they had erected the cross of conquest beside every lake and watercourse throughout the heart of the continent.

We naturally divide the first pioneers into two classes: The first were commissioned by king or emperor, and with sword in their hand they pushed their discoveries farther and farther toward the setting sun, in the hope of winning empires for their sovereigns, and the wealth of unclaimed Eldorados for themselves. The second were pious and devout missionaries, with letters patent from pope or bishop, who, without hope of earthly gain, but inspired with a lofty zeal and ardent faith, kept step with the more worldly conquerors and under the banner of the cross expected to gain for themselves and their converts eternal felicity beyond the grave. These devout and zealous men were usually attached to the company and subservient to the will and orders of the leader of the exploring party. It was to this class that Father Louis Hennepin, the chief character of this sketch, belonged.

La Salle was the most noted French explorer that ever traversed the valley of the Mississippi. He began his great western voyage of discovery on the 7th day of August, 1679. Among those who accompanied him on that memorable expedition was Louis Hennepin, a Franciscan priest of the Recollect order. By the middle of January, 1680, La Salle had conducted his exploration to the banks of the Illinois river. Near lake Peoria he commenced the erection of Fort Crèvecœur. It is not within the purview of this paper to relate the adventures, discoveries and wondrous achievements of this redoubtable Frenchman. His biography is filled with accounts of incredible hardships and superhuman efforts. The story of his life shows him, though baffled, a conqueror, and though defeated, yet winning enduring and lasting fame. In estimating his character, Francis Parkman says: "Never, under the impenetrable mail of paladin or crusader, beat a heart of more interpid mettle than within the stoic panoply that armed the breast of La Salle. To estimate aright the marvels of his patient fortitude, one must follow on his track through the vast scene of his interminable journeyings, those thousands of weary miles of forest, marsh, and river, where, again and again, in the bitterness of baffled striving, the untiring pilgrim pushed onward towards the goal which he was never to

attain. America owes him an enduring memory; for in this masculine figure, cast in iron, she sees the heroic pioneer who guided her to the possession of her richest heritage."*

HENNEPIN'S CAPTIVITY AND DISCOVERIES IN MINNESOTA.

In February, 1680, La Salle selected Michel Accau, Antoine Auguel, known also as Du Gay,† and Father Hennepin, for the arduous and dangerous undertaking of exploring the unknown regions of the upper Mississippi. Accau, because of his knowledge of the Sioux language and customs, was chosen as the leader of the expedition, but Father Hennepin, as its historian, takes most of the credit both of the leadership and discovery to himself. Daring and ambitious of the title of a discoverer, he was not unwilling to go upon the expedition, although he is said to have desired some delay on account of a sore mouth.

Their canoe was pushed from the sandy shore of the Illinois river on the last day of February, 1680. Besides the travellers, it contained a generous supply of tobacco, knives, beads, awls, and other goods, to a considerable value, supplied at La Salle's cost. Referring to this act of generosity, Hennepin says in the first edition of his work, although it is omitted in all subsequent editions, that La Salle was liberal enough to his friends. The friar bade adieu to La Salle and his companions, while his venerable colleague, Ribourde, gave him his parting benediction, saying, as he spread his hands over the head of the reverend traveller, "Be of good courage and let your heart be comforted."

The travellers were detained at the mouth of the Illinois for some time on account of the ice floating in the Mississippi. As soon as opportunity offered, the three travellers turned their canoe northward and plied their paddles against the current of the Mississippi. We are informed that during their voyage they were exemplary in their devotions. Hennepin tells us that they said their prayers at morning and night and the angelus at noon, invoking St. Anthony of Padua that

*La Salle and the Discovery of the Great West, p. 407.

+In the spelling of these names I have followed Parkman. They are also spelled Michael Accault or Ako, and Auguelle, the latter being more commonly called "the Picard Du Gay" (or du Guay).

he would protect them from the perils surrounding their way; and Hennepin, not without reason, prayed that it might be the good fortune of the company to meet the warlike Sioux by day rather than by night. They proceeded unmolested until they reached the region about the mouth of the Wisconsin. this point the petitions of Hennepin were realized, and he tells us of their capture in the following language:

