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ARCHJEOLOGIA AMERICANA. 
 
 *JJJC9.?JJJ t<^— 
 
 DISCOVERY or THE RIVER MISSISIPPI 
 
 AND THS 
 
 ADJACENT COUNTRY. 
 
 ^The following Account was first published in Franc?, near 
 the close of the seventeenth centurj. It was soon after 
 translated into English, and repul)lirthed in London. The 
 work being out of print, it is here introduced as a prelim- 
 inary article to more recent discoreries in that interesting 
 territory.] 
 
 A new Discovery of a large Country in the JVorth- 
 ern America^ extending above Jour thousand 
 miles* By Father Lewis Hennepin. 
 
 A VOYAGE TO NORTH AMERICA. 
 
 FINDING in myself a strong inclination to re- 
 tire from the world, I entered into the Franciscan 
 order, where I was overjoyed in reading the travels 
 of the fathers of my own order, who were indeed 
 the first that undertook missions into any foreign 
 country. I thought nothing greater or more glori- 
 ous than to instruct the ignorant and barbarous, and 
 lead them to the light of the gospel. In order to 
 
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 62 
 
 which I went missionary for Canada, by command 
 from my supcriours ; and embarked at Rochelle,, in 
 company of Mr. de I»aval, since bishop of Quebec, 
 the capital city of Canada. Our crew was about 
 one hundred men, to tliree fourths of whom I ad- 
 ministered the sacrament, they being catholicks. I 
 likewise performed divine service every day wlien 
 the weather was calm, and we sung the Itinerary of 
 the clergy, translated into French verse, after even- 
 ing prayers. 
 
 I shall omit the accidents that befel us, being 
 sueii only as are inseparable companions of all great 
 voyages. Soon after my arrival, I was sent in mis- 
 sion about one hundred and twenty leagues beyond 
 Quebec, accompanied l)y father Luke Buisset. We 
 went up the river St. Lawrence southwards, till we 
 came to fort Frontenac, distant from Quebec one 
 hundred leagues. It was built to prevent the ex- 
 cursions of the Iroquese, and to interrupt the trade 
 of skins these savages maintain with the inhabitants 
 of Newyork, who furnish them with commodities 
 at cheaper rates than the French of Can^^da, 
 
 The Iroquese are an insolent and barbarous na- 
 tion, and have shed the blood of more than two mil- 
 lions of people in that vast extended country. They 
 would never cease from disturbing the repose of the 
 Europeans, were it not for fear of tlieir fire arms. 
 For they entertain no commerce with them unless 
 it be for arms, which they buy on purpose to use 
 against their neighbours ; and by means of which 
 they have extended their bloody conquests five or 
 six hundred leagues beyond their own precincts, 
 (t.xtcrn);na.uiin^ whatever natioi\ they hate. 
 
 
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63 
 
 I had already acquired some small kitowlcdj^c oi 
 the Iroqucse language ; and father Lttke and I trans- 
 lated the Creed, Lord's Prayer, and Litany, which 
 vvc caused them to get by heart, and repeat to tlieir 
 children. They jjronounce no labial letters, such 
 as B, P, M, F. Here we remained two years and 
 a half, till we saw our house of mission finislicd, and 
 then returned in a canoe down the river St. Law- 
 i-ence to Quebec. 
 
 Having tarried there till those who were expect- 
 ed from Europe to bear part in this discovery were 
 arrived, I embarked in a small canoe, made of the 
 bark of birch trees, carrying nothing with me but a 
 portable chapel, one blanket, and a mat of rushes, 
 which was to serve me for bed and quilt. I arrived 
 at fort Frontenac the second of November, 1678, 
 and on the eighteenth embarked in a brigantine of 
 about ten tons and fifteen men, the Sieur de la 
 Motte, commander. We sailed on till wc came to 
 the further end of the lake Ontario, and on tlic sixth 
 of January entered the river Niagara ; where wc set 
 our carpenters and the rest of the crew to work in 
 building a fort and some houses; but foreseeing 
 that this was like to give jealousy to the Iroquese, 
 and to the PLnglish who dwell near them, and hnve 
 a great commerce with them, we told those of the 
 village of Niagara, that we did not intend to build a 
 fort on the bank of their river, but only a great store 
 house to keep the commodities we had brougiit to 
 supply their occasions. And, to remove their sus- 
 picion, Mr. de la Motte thought it absolutely nec- 
 essary to send an embassy to the Iroquese ; telling 
 me, " He was resolved to take aioiig with him srvcu 
 
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 64 
 
 men out of sixteen that wc were in all, and desired 
 luc to accompany him because I understood in a 
 manner the language of their nation." We passed 
 through forests thirty two leagues, and after five 
 days journey came to a great village, and were im- 
 niediately carried to the cabin of their principal. — 
 The younger savages washed our feet, and rubbed 
 them over with the grease of deer, wild goats, and 
 oil of bears. They are for the most part tall and 
 well shaped, covered vith a sort of robe made of 
 beavers' and wolves' skius, or black squirrels, hold- 
 ing a pipe or calumet in their hands. The senators 
 of Venice do not appear with a graver countenance, 
 and perhaps do not speak with more majesty and 
 solidity than those ancient Iroqueses. 
 
 One of our men who well understood their lan- 
 guage, told the assembly, 
 
 1. That we were come to pay them a visit, and 
 smoke with them in their pipes. Then we deliver- 
 ed our presents, consisting of axes, knives, a great 
 collar of white and blue porcelain, with some 
 gowns. The same presents were renewed upon 
 every point we proposed to them, 
 
 2. We desired them to give notice to the five 
 cantons of their nation, that were about to build a 
 ship or great canoe above the great fall of the river 
 Niagara, to go and fetch European commodities by 
 a more convenient passage than that of the river St. 
 Lawrence, whose rapid currents make it dangerous 
 and long. And that by these means we should af- 
 ford them our commodities cheaper than the Eng- 
 lish of Boston, or the Dutch, at that time masters, 
 of Newyork. This pretence was specious enough, 
 
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65 
 
 and very well contrived to ciigngc the barbarous nu 
 tioii to (.xtirp.iU' the Kiiglisih and Dutch out of that 
 part of AuH lica. 
 
