The Irish standard., 1898-02-26

regions, through which, 1t was believed.
the Mississippi ran. AS an evidence of
how little was known in that day Of the
outlines Of the continent of North
America, even by the best informed on
the subject, 1t may be mentioned that
when Pere Marquette and Joliet started
to explore the Mississippi to It's mouth
they expected to discover its mouth
either somewhere on the coast OF Nir-
ginia or somewhere on the coast Of Cali
fornia.
Having been instructed to accompany
Joliet on his exploring expedition Pcre
Marquette and his associate started
from Michellenac Kinac, or Mackinaw,
May II, 1873, travelling In two open ca
noes and having five other Frcnchmcn
with them as compagnons dc voyage.
Previous to beginning their voyage they
had studied the proposed route 20 the
Mississippi by such lights as they could
command, to-wit, their own knowledge
and such information as they could
CLEAN from the Indians. drawing maps
In which they laid down tribes OF In
dians, rivers and natural features of the
land.
They first proceeded to Green Bay.
and then asccndcd the Fox river to an
Indian town. Here they secured the
services of native guides. who led them
to the Wisconsin river, descending
which to its mouth on the 18th of June
they entered the Mississippi. Beginning
their descent of the "stecp Atlantic
stream they found some people Of the
Illinois nation near the mouth Of the
Des Moines river, but between THAT l,uint
and the mouth of the Ohio river they
met no other natives. Shortly after pass
ing the Ohio they encountered Il tribe of
Indians whose name is not given in the
journal of their itincracy. and next they
came to the Michiganians. When they
finally reached the country of the Ar
Kansas and the vicinity of the spot at
about which DE Soto Is believed to have
crossed the Mississippi. at or near tho
site OF the present city of Memphis, the
iAlioIefS dcclucu 10 return up the river.
The Arkansas Indians whom they met
informed them that they had had deal
ings with Europeans (Spaniards from
McXico), and showed them Bturfs and
various commodities which they had
purchased from these Europeans. From
their information regarding the further
lower course of the river Pcrr Mar
| qucttc and Joliet inferred that they had
reached point three Of -four days jour
| ney from It's mouth and that the Mis-
| sissippi cmpticd into tho Gulf of Mexico
j, and not into the Pacific ocean.
The explorers having learned this
much, and fearing lest they should be
made captivcs by the Spnnards, did they
proceed further. or to the rivers mouth,
they started upon their return journey
on the 18th of July. Ascending tn tho
Illinois instead of the Wisconsin, they
PASSED through that river. and so
reached Lake Michigan
While ascending the Illinois river,
Marquette had promised the Kasknsklu
Indians to return to their village aud
preach to them. But even then the
lrcmnnitOry symptoms of Il fatal disease
were upon the good man, and although
he cndrAvurcd, after the expiration OF
a year, to fulfill his pullS promise, it
WAS not until March 10, lG75. that, dc
laycd by the cold winter and his ply
Steal inrmitics, lie was enabled to the
great JOY of the Kaskaskas to reach
their village. On April ensuing he be
gan mission among them by erecting
an altar and celebrating the festival Of
| Easter. This much he accomplished for
these who had asked him to tell them
something of the God and Savior whom
they had net known, for. feeling then
tina, he had not many more days Of life
before him, he cnhcavnrrh to return to
| MHrknHw to die. This juurnor wa, bis
| last, for II was Pcre Mnrulcltr's Journey
to dc,th Two Fronchmcn had nr, ON
, panied him from Green Bay, ana these
! companions still We're with ..n They
| reached The mouth of Il small river ON
| his condition was such thGt =" could
proceed no further: and hero n" died.
In the presence of the two Fr"nchIn"n
He was buried on the spot, and the little
| river upon the banks of w!ljn ku s,,r-
rendered Il wc!l-sr"nt life. whi,h hal
been sacrificed in the rllOr, to serve
/ both Almighty GOd and his crrAtur.,
! man, is no" named urGa tn" maps, Mir-
/ Hncttr river. Pcrc Marquette received
10 Scisn'nry for the good works that
he had accomplished. for indeed his re
| wards were not To he Of .hc Kind that
| kings and princes confer. .)0li,.., his
| associate on the voyage down the .hc
! Mississippi, in becoming sri2nnur
| d'Aniicosly, received Il c0r0nci, but for
Pcrc .I"rulr1t" W0s reserved Il crown,
for il WIS uttered Of Ihu5n who s',Duid
be fail ifuI until lhc end that to them
should be given :lIc crown Of life and
l'Crc Marquette was faithful TO the end
II is related that when pnrc Mar
Guelto, on tn" occasion Of his last Jour
ncy from kaSliaSkia on his way to
MHckinaw, reached the mouth Of the
river which Is now called after ni,n, he