286 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



HISTORICAL NOTES. 



EARLY NOTICES OF THE MISSOURI RIVER AND INDIANS. 



(second paper.) 

 by john p. jones, keytesville, missouri. 



In the year 1712, Louis the XIV, conveyed the commercial privileges ot 

 Louisiana to Anthony Crozat, " Secretary of the household crown and revenue," 

 and in describing the boundaries of the grant, attempted to change the names 

 of the three greatest rivers in the province, as follows : 



"We, by these presents, signed by our hand have appointed, and do ap- 

 point the said Sieur Crozat to carry on a trade in all the lands possessed by us, 

 and bounded by New Mexico, and by the English of Carolina, all the ports, 

 rivers, havens, and particularly the river St. Louis, heretofore called the Missis- 

 sippi, together with the river St. Philip, heretofore called the Missouri, and St. 

 Gerome, heretofore called Oubache (Ohio), with all the countries, territories, 

 •lakes, etc." 



The name St. Louis, as applied to the Mississippi, was in use for some years, 

 but it is a matter for congratulation that the Indian names of these three great 

 rivers have survived all attempts of the white man to change them. Surely no 

 Missourian will regret that our noble river is not called St. Philip, even though a 

 Bourbon prince should have desired to perpetuate in that manner the name of 

 " our dearly beloved cousin. " 



As the great resources of the Mississippi Valley became known, the English 

 began to turn their attention in that direction. Some of their writers claim that 

 an English vessel ascended the Mississippi as early as the year 1648, but of this 

 there is no evidence. Others assert that expeditions from the English colonies 

 on the Atlantic coast traversed the valley prior to the year 1700. Individual 

 parties may have crossed the mountains and sailed down the Ohio prior to that 

 date, but there is no written evidence of any organized expedition from the 

 coast into the valley between the date of its occupation by La Salle and the ad- 

 vent of Iberville at the mouth of the Mississippi. 



The first recorded visit of Englishmen to the valley by the way of the Mis- 

 sissippi was in the year 1699. 



In that year Bienville while making a survey of the river, about eighteen 

 miles below where New Orleans now stands, was surprised to see two vessels 

 bearing English colors, making their way up stream. They proved to be under 

 the command of Captain Barr, and had come on a voyage of discovery. Upon 

 the representation of Bienville that the country was already in possession of the 



