LOUISIANA. 341 



where a woman had made him her Have ; that 

 they had taken him to war againft a nation 

 which they conquered in a battle, and that he 

 had diftinguifhed himlelf on that occafion, and 

 Ihewed them his fkill in fending an arrow, which 

 killed one of their adverfaries ; that they had 

 for that reafon adopted him, and received him 

 as a warrior. 



This officer, who heard their converfation, 

 did as if he took no notice of it ; and immedi- 

 ately conceived the idea of returning to his 

 country : he took one of the Indian deputies a- 

 part ; and queflioned him much about the white 

 men he had feen, M. de Belle-IJle had luckily 

 preferved his commifTion in a box ; he made 

 fome ink with foot, and wrote with a crow-quill 

 the following words : " To the firft chief of the 

 " white men. I am fuch and fuch a perfon, aban- 

 ". doned at the bay of St. Bernard-, my comrades 

 " died of hunger and wretchednefs before my 

 '' face, and I am captive at the Attakapas.'* 

 This unhappy officer gave his commiffion to the 

 Indian^ telling him it was fome fpeaking paper j 

 that, by prefenting it to the chief of the French in 

 his country, he would be v.ell received. The 

 Indian believed, that this letter had fomething 

 divine in it, becaufe it was to fpeak for him to 

 Z 3 the 



