I 
Chap. II L of the FRENCH in AMERICA, 363 
North Latitude, and 95 Degrees of weftern Longitude. 
By four or five Mouths of feveral large Rivers falling 
into it, both from the Eaft and Weft, Mijjijfippi is 
1 welled into a very large deep River i and fome French 
Writers add, that it is a gentle Stream, and navigable 
for large Veftels from the Source almoft to the Mouth j 
but other French Writers, and fome Englijh Seamen, 
affirm, that it has a very rapid Stream ; and that there 
are Cataradts in feveral Parts of it, which obftrudl the 
Navigation, and that there are fuch Shoals at the Mouth 
of the River, that large Ships cannot enter it. 
The Country upon the Banks of this great River has 
nothing very extraordinary to recommend it, except that 
the Air is milder, and the Soil more fruitful than that of 
Canada^ which might be reafonably expedled from its 
Situation. There is no fort of Qiieftion that People may 
live there with the Help of their own Induftry, in Peace 
and Plenty ; but perhaps they might live with as little 
Pains and Trouble in France itfelf But as to what was 
pretended when fuch a Noife was made about the Mif- 
JKfippi-i that the Country abounds with Silver Mines, and 
that it was not improbable that Gold might be found 
here, it was a mere Fable ; and thofe that have been fent 
from France to make Trial of the Mines have reported. 
That they are far from being valuable, and that it would 
be very difficult, if not impradlicable, to work them ; fo 
that now we hear no more of the Metals in this Country ’, 
but they are content to talk of Furs, raw Hides, Tobacco, 
Corn, and Silk, of which indeed there is more Probability ^ 
but no very great Progrefs has been hitherto made in raifing 
any of them. As this Country lies in the Middle be- 
tween the Spanijlc Settlements on one Side, and the EngliJJj 
on the other, the French have fancied to themfelves a 
Poffibility of driving out both •, but this muft certainly 
arife from their national Vanity, fince there is no great 
Probability of their becoming in fome Ages very formi- 
dable to either, unlefs both fhould become very negli- 
gent, and the French more happy than they have hither- 
to been in their Improvements. 
At prefent they have divided this Country into nine 
Provinces, in each of which they have fome fmall Pofts, 
but the only Place they have of any Confequence is. New 
Orleans.) fo called from the late Regent, who was the 
Parent of this new Settlement. It is feated about one 
hundred and twenty Miles from the Mouth of the 
Mijfiffipph ^ very fruitful Part of the Country, v/here 
the Inhabitants raife Corn fufficient for their Subfiftance, 
and fome Tobacco. The Expence they have been at 
from time to time about their Colonies in this Country 
has been very large, but the Profits drawn from them very 
inconfiderable, and no way anfwerable to their Expecta- 
tions ", yet it muft be allowed, that in its prefent Situation, 
New Orleans is a confiderable Place, both with refpeCl to 
its Size and Strength, and the jefuits feht from Europe 
thither have taken a great deal of Pains to bring over the 
Indian Nations to the French Intereft, the only Means by 
which they can become troublefome to their Neighbours j 
but notwithftanding this, they are not able to rely much 
upon their new Converts, there having been frequent 
Inftances of their revolting, attacking, and deftroying, 
their new Matters or Allies, when they leaft expedted it : 
So that on what Grounds they build their Hopes of 
eftablilhing a powerful Empire in this Part of America.^ 
muft be left to their own Writers to declare. 
To fay the Truth, I fee but one Way that any Thing 
worth mentioning can ever be brought about here j and 
that is at the Expence of their own Colony of Canada •, 
for if it fnould ever appear that an eafier Livelihood is 
to be gained in the Colonies on the Banks of the Mijfijfippi) 
than in thofe on the River of St. Laurence, it is not at all 
impoffible, that the People fettled on the one may by De- 
grees remove to the other. This would become daily more 
and more pradlicable, and perhaps more neceffary, if we 
proceed ,in the Settlement of Nova Scotia, and preferve 
the Pofteffion of the Eland of Cape Breton ', for then, as 
I have before obferved, Canada will rather become a 
Burden than an Advantage to France j and the wifeft Step 
file could take would be to remove the Inhabitants hi- 
ther. At the fame time that I fay this, I defire the Read- 
I 
er will confider it as a pure Conjedlure, and as a 
Thing barely poffible j and not at all as a Defign 
thought of by the French, or that is ever likely to 
come to pafs : But, however, this we may be allowed to 
affirm, that if they do not take this Step, it is not at all 
likely that either of thofe Colonies will become more 
confiderable than they are at prefent. We have already 
obferved, that the Computations they have given the' 
World of the Inhabitants of Canada are very extrava- 
gant, and much beyond the Truth ; and. I doubt the 
fame Thing may be with equal Truth affirmed, of what 
they report as to the Numbers of thofe fettled in Louvi- 
fiana, which fome of their Authors raife to twelve thou- 
fand Souls, while many intelligent People think there are 
not much above half that Number. 
