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
About Nine in the Morning, the Sun growing very hot, and Monsieur
_Cavelier_ being bare Headed, made Signs that it did him Harm. Then at
last they gave over singing, and conducted him back into the Cottage,
took the Pipe, put it into a Case, made of a Wild-Goat’s Skin, with
the two wooden Forks and the red Stick that lay across them, all which
one of the Elders offer’d to Monsieur _Cavelier_, assuring him that he
might pass thro’ all the Nations that were ally’d to them by Virtue of
that Token of Peace, and should be every where well receiv’d. This was
the first Place where we saw the _Calumet_, or Pipe of Peace, having
no Knowledge of it before, as some have writ. This Nation is call’d
_Cahaynohoua_.
[Sidenote: Indians _expect Presents_.]
This Sort of Ceremonies being never perform’d among the _Indians_
without the Expectation of receiving some Present, and we having
besides observ’d, that some of them had withdrawn themselves, with
Tokens of Dissatisfaction, perhaps because we had interrupted their
Ceremony, we thought it convenient to give them something more, and
I was appointed to carry them an Ax, four Knives and some Strings of
Beads, with which they were satisfied.
We afterwards shew’d them an Experiment of our Arms, the Noise and Fire
whereof frighted them. They earnestly press’d us to stay with them,
offering us Wives and whatsoever else we should want. To be the better
quit of them, we promis’d to return, saying we were going to fetch
Commodities, Arms and Tools, which we stood in Need of, that we might
afterwards stay with them.
The 9th and 10th were spent in Visits, and we were inform’d by one
of the _Indians_ that we were not far from a great River, which he
describ’d with a Stick on the Sand, and shew’d it had two Branches, at
the same Time pronouncing the word _Cappa_, which, as I have said, is
a Nation near the _Missisipi_. We then made no longer Question, that
we were near what we had been so long looking after. We entreated the
Elders to appoint some men to conduct us, promising to reward them
well, which they granted, and we set out the 11th, to the great Sorrow
of those good People, who had entertain’d us so courteously.
[Sidenote: _The Journey prosecuted._]
We travell’d several different Ways, which we could never have found,
had we wanted Guides, and so proceeded till on the 12th, one of our
Guides pretended to be sick, and made Signs that he would go back;
but observing, that we seem’d to be no Way concern’d, which we did on
Purpose, he consulted with his Companion, and then came to tell us, he
was recover’d. We made him eat and smoke, and continued our Journey
the 13th, finding the Way very bad and difficult.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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