Missionary labors of fathers Marquette, Menard and Allouez, in the Lake Superior region

Front matter

Missionary Labors

OF

Fathers Marquette, Menard and Allouez,

Preface

fHE writing of this little work has been a labor of love to the author. About a year ago his attention was drawn to the labors of Fathers Allouez and Marquette in the vicinity of Ashland and Bayfield. Then came the question: Where are we to look for the site of their church in this neighborhood? Popular opinion pointed out La Pointe on Madeline Island as the place where the old Jesuit church once stood. Having written, however, to a Very Rev. Friend, whose name elsewhere occurs in this little volume, in regard to this matter, he soon ascertained from the citations given from the "'Jesuit Relations" of 1667-71, that we must not look for the site of said church on Madelaine Island, but on the mainland, at the head of Chagaouamigong (Chequamegon) Bay. The reading of these citations awakened in the writer a desire to learn more of the history of said mission, and he accordingly expressed a wish to that effect to the Very Rev. Gentleman above referred to, who kindly sent him the " Relations " and many other works containing much valuable information in regard to the history of the early missionaries of the Lake Superior region. These sources of information the writer has used in the compilation of the little work he now offers to the public. He is fully aware of its great imperfection. The care of an extensive mission made it impossible to bestow that care and study upon the work, which it deserves. Still, he has honestly endeavored to do his best to give the reader a reliable and full account of the labors and trials of the three most prominent Jesuit Fathers that worked in the missionary field of northern Wisconsin. We mean Father Menard, who arrived in the Lake Superior country in 1660; Father Allouez, who came to Chagaouamigong in 1665, and Father Marquette, who labored

IV

here from 1669-71. We have endeavored to give facts and dates as truthfully and reliably as could be ascertained, for the reader wants history, not romance. If there is anything the writer detests it is the superficial, romancing style of historical writing so common nowadays in magazines, newspapers, and books of travel. They are generally a mixture of true and error, written by men gifted with a certain amount of superficial knowledge, but to whom truth is a matter of only secondary importance, their main aim being to appear cute and smart and to write sensational stuff, so as to find ready sale for their crude productions. We see enough of that romancing style of writing history in the newspaper accounts of the La Pointe church and the early Jesuit mission in this vicinity. We have endeavored to avoid their ways, seeking but the plain truth in all things. At the bottom of the respective page we always give the author's name, with the number of the page, so that the reader can verify our statements. However, we do not claim infallibility. To err is human, and in spite of all our endeavors we may have made occasionally a mistake, for which we ask the reader's indulgence. In the preparation of this work we have received valuable assistance from the Very Rev. Friend above spoken of, and others who sent us historical documents; to all and everyone of whom we hereby tender our sincere thanks. We have added some "Historical and biographical notes," as also a short dissertation on some peculiarities of the Chippewa language, which we hope may be of interest to the reader. Whatever will be realized from the sale of this little book will be applied for the benefit of the Indian mission. Should this little work contribute ever so little towards promoting respect for the memory of the pious and zealous missionaries spoken of in its pages, the writer will consider himself abundantly repaid for all the labor bestowed upon it.

Bayfiei^d, Wis., July 14, 1886.

I N DEX.

Page I. Father Menard, the pioneer missionary of Lake Superior; his labors, trial and hardships among the Hurons and Iroquois ; his journey to St.

