this journey," says Marquette, "did we see such rs, woods, stags, buffaloes, deer, wildcats, bustards, roquets, and even beavers, as on the Illinois River." at loss or injury, reached Green Bay in September, r discovery-one of the most important of the age, record was preserved save Marquette's, Joliet losing ing of his canoe on his way to Quebec. Afterward ed to the Illinois Indians by their request, and ministil 1675. On the 18th of May in that year, as he was th of a stream-going with his boatmen up Lake ed to land at its mouth and celebrate mass. Leaving eanoe, he retired a short distance and began his devotime passed and he did not return, his men went in I found him upon his knees, dead. He had peacefully eat prayer. He was buried at this spot. Charlevoix, lace fifty years later, found the waters had retreated eaving the beloved missionary to repose in peace. e been called Marquette. e and his companions were pursuing their labors in n, differing widely from him and each other, were w in his footsteps and perfect the discoveries so well hese were Robert de LaSalle and Louis Hennepin. return from the discovery of the Ohio River (see ewhere) he established himself again among the sts in Canada. Here he mused long upon the pet es-a short way to China and the East, and was busily ition up the great lakes, and so across the continent n Marquette returned from the Mississippi. At once of LaSalle received from his and his companions' at by following the Great River northward, or by the numerous western tributaries, the object could He applied to Frontenac, Governor General of before him the dim, but gigantic plan. Frontenac o his plans, seeing that LaSalle's idea to connect the ain of forts with the Gulf of Mexico would bind the THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. eturned to Canada, and busily entered upon his work. He at once built Fort Frontenac, and constructed the first ship to sail on the esh-water seas. On the 7th of August, 1679, having been joined by ennepin, he began his voyage in the Griffin up Lake Erie. He passed ver this lake, through the straits beyond, up Lake St. Clair and into ake Huron. In this lake they encountered heavy storms. They were ome time at Michillimackinac, where LaSalle founded a fort, and assed thence to Green Bay, the "Baie des Puans" of the French, where e found a large quantity of furs collected for him. He loaded the riffin with these, and placing her under the care of a pilot and fouren sailors, started her on her return voyage. The vessel was never terward heard of. LaSalle remained thereabouts until early in the inter, when, hearing nothing from the Griffin, he collected all his en-thirty working men and three monks-and started again upon is great undertaking. By a short portage they passed to the Illinois or Kankakee, called by e Indians, "Theake," wolf, because of the tribes of Indians known to em by that name, but commonly called Mahingons, dwelling there. he French pronounced it Keakiki, which became corrupted to Kanakee. "Falling down the river by easy stages, the better to observe e country,” about the last of December they reached a village of the linois Indians, containing some five hundred cabins, but at that time O inhabitants. The Sieur de LaSalle being in want of some breadstuffs, ok advantage of the absence of the Indians to help himself to a suffiency of maize, large quantities of which he found concealed in holes nder the wigwams. This village was situated near the present village - Utica, in LaSalle county, Illinois. The corn being securely stored, e voyagers again betook themselves to the stream, and toward eveng, on the 4th day of January, 1680, they came into a lake which must ave been the lake of Peoria, at Peoria City. This was called by the Inans Pim-i-te-wi, that is, a place where there are many fat beasts. Here e natives were met with in large numbers, but they were gentle and nd, and having spent some time with them, LaSalle determined to ect another fort in that place, for he had heard rumors that some of the joining tribes were trying to disturb the good feeling which existed, nd some of his men were disposed to complain, owing to the hardships nd perils of the travel. He called this fort "Crevecœur" (brokeneart,) a name expressive of the very natural sorrow and anxiety hich the pretty certain loss of his ship, Griffin, and his consequent groundless. tely was discov the fort, Hennepin r it's comrades were An they found several be Their captors were t x nation, who took reached the falls (at St. Anthony, in honor altravelled across the c f about two hundred be with which they w ith kindness. They ths, at the end of w men, headed by one had penetrated that fa mpanions were release ith them to the border er LaSalle had returned d Dnepin soon after went poverishment, the danger of hostility on the part of the Indians and