The Irish standard., 1905-10-14

and reached the mouth of the long
desired Mississippi which, says Mar
uuette, I'VE safely entered on the 18th
of June, with a joy that cannot ex-
press"
The Jesuit was a close observer and
attentively remarked all the peculfar-
ties of the renowned river-birds.
beasts, fishes, plants, trees, Indians
nothing escaped his keen, scientific
eye. His acuteness of observation was
only eQualled by his descriptive power.
His own narrative of the exploring
voyage is a charming piece of compo-
sition. Quickly their light canoes fled
down the mighty stream, proceeding
on their way amid solitude frightful
by its utter sense Of absence OF man."
Having descended the river two hun
dred miles, they came to an Indian
trail leading back into the country.
Marquette and Joliet directed their
steps inland to an Illinois village,
where they We're we'll received with
great many savage ceremonies. After
a council between the chiefs and the
two explorers, there was great feast.
Then came the parting, amid numer-
Gus ceremonies. Six hundred Indians
escorted the priest and his companion
to their canoes and saw them embark.
How different" says the historian;
would the history Of this world have
been but for mans inhumanity to
mani"
After passing through many adven-
lures and dangers-too numerous to
relate-they reached the mouth of the
Arkansas. Here they halted and after
elaboration, resolved to return. The
voyagers could not prosecute their en-
terprise any further but at the emf
nent peril of their lives. Should they
perish, the result of their discoveries
would, for a long time, be lost to the
world. Father Marquette had learned
all he wished to know-"that the Mis-
sissippi undoubtedly had it mouth in
the Gulf of Mexico"
On July 18th the hardy voyagers
turned the prows of their canoes about
and began the painful and laborious
work of ascending and stemming the
currents of the majestic river. When
II, =; of
north they came to the mouth of the
Illinois River. They entered this
stream, assembled it until, by a short
portage, they could transport their
canoes across the prairie to the Chi.
cage River.
Descending this stream to its mouth.
where the great city of Chicago now
stands, but which was then only a
dreary expanse of marshy prairie, they
padded up the western coast of Lake
Michigan until they reached the mis-
sion at Green Bay, about the middle
spent in the toilaome voyage of two
thousand six hundred miles.
Had all the voyage" says Father
Marquette, caused but the salvation
Of a single soul, 1 should deem all my
fatigue well repaid; and this l have
reason to think, for, when 1 was re-
turning l passed by the Indians of
Peoria who brought me to the waters
edge a dying child which 1 baptized
little before 1t expired" The apostolic
Jesuit regarded the salvation of one
soul as matter of greater Importance
than all his discoveries
Father Marquette who was never
known to utter Il murmuring word
and who was serene and cheerful
amidst the sore trials, was so utterly
exhausted by the tolls of the expedi-
ton that he could proceed no farther
than Green Bay. Here Joliet separated
from him and continued his route to
Montreal. In descending the st. Law
renee rapids his canoe was overset
and Joliet lost his map and papers.
Father Marquette had no conception
of the true grandeur of that valley he
had entered, extending from the ALLIE
ghany ridges to the Rocky Mountains.
Still, when the tidings of his WONDER
full discoveries reached Quebec, the ex-
citing intelligence was received with
the ringing Of bells, with salvos Of ar
tillery. and most prominent and i'm
portant of all, by nearly the whole
population, led by the clergy and other
dignitaries of the place, going in pro-
cession to the Cathedral, where the Te
Deum was sung in THANKSGIVING to
God.
The remaining portion of the story
of Father Marquettes heroic life is
short, but touching AMI beautiful. His
superhuman labors had broken down
his once vigorous constitution. Dur
ing the winter of 1874 he lay on a sick
couch, the victim of complication of
diseases. When the summer Of the
same year arrived and his good health
had partly returned, he prepared to
establish mission among the Illinois
lndians-in fulfillment Of his promise
when descending the Mississippi.
On October 25th he set out for Kas-
kaskai. Leaving Green Bay, with tnoo
Z. mailman md ao.on,l 1xaio..