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Les diegrammes suivants iilustrant le mAthode. 12 3 1 2 3 4 S 6 y THE I S T O R Y OF LOUISIANA VOLUME t I iT,;«' / iSo "i^LM 'O; r^l^. -H».l -/. ./ ry I 4 • C/itMr M e ,t \»-V^^Jt Xf\ L^h.UU442 (/ft tP .i ltj»'e> ■/, 4c lir. VMaae off the ofjthe A D, J\t4/tfucasjj J\ ^di ji o \rr\^ ^4 s /S*" Fe 5^ J7/laa^ -i^ \^Ti&!nof •".JJ -i^*WAf^^"^ ?^f^ -\ — 4 1 IV^'^//*" ,'^. Avi) / 'iiruMts r^' ^KvfcV* y»«^^ -fi/UlMf] iirOhsan 3^^' I 4 I I'/^IMC ' «' ,f - IVfN^i't'HiJi J, I. ^5 l'ou|ii!ryofthe Sioux. ^lItbu-*>iUui or 4.'i Ih I'ri' ,./.' fFiiu t^H4\tnt\' '4'rtrn/ma JViut^ ^^' V, Ih' /ft .^f.'f/ii'it \Si/iYr muit .■-t ,Af ^o ;•*,.-">'•' ii v/ft* .... .1 .. Jm^-' %: n . tn inufi . Milt, • ^ -V .^^w^^'i \s ,J[J* C aotiit as »(* r^ ^.T OK. r. 'tw; TaeAMtk ^y \^ r*i i??l _._4^\ JiriA.no ,- if 1 F ^ fVzif/ pHMnee- arBar ffaist Jt'ar .*i a^^ :e jc J r o 9^0 .'J'^ ( A »*■ <^ ■^ ,^ , iff^^ { i 1 T i. 'w r I o 'I THE H I ST O R Y LOUISIANA, O R O F TheWESTERN Parts OF VIRGINIA and CAROLINA: CONTAINING A Defcription of the Countries that lye on both Sides of the River Miffijipi : WITH An Account of the Settlements, Inhabitants, r^N»»^* Tranflated from the French, (lately publifhed,) By M. L E P AG E D u PR ATZ} WITH Some Notes and Observations relating to our Colonies. In Two Volumes. VOL. I. LONDON, Printed forT. Becket and P. A. Db Homi^t in the Strand, iidg^lxiu. / kxo ^1 * • * ji- If 3 •1 o >: v; I ^■ i\i V % . •► -i\ t . i.w; -''•*afVw? •i^A, r-i ' t 4 , t ». I 1 • *. • v/***- vH.1 VI .»*;<. ] i^i •V- "ff*-^' .kiJ-kil ••£! i^'K^m^ %J V -, ''-I ■ >*1 K'. * -. -» "■-» --^i.--* ^^T" .■* ;j*r I'i. L M< *■ tfAis,t ittm «-'i3»*tclX, •j>i.^S(.'y * :{ * ^ % u »; . I ^> -• <—• * '^■' PREFACE. THE Hiftory of Louifiana, which v/t here prefent to the public, was wrote by a planter of fixteen years expe- rience in that country ; who had likewife the advantage of being ovcrfeer or director of the pcbllc plantations, both when they bdonged to the company, and afterwards when thcf fell to the crown ; by which means he had the bed opportunities of knowing the nature of the foil and climate, and what they produce, or what improvements they are likely to admit of ; a thing in which this nation is, without doubts highly concerned and interefted. And when our author publiflied this hidory in 1758, he had likewife the advantage, not only of the accounts of F, Charlevoix, and others, but of the Hiftorical Memoirs of Louijiana publifhed at Paris in 1753, by Mr. Dtmont, an officer who refided two and twenty years in the country, aiid was perfonally concerned and acquainted with many of the tranfaflions ia it; from Vol- I- hbo*G l^>!. VV. HisGftny Dopi PROVINCIAL LIBRARY VICTOBIA, B. C. •^ •^. •li PREFACE. II i • » r •whom we have extra^ed fomc pafTages, tOTcn* ,dcr this account more completie. , .. . , > ♦ *{ ' ' . ' i^iu nhuis J/.ni' • But whatever oppoctuDities our author had .of gaining a knowledge of his fubje^V, it muft be owned, that he made his accounts of it very perplexed. By endeavouring to take in every thing, he deicends to many trifles; and by dwelling too long on a fubjeft, he comes to render it obfcure, by being prolix in things which hardly relate to what he treats of. He in- terrupts the thread of his difcourfe with private anecdotes, long harrangues, and tedious nar* rations, which have little ox no relation to the fubje^, and are of much le(s confequence tg the reader. The >yant of method and order throughout the whole work Is (HU more ap*- parent; aud that, joined to thefe digreflions^ renders his accounts, however juft and intereft- ing, fo tedious and irkfome to read, and at the fame time fo indidind^, that few feem to have reaped the benefit of them. For thefe reafons it was neceflary to iqethodize the whole work ; to abridge fome parts of it ; and to leave out many things that appear to be trifling. This we have endeavoured to do in the tranflation, by reducipg the whole work to four general Jip^ or books ; and by luringing the feveral fubje^s PREFACE.' m lubje^s treated of, the accounts of -which lie fcattered up and down in dUTereat parts of the original, under thefe their proper heads ; fo that the connection between them, and the ac- counts of any one fubjedl, may more eafily ap- pear. This, it is prefumed, will appear to be t fubjeft of no fmall confequence and importance to this nation, efpeci^lly at this time. The countries here treated of, have not only by right always belonged to Great Britain^ bat part of them is now acknowledged to it by the former vfurpers : And it is to be hoped, that the na- tion may now reap fome advantages from tho(6 countries, on which it has expended fo many millions ; which there is no more likely way to do, than by making them better known in the firfl place, and by learning from the experience of others, what they do or are likely to pro- cluce, that may turn to account to the nation. It has been generally fufpe^ed, that this na^ tion has fuffered much, from the Want of a due knowledge of her dominions in America, which we (hould endeavour to prevent for the future. If that may be faid of any part of America, ft certainly may of thofe countries, which HaVe a a been IV P R 1 ^1! (ii I 1 FACE, beeQ Xalled by tlie /V^wc/; Louifiaim, They have QOt qnly included under that name all the weflern parts of Virgmia and Carolina ; and thereby imagined, that they had,, from this mo- tninal title, a juft right to thofe antient domi- nions of the crown of Britain : but wliat is of worfe cpnfequence perhaps, they have equally deceived and impofed upon many, by tlie extra- vagant hopes and unreafonable expe^atipns diey had formed to themfelves, of the vafl advan- tages they were to reap from thofe countries, as foon as they had ufurped them; which when they came to be difappointed in, they ran from one extreme to AQother, and con- demned the country as good for nothing, be- caufc it did not anfwer the extravagant hopes they had conceived of it ; and we feem to be milled by their prejudices, and to be drawn into miilakes by their artifice or folly. Becaufe the Miffiftpi fcheme failed in 17 19, ever^ other reafonable fcheme of improving th^t country, and di reaping any advantage from it, mud do the fame. It is to wipe off thefe prejudices, that the following account of thefe cpuntries, which appears to be both juil and reafonable, and agreeable to every thing we know of j^mf' ricBf may be the more netdTary, i /; nr ^e^u;ni P R E F A C E, •f We have been long ago told by F. Charle- voix ^ from Avheiicc it is, that many people have formed a contemptible opinion of this country, that lies on and about the MiJJiJipi, They arc mi fled, fays he, by the relations of fome fea- faring people, and others^, who are no manner of judges of fuch things, rnd have never feeu any part of the country but the coaft fide, about Mobile, and the mouths of the MiJJifipi ; which our author here tells us is as difmal to ap- pearance, the only thing thofe people are capable of judging of, as the interior parts of the coun- try, which they never faw, are delightful fruitful, and inviting. They tell us, befides, that the country is unhealthful; becaufe ther? recompence, mtich more frohfti].' T& follow the courfe^of the river indeed, which runis^ very obliquely fouth-eaft and north-weft, as well as crooked, they reckon it eighty two > Teagues from the month of the river to the Cut'* Point, where the high lands begin. "^ /^ ^^11. By the Lower Louijtana, our authbr meansT ^iily the De/ta of the Mijj[ijtpt, or the drowned- lattds made by the overflowing of the river* Biit ^ye may more properly give that appella- tion t6 the whole country, from t;he low and : ^at fea coaft above defcribed, to the moun- tilths, which begin about the latitude 550, '^ . Tittle above the river St» Francis*, that is, ^\ii degrees of latitudCj or 350 ftatute miles, from |he coaft ; which they reckon to be 660 miles "tfp the MiJ/ifpi, About that latitude a con^ tinued ridge of mountains runs weftward from -. the Jpalachean mountains nigb to the banks of the Aiijifipi, which arfr thereabouts very high, at what we have called xht Chicafaw Giffs. Oppofite to thefe on the weft fide of the iW^ fifipi the country is mountainous^ and continues to be fohcre and there as far as we have any aaounts of it, weftward to the mountains of !%k P R E F A C E. Xl New'Mexico ; which run in a chain of con- tinued ridges from north to fouth, and aic rcJ'omed to divide that country from iMulfiana, about 9QQ mllci^ weft from the MiJ^tpi, ft -,f. This is one entire level champaign country ; the part of which that lies weft of the A///^ Jifipi is 900 miles (of fixty to a degree) by 300, and contains 270,000 fquare miles, as much as both France and Spain put together. - This country lies in the latitude of thofe fruitfiil regions of Barbary, Syria, Perjta^ India, and the middle of China, and is alone fufficient to ftpply the world with all thfe produ(n:s of North Aincrica, It is very fertile in every thing, both^ in huids and metals, by all the accounts we have of it ; and is watered by feveral large na- vigable rivers, that fpread over the whole coun- try from the Mijfifypi to New-Mexico ; befides feveral fmaller rivets on the coaft weft of th« ^MifiP^* ^*t fa^i Jn^o the bay of Mexico ; of which we have no good accounts, if it be not" that Mr. Coxe tells us of one, the river of thc> Cenis, which, he fays, *' is broad, deep, and ** navigable almoft to its heads, which chiefly ** proceed from the ridge of hills that feparate- *• this province from New'Mcxico *" and' *'Dtiiriptioa of Caftgna, p. 37. a 6 runs xl! P R E F A C n. rtiM through the rich and fcrtite country oft the coaH abovemekitioned. 'o-.q jsiij lo iriL^ • . The weflcim part of this country is more fer- tile, fays our author, than that on the eail fide of the MiJJifipi ; in which part, however, fays he, the lands are very fertile,, with a nch black mould three feet deep on the hills, and much deeper in the bottoms, with a ftrong clayey foundation. Reeds and canes even grow tipoa the hill fides; which, with the oaks, wal- nuts, tulip-trees, &c« are a fure iign of a good and rich foil. And all along the MJtfipi en b6th fides, Ditmont tells, ** The lands, which kA\ are all free from inundations, are excellent f* for culture, particularly thofe about Baton ** Rouge^ Cut-Point, ArkanfiLS, Natches, and ^f^ Tafims, which produce Indian Corn, Tobacco, f* Jhdigf, 5cc. and all kinds of provifions and rfSefculent plants, with little or.no care or 1ft- >^: bour, and almoft without culture ; the . foil fb. bang in all thofe places^ a black mould of an >(5f escelleat quality *." -/d-j bu^ *f Thefe accounts are confirmed by our own peofdt, who Were fent by the government of i'ii * Memoirei, It 16. Virginia F; R E F A C E^ Xlil Virginia ia 1742, to view thcfe th« wcftcra parts of that province; aad altho* they oaly went down the Ohio f^nd MiJJifipi to New- Orleans^ they reported, that " they faw more «« good land on the Miffififn, and its many large " branches, than they judge is in all the Eng- " lijh colonies, as far as they are inhabited ;" as appears from the report of that government to the board of trade, 'o^ ^H.t r ■)^ ^h »; ' What makes this fertile comitry more eligible and valuable^ is, that it appears both from its rfituation, and from the experience the fr^w^A have had of it*, to be by far the moftliealth- ■:^ful of any in all thefc fouthern parts of Nofth ^ ./America; a thing of the laft confequence In < fettling cotonies, efpecialty in thofe fouthern parts of Jmericay which are in general very un- L healthful. All the fea coafls of our colonies, to :the fouthward o£ Che/apeak hay, or even Of iiNew-Torky aie low and flat,* marihy and fwampy, and veryunhealthful on that account: and thofe on and about the bay ef M^:itico\ and in Florida^ are Vvithal exceffively hot and intem- perate, fo that white people are unfit for la- bour in them ; by which all our fouthern co- f SfC Volt It p. roi, 202i lonies^ 9iv P R E F A: C, B4 ^i«s> wh^ch alone promlfe to be of any grcAt adyaotage to the nation, are fo tbm of people, that we have but 25,000 white people in all S^outh Carolina ^, But thofe lands on the Mif* fifipi are, on the contrary, high, dry, hilly, and in fomc places mouDtainous at no great diftance from the river, beiides the ridges of t}ie 4pcLl<^cho,n mountains abovementioned, that lie tQ the northward of them ; which muit £^tly refrefh and cool the air over all the country, efpecially in comparifon of what it is on the low and iiat, fandy and parched, fea coaAs of our prefent colonies. Thefe high lands begin immediately above the DeUa^ or drowned lands, at the mouth of the Mifflfipi ; abov^ .which ^thq^ banks of that river are from 100 to 200 feet fa^h, without any mnrfhes about them ; and ' continue fuch for 00 miles to the river Ohiog efpecially on the call lide of the river f. , ^^ {/Such a fituatloQ on rich and fertile lands m^ that climate, and on a navigable river, muft qppear to be of the ntmofl consequence* It is only from the rich lands on river fides, (which i«4eed are the only land& that can gei^rally be * Defer! ption of S«utb Carolina^ bj ' tiSce Vol. I. chap. IV. p. %%%» .*- p, 19* called P W E F A' C E. XT colled rich in aU countries, and efpcciafly in North j4merica\ that this nation reaps any thing of value &om all the colonies it has in that part of the world . Bnt " rich lands on river fidcii ■ «* in hot climates arc extremely unhealthful," fays a very good judge*, and we have often ; found to our coft. How ought- we then to value fuch rich atid healthful countries on the Mijifipi ? As much furcly as fome would de- preciate and vilify them. It may^ be obferved, . that all the countries m America are only |>o- jyulous in the inland parts, and generall]^ at«: diAance from navigation ; as the fea coafls both . of North and South Amtrica are generally low, • damp, cxceffively. hot, and imhealthfiil; at leaft in all the fouthern parts, from which ftione wc can expeft any confiderable returns. Inw ftances of this may be fceh in the adjacent jvo- vinces of Mexico^ New-Mexico; Terra Firntar Peru, ^ito, &c. and far more in our' fouth" em colonies, .which never became popaloa», till the people removed ta the inland parts, at ii diftance from the fea. This we are in a mtw ner prevented to do in our colonies, by the mountains which furround us, and, confine us. to the coaft ;, whereas oa the Mi/MM thc^ * Jirhubmt Ml Ak. J(p^ whole •♦' !■ XVI P R E F ,A * •<« /^i » i. A C E,,. whole continent is open to thenii and they havc» befidcs, tliis healthy fituation on jtl^ lower parts of that river^ at a fmall difbnce from %he Tea. ^j to ?irt jn^^l vif^jnU) r>DJ to ajfrncr^ If thofc things are duly confidered, it wUl appear, that they who arc pofTefled of the J\^ifr ffipit will in time command that continent ; and that we Hiall be conHned, on the Tea coafls of oar colonies, to that unhealthful fituation, which many would perfuade us is fo much to be (jlreaded on the MiJJiftpi, It is by this means that we have fo very few people, in all our fouthern colonies ; and have not been able to get in 100 years above 25^,000 people in South Carolina 5 when the French have not lefs than eighty or ninety thoufand in Canada, befides ten or twelve thoufand on the MiJ/iJipi, to oppofe to them, The low and drowned .lands indeed about the mouth of the MiJlfipirnxxH no doubt be ^ore or lefs unhealthful 5 but they arc far from being (o very perqicipus, as many would reprefent them. The waters there are frelh, which we know,^ by manifold experience in ^me.- rica, are much lefs prejudicial to health than tlie ofienfive fetid mar^s, that are to b^ found every where elfe on the fait waters. Accord- ingly we are credibly informed, that foiae of the PREFACE. xvli the inhabitants even of New-Orleans fay, they never enjoyed better health even in France ; and for that reafon they invite their couhtrymen, iu their letters to thcrt, we are told, to come and partake of the falutary benefits of that delight^ ful country. The clearing, draining^ and cul- tivating of thofe low lands, muft make a verY great change upon them, from the accounts we have had of them In their rude add unculti- vated flate. . -ll-.-'-V. UiIOD IflO III. The Upper Uuijtana wc call that part of tlie continent, which lies to the north- ward of the mountains abovementioned in la- titude 35®. This country is in many plates hilly and mountainous,, for which reafoh we caniiot expe^l it to be fo fertile as the plains below it. But thofe hills on the well fide of the MiJJtfipi are generally fufpedled to contain mines, as well as the mountains of Nevi'- Mexico, of which they are a continuation. But the fertile plains oi Lomjiana are perhaps *morie valuable than all the mines of 7>ftfjf«Vo ; wjiiicli there would be no doubt of, if they were duly cultivated. They will breed and malhtain ten times as many people, and fupply them with many more neccflaries, aftd Jlrticles of trade and uavigation, than thy out of the hands of the Englijhy and they may do the &me again* But many will tell us, that thofe inland parts^ of North Jmtrica will be of no ufe to Britaitit on account of tlieir diftaace from the fea, and inconvenience to navigation. That indeed might be faid of the parts which lie immediately be— }'ond the mountains, as the country of the Che- rokees, and Ohio Indians about Pitflurg, the only countries thereabouts that we can extend our fcttlements to ; which are fo inconvenient to na- wgation, that. nothing can be brought from them* acrofs.: ■ ti %' iij •> n I'H XX PREFACE, acrafs the mountains, at Icaft none of thofe groTs commodities, which are the Ilaple of North America y and they are as inconvenieat to have any thing carried from them, nigh 2000 miles, down the river Ohio^ and thea by the Mfr Jifipi, For that reafon thofe countries, which we look upon to be the moft convenient, are the moft inconvenient to us of any, ahho* they join upon our prefent fettlements. It is for thefe reafons, that the .firfl fettlements we ^ake beyond the mountains, that is, beyond thofe we are now poflefled of, fhould be upon ^P ^ilPMh AS we have faid> convenient to the navigation of that river; and in time thofe new fettlcmeats may come to join to our prefent plantations; and we may by. that means reap the benefit of all thofe inland parts of North •America^ by means of the navigation of the iMj/i fifipii which will be fecured by this.poll at the Forks, If that is not done,, we cannot fee, how any of thofe inland parts of. America, and the territories of the Ohio^ which were the great objefls of the prefent war, can ever be of any ufe to Britain, as the inhabitants of all thofb countries can otherwife have little or no corre- ipondence with it.^^ -^^^^^ iiom,;yb .b ic^ii i^ '-mco ^^fi '{blij;„ ^jsru.ii isrt? ol r won.^ o^f r^vi' snm Tsv'o abnaial rbMw ^r,^\ ba^>\ai v.Vii This J \ PREFACE. xxi IV. This fiimous river, the Mijjiftply is na- vlgable upwards of 2o#o miles, to the falls of St. Jnih'ony m latitude 45^, the only fall we know in it, which Is 16 degrees of latitude above its mouth ; and even above that fall, onr author tells us, there is thirty fathom of water in the river, with a proportionable breadth. About 1000 miles from its mouth it receives the river Ohio, which is navigable 1000 miles farther, fome (ay 1 500, nigh to its fource, not far from Lake Ontario in Neiv-Tork; in all which fpace there is but one fall or rapide la the Ohio, and that navigable both up and down, at leaft in canoes. This fall is 300 miles from the Miffiftft, and 1300 from the fca, with five fathom of water up to it. The other lirge branches of the Ohio, the river of the Cherokees, and Wahache, afford a like na- Tigation, from lake Erie in the north to the Cherokees in the fouth, and from thence to the bay of Mexico, by the MiJJifipi : not to men- tion the great river Mijfouri, which runs to the north weft parts of New- Mexico , much far- tJier than we have any good accounts of that continent. From this it appears, that the Mif" Jifipi affords the mofl extenfive navigation of any river we know ; fo that it may juflly be com- pared to an inland fea, which fpreads over nine tenths -KSUl PREFACE. tenths of all the continent of North Jnnrica^, all which the French pretended to lay claim to, for no other reafoa but becaufe they ymre poi^ fefled of a paltry fettlemcnt at the mouth of this river. %..^ If thoie things are confidered, the importance of the navigation of the Miffiftpi, and of a port at the mouth of it, will abundantly appear. Whatever that navigation is, good or bad, it is :the only one for all the interior parts of North j^erica, "which are as large as a great part of Europe ; no part of which can be of any (ervice to Britain without the navigation of the MiffiJipU and fettlements upon it. It is not without rea- fon then, that we fay, whoever are po/Iefled of this river, and of the V2&. trails of fertile lands upon it, muil in time command that continent^ and the trade of it, as well as all the natives in it, by the fupplies which this navigation will enable them to furni(h thofe people. By thofe means, if the French, or any others, are left in pofleffion of the MiJJifipi, while we ncgleft it, they mufl command all that continent beyond the Apalacbean mountains, and diflurb our fettlements much more than ever they did, or were able to do ; the very thing they engaged la this war to accomplifh, and we to prevent. The f> R E F A C E. xxm The MiJJiJipi indeed is rapid for 1 200 miles^ as far as to the Afj^ri, which makes h diffi- rcult to go ui> thiexivcr by water. For that rca* fon the Frefich have been ufed to quit the Mif" Jijipi at the river St, Francis, from which they have a nigher way to the Forks of the Mijpfipi by land. But however difficult it may be to afcend the river, it is, notwithfboding, often done ; and its rapidity facilitates a defcent upon it, and a ready conveyance for thofe grofs com- modities, which are the chief ftaple of North America, from the moft remote placet of the continent above-mentioned : And as for lighter Etir$pean goods, they are mort eafily carried by land, as our Indian traders do, over great part of the continent, on their horfes, of whidi ihis country ujounds with great plenty. The word part of the na\agation, as well as of the country, is reckoned to be at the mouth of the river ; which, however, our author tellft us, is from feventeen to eighteen feet deep, and will admit ifalps of 500 tons, the largeft generally ufed in the plantation trade. And £ven this navigation might be eafily mended, not only by clearing the river of a narrow bar In the pailes, which our author, Cbarievaix, und others, think might be eafily done ; but likewife \ XXIV I E F A 4. E. P R E F A C likcwife by means of a bay, de{crib^cl"l)y Mr^ Coxe, from the adlujal furv^y of his l^ple, ly-> ing to the weft ward of the fouth pa(s of the river ; which, he fays, has from twenty-five to fix fathom water in ir, clofe tp the /hore, and not above a mile from the Miffifipi^ above all the (hoals and difficult pafies in it, and where the river has loo feet of water. By cutting through that one mile then, it would appear, that a port might be made there for fliips of any ' burdep ; the importance of which is evident, from its commanding all the inland parts of North America on one fide, and the pafs from Mexico on the other ; fo as to be preferable in ^eferefpefts even to the Havana ; not to men- tion that it is frefh water, and free from worms, which defb-oy all the (hips in thofe parts, i And as for the navigation from the Mijftftpi to Ewrope^ our author (hews, that voyage may be performed in fix weeks ; which is as /hort a time as our fiiips generally take to go to and from our colonies. They go to the MiJJfiftpi with ., tlie trade winds, and return with the cunents. 1 .. ^ ■. . • '. - "I It would lead us beyond the bounds of a pre- face, to (hew the many advantages of thofejiands ma. the Miffiftpi to Britain, or the nec«ffity of q pofTefTing PREFACE. 3IXT pofleifiag^^iem. That would require a trcatife by itfe(f, of whicli we can only give a few ab- ibf^d^s ih this place. For this purpofe we (honid compare ' thoie lands with our prefent co- lonies ; and ftiould be well informed of the quantity and condition of the lands we r Iready pofTcfs, before we can form any juft judgment of what may be farther proper or requifite. -^ ' ■ < ^: .Mr- Our prefent pofleflions in Nofth /^merica'he' tween the (ea and mountains appear, from many furveys and a(5lual menfurations, as well' as from all the maps and other accounts we have of them, to be at a medium about three de- grees of longitude, or 140 miles broad, in a llraight line: and they extend front Georgia, ill latitude 320, to the bay of FuHdi, in latitude 450 (which is much farther both north and fo^lh thaA the lands appear to be of any great value) ; which makes 13 degrees difference of latitude, or 780 miles: This length multiplied by the breadth 140, makes 109,260 fqilare miles. This is not above as much land as is contained in Britain and Ireland; which, by Templeman^s furvey, make 105,634 fquare iBiles. Inflead of being*as large as a great part of Europe then, as we are commonly told, all the lands we poffefs tn North ^^nV^, between Vol. I. b the ■"* I '1c '"p tfe -^ k C E. the fca and mountains, do not. amount to mijch ^'mbrc thari.thcfe two , iflanife;., '^His appears farther, from die particolaf furveys' of ^acjfi ot our colonies, as welj, as fi!5>m lliis^geoeraf eA^ - mate of the whole. id Of thefe lands wliich .wc thus eis, ppth the northern and fouthern ]5arts. are very poor ' ^* -and barren, and produce little Or nbtliing, at ""^iieaft for 5r/Wi;/. It is only in pur middle plan- ^ ' .Utions,' Firginiay Maryland, and taroHiia, that "^f the lands produce an.y /laple commcxfity for . ^JSritdin, or that appear to be fit for that pur- «' Vpofe. In Ihort,. it is only th^ .more rich a^d fer- }^ldie lands on and about Chefapeak hviy, with V^'a: few fwamps in Carolina, like tJhe lands on 'Athe MiJ/tfipi, that turn to any great .account to • this nation in all Ncrth Jmerica, or that are ♦b.:CYcr likely to do it. Tips makes the quantity . «»ijof kmdjBi that produce; any ftapJe.(X)i^modi5y fur m. Britain in North jimericn incrediljlytfioall^.^nd i-j|vaflly, Jefs than what is conppkoolyt imagined. .;iiit is i?eckoned, that th^e are J^qre- fqch laorfjs in *'zli^ ;refprds, i , . about twenty-five y^rs ago, that there w^f not ^ /^.^bove a$ much land patented ia ihat cc^^ny, .;u.whii:h U at the fainejii»e, tjl|i .* (o that the mountainous country which lies between thdfe tW0| is ^ual to them both, and nukes one half of all the lands between the Miffiftpi and Atlantic^octzm ; if we except a fmall traft of a level champaign country upon the heads of the Ohio, which is pofTefled by the Six Nations, and their dependants. Thefe mountainous and bar- ren, deiai'ts, which lie immediately beyond our prefent fettlements, are pot only unfit for cul- ture themfelves, and fo inconvenient to na- vigation, whether to the ocean, or to the Mif- Jifipi, that little or no ufe can be made of tliem.; but they lilcewife preclude us from any accefs to thofe more fertile lands that lie beyond them, which would otherwife have been occupied long ago, but never can be fetded, fo at leafl as to turn to any account to Britain, without the pofleffion and navigation of the Miffifipi; .which is, as it were, the fea of all the inland parts of North America beyond the Apalachean mountains, without which thofe inland parts, of that conti- nent can never turn to any account to this nation. It is this our fituation inNorth America, that renders all that continent beyQn7-f» ' - ' .»' ■« ♦ By the bcft accounts we have, there were 4,000 feamen employed in the tobacco trade, iii the year 1733. when the infpcftion on tobacco pafled into a law ; and we may perhaps rccicon them now 4,500, altho' fome reckon them lefs* By the fame accounts, taken by the cuftoip- h^ufe officers, it appeared, that the number, of Britijb^ ihips employed in all America, iif- duding the fiftiery, were 1,400, with i/'.ooo » V ' ' b 4 ^ .... I feameir: ♦■■-jivijt.'V ^^^' ■' ■h ^'[ m XXXu PREFACE. But thofe grofs commodities that afFord;thefe fources of navfgatiop, hofwever valuable they may be to the public, and to this nation in par- ticular, are far from being fo to inrfivirfuals i They are cheap, and of fmall value, cither to make, or to trade in them ; and for that r6a- fon they are negle^ed by private people, who ncyer think of making them, unlefe the public takes care to give them all due cncouragemerit, and to fet them about thofe employments ; foir which purpofe good and proper lands, fiicK as thdfe on the Mijijtfi, are abfoliitely hccefla* ry, without which nothing can be done. . ' . * , i'fjt.i^ik }■■ iw ri. feanien; befiaes 9,00001 10,000 feamen be- ' longing to -ATd^W;^ ^^erick^vM a(r'ealfrtadf 'td ^ enter rnw the .fe^Tfcdof iBn>4ir« te imy; cfed^-'''^ geaey or encSou«lgeDleilM '^^^ • '*«^'WAj an oi^/ia Of thefe there were bvit ^yOoqkfkjpfitrhfVfkj^ ployed in the fifhery from i5rr//djVi ; and a^Qu^ as many, or 3,600, in the fugar trade. ^^ ^^ The French on the other hand employ up- wards of soibbo feanicft itf tTRe^ fi^eryv* jiiici many morcthan we doitv^the fugarttadtfi e^f ,,: In (hort, the plantation trade oi North Anttf^ rlca is to Britain^ T\'hat the fifhcry \&xny France^ the great nurfcry of'feameit; which may' be nalithitrtprovedi It isfbf^ this i'edfibn "tfiiat wle hkvc* always thought this Mtlon^ottlgHft^lbrftif^^ fafcty;, to enjoy an exduiivr right t^ th(5 ia^cr of thdcAt kaft^ra ouh , 'u-iXUoi^, ')T{r X-il^ :1 ' J PREFACE. xxxiii The many advantages of fiich lands that pro- duce a ftaple for Britain^ m North America^ are not \o be told. The whole intqeft of thp nation in thofe colonies depends upon them, if not the colonics themfelves. Such lands alone enable the colonies to take their manufaiTiures and other ncceflaries from Britain^ to the mu- tual advantage of both. ' And how ncceflary that may be will appear from the ftate of thdrc" colonies in N^rth America, which do not make, oiie with another, as much as is fnfficient to fupply them only with *he necefTary article of cloathing ; not to mention the many other things they want and take from Britain ; and even how they pay for that is more than any mail can tell. In (hort, it would appear that our co^i lonies in North America cannot fubiift much longer, if at all, in a ftate of dependance for all thtfir manufaft'ures and other neceflarres, nn-: lefs they ar^ provided with- other lands that may enable thcD^ to, purchaf? them ; and where they will find any fuch lands, but upon the ^iffifiPh is more thaa we can. tell. When their kmds are worn out, are poor and barren, or in an jmprpp^ climate or fituation, fo that they will produce nptbing to fend to Britain, fucU kBd$;4aRooly be converted into com and paf*^' ture grounds ; and the people ia o^ cdohies b J arc N ,:t.fi vxxx,, .a.; :j. A 'i :i 2 <^ are tkereby tieceferily 'dfeli^edj^lfoirralbare fuW /Irteidce; tb iriterFert %ith */>/»««]] HOt oaly-m- aadiiufa^iirts;' but iriiK€'^ty:jax>diiceio£ ithelt ^- !By this wc mty ptercclv&theiabfurdity, of tbe l^ptthr eiitcry, that Vf€ihaye\zh^a,dy.i^n4^ ihaiij^} atid 'more thaa we.^ tanomiMce . uie^: <^. j|p. W^^^ ■ JmefkH, '■ Thoy \fiio : may be of tbjat bjpinabn ihould fk'm us, whqe thi^. k^vi isj;9 be fcfund, and what it will prodnxft;. that ijiay^ turti' to any account to the natioa, .1 ho/^>j^o^ pie derive their o|Mnioa»fromj what they. 4i^.ia» :^ttr^j^^; '^''here the their .prcfcatftate : Bpt that fcejus ,to be as €Dntya»y/toi their tFoe .iiijereitj.asit is. to x^^t gopditkn xrf' i?/wr jA <;ol9i^^s. , ^Th^y ,l^av^ i|gi-' ther, ikilly materials, nor any other convepieA** cies, to make manufa^ures ; vhereas their l^nds ret^aire only culture to produce .9, ^^^^ commodity V providing they aiFe^ippfTeir^^ ^ foch fi^are fk for that pwpfOfe. ; . :MAPi)itjt^m;e$ are the! pmduce of laboi|r> which k both fc^r^i^ and d^r among them; whereas J^ds^aiie^p/" BMy aad fiiould be made^ bpth cheap ^^i;id ip plenty; by which they may jalway^, reap, mii9]i greater^ proiits from the one .t;han tl>f , ^Fh^cjj. ThM ^k, moreover, a certajm pledge, for .the,, al- legiance and dependanc;«> of the colowjes ;, j^iid at the fame time makes their dependence to. l^c- come their intereft^ . It has, been found by fre- quent experience, mat the making of a ftaple commodity for Britain is more profitable, than manyfaftures, pjjpvidiag Aj'^tj; have good lands > It were to be wiihed indeed, that we could fupport oar iijtereft iu America, and tlioftf fources of navigation, by countries that were mor'*. convenient to it, than thofe on ihi Miffi' J^i butnhjt, we rear, is not to |pe done, b 6 _J.: -u:'^^- rin*\v(y^ aoa 8i /1:>xriw wn&i ^^\ vy^ : -"^xti^rrmi- •^*The moft convenient part of thofe countries feems tobe aboutiWio^i/.?, ztidPen/aiola ; which ar^i ' as it were, an entrepot between oi^r pir e- fehtfcttlemeats and the Mijfiftpi, and' fafe fta* tioftior. imH^'^ But it is a pity, that the hvjA^ about them are the moft tiantn, «nd the; "'^'^^- climate \, K K K^ri A.\ Cv E. xxsaviif climate the moff intemperate^ by all accounts^ oF any'perhajJd in^l^i^»wr/«i*. "Andi ourati»-ii thor teih US' th& feildS* We-not much betl^' even 6W^{ht'YTl^'of^Mi»iIey-xfhkh. is but' W vetf' triconfi^rablb on^. Btit the great- Iri^* €bnvenldhce 'of thbfe countries proceed* from the rni'm'ber of Indians' in them *, 'ivhich^-wrtit rirake ilr very' difficult ■ to fettk zstf profitaUflT pJtinmtiDnar * fwidng'^theto, ' efpeciaHy la ^fdicr Silarid'"^ ]pa>tsthat are more ferttle ;. wherteis tke^ Mijfifipx is free from A^ittiwx for looo^miles* it Wa« but in the y6iar 1715, that thofe /rtJiifrti ovenraiii aft the colony of ^igrelinae, even to Charles-Towfii^ by ^hldl iMFit^c^ got poflTeffibn of that daotk\i try, and of the MiJJiftyt \ both whicfc thef»*bjKd^ juft before, in June 1 7 1 3, difpofleflcd us of* <:, o If we turn our eyes again to the tands in oufi northern colonies, it is to be feared, wecan ex»^. pcft much fefsfromthem^ There is an incod*' * veni^nce attending ^hfem, with regard ta anjp, improvements on them for Britain, which is not to be remedied^ -The climate is £0 fevere, and the winters fo* long, that the people are obUge4l, to fpend that time it? providing the.neqeflaries.. of life^ which fhduld'be emph:>yed> inprpli^) ' •*S(4"pige ii, ii6, i2ff. aarkvoix Hift. m J^Mtfi'^tmi^ IM..494, LwaJ, infra, ^fi, ^^yUi JwOd*; » i wm kt'l'i' xxxviil P" R E r A C E: able colonies, on the making of fome Aaple cqmmodify, and relUrii^ tb Brifditi',' ^^\t^ are obliged te feed theii*; creatures' frti k^ Wiix 'ittonths in the year,; ;^ich: :'en(i]iby5 theif'/tinie. in fummer, and takd up the be^ df ihnt' iadds, fuch as they are, which (hould produce their 'ifeiple ton^iBbditley,^ to provide for themfislvesand tkcfi^ftoc4(»^agckinft winter ' For that 4xsL£on ^ 'pttiphin all oar tuyrthara colonies ate ■, neceifa*. ^ntf obliged to become farmers, to make>' copi^ and pToviitons, hiAead of pianters^ who make 'a ftaple commodity for Britain^ arid ihereljy * |aierf(n^e with' their mother country in the n^ tatefiai and elTential of ^^> ej^p{oym^ts^^ ^'iatiiQin,:'agriculture.-^r-;-^ yv '^^-^-v^'i^f^^ i:-. .C - \r: ' •' - ^ '^^:;:^^r*^r. ^'"'iii ftiort, neither thV foil, nor 'climli'te, Wilt admit of any improvements for larUain, in any of thofe northern colonies. If they would pro- '^'duce'any thing of that kind, ita^H.bfihmpi XSvliichtnevercould be made in them to gpy ad- ^^ vantage, ' us appears- from many . trials of it in ' jtshvEriglitnd*. The great dependancc of thofe ^'northern colonies is upon the fapplies of lum- ^^'ber and provifionsj which they fend, to . the '^HUantis. But as they incrcafe , and! muj^nly, 01 ^MfwEnglandj ice, 61 ' '>--y«' Vi^-* X*J w ■ their '^; •i. M J V R E F A C* E. xxxix iheir woods ai;e,^uf ^o\p, lumber becomes /carqe ^pf d^^,, and, (l;»e. number of p^opl^^ Jwnces ,thq val^ie of laa4, aijwi of (^veg.thinj^u produce3,.e^ally ^prpvlfioiis. ,, . ^^^^^ .^,^j |, . ■»^ ;;-i/ ] b" If tWs is the isle of thofe nov^CT^s^om^ - cin the fea-coaftj what can .we expeft fr<^w^,^l^ island part*;, in which the fcil is, not 9nlyj|^9jj« ^ barren, and the diipate mp^e fevc^e,., t^u^t A;^ are, with all thefc difadivantagev fp , incopYf ' nicnt to navigation, , both on account of t;b^r . diftan^e, and of the many faljs and ci^rrjeQl;^^ jo < tl>c rxyer St, Lawrence., that, it 15^^9,1^%}:^^, ihofe inland parts of our no,rthcfn.<;9lonigswiU ' never produce any thing iov Bnitain, more than afewfurrs; which they will do na^cfi b^ettet* in the hands of the natives, than,in ours. -. ^ / Thefc our northern rcolonies, howevq:, avc ' very populous, and increafe and multiply very faft. There are above a millijCHi of people in them, who can make but very little up^n their lands for themfelves, and AUl lefs for their, mo^ tlier country.. For.thefe reafonsit isprefuqaed, it would be an advantage. to them,, as wfU, as 10 the whole nation, to remove their fpare people, . who want lands, to tHofe vacant lands in the fouthern parts of the continent> which turn^to fo I'M B' i\t '^ '■'^ A ■ ''T ,'2r jj n xl PREFACE., fo much greater aqcount than any they are pof- fcfled of. There they may hav6 the neceftaries of life in the greatclt plenty ; their (bocks main- tain themfelves the whole year roiiind, %ith little or no coft or labour ; " by which means ** many people have a thoufand head of cattle, ** and for one man to have two hundred, is *•: very common, with other flock in propor^ **, tjon *.** This enables them to beftbw their whole labour, both in fummer and winter, on the making of fome ftaple commodity for Bri- tain, getting lumber and provifions for the iflands, iSrc. which both enriches them, and the • '■' ' ■ • • ■ ■•■'•.■ ' whole uatlbn. That is much better, furely, than to pexiilh in winter for want of cloathing, which they muft do unlets they make it ; and to excite thofe grudges and jealoufies,^ which muft ever fubiift between them and their mother country in their prcfent ftate, and grow fo mucfe^ the worfe, the longer they continue In it. ^ i s. The many advantages that would enfue, from the peopling of tho(e fouthern parts of liie continent from our aorthern colonies, are hardl)^ to fte told. We Taijmt thereby JP^f^pl^ anafeciife thofe countn^) an^ reap the pro- ,yht)Ii.;a' , fit. f/;r E F:A C .E.^_^ xll: fits of them, without any lofs of people ; which^ are dot to be fjpared for that piirpoie in i?W- tain, or ^ny. other of her dominions^ Thisjs' the great ufe and advjtntage that may bcimade $ of the expulfion of the French from thofe nor- thern parts oi Jmerica. They have hitherto- obliged us toftrengthen thofe northern colonies, and have confined the people in them to towns, and town(hips, .in which their labour could turn to no great account, either to tlieipfelves . or to the nation ; by whicji we have, in a great meafure, loft the labour of one half of the pep-^ pk in our colonies. But as they are ijow fre^ , from any danger on their bor(Jers, they may ex-' teni'thek feitlemepts wi^l^ .fafety, di/per ihitwfelhrfes' on plaittiWkMiw, an| , cuUiyate, t laadij-^fliat msiii fcijrii ^O/Come accQVnt, bothrtai theih,ivand to. .the w'Me pation. In Ihort- tl^y ; nwy now make fomc'^laple commodity for ^t^ /«» ;' oa Whkh the intereft of the coloni^C aod of. the natioa in .them, chiefly from all the colonies we have. Cotton, and In- digo, are equally ufeful. Not to meptiop CoJ^' . per. Iron, Pota/b, dfc, which, with Mertj^y Plax, and SUk, make the great balance of trade agaioft the nation, and,dr^iki it o€ fts treafuref t when we might have thofe commoditk^froin our . colonies for manu^dtures, and both fuj^ly our- < fdives and others with them. IVine, Oil, fhifins^ Siikd Currants, ^c, thofe produfts oi FrancMznd ; Spain, oa which Britain expends fa much of tJiBr't t^eafurcf^ to enrich her enemies^ - might Itkewii^ f be had froin tho(e her owii dominions. Britain I might' thereby cut off thofe refources of her' enemies; fec^ire her colonies for ths futare;: and prevent fuch calamities of war, by cultiyatr. ing ithofe -more laudable avts of peace i W:hic^ : wtilbe th&4nore necedary, as thefe are thej^nly; advantages the nation can^ expe^^ fox:.the^ni»&y>j Bullions that hav&.been expended on America tti I! I. It /I '^^^^i ^iiry^^^^^^- 1l(JC -iy4iV^ t\«^^Vv noihidm vfno bn'm qW ' \^(Mu^b Jt Dkcrtpt^on of tf}e Harbour of''^'^ As. the harbour of Pensacola will appear to be a confiderable acquifition to Bri- tain, it may be fome fatrsfadlion to give the fol- • lowing account of it, fromF. Lai/fl/, roykl pro* fefTor of mathematics, and mafter of the mafrih^- academy at Toulon ; who was fent to Lonifianaf on purpofe to make obfervations in 1 7 1 9 ; and had the accounts of the officers who took Pen' facola at that time, and furveyed the place.'viH'^ *^** The colonies oi Tenfacola, and of Dau^^ ftin IJlandy are at prefent on the decline; the inhabitants having removed to fettle at Mobile znd Biloxif 01 vA New Orleans y where the landt are much better ; for at the firft the. foil ir chiefly fand, mixed with little earth. Thc land, however, is covered with woods of pine^^ firs, and oaksj which make good trees,^ ar well as 2it Skip' I/land. The road of Penfacold, is the only good port thereabouts for large- fliips,; and Shtp-IJlandiot fmall^ones; whcrtf veflTcISi, '■i'H } ism xliv DESCKIPTION OF THE * yelTels, that draw from thirteen to fourteen feet water, may ride in fafety, under the ifland, in fifteen feet, and a good holding ground ; as well as in the other ports, which are all only open roads, expofed to the fouth, and from wefl toeafl, ., , . ■.. ^.,^, 13(311 Xi^ijy/- ,r qui J oi >t'jr'-i /i io) 'MvnVvJJ^if j.^/* Penfacola is in north-latitude 30' 2 5^^; and is.)the.only roa4 in the bay o^ A^xico, in which fI>|Pj^ can he fafe from all winds. It island- locked on every fide; and will hold a gr^at number of fhips, which have very good ancho- rage in it, in a good holding ground of foft fandi,. and from twenty-five to thi-«^y-four feet of water. You will find not lefs ^ twenty- ^ne feet of water on the barr, which is ^t the ^ftK?p^.^'V^o^^?>^o^^* pr^^i^H^s y°? ^^P»^» tl^je^deep^fl part, pf the channel. BcJ^ore. a flii|} enters the harbqur, (he fhould bring the fort of Pfnfacola to bear between north and north at courfe till fhe is well, or »4 keep weft X fouth, frpm the fort on. the ifland of St, J^f that IS, till that fort bears eafl^ and eaft | jj^rth. Then fhe muft bear away a little to t^e land on the wefl fide, keeping about mid- way between that and the ifland, to avoid a b^Jk .on. this lafl^ which runs out to fome ,^..41faV diflaoce m HARBOUR OF PENSACOLA. %W rm diftaiicc wfeft-north-wefl from the point of the ifland. Y' *< If thfre are any breakers oh the Iwge df rocks, which lie to the weftward of the barr, as often happens; if there is any wind, that may ferve for a mark to fhips, which Aeer along that ledge, at the diilance of a good mu(ket-(hot, as they enter upon the barr; then keep the courfe above-mentioned. Some- times the currents fet very flrong out of the road, which you (hould take care of, left the/ (hould carry you upon thefe rocks. " As there is but half a foot rifing (levee J on the barr of Penfacola, every fhip of war, if it be not in a ftorm, may depend upon nineteen' (perhaps twenty) feet of water, to go into the* harbour, as there are twenty-one feet on the barr. Ships that draw twenty feet muft be towed in. By tms we fee, that /hips of fixty gups may go into this harbour: and even ie- venty gun (hips, the largeft requifite in xhat country in time of war, if they Were built flat-bottomed, like l\it Dutch fhips, might pafs every where in that harbour.- , .' . ' t( In wn km Im mv ' m \7W mii0 .xlvi DESCRIPTION OF THE ^ .iV?y <• ixi '1 7 ^^ PiSi/ac^a' Wai' ikl^ - by Mr, i;^vSFf-^?».'*'^^j;"^^ ,boa,U (fc ca^iovv a? they ' ^afs ha(jkw^rds si^d forwar^^. apt.,tp 4'i^q a- •:»5^> I * /rh^^a(b|ii|^l w«i$ pn i^pvi^ of the f(i(xetJtSf viUchi dfcw - ,twenty-.one feet of water, and there were but twenty tiyo feet *^'inS>\heiiarbcur ih the h4gV^ car^'iflg itk thts-lLvp. Bvt anitiiCaHdiiaH,* Mntd Grim' ^%jp#f, a nutfi (^f 'txpefiencc, .wl|o was perfedtiy a^u^jMcii with ^/lhat,coaft>^o^e4 of l«ing able to do it, ao4 fuccewied j for . which he wai the next year honoured with letters of nobleffe. ^' Dimcnti (an officer there at the time) II. aa." •' "" ' But BcJlir, from t'.ie charts of the admir..^^/, makes but iwenty feet of water jn the barr of Tcnfaco/a. The djflfer^nce ^^tnay arife from Afe tides j whichare^ery iiYestHar ^uncer- VMainyLOn »11 tbat coaft, accordiofl^ to thft^ windlB f:>iie.«e» r^ng «:^ above three feetj fometimes muih 1,^. . la jt.^(Fntx<.^ottrJbf>ur3 '' die tilde ebbs In the harbour, for ei^teen (^ maeteen hour«/aad ' ' j|6ws five Of fix. Li-ij'a!; '"■ •' •■' - ^ -t-'P ^'' -'Sr'A HABrBOlfH OF FEMSACOLA. xlvu giociild^ Mtt t» l!ie bo<%otfi is jd! fitlid» llieyare sot apt to ftumdiar. Cm fht o^ac liand tK^re is a gktnt ad^lxtitft^c itt l9iis t&idi It is liTee ftcMn wonm, which nevet bireed Hi fl^ water» lb t!Kit vtflBs are never worm^eatda mlt.^ ^ But f . Charlevoix feems to contrtdiA this hft circumftancc : ** The bay of l^enfacoU ** would be a pretty good port, fays he» if the '< worms did not eat the vellHslik it, and if " there was a little more water in the ehtnttce ** iuco it; for the Hercules, commanded by " Mr. Champmelitt, touched upon it.** It Is not fo certain then, that this harbour is alto* gether/ree from worms ; altho* it may not be fi> fubjedV to them, as other places in tbofe climes, from the many fmail frefli water rivers that fall into this bay, which may have been the occadon of thefe accounts, that are feemingly contradidlory. in fuch a place (hips might at lead be preferved from worms, in all likelihood, by paying thdr bottoms w!th aloes, or mixing it wth their other ftuff. That has been found to prevent the biting of thefe worms ; and might be had in plenty on the fpot. Many kinds of ! albes V f 'W>')t^ xhm D E S CR I F'PION OF' TH^E i-T 1 1 Mm F3I Sfil ')»! \ «f(^ir tfdold growbtii theibanisnrfaittijdands idxxit Pen/ae&ki, and in Fhridd, whidrrts thc^rpeoper foil for them f a^d 'WDidd beargood tinpfove- ipcnt far.< ?tho(e lands, wWdi will hardly bear any thing elic to advantage^ whatever wfe is made or it, ... i:^.-.- ^iivifi .,, , :.^,j- ^x*ii\:ii5ir'A ) ' Hj^ing room in this place, we may fill it u{> with an.anfwer to a common ^je^ion agalnft Ikiutfian^ ; ^which is, that this country is neuter likely to torn to any accoun t, . becaufe the French have made fo little of it. ift| adiMj« '^irf^ :i Bat that objed^ioo, however common, will ap{>eir to proceed only from the ignorance of tliofe who make it. No country can produce any thing without labourers ; which, jt is cer-, tain, the French have never had in Louifiofuh i^) any numbers at leaft, fufficienf to make it. 01 rn to any greater account than it has hi their to doae. The reafon of this appears not to be owing to the country, but to their proceedings and iftifconda tvm. HI. p. 447* f. THE iiirt.:^.