of Nez-Perce Indians, from Lake Superior, came down the river in their canoes. With them Marquette embarked. It was a wonder- ful voyage which this gentleman, from the refinement and culture of France, made alone with these savages. They paddled up the Ottawa River a distance of nearly four hundred miles. Thence through a series 24 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. I'ai.; of narrow streams and minor lakes, they entered Lake Nipissing. Descending the rapid flood of French River, through cheerless solitudes eighty miles in extent, they entered Georgian Bay. Crossing this vast sheet of water over an expanse of fifty miles, they saw the apparently boundless waves of Lake Huron opening before them. The northern shores of this inland sea they skirted, until they reached the river St. Mary, which connects Lake Superior with Lake Huron. Here two missionary stations were established. One was near the entrance of the river into Lake Huron, aboi >. f ^rty miles below the celebrated Fails of St. Mary. The other was at Green Bay, an im- mense lake in itself, jutting out from the northwest- ern extremity of Lake Michigan. Father Marquette reared his log-cabin in the vicinity of a small Indian village, on the main land, just south of the island of Mackinaw. He named the station St. Ignatius. In this vast solitude this heroic man commenced his labors of love. There were about two thousand souls in the tribes immediately around him. With great docility they listened to his teachings, and were eager to be baptized as Christians. But the judicious father was in no haste thus to secure merely their nominal conversion. The dying, upon professions of peni- tence, he was ever ready to baptize, and to adminis- ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE. 25 ter to them the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. With the rest he labored to root out all the remnants of their degrading superstitions, and to give them correct ideas of salvation through repentance, amend- ment, and trust in an atoning Saviour. Gradually Marquette gathered around him a lit- tle band of loving disciples. For three years he labored with them cheerfully, joyously. His gentle and devoted spirit won, not merely the friendship of the Indians, but their ardent affections. He was just as safe among them as the most beloved father surrounded by his children. Three years this good man remained in these lonely wilds, peacefully and successfully teaching these benighted children of the forest. During all this time his mind had been much exercised with the thought of exploring the limitless and unknown regions south and west. He had heard rumors of the Mississippi, the Father of Waters ; and his devout mind peopled the vast realms through which it flowed with the lost children of God, whom he perhaps might reclaim, through the Gospel of Jesus, who had come from heaven for their redemption. The Governor of Canada was desirous, for more worldly reasons, of exploring these regions, where future empires might be reared. Even the Indians knew but little respecting this a n 20 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. great and distant river. There was much uncer- tainty whether it ran south, into the Gulf of Mexico, or west, emptying into the Gulf of California, which Spanish explorers had called the Red Sea, in conse- quence of its resemblance to that Asiatic sheet of water, or whether it turned easterly, entering the Atlantic Ocean somewhere near the Virginia coast. In the spring of the year 1673, Governor Frontenac sent a French gentleman, M. Joliet, from Quebec, with five boatmen, to Point St. Ignatius, to take Father Marquette on board and set out to find and explore the downward course of this much talked of river. M. Joliet was admirably qualified for this responsible enterprise. He was a man of deep religious convictions, had spent several years among the Indians, was a very courteous man in all his intercourse with them, was thoroughly acquainted with their customs, and spoke several of their lan- guages. As to courage, it was said that he absolutely feared nothing. The good father writes, in refer- ence to his own appointment to this expedition : " I was the more enraptured at this good news, as I saw my designs on the point of being accom- plished, and myself in the happy necessity of expos- ing my life for the salvation of all these nations. Our joy at being chosen for this enterprise, sweet- ened the labor of paddling from morning till night. ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE. 27 uncer- Vlexico, L, which 1 conse- heet of •ing the coast, ontenac Quebec, to take rind and alked of for this 3f deep among 1 all his uainted leir lan- )solutely n refer- ion : d news, accom- f expos- nations. , sweet- 11 night. As we were going to seek unknown countries, we took all possible precautions, that if our enterprise were hazardous, it should not be foolhardy. For this reason we gathered all possible information from the Indians, who had frequented those parts. We even traced a map of all the new country, marking down the rivers on which we were to sail, the names of the nations through which we were to pass, and the course of the great river." On the 13th of May, 1673, this little band, consist- ing of M. Joliet, Father Marquette, and five boatmen, in two birch canoes, commenced their adventurous voyage. They took 'vith them some Indian corn and jerked meat ; but they were to live mainly upon such food as they could obtain by the way. The immense sheet of water, at the northwestern ex- tremity of Lake Michigan, called Green Bay, is one hundred miles long by twenty or thirty broad. The boatmen paddled their frail canoes along the western border of this lake until they reached its southern extremity, where they found a shallow river, flowing into it from the south, which they called Fox River. They could propel their canoes about thirty miles a day. Each night they selected some propitious spot for their encampment. Upon some dry and grassy mound they could speedily, with their axes, construct a hut which would protect them from the weather. 28 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. {I iii Carefully smoothing down the floor, they spread over it their ample couch of furs. Fish could be taken in abundance. The forest was filled with game. .An immense fire, blazing before the open side of the hut, gave warmth, and illumined the sublime scene with almost the brilliance of noon-day. There they joyously cooked their suppers, with appetites which rendered the feast more luxurious to them probably than any gourmand at Delmonico's ever enjoyed. Each night Father Marquette held a religious service, which all reverently attended. Prayers were offered, and their hymns of Christian devotion floated sweetly through those sublime solitudes. The boatmen were men of a gentle race, who had been taught from infancy to revere the exercises of the church. They came upon several Indian villages. But the natives were as friendly as brothers. Many of them had visited the station at St. Ignatius, and all of them had heard of Father Marquette and his labors of love. These children of the forest begged their revered friend to desist from his enterprise. *' There are," they said, " on the great river ^ bad Indians who will cut off your heads without any cause. There are fierce warriors who will try to seize you and make you slaves. There are enormous birds there, whose wings darken the air, and who -|[ ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE. 29 ad over ; taken game, i of the 2 scene re they s which robably oyed. eligious ivs were levotion )Utudes. ^ho had cises of ts. But any of and all and his begged rise. uer, bad )ut any I try to ormous nd who can swallow you all, with your canoes, at a mouthful. And worst of all, there is a malignant demon there who, if you escape all other dangers, will cause the waters to boil and whirl around you and devour you." To all this, the good Marquette replied, " I thank you, dear friends, for your kind advice, but I cannot follow it. There are souls there, to save whom, the Son of God came to earth and died. Their salvation is at stake. I would joyfully lay down my life if'I could guide them to the Saviour." They found the navigation of Fox River impeded with many rapids. To surmount these it was neces- sary often to alight from their canoes, and, wading over the rough and sharp stones, to drag them up against the swift current. They were within the limits of the present State of Wisconsin, and found themselves in a region of lakes, sluggish streams, and marshes. But there were Indian trails, which had been trodden for uncounted generations, leading west. These they followed, often painfully carrying their canoes and their burdens on their shoulders, for many miles, from water to water, over what the Indians called the Carrying Places. At length they entered a region of remarkable luxuriance, fertility, and beauty. There were crys- tal streams and charming lakes. Magnificent forests II i ii!t; ! ^ ■ ! ; 1 i ■ ' J ■'' lii 30 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. were interspersed with broad and green prairies. God seemed to have formed, in these remote realms, . an Eden of surpassing loveliness for the abode of his children. Three tribes, in perfect harmony, occu- pied the region — the Miamis, Mascoutins, and Kick- apoos. There was a large village with abundant corn-fields around. River and lake, forest and prai- rie were alike alive with game. To their surprise they found that the French mis- sionary. Father Allouez, had reached this distant spot, preaching the Gospel, eight years before. The Indians had received him with fraternal kindness. He had left in the centre of the village a cross, the emblem of the crucified Son of God. "I found," Marquette writes, "that these good people had hung skins and belts and bows and arrows on the cross, an offering to the Great Spirit, to thank him because he had taken pity on them during the winter and had given them an abundant chase." No white man had ever penetrated beyond this region. These simple, inoffensive people seemed greatly surprised that seven unarmed men should venture to press on to meet the unknown dangers of the wilderness beyond — wilds which their imagina- tions had peopled with all conceivable terrors. On the loth of June these heroic men resumed their journey. The kind Indians furnished them I ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE. 31 prairies, realms, )ode of y, occu- d Kick- lundant id prai- ch mis- distant . The ridness. )ss, the ig the with two guides to lead them through the intricacies of the forest to a river, about ten miles distant, which they called Wisconsin, and which they said flowed westward into the Father of Waters. They soon reached this stream. The Indians helped them to carry their canoes and effects across the portage. "We were then left," writes Marquette, "alone in that unknown country, in the hand of God." Our voyagers found the stream hard to navigate. It was full of sand-bars and shallows. There were many islands covered with the richest verdure. At times they came upon landscapes of enchanting beauty, with lawns and parks and lakes, as if arranged by the most careful hands of art. After descending this stream about one hundred and twenty miles, they reached the mouth of the Wisconsin River, and saw the flood of the Mississippi rolling majestically before them. It was the 17th of June 1673, Father Marquette writes that, upon beholding the river, he experienced a joy which he could not express. Easily they could be swept down by the rapid current into the sublime unexplored solitudes below. But to paddle back against the swift-rolling tide would try the muscles of the hardiest men. Still the voyagers pressed on. It was indeed a fairy scene which now opened before them. Here bold bluffs, 3^ THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. !!!! :| hundreds of feet high, jutted into the river. Here were crags of stupendous size and of every variety of form, often reminding one of Europe's most pic- turesque stream, where " The castled crags of Drachenfels, Frown o'er the wide and winding Rhine." Again the prairie would spread out its ocean-like ex- panse, embellished with groves, garlanded with flow- ers of gorgeous colors Avaving in the summer breeze, checkered with sunshine and the shad*^ of passing clouds, with roving herds of the stately buffalo and the graceful antelope. And again the gloomy forest would appear, extending over countless leagues, where ]>ears, wolves, and panthers found a congenial home. Having descended the river nearly two hundred miles they came to an Indian trail, leading back into the country. It was so well trodden as to give evi- dence that a powerful tribe was near. It speaks well for the Indians — for the reputation which they then enjoyed — that Marquette, with his French compan- ion, M. Joliet, far away in the wilderness, seven hun- dred miles from any spot which a white man's foot had ever before trod, should not have hesitated alone to enter this trail in search of the habitations of this unknown tribe. They left all their companions, with the canoes, on the bank of the river. ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE. 33 •* We cautioned them," writes Father Marquette, "strictly to beware of a surprise. Then M. JoHet and I undertook this rather hazardous discovery, for two single men, who thus put themselves at the dis- cretion of an unknown and barbarous people." These two bold adventurers followed the trail in silence for about six miles: They then saw, not far from them, upon a meadow on the banks of a small stream, a very picturesque group of wigwams, with all the accompaniments of loafing warriors, busy women, sporting children, and wolfish dogs, usually to be found in an Indian village. At the distance of about a mile and a half, upon a gentle eminence, there was another village of about equal size. As the Indians had not yet caught sight of them, they fell upon their knees, and Father Marquette, in fervent prayer, commended themselves to God. They then gave a loud shout, to attract the attention of the Indians, and stepped out into open view. The whole community was instantly thrown into commo- tion, rushing from the wigwams, and gathering in apparently an anxious group. . After a brief conference they seemed to come to the conclusion that two unarmed men could not thus approach them, announcing their coming, with any hostile intent. Four of their aged men were deputed to go forward and greet the strangers. They ad- iii! I! 34 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. vanccd with much dignity, not uttering a word, but waving, in their hands, the pipes of peace. As it afterwards appeared, they had often heard of the arrival of the French in Canada, of the wonderful articles which they brought for traffic, and of the mis- sionaries, with their long black gowns. The name of Blackgowns was the one with which, in all the tribes, they designated these preachers of the Gospel. When they had come within a few paces of the strangers, they regarded them attentively and waited to be addressed. Both M. Joliet and Father Hennepin understood that these ceremonies indicated friend- ship. Father Hennepin broke the silence by inquiring : " To what nation do you belong? " " We are Illinois," one of them replied, " and in token of peace we have brought you our pipes to smoke. We invi*-e you to our village, where all are awaiting you with impatience." The Frenchman and the four Indians walked together to the village. At the door of one of the largest wigwams, one of the ancients stood to receive them. According to their custom, on such occa- sions, he was entirely unclothed. This probably was the savage mode of indicating that there were no con- cealed weapons about the person. This man, with his hands raised toward the sun, which was shining brightly, said : ENTERPKISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE. 35 " How beautiful is the sun, O Frenchmen ! when you come to visit us. All our people welcome \ ou, and you shall enter all our cabins in peace." He then led them into the wigwam. A large concourse remained outside in respeciiul silence. Only the principal men entered the wigwam. Mats were provided, for the guests, in the centre. The rest took seats around. The calumet of peace was passed. All in turn partook of the smoke of the weed which both the civilized and uncivilized man have prized so highly. While thus employed, a messenger came in from the head chief, who resided in the village on the eminence to which we have alluded. He brought a message from the chief, inviting the strangers to his residence. " We went with a good will," writes M. Marquette. " The people, who had never before seen a white man, could never tire looking at us. They threw them- selves upon the grass, by the way-side, to watch as we passed. They ran ahead, and then turned and walked slowly back to examine us. AJi this was done without noise and in the most respectful manner." The chief was standing, with two venerable men, at the door of his residence. The three were en- tirely destitute of clothing. Each one held the calu- if I A ■'^ M ! ! i 'I 36 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. met of peace in his hand. The guests were received witn smiles and a few cordial words of welcome. Together they all entered the spacious wigwam. It was very comfortable and even cheerful in its aspect, being carpeted, and its sides were lined with mats ingeniously woven from rushes. The Frenchmen, as before, were placed upon central mats, while all the dignitaries of the village silently entered and took their seats around. The chief rose, and in a few very appropriate words bade the strangers welcome to his country. Again the pipe of peace was presented to them and passed the rounds. M. Marquette, who, as we have said, was quite at home in all matters of Indian eti- quette, then arose, and addressing the chief, said : " We have come as friends to visit the nations on this side of the great river." In token of the truth of these words, he made the chief a handsome present. He then added, *' God, the Father of us all, has had pity on you, though you have long been ignorant of Him. He wishes to become known to all nations, and has sent me to communicate His will to you, and wishes you to acknowledge and obey Him." Another present was handed the chief. He then continued, *' My king, the great chief of the French, wishes that peace should reign every- where ; that there should be no more wars. The ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE. 37 :very- The Iroquois, who have been the enemies of the Illinois, he has subdued." Another present was given, in confirmation of the truth of these words. In con- clusion of this brief yet comprehensive speech, he remarked, " And now I have only to say that we entreat you to give us all the information, in your power, of the sea into which the great river runs, and of the nations through whom we must pass on our way to reach it." The chief rose, and addressing Father Marquette, said, " I thank thee, Blackgown, and thee also," bow- ing to M. Joliet, " for taking so much pains to come and visit us. Never has the earth been so beautiful to us, and never has the sun shone so brightly upon us as to-day. Never has our river been so calm or so free from rocks. Your canoes have swept them away. Never has our tobacco had so fine a flavor, or our corn been so luxuriant as we behold it to-day, now that you are with us." Then, turning to a little Indian captive boy, at his side, whom they had taken from some hostile tribe, and had adopted into the family of the chief, he added : " Here is my son. I give him to you that you may know my heart. I implore you to take pity upon me, and upon all my nation. Thou knowest the Great Spirit who has made us all. Thou speakcst 38 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SAIXE. I |ii: II J I to Him and hearest His word. Ask Him to give me life and health, and to come and dwell with us, that we may know Him." He then led the little captive to the side of M. Marquette. This was in return for tlie first present. Holding in his hand a calumet very highly carved and ornamented with feathers, he presented it to the father, saying : "This is the sacred calumet. It signifies that, wherever you bear it, you are the messengers of peace. All our tribes will respect it, and will pro- tect you from every harm." The bowl of the pipe was of some highly pol- ished red stone. The stem, elaborately decorated, was of a reed about two feet long. " By this pres- ent," said he, " we wish to show our esteem for your chief, whom we must all revere after the account you have given us of him." The third and fourth pres- ents consisted, so far as we can judge from the rather obscure narrative, of two thick mats, one for each of the guests, to serve them for beds on their voyage. At the same time the chief said : *' I beg of you, in behalf of the whole nation, not to go any farther down the river. Your lives will be in the greatest peril." " I replied," Father Marquette writes, " that I did not fear death, and that I esteemed no happiness ENTERPRISE OF JAMES MARQUETTE. 