USA > Louisiana > Historical collections of Louisiana : embracing translations of many rare and valuable documents relating to the natural, civil and political history of that state > Part 23
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miles long, and two leagues or more from the northern or western main. Between this and Mirtle Island, the depths of water were four, five, six, five, four fathoms. Rose Island is a brave island, and full of wood. They found it somewhat difficult to go down the bay between the islands, meeting with some shoals, where they had not much above two fathoms water. They turned round Mirtle Island into the main sea, and coasted the east side, which is very bold. Over against Mirtle Island to the north, about five leagues distance, on the main land, is a high point of woods, where is the entrance of Little Meschacebe, or the East Branch, which I mentioned in my description of the great river. And about fifteen leagues to the north-east of this branch of the Meschacebe is the Bay of Bilocohy (Biloxi), which is, within, a fair harbor, with a small river falling into or near it, called Passagoula, bordering on which and the aforesaid bay is a fine country, but on the bar there is not above seven or eight feet water. It was on the continent, lying, I think, on the easterly part of this bay, that Monsieur d' Iberville, in the beginning of the year 1700, built a small sconce, and left therein about forty men, well provided with neces- saries. He afterwards returned twice to France for further reinforce- ments, but on his third voyage back to Bilocohi (Biloxi) he died. The French being about that time hotly engaged in a war with the English and their confederates in Europe, this and another small settlement they had thereabouts were deserted, for want of timely and necessary supplies.
Our ship passed on the cast side of Mirtle Island, which is twenty-four miles long, and three other islands, there being openings between, a mile or two over. The fourth and last island is the broadest and highest, and a good mark to find the Meschacebe. These islands lic altogether in a direct line south and by west, cast and by north, at least fifty miles, and have all along, two leagues off, from five to nine fathom water. When you come to the Fourth Isle you must be cautious, the sound- ing being uncertain ; for some points of sand stretch out into the sea three leagues, and varies the depths from nine fathoms to four, then eight, nine, all at once. Between this island and the main is a passage two leagues broad, which leads into the great bay from which they came. The length of the bay from north to south is one entire de- gree. They went divers leagues up it, and found deep water; but afterwards it shoaliug, they came down south, and doubled the cape, where the most easterly of the three great branches of the Mescha- cebe entered the sea, which, with the two others to the west, I de- scribed before, when I gave an account of the mouths of that river.
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Although the latitude and longitude of the mouth of the Mescha- cebe were perfectly known, yet it is almost impossible, in the common way of sailing, to come at them; for if you go never so little to the south, you will be driven by a very strong current to the south-west, two miles an hour, till you come to the bottom or west end of the Gulf of Mexico; to prevent which you must make the main of Flo- rida in about thirty degrees of latitude. The land is so very low you can scarcely see it, at four leagues distance, where there is forty-five and fifty fathom, but ten leagues off, there is no ground at one hun- dred fathom. Pensacola is the most convenient place to fall in withal; and to be sure of that, your best way is to make the Tortuga Islands, which are seven, and but few leagues distance to the north-west from the Cape of Florida, and the little islands which lie before it, called Los Martyres. The Tortuga Islands lie between the latitude of twen- ty-four degrees and from thirty-five to fifty minutes. They are not in a round, as commonly represented by the charts, but bear almost north and south. If you come there in the month of April, May, or the beginning of June, you will find great numbers of turtle, which are then in good plight, extraordinary good food, both fresh and salted, and a wholesome change of diet for scamen; afterwards they will not well take salt, decaying and running into a jelly or water, and before July is expired quite leave the islands until the next year. The course from the Tortuga Islands to Pensacola is N. 44 W. distance one hundred and fifty-eight leagues, the shore bold, bearing east and west. Nine leagues from the land you will have thirty-three fathoms water, but if you make the river of the Cozas or Coussas, which is one hundred and sixty-seven leagues, and a very remarkable place, being a spacious large opening, having a small sandy isle in the middle, you will find the land stretch east and west, and within about eighteen leagues you will fall in with Mirtle Island, which, with the Main, makes the entrance into the great Bay of Spirito Santo; in which isle, as I said before, is very good fresh water. This with five or six other low isles, run a range fourteen leagues, and S. W. from them, about five leagues, are high woods : stand over for the south part of these woods, until you come to four fathoms, there cast your anchor, and send your boat to a low point along the shore to the southward. In five foot water you will find a small branch of the river ; row up it ; the current will carry you to the bar, where you may take your marks for the entrance into it. Perhaps sometimes the waters may be so low that you cannot pass this channel. In case this should happen
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(which I suppose it seldom or never does), then run by the soundings of the shore, in five or six feet water, and keep that depth till you come to the pitch of the East Cape, where you will find the easterly branch in fourteen or fifteen feet water: then row up, take your marks, return, and place two buoys, and you may carry your ship into the river very safely, as you may perceive by the draught. The same or like caution must be used for entering into either of the other mouths, to keep near the shore, and by anchoring stop the tide of ebb. There is a bay, which our men in the ship called Salt-Water Bay ; they who went to the head of it, Fresh-Water Bay; a seeming contradiction, but thus easily reconciled. This bay lies between the east and middle great branch of the river : the great branches bring down so considerable a quantity of water, at the ebb, with a strong current, that then the fresh water enters the sea two or three leagues, and between them the sea enters this bay, not mixing with the waters of the rivers, which are ten miles distant ; so that ships who anchor at the lower end of the bay find the water salt. But there is a creek, at the N. W. end of the bay, which comes out of the middle branch, and a little before it enters the bay is divided. This creek hath from eight feet at the shallowest to nine, ten and eleven feet water, by which they entered, out of Salt-Water Bay, into the river.
