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

3al1eQ dreen Bay. 1t IS one hundred
miles long by twenty or thirty broad.
The boatmen padded their fra1 canoes
along the western border of this lake
until they reached its southern extrem-
ity, where they found shallow river
flowing into it from the south, which
they called Fox river. They could pro-
pei their canoes about thirty miles q
day. Each night they selected some |
propitious spot for their encampment. |
Upon some dry and grassy mound ehey |
could speedily with their axes construct |
a hut which would protect them from
the weather. Carefully smoothing down
the floor, they spread over it their am
pie couch of furs. Fish could be taken
in abundance. The forest was filed
with game. An immense fire blazing
before the open side of the hut gave
warmth and jllumined the sublime scene
with almost the brilliance of MONDAY.
Here they joyously cooked their sup
pers, with appetites which rendered the
feast more luxurious to them probably
than any gourmand at Delmonico's ever
| enjoyed.
Each night Father Marquette held a
religious service, which all reverently
| attended. Prayers were offered, and
| their hymns of Christian devotion float
ed sweetly through those sublime soli-
| tudes. The boatmen were men of
| gentle race, who had been taught from
| infancy to revere the exercises of the
church.
They came upon several Indian vii
lagos. But the natives were friendly
as brothers. Many of them had visited
the station at st. Ignatius, and all of
them had heard of Father Marquette
and his Iabors of love. These children
of the forest begged their reverend
friend to desist from his enterprise.
"There are," they said, son the
oreat 1iUer bad Indians who will cut off
your heads without any cause. There
are fierce warriors who Will try to seize
YOU and make you slaves. There are
enormous birds there whose wings dark
en- the air and who can swallow you all
with your canoes at mouthful. And
worst of all there is malignant demon
there who, if you escape all other dan
gers. will cause the waters to boil and
Whirl around you and destroy you"
To all this the good Marquette re-
piled, 81 thank you dear friends, for
your kind advice, but I cannot follow
it. There are souls there to save for
whom the Son of God came to earth
and died Their salvation is at stake.
1 would joyfully lay down my life if I
could guide them to the Savior
They found the navigation of Fox
\ | liver lIupSuSu WILL 4ud1J u
surmount these it was necessary often to
alight from their canoes, and, wading
over the rough and sharp stones, to
drag them up against the swift current.
They were within the limits of the pres
ent State of Wisconsin, and found them
selves in a region of lakes sluggish
streams and marshes. But there were
Indian trails, which had been trodden
for uncounted generations, leading
west. These they followed, often pain
fully carrying their canoes and their
burdens on their shoulders, for many
miles, from water to water, over what
the Indians called the Carrying Places.
At length they entered region of re-
markable luxuriance, fertility and beau
ty. There were crystal streams and
charming lakes Magnificent forests
were interspersed with broad and green
prairies. God seemed to have formed
in these remote realms an Eden of sur
passing loveliness for the abode of his
children. Three tribes, in perfect har.
mony, occupied the region-the Miamis,
Mascoutins, and Kickapoos. There was
large village with abundant corn-felds
around. River and lake, forest and
prairie were alike alive with game.
To their surprise they found that 6
French missionary, Father Allouez
had reached this distant spot, preach
ing the gospel, eight years before. Tbs
Indians had received him with fraterna
kindness. He had left in the center O.
the village a cross, the emblem of the
crucifed Son of God.
81 found" Marquette writes, "tha
these good people had swung skins anC
belts and bows and arrows on the cross
an Offering to the Greatsxsrft, to thanl
him because he had taken pity on then
during the winter and given them al
abundant chase.
No white man had ever penetrated
, beyond this region. These simple, in
offensive people seemed greatly sur
prised that seven unarmed men should
, venture to press on to meet the un
beyond-wiIds which their imagina
tions hal peopled with all conceivable
| terrorS.
! On the 10th of June these heroic mel
resumed their journey. The kind In
dians furnished them with two guide
p to lead them through the intricacies o
! the forest to river, about ten mlle
. distant, which they called Wisconsin
and which they said flowed westward
into the Father of Waters. They sool
reached this stream. The Indians
helped them to carry their canoes anC
, effects across the portage. eve wer'
: then left, writes Marquette, +" alone IL
: that unknown country in the hand o
. God"
Our voyagers found the stream hare
: to navigate. It was full of sandbars ant
: shadows. There were many island
= covered with the richest verdure. A
! times they came upon landscapes of en-
chanting beauty, with lawns and park
: and lakes. as if arranged by the mos
= careful hands of art. Down thi
= stream they foated, day after day, en-
: camping upon it's banks at night, unit
y on the 18th of June, 'twith joy that
> cannot express they entered th
. : broad, deep, rapid current of the ma
: jestic Mississippi.
Easily they could be swept down b.
: the rapid current into the sublime un
" explored solitudes below. But to pad
;, die back against the swift rolling It'd
. would try the muscles of the hardies
: men. Still the voyagers pressed on. ]
.. .. was indeed fairy scene which no7
opened before them. Here bold bluffs
: hundreds of feet high, jutted into th
: river. Here were crags of stupendou
Z size and of every variety of form, ofte
Z reminding one of Europe's most pictul
esuue stream, where