The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-12-01
,eal, then known as Vile Marie, and

treal, then known as Vile Marie, and
there made a study Of the lroQuols
tribe, with whom the French were at
war He gave one Of the first accurate
descriptions Of the course Of the River
ST. Lawrence to Lake Ontario, or
FTontenac, as 1t was then called, to-
gether with description Of the Rapids
of the st. Lawrence. He began his Sc
ries of letters in November, 1883, and
continued them down to May, Of 1893.
He visited during this period all the
lakes, and for long period was domi-
ciled at what are now known as the
Straits of Mackinac. The Jesuits were
already located at this place, and ii
was a point of considerable commercial
activity. Skins of wild animals were
the chief commodities. Speaking of
this point and the advantages enjoyed
by the colony established there, he
says: "MissiIinakinac is situated very
advantageously; for the Iroquois dare
not venture with their sorry canoes to
cross the strait Of the Illinois lake,
which is two leagues over; besides that,
the Lake Of the Hurons is too rough
for such slender boats, and as they can
not come to it by water so they can
not approach to 1t by land by reason
Of the marshes, fens and little rivers,
which would be very difficult to cross;
not to mention that the strait of the
Illinois lake lies still in their way"
PERSISTENCY OF EXPLORATION
FOR THE PASSAGE.
1t will be remembered that commerce
found it's origin In the soft zones of
Eastern Asia: that it pursued the track
Of the milder climates to Arabia, Egypt.
italy, the shores of the Mediterranean
to the Atlantic, and that its penetra-
ton to the northward was tardy, but
at the same time more substantial Of
results. When the discoveries Of Amer
lea and the exploration Of the Atlantic
coast on the west were made, the IA
tuity OF navigators held them sternIy
to the theory that northwest passage
to India must inevitably be found
somewhere in the higher latitudes. In
deed, when Hudson bay was discovered,
innumerable efforts were made to PEN
citrate the Pacific ocean from this body
of water.
CAPT. JONATHAN CARVER.
The travels by Capt. Jonathan Car
yer, of the British army, supplemented
by his most intelligent journal of three
years of exploration of the upper lake
region and extending to the Mississippi
river, afforded among the best con-
tributions to the geographical condi-
tions existing in this section that had
been made UP to that date, namely,
1770. Touching upon this dream Of the
early explorers of North America,
Capt. Carver, in his Journal said:
All nav1gators that have hitherto
gone In search of this passage
have first entered Hudson's Bay; the
consequence Of which has been that
having spent the season during which
only those seas are navigable, in ex-
ploring many Of the numerous inlets
lying therein, and this without dis
covering any opening, terrified at the
approach Of winter, they have hastened
back for fear Of being frozen up and
consequently Of being obliged to con-
tipue till the return of summer in those
bleak and dreary realms. Even such
as have perceived the coasts to enfold
themselves and who have, of course,
entertained hopes of succeeding, have
been deferred from prosecuting their
voyage lest the winter should set in
before they could reach a more tenn
have discouraged the boldest adventur-
ers from completing the expeditions in
which they have engaged and frustrat-
ed every attempt. But as 1t has been
discovered by such as have sailed into
the northern parts of the Pacific ocean
that there are many inlets which verge
towards Hudson's Bay, it is not to be
doubted but that a passage might be
made out from that quarter If 1t be
sought for at proper season. And
should these expectations be disap-
pointed, the explorers would not be in
the same hazardous situation with
those who set out from HudSon's Bay,
for they will always be sure Of the
same retreat through an open sea to
warmer regions ever after repeated dis
appointments. And this confidence will
enable them to proceed with greater
resolution and probably be the means
of effecting what too much circum-
spection or timidity have prevented"
THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE AN
UNSUBDUABLE DREAM.
The idea of the Northwest passage
to India was one of these dreams Of a
kind that it is almost impossible to
alter the current of. The discovery by
Columbus had given to it something
in the way of stimulation, and it was
not unnatural that the settlements of
the North Atlantic coast, with the
water courses ever trailing from the
westward to the eastward and ever
leading through narrow passages into
wider and wider bodies, should have
led to much deception in the pursuit
being conducted. Then again, the ma
tive Indian, with his Asiatic markings
and characteristics, contributed to the
delusion that somewhere the outlet
would be found to exist AS the knowl-
edge OF the existence of this popula-
ton in ever-increasing numbers, as
one nation after another was discov-
cred, came to be spread abroad, the
representatives Of almost every re-
igious faith were ready to enter upon
the labor Of proselyting. Meanwhile
trading with the Indians became a
profitable enterprise, and thus, hand
in hand, the spirits of commerce and
Christianity found themselves contin-
uing the westwardly circuit, in the new
world just as they had done in the old.
The light of civilization in the north
western portions Of this continent un-
questionably dawned as the result Of
| the workings Of the priests of the Ro-
| man Catholic church. Why not pay
them the tribute that is due them?
Their kindly influence among the saw
ages as they found them has had its
| effect Tho natbu,ov of