New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-16
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Mr.. PARKMAYs NEW VOLUME.

missionaries to found among the Indian tribes OF
Canada and the region of the great lakes, power
fnl Christian oontedeTacy, which should De al on0o
an impregn&ble stronghold of of faith, ana hain-
stay of French ascendency on the North American
continent 1t was grand idea and the atteinp. "
carry il out was illustrated by deeds OF heroisin
and setsacriGce, which have kindled tne auiiiil'
tion OF two centuries, and reflect upon Vno 'oouV
pioneers n glory such as belongs to the martyrs
of the earlv church. The scheme was deleS'ou Nv
an irrupticn of the IroQuos who slaughtered 'e con-
verts uprooted the communities and scattered
tb,m in hands of fugitives far and wide through
the wilderness 1t was with this catastrophe that
Mr. Parkman,s history of 3" Ike Jesults IN North
ADoer;c, y came 10 an end. He resumes his penI
with the story of enterprises only a lew
wears later in tine, but lar dlhereh1
in character Canada is HOw no longer mission but
acoloay. The new explorers are no longer saints
and martyrs but FUR traders Adventures, ana geo.
graphical discoveries. Even the missOneIs who
tramp by eheir side through the tracess forests are
different from the former race and the jealousy OF
Recoets and Jeuits is used by avariciCus governors
and nteBdants for the furtheraDce of their own sell
FISH schemes. The enterprises with which the his
tOrian now has to deal were directed principally
toward the establishment Of trading-posts. They
resulted IN the exploration Of the valleys OF the Mis-
sissppi end the great lakes-a chapter OF American
history
understood NJ. Jared Sparks'devotes to the Mis-
sespui ysOneeTs small portion of his excellent but
too brlaf series of American Biographies. Mr.. John
G. Shea IN kis,work on The Discovery and Ex-
ploration of tho Mississippi" brought to light
important narratives by the early explorers
bat ne was rather collector of the materials of his
terry than historical writer. &r Parknan has sup
plenened the labOrs of Sparks and Shea by careful
researches among original documents, ald has told
for the first time with fEiness of knowledge and
rare grace u 'sty the romantic story Of the dis
eovery eff the west.
century had passed since De Soto was buried in
the waters Of the Lower Mississippi and the discOv
cry of the CREST river was welnigh forgotten. Its
upper course had never been reached by white men,
although the French traders and Jesuits on the
shores of the lakes heard wonderful stories from time
TO time of mighty ,stream in the interior which
flowed on to the sea With dangerous whirlpOols and
between banks peOpls1 by savage and implaCable
4hes They apparently did suspect it to be iden
fseal with the river of Re SOtO- indeed they knew
of the Spanards discoW sry-and many believed that
1t woull lead them to Che VermiliOn Sea Gulf of
California and so opentthe long sought route TO the
Indies 1t was with some such expectation as this that
La Sale began his remarkable explorations in 1862
Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Sale, born of good
family at Rouen, and in his youth joined
the order of Jesuits. but left them without taking
orders, and emigrated to Canada. There he settled
of La Chine, above Montreal, and began to study
Indian languages probably with view to the ca
reeT by which he afterward became distinguished.
From the Senecas who visited his settlement he
heard of {he river Ohio which in their country
and reached the sea- they assured him, at distance
of eight nine months journey. This he believed
must give him western passage to- China. He OBJ
tanned the sanction of the Governor and ntendant
for voyage of discovery, sold his landand improve
ments. and with the proceeds fitted ont four canoes
and party of IA hired men. Just at this time the
Sulpitians of Montreal were organizing &nSsiOnaIy
expedition to the Northwest. and il was arranged
that the two parties should be combined Number |
ing in all q men, with seven canoes they assembled
the rapids of the St. Lawrence, eoasted along Lake
Ontario, landed at the Seneca village near the |
banks of the Genesee, where they tried in !,
vain to obtain a guide, and then proceeded |
TO the Iroquois village of Ganastogu6 at the |
head of the Lake, Here the missionaries and the |
adventures separated-the former going to the |
upper lakes, and La Sale bent upon reaching the |
Ohio, under the guidance Of q Shawnee prisoner |
whom the IrOquois had gwen him. The mission was |
failure and the priests returned to Montreal
OF La Sales life during the next two years the
record is obscure and not entirely trustworthy 1t
~''"ost certain, however that he reached the
Allegheny or some other eonsrltuyi Qy the Ohio and
descended that and the main stream as far as the
rapids at Louisville where his deserted and he
had to turn back The story that he kept on as far
the confluence of the Ohio with the Mississippi is
not probable neither is the report that in the fol-
lowing year p671l he reached the Father of Waters
bv deScendinS the Illinois. Certainly he never put
forward any SUCH claims himself, though he did
profess to have reached the rapids Of the Ohio and it
is quite likely that be aSso reached the Illinois.
In the mean time the JesyQts had carried their mis-
sionary settlements as far as Edhillimackinae and
the head Of Green Bay and therelnad GATHERED from
disn visitors Tumors such as La Sale heard at La
Chime Of gIeat river the nlinSisl flowing toward
the sea. The same hope which inspired the Rouen
adyenturer, of reaching the Indian Ocean, took
possession also Of Father Jacques Marquette who
had h5Sii fSf TIA years la99Ting among tbe Indians
in the country near Sault Ste. marie: MeggseIte
now IS years Of age "The traits Of Ms character
are unmistakabe. He was Of the brotherhood Of the
early Canadian missionaries, and the true counter
part Of GAMER u Jo6Tcs. lie a deyout votary
of the Virgin Mary; who, imaged to his mind in
shapes Of the most transeeudent loneliness with
which the pencil Of human genius has ever informed
the canvas. Vas 70 him the object of an ad-
oDration not unmngled with a sentiment of chiyal
rous devotion. The longings of sensitive heart
divorced from earth sought selace in the skies.
snbtile element of romance was blended with the
feryor of his worship, and hung like illumined
cloud over the harsh and hard realities of his daily
lot. Kindled by the smile OF his celestial mistress
his gentle and noble failure knew no fear For her
he burned to dare and to suffer, discover new lands
and conquer new realms to her sway" Very differ
ent was the character of his rival in renOwn. La
Sale belonged not to the age of the knighterrant