39 greater than that of losing my hfe for the glory of God, who made us all. But this, these poor people could not understand." The council now broke up, and a great feast was given. It consisted of four courses. The first much resembled what is called in New England hasty pudding. It consisted of Indian meal, and corn pounded fine, and boiled in an earthen pot, and was eaten with melted fat. The master of ceremonies took some on a wooden plate, and with a horn spoon, quite neatly made, fed the two Frenchmen as a mother feeds a child. The second course consisted of three boiled fishes. Carefully the bones were removed, and the Indian who served them placed the food in the mouths of their guests as before. He blew upon it, to be sure that it was sufficiently cool. For the third course there was brought forward a large baked dog. This was considered a great delicacy, and was deemed the highest compliment which could be shown to a guest. But the prejudices of the Frenchmen were such that they could not eat dog, and this dish was removed. The fourth course consisted of fat and tender cuts of buffalo meat. This also was placed in their mouths as parents feed a child. There were three hundred wigwams in the village. After the feast the guests were led into each one of 1 ■11 . .il i '4 ili' ill 40 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SAL^.E. them, and introduced to the inmates. As they walked through the streets a large crowd accom- panied them. Some men, officiating as a kind of poHce, were continually haranguing the throng, urging the people not to press too close, and not to be troublesome. Many presents were made them of belts and scarfs woven from hair and fur, and other small articles of Indian manufacture, brilliantly col- ored and richly embroidered with shells. They had also knee-bands and wrist-bands which were quite ornamental. That night the guests slept in the wigwam of the chief. The next morning they took leave of their generous entertainers. The chief himself accompa- nied them to their canoes, followed by a retinue of nearly six hundred persons. We cannot record this friendly reception without emotion. How beautiful is peace! How different would the history of this world have been but for man's inhumanity to man ! CHAPTER II. The First Exploration of the Mississippi River, ft River Scenery. — The Missouri. — Its Distant Banks. — The Mosquito Pest. — Meeting the Indians. — Influence of the Calumet. — The Arkansas River. — A Friendly Greeting. — Scenes in the Village. — Civilization of the Southern Tribes. — Domestic Habits. — Fear of the Spaniards. — The Return Voyage. Father Marquette and M. Joliet had astronomi- cal instruments with which they ascertained, with much accuracy, the latitude of all their important stop- ping places. As they state that the two villages, which they visited, were on the western side of the Missis- sippi, at the latitude of forty degrees north, and upon the banks of a stream flowing into the Great River, it is supposed that these villages were upon the stream now called Des Moines, which forms a part of the boundary between Iowa and Missouri. The Indians called the villages Pe-ou-a-sea and Moing- wena. They were probably situated about six miles above the present city of Keokuk. It was three o'clock in the afternoon, of a day near the end of sunny, blooming June, when our voyagers re-sumed their adventurous tour. Nearly llilili III 1 1 w 42 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. the whole tribe they had visited stood upon the bank to bid them adieu. They floated along through a very dreary country of precipitous rocks and jagged cliffs, which quite shut out from their view the mag- nificent prairie region which was spread out beyond this barrier. Upon the smooth surface of one of these rocks, apparently inaccessible, they saw, with surprise, two figures painted in very brilliant colors and with truly artistic outline. They thought that the painting would have done honor to any European artist. The figures were of two rather frightful looking monsters, about the size of a calf, in red, green, and black. Stoddard, in his history of Louisiana, says that these painted monsters, between the Missouri and the Illinois Rivers, still remain in a good degree of preservation. " As we were discoursing of them," writes Father Marquette, " sailing gently down a beautiful, still, clear water, we heard the noise of a rapid, into which we were about to fall. I have seen nothing more frightful. A mass of large trees, entire, with branches, real floating islands, came rushing from the mouth of the river Pekitunoiil, so impetuously that we could not, without great danger, expose ourselves to pass across. The agitation was so great that the water was all muddy, and could not get clear." V^iif EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 43 This was the rush and the roar of the incom- ing billows of the terrible Missouri, the most tremendous river upon this globe. It enters the Mississippi through a channel half a mile in breadth, rushing down with a sort of maniacal fury, from its sources among the Rocky Mountains at the distance of three thousand and ninety-six miles. Its whole course, from its rise to its entrance into the Gulf of Mexico, is four thousand three hundred and forty- nine miles. More than two hundred and fifty years after this, Mr. George Catlin ascended this river in the first steamer which ever ventured to breast its torrent. It took the steamer three months to ascend to the mouth of the Yellowstone, two thousand miles from the city of St. Louis. At this point the Amer- ican Fur Company had erected a very substantial fort, three hundred feet square, for the protection of their property against the savages. The banks of the stream were lined with the villages of the In- dians. Their wigwams were of a great variety of structure. The scenes presented were astonishing in their wild and picturesque aspect. Crowds of weird-like savages would often be collected on the bluffs, watching the appalling phenomenon of the passing steamer. The Missouri is different, perhaps, from any other m AA THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. 1 1 14 river in the world. Its boiling, turbid waters rush impetuously on, in an unceasing current, for hun- dreds of leagues, with scarcely a cove, an eddy, or any resting place where a canoe can be tranquilly moored. The Indian name of the river signifies Muddy Water. It is so opaque, like a cup of choco- late, that a newly coined shilling, placed in a tum- bler, cannot be seen through the eighth part of an inch of the water. For nearly a thousand miles the whole bed of the stream was impeded with gigantic trees, torn from the rich alluvial banks, forming snags and saw- yers and rafts, through which, often with difficulty, the steamer cut her way. Every island and sand- bar, was covered with dreary looking masses of drift- wood of every conceivable variety. This desolate and savage aspect of the rushing flood is much relieved by the aspect of marvellous beauty often presented on the banks. It was almost a fairy scene. Hills and vales, bluffs and ravines, were continually presented in successions of subHmity and beauty which charmed the eye. Prairies were often spread out before them of boundless expanse, upon which vast herds, often numbering thousands, of bufifp^es, elks, and antelopes, were seen grazing. In the gloomy forests, wolves were roaming. Mountain goats bounded over the cliffs. And at times, the ■ EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 45 air seemed darkened with the myriad birds which rose from the tall grass. There was one twelve-pound, and three or four eight-pound cannon on board the steamer. At every village which was passed, the banks would be crowded with the astounded natives. Mischiev- ously, the captain would order all the cannon to be simultaneously discharged. The effect upon the terrified savages was ludicrous in the extreme. They were all thrown into utter consternation. The more devout threw themselves upon the ground, and, hiding their faces, cried to the Great Spirit for pro- tection. The cowards, with the women and the children, ran screaming back into the prairie, or behind the hills. Occasionally, a little band of vet- eran warriors, the bravest of the brave, would stand their ground, ready to meet the terrors of even a su- pernatural foe. " Sometimes," writes Catlin, " they were thrown neck and heels over each other's heads and shoulders — men, women, children and dogs ; sage, sachem, old and young, all in a mass — at the frightful discharge of the steam from the escape-pipe, which the captain of the boat let loose among them, for his own fun and amusement." As our voyagers, in their birch bark canoes, passed the mouth of this wonderful stream, they had no !:-:J if «::;;, P 1 .il li » 46 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. conception of the scenes which were transpiring in thousands of Indian villages on its far-distant waters. They began now to think, from the course of the Mississippi, that it must flow into the Gulf of Mexico. They had however learned, from the Indians, thit if they were to ascend the Missouri, or, as they called it, Pekitanoii^, five or six days' sail, they would come to a very beautiful prairie, ninety-five miles long. This splendid country, which was represented as an Eden of loveliness, the Indians said could be easily crossed, carrying their canoes. They could then take another river which ran southwest into a small lake. This was the source of another large and deep river, which emptied into the western sea. In subsequent years, this description of the Indians was found to be unexpectedly correct. By ascending the Missouri to the Platte River, and following that stream to its source among the Rocky Mountains, the traveller is brought within a few leagues of the Colo- rado, which flows into the Gulf of California. Having passed the dangerous rush of the Missouri, as it entered into the Mississippi, and fioatingupon the sur- face of their combined waters, they came, after the sail, as they judged, of about sixty miles, to the mouth of another large river, of gentle current, and whose waters were of crystal purity, flowing in from the east. The Indians very appropriately called it EXPLORATION OF THE MlSSlSSim. 47 Wabash, which signified Beautiful River. The P^rench subsequently called it La Belle Riviere. We have given it the name of Ohio, appropriating the name Wabash to one of its most important tributaries. The voyagers learned that this stream was fringed with a succession of Indian villages. The various tribes were peaceful, averse to war. In one district there was a cluster of twenty-three villages ; in another, of eighteen. But alas for man ! It would seem that the fallen children of Adam were deter- mined that there should be no happiness in this world. The ferocious Iroquois would send their war parties, hundreds of miles through the wilderness, to make unprovoked attacks upon these unwarlike peo- ple. They would rob them of their harvests, wan- tonly burn their wigwams, kill and scalp men, women, and children, and carry off captives to torture and burn at the stake, in barbarian festivities. Near the mouth of this river they found deposits of unctuous earth, having quite brilliantly the colors of red, purple, and violet. Father Hennepin rubbed some of the red upon his paddle. The constant use of that paddle in the water, for fifteen days, did not efface the color. This was a favorite resort of the Indians to obtain materials for painting their persons. They now entered the region of that terrible pest, 48 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. the. mosquito. Elephants, lions, tigers, can bo exterminated. The mosquito bids defiance to all mortal powers. The Indians would build a scaffold- ing of poles, a mere grate-work, which would give free passage to smoke. A i"'ivv pieces of bark, overhead, sheltered them from the rain, and the excessive heat of the sun. Upon these poles they slept, kindling smouldering fires beneath. They could better endure the suffocating fumes which thus enveloped them and drove away their despicable tormenters, than bear the poison of their stings. The voyagers were greatly annoyed by these insects. As they were thus swept down the infinite wind- ings of the stream, day after day, mostly at the will of the current, they perceived one morning, much to their surprise, a small band of Indians on the shore, armed with guns. The savages seemed very much at their ease, and waited the approach of the canoes. Father Hennepin stood up and waved toward them his peace calumet, with its imposing decoration of feathers. His companions held their muskets in readiness to repel any assault. Drawing near the shore, the father addressed them in the Huron lan- guage. They did not understand him, but made friendly signs for the party to land. The Indians led the Frenchmen into their wigwams and feasted them EXPLORATION OF THE MlSSISSim. 49 upon buffalo steaks, with bear's fat, and some very delicious wild plums. It appeared that these Indians were a band of warriors, probably from the Tuscarora nation. They had seen the Spaniards, on the Florida coast, and had purchased of them guns, axes, and knives. They kept their powder in strong glass bottles. From them they learned that a ten days' voyage down the rapid current of the Mississippi would bring them to the ocean. The indefatigable missionary endeavored to give them some idea of God, and of salvation through Jesus Christ, who came to seek and save the lost. And now, with renewed courage, our adventurers entered their canoes and resumed their paddles. The prairies, which had so long delighted their eyes, gradually cisappeared, and the dense forest lined both sides of the stream. It was very evident, how- ever, that upon the other side of the ^orest-crowned eminences, the prairies continued to extend in all their sublimity and beauty; for they often heard the bellowing, as the roar of distant thunders, from thou- sands of wild cattle roving the plains. They had now descended to nearly the thirty- third degree of north latitude, when they came to a large Indian village, situated upon a plain raised but a few feet above the level of the water. These Indians had undoubtedly received some great outrage il *" \ Pi', ■III ■ k 1 -V ■' ^(1 \ i III I M 111 I fei 50 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. from the Spaniards ; for no sooner did they catch a sight of the Europeans than they were thrown into great commotion, and all their warriors rallied for battle. They were evidently aware that a few men> armed with the dreadful musket, might overpower a large number who wielded only the Indian weapons of warfare. These warriors were armed with bows and arrows, javelins, and war clubs. They seemed to know that the invisible bullet could strike vvilh death far beyond the reach of any of their missiles. They moved therefore with great caution. In those southern lat- itudes the birch tree, from whose bark the canoes of the northern Indians were made, did not thrive. Their boats were made of large logs, hollowed out and neatly shaped. They were often ornamented with infinite labor. Some of the warriors prepared to overwhelm the strangers with a shower of arrows from the land. Others embarked in their larger boats to ascend the river, and others to descend, so as to cut off all possibility of retreat. As .the voyagers drew near the shore, Father Marquette stood up in his canoe, though exposed to imminent danger of being pierced by their arrows, and earnestly waved the calumet of peace, at the same time, as he writes, imploring the aid of *' our patroness and guide, the Blessed Virgin Immaculate. EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPri. 51 And indeed," he continues, " we needed her aid, for we heard, from afar, the Indians exciting one another to the combat by continual yells." In the terror and tumult of the moment the calumet had not been seen. But as soon as some of the chiefs caught sight of it, they rushed into the water, threw their bows and arrows into the canoes, which they seized and brought to the shore. Father Marquette and M. Jolict were so familiar with the customs of the Indians that they understood this to be a friendly movement, and they no longer felt any great anxiety ; though they were aware that, through some sudden outbreak of the savage sense of re- venge, they might lose their lives. The good father addressed them in six Indian languages, none of which they understood. At last an old man came forward, who spoke a little Illinois. Very friendly relations were soon established. They made the Indians several valuable presents, and informed them of their desire to find the way to the ocean. " They perfectly understood our mean- ing," writes Father Marquette, '' but I know not whether they understood what I told them of God, and the things which concerned their salvation. It is a seed cast in the earth, which will bear its fruit in season." The Indians, in return, presented them with corn, f< i".' ,- i ■ »tim 52 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. 1 ' i i 1 1 1 i 1 1 1; ■'i :j ^1 J i i pounded into meal, and some fishes. They said that, at some distance farther down the river, there was a large village called Akamsea ; that there they could learn all they wished to know respecting the course and the out-flow of the Father of Waters. The voy- agers slept in the wigwams of the Indians during the night, though the father confesses that it was not without some uneasiness. The Akamsea, to which the Indians referred, was what we now call Arkansas. It is supposed that this village was near the Indian village of Guachoya, where the unhappy De Soto, whose romantic history we have given in a previous volume of this series, breathed his last, one hundred and fifty years before. In the narrative which has descended to us of that ill-fated and cruel expedition the historian writes : " The same day, July 2, 1543, that we left Amin- oya, we passed by Guachoya, where the Indians tar- ried for us in their canoes." It was at Aminoya that De Moscoso, who suc- ceeded De Soto, built his little fleet of seven strong barges, with which the Spaniards descended, in a voyage of sixteen days, to the mouth of the river. The Spaniards were as ignorant of the sources of the mighty river upon which they were sailing, as were the French of the termination of the majestic flood, which they had discovered nearly two thousand EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 53 miles, far away amidst the lakes and prairies of the north. The next morning, at an early hour, the French- men resumed their voyage. A party often Indians accompanied them, leading the way in one of their large boats. The old man, who understood a little of the Illinois language, also went with them as an interpreter. When they had descended the river nearly thirty miles, and were within about a mile and a half of the Arkansas village, they saw two boats, ci"owded with warriors, push out from the shore, and advancing to meet them. The keen eyes of the sav- ages had probably discerned the Indian boat which led the frail canoes of the Frenchmen. They knew that persons thus approaching could come with no hostile attempt. The chief of this party, distinguished by his gor- geous dress, stood up in his boat, and, waving the plumed calumet, sung, in a very plaintive but agree- able tone, some Indian ode of welcome. He came with smiles and friendly signs alongside of the two birch canoes which kept close together. First, hav- ing taken a few whiffs from the pipe, he presented it to them to smoke. Then, having given them some bread, made of Indian meal, he made signs for them to follow him to the shore. The chief had a large scaffolding, such as we ■Si ' ■(■■ ■^^mtK^ \ 't s II 54 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. have before described, as a protection from the mos- quitoes. It also afforded a cool shelter from the rays of an almost tropical sun. The ground floor was carpeted with very fine rush mats. In the centre of this spacious awning, the Frenchmen were seated, as in the post of honor. The head chief, with his subordinates, surrounded them. Then the encircling warriors, several hundred in number, took their seats. A motley but perfectly orderly crowd of men, women, and children gathered around as witnesses of the scene. Fortunately there was a young warrior there who had travelled, and who was much more familiar with the Illinois language than the old man who had accompanied the voyagers as interpreter. " Through him," says the faithful missionary, " I first spoke to the assembly by the ordinary presents. They admired what I told them of God, and the mysteries of our holy faith, and showed a great desire to keep me with them to instruct them." In answer to inquiries in reference to the sea, .they said that it could be easily reached, in their canoes, in ten days. They, however, stated that they knew but little about the nations who inhab- ited the lower part of the river, because they were their enemies. These Indians had hatchets, knives, and beads. This proved that, in some way, they EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 55 mos- 1 the floor entre ;ated, h his rcUng their fmen, sesof e who r with o had [ry, " I sents. d the ^-reat I [e sea, their that linhab- were :nives, they had held intercourse with Europeans. Upon being consulted on this question, it appeared that they had obtained them through the Spaniards in Florida and Mexico. They warned the voyagers not to go any farther down the river, as they would certainly be attacked and destroyed by the war parties of these hostile bands. While this conference was going on, which con- tinued for several hours, the Indians were continually presenting their guests with plates of food, which consisted principally of meal-pudding, roast corn, and dogs' flesh. The Indians were very courteous. But it was not a powerful or war-like tribe. They often had but a meagre supply of food, as the ferocity of their surrounding enemies prevented them from wandering far in pursuit of game. Their main rehance was upon corn. They sowed it at all seasons, raising three crops a year. While some fields were just sprouting, others were in the soft and milky state suitable for roasting, and other fields were waving with the ripe and golden harvest. These southern tribes were generally much more advanced in the arts than those farther north. They manufactured many quite admirable articles of pottery for household use. It is said that some of them were hardly inferior in form and finish to the exquisite vases found in Herculaneum and Pompeii. il; I 1 :;! i •] 56 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. Still they were i'' many respects degraded sav- ages, of loathsomr ^abits, but little elevated above the brutes. Many of the men wandered about with- out any clothing. The women were not regarded with any honor. They were beasts of burden, dressed in wretched skins, without any ornaments. Their wigwams were long and wide, made of bark, with a single central entrance. Almost like the cat- tle, they slept together at the two extremities, upon mat-covered elevations, raised about two feet from the ground. From the description of Father Mar- quette, we should infer that, in this melancholy vil- lage, the chiefs alone enjoyed the luxury of sleeping upon poles enveloped with suffocating smoke to drive away the mosquitoes. " We ate no fruit there," writes Marquette, " but watermelons. If they knew how to cultivate their grounds they might have plenty of all kinds." In the evening M. Joliet and Father Marquette held a conference in reference to their future course. They had ascertained that they were at 33° 40' north latitude. The basin of the Gulf of Mexico was at 31° 40'. Though the Indians had said that they could reach the sea in ten days, it was manifest that they could easily accomplish the distance in four or five. The question was consequently settled that the Mississippi ran into the Gulf of Mexico. To decide EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 57 this point was the great object of their voyage. Spanish outrages had exasperated all the Indians along the southern coast. The voyagers could not prosecute their enterprise any farther, but at the imminent peril of their lives. Should they thus perish, the result of their discoveries would, for a long time, be lost to the world. They feared the Spaniards even more than they did the savages. The Spaniards, jealous of the power of France, would certainly hold them as pris- oners, if they could take them, and would not improbably put them to death to prevent the fact of their having descended the whole course of the Mississippi from being known. They therefore wisely determined to retrace their steps with all energy. On the 17th of July they left the village of Akamsea, near the mouth of the Arkansas River, to stem the strong current of the Mississippi on their return. At high-water the vast flood, a mile in width, rushed along at the rate of five or six miles an hour. They found it very difficult to force their way against this current. We have no particular account of the incidents of their long and laborious return voyage. When they had reached the latitude of thirty-eighth degree north, they came to the mouth of the Illinois River. The Indians informed them that this would be a shorter route to Lake 4^ i i ! ; 58 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. Michigan than to go up the Mississippi still farther to the Wisconsin River. They therefore entered this stream, which takes its rise within six miles of the lake. In the glowing account which Father Mar- quette gives of this river, he writes : " We had seen nothing like this river for the fertil- ity of the land, its prairies, woods, wild cattle, stags, deer, wild-cats, bustards, swans, ducks, parrots, and even beavers. It has many little lakes and tributary rivers. The stream on which we sailed is broad, deep, and gentle, for sixty-five leagues. During the spring, and part of the summer, when the rivers are full, the portage is only a mile and a half in length." They ascended the Illinois until, by a short por- tage, they could transport their canoes across the prairie to the Chicago River. Descending this stream to its mouth, where the thronged city of Chicago now stands, but which was then only a dreary expanse of marshy prairie, they paddled up the western coast of Lake Michigan until they reached the mission at Green Bay, about the middle of September. About two months were spent in the toilsome voyage from Arkansas. General Wool, Inspector-General of the army of tl e United States, has made, from a personal acquaintance with the route, the following estimate por- s the this y of nly a d up they liddle nt in EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 59 of the distances of the several stages of this eventful journey : From Green Pay up Fox River to the portage 175 miles. From the portage down the Wisconsin to the Mississippi . 