LOUISIANA. 107 



during the remaining part of our voyage. In order 

 to take advantage of thefunof myfoldiers, which 

 I took good care to reward immediately, I had 

 a mind to vifit the interior parts of my govern- 

 ment : but I was hardly gone half a league, 

 when I faw a bear, who was quietly eating 

 acorns under a great oak : I fired my piece at 

 him, but the ball only went into the lard of the 

 animal, which was monftroufly fat ; as foon as 

 he felt the wound, he wanted to come up to 

 me, but he was too heavy to run ; then feigning 

 to run from him, I drew him towards my fol- 

 diers, who foon furrounded and killed him as 

 guilty of felony and rebellion. They held a 

 court martial, where the ferjeant prefided. The 

 corporal, who adled as the king's attorney-ge- 

 neral, gave it as his opinion, that in order not 

 to ruin the fine coat of the bear, who had re- 

 volted againft his mafler, he (hould only be 

 Ihot in the head, which was punflually ex- 

 ecuted. 



He was then flayed, and I have taken his 

 fkin^ which is a very black one, and which . I 

 (hall not relinquifh, any more than Hercules did 

 that of the Nemea?i lion which he conquered. 



The 



