The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-08-14

L
Quebec were earnestly intent upor
exploration, and appointed Louis Jol
let to 90 upon . voyage Of discovery
He was native Of that city. where b,
had been educated In Jesuit college
He had taken minor orders at the az,
Of eighteen, but after q few year,
abandoned oil ideas Of priesthood, and
embarked In the adventures OF the ful
trade. in which he established . repu
tation for energy, sagacity, and forcs
OF character. He was now twenty
seven years of age, and proceeding on
his way reached the mission at Mack.
inaw on the Sth day OF December
1875, and gladdened the heart Of Mar.
quette with the good news, that they
had been designated to pursue the dis.
covery together. 1t was . grateful re.
fiection in the mind Of the pious mis-.
sionary, that this very day was the
feast of the Immaculate Conception ol
the Blessed Virgin. whose favor he
had been constantly supplicating, that
be might have grace to visit the ma
tions ON the Mississippi. He placed
the enterprise under her protection,
and promised that If she gave them
grace to discover the great river, he
would name it Conception, and also
give that name to the first mission he
should establish among the new ma
tons. As the winter wore away, they
gathered what information they could
from Indians who frequented those
parts, aud from their accounts traced
map Of the country, marking down
the rivers and names of nations, and
the course Of the great river. They
were not long in preparing their outfit
of corn and dried meat, which consti-
tuted their whole stock of provisions,
and set out with resolute hearts, on
the 18th Of May, 1878, having five
Frenchmen in their company.
They played their paddles joyousiy
along the shores Of Lake Michigan
and Green Bay, so happy that they
had been chosen for this expedition,
Gays Marquette's ingenious and beau
tifnl narrative, as TO sweeten the labor
of rowing from morn till night. As
cending Fox River, they reached sn
Indian village on Its banks on the 7th
Of June. This was the limit Of the
discoveries made in that direction by
the French. Here they held friend
ly conference with the chiefs, aud ex-
planning to them that Joliet was sent
to discover new countries, and that
Marquette's mission was to enlighten
them with the gospel, they procured
two Mama guides to conduct them to
the portage road. over which they
might cross to the Wisconsin river.
The guides led them along the marsh
es and little lakes through which the
Fox River here mesnders and assisted
in transporting the canoes from the
waters which flow toward the st.
Lawrence, to those that should bear
the adventurers to strange lands. The
guides then returned, leaving us
alone, says Marquette, "in an un-
known country, In the hands Of Prov
idence.o Before embarking again,
they began a new devotion to the Vir-
gin, offering special PRAYERS for her
protection, and for the success Of their
voyage. Thus encouraging one an
other, they sailed down the river for
ten days, distance ofseventy leagues,
as they estimated, or two hundred
and ten miles, when they reached the
mouth Of the Wisconsin, aud on the
18th Of June glided Into the gentle
current of the Mississippi, with a JOY
that l cannot express" says Mar
quette.
Now their eyes rested-the first in
authentic history, the first in civiliza-
tion aud Christianity-upon Iowa.
They saw the bold bluffs that over
hang our picturesque city of McGreg-
or. Marquette's narrative speaks Of
them rs grand chain of high noun
tains OH his right. They are about
five hundred feet above the level OF
the liver. The scene is impressive by
its natural grandeur and beauty, and
is forever memorable as the point OF
discovery of the upper Mississippi,
and OF Iowa, two hundred years ago.
Let US take our stand there, and
then, in a moments reverie, look out
upon the world and tue state Of civili-
cation ut that time.
These discoveries were representa-
tives of the proudest kingdom and OF
the greatest monarch of that age.
France was at the head Of the nations,
and Louis XIV was France. II am
the State" was his maxim. While
discovering the Mississippi on one
continent, France at the same time
was carrying dismay and terror on an
other into neighboring countries, and
threatening the very existence of the
Netherlands. The resistance, the pa
tience, and the daring of William
Prince of Orange, afterwaId King of
England, turned the tide of battle,
and arrested the encroachment Of am.
bilious despotism. As yet. England
WAS convulsed with Intestine feuds
The Stuarts had regained the throne,
but had lost the confidence and respect
of parliament and the people. Spain
had declined from its splendor and
power Of the previous century, enerv-
ated aud corrupted by the luxury and
vice that followed its conquests and
spoils In the new world.
Upon this continent, the settlements
along the Atlantic coast were scatter
ed and feeble. They extended but
short distances into the interior, and
were frequently in terror of the In
dians. King Phillip was still living
in peace with the Plymouth colony,
but two wears later kindled the flame
Of general Indian war, that excited
gloomy apprehensions in nearly every
settlement in New England. More
than thirty years Letter, Deerfeld, in
the valley of the Connecticut, and
Haverhill, on the Merrimac, only
thirty-three miles from Boston, suf-