CHAPTER IV. LA. SALLE'S VOYAGE CONTINUED. St. Ignace, or Mackinaw, as previously stated, had become a principal center of the Jesuit missions, and it had also grown into a headquarters for an extensive Indian trade. Duly licensed traders, as well as the Coureurs de Bois—men who had run wild, as it were, and by their intercourse with the nations had thrown off all restraints of civilized life—resorted to this vicinity in considerable numbers. These, lost to all sense of national pride, instead of sustaining, took every measure to thwart La Salle's plans. They, with some of the dissatisfied crew, represented to the Indians that La Salle and his associates were a set of dangerous and ambitious adventurers, who meant to engross all the trade in furs and skins and invade their liberties. These jealous and meddlesome busybodies had already, before the arrival of the Griffin, succeeded in seducing fifteen 'men from La Salle's service, whom with 'others he had sent forward the previous spring, under command of Tonty, with a stock of merchandise ; and, instead of going to the tribes beyond and preparing the way for a friendly reception of La Salle, as they were ordered to do, they loitered about Mackinaw the whole summer and squandered the goods, in spite of Tonty's persistent efforts to urge them forward in the performance of their duty. La Salle sent out other parties to trade with the natives, and these went so far, and were so busy in bartering for and collecting furs, that they did not return to Mackinaw until November. It was now getting late, and La Salle was warned of the dangerous storms that swept the lakes at the beginning of winter; he resolved, therefore, to continue his voyage without waiting the return of his men. He weighed anchor and sailed westward into Lake Michigan as far as the islands at the entrance of Green Bay, then called the Pottawatomie Islands, for the reason that they were then occupied by bands of that tribe. On one of these islands La Salle found some of the men belonging to his advance party of traders, and who, having secured a large quantity of valuable furs, had long and impatiently waited his coming. La Salle, as is already apparent, determined to engage in a fur trade 34 - HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. that already and legitimately belonged to merchants operating at Montreal, and with which the terms of his own license prohibited his interfering. Without asking any one's advice he resolved to load his ship with furs and send it back to Niagara, and the furs to Quebec, and out of the proceeds of the sale to discharge some very pressing debts. The pilot with five men to man the vessel were ordered to proceed with the Griffin to Niagara, and return with all imaginable speed and join La Salle at the mouth of the St. Joseph river, near the southern shore of Lake Michigan. The Griffin did not go to Green Bay City, as many writers have assumed in hasty perusals of the original authorities, or even penetrate the body of water known as Green Bay beyond the chain of islands at its mouth. The resolution of La Salle, taken, it seems, on the spur of the moment, to send his ship back down the lakes, and prosecute his voyage the rest of the way to the head of Lake Michigan in frail birchen canoes, was a most unfortunate, measure. It delayed his discoveries two years, brought severe hardships upon himself and greatly embarrassed all his future plans. The Griffin itself was lost, with all her cargo, valued at sixty thousand lives. She, nor her crew, was ever heard of after leaving the Pottawatomie Islands. What became of the ship and men in charge remains to this day a mystery, or veiled in a cloud of conjecture. La Salle himself, says Francis Parkman, "grew into a settled conviction that the Griffin had been treacherously sunk by the pilot and sailors to whom he had intrusted her; and he thought he had in after years found evidence that the authors of the crime, laden with the merchandise they had taken from her, had reached the Mississippi and ascended it, hoping to join Du Shut, the famous chief of the Coureurs de Bois, and enrich themselves by traffic with the northern tribes." The following is substantially Hennepin's account of La Salle's canoe voyage from the mouth of Green Bay south, along the shore of Lake Michigan, past Milwaukee and Chicago, and around the southern end of the lake; thence north along the eastern shore to the mouth of the St. Joseph river; thence up the St. Joseph to South Bend, making the portage here to the bead waters of the Kankakee; thence down the Kankakee and Illinois through Peoria lake, with an account of the building of Fort Crevecoeur. Hennepin's narrative is full of interesting detail, and contains many interesting observations upon the condition of country, the native inhabitants as they appeared nearly two hundred years ago. The privation and suffering to which La Salle and his party were exposed in navigating Lake Michigan at that FIRST VOYAGE ON LAKE MICHIGAN - 35 early day, and late iii the fall of the year, when the waters were vexed with tempestuous storms, illustrate the courage and daring of the undertaking. Their suffering did not terminate with their voyage upon the lake. Difficulties of another kind were experienced on the St. Joseph, Kankakee and Illinois Rivers. Hennepin's is, perhaps, the first detailed account we have of this part of the " Great West," and is therefore of great interest and value on this account. " We left the Pottawatomies to continue our voyage, being fourteen men in all, in four