USA > Louisiana > The province and the states, a history of the province of Louisiana under France and Spain, and of the territories and states of the United States formed therefrom, Vol. I > Part 11
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"I left this place on the 6th of April, directing our route south- wards, with a Frenchman, a Chaganon and a little slave of mine, and five of their savages, whom they gave me as guides to Naouadiché. On our road we found some Naoua- dichés savages hunting, who assured me that the Frenchmen were staying with them. This gave me great pleasure, hoping to suc- ceed in my object of finding them. On the 23d we slept half a league from the village, and the chiefs came to visit us at night. I asked them about the Frenchmen." The conflicting stories - caused Tonty to suspect that the Frenchmen had been killed. "I told them that they had killed the Frenchmen. Directly all the women began to cry, and thus I saw that what I had said was true. I would not, therefore, accept the calumet. I told the chief that I wanted four horses for my return, and having given him seven hatchets and a string of large glass beads, I received the next day four Spanish horses. Horses are very common among them. There is not a cabin which has not four or five. As this nation is sometimes at peace and sometimes at war with the neighboring Spaniards, they take advantage of a war to carry off the horses. We harnessed ours as well as we could, and departed on the 29th, greatly vexed that we could not continue our route as far as M. de la Salle's camp. It was at the distance of three days' journey from thence that M. de la Salle was murdered." Tonty returned to the Cadodaquis nation, arriving May Ioth. He then started for the Coroas village on the Mississippi and after incredible hardships arrived there on the 14th of July, 1690.
Henry de Tonty has never been given the credit he deserves for his sacrifices and discoveries. He seems to have been utterly
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without selfishness. The courage and address shown by him in all his dealings with the Indians proved that he possessed per- sonal forces which few credit to him. He had the highest admira- tion for La Salle, of whom he wrote, "Such was the end of one of the greatest men of the age. He was a man of wonderful ability and capable of undertaking any discovery." His fidelity was remarkable in this period when few if any men could be trusted. When on the Illinois, lie no sooner heard of the sailing of La Salle for the mouth of the Mississippi than he started to join him for the purpose of rendering him any assistance in his power. He did every thing he could to assist in carrying out his designs, knowing they had been sanctioned by the French court. He obeyed orders promptly, with a cheerfulness that always set a good example. He was both truthful and generous, and it may be said that next to La Salle, he did more than any other person to place the Mississippi valley under the flag of France.
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III
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THE SETTLEMENTS MADE BY D'IBERVILLE.
CHAPTER III
The Settlements Made by D'Iberville
T HE termination of war in Europe by the treaty of Ryswick in 1697, presented the opportunity which Louis XIV had desired of establishing a permanent colony at the mouth of the Mississippi. His haste at this juncture was occasioned as much by his jealousy of both Spain and Great Britain as by his own wish to add to his crown an empire of wilderness in the New World. Spain, after two centuries of opportunity, had continu- ously turned her back on the Mississippi valley and had fastened her grasp on the islands and mainland farther to the south. Great Britain was directing her energy and attention to the Atlantic coast ; but was complacently expecting that, later, she would have an opportunity to despoil France and Spain of the colonies they had established at such an immense sacrifice of blood and treasure. Thus, this was the beginning of a prolonged system of strategy between the leading nations of Europe for colonial supremacy on the American continent.
Accordingly, orders were issued in 1698 by Louis XIV for the despatch of an expedition of colonists to the Mississippi, the command of which was intrusted to Pierre le Moyne (Captain D'Iberville), who had recently distinguished himself in the French naval service. The squadron comprised two frigates, the Marin and Badine, each carrying thirty guns, the former com- manded by Compte de Surgeres and the latter by D'Iberville him- self, and two smaller vessels bearing nearly two hundred colon- ists and a company of marines. Among the colonists were women and children, who were destined to see harder times before they again saw France than they dreamed of. They were mostly the families of ex-soldiers, who had been granted extra
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liberal inducements to join the expedition. Among the colonists were agriculturalists and mechanics, and all were well supplied with provisions and clothing and the necessary articles and imple- ments required in the new settlement.
