Great Soviet Encyclopedia What is La Salle, what does it mean and how is it spelled correctly. The beginning of acting
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Rene-Robert Cavelier de La Salle(fr. René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle ) or simply La Salle (November 22 ( 16431122 ) , Rouen - March 19, Texas) - French explorer of North America, the first European to sail along the Mississippi River and declare its entire basin to be the possession of the French king under the name of Louisiana. Thanks to his tireless activity, France acquired (at least on paper) a vast territory, which Napoleon would give away for next to nothing a century later in the Louisiana deal. Several cities and counties in the United States are named after La Salle, administrative region Montreal, the Royal Military Academy in Canada and a brand of cars produced from 1927 to 1940 by General Motors.
early years
Rene-Robert Cavelier was educated in a Jesuit college. By the age of 22, he decided not to take the priesthood and, having heard about the adventures of Champlain and other Frenchmen in America, he went to New France, where he was granted a plot of land on the island of Montreal near the Lachine rapids. In addition to farming, Cavelier traded in furs, which were delivered to his estate by Indians from distant corners America. From communication with the natives, he became aware of big rivers south of the Great Lakes. In 1669 an enterprising Frenchman sold his property with the intention of moving towards the Ohio River; for a long time he was credited with the honor of its discovery.
Cavelier found an ally in the Comte de Frontenac, the most energetic and successful of all the governors of New France. Frontenac, who was bothered by the Iroquois with their sorties, convinced Cavelier to build Fort Frontenac on the shores of Lake Ontario, from where it was possible to control the fur trade of the Indians with the New England colonists, and also to send reconnaissance expeditions into the continent.
The plans of Cavelier and Frontenac ran into opposition both from the Montreal merchants, who held on to their monopoly on the fur trade, and from the Jesuits, who considered it their duty to be the first to bring to the natives "the light of God's word." Cavelier, however, during a trip to France enlisted the support of the royal court, founded Fort Frontenac (now Kingston) and began to manage it as a representative of the governor. In gratitude for his diligence, Louis XIV elevated him to the nobility with the title of "Señora de la Salle".
New France expansion
Running his fort, La Salle made his fortune in the fur trade, but that didn't stop his obsession. uncharted lands to the south. In 1677, he again goes to meet the "sun king" and receives permission to develop " western limits New France", the construction of log fortifications, as well as a monopoly on the trade in buffalo skins.
Since the king refused to finance the colonist's ventures, La Salle had to go into heavy debt in Paris and Montreal. The Jesuits continued to interfere in every way with his activities, but in Europe he found a faithful ally in the person of the Italian knight Henri de Tonti. On their return to Canada in 1679, La Salle and Tonti built the Griffon, the first merchant ship to ply the waters of Lake Erie. On it they hoped to go down the Mississippi. Moving west, La Salle was able to locate the major Illinois River. Fort Crevecoeur was founded there (fr. Crevecœur) and the construction of another ship has begun.
Preparing for a campaign inland, La Salle noticed that the Indians were able to make large land crossings, eating game and a small supply of maize. Thus, in the middle of winter, he traveled from Niagara Falls to Fort Frontenac, which aroused the genuine admiration of the Jesuit Louis Annepin, who decided to join his detachment. Despite the crash of the Griffon and the destruction of Fort Crevecoeur, La Salle managed to descend the Illinois in 1680 to its confluence with the Mississippi. The river of his dreams lay before him, but the pioneer had to turn back at the news of the danger threatening the detachment of his comrade Tonti.
Only in the 1681-1682 season, having received additional funds from creditors, La Salle and Tonti went down the Mississippi in a canoe and left on April 9 in the Gulf of Mexico. There, La Salle solemnly declared the entire basin of the river he had crossed to be the property of the French king and gave these lands, the most fertile on the continent, the name of Louisiana, that is, "Louis".
La Salle's next undertaking was the erection of Fort St. Louis in Illinois. The main settlers of this colony at first were Indians. To keep the colony afloat, La Salle turned to the governor of Quebec for help. The news came disappointing: Frontenac was dismissed, and his successor, who was very hostile to La Salle, demanded that the latter leave Saint-Louis. The pioneer refused to obey the order and, arriving at Versailles, insisted on an audience with the king, who listened to him favorably and promised his support.
Last trip
To secure Louisiana for France, La Salle considered it necessary to settle at the mouth of the Mississippi and, if possible, take away the northern part of Texas from the Spaniards. He had no more than 200 French at his disposal, but he considered it possible to gather up to 15 thousand Indians under his banners and, in addition, counted on the services of Caribbean buccaneers. From the outside, this enterprise looked like a gamble, but Louis XIV, who was at war with the Spaniards at that time, considered that it would be useful to divert their attention to the west. He gave La Salle money, ships and people.
On July 24, 1684, the La Salle expedition sailed from France towards the Gulf of Mexico. From the very beginning, failures haunted her - diseases, pirates, shipwrecks. The captains refused to follow La Salle's orders. Their maps were so inaccurate that the ships passed 500 miles west of their destination and mistook Matagorda Bay off the coast of Texas for the mouth of the Mississippi. Desperate to find the treasured river, the sailors rebelled and killed La Salle.
