L O U I S I A N A. 327 



That officer fet out from Nezv Orleans in 1758, 

 with a garrifon compofed of foldiers and inhabi- 

 tants of the capital *, but the inhabitants were 

 all vagrants, whom the magiilrates fent in their 

 own (lead, with the governor's confent, for the 

 fervice of the place. 



Thefe vagabonds flayed in the Cats TJle as 

 long as thofe citizens paid them, whofe bufinefs 

 it was to guard the place. You may well ima- 

 gine, that a body of fuch troops, who are not 

 alternately relieved in their pofls, according to 

 the rule of fervice, take opportunities to lay 

 fchemes for defer ting, as it has happened in 

 many ftations of Louifiana. 



In March 1759 there appeared, in fight of 

 this ifland, a three-mailed fhip, belonging to 

 M. «S/. O/^, a merchant, who had bought her 

 at the Havannah ; her cargo confided in fugar, 

 coffee, tafiias, cables, and fome warlike ilores. 

 The crew were merely Spanifh failors, who 

 abandoned Captain St. Criq upon the coafl of 

 Louijiana near Balife •, this obliged him to em- 

 bark in his long-boat, with a few men who re- 

 mained with him. He arrived at New Orleans^ 

 and addrefTed himfelf to M. de Belle-IJle, fort- 

 major and commander during the governor's 

 Y 4 abfence; 