The expedition set sail from Rochelle on September 24, 1698, and late in December, was joined by a war ship, the Francois, carrying fifty guns, commanded by the Marquis de Chateaumo- rant, while stopping for refreshments at St. Domingo. Doub- ling the coast of Cuba January 15, 1699, they sighted the Florida coast on the 24th of January, and soon afterward reached Apalachicola Bay, where they found a Spanish colony. Continu- ing westward, they reached Pensacola Bay, where it was found that another Spanish settlement had been formed within the last three months. Thus they were apparently none too soon to secure the mouth of the Mississippi, before the Spaniards located therein. On the 31st of January, they arrived in Mobile Bay, but not liking the anchorage, they continued westward about thirteen or fourteen leagues farther, where they found excellent anchorage and protection from storms between several islands and the mainland. Having landed his colonists on Ship island, some distance from the mainland, and having learned of a large river to the southwest called by the natives, Malabouchia, and inferring that it must be the Mississippi, he resolved to leave his vessels where they were safe and go in search of it.
The frigate, Francois, which had escorted him from St. Domingo, not being needed, was sent back. With two strong row-boats, several bark canoes and fifty-three men, Iberville now started to find the mouth of the Mississippi. "We entered this river (Colbert or Mississippi) on the night of the ad of March. I found it obstructed by rafts of petrified wood of a sufficient hardness to resist the action of the sea. I found there twelve feet of water, and anchored two leagues from the mouth of the river; where the depth is from ten to twelve fathoms, with a breadth of from four to five hundred yards. On the 3d, the winds prevented me from making sounding's between the rafts and the three out- lets, which extend some three leagues before entering the sea. I resolved to go as far up as the Bayagoulas, whom we had met with at the Bay of Biloxi, and who had given us to understand that their village was at the distance of eight days' travel in a canoe from the bay, which would be equal to about sixty leagues.
"As I had already gone thirty leagues, and as it was necessary that I should ascend the river to become acquainted with its depth, observe the places proper for establishments, and visit the
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various Indian villages, which our Frenchmen said they had seen upon its banks in ascending and descending the river, and as they pretended that the Quinipissas were established at a distance of thirty leagues from the mouth of the Mississippi, I took advan- tage of a favorable wind from the southwest to continue my route, leaving until my return the work of sounding the passes. On the seventh, at a distance of about thirty-five leagues up the river, I met with some Indians who told me that it was yet three and a half days' travel before I could reach the Bayagoulas, and that theirs was the first village 1 should reach. I took one of these Indians with me as a guide, as well as for information. On the 14th I reached the village, where I was received with friendly embraces after their manner. By exact observations, I found its position was sixty-four leagues from the mouth of the river. The chief of the Mongoulachas, a nation allied with the Bayagoulas, had on a poitou-cloak of blue serge, which he told me was pre- sented to him by M. de Tonty. I was, moreover, confirmed with regard to his visit, by seeing in their hands axes and knives : but from the sea up to this village I found no other sign of the French having visited this section.' I met with none of the Tangipahoes nor Quinipissas mentioned in the narratives of the Jesuits, and concluded they must be false, as well as those writings about Canada, Hudson Bay, and the return of Sieur Cavalier from the Bay of St. Louis. The Bayagoulas told me that the Quinip- issas dwelt fifty leagues in the interior and consisted of six vil- lages. They assured me that the river was never obstructed and was navigable very high up. They named all the nations that inhabited its banks above.
"But seeing myself so far up the river without positive proof that this was the Mississippi, and that it might be said in France I was deceived, not having met with any of those tribes mentioned in the narratives, I concluded that I ought to visit the Houmas on the east side of the river, among whom I knew M. de Tonty had been ; and believing, moreover, that in the course of at least thirty leagues I must meet with that branch of the river spoken of in the narratives, down which I could send a chaloupe and canoe for the purpose of exploration, and ascertain which of the two rivers would be most suitable for settlements. I was appre- hensive the Indians only desired to conceal from me that branch in order to get me to remain upon theirs, as they hoped to reap some advantage thereby. I renewed my journey in company with the chief of the Bayagoulas, who offered to go with me with 1-8
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eight of his men, and arrived at the village of the Houmas, distant thirty-five leagues. On the morning of the twentieth, at ten o'clock, I entered the village, which is situated two leagues and a half in the interior, where I was well received; but { could learn nothing more than I had been informed of before. They spoke much of M. de Tonty, who had remained some time among them and made them many presents.
