| spirit of commercialism and adventure, or by a sublime faith and | | religious zeal. It was reserved for La Salle to enter this region | | with the _distinct idea of colonization_, and of making it a | | source of revenue and a glory to the land which he represented. | | | | [20] This place, of which a view is given at p. 168 of Parkman’s | | _La Salle_, vol. i, Champlain edition, is about six miles below | | the town of Ottawa, Illinois. | | | | [21] La Salle’s estimate of the number of these Indians was about | | 20,000, or a fighting capacity of 4,000 warriors. | | | | [22] La Salle’s brother, the Abbe Cavelier, Fathers Membre, Douay | | and Le Clerc, all more or less afterward associated with American | | exploration, were among this clerical contingent. | | | | [23] Most interesting as to these troubles, and La Salle’s mental | | condition at this critical point, are the pages 97–109, vol. II | | of Parkman’s _La Salle_ (Champlain edition). | | | | [24] “Sixteen or seventeen years,” as he says in his Journal, | | under date of July, 1684; “so that, as he could hardly have | | entered the service before the age of 18 or 20, he must have | | been, at the time he linked his fortunes to those of La Salle, | | about 35 or 37 years old—hence born, probably, about 1643–5.” | | | | [25] “Intendant” is the official French term. | | | | [26] His words are “un fort honnête homme, et seul delatroupe de | | M. de La Salle, sur qui célèbre voyageur pût compter.” | | | | [27] Knapsack, in modern parlance. | | | | [28] Coureurs de bois. | | | | [29] The _Fr._ reads thus, “l’un frère & les autres neveus de | | ...”—the one a brother of M. de La Salle, the others his nephews. | | There evidently were _two_ nephews, named Cavalier—the name of | | La Salle’s family; although in this journal the elder nephew is | | generally styled _M. Moranget_. | | | | [30] Cavalier gives the date as 23d or 24th July. |