of Biloxi is as sterile as the deserts of Arabia. The stunted shrubs of Ship and Daupine Islands, announce the poverty of the soil by which they are nurtured. In the contracted spot, on which Sauvolle had located his brother on the Mississippi, the few soldiers under him, insulated during part of the year, had the mighty stream to combat. The buz and sting of the musquetoes, the hissing of the snakes, the croakings of the frogs, and the cries of the alligators, incessantly asserted, that the lease the God of nature had given these reptiles of this part of the country, had still a few centuries to run. In the barrens, around the new fort of Mobile, the continual sugh of the needle-leaved tree seemed to warn d'Artaguette his people must recede farther from the sea, before they came to good land.

It is true, during the last ten years, war had in some degree checked the prosperity of the colony, although during the whole of its continuance, except the descent of the crew of a privateer from Jamaica, no act of hostility was committed by an enemy within the colony; but the incessant irruptions on the land of the Indians, under the protection of Louisiana by those in alliance with Carolina, prevented the extension of the commerce and settlements of the French towards the north. Yet, all these difficulties would have been promptly overcome, if agriculture had been attended to. The coast of the sea abounded with shell and other fish; the lagoons near Mobile river were covered with water fowls; the forests teemed with deer; the prairies with buffaloes, and the air with wild turkies. By cutting down the lofty pine trees around the fort, the colonists would have uncovered a soil, abundantly producing corn and peas. By abandoning the posts on the Mississippi, Ship and Dauphine Islands, and at the Biloxi, the necessary

military duties would have left a considerable number of individuals to the labours of tillage; especially if prudence had spared frequent divisions of them to travel for thousands of miles in quest of ochres and minerals, or in the discovery of distant land, while that which was occupied, was suffered to remain unproductive. Thus, in the concerns of communities, as in those of individuals, immediate, real and secure advantages are foregone, for distant, dubious and often visionary ones.

According to a return made by the Marquis de Vaudreuil to the minister, there were, at this period, in New France, including Acadie, four thousand four hundred and eighty persons capable of bearing arms; which supposes a population of about twenty-five thousand.

Charlevoix.-Laharpe.

CHAPTER VIII.

Charter.---Lamotte Cadillac, Duclos, Lebas, Dirigoin, Laloire des Ursins.--Superior Council.—Arrangements with Crozat.--His plans. Misunderstanding between the new governor and Bienville.-Indians-Card money of Canada.--Part of the Choctaws drawn to the British.-Fort Toulouse.-St. Denys.-George I.-Lamotte Cadillac goes to the Illinois in search of a silver mine, and is disappointed. The Choctaws are prevailed on to drive the British traders from their villages.-Massacre of the Indians in South Carolina.-Bienville reconciles the Choctaws.--Arrival of two companies of infantry.-Marigny de Mandeville.-Bagot.-Rouzant.-Bienville commandant-general on the Mississippi.-Ships from La Rochelle and Martinico not allowed to trade.-Louis XV.--The Duke of Orleans.-The Cherokees attack the French on the Wabash.-Bienville goes to the Mississippi.-Has a conference with the Chaouachas.-Reaches Natchez.-Is informed of the murder of two Frenchmen, and demands the head of a Sun.-An Indian consents to die in his room, and his head is brought to Bienville, who refuses to receive it.-The same deception is attempted with as little success on the next day.-Six pirogues from the Illinois are prevented from falling into the hands of the Indians.-The Natchez kill one of their chiefs, who participated in the murder.-Bienville goes to their vil lage. He builds Fort Rosalie, and leaves a garrison in it. One of Crozat's ships arrives at Mobile.-St. Denys' return from Mexico.--Re-establishment and new modeling of the Superior Council.—Ordinance relating to redemptioners and muskets.--Delery, Lafreniere and Beaulieu go on a trading journey to the Spanish provinces.Dutisne goes with a detachment to build a fort at Nat

chitoches.-L'Epinai and Hubert, and three companies of infantry arrive.-New colonists.--Trefontaine. Gimel, Dubreuil and Mossy.—The bay of Ship Island is stopped up.-Misunderstanding between Bienville and L'Epinai and Hubert.-Crozat's agents make a last but unsuccessful attempt to trade with Vera Cruz.-He surrenders his privilege.

CROZAT'S charter bears date the twenty-sixth of September, 1712.

Its preamble states, that the attention the king has always given to the interests and commerce of his subjects, induced him, notwithstanding the almost continual wars he was obliged to sustain, since the beginning of his reign, to seek every opportunity of increasing and extending the trade of his colonies in America; that, accordingly, he had in 1683, given orders for exploring the territory on the northern continent, between New France and New Mexico; and Lasalle, who had been employed in this service, had succeeded so far, as to leave no doubt of the facility of opening a communication between Canada and the gulf of Mexico, through the large rivers that flow in the intermediate space; which had induced the king, immediately after the peace of Riswick to send thither a colony and maintain a garrison, to keep up the possession taken in 1683, of the territory on the gulf, between Carolina on the east, and old and new Mexico on the west. But, war having broke out soon after in Europe, he had not been able to draw from this colony the advantages he had anticipated, because the merchants of the kingdom, engaged in maritime commerce, had relations and concerns in the other French colonies, which they could not relinquish.

The king declares that, on the report made to him

of the situation of the territory, now known as the province of Louisiana, he has determined to establish there a commerce, which will be very beneficial to France; it being now necessary to seek in foreign countries many articles of commerce, which may be obtained there, for merchandize of the growth or manufacture of the kingdom.

He accordingly grants to Crozat the exclusive commerce of all the territory, possessed by the crown, between old and new Mexico, and Carolina, and all the settlements, ports, roads and rivers therein-principally the port and road of Dauphine Island, before called Massacre Island, the river St. Louis, previously called the Mississippi, from the sea to the Illinois, the river St. Philip, before called Missouri, the river St. Jerome, before called the Wabash, with all the land, lakes and rivers mediately or immediately flowing into any part of the river St. Louis or Mississippi.

The

The territory, thus described, is to be and remain included, under the style of the government of Louisiana, and to be a dependence of the government of New France, to which it is to be subordinate. king's territory, beyond the Illinois, is to be and continue part of the government of New France, to which it is annexed; and he reserves to himself the faculty of enlarging that of Louisiana.

The right is given to the grantee, to export from France into Louisiana, all kinds of goods, wares and merchandize, during fifteen years, and to carry on there such a commerce as he may think fit. All persons, natural or corporate, are inhibited from trading there, under pain of the confiscation of their goods, wares, merchandize and vessels: and the officers of the king are commanded to assist the grantee, his agents and factors, in seizing them.