IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET {MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 |50 "^^ nllli^l lAo i|2.0 U III 1.6 / 0%. /}. ■^ v' f Ojf/A Photographic Sciences Corporation # ^ ^ \ \ 4 4t' '«^ ^v. '^Ci^ 33 WIST MAIN STHIT WIBSTIX.N.Y 14510 (716) ■72-4503 4J0 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microrapioductions / Institut Canadian de nriicroreproductions historiquea Technical and Bibliographic Notas/Notas tachniquas at bibliographiquas The Institute has attempted to obtain the 'jest original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which mny be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. L'lnstitut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'li lui a At* possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui pe-jvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification c'ans la mithode normale de filmage sont indiquis c -dffssous. D D n n Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagi* Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaur^ et/ou pelliculAa Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes gAographiques en couleur Colourad ink (i.a. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleua ou noire) Coloured piatas and/or illustrations/ Planchea et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents Tight binding may causa shadows or distortion slonp interior margin/ La re liure serrie peut causer de I'ombrc ou de la distorsion l« long da la marga intiriaura Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certainas pages blanches ajouties iors dune restauration apparaissent dans la taxta, mais, lorsque cela Atait possible, cas pages n'ont pas *t* filmias. □ Coloured pages/ Pagaa de couleur □ Pages damaged/ Pages endommag^as □ Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restauries et/ou pelliculies r~Tl Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ D Pages dicolordes, tacheties ou piquAea Pages detached/ Pages ditachies r~l Showthrough/ Transparence □ Quality of print varies/ Quality inigaia da I'impression □ Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du material suppl^mentaire □ Only edition availjbia/ Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slir-s. tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure ttie best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata. une pelure, etc., ont Ati f'.imies i nouv»au de facon i obtanir la meilleure image possible. D Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplimantaires; This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film* au taux da reduction indiqui ci-dassous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 28X SOX / 12X 1SX 20X 24X 28 X 32X The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: National Library of Canada L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grilce i la g6n6rosit6 de: Bibliotliique nationale du Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility uf the original copy and in Iteeping with the filming conirart specifications. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. Ail other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol -♦- (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. IVIaps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: 1 2 3 Les images sulvantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compta tenu de la condition et de la nettet« de l'exemplaire film*, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. (Les exemplalres originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimte sont film6s an commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la derniire page qui ccmporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit per le aecond plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplalres originaux sont filmte en commen^ant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illuetration et en terminant par la dernlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaftra sur la derniire imago de chaque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols ^^ signifie "A SUIVRE ", le symbolft V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmte d des taux de reduction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est film* A partir de I'angle supirieur gauche, de gauche t droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 4 5 6 II. /r^rf-vi p- 1^ National Library Bibliofheque natlonale of Canada du Canada f37^ 6nN /^^5er^/e. J ^ ©f©@SSf5Sftmt.g@8ig?il@ass9 TRAVELS *-u|4 T Pi R O U G H LOUISIANA. # • ''^^^nnnnnnummnmmnmr^B% .% i ■'*'**-^- SiWSJKf^ ■J *■ %f m . » » ^ p # i *• . t ,m . « P ft * X T R A V EL S THROUGH THAT PART OF NORTH AMERICA . ' FORMERLY CALLED LOUISIANA. •By Mr. B O S S U, Captain li* rm ^ Freuch Marines. j| Translated from the FRENCH Bv JOHN REINHOLD FORSTER, F.'a.S. Ul-U8TRATfin WITH NOTES RELATIVE CHIEFLT T. • ^ • NATURAL HISTORY. TO WHICH IS ADDED BT THE TRAN'SLATOk A SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE of all th. KKOWN Plants of English North- America. O R, a riOKA AMERICA SEPTENTRIONALIS. TOG BTHERWITH An ABSTRACT OF the most useful anp necessary articles contained in i*ETER LOEFLING's TRAVELS THROUGH Spain and Cvmana in South America. Rrfcrre;^ to the Pages of the original Swcdim Edition. Ornau ^s i pfa negat, contcnta doceri. fforat. LONDON: Winced for T. DAVIES in Ruffel-Strcct. Covent-GonJcn. M Dec LXXI. '4P '■■ ^'i^'' C 1 •->f a. . .-M :: ;i V s-. q t A-% X m * T O WILLIAM COl^at ABLE, E% S I J: fj 3'Js 'T^HE zeal with which you promote tH«'' ^ -*• great caufe of learning, and ci^eci-^' dlythat of Natural Hiftory, the Polite Arts and Antiquities, intitle you to the regard and homage of every one who is converfant with Arts and Sciences : but the favour you.we.'-e fo kind to beftow up- on me, before you proceeded on the. tour through the different parts of Europe, ca* courages nie to take this early opportunity to congratulate you on your return to your philofophic retirement, and publicly to ac- knowledge the gratitude and 'attachment which will ever prompt me to think my- lelf happy in my weak endeavours to ap- prove my condua and fentiments to my friends and bcnefadors. May f ^^ t '<5;iif^*^" vi DEDICATION. May you always enjoy pcrfcdl health, and all the rational and moral bleilings of this life; and, ifter a long feri^s of years, diftinguiflitd by anions of benevolence, friendihip, and virtue, exchange thefe tranfitory enjoyments for everlafting feli- city. Thefe are the fincere and invariable wiflies of him who fubfcribcs himfclf, with the trueft: regard^^ ; SIR, London, oa. 5. Your moll obligee? obedient humble fervant, JOHN HEiNHOLD FORSTER. f / < -0 T P R E F A C HE prcfent publi E. ication appears with a view to fupply the English reader with a good account of a country, which now enjoys the hap- pinefs to be under the mild influence and fway of the Britilh Preptre ; and. if properly adminifteredt and piopled, might in time become one of cho great fupports of that power, which makes Great Bntam refpcded over all the globe. Ihe coun- try here defcribed is fufceptible of great i improv.-, ments, capable to fupply the mother-country with .immenfe (lores of raw materials for her manufac tures, and to take in return the produfts of our mduftry ; a commerce which, conneded with re- ligious and civil liberty, is the only bafis on which the grandeur of this nation can be laftingly found- ed with .iny degree of probabili; The Catalogue of North Am? • .-, jj ^ mere attempt, to make the cur. atteiu tive to the American fpontaneous p, . ,-, and vvhiclx will give a higher degree of certainty of fuc- ceis to the plantations of fuch plants as w^re re- coipmended to the public, by the ingenio^is and grc^^t promoter of Natural Hiftory and Plantation* JohnmtU Efqj in 2i Catalogue of fuch foreign planu ^'s are worthy of being mouraged in our Amrican ccfomes frr the pirpofes of mtdtcine, ^^riatliure, wtd cmmcrcc. .^^^^'.^^^;^' ■ ' .. ■;.4- The w *, viii preface/ The Englifh names affiycd ^to the greater part of the plants, will make it mare .2.iy to the gL^ men people to know and to ufe them, bring the Science more down cveh to the loweft capacities. fix the hitherto vague and multi-aiious denomina- tions of plants in various parts of America, and obviate that confufien and drynefs already too com- inon m the ftudy of that ufeful branch of know- ledge. Loefinfs defcriptions of the SpaniiTi and South Anicncan plants are the only things in his journal ^ v^hK:h deferve the attention of a curious reader , tlie karers pubiuTied ale ^g with them in the Swcdifh, ^re compliments of a grateful pupil to his tutor ?iDd.queries and^«^/^ relative to botany, and ihece- fore not worth a tranflation. The Englilh pubKc has now all the voyages and publication^ of the Linn^an Ichool , HaJfel^uiA OJbecK Moreen, Kahn ?nd Uefltng make the whole of them. The French word outarde fignifies commonly a hujiard, but in North America they give diat name to a kind of gcefe, which I therefore beg to cor- rea, voi. i. p. 96. . having but lately got an in« formation about it, from a gentiemaa who is juil returned from North America. TXx^ Sardines mentioned vol i. p. 2. arc not, as I have fufpeaed in the note, tht pilchards, fo com. mon on our weftern coafts ; but a kind of hemncr 3iot vet defcribed, peculiar to the neighbourhoc^* of Belle-JJle, ani the coi..c of French Bretany. t « \ ^ )j$ ^ « S A ^S^ m»M S I I . T R A V E L s » THROUGH LOU 1 SI A N A. L E t t E R I. To the MARqiJis de PEstrade. r^^ Jut^r's Depafture for America -, Befiription of the Town ./Cape Francois ; Cruelties of tht Spaniards towards the Natinjes of the Ifle of St Domingo ; v^orking of -the Mines s true Origin of the Mai de Naples, JI^'^JHEN 1 had the honour of tak- J. W f '"S rtiy leave of you, I was or- f ^ ^3 '^'^'^'^ '^ communicate to you =^*"^-*^ every particular tliat fhould ap. pear remarkable to m.^ in this new world • you farther defired of me an account of all interefting fubjefts which might happen on V ^ the M M t TRAVELS THROUGH the paflage. I am glad that my ftay at Cape Francois affords me an opportunity of tuJfiUing an engagement which is dear to me, becawfe its execution may prove agree- able to you. I was at Belle-Ifle in 1750, M. Le Cheva^ her de Grojfoles commanded at that place ; he gave me a letter from the Count d'Argertfon, from which I learnt, that his Majefty had made me Lieutenant in the Marines; this Minifter gave me orders to fet out immediately for Rochefort', accordingly I went on board the iirft filhing fmack deftined to carry the An- chovies * (Sardines) to Rochelle, which are caught on the Coaft of Bretany, and which are the chief fupport of the inhabitants of Belk-JJle. In * The true Anchovies are caught in the Mediterranean ; and thofe few that now and thti appear in the feas near n„gland or France, are rather rare examples ; they arc certainly not fo numerous that a profitable fiihcry of them could be inftituted. The Sardine of our Author, therefore, feems to be the Pikhard, a filh that is very copioufly caught on the coafls of Com^wall and French Bretany. Linn^us has no pcculia.- fpecific name for thi. iSflj, though the great EngliJJ, natural hilbrian, Ray, in h«8 Syn. pifc. 104, had pointed out the characncrs of this fpecics ; which now is done more fully by Mr. Psu- nent, in liis Britiih Zoology, H^. p. ^y,. p. L 6 u i s i A *i a: In November we weighed anchor before the Palace\ („hich is the name of the town on this «nand) i and the very firft „ight of our yoyage we had fucn i violent ftorm on the coaftof i'5. r^, that bur little veffcl being beat about and A>rrounded by the waves, we expeded every moment to go to the bottom : The crewconfift- ed of a pilot, and three failors from Lower Bre- tahy, who ai-e commonly called S,a^ohes4.. and ari fo well accullomed to this element, that they brave the hardeft weather. The wind hav- ing mcreafed our cdptain was obliged to put in at the /> ,e DUu, fuuated between pJu and the county J-Junis. We ftaid there eight days , at the exp,rat,on of which, thefea being calmed, we let fail again, and continued our voyage to the ine of ;?«, f,om whence I crolTed a cL! nel of the fea about three leagues broad, that ftparate, the ille from the continent, and ar- med atM,, .^^ .^e day after 1 came to Roci^/orf 1 was direfted to addref, myfelf to the mtcndant of the department of the marine yi^o>.MUN.r..„r^My!, a man of ell mem, and deferving of the place he .ccupie, by h,s talent, and the goodnefs of his heart fhe told me that, as foon as I (hould have equipped myfelf for my voyage, I was to go to 1^/1. B» and f Lot/ ft dt mtr* 4 TRAVELS through and embark in the Ihip called the Pontchartrain, of 400 tuns. M le Ncrmafti h^d freighted this fhip for the King's account, in order to tranf- port four companies of the marines, whom we took in at the citadel on the iHe of Rhe: they were deftined to reinforce the garrifon of New Orleans. We fet fail from Rochelle the 26th of Decem- ber, and had contrary winds for above a fort- night on the coaft of Spain. V/e were already willing to put in at Corunna, in order to be fliel- tered from the violence of the winds j when happily the wind fhifted ; and, towards the end of January, we v^ere in fight of Madeira, an inc belonging to Portugal * ; it is called the queen of iflands, on account of its fertility and the excellence of its foil; it has near twenty leagues in circumference, produces good wines, and very fine fruits. On the 15th of February wepafTed the tropic of Cancer. The next day the failors fpent in fome • It is an African i/land in the Atlantic ocean, and fitu- atcd to the north of the Canary i/lands ; which latter were difcovered in 1417, by a Norman gentleman called Jean Bfthncourt, who bore the title of King of the Canaries, and made the conqueft of tlicm to the Spaniards, whopoflefi them now. LOUISIANA. 5 ibme ridiculous ceremonies, which they oblige thofe to undergo who never pafTed the line be- fore : they are baptifed with fea-water ; but may avoid this too abundant afperfion by making a fmall prefent to the boatfwain. Two months after leaving i?^^/^^//^ we arrived ^ at Cape Franfois, in the ifle of St. Domingo ; which is that part of Jmsrica where the Spaniards have firft built towns and forts. The town lies at the bottom of a promontory : it is defended by a fort cut in the rock, at the entrance of the port. This fortrefs, which has a good ftore of artillery, projeds into the fea; and by that means forms a cape, from whence the town takes, its name. Its inhabitants are European merchants, Creoles, and negroes ; the lafl being employed to cultivate fugar-canes, coffee, indigo, cacao, cotton, cafTia, tobacco, and various other produds. The French and Spaniards have divided the ifland between them •, the latter poiTefs the weft- Ci . part of it *. San Domingo is the capital of B 3 the Since that time the SnaniardQ »,3v» «:.«« »u-:- a e this liland to the French. F. ^ TRAVELS THROUGH the ifland j it is the feat of a bifhpp^ whom thjS King of Spain appoints. This ifland is celebrated by the origin of the mat de Naples, or venereal difeafe. Authors dif- agree fo much on this fubjeft, and have told tjae ftory in fo many different ways, that I think I Ihall not do amifs to reprefent it in its true Nicolas de Obando was governor of this ifle, to- wards the end of the fifteenth century, during the reign of King Ferdinand o^ ^rr agon and Ij'a-. hella of Cajiik : he had ftridt orders to work at the converfion of the fubdued Indians ; he diftri- buted them among the Spaniards, giving a hun- dred of them to one man, fifty to another j and calling this proceeding a repartimiento, (a divi- fion). I believe you will agree with me. Sir, that this is ^ very fingular method of making converts in America; fuch maxims are quite contrary to the true fpirit of the Chriftian reli- gion *. • • • * Thefe T " The King Don Ferdinand, being informed of thcfc *' diforders, had turned all his attention towards remedying *♦ them; and his care chiefly regarded the Indians, whom *' he wifiicd to protcft and convert, as it has always been the '.' maxim of the Catholic kings. He gave feveral orders. <( ana L O U I I A N A. Thefe Spaniards, greedy of gold, forced the wretched Indians to work in the mines, and kept them alm'oft buried in the earth for eight or nine months together. This hard labour, the ful- phureous vapours which continually rofe from the mines, and the famine to which they were reduced by the impoffibility of cultivating their ground:, fo corrupted the mafs of their Wood, that their faces became tinged with a faftron co- lour i a kind of puftules came out on every part of their body, and caufed them infupportable pams. They foon communicated this ficknefs to their wives, and fo of courfe to their ene- mies ,• and they all perifhed for want of a re- medy. The afflicfled Spaniards hoped, that this kind of pefl would not follow them to Europe, whi- ther they went for the change of air ; but they were deceived ; and, on their return, they gave the Europeans the diltemper they got from the ^imerkans, B 4 How- and pubhfl>ed laws, that they fhould be inftruaed with mildneft, difrntcrclkdnefs. and by ex-ompio : but as an «• arrow falls without force at the bottom of the aim. when It IS beyond the reach of the arm that fhot it; fo. all the I "'"^"f ;'!''''' ^*' "'"^^^ "^* °^ '° "^^ke his defigns fuc ^ceed. loft their force as they got to a greater diftance." O TRAVELS THROUGIf- However, Providence pitied thefe wretched iflanders : an Indian woman, the wife of a Spar niard, difcovered, feme time after, that a kind of wood called guayacan, was a fufficient cure for their diftemper *. It is but too true, Sir, that evil produces evil. The Spaniards have facrificed millions of men in the new world; they have laid wafte countries of vaft extent, in ordet tp uf|jrp the gold of thq Indians. ^ Gold and filver give as much trouble and fa- tigue to thofe whp work them out of the mines, as they afford contentment and eafe to their pof- feflbrs. A Spanifh engineer told me, that twen- ty-nine years were fpent in fearching, in the mountains ai Pot oft, for the famous vein of Cr«- fero, which is two hundred and fifty yards deep. Such is the hard and fupernatural labour which power and defire of riches exads^ and which i§ executed * Notwithftanding what our author fays concerning th«j origin of this difeafe, it is well known, that the inhabitants of South and North America had the difeafe when the Eu- ropeans came to them ; but they well knew how to cure it, though they carefully kept this knowledge from their Euro- pean enemies ; and it has but lately been difcovered, that m the fouth the Guayacuttty and in the north the Stillhigia fylvatica, together with other plants, are the Indian fpe- p<. ...... LOUISIANA. 