"On the 21st I returned to my boats, much embarrassed as to the course I should pursue, seeing that I was one hundred and thirty leagues from the ships and one hundred from the sea; having procured no other provisions than Indian corn, without meat and without grease, my men were fatigned with stemming the strong currents ; and having little hope of finding that branch I was in search of, I thought the Houmas would have the same motives as the Bayagoulas in concealing from me the truth. I told them I knew there was a branch, and desired to descend by it to the sea with a portion of my men ; that this branch ought to be near a river coming from the west and falling into the Mala- bouchia ( Mississippi). They told me it was the Tassenoeogonla (Red river). Finally I told them I would visit the Natchez or Tpelois, who are their nearest neighbors in ascending the river. They offered to conduct me there, and for this purpose gave ine six men and a canoe. I left the Hloumas on the 22d and took with me a Tensas, who was acquainted with the country and had trav- eled over as far as the Arkansas. He spoke to me of the Sablon- iere (Red river), which he called the Tassenoeogoula. He also mentioned the nations dwelling along its banks, and across which M. de Cavalier had passed upon his return from the Bay of St. Louis (St. Bernard, Texas).
"Not doubting but that these Indians as well as the Tensas had an understanding with each other to conceal from me what I was eagerly desirous to know, in the hope that I would go to their vil- lage near which I already was, I deemed it prudent to enter into no further engagements. Besides, it was time for me to return and look out for a proper place to make a settlement, which hitherto I had been unable to find. Moreover, the fleet was fall- ing short of provisions. I retraced my steps to the Houmas, after having gone beyond their village three leagues and a half, very much vexed at the Recollet,* whose false narratives had deceived every one and cansed our sufferings and total failure of our enter- prise by the time consumed in search of things which alone existed
* Narrative of Father Louis Hennepin.
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in his imagination. On the 24th, I arrived at a small river or stream, about five leagues above the Bayagoulas on the east side of the river, which empties into the sea. This was the only branch of the Malabouchia the Indians pointed out to us. I descended to the sea by this stream ( the Manshac) in two bark canoes with four men and sent the chaloupes down the river with orders to sound the passes. I entered this small river, which is not more than eight or ten paces wide and about five feet in depth in low water. It was full of logs, which in places totally obstructed the navigation, so that in many places we were under the necessity of making several portages during its entire length of eight or nine leagues. After a while other rivers fall into it, by which its volume is increased, with a good depth of water at all times, from two to three fathoms in the river and seven to eight in the lakes. It terminates by emptying at the extremity of the Bay of Lago de Lodo, eight leagues west of the place where our ships were anchored. It passes through a fine country. The lake I crossed was about three leagues wide and twenty-five long. Its direction runs parallel with the Mississippi, and in many places they are separated only by a narrow strip of land, from a quarter to half a league wide, for a distance of twenty- five, thirty, forty and forty-eight leagues, as far as the mouth of the Malabouchia. I reached the ships upon the 31st."
Father Douay accompanied D'Iberville on this trip up the Mississippi, because he had been one of La Salle's companions on his last Mississippi expedition. He thought he recognized the great river from its seething waters, but was not certain. The Bayagonlas exhibited many evidences of European visits, among which were cloth stuffs and domestic poultry, which, according to the Indians, had been obtained from the nations farther to the westward, doubtless originally from the Spaniards. The Tangi- pahoes, whom D'Iberville expected to find on the Mississippi, had been exterminated or driven away by the Bayagoulas, who were really the Quinipissas mentioned by La Salle and his lieu- tenant, Tonty. The finding among the Indians by D'Iberville of a letter left by Tonty for La Salle, dated at the village of the Quinipissas April 20, 1685 (meant to be 1686), settled all doubts as to the river they were now on. An old suit of Spanish armour, no doubt left by De Soto's army, found among the Indians, still further identified the river. Probably the highest land they saw on their ascent of the river, was at Baton Rouge. Farther up they noticed the wide detour in the river, which after- ward became Pointe Coupee. Still higher, at the village of the
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Houmas, they saw other domestic fowls in considerable numbers. D'Iberville was really in search of the Atchafalaya, which extended from near the mouth of Red river to the Gulf westward of the Mississippi. At this time the Bayagoulas comprised about 350 people and 100 fighting men. The Houmas were more numerous, having more than 300 warriors. D'Bienville, afterward so long the governor of Louisiana, the younger brother of D'Iber- ville, accompanied this expedition up the Mississippi. He was sent down to the mouth of the main river to sound the passes, while D'Iberville went down the Manshac to rejoin the ships. It seems strange now that they should have had any misgivings as to the identity of the Mississippi. It was so wide, deep and swift that their doubt seems now tinaccountable. No doubt their misgivings resulted, as D'Iberville says, from the deceptions of the Recollect missionary, who had drawn so largely upon his very vivid imagination.