 3. VVc tolfj tJR-m that we should provide them at 
 the river NiMijjara with a blacksmith and a gunsmith 
 to mend their t^uns, axes, he. they havinj^ nobody 
 amonj^ them that inidcrstood that trade. We added 
 many other reasons which we thought proper to 
 persuade them to favour our design. The presents 
 we made unto tliem in cloth or iron, were worth 
 above four hundred livres, besides some other Eu- 
 ropean commodities very scarce in that country ; 
 for the best reasons in the world are not listened to 
 among them unless they are enforced with presents. 
 
 The next day their speaker answered our dis- 
 course article by article, seeming to be pleased 
 with our proposals though they were not really so, 
 having a greater inclination for the English and 
 Dutch than for us. Whilst we were with them, 
 their parties had made an excursion towards Vir- 
 ginia, and brought two prisoners. They spared the 
 life of one, but put to death the other with most 
 exquisite torments. They commonly use this in- 
 humanity towards all their prisoners, and their tor- 
 ments sometimes last a month. When they have 
 brought them into their canton, they lay them on 
 pieces of wood like a St. Andrew's cross, to which 
 they tie their legs and arms, and expose them to 
 gnats and flies, who sting them to death. Children 
 cut pieces of flesh out of their flanks, thighs, or 
 other parts, and boiling them, force those poor 
 souls to eat thereof. Their parents eat some them- 
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 .selves, aiul the better to inspire into tlieir children a 
 hatred of their enemies, give them some of their 
 blood to drink. This cniolty obliged us to leave 
 them sooner than we would have done, to shew 
 them the horror we had of their inhumanity, and 
 never eat with them afterwards ; but returned the 
 same way we went through the woods to the river 
 Niagara, where we arrived the fourteenth of Janua- 
 ry, much fatigued with our voyage, having no food 
 on the way but Indian corn. Mr. de la Motte, no 
 longer able to endure so laborious a life, gave over 
 his design, and returned to Canada, having about 
 two hundred leagues to travel. 
 
 On the twentieth, Mr. de la Salle arrived from 
 fort Frontenac with a great bark to supply us with 
 provisions, rigging and tackling for the ship we de- 
 signed to build at tlie mouth of the lake Erie ; but 
 that bark was unfortunately cast away on the lake On- 
 tario, within two leagues of Niagara. On the twenty- 
 second,, we went two I'nigues above the great fall of 
 Niagara, where we made a dock for building the 
 ship. Mr. de la Sallc returned to fort Frontenac, 
 leaving one Tonti, an Italian, for our commander. 
 He undertook this journey afoot over the snow, 
 having no other provision but a little sack of roast- 
 ed Indian corn. However, he got home safely with 
 two men and a dog, who dragged his baggage over 
 the frozen snow. 
 
 Most of the Iroqucse w ere now gone to wage war 
 on the other side the lake Erie, and our men con- 
 tinued with great application to build our ship ; for 
 the Iroquese who were left behind, were not so in- 
 solent as before, though they came sometimes to 
 
 4 
 
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67 
 
 our dock, and expressed some discontcjit at what 
 wc were doin.tij. 
 
 We made all the haste we could to get our sMp 
 afloat, though not altogether finished, to ynevcnt 
 their designs of bunking it. She was called the 
 Griflin, about sixty tons, and carried five small 
 guns. We fired three guns, and sung Te Deum ; 
 and carrying our hammocks aboard, the same day 
 were out of the reae'i of the savages. 
 
 Before wc could proceed in our intended discov- 
 ery, I was obliged to return to fort Frontenac, to 
 bring along with me two monks of my own order, 
 to help me in the function of my ministry. I con- 
 cealed part of the discouragements I had met with, 
 because I designed to engage faUicr Gabriel and Ze- 
 nobe in our voyage. Having dispatched our affairs, 
 we three went aboard a brigantinc, and in a short 
 time arrived at the river which runs into the lake 
 Ontario, where we continued several days, our men 
 being very busy in bartering their commodities with 
 the natives, who exchanged their skins for knives, 
 guns, powder and shot, but especially brandy, 
 which they love above all things. Mr. de la Salle 
 arrived in a canoe eight days after. These impedi- 
 ments retarded us so long that we could not reach 
 the river Niagara before the thirtieth of July. Fa- 
 ther Gabriel and I went over land to view the great 
 Fall, the like whereof is not in the whole world. It 
 is compounded of two great cross streams of water 
 and two falls, with an isle sloping along the middle 
 of it. The waters which fall from this vast height 
 do foam and boil after 'he most hideous manner 
 imaginalUe, making an .utragcous noise more terri- 
 
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 ble t'lan that of thumUr; so that uhtn the wind 
 blows from the south, their dismal roaring may ov 
 heard above fifteen U';'<]jues off. 
 
 The river Niagara having thrown itself down this 
 incredible precipice, continues its impetuous course 
 for two leagues with an incxpressil)le rapidity ; and 
 the brinks are so prodigious high, that it makes one 
 tremble to look steadily on the water, rolling along 
 with a rapidity not to be imagined. It is so rapid 
 above the descent, that it violently hurries down the 
 wild beast", endeavouring to pass it to feed on the 
 other side, casting them down headlong above six 
 hundred feet. A bark or greater vessel may pass 
 from fort Frontcnac until you come within two 
 leagues of the Fall, for which two leagues the peo- 
 ple are obliged to carry their goods over land ; but 
 the way is very good, and the trees are but few, and 
 they chiefly furs and oaks. Were it not for this vast 
 cataract which interrupts navigation, we might sail 
 with barks or greater vessels above four hundred 
 and fifty leagues further. 
 
