La Salle returned to Fort Miami. Ile now exerted himself to form a league of the Western Indian tribes, under his own leader ship, and thus to keep the Iroquois in cheek. The Indians received the idea with favor, and, after spending the spring of 1681 in securing their eu0peration, he returned in slay to Niehilli mackinac, where he found Tonty, and thence to Fort Frontenae for supplies. Count Frontenae exerted his influence in behalf of the discoverer, and another expedition was equipped. In De cember La Salle crossed the Chicago portage to the Illinois, followed the frozen river on sledges to Lake Peoria, and from there floated down stream, reaching the Mississippi on Fehruary 6, 1682. He kept on down the great river to the mouths of the Arkansas and Red rivers, where lie took formal possession of the country in the name of his King. On April 6 the party reached the delta. There LIi Salle divided his men into three bands, and each took one of the branches which led to the Gulf. On April 9, 1682. they reunited, and La Salle erected at the mouth of the river a monument and a cross bearing the arms of France, nail proelahned the river and all the lands drained by it to be by right of dis eovery the dominions of Louis XIV_ King of Franey. To La Salle belongs the glory of tracing the great river for the first time from its upper waters to the sea, and of determining the connip tion between the discoveries of De Soto near its mouth, and those of Joliet and Marquette in the north.
La Salle now formulated plans to establish colonies throughout. this new-found country. Ascending the river, in December, he built Fort Saint Louis at Starved Kock, on the Illinois, as a rallying-point for the Indians, twenty thousand of whom established themselves in villages in the vieinity. It proved, however, impossible to obtain the necessary supplies from Canada. Fron tenae had been succeeded by De la Barre, and La Salle was without a friend at Court. The new Governor was a weak and avaricious man, who looked upon La Salle's monopolies and privi leges as legitimate spoil. He seized Fort Fronte nac, and sent an officer to supersede La Salle at Fort Saint Louis, ordering him, at the same time, to return to Quebec. La Salle obeyed, and sailed at once for France. In Paris, the dis coverer and his plans for colonizing the West found favor at Court. Royal letters were sent
to Do la Barre, commanding him to make restitu tion. Four vessels were placed at the disposal of La Salle, that he might make the voyage di rectly from France to the mouth of the Missis sippi. The fleet left La Rochelle July 24, 11184. The naval officer of the fleet, Captain Beaujeu, did not net harmoniously with La Salle, and the voyage was inauspicious from the outset. When at length the shore of the Gulf of Mexico was sighted, the expedition was unable to find the mouth of the Mississippi, amid the confusion of lagoons and inlets. La Salle knew its latitude, but had been unable to take its longitude. Mis takes were followed by recriminations. La Salle became convinced that Beau,jeu was attempting to thwart his designs, and finally established his men on shore, at Matagorda Bay, mistaking its inlets for the mouths of the Mississippi. Beau jeu sailed away on "March 12, 1685, reaching La Rochelle about July 1. La Salle realized his mistake, established his colony on Lavaca River, and. leaving his lieutenant, Joule], in charge, started (October, 1685) on a frailly,: search for the Mississippi. In March, 1686, he was hack again, and hi April had Si rted (or ('anada, but was obliged to turn back. His vaulty hail dwindled from 1st) to 45 men. Another at tempt to reach Canada was made in dannary, 1687. The party wandered about for two months. Repeater] quarrels led to a mutiny, and La Salle was treacherously shot from ambush. Joutel assumed the leadership of the few men who remained loyal. and succeeded in reaching one of Tinity's posts on the Arkansas River. Little is known of the fate of those who took part in the mutiny, except that most of the men joined the roving troops of Indians. and two of them even tually made themselves known to Spanish explor ing expeditions and returned to civilization by way of Slexieo, Besides Parkman, 1.a S'allr, and the Disrorrry of the (treat West (lii,ston, 1879. revised edi CI in-ffit %Vinson, Cartier to Frootenac I S94 ) and Shea, Disrorery and Ex ploration of the llississippi Fancy (New York, 1852). The original narratives are translated in Freneh. Historical Collections of Lonisionn (New York. 1853), and Shea, Early l'ogages Up and Down thr Mississippi (Albany, 1861), and have been republished by the Caxton Club of Chicago.