362 The Discoveries and Settlements Book I 
for the Amazons and Indian Trade^ are bartered for Su- 
gar, Rocoii, Indigo, Tortoife-fhells, Tyger-ikins, and 
other inconiiderable Curiofities of the Country, which 
did once turn to great Profit to the Traders there. The 
other neceffary Provifions of the Produd of the Ifiand 
are Manetada or Caffibi, and Indian Wheat, of which 
each Planter fows large (^antities, both for the Subfift- 
ance of their own Families and Slaves, and to /fell to the 
other inferior Inhabitants. The Sea and River Fifli, 
Poultry, Pidgeons, Quefts, or Ring-doves, whereof 
there is great Plenty, and delicate Turkeys, Venifon, 
Hares, Agontils, Flogs, and Packs, that is, wild Boars, 
are alfo a Part of their Subfiftance. 
But Lamentins and Sea-Tortoifes afe their chief Pro- 
Vifion, and may well be called the Manna to the poorer 
fort *, the Manati’s Flelli ufed at Cayenne is brought 
ready faked from the River of the feveral of the 
principal Inhabitants fending the Barks and Brigantines 
thither with Men and Salt, to buy it of the Indians for 
Beads, Knives with white Hafts of a low Price, fome 
Linen,^Toys, ai'jd Iron Tools. When thefeVefiels have 
entered the River of the Amazons^ the Indians^ who al- 
ways follow the Manati-filhery, go on board, take the 
Salt, and with it run up the River in Canoes or Frigates, 
to catch the Manaties, which they cut in Pieces, and fait 
as taken, returning with that fait Filli to the Brigantines, 
which go not up, becaufe the Portuguefe who dwell to 
the eaftward, at Para, and other Places of Brazil, claim 
the Sovereignty of the North-fide of that River, and 
give no Quarter to the French, or other Europeans, 
they can take in their Liberties j which has occafioned 
many Difputes and Quarrels between them. That Con- 
troverfy Was decided by the Treaty of Utrecht, in the 
Year 1713, which fixed that Boundary. 
They have ever fmce been ufing all the Arts imagin- 
able, to render this Colony of fome Ufe, but hitherto 
they have been able to make no great Matter of it, the 
Expence being fo large, that by their hardeff Labour the 
Inhabitants find it difficult to gain v/herewithal to pur- 
chafe their Subfiftance. As for the Trade carried on 
from France, it confifts chiefly in Provifions, fuch as fait 
Meats, Flour, Wine, Brandy, Linen, Stuffs, and 
Mercery Goods ; in return for which they export Suo-ar, 
Dying- woods, and for the moft part, the fame Kind of 
Commodities they do from the Leezvard IJlands. It is 
thought, , that the Number of Whites upon this Ifland 
may amount to twelve or fifteen hundred, and that 
the whole Number of the People, taking in Soldiers 
and Slaves, may amount to three thoufand, or there- 
abouts ; amongft thefe there are fixty or feventy Jews, 
who, befides cultivating their Plantations, carry on a 
kind of underhand Trade with the Butch and the Portu- 
guefe •, and what little Qiiantity of Gold and Silver they 
have in that Country is in the Hands of thefe People, 
v/ho notv/ithftanding are far enough from being rich. 
13. We have already, in the Hiftory of the French Eaji 
India Company, mentioned the feveral Attempts made 
by Monf. de la Salle, for the Difcovery of the MiJJiJfippi, 
and therefore we may be allowed to be the ffiorter here. 
This Gentleman was certainly a Perfon of great Worth 
and good Underftanding ; and the Notion he had of 
fixing Colonies in this Part of the World, was, in gene- 
ral, well enough founded ; but it does not appear that 
he was fo well qualified to govern or condudt a Colony ; 
He had paffed down the River he fought, in the Sprino- 
of the Year 1683, to the very Mouth of it ; he after- 
wards remounted that River, and returned to Canada, 
in the Month of O Sober the fame Year ; from whence 
he took his Paffage back to France, where he gave a 
large Account of the mighty Advantages that would 
certainly accrue from the fettling of a Colony in thofe 
Parts ; upon which a new Company was formed in the 
Beginning of the fucceeding Year, for the carrying thofe 
great Defigns into Execution ; and on the 24th of June, 
1684, he failed with a Squadron confifting of fourVeffels, 
having on board a fufficieni Number of Perfons, and all 
kind of Goods and Provifions .neceffary for the Service 
of the new Colony, which he propofed to fix at the 
Mouth of the Mijfiffippi 5 but when he arrived in the 
Bay of Mexico he was not able to find the Mouth of the ’ 
River, as he expeded ; and therefore attempted to fix a 
Colony at the Bay of St. Lewis, which is one hundred 
Miles to the Weft of the River Mijfiffippi ; where they 
endured fuch Hardfhips that moft of them periffied 
miferably ; v/hile Monf. de la Salle, ftill intent upon Dif- 
coveries, made various Excurfions with fuch of his Com- 
pany as were ftill able to move j in one of which he was 
barbaroufly murdered by two of his own People, which 
put an End to the Defign for the prefent. 
