■company mutinied. Verandrye himself spent the winter at 

 the Kaministiquia, on the shores of Lake Sujrerior, but his 

 nephew, La Jemeraye, pushed through and built a fort at the 

 head of Rainy River, which runs into the Lake of the Woods. 

 This fort was called St. Pierre, and traces of it were found a 

 few years ago by the writer at Coutchecheng, three miles 

 southeast of the village of Fort Francis. 



In June, 1732, the party urged on their explorations, and 

 descending Rainy River, reached Lake of the Woods. They 

 directed their way now to the southwest shore of the lake, 

 where they built Fort St. Charles. Passing on to the interior 

 from the Lake of the Woods, they explored with great energy 

 the water courses of the west. The Lake of the Woods was 

 the scene of a great tragedy so far as the Verandryes were 

 concerned. The Sioux, or Dakotas, of the west were in the 

 habit of coming at times to the west side of the Lake of the 

 Woods. Stealthily they lay in wait for a part of the expedi- 

 tion that was returning fiom the interior in 1T36. This 

 party was led by Sieur de la Vei'andrye, eldest son of the 

 veteran Verandrye. A little island, still pointed out between 

 Hay Island and Cornfield Island, is said to be the scene of the 

 disaster. Attempts have been made lately by interested 

 parties to place Massacre Island near Rat Portage. For this 

 there is no evidence. 



The Verandrye party consisted of the Sieur, a Jesuit 

 priest. Father Anneau, and twenty men. According to the 

 report of a voyageur named Eourassa, the bodies were dis- 

 covered on Massacre Island five days after the murder. "The 

 heads of the dead Frenchmen were placed upon beaver skins, 

 the greater number of them scalped. The missionary had 

 one knee on the ground, an arrow in his head, his breast cut 

 open, his left hand upon the earth, and his right uplifted. 

 The Sieur de la Verandrye lay face downward, his back hacked 

 with a knife, a hoe buried in his loins, and his headless body 

 ornamented with porcupine garters and bracelets." The Crees 

 and Assiniboines, allies of Verandr3^e, offered to enter upon a 

 war with the Sioux, their heriditary enemies, to avenge the 