15. The Obfervations and Remarks upon this Pe- 
riod may be the more concife, fince v/e have already taken 
Occafion to deliver fomething of that Nature, in refpedt 
to each of the Colonies we have mentioned. The French 
have not been very fortunate in the Management of their 
Interefts in this Part of the World ; for their Settlements 
are as iinconnedled and ill placed, as their Enemies could 
wifii them. Canada is at a vaft Diftance from their 
Hands, and the Navigation of the River of St. Lau- 
rence fo difficult, that they cannot make above twm Voy- 
ages in a Year. Vfe may fay the fame with refpefl to 
the Eland of Cayenne, v/hich lies out of the way of all 
the reft of their Colonies, and for that Reafon has little 
or no Correfpondence with any of them •, and it is pretty 
much the fame v/ith their Settlements on the MiJjiJftppij 
which is a great Difad vantage to them j as may appear 
from the Confideration of our own Colonies, that ftrengtli- 
en and fupport each other, by their mutual Commerce, 
there being feveral hundred Veflels employed in the Ame- 
rican Trade only, in which the French employ very few 
or none. We may, therefore, with ftrift Regard to Truth, 
divide the French Settlements into thofe which are pro- 
fitable, and thofe which are not ; the former including 
their Hands, and the latter all the reft. 
It muft, indeed, be owned, that it is very poffible to 
raife feveral Commodities of Value, both on the River 
of St. Laurence, and on the Mifftjfippi \ but, as the French 
are at prefent circumftanced, it may very well be doubt- 
ed, whether they will be ever able to do this, becaufe 
it does not appear that they could do it to their own Ad- 
vantage. While our Northern Colonies fupply their Su- 
gar Hands with Lumber, in Exchange for their Molofles, 
it will hinder their taking, except in Time of War, thofe 
kind of Goods, even from their own Colonies, and no- 
thing but an open* and advantageous Market can tempt 
the Inhabitants to raife them. As for Tobacco, Wine, 
and Silk, in Louvifiana, they may ferve to talk of, but 
there is little Reafon to fuppofe they will ever apply to 
the Cultivation of them in earneft. For, firft, in re- 
gard to Tobacco, it is not at all likely that they fiiould 
raife it better or cheaper than in Virginia, from whence 
the French take that Comm.odity at prefent, in Prefer- 
ence to what might be raifed in St. Domingo, and the 
adjacent Hands ; and, with refpedt to Wine and Silk, 
though they would be valuable Commodities to us, they 
could fcarce be fo to them ; confidering how much of 
their own Wine they export to the Colonies, and what 
Quantities of Silk they raife in their own European Domi- 
nions. It is their Hands therefore that the French chiefly 
concern themfelves about •, and as to the reft, it is rather 
for the Credit of their Crown, and for the Sake of dif- 
tant and very improbable Expedfations, that they make 
a Point of maintaining their other Colonies. 
It may be, if they were to transfer the People of Ca- 
nada to their Settlements in Louvijiana, and be at fome 
Pains to eftablifh a Correfpondence between that and their 
Sugar Hands, they might render both more beneficial 
than they are at prefent % but even in that Cafe, perhaps 
fome infurmountable Difficulties might be found, which 
are not at prefent forefeen ; and though they are not, 
yet even the Pofleffion of St. Domingo entire, if ever they 
fhould obtain it, would make that Commerce decline. 
Upon the whole, though the French have great Views in 
America^ and feem indefatigable in piirfuing thofe Views, 
yet^ 
a 