It was at once perceived by D'Iberville that the most expedi- tious route to the Bayagoulas was via the lakes and river Man- shac. M. D'Sauvolle accompanied Bienville, to assist in sounding the passes of the Mississippi; but they found this task impractica- ble, owing to the strong winds blowing at the time. On his way down D'Sauvolle observed at the distance of thirty leagues from the sea a spot sufficiently elevated not to be inundated; also still farther down a similar tract extending back a league or more from the river, which they were unable to examine, owing to the immense growth of canes along the shore. It was observed that the Mississippi was from eighteen to twenty fathoms deep throughout its whole course so fas as they examined. D'Bienville obtained for an ax the letter of Tonty on his trip down the river. In it the faithful Tonty deplored not having met La Salle, and said that the savages greatly feared him since the attack of La Salle upon them. D'Iberville proceeded to build a fort on the Bay of Biloxi, around which were erected many log cabins for the colonists. Here nearly one hundred people were left, while he returned to France. M. D'Sanvolle de la Villantry (Sauvolle), naval ensign, was left in command, with D'Bienville as king's lieutenant; Le Vasseur de Boussouelle, a Canadian, as major ; D'Bordenac as chaplain; M. Caré, surgeon, and about eighty men, consisting of two captains, two cannoniers, four sailors, eighteen filibusters, ten mechanics, six masons, thirteen Canadians and twenty sub-officers and soldiers, who comprised the garrison. D'Iberville left on the 3d of May.
It is noteworthy how many erroneous impressions and ideas
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prevailed in Europe concerning the American colonies. Rumors of the most ridiculous and extravagant nature were circulated and believed by many men who ought to have known better. Consider for a moment the following instructions to D'Iberville, when he sailed for the mouth of the Mississippi for the purpose of founding a colony : "One of the great objects proposed to the king, when he was urged to discover the mouth of the Micis- sipi, was to obtain wool from the cattle of that country; and for this purpose these animals must be tained and parked and calves sent to France. Although the pearls sent to his Majesty are not fine, either in water or shape, they must nevertheless be carefully sought, as others may be found; and his Majesty desires M. D'Iberville to bring all he can, ascertain where the fishery is carried on, and see it in operation." The cattle here referred to were the wild buffaloes which roamed over all the western country. The Indians used the hair of these animals for some of their rude garments ; but why any sane and civilized white man should arrive at the conclusion that it was worth a second thought as an article of clothing may be marveled at. Domestic cattle were first introduced into the Illinois country in 1711. In a com- paratively short time, beef was as common and as cheap as pork.
Now that D'Iberville had gone, the real metal of the colonists was put to the test. Unfortunately, there were too many among them who cared nothing for agriculture and who from the start set forth on expeditions to obtain gold, jewels and valuable furs from the natives. They were soon nearly out of provisions and in sore straits. But it is not the intention here, nor is it the province of this work, to follow the fate of the colonists, except so far as they were connected with what afterward became Louis- iana proper. The French and the missionaries had become well established on the Illinois river by this time. The colonists at Biloxi Bay were not a little pleased early in July to receive two sinall canoes containing Fathers Davion and Montigny and a few Frenchmen, who had journeyed all the way from the Illinois in those frail vessels down the treacherous current of the mighty Mississippi. They had really come down to establish a mission among the Indians of the lower river, but learning from the Houmas of the presence of the French at Biloxi, they determined to go there before taking other action. After a visit of about ten days they returned up the river as far as the Tonicas, where they founded a mission. There arrived at Mobile in May, 1700, M. Sagan, a traveler from Canada, who showed a memoir from the French minister, Pontchartrain, to the effect that he had
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traversed the entire Mississippi valley and had ascertained that gold mines existed in that country. The minister requested that M. Sagan be supplied by M. D'Sanvolle with twenty-four pirogues and one hundred Canadians for the purpose of making an exploration of the Missouri river and its branches.
