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

192 HARDIHOOD OF LA SALLE. [1680On the following day, while the hunters weresmoking the meat of the buffalo, La Salle went outto reconnoitre, and presently met three Indians, oneof whom proved to be Chassagoac, the principal chiefof the Illinois. 1 La Salle brought them to hisbivouac, feasted them, gave them a red blanket, akettle, and some knives and hatchets, made friendswith them, promised to restrain the Iroquois fromattacking them, toldthem that he was on his way tothe settlements to bring arms and ammunition todefend them against their enemies, and, as the resultof these advances, gained from the chief a promisethat he would send provisions to Tonty's party atFort Crevecoeur.After severaldays spent at the deserted town, LaSalle prepared to resume his journey. Before hisdeparture, hisattention was attracted to the remarkablecliff of yellow sandstone, now called StarvedRock, a mile or more above the village, — a naturalfortress, which a score of resolute white men mightmake good against a host of savages; and hesoonafterwards sent Tonty an order to examine it, andmake it his stronghold in case of need. 2On the fifteenth the party set out again, carried1The same whom Hennepin calls Chassagouasse. He wasbrother of the chief, Nicanope', who, in his absence, had feastedthe French on the day after the nocturnal council with Monso.Chassagoac was afterwards baptized by Membre' or Ribourde, butsoon relapsed into the superstitions of his people, and died, as theformer tells us, " doubly a child of perdition." See Le Clerc, ii. 181.2 Tonty, Memoire. The order was sent by two Frenchmen, whomLa Salle met on Lake Michigan.