DISCOVERY & SETTLEMENT.—BOOK t 17 
contempt, he soon became the object of dislike to all. This was 
the cause of his ultimate failure. He passed by the mouth of the 
river which he sought, though it was seen by every person on 
board the ships ; and persisted with such obstinacy that he would 
not even listen to proposals, of going with a boat to examine. It 
seems that from theoretic notions he had placed it further south. 
He arrived at the bay of St. Bernard, and now discovered his er¬ 
ror, but too late, for the naval commander, became as obstinate 
as himself, positively refused to return, and set him on shore 
with all his men and equipments. La Salle, built a fort at this 
place, and in a short time afterwards set out for the Mississippi, 
but was assassinated by his own people, before he could reach it. 
His whole company, with the exception of three or four persons 
who reached Canada, finally perished, being either destroyed by 
the Indians or taken prisoners by the Spaniards and condemned 
to the mines. 
The colonization of the Mississippi was not abandoned. In 
the year 1698, Mons. D’Iberville, a gentleman of considerable 
note in his day, as a naval commander and intrepid adventurer, 
was sent with two ships in company with M. Chateaumorand to 
explore and settle the mouth of that mighty river. In 1699, he 
arrived at the bay of Pensacola, where three hundred Spaniards 
had lately landed, having been sent from Vera Cruz, for the-pur* 
pose of forming a colony. D’Iberville sent to them to request 
permission to water, but was refused. 
Continuing his route, he entered the Mobile, which at that 
time afforded a fine harbor, but which was afterwards choked 
Up by sand during a tempest. The first place at which he land¬ 
ed was an island, L’isle ds Massacre (so named from the mangled 
bodies of Indians which first struck his sight, apparently butch* 
ered in a wanton manner,) but which was afterwards called tho 
Isle of Dauphin. D’Iberville from this island proceeded to the 
main land, and afterwards, accompanied by a number of his men, 
to the Mississippi; which being discovered, he returned to his 
vessels, entered and ascended the river a considerable distance, 
and erected a fort. He afterwards ascended as far as the Nat¬ 
chez, with which place he was so much pleased, that he conceiv¬ 
ed the idea of building a city there, to he named Bosali. 
