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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 11 i ii ! i i Tl6 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 6 ■"5W Wli I 122 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 ^1 124 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. forenoon of the next day he wandered, and it was not until the afternoon that he rejoined his compan- ions. He came in with two opossums hanging at his belt, which he had killed. At length their Indian hunter found the trail. They had gone too far up the river. The men took the canoes and the freight upon their shoulders, and carried them over the portage, of five or six miles, which the Indians had traversed for countless ages. Dreary in the extreme was the wintry kiidscape which now opened before them. The ground was frozen hard. Ice fringed the stream, and the flat marshy expanse was whitened with snow. For nearly a hundred miles the sluggish Kankakee flowed through a morass, which afibrded growth to but little more than rushes and alders. Their provisions were nearly exhausted. No game could be found. They were hungry. Each night they landed, built their fires, and with scarcely any shelter wrapped them- selves in their blankets for almost comfortless sleep. At length the river emerged from these dreary marshes and entered upon a large undulating prairie, treeless, but whose fertility was attested by the tall, yet withered grass. The scene became far more cheering. Though most of the herds, which in sum- mer grazed these rich fields, had wandered far away to the south, their indefatigable hunter succeeded in I! -iifiiir 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- I * :l iili! '11 i m r 126 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. m ^1 ■ 5 ^ ii » '\m 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 6* ;i "ill: ] I ' i .4 i'l! I'i' jllil iii'jnl 1 !W 130 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- 1:' I . 132 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 ^f 134 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. Ill I \l\ li if: 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. p 136 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. 11' I 111 I % m 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 im \ \ i .11 ■ "! ^ 5 { ' I 138 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. i\ 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 II ••«m^^7«- .Tiyre -i—T ,----- . 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. m ;i ,!' ■ ) 1 ' M tMi', 140 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. J II & . \ 1 HI '- I: 1 i' 1 p •H ' 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. ITT!) 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 ii P .J je ^Wf ' . im nMw 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." . lit \s f ■n 1 f » ' k • "II '$ ' ■ n ' H 'hH 1 m 1 iiil!': 1 r;^^ iTi -^ 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 ':'»iil:l|.. 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. i ' i ■ill HI-:' ir ifi |!ii 150 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- m "i^.g;: —""-■■"**-'■'""* ■ LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES. 153 bly a full supply. It required hunger, and an acquired appetite for such food, to make it palatable ; for it was eaten without bread or salt, or any other seasoning. Some days the Indians seemed very good natured. Again, with no known cause, they were morose and threatening. Even the chief who had protected them was as capricious in his conduct as a child. He would at times feed them abundantly, minister to all their wants, and caress them. Again he would allow them, in a stormy night, to be driven from his cabin, to find such shelter as they could. Usually some Indians would be placed in their canoe, to help them paddle. Again they would be left to struggle unaided against the rushing flood. The Frenchmen could not speak a word of the language of their captors, or understand a word spoken to them. It is probable that they often misunderstood the significance of signs. But there was no diffi- culty in perceiving the difference between smiles and frowns, between blessings and curses. On the nineteenth day of their navigation, the Indians reached one of their villages on the river banks. It was afterwards found that this spot was about twenty-five miles below a remarkable fall in the river, to which Father Hennepin gave, in honor of his patron saint, the name of the Falls of St. 154 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. Anthony. This hamlet, far away in the north, was a cold and cheerless assemblage of savage homes. The families, in the culture and comforts of life, were but slightly elevated above the brutes around them. There were several chiefs who had lost sons during the war. The captives were given one to each of three of them. Nominally, they were to be adopted in the place of the lost ones. In reality, they were slaves, to be driven farthest from the fire, to have the most scanty supply of food, in case of want, and in all things to endure the hardest fare. Having thus distributed their captives, the savages seized their property and divided it among them- selves. They probably did not consider this an act of robbery, but since the Frenchmen had been gra- ciously received as sons of the tribe, their goods should be appropriated to the public welfare. The village near the Falls of St. Anthony was but a temporary encampment. The tribe into whose hands the captives had fallen, was called Issatis. Their principal village was still farther up the river, nearly a hundred and fifty miles in a northwesterly direction. Probably in consequence of the innumer- able windings of the stream, they abandoned their canoes at the Falls, and commenced the journey on foot, traversing an Indian trail which led tJirough forest and moor, over prairie and mountain. It was LIFE WITH THE SAVAGES. 155 indeed a wearisome and almost fatal journey to those newjy adopted into such hardships of barba- rian life. In those early days of spring, and in those high latitudes, it was often bitterly cold. There were remaining snow drifts, and deeper clammy mud and pools of water to be waded, skimmed over with ice, and freezing storms of rain and sleet. They encountered many rivers and swollen brooks, which they were compelled either to swim or ford. These streams, flowing down from unknown regions in the north, were often encumbered with large blocks of ice. There was but little game in those dismal forests, and on those sear and bleak prairies. The savages were pitiless, and would often give but a meagre portion to their adopted breth- ren. Father Hennepen often divested himself of his clothes, bound them upon his head, and swam across these streams. Upon reaching the shore, his limbs would be so chilled and benumbed that he could scarcely stand. The blood would trickle down his body and limbs, from wounds inflicted by the sharp edges of the ice. The trail invariably led to spots where the crossings of the swollen streams were not very wide. Several of the Indians were men of gigantic stature. Father Hennepin was a tall man, but his companions were very short, and neither of them could swim. When they came to a ford where ^^ I $6 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. 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 . ; I ' The women paddled the canoes down the dark stream fringed with gloomy evergreens and tangled underbrush, until they came to an island upon which there was a small cluster of cabins. Here was the residence of the chief. His wigwam was large, though but a single room, and was crowded with his wives and children. Father Hennepin was imme- diately presented with some boiled fish on a birch bark plate. But he was so very weak, from exposure, toil, and emaciation, that he could not rise from the ground without assistance. The medical practice of the chief was peculiar : but cither in consequence of it, or in spite of it, the sick man got well. A small hut, called a sweating cabin, was built, very tight. This was made more impervious to the air by covering it with buffalo skins. A large number of stones heated red hot were placed inside, which raised the temperature almost to that of an oven. The sick man crept in, followed by four medical practitioners. The entrance was closed. The Indians then began to wail and howl, probably to frighten off the evil spirits, who they supposed had invaded the sick man's body. At the same time they commenced rubbing their patient violently from head to foot. The perspira- tion oozed from every pore, and fell from him like 1 62 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. rain drops. The heat was intolerable. He nearly fainted, and was for the time greatly debilitated. This regimen was followed three times a week for two or three weeks, when, Father Hennepin writes, *' I felt as strong as ever." -r CHAPTE :l VIII. Escape from the Savages. Preaching to the Indians. — Studying the Language, — The Council. — Speech of Ou-si-cou-d^. — The Baptism. — The Night Encamp- ment. — Picturesque Scene. — Excursion on the St. Francis. — Won- derful River Voyage. — Incidents by the Way, — Characteristics of th^ Indians. — Great Peril. — Strange Encounter with the Indian Chief. — Hardships of the Voyage, — Vicissitudes of the Hunter's Life. — Anecdote. — The Return Voyage. There was a singular combination of intelligence and childish simplicity developed by the Indians. Father Hennepin had a small pocket compass, of which they stood in great need. When they saw him turn the needle with a key, they were awe- stricken, and whispered to one another that it was a spirit which had become obedient to the white man's will. He had an iron pot, with three feet resembling a lion's paws. This they never dared to touch, unless their hands were covered with some robe. What could have been the cause of this senseless fear, it is impossible to imagine. The same men on other subjects would reason with great logical acumen. 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." i ; 1 66 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. [ , KgA u HI 'i 1 ( IW 1^ 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 ! IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V /. O {■/ X V Wa J^i w- w. i/s 1.0 I.I I IS IIIM III 1.8 1.25 — 1.4 o ^ 6" — ► V] <^ /a o Ca e. ^ will among men. And now the blessed hour nad come when God sent his angel to take the victor in many a hard-fought spiritual conflict, to his home in heaven ; for God can convert even the wickedness of man into an agency for the accomplishment of His purposes. How sublime the scene of his departure. It was a serene, beautiful autumnal day. The deep blue of the overarching skies were embroidered, as it were, with fleecy clouds. The waters of the river, clear as crystal, flowed gently by. The luxuriant prairie, brilliant with the bloom of autumn, almost entranced the eye as a garden of the Lord. In a majestic grove the veteran Christian knelt, at peace with God, with himself, and with all the world. His eyes were closed. His hands were clasped. His soul was all absorbed in prayer. Suddenly a shower of arrows pierce him, and he falls dead ! Dead! do I say? No! He awakes to a new life of inconceivable vitality and grandeur. A retinue of angels are there, ready to receive him. In their ABANDONMENT OF FORT CREVECCEUR. 207 blest companionship lie takes his rapturous journey to the bosom of his Saviour and his God. •'Oh, 'tis a glorious thing to die As dies the Christian, willi his armor on." The saddened voyagers, as they plied their pad- dles in ascending the river, all unconscious of the fate which had overtaken the beloved father, had still a journey of nearly two hundred and fifty miles before them, ere they could reach their friends. The dilapidated canoe soon failed them entirely, and they were compelled to abandon it. The remainder of the long journey was to be made on foot. Their destitution was alarming. They had no food but such as they could pick up by the w-^y. Their cloth- ing was old, worn out, and very scant ; for they had been waiting for supplies to be brought them by La Salle. They had neither companion nor guide. The route they were to follow was in a northerly direction, through the pathless forests, and over the pathless prairies, many miles west of Lake Michigan, to the missionary station at the foot of Green Bay. Father Hennepin had left his cloak in the canoe. They cut up the garment to repair their shoes and clothes. Often, in days of storm, they wandered be- wildered and lost. They found but little game, for they were not professional hunters. Their food consisted mainly of acorns and roots. After a journey of fit- (■' -r 208 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. tccn clays, and when almost starved, they were so fortunate as to kill a deer. Upon venison steaks they feasted luxuriously. At lenj^th they came to a little cluster of Potta- watomi wiy;wams. This powerful tribe occupied an extensive territory southwest of Lake Michigan. About ten years before, a delegation from the tribe had visited the French, and friendly relations were established between them. Very hospitably they received the worn, emaciate, and ragged wanderers. They fed them with such morsels as could be fished from the pots of the Indians. Thcwigwams were comfortable, affording ample protection from wind and rain. The weary wanderers, who were scarcely able to stand, threw themselves upon mats before the wigwam fires and slept long, long hours of rich en- joyment. Somewhat recruited by th.c repose of a few days, they again took up their line of march. After the endurance of great fatigue and many sufferings, they at length reached the missionary station at Green Bay. Here they were received as brothers, and here they passed the winter. Early in the spring, as soon as the ice had disappeared from the bay. Lieutenant Tonti and Father Membr6 set out in a canoe, with a few boatmen, for the station at Michilimackinac. After a prosperous voyage of a few days, they reached ABANDONMENT OF FORT CREVECCEUR. 