Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-22

up such furs as he could. he sent the
Griffon back with the cargo in order
TO appease his creditors.
In canoes. La Sale, Hennepin and IL
others skirted the shore of Lake Michi-
gan. bound for the mouth of the St
Joseph river, where Tonty was to meet
them. The weather was tempestuous
and they had a desperate time of 1t.
When they reached the river Tonty
had not arrived The men were mutt
nous, but La Sale and Hennepin held
them in check. and at last when. in
December. Tonty arrived the little
party proceeded up the st. Joseph to
the present site of South Bend. where
they shouldered their canoes and
marched overland in search of tho
headwaters OF the Illinois.
FINDING THE ILLINOIS.
After wandering about a long time
they found a spot where a tiny stream
trickled out of the oozy soil Into this
thread of water they put their canoes
and followed It's course. 1t was like
sailing on land. but gradually the
stream widened, and early in the new
year they reached Peoria lake. and
then made their way downward to the
present site of Peoria. Near this spor
they came suddenly upon a large In
dian encampment. Getting sight of
the Frenchmen, the Indians became
panicStricken Some fed, others
howled and a few seized war clubs.
La Sale knew how to handle Indians,
and putting on a bold front, he led his
little party ashore and drew his forco
up ready for battle or for peace. Two
of the chiefs came forward with the
calumet. while others sought to re-
strain the young bucks. who were pre-
pairing to use their bows and arrows.
La Sale displayed another calumet and
presented some tobacco and hatchets
to the two envoys and explained his
presence In the country and his pur-
pose to build a great ship to sail the
Mississippi. II the Illinois Indians
wanted his friendship he would be
their friend, he said If not he would
go to the Osaees and leave the Illinois
to the mercy of the terrible IroQuols.
The Illinois were very jealous Of
the OSages, as La Sale knew. and
were lavish in promises of loyalty to
him. In the night. however. there
was q change. From the north there
came a party of six Indians sent by
the French at the Mackinaw station
to warn the Illinois against La Sale
Next day the chiefs of the Illinois
frightened six of the explorers force
into deserting by reason of the tales
they told of the savage tribes that
infested the Mississippi country. the
monsters that lived along the shore,
the serpents that abounded in the
waters, the number of whIrlpools and
the fathomless gulf Into which the
mighty stream emptied it's waters
Next an attempt was made to poison
La Sale.
Manifestly 1t would not do to remain
I'm the Indian camp. so La Sale NOV
ed a bit down the river, and on a
promontory established Fort CreVe-
occur. He had heard nothing of the
Grlffon and was In sore perpleXity
He could not go forward. for his
force was reduced to only a dozen or
so of men. He did not have carpen-
ters enough to build ship. and his
supplies were exhausted. To learn
what had become of the Griffon and
to get reinforcements md supplies
he started back TO Mackinaw. And In
order that Henncpin might employ
himself In his absence. La Sale In
structed him TO explore the Illinois
to its mouth and then to go up tho
Mississippi and explore IT to It's head
waters.
La Sale departed only to learn that
the Griffon had been traitorously sunk
or burned. and Hcnnepin started out
on a voyage that was to lead him into
strange adventures,
HENNEPIN STARTS AWAY.
1t was on February %. 1880. that
Henncpin. with two companions,
Michel Accau and Picard Du Guy set
out in a canoe from Fort Creve-
occur. They had a stock of beads. to-
bacco knives and trlnkets TO give
To Indians they encountered. but they
had no embarrassing experiences until
long after they left the Illinois and
had padded far up the Mississippi
Each day Hennepin said prayers at
morning and night and the angelus at
noon. and each Sunday and fast day
he said mass for his two companions,
for he still carried his little altar
with him. One day. when the three
yoyagers were on shore and Hennepin
WAS repairing the canoe, a war party
OF 120 Sioux came down the river and
capturcd fhCn, TO- Sinu- were In