Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-04-08
AN OLD MAP.

yFrom the st. Louis Republican,

kFrom the 81. LOUIS hepuoncan.l
Between the years 1876 and 1880, two
hundred years ago, Louis d'Hennepin, a
missionary reccollet and apostolic notary,
visited the Indian mission at Fort From
tenac, and afterwards accompanied La
Salles expedition. Reaching the Hi
nois river, they built Fort Creve Ceur
near the present site of Peoria. Henne-
pin proceeded in a canoe on the Missis-
sippi river to st. Anthony's Falls. They
travelled about $50 miles along the banks
of the st. Francis river III Minnesota,
visited the Sioux Indians, and returned
to Canada. Arriving in Paris in 1863
4, he published an account of his travels,
entitled GA Description of Louisiana"
and in 1897 he published his new discov-
cry of a vast country situated IN America.
In 1899 the work was published in Span
ish and the map in French at Brussels
and Amsterdam, and copy of the above
is in possession of gentleman III this
city. The contour of the continent, the
shore lines, the mountain systems,
and the lakes-those great inlaid seas
remain the same, but all else, how alter
ed! The first thing noticed was the fact
that Arkansas, the spelling, pronuncia-
ton and origin of which has lately en-
gagged the pens of number of amateur
geographers, is spelled on Hennepin's
map "Akansa," and as Hennepln was
an intelligent Frenchman, this ought to
settle the dispute The Mississippi
river on the map is called lie grand
feuve de Meschasipi, remplie de Peli-
cans" The Missouri river is named
"R. Otenta," and the space III which
our great state exists on the present
maps is labeled Massourites," show
ing considerable change in the nomen-
clature. The Riviere DIES Illinois holds
ITS own pretty well, and the mouth is
placed correctly on the east side of the
Mississippi, but below the mouth of the
Missouri, about where the Kaskaskia or
Kaw ID, and which was probably con-
founded with the Illinois, which, owing
to the limited explorations at the time, is
quite likely to have occurred. On the
Missouri side three houses mark the spot
about whereSt Louis now stands, which
must have been prehistoric village,
as st. Louis was not founded
until sixty or seventy years after the map
was published just below is Cape st.
Anthine. The Ohio has it's proper geo.
graphical position, but is called Kohio,
and nothing is said about the La Belle
riviere, in this connection, which was
probably an afterthought. CHANGING
across toward the north and east the
lakes are pretty accurately located.
There is Lac Ontaria on de Fontenac,
Lac Erie GU Du Chat (cat), and all the
country south, embracing the upper por-
tons Of New York, Pennsylvania and
Ohio, is called the "Grande Villages DIES
lroquos." Looking north we have Lac
ST. Claire, and further up Lac Huron or
Kereecnondi. The straits of Misclema-
konac still holds it's own, and the great
fresh water sea, Lac SUPERIOR has not
much changed its appropriate name
Lake Michigan is called Lac DIES Illinois,
with the Baye of Puans on the northwest
side The spot where Chicago stands Is
a blank, but towards the lower end Of
the lake is ''Fort DIES Miamis. There is,
however, Chicagua river discharging
itself into the Baye de Spirits Sancto, !"
which empties into the 'Golfe de Mexi-
que, way towards the southwest" We
have "Noveau Mexique," and Novelle
Espagne, the latter lying south Of
Riviere de Magdelaine. We now turn to
the Atlantic coast, and see the French
ideas OF that portion of orr country two
hundred years ago. There is Nouvelle
Angleterre, representing New England,
very much warped in dimension, with
boston as seaport and London IN the
lnVerior New York is in the Territory
oi Nouyeau Pals Baa" which hes east
OF Tue River North (or Hudson), and be-
tween the latter territory and New Eng
iand is the country of Hollanda, taking
IN Cape Cod with an island out at sea
called Mallabara.'
Proceeding south we find the province
OF Pennsylvania" so named, with Phil
adeiphla In about the proper place. The
delaware river is named =" Riviere de
oud, with Cape de May still holding It's
own La Virginie is given to large ter
rltory to the south, with its chief only
town " Powhattan," and what Is singu-
guar, the coast jutting out into the
ocean o, Is named Cape de Trafalgar.
dhen, farther to the south is Caroline,
cape Florida, ST. Augustine. The Gulf
stream is named the ''Canal of Bahama.
Florida y extends on the gulf coast
nearly to the Meschesipi." CHANGING
70 the north, the Canadian country, being
oetter known, names are thicker on the
map The well-known country of the
Gaspesie," or ''Gaspee, is designated,
and following up the g Riviere st. Lau-
rent, we see the ancient towns OF Todon-
sac, Quebec, Montreal and Long
Sout (Sault tha terror Of iumbermen,