LOUISIANA. 7 



ing dcfirous of getting rid of thefe importunate 

 guefts, told them, that befides the gold which 

 they would find in the ifle of Bimini^ there was 

 likewife a river and a fountain which made old 

 men young by bathing in it. This account was 

 immediately tranfmitted to the court of Madrid^ 

 where it engaged many Spaitim'ds to embark at 

 Cadizy in order to go to the IVeJl: Indies to fee , 

 this wonder, which, if it had really exifted, 

 would have been worth more than all the gold 

 in the world. 



When thefe Spaniards returned to Cadiz^ eve- 

 ry one found that they had been deceived ; in- 

 ftead of being young, they were grown older, 

 and the people laughed at their long and trou- 

 blefome voyage ; but in feeking for this imagU 

 nary fountain, they difcovered Cape Corrientes. 

 At that time all chofe who came to the ifle of 

 Bimini^ tried all the rivers, fountains, lakes, and 

 even the marfhes in it, bathed in them, and 

 drank their waters, in order to try whether they 

 would make them young again ; this wonder has 

 but lately been fought for as the philofopher's 

 Hone was in Europe, 



We agreed amongft ourfelves, that if we were 



taken by Engli/Ji privateers, and carried to this 



ifle, we would bathe in all the rivers and foun- 



B 4 tains 



