( 3" ) 



Two fmall veflels, which fet out at the fame time 

 with me, took advantage of this wind which carried 

 them a good way in a few hours, and I regretted 

 very much my not doing the fame : but I foon 

 learned that their fate was rather to be pitied than 

 envied ; the firft was in continual danger of fhip- 

 wreck, and the people on board arrived at New 

 Orleans rather dead than alive. The fecond fail- 

 ed half-way, and five of the paffengers were 

 drowned in a meadow, which the tempeit had con- 

 verted into a fwamp. The wind continued the 

 whole night with the fame violence, and the rain did 

 not ceafe till next day at noon. It began again 

 in the evening, and laded till day-light, accompa- 

 nied with thunder. \ 



"When you range along within fight of this coafl, 

 it feems to be very agreeable, but on approaching 

 nearer, it appears to be quite another thing. It is 

 all a fandy bottom as at Biloxi, and nothing but 

 a bad fort of wood is found upon it. I have ob- 

 ferved here a fort of forrel, which has the fame 

 tafle with ours, but its leaves are narrower, and oc- 

 cafion, as is faid, the bloody-flux. There is 

 Jikewife in thefe places a fort of afh, called bois 

 $ Amourette \ and its bark, which is full oPprickies, 

 is reckoned a fpeedy and fovereign remedy againft 

 the tooth-ach. 



On the 26th, it rained the whole day, and 

 though the fea was calm, we made but little pro- 

 grefs. We advanced fomewhat farther on the 

 twenty -feventh ; but on the following night loft 

 our way off the ifland of Pearls. The next day we 

 encamped at the entrance of lake Pontchartrain, 

 having a little before left upon our right the river 

 of pearls, which has three mouths. Thefe three 

 X 4 branches 



