October 1679

On October 1st, 1679, they went 34.5 miles to a Pottawattamie village. The northeast wind was increasing and causing massive waves to break against the shore. M. de La Salle got out of his canoe to get all of the canoes on shore. He was able to get the canoes on shore without any damage. M. de La Salle and his crew went ashore to defend themselves from any hostilities. Then, M. de La Salle sent three men with a calumet of peace that the Pottawattamies gave them on the island to the village to buy food. The calumet of peace was a large pipe for smoking. The bowl is of red stone, well-polished. The strong cane stem was two feet and a half long adorned with feathers of all colors and mingled with women’s hair braided in various ways. This calumet of peace was like a safe passport among all the allies of those who had given it. It was said that if they were to violate the right of the calumet, great misfortunes would overtake them.

When the three men arrived at the village 10.4 miles from the landing, they saw no one. The Indians were frightened by them, so they abandoned their cabins. The three men gathered loads of Indian corn that they could carry and went back to M. de La Salle. Before the three men arrived, twenty Indians armed with guns, hatchets, bows, arrows, and a war club approached M. de La Salle and his crew. M. de La Salle made them sit down at the foot of the hill where he was, so La Salle’s men could see all their movements. M. de La Salle talked to the Indians on various subjects, to hold their attention until the three men returned from the village.

When the three men arrived, the Indians saw the calumet of peace. As a result, the Indians began to leap up with a yell of joy and began to dance after their fashion. The Indians were not mad that they took their Indian corn. The next day they gave as much Indian corn as much as M. de La Salle and his crew wanted. M. de La Salle made an abatis because he was afraid of a surprise attack.

There was a known band of one hundred and twenty-five Indians of the Outagami tribe near the end of the Green Bay and near the Frenchmen’s camp. During the night, thirty Outagamis stealthily went along the bluff in a hard rain-storm to where the canoes were. The Indians were taking stuff from under the canoes. M. de La Salle saw the Indians take stuff, so he when to a high point where the Indians would go. When the Indians knew that they were caught, they cried out that they were friends. M. de La Salle was not convinced because they were robbing them in the night. The Indians said that they believed the encampment was a band of Iroquois (Outagamis’s enemy) from the shots that were fired. When daylight was reached, they gave the Indians permission to withdraw.

On October 2nd, 1679, at 10 am, the elders of the village came with their calumet of peace and made a feast for all the Frenchmen. M. de La Salle thanked them with a gift of ten hatchets, two dozen knives, and some glass beads for the women, leaving them well satisfied. Later on the day, they continued their voyage for four days along the shore. There were high, steep bluffs running close to the lake so it was hard to find a landing place. As they were heading south, the country became fairer and warmer temperature.

On October 16th, 1679, they began to find a lot of game to a degree that, the Indian corn having given out, the whole company was reduced to such scarcity of food that Father Gabriel, the Recllet, who was sixty-four years of age, had fallen two or three times from weakness. They killed harts, roedeer, and turkeys for food.

On October 28th, 1679, they arrived at the end of Lake Illinois, where the wind forced them to land. M. de La Salle found ripe grapes nearby. Recollet Fathers made wine of the grapes for the celebration of the Mass. When M. de La Salle found fresh human tracks, he commanded his crew to be on their guard and to make no noise. They followed M. de La Salle’s command until they saw a bear and a stag. They ended up firing at the bear and stag. As a result, M. de La Salle put a guard near the boats where they stored the food under the canoes to protect it from the rain. He also put another guard near their camp.

There was a known band of one hundred and twenty-five Indians of the Outagami tribe near the end of the Green Bay and near the Frenchmen’s camp. During the night, thirty Outagamis stealthily went along the bluff in a hard rainstorm to where the canoes were. The Indians were taking stuff from under the canoes. M. de La Salle saw the Indians take stuff, so he when to a high point where the Indians would go. When the Indians knew that they were caught, they cried out that they were friends. M. de La Salle was not convinced because they were robbing them at the night. The Indians said that they believed the encampment was a band of Iroquois (Outagamis’s enemy) from the shots that were fired. When daylight was reached, they gave the Indians permission to withdraw.

M. de La Salle made his men camp on land that was almost surrounded by water. M. de La Salle went out and captured an Indian. He put him under guard and learned about the robbery during the night. They captured another Indian who was one of the most important men of the tribe. He sent the important man from the tribe back to his tribe to tell his people to return the stolen goods or they would kill the Indian that was captured.

On October 30th, 1679, the Outagami advanced all armed for an attack. M. de La Salle took five men with them to a small mound next to the woods with half-rolled blankets on their left arm to shield them from the arrows. The Indians already occupied all of the vantage points. But seeing the French advance to the charge, the Indians abandoned the nearest points, giving M. de La Salle time to ascend the highest one. This action intimidated the Indians, so two old Indian men offered the calumet of peace from afar. They stated that they had been driven to this extreme course only by their inability to return intact stolen items. They were ready to return all that had been left and to make payment for the remainder of the damages to the stolen items. They gave beaver robes to M. de La Salle to make peace, excusing the small value of their gift by the advancement of the winter season. M. de La Salle accepted their excuses, so peace was restored.

On October 31st, 1679, they had dances, feasts, and aggressive speeches with the Outagami. The Outagami advised M. de La Salle to stay with them, and not go to Illinois, who were determined to massacre all the French since an Iroquois whom Illinois had captured and burned had assured the Illinois that the war meditated against them by his nation had been advised by the French, who hated Illinois. There were similar stories of the Illinois, which frightened M. de La Salle’s men. M. de La Salle knew that these arguments might have been suggested by those who opposed his undertaking, as well as by the jealousy of the Indians, to whom Illinois were formidable on account of their valor, and who feared the consequences of their pride when, through the French, they should have acquired the use of firearms. M. de La Salle said to the Outagami thank you for their advice and he was not afraid of Illinois, whom he would find means to bring to terms either by friendship or by force.