canoes. I had charge of the smallest, which carried five hundredweight and two men. My companions being recently from Europe, and for that reason being unskilled in the management of these kind of boats, its whole charge fell upon me in stormy weather. " The canoes were laden with a smith's forge, utensils, tools for carpenters, joiners and sawyers, besides our goods and arms. We steered to the south toward the mainland, from which the Pottawatomie Islands are distant some forty leagues; but about midway, and in the night time, we were greatly endangered by a sudden storm. The waves dashed into our canoes, and the night was so dark we had great difficulty in keeping our canoes together. The daylight coming on, we reached the shore, where we remained for four days, waiting for the lake to grow calm. In the meantime our Indian hunter went in quest of game, but killed nothing other than a porcupine ; this, however, made our Indian corn more relishing. The weather becoming fair, we resumed our voyage, rowing all day and well into the night along the western coast of the Lake of the Illinois. The wind again grew too fresh, and we landed upon a rocky beach, where we had nothing to protect ourselves against a storm of snow and rain except the clothing on our persons. We remained here two days for the sea to go down, having made a little fire from wood cast ashore by the waves. We proceeded on our voyage, and toward evening the winds again forced us to a beach covered with rushes, where we remained three days ; and in the meantime our provisions, consisting only of pumpkins and Indian corn purchased from the Pottawatomies, entirely gave out. Our canoes were so heavily laden that we could not carry provisions with us, and we were compelled to rely on bartering for such supplies on our way. We left this dismal place, and after twelve leagues rowing came to another Pottawatomie village, whose inhabitants stood upon the beach to receive us. But M. La Salle refused to let anyone land, notwithstanding the severity of the weather, fear- 36 - HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. ing some of his men might run away. We were in such great peril that La Salle flung himself into the water, after we had gone some three leagues farther, and with the aid of his three men carried the canoe of which he had charge to the shore upon their shoulders, otherwise it would have been broken to pieces by the waves. We were obliged to do the same with the other canoes. I, myself, carried good Father Gabriel upon my back, his age being so well advanced as not to admit of his venturing in the water. We, took ourselves to a piece of rising ground to avoid surprise, as we had no manner of acquaintance with the great number of savages whose village was near at hand. We sent three men into the village to buy provisions, under protection of the calumet, or pipe of peace, which the Indians at Pottawatomie Islands had presented us as a means of introduction to, and a measure of safety against, other tribes that we might meet on our way." The calumet has always been a symbol of amity among all the Indian tribes of North America, and so uniformly used by them in all their negotiations with their own race, and Europeans as well ; and Father Hennepin's description of it, and the respect that is accorded to its presence, are so truthful that we here insert his account of it at length : " This calumet," says' Father Hennepin, " is the most mysterious thing among the savages, for it is used in all important transactions. It is nothing else, however, than a large tobacco pipe, made of red, black, or white stone. The head is highly polished, and the quill or stem is usually about two feet in length, made of a pretty strong reed or cane, decorated with highly colored feathers interlaced with locks of women's hair. Wings of gaudily plumage& birds are tied to it making the calumet look like the wand of Mercury, or staff which ambassadors of state formerly carried when they went to conduct treaties of peace. The stem is sheathed in the skin of the neck of birds called ' Huars' (probably the loon), which are as large as our geese, and spotted with white and black ; or else with those of a duck (the little wood duck, whose neck presents a beautiful contrast of colors) that make their nests upon trees, although the water is their ordinary element, and whose feathers are of many different colors. However, every tribe ornament their calumets according to their own fancy, with the feathers of such birds as they may have in their own country. "A pipe such as I have described is a pass of safe conduct among all the allies of the tribe which has given it ; and in all embassies it is car- CANOE VOYAGE ON LAKE MICHIGAN - 37 ried as a symbol of peace, and is always respected as such, for the savages believe some great misfortune would speedily befall them if they violated the public faith of the calumet. All their enterprises, declarations of war, treaties of peace, as well as all of the rest of their ceremonies, are sealed with the calumet. The pipe is filled with the best tobacco they have, and then it is presented to those with whom they are about to conduct an important affair ; and after they have smoked out of it the one offering it does the same. I would have perished," concludes Hennepin, " had it not been for the calumet. Our three men, carrying the calumet and being well armed, went to the little village about three leagues from the place where we landed ; they found no one at home, for the inhabitants, having heard that we