gogj An Eijîorlcal Journal of 



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LETTER XXVIII. 



Of the Colony of the Illinois^^ Journey to the AkAksas. Defcrip- 

 iion of the Country, 



Madam, Kaskasquias, iVi?«L/. 8. 



MY laft Letter is gone for Canada, from whence I am affured 

 that it will go fooner to France by Uljle Royal, And in- 

 deed, if it fnould happen to mifcarry by the Way, the Lofs would 

 not be great. I begin this again at xht Kafajquias, but, accord- 

 ing to all Appearances, I fhaii not finiih it here. I havfi been 

 here above a Month, and I am haftening my Departure as much 

 as pofnble. 



As I have as yet feenin Louïfîana only this Pod, the fail of 

 ne Ufefulnefs of Antiquity, I cannot judge of 



theFoft of thill '^>' C^^P^^^^^« ^'"^^ But itap^. 



linois pears certain to me, that it has two Advan- 



tages, one of which can never be difputed, 

 ^nd the other renders it at prefent neceflary to the whole Province, 

 The firil arifes from its Situation, which is near Canada, with 

 which it will alv/ays have a Communicstion equally ufeful to the 

 two Colonies. The fécond is, that it may be made the Granary 

 of Louifana, which it can fupply v/ith Plenty of Wheat, though 

 iX fhouid be quite peopled down to the Sea. 



The Land is not only fit to bear Wheat, but has hitherto refu- 

 fed nothing that is neceiTary for the Food of Man. The Climate 

 is very mild, in thirty-eight Degrees, thirty-nine Minutes North 

 Latitude : It would be very eafy to encreafe Flocks here. They 

 jnight alfo tame the wild BuiFaioes, from which they would ob- 

 tain a great Beneiit in the Trade of their Wool and Hides, and 

 for the Suflenance of the Inhalsitants. 



The Air is good here, and if ,we fee feme Diilempers, we may 

 attribute them only to Poverty and DifTolutenefs, and perhaps 

 in forne fmall Degree to the Lands newly turned up ; but this 

 laft Inconvçnience will not continue always, and the Climate 

 >vill not at all affed thofe who hereafter fhall be born here. 

 Laftly we are affured of the Illinois, more than of any Nation of 

 Savages in Canada, if we except the Ahenaquis, They are almoft 

 all Chrijiians, of a mild Difpolitipn, and at all Times very af- 

 leûionate to the French, 



I aiiï. 



