This was not the limit of his troubles; for, after the overland journey of appalling hardships through a country of melting ice, flood, swamp, and hostile Iroquois--the Iroquois being furious with La Salle for having outwitted them in the building of this fort, and seeking him everywhere to destroy him--when he got to Montreal it was only to learn that a ship, coming from France with further supplies for his great journey had been wrecked at the mouth of the St.Lawrence!] But de Tonty was not dead.

After incredible adventures he had escaped the raids of the Iroquois and had reached the Straits of Michili-makinak, between Lakes Michigan and Huron, and there met La Salle, who was once more on his way to Montreal.
Again de La Salle and de Tonty, in the winter of 1681, returned to the south end of Lake Michigan, and made their way over the snow to the Illinois River.

On the 6th February, 1682, they left the junction of the Illinois and the Mississippi to trace that great river to its outlet in the sea.

La Salle reached the delta on the 6th April, 1682, having on the way taken possession of the country in the name of the King of France.

Accault and Father Hennepin had meantime paddled up the Northern Mississippi as far as its junction with the Wisconsin.