Having made a faithful narrative, from good journals and itinera- ries by sca and land, of the great river Meschacebe, the rivers increasing it, the countries adjacent, and inhabitants thereof, as also of the coun- tries, people, rivers and harbors towards the east belonging unto this province, which do not communicate with it, I shall give a brief rela- tion of what I have learned concerning the sea and coast thereof beyond the Meschiacebe, to the west, the rivers belonging to this pro- vince, their heads and courses, which enter not the Meschacebe.
When you are passed the third or westerly branch of the Meschacebe, there presents itself a fair bay going to the north, into which empty themselves two of the smaller branches of the great river, as may be discerned in the chart. This bay is between twenty and thirty miles deep, and very bold to the east, having from the entrance unto the bottom, from twenty-five to six fathom ; but is not in those depths above seven or eight miles broad, a sand running from the main thirty miles south into the sea, upon which there is not above three fathoms, which yet our ship passed, going and returning. At the north-east end of the bay, the great river runs parallel with it for some miles, from a mile to a mile and a half distance from it, and two fair, large deep creeks enter it, almost in the middle, out of the westerly great
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branch of the river. . Having passed this shoal to the main, the land runs almost duc cast and west, having a bold coast, for a hundred miles until you come to a great shoal, where there is not above two or three fathoms water, with several breakers. Our people sailed on the south side of this great shoal, always out of the sight of land, therefore knew not the breadth. They kept near the latitude of 29 degrees, the depth generally as follows, seven, cight, nine, eight, seven," six fathoms. At length they came to the bottom of the bay or gulf, from whence they returned unto the westerly branch of the Mescha- cebe.
From the river Meschacebe unto the bottom of the bay, are innu- merable fine small rivers, very pleasant. Great store of buffaloes or wild kine frequent them to the very sca-side, as also deer of divers sorts, wild turkeys, and many other large water and sea-fowl; the coast abounds with good fish ; but I cannot learn there are above four very large rivers, and of long course.
The first and greatest is that of the Quonoatinnos, or of the Coenis, a great and populous nation, who dwell in forty or fifty villages upon the middle of this river, and others which run into it. They are about five days' journey distant from the habitations of the Spaniards, and near 200 miles from the sea, into which the river empties itself, about eighty leagues to the west of the Meschacobe; it is broad, deep, and navigable almost to its heads, which chiefly proceed from the ridge of hills that separate this province from New Mexico. And its north-west branches approach near the south-west branches of the river of the Houmas. There dwell upon it, more towards its mouth, divers others nations, whose names are unknown, excepting the Tarahas, Tycappans, Paloguessens and Palonnas. All these nations have good horses.
About thirty leagues further to the south of the west is the river of the Kirononas, who with divers other nations dwelt thereupon. It is little less than that of the Konoatinos, and as that hath its sources in the mountains of New Mexico, the course of this is likewise from the north-west, until it enters the sea.