Theresa (Keweenaw) Bay 9

II. Father Menard's labors at St. Theresa Bay 18

III. Continuation of Father Menard's labors and suffer-

ings at St. Theresa Bay ; his death at the headwaters of Black River 24

IV. Great earthquake in Canada and its prodigious

effects 32

V. Journal of the voyage of Father Claude Allouez to

the land of the Outaouacs (Ottawas) 36

VI. On the arrival of the missionary and his stay at the Bay of the Holy f J host, called Chagaouamigong

(Chequamegon) 44

VII. General council of the tribes of the Outaouac

country 46

VIII. On the false gods and superstitious customs of the'

Indians of that country 48

IX. Account of the mission of the Holy Ghost at Lake

Tracy (Lake Superior) ,52

X. On the mission of the Tionnontateheronnons (Hurons of Tionnontate or Tobacco Nation) -55

XI. On the mission of the Outaouacs, Kiskakoumac

and Outaouasinagouc. 57

XII. On the mission of the Pouteouatamiouec (Potta-

watami ) 59

XIII. On the mission of the Ousakiouek (Sacs) and Outa-

gamiouek (Foxes) 64

XIV. On the mission of the lllimouec or Alimouec (Illi-

nois). 66

VI

XV. On the mission of the Nadouessiouek (Sioux) 68

XVI. On the mission of the Kilistinonp (Crees) and that

of the Outchibouec (Chippewas) 69

XVII. On the mission of the Nipissirinieiis (Nipissings), and of the voyage of Father Allouez ti« Luke Alimibegong (Nepigon) 7]

XVIII. Father Allouez goes to Quebec. He returns to the

Outaouacs 73

XIX. On the mission of the Holy Ghost among the Outaouacs 75

XX. On the mission of LaPointe du Saint Esi)rit in tlie

country of the Algonquin Outaouacs 77

XXI. On the mission among the Outaouacs and especially of the mission Saiilt SLe. Marie 83

XXII. On the nature and peculiaiities of the Sault and of

the tribes who are in the liabit of going there. . . 84

XXIII. On the mission of the Holy Ghost at the Point of

Chagaouamigong (Chequamegon) in Lake Tracy or Superior 88

XXIV. On the mines of copper founsl at Lake Superior. ... 89 XXV. Of the tribes connected with the mission of the

Holy Ghost at 1 he Point, called Chagaouamigong 94

XXVI. Letter of Father Marquette to the Rev. Father

Superior of the mission 96

•XXVII. Necessary explanation in order to get a correct

idea of the Outaouac missions 105

XXVIII. The formal taking possession of the entire Outaouac country in the name of the king of Fi ance 109

XXIX. The mission of the Holy Ghost at the extremity of Lake Superior abandoned ; Father Marquette

goes to Missilimackinac (Mackinaw) 113

XXX. Father Marquette at St. Ignace 114

XXXI. Subsequent career of Father Marquette; he discovers and explores the Mississippi ; returns to the Bay of the Puants (Green Bay) 116

XXXII. Last voyage of Father Marquette. He founds the mission of the Immaculate Conception among the Illinois and dies on his way back to Mackinaw , , , 128

VJI

XXXIII. Discovery of Father Marquette's grave at Point St. Ignace, Mich. Letter of Very Rev. Father E. Jacker to the writer, giving a full account of said discovery made by him 186

XXX 1\\ lie-establishment of the mission of the Holy Ghost under the patronage of St. Joseph, by Father Baraga ; his successors ; present state of the mission ; conclusion 143

APPEJ^DIX.

I. Biographical and historical notes 153

II. Indian customs of Lake Superior country 193

III. Some peculiarities of the Chippewa language 246

lY. Comparison of the Chippewa with the languages,

ancient and modern, of the Old World 253

V. Chronological Table 258

Chapter I

Father Menard, the Pioneer Missionary of Lake Superior; HIS LABORS, TRIALS AND HARDSHIPS AMONG THE

HuRONs AND Iroquois; his journey to St. Theresa (Keweenaw) Bay.

Towards the end of March, 1640, three vessels bound for Quebec left the harbor of Dieppe, France, and casting anchor within sight of the town, they awaited a favorable breeze for their westerly voyage. A terrible storm, however, broke out, which lasted from the 26th of March to the 28th of April. " I do not know," said Father Menard, who was aboard the flagship of the flotilla, the ' Esperance,' "I do not know whether the evil spirits foresaw some great good to be effected by our passage, but apparently they were determined to sink us in the very roadstead. They stirred up the whole ocean; they unchained the winds and excited tempests so frightful and continuous, that they came near destroying us within sight of Dieppe." On board the same vessel were another Jesuit Father and two lay -brothers, two Sisters of Mercy and two Ursuline Nuns, all of them determined to devote the rest of their lives to the service of the Catholic colonists and the pagan Indians of Canada, or, as it was then called, New France.

