A
NEW DISCOVERY
OF A
VAST COUNTRY
IN AMERICA
By Father Louis Hennepin
Father Louis Hennepin, O.F.M. baptized Antoine, (12 May 1626 – c. 1701) was a Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Recollect order (French: Récollets) and an explorer of the interior of North America.NEW DISCOVERY
OF A
VAST COUNTRY
IN AMERICA
By Father Louis Hennepin
Hennepin was born in Ath in the Spanish Netherlands (now in the province of Hainaut, Belgium). At the request of Louis XIV the Récollets sent four missionaries to New France in May 1675, including Hennepin, accompanied by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle.
In 1678 Hennepin was ordered by his provincial superior to accompany La Salle on a voyage to explore the western part of New France. Hennepin was 39 when he sailed in 1679 with La Salle from Canada through the Great Lakes aboard Le Griffon to explore the unknown West. Local historians credit the Franciscan Recollect friar with being the first European to step ashore at the site of present-day Hannibal, Missouri.[1]
In 1678 Hennepin was ordered by his provincial superior to accompany La Salle on a voyage to explore the western part of New France. Hennepin was 39 when he sailed in 1679 with La Salle from Canada through the Great Lakes aboard Le Griffon to explore the unknown West. Local historians credit the Franciscan Recollect friar with being the first European to step ashore at the site of present-day Hannibal, Missouri.[1]
The following is Reprinted from the second London issue of 1698, with original spelling and syntax utilized by Father Hennepin :
An Account of our Embarkment at the Head of the River of the Illinois.
There muff be an innumerable [go] quantity of wild Bulls in that Country, lince the Earth is cover'd with their Horns. The Miami's hunt them towards the latter end of Atumn. We continu'd our Courfe upon this River very near the whole Month of December; but toward the latter end of the laid Month, 1679, we arriv'd at the Village of the Illinois, which lies near one hundred and thirty Leagues from Fort Miamis, on the Lake of the IllinoisDefeription of the Hunting of the wild Bulls and Cows, by the
Savages;
Savages;
Of the bignefs of thofe Beafls; and of the Advantages and Improvements that may be made of the Plain where ' s they Pafture; and of the Woods thereabouts THEN the Savages difcover a great Number of thofev Y Beaus together, they likewife affemble their whole Tribe to encompafs the Bulls, and then fet on fire the dry Herbs about them, except in fome places, which they leave free; and therein lay themfelves in Ambufcade. The Bulls feeing the Flame round about them, run away through thofe [pi] Paffages where they fee no Fire; and there fall into the Hands of the Savages, who by thefe Means will kill fometimes above fixfcore in a day. They divide thefe Beafts according to the number of each Family; and fend their Wives to flay them, and bring the Flefh to their Cabins. Thefe Women are fo luffy and Prong, that they carry on their Back two or three hundred weight, befides their Children; and notwithftanding that Burthen, they run as fwiftly as any of our Soldiers with their Arms.
Thofe Bulls have a very fine Coat, more like Wooll than Hair, and their Cows have it longer than the Males; their Horns are almoft black, and much thicker, though fomewhat fhorter than thofe of Europe: Their Head is of a prodigious Bignefs, as well as their Neck very thick, but at the fame time exceeding fhort: They have a kind of Bump between the two Shoulders: Their Legs are big and fhort, cover'd with long Wooll; and they have between the two Horns an ugly Bufh of Hair, which falls upon their Eyes, and makes them look horrid.
The Flefh of there Beams is very relifhing, and full of juice, efpecially in Autumn ; for having grazed all the Summer long in thofe vaft Meadows, where the Herbs are as high as they, they are then very fat.
There is alfo amongft them abundance of Stags, Deers, and wild Goats; and that nothing might be wanting in that Country, for the Convenience of thofe Creatures, there are Forefts at certain diftances, where they retire to reft, and fhelter themfelves againft the violence of the Sun.
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Having "Serengeti-like" concentrations of hoofed animals ... it is possible that Grizzlies also were on the scene that far East.
A NEW DISCOVERY OF A VAST COUNTRY IN AMERICA
by Father Louis Hennepin
The following is Reprinted from the second London issue of 1698, with original Capitalization, spelling [contractions] and syntax utilized by Father Hennepin :
An Account of our Embarkment at the Head of the River of the Illinois.
There must be an innumerable quantity of wild Bulls in that Country, since the Earth is cover'd with their Horns. The Miami's hunt them towards the latter end of Atumn. We continu'd our Course upon this River very near the whole Month of December; but toward the latter end of the said Month, 1679, we arriv'd at the Village of the Illinois, which lies near one hundred and thirty Leagues from Fort Miamis, on the Lake of the Illinois.
Description of the Hunting of the wild Bulls and Cows, by the Savages;
Of the bigness of those Beasts; and
of the Advantages and Improvements that may be made of the Plain where they Pasture; and
of the Woods thereabouts.
WHEN the Savages discover a great Number of those Beasts together, they likewise assemble their whole Tribe to encompass the Bulls, and then set on fire the dry Herbs about them, except in some places, which they leave free; and therein lay themselves in Ambuscade (i.e., ambush). The Bulls seeing the Flame round about them, run away through those Passages where they see no Fire; and there fall into the Hands of the Savages, who by these Means will kill sometimes above six score in a day. They divide these Beasts according to the number of each Family; and send their Wives to slay them, and bring the Flesh to their Cabins. These Women are so husky and strong, that they carry on their Back two or three hundred weight, besides their Children; and notwithstanding that Burden, they run as swiftly as any of our Soldiers with their Arms. Those Bulls have a very fine Coat, more like Wool than Hair, and their Cows have it longer than the Males; their Horns are almost black, and much thicker, though somewhat shorter than those of Europe: Their Head is of a prodigious Bigness, as well as their Neck very thick, but at the same time exceeding short: They have a kind of Bump between the two Shoulders: Their Legs are big and short, cover'd with long Wool; and they have between the two Horns an ugly Bush of Hair, which falls upon their Eyes, and makes them look horrid.
The Flesh off their Bones is very refreshing, and full of juice, especially in Autumn; for having grazed all the Summer long in those vast Meadows, where the Herbs are as high as they [i.e., the Buffalo], they are then very fat. There is also amongst them abundance of Stags, Deers, and wild Goats; and that nothing might be wanting in that Country, for the Convenience of those Creatures, there are Forests at certain distances, where they retire to rest, and shelter themselves against the violence of the Sun.
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