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

210 INDIAN CONQUERORS. [1680.watch. Should the rest of the party arrive, they,too, were to wait with similar precautions. Thebaggage was placed in a hollow of the rocks, at aplace difficult of access; and, these arrangementsmade, La Salle set out on hisperilous journey withthe four remaining men, Dautray, Hunaut, You, andthe Indian. Each was armed with two guns, apistol, and a sword; and a number of hatchets andother goods were placed in the canoe, asIndians whom they might meet.presents forSeveral leagues below the village they found, ontheir right hand close to the river, a sort of island,made inaccessibleby the marshes and water whichsurrounded it. Here the flying Illinois had soughtrefuge with their women and children, and the placewas full of their deserted huts. On the left bank,exactly opposite, was an abandoned camp of theIroquois. On the level meadow stood a hundred andthirteen huts, and on the forest trees which coveredthe hillsbehind were carved the totems, or insignia,of the chiefs, together with marks to show thenumber of followers which each had led to the war.La Salle counted five hundred and eighty-two warriors.He found marks, too, for the Illinois killedor captured, but none to indicate that any of theFrenchmen had shared their fate.As they descended the river, they passed, on thesame day, six abandoned camps of the Illinois ; andopposite to each was a camp of the invaders. Theformer, it was clear, had retreated in a body; while