96 NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. 



chief of one of the northern tribes, who appear generally to 

 have acted in concert, by a Kaskaskia, aroused a vengeance 

 of those allies, which was unappeased till scarcely the vestige 

 of this great nation remained. Thus, about a century of 

 savage war exterminated one of the most numerous nations 

 on that part of the continent. At this day, the Kaskaskias 

 and Peorias number, conjointly, about one hundred and fifty 

 persons, which is all that is now to be found of the Illinois 

 nation. It is true that the tribes are not always extinct when 

 the name is lost, and it is quite probable that many hundreds 

 might have escaped the general destruction, who became 

 adopted by their vanquishers, or united with other tribes. 

 These associations are customary among all the Indians ; 

 and instances are very common both of a union with other 

 friendly bands, and of adoption of prisoners of w^ar. 



On the right bank of the river, at the period of the found- 

 ing of St. Louis, there were no Indians at that place nor in 

 the whole extent of country south of what is now the south- 

 ern line of the State. Thus, at the conclusion of the wars 

 following the death of Pontiac, except a portion of the Peoria 

 tribe, who had survived those wars, and who were finally ex- 

 tirpated b}^ the Sacs and Foxes in the beginning of the present 

 century, the southern portions of the country now forming 

 Illinois and Missouri, or that below the Illinois and Missouri 

 Rivers, was uninhabited, except by the few French and those 

 who held the military posts for the English Goverimient. 



Carondelet, sometimes called familiarly Vide poches, was 

 settled in 1767. In 1769, Blanchette, the hunter, built his 

 cabin on the bank of the Missouri, the first building of the 

 village now called St. Charles. At the same period Floris- 

 sant and Portage des Sioux were first inhabited. 



In 1780,* a party of British and Indians made an attack 



* Nicollet, p. 84. 



