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

1682.] ILLNESS OF LA SALLE. 311ward Tonty to Michilimackinac, whence, afterdespatching news of their discovery to Canada, hewas to return to the Illinois. La Salle himself layhelpless at Fort Prudhomme, the palisade workwhich his men had built at the Chickasaw Bluffson their way down. Father Zenobe Membre' attendedhim; and at the end of July he was oncemore in a condition to advance by slow movementstowards Fort Miami, which he reached in about amonth.In September he rejoined Tonty at Michilimackinac,and in the following month wrote to a friend inFrance :" Though my discovery is made, and I havedescended the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico, Icannot send you this year either an account of myjourney or a map. On the way back I was attackedby a deadly disease, which kept me in danger oflifemyfor forty days, and left me so weak that I couldthink of nothing for four months after. I havehardly strength enough now to write my letters, andthe season is so far advanced that I cannot detain asingle day this canoe which I send expressly to carrythem. If I had not feared being forced to winter onthe way, I should have tried to get to Quebec tomeet the new governor, if it is true that we are tohave one; but in my present condition this would bean act of suicide, on account of the bad nourishmentI should have all winter in case the snow and icestopped me on the way. Besides, my presence isabsolutely necessary in the place to which I am