LOUISIANA. 399 



hinder population ; their fmall number has cer- 

 tainly been the caufe of the nomadic life they 

 lead ', they ran through the woods in order to 

 fearch for game, and fettled in all the places 

 where they found food in abundance, leaving 

 them again in order to go further, whenever it 

 began to fail them. 



If they were more numerous their wants 

 would increafe ; it would become more difficult 

 to provide food for them all ; this difficulty 

 would open their minds, give them new ideas : 

 they would feel that it was necelTary to provide 

 a fubfiftence more independent from mere 

 chance ; the fruits which the earth produces, 

 would teach them to multiply them by cultiva- 

 tion ; they would fee all the ufes of thefe pro- 

 dudtions, think of appropriating them to them- 

 felves, and fucceed in it ; in fome places we fee 

 them already cultivate maize, they would foon 

 cultivate other corn ; one kind of knowledge 

 would lead to another : they would fettle in the 

 country which they had cultivated, and be no 

 longer fuch vagabonds as there are now. 



The fcttlement of the Europeans in the nor- 

 thern parts has engaged many of thefe nations 

 to come and fettle in their neighbourhood in 



order 