175 " From the mouth of the Wisconsin to the *nouth of the Arkansas 1087 " From the Arkansas to the Illinois River 547 " From the mouth of the Illinois to Chicago 305 " From Chicago to Green Bay, by the lake shore 260 " Total 2,549 The accompanying fac-simile of a map attached to Marquette's Journal, reduced from the original, and which we take from Mr. Sparks's brief but admirable sketch of Marquette's Life, will give the reader a very clear idea of the route he pursued. The dotted line from the Mississippi to the Illinois, marked " Chemin du retour," is evidently a mistake, added by some other hand. It is clear, from the narrative, that the voyagers returned up the Illinois River. Father Marquette, who was never known to utter a murmuring word, and who was serene and cheerful amidst the sorest trials, was so utterly exhausted by the toils of the expedition that he could proceed no farther than Green Bay. Here M. Joliet separated from him and continued his route, in a birch canoe, along the vast expanse of Huron, Erie, and Ontario, and down the St. Lawrence to Montreal. In '.1 '; i :■• Co THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. descending the rapids of the river his canoe was over- set and ail his papers lost, he narrowly escaping with his life. He subsequently dictated, from memory, a few pages of the incidents of the voyage ; but the manuscript of Father Marquette alone remained to tell the wondrous story. This was sent to France, and there published. Even Marquette had no conception of the true grandeur of that valley he had entered, extending from the Alleghany ridges to the Rocky Mountains. Still, when the tidings of his wonderful discoveries reached Quebec, the exciting intelligence was received with the ringing of bells, with salvos of artillery, and, most prominent and important of all, by nearly the whole population, led by the clergy and other digni- taries of the place, going in procession to the cathe- dral where the Te Deum was sung in thanksgiving to God. CHAPTER III. Marquette' s Last Voyage, and Death. The Departure from Green Bay. — Navigating the Lake in a canoe. — Storms of rain and snow. — Night Encampments. — Ascendinjj the Chicago River. — A Winter with the Savages. — Journey to the Kankakee. — The Great Council on the Prairie. — Interesting Incidents. — The Escort of Savages. — The Death Scene. — Sub- lime Funeral Solemnities. Father Marquette spent the winter and the whole summer of 1674 at Green Bay, actively engaged in the services of the mission, though in a very feeble state of health. It is said that he was remarkably genial and companionable, fond of pleasantry, ever greeting others with pleasant words and benignant smiles. He had promised the Illinois Indians that he would return to them, to teach them the religion of peace and good-will brought to the world by the Son of God. His health being somewhat recruited, he set out, by direction of his superiors, with two boatmen, Pierre and Jacques, to establish a mission among these Indians, who were anxiously awaiting his arri- val. The mission at Green Bay was at the southern i 62 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. :ii|in extremity of that inland sea. Taking their canoe and all their effects upon their shoulders, they crossed the peninsula, which separated the bay from the lake, throui^h an Indian trail about thirty miles in length. They then launched their canoe upon the broad sur- face of Lake Michigan. The cold gales of Novem- ber had now begun to plough the surface of this inland sea. Their progress was very slow. Often the billows were such that the canoe could not ride safely over them. Then they landed, and, in the chill November breezes, trudged along the shore, bearing all their effects upon their shoulders ! Ice formed upon the margin of the water, and several snow-storms impeded their march, adding greatly to their discomfort. But not a repining word escaped the lips of Father Marquette. It was but a dismal shelter they could rear, for the night, on the bleak shore. Through this exposure his health began rapidly to fail. It took them nearly four weeks to reach the mouth of the Chicago River. They as- cended the river several leagues, until they came to a small cluster of Indian wigwams. The savages were poor, but few in number, and their abodes com- fortless. But Pere Marquette was so sick that they could go no farther. These Indians were of the Miami tribe. Here the voyagers built a small log-cabin, and. Marquette's last voyage and death. 63 destitute of what many would deem the absolute ne- cessaries of life, passed the remaining weeks of the dreary winter. One would suppose that the lone missionary must at times have contrasted painfully his then situation, with the luxuries he had enjoyed in the ancestral castle in which he was cradled. A few wretched wigwams were scattered over the snow-whitened plains, where poverty, destitution, and repulsive social habits reigned, such as is perhaps never witnessed in civilized life. His home was but a cabin of logs, with the inter- stices stuffed with moss. The roof was covered with bark. The window was merely a hole cut through the logs. In storms a piece of cloth hung over it, which partially kept out wind and rain. The fire- place was one corner of the room, with a hole in the roof through which the smoke ascended. Often the state of the atmosphere was such that the cabin was filled with smothering smoke. A few mats, woven coarsely from bulrushes, covered a portion of the earth floor. A mat was his bed. A log, covered with a mat, was his chair ; his food was pounded corn, and fishes and flesh of animals, broiled on the coals; his companions, savages. Such was the home which this noble man had cheerfully accepted in exchange for the baronial splendors of his ancestors. It was two hundred years ago. Father Marquette has re- m 64 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. ceived his rewards. His earthly labors and sacrifices were for but about twenty years. For two hundred years he has occupied a mansion, which God reared for him in heaven. There he is now, with his crown, his robe, and his harp, with angel companion- ship. And there he is to dwell forever. There is something -exceedingly beautiful in the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ. God, in the per- son of his Son, came to earth and suffered and died to make atonement for human sin. All who will abandon sin, and try to live doing nothing wrong, and endeavoring to do everything that is right, He will forgive, and make forever happy in heaven. This is the Gospel ; the Good News. God is no respecter of persons ; but in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. The loitering Indians, ignorant, degraded, wicked, gathered in constant groups around the fire, in the cabin of the sick Christian teacher. And when he told them of that happy world where they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, and where God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, the truth came home to their hearts, and became its own witness. And yet here, as elsewhere, the Gospel of Jesus found its bitter antagonists. With the Indians, as in every city and town in Christendom, there were MARQUETTE'S LAST VOYAGE AND DEATH. 6$ those who did not wish to be holy. They hated a Gospel which demanded the abandonment of sin. These men, with bloody tomahawks and gory scalp- ing knives, and who, from infancy, had been practis- ing the hideous war-whoop ; who consider the glory of their manhood to depend upon the number of enemies they had slain, and whose greatest delight consisted in listening to the shrieks, and witnessing the convulsions of their agonized victims at the stake, denounced the Christian teacher, as the Jews denounced the Son of God, crying ou-t " Crucify mn. Every day Father Marquette was sinking in lan- guor, which both he and his companions supposed to be a monition of speedily approaching death. And yet he was a cheerful and happy man. All incomers at his cabin were greeted with smiles. Death had no ter- ror. Brighter and brighter grew the path, as he drew nearer to the celestial city. His log-cabin was contin- ually crowded with those who sought instruction. The two humble companions who attended him, were devout men, though uneducated, and in life's lowly station. They joined heartily in the devotions of the cabin. The voices of the three were joined in matins and vespers, and floated sweetly over those dreary wastes, where Buch heavenly strains had never been heard before. ill' i|!:! 66 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. Louif XIV. was then upon the tlirone of France. He was one of the greatest, most powerful, most opu- lent of all earthly monarchs. The wealth and the ge- nius of earth could construct nothing more grand than his palaces at Marly and Versailles. His banqueting- hall was unsurpassed by any other hall ever reared upon this globe. His chambers, his saloons, his gal- leries, are still visited by astonished and admiring thousands. And yet no one, familiar with his life, will deny that Father Marquette, in his log-cabin, surrounded by Indian wigwams, probably passed a happier winter than did Louis XIV., amidst the most dazzling splendors which ever surrounded a mortal. Christmas came. It was made by the three a season of special devotion, that God would so rein- vigorate Father Marquette, as to enable him to ful- fil his promise, and visit the Illinois Indians, and teach them the Gospel. These devotions were called a Novena, which was a nine days' prayer-meeting. Their prayers were heard. Contrary to all reasonable expectation, he so far regained his strength as to be able, on the 29th of March, to resume his journey. The chill winds of departing winter still swept the plains. Storms of sleet often beat upon them. The ground, alternately thawing and freezing, was fre- quently whitened with snow. And still these heroic men, with chivalry never surpassed in the annals of MARQUETTE'S LAST VOYAGE AND DEATH. 6^ knighthood, pressed on. Their journey was slow. Sometimes they floated upon the stream. Again they followed the Indian trail through forest and prairie. After traversing a route about a hundred and fifty miles in length, they reached, on the 8th of April, the Kankakee River, an important tributary of the Illinois. At this point, which is now in the present county of Kankakee, and near where the village of Rockport stands, the Illinois Indians had their large and populous village. The missionary was received, we are told, as an angel from heaven. He assembled all the chiefs of the tribe, with the renowned warriors, that with im- posing ceremonies he might announce to them the object of his coming, and impress them with the momentous importance of his message. There v, as no wigwrm sufficiently capacious to accommodate such a multitude as the occasion would assemble. Near the village there was a smooth, verdant, beautiful prairie, richly carpeted with the velvet green of early spring. On a mild and sunny morn- ing a wonderful crowd of savages — men, women, and children — were seen crowding to the appointed sta- tion. The chiefs were dressed in truly gorgeous habiliments, of plumes, skins richly embroidered and fringed, and brilliantly colored. Their robes were more showy than any court-dress ever witnessed at m I f iliil 68 THE .ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. Windsor Castle or the Tuilcries. The warriors, with, proud demeanor and stately tread, marched along, with quivers of arrows at their backs, and bows in their hands. Tomahawks and scalping knives were ostenta- tiously displayed, and the scalps of enemies dangled at their javelin points, as badges of their nobility. Of these they were more proud than were ever Eng- lish, French, or Spanish grandees of the decoration of stars or garters. The women and the dogs came next. They were alike regarded as necessary drudges to bear burdens, and to be fed with the refuse which their masters left. Then came the boys and girls, many of them half naked, shouting, laughing, racing, engaging in all the uncouth merriment of a savage gala day. The spot selected for the council was decorated according to the most approved fashion of the peo- ple and their times. The ground was covered with mats, made of the skins of bears and other animals. Posts were planted, draped and festooned with green boughs. Upon each of the four sides of the square, the good father, who had ever been taught to regard with the utmost veneration the Mother of Jesus, hung a picture of the Blessed Virgin, that all might gaze upon her sad yet beautiful features. Father Marquette took his seat upon a mat, in the centre of the enclosure. Then the chiefs, and MARQUETTE'S LAST VOYAGE AND DEATH. 69 the veteran warriors, who in many a bloody foray had won renown, took their seats around him. Silently and with the dignity becoming great men, they assumed their positions. The young men, who had not yet signalized themselves, and who were ever eager to go upon the war-path, that they might return with their trophies of gory scalps, to receive the applause of the nation as braves, came next. In respect to the war spirit, which is one of the most direful traits of our fallen race, there is but lit- tle difference between the civilized and uncivilized man. I was once breakfasting with one of the most distinguished officers of a European army. To my question whether the officers generally wished for peace or war, he replied : " War, of course. In times of peace promotion comes slowly. But upon the battle field promotions are very rapidly made." The young warriors counted about fifteen hun- dred. Outside of their circle, the women and the children were clustered. It was estimated that the whole population of the village amounted to about three thousand. The Illinois Indians were at war with the Miamis, among whom Father Marquette had passed the winter. The Illinois chiefs had obtained of the traders a few guns. Immediately upon Marquette reaching « 1 i:J iM U m m 70 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. their village, they hastened to entreat of him powder and ball, that they might fit out an expedition against their foes. Father Marquette rose at the council, and after presenting the chiefs with some valuable gifts, in token of the sincerity of his desire to be their friend and do them good, addressed them in substance as follows : " I have not brought you any powder or balls. I do not wish you to fight your brethren the Miamis. You are all the children of the same Father. You should love one another. I have come to tell you of God, and to teach you to pray. God, the Great Spirit, came to the world, and became a man, whose name was Jesus. He died upon the cross to atone for the sins of all men. And now, if you will cease to sin ; if you will love your Father, the Great Spirit, pray to Him and do everything in your power to please Him, He will bless you, and when you die will take you to dwell with Him and will make you happy forever." Such was, in general, the address of Father Mar- quette. Such was ever, in substance, his teaching. Jesus the Christ, and Him crucified, was his constant theme. Two or three days were spent in similar exercises. The Indians crowded around the father constantly. They listened to his teachings with respectful and apparently with even joyful attention. MARQUETTE'S LAST VOYAGE AND DEATH. 71 He was pale and emaciate. Even the Indians could perceive, from his feeble voice and emaciate steps, that he was not far from the grave. On Easter Sunday, the faithful missionary, with solemn and imposing ceremonies, took, if we may so speak, spiritual possession of the land, in the name of Jesus Christ. The rapidly failing health of the missionary, rendered it expedient for him to endeavor to return to his friends at Green Bay. The poor Indians really mourned at the idea of his departure. Time hung heavily upon their hands. They had but little to think of, and but little to do. Loitering indolently around, from morning till night, it was a great source of enjoyment to them, to crowd the large wigwam they had built for the father, to listen to his words, to question him, and to witness the cere- monies with which he was accustomed to conduct his devotions. They were therefore much troubled at the thought of his departure, and were but par- tially comforted by his repeated assurances that he would either soon return again, or send some one else to continue the mission which he had thus commenced. Slowly and feebly he set out on his long journey back to Green Bay. It was ninety miles from Kan- kakee to the southern extremity of Lake Michigan. 72 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. iiJ?: They could paddle in canoes over a portion of the route. But there were also weary miles of portage which they had to pass over, through Indian trails, carrying their canoe, and all their effects, upon their backs. It was a severe undertaking for a sick man, who was so feeble that even if a horse could have been provided for him to ride, he could scarcely have held himself upon the saddle. A large party of the Indians accompanied the father, on this weary journey to the lake. They administered to his wants with the tenderest care, relieving him of every burden, and aiding him over the rough ways. At the night encampments, they provided for him a shelter, kindled his fire, cooked his food, and spread for him a couch of leaves and twigs. When they reached a small stream, which ran into the lake, they placed him as comfortably as possible in his canoe, and intrusting him to the care of his two faithful boatmen, Jacques and Pierre, bade him an affectionate farewell. The savages, after these deeds of -almost Christian kindness, returned to their wigwams, to sharpen the edges of their tomahawks, the points of their javelins, the barbs of their arrows ; and were soon, with hide- ous yells, rushing upon their foes the Miamis, burn- ing, killing, scalping — performing deeds of cruelty which ought to cause even demons to Llush. mar(^uette's last voyage and death. 73 istian the lelins, Ihide- )urn- luelty Father Marc^ucttc was too weak to wield the paddle. He reclined ih the bottom of the canoe, with his head slightly elevated, so that he could see all the beauties of the scenery through which they were passing. His prayer-book was in his hand ; his talk was of heaven ; he was cheerful and happy. His companions have testified to the wonderful amiability, gentleness, and joy he maintained. He told them plainly that he should die upon the voy- age, but encouraged them to bear courageously all the hardships they were to encounter on the way, assuring that the Lord would not forsake them. As his attendants plied their paddles he read prayers to them, sang sweet hymns of devotion, and in many fervent utterances commended them and himself to God. He was in no pain. His eye sparkled with animation. His soul was triumphant. It may be doubted whether, on the broad continent « of North America, there were, in these hours, an individual to be found more happy than he. It was one of the mornings of lovely May, when this frail birch canoe, with its three inmates, emer- ging from a small stream, entered upon the ocean-like expanse of Lake Michigan. On the north and the east the majestic inland sea spread out to the hori- zon, with no bounds but the sky. For some unex- plained reason they decided to take the eastern 74 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. shore of the lake, on their return voyage, though their outward voyage had been by the western shore. They had still a journey of three hundred miles before them. Father Marquette was so weak thai; he could no longer help himself. He could neither move nor stand, and had to be carried from the canoe to the shore like an infant. At each encampment the attendants would draw the canoe, with Father Mar- quette in it, gently upon the beach. They would then hastily rear a shelter, spread for him a couch of the long and withered herbage, and lay him tenderly upon it. The only food they could prepare for the fainting invalid, was corn pounded into coarse meal, mixed with water, and baked in the ashes, with per- haps a slice of game broiled upon the coals. Thus they moved along, day after day, expect- ing almost every hour that the death summons would come. On Friday evening, the 27th of May, 1675, he told them, with a countenance radiant with joy, that on the morrow he should take his departure for his heavenly home. He gave them minute instructions respecting the place he wished to be selected for his burial; directed how to arrange his hands and feet, and how to wrap him in his robes, for he could have no coflin. While one was to read the burial service the other MARQUETTE'S LAST VOYAGE AND DEATH. 