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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul ciichi, 11 est film6 A partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'Images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. rrata o pelure. n 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 - », • , ^ ■ ^^f ■ , THE PRESENT STATE O F T H E • - EUROPEA^ SETTLEMENTS O N T H E M I S S I S I P P I. - * - • .•':'?/ :■_■■■-■■-;■ ^^. ' ' i ^ " " * * ,■.■--.'" ■ -^ . THE PRESENT STATE OF THE EUROPEAN SETTLEMENTS ON THE M I S S I S I P P Ij WITH A Geographical Description of that River. ILLUSTRATED BY PLANS AND DRAUGHTS. By Captam PHILIP PITTMAN. LONDON, Pri^ited for J. Nourse, Bookfeller to His MAJESTY. MDCCLXX. If •A % ^i PRE FA C E. THE European fettlemcnts on the river Miflifippi comprehend Louifiana, part of Weft Florida, and the country of the Illinois. Five years refidence as an engineer in thofe countries, during which time 1 was chiefly employed in furveying and exploring their in- terior parts, and an acquaintance with the principal in- habitants, enables me to fpeak with at leaft as much authority as any author who has hitherto wrote on the fame fubjc^l. o Louifiana is no longer the fame as in the time of Pere Hennepin ; and all other authors that I have read on this fubjc<5l rather abound with hidian florics and talks, than with ufcful .'nformaiion. Father Charlevoix made fo rapid a progrefs through thofe countries, that the greateft part of what he advances muft be from the doubtful infoimation of others, and not from his own perfonal knowledge. Neither is the reader recompenfed by the fmall quantity of pure ore he can cxtrad from that mafs of chefs, in the elaborate accounts of Le Page du Pra^z. It may be thought extraordinary that I have confined my accounts to the banks of the Millifippi, and not touched on the other parts of Weft Florida, which may be fuppofed equally interefting. This work was originally wrote at the requeft, and for the perulal only, of the fecretary of ftate for the colonies ; 4- ^^"'^1 VI P R E r A C E. and I imagined that he muft have received every informa- tion neccfTary to form a pcrfc*5l knowlctlgc of that pro- vince, from pcrfons who have commanded in it. Ikfidcs, my ingenious friend governor Johnflone has told me, that he intends foon to publifli a book on this fuhjcft ; by which means the deficiency in mine will be amply made up, and the publick will have the advantage of receiving inili uc^ion and entertainment from a much more pleafing and abler pen. I am furprifed that nobody has yet attempted to wipe OxT the unfavourable imprellions that have taken place in the minds of many people, from the unjuft reports made of the climate of Well Florida, and which ftill re- tards the fettling of that fine country. A regard for truth, and a defire to render fervice to that valuable province, the welfare of which has been obfl:ru6ted by ignorance and mifreprefentation, makes me take this occafion to fliew the true caufes of its fuppofed unhealthinefs. Pcnfacola and Mobile have both proved fatal to our troops ; the former from mifmanagement, the latter from its fituation. When we took pofTeflion of Penfacola, in ihe latter end of the year 1763, it confided of a fort and a few flraggling houfes j the fort was conftrucfted of high flockades, enclofing in a very fmall fpace a houfe for the governor, and feveral miferable huts, built with pieces of bark, covered with the fame materials, and mofl of them without floors ; fo that in the fummer they were as hot as floves, and the land engendered all forts of ver- min : in thefe wretched habitations the officers and foldiers dweh. After P R E 1' A C E. Vii After we had poflcfTion fome time, the commandant, with a view of making the fortification more rcfpcdtablc, furroundcd the fort with a ditch ; whicli, in faS:, could anfwcr no other purpofe, than holding a quantity of ilagnated water to empoifon the little air that could find its way into the garrifon. The thirty-flift regiment of foot, which fuflered remarkably from fickncfs and mortality in this place, was fent to it in the hottcfl: part of the fummer of 17 ^^5, unprovided with every thing necefTary to preferve health in fuch a fudden change of climate. Brigadier-general Haldimand, in the beginning of 1767, immediately after his arrival here, caufcd the enceinte of the fort to be confiderably extended, widened the llrcets, removed every thing that could obftru(51: a free circulation of air, and laid the place open to the fca, to give admifllon to the breezes. The cnfuing fummer was cxcefTive hot, the thermometer having rofc to one hundred and fourteen degrees ; yet, by the falutary precautions the general had taken, the troops were remarkably healthy, few fell fick, and fcarce any died j although their lodgings, which of themf'clvcs may be fuppofcd fufFicient to dcHroy a good conilitution, were little improved : from hence I prefume that Pcnfacola is as healthy as any Englifh fettle- ment in the fouthern provinces of North America. Mobile is fituated on the bank s of the river of that name, juft at the place where the frefli and fait waters mix ; when the tide goes out it leaves an abundance of fmall fiflres on the marlhes which lie oppofite the town,, and the heat of the fun in fummer kills the fifli ; and the ftench of them, of the flagnated water in the neighbouring fwamps, and the flimy mud, render the air putrid. To this 6 • • t Vlll PREFACE. this maybe added, that the water of the wells is brackifli, and there is none to be found wholfome within Icfs than one mile and a half of the place. The tweniy-firft regiment of foot was fcnt to Mobile at the fame time that the thirty-frji regiment garrifoned Penfacola, and being equally unpro- vided wiih things neceilliry for troops newly arrived from Europe, and unfeafoned to fuch a climate, fuflcred almoft as much. 1 fhall only add on this fubjetSt, which is a little diftant from the true intent of my preface, that Weft Florida pofTcfles the grcateft advantage, as to its fituation for commerce, and the communications to the different parts are rendered eafy by fine navigable rivers, the banks of which are covered by a frefh luxuriant foil, capable of producing every thing natural to ihefc climates. I have endeavoured to be as concifc as poffible ; indeed the purpofe it was wrote for fecmed to demand it : I could with eafe have been much more dilTufe on fubjc(5ts in which fo much matter is contained. It is with fear and diffidence that I prefume to appear as an author ; but a defire of communicating what I have been afllired by friends would be of ufe to the publick, has been my only inducement } and if they have judged right, my utmoft wiflies will be amply gratified. .. .7,.. V • -V' .{. 1 i THE t PRESENT STATE OF THE EUROPEAN SETTLEMENTS . On the M I S S I S I P P I. Of the River MISSISIPPI. TH E river MiflifippI has been known by a variety of names; the firfl: diicoverers from Canada gave it the name of Col- bert, in honour to that great minifler, who was then in power. The famous adventurer, Monfieur de Salle, when he dif- covered the mouth, called it the river Saint Louis, by which name it has ever been diftinguifhed in all publick ads, refpeding the province of Louiflianna : But its prefent general appellation of Miflifippi is a corruption of Metchajippi ; by which name it is ftill known to the Northern Savages, that word fignifying, in their lan- guage, the Father of Rivers. Nothing can, with propriety, be aflerted with refpedl to the fource of this river, tho' thore are people dill exilting, who pretend to have been there. The accounts, which I think (liould be paid men: attention to, are thofe which have been given by the S'loux, a . B very ^ 2 OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. very numerous itinerant nation of Indians, who generally refide in- the countries North of the Miffifippi : A few of them have fome- times come to the French port, on the River Illinois, to barter fkins and furrs; but in general they diflike the Europeans, and have little inclination to be much a-^quainted with them. Their account is as follows : The river Miffifippi rifes from a very extenfive Avamp, and its waters are encreafed by fcveral rivers (fome of them not inconfiderable) emptying themfelves into it in its courle to the fall of St. Anthony, which, by their accounts, is not lefs than fevea hundred leagues from the great fwamps : This is formed by a rock running a-crofs the river, and falls about twelve feet perpendi- cular; and this place is known to be eight hundred leagues from the fea. So that it is moft probable that the Miffifippi runs, at leafl^ four thoufand five hundred miles. The principal rivers which fall into the Miffifippi, below the fall of St. Anthony, are, the river St. Pierre, which comes from the Weft J Saint Croix, from the Eaft ; Moingona, which is two hun- dred and fifty leagues below the fall, comes from the Weft, and i» fliid to run one hundred and fifty leagues ; and the river Illinois, the fource of which is near the lake Michigan, Eaft of the Miffifippi two hundred leagues. The fource of the river Miflbury is unknown j the French traders go betwixt three and four hundred leagues up, to traffic with the In- dians who inhabit near its banks, and this branch of commerce is very confiderable j it employs annually eight thoufand pounds worth of European goods, including a fmall quantity of rum, of all which the freight amounts to about one hundred per cent. Their returns are, at leaft, at th^ rate of three hundred per cent, fo that they are certain of two hundred per cent, profit. The mouth of this great liver is five leagues below the river Illinois, and is generally called five hundred from the fea, tho' in fad it is not more than four hun- dred and fifty. From its confluence to its fource is fuppofed to be eight OF THE RIVER M I S S I S I P P I. 3 eight hundred leagues, running from the ncrth-vveH: to the fouth- ea(h The muddy waters of the MilToury prevail over thofe of the Miflifippi, running with violent rapidity to the ocean. Tiie Miirifip- pi glides with a gentle and clear flream, 'till it meets with this inter- ruption. The next ilver of note, is the Ohio or Belle Riviere ; it empties itfelf about feventy leagues below the MifToury : its fourcc is near the lake Erie, running from the north-eafl to the fouth-v/eH-, upwards of four hundred leagues. Ninety leagues further down Is the river Saint Francis, on the weft fide of the Mifiifippi; this is a very fmall river, and is remark- able for nothing but being the general rendez-vous of the huntersfrom New Orleans, who winter there, and make a provifion of falted meats, fuet, and bears oil, for the fupply of that city. The river Arkanfas is thirty-five leagues lower down, and two hundred from New Orleans i it is fo called from a nation of Indians of the fame name j its fource is faid to be in the fame latitude as Santa Fe in New Mexico, and holds its courfe near three hundred leagues. The river Yazous comes from the north-eaft, and difcharges it- felf into the Miflifippi, fixty leagues from the Arkanfas : formerly a nation of Indians of the fame name had their villages on it, and there was a French poft and fettlement. The nation is en- tirely extinft, and there is not the leaft trace of any fettlement. It is near fixty leagues' from this little river to the river Rouge, which is fo called from its waters, being of a reddifli colour, and they tinge thofe of the Miflifippi at the time of the floods ; its fource is in New Mexico, and it runs about two hundred leagues : the river Noir empties itfelf i: '0 this river abcut ten leagues from its confluence. The famous Ferdinand Soto ended his difcoveries at the entrance of t)ie river Rouge, and was buried there. B 2 Near 4 OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. Near feventy leagues up this river is a very confiderablc port, be- longing to the French; it is a frontier on the Spanifli fettlements» being twenty miles from the Fort of Adaics. The French fort is garrifoned by a captain, two fubalterns, and about fifty men : there are forty families, confifting moftly of difcharged foldiers, and fome merchants who trade with the Spaniards. A great quantity of to- bacco is cultivated at this port, and fells for a good price at New Orleans, being held in great efteem : they fend alfo fome peltry, which they receive in trade from the neighbouring Indians. From the river Rouge to the fea, there are only fome fmall brooks^ of no account. The Bayouk of Peloufas, which is about three miles from the river Rouge and the river Ibberville, are defcribed in the account hereafter given of the fettlements on the river Mif- fiiippi. It is peculiar to the river MifTifippI, that no part of the waters which overflow its banks, ever return to their former channel : this is a circumflance, which I believe is not to be met with in any- other river in the world. All the lands from the river Ibbevillc to the fea, have been formed in the fuccefTion of ages, by the vaft quantities of flimy mud, trees, dead wood, and leaves which the river brings down at its annual floods, which begin in the month of March, by the melting of the fnow and ice in the northern parts. This innundation continues three months. The muddy lands pro- duce lon^ grafs, canes, and reeds in great abundance : at the over- flowings of the river, the grafs, canes, and reeds flop great quanti- ties of the mud and rubbifli that defcend with the current. The long grafs, &c. neareft the river, mud receive a greater quantity of this rubbifh than that which is more diflant, and this caufes the bank of the MifTifippi to be higher than the interior land, and ac- counts for the watsrs never returning to the river j and we may rea- fonably fuppofe, thai the lakes on each fide are parts of the fea, not yet filled up. Thus the land is annually raifed, and continually gains OF THE RIVER M I S S I S I P P I. 5 gains on the fea. The Balize, a fmall fort, eredcd by the French on a httle ifland, was, in the ycsr 1734, at the mouth of the river j it is now two miles up. In the year 1767, Don Antonio D'Ulloa erefted fome barraci for the eflablifliment of the inhabitants. The intendant's lioufc and gardens take up the right fide of the parade, the left fide is occupied by the king's ilore-houfes and an artillery-yard. There is at prefcnt no building fet on part for the governor ; his general refidence is in a large houfe, which was formerly the property of the company who were the proprietors of Louifiana, known by the name of /a compagnie d^occidefit. The agent of the company is now owner of the houfe. The convent of the Urfulines and general hofpital, which is attended by the nuns, occupy the two left hand fquares facing the river : thefe buildings are firong and plain, well- anfwering the purpofes for which they were defigned. The gene- ral plan of building in the town, is with timber frames filled up with brick ; and mofl; of the houfes are but of one floor, ralfed about eight feet from the ground, with large galleries round them, and the cellars under the floors level with the ground j it is impof- fible to have any fubterraneous buildings, as they would be con- ftantly full of water. I imagine that there arc betwixt feven and eight hundred houfes in the town, mofl of which have gardens; The fquares at the back and fides of the town are moflly laid out in gardens ; the orange-trees, with which they are planted, are not unpleafant objedls, and in the fpring afford an agreeable fmell. C 2 The *T 12 OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. There are, exclufive of the flaves, about fevcn tlioufand inha- bitants in town, of all ages and fexcs. 