The Journeys of Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, Volume 1 Page: 36 of 330

JOURNEYS OF
to leave us, but the night they intended to.
go was so cold that their plan was broken
up. We continued our route, in order to
join the savages, and found them 30 leagues
above [below] the village. When they saw.
us they thought we were Iroquois, and put'
themselves on the defensive and made their
women run into the woods; but when they
recognized us the women were called back
with their children, and the calumet was
danced to M. de la Salle and me, in order
to mark their desire to live in peace with us.
We gave them some merchandise for the
corn which he had taken in their village.
This was on the 3d of January, I679-80.
As it was necessary to fortify ourselves
during the winter we made a fort which
was called Crevecacur.' Part of our people
deserted, and they had even put poison
into our kettle. M. de la Salle was poisoned,
but he was saved by some antidote
a friend had given to him in France. The
desertion of these men gave us less annoyance
than the effect which it had on the
minds of the savages. The enemies of M.
de la Salle had spread a report among the
Ilinois that we were friends of the Iroquois,
who are their greatest enemies. The
' For a discussion of the name cf. VoL L
page 104.]
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