The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-07-25


for Canada, A passage in his "Nou-
vean Voyage" seems to intimate that he
was here for a time associated with the
pious and amiable Fenelon, who after
wards became Archbishop of Cambray
In the new world, Henncpin could but
be gratiiicd His zeal for religion and
discovery led him among the fierce Iro-
quois, even as far as the settlements
around New Orange, as Albany was
then called.
After remaining some two and half
years at Fort Frontenac, which was
where the town of Kingston now stands,
he embarked with La Sale in the ship
Griffin on voyage upon the Lakes. In
the edition of his works published at
Amsterdam in 1904, there is lively
representation Of the hull of this, the
first vessel that was ever built in the
neighborhood, or sailed upon our inland
seas.
Sharing the manifold hardships to
which La Sale and his party were ex-
posed, we find him at the commence
ment of the year 1850 at Fort Creve-
ceur, near the present Peoria in Illinois.
AT the request of La Sale, he departed
in canoe with two oarsmen named
Picard and Ako for the sources of the
Mississippi. Describing the scene he
remarks, 'La Sale then telling me that
he expected | should depart without
further delay, he embraced me and gave
me calumet Of peace, with two men
to manage our canoe, 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 for my own use, ten
knives, twelve shoemakers' avis or bod
kins, small roll of Martinico tobacco,
two pounds Of rassade, I. G. little pearls
or rings of colored glass to make brace
lets for the savages, and small parcel
of needles, telling me he would have
given me greater quantity if it had
been in his power.
Descending the Illinois and ascending
the Mississippi, they met with no him
drance except the ice until the 18th of
April AS his two men on the afternoon
of that day were boiling a turkey-cock,
and he reftting his canoe, some fifty
bark canoes, manned with 40 naked
savages hove in sight. Throwing away
their turkey broth, they jumped into
their own canoe and began to cry out in
the language of the Iroquois and Algon-
quin, "Comrades, we are men of the
wooden Canoes" for so they call those
that sail in great vessels. OF course
the Indians vino were from the Dakota
nation could not understand, and
springing out oftheir canoes, surrounded
the travellers and frightened them most
terribly with their shrieks. Three or
four of the eldest of them laid their
hands on the head of Hennepin and be-
gan to weep bitterly. The Father not
understanding what this could mean,
with an old handkerchief began to dry
up their tears; but the Indians soon sig
nified that they had resolved to kill them.
He then presented the chiefs with hatch
cts, knives, and tobacco. This pres
emf, he remarks, chad the good effect
to soften some of them, who according
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 they set their platter before US, made
of the bark of tree, leaving us at lib
erty to feed after our own fashion. That
night was passed in much fear. The
81. Af h..
smoked the pipe Of peace with them and
told them that they must 60 into his
country. On the day they were sur
priced, they must have been not far
from the Wisconsin, as Hennepin says
he was about $50 leagues above the IlIi-
nois, and travelled in company with the
Indians some $50 leagues further.
While in the vicinity ofLac des Pleurs
now Lake Pcpin, a captain called Aqui-
paguetin, who afterwards adopted the
RecolIect for his son, killed large deer
and gave feast. After the repast the
Indians, with their hair Amounted with
oil Of bears, and filled with red and
white feathers and the down Of birds,
began to dance with their hands upon
their hips and striking their feet with
great force upon the ground.
During the dance one Of the sons of
the leaders of the feast made them all
smoke in the pipe of war, himself she'd
ding abundance of tears, and the father
crying also, laying his hands upon their
heads and lifting up his eyes. They
had intended to have killed the explorers
but were prevented by the opposition OF
some of the other chiefs.
Hennepin's map and descriptions of
the country on the east side of the Mis-
sissippi, between the Wisconsin river
and the Falls of St Anthony, are toler-
ably correct, considering the little OPP
portunhy for observation. He says the
Upper Mississippi is filed with islands
luxuriant in vegetation. Within five
and twenty leagues he met another
river coming from the eastward, named
by the Nadonessans or Issati, Chebadeba
or Chabaouadeba, that is, the Black
River
About 30 leagues further he saw the