Abbé Bernou from La Salle’s letters. The account of the journey to Fort
Crevecœur in 1679–80, given in this narrative, is nearly identical
with the description of the same voyage in Hennepin’s “Description de
la Louisiane.” For this reason Margry charges Hennepin with plagiary,
which calls out a defence of the latter by Shea, in his edition of
Hennepin’s “Louisiana,” where the two narratives are compared. Membré’s
journal in Le Clercq’s “Premier Établissement de la Foy,” Paris, 1691,
which is reproduced in English in Shea’s “Discovery and Exploration
of the Mississippi,” and Tonty’s Memoirs, which will be more fully
described farther on, also report this stage of the explorations.
Hennepin’s spurious “Nouvelle Découverte” also contains an account,
which does not differ materially from that given in the “Description de
la Louisiane.”
Mathieu Sâgean, who claimed to have been with La Salle in 1679–80,
dictated from memory, in 1701, a report of his adventures in Canada.
See Parkman’s La Salle, p. 658, concerning Sâgean’s pretensions. Shea
published Sâgean’s narrative in 1863, with the title, “Extrait de la
Relation des avantures et voyage de M. Sâgean.”
In February, 1680, Hennepin, by La Salle’s orders, set out from Fort
Crevecœur for the upper Mississippi. He ascended that river to the
Sioux country, and discovered St. Anthony’s Falls. Hennepin’s first
work, “Description de la Louisiane,” Paris, 1683, relates the events
of this expedition, and also gives an account of La Salle’s journey
from Canada to the Illinois in 1679–80. Shea gives in his “Discovery
and Exploration of the Mississippi” the portion of this work relating
the voyage to the upper Mississippi. Hennepin’s works are held in
disrepute, owing to undoubted plagiarisms and falsifications which
characterize some of them. Shea, however, shows in the preface to
his edition of the “Description of Louisiana,” New York, 1880, that
this charge applies only to the “Nouvelle Découverte” and “Nouveau
Voyage,” and other works made up from these two last, and that they
were probably published without Hennepin’s sanction. Parkman agrees
with Shea in considering the “Description de la Louisiane” to be an
authentic work.
For criticisms upon Hennepin, see Sparks’ “La Salle;” Parkman’s
“Discovery of the Great West;” Harrisse’s “Notes pour servir à
l’Histoire [etc.] de la Nouvelle France,” p. 145; and the preface to
Margry’s Découvertes, etc. Shea’s early judgment upon Hennepin, which
he has modified as indicated above, is given in his “Discovery and
Exploration of the Mississippi.” E. D. Neill, in a pamphlet entitled
“The Writings of L. Hennepin,” lately published by the Minnesota
Historical Society, dissents from Shea’s exculpation of Hennepin, and
declares that no evidence has been produced to clear him from the
charge of plagiary.
The bi-centenary of Hennepin’s discovery of St. Anthony’s Falls was
celebrated by the Minnesota Historical Society in 1880, and the
proceedings on the occasion will be reported in the next volume of its
collections. The account of a pretended voyage by Hennepin down the
Mississippi, taken from the spurious “New Discovery,” London, 1698, is
inserted in “French’s Historical Collections,” part i., pp. 195–222;
also in volume one of the “Archæologia Americana,” published by the
American Antiquarian Society. The latter work also contains an account
of La Salle’s last voyage, taken from the same unreliable source.
Shea’s edition of Hennepin’s “Louisiana” contains a bibliography of
the numerous memoirs, issued under Hennepin’s name, where also may be
found a translation of La Salle’s letter of August, 1682, reporting
the voyage on the upper Mississippi. Du L’hut, who, in 1679, visited
the Sioux near Lake Superior, and later descended the St. Croix to the
Mississippi and rescued Hennepin from the Sioux, gives an account of
his adventures in a “Mémoire sur la Découverte du pays des Nadouecioux
dans le Canada,” which is printed in Harrisse’s Notes, pp. 177–181, and
translated in Shea’s Hennepin.
The “Procès verbal de prise de possession de la Louisiane, à
l’embouchure de la mer ou Golphe du Mexique, 9 avril, 1682,” in Margry,
vol. ii., pp. 186–193, gives the principal incidents of the voyage down
the Mississippi from the Illinois. This document may also be found in
Gravier’s “La Salle,” and in English in Sparks’ “Life of La Salle,”
also in French’s “Historical Collections,” part i., and with the title,
“Narrative of the Expedition of La Salle to explore the (Mississippi)
Colbert River, in 1682,” in French’s Historical Collections, second
series, pp. 17–27, New York, 1875.