'J he fortifications are only an enceinte of ftockadcs, with a banquette within and a very trlHing ditch without ; thefc can anfwer no end but againft Indians, or negroes, in cafe of an infurredion, and keep the flaves of the town and country from having any communication in the night. There arc about four hundred foldicrs kept for the police of the town and country ; thefe belong to the detached companies of the marines : there are alfo ten companies of militia, four chofcn from the inhabitants of the town, the planters and their fervants form the remainder. The government of Louifiana is compofed of a governor, an intendant, and a royal council. The governor is inverted with a great deal of power, which, however, on the fide of the crown is checked by the intendant, who has the care of the king's rights, and whatever relates to the revenue j and on the fide of the people it is checked by the royal council, whofe office it partly is to fee that the people are not oppreffed by the one nor defrauded by the other. The royal council, who ftile themfelves Le Confeil Jupcrieur de la Louijiane, confifl: of the intendant, who is firft judge, the king's attorney, fix of the principal inhabitants, and the regifter of the province ; and they judge in all criminal and civil matters. Every man has a right to plead his own caufe before them, either verbally or by a written petition j and the evidences called on by each party attend the examination of the council. In a court like this, eloquence or great abilities cannot fupport injuftice or con- found truth. The intendant is commiffary of the marine and judge of the" admiralty J and he decides, in a fummary manner, all difputes be- tween merchants, or whatever elfe has a relation to trade. A final reference may be made from any judgment given by the intendant or ■# ■ If /. (AtirrA . ■f. Aitrffifonti jT/ii'.f Atiec/t4>i Sfiifn . TZAX ,>r Xaw (hf/./'.'AXS. , U.,\v/.t/a„ y,/ •/ ,tf,lf. . . . ^t ■ (iutiii'Ainfti. tf- AtH^> • S'tvri- AfMkH^ a dm ' Hiut^„taf . fl'. tilUlfl/ Al>M^f,t. TAe Uo/tri/ S^uiu'f,! iwr fotAt not ^»v^./^/^y.. -,5j V^ .^ - .. -^'-----^"> ''„-•■*>"•.• -••^•-f*-"i. "-*_•' i.'-.-:*ii.."V .-i* eoo^/fo an^nc/C ,>\r/,*ftrfi ytV '/*f////. ///, ///i'. />t7/ty //."/ht.if/t/, ^fir/f . I S S I S J I" I" T T/iofA'tfr/n'/i SfK^i . '-.■^S* ■^**V»**.^' :m-';.v A 1-. I > OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. 13 I or council to the parliament of Paris. On the firft eftablifhmcnt of the colony, nothing that could tend to render it flourifhing or happy was unthought of. I (hall mention one inftance of the lenity and wifdom of the legiflature j but the difhonefty of governors and intendants, as well as the corruption and relaxation of the govern- ment in France fince that time, has totally perverted or funk into oblivion regulations that were fo evidently calculated for the hap- pinefs of the fubjedt. The planter is conlidered as a Frenchman venturing his life, enduring a fpecies of banifhment, and under- going great hardfliips for the benefit of his country ; for which reafon he has great indulgence fliewn. Whenever by hurricanes, earthquakes, or bad feafons, the planters fuffer, a flop is put to the rigor of exadting creditors. The few taxes which are levied are remitted, and even advances are made to repair their lofles and fet them forward. On the otl.er hand, there can be no tempta- tion to the planter to run fraudulently into debt, to the prejudice of the French merchant, as all debts, though con- tracted by the planters in France, are levied with great eafe. The procefs, properly authenticated, is tranfmitted to America, and admitted as proof there, and levied on the planter's eftate, of what- ever kind it may be. However, care is taken that whilft compul- fory methods are ufed to make the planter do juftice, the ftate ihall not lofe the induftry of a ufeful member of the community; the debt is always levied according to the fubftance of the debtor. Thus one party is not facrificed to the other, they both fubfift ^ the creditor is fatisfied, and the debtor not ruined. The paper money which circulated in this province has al- ftioft effeded its ruin, owing to the mal-adminillration of Monf. Kerlerec, who was governor during the lail war. As the fend- ing money from France, at that time, to pay the civil and mi- litary officers, troops, and other exigences of government, would have beeii attended with too much rifque, the governor and intendant were ordered to iffue out paper money, which were called rx 14 OF THE RIVER M I S S I S I P P I. called Bons *, being notes for fmall fiims, payable in bills of cx- cliangc, drawn at three months fight on the treafury of France. Thefe Bons were fiom ten fols to one hundred livres ; and whoever colleded a certain fum, as three or four hundred livres at leaft, was entitled to a bill of exchange in lieu of the Bons, which he paid to the treafurer of the province. The governor and intendant empowered the commandants and commifTaries at our ports to ilTue out notes of the fame kind, for provifions, public works, and In- dian prefents. Thus the debts contradled with the merchants and inhabitants during the war amounted to very large fums, and the abufes made of this great truH: rendered the expcuces of the co- lony enormous. Monf. de Kerlerec, and fome other officers, took opportunities of negotiating bills by way of Jamaica and other Englifli colonies, before the peace was concluded : the amount of thefc bills was very confiderable and was duly paid. The demands of money from Louifiana and expences of Canada {o far ex- ceeded all expectation, and the treafury of France being drained, the king, by an edidt in 1759, flopped payment of this colony's bills, to the amour; of feven millions of livres, on pretence of no authenticated vouchers, or accounts of the publick expences being arrived. In the latter end of the year 1703, Monf. Kerlerec was recalled, and Monf. de Rochemaure, the intendant, left the co- lony fome time before, and died fhortly after his arrival in France. Monf. D'Abbadie was fent out as diredor-general, and was in- verted with the powers of both governor and intendant : he was inftruded to reform the abufes which had taken place in the pub- lick offices, and to endeavour to reftore tranquility to the inhabi- tants, who were almoft engaged in a civil war, by entering into the difputes of their governor and intendant, which were firft oc- • T'le fenor of thefe Bons was as follows : N** a la Nouvelle Orleans. Bon pour la fomme de ■ ,'e change fur le trefor ■■ payable en lettrcs o- I 5 - ne Governor ° 1 and Intendant, cafioned 7? OF THE RIVER M I S S I S I P P I. 15 cafioned by the arrival of two Englifli flags of truce, during the war, loaded with dry goods, one of which was from Jamaica and the other from Rhode Ifland. Whilfl: Monf. d^ Kerlerec held r congrcfs with the Creek and Chadlaw Indians at Mobile, Monf. de Rochemaure feized the vefTels, imprifoned the captains and crew, and lodged the cargoes in the king's flore-houfes. Monf. de Kerlerec on his return to New Orleans, ordered the captains and failors to be releafed, reftored their veiTels to them, and per- mitted them to fell the cargoes for the benefit of the owners. Many of the mod refpedtable inhabitants and fome officers remon- ftrated againft this proceeding, and reprefented the danger of ad- mitting Englifli fubje was fent to France with this edid, and to implore 2 the OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. 17 ihe protedion of the king ; they were imprlibned on their arrival, and have never been heard of fince. During fix months, which elapfed before news cou*.! be received from Europe, the unhappy colonifts vainly flattered themfelves with hopes of being juftified for the fteps they had taken by tlrc court of France. On the 23d of July, 1769, new3 was brought to New Orleans of the arrival of general O'Reily at the Balizc, with eighteen tranfports, followed by ten more from the Havanna, having four thoufand five hundred troops on board, and loaded with (lores and ammunition. This intelligence threw the town into the greateft confternation and perplexity, as, but a few days before, letters had arrived from Europe fignifying that the colony was reftored to France. In the general diftradlion that took place, the inhabitants of the town and the adjacent plantations determined to oppofe the landing of the Spaniards, and fent couriers requiring the Germans and Ac- cadian neutrals to join them. On the 24th an exprefs arrived from general O'Reily, which was read by Monf. Aubry to the people in church ; by this they were informed that he was fent by his ca- tholic majefty to take pofTeflion of the colony, but not to diftrefs the inhabitants j and that when he fhould be in pofTeflion he would publifli the remaining part of the orders he had in charge from the king his mafter; and fhould any attempt be made to oppofe h'S landing, he was refolved not to depart until he could put his ma- jefly's commands in execution. ., The people, difTatisfied with this ambiguous mefTagc, came to a refolution of fending three deputies to Mr. O'Reily, viz. MefTrs. Grandmaifon, town-major. La Friniere, attorney-general, and Dc Mazant, formerly captain in the colony's troops and a man of very confiderable property j thefe gentlemen acquainted him, that the inhabitants had come to a refolution of abandoning the province, . D and m F i8 OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. and demanded no other favour than that he would grant them two> years to remove themfclves and effeds. The general received the deputies with great politenefs, Lut did not enter into tlic merits of their embafly, farther than afTuring them that he would comply with every reafonable requefl of the colonifts ; that he had the in- tereft of their country much at heart, and nothing on his part fhould be wanting to promote it ; that all part: tranfadlions ihould be buried in oblivion, and all who had offended fliould be for- given : to this he added every thing that he imagined could flatter the expedations of the people. On the ift: of Augufl the deputies returned, and made publick the kind reception the general had given them, and the fair promifes he had made. The minds of the people were now greatly tranquilized, and thofc who had be- fore determined fuddenly to quit their plantations now refolvcd ta remain until their crops were off the ground. •*S^?!? Durlnp; the abfence of the deputies, feveral of the principal in- habitants appliec' to captain-lieutenant Campbell, late of the thirty- fourth regiment, then at New Orleans, to acquaint the governor of Weft Florida that they were defirous of becoming Britifli fub- jeds, and to beg that he would fend a proper perfon to tender them the oath of allegiance, and to diftribute the lands, on the banks of the river betwixt the Ibbeville and Natches, for tliem to fettle on i and that they were to be joined by near two-thirds of the French inhabitants, and by German and Accadian families, of which fix hundred men v/ere capable of bearing arms. Thefe would have proved a valuable acquifition to the province of Wert: Florida, and it is rather unfortunate that at this time there were no troops in the forts of Natches and Ibbeville to give them pro- tedion. On the 1 6th of Auguft general O'Reily arrived at New Orleans with one frigate and twenty-two tranfports, and came on (hore the day following to reconnoitre the gfound for difembarking, and 8 the kf£»STI OF THE RIVER M I S S I S I P P I. 19 the grand parade for aravving up his troops ; he was attended by Monf. Aubry and tlie llafl' of the garrlfon ; he returned on board foon after, and was faluted by tlie liigato and the garrifon. Or- ders were given for the troops to difcnibark on the 18th, at four o'clock in the morning, ly firing one gun from the frigate j ftages being previoufly made to reach from tlie fhore to the fides of the fliips for the foldiers to pafs over. , On a fignal being given all the troops began to move, and in lefs than ten minutes were formed on the bank of the river, and from thence marched to the grand parade, where they formed the fquare. The fliips were drelled with the colours of different nations, and the fhrouds and yards crouded with failors. On the general's going on fliore he was faluted by the frigate, and received four cheers from the failors ; and on his coming on the parade there was a general difcharge of cannon and fmall arms from the gar- rifon and militia, attended with mufick and drums. Don Alex. 0*Reily and Monf. Aubry, with their attendants, followed by a croud of inhabitants, went to that angle of the parade where the flag-ftaflF ftood. Monf. Aubry, as governor, opened his orders from his mofl: chriftian majefty, to deliver up the town and ifland of New Orleans, and province of Louifiana, to Don Alex, 0*Reily, in the name of his catholick majefty ; and exprefled his happinefs and fatisfadion in being fucceeded in the command of that country by a man of his humanity and worth; to which ge- neral O'Reily anfwered, ** I fliall make it the rule of my future condudt in government, to imitate thofe wife and prudent maxims in adminiftring juftice by which you have gained the hearts of the people, even at the moft critical jundture." The Spanirti co- lours were now hoifted, and honoured by another general difcharge of artillery and fmall arms from the garrifon j his excellency and attendants went to church, and fung Te Deum, whilft the guards were relieving : after church was over, the parade was dif- miiTed, and the foldiers went to the barracks appointed for them. D 2 0» i1 .M 20 OF THE RIVER M I S S I S I P P I. On the 19th of Auguft the town militia was reviewed : from this day the time was pafied in receiving and making vifits until the 25th in the morning, when the inhabitants went to pay their re- fpcds to their new governor j as they entered the hall, he defired them to place themfelves fingly round the room, and holding a paper in his hand, containing the names of the perfons principally concerned in the late infurredlion, fuch as were prefcnt he begged to walk into the next room, where an officer and guard attended to take them into cuftody j fuch as were abfent he fent for, to the number of thirteen, and confined them in feparate apartments, fome on board fhip, others to guards and common prifons, where, they were detained to take their trials for high treafon ; their flaves and other effcds were feizcd in the king's name. On the 27th a proclamation was publiflied, ordering the inhabitants to take the oaths of allegiance; and an amnefty to all concerned in the late revolt, except thofe already in cuftody j and another was pub- liflied prohibiting negroes from monopolizing provifions coming to market, or buying or felling without a written leave from their mafters. Shortly after, other orders were given out, by which all the Englifli fubjcds, proteftants, and Jews of every nation, were enjoined to depart from the province of Louifiana, and all com- merce prohibited, except with Old Spain and her ifl.and«, and nei- ther of thefe having demand for the produce of Louifiana and their returns, if any trade (hould take place, could not be employed in the commerce of the Miffifippi. General O'Rcily made great profeflions of frlendftiip to the go~ vernor of Weft Florida, and aflured him, upon every occafion, of his wiflies to live in harmony with his Englifti neighbours. His words and adlions widely differed ; he endeavoured to tamper with the Indwns fettled on our territories, and behaved with great inhofpi- tality towards all Englifli fubje<^s who h^d occafion to go up the river Mifllfippi, and infringed the articles of peace, by fending a party of fuldiers to cut the hawfers of an Englifh veflel, called - . - the OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. 