ds of warriors would cross the river in their canoes, to
make an impetuous assault upon him.

Having thus guarded against surprise, and afforded the Indians a little
time to recover from their first alarm, he then, unarmed, advanced to
the water's edge, and by friendly signs endeavored to invite some of
the chiefs to come over to meet him.

Several of the chiefs entered a large boat, called a periagua. It was
made of the trunk of an immense tree, hollowed out, and carved and
decorated with immense labor. Such a wooden canoe was capable of
holding a large number of warriors. The chiefs crossed the river until
they came to within a quarter of a mile of the shore, and then they
stopped, and beckoned the strangers to come and meet them.

La Salle sent one Frenchman, we infer from the narrative that it must
have been Father Membre, in a canoe, to meet them. Two of his Indians
paddled the boat, until they came alongside of the periagua of the
natives. Father Membre, familiar as he was with several Indian
dialects, could not speak their language. He however held out to them
the calumet of peace, which at once won their confidence; and he found
no difficulty in communicating with them by signs. He invited the
chiefs to accompany him back to the encampment. They were six in
number. Retaining him with them, in the large periagua, they speedily
paddled ashore, followed by Membre's canoe, with the two Indian
boatmen.

Without any hesitancy, the six Indian chiefs entered into the redoubt
which La Salle had thrown up. They appeared frank, unsuspicious, and
cordial, and were made very happy by several presents which La Salle
placed in their hands. They invited the whole party to cross the river
to their village. The canoes were launched, and all crossed the stream,
led by the chieftains in their wooden boat. The whole adult male
population of the village crowded the banks to receive them; and with
every demonstration of friendship. But the timid women and children
kept cautiously in the distance.

Eight or ten large birch canoes, from which more than fifty persons
landed upon the beach, presented a very imposing appearance. They were
nearly all armed with guns, not for aggressive warfare, but for hunting
and protection.

The natives crowded around the strangers, conducted them up to their
wigwams, which were very pleasantly situated on a rich and tolerably
well cultivated plain extending back from the river. The guests were
re