Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-03-23
INTERESTING HISTORY.
Celoron's Voyage Down the
Allegheny.


CeIoron's Voyage Down the
Allegheny.
! The French and English were both
intent on acquiring possession of the
Ohio valley. (The Allegheny and
Ohio rivers were generally regarded
by the early explorers as one stream.
The French called it La Belle Riv.
iere) The Indians formed q third
party in interest, and were in occu-
pancy Of the ground. The French
based their claim to the territory on
the voyage of La Sale in 1852; the
English, on the discoveries made by
the Cabots long previously. 1t was
not until about the middle of the last
century. however, that auy decided
steps were taken by either nation to
occupy the coveted region, In the
year l748, number of gentlemen,
mostly English colonists, formed
| themselves into an association, with
view to making settlements west of
the Allegheny mountains, and carry
ing on trade with the natives. The
leader in the enterprise was Thomas
Lee, one of His Majesty's Council in
Virginia. The association was called
1.-The Ohio Company" Among the
stockholders were Lawrence and Au-
gustine Washington, brothers of
George Washington The English
government fav ored the design of the
company. and tract of five hundred
thousand acres of land was granted it.
This land lay chiefly on the left bank
of the Onio, between the Monongahe-
la and the kenawha rivers. A large
gu antity Of goods suitable fer the In
dian trade was ordered from London;
and it was determined to make roads,
erect such buildings as might be
thought desirable, and particularly
cultivate good understanding with
the Indians. Christopher Giss,a bor-
derer of remarkable energy, intelli-
gence and courage, was employed to
traverse the region lying withia the
Ohio valley, and make report on the
lands in the company's grant. He at
once set about the work, aud spent
several months in this arduous
duty.
The French at this time also deter
mined to take an advanced step in the
same direction. They had settlements
not only in Canada, but in Louisiana,
and at various points along the Miss
issippi and its tributaries Apart
from other considerations, it was
highly desirable to possess the Ohio
as convenient line ofcommunicstion
between >hese widely separated set
Elements Accordingly in the Sum.
mer of the year l749, Captain Cello
ron, knight of the Order of ST. Louis,
was despatched by Gallisloniere,
governor general of Canada, to take
constructive possession of the Ohio
valley, by passing down the river and
depositing leadeD plates suitably en-.
graved, at such points as he might
think proper, as was the custom Of
explorers at that time.
Celoron left Ls Chine, near Mont
real, on the 18th of June, l749. He
had q detachment consisting of one
captain, NJ. de Coutracear, after
wards the commsndant Fort Du-
quesne-eight subaltern officers, six
cadets, one chaplain, twenty soldiers,
one hundred and eighty Canadians,
ard about thirty Indians.
Celoron proceeded by water up the
st. Lawrence and through the great
lakes On the sixteenth of July he
reached the point where the Chautau.
qua creek flows into Lake Erie He
at first had some thought of establish
ing post here. hut upon observing
the situation more narrowly he con-
cluded that it was not suitable. 81
found nothing there of advantage"
he writes, "either for navigation of
the lake, or for the situation of the
post; the lake is so shallow on the
side of the south, that ships could not
approach the portage but at more
than leagues distance. There is no
island or harbor whe,e they could be
moorel and put under protection;
they must needs remain at auchor and
have boats for unloading them, the
gales Of wind are 80 frequent there
that l think they would be in dan
ger"
At this point Celorou left the lake
and turned his course towards the
south. At dawn of the seventeenth
of July. they began their ascent of
the Chautauqua creek The stream
was not navigable. and the labor Of
transporting the canoes, provisions,
and so forth, was extremely arduous,
and their progress was very slow.
On the twenty second they entered
Lake Chaubauque They remained
at the lake over the twenty-third,a and
on the morning of the twenty fourth
they entered the Conewango creek.
This stream connects the lake with
the Alleg river, and flows into
the latter at the town of Warren.
The water in the creek was low, an d
the greater part of the baggage had
to be transported by hand. Their
progress was very tedious. The In
dians who lived along the route were
frightened, and fed from their cabins.
leaving behind them part of their
utensils, their canoes, and even their
provisions, to seek the woods. As
the object of the expedition was part
ly to secure the friendship aud alle-
glance of the natives to the French
authority, and besides they might
combine in considerable force aud en-
barrass the expedition. it was deter
mined to send Lieutenant JCncaire
and FIVE Indians of the party, with
belts of wampum. and induce them
to take courage, that their father
came only to treat with them of good
things. So great were the difficulties
of the passage down the Conewango,
that it was not until noon of the 29th
of July that they entered the Allie
gheny. Rowing across the latter
stream, they landed on the southern
bank. Here they resolved to bury
the first of the leaden plates. BY
some inadvertance, the first plate
they prepared was spoiled by insert
| ;no tho NAM. of tho Guantanamo