9 executed by ncceffity and fervitudc, in order to cxtraft gold from the bowels of the earth. The wretched workmen who are employed there, en- joy neither the air of our atmofphere, nor the light of the fun, and bury themfelves in infcc* tious and cold abyfles ; of which the exhalations are fo unwholefome, that they caufe fwoons and giddinefs to the workmen as foon as they offer to go in. They make ufe of candles to light them in thefe dark fubterraneous places : the metal is generally hard in them ; they, break it in pieces with hammers, load it on their fhould- crs, and mount upwards on ladders made of twifted hides of oxen, with wooden fteps, contri- ved in fuch a manners that whilft one goes up on one fide, another may defcend on the other : .thefe ladders arc divided into ten fets. A man generally carries two arobas of metal on his back *, wrapped up in a piece of cloth : he that goes firft has a candle fattened to his thumb ; and they all hold themfelves with both hands on the ladder, in order to be able to go upwards for the fpace of 250 feet. The general hiftory of AmVd; tells us, that ,the nations of Florida took the facks with filver, and threw them far from themfelves as ufelefs. The Mexicans, on the contrary, were fond of - S^^'^ ' * An Aroba is 25 pounds, poids de Marc, lO TRAVELS THROUGK gold; though, as Jofeph d*AcoJia fays, in his cniverfal hiftory of the Indies, " it is true that *' their avarice was not arrived to that pitch " where ours is -, and that, notwithftanding their being idolaters, they never have worlhip- ped gold and filver fo much as fome bad ** Chriftians have done, who have committed " the moft atrocious crimes for the fake of tha^ « metal." «« c< fl an Indian in a great famine. The general took them, paid the Indian handfomely for them, and bco-- ged part of the garrifon to go with him to t^ higheft part of the town; where, being arrived,' he faid to tnem, holding the little creatures in hjs hand, " Gemlemen, I am forry that people " have Th us the Indians call the Supreme Being. 14 TRAVELS THuotrorf " have not brought me provifions fuffident t to fee the pafTengers land, and gene-^^ rally condufted them to his home. One day he faw feveral young people, who expefted to make their foitu'te as foon as they arrived ; they had letit Hi. of I'.com nendation, on which they de- pended fo much, that they took little notice of the good planter, who accofted the ; he left them, wilhing them all kind of profp^'^rity t fome L O U I S I A N A. fome «me after he metthe„, again looking very found tT'' ?' ''' ""P"°" "-i ^ found. Gentlemen, fays he to them, you are not recommended to me, and you did L rely onme. lam your fellow-creature, andyouwat a table and a odgmg at your fervice -. and durin. Srirf''^'"°'""''"S-yo«er,thatJ^U en aotured T°"" ^'^ ^"""^ ''-?'«= «- enraptured, and accepted his offers ; they fol owed h,m to his houfe. where th y found t able fpread for twenty perfons, and L'd by as many Negro fervants. One of the new co «nH 7 . ^^^^ ''''^'^ ^f a weddina, -;inHisLur:trrtii^°i£ e"dttr"^''T''-''-'^-. Toon Hat- red them very advantageous fituations. You will eafily believe Sir fl,.^ r tLtiTe^f^r.rmr'^^'^^^'''- «.!, u , ? ^"^ ^^^"1 ^eing animate*: bv the brutal avditv nf {X«, i 'cil..uj ^^,.• ^^la'ty ot lome planters, tha«- force their wretched Jlaves to fnrh h a^\ ^hey refufe to marry, in order to avoid genera- -ng nave, to fuch m.fters, who treatT^ when :.l 16 TRAVELS T HROUGrt I when old and infirm, worfe than their dogs and horfes * As to the inhabitants of the French iHands in the Weft Indies, I can aflure ycAi they are very generous towards ftrangers : a perfon may even travel in the interior parts of the country, with- out the leaftexpence to himfelf j if his counte- nance be free and open, and his behaviour de- cent, ''.e is fufficiently qualified for a favourable reception in every habitation. It is with great juftice that we reckon the Creoles noble in France : their fentiments are fo noble and delicate in every ftation of life, that they perfectly defervc that appellation. Man is every where the fame ; he is equally fufceptible of good and evil ; education correfts his vices, but does not give him virtue; the fame * I have feen a plantc, whofc name was Chaperon, who forced one of his negroes to go into a heated oven, wher« the poor wretch expired ; and his jaws being flirivellcd up, the barbarous Chaperon faid, I believe the fellow laughs, and took a poker to ftir him up. Since that time he is grown the fcare-crow of all the flaves ; who, when they have done fomething amifs, are threatened by their mafter* with, / 'will /ell thee to Chaperon* L O tJ 1 S 1 A K A. i; fame Being has created the civilized man and th»-favage, and has endowed them with the Tame qualities, as you will find in the fequel of my correfpondence. If I cannot amufe you with my ftile, at leaft I fhall make my narrative interefting, through the fingularity of the fadls I intend to relate. I am, SI R, ^c. Cape Franfois, the le^th of February 1751. OL. I. LET. ■ tS TRAVELS THROUGH LETTER II, To the fame. The Author's Departure from Cape Franfois for Louifiana. Short Defcription of the Harbour of the Havannah. Of the famous Gulph of Mexi- co ; and of New Orleans. SIR, P^j^^^E weighed anchor the 8th of March ^W g^ laft; and on the 15th we were in Sst^^jS fight of Cuba, which is the mod tem- perate of all the Antilles, The Havannah is the ftore of all the riches of America, [on account of its fituation, and the extent and convenience of its harbour, which can contain upwards of a thoufand fliips. It is the common rendez-vous of the Spanifh fleets returning to Europe ; and it is defended by three forts. Cuba is two hun- dred leagues long, and between twenty-live and thirty broad j fixteen years have been fpcnt in difcovcries to afcertain whether it was an ifle or contineiit » L O U t S * A N A, 19 tontinent : it lies under the tropic of Cancer, that is, in twenty^three degrees and a half north latitude. Near the middle of the ifland, to the fouthward, are a number of little ifles very clofe to each other, which are called the Garden of the Queen *. During the equinox we fuffered a very vio- lent ftorm between Cape Catoche and Cape An-^ tonioi the latter, which we doubled on the twenty-third, is at the weftern point of the ifle of Cuba. I was very fea-fick, having never been at fea on fo long a voyage j but the defire of ferving my country in a new land, fufficiently compenfatcd all the hardfhips I underwent on my pafTage. The winds changed, the fea be- came fmooth, and, a few days after, we enter- ed into the famous gulph of Mexico, where wc met with a prodigious quantity of floating tim- ber, coming irom Loui/iana down the river M^, Jippi: thefe logs of wood are feen for above two hundred leagues at fea, and fcrve as guides to the entrance of the river in hazy and foggy wea- ther; It being very difficult to get into it, on ac count of the rocks and (hoals in the neighbour- hood of its entrance. C 1 In Jafdin d« Ia Reynn, "^ ■ id TRAVELS tHitoucti In the firft days of April we perceived the fort Balife at the mouth of the Mtffiftppi, Mr. k Motne d*Ibervitle, a Canada gentleman, difco- vered, in 1698 *, this mouth of the river, which M. de la Salle miffed in 1684. Our vef- fel llruck upon the bar ; we fired a gun to cal! the pilot, and at the fame time the captain dif- cmbarked the artillery of the Ihip, and the two hundred regular troops which v/ere on board for the fervice of the colony of Louifiana -, which made the veflel fo much lighter, that flie came aRoat again< On the 4th of April, we fet on Ihore eighteen officers at Fort Balife f, where M. de Safitilly commanded : this officer treated us to the beft of his power, while we ftayed at his poft, which is entirely furrounded with marfhes full of fer- pents and crocodiles. ■ The Marquis de Vaudreuik governor of Loui^ /tana, being informed of our arrival, fent feveral boats * Mr. d'UeriJilley governor of Louijiona, conduced the firft colony thither in 1699 = after his death the country had no governor for a long while : the fccond was M. dela Mcttt Cadillac ; and the tluid, M. de Bienville, youngeft brother of the firft. t They reckon thirty leagues from this place to AVtc Or» ietiftSf On account of the bcndiiigs iu the river. LOUISIANA. 21 boats to fetch us, and to bring us refrefhments j we diftributed our foldiers on board them, and, by failing and rowing, we got to New Orleans on Eafter-day. The Marquis de Vaudreuil is to receive twenty-four companies of marines, to augment the forces in Louifiana\ thefe troops come on board of merchant-lhips, freighted for the King's account j there are likewife fome fe- male recruits enlifted in France^ who come to people thefe climates. Induftrious foldiers, who chufe to marry thefe girls, get their difmilTion, and a certain number of acres of ground to cul- tivate : tiiey get visual.'- from the Xing for three years together, and he makes them a prefent of half a pound of gun-powder, and two pounds of ftiot every month ; of a gun, a hatchet, a pick- axe, and corn to fow their fields •, with a cow, a calf, rocks and hens, &c. The Marquis de Vaudreuil has diftributed the twenty -four new companies in the different parts of the colony, without any regard to perfons ; fo that every one may equally fhare the advantages and the difadvantages. As to the detachment near the Illinois^ a pod five hundred leagues di- ftantfrom New Orleans, it has fallen to thefliarc of the company to which I belong. I have the honour of being among the officers which M. Rouillcy the ffcretary of ftate for the marine, C 3 has THROUGH ! *2 . TRAVELS has recommended to the Marquis de Vaudreutti and I am made perfedly fenfible of the defe. rence Ihewn to fuch a recommendation. I can affure you, Sir, that the General's table is of great ufe to me, and to all thofe that are lately arrived, and have not had time to take any fixed lodgings. The affluence is very great- but the governor does the honours of his table in fo noble and generous a manner, that he acquires the efteem and friendfhip of all the officers, who juftly ftile him the father of the colony. M Michel de la Rouvtlliere, who fuperintends the markets *, likewife contributes to render life agreeable to us, by the juft prices he fixes up, on the vidluals of the country, and by e-ery thmg relative to his office. ^ We expecH: to fet out for the Illinois the 2otK of Auguft next ; Mr. de Macarty, who is to go ^'ith us, has been appointed commandnnt of the detachment by the court. The different nations which I fliall be obliged to vifit during this lon«- voyage, will furnifh me amply with material^ tor a delcription of the fine nvtr Miffiftpp, and the people on its banks. In the mean while, I intend to give you a de- icnptio^ of Lmif^ana in general i but I believe I do L O U I S I A N iXi 23 I do not need to be very prolix en this fubje(ft, as you probably know moft of the plans and ac- counts that have been publilhed of it. Let me only obferve to you, that New Orleans, the ftreets of which run all in ftreight lines, is now much greater and more populous than former- ly. There are inhabitants of four forts, viz. Europeans, Americans, Africans or negroes, and Mejiizos *. The latter are thofe born of Europeans and the natives of this country, whom we call favages. The Creoles are thofe that are born here of a French man and French woman, or of European parents. The Creoles in~general are very brave, tall, and well made ; they are well difpofed for culti- vating the arts and fciences ; but as they can- not make great progrefs therein for want of good matters, the rich and well-meaning fathers fend their children to France, as to the bed fchool ia the world, for all forts of acquirements. As to the fair fex, whcfe only art is that of pleafing, they are already born with that advan- tage here, and have no need to acquire it in Eu- rope. C 4 New «4 TRAVELS THROUGH J^'^^rkans and M>m are the ofllytown, where they fpeak the French pretty pure. The negroes are brought thither from Africa, and are employed in cultivating the grounds, which are excellently adapted to the culture of indigo tobacco, rice, maize, or Indian corn, and fu- gar-canes. of which they have already made plantations that have fucceeded very well. Thus the merchants, tradefmen, and ftrangers, who iive here enjoy as it were an enchanted abode, fcrnhty of ,ts ioil, and the beauty of its fnuation. ^^ Orleans lies on the banks of the Mijififpi, wh,ch IS one of the greateft rivers in the world ' becaule, for 800 leagues together, it paffes through known countries. Its pure and delicious water* runs for the fpace of forty leagues be- tween a number of habitations, which form an elegant fight on both its Ihores ; where the plea- fares of hunting and fiihing, and all other en- joyments of life, are abundant. The capuchins are the firfl: monks that went over to New Orleans as miffionaries in 172, Their fuperior was the vicar of the parifh 5 thefe good « R ir T"' * ^'^'- ''""S '••""■>'"•' of A= marine at *„V„, always drank this water at his table. It hi tie ^uahtj-„f„rtribn.i„g to the fecu„di,,„fw„„ „ LOUISIANA. 25 good friars only employ tliemfelves in affair's relative to their ftation in life. Two years after, the Jefuits fettled in Lom/te^ na, Thefe cunning politicians have found means to get the richeft fettlcment in the whole colony, which they have obtained through their intrigues. « The Urluline nuns were fent thither almoft at the fame time. The occupation of thefe pious girls, whofe zeal is truly laudable, is the educa- tion of young ladies ; they likewife receive or- phans into their community, for which the King pays them fifty kus a-head penfion. Thefe nuns are likewife charged with the care of the military hofpital. My (lay here has as yet been fo fhort, that I have not been able to give you any account of the nations which inhabit the banks of the river ; however, I will endeavour to give you an idea of the charafter and turn of the Chitlma- chas, who are fettled on a river or branch which bears their name, to the weftward of New Or. hans : J believe the anecdote will prove intereft- ing to you, though this nation is very near ex- tinct. In t6 TRAVELS through In 1 720^ one of their nation, having hid himfelf in a lonely place on the banks of ths MiJJiJippiy Ji?d murdered the Abbe de St, Come, who was then the miflionary of the colony. M. de Bienville, who ■was then governor, made the whole nation an- fwerable for it ; and, to fpare his own people, he employed feveral nations of his allies to at- tack them. Thefe Indians were worfted ; the lofs of their beft warriors forced them' to afk for peace : the governor having granted it them, on condition that they would bring the head of the murderer, they punftuaily executed that condition ; and afterwards prefented the calumet or pipe of peace * to M. de Bienville, The following is a relation of what I have heard concerning the ceremonies of this folemn cmbafly. They arrived at New Orleans, finging the fcng of the calumet, which they difplayed to the wind, * The calumet is a long pipe, with a head of red, black, or white matble, and a pipe of a reed two and a half or three feet long. The Indians fend it by deputies to thofc nations with whom they will renew or treat of peace. It is adorned with the feathers of the white eagle ; it is a fymbol of peace and plenty amongft them; and one may go everywhere v.'ithout fear, with che calumet in hand, bccaufc nothing b iii^ul uiorc iliCi'cu. LOUISIANA; ^7 Wind, and in a certain cadence, to announce their cmbafly j and they were drefled out with thcif beft ornaments, as is always ufual amongft them on fuch occ ^fions. The chief of the deputation faid to the governor : How happy am I to find my^ felf in thy prefence ; thou haft long been angry witk our nation \ we have been informed of what thy heart has told thee, and we have heard with great joy^ that it was willing to give us fine days. They then fat down on the ground, leaning their faces on their hands, the fpeaker without doubt to recover his breath, and the others to keep filent. During this interval every body was ordered not to talk, nor to laugh whilft the harangue lafted, becaufe they would be affronted at it. The fpeaker, fome moments after, arofe with two others ; one of them filled the pipe of the calumet with tobacco, the other brought fire; the firft then lighted the pipe j the fpeaker fmo- ked a while, and then prefented the pipe to IVT, de Bienville, that he might do the fame ; accor- dingly the governor, and all the officers that compofed his retinue, fmoked out of this calu- met, each according to hjs rank : as foon as jhis ceremony was over, the old orator took back the calumet, and put it in M. de BimvilUs hands, in order to be preferved by him. The ipeakcr THROUGH a TRAVELS fpeakcr remained ftancjing, and the other am- Jt>^ir^dpr« fai down near the prefent which they had brought, and which confided of roe-buck and doe flcins, and in fome other furs, all 4ref- fed white, as a fign of peace. The fpeaker or chancellor was drefTed in a robe of feveral marten-fkins fewed together ; it was fattened to his right fhoulder, and paflfed undf r his left arm ; he wrapped himfelf up in this robe, and began his fpeech with a majeftic