io8 The American Geologist. August, 1902. 
Sailing on the wide lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne, with 
the very low lands inclosing the latter probably then sub- 
merged, Moscoso and his men would regard all that expanse 
of fresh water, reaching from the Bayou Manchac nearly a 
hundred miles east to the ]vlississippi sound, as "a very large 
bay" of the sea. They would consequently be surprised at 
the very long distance to which the Mississippi sent its waters 
without their becoming salt ; whereas even the greatest floods 
could not freshen the sea very far out from the mouths of the 
delta. The Portuguese Relation says that the ^Mississippi, 
before the departure from Aminoya, had risen, in such a high 
flood, to the ground at the Indian village, wiiere the brigan- 
tines were built, floating them ; and we may infer, with good 
assurance, that the same flood continued, at nearly its full 
height, through the next two weeks, till they came to the Bayou 
]\Ianchac and the vast fresh water expanse stretching thence 
far to the east. 
Soon after this expedition was disbanded in ^^lexico. tes- 
timonv of those who came back to Europe was taken by some 
unknown compiler as the basis for a revised map of the "Gulf 
and Coast of Xew Spain." It is reproduced by Harrisse in 
his great work, The Discovery of Xorth America. It shows 
the Atlantic and Gulf coast from Georgia to the Panuco river, 
and extends inland so far as the country was known, however 
vaguely, from the explorations of De Soto and ^loscoso. The 
Alississippi empties into the \'aya (Bay) del Es.piritu Santo, 
which is also called Mar Pequeiia (Little Sea), takijng the 
place of the lakes north of Xew Orleans, and thus confirming 
my conclusion as to INIoscoso's passage into the gulf. 
A hundred and thirty-nine years passed before La Salle, 
on the ninth day of April, 1682, erected a wooden column and 
a cross near the head of the passes of the ]Mississippi, and, 
with imposing ceremonies, took formal possession of this vast 
river basin for France. 
Leaving the Illinois river February 13th, La Salle and his 
company of about fifty French and Indians voyaged slowly 
down the Mississippi, hunting and fishing almost every day 
to supply themselves food, and visiting with the numerous 
Indian tribes. April 6tli they arrived at the head of the branch- 
es or passes of the river, in the delta, where the mighty stream 
divided into three channels, each of which was examined and 
