C 3 00 ) 



goodnefs, and have at the fame time neglected 

 it. Ferdinand de Soto went all over it, in the 

 fpace of three years, and Garcilaflb de Vega 

 his hiflorian has not been able to forgive him, 

 for not having made a folid eftablifhment upon 

 it. " Where could he have gone," fays he, " to 

 •< find a better." 



In a word, I have met with none, who have 

 been on the fpot, who have fpoken difadvantage- 

 oufly of Louisiana, but three forts of perfons whofe 

 teftimony can be of no great weight. The firft 

 are the failors, who, from the road at the ifland of 

 Dauphine, have been able to fee nothing but 

 that ifland covered with a barren fand, and 

 the coaft of Biloxi ftill more fandy, and have 

 fufFered themfeives to be perfuaded, that the en- 

 trance of the Miffiffippi is impracticable to veflels 

 above a certain bulk •, and that the country is un- 

 inhabitable for fifty leagues up the river. They 

 would have been of a very different opinion, 

 had they had penetration enough to diflruft 

 thofe perfons who fpoke in this manner, and 

 to difcover the motives which made them do 

 fo. 



The fecond are wretches, who being banifhed 

 From France for their crimes or ill -behaviour, 

 true or fuppofed, or who, in order to fhun the 

 purfuits of their creditors, lifted themfeives among 

 the troops, or hired themfeives to the plantations. 

 Both of them, looking upon this country as a place 

 of banifliment only, were confequently mocked 

 with every thing : they have no tye to bind 

 them, nor any concern for the progrefs of a 

 colony of which they are involuntary members^ 



