The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-05-15

10 the villages vi tHc lHutduS hCdA
Lake Mile Laos, and did not rest until
the prisoners were released and de-
parted with him. They left the coun-
try of the Sioux at the end of Septem-
her, 1880, followed the course of the
st. Francis or Rum River and of the
Mississippi as far as the Wisconsin
River, and then went eastward.
Father Hennepin Explores Upper
Mississippi.
The Recollect missionary, Father
Louis Hennepin, went on an eXpedi-
ton towards the west in 1878 with
the famous explorer La Sale, and
reached as far as the site of the pres
ent city of Peoria on the Illinois River,
near which the Fort Crevecoeur was
built In 1850 he and two other men
of the party, Michael Accault and
Anthony Auguelle, were sent by La
Sale to explore the course OF the
upper Mississippi. They left Fort
Crevecoeur on February goth, sailed
down the Illinois River, and within
week or ten days reached the Missis-
Nv direction, when on April 18th, they
were surrounded by a large band OF
Sioux, who were coming from the
north to make war against their enc
mics the Miamis, the Illinois, and
other Indian tribes. All three were
made prisoners, carried along the
Mississippi as far north as the site
of the present city of st. Paul, and
then taken overland to the Sioux and
Issati villages in the neighborhood OF
Mile Laos. At the beginning of July,
Hennepin and Anthony Auguelle were
permitted to go down the Mississippi
as far as the Wisconsin River, where
they expected to receive provisions
and merchandise from some French
men, while Michael Accault remained
with the Sioux. They sailed down
the st. Francis or Rum River, and
down the Mississippi. 1t was on this
expedition that Hennepin beheld for
the first time the great falls within
the present city of Minneapolis,
which he named the Falls of ST.
Anthony. An interesting incident oc'
Cured during this trip. Shortly
after they had left the Falls of St
Anthony they discovered that they
had forgotten their powder-horn left
in some spot near the Falls; they
were then about one or two leagues
below the Falls. Here they halted
and while Hennepin rested in a Sc
cluded spot on the bank of the River
his companion went back to fetch the
powder-horn. The place where they
stopped must have been near where
now the ST. Paul Seminary stands
for the distance corresponds about tt
what Hennepin says, and the Rivers
bank in this vicinity is so shaped as
to afford good opportunity for land
ing and resting. Not having founC
any Frenchmen near the Wisconsin
River, they went upstream again, I'm
til on July 25th, they met Duluth
with whom they returned to Mile
Laos. And finally all departed fol
the east, as was related before. The
7principaf object of Father Hennepin
as he states himself, was to preach the
faith to the savage Indians, and con
vert them to Christianity and civiliza
ton. While with the Issati near Mile
Laos he baptized an infant whom HI
thought in danger of death; he CAV
to the child the name of Antoinett
in honor of the great Saint of hi
order, Saint Anthony of Padua.
Nicolas Perrot at Lake Pepin.
Only few years after the departur
of Hennepin and Duluth for the east
several French traders visited variou
parts of what is now Minnesota, chic
of whom were Nicolas Perrot an
Pierre Charles LIE Sueur. Nicolas Pei
rot, an explorer of great renown, mad
many journeys, to the regions aroun
the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi
i'm the interests of the French Govern
ment in Canada, and of the Frenc
trade with the Indians. He estat
Iished several forts, or posts alon
the Mississippi; one of these Gale
the Fort Perrot, was erected about tn
year 1885, on the western side of tn
Mississippi, not far from the outlet c
Lake Pepin, and near where is no'
the city of Wabasha, Minnesota. o
May Sth, 1889, he was at the Fort S
Antoine, located on the northeastern
shore of Lake Pepin, and there
the presence of number Of his coul
trymen, issued a proclamation, b
which he submitted to the jurisdi
ton of the King of France, all tn
country lying to the northwest alon
the course of the upper MISSISSIPPI
River, thus subjecting to the dominic
of the King of France, large SCI
ton of the present State of Mimi
sota A copy of this proclamatio
was sent to the Marquis de Denonvill
then Governor of Canada, and frol
there is was forwarded to the Go
eminent of France.
lie Seuer Explores Minnesota River
Pierre Charles lie Sueur was a CO
temporary of Perrot, and often in tn
latters company, during the exped
tions to the west In 1859 he was wit
Perrot at the Fort st. Antoine, ar
signed his name to the proclamatio
spoken of before. Either shortly
fore this, or shortly afterwards,
made canoe journey along the upp'
: Mississippi, and reached point abo'
a hundred leagues above the Falls
st. Anthony, which was probably in Il
! neighborhood of Sandy Lake. He e