Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

she must have been lost. Tonti was despatched for the men whom he had left on the eastern side of the Lake. The canoe was lost on the coast, and also the arms of the men, who were obliged to come by land, two of them deserting during the march.

On the third of December they left their fort, and proceeded up the river Miami to search for the portage between it and the Illinois river, which, after some trouble, they discovered. He states that the heads of these two rivers are within a league and a half of each other. It is impossible to decide what these rivers are, as he says they rowed from the mouth of the Miami river five and twenty leagues to the southwest, a length of navigation not afforded by any of the streams emptying into this part of Lake Michigan; nor is this course that of the small streams in this part. Not being able to decide what the river Miami is, it is impossible to say whether he means the Fox, the Des Plaines, or the Kankakee branch of the Ullinois.

The Illinois river, he says, is navigable for canoes within a hundred paces from its source, and that in a little way it increases to the width of the Meuse and Sambre united. They passed through great marshes in the upper part of the river, after which they came to a vast plain destitute of wood, annually fired by the Miamis during their hunting season. Game was now scarcely to be found, the men having gone sixty miles and returned with very little. From the fires which they saw upon the plain, they judged that parties of the natives were not very far from them. The end of August he states to be the period in which wild oxen were hunted; and of the great numbers of them the multitude of horns covering the carth convinced them.

Nearly all December was spent in their voyage down the Illinois. In the end of this month they arrived at Illinois Lake, whereon the village of the Illinois was situated. Of the wild bulls, which we call improperly buffaloes, he gives a particular account, and adds a list of the other animals of the country,-wild goats, beavers, otters, bustards, swans, tortoises, turkey-cocks, parrots, and partridges, with an incredible quantity of pelicans, whose bills are of a prodigious size." The timber he prefers to that of Canada; and he notices the abundance of grape-vines and trees bearing other fruits. He felt persuaded that the soil of "this country would produce all manner of corn; fruits be even more plentifully than in any part of Europe, seeing there are two crops every year."

They found no one in the village of the Illinois, the inhabitants being absent on a hunting expedition, and hunger obliged them to take some of the corn laid up in store, for which they expected to make satisfaction by presents when they should meet the inhabitants. They arrived in four days more, on New Year's Day, 1680, at a lake about seven leagues long and one broad. The country on its

borders was called Pimitoni ( the place where there is abundance of fat beasts.) This lake he states is never frozen, nor the river be tween it and the Meschasepi. Here M. la Salle ascertained the latitude, which, by some inexplicable error of the press, is given at thirty-three degrees and forty-five minutes. Between forty degrees forty minutes and forty degrees fifty-five minutes, is the true latitude of Peoria Lake.

Having been taught to expect to find the Indians hostile, La Salle made preparations to appear as formidable as possible, forming his boats in a line across the river. The Indians, upon their approach, were variously affected, a few seizing their arms, but the greater part taking to flight. La Salle was the first to land, but did not tender the calumet, fearing it might be attributed to weakness, whereupon the Indians, although several thousands in number, presented it themselves. Those who had run off returned; and the missionaries having paid attention to the children and old men, by means of an interpreter, nade known to the tribe the object of their visit. The Illinois he describes as more humane than any of the Indian tribes of North America. They rubbed their feet with bear's oil and bison's fat, which Hennepin declares to be "an incomparable refreshment" after travelling, and they then fed them with meat, putting the first three morsels into their mouths with great ceremony, "a great piece of civility among them." Our travellers presented them with tobacco, related to them their having taken the corn from their village and gave them some axes in payment, offering to leave a smith with them to repair their tools. They were very friendly, and formed an alliance together.

This friendship some emissaries from the Miamis endeavoured to disturb, representing the party as friends of the Iroquois, who would soon come with others from Canada and destroy their nation. The subsequent coolness of their entertainers showed that this had produced some effect, but La Salle was enabled to expose the falsity of these charges, and good feelings were restored.

At a feast shortly after given them by Nicanape, brother to their head chief, who was then absent, he made a long speech to them, endeavouring to dissuade them from going to the Mississippi, describing the dwellers upon its banks as barbarous and bloody nations, whom they would be unable to resist. To this it was replied, that the dangers of the voyage would increase its glory, and that they would think it a happiness to lay down their lives in the cause of God, whose servants they were. Six of the men, however, were so alarmed that they ran away, exchanging, in Hennepin's opinion, an uncertain peril for a most certain danger, considering the country through which they had to travel on their way back to Canada, and the season of the year.

