He
manifested no fears in approaching them. Their curiosity tempted them
to come to him, and once met, his kindness and gentleness won them; and
he experienced no opposition or trouble from any he met; but succeeded
in gaining much information from his communications with them. When he
reached the Mississippi he began to doubt the accepted theory of its
discharging its waters into the Pacific, and upon reaching the mouth of
the Missouri and counseling with the chief of the tribe he met there,
he at once determined the speculation a delusion, and decided to
prosecute his journey to the mouth of the mighty stream, now with
almost irresistible impetuosity hurrying on his little flotilla. This
chief by many signs and diagrams marked with his finger upon the sand
of the beach, described the country out of which flowed the Missouri,
and into which went the Mississippi, and seemed to comprehend at least
the extent of its constantly accumulating waters and great length. Like
all the other savages, he represented the dangers below as being too
formidable for the small party of La Salle.
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