21 the S,\: Flower t that had made fad to the bank of the river above the town ; the order was obeyed, and the veffel narrowly efcapcd being loft. It Is impoflible for veflels to navigate upon the Miflifippi, unlefs they are permitted to make faft to the fliore, as has been explainL'd in the foregoing part of this work ; and if Englifli vef- fcls are prevented, they cannot be faid to enjoy the free naviga- tion of the river, conformable to the articles of the laft peace. In Odlober, great and folemn preparations were made for the trial of the prifoners charged with high treafon, who continued to undergo a cruel and rigorous imprifonmcnt until the 31ft of this month. When they were brought before the high court of juftice, as it was called, (it was more properly a court martial, the general himfelf prefiding, and the other members being moftly Spanifh officers) all the prifoners were found guilty of the charge exhibited againft them ; five were fentenced to be fhot, and feven to be con- fined for ten years to the Moro caftle at the Havanna. Thofe con- demned to death were executed the day following ; their names, Monf. Lafriniere, king's attorney; Monf. De Marquis, formerly commandant of the Swifs companies at New Orleans, and knight of the order of St. Louis j Monf. De Noyant, captain of dragoons, fon of the late king's lieutenant of Louifiana j Pierre Carefle and Petit, merchants. The names of thofe banifhed to the Moro, Monf. De Mazant, formerly captain in the colony troops ; Monf. Garic, regifter of the council j Meflrs. Doufiet, Millet, fen. and jun. and Poupet, merchants. Monf. Foucault, the intendant, was fent prlfoner to France. Monf. Villeroy, one of the perCons firft arreiled, had embarked with his flaves and moft v:\iuable efFeds, dcligning to throw himfelf under the protedioii of the Englifh j but (K-ing after- wards perfuaded of the fincerity of the Spanifli general's pro- mifes, he landed with his flaves and efFedls, and returned to his plantation ; he v/aa fo enraged at the treachery that had been ufed towards 22 OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPl. towards him, nnd at the cruel treatment he rccclvei^ when in con- finement, that he died raving mad. The fate of JVIonf. Lafrinier's daughter and only cliild is particularly lamentabl j this young lady was married but fome months before this drc.idful event to Monf. De Noyant, who was handfome in his perfon, and amiable in his difpofjtion. It is impofTible to reflect on this tragedy but with horror and detefliation. When fraud or treachery are made ufe of to deftroy an enemy, or punifti the guilty, it difgraces a nation and the name of juftice. • . It is remarkable, that the king of Spain, in his acceptation of Louifiana, promifes the inhabitants their original form of go- vernment, and to continue the French counfellors in his council : he alfo offers to receive all the troops employed by the king of France in that country into his fervice ; but the foldiers finding that they were to receive no more pay than they had formerly been allowed, which is confiderably Icfs than the pay of Spanifli troops, refufed entering into that fervice to a man. I have entered into this long digreffion concerning the govern- ment of Louifiana, with a view of giving fome idea of its pre- fent political ftate. I fliall now return to an account of the fet- tlements. There are fome plantations on the Bayouk of St. John, and on the road from thence to New Orleans. The fettlements of Gen- tilly are one mile from the Bayouk of St. John, on the fide of a fmall creek, which alfo communicates with the lake Ponchartrain. Cannes, Brule, Chapitoula, and the German fettlements join each other, and are a continuation of well cultivated plantations of near forty miles from New Orleans, on each fide of the river. At the German fettlements, on the weft fide of the river, is a church ferved OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. 23 lerved by the capuchins ; and a fmall ftockadcd fort In the center of the fcttlcmcnts on the caft fide of the river ; an officer and twelve foldiers arc kept there for the polrce of that quarter. This poft was originally cre(fled as an afylum for the inhabitants who firft fettled there, and were much moleftcd by the Chadaws and Chickartiaws, who in alliance carried on a war againft the fettlers on the Mifllfippi. Their entry into this part of the colony was very cafy, as they went up a fmall creek, called Tigahoe, in canoes. The entrance of this creek, which is in the lake Ponchartrain, is defended by a fmall redoubt and a fcrjeant's guard. Having now gone through the richeft and mod cultivated plan- tations on the Miflifippi, it is ncceflary to fay fomething of their produce, which form the greateft part of the commerce of Loui- fiana. The different articles arc indigo, cotton, rice, maiz, beans, myrtle wax-candles, and lumber. The indigo of this country is much efteemcd for its beautiful colour and good quality ,• the colour is brighter than that which is fabricated at St. Do- :ningo. The cotton, though of a moft pcrfc(5l white, is of a very fhort ftaplc, and is therefore not in great requcft. The maiz, different forts of beans, rice, and myrtle candles, are articles in conflant demand at St. Domingo. Some of the richefl planters, fince the year 1762, have begun the cultivation of fugar, and have eredted mills for fqucezing the' canes ; the fugar produced in this country is of a very fine quality, and fome of the crops have been very large ; but no dependance can be had on this, as fome years the winters are too cold, and kill the canes in the ground. In the autumn the planters employ their flaves In cutting down and fquaring timber, for fawing into boards and f^antling; the carriage of this timber is very eafy, for thofe who cut it at the back of 14 OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. of their plantations maicc a ditch, which is fupplicd with water from the back fwamps, and by that means condudl their timber to the river fide without laboui j others fend their (laves up to the cyprefs fwamps, of which there are a great many betwixt New Orleans and Pointe Coupee j there they maicc rafts of the tim- ber they cut, and float them down to New Orleans. Many of the planters have faw-mills, which are worked by the waters of the Mifilfippi in the time of the floods, and then they are kept going night and day till the waters fall. The quantity of lumber fent from the Mifllfippi to the Weft India iflands is prodi- gious, and it generally goes to a good market. About ten leagues from the fort at the German fettlcments arc the villages of the Houmas and Alibamons. The former were once a conflderable nation of Indians, they are reduced now to about forty warriors : the latter are about twenty families, being pa^t of a nation which lived near fort Touloufe, on the river Alibamons, and followed the French when they quitted that poft in the year 1762. One league further up is the Fourche de Chetimachas, near which is the village of a tribe of Indians of that name ; they reckon about fixty warriors. Three leagues above this is the Concefllon of Monf. Paris, a pleafant fituation and good land ; large herds of cattle are now kept there, belonging to the inhabitants of Pointe Coupee. The new fettlements 0^ the Accadians arc on both fides of the river, and reach from the Germans to within feven or eight miles of the river Ibbevillc. Thefe are the re- mainder of the families which were fent by general Lawrence from Nova Scotia to our fouthern provinces ; where, by their induftry, they did and might have continued to live very happy, but that they could not publickly enjoy the Roman Catholic religion, to which they are greatly bigotted. They took the earlieft op- portunity, after the peace, of tranfporting thcmfelves to St. Do- mingo ■■^'"•^^* .h- mm Il- ■ ■- ^ ;-1 tmtmm ^A OF THE RIVER MISS ISIPP I. 25 mingo, where the climate dlfagreed with them fo much, that they in a few months lofl: near half their numbers j the remainder, few only excepted, were, in the latter end of the year 1763, re- moved to New Orleans, at the expence of the king of France. There are about three hundred families of this unfortunate people^ fettled in different parts of Louifiana^ }■* R I,V E R v^ J. [ 26 ] If -r '"^ RIVER I B B E V I L L E. WE HOW come to the river Ibbeville, the fouth boundary of Well Florida, and of the Englifli pofTcflions on the river MilTilippi. The jundion of the Ibbeville with theMiflifippi is thirty- two leagues from New Orleans, fixty leagues from the Dalize, and ninety leagues from Penfacola, by the way of the lakes. The poll tu the month of the river Ibbeville, on the banks of the Miflifippi, has ever Itruck hie, froii 'ts fituation, as of the greateft confc- quence to the commerce o. '■*: Florida ; for it may with reafoii be fuppofed, that the inhabitai .3 and traders who rcfide at Pointe Coupee, at Natchitoches, Attacappa, Arcanfas, the Illinois, and the poft of St. Vincent's on the Ouabache, would rather trade at this place than at New Orleans, if they could have as good returns for their peltry and the produce of their country ; for it makes a difference of ten days in their voyage, which is no inconfiderable fiwing of labour, money, and time. 7'he goods thefe people take in return for their peltry, furs, tobacco, tallow, and bear's oil, are, fpirituous liquors, grocery, dry goods of all kinds, and all the articles neceflary for their commerce with the favages. The only fiidiculty that oppofes itfelf to this necefTary fettlement is the want of a navigation through the river Ibbeville ; fo that veflels might carry on a cor.ftant intercourfe betwixt this place and Penfacola, without going up the Mifhllppi, which is a tedious navigation. The better to fliew the facility of accomplifliing this, I fliall here infert a defcription of the paflage from lake Ponchartrain to the MiiTifippi, and diredions neceflary to be obferved in that naviga- tion. The coaft of Weft Florida, from PenHicola to lake Pon- chartrain, is fo well known that it is not neceflary to fay any thing on that head. The defcription of the river Ibbeville, &c. was a report tranfmitted with plans and draughts, in the year [765, to his excellency general Gage. .- DE- [ ^7 ] DESCRIPTION O F M C, PART OF THE RIVER A M I T, " And the RIVER lEBEVILLE. BEFORE I begin the defcrlption and diredlons. It is necefTary I fliould mention forne errors which have fubfifted in all geo- graphical accounts hitherto given of that part of the country, which I have examined j thefe I will endeavour to explain. The names Maffiac, Manchaque, Afcantia, Amit, and Ibbevillc, have been fo confounded, that it is with difficulty a ftranger can know what part of the country to apply one or other of them to j and thefe errors ftill fubfift with the French, fo that when this paflage is talked of even amongft themfelves they confound one another, and he who would fpeak of that part next the Miflifippi, is thought by another to have faid fomething of the communication betwixt the lakes Ponchartrain and Maurepas. In order to avoid the fame miftakes, it is proper thefe names fliould be diftindlly feparated ; the way I think they fliould be underftood is this : The paffage from lake Ponchartrain to lake Maurepas fliould be called the Maf- " fiac, and the two channels be diftinguiflled, by one being- called the S. W. and the other the N. W. The Amit fliould carry its name as far as its current runs, which is from its fource, near Natches, to where it empties itfclf into lake Maurepas, which is feventy leagues. The Ibbeviiie 1 cannot underftand to be any thing more E 2 than. r 88 OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. than a fmall creek, which is fupplied with water by the Miffifippi and Amit. From March to September the former generally af- fords water enough to make a navigation through ; the refl of the year its whole fupply is from the latter, and that only for fix leagues and a half up. By this rule I fliall go on with the defcription and diredions, which are as follow. Off the pafs at Mafiiac, next to the lake of Ponchartrain, is found three fathoms of water; and there are not lefs (leering W. for the center of the pafs, which when entered there is four or five fathoms, keeping mid-channel : this depth of water will be carried all the way to lake Maurcpas. Two miles and a half up this channel is the point of an ifland, which is formed by two channels -, the entrance of the great chan- nel, called by the French Grand Mafliac, lies N. W. and the little one, which they call Le Petit Mafliac, N. W. by N. The great channel is the befl, although the depth of water is . fame ia both i but as the flioals do not run fo far off the poinio, and as the turnings are not fo great, nor fo many, the diftance is confe- quently lefs j for thefe reafons I fliould recommend the great chan- nel for our conftant navigation. However advantageous it may tippear at firft fight to have a pofl: on the eaft end of the ifland, it would anfwer no purpofc, as t'ne favages go frequently into lake Maurepas from lake Ponchartrain, by the river Tanchipao j which for canoes and fmall boats is equally as good a navigation, becaufe about three leagues up a branch of the Nitabani empties itfclf into that river, and which is the communication from Tanchipao to lake Maurepas. The opening of the lake Maurepas is about {even miles from the eafl: point of the ifland ; here it is neceffary to keep near the ifland, as ,i flioal bank runs off a point that lies fouth about one mile and a half from the pafs. Steering by this di- rection, there will not be found lefs than L^en feet water on the bar, and never lefs than eight feet going through the lake. The mouth of the river Amit bears weft foutherly ; by keeping near the north rtiore we do not leffen the water, but come at once into four fathoms j but go as we pleafe, we cannot find lefs than five feet. 7 - The "^•••mtA OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. 29 The mouth of this river is remarkable from being embayed, and from a number of trees which ftand off the land in the lake and arc almoft covered with water. The land is overflowed when the waters are high, about one foot and a half, as appears by the marks on the trees, and continues fo near a league up the river, where there is a fpot of land which appears to be never covered : all fuch fpots I have fhewn in the annexed draught. But this is an obfer- vation which may be made of the country throughout ; that the lands grow lower as we advance in the woods, and at three and four hundred yards back from the river we never fail meeting with bogs and fwamps. As the land is not much overflowed at the mouth, it would be no difficult matter to make a bank for the fecu- rity of a fmall pofl there ; and if it (hould be ever thought necelTary, materials are ready j there being fhells, with which lime may be made, and very fine timber, fuch as cyprefs and elm. As I have been very careful in making the draught, and marking every little river that empties itfelf into this, I {hall fay nothing of them, only that unlefs this draught is followed, or a pilot taken, miftakes may be made by going up one of them, inftead of the river to be purfued. The nearer we approach the jundlion of the Amit with the Ibbeville the current becomes Wronger. When I went up, in the month of March, I found within about three leagues of that place a current running at the rate of three miles an hour, though at the entrance at lake Maurepas it was fcarcely perceptible. From the mouth of the Amit to the jundlion of the Ibbeville feveral trees are fallen down, which fhould be removed, otherwifc the naviga- tion is continually liable to interruptions by the logs floating down, and being intercepted by them, which in a very little time would form a barricado quite acrofs, fuch as there was when I went up, and which was cleared by ten negroes fent down for that purpofe, and my detachment. The depth of water from lake Maurepas to the Ibbeville is from four to nine fathoms, and the diftance four- teen leagues : here it is neccfTary to ftrike the marts when the waters are high, as the branches of the trees hang very low, and intervene : KH 30 OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. intervene ** that '-i fome parts they form an arbour over the river. Four lea) I'-s in 'xr up the lands are lower than in any other part )f the country, -he marks of the water on the trees being ten feet above the land. At irregular diftanccs, as from one to three hun- dred yards on each fide of the river, there are high lands overgrown with canes, and this place is called Tagoulafay ; here are a number of fmall rivulets which run into the river ; one league higher is Anatamaha, which, in the Indian language, fignifies the fifli- place: it is properly called, for they abound here all the year, which accounts for the vafl number of crocodiles that are continually on the banks of this river. Sloops and fchooners may come as far as this place when the waters are at the loweft, here aever being lefs than twelve feet water j and at this time there is an eddy from the river Amit which fets to the weftward. From hence to the Millifippi I think the trees (hould be cut down forty feet back from the river fide, that a road might be made for carriages when the waters are low, at which time the bed of the river is dry from the Mlffifippi i when the waters are high it will ftill be necefTary for the navigation, as veflels may be tracked up by horfes or men to the Mifiilippi, in the fame manner as lighters in England. The river is too deep for fetting conveniently with poles, and too nar- row for rowing; and the vaft ftrength of the current, at the time of the floods, without there (hould be room for the oars, would drive the batteaux into the woods, and it would be a difficult matter to find the way back to the river. My batteau went about one mile above Anatamaha, but I could not get her any higher, al- though there was not lefs than four and five feet water all the way to the Miflifippi, which is more than three leagues diftance (in- cluding tlie turnings of the river), and when the waters are up there will he from eleven to eighteen fact water. At two leagues to the leftward of Anatamaha the land is never covered above one loot, which, when fecured from the inundations of the river by o- bank being thrown up, will be as good as any in Louifiana, and will yield every produce natural to the climate. , More- OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. 