12.07.2015 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS
  • No tags were found...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

1683.] LA SALLE SAILS FOR FRANCE. 327<strong>of</strong>ficer <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> King's dragoons, commissioned by <strong>La</strong>Barre to take possession <strong>of</strong> Fort St. Louis, <strong>and</strong> bearingletters from <strong>the</strong> governor ordering <strong>La</strong> <strong>Salle</strong> tocome to Quebec, — a superfluous comm<strong>and</strong>, as hewas <strong>the</strong>n on his way thi<strong>the</strong>r. He smo<strong>the</strong>red hiswrath, <strong>and</strong> wrote to Tonty to receive De Baugiswell. The chevalier <strong>and</strong> his party proceeded to <strong>the</strong>Illinois,<strong>and</strong> took possession <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fort, — De Baugiscomm<strong>and</strong>ing for <strong>the</strong> governor, while Tonty remainedas representative <strong>of</strong> <strong>La</strong> <strong>Salle</strong>. The two <strong>of</strong>ficers couldnot live in harmony ;but, with <strong>the</strong> return <strong>of</strong> spring,each found himself in sore need <strong>of</strong> aid from <strong>the</strong>o<strong>the</strong>r. Towards <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> March <strong>the</strong> Iroquoisattacked <strong>the</strong>ir citadel, <strong>and</strong> besieged it for six days,but at length withdrew discomfited, carrying with<strong>the</strong>m a number <strong>of</strong> Indian prisoners, most <strong>of</strong> whomescaped from <strong>the</strong>ir clutches. 1Meanwhile, <strong>La</strong> <strong>Salle</strong> had sailed for France.1Tonty, 1684, 1693 ; Lettre de <strong>La</strong> Barre au Minittre, 6 Juin, 1684 ;Ibid., 9 Juillet, 1684.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!