The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1843-01-06
The EIgi Vessel w!.1cii Nnvigasgd tae Yves
tenn f.akcs.

The Elgi Vessel which Nnvjgasgd tae Wes-
tenn t.nAcs.
The following account, which we extract from
that excellent periodical, Hunts Merchants
Magazine, is translated from all old French work,
printed in 1898, entitled, IAN account Of the
discovery of very great country situated IN
America" by Father Hennepin. 1t VIII be read
with interes, by ell
I,now became necessary for La Sale.
in fur,herance of his object, to construct
a vessel above the falls Of Niagara. suiii-
cien,ly large TO transport the men and
goods necessary To carry on profitable
trade with the savages residing on the
western lakes. Ga the 22d Of January,
1879, they went six miles above the fails
10 the mouth of small creek, and there
built dock convenient for the construc-
ton Of their vessels
On the Goth Of January the keel and
other pieces being ready, La Sale request
ed Father licnnepin 70 drive the first bolt;
but the moles'y Of the good fathers pro-
fession prevented.
During the rigorous winter, La Sale
determined to return TO Fort Fronenac;
and, leaving the dock in charge of an ltal-
ian named Chevalier Tut, he started ac
companied by Father Iiennepin as far as
Lake Ontario; from thence he traversed
the dreary forests of Frontenac on foot.
with only two companions and dog
which drew his baggage on sled, sub
sisting on nothing but parohed corn and
even that failed him two days journey
from the fort. In the mean time, the
building of the vessel went on under the
suspicious eyes Of the neighboring sava-
ges, although the most part of them had
gone to war beyond lake Erie. One Of
them, feigning in!oxication. attempted the
life of the blacksmith, who defended him
self successfully with a red hot bar of
iron. The timely warning Of friendly
squaw averted The burning of their YES
sci on the stocks. which was designed by
the savagas. The workmen were almost
dishearlcned by frequent alarms, and
would have abandoned the work, had
they not been cheered by the good father,
who represented the great advantage their
perseverance would afford, and how much
their success would rebound to the glory
Of God. These and other inducements,
accelerated the work, and the vessel was
soon ready to DO launched, though not en-
tirely finished. Chanting "7e Deum,"
and firing three guns. they committed her
to the river amid cries of Joy, and swung
their hammocks in security from the wild
beasts and still more dreaded Indians.
When the Senecis returned from thei
expedition, they were greatly astnnishet
at the floating fort which struck terror
among all the savages who lived on ,h'
'There can be but little louht that the plac,
they selected for building their bark the mou,l
Of the Cayugs creek, about miles above the falls
. Governor Cass says tho vessel was launched u
Erie Schoolcrai,, in his Journal, says "nea
Buffalo," and the historian Bancroft locates tn
site at the mouth of Tonawanda creek. Hcnne
pin says the mouth Of the creek was two league
above the great falls The mouth Of the ronu
wanda Is moro than twice that distance, and III
Cayuga 10 the only stream that answers to N
description.