- t -.iraiy-*; y ■n4*t--l ■«-'i In this march he was fo often attack- ed by the new people he continually difco- vercd, and loft fo many of his men, as only to think of re-embarking with the few that were left, happy to have himfelf efcaped the dangers, which his imprudence had expofed him to. The relation publifhed by the Hiftorian of DominicQ -f SotOy who in 1539 landed in the Bay of St, Efprity is ^b romantic, and fo con- ilantly contradicted by all who have travelled that country, that far from giving credit to ;t. * Narvam* ^ Ferdinando, we OF LOUISIANA. | ivc ought rather to fuppofe his enterprize had no fuccefs ; as no traces of it have remained, any more than of thofe that went before. The inutility of thefe attempts proved no manner of difcouragement to the Spaniards f After the difcovery of Florida^ it was with a jealous eye they faw the French fettle there in 1564, un- der Rene de Laudonniere, fent thither by the Admiral CoUgni^ where he built Fort CaroUn ^ the ruins of which are ftill to be feen above the Fort of Penfacola *. There the Spaniards fome time after attacked them, and forcing them to capitulate, cruelly murdered them^ without any regard had to the treaty conclu- ded between them. As France was at that time involved in the calamities of a religious war, this a^ of barbarity had remained un- refeiited, had not a iliigle man oi Mont Mar-- fan^ named Dominique de GowgeSy attempted, in the name of the nation, to take vengeance thereof. In 1567 having fitted out a vcflel, and failed for Florida, he took three Forts built by the Spaniards', and after killing ma- ny of them in the feveral r.tt icks he made, hanged the reft : And having fettled there a * This intended fettlcinent of Admiral Ccliirtii was on the caft coaft of Floridaj about St. AugvjWity iiiftcad oi" Pcnfucola. De Laet is of opinion, that their Fort Carollr. was the fame with St. Augujl'm, B 2 new IPPPPPPPWIP ^y I 4. THE HISTORY new poft *, returned to France, But the dif- orders of the State having prevented the main- taining that poft ; the Spaniards foon after re- took poiTeflion of the country, where they re- main to this day. From that time the French feemed to have dropped all thoughts of that cotft, or of at- tempting any difcoveries therein ; when the wars in Canada with the natives, afforded them the knowledge of the vaft country they are pofleflcd of at this day. In one of thefe wars a Recolietf or Francifcan Friar, named F. Hen- tttpin, was taken and carried to the Illinois, As he had fome (kill in furgery, he proved ferviceable to that people, and was alfo kind- ly treated by them : And being at full liberty, he travelled over the country, following for a confiderable time the banks of the river St, Louisy or MlffijSpi^ without being able to pro- ceed to its mouth. However, he failed not to take pofleffion of that country, in the name of Louis XIV, calling it Louiftana, Provi- dence having facilitated hit return to Canada, he gave the moft advantageous account of all he had feen j and after his return to France^ * He abandoned the country without making any fet- tlement j nor have the French ever had any fettlement in it from that day to this. $C6 Laudomiicrc, Hak/uyt, Sec. drew OF LOUISIANA. J drew up a relation thereof, dedicated to M. Colbert, The account he gave of Loutfiana failed not to produce its good effects. M, dela SaUty equally famous for his miifortunes and his courage, undertook to travcrfe thefe unknown countries quite to the fca. In Jan* 1679 he fet out from ^elec with a large detachment* and being come among the Illinois^ there built a-- cva fnrt France ev^r u^,? in that country, calling it Creveccsur ; and there he left a good garrifon under the command of the Chevalier de Tontt. From thence he went down the ri- ver St, Lffuh, quite to its mouth ; which, as has been faid, is in the Gulf of Mexico : And having made obfervations, and taken the ele- vation in the befl manner he could, returned by the fame way to ^ebec^ from whence IkC paflcd over to France* After giving the particulars of his journey to M. Colbert^ that great Minifter, who knew of what importance it was to the State, to make fure of fo fine and exteniive a country, fcruplcd not to allow him a fhip and a fmall frigate, in order to find out, by the way of the Gulf of Mexico^ the mouth of the river St, Louis, He fet fail in 1685 • ^^^ ^i^ ob- ftrvations, doubtlefs^ not having had all the B 3 juftncfs « THE HISTORY juftnefs requifite, after arriving in the Gulf, he got beyond the river, and running too far weft ward, entered the Bay of St, Bernard: And fome mifunderftanding happening be- tween him and the officers of the vefTels, he debarqued with the men under his command, and having fettled a poft in that place, un- dertook to go hy land ' in queft of the great river. But after a march of feveral days, fome of his people, irritated on account r,f the fatJgue iie expofed tnem to, availing them- felves of an opportunity, when feparated fponi the reft of his men, bafcly affaffinated him. ' The foldiers, tho' deprived of their Comii^au- der, ftill cominuii *^ .. i< utc, and, afur croffing many rivers, arrived at length at the Arkanfas^ where they unc>:pe^edly found a French poft lately fettled. The Chevalier di Tionti was gone down from the fort of the //- Itnoisy quite to the mouth of the river, about the time he judged M. de ia Salle might have arrived by fea : And not finding him, was gone up again, in order to return to his poft. . And in his way entering the river of the y/r- kanfasy quite to the village of that nation, with whom he made an alliance, fome of his people inHfted, they might be allowed to fet- tle there 5 v^hich was agreed to, he leaving ten of them in that place ; And this fmall ca:n- tonment OF LOUISIANA. 7 ton men t maintained its ground, not only be- caufe from time to time encreafed by fome Cajiadwnsy who came down this river ; but above all becaufe thofe who formed it, had the prudent precaution to live in peace with the natives, and treat, as legitimate, the chil- dren they had by the daughters of the Arkan- fas^ v^ilh whom they matched out of nc- eeflity. The report of the pleafantncfs of Louijlana fpreading through Canada^ many Frenchmen of that country repaired to fettle there, dif- perfmg themfeh cs at pleafure along the river St» Louis, efpecialiy towards its mouth, and even in fome iflnnd'a on the conH", and on the river AMiky v,hich lies nearer Canada. The facility of the conim rcc with St, Domhiio was, undoubtedJy, v/hat invited them to the lieighbourhocd of lie lea, though the inte- rior parts of the country be in all refpedts fat preferable. However, ihefe fcattcred ictilc- ments, incapable to maintain their ground of themfelves, and too tliflant to be able to afford mutual afTiflance, neither warranted the pof- fcfiion of this country, nor could they be call- ed a tiiking cf pofllirion. Lcuijtana remain- ed in this iicglecled ftate, till M. d' Hiberville^ Chef d' Ef cadre, having difcovered, in 1698% B 4 the irvm^t^ 8 THE HISTORY the mouths of the river 5/. LouiSf and being nomtnated Governor General of that vaft country, carried thither the firft colony in 1 699. As he was a native of Canada^ the colony almoft entirely confided of Canadianf^ among whom M. de Luchereauy uncle of Ma- dam iTIbcryiUef particularly diflingui{hed himfclf. The fettlcment was made on the river Mo* hrle, with all the facility that could bc wiihed ; f>ut its progrefs proved flow : For thefe firft inhabitants had mo other advantage above the jiativtSf, as to the nccefl!aries of life, but wha? thei^r own inifuftry, joined to fome rude tools, to ojve the pklncil fofTu to t.tr.bcts, afforded thuu. The war, which Lculs XIV. had at that time to maintain, and the preffing neceiEtics of the ftate, continually engrofTed the atten- tion of the Miniflry, nor allowed them time to think of Z,0M^«/7. What was then thought moil advifeablc, was to make a grant of it to fome rich perfon ; who, finding it his inter- eft to improve that country, would at the fame time that he promoted hi^ own intereft, promote that of the ftate. LmJIana was thus ceded to M. Crozat. And it is to be pre- sumed, had M. d'HUfervf^h Imd longer, the colony ^ m ■ Ji OF LOUISIANA. g colony would have made confiderable pro- grefs : But that illuftrious fea-officer, whoie authority was confiderable, dying at the Ha" vannahy iniyoi ; after which tbisTettlement was defcrted : A long time muft intervene be- fore a new Governor could arrive from France. The perfon pitched upon to fill that pod) was M. de la Motte Cadillac^ who arrived in that QOVititxy injune I'ji'i* The colony had but a fcanty meafure of commodities, and money fcarcer yet : It was rather in a ftate of languor, than of vigorous adivity, in one of th^ fineft countries in the .world ; becaufe impofiible for it to do the la- borious works, and make the firft advances^ always requifite in the b^ lands. The Spaniards^ for a long time, confidered Louifiana as a property juftly theirs, becaufe it conftitutes the greateft part of Fkiida^ which they firft difcovered. The pains the />v«iA were at then to fettle there, roufed their jea« loufy, to form the defign of cramping u ^ by fettling at the JJJinah^ a nation not very di- ftant from the NaSIchitochei^ thither feme Frenchmen had penetrated. There the BpO" niards met with no fmall difficulty to form that fettle mcnt, and being at a lofs how tQ accompliih it, one F. Tdalgo^ a Francifcan ** B 5 Friar, 10 THE HISTORY Friar, took it in his head to write to the French^ to beg their affiftance in fettling a midion among the JJftnais, He fent three difiisrent copies of his letter hap-hazard three different ways to our fettlements, hoping one of them at leaft might fall into the hands of th€ French, n Nor was he difappolnted in his hope> one of them, from one poft to another, and from hand to hand, falling into the hands of M. de la Motte, That General, inceflantly ta- ^en up with the concerns of the colony, and the means of relieving it, was not apprized of the dcftgn of the Spaniards in that letter 5 could only fee therein a fure and (hort me- thod to remedy the prefent evils, by favour- ing the Spaniards^ and making a treaty of commerce with them, which might procui^e to the colony what it w^s in want of, and what the Spaniards abounded with, namely, horfes, cattle, and money : He thercfoic communicated that letter to M» de St, Denis, to whom he propofed to undertake a journey Jby land to Mexico, }A. de St, Denis, for the fourteen years he was in Louijiana, had made feveral excurfions up and down the country -, and having a ge- neral OF LOUISIANA. it neral knowledge of all the languages of the JifFerent nations which inhabit it, gained the* love and efteem of thefe people, fo far as to be acknowleged their Grand Chief. This' Gentleman, in other refpedls a man of cou- rage, prudence, and refoliition, was then the fitteft perfon M. dt ta Motte could have pitch- ed upon, to put his defign in execution. How fatiguing foevep the enterprlze was,* M. de St, Denis undertook it with pleafure, and fet out with twenty- five men. This fmall' company would have made Tome figure, had- it continued entire ; but ibme of them drop* ped M. de St, Denis by the way, and many of them remained among the Natchitoches^ to' whofe country he was come. He was there- fore obliged to fct out from that place, ac- companred- only by ten men, with whoM he traverfed upwards of an hundred and fifty leagues in a country entirely depopulated, ha- ving on his route met with no nation, till he came to the Freftdio^ or fortrcfs of St, John' Baptiji^ on the Rio (river) del NvrtCy in New Mexico, The Governor of this fortwas "Don Diego Raimcndy an officer advanced in year?, who favourably received M. de St,Dmsy on ae** B 6 q|i*iint- 12 THE HISTORY quainting him, that the motive to his jour- ney was F. Tdalgo's letter, and that he had orders to repair to Mexico, But as the Spa^- niards do not readily allow ftrangers to travel through the countries of their dominion in ^merica^ for fear the view of thefe fine coun- tries fhould infpire notions, the confequenccs of wliich might be greatly prejudicial to them, D. Diego did not chufe to permit M. de St, D^nis to continue his route, without the pre- vious confent of the Viceroy, It was there-* fore neccflkry to difpatch a courier to Mexico ^ and to wait his turn. The courier, impatiently longed for, arri- ved at length, with the permiffion granted by the Duke of Linarez^ Viceroy of Mexico, Upon which M. dt St, Denis fet out diredly, and arrived at iWifjfKfl, 7*''^ 5> 1715* The Viceioy had naturally an afFedtion to France 5 M. de St, Denis was therefore favourably re- ceived, faving fome precautions, which the Duke thought proper to take, not to give any dffguft to fome officers of juflice who were about him. The affair was foon difpatched ; the Duke of Linarez having promifed to make a treaty Af commerce, as foon as the Spaniards diould V U be OF LOUISIANA. 13 he fettled at the JJ/inats } which M. de St. Denis undertpok to do, upon his return to Louifiana* C H A P. 11. ne return ofM. de St. Denis : His fet- tling the Spaniards at the AflTinais. His fecond journey to Mexico, and re* turn from thence, '\l\ De St. Denis foon returned to the ^^^* fort of St. John Bapttfi j after which he refolved to form the Caravan^ which was to be fettled at the Affinais ; at whofe head M. de St. Denis put himfelf, and happily coa* du^ed it to the place appointed. And then havings in quality of Grand Chief, aflem- bled the nation of the Afftndis^ he exhorted them to receive and ufe the Spaniards well* The veneration, which that people had for him, made them fubmtt to his will in all things ; and thus the promife he had made to the Duke of Linarex was faithfully ful* The Afftndis are fifty leagues diilant from the Natchitoches, Tiic Spaniards^ finding themfelves TJ^ THE HISTORr themfelves ftill at too great a dldance from' iw, availed themfelves of that firft fettlement, in order to form a fecond among the Addiet ;• a nation which is ten leagues from our pofl^ of the Natchitoches : thereby they confine- us on the weft within the neighbourhood of the river St, Louis : And from that time it was not their fault, that they had not cramp- ed us to the North : As I ihall mention in its pracc.- To this anecdote of their hiftory I fhall, in a word or two, add that of their fettle- ment at Penfacoloy on the coaft of Florida^ three months after M. d^Hiberville had car- ried the firft inhabitants to Lour/tana^ that country having continued to be inhabited by Europeansy ever fince the garrifon left there by Dominique de Gourges ; which either pe- rifhed or defcrtcd^ for want of being fup- ported *. To return to M. de la Mstte and M. St. Denis: The former, ever attentive to the projed of having a treaty of commerce con* eluded with the Spaniards^ and pleafed with the fuccefs of M. de St, Denis*s journey to Mexico^ propofed his return thither again, Ikey xetttr4i€d to FraHce, %%t f . 4i not OF LOUISIANA. rs; not doubting but the Duke of Linarez Would be as good as his word, as the French had al- ready been. M. cie St. Denisy ever ready ta obey, accepted the commiflion of bis Gene- ral. But this fecond Journey was not to be undertaken as the firft j it was proper to c.ir- ry fome goods, in order to execute that treaty, as foon as tt fhould be concluded, and to in- demnify himfelf for the expences he was to be at. Though the ftore-houfes of M. Cro*- zat were full, it was no eafy matter to get goods. The factors refufed to give any on cre- dit J nay, refufed M. de la Matters fecurity ; and there was no money to be had to pay them. The Governor was therefore obliged to form a company of the moft refponfible men of the colony : And to this company only the factors determined to advance the goods; This expedient was far from being agreeable to M. de St. DeniSy who opened his mind to ^. de la Motte on that head, and told him that fome or all of his partners would accom- pany the goods they had engaged to be fecu- rity for : and that, altho' it was abfolutely nc- celTary the effects fhould appear to be his pro- perty alone, they would not fail to difcover, they themfelvcs were the proprietors j which would be^ fuificient to caufe their confifca- ^ tion>. i6 THE HISTORY tion ; the commerce between the two naticms not fcjng open. M. de la Matte faw the fo- lidity of thefe reafons ; but the impoffibility of adling othcrwife, conftraincd him to fu- perfcde them ; And, as M. de St, Denis had forefeen, it accordingly happened. , He fet out from Mobile^ Auguji 13, 17 it^, cfcortcd, as he all along apprehended, by fomc of thofe concerned ; and being come to the Jffina'isy he there pafTed the winter. On the 19th of Murchy the year following, fet- ting out on his journey, he foon arrived at the Prefid'to uf St. John Baptiji. M. de St. Denis declared thefe goods to be his own pro- perty, in order to obviate their confifcation, which was othcrwife unavoidable ; and want- ed to (hew fome a<5ts of bounty and genero- fity, in order to gain the frie.idihip of the Spaniards. But the untra6tablenefs, the ava- rice, and indifcretion of the parties concern- ed, broke through all his meafures ; and to prevent the entire difconcerting cf them, he haflened his departure for Mexice^ where he arrived May 14.^ 1717. The Duke of Li* narez was yet there, but lick, and on hii death-bed. M. de ^/. Df'nis had, however, time to fee him, who krcw him again : And that Nobleman took cajc to have him recom- mended OF LOUISIANA. 17 mended to the Viceroy his fucceflbr ; namely, the Marquis of Bahroy a man as much againft the French^ as the Duke was for them . M. de Su Denis did not long follicit the Marquis of Balero for concluding the treaty of commerce ; he foon had other bufmefs to ipind. F. OlivareZy who, on the rcprcfen- * ration of F. Tdalgo^ as a perfon of a jealous turbulent, and dangerous difpofition, had been excluded from the miflion to the-^«^}>, be- ing then at the court of the Viceroy, faw with an evil eye the perfon, who had fettled F. YdalgQ in that miilion, and refolved to be livcnged on hinn for the veXution caufed by that difupuointment. He joined him^felf to an oiHcer, named Don Martin di Alaron^ a per- fon peculiarly prote6led by the Marquis of BiiUro : And thcr fucceeded fo well with that Nobleman, that in the time M. de St. Denis IcAii expe^l-ed, he found himfelf arrefted, and clapt in a dungeon ; from which he was not difcharged'till December 20 of this year, by an order of the Sovereign Council of Mexico^ to which he found means to prefent feveral petitions. The Viceroy, conftrained to en- large him, allotted the town for his place of confinement. m -•-* The i8 THE HISTORY The bufmcfs of the treaty of commerce be- ing now at an end, M. de St. Denis's atten- tion was only engaged how to make the moft of the goods, of which Don Diego Raymond' had fent as rar2:e a quantity as he could, to the town of Mexico-^ where they were fetzcd* by D. Martin de Alaron^ as contraband ; he being one of the emifl'aries of his protestor, appointed to perfecute fuch ftrangers, as did not dearly purchafe the permiiTion to fell their goods. M. de St. Denis could make only enough of his pillaged and damaged cffeds jufl to deiViiy certain expcnces of furl, which m a country, thst abuu.'id.s wiih nutlung die but gold and ilUer, are enormous. Our piiroiier havino; nothing further to en- grofs his attention in Mexico, but the ufety of his perfon, feriouHy bctliought himfelf how to fecure It ; as he had ever Juft grounds lo appre- hend fome bad treatment at the hands of his three avowed enemies. Ha\ ing therefore planned the means of his flight, on Srpls/nber 25, 1 718, as the night came on, he quitted Mexico, and placing himfclf in ambufh. at a certain diilance f'rom the town, waited till his good fortuiic fiiould afford the means of tra- vtlling othcrwife than on foot. About nine OF LOUISIANA. 19 at night, a horfeman, well-mounted, caft up. To rufti of a fudden upon him, difmount him, mount his horfe, turn the bridle, and fet up a gallop, was the work of a moment only for St. Denis, He rode on at a good pace till day, then quitted the common road, to repofe him : A precaution he obferted all along, till he came near to the Preftdio of 5/. 7fl/»n J^^ptiji* From thence he continued his journey on foot ; and at length, on jfpril 2, 1 7 19? arrived at the French colony, where he found confiderable alterations. From the departure of M. de St. Denis from Mexico^ to his return again, alaioft three years had eiapfcd. In that long time, the grant of Lcuifiaua v/as transferred from M.. Crozat to the Wefl India Company ; M. de la Motte Cadillac was dead, and M. de Biain* ville, hrother to M. d^Hiberville, fuccceded aa Governor General. The capital place of the colony was no longer at Mobile, nor even at OliBikxiy whither it had been removed : NevJ- Orleans, now begun to be built, was become the capital of the country, whither he repaired to give IvI. dc BiainvilU an account of his. journey j after which he retired to his fettle- ^jient. The King afterward:: conferred upoa hini ^ 2(5 THE HISTORY liim the Crofs of Si, Louis, in acknov/Ic^dg- ment and rccoinpence ot* his fervices. The Weft InMa Company, building great hopes of commerce on Lomftana, made efforts to people that country, fufficient to accomplifli their end. Thither, for the firft time, they fent, in 1718, a colony of eight hundred men : Some of which fettled at Ntw Orleans^ others formed the fettiemenis ot tiiw, Nntchez. It was with ^his embarkation I pafled over to Louiftana* :-^.> ft s- f » CHAP OF LOUISIANA. u CHAP. III. ^ Embarkation of 'eight hundred men by the Weft India company to Louifiana. Ar- rival andftay at Cape Frarifois. Arri* val at\^t Dauphine. Befcription of ^ that ijldind, 'Tp H E embarkation was made at Rochelk on three different veflels, on one of which I embarked. For the firft days of our voyage we had the wind contrary, but no high fea. On the eighth the wind turned moreifavourable. I obferved nothing intereft- ing till we came to the Tropick of Cancer, where the ceremony of baptizing was per- formed on thofc, who had never been a voy- age : After palling the Tropick, the Commo- dore (leered too much to the South, which our Captain obferved. In effed, after fe^'erai days faih'ng, we were obliged to bear off to the North : We afterwards diicovered the ifle of Stu ynan dt Porto Rico, which belongs to the Spaniards. Loiing light: of tha^, we dii- covered the idbnd of St. Domingo ; and a little after, as we bore on, we favv the Granye^ which is a rock, o\'ertopping the fteq> coaft, which m almoin perpendicular to the edge of the ^ IWHi m^fmf'^njfn.m ' 112 THE HISTORY the water. This rock, feen at a diflance, feems to have the figure of a grange, or barn. A few hours after we arrived at Cape Fran^ foisy diftant from that rock only twelve leagues* We were two months In this paflage to Capi Francois ; both on account of the con- trary winds, we had on fetting out, and of the calms, which are frequent in thofe Teas : Our veffel, befides, being clumfy and heavy, had fome difficulty to keep up with the others ; which, not to leave us behind, carried only their four greater fails, while we had out be- tween feventcen and eighteen. It is in thofe feas we meet with the Tradt^ winds ; which tho* weak, a great deal of way might be made, did they blow conflantly, becaufe their courfe is from Eafl to Weft without varying : Storms are never obferved in the fe feas, but the calms often prove a great hindrance j and then it is necefHiry to wait fome days, till a grain^ or fquall, brings back the wind : A groin is a fmall fpot feen in the air, which fpreads very faft, and forms a cloud, that gives a wind, vt^hich is brifk at firii, but not lafting, tho' enough to make way with. Nothing befides remarkable is here OF LOUISIANA. aj here feeri* but the chace of the Flying-fijh by the Bonitas, • The Benito is a filh, which is fometimes two feet long ; extremely fond of the Flying- Jijh : Which is the reafon, it always keeps to the places, where thefe iifh are found : Its flefh is extremely delicate and of a good flavour. The Flylng-fip) is of the length of a her- ring, but rounder. From its fldes^ inftead o^ ifins, ilTue out two wings, each about four inches m length, by two in breadth at the ex- tremity \ they fold together and open out like a fan, and are round at the end ; confifting of a very fine membrane, pierced with a vaft many little holes, which keep the water, when the fifh is out of it : In order to avoid the pur- fuit of tTie Bonita^ it darts into the air, fpreads out its wings, goes ftrait on, without being able to turn to the right or left; which is the reafon, that, as foon as the toilets, or little {heets of water, which fill up the fmall holes of its wings, are dried up, it falls down again ; and the fame Bonita^ which purfued it in the water, ftill following it with his eye in the air, catches it when fallen into the water; it fomctimes falls on board ihips. The Bonitay in his turn J becomes the prey of the feamen. t4 tHE HIS^TORY by means of little puppets, in the form of flying fijh^ which it fwalIows> jmd by that means is taken. We flayed fifteen days at Cape Frartfols, to take in wood and water, and to refrefh. It is iituate on the North part of the ifland of Su D9ming$y which* part i^t French are in poflbflion of, as the Spaniards are of the other. Thb fruits and fweet-meats of the country are ex- cellent, but the meat good for nothing, hard, dry, and tough. This country being fcorched, grafs is very fcarce, and the animals therein languifh and droop. Six weeks before our ar- rivsd, fifteen hundred perfons died of an epide- mic diilemper, called the Siam diflemper. Wc failed from Cape Franpis with the fame wind, and the fineft weather imaginable. We then pafled between the iflands of Tor^ iuga and Su Domingo^ where we efpied Port de PaiXi which is over-againft Tortuga : We afterwards found ourfelves between the ex- tremities of St. Domingo and Cuha^ which belongs to the Spaniards: We then fleered along the fouth coafl of this laft, leaving to the left Jamaica^ and the great and little Kayemansy which are fubje very delicate. The thornback is the fame as in prance. Before we quit this Ifland, it will not, perhaps, be improper to mention fome things about it» The Ifle Majfacre was fo called by the firft Frenchmen^ who landed there, becaufe on the Ihore of this ifland they found a fmall r^g ground, or eminence, which appeared the more extraordinary in an ifland al gether flat; and feemingly formed only by the fand, thrown in by fome high guffs of wind. As the whole coaft of the Gulf is very flat, and along the continent lies a chain of fuch iflands, which feem to be mutually joined by their points, and to form a line parallel with the continent, this fmall eminence appeared to them extraordina- ry j it was more narrowly examined ; and in different parts thereof they found dead mens OF LOUISIANA 27 mens bones, juft appearing above the little earth, that covered them. Then their curi- ofity led them to rake ofF the earth in fe- veral places 5 but finding nothing under- neath, but a heap of bones, they cried out with horror. Ah ! what a Maffacre, They afterwards underftood by the natives, who are at no great diftance off, that a nation adjoining to that ifland, being at war with an- other much more powcilful, was conftraincd to quit the continent, which is only three leagues ofF, and to remove to this iiland,- there to live in peace the reft of their days ; but that their enemies, juftly confiding in their fuperiority, purfued them to this their feeble retreat, and entirely deftroyed them ; and after raifing this inhuman trophy of their vidorious barbarity, retired again. I my- felf 2iw thit fatal monument, which made me imagine, this unhappy nation muft have bpen even numerous toward its period, as only the bones of their warriors and aged men muft have lain there, thei cuftom being to make (laves of their y >ung people. Such is the otigu! of the firft name of this ifland, w.iich, rfi ouf arrival, was changed to that tif Jjie Dauphhu . an ad of prudence, it (ii'ju'd feem, to difcontinuc an appellation, C * fo IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^/ ^ v^ ^ 1.0 1.1 itt m 12.2 Z US, 12.0 |m, U. 1 1.6 -^ Photogirsphic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STRIIT WltSTn,N.Y. I4SM (71*)t7a-4S03 28 THE HISTORY fo odious, of a place, that was the cradle of the colony -, as Mobile was its birth-place. This iflaAd is very flat, and all a white fand, as are all the others, and the coaft in like manner. Its length is about feven leagues from Eaft to Weft; its breadth a fhort league from South to North, cfpecially to the Eaft, where the fettlement was made, on ac- count of the harbour which was at the South end of the ifland, and choaked up by a high fea, a little before our arrival : This eaft end runs to a point. It is tolerably well ftored with pine ; but fo dry and parched, on account of its cryftal fand, as that no greens or pulfe can grow therein, and beafts are pinched and hard put to it for fuftenance. In the mean time, M. de Biainviiley Com- mandant General for the Company in this Colony, was gone to mark out the fpot, on which the Capital was to be built, namely, one of the banks of tht river MiJJiJippi^ where at prefcnt ftands the city of New Orleans^ fo called in honour of the Duke oi Orleans^ then Regent. ?;: CHAP. OF LOUISIANA. 29 CHAP. IV. TIbe Author*s departure for his Grant. Defcription of the places he pajfed through^ as far as New Orleans. 'T^HE time of my departure, fo much ^ wifhed for, came at length. I fct out with my hired fervants, all my efFe£ls, and a letter for M. Paillouy Major General at New OrhanSy who commanded there in the ab- fcnce of M. Biainville. We coafted along the Continent, and came to lie in the mouth of the river of the Pafca-Oguuhs \ To callci, becaufe near its mouih, and to the eafl of a bay of the fame name, dv/ells a nation, called Pafca-Ogoulasy which denotes the Nation of Bread, Here it may be remarked, that in the Province of Loiiifiann^ the appellation of fcveral people terminates in the vvrord 0- gculat which fignifies nation j and ihat moft of the rivers derive their names from the na- tions which dwdl on their banks. We then pafled in view of Bikxij where formerly was a petty nation of that name; then in view of the bay of St. Louis^ leaving to the left fucccffively JJie DauphinCi IJli a Corne^ (Horn-Iflandy) Ific C 3 aux 30 THE HISTORY aux VaiJJt'mtx, (Sbip-IJIand^) and Ijle aux Chatsy (Cat'IJlancL) I have already defcribed IJIc Dauphme^ let us now proceed to the three following. Horn- IJland io very flat, and tolerably wooded, about fix leagues in length, narrowed to a point to the we/l fide. I know not, whether it was for this reafon, or on account of the number of horned cattle upon it, that it received this name ; but it is certain, that the firft Canadians^ who , fettled on IJJe Dauphim^ had put moft of their cattle, in great numbers there ; whereby they came to grow rich even when they flept. Thefc entile not requiring any attendance, or other ' care, in this iiland, came to multiply in fuch a iiianner, that the owners made grcst profits cf them on our arrival in the Colony. . Proceeding fiill wcflward, we meet Ship- IJJivid^ fo called, becaufe there is a fmall har- bour, in which vefllls at diiferent times have put in for fhclter. But as the ifland is diftant four leagues from the coaft, and that this coail is fo flat, that boats cannot approach nearer than half a league, this harbour comes to be entirely ufeiefs. The ifland may be about five leagues in length, and a large league in breadth at the Weft point. Near that point to the North is the harbour, facing the continent ; rsf OF LOUISIANA. 31 continent ; towards the Eaft end it may be half a league in breadth : It is fufficiently wooded, and inhabited only by rats, which fwarm there. At two leagues diflance, going flill weft- ward, we meet Cat-IJland-^ (o called, becaufe at the time it was difcovered, great numbers of cats were found upon it. This ifland is very fmall, not above half a league indiame- ter.The forefls are over- run with underwood : a circumftancc which, doubtlefs, determined M. de BiatnvUle to put in fome hogs to breed ; which multiplied to fuch numbers, that, in ] 722, going to hunt them, no other creatures were to be feen ; and it was judged, that ia time they muft have devoured each other. It was found they had dcilroycd the cats. AH thefe iflands are very fiat, and have the fame bottom of white fand ; the woods, efpe- cially of the three fir ft, ccnfift of pine; they are almoft all at the fame diftance froiik the continent, the coaft of whkh is equally fandy. After pafling the bay of 5/. Louls^ of which. I have fpokcn, we enter the two Channels which lead to Lake- Pontchartrain^ called at prefent the Lake ^/. Louis ; of thefe Channels, C 4 one 32 THE HISTORY one is named the Great, the other the Little ; at.d they arc about two leagues in length, and formed by a chain of iflcts, or little iflc5, between the Continent and Cockle IJknd. The great Cliannel is to the South. We lay at the end of the Channels in Cockle I/land, fo called, becaufc almoft entirely for- med of the flicll?, named Coquilles des Pa^ IcipdtSy in the fea-ports, without a mixture of any others. This ifle lies before the mouth of the Lake Si, Louis to the £a(l, and leaves at its two extremities two outlets to the Lake j the one, liy which we entered, which i^ the Channel jull mentioned ; the other, by the Lake Bor^ne, The Lake, moreover, at the other end weflward, communicates, by a Channel; with theLak: Maurepas ; and may be about ten leagues in length from £a(l to Well, and {t\^i\ in breadth. Several ri- vers, in their courfe fouthward, fall into it. 7'o the fouth of the Lake is a great creek (Bayoucy a ftream of dead water, with little or no obfervable current) called Bayouc St, fean ; it comes clofe to New Orleansy and falls into this Lake at Grafs Point (Pointe aux Herhes) which projects a great way into the Lake, at two leagues diftance from Cockle IJlund, Wc pafTcd near that Point, which is * '• - nothing OF LOUISIANA. 33 nothing but a quagmire. From thence we proceeded to the Bayouc ChouptCj (o denomina- ted from a fifh of that name, and three leagues from the Peinie aux Herbes» The many rivu- lets, which difcharge themfelves into this Lake, make its waters almoft frefh, though it communicates with the fea : and on this account it abounds not only with fea fiih but with fre(h water Hfli, fome of which, parti- cularly carp, would appear to be of a monftrous tvit In France* We entered this Creek Choupic : at the en- trance of which is a fort at prefent. We went up this Creek for the fpace of a league, and landed at a place where formerly flood the village of the natives, who are called Cola- Pijasy an appellation corrupted by the French^ the true name of that nation being Jquilou" Fijfas^ that is, the Nation of men that hear and fee. From this place to t^ew Orleans^ and the river Mijpftppiy on which that Capital is built, the diftance is only a league. C5 CHAP. 34 THE HISTORY CHAP. V. The Author put inpoffeffion of his territory. His refolution to^o and fettle amon^ the Natchez. T>EING arrived at the Creek ChoUpic^ the Sieur Lavtgney a Carfadlarty lodged me in a cabin of the Jqueku-Pijfas^ whofe village he had bought. He gave others to my workmen for their lodging ; and we were all happy to find, upon our arrival, that we were under (hclter, in a place that was uninhabi- ted. A few days after my arrival I bought an Jndian female flave of one of the inhabitants, in order to have a perfon, who could drefs our victuals, as I perceived the inhabitants did all they could to entice away our labourers, and to gain them by fair promifes. As for my flave and me, we did not underftand one an- other's language j but I made myfelf to be underftood by figns, which thefe natives comprehend very eafily : She was of the na- tion of the Chitimachas^ with whom the French had been at war for fome years. I went to view a fpot on St. Johnh Creek, about half a league diflant from the place, where OF LOUISIANA. 35 where the Capital v^as to be founded, whictv was yet only marked out by a hut, cove- red with palmetto-leaves, and which ^^the Commandant had caufed to be built for his own lodging; and after him for M» PaiiloUj whom he left Commandant of that pod. I Itad chofen that place preferably to any others, with a view to difpofe more eafily of my goods and provifions, and that I might not have them to tranfport to a great diftance. I told M. Paillou of my choice, who came and put; me in pofTeflion, in the name of the JVejl^ India Company. I built a hut upon my fettlement, about forty yards from the Cr^ek of St. John,, till I could build my houfc, and lodging for my people. As my hut was compofed of ve- ry combuftible materials, I caufed a fire to be made at a diftance, about half way from the Creek, to avoid accidents ; which occafioned- an adventure, that put me in mind of the pre-- judices they have in Europe^ from the rela- tions that are commonly current. The ac- count I am going to give of it, may have upon thofe, who think as I did then, the fame efiedt that it had upon me. C 6 It 36 THE HISTORY It was almoft night, when my flave per^ Ceived, within two yards of the fire, a young alligator, five feet long, which beheld the fire without moving. I was in the garden hard by, when (he made me repeated figns to come to her ; I ran with fpeed, and upon my arrival (he fhewed me the crocodile, without fpeak- ing to me ; the little time, that I examined it, I could fee, its eyes were fo fix'd on the fircj that all our motions could not take them off. I ran to my cabin to look for my gun, as I am a pretty good markfman : but what was my furprize, when I came out, and faw the girl with a sreat ftick in her hand attacking the monfter ] Seeing me arrive, fhe began to fmile, and faid many things, which I did not comprehend. But (he made me underiland, by figns, that there was no occafion for a gun to kill fuch a beaft ; for the flick (he fhewed me was fufficient for the purpofe. The next day the formei- mafler of my flave came to af& me for fome falad-plants ; for I was the only one who had any garden-. ftufF, having taken care to prefcrve the feeds I had brought over with me. As he under- flood the language of the natives, I begged kirn to afk the girl, why fhe had killed the ftlligator fo rafhly. He began to laugh, and told OF LOUISIANA. 37 toW me, that all new comers were afraid of thofe creatures, altho* they have no reafon to be fo ; and that I ought not to be furprized at what the girl had done, becaufe her Nation inhabited the borders of a lake, which was full of thofe creatures; that the children, when they faw the young ones come on land, purfued them, and killed them, by the affift- ance of the people of the cabin, who made good cheer of them. I was pleafed with my habitation, and I had good reafons, which I have already related, to make me prefer it to others; notwithftanding I had room to believe, that the fituation was none of the healthieft, the country about it being very damp. But this caufe of an unwholfome air does not exift at prefent, fincc they have cleared the ground, and made a bank before the town. The quality of that land is very good, for what I had fown came up very well. Having found in the fpring fome pcach-ftones which began to fprout, I planted them ; and the following Autumn they had made (hoots four feet high, with branches in proportion. Notwithftandlng thefe advantages, I took a refolution to quit this fettlement, in order 38 THE HISTORY to make another one, about a hundred leagues ' higher up ; and I (hall give the reafons, which, . in my opinion, will appear fufficient to have made me take that ftep. My fwrgeon came to take his leave of me, letting me know, he could be of no fervice to me, near fuch a town as was forming ; where there was a much abler furgeon than himfelf ; and that they had talked to him fo favourably of the Poft of the Natchez^ that he was very defirous to go there, and the more foy as that place, being unprovided with a furgeon, might be more to his advantage. To fatisfy me of the truth of what he told me, he went immedi- ately and brought one of the old inhabitants, of whom I had bought my Have, who con- firmed the account he had given me of the fine- nef? of the count y of the Natchez, The ac- count of the old man, joined to many other advantages, to be found there, had made him think of abandoning the place where we were, to fettle there ; and he reckoned to be abuii* dantly repaid for it in a little time. My flave heard the difcourfe that I have re- Jat ;d, and as (he began to underftand French ^ and I the language of the country, fhe ad- drefled herfelf to me thus : " Thou art go- •' ing, then, to that country j the fky is much "finer OF LOUISIANA. J^ ** finer there ; game is in much greater plen- *' ty ; and as I have relations, who retired *< there in the war, which we had with the ** Frenchy they will bring us every thing we ** want : They tell me that country is very ** fine, that they live well in it, and to a ** good old age." Two days afterwards I told M. Hubert what I had heard of the Cr^jntry of the Nat" chez. He made anfwer, that he was {o perfua- ded of the goodnefs of that part .of the coun- try, that he was making ready to go there him- felf, to take up his Grant, and to edabliih a large fettlcment for the Company : And, con- tinued he, " 1 fliall be very glad, if you will ** do the fame : We (hall be company to one ^* another, and you will unqueftionably do «< your bufinefs better there than here." ' This determined me to follow his advice : I quitted my fettlement, and took lodgings in the town, till I (hould find an opportunity to depart, and receive fome Negroes whom I ex- pelled in a Ihort time. * My flay at Neiu Orleans appeared long, before I heard of the arrival of the Negroes. Some days after the news of their arrival, M. Hubert brought me two good ones, which had fallen to me by « Chap. VIII, lot. 4C THE HISTORY iot. Ooc was a young Negro about twenty, with his wife of the fame age ; which coft me both together 1320 livres, or 55I. (lerling. Two days after that I fet off with them alone in a pettyaugre (a large canoe,) be- caufe I was told we fhould make much bet- ter fpeed in fuch a veflel, than in the boats that went with us ; and that I had only to take powder and ball with me, to provide my whole company with game fufHcient to main- tain us ; for which purpofe it was neceilary to make ufe of a paddle, inflead of oars, which make too much noife for the game. I had a barrel of powder, with fifteen poundc of ihot, which I thought would be fufficient for the voyage : But I found by experience, that this was not fufficient for the vail plenty of game that is to be met with upon that river, without ever going out of your way. I had not gone above twenty-eight leagues, to the Grant of M. Paris du Vernai^ when I was obliged to borrow of him fifteen pounds of ihot more. Upon this I took care of my am- munition, and (hot nothing but what was fit for our provificn i fuch as wild ducks, fum- mer ducks, teal, and faw-bills. Among the ^ reft I killed a carancro, wild geefe, cranes, and flamingo's > I likewife often killed young ^ . ■ ' ' alii- OF LOUISIANA. 41 alligators ; the tail of which was a feaft for the Haves, as well as for the French and CanU" dian rowers. Among other things I cannot omit to give an account of a monftrous large alligator I killed with a mufquet ball, as it lay upon the bank^ about ten feet above the edge of the water. We meafured it, and found h to be nineteen feet long ; its head three feet and a half long, above two feet nine inches broad, and the o- ther parts in proportion : At the belly it was two feet two inches thick ; and it infe6led the whole air with the odor of mufk. M. Me^ hane told me. he had killed one twenty-two feet long. ^ After feveral days navigation, we arrived at TcniMs on Chrijlmas eve ; where we heard Mais from M. (TAvion^ of the foreign Mif- fions, with whom we pafTed the reft of the holy- days, on account of the good reception and kind invitation he gave us. I afked him, if his great zeal for the falvation of the na« lives was attended with any fuccefs j he an- fwered me, that notwithftanding the pro- found refpecSt the people (hewed him, it was with the greateft difficulty he could get leave to biptizc a few children at the point of deaths 42 THE HISTORY death ; that thofe of an advanced age excufed themfelves from embracing our holy religion, becaufe they are too old, fay they, to accu- ftom themfelves to rules, that are fo difficult to be obferved ; that the Chief, who had killed the Phyfician, that attended his only fon in a diftemper, of which he died, had taken a rcfolution to faft every Friday while he liv- ed, in remorfe for his inhumanity with which he had been fo fharply reproached by him. This Grand Chief attended both morning and eveniiTg prayers; the women and children likewife affifted regularly at them ; but the ' men, who did not come very often, took more pleafure in ringing the bell . In other refpe<5ls, they did not fufFer this zealous paftor to want for any thing, but furniflied him i with whatever he defured. We were yet twenty-five leagues to the end of our journey to the Natchez^ and we ' left the Tonkas^ where we faw nothing in- tcrefting, if it were not feveral fteep hills, which ftand together; among which there is one that they name the White Hill, be- caufe they find in it feveral veins of an earth, that is white, greafy, and very fine, with which I have feen very good potters ware made. On the fame hill there are veins of ochre, r OP LOUISIANA. 43 ochrf, of which the Natchez had juft taken fome to (lain their earthen ware, which look- ed well enough ; when it was befmeared with ochre, it became red on burning. At laft wc arrived at the Natchez., after a voyage of twenty-four leagues ; and we put on fliore at a landing-place, which is at the foot of a hill two hundred feet high, upon the top of which Fort Rofalie* is built, furrounded only with pallifadoes. About the middle of the hill ftands the magazine, nigh to fome houfes of the inhabitants, who are fettled there, be- caiife the afcent is not fo deep in that place ; r.nd it is for the fame reafon that the maga- zine is built there. When you are upon the l! * Fort RofaHe, m the country of the Natchez, was at fir A pitched upon for the metropolis of this colony. But though it be neccffary to begin by a fettlement near the feaj yet if e\cr Loulfiana comes to be in a flouri(hing condition, as it may very well be, it appears to me, that the capital of it cannot be better iituated than in this place* It is not fubjefl to inundations of the river} the air is pure ; the country very extenfive; the land fit for every thing, and well watered } it is not at too great a diftance from the Tea, and nothing hinders veiTels to go up to it. In fine, it is v/ithin reach of every place intended to be fettled. Charlevoix, Hijl. de laN. France, III. 415, This is on the Eaft fide of the MiJJiJippi, and appears to be the firft pod on ihat river which we ought to fe-* cure. top 44 THE HISTORY top of this hi]], you difcover the whole coun- try, which is an extenfive beautiful plain, with fcveral little hills interfperfed here and there, upon which the inhabitants have built and made their fettlements. The profpedl of it is charming. - On our arrival at the Natchez I was very well received by M. Loirt de Flaucourt^ Store- keeper of this Poft, who regaled us with the game that abounds in this place \ and after two days I hired a houfe near the Fort, for M. Hubert and his family, on their arrival, till he could build upon his own plantation. He likewife defired me to choofe two conve- nient parcels of land, whereon to fettle two condderable plantations, one for the Com- pany, and the other for himfelf. I went to them in two or three days after my arrival, with an old inhabitant for my guide, and to fhew me the proper places, and at the fame time to choofe a fpot of ground for myfelf j this laft I pitched upon the firft day, becaufe it is more cafy to choofe for one's felf than for others. I found upon the main road that leads from the chief village of the Natchez to the Fort, about an hundred paces from this Uft, a cabin of the Natives upon the road fide, furrounded With OF LOUISIANA. 