USA > Louisiana > The province and the states, a history of the province of Louisiana under France and Spain, and of the territories and states of the United States formed therefrom, Vol. I > Part 7
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At this stage of the proceeding that was destined, undreamed of by the actors, to become so prominent a feature in subsequent French negotiations in America and in the history of the United States, M. Talon, the father of the enterprise, was recalled to France upon his own request, owing to serious disagreements between him and Governor Courcelles, and was. thus no longer identified with the expedition. However, he was succeeded luckily by an able and ambitious man, Count Frontenac, who con- tinued his laudable yet daring project of sending out the expedi- tion under Joliet for the primary purpose of discovering the South Sea and incidentally a practicable route to the same. Frontenac charged Joliet with the leadership of the expedition upon the rec- ommendation of Talon, who had described him "as being a man
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experienced in this kind of discovery, and who had been already very near that river." The object of the expedition was to go to the Mississippi river (then unnamed and unknown, save as called by the Indians, "The Great River," or the Mechisipi, and extrava- gantly described by them) and explore it with the expectation of finding some water route leading by it, or from it, to the South Sea. Some writers lose sight of the paramount object-the dis- covery of a route to the South Sea. They presume that the design was to discover the Mississippi, which had been discovered by the Spaniards more than one hundred and fifty years before. Numerous Spanish and Portuguese maps, showing the Missis- sippi extending up into the heart of the continent, had been published long before and circulated throughout Europe. Unquestionably, copies had reached Paris. Making all due allowances for the imperfect means then existing for the com- munication of such information, accounts of the expeditions of D'Garay and De Soto had no doubt attained the same wide pub- licity. In other words, it is reasonable to suppose that France had learned of the existence of the Mississippi from the Spanish accounts and maps. But this, of course, was the lower Missis- sippi.
The French of Canada learned from the missionaries, who obtained their information from the Indians, of the existence of a "great river" far to the west of Lake Michigan. But it is not unreasonable to suppose that the idea entered the minds of Talon and Frontenac that the "great river" of the Spanish might be the same as the "great river" west of Canada and the lake system ; but this surmise is not known to be a fact. The air was full of rumors concerning the mysteries of the western wilderness. The "great river" reputed to lie there might lead southwestward to the South Sea. The "great river" of the Spanish might not extend so far to the north, or might turn to the east or the west. Therefore, there is nothing to show that prior to the expedition of Joliet and Marquette any one had determined the identity of the two "great rivers." The object of the expedition is unmis- takably laid bare by the following letter from Frontenac to the French minister of state, Colbert, after the return of the explorers. In the caption and in the text the object is shown to be the discovery of the South Sea. It will be admitted that no one could speak with higher authority on this subject than Fron- tenac, unless it was Talon :
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"RETURN OF SIEUR JOLIET FROM HIS VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY OF THE SOUTH SEA:
"The Sieur Joliet, whom M. Talon advised me when I arrived from France to send to discover the South Sea, returned here three months ago, and has discovered some admirable countries, and a navigation so easy by the fine rivers, that he found that from Lake Ontario and Fort Frontenac they could go in barques to the Gulf of Mexico, having only to unload once, where Lake Erie falls into Lake Ontario. These are some of the enterprises they could work upon when peace is established, and it shall please the king to push these discoveries. He has been within ten days of the Gulf of Mexico and believes that (through) the rivers, which empty into the great river from the west they will find some communication by these waters which will lead to the Vermillion Sea and that of California. I send you by my sec- retary the map which he has made and the remarks which he is able to remember, having lost all his memoirs and journals in the shipwreck which he suffered in sight of Montreal, where, after a voyage of twelve hundred leagues, he came near being drowned and lost all his papers and a little Indian that he was bringing back with him. He had left at Lake Superior, with the Fathers at Sault Ste. Marie, copies of his journals, which we cannot obtain until next year; through these you will learn more of the particulars of that discovery in which he acquitted himself very creditably."
"FRONTENAC."
"Quebec le 14 Novemb., 1674."
The expedition, then, presents two important features: First, a commercial one, represented by Louis Joliet, an experienced fur-trader and explorer, who was charged to find a route to the South Sea, in order that the commerce of Asia and its adjacent islands might find thereby a shorter route to the marts of Europe; and was further charged to find and explore the "great river" with the hope that it would solve the riddle which had thus puz- zled Europe for nearly three centuries; Second, a religious one, whereby the powerful and invaluable influences of the Jesuits upon the Indians might contribute to the success of the expedition and -open the way to an casier conquest of the country by the crown of France.
