Page images
PDF
EPUB

their return, ascended the Illinois, and re-entered Lake Michigan at Chicago.

La Salle, a man of talents, courage, and experience, determined to complete, if possible, a discovery so important to the interests of the French government, and embarked in the prosecution of this undertaking in 1679. He built the first vessel, larger than a canoe, that ever navigated these lakes. It was launched at Erie, and called the Griffin.

"He reached Michilimackinac, where he left his vessel, and coasted lake Michigan in canoes, to the mouth of the St. Joseph. The Griffin was despatched to Green Bay, for a cargo of furs, but she was never more heard of, after leaving that place. Whether she was wrecked, or captured and destroyed by the Indians, no one knew at that day, and none can now tell. La Salle prosecuted his design with great vigor, amid the most discouraging circumstances. By the abilities he displayed; by the successful result of his undertaking; and by the melancholy catastrophe which terminated his own career, he is well worthy a place among that band of intrepid adventurers, who, commencing with Columbus, and terminating with Parry and Franklin, have devoted themselves with noble ardor, to the extension of geographical knowledge, and have laid open the recesses of this continent.”*

We have met with an old volume, containing an account of La Salle's second voyage into North America, in 1683, written in French, "by Monsieur Jontel, a commander in that expedition." They

*Cass's Address.

landed at the mouth of the Mississippi, and ascended that river. Of the Wabash, he says, "We came to the mouth of a river called the Houabache, said to come from the country of the Iroquois, towards New England." "A fine river; its water remarkably clear, and current gentle." The expression, "towards New England," shows how inadequate an idea they had of the extent of our country.

****

On reaching the Illinois, he remarks, “We found a great alteration in that river, as well with respect to its current, which is very gentle, as to the country about it, which is more agreeable and beautiful than that about the Great river, by reason of the many fine woods, and variety of fruits, its banks are adorned with. It was a very great relief to us, to find so much ease in going up that river, by reason of its gentle stream, so that we all stayed in the canoe, and made much more way."

Meeting with some of the natives, he remarks, “We asked them what nation they were of; they answered, they were Islinois, of a canton called Cascasquia." This account settles the question sometimes propounded, as to the origin of the name of this country, which some have supposed to be of French origin, and to be derived from the words Isle aux noix, but which is undoubtedly aboriginal, although the orthography may be Gallic. The tribe alluded to were called the Illini.

Another passage shows, that the Indians of those days were very similar to their descendants; and, that, however the savage character may have become deteriorated in some respects, by intercourse

with the whites, it is essentially the same under all circumstances. "They are subject," says our author, "to the general vice of all other Indians, which is, to boast very much of their warlike exploits, and that is the main subject of their discourse, and they are very great liars.".

The map attached to this book, is quite a curiosity -it is so crude, and so admirable a specimen of the rude state of the arts at the time when it was made. It is such as an Indian would trace in the sand with his finger, or the biggest boy in a school would draw on the black-board.

Shortly after the country had been thus explored, it was settled by colonies from Lower Canada, who founded the villages of Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Peoria. The exact date of this emigration is not known, but it was probably between the years 1680 and

1690.

In 1712, Louis XIV, by letters patent, granted to Anthony Crozat, counsellor of state, &c. and his heirs, in perpetuity, all the mines within the tract of country then called Louisiana, and described in these words: "Bounded by New Mexico on the west, and by lands of the English of Carolina on the east, including all the establishments, ports, havens, rivers, and principally, the port and haven of the isles of Dauphin, heretofore called Massacre; the river St. Louis, heretofore called Mississippi, from the edge of the sea as far as the Illinois, together with the river St. Philip, heretofore called Ouabache; with all the countries, territories, lakes within land, and rivers which fall directly or indirectly into that part of the

river of St. Louis." This included all the territory now comprised in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas. The exclusive privilege of commerce was granted to him in the same district, for fifteen years.

In 1717, M. Crozat relinquished his grant; and in the same year, letters patent were granted to an association of individuals at Paris, under the style of the "Company of the West;" by which they were invested with the same privileges which had been enjoyed by Crozat, together with others, far more extensive. The territory was granted to them in allodium (en france allieu) in lordship and in justice, the crown reserving no other right than those of fealty and homage.

[ocr errors]

In 1718, the Company of the West formed an establishment in Illinois, at Fort Chartres; and this part of the country being reported as remarkably fertile, received a great accession of population.

In 1719, Philip Francis Renault, who is styled Director General of the Mines of the Royal India Company in Illinois, left France with two hundred artificers, and sometime in the following year, reached Kaskaskia. He established himself near Fort Chartres, at a place called by him St. Philippe, and since called Little Village. Renault was disappointed in his expectations of finding gold and silver, but is supposed to have made great quantities of lead, and to have discovered a copper mine near Peoria. His operations were checked by an edict of the king, made in May, 1719, by which the Company of the West was united to the East India and Chinese Company, un

der the title of "La Compagnie Royale des Indes." Finally, in 1731, the whole territory was reconveyed to the crown of France, the objects of the company having totally failed.

From the great number of grants of land made during the existence of these companies, it appears that Illinois, even at that time, had attracted considerable attention. In making these grants, the officers of the company united with those of the crown. We have examined some of these concessions, dated in 1722, which are made by "Peirre Duquet de Boisbriant, first Lieutenant of the King in the Province of Louisiana, and commandant for the Illinois; and Marc Antonie de la Loir des Versins, Principal Commissary for the Royal Company of the Indies, at their factory in the Illinois."

In 1723, a grant was made to Philip Renault, including the site of St. Philippe, of "one league in front by two in depth, at Grand Marias, on the Mississippi river. This stream is now called Mary, and by one of our geographers, St. Mary.

August 14, 1743, Monsieur Vaudriauel, Governor, and Monsieur Salmon, Commissary Ordonnateur of the Province of Louisiana, granted to the inhabitants of Kaskaskia, a tract of land as a common, for the use of said inhabitants forever, which was bounded north by the southern limit of said village, east by the Kaskaskia river, south and west by the Mississippi and the limits of the "common field." The common field is a tract, composed of various grants in severalty, made to individual inhabitants in franc allieu (fee simple), and which, from the first, has

« PreviousContinue »