45 with a fpot of cleired ground, the whole of which I bought by means of an interpreter. I made this purchafe with the more pleafure, as I had upon the fpot, wherewithal to lodge me and my people, with all my efFcds : The clear- ed ground was about fix acres, which would form a garden and a plantation for tobacco, which was then the only commodity cultivat- ed by the inhabitants. I had water convenient for my houfe, and all my land was very good. On one fide flood a rifing ground with a gen- tle declivity, covered with a thick field of canes, which always grow upon the rich lands ; behind that was a great meadow, and on the other fide was a forefl of white wal- nuts (Hiccories) of nigh fifty acres, covered with grafs knee deep. All this piece of ground was in general good, and contained about four hundred acres of a meafure greater than that of Paris : The foil is black and light. The other two pieces of land, which M. Hubert had ordered mc to look for, I took up on the border of the little river of the Natchez^ each of them half a league from the great vil- lage of that nation, and a league from the fort ; and my plantation flood between thefe two and the fort, bounding the two o- thers. After this I took up my lodging upon mv own plamatioil, in the hut I had bought of 1! I r 46 THE HISTORY of the Indian^ and put my people in another, which they built for themfelves at the fide of mine ; fo that I was lodged pretty much like our wood-cutters in France, when they are at work in the woods. As foon as I was put in poflfeilien of my ha- bitation, I went with an interpreter to fee the other fields, which the Indians had cleared upon my land, and bought them all, except one, which an Indian would never fell to me : It was fituated very convenient for me, I had a mind for it, and would have given him a good price; but I could never make him agree to my propofals. He gave me to underftand, that, without felling it, he would give it up to me, as foon as I (hould clear my ground to his; and that while he flayed on his own ground near me, I fhould always End him ready to ferve me, and that he would go a-hunting and fifhing for me. This anfwer fatisficd me, becaufe I muft have had twenty Negroes, before I could have been able to have reached him ; they afTured me likewife, that he was an honefl man; and far from haying any occafion to complain of him as a neighbour, his flay there was extremely ferviceable to me. I 1 I had OF LOUISIANA/' 47 I had not been fettled at the Natchez fix months, when I found a pain in my thigh, which, however, did not hinder me to go about my bufinefs. I confulted our Surgeon about it, who caufed me to be bleeded ; on which the humour fell upon the other thigh, and fixed there with fuch violence, that I could not walk without extreme pain. I confulted the Phyficians and Surgeons of New Orleans j who advifed me to ufe aromatic baths ; and if they proved of no fervice, I muft go to France^ to drink the waters, and to bathe in them. This anfwer fatisficd me fo much the lefs, as I was neither certain of my cure by that means, nor would my prefent fitMation allow me to go to France, This cruel diftem- per, I believe, proceeded from the rains, with which I was wet, during our whole voyage; and might be fome efFedls of the fatigues 1 had undergone in war, during feveral cam- paigns I had made in Germany, As I could not go out of my hut, feveral neighbours were fo good as to come and fee me, and every day we were no lefs than twelve at table from the time of our arrival, which was on the fifth of January^ 1720. Among the reft was F, de Ville^ who waited there, in his journey to the Illiuoisy till the ice, which began 48 THE HISTORY began to come down from the North, was gone. His converfation afForded me great AitisfaiStion in my confinement, and allayed the vexation I was under from my two Negroes being run away. In the mean time my diftemper did not abate, which made me refolve to apply to one of the Indian Conjurers, who arc both Surgeons, Divines, and Sorcer- ers ; and who told pie he would cure me by fucking the place, where I felt my pain. He made feveral fcarifications upon the part with a fharp flint, each of them about as large as the prick of a lancet, and in fuch a form, that he could fuck them all at once, which gave me extreme pain for the fpace of half an hour. The next day I found myfelf a little better, and walked about into my field, where they advifed me to put myfelf in the hands of fome of the Natchez^ who, they faid, did furprizing cures, of which they told me many inftanccs, confirmed by creditable people. In fuch a fi- tuation a man will do any thing for a cure, •fpecially as the remedy, which they told ir.c of, was very fimple : it was only a poult ife^ which they put upon the part afFeded, and in eight days time I was able to walk to the foir, finding myfelf perfectly cured, as I have tblt no return of my pain fincc that time. This was, without doubt, a ^reat fatisfa6lion to a ' youn,^ OF LOUISIANA. 49 young man, who found himfelf otherwife in good health, but had been confined to the houfe for four months and a half, without be- ing able to go out a moment ; and gave me as much joy as I could well have, after the lofs of a good Negroe, who died of a deiluxion on the tireaft, which he catched by running away into the woods, where his youth and want of experience made him believe he might live without the toils of flavery ; but being found by the TonicaSy conftant friends of the French, who live about twenty leagues from the Nau chez, they carried him to their village, where he and his wife were given to a Frenchman^ for whom they worked, and by that means eot their livelihood : till M. ( tkem home to me. Montplaijir This M. de Montplaifir^ one of the mofl: agreeable Gentlemen in the Colony, was fcnt by the Company, from Clerac in Gafcony^ to manage their plantation at the Natchez^ to make tobacco upon ir, and to (hew the peo-, pie the way of cultivating and curing it j the Company having learned, that this place pro- duced excellent tobacco, and that the people of Clerac were perfetSlly well acquainted with ihc culture and way of managing it. Vol. I. D CHAP. 50 THE HISTORY t-N ' CHAP. VI. ^be Voyage of the Author to Biloxi. De- fcription of that place. Settlement of Grants. The Author difcovers two Cop- per-mines. His return to the Natchez. ^T^ H E fecond year after my fettling among ■'' the Natchez^ I went to New Orleans^ as I was defirous to fell my goods and coipmo- dities myfelf) inflead of felling them to the travelling pedlars, who often require too great a profit for their pains. Another reafon that made me undertake this voyage, was to fend my letters to France myfr' ^ which I was certainly informed, were generally intercepted. Before my departure, I went to the Com- mandant of the Fort, and alked him whether he had any letters for the Government. I was not on very good terms of friendfhip with this Commandant o{x\it Natchez^ who endeavoured to pay his court to the Governor, at the expence of others. I knew he had letters for M. Bi' mn^villey altho* he told me he had none, which made me get a certificate from the Commif- fary General of this refufai to my demand ; and at the fame time the CommifTary begged me OF LOUISIANA. 51 me to carry down a fervant of the Company, and gave me an order to pay for his mainte- nance. As I made no great haftcy but flo|rt to fee my friends^ in my going down the river, the Commandant had time to fend his letters* and to write to the Governor, that I refufed to take them. As foon as I arrived at Biloxij this occafioned M. BiainvilU to tell me, with ibme coldnefs, that I refufed to charge myfelf with his letters. Upon this I (hewed him the certificate of the Commiflkry General ; to which he could give no other anfwer, than by telling me» that, at lead, I could not de- ny, that I had brought away by ftedth a fer« vant of the Company. Upon this I ihewed him the other ceniHcate of the Commiflary General, by which he deflred the Dirediors to reimburfe me the charges of bringing down this fervant, who was of no ufe to him above ; which put the Governor in a very bad humour. Upon my arrival at New Orleans I was in- formed, that there were feveral Grantees ar- rived at New BiUxi, I thought fit then to go thither, both to fell my goods, and to get a fure conveyance for my letters to France* Here I was invited to fup with M. d^Arta^ luette. King's Lieutenant, who ufually invi- D 2 ted 52 THE HISTORY ted all the Grantees, as well as myfelf. I there found feveral of the Grantees, who were all my friends ; and among us we made out a fure conveyance for our letters to France^ of which we afterwards made ufe. Biloxi is fituate oppofite to Ship-IJJandy and four leagues from it. But I never could gucfs the reafon, why the principal fettlement was made at this place, nor why the Capital fhould be built at it ; as nothing could be more re- pugnant to good fenfe ; vefTels not being able to come within four leagues of it ; but what was worfe, nothing could be brought from them, but by changing the boats three differ- ent times, from a fmaller (ize to another flill fmaller ; after which they had to go upwards of an hundred paces with fmall carts through the water to unload the lead boats. But what ought flill to have been a greater difcourage- ment againfl: making a fettlement at Biloxty was, that the land is the moft barren of any to be found thereabouts ; being nothing but a fine fand, as white and ihining as fnow, on which no kind of greens can be raifed j be- fides, the being extremely incommoded with rats, which fwarm there in the fand, and at that time ate even the very flocks of the guns, the famine being there fo very great, that more ■'.' ^ " than OF LOUISIANA. 53 than five hundred people died of hunger ; bread being very dear, and flefh-meat flill more rare. There was nothing in plenty but /i(hy with which this place abounds. This fcarcity proceeded from the arrival of feveral Grantees all at once ; fo as to have neither provifions, nor boats to tranfport them to the places of their deftination, as the Com- pany ha4 obliged themfelves to do. The great plenty of oyflcrs, found upon the coaft, faved the lives of fome of them^ although ob- liged to wade almoft up to their thighs for them^ a gun-(hot from the fliore. If this food nourifhed feveral of them, it threw num- bers into ficknefs ; which was ftill more heigh- tened by the long time they were obliged to be in the water. The Grants were thofe of M. Law^ who was to have fifteen hundred men, confifting of Germans^ Provengah^ &c. to form the fettlement. His land being marked out at the Jrkanfasj confifled of four leagues fquare, and was eredled into a Duchy, with accoutre- ments for a company of dragoons, and mer- chandize for more than a million of livres. M. Levansy who was truflee of it, had his chaife to vifit the different pofls of the Grant. But MrZaw foon after becoming bankrupt, D ^ the .V * 54 THE HISTORY the Company feized on all the efFe6ls and merdhandife -, and but a few of thofe who engaged in the fervice of that Grant, re- mained at the Arkanfas ; they were after- wards all difperfed and fet at liberty. The Germans almofl to a man fettled eight leagues alove, and to the Weft of the Capi- tal. This Grant ruined near a thoufand per- fons at L'Orient beforetheir embarkation^ and above two hundred at Biloxi ; not to mention thofe, who <:ame out at the fame time with me in 1718. All this diftrefs, of which I was a witnefs at Biloxi.^ determined ♦ me to make an excurfion a few leagues on the coaft, in order to pnf& fome days with a friend, who received me with pleifuie. Wt mounted horfe to vifit the interior part of the country a few leagues from the fca. I found the fields plea- fant enough, but lefs fertile than along the Mifftftpi ; as they have fome refemblance o^ the neighbouring coaft, which has fcarce any other plants but pines, that run a great way, and fome red and white cedars. When we came to the plain, I carefully fcarched every fpot that 1 thought worth my attention. In confequence of the fearch 1 found two mines of copper, whofe metal plainly appeared above ground. They flood a- ^ r, ^ , • bout OF LOUISIANA. 55 bout half a league afunder. We may juftly conclude that they are very rich, as they thus difclofe themfelves on the furface of the earth. When I had made a fuflicient excurfion, and judged I could find nothing further to fatisfy my curiofity, I returned to Bthxi^where I found two boats of the Company, juft pre- paring to depart for New Orleans^ and a large pcttyaugre, which belonged to F. Charlevoix the Jefuit, whofc name is well known in the Republic of Letters : With him I returned to New Orkans, ■-■' Some time after my return from New Or- ieans to the Natchez, towards the month of March 1 722, a phsenomenon happened, which frightened the whole provincci Every morn* ing. for eight days running, a hollow noife, fomewhat loud, was heard to reach from the fea to the Illinois ; which arofe from theWeft. In the afternoon it was heard to dcfcend from the Eaft, and that with an incredible quick-* nefs ; and tho* the noife feemed to bear on the water, yet without agitating it, or difco- vering any more wind on the river than be- fore. This frightful noife was only the pre- lude of a moft violent tempeft. The hurricane^ D 4 the 56 THE HISTORY the mod furious ever felt in the province, laft- ed three days. As it arofe from the South- Aveft and North-eaft, it reached all the fettle- ments which were along the MiJJiftpi ; and was felt for feme leagues more or lefs ftrong, in proportion to the greater or lefs diftance : But in the places, where the force or height of the hurricane pafled, it overturned every thing in its way, which was an extent of a large quarter of a league broad ; fo that one would take it for an avenue made on purpofe, the place where it pafled being entirely laid flat, whilft every thing flood upright on each fide. The largefl trees were torn up by the roots, and their branches brolcen to pieces and laid flat to the earth, as w^re alfo the reeds of the woods. In the meadows, the grafs itfelf, which v/as then but fix inches high, and which is very fine, could not efcape, but was trampled, faded, and laid quite flat to the ^arth. The height of the hurricane pafTed at a league from my habitation j and yet my houfe, which was built on pUes, would have been overturned, had I not fpeedily propped it with a timber, with the great end in tht earth, and nailed to the houfe with an iron hook feven or eight inches long. Several houfes IWHII ■Mi OF LOUISIANA. 57 houfes of our poft were overturned. But it was happy for us in this colony, that the height of the hurricane pafTed not dire£liy over any Poft, but obliquely traverfed the MiJftfiPh over a country intirely uninhabited. As this hurricune came from the South, it fo fwelled the fea, that the MiJJiftpi flowed back againft its current, fo as to iiit upwards of fifteen feet high, ©5 C HA P. 58 THE HISTORY CHAP. VII. Firft War with /i&^ Natchez. Caufe of the War, T N the fame year, towards the end of Sum- , mer^ we had the firft war with the NaU chez. The French had fettled at the Natchez, without any oppofition from thefe people ; fo far from oppofing them, they did them a great deal of fervice, and gave them very material ' ailiftancG in procuring provifions ; for thofe, who were fcnt hy the Wejf India Company with the firft fleet, had heen detained at , New Orleans, Had it not been for the Na- tives, the people muft have perlfhed by famine and diftrefs : For, how excellent foever a new country may be, it muft be cleared, grubbed up, and fown, and then at leaft we are to wait the firft harveft, or crop. But during all that time people muft live, and the Com- pany was well apprized of this, as they had i fent^ with the eight hundred men, they had tranfported to Louijiana^ provifions for three years. The Grantees and Planters, obliged to treat, or truck for provifions with the Natchez, in confequencc of that faw their funds wafted, and OF LOUISIANA. 59 and themfelves incapable of forming (o confi- derable a fettlement, without this trucking, as necefTary, as it was frequent. However, fome benefit refulted from this ; namely, that the Natchez^ enticed by the fa- cility of trucking for goods, before unknown among them, as fufils, gun-powder, lead, brandy, linen, cloths, and other like things ; by means of an exchange of what they a- bounded with, came to be more and more at- tached to the French ; and would have conti- nued very ufefu! friends, had not the little fatisfadlion, which the Commandant of Fort RofaUe had given them, for the mifbehaviour of one of his foldiers, alienated their minds. This Fort covered the fettlement of the Nat^ chez^ and prote6led that of St, Catharine^ which was on the banks of the rivulet of the Natchez ; but both the defence and protec- tion it afforded were very inconfiderable ; for this Fort was only pallifadoed, open at fix breaches, without a ditch, and with a very W'^ak garrifon. On the other hand, the houfes of the inhabitants, tho* confiderably nume- rous, were of themfelves of no ftrength ; and then the inhabitants, difperfed in the country, each amidfl his field, far from affording mu- tual affiftance, as they would, had thoy been D 6 in N. 6o THE HISTORY in a body, flood each of them, upon any ac- cident, in need of the afliflance of others. A young foldier of Fort Rofalle had given fome credit to an old warrior of a village of the Natchez j which was that of the White Jpple^ each village having its peculiar name : The warrior, in return, was to give him fome corn. Towards the beginning of the winter 1723, this foldier, lodging near the Fort, the old warrior came to fee bim 5 the foldiei iniifted on his corn; the native an- fwered calmly, that the corn was not yet dry enough to fhakc out the grain ; that be- fides, his wife had been ill, and that he would pay him as foon as poffiblc. The young man, little fatisfied with this anfwer, threatned to cudgel the old man : Upon which, this laft, who was in the foldier's hut, affironted at this threat, told him, he ftiould turn out, and, try who was the bell m^n. On this challenge, the foldier, calling out Murder, brings the guard to his afliftance. The guard being come, the young fellow prefled thcni to fire upon the warrior, who was returning to his village at his ufual pace j a foldier was im- pudent enough to fire : The old man dropt down. The Commandant was foon apprized of wh^t happened, and came to the fpot ; where OF LOUISIANA. 6i where the witnefles, both French and Natchez^ informed him of the fadt. Both juflice and prudence demanded to take an exemplary pu- nifhment of the foldier ; but he got off with a reprimand. After this the natives made a litter, and carried ofF their warrior, who died the following night of his wounds, tho' the fufil was only charged with great ihot. Revenge is the predominant paifion of the people in America : So that we ought not to be furprized, if the death of this old warrior raifed his whole village againft the French. The reft of the nation took no part at Hrft in the quarrel, The firft efFedt of the refentment of the Natchez fell upon a Frenchman named M. G«£- not, whcm they furprized returning from the Fort to St, Catharine^ and upon another in- habitant, whom they killed in his bed. Soon after they attacked, all in a body, the fettle- ment of 5/. Catharine^ and the other below Fort Rofalie, It was at this laft I had fixed my abode : I therefore faw myfelf expofed, like many others, to pay with my goods, and perhaps my life, for the raOinefs of a foldier, and the too great indulgence of his Captain. But as I was already acquainted with the cha- racter 1 64' THE HISTORV raster of the people we had to deal with, I defpaircd not to fave both. I therefore bar- ricado'd myfelf in my houfe, and having put myfelf in a poftufe of defence, when they came in the night, according to their cuflom, to furprize me, they durfl not attack me. This iirft attempt, which I juftly imagined was to be followed by another, if not by many fucrh, made me refolve, as foon as day came, ta retire under the Fort, as all the inhabit- ants alfo did, and thither to carry all the pro« vifions I had at my lodge. I could execute only half of my fcheme. My flaves having begun to remove the beft things, I was fcarce arrived under the Fort, but the Commandant begged I might put myfelf, at the head of a detachment of the inhabitants, to go to fuc- cour St. Catharine, He had already fent thi- ther all his garrifon, referving only five men to guard the Fort ; but this fuccour was not fulEcient to relieve the fettlement, which the natives in great numbers vigoroufly ftrait- ned. I departed without delay : We heard the firing at a diftance, but the noife ceafed, as foon as I was come, and the natives appeared to have retired : They had, doubtlefs, difco- vered OF LOUISIANA. 63 vered me on my march, and the fight of a re- inforcement, which I had brought with me, deceived them. The Officer, who command- ed the detachment of the garrifon, and whom I relieved, returned to the Fort with his men ; and the command being thus devolved on me, I caufed all the Negroes to be aflembled, and ordered them to cut down all the bufhes ; which, covering the country, favoured the approach of the enemy, quite to the doors of the houfes of that Grant. This operation was performed without moleftation, if you except a few fhot, fired by the natives from the woods, where they lay concealed on the other fide of the rivulet ; for the plain round St, Catharine being entirely cleared, of every thing that couM fcreen them, they durfl not fhew themfelves any more. However, the Commandant of Fort Ro- falte fent to treat with the Stung Serpent ; in order to prevail with him to appeafe that part of his nation, and procure a peace. As that great warrior was our friend, he efFe£lually laboured therein, and hoftilities ceafed. Af- ter I had pafTed twenty-four hours at St, Ca» thartne^ I was relieved by a new detachment of the inhabitants, whom, in my turn, I re- lieved next day. It was on this ^cond guard, which 64 THE HfSTORY which I mounted^ that the village we had been at war with, fent me, by their deputies, the Calumet or Pipe of Peace. I at firft had fome thoughts of refufing it, knowing that this honour was due to the Commandant of the Fort ; and it aj^peared to me a thing fo much the more delicate, to deprive him of it, as we were not upon very good terms with each o- ther. However, the evident rifk of giving occadon to protrad); the war, by refuting it> determined me to accept of it -, after having, however, taken the advice of thofe about me ; who all judged it proper to treat thefe people gently, to whom the Commandant was be- come odious. I afked the Deputies, what they would have? They anfwered, faultering. Peace, •' Good, faid I j but why bring .you the Ca- *^ lumet of Peace to me ? It is to the Chief •' of the Fort you are to carry it, if you wifh •* to have a Peace." '* Our orders, faid they^ ** are to carry it firft to you ; if you choofe to ** receive it, by only fmoking therein : Af- •* ter which* we will carry it to the Chief of •* the For^ : But if you refufe receiving it, ** our orders are to return." Upon O F L O U I S I A N A. 65 Upon this I told them, that I agreed to fmoke in their pipe, on condition they would go and carry it to the Chief of the Fort. They then made mc an harangue ; to which I an- fvvered, that it were beft to refume our for- mer manner of living together, and that the French and the Red-men fliould entirely forget what had pafTed. To conclude, that they had nothing further to do, but to go and carry the Pipe to the Chief of the Fort, and then go home and fleep in peace. This was the iffue of the firft war we had with the Natchezy which lafted only three or four days. The commerce, or truck, was fet again on the fame footing it had been before ; and thofe who had fuffered any damage, now thought only how they might beft repair it. Some time after, the Major General arrived from New Orleansy being fent by the Governor of Louiftana to ratify the peace ; which he did, and mutual fmcerity was reftored, and became as perfe£l, as if there had never been any rupture between us. It had been much to be wi(hed, that mat- ters had remained on fo good a footing. As we 66 THE HISTORY we were placed in one of the bed and fined countries of the world 5 were in ftri«St con- nection with the natives, from whom we de- rived much knowledge of the nature of the productions of the country, and of the ani- mals of all forts, with which it abounds ; and likewife reaped great advantage in our traffick for furs and provifions ; and were aided by them in many laborious works, we wanted no- thing but a profound peace, in order to form folid fettlements, capable of making us lay a- fide all thoughts of Europe : But Providence had otherwife ordered. The Winter, which fucccedcd this war, was fo fevcre, that a colder was never rc- mcmbred. Thcjramfell in icicles in fuch quantities ^ to aftonifh the o\Zi^rNatchiZy to whom this great cold appeared new and un- common. Towards the Autumn of this year I faw a phaenomenon, which ftruck the fuperftitious with great terror : It was, in efFeCt, fo extra- ordinary, that I never remember to have heard of any thing that either refembled, or even came up to it. I had juft fupped with- out doors, in order to enjoy the cool of the evening. My face was turned to the Weft, and OF LOUISIANA. 6;^ and I fat before my table, to examine fome planets, wbich had already appeared. I per- ceived a glimmering light, which made me raife my eyes ; and immediately I faw, at . the elevation of about 45 degrees above the horizon, a light proceeding from the South, of the breadth of three inches, which went off to the North, always fpreading itfelf as it moved, and made itfelf heard by a whix- »ing, like that of the largeft Iky-rocket. I judged by the eye, that this light could not be above our atmofphere, and the whizzing noife which I heard, confirmed me in that notion. When it came in like manner to be about 45 degrees to the North above the horizon, it flopped ihort, and ceafed enlarg- ing itfelf: In 4hzt place it appeared to be twenty inches broad j fo that in its courfc, which had been very rapid, it formed the fi- gure of a trumpet-marine, and left in its paflage very lively fparks, fhining brighter than thofe which fly from under a fmith's hammer ; but they were extingui(hed almoft as faft as they were emitted. At the North elevation I juft mentioned, . there ifllued out with a great noife from the middle of the large end^ a ball quite round, and I 68 THE HISTORY and all on fire : This ball was about fix inches in diameter ; it fell below the hori- zon to the North, and emitted, about twen- ty minutes after, a hollow, but very loud noife, for at leaft the fpace of a minute* which appeared to come from a great dif- tance. The light began to be weakened to the South, after emitting the ball, and at length difappeared^ before (he noife of the ball was iieard. CHAP. OF LOUISIANA. 69 CHAP. VIII. The Governor furprized the Natchez with feven hundred men, Aftonijhing cures performed by the Natives, The Author fends upwards of three hundred ftmples to the Company, AT DeBiaiwutlle^ at the beginning of the XtX.* \y inter which followed this phaeno- menbny arrived very privately at our quarter of the Natchez^ his march having been com- municated to none but the Commandant of this Poll y who had orders to feize all the Natchez, that fliould come to the Fort that day, to prevent the news of his arrival being carried to their countrymen. He brought with him, in regular troops, inhabitants, and natives, who were our allies, to the number of feven hundred men. Orders were given, that all our fettlers at the Natchez ihould repair before his door at midnight at the lateft : I v/ent thither, and mixed with the croud, without making my- IHf known. Wc "•"""^PPPWPIP'^WWB^ 70 THE HISTORY We arrived two hours before day at the fettletnent of St, Catharine. The Comman- dant having at length found me out. ordered me, in the King's name, to put myfelf at the head of the fettlers among the Natchez^ and to take the command upoii me ; and thefe he ordered to pay the fame obedience to me as to himfelf. We advanced with great filence towards the village of the Apple, It nia^' be eaiUy feen, that all this precaution w? t . m, in order to furprize our enemies, who ought {o much the lefs to expert this a^ of hoflility, as they had fairly made peace with us, and as M. Patllou Major General, .^d come and ratified this peace in behalf of the Governori We marched to the enemy, and inveftcd the firft but of the Natchez^ which we found fe- parate j the drums, in concert with the fifes, beat the charge ; we fired upon the hut, in which were only three men and two women. From thence we afterwards moved on to the village, that is, to feveral hvv«d, that fiood together in a row. We halted at three of them, that lay near each other, in which be- tween twelve and fifteen Natchez had :;• trenched themfelves. By our manner of j^\ c ceeding, one would have thcught that we came t 01 IV ! ( to :ood of be- er^* pic we OF LOUISIANA. ft came only to view the huts. Full of indig- nation, that none exerted himfelf to fall upon them, I took upon me, with my men, to go round, and take the enemy in rear. They took to their heels, and I purfued ; but we had need of the fwiftnefs of deer to be able to come up with them. I came (b near, how- ever, that they threw away their cloaths, to run with the greater fpeed. I rejoined our people, and expe£led a re- primand for having forced the enemy, with- out orders : tho* I had my excufe ready. But here I was miftaken -, for I met with nothing but encomium.s. ^ This war, of which I (hall give no further detail, iafled only four days. M. de Biaiu' ville demanded the hc brought the game^ to go in queft of his phydcian, and tell him, he waited for him at my houfe. The meflenger and phyilcian made fuch dif- patch, that this laft came in an hour after. The Great Sun ordered him to look at my eye, and endeavour to cure me : After exa- mining it, the phyfician faid, he would un- dertake to cure me with iimples and common water* I coni he made me bend my head into it, fo as the eye afTedted flood dipt quite open in the water. I continued to do fo for eight or ten days, morning and even- ing ; after which, without any other opera- tion, I was perfectly cured) and never after had any return of the diforder. It is eafy, from this relatl'>n, to underftand, what dextrous phyficians the natives of Lout" fiana are. I have (een them perform furpri- zing cures on Frenchmen 5 on two efpecially, who had put themfelves under the hands of a French furgeon fettled at this Poft. Both pa- tients were about to undergo the grand cure : And after having been under the hands of the furgeon for fome time,. their heads fwelled to fuch a degree, that one of them made his efcape, with as much agih'ty, as a criminal would from the hands of juftice, when a fa- vourable opportunity offers. He applied to a Natche% phyfician, who cured him in eight days : His comrade continuing flill under the E 4 French «o THE HISTORY French furgeon, died under his hands three clays after the efcape of his companion, whom I faw three years after in a flate of perfedt health. In the war which I Jately mentioned, the Grand Chief of the TonlcaSj our allies, was wounded with a hall, which went through his < heek, came out under the jaw, again enter- ed his body at the neck, and pierced through to the fhoulder-blade, lodging at lafl between the ficfh and fkin : The wound had Us di- redlion in this manner, becaufe whc e re- ceived it, he happened to be in a (looping poilure, as were all his men, in order to fire. The French furgeon, under whofe care he was, and who drefled him with great precau- tion, was an able man, and fpared no pains in order to efFe£l a cure. But the phyficians cf this Chief, who vifited him every day, afked the Frenchman what time the cure would take ? he anfwered, fix weeks at leafl : They returned no anfwer, but went dire£lly and made a litter, fpoke to their Chief, and put him on it, carried him ofF, treated him in their own manner, and in eight days efFedied a complete cure. Thefe OF LOUISIANA* 81 Thefe are fails well known in the Colony, The phyficians of the country have perform- ed many other cures, which, if they were to be all related, would require a whole volume apart ; but I have confined myfelf to the three above mentioned, in order to ihew, that dif- orders, frequently accounted almoft incura- ble, are, without any painful operation, and in a fhort time, cured by phyficians, natives oi Louijiana, The Weft India Company being informed^ that this Province produces a great many (im- ples, whofe virtues, known by thenatives, afforded io eafy a cure to all forts of diftem- pers, ordered M. de la Chaife^ who was fent from France in quality of Director General of this Colony, to caufe enquiry to be made into the fimples, proper for Phyfick and for Dying, by means of fome Frenchmen^ who might perhaps be mafters of the fecrets of the Natives. I was pointed out for this purpoie to M. de la Chaife, who was but juil arrived, and who wrote to me, defiring my a^ance in this enquiry ; which I gave him with plea- fure, and in which I exerted myfelf to the ut- moft,^ becaufe I well knew, the Company continually aimed at what might be for the benefit of the Colony, E 5 After fo THE HISTORY After I thought I had done, in that re-* ipe£l, what might give fatisfa6tiGn to the XJompany, I tranfplanted in earth, put into cane-baskets, above three hundred fimples, with their numbers, and a memorial, which gave a detail of ^h'sir virtues, and taught the nanner of ufing tl^m. I afterwards under- ftpod, that they were planted in a Botanic Garden, made for the purpofe> by order of the Company. CHAR i'Jtij CF LOUISIANA. «3 CHAP. IX. French Settlements^ or Pofts. The Poft at Mobile. The Mmths of the Mif- fifipi. Thefituation and defcription of New Orleans. 'T* H E Settlement at Mobile was the firft feat of the Colony in this Province. It was ♦.heyrefidence of the Commandant Gene- ral, the CommifTary General, the StaflF-Of- ficers, &c. As veffcls could not enter the river Mobile^ -and there was a fmall harbour at IJle Dauphlne^ a fettlement was made fail- ed to the harbour, with a guard-houfe for its fecurity: fo that thefe two fettlements may be faid to have ma(?c but one 5 both on account of their proximity, and neceilary conne£^ion with each other. The fettlement of Mobile^ ten leagues, however, from its harbour, lies on the banks of the river of that name; and IJle Dauphine^ over againft the mouth of that river, is four leagues from the coaft. Though the fettlement of Mobile be the oldeft, yet it is far from being the moft con- fiderable. Only fome inhabitants remained £ 6 there. ^^ ^mmmffuffn^mmmm^^ttm-n^ U -ii(. -■*iii. •V..' ./r^i «4 THE HISTORY there, the greateft part of the firft inhabitants having left it, in order to fettle on the river M^jjtfifi^ ever fince New Orleans became the Capital of the Colony. That old Poft is the ordinary reftdence of a King's Lieutenant, a regulating CommifTary, and a Treafurer. The fort, with four baftions, terrafled and pali- iaded, has a garrifon. ■-•. • This PoA Is a check upon the nation of ChaSfaws^ and cuts off the communication of the Englijh with them ; it prote£ls the neigh- bouring nations, and keeps them in our alli- ance ; in fine, it fupports our peltry trade, which is confiderable with the Cha£faws and other nations *• * FortXnvif at Af9^/7 fortified with four baftiont, in the manner of Vauban, with half-moons, a covered way, niA gUcU, There is a magazine in it;, with barracks for the troops of the garrifon, which is generally pretty nu- merous, and a flag for the Commandant* I muft own, I never could fee for what reafon this fort was built, or what could be the nfe of it. For although it Is I20 leagues from the capital, to go down the river, yet it it from thence that they muft have everything that is necei&ry for the fupport of the garrifon : and the foil is fo bad, being nothing but fand, that it produces nothing but PtniMiiid Firs, with a UtUc Pulfe^ which grows there The OF LOUISIANA. 9^ * ' The fame reafon, which pointed out the ncceffity of this Poft, with refpe which are pretty plentt« ful on the coaft^ and in the rinn, Diimont, U. 80. * ' deferved ^ffwr'^^w'^'^mitmiP'^'^ 85 THEHISTORY ^eferved an oblivion as lading, as t!ieir dura, tion was ihort. To proceed with order and pcrfpicuity, wc will go up the Mijfijipi from its mouth. Fort BaVife is at the entrance of the Miffi- ftpi^ in 29® degrees North Latitude, and ^.86*^ 30' of Longitude. This fort is built on an ifle, at one of the mouths of the Miffifipu Tho' there are but feventeen feet water in the channel, I have feen vefTels of five hundred tun enter into it. I know not why this en- trance is left fo negled^ed, as we are not in want of able Engineers in France^ in the Hy- draulic branch, a part of the Mathematics, to which I have moft applied myfelf. I know k is no eafy mat: . lb to deepen or hollow the channel of a bar, that it may never after need clearing, and that the expences run high : But my zeal for promoting the ad- ifantage of this Colony having prompted me to make reflections on thofe Pafles, or En- trances of the Mijfifipij and being perfectly well acquainted both with the country and the nature of the foil, I dare flatter myfelf, I may be able to accomplifh it, to the great benefit of the province, and acquit myfelf therein with hojnour> OF LOUISIANA. 87 honour, at a fmall charge, and in a manner not to need repetition *. I fay^ Fort Ballfe is built upon an ifland ; a circumftance, I imagine, fufficient to make it underftood, that this Fort is irregular \ the figure and extent of this fmall ifland not ad« mitting it to be otherwife. In going up the Mijpjipi^ we meet with nothing remarkable before we come to the Detour auic Anglois^ the Engltjh Reach : In that part the river takes a large ccmpafs ; (b that the fame wind, which was before fair, proves contrary in this elbow, or reach. For this reaibn it was thought proper to build two forts at that place, one on each fide of the river, to check any attempts of ftrangers; Thefe forts are more than fuificient to oppofe the pailage (^ an hundred fail \ as (hips can * Seven leagues above the mouth of the river we meet with two other PaiTes, as large as the middle one by which we entered J one is called the Otter-pafs, and theotiierthe Ea/l'fafsi amd they aflure me, it is only by this laft Paft that fliips now go up or down the river, tKey having en- tirely deferted the antient middle Fafs. Dumont, 1. 4. Many other bays and rivers, not known to our Authors, lying along, the bay oi Mexico, to the weft ward of the Mif-- Ji/ip'i, are defcribed by Mr. Ctxi, in his account of Canl'ma, called by thi French Lw^unat go "ifffW^ffWff^ 18 THE HISTORY go up the river, only one after another, and can neither caft anchor, nor come on ihore to moor. It will, perhaps, be thought extraordinary, that fhips cannot anchor in this place. I ima- gine the reader will be of my opinion, when I tell him, the bottom is only a foft mud, or ooze, almoft entirely covere^! with dead trees, and this for upwards of an hundred leagues. As to putting on ihore, it is equally impoAi- Ue and needlefs to attempt it ; becaufe the place where thefe forts ftand, is but a neck of land between the river and the marfhes : Now it is impoffible for a fhallop, or canoe, to come near to moor a vefTel, in fight of a fort well guarded, or for an enemy to throw up a trench in a neck of land fo foft.. fie- fides, the Qtuation of the two forts is fuch, that they may in a fhort time receive fuccours, both from the inhabitants, who are on the interior edge of the crefcent, formed by the river, and from New GrUanSy which is very near thereto. The diftance from this place to the Capital is reckoned fix leagues by water, and the courfe nearly circular ; the winding, or reach, having the ^gure of a C almoft clofe. fioth fides OF LOUISIANA. 8^ fides of the river are lined with houfcs, which afford a beautiful profpedt to the eye ; how- ever, as this voyage is tedious by water, it is often performed on horfeback by land. The great difEculties attending the going up the river under fail, particularly at the EngUJh Reach^ for the reafons mentioned, put me upon devifmg a very fimple and cheap machine, to make vefTels go up with eafe quite to New Orleans, Ships are fometimes a month in the pafTage from Balife to the Capital ; whereas by my mechod, they would not be eight days, even with a contrary wind; and thus fhips would go four times quicker than by towing, or turning it. This ma- chine might be depofited at Balife^ and deli- vered to the veflel, in order to go up the current, and be returned again on its fetting fail. It is befides proper to obferve, that this machine would be no detriment to the forts» as they would always have it in their power to flop the veflels of enemies, who might happen to ufe it. New Orleansy the Capital of the Colony, is fituated to the £aft, on the banks of the Mtjftfipu in 30** of North Latitude. At my iirfl arrival in Louiftana^ it exifted only in name < qo . THE HISTORY name ; for on my landing I underftood, M* iie Biainvtlle^ Commandant General, was only gone to mark out the fpot ; whence he returned three days after our arrival at IJIff Dauphine, He pitched upon this fpot in preference to many others, more agreeable and commodi- ous ; but for that time this was a p^ ce pro- per enough : Beiides, it is not evei man that can fee fo far as fome others. As the principal fettlement was then at Mobile^ it was proper to have the Capital fixed at a place from which there could be an eafy communi- cation with this Po.^ And thus a better choice could not have jeen made, as the town being on the banks of the Mijfifipu veiTelty tho' of a thoufand ton, may lay their fides clofe to the ihore, even at low water ; or at moil, need only lay a fmall bridge, with two of their yards, in order to load or unload, to roll barrels and bales, &c. without fatiguing the fiiip's crew. This town is only a league from St, John^s Creek^ where paflengers take water for Mobile^ in going to which they pafs Lake Su Louisy and from thence all along the coaft ; a communication which was ne- ceflary at that time. .1 iliouM OF LOUISIANA. gi I (hould imagine, that if a town was at this day to be built in this Provitkce> a rifing ground would be pitched upon, to avoid in- undations ; befidcs, the bottom ihouid be fufficiently firm, for bearing grand {lone-edi- fices. Such as have been a good way in the coun- try, without feeing done, or the leaft pebble, in upwards of a hundred leagues extent, will doubtlefs fay, fuch a propofltion is impoilibley as they never obferved ftone proper for build- ing in the parts they travelled over. I might anfwer, and tell them, they have eyes, and fee not. I narrov/ly confidered the nature of this country, and found quarries in it ; and if there were any in the Colony I ought to find them, as my condition and profeifion of Af- chite^ fhould have procured me the know- ledge of them. After giving the fituation of the Capital, it is proper I defcribe the order in which it is built. The place of arms is in the middle of that part of the town "which faces the river ; in the middle of the ground of the place of arms ftands the parifh-church, called St, Louis^ where the Capuchins officiate, whofe houfe is to h' 9a THE HISTORY to the left of the Church. To the right (land the prifon, or Jail, and the guard-houfe r Both fides of the place of arms are taken up by t)vo bodies or rows of barracks. This place flands all open to the river. All the flrcets are laid out both in length and breadth by the line, and interfe^ and crofs each other at right angles. Tlie flreets divide the town into fixty-fix IJlts ; eleven along the river lengthwife, or in front, and fix in depth : Each of thofe IJks is fifty fquare toifes, and each again divided into twelve Emplacimentf^ or compartments, for lodging as many families. The Intendant's houfe ftands behind the barracks on the left; and the magazine, or warehoufe-general behind the barracks on the right, on viewing the town from the river Ade. The Gtverner^s houfe Hands in the middle of that part of the town, from which we go from the place of arms to the habitation of the yefuits^ which is near the town. The houfe of the UrfuUn Nuns is quite at the end of the town, to the right ; as is alfo the hofpital of the fick, of which the Nuns have the infpe^^ion. What I have jufl defcribed faces the river* Oa OF LOUISIANA. 93 " On the banks of the river runs a caufev* or tnole, as well on the fide of the town as on the oppofite fide, from the Enghjh Reach quite to the town, and about ten leagues be- yond it ; which makes about fifteen or fixteen leagues on each fide the river; and which may be travelled in a coach or on horfeback, on a bottom as fmooth as a table. The greatefl part of the houfes is of brick ; the refl are of timber and brick. The length of the caufeys, I juft mention- ed, is fufficient to fhew, that on thefe two fides of the Mlfftftpi there are many habita- tions flanding clofe together ; each making a caufey to fecure his ground from inundations* which fail not to come every year with the fpring : And at that time, if any (hips hap- \tn to be in the harbour of New Orleans^ they fpeedily fet f7.ii ; becaufe the prodigious quantity of dead wood, or trees torn up by the roots, which the river brings down, would lodge before the ibip, and break the flouteft cables. At the end of St. John's Creek, on the banks of the Lake St, Louisy there is a re- doubts and a guard to defend iu From I 94, T H E H I S T O R Y From this Creek to the' town, a part of Its banks is inhabited by planters ; in like manner as are the long banks of another Crtek : The habitations of this laft go un- der the name of Gentilfy. After thefe habitations, which are upon the ^/^/>/ quite beyond the Cannes bruUiS^ burnt Canes, we meet none till we come to the 0»- mas^ a petty nation (o called. This fettle- ment is inconfiderable, tho' one of the oldeft next to the Capital. It lies on the Ead of the MlJJtfipi. The Baton Rouge is alfo on the Eaft- fide oc the Mijftfipiy and diftant twenty-fix lej^gues from A^^zi; Orleans: It was formerly the Grant of M. Artaguette d'lron : It is there we fee the famous cyprefs-tree, of which a ihip-carpentcr offered to make two pettyau- gres, one of fixteen, the other of fourteen tons. Some one of the firft adventurers, who landed in this quarter, happened to fay, that tree would make a fine walking-ftick 3 and, as cyprefs is a red wood, it was afterwards called le Baton Rouge, Its height could never be meafurcd, it rifes fo out of fight.- Two .y OF LOUISIANA. q^ Two league! higher up than /e Batcn Rouge, was the Grant of M. Pmls du Virnai, This lettlcment is called Bayou-Ogoulas, froni a nation of that name, which formerly dwelt here. It is on the weft fide of the Miffijipl^ and twenty eight leagues from New Orleans, At a league on this fide of Polnte Coupee^ are les Petits Ecores, (little Cliffs,) where was the Grant of the Marquis 4e Mezieres, At this Grant were a Dirc<5tor and Under-Di- redor ; but the Surgeon found out the fecret ^f remaining folc matter. The place is very beautiful, cfpecially behind Us Petits Ecores^ where we go up by a gentle afcent. Near thefe ClfiFs, a rivulet falls into the MlJJl/tpiy into whkh a fpring difcharges its waters, which fo attrad the Buffalo's, that they are very often found on its banks. 