g THE GEOLOGY OF MINNESOTA. 



[Du Luth. 1679. 



league to reach a lake, the outlet of which fell into a very fine river which took me down into the 

 Mississippi. Being there I learned from eight cabins of Nadouecioux whom I met, that the 

 Reverend Father Louis Henpin, Recollect, now at the convent of St. Germain, with two other 

 Frenchmen, had been robbed and carried off as slaves for more than three hundred leagues by 

 the Nadouecioux themselves. 



This intelligence surprised me so much that, without hesitating, I left two Frenchmen with 

 these said eight cabins of Indians, as well as the goods which 1 had to make presents, and took 

 one of the said Indians, to whom I made a present, to guide me, with my interpreter and two 

 Frenchmen, to where the said Reverend Father Louis was, and as it was a good eighty leagues, 

 I proceeded in canoe two days and two nights, and the next day at ten o'clock in the morning I 

 found him with 1,000 or 1,100 souls. The want of respect which they showed to the said 

 Reverend Father provoked me, and this I showed them, telling them that he was my brother; and 

 I had him placed in my canoe to come with me into the villages of the said Nadouecioux, whither 

 I took him, and in which, a week after our arrival there, I caused a council to be convened, 

 exposing the ill treatment which they had been guilty of, both to the said Reverend Father and 

 to the other two Frenchmen, who were with him, having robbed them and carried them off as 

 slaves, and even taken the priestly vestments of said Reverend Father. I had two calumets 

 which they had danced to them, returned to them, on account of the insult which they had 

 offered them, being what they hold most in esteem among them to appease matters, telling them 

 that I did not take calumets from people, who after they had seen me and received my peace 

 presents, and been for a year always with Frenchmen, robbed them when they went to visit them. 



Each one in the council endeavored to throw the blame from himself, but their excuses 

 did not prevent my telling the Reverend Father Louis that he would have to come with me 

 toward the Oulagamys, as he did, showing him that it would be to strike a blow at the French 

 nation in a new discovery, to suffer an insult of this nature, without manifesting resentment, 

 although my design was to push on to the sea in a west-northwesterly course, which is that which 

 is believed to be the Red Sea [Gulf of California], whence the Indians who had gone warring on 

 that side gave salt to three Frenchmen whom I had sent exploring, and who brought me said salt, 

 having reported to me that the Indians had told them that it was only twenty days' journey from 

 where they were to find the great lake, of which the waters were worthless to drink.* This has 

 made me believe that it would not be absolutely difficult to find it, if permission would be given 

 to go there. However, I preferred to retrace my steps, manifesting to them the just indignation 

 which I felt against them rather than to remain after the violence which they had done to the 

 Reverend Father and the other two Frenchmen who were with him, whom I put in my canoes 

 and brought them back to Michelimakinak. 



HENNEPIN'S MOVEMENTS IN MINNESOTA. 



That portion of Hennepin's narrative which relates to his movements 

 in Minnesota, and to the natural features of the country, is as follows, as 

 translated from the first, or Paris, edition of his works, by John Gr. Shea. 



The river Colbertf runs south-southwest and comes from the north-northwest; it runs 

 between two chains of mountains, very small here, which wind with the river, and in some places 

 are pretty far from the banks, so that between the mountains and the river there are large 

 prairies, where you often see herds of wild cattle browsing. In other places these eminences 

 leave semi-circular spots covered with grass or wood. Beyond these mountains you discover vast 

 plains, but the more we approach the northern side ascending, the earth did not appear to us so 

 fertile nor the woods so beautiful as in the Islinois country. 



This great river is almost everywhere a short league in width, and in some places two 

 leagues ; it is divided by a number of islands covered with trees interlaced with so many vines as 



* There is no such lake in the limits of Minnesota, but this may refer to some of the alkaline lakes of Dakota. 

 [N. H. W.] 



f Mississippi. 



