It has been already mentioned that La Salle had sent Dacan and Father Hennepin to explore the Mississippi, on his first return from the Illinois to Lake Michigan. They descended that great river almost to the sea; but their followers, becoming alarmed at the idea of falling into the hands of the Spaniards, compelled them to return without having perfected their expedition. They re-ascended the stream, and passed the mouths of the Illinois and Wisconsin, and even reached beyond those magnificent falls to which the adventurous priest has given the name of St. Anthony. Continual danger threatened these travelers, from the caprice or hostility of the Indians; they were held for a long time in a cruel captivity, forced to accompany their captors through the most difficult countries, at a pace of almost incredible rapidity, till, with their feet and limbs cut and bleeding, they were well-nigh incapable of moving any further. After some time Hennepin was adopted by a chief as his son, and treated with much kindness; when winter came on, however, and a great scarcity of provisions arose, the Indians, being unable any longer to support their captives, allowed them to depart. The father and his companions used this liberty to continue their explorations down the Mississippi. After many other perils and adventures, they at length met the Sieur de Luth, who commanded a party sent in search of them, and with further instructions to form a settlement on the Great River. Hennepin at first turned back with the sieur, but found so many obstacles and difficulties that he determined for the present to return to Canada.

The disasters attending the expeditions of La Salle and Hennepin for some time deterred others from venturing to explore the dangerous regions of the West, and the government totally neglected to occupy the splendid field which the adventure of those men had opened to French enterprise. It was left to the love of gain or glory, or the religious zeal of individuals, to continue the explorations of this savage but magnificent country. The Baron la Hontan was one of the first and most conspicuous of these dauntless travelers.[401] He had gone to Canada in early life with a view of retrieving the broken fortunes of his ancient family, and had obtained employment upon the lakes under the French government. While thus occupied, he became intimately acquainted with the life and customs of the savages, and, from his intercourse with them, formed the idea of penetrating into the interior of their country, where the white man's foot had never before trodden. His actual discoveries were probably not very important, and his record of them is confused and imperfect; but he was the first to learn the existence of the Rocky Mountains, and of that vast ocean which separates the western coast of North America from the continent of Asia.[402]

FOOTNOTES:

[387] "On espéroit beaucoup de la Compagnie des Indes Occidentales, mais elle ne prit guère plus à cœur les intérêts de la Nouvelle France, que n'avoit fait la précédente, ainsi que M. Talon avoit prévu. Cependant comme les secours que le Canada avait reçus les dernières années, l'avoient mis sur un assez bon pied, il s'y conserva quelque tems, et il n'est pas même retombé depuis dans l'état de foiblesse et d'épuisement dont le roi venoit de le tirer."—Charlevoix, tom. ii., p. 161.

[388] "Le peuple adoroit Frontenac à cause de sa bonté."—La Potherie, tom. iv., p. 110; Charlevoix, tom ii., p. 246.

[389] The Mississippi.

[390] "Ce lac a porté quelque tems le nom de St. Louis, on lui donna ensuite celui de Frontenac, aussi bien qu'au fort de Catarocoui dont le Comte de Frontenac fut le fondateur, mais insensiblement le lac a repris son ancien nom, qui est Huron ou Iroquois, et le fort celui du lieu où il est bâti (1721)."—Charlevoix, tom. v., p. 287.

[391] "Le Père J. Marquette, natif de Laon en Picardie, a été un des plus illustres missionnaires du la Nouvelle France; il en a parcouru presque toutes les contrées, et il y a fait plusieurs découvertes dont la dernière est celle du Micissipi. Deux ans après cette découverte, comme il alloit à Michillimackinack, il entra le 18me de May, 1675, dans la rivière dont il s'agit; il dressa son autel sur le terrein bas, qu'on lassia à droite en y entrant, et il y dit la messe. Il s'éloigna, ensuite un peu pour faire son action de graces, et pria les hommes qui conduisoient son canot, de le laisser seul pendant une demie heure. Ce tems passé, ils allèrent le chercher, et furent très surpris de le trouver mort, ils se souvinrent néanmoins qu'en entrant dans la rivière, il lui étoit échappé de dire qu'il finiroit la son voyage. Aujourd'hui les sauvages n'appellent cette rivière autrement que la rivière de la robe noire;[392] les François lui ont donné le nom du Père Marquette, et ne manquent jamais de l'invoquer, quand ils se trouvent en quelque danger sur le Lac Michigan. Plusieurs ont assuré qu'ils se croyoient redevables à son intercession, d'avoir echappé à de très grands perils."—Charlevoix, tom. vi., p. 21.

[392] "Les sauvages appellent ainsi les Jésuites. Ils nomment les Prêtres, les Collets blancs, et les Recollets, les Robes grises."

[393] Relation de Marquette: Recueil de Thevenot, tom. i.