'Ti$ a pity this ground was deferted $ there was enough of it to make a very confiderable Grant : A good water-mill alfo might be built on the brook I juft mentioned. At forty leagues from Neiv Orleans lies la Pointe Coupee, fo called, becaufe the Mijpftpi made there an elbow, or winding, and form- ed the figure of a circle, open only about an hundred and odd toifes, thro' which it made itfelf m 96 THE HISTORY itfelf a (horter way, and where all its water runs at prefent. This was not the work of Nature alone : Two travellers, coming down the MiJJiftpi, were forced to flop fhort at this place ; becaufe they obferved at a diftance the furfF, or waves, to be very high, the wind beating againft the current, and the river be- ing out, fo that they durft not venture to proceed. Juft by them paiTed a rivulet, cauied by the inundation, which might be a foot deep, by four or five h^X broads more or lefs. One of the travellers, feeing himfelf without any thing to do, took his fufil, and followed the courfe of this rivulet, in hopes of killing fome game. He had not gone an hundred toifes, before he was put into a very great furprize, on perceiving a great opening, as when one is juft getting out of a thick foreft. He continues to advance, fees a large extent of water, which he takes for a lake ; but turning on his left, he efpies les Petits Ecorts^ juft mentioned, and by experience he knew he muft go ten league^ to get thither : Upon this he knew, thefe were the watCiS of the river. He runs to acr^uaint his companion :; This laft wants to be fure of it : Certain as they are both of it, they rcfolve, that it was necefTary to cut away the roots, which ftood in OF LOUISIANA 97 in the paflage, and to level the more elevated places. They attempted at length to pafs their pettyaugre through, by pufhing it be- fore them. They fucceeded beyond their ex- pe£lation ; the water, which came on, aided them as much by its weight, as by its depth, which was increafed by the obftacle it met in its way : And they faw themfelves in a {hort time in the MiJJt/ip'ty ten leagues lower down than they were an hour before ; or than they would have been, if they had followed the bed of the river, as they were formerly conftrained to do. ' ' ' ■' " ^^ ^ ' This little labour of our travellers moved the earth ; the roots being cut away in part proved no longer an obftacle to the courfc of the water ; the flope or dcfccnt in this fmall pafiage was equal to that in the river for the ten leagues of the compafs it took ; in fine. Nature, tho' feebly aided, performed the reft. The fir ft time I went up the river, its en- tire body of water paflld thro' tlils part ; and tho* tlve channel was only made fix years be- fore, the old bed was alinoft filled with the ooze, which the river had there depofited j and I have fccn trees growing thereof an aftonifti- ing fize, that one might wonder, how they fhould come to be fo large in fo ftiort a time. Vo L. I. F ' In ;p THE HISTORY Jn this fpot, which is called la Po'mie Coupee^ the Qut'point, was the Grant of Al. de Meufe^ at prefent one of the mod confiderable Pofts of the Colony, with a fort, a garrifon, and an Officer to command there. The river is, on each fide, lined with inhabitants, who make a great deal of tobacco. There an Infpedor refides, who examines and receives it, in or- der to prevent the merchants being defrauded. The inhabitants of the weft fide have high lands behind them, vvhich form a very fine country, as I have obferved above. Twenty leagues above this Cut-peint^ and fixty leagues from New OrUajiSy we meet with the Red River. In an iiland, formed by that river, ftands a French Poft, with a fort, a garrifon, its Commandant and Officers. The firft inhabitants, who fettled there, were fome foldiers of that Poft, dif- charged after their time of ferving was ex- pired, who fet themfelves to make tobacco In the ifland. But the fine fand, carried by the wind upon the leaves of the tobacco, made it of a bad quality, which obliged them to abandon the ifland, and fettle on the conti- nent, where they found a goo3 foil^ on which they made better tobacco. This Poft is call- ed the Nachitochcsy from a nation of that name, fettled OF LOUISIANA. 99 fettled in the neighbourhood, -^^t this Poft M. de St, Denis commanded. i Several inhabitants of LButftana^ allured thither by the hopes of making foon great fortunes) becaufe diftant only feven leagues from the Spaniards, imagined the abundant treafures of New Mexico would pour in upon them. But in this they happened to be mif- taken ; for the Spanijh Poft, called the Adam, has lefs money in it than the pooreft village in Europe \ the Spaniards being ill clad, ill fed, and always ready to buy goods of the French on credit : which may be fald in ge- neral of all the Spaniards ofNczv Mexico, a- midft all their mines of gold and fdver. This \ve are well informed of by our merchants, who have dealt with the Spaniards of this Poft, and found their habitations and way of living to be very mean, and more fo' than thofe of the French. From the confluence of this Red River, in ^oing up the MiJJiftpi, as we have hitherto done, we find, about thirty leagues higher up, the Poft of the Natchez, Let not the reader be difpleafed, at my faying often, nearly, or about fo many leagues : Wc can afccrtain nothing juftly as to th*; F 2 diftances s. 1 1 ii' 100 THE HISTORY diftances in a country where we travel only by water. Thofe who go up the MiJJiftpty having more trouble, and taking more time than thofe who go down, reckon the route more or lefs long, according to the time in which they make their voyage \ befides, when the water is high, it covers pafles, which of- ten ihorten the way a great deal. The Natchez are fituate in about 32^ odd minutes of North Latitude, and 280** of Lon- gitude. The fort at this Poi): (lands two hun- dred feet perpendicular above low- water mark. From this fort the point of view extends Weft of the Mtjjtfifi quite to the horizon, that is, on the fide oppofite to fhat where the fort (lands, tho' the weft Ade be covered with woods J becaufe the foot of the fort ftands much higher than the trees. On the fame fide with the fort, the country holds at a pretty equal height, and declines only by a gentle, and almoft imperceptible flope, infenfi- bly lofing itfelf from one eminence to another. The nation which gave name to this Poft, inhabited this very place, at a league from the landing-place on the MiJJiftpi^ and dwelt on the banks of a rivulet, which has only a courfe of four or five leagues to that river. All i OF LOUISIANA. lor All travellers, who pafled and flopped here, went to pay a vifit to the natives, the Nai- chez. The diftance of the league they went to them is through fo fine and good a coun- try, the natives themfelves were fo obliging and familiar, and the women fo amiable, that all travellers failed not to make the greateft en- 'comiums both on the country, and on the native inhabitants. The juft commendatbns beftowed upon them, drew thither inhabitants in fuch num- bers, as to determine the Company to give orders for burlding a fort there, as well to fupport the French already fettled, and thofe who fhould afterwards come thither, as to be ' a check on that nation. The garrifon con- fifted only of between thirty and forty men, a Captain, a Lieutenant, Under-Lieutenant, and two Serjeants. The Company had there a warehoufe for the fupply of the inhabitants, who were daily increafing, in fpite of all the efforts of one of the principal Superiors, who put all imagina- ble obilacles in the way : And notwithfland- ing the progrefs this fettlement made, and the encomiums beflowed upon it, and which it deferved, God in his providence gave it up to the rage of its enemies, in order to take F 3 vengeance ' t . V 1C2 THE HISTORY vengeance of the fins committed there ; for without mentioning thofe, who efcaped the general maflacre, there perifhed of them up- wards of five hundred. ir Forty leagues higher up than t\it Natchez is the river Tafou, The Grant of M. le Blancy Minifter, or Secretary at War, was fettled there, four kagues from the Mijftftpty as you go up this little river *. There a fort ilands, with a company of men, commanded by a Captain, a Lieutenant, Under-Lieute- nant, and two Serjeants. This company, to- gether with the fervants, were in the pay of this Minifter. This Poft was very advantageoufly fituated,, as lyell for the goodnefs of th€ air, as the quality of the foil, like to that of the ^^7/- tZ>^z, as for the landing-place, which was very roniniodious, and for the commerce with the natives, if our people but knew how to <:ain, and preferve their friendfhip. But the neighbourhood of the Cl/tcafaws^ ever faft friends of the Englijh^ and ever inftigated by * The village of tl^e Indlaus, (Yafdui) is a league from tlii^ fettlcmentj and on one fide of it there is a hill, oa V hich they pretend, that the EngUp formerly had a Fort j accordingly there arc (liU fome traces of it to be feep> i>»- r<«i!/r, 1I,2§6« - ' : '** ... ■ : ■ " . ■•them ■■iMHHHMi mmmm for the up- pF LOUISIANA. 103 them to give us uneafincfs, almoftcut off any hopes of fuccceding. ThisPoft was, on thefe accounts, threatned with utter ruin, fooner or later ; as a£lually happened in 1 722, by means of thofe wretched Chicafaws ; who came in the night and murdered the people in the fet- tjements that were made by two ferjeants out of the fort. But a boy, who was fcalpcd by them, was cured, and efcaped with life. Sixty miles higher up than the Tafouz^ and at the diftance of two hundred leagues from New Orleans^ dwell the ArkanfaSy to the weft of the MiffifipL At the entrance of the river which goes by the name of that nation, there is a fmall fort^ which defends that Poft, which is the fecond of the Colony in point of time*. i It is a great pity, fo good iind fiye a coun- try is diflant fiom the Tea upwards of two hundred leagues. I cannot omit mentioning, that wheat thrives extremely well here, with- out ogr being obliged ever to manure the land ; and I am fo prepoilefled in its favour, that I perfuade myfelf, the beauty of the climate has a great influence on the character of the in- habitants, who are at the fame time very gen- tie and very brave. They have ever had an inviolable friendihip for the Frcnchy uninflu- F 4 „ diced ^ ' V \, I 104 THE HISTORY diced thereto either by fear, or views of in- tereft; and live with the French near them as brethren rather than as neighbours. In going from the Jrkanfas to the lUinolsy we meet with the river St, FranctSy thirty leagues more to the North, and on the weft fide of the MiJ/iJipi, There a fmall fort has been built fince my return to France, To the Eaft of the MiJJiftpiy but more to the North, we alfo meet, at about thirty leagues, the ri- ver Margoty near the fteep banks of Frud*^ homme: There a fort was alfo built, called Affumptiony for undertaking an expedition a« gainft the ChicafawSy who are nearly in the fame latitude. Thefe two forts, after that ex- pedition, were entirely demolifhed by the Frenchy becaufe they were thought to be no longer ncceifary. It is, however, probable enough, that this fort AJfumption would have been a check upon the Chicafawsy who are al- ways roving in thofe parts. Befides, the fteep banks of Prud^homme contain iron and pit- coal. On the other hand, the country is ve- ry beautiful, and of an excellent quality, a- bounding with plains and meadows, which favour the excurfions of the ChicafayjSy and which they will ever continue to make upon us, till we have the addrefs to divert them from their commerce with the Englijh, We OF LOUISIANA. 105 We have no other French fettlemdnts to mention in Louifiana^ but that of the Illinois ; in which part of the colony we had the firft fort. At prefent the French fettlement here is on the banks of the MiJJifipi^ near one of the villages of the Illinois *• That Poft is com- manded by one of the principal Officers j and M. de Bois'Briantf who was Lieutenant of the King, has commanded at it. ', Many French inhabitants, both from C^- nada and Europe^ live there at this day ; but the Canadians make three fourths at leaft. The Jefuits have the Cure there, with a fine habi- tation and a mill ; in digging the foundation of which laft, a quarry of orbicular flat ilones* was found, about two inches in diameter, of the fhapc of a buffoon's cap, with fix fides, whofe groove was fet with fmall buttons of the * They have, or had formerly, other fetttlcments here* abouts, at Kajkafkuiy Fort Ctartrei, Tamaroas, and on the River Maramegy on the Weft fide of the Mijijipi, where they found thofe mines, that gave rife to the AfiJ/jfi/^ ich.eme ini 7 19. In 1 742, when Jobtt Haward, Sallec, and others, were fent from Virginia to view thofe countries, they -fyere made prifoners by the French } who came from a fet- tlement they had on an Jfland in the MiJJiJipt, a. little above the Oh'iQf where they made fait, lead, &c, and went from thence to N^env Orleans, in a fleet of boats and canoes, guard- ed by 9 hrge armed fehooner. Report oftht Gn/ernmnt 0/ VirgiAM. FS fizc f" X r-» io6 rut HISTORY fize of the head of a minikin or fmall pin» Some of thefe ftones were bigger, fome fmal- ler; between the ftones, which could not be joined, there was no earth found. ** ' The Canaiiiansj who are numerous in Lou^ iftanoj are moft of them at the Illinois. This • climate, doubtlefs, agrees better with them, be- caufe nearer Canada than any other fettlement of the Colony. Befides, in coming from Carta- da<, they always pafsthro' this fettlement j which makes them chc At to continue here. They 1 bring their wives with them, or marry t\itFrenck /Ar Indian- women. The ladies even venture to ^ make this long and painful voyage from Canada^ i inorder to end their days in a country, which the i\ Canadiam look upon as a terreftrial paradice*. *' * It is this that has made the French undergo fo many i long and perilous voyages in North- America y upwards of two ; thoufand miles, againft currents, cataraAs, and b«ifterous winds on the lakes, inorder to get to this fettlement of the JUinoii i which is nigh to the Ftrks ef tht MtJJifipi, the moft important place in all the inland parts of North-Ame- rka, to which the French will fooiie; or later remove from Canada j and th6re ere£l another Montreal, that will be much more dangerous and prejudicial to us, than ever the other in Canada Mtas, They will here be in the midft of all their old friends and' allies, and much more convenient to £any on a trade with them, to fpirit them up againft the Engljjhy &c, than ever they were at Montreal. To this fettlement, where they likewife are not without good hopes of finding mines, the French will for ever bs removingi as long as any of them anUhln Canada, CHAP. OF LOUISIANA. IC7 '.'.J i C H A P. X. : ; ne Voyages of the French to the Mif- fouris, Canzas, and Padoucas. ^be Settlements they in vain attempted to make in thofe Countries •, with a de^ fcription of an extraordinary Phano- menon. nn H E Padoucas^ who lie Weft by North- "*• wc^ of the Mijfouris^ happened at that time to be at war with the neighbouring na- tions, the Cenzasy OiheueZy AiaoueZy Ofages^ Mijpfurisy and Panimahas^ all in amity with the French, To conciliate a peace betweea all thefe nations and the Padoucas, M* d^ Bourgmont fent to engage them, as being our allies, to accompany him on a journey to the Padoucas, in order to bring about a general pacification, and by that means to facilitate the traffick, or truck between them and us, and conclude an alliance with the Padoucas. For this purpofe M. de Bourgmont fet out on the 3d of July, 1724, from Fort Orleans, which lies near the Mijfourts, a nation dwell- ing on the banks of ^e river of that name, F 6 iji, ^:. :\ io8 THE, HISTORY in orcter to join that people, and then to pro- ceed to the Canzas, where the general ren- dezvous of the feveral nations was appointed. M. lie Bourgmont was accompanied by an hundred Mijfourisj commanded by their Grand Chief} and eight other Chiefs of war, apd by fixty-four Ofages^ commanded by four Chiefs of war, befides a few Frenchmen* On the 6th he joined the Grand Chief, fix other Chiefs of war, and feveral Warriors of the Canzasy who prefented him the Pipe of Peace, and performed the honours, cuilomary qn fuch Qccaiions, to the Mijfouris and Ofages: On the 7th they pafled thro' extenfive mea- dows and woods, and arrived on the banks of the river Mijfouriy over againft the village of the Canzas, On the 8th the French crofled the MiJJourt in a pettyauger, the Indians on floats of cane, and the horfes were fwam over. They landed within a gun-fhot of the Canzas^ who flocked to receive them with the Pipe j their Grand Chief, in the name of the nation, afiuring M. de Bourgmont, that all their Warriors would accompany him in his journey to the Padoucasy with proteftations of friendfhip and fidelity, cpnfirmed by fmoking the Pipe. The fame OF LOUISIANA. 109 fame aflurances were made him by the other Chiefs^ who entertained him in their hutSi and * rubbed him over and his companions. On the 9th M. de Bourgmont t'ifpatchcd five Mtjfouris to acquaint the Othouez with his arrival at the Canzas. They returned on the joth, and brought word that the Othouez promifed to hunt for him and his Warriors, and to caufe provifions to be dried for the journey; that their Chief would fet out di- redly, in order to wait on M. de Bourg" mont at the iS|ht of a pcrfoti they r«^^. TItT"^^ ' no THE HISTORY and the dogs were made to trail a part of the baggage, and that In the following manner : The back of the dog W2S covered with a fkin, with its pile on, then the dog was girtjjed round, and his bread-leather put on j and ta- king two poles of the thicknefs of one's c^rm, and twelve feet long, they faftened their two ends half a foot afunder, laying on the dog's faddle the thong that faftened the two poles j and io the poles they alfo faftened, behind the dog, a ring, or hoop, lengthwife, on which they laid the load. On the 28th and 29th the army crofied feveral brooks and fmall rivers, pafTed thro* feveral meadows and thickets, mtjeting every where on their way a great deal of game. On the ^ 30th M, de Bourgmonty finding hin^elf very ill, was obliged to have a litter made, in order to be carried back to Fort Orleans till he fhould recover. Before his de- parture he gave orders about two Padouca flaves, whom he had ranfomed, and was to fend before him to that nation, in order to ingratiate himfelf by this aft of generofity. Thefe he caufed to b" fent by one Galllard, who was to tell their nation, that M. de Bourgmonty being fallen ill on bis intended journey *>'■>•. •^^^ v^. OF LOUISIANA. ut journey to their country, was obliged to re- turn home ; but that as foon as he got well again, he would refume his journey to their country, in order to procure a general peace between them and the other nations. ' On the evenin?: of the fame day arrived at the camp the Grand Chief of the Othcuez : who acquainted M. cle Bourgmont^ that a great part of his Warriors waited for him on the road to the Padoucas^ and that he came tp receive his orders \ but was forry to find him At length, on the 4th of Auguji^ M. de Boitrgmont fet out from the Canzas in a pet- tyauger, and arrived the 5th at Fort Or-' leans, , : .,,. On the 6th of Septemhcr M. de Bourgmont^ who v/as ft ill at Fort Orleans^ was informed of the arrival of the two Padouca flaves on the 25th of Auguji at iheir own nation ; and that meeting on the way a body of Padouca hunt- ers a day*s journey from their village, the Pa- douca flaves made the fignal of their nation, by thiowing their mantles thrice over their heads : That they fpoke much in commen- dation of the generofi> y of M« di Bourgmont^ ivhp 1.1' 112 THE HISTORY who had ranfomed them : Told all he had done in order to a general paciBcation : In fine, extolled the French to fuch a degree, that their difcourfe, held in prefence of the Grand Chief and of the whole nation, dif- fufed an univerfal joy : That Gaillard told them, the flag they faw was the fymbol of Peace, and the word of the Sovereign of the French : That in a little time the feveral na- tions would come to be like brethren, and have but one heart. The Grand Chief of the Padoucas was fo well aflured that the war was now at an end, that he difpatched twenty Padoucas with Gail- lard to the CanzaSy by whom they were ex- tremely well received. The Padoucas^ on their return home, related their good recep- tion among the Canzas 5 and as a plain and real proofof the pacification, mediated by the ir^wJ^, brought with them fifty of the Canzas^ and three of their women ; who, in their turn, were received by the Padoucas with all pofli- ble marks o^ friendfliip* Tho* M. de Bourgmont was but juft re- covering of his illnefs 5 he, however, pre- pared for his departure, and on the 2©th of September awtually fet out from Fort Orleans OF LOUISIANA. 113 by water, and arrived at the Canzas on the 27th. ^ . . ■ ■ f- • ■• , , GaiUard arrived on the 2d of OHoher at the cuRip of the Canzas^ with three Chiefs of war, and three Warriors of the Padoucas, who were received by M. ^^ Bourgmont with flag difplayed, and other teftimonies of civi- lity, and had prefents made them of feveral goodS) proper for their ufe. ' On the 4th of OSiober arrived at the Can-- zas the Grand Chief, and feven other Chiefs of war of the Oibouez ; and next day, very early, fix Chiefs of war of the A'iaouez* M. de Bourgmont alTembled all the Chiefs prcfent, and fetting them round a large fire made before his tent, rofe up, and addreiling himfelf to them, faid ; he was come to de- dare to them, in the name of his Sovereigns and of the Grand French Chief in the coun- try *, that it was the will of his Sovereign, they (hould all live in peace for the future, like brethren and friends, if they expe<5led to enjoy his love and protection : And fince, fays he, you are here all aflembled this day. * The Governor of Ltuifiana, M 'i4 THE HISTORY it is good you conclude a peace, and all fnioke in the fame pipe. The Chiefs of thefe different nations rofe up to a man, and faid with one confcnt, they were well fatisficd to comply with his re- queft 5 aud inftantly gave each other their Pipes of Peace. ' After an entertainment prepared for them, the Padoucas fung the Songs, and danced the Dances of Peace ; a kind of pantomimes, reprefcnting the innocent pleafures of peace. On the 6th of OSfcber M. de Bourgmcni caufed three lots of goods to be made out ; one for the Othouez^ one for the A'iaouez^ and one for the Panimahasy which laft arrived in the mean time ; and made them all fmoke in the fame Pipe of Peace. * On the 8th M. de Bourgment fet out from the Canzas with all the baggage, and the flag difplayed, at the head of the French and fuch Indians as he had pitched on to accompany him, in all forty perfons. The goods intend cd for prefents were loaded on horfcs. h? they fat out late, they travelled but five leagues, in which they crolTed a fmall river and OF LOUISIANA. 115 i\nd two brooks, in a fine country, with lit- tle wood. The fame day Gaillard^ ^snel^ and two Padoucas were difpatched to acquaint their nation with the march of the French. That day they travelled ten leagues, croHed one ri- ver and two brooks. The lOth they made eight leagues, crofled two fmall rivers and three brooks. To their right and left they had feveral fmall hills, on which one could obferve pieces of rock, even with the ground. Along the rivers there is found a flate, and in the meadows, a reddifh marble, ftanding out of the earth one, two, and three feet 5 fome pieces of it upwards oX fix feet in diameter. ,,. ^ The nth they pafFed over feveral brooks and a fmall river, and then the river of the Can%aSi which had only three feet water. Further on, they found Icveral brooks, iflUing from the neighbouring: little hills The river of the Camzas runs diredtly from Weft to E?(l, and fallj into the M:JJouri ; is very great in floods, becaufe, according to the report of the Padoucaiy ir comes a great way off. The woodii, which border this river, afford a re- treat to numbers of bufFaloes and other game. Oh i ii6 THE HISTQRY On the left were fecn great eminences, with hanging rocks. ' The 1 2th of OSfober^ the journey, as the preceding day, was extremely diverlified by the variety of objects. They crolled eight brooks, beautiful meadows, covered with herds of elks and buffaloes. To the right the view was unbounded, but to the left fmall hills were feen at a diilance, which from time to ^ time prefented the appearance of ancleiit caf- ties* The 13th, on their march they faw the meadows covered almoft entirely with buffaloes, elks, and deer; fo th^t one could fcarce di- ilinguiih the different herds, fo numerous and fo intermixed they were. The fame day they paffed thro' a wood almoft two> leagues long, , and a pretty rough afcent; a thing whicfefeemed cxtrdordinary, as till then they only met with little groves, the largcft of which fcarce con- tained an hundred trees, but ffreight as a cane; groves too fmall to afford a retreat to a quarter of the buffaloee and elks feen there. The 14th the march was retarded by af- cents and defcents ; from which iffued many fprings of an extreme pure water, forming fe- veral brooks, whofe waters uniting, make little OF LOUISIANA. 117 little rivers that fall into the river of the Cart" And doubtlefs it is this multitude of zas brooks, which traverfe and virater thefe mea- dows, extending a great v^ay out of fight, that Invite thofe numerous herds of buffaloes. ' The 15th they crolTed feveral brooks and tviro little rivers. It is chiefly on the banks of the waters, that we find thofe enchanting groves, adorned with grafs underneath, and fo clear of underwood, that we may there hunt down the flag with eafe. The 1 6th they continued to pafs over a fimi- lar landskip, the beauties of which were ne- ver cloying. Befides the larger game, thefe groves afforded alfo a retreat to flocks of turkeys. The 1 7th they made very little way, becaufe they wanted to get into the right road, from which they had flrayed the two preceding days ; which they at lengtii recovered ; and at a unall diflance from their camp, faw an en- campment of the Padoucas^ which appeared to have been quitted only about eight days be- fore. This yielded them fo much the more plcafure, as it fhewcd the nearnefs of that na- tion, which made them encamp, after having travelled only fix leagues, in order to make fignals ii8 THE HISTORY flgnals from that place, by fetting fire to the parts of the meadows, which the general fire had fpared. In a little time after, the fignal was anfvvered in the fame manner ; and con- firmed by the arrival of the two Frenchmen^ who had orders given them to make the fig- nals. . • - .. - On the 1 8th they met a little river of brackifh water ; on the banks of which they found another encampment of the Padoucas^ which appeared to have been abandoned but four days before . At half a league further on, a great fmoke was feen to the weft, at no great diftance off, which was anfwcred by fet- ting fire to the parts of the meadows, un- touched by the general fire. About half an hour after, the Padoucas were obferved coming at full gallop with the flag, which Gallkrd had left with them on his firft journey to their country. M. de Bourgmnt inftantly ordered the French under arms ; and at the head of his people thrice faluted thcfe ftrangers with his flag j which they alfo re- turned thrice, by raifing their mantles as ma- ny times over their heads. After this firft ceremony, M. de Bourgmont made them all fit down, and fmoke in the mmm OF LOUISIANA. ii^ Pipe of Peace. This a6lion, being the fcal of the peace, difFufed a general joy, accom- panied with loud acclamations. » . '' " The Padoucas^ after mounting the French and the Indians who accompanied them, on their horfes, fet out for their camp : and after a journey of three leagues, arrived at their en- campment ; but left a diftance of a gun-fhot between the two camps. The day after their arrival at the Fadotuas^ M. de Bourgmont caufed the goods, allotted for tljis nation, to be unpacked, and the dif- ferent fpecies parcelled out, which he made theiti all prefents of *. After which M. de Bourgmont fent for the Grand Chief and other Chiefs of the Fadou- cQs^ who came to the camp to the number of two hundred : And placing himfclf between them and the goods, thus parcelled and laid out to view, told them, he was fent by his Sovereign to carry them the word of Peace, this Hag, and thefe goods, and to exhort them * Red and blue lAmhurgSy frirts, fufils, fabres, gun-pow- dfr, ball, mulket-flints, gunfcrcws, mattocks, hatchets, lookinjj-gUflcs, FUm'iJh knives, N\ood-cutters knives, clafp- knives," fciflars, combs, bells, awls, needles, drinking- gliircs, brafs-vsire, boxes., rings, Arc, to i ! 120 THE HISTORY to live as brethren with their neighbours, the Panlmahas^ Aiaouez^ OthoueZy CanzaSy Mif- fourisy Ofagesy and IlUnoisy to traflick and truck freely together, and with the French* He at the fame time gave the flag to the Grand Chief of the Padoucasy who received it with demonftrations of rcfpec^, and told him : I accept this flag, which you prefent to me on the part of your Sovereign : We re- joice at our having peace with all the na- tions you have mentioned ; and promife in the name of our nation never to make war on any of your allies j but receive them» when they come among us, as our brethren -, as we fhall in like manner, the Frenchy and condu£l them, when they wan to go to the Spaniardsy who are but twelve days journey from our village, and who truck with us in horfes, of which they have fuch numbers, they know not what to do with them ; alfo in bad hatchets of a foft iron, and feme knives, whofe points they break off, left wc Ihouid ufe them one day againft thcmfclves. You may command all my Warriors ; I can furnifli you with upwards of two thoufand In my own, and in the name of my who^c nation, I entreat you would fend fome French' men to trade with us ; we can fupply them with * « OF LOUISIANA. 121 with horfes, which we truck with the Spa- niards for buffalo-mantles, and with great quantities of furs. , ,♦ Before I quit the Padoucas^ I (hall give a fummary of their manners ; it may not, per- haps, be difagreeable to know, in what re- fpedls they differ from other Indian nations*. The Padoucas^ \ V> ^. ^.^^ 2J WBT MAIN STMIT wnsrm.N.Y. msm (716)«7a-4S03 ;\ ft 122 THE HISTORY the men, women, and young people travel unencumbered and light, without being fa- tigued by the journey. When come to the hunting-fpot, they encamp near a brook, where there is always wood ; the horfes they tie by one of their fore-feet with a firing to a flake or bufh. Next morning they each of them mount a horfe, and proceed to the firfl herd, with the wind at their back, to the end the buffaloes may fcent them, and take to flight, which they never fail to do, bec^ufc they have a very quick fcent. Then the hunters purfue them clofeatan eafy gallop, and in a crefccnt, or half ring, till they hang out the tongue thro' fatigue, and can do no more than jufl walk : The hunters then difmount, p(Mnt adart at theextremity of the ihoulder, and kill each of them one cow, fometimes more : For, as I faid above, they never kill the males. They then flay them, take out the entrails, and cut the carcafe in two ; the head, feet, and entrails they leave to the wolves and other carnivorous animals : The (kin they lay on the horfe, and on that the flefh, which they carry home. Two days after they go out again ; and then they bring home the meat ftript from the bones; the women and young people drefs it in the Indian 't— .^ OF LOUISIANA. 123 Indian fafhion ; while the men return for fomc days longer to hunt in the fomc manner. They carry home their dry proviiions, and let their horfes reft for three or four days : At the end of which, thofe who remained in the village, (et out with the others to hunt in the like manner j which has made ignorant tra- vellers affirm, this people was a wandering nation. If they fow little or no maiz, they as little plant any citruls, never any tobacco 5 which laft the Spaniards bring them in rolls, along with the horfes, they truck with them for buf- falo-mantles. The nation of tlie Padoucas is very nume- rous, extends almoft two hundred leagues, and they have villages quite clofe to the ^^rt- niards of New Mexico. They are acquainted with filver, and made the French underhand, they worked at the mines. The inhabitants of the villages at a diftance from the Spani- ards have knives made of fue-llone, (piern dtfeu^) of which they alfo make hatchets ; the largeft to fell middling and little trees with j the lefs, to Hay and cut up the beafts they kill. G 2 Thefe 1! 124 THE HISTORY Thcfe people are far from being favagc, nor would it be a difficult matter to civilize them ; a plain proof they have had long intercourfe with the Spaniards, The few days the French ftayed among them, they were become very familiar, and would fain have M. de Bourgmont leave fome Frenchmen among them ; efpeci- ally they of the village at which the peace was concluded with the other nations. This village confifted of an hundred and forty huts, containing about eight hundred warriors, fif- teen hundred women, and at lead two thou* fand children, fome Padeucas having four wives. When they are in want of horfes, they train up great dogs to carry their baggage. * The men for the moft part wear breeches and f^ockings all of a piece, made of drefled (kins, in the manner of the Spaniards : The women alfo wear petticoats and bodices all of a piece, adorning their waifts with fringes of dreffed (kins. They are almoft without any European goods among them, and have but a faint know- ledge of them. They knew nothing of fire- arms before the arrival of M. ^.r Bourgmont ; were much frighted at them ; and on hearing the report, quaked and bowed their heads. They |; OF LOUISIANA. 125 They generally go to war on horfebaclc, and cover their horfcs with drefl'ed leather, hanging down quite round, which fecures tVtcm from darts. All we have hitherto re- marked, is peculiar to this people, befides the other ufages they have in common with the nsitions of Loui/iana, On the 2 2d of O^obcr M. de Bourgmorit fct out from the Padoucasy and travelled only five leagues that day : The 23d, and the three fol- lowing days, he travelled In all forty leagues : The 27th, fix leagues : The 28th, eight leagues : The 29th, fix leagues ; and the 30th, as many : The 3 1 (t, he travelled only four leagues, and that day arrived within half a league of the Camas, From the Padoucas to the Canzas, proceeding alvyays Eaft, we may now very fafely reckon fixty five leagues anj a half. The river of the Canzas Is parallel to this route. On the I ft of November they all arrived on the banks of the MiJJhuri. M. dc Bourgmont embarked the 2d on a canoe of (kins ; and at length, on the 5th of Novemhir^ arrived at Fort Orleans^ I (hall here fubjoin the defcription of one of thefe canoes. They choofe- for the pur- G 3 pofe 126 THE HISTORY pofe branches of a white and fupple wood, Aich as poplar ; which are to form the ribs or curves, and are faftened on the outfide with three poles, one at bottom and two on the fides, to form the keel ; to thefe curves two other flouter poles are afterwards made fad, to form the gunnels; then they tighten thefe fides with chords, the length of which is in pro- portion to the intended breadth of the canoe : After which th^y tie faft the ends. When all the timbers are thus difpofed, they few on the (kins, which they take care previoufly to foak a confiderable time, to render them ma- nageable. From the account of this journey, ex- tracted and abridged from M. de Bourgmonfs Journal, we cannot fail to obferve the care and attention neceflary to be employed in fuch enterprizes 5 the prudence and policy requifite to manage the natives, and to be- have with them in an affable manner. If we view thefe rations with an eye to Commerce, what advantages might not be derived from them, as to furs ? A Com- merce not only very lucrative, but capable of being carried on. without any rifque ; ef- jjccially if we would follow the plan, I ?i OF LOUISIANA. 127 am to lay down, under the article, Com- msrce. The relation of this Journey fhews> more- over, that Louifiana maintains its good qua- lities throughout; and that the natives of North America derive their origin from the fame country, fince at bottom they all have the fame manners and ufages, as ?*lfo the fame manner of fpcaking and thinking. It I, however, except the Natchez^ and the people they call their brethren, who have preferved feftivals and ceremonies, which clearly (hew, they have a far nobler origin. Befides, the richnefs of their language di- flinguifhes them from all thofe other peo- ple that came from Tartary ; whofc lan- guage, on the contrary, is very barren ; But li they refemble the others in certain cuf- toms, they were conftrained thereto from the tics of a common fociety with them, as in their wars, embaflies, and in every thing that regards the common interefts of thefe nations. Before I put an end to this chapter, I (hall relate an extraordinary phaenomenon which appeared in Lmftana, G 4 Toward* 128 THE HISTORY Towards the end of May 1726, tlie fan was then concealed for a whole day by large clouds, but very diftin£t one from another ; they left but little void fpacc between, to permit the view of the azure fky, and but in very few places : The whole day was very calm ; in the evening efpecially thefc clouds were entirely joined ; no fky was to be feen 5 but all the different configurations of the clouds were diilinguifhable : lobferved, they flood very high above the earth. The weather being fo difpofcd, the fun wis preparing to fet. I faw him in the in- fant he touched the hori2X)n, becaufe there was a little clear fpace between that and the clouds. A little after, thefe clouds turned luminous, or refle£led the light : The con- tour or outlines of mod of them feemed to be bordored with gold, others but wi:h a faint tincture thereof. It would be a very difficult matter to defcribe all the beauties, which thefe different colourings prefented to the view: Bat the whole together formed the fmett profpecl I ever beheld of the kind, I had my face turned to the Eaftj and in the little time the fun formed this decoration, he proceeded to hide hirnfelf more and more ; when fjfiicitntly low, fo that the fhadow of the OF LOUISIANA. 129 the earth could appear on the convexity of the clouds, there was obferved as if a veil, flretched from North to South, had conceaU ed or removed the light from off that part of the clouds, which extended eaftwards, and made them dark, without hindering their be- ing perfedlly well diftinguifhed j fo that all on the fame line were partly luminous, partly dark. This very year I had a ftrong inclination to quit the Poft at the Natchez^ where I had continued for eight years. I had taken that refolution, notwithdanding my attachment to that fettlement. I fold off my efFe6b and went down to New Orleans^ which I found greatly altered, by being entirely built. I in- tended to return to Europe j but M. Perier^ the Governor, preffed me fo much, that I ac* cepted the infpe£lIon of the plantation of the Company ; which, in a little time afcer, be- came the King's. Gs CHAP. , • I I , 1 130 THE HISTORY ' '• » ' • • C HA P. XL Tbff War with the Chitimachas. TheCon^ /piracy of the Negroes againft the French. Thtir Execution, "DEFORE nvy arrival in Louiftana^ we happened to be at war with the nation of the Chitimachas ; owing to one of that people, who being gone to dwell in a bye-place ovt the banlcs of the MiJJifipi^ had alTainnated M. de St. Cotney 2l Miifionary of that Colony ^ who, in going dowr the river, imagined he might in fafety retire into this man's hut for a night. M de Biainville charged the whole nation with this aiTaffination ; and in order ta favc his own people, caufed them to be at- tacked by feveral nations in alliance with the French. Prowefs is none of the greateft qualities of the Indians^ much Icfs of the Chitimachas. They were therefore worfted, and the lofs of their bravefl warriors conflrained them to fue for peace. This the Governor granted, on condition, that they brought him the head of the aiTaflin ; which they accordingly did, and concluded a peace by the ceremony of the Cl?/«w#/, hereafter defcribed. At OF LOUISIANA. 131 At the time the fuccours were expe£^ed from France^ in order to deftroy the Natchez^ the ^egroei formed a defign to rid themfelves of all the Frenth at otfce, and to fettle in their room, by making themfelves mailers of the Capital, and of all the property of the French* It was difcovcred in the following manner* A female Negro receiving a violent blow from a French foldier, for refufmg to obey him, faid in her paflion, that the French (hould not long infult Negroes, Some Frenchmen^ overhearing thefe threats, brought her before the Governor, who fent her to prifon* The Judge Criminal not being able to draw any thing out of her, I told the Governor, who feemed to pay no great regard to her threats, that I was of opinion, that a man in liq^or^ and a woman in pafHon, generally fpeak truths It is therefore highly probable, faid I, that there is feme truth in what (he faid : And if fo, there muft be fome confpiracy, ready ta break out, which cannot be formed without many Negroes of the King's plantation being accomplices therein : And if there are any, L take upon me, faid I, to find them out, and arrert them, if neceffary, without any diforder or tumult. G 6 Thr 132 THE HISTORV The Governor and the whole Court ap- proved of my reafons : I went that very even- ing to the camp of the Negroes^ and from hut to hut, till I faw a light. In this hut I heard them talking together of their fcheme. One of them was my firft commander and my confidant, which furprized me greatly, his name was Samba, I fpeedily retired for fear of being difcover- cd I and in two days after, eight Negroes, who were at the head of the confpiracy, were feparateiy arrefled, unknown to each other, and clapt in irons without the lead tumult. The day after, they were put to the tor- ture of burning matches j which, tho' fevc- ral times repeated, could not bring them to make any confeflion. In the mean time I learnt, that Samba had, in his own country, been at the head of the revolt, by which the French loft Fort Argwn ; and when it was re- covered again by M. Perier de Salvert^ one of the principal articles of the peace was, that th.s Negro fhould be condemned to flavery in Amertea : That Samba j on his pailage, had laid a fcheme to murder the crew, in order to beconie mafter of the (hip ; but that being difcoversd, be was put in irons, in which he continued, till be landed in Loutfiafia. I diew ' OF LOUISIANA. 13J I drew up a memorial of all this ; which was read before Samba by the Judge Cri- minal ; who^ threatening him again with the torture, told him, he had ever been a fedi- tious fellow : Upon which ^amba dire(5lly owned all the circumf^ances of the confpiracy ; and the refl, being confronted with him, con- fefTed alfb : After which, the eight Negrots were condemned to be broke alive on the wheel, and the woman to be hanged before their eyes \ which was accordingly done, and prcvcjited the confpiracy from taking cfFcdt. •I*.' CHAP; 134 THE HISTORY l! -f V t.:i. CHAP. XII. V ! ne War of the Natchez. Majfacre of the French in 1729. Extirpation of the Natchez in 1730. T N the beginning of the month of Decern^ ber 1729, we heard at New Orleans, with the moft afFe£ling grief, of the maflacre of the French at the Poft of the Natchez^ occa- ftoned by the imprudent condu6^ of the Com- mandant. I (hall trace that whole affair from its firfl rife. The Sieur de Chopart had been Command- ant of the Poft of the Natchez, from which he was removed on account of fome adts of injuftice. M. Perier, Commandant General, but lately arrived, fufFcrcd himfelf to be pre- pofTefTed in his favour, on his telling him,, that he had commanded that Poft with ap- plaufe : And thus he obtained the command from M. Perier, who was unacquainted with his character. ■- ' ''f This new Commandant, on taking poflef- fion of his Poft, proje6led the forming one of the moft eminent fettlements of the whole „ . . , - , . Colony OF LOUISIANA. 135 Colony. For this purpofe he examined all the grounds, unoccupied by the French : But could not find any thing that came up to the grandeur of his news. Nothing but the vil- lage of the JVhiie Apple^ a Square league at lead in extent, could give him fatisfatSlion ; where he immediately refolved to fettle. This ground was diftant from the Fort about two leagues. Conceited with the beauty of his project, the Commandant fent for the Sun of that village to come to the Fort. The Commandant, upon his arrival at the Fort, told him, without further ceremony> that he muft look owt for another ground to build his village on, as he himfelf eefolved, as ibon as poifible, to build* on the village of the Jpple; that he muft diredly clear the huts, and retire fomewhere elfe. The better to cover his defign, he gave out, that it was ne- ceffary for the French to fettle on the banks of the rivulet, where flood the Great Village, and the abode of the Grand Sun, The Com- mandant, doubtlefs, fuppofed that he was fpeaking to a flave, whom we may command in a tone of abfolute, authority. But he knew not, that the natives of Louijiana are fuch enemies to a ftate of flavery, that they prefer ^eath itfelf thereto i above all, the Sum^ ac- cuftomed 136 THE HISTORY cudomed to govern defpotically, have flill a greater averfion to it. The Sun of the Jpple thought, that if he was talked to in a reafonable manner, he might liften to him : In this he had been right, had he to deal with a reafonable perfon. He there- fore made anfwer, that his anceftors had lived in that village for as many years as there were hairs in his double cue, and therefore it was good, that they fhould continue there flill. Scarce had the interpreter explained this an- fwer to the Commandant, but he fell into a paflion, and threatned the Sun, if he did not quit his village in a few days, he might re- pent it. The Sttn replied j when the French came to a(k us for lands to fettle on, they told us, there was land enough ilill unoc- cupied, which they might take ; the fame fun would enlighten them all, and all would walk in the fame path. He wanted to proceed far- ther in juilification of what be alleged ; but the Commandant, who was in a pailion, told him, he was refolved to be obeyed, without any further reply. The Sun^ without difco- vering any emotion or paifion, withdrew, •nly faying, he was going to afiemble the old A OF LOUISIANA. 137 old men of his village, to hold a Council on this afFair. ' '-i lie actually aflembled them : And in this Council it was refolved to reprefent to the Commandant, that the corn of all the people of their village was already (hot a little out of the earth, and that all the hens were lay- ing their eggs ; that if thdy quitted their vil-* lage at prefent, the chickens and corn would be loft both to the French and to thcmfelves ; as the French were not numerous enough to weed all the corn, they had fown in their fields. r . This refolution taken, they fent to propofe it to the Commandant, who rejeded it with a menace to chaftife them, if they did not o- bey in a very ihort time, which he prefixed. The Sun reported this anfwer to his Coun- cil, who debated the queftion, which was knotty. But the policy of the old men was, that they (hould propofe to the Commandant, to be allowed to ftay in their village till har- veft, and till they had time to dry their corn, and ihake out the grain ; on condition each hut of the village (hould pay him in fo many Moons (months,) which they agreed on, a bafket of corn and a fowl 5 that this Com- mandant 13» THE HISTORY mandant appeared to be a man highly felf- intercftcd, ^nd that this propofition would be a means of gaining time, till they fhould take proper meafures to withdraw themfelves from the tyranny of the French, The iS*a« returned to the Commandant, and propofed to pay him the tribute 1 juft men- tioned, if he waited till the firft colds, (win- ter J ) that then the corn would be gathered in, and dry enough to (hake out the grain > that thus, they would not be expofed to lofe their corn, and die of hunger: That the Commandant himfelf would find his account in it, and that as foon as any corn was (haken out, they fhould bring him fome. The avidity of the Commandant made him accept the propofition with joy, and blinded him with regard to the confequences of his tyrani^. He, however, pretended, that he agreed to the offer out of f#bur, to do a pleafure to a nation fo beloved, and who had ever beet^ good friends of the French, The 5a» appear-i ed highly fatisfied to have obtained a delay» fufiicient for taking the precautions, neceffary to the fecurity of the nation \ for, he was by no means the dupe of the feigned benevo- lence of the Commandant. The OF LOUISIANA. 