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The companion and assistant of Joliet was chosen upon the recommendation of the superior general of the Jesuits at Quebec,
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and proved to be James Marquette, who had spent many years among the various Indian tribes, could speak several of their lan- guages fluently, possessed to a remarkable degree the power to assuage the fiery spirit of the savages, and was endowed by his Creator with one of the most lovable souls ever offered to martyr- dom in the American wilds. He had been west as far as Green Bay and the southwestern shore of Lake Superior; but in 1672 was stationed at Sault Ste. Marie, which, with Father Dab- lon, he had previously founded, engaged in his holy work of instructing the savages in the rites of the Catholic faith. While in the west, he continued to hear of the "great river," which the Indians called variously "Mechisipi," "Mesissipi," etc.,* learned of the fierce and powerful Sioux and other large nations along its banks or in its vicinity, and formed the resolution with all the fervor and piety of his ardent nature to carry to them at the first opportunity the blessings of Christianity. His enthusiasm pos- sessed no touch of commercialism ; he was there to save the souls of the heathen, and was ready to brave every danger and hardship to carry the cross to new tribes. As the sequel proved, his selec- tion was eminently wise, because his peaceful demeanor and fine, magnetic presence more than once unquestionably prevented an attack upon the little expedition.
Owing to the loss of Joliet's journal, it has been necessary for historians to rely for details upon the accounts given by Father Marquette. Doubtless, this has led some writers to put him in the first place of importance in the expedition. Without dispar- - aging his eminent services, it is not just to slight, nor omit just recognition of, the heroic Joliet, the official head and commander of the expedition. No doubt the comparative prominence given to the services of Father Marquette has resulted from the pub- licity given to his account by the Jesuits and by historians. Joliet seems to have set out from Montreal, passing up the lakes to Michillimackinac, where he found Father Marquette at his mission house and chapel at Point St. Ignace. The latter says in his journal : "In 1673, the Count de Frontenac, our governor, and M. Talon, then our intendant, knowing the importance of this discovery, either to seek a passage from here to the China sea by the river which empties into the California or Red sea, or
* Many names were applied to the Mississippi, among which are the following: Espiritu Santo; La Pliçada and Rio Escondido by the Spaniards; La Conception ( Marquette). St. Louis (La Salle), Buade, the family name of Frontenac . Joliet), Colbert by the French; Match-cha-sipi, Malbouchia or Balbouchia, Mirabichi, Chacagua, Messippi, Meschasebi, Oquechiton by the Indians. It is claimed that "Miss" means "great" and "sipi" means "water."
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to verify what was afterward said of the two kingdoms of The- guaio and Quivira, which border on Canada, and where gold mines are, it is said, abundant, these gentlemen, I-say, both at the same time selected for the enterprise the Sieur Jollyet, whom they deemed competent for so great a design, wishing to see Father Marquette accompany him. They were not mistaken in their choice of the Sieur Jollyet, for he was a young man, born in this country, and endowed with every quality that could be desired in such an enterprise. The day of the Immac- ulate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, whom I had always invoked since I have been in this Ottawa country, to obtain of God the grace to be able to visit the nations of the river Missisipi, was identically that on which M. Jollyet arrived with orders of the Count de Frontenac, our governor, and M. Talon, our intendant, to make this discovery with me. 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 exposing my life for the salvation of all these nations, and particularly for the Illinois, who had, when I was at La Pointe du St. Esprit, very earnestly entreated me to carry the word of God to their country. We were not long in preparing our outfit, although we were embarked on a voyage the duration of which we could not foresee. Indian corn, with some dried meat, was our whole stock of provisions. With this we set out in two bark canoes, M. Jollyet, myself, and five men, firmly resolved to do all and suffer all for so glorious an enterprise."
From this extract is learned what the object of the expe- dition was thought by them to be-to seek a passage to China or to verify the old stories of gold at Quivira, or the "Seven Cities of Cibola," tales based upon actualities. No mention is made that the object was to discover the Mississippi. The expedition, consisting of seven men, left St. Ignatius on May 17, 1673, having been since the previous December engaged in preparing for the journey. Marquette says, "As we were going to seek unknown countries, we took all possible precautions, that, if our enterprise was hazardous, it should not be foolhardy; for this reason we gathered all possible information from the Indians who had fre- quented those parts, and even from their accounts traced a map of all the new country, marking down the rivers on which we were to sail, the names of the nations and places through which we were to pass, the course of the great river, and what direction we should take when we got to it."