After a pleasant voyage of two months, they reached Tadoussac, June 1st, and in a few days later Quebec, which was then but a poor fort with a few log houses. In 1608, one year after the building ot Jamestown, Virginia, Cham plain built the first log cabin in Quebec. In 1629 it was burnt by a French party in the service of the English, but three years later, when Canada was restored to the French, it was rebuilt and from that time became the center whence Missionaries were sent in all directions.

About a year after his arrival. Father Menard was sent to the Hurons. This tribe occupied a small strip of territory on the southeastern shore of Georgian Bay and were theii a large and prosperous tribe, numbering at least 30,000 souls, living in some twent}^ large settlements. Their deadly foes were the Iroquois, or Five Nations of New York, with whom they were continually in war and by whom they were well nigh exterminated in 1648-49^ A small party, numbering about 600, after many wanderings through the wilds of Michigan and Wisconsin, came to reside on the shores of Chagaouamigong* Bay and the Apostles Islands, where Father Allouez found them in 1665.

To give an idea of Father Menard's voyage to his Huron Mission, we will give the description given by another Missionary: "Of two difficulties regularly met with, the first is that of rapids and portages; for these abound in every river throughout those regions. When a person approaches such cataracts or rapids, he has to step ashore and carry on his back, through forests or over high, vexatious rocks, not only his baggage, but also the canoe. This is not accomplished without much labor; for there are portages of one, two and three leagues, each of them, besides, requiring several journeys, if one has ever so small a number of packages. At some places, where the rapids are not less swift than at the portages, but of easier access, the Indians, plunging into the water, drag their canoes and conduct them with their hands with utmost difficulty and danger; for sometimes they are up to their necks in the current, so that they have to let go their hold upon their canoes and save themselves as best they can from the rapidity of the water, that snatches the canoe out of their hands and carries it off I have computed the number of portages and find that we carried thirty-five times and dragged at least fifty times. The second ordinary difficulty concerns food. A person is often obliged to fast, especially if he happens to lose the places where he stowed away provisions on his down-river course. Even

1. See " Histoi'ica) and biographical notes," where a short sketch of the rise and downfall of the Huron mission is given.

2. Chagaouamigong, pronounced Sha-ga-wa-mi-gong. To pronounce Indian words, observe that

a is pronounced lilce a in father, far.

e is pronounced like a in way, say.

i is pronounced like ee in feel, seen.

o is pronounced like o in own, sown.

ou is pronounced like oo in foot, fool.

French ch is pronounced like sh in she, show.

when he finds them, his appetite remains none the less keen for having regaled himself with their contents, for the usual repast is only a little corn, broken between two stones and sometimes simply taken in fresh water, which is insipid food. Sometimes he has fish, but this is mere chance, unless he happen to pass some tribe from whom he can buy it. Add to this that a person must sleep on the bare ground, perhaps on a hard rock — that he has to breathe an air infected by the smell of labor-worn savages, to walk in the water, through morasses and amidst the darkness and embarrassment of forests, where the stings of innumerable little flies and mosquitoes molest him not a little."

Indian missionary life two hundred years ago was indeed hard. The pagan Indian treated the poor, defenseless missionary with inhuman brutality, made him the butt of his coarse raillery and contempt. The missionary was completely at the mercy of the savage Indian, and many a Father, after years of untold hardships and sufferings, was burnt at the stake or tomahawked. Wisconsin soil has been watered with the blood of two, perhaps three, of such apostolic men\ Nothing but long continued proofs of disinterested zeal, sincerity of intention and purity of life, and the constant exhibition of heaven-born charity, imperturbable peace of mind and evangelical meekness, joined with fearless courage and apostolical freedom of speech, could at length dispel the darkness of the Indian mind — such as measured the merit of a man by the breadth of his shoulders and the number of scalps hung up in his wigwam. A most cowardly fear of supernatural evil influences, going side by side with savage prowess and contempt of danger in war, and studiously kept alive by crafty medicine-men, was not a less powerful obstacle against the reception of Christianity. To ward off those evil influences, the minutest attention to numberless superstitious practices was considered indispensable, and those. refusing to participate in the national demon worship were, as in the days of the Caesars, held as declared enemies of their own kith and kin and of the whole tribe. Adding the fact that polygamy was almost universally practiced, at least among the tribes of Lake Superior, among the Foxes, Ottawas, Pottawatamis, and other tribes of Wiscon-