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Literature
- Varshavsky A.S. The road leads south (the life, travels and adventures of La Salle). M., 1960.
- Anka Muhlstein. . Arcade Publishing, 1995.
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An excerpt characterizing Cavelier de La Salle, Rene-Robert
Violet eyes studied me very carefully for several seconds, and then an unexpected answer sounded:- I thought so - you are still sleeping ... But I cannot wake you up - others will wake you up. And it won't be now.
- And when? And who will these others be?
– Your friends... But you don't know them now.
“But how will I know that they are friends, and that it is they?” I asked puzzled.
“You will remember,” Veya smiled.
- Do I remember? How can I remember something that is not yet? .. – I stared dumbfounded at her.
“It is, but not here.
She had a very warm smile, which made her unusually beautiful. It seemed as if the May sun peeked out from behind a cloud and lit up everything around.
“Are you all alone here on Earth?” - I couldn't believe it.
- Of course not. We are many, just different. And we've been living here for a very long time, if that's what you want to ask.
– What are you doing here? And why did you come here? I couldn't stop.
We help when needed. I don't remember where they came from, I wasn't there. I just watched how you are now ... This is my house.
The little girl suddenly became very sad. And I wanted to somehow help her, but, to my great regret, while it was still beyond my small powers...
"You really want to go home, don't you?" I asked carefully.
Wei nodded. Suddenly, her fragile figure flashed brightly... and I was left alone - the "star" girl disappeared. It was very, very dishonest!.. She couldn't just pick up and leave!!! This should not have happened!.. A real resentment of a child raged in me, who was suddenly taken away from his most beloved toy... But Veya was not a toy, and, to be honest, I should have been grateful to her already for the fact that she actually came to me. But in my “suffering” soul, at that moment, a real “emotional storm” crushed the remaining grains of logic, and complete confusion reigned in my head ... Therefore, about any “logical” thinking in this moment It was out of the question, and I, “heartbroken” by my terrible loss, completely “plunged” into the ocean of “black despair”, thinking that my “star” guest would never return to me again ... I wanted so much more ask her! And she suddenly took it and disappeared ... And then suddenly I felt very ashamed ... If everyone asked her as much as I wanted to ask, she, what good, would not have time to live! .. This thought somehow calmed me down. I just had to accept with gratitude all the wonderful things that she managed to show me (even if I still didn’t understand everything), and not grumble at fate for the insufficiency of the desired “ready-made”, instead of simply moving my lazy “convolutions” and find the answers to my own questions. I remembered Stella's grandmother and thought that she was absolutely right when she spoke about the dangers of receiving something for free, because nothing can be worse than a person who is used to taking everything all the time. Moreover, no matter how much he takes, he will never get the joy that he himself has achieved something, and he will never experience a feeling of unique satisfaction from having created something himself.
I sat alone for a long time, slowly “chewing” the food for thought given to me, thinking with gratitude about the amazing purple-eyed “star” girl. And she smiled, knowing that now I wouldn’t stop for anything until I found out what kind of friends I don’t know, and what kind of dream they should wake me up from ... Then I couldn’t even imagine that no matter how hard I try, and no matter how hard I try, it will only happen after many, many years, and my “friends” will really wake me up ... Only this will not be at all what I could ever talk about even guess...
But then everything seemed childishly possible to me, and with all my unburned ardor and “iron” perseverance, I decided to try ...
As much as I wanted to listen to the reasonable voice of logic, my naughty brain believed that, despite the fact that Veya apparently knew exactly what she was talking about, I would still achieve my goal and find those people before I was promised (or creatures) that were supposed to help me get rid of some kind of my incomprehensible “bear hibernation”. At first, I decided to try again to go beyond the Earth, and see who would come to me there ... Naturally, it was impossible to think of anything more stupid, but since I stubbornly believed that I would achieve something, I had to do it again plunge into new, perhaps even very dangerous "experiments" ...
For some reason, my kind Stella almost stopped “walking” at that time, and, it is not clear why, she “moped” in her colorful world, not wanting to reveal to me the real reason for her sadness. But I somehow managed to persuade her this time to go “walk” with me, interested in the danger of the adventure I was planning, and also in the fact that I alone was still a little afraid to try such “far-reaching” experiments.
I warned my grandmother that I was going to try something “very serious”, to which she only calmly nodded her head and wished good luck (!) ... Of course, this angered me to the core, but deciding not to show her resentment, and pouting like a Christmas turkey, I swore to myself that no matter what it cost me, something would happen today!... And of course, it happened... just not quite what I expected.
Stella was already waiting for me, ready for "the most terrible feats", and we, together and collectively, rushed "beyond" ...