139 The Sun^ upon his return, caufed the Council to be afTcmbled ; toUl the old men, that the French Commandant had acquiefced in the offers which he had made him, and granted the term of time they demand- ed. He then laid before them, that it was neeellary, wifely to avail themfelves of this time, in order to withdraw themfelves from the propofed payment and tyrannic domina- tion of the French^ who grew dangerous in proportion as they multiplied. That the Nat- chez ought to remember the war, made upon them, in violation of the Peace concluded between them : That this war having been made upon their village alone, they ought to confider of the fureft means to take a juft and a bloody vengeance : That this cnterprize be- ing of the utmoft confequence, it called for much fecrecy, for folid meafures, and for much policy: That thus it was proper to ca- jole the French Chief more than ever: That this affair required fome days to reflect on, be- fore they came to a refolution therein, and be- fore it (hould be propofed to the Grand Sun and his Council : That at prefcnt they had only to retire; and in a few days he would af- femble them again, that they might then de- termine the part they were to adt. "* la 140 THE HISTORY ^ In five or fix days he brought together the old men, who in that interval were con- fulting with each other : which was the rea- fon, that all the fufFrages were unanimous in the fame and only means of obtaining the end, they propofcd to themfelves, which was the entire deftrudion of the French in this pro- vince. , - The 5//K, feeing them all aflembled, faid : ** You have had time to refle6i on the propo- •' fition I made you : and fo I imagine, you " will foon fet forth the beft means, how *' to get rid of your bad neighbours with- *' out hazard." The Sun having done fpeak- ing, the oldefl rofe up, faluted his Chief after his manner, and faid to him : or flakes, of the enemy's fort, without any other eflfeil, than having thirty-two men killed, and almofl feventy wounded ; which lafl were carried to the body of referve 5 from whence the Gene- ral, feeing the bad fuccefs of the attack, or- dered to beat the retreat, and fent a large de- tachment to favour it. It was now five in the evening, and the attack had been begun at h;ilf an hour after one. The troops rejoined the body of the army, without being able to carry off Vol. I. I their ' «> i"f*jo ''THE HISTORY ^> dieir di^ad, which were left on the field of bat- ■ tie, expofcd to the rage of the enemy. ,,^,, After taking fome refrelhment, they di- ^, rc£Wy fortified themfelves, by felling trees, in ^1 order to pafs the. night fecure from the infults g, of the enemy, by being carefully on their 4, , guard. Next day it wasobferved, the enemy ^ , had availed themfelves of that night to demo* ^j ,liih fome huts, where the French^ during the « y attack^ bad put themfelves under cover, in ^t ^lorder from thence to batter the fort* r-iiT; l.n ■T-l ^>l 'On the 27th, iihe day after the attack, the army began its march, and hy at a league ^*^from the enemy. The day following, at a leaguiB from the land i ng-plaCe, whither they arrived next day. The French embarked for Fort 'Mobile^ and from thence for the Capi- tal, from which each returned to his own home. * A little time after, a ferjcant of the garri- fon of the Illinois arrived at New Orleans^ who reported, that, in confequence of the General's orders, M. d'Artaguette had taken his meafures fo well, that on the 9th of May he ai-rived with his men near the Chicafaws^ fent out fcbuts to difcover the arrival of the French -^■i OS OF LOUISIANA tyt French army ; which he continued to. do till the 20Ch : That the Indians in alliance hear* ing no accounts of the Frenchy wanted either to return home) or to attack i\\tChicaJaws % which laft M. d'Jrtaguette refolv^d ypon, on the 2 1 ft, with pretty good fuccefs at firft, having forced the enemy to quit their villag« and fort : That he then 'attacked another vil- lage with the fame fuccefs ; hufthat puiYiring the runaways, M. d^Artaguette had received two wounds, which the Indians finding, re- folved to abandon that Commandant, ivith forty-fix foldiers and two ferjeants, who de- fended their Commandant all that day, but were at laft obliged to furrender ; that they were well ufed by the enemy, who under- (landing that the French were in their coun- try, prevailed on M* d^ArtagueiU to write to the General; but that this deputation ha tng had no fuccefs, and learning that the French were retired, and defpau':*i of any ranfom any for their flaves, put them to death by a flow fire. The ferjeant added» he had the happi- nefs to fall into the hands of a good mailer, who favoured his efcape to Mobile* M. de Biainvtlle^ defirous to take venge- ance of the ChiidfawSy wrote to France for r 2 fuccours," X 172 THE HISTORY fuccours, which the Court fent, ordering alfo die Colony of Canada to fend fuccours. In tb« mean time M. de BlainvilU fent ofF a brg^e detachment for the river Su Frands, in order to build a fort there, called alfo St. Framis- ,,,,, * Thefquadron, which brought the fuccours front Franct being arrived, they fet out, by going up ^laitMijffiftph for the fort that had been juft built. This army confifted of Ma- rine^ of the troops of the Colony, of feveral Inhabitants, many ^legroes^ and fome Indi- MSy our allies ; and being aflembled in this place, took water again, and dill proceeded up the MiJJifipi to a little ri^r called Mar got ^ near the Cliffs called Prud'homme^ and there the whele army landed. They encamped on a fine plain, at the foot of a hill, about fifteen leagues from the enemy; fortified diemfelves by way of precaution, aiid built in the fort a houfe for the Commandant, fome cazerns, and a warehoufe for the goods. This fort was called AJfumption^ from the day on which they landed. ' They had waggons and fledges made, and the roads cleared for tranfporting cannon, ammunition, and ot!«v~ neceflarjes for form- OF LOUIS I AK A. 173 ing a regular fiegc. There and then rt was the fuccours from Canada arrived, confifting of French^ Iroquois^ HuronSy Epiftngles^ Ai» gonqulnsy and other nations : And foon after . arrived the new Commandant of the lilin^^ with the garrifon, inhabitants, and neigh* bouring Indians ^ all that he could bring toge- ther, with a great number of horfes.^^^. ^^^^^^ , This formidatle ^rmy, ^onfiflfng of fd many different nations, the greateft ever feenj and perhaps that ever will be iecn, in thofe parts, remained in this camp without under- taking any thing, from be month of Augu/i 1739, to the March following. Provifions^ which at firft were in great plenty, came at laft to be fo fcarce, that they were obliged to eat the horfes which were to draw the artU*- lery, amnuinition, and provifions : Afterwards ficknefs raged in the army. M. de BiainviUe^ who hitherto had attempted nothing againft the Cbica/awsy refolved to have recourie to mild methods. He therefore detached, about the 15th of Marchy the company of Cadets, with their Captain, M. de Celoron^ their Lieu- tenant, M. de St. Laurenty and the Indians^ who came with them from Canada, againfl the Chicafawsj with orders to offer peace to them in his name, if they fued for it. I 3 What !• / 174 THE HISTORY What the General had forcfeen, failed not to happen. As fooji as the Chieafaws faw the French^ followed by the Indr am of Canada^ thVy doubted nol, in the Icaft, but the reft of that numefous army would foon follow ; And they no fooner faw them approach, but they made fignals of peace, and came out of their fort in the moft humble manner, expofing themfelyes to all the confequences that might enfue, in order to obtain peace. They fo- lemnly protefted that they a£^ually were, and would continue to be inviolable ;ends of the French i that it was the En^.-j.^^ who pre- vailed upon them to adt in this manner ; but that they had ^Uen out with them on this account, and at that very time had two of that nation, whom they made flaves; and that the French might go and fee, whether they fpoke truth. M« de St, Laurent a(ked to go, and ac- cordingly went with a young flave : But he might have had reafon to have repented it, had.flot the men been more prudent than the women, who demanded the head of the Frenchman: But the men, after confulting together, were refolved to fave him, in or- der to obt»n peace of the French^ on giving OF LOUISIANA. 175 up the two Englijhmen, The women rifle fcarce any thing near fo much as the men } , thefe lail are either (lain in battle, or put to death by their enemies } whereas the women at word are but (laves ; and they all per- , fedlly well know, that the Indian women are , far better off when flavei to the French^ than if married at home. M. dt St, Laurent^ highly pleafed with this difcovery, promifed tbetn peace in the name of M. de Biainville and of all the Frenh : After thefe aflurances, they went all in a body out of the foft, tp pdrefent the Pipe to M. de Cekron^ who acr cepted it, and repeated the laix)^, promife. ^ In a few days after, he fet out with a great company of Chicafaivs^ deputed to carry the Pipe to the French General, and deliver up the two EngUJhmen, When they came before M. de Biainville^ they fell proftrate at *^ his feet, and made him the fame protefta- tions of fidelity and friendfhip, as they had already made to I\I. de Celoron ; threw the blame on the EngUJh ; faid they were en- tirely fallen out with them, and had taken thefe two, and put them in his hands^ as enemies. They protefted, in, the moft fo- lemn manner, tiicy would for ever be friends I 4 c»f ! I 176 The HISTORY cf the French and of their friends, and cne- xnies of their enemies ; in f^ne, that they would make war on the Fnglijh^ if it was thought proper, in order to ihew, that they renounced them as traitors. *Thus ended the war with the n?Ua/awj^ about the beginning of Jpri!^ 1740. M. de BiainvtUe difmifled the auxiliaries, after ma- king them prefents ; razed the Tort jf/fum- ptiofiy thought to be no longt.' neceffary, and embarked with his whole army ; and in paffing down » caufed the .7ort St. Francis to be demolifhec, as it was jiow become ufelefs ; and he repaired to the Capital, after an ab- fence of more than ten months* Some years after, we had difputes with a part of the Cha^aws^ who followed the interei!s of the Red-Shoe^ a Prince of that nation, who '.n the firft expedition againft the Chicafawi^ had fome difpuies with the French. This Indian^ more infoient than any one of his nation, took a pretext to break out, and commit feveral hoHilities againfl the French. M. de Vaudreuily then Gover- nor of Louijianoy being apprized of this, and of the occaflon thereof, ftridlly forbad the French to frequent that nation, and to ?i truck OF LOUIS I ANA. 177 truck with them ?ny arms or ammunition^ in order to put 9. fcop to that diforder in a ihort time> and without drawing the fword* M. df Vaudreuil^ after taking thefe pre* cautions, fent to demand of the Grand Chief of the whole nation^ whether, like the Red" Shoe^ he was aKb dr^leafed with the French. He made anfwer, he was their friend : But that the Red-Shoe was a young man, with- out underftanding» Having returned this an- Aver, they fent him a prefent : But he was greatly furprized to find neither arms, pow- der, nor ball in this preient, at a time when . they were friends as before. This manner of proceeding, joined to the prohibition made of trucking with them arms or ammunition^ heightened their furprize, and put them on having an explication on this head with the Governor ; who made anfwer, That neither arms nor ammunition would be trucked with them, as long as the Red-Shoe had no more underftanding $ that they would not fail, as being brethren, to fliare a good part of the ammunition and arms with the Warriors of the Red-Shoe* This anfwer put them on remonftrating to the Village that infulted us ; told thern^ if they did not inftantly make I 5 peace vjS THrB HISTORY jjeaoe- with. Utit-Frimby they would them^ felves make war upon them. This thrcatr nixig declaration made, them fue for peaco. with the French^ yfho were not in a condi- tion to maintain a war againft a nation fo numerous. And thus the prudent policy of M. dt Vaudrml^t a (lop to this war, with- out either expence^ or the lofs of a mam ■7, 0*; If CHAP. 1 • T i fs IW OF LOUISIANA. 179 CHAP. XIV. Oiuftr 3T.'b> RefleSfions on 'what gives ocmjion ta Wars in Louifiana. The means of avoiding Wars in that province^ as alfo the man- ner of coming off with advai/tage and little expence in them, 'V^ H E experience 1 have had in the art of war, from fome campaigns I made in a regiment of Dragoons till the Peace of 1 7 1 3, njy application to the ftudy of the wars of the Gretks^ Romans^ and other ancient peo- ple^ and the wars I have feen carried on with the Indians of Louifiana^ during the time I refided in that Province, gave me occafion to make feveral refle6\. 11:; on what could give rife to a war with the Indians., on the m harrafies and w«dkens the troops very much. Moreover, there is a great deal of ri(>' in mn* king war in this manner : You have the ap- proaches of a fore to make, which cannot be done without lofs of lives : And (hould you make a breach, how many brave men are lofV» before you can force men, who fight like def- peradoes, becaufe they prefer d^ath to Ha- very. I fay, fljouldycu make a breach\ becaufe in all the time I reHded in this Province, I nevet (aw nor heard,, that the, cannon, which were brought againfl i}^^. Indian forts, ever made a breach for a fingle man to pais : It is therefor^ quite ufcleis to be at that expence, and to bar- rais the troops, to bring artillery, which can be of no manner of fervice* ' That cannon can make no breach in Indian forts may appear flrange : But not more ilrange than true ; as will appear, if we con- fider, that the wooden pofts, or (lakes, which furround thefe forts, are too big for a bullet of the fize of thofe ufed in thefe wars, to cut them down, tho' it were even to hit their middle. If the bullet gives more towiirds the edge of the tree, it glides off, and flrikes the next to it ; ibould the ball hit exadly be- tween two pofis> it opens them, and meets the Wil«»i»^^l(^ A^y«. W OF LOUISIANA. 1J7. the port of the lining, which flops it fhort : Another ball may flrike the fame tree, at the other joining, then it clofcs the little aperture the other had made. Were I to undertake fucb a war, I would bring only a few Indian allies ; I could eafily manage them ; they would liot (land me fo much in prefents, nor confume fo much am- munition and provifions : A great faving this j and bringing no cannon with me, I ihould ' alfo fave expencey. I would have tumt but} pprtable arms ; and thus my troops would not? be harrafled. The country every where fiur«< nifhes wherewithal to make moveable in- trenchments, and approaches, without open- ing ground : And I would ft»tter myfclf to* - carry the fort in two days time. There I flop : the reader has no need of this detail, nor I to make it publick. CHAP. 1 88 THE HISTORY C H A ?• XV. Penfacola taken by furprize hy the French. Retaken hy the Spaniards. Again re- taken hy the French, and demolijhed, 1> E F O R E I go any farther, 1 think it ""^neccflary to relate what happened with re- fpcft to the Fort of Penfaeth in Virginia*, This Fort belongs to the Spaniards^ and ferves for an Entrepot^ or harbour, for the Spanijh galleons to put in to, in their paiTage fium La Vtra Cruz to Europe. Towards the beginning of the year I7I9> the Commandant General having under(lood» by the lail fhips which arrived, that war was declared between France and Spain, refolved to take the Poft of Penfactla from the Spani- erds i which Aands on the Continent, about fifteen leagues from IJle Dauphine^ is defended by a ftaccado-fort, at the entrance of the Road; Over againft it, {lands a fortin, or fmall fort, on the wefl point of the IHe St, Rofe'y which, on that fide, defends the en- trance of the Ror.d: This fort has only a guard-houfe to defend it. 1^ The Author muft meaa CanVtna, The OF LOUISIANA. 189 The Commandant General, perfuadeJ it would be impoflible to befiege the place in form, wantoxi to take it by furprize, confiding in the ardor of the French^ and fecurity oi the Spaniards^ who were as yet ignorant of our being at war with them in Europe, With that view, he alTembled the few troops he had, with feveral Canadian and French Planters, newly arrived, who went as volunteers. - M. de Chateauguiere^ the Commandant's brother, and- King's Lieutenant, commanded under him I and next him, M. de Richebourg^ Cap- tain. After arming this body of men, and getting the necefTary fupplics of ammunition and proviflons, he embarqued with his fmall army, and by the favour of a profperous wind, arrived in a fhort time at his place of defli- nation. The French anchored near the fortin, made their defcent undifcovered, feized on the guard-houfe, and dapt the foldiers in irons ; which was done in lefs than half an hour. Some French foldiers were ordered to put on the cloaths of the Spaniards^ in order to facili- tate the furprizing the enemy. The thing fuc- cceded to their wifh. On the morrow, at day- break, they perceived the boat, which carried the detachment from Penfacoiay in order to relieve the guard of the fortin ; on which the Spanrjh march was caufed to be beat up 3 and the mim 190 THE HISTORY the trench in difguifc receiving them, and clapping them in irons, pat on iheir eloaths \ «nd flepping into the fame boat, furprized the fentinel, the guard-houfe, and at laft the gar- rifon, to the very Governor himfelf, who was taken in bed ; fo that they all were made pri* loners without any blood-fhed. ' ; The Commandant General, apprehenfive of the fcarcity of provifions, (hipped off the prifoners, efcorted by feme foldiers, comman- ded by M. de Richebourg^ in order to land them at the Havanna : He left his brother ''at Penfacola^ to command there, with a garri- 'of fixty men. A^ foon as the French vefiel had anchored at the Havanna^ M. de Riche- bourg went on fhore, to acquaint the Spanijh Governor with his commifEon ; who received him with politenefs, and as a teftimony of his gratitude, made him, and his officers prifoners, * put the foldiers in irdns and in prifon, where ' they lay for fome time, expofed to hunger and the infults of the Spaniards, which determined many of them to enter into the fervice of Spai??^ in order to efcppe the extreme mifery, under which they groaned. Some of t\\Q French, newly enlifted in the Spanijh troops, informed the Governor of the HavanfhJ^ \ "i OV LOUISIANA. 191 Navannay that the French garrifon, Jeft at Penfacola^ was very weak : He, in his turn, refolved to carry that fort by way of reprifal. For that purpofe he caufed a SpaniJJj vefTel, with that which the French had brought to the Havanna^ to be armed. The SpanJflj vef- fel ftationed itfelf behind the Ifle St. Rofe, and the French veflel came before the fort with French colours. The fentinel enquired, who commanded the veflel ? They anfwered, M. de Richebourg. This veflel, after anchor- ing, took down her French^ and hoifled Spanijh colours, firing fhree guns : At which fignal, agreed on by the Spaniards, the Spanijh veflel joined the firft ; then they fummoned the French to furrender. M. de Chateauguiere rejedted the propofition, fired upon the 5"^^- niardsj and they continued cannonading each other till night. On the following day the cannonading was continued till noon, when the Spaniards ceafed firi-ng, in order to fummon the Com- mandant anew to fu. render the fort: He de- tn^nded four day?, and was allowed two. During that time, he (ent to aflc fuccours of his brother, who Wvia in no condition to fend him any. The ^ fl 192 THE HISTORY The term being expired, the attack was renewed, the Commandant bravely defend- ing himfelf till night i which two thirds of the garrifon availed themfelves of, to aban- don their Governor, who, having only twenty men left, faw himfelf unable to make any longer refiftance, demanded to capitulate, and was allowed all the honours of war ; but in going out of the place, he and all his men were made prifoners. This infraction of the capi- tulation was occafioned by the fhame the Spa- niards conceived, of being conftrained to ca« pitulate in this manner with twenty men only. As foon as the Governor of the Havanna was apprized of the furrender of the fort, vainly imagining he had overthrown half his enemies at leaft, caufed great rejoicings to be made in the iiland, as if he had gained a de- cifive vi£lory> or carried a citadel of impor- tance. He alfo fent off feveral vefTels to vic- tual and refrefh his warriors, who according to him muft have been greatly fatigued in fuch an adion as I have juft defcribed. The new Governor of Pcnfacola caufed the fortifications to be repaired and even augment- ed J fent afterwards the veflel, named the Great Devil J armed with fix pieces of cannon to take Dauphin Iiland, or at leaft to flrike terror into it. OF LOUISIANA. 193 it. The veflel, St. Philip^ which lay in the road, entered a gut or narrow place, and there mooring acrofs, brought all her guns to bear on the enemy : And made the Great Devil fenfible, that Saints refill all the efforts of Hell. This (hip, by her pofition, ferved for a cita- del to the whole iiland, which had neither for- tifications nor intrenchments, nor any other fort of defence, excepting a battery of cannon at the Eafb point, with fome inhabitants, who guarded the coaft, and prevented a defcent. The Great Devil^ finding (he made no progrefs^ was condrained, by way of relaxation, to go and pillage on the continent the habitation of the Sieur Miragsulne^ which was abandoned. In the mean time arrived from Penfacohy a lit- tle devil, a pink, to the afliilance of the Great DeviL As foon as they joined, they began a- frefh to cannonade the ifland, which made a vigorous defence. In the time that thefe two vefTels attempted in vain to take the ifland, a fquadron of five (hips came in fight, four of them with Spa^ nijh colours, and the lead carrying French hoifled to the top of the (lafF, as if taken by the four others. In this thtFrertfh were equ^^ Vol. I. K decetved ( i 194 THE HISTORY ^ deceived with the Spaniards .*- The former, however, knev/ the fmall vcflel, which was the pink, the Mary^ commanded by the brave M. lapy. The Spaniards y convinced by tfiefe appearances, that fuccours were fent them, deputed two OiHcers in a fhalloup on board the Commodore : But they were no fooner on board, than they were made prifoncrs. ^^., ,^^ ;i They were in efFe£l t\ixtQ French men of l! and laid their broad fides, in fpite of feveral difcharges of cannon from the fort, which is upon the IJle St,, Rofe. The fhips had no fooner liid their broad-fides, but the cannonade began on both fides. Our ihips had two forts to batter, and feven fail of (hips that lay in the harbour. But the great land fort fired only one gun on our army, in which the Spantjh Governor, having obferved upwards of three hundred Indiansy commanded by M. de St, Denis, whofe bravery was univerfally acknowledged, was flruck ^yith fuch a panick, from the. fear of falling into their hands, that he flruck, and furrendered the place. The fight continued for about two hours longer : But the heavy metal of our Com- modore making great execution, the Spani' ards cried out feveral times on board their fhips, to flrike ; but fear prevented their exe- cuting thefe orders ; none but a French prifo- ner durfl do it for them. They quitted, their fhips, leaving matches behind, which would have foon fet them on fire. The French pri- K 2 foners 196 THE HISTORY^ foQcrsf beiwfen 4ec)i%i Qd^^^lengpr ^ htaxttig (heJesftMidjfei rarmifed ^ai 1Iight^;tame on dwd^vjdifgi^^ej t^^ Aratng^i) of thoiS/tfw- tfrir, removed the mait^t)e9> and thiisbinder*- cd the veilels from taking fire, acquainting CheCbrbthodoQ'e therewith; The Httle fort held out but an hoar Ibngef, aft^r which it furrendered for want of gUripoWder. TKe Commandant came himfelf to put his f#oi^d in the hands of M. Ghampmeltn^ who ernbraced him, leturne^ him his fword* and told him, he knew how to diftinguiih, between a brave Officer, and one who was not. He made his own fhip his j^ace of confinement, whereas he Commandant of the great fort was made be laughing-ftock of the French. All the Sf^niards pl^ b^ard |^ fhips, and thofe of the two Ibrts ^^^ ikiftde prifoners of war : But the Prefuh dieferters, to the number of forty, were made to cafl lots ; half of whom were hanged at the yard-arms, the reft condemned to be galley*daves to the Company for ten years in the country. M. Champmetln caufed the two forts to be demolifhed, preferving only three or four houies, with a ware-houfe. Thefe houfes were to lodge the OiS^cer, and the few ibl- r diers. O F L O U I S I A N A. 197 diers that were left there, and one to be a guard-houie. The reft of the planters were tranfported to IJlt Daufhine^ and M. Champ' melin fet fail for France ♦. The hiftory of Penfacola is the more ne- €eflary» as it is fo near our fettlements, that the Spaniards hear our guns, when we give them notice by that fignat bf our defign to come and trade with them. * At the peace that foon fucr#•, >■ ;<»r. ^« i VI .« j r^'i R-.',-^S--<*t»^ > "*.ii' -*'«" i'v-VVv i. ,VJ [ 199 ] THE HI STORY OF LOUISIANA. B O O K II. Of the Country 9 and its Produ£ts. .41 v;.!- ^ii ■fX \ C H A P. I. Geographical Defcripion of Louifiana. Its Climate, ZOUniANJ is that part of North America^ which is bounded on the J, South by the GvM ql Mexico ^^ on die I £aft by Carolina^ znEngUJb Colony, and by a part of Canada ; on the Weft, by New ^Mexico ; and on the North, in part by Ca^ .<,nada\ it\ part it extends, without any af- 'fignable bounds, to the Tert^ Incognita^ ad- K.: ... 4 joining <^M* ;■' 200 THE HISTORY joining to Hudfon*s Bay *. Its breadth is a« bout two hundred leagues fy extendmg be» tween the Spanijh and Englijh fettlements ; its length undetermined) as being altogether un- known. However, the fource of the Mijjtfipi will afibrd us fome light on this head. The Climate of Loutjiana varies in propor- tion as it extends northward : All that can be fafd of it in genera) is, that its fouthern parts are not fo fcorching as thofe of Africa in the ' fame latitu e \ and that the northern parts are Colder than the correfponding parts of Europe. New Orleans^ which lies in Lat. 30^, as do the more northerly coafis of Barbary and E" gypty enjoys the fame tempei-aturc of climate as Languedoc. Two degrees higher up, at tha Natchez^ where I reiided for eight years, the climate is far more mild than at New Orleans^ the country lying higher : And at the Illinois, which is between 45*^ and 46^, the fummer is ••■"ii. * Dy the Charter granted by Louit XIV. to M* Cruaat, Louifiana extends only ** from the edge of the fea as far at ** the Jllinois,''* which is not above half the extent afiigned by our Author. f According to the beft Maps and Accounts extant, the diftance from the Miffifipi to the Mountains of New Mexico is about nine hundred miles, and from the Afijfi/fi to the AtlantU Ocean about fix hundred j reckoning fixty aiUea to a degree, and in a ftriut line.. OF LOUISIANA. 201 in no jdjpcd hotter fhzn at ^chtUii but we /md the Frofis harder, and a mo|re' plentiful fall offnow, Tbis and that embarking afterwards above the Fall, he continued going up the river an hundred Jeagues more to the North, where he met the Siouxy a people inhabiting that country, at Ibme diftance from iheMiffifipi y fome fay, on each iide of it. , u -i«n . The S'loux^ little accuflomed to fee Euro- feansy were furprized at feeing him, and afked whithes^ie was going. He t^ld them, up the Cl K 6 i mt 204 THE HISTORY MiJJtftpi to its fourtc. They anfwcrcd, that the country whither he was going was vt;y bad, and where he would have great difficulty to fin J game lor fubfidance ; that it was a great way off, reckoned as far from the iburce to the fall, as from this \dii to the fea. Ac- cording to this information, the MiJJifpi mufl meafure from its fource to its mouth between fifteen and fixteen hundred leagues, as they reckon eight hundred leagues from St. Antony's Fall to the fea. This conjecture is the more probable, as that far to the North, feveral ri- ver.^ of z pretty long courfe fall into the Mif- Jiftpi \ and that even above St. Jntonfs Fall we £nd in this river between thirty and thirty five fathom water, and a breadth in propor- tion ; which can never be from a fource at no great diftance off. I may add, that all the Indians^ informed by thofe nearer the fource, are of the fame opinion. Tho' M. de Charleville did not fee the fource of the MiJIiJipi^ he, however, learned, that a great many rivers empty their waters into it : That even above St. Antony's Fall^ he faw rivers on each fide of the Mtfi/tpi^ hav- ing a courfe of upwards of an hundred leagues. It is proper to obferve, that in going down the river from jf. JntmysFally the riglit hand OF LOUISIANA, 20S is the Weft, the left theEaft. The firft if* ver we meet from the Fall^ and fome leagues lower down, 1« the river St Peter, which comes from the Weft : Lower down to the Eaft, is the river SuCroiic^ both of them to- lerable large rivers. Wc meet feveral others ftill lefs, the names of which are of no con- feqi ence. Aftciwards we meet with the xi^ ver Moingonaj which comes from the Weft, about two hundred and fifty leagues below the Fali. and upwards of an hundred and fifty leagw's in length. This river is fomewhat brackifh. From that river to the Illinois, fe- veral rivulets, or brooks, both to the right and left, fall into the MiffifipL The river of the Illinois comes from the Eaft, and takes its rife on the frontiers of Canada ^ its length is two hundred leagues. The river Mijfouri comes from a (burco about eight hundred leagues diftant ; and runn- ing from North- weft to South-eaft, difcharges irfelf into xheMiJJiftpi, about four or five leagues below the river of the Illinois, This river re- ceives feveral others, in particular the river of the Canzasy which runs above an hundred and fifty leagues. From the rivers of the Illinois and the Mijfouri to the fea are reckoned five hundred kagues^ and three hundred to St. Antonyms I ft I 2o6 THE HISTORY* Jnton/s Fail: From the Mrjauri to the fFa-- hachey or Ohio, an hundred kagues. By this laft river is the paiTage fvortiLmifiana XoCa^ nada. This voyages is. peribrmG^; itwa New Orleans by gping up the MtJJlfipl to the W<^^ bache -, virhich they go up in the fame manner quite to the rivei of the Miamis i in which they proceed as far as the Carrying-place j from which there are two leagues, to a little river which falls intoLake^yw. Here chejc change their yefiels ; they comp J» pettyaugefs>. iind go down the river 5/^ Laurence to ^ehec in birch canoes. On the river St, Laurence are feveral carrying- pi aces, on account of its ma^ jiy falls or cataradts. \], tU * jd '11 .5 j. i>f j Thofe v/ho have pcfrformed this voyage, have told me, they reckoned eighteen hundred leagues from Nov Orleans to^uehcf. Tno* the JVahache is confidered in Louiftana^ as the moft confiderable of the rivers which come from Canada^ and which, uniting in one be4 form the river, commonly called by that name, yet all the Canadian travellers afllire me, that the river called Ohio^ and which falls into the JVahache^ comes a much longer way than this laft j which fhould be a reafon for giving it the name Ohio \ but cuftom has prevailed in this refped *. .>- * .'i^i •f" It is not above nine hundred leagues, * But not among the Engllp j we call it the Ohio, From ! OF LOUISIANA. 207 From the Wahache^ and on the fame fide, to Manchac^ we fee but very few rivers^ and thofe very fmalLoncs, which fall into the MiJJtfipi, thd' there are nearly three hundred and fifty leagues from the Wabache to Man^ chac *. This will, doubtlels, appear fome- thing extraordinary to thofe unacquainted with the country. The reafon, that may be affigned for i^, appears quite natural and flriking. In all that part of Lout/tana^ which is to the Eaft of the Miffijipiy the lands are fo high in ^hc neigh- bourhood of the river, that in many places the rain-water runs off from the banks of the Mijftftpu and difchargcs itfelf inta rivers, which fall either diredly into the fea, or into Jakes. Another very probable reafon is, that from the Wahache to the fea, no rain falls but in fudden gufts ; which defeat is compenfated by the abundant dews, fo that the plants lofe nothing by that means. The JVahache has a courfe of three hundred leagues, and the Ohio has its fource a hundred leagues ilill farther o£F. i . . V- . . ^ . . ^ I * That is, from the mouth of the Ohio to the river JhervUky which other accounts make but two hundred and fifty leagues. . . ,^ *■ i\ \ s;:*':i s. 5to8 THE HISTORY In continuing to go iioytri tht MtJJffipiy from xhaWtthacke tox\it nv^txi^^tJrkanfai^ weobferve but fewrtversy aiiil thofc jiretty (insilL . Thu moft confiderabk is that < of ^/* firmcisy which is diftant thirty and odd leagues irom that of the Arkanfas* It ts on this river ^St. Frandh that the hunters of Niw Or* leans go every winter to make (alt provifioits, tallow, and bears.-oil| for the fupply of ^e Capital. ' ■.»%'! 34? !<• hol%p,n '^i'M mtni j^/ The river of the Arkanjas^ which is thirty- five leagues lower down, and two hundred leagues from Uew Orleans^ is fo denominated firom the Indians of that name, who dwell on its banks, a little above its cohfluenee with the Miffififu It runs three hundred leagues, and its fource is in the fame latitude with Santa-^Fiy in Niw Mexic§y in the mountains of which it rifes. It runs up a little to the North for a hundred leagues, J)y forming a flat elbow, or winding, and returns from thence to the South-eaft, quite to the MiJ/i-' Jipu It has a catarad^, or fall, about the mid* Alt of its courfe. Some call it the White Ri» ver, becaufe in its courfe it receives a ri»e? of that name. The Great Cut-point is abo^t forty leagues below the river of the Arkanfai: TYm was a long circuit which the Mijjiftpi for- M^ - inexly OF LOUISIANA, 209 Ttierly tobky and which it has abridged, by ma* king its v/ay thro' this point of land. Below this river^ flill going towards the fea, we obferve fcarce any thing but brooks or rivulets, except the river of the Tafoust fixty leagues lower down. This river runs but about fifty leagues, and will hardly admit of a boat for a great way : It has taken its name from the nation of the Taftus^ and fome o-> thers dwelling on its banks. Twenty-eight leagues below the river of the Tafous^ is a great cliff of a reddiih free-ftone : Over againfl this cliff aie the great and little whirlpools. From this little river, we meet bet with very fmall ones, till wc come to the Red Rivery called at firft the Marni, becaufe nearly as big as that river, which falls into the Seine. The Nechitochis dwell on its banks, and it was di- ilinguifhed by the name of that nation ; but its common name, and which zt flill bears, is that of the Red River » It takes its rife in New Mexicoy forms an elbow to the North, in the fame manner as the river of the Arkm- fasy £s3s down afterwards towards the Mijfi^ fipiy running South-eafl. They generally al- low it a cc»irfe of two hundred leagues. At about ten leagues from its confluence it re- ceives the Bhck River^ or the river of the jyachitaSi \- 210 THE HISTORY > Wachitas^ which takes its' fife prettj^ near that of the Arkanfas, This rivulet, or fbuicc, fonns» as is faid, a fork pretty near its rife, one arm of which falls into the river of the Arkanfas^ the largeft forms the ^lack Rinxer, Twenty leagues below the JR-ed River is the Little Cut" painty and a league below that Point are the little ClifFs. • ♦'., i ».*•«, - Fromithe i^Mfi^if/^ to the fea we obferve Slothing but fome fmall brooks : But on the Eaft fide, twenty-five leagues above New Or" hanfy we find a channel, which is dry at low water. The inundations of the MtJJiJipi for- med thie channel (which is ^liWp^ Mancbac) below fome high lands, which terminate near that place. It dlfcharges itfelf into the X^ake Maurepus^ and from thence into that of St* . LouiSf of which I gave an account before. The channel runs Eaft South-eaft ; for- merly there was a paflage thro' it -, but aspre- fent it is fo choaked up witl dead- wood, that it begins to have no water * but at the place where it receives the river Amite^ which is * Mambac is almoft dry for three quarters of the year.! But during the inundation, the waters of the rivei* have a rent thro' it into the Lakes Fnnubartraln and &. L«uU, Dumont, 11. 297. This is the river Jlerv'tlh, which is to be the boundary of the Btit'^p dominions, pretty near OF LOUISIANA. 211 pretty large, and which runs feventy leagues ia SL very fine country, -in >- r r VtV rf 1 TC A very fmall river falls inta the Lake Mat^ repas, to the Eaft of Manchac, In proceeding Eailward, we may pais from this lake into that of 5/. Louis^ by a river formed by the waters of the Amite, In going to the North of this lake, wc meet to the Eaft the little ri- vet Tandgi'fao, From thence proceeding- al- ways Eaft, we come to the t'wQX ^efonSfe^ which is long and beautiful, and comes from t\it ChaSfaws, Proceeding in the fame route. we meet the river Cafiin^Bayouc : We may afterwards quit the Lake by the Channel, which borders the fame country, and proceed- ing Eaft ward we meet with Pearl ^*i;^r,which falls into (his channel. Farther up the coaft, which lies from Weft to Eaft, We meet St, Louis's Bay^ into which a little river of that name difcharges itfelf : Farther on, we meet the river of the Pajka- Ogculas': And at length we arrive, at the Bay of Mobile^ which runs upwards of thirty leagues into the country, where it receives the river of the fame name, which runs for about a hundred and fifty leagues from North to South. All the rivers I have juft mentioned, and which fall not into the Mifftfipi^ do in like manner run from North to South. DefcriptioH 211 THE HISTORY Defcription of the Lower Louifiana, and -yr: Mouths of the Miffifipi. T Return to Manchac^ where I quitted the Miffi/tpi, At a little diftance from Man^ thac we meet the river of the Plaquemines i it lies to the Weft» and is rather a creek than a river. Three or four leagues lower down is the Fcrkf which is a channel running to the Weft of the Mijftftph thro* which a part of the inundations of that river run off. Thefe waters pafs thro' feveral lakes, and from thence to the Tea, by Afcenfton Bay. As to the other rivers to the Weft of this Bay, their names are unknown. , :::.■■ ■ ■ /^i .. . ■ The waters which fall into thofe Lakes con* fift not only of fuch as pafs thro' this channel, but al(b of thofe that come out of the Mt/Ji' fipiy when overflowing its banks on each fide : For, of all the water which comes out of the Miffiftpi over its banks, not a drop ever re- turns into its Sed \ but this is only to be un- derftood of the low lands, that is, between fifty and fixty leagues from the fea Eaftward, and upwards of a hundred leagues Weft ward* f It will, doubtlefs, feem ftrange, that a river which overflows its banks^ ihould never after recovec OP: -LOUISIANA. tij recover its waters again, either in whole or in part ; and this will appear )ib tf)«ch thf more iingular, as every wtiereeifeitbap^s other- wife in the like circumftances. ^, ^, . ' ' " • ' • ' t. It appeared no lefs ftrange tp myfelf ; and I liave on all occafions endeavoured to the ut*. ihoft, to End out what could produce an ef« fe&iy which really appeared to me very extra- ordinary, and, I imagine, not without fuccefs. . Prom Manchac down to the fca, it is pro- bable, and even in fome degree certain, that all the lands thereabouts are brought down and accumulated by means of the ooze, which the MiJJifipi c^xtttB along with it in its annual inundations; which begin in the month of March^ by the tneltlng of the (how to the North, and laft for about three months. Thofe oozy or muddy lands eafily produce herbs and reeds ; and when the Mijjifipi hap- pens to overflow the following year, thefe herbs and reeds intercept a part of this ooze, fo that thoTe at a diflance from the river can- not retain fo large a quantity of it, iince thofe that grow next the river have ftopt the great- eft part ; and by a neceiTary confequence, the others farther ofF, and in proportion as they are diftant from the MiJJiftpi^ can retain a much lefs quantity of the mud. In this man- * ' ncr 214 THE HISTORY ner the land rifing higher along the river, in procefs of- time the banks of the MiJJiftpi be- came higher than the lands about it. In tike manner alfo thefe neighbouring lakesy on each fide of the river, are remains of the fea, which are not yet filled up. Other rivers have firm banks, formed by the hands of Nature, a land of the fame nature with the continent, and always adhering thereto : Thefe forts of banks, inftcad of augmenting;, do daily diminifb, ei- ther by finking, or tumbling down into the bed of the river. The banks of the Mijpfipi^ on the contrary, increafe, and cannot diminifh in the low and accumulated lands ; bee lufc the ooze, alone depofitcd on ki ba«*k3, in- creafe them ; which, befides, is the reafon, that the MiJJiftpi becomes n... rower, in place of wafhing away the earth, and enlarging its bed, as all other known rivers do. If we confidvT thefe facrs, therefore, we ought no longer to be furprized, that the waters of the MiJJtJipi^ when once they have left their bed, can never return thither again. Tn order to prove this augmentation of lands, I ihali relate what happened near New Or- leans One of the inhabitants caufed a well to be funk at a little diftance from the MiJJifipi^ in order to procure a clearer water. At twenty feet tm. OF LOUISIANA. 215 feet deep there was found a tree laid flat, three feet in diameter : The height of the earth was therefore augmented twerity feet fmce the fall or lodging of that tree, as well by the accu- mulated mud, as by the rotting of the leaves,, which fall every winter, and which the Mijfi^ fipi carries down in vaft quantities. In efFedt it fvvecps down a great deal of mud, becaufe it runs for twelve hundred leagues at leaft acfofg a country^ which is nothing elfe but earth, which the depth of the river fufficiently proves. It carries down vaft quantities of leaves, canes, and trees, upon its waters, the breadth of which is always above half a league, and fome- times a league and a quarter. Its banks are covered With much wood, fometimes for the bread h of a league on each fide, from its fource to its mouth. There is nothing there- fore more ealv to be conceived, than that this river carries down with its waters a prodigious quantity of ooze, leayto, canes, and trees, which it continually tears op by the roots, and that the fca throwing back again all thefe thir » ' > fliould iieceflarily produce the \jirn\s in queition, and which arc fenfibly en- creafino;. At the entrance of the Pafs or Chan-- ncl to the Somh Eaft there was built a fmall Forr, ftill called BalJfc, This Fort was built on a iitt!c ifland, without the mouth of the river. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) I^otogRiphJc Sdmces Corporation /y A >..-? // **^ ::^ ^ ^ i ■ N 1.0 ^ut 1^ |=|BJ|« 1 1.1 L-^KS ^ 6" ^ iC* o i\ aa WIST MAIN STRHT WnSTn,N.Y. I45M (7l6)t73-4S03 '^ ai6 T95 HISTORY hver. In 1734 it flood on the fame ,4>ot, and I h^ve been to^ ^at at prefent it is half a league within the fiver : ,The lan^ thei;efore, hath in twenty yea^s j;ained this ijace on the fea.; Let us now re^^e the fequel of the Geographical Defcriptlon of Louifiana. ^^ '. !*^ ^.^The coaft is hounded to the Weft by St. BernareCz Bay» where M* id^la. SalU l^ded $ into this bay a fmall river faUs> and there are fome others, which difcharge their waters ber tween this bay and Jfcenjion Bay ; the Planters feldom frequent that coaft.. On the £aft the coaft is bounded by Rio Perdido^ which the French corruptedly qz\\ aux Pjrdrixy JUi Perdido fignifying Loft River^ aptly fp called by the Spaniards^ becaufe it loies itfelf under ground, and afterwards appeari again, and discharges itfelf into the fea, a little to the £aft of Mobile^ on which the firft French Planters fettled. . / ^ From the Fork down to the Sea, there is ho river; nor is it pofiible there (hould be any, after what I have related : On the contrary, we find at a fraall diflance from the Fork an- other channel to the £af^, called the Bayouc of le Sueur : It is full 6f a foft ooze or mud, and communicates with the lakes, which lie to the £afl. On T id ch lie )n OF LOUISIANA. 217. On coming nearer to tlie Tea, we meet, at about eight leagues from the principal mouth ,of the MiJIJfipi^ the iirft PaTs ; and a league lower down, the Otter Pafs» Thefe two pafles^ or channels, are only for pettyaugers. Front this place there is no land fit to tread on, it . being all a quagmire down to the fca. There alfo we find a Point, which parts the mouths of the Aliffifipi : That to the right is .called the South'Pafsy or Channel ; the Weft Point of which runs two leagues farther into the fes than the Point of the South-eaJi-Pafs^ which is to the \th of that of the South Pafs. At firft, veiTels entrcd by the South-caft Pafs, but be- fore we go down to it, we find to the left the Eq/l'Pafi^ which is that by which Ihips en- ter at prefcnt. At each of thefe three Pafles, or Channels, there is a Bar, as in all other rivers : Thefe bars are three quarters of a league broad, with only eight or nine feet water : fiut there is a channel through this bar, which being often fubjedt to ihift, the coailijig pilot is obliged to be always founding, in order to bo iiirc of the pafs : This channel is, at low water, be* tween fcventecn and eighteen feet deep *. • I Ihall make no mention of the IHands, vliich .i:r frequent in the Mx^fif-f as being, properly iVfakfng:, no- V o L. L ' L This ■ l^piillH^mfiptp, ' • * 218 THE HISTORY ' This defcription may fu/Hce to (hew, that the falling in with the land from Tea is bad ; the land fcarce appears two leagues ofF; which doubtlefs mode thQ Spaniards call the MiJJiftpi Rt9 Sfcondidoy the hid River, This river is generally muddy, owing to the waters of the Mijouri; for before this jundlion, the water of the Hiftjjiftpi is very clear. I mufl not o-* mit mentioning, that no (hip can either en- ter, or continue in the river, when the wa- ters are high, on account of the prodigious numbers of trees, and vail quantities of dead wood, which it carries down; and which» together with the canes, leaves, mud, and fand, which the fea throws back upon the coaft, are continually augmenting the land, and make it proje^ into the Gulf of Mexko^ like the bill of a bird. . r t fhould be naturally led to divide Louifiana into the Higher and Lower, on account of the great difference there is between the two prin- cipal parts of this vaft country. The Higher I would call that part, in which we find (lone, which we firft meet with between the river of the Natchez and that of the Tafous^ between which is a cliff of a fine firee-ftone s and I thing but little xfles, produced by fome trees, iho* the foil be nothing but a fand bottom. ^ would OP LOUISIANA. 219 woald terminate that part at Manchae^ where ^he high lands end. I vt^ould extend the tower Lmjkfta from thence down t6 the Tea. The iMMtom of the lands on the hills is a' red clay, and fo compa£^, as might afibrd a folid foun- dation for any building whatever. This clay is covered by a light earth, which is almoft black, and very fertile. The grafs grows there knee deep; and in the bottoms, which fepara^e thefe fmali eminences, it is higher than the tallefl man. Towards the end ofStpUmhir both are fucceflively fet on fire ) and in eight^r ten days young grafs fhoots up half a foot high. One will eafily judge, that in fuch pafhiifts . herds of all creatures fatten' extraordiharily. : ^^he i?x count! jT is watery^ and appears to have been formed by every thing that comes down to the fea. I fhall add, that' pretty near the ^Nachttocfjes we find, bank^ Of mufcle-ihells, fuch as thofe of which Cockie-ljland 1% formed. The neighbouring nation affirms, that ac- wcr Lmjuma. The Fort BaKfi fhews, that a cen«- tury is fufiicient to extend Lmjiaoa two leagues towards the iea« ■ t . J . .■ >.. iH^' •■ ; -r' M' ^ >1 CHAP. OF LOUISIANA. 221 y C H A P. II. t^^^^^-' ^i iio ^h€ Autbor*s Journey in Louifiana, from the Natchez to the River St. Francis, and the Country of the Chicafaws. • UVEJR. fince my arrival In Lntifiaiui^ I ^ made it my buikicfs to get information in jji^l^atever was new therein^ and to malce difcpiveriet of fuch things as might ht (ervice* aUf lo ibcisty* I therefore revived to ^ take a jpurney through the countryv And after lua^ing. my / fiantation to the care of^ mf friends rand neighbours, I prepared for a jour* ney into the interior parts of the province, in order to learn the nature of the ibtl, its va- rious prodfi^ionS) and to make difcoveries not mentioned fa7.«thers.....; .^^v .«f. * ^r I wanted to travel bodi for my own in-' ilru£kion, and for the benefit of the publick : But at the fame time I defired to be alone, without any of my own countrymen with me } who, as they neither have patience, nor are made for fatigue, would be ever teazing n^B to return again, and not readily take up either with the fare or accommodations, to be met with on fuch a journey. I therefor* , L 3 pitched I I 222 THE- HISTORY > pitched upon ten Infiifinsy who are indefatt* gable, mbuft, and tra£^able, and fufliciently fkiiled in hunting, a qualification ncceflary on fiK!h journeys. I explained to thetn my whole defiga i told them, we (hould avoid paffing thro' any inhabited countries, and would take our journeys through fuch as were unknown and iHiinhabited ', bccaufe I travelled, 4n or-* der to discover wbM no one before could in- form me about* This explication ptoafed then I and on their part they fromiled, I ihoiiU jMve no reafon to be dii&tisftedWkli them. 9ttt t)iey ob)e£led, they mtrz UDder ap|»ehteniioii8 of iofing themfdvei in coimtries they did not know. To remove thrfe appre- heofioi^, I-ibewed them a surfner's eompafs, which remoived adl their dtfficidties, ^ftfrr ! had tp(pUioed ^to .them the manner of .ufing }tp in order to avoid lotftng oiir^way^^ - ./^We fyt out in the month of S^irtSber^ which Is the beft feafon'of the year for b^in- ning a journey in this coiuttryT In th6 firft place# becaufe, iiu»og the fummer, tbt gra6 is tiao high .