 On the seventh of August we went on board, be- 
 ing in all thirtyfour men, and sailed from the mouth 
 of the lake Erie, and on the eleventh entered a 
 streight thirty leagues long and one broad, except 
 in the middle, which makes the lake of St. Claire. 
 On the twcntytliird, we got into the lake Huron. 
 The twentysixth we had so violent a storm that we 
 brought down our yards and topmasts, and let the 
 ship drive at the mercy of the wind, knowing no 
 place to run into to sli Iter ourselves. Mr. la Salle, 
 notwithstanding he was a courageous man, began 
 to fear, and told us wc were undone ; whereupon 
 
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 69 
 
 every body fell on his knees to say his prayers and 
 prcpan- himself for death, except our pilot, \\ honi 
 Wf could never oblige to pray ; and he did nothing 
 all tJuit while but curse and swear against Mr. la 
 Salle, who had brought him thither to ninke him 
 perish in a nasty lake, and lose the glory he had ac- 
 cpiired by his long and happy navigations on the 
 ocean. When the wind abated we hoisted our sail, 
 and the next day arrived at Missilvriakinak. 
 
 On the second of September we weighed anchor 
 and sailed to an island at the mouth oi' tlie bay of 
 Puans, forty leagues from Mis^siumikinak, 'J'he 
 chief among them, who had been formerly in Cana- 
 da, received us with all the civility imaginable. Mr. 
 la Salle, without asking any other body's advice, re- 
 solved to send back the ship to Niagara, laden with 
 furs and skins, to discharge his debts. Our pilot 
 and five men with him were therefore sent Iwck, 
 and ordered to return with all imaginable speed to 
 join us towards the southern parts of the lake, where 
 we sl^juld stay for them among the Illinois. They 
 sailed the eighteenth with a westerly wind, and fired 
 a gun as taking leave. It was never known what 
 course they steered, nor how they perished ; but it 
 is supposed that the ship struck upon a sand, and 
 was there buried. This was a great loss for Mr. 
 la Salle and other adventurers, for that ship with its 
 cargo cost above sixty thousand livres. 
 
 We continued our voyage in four canoes, being 
 fourteen men in all, and departed the nineteenth of 
 September. We steered to the south towards the 
 condnent, distant from the island near forty leagues. 
 On the first oi' October, after twelve leagues rowing. 
 
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 we were in so great danger by stress of weather, that 
 we were forced to throw ourselves into the water, 
 and carry our canoes on our shoulders to save them 
 from being broken to pieces. I c;irried father 
 Gabriel on my back, whose great age, being sixty- 
 five years, did not permit him to venture into the 
 
 water. 
 
 Having no acquaintance witli the savages of the 
 village near which we landed, we prepared to make 
 a vigorous defence in case of an attack, and in order 
 to it, possessed ourselves of a rising ground where 
 we could not be surprized. We then sent three 
 men to buy provisions in the village, with the calu- 
 met or pipe of peace, which those of the island had 
 given us. And because the calumet of peace is the 
 most sacred thing among the savages, I shall here 
 describe the same. 
 
 It is a large tobacco pipe, of a red, black, or 
 white marble. The head is finely polished. The 
 quill, which is commonly two foot and a half long, 
 is made of a pretty strong reed or cane, adorned 
 with feathers of all colours, interlaced with locks of 
 women's hair. Every nation adorns it as they think 
 fit, and according to the birds they have in their 
 country. 
 
 Such a pipe is a safe conduct amongst all the al- 
 lies of the nation who has given it. And in all em- 
 bassies the calumet is carried as a symbol of peace. 
 The savages being generally persuaded that some 
 great misfortune would bcfal them, if they should 
 violate the publick faith of the calumet. They fill 
 this pipe with the best tobacco they have, and then 
 present it to those with whom they have concluded 
 
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 any ^eat affair, and smoke out of the same after 
 them. 
 
 Oar three men, provided widi this pipe, and very- 
 well armed, went to the little village three leagues 
 from the place where we landed ; but finding nobo- 
 dy therein, took some Indian corn, and left instead 
 of it some goods, to let them see that we were no 
 robbers nor their enemies. However twenty of 
 them armed with axes, small guns, bows and clubs, 
 advanced near the place where we stood ; whereup- 
 on Mr. la Salle with four men very well armed, 
 went toward them to speak with them, and desired 
 them to come near us, for fear a party of our men 
 who were gone a hunting, should meet with them 
 and kill them. They sat down at the foot of the 
 eminence where we were posted, and Mr. la Salle 
 spoke to them all the while concerning his voyage, 
 which he told them he had undertaken for their 
 good and advantage. This was only to amuse them 
 till our three men returned, who appearing with the 
 calumet of peace, the savages made a great shout, 
 and rose and began to dance. We excused our 
 taking some of their corn, telling them we had left 
 the true value of it in goods ; which they took so 
 well, that they sent immediately for more, and gave 
 us next day as much as we could carry away in our 
 canoes. They retired towards evening, and Mr. la 
 Salle orderid some trees to be cut down, and laid 
 across the way, to prevent any surprize from them. 
 The oldest of them came to us next morning with 
 their calumet of peace, and brought us some wild 
 goats. We presented them with some axes, knive?, 
 
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 72 
 
 and several little toys for their wives, with which 
 they n'f^c wtU pkased. 
 
 We left that place the second of October, and 
 coasted along the lake, which is so steep that we 
 could hardly find any place to land. The violence 
 of the wind obliged us to drag our canoes sometimes 
 to the top of the rocks to prevent their being dashed 
 in pieces. The stormy weather lasted four days, 
 during which we suffered very much, and our pro- 
 visions failed us again ; which, with the fatigues of 
 rowing, caused old father Gabriel to faint away in 
 such manner, that I thought verily he could not 
 live. We had no other subsistence but a handful 
 of Indian corn once every tvventyfour hours, which 
 we roasted or else boiled in water ; and yet rowed 
 almost every day fro lii morning till night. Being 
 in this dismal distress, we saw upon the coast a great 
 many ravens and eagles, from whence we conjectur- 
 ed tlicrc was some prey ; and having landed upon 
 that place, we found above the half of a fat wild 
 goat which the wolves had strangled. This provis- 
 ion was very acceptaijle to us, and the rudest of 
 our men could not hut praibc the divine Providence 
 who took so particular a care of us. 
 
 Having thus refreshed ourselves, we continued 
 our vo}ai.e directly to the southern parts of the 
 lake. On the sixteenth, we met with abundance of 
 game. A savage we had with us killed several stags 
 and wild gouts, and our men a great many turkies, 
 very fat and big ; w herewith we provided ourselves 
 for several days, and so embarked again. On the 
 first of November we came to the mouth of the riv- 
 er of the Miamis, which runs from the south and 
 
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73 
 
 falls Into the lake. Here we spent all that month 
 in building a fort forty feet long, and eighty broad ; 
 made with great square pieces of limber laid one 
 upon the other. 
 