Seven Years after, Monf. d" Ihberville undertook to 
pel form all that Monf. de la Salle had promifed j and, 
as he was a Man v/ho had already performed o-reat 
Things, the Court encouraged him ; and he was Sally 
as good as his Word. He carried his People very fafely 
and happily to the Mouth of the great River, and there 
laid the Foundations of the firft Colony the French ever 
had on the Miffiffipp. He took Care to provide them 
with every Thing neceffary for their Subfiftance, and 
obliged them to ered; a ftrong Fort, for their Protedion 
againft the Indians, before he would return to France in 
order to obtain Supplies. The Succefs of his V oyage 
made him extremely welcome to the King, who pro- 
mifed him all the Affiftance he could defirej fo that he 
was foon in a Condition to put to Sea again ; and his 
lecond Voyage was as fortunate as the firft ; but very 
unluckily for his Colony, he fell fick and died, as he 
was preparing for the third. This had very near over- 
turned the whole Defign, if it had not been for the Ge- 
nerofity and public Spirit of a private Man, who under- 
took to fupport it at his own Expence, receiving from 
the Government an Authority to ad. 
In the Grant of Louvifiana to Mr. Crozat, by Lewis 
XIV, anno 1712, the Bounds of it are faid to be the 
River and Lake of Illinois on the North, Carolina on 
the Eaft, the Gulph of Mexico on the South, and Nezsu 
Mexico on the Weft. As to Canada, or New France, 
the French would fcarce admiit it had any Bounds to the 
North on this Side the Pole, till they were limited on 
that Side by an Article in the Treaty Utrecht-, which 
affigns New Britain and IIudfon\ Bay on the North of 
Canada to Great Britain and Commiffioners after-, 
wards on both Sides, afcertained the Limits by an ima- 
ginary Line, running from a Cape or Promontory of 
New Britain to the Atlantic Ocean, in 38 Degrees 30 
Seconds, North Latitude, and running from thence 
South-weft to the Lake Mifcofmk or Mijiafm, and from 
thence farther South-weft diredly to the Latitude of 
49 Degrees. All the Lands to the North of the faid 
Line, being affigned to Great Britain and all the South 
of that Line, as far as the River of St. Laurence, to the 
French. Thefe are the trueLimits of Louvifiana 2 indiCanada. I 
This Grant to Mr. Crozat did not fubfift long, for 
it being neceffary to have fome plaufible Pretence for 
fetting on Foot a Projed for changing the Face of pub- 
lic Affairs in France, this Settlement was thought the 
moft convenient; and therefore all imaginable Pains were 
taken to reprefent it as a Paradife, and a Place from 
whence inexhauftible Riches might be derived, provided 
due Encouragement could be obtained from the Govern- 
ment ; and for this Purpofe it was thought requifite, that 
a new Company fhould be ereded ; to make Way for 
which Mr. Crozat was to fefign his Grant, and this he [ 
accordingly did, as we have hinted in another Place. l' 
14. This occafioned that Noife that was made about | 
the Mijfjfipp>i, not in France only, but throughout all ' 
Europe, which was filled with romantic Stories of the | 
vaft Fruitfulnefs of the Banks of this great River, and 
the incredible Wealth that was like to flow from thence, i 
It was thefe Indies in the North Seas that produced our I 
Notions of finding Indies in the South-, but in the End 
both proved Bubbles, partly from the Falffiood of thofe 
Relations, and partly from there being no fixed ‘and fettled 
Refolutions of promoting the Trade to either. This 
Mifpjfippi or River of St. Lewis, according to the French '' 
Account, rifes in the North- weft Part of Canada, taking 
its CoLirfe firft to the South-eaft, and in 45 Degrees, 
turning almoft due South, continues that Courfe till it : 
difcharges itfeif into the Gulph of Mexico in 30 Degrees ; 
North ! 