209 that important point in safety. They had been there but a short tiinr, wlicn a small fleet of canoes came paddling into the harbor. It was about the middle of June. To their cjreat joy they found that it was an expedition of La Salle, and that he was on board. He had a sad story to tell of disasters and sufferings, which we must reserve for our next chapter. } A ^1 mac. Ichcd !. ,! [^ "■ "-■;)> - CHAPTER X. La Salle s Secofid Exploritig Tour. Disasters. — Energy of La Salle. — The Embarcation. — Navigating the Lakes. — Sunshine and Storm, Beauty and Desolation. — Ruins at Crevecoeur. — Steps Retraced. — Christian Character of La Salle. — Arrival at Mackinaw. — The Enterprise Renewed — Travelling on the Ice. — Descent of the Illinois River. — Entering the Mississippi. — Voyage of the Canoes. — Adventures with the Indians, IJI It will be r n .mbered that late in February, l680v La Salle left Crevecoeur for Frontenac, to ob- tain supplies. We have no record of the details of that wonderful journey of four hundred leagues through the wilderness. He reached the post after a long and exhausting journey. There he encoun- tered tidings of disaster sufficient to crush the stoutest heart. The Griffin had foundered, when but a few days out from Green Bay. All on board perished ; and the whole of La Salle's fortune, consisting of ten thousand dollars' worth of furs, had gone down into the bottom of the lake. The rumor reached Frontenac that La Salle had perished in his vessel. He had sent quite a fleet of canoes, laden with articles for the Indian trade, to iiiii ivigating . — Ruins • of La newcd — Entering with the bruary, Ito ob- ails of eagues after ncoun- ;outest a few ished ; ng of down le had iet of de, to 'if fSffi': LA SALLE S SECOND EXPLORING TOUR. 211 purchase all the furs they could along the northern and southern shores of Lake Ontario. The canoe men heard the rumor of the death of La Salle, and treacherously appropriated to themselves all the goods with which they had been intrusted. Before setting out on his first excursion, he had sent to France for more goods, to the amount of five thou- sand dollars ; a very considerable sum in those days. The vessel laden with these articles, after having safely crossed the Atlantic, was driven upon one of the islands of St. Peter, and everything was lost. There was no insurance in those days; La Salle did indeed experience the truth of the adage that " sor- rows come in troops." Still the enterprise, energy, and noble character of the man was such that friends came to the rescue. The Governor was very desirous of continuing the exploration, to the mouth of the Mississippi, which La Salle had begun. It was his great ambition there to unfurl the banner of France, and there, in the name of is king, to take possession of the most majestic valley on this globe. Another small fleet of canoes was soon prepared, freighted with such articles, for use and traffic, as he would need on the expedition. The canoes, eight or ten in number, were large and strong. The party consisted of twenty-three Frenchmen and thirty-one I ;!:■ 212 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. V<1i>IH i^'U 91 Indians ; fifty-four, in all. The statement seems almost incredible that, of these Indians, ten were women, and three were children. But Father Ze- nobe, who accompanied the expedition, mentions that the Indians insisted upon taking the women, as ser- vants, to cook their food, and to perform the drud- gery at their several encampments. Some of these women had children whom they could not leave behind. It was indeed an imposing spectacle, when, at an early hour of a still, sultry summer morning, this gayly decorated fleet of canoes pushed out from the little harbor at the fort, upon the mirrored surface of Lake Ontario. It was, to a considerable degree, a national expedition. The banners of France flut- tered in the gentle breeze over all the battlements of the fort. The forests and the hills resounded with the roar of the salute from her heavy guns. Hundreds of Indians crowded the shore to witness the departure. The Frenchmen returned the salute by a discharge of their muskets and by three cheers. The canoes speedily disappeared behind a headland, as the voyagers, with their paddles, pressed forward upon one of the most extraordinary expeditions ever undertaken by man. The voyage along the southern shore of the lake proved to be very stormy. Again and again the iHilpnii LA SALLE'S SECOND EXPLORING TOUR. 21 3 «i ms ere Ze- ;hat ser- rud- hese cave at an , this nn the urface egree, e flut- ments lunded guns, itness salute beers, dland, rward s ever me lake tin the gale and the surging billows drove them ashore. To the Indians, and to the Canadian boatmen generally, there was no hardship in this. It was the customary Hfe of these men ; and to the Indians, the life to which .they had been inured from infancy, and the only life they had ever known. Indeed the crew generally had no more thought of yesterday or to- morrow than the few dogs who accompanied them. The weight of responsibility rested only upon the minds of La Salle and his gentlemanly, highly edu- cated ecclesiastical companions. When landing, for an encampment at night, or forced to take shelter from the storm, they easily drew their canoes up upon the greensward ; turned them over to protect the freight from the rain, entered a little distance, the dense, primeval forest, which from time immemorial had fringed the shores of the lake, and there speedily reared a shelter which, to them, presented all the comforts which the palatial mansion offers to its lord. They spread their mats upon the floor. They built their camp fires, whose brilliant blaze enlivened the scene. They cooked their suppers, of corn-bread and venison steaks, which health and hunger rendered luxurious. They sang songs, told stories, cracked jokes, and enjoyed perhaps as much as the mere animal man is capable of enjoying. I 214 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. This is indeed the sunny side of such a life. But it is a real side. For such men it has a real charm ; charms so great Jiat they reluctantly relinquish them for all that civilization can offer. But it must be evident to every reader of these pages, that this wandering, homeless life, has also its shady side. They, like all other men, had often occasion to say in the beautiful verse of Longfellow : " The (lay is cold, and dark, ami dreary. It rains, and the wind is never weary, The vine stil) .iings to the mouldering wall. At every gust the dead leaves fall. And the day is dark and dreary." La Salle left Fort Frontenac on the 23d of July, 1680, about two months before the abandonment of Cr^vecoeur by Tonti. In consequence of the series of storms, he was nearly three weeks in reaching the western extremity of Lake Ontario. The canoes and the goods were then carried around the falls, to the station called Fort Conti, which had been established at the head of Niagara River. He did not reach this station until about the middle of August. Fort Conti had become quite a resort of the neighboring Indian tribes for trade. Here La Salle intended to lay in fresh supplies of corn. The sea- son had been an unfavorable one. The small crop annually raised by the thoughtless, indolent savages, was still smaller than usual, affording but a scant LA SALLE'S SECOND EXPLORINr, TOUR. 21$ ' "ii and the shed :ach supply for the winter. The Indians were not dis- posed to sell. Many days passed away, and but little had been brought in. La Salle had quite a store of French brandy. He cHered to exchange brandy for corn. The poor Indians, who would sell the clothes from their backs for intoxicating liquors, brought the cora in so abundantly, that the canoes were imme- diately filled. In one day, sixty sacks were urged upon him. On the 28th of August, 1680, the voyagers reem- barked in their canoes, and beneath sunny skies and with a smooth expanse of water before them, pad- dled joyously along the northern shores of Lake Erie, ascended the Detroit River, crossed Lake St. Clair, passed through the Straits of St. Clair, and coasted along the eastern and northern shores of Lake Huron, a distance of two or three hundred miles, until they reached the station at Mackinac, the latter part of September. The voyage from the head of Niagara River had occupied nearly a month. When the little fleet of birch canoes entered the harbor at Mackinac, Lieu- tenant Tonti, had just abandoned hisdilapidated birch canoe on the Illinois River, in his retirement from the fort, and, with his few companions, was struggling on foot through the wilderness west of Lake Michi- gan, seeking also the same refuge. i i If ? ■ f If 2l6 THE ADVENTURKS OK LA SALLE. La Salic, entirely unconscious of the disasters which had overtaken his garrison at Cr5vecoeur, re- embarked, on the 4th of October. Following the same course he had pursued before, he paddled down the eastern coast of Lake Michigan, to the River St. Joseph. At the head of which river, it will be remembered, he had erected Fort Miami, on territory inhabited by the Miami Indians. It was a long voyage, with many obstructions from the autumnal storms, which seemed to be incessantly sweeping that bleak and harborless lake. After the tempestuous voyage of a month, he reached Fort Miami on the 3d of November. Eleven months before, on the 3d of December, 1679, he had left that station, on his route to the Illinois River. Le Clerc says that four men were left in charge there. This is not sustained by other accounts. It is not probable that so small a number would have been left in a position so greatly exposed. But, however this may be, he found the Miami vil- lage in ashes, and all who dwelt in it dispersed. His log fort was also in utter ruin. It was a melancholy scene which met his eye ; another indication of man's inhumanity to man. The St. Joseph's River takes its rise in Indiana. For nearly a hundred miles before it empties its flood into Lake Michigan, it flows in a course of LA SALLE S SLCOND EXPLOKLNC] TOUR. 21 ters • rc- the died the ;r, it li, on kvas a , the >antly er the , Fort ^mbcr, ;o the were other lumber jposed. II vil- His icholy Ion of idiana. ties its Irse of narrow windings, ahnost directly from the south. By paddling up this stream, in a canoe voyage of three or four days, or about seventy miles of our measurement, they came to a portage, five or six miles in length, by which they could reach the Kan- kakee River. This was an important tributary of the Illinois River. It will be remembered that it was by this stream that La Salle and his party, more than a year before, prosecuted their voyage to Lake Peo- ria. It was then, for much of its distance, rather a dismal stream, sluggishly winding through marshes lined with alders. Rapidly they paddled on, day after day, through a country of silence and solitude, until they entered the broader, deeper waters of Illinois River. Still, as they descended this beautiful stream, which presented as attractive situations for happy- homes as perhaps earth could afford, they passed no Indian villages, no solitary wigwam, no sign what- ever of human life. They came to the site where the Indian village had formerly stood in its pictu- resque beauty, with six or eight thousand inhabi- tants swarming around, in the various costumes, and engaged in the diversified employments of savage life. Naught remained but smouldering ruins and trampled harvests. Man bitterest foe, his brother lO 2l8 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. man, had been there, and had left behind but the traces of desolation, blood and woe. Neither wolf nor bear could have been more merciless, or could have left behind them ravages so dreadful. The dispersion of the garrison, and the destruc- tion of all the works commenced and the stores deposited at Cr^vecceur, was another blow upon the head and the heart of La Salle, apparently frus- trating all his plans. He must have experienced emotions of the keenest anguish. But this remark- able man, invincible by the reverses of fortune, pre- sented to his companions only a smiling aspect, and addressed them only with cheerful words. Having lost everything which he had expected to find at Cr5vecoeur, it became necessary foi him to return to Mackinac. This required a journey by river, forest, prairie, and lake, of nearly five hundred miles. Immediately he re-embarked his whole force, in his canoes, and commenced the laborious ascent of the stream he had- ;ust descended so pleasantly, borne along by the aid of the current. When they reached the mouth of the Kankakee, instead of following up that stream, they struck across the country, by a portage directly north, until they reached the Chicago River. Here they again launched their canoes and followed down the wind- LA SALLE'S SECOND F:XPL0RING TOUR. 219 ings of the stream until they came to its entran *: into Lake Michigan, where Chicago now stands. At this port La Salle found fragments of many war-scathed tribes, in a half-starving condition. They informed him that the terrible Iroquois, composed of five united savage nations, and whose central power was in the vast territory south of Lake Ontario, had in overwhelming numbers invaded the valley of the Illinois. Many of their warriors were armed vvith guns purchased from the French. The feeble tribes fled in terror before them. The ferocious bands wandered in all directions. By day and by night the hideous war-whoop resounded. Villages were burned, captives were seized, women and children were slaughtered, and thousand of fugi- tives, war-bereaved, woe-stricken, fled to the western side of the Mississippi to seek protection by being incorporated into friendly tribes in those apparently limitless realms. Around the lovely shores of Lake Peoria there had been seventeen flourishing Indian villages. These were all destroyed, in awful scenes of confla- gration and massacre. The survivors fled beyond the Mississippi, six hundred miles from their deso- lated homes. And even to these regions the fero- cious Iroquois pursued them, thirsting for blood and scalps. 220 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. La Salle was a Christian. He was interested in the reh'gious welfare of the poor Indians, as the only instrumentality by which they could secure for them- selves pleasant homes on earth, and happy homes in heaven. He agreed with the missionaries, that if they wished to establish missions in those parts, with any hope of seeing Christianity make progress among the natives, they must secure them immunity from the horrors of war. This could only be done by uniting the remaining tribes in a firm union for a common defence. At the mouth of the Chicago River, La Salle was, as he thought, by the route he had taken, about one hundred and twenty miles from Lake Peoria, lie reached this point probably some time in January 1 68 1. The lake, for some distance from the shore, was encumbered with ice. Fierce v/intry storms swept the bleak prairies, and piled the snow in drifts. It was almost impossible to journey, either by land or water. La Salle and his party went into encamp- ment upon the banks of the Chicago River, to wait a few weeks until the severity of winter was over. At the same time, though he knew not of it, the few remaining members of the garrison which he had left at Crevecoeur were seeking shelter from these pierc- ing blasts, about a hundred miles north, in the wig- wams of the friendly Pottawattomies. LA SALLE S SECOND EXPLORING TOUR. 221 La Salle and his ecclesiastical companions im- proved these few weeks of leisure in seeking inter- views with the chiefs of the various tribes in the vicinity, and in endeavoring to unite them in a strong confederacy. He assured them that if they would thus be true to themselves, the French would become their allies and send them efficient aid. It was not until the 22d of May that he was able to launch his canoes upon the lake. There was then a voyage of about two hundred and sixty miles before him. About the middle of June his fleet of canoes was seen, coming around a point of land, as the boatmen rapidly paddled into the harbor at Michilimackinac. Here La Salle met Lieutenant Tonti, Father Membr^, and their associates, as we have mentioned in the last chapter. The good Father Membre writes : " I leave you to conceive our mutual joy, damped though it was by the narrative he made us of all his misfortunes, and of that we made him of our tragical adventures. Though La Salle related to us all his calamities, yet never did I remark in him the least alteration. He always maintained his ordinary cool- ness and self-possession. Any other person would have abandoned the enterprise. But La Salic, by a firmness of mind and constancy almost unequalled, was more resolute than ever to carry out his discovery. Wl mi §™m^ 222 THE ADVIZNTURES OF LA SALLE. We therefore left, to return to Fort Frontenac with his whole party, to adopt new measures, to resume and complete our course, with the help of heaven, in which we put all our trust." We have no detailed account of the long voyage back to Frontenac, or of the return voyage to the mouth of the Chicago River. In the meagre narra- tives which have descended to us, there are slight discrepancies which it is impossible to reconcile. Entering Lake Michigan at its northern extremity through the Straits of Mackinac, they paddled down the eastern coast, passed the mouth of St. Joseph's River, rounded the southern curvature of the lake, and reached the mouth of the Chicago River on the 4th of January, 1682. The winter in that region was short, but very severe. The Chicago River presented a solid surface of ice. Sledges were constructed, upon which the canoes were placed, and dragged by the men over the ice of the river. This journey in mid-winter, over a bleak and often treeless expanse, was slow and toilsome. Having reached the point where the portage com- menced, they dragged their sledges, laden with the canoes, baggage, and provisions, across the portage to the Illinois River. They reached this point on the 29th of the month, having spent twenty-three days in the exhausting journey. They were, at that :* LA SALLE'S SECOND EXPLORING TOUR. 22$ point, according to Father Membre's estimate, two hundred and forty miles from the mouth of the Illinois where it enters into the Mississippi. Drawing their sledges upon the ice, they day after day followed down the lonely and silent stream, whose banks war had desolated. They passed the smouldering sites of many former