Joutel's Journal of La Salle's Last Voyage, 1684-7Joutel, Henri
History
Joutel's Journal of La Salle's Last Voyage, 1684-7
Joutel, Henri
La Salle, Robert Cavelier, sieur de, 1643-1687; Louisiana -- History -- To 1803; Mississippi River -- Discovery and exploration
Parkman possesses a manuscript which he says is a portion of the first
draft of this report. Dr. Shea edited Parkman’s document under the
title, “Relation du voyage entrepris par feu M. Robert Cavelier, sieur
de La Salle, pour découvrir dans le golfe du Mexique, l’embouchure du
fleuve de Missisipy. Par son frère, M. Cavelier” A Manate [N. Y.] 1858,
54 pp. 16mo, and printed a translation in his collection of “Early
Voyages up and down the Mississippi,” Albany, 1861.[131]
Margry gives in his Collection, vol. ii., pp. 501–509, a portion of
a journal kept by Cavelier. Both these narratives from Cavalier’s
pen are very imperfect, the former failing for the latter part of
the expedition, and the journal stops before the landing in Texas.
La Salle’s assassination, which took place in 1687, was witnessed by
Douay, who gives an account in his journal. Joutel relates the event
from the testimony of eye-witnesses, and Tonty states what he learned
from the survivors of La Salle’s party. See also “Relation de la mort
du Sr. de La Salle, suivant le rapport d’un nommé Couture à qui M.
Cavelier l’apprit en passant aux Akansas,” in Margry, vol. iii., pp.
601–606.
A letter written by La Salle, March 4, 1685, erroneously dated at the
mouth of the Mississippi, is in Margry, vol. ii., pp. 559–563, and a
translation is appended to Shea’s “Early Voyages.” The “Procès verbal
fait par La Salle avant de conduire son frère au Mississipi, 18. avril
1686,” in Margry, vol. iii., pp. 535–549. relates La Salle’s operations
in Texas, including his first two journeys from the Texas colony to
find the Mississippi by land.
The Spaniards, in 1689, visited the site of La Salle’s colony, and made
prisoners of the survivors whom they found among the Indians. Two of
these captives escaped to France, and their testimony in regard to the
fate of the colony is given in Margry, vol. iii., pp. 610–621.
Parkman cites the official journal of this Spanish expedition, which is
inedited. It is entitled “Derrotero de la jornada que hizo el General
Alonzo de Leon para el descubrimiento de la Bahia del Espíritù Santo,
y problacion de Franceses.” Buckingham Smith’s “Colleccion de varios
documentos para la historia de la Florida,” pp. 25–28, contains a
narrative by a member of the Spanish company, entitled “Carta en que
se da noticia de un viaje hecho á la Bahia de Espíritù Santo, y de
la poblacion que tenian ah los Franceses,” which is also inserted in
French’s “Historical Collections,” second series, pp. 293–295. Barcia,
in his “Ensayo chronológico para la historia general de la Florida,”
Madrid, 1723, gives an account, from an unknown source, which is
translated in Shea’s “Discovery of the Mississippi.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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