account of his advent indless. At one time poison was placed in his food, was discovered. g this fort, the winter wore away, the prairies began to LaSalle, despairing of any reinforcements, concluded ada, raise new means and new men, and embark anew . For this purpose he made Hennepin the leader of a the head waters of the Mississippi, and set out on his urney was accomplished with the aid of a few persons, ully made, though over an almost unknown route, and of the year. He reached Canada in safety, and soon the object of his search. his party left Fort Crevecoeur the last of February, Salle reached this place on his return expedition, he tirely deserted, and was obliged to return again to parked the third time, and succeeded. Seven days after Hennepin reached the Mississippi, and paddling up best he could, reached the Wisconsin River about the Here he and his followers were taken prisoners by a rn Indians, who treated them with great kindness. ades were Anthony Auguel and Michael Ako. On this d several beautiful lakes, and "saw some charming captors were the Isaute or Sauteurs, Chippewas, a tribe on, who took them up the river, and about the first of I the falls (at Minneapolis) which Hennepin christened ony, in honor of his patron saint. Here they left the d across the country in a northwesterly direction for a two hundred miles, when they came to the villages which they were prisoners, and by whom they were Iness. They were kept in captivity for a period of the end of which time they were met by a band aded by one Sieur de Luth, who, in pursuit of trade netrated that far by way of Lake Superior. Hennepin ns were released to their countrymen and allowed to to the borders of civilized life, in November, 1680, had returned on his second expedition to the wildersoon after went to France, where he published a book of his adventures among the wild red men of the was first discovered by De Soto, in April, 1541, in his THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. , fell a victim to disease, and died on the 21st of May. His follow- hey were the first to see the great outlet of the Mississippi; but, On the 13th of February they commenced their downward course, the treachery of his followers and the obiect of his ovnedition 1 discovered. h of the "Hidde res-Malbouchia, ber of trees grow atlets, and satisf rear its western out enue of trade was New Orleans was 1762 the colony der the consulat Cited States for the Louisiana and com of the United St and death, he had no pen to France and t had established sev settlement in the Ne this day monuments neither of them, (un Fort Crevecoeur.) i e places were people the first settler of the own and honored." French early improved , the Rev. Father Gra del Kaskaskia. Fors here none but native ether two being Caho learned from a let dar Cascaskias, autrem Vierge, le 9 Novem 4, the missionary, Pin rose near the ruins of F e year 1700. The post ed Wa-ba, meaning sut 1702, according to th that on LaSalle's last tr Cahokia, In Jul 1 iscovered, on the second of March, by way of the sea, le "Hidden River." This majestic stream was called by albouchia," and by the Spaniards, "La Paissade," from trees growing about its mouth. After examining the and satisfying himself as to its certainty, he erected 7estern outlet, and then returned to France. f trade was now opened out, which was fully improved. rleans was laid out and settled by some European colothe colony was made over to Spain, to be regained by he consulate of Napoleon. In 1803, it was purchased tates for the sum of fifteen million dollars, and the terna and commerce of the Mississippi River came under e United States. Although LaSalle's labors ended in 1, he had not worked and suffered in vain. He had France and the world an immense and most valuable ablished several ports, and laid the foundations of more ent in the New World. "Peoria, Kaskaskia and Cahokia, monuments of LaSalle's labors; for, though he had of them, (unless Peoria, which was built nearly upon Crevecoeur,) it was by those whom he led into the West were peopled and civilized. He was, if not the dissettler of the Mississippi Valley, and as such deserves honored." ly improved the opening made for them. Before the v. Father Gravier began a mission among the Illinois, askia. For some time this was merely a missionary ne but natives resided, it being one of three such vilto being Cahokia and Peoria. What is known of these from a letter written by Father Gabriel Marest, skias, autrement dit de l'Immaculate Conception de le 9 Novembre, 1712." Soon after the founding of ssionary, Pinet, gathered a flock at Cahokia, while the ruins of Fort Crevecoeur. This must have been 0. The post at Vincennes, on the Oubache River, a, meaning summer cloud moving swiftly) was estabcording to the best authorities.* It is altogether La catchlished the stations at Kas |