 On the third of December wc embarked, being 
 thirtythree men, in eight canoes, and having rowed 
 about twentyfivc leagues up the river Miamis to 
 the southwest, we could not find the place where we 
 were to land, and carry our canoes and equipage in- 
 to the river of the Illinois, which falls into Missisip- 
 pi. Our savage who was hunting ashore, not find- 
 ing us at the place of portage, came higher up the 
 river, and told us we had missed it. So we return- 
 ed and carried our canoes over land to the head of 
 the Illinois river, which is but a league and a half 
 from that of Miamis. We continued our course 
 upon this river very near the whole month of De- 
 cember, towards the end of which we arrived at the 
 village of the Illinois, about one hundred and thirty 
 leagues from fort Miamis. We found nobody in 
 the village, which caused a great perplexity among 
 us ; for though we m anted provisions, yet we durst 
 not meddle with the corn they had laid under ground 
 for their subsistence, and to sow their lands with ; 
 it being the most sensible wrong one can do them, 
 in their opinion, to take some of their com in their 
 absence. However, our necessity being very great, 
 and it being impossible to continue our voyage 
 without it, Mr. la Salle took about fortv bushels of 
 it, hoping to appease them with some presents. 
 
 We embarked again with this fresh provision, 
 and fell down the river the first of January, 1680. 
 10 
 
{ i 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 ( 
 
 lit,'. 
 
 n 
 
 
 -^f 
 
 74 
 
 We took the elevation of the pole, which was thirty, 
 three degrees, fortyfive minutes. Although wc 
 used all the precaution we could, we found our- 
 selves on a sudden in the middle of their camp, 
 which took up both sides of the river. The 111!, 
 nois being much terrified, though they were several 
 thousand men, tendered us the calumet of peace, 
 and we offered them ours. Mr. la Salle presented 
 them with Martinico tobacco, and some axes. He 
 told them, " He knew how necessary their corn 
 was to them ; but that being reduced to an unspeak- 
 able necessity when he came to their village, and 
 seeing no probability to subsist, he had been forced 
 to take some corn from their Iiabitations without 
 their leave. That he would give them axes and 
 other things, in lieu of it, if they could spare it ; and 
 if they could not, they were free to take it again." 
 The savages considered our proposals, granted our 
 demands, and made an alliance with us. 
 
 Some days after, Nikanape, brother to the most 
 considerable man among them, who was then ab- 
 sent, invited us to a great feast. And before we 
 sat down, told us, " That he had invited us not so 
 much to give us a treat, as to endeavour to dissuade 
 us from the resolution we had taken to go down to 
 the sea by the great river Missisippi." He said, 
 " Ihat the banks of that river were inhabited by 
 barbarous and bloody nations, and that several had 
 perished upon the same enterprize." Our Inter- 
 preter told him by order of Mr, la Salle, " That wc 
 were much obliged to him for his advice ; but that 
 the difficulties and dangers he had mentioned, would 
 make our enterprize still more glorious. That we 
 
 A'la 
 
 tl 
 
 it I 
 
 k/ 
 
 dil 
 
 ril 
 
 thl 
 
 th 
 
 w^ 
 
 m< 
 
 tb 
 
» 
 
 75 
 
 feared the Master of the life of all men, who ruled 
 the sea and all the world, and therefore would think 
 it happiness to lay down our lives to make his name 
 known to all his creatures." However Nikanapc'a 
 discourse hul put some of our men under such ter- 
 rible apprehensions, that we could never recover 
 their courage nor remove their fears ; so that six of 
 them who had the guard that night, (among which 
 were two sawyers, the most necessary of our work- 
 men for building our ship) ran away, taking with 
 them what they thought necessary. But consider- 
 ing the country through which they were to travel, 
 and the season of the year, we may say, that for 
 avoiding an uncertainty, they exposed themselves 
 to a most certain danger, 
 
 Mr. la Salle seeing those six men were gone, ex- 
 horted the rest to continue firm in their duty ; as- 
 suring them, that if any were afraid of venturing 
 themselves upon the river of Missisippi, because of 
 the dangers Nikanape had mentioned, he would give 
 them leave to return riext spring to Canada, and al- 
 low them a canoe to make their voyage ; whereas 
 they could not venture to return home at this time 
 of the year, without exposing themselves to perish 
 with hunger, cold, or the hands of the savages. 
 
 On the fifteenth, we made choice of an eminence 
 on the br.nk of the river, defended on that side by 
 the river, and on two others by two deep ditches 
 made by the rains, so that it was accessible only by 
 one way. We cast a line to join those two natural 
 ditches, and made the eminence steep on every side, 
 supporting the earth with great pieces of timber. 
 By the first of March, our fort was near finished, 
 
 '?! 
 
ill ii 
 hi ' * 
 
 76 
 
 and »e named i, Crevec«:ur. because the desertion 
 of our men w«h .he difficulties >ve laboured u"dcT 
 had a most broke our hearts. ^Vc had also b n a 
 bark for the continuance of our discovery. iZl 
 ortytwo feet long by the keel, and ,vas i„ /Jeh a 
 forwardness, that we should have been in a condi 
 Uon to sa.1 „. a very short time, had wc bcerl 
 vided vvtth all other necessaries. But hearinr,wr" 
 
 ■ng of our ship Griffin, and therefore, 3:t 
 .ge."g and other tackle we expected bv lef 1 
 found ourselves in great perplexity and HU 
 know what to do in this Jjunctu e' bet 1"°' 
 five hundred leagues from fo C ^nac ^b ^ 
 
 rthtrzrirr^^^^^ 
 
 -.-.heicemad:t5:ZSrct 
 
 erdifficut'd:S;;rti"''''"''^''''=-''- 
 
 ''uoyed him up, L he ' ol'veu ^iir '"""^ 
 return to fort Frontcnac by hnd , f "'" '° 
 •he snow and the unspeakable """"'"'^'""ding 
 