La Salle’s letter, written at the junction of the Missouri and
Mississippi Rivers, printed in Margry, vol. ii., pp. 164–180, a
translation of which is given in _The Magazine of American History_,
vol. ii., pp. 619–622, describes the journey to the Missouri.
The procès verbal of the act of taking possession at the Arkansas,
March 13 and 14, 1682, in Margry, vol. ii., p. 181, reports another
stage of the voyage. Membré’s journal of the entire expedition, first
printed in Le Clercq’s “Établissement de la Foy,” Paris, 1691, is
reproduced in English in Shea’s “Discovery of the Mississippi.” Shea
has lately brought out an English translation of Le Clercq under
the title, “First Establishment of the Faith in New France,” New
York, 1881, two vols. 8vo. He there compares Membré’s narrative with
Hennepin’s “Nouvelle Découverte” and “Nouveau Voyage,” and also points
out the variations between it and the account published by Thomassy in
his “Géologie pratique de la Louisiane.”
Thomassy’s document is entitled, “Relation de la Découverte de
l’embouchure de la Rivière Mississipi.” Parkman considers it to be the
“official report of the discovery made by La Salle, or perhaps for him
by Membré,” and says that the Le Clercq narrative is based upon it.
To which Shea replies, that it “seems strange to assume that the fuller
document given by Le Clercq must be drawn from a shorter form.”
The two documents are essentially identical, and afford trustworthy
data upon the voyage.
According to Boimare, a manuscript copy of Membré’s journal exists in
the library at Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Henri de Tonty, who was with La Salle from 1678–83, reports the
explorations during that time, in a memoir written at Quebec in
1684, which is published for the first time in Margry, vol. i., pp.
571–616. Another narrative by him, entitled “Mémoire envoyé en 1693
sur la Découverte du Mississipi, par de La Salle en 1678, et depuis sa
mort par le sieur de Tonty,” is printed in its integrity in Margry’s
“Relations et Mémoires inédits,” pp. 1–36, Paris, 1867. A translation
of it is included in French’s “Historical Collections,” part i., pp.
52–83, and also in Falconer’s “Mississippi,” London, 1844. These two
memoirs formed the basis of the work published under Tonty’s name, but
which he disavowed, entitled “Dernieres découvertes dans l’Amérique
septentrionale de M. de La Salle,” Paris, 1697.
This work was reproduced under the title of “Relation de la Louisianne”
in Bernard’s “Recueil de voyages au Nord,” Amsterdam, 1720 and 1724.
An English translation was published at London in 1698, with the title,
“An Account of La Salle’s Last Expedition and Discoveries,” and is
reproduced in part in the New York Historical Society Collections, vol.
ii., pp. 217–341.
Parkman says that the “Dernieres découvertes” is “a compilation full of
errors.”
Margry prints in vol. i., pp. 547–570, of his Collection, a memoir
entitled “Récit de la descouverte que M. de La Salle a faite de la
rivière de Mississipi en 1682.” The author of the paper was Nicolas
de La Salle, who wrote it in 1699, at the request of the French
authorities, to serve as a guide to D’Iberville in his search for the
Mississippi. Margry says that the writer bore no relationship to the
discoverer.
La Salle’s memorial of 1684, proposing an expedition to the Gulf of
Mexico, printed in Margry, vol. iii., pp. 17–30, and in French’s
“Historical Collections,” part i., pp. 37–44, also in the second series
of French’s publication, and in Falconer’s “Mississippi,” briefly
indicates his discoveries up to that time.
The French documents, collected by Brodhead in the archives of the
Departments of Marine and of War, and printed in the ninth volume of
the “Documents relative to the Colonial History of New York,” Albany,
1855, include official correspondence which reports the movements of
the explorers from time to time.
Shea promises an edition of a journal by Peñalossa, which will show the
mercenary motives which inspired La Salle. Margry prints some documents
concerning Peñalossa’s propositions to lead a party of buccaneers from
St. Domingo to unite with La Salle in an attack on the Spanish mines in
New Mexico.
LA SALLE’S VOYAGE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO AND ATTEMPT TO DISCOVER THE
MISSISSIPPI—1684–87
In 1683 La Salle returned to France and presented, in two memorials to
the king, propositions for an expedition to colonize the Mississippi,
and take possession of the Spanish mines in New Mexico. The first
memorial, which gives a brief account of his previous achievements,
is in Margry’s Collection, vol. iii., pp. 17–30. A translation is in
French’s “Historical Collections,” part i., pp. 37–44; also in the
second series, pp. 1–15, of the same publication, and in Falconer’s
“Mississippi.” The second, which defines his schemes at greater length,
is printed in Margry, vol. ii., pp. 359–369; in English, in French’s
“Historical Collections,” part i., pp. 25–34. The accessory official
documents relating to various features and stages of the expedition
are included in the second and third volumes of Margry’s Collection.
