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
We soon arrived at our Camp, and found the Misfortune, Monsr. _de la
Sale_ had apprehended, was but too certain. The Ship was stranded on
the Shoals. The ill Management of the Captain, or of the Pilot, who
had not steer’d by the Stakes placed for that Purpose; the Cries of a
Sailor posted on the Main-top, who cry’d amain, _Loof_, which was to
steer towards the Passage marked out, whilst the wicked Captain cry’d,
_Come no nearer_, which was to steer the contrary Course; the same
Captain’s Carelesness in not dropping his Anchor, as soon as the Ship
touch’d, which would have prevented her sticking aground; the Folly of
lowering his Main-Sheet and hoisting out his Sprit-Sail, the better to
fall into the Wind, and secure the Shipwreck; the Captain’s refusing
to admit the Pilot of the Bark _la Belle_, whom Monsieur _de la Sale_
had sent to assist him; the sounding upon the Shoals to no Purpose,
and several other Circumstances reported by the Ship’s Crew and those
who saw the Management, were infallible Tokens and Proofs, that the
Mischief had been done designedly and adviseably, which was one of the
blackest and most detestable Actions that Man could be guilty of.
This Misfortune was so much the greater, because that Vessel contain’d
almost all the Ammunition, Utensils, Tools and other Necessaries for
Monsr. _de la Sale’s_ Enterprize and Settlement. He had need of all
his Resolution to bear up against it; but his Intrepidity did not
forsake him, and he apply’d himself, without grieving, to Remedy what
might be. All the Men were taken out of the Ship; he desir’d Monsieur
_de Beaujeu_ to lend him his long Boat, to help save as much as might
be. We began with Powder and Meal. About thirty Hogsheads of Wine and
Brandy were saved, and Fortune being incens’d against us, two Things
contributed to the total Loss of all the rest:
The first was, that our Boat, which hung at the Stern of the Ship run
A-ground, was maliciously stav’d in the Night, so that we had none left
but Monsieur _de Beaujeu’s_. The second, that the Wind blowing in from
the Offing, made the Waves run high, which beating violently against
the Ship, split her, and all the light Goods were carry’d out at the
opening, by the Water. This last Misfortune happen’d also in the Night.
Thus every Thing fell out most unhappily, for had that befallen in the
Day, Abundance of Things might have been saved.
Whilst we were upon this melancholy Employment, about an hundred, or an
hundred and twenty of the Natives came to our Camp, with their Bows and
Arrows. Monsieur _de la Sale_ order’d us to handle our Arms, and stand
upon our Guard. About twenty of those _Indians_ mix’d themselves among
us, to observe what we had saved of the Shipwreck, upon which, there
were several Sentinels,[59] to let none come near the Powder.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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