At all the Outposts in Canada beyond the mighty St. Lawrence River, the French missionary, Father Jacques Marquette, and the explorer, Louis Joliet, heard whispers about another "great river"—an immense waterway bordered by savage Indian tribes who killed white men on sight.

Of the few who had dared to explore this mighty waterway, none had lived to return and report where it emptied. If he could travel to the mouth of the "great river," Father Marquette hoped that he might obtain new lands for France and new souls for Jesus Christ. He braved the dangers of the pagan tribes—their tomahawks and tortures—in order to carry the Word of God to all the Indians of the New World. Rapids, floods, Indian superstitions, tribal warfare—these are only a few of the obstacles Father Marquette and Louis Joliet encountered in trying to meet their challenge.

From the dust jacket