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

1680.] ANOTHER EFFOBT. 208men who had remained with him make goodtheirfoothold on the Illinois, and save from destructionthe vessel on the stocks and the forge and tools solaboriously carried thither,then a basis was left onwhich the ruined enterprise might be built up oncemore. There was no time to lose. Tonty must besuccored soon, or succor would come too late. LaSalle had already provided the necessary material,and a few days sufficed to complete his preparations.On the tenth of August he embarked again for theIllinois. With him went his lieutenant La Forest,who held of him in fief an island, then called BelleIsle, opposite Fort Frontenac. 1 A surgeon, shipcarpenters,joiners, masons, soldiers, voyageurs, andlaborers completed his company, twenty-five men inall, with everything needful for the outfit of thevessel.His route, though difficult, was not so long as thatwhich he had followed the year before. He ascendedthe river Humber; crossed to Lake Simcoe, andthence descended the Severn to the Georgian Bay ofLake Huron; followed its eastern shore, coasted theManitoulin Islands, and at length reached Michilimackinac.Here, as usual, all was hostile; and hehad great difficulty in inducing the Indians, who hadbeen excited against him, to sell him provisions.Anxious to reach hisdestination, he pushed forwardwith twelve men, leaving La Forest to bring on the1Robert Cavelier, S r -de la Salle, a Frangois Daupin, S r - dt laForest, 10 Juin, 1679.