3» More ihnn fix miles of the pafTagc of the river Jbfcvillc is clioaked up by wood, which has been drawn in by the eddy from the Miflifippi at the annual floods. Tlie river, for fix miles below its entrance, is not in general above fifty feet wide -, many large trees had fallen acrofs the river, which Hopped the logs that were floating down, and io formed a barricado. In the beginning of the year 1764, captain-lieutenant Campbell, late of the thirty-fourtli regiment, undertook to clear the river, and make it navigable ; and by order of ma^ r Farmer (who at that time commanded in Weft: Florida) hired upwards of fifty negroes for that purpofe. In the month of Odober, when the bed of the river was dry, they cut the trees which had fallen acrofs into fliort logs, and cleared a path-way on the fide of the river about eight miles down, throw- ing the canes and all the rubbilh into it ; expeding that when the MiiTifippi fliould rife it would carry all before it. In December captain Campbell reported that he had made the river perfectly navi- gable. The negroea had unfortunately begun to cut the logs next the Miflifippi, and had not cleared the embarraflments that were on the lower parts of the river, which, when the floods came on, inteicepted fuch logs as floated down, and made the river in a worfe condition than ever. A pod was eftabliftied in the fpring following, and a detachment of thirty foldiers of the thirty-fourth regiment, with officers, and an engineer j they built fome huts to lodge themfelves, provifions, llores, and Indian prefents j and they continued to work at the river, but to as little pnrpofe as the ne- groes had done before. In July, the thirty-fourth regiment being on their way to the Illinois, major Farmer took off the detachment, leaving the engineer, an artillery officer, and three or four arti- ficers, (moft; of whom were in a fickly ftate) and the ftores, to the mercy of the neighbouring Indians ; who, within a few days after the departure of the regiment, pillaged the poft, and the poor defencelefs people were happy to efcape with their lives to New Orleans, leaving the artillery and fuch things as the Indians could 32 OF THE RIVER MIS SIS IPP I. could not dcftroy behind them. In the month of December, 1766, governor Johnftonc fcnt a detachment of the Scots fufilecrs, who were lately arrived in Weft Florida, to rcpoflcfs that port j they built a fmall ftockadcd fort, which continued to be garrifoned by the troops from Penfacola in the year 1768, when I left that place. I have lince heard that the garrifons at this poft and Natchcs arc withdrawn. ,,, . ^ ... P O I N T E / ■ *, <■ .0',-:\: i;!' [ 33 ] J,r. POINTE COUPEE. THE fcttlcments at Pointe Coupee commence about ten leagues from the river Ibbeville ; they extend twenty miles on the well ilde of the Miflifippi ; and there are feme plantations back on the fide of (what is generally called) lafauffe rivteret thro' which the Miflifippi palFed about fixty years ago ; making the (hape of a crefcent, and made a difference to the voyager of near eight leagues. It is faid that about that time two Canadians were defcending the river, but were flopped at the beginning of this crefcent by the roughnefs of the waves, occafioned by the wind blowing very hard againft the current. One of thefe travellers chofe to amufe himfelf with his gun until the wind fliould abate : and that he might not lofe his way in the woods, he determined to follow a little brook, which had been made by the inundations of the river j he had gone but a fmall diflance, when he again found himfelf by the fide of the river, and faw the white cliffs before him i which ne knew by the courfe of the xMiflifippi to be eight leagues from the place where he left his companion ; to whom he immediately returned, and acquainted him with this difcovery. They agreed to endeavour to get their canoe acrofs, as there was about a foot water in the brook, which had a little flope towards the lower part of the riverj they got their canoe into the brook, and cut away the roots of trees and buflies that obflrudled its pafl'age, and the waters of the Miflifippi entering fecondcd their endeavours, fo that in a fliort time they effeded their purpofe. It is reported that in lefs than fix years after the Miflifippi pafl*ed entirely through this chiinnel, leaving its former bed quite dry, and which is now difli- cult to trace, being moflly filled up, and overgrown with trees. The I $4 OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. Ml , The fort, which is a quadrangle with four badions, is built with with ftocica^es, and contains a very handfomc houfc for the com- manding officer, good barracics for the foldiers, Aore-houfcs, j^nd a prifon. The commanding officer if? chofen from one of the cldcft captains of the colony ; the authority of the governor is de- legated to him, and the ftorckeepcr is the reprcfentativc of the in- tendant. There are fcldom more than twelve foldiers at this place, who are for no other purpofe than to prefervc good order. The fort is fituated on the fide of the Miffifippi, about fix miles above the loweft plantation. The .hurch is very near the fort, and is ferved by a capuchin ; there arc three companies of militia in this canton, chofen from the white inhabitants, who amount to about two thoufand of all ages and fexes, and about feven thoufand flaves. They cultivaie tobacco and indigo, raifc vaft quantities of poultry, which they fend to the market of New Orleans, and furni(h to the ffiipping } they fquare a great deal of timber and make ftaves, which they fend down in rafts to New Orleans. The inhabitants cultivated maize and other provifions on the eaft fide of the river j but after the peace, when that fide of the Miffifippi was ceded to the Engliffii, fuch as had houfes there, who were but few, re- moved to the weft fide, which remained to the French. TON IC A S [ 35 ] O N I S. ON the cart fide of the river, and about two miles above the laft plantation of Pointe Coupee, is the village of the Tcni- cas, formerly a numerous nation of Indians ; but their conflant intercourfe with the French, and immoderate ufe of fpirituous li- quors, has reduced them to about thirty warriors. They at- tacked the 22d regiment, commanded by major Loftus, when on their way to take pofleflion of the Illinois, on the 20th of March, 1764, at the Roche de Davion ; they killed five men and wounded four, that were in two canoes which went a-head of the convoy : although they fired on the other boats they did no other damage, but prevented the regiment proceeding c its enterprize. The foldiers did not land, as their enemies were concealed in the wood, and their numbers unknown $ they occupied both fides of the river, and the current in the middle of the flream run at the rate of five miles an hour : we have been very credibly informed that fome of the French of Pointe Coup<:e, and their flaves, afllfted the Tonicas in this attack. . ' .K F 2 PE. [ 36 1 P E L O U S A S. I TH E fmall river of Pcloufas is ten leagues above the fettle- ments of Pointe Coupee, and one league below the mouth of the river Rouge ; it receives its name from the natives, and its water? from a lake which lies about forty leagues S. W. of the place whereitemptiesitfelfintotheMiffifippi. Twenty-five leagues up this river is a fettlcment, known by- the name of Peloufas and Atta- cappaj it is formed by about fixty families «f Accadians, difcharged foldiers, and inhabitants from fort Touloufe, on the river Aliba- mons, who have a few flaves. They raife tobacco, maize, and wheat; the latter only for their own confumption. They have, large herds of cattle, and follow the Indian commerce. They have a fmall church, and a capuchin miflionary refides with them.. This fettlement was made under the diredlion of Monf. D'Abbadie,, in the year 1763, and was governed by a French officer, named, Pelrin, till the year 1767, when the inhabitants,, who had been, opprefled by the tyranny, which has been always exerted by officers of that nation commanding out-pofts, complained to Don Antonio, D'UUoa, and Monf. Aubry accufing him alfo of facrllege, he h^.^ing; forcibly taken pofleffion of the plate deftined to the ufe of the altar, and ufed it at his own table, under pretence of keeping it in fecurity. This worked his ruin more efFe(f.ua]ly than his ill treat- ment of the inhabitants, and he was threatened with excommuni- cation ; however he was puniOied by undergoing fevere penances enjoined by the priefls, and rendered incapable, by the fentence of a court-martial of French officers, of any employment military or civil. The government of this fettlement was afterwards verted. in a magiftrate to be chofen annually by the inhabitants from amongft themfelves. One company of militia was alfo raifed for the defence of the eftabli/hment, and the officerc receive pay from the Spaniffi government. , 4 NATCH Es«5, '-rT\ I 37 ] N A T C H E S. THIR T Y-four leagues from the river Rouge is the Natchcs, which, from its fituation and foil, is the fineft and moll fertile part of Wefi; Florida. The fort is about fix hundred and feventy yards from the liver's fide. The road to it is very bad, on account of a deep high ground which is at a fmall diftancc from the landing- place, very difricult to afcend, and almoft impradticable for carriages; a fmall diftance from this high land is a hill, on the fummit of which flands the fort, and the road becomes much better, afcending with a gradual flope. The trouble of going up is recompenfed by the fight of a mod delightful country of great extent, the profpeol of which IS beautifully varied by a number of little hills and fine meadows, feparated by fmall copfes, the trees of which are moliy walnut and ak. The country is well watered, hops grow w.ld, and all kinds of European fruits come to great perfedion. The fences of many of the gardens made by the French flill remain, and feveral fruit-trees, moflly figs, peaches, and wild cherries. The French always efteemed the tobacco produced here, as pre- ferable to any cultivated in other parts of America. This country wac once famous for i:s inhabitants, who from their great num- bers, and the flate of fuciety tney lived in, were confidered as the mofl civilized Indians on the continent of America. They lived fome years in great friendfliip with the French, whom they per- mitted to fettle on their lands, and to whom they rendered every fervice in their power. Their holpitality was repaid with ingratitnde. The French debauched, and fometimes ravifhed the women, and tyrannized over the men; every day brought them fome new difgrace. They determined to get rid of their oppref- fors, and on the eve of St. Andrew, 1729, they furprifcd the fort,, and put the whole garrifon to death ; at the f\me time they made a maf--- ■4 i\ ^j 38 OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. a mallaci e of the inhabitants, in'vvhich upwards of five hundred were killed, fome of the women and children they made prifoners j very few of either fex efcaped. The whole colony armed to revenge their flaughtcrcd countrymen, and they had feveral lliirmilhes with the Natches, in which the fuccefs was various. In 1730 Monf. De Perrier de Salvert, brother to the governor, arrived from France, with the rank of lieutenant-general in Louifiana, and five hundred regular troops, who joined the troops and militia of the colony. This army, amounting to fifteen hundred men, went, under the command <- f »he two brothers, to attack the nation of Natches j who, with their chiefs, determined to defend themfelves in a fort they had built near a lake which communicates with the Bayouk Dargent, lying weft of the Natches, and north of the river Rouge. They in- verted this fort, and the Indians made a very refolute and vigorous fally on them, but were repulfed, after a confiderable lofs on both fides. The r rench, having brought two or three mortars, threw fome (hells into the fort j which making a havock amongft their women and children, fo terrified the Indians, unufed to this fort of war, that they furrendered at difcretion, and were conduced to New Orleans, except a few who had efcaped to the Chickafhaws, with their hunters, who were providing provifions for their garrifon. Some of the unfortunate prifoners were burnt at New Orleans, and the reft were fent as flaves to the Weft India iflands ; fome of whom, fliewing their refentment by upbraiding the authors of their mifcry, were thrown into the fea. Nothing now remains of this na- tion but their name, by which their country continues to be called. When I made the furvey of fort Rofalia, which was in the month of Auguft, I obferved that the Mifllfippi had fallen thirty-fix feet. The breadth of th-^ nver at this place is exadly eighteen hundred and feventy feet, ^ ^ the fort ftands one hundred and eighty feet above the furface of the water. It is an irregular pentagon, with- out baftions, and is built of plank of five inches thick ; the buildings within the fort are a ftore-houfe, a houfe for the officers, a barrack I for >k OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. 39 for the foldiers, and a guard-houfe. Thefe buiidingc are made of framed timber, filled up with mud and barbe Efpagnolc, (a kind of mofs, which grows in great abundance on all the trees in Loui- llana) and in this country that manner of building houfes is very common. The barbe Efpagnole (which much refembles a black, curly beard) is alfo made ufe of for fluffing mattreflfes. The ditch is partly made and partly natural ; the bottom is in moft places nineteen feet from the top of the rampart, and in many twelve and thirteen from the top of the counterfcarp i on the north fide of the fort there is no ditch at all, but it is fenced with pickets, to prevent an enemy getting under ihe cover of the coun- terfcarp or into the ditch. The rampart is nearly the fame height above the pickets as it is in other parts above the bottom of the ditch. The fort received the name of Rofalia in honour to Mad. la duchefiTc de Ponchartrain, whofe hufband was minifter of France. when it was built. !^ 1 I-.