1. See "Hist, and biog-. notes," for a short dissertation on the three martyred missionaries of Wisconsin.

sin and Michigan, it is no wonder that such peoj^le turned a deaf ear to the teachers of a religion which condemned and forbade their national custom. Besides, their mode of living, huddled together in small wigwams, almost necessarilyengendered lewdness and licentiousness. Moreover, their limited range of thought made their daily conversation generally turn upon topics of low, animal gratifications, which poisoned the minds and hearts of the young. Living free and untrammelled by the laws and customs of civilized and Christian life, they felt all restraint irksome and hence disliked a religion that bound them down to the observance of certain laws and duties wholly at variance with their pagan modes of life. Finally, their defective mental capacity prevented them from understanding and appreciating the innate beauty of virtue, religion, and of pure, spiritual, heavenly joys. The only thing that could make any impression on their dark, pagan minds, was the threat, constantly held before them by the missionary, of frightful, endless torments in the fire of hell. This and this alone could prevail on them to give up their superstitious and animal mode of life and embrace Christianity with its enlightening, soul-purifying and heavenward elevating doctrines. Even then their childish ficklemindedness made the early missionaries very slow and cautious in admitting them to Baptism Hence their first Baptisms were generally those of little children, as yet uncontaminated by vice, and the dying, whom they carefully prepared for that holy Sacrament. But let us return to Father Menard and his fellow-laborers among the Hurons.

After years < if patient labor among that tribe, their perseverance was at last rewarded by an abundant harvest. There was a reasonable hope that soon the whole tribe would be converted, but Iroquois incursions in 1648 and 1649 broke up the missions. Fifteen towns were abandoned, some of the Fathers, as for instance Brebeuf and Lallemant^, were tortured and burnt at the stake. The people who had escaped death or captivity, fled in every direction, some to the kindred Tionontates, Attiwarandonk and Fries, whilst others sought refuge among their Algonquin friends on Lake Huron and Superior.

Up to that time Father Menard had been employed partly in the Huron mission, partly among the Algonquin

1. See "His. and biog-. notes" for a detailed account of the glorious martyrdom of these two Fathers.

tribes, especially the Mpissing and Atontrates. After the ruin of the Huron missions he labored chiefly in the Indian and French settlements at Three Rivers. Seven years later an extremely hazardous mission was started among the Iroquois, who feigned a desire for peace and Menard was one of the Fathers sent there. He reached the south shore of Lake Ontario in July, 1656, and before the end of the year he collected around him on Lake Cayuga, a small flock of Christians, consisting chiefly of Huron captives. His gentle ways and almost motherly kindness made him greatly beloved by the numerous prisoners of war, swept together from among a score of different Indian tribes and kept as slaves in the Iroquois country. Misfortune had softened their hearts and made them accessible to the tidings of salvation. Even the fierce Iroquois felt the mild but potent influence of this holy missionary's zeal and many of them were baptized. In a short time he converted and baptized there some four hundred Indians. A letter of his written about a year after the opening of the Cayuga mission reveals to us his ardent and fearless zeal. He writes:^

" T praise God that your Reverence still takes an interest in our affairs; but I am a little suprised to hear you speak in a tone different from that to which we were accustomed. How long ago is it since you wrote we had nothing to fear, that God continued sending you wherewith to support us in this remote corner of the world ? How is it that you now complain of our too great expenses ? We are in a place where the cost of living is very much greater than among the Hurons, and where we have no assistance to expect from the country itself, among false traitors, who ill-treat us by right of prescription. There is a crowd of captives here, gathered from all sides, who after all are capable of being made children of God. Of these I alone have since last year baptized more than four hundred. We walk with our heads lifted up in the midst of dangers, through insults, hootings, calumnies, tomahawks and knives, with which they often enough run after us, to put us to death. Almost daily we are on the eve of being massacred, "as dying and behold we live." And you tell us that you are no more able to support this mission. I prefer, my Rev. Father, to stand by the last words

