er they
were not contiguous to China and Tartary.[382] A naval officer, Fabry de
la Bruyere, was sent on this errand, with the brothers Mallet and a few
soldiers and Canadians. He ascended the Canadian Fork of the Arkansas,
named by him the St. Andre, became entangled in the shallows and
quicksands of that difficult river, fell into disputes with his men,
and, after protracted efforts, returned unsuccessful.[383]

While French enterprise was unveiling the remote Southwest, two
indomitable Canadians were pushing still more noteworthy explorations
into more northern regions of the continent.

FOOTNOTES:

[358] _Journal historique de l'Etablissement des Francais a la
Louisiane_, 43.

[359] _Champigny au Ministre, 4 Novembre, 1693._

[360] _Relation de Penecaut._ In my possession is a contemporary
manuscript of this narrative, for which I am indebted to the kindness of
General J. Meredith Reade.

[361] Penecaut, _Journal_. _Proces-verbal de la Prise de Possession du
Pays des Nadouessioux, etc., par Nicolas Perrot, 1689._ Fort Perrot
seems to have been built in 1685, and to have stood near the outlet of
the lake, probably on the west side. Perrot afterwards built another
fort, called Fort St. Antoine, a little above, on the east bank. The
position of these forts has been the subject of much discussion, and
cannot be ascertained with precision. It appears by the _Prise de
Possession_, cited above, that there was also, in 1689, a temporary
French post near the mouth of the Wisconsin.

[362] This weeping over strangers was a custom with the Sioux of that
time mentioned by many early writers. La Mothe-Cadillac marvels that a
people so brave and warlike should have such a fountain of tears always
at command.

[363] In 1702 the geographer De l'Isle made a remarkable MS. map
entitled _Carte de la Riviere du Mississippi, dressee sur les Memoires
de M. Le Sueur_.

[364] According to the geologist Featherstonhaugh, who examined the
locality, this earth owes its color to a bluish-green silicate of iron.

[365] Besides the long and circumstantial _Relation de Penecaut_, an
account of the earlier part of La Sueur's voyage up the Mississippi is
contained in the _Memoire du Chevalier de Beaurain_, which, with other
papers relating to this explorer, including portions of his Journal,
will be found in Margry, vi. See also _Journal historique de
l'Etablissement des Francais a la Louisiane_, 38-71.

[366] _Iberville a ----, 15