 S-'.-. journey, andCttg S^r'^" 
 necessary thinjrs to nmp«« i ^ ^^*" ^""^ the 
 
 I with two „^1 1™ °" "-discovery ; whife 
 
 M;-isippi.toge.tt"mrd:;;:;:L'° ''- -■'^^ 
 
 hab-tuig the banks thereof Ti """°"^ '"- 
 
 together, told them "H. ' '™ ■^"■""S Ws men 
 to command in the f^rt 117 'f '" ^'- '^'>"'' 
 hi^ orders in his absenct ll ■ "'1 "'^'" '° "I'^X 
 and charity, , be cou^g ^ rarfi^"™'? "'"- 
 »'S"-" He assured them "»" "™ '" "'''' de- 
 
 ""' '^'^ wwld return „ ,th 
 
77 
 
 
 all the speed imaginable, and bring with him a fresh 
 supply of meat, ammunition, and rigging for our 
 bark ; and that in the mean time he left them arms 
 and other things necessary for a vigorous defence, 
 in case their enemies should attack them before his 
 return." 
 
 Then telling me, *' That he expected I should 
 depart without further delay," he embraced me 
 and gave me a calumet of peace, with two men to 
 manage our canoe, Picard and Ako, to whom he 
 gave some commodities to the value. of about one 
 thousand livres, to trade with the savages or make 
 presents. He gave to me in particular, and for my 
 own use, ten knives, twelve shoemaker's awls or 
 bodkins, a small roll of Martinico tobacco, two 
 pounds of rassadc, i. e. little pearls or rings of col- 
 oured glass to make bracelets for the savages, and 
 a small parctl of needles ; telling me, " He would 
 have given me a greater quantity if it had been in 
 his power." 
 
 Thus relying on the providence of God, and re- 
 ceiving the blessing of father Gi.jriel, I embraced 
 all our men, and took my leave of Mr. la Salle, who 
 set out a few days after for Canada with three men, 
 without any provisions but what they killed in their 
 journey, during which they suffered very much by 
 cold weather, snow, and hunger. 
 
 We set out from fort Crevecoeur, twentyninth 
 of t ebruary, myself, Picard and Ako, and when we 
 had gone fifty leagues down the river, we came to 
 the place where it falls into the Missisippi, between 
 thirty five and thirty six degrees of latitude. The 
 Missisippi runs to the south southwest, between 
 
'ft 
 
 
 
 78 
 
 two ridges of mountains, is in some places a league 
 broad, and a half a league where it is narrowest. 
 The ice which came down stopt us here till the 
 twelfth of March. Then after prayers we emljark- 
 cd, and continuing our course down the river, we 
 discovered three savages on the fifteenth, and land- 
 ing, marched up to them; whereupon they ran 
 away. But after some signs, one returned, and pre- 
 sented us the calumet of peace, which when we had 
 received, the two others came back. We could 
 not understand one word of their language ; and 
 when we named two or three different nations to 
 them, one answered three times, Chiquacha. They 
 gave us some pelicans they had killed with their ar- 
 rows, and we presented them with part of our meat. 
 Two days after, we saw many savages near the river, 
 crying aloud, Sasacouest, that is. Who goes there ? 
 as I have been informed. They sent a pirogue or 
 heavy wooden canoe towards us, wherein were the 
 three savages we had met two days before. We pre- 
 sented our calumet of peace, which they received, 
 but gave us to understand by signs that we must 
 go to the Akansa, pointing to the savages ashore. 
 We could not avoid it ; and as soon as we were 
 landed, the three Chiquachas took our canoe upon 
 their shoulders, and carried it to the village. These 
 savages received us very kindly, and presented us 
 with beans, Indian corn, and flesh to eat. We made 
 them also a present of some of our European com- 
 modities, which they admired, putting their fingers 
 upon their mouths, especially when they saw our 
 guns. The eighteenth we embarked again, after 
 having been entertained with danchig and feasting. 
 
 5' i 
 
I 
 
 79 
 
 and carried away our commodities, though the sav- 
 ages were very loth to part with them ; but having- 
 accepted our calumet of peace, they did not pre- 
 sume to stop us by force. 
 
 We passed by the nations of Taensa and Coroa, 
 by both which we were kindly received, and on the 
 twentyfourth came to the nation of Quiniquissa. 
 The next day we came to a point where the Missi- 
 sippi divides itself into three channels. We took 
 the middle one, which is very broad and deep. The 
 water began there to taste brackish, but four leagues 
 lower was as salt as the sea. We rowed about four 
 leagues further and discovered the sea. The mouth 
 of the river is very deep, without being interrupted 
 with any sands ; so that great ships may go up as far 
 as the Illinois river, which is two hundred leagues. 
 Its course, from its source to the sea, may be eight 
 hundred leagues, including windings and turnings. 
 It falls into the gulph of Mexico, between twenty- 
 seven and twentycight degrees of latitude. Its 
 mouth may be about thirty leagues from Rio Bravo, 
 sixty from Palmas, and eighty or one hundred from 
 Rio Panuco, the nearest habitation of the Spaniards. 
 
 My two men were very glad of this discovery ; 
 but on the other hand they expressed a great deal 
 of dissatisfaction to have been at such trouble with- 
 out making any profit, having found no furs to ex- 
 change for their commodities. They were also 
 much afraid of the Spaniards of New Mexico, and 
 were perpetually telling me, " That if they were 
 taken, the Spaniards would never spare their lives, 
 or at least give them the liberty to return into Eu- 
 rope." I knew their fears were not alto|ret!ier un- 
 
< J 
 
 \ 
 
 II 
 
 it 
 U 
 
 no 
 
 l-easonablc ; and therefore I resolved to go no fur- 
 ther, though I had no reason to be afraid for myself, 
 our order beinjj so numerous in New Mexico, that 
 on the contrary, 1 might expect to have had in that 
 country a peaceable and easy life. 
 