75 was gently to toll the small chapel bell which he bore with him on his mission. The canoe was glid- ing along near the shore, as the father gave these instructions, reclining upon his mat. The setting sun was sinking apparently into the shoreless waters of the lake, in the west. They were all examining the land, the boatmen searching for a suitable spot for their night's encampment, and the father look- ing for a good place for his dying bed and his burial. They came to the mouth of a small, pleasant river, which presented a sheltered cove for their canoe. There was an eminence near by, crowned by a beautiful grove, and commanding a wide pros- pect of the lake and of the land. It had a sunny exposure, drained of moisture, and composed of just such sol as seems suitable for a grave. Father Mar- quette pointed to the eminence in the lone, silent, solitary wilderness, and said, " There is the spot for my last repose." The boatmen ran their canoe up the mouth of the river, a few rods, and landed. Hastily they threv.' up a frail camp, kindled a fire, spread down a mat for a couch, and placed their revered spiritual father upon it. He was then left entirely alone, with his God, while his companions were engaged in unloading the canoe. They were silent and sad, for 76 THE ADVENTURKS Ol'' LA SALLE. I ^ilNII i I'i' they could not but perceive that the dying hour was at hand. When they returned, Father Marquette gave them his last instructions. " I thank you, my dear com- panions," he said, " for all the love and tenderness you have shown me during this voyage. I beg you to pardon me for the trouble I have given you. Will you also say to all my fathers and brethren in the Ot- towa mission that I implore their forgiveness for my imperfections. I am now very near my home. But I shall not forget you in heaven. You are very weary with the toils of the day. I shall still live probably for several hours. I wish you would retire and take that rest which you so greatly need. I will call you as soon as the last moments arrive." They left the cabin with stricken hearts and weep- ing eyes. The dying Christian was left alone with his God. Who can imeigine the peace and joy which must then have filled his heart and suffused his eyes. The victory was won. Death was conquered. The chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof were wait- ing at the door of the humble cabin, to transport the victor, through the pathways of the stars, to his throne and his crown. Glorious death! Blissful journey ! Three hours passed away, and his feeble voice was heard caUing his companions to his side. He MARQUETTE'S LAST VOYAGE AND DEATH. 7/ threw his arms around the neck of each one, and drawing him gently down imprinted a kiss upon each cheek. Then, taking the crucifix, which he ever wore around his neck, he placed it in the hands of one of them, requesting him to hold that emblem of the atoning sacrifice of his Saviour before his eyes until the last moment- Then, inspired with the faith of Stephen the Martyr, clasping his hands and fixing his eyes upon this memorial of God manifest in the flesh, in fervent prayer he said : " O Lord God, I thank Thee for the boundless grace Thou hast conferred upon me in permitting me to die in the service of Jesus Christ Thy Son. O God, I thank Thee, that I have been His missionary ; and that I am permitted to die, in a cabin, in the depths of the forest, and far removed from all human aid." There were a few moments of perfect silence. No sound fell upon the ear but the gentle breathing of the dying man. He was then heard feebly to say, " I know that my Redeemer liveth." Again he said, in accordance with the faith which he had received from childhood, " Mary! Mother of Jesus my Lord, remember me." Suddenly he raised his eyes from the crucifix and looked upward, as if a vision of wonderful glory was bursting upon his entranced view. His countenance i |!« UN 78 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. shone radiant with oy. A sweet smile was upon his lips. Without a struggle, without a sigh, his soul He had fallen took its flight to its home in heaven. asleep. ' Asleep in Jesus ! Far from thee. Thy kindred and their graves may be. But thine is still a bh ssed sleep, From which none ever wake t j weep." \m His two bereaved companions wept bitteily. They laid out the body as directed ; wrapped it in the threadbare garments it so long had worn, and having dug the grave, placed the revered remains within it. While one devotedly covered the body with its mother earth, the other tolled the little bell which had so often summoned thern to prayer. They remained upon the spot until the next day. A large cross was made, and planted firmly in the ground, m a position which would attract the attention of all passing along the shore of the lake. The two faith- ful boatmen, Jacques and Pierre, then, after kneeling upon th-^ grave in fervent prayer, returned to their canoe and continued the long journey to Green Bay. They reached the mlssi \\ in safety, with their sad tidings. Father Marquette died at the early age of thirty- eight. He had spent twenty-one years an earnest, sclf- !U'!!I MARQUETTE'S LAST VOYAGE AND DEATH. 79 In ill id denying minister of Jesus Christ. Twelve of these were in France. Nine were devoted to the savages of the New World. At the early age of nine years, he became an earnest Christian. Every Saturday was, with this wonderful child, a day of fasting and prayer. There were quite a number of Christian Indians at the Mackinaw mission. They had long known Father Marquette, and revered and loved him. A band of these Indians were, some months after this, on the shores of Lake Michigan, upon a hunting ex- cursioii. They sought out the grave of Father Marquette. They took up the remains, carefully enclosed them in a box of biirh ba.k, placed them in one of their canoes, and paddled them, three hun- dred miles, to the mission of St. Ignatius. A convoy of canoes, thirty in number, in single file, formed this wonderful funeral procession. It is doubtful whether such a scene was ever before wit- nessed on this globe. For more than ten days this band of Indian hunters, in their picturesque costume, silently and solemnly paddled along the shores of the lonely lake, that the remains of their beloved pastor might repose where they could visit the spot, and honor them with their testimonials of gratitude. As they approached the shore, where the mission was established, with its cross-surmounted chapel, ""'^'jiiiiiMiii H ^mmam 80 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. 'it I surrounded with Indian wigwams, a courier was sent forward rapidly, in a canoe, to announce the arrival of the cortege. The whole community promptly gathered upon the beach. A funeral pro- cession was formed, led by Fathers Nouvel and Pier- son, who were Superiors of the two missions, one to the Ottawas, and one to the Hurons, which were located side by side. Interrogations were first made to verify the fact, that the body they bore was really that of Father Marquette. The two ecclesiastics then chanted the sublime anthem, " Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice ; let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications." The canoes were still on the water, while quite a throng of the Indians crowded the shore. With the customary religious ceremonies, the body was con- veyed to the chapel. It remained there for a day, covered with a pall. On the morning of the next day, which was the ninth of June, the remains were deposited in a grave, in the middle of the log chapel, which we infer had no floor but the earth ; there to repose until the trump of the archangel shall sound, when all who are in their graves shall come forth. CHAPTER IV. ■ vil Life upon the St. Lazvrence and the Lakes Two Hundred Years Ago. Birth of La Salle. — His Parentage and Education. — Emigrates to America. — Enterprising Spirit. — Grandeur of his Conceptions. — Visits the Court of France. — Preparations for an Exploring Voyage. — Adventures of the River and Lake. — Awful Scene of Indian Torture. — Traffic with the Indians. — The Ship-yard at Lake Erie. • About two hundred years ago, a young man, by the name of Robert de la Salle, crossed the Atlan- <-'C to seek his fortune in the wilds of Canada. He was born on the 22d of November, 1643, in the city of Rouen, the ancient capital of Normandy,'^ France. He was the child of one of the most distinguished families, and enjoyed all the advantages of social and educational culture which the refinement and schol- arship of those times could confer. He was by nature a thoughtful, pensive young man, whose soul was profoundly moved by the unsearchable mystery of this our earthly being. In very early life he found, in the religion of Jesus, a partial solution of the sub- * De La Salle among the Senecas, in 1669. By O. 11. Marshal), Buffalo Historical Society. li H 82 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. lime drama of conflict, sin, and sorrow which is being enacted on this globe, and which has no solution whatever but in the revelations of the Bible. Born almost beneath the shadow of the great cath(idral of Rouen, and of an ancestry which from time immemorial had been the children of the Cath- olic Church, and instructed from infancy by revered ecclesiastics of that communion, he almost as a mat- ter of necessity accepted Christianity as presented to him in the ritual of the Church of Rome. Nature had endowed him with a restless, enterprising spirit, which led him eagerly to plunge into those wild and perilous adventures from which most persons would have turned with dismay. La Salle received an accomplished education in one of the best seminaries in Europe. Upon gradu- ating, he received from the professors a testimonial of his high intellectual attainments and his unblem- ished moral character. About the year 1669 he sailed from France for Canada. His object proba- bly was to accumulate a fortune by the barter of European commodities for the furs and skins obtained by the Indians. He pushed forward to the frontiers, established trading houses, and in the well-freighted birch canoe, explored remote lakes and rivers. At that time the whole of the great northwest LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE. 83 of this country was an entirely unknown land. No one knew whether the continent was one thousand or ten thousand miles in breadth. It was the gen- eral impression that the waves of the Pacific were dashing against the rocks a few miles west of the chain of great lakes which fringed the southern shores of Canada. La Salle was meditating an expedition up the St. Lawrence, through the majes- tic chain of lakes to Lake Superior, from the western end of which he confidently expected to find easy communication with the Pacific Ocean. There he would again spread his adventurous sail, having dis- covered a new route to China and the Indies. There was grandeur in this conception. It would entirely change the thoroughfare of the world's com- merce. It would make the French possessions in the New World valuable beyond conception. This all-important route, between Europe and Asia, would be under the control of the French crown. M. Frontenac, an ambitious and energetic Frenchman, was then governor-general of Canada. He entered cordially into the plans of La Salle, con- ferred frequently with him upon the subject, and was sanguine in the expectation that, by this great discovery, his own name would be immortalized, ind he would secure the highest applause from the Grande Monarque, Louis XIV, MMiMai 84 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. II As early as the year 1660, the Indians had reported, at Quebec, that many leagues west of the great lakes there was a wonderful river, the Great River, the Father of Waters, the most majestic stream in the world, flowing from the unexplored solitudes of the wilderness in the north, far away into the unknown regions of the south. One day a birch canoe, with a little band of hardy, wayworn voyagers, French and Indians, came paddling down the swift current of the St. Lawrence and ran their boat upon the beach where the little cluster of dwellings stood, called Quebec. They brought the startling intelligence that Father Mar- quette, a great and good man whom all knew, had discovered the Great River, which the Indians called the Mississippi, and had followed down its majestic current for hundreds of leagues, until he had reached the thirty-third degree of latitude. He had ascer- tained, beyond all question, that it emptied its flood into the Gulf of Mexico. This important discovery, it was claimed, gave to the French, according to the received law of nations, the whole valley of the Mis- sissippi and its tributaries, however great that valley might prove to be. This intelligence was received with every demon- stration of public rejoicing. It gave, as it was sup- posed, to France a new world of boundless resources. LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE. 85 The garrison band played its most exultant airs. Salvos of artillery echoed along the majestic cliffs. There was feasting, dancing, and singing, and the spacious church was thronged with worshippers, praising God with the national anthems of Te Deum. This great event gave a new impulse and a new direction to the ambition of La Salle. He at once conceived the idea of establishing a series of military and trading posts along the whole length of the lakes, and upon all the important points of the great river and its tributaries. But even then he was but little aware how magnificent was the realm which these tributaries watered. He would thus, however, in the name of the King of France, take military possession of the whole territory. Governor Frontenac gave his most cordial ap- proval to the gigantic plan. His own mind was greatly excited by the thought of the grandeur of a chain of forts extending from the mouth of the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico. He urged La Salle to go immediately to France, seek an audience with the king, lay the plan before him, and seek the royal patronage. The renowned Colbert was then minister of finance and marine. The governor fur- nished La Salle with letters to the minister which would £. cure for him a respectful reception. ■taat 86 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. La Salle, a penniless adventurer, recrossed the ocean. It was the year 1675. His plan at once attracted attention, and he was cordially received by both minister and king. The courtiers rallied around him with much enthusiasm. The king, having hon- ored him with the title of chevalier, authorized him to rebuild, on the shores of Lake Ontario, Fort Frontenac, which was falling to decay, and invested him with the office of seignory or governorship of the fort and its adjacent territory. The sublime plan which La Salle thus proposed, could only be carried into execution by thecontinous labors of many years. La Salle returned to Canada full of bright dreams for the future. For more than two years he was employed in rearing the walls of Fort Frontenac and improving the region around. This important post occupied a commanding posi- tion near the eastern extremity of Lake Ontario. At the close of the year 1677 he again returned to France, to report the progress he had made. His reception by the court was even more cordial than before, and he received from the king new hon- ors and more extended privileges. On the 14th of July, 1678, he sailed from Rochelle for Quebec. He took with him an Italian gentleman, by the name of Tonti, as his lieutenant, and a party of thirty men. After a two months' voyage, they landed at Quebec %m LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE. 87 e. al 1- .f e .f b. :C on the 15th of September. Then, paddling up the swift current of the St. Lawrence, they passed the Httle cluster of log-cabins surrounded with Indian wigwams at Montreal, and after a voyage of between three and four hundred miles reached Fort Fron- tenac. This was indeed a post far away in the wilder- ness. It was strongly built, with four bastions on the northern side of the entrance to the lake, at the head of a snug forest-fringed bay, where quite a fleet of small vessels could be sheltered from the winds. It was a very curiouo spectacle which vvas then witnessed upon this remote frontier of civilization. The unbroken wilderness, where wolves howled and bears roamed, spread in apparently unbroken gloom in all directions. The fort rose in quite massive proportions, enclosing within its palisades a number of cabins, which the garrison occupied, and which were stored with goods suitable for traffic with the natives. There was a small green meadow spread around, which was covered with wigwams of every picturesque variety. Groups of Indians, of various tribes, were moving about. The warriors were painted and plumed, and many of them very gor- geously attired. Women, young and graceful girls, and little children, were clustered around the camp- fires, some with busy hands usefully employed ; t 1 I t 1 ■H 88 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. li j: others shouting and sporting in all the varieties of barbaric pastimes. It was an instructive scene, emblematic of this fallen world. The frowning fort, with its threatening armament, proclaimed that sin had entered the world with its war and blood and misery, making man the direful foe of his brother man. The cr stal stream and lake ; the azure of the overarching skies ; the bright, serene autumnal day ; the foliage, the verdure, the picturesque wigwams ; the peaceful employments of the women, and the sports and shouts of the merry children, showed that our ruined Eden still retained some of those glories which em- bellished it before man rebelled against his Maker. La Salle, on his return from Europe, in the autumn of 1678, had brought with him a select company of sailors, carpenters, and other mechanics. At Quebec a number of Canadian boatmen joined him. These men he sent forward to Fort Frontenac. which was now virtually his castle, with the sur- rounding territory his estate. The boats were heav- ily laden with all articles for trading with the Indians, and with all the essentials for building and rigging vessels. He soon followed them, in an open birch canoe, with one or two companions. It was a long and perilous river voyage, paddling up the swift current of the St. Lawrence between its thousand i!i.- LIFE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE. 89 islands, struggHnfj against its rapids, and .seeking for the eddies along its lonely forest-fringed shores. Several times they came near being wrecked, with inevitable death. At the close of the day it was always necessary to run the canoe ashore, to land and encamp. But with hardy men, fond of adventure, these were pleas- ures rather than pains. With their axes, in half an hour they could construct a sheltering camp. A brilliant fire would dispel all gloom, with its wide- spreading illumination. The fragrant twigs of the hemlock furnished a soft couch. Here they cooked their suppers, sang their songs, told their stories, and, free from all care, probably experienced at least as much pleasure as is usually found in parlors the most sumptuous. Indian villages were quite profusely scattered along the banks of this majestic river. The scene was often quite exciting as the canoe of the voyagers approached one of these clusters of picturesque wig- wams in the evening twilight. The Indians were fond of the song, and the dance, and the blaze of the bonfire. The whole expanse of river, cliff, and forest, would be lighted up. Shouts of barbaric revelry echoed throu<,h the sublime solitudes. And the warrior, the squaw, and the pappoose, flitted about in all the varied employments of savage life. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ■4o <■' C^
liill
114
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALI.E.
their canoes through the syrf on the shore. All had
to leap into the waves to save the frail boats from
being broken on the stony beach. This, their third
landing, was near the point where the River Mil-
waukie enters the lake.
They had not taken a large supply of provisions
with thern in their canoes, for they had hoped to
find a supply of game by the way. Nearly all their
store of corn and vegetables was now exhausted.
Two or Ihree Indians were seen in the distance ; but
they did not venture to approach so formidable a
looking band. Three men were sent, with the calu-
met of peace, to search for their villages and obtain
food. They came to a cluster of deserted wigwams,
where the sagacity of their Indian guide showed
them an abundance of corn, concealed from the rav
ages of wild beasts, in cells under ground. These
honest or politic men took all they wanted, and left
behind them ample payment.
In the evening twilight, as the boatmen were
gathered around their camp fire, quite a group of
Indians was seen cautiously approaching. La Salle
advanced to meet them, with the calumet uplifted in
his hands. As soon as the Indians saw this emblem
of peace, all their fears were dispelled. They rushed
forward like a joyous band of children, singing and
dancing. They had been to their wigwams, found
THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.
115
the treasures which had been left thei % and their
joy was inexpressible. They returned late in the
evening to their homes ; but in the morning the
g ■ T'l creatures returned, bearing an abundant
su^j^iy of game and corn. La Salle richly rewarded
them.
Nature seemed in sympathy with these blessings
of peace, for the sun, emerging from the clouds,
shone down serenely upon these children of a com-
mon Father, and the weary voyagers, greatly cheered,
again launched their canoes upon the solitary lake.
Thus they continued, day after day, paddling
along the apparently interminable journey to the
South. They pnssed the spot where the majestic
city of Chicago now stands. It was two hundred
years ago. Not even an Indian wigwam was seen to
break the expanded and dreary solitude. A constant
succession of storms was encountered until they
reached the foot of the lake. Any one who has
witnessed the grandeur with which the ocean-like
billows of Lake Michigan often break upon the west-
ern shore, will wonder how it was possible for those
frail canoes to ride over such surges. Every night it
was necessary to land, and often the storm detained
them for many hours.
