LOUISIANA. 33 



On the 20th of Augufl we fet out from New 

 Orleans on our voyage to the Illi77ois^ in fix boats. 

 On board of which were the four companies 

 about which I wrote to you in my preceding 

 letter, commanded by M. de Macarty, We are 

 obliged to row up againd the current of the 

 river MiJJlfippi^ on account of the many wind- 

 ings of that river, which runs between two great 

 foreils, the trees of which appear to be as an- 

 cient as the world. 



The firft places you come to on your voyage 

 ^re two villages peopled with Germans, being 

 the reft of a grant made, in 1720, by the 

 King to Mr. Lazv, This colony was to confift of 

 Germans and Provencals, to the amount of 

 I5ooperfons; the ground for it was laid out 

 near a wild nation called the Akan^as -, it was 

 four leagues fquare, and the colony was ereded 

 into a dutchy. They had already tranfported 

 thither the ammunition and (lores for a company 

 of dragoons, and merchandifes for the value of 

 upwards a million of Uvre$ \ but Mr. Law fail- 

 ed, and the India company, which was at that 

 time eftablifhed in Louifiana, took pofTeffion of 

 ^11 the goods. 



The colonifts feparated, and the Germans 



fettled ten leagues above New Orleans : they are 



Vol. I. D very 