 We lay, during the time we were ashore, under 
 our canoe, supported with four forks, and made cur- 
 tains of some rolls of birch bark, hanging from the 
 top to the ground, to defend us from the rain. We 
 saw nobody, and therefore cannot tell whether that 
 coast be inhabited. We squared a tree of twelve 
 feet high, and making a cross of it, erected it in that 
 place, leaving there a letter signed by me and mj 
 two men, containing an account of our voyage, 
 country, and profession. Then kncvvling liear the 
 cross, we sung some hymns, and embarked again 
 on the first of April, to return towards the source of 
 the river. 
 
 It is observable that during the whole course of 
 our sailing, God protected us against the crocodiles, 
 which are very numerous in that river, especially 
 towards the mouth. They looked dreadful, and 
 would have attacked us, had we not been very care- 
 ful to avoid them. 
 
 Our canoe being loaded witl^ three men only 
 and our provisions, did not draw three inches wa- 
 ter, and therefore we could row very near the shore, 
 and avoid the current of the river. The next day, 
 April second, we saw, towards break of day, a great 
 smoke not far from us, and soon after discovered 
 four savage women loaded with wood, marching as 
 fast as they could to get to their village before us. 
 But some buzzards coming near us, one of my men 
 
 4' 
 
81 
 
 oould not forbear to shoot at them, which so fright- 
 ed the women that they left their wood, and ran 
 away to their village, where they arrived before us. 
 The savages having heard the noise, were in as great 
 fear as their wives, and left their village upon our 
 approach. But I landing, immediately advanced 
 alone with the calumet of peace, whereupon they re- 
 turned, and received us with all the resjiect and civil- 
 ity imaginable. We maue tl.^m some small presents 
 to show our gratitude, and left that place April the 
 fourth, and rowed with such diligence that we arrived 
 the same day at Koroa. I was surprized to see their 
 Indian com, which was left very green, grown alrea- 
 dy to maturity ; but I have learned since, that their 
 com is ripe sixty days after it is sown. They have 
 three or four crops of Indian com in a year, having 
 no other winter than some rain. They have all 
 sorts of trees we have in Europe, and many others 
 unknown to us. There are the finest cedars in the 
 world, and another tree from which drops a most 
 fragrant gum, which in my opinion exceeds our 
 best perfumes. The cotton trees are of a prodig- 
 ious height ; the savages make them hollow with 
 fire, to make their pirogues of them. We saw some 
 of them all of a piece above one hundred feet long. 
 They told us, " That to the westward are some 
 beasts who carry men upon their backs," and shew- 
 ed us the hoof and part of the leg of one, which was 
 certainly the hoof of a horse ; and surely horses 
 are not utterly unknown in the northern America ; 
 for near the cape named by us St. Anthony, we saw 
 a horse and some other beasts painted upon the rock 
 11 
 
•■'? 
 
 
 n 
 
 'I 
 
 f 
 
 f 
 
 
 .>t } 
 
 I •- :* , * .*• 
 
 89 
 
 with red colours by the savages. But whereas we 
 had been told tint the Spaniards of New Mexico 
 lived not above forty leagues from them, and sup- 
 plied them with European commodities, we foinid 
 nothing among them that might be suspected to 
 come from thence, unless it be some little pieces of 
 glass strung upon a thread, with which the women 
 adorn their heads. \Vv left tJie habitations of the 
 Akansas, the fourth of April, and during sixty 
 leagues saw no savage. Our provisions being 
 spent, we had nothi/ig to live upon but the game 
 we kiilerl, or the fish we could catch. On Jie 
 twelfth, as my two men were boiling a buzzard, and 
 myself refitting our canoe on the bunk of the river, 
 I perceived on a sudden, about two o'clock in the 
 afternoon, no less than fifty canoes made of burk, 
 manned with one hundred and twenty savages stark 
 naked, coming down the river with an extraordina- 
 ry swiftness, to surprize the Mianiis and Illinois 
 their enemies. 
 
 We threw away the broth which was preparing, 
 and getting aboard as fast as we could, made to- 
 wards them, crying out in the Iroquese and Algon- 
 quin languages, *« Comrades, we are men of wooden 
 canoes ;" for so they call those that sail in great ves- 
 sels. This had no effect, for they understood not 
 what wc said ; so that surrounding us immediately, 
 they began to let fly their arrows at us, till the eld- 
 est amongst them perceiving I had a calumet of 
 peace in my hand, came up to us and prevented our 
 ^eing murdered by their warrioJirs. 
 
 1 hey presently jumped out of their canoes, some 
 upon land, others into the water ; surrounding us 
 
83 
 
 on all sicks with shrieks and outcries that were in. 
 deed terrifying. It was to no purpose to resist, be- 
 ing hilt three to so great a number. One of them 
 snatehed the pipe of peace out of my hand. We 
 presented them with some small pieces of Martinico 
 tobacco, and made signs to them with our oars upon 
 the sand, that the Miamis their enemies, whom they 
 were in search of, liad passed the river, and were 
 gone to join the Illinois. 
 
 Being tlun out of all hopes of surprizing their 
 enemies, three or four of the eldest of them laid their 
 hands on my head, and began to weep bitterly, ac- 
 companying their tears with such mournful accents 
 as can hardly be expressed ; while I, with a sor- 
 ry handkerchief I had left, made shift to dry up 
 their tears ; however, to very little purpose ; for re- 
 fusing to smoke in our calumet, they thereby gave 
 us to understand, that their design was still to mur- 
 der us ; and one hundred of their leaders coming 
 up to us, made us to understand by signs, that their 
 warriours were resolved upon our death. This 
 obliged me to apply myself to their chiefs, and pre- 
 sented them with six hatchets, fifteen knives and 
 some pieces rf tobacco ; after which, bending my 
 neck and pointing to a hatchet, I signified to them, 
 by that submisbion, that we threw ourselves on their 
 mercy. 
 
