103 



house is a lake, which abounds with fish in sum- 

 mer, and fowl in the winter. 



About six miles above GillarcPs is the village 

 of the Boluxa Indians, where the river divides 

 into two branches, forming an island of about 

 fifty miles in length, and three or four in breadth. 

 The right hand stream is called Rigula de 

 Bond'ieu, on which there are no settlements. On 

 the left hand is the boat channel to Natchitoches, 

 and on this branch, for twenty-four miles, there 

 are thick settlements, and the inhabitants wealthy. 

 This is called the River Cane settlement. 



Above this settlement, the river divides again, 

 forming another Island of about thirty miles in 

 length, and three or four in breadth, called Isle 

 Brevel. This Island is subdivided by a bayau 

 which crosses the Island from one river to 

 the other, and is called Bayau Brevel. The 

 middle division of the river is called Little river, 

 and is the boat channel, where there are thick 

 settlements. The westward channel, called False 

 river, is navigable, but the banks being very low, 

 there are no settlements. The river passes 

 through a lake, called Lai Occasse. Above this 

 lake the three channels meet, where Natchitoches 

 is situated. The town is small, and meanly built, 

 containing about forty or fifty houses, inhabited 

 principally by French people. 



The fort, which is now called Fort Claiborn, 

 is on a small hill, forty rods from the river, con- 

 taining about two acres. This hill is wholly oc- 



