The winter being over, a bark arrived from fort Frontenac, with ammunition and merchandises, but it was stav'd to pieces against the coast, by the fault of the pilot, however most of the effects were sav'd; and soon after, M. la Salle arrived, who immediately renewed his commerce with the Iroquois, and endeavoured to give them some idea of the power of the king, that they might have some respect for his subjects. This new ship being near finished, he sent me with five men to view the coast, and the country to the north side of the lake, above 120 leagues from Niagara. We embarked in our canoos, and having rowed two days, or rather swom, to use the stile of the savages, arrived to the straight of the lake Heriè.

This straight or canal, by which the lake Heriè joins with that of the Hurons, is about thirty leagues long. I landed to the north side, and enquired for the men M. La Salle had sent before; but hearing they were gone higher, I advanced into the country in hopes to find them; and this gave me an opportunity to take an exact survey of that delicious peninsula, which has almost the form of an heart, by reason of the three lakes already mentioned.

Having made all the observations I thought necessary, both as to the canal between the two lakes, and the nature of the soil, I returned to give an account thereof to M. La Salle, who, before my arrival, was gone back to fort Frontenac with a considerable quantity of furrs, from whence he returned to Niagara, on the seventh of August, 1679, with a fresh supply of ammunition and provisions, and three Recollects, The spring and most part of the summer were thus spent in frequent goings and comings, which however are absolutely necessary in order to make a good and lasting settlement.

Our bark being finished, and every thing ready for our departure, we sail'd towards the middle of

August, and having happily crossed the lake Herić, got into that of the Hurons, which, as it has been already said, is much larger than the other two. We met there with a dreadful storm, as great as any that I ever heard of upon the ocean, or any other sea, but we had the good fortune to find a good road called Missilimachinac. It is an isthmus, or neck of land about twenty leagues broad, and 120 long, between the lake of the Hurons and that of the Illinois, which is one of the finest situations in the world; and besides the prodigious fertility of the soil, and all sorts of game, the inhabitants have an extraordinary plenty of fish.

M. La Salle took an exact survey of that fine country, and having marked out a fort for our security, sent me, with some others, towards the northeast, to observe the fall St. Mary, and endeavour to discover some of our deserters. This fall forms two canals, and a pretty large island, which being re-united, make a very rapid river, by which the lake of the Hurons has communication with another much larger than all the rest. I went a-shore upon the northern coast of the lake Huron, and advanced through a most delicious country, as far as the river Onta, which coming out of that great lake, runs about a hundred leagues, and falls into the river St. Laurence. The charming prospect of the banks of that river, made the fatigues I suffer'd very easie. to me, tho' I had no other provisions than what I could kill with my gun. I spent eight days in my journey, and from thence went into the southern canal I have spoken of where I landed. I discover'd there a large plain between the lake of the Hurons and that of the Hlinois, and a fine settlement belonging to the Jesuits. I found there also our deserters, who appear'd, at first, very stubborn and disaffected, but were at last perswaded to return with me to Missilimachinac, where I under

stood that M. La Salle had sailed from thence tor wards the end of September, for the bay of Puans, where he arriv'd the 8th of October, as I have been informed since.

This bay of Puans is formed by an overflowing of the lake of the Illinois, occasion'd by a great river, which falls into this lake. This river call'd Onisconcing comes from another lake about 100 leagues distant; from which comes another river, which falls into the Mississipi; and therefore this lake may be lookt upon as a communication between Canada and the Gulph of Mexico, as one may see by the map.

M. La Salle being arrived in that bay, took some new measures, and sent back his bark, laden with furs, to Niagara, and embarked again in canoos with seventeen men and a Recollect, to go to the further end of the lake of the Illinois, where he arrived the first of November, 1679, and landed at the mouth of the river of the Miamis.

This country lies between the 35 and 40 degrees of latitude; is bounded to the east by Virginia and Florida; and on the other side by the Iroquois and the Illinois. The soil is very fertile, and produces all sorts of corn and fruit; it abounds also in cattle and fish. M. La Salle visited the inhabitants, and finding their temper tractable, endeavoured to gain their friendship ty presents. They exchanged some merchandises, and M. La Salle managed this trade with so much prudence and dexterity, as to convince them it would be a greater advantage for them to trade with the French than with the English or the Iroquois.

However, as he observed that this nation was inconstant, and easily imposed upon, he though fit to build a fort for his security, and to make there a kind of magazine for the execution of his further designs, which was accordingly done with all con

venient speed, M. La Salle having chosen an advantageous situation at the mouth of the river.

The impatience I had to re-join M. La Salle with the fifteen men I had brought back to their duty, obliged me to make all the haste possible, but the want of provisions, and the contrary winds obliged us to land within thirty leagues of our fort, where we found acorns and some staggs, wherewith we refreshed our selves. My men were so harassed, that I could never perswade them to embark again the same day, which obliged me to imbark alone with our pilots, promising them to return speedily. The weather being very stormy, we spent six days before we could reach the fort Miamis, where I gave an account to M. La Salle of my discoveries. He received me very kindly, but told me withal, that he had been better pleased to see me arrived with all his men.

These last words seem'd to me a command, and therefore after having refreshed myself, I went again into my canoo, but I was hardly fifteen leagues off, that I was met by a violent storm, in which our canoo was overturned and then set to rights again, and at last driven upon the shore, from whence we went over land to meet our men at the place appointed. We arrived there the next morning, and having spent the rest of the day to get them together, embarked again, and came in less than one day to fort Miamis.

M. La Salle was very glad to see his men together, looking upon this recruit as a necessary supply to carry on his designs, and yet these very men disappointed them, and some time after put an end to his discoveries, and to his life, so that the men alone, upon whom he grounded his hopes, were the only cause of all the misfortunes that befell him, and of the tragical end of his life.

M. La Salle having in less than two months put his fort in a good posture of defence, as well to protect his barks, and canoos, as to defend himself against the natives on the land side, and engaged the chief of the nation into his interests, resolved to advance as far as the Illinois, whose nearest habitation was above 100 leagues from our fort.

The only way to go to them, was to embark upon a river, which springing from a hill within six leagues of the lake of the Illinois, becomes navigable above forty leagues from our fort, and falls into the Mississipi, after a course of 200 leagues. We left our fort and the country of the Miamis in the beginning of December, leaving only ten men to secure our magazines; and having carried our canoos and equipage over land, arrived four days after upon the river of the Illinois, where we embarked to the number of forty-four persons, without reckoning three Recollects. We fell down the said river, by easie journeys, the better to observe that countrey, and supply our selves with provisions. The banks of that river are as charming to the eye, as useful for life. The meadows, fruit-trees, and forests, affording every thing that is necessary for men and beasts, so that being amused by that agreeable variety, we spent six days from the Portage (that is the place where we embarked) to the first village of the Illinois, called Pontdalamia, consisting of above 500 cabins, where we found no inhabitants. We went ashore, and viewed their cabins, or cottages, which are made with great pieces of timber, interlac'd with branches, and covered with bark. The inside is more neat, the walls or sides, as well as the floor, being finely matted. Every cottage has two apartments, wherein several families might lodge, and under every one of them there is a cave or vault, wherein they preserve their Indian-corn, of which we