This time it turned out much easier for me, maybe because it was not the first time, or maybe also because the same purple crystal was “discovered” ... I was taken out of the mental level of the Earth like a bullet, and it was then that I realized that I overdid it a little ... Stella, according to the general agreement, was waiting at the “line” to insure me if she saw that something went wrong ... But the “wrong” went already with from the very beginning, and where I was at the moment, she, to my great regret, could no longer reach me.
The black, ominous space that I dreamed about for so many years, and which now frightened me with its wild, unique silence, was breathing around in the cold of the night ... I was completely alone, without the reliable protection of my "star friends", and without the warm support of my faithful girlfriend Stella ... And, despite the fact that I saw all this not for the first time, I suddenly felt quite small and alone in this unfamiliar world around me of distant stars, which here looked not at all as friendly and familiar as from the Earth, and little by little a petty, cowardly squeaking from undisguised horror panic began to seize me ... But since I was still very, very stubborn as a little man, I decided that there was nothing to become limp, and began to look around, where is it all - still got me...
I hung in a black, almost physically tangible void, and only sometimes some “shooting stars” flickered around, leaving dazzling tails for a moment. And right there, like, very close by, such a dear and familiar Earth flickered with a blue glow. But, to my great regret, it only seemed close, but in fact it was very, very far ... And I suddenly wanted to go back!!! to return home, where everything was so familiar and familiar (to warm grandmother's pies and favorite books!), And not to hang frozen in some kind of black, cold "worldlessness", not knowing how to get out of all this, and, moreover, preferably without any - or "terrifying and irreparable" consequences... I tried to imagine the only thing that first came to mind - the violet-eyed girl Wei. For some reason it did not work - she did not appear. Then I tried to unfold its crystal ... And then, everything around me sparkled, shone and swirled in a frenzied whirlpool of some unprecedented matters, I felt as if I was sharply, like a big vacuum cleaner, drawn somewhere, and immediately in front of me “turned around ” in all its glory, the already familiar, mysterious and beautiful world of Weiyin .... As I realized too late - the key to which was my open purple crystal ...
He came to Canada in the late sixties of the XVII century. La Salle dreamed of opening a short and convenient route from the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean and made a number of journeys for this purpose. He was the first to go down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico (1681-1682). Declared the entire Mississippi River basin the possession of the French king Louis (Louis) XIV and named it Louisiana. Explored Ohio and the Great Lakes.
In 1669, moving southwest from Lake Ontario, La Salle discovered the Ohio River, a left tributary of the Mississippi. Then he still thought that the Mississippi flows either directly into the "Western" (Pacific) Ocean, or into a vast bay, which, according to the cartographers of the 17th - first half of the 18th centuries (mainly French), went deep into the mainland of North America in temperate latitudes. or even to the "Crimson Sea" (Gulf of California).
La Salle decided to explore the Mississippi and expand French possessions to the Gulf of Mexico. He went to France to secure a royal patent for discoveries in the New World. He was introduced to the king, who granted him the nobility, took possession of the lands in the New World and appointed the governor of those countries that he would discover in the future.
On July 14, 1678, La Salle left La Rochelle for Canada. About thirty soldiers went with him, the knight Henri de Tonti, and the Franciscan monk Louis Annepin, who then accompanied La Salle on all travels. Anchors, sails and tackle were captured from France for the construction of a river boat on Lake Erie.
While the ship was being built, La Salle continued to explore the surrounding areas, studied the life of the Indians and bought furs from them, setting up a large warehouse in the fortress he founded on the banks of the Niagara. At the same time, Henri de Tonti was also engaged in buying furs in other areas, and Father Annepen preached the Christian faith among the Indians and compiled the first description known to us. Niagara Falls.
In mid-August 1679, on the ship "Griffin" La Salle set off from Lake Erie to Lake Huron, and from there to Lake Michigan. On the way, the Griffin withstood a terrible storm, which forced the postponement of the trip along the Mississippi. At this time, creditors sold La Salle's property in Quebec, and now he had all hope for the furs piled up in the Niagara fortress. However, the "Gryphon", sent there for furs, disappeared without a trace on the way back; whether he drowned or was plundered by the Indians - it was never possible to establish. Despite all these troubles, La Salle nevertheless decided to proceed with the implementation of his plan.
La Salle built Fort Creveker (Grieving) on the shores of Lake Peoria, naming it so in memory of the hardships suffered. Fort Krevker was to serve as a base for further research.
After wintering on the coast of Illinois, La Salle with five companions in the early morning, in the mud, returned on foot to Catarocua.
Best of the day
In Catarocua, sad news awaited him: a ship was wrecked carrying La Salle from France with many valuable goods. Enemies, meanwhile, spread a rumor that he had long been dead. The only thing that La Salle managed to do was to refute the rumor about his imaginary death. With great difficulty, he made his way back to Fort Crevecoeur, where, to his surprise, there was not a single Frenchman. It turned out that the people left in Creveker rebelled against Tonti, stole food and fled.