&>! trslvelHng ; whereas in the mm^th of Sf^mbA'^ the paeadows, this ^rafs of which 18 then dry, are (Bt on fire, andtb« ground hecooies finootb^ and eaiy to wafk \^ And hence it k^ that at this dme, ^ clouds OF LOUISIANA. 223 cloucisof fmokc aie feen for feveral days to- geti^cr t% extend over a long track of coun- try 9 fometimes to the extent of between twenty and thirty leagues in length, by two or three leagues in breadth, more or lefs, ac- cording as the wind (ets, and is higher or lower. In the fecond place, this fealbn U thr moil commodious for travelling over thofe countries; Lecaufe, by means of the rain, which ordinarily fs^lls after the grafs is burnt, the gDime fpread themfelves all over the mea- dows, and delight to feed on the new graffr; which is the reafon why travellers more eailly find ftfovifions at this time than at any, other* What beiides facilitates thefe excurfions in Autumn, or in the beginning of Winter, is, that all works in the fields are then at an px^df or at Jeaft the hurry of them is over. ■ r- ' *■■■ ' ■ For the fitft days' of our Journey the game was pretty rare, becaufe they (bun the neigh- bourhood of men > if yoa except the deer, .which are fpread all over the country, their nature bein|; to roam IndifFerendy up and downs ip that at firft we were obliged to put up with^hisjare.. We often fpet with flijghts of partridges, vvhich the natives can- fiof: kill, becaufe they cannot ihoot flying ; I ]j:il)ed fome for a change. The fecond day I had a turkey- hen brought to regale me. The L 4 difco- I i 224 THE HISTORY difcpvcrcr^ who killed it, told mr» there were a great many in the (ame place, but that he could dp nothing without a dog. I h^ve of- tcii heard of a turkcy-chacc, but never had 'an opportunity of being at one : I went with bimy and took my dog along with me. On coming to the fpot, we foon defcried the hens, "which ran oiF with fuch fpeed, that the fwift- 'cft Indian would lofe bis labour, in attempt- ing to outrun them. My dog foon came up with them, which made them take to their < #iiigs, ind perch on the next trees ; ar Ibng a« th^ at^ liot purfUcd in thfe limkhnr^ they onfy run, and are foon out of /ight. I came ' near their place of retreat, killed th6 largeft* a fecond', affd my difcoverer a third. We might have killed the whole fldck; for, while they fee any men, they never quit th^ tree they have once perched on. Shooting (bares . them not, as they only look at the bird that drops, and fet up a timorous cry, as he falls. j?.< ; . Before I proceed, it is proper to fay 4 word cdnoerning my difcoverers, or fcouts. I had ' ahitays three of them out, one a*head, and * one on each hand of me 1 tommonly dtftant a /league from me, and as: nrtich from each o- ' other. Their conditk>« of icouts, prevented ^ not their carrying each his bed, and provi- fions OF LOUISIANA. iig fions for thirty-fix hours upon occifion. Tlio* tbofe near my own perfon tribe ' toore loaded*, I however fent them out, fometinief one, fometimes another, either to a netghbooriiig mountain or valley : So that I had three, or four at leiaft, both on my fight and left, ^ho went out to make difcoverie^ afnlaR diftoiee offl I did thus, 2n order to havenotMng to reproach myfelf with, in pbint of Vigilance^ fmce I had begun to take the trouble of ma- king difcoveried* • t u The next bufii^eftwas, to ipak^ omfclvei mutually under ftood, notwithftandi^ oui di» I fbmce : We agreed, therefore, on certiu^^fig^. nals, which are abfolutely necciT^ry .on fMch; occafions. Every dtiiy,. at nine in the morn- 1 ing, at noon, and at three in the^ft^rnopD^. we RMide a fmoke., This (igpal ws^ t^e^l^;^ masked, fbf making a ihoft Mt, i^ ordei^ tCKi know, whether the fcouts followed each ojthef ,. and whether they were nearly a( thp difla4)cc agreed on. Thefe foiokes were made at the hours I mentioned, which are the diviiions of the day accordmg to the tndiahtJ 'Ttiey^m- vide thetr day into four equaf'^iis % ^he fikft contains the half of thewiomin^'j ^^eikcondi^ is^ at noon ; the third coii»{Hizt9 tlUr'hdf Y)f ' the afterooon 5 and the fourth;^ tbe othd^iidlf ' .' j • -.• 4 rjij ^ ,t,.i.! or* 1 II li6 THE HISTORY-^ of ihe aftcKwvw to the tvcning. Jt wm ac' cording to this uikge our figniUt were mutih- alJy made, by which we regulated our cour(e, and plac^ of rendezvous.' ' ^'' ^ l^e spir^^fi^ (bone day^ without fuiding '^>ly.^^M^r .which could eithipr engage my Hr tq)tipn>. or/atisfy my curiQiity, True it i^^ thfSxwas fuflicieiuly made .up in another re* fpe^ > as we travelled over a charming coun-^ try> which might joflly furniih our painters of the fineft imagination with genuine notions oltandftil|>s.- Mine,^ lown^ was highly de- lighted wlMl the fight of fine plaint, divvrfi-' fied widi very exienfive and highly delightful laeadowsi The plains were intermixed with thickets, planted by the hand of Nature ker^- fi|lf I and interfperfed with hills, running off in gentle declivities, and with valleys, thick Ijpt, and adorned with wobds, which ferve for a retreat to themoft timorous animals, ae thie thickets fcreen the buffaloes from the abun^. Ibnt dews of the country^ *^ : ^v JL longfd much to kill a buffalo with my . own band ; ][ therefore told my people, my intention to kill one of the firfl heiid we ihould meet; fior did a day pai59 Ujk which, W9|^id ii|^in^.%jecal.herd8i,thekaftof which «(i^ .;> yiui: "3^ ii^ ^ ?Uir,: . <.)!ceedd OP LOtJlSlAl^A f27 ceeded a hundred and thirty or fttMndred tu^d fihf in number. ' *♦ ^'-'^ -^^^^ ^idt o^ :r-.>. ^ Next morning we efpied a herd of upwards of two hundred. The wind flood) as I could have wifked, being in our faces, and blowing from the herd s which is a great advantage in this chacei becaufe when the wind blows from you cowards ibe buffaloes, they come to iirent you, and run away, before you can come within gun-OiOt of them ; whereas, when the wind blowft flom them «h the hunt- ers, they do not fly til) they tan diflinguifh you by fight : And then, what ^eatly favours your coming very near to them iBj th«t th'e curled hair, which ^iJls down between their horns upon their eyes, is fo* buihy, as greatly to confute their fight. In this manner I came Witlun full gun-ihot of them, pitched Upon one of theiattefl, fiiot him at the extremity of the fhoulder, and brought him down flonls- dcad. The natives, who fh>od looking on, were ready to fire, had I happened to wourid him but flightly ; for in that cafe, thefe ani- mals are apt to turn upon the hunter. Who '- Upon fceiiig thfe b?fffa1o'drbp ^oxfeii dead, aMd'the refl taking to ^ight, ttie liati^cs told , wicb a iiiulc : *' You kill tb^ males, ^o L 6 . *« you I idid it ^}^p&k] to fhar themndic HMnn^r of makiit^ him good meat, thofigK a male. I caufed his belly to be opened quite warm, the entf^ils to be taken out diredly, the bunch, tongiie, and^ chinei to be ciit out ; one of the dunes to be laid on the coals, o( which I made tl^em , all ta^; and 'they all agree<}^ the mciat Was jirlcy, and of an exquifilc fla-» YOtlf. » :^' I then took occafion to remonftrate td thtsH that if, Inftead of killifljg th^ co«lrs§ ^9^wSls tA* ways their cuflom, they killed' 'the rkniXky the difference in point of profit ' would' ^ be > ?ery confiderable t As, for inflance^ a good comf^^ merce with the French in tallow, with which the bulls abound^ bull's fleih is far morode^ licate and tender than cow's ; a third adf*aiii^ tage is, the felling of the fkins at a higher rate, as being much better ; in fine, this kind, of game, fo advantageous to the country^ would thereby efcape being quite deftroyed'j where^, by killii^g the cows» the breed, of ^W^^^f>M grfft^lj^ impaired.^,. 'l^^^J^- I made a foup, that wa^ 6f^ ah e^ccj^iit^ flavour, but fomewhat fat, of the broth boil- ed from the marrow-bones of th^ buffalo, thjl^ reft of the broth feiving to msi|(e«inai»r^|ruel^ tfaer^eft dffli in iFivm^r^: ThB bBfich qnytht back would have graced the table of smy Prince* :vr'57f up bon^^cfo *)d oJ v(M cin f;oitc:> in the route 1 held, i kept nibre ofi ttie (ides of the hills than on the plains. Above ibme of 'fhefe fides, or declivities, I found, 'in AnAe places, little eminences,' which fay peele<^; 6t bare, and difclofed a lirnt and* com paid clay, or pure matrix, and of the- fpecies of that 6f Laph Cfikjifmmiiriu The inteHigent in Mine- ridogy undei^nd what I would beat. The Itcde grafs, whtcb glows? there,^ was obTerved tt- droop, as air<^ three or four mis-lhapen tiees, no bigger than one's leg ; one of which J cauied to be cut down \ when^ to my aftor Diihment I fiiw, ie was upwards of fixty yeais fUnding. The neig^bourhpg country was ier* tilc^, in proportion to its diftance from this fpot. Near that place we faw game of every kind, and in plenty, ^nd never towards the funUnit, ,t> SilLp V fiVoOgv '^We crofled the ^/^i feveril times tfpoif CajntXy (rafts, or floats, made of fevetalbun^' dies of canes, laid ^^roft each other j a kind of.exteipporaneous pontoon,) inos^cr to take %«uew of nountainsn which had raffed my fi;iii:Ji9^Qf, I Qhferv^> thj^t Mh fides of the river M 1 asp: TH:E HISTX)RY riwtfM^ tiheiP ibvenil advaotages )« but that t^W^ft fi4iB U better watered; apiMired a](b, to be. more fruitful both in diinsndt, and in what relates to agriculture ; for which laft It feems much more adapted than the Eaft (ide, . -, n I^ptwithftanding our pnccaution to make figpals) one of 9iy fceutiiiappeneddiie dajr^to ftray» b^caufe the woa^er was foggy ; fo jthat he did not return at night tOJ.'Otir lHtt(nat which I was very uneafy, anflpould. not deep ; as he was not returned, thpVthefignaldof call had been repeated til) ivight doftd. Ai)out nine next morning he caft up, tdling us he had been in purfuit of a drove of deer, which w^re led by one that, w^ altpge^er , while : Bu^ tha( not beitig aUe. to come upiwith them, he picked iAp>.onjthe fide i of la Bill, f(^e (jffiaM iharp,fton]^> of which he hrou^ a, (ample*. _^^ -fvn^/A j^M ii; vb^t>vO'>t.r "Thefe floncs I received witff plcaftire, tre-" cauie I had not yet feen aiiy in all this coun- try, only a hard red ^e-flone in a cliff on the MijfflfipL After carefully examining thofe, , which my difcoveri^ brought nv^, I fo«iicl they were ^gyffum. I tookihp^ke fomfq^pieces, and on my jetum examined them ouxe atten- tively > found them to be very clear, tran^pa* nnty and frii^ ( -w)ien caikit)^5 ^ ^6y •txitfi' edestianely v^kc^ and with iWinil hiade Umt (a^Uouft mai^. This gffv«< me hopes, that tbts oouRtry, ))rodw!iig Plafteirof For/V, might, befidesy have ftones for budding/" * I want«d to fee ^ fpot nyfelf : We iat out about noon^ ao^l tcavell^ for about three leag\ie9 beforp vr^ came to it. I examined the fpot, .^hiiph to me appeared to be a large ^uarrv of Flafter. * •< '.AS to the 'white deer apoveraeptioi)cd, I learned froni the Iruitens^ that (oipe fuch were to be met with, thp* but rarely, anci that only in countries, i^ot freauentf^d by t^e hunters. Thts wind being fet in for rain, we refolv- ed to put ourftlves under ibelter. The place whese the bad wealher overtook us was very fit^ietupat. On going out to hunt, we difcovered, at five hundred paces ofF, in the defile, or narrow paif, a brook of a very clear water, a very commodious watering-place for the DuflTaloes, which were in gre^^t numbers all around u«."' , "V ' My cbmpaf)ioiiSc>ibon ralfed a cabin, well^ fecured to the North * As we refoived to con- tinue therefor eight days atleaft, they made i; (o iilok as to keep out the cold : In the night. A ^ J3a THE HISTORY ) night, I felt nothii^ of the fdfenty of the North ^onp» ^r th^; length: and Tis^e of,«|K*8 ih^m^ mni^m- fquare as a joiner qou^ihifit QMde^aptoqft of > wopd of th& iame )Mgite(i»« i I ,imiigin«d it might be Fock-^ry^s^l ; To be ajK^ed thereof , . I co;ok a Jajrg^e Jnufquet^itint in niy Jeft hand* prefenting its hea(|, or thick end, on which I . Uruck with one of the edges of the cryftal i and t]rew much npore fire than with. the iineft - fted I And notwkhftaodingthe many ftrokes^. I gavcy the piece of cryftttl was not in. the lead fcifatchod or ftreak«d« h£ .« t" -, , - ' . ■ • ...... , examined thefe ftones, and found pieces^ of different magnitudes^ fome fquare^ others^ ivhh' fix faces, even and fmooth like mtrrbrsy "^^ highly tranfparent, without any veins or fpots/ Sdme of thefe pieces jutted out of the earth, likie ends of Beams, two feet and upwards jn leng^ ; bthei^ in considerable numbers, from feven to nine inches ; above all, thofe with fix ptneS) or faces. There was a great num- ber of a middling and fmaller fort : My peo- ple wanted ta carry fome with them ; but I > difluaded them* N[y reafon was, I appre- hended fymtFrenchittim might by prefentsprc<^w vail on them to difcover the place. ) }^r, For •'»*i. ? a34 TH:E history MFbr my part, I carcf\illy olrfervtfd the lati- tude, and folIoWed, on fiming out, a parti- cular point of the compafs, to come to a river which 1 knew. I took that route, under pre- tence of going to a certain nation, to procure dry provifions, which we were in want of> and which ut of great help on a journey. We arrived) after ieven days march* at that nation, by whom we were well received. My hunters brought in daily many duck and teal. I agreed with tlie natives of the place for a large pettyauger of black walnut, to go down their river, and afterwards to go up the Mif- > ) '^i-T niJ fU 0;> i !JUa.^P"•,•b'lb• I had a ftrong indination to go up dill higher North, in order tp difcover mines. We embarked, and the eleventh day of our pa& iage I cauled the pettyauger t^ Jbe unladen of every thing, and concealed in the wa^ef , which was then low. I loaded feven men with the things we had. Matters thus ordered, we fet 5»ut according to the Intention I had to go Nqi:thjWard.e I obferyed every day; with new pleafure, the ftiore we advanced to that quarter, the more beautiful and fertile the country was, abound- ing in game of evefy kind : The herds of deer OF LOUISIANA. 235 deei arc numerous; at evbrf (urn we meet wiih them ; and not a day pafled without fee- ing herds of buffaloes, fometimes five or (1X9 of upwards of an hundred in a drove* In fuch journeys as thefe, we always take lip our night*s lodging near wood and water, where we put up in good time : Then at fun- fet, when every thing in Nature is hufh^d, we were charmed with the enchanting war- bling of diffisrent birds.; fi^ that one would be inclined tOtia]^ they referved this fiivourable momeiit for the melody and harmony of their fong, to celebrate, undiftiirl]^ and at their eale, the benefiti of the Creator. On the o- ther hand, we are difturbed in die night, by the hideoas noife of the numbeflefs wrater- foWIs, fhiat ate td be feen on the Mdtffifipiy and^etery HVer or like lietr ' k, fuch as ^riines^ fkmiiigoV, wiM g^fe^ herons, fkw-bllls, dufcld^'&c. '''■■'^ '^^'^^^*'-^! -tv-fja*^ ; As we proceeded further North, we began to fee flocks of (wans roam through the air^ moynt p\tt of ^fight, ai9d prpc)s»im tlieir paf- (lige % t!^ piercing ihrill ^cries. We for fome days Mowed the courfe of our hut within reach of this re- tm^UiWiy^hgt of betvcr»; but at fuch a 4i#atioc, m that they could not obferve our Hrie. I pu^ my people on their guard againft makiog any noife, or firing their pieces, for f«af of fcating thdk animal» ; and^ thought! it even necefla^ to forbid ^bi t6cu*t ai)y wood, the better to conceal ourfelves. *^*'. After taking 9dlthe(epceca!utk>ns, we rofe umb wore on foot againft ihe tiirf6 of mooh- ihinc^i poUed oilrielvies ifirphice> as*diftant fromtlir huts 'Of the beavers^ as Trom the canfeyt' o^ berik^ whidi dammed Sip the wa- teisof tht pUce whoit Cbey^^terel -I took my fufil iand' pouchy, accoldiog ta rojr cufttim of never travellings wkhout threat. Bat ^ac^ /iv^fmif was only to talic with hnnialit^; hatchet, .virhicb attrtf^wellefs in dii» country cariy with theniv : I took the qldeflr of iny retinue, after having pointed out .to'* the o-^ thers the place of ambuih, and the manner in which the branches of tfteir Hire hlid cut were to be fet to cover us^ I tbefi went to- waiil»the middlo •f tiie*)(iaiii, wJh 'mV old mwi Who had hishatclle^-' aiicl 6i^ed l^m ibftly 10 make i ^titter} "^iMr ti^h,' a fbdt wide, wbtd» he h«gaii ^ the oUtitde of "die cauiey, or dam^ crelfin^ if ij^itr t» the v^a- . tcr. OF LOUISIANA. V37 ter. This be did, by remo^iig the earth With his hands. As foon as the gutter was fit* ni(hed, and the water ran kno it, we fpee^ dily, and without any noifc^ retired to out place of ambufh, in order to obfervc tbe behaviour of the beavers in repairing this breach. -r-jii-io ju* A little after we were got behind our fcrecn of boughs, we heard the water of the gutter begin to make a noife : And a moment aftert a beavor came out of his hut and plunged into the water. We could only know this by the noife, but we faw him at once upon the bank or dam, and diftin^y perceived, that he took a furvey of the gutter, after which he inftant- ly gave with all^iis force four blows with his tail i and had fcarce ftruck the fourth, but all the beavers threw themfelves pell-mell into the water, and came upon the dam : When they were all come thither, one of them muttered and mumbled to the reft (who all flood very attentive) I know not what orders, but whicb they doubtlefs underftood well, becaufe they inftantly departed, and went ouC on the banks of the pond, one party one way ; another, another way. Thoie ne^ us were between us and the dam, and we at the proper diftance, not to be feen, and to obferve them. Some of them 238 THE HISTORY them made mortar, others carried it on their tails, which fcrved for fledges. I obferved, they put themielves two and two fide by frde, the one with his head to the other's tail, atid thus mutually loaded each other, and trailed the mortftr, which was pretty (liiT, quite to the dam, where others remained to take it, put it Into the gutter, and rammed it with blows of their tails. ; ,jQ Thc^oife, which the water made before by its fall, fo6n ceafed, and the breach was clofed in a (hort- time : Upon which one of the bea- vers {huck two great blows With his tail,' and inilandy they all took to the water without any nr >, siud difappeared. We retired, in order to take a little reft in our hut; where we remained till day » but as foon as it appeared, I long^ much to fatisfy my cUriofity about thefe crettures. My people together made a pretty large an to oitrfblve^ by/uppofingaU the upright pi^tO'tefemble Vol. L M ' tUe 242 THE HISTORY the legs of a great A, whofe middle flroke is the flooring. Thefe pofts are picked out, and'We mig^t iayr well proportioned, feeing, at the height this flooring is to bt laid at, tbere is a hoek for bearing bars, which by that meanS;) form the circumference of the flooring. The bars again bear traverfes, or -crofs pieces of timber, which are thejoifts; canes and grals com|^ete this flooring, which lias a hole in the middle to go -out at, v^en they^ pleafb, and' into this all the cells open. m-,- • ■ ^ ■ ■ The 4am is, fo^ m^dof timbers, in the ihape of ^jfwireti/s cjofs, ,or of a gjreat X, laidclofe together, andkept^m by timbers- laid length- 'Wiiie,'v^ich are cofitiauedfrom one endof thie ^am to the oUier^ and placed oq the St. Jrt- strew* s crofles : the yfli^^U is.fiU'd with earth, clapped clofe by great blows of their tails. The infide of the;daftiv next the water, is ^dmoll: perpendicidar v but on the outfide it has a gr«^t'llo4>e, that graii coming to •gr€lw thereon, may prevent the wuter, that ftSks ^e#e, to carryiaway the earth* ^ I bm them neidxer cut nor convey the timlners alppg f but it is to be prefumed, their mannerj is. the fame as tl>a( of other fii3««er9sv .whi) nfvet,«|it but a- fgft wood'; . Ar which {>urpofe they ufe thel^- four fore- teeth, OF LOUISIANA. 243 teeth, which arc extremely fharp. Thefc timbers they pufh and roll before them on the land, as they do on the water, till they come to the p)ace, where they want to lay theni. I obferved thefe grey Beavers to be more chilly, or fcnfible of cold, than the other fpecies : And it is doubtlcfs for this reafon, tlicy draw nearer to the South. - We fet odt fVom thJs place, to come to a high ground, *which fecmed to be continued to a great diftance. We came, the fame evening, to the foot of it, but the day was too far advantf^d to afcend it. The day fol- l6wing we went up to its top, found it a flat, except fotnefmjill eminences at inter- vals. There appefxed to be^ vi;ry little wood on it, (UU iefs water, ^nd leaft of all {(one ; though probably there may be fome in its bowels, having obferved fome ilone» in a part where the earth was tumbled down. We accurately examined all this riling ground, without diCcoverihg any thing -, and tho*- that day we travelled' upwards of five leagues, yet we were Hot three leagues dif- taut from the hut we fet out from in the morning. This high ground would have been a very commodious fituation for a iine M a palace; ^44 THE HISTORY j>alace ;' as from its edg;es is a veiy diftant profpedfc. Tm' Next day, after a ramble of about two leagues and a half, I had the fignal of call to my right. I iaftantly flew thither; and when I came, the fcout iSiewed me a ftump nicking out of the earth knee high, and nine inches in diameter. The Indian took it at a diflance for the ftump of a tree* and wasliir- prized to find wood cut in a country, which ; appeared to have been never frequented : "^ But when he came near enough to form a judgment about it, he faw, ^m the figure, that it was a very difFereitt things And this was the reafon he made the fignal of call. « 'I was highly pl^afed at this difcovery, ' which Was that of a lead-ore. I had alfo the fatisfaftion to find nky perfe^erance recom* ^ penfedj but in particufar I was ravifhed with itdnUrattoofk, on feeing this wonderful produc- , tion; and the pbWier of the foil of this pro- vince, conflrainii^, as it Were, the minerals to difdoiCv^infelvesu ,1 continuedjto fearch all around, an^ I difcQTfpred ore In fcveral places. We Returned to lodge at our laft hut, on account of the convenience of wa- tcr, which was top fcai'ce on this high ground. . - '^ > ' - We OF LOUISIANA; 24^ ^ Wc fet out from thence, in order to come Heslref to the MiJJiJipi r Thro' every place we paded^ nothing but herds of buffaloes^ elk, deer, bid other animals of every kind, were to be feen j efpecially near rivers and brooks. Bcarcv on the other hand, keep in the thick 'woods j Where they find their pro- peyW:-" ' ''r''' . T Afters m'ardi of Ryt diays, I efpied ar mountain to ;i>y!irtg^t, which feemed To high^ as.ito,eaKltev|i|y curiofity. Next morning I direi^ed thithw my courfe, where we ar- juved aboi44bre&^in^tUe afternoon. We flop- ped at the foqf of the mountain, where w» ^ fnmd a fine ipcing iiluing out of the rock. The day fotlowmg wc went up to its top^ where it is fh>ne3^ Though, there is eartb enough for plants, yet they are fo thin fown, that hardly two hundred eould be fouiid on an acre of ground*. Trees are alfo very rare on-that (pot, and thefe poor, meagre, and" cancerous. Theilone»I found there are all fit for making Ikne-. . We from thence look the soute that fhould carry us to our pettyauger,. a journey but of a few days. We drew the ^ttyauger out of the water^ and there paiT^-! the night* Next M 3 day 246^ THE HISTORY day we croffed the Mijjifipi\ in going up which we killed a file-bear^ with her cubs : For during the winter, the banks of the MtJ- Jiftpl are lined with them ; and it is rare, in going up the river, not to fee many orofs it in a day, in fearch of food j the want of which n>akes them quit the banks. I continued my route in going up the Mif* fifipi quite- to the CbUafftw Cltffs^ (Ecorfis a Prud*hommi) where I was told I ihould find fomething for the benefit of the colony: This was what excited my curiofity. Being arrived at thofe clifFs we landed^ and concealed^ after unlading it^ the pettyauger^i in the water ; and from that day I fought, and at length found the iron-mine, of which I had had' forfie- hints given me« Aft^r being ixiiQ of th^, I <;arefully fetched all around, to find foj^inij ]^\it this was impoiiible: However, I j^elieye. it niay be found higher vp, in afcending^the MiJJlfip'h ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ J leaye to thofe wfeolJ^i^S^itef Aall choofe to undertake the working jth«t mint : I had, hpwever, fome amends made me for my trou^ ble; as in fearching, I fdund fome marks of pit-coal in the neighbourhood, a thing at haft as ifeful in tther farts o( the Colony as in thi?, ''^'«'' ^;Ji ^ ^ ' ' After 1 ^ OF LOUISIANA. 247 After having made my reflections, I re- folved in a little time to return home ; but being loth to leave To fine a country, I pene- trated a little farther into it; and in thiti. fhort excurfion I efpied a fmall hill, all bare and jjarched, liaving on its top only two trees in a very drooping condition, and fcarce any ' grafs, befides feme little tufts, diftant enougtv afunder, which grew on a very firm olay. The bottom of this hill was not fo barren, and the adjacent country fertile as in other parts. Thefe indications made me preCume there might be a mine in that fpot. I at length returned towards ^q Mtjpjipty 1(1 order to meet again the pettyauger. As in all this country, and in all the height of the colony we hti^ numbers of buffaloes, elk, deer, and other game \ fo we find num- bers of wolves, fome tigers, Cai-a-mounts^ (Picbom and carrion-crows, all of them car- nivorous animals, which I fhall hereafter defcribe. When we came near the MiJJiJipi we made the fignal of recognition, which was anfwered, tho' at fome diftance. It was there my people killed fome buffaloes, to b« drefled and cured in their manner, for our journey. We embarked at length, and went d^wa the Mijpfiph ^i^i we came within a , M 4. league 248 THE HISTORY league of the common landing-place. The Indians hid the pettyauger, and went home to their village. As for myfelf, I got home towards dufk, where I found my neighbours and Aaves furprized, and at the fame time glad, at my unexpe6(ed retjim, as if it had been from a hunting match in this neighbour- hood* .. fj I was really well pleafed to have got hoiiiey to fee my flaves all in perfed health, and all my affairs in good order ; But I was ftrongly imprefied with the beauties of the countries I had feen. 1 could have wiihed to end my days in thofe charming fblitudes, at a di{^ tance from the tumultuous hurry of the world, far from the pinching gripe of avarice and deceit. There it is, faid I to myfelf, one reliihes a thoufand innocent delights, and which are repeated with a fatisfa£lion ever new. It is there one lives exempt from the aflaults of cenfure, detra^ion, and ca- lumny. In thofedeltghtfome meadow vs^which often extend far out of fight, and where we fee fo many different fpecies of animals, there it is we have occafion to -admire the benefi- cence of the Creator. To conclude, there it is, that at the gentle purling of a pure and living water, and enchanted with tbe con- 4- m M certs OF LOUISIANA. 249^ certs of birdsy which fill the neighbouring thickets, weituiy agreeably cbntemplate the wonders of nature» and examine them all at our leifure.. »i\j V.v. I had reafbns for concealing my jourjiey,. 'and ftronger reafbns ftill to fuppreft what I had difcoveredy in order to avail myf^lf there*- of afttei^pirardis : But the crofles I underwent,, and &te toisfoftunes of ihy life, have, to' thii' dsfi pfevtoted me from profiting by thefe 'difcbveries, m returning to dtat chailning. eount^, and ieven fo mudr as to lay them, befbie the p^ifik^ zihrivr ,n;^r .ri; tf < • * ' '^ . \>' 1. ••K . ' »r .:i CHAP. „ ;. '::■-',.■■' .,.■;■*» &/■ .; .:(jni:->; C H A IV" W*^'^ f^JVAOift^ 'tfihiiatuttnf the Landi'of Lowiti^m, The Lands on the Coaftr'' '''' tNorier to dercci^ihenfpwre of this vouut- tiyy wit)^ ^Qmp metbo4> ;I ihall firft fpcaic o^ the pl^Ce we Ifi^, ati a is hut a brook i^fyun^cfpeciaUy toward ks fourcc* Dummill* 228* « -'' — ^ d *^ very OF LOCriSIAlTA. a5f f«ry fertile from its fource down to the fea.. The ground is ftoney, and fcarce any thingr but gravel, mtxt with a little earth* Tha" thefe lands are not quite barren, there is ft wide diflrerence between their produ^Uons- and thofe of the lands in the nerghbourhood of the MlJJlftpi^ Mountains there are, but whether ftone fit for building I know not» 111 the confines of the rirfer of the AUha^ mous (Creeksy) the lands are better: The rhrer falls into the MohiU, above ti)£ boy of the fame name» This bay may be about thirtff leagues in length, after having received thr Mobile^ which runs from North to Sotitte for about one hundred and ^fty leagcues.. Oa^ the banks^of this river was the Aritfettlement of the French in Lowfiana^ which iftpod till^ New-OrUam was founded, which is at this day the capital of the colbny* ' ^ Theland« and water of the MohrkatH not* only onfruitftiU in all kinds of vegetabieSy and fifh, but the nature of the niters and of the foil, contributes alfo tb^ plreVeiit thf multiplication cf animi^; even'.womeft hav^ experienced this. I undeafftood by - Madaitv Hukert^ Whole ht^and ^m sft mf arrival^ Commiflftry Dire^ldr of the edldny> that i» the time "^JPr^^were^ lit that poft, tiitre' M6 Wirt 2S» THE HISTORY vftre feven or eight barren woneii, who alt became fruitful, after fettling with their hufbki^ds on the banks of the MtJJiJifi^ where die capital was built, and whither the fet* dement was removed. Fort SuLou's ofMoiiUyns the French poft* This fort ftands on the banks of that river^ near another fmall river, called Dcg RiviTy which falls into the bay to the South of the fort. Tho' diefe coimtries are not fo fertile, as thofe in the neighbourhood of the AftJJifipt $ we are, however, to obferve, that the interior parts of the country are much better than thofe near the fea. " On the coaft to the Weft of Mohtle^ we iind iflands not worth mentioning. From the fources of the river of the Pajku" QgmlaSy quite to thofe of the river of Siuefm-- as, which falls into the lake Su JUms, the lands are light and fertile, but fomething gravelly, on account of the neighbourhood of the -mountains, that lye to the North. This country is intermlxt with extenfive hills, fine meadows, numbers of thickets, and fometimes with woods, thick fet with cans, particularly on the b^ks of rivers and brooks j and is extremely proper for agriculture. i» V ^i The OF LOUISIANA. t^ ' The mountains which I fud the(e coun- tries have to the North, form nearly tke figure of a ehaplet, with one encf pretty near the Mffifipi^ the other on the haidts of thr Mobile, The inner part of thu chaplet or chain is ftllei with hills i which are pretty fertile in grafs, fhnples, fnifts of the coun^ try, horfe-chefnuts, aiid wild-chefnuts, as- large and at leaib as good as thofe of Lpns.. To the North of this chain of mountains lies the country of the Chieafaws^ very fine and free of mountains : it has only very ex- fenfive and gentlb emmences, or riiing grounds, fertile groves and meadows, which, in fpring-time are alF over red, from the great- plenty of vTOod-ftrswbeiries : Tn Summer,, the plains exhibit the moft beautiful enamel, by the quantity and variety of the flowers : In Autumn, after the (ettmg fire to the grafs,. they are covered with muihroons» All the countries I have juft mentioned are f(ored with game of every kind. The buffalo is found on the moft riling grounds i the partridge in thick open woods, fuch as the groves in meadows } the elks delight in large forefts, as alfo the pheafant; the deer^ which is a roving animal, is every where to be 254 THE HISTORY ic met with, becaufe' fit whatever place it may happen to be, it always has fomethuig . to browfe on. The ring-dove hen: flics in winter with fuch rapidity, as to paTs over a great deal of country in a few hours ; ducks and other aquatick game are in fuch num« bers, that wherever there is water, we are fure to find many more than it is poillble for us to (hoot, were we to do nothing elfe ; and thus we find game in every place, and fifh in plenty in the rivers* r Let us refume the coaft ; which, though flat and dry, on account of its fand^ abounds. with delicious fiiht and excellent {hell-fi(h» But the cryflal fand which is pernicious ta the fight by its whifenefs, might it not he adapted for making fome beautiful com- poiition or manufa^ure ? Here I leave the learned to find out> what ufe this fand may- be of. If this cpaft is flatyit has in this refpciS an advantage ; as we might fay, Nature wanted to make it fo, in order to be felf defended againft the defcent of an enemy. ^ Coming out of the bay of Pajka-Ogoulasy if we flill proceed Weil*, we meet in our way with the h^j^f Did Bfloxiy where a fort was built^ and a (ettlement begun} but a great OP LOUISIANA. 35^ great fire, fpread by a violent wind, deftroy* ed it in a few momeAttf,- which in prudence Aught ^eyer to have l^een built at ail. ^ Th^fe, WhdIcttM (Mr iUly^v^ touldnov doubtlefs, think of chitting the iea^coaft* Tiiey (^tidl mthM VMt^ o\ofy to Nnv^ Bthxi^ oh-^^Ikiid e^mlt^ dry and pernicious to the fi|^. Ill d^l^'f^ace^thc larg« gran^6 opened td bb Uid'off^ Whicjh w«rc€xtremely^ intcnireniefit to hftve be^A-made eii^fo barren: a foilt vAafcr^ it wa^ impoffibi* to find the leaft plant ttt greens for any money^ and where th^ hired fenrants died with hunp^ir hi the moft^ fertile tt^bny \tk the whole liroriJr**' '•'*'*! '-^^ «3SO<> i. I. .r( ^1 >Ti/34 Lis. .^ Inpupfuii^the fsMn^ro^tqa^ thf 6^ coaft VjfaO^^i^^ thiBil;inds are fti^ ^f^iG|^ey qui|e» tO'tha {oufll b)^ of' ^/. fffiuii, and , ^ tbe Ci{f7W^which.leful ^ ihf lako^oi^^t i>ai^. ..rA^f 4»^ceif'*fffi.*^F f» the ear^Jv kiwf R ^gl^ There is, moreover, the South-caft pafs, where ftands Ballfe^ and the South pa&^i which projects farther into the fea. Balife is a fort huilt 60 an ifland o{| fand, fecured oy ^ a great number of piles bouiid with good r timber-work. There arc lodging^ in it for the officers and the garrifon i and a fuiHcient number of guns for defending the entrance or the MiJpftpL It is therie' they take the bar- ■ pilot on board, in order to bring the' fhips ^ into the rivei\ All the pailes and entrances. of the MiJJiJi^y are as frightful to the eye, as. ^ the interior part of the colony is delightful ta'^ . it. 1 The quagmires continue ftill for about ftvf it leagues going up ihtMiffiJipiy at the entr^ce of which we meet a bar, three frmed of" a like fand, and a bar of iflea, which lengthen out the coaft, and hinder a defcent ; the coaft^ continues thus, going Weftward, quite to* Jfcenjkn bay, and cvea » little farther. Ic» (oi) i A 258 THE HISTORY foil alfo is barren, and in every refpei^ like to that I have juft mertioned. I again enter the Mijj^iy afJ pafs with fpced over thefe quagmires, >Rciap^ble to bear up the traveller, and which only aHbrd a retreat to gnats and riiolkittas, and to fome water- fowl, which, doubtleis, fiad food to live on, and that in fecurity. On coming out of thffe i^a: ''>*s,we find a neck of land on each fide oi uit MiJJifipi j this indeed is firm land, but lined with marfhes, refembling thofeat th« entrance of the river. For the fpace of three or four leagues, this nerk of land is at firft bare of trees, but comes after to be covered with them, io as to inter- cept the winds, which the fhips require, in or- der to go up the river, to the capital. This Ismd, tho' very narrow, is continued^ tr:><:ther with the trees it bears, quite to tht "^ v V/& Reachy which is defended by two forts > ^vf. io ibe right, the other to the left of iAi^MiJIffipu The origin of the nsune^ Eng^tjk Rtach^ (Detour autc Angkis) is differently afligned. I made enquiry of the oldefl of the country, to What circumftancc this Reach r i^htowe Its name. And they told Hie, that before the firft fettlement of tie French in this co- lony> OF LOUISIANA. i fired at random* feat* tered them, and ga^e the fignal tothe Engiyhfy go on board, for fear the Indkms fhouM i^emeet iheOkanmk^ which lead to Mobile^ where I began my defcription of the nature of the foil of Lmfiana, ,t The ground .on which Uew Orleans is fi- tuated, be^ng an earth accumulated by the ooze, in the fame manner as is that both be- low and above, a good way from the capital, is of a good^vality for agriculture, only that it is flrong^ and rather too fat. This land being flat, and drowned by the inundations forieveral ages, cannot fail to be kept in moifhire, there being, moreover, only a mc4e or bank to prevent the river from over- fiowimg it; and would be even too moi((, and ino^ble.of cultivation, had not this mole been made, and ditches, clofe to each other, to facilitate the draining off the wa- ters: By this means It has been put in a condition to be cultivated with fuccefs. I • n From New Orleans to Manchoi on the eaft of the Mijyipiy twenty-iive leagues above the capital, and quite to the fork to the weft, almoft over-agatnft Manchac^ and a little way off, the 'iands are of the fame kind and qusdity with thofe of New Orleans* CHAP. li 26a THE HISTORY C HH P. IV. * ^nlity of the lands above the Fork. A i:^arry of Jlone for huilding. High lands to the Eaft; : ^heir vaji fertility. Weft coaft : IVeJi lands : Saltpetre. 'TpO the weft, abov^ the Fork^ the lai Js are pretty flat, but exempt from inun- datioi^. The part beft known of rhefe lands is called Baya-O^oula, a name framed of BayoM and Ogoula^ which fignifies the na^ tion dwelling near the Bayauc \ there having been a nation of that namcf in that place, when tbe firft Frenchnftn came down the- Mijfifipii It lies twenty-five leagues from 'the cs^ital.> >;^^^'>'^'" ^^i^ f^tr-r- ?i-K»d :v. •, -■ •! Silt ' ' . . . ' * '. > But to the eaft^ the lands are a good deal higher, feeing from Adancbof to the rivpr JVabache they are between an hundred and two hundred feet higher than the il^fi^^/ in its greateft floods* The Hope of thefe lands goes off perpendicularly from ^tMiffiftpiy which on that fide receives but few rivers, and thofe v^ry fmall, if we except the river of the Trfausy whofe courfc b n€»t above fifty .leagues^ All OF LOUISIANA. 263 All thefe high lands, are, befidcs, fur- mounted, in a good many places, by little c- minences, or fmall hills, and rifing grounds running ofF Icngthwife, with gentle flopts. It is only when we go a little way from the MiJJiJipiy that we find thefe high lands are over-topped by little mountains, which ap- pear to be all of earth, tho' fteep, without the lead gravel or pebble being perceived on them. « The foil on thefe high lands is very good ; it is a black light mold, about three feet deep on the hills or rifmg grounds. This upper earth lies upon a reddifh clay, very ftrong and ftifFi the lowed places between thefe hills are of the fame nature, but there the black earth is between five and fix feet deep. The grafs growing in the hollows is ©rthe height of a man, and very flender and fine \ whereas the grafs of the fame meadow on tlie high lands rifes fcarceknee cleep ; as it does on the higheft eminences, unlefs there is found fomcthingundeiFneatb, which not only ifen- derts: the grafs ilhorter, but even prevents its growth by the efiicacy of fome exhalations ; which is not ordinarily the cafe on hills, tho' rifmg high, but only on the mountalAs F^F^ty ^o called. My \ a64 THE HISTORY My experience in Architedture haring aught mC) that fevend quarries have been found under a clay like this^ J was always of opinion, there mu(l be fome in thofe hills. Since I ma Je thefe reflexions, I have had occafion, in my journey to the country, to confirm thefe conjedures. We had fet up our hut at the foot of an eminence, which was fteep towards us, and near a fountain, whofe water was lukewarm and pure. This fountain appeared to me to iffue out of a hole, which was formed f>y the fmklng of the earth. I ftoop&d, in order to take a better view of It, and I obferved flone, which to the eye appeared proper for build- ing, and the upper part was this clay, which is peculiar to the country. I was highly pleafed to be thus afcertained, diat there was iftone fit for 'building in this colony, where it is imagined there is none, becayfe it does not come but of the earth to ihew itfelf. • It is not to be wondered, that there is none to be found in the Lower Louifianay which is only an earth accumulated by ooze ; but k is far more extraordinary, not to fee a flint, nor even a pebbk on the hills^ for upwards of an hundred '■'hi OF LOUISIANA. 265 hundred leagues fometimes ; however, this is a thing common in this province, I imagine I ought to aflign a reason for it, which feems pretty probable to me. This land has never been turned, or dug« and is very clofe above the clay, which is extremely hard, and covers the flone, which cannot {hew itfelf through fuch a covering : It is therefore no fuch furprize, that we obfervc no ftone out of the earth in thcfe plains and on thefe eminerces. All thefe high lands are generally meadows and forefls of tall trees, with grafs up to the knee. Along gullies they prove to be thickets, in which wood of every kind is found, and alfo the fruits of the country. Almoft all thefe lands on the eall of the river are fuch as I have defcdbed ; that is, the meadows are on thofe high grounds, whofe Hope is very gentle j w i alfo find there tall forefts, and thickets in the ^ow bottoms. Iii the meadows we obfer/c here and there groves of very t:M and ftraight oaks, to the number of fourfcore or an hundred at moft : There are others of about forty or iiftv, which feem to have been plnnted by men's hands in thefe meadows, for a retreat to the Vol. I. N buffaloes. a66 THE HISTORY bufFaloesy iieer, and other animals, and a fcreen againft fk>rnis, and the iking of the flies. The tall forefts are all faiccory, or all oak : In thefe laft we iind a great many morels ; but then there grows a ipecies of muihroons at the feet of feHed walnut-trees, which the Indians carefully gather j I |afted of them> and found them good. ' • < firP / The meadows are not only covered with grafs fit for pafture, but produce quantities of wood-ftrawberries in the month of 4pnli for the following months the profpedt is charming, we fcarce obferve a pil^of grafs, unkfs what we tread under-foot ; the flow- ers, which are then in all their beauty, ex- hibit to the view the moil ravilhing flglit, being diverfified without end ; one in parti* cular I have remarked, w^icb would adorn the mofl beautiful parterre i 1 mean the Lion*5 jmouth (la gueulle de Lion,) Thefe meadows aflFord not only a charm- ing profpe£t to the eye, they, moreover, plen- tifully produce excellent fimples, (equally with tall woods) as well for the purpofes of medicine as 6f dying. When all thefe plants are burnt, and -^ fmall rain comes on, mufh- •*' roons OF LOUISIANA. 267 roons of an excellent flavour fucceed to them, and whiten the (urhct of the meadows all over. Thofe rifing meadows and* tall forefts a- bound with buffaloes, elk, and deer, with turkeys, partridges, and all kinds of game ; confequently wolves, catamountt^, and other carnivorous anin^ak are found there ; which in following the other aninnals, dcftroy and devour fuch as are too old or too fat ; and when the Indians go a hunting, thefe ani- mals are fure to have the offal, or hound*s fee, which makes them follow the hunters. Thefe high lands naturdlly produce mttU berry-4rees^ the leaves of wJhkich aj»e-very gtate- ful to \\it filk'-'wwrm, Migp^ in like nnjUHier, grows there along the thickets* without cid* ture* Thene sdfo a native toiatcc is hmid growing wild, for the cultttre of which, as well as for other fyccies of toiaeta^ th^fe lands are extremely well adapted. Cotton is alio "^ cultivated to advantage: IVheai and fiait thrive better and more eafily thate, than Iqwer down towards die capital, ^e Jand there being too fat) iwhich is the reafoii that, indeed, oats come there tj' a greater height than in ^e lands I am fpeaking pf ^ N 2: but 'I a68 THE HIS TORY v^ the cotton and the other pro tho' the foil be of an excellent nature, ^f^,^ jy^xi^kg ^'^ IWfiiie, tiibfelir^ lahas'ii^tlffof^ A^jffijtpiy from Manchae to the river Wabach^ may and ought to contain mines : We find in them, juft at thci furface, iron and pit- coal, but no appearance of illver mines » gold there may be, copper alfo^ and lead.. Let us return to Ma hac^ whertl quitted the Mijijipi ; which '. \l crofs, in order to vifit the weft fide, as I have already done the caft. I Ihall begin with the weft' coaft, which refembles that to the eaft; but is ftill more dry and barren on the (hore. On quit- ting that coaft of white and cryftal fand, in order to go northward, we meet live or fix lakes, which communicate with fo that we find there but little pafture, which fome ^ OF LOUISIANA. 269 fome ftraycd baffaloes come to cat ; and no trees> if we except a hill en the banks of one of thefc lakes, which is all covered with ever green oaks, fit for (hrp-building. This fpot may be a league in length by half a league in breadth 5 and was called Baratana^ bccaufe cnclofed by thefe lakes and their outlets, to form almoft an iibnd on dry land. Thefe lakes are ftored with moriflrous carp, as well for fizc as for length ; which /lip out of the MiJJiftpi and its muddy ftream, when overflowed, in fcarch of clearer water. The quantity of fifh in thefe lakes is very fiirprizing, efpecially as they abound with vaft numbers of alligators. In the neigh- bourhood of theie lakes there are fome petty nations of Indians^ who partly live on this amphibious animals , i Betweeh thefe hikes and the banks of tfie Mijfiftpii there is fome tfiin herbage, and a- mong others, natural Kemp, which grows like trees, and very branched. This need not furprize us, as each plant ftands very dif- tant from the other: Hereabouts we find little wood, unlefs when we approach the t ttpt. N Ta mtw .H70 THE HISTORY -ly To the w;cft of thcfc lakes we find ex- cdknt Undsy covered in many piaces ivtth . opep: woods of tall trecs> thro* which one may eafily ride on horfeback ; and here we find fome bqiFaloes, which only pafs through thcic woods becaufe the pafture under the the trees is bitter } and the: sfore they prefer thegrafsof the meadows, iVhich lying cxpofcd to the rays of the fun, becomes thereby more favoury. ,.i. In go ing flill farther weft, we meet nmch thicker woods, becaufe this country is ex- tremly well watered ; we here find numbers of rivers,, which fall into the feai and wll^t contributes to the fertility of tliif land, is the number of brooks, that fall into thefe rivers. «'i This country abounds with deer and other game; bu^aloes are rare; but it promifes great riches to Aich as fhall inhabit it, from the excellent quality ^f its lands. The Spaniards^ who bound us on that fide, are jealous enough : But the great quantities of land they poflefs in America^ have made them lofe fight of fettling there, tho* ac- quainted therewith before us : How- ever, they to6k fome fteps to tra.erfc our defigns, wh€n they faw, we had fome ^ OF LOUISIANA. 271 thoughts that TiTiy^ But they are not fet* tltd there a$ yet) and who could hinder us from making advantageous fettlemen^t in V that countiry. .- . ,* ...;-,. ....f ..■•,.-: ^.-. . . » ; I -i 1. X refume the banks of the Mlffijip}, above the lakes, and the lands above the fgrk^ which, a$ I have fufEciently acquainted the reader, are, none of the befi ^ and I go up to the North, in order to follow the fame me- thod, I obferved in defcribing the nature of the lands to the £«ft. 1 ^ The panks qf tne Mijfiftpl arc of a fat and ftrong foil ; but far lefs fubje^i to inundations than the lands of the Eail. If we proceed a little way weftward, we meet land gradually riling, and of an excellent quality; and even meadows, which we might well affirm to be boondleis, if they were not int6rfe£bd by lit- tle' groves, Thefe meadows are covered with buffaloes and other game, which live there fo much the more peaceably, as they are neither hunted by mtn^ who never frequent thofe coMntries ; nor diiquieted by wolves .or ti-» gers, which keep mqre tp the North. 