No Man's Land: A History of El Camino RealNardini, Louis Raphael
History
No Man's Land: A History of El Camino Real
Nardini, Louis Raphael
El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail (Tex. and La.); Louisiana -- History
That it
would be a great service to the Natchitoches and the Adais if Bernardino
could trade Largen out of the coat. So far no one has been able to do
this.”
The trip from Natchitoches to the Hasinais was roughly about 360 miles.
Immediately on the arrival of the party Bernardino brought the slave
Belle-Isle forward and demanded the rifles when he was told that there
was only one rifle and it belonged to Dachicoin. He was furious and
threatened to kill the slave on the spot. Dachicoin explained that there
were many other trade goods of value and things that the Hasinais
needed. Largen was not then wearing the coat made by Rambin the tailor.
In true Caddo fashion Bernardino either spit upon or kicked the trade
goods offered for Belle-Isle (this was characteristic of the Caddos, any
trade goods was treated in such a way as to cheapen it in the eyes of
the one offering it for trade. Those things that they wanted most they
spurned the most). Each time Bernardino spit on the trade goods, Largen
in turn spit upon Belle-Isle, meanwhile telling him in French that this
was necessary. Largen picked up a bundle and went into the Hinta-sak of
Bernardino. Quickly Quitlami went to Bernardino and explained to him
about the coat of Largen. When Largen came back he was strutting and
showing off the coat. He explained the designs on the coat, the hawk on
one side was an emblem of the Caddos. He was a Caddo because he had
taken an Ais Squaw. The Fleur De Lys because he was also French. Twenty
buttons, more buttons than on any French or Spanish officer’s coat
(Rambin had surely done his best work here). Bernardino began wanting to
trade for the coat but Largen would hear none of it. Finally Bernardino
offered the slave for the coat and explaining that if the slave was a
Frenchman and Largen was a Frenchman then they were brothers—surely a
brother would give a coat to save his brother’s life and if they did not
come to an agreement about the coat then the slave was sure to die.
Largen then surprised Bernardino by saying he would give the coat if the
Chief would given ten horses to the slave and ten horses to him and then
trade horses for the other trade goods along with the amole root and
some wolf hides. This Bernardino agreed to.
St. Denis was awakened by the sound of thundering hooves. Lobotiniere
called to him. St. Denis wiped his eyes as he witnessed the success of
the trip—eighty horses, many of them loaded with hides and other
merchandise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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