_ ( 9 6 ) 



been dug through'; and on the right the coaft i$ 

 very low for the fpace of a good rnufket-fhot, afc' 

 terwards all of a fudclen it rifes to a very great 

 height. It had actually been reprefented to me as 

 fuch, and on that head, the following is the con* 

 flant tradition of all our travellers, and what anci- 

 ent miflionaries have told me. 



Father Jofeph Marquette, a native of Laon in 

 Picardy, where his family ftill maintains a diftin- 

 guiftied rank, was one of the mod illuftrious mif- 

 fionaries of New-France. This perfon travelled 

 over almoft all the countries in it, and made feve- 

 ral important difcoveries, the laft of which was that 

 of the Mifllfrppi, which he entered with the Sieur 

 Joliet in 1673. Two years after this difcovery, an 

 account of which he has publilhed, as he was go^ 

 ing from Chicagou, which is at the bottom of 

 lake Michigan, to Michillimakinac, he entered 

 on the i8thday of May 1675 the river in queftion, 

 the mouth of which was then at the extremity of 

 the low ground, which as I have already taken 

 notice, you leave on the right hand as you enter. 

 Here he erected his altar and faid mafs. He went 

 afterwards to a fmall diftance in order to render 

 thanks, and begged the two men that conducted his 

 canoe to leave him alone for half an hour. This 

 time having pad they went to feek him, and were 

 furprized to find him dead ; they called to mind 

 however, that on entering the river he had let drop 

 an expreffion that he mould end his days at this 

 place. 



However, as it was too far to carry his body 

 from thence to Michillimakinac, they buried him 

 near the bank of the river, which from that time 

 has retired by degrees, as out of refpect to his re- 

 mains, 



