The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-11-12

y
men. Still the voyagers pressed on. It
was indeed a fairy scene which now
opened before them Here bold bluffs.
hundreds of feet high, jutted into the
river. Here were crags Of stupendous
size and Of every variety of form, often
reminding one Of Europe's most pictrr-
esque stream, where i
"The castled crags of Drachenfels.
Frown o'erthe wide and winding RhineD
Again the prairie would spread out it's
ocean-like expense, embellished with
groves, garlanded with flowers of COR
geous colors waving in the summer
breeze, checkered with sunshine and
the shade of passing clouds, with rowing
herds of the Stately buffalo and the
graceful antelope. And again the
gloomy forest would appear, extend
ing over countless leagues, where
bears, wolves and panthers found a
congenial home. I. - y Sa
Having descended the river nearly
two hundred miles they came to an In
dian trail, leading back into the coun-
try. It was SO we'll trodden as to give
ON1uC1lCC UilC1U " DOWCILul UllOC WAS IGdEs
Tt speaks we'll for the Indians-for the
reputation which they then enjoyed
that Marquette, with his French COM
panion, M. Joliet, far away in the will
derness, seven hundred miles from any
spot which, white mans foot had ever
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. lqoa a.
For six miles they followed the mar
row track, when they came in sight of a
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-
vancing with any hostile intent. Four
of the patriarchs of the village inme-
diately came forward, bearing a 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. a
white man, the knowledge of his arrival
had spread widely through all the
. tribes. The French had pursued
such course of Justice and friend
illness with the Indians that, wher-
ever they went they were Hospitality re-
ceived.
One Of these gentlemen OF the barbar-
n III J,C XIc 5r4o L
cabin, said r. How beautiful is the sun,
Frenchmen, 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, a venerable
chief approached Marquette and sus-
pending, by cord, richly decorated
PIPE about, his neck, said,
"This is the sacred calumet It
signifies that, wherever you bear it Y u
are the messengers of peace. All our
tribes will respect it. and will protect
you from every harm" 3J. M 4#l1l5.
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
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 wi b the
same hospitality which had marked
their intercourse with the Indians dur
ing the whole of their route.
They now turned back and 1aborious-
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
course to the Wisconsin river, they en-
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 no
opportunity of proclaiming to the In
dams the Christians God, and the way
of salvation through faith in an atoning
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 saIvos of artillery,
and, most pro minent and important of
all, by nearly the whole population, led
by the clergy and other dignitaries of
the place, going in procession to the
oo J.,o1 rrhoxo +Lo M Doa,oo.