The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-22


by his creditors, When he reached
Montreal messenger from Tonty
arrived with the news that soon after
his departure the men had mutinied
and destroyed Fort Crevecour. or all
that he had planned and all that he
had organized nothing remained, But
the undaunted man only worked the
harder. He was a powerful orator
when his passions were aroused and
he used all his skill in presenting his
story to men with money. He borrowed
| money again, enough to buy new
equipment. and back over the same
road he went with a dozen men. On
Lake Ontario he encountered party
of his deserters. They had a battle
and two were killed. Then he push
ed on, but when he got to the village
of the Illinois i, was desolate. No,
| a human being was in sight The
! ground was strewn with broken bones
| and mangled corpses
| He thought at first the tribe had
| been massacred. but 1t was not so
The Iroquois. instigated by those eager
to ruin La Sale. had invaded the ILL.,
nois country. Tonty had acted as medi-
ator. and by misleading the Iroquois
| as to the number Of Illinois braves, had
| managed to prevent an attack. Then
the two rival bands, one on either side
of the river. had gone toward the Mis-
sissppl. When the 1roquois at last
discovered the real number of the Illi-
nois they slaughtered the women and
children they had captured, and. re-
turning to the village. had invaded the
Indian burial places and wreaked VEN
geance on the dead OF Tonty and the
CO.,, ,.,o, 1,yho hod true 10
him La Sale found no trace. and, of
course, he heard nothing of Hennepin.
The shell OF the new ship was on the
stocks, but that was all that remained
of Fort Crevecour.
Up and down the Illinois La Sale
searched for Tonty. He went to the
Mississippi but found no sign. La
Sale next went to the mouth OF the
st. Joseph, and still with no knowledge
of the fate OF Tonty, he gathered about
him some Abenakis Indians who had
fled to the West as result OF the King
Philip War. He made one more trip
to Canada, and on his return was over
joyed to meet Tonty, who, after extra
ordinary per1ls had reached Michilll-
mackinac, On December 81. 1882, La
Sale left the st. Joseph. His force
had been Increased decidedly. He had
twenty-three whites eighteen warriors.
ten souaws and three children. The
warriors insisted on taking the squaws
and children. Over the portage to the
Illinois they carried their canoes and
down the river they toated. La Sale
had given up hope OF building the ship.
On February they reached the Mlssis-
sippi. 1t was full OF floating ice. The
sight of the muddy torrent from the
Missouri Impressed them greatly. Day
after day they proceeded down stream.
camping each night on shore. Each
day 1t got warmer, Once they were
in danger OF attack, passing an Indian
encnmpnlent. They We're we'll received
by the Arkansas Indians, who had
treated Joliet and Marquette in a
friendly manner
And when they reached the furthest
point reached by Joliet and Marquette.
La Sale reared a cross and took pos
session of the country In his Kings
name. Where now is the city of
Natchez La. Sale planted cross. He
was amazed at the adobe hS0ses OF
the Taensas Indians and the religious
of the Natchez. Soon the
yoyagers knew their journeys end
was near. The shores became low
and marshy, the water became brack-
ASH and then changed to brine, Then
the air brought the, salt of the sea.
on April 6, 1889, La Sale reached a
epot where the great river divides
itsolf into three broad channels. Ha
followed the western one, D'Autray
the east and Tonty the centre. They
eame out on the broad and silent gulf.