Having reached the foot of the lake, they
turned to the eastward. Here they found a milder
H
III
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ii
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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
clime and more tranquil waters. Deer and wild
turkeys were very abundant, and their Indian hunter
kept them supplied with game. The trees were
festooned with grape-vines, which were laden with
the richest clusters of the delicious fruit. They found
a spot at the foot of the lake so attractive in its
landscape beauty, so abounding in fruit and game,
that, weary as they were with their arduous voy-
age, they drew their canoes on shore for a few days
of rest.
The labor of one or two hours constructed a com-
fortable cabin for the accommodation of all. Fuel
was abundant for the cheering camp-fire. The lake
furnished the choicest fish, and the forest supplied
them with venison and every variety of game. Hav-
ing feasted upon the most delicious of hunters' fare,
they wrapped themselves in their blankets, and
enjoyed that rich sleep which is one of the greatest
blessings of the worn and the weary.
Moccasined footprints had been seen on the sands
of the beach, indicating that there were Indians near.
One of the men out hunting at a little distance from
the camp, came upon a large black bear, which had
climbed a high tree, and was feeding upon the luscious
grapes. Taking deliberate aim he sent a bullet
through the head of the bear, and the huge animal
tumbled lifeless to the ground. It so happened that
THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.
117
there was a large pa»'ty of Indian hunters not far off,
who heard the report of the gun. It was to them a
very unusual sound ; for they were armed only with
bows and arrows. Carefully concealing themselves,
they followed the man as he dragged the carcass to
the camp. It was evening. A brilliant fire illumi-
nated the whole scene. They examined tlie encamp-
ment, counted the number of men, and saw at some
distance on the beach, piles of precioui: goods,
screened ."^om rain by the canoes which were turned
bottom upward over them.
In the darkness of the night, two or three of
them crept noiselessly to the unguarded canoes,
and stole several articles of value. A wakeful eye
chanced to catch a glimpse uf the shadowy form of an
Indian stealing through the forest, and gave the alarm.
All sprang to arms. La Salle had, as we have said,
an Indian guide and hunter with him, from Green
Bay. The Indian band proved to be from that vi-
cinity. The> soon entered into a conference with
La Salle's guide. The savages assumed great frank-
ness and friendliness. One of the chiefs said :
" We heard the gun and feared that a party of
our enemies was approaching. We crept near your
camp to ascertain whether you were friends or foes.
But now that we know that we are among French-
men, we are with our brothers. We love French-
ill
1:
.: M
Ii8
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
men, and wish to smoke with them the pipe
of peace."
La Salle was cautious. He replied, " Let four
of your men, and four only, come in the morning
to our camp." In the meantime he kept a careful
watch. Four venerable men came in the morning,
smoked their pipes and proffered friendship. Mutual
pledges were exchanged, and they departed. It was
not until after they had left, that the discovery was
made that several valuable articles had been stolen.
This entirely changed the aspect of affairs. La Salle,
as energetic as he was conciliatory, re-^'l'Td to have
satisfaction.
Fearing that if the affront were unavenged he
would be exposed to new insults, he took several
well-armed men, penetrated the woods and captured
two Indians. Having led them as prisoners to his
camp, he liberated one, and sent him to the chiefs of
the band to say, that if the stolen goods were not
immediately restored, the other captive would be put
to death.
The Indians, who seemed to have set a high
value upon life, were appalled. They could not re-
store the goods. Many of them had been destroyed.
The chiefs returned this reply. As the Indians
greatly outnumbered the Frenchmen, they resolved
to attempt to rescue the captive by force. In strong
■
THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.
119
military array they advanced to the attack. La
Salle marshalled his little force upon a mound, sur-
rounded by a sandy plain, where there was neither
tree, rock, nor shrub, to protect the assailants. The
bullet could be thrown much farther than the arrow.
The hostile forces stood gazing at each other for
some time. The chiefs saw that an attack was hope-
less, and that advance was certain death. La Salle
had no wish to redden his hands with their blood.
In this emergence Father Hennepin in the peace-
ful garb of a priest went forward with the Indian in-
terpreter and solicited a conference. Two old men
advanced to meet him. With unexpected intelli-
gence they proposed that the goods which could be
restored, should be sent back, and that the rest
should be amply paid for. This brought peace.
Rich presents were interchanged, the Indians giving
several beaver-ski . robes. There were feasting and
dancing and speech-making. All hearts were happy.
Again the canoes were put afloat. Coasting up
the eastern shore of the lake fifty or sixty miles, they
reached the mouth of St. Joseph's River, then called
the River of the Miamis. This is the second river
in importance in the State of Michigan. It has a
good harbor at its mouth, flows through an expanse
of two hundred and fifty miles, and affords boat nav-
igation for a distance of one hundred and thirtv miles.
m
lilt
1^1
120
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
Here the weary travellers found a port, after a voy-
age of forty days from Green Bay.
Gloomy clouds of trouble now darkened around.
His men, weary of their hardships, became mutinous.
They remonstrated against continuing their journey
into the depths of the unexplored wilderness, peo-
pled by they knew not what hostile tribes. La Salle
had ordered Lieutenant Tonti, with twenty men, to
cross the head of the lake and meet him at that point
by a much shorter route. The lieutenant had not
arrived. It was feared that he was lost. At length
he came. But he brought no tidings of the Griffin.
Two months had elapsed since that vessel sailed from
Green Bay. Her orders were, after discharging her
freight at Niagara, to return immediately to St. Jo-
seph's, for another cargo of furs. La Salle had
embarked more than all his fortune in that vessel.
There was no insurance in those days. He was
deeply in debt to the traders in Quebec and Montreal.
Fearful were his apprehensions that the vessel
was lost. If so he was ruined, a hopeless bankrupt.
The vessel was lost. No tidings of her ever reached
any human ears. In some dreadful tragedy, wit-
nessed only by God, the vessel and its crew sunk in
the depths of the waters. While thus harassed with
anxiety, the cold blasts of approaching winter swept
the bleak plains. The rivers would soon be closed
THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.
121
with ice. His provisions were exhausted, so that
his party was entirely dependent for food upon such
game as could be taken. Under these adverse cir-
cumstances the resolution of this indomitable man
remained unshaken. Gathering his murmuring com-
panions around him, he said :
" I have set out to explore the Mississippi. If
you abandon me I cannot proceed. But I shall
remain here with the missionaries. You may find
your way back as you can, or disperse through the
forest as you please."
The men continued to murmur. But for their
own protection they worked diligently upon the fort.
From this point La Salle intended to establish com-
munication with his depot at Niagara. The boat-
men also, who were earnestly devoted to the ritual-
ism cf the church, under the direction of the mis-
sionaries built a log chapel, where rehgious services
were daily held. A numerous tribe of Indians, the
Miamis, but to which the missionaries gave the
name of St. Joseph's band, had a flourishing village
here. There were very friendly. From the fine
boat harbor they could fish upon the lake, or, in
pursuit of game, could paddle hundreds of miles up
the forest-crowned river and its numerous tributa-
ries. Day after day La Salle watched the horizon
of the lake, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sails of
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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
the returning Griffin, bringing him supplies, and the
tidings that his precious furs were safe and his for-
tune secure. Night after night he placed his head
upon his pillow, the victim of that hope deferred
which maketh the heart sick.
Thirty-three days of anxiety and toil thus passed
away. The boatmen, who had come with Lieu-
tenant Tonti, increased his number to over thirty
men. J\t the point of land where the river entered
the lake, there was a bluff, of considerable elevation
and of triangular form, containing an acre or more
of pretty level land. It was at that time covered
with trees. This commanding position was chosen
for the fort. Two sides were bounded by water.
On the third or land side of the triangle there was a
deep ravine. A breastwork of hewn logs was raised
several feet high, enclosing a space eighty feet long
by forty feet broad. And this all was surrounded
by stout palisades.
. The fortress was artistically constructed, and
could bid defiance to any attack by the Indians. It
was also admirably selected to give the French com-
mand of the region, against any encroachments oi
the English.
Through the whole month of November the men
toiled upon these works, fed only upon the flesh of
turkeys, deer, and bears, which their Indian hunter
THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.
123
brought in. It was learned that the Griffin, which,
it will be remembered, sailed from Green Bay, bound
first to Mackinac, did not reach that port. The
vessel must have foundered somewhere by the way.
The natives on the coast had heard nothing of the
vessel. Seventy days had now clasped since she
sailed, and all hopes of ever hearing from her again
were relinquished.
On the 3d of December the whole party of thir-
ty-three persons, in eight canoes, left Fort Miami,
as La Salle called his works, and paddled up the
river, a distance of seventy miles, toward the south.
Considerable time was lost in the endeavor to find
the trail or portage which led across, westerly from
the St. Joseph's River, to the head waters of the
Kankakee, which is the eastern branch of the Illinois
River.
La Salle, imprudently exploring alone, became
lost in the forest. The darkness of a stormy night,
with falling snow, overtook him. He fired his gun
as a signal of distress ; but silence was the only
answer. Soon he espied, in the distance, the light
of a fire. It was the encampment of a solitary
Indian, who had formed for himself a soft bed of
leaves. Alarmed by the report of the gun, he had
fled. La Salle appropriated to himself the cheerless
quarters an^ slept soundly until morning. All the
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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
forenoon of the next day he wandered, and it was
not until the afternoon that he rejoined his compan-
ions. He came in with two opossums hanging at his
belt, which he had killed.
At length their Indian hunter found the trail.
They had gone too far up the river. The men took
the canoes and the freight upon their shoulders, and
carried them over the portage, of five or six miles,
which the Indians had traversed for countless ages.
Dreary in the extreme was the wintry kiidscape
which now opened before them. The ground was
frozen hard. Ice fringed the stream, and the flat
marshy expanse was whitened with snow. For
nearly a hundred miles the sluggish Kankakee flowed
through a morass, which afibrded growth to but little
more than rushes and alders. Their provisions were
nearly exhausted. No game could be found. They
were hungry. Each night they landed, built their
fires, and with scarcely any shelter wrapped them-
selves in their blankets for almost comfortless sleep.
At length the river emerged from these dreary
marshes and entered upon a large undulating prairie,
treeless, but whose fertility was attested by the tall,
yet withered grass. The scene became far more
cheering. Though most of the herds, which in sum-
mer grazed these rich fields, had wandered far away
to the south, their indefatigable hunter succeeded in
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THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.
125
shooting two deer and a stray buffalo, which was
found mired. He also took several fat turkeys and
swans.
Thus, with revived spirits, the party, having pad-
dled three hundred miles down the infinite windings
of the Kankakee, entered the more majestic ajid
beautiful river Illinois. The length of the stream
from this point to its entrance into the Mississippi is
two hundred and sixty miles, exclusive of its wind-
ings. As they were swept down by the current, they
came to a large Indian village on the right bank of
the river, near the present town of Ottawa. There
were four or five hundred cabins, very substantially
built, and covered with thick mats very ingeniously
woven from rushes. Extensive corn-fields were near
the village, but the harvest had been gathered in.
Silence and solitude reigned there. Not a living
being was to be seen. The inhabitants had all
migrated, according to their custom, to spend the
winter in more southern hunting-grounds. Large
quantities of corn were stored away for summer use
in dry cellars. La Salle removed fifty bushels to his
canoes, hoping to find the owners farther south and
amply repay them. It would have been of no avail
to have left payment, for it would be carried away
by any band of Indians who chanced to be passing
by. The hunger of his men, in his judgment, ren-
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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
dcrcd the taking of the corn a necessity. This spot
was probably near the site of Rock Fort, in La Salle
county, Illinois.
For four days they continued their course without
coming in sight of any human being or any habita-
tion. Yet they passed through scenery often very
charming, presenting a wide-spread ocean of undu-
lating land, with groves and lawns and parks smiling
so peacefully in the bright sunshine.
The morning of the ist of January, 1680, came.
All gathered around the missionaries to commemo-
rate the opening of the new year by religious services.
Prayers were offered, hymns were chanted, sins were
confessed, and the blessing of God was invoked upon
their enterprise. At the conclusion of these devo-
tions the canoes were again pushed out into the stream.
On the fourth of the month they entered an expan-
sion of the river where the breadth of water assumed
the dimension of a lake. This sheet of water, now
called Peoria Lake, was twenty miles long and
three broad.
At its foot they came upon a very large Indian
encampment. La Salle presented the calumet of
peace, and fraternal relations were immediately estab-
lished. At this point he decided to build a large
boat to sail down the river. The loss of the Griffin,
thus depriving him of his supplies, had frustrated all
THE VOYAGE ALONG THE LAKES.
127
his pir.ns. He built a strong fort, which he called,
from his own grief, " Crevecccur," or the Broken
Hearted. Here this extraordinary man left most of
his company, and with five men, in mid-winter, set
out to cross the pathless wilderness on foot, a distance
of twelve hundred miles, along the southern shores
of Erie and Ontario to Fort Frontenac. The wonder-
ful journey, through storms of snow and rain, across
bleak plains and morasses and unbridged rivers, was
safely accomplished in about seventy days. He
obtained the needful supplies, freighted several canoes,
engaged new voyagers, and after innumerable perils
again reached the head waters of the Illinois. Here
he learned that his garrison at Crevecceur was dis-
persed and the fort destroyed. This ended his
hopes. He went back to Frontenac a disappointed
but indomitable man, and the enterprise was for the
time relinquished.
Here we must leave La Salle for a time, while we
give an account of the expedition from Crevecceur,
up the Mississippi, and of the destruction of the
colony.
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CHAPTER VI.
T/ie Expedition of Father Hennepin.
Seeking a Northwest Passape. — The Voyage Commenced. — The
Alarm. — Delightful Scenery. — The Indian Village. — Entrance to
the Mississippi. — Appearance of the Counlrj'. — The Midnight
Storm. — Silence and Solitude. — A Fleet of Canoes. — Captured
by the Savages. — Merciful Captivity. — Alarming Debate. — Con-
dition of the Captives.
Two days before La Salle set out from Cr^ve-
cceur, on his adventurous journey, through the wil-
derness, to Fort Frontenac, he despatched Father
Louis Hennepin to explore the Mississippi River
from the mouth of the Illinois to its source. So lit-
tle was then known of this continent that La Salle
had strong hopes that near the source of the Missis-
sippi, another stream might be found, flowing toward
the west, which, by a short voyage, would conduct
one to the Pacific Ocean. In this way he hoped that
the long-sought-for northeast passage to the Pacific
might be discovered.
On the morning of the 29th of February, 1680,
Father Hennepin, with but two companions, entered
his birch canoe, to prosecute his grand and perilous
KXI'KDITION OF FATHER HENNEPIN.
129
enterprise. They were to explore unknown realms,
crowded with savage tribes. They had their guns,
not for attack or defence, but for taking game, with
a gOvyd supply of ammunition, and with several hun-
dred dollars worth of goods, to conciliate the savages
by presents, and to exchange with them for pro-
visions.
With the early dawn they commenced their voy-
age. The day was fine, the river placid in its gentle
flow, and the scenery, on both sides of the stream,
of undulating hills, majestic forests, and wide-spread
prairies, upon which herds of wild cattle were graz-
ing, was picturesque and alluring in the extreme.
As they rapidly descended the river, they met sev-
eral parties of Illinois Indians, returning to their
village at the head of the lake. Their canoes were
laden with the game they had taken. The French-
men and the Indians exchanged friendly greetings.
The kind-hearted savages endeavored to dissuade
them from their perilous voyage, assuring them, with
all the wildest exaggerations of Indian superstition,
that they would encounter birds as large as buffa-
loes, who would carry them in their talons as an
eagle seizes a rabbit ; that there were enormous
beasts in the river, doubtless referring to the alliga-
tors, who would dash their canoe to pieces, and
devour a man at a mouthful ; than there were rapids
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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
and whirlpools from which they could not escape, and
in which they would be surely engulfed ; and that if
by any possibility they escaped, all these perils, they
would fall into the hands of ferocious tribes, who
would enslave them, torture them, cook them, and
eat them. They entreated the Frenchmen to go
back with them to their village, where they could
live in safety and in abundance.
The two boatmen, Anthony Auguelle and Mi-
chael Ako, were alarmed by these representations, and
v/ere strongly inclined to return. But Father Hen-
nepin constrained them to press onward. As they
descended the Illinois, they found the river deep and
broad, much resembling the Seine at Paris. It would,
at times, expand to nearly a mile in breadth. Large
trees crowned many of the gentle eminences which
lined the stream. Upon ascending the hills, as
they landed for their night's encampment, they
gazed, with delight in the gorgeous sunset, upon the
magnificent prairies spread out before them as far as
the eye could reach.
There is nothing which earth has ever presented
more beautiful than those-Eden like landscapes
resembling the ocean in expanse, which were thus,
for the first time, unveiled to the view of civilized
men. Here and there groups of trees appeared, in
small groves, as if planted by the exquisite taste of
EXPEDITION OF FATHER HENNEPIN.
131
a landscape gardener. Herds of buffaloes, antelopes,
and deer, grazed the herbage in countless numbers.
Birds of every variety of song and plumage found
here their paradise. And in these fair realms the
children of Adam might have experienced joys
hardly surpassed by those of their first parents in
Eden, were it not for that inhumanity of man to
man which has caused countless millions to mourn.
To redeem this world from the curse of sin, Jesus
the Son of God has suffered and died. And there
can be no possible true happiness for the human
family until the result of his mission shall be accom-
plished.
Our voyagers, on the seventh day of their jour-
ney, having passed down the windings of the river,
about two hundred miles, as ihey judged, came to a
pleasant Indian village of about two hundred wig-
wams. These Indians had an eye for beauty.
Their little cluster of homes was picturesquely situ-
ated upon a green plain, genily ascending from the
banks of the river, which commanded a view of the
water for some distance above and below. The
prairie, in its grandeur, spread far .and wide around.
The village was about six miles above the entrance
of the Illinois into the Mississippi River. The tribe
was called the Maraos. The hospitable savages, who
without any difficulty could have killed the French-
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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
11 i!
men and have taken possession of all their goods,
treated the strangers as brothers, and urged them to
visit their houses. In these hospitable rites we see
beautiful vertiges of the character of man before the
fall. But alas ! wc can never meet the children of
Adam anywhere, or under any circumstances, with-
out soon seeing the evidence of that fall when sin
entered Eden,
" Earth felt the wound ; and nature from her seat,
Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe
That all was lost."
