France and England in North America; A Series of Historical Narratives, Part Third; The Discovery of the Great West, by Francis Parkman

Published: Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1870

Covers the discovery period from 1643 to 1689, when "the Great West" was the valleys of the Mississippi and the Lakes. La Salle, Joliet, Marquette and other explorers, their discoveries and adventures. Jesuits, Indians, Missions, Fur-Trade, Female Inquisitors are some other topics covered. Footnotes have been moved into the text where they belong, and are indicated by being enclosed in brackets.

See also: Pioneers of France in the New World (mostly Florida and Canada), by Francis Parkman

CONTENTS:

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I -- 1643-1669 -- CAVELIER DE LA SALLE
The Youth of La Salle.--His Connection with the Jesuits.--He goes to Canada.--His Character.--His Schemes.--His Seigniory at La Chine.--His Expedition in Search of a Western Passage to India.

CHAPTER II -- 1669-1671 -- LA SALLE AND THE SULPITIANS
The French in Western New York.--Louis Joliet.--The Sulpitians on Lake Erie.--At Detroit.--At Saut Ste. Marie.--The Mystery of La Salle.--He discovers the Ohio.--He descends the Illinois.--Did he reach the Mississippi?

CHAPTER III -- 1670-1672 -- THE JESUITS ON THE LAKES
The Old Missions and the New.--A Change of Spirit.--Lake Superior and the Copper Mines.--Ste. Marie.--La Pointe.--Michillimackinac.-- Jesuits on Lake Michigan.--Allouez and Dablon.--The Jesuit Fur-Trade.

CHAPTER IV -- 1667-1672 -- FRANCE TAKES POSSESSION OF THE WEST
Talon.--St. Lusson.--Perrot.--The Ceremony at Saut Ste. Marie.-- The Speech of Allouez.--Count Frontenac.

CHAPTER V -- 1672-1675 -- THE DISCOVERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI
Joliet sent to find the Mississippi.--Jacques Marquette.--Departure.-- Green Bay.--The Wisconsin.--The Mississippi.--Indians.--Manitous. --The Arkansas.--The Illinois.--Joliet's Misfortune.--Marquette at Chicago.--His Illness.--His Death.

CHAPTER VI -- 1673-1678 -- LA SALLE AND FRONTENAC
Objects of La Salle.--His Difficulties.--Official Corruption in Canada.-- The Governor of Montreal.--Projects of Frontenac.--Cataraqui.-- Frontenac on Lake Ontario.--Fort Frontenac.--Success of La Salle.

CHAPTER VII -- 1674-1678 -- LA SALLE AND THE JESUITS
The Abbe Fenelon.--He attacks the Governor.--The Enemies of La Salle.--Aims of the Jesuits.--Their Hostility to La Salle.

CHAPTER VIII -- 1678 -- PARTY STRIFE
La Salle and his Reporter.--Jesuit Ascendancy.--The Missions and the Fur-Trade.--Female Inquisitors.--Plots against La Salle.--His Brother the Priest.--Intrigues of the Jesuits.--La Salle poisoned.-- He exculpates the Jesuits.--Renewed Intrigues.

CHAPTER IX -- 1677-1678 -- THE GRAND ENTERPRISE
La Salle at Fort Frontenac.--La Salle at Court.--His Plans approved.-- Henri de Tonty.--Preparation for Departure.

CHAPTER X -- 1678-1679 -- LA SALLE AT NIAGARA
Father Louis Hennepin.--His Past Life; His Character.--Embarkation. --Niagara Falls.--Indian Jealousy.--La Motte and the Senecas.-- A Disaster.--La Salle and his Followers.

CHAPTER XI -- 1679 -- THE LAUNCH OF THE "GRIFFIN"
The Niagara Portage.--A Vessel on the Stocks.--Suffering and Discontent.--La Salle's Winter Journey.--The Vessel launched.--Fresh Disasters.

CHAPTER XII -- 1679 -- LA SALLE ON THE UPPER LAKES
The Voyage of the "Griffin."--Detroit.--A Storm.--St. Ignace of Michillimackinac.--Rivals and Enemies--Lake Michigan.--Hardships. --A Threatened Fight.--Fort Miami.--Tonty's Misfortunes.--Forebodings.

CHAPTER XIII -- 1679-1680 -- LA SALLE ON THE ILLINOIS
The St. Joseph.--Adventure of La Salle.--The Prairies.--Famine.-- The Great Town of the Illinois.--Indians.--Intrigues.--Difficulties. --Policy of La Salle.--Desertion.--Another Attempt to poison him.

CHAPTER XIV -- 1680 -- FORT CREVECOEUR
Building of the Fort.--Loss of the "Griffin."--A Bold Resolution.--Another Vessel.--Hennepin sent to the Mississippi.--Departure of La Salle.

CHAPTER XV -- 1680 -- HARDIHOOD OF LA SALLE
The Winter Journey.--The Deserted Town.--Starved Rock.--Lake Michigan.--The Wilderness.--War Parties.--La Salle's Men give out.--Ill Tidings.--Mutiny.--Chastisement of the Mutineers.

