that all the country to the south belonged to them. In fact, since the month of October, 1698, three ships had sailed from London for Louisiana, but they had put into Carolina, from whence some time afterward two sailed, one of twenty-four guns and the other of twelve."

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They went to the head of the Gulf of Mexico to search for the Mississippi, because their charts there placed the great river. Not having found it, they retook their route to the east, following always the coast in sight, until they at last discovered what they sought for. The smallest of these two ships entered the river, and it was this one that M. de Bienville had caused to retire. The other returned to the west, and penetrated as far as the Province of Panuco in New Spain. Thus the French colony of Louisiana, still in its cradle, found itself menaced by two powerful neighbours equally jealous of the establishment, the Spaniards and the English."

The claims of discovery, and the assumption of rights founded on travellers' falsehoods, and interpolations in books and documents, find a parallel in our own times, in the history of the claims of England to the Columbia River.

NOTES TO CHAPTER II.

NOTE A. Page 58.

VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

The following note is extracted from La Harpe, Journal Historiqu de d'etablissement des Francais à La Louisiane.

On December 7th, 1699, Messrs. Iberville and La Surjère arrived wit the Renommée of 50 guns, and the Gironde of 46 guns, with several o ficers from the garrison, and also with M. le Sueur, and thirty workmen He was sent by Mr. L'Huillier, a farmer-general, to form an establish ment at the source of the Mississippi. The design of the enterprise wa to explore a mine of green earth which Le Sueur had discovered, an this is what gave rise to the enterprise. In 1695, Le Sueur, by order o the Count de Frontenac, governor-general of Canada, caused to be con structed a fort on an island in the Mississippi, more than 200 league above the Illinois, in order to effect a peace between the Sauteurs, (Leap ers,) nations who dwell on the borders of a lake more than 500 league: in circumference, situate 100 leagues to the east of the river, and the Sioux, located near the heads of the Mississippi.

Le Sueur in the same year took to Montreal, Chin-gou-abè, chief of the Sauteurs, and a Sioux chief named Ci-os-cate, who was the first of the nation who had seen Canada. Amity was established, and, in 1696, Le Sueur purposed to return to the Mississippi, when the Sioux chief died after thirty days' suffering at Montreal. Le Sueur was thus relieved from his promise to reconduct the chief to his own country, where he had discovered mines of lead, copper, and blue and green earth, and he resolved to go to France and obtain permission of the court to open them: this permission he obtained in 1697. He sailed from Rochelle, but was taken prisoner by the English on the banks of Newfoundland, and taken to Portsmouth. After the peace he returned to Paris to obtain a new commission, having thrown his former one overboard for fear the English should obtain knowledge of his project. He obtained a new commission in 1698, and afterward came to Canada, where he met with obstacles which obliged him to return to France. Amid all these disappointments, a part of the people whom he had left to guard the fort which he had built in 1695, not hearing any thing of him, went down to Montreal.

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On the 10th of February, 1702, Le Sueur arrived (at Biloxi) with 2000 quintals of blue and green earth from the Sioux country. He gave an account of his voyage up the Mississippi, of which the following are extracts: they are made, to give the early names of the rivers and distances.

The 13th of July, 1700, he left the mouth of the Missouri; at six leagues farther, the Illinois; at twenty-two leagues above the Illinois River, he passed a little river which he named "Aux Boeufs." Nine leagues farther, he met seventeen Sioux on a war excursion against the Illinois, to avenge the death of three Sioux, one of whom had been burned. He appeased the Sioux by telling them that the King of France wished that the river no longer should be stained with blood, and that he had been sent to tell them, if they would obey his word, he would in the end give them all things that were necessary for them. The chief accepted his presents, and promised to do as he desired. From the 30th of July to the 25th of August, Le Sueur advanced fifty-two leagues to a little river which he named "The River of the Mines." It comes from the north at its mouth, and flows from the northeast. Seven leagues to the right, there is a lead-mine in a prairie, a league and a half inland. This river, except the first three leagues, is only navigable in times when the waters are high, that is to say, from spring to the month of June.

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From the 25th to the 27th he made ten leagues, passed two rivers, and took notice of a lead-mine, at which he supplied himself. From the 27th to the 30th he made eleven and one-half leagues. On September 1st, he passed the Ouisconsin; it comes from the northeast at its mouth, and flows from the east; it is about one-half league wide. About fortyfive leagues up the river, to the right, is a portage a league in length; one-half of this distance is boggy (trembling) ground; at the termination there is a little river which descends to a bay, called the "Bay des Puans," inhabited by a great number of nations who take their peltries to Canada. It was by this river, Wisconsin, that Le Sueur came for the first time to the Mississippi in 1693, to go to the Sioux country, where he lived at different times for seven years. From September 1st to the 5th, he advanced fourteen leagues; he passed "Canoe River" which comes from the northeast, and afterward "Quincapous," so named from a nation who formerly lived on its borders. From the 5th to the 9th, made ten and a half leagues, and passed the rivers "Cachèe," and "Aux Ailes." Three leagues farther, passed a little river on the western side, and afterward a much larger one on the east of the Mississippi; this is navigable at all times. From the 10th to the 14th, made seventeen and