They heard fearful acco^mts of attacks by fero-
cious tribes rushing down upon them, plundering,
burning, killing, scalping, with mercilessness which
demons could not exceed. They were expecting
soon another attack, and were then upon the point
of abandoning their homes and emigrating to the
other side of the Mississippi, to join, for their protec-
tion, another large and friendly tribe.
Soon after Father Hennepin resumed his voyage,
the Indians, according to his narrative, had their
suspicions excited that he was conveying hatchets
and guns to their enemies, either intentionally, or
which might fall into their hands. They therefore
sent a band of their swift-footed warriors down the
ver, to a narrow pass, to intercept the canoe. This
could hardly be considered contrary to the laws of
EXPEDITION OF FATHER HENNEPIN.
133
warfare among civilized nations. The Indians had
witnessed the lightnings and thunders of the white
man's guns, and the terrible energies of their death
dealing-bolts. They might surely consider the
canoe as freighted with goods which were contra-
band of war.
W*" know not what reason Father Hennepin had
for suspecting this movement of the Indians. He
gives no proof of any such hostile design. It is
not improbable that his suspicions were groundless.
As he approached the narrow pass where he imag-
ined the warriors to lie in ambush, he saw the smoke
of the camp fires ascending from a grove which
crowned one of the eminences. Thi.. certainly did
not indicate any secret movement. He paddled
close to the other side of the river, not only without
being attacked, but without obtaining even a
glimpse of his imagined foes.
On the 8th of March they reached the Mis-
sissippi River. The broad flood, a mile in width,
swept majestically along, from unknown regions of
the north, quite covered with floating ice. The vast
masses, two or three feet in thickness, and which
could not be eluded, would speedily tear their frail
birch canoe into fragments. At the mouth of the
Illinois there was a gentle elevation, covered with the
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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
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stately forest, which commanded a fine view of both
of the rivers and of the adjacent region.
Here the Frenchmen drew their canoe upon the
shore, erected a camp, with open front, as a shelter
from the cold north wind, built their fire, cooked
their game, of which they found abundance all
around, and waited patiently, four days, for the ice
to run by.
In the middle of the Mississippi River, nearly
opposite the mouth of the Illinois, there were three
small islands, covered with large trees and a dense
tangled growth of brush and vines. The heads of
these islands were clogged, for a long distance up
the river, with the deformity of immense rafts of
drift logs, stumps, and trees. They presented an
exceedingly dreary aspect, swept by the freezing
winds, with truly arctic masses of ice grinding by,
and often ploughed up i.ito great hillocks upon the
sand-bars.
At a short distance back from the river a range
of hills or bluffs was seen. Between the bluffs and
the river the meadow or bottom lands were often
treeless, and evidently fertile in the highest degree.
On the morning of the 12th of March the Missis-
sippi was sufficiently clear of ice for these intrepid
voyagers to venture to launch their canoe upon its
surface. Slowly and cautiously they paddled up the
EXPEDITION OF FATHER HENNEPIN.
135
stream, keeping near the shore and taking advan-
tage of every eddy which could be found. Through
vistas opening between the hills and woods occa-
sional glimpses were caught of prairie regions be-
yond, whose solitude and silence were only relieved
by the spectacle of grazing herds, and thousands of
birds upon the wing. There were no signs of human
life. Apparently eternal silence reigned over those
Eden-like solitudes, disturbed only by the lowing of
the herds and the varied notes of bird songs.
As they continued their voyage they came upon
many islands, whose thick growth of forest trees was
so interlaced with vines and undergrowth as to
render them almost impenetrable. Vigorously they
plied their paddles, day after day, breasting the
strong current of the river, encountering no incident
of importance. Every night they landed, drew their
canoe upon the grass, turned it over, so as to cover
its contents from the rain and the dew, built their
frail shelter for the night, kindled their camp fire,
whose flame is ever as companionable as it is cheer-
ful, cooked their supper, which they ate with the
appetite and zest which labor gives, and then, hav-
ing offered their vesper prayers and chanted their
evening hymn, enjoyed that sweet sleep which is one
of the greatest of all earthly blessings. At noon they
always had a short religious exercise in their canoe.
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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
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They often had mild and beautiful mornings,
when the whole wide-spread scene of crystal waters,
forest, and prairie seemed illumined with almost
celestial radiance. Bird songs filled the air. The
prairies seemed crowded with all the varieties of
animal life in peaceful enjoyment. No sights of vio-
lence or suffering met the eye. No discordant sound
fell upon the ear. All was beauty, harmony, and
joy. The landscape resembled our imaginings of the
world before the fall, when it came fresh from its
Maker's hands, and all the morning stars hailed its
birth.
But again clouds, like marshalling armies, hurried
through and darkened the sky. The tempest rose
with its dirge-like wailing. The surface of the river
was lashed into surges which threatened to devour
them. The rain drenched them. The sleet cut
their faces. Hastily they sought the shores. Fre-
quently they had to paddle a great distance along
the precipitous banks before they could find any
place where they could land. Reaching at length
the shore, they first covered their goods with the
upturned canoe.
Black night would already envelop them.
Groping through the darkness, drenched with rain,
and numbed with sleet, they would, with great
difficulty, raise some frail protection against the
EXPEDITION OF FATHER HENNEPIN.
137
Storm. No fire could be kindled. No change of
clothing was possible. Throwing themselves upon
the wet sod, hungry, shivering, and sleepless, they
would anxiously await the dawn. The cry of the
lone night-bird, and the howling of wolves, would be
added to the discord of the angrj'- elements. In such
hours this globe did indeed seem to be a sin-blighted
world, upon which had fallen the frown of its Maker.
Amid such changes and toils as these, Father
Hennepin and his companions, in their frail birch
canoe, paddled along against the strong current of
the Mississippi. They breakfasted with the earliest
dawn, and continued their voyage through ever-vary-
ing scenes of sublimity and beauty, until late in the
afternoon. Then they began to look eagerly for
some sheltered nook suitable for their night's en-
campment. The silence and solitude through which
they passed, at times seemed pleasing, and again
almost awful.
For weary leagues, not a village, not a wigwam,
not a solitary Indian, appeared. They seemed to be
exploring an uninhabited world. The mouths of
many rivers were passed, whose names were unknown
to them. With feelings akin to awe, they looked up
the long reaches of streams, now known by the names
of the Des Moines, the Iowa, the Rock River, and
the Wisconsin. They wondered what scenes were
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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
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transpiring far away upon the banks of these appa-
rently soUtary waters.
They had ascended the Mississippi several hun-
dred miles, when, about two o'clock in the afternoon
of the nth of April, they were startled by seeing
suddenly coming round a near headland, thirty large
bark canoes, crowded with Indians, plumed, painted,
and armed for battle. It was a gorgeous as well as
an appalling spectacle. The blades of their paddles
sparkled in the sunlight. The savages were dressed
in the highest style of barbaric splendor. Their
brilliantly colored feathers, fringed garments, and
highly decorated bows, war-clubs and javelins,
surpassed, in picturesque beauty, any of the ordinary
military trapping of civilized life.
The moment the savages caught sight of the
Frenchmen's boat, they simultaneously raised a shout
or yell, which reverberated along the banks of the
river and struck the hearts of the voyagers with dread.
Escape was impossible. Resistance was not to be
thought of. The little fleet of canoes, descending
the river by the aid both of the current and their
paddles, approached with great rapidity. Father
Hennepin stood up in his boat and in his hands
extended toward the savasres, the calumet of peace.
Speedily he was surrounded, the calumet was
snatched from him, and his canoe was taken to the
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EXPEDITION OF FATHER IIENNEriN.
139
shore, while all the others followed. During all the
time the savages were raising frightful cries and yells,
the signification of. which, whether welcoming or
threatening, could not be understood. It was prob-
ably near the mouth of the Wisconsin River that
this capture took place.
Father Hennepin had been so long among the
Indians, visiting various tribes, and had so long been
accustomed to contemplate his violent death as an
event which might any day take place, that he was far
more tranquil in mind than most persons could have
been under these circumstances. Speedily his well-
trained eye recognized the chief of the savages. He
presented him some tobacco, and then endeavored by
signs to enter into conversation with him.
The two head chiefs conferred together. They
declined, smoking the peace calumet, and were by no
means cordial in their reception of the strangers.
There was evidently a diversity of opinion among
them, as to the disposition they should make of their
captives. Three blows of the tomahawk would
silence them all in death. Their bodies could be
thrown into the stream, and their canoe, with all its
freight, of such priceless value to the savages, would
be in their possession. Probably some of them had
visited the French forts, and knew how to use the
musket, and appreciated its death-deahng power.
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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
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Already they had examined every article in the
canoe. They had inspected the rifles, and counted
the store of bullets and powder. Such an acquisition
would aid them inestimably in the war-path upon
which they had entered.
The young men clamored for this decision of the
question. In the mind of an untutored savage, who
has never enjoyed the light of revealed religion, the
dividing line between right and wrong must necessa-
rily be faint. With these men, the pride of life con-
sisted in the numbers of enemies they had slain.
Inspired by this desire, they were now on the way to
attack a neighboring tribe, to burn their homes,
destroy their property, kill and scalp men, women,
and children, and to take back some of the leading
warriors, that they, their wives, and their children
might enjoy the delight of seeing them put to death
by diabolical torture. Why should they hesitate to
tomahawk three white men who had crossed their
path? Why not rob and murder them, when by
doing so they could acquire possessions of the
greatest value ?
But God seems to have implanted in every human
heart some sense of right and wrong, some convic-
tion of responsibility to a Superior Being. So far as
Father Hennepin could understand their sign lan-
guage, the chiefs informed him that they were going
EXPEDITION OF FATHER HENNEPIN.
141
down the Mississippi to attack a village of the
Miamis on the Illinois River. The war party con-
sisted of but one hundred and twenty braves. They
intended to attack the village by surprise at night.
In an hour they would accomplish their fiend-like
deed of murder, scalping, and conflagration. Then,
with their gory trophies and their prisoners, they
would take to their boats and be far away up the
river before there could be any rallying of the tribes
in pursuit.
Father Hennepin told them that the Miamis had
been informed of their intended attack ; that they
had abandoned their village, had fled across the
Mississippi, and having joined another powerful tribe
were watching for their approach. The savages on
the shore "surrounded their captives, and for some
unknown reason frequently gave simultaneous utter-
ance to the most unearthly yells.
Father Hennepin affected great composure, assum-
ing that he was among friends. He presented to the
chiefs two large fat turkeys which he had shot com-
ing up the river. Then, with his two companions,
he built a fire, hung his iron kettle, and commenced
boiling some venison. The Indians looked quietly
on for a few minutes, and thor all gathered in a
group to hold a council. Father Hennepin secretly
watched their proceedings with the utmost anxiety.
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142
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
Their speeches were accompanied with very much
action. The debate was prolonged and vehement.
He sufficiently understood the language of signs to
perceive that they were divided in opinion, that while
a part were in favor of putting them to death, othtrs
were urging that their lives should be spared.
With one of his men he went to the canoe, took
six axes, fifteen knives, and a quantity of tobacco,
and advancing into the midst of the council pre-
sented them to the chiefs. He then took an axe, and
bowing his head, made signs that the Indians might
kill him if they wished to do so. This chivalric deed
touched whatever there was of chivalry in the sav-
age bosom. There was a general murmur of ap-
plause. Som;- of them had been roasting, at a fire
near by, some beaver's flesh. One of the savages
ran, cut a piece of the smoking meat, and bringing
it, ^n a plate of birch bark, with a sharpened stick for
, put three morsels into the mouth of Father
^nnepin and his companions. As the food was
very hot, the savage blew upon it to cool it. He
then set the plate before them, to eat at their
pleasure. *
Still there was a degree of restraint on the part
of the Indians, which indicated that there was by no
means perfect reconciliation. There was much talk-
ing apart, and it was evident that the fate of the
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EXPEDITION OF FATHER HENNEPIN.
143
prisoners was not yet decided. The representations,
however, which Father Hennepin had made, induced
them to relinquish their contemplated enterprise,
and to turn back from tiie war-path upon which
they had entered. Just before night, one of the
chiefs silently returned to Father Hennepin his
peace calumet. This greatly increased their anx-
iety, as it was inferred that it was an act renouncing
friendship.
Savages and Frenchmen all slept aUke on the
ground and in the open air, by the side of their
camp fires. There was no watch kept, and the cap-
tives had no indication that they were abridged of
their freedom. Still they had many fears that they
were to be assassinated before the morning. The
two boatmen, Auguelle and Ako, slept with their
guns and swords by their sides. They declared that
if attacked they would sell their lives as dearly as
possible. But Father Hennepin said to them, " I
shall allow myself to be killed without any resistance.
I came to announce to the savages a God, who for
the world's redemption allowed Himself to be falsely
accused, unjustly condemned, and cruelly crucified,
without showing the least enmity to those who put
Him to death. I shall imitate the example thus set
me.
The night passed peacefully away, and the morn-
I
144
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
ing of the 12th of April dawned upon this scene so
wild and picturesque.
As all were gathered around their camp fires,
cooking their breakfasts, one of the chiefs, Narke-
toba by name — presenting a hideous aspect in his
barbarian military trappings, his face and bare chest
smeared with war paint — approached Father Henne-
pin and asked for the peace calumet. Receiving it,
he filled the cup with tobacco, and having taken a few
whiffs himself, presented it to one after another ri
the whole band. Each one smoked the pipe,
though some with evident reluctance. The French-
men understood this to indicate that, for the present
at least, their lives were to be spared. They were
then informed that they must accompany the In-
dians up the river to their own country.
" I was not sorry," Father Hennepin writes, "in
this conjuncture, to continue our discovery with this
people."
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CHAPTER VII.
Life with the Savages.
Ascending the River with the Savages. — Religious Worship. — Abun-
dance of Game. — Hardihood of the Savages. — The War-Whoop. —
Savage Revelry. — The Falls of St. Anthony. — Wild Country
Beyond. — Sufferings of the Captives. — Capricious Treatment. —
Triumphal Entrance. — The Adoption. — Habits of the Savages.
Father Hennepin and his two companions
reembarked in their canoe, and, oppressed with
varied feelings of anxiety and curiosity, recom-
menced their journey up the river. The thirty large
canoes, filled v/ith their captors, surrounded them.
The current was rapid ; the savages were seldom in
a hurry, and their progress was slow. At night they
always landed and slept in the open air, unless it was
stormy, when they would sometimes construct for
themselves a frail shelter.
The devout ecclesiastic felt in duty bound daily
to say his office, as it was called, in accordance with
the rules of the Catholic Church. He had his bre-
viary, composed of matins, lauds, vespers, and com-
pline, or last prayer at night. These exercises he
scrupulously performed. The superstitious Indians,
146
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE,
11
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m r^
seeing him open his book, and move his lips, imag-
ined that he was practising some sort of incantation
against them. Angrily they cried out against it, ex-
claiming, in their own language, " witchcraft."
Michael Ako, who had no ambition to receive a
martyr's crown, entreated him, if he must say his
prayers, to say them in secret. " If you persist in
this course," said he, " you will so provoke the In-
dians, that we shall all be inevitably killed." Au-
guelle, who was more religiously inclined, joined in
these entreaties, begging him to retire apart, morn-
ing and evening, into the forest for his devotions.
But the suspicions of the Indians were aroused.
They had a great dread of diabolical influences.
Whenever he entered the woods a party followed him.
He could get no chance to pray out of their sight.
At length he said to his companions :
" I cannot dispense with my prayers, whatever
may be the consequences. If we are all massacred,
I shall be the innocent cause of your death, as well
as of my own."
To accustom the Indians to his mode of worship,
he commenced chanting the litany of the Virgin.
He had a well-trained, melodious voice. The In-
dians were pleased with the novel strains floating
over the still waters. Paddle in hand they paused
to listen. Adroitly, he led them to believe that the
LIFE WITH THE SAVAGE:
147
i V <
Good Spirit had taught him to sing, and had sent
him to them for their diversion. It would seem, on
the whole, that the Indians treated their captives
with remarkable kindness. The canoe of the French-
men was heavily bden with articles for trade, and
there were but three to paddle. They therefore
found it very difficult to keep up with the well-manned
war canoes of the savages. The chief placed one or
two warriors on board tiie Frenchmen's boat, to help
them stem the current. It was with difficulty that
the little fleet accomplished more than twenty or
twenty-five miles a day.
The savages were collected from various villages,
and it was quite evident that they were still divided
in opinion respecting the disposition to be made of
their prisoners. - One of the chiefs took the French-
men under his special protection. He caused them,
at each encampment, to occupy the same cabin with
him, or to sleep by his side. But there was another
chief who clamored for their death. He h-nd lost a
son, killed by the Miamis. Every night his dismal
howlings were heard, as he wailed piteously, endeav-
oring to stimulate his own passions, and to rouse his
comrades to kill the Frenchmen, so as to seize their
arms and avenge themselves upon the Miamis.
But others, who were far more considerate, said,
" If we kill or rob these Frenchmen, we shall soon
148
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
use up the few goods they have in their canoe, and
no other P^renchmen will dare to visit j to bring us
more. But, if we treat them kindly, and purchase
their goods fairly, others will come, bringing a great
abundance. Thus we can all sell our skins and furs,
and supply the whole tribe with the things we so
greatly need.
As they were paddling along one day, a large
flock of turkeys was seen feeding near the river.
Cautiously Father Hennepin paddled near them, and
one of his boatmen, taking careful aim, struck down
three with a single shot. The savages, who had
watched the proceeding with intense interest, were
amazed. Many of them, perhaps all, had never seen
a gun discharged before, though the knowledge of
the arrival of the French, and the wonderful power
of their guns, had been widely spread through the
tribes. The canoes were all paddled to the shore.
With the deepest interest they examined the dead
turkeys, and reexamined the musket. The unseen
bolt had struck them down at twice the distance
their arrows would reach. An arrow could have
killed but one. The bullet had killed three. " Manza
ouacangege," exclaimed one of the chiefs, in aston-
ishment, which signified. The iroji has understanding.
