i'ravels in North America. 34Î 



prance of it with Sand. To the Weft of Ship IJland lie one be- 

 hind the other, the Illand des Chats ox de Bienville, the Ifland « 

 Come, and the Ifles de la Chandeleur, 



What they call the Biloxi is the Coaft of the Main Land, which 

 r ' r 1 is to the North of the Road. This is the Namè 



Defcriptionofthe ^ ^^^.^^ Savages which were fettled 

 there formerly, but who are now retired to- 

 wards the North Weft, on the Borders of a little River, called 

 the River of Pearls, becaufe they have found in it a poor Sort af 

 Pearls. They could not have chofen a worfe Situation for thè 

 General Quarters of the Colony ; for it can neither receive any 

 Sucours from the Ships, nor give them any for the Reafons I hav6 

 ijieiitioned. Befides this, the Road has two great Faults; the An- 

 chorage is not good, and it is full of Worms, which damage all 

 the Ships : The only Service it is of, is to ftielter the Ships from 

 a fudden Guftof Wind, v/hen they come to difcover the Mouth of 

 the MiUijJi.ppi, which having only low Lands, it would be dan- 

 gerous to approach in bad Weather, without having firft dif* 

 covered it. 



The Biloxi is not more valuable for its Land, than for its Sea. • 

 nr I n (v nothinp- but Sand, and there grows there 



U/ the Calline. ^.^^^^ bendes'Pines and Cedars. The Caffine, 

 therwife called Jpalachine, alfo grows there everywhere in Plenty. 

 It is a very fmall Shrub, the Leaves of which, infufed like thofe 

 of Tea, pafs for a good Difiblvent, and an excellent Sudorific ; 

 but its principal Quality is diuretic. The Spaniards ufe it 

 in all Florida ; it is even their common Drink. It began to ht 

 ufed in Paris when I left it ; but we v/ere then in a bad Timé 

 for new Trials ; they dropt as fuddenly as they were taken up. 

 Neverthelefs, I know that feveral Perfons who have ufed Apah^ 

 chine, praife it greatly. 



There are two Kinds, which differ only in the Size of the 

 Leaves. Thofe of the large Sort are above an Inch long, the 

 others are little more than half that Length. In Shape and Sub« 

 ftance they are much like the Leaves of Box, except that they are 

 rounder at the Ends, and of a brighter Green. The Name. of 

 Apalachine, v/hich we have given to this Shrub, comes from the 

 Apalaches, a People of Florida, from whom the Spaniards learnt its 

 Uf^, and this is their Manner of preparing it. 



They fet on the Fire in an earthen Pot a certain Quantity of 

 Leaves, and they let them parch in it till their Colour becomes 

 reddifh, then they pour boiling Water on them gently, till thè 

 Pot is full. This Water takes the Colour of the Leaves, and 

 it froths when it is poured out like Beer. They drink it as hot 

 pofTible, and the Savages would fooner go without eating, than 

 inifs drinking it Night and Morning ; they think they ftiould be 



ficfe 



