Despite these embarrassments, however, he pushed forward his enterprise, and by the 7th of August the _Griffin_ was sailing upon the waters of Lake Erie, never before ploughed by the keel of a white man’s ship. Passing through the Straits of Detroit and into Lake Huron, they stayed not their course, although nearly wrecked by a fierce gale, until, early in September, they dropped anchor at the entrance of Green Bay, within the waters of Lake Michigan. Here, at Michilimackinac, was a Jesuit mission and centre of Indian trade, where they were received with show of welcome by the holy fathers, and with evident distrust by their Indian _protegés_. Here La Salle found that a party of his men whom he had sent on in advance to the Illinois, to trade for him and make preparations for his coming, had been tampered with, had appropriated the goods in their charge to their own uses, and that many of them were missing. Six of these rascals were found at Michilimackinac, and with two found by Tonti at the Sault Ste. Marie, were captured with their plunder and the remainder had taken to the woods. It had been La Salle’s intention to leave his party at this point to proceed on their way to the Illinois, under Tonti, while he himself should return to Canada, to look after and protect his own concerns there. But Tonti was just then absent, and there was great need of his remaining with his men, lest they should again be enticed away from their duty. Besides, he was desirous to frustrate a plan of his enemies, which he thought he had discovered, to set the Iroquois “by the ears” with the Illinois, with a view to draw him into the war, and thus interrupt his plans.