The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-08-08
COM MMUNICATED.
Sketch of the Life and writings Of Louis
Hennepin.
NUMBER II.

Within SIX leagues OF the lal OF sam
Anthony the Indians held a consultation
The spot could not have been far from
the town of st. Paul. Shortly after thi
, they seized his canoe and broke it to piec
es, and hid their own among the bush
es. They then continued their journey
on foot. The Recollect says 'the navi
cation Of the Meschasipi is interrupted
by fall so or 60 feet in heigth, which
we called the Fall Of St. Anthony O
Padua, whom we had taken for the pro.
tector Of our discovery. There is q
rock Of pyramidal form just in the mid
die of the fall
In consequence Of his captivity he
would not ascend the river as far as he
desired but he learned from the savages
that some twenty orthirty leagues above
there was second fall, in the vicinity
Of which, for a portion of the year, there
were Indian villages of a nation called
Tintonha, that is to say the inhabitants
OF the prairies or meadows.
Eight leagues above the Falls of St.
Anthony, he came to the river of Issati
or Nadouessans which was very narrow
at its mouth. 1t issued from the Lake
of the Issati which was 20 leagues dis
tant. He named the river ST. Francis
and on its banks he dwelt as a captive.
The river now called Elk, is marked on
Nicollet's map as the St. Francis, but
from Hennepin's account, he must have
dwclt on the shores of Rum river. Our
In, fhnr ~ hn hn,
miles from the villages Of the Tintonha
to the sea (the Gulf of Mexico) He
also remarks that it may be navisahle
from the Falls Of St. Anthony for fiat
bottomed boats, provided the islands were
cleared from trees, and especially vines,
which having bound the trees together,
would impede the passage Of boat in
many places. The country about Lake
Issati is marshy ground wherein grows
abundance of wild oats, (or rice. 1t
is gathered by the women who tie sever
al stalks together with white bark to
! frigh hten off the duck, teal. or swan.
| He speaks ofseveral other lakes near
the Lake Issati, from which several riv-
ers spring The banks of these streams
were inhabited by several bands of the
Dakotas, whom he styles the Issati, the
Nadoessans, the Tintonha or nation Of
the plains, the Ouadebathon, or men of
rivers, and the Chongasketon or nation
of the wolfor the dog There were sew
eral other bands also included under the
general name of Nadoessans or Ma
doessians
After Hennepin had travelled some
60 leagues on foot be began to approach
the habtations Of his captors, which
were situated in inaccessible morasses.
Breaking open his trunk they seized his
merchandise, fought with each other a.
bout roll of Martinico tobacco weigh
ing about so pounds, and ran off with
his brocade robe, and all Of his chapel
ornaments with the exceptionofthe chal-
ice which they dared not touch. The ves-
sci being silver gilt ,glistencd in the sun,
and they supposing it to be spirit which
would kill them, would not even look at
it. or this scene there is spirited en-
craving in the Amsterdam edition.
When the Indians came to separate
there was an exciting discussion about
the distribution of prisoners, but at last
Aquinpagnetin gained it and took Hen
nepin for his adopted son. Two other
chiefs took Picard and Ako. Hennepin
says "This separation was very griev-
Gus to us. Picard being sensible of the
uncertain condition of his life took me
aside to confess him. | should have
been overjoyed to have seen Ako, so
well disposed" He reached Aquipag-
uetin's lodge in May 1850, aud was
introduced to six or seven of the chiefs
wives, who were told to treat him as a
son. Speaking of his new home he
says, "There was bears skin before
the fire, upon which the youngest boy of
the cabin caused me to lie down, and
then with the grease ofwild cats, ,anoint-
ed my thighs, legs, and soles of my feet.
This new father Of mine observing that
could not well rise without two or three
to help me, ordered stove to be made,
which he caused me to enter stark max
ed with four savages, qui avant que de
commencer suer, Sc lierent le pre-
puce avec des liens fats d'ecorce de bois
blanc.
The stove was covered with skins of
wild bulls, and in it they placed red-hot
flint and other stones. They ordered
me to hold my breath as long as could.
AS for the indecent parts had only a
handkerchief to cover me- AS soon as
the savages that were with me let 90
their breath, which they did with great
force, Aquipagnetin began to sing with
bold laundering voice. The others
seconded him, and laying their hands on
my body began to rub, and at the same
time cry bitterly. was near fainting
and forced to leave the oven. At my
coming out, ] could scarcely take up
my cloak Of St. Francis. However
they continued to make me sweat thrice
week, which at last restored me TO my
former vigor."
The meagre diet upon which he was
kept, though belonging to an order, that
vowed absolute poverty, made him com
plain. My new father gave me nothing
to eat but a few wild oats five or six