The Irish standard., 1898-02-26
NANDERINGS TO THE UPPER WA
TIERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
The INTREPID JACQUES MARQUETTE
THE MISSIONARY WAS A MEMBER
OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS.
HIS BURIAL PLACE A SACRED SPOT
MARINERS PASSING IT INVOKE THE
PRIESTS PROTECTION.

The Importance of the Mississippi riv-
er, not only to Louisiana and the other
states as Il whole and also to the worlds
commerce, gives renown to the name OF
the man who, under favorlng circum-
stances, was the first European who. In
reality, although not in point Of priority
of discovery, to give to the European
world something like a clear idea of
the magnitude and the course of the
great river which fernando de Soto,
the Spanish conQuistador and explorers
marching with an army of $50 infantry
and cavalry almost aimlessly to the west
from Florida, had lighted upon by
chance as 1t were, nearly 1870 years be-
fore. This man, whose long journey
ended in the discovery of the upper
waters of the Mississippi river, as De
Soto had first discovered its mid waters,
was Pere Marquette, a pious missionary,
and Il member of the Society OF Jesus,
who, In 1913, in company with Louis
Joliet a merchant of Quebec, and also
Il Frenchnmn, as was Pcrc Marquette,
left Macknaw to begin his great work
of tracing the course of the Mississippi
southward TO the regions in which dc
Soto had found it. In this task Mar
quctte was actuated not less hy religious
zeal than by a desire to extend the scope
of the power and the dominion in North
America Of his native country, France.
Jacques Marquette was born In l.aon.
of the Society of Jesus at the age of II,
and in 1866 he left France for Canada.
in which country for the ensuing seven
years. and until his departure in search
olic missionary among various tribes Of
the Algonquin and lroquois Indians. i'll
cuding among them the Mohawks. the
Hurons, and the Ottawas, establishing
them, and bringing them within the
Christian fold. In 1865 he, went to Lake
Superior and founded the mission Of
Sault Ste. Marie, In 1869 was was among
the Ottawas and Hurons at Laponte as
their mission, but as his Indian charges
were soon after attacked and dispersed
by the Sioux, he went to Marlinaw and
rcjonel the Hurons there, those Indians
having fed thither from the attack Of
the Sioux. While at Mackinaw, i'll 1871,
he, built a chapel at the mission of st.
Ignatius.
Pere Marquette was now seriously
contemplating the beginning of the work
which for three years he had ardcntly
hoped to accomplish some day-anh this
was his expedition to the banks Of TIE
Mississippi. His thoughts and his f"el-
ings upon this subject may he Judged
from his words, written in 1872 from
Mackinaw to Father DabIon superior
of all the Jesuitc missions in Canada.
After advising Father Dablon Of his .'ur
cess at Mackinaw he continues: IL am
ready, however, to leave it in the hands
OF another missionary. to 80 III yonr
order to seek new nations toward the
south sea, who are still unknown by MS,
and to teach them of our srcAt God,
whom they have hitherto not known."
Pcrc Marquette, while at IMpoinl".
had heard of the Mississippi from the
Indians, and 1t was on the banks ur ihc
great river and in the regions through
which The Mississippi runs that be cx-
pcctcd to find the nations to whom he
hoped to be the first to impar, the
knowledge of the Christian religion. 1t
was not until the year 1887, however,
that the opportunity WAS presented to
him CT carrying out his desire. ind
even this realization Of his wishes was
dependent upon the accomplishment OF
a utilitarian project which about that
time was conceived by Count de l'rnn.e-
nae, the governor, and NJ. Talon the in
tcndant, Of Canada, TO dispatch Joliet,
the merchant, to explore the whole
course of the Mississippi river, % learn
something concerning tho prospects, for
the establishment of trade relations
with the peoples in those strange cotiI-
tries.
Louis Joliet was the son of The smith
of Quebec. Canada, where LUui. vas
born in 1915. He was placed by his
father at the Jesuit college with view
to his becoming a priest of The society.
Although he received the tonsurn and
the minor orders, making rapid progress
In his studies and graduating in 1866,
he abandoned his design to become a
priest soon after graduation, went west,
and, engaging in trade with the indians
of that region, learned their dialects
and also acquired Il knowledge of the
topography Of the western country.
Jolict's knowledge of the Indians, their
language and of the regions in which
the western Indians dwelt, together with
his experience in the methods CT train
ing with them, cmlnently fitted him for
the work designed to him by Talon,
namely, that of an explorer In those