2%o An Hijîùrical Journal of 



of a bad Taile. This is probably the fame that they call in 

 Lo u I s I A N A Raifin Prune (the _ Plumb Grape ) . The River by 

 Degrees grows lefs winding; but its Borders are not pleafant till 

 we are fifty Leagues from its Source. It is alfo for all this Space 

 very narrow, and as it is bordered with Trees, whofe Roots are 

 in the Water, when one falls it bars up the whole River, and 

 it takes a great deal of Time to clear a PafTage for a Ca- 

 noe. 



Having got over thefe Difficulties, the River, about fifty 

 ■^Leagues from its Source, forms a fmall Lake, and afterwards 

 grows confiderably wider. The Country begins to be fine : The 

 Meadows here extend beyond the Sight, in which the Buffaloes 

 go in Herds of 2 or 3 hundred: But one muft keep a good Look- 

 out, not to be furprifed by the Parties of Sioux and Outagamisy 

 which are drawn hither by the Neighbourhood of the Illinois y 

 their mortal Enemies, and who give no Quarter to the French 

 they meet on their Route. The Misfortune is, that the Theakiki 

 lofes its Depth as it grows wider, fo that we are often obliged 

 to unlade the Canoes and walk, which is always attended with 

 fome Danger, and I Ihould have been greatly perplexed, if they 

 had not given me an Efcort at the River St, Jo/eph. 



What furprifed me at feeing fo little Water in the Theqkiki was, 

 that from Time to Time it receives fome pretty Rivers. I faw 

 OHe among the reft, above fixty Yards wide as it's Mouth, which 

 they have named the Iroquois Ri^uer, becaufe thefe gallant Men 

 fuffered themfelves to be furprifed here by the Illinois, who killed 

 a great Number of them. This Blow humbled them the more, 

 as they greatly defpifed the Illinois, v/ho for the moft Part can 

 never face them» - ' 



The 27th 0Ï September v/e arrived la Fourche (at the Fork',) 



r\f IP' p this is the Name the C^2«^?^/^;7j give the Place 



• , ^/'^^' ^'^'"^ 'J' where the Theakiki and the River of the //- 

 the ILLINOIS. ^ ^.^^ .^j^^ j^^^ ^^^^^ ^ ç^^^^ç^ ç^^^^ 



Leagues, is ftill fofhallow, that I faw a Buffalo crofs it, and the 

 Water did not come above the Middle of his Legs. On the con- 

 trary, the ^heakiki, befides bringing it's Waters a hundred 

 Leagues, is a fine River. Neverthelefs it lofes it's Name here, 

 without doubt becaufe the Illi?iois being fettled in many Places of 

 the other have given it their Name, Being enriched all at once 

 by this Junction, it yields to none that we have in France ; and 

 I dare affure you, Madam, that it is not pofiible to fee a better 

 nor a finer Country than that it waters ; atleaft up to this Place, 

 from whence I wri^e. -But it is fifteen Leagues below the 

 Fork before it acquires a Depth anfwerable to its Breadth, al- 

 though in this Interval it receives many other Rivers. 



9 



The 