- POST •) ■. ■ I- I I- [ 40 ] POST OP ARCANSAS. TH E fort is fituated three leagues up the river Arcanfas, and is built with ftockadcs, in a quadrangular form ; the fides of the exterior polygon are about one hundred and eighty feet, and one three pounder is mounted in the flanks and faces of each baftion. The buildings within the fort are, a barrack with three rooms for the foldiers, commanding officer's houfe, a powder magazine, and a ma- gazine for provifion, and an apartment for the commiflary, all which are in a ruinous condition. The fort ftands about two hundred yards from the water-fide, and is garrifoned by a captain, a lieutenant, and thirty French foldiers, including ferjeants and corporals. There arc eight houfes without the fort, occupied by as many families, who have cleared the land about nine hundred yards in depth ; but on account of the fandinefs of the foil, and the lownefs of the fituation, which makes it fubjedl to be overflowed, they do not raife their neceflary provifions. Thefe people fubfifl moftly by hunting, and every feafon fend to New Orleans great quantities of bear's oil, tallow, falted buffaloe meat, and a few /kins. The Arcanfas or Quapas Indians live three leagues above the fort, on the fide of the river; they are divided into three villages, over each of which prefides a chief, and a great chief over all ; they amount in all to about fix hundred warriors; they are reckoned amongft the braveH of the fouthern In- dians ; they hunt little more than for their ccnnmon fubfiflence, and are generally at war with the nations to the weftward of them, as far as the river Bravo, and they bring in very frequently young prifoners and horfes from the Cadodaquias, Paneife, Podoquias, &cc. of which they difpofc to tlie bed advantaf^e. The river Arcanfas is generally efteemed to be in the j ioft mo- flerate climate of any part of Louifiana, and the lands f.x leagues ! t: P-LAiy or F 3t T Jl OSALIA T^o :' /ure/iui Scu^i . I! ! I' I 1^ : !*i 1- OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. 4' Uj> *he river arc reckoned as fertile. It was here that the famous Mr. Laws had his Conceflion, which was a tradt of four leagues fquarei when he failed, the Germans, whom he fettled in this country, left it, being too remote. They, on their petition, had lands granted them ten leagues above New Orleans, and which their pofterity at prefent poflefs. There are no more fettlements or ports near the banks of the Midifippi, until we come to Cafcafquias, which is three hundred and feventy leagues from tii.' fea, but generally called four hundred ; it lies in the latitude 37^ 43' north, and is the Hrfl village in the country of the Illinois. m in CAS- I* [ 4* 1 CASCASQ^UIAS. THE village of Notre Dame de Cafcafquias Is by far the moft confiderable fettlcment in the country of the Illinois, as well from its number of inhabitants, as from its advantageous fituation j it (lands on the fide of a fmall river, which is about eighty yards acrofs j its fource lies north-eaft, about fixty leagues from the village, and fifteen leagues eaft of the remarkable rock of Peo- rya *, and it empties itfelf with a gentle current into the Miflifippi, near two leagues below the village. This river is a fecure port for large batteaux, which can lie fo clofe to its bank as to load and unload without the leaft trouble ; and at all feafons of the year there is water enough for them to come up. It muft be obferved here, that it is extremely dangerous for batteaux or boats to remain in the Miflifippi, on account of the bank falling in, and the vaft number of logs and trees which are fent down, with a violent force, by the rapidity of the current, as alfo on account of the heavy gales of wind to which this climate is fubjedt. Another great advantage that Cafcalquias receives from its river is the faci- lity with which mills for corn and planks may be eredled on it : Monf. Paget was the firft who introduced water-mills in this country, and he conftrufted a very fine one on the river Cafcafquias^ which was both for grinding corn and fawing boards ; it lies about one mile from the village. The mill proved fatal to him, being killed as he was working in it, with two negroes, by a party of the Cherokees, in the year 1764. The principal buildings are, the church and jefuits houfe, which has a fmall chapel adjoining to it ; thefe, as well as fome other houfes in the village, are built • There is in a fort of nich in this rock a figure that bears fome rcfembla'^ce to a man ; the Indians who pafs by pay their adorations to it, imagining it fomething fiu pcrnatural, and that it has aa m£uence over theii fortunes. I ' '^ ' .'" -.■:..-, .■ of f OF THE RIVER MIS SIS IPPI. 43 of ftonc, and, confidcriiig this part of the world, make 1 very good appearance. The jefuits plantation confifted of two hundred and forty arpens of cultivated land, a very good {lock of cattle, and a brewery; which was fold by the French commandant after the country was ceded to the Englifli, for the crown, in ccnfcquencc of the fuppreflion of the order. Monf. Bcauvais was the purchafer, who is the richefl of the Englifli fubjcds in this country j he keeps eighty flaves j he furniflied eighty-fix thoufand weight of flour to the king's magazine, which was only a part of the harvefl he reaped in one year. Sixty-five families refide in this village, befidcs merchants, other cafual people, and flaves. The fort, which was burnt down in Odlober 1766, flood on the fummit of a high rock oppoilte the village, and on the other fide of the river j it was an oblongular quadrangle, of which the exterior polygc. meafured two hundred and ninety by two hundred and fifty-one feet j it was built of very thick fquared timber, and dove- tailed at the angles. An officer and twenty foldiers are quartered in the village. The of- ficer governs the inhabitants, under the diredlion of the commandant at fort Chartrcs. Here are alfo two companies of militia. G LA i!|ii [ 44 1 LA PRAIRE DE ROCHES. LA PRAIRIE DE ROCHES is about fcvcntcen milce from Cafcafquias j it is a fmall village, confilHng of twelve dwclling-houfes, all which arc inhabited by as many families i here is a little chapel, formerly a chapel of cafe to the church at Fort dc Chartres. The inhabitants here are very induftrious, and raifc a great deal of corn and every kind of flock. This village is two miles from Fort Chartres j it takes its name from its fituation, being built under a rock that runs parallel with the river Miffifippi at a league diftance, for forty leagues up. Here is a company of militia, the captain of which regulates the police of the village. ■ ' r" 1 FORT m"^ ,. .»■ ■-> ■» ,4 Tl , I .-I of CAS C ASKS ES : "• " .. ■■• ./ "• '• -:■■ -■". ■-- •■-r ■■■ - -»//: •• ., A . 77u fort . . . M . 7'Ar ,A:'//f/.' I) 77n ('AarcA t'//iv^' ''AiyvAtn t 'cuou '// f,. 111^ V - \ *?- %>' ■>< «>•' ■*-' ' «., :F':S>' %■%* ■1 Hoy, ■ » ^ -^ V -^ .^•i'.T SP> 4 H' -.' 5 ". *> M ..V^^ >^J vV t ?.<■ nsea -/r [ 45 ] FORT CHARTRES, FORT CHARTRES when It belonged to France was the feat of government of the Illinois ; the head quarters of th;j Englifli commanding officer is now here, who is, in fadt, the ?.r- bitrary governor of this country. The fort is an irregular quadran- gle, the fides of the exterior polygon are four hundred and ninety feet; it is built of ftone and plaiflercd over, and is only defigned as a defence againfl: the Indians, the walls being two feet two inches thick, and pierced with loop-holes at regular dill nnces, and with two port- holes for cannon in the fiices, and two in the flanks of each baftion ; the ditch has never been finifhed j the entrance to the fort is through a very handfome ruftic gate : within the wall is a fmall banquette, raifed three feet, for the men to ftand on when they .^re through the loop-holes. The buildings within the fort are, the comman- dant's and commiiTary's houfes, the magazine of ftores, corps de garde, and two barracks ; thefe occupy the fquare. Within the gorges of the baftions are, a powder magazine, a bakehoufe, a prifon, in the lower floor of which are four dungeons, and in the upper two rooms, and an out-houfe belonging to the commandant.. The commandant's houfe is thirty-two yards long, and ten broad ; it contains a kitchen, a dining-room, a bed-chamber, one fmall room, five clofets for fervants, and a cellar. The commiiTary's houfe (now occupied by officers) is built in the fame line as this,, its proportions and diltribution of apartments are the fame. Op- pofite thefe arc the il:ore-houfe and guard-houfe, they are each thirty yards long and eight broad ; the former conlills of two large flore- rooms (under which is a large vaulted cellar) and a large room, a. bed-chamber, and a clofet for the ftore-keeper; the latter, o^ a. foldier's and oflicer's guard-rooms, a chapel, a bed-chamber and clofet for the chaplain, and an artillery ftore-room. The lines of • a. barracks ;i 1 1 h: !^ s; n m> r i m i-^^vj > wmme&sm 46 OFTHERIVERMISSISIPPI. barracks have never been finiflied; they at prefent confifl: of two rooms each, for officers, and three rooms for foldiers j they are good fpacious rooms of twenty-two feet fquare, and have betwixt them a fmall pafiTage. There are fine fpacious lofts over each building which reach from end to end ; thefe are made ufc of to lodge regimental ftores, working and intrenching tools, &c. It is generally allowed that this is the mod commodious and bcfl: built fort in North America. The bank of the Miffifippi, next the fort, is continually falling in, being worn away by the current, which has been turned from its courfe by a fand-bank, now en« creafed to a confiderable ifland covered with willows : many expe- riments have been tried to /lop this growing evil, but to no purpofe. When the fort was began in the, year 1756, it was a good half mile from the water-fide j in the year 1766 it was but eighty paces ; eight years ago the river was fordable to the ifland, the channel is now forty feet deep. In the year 1764 there were about forty families in the village near the fort, and a parifh church, ferved by a Francifcan friar, dedicated to St. Anne. In the following year, when the Englifli took pofleflion of the country, they abandoned their houfes, except three or four poor families, and fettled at the villages on the weft fide of the Miffifippi, chufing to continue under the French government. SAINT [ 47 ] SAINT PHILIPPE. SAINT PHILIPPE Is a fmall village about five miles from Fort Chartres, in the road to Kaoquias ; there are about fix- teen houfes and a fmall church ftanding j all the inhabitants, ex- cept the captain of militia, deferted it in 1765, and went to the French fide : the captain of militia has about twenty flaves, a good flock of cattle, and a water-mill for corn and planks. Tnis village flands in a very fine meadow, about one mile from the Miflifippi. Mr' KAO- [ 48 ] K A O Q^ U I A S. M' TH E village of Sainte Famille de Kacqulas is generally reckoned fifteen leagues from Fort Chartres, and fix leagues below the mouth of the river Miflbury ; it (lands nenr the fide of the Miflifippi, and is maflced from the river by an ifland of two leagues long ; the village is oppofite the center of this ifland j it is long and ftraggling, being three quarters of a mile from one end to the other; it contains forty-five dwelling-houfcs, and a church near its center. The fituation is not well chofen, as in the floods it is generally overflowed two or three feet. This was the firfl: fet- tlement on the river Miflifippi. The land was purchafed of the favages by a few Canadians, fome of whom marri';d women of the Kaoquias nation, and others b. ought wives from Canada, and then refided there, leaving their children to fucceed them. The inha- bitants of this place depend more on hunting, and their Indian trade, than on agriculture, as they fcarcely raife corn enough for their own confumption : they have a great deal of poultry and good flocks of horned cattle. The miflion of St. Sulpicc had a very fine plantation here, and an excellent houfe built on it ; they fold this eflate, and a very good mill for corn and planks, to a Frenchman who chofe to remain under the Englifli government. They alfo difpofed of thirty negroes and a good flock of ^attle to diff-'erent people in the country, and returned to France in the year 1764. "What is called the fort is a fmall houfe {landing in the center of the village ; it differs in nothing from the other houfcs except in being one of the pcorefl j it was formerly enclofcd with high pal- lifad^s, but thefe were torn down and burnt. Indeed a fort at this place could be of but little ufe. SAINT if iM wmmn [ 49 1 SAINT LOUIS, OR PAINCOURT. THIS village is one league and a half above Kaoquias, on the weft fide of the Miffifippi, being the prcfent head quarters of the French in thefc parts. It was firft eftablifhed in the year 1764, by a company of merchants, to whom Monf. D'Abbadie had given an exclufive grant for the commerce with the Indian na- tions on the river Miflbury j and for the fecurity and encourage- ment of this fettlement, the ftaff of French officers and the com- miflary were ordered to remove there, upon the rendering Fort Chartres to the Englifti ; and great encouragement was given to the inhabitants to remove with them, moft of whom did. The com- pany has built a large houfe, and ftores here, and there are about forty private houfes, and as many families. No fort or barracks are yet built. The French garrifon confifts of a captain-comman- dant, two lieutenants, a fort-major, one ferjeant, one corporal, and twenty men. 1' ' ll •4 I - ' 'li r:i H SAINTE [ 50 j SAINTE GENEVIEUVE, or MISERE. TH E firft fettlers of this village removed about twenty-eight years ago from Cafcafquias : the goodnefs of the foil and the plentiful harvefts they reaped made them pcrfedly fatisfiod with the place they had chofen. The fituation of the village is very convenient, being within one league of the fait fpring, which is for the general ufe of the French fubjeds, and feveral perfons be- longing to this village have works here, and make great quantities of fait for the fupply of the Indians, hunters, and the other fettlenients. A lead mine, which fupplies the whole country with fliot, is about fifteen leagues didance. The communication of this village with Cafcafquias is very (hort and cafy, it being only to crofs the Mifli- fippi, which is about three quarters of a mile broad at this place, and then there is a portage, two miles didance, tc Cafcafquias. This cuts off eighteen miles by water, fix down the river Cafcaf- quias and twelve up the Miffifippi. The village of St. Louis is fup- plied with flour and other provifions from hence. An ofKcer ap- pointed by the French commandant has the entire regulation of the police. Here is a company of militia, commanded by a Monf Valet, who refides at this place, and is the richeft in- habitant of the country of the Illinois; he raifes great quanti- ties of corn and provifions of every kind; he has one hundred ne- groes, bcfides hired white people, conftantly employed. The vil- lage is about one mile in length and contains about feventy families. Here is a very fine water-mill, for corn and planks, belonging to Monf. Valet. V I OF I S> ] O F T H E COUNTRY OF THE ILLINOIS. THE country of the Illinois is bounded by the MifTifippi on the weft, by the river Illinois on the north, by the rivers Ouabache and Miamis on the eaft, and the Ohio on the fouth. ; I "i The air in general is pure, and the fky ferene, except in the month of March and the latter end of September, when there arc heavy rains and hard gales of wind. The months of May, June, July, and Auguft^ are exceflive hot, and fubjedt to fudden and violent ftorms ; January and February are extremely cold ; the other months of the year are moderate. The principal Indian nations in this country are, the Cafcafquias, Kaoquias, Mitchi- gamias, and Peoryas j thefe four tribes are generally called the Illinois Indians : except in the hunting feafons, they refide near the Engli(h fettlements in this country, where they have built their huts. They are a poor, debauched, and dadardly people. They count about three hundred and fifty warriors. The Pean- quichas, Mafcoutins, Miamis, Kickapous, and Pyatonons, though not very numerous, are a brave and warlike people. The ^il of this country in general is very rich and luxuriant ; it produces all forts of European grains, hops, hemp, flax, cotton, and tobacco, and European fruits come to great perfcflion. The inhabitants make wine of the wild grapes, which is very inebriating, and is, in colour and tafte, very like the red wine of Provence, The coun- try abounds with buffalo, deer, and wild-fowl, particularly ducks, geefe, fwans, turkics, and pheafants. The rivers and lakes afford plenty of fifli. H 2 In I- 52 OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. In the late wars, New Orleans and the lower parts of Loui- fiana were fupplied with flour, beer, wines, hams, and other provilions from this country : at prcfent its commerce is moftly confined to the peltry and furs,- which arc got in traffic from the Indians ; for which arc received in return fuch European com- modities