Our prayers were heard when, on the 11th of April, 1680, at two o'clock in the afternoon, we suddenly perceived thirty-three bark canoes, manned by a hundred and twenty Indians, coming down with extraordinary speed, to make war on the Miamis, Islinois, and Maroha. These Indians surrounded us, and, while at a distance, discharged some arrows at us; but as they approached our canoe the old men seeing us with the calumet of peace in our hands, prevented the young men from killing us. These brutal men, leaping from their canoes, some on land, others into the water, with frightful cries and yells, approached us, and as we made no resistance, being only three against so great a number, one of them wrenched our calumet from our hands, while our canoe and theirs were made fast to the shore. We first presented them a piece of Petun or French tobacco, better for smoking than theirs, and the eldest among them uttered these words, "Miamiha, Miamiha." As we did not understand their language, we took a little stick, and by signs which we made on the sand, showed them that their enemies, the Miamis, whom they sought, had fled across the river Colbert to join the Islinois; when then they saw themselves discovered and unable to surprise their enemies, three or four old men laying their hands on my head, wept in a lugubrious tone, and I with a wretched handkerchief I had left, wiped away their tears. These savages would not smoke our peace-calumet. They made us cross the river with great cries, which all shouted together, with tears in their eyes; they made us paddle before them, and we heard yells capable of striking the most resolute with terror. After landing our canoe and our goods, some part of which they had already stolen, we made a fire to boil our kettle; we gave them two large wild turkeys that we had killed. These savages having called their assembly to deliberate on what they were to do with us, the two head chiefs of the party approaching, showed us, by signs, that the warriors wished to tomahawk us. This compelled me to go to the war chiefs with one of my men, leaving the other by our property, and throw into their midst six axes, fifteen knives, and six fathom of our black tobacco. Then bowing down my head, I showed them, with an axe, that they might tomahawk us, if they thought proper. This present appeased several Individuals among them, who gave us some beaver to eat, putting the three first morsels in our mouth according to the custom of the country, and blowing on the meat which was too hot, before putting their

bark dish before us, to let us eat as we liked. We spent the night in anxiety, because, before retiring at night, they had returned our peace calumet.

On the nineteenth day of the journey of the three travellers the Indians landed their prisoners in a bay about five leagues below the Falls of St. Anthony. The worthy father had a severe experience and foretaste of the oppression in store for him during the journey. Upon opening his breviary, when he began to mutter his morning devotions, the Indians gathered about him with faces which showed their superstitious terror. They gave him to understand that his book was a bad spirit, with which he was to hold no more converse. In their ignorance, they believed that he was invoking a charm for their destruction. Accau and Du Gay, realizing the danger that was imminent, begged the friar to dispense with his devotions, fearing that they all might be tomahawked by the Indians. The good father, however, asserts that his sense of religious obligation rose superior to his fears, and he resolved to say his prayers at all hazards, although he asked pardon of his two friends for in this way imperilling their lives. In this emergency, however, as in most of the difficulties which beset his way, he found a device by which he could at once fulfill his religious duties, without imperilling his life or the lives of his friends. He says that he placed the breviary open upon his knees and sang the service in loud and cheerful tones. This seems to have had a salutary effect upon the warriors, as it had no savor of sorcery, and they now imagined that the book was instructing the good father to sing for their amusement. Accordingly, they conceived a favorable idea of both the priest and the method of his devotions.

One of the chiefs, named Aquipaguetin, who had lost a son in the war with the Miamis, being angry that the war party had not proceeded with their expedition, so that he might avenge himself for the loss of his son, was particularly hostile and enraged toward the captives. Several times during their captivity this warlike chief was on the point of tomahawking the prisoners. It may be somewhat of a question whether or not he was as desirous of their scalps as he was of their property, for he seemed on each outbreak of his anger

to be appeased by gifts. The old chief had a peculiar method of appropriating their property, which, according to Indian custom, was in their untutored state "due process of law." He conveyed with him the bones of a deceased relative, which he was carrying home wrapped in numerous skins prepared with smoke after the Indian fashion, decorated with feathers and quills. Placing these relics in the midst of his warriors, he would call on all present to smoke to their honor. After the smoking ceremony was over, Hennepin was required to appease the departed spirit with the more substantial tribute of cloth, beads, tobacco, and hatchets, which were laid upon the bundle of bones. The offerings of the friar were then, in the name of the deceased, distributed among the warriors present.

The three captives were distributed, and each was given to the head of a family in place of their children who had been killed in war. The Indians then seized all their property and broke their canoe, probably fearing that the white men might return to their enemies. The band of Indians then commenced a march overland to the lake of the Issati (Mille Lacs). Hennepin tells us that they were forced to march from daybreak until two hours after nightfall and to swim over many rivers. The braves carried the two other Frenchmen on their shoulders in fording these streams, because they could not swim; but he was compelled to swim these rivers, which he says were often full of sharp ice, and he adds that his legs were bloody from being cut by the ice of shallower water which he forded, and that on leaving the water he could hardly stand on account of the cold. He also says that they partook of food only once in twenty-four hours, and that then the barbarians gave them grudgingly only some pieces of meat. There is not much doubt that the historian of this expedition is correct when he states that the Indians marched with great speed, and that it was very difficult for Europeans to keep up with them. In order to hasten the footsteps of the white men, the Indians often set fire to the grass where they were passing, so that they had to advance or be burned. They at length arrived at the village of the Issati, near Mille Lacs, the source of the Rum river, named by Hennepin the St. Francis. The reception they met on their approach is best told in the words of Hennepin himself: