1803.] 
Architeture—4. Aftronomy——5. Botany 
—6. Chemiftry—-7. Commerce—3. Geo- 
graphy —- 9, Hittory—t1ro. Mechanics— 
11. Mineralogy —12. Meteorology—13. 
Paintinge—r14. Zoology, &c. &c. &c. 
This lift being generally — diftri- 
buted, will foon be in the hands of every 
one that might with to become a member ; 
and they would, then have nothing to do 
but fend their addrefs, and the number be- 
Jonging to the clafs he moft approved ; 
thus: — 
Richard Roe, Norwich, 3, 8, 10. 
John Doe, Newport, Bucks, 1, 5, 12. 
&c. &c. &c. The names in this manner 
would take but little room in your Maga- 
zine, &c. 
If it would be more agreeable to the’ 
majority, this lift might be confined to the 
members of the Society, and the numbers 
placed in any other way; fo that none but 
thole who were in. pofleffion of. the key 
would know to which of the {ciences the 
figures belonged. In this cafe the perfon 
who wifhed to become a member,at the fend - 
ing his addrefs, mutt have the lift, preperly 
numbered, fent tohim. I cannot fee much 
objection to this, and it might fuit the 
modeity of feveral who might otherwife ob. 
ject to it. ; 
I merely offer thefe as hints, and if any 
of them fhould either be adopted, or be 
the means of leading to better, I thall not 
think my time lof. I am, &c. 
B. Bevan. 
Leighton, 151h Sept. 1803. 
ee 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
ACCOUNT of LOUISIANA. 
Sthe ceflion of Louifiana to the Unit- 
ed States of America is become an 
object of magnitude even in the political 
eye of Europe, perhaps an account of that 
colony may net be unacceptable to your 
readers. 
In 1512, Juan Ponce de Leon, who-had 
acquired confiderable fame by the con- 
queft of Porto Rico, fitted out three fhips 
for a voyage of difcovery. The principal 
motive which induced him to this under- 
taking, is rather to be found in the ro- 
mances, than the hiftory of his country, 
namely, with the hope cf difcovering a 
certain fountain, reported by the natives 
of Porto Rico to be fituated in one of the 
Lucayo Iilands, poffeffed of the wonderful 
Virtue of rejuvenefcence ; he touched at 
the Lucayos and Bahama Iflands, «and 
drank of every fountain within his reach, 
but could meet with none that could ex- 
_pand the flufh of-youth upon his withered 
_.Montaiy Mage. No. 106, 
Account of Loutfiands PER 
cheeks. He foonafter difcovered Florida ; 
but the natives would not permit him to 
land, fo that he was obliged to relinguifh 
his romantic purfuit. He returned to 
Porto Rico, where he paid the debt of Na- 
ture. 
In 1539, Ferdinand de Soto, who had 
ferved under Pizarro, the Maffena of his 
day, and had been invefed with the Go- 
vernment of Cuba, failed from the Havan- 
nab witha formidable force, and, landing 
on the coaft of Florida, traverfed mott of 
the rivers which fall into the Gulph of 
Mexico, In 1541 he croffed the Miilifiip- 
piriver, and advanced weitward. After 
various difcoveries he died, in 1542, leav- 
ing the command to Lewis Matcofo,— 
This officer attempted to travel by land 
fouth-weft to Mexico ; but, after encoun- 
tering many obitacles, relinquifhed the 
enterprize. He came at length to one of 
the great rivers difcovered by. De Soto, 
and, after innumerable hardfhips, arrived 
with the way-worn remains of his army at 
the fea in 1544. | 
- An unfatisfa&tory account of the difco- 
veries of Ferdinand de Sato may be 
found ina Hiftory of Florida, compofed 
by William Roberts, or in the Spanith of 
Garcilaffo de Vega. . This turned out a 
fruitlefs enterprize to the Spaniards ; the 
only thing they obtained by it was, the 
empty fame of being the fir& difcoverers 
of the river Miffiffippi. Notwithftanding 
they extended their difcoveries and cen-. 
quefts on the neighbouring coalis, which 
are wafhed by the Mexican Sea yet they 
did not even approach that mighty river, 
or purfue the path opened by the adventu- 
rous fpirit of DeSoto. 
It was in the reign of Louis XIV. fo 
fertile in men of. magnificent {chemes of 
ambition, and under the aufpices of that 
illufirrous Minifter of the Marine, Col- 
bert, that a new fpirit of activity was in- 
fufed into the commerce and naval enter- 
prize of France. Had the plans formed 
during the reion of that Monarch, and 
which were followed up by his fucceffors, 
been as fortunate as they were gigantic, 
the powers of both hemifpberes would 
have felt their cffeéts ; but thére were 
Nelfons, Duncans, Vincents, &c. thank 
Fleaven, in thofe days, as well as at pre- 
fem. 
No nation has equalled France in the 
arts of colonization ; her Minifters, aided 
by the powerful and fagacious Society of 
Jetuits, reforted to every art that could 
tend fo unite (he moft diftant and favage 
nations in friendly intercourfe with her 
traders, joined to the attive zeal of the 
ae Te miffionary, 
\ 
