Winslow — The Mapping of Missouri. ioe 
drainage system of the river is remarkable and indicates very 
imperfect knowledge of the region, and peculiar conceptions 
concerning it. The existence of the Osage river is suggested 
by the first fork above the mouth of the Missouri. 
Hennepin’s map of 1683, in his ‘* Description De La 
Louisiane’’ contains nothing additional concerning the Mis- 
sissippi or the area of Missouri. The connection of the 
Mississippi with the Gulf is here only indicated by a dotted line, 
in evidence that his explorations did not extend to the Gulf.* 
Later maps of Hennepin appeared in his work entitled 
‘¢ Nouvelle Découverte d’un trés grand Pays’’ which show an 
extension of the Mississippi to the Gulf; but this portion is 
supposed to have been stolen from the records of La Salle’s 
expedition. 
Minet’s map of 1685, entitled ** Carte de La Louisiane ’”’ 
was made by the engineer, Minet, on the return voyage of 
the ship Joly, after leaving La Salle and his colonists at 
Matagorda bay.t The details of the mouth of the Mississippi 
' as found by La Salle in 1682 and those of Matagorda bay 
were specially drawn. The river is shown to empty into the 
Gulf at Matagorda bay, which was mistaken by the expedi- 
tion for its mouth. The course of the stream above the 
mouth is similar to that shown on the Franquelin map of 
1684. The name Missouris is applied here also to that river, 
and it is represented by a peculiar double channel as in the 
Franquelin map. 
In the year 1699 the expedition under Le Moyne d’ Iberville 
reached the mouth of the Mississippi, established a settlement 
there and explored the stream for a distance of 100 leagues 
above its mouth. From that date on the river was traveled 
frequently by explorers and travelers and its course became 
well known. 
La Hontan’s maps originally appeared in 1703 in his 
** Nouveaux Voyages dans! Amérique septentrionale,’’t ete. 
* Fora Seen ofa portion of this map see Winsor’s Nar. and Crit. 
Hist., Vol. IV, p. 2 
+ For a sketch a this map see Winsors Nar. and Crit. Hist., Vol., IV, p. 
237. 
} Portions of these maps are reproduced in Nar. and Crit. Hist., Vol. 
IV, pp. 358 to 361 