 The present had the good effect to soften some of 
 them, who, ac(,ording to their custom, gave us some 
 beavers' flesh to eat, themselves putting the three 
 first bits in our mouths, having first blown upon it, 
 because it was hot ; after this the} set their platter 
 before us, made of the bark of a tree, leaving us at 
 
 > 1 
 
■^ 
 
 u 
 
 84 
 
 liberty to feed after our own fashion. These civilities 
 did not hinder us from passing the night away very 
 uneasily, because in the evening, before they went 
 to sleep, they had returned us our calumet of peace. 
 The two canoemen resolved to sell their lives as 
 dear as they could, and to defend themselves like 
 men to the last, in case they should attack us. For 
 my part I told them, I resolved to suffer myself to 
 be slain without the least resistance, in imitation of 
 our Saviour. However, we watched all night by 
 turns, that we might not be surprized in our sleep. 
 The next morning early, one of their captains who 
 had been for killing us, came and demanded my 
 pipe of peace ; it being delivered him, he filled it 
 with tobacco, and made the rest who had been for 
 putting us to death to o.noke in it ; then he made 
 signs that we must go along with them into their 
 country, to which they were then returning. This 
 proposal was very welcome to us, and we rowed in 
 their company for nineteen days together, some- 
 times north, and sometimes northeast, according to 
 the best observations we could make by our com- 
 pass ; so that after these barbarians had forced us to 
 follow them, we made more than two hundred and 
 fifty leagues up the river Missisippi, and we were 
 got about one hundred and fifty leagues up the 
 same, above that of the Illinois, when we were first 
 taken by them. One of the nineteen days of our most 
 tiresome voyage, a captain called Aquipaguetin, who 
 afterwards adopted me for his son, had killed a large 
 fat deer, to which he invited the chief captains of 
 the warriours. After the repast, the savages, with 
 their hair anointed with oil of bears, and stuck aH 
 
 1 I 
 
85 
 
 j»ver with red and white feathers, and their heads 
 covered with the down of birds, began to dance 
 with their hands upon their hips, and strikinp^ their 
 feet with great force against the ground. During 
 the dance, one of the sons of the master of the cere- 
 monies made them all smoke in the pipe of war, 
 himself shedding abundance of tears. The father 
 in the mean while laying his hands on our heads, 
 and lifting up his eyes to heaven, bathed himself in 
 tears. As for us, as far as we could judge, all this 
 grimace boded us no good ; and indeed, we after- 
 wards understood, that he meant nothing less than 
 our destruction by it. But finding the oj)position 
 he was like to meet from the other chiefs, who were 
 of a contrary opinion, he was content to suffer us to 
 reembark, resolving, however, to make use of some 
 other stratagen^ to get into his own hands, by little 
 and little, the rest of our things ; not daring to take 
 them from us openly by force, for fear of the rest of 
 his own nation ; by which it plainly appears, that he 
 was a crafty designing knave. His son was killed 
 by the Miamis, and finding he could not revenge 
 himself on that nation, vented his passion upon us. 
 Having thus travelled nineteen days in our canoe 
 by water, we came within six leagues of the fall of 
 St. Anthony, where they held an assembly to con- 
 sult what they should do with us. At last they 
 separated and gave us to three of their chiefs, in- 
 stead of three of their sons which had been killed in 
 the war ; then they seized our canoe and took away 
 all our equipage ; our canoe they pulled to pieces ; 
 their own they hid among the alders, so that though 
 we might have gone conveniently enough quite up 
 
 

 
 "U. 
 
 ! 
 
 r-; 
 
 M ' 
 
 86 
 
 into their country by water, yet we were obliged 
 by their conduct to travel no less than sixty leagues 
 
 afoot. 
 Our ordinary marches were from break of day till 
 ten at night ; and when wc met with any rivers, we 
 swam them, themselves (who for the most part are 
 of an extraordinary size) carrying our clothes and 
 equipage on their heads. We never eat but once 
 in twentyfour hours, and then nothing but a few 
 scraps of meat dried in smoke, after their fashion, 
 which they afforded us with abundance of ngret. 
 
 I was so weak that I often lay down, resolving 
 rather to die than follow these savages any farther, 
 who travelled at a rate so extraordinary, as far sur- 
 passes the strength of any European. However, to 
 hasten us, they sometimes set fire to the dry grass 
 in the meadows through which we passed, so that 
 our choice was, march or burn. When we had thus 
 travelled sixty leagues afoot, and undergone all the 
 fatigues of hunger, thirst, and cold, besides a thou- 
 sand outrages daily done to our persons ; as soon as 
 we approached their habitations, which arc situat- 
 ed in morasses inaccessible to their enemies, they 
 thought it a proper time to divide the merchandize 
 they had taken from us. Here they were like to fall 
 out and cut one another's throats about the roll of 
 Martinico tobacco, which might still weigh about 
 fifty pounds. Then arose a high dispute about the 
 distribution they were to make of our persons. At 
 last, Aquipaguetin, as head of the party, carried it ; 
 who turning towards me, presented me his calumet 
 of peace to smoke in, receiving from me at the same 
 time that which we had brought, and then adopted 
 
87 
 
 ine for his son, in the room of him he ha^cl lost in 
 the war. 
 
 Two other captains did the same by the two ca- 
 noemen. This separation was very grievous to us, 
 though somewhat allayed by the satisfaction we had 
 to find our lives were safe. Picard, being sensible 
 of the uncertain condition liis life was in among so 
 barbarous a people, took me aside to confess him. 
 I should have been overjoyed to have seen Ako so 
 well disposed. Being thus parted, the savages led 
 us avvay, each to his own village. 
 
 I came to Aquipaguc tin's habitation in the month 
 of May, 1680. The next day he shewed me to six 
 or seven of his wives, telling them that they were to 
 esteem me as ojie of their sons, and ordered those 
 about him to give me the title that was due to the 
 rank which I was to hold amongst my new kindred. 
 
 I spent three months very ill in this place among 
 the Issati and Nadovtssians. My new father gave 
 i.ie nothing to eat but a few wild oats five or six 
 times a week, and the roes of dried fish. He sent 
 me into a neighbouring isle with his wives, children 
 and servants, where I digged with a pickaxe and 
 shovel I had recovered from those that robbed us. 
 Here we planted tobacco, and some European pulse 
 which I brought from thence, and were highly priz. 
 €d by Aquipaguetin. 
 
 During my stay among them, there arrived four 
 savages in embassy, who said they were come above 
 five hundred leagues from the wtst, and had been 
 four moons upon the way. They assured us there 
 was no such place as the btreight of Anian, andtliat 
 they had marched without resting, except to sleep. 
 
