New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-04-17
The Discovery Of the Mississippi,

The Discovery OF the Mississippi.
INTERESTING pArERs-At the April meeting of the New
York Historical Society held the 9th some interesting
papers relative to the early discovery of the Mississippi
river read The Tribune gives the following report
of the meeting:
Mr.. Moore also presented and read communication
from John O. Shea acecnpnnyips he original map Of
and exploration Of the Mississippi river in 1918
The paper Of Mr. Shea says have little idea of
the ohscurity which, for long time hung over the inte
ror OF this country Each wanderers vague account
welled by his own imagination that of others into
wondrous tale and romance long enjoyed the field which
the Great River of the West ell Rio Grande le Grand
Rvicre (he Mssissipp) First Of white the strange
adventurer Cabez de Naca with the three survivors of the
gallant band of Narvaez trayersing the continent from
Florida to California to the Mississippi but he
marks it only as great river that they crossed it.
wandering from tribe to tribe in the guse of medicine
menthcy journeyed on in hopes Of reaching
spot where towering cross would tell them their country
men Were near This was in 1857 and when the little
party Mt last appeared among the Spanish coonss each
told his tale while all myseriousy ntmated that regions
of untold wealth spread unknown interior Two
years later De Soto entered Florida to seek the visionary
realm while. Mt almost the time the adventurous
franciscan Mark de Mia set out from Cuhacan
Dc Nacas trail de Soto sought to follow it both
expeditions the of-pring accounts of the sur
wing four. Around both accordingly hangs halo of
romance, which has caused much skepticsm to their
real success De Soto reached the Mississippi his Rio
irande or great river which hurried down its muddy
,ue the gnnI trees ~ had uprooed hundred OF miles
above He crossed it at about the lowest Chickasaw
Bluff. as historians commonly suppose and then
ccnded the river the western shore for weeks
The chronccrs of his expedition thus at liberty to
examine the country around and in fact their description
hough but incidental is valuable and generally correct
De Soto roamed the country west of the Great
River In April 1872 he reached it again broken heart
I'd after long and useless wapderings Why lingcr
his fate? He died soon after on its banks not far from
the mouth of Red River and after temporary inter
ncn its bank. his body sunk in the this
Rio Grandc Nlississpp His successor moscoso after
Intellectual attempt to reach Mexico by land
the next year to the Great River and building boats.
scended the urbd current to the Gulf of Mexico which
they reached in seventeen days.
Spain had then explored for considerable distance
Great River of the West and the Adelantado Cuba
spain did no more the accidental discovery had
folded to the eye Of avarce golden land and she
elected the great artery of America.
Once only after this do fluid the great river mention
cd and its name, Rio Grande, given enormously
ther river which still bears it; expedition that (f
Jealous Missionaries whom ardor and courage
had led where soldiers shrank from following them.
reached broad and turbid stream hurryng onward to
the Surprising it to be the Great River of De Soto.
he called it So and it is now the southern boundary Of
our domain.
their posts on Lake Huron had heard Of the great river
which ran through the countless tribes to distant
Two years later two fathers planted the the
lit of Lake Superior and turned longing eye
south which they already visited in desire but these
hopes were to be blasted One was soon to perish by the
hands Of the Mohawk and the whole Huron tribe
be swept by the victorious allies while missionary
after missionary died among his neophytes, triumphing
over every torture Upper Canada desert Priest
and people had alike been slain and the missionaries
| compelled to pause,
The River still the object of their ardent zeal;
but the humble missionary could not then easily obtain
She means for long expedition Marquette above all
ighed to undertake it unaided by he heav
IN and at last his prayer heard the Colonial Govern
ment suddenly resolved explore that Great River to
whether it to the Gulf Of California and opened the
way to China passed itself by the realm of Quvira
which termed with gold. Joyet selected for the
purpose and long connected with the Jesuit missionaries
irst as pupil, then Of their wandering flock While
trader in the West he selected father Marquette his
companion They set out in May 1878 and the result OF
their voyage is too well known to dwell upon Each ap
Phrently drew narrative of the voyage but Jolyet
was descending the St Lawrence. his upset and ali
his papers lost Meanwhile, Father Marquette, bro
ken in health, reposng while at the mission of
st Francis awaiting the moment when his health should
permit to revisit the mission Of the Immaculate Concep
un in Illinois which he had founded as he was returning
from the Mississippi 1t was not till September that he
felt strong enough to undertake the journey and he
cordingy set out after Before his departure he
ransmitted-as his autograph journal shows-copies of
MS journal down the Mississippi Conception
doubtless the map which is this evening offered the in
pecton of the Historical Society, which belongs
| the archives of st. Mary's College, Montreal.
| 10 return to Marquette That faithful missionary
after much suffering during the winter reached the Hi
noi' and finding that his days were numbered set out
after short stay to return to the mission but it too
iate He sank gradually. as he advanced along Lake
Michigan, and expired the shore. where he babe his
companions lay him. He perfect missionary with
ut thought desire beyond the services Of the God
whom he had his life He did not seek to publish
his discovery and if his superiors did the time the
Court probably prevented it, for tar of exciting the jeal
'sy Of Spain 1t was never published by the Jesuits a.
continuation of their Relations and when issued by
lhtvenot pruned say nothing Of the object
view The map in Thevenc., when pared with the
autograph shows however still greater discrepancy The
likeness is too little to lie easily disc j. while the
likeness is apparent have now ', 10 add word tc
hn history Of the whith thus ONES before the world
hearty two hundred years after it " repred The last
published volume of the Jesuit Relate is that for the
years l67l-2 THIS was published ty Father CLAUDE
| Dabon, the Superior OF the Causda Mission, at the
| mo; he prepared for the press the volume Of tbs
'n.ning year but for some reason now unknown. Tho
publication stopped The obstacle apparently
| temporary one for he next dew relation