La Salle again occupied the dilapidated Fort Crevecoeur and, entrusting it to a small garrison, went in search of Tonti. La Salle looked for him on east coast Michigan, and Tonti was in the west at the time. It was not until May 1681 that they met at Mackinacaw, in the place where Chicago now stands.
Having lost his fixed assets, La Salle could no longer build a new ship and acquired several ordinary pirogues. In December 1681, at the head of a force of fifty-four, he crossed the Great Lakes, descended on a sledge with pies tied to them, through Illinois, and in February of the following year reached the Mississippi. On reaching the Mississippi, he sent two men north to explore the upper reaches of the river. He himself, when the ice drift ended, swam down the great river stopping to inspect the banks and tributaries. La Salle explored the mouth of the Missouri, the mouth of the Ohio, where he built a small fort, penetrated into Arkansas and declared it the possession of France, went deep into the country inhabited by the Indians, and made an alliance with them; finally, on April 9, having traveled three hundred and fifty leagues on a pirogue, he reached the Gulf of Mexico. So La Salle achieved his goal.
All the lands he discovered, irrigated by the Mississippi and its tributaries, La Salle declared the possession of the French king Louis (Louis) XIV, giving them the name Louisiana.
It then traveled up the Mississippi and returned through the Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence River. Returning to Canada took La Salle more than a year.
Meanwhile, in Quebec, instead of the recalled Frontenac, the post of governor was taken by Lefebvre de la Barre, who treated La Salle with prejudice and, in his report to Louis XIV, assessed his discovery as follows: “This traveler, with two dozen French and native vagabonds, actually reached the Gulf of Mexico, where he pretended to be a monarch and did all sorts of atrocities, covering up violence against peoples with the right granted to him by Your Majesty to conduct monopoly trade in those countries that he manages to open.
To justify himself before the king and restore his reputation, La Salle went to France. He brought news to his king that a gigantic country, many times larger than France, was annexed to his possessions (however, he himself did not know the exact size of Louisiana). Louis XIV graciously accepted this news. The king approved the proposal to explore the mouth of the Mississippi from the sea, build a fortress there and establish a colony. He appointed La Salle as governor of Louisiana: a vast territory from Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico was to pass under his authority.
On June 24, 1684, La Salle set sail from the port of La Rochelle in four ships with a crew of four hundred. The naval officer Captain Bozho was appointed commander of the flotilla. Hastily selected soldiers and artisans were ignorant of their business. Disagreements arose between the two commanders from the very beginning, which soon turned into irreconcilable enmity.
Five months later, the La Salle flotilla reached the Florida peninsula and entered the Gulf of Mexico. Following in a westerly direction along the coast, La Salle and Beaujou passed without noticing the Mississippi Delta and began to argue where to sail further - to the west or to the east.
La Salle landed on the deserted island of Matagorda (off the coast of Texas), set up camp and sent detachments in both directions in search of the Mississippi. But the great river "disappeared". La Salle could not recognize the places he knew, as he landed west of the Mississippi, on the coast of Texas, in Galveston Bay.
The situation was desperate. One ship sank, the second was captured by the Spaniards, and with the last two, Bojo went back to France, leaving La Salle with the detachment to their fate. In the autumn of 1686, La Salle decided to return by land to the Great Lakes - in other words, to cross the mainland from the southwest to the northeast. He intended to reach the Mississippi and then go upstream to the Indians with whom he had once made an alliance.
On January 12, 1687, La Salle, with a handful of exhausted, hungry people, went out to sea in boats. When the French were already close to the target, the satellites killed René Robert Cavelier de La Salle with a musket shot.
At the end of the 17th century, a French colony was nevertheless founded at the mouth of the Mississippi. But this village served as a warehouse for fur traders and eventually fell into disrepair. In 1718, a city arose in the Mississippi Delta. New Orleans, in which in the middle of the XVIII century there were only a few hundred inhabitants. In 1803, New Orleans, along with all of Louisiana, was sold to the government of the United States, and thus France finally parted with its possessions, which were acquired thanks to the energy of La Salle.
The complete filmography of Eric La Salle includes a little more than forty roles. His career continues, so this figure is not final. Russian viewers and neighboring countries he is best known for his role as a doctor in the medical series ER. His colleague on the set was the famous George Clooney.
short biography
Eric La Salle was born on July 23, 1962. It happened in Hartford, Connecticut. He spent his childhood there until he entered the Juilliard School. In New York educational institution the young man studied art for two years. At twenty-two, he moved to New York University (School of the Arts). He did not wait to receive a diploma, having gone headlong into work.
Eric took part in the performances of the Shakespeare in the Park theater association. After that, he began to get roles on Broadway and Off-Broadway.
The beginning of acting
On TV screens, Eric La Salle first appeared in the soap opera Underworld, which ran for thirty-five seasons, starting in 1964. At the same time, he began acting in another soap opera called One Life to Live. Forty-five seasons have been filmed since 1968.