air, ^ddreiTing himfelf to the governor : " My heart laughs for joy on feeing myfelf before thee ; we have all of us heard the word of peace which thou haft fent us : the hearts of our whole nation laugh for joy on that occa- fioni the women, forgetting fhat inftant all that paired, have danced ; and the children have leapt like young roe-bucks. Thy words •' fhall never be forgotten, and our defcendants ' " will remember it as long as the ancient " WORD * Ihall laft : as the war has made us poor, " we have been obliged to make a general hunt " or chace, in order to bring thee fome furs : " but we were afraid of going to any great di- ** ftance, left the other nations Ihould not yet *' have heard thy word ; nor are we come hither " but trembling all the way, till we faw thy face. " How «( cc «( «( «c (( tc Thus htr call traditions. LOUISIANA. ft^ %t (« «( « How glad are my eyes and my heatt to be- hold thet this day. Ouf prefents are ftfial!, ** but our hearts are great to obey thy word; at thy commands thou fhait fee our legs run and leap like thofe of the flags, to do as thou Ibait «*pleaftr." Here the orator paufcd a little j then raifing his voice, he gravely continued his difcourfe. " How beautiful is the fun to-day, in com- " parifon with what it was when thou wert an- •' gry with us ! How dangerous is one villain ! *" Thou knoweft that a fingle man has killed •' thtchief of the prayer"^, whofc death has caufed " that of our beft warriors : we have only old " men, and women with their children remain- ing, who all ft retch out their ;?rms towards " thee as to a good father. The gal! that for " merly filled thy heart, has given way to ho* ** ney ; the great fpirit is no longer irritated "againft- our nation; thou hnft required the " head of a villain from our hand'- ind in order " to obtain peace we have fent it thee. " The fun was red before, all the toads were " full of thorns and briars ; the clouds were •• black, the water troubled and ftained with «c t< (C our mL. O^ they call our mifiionariei. If! 30 TRAVELS tHROOGii *' our blood -, our women lamented without inCeN " miflion the lofs of their relations, and durft not *' venture to go and fetch wood for preparing •' our viduals ; at the leaft fhriek of the birds *' of night all our warriors were on foot j they ** never flept without their arms ; our huts were " abandoned, and our fields lay fallow ; we had " all of us empty ftomachs, and our faces look- •* ed long and meagre ; the game and wild-fowl " fled far from us ; the ferpents angrily hifled at us ; and the birds that perched near our habitations feemed, by their doleful notes, to fing us fongs of death. cc ce rovenfals, to the amount of i5ooperfons; the ground for it was laid out hear a wild nation called the Akan^as ; it was four leagues fquare, and the colony was erefted into a dutchy. They had already iranfported thither the ammunition and ftores for a company of dragoons, and merchandifes for the value of upwards a million of Uvres; but Mr. Law faiK cd, and the India company, which was at that time eftablilhed in Louifiana, toaL poflcflion of iiW the goods. The colonifts feparated, and the Germans iettled ten leagues above New Orleans : tKy arc very lii i il 34 TRAVELS through. very laborious, and are looked upon as the pro- viders and viauallers of the town. The two villages are under ;the direaion of a Swediih captain *. ' Two league further you find a nation called Colla-pjps, who are diltinguilhed by tKcir at- tachment to the French ; they are now reduced to a very fniall number; their true name is A^ue- kn Pijfas, that is, the nation who hear and fee. Next you meet with the Oumas, who adore.the fun. This nation, with molt of the others in America, believes, that the Supreme Being re- fides in the fun, and that he defires to be re- vered in that vivifying orb, as the author of na- ture: they fay, there is nothing here that can be compared to him, and that this wonder by enlightening the earth, fpreads joy and abun- dance on it Upon thefe principles they wor- Ihip him, as the vifible image of the greatnefs and goodnefs of a deity, that contlefcends to make himfelf known among men, by dif^ribut- fng his benefaaions amongll'them. ' ' Fifteen '^ It IS Mr. Jroijhoyrg, who was at the barderof ^altava m 1709, with Charles XII. Thu old olliccr is the h«ad qf a numerous family cllabHllK'd ia Loiiifiana. t 6 V i s i A k A. 3S /Fifteen leagues above the Oumas, in going up the river, you arrive at the Cut pint. This place is about forty league* diftant irom Nm Orleans, The foil of it is very fertile, and to- vcred with fruit-trees. There are a rtunibcr of Frenchmen in this part of the country, wh6 ^p- ply themlelves to the culture of tobacco, cotton, nee, rtiaize, and other corn ; the colonifts Uke- wife trade in building-timber, which they carry down the river to NewOrkm upon rafts. Upon the left flioi^e of the river, a little abdve the Gut-pcint, you fee the village of the Tonikas, an Indian nation who have ever been attached to the French. Theii^ chiefs have always exert- ed themfelves to be our allies in wafi tht hUt of them, who was very brave, received a dan- gerous wound in an expedition againil the Nat^ i'^m: the King, on receiving an account of this affair, honoured him with a comminion, as bri- gadier of the armies of red men j and further prcfetited him with a blue ribbon, f om whicft hung a niver medal, with a reprefentation of ^arti: he hkewiib received a gold-head^ caflfel' After the mafTacre of the French by the. ^'^t^hes, whereof I intend to give vou an ac count in Its place, a part of that narion pretend- €d to be defirous of making peace with the U 2 grand 36 TRAVELS THROucit grand chief of tXitTonikas: the latter commu- nicated this to the commander-general of tht French, to whom he was very much attached ; the Natches prevented the a^ifwer, and aflaffinated the Tonikasy beginning with their grand chief; his enemies, who feared our advice and our forces, made hafte to ruin and dellroy a great number of his fubjeds. We Ihall always lament, together with thefe good Indians, the lofs of a man, whofe great qualities would do honour to a civilized nation. After eighty leagues navigation from the ca* pital of Louifianay we arrived at the poft of the Natches, which, about twenty years ago, was very confiderablc, but is very infignificant at prefent. The fort is fituatcd on an eminence, which commands the river MtJJlJippi, from which if is about the diftance of a cannon- fhot. The ground, which in this country is always fifing higher, would be one of the moft fertile, if it were cultivated ; tobacco, cotton, and maize fucceed very well in it. I have made fomc Hay at this poft, which if commanded by the Chevalier dVrgon, a natural ^ . fon Louisiana; 57 fon of the Prince de Lambefc, of the houfe of Lorrain. The Natches who lived here formerly were a very confiderable nation. They formed feveral •illages, that were under fome peculiar chiefs ; and thefelaftagain, obeyed one grand chief of the whole nation. All thefe princes bore the^ name of Suns ; there were five hundred of them, ' all relations of the great Sun, their common fove-' reign, who carried on his breaft the image of the fun, from which he pretended to tra^e 'his origin, and which was adored under the name' offVachil, which fignifics :he great fire orthtfu- ■pr erne fire, i'-^ ^ii' ouys/zoi >i>« .311 The manner in which the Naic/ies 'rendered' divme fefViee to the fun, has fomething folemn' in It. The high-prieft got up before fun-rifrng, and marched at the head of the people with a grave pace, and the calumet of peace in hand ; he fmoked in honour of the fun, and blew the firft mouthful of fmoke towards him. On the appearance of that luminous body, ail the by- itanders began to howl by turns after the high- pnef>. and contemplated it with their arms e^^- tended to heaven. Then they threw themfdves on the ground; and their women brought their ^ 3 children^'' S T a?, TRAMEtLS THRflUpH cfiildren, and taught them to keep ia a dtvQut attitude. About fheir harveft-tijpe,, wbiph h^ppcQcd in J^ly? the Nai(^hei celebrate^ a great feaft. They began with blacking their faces j and did not eft till three hours after .iiponv h^viiig preYiouC- ^?f^lf?^^^^*^^^^>^si";l^e b^thsi the oldeft nian jn ,the nation, then offered ;q their deity the ,.,-]riiey had 4 tcnxplc in which^hey. k«pt up an. Pt^p^l fife; the priefts topk great ca^-e to^rc,^ ferve it, and fqr this purpofe.they were only al- lowed to make ufe of the wood of one kind of tree; if v^lhappily the fire was extinguifhed, all t|ic people were in the greateft confternation, and the negle^fpl prieft§ were jpynifli^d witl>, dea^h : but fuch an py^nt h.app«lif4 y€ry fel- ipni\ (ox the jce^pers of thjs ceieft^Lfirff coul^ ^aiily renew it, by fetching comrnpn Ere, under pretext of lighting their calumet^ j' for they^ were not allowed to employ the holy fire, for that' ufe.. »ai Tr:'^ "srf ...rf <4 _ When their, fpyereign died, he was accompa nied ifi the gravp by his wives^ and by fevcral^ of his fubjeas. Th^ lefTer Suns took care to! M9Wf,UK fame cuflomj, the law likewife con- demned L a U- I S I A N A- 39 ^ct^^evtrf Waich^zto death, who had mar- ried a girl of the blbod of the Sun^, as fo6n as fhe was expired. On this occafion, I mull tell pu the hiftory of an Indian, who was no ways wilting to fabmit to this law : his nanie was Et- rtaBtal\ he ctintrafted an alliance with thu .rnifi /L.-^c : EHea^eal, bemg thiis afTured, ventured to return to his nation ; and, without fetding among them, he made feveral Voyages thither : he happened to be there when the Sun, called the Stung Serpent, brother to the great Sun, died J he was a relation of the Ute wife of £/. teafJeal, and they refolved to makfe him pay hi^ debt. M. de Bienville had been recalled to France, and the fovereisn of the Nauhes thought ■»"v u 4 I ^ TRAVELS THROUGH thought, that the proteftor's abfence had annul, led the reprieve granted to the proteded per- fon ; and accordingly he caufed him to be ar- refted. As foon as the poor fellow found him^. felf in the hut of the grand chief of war, together with the other vidlims deftined tp b? facrificed to the Stung Serpent^ he gave vent to th? excef3* of his grief. The favogrite wife of the late Sun, who was likewife to be facrificed, and who faw the preparations for her death with firmncfs, and feemed impatient to rejoin her hufband, hearing £//^«^^^/'s complaints ^pd groans, faid to him. Art thou no warrior? Jie anfwered,. yes, I am one. However, faid Ihe, thou cry- eft, life is dear t;o thee; and as that is the cafe,, it is not good that thou Ihouldft go along with vs, go with the women. Ettea^fd replied,. True, life is ^ear ^o mej it would be well if I walked yet on. earth till to the death of the grea; Sun, and I would die with him. Go thy way, faid the favourite, it is not fit thou fhouldft go with us, and that thy heart fhould remain ber, hind on earth j once more get away, and let m^ fee thee no n- EtteaSieald^d no% ft^y to have this order re., peatedtohimj he difappeared like lightning: three old women, two of which were his rela- tions, oiFered to pay his debt ; their age and their L O U I Si A N:A. 41 their infirmities had difgufled them of life ; none of them had been able to ufe their legs for a great while. The hair of the two that were re- lated to Ettea^eaU were no more gray than thofe of women of fifty-five /ears in France. The other old woman was a hundred and twenty years old, and had very white hair, which is a a very uncommon thing among the Indians: none of the three had a quite wrinkled Ikin. They were difpatched in the evening, one at the door of the Stung Serpent, and the other Xwo up. on the place before the templa*. uiijvs.i L: 31 iv;* HfuiM^ The generofity of thefc women gSLVt ^itea^eal life again, acquired him the degree of ^^^^ pnuy the(^t*eafed priHtef iIffiV^^te manfion of th^' i>il^ts,'^*f«c^^fth^ th*y eonfiidfed of the fa-v vGuritfe t^ife '4if the d^eafedi 6f his fecohd #ife,^ his tihkfcellor, hklphyf^dan, his hired man, ^ that i& hwfirf^fisrvm, ' mof fmc m ^tii^ni The favourite went to. the great Sun, with> whom there were feveral Frenchmen, to take iNVC^of him : .fhe gave ordeis yot the Suns of bbMi i^nes that were her childlm tp appear, ;andi fpcike t<)(,tliiibUowing cffQO/oaorr?;^ . ...u bu& , uth f^t^r -ffm ^^--frn^"! -H .r'^s&'^m^i ' ?if' Gi»iidrbi,ithts hthe'dafob-whitilrl anfW ^ t*ar n?yfelf ii-ona you arms, and to fdilcwi •* yoiirfather's ftep^, who waits for me in the « country of the fpiritsi if J were to yfeid to; ** four tears, I would injure my love, and fail ** in my duty. ^ I have done enough for you," By '* H^^*?? PM next to ray^heart;, and by llickr ** ling you with my breafts. You that are del^* ^* Jccniea of his blood, and fed by my milk, ^'^ ought you to fhed tearsi?' Rejoice rather that "you are tojand warriors ; you are bound to - ■ §^^il??^f ^^^ ^^ firmnefs and valour to the " whole :ors were repofed there : his remonftrances proved ufelcfs i the French commandant ordered the Great Sun to caufe the village to be evacuated, and even threaterred to fend him loaded with irons to New Orleans in cafe of non compliance. Perhaps this officer thought, he could treat the chief as a (lave j he did not refleft, that he fpoke to a man accuftomed to command, and whofc autho- rity was dcfpotic over his fubjeds* The Great Sun heard him, arid retired with* out ihewing any paflion ; he afiembled his council, where it was refolved, that M. de Che- par Ihould be told, that before they could eva- cuate the y///>/tf village, they muft make the plan of another, and that this required two moons time. Vol. L e This ■ 5p, TRAVEL^ THii^oucH This, r^foluxion was notified to t^e go^er- m, who fcnt back the- m,e)(rengcr^, ^Ad-thre^t- eflvas not pyt in his hands WHhm a veiy flio^t, t^nm. This anfw^r was broiighx to.the council, where the old . men w^cc oi- Qpanian that th^jr ought to g^n time, during, wnich they.fliould canfult. upoi^ , dif means of getting^rid of t^ief^ trouh^fomie Grangers, who. v^e^e go,ng to, become tyrants, A^ they J,new i^. 4f C,hs^ar to b^.,ve^y i^\^ they agreed, to, Pfoppfe It toJiim, to grant them a delgj. ol'feveral months, during which each hut was to give hmi a.t^bute. in Indian corn oi- mai^e, in game, and. ^,,%s, Th^ aya,ice, o|; the governor madc; h}mM\ into the fnare j he accepted tli€ propo- Ation, but pretended however that hp only did It in o^rder to oblige the rvaijion, whom.he loved op account of their CQflftant fr^ndilyp with. th©. ^J-ench. The Grm Sm wap not impofed upon by this, artful difmtei-^ft€dne.<^ j., he ordered his council to meet again,, and informed them, that . the term they had dcfired had been granted, and that It was necefTary they ihould make good ule of It, confider of the means of getting rid of a heavy tribute, and above all of the tyrannical domination of the Erench. He obferved, that fwch an enterprize required an inviolable fecrer, • folid meafures, and, above all, a. great deal of cunning ; t d tf 1 s t A M A jt he recommended it to them', that thtf fhbuld in the niean while increafe the proofs of cortfidferiee and friendHiip to the Freh^fi ; re^ fiefl: lipori what was to' he done, and' return to the cou'ndil as Toon as they had hit upoil fome iDfbjeft which might be attended with certain fucccrs* During five or fix days the nobles and old men confulted' with each other* and met again unanimoufly refolved to deftroy all the French. The oldeft man in the council^ having feluted his chief, fpoke to the following efJed: : •* We have long experieiicedj that the heigh- " bourhood of the French does us more harm "than good; we old men perceive it, but our "youths do not fee it; the European goods '^pleafethe young people, but of what" fervice " are they ? They feduce our wives, corrupt ** the manners of the nation, debauch our giria, "and make them proud and idle. The young •' men are in the fame cafej the hufbands muft " over-work themfelves, merely to fatisfy thd •• luxury of their wives. Before the French •* came into thefe countries, we were men, we " were contented with what we had j we walk- «tfd boldly on all the roads, becaufe we were "our own mafteis; but now we only go by E a rf. i 5a TRAVELS through *' groping, for fear of finding thorns in our ** way i we go like flaves, and fuch we fhall ** foon be, fince they ufe us as fuch already. " As foon as they Ihall have power enough, •* they will no longer keep in bounds, they will " load us with irons ; has not their chief threat-^ " ened to offer that indignity to ours ; and is " not death preferable to flavery * ?" Here the orator paufed ; and, after taking breath, continued as follows : " What ihall we wait for ? Shall we fuffer the French to multiply till we can no longet refifl them ? What will the other nations fay of us ? We pafs for the mod f ifible among the red men f , anr^ they will have reafon to fay that we have lels fenfe than other people. Why fhall we wait longer ? • Let us fet our- felves at liberty, and let us fliew that we are true men. We mutt begin this day to pre-, pare for it i we mutt order our wives to get visuals in readinefs, withoyt telling them the " reafon. cc cc therefore ** I believe thou wilt tell me truth. Tell me *• then, are not all the Suns brothers ? How- •* ever, they all keep off from me, as if my lips ** were cut off, and I cowld not retain my words ; ♦» or doft thou think that I ever fpoke in my •• flcep. I am in defpair to fee myfclf flighted " by my brothers, but above all by thee. «* What, art thou not my own ofi%pring? I J aft ♦• thou not fuckled ac my bread ? And have I ♦' not the French " have refources which we have not, thou know- " eft they have the /peaking fuhficme (i. e, pa- "per)." Her Ton told her, that ilie had nothing to fear with regard to the meafures which had been ta^ ken. After telling her all that I have juft now informed you of, he told her that the bundle of rods was in the temple, t.pon the flat piece of wood (or the table). When the prlncefs was fufficiently informed of