villages, where only melancholy scenes of devastation met the eye. They reached Crevecoeur about the ist of February. It would seem that La Salle, on his previous visit, had repaired the ruins there, so as to provide a temporary home for his party upon its arrival. He found all things as he had left them. The river below Crevecoeur was free from ice. Having rested for about a week, in the enjoyment of warm fires, in their log-cabins, they launched their canoes into the Illinois River, and on the 6th of Feb- ruary reached the mouth of the river. They found the swollen flood of the Mississippi full of vast masses of ice, pouring down from the distant regions of the north. This detained them till the 13th of the month. They encamped at the same point where Father Hennepin had tarried. A short voyage of a day bore them to the mouth of turbid and turbulent Missouri. Here they landed at an Indian village, where they seem to have been very kindly received. It will be ;. ^ f r "^;^iTT'" 'r;. '•'.," 'f f I ti ! ' ti 224 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. remembered that La Salle was still intent upon find- ing some short passage across the continent, of whose width he knew nothing, to the Pacific Ocean. He was much excited by the strange tidings he heard from the Indians here. They assured him that by ascending the river ten or twelve days he would come to a range of mountains where the river took its rise ; that numerous and populous Indian villages v/ere scattered all the way along the banks of the river ; that by ascending one of the mountain eminences, he would have a view of the vast and boundless sea where great ships v/ere sailing. We cannot now tell whether this was the mere fabrication of some imaginative savage, or whether such was the general opinion of the tribe. The next day, after a sail of about thirty miles, they reached another Indian village on the bank of the ri^ er. Here again they landed peacefully, and warmed the hearts of the savages by a few presents which were to them of priceless value. They jour- neyed slowly. They could not, in their crowded canoes, carry a large amount of provisions. Conse- quently they were under the necessity of making frequent stops to catch fish or to hunt for game. Not long after this visit of La Salle, a mission was established in this little village, which was called LA SALLE'S SECOND EXPLORING TOUR. 22$ Marou. It is said that most of them were converted to, at least, nominal Christianity. Continuing their voyage one hundred and twenty miles down the river, they came to the mouth of the Ohio. Here they made another stop to lay in fresh supplies. The friendly Indians there informed them they could find no suitable camping ground for a distance of nearly one hundred and fifty miles, the banks were so low and so encumbered with rushes and dense brush. The voyagers remained at the mouth of the Ohio ten days, sending out parties in various direc- tions. One of the Frenchmen, Peter Prudhomme, wandering from his companions, did not return. There were many fears that he had been captured by the Indians, as some of the party had seen fresh Indian trails. The heroic La Salle was not disposed to abandon the man. He threw up some entrench- ments for the protection of his company, and de- spatched several well-armed Frenchmen, with Indian guides, to follow vigorously the trail of the savages, for the recovery of the captive if he had been taken by them. For four days La Salle tarried in his encampment at the mouth of the Ohio. On the 1st of March the detachment, sent in pursuit of the lost one, returned. They had seen and heard nothing of Peter. Five Indians, however, 'V-' T .'^>VW-^ 226 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. had been seen, two of whom were caught and brought into the camp. They knew nothing of the lost man. Receiving only friendly treatment, they seemed quite anxious that La Salle should visit their village, which they falsely assured La Salle was distant but a day and a half's journey from the point where they then were. These Indians belonged to the Chickasaw tribe, which subsequently became quite prominent in the history of our land. With the Indians a day's journey was about thirty miles. La Salle and Father Membr^ bet out to visit the village, guided by the Indians. They do not appear to have had any hesitation in thus plac- ing themselves entirely in the hands of the savages. But after having travelled day and a half through a country diversified with forest, prairie, and mountain, they became satisfied that the Indians were deceiv- ing them, and charged them with it. They confessed the deception, made some lame apologies for it, and confessed that their village was still at the distance of three days' journey. Without any apparent reluctance they accompanied La Salle and Membr6 back to the camp. La Salle then sent one of the Indians to the Chickasaw village, with several presents, and to invite the chiefs to meet him, some hundred miles below, as he descended in LA SALLE S SECOND EXPLORING TOUR. 227 his canoes. The other Indian consented to remain, and accompany his party down the river. Just as the voyagers were re-embarking, the miss- ing man appeared. He had been lost ii> the forest, and for nine days had wandered in the unavaihng search for his companions. Fortunately, the wea- ther was mild, game abundant, and, as he had his gun with him, he did not want for food. Cheered by his return, they rejoicingly entered their canoes, and, with cloudless skies overarching them, pushed out into the rapid current, to be swept along through realms to them entirely unknown, and to a point they knew not where. It was a singular and a beautful spectacle, which was presented by this flock of large birch canoes, eight or ten in number, filled with Indians, and Frenchmen in Indian costume, gliding down the broad, swift current of the river. The paddles glis- tened with the reflected rays of the sun. All were in health. There was no toil. New scenes of mar- vellous desolation, or beauty, or grandeur, were con- tinually opening before them. They were well fed. The mind was kept in a state of delightful excite- ment. The French are proverbially good-natured and mirthful. Each night's encampment presented a scene of feasting, bonfires and innocent joyous It r-ti !^i 228 THE ADVENTURES OK LA SALLE. revel. These were indeed sunny days, and this was the poetry of travelling. The 3d of March, 1682, came. They had then descended the river, as they judged, about one hun- dred and twenty miles below the mouth of the Ohio. They were approaching, though they knew it not, a large village of the Arkansas Indians, situated on the western banks of the Missis. 'opi. It was concealed from them by a bluff, and by a turn in the stream. An Indian, upon the lookout on the bluff, caught sight of the formidable looking fleet, far up the river, and, supposing it to be filled with hostile savages on the war-path, gave the alarm. The whole village was instantly thrown into a state of great excitement. The women and children fled back into the forest. The warriors grasped their arms and rallied for battle. As the fleet drew near, all unconscious of the commotion it had excited, the voyagers, not seeing a single Indian, were surprised to hear, on the other side of the bluff, the yells of apparently hundreds of savages. Their piercing war-whoops were blended with the loud beatings of a kind of drum which they had fabricated. Warned by these hostile demonstrations. La Sallv guided his canoes to the other side of the river, which was here about a mile in width. He landed in direct view pf the village. With his LA SALLE'S SECOND EXPLORING TOUR. 229 customary caution, he immediately threw up some intrenchments, behind which his men, with their guns, could beat off almost any number of sav- ages. He knew not but that hundreds of warriors would cross the rivet in their canoes, to make an im- petuous assault upon him. Having thus guarded against surprise, and afforded the Indians a little time to recover from their first alarm, he then, unarmed, advanced to the water's edge, and by friendly signs endeavored to invite some of the chiefs to come over to meet him. Several of the chiefs entered a large boat, called a periagua. It was made of the trunk of an immense tree, hollowed out, and carved and decorated with immense labor. Such a wooden canoe was capable of holding a large number of warriors. The chiefs crossed the river until they came to within a quarter of a mile of the shore, and then they stopped, and beckoned the strangers to come and meet them. La Salle sent one Frenchman, we infer from the narrative that it must have been Father Membr^, in a canoe, to meet them. Two of his Indians paddled the boat, until they came alongside of the periagua of the natives. Father Membre, familiar as he was with several Indian dialects, could not speak their language. He however held out to them the calu- met of peace, which at once won their confidence ; wn^g M 1^1 230 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. and he found no difficulty in communicating with them by signs. He invited the chiefs to accompany him back to the encampment. They were six in number. Retaining him with them, in the. large pcr- iagua, they speedily paddled ashore, followed by Membre's canoe, with the two Indian boatmen. Without any hesitancy, the six Indian chiefs en- tered into the redoubt which La Salle had thrown up. They appeared frank, unsuspicious, and cordial, and were made very happy by several presents which La Salle placed in their hands. They invited the whole party to cross the river to their village. The canoes were launched, and all crossed the stream, led by the chieftains in their wooden boat. The whole adult male population of the village crowded the banks to receive them ; and with every demonstration of friendship. But the timid women and children kept cautiously in the distance. Eight or ten large birch canoes, from which mere than fifty persons landed upon the beach, presented a very imposing appearance. They were nearly all armed with guns, not for aggressive warfare, but for hunting and protection. The natives crowded around the strangers, con- ducted them up to their wigwams, which were very pleasantly situated on a rich and tolerably well cul- tivated plain extending back from the river. The m^ LA SALLE'S SECOND EXI'LORLN'G TOUR. 231 guests were regaled with the greatest profusion of barbarian hospitality. These Indians had attained a very considerable degree of civilization. They had quite a large number of slaves, whom they had captured from tribes with whom they were at war. The fertile fields around were quite well cultivated with corn, beans, melons, and a variety of fruits. Peaches were abundant. Large flocks of turkeys and other domestic fowls crowded their doors. They were a very handsome race ; and it was ob- served that, while the northern Indians were generally moody and taciturn, these savages, beneath more sunny skies, were frank, generous, and gay in the extreme. 1^1 CHAPTER XI. The Great Enterprise Aceoviplished. Scenes in the Arkansas Villages. — Indinn liospitality. — Barbarian Splendor. — Attractive Scenery. — Tlie Alarm. — Its Joyful Issue. — Genial Character of La Salle. — Erecting the Cross. — Pleasant Visit to the Koroas. — The Two Channels. — Perilous Attack. — Humanity of I,n Salic. — The Sea Reached. — Ceremonies of Annexation. For several days La Salle and his party re- mained with their hospitable friends the Arkansas Indians. On the 14th of March, 1682, La Salle took possession of the country in the name of the king of France. He invested the ceremony with all the pomp he could command. An immense cross was raised in the centre of the village ; and the Chris- tian's God was recognized with anthems, prayers and imposing religious rites. Thousands of savages gathered aro'-nd, gazing with delight upon the scene so novel to them. They had no conception of its significance. They supposed it a festival got up for their entertainment, as they would got up a war- dance to please their guests. As the cross was raised. Father Membr^ made some attempt to teach Ml II! \ THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMPLISHED. 233 them the significance of this emblem of the way of salvation through faith in an atoning Saviour. He writes : " During this time they showed that they rel- ished what I said by raising their eyes to heaven, and kneeling as if to adore. We also saw them rubbing their hands over their bodies, after rubbing them over the cross. In fine, on our return from the sea, we found that they had surrounded the cross with a palisade." On the 17th of the month, the explorers re-em- barked, and continued their voyage down the river about eighteen miles, when they came to two other villages of the Arkansas tribe. Here they were again received with the utmost hospitality. Continuing their sunny voyage beneath cloudless skies and upon a glassy stream for four days, they came to quite a large lake formed by an expansion of the river. This sheet of water seemed to be fringed with villages. There were forty on the east side of the lake, and thirty-four on the west side, upon its tanks. All were picturesquely situated and, in the distance, pre- sented an aspect of much beauty. The houses were well built, of clay mixed with straw baked in the sun. The roofs were constructed of canes quite gracefully bent in the form of a dome. Their beds or mats were raised on wooden bedsteads, tt ^^^ Hill 234 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. and they had many jonven lent articles of household furniture. Thj bark of a tree furnished very fine white fibres, which they braided into blankets and other articles of dress. The head chief was an abso- lute sovereign, having the property and the lives of his subjects entirely at his disposal. A retinue of slaves attended him. He was luxuriously clothed, fed, and housed. The village of the chief was at a little distance from the banks of the lake. La Salle was quite sick, and unable to go up to the palace to pay his respects to the monarch. He encamped upon the borders of the expanded stream, and beneath the shade of his roof sought repose upon his mat. He, however, sent Lieutenant Tonti and Father Membre with presents to the chief. In return, several men were sent to La Salle, munificently laden with provisions and other gifts. Soon after, the king himself appeared in regal state. First came a master of ceremonies, with six pioneers, to remove every obstruction from the way, and to make the path level for the feet of royalty. They selected a spot upon which the monarch was to give audience to his guests. The ground was carefully smoothed, and carpeted with beautiful mats. The monarch soon made his appearance. He was richly dressed in white robes. Two officers pre- ceded- him, bearing plumes of gorgeously colored » THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMPLISHED. " 235 feathers. He was followed by another official, bear- ing two large plates of copper, highly polished. The king had the bearing of a gentleman. He was grave, dignified, and courteous. Having ever been accustomed to absolute command, he had that pecu- liar air of self-possession and authority which seems to be the inheritance of those who can boast a long line of illustrious ancestry. It was the 22d day of March, 1682. The scene presented was in the highest degree picturesque and beautiful. The widely expanded lake glittered in the sunlight as placid as a mirror. The villages of the Indians, clustered so thickly along the shores, were composed of substantial dwellings, whose roofs of curved canes, thatched with thick mats, were rounded into graceful domes. The barbarian splen- dor assumed by the monarch, the group of French adventurers, with their Indian companions, gathered near by, the thousands of the Taensa tribe, men, women, and children, standing at a respectful distance, silently gazing upon the scene, the little fleet of canoes upon the beach, and the encampment hastily thrown up — these combined to open to the eye a picture of peace and loveliness, which the pencil of the most skilful artist might in vain attempt to rival. It did indeed seem then and there, as though 236 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. God had intended this for a happy world — for a world where his children might live together in paternal love, and with the interchange of the kind- liest sympathies. Though in the early spring, the foliage beneath those sunny skies was in full leaf, . and the flowers in full bloom. " The whole country," writes Father Membr6, "is covered with palm trees, laurels of two kinds, plums, peaches, mulberry, apple, and pear trees of every variety. There are also five or six kinds of nut trees, some of which bear nuts of extraordinary size. They also gave us several kinds of dried fruit to taste. We found them large and good. They have also many varieties of fruit trees which I never saw in Europe. The season was however too early to allow us to see the fruit. We observed vines already out of blossom." The interview between the monarch and La Salle passed off very pleasantly. It was conducted mainly by signs. Smiles and presents were interchanged. For four days the voyagers remained the guests of these friendly people. They rambled through their villages, entered their dwellings, and were abun- dantly feasted. The natives seemed very amiable, quite intelligent, and were far in advance, in civiliza- tion, of the nations or tribes farther north. Father Membrd was much pleased with their candor, and THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMPLISHED. 