1. "Relation" of 1657. p. 56. We cite from the Quebec edition of 1858, "which is a i-eprint of the edition of Sebastian Cramoisy, Paris, 1657-1673.

of your letter, where you remark that after all, if we do our part well, God will do His as far as will be needed. Yes, assuredly, He will succor us, if we seek but His glory, if we expose our lives to have His blood applied to those poor, abandoned souls. This very thing all our Fathers here are doing with incredible trouble and labor. Should God, who led us into this land of barbarians, allow us to be slaughtered, praise be to Him for ever ! Jesus, His Gospel, the salvation of those poor souls, these are the inducements that retain us here and make us tarry, as it were, in the midst of flames. Men burnt and devoured are sights to which our eyes are accustomed. Pray you to God, that He may make Christians of those cannibals, and that He may strengthen us more and more; and we, we shall beg Him to move the hearts of those who love Him, so that they may enable you to assist us." Thus* wrote this saintly man to his Superior in Quebec.

The time for the spiritual regeneration of the Iroquois Nation had not yet come. The tomahawk, treacherously buried for a while, to draw a number of Huron fugitives and of French laymen, as well as priests, into the country, was raised again in the spring of 1658. Only stratagem and secret flight, most skillfully planned and luckily accomplished, could save the lives of fifty-three Frenchmen, by the council of the headmen condemned to death in the heart of the Iroquois country. With a bleeding heart Father Menard left with the rest in the silence of the night. Far sooner would he have stayed with his neophytes, and, if necessary, have suffered death at his post. He felt as if his heart had been torn out of his body, or as a mother violently torn away from her children; but obedience called him away, and so he departed with the rest. Two years later we see him go to the Lake Superior country, where he perished in the wilds of Wisconsin, trying to bring the consolations of religion to a few starving Hurons at the headwaters of Black River.

The first attempt to carry the gospel to Lake Superior country was made in 1642 by Raymbault and Jogues^. They reached Sault Ste. Marie and were well received by the two thousand Indians assembled there. But obedience compelled them to rtturn to the lower missions, where their services were deemed indisper sable. Again in 1656, Fathers Garreau

1. See "Hist, and biog-. notes" for a detailed account of his labors, sufferings and death.

and Gabriel Drouillettes embarked with an Ottawa party, but having fallen into an Iroquois ambush, between Three Rivers and Montreal, Garreau was mortally wounded b}^ a Mohawk ball ;ind Drouillettes abandoned by the Ottawas in their precipitate flight.

In 1660 another Ottawa flotilla of sixty canoes arrived at Three Rivers. Two Fathers attempted to accompany them on tlieir return voyage. One of them, however, only succeeded, namely. Father Menard. The ather Father was unceremoniously set ashore at Montreal. Before starting from Three Rivers, Father Menard penned, in the dead hour of night, the following lines to a reverend friend:

"My Rev. Father, — The Peace of Christ !

I write to you probably the last word and I desire it to be the seal of our friendship until eternity. Love him, whom the Lord Jesus does not disdain to love, although the greatest sinner; for he loves him with whom he deigns to share his cross. May your friendship, my good Father, be useful to me in the desirable fruits of your holy sacrifices. In three or four months you may put me in the memento of the dead, considering the manner of living of these people, and my age and weak constitution. Notwithstanding all this, I have felt such a powerful attraction and have seen so little of nature in this undertaking, that I could not doubt but that I would have had eternal remorse, had I missed this opportunity.

" We were taken a little by surprise, so that we are unable to provide ourselves with clothing and other necessary things. But He who feeds the little birds and clothes the lilies of the fields, will take care of his servants. Should we happen to die of misery, that would be for us a great happiness. I am overwhelmed with business. All I can do is to recommend our voyage to your holy Sacrifices, and to embrace you with the same heart as I hope to do in eternity.

My Rev. Father — Your very humble and affectionate servant of Jesus Christ, R. Menard.