Movies with Eric LaSalle:
- Coming to America is a 1988 comedy. It tells about the trip of the African prince Akim to the USA. the main role got to live, he chooses the Queens area, which (despite beautiful name) is not famous for its safety and fashion. The prince will have many adventures and a meeting with his girlfriend. The actor played Daryl Jenks, a young man who (like Prince Akim) had strong feelings for the main character.
- Jacob's Ladder is a mystical thriller released in 1990. The film was barely able to cover its production costs. The story is about a former Vietnamese soldier who sees demons. The actor played the role of Frank.
- The Color of the Night is a crime drama that appeared in 1994. The main role of the psychologist went to Bruce Willis. The character investigates the murder of his colleague, which is full of mysteries. The main intrigue is the girl with whom all the patients of the murdered doctor are in love. What is she hiding? This is to be found out by the character of Willis along with the police. La Salle played the role of Detective Anderson.
- One Hour Photo is a psychological thriller released in 2002. The main role of an elderly photo salon operator who lives the lives of other people, looking at their pictures, went to Robin Williams. The actor played Detective Zee.
- "Gifted Man" - the television series was released in 2011-2012. Only one season was filmed. It tells about a talented surgeon who is obsessed with his person. His outlook changes when the spirit of his dead wife comes to him. The actor reincarnated as Edward Morris.
- "Eclipse" - a thriller was released in 2012. It tells about a global conspiracy, due to which electricity is cut off in one of the megacities of America. It's about Los Angeles. Agents of national security take over the case.
Despite the many roles, most of all, Eric La Salle was remembered for the TV series ER. More about this.
Dr. Peter Benton
Eric La Salle began acting in a medical drama series in 1994. For all eight seasons, he played the role of Dr. Benton. His hero was not in all episodes, as the producers removed him from the show due to low ratings. However, the actor was occasionally asked to return to the set.
So, in 2009, he took part in the filming of the last two episodes of the fifteenth season. Along with him in the fifteenth season, George Clooney returned, who played Dr. Doug Ross for the first five seasons. The trio of experienced doctors was supplemented by Noah Wyle, who played a student, and later Dr. John Carter.
Under the contract, Eric received four million dollars a year for playing the role of Peter Benton.
As a movie maker
In addition to acting career, La Salle acts as a screenwriter, producer and director. Maybe that's why it's less and less seen on screens.
Directed by Eric La Salle (films):
- Devilishly Mad is a 2002 thriller about a psychiatrist and his work.
- "Notes from Dad" is a family film released in 2013.
- Capture - released in 2014.
- "Messenger" - filmed in 2015.
In addition, the actor took part in the creation of some episodes of those series in which he starred. We are talking about "Ambulance", the series "Law and Order", "Without a Trace" and others. His career is ongoing, so more work can be expected.
What is La Salle? What is the correct spelling of this word. Concept and interpretation.
La Salle La Salle René Robert Cavelier (1643–1687), French explorer of North America. Born in Rouen November 22, 1643. He studied at the Jesuit College. Obsessed with the desire to discover new lands, in 1666, following his brother, who was a member of the congregation of St. Sulpicia in Montreal, went to New France(Canada). Upon arrival, he received the status of a landowner and a land allotment in Lachine (in the vicinity of Montreal). Learning from the Indians about big river in the southwest, which was believed to flow into the Gulf of California, La Salle decided to explore it. Having developed a plan for the expedition, he presented it to the governor Courcelle, who persuaded him to unite with two Sulpicians - Dollier de Casson and Galina. In 1668 they went up the St. Lawrence River and along south coast Lake Ontario to Burlington Bay. La Salle then decided to follow his own path to Ohio, while Dollier de Casson and Galina had other plans. During this journey, La Salle probably only reached the Ohio River, turning back in 1671. In 1672, Count Frontenac, governor of New France, approached La Salle with a proposal to discuss plans for expanding the colony. First of all, it was necessary to build Fort Frontenac on Lake Ontario - the base for future expeditions. In 1677, La Salle went to France, where he received wide powers from King Louis XIV to further develop land in the New World. Returning to New France, La Salle, together with Lieutenant Henri de Tonti, went west in 1679. Having erected a fort at the mouth of the Niagara River, he followed to a place located near modern Buffalo, where he built the Griffin, the first merchant sailing ship sailing on the Great Lakes. The La Salle detachment headed for Lake Michigan, crossed it and reached the island at the entrance to Green Bay, where the tribe of friendly Potawatomi Indians lived. From here, La Salle decided to send the Griffin to Niagara with a load of furs, and he himself followed by canoe to the southern tip of Lake Michigan and further to the mouth of the St. Joseph River, where he built another fort. Subsequently, La Salle decided to continue exploration further south. He received additional funds, in 1681–1682 he went down the Mississippi River to its confluence with the Gulf of Mexico. He reached the mouth of the Mississippi on April 9, 1682, declared the entire area the possession of Louis XIV and named it Louisiana. Upon his return to New France, La Salle fell out of favor with the governor. To restore the situation, La Salle again went to France and, after appealing to the king, returned the property taken from him. In 1684 he went on four ships to create a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi, but from the very beginning this expedition was plagued by failures. The ships passed the mouth of the Mississippi and mistakenly landed in Matagorda Bay. The forces of the detachment were undermined by a shipwreck and the departure of the last ship to France. Then La Salle tried to reach the Mississippi by land and, having failed here as well, in January 1687 decided to return to New France. On the way, the detachment rebelled, and La Salle was killed in the region of the Brazos River (now in Texas) on March 19, 1687. LITERATURE A.S. Varshavsky. The road leads south (the life, travels and adventures of La Salle). M., 1960
René-Robert Cavelier de la Salle was born in Rouen on November 22, 1643. He came from a wealthy merchant family. His student years were spent in a Jesuit college. In 1658 he entered the Order as a novice, and two years later he took his vows. Beginning in 1665, Cavelier twice petitioned to be sent as a missionary to China or North America, but they were rejected by the order authorities. After that, La Salle decided to leave the Order. On March 27, 1667, he was released from his vows.
