LOUISIANA. 127 



lies over hither, who lived and multiplied here. 

 There are now five great villages of French in- 

 habitants in thefe parts *. The mofl confider- 

 able place is called Kajkakias^ a name of the 

 tribe of an Illinois fettlement, which is about half 

 a league from it. The Sieur SauJJier^ an en- 

 gineer, has made a plan for conftrudling a new 

 4:brt here, according to the intention of the 

 court. It (hall bear tiie. fame name v/ith the old 

 one, which- is called Fort de^Chartres. 



The Illinois country is one of the finefl in the 

 world ; it fupplies all the lower parts of LGiiiftana 

 with, flower. Its commerce confifts in furs, 

 lead and fait. There are many fait fprings f, 

 that attract the wild oxen, and the roe-bucks, 

 which like the paftures around them very much. 

 Their ?^^h and tongues are faked, and furniili 

 another branch of commerce to New Orleans ; 

 and they cure hams, which equal thofe of 

 Bayonne, The fruits are as fine as in France, 



* The India Company were pofTefTed of Louifiana ; but they 

 gave it back to the King in 173 1. The five villages of the 

 French are that of the Kafkakias, the Fort Chartres, Ssi. 

 Philip, the Kaokias, and the Prairie du Rochcr (meadow on 

 the rock) ; there is now a fixth, called St. Gene-vievc. 



t Called Salt-licks, by the Englifh Planters. F. 



The 



