swANTONi INDIAN TIIIBKS OF 'I'lIK l.< )\V KK MTSSISSIPl'l VAI.LKV 231 



.\t lilt' (iiiic when llu' I'Mllicr was sayin*:," llu' Kyric clcison the 

 savages lired, killing one man and wounding ihe [)riest in the right 

 arm. Seeing (his and that the four other voyagers had (led, lie 

 threw him^elf on his knees to recei\e tiie fatal blow which he re- 

 garded as inevitahU'. In this posture two or three discharges Avere 

 aimed at him at close (juarters, but without taking effect. Taking 

 courage, Doutreleau (hen lied, jumped into the water, and drew him- 

 self into the dngout in which two of his coriipanions were making 

 their escape. As he was climbing on board he turned his head to 

 see if any of the savages was following him too closely and received 

 a discharge of small shot, the greater part of which were flattened 

 against his teeth, although some entered the gums. One of his com- 

 panions " also had his thigh broken by a musket ball. Nevertheless, 

 the father steered and his two companions paddled Avith such good 

 effect that after being pursued for more than an hour the}^ distanced 

 their enemies. They assisted themselves in this by often pointing at 

 them a gun which was not loaded nor ill any condition to be loaded, a 

 threat which had the efl'ect of making their foes stop paddling and 

 throw themselves into the bottom of their canoe. 



Le Petit, whose narrative has been substantially followed in the 

 foregoing, continues thus: 



As soon as they found thoniselves freed from their enemies they dressed their 

 wounds as well as they could, and for the purpose of aiding their fliglit from 

 that fatal shore they threw into the river everytliing they had in their boat, 

 preserving only some pieces of raw bacon for their uonrishuient. 



It had been their intention to stop in passing at the Natchez, but having seen 

 that the houses of the French were either demolished or burned, they did not 

 think it advisable to listen to the compliments of the savages who from the 

 bank of the river invited them to huid. They placed a wide distance between 

 them as soon as possible and thus shunned the balls which were ineflectually 

 fired .'it them. It was then that they began to distrust ail these savage nations 

 and therefore resolved not to go near the land until they reachetl New Orleans, 

 and supposing that the barbarians might have rendered themselves masters of 

 it, to descend even to the Balize, where they hoped to hud some French vessel 

 provided to receive the wreck of the colony. 



In passing the Tonika they separated themselves as far as possible from the 

 shore, but they were discovered, and a pirogue which had been dispatched to 

 reconnoiter them was not a long time in ai)proaching. Their fear and distrust 

 were renewed, and they did not decide to stop until they perceived that the 

 persons in that boat spoke very good French, when they overcame their fears 

 and in the weak state they were gladly availed themselves of the oi)])ortunity 

 to land. There they found the little French nrniy which had been formed, the 

 officers compassionate and every way kind, a surgeon, and refreshments. 

 After recovering a little from the great dangers and miseries they had endured, 

 they on the next day availed themselves (if a pirogue which had been titted out 

 for New Orleans.^ 



" His name Is given by Dumont as Dusablon. 

 » Le Petit in Jes. Rel., lxviii, 172-183. 