237 with the clearness with which 'he thought they com- prehended his instructions. They readily accepted his teaching of God ; and apparently comprehended, without any difficulty, the plan of salvation through an atoning Saviour. In truth, this doctrine is apparently the most simple and the most powerful which can be pre- sented to the savage. All over the world, the neces- sity of an atonement for sin seems to be implanted in the human breast. And when the missionary teaches the savage that God, our Heavenly Father, in the person of His Son has borne our sins in His own body on the tree, the most ignorant can com- prehend it, and the most wicked can be moved by it. On the 26th of March, La Salle and his compan- ions, greatly refreshed by their delightful visit, re- sumed their voyage down the river. They descended very rapidly, by the aid of the current and the paddle. Having sailed about forty miles, they saw in the dis- tance below them, a large wooden boat containing a number of Indians. The savages seemed alarmed as they caught sight of the fleet of canoes coming down so rapidly upon them. They plied their pad- dles with all diligence, and run into the eastern shore. La Salle, with his usual caution, landed upon the opposite bank. The two parties gazed at each other across the rolling flood, a mile in width. La Salle ff ■? &i iiii ill 238 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. sent Lieutenant ^jnti, in a canoe with several In- dians, to carry t^ the boatmen the calumet of peace. While the Indians plied their paddles, he stood up in the canoe, waving toward the boatmen the plumed badge of fraternity. As Lieutenant Tonti was cross- ing the river, a large number of Indians were seen running in, from various directions, and crowding the banks. When within arrow-shot of the shore, he stopped, still presenting the calumet, which all the tribes seemed to recognize and respect. All suspicion was allayed. The savages, unap- prehensive of any treachery, crowded their periagua, and the boat and the canoe, with the inmates on terms of the kindest fellowship, passed over to the French on the western bank. The two parties blended as brothers. The Indians were fishermen of the Natches tribe. They had a large village about nine miles inland, east of the river. Without any hesitancy La Salle, Father Membr^, and a few others, accepted an invitation to accompany them to their village. There are some men so frank, genial, kind-hearted, that they win affection at sight. La Salle was such a man. With no special effort to make friends, his nature was such that the savage and the civilized man alike were immediately w-n by the fascination of his presence. Father Membr^ gives frequent tes- '-aBBBBn THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMPLISHED. 239 timony to these peculiar attractions of the chivalric pioneer. On this occasion he writes : '* We slept in the wigwams of these savages. They gave us as kindly a welcome as we could desire. The Chevalier La Salle, whose very air, engaging manners, and captivating mind, everywhere com- manded respect and love, so impressed the liearts of these Indians that they did not know how to treat us well enough. They would gladly have kept us with them permanently." For three days La Salle and his companions enjoyed the hospitality of these friendly natives. About thirty miles below the Natches Indians, there was another powerful tribe called the Koroas. They were friends and allies of the Natches. A courier was despatched to inform the chief of the Koroas of the arrival of the distinguished strangers, and to invite him to come and share in giving them a suit- able welcome. He hastened to Natches with an imposing retinue of his head men. They also paid prompt homage to the dignity and the attractions of La Salle. Again a cross was erected, while admiring multi- tudes gazed admiringly upon the religious and civil pomp with which the ceremony was invested. A plate was attached to the cross, upon which was engraved the arms of Louis XIV. The In- li I r ff § 240 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. dians were delighted with the show, and with the memorial thus left of the visit ; though they could not comprehend the significance of the rite as taking possession of their country in the name of the King of France. La Salle and his companions returned to their canoes. The Chickasaw Indian who had accompa- nied them from their encampment near the mouth of the Ohio, and which they had named Camp Prud- hommc, from the man who had been lost and found there, remained at the village of the Natches Indians. The journey of a few days would take him to his own tribe. The chief of the Koroas, having invited La Salle to visit his village, embarked with his suite, in their wooden boats, and descended the river in company with the French in theii birch canoes. A sail of about four hours swept them down to the village, which was called Akoroa. It was beautifully situated on an eminence, commanding a view of a wide-spread and exceedingly fertile prairie, with large fields of corn, whose spear-like leaves were already waving in the gentle breeze. The Indians were fond of ceremony. They held a council, presented the calumet, smoked the pipe of fraternity, made speeches which were but poorly understood, and exchanged presents. After a short THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMrLISIIED. 2|1 held pipe oorly hort tarry, the voyage was again resumed. The chief furnished them with a pilot, telling them that it would still require a voyage of ten days to reach the sea, and that the river broke into several channels or independent streams as it approached the Gulf. As the Indians considered thirty or forty miles a good day's voyage in descending the river, it was estimated that there was a journey of between three and four hundred miles still before them. They were also informed that there were numerous tribes upon the lower river, but that they were generally well-dis- posed. On the 2d of April, when the canoes had de- scended the river about eighteen miles below Ako- roa, the river branched into two arms or channels, with an island between, which they estimated to be one hundred and eighty miles in length. They had been directed to take the channel on the left. But it so chanced that there was a heavy river fog, and ihey did not see it. La Salle's canoe was in the advance, and the canoe which held the guide hap- pened to be far in the rear. Though the keen eyes of the Indian pierced the fog, and he did all in his power by signs to show them that they were wrong, the whole fleet followed its leader, and were swept along in the channel on the right. The reason why they were cautioned to take the ■(■' v'iii 1 ,r hi: I . ' ! Iljl m wi 242 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. left branch, was that the eight or ten tribes on the western banks were friendly, and would make them no trouble, while those upon the eastern branch were ferocious, and would be likely to attack them. They soon experienced the wisdom of the advice which had been given them. On the 2d of April, when they had descended the river about one hundred and twenty miles, they saw a number of Indians on the bank of the river, fishing. The moment the savages caught sight of the fleet of canoes they fled. Immediately the forest seemed filled with the clamor of hideous war-whoops, the beating of drums, and all other sounds of hos- tility. The branch of the river which they were de- scending, was here compressed into a narrow chan- nel. A dense forest fringed both banks. It was evident that there were populous villages near by, for the warriors were seen rapidly gathering, as they ran from tree to tree to get good positions to overwhelm the canoes with their arrows. The bows were very strong. The muscular arms of the Indians would throw an arrow with almost the velocity and precision of a rifle bullet. These barbed weapons would tear their way through the birch bark of the canoes as if they were but sheets of brown paper. With appalling suddenness this cloud of war THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMPLISHED. 243 ir arms ost the barbed birch f brown i of war was marshalling its forces. It was sufficiently men- acing to alarm the bravest heart. La Salle ordered all the boats to stop. He then sent one canoe forward, with four Frenchmen, to present the calumet of peace. They received orders not to fire upon the savages under any emergence. As soon as the canoe came within arrow-shot, the sav- ages, regardless of the calumet, let fly a shower of arrows upon them. Fortunately, they nearly all fell a little short, and no one was hit. With the utmost precipitation, the Frenchmen paddled back to their companions. La Salle then sent another canoe, with four Indians, bearing the calumet. They advanced with great caution, and met with the same hostile reception. He then directed the canoes to press as near the opposite bank as possible, to ply their paddles with all energy, and thus hurry by the point of peril. Humanely he ordered not a gun to be fired. He had no wish to engage in a battle in which nothing was to be gained. Very easily his sharp-shooters could cause many of those savage warriors to bite the dust ; and thus lamentation and woe would be sent to many of those wigwams. But this would do no good. It would not subdue the savages; it would only exasperate them. He also remembered that he was to return, and that if the savages had received 'I v p i V 244 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. no harm at his hands, their spirit of revenge would not be aroused, and it would be much less difficult to establish friendly relations with them. Though the savages yelled, and ran franticly along the shore, and threw their arrows with their utmost strength, the canoes, swept along by the rapid current, and the sinewy strength of the paddles, all passed in safety. The kind-hearted La Salle must have congratulated himself that none were left behind to mourn. He afterwards learned that this inhospitable tribe was called the Quinnipissa. They had paddled down the stream but about six miles, when they came to other and still more deplorable evidences of man's inhumanity to man. They found upon the banks the smouldering remains of a large village, which had recently been sacked and burned. It was evident that the inhabitants had been given up to indiscriminate massacre, with the exception of those who had been carried away into slavery, or to add to the revelry of a gala day, in the endurance of demoniac torture. The ground was covered with the bodies of men, women, and children, in all the loathsome stages of decay. Sadly the voy- agers rambled through these awful scenes for an hour, meeting with no living being, and then hurried on their way. This village, it was subsequently as- certained, was called Tangibao. THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMPLTSnED. 245 Still they continued descending the liver four days longer, without meeting any incident of impor- tance. Their day's sail averaged about thirty miles. It was always necessary to land for the night's en- campment. They had made, as they estimated, about one hundred and twenty miles from Quinni- pisca when they came to the delta of the Mississippi. Here the majestic river divided into four branches. At this point they landed, and encamped in the midst of a dense and almost tropical forest, upon the bank, but slightly elevated above the surface of the water. In the morning La Salle divided his fleet into 9 three bands, one to descend each of these three branches. He took the one on the extreme right, or the western branch. Lieutenant Tonti, with Father Membrd, took the middle. The eastern branch, on the left, was assigned to Mr. Dautray. Upon reach- ing the sea, the canoes on the right and left were to turn toward the centre until they should meet the party of Lieutenant Tonti, whose route to the sea, it was supposed, would be a little shorter than that of either of the other two. They all found the water deep and brackish, and the current very slow. After sailing a few miles they tasted the salt of the ocean. Soon their eyes were gladdened with the sight of the open sea. It was nt 246 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. mild, serene, beautiful summer weather. Tiie region, as far as tne eye could reach, was low and marshy, with no landmarks. The fleets were, however, all re- united in safety. La Salle having heard the report respecting the middle and eastern channels, decided to return to the western, by which he had descended. They then asc^^nded this branch before they could find any dry and solid ground, suitable to afford a permanent foundation for the crocs of Christ and the arms of France. On the ninth of April, they were all assembled on a ridge slightly elevated, for the celebration of this all-important ceremony. First, they raised a massive column, at the foot of which they buried a leaden plate, bearing *an inscription in Latin, to the following purport: " Louis the Great Reigns. Robert, Cavalier, M'ith Lord Tonti, Ambassador, Zenobia Membr^, Ecclesiastic, and twenty Frenchmen, first navigated this river from the country of the Illinois, and passed through this mouth on 'the ninth of April, sixteen hundred and eighty-two." The names of all the Frenchmen of the party were attached to this plate. La Salle then made a speech, which was carefully worded, and seems to have been recorded at that time. It was in substance as follows : " In the name of Louis the Great, and in virtue ammtmnmm THE GREAT ENTERPRISE ACCOMPLISHED. 247 of the commission I hold in my hand, I take posses- sion of this country of Louisiana, its seas, harbors, ports, bays, and adjacent straits ; and also of all the nations, people, provinces, cities, towns, villages, mines, minerals, fisheries, streams, and rivers, com- prised in the extent of the said Louisiana, from the mouth of the great river called the Ohio, and this with the consent of the people dwelling therein, with whom we have made alliance ; and also of the rivers which discharge themselves therein, from the sources of the Mississippi to its mouth in the sea; upon the assurance of all these nations that we are the first Europeans who have descended or ascended the said Mississippi. I hereby protest against all those who may in future undertake to invade any of these countries, to the prejudice of the right of his Majesty, acquired by the consent of all the nations herein named. Of this I take to witness all those who hear me, and demand an act of the Notary as required by law." To this the whole assembly responded with shouts of Vive le Roi and with a salute of fire-arms. The civic ceremony being thus ended, the trans- action was now to be ratified with religious rites. By the side of the column, a massive cross had been erected. The devout La Salle, who was earnestly a rtue 24^ THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. religious man, took his position at the foot of the cross, and said : " His Majesty, Louis the Great, the eldest son of the Church, will annex no country to his crown without making it his chief care to establish the Christian religion therein. Its symbol must now be recognized." Several Christian hymns were then chanted. The sublime strains of the Te Deum resounded through the arches of the forest ; and other ceremonies of the Catholic Church were per- formed with all the pomp which the circumstances would allow. Thus the great achievement was accomplished. According to the then existing law of nations, the whole valley of the Mississippi was annexed to France. It was indeed a magnificent acquisition. It is esti- mated that the kingdom of France comprises an extent not quite three hundred thousand square miles. It is judged that the valley of the Mississippi drains a region of one million square miles. Thns the pio- neer. La Salle, conferred upon France a territory more than three times as large as the kingdom of France itself. fx/^:. fW ■'■ CHAPTER XII. The Return Voyage. The Numerous Alligators. — Destitution of Provisions. — Encounter- ing Hostile Indians. — A Naval Battle. -Visit to the Village. — Treachery of the Savages. — The Attack.