In Nov., 1674, Frontenac sent him to France favorably commended to the king. He was received with honor at the court. In consideration of his services as an explorer he was made an untitled noble, governor of the new fort Frontenac, and given a valu able seignorial grant around it. The season of 1675 finds La Salle back at fort Frontenac and in a position of great power, where his trading plans could hardly fail to realize great profits and ample facilities for his explorations. Wealthy relations at Rouen, now very proud of him, furnished him with ample means to make the improvements and maintain the garrison required by the terms of his grant; which he fulfilled.
About this time a bitter feeling between La Salle and the Jesuits threatened to endanger the success of his enterprises. Evidently a man of settled religious belief in the Catholic faith, he was at the same time advanced in his views of what tends to a people's development, and of the controlling power of commerce. He saw little advan tage to France or the Indians in missions merely to induce an outward worship of the cross by the savages. The Jesuits could retain their control over the Indians only by excluding traders from among them. They were therefore enemies of any trading around their distant missions which they could not control for the support of their order. The profits derived from the fur trade under their direction at the missions was an important part of their revenue. Thus a monopoly of trade as well as of religion grew up in their hands, and divided Canada into two parties. The imperious and clear headed Frontenac and La Salle, with the power of the temporal government, and one branch of the church, were on one side, and the solid Jesuit power was on the other. With the latter were numerous traders who thrived by their favor at the missions. 'la Salle was considered the head of the former party, and no means were spared to break his influence and injure his good name. The Jesuits procured an order from the supreme council prohibiting traders from going into the country of the Indians to trade, thus giving their missions the monopoly. La Salle circumvented this by inducing a large settlement of Iroquois around his fort, who could range the country for him as hunters and trappers without being considered traders. Besides a new fort and bar racks, he built a flouring mill, a bakery, and groups of houses for French settlers. His fort was surrounded by Indian villages. Absolute lord of the colony, he seemed to lay the foundation of his own fortune by multiplying the means and incentives to industry for others.
Early in 1678 lie again visited France to secure confirmation and extension of the privileges of discovery before granted. Colbert, the prime minister of Louis XIV., authorized him to build forts in any region which he might discover, and to hold them on the same terms before obtained in the grant of fort Froutenac; authorized a monopoly of trade in buffalo skins, before hardly thought of; but forbade trade with Indians who brought furs to Montreal. In July, 1678, he set sail for Canada, amply supplied by the wealth of his relatives, and the favor of the government. In Nov. the several parts of the expedition assembled at fort Frontenac. Father Hennepin had a commission under him. On Nov. 8, 1678, disregarding the lateness of the season, he embarked to begin the great journey to the sea. Winter frowned upon the lake, but in eight days the vessel anchored in Toronto bay. On Dec. 5 they crossed to the mouth of the Niagara, and commenced a palisade fort. The vessel was wrecked soon after, and the stores saved from her were carried up the cliffs of Niagara, and thence by sledge to the shore of lake Erie. There, at the month of Cayuga creek, they laid the keel of the first vessel built above the falls—the Griffin, a bark of 45 tons. A bard winter, scant supply of provi sions, the loss of the vessel and stores in lake Ontario, hostile Indians all around them, made the settlement a dreary one. La Salle made his way back to fort Frontenac, 250 M., on foot, through the snows of tangled forests, with two men, a dog and sledge. On his arrival he found his property seized by creditors. He sacrificed it and adhered to the enterprise; returned with equipment for the Griffin, which was completed in the swing and summer of 1679. On Aug. 7, La Salle and 34 'voyageurs embarked. A favoring breeze carried them to the mouth of the Detroit in four days. Nearly wrecked by a storm on lake Huron, they reached Mackinac and anchored behind the point St. Ionace, where the Jesuits had a settlement already strong in numbers and trade. In Sept. the voyage was continued to Green bay. Here he found his advance party had collected a quantity of rich furs. He at once loaded them on the Griffin and sent them back to his creditors, but the vessel was never again heard from. La Salle now con tinued his voyage in canoes along the western shore of lake Michigan. Storms kept