Between this and the aforesaid river of Quonoatinnos or Coenis lies the Bay of St. Bernard, called by Monsieur de la Salle the Bay of St. Louis, and a river that falls into it he named the River of Vaches. In the year 1685 he built there a fort (after he had pur- posely, as it is said, overshot the mouth of the river Meschaeche), having formed a design from thenee to visit the mines of St. Barbe in New Biseay, which were not much above 300 miles distant. Bat
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one of his vessels returning to France, and the other three being lost with great part of his stores, ammunition and provisions, withal fail- ing in his attempt to engage the Indians in his party and interest, who, instead of friends, proved bis mortal enemies, continually skulk- ing about his infant settlement and destroying many of his people, he was obliged to desist from that enterprise. He afterwards with twenty chosen men went by land in search of the river Meschacebe, in which attempt he lost his life, being barbarously murdered by some of his own followers. This fort was soon after taken and destroyed by the Spaniards and Indians, all the French remaining therein being either killed or made prisoners.
About the same distance further S. W. is the river of the Bisca- terongs, which is of the same magnitude with the former, hath the same course from the north-west to the sea, and its heads from the same mountains.
The last river of note is a river of much the same bigness with the two preceding, and enters the Bay of Mexico at the north-west end, between the degrees of 27 and 28; it is named Abotas.
It may not be amiss to mention another river, which, although it may not be within the bounds of this colony, may be of great use, when it is well established, by reason of the conveniency of traffic with the Spaniards, it being near the aforesaid famous mines of New Biscay, a large province lying between Mexico and New Mexico. This stately river hath its fountains in the most northerly parts of New Mexico, in the latitude of 38 degrees, and being gradually in- creased by the conflux of many small waters, becomes large and navigable, till it approaches the 30th degree; then it turns to the S. E. and enters a parcel of high mountains; from whence it is no fur- ther navigable; it is called by the Spaniards Rio Bravo. They differ in their accounts hereof; some affirming it is here swallowed up in a hideous gulf, and passes three days' journey under the earth, like their great river Guadiana in Spain, of which their famous ambassador Gundamore said, when asked whether his master could show such a bridge as that over the Thames at London, that he had a bridge upon which many hundred thousand sheep daily fed. Others write that the river doth not dive underground, but passes among rocks full of straight passages, with many cataracts; that after it has broke its way through, it glides very placidly cross a level country for a hundred and fifty miles, being both large and deep, and at length empties itself into a broad and long lagune, which is navigable, with two or three passages into it, between the islands that form it, and whose
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entrances are at least between three and four fathom deep. I have a journal of Capt. Parker, who in the year 1688 was there with two ships : one very large, in search of a Spanish wreck, but will not trouble my reader with the relation of what there happened to them. All accounts agree this country is well watered, that it abounds with vast quantities of wild kine, the Spaniards call Cibolas, and is fruit- ful, pleasant and populous.
I think it not inexpedient to give an account of the great seas or lakes of fresh water which are to the north of this country, on the east side of the Meschacebe, which though not in the bounds of this province, may prove very beneficial, both to the inhabitants of this and our colonies of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, who are not very remote from some of them, and may have an easy access thereunto, and consequently by navigation with those that are more remote, they having all communications with each other, as may be presently discerned by the map.
The seas or lakes are five. First, the superior lake before mentioned, it being of all most northerly, and is called by most of the savages the Lake of the Nadouessons (Superior), the greatest and most valiant nation of the north, divided into several tribes, who go by divers names. This lake is estcemed at least 150 leagues in length, sixty leagues in breadth, and 500 in circumference. The south side, which we reckon its length, is all along situated in very near forty- cight degrees of latitude from the east end to the west. The north side where it is broadest, is in about fifty-one degrees. It is all over navigable, hath some isles; but one especially called Minong, above sixty miles in compass, wherein, both Indians and French affirm, is a great mine of very pure copper, which from the ore affords, without any preparation besides melting, above three-fifths fine metal. It is very remarkable of this sea, that on all the south side upon the shore, it is not above four or five fathoms deep, and gradually increasing as you pass over to the north, until you cannot find bottom with 150 fathoms of line. It is most wonderfully stored with admirable fish, and the land about it with deer and elk, or moose, especially the north side. With this latter and some islands, the French drive a consider- able trade among the natives, for skins and furs; and of late years have intercepted a great part of the more remote Indians, who used formerly to traffick with the English in Hudson's Bay, at Port Nel- son and New Severn. This lake or sea is made up of innumerable small rivers and rivulets, and three large rivers, all on the north side of the lake, entering at the N. E. end thereof, whose names are Lemi-
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pissaki, Michipiketon and Nemipigon, which last proceeds out of a lake of the same name, full of islands; at the upper end whereof enters a river, which comes from the north, and hath its origin from divers small lakes and marshes. The lake of Nemipigon is above 200 miles in compass. The Baron le Hontan is certainly mistaken about the original of this river, and makes it vastly bigger than it is; he accounts it the head of the great river of Canada or St. Lawrence, and to come out of the lake of the Assenipouvals ; but I have been informed by a person who lived two years in those parts, and had often been upon these two lakes, that the lake of the Assinepoualaos (for that is the true name), which is considerable to the N. W., and, as the Indians often assured, was the biggest lake in all this northern con- tinent, had no communication with that of Nemipigon. The N. W. of this Lake Superior or of the Nadeuessons, is not above thirty leagues in a straight line from the Lake of Nemipigon; but the con- munication by land is difficult, by reason the carth abounds with bogs and marshes.