We have two narratives by members of this expedition, which relate its
history from the time of departure from France down to and after the
death of La Salle. The first to appear in print was Douay’s, which
was published by Le Clercq in his “Premier Établissement de la Foy,”
Paris, 1691. Shea printed a translation of it in the “Discovery and
Exploration of the Mississippi,” New York, 1853.[130] A comparison of
Douay’s journal with Joutel’s narrative is made by Shea in his edition
of Le Clercq, published at New York in 1881.
Joutel, who seems to have been next in command to La Salle, kept a
journal, which is published for the first time in its integrity in
Margry’s Collection, vol. iii., pp. 89–534. An abridged and modified
version of this narrative was published at Paris in 1713, under the
title, “Journal historique due dernier Voyage que feu M. de La Salle,
fit dans le Golfe du Mexique.” Joutel complained that changes were
made by the editor in retouching the work for publication. The text
published by Margry is much fuller than the printed edition. An English
translation of the Paris production, under the title, “Journal of the
Last Voyage performed by M. de La Salle,” etc., was published at London
in 1714, and in 1719 another edition was brought out as “Joutel’s
Journal of his Voyage to Mexico and Canada.” An edition in Spanish was
published at New York in 1831, with the title, “Dario histórico del
último Viaje que M. de la Salle hijo para descubrir el desembocadero
y curso del Mississipi.” Charlevoix says that Joutel was the most
reliable of La Salle’s followers, and Parkman thinks that he “gives the
impression of sense, intelligence, and candor throughout,” while Douay,
in the latter’s opinion, did not always write honestly. Jean Cavelier,
an older brother of La Salle’s, who, after the latter’s assassination,
escaped to Canada in company with Joutel and Douay, is said to have
drawn up a report of the expedition for M. de Seignelay, the Minister
of Marine.
Parkman possesses a manuscript which he says is a portion of the first
draft of this report. Dr. Shea edited Parkman’s document under the
title, “Relation du voyage entrepris par feu M. Robert Cavelier, sieur
de La Salle, pour découvrir dans le golfe du Mexique, l’embouchure du
fleuve de Missisipy. Par son frère, M. Cavelier” A Manate [N. Y.] 1858,
54 pp. 16mo, and printed a translation in his collection of “Early
Voyages up and down the Mississippi,” Albany, 1861.[131]
Margry gives in his Collection, vol. ii., pp. 501–509, a portion of
a journal kept by Cavelier. Both these narratives from Cavalier’s
pen are very imperfect, the former failing for the latter part of
the expedition, and the journal stops before the landing in Texas.
La Salle’s assassination, which took place in 1687, was witnessed by
Douay, who gives an account in his journal. Joutel relates the event
from the testimony of eye-witnesses, and Tonty states what he learned
from the survivors of La Salle’s party. See also “Relation de la mort
du Sr. de La Salle, suivant le rapport d’un nommé Couture à qui M.
Cavelier l’apprit en passant aux Akansas,” in Margry, vol. iii., pp.
601–606.
A letter written by La Salle, March 4, 1685, erroneously dated at the
mouth of the Mississippi, is in Margry, vol. ii., pp. 559–563, and a
translation is appended to Shea’s “Early Voyages.” The “Procès verbal
fait par La Salle avant de conduire son frère au Mississipi, 18. avril
1686,” in Margry, vol. iii., pp. 535–549. relates La Salle’s operations
in Texas, including his first two journeys from the Texas colony to
find the Mississippi by land.
The Spaniards, in 1689, visited the site of La Salle’s colony, and made
prisoners of the survivors whom they found among the Indians. Two of
these captives escaped to France, and their testimony in regard to the
fate of the colony is given in Margry, vol. iii., pp. 610–621.
Parkman cites the official journal of this Spanish expedition, which is
inedited. It is entitled “Derrotero de la jornada que hizo el General
Alonzo de Leon para el descubrimiento de la Bahia del Espíritù Santo,
y problacion de Franceses.” Buckingham Smith’s “Colleccion de varios
documentos para la historia de la Florida,” pp. 25–28, contains a
narrative by a member of the Spanish company, entitled “Carta en que
se da noticia de un viaje hecho á la Bahia de Espíritù Santo, y de
la poblacion que tenian ah los Franceses,” which is also inserted in
French’s “Historical Collections,” second series, pp. 293–295. Barcia,
in his “Ensayo chronológico para la historia general de la Florida,”
Madrid, 1723, gives an account, from an unknown source, which is
translated in Shea’s “Discovery of the Mississippi.”
