CHAPTER III. EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI. - The tide at Green Departure from Michilimackinac-Wild oats Bay-Ascending the Fox River- Indian village on the shore of Lake Winnebago Wisconsin River-Its peculiarities - Joy at reaching the Mississippi - Strange fish-The abundance of game-Foot-prints on the shore - Discover an Indian village Council Feast of corn meal, fish, and boiled dog-Presented with a calumet -A strange plant-Monsters painted on a rock — Frightful appearance of the water at the junction of the Missouri Clay paint-Indian method of dealing with musquitoes"Snags" and "Sawyers"-Arkansas Indians - Return up the Mississippi and Illinois-Portage to Chicago-Arrival at Green Bay-James Marquette sets out on a return to Chicago, to instruct the Illinois Indians-Is detained all winter at the portage by sickReaches the Illinois country in April, and founds a mission - His malady increasing, he sets out on his return to Michilimackinac -Driven by westerly winds to the mouth of the St. Joseph's Becomes too weak to proceed-Expires on a bed of boughs, on the shore of Lake Michigan. ness -- ON the seventeenth day of May, 1673, M. Joliet and James Marquette set out from Michilimackinac in two bark canoes, to explore the Mississippi River. They were accompanied from that place by five men. The whole stock of provisions for the voyage consisted of Indian corn and some dried meat. But they were firmly resolved to do all and suffer all for so glorious an enterprise. Marquette says, in his narrative, "Our joy at being chosen for this expedition roused our courage, and sweetened the labor of rowing from morning till night." They made their paddles play merrily along the straits, and across Lake Michigan and Green Bay, to the mouth THE TIDE AT GREEN BAY. 61 of the Menominee River, then called the Wild Oats, from the quantities of that grass growing in its vicinity; where they remained several days with the Indians, who had taken their name, also, from the river. The wild oats, or wild rice, as it is now called, is the principal food of the north-western Indians, and might be raised in all parts of the country where there are rivers that annually overflow the rich bottom-lands. The experiment was tried in the state of Connecticut, a few years ago, and proved to be successful. The wild oats are a kind of grass which grows spontaneously, at the West, in little rivers with slimy bottoms, and in marshy places. They resemble the wild oats that grow up among our wheat. In the month of June, the stalks, which are jointed at intervals, begin to shoot up through the water, and continue growing till they float about two feet above it. The grains are not thicker than our oats, but are as long again, so that the meal is much more abundant. The wild oats ripen in September. The Indians boil the grains in water with meat or grease, and in this way they make a dish about as palatable as rice would be when not better seasoned. The voyagers then proceeded up to the head of Green Bay, where, Marquette says, "It is easy to remark the tide, which has its regular flow and ebb, almost like that of the sea." This tidal movement has been frequently observed at that place, and it may be accounted for by the pressure of the winds upon the distant parts of Lake Michigan, making the waters to rise and fall along the shores of Green Bay. From thence they ascended the Fox River to Lake Winnebago, and in doing so, their feet were very much cut by the sharp stones, while dragging their canoes up through the rapids of that river. They stopped some time at the Indian village, which was built on a hill, overlooking the lake and a beautiful and picturesque country. On every side, the prairies spread out as far as they could see, and were dotted with groves of lofty trees. On the tenth day of June, they again embarked, with two Miamis for guides to the portage between the Fox and the Wisconsin rivers, and set out, in sight of a great crowd of Indians, who were wondering and amazed to see the Frenchmen daring to undertake so strange and so hazardous an expedition. The distance to the Wisconsin was already known from the explorations of Nicolet and Allouez. The course bore by compass west-south-west; hut the river branched off through so many marshes and little lakes, and the channel was so concealed by the wild oats, that it was easy to have gone astray. But the guides led them safely to a portage, twenty-seven hundred paces across, helped them over with the canoes, and then returned to Lake Winnebago, leaving the voyagers alone in an unknown country, in the hands of Providence. Marquette and Joliet were soon afloat upon the waters of the Wisconsin River. They had got to the westward of the streams which flow into the St. Lawrence, and were passing quietly down with a current that was bearing them still further into the wilderness. They found the Wisconsin to be a broad river, its sandy bottom having formed into shallows, which rendered navigation difficult. It was filled with little islands, that were grown up to shrubbery and covered with vines; and the long branches bent over from the shores, and trailed in the water. Along the banks were, sometimes, woodland and hills, but more generally prairies. They saw no fish in that river. The timber consisted of oak, walnut, whitewood, and another kind of tree whose branches were armed with long thorns. Deer were plenty, and they THE ABUNDANCE OF GAME. 53 would frequently spring out of the island covers, and dash and splurge through the water to the shore, and then bound away, their white stub-tails teetering up and down in the air, as far as the eye could follow them. On the seventeenth day of June, just one month after they had left Michilimackinac, the voyagers passed out of the mouth of the Wisconsin into the long-looked-for Mississippi. Great was their joy at beholding the broad sweep of its waters. They immediately cast their nets, and took some sturgeon, and a very extraordinary fish, which Marquette describes as follows: "It resembles a trout with this difference, that it has a larger mouth, but smaller eyes and snout. Near the latter is a large bone like a woman's busk, three fingers wide, and a cubit long the end is circular, and as wide as the hand. In leaping out of the water, the weight of this often throws it back." This was the polyodon spatula,—a very rare fish, and but seldom found in the Mississippi. Following down the river, for a day or two, the land appeared to have undergone an entire change. There was almost no wood to be seen anywhere. Deer were to be met with, and moose, bustards and wingless swans; for those latter are said to shed their plumes in that country. They saw a great many enormous fish, with black, broad, ugly heads; and one of these struck against the canoe so violently that Marquette took it for a large tree about to knock them to pieces. It was undoubtedly a huge catfish on which they were so nearly snagged. The voyagers soon came into the region of wild turkeys and buffaloes. All other game had disappeared. The turkeys would sometimes fly in vast flocks across the river, when those that became weary with the flight would tumble into the water. A number were obtained in that way. With the buffaloes the Frenchmen were very much interested. They saw immense droves of them every day, trampling and bellowing along the banks. The voyagers had floated down with the current several hundred miles, without discovering anything more dangerous than beasts and birds. Yet, they kept well on their guard; making only a little fire on the shore at night, to cook their meal; and then, anchoring the canoes far out in the river, they took turns watching and sleeping on the water. At length, on the twenty-fifth day of June, they perceived some foot-prints of men by the water-side, and a beaten path entering a beautiful prairie. Following along that path four or five miles, they came to a large village of the Illinois Indians, and were there received by them in a very friendly manner. A council had to be held, as is usual upon the arrival of strangers into a country occupied by a particular tribe of Indians. Speeches were then made and replied to, presents given, and presents received. The council was succeeded by a feast; and the Indians, being the hosts, got it up and conducted it after their own fashion. The Frenchmen were the passive recipients of the savage favors. The first course consisted of a great wooden dish, full of corn-meal, boiled in water, and seasoned with grease. The master of the ceremonies, with a spoonful of that greasy pudding, presented it three or four times in succession to the mouths of the guests, as we would do with little children. For the second course, he brought in a second dish, containing three fish, and took some pains to remove the bones with his fingers; and having blown upon it to cool it, he put it into their mouths, as we would do in feeding young birds. The third course was boiled dog; but that was going beyond even French capacity to eat, of all living creatures, and had to be withdrawn, as M. Joliet had discovered an entrail dangling from the kettle. The fourth, and last |