11 The country I have juft defcribedts fuch as I have reprcfented it, till we come to New-^ Mexico: it rifes gently enough, near the ^ 4 Rcdr^ i^i/i^iz/^r, which bounds it to the Nordi, tiir we rpach a high lapd, which was no fldo^^ ^^n.five or fix leagues in breadth^ and ,in,certain places only a league ; it is almoU flat, havine but fome eminences at fome con^ fiderable diftance from each other: .We ktro meet feme mountains of; a.middlw tiifii hii.r !•)■ '*,i . • ; % ^-^^ III 1 ^ ■ CHAJP; X ^4^ THE HIFTORY i:^ufiKty ef the Lands of th Red River. ik.fr Pojls df NacKitoches. if Silvcr-miftc. '^^£/«fir ^//*^ Black Riveri'^^^ -^^^^ ni hf< .a,^ •^flE B?inb ©f the i^»irfJ?/t;.T, towards **■ ?is confluence, arc pretty low, tttd IbAife- til^es drowned by the inundations of the. Mi/- J^i ; but above all, the North fide, which is but ti maKhy Und for upwards often leases, hi gi>ift| up lo the Nachiioches^ till we come idrth^ Btatk Rtuery which falls into the Rid, This lad tnkes its name from the colour of its fand, which is red in feveral places : It is alfo r lied the Marne^ a name given it by lome Geographers, but unknown in the country. Some call it the River of the Na^ thitoches, becaufe they dwell on its banks : But the appellation. Red River ^ has remain- ^ edto it. ' .> mi^ja ■J. Between the Black River and the Rgd RU , mer the foil is but very light, and even fandy^ where we find more firs than other trees ; we alfo obferve therein fome marfhes. B ut thefe ^ lands, tho' not altogether barren, if cuhiva- led, would be none of the bcfl-. Thv^ con- ' •> >i "'- tirtuc 6 P L V rfe IIa tf A. TTs tinve futh along the banks of the river, only to the rapid paurt of. it^^ thi.^y leagues from the Mijpjipi, Thig riipi(f part cannot juftly be ettieB a iiiil ; ' bovreVer^ we ^jin fcarce go tip iwith oar«> Mf^n laden, bttt m ift land and tow. I imaj^ine, if the waterman's pole was ufed) as on the Loire and other rivers in rfr^nc€j this obfbcle would be etfily ftii- -w -f- 1, outbfideof this river, quite to the rapid part, is entirely different from the oppo- se iide : It is fomething higher, and rifes in ' fiEoportiop at it approaches to die height I have mentioned ; the quality is al(b very dif- ierent. Thi« land is good and light, appears diipoied to receive all the culture imaginable* ill which we may afluredly hope to fucceed* It naturally produces beautiful fruit trees and vines in plenty ; it was on that fide mufca- ^ine grapes were found. Tl^ back parts have neater woods, and the meadov/s interfe6led with tall forefts. On that fide the fruit trees «f the country are common, above all, the liiccory and walnut-trees, which are fiire indications of a good foil. . From the rapid part to the Nachiliuhei^ the mds «a iMtb iid^s of this river fu^ciently g^yj;ii * N 6 lefemble 27^6 T » E HIS )T O R Y ' refemble thofe- 1 havojuft mentioned. Ta th» Itftf. An going, tup, > there is ^. petty natton^ cftUed the J!U93tti^e^^,and\luuoBf9tt 01^ for the ftrviosa they have done the Cdony by the iiorfes^ oxen, and cows tliey luivs brought from New Alixtu for. the fervkeof the French inLmi/mmi. I aoiJgnorant what view the Indians msiy have iix that Gommefce ; hutJ ivell know, thai notwithftanding the fatigued of the journey, thefe cattle, one with anodier„ difl A6t come, nfttr d'edu£^fng iJI expehcet^ aitd even from the fecond hand, but to ithbtSt two piftolts a-head ; whence I ought to pec>^ fume, that they have them cheap in Mtitr Mexico, By means of this nation we have in LemJSana very beautiful horfes^ of the fpe^ cies of thofe of OU Spaing which, HF managed or trained, people of the firftranlc might rfde^ As to the oxen and cows, they are ike fame as thofe of France^ and both ace at px^foit very commott in £fi«^iwia.. . ,,^^^, The South fide conveys ihto.the i^/i^W onjy h'ttle brooks. On the North fide, and pretty near the Nachiiochn^ there is, as is (aid, a fprlng of water very fait,, running only four leagues. This fprlng, as it comes out of the earth, forms a littje river, which, during th^ hcs^ts, leaves fome fait oa its ban]i;$. And •:''M'4- ■ ^'^'^^ . ' " ^^^what OF LOUJISilAiKrA. 277 i«hat liiay! cendcB this> more; credible ilv < thuc t))t xoiintrf4> ]iiv!bence> it * tak^ itS' rifeyacontaifis. a. great deal of micMral ialtt whicti diktrfin itfelf ,byievecalfpring»4»f fait water^ and b^ two fait JaL '-s^ of which. I ihall prefemly fpeakj In>£fMV in going apt we come to ihe Fretuh fort of the N^chimhis^ built in. an^ ifland, formed by the Rtd Rivir^ * ^ ^ **u>. ,h».^ ^v This ifland isnothing but fand^ and th^ (b* fnie, that the wind drives it like du(li. fo ths^t. the. tobagco. attempted to be cultivated thei^e at^it was loaded i^*th )>. The. leaf of the. tobacco having a very fine down9 eafily xc-a tains this>fand»i which the leaft breath of air dijSufcs every where ^ which is the reafon» that , np.mor/e tobacco is raifed in this iflandi but provifion^ €mly» as maiz*. potatoes,, pompions^. te:», which cannot be damaged by xhe firnds.. -^Mi ik St, Demi commanded at this phee* where he ihfinuated himfelf into the good^ graces of the nadves in fuch a manner* that», altho' they prefer death to flavery,. or even to the government of a fovereign, however mild,, yet twenty or twenty-five nations were fo at- tached to his perfon>that, forgetting they were born fri^e, they willingly furrenderedthem- fdve^ to him S; the. people and their Chiefe iWouM all have him for their Grand Chiefs. fo «78 THE HIBTOKT ; £o diat at the icaftr iignal, ^ be oould piit frfm- felf at the head of thirty thoufand tneit^ drawn » out of thofe natiofis, Whidi had of th^iir own •accprd fubmitted themfelves to his ordm ; and that only by fending thdm a paper on m^idi .he drew the ufuad hieroglyphics that lepicfent war among them, with a large leg, which denoted himfel^ FLOUliIANA. 279 would cod nothuig hut the trbuble of picking up. Eat to whflit pufpoit itrves thk beautiful metal, but to make the people vain and idle among whom it is fo comaion, and to make Ihem negle£i the cultuie of the earth, which conftitutes true riches, by the fweets it fro- cures to man, and by the advantages it fur- nishes to Comm.erce. ^ "*' Above the Nathitoches dwell the Cqdoda" quhkSy If/hoKc fcattered villages afTume dif- ferent nannes. Pretty near one of thefe vil- fajges was ^ifcovered a i9ver-mine, which was foufid to be rich, and of a very pure me<.a]. I have (teti the ailay of it, and its ore is very ^fine. This filver lies concealed in fmall invi- fible partitdes, in a Hone of a cheihut colour, which is Tpongy, pretty light, and eafily cal- cin^ble : However, it yi^ds a great deal more t^an it promifes to the eye. The aiiay of this ore viras made by a Portugueft^ who had work* ed at the; mines of New Aiexico^ whence be m^de his efcape. He appeared to be mafter of his builnefs, and afterwards viiked other mines farther North, but he ever gave the preference to that of the Red River, ,;' verbis river, according to the Spaniards, takes its rife in 32 degrees of North latitude ; runs about fifty leagues North-eaft j forms a great oRo THE HISTORY great elbow, ox Svin Jinjg to the £aft ; then prbceedmg thence South-eaft,. at which place we begin to know ity k comes and falls into the Mff^tply abbot ^i^" and odd minutes. I faid above, that the Bliick River diA^ charges itfelf into the Red^, ten leagues above the confluence of this 1^ wfth the Mijffijtpi': We now proceed to refume tlkat river, and fjbUewits courfe^ after having obfi:nred, that ttie fifh of all thofe rivers,, which communis* cute with the Miffifipl^ are the fame as to fpe- dee, but far. better in the KidvaA Black Ru vetSy becaUfe their water is clearer and better than that of the Mtffijipiy which they always €|uit with pleafure. Their delicate and iiner flavour may alfo arife from tho. nouriflnnent they take in. thofe rivers.. The liinds, of which we are going to fpeak,. are to the North of the Red Riven They may be diitinguiihed into two parts ; which are to the right and lef^ of the BiaeiRHfer^ iir going up to its fouroe, and even as far as the river ^f the Arkanfas, It is caUed the Blatk River i becaufe its depth gives it that colour, which is, moreover^ heightened' by the woojis which line it throughout the Colony.. All ^e rivers have their banks covered with woods j but this river,, which i$ very nar/ow,; is Y^OT8iH JH.T .?^s OF LOUISIAJ^A. 29i is almoft quite covered by the branches, suid rendered of a dark colour oxi the firft view^ - It is fometioies called the river of the l^-> chitas, bccaufe its banks were O' cupied by a nation of that name, who are now extindl. I (hall continue to call it by its ufual namei'"** ;' . The lands whkh we dired^ly find on both fid^s, are low, and continue thus for the fp^ce of tbree or four leagues, till we come to the river of the Tain/as^ thus denominated from a, nation of that name, which dwelt on its banks.. This river of the Taeitfas is pro^ perly fpeaking but a channel formed by the ovei]flowjng8 of \hp MiJJifipiy has its courfe almofl parallel thereto, and feparates th^ low lands from the higher. The lands betweea the Mtffijipi and the river of the Taenfas are the r%me as in the Lower Loutfiana^ *v3n I :The lands we find in going up t'he Black River are nearly the fame, as well for the na- ture of the (oil, as for their good qualities. They are rifing grounds, extending in length,^ and which- in general may be confidered as one very extendve meadow, diverfified witl» Httk groves, and cut only by the Black Rivrr and little brooks, bordered with wood up ta- their fources. Buffaloes and deer are feen in iBboIe bgrds there^ In appcoaching to the ri- ven >t82 THE HiiSTORY ver of the Arlanjai^ deer and phcafants be- gin to be very common ; and the fame fpeciea of game is found there, as is to the Eaft of the Mijpftpi i in like manner wood-ilrawber- ries, iimples, flowers, and muihroons. The only di&rence is, that this fide of the^f^- Jtpi is more level, there being no lands fo high and fo very dilFerent from die red bf the coun- try. The woods are like thofe t6 tlh6 '£i& of iScit Mffififiy except that to the Weft t^ere are more walnut and hiccory trees. TheCtlaft are another {^z\t% of walnut, jthe huts of which are more tender^ and invite to thefe parts a greater number of par^Ms What we havt juft faid, holds in general pf thi$ W^ fides let us now confider what is iiDquUp thereto. •.fT't)r>t- a=v^.. >!-}y • •■ '^'^r^. VJ/ .*.^ ^fioi : ' 0. , .^^m^'^ '<.^£^y ; ..:u.* ion:?nlm e4:iliiy,3JiC{ ?£U1 '■•..sji^'<:« !>mo;> • : AkW Hi ^ mXi m'H 'iVi^ffyXj m:i^^^i}y ■ iHtt i6k fiii^"' a^KH|i mt ;■ I'^'.'i 'ft CHAP. OF LOUISIANA. 283 o -iiii,! sifH CHAP* YL ')a\.. . Abrookoffali'Water: Saif lakes, hanJS of the river of the Arkanfas. Red vein- ed marble: Slate: Plafter, Hunting tb^ buffalo. The dry fand'banks in thi - - - # • ^ A P T fe R we have gone up Ac Black Ri» ^^ ver about thirty leagues^ wc find to the hti a brook of fait water, which comes from the Weft. In going up ^is brook about two leagues, we meet with a lake of fait wat^r, which may be two leagues in length, by one in breadth. . A league higher up to the North, we meet another lake of fait water, aUnoft as long and broad as the former. This water, doubtlefs, paffirs through fbme mines of fait ; it has the tafte of fait, without that bitternefs of the fea-water. The Indiaus come a great way off to this* place, to hunt in winter, and make fait. Before the Frtmh trucked coppers with them, they made upon the fpot pots of earth for this operation : And they returned home, loaded with fait and dry proviiions. To •unpvppmp i iiS4 THE HISTORY ; To the Eafl of the Black River we obfervc flothing that indicates mines j but to the Weft one might afBrm there ihould be fome, from certain marks, ivhich might well deceive pre- tended connoiffeurs. As for my part, I would not warrant that there were two mines in that part of the country, which feems to promife them. I fhould rather be led to believe,, that they are mines of fait, at no great depth from the fur face of the earth, which, by their vo- / /' Utile and acid fpirits prevent the growth of plants in thofb fpots. Ten or twelve leagaes above this brook, is a creeky near %vhich thofe Natchez retreated^ ifi^o efcaped being made Haves with the reft of their nation, when the Meflrs Perier extir- pated them oh the Eaft fide of the river, by order of the Court. The Bkck River takes its rife to the Nor^h- weft of its confluence, and pretty near the river of the Jrkanfas^ into which falls a branch j^m this rife or fource ; by means of which we may have a communication from the one to the other with a middling carriage. This communication with the river of the Arkanfas is upwards of an hundred leagues from the Poft of that name. Iii other refpeds, this tilack River might carry a boat throughout, if cleared ckj OF LOUISIANA. 285 ckared of the wood fallen into its bed, which generally traverfes it from one fide to t!ie other. It receives fome brooi^, and abounds ia excellent fifh, and in alligators. I malce no doiibt but thefe lands are very fit to bear and produce every thing thai can be cultivated with fuccefs on the Eaft of the MiJJiJipit oppofite to this fide, except the canton or quarter between the river of the Ta- enfasznd the MtJJiJtpi ; that land being fubjedt to inundations, would be proper only for rice. I imagine we may now pafs on to the North of the river of the Arkanfas^ which takes its rite in the mountains adjoining to the Eaft of ^anta Fe, It afterwards goes up a little to the North, from whence it comes down to the South, a little lower than its fource. In this manner it forms a line par- allel almoft with the Red River^ ^* That river has a catara£t, or fall, at about an hundred and fifty leagues from its conflu- ence^ Before we come to this fall, we find a quarry of red-veined marble, one of flate, and one of plafter. Some travellers have there ob- ferved grains of gold in a little brook : But as they happened to be going in queft of a rock of emeralds, they deigned not to amufe them*. felves with picking up particles of sold. This 286 THE HISTORY This river of the Arkanfas is ftored with ii(h \ has a great deal of water ; having a courfe of two hundred and fifty leagues, and can carry large boats quite to the cataradi^. Its banks are covered with woods, as are all the other rivers of the country. In its courfe it receives feveral brooks, or rivulet!(, cf little confequence, unlefs we except that called the White River J and which difcharges itfelf into the curve or elbow of that we are fpeaking of, and below its fall. In the whole tra£i North of this river, we find plains that extend out of fight, which are vaft meadows, interfe6led by groves, at no great diftance from one another, which are all tall woods, where we might eafily hunt the flag ; great numbers of which, as alfo of buf- faloes, are found here. Deer ailfo are very common. From having feen thofe animals frightened at the leaft noife, efpecially at the report of a gun, I have thought of a method to hunt them, in the manner the Spaniards of Neiv Mexico do, which would not fcare them at all, and which would turn to the great advan- tage of the inhabitants, who have this game in plenty in their country. This hunting might be fct about in winter, from the be- \ ginning OF LOUISIANA. 287 grinning of O^oher^ when the meadows are burnt) till the month of February. This hunting is neither expendve nor fa- tiguing : Horfes are had very ciieap in that country, and maintained almoft for nothing. Each hunter is mounted on horfeback, and armed with a creicent fomewhat open, whofe infide (hould be pretty (harp ; the top of the outfide to h^ve a focket, to put in a handle : Then a number of people on horfeback to go in queft of ^ herd of buffaloes, and always attack them with the wind in their backs. As foon as they fmell a man, it is true, they run away \ but at the fight of the horibs they will moderate, their .fears, and thus not precipitate their flight; whereas the report of a gun frightens them fo as to make them run at full fpeed. In this chace, the lighted would run fad enough ; but the olded, and even the young of two or three years old, are (o fat, that their weight would make them foon be o overtaken : Then the armed hunter may ftrike the buffalo with his crefcent above each ham, and cut his tendons ; after which he is eafily mattered. Such as never (aw a buf- falo, will hardly beKcve the quantity of fat they yield : But it ought to be confidered, that| continuing day and night in plentiful pailures 288 THE HISTORY paftures of the iineft and moft delicious grafs, they mull focn fatten, and that from their youth. Of this we have an inftance in a hull at the N€ttche%y which was kept till he was two years old, and grew fo fat, that he could not leap on a cow, from his great weight ; fo that we were obliged to kill him, and- got nigh an hundred and fifty pounds of tallow from him. His neck was near as big as his body. From what I have faid, it may be judged, what profit fuch hunters might make of the fkins and tallow of thofe buffaloes \ the hides would be large, and their wool would be dill an additional benefit. I may add, that this hunting of xh'im would not diminifh the fpe- cies, thofe fat buffaloes being ordinarily the prey of wolves, as being too heavy to be able to defend themfelves. ^ Befides, the wolves would not find their account in attacking them in herds. It is well known, that the buffaloes range them- felves in a ring^ the flrongefl without, and the weakefl within. The (Irohg, {landing pretty clofe together, prefent their horns to the enemy, who dare not attack them in this cHfpofuion. But wolves, like all other ani- mals, have their particular inflin£l, in order to procure their necefTary food . They come fe OF* LOUISIANA. 289 (o heafV'that the buffalm^s rmell them fome way off, which mikti them run for it. The wolves then advance With a pretty equal pace, till they obferve the fatteft oiit of breath. Thef^ they attack before and behind; one df them IHz^ on the buinr^b by the hind- qitarttr, ahd overturns him, the others ftrah- gle hfm. rV The wolves being many in a boJ)s l^iH not wiiat U fMfficient for one alone^ but as mai^ a» they cati) before they begin to eat. For this is iht manner of the yftAff to kill ten or twenty times more than be needs, ef. pecially when he can do it with eafe, and without intftf ruption. Though the country I defcribe has very extenfive plains^ I pretend not to fay, that there are no rifm^ grounds or hills ; biit the^r are more rare there than elfewherc, efpe- cially on the Weft fide. In approaching to New MemcQs we obferve great hills and ibmc mountains, forac of which arc pretty high. I ou^ht r^ to omit mentioning here, that from the low lands Of Lout/tdna^ the Mijft- fipi has fevcral (hod banks of fand in itv Vol. I. O whicl^ 290 THE HISTORY which appear very dry upon the faHing i>f the waters, after the inundations. Thefe banks extend more or lefs in length ; feme of theni half a league, and not without a confiderable breadth. ,1 have feen the Nat- cbeZf. and other Indians^ fow a fort of grain, which they called Choupichoul^ on thefe dry fand-baiiks. This fand received no manner of culture s and the women and children co- vered the grain any how with their feet, without taking any great pains about it. After this fowing, and manner of culture, they waited till Autumn, when they gathered a great quantity of the grain. It was pt^- .pared like millet, and very good to eat. This plant is what is called Belle Dame Sou- va£e*i which thrives in all CQuntries, but re- quires a good foil : And whatever good qua- lity the foil in Europe may have, it (hoots but a foot and a half high ; and yet, on this fand of the MiJJiJhii it rifes, without any cul- ture, three feet and a half, and four feet high. Such is the virtue of this fand all up the Mijfiftpi ; or, to fpeak more properly, for the whole length of its courfd ; if we except the accumulated earth of tt«B Lower Lout' Jknay acrois which it paffes, and where it * He feems to mean Sutk-wbeat* i cannot OF LOUISIANA. 291 cannot leave any dry fand-banks ; becaufe it is ftraftened within its banks, which the river itfelf raifes, and continually augments. In all the groves and little forefts I have mentioned) and which lie to. the North of the river of the Arkanfas^ pheafants, par- tridges, ihipes, and woodcocks, are in fuch great numbers, that thofe who are nioft fond of this game, might eafily fatisfy their. long- ing, as alfo every other fpecies of game« Small birds are flill vaftly more numerous. O 1 CHAP, 29^ THE HISTORY C H A P. VII. i'h Lands of the River St, Francis. Mine of Marameg, and other Mines, A head-mine. A foft Stone^ refem- Uing Porpfyry* Lands of the Mif- fouH. Tie Lands North of the Wa- bachc. The Lands of the llWhoh. Dc la Rdothe'i Miniy and other Minis. 'T'HIRTY leagues above the river of ^•^ the Jrkanfasy to the North, and on the fame fide of the MiJJiJipi^ we find the river St, Francis. The lands adjoining to it are always co- vered with herds of buffaloes, notwithftand- ing they are hunted every winter in thofc parts : For, it is to this river, that is, in its neighbourhood, that the French and Cana- dians go and make their fait provifions for the inhabitants of the Capital, and of the neighbouring plantations , in which, they are afllfted by the native Arkanfas^ whom they hire for that purpofe. When they are upon the fpot, they chufe a tree, fit to make a pettyauger, which ferves for a faking or powdering-tub in the middle, and is dofed at OF LOUISIANA: 293 at the two ends, where only is kit room for a map at ^ach extremity. The trees they choofe are ordinarily the poplar, which grow on the banks of the wa- ter. It is a white wood, foft and binding. The petty augers might be made of other wood, bccaufe fuch are to be had pretty large ; but either too hcuvy for pettyaugcrs, or t^o apt to fplit. The fpecles of wood in this part of Lout- fuma is tall oa'c : the liclds abound with four forts of Walnut, elpecially the black kind ; fo called, becaufe it is of a dark brown co- lour, bordering on black ; this fort grow$ v^rylarg?. There are, befides, fruit trees in this coun- try, and it is there we begin to find com- monly Papaws, We have alfo here other trees of every fpecies, more or lefs, accord- ing as the foil is favourable. Thefe l^nds in general are fit to produce c\ ery thing the low lands can yield, except rice and indigo. Rut iTk return, wheat thrives there e^^treme- ly well : The vine is found every where ; tl|e mulberry tree is in plenty j tobacco grows fine, and of a good quality 5 as dp cQttOQ and garden plants : So that by kad- O 5 jng 294 THE HISTORY ing an eafy and agreeable life in that coun- try, we may at the fame time be fure of a good return to France, The land which lies between the MiJJiftpt and the river St, Francis^ is full of rifing grounds, and mountains of a middling height, which, according to the ordinary indic^ions, contain feveral mines : Some of them have been aflayed, among the reft, the mine of Marameg^ on the little river of that nan~ \ the other mines appear not to be fo rich, nor fo eafy to be worked. There are fome lead-mines, and others of copper, as is pretended. The mine of Marameg^ which is filver, is pretty near the confluence of the river which gives it n^une \ which is a great advantage to thofe who would work it, becaufe they might eafily, by that means, have their goods from Europe, It is fituate about five hundred leagues from the fea. I fhall continue on the Weft fide of the MiJJiJipi^ and to the North of the famous river of MiJfouriyyMcYi we are now to crofs. This river takes its rife at eight hundred leagues diftance, as is alleged, from the ' pl$cc where it difcharges ilifelf into the Mi/" OF LOUISIANA. 295 jtjipu Its waters are muddy, thick, and charged with nitre ; and thefe are the wa*- tcrs that make the ATiJJifipi muddy down to the feay its waters being extremely clear a- bove the confluence of the ^/^wr/ ; The reafon is, that the former rolls its waters over a fand and pretty firm foil ; the latter, on the contrary, flows acrofs rich and clayey landsi, where little ilone is to be feen \ for tho' the Mijfouri conries out of a mountain,, which lies to the North- weft of New Mexico^ we are told, that all the lands it pafTes thro' are generally ricKj thiit is, low meadows,, and lands without ilonc. . This great riv^r, which feems ready to difpute the preeminence with, the MiJJiJipi^ receives in its long courfe many rivers and brooks, which confiderai)ly augment its wa- ters. But except thofe, that have received their names from feme nation of Indians ^ who inhabit their banks, there are very few of their names we can be well afTured of, each traveller giving them different appella- tions. The French having penetrated up the Mijfouri only for about three hundred leagues at moft, and the rivers, which fall into its bed being only known by the Indians., it is of little importance what names they may O 4 bear 296 THE HISTORY bear at prefent, being bcfides in a country but little frequented. The river, which is the beil known, is that of the Ofages^ fo called from a nation of that name, dwelling on its banks. It falls into the Alijfouri^ pretty near its confluence. The largcft known river which falls into the Mlffouriy is that of the Canzas ; which runs for near two hundred leagues in a very fine country. According to what I have been able to lear^i about the courfe of this great river, from its fource to the Canzas^ it runs from Weft to Eaft 5 and from that nation it falls down to the Southward, whfere it receives the river of the Canzas^ which comes from the Weft ; there it forms a great elbow, which terminates in the neighbour-* hood of the Miffourts ; then it refumes its courfe to the South-eaft, to lofe at laft both its iiame and waters in the Miffifipl^ about four leagues lower down than the river of the lUinth. There was a French Pbft for fome timt in an ifland a few leagues in length, over agatnft • the Mtjfourls ; the French fettled in this fort at the Eaft pointy and called it Fojt Orleans* M. de Bourgmont commanded there a fuiHcient time^ to gain the friendftiip of \ tht OF LOUISIANA. 197 ^he Mians of the CQuntrks ^idjoining to this great river. He brought gbout a (fQAce a- Viong ali thofe iDap^ns, who befgte his ar- rival were all at war ; the nations to the North b^ing more warlike than thofe to the South. After the departure of that Commandant, they murdered all the garrifon, not a (ingle Fremhrnan having efcapcd to carry tjic news • nor could it be ever known, whether it happened through the fault of the French^ or through treacjiiery. At to the nature of that country, I tt&x i^ M. df BflurgtMttt*}^ JoiutxaX^ an extra^ Ifotn which I have given above. That is ^ Qriginal accj(>untt figned by all the oft. Sf^h im4 fffveral ofhejcs of the Company, wWfth I. thought w»$ too prolix to give at M\ kngplh^ and for that rea&m I have only f^lraiSlfd from tt what relates to the people Rpd the quality of the foil, and traced out the route to thofe who may have a mind to ssake th^t journey ; and even this we found oeceflary to abridge in this tranflation* -' In this jQurney of M. de B^ur^ont^ mcn- lioA is only made of what we meet with, U^mMwtOrkum^ from which we (at out, O 5 in 298 THE HISTORY in order to go to the Padoucas : Wherefore I ought to fpeak of a thing curious enough to be related, and which is found oh the banks of the MiJJburi ; and that is, a pretty high cliff, upright fiom the edge of the wa- ter. From the middle of this cliff juts out a mafs of red flone with white fpots^, like Porphyry, with this difference, that what we are fpeaking of is almofl foft and tender^ like fand-ftone. It is covered with another fort of flone of no value ; the bottom is an earth, like that on other rifing grounds. This done is eafdy worked, and bears the moft violent fire. The Indians of the coun- try have contrived to ftrike off pieces there- of with their arrows, and after they fall in the water plunge for them. When they can procure pieces thereof large enough to make pipes, they faibion them with I >^ives and awls. This pipe has a focket two or three inches long, and on the oppofite fide the figure of an hatchet ; in the middle of all is the boot, or bowl of the pipe, to put the tobacco in. Thefe fort of pipes «r^ highly efteemed '^mong them* .. » . All to the North of the Mlffhuri h en- tirely unknown, unlefs we will give credit to the relations of different travellers > but to OF LOUISIANA. 299 to which of them fhall we give the prefer- cnce ? In the firft place, they almoft all contracli6l each other : And then, men of the moft experience treat them as impoftors : And therefore I choofe to pay no regard to any of them. Let us thc/efore now repafs xht MtJ/tJip}^ in order to refume the defcription of the lands to the Eafl, and which we quitted at T\iQ river Wabache* This river is diftant from the fea four hundred and fixty (three hundred) leagues ; it is reckoned^ to have four hundred leagues in length, from its fburce to its confluence into the MiJ/iJipu It is called TViabache^ though, according tO' the ufual method, it ought to be called the Qhio^ or beautiful river ; feeing the Ohio is* known under that name in Canada^ before' its confluence was known : And as the Ohio- takes its rife at a greater diftance ofF than- tile three others, which mix together, be« fbre they empty themfeives into the Mijp^ ftpi'i this fhould make the others lofe their names ; but cuilom has prevailed on this occafion *, The firft river known; to us,, which falls into the Ohio^ is that of the Mi^ . amis^ which takes its rife towards Lake Eriif, * But not among th.* Bngllfh ; we call it tb« Ohiv, o 6 i« M mimm -'TijmKP^I!^' 300 THE HISTORY - "It is by this river of the Miamis that the Canadiam come to L^ulfifim. For this pur>- pofe they embark on the riv«r ^U Laurtntey go up this river^ pafs the catara£ks quite to the bottom of Lake Erie^ where they find a fmall river, on which they alfo go up to a place, called the Carriage of the Mtams ; becaufe that people come and take their ef- fects, and carry them on their backs for two leagues from thence to the banks of the river of their name, which I juft faid emp- ties itfelf into the Ohio, From thence the Canadians go down that river, enter the TVa" hache^ and at lafl the MiJJiftpij which brings them to New Qrleant^ the Capital of Loui/i" ana. They reckon eighteen hundred leagues* from the Capital of Canada to that oi houi" ftuna^ on account of the great iurns and wiiidings they are obliged to take. The river of the Miamis is thus the fijft to the North, which falls into the Ohiq \ l)ien that of the Chaouanons to the South ; md laftly, that of the Cherakees ; all which together empty themfelves into the Miffi- fipi. This is what we call the Wahache^ and what in Canada and New England they call lh€ Qhi9* This river i$ beautiful, greatly ^ It is but aific hundred leagues. abounding It the pur.- freneey ce to find OF LOUISIANA. jat abounding m fiflij and navigable almoft up to its fouree. To the North of this river lies Canada^ which inclines more to the Eaft than the fource of the Ohlh ^nd extends to the coun- try of the Illinois, It is of little importance to difpute here about the limits of thefe two neighbouring colonies, as they both apper* tain to Franee, The lands of the Jltimis are reputed to be a part of J^ouiftana \ we have there a Foil near a village of th^t nation, called Tamaniias, The country of the Illinois is extremely good? And abounds wi^ buffalo and other game. On the North of the Wabmhe we firft begin to fee the Origwutx ; a fpecies of animals which ar^ faid to partake of the buf- falo and the flag i they have, indeed, been d^cribed to me to be much more clumiy Rice, and other friats of the Country* ■^ Of the Silk-worm. ' T N order to give an account of the ftveral forts of plants cultivated in Louifiana^ I begin with Mal^^ as being the moft ufefuj grain, feeing it is the principal foc^ of the people of America^ and that the French found it cultivated by the Indians, Ma%^ which in France we call Turkey- corn^ (and we Indiarhcorn) is a grain of the fize of a pea ; the?^ *s of it as large as our (jigar^pea : It grows or a fort of hufks, (^uenouilie) in afcending rows^ Sbme of thefe hufKs haveyto the number of feven hun- dren grains upon them, and I have counted even a greater number. This hujfk may be aboiit two inches thick, by feven or eight inches and upwards in length ; It is wrapped up in feveral covers or thin leaves, which * fcreen OF LOUISIANA. 305 Icreen it from the ;i,vidity of birds. Its foot oi: ilallc is often of the fame fizc : It has leaves about two inches and upwards broad, by two feet and a half long, which are chanelled, or formed like gutters, by which they colledl the dew which diflblves at fun- rifmg, and trickles down to the ftalk, fome- times in fuch plenty, as to wet the earth a- round them for the breadth of fix or feven inches. Its flower is on the top of the ftalk, which is fometimes eight feet high. We ordinarily find five or fix ears on each ftalk, and in order to procure a greater crop, the part of the ftalk above the ears ought to be cut away. For fowing the Alaiz in a field, already cleared and prepared, holes are made four feet afunder every way, obfcrving to make the rows as ftraight as may be, in order to weed them the eafier : Into every hole five or fix grains are put, which are previoufly to be fteeped for twenty-four hours at leaft, to make them rife or ftioot the quicker, and to prevent the fox and birds from eating fuch quantities of them : By day there are people to guard them againft birds j by night fires, arc made at proper tliftanccs to frighten a- W.iy.the fox^ who would otherv^'ifc turn up th^ 3o6 THE HISTORY the ground, and eat the corn of all the rowSy, one after another, without omitting one> till he has his fill, and is therefore the moft pernicious animal to this corn. The corn, as foon as fhot out of the earth, is weeded : When it mounts up, and its ftalks are an inch big, it is hilled, to fecure it agatnft the wind. This grain produces enough for two Negroes to make fifty barrels, each weighing; an hundred and fifty pounds. Such as begin a plantation in woods, thick'fet with cane, have an advantage in the Mctix^ that makes amends for the labour of clearing the ground | a labour always more fatiguing than cultivating a fpot already clear- ed. The advantage is this : They begin with cutting down the canes for a great ex- tent of ground \ the trees they peel two feet high quite round : This operation is per- formed in the beginning of March^ as then the fap is in motion in that country i About fifteen diys after, the canes being dry, are fct on fire : The fap of the trees are thereby made to defcend^ and the branches are burnt, which kills the trees. On the following day they fow the corn in the manner I have juft fljewu; The roots of the OF LOUISIANA. 307 the cane, which are not quite dead, fhoot frefh canes, which are very tender and brittle ; and as no other weeds grow in the field that year, it is eafy to be weeded of thefe canes, and as much corn again may be made, as in a field already cultivated. ^his grain they eat in many different ways ; the moft common way is to ma^ke it into Sagamity^ which is a kind of gruel made with water, or ftrong broth. They bake bread of it like cakes (by baking it over the fire oh an iron plate, or on a board before the fire,) which is much better than what they bake in the oven, at leaft for prefent ufe i but you muft make it every day j and even then it is too heavy to foak in foup of any kind. They likewife make pqrched tneal * of it, which is a difh of the natives, as well as the Cooedlouy or bread mixt with beans. . The ears of corn roafted are Jike- wife a peculiar difh of theirs ; and the finall corn drefled in that manner is as agreeable to us as to them. A light and black earth agrees much better with the Malz than a^ iVrong and rich one. • See Book III. Chap, u I The 3o8 THE HISTORY Th< parched meal is the the bcft prepara- tion of thi? corn ; the French like it extremely well, no lefs than the hdians themfclvcs : I can afiirm> that it is a very good food, and at the fame time the bed fort of provifion that can be carried on a journey, becaufe it lb refreshing and extremely nourifhing. As for the fmall Indian corn, you may fee an account of it in the firfl chapter of the third Booki where you will likcwife find an account of the way of fowing wheat, which if you do not obferve, you may as well fow none. Rice is fown in a foil yr^ laboured, either by the plough or hoe, and in winter, tWat tt may be fowed before tne time of the ii*«m- dation. It is fown in furrows of the breadf* of a hoc : When fhot, and three or four inches high, they let water into the furrows, but in a fmall quantity, in proportion as it grows, and then give water in greater plenty. The ear of this grain nearly refemblcs that of oats i its grains are faftened to a beard, ;iiid its chaft'is very rough and full of thofc fine and hard beards : The bran adheres not to the grain, as that of the corn of France j Fr\ del OF LOUISIANA. 309 France', it confti^s of two Idbes, which cafily f«pnr pre- vent their ftarving each other, when too nu- merous. It is only at that time, that rhey have ^. v>, ^^ >, **^.i8i«^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A %^ K^ n^^ ^ 4 ,310 THE HISTORY have the trouble of watering them, nature alone performing the reft, and bringing them to maturity ; which is known by the green find beginning to change colour. There is no occafion to cut or prune them. The other fpecies of melons are cultivated in the fame manner, only that between the holes the diflance is but five or fix feet. All forts of garden plants and greens thrive extremely well in Louiftana^ and grow in much .greater abundance than in France : The cli- mate is warmer, and the foil much better. However, it is to be obferved, that onions and other bulbous plants, anfwer not in the low-lands, without a great deal of pains and labour ; whereas in the high grounds, they grow very large and of a fine flavour. The inhabitants oiLouifiana mky very eafily ^Aiake 5i7i, having mulberries ready at hand, which grow naturally in the high-lands, and plantations of them may be eafily made. The leaves of the natural mulberries of Louijiana arc what the Silk-worms are very fond of; I mean the more common mulberries with a large leaf, but tender, and the fruit of the colour of Burgundy wine. The province produces alfo the white mulberry, which has . the fame quality with the red. I (hall OF LOUISIANA. 311 I (hall next relate fome experiments, that have been made on this fubjedt, by people who were acquainted with it. Madam Hu- berty a native of Prcvence^ where they make a great deal of Silky which (he underftood the management of, was dcfirous of trying, whether they could raife Silk-worms with the mulberry leaves of this province, and what fort of filk they would afford. The firft of her experiments was, to give fome large filk- worms a parcel of the leaves of the Red-Mul- berryy and another parcel of the white mul- berry both upon the fame frame. She ob- ferved the worms went over the leaves of both forts, without fhewing any greater lik* ing to the one than to the other : Then ihe put to the other two forts of lei., ^ fome of the leaves of the fVhite-fweet or S gar-Mul- herryy and (he found that the worms left the other forts to go to thefe, and that they pre- ferred them to the leaves of the common Red and White Mulberry *. The fecond experiment of Madam Hubert was, to raife and feed fome filk-worms fepa- rately. To (bme (he gave the leaves of the common White-Mulberry 'y and to others the * See an account of thefe different forts of Mulberry^ in the nttes at the end of Vol. U. leaves t. • 31a THE HISTORY leaves of the ff^hite Sugar- Mulberry 5 in order to fee the^dift'erence of the filk from the diftercnce of their food. Morever, (he raifed 'and fed fome of the native filk-worms of the country, which were tAkcn very young from the mulberry-trees ; but fhe obfcrvcd, that thefe laft were very flighty, and did no- thing but run up and down, their nature being, without doubt, to live upon trees : She then changed their place, that they might not mix with the other worms that caitie from France^ and gave them little branches with the leaves on them, which made them a little more fettled. This induftrious lady waited till the co<» coons were perfectly made, in order to ob- fcrve the difference between them in unwind- ing the filk ; the fuccefs of which, and of all her other experiments fhe was fo good as to give me a particular account of. "When the cocoons were ready to be wound, (he took care of them herfelf, and found, that the wild worms yielded lefs fflk than thofo from France^ for altho* they were of a larger fizc, they were not fo well furnifhed with filk, which proceeded, no doubt, from their not being fufficiently Houriflied, by their running; inceflantly up and dgwo > and accordingly fhe obfcrvcd OF LOUISIANA. 313 obferved, that they were but meagre ; but not- withftanding, their filk was ftrong and thick, tho' coarfe. Thofe that were fed with the leaves of the Rid-Mulberry made cocoons well furnifh- ed with filk ; which was flronger and finer than that of France* Thofe that were fed upon the leaves of the common JVhite MuU Urryy had the fame filk with thofe that were fed on the leaves of the Red-Mulberry. The fourth fort, again, that had been fed with the leaves of the fFhite Sugar ^ Mulberry ^ had but little filk i it was indeed as fine as the pre- ceding, but it was fo weak, and fo brittle, that it was with great difficulty they could wind it. ' Thefe are the experiments of this lady on filk-worps, which every one may make his own ufes of, in order to have the forts of filk, mulberries, or worms, that are moft fuita- ble to his purpofe, and moft likely to turn to his account: Which we are very glad of this opportunity to inform them of, that they may fee, how much focicty owes to thofe per- fons, who take care to ftudy nature, in or- der to promote induftry and public utility. ,.ir' Vol. I. CHAP. 314 THE HISTORY CHAP. IX. Of Indigo,Tobacco, Cotton, Wax, Hops, and Saffron. 'TIl^H £ high lands of Lmijiana produce a * natural Indigo : What I faw in two or threeplaces, where I have obferved it,grewatthe edges of the thick woods, which (hews it de- lights in A good, but light foil. One of thefe ftalks was but ten or twelve inches high, its wood it Icafl three Unes io diameter, and of as fine a green as its leaf ; it was as tender as the rib of a cabbage leaf; when its head was blown a little, the two other ftalks ihot in a few days, the one feventeen, and the other nineteen inches high \ the ilem was (ix lines thick below, and of a very lively green, and flill very render, the lower part only began to turn brown a little; the tops of both were equally ill furnifhed with leaves, and witl^out branches \ which makes it tobe prefumed,^ that being fo thriving and of fo fine a growth, it would have ihot very high, and furpafs in vigour and height the cultivated Indigo. The flalk of the Indigo>^ cultivated by the French at the Natchez^ turned brown before it fhot eleven or twelve inches \ when in feed it was five OF LOUISIANA. 315 five feet high and upwards, and furpaflfed in vigour what was cultivated in the Lower Louiftanoy that is, in the quarter about New Orleans : but the natural, which I had an op- portunity of feeing only young and tender, promifed to become much taller and (louter than ours, and to yield more. The Indigo cultivated in Louijiana^ comes from the Iflands ; its grain is of the bignefs of ont line, and about a quarter longer, brown and hard, flatted at the extrenrHties, becaufe it is comprefled in its pod. This grain is fown in a foil, prepared like a garden, and the field, where it is cultivated, is called the Indigo- gar * den. In order to fow it, holes arc made on a ilraight line with a fmail hoe, a footafunder i in each hole, four or five feeds are put, which are covered with earth ; great care is had not to fuifer any flrange plants to grow near if, which would choak it ; and it is fown a foot afunder, to the end it may draw the fuller nourifliment, and be weeded without grazing or rufHing the leaf, which Is that wliich gives the Indigo, When its leaf is quite come to its fhape, it refembles exactly that of the /fcada^ fo well known in France^ only that it is fmaller. It is cut with large pruning-knives, or a fort of fickles, with about fix or fcven inches aper- P I turc. ' t . 3i6 THE HISTORY ture, which (hould be pretty (Irong. It ought to be cut before its wood hardens ; and to be green as its leaf, which ought, however, to have a bluifli eye, or caft. When cut, it is conveyed into the rotting- tub, as we (hall prefently explain. According as the foil is better or worfe, it (hoots higher or lower; the tuft of the firft cutting, which grows round, does not exceed eight inches in height and breadth : the fecond cutting rifes fometimes to a foot. In cutting the Indigo^ you are to fet your foot upon the root, in order to prevent the pulling it out of the earth ; and to be upon your guard not to cut yourfelf, as the tool is dangerous. In order to make an Indigo^work^ a (bed is iirft of all*to be built : this building is at leaft twenty feet high, without walls or flooring, but only covered. The whole is built upon pofts, which may be dofed with mats, if you pleafe : this building has twenty feet in breadth, and at leaft thirty in length. In this ihed three vats or large tubs are fet in fuch a manner, that the water may be eaiily drained oflF from the firft, which is the lowermoft and fmalleft. The fecond refts with the edge of its bottom on the upper edge of the firft, fo that the water may eafily run from it into the one , OF LOUISIANA. jij one below. This fecond vat is not broader but deeper than the firft, and is called the Bat- Ury ; for this reafon it has its beaters, which are little buckets formed of four ends of boards, about eight inches long, which together have the figure of the hopper of a mill ; a flick runs acrofs them^ which is put into a wooden fork, in order to beat the Indigt : there are two of them on each fule} which in all make four. • The third vat is placed in the fame man* ner over the fecond^ and is as big again» that it may hold the leaves ; it is called the Rot^ tmg'tubi becaufe the leaves which are put into it are deadened, not corrupted or fpoiled therein. The Indigo- operator., who conducts the whole work, knows when it is time to let the water run imo the fecond vatj thea he lets go the cock ; for if the leaves were left too long, the Indigo would be too black ; it mufl have no more time than what is fufficient to difcharge a kind of flower or froth that is found upon the leaf. The water, when it is all In the fecond \'at, is beat till the Indigo-opterator gives or- ders to ceafe ; which he does not before he has feveral times taken up fome of this water with a filver cup) by way of aiTay, in order P 3 to 3i8 THE HISTORY to know the cxa. iii THE HISTORY cultivate Tobacco with fome degree of care ) but my method of proceeding afterwards was difFerent. I faw my neighbours ftrip the leaves of To- bacco from the ftalk, firing them, fet them to dry, by hanging them out in the air, then put them in heaps, to make them fweat. As for me, I carefully examined the plant, and when I obferved the flem begin to turn yellow here and there, I caufed the flalk to be cut with a pruning-knife, and left it for fome time on the earth to deaden. Afterwards it was car- ried off on hand-barrows, becaufe it is thus lefs expofed to be broken that) on the necks of Negroes* When it was brought to the houfe, I caufed it to be hung up, with the big end of the flem turned upwards, the leaves of each ftalk flightly touching one another, being well afTured they would fhrivel in drying, and no longer touch each other. It hereby happened, that the juice contained in the pith (fometimes as big as one's finger) of the flem of the plant, flowed into the leaves, and augmenting their &p, made them much more mild and waxy* As fafl as thefe leaves alTumed a bright chefhut colour, I flripped them from the flalk, and made th^pi diredUy into bundles, which I wrapped up in a cloth, and bound it clofe with ^ a curd OF LOUISIANA. 