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
Father _Anastasius_, who was then by his Side, stood stock still in a
Fright, expecting the same Fate, and not knowing whether he should go
forwards or backwards; but the Murderer _Duhaut_ put him out of that
Dread, bidding him not to fear, for no Hurt was intended him; that it
was Despair that had prevail’d with him to do what he saw; that he had
long desir’d to be revenged on _Moranget_, because he had designed to
ruin him, and that he was partly the Occasion of his Uncle’s Death.
This is the exact Relation of that Murder, as it was presently after
told me by F. _Anastasius_.
[Sidenote: _His Character._]
Such was the unfortunate End of Monsieur _de la Sale’s_ Life, at a
Time when he might entertain the greatest Hopes, as the Reward of
his Labours.[94] He had a Capacity and Talent to make his Enterprize
successful; his Constancy and Courage and his extraordinary Knowledge
in Arts and Sciences, which render’d him fit for any Thing, together
with an indefatigable Body, which made him surmount all Difficulties,
would have procur’d a glorious Issue to his Undertaking, had not
all those excellent Qualities been counterbalanced by too haughty a
Behaviour, which sometimes made him insupportable, and by a Rigidness
towards those that were under his Command, which at last drew on him an
implacable Hatred, and was the Occasion of his Death.
[Sidenote: _Barbarity towards the dead Body._]
The Shot which had kill’d Monsieur _de la Sale_, was also a Signal
of the Murder to the Assassins for them to draw near. They all
repair’d to the Place where the wretched dead Corps lay, which they
barbarously strip’d to the Shirt, and vented their Malice in vile and
opprobrious Language. The Surgeon _Liotot_ said several Times in Scorn
and Derision, _There thou liest, Great Bassa, there thou liest._ In
Conclusion, they dragged it naked among the Bushes, and left it exposed
to the ravenous Wild Beasts. So far was it from what a certain Author
writes, of their having bury’d him and set up a cross on his Grave.[95]
[Sidenote: _Murderers return to the Camp._]
When those Murderers had satiated their Rage, they set out to come
to us at our Camp, with the dry’d Flesh, which they had caus’d to be
brought over the River by the _Indians_, who had been Spectators of
the Murder and of all the inhuman Actions that had been committed,
with Amazement and Contempt of us. When they were come to the Camp,
they found Messieurs _Cavelier_, the one Brother, the other Nephew to
the murder’d Commander, whom Father _Anastasius_ acquainted with the
dismal End of our Chief, and enjoyn’d them Silence, which it is easy to
imagine was very hard upon them; but it was absolutely necessary.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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