- Humane Conduct of La Salle. — Visit to the P'riendly Taensas. — Severe Sickness of La Salle. — His Long Detention at Prudhomme. — The Sick Man's Camp. — Lieutenant Tonti sent Forward. — Recovery of La Salle. — His Arrival at Fort Miami. There was no game to be taken in the vast swamps at the mouth of the river. The provisions of the voyagers were nearly exhausted. They, how- ever, chanced to find an abandoned Indian camp, where there was a small quantity of strips of the flesh of some animal, dried in the sun. As they were eagerly eating it, the Indians who accompanied them informed them that it was human flesh. It is needless to say that they could eat no more ; though the savages, who devoured it with much gusto, de- clared that it was exceedingly delicate and savory. On the lOth of April, the next day after the ceremony of annexation, they commenced their toil- some ascent of the river on their voyage back. II* ii "ii! " 250 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. Enormous alligators were often met with, sunning themselves on the sand-bars. The sharp-shooters soon learned where the bullet would strike a vul- nerable point. For several days they lived mainly on wild potatoes and the flesh of alligators. The country was so low, and so bordered with almost im- penetrable canes, that they could not hunt without making long delays. At length they reached the blackened ruins and the mouldering dead of Tangi- bao. The desolation remained complete. None had returned. It was a matter of the utmost importance, appar- ently of absolute necessity, that they should lay in a store of corn. There was so much uncertainty as to hunting, that they might be many days without food, and thus perish. But a pint of corn, pounded into meal and baked in the ashes, would afford a hungry man a very nutritious dinner. And if so successful as to take some game, this bread gave great additional zest to the repast. On the thirteenth day, as they were slowly pad- dling against the stream, they saw, far away in the north, a great smoke, apparently from Indian fires. It was evidently not far from the region where the Quinnipissa Indians had so fiercely attacked them, but a few days before. Much apprehension was felt lest they should again be assailed. The passage THE RETURN VOYACJE. 251 against the rapid current was necessarily very slow. The Indians had large wooden boats, which they could fill with warriors, and being above them on the river, could completely cut off their retreat. La Salle sent one of the canoes forward to recon- noitre. As his Indian boatmen were paddling cau- tiously along beneath the dense foliage of the banks, they caught sight of four women. Under the perilous circumstances, it was thought best to cap- ture them, if possible, and hold them as hostages for the good behavior of the tribe. This was not doing evil that good might come, for the measure was fully justifiable, in view of the attack which had been made upon them, and as tlie only nicans of prevent- ing the effusion of blood. The men landed, and the swift runners caught the women and took them back to the fleet. It was then learned that the Quinnipissa Indians, a pecu- liarly warlike and ferocious race, had a large village but a little distance farther up the river. This vil- lage it was necessary to pass. There could be no doubt that the savages would fiercely assail them. As they could probably bring many hundred war- riors into the conflict, and could make the attack not only from their capacious periaguas, but also from the shelter of the trees on the bank, the situa- tion of the I^^-cnch seemed quite desperate. 7 *, L'52 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. La Salle, in this emergence, clreAV his canoes to the shore, a little below the village, and on the opposite bank. He hoped, by the aid of his captives, to open some communication with the foe. But the Indians had already learned of his approach. Again the hideous clamor of demoniac war was heard, as the noise of their rude drums and savage yells fell upon the ear. It was early in the afternoon of a day of almost tropical warmth and serenity, when all the voices of nature seemed to invite man to love and help his brother. Soon quite a fleet of massive boats was seen, descending the river, each boat crowded with twenty or thirty warriors, plumed and painted, and armed with bows and arrows, javelins, and clubs. They were yelling like demons, as if expecting by noise to rouse their courage to the highest point. La Salle himself, with two or three picked com- panions, pushed out in a canoe, and advanced to meet them. Though one or two guns were in the bottom of the canoe, to be used in case of absolute necessity, they appeared entirely unarmed — a single canoe advancing to meet a fleet. La Salle stood up and waved the calumet, the sacred emblem of peace and friendship. The savages, thirsty for blood, paid no heed to this appeal. They redoubled their yells, and like a band of desperate vill- ins as they were. THE RETURN VOYAGE. 253 shot a volley of arrows tovad the one canoe with its three or four unarmed occupants. With new vigor the savages plied their paddles, being now sure of the capture of the strangers. The moment for prompt and decisive action had come. The guns were heavily loaded. One of the boats, larger and more richly ornamented than the rest, ccmtained evidently the head chief. He was a man of herculean frame, dressed in the most gor- geous of barbaric attire. As he stood up in his boat, giving orders, he presented just the target, though at a great distance, to which a sharp-shooter might direct unerring aim. La Salle ordered one of his marksmen to strike him down. After a moment's pause, there was a flash, a slight puff of smoke, a loud report, and the invisible bullet pierced the heart of the chief. The blood gushed forth in a torrent, and the warrior dropped dead in the bottom of the boat. The warriors were appalled, terrified. Never before had they heard the report of a gun. They knew not what had struck down their chief. No mis- sile had been seen. None could be found. The savages were very superstitious. They thought this must be the work of witchcraft ; that they were attacked by evil spirits, whose power was invincible. They had seen the lightning flash, and the rising, vanishing cloud. They had heard the thunder peal. m ,.« ^JMP ill ii m 254 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. Their chief had been struck dead by some resistless bolt, at twice the distance to which any arrow could be thrown. It was folly to contend against such a foe. The next instant every one might be stricken down. They were seized with -x panic. Instantly, heading the bows of their boats up the river, they fled with the utmost precipitation. La Salle returned to his companions, conscious that he had secured a truce only. He had still the the village to pass ; and the current was so strong that he must pass very slowly. It was probable that the Indians would so far recover from their conster- nation, that some of the boldest would again assail his boats, from behind sheltering rocks and trees. The frail canoes might easily be pierced by their mis- siles, and the inmates thrown into the water. The savages would soon become accustomed to the report of the guns. Finding that rocks and trees pro- tected them from the invisible bolt, they would all be emboldened ; and thus a general and prolonged attack, following them up the river, would cause their entire destruction. The utmost wisdom was still requisite, to rescue the party from these perils. La Salle loaded one of the women with rich presents of axes, knives, and beads, and sent her across the river in one of his canoes. By signs he told her to inform her tribe THE RETURN VOYAGE. 255 jcue of and his tribe that he wished for friendship with them ; that if they would be friendly, and bring him in a supply of corn, he would liberate his three other captives, and pay liberally for the corn, in articles which would be of great value to the Indians. The next morning a large number of Indian war- riors were seen approaching the encampment, where the Frenchmen had thrown up defences which would enable them to sell their lives dearly, were the sav- ages determined upon their destruction. La Salle, as bold as he was humane, advanced alone to meet them, presenting the calumet. The Indians assumed a friendly attitude, entered into a treaty of peace, and invited La Salle, with his party, to visit their village. They also brought him a considerable store of corn. Though their manner was such as to lead La Salle greatly to doubt their sincerity, he accepted their in- vitation, first exacting hostages to remain in the camp until his return. He took with him Father Membre, his invariable companion on such occasions. The mild, fearless, heroic missionary writes : " We went up to the village where these Indians had prepared us a feast in their fashion. They had notified their allies and neighbors ; so that when we went to enjoy the banquet, in a large square, we saw a confused mass of armed savages arrive, one after another. We were however welcomed by the chiefs ; 256 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. but, having ground for suspicion, each kept his gun ready, and the Indians, seeing it, durst not attack us." Toward evening. La Salle and his companion returned to the camp, still apprehensive that the Indians meditated treachery. They released the three women, whom they made very happy, with rich presents. A careful watch was kept through the night. Before the dawn of the next morning the sentinels reported that they heard a noise, as if a multitude of men were stealthily gathering in a dense growth of canes, but a short distance from the encampment. All were instantly summoned to arms. It was a gloomy morning, very dark, with moan- ing wind and gathering clouds and falling rain. The men had but just taken their stations, behind the. intrenchments which had been so prudently raised, when the shrill war-whoop burst from apparently hundreds of savage lips ; and from the impenetrable darkness a shower of arrows came whizzing through the air. They all fell harmless in and around the spot where the men stood, behind their ramparts, with muskets loaded and primed. Though the savages kept up an incessant yell, and threw their arrows almost at random into the narrow enclosure, they were so concealed by the darkness and the thick cane-brake, that not one was to be seen. The French kept perfect silence. Not I i^ THE RETURN VOYAGE. 257 a loud word was spoken. Not a musket was fired. It was very important that every bullet sluniKl accomplish its mission and lay a warrior dead in his blood. The Indians were to be taught that every flash and peal was the sure precursor of the death or the serious wound of one of their number. Soon the day began to dawn. With the increasing light the savages were revealed, as they dodged from point to point. There was no random firing of the guns. Deliberate aim was taken. The savages were very cautious in exposing themselves. The Frenchmen were perfectly protected from their arrows by the rampart of logs. For two hours this strange battle raged — twenty Frenchmen against hundreds of savages. Ten Indians were shot dead. Many others were dreadfully wounded with shat- tered bones. It is probable that every bullet hit its mark. Not an arrow of the savage had drawn blood. As the sun rose, revealing the deadly fire of the guns and the utter impotence of the missiles of the Indians, the savages were again thrown into a panic, and fled precipitately. La Salle, with nearly all his force, pursued them up to the village, where, with axes, he speedily demoHshed all their boats, so that they could not pursue, as he should continue his voyage. His men urged him to burn the village of his treacherous foes. But he refused, saying that he ISf! 258 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SAKLE. would inflict no farther injury upon them than was absolutely necessary in self-defence. At the close of this day of j^loom, battle, and blood, another ni^ht came, of darkness and rain. ■Envelo[)ed in the shades of ni^ht, the French re-cm- barked. Silently they passed the village. Not a savage " openec' his mouth or peeped," The storm passed away. And when the sun of another lovely morninj^ shone down upon them, the voyagers were far beyond the reach of their cruel foes. Father Membr6 returned thanks to God that He had borne them, unharmed, through such great peril, and had restrained them from the exercise of any unchristian revenge. It was the morning of the 19th of April. For twelve days they continued breasting the current of the stream, as they laboriously paddled their way upward. Anxious to return to Quebec as soon as possible, with the tidings of their glorious achievement, th(;y made no tarry at tiie many villages which were scattered along the banks. They often saw assemblages of Indians, who seemed to assume a hostile attitude. No attack was, however, made upon them. In descend. iig the river they had a good supply of corn, i:nd stored away quite a quantity in a cache. They found 't, on their return, in good condit' ^n, and it furnished them with a very opportune supply. THE RETURN VOYAGE. 259 They were surprised to sec how rapidly the corn in tlic fields matured. Fields were passed on the 29th of March, where tlie tender blades were just sprout- ing from the ground. And now, in less than four weeks, the corn was fit to roast. They were told that, in fifty days from planting, it often ripened. A short tarry was made at tlie friendly village of the Taensa Indians, where they were again very liospit.ibly entertained. On the 1st of May they resumed their slow and laborious voyage, and reached the Arkansas Indians about the 15th of the month. On the 1 6th La Salle took two light canoes, propelled by sturdy Indian rowers, and pushed on in advance of the rest of the party. He gave directions for the other canoes to follow as fast as they could. But he was taken dangerously sick on the way. A birch canoe, in which one is exposed to the rays of the noonday sun, to the chill dews of morn- ing and evening, to drenching showers and dreary days of clouds and rain, presents but few comfortii Lo a man in sickness and suffering. He, liowever, suc- ceeded, after a toilsome voyage of about ten days, in reaching his old encampment, which he had named Prudhomme, near the mouth of the Ohio River. Here his malady grew so alar«iiing that he could po no fartlier. His [rariy landed, drew their canoes up upon the grass of the prairie, repaired their 1 ■ ill i< W' 260 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. camp, so as to make it an effectual protection from sun and rain, spread mats upon the ground, and made the sick man, who they feared was soon to die, as comfortable as possible. In such ca. es a camp was generally built in the form of a shed, with the front entirely open. This camp was on the eastern side of the river, facing the majestic stream and the splendors of the setting sun. La Salle had no physician, no medicine, no tender nursing, no delicate food to tempt a failing appetite. He could only lie patiently upon his mat, and await the progress of the disease, whether it were for life or for death. The silence and solitude of the river, the prairie, and the forest surrounded him. Strange must have been his reflections in those solemn hours, when he was anticipating the speedy approach of death, upon the banks of that wonderful stream which his enterprise had caused to be ex- plored from its sources to its mouth. As in languor and suffering he reclined upon his couch, all the beauty and bloom of May, in a delightful clime, were spread around him. The silent flood swept by, rushing down a distance of countless leagues in the north, until, after a serpentine course of more than a thousand miles, througli the most wonderful scenes of nature, and fringed with the villages of innumerable savage tribes, it was lost in the great ..