as are neceflary to carry on that commerce and the fup- port of the inhabitants. a , ) ':i OF |V ' i [ 53 ] 'I I O F T H E GOVERNMENT I O F T H E * COUNTRY OF ILLINOIS, When belonging to the FRENCH. THIS country, when in pofTeflion cf the French, was go- verned by a military officer, called the major-commandant, who was appointed by the governor of New Orleans ; he was al- ways a man connedled with the governor by intereft or relationship; he was abfolutc in his authority, except in matters of life and death j capital offences were tried by the council at New Orleans : the whole Indian trade was fo much in the power of the comman- dant, that nobody was permitted to be concerned in it, but on condition of giving him part of the profits. Whenever he made prefents to the Indians, in the name of his king, he received pel- try and furs in return; as the prefents he gave were to be confidered as marks of his favour and love for them, fo the returns they made were to be regarded as proofs of their attachment to liim. Speeches accompanied by prefents were called paroles de valcur j any Indians who came to a French port: were fubfiried at the expence of the king during their (lay, and the fwelling this account was no in- confiderable emolument. As every bufinefs the commandant had with the Indians was attended with certain profit, it is not furprifing that he fpared no pains to gain their affedions ; and he made it equally the intcrcd of the officers under him to pleafe them, by permitting them to trade ;f • 1 54 OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI. trade, and making them his agents in the Indian countries. If any perfon brought goods within the limits of his jurifdidlion, without his particular licence, he would oblige them to fell their merchan- dife, at a very moderate profit, to the commiflary, on the king's ac- count, calling it an emergency of government, and employ the fame goods in his own private commerce : it may eafily be fuppofcd, from what has been before faiJ, that a complaint to the governor of New Orleans would nicet with very little redrefs. It may be pfltcd, if the inhabitants were not offended at this monopoly of trade and arbitrary proceedings ? The commandant could beftow many favours on them, fuch as giving contracts for furnifljing pro- vlfions, or performing publick works i by employing them in his trade, or by making their children cadets, who were allowed pay and provifions, and could when they were grown up recommend them for commiflions. They were happy if ^ the gjo/l fcrvilc and fubmiffive behaviour they could gain his cou. lence and favour. Every perfon capable of bearing arms was enrolled in the militia, and a captain of militia and officers were appointed to each parifh ; the captain of militia regulated corv^es and other perfonal fervice. From this military form of government the authority of the com- mandant was almoft univerfal. The commiflary was a mere cy- pher, and rather kept for form than for any real ufe ; he was al- ways a perfon of low dependence, and never dared counteract the will of the commandant. M 0>F m r (rr,tnff (7(fu/fhf fWlf (rCHf^h ifii'tr (^ it'Ut/Arr/ ,'^/r''tKtA-/i/t' • fr/tOi, ^ ^ M.^ (/. ^ >■ ' (^rafiff ^(fuf/rc It . Mouj^ Bauv/c 7W{Jiisas ^{al'i/aticns deTU^ryifA '7Wi'f (7i^ufpY (y/u'H'fr dr (7>uf7A7rf ...mi U JJccrs l/7/■■ tjh-: RIVEH MISSISSIPPI Jioiii the BALISE up to POUT CXIARTRES. iiiiiiiiiiiiiifi ii.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii| - JjC(f(]lf((\S\ niimmniii ^ /--» ,i & \9 |-Tr;in Tnmii - nfii;, -IM— m /O Mf7t V, |minriiiiiiiimiii.iiimiiiiiilil,iii liraiillll-m. J<^ jr 4o j/if ^ *>l^''' 1 ■ i ■•,;;. :s i, 1 i 1 f . ' ■ ■ /■" j' I ■ 1 * ■s. .1 i'^/,:''tA.f/<'//// t Av/y/.v/ . , ■ .. ov^^* .N^' jDe/c/ir de P/ac/remints Biilisf -*•?( 11 ^ s. Jt. S^ Tra/uot^ / A/ur, 'ytsas ./,J;tsfe*v- ']\ .i DRAUdJI'i: or ///A- ElVEH MiSSISIFPI *f rrom (be BALISE up to FORT (MfARTRKS JBiiiiiiiiiiiiiin wiiimiMiiiiiij- .i -L('f/(/ffr,f . |ll.lillliliii[iii!iiiiiiiiniiii!iiiniii[!'llliili|- /2 Mf/c,f. /f/^' ,IH /f/cd It.Tazaus > il- niiTTr--miiir iil.lll 'iiiiii nmij [innTmimii!ii!raii[iiinv:miin:r.mCTm]- w 2V JC \ ■;U M< J'oi't I'harlrj's V ^i'ntfkt lixiinf '4f K-r/n4- Jf- i7// (Tuv fii/u/u* Ail m I'oit Chailiivs , Ohf/A/ /hu/yr fjte /''i-r/ni' ftt.tiU.ti Ciyi a Co- (rucAf -Anceal<> . / /)/{.ir(,/f'r or Tin: Win VAX Mis SIS IP PT iroiu tlif liAMSK II |) lo FORT CIIAirrKI-S / \ jrec* T^/i/ /' *irMm Jslfi,s {a/iadi'efus L? Oil/ . Darfa, y L ('<{(/ fhW lllimm,lliminnnmn»..ii.n»iiiy- ,3 (f pJDI — laiU — anniirinimimiimi:!!^ ..iiim,i nri.iiMmii| /IP JW ,90 Jil^iS {a/iadt^ns V . 7)ar/aauef/:» are ^lUi^^^/ ^•; )i .M^ t '0^*- •-•-4i»» «»««>>. M , I 'Pr.:\:\' of \\ (> H i L E I'vrf (7nir/i'ttf \ri<('C/-flOl'J J/oUJf Iiii//'(fr/i,i //..//• If// JiJfUfUXt'/U' Il(>.y/f/(f/ S c a 1 e ]«millm^ piii.mii:imii.inim iiimiiiiimimrmm Vif « 1 1 4. \ t c* ■- U^^: / / J t ^/n'''.*n/cnt'n 1 ^ru/yi,'// . If I . i Tz M yv of \I O B I L E Heference. /'c/Y ('/{(jrhrtte - (u'ccnt (>'',' JIoi/.^>e -•- . Bii/rnrA.'i -. Ihikt- Jfoi/jf hiifi(i/i J/i>/(,H' - Pll'l'/.u'o/f J\I(UfU2ifU . LC'/ii-y/r/ . i^M) soo .'/f.Y . ''//>,*'/i iW/i/n . fru//i. •// ^ J /y . • «. /QOO // * ^ iim- / /v / fT: , ■■ i'l /;' : ■ f / a // 'mmsmmi :^-- ::: ^xr^ ■^^:5^::•^^ U-^r^-J -"--! Mi* U." ^ <-»... •-^\ ^ -im- -XT" — tiJ'r'if"*' -*~ 'J^ - _ /,« •> ' ^ / /y ^*- .n _~\.-^..~_:^>Js= •■—-■*.., --, ■■';"5 ifM* •-— 'f '-' ■V; ■^^ b t ^•••u-v*--- rf'^ V V •n .1^ i l\ :ia > . :,■> . I '. :i * - ■ ; - , .-* ■^ , 1 Ik i --1, [ 5S ] Op t«e inhabitants. TH E firft white inhabitants of the Illinois came from Ca- nada ; feme brought wives and families with them, others married Indian women in thofc countries ; there is dill a continual intercourfe between them and the Canadians. The men of thefc countries are very fuperflitious and ignomnt; they are in general adive and well made ; they are as good hunters, can bear as much fatigue, and are as well acquainted with the woods, as the Indians; mod of them have fome knowledge of the dialedts of the neigh- bourtfig Indians and much affedt their manners. The price of la- bour in general is very high, as moil of the young men rather chufe to hunt and trade amongft the Indians, than apply to agri- culture or become handicrafts. At the Illinois a man may be boarded and lodged the year round on condition of his working two months, one month in ploughing the land and fowing the corn, and one month in the harvefl. The only trades they have amongil them are carpenters, fmiths, mafons, taylors^ and mill- wrights. The number of white inhabitants in this country, ex- clufive of the troops, are about tv, houfand, of all ages and fexes ;. in this number are included thofe who live at Fort St. Vincent's* on the Ouabache. Thirty French foldierc were withdrawn iroiik thence in the latter end of the year 1764. Th inhabita ts at this poft live much at their eafe, having every thing neccffary for fheic fubfiftence of their own production. Their commerc - is the lame as that of the othe/ inhabitants of this country. . ! I •■I \ if ^"k -i; AR- I i6 ] L'A R R E D E L A COUR SUPERIEURE db la PROVINCE, Mentione k la page i6. !■ I t' -l I'-?; IH P? LOUIS, par la grace de Dieu, roi de France & de Navarre, a tous ceux qui ces prefentes verront, falut : Savoir faifons, que vii par le confeil fuperieur de la province de Louifianne, les tr^s- humbles reprefentations faiies cejourd'hui a la cour, par tous les ha- bitans, negocians, artizans, & autres peuples, icelles expofitives, que le foulagement d'un peuple dont le confeil eft le pere, le main- tien des loix dont il eft le depofitaire 6c Tinterprette, les progres de I'agriculture & du commerce dont il eft le protedleur, font leS mo- tifs des reprefentations des dits habitans & negocians, &c. Quels objets pour le confeil ! Pourroit-il, apr^s les avoir envifagez en re- garder d'autres, qu'autant qu'ils concourent ^ favorifer ceux-U ? Qu'il fufpende pour quelques momens fes penibles travaux, pour fe livrer aux fujets qui font reprefentes aujourd'hui, comme les plus dignes de fon attention & de fon miniftere : & toi dont le profperite fait I'objet de nos plus ardens defirs, toi qui es pour nous ce que Sparthe, Athenes, & Rome etoicnt pour leu rs zeles citoyens j O chere patrie ! Permets nous d'acquitter une dette legitime en te confa- crant ce foible tribut de notre amour j nos coeurs vont le dlder, une main docile va fe preter a leurs infpirations. Sept millions de papiers royaux formoient tout le numeraire de cette colonie & la fortune des citoyens j la privat )n totale de ce capital, dont S. M. fufpendit le payement par un arret du mois d'Odobre [ 57 ] R R E O F T H E SUPERIOR COUNCIL of the PROVINCE, Referred to in page i6. LOUIS, by the grace of God, king of France and of Na- varre, to all thofe who fliall fee thefe prefents, greeting, We make it known that the fuperior council of the province of Loiii- liana, having taken into confideration the humble reprefentatioiis made this day to that court by all the inhabitants, merchants, ar- tifans, and others ; and thefe laying before it, that the relief of a people, to whom the council is a father j the fupport of the laws, of which it is the depofitory and interpreter j and the improvement of agriculture and commerce, of which it is the patron, are the motives of the reprefentations of faid inhabitants and merchants, &c. What important objeds are thefe for the council ! Can it, after having duly confidered them, give attention to any other, far- ther than as they contribute to favour thefe ? Let it for a few mo- ments fufpend its labours to attach itfelf to thofe fubjeds, which are now reprefented as moft worthy of its attention and its miniftry : and you, whofe profperity is the objed of our moil ardent wi(hes ; you who are to us what Sparta, Athens, and Rome were to their zealous citizens, O dear country ! fufFer us to pay a lawful debt, by confecrating to you this weak tribute of our love, a tribute didated by our hearts, which are feconded by an obedient hand, ready to perform what they infpire. Seven millions of royal paper made all the currency of this colony, and the fortune of its citizens j the total privation of this capital, the payment of which his majefty fufpended by an edid of I the ■'■f< ■L'.s to load thctn ; when the manufa^5tlIrc of indigo may vie with tiiat of St. Dominico ; when the fur trade has been carried to the hiyheft degree of perfection j it is in thefe happy circumftances that certain enemies to their country, and broachers of a falfe fyftem, have doubtlefs drawn in perfons in public ortice to facrifice the inhabitants of New Orleans. The court Hiould not longer defer the relief of a people which is dear to it; it ihould make known to thofc invefled with royal autho- rity the cxhaulled flatc to which this province would be reduced, if it was not for the time to come freed from the prohibitions, which would plunge it into irremediable ruin. What Hiould we think of a phyfician, who being poflefTed of the panacea, or univerH^l remedy, fhould wait for a plague in order to apply it ? It Is by the trade to the Leeward Iflands that the inhabitants of Louifiana find mea.is every year to difpofc of fourfcore or a hundred loads of wood ; if this branch of trade was to be taken away, the colony would be deprived of an annual income of 300,000 livrcs at leaf^, a fum which the work of the negroes and the application of the mafter produces alone, without any foreign afiiftance. Acjording to the obfervation of a celebrated author, it would be better to lofc a hundred thoufand men in a great kingdom by an error in po- liticks, than to be guilty of one which ftiould flop the progrcfs of agriculture and commerce. It is well known that thofc who prc- fent plans to obtain exclufive privileges, are never without plau- fible reafons to make them appear faving and advantageous, as well to the king as the public j but the experience of all ages and aH countries evidently dcmonRratcs, that thofc who feck exclufions, K have "I r [ 66 ] inent que ccux qui follicitent des excluiions ont uniquement ea vuc leur interet particulicri qu'ils font moins zeles que les autres pour Ic bien de I'ctat & moiiis bons patriotes. Que I'execution de I'arret pour le commerce de la Louifiane rcduiroit Ics habitans a I'affligeante alternative, cu de perdre leurs rccoltes, faute de na- vires pour en faire I'expoi tation, ou de changer leurs denrces en fraude avec une nation etrangere, en s'expofant a fubir la rigueur de la loi qui prononce la perte des biens & de la liberie contre les contrebandi(les J quelle vie! & quel combat ! Qu'il n'eft que trop vrai comme on I'a deja obi'crve, que le bruit feul de la nouvelle ordonnance a cauf^ une diminution confiderable, non fculement fur ies objets de luxe, mais aufli fur les bitns fonds. Une maifcn qui vjloit ci-devant vingt mille livres auroit de la peine aujourd'hui d'er.\ produire cinq ; on dira pcut-etre que la rarete de I'argenl con- tribue aufli a cette diminution, mais combicn fcra plus grandc la difette des efpeces, lorfque la colonic fe verra livree, foit a une com- pagnie exclufive, foit a I'ambition de cinq a fix partlculiers qui ne ferment qu'une ir-^ffe ? Ce fera alors un membre qui s'accroitra monftrueufement aux depenc de la fubftance des autres qui devien- dront fees, & paralitiques ; le corps fe verra par la menace d'une deftrudtion totaie : que ce n'a cte qu'en favorifant ouvertement I'in- tiodudlion des negres que I'on etoit parvenu i\ mettre cctte colonie dans I'embonpoint, ou Von I'a vue en 1759. Qu'on dira peut-etre, pour difliper les allarmes, que Tor & I'argent qui s'eft repandu fur la j)iace, au moyen d'une nouvelle adminiftration, pourra dedom- mager d:s pertes dc ragricnlture, & du commerce, mais qu'a juger de I'avenir par I'experience du pafle & du prcfcnt, on trouvera cette reifouTcc bien foible, pcrfonne n'ignorant d'ailleurs que, parmi les diJffer€n».teefors que la terre rcnferme dans fon fein, Tor ^ I'argent nz. ibnt ni les premieres richcffes, ni les plus dcfirables, ccs matieres out reduit dans un ^tat deplorable leurs poflcfleurs naturels & les- maitres de ces efclaves ne font pas devenus plus puillants. II fem- bl«^ (^JS d^s le monietU ils ayent perdu tout efprit d'indudrie, tout aptitude. m 1*7] have their private interefl: folcly in view j that they have lefs zeal than others for the profpcrity of the flate, and have lefs of the fpirit of patriotifm. The execution of the decree with rtgard to the commerce of Louifiana, would reduce the inhabitants to the fad alternative of either lofing their harvefls for want of vcfTcls to export them, or to exchange their commodities in a fraudulent manner with a foreign nation, expofing themfclves to undergo the rigour of the law, which ordains that thofe who carry on a con- traband trade fhall lofe both their lives and liberties. What a life is this! what a druggie! It is but too true, as has been aUcady obferved, that the report of the new ordinance alone has caufed a confiderable diminution, not only in the articles of luxury, but likewife in landed eftates. A houfe which was heretofore worth twenty thoufand livrcs would hardly fell for five thoufand : feme will, perhaps, afifert that the fcarcify of money contributes like- wife to this diminution j but how much greater will be the fcarcity of fpecic, when the colony fliall either be delivered up to an cx- clufive company, or to the ambition of five or fix indi-iduals, who form but one body ? It will refemble a member grown to a mon- ftrcMS bulk at the expence of the fubftance of the reft, which would become withered and paralytic j the body would thereby find itfelf threatened with a total deftru^tion : it was only by openly favouring the introdudlion of negroes that this colony was raifed to the flourishing ftate which it appeared to have attained in 1759. Perhaps it will be faid, to difpel thefe alarms, that the gold and iilver which has been made to abound in the place by a new ad- miniftration, may indemnify for the lofTes of agriculture and com- merce ; but to judge of the future by the experience ot" the paft and the prefent, that refource will be found to be very weak, as nobody can be ignorant, that amongft the various treafures which the earth contains in its bofom, gold and filver are neither the chief riches nor the moft: defirable ; thefe metals have reduced their natural poffcflTors to a deplorable ftate, and the maflen of thofc flaves are not thereby become more powerful. They appear from that moment to have loft all fpirit and induftry, all difpofition K 2 to II ":■ i I I . Ml ■^ ■ [ 63 ] aptitude au travail, comme un labourcur qui trouveioit un trefor au milieu dc fon champ abandoneroit pour toujours la cliarrue ; que d'aillcurs cotnbien d'ades de rigueur ii'ont pas cte exercecs contrc dcs pailibles cicoyens par un etranger, qui, quoique rcvctu d'un caradcre rcfpcdable, n'a fatisfalt ^ aucuns des formalltes ni a aucuns des devoirs prefcrits par I'adle de ceflion, Itur objet de tranquilite. On citera un ancien capitaine qui a etc detenu, par fes ordres, aux arrets &c fon navire dans le port pendant Tefpace de huit a dix niois, pour n'avoir pas ffu lire dans les decrets de \.