Joutel's Journal of La Salle's Last Voyage, 1684-7Joutel, Henri
History
Joutel's Journal of La Salle's Last Voyage, 1684-7
Joutel, Henri
La Salle, Robert Cavelier, sieur de, 1643-1687; Louisiana -- History -- To 1803; Mississippi River -- Discovery and exploration
The 4th, 5th and 6th, we did the same, crossing a very fine Country,
but water’d by many Brooks, Streams and Rivers. We found Abundance of
wild Goats, Turkeys and other wild Fowl, whereof our _Indians_ kill’d
many.
On the 6th, whilst we halted on the Bank of a River to eat, we heard
the Tingling of some small Bells; which making us look about, we spy’d
an _Indian_ with a naked Sword-Blade in his Hand, adorned with Feathers
of several Colours, and two large Hawks Bells, that occasion’d the
Noise we had heard.
He made Signs for us to come to him, and gave us to understand, that he
was sent by the Elders of the Village, whither we were going, to meet
us, caressing us after an extraordinary Manner. I observ’d that it was
a Spanish Blade he had, and that he took Pleasure in ringing the Hawks
Bells.
[Sidenote: _Kind Reception._]
Having travell’d about half a League with him, we discover’d a Dozen of
other _Indians_ coming towards us, who made very much of and conducted
us the Village, to the Chief’s Cottage, where we found dry’d Bear-Skins
laid on the Ground, and they made us sit on them, where we were treated
with Eatables, as were the Elders after us, and a Throng of Women came
to see us.
[Sidenote: _Presents._]
The 7th, the Elders came to give us a Visit, bringing us two Bullocks
Hides, four Otters Skins, one white Wild-Goat’s Skin, all of them well
dry’d, and 4 Bows, in Return for the Present we had before made them.
The Chief and another came again some Time after, bringing two Loaves,
the finest and the best we had yet seen. They look’d as if they had
been bak’d in an Oven, and yet we had not observ’d, that there were
Ovens among any of them. That Chief stay’d with us some Hours, he
seem’d to be very ingenious and discreet, and easily understood our
Signs, which were most of the Language we had. Having order’d a little
Boy to bring us all we had Occasion for, he withdrew.
[Sidenote: _The Ceremony of the Pipe._]
Towards the Evening, we were entertain’d with a Ceremony we had not
seen before. A Company of Elders, attended by some young Men and Women
came to our Cottage in a Body, singing as loud as they could roar.
The foremost of them had a _Calumet_, so they call a very long Sort
of Tabacco Pipe, adorn’d with several Sorts of Feathers. When they
had sung a while, before our Cottage, they enter’d it, still singing
on, for about a Quarter of an Hour. After that, they took Monsieur
_Cavelier_ the Priest, as being our Chief, led him in solemn Manner out
of the Cottage, supporting him under the Arms. When they were come to
a Place they had prepared, one of them laid a great Handful of Grass
under his feet, two others brought fair Water in an Earthen Dish, with
which they wash’d his Face, and then made him sit down on a Skin,
provided for that Purpose.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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