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my leg in their throat. What is certain is, that 

 the creature I faw was large enough to fatisfy ten 

 men of the ftrongeft appetites. We (laid the 

 whole day in this grant, which is no farther ad- 

 vanced than the reft, and is called k Baton rouge* 

 or the Red-ftafT Plantation. 



The next day, we advanced eleven leagues, and 

 encamped a little below the Bayagoulas, which we 

 left upon our right, after having vifited the ruins 

 of an ancient village, which I have already men- 

 tioned. This was very well peopled about twenty 

 years ago ; but the fmall -pox deftroyed part of the 

 inhabitants, and the reft Jiave difperfed in fuch a 

 manner, that no accounts have been heard of them 

 for feveral years, and it is doubted if fo much as 

 one fingle family of them is now remaining. Its 

 fituation was very magnificent, and the Meffrs. Pa- 

 ris have now a grant here, which they planted with 

 white mulberries, and have already raifed very fine 

 filk. They have like wife begun to cultivate to- 

 bacco and indigo with fuccefs. If the proprietors 

 of the grants were every-where as induftrious, they 

 would fooa be reimburfed their expences. 



On the third of January, at ten in the mornings 

 we arrived at the little village of the Oumas, which 

 Hands on the left, and has fome French houfes in 

 ito A quarter of a league farther within the coun- 

 try Hands the great village. This nation is very 

 well affected towards us. Two leagues above this, 

 the Miffi flip pi divides into branches : on the right, 

 to which fide it has a conftant propenfity, it has 

 hollowed out for itfelf a channel called the fork of 

 the Chetimachas or Sitimachas^ which, before it 

 carries its waters to the fea, forms a pretty large 

 lake. The nation of the Chetimachas is almoft 



entirely 



( 



V 