every particular, fhe pretended to approve of the proceedings; and, leaving her fon entire- ly eafy, fte only meditated on the means of ren- dering this barbarous dcfign abortiv- ; flie had but little time left, for the day [. J tbr the maflacre was near at hand. This Her lover was already dead JO? time. €^ TRAVELS THRotroK i! if, IIP' I? ! '■ 11 fi-l This woman could not donfent to fee all the French dcftroyed in one day by the conf|>iracv of the Notched ; (he therefore undertook' to bid thenr keep upon their guard ; for that purpofe fhe made ufc of fbme Indian girls who had^ French lovers, but ihe commanded them ex- prefsly nof tb fay that they afbed by her ordert. The Skurde Mad, enfign of the garrifon of the fort at the Natches, received advice by a young Indian girl who loved him i fhe told him crying, that her nation was to maffircre all the French. M. de Mace, amazed at this difeouffe, queftioned his miftrefs : her fimple anfwers and ' her tender fears left him no room to doubt of the plot : he went immediately to give M. de C^i^^rintdligence of it, who put him under arrcft for giving a falfc alarm j fcvcn of the inhabitants of the fort, iiiftrufted by the fame means, co- ming to afii his leave to take up arms, in ordci* to prevent a furprife, were put in irons j the go- vernor treated them as cowards, and was vexed that tl-jey endeavoured to infpire him with any miftruft againft a nation that fhewed fo much friendihip: the regularity of their payments kept up his fecurity : he did not fufped the politics of the Indians •, he blindly defpifed them, nor did he think men of their* kind capable of fo much •cunning. The jL O U I s I A I* A. % T^hc Sun iV«ifg- Jrm M with grief, that htsi cares for the confcrwation: of cb&. French wcrei ulelefs ; Ihe was determined to ferve them in fpite of themfi'Ives i f]»e- could not prefemi them allv aflduhcnefore fhe endeavoured to Ic/fen the^ number of viaims- a$ much as oQfflblc ; fhe ft. cretly went to th( t^mpte ^ fh^- drew a* eoupte*' of rods out of the bundle unnoticed by the'. pneftsi h«- intention was to forward the day fixed for the e?cecution of the confpkzcf, Ac forefaw that the mafRcre which would happen at the Ma/c/m yvoM footi be fpread far about that the French who were fcttied »mong tli^ other nations would be informed of it, and be upon their guard. That was^ the only thing that remamed f^r iier to do, and flic fucceedcd in It- the Natch<^s found they wete: come to their hdt ^ rod, wirfK)i>t perceiving the impofturc; they.. boldly began tlie intended flatighter, in the pei^i^' fuafion that their allies would ad at the ramc time. u ^i Thec3th of December 1^9, at eight in the' niormng, th^ Indians fpread among the FWnthr fome difcharges of guns, that were to ftrve asi? hgnal, were fired near the door of M.' de Chepar^ ' houfe/ ■MataA ^ejpi?'*^''' '^^ ^""' """""^ "^^ '^°*"' '^^^^'^ ff° ^'^'•'^ »^« 64 TRAVELS tHRdircrf houfe; and immediately they fell upon thd French every where at the fame time. Meir. d6 Rotly, chief faftors of the Weft In- dia company, were killed firft. M. de la Loire des Urfitts houfe made fome refiftance ; his fer- Vants killed eight Natchis before they were over-^„ powered. M. des XJrftns himfelf, who jiift wa» taking a ride, but returned at the firft firing o4 the guns, was flopped by a troop of Indians j he defended himfelf very bravely, killed four of them, and died pierced with wounds. 1 his is all that the entreprife coft the Indians: they murdered near two thoufand perfons ; only twenty-five or twenty-fix negroes efcaped, and moft of them were wounded. One hundred and fifty children, ninety women, and as many ne- groes, were taken prifoners, in hopes of felling them to the Englifh in Carolina* fiuring this carnage the great Sun was quiet- ly fitting under one of the India company's ware-houfes ; they brought' him firft of all the head pf the governor, then thofe of the chieC Frenchmen,, which he ordered to be ranged round the firft. All the others were put in heaps J the corpfes were not buried, and be- came the prey of vultures ; they cut open the bodies of women big with child, and murdered almoft LOUISIANA. 65 almofl: all thofe that had children at the breaft, becaufe their cries and tears importuned them j they made ali the reft Haves, and treated them' with the greateft indignity. Some people pretend, that M. de Chepar had the misfortune to perilh laft of all, and ta be the ^edator of this horrible (laughter: he then found, but too late, how wife the advices were that had been given him. The Indians told him, that a dog as he was did not deferve to die by the hands of warriors : he was given up to the Jiinking fellotvs *, who killed him with ar- rows, and afterwards cut off his head. Such was the death of a man who only follow- ed his own head, his cruelty, his avarice, and his ambition. As no Frenchman efcaped from this maflacre, it cannot be exadlly alcertained what kind of death they made the Governor un- dergo ; it is enough to know, that his enemies were a barbarous people, whom he hud irritated. A good adminiftration would have attached them to the French, who drew great advantages frojn them : thus the fault of one man can draw after it the ruin of a whole colony j one cannot be Vol. I. F a,f. * The common people among the Natchcs are called Mi^ (fu-M,chequipi, xvhich (igxni^es Jtinknig fello^v. 66 T R A V EL S THROl/GH fufficiently cautious in the choice of tliofe whq are to be feat as governors into thofe parts. The Indians, notwithftanding the ideas we have of ^heni, are not always eafily managed; polir tics and wifdom muft neccflarily be employed, in order to obtain their friendfliip ; they will not be offended with impunity, this hiftory is a proof of it ; nothing could be better conduced than the plot of the Natches ; and how unhappy had it been, without the interpofition of Provi- dence ! The Sun Stung Arm was worthy of the greateft acknowledgement:;, but it is not well known how they have been made to her. The nations who entered into the plot with the Natches^ not knowing the ftratagem by which the fVroke had been advanced, believed they were betrayed : The Cha^aw nation ima- gined, that the Natches were unwilling to give them their fhare of the plunder of the French ; and, to convince the latter that they had no part in the conjuration, they joined rhem in order to cbalt Ife the Natches. 'J'hcfe returned the French women and the negroes whom they had taken ; Ibme time after thry were attacked in their in- rrcnthments, but efcapcd by the help of a thuHr der-fh^rm, and quitted the country. About a thoufmd of them were tnl:en and brought to Nci^ Qrlccms^ and afterwards fold to the i people, both Frenrh and Indians, that (houid '; c in thofc countries, Ihould be under his orders. It was at the fame natiorj, called Jkanzas, that Mr. Joutel arrived, who fet out after the death of M. dela Salle, with guides to find out the Mfi,^j>pi. This is the only officer who has left us an account which may be credited. I think I ought to give you an abftraa of it ; you will find the hiftory of M. de la Salle in it, and of the end of his unlucky expedition. In regard to Ferdinand Soto's voyage, I fliall but juft mention, that the general hiftory of the Weft Indies informs us, that this great officer, proud .nd enriched by the conqueft of Peru, af- ter imbruing his facrilcgious hand^ in the blood of the unfortunate family of^ the Incas, intended to penetrate into this country with the braveft of his foldiers, to fubdue the nations that inha- bit the neighbourhood of this river, of which I am going to give you a defcription ; but he did not know the interior parts of this vaft conti- nent; perhaps he expefted to find effeminate , nation? t o u i s i A N A. 71 nations in it, as in South America ; he was mif- tak.cn in his hopes, part of his people were kil- led with clubs by the Indians, who flayed the principal officers of his army, and afterwards expofed their llcins on the aoor of their temple, which fo frightened the Spaniards that they re- imbarked immediately for EuropCi Tlie hiftorian lays, that Ferdinand Soio died of the fliamc which the bad fuccefs of this enter prize had brought on him, in 1543$ and, fmce that time till 1682, this fine country has been inhabited by nb Europeans* The fate of M. de I Salle has been rto happier than that of Ferdinand Soto, Thefe is ho virtue in li^an which is not blench- ed witi. fome faults ; this is generally the fault of human hatUre ; and what increafes our humi- liation, the greatefl virtues are often accompa- ^hied by the greateft vices. You will eafily per- ceive this, Sir, by the iliort extratSl from M. JouMs Journah M. Rolert Ctivelier de la Salle fet fail from R^^ chelle the 24111 of July 1684, with a fquadron of four fhips, commanded by M. de Beaujeu, a captain of a fhip. Two hundred and eighty- F 4 iive 72 TRAVELS THROUGH I,! 111'? ill • I five perfons, together with thirty volunteers * and fome gentlemen, and a number of workmen and girls embarked with him. M, de la Salle ■ was on board M. de Beaujeu\ Ihip, in whom he repofed no manner of confidence. Whatever that officer propofed to him, he always anfwered with an air of haughtinefs, rhis is not the King^s mentton ; he certainly did not take the proper fteps to interefl a man in his undertaking, whofe afTiftance he wanted to make it fucceed. Every one accordingly began to judge difadvantage- oully of an expedition, the chiefs Ox" which fcem» ed to adl by very different principles j and time has unhappily confirmed it. The 2Sth of December 1684, the fquadron difcovered the continent of Florida ; and M. de la Salle 'aving heard much about the current that let in to the eaflward in the Mexican g.:lph, he made no doubt but that the mouth of the MiJJt/ippi was :^ir to the weft ; an error that was the caufe of all his misfortunes. Accordingly he bore aw?y weftward ; but he advanced very little, bccaufe he went near the Ihore from time * Among thcfe were three priefts of St. Sulpitius, one of them M. ^/ la Salle*, brother, ChJi lend him his boat and ca- noe, which he obtainea veiy cafiiy. He began With niv:;,- die cre^^; next he got the powder and flower, afterwards the wine and brandy ; lie brought c . .hore about thirty bar- rels : had the boat of the Flute been able to amft I I 7^ TRAVELS through affift that of the Ihip Le Joli, almoft every thing would have been laved ; but that was funk on purpofe, and the night being come, they were obliged to defer the unlading till the next morn» ing. Some hours being paft, the wind, which came from the fca, grew more violent, and the waves Increafcd ; the Flute beating againft the rocks burll, and a quantity of goods fell out through the opening, and were carried away by the fea. This was only perceived at break of day ; thirty more barrels of wine and brandy were faved, together with fome barrels full of flower, meat, and peafe : all the reft was loft. To increafe the misfortune, they were fur- r^'inded on all fides by Indians j who, notwith- ...' ling the care that was taken .o prevent .* profiting any thing by the general confu- fion, took away ftvcral things which had been prefervcd from the wreck. The theft was not perceived till they were retired with the booty. They had left feveral of their canoes on the fhore, which were feized upon : very weak reprifals indeed, which coft much more than they were worth. The Indians came at nigh*" io rake their canoes*, they furprit'ed thofe who we; . left to take care of them, and, finding them afleep, they killed two volunteers, whom M. de la Salle regretted LOUISIANA. ^^ regretted very much, and wounded his nephew and another perfon. So many misfortunes, one after another, dif- gulfed fcveral perfons who were upon the expe- dition ; and, among others, MelT. Doinmaville and Mignet, two engineers, who were willing to return to France, to which the difcourfes of M. de la Salle's enemies contributed greatly • for they never ceafed to cry down his condud, 'and tax his projea as a filly and rafh undertaking. He, on the contrary, never fiiewed more refolu- tion and firmnefs ; he conftrudted a warehoufe furrounded with good intrenchments ; and tak- ing it into his head, that the river, in which he was, might poffibly be one of the branches of the Miliyippi, he prepared to go up in it. They immediately began ereding a fort; as foon as the work was fomewhat advanced, M. de la Salle gave Joutel orders to finifh it, left him the command of it, and about one hundred men : he took the reft of his people, about fixty in all, with himfelf, and embarked en the nver, with the refolution of going up as high as he could. Jcutd ftayed but a Ihort time afrer him in the fort which had been begun ; every night tne favages were roving in the neighbour- hood J the French defended themfclves againft tiiem. 78 T R A V ]:. L S through them, but with lofTcs that weakened them. On the 14th of July, Joutel received an order from M. de la Salle to join him with all his people. Many good flout men had been killed or ta- ken by the Indians •, others were dead with fa- tigue, and the number of fick increafed every day i in a word, nothing coukl be more unhap- py than M. de la Sailed fituation. He was de- voured witi} grief i but he difllmulated it pretty well, by which means his diflinuilation degene- rated into a morofe obllinacy. As foon as he faw all his people together, he began in good earneil to think of making a fettk^ment, and fortifying it. lie was the engineer of his own fort, and being always the tiril to put his hand to work, every body worked as well as he could to follow his example, Nothing was wanting but to encourage this good-will of the people, but M. de la Salle had not fufficient command of his temper. At the very time when his people fpent their forces witii working, and had but jull as much as was abJoIutely neceflary to live upon, he c«-)uld not prevail on himlclf to relax his feverity a little, or alter his inllexiblc temper, which is never fealbnablc, and lefs lb in a new fcttlemcnt. It is ' ■!!r';?'-.-'''?T?! g"' '' i ' - ^ eBy. i s; ! Vr-*^r L O U I S I A N A. n W not fufficient to have courage, health, and watchfiilnefs, to make any undertaking fucceedj many other talents are requifite. Moderation patience, and difintereflednefs, are equally ne' ceffary. It is ufcful to diilimulate now and then to p event making evil worfc. Gentlenefs is the belt method which twtxy commander can fol- low. M. dt la Salic puninied the leaft faults with an iinhearcl-of cruelty ; and feldom any word of comfort came from his mouth to thofe who fuf fered witli the greateil conftancy. He had of courfe the misfortune to fee all his people fall into a ftate of languor and defpondency, which was more the effeft of defpair, than of excefs of abogr or fcantinef* of good nouriJhnjent, Having given his laft order, « his fort, he xefolved to advance into the country, and begaa «n,^ch on the uth of January ,687, with M. de Caveher his brother, Moranget and the young C«T-rf,^ his nephews, F^iUr Jmjlatm a Francfcan friar, Joutel, Dulmut, VAnheveaue de Marnt, a German whofe name was Kms, a fur- geon named 2., if, 84 TRAVELS THROUGH Joutel was not then in x\i?. camp i VArche- veque, v/ho was his friend, ran to inform him, that his death was certain if he iliewed any t^ fentment of what had happened, or if he pre- tended to take advantage of the authority with which M. de la Salle had inverted him. Joutel^ who was of a very gentle temper, anfwered, that they fliould be content with his condudt, and that he believed that they ought to be plea* fed with the manner in which he had hitherto behaved j and then he returned to the camp. As focn as Buhaut faw Joutel^ he called out to him, that every one Ihould command by turns. He had already taken all the authority into his hands ; and the firft ufe he made of it, was to make h.imfelf mafter of the magazine. Pie divided it afterwards with UArchevsfiue, fay- ing, that every thing belonged to him. There were about thiity thouland iivres worth of goods, and near twenty- five thoufand Iivres both in coin and in plate. The afllimns had force and boldnefs on their fide J tliey had fliewn themleves capable of the greatcft crimes, accordingly they met with no refinance at lirll. They foon divided, and quar- relled among tliemfelves i they found difficul- ties LOUISIANA. 85 ties in dividing the treafure j they came to blows, and Hiens fired his piftol at Duhaut's head, who reeled, and fell four yards from the place where he ftood. At the fame time Rutel the failor, whom Joutel fetched from the Cenis, fired a gun at Lictot. That wretch lived yet feveral hours, though he had three balls in his body ; fo the two afTafTms, one of M. de la Salle, and the other of his nephew Moranget, were themfelves the vi(51:ims of that fpirit of fury, which they had inf^ired to this unha]ipy colony. The Indians knew not what to think of thefe murderers j they were quite fcandalized by them. They were in the right, and could with more reafon treat thofe Frenchmen as barbarians, than we had to confider them as fuch. Be that as it will, fucli was the tragic death of Robert Cave^ Her, Sieur de la Salle, a man of abilities, of a great extent of genius, and of a courage and firmnefs of mind which might have carried him to fomething very great, if, vith rhcfe good qualities, he had known how to get the better of his fullen, morofe mind, to foften his fcverity, or rather the roughnefs of his temper, and check the haughtinels with which he treat.