TRANSLATED BY
MELVILLE B. ANDERSON
CHICAGO
THE CAXTON CLUB
1898
Relation of HENRI DE TONTY. |
111 |
rich; at the Coroa village, Indian corn comes to maturity in forty days.
July,
1862.
Fortunately I found at the lakeside an Outagamie, who sold me his canoe. Finding
no one at the river of the Miamis, I made my way to Michilimakinak,* which I
reached on the 22nd of July. M. de La Salle, recovering from his illness, which
had lasted forty days, sent me orders to await him, and, being arrived at Michili-
makinak, decided to return to France in order to give an account at Court of
his Tonty returns
discovery. He sent me back to build a fort at the portage of the Illinois River,
for to the Illinois
the purpose of protecting the village of the Shawanoes, whom he had drawn to
him to build a fort
and had joined with the Miamis. Being arrived, I found that the Shawanoes had
gone hunting and that the Miamis were preparing for flight, as they had been
told
that the Iroquois were coming to devour them. I found that all our people were
dispersed; and, as I had few men, I resolved to pass the winter on the Illinois
River, hoping to be able to collect my men in the spring. Meanwhile, as M. de
La Salle found himself unwell he resolved not to return to France, but to send
his
dispatches by the Reverend Father Zenoble. On
*Previously spelled "Missilimakinak," passim.--TRANSLATOR
Relation of HENRI DE TONTY. |
113 |
the 30th of December he joined me; and during the winter we built upon an
December, 1682.
impregnable rock Fort St. Louis, to which M. de La Salle induced the Shawanoes
Fort St.
to come. The Miamis united themselves with him, and later the Illinois, to whom,
Louis
in the month of March, 1683, I made a journey of more than a hundred leagues
across the prairies. After I had made them great presents in behalf of M. de
La Salle, whom they call their Father, they gave me their word that they would
join us.
I will not weary you, Sir, with all the difficulties we encountered in collecting
La Salle's
these tribes, whose minds were preoccupied with the evil reports which the French
French
enemies of M. de La Salle had spread among them. Then, after M. de La Salle
enemies.
had placed his fort in a state of defense, he resolved to return to France.
Leaving me
in command, he set out in the month of August, 1683, taking with him two Shawanoes.
Fourteen leagues from the fort, he met the Chevalier de Baugy, who
brought him a letter from M. de La Barre, Governor General of Canada, ordering
him
to return to give an account of his discovery. This Chevalier de Baugy reached
the
Fort with letters from M. de La Salle, who advised me to receive him well and
to live
with.