\ providence que le bateau d"is lequel il avoit envoye des paqueis qu'on lui avoit confie, feroit naufrage. Une femblable tyrannie a ete exerce'e par le depofitaire de cette meme autorite' informe 6c il- legalc, envers deux capitaines de la Martinique qui n'avoient commis d'autre crime, que cclui de n'avoir pas dcvine que le con- feil de la Louifiane avoit rendu un arret qui intcrdifoit I'cntree des iiegres creolifes des Iflcs du Vent & fous le Vent : quel traitement un ancien citoyen n'a-t-il pas elluye a I'occafion d'un paquet qui avoit ete remis au capitaine de fon navire^ & qui ayant ete con- trarie par les vents, n'a pu le remettre il la Ilavanne ? Comment decrira-t-on rinhumanite avec laquelle ont ete mcnes les Acca- diens ? Ce peuple^ le jouet des evencmens, s'efl: determine, par un efprit patriotique, d'abandonncr tout ce qu'il pouvoit pofleder fur les terres Angloifes pour venir vivre fous les heureufes loix de leur ancien maltre : ils font arrives a grand fraix dans cette colonie j h. peine font-ils parvenus a deffricher I'emplacement necelTalre a une pauvre chaumiere que, fur quelques reprefentations qu'ils ont voulu faire a M. Ulloa, il les a menace de les chaffer de la colonie 6c de les faire vendre comme des efclaves pour payer les rations que le toi leur avoit donne, en enjoignant aux AUenr'nds de leur refufer retraite. On laiffe a decider, fi cette conduite ne tient point de la barbarie; mais on croit pouvoir conclure, fans rlen exagercr, qu'clle eft dianietralement oppofcc au fiileme politique qui veut que Ton. favor if« ] . [ *9 ] to work ; like a labourer who fliould find a treafure in the midll of his field, and tliereupon forfake his plough for ever. Befide.s how many adh of fcverity have been cxercifed againft peaceable citizens by a flranger ; who, though inverted with a refpedablc tharader, has obierved i\one of the formalities, nor perfurnied any of the duties prefcribed by the adt of ceflion, their objcdt of tran- quility. We fliall mention an old captain of a fliip who was con- fined by his orders, and his vedel detained in the port during eight or ten months, for not having been able to read in the decrees cf providence, that the vefTcl in which he had difpatched certain packets entrurted to his care would be cart away. A fimilar ty- ranny was exercifed by the perfon inveficd with this illegal and' UDJuIl aiitliority, ag;\inrt two captains '■clv':^nging to iMartinico, who had been guilty of no other crime but that of not having giiellcd that the council of Louifiana had iifucd an edid, which forbid the entrance of the negroes naturalized amongfl the Creolians into the Leeward Iflands. What ill ufagc has an old citizen fufFered upon account of a pacquet, which had been put into the hands of the captain of one of his flilps, who, having met with contrary winds, was unable to deliver it at the Havannah ? How fliall we defcribe the barbarity with which the people of Accadia were treated ? This people, the fport of fortune, were determined, by a patriotic fpirir, to forfake all they might be poflclFed of upon the Englilh territo- ries, in order to go to live under the happy laws of their ancient mafter : they arrived in this colony at a great expence, and fcarce had they cleared out a place futlicient for a poor thatched hut tO' iland upon, when in confequence of fome rcprefentations, which- they happened to nurke to Mr. Ulloa, he threatened to drive them^ out of the colony, and have them fold for flaves, to pay the ra- tions which the king had given them, at the fame time direding the Germans to refufe them a retreat. The court is left to deter- mine whether this condud does not border upon barbarifm ; hut we think we may take upon us to conclude that it is diametrically, ©pgofite to the political fyrtcm, which direds us to promote every. . : brancb i1,, (-' ^^■l l-. t 70 J ^ (favorife toutes les branches de populatlones. Ceux qui fc plaigncnt, Jk quel homme aflez aneanti fous le joug peut cfluyer fans murmure ,de tcUes inhumanites ? Qui, on I'ofe dire, ceux qui fe plaignent font menaces d'etre emprifonnes, exiles a la Balifes, & envoyes aux mines. Que fi M. Ulloa a ^tc revetu de quelque autorite, fon prince nc lui a jamais ordonn^ de la rendre tirannique, ni de I'ex- ercer avant d'avoir fait connoitrc fes litres & fes pouvoirs. De tciles vexations ne font pas Touvrage des coeurs des rois, eiles s'ac- cordent peu avec I'humanite qui fait leur caradtcre & qui dirige leurs adtions : qu'on ne finiroit point fi on entreprenoit le detail de toutes les humiliations que les Franfois de la Nouvelle Orleans ont cprouve. II eft a defirer, pour I'honneur de la nation, que ce qui a pu en tranfpirer puifle etrc efface par les precieux efFets de la pro- tedtion du confeil fuperieur que Ton reclame aujourd'hui, 6c que pour mettre le comble a tant de tribulations on leur predit, qu'avec le terns, on redaira les colons de la Louifiane a la fimple nourriture de la tortilla, tandis que I'alimcnt le plus fobre ne fera jamais leur peine. Que cependant le conservation de leurs jours, leurs obliga- tions envers leurs creancicrs, leur honncur emanant du patriotifme & de leur devoir, leurs fortunes enfin fe trouvant attaquecs par le dit decret, les portent a offrir leurs biens & leur fang pour con- ferver a jamais le doux & inviolable titre de citoyen Fraw9ois. Que tout cet expofe les conduit naturellement a des conclufions aux- quelles le zele de la cour pour le bien public, fli fermcte pour le maintien des loix dont S. M. T. C. I'a etablie depofitaire, les aflure qu'clle fera I'accueil le plus favorable. iVlais avant d'entrer dans ces conclufions ils doivent rendre homage aux bontes de M. Aubry. Les voeux du public fe font toujours accordes a\^c le choix du prince a lui donner le commandement en chef de la Louifiane, fes vertus lui ont fait decerner le titre d'honnete homme & de gouvcrneur equi- table : il n'a jamais ufe de ks pouvoirs que pour faire le bien, 6c tout I [7' J. branch of population. "Thofc who complain, (and who is there fo fiir broke to the yoke as to bear without murmuring luch horrid inhumanities ?) yes, we dare to declare it, thofe who complain are threatened with imprifonment, baniHied to Ealifes, and fenttothe mines. Now, though Mr. UUoa might have been iiueflcd witli Ibme authority, his prince never commanded him to exert it in a tyrannical manner, nor to exercife it before he had made known his titles and his powers. Such oppreflions are not didated by the hearts of kings ; they ag;-cc but ill with that humanity which con- ftitutes their charadter and diredts their adtions. We ihould hardlv ever make an end,, were we to enter into a detail of all the mor- tifications which tiie French of New Orleans liave undergone. It were to be wifhed for the honour of the nation, that as manv of them as have tranfpired might be obliterated by the precious eflcds- of the protedlion of the fuperior court, which is now applied for, and that to render [o much tribulation complete, it fliould be fortold to them, that in time the inhabitants of Louifiana will be reduced to live upon turtle alone, whilft the mofl frugal fort of food will now be a punifliment to them. In the mean time, the prefervation of their lives, their obligations to their creditors, their honour, which is the rcfultof patriotifm and of their duty, in fine,, their very fortune being attacked by the faid decree, reduce them to offer their pofTeflions and their blood to preferve for ever the clear and inviolable title of Frenchmen. All that has hitherto been, faid leads them naturally to make demands or requefts to which the zeal for the public good, its fteddinefs in fupporting the laws which his mofl chriflian mnjefty has made them the depofitories of,, affu res them th.it it will give the molt favourable reception. But before they proceed to thefe demands, they muft pay their homage to the goodnsfs of Monf. Aubry. The wilhes of the public have al- ways correfponded with the choice of the prince in affigning him the chiefcommand over the province of Louifiana; his virtues have caufed: the titles of honed man and equitable governor to be adjudged. himj he never made ufe of his power but to. d4) good, and all; UfljVlfti h: * ■I* . [ 7^ ] tout ce qui a ete injufle lui a toujours paru impofTible. Qii'ils ne craignent point qu'on ait a leur reprochcr que la reconnoillancc • Ifs ait fait exagerer en qnelques chofes : negliger des louanges me- ' ritccs, c'cd: vulcr une dctte legitime, & concluent enfin en luppli- ; ant le cour, ♦ 1. D'obtenir que les priveleges & exemptions dont la colonic a ' joui, dcpuis la retroceflion que la compagnie en fit a S. M. T. C. • Toient maintcnus fans qu'aucune innovation puifle en arreter le cours, 6c tioubler la furete des citoyens. 2. Qu'il foit accorde des pafTeports, conges 5c permiffions ema- nant dc meflieurs le gouverneur 6c commiflaire de S. M. T. C. ;iux capitalnes de navires qui s'expedicront de cette colonic pourtel port de France 5c de I'Amerique que ce puifle etre. 3. Que tout batiment expcdie de tel port dc France 5c de I'Ame- rique que ce puifTe etre, aura I'entree libre du fleuvej foit qu'il vienne diredlement pour cette colonic, ou qu'il y aborde de Re- lache, afin que cela s'ei\ toujours pratique. 4. Que la liberte du commerce avec toufes les nations qui font fous la domination de S. M. T. C. foit accorde a tous les citoyens, en confcrmite des ordres du roi a feu M. D'Abbadie, enregiftre's au greffe de cette ville, 5c conformement auffi a la lettrc dc monfcig- neur le due de Choifcuil au meme M. D'Abbadie, en datte du 9 Fevrier 1766. 5. Que M. Ulloa foit declare infradaire 5c ufurpateur, en plu- fieurs points, de rautorite devolue au gouvernement 5c au confeil, puifque toutes les loix, ordonnances 5c coutumes, veulent que cette autoritc ne foit exercee par aucun officier, qu'apres qu'il aura rempli toutes ks formalites prefcritcs, ^ c'cfl a quoi M. Ulloa [ 73 ] unjuft deeds have to him ever appeared Impoflible. They are not afraid of being reproached that gratitude has made them exaggerate in any particular : to negledt deferved praifes is to keep back a lawful debt, and they conclude, in fine, by intreating the court, 1. To obtain that the privileges and exemptions, which the colony has enjoyed fince the cefllon, which the company mad( to his mofl chriftian majefty, (hould be fupported without any lu.. - vations being fufFercd to interrupt their courfe and difturb the fe- eurity and quiet enjoyment of the citizens. ,j ., ., 2. That pafTports and permiffions fliould be granted from the governors and commiflioners of his moft chriflian majefty, to fuch captains of veflels as fliall fet fail from this colony to any ports of Prance or America whatever. .' . • .5. That any fliip which fails from any port of France or Ame- rica whatever, fliall have free entrance into the river, whether it fail diredly for the colony, or only put into it occafionally, as has been always obferved. 4. That the freedom of trade with the feveral nations under the government of his moft: chriftian majefty, fliall be granted to all the citizens, in conformity to the king's orders to the late Mr. D'Abbadie, regiftered at the fecretary's office of this city, and likewife in conformity to the letter of his grace the duke dc Choi- feuil, addreffed to the fame Mr. D'Abbadie, and dated the 9th of February 1766. "i '■-■'.■. 5. That Mr. Ulloa fliall be declared to have, in many points, infringed and ufurpcd the authority which had devolved to the government and the council, becaufe all the laws, ordonancc?, and cuftoms, direft, that the faid authority Ihall not be exercifed by any officer, till he Ihall have performed all the formalities pre- L fciibed. I 74 ) Ulloa n'a point fatisfalt j pourquoi, il doit fetre declar6 infraftairc & ufurpateur, i. Pour avoir fait arborcr pavilion Efpagnol en plu- ficiirs endroits de la colonic, fans avoir pr^alablcment montr^ & fait enrcgiflrer au confeil, les litres & pouvoirs dont il a pu elrc munis & que les citoyens aflembles aycnt pu en Strc inform^s. 2. Pour avoir, de fon chef & autorite privce, exig^ que dcs capi- taines de navlres fuflent detenus & leurs batimens dans le port fans aucun fondement 6c pour avoir faire mettre aux arrSts a bord d'unc fregate Efpagnole des citoyens Franfois. 3. Pour avoir fait tcnir des confeils, dans la maifon du fieur Detrehan, par des officiers Efpagnols, dans lefquels il a ete rendu dcs anets concernant les ci- toy is de la Louifianci 5c demandent, qu'cra vcrtu de tous ces griefs & tant d'autres de notorietc publiquc 5c aufli pour la tran- quility de tous les citoyens qui reclament la protedion du confeil, lis foient affranchis deformais de la crainte d'une autorite tiranique & des conditions portces par le dit dccret, au moyen de I'eloigne- ment de M. Ulloa, auquel il doit etrc rnjoint de s'cmbarquer, dans le premier batiment qui partira, pour fe rendre oil bon lui fcmble- ra, hors de la dependance de cette province. 6. Qu'il (bit ordonne a tous les officiers Efpagnols, qui font dans cettc ville ou repandus dans les poftcs dependans de la colonic, d'en fortir pour fe rendre egalement la ou ils jugcront a propos, hors de la dependence de la dite province, &qu'cnfin il plaifc a la cour, or- donner que I'arret a intervenir fera lu, public & affiche dans tous- les licux 6c endroits accoutumcs de cette ville 6c copies collationccs cnvoyees dans tous les poftes de la dite colonic. Les dites reprc'- fentations font fignees par cinq cent trente fix perfonres, habitans, negotians, marchands, 6c notables. Vu aufli la copie du decret pub- lie par ordre de S. M. C. non fignec, ni dattce, autre copie d'une ■ordonnance t 7J 1 icribed t and this condition Mr. UUoa has not complied with. fiC fliould therefore be declared to have infringed and ufurped the authority of the government j l. For having raufed Spanifli co- lours to be fct up in feveral parts of the colony, without having previoufly caufcd to be rcgiftered in the council books, the titles ami powers which he might have received, and of which the aflctnhly of the citizens might have been informed. 2. For liaving of liis own accord, and by his own private authority, infixed upon cap- tains of vefiels being detained with their fliips in the port witliout any caufe, and for having ordered fubjcds of France to be confined aboard a Spanifli frigate. 3. For having caufed councils to be held in the houfe of Mr. Detrehan by Spanidi officers, in which decrees were ifllied concerning the inhabitants of Louifiana. And they requeft, that on account of thefe grievances, and many others publickly known, and likewife for the tranquility of all the citizens who apply for the patronage of the council, they rtiall for the time to come be freed from the fear of a tyrannical authority, and exempted from obferving the conditions enjoined by the faid decree, by means of the difmiffion of Mr. Ulloa, who ihould be ordered to embark aboard the firfl; veffel which fliall fet fail, in order to depart, whenever he thinks proper, out of the countries depending upon this province. 