France and England in North America, Part III: The Discovery of the Great West (1870)Parkman, Francis
History
France and England in North America, Part III: The Discovery of the Great West (1870)
Parkman, Francis
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France)
peninsula of Michigan; Lakes Huron and Michigan being by him merged into
one, under the name of "Michigane, ou Mer Douce des Hurons." The map, of
which a fac-simile is before me, measures four and a half feet by three
and a half. It is covered with descriptive remarks, which, oddly enough,
are all inverted, so that it must be turned with the north side down in
order to read them. Faillon has engraved it, but on a small scale, with
the omission of most of the inscriptions, and other changes. The well-
known Jesuit map of Lake Superior appeared the year after.
Besides making the map, Galinee wrote a very long and minute journal of
the expedition, which is preserved in the Bibliotheque Imperiale.
Much of the substance of it is given by Faillon, _Colonie Francaise_, iii.
chap, vii., and Margry, _Journal General de l'Instruction Publique_, xxxi.
No. 67. In the letters of Talon to Colbert are various allusions to the
journey of Dollier and Galinee.]
We return now to La Salle, only to find ourselves involved in mist and
obscurity. What did he do after he left the two priests? Unfortunately, a
definite answer is not possible; and the next two years of his life remain
in some measure an enigma. That he was busied in active exploration, and
that he made important discoveries, is certain; but the extent and
character of these discoveries remain wrapped in doubt. He is known to
have kept journals and made maps; and these were in existence, and in
possession of his niece, Madeleine Cavelier, then in advanced age, as late
as the year 1756; [Footnote: See Margry, in _Journal General de
l'Instruction Publique_, xxxi. 659.] beyond which time the most diligent
inquiry has failed to trace them. The Abbe Faillon affirms, that some of
La Salle's men, refusing to follow him, returned to La Chine, and that the
place then received its name, in derision of the young adventurer's dream
of a westward passage to China. [Footnote: Dollier de Casson alludes to
this as "cette transmigration celebre qui se fit de la Chine dans ces
quartiers."] As for himself, the only distinct record of his movements is
that contained in an unpublished paper, entitled, "Histoire de Monsieur de
la Salle." It is an account of his explorations, and of the state of
parties in Canada previous to the year 1678; taken from the lips of La
Salle himself, by a person whose name does not appear, but who declares
that he had ten or twelve conversations with him at Paris, whither he had
come with a petition to the Court. The writer himself had never been in
America, and was ignorant of its geography; hence blunders on his part
might reasonably be expected. His statements, however, are in some measure
intelligible; and the following is the substance of them. After leaving
the priests, La Salle went to Onondaga, where we are left to infer that he
succeeded better in getting a guide than he had before done among the
Senecas. Thence he made his way to a point six or seven leagues distant
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account