Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??, 1839-12-14
,J 4 8crg gsgogap,
TIE EXPLORERS OF THE WEST.
~ EDMUND FLA,

~ eiit'us " LUZ soche snce Jean BApuStf
Padded his pirouge on LA Bell Riyiere,
And fioni isl banks some lone LoyoA, p.iost
l@s Echoed the nightsong ofthe voyagcur.,
4 9srIl is now more than a century and a
\ half since the sturdy Canadian yovageurs,
-Ftreadiug in The footsteps of Ile adsentur-
Gus Sieur Ia Sale, lorsaking the bleak
shores and win!ry skies Of the ST. Law
renee, first planted themselves upon the
4 beautiful hunting grounds Of the peaceful
Him. Long before the Pilgrim Fathers
LOT New England, or the distressed ealles
tof jamestown, scattered along the steril
i shores Of the Atlantic, had formed even a
conception Of the beautiful valley beyond
the monntains--w Mis- vast North
American continent was vet but wilder
ness, and thcsnaiions Of Cbrlstendom, a.
norant Of tsoharacter or of its extent,
! knewnot by whoriof right il should be
y appropriated --alew French JesuitpTiests
had assembled ia their bark canoes Il dis
lance Of three thousand miles from the
mouth of the endless river, aud had ex-
q plofed its tributaries TO their fountains!
The cause If their fearless undertaking
Twas, we are tol!,-to investigate Tie. truth
4 Of i'm idea which that era waS prevalent
among The Canadian French, that aswest-
'ern passage thro' the American continent
existed TO the Pacific Ocean. The In
Edian hunters had spoken Of vast stream
Ear away to the west, which on heir long
excursionsthey had seen,.b but Of whose
source, course, or Termination they could
not tel nothing. This river was supposed
ltodisgorge itselfin the Pacific Seas; and to
prosecute the enquiry, Father Marquette,
a, rcco!Iet monk, and Ser Jol,et, an Ic..
Fdianirader Of Quebeck, by authority of nj.
Talon, Tdtendpnt Of New France, man
'of singular enterprise, entered upon he
expedition. Thtidding The great e6ainof|
the Northern Lakes 10 their slender slxifs,
and pursuing the Ouisconsin River, Oh
The Hih6f. June, 1873, the first Enropean
descended The eEsther Of Waters Ey.|
The natives whom they met they we're
kindly received, and entertained with a |
Difference due. only to superior beings.
Among these Italians, the Him, then
residing on ,both sides of the Mississippi,
were Chief, and theirnalion was made up oil
'seyendistinct tribes: the Miamies, Michi !
gamies, Mascoiins, Kaskaskias, Kahokias,
Peorias, and Taumarwaus, a ppacefnI.be-
neyolent ,.unwarliie race. "A village was.
found at the mouth Of the Illinois. De-
scendiaga the Mississippi, the French voy-
ageurs were disspaded frondhcir design
Of exploring the Missouri by tradition
Of the natives that near lis month dwelt al
Nunito, whose residence human being
could pass with life; nor did the Indians
fail to tell The legend Of the Piasa Cliff
above. Turning uplhe Illinois, ,herefore,3 4.
they glided with ama2ement through the.
green wood landsand overthe silyery wave
Of that beautiful stream. tits, perhaps, +
and in thepresent err Of spec
nliors And economist, hardly possible to
the delighted emotions. which
must then have swelIed the Bosoms ofthose
Supplemented men Sieur Joliet, on hisI
return.to Canada. published an account Of
his adventures, ii whichsnarrative Ian.
guage seems almost too meagre fordescrip.
iionof The aoIden land he had seen. Fa-
Their Marquette remained missionary
among the indians. To~the river par-
tally explored was given the name of the |,
celebrated Colbert, Minister Of Marines.
BY Countde Fronteuac; and 10 the.,rader
Jolicl, ASA reward, was granted the island
Of 'Aniicosti IN the Gull ST. Lawrence.
Fears passed away, and.no cnterprising |
spirit rose Up TO prosecute The discoveries
already made. The missionary Mar. /
1netIediee among ihe. Indians two Years
after, and Jollei took possession % his
stand. 3 AT length appears M. Robert L
Cavalier de- la Sale, d native Of Rolen
il Normandy ICE Iebfated as The blrihplaced
Sr Fontenelie and the Two Corneilles, and i
for the marsvrdp6. Of the heroic Maid Of
OrIeans more than two centuries before.
Isas Sale was a man Of bold talents and |
enterprise. Ambitious Of fame
md wealth she emgraied 70 Canada; liss1l
ened 10 the wonderful tales Of the endless
ssrrr econceiyed The idea of d Northwest z
e 10 the East Indies; colnmunicats 1
"a his views to The commandant of Fortl1
rrontenac On Lake Ontaria, and was adj &
Used 10 lay his plan before the Court off
81 Cloud. On bis arrival at Paris, &
liiJler ihe!patronae % of the Prince'9e Con- +
], In ssalle recelSed: letters oFnobility md q
.xiensiqe giants of land ia America. AS a
q s.: ~, ~ .,,zaIf 4{o fSl,ox,.. II ~ = i,