323 a cord for twenty-four hours i then undoing the cloth, they were lied up clofer ftill. This tobacco turned black and io waxy, that it could not be raiped in lefs than a year ; but then it had a fubilaiKe and flavour fb much the more agreeable, as it never afFe£led the head ; and fo I fold it for double the price of die common. ' The Cotton^ which is cultivated in Louifiana^ is of the fpecics of the white Siam *, tho* not fo foft, IK r fo long as the SUJ^-cotton ; it is ex- tremely white and very fine, and a very good ufe may be made of it. This Cotton is pro- duced, not from a tree, as in the EaJI-Indiesy but from a plant, and thrives much better in light, than in flrong and fat lands, fuch as thofe of the Lower Louijianay where it is not fo fine as on the high grounds. Tliis plant may be cultivated in ladids newly cleared, and not yet proper for Tobacco, tniich lefs -for Indtgo, which requires a gfoun«l well woiiced like a garden. The feeds of * This Eaft'Iadla annual Ctttoa has been found to be much better and whiter than what is cultivated in our co- loaits, which is of the Turkey kind. Bc'ii ft t^em keep their coloMf better in wafhing, and arc whirci thru the perennial Cotton that comes frcm tic iiUn The culture of Indigo^ Tobacco^ ^ni Cotton^ may be eafily carried on without any interrup- tion coui 1 a( mac OF LOUISIANA. 325 tion to the making of 5/7/f, as any one of thefe is no manner of hindrance to the other. In the firft place, the work about thefe three plants does not come on, till after the wormo have fpun their Sil^ : in the fecond place, the feed- ing and deaning the ftlk-worm requires no great degree of ftrength ; and thus the care employed about them, interrupts no other fort of work, either as to time, or as to the perfbns employed therein. It fufEces for this operation to have a perfon yvho knows how to feed and clean the worms; young Negroes of both fexes might ailift this perfon, little (kill fufficing for this purpofe r the oldefl of the young Ne- groesy when taught, might (hift the worms and lay the leaves ; the other young Negroes gather and fetch them ; and al} this labour, which takes not up the whole day, lafts only for ibout fix weeks. It appears therefore, that the profit made of the fdk is an additional be- n^, (fy much the more profitable, as it diverts not the workmen from their ordinary taiks. If it be objefted, that buildings are re- quifite to make filk to advantage j I anfwer, buildings for the purpofe coft very little in a country, inhere wood may be had for taking; 1 add farther, that thefe buildings may be made and dawbed with mud by any perftnis , about (X\'>i '».«< 326 THE HISTORY about the familiy ; and befides, may ferve for hanging Tobacco in, two months after the Silk- tuorms are gone. I own I have not fecn the Wax- tree culti- vated in Louiftana ; people content themfelves to take the berries of this tree, without be- ing at pains to rear it ; but as I am periuaded it would be very advantageous to make plan- tations of it, I (hall give my fentiments on the culture proper for this tree, after the ex- periments I made in regard to it. I had fome feeds of the Wax-tree brought me to Fpntetwi le Comte^ in Pn£hu^ fome of which I gave to feveral of my friends, but not one of them came up. I began to re- ^tOty that P9t£fou not being by far fo warm as Lfiitifianaj tbefe feeds would have difficulty to Ihoot ; J therefore thought it was neceflary -to fupply by art the defe6^ of nature ; I pro- tured horfe, cow> ibeep, and pigeon's dung in equal quantity, all which I put in a vefiel of proportionable lize, and poured on them .water, almoft boiling, in order to diflblvc their falts : this water I drew off, and fteep- «d the grains in a fuficient quantity thereof ibr forty-eight hours; after which I fowed them in a box full of good earthy fcYcn of them > 4 OFLOUISIANA. 327 them came up, and made {hoots between fe^ even and eight inches high, but they wenc all killed by the froft for want of putting them into the green^houfe. This feed having fuch cKfliculty to come up, I prefume that the wax, in which it 19 wrapped up, hinders the moifture from pene- trating into, and making its kerne! (hoot y and therefore I fhould think that thofe who choofc to fow it, would do weH if they pre- vioufly rolled it lightly between two fmall boards jufl rough from the faw ; this fridlion would caufe the pellicle of wax to fcale off with fb much the greater facility, as it is na- turally very dry i and then it might be put to fleep. Hops grow naturally in Louijianaj yet fuch as have a defire to make ufe of them for them* felves, or fell them to Brewers, cultivate this plant. It is planted in alleys, diftant afunder fix feet, in holes two feet, and one foot deep, in which the root is lodged. When (hot a good deal, a pole, of the fize of one*s arm, and between twelve and fifteen feet long, is fixed in the hole ; care is had to direct the fhoots towards it, which fail not to run up thte pole. When the flower is ripe and yel- low iih, 328 THE HISTORY lowilh, the (lem is cut quite clofe to the earth and the pole pulled out» in. order to pick the flowersy which are faved. If we confider the climate of Loulfiana^ and the quality of the highlands of that pro- vince, we might ealily produce Saffron there. The culture of this plant would be fo much the more advantageous to the planters, as the neighbourhood of Mexico would procure a quick and QfefuL vent for it* n .,. r CHAP* «■ wm OF LOUISIANA. ^9 -T- CHAP. X. Of iheCommtrct that island may be^ carried on in Louifiana. Of ihe Commodities which that Pr(nmce may furnijh in re- turn for thofs of Ruro^, Of the Com- merce ^/Louifianau;//^ the J/les. T Have often reflected on the happlnefs of France^ in the portion which Providence has allotted her in America^ She has found in her lands neither the gold nor filver of Mexico and Peru^ nor the precious flones and rich ftuffi of the Eajl Indies j but fhe will find therein, when (be pleafes, mines of iron, lead, and copper. She is there pofTefled of a fertile foil, which only requires to be occupied in order to produce, not only all the fruits ne- celTary and agreeable to life, but alfo all the fubje«5ts on which human induftry may exer- cife itfclf in order to fupply our wants. What I have already faid oi Louijiana ought to make this very plain ; but to bring the whole toge- ther, in order, and under one point of view, I {hall next relate every thing that regards the Commerce of this province. Com' / 330 THE HISTORY Commodities which Louifiana may furnijh in return for thefe of Europe. FRANCE might draw from this colony fe- veral fortsof Furs^ which would not be without their value, though hekl cheap in France \ and by their variety, and the ufe that might be made of them, would yield fattsfa6iion« Some perfons have diiTuaded the traders from taking any furs from the Indians^ on a fup- pofition that they would be moth-eaten, when carried to New Orleans^ on account of the heat of the climate : but I am acquainted with people of the builnefs, who know how to preferve them from fuch an accident. Dry Buffalo hides are of fufficient value to encourage the Indians to procure them, efpe- cially if they were told, that only their (kins and tallow were wanted ; they would then kill the old buth, which are fo fat as fcarce to be able to go : each buffalo would yield at lead a hundred pounds of tallow ; the value of which, with the fkin, would make it worth their while to kill them, and thus none of our mo- ney would be fent to Ireland in order to liave tallow from that country ; befides, the fpecies of buffaloes would not be diminifhed, becaufe OF LOUISIANA. 331 becaufc thcfe fat buffaloes are always the prey of wolves. DeerJkiHs^ which were bought of the /»- dians at firft, did not pleafe the manufadlurers of Niorti where they are dreffed, bccaufe the Indians altered the quality by their way of dreffing them ; but fince thefe (kins have been called for without any preparation but taking off the hair* they make more of them^ and > fell them cheaper than before. The PPax'tree produces fVaXy which being much drier than bees-wax, may bear mix- ture, which will not hinder its lafting longer than bees- wax. Some of this wax was fent to Paris to a fadlor of Louijianay who fet fo low a price upon it as to difcourage the plan- ters from fowing any more. The fordid ava- rice of this fa6tor has done a fervice to the iflands, where it gives a higher price than that of France. The iflands alfo draw timber for building from Louifianoy which might in time prevent France from making her profits of thebeauty» goodnefs, and quantity of wood of this pro- vince. The quality of the timber is a great inducement to build docks there for the con- ilru<5lion of (hips : the wood might be had at a low 332 THE HISTORY a low price of the inhabitants, becaufe they would get it in winter, which is almoil an idle time with them. This labour would alfo clear the grounds, and fo this timber might be had almoft for nothing. Majii might be alfo had in the country, on account of the number of pines which the coaft produces $ and for the fame reafon Pitch and Tar would be common. For the planks of (hips, there is no want of oak } but might not very good ones be made of cyprefs ? This wood is, in- deed, fofter than oak, but endowed with qualities furpaHing this laft : It Is light, not apt to fplit or warp, is fupple and eafily work- ed ; in a word, it is incorruptible both in air and water i and thus making the planks douter than ordmary, there would be no in- convenience from the ufe of cyprefs. I have obierved, that this wood is not injured by the worm> and fhip^worms might| perhaps, have the fame averfion to it as other worms have. Other wood iit for the building of (hips is very common in this country ; fuch as ehn, a(h, alder, and others. There are likewife in this country feveral fpecies of wood, which might fell in France for joiners work and fi- neering, as the cedar, the black walnut, and the cotton tree. Nothing more would there- fore OF LOUISIANA. 333 fore be wanting for compleatlng ihips but cordage and iron. As to hemp, it grows fo ftrong as to be much fitter for making cables than cloth. The iron might be brought from France^ as alfo fails; however, there needs only to open the iron mine ^t the cliffs of the Chicafawsy called Prud'homme^ to fct up forges, and iron will be readily had. The King, therefore, might caufe all forts of (hip- ping to be built there at fo fmall a charge, that a moderate expence would procure a nu- merous fleet. If the Englijh build fhips in their colonies, from which they draw great advantages, why might not we do the fame in Lmiftana ? France fetches a great deal of Saltpetre from Holland and Italy ; (he may draw from Loulfi-' ana more than (he will have occafion for, if once (he fets about it. The great fertility of the country is an evident proof thereof, con- firmed by the avidity of cloven- footed animals to lick the earth, in all places where the tor- rents have broke it up : It is well known how fond thefe creatures are of fait. Saltpetre might be made there with all the eafe imagi- nable, on account of the plenty of wood and water ; it would befides be much more pure than what is commonly had, the earth not being ii ^■« 334 THE HISTORY being foiled with dunghills ; aiid on the other hand, it would not be dearer than what is now purchaTcd by France in other places. What commfrce might not be made with Silk ? The filk-wormi might be reared with much greatc? ftccefs in this country than in France, as appears from the trials that have been made, and which I have above relatedt The lands of Loulfwna are very proper for the culture of Saffrony and the climate would contribute to produce it in great abundance ; and^ what would dill be a confiderable advan- tagjCy the Spaniards of MixUoy who con fume a great deal of it, would enhance its price. I have fpoken of Hemp^ in rcfpe£l to the building of (hips : but fuch as might be built there, would never be fufficient to employ all the Hempy which might be raifed in that Co- lony, did the inhabitants cultivate as much of it as they well might. But you wiU fay, Why do they not ? My anfwer is, the inhabitants of this colony only follow the beaten track ihcy have got into : but if they faw an intelligent pcrfon fow hemp without any great expence or labour, as the foil is very fit for it ; if, I fay, they faw, that it thrives without weeding ; that in the winter-evenings the Negroes and their OF LOUISIANA. 335 their children can peel it ; in a word, If they faw, that there is good profit to be had by the fale of it ; they then would all make hemp. They think and a6l in the fame manner as to all the other articles of culture in this country. Cotton is al(b a good commodity for com- merce ; and the culture of it is attended with no difficulty. The only impediment to the cul- ture of it in a greater quantity, is the difficulty of feparating it from the (eed. However, if they had mills, which would do this work with greater dtfpatch, the profit would confi- derably increafe. The Indigo o( Lout/tana^ according to intel- ligent Merchants, is as good as that of the Iflands ; and has even more of the copper colour. As it thrives extremely well, and yields more herb than in the Iflands, as much Jn(Hgo may be made as there, tho' they have four cuttings, and only three in. Louifiana^ The climate is warmer in the Iflands, and therefore they make four gatherings ; but the foil is drier, and produces not fo much as Louifiana : Co that the three cuttings of this lafl; are as good as the four cuttings in the Iflands. The ]•< ■^^ 336 THE HISTORY The Tobacco of this colony is fo excellent, that if the commerce thereof was free, it would fell for one hundred fols and fix livres the pound, fo fine and delicate is its juice and flavour. Rice may alfo form a fine branc > of trade. Wc go to the Eajl-Indies for the rice we confume in France ; and why fhould we draw from foreign countries, what we may have of our own countrymen ? We fhould have it at lefs trouble, and with more fecurity. Befides^ as fometimes, perhaps too often, years of fcarcity happen, we might always depend upon finding rice in Loutfiana^ bccaufe it is not fubje£l to fail, an advantage which few provinces enjoy. We may add to this commerce fome drugs, ufed in medicine and dying. As to the firf^, Louijiana .produces Sajfafras^ Sarfaparillay Efquine^ but above all the excellent balm of Copalnty (Sweet-gum) the virtues of which, if well known, would fave the life of many a perfon. This colony alfo furnifhes us with bears oil, which is excellent in all rheumatic pains. For dying, I find only the wood Ayac^ or Stinking Wood, for yellow; and t\\t Acbet- chi for red ; of the beauty of which colours we ihall give an account in the third book. Such OF LOUISIANA. 337 Such are the commodities, which may form a commerce of this colony with France^ which laft may carry in exchange all forts of Euro- pean goods and merchandize ; the vent where- of is certain, as every thing anfwers there, where luxury reigns equally as in Frame. Flour, wines, and itrong liquors fell well ; and tho* I have fpoken of the manner of growing wheat in this country, the inhabitants, towards the lower part of the river efpcciaily, will never grow it, any more than they will cultivate the vine, becaufe in thefe forts of work a Negroe will not earn his mafl^cr half as much as in cultivating Tobacco ; which, however, is Icfs profitable than Indigo. fuit them. Reflexions on the Commerce of this Province^ and the great Advan- tage which the State and particular Per- fons may derive therefrom, The Commerce with the Spaniards, npHE commodities, which fuit the Spaniards^ are fufficiently known by traders, and therefore it is not neceflary to give an account of them : I have likewife forebore to give the particulars of the commodities, which they carry to this Colony, tho* I know them all : that is not our prefent bufinefs. I fliall only apprize fuch as (hall fettle in Loui/iana^ in order to traffick with the Spaniards^ that it is not fuf- ficient to be furiiKhed with the principal com- modities, which fuit their commerce, but they fhould, befides, know how to make the proper afTortments -, which are mofl advantageous to us, as well as to them, when they carry them to Mexico, '1 340 THE HISTORY The Commodities, which the Spaniards bring to Louifiana, // there is a demand ^)Jor them. CAMPEACHT wood, which is generally worth from ten to fifteen livres the hundred weight. Brafil wood, which has a quality fupcrior tQ that of Campeachy^ Very good Cacotty which is to be met with in all the ports of Spain^ worth between eigh- teen and twenty livrcs the quintal, or hundred weight. Cochineal^ which comes from Vera Cruz : there is no difficulty to have as much of it as one can defire, becaufe (o near ; it is worth fifteen livres the pound : there is an, inferior fort, called Sylvefter, Tortoife-Jhelly which is common in the Spanijh Iflands, is worth feven or eight livres the pound. Tanned leather^ of which they have great quantities ; that marked or ftamped, is worth four livres ten fols the levee. Marroquin^ or Spanijh leather, of which they have great quantities, and cheap. Turmd OF LOUISIANA: Turned calf^ which is alfo cheap. S4I Indigo^ which is manufa£lured at Guatimala^ is worth three or four livrcs the pound : there is of it, of a perfect good quah'ty, and there- fore fells at twelve livres the pound. Sarfaparilla^ which they have in very grea< quantities, and fell at thirteen or fifteen fols» Havana fnuff, which is of different prices and qualities : 1 have feen of it at three ihiU lings the pound, which in our money make thirty-f<^en fols fix deniers. r l: Fanillay which is of different prices. They have many other things very cheap, on which great profits might be made, and for which an eafy vent may be found in Europe j efpecially for their d/ugs : but a particular detail would carry me too far, and make me lofe fight of the obje£l I had in view. What I have juft faid of the convmerce of Louijianay may eafily (hew, that it will necef- farily encreafe in proportion as the country is peopled } and induflry alfo will be brought to perfection. For this purpofe nothing more is requifite than fome inventive and induflrious genius's^ who coming from EurapCy may dif- 0.3 cove? h . 342 THE HISTORY cover fuch objects of commerce^ as may turn to account. I imagine that a good tanner might in this colony tan the leather of the country, and cheaper than in France \ I even imagine, that the leather might there be brought to its perfection in lefs time ; and what makes me think fo, is, that I have heard it averred, that the Spanijh leather is ex- tremely good, and is never above three or four months in the tan-pit. The fame will hold of many other things, which would prevent money going out of the kingdom to foreign countries. Would it not be more fuitable, and mote ufeful, to dovife means of drawing the fame commodities from pur own Colonies ? As thefe means are fo eafy ; at leail money would not go out of our hands ; France and her Colonies would be as two families, who traffick together, and ren- der each other mutual fervice. Befides, there would not be occafion for fo much money to carry on a commerce to Louiftana^ feeing the inhabitants have need of European goods. It would therefore be a commerce very different from that, which without exporting the mer- chandife of the kingdom, exports the money ; a commerce ftill very ^diffprent from that, which ::''y% loi fuj th! wi *.i.- OF LOUISIANA. 343 which carries to France commodities highly prejudicial to our own manufadlures. I may add to all that I have faid on Loulfiana^ as one of the great advantages of this country, that women are very fruitful in it, which they attribute to the waters of the MiJJiftpi* Had the intentions of the company been purfued, and their orders executed, there is no doubt but this colony had at this day been very ftrong> and blefled with a numerous youn<5 progeny, whom no other climate would allure to go and fettle in j but being retained by the beauty of their own, they would improve its riches, and muUipIied anew in a fhort time, could offer their mother-country fuccours in men and ihips, and in many other things that arr; not to be contemned. I cannot too much fhew the importance of the fuccours in corn, which this colony might furnifh in a time of fcarcity. In a bad year we are obliged to carry our money to foreign- ers for corn, which has been oftentimes pur- chafed in France y becaufe they have had the fccret of preferving their corn ; hut if the co- lony of Louiftana was once well fettled, what fupplies of corn might not be received from that fruitful country ? I ihall give two reafons which will confirm my opinion. 0.4 The 344 THE HISTORY The firft is. That the inhabitants always grow more corn than is neceflary for the fub- flftcncc of themfclvts, their workmen, and ilaves. I own, that in the lower part of the colony only rice could be had, but thisisalways a great fupply. Now were the colony gra- dually fettled to the Arkunjei^ they would grow wheat and rye in as great quantities as one could well defire, which would be of great fervice to France when her crops happen to fail. The fecond reafon is, That in this colony a fcarcity ts never to be apprehended. On my arrival in it, I informed myftlf of what had happened therein from 1700, and I my- felf remained in it till 1734 5 and fmce my return to France I have had accounts from it down to this prefent year 1757; and from thcfe accounts I can aver, that no intempe- rature of feafon has caufed any fcarcity fmce the beginning of this century. I was witnefs to one of the fevereft winters that had been known in that country in the memory of the oldeft people living ; but provifions were then not dearer than in other years. The foil of this province being excellent, and the feafons always fuitable, the provifions and other com- OF LOUISIANA. 345 commodities cultivated in it never fail ta thrive furprizlngly. One will} perhaps, be Airprized to hear me promife fuch fine things of a country which has been reckoned to be fo much in- ferior to the Spantjh or Portuguefe colonies in America ; but fuch as will take the trouble to reflet on that which conftitutes the genuine - ftrength of ftates, and the real goodnefs of a country, will foon alter their opinion, aiid agree with me, that a country fertile in men, in productions of the earth, aiid in neceffary metals, is infinitely preferable to countries ' from which men draw g6ld> ijlver, and dia* monds : the firft .effedt of "which is to pamper luxury and render the people indolent \ and^. the fecond to flir up the avarice of neigh- bouring nations. I therefore > boldly aver, that Zidz^^tfv^,, well governed, would not long , fail to fulfil all I have advanced about it : for though there are dill fome nations of ^^ir^;;! . who might prove enemies to the French^ the fettters, by their martial chara<3er, and their \ zeal for their King and country, aided by a few troops, commanded, above all, by good ofHcers, who at the fame time know how to command the Colonifb : The fettlers, I fay, % ■ ' 'i\ i tas ry-»a\4;'5' •*'''' w-i**'*-' will* i -*,. 346 THE HISTORY will bj always match enough for them, and pn.vent any foreigners whatever from invacU., ing the country. What would therefore bt the confequence if, as I have proje^ed, the firft nation that fhwuld become our enemy were attacked in the manner I have laid down in my reflections on an Indian war ? They would be directly brought to fuch a pafs as to make aU other nations tremble at the very name of the Fremhy and to be ever cautious of making war upon them. Net to mention \ the advantage there is in carrying on wars in this manner ; for as they coft little, as little do they hazard the lofs of lives. In 1734 M» P^r/WGovemor of Lpuijiana^ was relieved by M.f ^/(f Bhlnviilef a;nd the King's plantatbn put on a new footing, by an arrangement fuitable to the notions of the perfon who aovifed it. A fycophant, who wanted to make his court to Cardinal Fleury^ would perfuade tb^t Mini(ler, that the planta^ tion coft his Majefty ten ^houfand livres a year, and that this fum might be well faved i l)ut took care not to tell his Eminence, that for thefe ten thouiand i( fayed at leail fiCty thoufand livres. UpQn this, my place of Dire^r^^<^> and I at length refolved OF LOUISIANA. 347 refolved to quit the colony and return to France^ notwithftanding all the fair promifet and warm follicitatlons of my fuperior^ to pre- vail upon me to ftay. A King's (hip, La Girondej being ready to fail, I went down the river in her to Balife^ and from thence we fet fail, on the lOi\ioi May ^ 1734. We had tolerable fine weather to the mouth of the Ba» hama Streights ; afterwards we had the wind contrary, which retarded our voyage for a week about the Banks of Niwfiundlahd, to which we are obliged to flretch for a wind to carry us to France : From thence we made the pailage without any crofs accident, and happily arrived in the road of Chaidbois before RoihelU^ on the 25 th of June folio wing, which made it a paflage of forty-five 4ays frooa LgmfiAna to Frame, Q.6 SiM 348 THE HISTORY Some AbJlraEls from the Hijloricul Memoirs of Louifiana, by Af. Du Mont. I. O/" Tobacco, ijoitb the way of cultivating and curing it, TH £ Lands of Louifiana are as proper> as could be defired, for the culture of Tobacco ; and, without defpifing what is made in other countries, we may affirm, that the tobaccp> which grows in the country of the Natchez^ is even preferable to that of Virginia or St, Domingo, I fay, in the country of the Natclezy becaufe the foil at that Poft appears to be more fuitable to this plant than that the feed may take fooner in the ground. The tobacco does not come up till a month afterwards, or even for a longer time ; and then they ought to take great care to cover the beds with ftraw or cyprefs-bark, to pre- ferve the plants from the white frofts, that are very common in that feafon. There are two forts of tobacco ; the one with a long and iharp- pointed leaf, the other has a round and hairy leaf} which laft they reckon the beft fort. At the end of jfprily and about St. George*^ dzy^ the plants have about four leaves, and then they pull the beft and flrongeft of them : Thefe they plant out on their tobacco-ground by a line ftretched acrofs it, and at three feet diilance one from another : This they do ei- ther with a planting-ilick, or with their fin- ger, leaving a hole on one fide of the plant9 to receive the water, with which they ought to water it. The tobacco being thus planted, it 350 THE HISTORY It fhould be looked over evening and mowr- ing, in order to deftroy a black worm, which eats the bud of the plant, and afterwards bu- ries itfelf in the ground. If any of the plants are ate by this worm, you muft fet another one by it. You muft choofe a rainy feafon to plant your tobacco, and you (hould water it three tinges to make it take root. But they never work their ground in this country to plant their tobacco ; they reckon it fufficient to ftir it a little about four inches fquare rouiid the plant. When the tobaccti is about four or five inches high, they weed it, and clean the ground all about it, and hill up every plant. They do tlie fame again, whrn it is about a foot and a half high. And when the plant has about eight or nine leaves, and is ready to put forth ^a ftalk, they nip off the top, which they call topping the tobacco: This amputation makes the leaves grow longer and thicker. After this, you muft look over every plant; and every leaf, in order to fucker it, or to pull off t:he buds, which grow at the joints of the leaves ; and at the fame time y«u muft deftroy the large green worms that are found on the tobacco, which are often ^s OF LOUISIANA. 351 large as a man's finger, and would eat up the y^hole plant in a night's time. After this, you muft take care to have ready a hanger (or tobaccn-houfey) which in - I^ouijiana they make in the following manner : They fet feveral pofts in the ground, at equal diAances from one another, and lay a beam or plate on the top of them, making thus the form of ar houfe of an oblong fquare. In the middle of this fquare they fet up twQ forks, ' about one third higher than the pofbs, and lay a pole crofs them, for the ridge-pole of the building; upon which they nail the rafters, and cover them with cyprefs-bark, or pal- metto-leaves. The firft fettlcrs likewife build their dwelling-houfes in this manner, whi^h anfwer the purpofe very well, and as well as the houfes which their carpenters build for them, efpecially for the curing of tobacco ; which they hang in thefe houfes upon fticks or canes, laid acrofs the building, and about fpur feet aud, a half afuiider, one above an- oth inches afunder* and that thiSy do not touch one an- other, left they (houki rot. In this manner they fill theif wbole houfe with tobacco, and leave it :o fweat and dry. • After the tobacco is cut, they weed and clean the ground on which it grew : Each root then puts out feveral ^uckers, which arc all pulled off, and only one of the beft is left to grow, of which the fame care is takeii ' of the firft crop. By this means a fecond cj;o|? is made on the fame ground, and fometimes a third. T\it{t fecondsy ini % as they are called, do net ufually grow fo high as the firft plant, but notwithftanding they make very good tobacco *. j, t T^it ii M)tdvaBtaet tkat Ibqr b9Vf lit Ltniji-^^: •tvrr OF LOUISIANA. .I53 If yv')u have a mind to make your tobacco into rolls, there is no occafion to wait till the leaves are peife«S^ly dry ; but as foon as they . have acquired a yellowifti brown colour, al- tho' the ftem is green, you unhang your to- bacco, and ftrip the leaves from the ftalks, lay them up in heaps, and cover them with woollen cloths, in order to fweat them. Af- our tobacco planters, who are prohibited by law to cultivate thefe fecondi \ the fummers are fo ihort, that they do not come to due maturity, in ourtobacco Colonies; whereas in Lou'tjiana the fummets are two or three months longer, by whiclvthey make two or three crops of tobacco a year upon the fame ground, as eaHlyas we make one. Add to this, their frefli lands will produce three times as much of that com- modity, as our old plantations ; which are now worn out with culture, by fupplying the whuie world almoft with tobacco for a hundred and fifty years. Now if their tobacco is worth five and fix /hillings a pound, as we are told above« or even the tenth part of it, when ours is worth but two pence or three pence, and they give a bounty upon fliips go- ing to the Mijpfip'ii when our tob. ceo is loaded with a duty equal to fcven times its prime coft } they may, with all thefe advantages, foon get this trade from us, the only one this nation has left entire to itfclf. Thefe ad- vantages enable the planters to give a much better price for fervani^s and flaves, and thereby to engrofs the trade. It was by thr:fe means, that the French got the fugar trade from us, after the Treaty of Utrecht^ by being allowed to tranfport their people from St, Cbrijiopbertio the rich and fr«ih lands oi St, Domingo \ and by removing from Canada . "^ Leuifiana, they may in the like manner get not only this but tvcry other branch of the trade ofAttb Amrica, 354 THE HISTORY - ter that you Jlem the tobacco, or pull out the middle rib of the leaf, which you throw away with the ftalks, as good for nothing ; laying by the longeft and largeft of the leaves, that are of a good.blackifli brown colour, and keep them for a covering for your rolls. After this you take a piece of coarfe linen cloth, at leaft eight inclies broad and a foot long, which you fpread on the ground, and on it lay the large leaves you have picked out, and the o- thers over them in handfuls, taking care al- ways to have more in the middle than at the ends : Then you roll the tobacco up in the cloth, tying it in the middle and at each end. When you have made a fufficient num- ber of thefe bundles, the Negroes roll them up as hard as they can with a cord about as big as the little finger, which is commonly about fifteen or fixteen rathom long : You tighten them three times, fo a^ to make them as hard as pofllble ; and to keep them fo, you tie them up with a firing. But fmce the time of the TFeJi India Com- pany, we have feldom cured our tobacco in this manner, if it is not for our own ufe ; we now cure it in hands, or bundles of the leaves, which they pack in hogfheads, and deliver it thus in France to the Farmers General. In order OF LOUISIANA. 355 Older to cure the tobacco in this manner, they wait till the leaves of the ftetn are perfe£tiy dry, and in moift) giving weather^ they ftrtp the leaves from the ilalk, till they have a handful of them» called a handy or bundle of tobacco, which they tie up with another leaf. Thefe bundles they lay in heaps, in order to fweat them, for which purpofe they cover thofe heaps with blankets, and lay boards or planks over them. But you fhould take care that the tobacco is not over-heated, and doe» not take ftre, which may eafily happen ; for which purpofe you uncover your heaps from time to time, and give the iobaoco air, by fpreading it abroad. This you continue to do till you find no more heat in the tobacco ; then you pack it in hogfheads, and may tranf- port it any where, without danger cither of its beating or rotting. Of the way of making Indigo. THE blue ftonc, known by the name of Indigo, is the extract of a plant, of which they who have a fuftcient number of flav es to manage it, make fome quantities thcougb- out all this colony. For this purpofe they firit 356 THE HISTORY £r(l weed the ground, and make fmall holes in it with a hoe, about five inches afundery and on a ftraight line. In each of thefe holes they put five or fix feeds of the indigo, which are fmall, long, and hard. When they come up, they put forth leaves fome- what like thofe of box, but a little longer and bcoader, and not fo thick and indented. When the plant is five or fix inches high, they take care to loofen the earth about the root, and at the fame timt to weed it. They reckon it has acquired a proper maturity, when it is about three feet and a half high : this you may likewife know, if the leaf cracks as you fqueeze the plant in your hand* Before you cut it, you gr^ ready a place that is covered, in the fame maimer with the one made for tobacco, about twenty-five feet high ; in which you put three vats, one a- bove another, as it were in different ftories, fo that the highefl is the largefl ; that in the middle is fquare, and the deepeft i the third, at bottom, is the leaft. After thefe operations, you cut the in- digo, and when you have feveral arms-full, or bundles of the plant, to the quantity judged neceHary for one working, you fill the «p OF LOUISIANA. 357 tlie vat at leaft three quarters full j after which you pour water thereon up to the brim, and the plant is left to fteep, in order to rot it ; which is the rcafon why this vat h called the rotting-tub. For the three or four hours which the plant takes to rot, the water is impregnated with its virtue j and, tho* the plant is green, communicates there- to a blue colour. At the bottom of the great vat, and where it bears on the one in the middle (which, as was faid, is fquare) is a pretty large hole, flopped with a bung -^ which is opened when the plant is thought to be fufficiently rotten, and all the water of this vat, mixed with the mud, formed by the rotting of the plant, falls by this hole into the fecond vat ; on the edges of which are placed, at proper di- ilances, forks of iron or wood, on which large long poles are laid, which reach from the two fides to the middle of the water in the vat ; the end plunged in the water is furniflied with a bucket without a bottom, A number of flaves lay hold on thefe poles, by the end which is out of the water ; and alternately pulling them down, and then let- ting the buckets fall into the vat, they thus continue to beat the water j which being thus 358 THE HISTORY thus agitated and churnedi coines to be cO" vcred with a white and thick, fcum ; and in fuch quantity as that it would rife up and flow over the brim of the vat, if the opera- tor did not take care to throw in, from time to time, fome fifh-oil, which he fprinkles with a feather upon this fcum. I or thefe reafons this vat is called the lattery. They continue to beat the water for an hour and a half, or two hours ; after which they give over, and the water is left to fet- tle. However, they from time to time open three holes, which are placed at proper dif- tances from top to bottom in one of the (ides of this fecond vat, in order to let the water run off clear. This is repeated for three fe- veral times \ but when at the third time the muddy water is ready to come out at the lowermoft hole, they ftop it, and open an- other pierced in the lower part of that fide, which refts on the third vat. Then all the muddy water falls thro* that hole of the fe- cond vat into the third, which is the leaft, and is called the deviling {diablotin.) They have facks, a foot long, made of a pret'^ty clofe cloth, which they fill with this liquid thick matter, and hang them on nails round the indigo-houfe. The water drains out • OF LOUISIANA. 359 out gradually ; and the matter which is left behind, refcmbles a real miid, which they take out of thefe facks, and put in moulds, made like little drawers, two feet long by half a foot broad, and with a border, or ledge, an inch and a half high. Then they lay them out in the fun, which draws ofF all the moifture ; and as this mud comes to dry, care is taken to work it with a mafon's trowel : At length it forms a body, which holds together, and is cut in pieces, while frelh, with wire, it is in this manner that they draw from a green herb this fine blue colour , of which there are two forts, one of which is of a purple dove coiour. III. Of Tar ; the way of making ii ; and ^/ making ii into Pitch. I HAVE faid, that they made a great deal of tar in this colony, from p'lies and firs ; which is done in the following manner. It is a common miftake, that tar is nothing but the fap or gum of the pine, drawn from the tree by incifion ; the largeft trees would not yield two pounds by this method ; and if it were to be *made in th^t manner, you muft 36o THE HISTORY mud choofe the mod thriving and flourifh- in^ trees for the purpofe ; whereas it is only made from the trees that are old, and are beginning to decay, becaufe the older they are, the greater quantities they contain of that fat bituminous fubflance, which yields tar ; it is even proper that the tree (hould be felled a long time, before they ufe them for this purpofe. It is ufually towards the mouth of the river, and along the fea-coafls, that they make tar ; becaufe it is in thofe places that the pines chiefly grow. When they have a fufficient number of thefe trees, that are fit for the purpofe, they faw them in cuts with a crofs-cut-faw, about two feet in length ; and while the {laves are employed in fawing them, others fplit thefe cuts lengthwife into fmall pieces, the fmaller the better. They fometimes fpend three or four months in cutting and preparing the trees in this manner. In the mean time they make a fquare hollow in the ground, four or five feet broad, and iive or fix inches deep : From one fide of whicli goes ofF a canal, or gutler, which difcharges itfelf into a large and pretty deep pit, at the diflance of a few paces. T ''om this pit proceeds an- other canal^ which communicates with a fe- cond OF LOUISIANA. 361 c6nd pit ; and even from the firft fquare you may make three or four fuch trenches, which difcharge themfelves into as many pits, ac- cording to the quantity of wood you have, or the qur4j>tity of tar you imagine you may draw from it. Then you lay over the fquare hole four or five pretty ftrong bars of iron, and upon thefe bars you arrange crofs-wife the fplit pieces of pine, of which you fliould have a quantity ready ; laying them fo> that there may be a little air between them. In this manner you raife a large and high py- ramid of the wood, and when it is finished, you fet fire to it at the top. As the wood burns, the fire melts tt.e refin in the pine, and this liquid tar diftills into the fquare hole, and from thence runs into the pits, made to receive it. If you would make pitch of this tar, take two or three red-hot cannon bullets, and throw them into the pits, full of the tar, which you intend for this purpofe : Imme- diately upon which, the tar takes fire with a terrible noife and a horrible thick fmoke, by which the moifture that may remain in the tar is con fumed and diffipated, and the mafs diminishes in proportion; and when they think it is fufficiently burnt, they ex- VoL. I. R tinguifli Pi« 362 THE HISTORY tinguifti the fire, not with water, but with a hurdle covered with turf and earth. As it grows cold, it becon^es hard and fhining, fo that you cannot take it out of the pits, but by cutting it with an axe. IV. Of the Mines of Louifiana. BEFORE we quit this fubjea, I fhall conclude this account by anfw -ing a que- ftion, which has often been f >fed to me. Are there zny Mitiesy fay they, in this pro- vince ? There are, without all difpute ; and that is fo certain, and fo well knowri, that they who have any knowlege of this country, never once called it in qu^ftion. And it is al- lowed by all, that there are to be found in this country quarries of Plafter of Parisy flate, and very fine veined marble ; and I have learned from one of my friends, who as well as myfelf had been a great way on^ifcove- ries, that in travelling this province he had found a placef full of fineftones of rock-cry- ftal. As for my fh:;re, I can affirm, without endeavouring to impofe on any one, that in one of my excurfions I found, upon the river of the Arkanfasy a rivulet that rolled down a OF LOUISIANA. 363 down with its waters gold-duft ; from which there is reafon to believe, that there are mines of this metal in that country. And as for filvcr-mincs, there is no doubt but they might be found there, as well as In » New Mexicoy on which this province bor- ders. A Canadian traveller, named Bon • Homme ^ as he was hunting at fome di (lance from the Poft of the Nachitoches^ melted fome parcels of a mine, that is found in rocks at a very little diftancc from that Poft, which appeared to be very good filver, with- out any farther purification *. It will be objeded to me, perhaps, that if there is any truth in what I advance, I (hould have come from that country laden with filver and gold ; and that if thefe pre- cious metals are to be found there, as I have faid, it is furprizing, that the French have never thought of difcovering and dig^inj^ them in thirty years, in which they have been fettled in Louifiana, To this I anfwer, that this obje£tion is only founded on the ignorance of thofe who make it ; and that a traveller, or an officer, ordered by his fupe- riors to go to reconnoitre the country, to draw plans, and to give an account of what * See a farther accou.it and aflay of this mine above. R 2 he 364 THE HISTORY he h.^3 Teen, in nothing but immenfe woods and dtferts, Where they can^iot fo much as find a path, but what is made by the wild beads i I (ay, that fuch people have rnough to do to take care of themfelves and of their prefent bufmefs, inftead of gathering riches ; and think it fufficient, that they return in a whole (kin. With regard to the negligence that the French feem hitherto to have ihewn in fearch- ing for thefe mines, zrA in digging them, we ought to take due notice, that in order to open a fdver-mine, for example, you muft advance at leafl a hundred thoufand crowns, l>efore you can expeA to get a penny of profit from it> and that the people in the country are not in a condition to be at any fuch charge. Add to this, that the Inhabitants are tbo ignorant of thefe mine^ V the Spani- ards^ their neighbours, are too difcnete to teach them ; and the Fnnch in Europe are too backward and timorous to engage in fuch an undertaking. But notwithftanding, it is certain that the thing has been already done, and that juft reafons, without doubt, but different from an impoffibility, have caufed it to be laid afide. This OF XOTJISIANA. 365 This Author gives a like account of the culture of EJce in Louifuina^ and of all the other ftaple conmiodities of our colonies in North America* ExtraSi from a late French Writer^ concerning the importance of Lou- ifiana to France. ** /^NE cannot help lamenting the lethar- ^^ gic ftatc of that colony, (Loutfiana,) which carries in its bo(bm the bed of the greateft riches ; and in order to produce them, aiks only arms proper for tilling the earth, which is wholly difpofed to yield an Jiundred fold. Thanks to the fertility of our iflands, i>ur Sugar plantations are infinitely fupecior to thofe of the Englijhy and we likewife excel them in our productions oflndigOy Coffee, and Cotton. ** Tobacco is the only production of the earth which gives the Englijh an advantage over us. Providence, which refcrved for us the difcovery of Loutjiana, has given us the poiTeffion of it, that we may be their rivals in .this particular, or at leaft that we may be able to do without their Tobacco, Ought we to continue tributaries to them in this re- R 3 fpc PUP^^"^ 366 THE HISTORY rpe6);, when we can fo eafily do without them ? ^' I cannot help remarking here, that among feveral projects prefented of late years for giving new force to this Colony, a com- pany of creditable Merchants propofed to ^irnifli Negroes to the inhabitants, and to be paid for them in Tobacco alone at a fixed va- luation. *' The following advantages, they demon- ftrated, would attend their fcheme, I. It would increafe a branch of Commerce in France^ which affords fubfiftence to two of the EngVfl) Colonies in America^ namely Vir- ginta and Maryland^ the inhabitants of which confume annually a very confiderable quan- tity ofEfjgliJh fluffs, and employ a grcstt num- ber of fhips in the tranfportation of their Tobacco, The inhabitants ofthofe two pro- vinces are fo greatly multiplied, in confe- quence of the riches they have acquired by their commerce with us, that they begin to fpread themfelves upon territories that belong to us.. II. The fecond advantage arifing from the fcheme would be, to carry the cul- tivation of T^^//yZ>'Planiations, as well »^'»M."HW^'' OF LOUISIANA. 367 well as leffen their navigation in that part. IV. To put an end entirely to the import- ation of any Tobacco from Great Britain into France^ in the fpace of twelve years. V. To diminifh annually, and in the fame fpace of time finally to put an end to, the exportation of fpecie from France to Grea Briiaiuy which amounts annually to five millions of our money for the purchafc of Tobacco^ and the freightage of Englijh (hips, which bring it into our ports. VI. By diminiftiing the caufe of the outgoing of fpccic, to augment the ballance of Commerce in favour of this na- tion. Thefe are the principal advantages which Prance would have reafon to have ex- pe(Sled from the eft Mifhment of this com- pany, if it had been •. ( 'cd." EJfai fur les Inter its du Commerce Mariti.iey par M^ du Haye. 1754. The probability of fucceeding in fuch a fcheme, will appear from the foregoing ?iQ- counts o{ Tol/acco in Louijiafia^ pag. 319, ?^i, 348, 353, &c. They only want har , to make any quantities of Tobacco in Louifuwa. The confequences of that will appear from the following account. An m" ■^■■ i> • 368 THE HI ST DRY, &c. iJn Account of the quantity of Tobacco imparted into !?ritain, and exported from it^ in the four year i ,jf Peace ^ after the late Tohacco^law took place^ ucc^rding to the Cuftom-houfe Accounts Imported Hhds. Exported Hhds. ••r' ''u Mngii 'ana. . «( J Scotland, 752 ™ 55»99y — A^^2i i/!>3™70»925— 57.353 i754---59>744— S^A7^ 1 755 — 71,881 — 54,384 258,547 -- 211,135 {1752 — 22,322 —f. 21,642 1753 — 26,210 — 24,728 1754 — 22,334 — 21,764 1755 — > 20,698 — 19,711 91,564 87,845 Total - 350,111 — 298,980 Average • 87,528 — 74>745 Imported yearly - hhds 87,528 Exported - - 74>745 Home confumption -— 12,783 To 87,528 hhds at lol. per hhd. ^875,280 To Duty on 12,783 hhds. at 20L 255,660 Annual Income from Tobacco i , 1 30 ,940 The number of feamen employed m the Tobacco trade is computed at 4500 ; --- )in the Sugar trade 3600 ; — and in the Fifhery of Newfoundland /^ooo, from Britain. End of the First Volume. i-'^y^-'.: .d J .- 'i>