After the departure of D'Iberville, the men left behind began the task of exploring the country, among the first objects being a careful examination of the Mississippi, with the view of finding a suitable site for a fort and a village. This soon was seen to · be more difficult than was thought probable at the outset, owing to the low banks and the evident fact that they were often inun- dated. D'Bienville commanded one of these expeditions. He it was who named Massacre Island from the large pile of human bones found there. Still later, with a body of men, he endeavored to reach the Mississippi over the route traversed by D'Iberville on his return from the voyage up the Mississippi. Having reached the large lake mentioned by the latter, he named it Pont- chartrain, from the south shore of which they made preparations to leave their boats and cross over to the Mississippi. "Having crossed these canes for a quarter of a league, we arrived on the borders of the Mississippi, at which we were greatly rejoiced. We regarded this beautiful river with admiration. We encamped that niglit on the river's bank, under the trees, upon which a vast number of wild turkeys roosted. We killed as many of them as we wanted, by moonlight, as they were not in the least disturbed by the firing of our guns. I can truly say that I never saw turkeys in France so fat and large as these were, as their net weight was about thirty pounds. The next day we returned to our boats ; and our companions, whom we had left as a guard, were highly delighted to learn we had slept on the banks of the mighty river."* This encampment was no doubt on the present site of New Orleans, probably the first ever there by white men. Think of the experience-the bright fire of the camp,' the multi- tude of wild turkeys roosting overhead yet unafraid of man, the rejoicing and feasting Frenchmen, the moonlight sifting down like golden mist and the gurgling voices of the hurrying waters. An agreeable introduction it was to the future metropolis of the great South. Here came messages from the distant Rockies, from the gnarled Alleghanies and from the sunny summits of the heights of Minnesota. From a thousand tribes and from the per- petual hills overlooking innumerable velvet vales came swelling
* Annals of Louisiana from 1698 10 1722, by M. Penicaut.
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tributes on the stentorian tones of the rushing river. The next day they journeyed on, passing through Lake Maurepas, and then for several days continuing to explore the surrounding country without again approaching the Mississippi before return- ing to the fort at Biloxi. Here their report was made to D'Sau- volle, who was presented with a fine assortment of pearls which had been collected on the expedition.
While on one of these expeditions in the absence of D'Iberville, his brother, D'Bienville, on the 16th of December, 1699, saw at what has since been called the "English Turn," a small English vessel carrying sixteen guns and commanded by Captain Barr. He informed the Englishman that he was on the Mississippi, upon which the French had established settlements, and that therefore he was a trespasser. After satisfying himself to his satisfaction, the Englishman, who had really come prepared to lay claim to the Mississippi and Louisiana, returned down the river to its mouth and rejoined another vessel which had remained there while he made his discoveries. The spot where the Eng- lish vessel turned about has ever since been called from that cir- cumstance "Detour des Anglais," or Turn of the English. Thus the French were none too soon to prevent the English as well as the Spaniards from settling on the Mississippi. It has even been claimed that D'Bienville deceived the English captain as to the number and extent of the French settlers on the Mississippi. As a matter of fact the French had not a single settlement on the · Mississippi at this time, and had the English captain brought with him a load of colonists, which he may have done, he would have been justified in landing them and taking possession. The mere fact that the French under La Salle had taken possession of the banks of the river in their king's name, and had explored the river, was not yet sufficient to fix the claims of the French to the river as against an actual settlement by the English or the Spanish. There may be some truth, therefore, in the statement that D'Bienville hoodwinked the English captain, either by declar- ing the river not to be the Mississippi, or by making it appear that the French occupancy was too certain and strong to be dis- puted.
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