Page:Joutel's journal of La Salle's last voyage, 1684-7 (IA joutelsjournalof00jout).pdf/167

 I repeated to them the Narrative of Monsieur de la Sale's unfortunate Story. They confirm'd what I had been told before, that the Natives had talk'd to them of the great River, which was forty Leagues off, towards the N. E. and that there were People like us, that dwelt on the Banks of it. This confirm'd me in the Opinion, that it was the River so much sought after, and that we must go that Way to return to Canada or towards New England. They told me, they would willingly go with us. I desired them to keep it secret, which they did not, for being inform'd that Monsieur Cavelier and the others were coming, they went to meet them, and I was again left alone.

The 8th, three Men came to me, one of which was the French Man of Provence, with each of them a Horse, sent by our People to carry away all the Provisions I had got together, having taken a Resolution, as those Persons they had sent told us, to return to the Dwelling of St. Lewis, about the Bay of the same Name, from whence we came; designing, as they pretended, to build a Boat there, to carry them over to the Islands of America; an impracticable Notion, for all our Carpenters were dead, and tho' they had been alive, they were so ignorant, that none of them would have known which Way to go about that Work; besides that, we were destitute of all Necessaries for that Effect. However we must obey, and set out with our Provisions. The Rain having detain'd us the 9th on the Way, we could not come up to them till the next Day, being the Tenth.

Father Anastasius gave me the Confirmation of that Design, and farther told me how roughly they had been treated by those Murderers since my Departure. I know not what it was that mov'd them to it, but they had resolved to seperate themselves from those Villains, and that we should eat apart, viz. Monsieur Cavelier the Priest, F. Anastasius, young Cavelier and I, which was very agreeable to us, because at least we could talk freely, which we durst not do before; but at the same Time they allow'd us