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But how can we imagine meafures are to be ta- 

 ken- to convert the infidels, when the children of 

 the faith themfelves are, almoft all of them, with- 

 out pallors ? i have already had the honour to in- 

 form your Grace, that the canton of the Natchez 

 is the moft populous of this colony j yet it is five 

 years fince the French there have heard mafs, or 

 even feen a pried. f was indeed, fenfible, that if 

 the greatefl number of the inhabitants had an in- 

 difference towards the exercifes of religion, which 

 is the common effect of the want of the facra- 

 meats 5 feveral of them, however, expreffed much 

 eagernefs to lay hold of the opportunity my voy- 

 age afforded them, to put the affairs of their eon- 

 fcience in order, and I did not believe it my 

 duty, to fuffer myfelf to be -much entreated on this 

 cccafion. 



The ftrft propofal rriade to me was to marry, in 

 the face of the church, thofe inhabitants, who by 

 virtue of a civil contract, executed in prefenee of 

 the commandant and principal clerk of the place, 

 had cohabited together without any fcruple, alled- 

 gfng, for excufe, along with thofe who had au- 

 thorized this cotfcub nage, the necefllty there was 

 of peopling the country, and the imporTibility of 

 procuring a priefl. I reprefented to them, that 

 there were priefls at the Yafous and New Orleans, 

 and that the affair was well worth the trouble of a 

 voyage thither ; it was anfwered, that the con- 

 tracting parties were not in a condition to under- 

 take fo long a journey, nor of being at the expence 

 of procuring a prieft. In ffiort, the evil being done, 

 the queftion was only how to remedy it, which 1 

 did. After this, 1 confeffed all thofe who offered 

 themfelves ; but their number was not fo great as 

 I expected. 



Nothing 



