The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-12-04

before trod, should not have hesitated
alone to enter this trail in search OF the
habitations of this unknown tribe
They left all their companions, with the
canoes, on the bank of the river
For six miles they followed the mar
row track. when they came in sight of |
large Indian village. It was on an
open plain, SO that the Indians saw
them approaching when at quite dis
tance. They knew, of course, that two
strangers, unarmed, could not be ad-
vancinc with any hostile intent. -Four
Of the patriarchs of the village lmme-
diatelv came forward, bearing pipe OF
peace. which was highly ornamented
with brilliantly colored plumes. AS
these chiefs drew near they saw, to
their surprise and delight, that the
strangers were pale faces. Though
none of them had ever before seen
white man, the knowledge of his arrival
had spread widely through all the
tribes. The French had pursued
such course of justice and friend
liness with the Indians that, wher-
ever they went they were Hospitality re-
ceived.
One of these gentlemen of the barbar-
ian school, as he led the guests into his
cabin, said s' How beautiful IS the sun,
Frenehmen, when it shines upon you,
as you come to visit us. Our whole
village greets you with welcome. You
shall find home in all our dwellings.
| The strangers were entertained with
the utmost hospitality. As they were
about to take their leave, venerable
chief approached Marquette and sus-
| pending, by cord, a richly decorated
pipe about, his neck, said,
ssThis is the sacred calumet. 1t
signifies that, wherever you bear it y1u
are the messengers of peace. All our
tribes will respect it, and will protect
| you from every harm.
We cannot record this friendly recep-
ton without emotion. How beautiful
| is peace How different would the his
tory of this world have been but for
mans inhumanity to man. On reach
| ing their boats the little band of voy-
ayers continued their journeying down
| the lonely and silent river. They
foated beyond the mouths of the tur-
| bid Missouri and the beautiful Ohio.
Carefully they observed these impor-
tant points, but they made no attempt to
explore either of these streams. The
Ohio was then, and for some years af-
ter, called the Wabash.
Still they foated on, several hundred
miles further, until they reached the
mouth of the Arkansas. Here again
they found large Indian village. They
were received by the natives with the
same hospitality which had marked
| their intercourse with the Indians dur
ing the whole of their route.
They now turned back and laborious-
| ly reascended the majestic Mississippi,
slowly forcing their way against the
swift current Their upward voyage
was commenced the 18th of July, 1878.
Instead of continuing their upward
| 70 kI,a
tered the Illinois river, and again
reached Green Bay by way of Lake
Michigan. They had been about two
months upon this voyage. During this
time the devoted missionary had lost nc
opportunity of proclaiming to the In.
dians the Christians God, and the way
of salvation through faith in an atoninp
Savior.
Even then Marquette had no conception
OF the true grandeur of that valley he
had entered, extending from the ALE
gheny ridges to the Rocky Mountains
Still, when the tidings of his wonderful
discoveries reached Quebec, the excit
ing intelligence was received with the
ringing of bells, with salvos of artillery
, and, most Pre- minent and important o.
| all, by nearly the whole population, lee
by the clergy and other dlgnitaries o
/ the place, going in procession to tht
cathedral where the Ie Deunl was suns
: in thanksgiving to God.
> In Marquette's account of this voy
! age he writes, "Nowhere did we Sc,
snch grounds, meadows, woods, stags
. buffaloes, deer, wild cats, bustards
swans, ducks, parroquets and ever
{ beavers, as on the Illinois river"
/ By the earnest request of the Illinois
Indians Marquette returned to then
( and continued with them, revered an,
i beloved, preaching the gospel for tw,
1 years. On the 18th of May, 1875, as b
was ascending Lake Michigan, with hi
l boatmen, he proposed landing, at tn
: mouth of small stream, for the cele
: bration of mass. He left his men il
/ the canoe while he went a short dis
: tance into the solitude of the forest T.
8 pray. As some time passed and he dit
: not return, they called to mind that h
g had said, before he left them, that h
felt that the hour of his deth was nea
n at hand. They went to seek him. III
: was lying upon green mound dead
s with his hands folded as in prayer. TIL
f boatmen silently and sadly dug hi
8 grave, and left his mortal remains i
the solitude of the forest on the bank
/ of the stream which now bears tn
q name of Marquette.
8 - "'Tis glorious thing to die,
4 As dies the Christian with his armor on
IT.