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

;326 ST. LOUIS OF THE ILLINOIS. [1683.his associates, La Chesnaye and Le Ber, armed withan order from him, went up and took possession,despite the remonstrances of La Salle's creditors andmortgagees; lived on La Salle's stores, sold for theirown profit, and (it is said) that of La Barre, theprovisions sent by the King, and turned in the cattleto pasture on the growing crops. La Forest, LaSalle's lieutenant, was told that he might retain thecommand of the fort if he would join the associatesbut he refused, and sailed in the autumn for France. 1Meanwhile La Salle remained at the Illinois inextreme embarrassment, cut off from supplies, robbedof his men who had gone to seek them, and disabledfrom fulfillingthe pledges he had given to the surroundingIndians. Such was his position, whenreports came to Fort St.at hand.Louis that the Iroquois wereThe Indian hamlets were wild with terror,beseeching him for succor which he had no power togive. Happily, the report proved false. No Iroquoisappeared; thethreatened attack was postponed, andthe summer passed away in peace. But La Salle'sposition, with the governor hisintolerable and untenable ;declared enemy, wasand there was no resourcebut in the protection of the court. Early in theautumn, he left Tonty in command of the rock, badefarewell to his savage retainers, and descended toQuebec, intending to sail for France.On his way, he met the Chevalier de Baugis, an1These are the statements of the memorial addressed in LaSalle's behalf to the minister, Seignelay.