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They passed up the Fox river, carried their canoes across the portage, re-embarked on the Wisconsin river, and slowly sailed down that treacherous stream. They were assisted as far as the portage by Indians from Green Bay; there their guides stopped, not daring to go farther, as their nation was at war with the tribes farther down the Wisconsin river. Finally they reached the "great river," which Father Marquette had so earnestly longed to visit; and he says, "After forty leagues on this same route, we reached the mouth of our river, and finding ourselves at 421/2 N., we safely entered the Mississippi on the 17th of June, with a joy that I cannot express."*
On sounding, they found ten fathoms of water. They floated down with the current, rowing to assist, and having passed about half a degree, observed that the surrounding woods and moun- tains had disappeared, and that the "islands are more beautiful, and covered with finer trees." He describes the various animals in detail, and the natural features of the country. "Proceeding south and south-southwest, we find ourselves at 41 north: then at 40 and some minutes, partly by southeast and partly by south- west, after having advanced more than sixty leagues since enter- ing the river, without discovering anything." He meant by the latter clause that they had encountered no human beings. Con- tinuing, "at last, on the 25th of June, we perceived footprints of men by the water side, and a beaten path entering a beautiful prairie. We stopped to examine it, and concluded that it was a path leading to some Indian village, we resolved to go and recon- noitre ; we accordingly left our two canoes in charge of our people, cautioning them strictly to beware of a surprise; then M. Jollyet and I undertook this rather hazardous discovery for two single men, who thus put themselves at the discretion of an unknown and barbarous people." This was a remarkable undertaking, and signifies the heroic character of the two explorers. They had been told again and again that the Mississippi tribes would kill them on sight, and for aught they now knew they were approach- ing their dooms of torture. That knowledge did not deter them . in the slightest degree : they had come for the purpose of visiting the tribes along the river and exploring its shores and the sur- founding country, and were prepared to meet death at any moment in the discharge of their duty. Although the narrative does not say so, the maps show that this landing was made on the
*Joliet named the Mississippi "Buade," the family name of Governor Frontenac.
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west side of the Mississippi river; they were, therefore, upon modern Iowa soil, near the mouth of the Des Moines river .*
The narrative continues, "We followed the little path in silence, and having advanced about two leagues (a little more than five miles), we discovered a village on the banks of the river, and two others on a hill half a league from the former." The loca- tion of these villages will always be a matter of doubt. From the accompanying map made by Marquette, it will be seen that the three villages are placed on what appears to be an island of a river surely too small to be, as claimed, the Des Moines. But it is now generally conceded that no other river was meant, and that the landing was at or near the modern village of Montrose, a small creek to the west of it forming a curve, and the land beyond appearing like an island. Two of the villages are named by Mar- quette-Peouarea and Moingwena. The latter is known to have been the modern Des Moines, and the former the modern Peoria, branches of the Illini family.
The narrative continues (after they had caught sight of the Indian villages), "Then, indeed, we recommended ourselves to God, with all our hearts; and having implored his help, we passed on undiscovered, and came so near that we even heard the Indians talking. We then deemed it time to announce ourselves, as we did by a cry, which we raised with all our strength, and then halted without advancing any further. At this cry the Indians rushed out of their cabins, and having probably recognized us as French, especially seeing a black gown ( Marquette evidently had on his priestly garb), or at least having no reason to distrust ns, seeing we were but two and had made known our coming, they deputed four old men to come and speak with us. Two carried tobacco pipes well adorned, and trimmed with many kinds of feathers. They marched slowly, lifting their pipes toward the sun, as if offering them to him to smoke, but yet without uttering a single word. They were a long time coming a little way from the village to us. Having reached us at last, they stopped to consider us attentively."
They immediately made friends with the Frenchmen, and said they were of the Illinois nation, presented their pipes to be smoked, and invited the visitors to the village "where all the tribe awaited us with impatience." At the door of the main cabin, they were received by an old man, who was standing stark naked,
* Along the Des Moines river Joliet places the Illinois, Peorias, Moingwenas, Pawnees, Omahas, Otontantas, Pawlets, and others. He says that the Peorias had 300 cabins.
