The Rockwas also located about a mile away from Kaskaskia, hometo about 8,000 Illinois Indians at the time, whom LaSalle hoped to incorporate into his trade network as buf-falo hunters and customers to purchase his wares, and, ifnecessary, ally with him during times of war
La Salle wanted build a trading network with the native tribe as their customers, however the plan would be useless if they were to be hostile.
During thefirst years of the French at Starved Rock, approximately20,000 Native Americans with numerous tribal affilia-tions, who traditionally lived in semi-permanent agricul-tural villages, were convinced by La Salle to move to thevicinity of the fort.28 Many of these Indians, includingthe Illinois, were bison-hunting tribes that the explorerintended to be suppliers of the only peltry that he couldlegally trade.
Seems like La Salle achieved his objective of making a trading hub in order to efficiently acquire and send rare pelts and material back to France.
According to La Salle, “Witha bit of charcoal the young man drew upon a sheet ofbark a very accurate map
You would think that an expedition funded by the French Crown could afford some parchment to record their findings on instead of bark.