Geography of Ohio 407 



maps, helping the Indians, studying natural history, much of 

 the time all alone. Joliet advised the two priests, who were 

 accompanying La Salle, that it was their duty, instead of seeking 

 unmapped rivers, to proceed to the Ottawa Indians who needed 

 their ministrations. These Sulpitian monks respected Joliet's 

 advice, and started on their way to the Ottawas. 



La Salle was left alone to find the Ohio river. The record of 

 his travels the next four years is not entirely clear ; there are many 

 statements concerning the extent of his explorations, and some 

 of the allegations have been examined and accepted by modern 

 historians. It is generally conceded that La Salle discovered the 

 Ohio river, probably in 1669. It is certain that after parting 

 with the Sulpitians he returned to the Iroquois, procured guides 

 and proceeded again to the west, keeping south of Lake Erie, 

 where any one of many tributaries might have directed his course 

 to the master stream. In a later century, water communication 

 between the Ohio river and the Mohawk lowland was established 

 through the Erie basin, and a few years after this, by the same 

 basin, railroads brought the upper Ohio region into industrial 

 relationship with New York City. Geographic conditions favored 

 La Salle's enterprise. 



The Virginian expedition. Another attempt to reach Ohio was 

 made in 1671. A party was organized by Governor Berkeley, of 

 the great colony of Virginia. Lands extending westward across 

 the Appalachians had been granted to this colony, and Governor 

 Berkeley wished to know something of this unexplored region. 

 There were frequent reports as to the country beyond the Appala- 

 chians; one common report was that on the other side a man had 

 seen a mighty river that flowed across the horizon westward. It 

 was suspected that this river might lead into the ''South Sea." 

 The governor accordingly organized a party, under the command 

 of one Thomas Butts, to be guided by Indians. They set out, 

 and journeyed about twenty-nine days; at first they passed 

 southwest through a valle.y, but the last sixteen da3'"s they followed 

 a northwest flowing river. The first part of the journey was 

 doubtless along the Greenbrier. After traveling some days to 

 the northwest they noted a mighty roaring and farther on found 

 its cause, the great falls of the Kanawha. The commander was 

 unable to get his Indians to go beyond this point; it was a fright- 

 ful country down the river, they said, a place where no drinking 