CHAPTER XVI -- 1680 -- INDIAN CONQUERORS
The Enterprise renewed.--Attempt to rescue Tonty.--Buffalo.--A Frightful Discovery.--Iroquois Fury.--The Ruined Town.--A Night of Horror.--Traces of the Invaders.--No News of Tonty.

CHAPTER XVII -- 1680 -- TONTY AND THE IROQUOIS
The Deserters.--The Iroquois War.--The Great Town of the Illinois.-- The Alarm.--Onset of the Iroquois.--Peril of Tonty.--A Treacherous Truce.--Intrepidity of Tonty.--Murder of Ribourde.--War upon the Dead.

CHAPTER XVIII -- 1680 -- THE ADVENTURES OF HENNEPIN
Hennepin an Impostor.--His Pretended Discovery.--His Actual Discovery. --Captured by the Sioux.--The Upper Mississippi.

CHAPTER XIX -- 1680, 1681 -- HENNEPIN AMONG THE SIOUX
Signs of Danger.--Adoption.--Hennepin and his Indian Relatives.--The Hunting-Party.--The Sioux Camp.--Falls of St. Anthony.--A Vagabond Friar.--His Adventures on the Mississippi.--Greysolon Du Lhut.--Return to Civilization.

CHAPTER XX -- 1681 -- LA SALLE BEGINS ANEW
His Constancy.--His Plans.--His Savage Allies.--He becomes Snow-blind. --Negotiations.--Grand Council.--La Salle's Oratory.--Meeting with Tonty.--Preparation.--Departure.

CHAPTER XXI -- 1681-1682 -- SUCCESS OF LA SALLE
His Followers.--The Chicago Portage.--Descent of the Mississippi.--The Lost Hunter.--The Arkansas.--The Taensas.--The Natchez.--Hostility.--The Mouth of the Mississippi.--Louis XIV. proclaimed Sovereign of the Great West.

CHAPTER XXII -- 1682-1683 -- ST. LOUIS OF THE ILLINOIS
Louisiana.--Illness of La Salle.--His Colony on the Illinois.--Fort St. Louis.--Recall of Frontenac.--Le Fevre de la Barre.--Critical Position of La Salle.--Hostility of the New Governor.--Triumph of the Adverse Faction.--La Salle sails for France.

CHAPTER XXIII -- 1684 -- A NEW ENTERPRISE
La Salle at Court.--His Proposals.--Occupation of Louisiana.--Invasion of Mexico.--Royal Favor.--Preparation.--The Naval Commander.--His Jealousy of La Salle.--Dissensions.

CHAPTER XXIV -- 1684-1685 -- LA SALLE IN TEXAS
Departure.--Quarrels with Beaujeu.--St. Domingo.--La Salle attacked with Fever.--His Desperate Condition.--The Gulf of Mexico.--A Fatal Error.--Landing.--Wreck of the "Aimable."--Indian Attack.--Treachery of Beaujeu.--Omens of Disaster.

CHAPTER XXV -- 1685-1687 -- ST. LOUIS OF TEXAS
The Fort.--Misery and Dejection.--Energy of La Salle.--His Journey of Exploration.--Duhaut.--Indian Massacre.--Return of La Salle. --A New Calamity.--A Desperate Resolution.--Departure for Canada.--Wreck of the "Belle."--Marriage.--Sedition.--Adventures of La Salle's Party.--The Cenis.--The Camanches.--The Only Hope.--The Last Farewell.

CHAPTER XXVI -- 1687 -- ASSASSINATION OF LA SALLE
His Followers.--Prairie Travelling.--A Hunter's Quarrel.--The Murder of Moranget.--The Conspiracy.--Death of La Salle.--His Character.

CHAPTER XXVII -- 1687, 1688 -- THE INNOCENT AND THE GUILTY
Triumph of the Murderers.--Joutel among the Cenis.--White Savages. --Insolence of Duhaut and his Accomplices.--Murder of Duhaut and Liotot.--Hiens, the Buccaneer.--Joutel and his Party.--Their Escape.--They reach the Arkansas.--Bravery and Devotion of Tonty.--The Fugitives reach the Illinois.--Unworthy Conduct of Cavelier.--He and his Companions return to France.

CHAPTER XXVIII -- 1688-1689 -- FATE OF THE TEXAN COLONY
Tonty attempts to rescue the Colonists.--His Difficulties and Hardships. --Spanish Hostility.--Expedition of Alonzo De Leon.--He reaches Fort St. Louis.--A Scene of Havoc.--Destruction of the French.--The End.

APPENDIX:
I. Early unpublished Maps of the Mississippi and the Great Lakes.
II. The Eldorado of Mathieu Sagean.

