When the spring came, and the snows had melted away, and the boats were
all over the portage, with the assistance of the savages, the
expedition was renewed in the descent of the Illinois. The Indians had
been so kindly treated, and so sincerely dealt with, that every
suspicion that made them fear the whites was dissipated, and they were
loath to part from them, and many accompanied the party until they were
about entering the territory of hostile neighbors. Of these they seemed
to entertain great fears, and every means of persuasion and warning
were used to prevent their white friends hazarding themselves to the
power of these enemies. When the last were to leave, they manifested
more emotion than is usual with the savage, and one of La Salle's party
more facetious than the Indian designated them the Crying Indians.
La Salle was a wise as well as a bold adventurer. His policy with all
the tribes he encountered was kindness and truth. These were human
beings, and he correctly judged influenced by the motives and impulses
of men. They had never seen white men before, and there could be no
cause of quarrel, and there was little in the possession of the whites,
the use of which was known to the Indian to tempt his cupidity.
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