( 2 4i ) 



the river run four leagues more towards the north.' 

 Immediately after this uncommon winding .we 

 pafled on the left the fine river Ouabache^ by means 

 of which there is a pafTage as far as the country of 

 the Iroquois, when the waters are high. This ri- 

 ver, at its entrance into the Mifliffippi, is not lefs 

 than a quarter of a league in breadth. There is 

 not, in my opinion, a place in all Louifiana more 

 proper for a fettlement than this, nor where it is 

 of greater importance to us to have one. The 

 whole country watered by the Ouabache and Ohio 9 

 which runs into it, is extremely fertile confiding of 

 vaft meadows, which feed thoufands of buffaloes. 

 Befides its communication with Canada is as eafy 

 as that by the river of the Illinois, and the paffage 

 much fhorter. A fort with a good garrifon would 

 keep the Indians in awe, efpecially the Cherokees, 

 who are the moft numerous nation on this conti- 

 nent. 



Six leagues below the mouth of the Ouabache, 

 and on the fame fide, we found the coaft extremely 

 high, and the earth of a yellow colour, from whence 

 fome have imagined that there are mines of iron in 

 this place. We made a good progrefs this day 

 which was the fixteenth, but fuffered extremely by 

 the cold : it continued to encreafe the following 

 days, though the wind had changed to fouth-fouth- 

 weft : we were even obliged as we advanced to 

 break the ice, which was formed on the.furface of 

 the water. On the nineteenth we got four leagues 

 farther on our way, after which we were flopped 

 by a fouth wind. I never found a north wind 

 colder than this. It is probable, this was dill the 

 north -weft wind which continued to blow, but that 

 the land reflected it fometimes on one fide 5 fome- 



Vol. II. R times 



