The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-01-12

Indian corn and dried meat 10 lor-
ward them on their journey. 1t was
the delightful month of June, the
month of singing birds and bloom
ing lowers and new born foliage.
Herds of buffalo, deer and elk roam
ed the praIries and forests. They
we're passing through the richest
and fairest region in the world.
vet II was an entire solitude. There
were no signs of human habltatlon.
Marquette called the river the
"Broad River of Conception It's
present name is a compound OF Al
gonuuin words, ~Missi' signityng
great and ''sepe," a river.
Floating down the current OF d
great river they landed from time TO
time and supplied their camp with
abundance of fish and game. Every
day added new joys to the explor-
ers. The prairies stretching on
either shore and the fringing WOOD
lands that marked the course OF the
streams in the distance. All were
ladenwith the rich perfume and ira
GRANGE of June. After eight days
they landed on the western shore
and discovered human footprints In
the sand.
Marquette and Joliet left their five
companions in charge of their can
oes and followed the footprints to
the river bluff. Here they found a
trail leading westwards across q
prairie. They looked in vain for.
some sign of camp or wigwams but
saw none. All had the stiffness of
a wilderness solitude but the wav-
ing meadows and the distant
| clumps Of forest and thicket had an
enhancing beauty. They followed
the trail for six miles and saw
another river and on its banks an
Indian village. A few miles further
on the uplands there rel other viii
lagos. The natives were greatly
~astonished at the approach OF the
white men but made nc hostile DEM
onstrations} They received them
cordially and appointed four of
their old men to meet the two
strangers in council. Marquette, who
had spent most of his young man
hood as a missionary among the In
dams in the lake region, could
speak their language, which was a
great delight to the natives. They
informed him that they belonged to
the '1llini" tribe, (meanipg in their
language, 1--WE are menu. They
smoked the pipe of peace together
and extended them a most wei
come greeting, inviting them to
share the hospitality Of their vii
lage. Marquette told them the OBJ
ject Of their visit and that they had
been sent to them by the French,
who were their friends. True tC
his vows, the good man tod them in
his first formal address of the great
God w%orshipped by the white maj
and that he was the same as the
Great Spirit which they adored
One of the chiefs addressed them as
follows:
81 thank the black gowned CHIEF
and his friend for taking SO much
| pains " SOulC dhu flolI 10 NS'SA
before has the earth been so beauti
full nor the sun so bright as now
Never has the river. been so calm OIL
. free from rocks, which your canoes
removed as they passed down
Never has the tobacco had SO fine
beautiful as we behold it today
Ask the Great Spirit to give us life
and health and come We and dwell
with u.s."
AT the close of this fraternal con
ference the visitors were invited tt
: a feast prepared by the squaws
; Marquette has also given us a com
: plete description of this feast. 1
consisted of four courses. The frs
, was a preparation of orr meal boil
/ ed in water and seasoned with oil
The second course of boneless fisl
/, nicely cooked. The third roasted
], dog, which, when their visitors haC
| declined with thanks they at onc'
/ removed from sight. The las
| course was a roast of Buffalo, thu
latest pieces of which were passet
: to the Frenchmen, who found it tt
be most excellent meat.
: Marquette's narrative is rendered
in verse in Longfellow's beautiful
4 poem, Hiawatha.
/ The two Frenchmen remained sil
: days with their Indian frienns
hunting, fishing and bathing. Ev
cry day with them was day o
Teasing. The natives exerted them
i selves in every possible way to con
| tribute TO their entertainment and
comfort. This is the generous and
beautiful spirit shown to the frs
White men who visited Iowa. The
stream ON whose banks this confer
J ence and reception occurred was tht
: Des Moines river and the place Of
J their landing On. the Mississippi IL
supposed to be near where the towI
! of Montrose now stands, in Lex
cnunty. Marquette and mis- mart,