a half leagues; passed the river "Raisins" and "Des Paquillinettes The same day, he left to the east a large and beautiful river, which d scends from far north, and is named "Bonne Secours," from the grea number of buffalo, stags, bears, and roebucks which are found ther Three leagues on the river there is a lead-mine, and seven leagues abov on the same side, we find another river of long course, near which ther is a copper-mine, from which he had taken a piece of sixty pounds weig in his preceding voyage. A league and a half from this neighbourhoo to the northwest, begins a lake six leagues long, and more than a leagu wide, called "Lake Pepin." Saltpetre caves are found in the moun tains which border this lake to the west. Seven and a half league above the lake, passed another river called "Hiambouxeatè Onataba,' which signifies the River of Flat Rocks.

Fifteenth, passed a small river; sixteenth, left to the east a large river called "St. Croix," because a Frenchman of that name was ship wrecked at the mouth of it. It comes from N.N.W.; at four leagues higher up, ascending it, we find a small lake, at the entrance of which is a very large mass of copper. It is on the bank of the water, in a little shore of sandy earth, to the west of the lake. From the 16th to the 19th, advanced thirteen and three-fourths leagues. Since he left Tamarois, two hundred and seven and a half leagues. At this place he left the Mississippi and entered the St. Peter's River on the west. On this, to the first of October, he made forty-four and a half leagues; then entered the Blue River, so named on account of the mines of blue earth which are found at the mouth of the river. Here he was told by nine Sioux whom he met, that this river was the country of the Sioux of the West, of the Ayavois (Iowas) and of the Otoctatas, a little farther distant. Here he has established himself in 44 degrees 13 minutes north latiiude, and built a fort, which he called "Fort L'Huillier."

NOTE B. Page 59.

A synopsis of the 16th letter of La Hontan, extracted from vol. i. p. 174 to 260, is here given. This letter is dated "Michillimackinac, 28th May, 1689."

This letter, written after his return from his expedition to the "Long River," states, that he left Michillimackinac, September 24th, 1688, with twenty soldiers, and five Outagamie Indians, in canoes, with provisions and merchandise proper to traffic with the Southern savages. Having traversed Green Bay, they entered the River of the Puants, passed the

Falls of Kakalin, the village of the Kikapous, and on the 11th of October reached the little lake of the Malominies. Here he obtained threesacks of wild rice flour, from the Malominies, which, as he had made them a present of "three fathoms of tobacco," he says was no great stretchof generosity, as that grain is with them almost as common as water, their lake being covered with it. On the 13th, they arrived at the Fort of the Outagamies, who received them in a most hospitable manner. Penetrating the suspicions of the chief, that he was going to traffic with his enemies, La Hontan told him not to fear, for he would not go within a hundred leagues of the Nadowessious, as his intention was to explore the "Long River” to its source, and he asked the chief to give him six warriors to accompany him. The chief was delighted to hear that he was not about to supply his enemies the Nadowessious with arms and ammunition, but advised him to take care of himself and not go too high up the "Long River," as he would find a great number of people by whom he might be overcome, if not in open war, yet by stratagem and surprise. Nevertheless the chief gave him not only six, but ten warriors, who were acquainted with the Eokoros, knew their language and the chart of the country. Having made several valuable presents to the chief and his family, he left them on the 20th, and in the evening of the same day disembarked at the point where they were to leave the River of the Puants, (Fox River.) In three-quarters of a league of difficult portage they reached the Wisconsin.

In four days they reached the Mississippi River, "into which this hateful Wisconsin discharges itself,"1 and commenced ascending it. On the 7th of November they arrived at the mouth of the " Long River," which they entered and found themselves in a kind of lake, almost wholly covered with reeds, but just about the middle there was a narrow channel. This sort of navigation among rushes continued for twenty leagues,. but they finally emerged in a fine stream, bordered with lofty woods and wide prairies. Meeting with many and numerous tribes of Indians on. their route, on the 27th they came to the first village of the Essanapès,. where their arrival was expected, and measures had been taken to receive them in grand style of savage hospitality. About five hundred. men received them on landing with dancing, loud cries, and frequent. prostrations, similar to adoration. The strangers were then taken to the village by the Indians, where they were received by a deputation of the regency of the place, consisting of six hundred men, each holding

1 This river (Ouisconsin) is cursed and shameful, (maudite, et abandonnée). Its waters revolve a filthy and villanous slimy mud: on both sides of its channel we