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
The Sieur _Duhaut_, having several Effects, as Linen, Hatchets and
other Tools and Commodities, which had been sav’d from the Shipwreck,
Monsieur _de la Sale_ took Linen to make Shirts, for such as wanted,
as also the Tools they stood in Need of. The Cloaths belonging to
Messieurs _Thibault_, _le Gros_ and _Carpentier_, who were dead, were
also distributed. A great Belt I had, serv’d to make Shoes for Monsieur
_de la Sale_ and Monsieur _Cavelier._
[Sidenote: _Monsieur_ de la Sale _sets out upon another Expedition_.]
All Things being thus provided, Monsieur _de la Sale_ took twenty Men
along with him, among whom were Monsieur _Cavelier_ his Brother, F.
_Anastasius_ a Recolet, Monsieur _Moranget_ his Nephew, the Sieurs
_Bihorel_, _le Clerk_, _Hurier_, _Duhaut_ the younger, _Hiens_ his
Surgeon, and his Servants. He left behind those, who were not fit
to undertake that second Journey, among whom were little Monsieur
_Cavelier_[76] his Nephew, the Sieur _Barbier_, _Canadien_ and some
others. Each of the Travellers made up his Pack, and they set out
towards the latter End of _April 1686_,[77] after having given me the
necessary Orders, and we parted without Ceremony, Monsieur _de la Sale_
desiring it should be so.
[Sidenote: _What was saved of the Bark_ la Belle.]
[Sidenote: _May 1686_]
Some Days after he was gone, I heard a Voice towards the lower Part of
the River, crying twice _Qui vive_, or who are you for. I made that
Way, and perceiv’d the Sieur _Chedeville_ a Priest, the Sieur _de la
Sablonniere_, and some others of those who had been put aboard the
Bark _la Belle_, and were now in a Canoe. I ask’d abruptly what was
become of the Bark, and was inform’d, our continual Misfortunes still
pursuing us, that it had run aground on the other Side of the Bay. I
caused the Canoe to be unloaded, there being in it, among other Things,
Monsieur _de la Sale’s_ Cloaths, Part of his Papers, some Linen, a
small Quantity of Beads and thirty or forty Pound of Meal, which was
all they had left.
[Sidenote: _How the Bark was lost._]
The next Day, Monsieur _de Chedeville_ told me the Particulars of that
Misfortune, and said, That having been some Time with the Bark, in the
Place where Monsieur _de la Sale_ had appointed them to wait, their
Water falling short, they had thought fit to send the Boat ashore, with
four or five Casks to fill; that the Sieur _Planterose_ went in it with
six of the best Men. That towards the Evening they saw the Boat coming
back, but the Wind being contrary and Night coming on, they put out a
Light, which going out and the Captain neglecting to put up another, in
all Likelyhood the Boat could not see the Bark, and they never heard
of it after, nor of any of those in it, who it was probable had all
perish’d.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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