-d not only thofe who depended entirely upon himfclf, but even his aflbciates. I'he moft unhappy thing ^ 3 tor $S TRAVELS THROUGH for th^ memory of this famous man is, that hf Jias not been pitied by any body, and that the bad fuccefs that has attended his undertakings h^s given him the appearance of an adventurer among thofe who only judge from appearances. Unhappily they are commonly the greateft numr ber, and their voice is, in a manner, the voice of the people. He has further been reproached witl> never taking advice from any body, and with ha^ ying ruined his private affajrs bjy his obftinacy ♦. Thus ended this unlucky undertaking ; many things confpired to make it abortive : it would at leaft have had part of the wiihed-for fuccefs, if a fettlement on the mouth of the Mifllfippi had been the only thing in view, as many people thought it was. It is certain, that when M. de Beaujeu abandoned M. dela Salle in St. Bernard's Baj/y the latter foon found out, that he was tp the * In order todiminifh the villainy of the deed of Duhauf^ it has been fprcad, that M. dt la Salle had killed young Duhaut with his own hands, and that he had treated feveral Others in the fame manner ; that it was defpair and revenge fhat animated the confpirators, who feared to perifli them- felves by his injuftice and fevcrity. One ought to be {(^ much the more upon one's guard againft fuch calumniating difcourfes, as it is but too common to increafc the faults ©f jhe imhappy, and to attribute to them, even thofe which they |«alJy have not. '6Bi«i>»«< LOUISIANA. 87 the weftward of the river he fought for ; if it had been his intention to find it, he might on his firft journey to the Cenis have obtained guides from thofe Indians, becaufe they granted fome in the fequel to >«/^/* ; JDut he wifhed to come near the Spaniards, in order to take cog- nizance of the mines of St, Barbaray and to feek likewife a Dorado. By endeavouring to do too much, he net only did nothing at all, but made all his people perifli, and perifhed himfelf, and was pitied by nobody. • Before I conclude this letter, let me add fome refleduns on the folly of men. The avidity of the Spanifh captains muft have been very great, as it engaged them to feek for an imaginary Dorado or mountain of gold, whilft the whole country they were in abounded in ail G ^- parts » The Sieur Joutel found the MiJJtfippi by means of the Indians, who brought him to the Manzas, and from thence into Canada^ ; where he arrived, accompanied by one prieft, a Recollet friar, a foldi°r, a failor, a colonift, and an In- dian, who compofed a ftrange fort of caravan. They were all that returned from this expedition. The remains of this unhappy colony perifhed either through the Indians or through the Spaniards, who took them prifoncrs, and fet them St work in their mines, I §8 TRAVELS through parts with that metal. This is a proof, that all the treafures in the world are incapable of fatisfy- ing man, as foon as avidity has once gained the. empire ir^ his heart. The Spaniards were not contented with the riches of Peru •, they mull ftill go to difcover a Dora(Ic, that is, a country where the rocks and ftones are all of gold. The Indians, in ordep tp fatter the avidity of their enemies, and at the fame time to get them out of their country, never ceafed amufmg them with accounts of the gold, filver, diamonds, and pearls with which that country abounded. Their defire of getting rid of their unwelcome guefts, induced them to fpare nothing towards perfuading them of the exiflence of this pretended country. The Spa- niards believed thefe accounts, in which they were inierelted j and this is laid to be the origin of the famous Dorado, which has made fo muc!> noife in the orld. The report was current, that, after palling a long chain of mountains covered with fnow, one entered upon a vaft plain exceedingly well peo- pled, in which was the Dorado that every one Y^ijhed to dilcpvei . ^efadoy LOUISIANA. 89 ^ejada, with two hundred and fifty brave foldiers, fet out immediately in fearch of it. On Sl James's day they perceived, from the top of a mountain, feme vafl plains which refembled a lea ; and when they were defccnded to the foot of the mountain, they built there a town, and called it San-Tap, in remembrance of the day on which they difcovered the plain ; they likewife furnamed it Las Atabyas *, in order to point out the defign of their journey, which was to difcover the Dorado. This town exifts (till in the place, which is marked in the maps as a monument which feems to engage pofterity to 00 out upon the dilcovery of this unknown treafure. ^efada pafTed through the woods of Ayrico with exceffive trouble, and arrived at 7V- mana in 1543, having loll almoft all his people. Orellana undertook the fame voyage in that year ; he fet out from Peru, defcended the ri- ver Maragnon or of the Amazons, came to the coaflr, and neglefted nothing towards arriving at the mountain of gold ; but all his pains were iifelefs, and he gained no more honour by the under- * Atalayar fignifics to difcover, or to fpy, in Spanifli : A(alaya, z tower or fort from whence one difcovers : Lat Atalayas is the plural. ^O TRAVELS THROUGH undertaking than that of having completed one of the moft horrible voyages that ever were heard of. About the fame time Philip de Ure^ fearing that ^lefada would profit alone by this difcovery, fet out from Coro in the province of Venezuela, together with Jquito, the Lieutenant Felalcazar, and one hundred and twenty men j but a Cacique having told him, that moft of the people of ^efada had pcrifhed in the undertak- ing, he went to the fouthward along the river Guabari, and flopped, as Father Simon and Fa- ther Piedrahata aflure us, at the firft fettlement of Omaguas, in a very bad plight. But what will not men undertake for the fake of gold I j^uri facra fames, quid non mortalia peSiora cq- gis * ? But to what purpofe is all this philofophy.-— The ftay which I intend to make here, will en-? jable me to fend you a new letter on the fubjed of the moft interefting particulars of the politics and form of government of the nations who in- habit this country. I am, S I R, &c, j4t the Akanxas, 05f, 29. 1751. '■ Here follows a dull quotation from a Spanifli anther up- on this fubjeift, whi^h we thought proper to omit. F, II >i LOUISIANA, 9« J. E T T E R fo the fame. Pefcription of the Manners of the Nation of Akan* zas, their Religion and Manner of carrying oh War-, thi Goodnefs and Fertility of their Country, S I R, 2]^^2 ^°P^ ^^^ defcription I fhall give of /•M ^ JAM 1*V«a ■ ^ ^ this Indian nation, by drawing your k^^jj^ attention upon their particular characr ter, will convey a general idea of all the nations of North America. Thete is indeed very little difference among them, in regard to their cu- ftoms and their way of thinking, and efpecially in regard to a Supreme Being, which in their language they call Coyocopchill, which fignifie* ih?SX^(ii Spirit^ or the Majier of life. '9^ TRAVELS THROUGH The Akanzas live on the banks of a river that bears their nan^.e ; it arifes in New Mexico^ and falls into the MiJJiJippi. Thefe Indians are tall, well made, brave, good fwimmers, very expert in hunting and fifhing, and entirely devoted to the French, of which they have given marks on feveral occafions. I fpoke, in my preceding letter, of an old man of this nation, who laid he had leen M. de ia Salle. This good Indian added, that frcrn that time he conceived a very great efteem for the French-, that they were the firft na- tion of white men he had feen, and fmce that time he had always recommended it to his na- tion, whofe chief he was, never to receive any other European allies than the French, who ■were immediately received at his requeft: in reality thefe people never would have any thing to do with the conjuration of the general maf- facre of the F>ench colony at the Natches. I muft do thefe good Indians 'that juftice •, they are always at war with the Tchicachas (Chick- faws) who gave the Natckes a retreat. The country of the Akanzas is one of the fined in the world -, the foil of it is fo fertile, that it produces, without any culture, European wheat, JL O U I 6 I A N A. 93 wheat, all kinds of food, and good fruit, un- known in France -, game of alb kinds is plenti- ful there ; wild oxen *, (tags, roebucks, bears, tygers. * The here enumeratv d animals, we intend to make bet- ter known, by adding the names in Dr. Linnzeus Syft. Nat. and Mr. Pennant's Syn. of Qjiadr. or his Britilh Zoology. 1. Wild Oxen. Bos Bifon, Linn. American o;f, Penn. Sjn. ^ad, 8. 2. Stags. Cervus Elaphus, Linn. Stag deer, ?em, Syn. ^ad. 49. 3. Roebucks. As it is dubious whether this fpecles is in North Americat this is probably the Dama Virginians, Ray. Syn. 'i>uad. 86, j or Virginian deer, Pcnn. Syn. '" drup. 51. 4. Bears. Urfus Ardlos, Linn. Black hear, a Syn. ^ad. 150. 5. TycpRs. There are no true tygers in all the new continent, and what is called thus mult be the Cugacurana of Marcgravc, andR^. Syn. ^ad. i6g. or Brown cat, Penn. Syn. i^ad. 1 79. 6. Leopards. Fells Pardus, Linn. Panther, Penn. Syn. ^ad, p. iji. note. Mr. Pennant has proved, from very good authorities, that this fpecies is found ia America", contrary to what M. de Buffon fays; who, though a; very great naturaliil:, by far fupeiior to many who make free with ^4 TRAVELS THfeot-oH tygers, leopards, foxes, wild cats, rabbets, tur- kies, grous, pheafants, partridges, quails^ turtles, wood-pigeons, fwans, gcef, buftards, ducks with him, is however a man who never departs from an opi- nion which he once h«s embraced, and which he will carry by his eloquence in fpite of the moil creditable authorities tO th? contrary. 7. Foxes. Canis Vulpes, LittH. Fox, Penn* Sy», ^O/^. 152. wllh all its yar;w.ies, the crofs fox, the black fox, and the bfsind fox. 8. WjLp Cats. Felis filvcftris tigrina, Griffon, ^adt 193. Cayenne Cft, Penn. Sjn. Sluad* lii, 9. Rabbets. There were originally no rabbets m Ame- rica, but th«y were imported by the Spaniards, and are now' greatly incret.fcd ; whether thefe, here called rabbets, on the river Mijjyippit are the true rabbets, or whether the/ are that kind of hare which is peculiar to North Amen-* ca, cannot be decided. The North American hare feems to be the Alpine hare, Penn. Syn* ^aJ. 249 ; it is lefs in fizetban the European common hare, and a medium between hare and rabbet, according to Kalm'? North Amer, Lp< 1054 10. TuRKiES. Meleagris Gallopjivo, Linn, Lc dindon^ fltanktt tttlumiititSy 97 < 11,. Grous. There are about fcvcp diif(?reiit kind* of poMi in. NerUi Amerce* L O U I S I A N A. 95 ducks of all kinds, reals, divers, fnipes, wa- ter-hens, golden plovers, flares, tiiruflies, and other birds which are not known in Europe. On («) Tetrao Phafianellus, Linn, The long-tailed grous, Edr ivardy 117. (^) -Canadenfis, Linn, Tlie fpotted grous, Ediv.jj, (f) Lagopus, Linn. The white grous, Ed'w. ft, PL enl. 129. \d) Cupido, Linn. The pinnated grous, Ctf/.IH.i. f L Umbellus, Linn. The rutted grous, Ed-w. 248. ' \f) Canace, Linn, The Itriated grous, ?l: enl. 131. &13«. BriSl. 203. t. 20. f. 1.2, Kg) Togatus, Linn. The ihoulder-knot grous, PI, enl. 104. BrlJjT. I. 207. t. 221. f. i. Which of thefe are found fo far fouth as Louiftana .nnot be ae:^rminefl. » ^ 12. Phsasants. This is fo vague a denomination, that itisnexttoimpoffible to find out which kind ofpheafant the author means ; for there is but one ^-r.eafant in America, in Cayenne, and Guiana, and therefore it is dubious whether this bird is found fo far north ^.Louiftana: I am therefore mclmed to believe, the autlior meant the long.,aikd grous, which bears . great f.milarity to ->. pheafant, and is found a, far as Vtrgmia, which is not above three or four degrees -more north than the Akanzas, 13. P ARTRXDGEs. This feems to be the American nar- f^ ^M TfT _ _ fw^ * tridge, Cat.Wl. ,2. Tetrao Virginianus, Linn. H- Quails. 96 TRAVELS THROUGH On my arrival at the Akanzas, the young wari-jrs received me with the dance of the ca* lumet. It is neceflary that I fliould inform you, that ;: a:... ^. i 14. Quails. Tetrao Mexicanus, Linn. Loufiana quail, t'l. enl. 149. 15; Turtles. Columba Canadenfis, Linn. Ganadi turtle, PI. enl. 176. 16. WoOD-piGEONS. Columba migratoria, i/«». Mi* gratory pigeon. Kalm., II. p. 82. t. z. Columba Caroli- nenfis, Linn. Caroline pigeon, Cat. I. 24. 17. Swans. Anas Cygnus, Linn. Br. ZocL p. ^^o. Eti- 'ward 150* 18. Geese. Anas Anftr, Linn. Wildgoofc, Br.Zool.^j^js Anas crythropus, Linn. WhiLc fronted goofe, Br. Zoo/. 450. EJw. 153. Anas Canadenfis, Linn. Canada goofe, £"/i cannot hz determined for want of information, F. " Whenever the Indians fwear or talrr oaths, they take .1 club with which they llrike againll a pplt, calling to mind their fine aaions in war, and promifing to keep their word religioufly : an oath of this nature is irrevocable among them: every Cacique fwears to lead his nation well, and ftrikes the poll ; without taking that oath, he cannot be inftalietlin ih» dignity. L O t^ 1; Si t A N A 9^9 Iftwohe of them, who, in my prefence, j|Def- formed. a trick which will appeaf incredible t9 you ; aftei' fome wry mouths, he fwallowed « rib of a ftag fcvcntecrt inches long, held it with his finger^i and drew it out of his ftomath again. He went to New Orleans- to fliew his agilitf tj3 the governor and the officers of the garrifon j tWs the Indians call ading the phyfician* The AkaHzas declare war with the following ceremonies. They make a feaft in the hut of the chief, where dog's flelh is fcrved up, which is the principal food of warriors j becaufc they fay, that a creature which is fo brave as to be killed in the defence of his mafter, mu(t give them valour. He that kills one of the enemy's dogs Is likewife received as a warrior ; but he muft bring the fcalp of the dog, that is, the fkin from the head, as if it were the fcalp of a man, with- out which the others woukl not believe him. The Indians have dogs in great numbers, both for hunting, and to fecurc them from being fur^ prifcd by the enemies. After the fca.. of which I have fpokert, the great chief calls together an aflcmWy of war- riorSk Hi Thf ibo TRAVELS 'through '. ; The aflembly is held in the middle of the vil- lage, in a great hut made on purpofe, which they call the hut of the council. The chief and moll corvfiderable men place themfelves, ac- cording to their refpcdive ranks, on mats or on tyger-fkins. When they are all feated, the chief or orator puts himfelf into the midft of the afTembly, and holds his fpeech with a loud voice : he reprefents to his nation, that it would be a Ihame for them not to revenge the affront they received from fuch or fuch a nation -, that if they did take them to account for it, they would for the future be looked upon as wo- men *. At that inllant all the aflembly ap- plauds, by faying, Heu ! heu ! The chief then takes a bundle of rods, and prefents it to tnc aflembly -, all that are defirous of going to war take one of the rods, and by this means tbey are enlifl:ed. The next morning the women run tlirough the village, crying, " Young men and warriors, " who received the rods, fet out, go to war, re- " venge the deaths of our relations, allies, and " friends ; * When an Indian is called a ivcman or an elJ afflA»fl«, it it an affront* which flgnifiei a man without ccirage, a coward. LOUISIANA. lOI ** friends ; and do not return till you are ftained " with the blood of our enemies, and bring with " you their fcalps *." Then a young Indian takes the trouble to paint red a club, which they call a head-breaker ; this club is brought upon the limits of the ene- mies country j there they cut a piece out of a tree, and with vermilion they draw on it two ar- rows acrofs each other, which is their fymbol of war : the red colour fignifies, that the nation defires revenge, and will not be fatisfied till it has Ihed the blood of their enemies. Before they fet out, the chief of the nation calls another aflembly, which is generally fol- lowed by a feaft, to which he invites his allies. The chief prefents the confederates with rods, to engage them to march with them as auxiliary troops. At the end of the repaft they fmg and H 3 dance * The Indians are ufcd to pluck the (kins from their ene- mies heads whom they kill in battle ; they count the num- ber of the Hain by thefe fcalps, which they bring home like trophies on poles. We generally give them, in good?, for the King's account, the val'icof ten crowns (ecus) for each ijcalp of oar enemies. 10^ ?r B. ' A V E LS THROUGH dance the dance of war^. AH the young rrten jirc.paiptpH red i it is really curious'tofee threrh dance. He that exprefles 'by dance the difco^ very or the furprifc, watche$ his enemy, keep- jjig |n'^ (looping pofture i all at'tjhc* he ^lls upon him, his cliib in hand, itii^king horriWe tJrii^s, i& is dotie in a real a6^ibn, His cbmrade iirops as if he were thundcFftrufek, (liffenihg all hi3 mufcles as an epileptic j jfftier which 'th'e *ibthcr reprefents, dancing, the m^thod^ of fcalping the dead enemy ., this is done with a knife which he has in his hand, he makes an irtdifion on the forehead, and round the neck of ^hisenet^Vy; "he places his long nails therein, he puts both his -knees againft the fhoulders of the dptive, and ^ith afudden pulli with his knees andpullwith his liands, he takes Up the fkin with the hair on •it, from the head. All this is reprefented it> fmging and dancing to the tqne of a drum and ■ a chi- » The fong of war is conceived in the following terms : »' I go to war to avenge the death of my brothers ; I fhaljl '* kill, I fhall exterminate, I fhall plunder, I fhall burn my ** oneraies : I fliall bring away flaves, I fhall devoir thej;: ''heart, dry (heir fiefli, drink their blood; I (hall bring ff their jlpalps, and make cups of their foulls ;^' and more fuch c.vprcffions, which ere full of cruelty, and (hev/ a after revenge and flaughtcf. LOUISIANA. [03 a chichikoii *, which marks the time and the ca- dence. The Indians never go to war without ccnfult- ing their Manitou f , to whom they attribute all their good or bad kjck. If the Manitou has not been favourable to them, they quit him without any ceremony, and take another. The chfcf, before he goes to war, undergoes a very rigid failing, and paints his body black during that time After the faft, he waflies himfelf, and paints his body and his face red. He harangues his warriors before the falfe deity, after which every one prepares his baggage. Sometimes they go to war four or ftve hundred leagues from their own country. Their baggage, in time of war, confifts of a bear's (kin, which ferves as a bed j a wild ox's Ikin, with which they cover themfelves ; a ty- ger-cat*s fkiii, which ferves as a fack to put the calumet or tobacco-pipe in ; a head-breaker or H 4 club ; '■^ This is a gourd in which they put a kind of Uttle beads, they likewife fallen fuch beads to their feet. t Falfe Indian deity ; fometimes a dried raven or a fiiake; they likewife employ for that purpofc amphibious crcatuw and quadrupeds. )[04 TRAVELS THROUGH club ; and a little hatchet, which they make ufe of in order to make huts in the woods. '-'■* Their arms confiil of a gun or mufket, the horn of an ox to put the gpn-powder in, which they haug round the body with a ftring, toge- ther with a little bag in which they put their bills, the flinx, and a fcrew j befidcs this, a bow . and a quiver full of arrows ; the latter are very ufeful for hunting. They never employ their fire-arms at any animals, when they are upon any expedition againft their enemies, left the noife might ferv? to difcover them. They agree amongft themfelves upon the method of furpri- ling their enemies; for the Indians place all their glory in the knowledge of this kind of war, which is generally fatal to thofe who are the ob- jed of it. They take very little care with regard to vic- tuals i every one has a little bag of flour of In- dian corn or rjiaize, roafted as we dp coiFce, and when he is hungry he takes a fpoonfui of water in which fome of this flour or meal is diluted, which he keeps till they are very near the enemy. Though LOUISIANA. 