The situation of the Frenchmen was very peculiar,
as they hardly knew whether the savages regarded
LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES.
149
them as prisoners or not. Father Hennepin was
still pursuing his original design of exploring the
sources of the Mississippi. If the Indians were truly
friendly, their companionship was an element of
safety, and was to be desired. In order to test the
question whether he was his own master, and could
follow his own will, he suggested to the chief his
design of turning back and following down the Mis-
sissippi to its mouth. He might thus find a short
passage to the Indies, though he admits that he
thought it more probable that it emptied into the
Gulf of Mexico, than into the Red Sea. The chiefs
however, promptly signified that they could not con-
sent to be thus deprived of the pleasure of his
company.
Though the Indians paddled all day long, with
great vigor, against the current, not stopping even to
eat until their night's encampment, they never
seemed at all fatigued. There was an ample supply
of game for food. Having reared their frail shelters,
if it rained, kindled their fires and cooked their sup-
pers, they invariably had a war dance, each smoking
in turn the war calumet. This was distinguished
from the peace calumet by different colored feathers.
Their whoops and yells were hideous. And there
was something indescribably mournful in the wailings
of those who had lost relatives durino; the war.
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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
Fortunately for the French, all their expeditions
had thus far been conducted under the control of
religious men. Not an Indian had been killed or
wronged by them. They had proved only great
benefactors to the Indians. Had a solitary Indian
been killed by any Frenchmen, these captives, in
revenge, would have been put to death with tortures
of the most diabolical cruelty. Had any Miami war-
riors fallen into the hands of these savages, awful
would have been their doom. Father Hennepin and
his companions could not but shudder as they
listened to the wailing yells of those who mourned
their dead, and witnessed the fiend-like expression
of their countenances and gestures.
With the earliest dawn, after the night's encamp-
ment, some one gave a whoop, which instantly
brought every man to his feet. No time was lost in
washing or dressing. They generally, as a measure
of protection against their enemies, endeavored to
encamp upon the point of an island. While some
went out to hunt for game, others replenished the
fires, and cooked the breakfast, while still others
sought the neighboring eminences to discover
whether there were any smoke or other indications
of a lurking foe. They then entered their birch
canoes, which they did .lOt leave until the close of
LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES.
151
the afternoon, when they landed for another night's
encampment.
Thus for nineteen days they continued ascend-
ing the river. Father Hennepin estimated that they
had made between three and four hundred miles.
One afternoon, as the thirty canoes were being
paddled up the stream in a long line, a large bear was
seen swimming across the river, a little above them.
The canoes in advance promptly surrounded him,
and he was speedily killed. Upon dragging him
ashore he proved to be a monster in size, and very
fat. It so happened that they were opposite a very
beautiful prairie. The head chief, whose name was
Aguipaguetin, ordered all the canoes ashore for a
grand feast. The warriors decorated themselves
with paint and feathers, and after partaking of what
they considered a sumptuous feast, commenced the
wild orgies of the war dance, with hideous yellings
and contortions. They all leaped about on the
greensward of the prairie, with their arms akimbo,
and violently beating the ground with their feet, in
measured tread.
The wailing for the dead was blended with their
discordant cries. One of the chiefs who was very
loud in his demonstrations of grief for his lost son,
and who had previously urged putting the French-
men to death, frequently in the course of the frantic
152
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
>iii»i I
dance approaclicd the Frenchmen, and placing his
hands on each one of their heads, uttered the most
piercing dirge-like cries. Father Hennepin could
not understand the significance of this strange cere-
mony, but he had many fears that it indicated
violence to come.
Hoping to conciliate the chief, he made him a
very valuable present of knives, axes, beads, and
tobacco in honor of the son whose loss he so deeply
deplored. By these frequent presents, the small
store of goods which the canoe could hold was
rapidly disappearing. They were then on the
borders of a wide expansion of :he Mississippi resem-
bling a lake. Father Hennepin gave it the name of
Pepin, or the Lake of Tears, from the lugubrious
cries of the chieftain in the funereal dance. The
next day, or day after, quite a large herd of buf-
aloes was seen swimming across the river. The
enormous creatures, thus taken at disadvantage, were
easily killed. Thirty or forty, pierced by arrows and
javelins, were soon dragged ashore. The savages
had another feast, from the tongues and other most
delicate morsels of the animal. All the remainder
was left to putrefy, or be devoured by wild beasts.
The frail canoes were so crowded that there was no
room to store away any game. Neither was there
need to do so, for every day brought almost invaria-
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LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES.
153
bly a full supply. It required hunger, and an
acquired appetite for such food, to make it palatable ;
for it was eaten without bread or salt, or any other
seasoning.
Some days the Indians seemed very good natured.
Again, with no known cause, they were morose and
threatening. Even the chief who had protected
them was as capricious in his conduct as a child.
He would at times feed them abundantly, minister
to all their wants, and caress them. Again he would
allow them, in a stormy night, to be driven from his
cabin, to find such shelter as they could. Usually
some Indians would be placed in their canoe, to
help them paddle. Again they would be left to
struggle unaided against the rushing flood. The
Frenchmen could not speak a word of the language
of their captors, or understand a word spoken to
them. It is probable that they often misunderstood
the significance of signs. But there was no diffi-
culty in perceiving the difference between smiles
and frowns, between blessings and curses.
On the nineteenth day of their navigation, the
Indians reached one of their villages on the river
banks. It was afterwards found that this spot was
about twenty-five miles below a remarkable fall in
the river, to which Father Hennepin gave, in honor
of his patron saint, the name of the Falls of St.
154
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
Anthony. This hamlet, far away in the north, was
a cold and cheerless assemblage of savage homes.
The families, in the culture and comforts of life, were
but slightly elevated above the brutes around them.
There were several chiefs who had lost sons during
the war. The captives were given one to each of
three of them. Nominally, they were to be adopted
in the place of the lost ones. In reality, they were
slaves, to be driven farthest from the fire, to have
the most scanty supply of food, in case of want, and
in all things to endure the hardest fare.
Having thus distributed their captives, the savages
seized their property and divided it among them-
selves. They probably did not consider this an act
of robbery, but since the Frenchmen had been gra-
ciously received as sons of the tribe, their goods
should be appropriated to the public welfare. The
village near the Falls of St. Anthony was but a
temporary encampment. The tribe into whose
hands the captives had fallen, was called Issatis.
Their principal village was still farther up the river,
nearly a hundred and fifty miles in a northwesterly
direction. Probably in consequence of the innumer-
able windings of the stream, they abandoned their
canoes at the Falls, and commenced the journey on
foot, traversing an Indian trail which led tJirough
forest and moor, over prairie and mountain. It was
LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES.
155
indeed a wearisome and almost fatal journey to
those newjy adopted into such hardships of barba-
rian life. In those early days of spring, and in those
high latitudes, it was often bitterly cold. There
were remaining snow drifts, and deeper clammy
mud and pools of water to be waded, skimmed over
with ice, and freezing storms of rain and sleet. They
encountered many rivers and swollen brooks, which
they were compelled either to swim or ford.
These streams, flowing down from unknown
regions in the north, were often encumbered with
large blocks of ice. There was but little game in
those dismal forests, and on those sear and bleak
prairies. The savages were pitiless, and would often
give but a meagre portion to their adopted breth-
ren. Father Hennepen often divested himself of his
clothes, bound them upon his head, and swam across
these streams. Upon reaching the shore, his limbs
would be so chilled and benumbed that he could
scarcely stand. The blood would trickle down his
body and limbs, from wounds inflicted by the sharp
edges of the ice. The trail invariably led to spots
where the crossings of the swollen streams were not
very wide. Several of the Indians were men of
gigantic stature. Father Hennepin was a tall man,
but his companions were very short, and neither of
them could swim. When they came to a ford where
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THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
f
the water was over the heads of the short men, these
tall Indians would carry them across on their shoul-
ders. When all were compelled to swim, they would
help the unfortunate men across on pieces of drift
wood.
The Indians seemed to have sinews of steel.
They were alike insensible to hunger, cv> drenched
garments, and to freezing blasts. The celerity with
which they pressed on their way, astonished the
Europeans, On several occasions Father Hennepin,
while traversing the broad bleak prairie, was quite
in despair. His trembling, tottering limbs would
scarcely support his body. Once, feeling unable to
take another step, he threw himself upon the ground,
declaring that there he must die. The rank and
withered grass of the prairie was five or six feet high.
Very deliberately one of the savages set fire to the
grass. It burst forth in a consuming flame. *' Now,"
said he, "you may follow us or be burned to death."
On one occasion, when Father Hennepin had
thrown himself upon the ground, in utter exhaustion,
one of the chiefs of the party came to him, and pull-
ing up a quantity of dried grass, made a soft bed for
him to lie down upon. Then seating himself by his
side, he took from his pocket two pieces of wood,
very dry. One was a small block of cedar, with an
indentation in the centre, about two thirds of an inch
LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES.
157
in diameter. The other was a round peg, five or six
inches long, which fitted into the hole in the block.
This block he placed upon his knee, and fitting the
peg into the socket, spun it round with wonderful
rapidity between his two palms. Soon smoke began
to appear, then a few sparks were elicited, and then
a gentle flame rose from the dust of the charred
wood. He lighted his pipe, and after smoking for a
moment, gave it Father Hennepin to smoke. He
then put his hands affectionately on the Frenchman's
head, and moaned and wept.
What did this all mean ? Were the sympathies
of the savage excited, in view of the sufferings of the
white man ? Were his tears caused to flow in antici-
pation of torture at the burning stake, to which he
might suppose the victim to be doomed? Or was
this an act of barbarian mourning over some loved
one lost in battle? leather Hennepin could not in-
terpret the deed. But he greatly feared that it indi-
cated dreadful woes to come — sufferings, the thought
of which was sufficient to agitate even a savage
breast.
After a weary journey of five days, this party of
forty or fifty warriors, with their captives, approached
tlicir destined village. It was far away in the north-
ern wilderness, east of the Mississippi, which majes-
tic stream had there dwindled into a rivulet. They
158
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
were near the head waters of a river, since called the
St. Francis. It was indeed. a dreary and savage wild
which they had penetrated, and from whose glooms
the captives could not expect ever to emerge. In
some way the inhabitants of the village had heard
of the approach of the warriors, and quite a number
of the women and children came out to meet them.
In a sort of triumphal entrance, like that of tha
ancient Romans, they took Auguelle, dressed him as
gorgeously as they could, in Indian costume, painted
his face, daubed his hair with grease, and fastened
upon his head a plume of eagle's feathers, brilliantly
colored. They placed a gourd in his hand, contain-
ing a number of round pebbles, which he was directed
to shake for music, with the accompaniment of his
voice, shouting a French song. The Frenchmen, in
dreadful incertitude respecting their fate, were agreed
in the conviction that it was good policy to do every-
thing in their power to conciliate their captors.
The warriors were much chagrined in returning
from their expedition without a single scalp, without
a single captive from their enemies, without having
even struck a blow. It was necessary for them there-
fore to make as much parade as they could of their
French prisoners. Yet the most ignorant Indian of
them all could not but perceive that there was not
much to be boasted of in a hundred and twenty war-
LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES.
159
riors having picked up three peaceful canoe men, who
had made no resistance, who had never done them
any harm ; who had come into their country as
friends, making them rich presents, and who unde-
niably desired only to do them good.
They could not utter the scalp halloo, nor the
yell announcing that they were bringing victims for
the stake. But they made the forest resound with
their war-whoops, and with their shouts of triumph.
During the absence of the war party, the women and
the old men had planted -:everal stakes, and had
gathered around their large quantities of dried grass,
with which they intended to scorch and blister and
consume the prisoners, whom they doubted not the
victors would bring back. They were anticipating
a grand gala day in dance and yell, as they witnessed
the writhings of their v^ictims and listened with
delight to the shrieks which agony extorted.
Father Hennepin and his companions were
appalled as they looked at these stakes and these
preparations for torture, and feared that they were to
occupy the places prepared for the Miamis. They,
however, concealed their fears, carefully abstained
from the slightest indication of anxiety, and assumed
that they were contented and beloved members of the
tribe which had adopted them.
It was about the 21st of April, 1680, when these
i6o
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
14 i^r
unfortunate men, who had been cradled in France,
were led into the miserable hovels of this village of
savages. They were all conducted into the wigwam
of the principal chief. Here, much to their encour-
agement, the chief presented them his own peace
calumet, to smoke. He then gave them, in a birch
bark dish, some boiled wild rice, seasoned with
dry whortleberries. Half-famished as the French-
men were, this was by no means unpalatable
food.
After this feast each one was conducted to the
wigwam of the Indian by whom he had been adopted.
These Indians lived in different villages several miles
apart. The captives now found, much to their sor-
row, that they were to be separated. Father Henne-
pin was adopted by the chief Aquipaguetin, and was
conducted nearly three miles, often through marshes
knee-deep with mud and water, till they came to a
considerable stream, probably one of the upper tribu-
taries of the St. Francis River. Here five wives of
the chief, with their canoes, were obsequiously wait-
ing the approach of their lord and master. A young
son of the chief was also with them. The chief
informed them all that he had adopted the white
man in the place of the child he had lost ; and that
his wives were to call him their son, and that his son
was to call him brother.
LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES.
i6i
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The women paddled the canoes down the dark
stream fringed with gloomy evergreens and tangled
underbrush, until they came to an island upon which
there was a small cluster of cabins. Here was the
residence of the chief. His wigwam was large,
though but a single room, and was crowded with his
wives and children. Father Hennepin was imme-
diately presented with some boiled fish on a birch
bark plate. But he was so very weak, from exposure,
toil, and emaciation, that he could not rise from the
ground without assistance.
The medical practice of the chief was peculiar :
but cither in consequence of it, or in spite of it, the
sick man got well. A small hut, called a sweating
cabin, was built, very tight. This was made more
impervious to the air by covering it with buffalo
skins. A large number of stones heated red hot
were placed inside, which raised the temperature
almost to that of an oven. The sick man crept in,
followed by four medical practitioners. The entrance
was closed. The Indians then began to wail and
howl, probably to frighten off the evil spirits, who
they supposed had invaded the sick man's body.
At the same time they commenced rubbing their
patient violently from head to foot. The perspira-
tion oozed from every pore, and fell from him like
1 62
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
rain drops. The heat was intolerable. He nearly
fainted, and was for the time greatly debilitated.
This regimen was followed three times a week for
two or three weeks, when, Father Hennepin writes,
*' I felt as strong as ever."
-r
CHAPTE :l VIII.
Escape from the Savages.
Preaching to the Indians. — Studying the Language, — The Council.
— Speech of Ou-si-cou-d^. — The Baptism. — The Night Encamp-
ment. — Picturesque Scene. — Excursion on the St. Francis. — Won-
derful River Voyage. — Incidents by the Way, — Characteristics of
th^ Indians. — Great Peril. — Strange Encounter with the Indian
Chief. — Hardships of the Voyage, — Vicissitudes of the Hunter's
Life. — Anecdote. — The Return Voyage.
There was a singular combination of intelligence
and childish simplicity developed by the Indians.
Father Hennepin had a small pocket compass, of
which they stood in great need. When they saw
him turn the needle with a key, they were awe-
stricken, and whispered to one another that it was
a spirit which had become obedient to the white
man's will. He had an iron pot, with three feet
resembling a lion's paws. This they never dared to
touch, unless their hands were covered with some
robe. What could have been the cause of this
senseless fear, it is impossible to imagine. The
same men on other subjects would reason with great
logical acumen.
m
164
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
The good ecclesiastic was still very anxious for
the conversion of the Indians. He manifested more
solicitude for their salvation, than for his own resto-
ration to liberty or the preservation of his own life.
He immediately entered upon the vigorous study of
the language. Having learned that the phrase,
" Taket chia biheu," meant, " How do you call that,"
he commenced compiling a dictionary. He had a
natural facility for the acquisition of languages, and
made rapid progress. Fortunately he had paper
and ink, and eagle's quills were easily obtained.
Hour after hour he spent inquiring the meaning
of words and the names of things. The chiefs were
quite pleased in teaching him and in seeing how fast
he was acquiring the power of talking with them on
all familiar subjects. His writing the words was an
inexplicable mystery to them. They would often
question him respecting the names of things. He
would refer to his memorandum and then tell them
correctly. This not only surprised but seemed to
overawe them.
Father Louis Hennepin was called, by his two
French boatmen, P^re Louis. The chief who had
adopted him was one day exhibiting to some chiefs
who were visiting his wigwam, this v/onderful power
of the white man in recalling a difficult name, by
ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.
165
looking at the characters he had written. Very
solemnly he said :
" There must be an invisible spirit who tells VtrQ
Louis everything we say."
Neither of the other Frenchmen could write.
The dress of the ecclesiastic was much more impos-
ing than that of the boatmen. He was a tall, fine-
looking man, ever moving with that dignity which
seems instinctive in one accustomed to command.
The keen-sighted Indians were not slow in recognizing
his superiority of rank, and all considered him in-
vested with supernatural powers. Often, when it
rained as they were wishing to go hunting, they
would entreat him to sweep away the clouds. His
invariable reply was, pointing to the skies, *' The
Great Spirit there controls all things. I have no
such ability." They stood in awe of his spiritual
power, and their good feelingr were won by his
invariable serenity and kindness. They contributed
beaver skins, to the value of about one hundred
dollars, which they presented to him to induce him
to remain and take some wives and have a richly
furnished wigwam. But he declined the present,
saying:
" I did not come among you to collect beaver skins,
but to teach you to love and obey the Great Spirit.
I wish to live as you do, sharing your hard fare."
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1 66
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
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Very wisely he assumed that he came voluntarily
among them, and that when the time came for his
departure, no one would think of throwing any
obstacle in his way. It was a time almost of famine
with the Indians. The summer birds had not
returned. Game was very scarce. There was great
suffering for want of food. And these strangely
inconsistent creatures, while affecting the greatest
kindness, would conceal the little food they had,
get up in the night and eat it secretly, leaving P^re
Hennepin to the gnawings of hunger.
