Whilst we liv’d thus easy enough, Monsieur _de la Sale_ expected with Impatience to know what Resolution Monsieur _de Beaujeu_ would take; that he might either go to the Place, where he expected to find the _Missisipi_, or follow some other Course; but at last, perceiving that his Affairs did not advance, he resolv’d to put his own Design in Execution, the Purport whereof was to land one hundred and twenty, or one hundred and thirty Men to go along the Coast and continue it, till they had found some other River, and that at the same Time the Bark _la Belle_ should hold the same Course at Sea, still keeping along the Coast, to relieve those Ashore in Time of Need. He gave me and Monsieur _Moranget_, his Nephew, the Command of that small Company, he furnish’d us with all Sorts of Provisions for eight, or ten Days, as also Arms, Tools and Utensils we might have Occasion for, of which every Man made his Bundle. He also gave us written Instructions of what we were to do, the Signals we were to make; and thus we set out on the Fourth of _February_. [Sidenote: _Men sent by Land to discover._] We took our Way along the Shore. Our first Day’s Journey was not long, we encamp’d on a little rising Ground, heard a Cannon shot, which made us uneasy, made the Signals that had been appointed, and the next Day, being the 5th, we held on our March, Monsieur _Moranget_ bringing up the Rear, and I leading the Van. I will not spend Time in relating several personal Accidents, inconsiderable in themselves, or of no Consequence, the most considerable of them being the Want of fresh Water; but will proceed to say, that after three Days March we found a great River, where we halted and made the Signals agreed on, encamping on a commodious Spot of Ground till we could hear of the Boat, which was to follow us, or of our Ships. But our Provisions beginning to fall short, and none of our Ships appearing, being besides apprehensive of some unlucky Accident occasion’d by the Disagreement between Monsieur _de la Sale_ and Monsr. _de Beaujeu_, the Chief of our Company came together to know what Resolution we should take. It was agreed, that we should spare our Provisions to endeavour to go on to some Place where we might find Bullocks; but it was requisite to cross the River, and we knew not how, because we were too many of us, and therefore it was decreed to set some Carpenters there were among-us at Work to build a little Boat,[56] which took them up the eleventh and twelfth of _February_. The 13th, we were put out of our Pain by two Vessels we discover’d at Sea, which we knew to be the _Joly_ and _la Belle_, to whom we made our Signals with Smoke. They came not in then, because it was late, but the next Day being the 14th in the Morning, the Boat, with the Sieur _Barbier_ and the Pilot of the Bark _la Belle_ come up, and both sounded the Mouth of the River. [Sidenote: _A fine River._]