Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/388

 35o Readings in European History They reach the mouth of the Missouri. (Condensed.) Reasons for discontinuing the descent of the Mississippi. into which we were about to run. I have seen nothing more dreadful. An accumulation of large and entire trees, branches, and floating islands was issuing from the mouth of the river Pekitanoui [i.e. Missouri] with such impetuosity that we could not without great danger risk passing through it. So great was the agitation that the water was very muddy and could not become clear. The Pekitanoui is a river of considerable size coming from the northwest, from a great distance, and it discharges into the Mississippi. There are many villages of savages along this river, and I hope by its means to dis- cover the Vermilion or California Sea. . . . After escaping as best we could the dangerous rapid, we proceeded south. After a long journey we reached the large village of Akamsea [Arkansas]. In the evening the elders held a secret council in regard to the design entertained by some to break our heads and rob us ; but the chief put a stop to all these plots. After sending for us he danced the calumet before us as a token of our entire safety, and to relieve us of all fear he made me a present of it. Monsieur Joliet and I held another council to deliberate upon what we should do, — whether we should push on, or remain content with the discovery which we had made. After attentively considering that we were not far from the Gulf of Mexico, the basin of which is at the latitude of 31 degrees and 60 minutes, while we were at $3 degrees 40 minutes, we judged that we could not be more than two or three days' journey from it, and that beyond a doubt the Mississippi River discharges into the Florida or Mexican gulf, and not to the east in Virginia, whose seacoast is at 34 degrees of latitude, — which we had passed without, however, having as yet reached the sea, — or to the west in California, because in that case our route would have been to the west or the west-southwest, whereas we had always continued it toward the south. We further considered that we exposed ourselves to the risk of losing the results of this voyage, of which we could give no information if we proceeded to fling ourselves into the hands of the Spaniards, who, without doubt, would at least have detained us as captives. Moreover we saw