Show limong the LOUIS JOLLIET LOOTS JOLLIET bora septem TO ber 21 belongs the honor of having been the first white man to ex alore fhe upper part of the sippi river many historians claim he explored more of the river than any other man of that time taking the honors away from both la salle and de soto beyond doubt be was first to establish the fact that the great river did not run into the south sea as it was believed in canada jolliet vas he son of a wagon maker better educated than most of his time since the family had decided to make him a priest but he turned into a fur trader and merchant instead and made many daring trips into unexplored wildernesses wilder nesses so great was his reputation that he ft as chosen to lead the expedition that was to go down the mississippi bather being one of the party through the illinois and WIs coasin rivers they traveled and final ly came into the mississippi and went on to the missoura MIsso urL at this point the indians assured them it was but a ten days trip to the river mouth so they concluded the great stream ran into the gulf of mexico and turned back crossing a lake in a canoe all Joll lets maps were lost and much valuable information destroyed ills next trip was to explore the hudson bay region and then the coast of labrador for seal fishing he wanted to colonize the beautiful valley of the mississippi but the cana dian government gave him no enczur he died wealthy and hon ored in canada in 1700 by georena matthew adams |