With a view to defend themselves against both the Iroquois and

the Illinois, should they manifest a hostile disposition, they erected & fort upon the river, about four day's journey below the great village of the latter tribe. It was named Fort Crevecœur, (heartbreak,) on account of the desertion of their men, and the other difficulties they had to encounter. Here they commenced a vessel, the keel of which was forty feet in length, but the want of rigging and tackle (for they had given up the Griffin as lost) induced La Salle to return with three men to Fort Fontenac. Hennepin purposed to proceed to the Meschasepi in a canoe, to secure the friendship of the nations upon its banks. Of the two other Franciscans, Father Zenobe had already settled amongst the Illinois with a view to their conversion, whilst old Father Gabriel remained with the men left at Fort Crevecœur. M. de Tonti was left in command by La Salle.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

THE BALLOT-BOX.

BY M. W. BECK.

Freedom's consecrated dower

Casket of a priceless gem!

Nobler heritage of power

Than imperial diadem!

Corner-stone on which was reared

Liberty's triumphal dome,
When her glorious form appeared

'Midst our own green mountain home!

Purchased by as noble blood

As in mortal veins e'er run,
By the toil of those who stood
At the side of WASHINGTON
By the hearts that met the foe

On their native battle plain,
Where the arm that deals the blow
Never needs to strike again!

Where the craven that would dare
Mar it with polluted breath?
Scorned and cursed, be his to share

The traitor's shame-the traitor's death!

Let his faithless heart be torn,
From his recreant bosom riven,
And, upon the whirlwind borne,
To the carrion be given!

Guard it, freemen!-guard it well!
Spotless as your maiden's fame!
Never let your children tell

Of your weakness-of your shame-
That their father's basely sold

What was bought with blood and toil
That you bartered right for gold,

Here on Freedom's sacred soil!

Let your eagle's quenchless eye,
Fixed, unerring, sleepless, bright,
Watch, when danger hovers nigh,
From his lofty mountain height;
While the stripes and stars shall wave
O'er this treasure, pure and free,
The land's Palladium, it shall save
The home and shrine of liberty.

SACO, MAINE.

SONNET.

TO A CHILD.

Bright thing of love and joy! it glads mine eye
To gaze upon that cherub form and face,
On each wild, artless motion's gentle grace,
Buoyant and free as zephyr dancing by,

And in those orbs' clear depths, like summer sky,
Unclouded yet by thought or passion's trace.

As through these tenderest tears, sweet child, thou beamest
On my world-darkened gaze, methinks thou seemest

A vision from a better sphere to be,

Sent like some fair young angel unto men,

A type of innocence and purity,

And lead them back to that lost IIcaven again.

Ah, little dreams thy bright young heart, or heeds, The solemn lesson which in thee my spirit reads!

REVOLUTIONARY REMINISCENCES OF

AN OLD SOLDIER.

I SHALL never forget the memorable morning that gave me my father's consent to become a soldier. I had strongly imbibed the spirit of the times, and earnestly desired to march with the noble band that had left our neighbourhood for the camp at Cambridge. My father was a warm "Liberty man," and had contributed largely to the outfit of his neighbours who exchanged the plough for the mus ket; yet as I was his only son, and had not yet seen sixteen sum mers, it is not strange that he desired to retain me at home. With habitual obedience, I yielded to his decision, but could not refrain from tears of vexation and longing, as I saw my companions depart This practical proof of my unfitness for a soldier did not escape the observation of my father, and it was owing to a resolution that I formed in consequence of his severe and scornful rebuke, that my cheek has never since been seen moistened by a tear-which people will find easier than they may think, if they will only try. But not many days after, as my father and myself were passing towards the fields, the scene of our daily toils, the cheerful stillness of the morning was broken by the sound of cannon. It was in the direction of Boston, and we instinctively felt that war had, in good earnest, begun. The sounds became more frequent. My father would fain have preserved his usual composure, which so well became the oldest deacon of the church, but his patriotic feelings became too strong for mastery. Clapping his hands with a force that made me start as if one of the cannon had been fired by my side, he exclaimed, “John, you may go!" There was no mistaking his meaning. Though these were all the words he uttered, yet I knew I had permission to join the army, and that the permission would not be recalled. I threw away the cart-whip that I had in my hand, which neither of us stopped to pick up, and we immediately returned to the house, and began arrangements for my departure. The old musket was taken down and examined; there was not a particle of dust about it, as I had cleaned it daily for months. The time spent by my father in changing, adjusting, and proving the flint, was to me excessively annoying. But he knew better than I did that feelings, however fiery, would not ignite gunpowder. In the mean time, I had packed my knapsack, with more haste than skill, and hitched our old bay to the chaise. In less than an hour after the sound of the first cannon had reached our ears, we were moving, father, knapsack, musket and I, towards Boston. The horse, who did not seem to partake of my enthusiasm, moved

« ZurückWeiter »