" Although women," he writes, *' are for the most
part more kind and compassionate than men, they
gave what little fish they had to their children,
regarding me as a slave made by their warriors in
their enemy's country, and they reasonably preferred
their children's lives to mine."
One day a deliberative- council of Issati chiefs was
held, to consult respecting various matters. P^re
Louis, having been adopted into the tribe as the
son of the head chief, attended. He could under-
stand nearly all that was said. There was a very
able chief, by the name of Oui-si-cou-dfe, who had
manifested great esteem for the father. He rose
and said :
" We all ought to feel indignant in view of the
insulting manner in which our young men treated
:a«i
Illii» !
ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.
167
P^rc Louis on the way. They were young warriors
without sense, and perhaps knew no better. They
robbed him and wanted to kill him. They acted like
hungry dogs, who snatch a bit of meat from the
bark dish, and run. They abused men who brought
us iron and merchandise, which we never had before."
P^re Louis had considerable medical skill, and
had brought with him several simple remedies. He
was ever ready to attend the sick, and his success in
medical practice gave him great renown. A little
child was dying. According to the belief of Father
Hennepin, if it should die unbaptized, it was lost.
But how could he baptize the heathen child of hea-
then parents. Great was his anxiety, and fervent
were his prayers for enlightenment. At length his
kind heart obtained the victory over his theological
creed. The solemn rite was performed with deepest
emotion. Giving the child, a little girl, the Christian
name of Antoinette, in honor of St. Anthony, he said :
" Creature of God, I baptize thee in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
To his great grief he could not say mass, for want
of wine and the appropriate vestments, which had
been taken from him. He however spread an altar
cloth, which he had retained about his person, upon
the body of the child. When the spirit had taken
its flight, he gave the remains Christian burial.
H^^
1 68
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
•
'1
The news of the arrival of the Frenchmen In the
villages of Issati, spread far and wide through the
adjacent tribes. An embassy of Indians came to
visit Father Hennepin from the distaiice of several
hundred miles in the far west. They approached
him with reverence, and had many questions to ask
him. They were men of high rank and dignity, and
their questions indicated much thought.
" We live," they said, " in a much milder chme,
where there are immense plains and boundless prai-
ries ; where herds of thousands of buffaloes roam,
and where deer and turkeys and innumerable other
kinds of game are found in abundance. There is no
hunger there, for food can always be obtained."
They expressed the earnest wish to take Father
Hennepin back with them. But his own tribe were
just about to set out on a grand hunting excursion,
to the sunny realms of the southwest. A hundred
and thirty families, and also two hundred and fifty
warriors, embarked in a fleet of eighty birch canoes,
about the middle of July. The embarcation was a
wondrous spectacle, suqh as civilized eyes have rarely
beheld, and can never witness again. A canoe had
been provided for the three Frenchmen. But the
two Frenchmen were jealous of the extraordinary
respect with which Father Hennepin was treated,
and refused to take him on board.
ESCAl'K I'KUM Till-: SAVACiES.
iCnj
As this straiij^c fleet in a \o\v^ and straggling; line
descended the St. Francis River, Father Hennepin
stood upon the banks extending his hands in a bene-
diction. Two Indians, passing by in a small canoe,
seeing him thus deserted, paddled ashore and took
him with them. This overloaded the canoe, and it
began to leak. It required constant exertion on the
part of Father Hennepin to bail out the water with
a small birch cup, as fast as it ran in. The canoe did
not weigh fifty pounds. Great care was necessary to
preserve its equilibrium, for almost the slightest irreg-
ular motion of the body would upset it.
At night all landed. Sleeping in the canoes, or
navigating them in the dark, was impossible. Here
again one of the strangest of earthly spectacles was
witnessed. Beneath the gloomy pines which fringed
the stream, countless camp fires were gleaming.
Men, women and children were running about in all
directions. Some were cooking the supper ; some,
rearing frail shelters for the night. There was chat-
tering and bandied jokes and laughter. The proud
warriors, despising any menial employment, strutted
about with lordly air.
Michael Ako was a most graceless fellow, and it
was his influence which had excluded Father Henne-
pin from the canoe. But Anthony Auguelle was much
more devoutly inclined. He was ashamed of their
8
»
I/O
'IIIK ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
conduct. In the cvcni'iif^ he souf^lit out Father
Hennepin, and offered a poor excuse for not receiv-
ing him into their canoe, sayinj^ it was so small and
frail that had three been in it, it would inevitably
have been swamped. The father was not deceived,
thouj;h he accepted the apolot^^y.
After four days* paddlinj^ down the .St. T'rancis
River, the littie fleet reached its mouth, where it
empties into the Mississippi. They crossed to the
west shore of tlie f^reat river, and encamped upon
an eminence there. It was impossible for I''ather
Hennepin to be very accurate ir. his estimate of dis-
tances. He judged that tliey were then about twenty-
four miles above the Falls of St. Anthony.
At this spot there was a forest of birch trees, and
suitable wood for canoe frames. They had com-
menced the voyaj/e with old canoes, which were frail
anvl decayed, and in which they could not safely
launch forth upon the turbulent flood of the Missis-
sippi. The whole band consequently encamped for
several days upon this eminence, to construct new
canoes. The veteran hunters wandered throu^^h the
forests and over the prairies, to hunt str ;'■,, deer, and
beaver. The larger boys and givls brou:^dit to the
encampment their arms full of bircli bark, with care-
fu.Iy selected twigs for frames. 'Jhe experienced
women, wit.* nimble fingers, joined the .seams ^liid
B' r'
ESCAPE I'-ROM TIIK SAVACES.
171
fasliioncd the buoyant and {graceful boat. All were
busy.
\]ut the lumters were unsuccessful. They brou^dit
in but little ^ame. The whole community was fed
upon thin broth, and there was but little of that.
Father Hennepin, accompanied by Anthony Au-
guelle, in their ^reat hunj^er, wandered about search-
ing for wild berries. They found but few, and those
which they ate often made them sick. The surly
Michael Ako refused to go with them.
The tribe of Indians encamped in July, 1680,
upon the Upper Mississippi, opposite the mouth of
St. LVancis River, numbered between four and five
hundred souls. There was a great want of food in
the camp. According to Father Ilennnepin's esti-
mate, they were about two hundred miles above the
mouth of the Wisconsin River. lie told the Indians
that when La Salle left Crevecccur for iMjrt Frontenac
to obtain supplies, he promised to send to the mouth
of the Wisconsin River, a reinforcement of men,
with powder ard guns, and very many other articles
for traffic with the Indians.
They therefore consented that he should descend
the river to this point, to obtain the supplies. These
strange ir "n were too polite to intimate that they
distrusted his word and considered this merely a plan
devised for his escape, as it probably was. 1 hey,
1
e:^
liBPI
172^
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
however, furnished him with a canoe only sufficiently
large to bear him and Anthony Auguelle, with their
needful luggage. By this contrivance, Michael Ako
was left behind as a hostage for their return.
The two Frenchmen set out, in a biich bark canoe,
for this river voyage, going and returning, of four
hundred miles. The only articles they could obtain
to take with them, to meet the casualties of the way,
were a gun, fifteen charges of p jwder, a knife, an
earthern pot, and two robes o" beaver skins, as
blankets for the night's encampments. They safely
reached the falls. Taking the canoe and freight
upon their shoulders, they carried them along the
well-trodden trail which constituted the portage.
Here they found five or six of their Indian hunters.
One of them had climbed a gnarled oak tree opposite
the foaming cataract, and was offering the following
prayer, which l^^ather Hennepin took down on the
spot. Peculiar moans and wails, as of penitence,
were blended with the prayer.
** O Thou who art a Great Spirit, grant that our
nation may pass these Falls quietly without harm.
Help us to kill buffaloes in abundance. May we take
prisoners who shall serve us as slaves. Some of them
we will put to death in thine honor. Aid us to
avenge our kindred whom they have killed."
At the same time this devout savage hung upon
ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.
173
the tree, as an offering to the spirit of the falls, a
rich robe of fur, gorgeously fringed and embroidered
with porcupines' quills, variously colored. A few
miles below the falls, they met another party of four
or five hunters. They were encamped upon a small
island, and were feasting upon an abundance of buf-
falo meat. The Frenchmen paddled ashore and
joined eagerly in the repast. Scarcely two hours
had elapsed ere four or five more canoes were seen
descending the river. Sixteen warrior hunters of
their own party leaped ashore. They seemed to be
very angry. Tomahawk in hand, they knocked their
cabin to pieces, and seized all the meat. Father
Hennepin was astonished, and inquired what this
meant. One of the warriors, who professed to be his
uncle, replied :
'* These men, contrary to our laws, have gone on
a buffalo hunt before the rest. Thus, while they
have furnished themselves with an abundance of
meat, they have frightened away the buffaloes, and
left us destitue. In punishment, we have a right to
strip them."
The two solitary voyagers paddled down the
stream, as they judged, one hundred and sixty miles.
During this time they killed but one deer, which
they shot as it was swimming across the river. The
July heat was such that the flesh could be kept but
I
^^^>--'
174
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
for a few hours. They saw many turtles. But for a
long time in vain they endeavored to take one. The
timid animals would plunge into the water the mo-
ment they heard the least noise. At last they suc-
ceeded in takinof one of them. But as Father Henne-
pin endeavored to cut off the turtle's head, he came
very near losing one of his own fingers in its sharp
jaws. The Frenchmen were very hungry, and had
paddled their canoe to the shore. While the fiither
was endeavoring to dress the turtle to be cooked,
Anthony, with his gun, went back into the prairie,
hoping to shoot some game. Father Hennepin
chanced to look up from his work, and behold, a
gust of wind had swept the canoe from the shore out
into the stream, and it was floating rapidly down on
the strong current.
Unless the canoe could be recovered, this would
prove a terrible calamity. Not a moment was to be
lost. Divesting himself of most of his clothing, he
plunged into the stream, and being a strong swim-
mer, soon overtook the boat. It floated buoyant as
an eggshell. He could not get into it. By pushing
it before him he succeeded in effecting a landing^,
about half a mile down stream, and quite out oi"
sight of the spot he had left. In the meantin^e
Anthony returned. Seeing the half-dressed turtle,
and the father and the canoe both gone, he was
ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.
175
thrown into a dreadful panic. He could not doubt
that some hostile Indians had appeared and carried
them both away, and that he was abandoned to
perish of starv^ition. He went back into the prairie,
to ascend an eminence which commanded a view of
the country for some distance around.
Father H^ nnepin paddled up the stream with all
possible diligence, drew the canoe well upon the
shore, and had just reclothed himself, when he saw,
near by, a herd of sixty buffaloes, swimming across
the river. Anthony had the only gun. The father
ran back into the prairie, shouting for him with all
his might. It was indeed a joyful cry which reached
the ears of Anthony. Eagerly he responded to it.
They sprang into the canoe, pursued the buffaloes,
and succeeded in shooting one. They towed him to
the bank of the river. The father paddled, Anthony
holding the huge carcass by the horns. Rut they
could not drag the creature ashore. They could
only cut off the tender morsels and leave the re-
mainder to float down the stream. In consequence
of their great hunger they ate so voraciously, that
they were both made sick, and for two days could
not leave their camp. Father Hennepin writes :
*' Never have we more admired God's providence
than during this voyage. We could not always find
game. And when we did, could take but little meat
I
1
i
fi ■ 8?a
0<
I 1
' Mil
176
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
il!
with us, as our canoe was so small, and besides, the
excessive heat spoiled it. When we embarked in the
morning, we seldom knew what we should have to
eat during the day. Eut the eagles, which were
very common i^n those vast countries, frequently
dropped from their claws large fishes, which they
were taking to their nests ! "
On the nth of July, as they were paddling down
the river in search of the mouth of the Wisconsin,
they were startled by the sudden appearance of a
large canoe descending rapidly upon them, contain-
ing eleven warriors. They proved to be the chief
Aquipaguetin, and ten of his braves. This savage
chieftain had been very unwilling that his adopted
son should leave the tribe for this voyage, though
the other Indians had given their consent. There
was a frown on his brow, and severity in his tones,
as he asked whether they had yet found the French-
men, who were to bring the goods. They all landed
and eat together. Then the chief and his party
started off, leaving Father Hennepin behind, and
with vigorous paddling drove their canoe rapidly
down the stream. Rather menacingly the chief said
that he would go to the Wisconsin River, and that
if the Frenchmen were there, he would take charge
of their goods.
After three days' absence, he again appeared,
ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.
177
with his canoe of warriors, on his return. He had
been to the mouth of the river. There were no
signs of the Frenchmen there. He came back in a
very unamiable mood. Father Hennepin had
landed, and was alone in a frail cabin which he had
reared as a shelter from the hot sun. Anthony had
gone into the prairie for food. Father Hennepin
writes :
" Aquipaguetin, seeing me alone, came up tom-
ahawk in hand. I seized two pocket pistols, which
we had regained from the Indians, and a knife. I
had no intention of killing my pretended father, but
only wished to frighten him, and to prevent his kill-
ing me, in case he had that intention."
Probably the savage had no such murderous de-
signs. He informed his adopted son that there were
no Frenchmen at the Wisconsin, and none had been
there, and therefore urged his return up the river.
There was no alternative. But Father Hennepin
and Anthony could not keep pace with the eleven-
oared, or rather paddled, canoe of the savages. They
crept along slowly after them. They thus paddled
up the swift current of the Mississippi two hundred
miles, running the risk, Hennepin says, of perishing
of hunger.
They had but ten charges of powder left. These
they divided into twenty, and succeeded in killing
8*
rfri"
178
THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE.
Ill
some wild pigeons. At one time, for two days, they
had no food whatever, though they landed and
searched for game. They found a fish whose flesh
was almost putrid, dropped by an eagle. With bits
of this they baited two hooks, which they floated
from the stern of the canoe. Father Hennepin then
fell upon his knees and prayed to St. Anthony that
he would come to his relief. While praying, they
perceived a strain upon the lines, and running to the
canoe, drew in two fishes, so large that they could
with difficulty take them from the water. They
broiled pieces upon the coals, and the starving men
made an abundant repast.
The next morning they met the remainder of the
Indians whom they had left above the Falls of St.
Anthony. They were descending the river, in search
of more southern hunting grounds. Michael Ako
was with them. He had developed want of courage
and energy which excited the contempt of the sav-
ages. There was a large number of canoes, compos-
ing this fleet, crowded with a motley group of men,
women, and children. They had encountered herds
of buffaloes, and were well supplied with food.
Father Hennepin and Anthony again joined
them^ and accompanied them back down the river,
as he says, about eighty leagues. But as we have
before remarked, we cannot place much rehance upon
ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.
1/9
his estimate of distances. The discomforts of tliis
voyage must have been innumerable. The crowded
canoes, the loatlisome personal habits of the savages,
elevated but little above the beasts, the blistering
midday sun, the drenching storms and showers, the
cheerless encampments, often upon the open prairie
with no protection whatever from wind and rain, and
the food often scanty, consisting of nothing but
llesh, without any seasoning, boiled in earthern pots,
or broiled upon the coals, must have rendered the
excursion irksome in the extreme to civilized men
accustomed to the comforts of European life.
In our last chapter we left the Indians, several
hundred in number, in a fleet of canoes descending
the upper waters of the Mississippi, in search of
game. The three Frenchmen were with them.
They were somewhere near the mouth of the Wis-
consin River. Conscious that they were trespassing
upon hunting grounds which other tribes claimed,
they pr-actised the utmost caution to elude their
enemies. There were two hundred and fifty warriors,
thoroughly armed with all the weapons of savage
warfare, who composed the guard of the tribe.
Whenever they landed, they selected a spot where
they could hide their canoes in the tangled brush
which often frirrged the banks of the river. Some
warriors were sent to the tops of the adjacent emi-
! •"
n
i
1
1 80
THE ADVENTURES OF LA S\LLE.
ncnccs to sec if there were any indications of hostile
parties in the vicinity. They then pushed back
twenty or thirty miles into the prairie land, where
they almost invariably found herds of buffaloes graz-
ing. Without horses to aid in the pursuit, and with
only arrows and javelins as weapons, the killing of a
buffalo was indeed an arduous task. Still, in the
course of a few weeks, a hundred and twenty were
slaughtered. They jerked the meat ; that is, they
cut it into very thin strips and hung them in the sun
over a smouldering fire, so that it was both smoked
and dried at the same time.
One day an Indian ran a splinter far into his foot,
inflicting a very serious wound. Father Hennepin
made a deep incision in the sole, to draw out the
wood. He was performing the painful operation,
when an alarm was given, that foes were approaching
the camp. The wounded Indian immediately sprang
upon his feet, seized his arms and rushed to meet the
enemy, regardless of his swollen, throbbing foot. The
alarm proved a false one. A herd of eighty stags in
the distance had been imagined to be hostile warriors.
The excitement being over, it was with very great
difficulty the crippled savage could hobble his way
back to the camp.
When Father Hennepin and Anthony Auguelle
rejoined the Indians, they were again separated, and
'•H'lti
ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.
I8l
each was taken into the family by which he had
been adopted. In their voyaging, as they passed
from point to point in the river, there was assigned
to tlie father the duty of conveying in his small
canoe, a shrivelled Indian woman, eighty years of
age, and three little children. These long years had
not sweetened the woman's disposition. She was a
terrible scold, and often threatened to beat the chil-
dren with her paddle.
Thus they wandered about in this successful buf-
falo hunt, until the close of July, when they were
returning to their village far up the St. Francis River.
They were here not very far west of the western end
of Lake Superior. As they were returning, two
wandering members of the tribe came in, and stated
that they had been to Lake Superior, that they found
there five Frenchmen, and that when they told them
that there were three of their countrymen with the
Issati tribe, the Frenchmen were very anxious to
come to them, as they could not imagine by what
roundabout way they had reached those distant
regions.
Soon after, they met on the Mississippi River M.
de Luth, with five French soldiers, descending the
stream in a canoe. There is some confusion in
Father Hennepin's narrative here, so that it is im-
possible to ascertain at what point of the river the
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