THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Rivers and Natives of the Countries Explored
(Detached Sheet in
La Salle's Handwriting- 1682/83)
La Salle, Robert in English Translation of Margry II (Microfilm), pp. 198-206/vol. 2, pp. 203-204.
(Bibliotheque Nationale, fonds Clairambault 1016: fol. 188, No. 1).
(Detached sheet, containing neither the beginning nor the end, in the handwriting of La Salle. [1682])
. . .The advent of the Cisoa and Chaouenon was followed by the return of the Ilinois tribe, the Peoueria, Kaskaskia, Moingoana, Taponero, Coiraccentanon, Chinkon, Cheperasea, Maroa, Caeckia and Tamaroa. All those tribes were included under the name Ilinois because they are allies, and there were some families of each in the village of Kaskaskia (who are the real Ilinois), although they had their separate villages, distant more than a hundred leagues from one another. The village of the Tamaroas (page 204) alone is made up of three hundred huts. Now all these tribes are uniting and are coming to settle here. The village of Matchinkoa, of three hundred fires (each fire consists of two families), is thirty leagues from the Fort to which it is also about to come; and a party of the Emissourites, the Peangichia, Kelatica, Megancockia, Melomelinoia, making together a village of from two to three hundred fires have made their fields four leagues from the Fort. The Oiatenon, to the number of a hundred and twenty huts, are there now, having come away from their villages with me. On that account, several of these tribes have given me children to be brought up in the French manner. Already there are some who speak French, who belong to the more distant tribes. They will be well suited for serving as interpreters, and for making peace. I have one belonging to the tribe of the Pana, who live more than two hundred leagues to the West, on one of the branches of the Mississipi in two villages there, near one another. They are neighbors and allies of the Gatacka and Manrhoat, who are to the south of their villages, and sell them horses which, apparently, they steal from the Spaniards of New Mexico. These horses, as I hope, will be of great use to us. The Indians make use of them for war, hunting and conveying everything; they are not accustomed to shoe them, let them sleep in the open, even in the snow, and give them no food except by letting them graze. Horses of this kind must be very hardy and very strong, for it is said that they carry the meat of two oxen, which together weighs nearly a thousand livres. What makes me think. . .
Return
to TOC, p. 5
Continue
to next part of Miami Collection
[return to Miami Collection
Menu]
[return to Glenn A. Black
Laboratory of Archaeology List of Publications]
[return to Glenn A. Black
Laboratory of Archaeology Home]
Last updated: 10 January 2001
URL: http://www.gbl.indiana.edu/home.html
Comments: webmaster@www.gbl.indiana.edu
Copyright 1996, Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology and The Trustees of Indiana University