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

1679.J HARDSHIPS, • 159which they took a portion, leaving goods in exchange,and then set out on their return.Meanwhile, about twenty of the warriors, armedwith bows and arrows, approached the camp of theFrench to reconnoitre. La Salle went to meet themwith some of his men, opened a parley with them,and kept them seated at the foot of the hill till histhree messengers returned, when on seeing the peacepipethe warriors set up a cry of joy.In the morningthey brought more corn to the camp, with a supplyof fresh venison, not a little cheering to the exhaustedFrenchmen, who, in dread of treachery, had stoodunder arms allnight.This was no journey of pleasure. The lake wasruffled with almost ceaseless storms ;clouds big withrain above, a turmoil of gray and gloomy wavebbeneath.Every night the canoes must be shoulderedthrough the breakers and dragged up the steep banks,which, asthey neared the site of Milwaukee, becamealmost insurmountable. The men paddled all day,with no other food than a handful of Indian corn.They were spent with toil, sick with the haws andwild berries which they ravenously devoured, anddejected at the prospect before them.Father Gabriel'sgood spirits began to fail. He fainted several timesfrom famine and fatigue, but was revived by a certain" confection of Hyacinth " administered by Hennepin,who had a small box of this precious specific.At length they descried at a distance, on thestormy shore, two or three eagles among a busy