La Salle and the discovery of the great West - North Central ...

1677-78.] HENNEPIN. 135to his dying day, but always maligned and persecutedhim. 1On arriving in Canada, he was sent up to FortFrontenac, as a missionary. That wild and remotepost was greatly to his liking. He planted a giganticcross, superintended the building of a chapel for himselfand his colleague Buisset, and instructed theIroquois colonists of the place. He visited, too, theneighboring Indian settlements, — paddling his canoein summer, when the lake was open, and journeyingin winter on snow-shoes, with a blanket slung at hisback.His most noteworthy journey was one whichhe made in the winter, — apparently of1677, — witha soldier of the fort. They crossed the easternextremity of Lake Ontario on snow-shoes, andpushed southward through the forests, towardsOnondaga, — stopping at evening to dig away thesnow, which was severalfeet deep, and collect woodfor their fire, which they were forced to replenishrepeatedly during the night, to keep themselves fromfreezing. At length, they reached the great Onondagatown, where the Indians were much amazed at theirhardihood. Thence they proceeded eastward to theOneidas, and afterwards to the Mohawks, whoregaled them with small frogs, pounded up with aporridge of Indian corn. Here Hennepin found theJesuit Bruyas, who permitted him to copy a diction-1 Ibid., Avts au Lecteur. He elsewhere represents himself as onexcellent terms with La Salle ; with whom, he says, he used to readhistories of travels at Fort Frontenac, after which they discussedtogether their plans of discovery.