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with his hands raised as if to shield his eyes from the sun, and who delivered this salutation: "How beautiful is the sun, O Frenchmen, when thou comest to visit us! All our town awaits thee, and thou shalt enter all our cabins in peace." There could hardly have been rendered a finer compliment or a more beautiful greeting. The reaction in the feelings of the two Frenchmen from iron to sunny peace, must have afforded them the most intense delight. The whole village was theirs for the asking. Then succeeded a long round of ceremony, of feasting and smok- ing, of friendly speeches and greetings. "You must not refuse the calumet, unless you would pass for an enemy, or at least for being impolite. It is, however, enough to pretend to smoke. While all the old mien smoked after us to honor us, some came to invite us on behalf of the great sachem of all the Illinois to proceed to his town, where he wished to hold a council with us. We went with a good retinue, for all the people who had never seen a Frenchman among them could not tire looking at us; they threw themselves on the grass by the wayside, they ran ahead, then turned and walked back to see us again. All this was done without noise, and with marks of a great respect entertained for us."
At the great sachem's town, they were received by the sachem himself at his cabin door, standing between two old men like himself, all three stark naked, and with their calumets turned toward the sun. The Frenchmen were greeted as usual, and then the designs of the Frenchmen were made known to the fol- lowing effect, Marquette acting as spokesman : Ist, They were on their journey by this river to the sea; 2d, They came to reveal God to them; 3d, The French chief sent word "that he had spread peace everywhere and had overcome the Iroquois ;" 4th, They desired all the information the Indians could give them of the sea and the nations along the river banks to the south. "When I had finished my speech, the sachem rose, and laying his hand on the head of a little slave, whom he was about to give us, spoke thus, 'I thank thec, Blackgown, and thee, Frenchman (Joliet), for taking so much pains to come and visit us; never has the earth been so beautiful nor the sun so bright as today ; never lias our river been so calm nor so free from rocks, which your canoes have removed as they passed; never has our tobacco had so fine a flavor, nor our corn appeared so beautiful as we behold it today. ITere is my son that I give thee, that thou mayst know my heart. I pray thee to take pity on me and all my nation. Thou knowest the Great Spirit who has made us all; thou speakest to him and
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hearest his word; ask him to give me life and health, and come and dwell with us, that we may know him.' Saying this, he placed the little slave near us and made us a second present, an all-mysterious calumet, which they value more than a slave." How was it possible to prove his friendship in a stronger way? Gave his son to Joliet for a slave ; gave away his sacred calumet ; offered a free home to Father Marquette; said the earth was more beautiful for their coming. Thus the savages in Iowa greeted the first Frenchmen to visit them-men who were there to fasten the chains of France to their limbs and bring to them an unknown and unappreciated religion.
At the conclusion of this ceremony, a great feast followed consisting of four courses : Ist, Indian meal boiled in water and seasoned with grease; 2d, Fish with the bones removed; 3d, a large dog, which was politely declined by the guests; 4th, a piece of wild ox (probably buffalo), "the fattest portions of which were put into our mouths." In fact, the Frenchmen were fed by the Indians with spoons as little children are. This village was a large one, consisting of "full three hundred cabins." The French- men were made all sorts of presents, and were finally escorted to their boats by nearly six hundred persons. "We take leave of our Illinois (friends) about the end of June, at three o'clock in the afternoon, and embark in sight of all the tribe, who admire our little canoes, having never seen the like. We descend, following the course of the river, toward another called Pekitanoui, which empties into the Missisipi, coming from the northwest, of which I have something considerable to say, after I have related what I have remarked of this river. From the start they used every precaution against surprise. "We advanced constantly, but as we did not know where we were going, having already made more than a hundred leagues ( from Wisconsin) without having discovered anything but beasts and birds, we kept well on our guard (written when above the Des Moines). Accordingly, we make only a little fire on the shore at night to prepare our meal and after supper keep as far off from it as possible, passing the night in our canoes, which we anchor in the river pretty far from the bank. Even this did not prevent one of us being always as a sentinel for fear of a surprise."
When they reached the mouth of the Pekitanoui, while rowing in clear water, they suddenly heard a noise like a waterfall, and looking ahead, saw a large mass of trees floating across their course, and threatening to engulf them. "The agitation was so great that the water was all muddy and could not get elcar."
