C 294 ) 



circumference. It is befides very low, excepting' 

 one place only which is never overflowed, and 

 where there is room enough to build a fort and 

 ware-houfes. Veflels might likewife unload here, 

 which would have difficulty to" get over the bar 

 with their cargoes in. 



M. de Pauger founded this place with the lead, 

 and found the bottom pretty hard and clayey, 

 though five or fix fmallfprings rife from it, which do 

 not throw up much water, but leave a very fine 

 fait behind them. When the river is at its loweft, 

 that is to fay during the three hotteft months of the 

 year, the water is fait all round this ifland but 

 in the time of the floods it is entirely frefh, and 

 the river preferves its frefhnefs a league out at fea. 

 During the remainder of the year it is a little 

 brackifh beyond the bar ; confequently it is a meer 

 fable, what has been afTerted, that for the fpace of 

 twenty leagues, the waters of the MiiTiffippi do 

 not mix with thofe of the ocean. 



M. Pauger and I fpent the reft of the day 

 with M. Kerlafio, mafter of the Brigantine, in 

 founding and furveying the only mouth of the ri- 

 ver which was then navigable ; and here follow 

 our obfervations on the condition in which we then 

 found it, for I cannot anfwer for the changes which 

 may have fince happened. It runs north-eaft and 

 fouth-weft, for the fpace of three hundred fathoms 

 from the fea to the ifland of Thouloufe, oppofite to 

 which are three fmall iflands, which have as yet no 

 grafs upon them, alihough they are of a tolerable 

 height. For the whole of this fpace, its breadth 

 is about two hundred and fifty fathoms, and its 

 depth about eighteen feet in the middle 5 but thofe 



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