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

238 TONTY AND THE IROQUOIS. [1680.This hospitable village belonged to the Pottawattamies,and was under the sway of the chief who hadbefriended La Salle the year before, and who waswont to say that he knew but three great captains inthe world, — Frontenac, La Salle, and himself. 11 Membre in Le Clerc, ii. 199. The other authorities for the foregoingchapter are the letters of La Salle, the Relation des Decouvertes,in which portions of them are embodied, and the two narratives of Tonty, of 1684 and 1693. They all agree in essential points.In his letters of this period, La Salle dwells at great length onthe devices by which, as he believed, his enemies tried to ruin himand his enterprise. .He is particularly severe against the JesuitAliouez, whom he charges with intriguing " pour commencer laguerre entre les Iroquois et les Illinois par le moyen des Miamisqu'on engageoit dans cette ne'gociation afin ou de me faire massacreravec mes gens par quelqu'une de ces nations ou de mebrouiller avec les Iroquois ." — Lettre (a Thouret?), 22 Aout, 1682.He gives in detail the circumstances on which this suspicion rests,but which are not convincing. He says, further, that the Jesuitsgave out that Tonty was dead in order to discourage the men goingto his relief, and that Aliouez encouraged thedeserters, " leur servoitde conseil, benit mesme leurs balles, et les asseura plusieursfois que M. de Tonty auroit la teste casse'e." He also affirms thatgreat pains were taken to spread the report that he was himselfdead. A Kiskakon Indian, he says, was sent to Tonty with a storyto this effect; while a Huron named Scortas was sent to him (LaSalle) with false news of the death of Tonty. The latter confirmsthis statement, and adds that the Illinois had been told " que M. dela Salle estoit venu en leur pays pour les donner a manger auxIroquois."