Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-04-07

more than the rash attempt of a foreigner 10
explore part of the territories of another ma
uon, and is not substantially different from tina;
made ny Mr.. lie valiant in the country of the
CatireS TO the North East OF the Cape of Good
Hope by which however, France acquired no
right TO that part of the Dutch possessions al
though they were still desert when the said
lie Valiant explored them. What territories
are there i'm the world, especially in extensive
hominIons, still new aud thinly psoplcd, in
which excursions of that natule have not been
made 10y individuals oiforeigu countries some I
times of nelghtOring nations. which is the
most common. and sometimes of those which,
although a, d distance, actuated either by Gu
riosity or ambition, undertake to explore I'M
Known countries inhabited bN other pee pie and
governed by other powers?
Nor can refrain from recalling here what
has neen written and thoroughly inves tigated.
iC aching the ptttcnGed settlement of the
French In the llliuOi, aud ARKANSAS.
Whsther they were some ofthe individuals of
La Sdie Sc Npeutt!On.w hohad survived las Mr..
~" ffai< has II, or whether tHeywer otheraI-
| VehtnrSrS from Canada, IL seems beVOnd a
uoubt, that Somc trencImen did peuetrats rs
fdr as The kansas, towards the end OF the IL il
cshtHrN, o. The beginning of the eighteenth. II
witch punt. however, the records OF that pc
Hoh go not exactly agree. Euterprisng peo-
| pie from Canada, both F,enchmcu aud natives,
communicated with the Indian tribes, and pc
hetfated tar into the interior 10 purchase cat
| tie, and for other purposes of traffic. Some of
| them, therefore. fixed themselves at the post
OF ARKANSAS, not is settlers, but as agents, TO
carry on the trade between Canada and tn
/ natives OF this district. The same took lace
al the post OF the Illinois, long before the first
foundahon OF the French colony Of Louisiana
WAS thought of
Father Marquee, a Jesuit had penetrated i'll
| 1871, as missionary, into the Indian nation
called saniteax, as tar as ChagwanigunG, on
! lake superior; and 10 the year folio Isl ing Oh"
! 2dl'ef, with view TO explore the mississippi
proceeded from Canada to Chagwau gung
polnt After joiniag father Marquee, te>
Land .1aI
| to that river by The OuisconSin. They met
| van considerable population III The country
OF me ILLINOIS, at the mouth OF the river Mo ngo
ia aud alter promising TO visit them OH their
| return, they suggested 10 those Indians the den
! OF entering the country by the river sinre call
| ed The Illinois and the Indians did so and set
tied IN district knswu by the name oflhe
| Great Rock, or Great Penasco about five
LEAGUES higher up than the mouth of tina river.
! 2atet and father Marquee could descend
| The Mississippi no far thcr than the Arkansas,
anu on ihelr return from their excursion, they
| round Tue ILLINOIS encamped at the Great Pc
| haSco. Saiiet continued ms reircat; aud ia
| theI Marquee determined to remain with these
| lndlans, 10 instruct them in the principles of
| thV christian faith. In this attempt he was
succeeded by other missionaries who after
wards proceeded to fUund church there, sui.
| hcientiH regular, composed OF Illinois and Ca
nddidns who had met aud united with each o.
tner; 'bese people were no ways subject to
Tie > fench government; but lived indepe nd
| emf, IN tie manner of several Indian nations
! bordering OIL the u States. Several other In.
| didEs Oi the Miami and Shawanoe tribes came
! ana >Stled themselves near tie Big Rock, or
| GREAT l@CnaScO bat they disagreed, & soon at
| tSr dispersed. \ party OF the illnes " ent down
the nVer aud settled AT Cahokia, on Tie lett
Dahk oil the Mississippi fifteen or sixteen miles
below The mouth ut The Illinois. Otltr mISsi.
! onailes followed them; and tlIus went on thiS
| KIND OF cciony. informal oi wandering bat al
| Ways Independent OF aud uneennected with til L.
! FRENCH of Canada
Let us now speak of the settlement of the
| ttehch an the country called by them Lous.a-
! ha lhe urSt spot occupied 10y them IN thIs
| country, was the bay of BiioTi, about thirty
| leagues 70 ti!t eastward of tic Mississippi, III
thc year ib.3; or more strictly speaking in
100; and MObiie. little farther eastward,
Wheie they established themselves was during
| two and twenty years, the capital OF their ne "
| colony. From that time they observed the
greatest caution ia the settlements they formed
o" the banks of the Mississippi. Seventeen
ears had passed since the foundation of their
| colony, when they ventnred 10 raise some huts
| onthe lett bank OF that river and this was on
the spot now occupied by New Orleans, which
hVe years afterwards became the cayilai OF the
| COLONY, when the intimate relations between
| france ana Spain not only by virtue OF the Ia
| miiy compact, but more particularly by tie
ieVdiOn OF Philip the 5th TO the throne of
! SPAN, favored tie federation OF dcxterous en-
| croachment on the territory, which was ac-
| hnowledged 10 belong 10 HAT monarchy. In
| 1922, the French succeeded in fixing some
A(l
| opposite to the settlements which they already
had above and below the uew city of Orleans.
| ihey Afterwards settled some Acadians little
| nishei up, anu hnaiiy, some others ut Point
| coupe. But the whole limits OF these cottages
! OF settlements did not extend to more than
/ fifteen or twenty acres OF Land upon the front
| OF the river, 50 that the French seeing a want
| OF cattle, and feeling the necessity OF establish
| M heiuS 10 keSp up supply, turned their
| views 10 ths extensive and fertile praires of
| Atdcapas; ana tbe governor of Louisiana
! tiereupon applied TO the commandment OF The
! interior provinces of Mexico for permission tn
! establish some herds only, WHICH was frankly
| granted 10 tnem by the spanish com nandant. In
! fact, they had nothing more than cattle esta.
| biIshmeu;s in Atacapas ~ Opeiousas, when the
| colony was transferred to Spain in 1861. They
| had never gone farther /; and it is to the Spa.
! nardS that the colony indebted for the ex
| Icnstve population aud cultivation of that part
| OF the territory afterwards ceded back TO
! France and transferred Dy her 10 the United
States; as was also the case i'll The settlements
| of La tOurChc, Avayeiies, the Rapides and
| OnaChlta, which did not previously exist, but
! were TONED by the Spaniards within the ~ oprr
! limits Of the monarchy.
From lien, YOU will clearly see, sir, that so
! far nom Spain having retained any point be-
! longing To- French Louisiana, when she cedsd it
| back by the treaty Of st. IldephOnso, she left
| incorporated with IT, many points, settlements
! and terF tories. which, in truth, did not belong
nor ever had belonged to the said colony.
Ii would be too iatlsuIng, 80 trace step by
| step, ali the iUcursions OF tie Eteuch from Ca
| NADIA, or from Louisiana, Into other points of
! the Spanish domnOns, by passing through In.
| diasnatious OF uninhabIted countries. ! can.
| not, however, Omil touching OF the accidental
| circumstance which gave rise 10 their settle
| 'nent a. ksskaskias, twenty leaugueS below Ga-
| hOkIa. The inhabitants Of Illinois. who had
| no connection OF dependence whatever on Ca
! NADIA, at length undertook to 20 dewn the ri.
! yer, and trade with the French al Bil0ri and
! Mobile Bay aud these traders having discOv.
E.ue IL Il 81.
! OF the small river Kaskaskias, several Of the
/ French settler removed thither in the year