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
Being in Hopes that Monsr. _de la Sale_, might get some Information
from those Savages, we made no Difficulty of taking them into our Boat,
one after another, on each Side, to the Number of five, and then made
Signs to the rest to go to the other Boat, which they did, and we
carry’d them on Board.
Monsieur _de la Sale_ was very well pleas’d to see them, imagining
they might give him some Account of the River he sought after; but to
no Purpose, for he spoke to them in several of the Languages of the
Savages, which he knew, and made many Signs to them, but still they
understood not what he meant, or if they did comprehend any thing, they
made Signs, that they knew nothing of what he ask’d; so that having
made them smoak and eat, we shewed them our Arms and the Ship, and when
they saw at one End of it some Sheep, Swine, Hens and Turkeys, and the
Hide of a Cow we had kill’d, they made Signs that they had of all those
Sorts of Creatures among them.
[Sidenote: _Return Ashore with Gifts._]
We gave them some Knives and Strings of Beads, after which, they were
dismiss’d, and the Waves hindring us from coming too near the Shore,
they were oblig’d to leap into the Water, after we had made fast about
their Necks, or to the Tuft of Hair they have on the Top of the Head,
the Knives and other small Presents Monsieur _de la Sale_ had given
them.
They went and join’d the others who expected them, and were making
Signs to us to go to them; but not being able to make the Shore, we
stood off again and return’d to our Ship. It is to be observed, that
when we were carrying them back, they made some Signs to us, by which
we conceiv’d they would signify to us that there was a great River that
Way we were pass’d, and that it occasion’d the Shoals we had seen.
The Wind changing, the same Day, we weigh’d Anchor and stood to the
Southward, to get into the Offing, till the 14th in the Morning, when
we were becalm’d. At Noon, we were in 28 Degrees 51 Minutes of North
Latitude. The Wind freshned, and in the Evening we held on our Course,
but only for a short Time, because the Wind setting us towards the
Shore, we were obliged to anchor again, whereupon Monsieur _de la
Sale_ again resolved to send Ashore, and the same Persons imbark’d in
the same Boats to that effect.
[Sidenote: _Goats and Bullocks._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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