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

186 FORT CRfcVECOEUR. [1680.efforts,of whose obduracy and filth he bitterly complained.Hennepin proposed to take his place, whilehe should assume the Mississippi adventure ;but thisMembre* declined, preferring to remain where he was.Hennepin now reluctantly accepted the proposedtask. "Anybody but me," he says, with his usualmodesty, " would have been very much frightened atthe dangers of such a journey; and, in fact, if I hadnot placed all my trust in God, I should not havebeen the dupe of the Sieur de la Salle, who exposedmy life rashly.'' 1On the last day of February, Hennepin's canoelay at the water's edge ; and the party gathered onthe bank to bid him farewell. He had two companions,— Michel Accau, and a man known as thePicard du Gay, 2 though his real name was AntoineAuguel. The canoe was well laden with gifts forthe Indians, — tobacco, knives, beads, awls, andother goods, to a very considerable value, suppliedat La Salle's cost;"and, in fact," observes Hennepin,"he is liberal enough towards his friends." 31All the above is from Hennepin ; and it seems to be marked byhis characteristic egotism. It appears, from La Salle's letters, thatAccau was the real chief of the party ; that their orders were toexplore not only the Illinois, but also a part of the Mississippi ; andthat Hennepin volunteered to go with the others. Accau waschosen because he spoke several Indian languages.2 An eminent writer has mistaken "Picard" for a personalname. Du Gay was called " Le Picard," because he came from theprovince of Picardy.8 (1683), 188. This commendation is suppressed in the latereditions.