This closes the list of principal contemporary narratives of the first
explorations by the French of western territory. Margry’s Collection
contains many documents of minor interest, but important, which have
not been noted. A journal by Minet, the engineer who returned to France
with Beaujeu in 1686, in Margry, vol. II, pp. 589–601, and Tonty’s
“Lettres sur ce qu’il a appris de La Salle, le voyage qu’il a fait pour
l’aller chercher,” 1686–1689, in Margry, vol. iii., pp. 551–564, must,
however, be mentioned.
SECONDARY AUTHORITIES.
Charlevoix’s “Histoire et Description générale de la Nouvelle France,”
Paris, 1744, is the first historical work of value to treat of the
early explorations. Charlevoix was familiar with the country traversed
by Marquette and La Salle, having, in 1721, followed the latter’s route
to the Mississippi. Shea published at New York, in 1866–67, an English
translation of this work, and in the notes which he added, embodied the
results of his extensive studies upon the early history of America,
showing the latest knowledge possessed of the first travellers.
In 1844 Sparks issued his “Life of La Salle,” for the materials of
which he depended upon the printed narratives of Hennepin, Joutel,
Tonty, and the recitals in Le Clercq’s “Premier Établissement,” etc.,
being unable to obtain any of the MSS. which are now accessible.
Sparks’ “Life of Marquette” appeared in 1845, and soon after
Falconer’s work “On the Discovery of the Mississippi,” which contained
translations of important MSS., was published at London.
In 1853, Shea’s valuable “Discovery and Exploration of the Mississippi”
was brought out at New York.[132] The contents of this work have been
perhaps sufficiently indicated in the notices of contemporary journals,
which are reproduced in it. In 1860 Thomassy published “Géologie
pratique de la Louisiane,” in which he presented some important
inedited documents. This writer contemplated writing a history of
La Salle’s exploits from the MSS. in the French archives, and, as
a preliminary, issued in separate form the documents which he had
collected, under the title, “De La Salle et ses relations inédites,”
Paris, 1860. In 1869 Parkman published the first edition of his
“Discovery of the Great West,” forming the third volume of the series
of historical narratives upon “France and England in North America.”
In the latest edition, published in 1879, the title was changed to “La
Salle and the Discovery of the Great West.” In the writing of the later
edition the author had the use of additional documentary material,
since printed by Margry, which caused a revision of some portion of
the work. Gravier’s “Découvertes [etc.] de La Salle,” Paris, 1870, and
the supplementary monograph published by him in 1871, add little that
is not in Parkman’s work. The later publication corrects some errors
and deficiencies in the first. Dr. Shea’s contributions to the history
of the first explorations of the West, beside his “Discovery of the
Mississippi,” New York, 1853, consist mainly of notes to the many
important original narratives which he has edited, notably those of
Hennepin, Le Clercq, and Charlevoix.
The following works contain among the first travellers, accounts of the
country traversed by Marquette, Hennepin, and La Salle:
La Hontan, who travelled in 1689 and subsequent years, wrote “Nouveaux
Voyages,” Paris, 1703. This work passed through several editions.
Although adventures related by La Hontan are in many cases imaginary,
yet, says Parkman, he “had seen much, and portions of his story have a
substantial value.” J. Gravier, in 1700, went from the Illinois country
to D’Iberville’s colony in Louisiana. See “Relation de Voyage en 1700
depuis le Ilinois jusqu’à l’embouchure du Mississipi,” New York, 1859
(_Shea’s Cramoisy Press_). The “Relation de la Mississipi en 1700, par
MM. de Montigny, De St. Cosme et Thaumur de la Source,” New York, 1861
(_Shea’s Cramoisy Press_), narrates the experiences of a party of the
missionaries under the guidance of Tonty. An extract from Gravier is
given in French’s Historical Collections, second series, pp. 79–93. St.
