﻿54 
  HISTORICAL 
  OUTLINE. 
  

  

  an 
  English 
  geographer 
  in 
  1764. 
  A 
  portion 
  of 
  this 
  map, 
  

   embracing 
  the 
  present 
  territory 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  is 
  annexed 
  

   to 
  this 
  report. 
  

  

  Many 
  changes 
  in 
  the 
  channel 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  have 
  

   taken 
  place 
  since 
  that 
  period, 
  but 
  the 
  greatly 
  exagge- 
  

   rated 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  river, 
  and 
  the 
  numerous 
  islands 
  with 
  

   which 
  it 
  is 
  studded, 
  could 
  not 
  even 
  at 
  that 
  time 
  have 
  

   had 
  any 
  foundation 
  in 
  truth; 
  the 
  former 
  extending 
  over 
  

   much 
  of 
  the 
  swamp 
  lands 
  periodically 
  overflowed. 
  The 
  

   position 
  of 
  New 
  Orleans 
  is 
  singularly 
  inaccurate, 
  being 
  

   placed 
  above 
  the 
  Lafourche 
  ; 
  the 
  more 
  correct 
  position 
  

   would 
  have 
  been 
  one 
  near 
  that 
  occupied 
  on 
  this 
  plan 
  by 
  

   the 
  Oumas 
  village. 
  

  

  Pearl, 
  the 
  principal 
  river, 
  having 
  its 
  entire 
  extent 
  in 
  

   our 
  State, 
  is 
  scarcely 
  noticed 
  upon 
  the 
  map, 
  whilst 
  its 
  

   true 
  sources 
  are 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  Pascagoula. 
  

  

  Of 
  these 
  joint 
  acquisitions 
  two 
  provinces 
  were 
  formed, 
  

   called 
  East 
  and 
  West 
  Florida 
  ; 
  the 
  latter 
  extending 
  to 
  

   and 
  embracing 
  all 
  the 
  territory 
  of 
  our 
  now 
  State 
  south 
  

   of 
  the 
  31st 
  degree 
  of 
  north 
  latitude. 
  The 
  seat 
  of 
  go- 
  

   vernment 
  was 
  established 
  at 
  Pensacola, 
  and 
  in 
  1764, 
  

   George 
  Johnston, 
  a 
  captain 
  in 
  the 
  royal 
  navy, 
  was 
  ap- 
  

   pointed 
  governor. 
  

  

  By 
  the 
  treaty 
  between 
  Great 
  Britain 
  and 
  France, 
  the 
  

   inhabitants 
  within 
  the 
  ceded 
  district 
  were 
  secured 
  in 
  the 
  

   free 
  exercise 
  of 
  the 
  Catholic 
  religion, 
  and 
  eighteen 
  months 
  

   w^ere 
  allowed 
  them 
  to 
  dispose 
  of 
  their 
  property 
  to 
  British 
  

   subjects 
  and 
  to 
  retire 
  from 
  the 
  country. 
  Complaints 
  

   were 
  subsequently 
  made, 
  however, 
  that 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   British 
  officers 
  had 
  required 
  the 
  French 
  inhabitants 
  to 
  

   take 
  the 
  oath 
  of 
  allegiance 
  within 
  three 
  months 
  to 
  be 
  

   secured 
  in 
  their 
  property. 
  

  

  In 
  February, 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  officers, 
  with 
  three 
  hundred 
  

   and 
  twenty 
  soldiers, 
  commanded 
  by 
  Major 
  Loftus, 
  with 
  

  

  