The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-20
KANSAS IN I724.
Relation Of the Voyage Of NJ.
de BourgmOnt."
In the Possession Of the State
Historical Society.
TRIBE CALLED GAMES.
The French COurtier Was
Friendly With the Chief.
Explorer Tells of Extreme
Heat of the Prairies.
TRIBE CALLED GAMES.

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That it was very hot in Kansas in
the month of July. 1924. the State His
torical society has records which prove.
although this is incidental to their pur-
pose. 1t was in that month of that yeaf
that the first white party visited Kan
gas after the Coronado expedition OF
1541. The Relation of the Voyage OF
NJ. de Bourgmont, chevalier OF the
military order of st. Louis. commands
ant of the river Missouri and above the
falls of the Arkansas is the name Oh
the old manuscript, a copy of winch Is
preserved by the State Historical socle-
~.
The Relation" is a journal kept by
some member of the expedition anu
copied in the Memoirs Of the History
of Louisiana. one of the earliest OF the
French-American histories written Dy
Dunont. soldier and litterateur, ana
coined bv many later historians. Char
levoix and Bernard de la Harpe ootn
mention this expedition OF BourgInohl
and from these sources the eXplana-
fion of the voyage" to the Indian
tribes of what is now Kansas Is OBJ
tanned.
was first appointed commandant OF
the fort of Detroit, in 1106, but VINO
was recalled to France from that post
on account of having pIecipltateo
trouble between the Ottawas and Nil
amis in which several F'renchmen were
killed. When he returned to France.
however. he was restored to favor
through the influence of John Law,
the Scotch anancier who in the re-
gency of the Due d'Orleans during the
minority Of Louis XIV attempted 10
restore the fortunes of the French
kingdom and originated that fantastic
scheme known to history and the read
ers of modern romance as The Missis-
sippi Bubble" His plan was. briefly. to
secure trading and mining concessions
from the Indians in that large part of
America which then belonged to the
French. In BOurgmont he saw man
whom nature and experience had
fitted for the furthering of his plans
and secured for him the Cross of st.
Louis in order to bring about his re-
turn to America to establish the COM
merce with the savages of the Missis-
Eippi and especially with the Paducas.
The Paducas occupied the middle and
western part of what is now Kansas
and contended with the other tribes
I'm this section for the rights of the
general hunting grounds in the ex>
treme western part of the state, buA
their identity with the tribes which
were here when the white settlers came
IS strangely confused Dumont says
they were later known as the Conan
ches but there are other early records
which show that the Comanches vera
a separate tribe existing a that time
Other authorities say they were what
was later known as the Arapahoes and
there are others who think they may
have become extinct or been merged
with some other tribe. This latter
however does not seem probable as
according to the records of the Bourg-
mont expedition they were the largest
~E4rT .-rs
section and their friendship and COM
merce was particularly desired by the
French.
This expedition of 1924 IS not, 1t would
seem from the manuscript diary. his
first to Kansas. He must at least have
visited Fort Orleans. in western Mis-
souri, near the present site of Jefferson
City. at some earlier date and the words
of the chief of the Games (Kansas)
tribe in receiving him indicate that the
tribe had had some dealing with him
before he was recalled to France from
Detroit.
Bourgmont landed at Mobile on the
gulf of Mexico from France in August.
1922. and assembled the Mississippi and
the Missouri to Fort Orleans two years
later. The expedition started from Fort
Orleans in June. 1924. Part of the ex-
petition was by water under NJ. de St
Ange, commander OF the garrison of
Fort Orleans, and started Sunday, June
rs. On the following day Bourgmont
with MS party IN winch was his little
son, 10 years old. always mentioned in
the manuscript as the cadet, set out by
land
With Bourgmont and his son were
Renaudiere. Bellerive. Stephen Roulet
Serbet. several soldiers and servants and
100 Missouris commanded by eight
war chiefs and the great chief of the
nation, siXty-four Osages and four
chiefs of the nation. These Indian
tribes had already agreed with Bourg-
mont to trade with the French to the
exclusion of the Spanish and to keep
peace with the neighboring tribes and
they accompanied him on the journey to
the villages of the other Indians as a
guarantee Of good faith.
The direction Of the party which went
by land was northwest across what is
now Missouri to the village of the KAN
sas tribe near the present site of the
town or Atchison. The journey was
accomplished in twelve days and thew
arrived on the east bank Of the Missouri
Friday, July Z. and camped there thar
night.
The chief Of the Kansas and his war
riors greeted Rourgmont and his fol-
lowers with friendliness and promised
him their allegiance. They gave the
Frenchmen presents of horses. peltries
and provisions and enterta ined them
royalty for weeks.
Meanwhile the water expedition had
been less successful and a report reach
ed Bourgmont soon after his arrival at
the Kansas village that illness had be-
fallen a number of the Frenchmen and
Indians who were under De ST Ange
and that they were not able to proceed
Bourgmont sent five of his followers
with provisions to assist them. but there
was great anxiety in the camp as the
Missouri was falling rapidly every day
and it was feared it would not be navi-
gable long enough to permit the rest
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