The chief personage in this "Western Company," was the notorious John Law, a Scotch financier, one of those universal speculators, who experiment upon every thing, human and divine, who revel only in change, and to whom mere innovation becomes the professional business of a life. As is usual in such cases, he managed so as to draw down ruin upon himself and his duped associates in France, while at the same time, he had the singular tact to place the colony in a condition for the time. The result of his schemes, however, was ultimately disastrous. The finances of the colony were thrown into inextricable confusion. The French Ministry, instead of applying an efficient remedy, or leaving the evil to cure itself, only tampered with it, by changing the values of the coins, and thus deranging all the money transactions of the colony. The effect was ruinous to some, and embarrassing to all. And when was it otherwise? Never. History and experience utter but one voice on the subject of governmental experiments, and arbitrary legislative innovations, upon ordinary fiscal operations, and the course of trade. And that voice is--"_hands off_." In the mean time war was declared between France and Spain. The colonists, sympathizing with the mother country, commenced offensive operations against their neighbors in Florida, and took possession of Pensacola; which, however, the Spaniards soon recovered. The trade of war was never very profitable, even to conquerors. No sooner were the different colonies of pale faces at loggerheads among themselves, than their natural enemies, the Indians, began to take advantage of their divisions, and to endeavor to exterminate them both. A horrible massacre took place at Natchez, in 1729. This was but part of a plan which had been formed among the Mississippi tribes, for a general butchery throughout the colony. The Natchez tribe, mistaking the day appointed for the sacrifice, commenced their work of blood too soon, and thus gave timely warning of the plot to all the other settlements. The war which followed was a destructive one, but the Indians were ultimately defeated. Bienville, having returned to France in 1727, was succeeded by Perrier. Under his administration, the agricultural enterprise of the colony was considerably advanced. The cultivation of indigo was commenced in 1728. The fig tree and the orange were introduced at the same time.