■..; 1 1 THE RETURN VOYAGE. 261 Mexican gulf. The Indians moved about in silence, seldom exchanging a word with each other. They brought in game, and were continually cooking and eating at the fire, which was kept in a constant blaze in front of the camp. Two days and nights were thus passed, when, on the 2d of June, the remaining canoes of the fleet were seen in the distance, approaching the encamp- ment. They soon laiided ; and the whole party, over fifty in number, presented to the eye a new scene of bustle and activity. La Salle was sinking, in the ever-increasing languor of something like ty- phoid fever. It was manifest that many days must elapse before he could leave that spot, and it was probable, in his own judgment as well as in that of all his companions, that he would there sink into that last sleep from which there is no earthly waking. In these trying hours, his serenity and trust in God did not forsake him. lie ca.ied Lieutenant Tonti to the side of his couch, and directed him to take several canoes, with the larger part of the com- pany, and make his way, as vigorously as possible up the river three hundred miles to the mouth of the Illinois River. Then, ascending that, and its upper branch, the Kaskaskias, he was to cross by the port- age to a tributary of the St. Joseph's, and paddle down those streams to Fort Miami, where the St m f ' m 11 262 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. II Joseph empties into Lake Michigan. Thence by the lake he was to make his way to Mackinac. This required a journey of over a thousand miles. M. Tonti was furnished with documents addressed to Count Frontenac, Governor of Canada, giving a detailed account of the explorations and discoveries which La Salle had so successfully accomplished. Father Membre, with several others of the party, remained with the sick man. For more than a month the burning fever raged, and La Salle was brought to the verge of the grave. The fever then left him. For some time it was doubtful whether there was sufficient strength re- maining for him to recover. Slowly he gained. After a detention of forty days, they placed him carefully upon mats, in the bottom of a canoe, and, by short stages, resumed their voyage. They left Fort Prudhomme, and, following the same track which Tonti had pursued, did not reach Fort Miami, at the mouth of the St. Joseph's River, until the end of Sep- tember. But July and August were months of delight- ful weather. The scenery, rich with forest grandeur and prairie flowers, was varied and enchanting. Game was abundant. Ripe fruit hung on many boughs. Hospitable villages were scattered along the way, where the general voyagers were invariably received with kindness truly fraternal. THE RETURN VOYAGE. 263 The motion of the canoe, as the Indians, with brawny arms, paddled over the mirrored surface of the stream, was soothing and grateful to the languid, yet convalescent patient. In the cool of the beautiful mornings they could glide along the stream for a few leagues, then shelter themselves in some shady grove from the rays of the noonday sun, and in the cool of the serene evenings, resume their voyage till the deepening twilight admonished them to seek their night's encampment. Thus pleasantly journeying. La Salle rapidly regained strength ; and when he reached Fort Miami he was restored to almost his customary vigor. He found the habitation called Fort Miami quite reno- vated by Lieutenant Tonti, and a few men left in garrison to receive him upon his arrival. Quite a cluster of Indian wigwams had also been reared there, giving a very animated and cheerful aspect to the spot. Father Membr^, in describing the scenery through which they passed, in this ascent of the Mis- sissippi and the Illinois, writes: " The banks of the Mississippi, for twenty or thirty leagues from its mouth, are covered with a dense growth of canes, except in fifteen or twenty places where there are very pretty hills and spacious, cenvenient landing-places. Behind this fringe of marshy land you see the finest country in the world. t 264 THE ADVENTURP:S of la SALLE. Our hunters, both French and Indian, were delighted with it. For an extent of six hundred miles in length, and as much in breadth, we were told there are vast fields of excellent land, diversified with pleasing hills, lofty woods, groves through which you might ride on horseback, so clear and unobstructed are the paths. "These little forests also line the rivers which intersect the country in various places, and which abound in fish. The crocodiles are dangerous here ; so much so, that, in some places, no one would ven- ture to expose himself, or even to put his hand out of his canoe. The Indians told us that these animals often dragged in their people, where they could any- where get hold of them. "The fields are full of all kinds of game, wild cattle, does, deer, stags, bears, turkeys, partridges, parrots, quails, woodcock, wild pigeons, and ring- doves. There are also beaver, otters, and martens. The cattle of this country surpass ours in size. Their head is monstrous, and their look is frightful, on account of the long, black hair with which it is surrounded, and which hangs below the chin. The hair is fine, and scarce inferior to wool. The Indians wear their skins, which they dress very neatly. They assured us that, inland, toward the west, there are animals on which men ride, and which carry very THE RETURN VOYAGE. 265 heavy loads. They described them as horses, and showed two feet, which were actually hoofs of horses. " We observed wood fit for every use. There were the most beautiful cedars in the world. There was one kind of tree which shed an abundance of giim, as pleasant to burn as the best French pastilles. We also saw fine hemlocks, and other large trees with white bark. The cotton-wood trees were very large Of these, the Indians dug out canoes forty or fifty feet long. Sometimes there were fleets of a hundred and fifty at their villages. We saw every kind of tree fit for ship-building. There is also plenty of hemp for cordage, and tar could be made in abun- dance. " Prairies are seen everywhere. Sometimes they are fifty or sixty miles in length on the river front, and many leagues in depth. They are very rich and fertile, without a stone or a tree to obstruct the plough. These prairies are capable of sustaining an immense population. Beans grow wild, and the stalks last several years, bearing fruit. The bean vines are thicker than a man's arm, and run to the top of the highest trees. Peach trees are abundant, and bear fruit equal to the best which can be found in France. They are often so loaded, in the gar- dens of the Indians, that they have to prop up the branches. There are whole forests of mulberries, ^.1^ i: 266 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. |!i I ill 1 H 1 - ;:i i'l ;> f :( ,1 I whose ripened fruit vvc began to eat in the month of May. Plums are found in great variety, many of which arc not known in Europe. Grapevines and pomegranates are common. Three or four crops of corn can be raised in a year. " The Indian tribes, though savage, seem generally amiable, affable, and obliging. They have no true idea of religion by a regular worship. Tribes sepa- rated by not more than thirty miles, speak a different language. And yet they manage to understand each other. There is always some interpreter of one na- tion residing in another, when they are allies, and who acts as a kind of consul. They are very differ- ent from our Canada Indians, in their houses, dress, manners, inclinations, and customs. They have large public squares, games, assemblies. They seem mirthful and full of vivacity. Their chiefs have abso- lute authority. No one would dare to pass between the chief and the cane torch which burns in his cabin, and is carried before him when he goes out. All make a circuit around it with some ceremony. The chiefs have servants and officers, who follow them and wait upon them everywhere. The chiefs distribute their favors at will. In a word, we gener- ally found them to be men. We saw none who knew the use of firearms. They had no iron or steel articles, using only stone knives and hatchets." • THE RETURN VOYAGE. 26; This wonderful expedition was accom plishcd without the loss of a single life, on the part of the voyagers . Not one was even woun ded. Father Membrc attributes this, next to God's good ness, to the tact and wisdom manifested by La Salle. As to the missionary fruits of this ente ;rprisc the devoted ecclesiastic writes: ** I will say nothing here of conversions. For- merly the apostles had but to enter a country, when on the first publication of the Gospel, conversions were seen. I am but a miserable sinner, infinitely destitute of the 'Merits of the apostles. We must acknowledge that these miraculous ways of grace are not attached to the exercise of our ministry. God employs an ordinary and common way, following which, I contented myself with announcing, as well as I could, the principal truths of Christianity to the nations I met. The Illinois language served me for about three hundred miles down the river. I made the rest understand by gestures, and some term in their dialect which I insensibly picked up. But I cannot say that my feeble efforts produced certain fruits. With regard to these people, perhaps some one, by a secret effect of grace, has profited. God only knows. All we have done has been to see the state of these tribes, and to open the way to the Gospel, and to missionaries." ]f if' III a CHAPTER XIII. Sea Voyage to the Gulf of Mexico. La Salle returns to Quebec. — Sails for France. — A oailcd by Cal- umny. — The Naval Expedition. — Its Object. — lis Equipment. — Disagreement between La Salle and Beaujeu. — The Voyage to the West Indies. — Adventures in the Caribbean Sea. — They Enter the Gulf. — Storms and Calms. — The Voyagers Lost. Father Membre's journal abruptly terminates v'ith the arrival of the party at Fort Miami. Wc have no detailed account of the adventures of La Salle during the next eight or ten months. We learn incidentally, that Father Membre was sent to Quebec, and thence to France, to convey to the court the tidings of the great discovery, and of the annexation of truly imperial realms to the kingdom of Louis XIV. On the 8th of October, Father Membre left Fort Miami for Quebec. Thence he sailed with Governor Frontenac for France, where he arrived before the close of the year. La Salle re- mained with the Miami and the Illinois Indians, prob- ably retrieving his fallen fortunes by extensive traffic in furs, of which he had, at the time, a monoply con- ferred upon him by the king. v.. t 4" SEA VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 269 At length, in the autumn of 1683, he also re- turned to Quebec, and sailed for France, landing at Rochelle on the 13th of December. No man can, in this world, accomplish great results without exposing himself to malignant attacks. Bitter enemies assailed La Salle with venomous hostility. Their hostility was excited by the monopoly of the fur trade, which he enjoyed over all the vast regions he had explored. They despatched atrocious charges against him to the government, denouncing him as a robber, and denying the discoveries which he professed to have made. But Governor Frontenac and Father Mem- hr6 were both at Versailles, and La Salle's cause was not seriously injured by these malignant charges. It was the chevalier's object, in this his return to France, to organize a colony to form a settlement in the earthly paradise which he thought that he had discovered on the banks of the Mississippi. He designed to arrange an expedition of such magnitude as would enable him to establish several permanent settlements, and also to explore more extensively the newly discovered country. The king and the court entered eagerly into plans, which promised to redound greatly to the glory of France. The reputation of La Salle, the grandeur of the undertaking, and a natural curiosity to visit scenes so full of novelty and wonders, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I ■" IM 11111^ i zo 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► V2 struck a vulnerable point. The monster, after a few convulsive struggles, was dead. The sailors, eager 1' ». If Hil^ 282 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. for a taste of fresh meat, kindled a fire and roasted the flesh, which they found tender and palatable. There were no inhabitants at that point. The party separated in small groups, and wandered in all directions, lured by the beauty of the region, and feasting upon the rich tropical fruits which grew in spontaneous abundance. When about to re-embark, two of the sailors were, missing. Several guns were fired as signals for the lost men, but in vain. The boat returned to the ship. The next morning, at sunrise, a boat's crew of thirty men was sent to search for the wanderers. At length they were found, thoroughly frightened, hav- ing passed a very uncomfortable night. The beauty of this island charmed all who beheld it. They were lavish in their praises of its luxuriance, its fruits, its game, and its birds of brilliant plumage. Again the fleet weighed anchor and, on the nth, reached Cape Corrientes, one of the most prominent southwestern points of Cuba. Here again they ran into a solitary bay, which, in cluster- ing fruits and vine-draped bowers, and birds on the wing, presented an aspect of almost Eden loveliness. They tarried but a day. Then, taking advantage of a breeze fresh and fair, they passed from the Carib- bean Sea into the Gulf of Mexico. They had pro-v cceded but about fifteen miles when the wind SEA VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 28^ changed, and became adverse. For two days, by beating, they worked their way slowly against it. Captain Beaujeu took a boat, and cime on board the Aimable, and insisted that the vessels should put back to Cape Antoine, and ride at anchor there unt-' the wind should prove favorable. La Sallo could not consider this measure judicious. But, weary of contention and anxious to agree with Beaujeu whenever he could, he reluctantly gave his consent. They ran back to the land, cast anchor, remained two days in a dead calm, when suddenly a tropical tempest arose, which was almost a tornado. The Belle dragged her anchor, and was driven vio- lently against the Aimable, carrying away her bow- sprit, and greatly injuring much of her rigging. The Aimable would have been sunk had she not cut her cable and escaped. The anchor was lost. On the 1 8th, the wind became fair. Having repaired damages as far as was in their power, the fleet again set sail. It was ten o'clock in the morn- ing of a very delightful day. Directing their course northwesterly, they sailed, with a gentle breeze and occasional calms, nine days* without seeing land or encountering any event of importance. On the 28th, land was discovered. It was but a few miles dis- tant. It was evidently the continent of North America, and consisted of a long reach of low land, ■ .111 >r Biu WW' ^'c; 284 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. fringed with a dense forest, and elevated but a few- feet above the level of the Gulf. A shallop was speedily equipped, and La Salle, with a few of his chosen companions and a boat's crew, all well-armed, repaired to the shore to recon- noitre. Another boat, also similiarly equipped, was ordered soon to follow. The Belle was directed to keep up careful soundings, and to range along the coast as near the shore as was safe. La Salle's party soon reached the shore, and landed upon a very beautiful meadow. But they had no time for exploration. The freshening wind rolled in such a surf that there was great danger that their boat would be swamped. They were compelled hastily to re-embark, and return to the ship. Slowly the vessels coasted along the uninviting shore, look- ing in vain for any inlet or any river's mouth. On the 2d of January, 1685, a dense fog settled down over the sea and the land, so enveloping the ships that no object could be seen at the distance of a few yards. La Salle ordered cannon occasionally to be fired on board the Aimable, to let the other two vessels know where he was. As there was scarcely a breath of wind, there was no necessity that the fleet should be scat- tered. When the fog the next day was dissipated, the Joli was not in sight. Toward evening, however. SEA VOYAGE TO TUB GULF OF MEXICO. 