LOUISIANA. 69 



under the name of Miffifippi^ or, as the Indians 

 pronounce it, Mefliajfepi^ which fignifies all the 

 fivers^ or the great river, 



M. de la Salle pafled by this nation in coming 

 down the river : he made acquaintance with 

 them, and took pofifeflion of their country in 

 the name of Louis le Grand^ of glorious memo- 

 ry * •, after fixing the crofs and the arms of 

 France there, he followed the courfe of the Mif- 

 Jijippi^ which enters into the famous gulph of 

 Mexico. He took the latitude at its mouth, 

 which he found to be twenty-nine degrees north •, 

 he failed up again afterwards to the river of 

 Illinois y from whence he went to Canada^ and 

 from thence he returned into France. 



F 3 On 



* If tyranny, oppreffion, and unbridled ambition are fuf- 

 licient to immortalize a prince, it is certain Lenvis XIV. has 

 a juft claim to be called great. It was his happinefs to have 

 great minifters in the firft part of his life, in a time when 

 tlie greater part of Europe had very few manufaftures ; but 

 he was weak enough to give ear to the advices fuggefted to 

 him by the Jefuits, and a fuperannuated and bigotted mi- 

 llrefs : this ovetturned the fyftem of grandeur for which the 

 minifters had laid a good foundation, and Lewis had the 

 misfortune to fee all the rival nations around him grow 

 powerful and rich, by the emigration of his opprefled Pro- 

 teftant fubjeifls, and thus he outlived his own greatnefs : 

 his death was the moft fortunate event f©r France in her 

 weak and exhaufted ftate. F. 