Cosme’s and Gravier’s narratives are also included in Shea’s collection
of “Early Voyages up and down the Mississippi,” Albany, 1861, where
also may be found Le Seuer’s journal of a voyage from Louisiana to the
Sioux country in 1699–1700. An extract from Le Seuer is given in La
Harpe’s “Journal Historique,” Paris, 1831, and in French’s Historical
Collections, pt. 3. A journal by Pénicaut, who accompanied Le Seuer, is
included in his “Annals of Louisiana, from 1698 to 1722,” in French’s
Historical Collections, new series, pp. 33–162, New York, 1869. The
memoirs of D’Iberville’s expedition to the Mississippi, in 1699–1700,
contain descriptions of the lower Mississippi and throw light upon La
Salle’s movements in that region. The principal documents concerning
D’Iberville’s enterprises are printed in the fourth volume of Margry. A
brief report by D’Iberville of his voyage on the Mississippi in 1699,
is printed in French’s Historical Collection, second series, pp. 19–31.
An anonymous narrative entitled, “Historical Journal; or, Narrative of
the Expedition under D’Iberville, to explore the Colbert (Mississippi)
River, 1698–99,” is published in French’s Historical Collection, second
series, pp. 29–119. Both of these papers are included in Margry’s
collection, volume iv. Sauvole was a member of D’Iberville’s company;
see his “Journal Historique” in French’s Historical Collections, pt. 3,
pp. 223–240.
Father Marest’s letter on his mission at the Illinois, dated 1712,
published in the “Lettres édifiantes,” vol. ii., and reprinted in Kip’s
“Early Jesuit Missions,” pp. 191–227, New York, 1846, describes the
scenes of his labors.
In 1721, Charlevoix, the historian, made a journey from Canada across
the lakes to the Illinois, and thence down the Mississippi to the Gulf
of Mexico. He was requested by the King of France, to write an account
of his travels. The descriptions of the country published in vol. iii.
of his “Histoire et Description générale de la Nouvelle France,” Paris,
1744, afford perhaps the best views of the primitive West which we have.
The English editions of his travels are entitled “Journal of a Voyage
to North America,” London, 1761, and “Letters to the Duchess of
Lesdiguières,” London, 1763. See also French’s Historical Collection,
pt. 3, pp. 119–196, where his journal is reprinted from the English
editions.
On reaching the subject of _Maps_, we find that Harrisse’s Notes
sur-la Nouvelle France contains a section upon the “Cartographie de la
Nouvelle France, depuis la découverte jusqu’en 1700,” which affords an
extensive list of published and inedited maps.
Parkman gives a descriptive account of “Early unpublished maps of the
Mississippi and the great lakes,” in the appendix to his “Discovery
of the Great West.” Thomassy’s “Géol. pr. de la Louisiane,” has an
appendix upon the “Cartographie de la ancienne Louisiane, 1544–1858.”
Baldwin’s “Early maps of Ohio and the West,” Cleveland, 1875, and
Peet’s article, “The discovery of the Ohio, Early maps,” in Amer.
Antiquarian, vol. I., pp. 21–35, Cleveland, 1878, are useful studies
of some early maps in the possession of Western historical societies.
Hurlbut’s “Chicago Antiquities,” Chicago, 1881, contains a chapter upon
the first maps representing that place.
The following printed works contain some of the more important edited
maps, bearing date in the original previous to 1700: Champlain’s
“Voyages,” Paris, 1632, is accompanied by a map upon which Lake
Superior is shown, and a “grande rivière qui vient du midy” is
represented as flowing into the lake from the south. This map, which is
reproduced in the later editions of Champlain, is of little value in a
geographical sense for the western country. A map of “Nouvelle France,”
showing the great lakes, is in Sanson d’Abbeville’s “L’Amérique en
plusieurs cartes,” Paris, 1656. Du Creux’s “Historia Canadensis.”
Parisiis, 1664, contains a map dated 1660, which shows the outlines
of the great lakes. Bressani’s “Relation abrégée de quelques missions
dans la Nouvelle France,” Montreal, 1852, contains a reproduction.
Dollier and Gallinée’s map of 1670, showing their course in travelling
to Ste. Marie, is reproduced in Faillon’s Historic de la col. fr., vol.
iii., p. 305 (see Parkman’s La Salle, p. 449, for description); Claude
Dablon’s “Relation de la Nouvelle France, 1670–1671,” Paris, 1672,
contains a map made about 1670 (see Parkman, p. 450); a reproduction
is published in Foster and Whitney’s “Report on the Geology of Lake
Superior,” Washington, 1850; Marquette’s map of 1674 accompanies the
various editions of his narrative. The map in Thevenot’s “Recueil”
is by Liebaux, and not by Marquette. Gravier’s “Étude sur une carte
inconnue” contains a fac-simile of a map by Joliet, probably in
1674. This map is the first published map showing the great lakes in
connection with the Mississippi.