105 TJwugh tke Indians are fometimes three or /our days without eating, they are not ill at all from it, but continue their road as before: they ^ontraft their girdle round their belly, . in pro- . |)ortion as it grows more empty, and diminifhes in fize J ifi a wprd, they are indefatigable. ^ When the Indians have made a ftroke at the ^nemy, as they term it, fome young warriors immediately fet o.ut, to bring the news of the yiaory to the village.: They make their arrival known, by fome cries, wluch mark the niimber of prifoners, that of the dead, and that of the fcalps which they bring with them. The wo-^ men prepare .to receive the prifoners, and to give them a hearty drubbing with fticks. They have likewife a rigli.t to decide who of the cap- tives Ihall die, for they are brought. before them with their hands tied, and painted black* Thofe wo«ien who have Ipft their huibgnds, or fons, are at liberty.to tak? captives tp replace ..them. They can adopt them as hufbands or as fons, and they are then immediately fet free. Thofe who are not adopted muft be burnt ^t a How fire ; to that purpofe thejr head is fcalp- _. ^^ ed, « Thofe who are thus painted are to be .burnt in the midft ;0f the village, unlcfs tlie women adopt them. jo5 TRAVELS through ed, and they are faftencd to two pofts whicn are driven into the ground, with a piece of wood lying acrofs them*; then ail the young people ^xcrcife their fury upon them, and they endure «he greateft torments without complaining ; on the contrary, they fing till they expire, faying that they are true men, and that they fear nei- tther fire nor death; they laugh at cheir tor- imentors, and tell them that ihey do not make tthem fuiFer enough i that if they were in- ^heir ihands they would plague them much worfo; Tthat the fire muft be applied to fuch and fuch ^rts, and that they are there the moft fenlible ^-to'pain. It is to be 'remarked, that when they cdifpoie themfelves to maroh againft their ene* ^lnie«, theyt^te care to paint mheir bodies red ; -fo that, when ^they attack the enemy, with fuch rhowls &s if they were bew^itched, they really -look llikea troqp of devils let loofe from hell f, 'They are g©od towards their friends, but very . there was one Illinois -, they were put in irons. M. deUacarly haflened todifpatch meffengers to 'New Orleans to the Marquis de Vaudreuil, to give him an account of thjs expedition •, the go- ^ vernor ere remain- : in irons. LOUISIANA, 117 Vcrnor fent back orders to deliver the prifoners to their countrymen, who came crying, the ca- lumet in hand, and difavowed the plot, faying their people had loft their fenfes, and that the Englilh had taken their fenfes from them; They received peace vet-y thankfully, and all is quiet at prefeht ; however, for precaution's fake, the inhabitantis have received orders to carry their hiulkets when they go to mafs ; and the officer of the guard to place two fentinels at the church- door during divine fervice; I mufi: hot forget to mention to you* Sir, that all this paflTed without our having a fingle man killed or wounded. The Indians threw away their cloaths and their clubs to run the better ; the vigilance of M. de Monttharvaux the commandant, and of M. de Gruife the ma- jor, has prevented the confpiracy, at the mo- ment when the plot was to be executed. I am now returned to Fdrt Chartres, where we lead a pretty peaceable life ; I cannot lend any great news, but I wiil communicate fome litrle anec- dotes which may amufe you, and will at leaft give you an -dea of our Indians. I had hired an Indian for my hunter during winter j he belonged to the village of the MU- * 3 chigamias^ ii8 T R A V E-LcS THOROUGH I chigamias', ohe day having got a v6ry greai: quaii^' ' tity of gatiw,' rnftead of bringing it to me, he went; to treat' * with fomc Frenchman,, who gave him brandy ih exchange, of which he: drat"k" (o much as to loft the ufe of his reafon. As he entered my lodgings in this.' condition, I received him. very ill ; I took away the mufket which I had given him, and- turned hi'nl off by pufliing him out of doors : he came, however, into my kitchen again ft my will, lay down in it, and would not go our of it. As foon as he was in his fenfes again, he well conccivetl what a great fault he hid com- mitted •, and, being willing to atone for it, he took a gun, powder, and Ihot, and went out. The next day he returns, and comes in, very haughtily, loaded with game : he had round his naked body a girdle, between which all the heads of the wiid- fowls were put -, he loofenerd itj and thrcW them into the middle of m!y room ; he then fat dov/n near my iir^, without Ipeaking ; he lighted his calumcty and giving it mt to fmoke out of it, he faid, " I own I had loft my fenfes yefterday, but I have found them again : "I ac- ■■*■■ They call treating^ tJie exchange or barter of European merchandize againft the firs which the Indians take in hunt- « liij^. LOUISIANA. M^ t« K (1 <( I acknowledge my fault ; and I beg thee id exGufe it.- I agree that I had defcrved thtf treatment I received, being turned out of thy luic J thou haft done well to let me come in again, becaufe, if the other Indians had h«af(i of it, they would at the lealt difpute reproach me with having been turned out'of the hut of the chief Great Nofe *.'* ■ Many Europeans make no difference between the Indians and brutes, imagining that they have neither reafon nor common fenle. How- ever, the circumftance which I have now rela- ted, and a great many more, fufficierftly fliew, that thefe people are iufceptible of fentimerits of honour ; they know how to do themfelves ju- ftice when they are wronged, and know very well when they do ill. There are nations among" the Europeans, of whom one may remark as ridiculous and barbarous cuftoms as among the American Indians. To return to my hunter: you know very well, that drunkennefs dcbafes men to the rank ^ 4 ^f * An epithet the Indians gu\ e me to diflingiillh me from the other officers, to each of whom the- gave fuch denomi- nations, relative to the good or hid ouaLtics they obfervej in them. 120 TRAVELS THROudH of brutes, and that this vice is correfted with difficulty even amongft the French. The In- dians imitate them eafily in it, and fay the white people have taught them to drink the jiery wa- One day my Indian found the doof of the King's magazine openj he Iheaked in like a fer* pent, got to a barrel of brandy, and died half of it, by endeavouring to fill a bottlj5 with it* This accident obliged me to difmifs him j how- ever, as he was a good hunter, and had only one fault, his wife begged me to give him phyfic, to prevent his drinking : I willingly undertook the cure, with the afliftance of his wife and rela- tions. Once this hunter was drunk, but defired ftill more brandy i I got the people to tell him I had fomc; but that 1 was very tenacious of it. Me came immediately, and afked me for fome : I faid, I had brandy, but I would not give it for nothing. He faid he was poor -, however^ if I would take his wife, he would hire her to me for a month. I anfwered, that the chiefs of the white warriors did not come to the red men to enjoy their wives -, that if he would fell me his fon, I would willingly take him as a (lave, and ■kiiria ♦ Thus they call hraiuiy. LOUISIANA. I2X and give him in return a barrel of brandy j we made the bargain in prefence of feveral witncffes, and he delivered his fon to me. I was ready to laugh at this farde, from the very beginning of it. I made him drink upon the bargain fome brandy, into which I liad put long pepper. When he had drunk it, he was bound, and brought to fleep. When he was recovered of his drunkennefs, the Cacique of the village and his relations, who were in the lecret, came to him into his hut, where he lay upon a mat-, they difplayed to him all the hor- ror of the unnatural aflion he had committed by felling his own offspring. The poor Indian came crying to me, and faid, Inda^e wai pants, i. e. I am unworthy of living ; I do no longer deferve to bear the tender name of father* He was very angry at the brandy I had given him to drink, and which had fired all his ftomach j he called it urine of thz chief of hell^ that is, of the evil fpirit that caufed it. ♦ His wife, who is naturally humorous, and who was diverting herfelf at his expence, alked him very coolly where his fon was .^ He ftill ex- cufed himfelf, faying, that, knowing me to be Veiy kind, he expedted I would return him his fOBj w% fx% TRAVELS THkoi^ftit ibn 'y that he knew the grand chief of ik6 French*, and the father of the red men, had na flaves in his empire. I told him he was in the right, but that I had adopted his fon, and "Vvould take him in that quality with me to France, in order to make him a Chriftian, and that all the furs of his nation would not be fuf- ficicnt to redeem him. As the relations feemed to be grieved, thej^ advifed the drunkard Indian to go to the chief df the prayevy or the man that fpeaks with thtj great Spirit ; > for thus they call the priefts : \ told him, that if the chief of the prayer -f- re- quired it, I fliould not be contrary to him •, I would return him his fen, on condition that he fhould be baptifed, and that I ftiould be his> godfather : that as to himfelf, I required front him ^n abjuration of drunkenncfs, which had proved fo fatal to him. He laid my words were ftrong, "nd he lliould remember them while he lived i he bej^t^ .-^ I would adopt him as a bro- ther, and faid he was going to ftrike at the poll J. Since « The French King. f The Abbe Gagnon, of the order of St. Sulpit^us, and chaplain of Foit^/iartres, % The Indian method of faking ..n oath. See Letter V« L a u I s I X N^ A. n^ SiiTte' tte tim<^ He h^s rie'vei' clrarik wiriei <^r any f^jmu^ds liqW)rs i I h^iirt-fctit pedple' lio offer thi&m t'6 himf, but hied ways refu^td" tWii^, %- irtg", thkt Hfe had- iktiick at the pd^', and that th^^ hm df life Would be ^ngry with him ; that I had tolti Wim im Ms Spirit c6uid tiotht dfe- ceivc^d : h^ rocoireftcd that onte' Jf Hdd h^rii6d' the niimber of ^IsKTes of brandy whrch Ite had driiwt, wkh6ut nf\f Hi'^irig feen hinr; to' which he had arifwercd', that it wa^ Very true, and that he believed that the great Spirit! thacfe^s cV^ry thing muft hav(^ told me of it. f tcok the follow- ing method when* I vC^anted to kndw how many dVams rfiy Indian had taken. I left a clean glafs near a barrel of brandy -, the Indian, being afone, was tempted to drink a glafs ; afte'r which I ordered the glaft to be wafhed in hoi water, and put iri its place again ^ and ever/ time he drank, m.y people always did the fame thing. Accordingly it was very eafy for me to tell him, thqu haft taken fo many drams ; Le was always amazed at it, and thought I was ;. forcerer. I have often remarked, that the Indians are highly pleafcd when the French carefs their lit- tle children ; likewife, in order to make myfelf beloved and feared by them at the fame time, when- 124 TRAVELS THROUGH whenever I had rcafon to be difpleafed with theif behaviour, I made ufe of this method: the! inorc I feemed vexed and angry at the fathers^ the more I afFeded friendlhip for their children j i carelTed them, and gave them European toys* The Indians readily guefTedj that as I had no rea- fon to complain of their wives and children, I did not love them lefs than before, and was only Vexed at thofe who had offended me, without extending my anger upon their families. This moved their heart, and confequently they went out, killed fomc wild fowls, brought them to me, andi throwing them on the floor, faid, ** This is to appeafe thee, be no longer angry ** with us." I immediately anfwered, I willing- ly forget the paft, when I fee you come back with your wits, meaning when you do not come empty handed. A father's heart is the fame all oVer the world \ every father is pleafed with the friendlhip which is (hewn to his children, whoi make returns by their careffes. You can well conceive, that a mere trifle cari gain me the fricndliiip of thefc people •, and that it depends only upon the method of adting with them, to attach thfm to one's felf at all events. Kut let this luffi'-c for ihis time •, I think I tnud recall to your mind the plan I purpo- fed L O U I S I A N A. 12^ fed to follow ; I Only examine the fituation of the places where I ftop, and, during my ftay, I fhall apply particularly to know the genius of the people with whom I am to live for a time j and I think this ftudy not beneath a traveller. You are a foldier and a philofophcr ; I am per- fuaded, that what I Ihall give you an account of will pleafe you ; for I flatter myfelf, that you depend upon the fidelity of your hiftorian : in- deed, I mean to aflert nothing but ^^hat I am an eye-witnefs of; for I can neither invent nor ex- aggerate. I am, SI R, ^c. Jit Fort Chartres, among the Illinois^ the zSth of March 1752. L E T. 126 T R A V E L S .thaoux;k L ^E T r E R VII.' 7o the foitie. . < Defcrifdan cf the War of iJie Nations ^f Foxes cgainjl the llUmm^ of which the Author has been en Lye-'witiicfs. Account how the French Jettled among thefe People. S I R, f^%^'^ HAVE enquired after the manner ^ I S^ in which the French fettlement has been \xJF%.Jn, i'n^<^<^- here. The country of the ////- ffrt/-» VMS difcovered by our Canatliin hunters; they Found its climate very good, being in forty c!<*grees north latitude, fettled on it, and made an alliancewith the natives. Man. people among them married Indian girls, of which tlie greatell part became Chriftians : and after the dilcovery of Lcuijinna^ the India Company lent many fami- lies t O U I S I A N A. 127 lies over hither, .who lived and mulciplied here. There are now five great villages of French in- habitants in thefe parts *. ;;he moft confider- ^ble place is called Kajkakias, a name of the tribeof an////;;,/j fettlement, which is about half a league from it. The Sieur Sauff^er, an en- gineer, has made a plan for conftrudling a new iPrt here, according to the intention of the pourt. It (hall bear the fame name with the old POe, which js called Fort ,^^, Chartres, . The Illinois country is one of the fineft in the world ; K fuppljes all the lower parts oi Louiftaufi with flower. Its commerce confifts in furs Jead and fait. There are m :ny fait fprings +,' ' •that attvaa the wild oxen, and iht roe-bucks, which like the paftures around them very much! Their fleHi and tongues are faked, and furniui .another branch of commerce to New Orleans-, ^nd they cure hams, which equal thofe ot Bayonne. The fruits arc as fine as in France. • Tie India Company were pofleHed of Louifiana; but ihor gave „ back ,0 U,e King i„ ,73 ,. The five villages of ,he F-nch arc , a. of .he K..Mu... ,hc For. cLr„. Se. m/. the AW,V,,„ ana ,l,c /-.„>,>»-„ /!„/„, („caJow „a the rock) , „,cre i, now a fix>h, called St. OW./™. t Called ^a//-/,Vi,, by the Enjlin, ria„K„. >_ The 128 TRAVELS through The Illinois have very near the fame manners and cuftoms as the Nations I have already fpoken pf} they only differ in their language. They marry, and often, when they return from hunt- ing, leave each other agai*-,, each party going a different way. The marriage of the Indians is quite in the (late of nature, and has no other form than the mutual confent of tl e parties. As they are not tied by any civil contrad, whenever they are dif- fatisfied with each other, they feparate, without ceremony, faying that marriage is a tie of the heart, and that they only marry in order to love each other, and help ea^h other mutually in their wants. I have feen very happy marriages among thcle peopk- i divorces and polygamy arc uncommon amongft them, though the latter is allowed by the laws. An Indian may have two ivives if he hunts well •, fomctimes one Indian itiarries two fifters, giving it as a realbn that they will agree better among themfelves, than two that are ftrangers to each other. The In- dian women in general arc very laborious j they arc commonly told, when they are young, that if they be idle or heavy, they will get a wretched hulband. Here avarice, ambition, and many other paflions, fo common among the Europeans, LOUISIANA. 