( 244 ) 



Ful colonies in North- America and Mexico ; and 

 we muft expect they will employ every method in 

 their power to deftroy it. The Spaniards who fee 

 us with fo much jealoufy ftrengthening ourfelves 

 in this country, are not as yet fenfible of the im- 

 portant fervices we thereby render them. A few 

 days after we pafTed by this monument of the Illi- 

 nois, the Chicachas had their revenge of two 

 Frenchmen, who followed me in a pirogue. Thefe 

 Indians lying in ambufh among the canes on the 

 banks of the river, as foon as they faw the French 

 oppofite to them, made a milling among the 

 canes without mewing themfelves ; the two men 

 believing it was a bear or fome other wild bead 

 drew near in order to take it ; but juft as they 

 were going to land, they difcharged their mufkets 

 at them, which laid them dead on the fpot. I 

 was very lucky not to be perceived by them 

 for my people would lofe no opportunity of hunt- 

 ing. 



On the twenty-third, after a very cold night, 

 we had a very fine day, and though the ground 

 was ftill covered with fnow, the cold was fup- 

 portable. On the morrow we pafTed by the river 

 of the Chicachas, which is but narrow though it 

 has a long courfe. Its mouth lies north and fouth. 

 From hence to Kafkafquias are reckoned eighty- 

 fix leagues ; but the way by land would be fliorter 

 by one half. Nothing cou ! d have been more a- 

 greeable than this navigation had the feafon been 

 milder : the country is delightful, and in the fo- 

 refls there are a number of ever-green trees ; the 

 few meadows there likewife preferve jheir verdure* 

 and a confiderable number of well wooded iflands. 

 fome^of whom are pretty large, form very beauti- 

 ful canals through which the largeft mips may fafe- 



