The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-08-22
COMMUNICATED.
Sketch Of the Life and writings Of Louis
Hennepin.
NUMBER III.

Although Hennepin was for time
separated from his companions, they
appear to have lived at last in the same
encampment, as the following account,
of the baptism Of the first Dakota infant
shows
In the filly-6fth chapter Of the edition
Of his works published at Amsterdam, in
1904, and also in the English edition of
1893, Hennepin says: Going one day,
as l often did to visit the lodges found
the infant of one called Mamenisi, very
i'll. Upon examination of the child's
disease | found it past recovery. l
desired our two canoe-mcn to give me
their opinion, telling them that i'll con-
science | thought myself obliged to bap-
tize it. Michael Ako could not be pre-
vailed upon to enter the cabin where the
sick child lay. He said,t excuse him
self, that could not forget what risk we
had already run, owing to my obstinacy
in saying my brcviary, and that he fear
ed that the baptism was about to per-
form might expose US to the same dam
ger. The unfortunate fellow preferred
to comply with certain superstitions of
the barbarians, rather than assist me inso
pious design. Accompanied bynone but
byPicard duGay, who assisted me as god
father, | christened the child, and nam
ed it Antonctta, after Saint Anthony of
Padua, and rather because Picard du
Gays name was Anthony Auguelle, "A ma
tive of Amiens, and nephew of Monsieur
du Cauroi, since Abbot of Beaulieu, to
whom presented him safe at our return
from Canada. But to proceed; for the
want of more proper utensils, took Il
wooden dish, and having put some COM
mon water therein, poured It upon the
head of the little savage, pronouncing
these words: Creature of God, bap-
tizc thee in the name of the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit Then took
half my altar-cloth, which had snatch
ed out of the hands of savage who
had stolen it,and spread it over the body
of the infant.
The baptism was accompanied by no
other ceremony, because my sacerdotal
robes being taken from me could not
say mass. thought that the linen could
not serve better purpose than wind
ing sheet 10 the first infant Of the coun-
try that had the happiness to be baptiz-
ed. know not how far its pain mi ght
be assuaged by virtue of linen, or what
alteration it might have produced, but
am sure | saw it laughing the next day
in its mothers arms. 1t died, however,
some time afterwards, which afforded
me more of JOY than grief.
Had this child recovered, it was much
to be feared that it would have trod in
the steps of his foreiathcrs, and been
overgrown with infamous superstitions
for want Of preacher to teach it. Up
on these considerations, / was glad it
had pleased God to take This little
Christian out of the world. | have Of
ten attributed my preservation amid the
greatest dangers, to the care took for
its baptism.
In the fifty-sixth chapter he states, that
during his captivity there arrived an
embassy Of four savages, who said they
came 500 leagues from the west, and
had been four moons on the way
From them he learned that there were
no straits called Anan, and that they
had not passed over any large sea-
They also told him, that the nation of
the Asseniponalacs, who lie north-ea st
of the Issati, were only six or seven
DAYS distant. On the map he calls
this nation the Asscnipoils, and makes
them as dwelling on lake betwecnLake c
Superior and Lake Assenipoii. These
Indians stated moreover that there were
very few forests in the country through
which they had travelled, and that some-
times the fuel was so scarce that they
were forced to make fires ofbuils' dung,
to boil their victuals. The information
he obtained, led him to conclude that 1t
was impossible to find out passage to
China and Japan by the Frozen Ocean ;
but that it was easy to 60 to the Pacific
by means Of rivers, navigable for large
vessels. He also expressed the opinion
that Japan might be found to be on the
same continent as America.
After he had been with the Dakota5
about two months, he descended the Mis-
sissippi with a party that were in ques,
of buffaloes. The Chief of the band
was named Ouasicoude ,orPierced Pine
and there was with HIM about $50 war
riors. Our Father took nothing with
him but his prayer book, having buried
his chalice and his papers until he re-
turned from the chase. Some four days
after their departure they made halt
about eight leagues above Saint Antho-
ny's Falls, upon hill opposite the river
Saint Francis. Shortly after this, as
they were making q portage around the
Falls they perceived an Indian in an oak
tree, near the roaring waters, weeping
bitterly, having fastened to one of the
branches beaver robe, white on the in
side, and ornamented with porcuPine.
1.-THE poor wretch" says the Recol-
lect, chad offered it in sacrifice to the
Falls, which indeed of itself is terrible,
and hath some thing init very astonishing
However, it doth not come near that o.
Niagara. The party descended as fa'
as the Wisconsin, and upon their return,
-.. a. n 10 ,kS nfthn RufYa1o river they