129 Europeans, never ftifle the feelings of nature, in a father's breaft, or incline him to force his children, and much lefs to controul them in their inclinations. By an admirable fympathy, deferv^ ing of admiration, thofe only are married, who love each other. The nUnois Indians were ix3rhierly the fnoft formidable in Loufiana, but the continual wars, >vhich they have been engaged in, againft the northren nations, have reduced them to a very fmall number. The hatred of the Canada IndU ^»J againft them, arifes from the incurfions which the IlUnois were ufcd to make into their coun- try, and becaufc they took and killed in thefe inroads, both the male and female beavers, which among thefe nations is reckoned a crime and cowardice, becaufe they make a great com- merce with the (kins of thefe amphibia % which they e "hange for European goods. ^n ^75^f the Indians of the tribe of K^akias met fix Indians of the nation of Foxes, hunting f • J Beavers are quadrupeds ancl probaMy called, by our a«. thor, ampma for no other rcafon, but becaufc thev may lie eaten as fiih on the Joun maigres F. ' t Their true name is Oura^amS ; th.v inhabit the cou.,- try to the weft of Uie Lake Mic.h:^r,,. ' 130 TRAVELS THAoufcH they took them prifoncrs, though they were not at war, and reiblved to bum them, that they might not give any account of them. One of the Foxes^ or Outagamis was happy enough tb «fcape from the ftake he was fattened to, and be- ing purfued by his tormentors, he leaped into a lake, and eluded their refearches, by fwimming under water. He remained hidden in the ruflies, only putting out his head from time to time to take breath. He had the firmnefs to remain in that pofture while his comrades were broiling. In the night time he efcaped the watchfulnefs o£ the Illinois^ who thought he was either drowned or eaten by the armed fijk *. As he was naked and without arms, he was obliged, in order to fubfift upon the road, to eat grafs like a beaft. Being returned to his nation, he told them what had happened to him with the Illinois, and the unhappy fate which they had made his fellow- travellers underga Their relations immediately began to grieve for them after their manner. The chief of the nation called An affembly together, for they undertake nothing without a council ; the rcfuit • The armed filh in Louijiana is exceedingly voracious. His te','th cut the iron of the iiih hooks in piece«. y voracious* L O I 3 I A N A. tit rcliilt was to fend hun4\c$ qf rqds "^ ^ ihc/dtkicfs of th< tribes, who w«rp their allies, aipoag whojo were the i'/V?*^, ,the Sakis and the K/',b^o«j who marched as auxiliary troops under the ftandard of the Foxes. The army confifted of a thoufand warriors 5 every thing being in rea* dinef?., the general of the Foxes marched towards the JlHHois^ and chiefly towards the Mtchigamias who had given flielter to the Koaklas. The warriors being come together to the num- ber of one thoufand, they embarked in one hundred and eighty canoes made of birch tree bark, on the river Ouifconfmg which ^alls into the Miffiftppi, By the current of the riyer, and the help of their oars, they were foon brought to their enemies, the Illinois. They pafled in good order by the fort of iT^^- kias where the Chevalier ^^ W/^/, an officer of my detachment, commanded. The van of this fleet of the Foxes, confifted of the beft runners, who were to go on ihore to recoayoitre. l^hey K 2 landed • As the Indianp * ./e hot got the art of writing, the rods mark the number of warriors, and the day of aflembling for the departure of the army. I3Z T R A V EL S through landed about a quarter of a league from tfhe; MfchigamiasyWhgCy which was furroundcd within a mufket fliot by a wood -, their enemies being , far from expecting fuch a vifit. ^ The Foxes had Hxed vpon Corptts Cbrifti day for fighting the Mnois. They knew that the latter would come to Yort.Chartres to fee the ce- remony which is performed by the French on that folemn day ; the fort was only a league from the Indian village. Every th:'ng being in rcadinefs for the attack, the general of the FW^, ^had hoiftcd the French CoIdu^s on his c^rto^^ afld vas as proud of hW tJ^ory, ars^if l^fc^idftfb- liued a great effi|^irer-^*^^'^ M. di Mfiiafty, W ^gSfiVcrnor, has writ^nto thofe in the J^lls-of Cirtada, to treat with the P<9;w;f copcei^ning the mtfkm of the JlUmh i^tim they have tdk^n pri^ci^r . u vru uim Thefe cunning Indians had condaftcd -, K4 recom- • The Indians are ufed to call every officer, my father. -■T'.. 136 TRAVELS through recommends i): to you togoa hunting, and to take your families with you, that they may have fomewhat to live upon, leaving only a certain number of men, to take care of the fields, and to prevent the wild bead? fr 4 ruining them 1 you muft likewife take care to fend one of your people from time to time, to inquire how flfiatters IVand here. The Anpuoer of the Chiefs of the Tribes, ■ *fc ■ 4 At C( « It is very well, my Father, that the great chief* pities us. It was a very brave aftion to be fur- <* prized in the manner weha ve becnj thou haft been *' an eye-witnefs of it, for thou haft faved the life of one of our girls j our tribe have been killed by the Foxes^ who have burnt our huts with our ♦« viduals, and taken our booty, during our re- **. treat at the Kajkakins, Thou muft think, that 37 •« of ourpcopl^^to him witK gSiiie to^ know what " happens here. c« z^*v «i Wc hope the grand cliief of the French *« will protea ajid help us to Ihclter ourfelvcs a- *• gainft the enemy. Webcgthr-likewifetomake' •* intercft with him that he may be fo good as t «( Speech of Chikapu, c Chief with a Medal " I beg, my father, that thou wouldft get o|l| «« arms mended, and we fliall decamp afcer ^x " immediately : and that thou wilt tell the grand " chief not to hear the bad words, which our " enemies will not fail to throw out againft ow " nation, let him remember the promife I made •* him, it fhall be a true one ; and I prcferve his '* words in my heart." :'iv»t Anfwer^ If what thou faycft be true, thy father will receive thee well, and all the other chiefs will endeavour 1^1 T R A y E L S TH|ov^H endeavour xq plcafc thcc, if thy heart agree with thy tongue. It is neceffary thou fhouldlt fet out foon : confider the damage which the dogs of thy village have done amoog the cattle be- longing to the Ffcnch inhabiants ;*=, and. with, what tranquility they fuffer Jt » l^hat thpy, have hitherto laid notjiiqg ab>out it, i3 jn confix dw^ion of your jjji^fqrtua^s,, which grievs tneniy and they cannot fee you re<^uc^d to thia %i a>ndition without being i^^vec^ ft it : buc ^y begin to be tiped, therefore you muft . fCi medy it* Xouf -faih^r will be fatisfied when hQ knows that you are gone to the hunting country, becaufe his heart is. afflicted to fee you fufFer hun- ger, and he pities his children; • A- to myft?!**/ 1 heartily wifh yo,u good fuc» tefs in hunting,, and a plentiful crop at your re-i tum. I hope the Greaf Sfiri^ will have pitjr wpon you ; do not flight him : ^econjnjend it tq yj5ur young people not to play the fool, that is, lK>t to deilroy the fiimale bcaveis in the hkes and • Tht Indians have many dogs for hunting j and they themfelves having loll iheir provifions, their dogs were hun- gry, and devoured «he cattle of ihe freucli. The Indian dogs arc of a breed which jjartakcs of the wolf and the ^og. L O U I S I A N A. 139 and hunting places of your enemies, who will not fail to be revenged for it, as you haveuit- hap/iiy experienced. '.I Your father has written to Mr. AdamviJk, who commands at the Peorias^ to make your peace with the Foxes, and to tr«at with them aboiH the raofpm of your wives and children, whom they,h^«e taken prifopcrs.5 the merchan- dizes fhall be furniOiefd for that p.urpofe for the account of the king, your father, grand chi^f of the white men and of the red men, .-Among, the. Indians, thofc ; who run away or defcrt in an aclion, where their honour, and the defence of their country is at flake, are not pu, nilhedi byt they are coufidered as the difgrace of human nature. The others are continually reproaching them, that thejr are not men, but old women j they are defpifed by the very wo- men, and) the uglie,^ girls will not accept of th-m for hulbands, and if ever it happened that a girl fhould be willing to marry a coward, her relations would not allow of it, for fear of hav- ing men without courage, and ufclefs to their country in their family. Thefe men are obliged IQ let their hair grow, and to wear an alkenan^ Jikft liiJL. ^M||' ; ■11 KBiyji Jl f T R A V E L S I THROUGH ' like the women *. I faw one of them, who oeirtg afhamed of his figure, went by himfclf to fight the tchikachasy who arc our enemies and theirs. He came near them, creeping like a fnake, and hiding himfelf in the great grafs during three or four days, without eating or drinking. •As the Englifh bring goods to the tchikachas (Ghickikws) in caravans, our Illinois killed one of them who had ftrayed from the caravan, cjrt off his head, mounted his horfe, and got off. ^c was out three months upon this fine expedi- tion. On his return the nation received him with due honour, and gave him a wife, that he might beget warriors. Before his departure he 'eat of dog's flefh, conformably to the opinion current among his people, and of which I have already had the honour of Ipcaking toj^ou. Tlie grand chief of the ///i>w>isdefcendedfrom the family of i^t^emaroas^ who were formerly fovereigns of this country. This Cacique or Indian king, is the fon of him that went to France with his attendants in 177.0. He was prefented to the King, who gave him a medal with his portrait, which the fon now wears on his • A ftiort petticoat, which the Indian women make ufe of, to cover their nakedncfs. LOUISIANA. [41 his breaft. There was likewife a woman of the nation of the Miffhuris^ who was called the prin- cefs of the MJfoms *. The Sieur Dubois, a fer- jcant, and interpreter of thofe American ambaf- iadors, having been created an officer by the King, mzvntd iKis Migourian lady at his return. She became d vidow ; and afterwards married the Sieur Mmn, a captain of the militia, by whom ihe had a daughter, who is ftill alive. ■?i fi The Indian princefs dcfcribed to her country^ men the magnificence fhe had feen at the courc of France, where fhe had been well received, 4nd loaded with prefents; Ihe had, amongft other things, got a fine repeating watch fet with diamonds, which the lavages called a fpirit, oa account of its motion, which fecmed fupernatu- ral to them. I have here fpoken with an old Indian, who was in the retinue of the Prince Tamaroas ; I tlkcd him feveral qucftions concerning France, and * She was the daughter of the grand chief of this nation. It is faid ihe was M. 4'/ Comment's miftrefs» who, during his command among the Mifauris, never ceafed to praife and ex- tol the wonders of France, and by that meani engaged feve- ral to follow him : this girl went over to the Chriftlan relt- jlon, and was hnptuKI ar the church of Notre Prrfr. I 1: TRAVELS THROUGH HM cfpccially what fine fights he had feen at Pd' ris: he anfwered, that it was the Rue 4e Boucher riesy (the ihamblcs) bccaufc tlicre was a great abundance of flefli ; and after that the Rue St. Honore. When he told his countrymen that he had feen the opera, and that all the people there *rc jugglers or forcerers i and that he like wife faw, upon the Pont-Neuf^ fome little men who danced and fung ♦, they would not believe him. When he faid, that, in the great village of the French (Paris), he had feen as many people as there are leaves on the trees in their forefts, (an hyperbole which the Indians make ufe of to ex- prefs a great number, having no words to ex- prcfs a number above a hundred), they anfwer- ed, that the Europeans probably had fafcinatcd his eyes, that it was impoffible, and that they had always offered the fame objefbs to his eyes. He faid that he had feen the huts of the grand chief of the French, i. e. Verfailks and Louvre, and that they contained more people than there are in their country : he likewife added, that he had feen the hut of the old warriors, (the royal hofpital of invalids). As this old Indian began already to doat, he agreed with the other In lians, that the French had bewitched him. Another Illinois, • A puppet-ihow. LOU IS I A N; A. %m HSnoiSy who liad mide the feme voyage, toW his countrymen, that, in the TJtmlkries, and other public walks, he had fcen men who were half women, having their hair drefled like women, wearing the fame ear-rings, and great nofc-gays on their breaft $ that he fufpedted they Jjut rouge oti their faces, and that he found they fmelled like crocodiles *, ttis Indian fpdke with the greateft contempt of that race oi mortals, whom we know under the name of petits-maitresy or beaus, who arc born with the weaknefs and the delicacypccjliar to women ; nature feeming to have begun mak- ing them fuch, ai?d afterwards to makeamif- take in the formation of their fcx. The Indian had likewife remarked the etidr- mous height of the head-dreflfes of our women in that timef , and of the heels of their fhoes. But what would he have faid, if he had feen the extravagant width of their hoops, and their fine fhape * The crocodile in the Mlffifippi has foliicles with muik, which fmells ftrongerthan the Eaft Indian muflc ; its eftum are fo ftrong, that you can often fracU the animal before you fee it, t During the regency. 144 T R A V ELS throuob ihape forced, from their infancy, into. that ele- gant cuirafs called ftays. Thefe coquets are not lefs ridiculous by their ariifics, than their filly adorers. You have made the ob&rvation, as I have done, in the courfe of your travels through Europe, that the foreigners and coun- try gentlemen, who come to Paris to copy our beaus and our belles, have rendered themfelves infupportable to their countrymen by this unna- tural method of acting : indeed, faid our Ame- rican, fuch efFemin?, by break of day, into the Spanifli canip, and killed ihem all except the Jacobinc pricft, whofe Angular drefs did not feem to be- long to a warrior : they called him a mag-pie^ qnd diverted themfelves with making him ride on &nc of the Spaniih horfcs, on their days of ^ITembly, Til? ■^i.v LOUISIANA. 'S$ The pricft, though he was carefTed and well fed, was not without uneafincfs, f<-aring that thefc jokes would end in facrificing him to the Manitou, or deity of the Indians ; therefore, one day, taking advantage of their confidence in him, he took his meafures to get away before their faces. All thofe tranfadions the Mijfouris fhemfelves have relai 1, when they brought the ornaments of the chapel hither. They were drefled out in thefe ornaments : the chief had en the nak i fkin the chafuble, with the paten fufpendedirom his neck, having driven a nail through it, and making ufe of it as a breaft- plate ; he marched gravely at the head of all the others, being crowned with feathers and a pair of horns. Thofe that followed him had more chafuble^ on; after them came thofe who carried the ftole, followed by thofe who had the fcarfs about their necks ; after them came three or four young Indians, fome with albs, and others with furplices on. The Acolothifts, contrary to order, were at the end of this proceflic not being adorned enough, and held in their hands a crofs or chandelier, whilft they danced in ca- dence. Thefe people, not knowing the refpc<5b due to the facred vtenfils, hung the chalice to a horfc's neck, as if it had been a bell. Reprcfent 154 TRAVELS through Repreferit to yourfelf the ridiculous ffght which the fingular order of this proceffion muft oflfer to the eye, as they arrived before the houfe of M. de Boijbriant the King's lieutenant, marching in cadence, and with the great calu- met of peace difplaycd according to cullom. . . ■ . t Tkc firft Frenchman who faw this mafqueradt arrive, ran laughing to give M. de Boifbriant intelligence of it j this officer, who is as pious as he is brave, was overcome with grief at the fight of the Indians, and knew not what to think of the event ; he feared they had deftroy* ed fome French fettlement j but when he faw tlicm near by, his fadnefs vanilhed, and he had much to do to keep himlelf from laughing with the rell. The Mijfouru told him, that the Spaniards intended to ' have defl:royed them i that they brought him all thcfe thihgs, as being of no ufc to them, and that, if he would, he might give them fuch goods in return is were more to their liking. Accordingly he gave them fome goods, and lent the ornaments to M. de Bienville^ who was then governor-general of the province of homfiana. Ai LOUISIANA. 155 As the Indians had got a great number of Spanifli horfes from this caravan, the chief of the Mjfouris gave the fineft to M. de Boifhriant, They had likewife brought with them the map which had conduced the Spaniards fo ill, who came to furrender themfelves, by confefling their intention to their enemies. I fhall profit of the permifllon whic!: I have obtained to go down to New Orleans. If I find our general, and a letter from you there, it \ 41 be a double plcafure to me. ' I am, SI R, &c. jltthe Illinois^ the 15/^ of May 1753. LET. tsi TRAVELS THRou GK LETTER VIII. To the fame. The Author leaves the Country of the Illinois, and goei to New Orleans. Arrival of Monfieur de Kerlercc. Departure of the Marquis de FaU' dreuil. The Author* s fecund Voyage to the Illinois. Heroic A^ion of a Father, who facrificed himfelf for his Son. SIR, P^Sc^^ N June I arrived at the Capital of jR I Sr Louiftana, where I found a letter from iit?^:^ you, which gave me real pleafure, by informing me that you continue to enjoy your health, and it made up for the lofs I had of our dear governor's prefcnce ; when I came hither I heard he was already gone to France -, and to compleat my misfortunes, Mr. Michel de la Rucv'illiero was dead of an apoplexy \ he had wrote LOUISIANA. 