inquiry has failed to trace them. The Abbe Faillon affirms, that some of
La Salle's men, refusing to follow him, returned to La Chine, and that the
place then received its name, in derision of the young adventurer's dream
of a westward passage to China. [Footnote: Dollier de Casson alludes to
this as "cette transmigration celebre qui se fit de la Chine dans ces
quartiers."] As for himself, the only distinct record of his movements is
that contained in an unpublished paper, entitled, "Histoire de Monsieur de
la Salle." It is an account of his explorations, and of the state of
parties in Canada previous to the year 1678; taken from the lips of La
Salle himself, by a person whose name does not appear, but who declares
that he had ten or twelve conversations with him at Paris, whither he had
come with a petition to the Court. The writer himself had never been in
America, and was ignorant of its geography; hence blunders on his part
might reasonably be expected. His statements, however, are in some measure
intelligible; and the following is the substance of them. After leaving
the priests, La Salle went to Onondaga, where we are left to infer that he
succeeded better in getting a guide than he had before done among the
Senecas. Thence he made his way to a point six or seven leagues distant
from Lake Erie, where he reached a branch of the Ohio; and, descending it,
followed the river as far as the rapids at Louisville, or, as has been
maintained, beyond its confluence with the Mississippi. His men now
refused to go farther, and abandoned him, escaping to the English and the
Dutch; whereupon he retraced his steps alone. [Footnote: As no part of the
memoir referred to has been published, I extract the passage relating to
this journey. After recounting La Salle's visit with the Sulpitians to the
Seneca village, and stating that the intrigues of the Jesuit missionary
prevented them from obtaining a guide, it speaks of the separation of the
travellers and the journey of Galinee and his party to the Saut Ste.
Marie, where "les Jesuites les congedierent." It then proceeds as follows:
"Cependant Mr. de la Salle continua son chemin par une riviere qui va de