 H 
 
 •.i.^3R-| 
 
.11 ^'1 
 
 li 
 
 
 38 
 
 or kill gartic for their subsistence, and had not seen 
 or passed over any great lake ; by which phrase they 
 always mean the sea. 
 
 They farther informed us, that the nation of the 
 Assenipoulaes, who lie northeast from the Issati, 
 was not above six or seven days' journey from us; 
 that none of the nations within their knowledge, 
 who lie to the west or northwest of them, had any 
 great lake about their countries, which were very- 
 large, but only rivers, which, coming from the north, 
 run across the countries of their neighbouring na- 
 tions which border on their confines on the side of 
 the great lake, which in their language is the same 
 as sea. They farther assured us, that there were 
 very few forests in the countries through which 
 they passed in their way hither, insomuch that now 
 and then they were so put to it for fuel, that they 
 were forced to make fires of bulls' dung to boil 
 their victuals. All these circumstances make it 
 appear, that there is no such place as the streights 
 of Anian, as we usually see them set down in maps. 
 And whatever efforts have been made for many years 
 past by the English and Dutch, the two nations of 
 the world who are the greatest navigators, to find 
 out a passage to China and Japan through the fro- 
 zen sea, they have not yet been able to effect it. But, 
 by the help of my discovery, and the assistance of 
 God, I doubt not but a passage may still be found, 
 and that an easy one too. For example ; one may 
 be transported into the Pacifick sea by rivers which 
 are large and capable of carrying great vessels, and 
 from thence it is easy to go to China and Japan 
 without crossing the equinoctial line ; and in all 
 
7 
 
 V, 
 
 89 
 
 probability Japan is on the same continent as Ame- 
 rica. 
 
 Toward the end of July, the Sieur de Luth, ac- 
 companied with five men, arrived in our camp from 
 Canada ; and because I had some knowledge of the 
 language of the Issati, he desired that I, with Pi- 
 card and Ako, might accompany him to the villa- 
 ges of those people. 1 was very willing to under- 
 take it, especially when I understood that they had 
 not received the sacraments in the whole two years 
 and a half that they had been out upon their voyage. 
 We arrived at the villages of the Issati the 14th of 
 August, and having exchanged our commodities 
 we returned to the camp. Towards the end of Sep- 
 tember, we let them understand, that to procure 
 them iron and other merchandizes which was use- 
 ful for them, it was convenient that we should re- 
 turn to Canada ; and that at a certain time when we 
 should agree upon between us, they should come 
 half the way with their furs, and we the other half 
 with our European commodities. Upon this, they 
 held a great Council, and consented to our return. 
 Ouasicoude their chief captain gave us some bushels 
 of wild oats for oar subsistence by the way, having 
 first regaled us in the best manner he could. These 
 oats are better and more wholesome than rice. 
 Then, with a pencil, he marked down on a sheet of 
 paper which I had left, the course we were to keep 
 for four hundred leagues together. 
 
 We put ourselves into two canoes, being eight 
 Europeans of us in all. We fell down the river of 
 St. Francis into the Missisippi, and thence went up 
 12 
 
r 
 
 W 1 . 
 
 ., I; 
 
 A 
 
 90 
 
 the river Ouisconsin, naviinjable lor larj^e vessels a- 
 bove one hundred leagues ; then wc carried our ca- 
 noes over lancUuilf a league. Thus having made 
 more than four hundred leagues by water since our 
 departure from the country of the Issati, we arriv- 
 ed at last at the great bay of the Puans, where we 
 found many Canadians, who were come hither to 
 trade; they having some wine with them, I admin- 
 istered the sacrament and preached. After two 
 days stay, we departed ; and after one hundred 
 leagues rowing, having coasted along the great bay of 
 Puans, we arrived atJIissilimakinakj where we were 
 forced to winter. 
 
 We parted from Missilimakinak in Easter week 
 1681, and having rowed one hundred leagues along 
 the side of the lake Huron, we passed the streights, 
 which are thirty leagues througii, and the lake of 
 St. Clair, which is in the middle; thence over the 
 lake Erie to the full of Niagara, from whence we 
 carried our canoe t»vo leagues below, and came to 
 the lake of Ontario or Frontenac. When we came 
 to the fort, we were kindly received by father Luke 
 Buisset and Mr. la Fleur, who had the command of 
 the fort in the absence of Mr. la Salle. But our 
 men being eager to return to Canada, we took leave 
 and went for Quebec. In two days we came to 
 Montreal, sixty leagues. Count Frontenac looking 
 out at a window saw me in the canoe, and took me 
 for father Luke Fiilatre, who served him as chap- 
 lain ; but one of his guards knowing me again, went 
 to him and acquainted him with my coming. He 
 was so kind as to come and meet me, and gave me 
 the best reception that a missionary might expect 
 
91 
 
 from a person of that ranlc and quality. He wonder- 
 ed to see me so much altered, being lean, tired, and 
 tanned. He carried me to his own house, where I 
 continued twelve days to refresh myself. He forbade 
 all his servants to give me any thing to eat, lest I 
 should fall sick if left to my own discretion after so 
 long hardships ; and gave me himself what he 
 thought best. 
 
 When I desired his permission to go to Quebec, 
 he appointed two of his guards, who understood ve- 
 ry well to manage a canoe, to carry me thither, 
 where the provincial commissary of the Recollects 
 ordered me to return to Kurope, 
 
 
 n tt 
 
 An Account of Mr. la Salle '^ undertaking to dis- 
 cover the River MISSISIPPI, by way of the 
 Gulph of Mexico. By Father Lewis Hen- 
 nepin. 
 
 MR. Robert Cavalier de la Salle was a person 
 qualifitd for the greatest undertakings, and may be 
 justly ranked amongst the most famous travellers 
 that ever were. This will appear to whomsoever 
 will consider that he spent liis own estate about the 
 greatest, most important, and most perilous discove- 
 ry that has been yet made. His design was to find 
 out a passage from the northern to the south sea 
 without crossing the line, which a great many have 
 hitherto sought in vain. The river Missisippi does 
 not indeed run that way ; but he was in hopes by 
 means of that liver to discover some other river