During  this  rigorous  winter  La  Salle  determined  to  return  lo  Fort
Frontenac  ;  and  leaving  the  dock  in  charge  of  an  Italian  named  ChevaBer
TmtU,  he  started,  accompanied  by  Father  Ifenneesin  as  far  as  Lake  On>
tario ;  from  thence. he  traversed  the  dreary  forests  to  Fort  Fnmtenac  on
ibot,  with  only  two  companions  and  a  dog  which  drew  his  bagsage  on  a
sled,  subsisting  on  nothing  but  parched  com,  and  even  that  failed  him  two
days'  journey  from  the  fort.  Id  the  mean  time  the  building  of  the  vessel
went  on  under  the  suspicious  eyes  of  the  neiffhbori^  savages,  although
the  most  part  of  them  had  gone  to  war  beyond  Lake  Erie.  On6  of  them,
foigninff  intoxication,  attempted  the  life  of  the  blacksmith,  who  defended
himself  successfully  with  a  red-hot  bar  (^  iron.     The  timely  warning  of


*  Th«n  can  be  bat  fictle  doabt  that  the  place  diejraelected  for  binldiiig  their  bark,
the  BMttth  of  Cayqga  Creek,  about  6  milee  above  the  falls.  Governor  Caaa  aaja*  **  the
▼eawl  iras  hmnehed  at  Erie."  Schoolcraft  in  hia  journal  aajra,  **  near  Bn&lo  ;*"  and  the
historian  Bincroft  locates  th)B  aite  at  the  month  of  Tonawsnda  Creek.  Henneaan  eajia
dw  moodi  of  the  creek  was  two  leagnea  above  the  great  feUa ;  the  month  of  tha  T<
wanda  is  more  dian  twiee  diat  diitaace,  and  the  C^n^  ia  the  only  stream  that  i
to  the  desBiiytioo.
