Travels in North America. 291 



dars ; but this is only a Skreen that has little Depth, and which 

 hides fome very fine Meadows. 



The loth, about Nine in the Morning, after we had gone five 

 cTL n jj Leagues on the MiffiJJippi^ we arrived at the 

 r .L\^^'(f'''T^ Mouth of the Mijfouru which is North North 

 I'S""-' Weft, and South South Eaft. I believe this 

 the Milliliippi. g^^^ Confluence in the World. The 



two Rivers are much of the fame Breadth, each about half a 

 League ; but the Mijfouri is by far the moft rapid, and feems to 

 enter the MiJpJJîppi like a Conqueror, through which it carries 

 lié white Waters to the oppofite Shore, without mixing them ; 

 afterwards it gives its Colour to the MiffiJJippi^ which it neyer 

 lofes again, but carries it quite down to the Sea. 



The fame Day we \Vent to lay in a Village of the Caoquiasy 

 and the T amarouas : Thefe are two Nations of Illinois^ which are 

 united, and who do not together make a very numerous Village. It 

 is fituated on a little River, which comes from the Eaft, and which 

 has no Water but in the Spring Seafon ; fo that we were forc-ed 

 to walk a good half League to the Cabins. I was furprifed that 

 they had chofen fuch an inconvenient Situation, as they might 

 have found a much better; but they told me that the MiJ/îJ/ippi 

 waftied the Foot of the Village v/hen it was built, and that in 

 three Years it had loft half a League of Ground, and that they 

 were thinking of looking out for another Settlement. 



I paired the Night in the Houfe of the Miffionarles, which 

 are two Ecclefiaftics of the Seminary of ^ehec, formerly my 

 Difciples, but who might be now my Mafters. The oldeft of 

 the two (a) was abfent ; I found the youngeft (bj fuch as he 

 had been reported to me, fevere to himfelf, full of Charity for 

 others, and making Virtue amiable in his own Perfon. But he 

 has fo little Health, that I think he cannot long fupport the 

 Way of Life, which they are obliged to lead in thefe Mif- 

 fions. 



The eleventh, after having gone five Leagues, we left on our 

 Of the M' e f ^^^^^ River of Marameg, where fome 

 theRi-ver uLÏ Perfons are adually employed in jeeking Sil- 

 ver Mines. Perhaps you will be pleafed, 

 ^^2* Madam, to know what Succefs there is to be 



expcfted from thefe Searches. This is what I have heard con- 

 cerning them, from an intelligent Perfon, who has been here 

 many Years. In 17 19 the Sieur de Lochon, fent by the Weftern 

 Company in the Capacity of a Founder, having dug in a Place 

 that was ftiewed him, took up a pretty large Quantity of the 

 Mineral, a Pound of which, that took up four Days to melt, 



(a) M.Taumur, (h) M. Le MercUr, 



P p 2? pro* 



\ 



