VIEWS OF LOUISIANA. 
'U 
did not enter. Pursuing this course, at the distance of fifteen 
leagues he discovered another river and entered it on the first of 
May, from which circumstance he gave it the name of la riviere 
de Mai. Here he found a great number of savages, by whom, 
from that conciliatory policy, which the French have so suc¬ 
cessfully pursued towards these people, he was.well received: 
reciprocal presents, were made,, to t;he great, satisfaction of- 
the Indians,. But having in view the river Joufdan, he has¬ 
tened his. departure from this place, but not without having 
first erected a pillar on which were engraven the arms of 
France, and taking possession of the country in the name of 
the king and of the admiral; a vain and idle ceremony. He after¬ 
wards gave to the rivers which he successively discovered for 
sixty leagues, the names of French rivers, and at length cast an¬ 
chor in what he supposed the Jourdan, but which was Called af¬ 
terwards by the Spaniards, St. Cruz, and by the natives Shawa¬ 
no,* at present Savana. Ribaut at this place built a fort which he 
called Fort Charles; the Indians manifested the greatest friend¬ 
ship. Leaving here the persons who had accompanied him 
for the purpose of establishing a colony, he took his depar¬ 
ture. Unfortunately the direction and government of it, were re¬ 
signed to a person no Ways capable. He soon manifested great im¬ 
prudence, and the most ferocious severity. The colony in a 
short time, suffered severely from famine, and a complication of 
miseries: and wdre at length compelled to leave the country and 
endeavor to regain their native land, in a vessel built by them 
Under the most discouraging circumstances.. 
It is indeed strange, hpw men cap be induced voluntarily to 
tear themselves from the bosom of a refined and civilized socie¬ 
ty, retire to a wilderness and become the neighbours of savages. 
But the sweet and cheering hope of regaining their native soil, af¬ 
ter having acquired a competency, has been found never to aban¬ 
don the emigrants from France. Even the powerful incentive of 
religious freedom, was not sufficient alone. The belief that eve- 
* The Shawanese Indians were originally from Georgia; they exchang¬ 
ed their country with the Cherokees for that on the Cumberland river, 
from whence they were afterwards driven by the same people across the 