Begin " new life» Cavelier decided overseas, in New France. This choice was supported by the fact that Rouen had been focused on trade with Canada for many years, they were part of the same diocese, and besides, in 1666, his elder brother Jean-Pierre, a member of the congregation of St. Sulpice in Ville-Marie, moved there (now Montreal). This order immediately allocated La Salle a land allotment in the vicinity of the city, at the rapids of Lachine. Arriving in Canada in 1667, Cavelier began to visit Indian settlements, study native dialects, get acquainted with mores and customs. local residents. At the same time, he tried to learn as much as possible about rivers and lakes: Cavelier, like many of his contemporaries, dreamed of discovering the shortest path from Atlantic Ocean to Quiet. Cavelier learned about the large rivers south of the Great Lakes from the Indians who delivered skins and furs to his estate: in addition to agriculture, the Frenchman traded in furs.
2 Journey to Lake Ontario
In January 1669, Cavelier sold his property (but kept the house) to the original owners and set out to explore the southwest. Having funds and having developed a plan for the expedition, Cavelier presented him to the governor of Montreal Courcelles, who persuaded him to unite with the Sulpician Father Dollier de Casson. Casson also recommended that the deacon Briand de Galina be included in the expedition. On July 6, 1669, 24 French travelers set out in canoes up the St. Lawrence River. They were joined as guides by the Seneca Indians in two canoes. After many days of travel, on August 2 they reached Lake Ontario, and six days later - the borders of the lands of the Seneca Indians (part of the union of the "five tribes", which the French called the "Iroquois"). Moving along the southern shore of Lake Ontario, the French reached its western tip - Burlington Bay. Here the leader of the expedition fell down with a fever.
On October 1, the expedition split up. The Sulpicians went in search of the "unconverted" natives. Cavelier stated that "for health reasons" he was returning to Ville-Marie. Several of his people did so, but he himself continued his wanderings in the company of Nick, a Cheyenne Indian, guide and interpreter. Where exactly they went is unknown. It is believed that, moving southwest from Lake Ontario, Cavelier discovered the Ohio River, a powerful left tributary of the Mississippi.
3 Journey to the Illinois River
In 1672, Count Frontenac, governor of New France, approached La Salle with a proposal to discuss plans for expanding the colony. First of all, it was necessary to build Fort Catarakui on Lake Ontario - a distant outpost to repel Indian attacks and a base for future expeditions. The construction, which was led by Cavelier, was completed in 1673.
Cavelier shared with Count Frontenac his grandiose plan to trace the entire course of the Mississippi and attach its basin to the possessions of the French king. He was able to interest the governor of Canada and received from him letters of recommendation to the Minister of the Sea and other influential persons. With them he went to France to obtain a royal patent for discoveries in the New World. Minister Colbert introduced him to the king, who showered him with favors: he granted Cavelle the nobility and took possession of the fortification built under his leadership.
Returning to Canada, Cavelier again went to the fort of Catarakui. In a short time, he was able to turn an unsightly structure into a strong, by colonial standards, hewn stone fortification. The renovated fort was named after the governor. While managing his fort, La Salle made a fortune in the fur trade, earning up to 25,000 livres a year, but this did not cool his obsession with uncharted lands.
In 1677, La Salle again went to meet the "Sun King". His progress report was favorably received. Cavelier applied for permission to build two structures: one on Lake Erie, the other at the tip of Lake Illinois (Michigan). He also asked for permission to become the governor of those countries that he will open in the future. In May 1678, La Salle was granted the right to explore the entire western part of the North American continent within the limits of New France itself and the then possessions of the Spanish crown - Florida and Mexico, permission to build log fortifications at his own expense, as well as a monopoly on the trade in buffalo skins, for a period for five years.