157 wrote to me that he had with forro - heard of the lofs of my boat, and that notwithftanding it was not the king's cuftom to re-imburfe fuch cxpences, yet he would repair this lofs with plea- furc for my .relief: that I Ihould make an exaft •account of all I had loft, and join to it a certifi- cate from M. de Macarty, the commander of the convoy : this was, he faid, an indifpenfable ne- ceflity, that this article may at leaft have feme appearance, and thus be entered in the accounts ; he promifed that as foon as he Ihould have this paper, he would fettle what I was to receive. TheMarquis de Vaudreuil had recommended mc at his departure to his fucceflbr M. de Kerlerec^ who has not paid any attention to his recom- mendation J his qualities are quite the reverfe of thofe of his predeceflbr ; but this new governor alledges, that he is not come fo far, merely for the fake of changing the air. He kept me at New Orleans^ and only allowed me to rejoin my garrifonin 1754, with the convoy which M. de Faveroi commanded. I could not find any room to embark my provifions for the voyage, on account of the number of goods every one was allowed to take as a venture, and which filled the king's boats : I made my juft reprc- fentations on this fubjeft to M. de Kerkrec, who made me fufT.r all kinds of difagreeable circum- ftances 158 TRAVELS througit ftances on this occafioii. . After which, having, alked me what venture I took with me, I an-, fwered, that I iinderftood nothing of commerce 4. that beirg a foldier, his majefty had fent me to Lowfmna to ferve him, and that I placed all my. glory in that fervice, at laft M. de Kerlerec gave me leave to join my garrifon. I left New Orleans the feventeenth of Augiift, but the boats, as I have already faid, were (o much laden with ventures, that being overtaken by the froit, we could not get to ±t Illinois, but were obliged to winter on the road ; and the convoy only arrived in January, 1755, which occafioned extortions and immenfe cofts for the king's account. The fatigue of (b long a voyage ruined my health fo much, that I was reduced to the utmoft extremity. I was con- dudlied on foot by Indians, and when I was tired, . they carried me in a drefled ox hide, made in the form of a hamock, hung upon a great pole, as a litter. They changed fucceflivcly, and in this manner I came once more to the old fort Chartres^ where I lay in a hut, till I could get a lodging in the new fort, which is almoft finifhcd. It is built of free ftone, flanked with four baftions, aiid capable of con- taining a gariifon of three hundred men. I afked LOUISIANA. 159 afked M. de Macarty\ leave to go to change the air at the Kaokias^ who are a day's journey from Fort Chartres, and the road to it is either by water or by land. In this poft there is a little fort on the left fide of the MiJJifippi, it is the g^eat road of the Illinois to Canada, and the cen- ter of commerce of New France, or Louifmna^ which is confider^ble in furs. The priefts of the order of St. Sulpicius, to whom the ifle and town of Montreal belong, feave eftablifhed a miffion here under the name of the Foly Family of Jefus, There are but :hree puefts. I have been particularly ac- quainted with the Abbe Mercier, a Canadian by birth, and vicar of the whole country of Illinois, He was a mzn of probity, whofe friendlhip could not fail of being of ufe to me, by the knowledge he had acquired of the manners of the Indians, who were edified by his virtue and dif- intereftednefs. He fpoke the language of the country, and on account of the fluency with which he expre/Tcd himlelf in it, he was highly efteemed among the Indians, who confult him in all matters. He has fpent forty five years in cultivating the Lord's vineyard in thefe diftant countries, and the Indian nations of thefe parts- have 1^0 TRAVELS THROUGH have always refpedcd him. A man of his cha- radcr could never have lived long enough for the happinefs of thefe people. This worthy apoftle of Louifianay fell into a confumption in Lent, and he died of it one Friday at half an hour after eleven at night, expiring as a Chriftian hero. He had an admirable prefence of mind» and I have regretted him very much. The French and the Indians were inconfolable ; the latter fent their deputies according to their cuf- tom to lament him on his tomb. They came in fwarms, and as foon as they arrived near the houfe of the late Abbe, they cried out aloud and made doleful lamentations. Thefe poor people were in a great confternation, and grief was painted on their faces. Thefe people, whom we call favages, know the true virtue in man 5 this man had worked almofc during his whole life for their welfare -, they called him their fa- thei and the chi'f of the prayer. What a difference is there between this mif- fionary and another anterior to him, who falfcly attributed to himfelf thedifcovery of Loui/iana-, I mean the father Hennepin, a Recollet friar, of whom 1 fliall fpeak to you. In 1683, he pub- iifhed a relation, the title of which is not right : for h O V t S I ^ N A. lit for the country which the Recollet, and the Sieur Decan dikovcred in going up the sMif^ppi from the river of Illinois to the fd\\ St. Anthotiy, does not belong to Louifiam, but to Canada. The re- lation of a fecond voyage of father Hennepin^ in the Recueil des Voyages duNord, bears a title which is equally falfe : voyage to a country greater than Europe, between the frozen ocean, and new MMfico j for though they have gone very far up the Mffifippu they have ftill been at a great diaance from the frozen ocean. When the author publilhed this fecond relation he had quarrelled with M. de la Salle j it fcems that he was adually forbid returning to America, and that the difpleafure this, rcftriftion gave him, prompted him to retire to Holland, where he publilhed a third work, mtitled a new defcrip- tion of a very great country, fituated in Averted between new Mexico and the frozen ocean, ^ with refkaions on M. de la Salle'i undertakings and other things cX)ncerning the dcfenption and hif- tory of North America^ , . The Author, there riot only vents ail his ill-na- ture on M. de la Salle, but likewife throws it »pQh France, pretending to have laeen iil-treated by the nation. He means to fave his honour by declaring that he was born a.fubjea of the Ca- ^°'- ^' ^ tholic f filM i6t T R A V E t; S: TttRouoH tholic king * ; hut he ought tarefleft that ft was ^ tht escptnce of France that he travelled in Jimerkay and that it was in the name of hfe moft Chriftian majefty, that he anH the Sieiit Detan tbdfe pofteflloti of the countries which they hid difcovered. He did mit ftw to athrafiice, that it wis with the .. ctohffeht of his* Catholic majefty, his flrfl: fovcreign, that liif '' dedicated his relitron, to- WiHkm the Third, king of Great Britain, in which he folichs that monarch to conquer thefe vaft regi- ons, and to fend Mil!ionarics thither, to teach the Indians the Chriftiah religion ; a proceedbg which excited the ridicule oiP the Catholics, ^nd fcartdalized the Protcftants, who were ftirprized to Ifce a pricft who bailed hitnfelf ^ miflionary, exhort a Proteftjint fbvereign to fouhcJaRomaft chuifch in 'America. 'All his works ate befidcs Wt'Ttteh in a pompbtis ftile, wiiich fliocks the 'rekdrt*5'^fid offends him by the liberties which the attthor takes, and by his indecent Tnye(5Hves. Father Hennepin thought h6 nright make ulc bf the privilege of a traveller-, but he has likewife been much cried doWn by his fcllow-traVeHers, who have often d^fchred, that he V^as Vi^ry tin- ■'Vdithrul W'.'/i' ( '^j i. •itJ u .'.ii^. 'oi?;:;t ''* Fttheir Hehneppin was a native ol* Douay, t-6 tj i s' 1 A N A. iti feithftil irti ^11 his accbunt^. * It . appears that there' wai mofe i^atifty in fiis** iindertakih than trtie le^ ih' ihakihg proTelytes in 'i Whtlft j #ai- ^^fe ^&»ytev bf the ttati^ft of QftP^ts srrivf^ thferfc j tlieir Matii* Mr<6r^AIfe deity, was ii dried ferptm:, bf 4 jnd/iftroias fize. Thcfe pebble faid that this prodigious animal had committed grtat devnC' tations in their country i that it fwallowed a tyger-cit ail at once; that confeqiiently they had deciahid war againft it, aiid ivere gone to at^aefi it. Th(*y followed it by thfe track, bdt rieithe^ balls VrOr af-ro^s cowld Ji^neti'atfc its bbdyj whicA "wistoVettA with vfe'ry hard fcales, like tjiofe oi* a ttocodi'ie. they ItitTc'eeded at laft in |)utting ititi death fey fllootiff^ Mis and drrbws at itj tTitieh Bliftded it He" iMi had Icilled If cMei the mark 'K>)t ^mpw{tl6l^ of" it oti hi§ body, fa the fame manrier as the Akanzas imprinted the foe-fcuGk oti my chiih. TH^y make this kA^ *vr g mark ih the following manner, they firft di-aW winh falac1c> ^of with gun-powdef tlie ligUl^ b(f the ahirtialbr ol^jea: they mean i^xt^ ppefertt, 6h the fletti i after which they fling, the fkin ift'the buMirie, ^rth One or Aore nee^Jts to th& blood i the figure is then lliglkly wadiei M 2 over TRAVELS THROUGH over with a fine fpunge dipt in a folution of rock ialt, which mixes the blood with the black, con- ira^ing the (kin which has been ftung, and ren- ders the figure indelible. TJiIs is riot done with- out fome pain j but as it is a kind of knighthood to which they are only intitled by gr^at actions, they fuffer with pleafure, in order to nafs for men of courage. Thefe marks of dimn(5iion multiply in proportion to the fine adions tl^ey doin war. If one of them Ibould get hlmfelf marked, without having previoufiy diftinguifhed himfelf in battle, he would be degraded, and looked upon as a coward, unworthy of an honour^ which Only belongs to thofe who gCDeroufly ex- pofe their lives in defence cf their country. The Indians only value the fons of Caciques, in as 5*iuch as they are brave and virtuous after th» example of their fathers and anceftors. I faw ?h Indian, who,, though he had never fignalized himfelf in defence of tiie* nation, however chofe to get a mark on his body, in order to deceive thofe who only judged froni ap- pearances. He would pafs for a man of cQursige with a view to obtaia one of the prettied girls of the nation in marriage, who, favage as flie was, : r ' was L O U I SI A N ^S w;i« however not without ambition. As he was on the point of concluding the match with her •elations, the warriors, full of indignation on ^ing a coward boaft with a mark due c.ily to militaiy merit, held an iffcMy of chiefs of v/ar, in Order to punifh fuch audacioufncis. The council agreed, that, to obviate fuch an abufe, which would confound brave men with cowards, he who had wrongfully adorned him- felf with the figure of a club on his Ikin, with- out ever having ftruck a blow at war, fhould have the mark torn off, that is, the place Ihould be flayed, and that the fame fliould be done to all who would offend in fte lame cj^fr As there was no pardon to hope for, his con- demnation being pronounced by an aft of this Indian fenate, who i^ 'calous of maintaining the honour of the nation, I offered, in commifera- tlon of the poor wretch, to 'cure him in the French manner; I faid I would take off the (kin ivnd the mark without hurting him, and that my remedy would change the blood into water. The Indians, ignorant of my fecret, believed I jeft- ^d with them : therefore, counterfeiting their jugglers, I gave the pretended bravo a calabalh fi'Il of fyrup of the maple-tree, into which I had put a dofc of opium ; and, whiift he was afleep, M 3 I ap- si Mi 19 ^t l66 TRAVELS thuovoh I applied SpanilK flies tp ^he figure pf the club which hp bore qn his brcaft, and oycf thetn fomc plantain leaves, which p^nf,4 tvimours*^ the fkin and the mark went oft, and a watery matter came oiv. TIvr method of proceeding lurpL-ifed the India)> jugglers, who were i^porunc of the SpanlOi flics, or Cantharides, \yhich ar^ very common in Nort/t jiMi.ir{ca. Thfy give a. Tight in night-time j and even the .fmalle|t types can be read, by lioLding thr in(c6i near tQ the IfJttcrs, and fbliowiqg the lines. There is often ^ nmilarity in the maimers of the Indians and of the Europeans, though they may appear ever fo different amongfl thcmfelves, Tl\c following ''xamplc is a proof of it. Ai) ofFicer belonging to the regiment of the ffie de France^ having fallc . ;n love with a yo\.i:^g lady at Paris m 1749, the mother of the lady told him, that fhe would willingly give him her viaughter> provided he was adornec) with the crofs of i>f. Louis. In order toacpeler?to his marriage, love infpired hin^ with the thought of taking that diHint^vion from himfelf, which the King alone cm give away. The lady already looked upon him as her fon-in-law j bgt a few days after, thq fallc chevalier is met by an ofiicer of his regi- ment, who, being before him in the Icrvice, is furprillnj U O U Jl h !l A N ;lA. 6y furprifad to Ice hia^ ObvOJ^ jUbie d'oHj before him* iclf. The new chcvalicit toW him, that, with prote(itio;is, one could get at every thmg. The officer, who knc*v nothing of the other's views, goes immediately to M. d'Jrsinfon^ and rcprcfcnts to him» the injufticc done to him^ by giving the order of St. Louis to his. junior offi% cer. The miniftcr denies it, and femls for tho lift of ptX)mocions, in which the officer is not comprifcd : accordingly he is taken up, and brought before the tribunal of the Marfhals of France. A court was held at the hofpita! of invalids, -wherein Marihal Bielle-ijle. piefided, The falie chevalier was fcntenccd to have the crofs taken from him, to be degi'aded> and to be confined in. a fortreis during twenty years, The Indian women arc allowed to make marka all over their body, without any bad confc- qucnces •, 1 have fcen I'ome of them who had marks even on their Ucails, tluough that part be extremely delicate •, but they endure it fjrmly, like th-; men, in order to pleafe them^ and t9 appear handlbmer to them. To return to the Manitou of the Ofages^ I wiflicd tv* have this pretended relic in my pof- feUion, in order to adorn your coUedion of na- M 4 tural i m„ 168 TRAVELS THROUGH t al curicfitics with if, I was willing to treat about it with the Indian pricft who ferved ii, offering him European goods in return, and re- preferring 10 him that the adoration of this ani- inal vas a»^ abufej that he ought, as we do, to woiliip the Gnat Spirit, or Jut/ior af Nar ture i but this cunning prieft of the devil, in owning that his fuperftitious countrymen lored every thing uncommon, told me, that he ex- pe<5led to make a great profit of his Manitou \ that, being a phyfician, and a juggler befides, he could eafily make them believe that his deity eat with the evil fpirit at night, and that they muft bring him victuals into his hut, and fine furs to drefs him out. Thus this impoftor, by his artful difcourfcs. gives weight to the errors and prejudices of theie ignorant people. Thefe fellows make them be- lieve, that they converfc with the devil at night, whom the Indians arc much afraid of^ becaufc he can only do harm ; whereas they fay the Great Spirit^ being good, can M them no hurt. I fliall finifh my letter by an account of t^« tragic death of an Indian of the nation of C-olia* pifasy who facrificcd himfcif for his fop •, ? ha.^* atiniirc^' >m L O U I S I A N A. 169 admired this heroic deed, which raifes human generofity to the higheft pitch. A Chaffawy fpeaking very ill of the French^ faid, that the Coliapiffas were their dogSy i. e, their flavei^ oae of thcfe, vexed at fuch abufiVe language, killed th^ ChaSiaw with his gun. The nation of ChaSfazvSy which is the greateft and moft Ruirepeus on this continent, armed imme- diately, and fent deputies to New Orleans to a(k from the governor the head of the murderer^ who had put himfelf under the proteiflion of tac French. They oflfercd prelents to make up the quarrel, but the cruel nation of Chu^aws would not accept any ; they even threatened to dcftroy the village ©f CoUapiJfas. To prevent the effii- fion of blood, the poor unhappy Indian was de* livercd up to them. The Sieur Ferrand, com- mander of the German fettlement on the right ftiorc of the MiJJiJippu was chaiged A^ith this commiffion. The rcndcz-vous for this p'^rpofe was given between the village Cc'kpijfa and the icttlement of the Germans \ an-i the wcnfice was performed there as follows i The Indian was called tichou MingOy l e. Ca- pique*s fervant. «c (^ood upright, ^.,d held a fpccch, according to ihc cuilom jf the people. faying, 1 1 ^79 T R; A V 1 L *S f ihrqugh frf' it I t}m " fear death ; but, I pity the fat« pi a v?ife.and " four children, whom I leave behind me ver3F ;*^yaui^, and of my father jjjkI mother, wha *> are old, *nd fof , whom I g©t .fubfiftonce by W hunting *, j| isec^-nmend them ta the Frejachu ^tibecawfe I 4ie for having taken their parj.** 1% „ >. ^- . . . . -..,.,, He had hardfiy fpokei> chel^ftiuftQpd qf thii fhort and paihetic fpeech, wh?rt his gqod and lender fatli^ri peaetrated, with his Ton's filial Jbye> got up* apd fpoke to the following ef&;i5t: ^* Jt ^ throi^g^j' CQurage f that my fon dies v but Fi being young, and full pf vigour, he is more M ftt than myfelf to provide for his mother, wife, .** and four little children i it is therefore neeef* *hi'ikry he fli^' M ftay on caith to take care of *s>lhem. -^ oylclf, lam.oi^ar. the end of my *" career, \ »_ iiwed long enough^ and I wifli my f^ {on may come to the Tame age, i/i order m ••^ educate my iittie chikireo. I ajTi no longer ftt .**' for af»y tlwng, ibme years - ot' life mode ,He was tnc heft hunter in the nation. . t Cowra^ is. a word wkich, in thtu language, fjgrifips ■^bjucUung gicat or exiuorJinary. L O U I SI A N A. ifi ** man, aiid wilJ die as fiich j thtrtfdrt t^ ia *^ take his placed." '^arn." ^ - •■ I- • rr, At thefe words, which exprelTed paternal df- fedlion in a very ftrong and moving manner," his wife, his Too, his daughter-in-law, and theii- little children, ihed teai^s roupd the brave oW man ; he embraced them for the laft: time, and exhorted them to be faithful to the French, and m dh rather than to betray them by any mean- nefs unworthy of his blood : at laft he told them, that his death was a necelTary faqrifice to the na^ tlon, which he was contented and proud to make* With thefe words he prefented his head to the relations of the dead aaSfaw, and they accepted!^: a^cr that he laid himfelf on the trunk of a tree, and they cutoff his head imme- diately with one ftroke of a hatchet. E^/ery thing was made up by this death ; but t^e young man was obliged to give them his fa- ^er'$ head f •, in taking it up, he faid to it, 'V:.'iH '*-;'»•. T-r •' Pardon ^Thcic na%,^s M^' iu: U^ talknu. ^h is avengey death; and u is fniiiiient tp fubllitMte any oneof thpna, tion, if CVCh he w