All About the Great Lakes by Maureen Dunphy

Author:Maureen Dunphy
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781681571010
Publisher: Blue River Press
Published: 2020-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

La Salle’s ship, Le Griffon, the first full-size ship on the Great Lakes, was launched in 1679 from the Niagara River.

The ship was christened Le Griffon. A carved griffon served as the ship’s figurehead. A griffon is a mythical creature with the body, back legs, and tail of a lion and the head, wings, and talons of an eagle, a combination of the king of beasts and the king of birds. In Greek mythology, the griffon symbolized strength, courage, and leadership. The captain and crew of Le Griffon would need those qualities to make it to the western shore of Lake Michigan, where La Salle planned to collect furs and establish a French presence.

On August 7th, La Salle, the missionary Father Louis Hennepin, and a crew of 32 other men set sail. Cayuga Creek drains into the Buffalo River, which in turn drains into the Niagara River above the Niagara Falls. The ship had to be towed, so it would not get caught in the river’s current leading to the Falls. From the Niagara, Le Griffon entered Lake Erie, the first sailing vessel on the Great Lakes.

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