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He did not know then that the normal condition of the Missouri water was "all muddy." For this was the great Missouri .* "Pekitanoui is a considerable river which coming from very far in the northwest, empties into the Missisipi. Many Indian towns are ranged along this river, and I hope by its means to make the discovery of the Red or California sea. We judged by the direc- tion the Missisipi takes, that if it keeps on the same course it has its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico; it would be very advantageous to find that which leads to the South sea, toward California and this, as I said, I hope to find by Pekitanoui."
Proceeding, they reached the mouth of the Ouaboukigou, or Ohio, above which, evidently on the west side of the river, they "perceived an iron mine, which they deemed very rich; there are many veins and a bed a foot thick. Large masses are found com- bined with pebbles." Going on, they saw Indians with guns, who proved to be Chicachas, or Chickasaws, and who received them with friendly greetings, and fed them on wild beef, bear's oil and white plums. "They have guns, axes, hoes, knives, beads, and double glass bottles in which they keep their powder. .
. They assured us that it was not more than ten days' journey to the sea; that they bought stuffs and other articles of Europeans on the eastern side; that these Europeans had rosaries and pic- tures ; that they played on instruments. This news roused our courage and made us take up our paddles with renewed ardor. We advanced then, and now begin to see less prairie land, because both sides of the river are lined with lofty woods." They heard wild cattle bellowing. "We had now descended to near 33 degrees north, having almost always gone south, when on the water's edge we perceived a village called Mitchigamea." This was situated on the west side of the river, in modern Arkansas. Here it was that they passed successfully their greatest danger during the journey. The Indians made preparations to attack them both by land and water, but were finally pacified by the sight of the calumet. They remained here all night, but received little information, though they were told that down the river eight or ten leagues they would reach a great village called Akamsea (Arkansas), where they would learn all they desired to know. Arriving at Akamsea (near the mouth of the River Arkansas),; they were well received and feasted for an entire day, evidently to a surfeit, on sagimity, Indian corn whole, pieces
* Joliet omitted to name the Missouri on his map; but he places the Missouris, Kansas, Osages, Pawnees and others along its course.
t Jollet named the Arkansas river "Bazire" after a Quebec merchant.
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of dog flesh, etc. During the night a secret council was held by some of the sachems "on the design to kill us for plunder, but the chief broke up all their schemes, and sending for us, danced the calumet in our presence as a mark of perfect assurance : and then to remove all fears presented it to me."
"M. Jollyet and I held another council to deliberate on what we should do, whether we should push on, or rest satisfied with the discovery that we had made. After having attentively con- sidered that we were not far from the Gulf of Mexico, the basin of which is 31 degrees, 40 minutes north, and we at 33 degrees and 40 minutes, so that we could not be more than two or three days' journey off ; that the Missisipi undoubtedly had its mouth in Florida or the Gulf of Mexico, and not on the east in Viriginia, whose seacoast is 34 degrees north, nor on the western side in Cal- ifornia, because that would require a west or west-southwest course, and we liad always been going south. We considered, moreover, that we risked losing the fruit of this voyage, of which we could give no information, if we should throw ourselves into the hands of the Spaniards, who would undoubtedly, at least, hold us as prisoners. Besides, it was clear, that we were not in a con- dition to resist Indians allied to Europeans, numerous and expert in the use of firearms, who continually infested the lower part of the river. Lastly, we liad gathered all the information that could be desired from the expedition. All these reasons induced us to resolve to return : this we announced to the Indians, and after a day's rest prepared for it. After a month's navigation down the Missisipi from the 42d to below the 34th degree, and after having published the gospel as well as I could to the nations I had met, we left the village of Akamsea on the 7th of July, to retrace our steps. We accordingly ascended the Missisipi, which gave us great trouble to stem its currents. We left it indeed, about the 38th degree, to enter another river, which greatly short- ened our way, and brought us, with little trouble, to the lake of the Illinois." Marquette remained in the west, but Joliet contin- ued on to Montreal, to make his report to the Provincial Govern- ment. When within a few miles of that place, and while still on the river St. Lawrence, his boat was upset in the rapids, and the journal of the expedition was lost, together with the little Indian boy, whom the chief of the Peorias had given him in what is now Lee county, Ia. It is said that Joliet struggled several hours in the water before he succeeded in reaching shore.
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