285 t a few 1 Salle, . boat's ) recon- ed, was cted to )ng the re, and at they ig wind ger that Tipelled Slowly , look- settled ng the ince of red on s know f wind, e scat- ipated, wever. the ship was again seen. In a few days they discov- ered an inlet, which La Salle carefully examined from the mast-head. He judged it to be the Bay of Ap- palachicola, then called Espiritu Santo, on the Florida coast. They therefore pressed on westerly, hoping soon to reach the Mississippi. To -nake it sure that he should not pass the mouth of the river, which, flowing through very low and marshy soil, was designated by no landmark, La Salle desired to send a party of thirty men ashore to follow along the coast. But the wind rose, and the surf dashed so violently upon the muddy banks, that a landing could not be effected. Slowly the fleet moved along until the 13th, when it was found neces- sary to land to take in water. A shallop was sent ashore, with five or six seamen, well-armed. There was no inlet, and no creek to afford any protection, and the surf still rolled in heavily. Though the dense forest spread its gloom far and wide around, there opened before them a small mead- ow of but ,a few acres, green, treeless and smooth as a floor. The boat was directed toward that spot. When within a gun-shot of the land, a troop of about a dozen savages, tall, stalwart i, entirely naked, emerged from the forest, and came down to the water's edge. The surf was so high that there was much danger that the boat would be swamped I I ill 286 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. in an attempt to land. The seamen therefore cast anchor, to consider what was to be done. When the savages saw that they were at a stand- still, they made friendly signs, inviting the strangers to land. They waded out into the surf and beck- oned to them. Apparently the boat could not pass safely through the surf. There was a large amount of drift-wood Hning the shore. Several of the sav- ages selecteu a large smooth log. This they pushed through the surf. Ranging themselves on each side, they clung to the log with one arm, while, with the other, they paddled. Without any hesitancy, un- armed and helpless, they clambered into the boat. When five were in, the seamen motioned to the others to go to another boat which was then ap- proaching, and which conveyed La Salle. The sav- ages seemed not to entertain the slightest suspicion of danger. La Salle was very glad to receive them. He hoped that they could give him some information respecting the river he sought. But all his efforts were in vain. Though he spoke several Indian lan- guages, he could not make them understand him. They were all taken on board the vessel. With much curiosity they examined its wonders. They were feasted, and seemed quite at home in smoking the pipe of fragrant tobacco. The sheep, the swine, and the poultry, they had evidently never seen before. SEA VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 287 til But when they were shown the skin of a cow, which had recently been killed, they seemed much delighted, and indicated that they had seen such animals before, doubtless referring to the buffaloes. Having received many presents, a boat was sent to carry them as near the shore as it was safe to go. The savages bound their presents upon their heads, and letting themselves gently down into the water, swam to the land. Marvellous must have been the stories which they narrated that night, in their wig- wams, to admiring crowds. Quite a large group of Indians was seen gathered upon the shore to greet them, as they came back. La Salle had found it impossible to understand their signs. But his apprehensions were somewhat excited by the thought that they might have endeav- ored to indicate to him that he had already passed the mouth of the Mississippi. That evening the wind rose fresh and fair. Rais- ing their anchors, and keeping near the shore, with frequent soundings, they pressed on toward the southwest. The next day came a dead calm. Each vessel floated on the glassy sea, " like a painted ship on a painted ocean." Thus they moved along, day after day, encountering calms, when not a ripple was to be seen on the mirrowed expanse, and fresh breezes, which tossed the ocean in billowy foam, ■fw 288 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. and storms which threatened to tear the masts from the hulls. On the 14th of January they attempted again to effect a landing in the boats. But the surf pre- vented. They saw, however, upon a beautiful prairie, extending with its waving grass and gor- geous flowers as far as the eye could reach, vast herds of wild horses and buffaloes. All on board the vessels were greatly excited by this spectacle. They were eager to land, that they might enjoy the pleas- ure of an encampment and the excitement of hunt- ing and the chase. The land was now found trending more and more to the south. They had reached a latitude consid- erably below that of the mouth of the Mississippi, as ascertained by La Salle, upon his first visit. The whole aspect of the country seemed changed. There were immense treeless prairies continually opening before them, crowded with game, and especially with immense herds of horses and buffaloes. At length they came to apparently the mouth of a small river. A boat was sent on shore, with orders to kindle a fire, as a signal, should they find a good place for landing. La Salle stood upon the deck of the Aimable, eagerly watching. Soon he saw the smoke curHng up through the clear air of the prairie. Just as La Salle was entering his boat for the shore, SEA VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 289 the wind freshened and tumbled in such billows from the open sea that the boat, which had already landed, was compelled precipitately to return. The next morning the wind abated La Salle felt himself lost. He resolved to land, with a strong party, and make a thorough exploraiion of the region, that he might, by observation or by communication with such inhab- itants as he might discover, find out where he was. He had many apprehensions that he had passed the mouth of the Mississippi, and that he was far in the west, skirting the'coast of Mexico. 13 :!M. ! i '. I CHAPTER XIV. Lost m the Wilderness, Treachery of Beaujeu. — Accumulating Troubles. — Anxieties of La Salle. — March on the Land. — The Encampment. — Wreck of the Aimable. — Misadventure with the Indians. — Commencement of Jlostilities, — Desertion of Beaujeu with the Joli. — The Encamp- ment. — The Indians Solicit Friendship. — The Cruel Repulse. — Sickness and Sorrow. — Exploring Expeditions. — The Mississippi sought for in vain. The altercation between La Salle and Beaujeu still continued. The chevalier feared that the cap- tain designed to abandon him and return to France. Parties were formed, and the dispute on board the vessels was bitter. La Salle was convinced that he had passed the Mississippi. Others argued that they had not reached it. In fact they were beyond Matagorda Bay, in the southwestern part of Texas, iand were within a hundred miles of the Rio Grande. A dense fog prevented the landing of the boat's crew. La Salle insisting upon a return, the vessels coasted slowly along, a distance of about thirty miles, till they came to an inlet, which the fog had prevented them from seeing before, and which proved to be Matagorda Bay. ^ LOST IN THE WILDERNESS. 291 The expedition was now in serious trouble. Their provisions were nearly exhausted. They had thus far seen no settlement, on the; American coast, from which they could obtain supplies. A large party was landed on the western entrance of the bay. They threw up a camp, and while some explored the prairie with their guns, others followed up the stream with their fishing rods, An ample supply of game, of great variety, was taken, and also an abun- dance of fish. All who could be spared from the ships hastened to the shore. The weather was delightful ; cne scenery enchanting ; and the whole ship'3 company, after so long an imprisonment in the crowded vessels, revelled in feasting and joy. " Uneasy lies the head which wears a crown." La Salle, feeling keenly his responsibility for the success of the expedition, was heavily oppressed by care. One of the boats was sent up the bay, seven or eight miles, in search of a livei or brook ; but their search was in vain. A few springs of tolerably good water were found, from which they replenished their empty barrels. Ducks and other water-fowl were met in great abundance. The vessels were all anchored in the bay, near the shore, and for several days, in this sunny region, beneath cloudless skies, the voyagers generally enjoyed all the pleasures of the most delightful pic- 292 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. nic party. La Salle saw increasing evidence that Bcaujeu was intending to desert him. Me was anx- ious to lay in supplies for a long voyage. La Salle wished to delay only to obtain provisions for fifteen days. He was satisfied that it would not take longer than that to return to the point where he now believed the mouth of the Mississippi to be. In this emergence he decided to have the vessels coast along near the shore, while he sent a chosen party of one hundred and thirty men, to march along upon the land. The adventurous band com- menced its journey in a fog so dense that those in the rear could not see those in front. M. Joutel, the historian of the expedition from the time it sailed from France until its close, led this party. The march was commenced on the 5th of Feb- ruary. Each man carried his pack upon his own shoulders. They kept along as near as possible to the sea. The first night they encamped on a slight eminence, where a large fire was built to signalize to the vessels their position. For a week they thus journeyed along, through marsh and prairie and for- est, building each night their signal fires. During all this time they caught no sight of their ves- sels. On the 13th they came to the banks of a wide creek or bayou, which they had no means of crossing. LOST IN THE WILDERNESS. 293 The carpenters were immediately set to work in building a boat. The next day, while thus employed, the Joli and the Belle hove in sight. The short twi- light of the tropics was then passing into night. A signal fire was built, and seen by those on the ships. The next morning, the slow-sailing Aimable, which bore La Salle and his companions, appeared. La Salle landed and visited the encampment. Having sounded the creek, he decided to bring the three ves- sels in, and to send a boat to explore inland, hoping that the creek might prove to be the mouth of some river. The channel was carefully staked out for the entrance of the vessels, safe anchorage chosen, and orders were issued for the three to enter at the next high tide. La Salle would give the signal from the shore, when they were to move. Captain Beaujeu sent back the insolent answer, ** I can manage my own vessel without any instruc- tions from Monsieur La Salle." As this message arrived, a party of the ship's com- pany, who Had been at some distance from the camp, came running in, much alarmed, saying that quite an army of savages was approaching. La Salle in- stantly called all his force to arms, that he might be prepared for any emergence. Though earnestly desirous of peace, he yet deemed it important to show a bold front. In imposing military array, with T^^ * i\ ?^"^fE; ! 294 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. muskets loaded, and the beating of drums, he led his band of about one hundred and fifty men, to meet the Indians. Both parties halted and faced each other, neither knowing whether the other wished for peace or Avar. La Salle directed ten of his men to lay down their arms, and advance toward the Indians, making friendly signs, and endeavoring to invite an unarmed party to meet them. The whole body at once threw down their arms, consisting of bows and javelins, and ran forward joyously, caressing the Europeans, according to their custom, by rubbing their hands first over their own breasts and arms, and then over the breasts and arms of their newly found friends. Six or seven accompanied a party of the FreiiCh back to their encampment. La Salle, with the rest, accepted an invitation to visit the Indian village, which they represented as distant about five miles. Just as they were starting, La Salle turned his eyes toward the bay, when he saw, much to his conster- nation, that their store-ship the Aimable, which was left under the care of Captain Beaujeu, instead of following the channel marked out by the stakes, was paying no regard to them. He was greatly alarmed ; but there was nothing which he could do to repel the danger. He therefore, though in great perturbation, fol- ' LOST IN THE WIT.^ERNESS. 295 fol- lowed the savages to their village. It consisted of about fifty wigwams, erected upon an eminence but sligluly elevated above the level prairie. The huts were built of mats or of the tanned skins of the buf- falo. Just as they were entering the village, a cannon was fired from one of the ships. The savages were greatly terrified, and simultaneo"sly threw themselves upon the ground, burying their faces in the grass. But La Salle reassured them, stating that it was merely a signal to him that one of his ships had come to anchor. Though La Salle was very vigilant to guard against any treachery, still the hospitality manife;,ted by the Indians seemed sincere and cordial. 1 he In- dians feasted them abundantly with fresh buffalo steaks, and jerked meat consisting of thin slices of flesh dried in the sun and smoked. Their village was near the creek, and La Salle counted forty large boats, made of logs hollowed out, such as he had seen on the Mississippi. Upon returning to the camp. La Salle found his worst fears realized. The Aimable was driven aground, and under circumstances which rendered it almost certain that it had been done through the treachery of Captain Beaujeu. La Salle had marked out the channel by stakes, had sent the vessel a pilot, whom Beaujeu had refused to receive, and had )s'^ I '. ! fiH m 296 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. stationed a man at the mast-head, who had given a loud warning, but whose cry was entirely disregarded. " Those who witnessed the manoeuvre," writes Joutel, ** were convinced, by irresistible evidence, that the vessel was wrecked by design, which was one of the" blackest and most detestable crimes which can enter into the human heart." The vessel was run upon the shore at the high- est tide. All efforts to float her again were unavail- ing. The calamity was irretrievable. The Aimable contained all the ammunition, the mechanic tools, and the farming and household utensils. But La Salle, ever rising superior to the blows of misfortune, still retained his firmness. Diligently he engaged in removing the stores from the wrecked ship. One of the shallops had been, as it was believed, treacher- ously destroyed. With the one shallop which remained, he suc- ceeded, that afternoon, in removing from the ship to an encampment on the shore, the ammunition, a con- siderable portion of the mechanic tools, the farming and domestic utensils, and a few barrels of provisions. During the night a storm arose. The vessel was dashed to pieces. In the morning the bay was covered with barrels, chests, bales, and other d6bris of the wreck. While affairs were in this deplorable state, the savages, about one hundred and twenty in I LOST IN THE WILDERNESS. 