1712.] GRANT OF LOUISIANA TO CROZAT. 277 



be convenient to present some observations respecting the northern 

 and western limits of that portion of America. 



The first discovery of the southern part of the Mississippi and the 

 adjacent countries, by the Spaniards, in the sixteenth century, has 

 been already mentioned. The northern branches of that river were 

 explored in the latter years of the seventeenth century, by the French, 

 from Canada ; * and before 1710, many French colonies and posts had 

 been established on its banks, in virtue of which, King Louis XIV. 

 claimed possession of all the territories to a great distance on either 

 side of the stream. In 1712, the exclusive trade of the southern 

 division of these territories, then called Louisiana, was granted by 

 King Louis to Antoine Crozat, in a royal decree or charter, bearing 

 date the 17th of September, which contains the earliest exposition of 

 the limits of that region. The words of the decree are as follows : f 

 " Nous avons par ces presentes, signees de notre main, etabli et 

 etablissons ledit Sieur Crozat, pour faire seul, le commerce dans 

 toutes les terres par Nous possedees, et bornees par le Nouveau Mex- 

 ique, et par celles des Anglais de la Caroline, tous les etablissemens, 

 ports, havres, rivieres, et principalement le port et havre de l'isle 

 Dauphine, appellee autrefois de Massacre, le fleuve St. Louis, au- 

 trefois appellee Mississippy, depuis le bord de la mer jusqu'aux Illinois, 

 ensemble les rivieres St. Philippe, autrefois appellee des Missourys, 

 et St. Hierosme, autrefois appellee Ouabache, avec tous les pays, 

 contrees, lacs dans les terres, et les rivieres qui tombent directement 

 ou indirectement dans cette partie du fleuve St. Louis. Voulons 



* Jeffreys — or whoever wrote the history of the French dominions in America, pub- 

 lished under the name of Jeffreys, in 1759 — says, at p. 134 of that work, " The Mis- 

 sissippi, the chief of all the rivers of Louisiana, which it divides almost into two equal 

 parts, was discovered by Colonel Wood, who spent almost ten years, or from 1654 to 

 1664, in searching its course, as also by Captain Bolt, in 1670." 



t " We have, by these presents, signed with our hand, authorized, and do authorize, 

 the said Sieur Crozat, to carry on exclusively the trade in all the territories by us pos- 

 sessed, and bounded by New Mexico and by those of the English in Carolina, all the 

 establishments, ports, harbors, rivers, and especially the port and harbor of Dauphin 

 Island, formerly called Massacre Island, the River St. Louis, formerly called the Mis- 

 sissippi, from the sea-shore to the Illinois, together with the Rivers St. Philip, formerly 

 called the Missouries River, and the St. Jerome, formerly called the Wabash, [the . 

 Ohio,] with all the countries, territories, lakes in the land, and the rivers emptying 

 directly or indirectly into that part of the River St. Louis. All the said territories, 

 countries, rivers, streams, and islands, we will to be and remain comprised under the 

 name of the government of Louisiana, which shall be dependent on the general gov- 

 ernment of New France, and remain subordinate to it ; and we will, moreover, that 

 all the territories which we possess on this side of the Illinois, be united, as far as need 

 be, to the general government of New France, and form a part thereof; reserving to 

 ourself, nevertheless, to increase, if we judge proper, the extent of the government 

 of the said country of Louisiana." 