On July 14, 1678, La Salle sailed from La Rochelle for Canada. About thirty soldiers went with him, the nobles - Dominique de La Motte and Henri de Tonti and the Franciscan monk Louis Annepin, who was a priest of Fort Frontenac and then accompanied La Salle on all travels. Anchors, sails and tackle for the construction of a river vessel were captured from France. Returning to New France, La Salle first sent a small group led by La Motte to the Niagara River to find appropriate place and prepare for the construction of a sailing ship. Around Christmas 1678, La Salle arrived at the construction site. By January, the ship was already on slipways on Lake Erie at a location near present-day Buffalo. Fort Conti, on the site of which Fort Niagara subsequently arose, was to become a staging post, its advantageous location made it possible to control trade routes.
While the ship was being built, La Salle continued to explore the surrounding areas, studied the life of the Indians and bought furs from them, setting up a large warehouse in Fort Conti. At the same time, Henri de Tonti was also engaged in buying up furs in other areas. During the absence of La Salle, his people built and equipped a ship for sailing on the Great Lakes and rivers of the Mississippi system: 18 × 4.8 meters, with a displacement of 45 tons and armed with 7 guns. Returning to Lake Erie in late July, La Salle named it "The Griffin".
On August 7, 1679, sails were raised on the ship for the first time, and a few days later, La Salle and his companions set off from Lake Erie along the Detroit Strait and entered Lake Huron. After a twenty-day journey, they landed at Mackinac, near the Mission of St. Ignatius. Here the travelers did not linger, and on September 12, 1679, they anchored off the islet (now Washington Island) at the entrance to Green Bay (Wisconsin). Despite the king's prohibition "to trade with the Indians called Ottawa, and others who bring beaver and other furs to Montreal," La Salle did just that. Then the French detachment split up. La Salle sent a ship loaded with furs and other goods to Mackinacco (according to other sources, to Niagara) to pay off creditors and stock up on provisions. Thus, the Griffin became the first merchant sailing ship to sail the Great Lakes. But on the way back, he disappeared without a trace.
La Salle himself on September 19, 1679, with 14 people in 4 canoes, continued his journey along the western shore of Lake Michigan, where the tribe of friendly Potavotomi Indians lived. The French proceeded by canoe to the southern tip of Lake Michigan and reached the mouth of the Miami River (now the St. Joseph River) on November 1, where, assessing the benefits of the location, La Salle laid the fort of the same name. December 3 travelers went up the river to the present South Bend, (Indiana). Here the French dragged the boats to the Kankakee River, along which they reached the Illinois River.
On January 5, 1680, the La Salle detachment reached the Indian settlement of Pimitow, near the present city of Peoria. On January 15, he laid on the lakeshore 30 leagues (about 150 km) from Pimitow fort Krevker, which was to serve as a base for further research. He also began construction of another ship, which was never completed. After wintering on the coast of Illinois, the detachment split up. Leaving Tonti here at the head of a small garrison (10-15 people), La Salle instructed Father Annepen with two companions to continue exploring these regions and reconnoiter the path to the upper Mississippi. He was able to pass along the course of the Illinois River until it flows into the "father of the waters", but here on April 11, 1680, he was captured by a detachment of Sioux Indians, who took their prisoner to the territory of the current state of Minnesota. However, in the autumn they released the captives. Passing a waterfall called Annepen (the area of present-day Minneapolis), they traveled along the Wisconsin River to Green Bay, and later the Mackinac Mission, where they wintered.
Sam La Salle in early spring, while the snow was still lying, set off with three Indians and one Frenchman on his way back. The ice began to drift, and on March 18 they were forced to leave the canoe and go on foot. 6 days later, they went to Fort Miami, where La Salle found Chapelle and Leblanc, who had been sent by him earlier to Mackinac in search of the Griffin - they went around the entire Lake Michigan, but did not learn anything. La Salle sent them to Tonti and from there, in the mud, moved with his companions to Lake Erie.
La Salle sent two men forward in canoes to Mackinacaw, and with the remaining two he crossed the Detroit "Strait" on a raft and went to the shore of Lake Erie at Cape Pili. They built another canoe and reached Fort Conti on April 21, 1680. Here, La Salle was waiting for a “reward” for the tests: not only did the Griffin disappear without a trace, but the ship carrying La Salle from France a lot of valuable goods worth 22,000 livres also crashed. Despite the sad news, La Salle continued his journey, leaving his exhausted comrades, and with three others on May 6, he returned on foot to Fort Frontenac, located 2,000 kilometers from Creveker.
On July 22, messengers from Henri de Tonti arrived. They said that the people left in Creveker rebelled against Tonti, stole food and fled. The fugitives followed in the footsteps of La Salle: they plundered the forts of Miami and Conti, and twelve of them sailed to Fort Frontenac to deal with him. Having selected 9 reliable people, La Salle went to Lake Ontario. Here, in the bay of Katarakui, he set up an ambush, into which deserters fell in early August.
On August 10, La Salle, with 25 companions, among whom were carpenters, joiners, masons, and even a surgeon, again set off for the Illinois River. They were carrying equipment for the unfinished ship. Along the way, he learned from the Potawatomi Indians that the Griffin must have sunk in a storm. La Salle went to Lake Michigan, to Mackinac. From there, leaving part of his people with Lieutenant La Forest in the mission, he, with 12 companions, through Fort Miami (where he left five people) on December 1 reached the village of Pimitow. The village was burned down by the Iroquois.