them company. Through weeks of constant danger in the surf that lashed the coast, they reached the bay of Milwaukee. South of that, fairer weather, game, and fruit welcomed them: and reaching the mouth of the St. Joseph river lie erected fort Miamis. Dec. 3, 1679, with a party of 32 men and 8 canoes they ascended the St. Joseph to where South Bend now is, were shown trails leading to the Kankakee, and carrying their canoes over the portage, launched them in a stream little more than their own width, but growing hourly in volume as they floated down. Near the present village of Utica they found an Indian town of 460 lodges. Here, on New Year's day, 1680, they landed and said mass. A few days later they were at the present site of the city of Peoria, below which they came upon an Indian town occupying both banks of the river. La Salle succeeded in making peace with the natives, though even in that far interior prairie the dark hand of the Jesuit power had found means to stir the Indians to enmity against him. Attempts had previously been made to poison him. It seemed as though every obstruction that Nature and human malignity could join was henceforward to lie in his path. The closed the river. Sitrrounded by Indians, deserted by six of Ids men, undermined by the secret influence of his enemies among the Indians, apprised .of the loss of the Griffin which he had relied ou to bring back the means to build a boat -on the Illinois in which to sail down the Mississippi to the gulf and thence to the West Indies, this lion heart still kept faith with his great aim. He built a fort near the Indian 'town called Cre'mecceur. That done, lie began a vessel of 40 tons on the bank of the Illinois; and then, with four Frenchmen, a Mohican guide, and a canoe, started back to Montreal via his fort at the mouth of the St. Joseph, where they arrived Mar. 24; thence -e. on foot to the Detroit river, which they crossed by raft, and on to the fort of the Niagara river. There he learned that a vessel from France, with cargo consigned to him, had been wrecked in the gulf of St. Lawrence. At the fort he took three fresh and ,pushing through the woods of the northern shore of lake Ontario, on 6 lie sighted the walls of fort Frontenac. Here he found that some of his agents liad -robbed him; his creditors had crippled those who were faithful, and his voyageurs' -canoes, richly laden with furs, had been wrecked in the rapids of the St. Lawrence. But with a proud front he shamed his enemies by his advent when they hoped to hear -of his death. In a short time he secured another outfit, and was on the point of return ing to the Illinois when he learned that his fort.Creveewur had been deserted and plun dered by his men, who, organized as banditti of the woods and lakes, had also visited and destroyed the fort on the St. Joseph,. plundered Michilimackinac of his furs, came to fort Niagara, and plundered that, and there divided, one part going to Albany and the other being then on their way to fort Frontenac to surprise and kill La Salle. Warned at the critical moment, with a small party he surprised them in detail as they -came in canoes, and captured or killed nearly the whole party. Having lodged these men in prison, on Aug. 10 La Salle, at the head of 25 men for the Illinois, prepared to finish his vessel for the descent of the Mississippi. He traveled by the eastern shore of 'Georgia bay to Mackinac. It was Nov. 4 when he reached the ruined fort at the mouth 'of the St. Joseph. Leaving his stores there, he went on to fort Crevecceur. There not .only was the fort destroyed. but where lie had left a populous Indian village the black ened remains of lodges and human bodies half-burned told of the bloody visit of the •IroquoiS. He followed the river to the Mississippi, seeing along that whole valley the horrible evidences of the retreat of the whole tribe of the Illinois under the murderous attacks of their powerful enemy. Leaving a mark on the shore of the Mississippi to show that he had been there, his party returned to the mouth to recommence prepara tions for the great voyage. It was Jan. 6, 1681, when he reached the Kankakee, and soon after the St. Joseph. The horrors of the Iroquois invasion of the Illinois country had made a great impression upon him. He conceived the idea, and at once put it in execution, to unite the western tribes in self-defense by rallying them around the French tag at his forts. His tact, noble presence, and oratory had always given him a won derful influence among the Indians, swaying them to his will. Soon the discords of warring tribes were made to yield to his plan. Late in May he went to Michilimackinac; :thence 1000 m. by canoes to fort Frontenac. This time the great governor had kept La Salle's enemies at bay. Before winter he was again at the head of a strong party pushing in canoes all around the lakes to the St. Joseph, where he arrived early in December.