refused to land at the other village, supposed we were enemies, and had abandoned their habitations. In their absence our men took some of their corn, and left instead some goods, to let them know we were neither their enemies nor robbers. Twenty of the inhabitants of this village came to our encampment on the beach, armed with axes, small guns, bows, and a sort of club, which, in their language, means a head-breaker. La Salle, with four well-armed men, advanced toward them for the purpose of opening a conversation. He requested them to come near to us, saying he had a party of hunters out who might come across them and take their lives. They came forward and took seats at the foot of an eminence where we were encamped ; and La Salle amused them with the relation of his voyage, which he informed them he had undertaken for their advantage; and thus occupied their time until the arrival of the three men who had been sent out with the calumet ; on seeing which the savages gave a great shout, arose to their feet and danced about. We excused our men from having taken some of their corn, and informed them that we had left its true value in goods ; they were so well pleased with this that they immediately sent for more corn, and on the next day they made us a gift of as much as we could conveniently find room for in our canoes. " The next day morning the old men of the tribe came to us with their calumet of peace, and entertained us with a free offering of wild goats, which their own hunters had taken. In return, we presented them our thanks, accompanied with some axes, knives, and several little toys for their wives, with all which they were very much pleased. " We left this place and continued our voyage along the coast of the lake, which, in places, is so steep that we often found it difficult to obtain a landing ; and the wind was so violent as to oblige us to carry' our canoes sometimes upon top of the bluff, to prevent their being 38 - HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. dashed in pieces. The stormy weather lasted four days, causing us much suffering; for every time we made the shore we had to wade in the water, carrying our effects and canoes upon our shoulders. The water being very cold, most of us were taken sick. Our provisions again failed us, which, with the fatigues of rowing, made old Father Gabriel faint away in such a manner that we despaired of his life. With a use of a decoction of hyacinth I had with me, and which I found of great service on our voyage, he was restored to his senses. We had no other subsistence but a handful of corn per man every twenty-four hours, which we parched or boiled ; and, although reduced to such scanty diet, we rowed our canoes almost daily, from morning to night. Our men found some hawthorns and other wild berries, of which they ate so freely that most of them were taken sick, and we imagined that they were poisoned. "Having thus refreshed ourselves, we continued our voyage directly to the southern part of the lake, every day the country becoming finer and the climate more temperate. On the 16th of October we fell in with abundance of game. Our Indian hunter killed several deer and wild goats, and our men a great many big fat turkey-cocks, with which we regaled ourselves for several days. On the 18th we came to the farther end of the lake. Here we landed, and our men were sent out to prospect the locality, and found great quantities of ripe grapes, the fruit of which were as large as damask plums. We cut down the trees to gather the grapes, out of which we made pretty good wine, which we put into gourds, used as flasks, and buried them in the sand to keep the contents from turning sour. Many of the trees here are loaded with vines, which, if cultivated, would make as good wine as any in Europe. The fruit was all the more relishing to us, because we wanted bread." Other travelers besides Hennepin, passing this locality at an early day, also mention the same fact. , It would seem, therefore, that Lake Michigan had the same modifying influence upon, and equalized the temperature of, its eastern shore, rendering it as famous for its wild fruits and grapes, two hundred years ago, as it has since become noted for the abundance and perfection of its cultivated varieties. " Our men discovered prints of men's feet. The men were ordered to be upon guard and make no noise. In spite of this precaution, one of our men, finding a bear upon a tree, shot him dead and dragged him into camp. La Salle was very angry at this indiscretion, and, to avoid surprise, placed sentinels at the canoes, under which our effects had been put for protection against the rain. There was a hunting SAVAGES PLUNDERING LA SALLE - 39 party of Fox Indians from the vicinity of Green Bay, about one hundred and twenty in number, encamped near to us, who, having heard the noise of the gun of the man who shot the bear, became alarmed, and sent out some of their men to discover who we were. These spies, creeping upon their bellies and observing great silence, came in the nighttime and stole the coat of La Salle's footman and some goods secreted under the canoes. The sentinel, hearing a noise, gave the alarm, and we all ran to our arms. On being discovered, and thinking our numbers were greater than we really were, they cried out, in the dark, that they were friends. We answered, friends did not visit at such unseasonable hours, and that their actions were more like those of robbers, who designed to plunder and kill us. Their headsman replied that they heard the noise of our