( *79 ) 



Nothing detaining me longer at the Natchez* t 

 fet out from thence on the 26th of December pretty 

 late, in company with M. de Pauger, King's engi- 

 neer, who was employed in vifiting the colony, in 

 order to examine the proper places for building 

 forts. We advanced four leagues* and encamped 

 on the banks of a fmall river on the left 5 nexc 

 day we reimbarked two hours before it was light, 

 with a pretty ftrong wind againft us. The river 

 in this place makes a circuit or winding of fourteen 

 leagues j and according as we turned, the wind 

 being reflected by the land, and the iQands 

 which are here in great number turned with 

 Us, fo that we had it the whole day in our teeth. 

 Notwithstanding we got ten leagues farther, and 

 entered another fmali river on the fame fide. The 

 whole night we heard a very great noife, which I 

 imagined was the effect of .the winds growing ftron- 

 ger ; but I was told that the river had been very 

 calm, and that the noife which kept us awake had 

 been occafioned by the fifties beating the water 

 with their tails. 



On the 28th, after advancing two leagues far- 

 ther, we arrived at the river of the Tonkas, which 

 at firft appears to be rfo more than a brook •, but 

 at the diftance of a mufket-mot from its mouth* 

 forms a Very pretty lake. If the river continues 

 to carry its flream or courfe towards the other fide* 

 as it has done for fome time pad, all this place 

 will become inacceffable. The river of the Tonicas 

 rifes in the country of the Tcbaffas, and its naviga- 

 tion is very much interrupted with falls o* rapid 

 currents. The village (lands beyond the lake on 

 a pretty eminence 5 yet its air is faid to be tin- 

 wholfome, which is attributed to the bad quality 

 of the water of the river ; but 1 am rather of opi- 

 nion, it is owing to the flagnation of the waters 



T 4 in 