6. That orders {hall be given to all the Spanifli officers who are in this city, or fcattered up and down at the pofls depending upon the colony, to quit them, in order to repair likewife, whenever they (hall think proper, out of the dependencies of the province j and, finally, that the court would be pleafed to order that the decree (hall be read, publiflied, and fet up, in all the ufual places of this city, and collated copies fent to all the ports of the faid colony. The faid reprefentations figned by five hundred and thirty- fix inhabitants, eminent merchants and dealers. On account, like- wife, of the copy of the decree, publifhed by orders of his catho- lic majelly, neither figned nor dated, and of another copy of an L 2 ordonance [ 7« ] ordonnance publiee en cctte ville par orJre dc M. Ulloa, du 6 Septcmbrc 1766, I'arrct interlocutoirc rendu k jour d'hier fur Ic rcquiiitoirc de M. Ic procureur gv-ncral du roi, portiint& ordonnant avant dire droit, que I'S ditcs rrprefcnlations feroient mifcs cntre Ics mains dc meflleurs, M'" Uchet, ccuyer, fieur de Knion, & Piot Delaunay, confcillcrs litulaires, pour ctre par cux examinees & enfuitc communiquces meflleurs les gens du roi, pour ctre rcquis & ordonne ce qu'il appartiendra dc droit ; le tout vu, M. le pxo- curcur general du roi s'eft levc 6c remis, a dil, «* Meflleurs, '* Le premier point le plus intcrefTant a examiner, efl la de- ** marche dc tous les habitans & negocians unis, qui dans Icur ** fervitude prcparee, & leurs malheurs demontrcs, s'addreflent a *' votre tribunal & vous demandent juflice dcs infracSlions faitcs a ** I'acfte folemnel de cefllon de cette colonie : votre tribunal efl:-il ** compctant ? Sont-ils fonde's ? Je vais prouvci vtendue de I'au- torite royale deferce au confeil fuperieur. Les parlemens & les confcils fupericurs font les dcpofltaires dcs loix a I'abri dcfquels les peuplcs vivent heureux ; font protedleurs ncs par ctat dcs ** vertueux citoyens, & font ctablis pour fiiire exccuter les ordon- ** nances, edits, & declarations, dcs rois aprcs Icur enr^giftrcment : ** telle a ete la volontc de Louis le blen-aime, notre feigneur roi, *' & au nom duquel tous vos arrets jufqu'a ce jour, ont etc rcndus •* & mis a execution. L'ade de cefllon, feul titre dont le commif- *• faire de S. M. C. puifl"e fe prevaloir pour rcclamer aulorite & *• propricte fut addrefl'e a defunt M. D'Abbadie, avec ordre de le «• faire enregiflrcr au confeil fuperieur de la colonie, afin que les '* differens etats de la dite colonie foient informes de fon contenu & ** qu'ils puiflent y avoir rscours au befoiu, la prefentc n'dtant a au- ---■■- f €i trefi It [ 77 1 ordonancc publifticd in this city, by order of Mr. Ulloa, of the 6th of September 1766, the interlocutory decree ilTued ycfterday, upon the requifition of the king's attorney-general, orders and di- redls, that before the decifion of the court, the fiid reprefentations (hall be put into the ha ds of Meflrs. Attre Uchet, cfquire, lord of Knion, and Piot Deiaunay, titular counfcUors, to be by them examined, and afterwards communicated to the king's council ; that what the law direds may be enadled concerning them. All thefe particulars being taken into confidcration, the king's attorney- general ftood up and faid, • ** Gentlemen, • *' The firft and mod intercrting point to be examined is the Aep taken by all the inhabitants and merchants in concert, who, being threatened with flavcry, and labouring under grievances *' which have been enumerated, addrefs your tribunal, and re- *^« quire jutlicc for the violations of the folemn ad of the ccflion of " that colony. Is your's a competent tribunal ? Are thefe com- " plaints ju(t ? I fliall now flicw the extent of the royal authority ** vefted in the fupcrior council. The parliaments and fuperior «' council are the depofitaries of the laws, under the protection of which the people live happily j they are, by their rank and ' dignity the patrons of virtuous citizens, and they are eflablirtied lor the purpofe of executing the ordonances, cdids, and decla- " rations of kings after they are regiftered. Such was the will " and plcafurc of Lewis the well-beloved, our fovereign lord, in «* whofe name all your decrees to the prcfent day have been ilfued . *' out and carried into execution. The a6l of cefllon, the only *' title of which his catholic majefly's commiflary can avail hi.n- " felf, to make his demands au£loritale & proprictafe, was ad- ** drefled to the late Mr. D'Abbadie, with orders to caufe it to bfj •* regiftered in the fuperior council of the colony, to the end t'.iat " the different clafles of the faid colony may be informed of its *' contents, and may be enabled to have jecourfe to it upon occafion ; «* this ti K ' n St it ti tt <( (i (( *t *l (< «( tt tt tt tt I 7< J tres fins. La lettre de M. Ulioa dattce de la Ilavanne du ro Juillct 1765, qui caradcrifc fcs dcfirs dc rcndrc h. mcHlcurs let habitant tous lc8 fcrviccs qu'ils ponrront fouhaitcr, vous fut ad- drellce, mcHieurs, avec pricrc dc fairc participcr aux dits habitant qu'en ccla 12 ne feroit que rcmplir fun devoir £c flatcr fun in* clinalion. La ditc Icttrc fi\t, par votrc arrtit de dclib(5r, forms, and cuftoms, in caufing his powers^ titles, and provifions to be regifl:ered in the fuperior council, *' with the copy of the adt of ceflion j that it be enjoined Mr. ** Ulloa, commiflioner of his catholic majefly, to leave the ** colony in the frigate in which he came, without delay, to " avoid accidents and new clamours, and to go and give an ac- count of his condudt to his catholic majefly ; and with regard to the difi^erent ports eftabliflied by the faid Mr. Ulloa, he is defired " to leave in writing fuch orders, as he fliall think necelfary ; that *' he be declared refponfible for all the events which he might ** have foreleen ; that MeflVs. Aubry and Foucault be requefted, ** and even fummoned, in the name of our fovereign lord the ** king, to continue to command and govern the colony as they ** did heretofore j that fuch fliips as fail from this colony fliall not N- be « tt €t tt t( tt tt .^i^ [ 90 ] ** ^tre cxpedl^'S que fous dcs paflcports llgncs de M. Foucault fai- *• fant fondtions d'ordonnalcur ; que la prife de pofleflion ne pourra ctrc propofcc ni tcntcc par aucuns moycns fans dc nou- vcaux ordrcs dc S. M. T. C. que mcfTieurs Loyola, Gayarro, 6c *• Navarro fcront declares ctre garants de leur fignature dans Ics bons qu'il font mis fur la place s'ils nc font apparoir des ordrcs dc S. M. C. qui les ait autoriles a mettre Ics dits Bons & papiers fur la place ; qu'il leur foit accordc les dclais necefl'aires pour donncr I'ordre qu'ils jugcront convenable a leur comptabilittf. Que les habitans & negocians foicnt autorifcs X choifir des de- putes pour aller porter Icurs fuppliques au fcigneur roi ; qu'il foit fixd 6c arrcte, que Ic confcil fupericur addrcflcra dcs rcprcfenta- tions a notre fcigneur roi, que I'arrct a inlervcnir foit lu, public,, affiche, 6c cnregiftre ; que copies coUalionnees en foicnt envoyees a rnonfeigncur le due de Praflin avec une lettre du confeil fupe- ricur 6c aufli dans les poftcs de la colonic pour y etre lues, pub- " lices, affichees, 6c enregiftrees." IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT.3) ^/ \^4i. i' ^ 1.0 I.I ■ 50 ""^^ ^ 1^ 1 2.5 1.8 1-25 1.4 ||.6 .• 6" ► V] <^ /a K y /A Sciences Corpoiatm 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 I! w [ 92 J pateur d'une autoritc illcgale en faifant chatier 6c vexer des c*' toyens Fran9ois, fans avoir au piealable fatisfait aux loix 6c formi s, n'ayant fait apparoir ni enrcgiftrer fes pouvoirs, litres 6c provifions j 6c au prejudice des privileges li eax conferves par le dit adte dc ccfllon : 6c pour prevenir quelque violence du peuple, 6c cviter quelque tumulte dangereux, le confeil par fa prudence ordinaire, fe trouve oblige d'cnjoindre, comme de fait il enjoint a M. Ulloa de fortir de la colonic fous trois jours pour tout delai, foit dans la fregate de S. M. C. fur laquelle il eft venu, ou dans tel autre ba- timent qui lui paroitra convenable, 6c d'aller rendre compte de fa conduite a S. M. C, a ordonne 6c ordonne que concernant les poftes par lui etablis dans le haut du fleuve, il laifiera tels ordres qu'il ju- gera convenables, le rendant refponfable de tous les evenemens qu'il auroit pu prevoir. A prie 6c prie meffieurs Aubry 6c Foucault 6c les fomme meme au no»n de notre feigneur roi, de continuer k commander 6c regir, comme ils faifoient ci-devant la colonic : de- fend expreflement a tous armateurs 6c capitaines d'expedier aucun batiment fous autre pafleport que celui de M. Foucault, faifant fon(5lion de I'ordonnateur : a ordonne 6c ordonne que la prife dc pofTeflion pour S. M. C. ne pourra etre propofee 6c tentee, par au- cun moyens, fans des nouveaux ordres de S. M. T. C. qu'en con- fequence M. Ulloa s'embarquera fous le dit delai de trois jours dans tel batiment qu'il jugera a propos avec tous les matelots qui font a la Balife. Pour ce qui concerne meffieurs Loyola, Gayarro, 6c Navarro, le confeil a ordonne qu'ils pcurront refter pour fuivre leur comptabilite jufques a de nouveaux ordres de S. M. T. C. en par eux demeurer garans deleurs fignatures dans les bons qu'ils ont mis fur la place, a moins qu'ils ne faffent apparoir des ordres de S. M. C. A autorifc 6c autorife les habitans 6c negocians, a choifir tellcs t 93 ] has declared and declares him an ufurper of illegal authority, in caufing fubjcds of France to be punifhed and opprcfled without having previoufly complied with the laws and forms, having nei- ther produced his powers, titles, and provifions, nor caufed them to be regiflered, and that in prejudice of the privileges infured to them by the faid ad of ceflion : and to prevent any violence of the populace, and avoid any dangerous tumult, the council, in its ufual prudence, finds itfelf obliged to enjoin, as in fadt it enjoins, Mr. Ulloa to quit the colony, allowing him only the fpace of three days, either in the frigate of his catholic majefly, in which he came, or in whatever veffel he (hall think proper, and go and give an account of his condud to his catholic majefly : it has likewife ordained and ordains, that with regard to the ports eftabliflied by him at the upper part of the river, he fliall leave fach orders as he judges expedient, making him at the fame time r«fponfible for all the events which he might have forefeen. It has likewife re- quefted and requefls Meffrs. Aubry and Foucault, and even cites them in the name of our fovereign lord the king, to continue to command and govern the colony as they did heretofore : at the fame time exprefsly forbids all thofe who fit out veffels, and all captains of fhips, to difpatch any veffel with any other paffport but that of Mr. Foucault, who is to do the office of regulator : has likewife ordered and orders, that the taking poffeffion for his ca- tholic majefty can neither be propofed nor attempted by any means without new orders fiom his moft chriftian majefty : that in confe- quence Mr. Ulloa fhall embark in the fpace of three days in what- ever fliip he fhall think proper. With regard to what relates toMeflrs. Loyola, Gayarro, and Navarro, the counfel has decreed that they may ftay and follow their refpedive bufinefs, till they have received new orders from the moft chriftian king, and remain fureties of their fig- natures for the goods and paper-circulation which they expoled to public view 'n the market-place, except they produce the orders of his catholic majefty. Has likewife authorifed and authorifes the ^ inhabitants [ 94 ] telles perfonnes qu'ils croiront convenablc pour aller porter leur fupplique au feigneur roi, 6c a arrete que pareillemcnt le confeil fuperieur addrelTera des reprefentations a notre dit feigneur roi ; ordonne que le prefent arret fera imprime, lu, public & affkhe & enregiftre en tous les lieux & poftes de cette colonie, & que copic en fera envoyee a Mgr. le due de Praflin, miniftre de la marine. Mandons, a tous nos huiffiers ou fergents fur ce requis, fairc pour rexecution du prefent tous ades & exploits necelTaires, de cc ^.ire donnons pouvoir. Et enjoignons au fubflitut du procureur general du roi, tenir le main a I'execution, & d'cn avertir la cour en fon terns. Donne, en la chambrc de confeil, le vingt neuf 0(aobre 1768. Par le confeil, . G A R I C, greffier en chef. Je protegee contre I'arret du confeil, qui renvoye monfieur Don Antonio Je Ulloa de cette colonic ; leurs majeftes tres chretiennc & catholique feront ofFenfes du traitement que Ton fait eprouver a une perfonne de fon caradlere, & malgre le peu de forces qui j'ai fous mes ordres, je m'oppoferois de tout mon pouvoir a fon depart, fi je ne craignois que fa vie ne fut expofee, aufli bien que cclle de tons les Efpagnols qui fe trouvent ici. Delibere a la chambre de confeil, ce 29 Odobre 1768. Signe AUBRY. Colla- [ 95 ] inhabitants and merchants to chufe whatever perfons they think proper to go with their petition to our fovereign lord the king, and has decreed that the fuperior council fliall in like manner make reprefentations to our faid fovereign lord the king : orders that the prefent decree (hall be printed, read, fet up, publi{hed, and re- giftered in all places and polls of this colony, and that a copy of it fliall be fent to his grace the duke of Praflin, minifler of the marine. We order all our bailiffs and ferjeants to perform all the ads and ceremonies requifite for carrying the prefent decree into exe- cution J we at the fame time empower them to do fo. We alfo enjoin the fubftitute of the king's attorney -general to fuperin- tend the execution, and to apprize the court at a proper time. Given at the council-chamber on the 29th of Odober, 1768. By the council, G A R I C, principal fecretary. I proteft againil the decree of the council, which difmiffes don Antonio de Ulloa from this colony j their moil chriftian and ca- tholic majefties will be offended at this ufage of a perfon of his cha- rader ; and tho' I have fo fmall a force fubjed to my orders, I ihould with all my might oppofe his departure, were I not appre- henfive of endangering his life, as well as the lives of all the Spaniards in this country. Deliberated at the council-chamber this 29th of Odober 1768. Signed AUBR Y. Con< t 9<5 ] Colhtione fur I'original demeure es minutes de grefTe, par nous greffier en chef foufllgne, a la Nouvelle Orleans le deux Novcmbre 1768. C A R I C, greffier en chef. EXTRAIT [ 97 ] Compared with the original, left amongft the minutes of the fecretary's office, by me, the firft fecretary, whofe name is hereto figned, at New Orleans, ad of November 1768, i GARIC, principal fecretary. O EXTRACT :t.98 ] 1ExtRAtTdcsRE0ISTRE8d6CoNSEILS0PEl^IEUR(klaPROVINCB de la LouisiANE, du 31 Odobrc 1768. Vu par le confeil fupciieur, la proteftation faite par M. Aubry, chevalier de I'ordre royal 6c militaire de St. Louis, commandant pour fa maica6 trcs-chrctienne de la ditte province, a I'arret de la cour rendu le 29 du prefent mois. contre M. Ulloa commillaire do S, M. C. icelle lue I'audience tenante j oui fur ce, le procureur- gdneral du roi en fes conclufions ; la matiere mife en deliberations: le confeil, fans condamner les motifs qui ont donne lieu a M. Au- bry, de protefler contre I'arret de la cour du 29 du prefent, a de- clare & declare la ditte proteftation nulle, & comme non avenue ; ordonne que le dit arret fortira fon plein & entier effet, ce qui fera execute en toute fa forme & tcneur. Donne 6c delibere en la chambre de confeil, le 31 Oaobre 1768. Par le confeil, G AP.IC, greffier en chef. •i ' F I N. t 99 1 » Extract of the Registers of the Superior Council of the Province of Louisiana, 31ft: Odlober 1768. The fuperlor council having taken into confidcratlon the protefl: made by Mr. Aubry, knight of the royal and military order of St. Louis, governor of faid province for his mo(l chriflian niajcfty, again (I the decree of court delivered on- the 29th of the prefent month againft: Mr. Ulloa, commiflloner of his catholic majefty j and this proteft being read whilfl the audience was holding, and the king's attorney-general being heard thereupon, and the matter thoroughly debated ; the council, without condemning the mo- tives which have caufed Mr. Aubry to proteft againft the decree of court of the 29th of the prefent month, has declared and declares the faid proteft null and void, and orders that the faid decree ftiall have its entire effed, which (IvAl be executed in its full force and tenor. Given and refolved at the council-chamber, Odober 31, 1768. By the council, G A R I C, principal fecretary. FINIS. , '