de la cassette. Till they could be disposed of in marriage, they remained under the care of the nuns.

To the culture of rice and tobacco, that of indigo was now added; the fig tree had been introduced from Provence, and the orange from Hispaniola. A considerable number of negroes had been introduced, and land, which hitherto had been considered as of but little value, began to be regarded as of great relative importance. Much attention had not been paid to securing titles; much less to a compliance with the terms on which they had been granted. This began to create confusion, and confusion litigation: for the purpose of stopping this evil, in its beginning, the king's council published an edict on the tenth of August, 1728.

All orders of the directors of the company in France, issued to those in Louisiana, before the last of December, 1723, not presented to the latter and followed by possession and the required improvement, were annulled.

Landholders were required to exhibit their titles, and to make a declaration of the quantity of land claimed and improved by them, to the senior member of the superior council, within a limited time, under the penalty of a fine of two hundred dollars, and in case of continued neglect, to comply with these requisites, the land was to be resumed and granted to others.

Grants of more than twenty arpents in front, on either side of the Mississippi, below bayou Manchac, were to be reduced to that front, except in cases, in which the whole front had been improved; it was thought necessary to have a denser population above and below the city, for its better protection and security.

Lands, therefore granted, were required to be im

LOU. I.

34

proved, by one third of the quantity in front being put in a state to be ploughed and cultivated; but the two chief officers of the colony were authorised, on application, to make exceptions in favor of such landholders who, having large herds of cattle, kept their land in pasture.

The depth of every grant was fixed at between twenty and one hundred arpents, according to its situation.

The company, as lords of all the land in the province, were authorised to levy a quit rent of a sous (a cent) on every arpent, cultivated or not, and five livres on every negro, to enable it to build churches, glebes and hospitals.

Grantees were restrained from aliening their land until they had made the requisite improvements.

Hunting and fishing were permitted; provided no damage was done to plantations and enclosures, and no exclusive right thereto was to be granted.

The company were empowered to grant the right of patronage, to persons binding themselves to build and endow churches.

At the departure of Bienville, the colony had made very rapid strides, and reached, in comparison to preceding years, a very high degree of relative prosperity. During the short space of eleven years, since it passed under the care of the company, agriculture had engaged the attention of European capitalists; eighteen hundred negroes had been introduced from Africa, and twenty-five hundred redemptioners brought over; the military force was increased to upwards of eight hundred men. But the moment was approaching, when Louisiana was to receive a very severe check, which was to cause her to retrogade, as fast as she had advanced. In the concerns of communities, as in those of individuals, the tide of

prosperity does not always flow uninterruptedly; adversity often causes it to ebb, and a change of fortune is often experienced, at the moment a reverse appears less to be dreaded.

Charlevoix.-Laharpe.-Vergennes.-Dupratz.-Archives.

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CHAPTER XI.

The Chickasaws meditate the overthrow of the colonythey engage other nations in the plot.-The Choctaws discover it.-Perrier sends for some of the chiefs.They deceive him. He represents the helpless condition of the province. His representations are disregarded.—The Chickasaws abandon or delay their plan.—Ill conduct of Chepar, at the Natchez. They determine on the slaugh ter of the French, and engage the neighbouring tribes in the plot.--A female discovers and discloses it.-Boats arrive from New Orleans.--Massacre at Fort Rosalie and Fort St. Peter.-Father Doutrefleau.—Perrier sends a vessel to France and two up the Mississippi.-He despatches Courriers to the Illinois and his Indian allies.He fortifies New-Orleans and collects a small force.— Apprehension from the negroes.-Loubois.-Mispleix.

The Natchez make propositions of peace.-Their high pretentions.-Lesueur arrives with the ChoctawsThey cannot be restrained, and make a bold charge with some success. The army arrives; the trenches are opened-Loubois is compelled to accept the propositions of the Natchez.-He builds a Fort and returns.-The Chickasaws afford an asylum to the Natchez and endeavour to gain the Illinois.-Fidelity of the latter.-The Chouachas, influenced by the Chickasaws, attempt to rise against the French.-The negroes are employed to destroy the succour from France.-Perrier goes to Mobile. -His call on the Militia.--Some of the Natchez cross the Mississippi-Symptoms of insurrection among the negroes.--Perrier goes with a small army to Black iver. -He reaches an Indian fort.-Opening of the trenches. -A Parley-The Great Sun and two other chiefs come out and are detained.-One of them escapes.-Part of

the Indians leave the Fort.-The Wife of the Great Sun comes to the camp.-Part of the remaining Indians surrender; the rest leave the Fort-they are pursued and some prisoners taken.-The army returns to New-Orleans. Four hundred prisoners shipped to Hispaniola.Surrender of the Company's Charter.--State of the pro

vince.

THE Chickasaws instigated, as French writers urge, by the English of Carolina, now meditated the total ruin of Louisiana, and the destruction of every white individual in it. They had carefully concealed their design from the Illinois, the Arkansas and the Tunicas, whose attachment to the French they knew to be unshakeable. All the other tribes had been engaged in the plot. Each was to fall on the settlement of the French designated to it, and the attacks were to be simultaneous. Even the Choctaws, the most numerous nation in the neighbourhood and that on whom the French placed the greatest reliance, had been gained, though partially only.

Their villages were divided into two distinct settlements. The eastern or the great, and western or the little nation.-The former had refused to join in the conspiracy; but they kept it secret, till it would have been too late to have warded off the blow, if it had been struck at the time.

Perrier was informed that these Indians had some misunderstanding with Diron d'Artaguette (the son of the former commissary ordonnateur) successor, in the command of Fort Conde of Marigny de Mandeville. who had died during the preceding year, after having received the appointment of Maj. General of the troops. He therefore desired the attendance of the headmen of every village of both nations, atNew Orleans.