297 suc- lip to con- ming ;ions. was was ebris rable ty in number, made another visit to the camp. The shores were strewed with articles of inestimable value to these poor Indians. Sentinels were sta- tioned to prevent any robbery ; but the Indians manifested no disposition to perpetrate any acts of violence. La Salle was in great want of more boats. The Indians had some, which were dug out from im- mense trunks of trees, of graceful form and rich carv- ing, capable of carrying twenty or thirty men. As all the work on these boats had been performed with stone hatchets, almost an infinity of labor had been expended upon them, and they were deemed very valuable. La Salle sent two trusty men to the village of the Indians, to purchase, if they could, two of the boats. When they entered the wigwams, they found that a bale of blankets, which had, drifted along the bay, had been picked up by the Indians, and divided aiiiong them. They made no attempt at conceal- ment. Not having any clear views of the rights of property, they had no thought that they had done anything wrong in taking goods which they had found drifting in the water. The officers returned to La Salle with this report. Suffering from shipwreck and great destitution, it was necessary for him to economize, as much as 298 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. possible, in his expenditures. He therefore decided to send some men to the Indians, to endeavor to obtain two boats in exchange for the blankets and a few other articles which they had picked up. M. Hamel, one of Beaujeu's officers, volunteered to go on this mission, with a boat's crew, in the shallop of the Joli. He was an impetuous young fellow, with more bravery than prudence. Assuming that the Indians had stolen the blankets, and that they were to be browbeaten and forced to make restitution by the surrender of two of their boats, he advanced, upon his landing, in such mena mv, military array as to frighten the Indians. Most ot them fled into the woods. He entered the deserted cabins, picked up all the blankets he could find, stole a number of very nicely tanned deer skins, and then, seizing two of the best boats, put men on board of each, and commenced his return to the ship. He was quite elated with his performance, thinking it a heroic achievement. As they were paddling slowly down the bay, the wind rose strongly against them. Night came on cold and dark. It became necessary to land and wait for the morning. They built a large fire. Wrapped in blankets, they threw themselves upon the grass around, with their feet toward the glowing coals, and soon all LOST IN THE WILDERNESS. 299 fell asleep. Sentinels had been stationed at a short distance from the fire, but they slept also. The Indians returned to their wigwams. They found their treasures gone and tw-* of their best bo?ts stolen. As night came, they saw in the dis- tance the light of a camp-fire, and understood full well what it signified. With silent tread, and breathing vengeance, they crept through the forest upon their sleeping foes. At a given signal, the forest re- sounded with the dreadful war-whoop, and a shower of arrows fell upon the sleepers. Two were killed jutright ; two were severely wounded. The rest sprung to their arm.s, while some fled in terror. The Indians, aware of the terrible power of the white man's musket, did not wait for a battle. Having inflicted this deed of revenge, they suddenly disaopeared. Onu of the men, M. Moranget, a nephew of La Salle, succeeded in reaching the en- campment of his friends, though faint and bleeding. One arrow had inflicted a terrible wound, almost cutting its way through his shoulder. Another had cut a deep gash along his bosom. La Salle immediately sent an armed party to the spot. He was exceedingly chagrined by the cruel blunder perpetrated by his envoy. Though he could not blame the Indians, he knew full well that, their vengeance being thus aroused, they would, if 300 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. they could, doom all to ind'scriminate slaughter. It was necessary for him therefore to take the most decisive action in self-defence. The dead were buried. One man, helplessly wounded, was brought back to the camp. The others returned unharmed. This disaster took place in the night of the 5th of March, 1685. These calamities operated fearfully against La Salle. Beaujeu took advantage of them, and lost no opportunity of proclaiming them as evidence that La Salle was utterly incompetent to conduct such an enterprise as that in which he was engaged. Quite a number, who had formerly been friends of La Salle, ranged themselves on the side of Beaujeu, who now openly proclaimed his intention of aban- doning the enterprise and returning to France. Still he continued to do everything in his power to embarrass the operations of La Salle. There were several pieces of cannon on board the Belle. But nearly all the cannon balls were in the hold of the Joli. Beaujeu, on the eve of his departure, refused to give them up, saying that it was inconvenient for him to get at them. About the 14th of March, Captain Beaujeu spread the sails of the Joli, and disappeared over the hori- zon of the sea, on his voyage to France. He took with him sixty or seventy of the company, and many f^ LOST IN THE WILDERNESS. 301 stores which were deemed essential in the establish- ment of a colony. La Salle was left with about two hundred men, encamped upon the banks of an un- known inlet, and with one single small vessel, the Belle, anchored in the bay. To add to the gloom of his situation, the Indians were justly exasperated against him. The first thing to be done was to build a fort for defence. Thinking it not impossible that the broad creek he had entered might prove to be one of the mouths of the Mississippi, he decided to set out on an exploring tour up the river for some distance into the interior. Five boats, containing a well-armed party of about fifty persons, embarked upon this enterprise. La Salle himself took the command. About one hundred and forty persons were left behind in the fort, under the control of M. Joutel. Those who were left in garrison, were to employ their time in strengthening the fort, and in building a large boat on the European plan. The savages came frequently around the encamp- ment at night, barking like dogs and howling like wolves. They did not venture upon any attack. Upon one occasion, however, a few men Were at work at a little distance from the encampment, when they saw a large band of savages approaching. The workmen fled to the fort, leaving all their tools rnr 1 1 ' ^'\ '* 302 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. behind them. The savages gathered them up and retired. It was not safe to wander far for game. But fish was taken in great abundance from the bay. Early in April, the garrison was alarmed by the sight of a distant sail. It was feared that it was a war-ship of the hostile Spaniards, coming to destroy them. The vessel, however, passed by, without apparently seeing the encampment. Several tragic incidents ensued. One man was bitten by a rattle- snake. After suffering dreadful agonies he died. Another, who was fishing, was swept away by the current and was drowned. Fortunately, beds of ex- cellent salt were found, formed by the evaporation of salt water in basins on the land. It must be confessed that the savages manifested much of a Christian disposition. They frequently came near the fort, and made signs indicative of their desire that friendly relations might be restored. But La Salle, fearing treachery, and not having full confidence in the prudence of those he left behind, gave orders that no intercourse should be opened with the savages until his return. Early in May, quite a large party of Indians appeared near the fort. Three of them, laying aside their weapons, came forward and made signs that they wished for a conference. M. Joutel, instead of sending three unarmed men to meet them, invited LOST IN THE WILDERNESS. 303 them to come into the fort. Though they thus placed themselves entirely in his power, they, with- out the slightest hesitation, entered the enclosure. They quietly sat down, and, by signs, said that hunters from the fort had often been near them, so that they could easily have killed them. But they refrained from doing them any injury. M. Moranget, who had been so severely wounded, urged that they should be terribly punished, in revenge for the attack upon the camp. This infamous proposal M. Joutel rejected. But his conduct was inexcusable. He gave them a very unfriendly reception ; and soon ordered them to depart. They had scarcely left the entrance gate, when he ordered several muskets to be fired, as if at them. They thought that they were treacherously fired upon, and fled precipitately. He then ordered several cannon-shot to be thrown to the eminence, where the large party was peacefully assembled. This scattered them. Such was the response to the Indians' appeal for friendship. Thus insanely did the garrison establish open hostilities between the two parties, when it was evident that the Indians desired friendship. La Salle, in ascending the river, found a prairie region far more rich and beautiful than that occupied by the encampment at the mouth of the creek. He ■i. 304 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. sent back two boats, with directions that about thirty of the most able-bodied men should remain to garri- son the fort, while the rest, including all the women and children, were to embark, under M. Moranget, for the new location. Early in July another messen- ger came with instructions for all the remaining gar- rison to embark, with all the stores they could carry, in the Belle, and ascend the river many leagues, to join their companions in the new settlement, and to bury, in careful concealment, aU the goods which could not be removed. But sorrows and troubles without number came. The blazing sun of summer withered them. Many were sick. All were languid, discontented, disheart- ened. The wood to build their huts had to be drawn three miles by hand. There was no heart for the work. Discontented men always quarrel. Even La Salle lost hope, and no longer displayed his custom- ary energy and sagacity. Those who had professed to be good house-carpenters, were found to be totally ignorant of their business. Food became scarce. More than thirty in a few weeks died. These funeral scenes spread gloom over the whole encampment, and all wished themselves back in France. La Salle could intrust weighty responsibilities to no one. He was compelled to superintend every- ■1 LOST IN THE WILDERNESS. 305 thirty garri- vomen •angct, lessen- ig gar- l carry, ;ues, to and to which r came. Many isheart- drawn for the ven La ustoin- ofessed totally scarce, funeral pment, lities to every- thing, and even to devote himself to the minutest details. La Salle called this river La Vache, or Cow River, in consequence of the vast number of buffalo cows which he saw grazing upon the banks. The spot chosen for the village or encampment, if we can judge from the description of M. Joutel, must have been quite enchanting. There was an elevated expanse, smooth and fertile, raised many feet above the level of the stream. An undulating prairie, covered with waving grass and flowers, spread far away for leagues toward the north and the west, bordered, in the distance, by forest-covered hills. The river flowed placidly upon the east, entering into the long and wide bay upon the south. Nothing could exceed the beauty of the prairie, waving in the richest bloom of flowers of every variety of tint. A large cellar was dug, that the ammunition and other valuables might be stored beneath the ground, as a protection against fire. La Salle, with a few companions, made several excursions of fifteen or twenty miles into the country, hoping to find the Mississippi, or some Indians who could give him information upon that point. Failing in all these, he decided upon a more extensive exploration. The property at the settlement now consisted of only two hundred muskets, two hundred swords, one M 3o6 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. hundred kegs of powder, three thousand pounds of bullets, three hundred pounds of lead, several bars of steel and of iron to be hammered into nails, and a tolerable supply of farming and mechanic tools. They had no ploughs, horses, or oxen. Without these, farming could be carried on only upon a very limited scale. They had, however, twenty barrels of flour, a puncheon and a half of wine, a few gallons of brandy, one or two swine, and one cock and hen. The exploring party of fifty set out in two bands, in October, from the bay, which he had named St. Louis. M. Joutel was left in command at the settle- ment, with the strictest injunctions to have no inter- course with the Indians. One band ascended the river in boats. The other followed along upon the shore. Having ascended the river many leagues, and being fully convinced that it was not a branch of the Mississippi, they drew their boats upon the eastern shore, and all commenced their march, over the boundless prairies, with packs upon their backs, toward the rising sun. Ere long they saw in the distance an Indian vil- lage, consisting of a cluster of thirty or forty wig- wams. It was delightfully situated. The Indians, in locating their villages, ever had a keen sense of landscape beauty. It is difficult to account for the fact that, under the leadership of La Salle, there i"' LOST IN THE WILDERNESS. 307 should have been a battle. But it was so. We have no explanation of the circumstances. After a brief conflict, the savages fled, many being wounded and probably some killed, for they were accustomed to carry their dead with them on a retreat. La Salle and his party entered the abandoned village. They found, cowering in one of the wig- wams, a woman who had been struck by a bullet in the neck, and who was dying. A young girl was with her. Just after this. La Salle sent a party of six men to explore a stream. After a toilsome day the party encamped for the night. They built their fire, cooked their supper, and, without establishing any watch, wrapped themselves in their blankets for sleep. The next day they did not return. La Salle's anxieties were roused. He set out in search of them. The dead bodies of the six were found, pierced with arrows, scalped, and half devoured by wolves. The details of this midnight tragedy were never known. Saddened by this calamity, yet striving to maintain cheerful spirits, the party pressed on their way. After many days' march they came to another large river, which proved to be that which is now known as the Colorado, which empties into Matagorda Bay, more than four hundred miles west of the mouths of the Mississippi. r,,„: - ,. . /.;> * j v \. ^ 3o8 THE ADVENTURES OF LA SALLE. I ! As they were journeying along, one of the men, with blistered feet, stopped to adjust his shoes. When he resumed his march, he found that the party was out of sight, and he could not overtake them. The grass of the prairie was higher than the men's heads, and there were many tracks through it which were called buffalo streets. It was impossible for him to tell which path the men had taken. He was hopelessly lost. To follow either one of them might lead him farther and farther from his compan- ions, where he would perish miserably. Night came. He fired his gun several times, but could get no response. He threw himself upon the grass. In the intensity of his anxiety, he could not sleep. All the next day ond the next night, he remained upon the spot, hop:.ig that his companions might come back in search for him. They did not return. He had been reprin\anded the preceding day for some misconduct, and it was supposed that he had deserted. Almost in despair he retraced his stepsj travelling mostly by night, through fear that he might en- counter the savages. After a month of toil and suffering, ragged and emaciate he at midnight reached the settlement. Many weeks passed away, and no tidings whatever were heard of the exploring party. One morning early in March, M. Joutel ffl