INDEX [not included in WebRoots online edition]

[image: LA SALLE'S COLONY on the Illinois FROM THE MAP OF FRANQUELIN, 1684]

The discovery of the "Great West," or the valleys of the Mississippi and the Lakes, is a portion of our history hitherto very obscure. Those magnificent regions were revealed to the world through a series of daring enterprises, of which the motives and even the incidents have been but partially and superficially known. The chief actor in them wrote much, but printed nothing; and the published writings of his associates stand wofully in need of interpretation from the unpublished documents which exist, but which have not heretofore been used as material for history.

This volume attempts to supply the defect. Of the large amount of wholly new material employed in it, by far the greater part is drawn from the various public archives of France, and the rest from private sources. The discovery of many of these documents is due to the indefatigable research of M. Pierre Margry, assistant custodian of the Archives of the Marine and Colonies at Paris, whose labors, as an investigator of the maritime and colonial history of France can be appreciated only by those who have seen their results. In the department of American colonial history, these results have been invaluable; for, besides several private collections made by him, he rendered important service in the collection of the French portion of the Brodhead documents, selected and arranged the two great series of colonial papers ordered by the Canadian government, and prepared, with vast labor, analytical indexes of these and of supplementary documents in the French archives, as well as a copious index of the mass of papers relating to Louisiana. It is to be hoped that the valuable publications on the maritime history of France which have appeared from his pen are an earnest of more extended contributions in future.

The late President Sparks, some time after the publication of his life of La Salle, caused a collection to be made of documents relating to that explorer, with the intention of incorporating them in a future edition. This intention was never carried into effect, and the documents were never used. With the liberality which always distinguished him, he placed them at my disposal, and this privilege has been, kindly continued by Mrs. Sparks.

Abbe Faillon, the learned author of "La Colonie Francaise en Canada," has sent me copies of various documents found by him, including family papers of La Salle. Among others who in various ways have aided my inquiries, are Dr. John Paul, of Ottawa, Ill.; Count Adolphe de Circourt and M. Jules Marcou, of Paris; M. A. Gerin Lajoie, Assistant Librarian of the Canadian Parliament; M. J. M. Le Moine, of Quebec; General Dix, Minister of the United States at the Court of France; O. H. Marshall, of Buffalo; J. G. Shea, of New York; Buckingham Smith, of St. Augustine; and Colonel Thomas Aspinwall, of Boston.

The map contained in the book is a portion of the great manuscript map of Franquelin, of which an account will be found in the Appendix.

The next volume of the series will be devoted to the efforts of Monarchy and Feudalism under Louis XIV. to establish a permanent power on this continent, and to the stormy career of Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac.

BOSTON, 16 September, 1869.

The Spaniards discovered the Mississippi. De Soto was buried beneath its waters; and it was down its muddy current that his followers fled from the Eldorado of their dreams, transformed to a dismal wilderness of misery and death. The discovery was never used, and was well-nigh forgotten. On early Spanish maps, the Mississippi is often indistinguishable from other affluents of the Gulf. A century passed after De Soto's journeyings in the South, before a French explorer reached a northern tributary of the great river.

This was Jean Nicollet, interpreter at Three Rivers on the St. Lawrence. He had been some twenty years in Canada, had lived among the savage Algonquins of Allumette Island, and spent eight or nine years among the Nipissings, on the lake which bears their name. Here he became an Indian in all his habits, but remained, nevertheless, a zealous Catholic, and returned to civilization at last because he could not live without the sacraments. Strange stories were current among the Nipissings of a people without hair and without beards, who came from the West to trade with a tribe beyond the Great Lakes. Who could doubt that these strangers were Chinese or Japanese? Such tales may well have excited Nicollet's curiosity; and when, in or before the year 1639, he was sent as an ambassador to the tribe in question, he would not have been surprised if on arriving he had found a party of mandarins among them. Possibly it was with a view to such a contingency that he provided himself, as a dress of ceremony, with a robe of Chinese damask embroidered with birds and flowers. The tribe to which he was sent was that of the Winnebagoes, living near the head of the Green Bay of Lake Michigan. They had come to blows with the Hurons, allies of the French; and Nicollet was charged to negotiate a peace. When he approached the Winnebago town, he sent one of his Indian attendants to announce his coming, put on his robe of damask, and advanced to meet the expectant crowd with a pistol in each hand. The squaws and children fled, screaming that it was a manito, or spirit, armed with thunder and lightning; but the chiefs and warriors regaled him with so bountiful a hospitality that a hundred and twenty beavers were devoured at a single feast. From the Winnebagoes, he passed westward, ascended Fox River, crossed to the Wisconsin, and descended it so far that, as he reported on his return, in three days more he would have reached the sea. The truth seems to be, that he mistook the meaning of his Indian guides, and that the "great water" to which he was so near was not the sea, but the Mississippi.

It has been affirmed that one Colonel Wood, of Virginia, reached a branch of the Mississippi as early as the year 1654, and that, about 1670, a certain Captain Bolton penetrated to the river itself. Neither statement is improbable, but neither is sustained by sufficient evidence. Meanwhile, French Jesuits and fur-traders pushed deeper and deeper into the wilderness of the northern lakes. In 1641, Jogues and Raymbault preached the

DISCOVERY OF THE GREAT WEST.