The great or superior lake empties itself into that of Karegnondi or the deep lake, it being in most parts more profound than the three we shall hereafter mention. Formerly it was called the lake Houn- ondate, from a great nation who inhabited on its east side, named from their bristly hair on their head, Hourons, since totally destroyed or dispersed into very remote parts by the Irocois.
This lake is much of the figure of an equilateral triangle, whose basis is to the north. It abounds with divers sorts of excellent fish, great and small, especially a large fish named Assihendo, of the big- ness of Newfoundland cod. This fish is the manna of most of the nations which inhabit about the lake, being half their subsistence. And Europeans of all nations, who have eaten thereof, agree that there is not in scas or rivers a better tasted, more wholesome fish, and the numbers are such as of cod on the Bank of New Foundland, and never to be lessened. Besides these, there is abundance of good sturgeons, salmon or sahnon trout, weighing from twenty to fifty pounds, large carps, and many other kinds of fish, small and great, not inferior to any in Europe. The inhabitants almost round this lake are mostly destroyed by the Irocois ( Iroquois), except a small remnant of two or three nations, who have, with the help of the French, creeted a strong fort near another built by that nation for a refuge to their allies and traders, when the Trocois happen to invade this or the adjacent parts. This lake hath many islands, especially on the north side, where the greatest fishery is for the Assihende, but
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none at Maintoualin, which is twenty leagues long and ten broad, lying directly over against the continent, from which it is only six or seven leagues distant.
The north side of the country bordering upon this lake, is not so pleasant in most places as the south, east, and west; but to make amends, it abounds with all sorts of skins and furs, and hath these great conveniences, that by the river of the Nepiserini, there is a communication with all the French of Canada, and many nations bor- dering thereupon ; for ascending this river, you enter into a large lake of the same name, which is made by divers small, and one large river coming far from the north-west. Near this lake passes the great river of the Outouacks (Ottoes), once a great nation, but now almost extirpated by the aforesaid Trocois, which, after a course of one hundred leagues, brings you to the Island and city of Montreal, the next for bigness and strength to Quebec, the capital of Canada, and there joins with the great river of St. Lawrence; from the juncture of these two rivers to Quebec is sixty leagues. Both sides of the river are inhabited all the way in plantations very little remote from each other; besides two or three small towns and fortifications. Such another communication there is, though much more easy, of which I shall discourse at large when I come to describe the lovely peninsula of Erie.
