506 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



THE FRENCH OCCUPATION. 



But, before proceeding to discuss the special subject of this sketch, 

 it should be noticed that, as the custom of nations with reference to 

 new discoveries by their peoples went, the country west of the Alle- 

 ghanies, prior to its actual occupation and settlement by Englishmen, 

 was in the occupation and jurisdiction more or less rightful of France, 

 known as the French Occupation ; so that, had there not been a 

 change of jurisdiction, we might have been a French people. 



At one time in American history France claimed all the lands west 

 of the Alleghanies by right of prior discovery ; and the establishment 

 of her power on the coasts of North x\merica was coeval with the first 

 colonies from England. ^ In 1682, the year in which William Penn 

 first came to his new colony on the Delaware, Robert Cavalier, Sieur 

 de la Salle, having passed with his expedition from the lakes into the 

 Mississippi, proceeded in April to the mouth of that river, and in the 

 name of Louis XIV. took possession of all the lands watered by the 

 Mississippi and its tributaries, and named the country Louisiana. * 

 In the library of Washington (S: Jefferson College is a very rare and 

 valuable atlas, entitled "Atlas Universel," etc., published at Paris 

 in 1755. The ninety-eighth map of the series shows a part of North 

 America, embracing the course of the Ohio River, New England, 

 New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Caro- 

 lina. It represents the boundary line between Pennsylvania and Lou- 

 isiana as being the most western ridge of the Alleghany mountains. 



The map mentioned, purporting to have been based upon surveys 

 made by Christopher Gist in 1751, is the oldest map of western 

 Pennsylvania the writer has seen. On it is indicated " F. du Quesne, ' ' 

 at the mouth of the " Monongahela ou Mohongalo." The river be- 

 low Fort Duquesne is called the '' Ohio ou Splawacipika " ; above the 

 fort it is called " Ohio ou Allegany." Several Indian villages are des- 

 ignated, and two English towns, or settlements, Kittanning and Ve- 

 nango. Lake Chatauqua is indicated, but without a name. It was 

 called in early historical writings, " Jadague." 



But there was an older map extant ; for, at a meeting of the Pro- 

 vincial Council on August 4, 1731, there was produced a " Map of 

 Louisiana, as inserted in a Book called a New General Atlas, published 

 at London in the year 1721," when it was first observed how " exor- 



3 1. Bancroft, 17, 18. MI. Pancroft, 338. 



