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 set out the 12th of _January_, in the Year 1687, being seventeen in
Number, _viz._ Monsieur _de la Sale_, Monsieur _Cavelier_, the Priest,
his Brother, Father _Anastasius_, the Recolet, Messieurs _Moranget_ and
_Cavelier_, Nephews to Monsieur _de la Sale_, the Sieurs _Duhaut_, the
Elder, _l’Arcleveque_,[79] _Hiens_, _Liotot_, Surgeon, young _Talon_,
an _Indian_, and a Footman belonging to Monsieur _de la Sale_. We
carried along with us Part of the best Things every Man had, and what
was thought would be of Use, wherewith the five Horses were loaded, and
we took our Leaves with so much Tenderness and Sorrow, as if we had all
presaged, that we should never see each other more. Father _Zenobius_
was the Person who express’d it to me most significantly, saying, He
had never been so sensibly touch’d at parting with any Body.
[Sidenote: _The Way they travell’d._]
We went that Day to the Place we call’d _le Boucon_, because there, we
had often dry’d Flesh, (_which the French call_ Boucanner _from the
Indian Word_). This Place was not far from our Habitation. The 13th, we
cross’d a Plain, about two Leagues over, where we saw several Herds of
Beeves and Flocks of Goats, Turkeys, Bustards, and other Sorts of Wild
Fowl. We met with Marshy Lands, which tired our Horses, and came to a
Wood that terminates the Plain, across which, runs a Branch of a River,
full of Reeds, by Monsieur _de la Sale_ call’d the _Princess’s_ River.
That Branch joins the other, and they both fell together into the Bay
of St. _Lewis_.
We kill’d five Beeves at the Entrance into the Wood, forded the River,
and incamp’d Half a League beyond it, whence Monsieur _de la Sale_ sent
Men with Horses, to bring the Flesh of the Bullocks we had kill’d; the
Hides of them, which serv’d to cover us, being very useful against a
violent Shower of Rain that fell.
The 14th, the Rain ceasing, we travell’d over another spacious Plain,
where there is a Multitude of Beeves and Wild Fowl. We saw several
Tracks, leading every Way, made by the Bullocks, of which we saw
several Herds, some moving on hastily, and others running out-right,
which made us suppose they were drove by the Natives. In short, having
halted to help up one of our Horses that was fallen, we saw an _Indian_
following them very close. Monsieur _de la Sale_ caus’d a Horse to be
immediately unloaded, which a Man mounting, rode after, overtook and
brought the _Indian_.
When the Savage saw himself among us, he concluded he was a lost Man,
he quak’d for Fear, and not without Reason, for most of our Men had
resolv’d to kill him; Monsieur _de la Sale_ oppos’d it, alledging,
that we were but a small Number, that very few were left behind at
the Habitation, and therefore we ought not to render our selves odious
to the Natives, but to use them kindly, that we might have Peace; an
infallible Maxim, the Practice of which might have been fortunate to
him, had he follow’d it sooner.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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