Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1904-08-05
THE BOYHOOD OF RADlSSON.

~~~O~~@-~~~.~~~~~S~~o%
Never had boy more stirring adven-
lures than had young Pierre d'Esprit
Radisson, French lad, who, when he
became man, explored the region
about the head Of Lake Superior, and
is believed by some historians to have
been the first to discover the MISSISSIPPI
p1. Radisson was but II years old,
Says Leslie's Monthly, and had been
but year in America when, in 1862,
he was captured near Three Rivers
by a war party of Iroquois Indians.
The lad was out hunting ducks along
the St Lawrence with two comrades
when they discovered signs of Indians.
It was more ignorance and fool
hardness than courage which made
him refuse to go back to the fort with
them, but to the Indians who, hidden
In ambush, heard the conversation, it
seemed like the type of bravery they
most admired. When they shot at him
and he returned their fire before dee
Ing, their admiration increased, and
they did not kill him, as they did his
companions, but took him up Lake
Cuamplain and Lake George to their
village, where he was adopted. His
conduct as prisoner increased their
admiration, for he slept so soundly
between his guards that he had to be
Weakened in the morning, and he was
ever one Of the most eager on the
march.
To test his prowess, he was sent on
a hunting trip with an Algonkin cap
tive and three young Iroquois. The AL
gonkin killed the Iroquois against Ra-
disson's protest, and the two fed, but
before they could reach Three Rivers
they were overtaken. The Algonkin
was killed, but Radisson, as traitor
to the tribe, was brought back for
torture.
This time his sufferinge were terri
bic. There were many other prison
ers, some Of whom were tortured In
most horrible fashion while the boy
was compelled to look on; but he dis
played no emotion, although he was
trembling inwardly He was left bound
among the rest for the children to
amuse themselves with. One gnawed
his fingers. Another cut them WITH
a stone. Others burned the soles Of
his feet and shot darts into his body
He bore 1t all without f7inching, how
ever, and made neither protest nor out
cry when a warrior thrust his thumb
into the bowl Of lighted pipe and
held it there. The result Of this was
tremendous admiration among the In
dams, and when the chief who had for
merly adopted him made plea for his
life, his petition was granted.
For q year Radisson remained a
member Of the tribe during the horri-
BILE war Of determination carried on
by the Iroquois against the Hurons.
With war party he made a long
journey up the Mohawk and into the
country beyond Lake Ontario, where
a village Of Hurons was exterminated.
Radtsson managed to save one wom-
an from the village and lead her back
to the Iroquois settlement, where she
became his foster mothers slave.
The boy soon sickened Of the horror
of the savage life, but the forest had
a never ending fascination for him. He
learned it as the Indians knew 1t. He
was taught how to make and use bark
canoes, how to follow trail, how to
read signs by which the presence Of
enemies or friends might be known,
how to tell Indians of the different
tribes apart and how to speak their
tongues. Indeed, he learned the very
things that, when he finally escaped to
the Dutch settlements on the Hudson,
gave him the best possible equipment
for his life work of exploration in the
unknown Northwest.