Three Rivers, this 27th day of August, at 2 o'clock after midnight, 1660."^

The Ottawa flotilla, and with it Father Menard, left Three Rivers on the 28th of August. How he fared on his voyage to Lake Superior is best learned from a letter which he wrote from Keweenaw Bay, Mich., to his superior in Quebec, a few months before his death in the wild woods of Wisconsin. He writes as follows:^

" Our journey has been a happy one for our Frenchmen, who all arrived in good health, about the middle of October, not, however, without having suffered much and run great risks from high seas on the lakes; from rapids and cataracts frightful to behold, which we had to pass over on a frail piece of bark; from starvation, our almost constant companion, and from the Iroquois arms that were turned against us. Between Three Rivers and Montreal we happily met his Lordship, the Bishop of Petrea (Laval, first Bishop of Quebec), who spoke words to me which deeply entered my heart and will be a subject of consolation to me in any adverse accidents that may befall me. 'Father,' he said, 'every consideration seems to demand your staying here; but God, who is stronger than all, wants you in those parts.' ! how I blessed God since that meeting, and how sweetly have those words, spoken by so holy a prelate, come home to me in the worst of my sufferings, misery and abandonment ! God wants me in those parts ! How often have I revolved those words in my mind amidst the torrent's roar and in the solitude of our great forests !

" The Indians, who granted me a j)assage, with the assurance of fair treatment, considering my age (he was then fifty-six years old) and infirmities, have after all not spared me. They required me to carry on my shoulders very heavy packs every time, or nearly so, when we had to make a portage, and although my paddle, wielded by hands as feeble as mine, did but little service towards hastening the journey, they would not allow it to be idle" (They did not even allow him time to say his office and threw his breviary into the water; luckily he found another copy, stowed away at his sudden departure in one of the packages. Perhaps they shared the superstitious fear of the pagan Hurons, who considered the mysterious procedure of passing the eyes over curiously dotted paper as a mighfy charm for their destruction.)

The Father continues: " Once they obliged me to disembark on a very bad spot. To overtake them I had to make my way over frightful rocks and precipices. So much was the country intersected with ravines and so steep were the mountains, that I thought I should never extricate myself. Hastening my steps, for fear of being left behind, I hurt my foot and leg. They remained swollen and annoyed me very much for the rest of the journey, especially when the water commenced to become cold, we being obliged to remain barefoot and ready to jump into the water, in order to lighten the canoe, whenever they judged it proper. Add to this, that those people observe no regularity in their meals, eating everything at once and making no provision for the morrow. As for their camping, no attention is paid to their own or their guest's comfort, but only to the security of the canoes and to the facility for embarkment and disembarkment. As for rest, they generally sleep on uneven, rocky ground, on which they spread a few branches, if at hand.

" We have everyone of us kept fast, and that a rigorous one, having to content ourselves with small fruits, which are ot rare occurrence, and such as nowhere else are eaten. Happy those who find a certain kind of moss (tripe de ruche) which grows on rocks and of which they make a black broth. As for moose-skins, those who had some left, ate them stealthily. Everything seems palatable, when a person is hungry.

" But the worst was to come. Having after such hardships entered Lake Superior, there, in place of finding the promised rest and provisions, our canoe was smashed by a falling tree and that so coujpletely, that no hope of repairing it was left. Everyone abandoned us and we were left — three Indians and myself — without food and canoe. In that state we remainid six days, living on filthy offal, which, to keep ofi" starvation, we had to scratch up with our nails around an old abandoned lodge. To make soup we pounded the bones that lay about. We picked up earth saturated with the blood of animals that had been killed there ; in a word, we made food of everything. One of us was continually on the lookout at the shore, to implore the mercy of those that passed by, and we wrested from them a few slices of dried meat, which saved us from death. At last some, more compassionate, took us up and brought us to our rallying point, destined for our wintering. This is a large bay^ on the south shore of Lake Superior (Keweenaw Bay), where I arrived on

1. See "Hist, and biog-. notes" for a short dissertation on St. Theresa Bay and the site of Father Menard's mission.

St. Theresa's day (Oct. 15th, 1660) and here I had the consolation of saying Mass, which repaid me with usury for all my past hardships. Here also I opened a "flying church" of Christian Indians, occasional visitors from the neighborhood of our French settlements (on the St. Lawrence) and of such others as the mercy of God has gathered in from this, place."