aired the ruins there, so as to provide a temporary home
for his party upon its arrival. He found all things as he had left
them.

The river below Crevecoeur was free from ice. Having rested for about
a week, in the enjoyment of warm fires, in their log-cabins, they
launched their canoes into the Illinois River, and on the 6th of
February reached the mouth of the river. They found the swollen flood
of the Mississippi full of vast masses of ice, pouring down from the
distant regions of the north. This detained them till the 13th of the
month. They encamped at the same point where Father Hennepin had
tarried. A short voyage of a day bore them to the mouth of turbid and
turbulent Missouri.

Here they landed at an Indian village, where they seem to have been
very kindly received. It will be remembered that La Salle was still
intent upon finding some short passage across the continent, of whose
width he knew nothing, to the Pacific Ocean. He was much excited by the
strange tidings he heard from the Indians here. They assured him that
by ascending the river ten or twelve days he would come to a range of
mountains where the river took its rise; that numerous and populous
Indian villages were scattered all the way along the banks of the
river; that by ascending one of the mountain eminences, he would have a
view of the vast and boundless sea where great ships were sailing. We
cannot now tell whether this was the mere fabrication of some
imaginative savage, or whether such was the general opinion of the
tribe.

The next day, after a sail of about thirty miles, they reached another
Indian village on the bank of the river. Here again they landed
peacefully, and warmed the hearts of the savages by a few presents
which were to them of priceless value. They journeyed slowly. They
could not, in their crowded canoes, carry a large amount of provisions.
Consequently they were under the necessity of making frequent stops to
catch fish or to hunt for game. Not long after this visit of La Salle,
a mission was established in this little village, which was called
Marou. It is said that most of them were converted to, at least,
nominal Christianity.

Continuing their voyage one hundred and twenty miles down the river,
they came to the mouth of the Ohio. Here they made another stop to lay
in fresh supplies. The friendly Indians there informed them they could
find no suitable camping ground for a distance of nearly one hundred
and fifty m