gun, and, as they knew that none of the neighboring tribes possessed firearms, they supposed we were a war party of Iroquois, come with the design of murdering them ; but now that they learned we were Frenchmen from Canada, whom they loved as their own brethren, they would anxiously wait until daylight, so that they could smoke out of our calumet. This is a compliment among the savages, and the highest mark they can give of their affection. " We appeared satisfied with their reasons, and gave leave to four of their old men, only, to come into our camp, telling them we would not permit a greater number, as their young men were much given to stealing, and that we would not suffer such indignities. Accordingly, four of their old men came among us; we entertained them until morning, when they departed. After they were gone, we found out about the robbery of the canoes, and La Salle, well knowing the genius of the savages, saw, if he allowed this affront to pass without resenting it, that we would be constantly exposed to a renewal of like indignities. Therefore, it was resolved to exact prompt satisfaction. La Salle, with four of his men, went out and captured two of the Indian hunters. One of the prisoners confessed the robbery, with the circumstances connected with it. The thief was detained, and his comrade was released and sent to his band to tell their headsman that the captive in custody would be put to death unless the stolen property were returned. " The savages were greatly perplexed at La Salle's peremptory message. They could not comply, for they had cut up the goods and coat and divided among themselves the pieces and the buttons ; they therefore resolved to rescue their man by force. The next day, October 30, they advanced to attack us. The peninsula we were encamped on 40 - HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. was separated from the forest where the savages lay by a. little sandy plain, on which and near the wood were two or three eminences. La Salle determined to take possession of the most prominent of these elevations, and detached five of his men to occupy it, following himself, at a short distance, with all of his force, every one having rolled their coats about the left arm, which was held up as a protection against the arrows of the savages. Only eight of the enemy had firearms. The savages were frightened at our advance, and their young men took behind the trees, but their captains stood their ground, while we moved forward and seized the knoll. I left the two other Franciscans reading the usual prayers, and went about among the men exhorting them to their duty; I had been in some battles and sieges in Europe, and was not afraid of these savages, and La Salle was highly pleased with my exhortations, and their influence upon his men. When I considered what might be the result of the quarrel, and how much more Christian-like it would be to prevent the effusion of blood, and end the difficulty in a friendly manner, I went toward the oldest savage, who, seeing me unarmed, supposed I came with designs of a mediator, and received me with civility. In the meantime one of our men observed that one of the savages had a piece of the stolen cloth wrapped about his head, and he went up to the savage and snatched the cloth away. This vigorous action so much terrified the savages that, although they were near six score against eleven, they presented me with the pipe of peace, which I received. M. La Salle gave his word that they might come to him in security. Two of their old men came forward, and in a speech disapproved the conduct of their young men ; that they could not restore the goods taken, but that, having been cut to pieces, they could only return the articles which were not spoiled, and pay for the rest. The orators presented, with their speeches, some garments made of beaver skins, to appease the wrath of M. La Salle, who, frowning a little, informed them that while he designed to wrong no one, he did not intend others should affront or injure him ; but, inasmuch as they did not approve what their young men had done, and were willing to make restitution for the same, he would accept their gifts and become their friend. The conditions were fully complied with, and peace happily concluded without farther hostility. " The day was spent in dancing, feasting and speech-making. The chief of the band had taken particular notice of the behavior of the Franciscans. ' These gray-coats,' said the chief of the Foxes, ' we value very much. They go barefooted as well as we. They scorn our INDIAN SPEECH TO THE GRAY-COATS - 41 beaver gowns, and decline all other presents. They do not carry arms to kill us. They flatter and make much of our children, and give them knives and other toys without expecting any reward. Those of our tribe who have been to Canada tell us that Onontio (so they call the Governor) loves them very much, and that the Fathers of the Gown have given up all to come and see us. Therefore, you who are captain over all these men, be pleased to leave with us one of these gray-coats, whom we will conduct to our village when we shall have killed what we design of the buffaloes. Thou art also master of these warriors ; remain with us, instead of going among the Illinois, who, already advised of your coming, are resolved to kill you and all of your soldiers. And how can you resist so powerful a nation ?' "The day November 1st we again embarked on the lake, and came to the mouth of the river of the Miamis, which comes from the southeast and falls into the lake."