Towards the lower end of the south-west continent is the large and fair bay of Sakinam, which is about fifty miles deep and eighteen wide, and in the middle of the opening are two isles, very advan- tageously situated for sheltering boats or other vessels that happen to be surprised with a storm, there being no other harbor within divers leagues. Into the bottom of this bay empties itself, after a course of sixty leagnes, a very still, quiet stream, excepting three small falls, passed easily and without the least danger. On this river, and the branches thereof, is one of the greatest beaver-huntings in America. Twenty leagues from this bay to the south-east, this lake, which is above four hundred leagues in circumference, empties itself into the Lake Erie, by a channel which I shall describe, when I have given an account of the lake of the Illinouecks, which is to the west of Ka- regnondi, and communicates therewith, towards the N. W. end, by a strait, nine or ten miles long and three or four broad. The breadth of it on the north coast is forty leagues, but it increases gradually in breadth till you come to the bottom of the bay. The north side is in the latitude of forty-six and thirty minutes; the south in alnost forty-three degrees. Forty leagues from the entrance due west, it
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makes the great bay of the Poutouatamis, a nation who inhabit a large country upon and to the south of this bay, which is eight leagues broad, and thirty leagues deep, south and by west, the entrance being full of islands. And into the bottom comes the fair River Mis- couaqui, after a course of two hundred miles. This river is remark- able upon divers accounts : first, when you are ascended it fifty leagues, there is a carriage of a little above a league and a half; afterwards you meet with the lovely River Meseonsing, which carries you down into the Meschacebe, as I before declared. Next upon this river, es- pecially near the carriage, is a country famous for beaver-hunting like that of Sakinam. You must know that most parts of North America have beavers; you shall scarce meet with a lake where there are not some of their dams and huts. . But these two places I have mention- ed, and others I shall speak of hereafter, are countries forty or fifty miles long, abounding with small rivers and rivulets, wherewith they make their dams or causeways; and consequently small lakes, seated opportunely for wood to build, and produces plentifully such plants and young trees, upon which they mostly subsist. This is chiefly possessed by the industrious and valiant nation of the Outogamis. Thirdly, this river and others entering thereinto abound in that corn called malomin, which grows in the water and marshy wet places, as rice in the Indies, Turkey, and Carolina, &c. But much more like our oats, only longer, bigger and better, than either that, or Indian corn, and is the chief food of many nations hereabouts and elsewhere. The nations who dwell on this river are Outogamis, Malominis, . Nikic, Oualeanicou, Sacky, and the Poutouatamis before mentioned.
On the east side of this lake, about twenty leagues from the strait by which it enters Karegnondi, is a bay called Bear Bay, and a river of the same name, because of great numbers of those animals who haunt those parts. This river comes out of a ridge of hills near a hundred leagues long, beginning ahnost at the north end of this peninsula, out of which flow abundance of small rivers ; those whosc course is to the east empty themselves into the lake Karegnondi (Huron), those to the west into that of the Alinouecks. The top of this ridge of bills is flat, from whence there is a delicious pros- pect into both lakes, and level as a tarasse walk. There is a great beaver-hunting, like those I formerly mentioned, upon Bear River, which bath a course of forty or fifty leagues. On the west side of the lake, before you emne to the bottom, is a harbor capable of small ships; and there enters into it a small river, which at two leagues
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distance approaches the River Chicagou, the north branch of the river of the Allinouecks, which is from the main branch of the said river fifty miles. Near the bottom of the bay, on the east side, is the fair river of the Miamihas (so called because upon it lives part of a nation bearing the same name), which in its passage comes within two leagues of the great easterly branch of the river of the Allinouecks, and its springs are very near the heads of some rivers which enter the Qua -- bachi. Monsieur de la Salle on his first arrival in this river, which was about the year 1679, finding it admirably well situated for trade, and the country surrounding it extremely pleasant and fertile, artfully gained the permission of the natives to build a fort therein, under the specious pretence of protecting them from the insults of the English and Irocois, whom he represented as cruel and treacherous enemies, continually plotting the destruction of them and all the Indians round about. In this fort was formerly a great magazine and store- house for all sorts of European goods, and hither the traders and sa- vages continually resorted to purchase them. It commanded the entrance into the lake, and kept all the neighboring Indians in awe and subjection. Nations to the west of this lake, besides the before- mentioned, are part of the Outogamis, Mascoutens and Kikpouz ; then the Ainoves, the Cascaschia, and a little to the south-west of the bottom of this lake, and more to the north, the Anthontans, and part of the Mascoutens, near the river Misconsing (Wisconsin). The countries surrounding this lake, especially towards the south, are very charming to the eye, the meadows, fruit trees and forests, together with the fowls, wild beasts, &c., affording most things necessary for the support and comfort of life, besides Indian corn, with which the natives abound; and European fruits, grains, and all other useful vegetables, by reason of the goodness of the soil, and mildness of the climate, would certainly thrive there, as well as in their native countries. But, above all, the south parts of the countries bordering on this lake seem naturally disposed to produce admirable vines, which being duly cultivated, excellent wines might be made of the fruits thereof, they growing naturally in vast numbers of divers sorts, some ramping up to the tops of the highest trees; others running upon the ground. The grapes are some very small, others wonderfully large, big as damsons, and many of a middle size, of divers colors and tastes. They are all good to eat, only some, which otherwise promise very well, have great stones or kernels and tough skins, which certain- ly would be remedied by due culture. But of the worst, doubtless,
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