From "STORIES OF THE BADGER STATE," pp. 27-32. By Reuben Gold
Thwaites. Copyright, 1900, by the author.
Among the many queer stories brought [to Quebec] by these fierce,
painted barbarians [the Indians] was one which told of a certain
"Tribe of the Sea" dwelling far away on the western banks of the
"upper waters," a people who had come out of the West, no man knew
whence. In those early days, Europeans still clung to the notion which
Columbus had always held, that America was but an eastern projection
of Asia. This is the reason that our savages were called Indians, for
the discoverers of America thought they had merely reached an outlying
portion of India; they had no idea that this was a great and new
continent. Governor Champlain, and after him Governor Frontenac, and
the great explorer La Salle, all supposed that they could reach India
and China, already known to travelers to the east, by persistently
going westward. When, therefore, Champlain heard of these strange Men
of the Sea, he at once declared they must be the long-sought Chinese.
He engaged Nicolet, in whom he had great confidence, to go out and
find them, wherever they were, making a treaty of peace with them, and
secure their trade.
Upon the first day of July, 1634, Nicolet left Quebec, a passenger in
the second of two fleets of canoes containing Indians from the Ottawa
valley, who had come down to the white settlements to trade. Among
his fellow passengers were three adventurous Jesuit missionaries, who
were on their way to the country of the Huron tribe, east of Lake
Huron. Leaving the priests at Allumettes Island, he continued up the
Ottawa, then crossed over to Lake Nipissing, visited old friends among
the Indians there, and descended French Creek, which flows from Lake
Nipissing into Georgian Bay, a northeastern arm of Lake Huron. On the
shores of the great lake, he engaged seven Hurons to paddle his long
birch-bark canoe and guide him to the mysterious "Tribe of the Sea."
Slowly they felt their way along the northern shores of Lake Huron,
where the pine forests sweep majestically down to the water's edge, or
crown the bold cliffs, while southward the green waters of the inland
sea stretch away to the horizon. Storms too severe for their frail
craft frequently detained them on the shore, and daily they sought
food in the forest. The savage crew, tiring of exercise, and overcome
by superstitious fears, would fain have abandoned the voyage; but the
strong, energetic master bore down all opposition. At last they
reached the outlet of Lake Superior, the forest-girt Strait of St.
Mary, and paddled up as far as the falls, the Sault Ste. Marie, as it
came to be called by the Jesuit missionaries. Here there was a large
village of Algonkins, where the explorer tarried, refreshing his crew
and gathering information concerning the "Tribe of the Sea." The
explorers do not appear to have visited Lake Superior; but, bolder
than before, they set forth to the southwest, and passing gayly
through the island-dotted Straits of Mackinac, now one of the world's
greatest highways, were soon upon the broad waters of Lake Michigan,
of which Nicolet was probably the first white discoverer.
Clinging still to the northern shore, camping in the dense woods at
night or when threatened by storm, Nicolet rounded far-fetching Point
Detour and landed upon the shores of Bay de Noquet, a northern arm of
Green Bay. Another Algonkin tribe dwelt here, with whom the persistent
explorer smoked the pipe of peace, and they gave him further news of
the people he sought. Next he stopped at the mouth of the Menominee
River, now the northeast boundary between Wisconsin and Michigan,
where the Menominee tribe lived. Another council was held, more
tobacco was smoked, and one of Nicolet's Huron companions was sent
forward to notify the Winnebagoes at the mouth of the Fox River that
the great white chief was approaching; for the uncouth Winnebagoes
were the far-famed "Tribe of the Sea" whom Nicolet had traveled so far
to find....
By this time, Nicolet had his doubts about meeting Chinese at Green
Bay. As, however, he had brought with him "a grand robe of China
damask, all strewn with flowers, and birds of many colors," such as
Chinese mandarins are supposed to wear, he put it on; and when he
landed on the shore of Fox River, where is now the city of Green Bay,
strode forward into the group of waiting, skin-clad savages,
discharging the pistols which he held in either hand. Women and
children fled in terror to the wigwams; and the warriors fell down and
worshipped this Manitou (or spirit) who carried with him thunder and
lightning.
"The news of his coming," says the old Jesuit chronicler, "quickly
spread to the places round about, and there assembled four or five
thousand men. Each of the Chief men made a feast for him, and at one
of these banquets they served at least six-score Beavers."...
For various reasons, it was nearly thirty years before another visit
was made by white men to Wisconsin. Nicolet himself soon settled down
at the new town of Three Rivers, on the shores of the St. Lawrence,
between Quebec and Montreal, as the agent and interpreter there of the
great fur trade company. He was a very useful man both to the company
and to the missionaries; for he had great influence over the Indians,
who loved him sincerely, and he always exercised this influence for
the good of the colony and of religion. He was drowned in the month of
October, 1642, while on his way to release a poor savage prisoner who
was being maltreated by Indians in the neighborhood.