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

412 ST. LOUIS OF TEXAS. [1686.Wiirtemberg, and an old buccaneer, was mired andnearly suffocated in a mud-hole. Unfortunately, aswill soon appear, he managed to crawl out; and, toconsole him, the river was christened with his name.The party made a bridge of felled trees, on whichthey crossed in safety. La Salle now changed theircourse, and journeyed eastward, when the travellerssoon found themselves in the midst of a numerousIndian population, where they were feasted andcaressed without measure. At another village theywere less fortunate. The inhabitants were friendlyby day and hostile by night. They came to attackthe French in their camp, but withdrew, daunted bythe menacing voice of La Salle, who had heard themapproaching through the cane-brake.La Salle's favorite Shawanoe hunter, Nika, whohad followed him from Canada toFrance, and fromFrance to Texas, was bitten by a rattlesnake; and,though he recovered, the accident detained the partyfor several days. At length they resumed theirjourney, but were stopped by a river, called byDouay, "La Riviere des Malheurs." La Salle andCavelier, with a few others, tried to cross on a raft,which, as it reached the channel, was caught bya current of marvellous swiftness. Douay andMoranget, watching the transit from the edge ofcane-brake, beheld theirthecommander swept down thestream, and vanishing, as it were, in an instant.Allthat day they remained with their companions on thebank, lamenting in despair for the loss of their guar-