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
When come, he told them, he would entertain Peace with them, that we
were going to the _Cenis_, and he believ’d, that these very Men were of
their Nation, because they had their Accent and some of their Words.
They told him their Village was near that Place, and bore us Company
to our Camp, where after some small Presents given them, they were
dismiss’d.
[Sidenote: _Account given by a Native._]
The 20th, Monsieur _de la Sale_ sent Monsieur _Moranget_ and some
others to the Village of those Natives, to try whether they could
barter with them for some Horses. In the mean Time two Savages came to
us, one of them being the same that was with us the Night before, and
they express’d much Friendship for us. That particular _Indian_ told
us, his name was _Palaquechaune_, that they were Allies to the _Cenis_,
that their Chief had been among the _Choumans_, with the _Spaniards_;
that the _Choumans_ were Friends to the _Spaniards_, from whom they got
Horses, and added some farther Particulars, which the others had before
signify’d to us; so that we had good Reason to judge we were not far
from _North Mexico_.
He also told us, that the _Choumans_ had given their Chief some
Presents, to perswade him to conduct us to them; that most of the said
Nation had flat Heads; that they had _Indian_ Corn, which gave Monsieur
_de la Sale_ Ground to believe, that those People were some of the same
he had seen upon his first Discovery. That same Native had a very fine
Goat’s Skin, which I purchas’d of him for four Needles, after I had
shewn him how to use them, and that Skin was of good Use to make us
Shoes instead of raw Bullocks Hides.
[Sidenote: _M._ Moranget_’s Account_.]
Some Time after, Monsieur _Moranget_ return’d, gave Monsieur _de la
Sale_ an Account of his short Journey, and said, That one of the
Natives, who saw us the Night before, came to meet and conduct him to
the Chief’s Cottage, where forty Ancient[91] _Indians_ were, by whom he
had been kindly receiv’d. That the Chief had in his Hand a Reed, at the
end whereof was made fast a Leaf of a _French_ Book, which he had an
extraordinary Respect for. That they had been made to sit on Bullocks
Hides, and treated with dry’d Beef.
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account