La Salle and Le Griffon - Part 3

Image of Le Griffon from an old wood block



In 1678, while The Griffon project was being executed, La Salle had sent about a dozen men and merchandise to Michilimackinac to begin trading with the Illinois Indians. This advance party of Frenchmen, eventually convinced themselves that La Salle would never successfully build a large sailing ship in the wilderness and sail it on the Great Lakes. Hence, they chose to serve their own self-interests rather than carry out La Salle’s orders.

At Michilimackinac, a handful of these mutinous men, as well as what was rightfully La Salle’s trade goods and furs, were seized. A posse, lead by La Salle's second in command, Tonty, was sent to Sault Ste. Marie to arrest a few more deserters and recover more of La Salle’s property.

As the summer season was nearly over, La Salle ordered is men to raise anchor. The Griffon set sail for the straits and into Lake Michigan (then called Lake Illinois) on September 12. A fair wind propelled the ship to Washington island, situated at the entrance to La Grand Baie, now called Green Bay, about forty leagues from Michilimackinac. Washington Island was inhabited by Pottawatomie.

Some of the party La Salle had sent to Lake Illinois, the previous year, were found here. They had followed the instructions of their employer and traded merchandise for nearly twelve thousand pounds of furs, in anticipation of the arrival of the Griffon. The ship anchored in a small bay, known now as Detroit Harbor, on the south side of the island, and weathered a violent storm that lasted four days.

Winter was not far away. La Salle’s crew packed the Griffon with the furs and were ordered to sail back to the Niagara River and store the furs at a log cabin warehouse that had been built above Niagara Falls. From here, the men would transship the furs to Fort Frontenac where they would be used to settle La Salle’s debts.

La Salle did not accompany his crew aboard the Griffon. Instead, he planned to travel by canoe south to the head of Lake Michigan and on to the land of the Illinois.

La Salle could only trade for four canoes. Hence, much of the merchandise and supplies he planned to take with him on his southern exploration was left on the Griffon with instructions to drop it off at Michillimackinac and then proceed to the Niagara River.

On September 18, the crew prepared to sail. A west wind slowly propelled the Griffon from her safe harbor. A single cannon thundered as she bade “farewell” to La Salle and his small party of French explorers.

The Griffon, under the command of the pilot, Luc and assisted by a crew of five experienced sailors, carried a fabulous cargo of great value.

Nothing more was heard or seen of her. . . until recently!