In search of Tonti and his companions, La Salle descended the Illinois all the way to its confluence with the Mississippi, finding traces of massacre everywhere. The river of his dreams lay before him, but the pioneer had to turn back because of fears for Tonti's fate. La Salle again occupied the dilapidated Fort Creveker and, entrusting it to a small garrison, returned to Fort Miami. Along the way, he discovered a bark hut that only Tonti and his men could build. Here he, having compared all the facts, came to the conclusion that the canoe, which he saw near Mackinac, was Tonti (La Salle was looking for him on the east coast of Michigan, and Tonti at that time was on the west). La Salle sent two people there with a letter, and on March 1, 1681, he set out from Fort Miami with La Forest and 19 companions. They met the Fox Indians, from whom the travelers learned that Tonti had spent the winter with the Potavotomi.
At the end of May, the French set out from Fort Miami for Canada. La Salle and Tonti met at the Mission of St. Ignatius on Mackinacco (where Chicago now stands).
4 Traveling the Mississippi River
In the summer of 1681, La Salle hurried to Montreal, where he was summoned by the governor to equip a new expedition. Despite all the troubles of the last expedition, La Salle nevertheless decided to try again, because the last time he had essentially limited himself to exploring the Canadian water system, having crossed with his detachment the line separating the great lakes from the Mississippi basin, and reached Illinois. On December 19, La Salle met with Tonti at Fort Miami, and a month later, the members of the new expedition (23 French and 18 Indians) gathered at Fort Krevker.
Departing from Fort Kreveker, a detachment of French and Indians led by La Salle descended on the ice of the frozen Illinois River in a very original way - on a sleigh with pies tied to them. On February 6, 1682, travelers reached the Mississippi: huge ice floes were floating along the river, and La Salle decided to wait out the ice drift, but for now he sent two people north to explore the upper section of the river.
A week later, La Salle and his companions sailed down the great river and by evening reached the mouth of the Missouri, and five days later they felt the turbulent flow of the Ohio River. So they sailed, stopping to inspect the banks and tributaries. At the site of the current city of Memphis (Tennessee), they had to stay for ten days - the gunsmith Pierre Prudhomme went hunting and disappeared. They feared that he could be captured: on the sixth day, the French, who were looking for their comrade, stumbled upon two Chickasaw Indians and handed over gifts to the leaders with them. La Salle took advantage of the delay to establish a small fort named after the hapless hunter. He himself, hungry and wet, was later fished out of the water: he swam downstream, holding on to a log.
However, the adventure didn't end there. The travelers set up camp on the 5th of March, and a week later drums sounded from the other side. Fortunately, a clash with the Kuapa Indians was avoided: they smoked a pipe of peace and exchanged gifts. The natives brought them firewood and treated them to maize, beans and dried fruits for three days in a row. “In gratitude for the hospitality,” the French erected a pillar with the coat of arms of France on their land, thereby declaring it the property of the French king. Taking two guides, La Salle and his companions went on.
Having sailed 15 leagues (85 km), they reached another tributary of the Mississippi - the Arkansas River. On March 22, the French saw the Tainza Indians. They lived in adobe houses with domed thatched roofs and had poultry. The Indians arranged a magnificent meeting for the travelers, which was prepared by the "master of ceremonies" with six assistants: the leader visited the camp of travelers, dressed in white; two escorts carried white fans, and the third carried a disk of polished bronze, symbolizing the sun. The guest was generously presented with trinkets. The next day there was almost a skirmish with the Natchez.
Then, on their way, the French met the Coroa Indians. They informed the travelers that they were ten days away from the ocean. On Easter, the detachment left the village and on April 6 reached the delta. La Salle sailed along the western arm, Henri Tonti along the central one, and Bourdon d'Autray along the eastern one. All three sailed safely into the Gulf of Mexico.
The next two days, La Salle himself, Tonti and d'Autray explored the river delta, and on April 9 a cross was erected on the bank and a plate was buried with an engraved inscription: "Louis the Great, King of France and Navarre, April 9, 1682." La Salle declared the basin of the river he passed through the possession of the French crown and gave it the name "Louisiana", that is, "Louis".
The next day, the travelers set off on their return journey. The lack of food became more and more severe. Already on April 29, the French were in the village of Koroa, and on May 3 - at Tainza, where they replenished their food supplies. Then they went upstream to Fort Prudhomme, where they had to make a stop: La Salle fell ill. He sent Tonti to Fort St. Joseph (Miami), instructing him to write from there to the governor about the success of the expedition. On June 15, La Salle felt better and continued on his way. A month later he was at Fort Krevker. The rest of the way - through Fort Saint-Joseph to Mackinac - he did in a canoe. Here, at the mission of St. Ignatius, he met Tonti.
